This one is because I adored that little scene where Gajeel and Wendy were acting as Natsu's minions. They were so awesome together (not romantically, of course, she's like, 10) but the big brother attitude just-yeeeah. *happy Gajeel lover here* And, like any fanfic, if the characters seem OOC, um, sorry? And hey, I know he's not really a black dragon, he's silver, but the alliteration was too good to pass up. Think of it more like in the term "black Irish" or "Black Knight," kay?

Oh, and if anyone hasn't read my oneshot, The Tsundere, go read it now! Or, you know, after you've read this one, whichever!

And for DarkAngel: Gajeel told Lily what he did (somewhat) to Levy in chapter 2, the second story Full Moon Sake. So, yeah, Lily knows. There are a few running plots/jokes in these stories, but over all I think each of them can stand on their own as oneshots^^

Blackmailing the Black Dragon

Characters: Gajeel, Wendy, Pantherlily, Levy

One wouldn't expect it, Lily thought as he ate his dinner, but there was a connection between Gajeel and Wendy, just like there was between Gajeel and Natsu. The difference was, though, that Wendy and Gajeel didn't war it out like Natsu and he did. In fact, Wendy was heading towards them in her shy little manner even as the metal dragon took a bite out of his mug.

Gajeel didn't say a word as the little girl slipped into place next to him. He didn't even look up as Mirajane brought a plate of food for her. But he knew she was there. It was clear in the way he sat that he was trying not to make a move that would startle the little girl away.

"I did a job," she said as she started to eat. The hint of a brag in her voice reminded Lily of when Coco had bragged to him in the past.

"That's good," Gajeel drawled.

"All by myself," she added.

"Wouldn't expect any less," Gajeel said, still sounding a bit bland. Discreetly the metal dragon glanced over to make sure she wasn't beaten up too badly. She didn't have a scratch on her. "What was it?" he asked after a long stretch of silence.

"They wanted a healer to come in and look at someone," she said. "He was pretty sick." She stabbed a carrot, looking at it thoughtfully as her feet kicked under the table. "I happened to pass by this school along the way," she added before eating her vegetable.

Gajeel jerked, suddenly going still as he realized what she was talking about. The strain was obvious in his voice when he finally managed to say something. "That's nice."

"It was interesting," she went on, with a wicked hint of cheer in her voice. "I never knew you liked kids," she went on when Gajeel didn't say anything. "That playground you made them? That was really, really-"

"Okay, fine, what do you want to keep quiet?" Gajeel asked her, turning to glower down at the little sky dragon. She grinned up at him shamelessly and Lily literally saw Gajeel's Adam's apple go up and down.

"Make me one!" she said, grabbing his arm. "Make me a playground!"

"There's an entire pool area here," he told her.

"Yeah, but I want a playground, too!" She hugged his arm tightly, tugging on it. "With a really twisty, twisty slide and a set of swings and one of those spinning table things, and maybe some of those rocker dragons that go back and forth, and-"

"Oye, wait now, I didn't make it nearly that big. A slide and a fort-"

"But I drew pictures and everything," she said, her eyes big and pleading.

Gajeel groaned and looked around to make sure no one was watching them. "And where am I supposed to build this massive playground of yours?" he asked. "It's not like we can put it in the back-" He stopped, cursing as she nodded happily. "I am not building this behind the guild!"

"I already asked Master Makarov and he said we could!"

"You told the old man?" Gajeel yelped.

"And I'm looking forward to it, too!" Makarov called from across the room.

Gajeel groaned, staring blindly at the food in front of him. "Fine. Just don't tell anyone, got it?"

"Got it!" she said. She started eating, her legs still swinging happily under the table. Gajeel muttered something dark, shaking his head before he looked over at her.

"You're just dying to show me the picture, aren't you?"

"I'm gonna finish dinner first because we gotta go over it part by part," she told him. "You gotta get it exacccctly right, understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Gajeel muttered. They finished their meals companionably, simply because Lily didn't mention the fact that everyone in the guild would know about the playground before the day was through.

He was wrong, actually. After the first two poles went up the entire guild was outside, drinking beer and watching as Gajeel built the little girl's dream playground. The only thing that kept Gajeel from running was how Wendy followed him around, offering to help with anything she could, which didn't amount to much.

"So... he is making that slide big enough for adults, right?" Levy asked Lily, making the Exsheed glance up at her in surprise.

"Think he should?" he asked.

"Well, I mean, it looks so massive, I don't see why-I really, really want to go on that slide," she admitted, looking up at the twenty foot tall slide that corkscrewed down to the ground.

"Go ask him yourself," Lily said with a smirk, not budging except to take the mug of beer that Mirajane offered him. Levy only hesitated for a heartbeat before heading for the dragon slayers working. Or dragon slayer. Wendy was busy trying out the ladder for the slide that Levy seemed so intent on.

He watched, sitting next to Cana on a table someone had brought out and sipping his beer. After a strange look, Gajeel nodded as Levy asked him, shrugging slightly. Lily could almost read his mind. A metal playground would probably support an elephant, much less a female that probably weighed a hundred pounds at most.

"We're going to need some shade trees," someone said from behind Lily. "That metal will get too hot without them."

"And how about a couple more tables?"

The guild went to work, leaving Lily to watch with amusement as Gajeel glowered at them. "Oye! Lily!" Gajeel bellowed as he caught sight of the Exsheed. "Get your ass out here! I'm not the only one that was busted!"

Then he stopped as everyone looked at him curiously, and muttered something dark. "There goes his bribe," Lily said, finishing off his beer and heading in to help. He would have to stop the dragon slayer before he tossed in a scrap metal hell pool, anyway.