Levy was chewing her lower lip, a finger idly twirling a strand of her hair around it while she tore through the book in front of her. Gajeel was sitting across from her, one leg propped up on the seat, head tilted back against the window, trying to just rest through the misery that was train travel.

At least they didn't have a terribly long trip to get to their starting point. He couldn't complain about their cover either, cracking an eye a bit to catch the rings on Levys finger and pushing his thumb against the thick band on his own.

Newlyweds, Honeymooning at Akane Beach. They had no less than 11 meet ups to handle in the area with various people all arranged by Hidden Hope. Each one was expecting to meet a couple and they had to maintain a cover so that while they roamed the area they wouldn't look out of place or suspicious. LOTS of couples honeymooned there.

Gajeel wasn't as worried about this work as he had been the work in the club. They could behave pretty naturally, just more affectionate and he could handle that. He could touch her, hug her and it was all just cover enhancement.

He still wasn't sure what to make of everything they were involved in. Magic enhancement Lacrimas had been outlawed by the council about 10 years ago. They had been deemed unsafe and their creation process was steeped in controversy and so many rumors it was impossible to sort through it all. He knew of the Dragon Slayers, Cobra and Laxus were second gen, Ryos and Sting were third. He'd heard Natsu and even the old man talking as if the lacrima enhanced slayers were somehow lesser than the first generation like Wendy, Natsu and himself.

He knew better. Laxus was a fucking monster, insanely powerful and someone Gajeel wouldn't want to take on if her had a choice. Cobra honestly wasn't someone he would want to fight either. According to Natsu every time he'd seen Cobra beaten it was obvious the mans heart wasn't in the fight so they hadn't really seen him go all out and even half heartedly fighting, he'd nearly killed Natsu.

Ryos and Sting were stong too, though Gajeel knew they just weren't devoted to hard training, neither one of them, so they both lacked in technique and power because they were…well…lazy, especially Sting.

Dragon Lacrima were said to contain a piece of a dragons soul. If he didn't know Bickslow, he would have scoffed at the idea that a soul could be torn and a piece removed.

But Seith magic was illegal, the Seith mages had been all but wiped out. According to Bix he was the only Seith other than one he knew in Bosco and that man kept his head down like Bickslow did. So how would one create a Dragon Lacrima in the first place?

There were no more dragons, or at least if there were any they were scarce and illusive. Taking a piece of a Dragons soul wouldn't be easy, not like the dragon would cooperate.

Gajeel had seen Bickslow use his magic to get information from people in many ways now, and the most bone chilling had been when Bickslow had inflicted pain. He had caused pain on a soul, there was no defense for that, no way to block any of it or get past it. Bickslow had barely seamed to exert himself doing it too. It had left Gajeel with an understanding of why the magic was illegal now.

He figured, if it came to it, he could probably take the Seith down, but he'd fight blind with his eyes shielded, and Bickslow was agile, fast and had plenty of powerful attacks other than just what he could do with his figure eyes.

It would be an ugly fight, one he knew, if he didn't know the Seith, hadn't watching him fight and train, there was no way he could beat him.

So if there were no Seiths, how would the Council produce these Lacrimas? What process was involved with the other ones, where did the magic within them, true seed magic, the kind developed in a soul, born there, where did it come from? How did they get it into a Lacrima?

It was all too much. The country was in such a state of unrest, the Council was spread so thin anymore it was amazing they had bothered to send someone to investigate the owner of the club in the first place.

It made him uneasy. He had a bad feeling about it all, that something more than basic corruption was happening and that it was going to get a lot worse in the near future.

Bickslows adoptive father and oldest brother were both Ambassadors for Bosco and both had recently let Makarov know that if anything happened, politically, and Fairy Tail and its members needed help, refuge, that he was to let them know.

Why would two men, both in powerful political positions, suddenly be telling their family and his guild something like that?

The atmosphere in Fiore had been tense since Tartaros, the people had no confidence and the surrounding countries were pretty much done watching Fiore provide the stage for world endangering events. Seven had stopped all negotiations a few months ago and he wasn't envying Cana and Gray their region.

"Gajeel?" He opened his eyes, grimacing when the car rocked a little harder for a minute.

Levy was looking at him intently and held out the list she'd been translating. "I finished this one…Gajeel, there's a Dragon Lacrima in the list, and one for something called "Soul Eater" Magic. He frowned, tamping down his nausea so he could focus on the sheet of paper in his hand.

"Replicant Draconian" was indeed on the list. "Laxus found one for Replicant Dragon magic, so that one's been recovered." He said quietly. Levy frowned, rising and coming over to him, leaning in to point at the sheet she had translated from.

"This symbol next to the Dragon lacrima name means there is more than one, two at least of them were produced." She said softly.

Gajeel heaved a sigh, that wasn't good news. "So another one is floating around."

Levy nodded and the speakers crackled announcing they were coming into Akane Beach.

Gajeel smirked slightly, looking up into her wide hazel eyes. "Ready?" His look unnerved Levy a little, but she smiled, nodding. "Yes of course! We're supposed to just get settled tonight then first meeting at 7am on the beach. " She replied brightly.

"Ok then." Gajeel stood towering over her as usual, pulled their bags down from the overhead and nodded for her to lead the way. The trains final shudder as it stopped made his gut roll painfully but he grit his teeth and ignored it. Once his feet were on solid ground again he'd be fine within a few minutes.

He certainly couldn't complain about the view, Levys long legs and rounded rear were two features nobody would have expected on such a tiny woman, but he'd noticed them long ago, sitting in the guild in his corner he'd missed little, watched the guild closely, every member.

As he'd done in Phantom at first it had been a self-preservation habit, he knew it was best to know everyone in the guild, observe them when they were at their ease not trying to hide anything.

He could pick out quirks, nervous habits, things that let him know who liked and hated each other, where secret alliances were. In Phantom that had been crucial for survival, in Fairy Tail, his observations had become more for amusement once he'd realized Fairy Tail wasn't a place where everyone was out to wreck each other to garner favor with the master.

After more time, they had become his window to seeing the people in the guild that made him feel…comfortable. His dragon had used it all to determine the woman it wanted and for reasons beyond Gajeels understanding, that part of him had started wanting Levy early on.

Gajeel himself was lethal, deadly, observant, silent and predatory. His shadow magic fed on the powerful darkness inside him and fit him as perfectly as the iron of his will and body. In Fairy Tail he'd learned that darkness wasn't evil, he wasn't evil, darkness could be as simple as a lack of light, the fear it caused was ignorance he could use to increase the power of it.

Evil hid in shadow, but he didn't fear it anymore, had come to terms with that part of himself when he'd reached into his second origin and found if he didn't start embracing what he was it would consume him.

Levy didn't know it but her light in his life had given him the ability to do that, watching her not just accept him but deal with her fears of him and overcome them necause she was determined to get to know him, to walk into the dark eyes open and instead of cower from it, let her eyes adjust so she could take it all in.

Levy seemed to find things in him he hadn't known he had, and he had discovered more about himself through her. Driven to be the man she seemed to see.

He'd been born for no heart but hers, he didn't doubt that anymore. Accepting that had been difficult too, she was so tiny, so physically the opposite of him he'd been at first repelled by the idea as his dragon had pushed it harder and harder onto him until he'd finally realized the idea of the mating was to merge strength that mad both people better, made them complete.

He grossly lacked the softness, the ability to accept an idea was as strong as a sword, could be stronger, Levys greatest strengths were his greatest weaknesses. Levy lacked confidence, lacked physical strength and lacked the fire in her to step up to any threat and take it on, all things Gajeel had in immense abundance.

Levy feared violence, Gajeel enjoyed it. Levy could see things Gajeel would walk past because they weren't important for what he was doing at the moment, the ability to enjoy simple things for their beauty and comfort. He'd never known that until Levy.

So she could walk right into the fire of hell and he'd be right by her side without question or hesitation at this point.

He smiled faintly as they walked toward the resort, hardly the gates of hell. However, if she kept acting like she was their mission would end before it began.

He caught her shoulder, pulling her to the side. "Shrimp, you have to get into your role, you can't be walking along a distance away from me and ignoring me like you usually do, that's not how newlyweds act. You need to keep in mind we're working under covers, you can not act like you usually do. A woman who even likes a guy doesn't act like you usually do around me." He chuckled.

It wasn't meant to be hurtful or insulting. He knew how Levy was and had never been one to need physical nearness or affection much, he got she was shy, his nose told him Levys true feelings even when her actions said otherwise, but right now, she couldn't be playing the distant ice queen buried in her books and thoughts pretending to ignore him and forget he was there.

She'd ruin their covers if she did that.

He'd done work requiring the lovey dovey shit before, he'd worked a couple of those with Juvia in Phantom. Of course he wasn't ever interested in Juvia like he was with Levy but he could contain himself, the work at the club had given him some strong confidence in that because holy hell had his self-control been tested there where Levy was concerned.

He'd also observed it enough to know even less affectionate couples didn't walk far away from each other ignoring each other.

Levy bit her lip looking up at Gajeel. He didn't look mad, upset or anything close to that, he was calm, had a warm patience in his expression she'd seen more and more of the last few months when he'd looked at her.

It sort of stung though, the "a woman who even likes a guy doesn't act like you usually do around me." Did she really act that cold? She tried not to let herself look at him, because often when she did she had these racey blood heating ideas pop into her head.

The man was built, a lifetime in combat had made his body a weapon, and seriously gorgeous. So if she looked at him, she thought about that body, about the kiss they'd shared the first night at the club. It flustered her, left her confused and flooded with feelings and sensations she wasn't used to.

To keep her thoughts clear and on task, she tended to keep a little distance from Gajeel when they were on missions and even at the guild so she could get things done. When she didn't adhere to that she tended to just stare like a fool at the Iron Slayer and that certainly didn't get things done.

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" She blushed, he was right, a newly wed couple wouldn't be trying to stay away from each other and certainly if Gajeel were her husband, she would not be keeping her distance and avoiding looking at him.

"Come on shrimp, I know we've only been out a couple of times but we can have fun with this, don't be afraid of me or worry about it. I'm not good at these kinds of things, I need you to take the lead and I'll follow, you were getting pretty good at it at the club, just now, instead of us being just lovers we're at the next level, right?" He was smiling down at her and Levy returned it.

"You're right, I can do it. If I go too far though…" She frowned and Gajeel actually laughed.

"You can't go too far shrimp, we're married, I'm yours you're mine, people who belong to each other set their own limits." He told her.

She smiled "Ok, lets get to the resort, I'm starving and we need to get settled in our room and check in."

Gajeel started back toward the resort and this time Levy was next to him instead of 20 feet or so ahead of him, she grasped his hand too, and he smiled at the gesture. He'd meant what he'd said. He'd let her set the pace here and only push things if he had to. The more natural it all looked the better.

They checked in and went up to the honeymoon suite booked for them by their employer, their home base for the next three weeks.

Gajeel set their bags down and pulled out the com lacrima they had been given. He sent the confirmation code acknowledging their arrival and readiness to work and put the object back in his pocket.

They wouldn't be doing verbal check ins until tomarrow since the central team was in transit to their base at the moment.

"Ok shri…" He was turning to ask Levy where she wanted to go to eat but she was right there, standing on her suitcase when he turned and her fingers caught his face, pulling him to her and kissing him. His reaction was instant, he wasn't prepared so couldn't prevent it. Growling low in his throat and wrapping his arms around her immediately. Weeks he'd been restraining himself, hell even the night she'd jumped on him he'd been on guard when he'd opened the door. He had nothing but his raw want of her reacting to her for the first moments.

He kissed her back, and she made a soft sound as his tongue invaded her mouth, her hands sliding into his hair. "Ga..Gajeel." She breathed and he let her pull back, he didn't want to, he wanted to carry her over to the oversized bed and finally make her his, but she set the pace, he followed. It was what it had to be for her sake. He was beyond worrying about his own needs, his were too simple, her, as his mate. Levy was the one that was the complex piece of the puzzle.

He held himself in check, but couldn't stop the burning want he knew was in his gaze, he didn't bother hiding that from her anymore, there wasn't a point.

"Just getting myself into the right frame of mind for our cover." She smiled at him, blushing but her eyes dancing with determined wickedness that sent a little thrill through him.

"Yeah? I like your methods." He said she stepped off her suitcase. Not sure where she had found the courage to do that, but knowing had they not spent three weeks of frequently being all over one another for the club she never would have.

He'd said he wanted to wait to resume what they had started before this mission until it was over, that he didn't want to become a stress release for her, well, she was going to go ahead and override his decision.

She'd decided this job was the perfect opportunity for her to get past all of her shyness with him and while she meant to put all she had into seeing the job done flawlessly.

"If we go down to eat we're going to have to be pretty…lovey dovey Gajeel." Levy smiled at him, almost challenging him.

"And?" He returned, if she thought the prospect of necking with her in public was a deterrent for him he was going to surprise her.

"You sure you can handle it?" She asked "I mean we could order room service, hide up here and just have a quiet easy night."

"I'm not worried." He replied, smirking down at her and enjoying the blush that pinked her cheeks. She was so beautiful when she blushed.

"Ok then." She headed for the door and Gajeel followed her, as soon as they were in the hall she took his arm and was right up against him as they went to the elevator.

He leaned down and nuzzled her neck when they found they weren't alone and she giggled when he did but leaned into him and left the elevator that way, Levy laughing and slipping from Gajeels grasp, the soft growl that came from him surprised even him when she danced a few feet ahead of him, backing away smiling.

"Careful shorty, acting like prey aint smart around me." He warned with a smile. Levy was tempted to dash ahead and make him chase her, triggering his predatory instincts wasn't something she wanted to contend with right then, but she made a mental note to try it later, too intrigued to waste information like that.

"You don't scare me." She told him, letting him catch up to her but dodging his attempt to get an arm around her, she saw how the hotel staff were smiling at them. Play was working fine.

"I should." Gajeel responded, she stuck her tongue out at him as they reached the hotels main restaurant. Insisting on a booth instead of a table she giggled more when Gajeel pulled her to the back curve of the padded bench, dissolving into laughing when his touches turned ticklish.

"Not at the table! Truce!" She pleaded and he relented, letting her settle and catch her breath.

The whole meal had to be one of the best times Levy had ever had. She'd been so worried about this she'd practically shut down on the train, barely spoke two words to Gajeel and then had given him the cold shoulder unintentionally, once they were off the train.

He could claim his behavior was for their cover, and it definitely fit it, but she could feel and see how at ease he was with it, how much he was enjoying it just like she was.

When they returned to the room Gajeel closed and locked the door behind him chuckling.

"Well I don't think they'll be doubting us much."

Levy smiled at him, "Told you I could handle it." She smiled and went into the bedroom. One bed. Of course, it was a honeymoon suite, the oversized bed could have comfortably slept six people though so she decided she wouldn't worry about that.

Everything about their suite was opulence designed to help a couple enjoy themselves. They had a gorgeous private balcony that overlooked the beach. She pulled her pajamas out, opting for a soft baby blue camisole and cotton blue shorts to match.

Seeing Gajeel out on the balcony she changed and pulled the curtain aside the bedrooms access door to the balcony, sliding it open and smiling as the warm ocean breeze blew over her.

He was leaning on the railing, just looking out over the water looking thoughtful. He looked so good in the dress slacks, white button down dress shirt and vest from the three piece he'd had to wear. They were supposed to look like they had just come from their wedding reception.

His long hair was being pushed by the breeze, seeing the moonlight moving over the black locks made her want to run her fingers through them. It had always amazed her how he maintained that thick mane of hair, that he had the patience for it.

Her own unruly locks got to her sometimes and she cut them down short in annoyance then become annoyed she didn't have enough for a good pony tail and her headbands would slide back because they didn't have enough hair to give them strong purchase. So she would grow it back out and the cycle would repeat.

He made her heart ache, her body, had since she had first seen him, when he'd been standing before her and her team about to beat them bloody and bolt them to a tree, she'd been stricken then by him, then, when the protective shield of cruelty he'd adopted in Phantom Lord had fallen away, more than just her body had wanted him.

He wanted to wait until the mission was over to work on their relationship, she frowned, eyes traveling from that flowing raven hair down over his tall body, long legs, powerful thighs straining the material of the tailored slacks, his arms doing the same to the shirt, he was mouthwatering and she wasn't waiting however long this mission was going to last for them to progress.

"I don't want to wait Gajeel." She said firmly. He turned his head, clearly not surprised by her presence behind him, he'd heard her come out.

"What are you talking about shorty?" He asked, not moving from his spot leaning on the rail but keeping those dark eyes on her.

"For us, you said back in Hargeon you wanted to put us on hold until this mission was done…I don't want to do that." She told him. He turned then, pushing off the railing to face her.

"Levy…" He started and she shook her head "No, Gajeel, we don't know how long this mission is going to take or what's going to happen, everything is so…uncertain right now. I don't want to wait, I don't want to hold back and wonder and worry about what might happen. If you and I…if we are going to be together, boyfriend girlfriend, or work toward more than that even, I want to and I don't want to wait." She was proud her voice sounded so firm and stable because inside she was a riot of nerves.

What if he said they were done then? Ended them before they began for the sake of keeping the mission easier. She wasn't good at reading people, especially not Gajeel, but she hoped what she'd felt, especially that night in Hargeon, had been all she'd felt it was.

"Ok."

She blinked, eyes searching his face and finding little with the shadows playing over him, the moon behind him, his hair helping to cast them.

"You…you're willing to.." she stammered a little, not even sure exactly what they were agreeing to.

"You label everything shorty, part of the library obsession you've got, you want to label us and keep going, I like the idea, we're not in that God awful club anymore. What we're doing now? Playing this cover while we're gathering information and items? Hell it's practically the best string of dates I could think of anyway." He chuckled his odd little laugh that she loved so much.

He reached a hand out to her and she took it, gladly being pulled into his arms. "So that makes us…official?" She asked, he laughed now and she thrilled at the sound, her hands grasping the open edges of the vest he still had on over the dress shirt.

"I suppose, so now, I'm your husband for the mission, and your boyfriend in real life. Could get confusing." He said.

"Which is why the labels matter! Keeps everything organized." Levy said brightly, nodding her head at the wisdom of it, he could mock her need for organization all he wanted, there were methods to her madness and they worked.

"Anything you say shrimp." He was still chuckling, and she was enjoying his good mood, the light happy feeling between them.

"Then I say we watch a movie, I'm not sleepy yet." She declared. She'd seen the massive flat lacrima screen in the sitting area of their suite, she liked the idea of curling up on that big couch with him.

"Sounds good, go pick out a movie, I'm gonna get out of this get up." He released her and she slipped through the doorway to the sitting area while he went through the one she'd left open to the bedroom.

A few minutes later he was joining her in a black tank top and sleep shorts that came down mid-thigh on him. Levy almost dropped the remote. The tank was skin tight and she doubted he had anything under those shorts.

He smirked as her eyes moved over him, fingers lax on the remote. He'd been fortunate, when she'd stepped out in that sexy little cami and shorts he'd had shadows hiding his reaction, he had to admit, he loved that his body affected her. He didn't keep fit and work out and train like he did for that reason, but it was a very happy side effect. He wanted her to want him, because he sure as hell wanted her.

"You're staring shrimp." He sat on the end of the couch, turning and propping a long leg up against the back of it before reaching for her and pulling her blushing and somewhat flustered, up to lay against his chest, pulling the remote from her fingers to start the movie while she battled with embarrassment.

He didn't tease her further, one jab was enough. She may say she wasn't sleepy but neither of them had slept the night before, too eager to leave Hargeon and while he'd gotten in a brief nap before the meeting, he was running on willpower and he was sure she was too.

"I…stupid Gajeel…" she mumbled and he just smirked, hugging her against him before they both focused on the movie.

Whatever she had picked he couldn't focus on, he was too tired, too much had been happening, and her declaration that she wanted them to keep going, to work on their relationship, be officially a couple, he was too happy about it all.

She was right, their whole country was uncertain right now, all of Earthland was, so waiting did seem foolish, he'd just known that there in the club, if he'd given in and they'd had sex that night like he was sure she'd wanted to, it would have hurt their relationship, not helped it.

Now though, things were different, their cover worked differently though they had the same names. Levy was still "Lainy" easy to remember since it was so close to her real name, and he was still "Dark". Cover was simple, he and Lainy had left Taffys employment and gotten married. So they had given him a surname "Drexlar" and he and Levy were now Mr and Mrs Drexlar for this phase of the mission.

Honeymooning for three weeks in Akane Beach, like so many couples did they wouldn't stand out. It was why Lucy and Cobras cover was the same, Rosegarden was also a massively popular honeymoon and wedding location, and for Cana and Bickslow, Laxus had changed that assignment last minute because they had decided they needed a couple in Crocus and Evergreen couldn't be "married" to Bickslow because the Seith couldn't hope to keep from teasing her and she would have the man turned to stone daily, no hope of maintaining a cover together. So Bickslow had gone with Cana and Gray was with Evergreen. All under covers that fit the areas they were going to perfectly.

So since they were no longer under the heavy strain of working in a crowded nightclub/pleasure house anymore, he felt fine relaxing into being with Levy, letting their relationship take up again without restraint.

He smiled faintly, feeling her breathing had gotten deeper, slower. He gathered her up and carried her to the bedroom, sliding her under the blankets before going and shutting everything off and sliding into the bed beside her.

His heart clenched in his chest as she pressed into him in her sleep, small hand grasping his shirt as she snuggled into him, using his shoulder as a pillow. She fit so perfectly against him, his exhaustion wouldn't let him spend much time enjoying it though, pulling him to sleep.