Levy sighed as she lifted her apron from her neck. She rolled her shoulders and stretched, listening to her muscles creak and her bones pop back into alignment as she did so. She'd been working since early that morning and her nerves felt like they were completely shot. She'd barely been able to sleep all night. Her stomach was completely in knots.

She wasn't a good liar and she'd been trying to keep to herself all day. When she'd requested the afternoon off from Hajime she thought it was written all over her face. Somehow he'd allowed it, despite the look in his eye that said he didn't buy her excuse. Now, it was finally time for her to pack up and head home… if only she could lay low for just a few more minutes…

"Levy shouldn't work so hard," Juvia's voice rang out from beside her, causing her to glance towards the taller woman, "She's going to tire herself out before her big date."

"Juvia!" Levy giggled, shaking crumbs off of her apron.

"That's what you requested off early for? A goddamn date?" Hajime's lip curled up slightly as he glanced over at her, rag in hand as he wiped down his counter, "You hurt my heart, lass, to choose some boy over me."

"It's not a date, Hajime! Juvia!" Levy smiled, smoothing out her dress and flipping her hair back into place, "A friend of mine from my home town is just stopping by…"

"And Levy is spending all day with them? And she's even staying the night in his hotel?" Juvia gushed, "Levy's in looooove…"

"Yer not gonna get married, are ye? It would break meh heart to walk you down the isle so soon…" Hajime feigned distress as he let his hand rest on his heart. His scarred eye squeezed shut as his smile consumed his face with his teasing.

"You two are ridiculous," Levy huffed.

"Don't worry, Juvia won't tell Gajeel. It will be between, Juvia, Levy, and Hajime," Juvia winked at Hajime, "A forbidden love triangle! Juvia thinks it's so romantic!"

Levy's face flushed at the mention of Gajeel, "It's not a love triangle! Gajeel doesn't even like me!"

"Eh?" Hajime chuckled as he grabbed a couple glasses, "He doesn't? Could've fooled me."

"But Gajeel has never talked about his past to anyone before… besides Juvia of course…" Juvia murmured.

"Then maybe Gajeel likes you," Levy smirked as she grabbed her bag from behind the counter.

Juvia made a disgusted face, "Juvia would never fall for someone like Gajeel! He's angry and not romantic in the least!"

"Might want to watch how loud yer talkin'." the angry voice of the Dragon Slayer immediately halted their banter. His red eyes pierced into Levy easily and she was surprised to notice he had something in between his fingers she'd never seen him have before.

Juvia's brow furrowed as she looked at him.

"Didn't mean to stop the fun," he growled as he threw some Jewels on the counter.

"I didn't know you smoked," Levy blurted out. Her brown eyes swept over the Dragon Slayer, noticing something was amiss but not being able to determine what. He seemed in a worse mood than usual, somehow, "Did something happen during-"

"I don't," he pointedly cut her off mid sentence, not meeting her eyes, "I don't smoke often."

He took a dreg from the vice in his hand, not glancing at the two women beside him as he did so. His entire body was rigid, as if he was ready to jump into action. He looked tired. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was in worse disarray than usual. The even the shine of his ruby eyes seemed somehow dulled.

She was starting to worry.

"Is everything ok?" she put her hand on his arm. He didn't shy away from her touch, which surprised her, but he still wouldn't look at her.

"Gajeel shouldn't be so selfish!" Juvia piped up, gaining his attention, "Levy is about to go on a date and Gajeel is being rude and making her unhappy! If Levy isn't happy it won't go well!"

Gajeel blinked a couple of times as if her words were slowly registering before looking down at the short girl. Levy's face felt like it was on fire and she fanned herself frantically.

"I-It's not a date! Hajime and Juvia just won't leave me alone!" she laughed as easily as she could, trying to cover up her nervousness. If there was anyone she didn't want following her, it was the Iron Dragon in front of her, "It's just an old friend coming through town…"

"Levy is staying the night with him…" Juvia whispered, "It's a date!"

Gajeel crooked a metal-studded brow at Levy. She could tell it was forced, but a smirk overcame the scowl that had originally been set into his features, "Hell, Shorty, I didn't know you had a guy…"

"I-I-I don't!" Levy felt like she was going to melt into the floor. Why didn't anyone believe her?

"You so ashamed of us that you won't bring the bastard around?" he put a balled fist on his hip and leaned down towards her, "Scared we'll frighten 'em off?"

Levy felt defeated. She let out a tight breath, "Well… now that you mention it…"

"Levy admitted it, Hajime!" Juvia yelled towards the back where the bar tender had disappeared just moments before, "Levy has a date!"

"Juvia, I didn't say-!"

"What's the matter, Shrimp? Scared he doesn't like ya?" Gajeel took another deep breath of his cigarette. As he did, Levy could see his entire being relax.

"It's not like that," Levy felt incomprehensibly small under Gajeel's red stare. She felt like her stomach was eating her alive, "We're just friends… really…"

Gajeel laughed and it completely took Levy by surprised. He seemed so good natured and his smile was large enough that his canines glistened in the light. This was the Gajeel that had been talking to her the day before in the privacy of his apartment and it startled her to see him appear where wandering eyes could see. In fact, a few patrons at the tavern were already shooting wary glances in their direction, alarmed by the lively Dragon Slayer whom had never acted this way before. Hajime quietly set the bag of iron he'd retrieved on the counter as if he were trying not to stop the moment; the entire thing was a spell that could easily be broken.

"Poor bastard," Gajeel chuckled and leaned against the counter, snatching out a piece of iron and quickly rolling it between his fingers, "Do me a favor,"

"Y-yes?" Levy's eyes alighted on whatever Gajeel was doing with the metal. Green sparks sizzled into the air as he worked, the silver sheen of the trinket revealing itself every so often. When he finished, he held out to her a whistle that was just barely shorter than her pinky finger. She turned her eyes up to him questioningly.

"Keep it on you," Gajeel's voice had turned serious and he met Levy's gaze steadily, "If you need anything… anything… I'll come find you."

She curled her fingers around it, the smell of tobacco cascading around her from how close he'd gotten.

He dropped his voice to a hum and she realized with startling clarity that he didn't want anyone else to hear him, "I take care of mine."

When his ruby eyes met hers they held a ferocious strength that Levy had never been familiar with. Throughout her very soul she knew immediately that the words he spoke were completely and abundantly true. Somewhere, at the bottom of her deepest anxieties, his voice rang with startling clarity that this extended to far more than just a bad date or some small personal favor.

He was wholly devoted to her in a way that was almost terrifying.

"I-I-I-I… I have to get going…" the heat that had been making her face melt flushed through her entire body to the point she thought she might actually start to sweat. She could tell by the humor in the Dragon Slayer's eyes that he was very aware of her nervousness and she promptly turned on her heel and rushed away, her blue curls bouncing behind her with each worried step.

Gajeel took one last dreg of the cigarette before extinguishing it on the bar. He immediately pulled the small package from his pocket and lit another one, much to the dismay of the bar tender beside him and the rain woman in front of him. His red eyes travelled after the small blunette as she left in a fuss, pale skin colored a bright scarlet from her embarrassment.

"A little aggressive, don't you think?" Hajime snuffed from beside him. Gajeel was not in the mood to deal with the bartender's attitude.

"Is Gajeel alright?" Juvia's pale eyes were full of worry and he could tell she had questions for him just on the tip of her tongue. He cracked his knuckles before picking up the bag of iron Hajime had retrieved from the back.

"I'm not," he sighed, letting smoke filter through his nostrils and sting the inside of his nose. He was silent for a while, red eyes trained on the doors that had long been closed after the absence of Levy. His chest felt heavy and the tobacco was barely quelling the anger that was beginning to boil his blood.

"I-If Gajeel has feelings for Levy… maybe he could go after her and stop her…?"

"Now why would I do that?" he chuckled, silencing the woman. Those pale, glistening eyes looked up at him, something sad slowly filling them to the brim, "I'm not her type anyway."

"Gajeel won't know unless he tries…"

"Nah…" Gajeel sighed, trying his best to keep the confidence in his voice, "She needs a guy who'll show her a good time. Not some shoddy gun-for-hire with a questionable past."

He let out a bitter laugh and shook his head, meeting Juvia's eyes once more and allowing a half-smile to creep up his features, "Hell… haven't had a thing for a woman this bad since I was a kid, eh?"

He shook his head, grabbed the bag of iron, and turned to leave. It was difficult, but he perfectly ignored the looks being exchanged by the bartender and the rain woman. He pushed the sadness that was turning his stomach down as far as he could. He needn't remind himself that he had much larger things to worry about.

Obviously, love wasn't something he currently had time for.