Levy sat quietly as she listened to her friends laughing and talking around her. She wasn't in the mood to socialize. She hadn't had any sleep the night before and she was utterly exhausted. But she had already committed to a dinner to celebrate Natsu's birthday, and she wasn't the type of person to flake out at the last minute.

The group was crammed into a small booth in the corner of an all-night Indian food place down town. It was kind of a dump, but it was Natsu's favorite.

"I still can't believe you actually went for Ivan like that Luce," Natsu said to the lanky blonde sitting beside Levy. Natsu's pink hair was wild, free of the hat he usually wore. He glowed with pride at the girl. "She straight knocked him to the floor during the sting. My girlfriend's a badass," he smirked.

"Maybe you should come work for Fairy Tail Lucy," Gray said, taking a swig of his beer. "Sounds like you'd be better at the job than flame-brain over there."

Lucy laughed musically at Levy's side as Natsu and Gray exchanged a round of insults.

It was refreshing to see Natsu so happy. Over the last few years Natsu had really pulled away from his friends, the job had been getting to him, Levy could tell. But now he was as cheerful and rambunctious as ever, and Levy knew it was all because of Lucy.

"Do they ever stop arguing?" Lucy asked Levy, her blonde hair shimmering as it trailed over her shoulder.

The girls laughed, both already knowing the answer.

Levy had liked Lucy immediately. She was beautiful, which was a little intimidating as Levy felt even plainer sitting next to her than she usually did. But she was also sweet and down-to-earth. They had become fast friends.

"Does this place serve anything besides beer and wine?" Lucy's friend Cana asked from across the table. "We should go somewhere where we can get the hard stuff."

Cana was awesome. Bold as brass and even Levy could admit the girl was hot as hell. Brunette locks falling in waves over her shoulders. She had a bold, don't-fuck-with me personality that would normally intimidate Levy if it weren't for how warm and welcoming the girl was. She and Lucy had worked at that club together before Fairy Tail closed it down.

"How's your friend Juvia?" Levy asked Lucy quietly as the table fell into a rumble of loud conversations.

"She's had a hard time adjusting to the change," Lucy replied with a sad frown. "The experience at the club really traumatized her, I think. That's why she's been staying with Gajeel, she didn't want to be alone."

"Gajeel?" Levy said in shock. That was the last person she wanted to talk about at the moment. The memory of the way he held her earlier that night in the apartment building shook Levy to her core. The passionate kiss that they had shared... Levy nearly shuddered at the thought.

Lucy noticed a change in Levy's demeanor.

"I know it may not seem like it," Lucy said quietly, "but Juvia says Gajeel is actually a really good guy, underneath it all."

"If that's true than he hides it awfully well," Levy replied, taking a small sip of her beer.

"Yeah, I never got a great feeling about him either, when he was working at the club," Lucy admitted. "Natsu told me you two are working a case together. He was pretty pissed about it. He and Gray both don't like the idea of you having to partner with him, they don't trust him."

"Well, he certainly goes out of his way to make people see him that way, I think," Levy recalled the incident with the coffee, the nickname he refused to stop using, the way he constantly acted so overbearing.

"Juvia said it's all an act," Lucy said with a wave of her hand. "Give him a chance. Maybe working together won't be as bad as you think."

Levy's stomach dropped. Working with Gajeel was already worse than she could have imagined. She'd never felt so conflicted in her life. She couldn't stand him. And yet the way he looked at her, the way her body temperature rose whenever he was near her, it was intoxicating. Not to mention overwhelmingly distracting.

"Everything he says to me," Levy reflected, "it's like he's trying to get a rise out of me, just for fun. It's so frustrating."

"Just don't feed into it, and maybe he'll back off."

"Maybe you're right," Levy submitted. Maybe that was why he had kissed her, just to get a reaction out of her. Though, it had been a good cover and it did work. The guy didn't seem to have given them a second glance. Still, Gajeel seemed like he just wanted to break as many rules as he could. Levy, on the other hand, liked to do things by the book. She would have to bury the memory of that kiss and continue as if nothing had changed. She needed to be a professional, even if he refused to be one himself.

"What are you two talking about?" Natsu's voice cut in as he slid closer to Lucy, throwing his arm around her shoulders in an endearing embrace. He had his trademark grin spread from ear to ear.

"Nothing really," Levy piped up before Lucy could answer. Levy saw Lucy wrap her hand in Natsu's, giving it a light squeeze. She was beaming, caught in the throes of a new romance. The pair was inseparable.

"Let's get out of here," Natsu whispered loudly to Lucy. "I want my birthday present."

Levy shifted her weight awkwardly at the implication in Natsu's tone as Lucy laughed, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Everyone's here for your birthday Natsu. We can't just leave-"

"Night guys!" Natsu said jumping to his feet, pulling Lucy along with him.

"What? The party is just getting started!" Cana cried downing the last of her fourth beer.

"We only came out here because you insisted on it," Gray snapped, "I have to go all the way back across town-"

"Get over it Gray," Natsu laughed. "See ya later Cana, Levy," Natsu said, wrapping and arm around Lucy as he guided her toward the door. He whispered something in Lucy's ear that made her lean into him and place a light kiss on his cheek.

"What an ass," Gray said finishing off his drink.

"If you really think that than why did you bother coming? And why would he invite you? I really don't get your little bro-mance," Cana chimed mockingly.

Levy laughed. Though neither of the boys would admit it, they were basically best friends. The rivalry between them was real, but they backed each other up and made a great team when it came down to it.

"You two need a ride home?" Gray asked, grabbing his jacket.

"I'd take a ride," Cana said in a flirty manner, her innuendo clear. But Gray, cool as always, acted as if he hadn't heard the implication in her words.

"Levy?" Gray asked, giving the blue haired girl a hand to her feet.

"I'm just going to walk back to the office," she said with a sigh. "I can't get this case off my mind."

Was it the case? Or was it Gajeel? Either way the best thing to do was to throw herself into her work.

"Do you ever take a break Levy?" Gray asked as he took care of the bill.

"I love my work," she smiled genuinely.

"Whatever you say," he replied skeptically.

Levy said her goodbyes and stepped into the brisk night air. The cool breeze against her skin was just what she needed to put the memory of tonight's events behind her.

Though try as she might, she couldn't escape the thoughts of Gajeel's body pressed against hers.