"You want to what?" Levy exclaimed at Gajeel as they walked a long city block downtown.
"I'm gunna talk to Saber Tooth, get them to hire me on, and then sneak you into the facility so you can do your deal with the computer."
"You can't just walk into a place and demand that they hire you! You do realize that don't you?" Levy hurried after him. He was headed straight toward Saber Tooth. Was he serious? He was going to ruin everything if he tried this.
Gajeel finally stopped in front of a small bistro across the street from Saber Tooth's headquarters.
"Get back to the van," Gajeel snapped at her. "You're going to blow my cover."
"I'm not letting you just walk in there like this," she snapped back. "It's a terrible plan Gajeel, you have to see that, don't you?"
"If you don't want to be involved then you better leave, now," he growled.
Levy curled her hands into frustrated fists at her sides.
"How could you possibly believe that if you go and just ask for a job they'll just hand you one?"
"I know a guy," he shrugged as if her worries meant nothing to him.
Levy was fuming. How could she have thought she had seen something more in this arrogant, hard headed man? Neither of them had said a word about the night before since he'd picked her up, and she was glad. Now she could just put the incident behind her and act as if it never happened.
"Gajeel I swear I'm gunna kill you if you don't-"
"Am I interrupting something?"
Startled by the sound of a man's voice behind her, Levy held back the rest of her threat.
"Nah," Gajeel responded, a sly grin on his face. "Just a lover's quarrel."
Levy shot Gajeel a menacing glare before turning on her heel to see who the voice belonged to.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," the dark haired man in front of her said without a hint of expression in his voice. He wore a practiced frown above his black suit, a grey scarf draped around his neck.
Levy heard Gajeel snicker behind her. "Ready for lunch?"
The man's red eyes scanned over Levy curiously. "I thought it was just going to be the two of us. Are you going to introduce me?"
Levy felt Gajeel throw his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her in close to his chest. "This is Levy, my girlfriend," he said looking over at her with a smug expression. "She insisted on tagging along, said she couldn't pass up an opportunity to meet my brother."
Levy was so stunned and confused she couldn't find her words. She looked back at the stranger, dumbfounded.
"It's nice to meet you, Levy" the man said formally, holding out his hand, "My name is Rogue."
Levy took his hand wordlessly before looking back at Gajeel. He was grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying this game he was playing with her.
"C'mon, let's eat," Gajeel said, pulling Levy in through the doors of the restaurant, Rogue following close behind.
"Your girlfriend?" Levy whispered to him angrily.
"You needed a cover, I gave you one. Can't tell him we met through work or you'll blow our chance with Saber Tooth."
"What does Saber Tooth have to do with it? And why didn't you ever mention you had a brother?"
"Must have slipped my mind," he said glibly.
The trio made their way to an open table in the far corner of the room.
Suddenly acting like a gentleman, Gajeel pulled a chair out for Levy. She looked toward him with forced smile.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"This place is kind of uptight," Gajeel said, taking a seat and looking down at the menu. "Don't know why you picked it."
"Well, it is right across the street from work," Rogue said flatly. "And let's not kid ourselves, it's not like you're really here to eat, are you?"
Levy glanced between Rogue's sharp eyes and Gajeel's smug expression. She took a moment to digest Rogue's words.
"You work at Saber Tooth?" Levy asked casually, finally getting her bearings in this ridiculous farce. This was who Gajeel was referring to when he said he knew someone who could help him get into the company.
Rogue nodded.
"What do you do there?"
"They stated developing a private security branch a while back. I've been there for about a year now. Jobs are pretty basic, someone needs a body guard or a security guard, that type of thing." Rogue's gaze passed between Levy and Gajeel. "Not to be rude, but honestly I'm a little surprised to hear Gajeel has an actual girlfriend. He doesn't normally like getting involved in other people's lives. Not unless he's trying to tell them what to do." Rogue's red eyes cut into Gajeel as he spoke.
"It's funny," Levy said through the tension, "Gajeel hadn't even mentioned he had a brother until today."
"That doesn't surprise me," Rogue said flatly. He turned back to his brother. "What do you want, Gajeel?"
For supposedly being siblings the two were anything but friendly. There seemed to be a gapping canyon of resentment between them.
Gajeel snickered next to her. "And here I thought we could have a nice, brotherly chat."
"Half-brothers," Rogue shot back, his calm reserve fraying ever so slightly at the edges.
Gajeel heaved a sigh, leaning forward on the table.
"I need a job."
Rogue's face remained unchanged by the request, but there was a sudden flash of anger in his eyes.
"You're joking, right?"
"Between Phantom shutting down and the bust over at the Blue Kitten, job opportunities are pretty slim at the moment. Thought maybe you could help me out."
"You're serious?" Rogue said with a humorless laugh. "After what you did? Not only did you refuse to put in a good word for me at Phantom, you literally told them not to hire me."
"You should be glad you weren't there when the place imploded," Gajeel shot back.
"You've got some nerve-"
"C'mon, it's not like you don't have the pull to make it happen."
"Gajeel," Levy snapped. "Back off!"
Gajeel looked up at her, genuinely surprised by her sudden outburst.
"Rogue," Levy said with a warm smile, "I know we don't know each other, but we both know Gajeel. And I'm sure you know that he's not exactly the type to ask for help. I think it would mean a great deal if there were anything you could do. But," Levy gave Gajeel another stern look as she spoke, "I'm sure he'll understand if you can't."
The three sat in silence for a moment as a look of deep contemplation passed over Rogue's features.
"I'll see what I can do."
Gajeel grinned and a wave of relief washed over Levy. He stood and Levy did the same.
"It was lovely meeting you, Rogue," she said with a smile before turning toward the door.
Outside the restaurant Levy and Gajeel headed back down the street towards the van parked around the corner. Levy waited until they were safely within the vehicle before turning on Gajeel with a scowl.
"I can't believe you put me in a situation like that without any warning!" she snapped at him. "There are so many things wrong with what you just did, you do realize that don't you?"
"Oh yeah?" Gajeel scoffed, "Like what?"
"Well first of all we didn't even have a mike on you. If he had said anything relating the case we wouldn't have any record of it."
Gajeel shrugged. "He didn't, so it doesn't really matter."
"Will you take this seriously, for once? We need records of everything we're doing Gajeel, even the small stuff."
"Fine, next time I'll wear a wire. What else?"
Levy fumed. "Why didn't you tell me you knew someone who worked at Saber Tooth? You never said anything about having a brother. You even said Juvia was the closest thing you had to family. I don't appreciate being lied to-"
"It wasn't a lie," Gajeel snapped back, his brow bent in anger. "If you didn't notice, Rogue and I aren't exactly on the best terms."
"Even more reason why we should have been more careful! You're so hard-headed!"
"You need to loosen up," he sniped back.
"And you need to act like a professional! Unlike you, I take my work seriously. And that cover story? Gajeel, you do realize we're going to have to maintain that now through the whole investigation?"
Gajeel snickered. "Calling you my girlfriend was the best cover we had, and you know it. So what if we keep it up? Now if we're seen together it won't seem suspicious. Someone there may recognize you, Levy, they are going to wonder what one of Fairy Tail's members is doing snooping around the place. Now we don't have to worry about it."
Levy wanted to scream she was so angry. "But now if I'm caught in there, if they find me trying to break into their system, they'll immediately link me back to you and both our covers will be blown."
Gajeel made a thoughtful face. "Well, then you're just going to have to not get caught, right shrimp?"
"Would you please stop calling me that!" Levy cried in frustration. "There's no way this will work, I don't know how I can pretend to be your girlfriend around these people when I can't stand you!"
"You sure didn't mind being around me last night," Gajeel said with a wolfish grin.
Levy could feel heat rising in her cheeks. "That was a mistake," she said plainly. "I was drunk. I wasn't thinking clearly. It was unprofessional and it won't happen again."
Gajeel moved towards her, his nearness made her chest tighten, the oxygen escaping her lungs. He got a few inches from her and looked at her with his smoldering eyes.
"I wouldn't mind if it did," he whispered in a low voice.
He was close enough to kiss her. She thought about the way those lips had felt on her body...
"It won't!" She snapped, pushing him away. Levy climbed into the front seat of the van and tried to catch her breath, her focus clouded by the implication in his words.
"Fine," Gajeel said casually as he followed her, sliding into the driver's seat. "But the invitation stands, if you change your mind."
Levy could hear the sly grin on Gajeel's lips as he taunted her. But she wouldn't give into his advances. Again she reminded herself that this was just a job. Once this case was over, she'd likely never have to be around this man again. And they would both be better off that way.
"Just take us back to headquarters. I'm going to have to get some more equipment if we want to do this right."
"Fine with me," Gajeel said turning the key.
Levy took a deep breath. The case could not be over quick enough, she thought to herself. The sooner she could distance herself from Gajeel, the better.
