Levy could've sworn the fates were against her that day- no, that week. She sighed as she pulled her Pontiac into the nearest parking lot, red and blue light reflecting off of the crooked rear view mirror. 'Pleeeease don't die now,' she begged the old car as it clunked to a rest, shuddering as she twisted the key back and turned off the engine. She bit her lip as the cruiser pulled up behind her, silently cursing the cop that had decided to tag her in his quota for the day. She hoped that whoever it was would have a little bit of sympathy, she was broke and already late for her shift. If she was lucky, her car would start on the first attempt rather than the third or fourth.

She was already stinging from the morning's event from school, and wasn't sure if she could handle the rest of the day without collapsing into a pile of tears. The midterm exam had been almost a literal joke, and her professor was more than just disappointed in her scores. He had pulled her aside after class, expressing his disbelief that she had failed so miserably when she was a stellar student in everything else. Barely able to hold back her tears, she then stormed out of the class to her next class, only to trip over a poorly placed stool in the hallway.

After her classes ended, she raced out to where her car sat, pausing to groan in irritation as she saw the paper flap gently in the wind. 'A parking ticket, really?' She moaned to herself, yanking it free from the wiper and jerking the door open. It was absolutely ridiculous, she had just paid for the parking tag that hung on her mirror. Angrily, she shoved the key into the ignition, reasoning that she'd deal with the ticket tomorrow; she was already late for work as it was. She twisted the key, whimpering as the car sputtered, coughed and died.

"Noooo no no no come on baby," she begged it, tapping on the wheel as she tried again. The engine churned, then rumbled to life as it rattled. She sighed, released the parking break and gingerly pressed forward, silently praying that it wouldn't die on the highway.

So far, so good, she decided as she stepped on the gas a bit harder than she usually dared, hoping that her boss wouldn't be as mad today as she normally was. She nearly jumped out of her skin as a siren erupted behind her, and she pulled into her current spot. She tapped her fingers on the wheel impatiently, desperate that she'd get off with only a warning and a quick lecture so she could race to work. She considered texting her coworker, but a knock on her window jolted her out of her thoughts. She sighed as she rolled down her window, dreading the stern voice that would ask her the infamous question.

"License and registration, ma'am?"

She sighed, shoulders drooping as she wondered how much shittier the day would get as she leaned over to retrieve the information. Papers slipped out of the dash, and she groaned as she began to fish for the right documents, muttering darkly under her breath. Finally she had the paper, and whipped around irritably to thrust at the cop, stilling as she caught a glimpse of him finally. He was grinning bemusedly at her as he took her info, but she barely noticed as she stared at him. He was tall and well built, his dark blue shirt fitting his frame a little too well as the sleeves strained to contain his biceps. His long black hair was tied back into a loose bun, and she was sure that it was against some sort of regulation. But then again, he sported piercings on his arms and face; he must not be a regular cop.

She hoped he hadn't noticed when she suddenly had to wipe the drool away, blushing madly all the while. Her heart pounded, and she gripped the hem of her blouse as she avoided looking at him in case she embarrassed herself anymore. 'That's totally not what I need right now,' she thought, glancing furtively back at him.

The scratching of pen on paper caught her attention, and she grimaced as she turned to face him. The grin was gone from his face, and she felt the bottom of her heart drop as he tore the paper away from his booklet.

"I don't think I need to tell you why I stopped you," he said sternly, handing her the ticket. She gulped, tears pooling in her eyes as she took it from him.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I'm just having a really bad day and I'm so late and I don't know if my car'll start and-" she babbled, tears beginning to drip down her cheeks. 'Great,' she thought miserably. 'This is a wonderful first impression, undoubtedly he thinks I'm a baby.' She hiccuped, hating herself for breaking down in front of the cop.

A firm yet gentle grip on her shoulder startled her, and she jerked her head up to find that the cop was looking around awkwardly, a blush dusting his cheeks. He'd taken his sunglasses off, giving her a glimpse of his dark red eyes as they flitted around awkwardly, landing on her every once in a while. She sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she tried to calm down.

"S-sorry," she sniffled, and the cop shook his head, and cleared his throat.

"You don't need to be, short stuff," he said gruffly, squeezing her shoulder. "We all got bad days, just happened to be your turn." His voice was gentle, despite the rough nature of his deep voice. It was calming, yet she was sure that it would cause fear if he used it that way. She gulped, unable to stop the heat that pooled in her cheeks as he tweaked her chin.

"You'll have better days, you know?" He grinned, and she smiled back, her heart beginning to melt as she nodded. He then pointed at the paper she gripped, his voice just as gentle. "Unfortunately, I do have to give this to you, as you were speeding," he said. She nodded, sighing in defeat as she glanced at it. She blinked when his scrawl caught her attention, and she bit her lip as she looked back at him in surprise.

"Er... Is this your number?" She asked, pointing at the poor handwriting. He sputtered suddenly, then blushed, and she had to hold back a pleased giggle as he refused to look at her again.

"T-that's just in case you have issues in solving that ticket!" He snapped, folding his arms over his chest defensively, blushing as he refused to look at her. She looked back at the ticket, then at his badge, then couldn't help in the smile that graced her lips.

"Well, if that's all, Officer Redfox, I'll definitely give you a call if I have a problem," she purred, feeling her spirits pick up a bit. He paused, blinking at her in surprise, then grinned brilliantly at her, tipping his hat at her before turning to his car. She giggled, hugging the ticket to her chest. Maybe this day is starting to look up after all, she happily mused as she turned the ignition. It clunked once, then started groaning as Levy's cheerful mood fell flat again.

"Ah nooooooooooo..." She whimpered, trying again. The old car refused to start at all, and any hopes of getting to work at a decent time died along with her car. She sniffled, reaching for the phone and the inevitable angry voice that would no doubt rail her about her timing.

"Oi," came the cop's voice, startling her once again. She looked at him, tears threatening to spill again. She saw his jaw clench as he paused, not meeting her eyes as he blushed lightly. He folded his arm over his chest, then unfolded them and placed his fists on his hips, as if he didn't know where to place them. It was rather adorable, she decided, and felt her heart begin to speed up again.

"You've obviously got a shit car," he started, and she snorted, rolling her eyes and nodding in agreement. 'Understatement of the year,' she thought, beginning to wonder where he was going with his statement.

"So I'll get you to work today, alright?" His cheeks turned a little darker red as the words left his lips, and she could've sworn that the color passed to his ears. Stunned, she stared at him for a moment as he turned away, reaching for his phone and dialing a number. She couldn't really hear what he was saying thanks to his back facing her, but it didn't stop her eyes from exploring the expanse of his shoulders. She marveled at how tight the shirt became over his muscles as they flexed, and her fingers suddenly itched to reach out and touch him. A different heat began to stir in her, and she could feel it crawl all over her body, from her toes to the top of her scalp. She snapped her head forward as he turned back, stiflingly a moan of disappointment that she couldn't stare a bit longer.

'No, it's bad to stare at people,' she rebuked herself, biting her lip nervously as he approached her, oblivious to her internal strife. But she couldn't deny that she definitely liked what she saw so far, even if he was a bit blunt for her liking.

"Cab should be here in a few minutes," he said, leaning against the car casually. She could feel her hair rise on the back of her head as she drank in the sight of him now, and butterflies battered against her ribs as he cocked his head at her, inquisitive. She mentally shook herself, waving her hands as she grinned bashfully at him.

"I'm really appreciative of that, really! You didn't have to do anything," she stammered, flustered as he chuckled. "At least I'll be able to show up to work, despite being late," she shrugged helplessly, and reached for her bag.

"If you get into trouble, I'll take care of it, just call me," he said, returning her shrug. She blinked at him, surprised. She wondered how brightly her blush was becoming the more she stared at him.

"You're really nice," she muttered, smiling warmly. "Far too nice for just a stranger who's having a bad day." She pinned him with a curious look, tilting her head slightly. There was an odd yet warm glint in his eyes as he grinned, and she could feel her heart trip over itself. Unable to face him anymore without making a fool of herself, she glanced away to see the lime green vehicle pull up next them. "Cab's here," she said, reaching for the door.

He blinked, then jolted out of whatever thought he had been thinking, nodding as he lurched away from her car, blushing. She sighed, watching him as he walked towards the cab and address the driver, who in turn nodded at her. She offered a quick grin as she locked up, her thoughts returning to reality as she sadly contemplated the car. How was she going to get the car back into working order now? Pouting, she turned away and stepped to the cab, smiling at the cop as she passed him. 'He really is tall,' she mused idly.

"Again, thanks so much, Officer Redfox," she said, offering her hand to him. He took it gently in his, and she was surprised to feel strength in his grip.

"It's Gajeel, ma'am," he said, slightly bowing his head. She chuckled, causing him to blink at her in confusion.

"It's not ma'am, it's Levy," she corrected him. He flashed a brilliant smile at her, and she nearly felt like swooning then. "I-I'll call if I need some help," she stammered, belatedly aware that the cabby was watching them, waiting for her. Gajeel only nodded, then slowly released her hand as she pulled away. She ducked her head shyly, nearly tripping over herself as she backed towards the cab, reluctant to turn from him. Much to her embarrassment, he quirked an amused eyebrow as he watched her, and she dove into the cab the moment her backside touched the door. Safely inside the cab, she leaned against the seat and bit back a sigh as she looked out.

"So, where to?" The cabby casually asked, a glint of secret delight in his eyes as he looked at her in his rear view mirror. Levy flushed for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, and stuttered as she responded to him. Thankfully, he didn't laugh as they began to pull away, and she turned to wave at Gajeel softly. She barely held back a pleased giggle of her own as he waved back, grinning all the while. She twisted back to watch him disappear behind them, sighing sadly when she finally had to turn back.

'I am so going to have issues with this ticket,' she thought as a slightly wicked grin played across her lips. 'Possibly with work too.' She nearly squeaked as the thought of Gajeel paying her work a visit flashed through her head, and she buried her face in her hands, giddy from the whole exchange. She couldn't wait to see him again!