The library was quiet this time of day; nearly empty of its patrons and readers as the light that filtered in turned golden. It was nearly dinner time in the hall, thus the muted noise grew as the promise of a good time and meal crept closer. Succulent smells wafted through the shelves, mixing with the dusty scent of old paper and ink. Gajeel's stomach rumbled in anticipation as he clunked through the maze of books. Normally he'd be in the main hall by now, tossing insults at Natsu and Gray as he plunked himself down on his normal stool next to them. Levy would be beside him, reading another one of her books as Pantherlily, Jet, and Droy would trade stories about their day.

However, Levy had been absent from the table when he'd arrived to their table, and a quick redirection to the library sent him on the hunt for the little blue haired mage. 'That women would starve before she found the perfect book to read,' he thought grumpily, fighting the urge to just bellow out her name in the quietness. She'd rail at him for not using his indoor voice, *which was useless since he didn't have one. He'd scoff at the thought, but a familiar smell tugged at his nose and the train of thought floated away as he followed the fresh scent of lavender and rose.

He could hear the rustling of paper and her disquieted murmur not far ahead, tucked away from the rest of the library. 'She must be in deep this time,' he mused as he softened his steps as to not startle her. She had a bad habit of tuning out the rest of the world as she gleaned as much from her books as she possibly could. What was even more ridiculous was though she had enough books to open her own library, she desired more. Her room could barely hold the immense collection she had and house her small form, and yet, he couldn't find it in himself to deny her when he bought her another book.

'Damn puppy dog eyes,' he thought, barely containing a grin as he turned the corner and spotted her, nose deep in a rather large tome. He paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of her bathed in a warm orange light from the old lights above them. Her eyes seemed to glow as she flipped the pages over, bouncing the light back up into her face. Her lips had been nibbled on, he noticed, and were puckered out in a slight pout. He could feel a warmth growing on his cheeks as she licked her lips, oblivious to his presence. 'Too adorable,' he mused as he leaned against the shelf. He could watch her like this all day, and sometimes did, much to the amusement of the other guild members. He'd merely shrugged them off, ignoring them almost as well as Levy did.

A tiny gurgle broke the still air, and the light blush on her cheeks caused the dragon slayer to snort, barely biting back a chuckle. He could hear her heart pick up its pace, and grinned widely. 'So, she's known that I was here,' he thought, pushing himself up and casually strolling till he was behind her, nearly blocking out her reading light. It'd be impossible to ignore him now, he mused as he gently set his arm on her head.

"Oi, you coming down or what?" He asked quietly. She huffed, straightening her shoulders as he peeked over the fluffy blue locks at the tome she held.

"My head isn't an armstand, Gajeel," she replied. He could feel the heat of her blush, and chuckled when she flipped another page over. "Besides, I'm not hungry today."

"You sure about that? Cause my hearing says differently," he said, smirking when she stiffened at his words. She let her shoulders sag, then leaned against him. He cocked his head in curiosity as he peered around and at her face. She gripped the large book, stubbornly not looking at him. If anything, the blush that had dusted her face before was now glowing incredibly bright. She glanced at him, then flitted her eyes away as she closed the book as quickly as she could and held it against her chest.

"Oi, what's going on?" He asked, his brow furrowing as Levy pulled from him. His arm slid from her head, dropping slightly to her shoulder. "Lev?"

"N-nothing's going on," she murmured. He wasn't convinced when he saw her ears beginning to glow. She was nervous about something, that was for sure. She twitched when he brushed his hand across her shoulders, pressing against the center of her back comfortingly. *Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and suddenly a sharp, tangy smell hit his nostrils. He froze for a second, then grinned devilishly as she gulped.

"So, you ain't hungry for food then," he teased, sliding his hand down her spine slowly. She jolted, but merely shook her head as he set his other hand on her hip, gently kneading his fingers into her soft flesh. She trembled, hugging the book close as his hand trailed over her tailbone, then dragged his fingers over her derriere, tugging at the short skirt that she wore.

"It's not that either, d-dummy," she retorted, jerking her hips away from his prying hands. She huffed, then hoisted the book over her head to its original place. She squeaked when he snagged the book from her, sliding it easily in place before returning to their previous activities.

"You sure about that, Levy?" He purred, leaning over her to tease the spot behind her ear with his lips. She stiffened, but a moan of pleasure escaped her lips as she leaned against him. He grinned, barely able to contain his glee as he continued to lick and suck on her ear lobe, sliding one hand up her waist to cup her breast while the other began to pull her skirt up.

"Ah, Gajeel, wait-" she gasped as he grazed his fingers over the generous swell of her ass. His fingers didn't meet the usual resistance that they normally would, and he paused in confusion.

"What happened to yer panties?"

If she could blush any brighter, Gajeel would've had a hard time telling the difference between the sun and her currently. Not that he minded it, but the lack of panties before making love to her was something he'd never encountered. He nuzzled her neck, then looked at her face before squeezing her butt again, prompting her.

"I, uh... I lost a bet," she sighed, a defeated look in her eyes. He raised a studded brow, surprised. *But he now knew the reason she was up here instead of downstairs. With the random chaos that could ensue in the main hall, there was a high risk of her skirt getting flipped if she wasn't careful.

"Do I even wanna know?" He asked, tugging her closer. She shook her head, biting her lip. "Mind if I ask to whom, then?" When she looked at him confused, he smirked at her before adding, "One, to kill them for stealing yer panties when that's my job, and two, getting them back."

She burst out laughing then, smothering her giggles before turning a serious look in his direction. "You'd be in big trouble if you went after Erza," she warned, and he blanched. *Erza?! Oh hell no. He'd tangled with her for less, and sneaking into the dorms to get Levy's precious panties back was tantamount to a suicide mission. But damn if he wasn't going to try; Levy's dignity was at risk. Also, it might've been his favorite, but he wasn't going to admit that out loud ever.

He sighed into her neck again, dreading the upcoming confrontation as he hugged her close. "I'll get them back somehow, Lev," he muttered, nipping at her tender ear. She sighed, nodding as she leaned against him, turning her face into his as she slid her hand over his jaw.

"I know," she smiled, kissing his nose lightly. The blush returned to her cheeks then, biting her lips as he squeezed her again. "I'm still not hungry though." She giggled as his fingers tickled her stomach, and she bumped her ass against his hand. He grinned, capturing her lips in his as his fingers began to travel to her center, breaking free with a gasp as she arched against him. Chuckling, he muttered one word before latching his lips on to hers again;

"Liar."