"What about him?" Mirajane asked, pointing her pen at the man who walked passed. He glanced briefly in the parlor, and when he did Mira smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave. Levy laughed when she noticed the pinkness to his ears as he sped up his pace.

"I've told you that I'm not looking for a new date just yet," she said, rolling her eyes. She spun her chair away from the window and stretched her arms over her head. "It's only been a week since Mark and I broke up."

"But the best way to get over a break up is to get right back on the horse."

Levy slanted a look at Mira, the receptionist looking far too innocent.

"You are not allowed to try to set me up with anyone. Got it?"

Mira huffed, her lips curling down with a pout, but Levy held her gaze until finally she sighed. "Fine. I'll let you wallow in post-break up sadness, even though that man is not worth it."

"Thanks for caring, but I promise you I'm fine."

The pout didn't leave Mira's face, but thankfully she dropped it when her phone rang. Levy left her to her conversation, flipping through one of the magazines they kept around instead.

News of her break up had quickly spread through her friend circle, and now half the time she was with any of them they gave her pitying glances. The other half they were like Mira, trying to push her onto a new guy. She was getting quite fed up with it all honestly.

"I've got to go," Mira said, standing suddenly, and Levy glanced up at her.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, nothing major." Mira grabbed her jacket and threw it over her shoulders, snatching up her purse. "You'll be fine on your own?"

"Of course. Go deal with whatever emergency it is this time."

Mira gave her a grateful smile before heading out the door, leaving Levy completely alone. She glanced around the room, pursing her lips. Lucy and Juvia would be on lunch for another 45 minutes at least, which meant Levy had the place to herself. She smiled and flicked on the radio, turning it up louder than necessary, then she grabbed her book and got comfy on the couch.

x

The bell above the door jingled and she sighed, closing her book. She was just getting to the climax and was looking forward to finding out who the killer was.

"Be right with you," she called, setting the book on the table and straightening her outfit. Then she pasted a smile on her face and stepped into the main room.

She paused when she saw the customer, her eyebrows arching in surprise. A lot of people came through the door and she'd learned early in life to not judge someone by their appearance, but she couldn't stop the slight shiver of fear that slithered down her spine at the sight of him.

Long dark hair spilled across his shoulders and down his back, and Levy wondered if it was as soft as it looked. His shirt was dark and had the sleeves torn off, giving her a great look at his muscular arms and the dragon tattoo that curled around his right shoulder. As her eyes traveled further she licked her lips, dark jeans encased a truly wonderful ass and he finished off his outfit with a pair of combat boots that were probably scuffing up her floor. And then he turned and she saw his face.

Sharp cheekbones and piercing eyes made her think of an elf from the fantasy novels she read. Metal glittered across his face, three silver hoops on one eyebrow and two on the other along with a bridge piercing on his nose. A silver ring hung from his septum and snakebites glittered on his mouth. More silver shone from his ears and Levy found herself wondering if he had any piercings hiding below the clothes.

The thought brought a blush to her cheeks and she shook her head, whatever fear she'd felt upon first seeing him had been replaced by something completely different.

She licked her lips and wondered if it was as hot as it felt or if it was just her.

"Hello," she said, forcing a smile to her face. Be professional. "If you have any questions feel free to ask."

He grunted, staring at her for a heartbeat longer. She wondered if he was wearing colored contacts, he had to be. No eyes could be that color naturally.

Then he glanced down at the portfolios and she settled herself into Mira's chair, picking up a pen to twirl between her fingers. She tried not to stare too openly at him, and when he looked up from the portfolio she flushed.

"See anything you like?"

He nodded, eyes flicking back to the portfolio. "This artist," he rumbled, and she felt her toes curl at his voice. That voice was something she wanted to wake up to in her ear.

She shook herself and glanced at the portfolio, a smile curling her lips. "What about them?"

"I like their stuff."

Her lips twitched and she leaned back in the chair. "Well, if you're interested in getting a tattoo I know they're free right now."

"Yeah, alright."

"Excellent."

She got to her feet, grabbing the sketchpad she'd left out earlier. She flicked to an empty page and glanced up at him. "So … what are you interested in today?"

He just stared at her for a heartbeat, arching a brow. The metal rings glinted in the light, but she didn't let her eyes drop from his.

"You're the artist?"

"Yep."

She grinned brightly, making sure to add more pep to it that usual. This wasn't the first time someone had been surprised to see she was the artist, maybe it was her oversized sweaters and overall girlish appearance. She knew people expected punk when they walked in tattoo places, dark clothes and music, but Levy liked her pastel colors and pop music. Sometimes it annoyed her when people judged her based on her appearance, but she figured he was allowed to since she'd done the same thing.

"Huh."

"Expecting someone different?" she asked, arching a brow as her grin dimmed to a smirk.

"Not really." His own mouth curled in a smirk and she didn't think it was possible, but it made him even more attractive.

"So, what were you interested in getting?" she asked, poising the pen above the paper.

As he described the tattoo she drew it out. It wasn't anything too complicated, and once the sketch was done she stared down at it with pursed lips. The design involved a lot of thick black lines, and she could tell it fit him well.

"Like this?" she asked, sliding it across to him. He glanced down at the paper, tracing one of the lines with his finger as his lips turned up in a soft smile. If she hadn't been watching him so closely she probably would've missed it.

"Perfect." He glanced up at her, sliding the sketchpad back to her.

"Great. So we charge by the hour, 80-100 dollars an hour. I'd say this particular tattoo shouldn't take much more than an hour," she said. "Want to set up an appointment?"

He was staring at her again, his eyes boring into hers, and for a second she almost forgot how to breathe.

"How about right now?"

She blinked, licking her lips. "Let me just make sure I'm free," she said, grabbing the appointment book. She skimmed through the list, glad to see she didn't have an appointment for the rest of the day. "Alright, looks good." After filling out the required paperwork, she motioned for him to follow her behind the counter and led him to her spot.

"Where did you want the tattoo?" she asked.

"Right here," he rumbled, pressing his hand above his heart with a smirk.

"Alright then," she said, her voice sounding a tad too high. "Take off your shirt and let's get started."

He was still smirking when he pulled the shirt off over his head and she couldn't stop the squeak from escaping. She'd seen a lot of bodies in her career, but nothing compared to the perfection of his. Along with the dragon tattoo on his shoulder he had a quote along his right ribcage, and she curled her hands to keep from reaching out and touching it.

"Okay," she said, clearing her throat. She really hoped her cheeks weren't as red as they felt, but the smirk on his face told her they were. "Let's do this."

Of course it took her another minute before she managed to tear her gaze away from his chest and get her equipment together.

"Are you absolutely positive you want this?" she asked before starting. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd had someone in the chair, ready to go, and had them back out at the last minute.

"Completely," he said, his eyes sparkling with his smirk.

"Just want to make sure."

She cleaned off the spot, her fingers brushing against his skin. Electricity danced up her arm, but she ignored it. Once she started tattooing she couldn't allow herself to get distracted by anything, not even the perfectly sculpted chest of this god incarnate.

She pressed one hand against his stomach, letting herself revel in the wonder of his abs, and leaned forward with her needle in hand. She'd tugged her hair back in a ponytail, but a few curls still hung loose.

"Keep still," she murmured, her eyes flicking to his face as her lips curled with a grin. "Don't want me to mess up, do you?"

He just chuckled, but his body still under her hand, his chest barely even rising his with breaths. Right before her needle touched the skin he took a deep breath, and then she started.

The quiet buzzing quickly lulled her into a trance, her eyes focused on the spot of skin she was marking. Everything else faded away into the background as she worked, her tongue darting out to rest on her lip as she concentrated. He didn't flinch once during the process and she was impressed, even when the design inched onto his ribs he remained still. She risked a glance at his face during a pause and was surprised to see his eyes closed and his face relaxed, almost like he was sleeping. But then they flashed open and she flushed, quickly ducking her head to get back to work.

She wasn't sure how much timed passed, but it felt like only minutes later she was sitting back and staring at the finished product. A slight frown creased her brow as she studied it. She hadn't messed up, but she always felt like something was off when she finished a tattoo.

"Are you done?" he asked, and she glanced at his face.

"Yes. Would you like to see it?" She motioned towards the mirror and he sat up, swinging his legs off the chair. She started cleaning up as he got a look at his new tattoo, her eyes continuously flicking to his back. After what felt like hours he turned towards her, a smile curling his lips.

"I'm impressed," he said.

"Well, what can I say? I'm impressive."

He chuckled and she stepped towards him. Her fingers lightly touching his chest as she got the bandaid on it. "I'm assuming I don't need to go over aftercare with you?" she asked, glancing at him with an arched brow.

"I think I've got it."

She smiled and stepped back, tugging her gloves off.

"Well, looks like we're done here then. You can put your shirt back on and I'll go calculate the cost." Her eyes lingered one last time on his chest and she turned, blinking in surprise when she saw who was sitting on the couch.

"Hey," Lucy said, popping a chip in her mouth.

"Hello," Juvia murmured, her eyes flashing to the customer.

"How long have you two been there?"

Lucy lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Long enough."

Levy opened her mouth to reply when she felt the heat on her back. A tremor slid down her spine and she glanced over her shoulder. He'd gotten his shirt back on and was staring down at her with an arched brow.

"Right, the money." She quickly hurried to the front of the store where the register was. It didn't take long to calculate the cost and he handed over the cash. "Thanks for choosing Fairy Ink," she said with a smile. "I'm Levy, in case you didn't notice. Feel free to come back any time."

His lips curled up in a smirk and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "I'll be sure to do that," he rumbled, then he left and she watched him go until he was out of sight, her body practically tingling.

She wasn't sure why she'd reacted so strongly to him, but there was just something about him that made her heart race and her palms sweaty. Something that made her want to tug him against her and kiss him until they were both gasping for breath.

She flushed at her thoughts and turned to her two friends. Juvia had a small smile on her face, but Lucy was smirking, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"I know what you're about to say," Levy said, holding up a hand before Lucy could get a word out. "And no. I am not going to let you try to hook me up with him."

"But he was cute."

"He's also a complete stranger."

"Everyone's a stranger until you get to know them."

Juvia nodded and Levy rolled her eyes.

"Not happening," she called over her shoulder as she headed in the back.

"You just keep thinking that!" Lucy called back.

Levy laughed, grabbing her lunch out of the fridge. She didn't know why her friends were so obsessed with getting her a date, but she wasn't going to let them force her into anything. It didn't matter if he was cute, she'd just gotten out of a long term relationship and didn't want to start anything.

Not even with what had possibly been the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

She remembered the name she'd seen on the license—Gajeel Redfox—and she wondered why it sounded familiar.

She would've remembered meeting someone like him before, she was sure of it.

With a shake of her head she sat down. She was probably never going to see him again anyways, so none of it mattered.

But she couldn't stop herself from remembering what his chest had felt like under her hand and she sighed.

It was a shame she hadn't gotten his number.

Notes: Fifty thousand apologies for the lateness. I hope it was worth the wait ...

And yea! Gajeel finally appeared. They were both a little OOC this chapter, sorry 'bout that. I'm a tad rusty.