Title: Scents

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Characters: Gajeel, Levy, Pantherlily, Cana, Natsu, Juvia, Gray, Erza, Mirajane, Bisca, Bixlow, Lucy

Rating: T+ (for hints)

Pairings: GajLev, one-sided Gruvia, one-sided AlzackXBisca

Warning: Gajeel's language, and there's a hint of something sexual near the end.

Author's Note: This one would take place later on, after Gajeel and Levy are in an actual relationship. Other than that, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I highly doubt if I owned Fairy Tail I'd have all the issues I have.

Everyone had different scents, you just had to be able to tell them apart. Just ask Gajeel. One of the curses (or gifts, depending on how you look at it) of being a dragonslayer, he guessed. But really, he could tell who was where in the guild with his eyes closed thanks to that.

Glancing next to him, he grinned. Pantherlily, his cat, now that was a welcome scent. The exceed smelled like swords and magic, with a hint of cat. His magic too, which was the best part in Gajeel's opinion. Sometimes he smelled alcohol on him, but that was mainly when he had been hanging around the card lady.

Speaking of her — Cana, part of him reminded him, but Gajeel ignored that side as per usual — he could tell that she was at the bar, probably getting more drinks. She always was old cards, alcohol, and, for some reason, regret. Not that he knew what a woman like that regretted, but he figured it had something to do with that one guy with the kid she often was looking at him. But whatever, he didn't care about her life story.

The Salamander, now he had an interesting scent as well. Smoke, of course, but also scales, and longing. That, Gajeel understood, though he would never say so outright. His dragon had disappeared on him too, though he had been older then, and thus able to deal with it better.

Tch, that was a train of thought that he didn't want to go down right now. Turning away, Gajeel noticed Juvia, watching her precious "Gray-sama". She had been the closest thing to a friend he had had in this guild before Pantherlily, and he still had the slightest soft spot for the former Element 4 member. She smelled of fresh rain, always had, but now that was mixed with a hint of something new. Something he wasn't entirely able to place. She was happier though, which was good enough for him.

The Titania was now talking to Pantherlily, he noticed, not even bothering to tune into their conversation, instead focusing on the scents of armor, oil, and strawberries. That was that woman to him, willing to fight to the death if you ruined her damn cake. With a roll of his eyes, Gajeel continued to survey the barroom. There was that stripper Juvia was obsessed with (ice, snow, and determination), the barmaid chick who even managed to scare him (cleaning supplies, makeup, and something that smelled really good for something that wasn't metal), the gunner chick Biscuit or whatever (gunpowder, lead, and the goddamn inability to just spit it out! Hell, Gajeel didn't even care but he could see that she had a thing for that other cowboy guy!), and that creepy guy who always had his tongue sticking out (wood, incense, and something that just made Gajeel's skin crawl a bit).

All these different scents made up Fairy Tail, and, hell, it was different than Phantom Lord by a long shot. Not necessarily in a bad way though, Gajeel admitted silently. He never would aloud, but still, it was true.

"NATSU!" Bunny-Girl was yelling about something… Again. With a roll of his eyes, Gajeel glanced over to where the blonde was clutching her arms across her chest, shooting the Salamander a death glare. It made him chuckle, something that would've never happened in his previous guild. There he was something to be feared, not amused. But, then again, things had changed.

"What's so funny?" someone asked, their voice right next to him. Closing his red eyes, Gajeel breathed in the scent of his new companion. Books, dust, and what he called friendliness, along with the slightest hint of something else. He grinned, reaching out to pull Levy onto the bench next to him.

"Just thinkin'," he replied, burying his face in her hair and sliding his hand up her back. "You're starting to smell less like me, ya know. Maybe I should fix that." His grin was wicked as he looked into her eyes.

The flush that crossed her cheeks at that only made her more adorable in his eyes. Something that he would've never thought before coming to Fairy Tail, of course, but it was true. After all, he now had something better to watch, smell, and of course, touch.