Gajeel didn't like people. He didn't understand how they could be so soft and emotional all the time.

Generally, they just got on his nerves. So how he started working as the Intercompany Relations Director, he had no clue. But he could get along well with rough legal people, so Mr. Makarov Dreyar, the boss, usually made him deal with other law firms, rather than the regular softies of the general public. For that, he was the best man for the job.

Even so, he had two people to deal with everyone else. Wife and husband, Bisca and Alzack Connell, were good at interacting with normal humans, so they worked in Human Relations underneath him. Gajeel had a feeling it came from the whole having a kid thing. He didn't like kids much either, but sometimes they were easier to deal with than adults. Their kid was just about to go into high school, so she didn't come around much, to Gajeel's relief.

Today was supposed to be a good day for him. The head translator, albeit the only translator, had just been hired, and it broadened his perspectives widely. Although he could speak Spanish well enough, other people had just been out of reach because of language barriers, and Google translate helped him none. Gajeel was glad to have the opportunity to make Fairy Tail even better.

However, when he walked into his office after going to get his fifth coffee that morning, he was greeted by a familiar head of messy blue hair.

It wasn't a good sort of familiar.

He had wanted to shove the bad memories of the person he was in high school out of his head. Being the school bully wasn't the highlight of his life, and it's a version of him he regretted ever being. He tormented everyone, but one person in particular.

The one person who just so happened to be standing right in front of him.

"Just pretend you don't know her," he thought to himself. "Maybe she won't recognize it's you."

Levy recognized him.

He was trying to be civil, but she immediately started yelling at him, and this is not what he wanted on a Monday morning. He watched Lisanna leave out of the corner of his eye, no doubt about to tell the pyro about the incident, who would go on to tell Blondie, who would go on to tell everyone else in the entire firm. He sighed internally as he brought Levy to his desk. She commented under her breath about the one framed picture that he had.

It was a picture of him, Juvia, and his black cat, Pantherlily. It was on Juvia's 19th birthday, and Gajeel had surprised her with a party. Juvia was his best friend since they were little, even though they didn't go to the same high school. They both had rough childhoods, and knew what it felt like to misunderstood. The picture was taken in one of the rare moments in Juvia's past where she was happy, truly happy.

It wasn't easy having a best friend who was clinically depressed.

The picture always made him happy. It symbolized a triumph in his life, being able to make his best friend that happy.

"Juvia ain't my girlfriend." he grumbled.

Why did everyone assume that?

Gajeel hadn't had a girlfriend since college, actually. Besides, Juvia was in love with that stripper. She'd been happier since she'd started hanging out with, and dating, Gray. She still gets depressed sometimes, but it's few and far between now. Gajeel felt confident in leaving her in his care, allowing him to worry less about his best friend than he had to when he was the only one who cared.

Gajeel showed Levy an email from the Sabertooth Law Firm in Japan. The two were supposed to have a lawyer exchange program. Titania, the angry redhead attorney, knew a bit of Japanese, so she translated the first email, but he needed the translator to make sure everything was in order. For some reason, she refused to sit in his seat, so he printed out the emails and handed them to her. They bantered a bit, making things seem...normal between them, if that was even a thing. Their old normal was screaming at each other.

He prefered this new normal. It was less tiring and more enjoyable. They both took light jabs at each other, but nothing that couldn't be reflected back at the other person. It was something that he didn't get to do often. Juvia still didn't understand sarcasm well, neither did Salamander, the pink haired idiot in marketing. Blondie, who worked with the pink haired idiot, was too sensitive. Titania was more likely to beat him up than to banter like this with him. The stripper understood him, another reason why Gajeel could stand him, but he was usually around Juv.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when the shrimp gasped. "Just how much Japanese does Erza know?"

Gajeel shrugged. "Not sure. Why'd ya ask?"

Levy had a worried look. "I'm pretty sure she told them that the whole firm was coming to Japan."

Gajeel was so tired lately. He got even less sleep than usual, meaning more cups of coffee. He was lucky to have an intern who would go get him more coffee without even needing to be asked. How he got Wendy Marvell as his intern, he had no clue.

Wendy was a sweet, bright blunette who worked hard at whatever she did. She had a full ride to college, that's how smart she was. Her professional people skills made her better suited for the job than Gajeel. But when it came to normal conversations, Wendy was a bit naive and innocent, even though she was 20. Gajeel couldn't help but take her in as his unofficial little sister. She was one of the only people who wasn't wary of Gajeel when they first met, which was a comfortable change. Wendy also reminded him a bit of Juvia, for some reason. It was probably just the blue hair.

Gajeel looked up from his paperwork as Wendy brought in what was probably the 5th cup of coffee that morning. "Thanks kid," he said softly, giving her a small smile. He was sitting at his desk, trying to go over the Japanese that Shrimp was trying to teach them. Master had her teaching the entire firm Japanese in preparation for them all going to Japan.

Yeah, that was still happening.

"Are you studying?" Wendy asked politely.

Gajeel grunted in affirmation. "Yea. I already knew some stuff, but I never bothered with learnin' how to write it. That's what's trippin' me up."

Wendy nodded and grabbed a stack of papers that she knew were meant for her. "I'll see you later Mr. Redfox," she said brightly as she made her way into the next room.

Gajeel just shook his head. "How many times do I have to tell the kid to call me Gajeel?" he muttered under his breath.

A few hours later, Wendy came back in. At this point, Shrimp had already gotten there and was working on translating, and ignoring him, which annoyed him for some reason. He wanted to find a way to make it up to her, to show that he wasn't the guy he was in high school. However, that wasn't working out very well. She pretty much refused to speak to him unless it was completely necessary.

"Hello, Mr. Redfox. Hello, Ms. McGarden." Wendy smiled at the two of them. Gajeel nodded in her direction in acknowledgement. The young girl struck up a conversation with the shrimp and Gajeel kept on typing away at his computer, slightly paying attention to their conversation as he typed up an email to the Blue Pegasus Law Firm. He could feel Levy's eyes on him as Wendy complimented her on her work ethic, and he slanted his eyes at her in return.

Shrimp turned back to Wendy with a stupidly wide grin. "Thanks! I've been super busy, but every once in a while, busy is nice, right? To know you always have something to do. You're never bored."

"You're a workaholic." Gajeel grumbled.

She huffed. "I am not."

Gajeel nodded and crossed his arms. "Ya sure are."

"Tch. And you're a gentleman." She answered sarcastically.

"You so are, shrimp."

"Prove it."

"You stayed at work until 11:30 on your first day. I think that's proof enough."

"That's only because I was so busy trying to teach you guys Japanese!"

"He's actually got you there, Ms. McGarden." Wendy commented. "You didn't have to stay that late."

The bickering pair gave the young girl a look to stay out of it, which worked. Levy huffed and grabbed her things, getting up to leave. Wendy stopped her on her way out.

"Actually, Ms. McGarden, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"I actually wanted to talk to you about, uh... love."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow, looking over at the two females. Love? Seriously? Why would the kid need any help when it came to love? It was obvious to everyone that she was head over heels for Titania's intern, Romeo Conbolt, and that he was crazy about her too. He didn't understand what was the problem. He had expected Romeo to man up and ask her out by now, but apparently that hadn't happened yet.

"… I think he might like another girl."

Wait, what?

Gajeel watched as Shrimp started pacing, spouting in different languages, only half of which he understood, before she ran off, saying she was late to some meeting. Wendy sighed and plopped down in the chair the other bluenette had been occupying. "Mr. Redfox, do you know what I should do?"

He turned away from his computer to face the young girl, who was looking down at the hands in her lap. Was she seriously asking him for advice? "First of all," he started, "Call me Gajeel. You don't need to be so formal around me. Second of all, I wouldn't worry about Romeo liking another girl," he said bluntly.

"Really?" the bluenette asked, looking up at the older man.

Gajeel nodded confidently. "Of course. That kid has had his eyes on you since day one. Apparently everyone but the two of you can see it."

Wendy blushed and smiled that admittedly adorable smile that she has. "Thanks Gajeel-san!"

Gajeel groaned. "Again, with the formalities! Don't think I don't know you're usin' a formal honorific with me."

"Sorry, Gajeel-nii."

Gajeel laughed with Wendy, reaching over and ruffling her hair a bit. "Better, kid. Now, ya got that paperwork for me?"