The train ride was going to last all day and night, with a stop-over tomorrow. It was noon now and the train was pulling out of Magnolia's station. It took Gajeel less than 10 minutes to get bored, bored, bored.

His guitar turned out to be missing some strings and the entire instrument in need of attention. His previous landlord had not taken good care of his purloined possessions it seemed. Disturbed, the Dragonslayer petted and cooed the only thing he owned that meant anything to him.

The trio were not in a private carriage within the train, finding themselves bench seats that faced each other with a small table between them. The train was pretty full but they had the benches to themselves due to the scowls sent toward any brave enough to approach. A few needed accompanying growls though to get the idea to move on elsewhere for a seat.

Now everyone was settling in and stretching out as best they could. Though a few were walking through still seeking better accomodations.

Surreptitiously Levy watched Gajeel from over the top margin of her book. The train bounced a bit stronger, which he barely noticed, of course. Levy, small as she was slid slightly to the left, jostling the curled up Exceed cat, Pantherlily who slitted one eye at her in protest.

"Sorry." Levy mumbled and slid back an inch.

"Cats don't get their own seats." A haughty voice interrupted the trio.

Gajeel blinked up at the fur-dressed matron and sneered. "The cat has his own ticket." He said tersely.

Pantherlily held up the proper documentation without opening his eyes or uncurling his little body resting on the bench seat.

The matron sniffed derisively while her skinny male companion sweated and awkwardly held at least five pieces of animal print luggage. "Animals don't have rights."

"They do, especially when they can talk." Levy reached over, placing on hand on Pantherlily's head in a protective gesture despite the fact that in his battle-form the Exceed towered over her. Right now he was resting in kitty-size though.

"Indeed." The black cat spoke up in a precise accent, looking up and showing his scars and intense stare.

The Matron drew back and puckered as if smelling something off.

Gajeel stood and moved in front of Levy's seat, blocking the view of the interlopers. "Get lost." It wasn't a suggestion.

"You can't hog all the seats!" The Matron responded waspishly. "I have tickets too!"

Gajeel growled low, considering his options. Looking around he saw a full train carriage all watching them. He could easily defeat any of them, but the idea was to be undercover.

Levy's head appeared over his shoulder, startling him until he realized she was standing on the bench seat. "Oh, we're not hogging the seats, but saving them." She smiled sweetly, her natu ral scent teasing his overdeveloped senses. Gajeel wondered if it was her or some sort of product, but it was a scent he'd always associate with only her. Wait. Did she say they were saving the seats? He frowned sharply.

Levy gestured toward a young couple squeezed uncomfortably in beside two burly farmers. She smiled brightly. "There you are!" With that she did something Gajeel had not properly been prepared for. Levy tilted her head and rested her cheek sweetly upon his shoulder and smiled at the Matron. "We just got married."

The matron seemed less than impressed with the pronouncement even as the other young couple hurried over to claim the seat across from Levy with gratitude. "Oh! We just got married too!" She giggled in an annoying way so that Gajeel had to fight not to roll his eyes.

The matron looked back and forth between the two sets of couples and sneered. The other couple looked like they'd grown up on farms, tanned and weathered, fit and healthy, and completely lacking in the finer graces of style or fashion. Her judgmental eye moved back to the tattered tunic of Gajeel, framing his muscular chest but doing nothing to hide it. His magic guild marking clearly visible on one broad bicep. Her nose rose impossibly high in the air as she moved away. "Young ladies should be brought up proper, and choose better! Ruffians and laborers." She actually shuddered.

Gajeel stepped forward only to find that Levy's arms were around his chest. "Let it go." She whispered into his ear.

It wasn't her words that stopped him. It was the flutter of her breath heating the inner folds of his ear. It was her scent. It was her touch that he didn't want to end. His tunic was open, as usual, and her hands flattened onto his bare skin. Gajeel's breath caught in his lungs, almost as if afraid that if he breathed her hands would fall way and stop touching him. He flushed slightly and stepped away from her deliberately. He didn't need anything, never had never would.

Yet now his skin ached from the loss of her touch and he realized his mistake immediately. It was fine. He was male and she was female. It was only natural that he'd enjoy her touch, nothing special. Basic biology, that was all. It could have been anyone and he'd have felt the same.

Gajeel looked over at the young couple perched on HIS bench, then back at Levy and Pantherlily. She had taken the opportunity to scoot over and was now hugging the Exceed cat almost like a stuffed animal. Gajeel's lips twitched unhappily, for his damned cat looked like he was enjoying the situation entirely too much! "Better not be purring." He grumbled as he stepped over her feet and settled into the far corner, propping his back against the corner of the back of the bench and the train wall. He crossed his arms and glared at everyone and no one for good measure.

"Thank you for the seat." The female interloper spoke up hesitantly.

Gajeel grunted and closed his eyes as a signal to leave him alone. Levy smiled. "Oh, it's no problem. We're on the way to our honeymoon too."

Gajeel's fingers twitched. This was a bad idea. Levy's scent was all over him now. Not that it was overpowering, not hardly. It tickled at the edges of his awareness and pressed lightly without tangible weight against his skin where she'd touched him. He ached with the desire to pull her back against him, and then smiled grimly at his mental image of her shriek and protest if he carried through with that wild thought.

Wait. Weren't they supposed to be newlyweds? Gajeel opened his eyes, finding them settling intently upon Levy. The need to touch her intensified. But how to make it happen?

"Sweetheart." Gajeel crooned, interrupting her small-talk with the other couple. His heartrate picked up an extra beat as she turned those cute eyes in his direction. "Let Lily sleep, he won't get any rest with you holding him." He grinned wickedly at her. "And I won't get any rest without holding you."

He saw her stop breathing as her eyes widened upon him. He winked outrageously and tilted his head slightly at the other couple, insinuating they needed to put on a show.

Levy bit her bottom lip, which nearly made Gajeel jump up and grab her. As her husband, would he be allowed to kiss that mouth? His grin both darkened and widened to show off his teeth. It pleased him greatly when Levy lifted her chin at him defiantly.

He watched as she rose, putting the cat down on her already warmed-up spot from her rather fine ass. In fact, his eyes traced the short hemline of her skirt which teased the tops of her thighs. Gajeel hoped that ass would be warming his lap in a moment, and the thought alone made his body stir with interest.

He dropped one leg onto the floor and patted the inner thigh of his other leg in invitation, a leer on his face and fire in his eyes.

Levy shook her head and pushed his other leg off of the bench so that he was sitting up, then she slid onto his lap without any sign of fear or hesitancy. Gajeel's arms opened without thought or command and she sat with her legs hanging off of one side, her back against his arm and her head leaning onto his shoulder.

It would have been sexier, and harder, to have her snuggled between his spread legs, but this wasn't half-bad either. He started when her hand reached for his, wondering what she was up to when she spread his fingers and measured his hand against her own. Gajeel's breath caught at the discrepancy between their sizes. He'd known she was petite in comparison, but the reality was daunting to take in.

His hand dwarfed hers. Her wrist looked entirely too delicate to him. Suddenly he had a memory flashback of stalking her back when he'd been a member of the Phantom Lord guild. The thought soured his stomach and he tightened his fingers around hers protectively.

Not knowing the thoughts in his head. Levy watched the flow of emotion in his eyes. His face gave nothing away, but she was good at reading people, and she knew he was dealing with something even if she didn't know what. "Rings." She said, deliberately trying to break the grip of whatever emotion was bringing him that sad look.

It worked. Gajeel blinked rapidly and then peered into her face. Levy reached into her heart-festooned purse and brought out the rings he'd made for their pretend marriage. He grunted and reached for the larger one.

Levy shook her head, sending a shy look over at the couple on the opposite train bench. They had an audience. "I know we're not used to wearing them yet, but I want the world to know you're mine."

The words were a cover, a lie. They still rubbed Gajeel's emotions raw. No one had ever wanted him. Even his foster-father, the dragon Metalicana had simply left him one day, disappearing. Gajeel had grown up with huge abandonment issues, and even discovering that all the dragons had mysteriously vanished on the same day had done little to heal him. He'd joined the Phantom Lord guild and they'd valued his strength, but hadn't been friends, not really.

Then Makarov had sought him out. His words had been cautious, and yet welcoming. The master had made it clear that Gajeel wasn't forgiven for hurting his 'children', but that we would be accepted as one of Fairy Tail, but the decision was solely his. The Dragonslayer had agreed, not that he'd believed, not really.

But in that time he'd discovered a few things. First. Makarov already had two strong Dragonslayers, and he didn't NEED Gajeel in his guild to lord it over the other guilds. Makarov hadn't used him, but let him find his own way. Jobs were there, but not assigned to expose Gajeel to the public in a way to garner awe or adoration.

Second, the Fairy Tail guild really did treat each other like family. Not just in lip service either. Unlike in the Phantom Lords, every member was cherished, even those that were starting out or not as strong as the others. His old guild wouldn't have tolerated such.

His old guild would have eaten Levy, chewed her up and spit her out. And to Gajeel's deep shame, he'd almost done just that.

Levy wasn't weak, not even slightly. She might have doubts about her abilities, but Master Makarov had elected her for S-class trials, and that wasn't just empty air. Gajeel had seen first hand the stuff she was made of, and he approved.

In the Phantom Lords, however, her gentleness and giving heart would have been seen as deficits. No matter her strength, they'd have wanted to toughen her up or kick her loose.

Right now, at this very moment, when Levy was slipping the heavy iron wedding band over his finger … Gajeel had never been happier to have the Fairy Tail guild mark on his arm. She wanted the world to know he was hers. It was just a job. A ruse. But in this moment, in this place, he was hers. For the first time in his life he felt like he belonged, and no matter how transitory it really was, to him, right now ….it felt real.

While lost within his feelings he noticed when Levy blushed and bit her bottom lip. That's when he realized she'd been holding out the other ring to him. Obviously she was embarrassed when he didn't react and moved to put it on her own finger.

Moving too quickly to see, Gajeel caught her hand in his. Without thought he brought her palm to his mouth and kissed the skin there. He noticed her goosebumps, so close were they right now, as well as the shiver that went through her. He grinned and flipped the ring in the air, catching it neatly as he put it over the tip of her finger.

"What if it doesn't fit?" She suddenly whispered.

Gajeel made a chiding noise. "It fits." He promised, and indeed the ring slid easily down her finger even as it settled snugly in its proper place.

"How?" Levy asked, clearly shocked and yet, there was a smile on her lips.

He shrugged and then pinned her with an intense look. "Wife."

Levy gave him rounded eyes and an unhinged jaw. A supreme tactician, Gajeel wrapped his large hand behind the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.

Levy panicked. She murmured a solid script spell and wiggled the fingers on both hands.

Gajeel choked and pulled back, shock clearly on his face. He spat out the mouthful of feathers and started plucking them out as quickly as possible.

The other newlywed couple stared in wonder as a shower of duck, geese, and even chicken feathers floated in the air around them.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Levy squealed even as she batted at some of the floating feathers.

Pantherlily jumped up and leapt onto one rather large feather, then started pawing at it with curiousity.

"Bleh!" Gajeel spit out another feather and then glared at Levy as he breathed hard, trying to catch his breath. "We're married! What is wrong with the idea of kissing me?!"

Levy's face turned screaming red. Unfair! He knew she couldn't answer like she wanted, not while in public with their need to remain undercover. She slapped his chest and glared at him. "Not here!"

"Oh, dude. Ladies don't always like public displays." The new husband seated across from them said helpfully.

"I do." Gajeel grumped, glaring at his partner for this job. Suddenly he made a face and opened his mouth, pulling a tiny feather out from between his teeth. "Yuk!"

Levy, her temper riled and feeling the unfairness of it all, did not filter her words. "I know you do. Public display, right under a large tree for everyone to see!"

"Oooh! I sense a story!" The other bride cooed, batting her lashes.

Gajeel and Levy stared at one another, both breathing heavily. Both picturing her strung up on that tree, humiliated and beaten and bearing the mark of the Phantom Lord guild. His fault. All his fault.

Silence stretched out between them, but this time it was emotionally charged. He grunted. "Later."

She nodded and settled back down, playing with the wedding ring now gracing her left hand. Levy started to slide off of his lap.

Gajeel wrapped her up tighter, but didn't try and kiss her again. "What are you reading?" He asked, desperate to move on from the memory of their initial meeting.

"A book." She said, lifting her chin in the air.

"Sounds interesting. Share?"

Surprised, she nodded without thought. "I've read it before, though it's one of my favorites. I'll lend it to you."

Gajeel grinned and winked at her, pulling her in closer to his chest. "No. Share. Read it to me."

She blushed, opened the book and scanned a passage and her face heated even further. She shook her head.

Pantherlily looked up and yawned. "I could listen to a good story." He commented.

The other couple drew back, looking at the talking cat and the guild markings on both their travel companions. "Wizards."

"Fairy Tail." Levy supplied the name sweetly. Just last month, for her, those words would have reassured anyone. Their guild had a reputation as destructive, but protective. Honorable. The finest in Fiore.

The other couple relaxed immediately. "Oh, so not very powerful then."

Both Gajeel and Levy stiffened. They'd forgotten. What was to them only a month ago, was actually seven damned years. In that time Fairy Tail had gone from the highest ranked guild, to the lowest.

With her hand resting on his bare chest, Levy could feel the wild rumble of a growl growing. She shook her head and absently tried to soothe him.

He noticed her petting his chest and stilled in surprise more than anything else.

"Burlone." Levy whispered, though he'd understood without her reminder that they shouldn't raise a fuss. They were on a job.

He grimaced, for it burned, letting others look down on him. Them. Levy didn't deserve their quiet laughter and dismissive thoughts. "We need to reclaim our place."

She nodded, in total agreement. "Not today."

"No. Today you read to me." Gajeel teased her with a grin, pointing at her book.

Levy sighed, thinking of the lovely, and quite sensual, scenes in the book. She peeked at Gajeel's face, seeing the stubborn look in his eyes. No help for it.

She opened the book, starting at the beginning. Hopefully he'd get bored or fall asleep before getting to any of the steamy scenes.

Gajeel rubbed his hand across her back as he let her voice rise over him. His other hand straightened her skirt on his lap, the large iron ring catching the light.

Married.

Suddenly the details of the job made him think long and hard. Married couples did a lot of things together. Including sleeping. Without inspecting his motives too hard, Gajeel grinned. He was going to get that kiss, one way or another. And he would do it without getting a mouthful of feathers too. Better yet, he'd get HER to kiss HIM. Oh yes, much better!