Prompt: We both love Sherlock AU
Characters: Gajeel and Levy

Levy sighed as the episode came to an end. Another case closed. More errands to get back to in the real world.

The bluenette pouted a little as she closed her laptop. She'd been rewatching Sherlock, seeing how much felt more obvious now that she knew who the culprits were. It had been interesting but still, some of Sherlock's deductions were just so brilliant she never would have thought of them herself, the way he picked out the most minute details.

Levy prided herself on being intelligent, but she had to admit that she would have missed out on so many of those clues. Though, perhaps not today, she thought to herself. As she fixed her yellow headband into her blue hair, Levy decided to challenge herself on being more observant today, to really see how much she could deduce about her friends and neighbours. Today she was putting on her Sherlock hat…metaphorically of course. She looked best in a headband, a deduction she'd made back in middle school.

Levy headed outside, she found herself walking slower than usual as she tried to be extra observant.

The bluenette took the time to look at her neighbour Laki's growing wood sculpture collection. Her hazel eyes zoomed in on a pile of wood shavings next to the work shed at the back of the yard. She must be working on her next one, Levy deduced. She smiled and continued on her way.

Before she knew it, Levy was arriving at Fairy Tail. For the most part, her deductions informed her that today was a very average day and that her neighbours were very predictable people. It was once she got inside her favourite hangout spot that her brain had to kick it into high gear.

In a place as chaotic as Fairy Tail, with its unpredictable assortment of characters, one had to always be extra observant. Hazel eyes flashed rapidly around the banquet hall, plotting her course to the bar. Noting the sticky-looking puddles, likely from spilled beers and other drinks. Observing who was staggering around, who was calm, who had drinks in their hand.

Clocking it all in, Levy made her way to the bar avoiding the puddles and making sure to pass tables with calmly chatting people and being sure to avoid the rowdier folks who might spill their drinks on her orange dress. With a little victory dance, Levy happily jumped up onto a bar stool. With the power of deduction, she'd made it smoothly across the room.

"Not again!"

Levy frowned as she glanced over at the white-haired barmaid. Mirajane was frowning at a white porcelain jar, it had a decorated sticker with the word "Cookies" on it. Squinting, Levy managed to spot some scratch marks near the opening that looked relatively recent.

"What's wrong Mira?" the bluenette asked frowning at her friend.

The barmaid sighed and put on a small smile. Placing the jar on the counter, she poured Levy a glass of water.

"The cookie jar is empty again, and this time I swear Lisanna and I had just filled it."

Levy perked up at Mirajane's story. This was a case! A simple case, she was sure, she just had to spot the right clues…

"Where do you normally keep the cookie jar?" Levy asked, hazel eyes scanning the kitchen. There was an open window behind the sink, the sink itself was half full of relatively clean water for dishes to get thrown into for a pre-soak, the bottle of dish soap next to the sink was laying on its side.

"The jar is usually on this shelf here where we keep the teas and coffee," Mirajane gestured.

The shelf she'd mentioned was up and to the left of the sink, the same direction the bottle of soap seemed to be facing. A relatively wide shelf too, a hole now where the jar was meant to be sitting. Squinting closer, Levy noted that some of the tea boxes between the sink and where the cookie jar should be were either squished or knocked on their sides. Glancing around she marked a bowl on the floor that had "Happy" written on it in blue with a blue paw print next to it.

Levy gave a smile; confident she'd figured it out. The clues were right there if you looked for them! The bluenette opened her mouth to tell Mira the answer to her mystery –

"The cat did it."

When someone beat her to it.

Levy turned her head and took in the tall dark-haired man behind her, he had multiple piercings and a small smirk, his broad shoulders and muscular arms that lead down to his hands one of which was holding a squirming cat by its ruff.

"Happy!" Mira exclaimed, somewhat exasperated. She took the cat from the tall man and brushed some of the crumbs from the chubby kitty's face. Raising the crumbs to her nose, the barmaid nodded in confirmation. "These are crumbs from the missing cookies alright. I'll get Natsu or Lisanna to take him to the vet, no way all those cookies are good for him. How'd you figure it out Gajeel?"

Levy pouted a little. She'd been very excited to solve a case and she had figured it out but somehow Gajeel had beaten her to it. She watched him, waiting for the behemoth to explain his methodology.

Gajeel whipped out a fedora from his back pocket and brought it to his head in a pose. His red eyes held Levy's as he casually said "Elementary, my dear" before giving Levy a wink.

The bluenette blushed a little, she had not been expecting that.

Mirajane just laughed and thanked Gajeel before carrying Happy off to either Natsu or Lisanna, depending on which one was more readily available. Gajeel plopped himself on the stool next to Levy, his height dwarfing her.

"Great Sherlock reference" Levy squeaked out.

"It's a good show."

"One of my favourites."

"Mine too, gihi."

Well, that was something she never would have deduced. Always a mystery with Gajeel. Maybe Levy should keep a closer eye on him…