Chapter 1

I Want You to Want Me

"Nothing quite takes the taste out of peanut butter like unrequited love."

-Charlie Brown

Heartbreak was not an emotion that the iron dragon slayer was used to feeling. But as he watched his blue-haired best friend sucking face at the bar with the card mage, he couldn't deny that the tight pincer feeling in his chest was definitely a broken heart. He'd known that Juvia wasn't really in love with Gray. He'd been waiting for her to realize that for a while now, and he was excited that she was finally coming to her senses.

But just as he couldn't deny the current ache in his chest, he also couldn't deny that he'd brought this on himself. He should have told her how he felt. He'd been her shoulder to cry on, her confidante, her oldest friend. He thought she would understand; he thought she would turn to him with the same adoration she showered on the ice mage for months when she finally realized that it wasn't love after all.

Instead, Cana was the one who'd finally convinced Juvia that she'd never really loved Gray.

Gajeel tried to keep his gaze focused on the plate of iron scraps in front of him. Levy sat beside him reading, but she kept glancing at him with a small worried frown. The bookworm was the only one who knew about his infatuation with the water mage. For a while, Levy had tried to keep her distance from the slayer in case Juvia, like the rest of the guild, thought there was something more than friendship between her and the gruff slayer, despite Levy having a boyfriend. Now, she could be there for him as a friend, but she also knew that her own boyfriend would eventually get jealous if she stayed with Gajeel too often.

Levy frowned and glanced around the room. What her friend needed was something or someone to take his mind off of Juvia's new paramour. She was considering and discarding options rapidly when the doors of the guild flew open to reveal her pink-haired boyfriend trailing meekly behind a very pissed off blonde.

"Luce, I said I was sorry," Natsu whined.

"I don't want to hear it, Natsu!" Lucy yelled. She stalked to the bar and hopped onto a stool, but the celestial mage had to immediately hop back up again as the seat rubbed against her singed bottom. She would have to have Wendy take a look at it later. For now, she just wanted a smoothie, preferably with Cana levels of rum. Lucy leaned heavily on the bar and wished that she could sit down comfortably.

"But, Luce—"

Whatever Natsu was going to say was silenced by a swift kick to the gut that sent him crashing into the far wall. He landed on the ground with a thud next to his girlfriend. Levy sighed. She considered helping him up, but she also assumed that she would be siding with Lucy on this one even though Levy had no idea just what the flaming idiot she loved had done to his best friend.

Levy's attention was diverted from the sorry heap of pink hair and bruised limbs by a small chuckle on her other side. She glanced at Gajeel, who had once again ducked his head to focus on his metal meal. She thought she saw the hint of a smirk, though.

Ignoring, her groaning boyfriend, Levy picked up her book and made her way to the bar.

"So what'd he do this time?" Levy asked as she took the seat that Lucy had previously attempted to sit on.

"Mrrrghghgh!" was Lucy's garbled reply as she banged her head on the counter.

"Ah, yes, I see, that does sound terrible," Levy said with a laugh. Lucy looked up and tried to glare at the blue-haired girl, but she really could never be mad at Levy, so the glare turned into a grin. Of course the grin then turned into a grimace as she moved her arm and a singed bit of skin made contact with the countertop.

"Nothing Wendy can't help with," Lucy said. "The idiot needs to practice his damn aim, though."

"How are you still wearing clothes?" Levy asked.

"I had Virgo make me some special fire-proof clothing for my jobs with Natsu. Unfortunately, it protects the clothing, but not my actual skin. I should probably talk to her about that." Lucy ordered a heavily alcoholic smoothie from Mira before turning back to the bookworm. "So, did I miss anything while we were gone?"

"Well…" Levy glanced at the other end of the bar where Juvia and Cana were back to playing tonsil hockey. She was beginning to wonder if they were just trying to make the pervy men in the guild die from blood loss at this point. Lucy followed her friend's gaze, and her eyes widened fractionally.

"My, that is new," Lucy murmured. She looked around the guildhall with apparent boredom, but she was really seeking out the dark far corner where a large metal-studded figure always sat. As she surreptitiously studied the gloomy man, Wendy came up to her.

"Sorry, Lucy, I just got back from a job with Erza and Gray. Happy mentioned you needed some help."

"Oh, Wendy, you beautiful, beautiful little goddess. I've got a few burns. Think you can help?"

"No problem, where?"

Lucy pointed at her ass. Wendy didn't bat an eye but just raised her hands and began healing the burns while Mira placed Lucy's drink on the bar. Sweet relief flooded the blonde's system from both the healing magic and the slight burn of the rum buried beneath the sweetness of strawberries. She thanked the tiny dragon slayer profusely before hugging her tightly and finally sinking onto a barstool with a sigh of supreme satisfaction.

"I think I need a Natsu-break," Lucy said. She lifted a suggestive eyebrow at Levy. "Take him off my hands for a week or two?"

Levy blushed slightly, but she managed a small grin. Natsu had finally picked himself up off of the floor and was sufficiently recovered to begin picking a fight with Gray when he realized that the ice mage had returned.

"I do still need rent money, though," Lucy said pensively. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess I'll just have to see what's available on the board that I could take solo."

"You could always partner up with somebody else temporarily," Levy said in her best impression of total nonchalance.

"An interesting notion," Lucy said as she tried to stifle a giggle. "But who?"

Levy's gaze drifted pointedly towards the dark corner opposite them and she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you'll think of someone," Levy said lightly. "I should go collect my boo before he destroys anything else."

As if to punctuate her point, the loud crack of splintering wood reverberated through the hall. Levy got up from her seat with a small sigh and went to tackle Natsu before he could get up from the remains of the table and relaunch himself at Gray. Lucy watched with amusement as her two best friends bickered for a moment before they left the guild hand-in-hand. When she'd first come to Fairy Tail, Lucy had been mildly interested in the boy who would become her best friend, but once she realized the depths of Levy's feelings for him, she'd backed off graciously, and she had never regretted the decision. Particularly since a different dragon slayer had caught her eye since then.

Lucy finished off her smoothie before swaying over to the request board. The alcohol really served a dual purpose now as it took her mind off of being pissed at Natsu and gave her that little fuzziness of consciousness to make her act on her fledgling plan. She actually already had a job in mind, if it was still available. Still, she leisurely looked over the flyers as she tried to summon up the nerve she needed. Finally ready as her slight buzz fully took form, Lucy grabbed the job request and strolled over to Gajeel.

The iron dragon slayer was too lost in thought to notice the blonde now standing in front of him. Lucy cleared her throat a couple of times with no response. She rolled her eyes in frustration before slowly reaching out towards him. She kept expecting him to notice the finger headed towards him, but when he still didn't look up, Lucy lightly touched the tip of her finger to his nose.

"Boop."

Gajeel crossed his eyes to stare at the finger still touching the tip of his nose before looking up to focus on the owner of said finger. He glared at her. It was a look that sent grown men running for their lives, but the celestial mage just winked at him as she retracted her finger.

"Oh good, I've got your attention," Lucy said. Her voice was light and airy, but she sincerely hoped he couldn't hear how wildly her heart was beating in her chest. She waved the flyer at him. "Take this job with me. Please?"

Gajeel just blinked at her for a moment. Lucy sighed and put her free hand on her hip.

"What about your matchstick partner?" Gajeel asked roughly.

"He's… otherwise occupied," Lucy said. Gajeel glanced around the room and finally noticed the absence of both the fire slayer and the script mage. "And I'm still pissed at him for singeing my ass earlier. Besides, I think you're the perfect person to take this job with me."

She thrust the flyer at him, and Gajeel took it reflexively. 100,000 Jewels. Two mages. Locate a site for a new mining operation. Possible bandits in area. Combat experience suggested. Gajeel glanced back up at Lucy.

"So you want me to be your bloodhound," he said. Lucy stuck out her tongue at him.

"Oh don't be a drama king. Yes, you have the nose for metal that we need, and we both have the combat experience required to deal with anybody stupid enough to attack us."

Gajeel stared back down at his barely touched plate. He heard a giggle from across the hall, and his heart stuttered slightly in his chest. A job like this could easily take a week or more. Time for him to get away from… that. His gaze travelled back to the waiting blonde. He'd never taken a job with Lucy, but he'd heard enough about her skills to know that she wasn't kidding about the combat experience. She was easy to discount as weak with her holder type magic and her fantastically good looks, but he knew firsthand how stubborn and unbreakable she could be. He wouldn't have to worry about protecting her if shit went down.

"When do we leave?" Gajeel asked. Lucy's face lit up with a brilliant smile, and she clapped her hands slightly.

"Tomorrow morning. We'll take the 9 a.m. train to Clover to meet with the businessman who put in the request. I'll go let Mira know so she can contact the client. Thanks, Gaj."

He watched her dart across the hall to talk to the demon barmaid, which naturally led his eyes back to the sight he wanted to escape most. Juvia and Cana were talking excitedly with their hands intertwined on the bar top. He called to Lily that he was leaving before pushing out of the guildhall. The sun was nearly set, and the air was finally cooling off as he trudged home. He wasn't sure why Lucy had suddenly taken an interest in going on a job with him; a small part of him thought Levy might be somehow responsible, but he shook off the thought. He knew that the shrimp would keep his secrets. He also thought there was no way that Lucy would have noticed his interest in a now off-limits individual on her own. That thought just reminded him of Juvia again, and his already somber mood darkened a shade.

Pantherlily flew beside him silently. He knew the pain his friend was silently suffering. He had listened in on the conversation with Lucy, and for once, Lily knew that he was more observant than the slayer. To the exceed, it was obvious why Lucy wanted to get Gajeel away from the guild, and Lily didn't think he could have planned a distraction for the slayer any better. He would help Lucy in any way that he could on this mission, though he knew it wouldn't be easy to get the cantankerous man to open up.