Born Without A Heart

Chapter 12

            Gajeel stood leaning against a cold marble pillar inside Saber Tooth's grand conference room listening to Sting rattle on about a case he was in the middle of. Rogue would chime in now and again, usually to correct an exaggerated statement made by Sting.

Gajeel had to cut his little brother some slack, it sounded like he was doing pretty well for himself. Maybe Levy's urges for him to be a bit nicer to Rogue were warranted. Maybe Rogue wasn't that same annoying little brat always trailing after Gajeel like he used to be.

Sting laughed at himself and Gajeel forced a smile. He hadn't heard what the guy had said, he hadn't been paying attention. Instead his eyes were fixed on the slender blue haired girl across the room.

Levy was talking to another young woman with short, white pixie cut hair. They seemed familiar. Levy had given the girl a hug when they first began speaking. She was smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world. No one would believe she was secretly plotting a security breach.

But Levy was a natural with people. Her smile was effortless and it made Gajeel's chest beat hard.

The way she looked tonight... Gajeel could barely contain himself earlier in her apartment. That dress hugged every curve of her thin frame. The low cut top accentuating her small breasts. Her bare shoulders cradling the long line of her exposed neck.

"Right Gajeel?" Sting laughed again, dropping a heavy hand on Gajeel's shoulder and giving it a pat.

"Right," Gajeel forced a halfhearted laugh, not having heard a word of what the man had said.

"Well I gotta go find my girl, catch up with you two later," Sting gave a slight wave as he walked away.

Sting seemed to be a blank space when it came to any of the inner workings of the cybersecurity department. Gajeel was sure he was a dead end. Rogue, however, was much more observant. He may have picked up on something unusual going on, even if he hadn't been told.

Gajeel would see what else he could learn from Rogue before tracking down Minerva.

"So tell me Gajeel," Rogue said seriously, his black hair falling into his eyes, "Why did you really want me to get you a job here?"

Gajeel shifted his gaze away from the beautiful girl and back to his brother.

"Like I said, I needed a job."

"Uh-hu," Rogue nodded skeptically. "Your girl, you didn't mention that she works for Fairy Tail."

Gajeel made no motion of surprise.

"You looked into her?" He asked casually.

"Why wouldn't I?" Rogue said deftly, taking a short sip of his scotch. "I had to look into you anyway- it's part of the hiring process. If she was really your girlfriend, she'd need to get vetted too."

"What's that supposed to mean, 'really' my girlfriend?"

Rogue let out an audible sigh.

"Gajeel, be realistic, there's no way a girl like that would, in her right mind, end up with a guy like you. I figured there had to be something wrong with her, turns out I was sorely mistaken."

"Damn right you were."

"Look, Gajeel," Rogue said, dropping his voice so that he could not be overheard. "If you are up to something, if the two of you are up to something, I don't want anything to do with it. You hear me? I did you a favor, my duty has been served. You're on your own from here out."