Hey. So this is going to be a bit darker than my usual stuff.

This will be the only warning I give, because I don't want to give away any action that may happen in chapters.

So I will put it in all caps here, and in the story description.

********TRIGGER WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING: SEXUAL/MENTAL/PHYSICAL ABUSE. DRUG USE/ABUSE. DEPRESSION AND SELF DEPRICATING THOUGHTS/POSSIBLE SELF HARM********

A lot of this will be loosely based off of personal experience, and a lot will be from Gray's point of view. I think that typing out all of the emotions would be too emotionally draining for me, so I hope you understand.

Also, if you are a sufferer/survivor of rape, abuse, depression, and self-harm I just want you to know that you are not alone. You are not worthless, dirty, used, broken, or tainted.

There is nothing "wrong with you."

You are beautiful.

Just thought you should know.

Gray sighed to himself as his eyes scanned the guild hall. It was as rowdy as ever. Nothing had really changed.

Well ok, that was a lie. Plenty of things had changed. Most of it for the better. Elfman and Evergreen were expecting a little bundle of joy. It was actually quite amusing. Their happy little "oops" had outed their "secret" relationship in front of everyone. A certain Lightning Dragon Slayer had all but shouted it from across the guild the second Evergreen walked through the doors looking slightly disheveled and a little green. Unfortunately, that was also how Elfman found out he was going to be a father. The man had gone into complete shock for a total of three hours, but once he'd snapped out of it, he'd gathered the Fairy mage in his arms and cried tears of joy.

As one could imagine, Mira was beyond thrilled. Most of the guild avoided her for the rest of the night.

That was six months ago, and the catalyst for couples springing up everywhere. Lisanna and Natsu. Gajeel and Levy. Laxus and Cana. Bickslow and (shockingly) Juvia. Erza and Jellal. Kinana and Cobra. Freed and Mira.

And then there was Lucy, the person he was looking for within the guild with no luck. As usual.

It was almost a year since that day. She'd come bursting through the guild doors after a solo mission, a little battered and bruised, but smiling radiantly. And behind her was a man, hand holding hers, that he'd never seen before. He was a bit shorter than himself, with tan skin, dark brown hair, and bright blue eyes.

Fucking Quin Ponderosa.

They'd apparently met on her way home when the train was ambushed by a group of bandits. He was a Nullification mage, and he could cancel out anyone's magic as long as he could touch their skin. Together, they had taken out the entire group with relative ease and by the end of it she'd agreed to dinner with him.

And unfortunately, to take him to the guild so he could join.

Everyone loved him. Quin was witty, charming, smart, and all around the perfect guy for everyone's beloved Celestial mage.

But Gray couldn't help but despise him. Most of it might've been because of the feelings he'd harbored for the petite blonde since that first day. Since he'd jokingly asked her for her underwear, fully expecting her to get timid and flustered. Instead, he got a full on Lucy-Kick to the face, and he'd been smitten ever since.

The other part of him hated the guy, because he could see what the others failed to. The way she'd come in to the guild less and less, and only when he was with her. The way she'd stopped going on jobs with the team, instead only going with him. The way she'd rarely spend time with any of her friends. The way she started wearing less revealing clothing. The fact that she'd reluctantly confided to him how often they'd fight at home, since the asshole had moved in with her right away instead of finding his own place. How over the last year, the light in her eyes had dimmed. Her smiles were forced. She was thinner. Pale.

And he hated it. Mavis, he hated it so much. Lucy Heartfilia was a ray of fucking sunshine, and now her light was being smothered out.

So now he was waiting for her. Because Gray Fullbuster was done watching it all happen from the sidelines. The second he saw her, he was going to speak with her privately and ask what the hell was going on. He would save her from the bullshit. He owed her that much.

}{}{}{

He shouldn't have been surprised when she never came.

Gray had waited until Mira kicked him out a bit after midnight, then reluctantly walked home. His house was small, only two bedrooms, a living room, a small kitchen/dining room, and one bathroom. But it was perfect for just him. He was rarely ever home. Always at the guild, or on jobs. Even when he was, he'd always find himself sitting out on the front porch swing, just watching the stars. Which was where he was at that moment. The sky was clear, and the stars were sparkling. Mavis, he loved the stars. He'd resigned himself to always just being the best friend/brother-like figure, but looking up at the heavens, he could pretend. Pretend that he had a chance. That she saw him as more.

He sighed, leaning back and pushing off the ground a bit so he'd swing for a while.

His head tilted back and his eyes slid shut. If Gray could wish for anything, right now he'd wish for Quin gone, and Lucy as happy as always. That's all he really wanted. He hadn't seen her in almost a week. No one had. When Natsu went to go check on her, Quin had answered saying she had caught the flu, but he was taking good care of her. Apparently that was all it took to placate the guild's concern, but not his.

He just knew. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.

"Gray?" A raspy, very familiar, voice had him sitting up so fast it made his head spin.

But he ignored it, eyes settling on the shadowed form of the woman he adored.

"Luce? Where the hell have you been?" He asked, leaping off the swing and taking long strides to her, only to stop abruptly when she took quick steps back.

"Lucy?" Gray whispered, brows furrowing in concern. "What's wrong?"

He couldn't see her face, as it was too dark and the hood of her sweatshirt shadowed it further, but he could make out the way fine tremors were shaking her small frame.

"G-Gray, I…" She sniffled, before launching herself at him.

His eyes widened at the sound of her sobs, and his arms coiled around her tightly, protectively. Seeing as she wasn't calming down any time soon, he gently scooped her up and carried her into his living room.

Awhile later, after she'd cried herself to sleep in his arms, Gray picked her up again and carried her to his room, setting her gently on his bed.

He slipped off her knee-high boots, setting them by the closet, and unzipped her thick black hooded sweatshirt knowing she'd wake up too hot in the middle of the night.

Once he's managed to somehow slip her arms out, he pulled the hood out from under her head…but froze in his tracks.

There, marring her porcelain face, were ugly purple bruises. One eye looked to be swollen shut, the bruise on her cheekbone was so dark, he feared it may be broken, and both lips were split painfully.

Numbly, he looked at her now bear arms, feeling rage consume him at the sight of large fingerprint markings along her wrists and biceps.

The temperature in the room dropped dramatically, frosting the windows, and ice coated his hands.

Someone was going to fucking pay.