Putting Theory to Practice
Part One

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. If I did own Fairy Tail
this wouldn't be fanfiction; it would be the word of God
(If you read TV Tropes you hopefully got that attempt at joke.)

P A R T . O N E

I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity
Who uses a machete to cut through red tape
With fingernails that shine like justice
And a voice that is dark like tinted glass
Short Skirt/Long Jacket (Cake)

"When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice."
~ Marquis De Lagrange

She was beautiful, and she knew it. She didn't have self-confidence issues to hold her back, and on the flip side, she wasn't really conceited either. She was just a beautiful girl who was talented enough, and was more or less, in love with her teammate. She had already rationalized it all out; she'd rationalized it all out the first time he had opened up the cage of butterflies in her stomach that until that point she hadn't even realized was there. As an avid reader she had immediately recognized the sensation that poets waxed lyrically about and novelists made fortunes off of duplicating on paper: she was falling in love.

The only problem was that what looks good in literature rarely turns out the same way in reality.

In romantic theory, he should also be falling head over heels for her, and any day now he would wrap her up in his arms, and hold her there forever, happily ever after. In theory he was always watching her when her back was turned, and thinking about her when she was away. In theory all of his friends were pushing him to just man up and tell her how he felt, and in theory, he would do just that. In theory, her fate was entwined with his, and nothing could change that. Love conquers all, and all of that happy jazz.

In reality, Gray was thinking about Erza, and having messy one night stands with Juvia. In reality, Gray thought of her as friend, and someone whose apartment was convenient to break into when he needed to get away. In reality, he was spilling his guts to her about all these other girls who occupied his thoughts while he remained blissfully unaware of the girl standing right in front of him that craved to be a part of his world. In reality, she was falling, and Gray was too busy with everyone else to notice, let alone catch her.

It was sad, but it was true. Lucy had long since accepted that, no matter what her precious books said, Gray just wasn't going to suddenly turn into her knight in shining armor. He was hopeless. Her knight was lost in Juvia's cleavage and Erza's very presence. Lucy was confident in herself, but even she believed this fight was lost.

The only person who seemed to have any hope in her ability to capture Gray's heart was Mirajane, and Lucy was ninety percent positive that Mirajane was only trying to be nice when she told Lucy that those who never try never win.

"It's hopeless." The blond lamented. "He doesn't think of me as anymore than a friend."

"A lot of great relationships are built off friendships. Look at Natsu and Lisanna for example." Mirajane pointed out as she swiped down the counter. Lucy watched the other woman work as she chewed over this tidbit. It was another one of those things that only sounded good in theory, and rarely worked in practice. Lucy sighed, blowing a fringe of blond bangs out of her eyes.

"If only it was that easy. I'm always here for him, and I've been dropping hints about my feelings like crazy; but, it's all 'Erza this, and Juvia that'. I'm gonna be sick if I hear him mention either of them one more time."

"In case you didn't notice, Gray can be a little dense sometimes. Maybe you should stop cutting corners, and just talk to him straight."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "Talk to him straight? Do you want me to die from embarrassment?" She exclaimed.

"You talk to him about all kinds of things all the time, and that doesn't kill you." Mirajane pointed out as she poured a dark amber liquid into a glass, and slid the drink down the bar to the waiting hand of a fair haired man.

"That's not the same! I can't just confess to being in love with my teammate. What about our professional relationship?" Lucy hissed the last part quietly enough that any listening ears wouldn't overhear her secret.

Mirajane giggled. "You're so silly, Luce." Mira shook her head. "I have a lot of work to do, but whenever you come to your senses you know where to find me." Mirajane called back over her shoulder as she walked away toward a group of eagerly awaiting middle age mages.

Lucy rested her head against the pocked surface of the bar. No one seemed to understand her situation. Gray wasn't just any guy. He was her teammate, her close friend, and one of the first people she came to know at Fairy Tail. He was important to her in so many ways, and she couldn't risk ruining that by spilling her feelings. Especially not when he was clearly preoccupied with other girls.

It was sad, but it was a fact. Cold, hard hearted reality.

Still sulking she sipped her drink. The ice had done melted, and turned the amber liquid much lighter and the taste much duller. It slipped down her throat with hardly any burn at all, and Lucy downed the glass as if she'd been drinking for years rather than weeks. She wasn't drunk yet by any means, but as the fourth glass of alcohol coursed through her system, she felt the familiar sense of vertigo sweep over her.

Anything is better than feeling sorry for myself. I keep insisting I can give him up, and yet, here I am drinking to the idea of his rejection. Lucy thought bitterly. If I'm lucky he's just hanging out with Natsu right now, but more than likely, he's with one his potential girlfriends. What makes them so fucking special? A picture of Erza and Juvia swam through Lucy's mind, and she immediately wanted to take her hateful thoughts back. She liked Gray, but Erza and Juvia were both friends of hers, and it was wrong to think about them like that over a guy. Chicks before dicks.

Feeling, if possible, worse than before, Lucy pushed her seat back away from the bar, and stood up to stretch out her muscles. The eerie orange-red glow of sunset cast light over the near empty main floor. Her eyes scanned over the remaining stranglers, but she didn't see anyone she knew. The two window seats were taken by a pair of young girls who were both frowning and nursing drinks; a table near the far wall was occupied by a young man with mint colored hair who appeared to be working on a report; a handful of middle aged mages were seated in a loose circle at the center of the room trading fight stories, and drinking stiff drinks. This wasn't her usual crowd by any means.

She glanced at the clock up on the wall and started with a gasp. It was nearly seven o'clock. All of her usual friends would have set out for home hours ago. For a moment she was shocked that she had let time get away from her so easily. She wouldn't even have time to write tonight before bed. A groan slipped past her lips as she tugged her bag up higher on her shoulder. If she left now she might have time to finish editing a few chapters if nothing else.

With the bloated, melting sun as her guide Lucy made her way across the scuffed wooden floor to the exit. Outside the streets were bathed in the strange evening light, and long shadows stretched out into the streets like the fingers of an unseen monster crawling out to wrap around the ankles of weary passerby. She wasn't a nervous girl or an easily frightened girl, and she trekked out into the bloody light of the sunset without a second thought. With ballerina like grace she leapt from the street to the short wall that hung against the curling path of the river as she did every night, and started toward her apartment.

Unlike most nights she didn't call upon her friendly stellar spirit, Plue's companionship. This evening her thoughts were far more interesting than anything Plue would have to say anyways, and asking his opinions on the matters that haunted her mind would be pointless. As a minor stellar spirit, Plue, had very little knowledge of the ways of humans, and rarely understood the complicated, emotional relationships that Lucy attempted to describe to him. So it was just her, and her own thoughts.

I need to get over Gray. She told herself for the nth time. Chasing after him is pointless and time consuming and just idiotic. She thought harshly as she kicked a pebble out of her way, and sent the tiny rock skidding into the river below.

Obviously, he has other girls to kill time with, and why would he like me anyways? I'm beautiful, sure, but Juvia and Erza aren't ugly either. Ugh! This is such a waste of my time and energy. Natsu has Lisanna, Gray has his damn harem, and what do I have? Nothing. Everyone on Team Natsu wins! Except for Lucy. Always except for Lucy. Damn. Lucy glared at the ground, and cursed out loud. She'd resolved not to let this get to her anymore, but the subject had a way of popping up in her thoughts like a virus.

Luckily she didn't have to dwell on it any farther for she stood out front of her apartment feeling(only slightly disoriented because she couldn't remember when she'd arrived from Point A to Point B) tired enough to walk right in, fall down on her cotton sheets, and not wake back up until the next decade. She inserted her key into the old lock, twisted it until she heard a faint click, and pushed open her door. She walked inside, and closed the door behind her with more force than was necessary.

Inside everything was dark. She'd left the lights off when she'd left for Fairy Tail that morning still planning to be back before the sun even set, and now she had to grope her way through the darkness, feeling along the wall for the bump of a light switch. Carefully edging her way through the darkness so not to trip over anything Lucy walked toward the kitchen doorframe where she knew the light switch was. After a moment she found what she was looking for. She flipped the switch, and bright, white light flooded over the room right before Lucy screamed.

"Why the hell are you in my home!" The blond screeched in surprise, throwing her hand up against her chest melodramatically. Her hazel eyes were pinned on the dark haired boy lounging on her couch.

The man who had consumed her thoughts for the entire duration of the day was sprawled out across her couch as if he owned the place. His perfect body was clad only in boxers, and the look on his face clearly expressed that he didn't understand what she was so upset about. Lucy could've screamed bloody murder, and then committed bloody murder under the circumstances. Here she was trying to get over him so he could live his life without her interference, and here he was breaking into her home half naked. Fate was just being fucking cruel.

"Sleeping." He said, drawling the word out into a long yawn. He stretched his arms up over his head displaying the bands of taunt muscle without concern for Lucy's rapidly climbing blood pressure.

"Don't you have your own place to do that at?"

"Yea, but I mean what's the big deal? Natsu's over here all the time, and you can't honestly say you like that idiot hot-head's company better than mine."

"What? This has nothing to do with Natsu, Gray! You can't just break into my house, and sleep on my couch whenever you want." Lucy huffed angrily.

"I was sleepy, and your house was closer than mine. I fail to see what you're so upset about."

Lucy's eyebrow twitched, and she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to keep from royally telling the ice alchemist off. See, Mirajane, he only thinks of me when he wants a place to crash. No hidden feelings of passionate love here, folks. The thought was a lot more bitter than it should have been considering that she was supposedly over her obsession with Gray, and she was supposedly now moving on with her affections to more willing targets.

"I don't see why it has to be my house. I'm sure Erza would happily let you crash on her couch, and Juvia would probably kill herself to have you sleep over." She tartly snapped. Despite her best efforts to keep the venom out of her tone her words were clearly laced with it.

Gray's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he seemed to really appraise her for once. Lucy fidgeted uncomfortably beneath the ice user's gaze, and after a moment, he finally diverted his eyes to the ceiling. An uncharacteristic frown graced his features.

"I guess it's true then." He mumbled more to himself than anything, but Lucy overheard him anyways. Her heart promptly skipped a beat in her chest as she debated what he could possibly mean.

"What's true?" She hedged uneasily. Mirajane, if you told him I'll die of embarrassment, and it'll be your fault. How would you like murder on your conscience?

"I overheard you talking to Mirajane. I hate to tell you, but you suck at whispering, Luce." Gray said. Color flooded Lucy's cheeks, and it took a lot of effort to keep her emotions in check.

On one hand, the fact that Gray knew was a relief. Now everything was out on the table between them for better or for worse. On the other hand, if he rejected her she would be crushed, and working on the same team as him would be nearly impossible. She respected him as a mage and as a teammate, and despite her other feelings, she didn't want things to change between them.

"Oh, you heard that." She whispered dejectedly. "Gray, I . . . I don't want things to change between us. I hope you can just forget you ever heard anything. An. . . I promise I'm trying to get over you, and it won't affect our professional relationship." Lucy wouldn't, couldn't meet his eyes so she spoke her confession to the floor boards. From the way she was intently analyzing them you would've thought her floor boards were the most interesting things in the world.

"You don't want things to change?" Gray asked. She could practically hear him smirking. Anger pulsed hot through her veins, and she balled her hands into fists. Was he really mocking her at a time like this? When what was being said clearly mattered so much to her?

"No. I still want us to be teammates, and if possible, close friends."

"So . . . you don't want to go out with me this weekend?" The ice mage asked with a hint of amusement coloring his otherwise serious tone. Lucy's eyes snapped up from the floor to look at Gray, searching for any tell-tale signs that he was playing with her. Gray was still laid back across her couch like an over grown cat with his pale lips quirked up on one side in a smirk, but it was the eyes that gave him away. On the surface his dark irises looked playfully serious, but underneath there was something different... a strange, foreign glint that Lucy had never seen him direct at her before. She swallowed hard.

"Like on a date?"

"No, like on a friendly romantic picnic with the whole damn gang." He deadpanned.

She shot draggers at the handsome boy. "If Natsu's going then I'm out. I wouldn't want to interrupt you two's romantic evening." Lucy shot back, the words absolutely dripping with sarcasm. Gray rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Damn, if Plan A is out then I guess I'll just have to try Plan B." Gray moved from the couch, and quickly crossed the room to stand in front of her. Lucy's breath caught in her throat as he closed the distance between them until he was standing nearly flush against her quivering form. Gray had never been this close to her before. She could feel his cool breath, and smell his minty, somehow masculine fragrance.

"Lucy, would you please go out on a date with me this Friday?" Gray asked with shocking sincerity as he wrapped his hands around hers, and gently pulled her closer until she could feel the definition of her muscles pressing hard into her softer form. His angles fitting perfectly against her curves.

Momentarily, Lucy forgot her vocabulary entirely. Well, this was unexpected. She hazily thought. "Friday? Uh. . . Yea, Friday, sure." She replied. Gray smiled, and let her hands drop. The proximity disappeared as quickly as it had come, and he was once again across the room from her.

"I'll see you Friday, Luce." Gray said as he turned her doorknob and made to leave.

"When? What time?" She called frantically as he stepped out into the chilly night air.

"6 o'clock. Wear something nice and warm." He replied as he disappeared from sight. "Night, Luce." Was the last thing she heard from him before her door swung shut with a loud bang.

She stood dazed for a good five minutes, just staring at her door as if she'd never seen the slab of wood before. Then slowly her thoughts picked up their processing speed, and Lucy nearly fainted. Gray had asked her out. She had a date with Gray this weekend. She had a date with Gray Fullbuster this Friday!

"I am so good!" Lucy shouted happily to no one in particular as she wandered back toward her bedroom, and fell down onto her sheets with a contented little sigh.

Gray rounded the corner of Main Street, and headed toward the squat, ratty apartment complex that leaned slightly to the left. Outside lines of half-dried laundry swayed in the evening breeze, and a rusted swingset creaked with each gust. He made his way across the dying lawn with purpose he rarely possessed, and pushed open the front door of the decrepit building.

The inside wasn't much better than the outside. A peeling, floral print wallpaper was pasted over the dirty lobby walls, and the stairwell leading up to the apartments themselves was littered with empty coke cans and a child's toys. He hardly took notice of the mess; after, coming here for so long he'd become immune to the disarray. He rushed up the stairs, past firmly shut doors with crooked golden number decals, and finally arrived at his destination. Room 27, a plain little place with take-out boxes piled in a clumsy stack beside the doorframe.

He went inside without knocking—he never knocked, and usually didn't even bother with doors if a window was around. Once inside the place you could tell it was undoubtedly a bachelor pad. The odd moldy plate or rumpled article of clothing was strewn across or piled on all flat surfaces, the carpet was stained with what looked like dark wine, and the owner of the place was drooling in his sleep on the couch.

"Wake up, flame bastard!" Gray shouted, lifting his foot to kick the pink haired mage in the side. Natsu rolled over with a groan, and sleepily blinked.

"You dick, I'm tryin' to sleep." Natsu mumbled almost incoherently.

"I just talked to Luce." Gray informed his friend as he made his way into the kitchen to pour himself a drink. He always just made himself at home at Natsu's place because the fire mage always made a point of returning the favor later. A bottle of amber alcohol was already opened on the kitchen island, and Gray made two glasses. One neat for Natsu, and one on the rocks for himself.

"Ugh." Natsu half-groaned, half-yawned. "Do you need another fuck buddy?"

"What makes you think I'm trying to turn her into a fuck buddy?" Gray asked as he returned to the sitting room, and handed Natsu a glass. He plopped down on the couch, and gulped down a quarter of his own drink just to get the liquor flowing in his system.

"Isn't that what you're always trying to do? You are a cold-hearted asshole after all."

"Maybe it's legit this time, Sakura head."

"Do you plan on hooking up with Juvia tomorrow when she gets back?"

"Uh, probably."

"Oh yea, it's soo legit." Natsu drawled sarcastically. The fire mage sipped at his glass, and in his half-asleep state he didn't notice the grimace that momentarily bloomed across Gray's normally confident features.

I don't need this right now. Gray thought slightly annoyed. I asked her out with only good intentions. She likes me, and I was just giving her a fair shot. What would Natsu know about that anyways. The little fucker is just trying to get under my skin. Gray thought as he tossed his long time best friend a glare. When Natsu insisted on being all noble and nosey Gray wished he didn't know the damn dragon slayer.

"I mean it, Natsu. I don't have any ulterior motives this time. I'm just taking a hot girl on a nice date. Nothing more and nothing less." Gray said a bit defensively.

"Gray, don't fuck this up. Lucy is our teammate, our nakama, and if you hurt her I'll hurt you." Natsu proclaimed fiercely. Gray quickly nodded, affirming he understood and accepted the conditions.

"I won't fuck this one up." He promised. Natsu gave him a long look then lifted his half-empty glass up into the air.

"To Lucy and Gray, for better if Gray likes life."

"To Lucy and Gray." The ice mage conceded. He lifted his glass to clank against Natsu's than quickly downed every single drop of the amber liquid wondering just what the hell he had gotten himself into. This better be worth it, the ice alchemist thought moodily.

"Oh, and you better forget about your little thing with Juvia for now."

"What..." Gray began, but once he noticed the flames beginning to quickly lick up around the tips of Natsu's fingers he held up his hands in defeat.

"I meant what I said, Gray."

"Okay, okay. No Juvia. I got it." Gray pouted.

Natsu smirked satisfied with Gray's answer, and dropped his empty glass into the ice user's lap. "Oh, and I need another drink, buddy." He said with a wicked grin.

"Go to hell." Gray shot back. He deposited Natsu's empty glass on the floor, and went to get himself, only himself, another drink.

Author's Note: I'm thinking this should be finished in two chapters with an outlying chance for the need of a third chapter to wrap things up. Anyways, I'm working on writing out the next part, and positive feedback is a good way to encourage me to write even faster e.g. reviews jammed pack with polite critical feedback. I appreciate all reviews, and I read every single one.

Also, this is the first time I have ever written Fairy Tail fanfiction. I've only read about half the Phantom Lord Arc so far which means a few facts may be off. I did take the liberty of characterizing them a little differently than most around here do it seems, but this is how I perceive the characters and think they would act in these situations.

Oh, and thanks for reading. You're all freaking awesome. =)