"Constant Thrills"
-TheDorkyCelestialFlame
Pairing: Lucy x Gray
Summary: AU. Because Lucy had crushes just for the thrill of it and it seems that she had an epiphany concerning a certain unapproachable, raven haired college student, Gray Fullbuster.
Disclaimer is applied.
Lucy Heartfilia is no stranger to the daily stresses in life. Studies in general already took a huge percentage of it. Just by thinking on the things that should be done are enough for her to have a headache. The cycle usually ends with her being confused in life and questioning her life decisions.
No, she didn't have it bad when you compare her problems to what other people have already gone through but she couldn't just pushed her thoughts away just because others had it worse than her.
The seemingly innocent problem that she knows are mostly common to college students just couldn't be dubbed as something as a normal rant or complain coming from a frustrated, unmotivated pre-med student. It left her crying sometimes, making her confused on how to deal of the things around her and there are just times when she doesn't know even know the reasons behind the feeling of her unexpected helplessness and sadness.
That's one of the reasons why she didn't even want to entertain the thought of love. She couldn't even have a time for herself sometimes, what's more if she adds someone? She's already having a hard time on dividing her time to other aspects in her life and until now, she was not even satisfied. To think of adding another problem would be too much for her.
That's why she mostly settled on mere crushes and plain inspirations.
The first college crush that she had was Jellal Fernandez. One of the smartest in their department and the top reason why she liked him very much. He wasn't the typical smart kid who likes to shove that particular fact on other people's faces just to be superior. He's just like a normal, handsome college student who devotes his time on the things he love. He's the artsy kind, exactly Lucy's type. With a passion for painting, art, music and being one of the famous guys on the university, it was not exactly hard to guess why Lucy Heartfilia adored him very much.
Her second college crush was Cobra Cubelios. Yes, she also went into that phase of liking bad boys. While Cobra was famous for being one of the 'shady' guys but he had an amazing dark sense of humor and to add the cherry on top, the smartest guy in terms of Chemistry and Toxicology.
Lucy Heartfilia had a lot of crushes after that but she was never bothered by it. Her crushes were mostly the ones she couldn't interact with in daily basis, and probably, that was one of the thrills of having crushes. She actually doesn't want to be acknowledged or something, she prefers on thinking she really admire those people that's actually different from her. Also, someone who's not part of her circle of friends. She couldn't say why that was such an issue for her, developing crushes on her close friends that is, but it's more like it has no thrill on it.
For her, developing crushes are the best when you don't really know the person. She has no intention of pursuing so it was more like a need for her to think she likes someone just for the thrill on it. Occasional giddiness, okay but that's it.
That is also why she's shocked upon having a random epiphany concerning a certain raven-haired boy.
She knew him back when they were block mates during their summer class. Yes, they had classes instead of having their own summer vacations. Their school had mandatory classes for summer so it was more of a trimester feel.
She didn't really noticed him until his friends were jokingly calling his last name when the teacher asked for a class representative. He was shooking his head at that time, flipping off one of his friends as they laughed at their antics.
She didn't know why it was after that, that she began noticing him. She would sometimes look for him but she never really paid mind of it.
And she suddenly noticed the little things about him. Like how he always hang out with his boisterous pink haired friend, Natsu Dragneel. She also noticed how the raven haired had this air of cool confidence in his gait and there's just something on the way he stands. He had this aura around him and upon observing him for a few days, it was not hard to come to a conclusion that Gray Fullbuster doesn't really interact with other people that much unless they were his friends.
He looks so unapproachable that seems so icy and if she hadn't started liking him at that time already, she would have pegged him as a snob and won't probably try to talk to him at all.
She had grabbed the opportunity when they were beside each other during their chemistry laboratory by asking chemistry related questions regarding the results and such and yes, he would answer of course. But that's it.
And that's it since that's only the class that they had close arrangements. So much for grabbing the opportunity, huh.
Between observing and asking him questions during Chemistry, progress weren't made after that. They still don't talk with each other, not even acknowledgements when they pass each other in hallways and corridors.
And the summer class was nearing to an end but still there was nothing.
And sure it did end with no progress for even a friendship.
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Finally, Lucy Heartfilia had survived her first year in college. She also wasn't looking forward in becoming a second year student. Of course, that's satisfying and nice but she's not looking forward to studying and to even harder subjects. Although, she actually love her dream and liked doing something that includes her brain and hands but she's more on the confused stage as of now.
Studying isn't just for her at the moment. She likes taking examinations but the thought of more studying that requires great concentration mostly left a bitter taste in her mouth. She's still trying to understand herself better because it's been a struggle for her to only concentrate in one thing. Her thoughts were contradictions itself and she doesn't even want to think about it.
It came out as a shock when she found out that Gray Fullbuster belonged to the same block as hers for the second time. It was actually hard to become classmates a second time due to the sheer number of blocks and students enrolled in their department.
It even came as strange when he became part of their group during their Anatomy class. The class was divided into four groups with their own respective tables. Lucy wasn't even flabbergasted when Natsu Dragneel became a part of their group.
She didn't expect that something more could happen but it did.
She couldn't remember when and why it happened but she and Natsu Dragneel became close to the point where their conversations would range from random and weird thoughts to deep things and shit like realizations and advices about life.
She didn't even know that the loud pink haired boy could hold conversations with a different depth contrary to his appearance.
That was then that she would make a way for Gray not to feel excluded of their talk. At first, it was actually hard considering he was mostly serious even after Lucy would attempt to make a joke for the sake of lessening the tension.
Unfortunately, cracking a joke wasn't effective at that time.
He was still giving off that air that said, "Don't approach me. I still don't like you."
Well, Lucy didn't really stopped on including him on their conversations despite his never ending still stoic attitude.
Lucy Heartfilia didn't even noticed because she was too busy admiring on someone else.
Rogue Cheney was the silent, aloof and the total package and the walking definition of tall, dark and handsome. The way he keeps things by himself was adorable in Lucy's eyes and not to mention, the obvious similarity between him and Gray.
Heck, even their choices of friends are similar.
Rogue had this humble confidence in his aura and one thing Lucy greatly admires about him is the way he wasn't ashamed on showing his sensitive side. Or maybe, she was the only one to notice since Rogue seems like another Gray.
Or maybe that was just the writer in Lucy speaking since he's always seen reading a book when there's spare time and for Lucy, anyone who reads a classic romance novel are sensitive and open-minded enough. Books are a good judge of character, after all.
Anyway, she hadn't even noticed the slowly changing attitude of Gray Fullbuster towards her but the time that she noticed, she became appreciative and couldn't helped but feel warmth fluttering in her chest.
Gray Fullbuster would sometimes bother her with his constant, "Pssst."
And most of the times were jokes directed at her regarding her short height. She's actually normal, Gray's just taller.
He became a touchy guy and Lucy can't help but feel flattered that he finally opened up. Not anyone could bring out that side of Gray's, aside from his friends and it just makes Lucy feel overwhelmed to think that she became a part of his group of friends that he could act silly sometimes.
The way he is as a person isn't the one to be the expressive type in terms of expressing emotions. That's more like for Natsu Dragneel. Gray isn't the one to be giving random affections just because he feels like it.
He seems to be really in great control with himself and his emotions.
That's why mostly in their Anatomy Laboratory class, when they are beside each other, and when he would begin questioning her for the exams as a review for both of them, she couldn't stopped feeling so damn happy that someone who's actually hard to approached, had started to feel comfortable to her enough that he would initiate in talking sometimes.
Their friendship became like that and when Lucy would ask something from Gray. He wasn't really the one to give it right away. Or maybe Lucy just didn't noticed because when Gray would give something, he wouldn't nod at you or say that it's okay. It's more like he would just wait for you to interpret something that you don't need to ask because of course, he'll give it to you.
And Lucy Heartfilia noticed how actions are Gray's forte. He wasn't the one to vocalize things or maybe, he's not just the one to show normal affections?
Sometimes, Lucy would think that maybe Gray is uncomfortable of receiving normal affections between friends or something just because he doesn't know how to deal with it in return.
But the thought of him showing affections through actions and her being one of the few people of the receiving end of it was satisfying enough that Lucy Heartfilia became shocked at the random thought that crossed her mind.
More like a sudden epiphany, that she still liked Gray very much.
A/N. It's already 3 something in the morning and I just decided to upload this right away. This story isn't filled with romantic fluff or anything. I know there's a lacking verbatim in this story but I prefer it to be this way. You know, just thoughts. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!
I am hoping to post a last chapter for this story. A two-shots for a better usage of word. Let me hear it if one-shot should be the best option or the opposite.
Sorry for the redundancy and grammatical errors.
P.S. This is actually inspired by what I am feeling right now so yah, the guy who was portrayed as Gray, very much exists.