Something a little bit different for you guys. It's not part of Mazeverse.
It's a good deal darker and heavier than my usual, so I'm interested to hear what you think. - K. Chandler
Roses.
Gray had always gotten her roses. For Valentine's. For her birthday. For their anniversary.
It was a trite, little cliché, but he always said that they reminded him of her hair.
Erza let out a shuddering sigh. She brushed the wilting blossoms of her lifeless flowers with her thumb, the petals coming loose between her fingers.
She'd never forget that day. The day she found out.
It was supposed to be a day of happiness. They should have been celebrating, toasting each other and their future together.
But instead, that night found her sitting alone at the kitchen table, waiting up for someone who would never come.
Petals scattered across the table, edges brown and brittle. What remained of her limp bouquet fell apart like the shreds of her tattered life.
Erza watched as the petals fell, wondering why things had ended up this way.
The news had been a dizzying shock that drove the air from her lungs. It hadn't even felt real. It just couldn't be possible.
But she'd never forget making her way to the guild with dragging steps the next morning. Chatter fell into hushed whispers when she opened the door.
"Did you hear?"
"…Gray and Juvia…"
"…couldn't believe it… found them together…"
"…both of them… that's awful…"
"… Erza… poor dear… must be heartbroken."
Bile rose bitter in the back of her throat.
"I'm sorry," Mira had said, wrapping her arms around Erza's stiff form. "I can't imagine what you're going through, but if there's anything we can do to help…" she offered.
Reality hit her.
This was real. Gray wasn't coming back.
Erza let out a dry sob, falling to her knees as her resolve finally crumbled.
The days passed in a hazy blur as Erza went through the motions. She tried to go about her days as she always had.
But she couldn't. What was the point? She didn't know if there was one anymore.
It was like everything was grey. Grey, grey, Gray. Everywhere she turned, everything was Gray.
She remembered the day he left. The last time she saw him.
Erza woke to the rustle of fabric.
Through bleary eyes, she watched Gray cross the room, silent as a shadow. He tugged his shirt back on, doing up the buttons with nimble fingers.
"Are you leaving?" she croaked. She had been feeling sick and miserable, fighting off the last of a bad cold.
He actually grimaced, dark eyes flashing with guilt.
"Just give me a second to get dressed," she said. Erza pushed herself up, her aching muscles protesting movement. "Then I can fix you something to eat before you leave."
"Don't worry about it," he said, his tone clipped and dismissive.
"At least let me see you off."
"Erza. Stop. I don't need you to making me breakfast or seeing me off."
"Gray? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice small.
When he left that day, he hadn't even said goodbye.
She waited for him to come back. All night, she waited.
But he never did.
Hot fury bubbled in her gut. How dare he leave her like this? And Juvia! If it wasn't for her, Gray would never have left.
But she couldn't bring herself to blame Juvia. Deep down, Erza knew that it wasn't her fault. She couldn't bring herself to hate Gray either.
She couldn't feel that way.
She couldn't feel at all.
Deep down, she was cold. Empty. Numb. She felt like a mushy jack-o'-lantern with its insides scooped out, tossed aside like last week's garbage.
The days that came after were hard. But remembering the times before—that was even harder. Especially when everything was grey, grey, Gray.
Weariness pooled deep in Erza's bones. Finally, she was headed home. After two weeks away, she was excited to be going home. She couldn't wait to sleep in a real bed again, fresh clothes would be nice, and a home-cooked meal (courtesy of Mirajane) would be heaven!
Recovering the missing goblet on her own had been difficult enough without having to deal with that band of brigands on the way back. They had nearly made her miss the last train back to Magnolia. Of course, that would have been completely unacceptable.
Wendy had just made S-Class, and she was scheduled to leave on her first mission tomorrow. In line with guild tradition, she had asked two other S-Class mages to accompany her, and she had chosen Natsu and Gray. Erza was glad she'd be back in time to see them off. She wanted to wish them luck and remind the boys not to fight.
But that was only part of her rush to be home. If she was honest with herself, she just really just missed Gray. It had been two, long weeks since she had been home. Even though helping Wendy with her quest wouldn't take him long, Erza didn't feel like waiting to hear the sound of Gray's voice again. She was getting a fluttery ache in her chest at the mere thought.
It was two in the morning when the train finally pulled into Magnolia Station. Erza stifled a groan, letting her aching back pop as she stretched. With her bags slung over her shoulder and her trunk behind her, she stepped onto the platform.
Erza took a careful look around. It was dark and Magnolia was quiet. A sleepy silence had descended over the town at this late hour.
Arms slipped around her from behind. Erza jolted, heart leaping into her throat. She was about to draw her blade against her attacker when she recognized the familiar scent of his cologne.
"Erza," he breathed, burying his face in her hair.
"Gray?!" Her panic dissolved into a much softer emotion, though her heart still drummed against her breastbone.
He loosened his grip just enough for her to turn and face him. She could tell he was trying not to smile. Adrenaline surged as he rested his forehead against hers, their noses almost touching.
"Hi. Welcome home, Erza," he murmured. She could feel his breath, warm on her cheek.
Swallowing the lump that rose in her throat, she hugged him fiercely. She drew him closer, letting her arms snake around his waist. "I missed you," she sighed. "What are you doing out at this hour? Don't you have to be up early tomorrow?"
Gray untangled himself from Erza and relieved her of her luggage.
"Yeah, but we don't leave until five, and knowing Natsu that actually means six-thirty," said Gray. "I've got a couple more hours. Figured I'd walk you home," he said.
"How did you even know I'd be on that train?" asked Erza, remembering that she had nearly missed it. He couldn't have known she was coming back.
"Hm?" He blinked blearily before shaking his head as if to clear it. "Lucky guess," said Gray. "You said you were coming back today and it was the only one left."
Erza frowned. "You mean you were waiting this whole time?"
"I'll always wait for you, Erza. You know that," Gray mumbled. His expression was soft when he ventured a glance at her, his cheeks flushed. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So… I'm guessing it went well?" he asked.
"The Goblet of Javas is back in the Crocus Museum of Antiquities, where it belongs," reported Erza.
"Good to hear."
"What's new in the guild?"
"Let's see," said Gray. "Natsu caught the wine cellar on fire. Cana's about to kill him. Gajeel and Levy broke it off. Again. Fifty jewels says they'll be back together before the end of the week. And Mira's planning another party for… I don't actually remember what."
"So, the same as always."
"Pretty much," said Gray, smothering a yawn. "…Sorry."
"Tired?"
"I'll just sleep on the train tomorrow," he shrugged. "Let Wendy deal with the Flame Brain and his issues."
"You didn't have to walk me," she said. "I would have gotten home okay."
"I don't doubt that. But I still wanted to. It's been two weeks since I've seen you, Erza. I wasn't about to not come get you."
Erza understood the sentiment. After all, hadn't she been feeling the same way? Despite that, she wasn't about to let her reckless boyfriend off the hook that easily.
"It's just three more days," said Erza, trying to be reasonable. Not being well-rested on a job could be dangerous.
Gray snorted. "You give me too much credit. D'you really think I'd survive three more days without hearing your voice?"
She couldn't stop thinking about how they used to be. About something that would never be hers again.
It made her throat close up so much it was hard to breathe.
Days became weeks, and weeks grew into months. Things at the guild started to go back to normal. It was like it never happened. No one mentioned Gray. No one spoke of Juvia. It was like everyone forgot they had ever existed.
But Erza wouldn't forget. Gray, Gray, Gray. Everything, everything was Gray.
They were curled together on the sofa in his living room. Gray tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer against his bare chest.
"So, what do you think?" he asked, his chest rumbling as he spoke.
"About what?" she asked.
"This."
One of his hands interlaced with hers, his thumb brushing the wedding band he'd slipped on her finger earlier that day.
Erza shrugged. "I suppose it's nice."
He pulled away with a scowl. "Erza! That's all you can say?!" He gave a disbelieving shake of his head.
Erza laughed, snuggling closer against him. "It just seems so official. Married..."
"Well, that's about as official as it gets. Unless you want to wait for Sorcerer Weekly to announce it?"
"Maybe," she seriously.
"Maybe?!" choked Gray.
Gray rolled his eyes when Erza smothered a laugh, pressing a playful kiss to his cheek. She pulled away before he could kiss her back.
He groaned. "You are a cruel, cruel woman, Erza Scarlet."
"Erza Fullbuster," she corrected.
Gray chuckled. "You know, I don't know if I'll ever get used to that."
"Get used to it," she said. "I'm not going anywhere. You did just help me move in."
Gray snorted. "You'd already be moved in if you weren't so old-fashioned," Gray reminded her.
If Gray had gotten his way, they would have been living together for the past two years. But she had ignored his hints until he asked her outright. Then she had flat-out rejected the idea.
"I wanted it to be special. Something wrong with that?" she asked.
"I said you were old-fashioned. Didn't say there was anything wrong with it."
"You love me in spite of it," teased Erza.
"No, I love you for it," he said, stealing a kiss from her.
Not to be outdone, she kissed him back harder.
She was panting hard by the time they broke apart.
"So, Gray? Serious question."
"Hm?"
He kissed her again.
"So now that we're official and all, do I get a second drawer in the dresser?"
At first, he blinked at her. Then, a lazy grin pulled at his lips. Gray buried his fingers in her hair, making her shiver as he slowly drew his hand through her scarlet tresses.
"Erza, I will buy you two whole dressers if you want," he said. "Whatever makes you happy…"
Erza hummed uncertainly. "I don't know if two dressers are going to be enough, Gray," she said, her voice dipping low.
"Oh, I forgot. You never go anywhere without half-a-dozen suitcases," he pretended to complain, though his dark eyes sparked with amusement.
"I'll have you know, that's traveling light," said Erza. "No, I think I'll just take over your closet instead," she said, nestling her head into the crook of his neck. "It's half-empty anyways."
His touches were electric as he traced her curves.
"You want to know what I think? I think you just like stealing my t-shirts on 'accident,'" he said, letting his fingers ghost over the sleeve of the one she was wearing. She had commandeered it as sleepwear earlier, claiming that she didn't feel like finding her pajamas.
"They're comfortable," she said defensively. "And it's not like you actually wear them." She wasn't quite sure when Gray had turned the tables and started teasing her instead.
"Oh, don't I?"
Two could play this game, and Erza certainly wasn't about to lose her bid for dominance.
"And just where is your shirt, hm?" she asked, tracing the outline of his guild mark, her finger barely grazing his heated flesh.
But the battle was lost when Gray met her eyes with a wicked, heavy-lidded gaze. "Don't blame that one on me. That was all you."
Erza's face grew impossibly hot as she remembered the way she had pinned down earlier and kissed him like she'd always wanted to. "It most certainly was not," she mumbled, burying her face in Gray's shoulder.
Laughter rumbled through Gray's chest. "Now you want to be shy? Nice!"
With a frustrated groan, Erza slammed the heel of her palm against his sternum. "Oh, be quiet!" she hissed.
He just laughed again, briefly pressing his lips to the top of her head.
But they did stay quiet for a while. Safe in the arms of the man who completed her soul, Erza let her eyes slip shut. She could hear the Gray's even breathing and the slow, steady rhythm of his heart. She wondered if her own was 'beating in time' or whatever the cliché was.
But that rhythm was interrupted when Gray let out a deep, contented sigh.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"How perfect this is," he said absently. "I can't imagine ever wanting anything more."
"I can," said Erza. "…what about a little boy? Or a little girl?"
"You mean a little red-headed terror that's going to try and beat me up?" laughed Gray. "You got me, Erza. I guess that would be perfect."
Erza hummed in agreement, finally daring to say the words that had been on her mind the entire night. "Love you," she whispered. Her heart was so full, she thought it would burst.
"I'll always love you. I always have."
Always, he'd said. But always wasn't always.
The world had morphed a tangled, colorless mess that made Erza's chest ache with loneliness. It was all grey. So grey. So Gray. The places that had been theirs. The secrets that they had shared. Even a song on the radio. Everything was Gray.
And suddenly she'd feel like crying again.
She was sick of the way the others would tip-toe around her. Their hushed voices and pitying eyes. Sometimes they'd act like she wasn't even there.
Sometimes Erza didn't even want to be there.
Eventually, she stopped going to the guild altogether.
Of course, Natsu wouldn't let it go. He invited himself over one afternoon, with Lucy and Wendy in tow. She'd let them in, for old time's sake. And, for a while, she smiled politely and pretended that things were as they used to be. But it only served to remind her of how different things had become.
"You really should come back to the guild," begged Lucy.
"We all miss you," added Wendy.
"I know," mumbled Erza. "I miss you guys too."
Natsu shook his head. "You need to start going out again. Seeing people. Taking jobs."
"I will. When I'm ready," Erza said.
A worried frown pulled at Lucy's lips. "Come on, Erza. Come on a job with us. It'll make you feel better, take your mind off things. I promise."
Erza let out a soft breath. She didn't want to. It just wasn't the same. It would never be the same.
"It's been months," Natsu blurted out. "You can't keep doing this, Erza. Don't you think it's time to move on?"
"Natsu!" scolded Lucy.
Erza pressed her lips together. What did Natsu know about something like this? What did any of them know?
"Look. Sitting here by yourself isn't going to change anything," said Natsu bluntly.
"You should leave now," said Erza.
"It's not going to make it better!" he insisted.
"Let's go. Come on, guys," said Lucy, ushering the others towards the door. "It was good seeing you again, Erza," she offered gently.
"Yeah. You too."
"Erza?" said Wendy softly. "I know you're still upset. But you still have to make sure you're taking care of yourself. If only for…" Wendy trailed off with a shrug.
Erza sighed. "I will."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
The next day, Lyon showed up at her door. It really shouldn't have been a surprise, with the way things were going.
"Hello, Erza," he said. Lyon was grim and subdued, exhaustion shadowing his face. He had none of his usual dramatics or flamboyant clothing. He looked years older than when she had last seen him.
"What do you want?" she asked warily.
"Your team give you the Moving-On speech too?" he asked dryly.
Erza gave a shaky chuckle. Lyon always did have a way of hitting the nail on the head.
"Come on in," she said, waving him to the living room. "Did Natsu send you?"
"Sherry and Chelia," said Lyon, taking a seat on her sofa. "Though I'll bet you can guess how they found out."
"Wendy…" sighed Erza. "I know they mean well, but…" Erza shrugged. "I don't think they understand. I'm not sure anyone understands."
Lyon gave her a long, searching look before he spoke. "Juvia's toothbrush is still next to the sink. I'm not sure why I still keep it around. I know she's not coming back."
Erza gave him a curious look. Perhaps he understood better than she had assumed.
"Every morning, I wake up to an empty bed and sheets that still smell like him…" offered Erza softly.
"I still can't get the lipstick stain off my collar from where she kissed me goodbye that morning," said Lyon.
"Sometimes I forget, but then I remember again."
"I'm still coming across things on my desk. Her shopping lists, her notes, little doodles. She liked to doodle."
"Every week, I swear find another one of his shirts. Behind the couch, on the floor or wherever he wound up tossing it."
Lyon opened his mouth to speak but broke off with a sigh instead. He shook his head. "Gray always did struggle with hanging on to his shirts," Lyon muttered, his eyes glassy and wistfully.
Erza's voice was soft when she responded. "I'm sorry," she said. "This must be as hard for you as it has been for me. You loved them both."
Lyon hummed noncommittally. "Do you think they're happy?" he asked, his voice dead and hollow.
Erza took a careful breath. "I'm sure Gray's taking care of her."
"He'd better be."
Erza felt an unpleasant twinge in her belly. She winced, sucking in air between her teeth, her hand flying to her middle.
"Erza? What's the matter?"
She waved him off, letting out her breath slowly as she sank back against the couch. "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"Don't give me that."
"The baby's just restless today. Wendy says it's normal," said Erza, rubbing at her abdomen to soothe her discomfort.
"Baby?" repeated Lyon, dumbstruck. "You mean that you're…."
Erza nodded. "Three months…"
"And it's his? And he went and… that idiot!" breathed Lyon.
"He didn't know," she said in a small voice. "I haven't told anyone else yet. I mean, Wendy knows, but…" Erza trailed off, her shoulders raising in a slight shrug.
"What do you mean 'he didn't know'?" shouted Lyon, his voice raising with his temper.
"I never got a chance to tell him. I wanted to wait until he came back."
"That idiot!" growled Lyon, springing to his feet. "Erza, you should have said something!" he insisted.
"And what good would that have done?" she burst out, tears burning in her eyes. "It wouldn't have changed anything!" She took a shuddering breath.
"Sorry. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell," he said. "Please don't be upset. That's probably not good, for, you know…" He gestured at her awkwardly.
"Sorry…" Erza shook her head, wiping at her cheeks. "It's not you," she sniffled. "Everything sets me off these days. Wendy says that's normal too. Hormones or something," mumbled Erza. She gave an apologetic chuckle. "I'm such a mess right now…"
Carefully, Lyon sat back down, taking the seat next to her, this time. "He would never have left you if he knew," he said fiercely, wrapping a bracing arm around her shoulders. "You know he wouldn't have."
Erza nodded. "And that's why I didn't tell him."
"What do you—? Why? Why on Earth wouldn't you have said something?"
"I didn't want him to stay just because of this…"
"You're an idiot. He's an idiot. God, he's such an idiot!" Lyon choked, his hand fisting the front of his own shirt so tightly his knuckles turned white. He huffed a bitter laugh, "He… had everything… Everything that I ever wanted."
"Lyon? What do you mean?"
At first, he just shook his head, refusing to tell her. "It's not important."
"I don't care."
"Erza, leave it alone."
"You can't be keeping secrets," Erza reminded him. "I just told you mine…"
With a sigh, Lyon reached two fingers into his collar and fished out a silver chain out of his shirt. "I was going to ask her to marry me," he told Erza. "I've wanted to for a while, but Juvia wanted to wait until she made S-Class. After that, we were going to start a family. And be happy," he said. "Gray had all that—could have had all that—with you. Not that any of it matters now."
"Why?" sighed Erza. "Why did it have to end up like this? Where did we go wrong?"
"Not a day goes by that I don't ask that."
"Have you… gone to see them?" asked Erza.
"One of my reasons for coming to Magnolia today, actually," said Lyon. "I was only stopping by to see if you wanted to come with."
Erza shrugged. She wasn't in the mood to visit. But she didn't really want to go on her own either. She wasn't sure she could handle seeing that.
"Okay," she said finally. "Can we stop somewhere on the way?" she asked, letting Lyon help her to her feet.
"What did you have in mind?"
Erza led them to a local florist, emerging a little later with a single long-stemmed rose, its petals a vibrant blood-red.
"Housewarming gift?" asked Lyon.
"He always got me roses," she explained.
"I suppose it's fitting, then," said Lyon.
They walked in silence, their shared loss connecting them in a way that words never could.
When they finally arrived, the setting sun had turned the sky orange.
Unease tightened her chest, making her dizzy. Her breath hitched.
Gray… Everything was Gray.
"Easy," said Lyon. "It's all right."
Erza shook her head, swallowing hard. She always hated letting Gray see her cry. She wasn't about to let him see her that way now.
"Do you want to sit down?" he asked.
Averting her eyes, Erza let her knees fold. Carefully, she set the rose in the grass before her.
Next to her, Lyon unclasped the chain carrying the engagement ring that Juvia would never wear. He caught the ring in his palm, winding the chain around his fingers. Into the grass it went, next to Erza's rose.
There was a certain permanence to all of it, an air of finality.
Erza forced herself to look. Etched in the unforgiving stone slab before them were the words:
In Loving Memory of Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser
Fairy Tail Wizards, Always
"I miss you, Gray," breathed Erza. "I'll always miss you…"
She'd never forget the day he left. He hadn't said goodbye. Not really.
Erza woke to the rustle of fabric.
Through bleary eyes, she watched Gray cross the room, silent as a shadow. He tugged his shirt back on, doing up the buttons with nimble fingers.
"Are you leaving?" she croaked.
He grimaced, dark eyes flashing with guilt. "Did I wake you? Sorry. How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"I'm okay." She was still sick, still miserable. Her pregnancy had only just started, and her immune system was already shot to bits. The next nine months were sure to be fantastic.
"Yeah?" Gray brushed a cool hand over her forehead. "You're still kind of warm."
Erza nudged his hand away, pushing herself up. "Just give me a second to get dressed," she said, her aching muscles protesting the movement. "Then I can fix you something to eat before you leave."
"Don't worry about it," he said, his tone clipped and dismissive.
"At least let me see you off."
"Erza. Stop," said Gray, putting a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her from sitting up. "I don't need you making me breakfast or seeing me off."
Erza let herself drop back against her pillows. "Gray? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice small.
He dragged a hand through his hair. Then he sighed. "I'm not going," he said. The edge of the bed dipped under his weight when he sat down.
"What? What do you mean?" Erza asked, her voice catching in her congested chest. She rolled onto her side, coughing so hard her lungs hurt.
Gray ran a helpless hand between her shoulder blades as he waited for her coughing fit to subside.
"Now I'm really not leaving," he muttered. His expression had settled into a concerned frown.
"I'm okay. It sounds worse than it is," she wheezed. "Stop looking at me like that."
Gray shook his head. "Look, I'm going to ask her to wait a couple of days. I'm sure she'll be fine with that."
"No, you should go. Gray, this is Juvia's first S-Class quest. She was so excited about it. And you promised you'd go with her."
"Leaving my sick wife behind wasn't part of the bargain," he said sourly.
"Don't worry so much. It's just a cold. And I'm over the worst of it. This is more important. Juvia needs you."
"I don't really want to leave you alone like this," he muttered, cupping the side of her face.
Erza gave a soft sigh, leaning into his touch. "Go on. I'll be fine."
"You're sure?"
Erza nodded.
"All right. But if you're not feeling better by the time I'm back, I'm taking you to see Porlyusica. No arguments."
Erza didn't say anything. She didn't need to see Porlyusica. She already knew what was wrong with her. She had suspected, and Wendy had confirmed it.
All that was left to do was tell Gray the news. But now wasn't a good time.
"I really do wish I was still going with you," she said instead. "It was supposed to be the three of us. And now you're going to be short a person. It worries me."
"Hush. I'll manage somehow. All I want you to worry about is feeling better, okay?" he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. It felt cool against her feverish face.
"When will you be back?" she asked, catching his hand and threading her fingers through his.
"Day after tomorrow. Sooner if things go well."
"Okay… We'll have to talk when you get back."
Gray froze. "What are you talking about? Talk about what?"
"I'll tell you then, okay?" she said.
"Erza?" he asked, his voice uncertain.
"It's nothing bad, I promise."
"Then what?" he frowned, a flicker of hesitation in his guarded eyes.
"It's a surprise. You'll like it. I think," she said, giving his fingers a reassuring squeeze before bringing them up to brush a kiss across his knuckles. "I hope?"
He relaxed visibly at the affectionate gesture, chuckling softly. "I'm sure I will, then. I can't wait to be back," he said, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her mouth.
"Well, you're going to have to," she breathed, pulling him closer to kiss him again.
"Do you need anything before I head out?" he asked.
Her hand tangled through his hair.
"Make sure you come back to me, Gray Fullbuster."
"Always, Erza. I'll always come back to you."
But, this time, he didn't.
"They say it stops hurting eventually. Not sure when that's supposed to be," said Lyon, as he walked Erza back to the too-empty house that she and Gray used to share. "Maybe that's when we put these memories behind us, like everyone's been saying."
"No," said Erza. "I don't want to forget."
"I don't either. But that's only going to hurt more, isn't it?"
"It does hurt. But there were good times too. Beautiful moments, when we were happy. I don't want to forget those. I don't want to forget him. I don't want to forget either of them."
"Neither do I. I suppose they live on in our hearts and all that sappy nonsense."
Erza wasn't sure she believed that. But she did know that Gray would live on through what he had left behind.
"I know it's soon for this, but, Lyon?"
"Yes?"
Erza's hand drifted to her abdomen. She hadn't started showing yet, but the motion was starting to become a habit. "I... I want him to learn to use his father's magic. Would you teach him, when the time comes?"
Lyon shook his head, tearing his gaze away. "I don't think I'd be any good."
"Please, Lyon. Gray was always so proud of his magic. I want Gray's son to know who his father was, both as a man, and as a mage. You're the only one who can do you share his father's legacy with him?"
Lyon was silent for a long while. "Are you sure? Absolutely sure?" he asked finally, his features impassive.
Erza answered without hesitation. "Yes."
"I don't think I'd be any good," Lyon repeated. "…But it'd be my honor to try."
"Thank you."
And so, Gray Fullbuster would live on through the son he'd never know and the eternal love he shared with the woman he left behind.
Like a whisper on the breeze, Erza would always be able to hear his final words to her.
I'll always come back to you.
Always.
So...yeah. Was it obvious where I was going with this? Or did it take you a while to figure out what I was up to?
Yes, for those who are still unsure, I intentionally set up the misdirection to make it sound like Gray had cheated on Erza or abandoned her, possibly both. I actually wanted to make you a little bit mad at him, maybe a little bit indignant on Erza's behalf. It took quite a bit of wordsmithing to make sure it could be interpreted both ways (both the misdirect and what actually happened).
Normally, I'm not a big fan of this narrative trick; I was taught that it's cheap to surprise readers like this, but I swear there's a good reason for it. Have you ever listened to a song over and over without really knowing what it was about? I was listening to a band that used to be a favorite of mine. I was surprised to stumble upon a song on their EP that I didn't remember hearing before. It was a catchy little tune and I had it playing on repeat. But when I started paying attention to the lyrics (the second to last verse in particular), I realized what I had really been humming along to for the last two weeks. It wasn't just a breakup song... it was about a loss that was far more permanent. I was inspired by more than just the song itself, but the haunting way it stuck with me. I remember thinking to myself, I wish I could write something like that. So this was my attempt at doing so. If you want to hear the song that started it all, look up "Roses" by Against the Current on YouTube.
My original plan was to lean more heavily on the rose motif, but the theme of undying love and this idea of Gray's promise of Always won out. I still kept the roses cliche and I set up the first and last scenes as an homage to the song.
If you're looking for more Grayza, I would recommend you check out my (significantly less angsty) Mazeverse series of interconnected short-stories. Check out my profile for Snowbound, The Problem with Ranged Weapons, Happiness Comes in Waves, Joyride, or Chapter 5 of Anniversary: Special, Just Because.