Rori's Corner: Plot bunnies are jumping at me, so what am I to do but catch them? I will uh eventually update my other uh on-going fics. But I must push this one out, cause, cause! I really wanted to write a NaGray/Gratsu. Oh, and this one takes liberties with Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. Man, that anime. I love it. Aherm. Anyway. Gehee ;D
D-d-disclaimed. sadfaisu.
Over Before It Began
01: Mission
Love is stupid, and people who believe in it are just as stupid.
No one compromises in a relationship. Everything is just bubbles and rose petals, and neither looks at the real picture, because the one in front of them is too dazzlingly perfect. Each tries their hardest to create an invulnerable image, and each step forward is two steps back. In the end, love is just a figment of the imagination. A foolish attempt at idealizing fantasies.
They say that love is immortal; that love is imperfectly perfect; that love is endless; that love lasts forever. They're all wrong.
"This way, Mr. Fullbuster."
The oak hallway was lined with scenic landscapes. As they strolled down the corridor, Gray noticed the windswept snowstorm raging outside the frosted windows. The heat in the interior of the affluent compartment - the headquarter of the notorious mafia famiglia, Fairy Tail - was a scalding burn. It was the exact opposite of his preferred climate, thus he was feeling irritated and prickly. He wanted to hurry up and get it over with.
Not only was the suffocating heat horrid, his thoughts were also running rampant. Somehow, the things he had bottled away in a little crevice in the back of his mind were suddenly assaulting him mercilessly. All because he decided to take on this particular job and had to go to this particular building. All because he decided to try something 'new.' Ever since he stepped inside the obscure territory of Fairy Tail, the past he had so carefully sealed away had unsealed itself inch by inch and started playing with him, haunting his mind with fragments and unrealistically bright memories of flamingo hair, wide smiles, and warm touches.
He hated thinking about the past.
"Our boss is expecting you at the last door."
Love is a disaster in the making. But in particular, he detested the idea of "first love." His blood boiled just at the very thought of it. Never again. Never again would he make an idiot out of himself. First love is a simple delusion. He was just a naive little kid who went out of his way for attention. An orphan like him was bound to fall for that kind of otherworldly smile. It was big, nice, and made him feel warm. Loved. That was a delusion, too.
He was an idiot. He was still an idiot. How dare that pink haired bastard make a fool out of him! Just because he was an innocent, starved for affection, stupidly bundled up and fearful of the cold, young freshman at the academy back then...!
His tightly clenched fists made his nails dig and etch into his skin. He unclenched them, gritting his teeth at the hated memories and the absurdity of his wandering thoughts. He hadn't given his past the time of day for years, and now it decided to rear its ugly head? Where was the justice?
His feet followed the butler-slash-bodyguard of their own accord, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his belted, black pants. They had finally gotten to the door at the end of the hallway. Gray's mind wandered absentmindedly for the second time as the man he was tailing knocked on the oak door.
Knock. Knock.
There was no response, but there were quiet, hushed voices muffled behind the door, along with suspicious noises of a creaking something.
The butler-slash-bodyguard frowned and raised his hand again. Before he could connect his fist, a loud exclamation sounded from the room, "Lisanna, I-I'm c-cumming!"
This day can't possibly get any better, can it.
Gray glared pointedly at the butler-slash-bodyguard, who coughed into his hand awkwardly, muttering something about "young love," as if that was a great excuse, before he raised his voice and announced clearly, "Boss, your three o'clock appointment is here."
A cacophony of noises clattered.
"Shit, ow, Lisanna, I told you we didn't have time for round two!"
"Geez, you were all for it earlier! I didn't see your ass complaining when I was sucking you off. Hmph!"
"Keep it down, damn! I think he's waiting outside. Just - hey, that's my shirt!"
"But you got your spunk all over my dress, so how do you expect me to go out prancing around in that? Unless you just want everyone to know what we did. Not that I'm complaining, hehe."
"L-Lisanna, can't you keep that on the d-low?! I told you they're waiting outside! Now hurry up and leave so I can work already."
"God, you're such an ungrateful idiot. You're lucky I'm in love with your ungrateful idiot self, or else I would've been long gone. And who else would be around to play with you when you get bored doing desk work at the office, hmm?"
"Oh... got me."
"Yup! So where's my kiss?"
There was a dramatic sound of lips smacking.
"Okay, get out. Can you make me grilled chicken for dinner?"
The doors finally opened, and a preppy, short-haired albino flounced out of the room, a long plaid shirt covering her small figure and short shorts peeking from under the shirt. Her bright cerulean eyes glittered as her happy smile widened.
And Gray realized that perhaps love did exist, after all.
The girl named Lisanna waved her hand at the man left behind in the dimly lit office, saying, "Only if you make enough money to cover it!"
"Tch! Don't be cheap, Lis!"
"Love ya, Natsu!" she replied and turned around.
Gray immediately noticed the red marks on her white skin, and blanched. She saw the butler and him, and then a deep blush coated her entire face. She covered her horrified mouth with her hand.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know Natsu was being serious about the appointment! You know, how he's always such a lazy bum and all! I'm sorry! Please don't mind us, even though that's kind of hard to do," she muttered the last part, bowing her head.
"No worries, Lady Lisanna," the butler said. "You just head along now, while boss does his job."
"I feel really bad though," the girl whimpered, looking from the bodyguard to Gray, who shrugged his shoulders haplessly.
"Man's got needs," was his chosen comment.
A relieved grin spread over Lisanna's face, in spite of the sheepish look in her eyes. "Well, I'll be counting on you!" she said to the bodyguard and left, the padding of her flip-flops echoing after her.
A pregnant silence ensued. Then:
"Come in already, Fullcracker! I've been waiting three hours for your ass!"
Gray's brow twitched.
What the hell was this guy's problem? He'd been waiting? More like, fucking for three hours, while he had to wait fifteen minutes for their shit to be done. And - Fullcracker?
He cracked his knuckles.
The guy had to be a real asshole to plummet a first impression. Like, who does that?
"I'm staying out here," he declared.
The bodyguard chose not to comment. Probably in line with his decision. No one in their right mind would waltz into a recently sexed up room. Seriously.
"Are you coming in or am I dragging you in?" the obnoxious voice of a certain Mafioso said.
The room was too dark. None of the lights was on. Gray squinted and still couldn't make out how his new client looked like. Was the guy nocturnal or vampiric or what? Why was it so dark in there?
He crossed his arms and stood with his legs apart, showing off his confidence. "I'm staying the fuck out here."
And before he even got the first two words out of his mouth, a hand snuck out from the open doors, grasped his t-shirt collar with a powerful grip, and dragged him in with a dizzying speed. He barely managed to gasp in surprise before he found himself encased in a creepily dark room, the oak doors clanging shut with a sound slam and click.
"What the hell..." he groaned, looking around. From what he could tell in the black, the curtain was draped over the window horizontally, left to right, blocking out any decent source of light. There was a clutter of things everywhere in the office, with the work desk piling stacks of paper and pens, picture frames hanging on the left wall, and the couch he was standing in front of moved haphazardly in a diagonal. The comforter on the leather couch was mussed and disoriented.
And it was also reeking of grotesque sexual activities.
He covered his nose in disgust, stepping back and flapping his hand rapidly to drive away the scent of things he'd rather not think about. "Dude, what the hell," he growled, affronted by the complete and utter lack of respect from this rude-ass client. He should not have accepted this job offer. Even if the reward was two million Jewels. This was not worth the trouble.
"All right, Fullcracker. Let's talk business."
The voice was young. He sounded around Gray's age. Mid twenties. Where the hell was the man? He couldn't see in the pitch black.
"Okay, if you're not going to febreze this disgustingly gross room, at least turn the damn lights on. I don't know who the hell I'm talking to," he snapped.
"Oh, my bad." There was a rustling of movement.
"And then there was light," Gray remarked sarcastically when the switch was finally flicked on, and the office was lit dramatically by hanging crystal chandeliers and dim yellow lamps on either side of the empire work desk. As he had guessed, the office was a sad excuse for a working area. It was downright a pig sty. Pictures, newspapers, clothes, and plastic darts were scattered everywhere. And by everywhere, he meant everywhere; if he moved even one step, he would impale his foot into a random sharp object on the carpeted floor.
If he hadn't mentioned it already, he would mention it now: he hated people.
"Sorry, I can't handle mornings, because it's too bright and annoying. That's why I make sure the room's dark."
Gray moved his gaze to the man. Pink, spiky hair, wide brown eyes, a serious expression, a white scaly scarf, and a black suit. That white scarf...why did it seem so familiar? Felt like some sort of nostalgia or deja vu catching a hold of him whenever he looked at it. He shook his head briefly to clear his mind. This wasn't the time to be thinking about worthless crap.
"Fullcracker - "
"Fullbuster," Gray corrected. Shitface, he added mentally. It's already three in the noon.
The pink head ignored him anyway, continuing on with his arms spread out on each end of the large, swivel chair, his legs crossed in front of him, "Your mission is to kill all five members of Raven Tail before their court trial. I want every last one of them dead before they reach the summit. And if any of the officials see you, kill them, too. If even one of them survives, your reward is zil."
The stench of the drying semen and sweat was getting to Gray, who could barely pay attention to the client's request. His eye twitched. "All...right," he exhaled, backing up and away from the stinking couch until he felt the door behind him.
"Raven Tail messed with a few members of my famiglia. There's no way I'll ever forgive them for it. Not even if they try to run away to court. That's not enough to satisfy me. That's not enough to satisfy Fairy Tail."
"Okay, that's cool and all, but can you pass me that air freshener next to the desk so I can finally breathe?"
The client, who was scowling and in deep thought and everything, unconsciously tossed the bottle over to Gray, who caught it and started hosing down the couch and anywhere he could reach. Seconds later, his nose felt free. He breathed in, jolly and happy.
Strange. Quiet Jasmine. This was his favorite scent. Did this client have the same taste as him? He always bought this scent, because it reminded him of Ul, even back in the old days. Whenever he and that guy hung out in his house, the fresh, flowery scent of jasmine lingered on their clothes. It was a nostalgic aroma.
But, enough. No more thinking. No more sentimentality. That was enough for a day. It was because of him that now he could stand here, stronger than he ever was before, tied down to nothing, a free soul that would no longer let anyone get the better of him. That dark arc of his past was long over, and he needed to move on.
Why was he traipsing back into that dreadful segment of his life all day today, when he managed years after consecutive angry years to block those unnecessary memories? He couldn't remember his name anymore. He couldn't even remember his face anymore. After that whole incident, he beat everything that he knew about him out of his head. He shouldn't be thinking about that guy now. Why couldn't he get that?
He felt ridiculous. Down. Annoyed.
He just needed to accept the terms this client laid out and leave. Any longer he was stuck here, and the more he'd go insane, for reasons unknown. All he knew was that he couldn't stay any longer. He needed to leave. Now.
"Understood. I kill the Raven Tail famiglia before they reach the court, using any means necessary. Any official that sees me in the act also gets offed," Gray recited. He locked eyes with the client. The pink-haired man stared at him without breaking eye contact. It was silent for a moment, and then Gray prompted, "Anything else?"
"Fullbuster," the young boss of the infamous mafia said, a look in his eyes that Gray couldn't decipher. It was a little unnerving. It felt as if the man was peering at him too intently.
"Fairy Tail," he replied in the same manner that the man addressed him with.
The brown eyes of the client narrowed, his brows frowning. He looked as if he were trying to recall something. A confused expression dashed across his face. He cocked his head. Left. Right. Left. Right. His lip pursed.
Gray's foot tapped impatiently on the carpet. What did this dude want? He needed to get out, and the guy was giving him a hard time. After this job was finished, he was going to put Fairy Tail on the blacklist. There was no way he could deal with this man again.
"Why do you look so...familiar?"
Gray sighed. The man actually looked serious about it, too. "I don't know," he began sarcastically, "maybe 'cause I've been standing here for half an hour, talking to you about taking down a rival mafia gang? And that two million Jewel reward?" And dying from that gross leakage of gross sex aftermath?
And then he started backing up again, because the client with the weird question had gotten up out of his seat and was stalking over to him, only to realize that he had already backed up to the point that the wall was digging into his behind. Oi, oi...what now?
He glowered at the client, who ignored his contemptuous expression, as the man leaned in until they were merely a few centimeters apart, breathing in each other. Gray's face twitched in disgust when he smelled the stench of sex on the man, unable to do much as he was uncomfortably trapped between a hard body and an equally hard wall.
"W-what," he deadpanned, his cobalt eyes following the mafioso's gaze, which had slid down from his face to his neck, and from his neck to the unbuttoned top of his chest. He didn't even remember unbuttoning them. A little ghastly danger was whispering in the back of his mind, and he was tempted to shove the man off of him, when the latter suddenly looked back up into his eyes with an intensity that terminated all of his thoughts.
"Gray?" the man mouthed, his brown eyes wide, stunned, and serious.
Gray looked at the pink-haired man with surprise. How did he know his name? Did they meet before? One-night stand? No, he didn't remember this man at all. Who could possibly forget that color hair? Excluding the flashes of flamingo hair that he'd see in his memory sometimes, but that was obviously not it. He felt warm hands, extremely warm ones, clasp onto his, and he looked down, confused as to where this was heading.
What was going on?
"Gray! You're Gray, aren't you?" the man was saying, and there was that expression in his eyes again. The one that he couldn't figure out. It was making his insides churn. He had no idea why.
He shook his arms, trying to shake off the grip on his hands. The grip only tightened, squeezing until he could feel numbness tingling along his limbs. He winced. What the hell was going on?
And then that serious face broke into a grin - a magnificent, pearl-white grin - and Gray was suddenly wrapped into one of the tightest embraces he'd ever received. The bear hug was nearly life-threatening; he had trouble breathing. He was chest to chest with this stranger, who was currently attempting mafia secret technique "Death by Hug," and thoroughly, thoroughly confused. It'd be nice if someone would offer to explain this mind-boggling situation to him.
A clear, concise, explanation would be nice.
And if they could somehow get this dude with ridiculously compact muscle off of him at the same time, he'd be eternally grateful.
Despite his struggles, the man wouldn't let go. His head, pink hair and spiky strands and all, was nestled into the junction between Gray's neck and shoulder, the rest of his body entangled around his, like how a snake would coil around its prey. He was aware of the way the strange man was sniffing at him like a dog, trying to take in his scent. And honestly, he had no idea how to feel about all of this. This man was the boss of one notorious mafia, Fairy Tail...right? Why was he clinging onto him, a freelance hitman, like it was the most normal thing to do?
"Mm...you smell good, Gray," said boss of one notorious mafia moaned into his neck, and he could not suppress the shiver that ran through him at the hushed whisper. There was a suspicious, hard bulge pressing into his abs.
Someone get him out of here.
Now.
Knock. Knock.
Two polite knocks on the door were it all took for Gray make his escape. At the expense of the mafioso's momentary surprise, he squirmed and wriggled out of the man's hold and quickly turned the knob, wringing the door open. Freedom!
The butler-slash-bodyguard stood there in the entrance towing a food cart. "Refreshments, boss? Mr. Fullbuster?"
"Next time!" Gray shouted as he dashed out of the messy office, out of that dangerous setting, and away from one weirdo-creep-pink-haired-boss.
"GRAY, GET BACK HERE!"
He smirked. There was absolutely no way he was going back there.
Although...he would have to go back to meet the boss of Fairy Tail eventually once he accomplished the mission. Hopefully, by then, the current boss would have - unfortunately - died and replaced by an heir. Or something.
Rori's Corner: Or something. Ushishishi~