A/N: I personally think that Erza is an inward drama queen, hence the excessive use of italics. This was my first attempt writing GrayZa and I think I did a pretty decent job! :) This was republished from the Great Collection.

Erza "Titania" Scarlet was not easily intimidated. Oh no. She was the one who did the intimidating. Her reputation was solid in Fiore High; she was the class president, the fencing champion known as the Scarlet Demon, and by far the most frightening person many of the teens had ever had the misfortune to encounter.

But she had a secret.

A dark, dreadful, horrifying secret.

Cute boys terrified her.

It really wasn't a well known fact, for a very good reason. What would that look like, the great Titania scared of a boy? Nuh uh, her reputation would be smashed, obliterated, crushed into dust and mixed with water and painted on the side of the school building if that ever got out.

Only her best friends Lucy and Levy knew of her particular affliction. They only knew because they had been there when Jellal Fernandes managed to turn her into a stuttering, blushing, mumbling wreck in seventh grade. And all he had asked was if she had had a good day! He had looked at her funny and never spoken to her again after that incident. Much to her inward humiliation, he went on to date Meredy Maguilty, that pink haired, sugar high, ear-muff wearing monstrosity!

But she was better than that. Okay, deep breaths. Jellal is in the past, forget about him.

Anyway, cute boy or no, if you broke the rules of the school, you were in major trouble. All the students who had been attending Fiore High for any length of time warned the newcomers.

If you break the rules, sass, or in any way, shape, or form upset Erza Scarlet, there will be a group on hand to begin digging your grave for you because you will not walk out of the encounter alive.

Obviously, the dark haired boy currently brawling with Natsu Dragneel hadn't gotten that particular piece of advice. Erza knew Natsu had been warned several times about fighting before, during, or after classes, but did he listen?

No, he did not.

And that annoyed Erza to no end.

And now he was dragging new students down his path of misbehavior and trouble! She would not stand for it! No, she would n-…

Holy Mavis.

Holy Mavis.

HOLYMAVISOFTHEBLONDEHAIRANDGREENEYES.

Erza may have stopped breathing for a moment.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a tiny voice start screaming.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

OHMYGOSHHE'SSOCUTEWHYISHEFIGHTINGWHYDOESN'THEHAVEASHIRTONWHATISLIFEWHATISGOINGON?

She probably would have frozen in place had her forward momentum not carried her right into the middle of the fight. Hastily shaking off her shock and overwhelming desire to start drooling, (those abs!), she clamped a hand on Natsu's scruffy head and the new boy's head as well. The tiny voice (that for some reason sounded a good deal like Mirajane), got louder and more klaxon-like. His hair was so soft…AHHH! WHAT WAS GOING ON?

"What is going on here?" She barked, infinitely grateful her voice was steady. How mortifying would that have been if she had squeaked or worse, what if she hadn't been able to talk at all? Erza would have rather let Natsu be in charge of the school for the rest of the year than show her face, her shame would have been so great.

"It was that stupid Ice Stripper's fault, Erza!" The pink haired boy hung from her grip and tried to plead his innocence. Erza sighed. Without having a chance to gauge the other boy's character, she might have actually to believe Natsu, astonishing as that may be.

Then the other boy spoke. He was furious, trying to get at Natsu and yelping when Erza's grip tightened on his hair. Holy cow, even his yelp was cute!

"What did you call me, you squinty eyed menace?"

"You heard me, droopy drawers!" Erza gave them both a shake, Natsu's face instantly going green from the sudden motion. She sighed again, holding him off to the side a bit.

"Come on, you two. You're going to see the Master and he'll get this all sorted out."

"I can walk by myself, thank you!"

"Don't argue, let's go." With that, she dragged both boys off by the hair, a path clearing for them among the students.

As she stood outside the office, Erza congratulated herself on being able to keep her composure. Sure, the boy, Gray Fullbuster was his name, was cute, (her inner voice screamed, CUTE? THAT'S IT? THE MAN IS A FREAKING MODEL WITH THE ABS OF A GREEK GOD!), but that didn't mean she needed to fall to pieces because he looked at her!

She was proud of herself. Strawberry cake would be in order after class.

Erza did crack just a smidgin when the door to Master's office opened up. As she stood, Natsu came stumbling out, took one look at her, and hightailed it to his next class. Gray came out a little more slowly. He had his shirt back on thankfully, though the little voice was pouting about being deprived of the view of his amazing abs. Shyly, she stepped forward.

He jumped slightly in surprise at seeing her. "Oh, hi." Gray ran a hand through his disheveled hair and gave her a sidelong glance.

Erza clasped her hands behind her back and looked steadily at him. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. For, uh, grabbing you by the hair." Color rose in her cheeks. "There, um, wasn't really anything else for me to grab and I had to get Natsu away from you somehow." She bit her lip, an very uncharacteristic gesture, and peeked at him.

He was smiling at her.

Smiling. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

"Eh, it's okay. Flame Brain doesn't know when to stop. I'm glad you were there to collar him." He sighed, then straightened, smiled, and extended a hand. "I'm Gray Fullbuster, by the way."

She took his hand, marveling at the coolness of it. "Erza Scarlet."

He hesitated for a moment, sizing her up and carefully releasing her hand. "So, um, well, do you want to go get coffee after class?"

Erza stood stock still.

Do you want to get coffee after class?

The words played on repeat in her brain.

The tiny Mira voice was silent for several seconds. Then it screamed so loud it could have put a boatload of chipmunks on helium chatting with six classrooms full of preteen girls to serious shame. Erza didn't even know such a sound could be made by the human body…

"Sure." Erza was amazed that her voice was steady. Was her face on fire? Did her nerves show? How was she not dead yet from sudden lack of oxygen to her brain?

He gave her a slightly cocky smile. "Great, I'll meet you out here in a couple hours."

Erza smiled back. "Yeah, see you later, Gray."

"See ya later, Erza."

With that, they parted ways, Gray to class, Erza to the girls' bathroom to have a minor (MAJOR) freakout before heading to her own class.

Special Agents Lucy and Levy of the Fiore High Shipping Club stared in jaw-dropped, awestruck, quite frankly astonished shock at the sight before them. Erza had just accepted an offer to go get coffee with a boy.

A cute boy.

And she hadn't stuttered, stumbled, blushed, or embarrassed herself in any way!

Shipping Senpai Mirajane needed to be informed of this at once.

A/N: C'mon y'all, admit it. Gray has a gorgeous physique. ;) The Abs must ALWAYS be mentioned!