Made for Him
She was crying, and it was tearing him apart.
His ideal woman… He'd had a picture in his head for as long as he could remember. She was beautiful in every way, shape and form. Physically she couldn't be beat; her smile could melt the hearts of even the coldest of men. She was smart, witty, sharp with a comeback and quick to laugh at a joke. She would be feisty, a spitfire that was hard to tame which made her all the more alluring.
She also had a personality that was, in a way, nothing like his. She was outgoing and interesting, she'd been places and done things; she was interested in him and where he'd been, and they would ultimately be able to converse for hours without becoming bored.
Lucy was all of those things. However, there was one more thing that he'd never thought to add to the list, which was crucial, and also something that she wasn't: meant for him.
At first she was a stranger, then a teammate, and then someone he considered to be one of his best friends. He guessed he'd seen her as a possible love interest from the beginning. After all, she checked all of his boxes.
Gray had never considered that Natsu, of all people, would be his competition for a love interest. However, something he and everyone else in the guild saw as the months dragged on, was how close she was to Natsu. Maybe it was because Natsu was responsible for bringing her to her new family, or maybe it was because they were somehow more compatible, despite being polar opposites in many ways, than he was with her. Either way, it was undeniable how close those two were.
It was also undeniable that they were somehow made for one another.
He knew he couldn't make her smile like Natsu did. He knew she'd never look at him the way she did Natsu. And he knew for a fact somewhere along the way that she was never meant to be his. She was perfect for him in every way, and yet somehow she simply wasn't meant to be.
He understood that, seeing the unique relationship she had with Natsu, being the bigger person and backing off. They were special. He needed to respect that. He needed to step back and let them develop what they had. But that didn't make it hurt any less.
And so it was times like these, when she was crying and he wanted nothing more than to join her, comfort her, find out what was wrong and make it all better, that it really tore him apart. It killed him that that job wasn't meant for him.
And so he'd smack Natsu on the back, shoving him toward Lucy and telling him to go ask her what was wrong. He'd grip his chair a little tighter as he watched Natsu speak with her, undoubtedly with less finesse and tact than he would've. He'd grind his teeth when she wiped away a tear and smiled up at Natsu, laughing in a way that Gray knew he could never have made her laugh, even with his experience and correct wording. Natsu was a senseless idiot and yet he somehow was the one to bond with quite possibly the most perfect woman in the universe.
And while he would take a deep breath and remind himself of how he had to respect that he wasn't the one for her… it didn't ever make it any less painful.
The Flash Bingo Challenge - an anime/manga that involves a main character's death - join
While I am a loyal NaLu shipper, I do have to admit I understand the appeal of GrayLu. I've re-watched some of the earlier anime lately and there is definitely a fair share of hints. I sort of feel like Gray, while so emotionless on the outside, does indeed have feelings for Lucy. And the part when Gemini got into Gray's head and admitted he was interested in her... well let's just say my GrayLu ship was officially built and set sail lol. XD
This is my first shot at writing for these two so I apologize if I butchered them. ;D I'd love to hear what you thought and I hope you enjoyed!
~Foxtail-chan