Notes: I'm trying to branch out; since I rarely do slice-of-life, this was pretty refreshing to write. Feels kind of disjointed, but I think that was my intention. Formerly Per Diem, but edited and reposted because I wasn't too satisfied with the first version.
Inhale, Exhale
...
i.
One morning, she wakes up face-to-face with Gray.
To his credit, he's as cool and composed as ever. All he does is grin and say, "Yo." But it takes Lucy a few seconds to comprehend what she's seeing, then she turns bright red and lets out an ear-piercing scream that makes him wince and cover his ears.
"Idiot! What are you doing in my bed?" she practically shrieks. "Out! Get out!"
He's laughing when she shoves him off the bed. Then he groans and rubs at the back of his head, but Lucy can tell he is unfazed. She puts her hands on her hips and glares daggers at him. Even though he's always crashing at her apartment, sneaking into her bed is definitely crossing the line, she decides.
She tries to avoid looking at Gray's bare skin; he's unclothed except for his boxers. Instead, she averts her eyes as he attempts to explain himself.
"I thought you wouldn't mind," he explains sheepishly, suddenly looking everywhere but her. She does admit that it's adorable to see him flustered, but she won't back down, not now. "After all, you never mind when I stay the night."
"But that's different! You usually sleep on the couch!" Lucy retorts. "And a woman needs her privacy!"
Then almost as suddenly as it came, her anger disappears as she realizes her state of undress. Thankfully, she didn't go to sleep in her bra and panties, but she's only wearing an oversized T-shirt. She screams again, before she can stop herself, and grabs a pillow and hurls it at him.
"We're still friends, right?" he asks hopefully, as he ducks her flying pillows. She flicks his forehead and orders him to get out.
.
.
.
ii.
She doesn't know how it happened, but Gray's got her up against a wall. She can feel her face heating up in a blush and she desperately tries to fight it off, to retain her dignity. But his lips are on hers and his strong arm encircles her waist lovingly, almost protectively, guiding her closer, and she can't help but oblige him. She wraps her arms around his neck and presses soft butterfly kisses against his jaw, leaving him breathless.
His lips are at her ear now, his whispers tickling her earlobe and sending shivers down her spine, and Lucy can't help but admire his sudden boldness.
Vaguely, she remembers that they're supposed to be on a mission right now, but with Natsu and Happy and Erza absent, he decided to take a little...detour. And although Lucy has always been a good girl, she's found that she can't say no to Gray.
"This is all your fault," she mumbles. He just laughs and pulls her in closer.
.
.
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iii.
It's springtime and, like every year at the guild, cherry blossoms are starting to fall from the trees in languid spirals, scattering the ground in a delicate blanket of pale pink. Somehow, Lucy talked Gray into going for a walk among the trees, and though he had better things to do, she's the one person he can never refuse. So he finds himself strolling along with his hands behind his head, while she talks and admires the landscape.
"You know, the guild looks so pretty in the spring," Lucy says happily. As he glances over at her, for the first time he realizes how beautiful she looks under the cherry blossom trees, her warm brown eyes shining, reaching up to catch the falling petals in her hand and giggling as they drift from her grasp.
"Hey, Lucy," he says, a strange urge coming over him all of a sudden.
"Yeah?" She looks at him, still with that breathtaking smile of hers. Gray doesn't know what's gotten into him, but he doesn't have to say anything because thankfully, she beats him to it. "Isn't the view nice?"
"Luce, you're the view," he replies before he can stop himself. Then, when he realizes what he just said, he mentally kicks himself.
Lucy's eyes widen, and then to his surprise and sheer horror, she bursts out laughing.
"That sounds like a cheesy pickup line," she manages between snorts, and Gray can feel himself turning bright red. This definitely isn't going the way he wanted it to. So before he can do anything to make it worse, he leans over and kisses her.