Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love gruvia and jerza. But my heart throbs for grayza as well. The life of a multi-shipper is a confusing one. My sister thinks so as well.
Disclaimer- I don't own Fairy Tail or it's characters
Gray had felt this way since he was a kid. That day, Cana had told him it was his lucky day. He didn't believe a word she said. It took him years to find out why it was his lucky day. When he realized, he was surprised but happy. Erza was the reason. She was so closed off at first, not letting the guild get close to her. He hated it.
He wanted her to stop being so quiet and join in to the guilds fun. Picking a fight with her about it wasn't the best choice. He got the crap beat out of him. He wanted a rematch, but he didn't expect her to be crying when he found her. When she cried, she looked so vulnerable and...cute. He suspected his blush wasn't unnoticed by Erza. He was happy she didn't say anything about it.
So he would agree that meeting her was what made him lucky. He was happy that he finally got her to become close to Fairy Tail. Unfortunately, when she became.S-Class, she split off from him and started to work alone. He was sure others noticed his disappointed, but they probably thought of it as him being disappointed because she was S-Class before him.
Then Lucy came along. She was the mage that gave him time with Erza again. Though he would never admit it, he would always be grateful to Lucy for that. They had all teamed up together, happy, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and himself. Then Wendy and Carla joined in with them when they got to the guild. Since he got the time with Erza, he always got a good look at her and her personality.
Though she was still strict, she was more lenient on them and he found her laughing and smiling at their antics, more often than not. She had grown to be absolutely beautiful. She was taller, but not as tall as him, her hair went to the middle of her back, but it flowed beautifully. He was never fond of the color red (it always reminded him of Natsu) but Erza was always the exception. She was the one that made blood red look good on hair.
Juvia was a big surprise. He had never had someone be so openly in love with him. He was uncomfortable because juvia wouldn't act shy at all with him. He was confused by her actions most of the time. It didn't help, he always felt a cold stare from Erza every time juvia would jump him. He didn't know why Erza acted like that, but he did know she hid it well from others. She would even laugh when juvia hugged him, but he could tell that she didn't mean it.
Gray sat at his table, deep in thought about the red-headed mage. Fortunately for him, juvia wasn't in the guild yet. Don't get him wrong, he liked juvia a lot. She just overwhelmed him most of the time and he needed the break every once and a while.
His feelings didn't change for Erza, he knew what he was feeling and what he was feeling was love. He loved Erza. He knew when he would tell juvia, it would break her heart but he shouldn't be leading her on like this because he was scared. He sighed and rubbed his temples, a head ache starting to form. Natsu was busy showing Lucy a trick he had learned with his fire, making her giggle. Natsu had it so easy. Lucy was the kind of girl you could joke around with, flirt with, and tease. She may have a temper, but if the dragon slayer teased her about anything remotely suggestive she would blush bright red and act cute.
With Erza, you couldn't do that. She'd either beat someone up for teasing her or she would lecture them on mavis knows what. Natsu could get away with practically anything when it came to Lucy, but no one would dare try and do anything to Erza. He narrowed his eyes in jealously at Natsu. He was a lucky bastard.
"Gray-sama!" He tensed uncomfortably and turned to see juvia running to him with a smile on her face. He hated it, but he knew this was the moment where he'd have to tell her. He couldn't let herself fall deeper in love. He didn't even know he could save his friendship with her.
"Hey juvia...I gotta talk to you." She tilted her head slightly and sat next to him. He exhaled and gazed into her eyes. "I like you a lot juvia, but as a friend," She frowned but allowed him to go on. "It's just that...I have feelings for someone else." She looked down, but smiled sadly.
"Juvia knows. Juvia sees the way you look at her. Juvia is not blind. Gray-sama was the one that took Juvia's rain away, and she will be internally grateful for that. Juvia realizes that Gray-sama's happiness comes first though so she won't stop him from going after the woman he loves. Juvia just hopes that...they can still be friends." He blinked and chuckled lightly.
"I don't deserve such a good friend. Of course we can remain friends, you're a part of Fairy Tail aren't you? Juvia, i want to thank you for understanding." He hugged her close to him. She squeaked and nodded, hugging him back.
"Juvia must confess something anyway. Lyon-sama asked her out on a date, she said yes because she knows how you feel about Erza-san. Juvia decided to give Lyon-sama a chance." Gray felt his eyes widen.
"I hope you like him. He can be annoying, but he's a good man." Juvia nodded and smiled, a blush tinting her pale cheeks. That's when Erza appeared, practically out of nowhere. She took a seat next to Gray without a word, making him figit slightly in nervousness. Juvia noticed this and got up, her sad smile returning.
"Juvia must leave for her date now. She'll see you later, Gray-sama." She then walked out of the guild, like she was trying not to cry. Gray felt guilt claw at his heart, but he wasn't surprised. He knew she would have a reaction like this, he was just happy they could keep their friendship. Erza looked back at Juvia in confusion.
"Did she say she had a date? With who? I thought she loved you." Gray chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.
"She said she'd give Lyon a chance since I don't really feel the same way towards her..."
"Oh?'
"Yeah, I like someone else." She blinked a few times, curious about who he could possibly like. She placed an armored finger on her chin in thought. Gray thought her face was incredibly cute.
"Is it Lucy?" He almost laughed...almost.
"What? No! She's like a sister to me. Besides, she's in love with the damn pyro. I probably couldn't even smile in her direction without him kicking me in the face, let alone confess to her and kiss her or something." Gray shuddered at this. He hated to admit it, but Natsu could be unrecognizable when he was angry at someone for hurting Lucy.
"I suppose you're right. To be completely honest with you, I'm slightly jealous at the two. They look so openly in love and don't have any complications." He agreed with her with a nod. He thought back to jellal. He was certainly a complication when it came to capturing Erza's heart.
"I agree." They sat in silence for a few minutes, it was mostly comfortable but it had its awkward moments. That's when Lucy and Natsu ran over to both of them with a piece of paper.
"We have a job that we can all take!" Lucy smiled and held out the paper for Erza to take over. "Wendy, Carla, and Happy won't be coming though. They all took a another job with each other. Happy was saying something about finally winning Carla's heart" Lucy giggled. Erza also managed to smile at this.
Gray just scowled. Even Happy had a more successful love life than him. Maybe taking this job will take his mind off of all this nonsense. "I'm in, I'll meet you guys at the train in an hour." Gray stood up and stuffed his hands in his pocket. Already had stripped out of his shirt.
"Gray, your clothes." He heard Erza say softly. He looked behind him to see a small tint of pink dusting her cheeks. He was confused, he had always stripped around her. Why is she now reacting? He picked up the shirt that was laying on the bench and he slipped it on.
"See you." He said neutrally. He left the guild in deep thought, his mind picturing the great Erza Scarlet.
...
She may not be your typical girl, but she still was a girl. She could still get flustered, she was no exception. She was just slightly confused on why she got flustered when Gray had no shirt on. She's seen him like that countless of times and never batted an eye. She knew when she was younger that she may of had a small, insignificant crush on the ice mage. But will all the drama going on between her and jellal, she just forgot about it.
So why does she feel it come back? Why is she reacting to his stripping habit like she did when she was younger? She always felt attached to gray, ever since he found her crying on the ledge of the river. He wanted to fight her again, but when he realized she was crying, he stayed with her to try and make her feel better. She was touched. No one but the people she had left at the tower of heaven treated her with such care.
She sighed as she packed several bags on her cart. She felt warm and fuzzy all of a sudden when she thought about the ice mage, which was weird because his powers were ice make. She felt herself smile. She may be confused on this new and old feeling, but she wasn't disappointed nor was she ashamed at these feelings. She couldn't help that her heart felt the way it did. She grabbed the last of her items and grabbed the handle so that she could pull the cart towards the train.
She was the first one there. She always was. The order was usually her, following Gray, and Natsu, Lucy, Happy running late together. That always got on her nerves. She remembered asking them why they were so late one time, she found Lucy starting to blush and muttering half-hearted excuses. She then stomped over to Natsu and yelled at him with a flushed face. The only few words that Erza heard that conversation was "in my bed." Erza was too embarrassed to ask anymore questions.
Gray had finally arrived, he had a scowl on his face and in the process of taking off his pants. Erza inwardly groaned, feeling herself transform into a shy school girl as she felt the burn of her ears. She looked away and pulled a Lucy.
"I-Idiot! Put on your clothes!" She really did sound like Lucy. Maybe she caught some of Lucy's personality- they went on tons of jobs together (of course with the boys and occasionally Wendy). Erza then hummed silently. Maybe she should go on a job with just Lucy, it would probably be fun. She then thought of the fit Natsu would throw and she rolled her eyes.
"Gah! How does this even happen?" he searched around for his pants and boxers, they had disappeared as well. Erza sighed and smiled softly. Natsu, Gray, and herself we're childhood friends. But for some reason, she only saw Natsu as the little brother she never had. Gray was simply...Gray. She didn't want to call him her brother figure because it just didn't seem right.
They had always balanced between friendship and something more, she remembered how he would blush every time she'd cry. Natsu never did that (maybe he was oblivious? Didn't seem so likely now that Lucy was here, but before...). She also remembered how she embraced him during their retreat from phantom lord. She didn't know what came over her, but with the master's situation and the commotion of their fight against the Phantom members, she just did something that felt natural to her. It was like her instinct.
She watched him grab his clothes from the bush and put them on, speeding up rapidly when he heard a shout from Lucy. She would always beat him when she saw him without boxers on. It was quite amusing.
"Hey guys, sorry for being late...again. Natsu was being a idiot, he just couldn't get up from my couch. He knew full well we had a mission. Ya bastard!" She turned her statement to Natsu towards the end. He held up his hands in defense, ready for her attack. You would assume that wasn't a good sign of a healthy relationship, but the smile on his face would assure you otherwise.
"It's okay. This mission isn't all that special. We all read it before we left to pack right? We're just babysitting. Nothing special." Gray shrugged. Erza felt herself grin at his touchy attitude. It was attractive when he was indifferent. Her grin dropped and she blinked. Why had she just thought that? She suddenly felt an awkward silence go off in her mind. This was all so weird. She hadn't gotten theae feelings for a while and it made her feel childish. She sighed and bought four tickets for the train
The conductor took her cart and wheeled it behind her to the back of the train. They boarded quietly, but Natsu decided to protest. He put both of his hands on the doorway, stoping Lucy from shoving him in. "Come on, you have to Natsu." He growled, warning her. She chose to ignore his threat.
"Natsu, come!" Erza scowled. This made Natsu squeak and his arms went to noodles, Lucy gave one last strong shove, but his grip was already loose. She squealed as she fell over on top of Natsu. Gray helped her up, making Erza frown. She suddenly felt annoyed by the blonde. Unfortunately, she knew why. Lucy opted to help Natsu up when the train start to move. He gagged and she led them to their seats. Erza took her seat and Gray quickly made a beeline next to her, making her confused and flustered at the same time.
Lucy laid Natsu's head on her lap and leaned back with a tired sigh. In minutes she was out, Natsu as well. It was just her and Gray. She gazed at him from the corner of her eye. He noticed, making her turn away. She was dancing around her feelings like a coward, she was against the very word but here she was, acting like the very thing she despised. She just couldn't really get over it.
Shd had loved jellal for so long, he plagued her thoughts every day. She never stopped thinking about him until...she did. For months, her mind went blank on the very mage. Later on, her mind wandered to other men. Gray...she started thinking about him more and more until he was the one plaguing her thoughts, he was the one that she would often dream about. It was Gray.
Erza felt her eyes widen for a moment before narrowing. I have to tell him, and soon. I know he fell for a mystery girl but if I don't confess, I won't be able to move passed this, she thought to herself. She didn't know when she'd have the time. Maybe after the mission? Yeah, that would be the perfect time. For now, she'll just bask in the warm feeling she got when she thought of him.
"Erza? You okay, you've been sighing a lot lately." Asked Gray, he was turning his head towards her with a worried expression gracing his face. She felt her heart speed up at the tender look in his usually cold and sarcastic eyes. Once uncaring, now full of worry for her. She felt herself smile, maybe it was time to just state it bluntly.
"I was just thinking about my companions. You especially, Gray. You were my first friend from Fairy Tail, you realize that? Natsu hadn't arrived yet and the others were too scared or too nervous to approach me. It made me feel warmth in my heart when you had sat with me by the river. I never thanked you, did I?" He blinked before crossing his arms with an embarrassed scowl.
"Tch, never expected you to. You were crying and I don't like seeing girls cry is all." Erza noticed his ears tainted red and she let her mind wander. Maybe her feelings weren't unrequited after all. Maybe she had a chance. Hope filled her entire body as she let out something she doesn't let out often. A small girly giggle. She would usually just chuckle, but she could make an exception for the man beside her.
He stiffened upon hearing her giggle, which made her giggle more. "You're cute when you're embarrassed." She grinned widely and scooted closer to him on instinct. He was about to say something else when they heard an interruption.
"Jeez guys. I sleep for twenty minutes and you two are already flirting it up. I don't even have dragon slayer powers, but I can smell the sexual tension a mile away." Lucy opened an eye and smirked. Gray made a sound of shock while Erza just felt her eyes widen. How did she not sense Lucy awake. She was just so engrossed with her conversation with Gray, she didn't notice a thing.
"Lucy!" Gray yelled and leaned forward while Erza just glared at her. Instead of being scared, Lucy just laughed. She ran her fingers through Natsu's hair. He was still sleeping soundly.
"You two tease me and Natsu all the time. I just want some payback." Erza realized she did have a point and decided to stay quiet. Gray must of thought the same thing because he slumped back in his sleep and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly, the train stopped which made everyone jerk forward. Natsu fell off the seat with a thump and woke up and looked around tiredly.
"Why'd ya push me off Luce? I was sleeping." She grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him up with mild difficulties. She huffed and rolled her eyes.
"I didn't, Natsu. The train stopped and you flew off." He just rubbed his head and nodded. They all quickly got off the train and looked at their surroundings. It was very lively. People constantly moving, bumping into each other. Others arguing and a lot of traffic.
"I've never seen so many magic vehicles in one place." Erza said. They were mostly like taxis since most people weren't mages. They had mages drive for them, getting them to wherever they wanted to go. The four mages watched in all as they heard multiple honks of the horns around them.
"Well, the house were babysitting at is just a couple blocks away. We should just walk since if he took a vehicle, it would be at least an hour." Lucy mumbled. Everyone nodded, agreeing with her. Erza had brought a map and directed them all towards the house. During their walking, they were bumped into, cussed at, and multiple men and women cat called at them. It's like they've never seen attractive people before.
"Wow, look at the black haired one! He's so hot, especially since he has no shirt on." A girl giggled to her two other friends. Gray felt his ego flare up, but then realized that they said he had no shirt on. He cussed to himself and found his shirt in a nearby bush. Putting it on, he happened to glace at Erza. She held the map in a tight grip, bearing her teeth in anger. The map's sides crumbled under her armored hand.
He felt him stare at her in bewilderment. Why was she so angry? Was it because of what those girls say? That's when she started to get angry anyway. Hope flickered throughout his body, each time he observed her, he found out more and more that she held some sort of attraction towards him. He was pretty sure she was jealous just then. He then turned his attention to Lucy. She had the same expression as Erza as more women walked by talking about Natsu. He chuckled and shook his head. How clueless are they?
They finally made it after many twists and turns. They stopped in front of a particularly big house, but it wasn't quite a mansion. A butler was standing in front of the two big doors, he watched as they all made their way to him. "Excuse me?" Lucy had asked him. When he got a good look at her, his eyes widened and a smile graced his seemingly serious face.
"Is that you, miss Heartfilia? I'm not sure if you remember me but I used to serve your father when you were younger. My, how much you've grown. You're absolutely beautiful." He bowed and kissed her hand. He was slightly shorter than Gray and looked to be in his sixties. Lucy gasped when she finally noticed him. She hugged him, confusing everyone else.
"Oh, Mr. Bristol! It's been so long since, I remember you leaving after my mother passed." He looked away, guilty.
"I apologize for that, miss Heartfilia. Your mother and I were close and I needed time to mourn her death. But when I came back, I couldn't stand the atmosphere and i had to leave. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you while you were mourned, it was selfish of me. I then heard of your father's passing and it just tore my heart to shreds. I hope you can forgive me." Her eyes held tears and she embraced him once more.
"I never blamed you. Not once. You knew her even before I was born so it must have been incredibly hard when you watched her die. I'm just happy you found work, and I'm also glad that we're able to meet again." Pink tinted his wrinkled cheeks and he smiled at her kindness. He reminded her of a taller Makarov, with his bushy mustache and how his haired thinned towards the top, but got thicker towards the sides of his head. He always held a kind look in his eye.
"Speaking of, why are you here? I would of never expected you to show up here, with company no less." He finally glanced around at the rest of her crew. Lucy just laughed and held up her right hand, where her guild mark was placed. He looked at it in shock. ''Y-You're from..."
"Yup, I'm a Fairy Tail mage. My dream had finally come true, the dream i told you so much about. I'm a mage now, so much more powerful than I was when I left my father's home," She pointed to Gray, Natsu, and Erza. "These are my close friends. Gray, Erza, And Natsu. We're the mages than came here for the babysitting gig." Mr. Bristol just chuckled and opened the door and let them all in.
"I expect nothing less from Layla's daughter. She would be proud of you. I can sense how much stronger you've grown." Lucy smirked from ear to ear as he led them to the living room. He suddenly stopped smiling when facing his mistress.
"Lady Kimiko, the mages from Fairy Tail have arrived to babysit master Aki." The women looked to be in her thirties. Her hair was black, slicked back so that her bangs didn't touch her forehead. Her hair reached the middle of her back as it curled towards the end. She wore a business outfit and she typed away on her phone for a moment.
"Very good." paused and looked up at the mages with indifference. "You four will watch my ten year old son while Bristol and I go to a very important meeting. I don't want to be disturbed by anything, so I don't want any calls being made while I'm at this meeting."
"What if he's hurt?" Lucy asked, crossing her arms while glaring towards the woman.
"That shouldn't happen while four mages are watching him. But if it does, call for medical assistance and you tell me after I get home." Every member grew angry at her attitude but decided against speaking out. "Aki, get down here!" She yelled up the stairs. They heard noises before they watched an irritated boy emerge from his room and stock down the stairs. Hands deep in his pockets.
"What?"
"These are the mages I told you about. Behave yourself, I'll be back in a few hours and have Bristol take you to bed. Try not to scare away these mages this time, I don't want to have to come home early from a meeting because they ran right out of this house." She pat his head and walked away without any other word, Mr. Bristol following suit. Lucy pulled him into a hug for a split second and bid him goodbye. The door was slammed shut, leaving just them and this boy.
"So, what would you like to-"
"I want to play a game." Gray furrowed his brows and glanced towards Erza in confusion. She just shurgged and turned back to the boy. He had a mischievous smile plastering his face, making everyone shudder. "It's kinda like tag. Except I'm always it and I'll be chasing you with," He paused, running up stairs quickly for a moment before coming back down with a particularly big sling shot with particularly big rocks in his hands. "This."
"Uhh, kid, i don't think-" Gray started, but was interrupted.
"Do what I say or I'll tell my mom you treated me horribly. You won't get your reward if that happens." Gray shut his mouth, but was very conflicted. This kid literally looked like the devil right now. Natsu just pumped up his fist.
"Alright! I'm fired up now!" Aki just cackled and counted to three before telling everyone to run, giving them a ten second head start before he ran after them. Gray and Erza ran in the same direction, she had suggested they team up. She guessed that Natsu an Lucy teamed up as well, since he grabbed her wrist and dragged her away.
"What do you suggest we do?" Gray panted, putting his hands on his knees. They weren't allowed to go outside (it was considered cheating). Their house was huge, they ran from room to room and made sure not to break anything, which tired him out.
"This boy will be relentless, I can see it in his eyes. I feel that once he sees us, he won't cease his firing." She analyzed, making him sweat drop. She was taking this way too seriously. "Our only way for survival is to hide. Follow me, I'll find us a good hiding spot." He just crossed his arms and followed her as she went from hall to hall. Before starting the game, she changed out of her armor to move quicker. She now wore running shorts and tank top.
On the tank, a cross was placed on the right side of her chest. It looked an awful lot like the cross necklace he wears. He then remembered one of his fangirls wearing that shirt, telling him all about how they matched now that she the cross on her shirt. He felt a wide smirk crawl it's way on his lips. Did she think he wouldn't notice his own necklace stitched on a shirt.
"Nice shirt, Erza. I really like the cross. Reminds me of something, but I just can't place it..." He felt his pride swell as she tensed up. Erza looked down and realized what she wore. She didn't register that she picked out the shirt, it was just comfortable and easy to run in! She didn't mean to wear this in public, let alone in front of Gray! She panicked and felt her face become as red as her hair.
"Uh, it's not what it looks like! I swear, I have tons of shirts with my comrades on them. It strengthens my bonds with them." She lied. The only other shirt that was a symbol associated with another guild mate was a pajama shirt with Lily, Carla, and happy on it. She thought it was incredibly cute with all the exceeds from Fairy Tail on one shirt and she just had to buy this
She didn't mean to pick that specific shirt out. She was looking around at the guild's merchandise shop and she saw it lying there. She was lucky that no one was there and when she brought it to Max, he had asked why she chose it. She just said it was a gift for juvia, he believed her instantly. She just admired Gray's necklace, she told herself when she bought it. She was still oblivous to her own feelings.
Gray just grinned, feeling bold, he placed a hand on her head. "Mhm, sure." She was about to give him a piece of her mind when they heard a high voice, one of a little boy's.
"I hear you, you can't run forever! I already took out the pink haired dolt and his girlfriend." Gray and Erza felt sweat nip at their forehead, looking for a quick hiding place. The kid was good if he already caught Natsu and Lucy. Gray took Erza's hand and glided her up the stairs into Aki's room. He never said it was off limits. He heard hasty footsteps follow them. He panicked as the footsteps ran up the stairs, getting closer to them
He glanced at the boy's closet and sighed in irritation. If some cliche shit happens in here, I swear, He thought as he crammed himself and Erza in the closet. For such a big house, the kid had a small closet. He heard a girly squeak leave Erza's mouth as her chest pushed up against him. His cheeks flared as he thought about how cute she sounded. "Good thinking, Gray." She said as she shifted. The way she squirmed, made him insanely uncomfortable.
"Would you stop moving!" If she moved anymore, he was sure we wouldn't have any dignity left. She just sighed and stopped.
"I apologize, but it's just getting hot. The tight space is constricting." He placed a hand on her back and another one on her shoulder. He made his hands go cold as he used his maker magic. She sighed in content and thanked him.
"I know you're in here." They heard the little boy state. He walked around his own room and looked in various places. Under the bed, behind his vanity. Just as he was about to open the closet, he heard a noise come from another room. He laughed and ran out, making both Erza and Gray release a breath they didn't know they were holding. They suddenly looked at each other and laughed. Once they stopped, Erza shifted her eyes to his own. Her eyes went half lidded as she moved her gaze to his lips for a moment before flickering her eyes back to his.
He watched this with shock, but he hid it well. He felt nervous all of a sudden. He wanted to kiss her, to feel her lips on his own. He had wanted this for a while now, but this time he was going to finally get the courage and just kiss her. That's why he was nervous, he was afraid of her reaction. Would she kiss back, push him away, or beat him to a pulp? It was always a mystery with the requip mage. The way she looked at his lips told him she wouldn't be so against it though.
He felt his eyelids start to drop, his hands finding it's way to her hips. He leaned in and watched her close her eyes completely, doing the same. He couldn't believe it, the girl he loved since he was child was going to let him kiss her. She wanted this just as much as he did. He grinned and leaned down farther, but the closet door bursted open before he was able to even touch her lips.
He squinted at the bright light and felt Erza push him back quickly, something he was sure Lucy would do in the same situation. He blinked before realizing it was Natsu and Lucy who barged in on their romantic moment. He grew irritated at both of them, he glared at Natsu.
"What's the big idea, flame brain?"
"The kid wants to play a different game and told me and Luce to find you and Erza. Turns out you two were being weird in the closet." Erza's eyes went wide and she smacked Natsu. Lucy gasped and kneeled down to the dazed dragon slayer.
"Idiot, that's what ya get for saying something stupid to Erza. You should know by now, tsk tsk" She waved a finger in front of his face in a scolding manner. He just groaned for her to keep quiet, which made her giggle. Gray had watched as Erza didn't look at him, her ears were as red as his own. "By the way," Lucy stood and crossed her arms and gave Gray a skeptical look. "What were you two doing in the closet?"
"We were hiding from the kid. He was about to find us so I found the only hiding spot I could in under ten seconds. I was in a rush." She nodded and sighed.
"Yeah, me and Natsu hid under the sink and like the idiot Natsu is, he fell out and landed right below Aki. I knew I should of done it on my own." Natsu stood and curled his arm around her shoulder, smiling at her like he didn't just get wacked by Erza.
"You don't mean that. Besides..." Gray watched as he smirked and whispered something in Lucy's ear, making her blush and push his arms away. She muttered something along the lines of 'idiot' before leaving to go back downstairs. Natsu smirked and just followed close behind her, whispering something else in her ear, Gray and Erza couldn't hear a word. That's when Erza finally decided to look at him. He just smiled and pointed to the direction of Natsu and Lucy.
"Wanna catch up?" She nodded with her own smile and they walked down the stairs, both deep in thought. They caught up to Natsu and Lucy, finding that Natsu was still busy whispering in her ear with a mischievous smirk. Her whole face went crimson. Gray was confused, Natsu was probably just teasing her? He honestly didn't know what went through the pyro's mind. They watched as the little boy they were babysitting had his arms crossed with a scwol.
"Took you long enough. I thought the famous salamader was better than this." Gray watched Natsu's hand twitch, but said nothing. Aki suddenly clapped. "I'm hungry, make me some food blondie." Lucy frowned and crouched down to his height before grabbing his ear and pulling on it. "Ow ow ow! What's your deal?!"
She let him go and scowled. "I know why're acting the way you are and I'm telling you right now, acting like a brat won't gain you any attention from your parents."
"Parent," he corrected. "My dad died." She gave him a sad smile before sitting next to him, stroking his black hair, making him look up at Lucy with a blush.
"I know all too well what it's like having a parent who's a workaholic and growing up without another parent. I know what it's like not getting attention and feeling lonely. I know what it's like to act bratty to gain their attention, getting frustrated when it doesn't work out. Let me tell you something right now, I was never grateful to my maids and butlers raising me and treating me like their own. Mr. Bristol is a wonderful man and I would charish his company as long as you can, Aki. Because once they're gone, you'll really find out what it's like to be lonely." Aki sat quietly for a moment before standing on the couch and wrapping his tiny are around her neck with a sob.
She pat his back with in a soothing manner, grinning as he placed his head in her neck. "I-I'm sorry, Lucy-san! I'm sorry Lucy-san's friends!" Gray, Erza, and Natsu looked at each other before Gray just grinned and held his thumb up.
"Don't sweat it kid, I understand why you did it." He kept crying for a couple minutes before wiping his tears and sitting down again.
"I wanna play house." He said quietly. Lucy laughed and pat his head and nodded. He smiled and hugged her, his face going pink.
"Lucy-san can be my mama! Guy with black hair and girl with red hair will be my uncle and aunt and the pink haired guy will be my," he paused and placed a finger on his chin in thought. "Oh! He'll be the horse. C'mon Mr. Horsey, let's ride!" Natsu groaned, but did what he was told.
"Not again!" He groaned as Everyone laughed.
...
"Thank you for taking care of my son. This is the first time he's ever loved his babysitters. He also said he would like a Lucy to come back next time I need a babysitter." The woman darted between Erza and Lucy, confused on who was actually Lucy. Lucy stepped foward and placed a hand on her hip.
"Yeah, I'll come back anytime for him. You really have yourself a great son, he's a delight to be around." Kimiko finally put down her phone and looked at Lucy before looking back at her son. She felt a sad smile tug at her lips.
"He hates me, I don't spend any time with him anymore. I just simply don't have time, I'm the only income. His father died in a car crash three years ago. He's still bitter about his death and he feels I've abandoned him. I know that I don't look like it, but I love him and want the best for him." Lucy nodded and placed a hand on Aki's mother's shoulder.
"It's non of my business, but if you want the best for him, then spend some time with him. He needs motherly support in his life. Some kids could only dream of having a mother by their side." Kimiko must of gotten what Lucy meant and mumbled a small 'sorry' to her. Lucy only shook her head.
"Maybe I can have Bristol help me with some of my work." Kimiko said.
"He would love to help you if it means you spend your time with Aki. He used to be my butler, and he was the best there was. He's a great man and a kind soul." Lucy looked at the clock behind kimiko's head and sighed. It was passed five o'clock "I have to go now, tell Aki and Bristol i said my goodbyes and that I hope to see them again soon." Kimiko just handed them the jewels and watched as they turned off her street.
They found their way to the train station and they got on without saying a word. Gray was still thinking about what had happened with Erza. He watched Erza from the corner of his eye. She turned to him and placed a hand on his.
"I need to speak with you after we get to Magnolia." He was so memorized with her gaze that he just nodded, not noticing the smile Lucy had. She had laid Natsu in her head again, he just groaned and pointed at both Gray and Erza.
"You two are gross."
"Oh yeah, dragon breath? Say that to my face again!" Lucy and Erza rolled their eyes as the boys started their petty squabble. The train ride wasn't very long and once they made it back to magnolia, Lucy and Natsu split off to go back to Lucy's apartment. Much to Lucy's displeasure. This left only Erza and Gray. Gray rubbed the back of his head in awkwardness.
"Would you like to take a walk? I need to tell you something." She looked away from him with a blush dusting her cheeks. He thought it was cute and agreed to walk with her silently. They started to walk along the river, coming up to their destination. It was a field, cherry blossoms decorating trees and the ground. Gray didn't use this word often, but he found the scenery beautiful.
"What did you want to tell me?" He turned his body to her and looked down at her. She was only a few inches shorter, but he thought it was cute anyway. He saw her figit, much like what Lucy would do. When had she started copying Lucy? "Y'know, you're acting like Lucy. It's not like you. Just be yourself and you won't be so nervous."
"But, don't you think I act too manly?" She wasn't exactly insecure about her acting unlike a normal girl, but in situations like these, the cute shy girl always wins the guys heart right? Well, that's what she read in those books levy lent her. The girl would confess and act shy, the guy would accept and kiss her and then things would get...steamy.
"Nah, it's just the way you are. I think it's weird when you act like Lucy." She was pulled out of her M-rated thoughts by his words. This is one of the reasons she fell for him. He accepted her as she was and wasn't weirded out by her power. "I mean, it's cute when you act shy and stuff but- wait, did I say that out loud. Shit-" She laughed and grinned at him.
"Thank you, Gray. I'm happy you feel that way." He just ran a hand through his hair, getting nervous. "Anyway," she went on. "I know that you love another woman, but I can't keep these feelings to myself anymore."
"Wait-"
"Let me finish," she silenced him and looked for the words to go on. "You were the one that stayed by my side as I cried. Even though you were a jerk at first, i was excited i could talk to someone. It would get lonely being alone all the time. I wore armor to conceal my heart from getting broken, but you came and convinced me that I could go on without armor. That I don't need to use armor to feel safe anymore because i have Fairy Tail to do that for me. I will admit that for a while i busied myself with thoughts of jellal, that I forgot the man that right beside me. But after thinking about it for quite some time, I've realized that you were the one that made me who I am today and I'm grateful."
"Erza-"
"Gray, I know that you have feelings for another woman. I just wanted to tell you this so that I can move on. Gray Fullbuster," she stood tall and confident before finishing hee sentence. "I, Erza Scarlet, am in love with you!" Gray felt the whole world stop as he saw a lone tear stroll down her cheek. He had unintentionally made her cry, thinking that he was in love with someone else. His heart felt like his own magic was trying to freeze it, but his rapid heartbeat was stopping it from freezing over.
He was happy. Erza Scarlet, Titania, was in love with him. He felt like he won an unknown battle against Jellal. He was the one that captured her heart, not him. Erza waited for his answer patiently as she wiped the tear that rolled down her face. He was usually cold, always looking uninterested but he smile just like Natsu. It was wide and it stretched across his face. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest with a laugh.
"Huh?"
"It's a good thing you feel the same way. If you didn't, I would of probably done something we would of both regretted." He whispered, his voice getting husky. She cranked her neck up to him with wide eyes.
"Feel the same way? Do- Do you love me too." Much like Natsu, he wasn't so good with words. All he did was nod and smile wider. If that was possible. Erza looked down and smiled with him, it was watery. Gray sighed happily, she could be such a girl sometimes. He placed a hand on her waist and used his other to tilt her chin to look at him, he brushed away the hair that was in front of her artificial eye.
"There..." He mumbled and started to lean forward. Feeling déjà vu from earlier events in the closet, he made sure there was no interruptions this time. Erza closed her eyes once more and leaned up. He knew it was cliche, but he felt the fireworks when their lips collided. They molded against each other perfectly, their kiss falling into sync. Erza reluctantly pulled away and coughed awkwardly. It made Gray smirk.
"So now what?" Gray just shrugged and let her go, but clasped her hand.
"I guess I'd be dating the famous Erza Scarlet." Erza blushed and squeezed his hands shyly, but firmly. Gray thought that was just simply Erza.
"I'm so happy..." Erza smiled. They started to walk back to the guild. They weren't ones to keep a secret like this so they thought they would just inform the guild. They finally made it there in a comfortable silent twenty minutes. Erza slammed open the guild doors with confidence.
"Jeez, Erza..." Gray chuckled.
"I have an announcement!"
That's the end. Like I said before, I love Gruvia and Jerza. How could I not? They're just so cute together but I hold a huge place in my heart for Grayza that I can't just ignore. I don't appreciate hate on a fic just because of the pairing so if you're thinking about typing up some hate review, just don't because it's unnecessary and unwanted.
