Before reading, I just want to clarify that this is a rewrite of the story 'Gray and Lucy' that was posted on my other profile, ScarletteRomance. That version was not written to my liking and was uploaded with haste. So, with consideration to the amount of praise I received on it, I decided to create a new version of the story on my new account that would live up to a reader's expectations (as well as my own). This version follows the same plot, but is written significantly better with more detail, added scenes, and I will possibly continue to update it counting on the response I receive.
I want to thank all of my readers for the support and I sincerely encourage you to leave me a review, letting me know what you think (whether your opinion is good or bad, I would still like to know). It's the comments and support from my readers that encourage me to write, so thank you and enjoy!
Lucy shivered as a frigid gust of wind rolled in from the sea and throughout the narrow, winding streets of Magnolia.
Though her body reacted to the crisp, night air, her mind hardly registered the quick decrease in temperature as the sun disappeared over the city's western horizon. Instead, her concentration was solely focused on the unbearable ache that, over the past few months, had managed to burrow itself inside of her chest. It worked its way through her body like a chill; icy despair intertwining with the blood coursing through her veins.
Lucy was painfully aware of what, or rather who, was to blame for her anguish, and tried her damned well hardest not to think about it. She knew that if she let the countless thoughts she had about her best friend surface, she would surely break down in the middle of the street, and that was definitely not something she wanted anyone to witness. It was bad enough that the entire guild knew about her dilemma - she didn't need the rest of Magnolia prying into her private life as well.
Mavis only knew how quickly gossip spread in this town.
Vaguely aware of her surroundings, Lucy's main focus was to get as far away from the guild as possible. Keeping her head cast downward, the glow cascading from the street lamps upon the cobblestone beneath her feet acted as her guild while she wandered farther and farther away from the guild - farther and farther away from him.
Natsu . . . The mere thought of his name had tears springing to her eyes.
Before Lucy could catch her breath, he had stolen it away. With his quirky smile, infectious laughter, and never-ending compassion, her heart had become ensnared by the Fire Dragon Slayer. The realization of her feelings had crashed down upon her hard and without warning, much like the realization that from then on, only he had the power to determine whether or not her heart broke.
Natsu - the boy who destroyed entire cities without even trying - held her fragile heart within his clumsy, flame-consumed hands. That thought alone was enough to make Lucy cringe, but in the end, there was nothing she could do about it.
After all, you don't get to choose who you fall in love with.
Like many times in the past, Lucy found herself wondering if Natsu really was as dense as he appeared to be. For a boy who had the ability to utilize senses similar to that of a dragon, he was painfully oblivious to what was right in front of him. It wasn't like she hid the way she felt. In fact, she was quite obvious about it. She openly flirted with him, wore provocative clothing, and even went so far as to say she loved him, to which he would reply something along the lines of her being a weirdo.
Why couldn't he just notice her?
Frustrated with herself, along with Natsu's flagrant disregard for her feelings, Lucy felt her heart sink into her stomach, unshed tears from earlier now spilling from her eyes and down her rosy cheeks. Overcome with the realization that anything even remotely romantic happening between herself and Natsu was never going to happen, she dragged herself over to a bench that overlooked the Magnolian canal and began to sob.
Unable to control her thoughts any longer, memories from earlier that night began to surface in Lucy's mind.
Natsu and Lisanna walking into the guild together - holding hands - laughing - merrily making their way throughout the room, announcing their new relationship.
The news was so sudden that it had everyone in the guild, Lucy especially, gawking at the pair as if they'd each grown an extra head. "Oh, dear," Mira had said quietly. From her seat at the bar, Lucy could only stare at the couple, feeling completely humiliated as her friends glanced at her with pity in their eyes. She felt pathetic, and she was sure some of her comrades thought that that was exactly what she was.
The situation had hurt Lucy in more ways than one. She was supposed to be his best friend. Why hadn't she know about his feelings for the youngest Strauss sibling?
In the end, it was Lisanna, and not Natsu, that pushed Lucy over the edge. When her gaze had fallen on the heartbroken girl, a sly yet subtle grin had spread across her delicate features, her aura brimming with confidence and pride. Her blue eyes held no hint of apology in them as she latched onto Natsu as if he was some sort of trophy.
Her message was clear. I win.
Unable to watch any longer, Lucy paid Mira for her hardly touched supper, grabbed her bag, and made a speed exit through one of the guild's side doors. Faintly, she could hear Happy calling her name, but she ignored the little, blue Exceed. She knew that if she had stayed at the guild, she would have said or done something she'd regret, and the last thing she wanted to do was start senseless drama.
Deep down, she wanted to be happy for her two comrades. She wanted to push aside her jealousy and mean it when she congratulated them. One day, she would be able to do it. It would hurt, but she would be strong for Natsu, because no matter what, he would always be her best friend. She refused to let her selfish desires get in the way of his happiness.
With that line of thought, Lucy began to calm down, her tears drying up and the ache in her chest lessening slightly. Getting over Natsu was going to be hard, but she knew that she wasn't going to have to do it alone. With her friends by her side, she could accomplish anything.
Reclining her head against the back of the bench, the wide expanse of the night sky greeted Lucy like a long lost friend. It offered her a familiar sense of comfort, reminding her of times when she would go star-gazing with her mother as a child. A heavy weight lifted off of her chest, and for the first time that night, she felt like she could finally breathe.
Suddenly, a shooting star darted across the blackness above her. Lucy's smile widened, a warmth blooming in her chest and expanding throughout her body. "I hope someone's wish comes true," she spoke softly. If her hopes and dreams couldn't come true, she prayed there was at least one person out there who would get everything they ever wanted.
"What did you wish for?" a voice inquired, the owner's identity unmistakably belonging to Gray Fullbuster. Had it been anyone else, Lucy wouldn't have hesitated to voice her displeasure regarding their presence, but this was Gray, and surprising even herself, she found his company oddly comforting.
Tilting her head to the side in order to acknowledge him, she watched his brow furrow in concern as his eyes raked over her face. She could only imagine how terrible she looked, considering she'd spent the last few minutes bawling her eyes out.
Smiling sadly at him, she motioned for him to sit before returning her gaze to the sky once again. "I didn't wish for anything," she said in response to his question.
Gently, Gray bumped her shoulder with his own as he took a seat, his soft smile reassuring Lucy in a way she hadn't even realize she needed. Briefly, she wondered how he was able to do that so easily - how he was able to comfort her in the precise way she needed. She supposed it was because he knew her better than anyone else.
Gray was the only one who knew the full extent of her feelings for Natsu. He was the only one she trusted enough to tell. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about telling Erza or Levy - because she did think about telling them a lot - it had more to do with the fact that each had their own individual issues to deal with. With her hit-first-ask-questions-later personality, Erza would have crucified Natsu before Lucy could even finish telling her the whole story. And Levy, well, she had her own Dragon Slayer to deal with.
And although Gray didn't offer much in the form of advice, his shoulder was always there for her to cry on, and he was always willing to listen. And really, that was all Lucy needed.
Jolting her from her thoughts, Gray draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side. For several minutes she said nothing, sitting uncomfortably tense as he began to glide his hand up and down her arm, creating the friction needed to warm up her bare skin. It was then that she noticed just how cold she'd been, and a violent, involuntary shiver racked through her entire body.
"Come on," Gray chuckled, standing up and offering his hand to her. "You can crash at my place. That stupid flame spewer mentioned something about waiting for you at your apartment, and I'm guessing that he's the last person you want to see right now. Plus, it's freezing, and my house is only five minutes away."
Lucy nodded in agreement before taking his offered hand and rising from the bench. She flushed with embarrassment when Gray stripped off his sweater and pulled it over her head, the hem falling well past the edge of her shorts. "Thanks," she said softly.
Gray studied her for a few moments before turning around and saying, "Hop on."
Confused, Lucy stared at his back. "What?"
"You're in no condition to be walking around. You look like you're about to collapse from exhaustion. So hop on, I'll carry you to my place."
Lucy didn't feel like arguing, so she did what he wanted and hopped onto his back, wrapping her arms securely around his neck and her legs around his waist. She found herself holding him tighter than necessary; an attempt to express her gratitude. She could always depend on Gray, no matter what. Whether it was during a fight or if she simply needed a friend, he would always be there for her.
Gray's house rested just inside the forest on the eastern border of Magnolia. It was a small, consisting of only one floor that held a small bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. It wasn't much, but for Gray, it was home.
Before Lucy knew it, they had arrived, but she remained attached to his back until the front door was securely shut behind them and the warmth coming from the fireplace reminded her that there was no need for him to carry her any more. Both remained silent as her feet touched the ground and she followed him into the bedroom, watching patiently as he rummaged through a drawer before turning around and handing her a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. "You can sleep in these," he said, then proceeded to exit his bedroom, shutting the door behind him in order to give Lucy some privacy.
When she finished changing, she exited the room and found Gray making a bed for himself on the couch. Without really thinking, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms securely around his waist, resting her forehead between his shoulder blades. He was tense for a moment before turning around in her grip and wrapping his arms around her. Normally they weren't this touchy, but she knew Gray wouldn't object to her embrace, so she held on tightly. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked, his voice muffled by her hair.
Lucy sniffled. "I don't know what to do any more."
Gray's body tensed around her. "I hate seeing you like this because of that moron," he hissed through gritted teeth. "You don't deserve to feel like this. You should be with someone who makes you smile and makes you feel like you're the most important thing in the world. That idiot can't even manage to get full payment for a job because he's too careless."
Lucy remained silent. Things were already tense enough between Gray and Natsu. The last thing she wanted to do was add fuel to the fire. "It's my fault," she mumbled. "If Natsu doesn't like me like that then there's not much I can do about it."
Gray sighed. "I know. I just wish he didn't have to rub it in your face like that, even if its unintentional."
Lucy nodded into his chest.
"Come on, lets get you to bed. Erza mentioned something about going on a job tomorrow."
Great, Lucy thought, days on the road with Wendy, Gray, Erza, Happy and Natsu.
Numbly, Lucy let Gray lead her into the bedroom and tuck her into his bed. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before mumbling a goodnight and turning to leave. He was about to walk away when Lucy reached out to grab his pant leg. "You can stay in here . . . with me . . . if you want." Embarrassed beyond belief, she hid her face in the pillow, which smelt of Gray's cologne. Truth was, she didn't want to be alone, but if he asked, she'd probably sputter something about it being his house and how he should be able to sleep in his own bed.
"You sure?" he asked. Lucy nodded, and almost instantly she could hear the sound of his belt undoing before heavy fabric fell to the floor. She peaked at him through one eye, blushing furiously as he lifted his shirt over his head and discarded it somewhere across the room.
There was absolutely no denying that Gray Fullbuster had a body worth drooling over.
As he reached for the covers, Lucy moved until she was against the wall, creating an acceptable amount of space between them, but her efforts proved to be pointless as Gray slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. She tensed, having never been so intimate with Gray, but it wasn't before long that the steady sound of his breathing lulled her into a deep and dreamless sleep.
Several hours later, Lucy woke up when she felt something soft and cool press against her temple. Curious, she kept her eyes closed and frowned when the pressure moved across her face, skimming over her forehead before gliding down her cheek, over her nose, and down to her chin before disappearing completely.
Lucy stirred, slowly opening her eyes and widening them in surprise when she noticed Gray hovering closely over her. He looked conflicted, but his eyes bore into her own with an intensity that had her toes curling with unease. "Gray?" she whispered. "Is something wrong?"
Looking uncharacteristically distressed, Gray's expression collapsed with an exhale and he rested his forehead against her own. "You were crying in your sleep," he mumbled, his face so close she could feel his cool breath on her lips.
"Oh," she replied. Had she really been crying? She couldn't even remember what she had been dreaming about.
"I want to help you forget him," he whispered, causing Lucy's heart to twinge inside of her chest. "Will you let me?"
A million thoughts began running through her head all at once. Was he serious? What did he even mean by that? Why was he so close? Did he kiss her? What time is it? Is this a dream? Why is he acting so weird?
Lucy opened her mouth in an attempt to voice her questions, but it was in that moment that Gray's head descended and his lips pressed against her own. It was soft, gentle, and took Lucy completely by surprise. Definitely not a dream. She squeaked, and almost instantly he pulled away, his mouth opening and closing and his face flushing a deep shade of scarlet, so unlike him. "L-Lucy," he stammered, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was -."
He didn't get to finish his sentence, however, because Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face to her's. When her lips began to move in languid strokes against his, a warmth bloomed in her chest and spread throughout her body. It felt so good to be kissed and she wasn't about to let this opportunity (whatever it was) go to waste.
Lucy trusted Gray more than anyone. She wasn't exactly sure what this mean't to either of them, but it hardly mattered. Even if Gray was just looking to get laid she realized she wouldn't really mind. They were both consenting adults, and more importantly than that, they were best friends. She had faith that even if this led to where she thought it would, their relationship would still remain solid.
Gray's lips were softer than Lucy thought they'd be. Their kiss was gentle and delicate as Lucy's hand travelled over the bare flesh of his arm and neck before tangling into his messy raven hair and tugging him closer. His tongue traced the length of her bottom lip and all rational thought left her, all logic replaced with a burning desire to get him closer. She shivered as his hand hooked behind her neck and tilted her head in order to kiss her more deeply, his tongue slipping inside of her mouth. Loving touches and caresses graced her body and on instinct, she arched against him, the sincerity of his embrace pulling her in.
He shifted so that his legs crossed over her own, then promptly pulled back in order to move the blankets off of them and shove them off of the edge of the bed. When he settled on top of her, his kisses became more passionate. He wasn't holding back any more, and Lucy loved it.
Her hands travelled over every inch of his exposed chest. She revelled in the way his muscles tensed and clenched beneath her hands and she shivered as his own hand slipped under her shirt and began rubbing small circles over her ribcage. "You look so sexy wearing my clothes," he whispered against her lips. His words sent a jolt of desire pulsing through her veins and she pulled him into a hard kiss - tongues battling for dominance, teeth crashing together, bodies writhing against each other.
Gray's mouth broke from her's, but it didn't leave her skin. Instead, he trailed kisses along her jaw, pausing to suck at the sensitive spot behind her ear, then travelled down her neck, licking and nuzzling the flushed skin. She was acutely aware of his hand steadily pushing up her shirt and he looked to Lucy for confirmation before gently lifting it up and over her head.
She hadn't worn a bra to bed, so her chest was now completely exposed to him. It was true that he'd seen her naked before (much to Lucy's dismay) but it was never in a situation like this, where he had the opportunity to properly look and explore. She couldn't tell whether she was excited or nervous. But she certainly was embarrassed.
Noticing her apprehension, Gray kissed her, using action instead of words to reassure her. She smiled against his lips and he smiled back before pulling away to trail kisses all over her chest, not stopping until his mouth found one of her nipples. Lucy gasped as a jolt of pleasure shot straight to her core.
For a brief moment she tried to imagine that it was Natsu she was doing this with, but her subconscious screamed at her, telling her that it was Gray who was kissing her with such passion, that it was Gray who was touching her as if he wanted to memorise every curve, that it was Gray who was making her entire body tingle, causing warmth to spread through her system like a wildfire.
Her thoughts turned fuzzy when Gray began to kneed her left breast while he sucked mercilessly on the nipple of her right. Only when each of her nipples had hardened into pebbles under his palms did he relent his attack, and by the time he was done, the ache between Lucy's legs was too prominent to ignore any longer.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when she felt his hardness press against the inside of her thigh. Their lips found each other in the dark with ease, their kiss tender yet passionate. When Lucy ground her hips against his, they both groaned against each other.
When Gray's hand found the waistband of the shorts she was wearing, she didn't hesitate to lift her hips off of the bed. He leaned back on his heels as he pulled the shorts off her legs, taking his time to admire every inch of her newly exposed skin. His gaze was hungry as his hands travelled in a feather light caress along her thighs before stopping at her lacy, black underwear (which he growled approvingly of). His thumbs began to massage the groove her her hips as he looked up to meet her gaze. "Are you sure, Lucy?" he asked, his voice husky and sending a fresh wave of arousal straight to her core.
There would be no going back after this, she knew. Their relationship would change. They'd still be friends, and they probably wouldn't tell anyone about this night, but things would still be different. They'd have shared something together that neither of them (or at least, that's what Lucy assumed on behalf of Gray) had shared with another member of their team.
Oddly enough, Lucy found herself admitting that she would be completely fine if things ended up different between them. She wouldn't lose him as a friend. Quite the opposite in fact. She'd have a special bond with Gray, one that only they alone would share.
And that's why Lucy nodded her head in affirmation to his question.
Hooking his fingers into the band of her panties, he pulled them down her legs slowly, unhurried, and his patience (or perhaps he was teasing) nearly drove Lucy mad. When he finally settled between her legs, she moaned into his mouth as he kissed her with everything he had in him, leaving no room to doubt what was about to happen between them.
He pulled back, only to move his lips against the shell of her ear. "I need to be inside you, Lucy," he whispered before nibbling on the lobe. The suggestive comment, as well as the way he said her name, caused her grip on his solid back to tighten, nails digging into his skin before travelling down to his boxers, urging him to rid himself of the offending fabric.
In only a matter of seconds Gray was pressed up against her, and for the first time since meeting him, she was actually thankful for his unique stripping habit that allowed him to undress so quickly.
When his member rubbed against her core, Lucy couldn't hold back a moan as she ground her hips against his, desperate to create any amount of friction that would ease the ache between her thighs. She spread her legs wider, inviting him to enter her.
She knew she could back out right now if she wanted to. Gray wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge over something like that. But stopping was the last thing on her mind. The way he looked at her, as if she was the only girl he'd ever truly seen, made her confident that what they were about to do was the farthest thing from being a mistake.
And if he didn't stop teasing her and get on with it in the next ten seconds, she was prepared to take matters into her own hands.
As if sensing her impatience, Gray smirked, using his hand to guide the tip of his member towards her entrance. However, before he entered her, his hands found her's, intertwining their fingers before resting them against the pillow beside her head. His own head dipped to rest in the crook of her neck as he began to slowly push into her, not stopping until they were as joined as two people could be. Lucy could briefly her him muttering things along the line of how tight and wet she was, but all she could concentrate on was the feeling of his cock filling her so completely, like the only place it was mean't to be was inside of her.
His eyes found her's, and in that moment, Lucy swore she stopped breathing all together. What she saw scared her, but perhaps what scared her more was the fact that she might be looking at him the same way. He smiled, and Lucy's eyes fluttered shut as she nodded, reassuring them both that they were going to be just fine at the end of all this.
When he started to pull out, Lucy's eyes flew open and she gasped, the sensation of his hot, velvety rod rubbing against her inner walls almost too much to handle. On instinct, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist and she dug her heels into his backside in an attempt to get him even closer. He set a pace for himself, not moving too slow or too fast, allowing Lucy to stay sane as the overwhelming ecstasy wove itself through her entire body. His hips dipped and swirled, his body making love to hers in a way that almost made her want to cry.
Suddenly, his hips pivoted, hitting that spot inside of her that sent the most delectable wave of pleasure coursing through her body, causing her to cry out and grip his hands with almost brutal strength.
"You like that?" he whispered against her lips before devouring them in a heated kiss. Lucy could only moan as his pace increased and he made the effort to constantly hit the spot that was slowly driving her over the edge.
Releasing his grip on her fingers, Gray's hand took a slow journey down her body, skimming over her arms and along her side until her reached her thigh. His hand hooked beneath her knee before he rolled them onto their side's, securing her leg behind his back before pulling her body flush against his. An intimate position, one that Lucy took nothing but pleasure in.
Abandoning their spot beside her head, Lucy's hands travelled down his body as he continued to thrust into her, letting her nimble fingers explore the pale flesh of his chest before travelling up to the nape of his neck, where they latched onto the roots of his hair and pulled him in for a hungry kiss.
They both moved this way, slowly and in sync, until Lucy started to feel a coil tighten in her abdomen, the tingles consuming her body the most intense she'd ever experienced. Lucy pulled away from the kiss, and when she saw the passion, the unmistakable love in his gaze, she came around him powerfully, encouraging his body to do the same as her walls tightened around his cock in a vise grip. Even as her orgasm disabled any movement on her part, Gray continued to pump into her until he reached his peak, warm liquid spilling inside of her, causing another wave of pleasure to ripple through her already trembling frame.
Panting, his body dropped against her's and his head burrowed into the crook of her neck. They laid there for what felt like hours, but could only have been a couple of minutes, trying to settle down and wrap their heads around what just happened, neither knowing what to say.
They would have to talk about it eventually, whether it be right that second or in the morning or a week from now. This wasn't just something they could sweep under the rug. But until that time came, Lucy decided to just enjoy how content she felt in that moment.
Relaxed. Peaceful. Happy.
She wondered if Gray felt the same way.
Opening her eyes and tilting her head to the side, she drank in his features. Dark, blue eyes closed, lips slightly parted as his breathing evened out. The prominent scar above his eyebrow, cheeks flushed, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. His appearance, so raw and uncharacteristic and handsome, stirred something inside of Lucy. She clenched around him and his eyes snapped open. Much to Lucy's embarrassment, he smirked before pulling out, but not before Lucy clenched around him again. She hated to admit it, but that damn grin of his turned her on.
He flipped onto his back and Lucy took the opportunity to snuggle against his side. Her action surprised them both, but neither said anything. In fact, it wasn't until a good twenty minutes later that Lucy decided to speak.
"Thank you, Gray," she whispered.
Without really realizing it, he did what he had set out to do. Make her forget about Natsu. But he didn't just do that. He did so much more.
"For what?" he whispered back, surprising Lucy because she thought he might have fallen asleep. She relaxed against him completely when he started to trace small patterns on the exposed flesh of her waist.
Lucy smiled against his neck. "For being my friend. For supporting me. For always saving me." She paused, using the moment to gather her courage. "For loving me."
His body stilled beneath her's. Even his breathing seemed to have stopped. They both knew she wasn't referring to platonic love, or brotherly love. She was referring to the type of love that etched itself into your soul and remained with you for the rest of your life. It was a stretch to assume that Gray had feelings for her to that extent, but she knew she hadn't been mistake. She'd seen it in the way he looked at her.
And sure enough, when she lifted her head to get a better look at his face, it was the colour of a tomato and he was scowling at the wall across from them. He didn't even bother to deny it either.
Gently, Lucy cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand and urged him to look at her. She kissed him, and in those brief moments it was like she was melting into him, something inside of her clicking, telling her that she was right where she needed to be.
"Thank you for helping me realize that I should have been looking right in front of me instead of so far away."