Rori's Corner: 'Ello, my friends! Some of you just might know what this story's about by looking at the title. The rest will just have to read on to find out :D
This is a one-shot.
Like You
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Hey," Gray says automatically, holding his touch phone to his ear. With his other hand, he grasps a pair of black shorts and a dark blue tee from the walk-in closet.
Lyon dials his sleek blue cell as he reaches for a toothbrush, slathering over the bristles with a green-white minty paste. He holds the mobile to his ear while he brushes his perfectly aligned and dazzling white teeth, waiting for his call to be answered.
Click.
His lip curls in a small smile.
"Hey."
"What's up?"
Gray walks over to the built-in mirror on the closet door, unbuttoning his button-down, checkered shirt. A fiery blue insignia appears on his chest, next to his gold crown necklace, as he makes his way down, exposing his toned, muscular abdomen. He takes the shirt off and tosses it on the single bed.
"Hold on a sec," he tells the caller, and then he puts the device on the wooden table next to the closet, picking up the navy shirt simultaneously. He slides it on, covering up the slightly tanned skin. Walking over to the mirror, he checks himself out, liking the casual look. Smirking in satisfaction, he picks up the phone.
"Back."
Lyon flushes his mouth with lukewarm water. He then speaks into his mobile with a characteristically blunt tone, "Just woke up. Brushing teeth."
He grabs the white towel off the hanger, wetting it with warm water flowing from the faucet before wiping his face with it. He leans to the left, clamping the phone between his cheek and shoulder, as he uses his hands to rub the comforting cloth over his drowsy eyes, rousing them slowly.
"Okay," he says just before a thump sounds on the other line.
He wets the towel a second time and twists it, squeezing the water out before letting it dry on the hanger. On the cabinet to the left of the bathroom vanity is a column of cologne, shaving cream, razor, gel, and hairspray. He opts for the hairspray.
He rests the cell on the cabinet and picks up the spray, holding it two inches from his spiky silver-white hair. His index presses the button, and puffs of cold chemical fizzles out into his hair, solidifying and hardening the pale locks. The job done, he returns the spray to its origin and grabs his phone.
As he shuts off the bathroom light, he announces to the person on the line, "I'm heading out now."
"Yeah?" Gray says absentmindedly into his cell. He passes by the many doors the exact replica of his temporary hotel suite as his feet carry him down the carpeted hallway. "Same here. I'll meet you in the lobby. 'Kay. Wait for me."
Lyon enters the empty elevator and looks for the last button.
"I know. Don't worry about it," he says, still on the phone.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees a person dashing over to the almost closed doors to the elevator, and he quickly presses the 'open' button.
The person breezes in. "Thanks, man."
"No problem," he replies systemically. He returns to his call without looking at his company. "On the lift right now. I'll see you soon. Bye." Plop.
"Bye." Click.
They sigh.
And that's when Lyon finally looks over at the other individual occupying the elevator.
"Bye."
Gray hangs up, sighs, and he glances over at his savior.
He almost drops the mobile loosely clasped in his hand.
After what seems like an eternity, he swallows the lump in his throat and forces out a weak, "Hi."
Lyon nods at him stiffly. "Hey."
Ding!
They reach the ground floor in a matter of seconds.
Neither of them moves.
The doors close.
They move up a floor, and several people file in, causing Lyon and Gray to be pushed next to each other.
Gray pockets his hands, hiding his trembling fingers. He can feel the familiar warmth spreading over his body, making his nerves tingle, and he is really too tense.
Much too tense.
Ding! The doors open.
Some leave, more enter, chattering.
The doors close.
They're pressed up against each other.
Now he feels Lyon's hot breath on his neck.
His shirt meshes against his.
The brief touch of their arms.
His back against Lyon's warm body.
Faint goosebumps across Lyon's toned arms.
Ding!
The flood of people pile out pair by pair, and then the only ones left are they.
Gray steps over to create space, setting the boundary between them.
Lyon clears his throat, and his eyes don't stray from the buttons on the wall. The beat of a suffocating silence pulses, until the glint of a silver accessory captures Gray's attention and brings it to the taller man's neck.
His eyes widen slightly.
"You still...wear it," he manages to utter awkwardly.
Lyon glances down at the silver cross dangling against his chest, and his narrowed eyes soften. He nods, looking at his dark-haired companion with an unidentifiable expression.
"I thought that you threw it out."
"Why would I?" Lyon asks, raising a brow.
Gray's feet shift.
He doesn't have a reply.
Ding!
Two more floors to go.
He doesn't think he can handle this – whatever this is – anymore, so he makes a step toward the open doors.
He doesn't expect a hand to come flying out and grasp his elbow, pulling him back.
Back into the warm embrace, back into the same arms, body, and heartbeats that endear him so many months ago.
Back before they made that mistake and ended up going their separate ways.
Gray closes his eyes tightly, breathing in the minty scent and musky flavor that envelope his senses. There is no one else who can affect him like Lyon.
He knows that. Lyon knows that.
Knows that there can never be a replacement for either of them.
And they also know they can't return to the past, no matter how much they want to.
So, Gray pulls back, out of that embrace, and away from Lyon.
Ding!
They have reached the ground floor for the second time.
And this will be the second time they say their goodbyes.
"See ya', Lyon," Gray says, all traces of lingering emotions out of his voice, as he exits the elevator and heads for the lobby, where he can see a blonde sitting down on a chair, reading a book called Wuthering Heights. He saunters over to her, a lazy grin stretching over his lips when she yells at him for closing her book. "Sorry, Lucy, but you were so into the shitty novel that you completely ignored me. I just had to do it."
"You!" she shrieks, her index pointing at him accusingly as she fumes. "Are unbelievable!"
He rolls his eyes, tuning out her indignant bickering when he spots Lyon outside of the hotel, starting his expensive Benz. On the passenger seat is the curly haired Juvia. She smiles meekly at her boyfriend, handing him a brewing coffee. Lyon takes the offer and returns her smile.
Gray watches the scene, feeling the familiar twinge of envy engulf him. He shakes his head, snapping himself from its chokehold, and slings an arm around his annoyed girlfriend. "Come on, you know I'm sorry," he says, grinning non-apologetically.
Lucy glares at him as she thumbs through the book. "Do you have any idea how many pages I was into? God, I hate you."
"Stop complaining and let's go already. We're going to be late for the show."
This is it, Lyon.
Lyon ducks his head as he gets into the driver's seat. Juvia is already waiting in the car with coffees in hand.
"Thank you," he says, smiling slightly.
"You're welcome."
As he takes the coffee from her hand, their fingers touching at the exchange, he feels the weight of the silver cross on his chest.
Goodbye, Gray.
Rori's Corner: Yes, this is based off of "Like You" by Bow Wow & Ciara. Haha.
To be honest, I'm not into Gray/Lucy (I like Natsu/Lucy though), but for the sake of the story, I need to find a girl for Gray, and she's the only one I can choose out of the lot.
I hope everyone understood what went on in the story and enjoyed it as well~