Hi hi~ Hope you enjoy chapter one of my GraLu fanfic and, don't worry, it gets more complicated as the chapters pass ;)

The sound of a girl humming a peaceful tone was bouncing off the walls of the room. Lucy Heartfillia, once-heiress, celestial spirit and owner of ten of the twelve zodiac keys, was squeezing and drying her healthy blond hair with a clean white towel. Though it wasn't the warm time of year yet, Lucy walked around the house with just a big bright yellow towel on her body. Her bare feet shivered of the cold every time each of them touched the ground, but she couldn't help it. She loved walking around bare-footed.

If one of the helpers on the Heartfillia plantation saw her walk around with bare feet, they would've surely scolded her, but with a more caring than serious tone, she thought. She really missed them, their sweet smiles and their praising words. But, she surely didn't miss the days when she was ignored and scolded by her father, Jude Heartfillia. Even though now she knew that he cared about her all along, she couldn't bring herself to forget what he did to her, treating her so badly.
She let out a relieving sigh. Why was she bothering her head with such things? That was in the past, and she needed to live in the present and think about the future. She pulled out a hair band and a ribbon from a big plastic bag, tying it around a part of her hair and combing it rapidly.
She had to look good. Because, how could she show herself in front of him if she wasn't well prepared and messy. And, why didn't he notice her? Was she ugly? Far from that, she was really a beauty among beauties, but maybe he just saw her as a friend and nothing less? 'Again with the stupid thoughts', she thought to herself. Locking the door behind her, she quickly left the building and took her usual path to the guild on the edge of the river.

"Lucy, watch out!" a few friendly warnings here and there from the men in the little boat.

"I'll be alright!" the celestial mage, followed by her friend, Plue, was getting closer to the guild. When she reached her destination, there was already a fight started between, none other than, Gray and Natsu. 'Such good friends', Lucy sighed.

"Oi, Luce! Good mornin'!" the fire dragon slayer noticed her first, much to her disliking. Not that she didn't like Natsu, far from that, but she would rather be greeted by him than by Natsu. 'You're being a bit harsh,' she scolded herself, 'there are other people around him too. Who says he has to only notice you?'

"Morning, Natsu!" her face lighted up in a friendly smile.

"Where've you been? It's not the same without you, you know" finally, the one she waited to notice her, said something, and she couldn't help but melt from hearing his delightful voice. That Gray, why did he have to be so dreamy? And why didn't he realize her feelings for him? Surely even an idiot like him knows what love is.

"Ah well, I took my time to relax in my apartment this morning" she looked at his dark eyes before looking in Levy's direction "Levy-chan!"

"Nice to see you, Lu-chan!" the small solid script mage replied to her best friend.

"I see things are being lively as usual."

"Well, it isn't Fairy Tail if nobody's fighting."

"Haha, I guess you're right."

"So... did anything happen? Something I'd like to know?" Levy narrowed her eyes.

"Like hell that would happen. He just sees me as a friend and nothing more."

"Don't think that!"

"Ah, well... I've gotten over it. Speaking of boys... How's it going with Gajeel?" Lucy whispered the last part.

"Shh! He can hear you, you know...! And he still thinks of me as a 'little shrimp he has to save from trouble'."

Lucy secretly smirked, looking behind Levy's back and catching the Dragon Slayer staring "I don't think so...hihi." she pointed at him, because of which Levy turned around. Gajeel blushed (can a guy like him blush?) and turned towards Lily, starting another argument.

"Sigh...I don't know what to think." Levy turned back at Lucy, who was just about to burst out of excitement.

"Kyaa~ Levy-chan! He llllllikes you~" Lucy rolled her tongue like a very well known Blue Exceed.

"Umm... err... ahh... wha... I... no it's... umm..." The tiny mage was tripping over her words.

"Ooh~ Levy and Gajeel sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Lucy! Quiet!" Levy demanded.

"Gomen, Levy-chan. It' just... kyaa~"

"Please don't..."

"You two are such a cute couple!"

"Shush, Lucy!"

"Oi, what are you talking about?" Gray approached the two girls, making Lucy blush.

"Err..." she was staring at him blankly "Nothing important."

"Hmm... Anyway, let's go on a job, Lucy!" He suggested.

Levy's look for Lucy had 'Ooh! Lu-chan~' written all over it. Lucy quickly replied with rolling her eyes.

"Sure! Do you have a job picked out?"

"Yeah, this one" he showed her a flyer with a picture of two men and 200.000 Jewels written under it.

"They're wanted criminals..." Lucy raised her head from the flyer "Seems fun, if the others do the fighting."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you... there are no others. Just you and me. So, you accept?"

'Ohmygodohmygodohmygod IS THIS FOR REAL?! Kyaa~ of course of course of course!' Lucy mind-screamed. "Why not...?"

"Great! But, you'll have to fight as well."

"Umm... fine..."

"We leave tomorrow at noon from the guild, okay?"

"Okay."

Gray smirked and exited the guild with his hands in his pockets.

"... what just happened...?" Lucy was still in a trance.

"Aaah Lu-chan! How romantic~"

"Did I just accept...?"

"Yes~"

"No..."

"Yes you did~"

"But... why did I...? Why didn't you stop me? Argh! What'll I do?!"

"You'll go with Gray on the job. It'll make him feel bad if you turn him down after accepting."

"Umm... okay... But, what'll I do? I'll totally blank out if I spend an entire day with him... and it's just the two of us!"

"What's going on?" Lucy was too loud, causing Erza to approach their table and find out why she was screaming.

"Aaah... Erza... I... it's... mission... wanted... me and... going... noon... weird..." Lucy mumbled.

"Lucy," Levy snapped her fingers "are you okay?"

"Umm, I... yes, I'm fine. It's nothing, Erza. Really."

"I heard that you're going on a job with Gray."

'Eek! What now?! If Erza knows, it's definitely not good... What'll I do?! Wait. Calm down. Breathe. It's just a job, nothing more. Why are you so excited? He didn't ask you out or anything...Now, be calm.' she scolded herself. "Yeah. We're asked to catch some wanted criminals. The reward is 200.000 Jewels~"

"Well, good luck on the job. Hope you get back safely."

"Thanks, Erza!" the Requip Mage nodded and returned to what she was doing before... eating cake.

"Phew... That went better than expected." Lucy sighed with relief.

"Don't get too carried away. I think he likes you too, but..."

"But what...?"

"Don't let him... do something the both of you will regret later."

"...Of course not. I wouldn't even think of that. Besides, it's just a job. Two mages from the same guild going on a job together. Nothing more."

"Remember what I told you, okay? He's a guy. It's how their brain works. Don't let-"

"Okay Levy. I get it." Lucy was feeling uncomfortable.

"If you understand, then there's nothing else I want to say."

"Thanks for caring, Levy-chan, but I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself."

"Of course."

The sun went down and rose again. It was on the highest spot of the sky, which meant noon.

"Oi, Lucy!" the Celestial Sprit Mage was standing in front of the guild's door when she heard a familiar male voice.

"Gray!" she waved at him "Let's go. The train leaves in one hour from the station. We'll miss it if we don't hurry."

"Let's go, then." he turned the opposite way, carrying a backpack on his left shoulder. Lucy had brought a small suitcase which she carried in her right hand. The time to reach Oshibana Town was 24 hours, counting the ten hour wait for another train at Onibus Station.

They walked for a good two to three hours before reaching Magnolia Station.

"Train number 12 at gate 3, heading for Onibus. All passengers aboard." A female voice came from the sound lacrima.

"That's our train! Come on, Gray!" Lucy ran, pushing the people out of her way. Gray went after her and they were just in time to catch the train.

"Phew... we made it." Lucy sighed, putting her suitcase on the shelve above their seats.

"How long will it take to reach Onibus?" Gray sat on the cushioned seat.

"Five to six hours." Lucy sat next to him, leaning her head on the glass of the window.

"Wake me when we get there."

"Sure thing." Lucy said, watching him turn the other way and falling asleep.

"Sigh..."'This is going to be a long trip. Good thing I brought along the book Levy gave me.' She opened the book on the page which edge was folded and continued to read it. It was a romantic novel, about a boy that lost his memory and doesn't remember anything. The girl that loved him is sad because he doesn't know who she is, and she's unaware that he has amnesia, so she starts cutting herself. 'Typical modern teenage novel' Lucy thought, finishing page 48 out of 264. 'I wonder when he'll wake up...' she took a peek over her book to look at Gray, who was sleeping soundly.

A lady dressed in a white dress and a dark blue apron gave Lucy two sandwiches, a pot of tea and a bottle of water.

"Arigatto!" Lucy thanked her, taking the tray and putting it on the small table that was screwed to the floorboards.

"Welcome! If you need anything, call Jennifer. Have a nice trip!" the lady smiled and continued dealing the food and drinks.

Yahoo~ Finished chapter one! And, I might not post the second in a while, since I'm missing my computer at the moment and am writing this on my mom's laptop. Review and Lucy will give you a picture of Gray sleeping!