How dare she ignore him earlier that day? He was THE GRAY, after all. No little newbie with a tough girl act was gonna show him up. That shit REALLY didn't fly with him. Stupid newcomer.
He'd show her. He would.
The sun was setting, the sky sloppily blending together shades of fiery orange, blazing red, and hazy purple. Gray stopped his search for the little scarlet haired new girl - stopped dead in his tracks to admire the sky for a few moments. With a slight shake of his head, the onyx haired Ice Mage kept walking.
He kicked an innocent pebble in his way, then his eyes finally caught her not far off his path. With a mischievous little grin, he made his way over to her. Once he was a few feet away, he spoke up. "Hey, you!" He called out to her.
Erza turned her head quickly, her outstandingly beautiful scarlet locks whipping aside to the rhythm of her movement. Gray's eyes widened when he noticed the tears falling from her only exposed eye. Her current state of vulnerability caused something foreign and unknown to strike his entire being. The antisocial and stone-hearted Erza Scarlet now looked so fragile - so capable of being protected. Gray didn't realize that his cheeks suddenly flushed red at the sight of her crying. It wasn't that he liked knowing that the lonely little redhead was in pain. She just looked so... Different when she cried. More feminine, fragile; like a little porcelain doll. It was like a morbid reminder that she, too, could break, just like anyone else.
A reminder that she was human.
I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight...
Erza wiped her tear away and stood up gracefully to face him.
"What? Are you here to mock me this time?" She asked with a scowl, though her left eye still teared up, not yet having recovered from the rush of memories about the Tower of Heaven, her lost friends, the ones she left behind... And Jellal. The memories that seemed to take over her mind, and give a violent shake at her emotions.
It took Gray a few seconds to respond. He looked to the side, wanting to avoid eye contact now that he could feel the intense heat upon his cheeks. "No... I didn't know you came here to cry..." He retorted, in a bit of a flat tone. "... What's the matter, anyway? Why are you sad...?" He inquired, finally turning his head to look at her, though the red tint on his cheeks did not fade. He took a few steps closer to her as he waited for a response.
Erza looked down. "... I'm just upset. I needed to let it out. I've had it rough, alright? And I don't want to talk about it." She replied sternly, still keeping her walls up. Still determined to be seen possessing the strength of a real knight.
Gray frowned a bit. He rubbed the back of his head, and moved a bit closer to her again. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He said. "... But you also don't have to be alone all the time, y'know? ... You've got friends now. You're a member of Fairy Tail, and that means you're a part of our family. You'll never be alone again. You should get used to that, Erza." He added, hoping to cheer her up. The scarlet haired Mage looked up at him with wide pupils. Renewed tears started to run down her cheek again, and her rosy bottom lip began to quiver slightly as she tried to hold her tears back. With a sigh, Gray finished closing the distance between them as sympathy tugged at his heart. He extended his arm and grabbed Erza's wrist firmly but carefully, and he pulled her into a tight embrace. He kept an arm around her slender body, and his opposite hand on the back of her head, encouraging her to rest her head against his bare shoulder. "... Understood?" Gray attempted to confirm.
Erza's heart skipped a beat the moment she finished taking in Gray's embrace. She rested her face against his shoulder after a few moments, finding comfort in the warmth he provided, as well as comfort in his words.
Finally understanding that it was okay, she gave in and wrapped her arms around the shirtless ice Mage, though her tears continued to fall. Fairy Tail was her family after all. She would be okay. And there was nothing wrong with family trying to support you when you were weakened. She took a deep breath, and spoke up again.
"... What was your name again?" She asked quietly. Gray only chuckled softly, rather than being offended as he normally would have been.
"Gray. Gray Fullbuster." He responded in a soft tone. Erza smiled a little, though he could not see it. "Thank you, Gray." She said, still not pulling away from the comforting hug.
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound...
Well, that's my first fic of any kind that I've written since... 2011, probably. Terribly sorry about it not being a long enough one-shot. I just really wanted to write my own version of how Gray and Erza first met. Their little backstory from the anime was really cute. Their friendship is probably my favourite among the members of Fairy Tail, second to the friendship between Lucy and Natsu. cx If I'm completely honest, I'd say that I kinda sorta have a thing for Grayza, though I'm far too devoted to Jerza to say that I ship it. I find myself practically incapable of multi-shipping when it comes to Erza. ;D;
Side-note: I've never heard the song Safe and Sound... But I'd seen the title around. Thought it suited the story, and named it such. Then I thought, "Hey, I should look at the lyrics".
... u The lyrics fitted it nicely, so I added two parts of it in there. Excuse the cheesiness~
Lalonde, out~ -Salutes.-