-Not a new chapter, just a rewrite 25.02.2018-
Chapter 2.
Gray set the girl down on the stark white infirmary bed, holding her up awkwardly with one hand while he slid the weapons she adorned from her shoulders, before lowering her onto the pillows.
She could be interesting, he decided as he examined her sleeping face. Something pulled his attention to her and he couldn't quite put his finger on it as to why. It wasn't the dramatic entrance that had caught his eye - years of life at the Guild had made him practically immune to being surprised by whom, or what, came through those doors. Sure, the hooves of that black horse she'd materialised from had come pretty close and he'd only looked because Natsu had been distracted by it first.
He noted the small scar that marked the left side her bottom lip and ran down to the middle of her chin, and another that was barely visible on her temple that disapperared into her hairline.
The worst that he could see was a dark jagged scar that marked the space on the right side of her neck just up from the base of her throat.
Almost like someone had tried to cut her throat, he realised with a start.
The eldest Strauss sibling moving into his peripheral vision with a bucket of steaming water broke him from his thoughts.
Curiosity killed the Exceed but to hell with it, Gray decided before asking quietly, "Mira... Who is she exactly?"
Mirajane dabbed the damp cloth across the girl's forehead, humming thoughtfully before she spoke. "Amalie kind of comes and goes. She normally appears after she's had a fight with her sister, but she's never been this bad before... Then again, it isn't that surprising seeing as her sister isn't what you'd exactly call stable. Even by Fairy Tail standards."
He raised an eyebrow at Mira's response. It wasn't the answer he'd been looking for. "What's her magic?"
"She kind of dabbles and mainly just uses those," she responded, pointing to the discarded non-magical items on the floor. She giggled suddenly, as if remembering something. "You should ask about the paralysis spell when she wakes up."
Paralysis? Gray thought wonderingly before smirking at Mira. That could make things entertaining with the pyro.
"Who..." His next question was interrupted by Laxus slamming the infirmary door open.
"Oi, Mira. She awake?" the towering blonde Lightning Dragon Slayer demanded, not bothering to acknowledge Gray as he moved to stand at the foot of the bed.
It was common knowledge that Makarov's grandson was trying to be less of an asshole and more approachable, but he was failing miserably at both. The only person that he'd really managed to be friendly with outside of the Raijinshuu was Gajeel, and Gray suspected that that was only because the two older Slayers were surprisingly similar in their aversion to small talk and probably communicated through grunts.
"You both need to leave," Mira responded, ignoring Laxus. "I need to cut her dress off and you boys aren't getting a free show."
"Fine by me," Gray muttered. After growing up at the guild, he knew not to mess with the eldest Strauss. She was a demon, in more ways than the obvious magical kind. The Ice Make mage turned and deliberately shoved past Laxus as he moved for the door. The larger man growled at him in response.
"Leave now, Laxus." Mira's words were firm and held an unspoken threat. The air around her rippled with magic when he refused to moved. Gray absently wondered what demon Mira would use on the blonde if he continued to disobey her, but was disappointed when Laxus turned and slammed the door behind him. He studiously ignored the smirk from the Ice Make mage as he stalked back to the main part of the guild.
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Amalie's eyes opened slowly. Every part of her ached - a side effect she knew all too well from the prolonged use of the horse transformation spell – but it was counteracted slightly by the soft bed she lay on and the delicious scent of clean sheets.
She absently wondered how long it had been since she'd actually slept without it being due to magical deprivation or blood loss.
At least I made a grand entrance, she thought wryly. A smile crept to her lips as she remembered the looks of shock on her fellow Fairy Tail members' faces.
"So you're awake."
The distinctly male tone made her turn her head in shock. A man stood there. A shirtless man with black hair and the most intense dark blue eyes she'd ever seen.
He's familiar somehow… Amalie didn't dwell on it as she sat up, wincing at the pain in her side and looking down at her bandaged abdomen.
Sera shot me, she remembered with a start. The stupid bitch actually shot me.
"Mirajane patched you up, but your dress was ruined," he explained. He didn't move from where he leant casually against the wall beside the window.
Her anger rose further at the realisation he was telling the truth and she was clad only in her underwear; clearly visible thanks to the sheet dropping when she'd sat up. She met the blue eyes that were gazing at her with open curiosity with a hardened glare. "I can still kick your arse, you pervert."
In one smooth movement she threw the bed sheets at him and leapt from the bed to snatch up her katana from the pile of weapons near the door. She sunk into a crouch as she prepared for his attack, gasping as her body disagreed painfully about the movement.
"I'm a perve?!" He questioned, sweat dropping. It was replaced quickly by a smirk. "You're the one challenging me in pink lacey underwear."
Amalie's cheeks coloured to the same shade as the lingerie she was clad in.
"I don't hear you complaining," she growled, not relaxing her defensive stance despite the wound pulling almost unbearably. "Who are you, exactly?"
"I'm the guy who smells like Christmas," he responded dryly, his smirk widening to a smile as she her face went bright red.
"Shit," she cursed as she sluggishly recalled being caught and held against a cool bare chest in the guild after she dropped the spell. She couldn't be held responsible for what she may have said in that kind of half-conscious state! Even if he did have a pine cone and gingerbread scent going on, with an undertow of peppermint...
"Name's Gray," he elaborated. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just here to keep an eye on you till Mirajane gets back. The idiots in the bar can't be left unsupervised."
He's right - they can't be, she agreed silently as she straightened back up, hissing as the pain that had been dulled slightly by her adrenaline reared its ugly head.
Glancing down, she could see that blood had begun to seep through the bandages.
"So you're finally awake, huh?" a husky voice observed from behind the copper haired girl.
Amalie spun to face the owner of the annoyingly familiar voice, holding the katana up. The hulking blonde that lounged in the door frame did not seem at all surprised at the sight of her blade just inches from his throat.
"Laxus Dreyar," she breathed, lowering the weapon only after pressing the sharp tip against his skin. She was mildly disappointed that he didn't flinch. It was much more fun when she caught him off guard. "You smell revolting. Ugh... Master has turned this guild into a lost dragons home."
She playfully wrinkled her nose and smacked at his hand with the flat side of the sword when he made a grab for her wrist.
He smirked at her, clearly amused by her sass. "Frosty probably hasn't told you, but I did come by earlier. You ain't any fun asleep though."
Amalie sweat dropped at his insinuation and set her weapon down on the bed she'd vacated before turning back to hold her hand out to the blonde S-Class mage. "Give me your coat, dick, or I'll turn it to stone and take it."
She had expected him to argue, or at least glower and complain, but was pleasantly surprised when Laxus voluntarily pulled his precious coat off and threw it to her with a smirk. She caught it easily, revelling briefly in the residual warmth that came with it.
It would have been more fun to take it by force though, she thought with a small pout.
"So where have you been hiding for the past year, kitten?" the blonde asked.
Amalie snarled up at him at the nickname. She hated it, and he knew it.
She was far more lethal than those fluffy little creatures.
"Oh, you know, running a country," she responded nonchalantly, slipping the garment on. The bottom of the fur lined coat pooled on the floor around her bare feet like a long dress. "Killing shit. Avoiding my sister. The usual stuff, really."
She couldn't tell him the truth - he'd flip his shit and cause a war if he knew the truth.
Amalie didn't miss Gray's raised eyebrow at her response, but he didn't demand a response like most people would and she appreciated that.
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Gray had watched their exchange wordlessly, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor. Laxus wasn't the friendly type and he certainly didn't seem the type of guy to give a girl a cute nickname, and especially not his coat. He hadn't even responded to her calling him a dick and she didn't appear to be the slightest bit afraid of him.
Just what the hell is going on here? he wondered incredulously, raising an eyebrow as he observed them interacting.
"Where the fuck are your clothes, Gray?!" he heard Laxus growl, the threatening tone shaking him from his thoughts. He glanced down.
His pants were apparently missing now, too.
Shit. When did I lose them? He'd found his clothes when Mira had kicked him out of the infirmary and put them back on, but they'd disappeared again.
Realising there was no other way out of the room than the door Laxus stood in, he decided to take the more dangerous road and smirked before responding, "Dunno. But your kitten didn't seem to mind them missing."
He felt the air crackle as Laxus' fury powered up his lightning, and then watched in disbelief as the girl - Amalie, he reminded himself - reached to grab the blonde's bare forearm.
"Don't..." Gray's warning died on his lips as he realised she wasn't affected by it. At all. Not even a piece of her hair was moved by the static.
Seriously? Who the fuck was she?
"Laxus," Mirajane's voice was hard and clear from the doorway. "That's no way to treat Amalie's host."
Laxus, realising he'd been caught and knowing Mira was seconds from going She-Demon on his ass, stopped mid-power up and turned to face her.
All three sets of eyes focused on the eldest Strauss as she smiled serenely and continued, "Well, she can't stay here. Erza's still a week off finishing her job and she doesn't want to stay at your house again after that stunt you pulled last time."
Gray looked at the other two with confusion as Laxus glared furiously at Amalie, who she simply giggled in response before meeting his gaze with an innocent look on her face.
"Girls talk, Goldilocks."
What happened last time? the Ice Make mage wondered as he looked between them.
"Why can't she stay with you?" Laxus demanded, his annoyance making sparks jump from his skin.
"You know I don't have the room and Elfman can't fit on the couch," Mira reasoned. She turned to the Ice Make mage. "You don't mind, do you Gray?"
Even if he didn't have a spare room, there was no way the dark haired mage was going to miss this opportunity to mess with the great Laxus Dreyar when he was minutes away from going berserk with what looked to be very much like jealousy, she he eplied with an easy smile, "Not a problem, Mira."
Laxus made a disparaging noise and pushed past the takeover mage. She squeezed his bicep gently as he passed. He may have been gruff and volatile, but she knew he was protective of those he considered family.
Wordlessly, she handed Gray the clothes he'd lost that she'd somehow managed to retrieve, and turned to Amalie with a smile. "I grabbed your trunk from storage."
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