Hello there! Chapter 2 here!
Thanks for your support mina! You are so awesome! I wouldn't be going on with this if it weren't for you xd
Probably another boring yet needed update but please do read it!
I need your help at the end so make sure to at least read the final note please!
. . .
TwizzleBaby945: I'm truly happy thanks to you! You took the time to speak your mind about this and I'm so thankful for that! I just hope to keep this of your like and would love you to help me with something mentioned at the end of the chapter!
jwagner778: Keep on reading please ~
EnvyUchiha: I'm glad you like this! :3
LeprechaunGreen: Hahaha warren will take his part don't worry (? Thanks for reading!
Yukari Hiwada: Aww, your name is so cute! I love it, that's why I called her Lia xd Thanks for your words, they made me so happy :)
Medaka-chan: Como te quiero xD Me encanta tu nueva historia por cierto :3
BlackFish29: Hahaha I'm truly happy you found it funny! I was afraid of the readers thinking it was too silly xd thank you!
IndigoHailstorm: Aww thank you so much! I'm so happy you liked that scene xd
pearlsnow8: No, I'M the one who loves you! Or at least the one who loves the other the most (? You made me so happy :3
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Chapter 2
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"So, I'm not a great chef but at least I know how to cook some things in order to survive" he commented as he stepped into the kitchen and the girl behind him stopped in the door's frame. "Today's menu: rice and sautéed vegetables" he added while taking a pot out.
Lia watched him moving through the room, looking for everything needed. He washed the rice and different vegetables before leaving the first in the pot and the latter over a chopping board. As the white grains were being cooked in the water, Gray stretched a hand to the knife set; the girl stared at the same knife she grasped a few days ago between his hands.
"Stubborn-san" the blue haired girl hesitantly called.
He raised an eyebrow. Stubborn? "What?" he said ignoring the odd nick name.
Her eyes stared at the white tiles of the kitchen's floor. "You are being too kind with me" she mumbled.
Gray froze and turned to look at her; after noticing his movement, she looked up at him too. "Why?" she simply asked with confusion all over her face.
He blinked two times thinking. "Don't know" he finally shrugged and resumed the chopping; Lia was gazing at the floor again when he added "maybe it's because many people had been really kind with me, so now is my turn".
As he thought about Ur and master Makarov at first, and then in his other friends too, Gray poured oil into a skillet before dropping the vegetables into it. He glanced at the silent girl who was still concentrated on the floor; sighing, he looked back at the task at hand. "Would you mind setting the table? Glasses and plates are on that cupboard" he pointed at the piece of furniture.
Surprised of being asked to help, she walked in or more precisely stumbled in the kitchen and approached the said cupboard. She opened its doors and took out two plates and two glasses; after piling them up, she headed to the living room to place them over the table. When she came back, Lia asked for the forks and after being told where they were, she left the kitchen again.
"So what are you going to tell them?" he asked once she was in the frame.
"I'm not quite sure of this" her low voice confessed.
Gray frowned a bit. "If you are not going to Fairy tail, what's your plan?"
"I didn't need a plan a few days back" she sincerely said.
Gray was thankful for being mixing the rice with the vegetables since the awkwardness was almost palpable "...right, but you need one now".
Silence, we meet again he thought as the only sounds in the room were those coming from his actions. Gray was not exactly a talkative person, his friends were noisy enough so he needn't had to be, but with a girl like Lia he felt the need to fill that silence. "Where are you from?" he asked casually while covering the serving dish containing their dinner.
"Oleander Island" she murmured as she moved to a side to let him pass.
Placing the serving dish on the table, Gray pictured in his mind a map of Fiore kingdom. "That's on the north, right?" he guessed as he motioned her to take a sit. "You came to a far town as well as foreign" he commented after she had sat in front of him. When the girl didn't blink while staring at her empty plate, Gray cursed himself for dragging out a troublesome matter again; she had made clear that she had no intention of talking about her in the slightest. "I'm from the north too" he added quickly before thinking too much.
The girl looked up at him. "R-really? From where?"
He sighed with relief but regretted saying that. "It doesn't matter" he answered shaking his head, after all his native town was gone a long time ago.
Lia looked at him with curiosity but didn't push the subject since she herself was not willing to talk about her own.
"Should we start?" he said with a crocked smile and the girl quietly nodded; Gray was stretching a hand to the serving dish when they heard something.
"What the heck?" a voice coming from the outside said, probably referring to the mass of ice patching the window opening.
Their eyes widened and looked at each other; "quick, go to the room" he ordered while standing up and the girl instantly did the same. The bedroom's door was closed at the same time a knock on the front door was heard.
The raven haired man breathed deeply before opening the door. "Lucy?" was the only thing he could say when a blond girl appeared behind the wood.
"Hi there" she cheerfully said while slipping into the living room. "I came to check up on you, since you haven't been at the guild lately".
If you just came to check up on me, why are you getting yourself comfortable? he inwardly groaned as she sat on his couch. "I'm fine, I just didn't feel like going on a mission" he shrugged.
"I see" she simply said smiling while glancing at her wrist watch. "Oh my, it's already a quarter to nine?!" she exclaimed with surprise.
"Yeah, it's late" Gray nodded happily for finding an excuse to get her out of there. "I will walk you home so you don't go on your own".
"Actually.." she begun as she brought her hands together and bowed a little. "Would you mind if I have dinner with you? I don't want to cook today!"
Crap. He clenched his fists. "Uhm..."
She blinked with puppy eyes. "Is it too bothersome?"
He looked away from those caramel eyes while scratching his head. "W-well" he begun without knowing what to say.
"I thought you wouldn't mind since the table is set for two" she added pointing behind her.
Gray's eyes widened while glancing at the betrayal table and the blond burst into laughs. "I know she's here Gray, so don't bother hiding her" her friend said with a sharp smile.
He looked at her and sighed. "The flame idiot already told you". She nodded and he sighed again. "Damn, he can't even shut up for a day"
Lucy giggled. "He said you had diarrhea so I guessed he was lying: after pushing him for a while, he told me everything"
"You know him truly well" he commented while smiling before realization hit him. "WHAT? HE SAID WHAT?!"
The blond giggled once more thanks to his late reaction. "Yeah, he said what you heard"
I'm going to kill him Gray slapped his right hand on his face as Lucy stood up. "Well, where's she?" Gray pointed at the bedroom with his left hand since the other was still on his face; the girl approached the room.
"Wait, Lucy" she turned to look at his serious face. "She's-" how could he describe Lia? "-truly shy"
The blond was surprised by his words but nodded with a smile before opening the door without a second thought.
No lights were on but the dim moonlight let her see a girl seating on the bed. She was hugging the pillow and looking at her rather scared.
"Hello!" Lucy smiled and stepped in. "Can I take a seat?" she asked the blue haired girl who hesitantly nodded. The blond hoped in the bed and look at the other; she asked her name but didn't get an answer, and instead of talking the other girl folded her legs and looked away from her. Lucy blinked and tilted her head a little; Gray was not exaggerating about her shyness. "Oh, I'm sorry, I should go first" the blond giggled and stretched a hand to her. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia"
The blue haired girl looked up at her and glanced to the hand before her; her right arm slowly left the white pillow. "Lia" she muttered finally taking her hand.
"Nice to meet you" Lucy happily nodded and before the other girl could blink, she was already dragging her out of the bed. Stumbling behind her, Lia stepped into the living room with Lucy still holding her hand. "We are ready to eat" the blond said raising her fist in the air.
Gray was seating in the table with his chin resting on his hand. "I knew you would said that, so I added another person" he pointed at the third plate on the wood. Lucy chuckled and sat beside him.
"Come on Lia, let's see how bad the stripper cooks!"
"Hey!" Gray moaned annoyed and the blond giggled and added "just kidding, I know you cook better than Natsu"
The guy frowned while serving the food on a plate. "Anyone cooks better than him"
As those two talked about the pink haired guy she had previously left unconscious, Lia stared at them in silence. Gray was truly laughing, something she had never seen before, and the girl beside him had a bright smile; they were obviously good friends and as she listened to their laughs, Lia wondered if she would be able to smile like that one day.
"Oe, Lia, sit down already" the guy's words took her out of her thoughts; she stepped closer to the table doing as he said. "And eat" Gray rolled his eyes since the girl was just staring at the food in front of her. She glanced at him and nodded before taking the fork.
Lucy looked at Gray sighing; were they always like that? The girl looking at everything and Gray asking her to do something? "So Lia, how old are you?" the blond tried to make her speak.
"Seventeen" the other girl mumbled before eating.
"Really?" Lucy said and the blue haired girl nodded once. "Wow we are the same age".
Lia did not add anything and just stared at her plate; Gray and Lucy looked at each other. "And where are you from?" the blond looked back at the other girl.
"She's from the north" Gray answered instead of the other girl; Lucy's frown glanced at him for interrupting and he simply shrugged.
"Oh and you came on a vacation here? Do you like Magnolia town?" Lia faintly nodded.
Lucy looked at her with weirdness. "I just realized it but, aren't those Gray's clothes?" she asked looking at the guy
Surprisingly Lia was the one who answered. "I traveled with one suitcase but lost it" and after a few seconds she added "I-I'm truly dumb"
"Oh, don't worry, it happens to anyone" Lucy giggled and as she begun telling a story in which she herself lost one, Gray looked at Lia. "Hod did you lose it?" the blond said after a while.
Lia looked back at her plate. "During the temporal"
"Oh, now I see" Lucy said while looking at Gray. "And you met her during the storm?"
The guy nodded. "After she told me she had lost her trunk, I offered her to stay here" he shrugged while gulping.
"And why didn't you take her to the guild with you? We would have helped right away!" Lucy scolded him a little annoyed.
Gray rolled his eyes. "We are going tomorrow okay? Besides, she didn't feel like going up until today"
Lucy smiled and looked back at Lia. "Would you like to come to my house so I can lend you something pretty?"
The other girl looked up at her with surprise while shaking her head. "I-I can't-"
"Actually, that'd be great" the guy interrupted the stuttering girl. "We can go after we are done with dinner".
Lucy clapped her hands with joy and Lia blinked with nervousness. "B-but-"
She was cut off by Lucy's hand. "Enough! We are going no matter what!"
The other girl looked down at her plate defeated.
"I'm sure we'll find something for you!" the blond cheerfully said as they stepped into her house. Gray was truly thankful for Lucy's nature, always willing to help. He glanced at Lia who was taking off the warm clothes he had lent her and which were far too large for her.
Lucy grasped Lia's wrist and dragged her into her room. From the frame, Lucy said "stay here while she changes" to him before closing the door. He sighed and went to sat on the couch, ready for a brief nap since being girls and especially Lucy, they were going to take a while.
"Sit here" Lucy said to the girl as she happily went to her wardrobe.
Lia sat on the pink blanket and caressed its softness. She looked amazed through the lovely room, so different from the plain one she had recently been at, and then she stared at the large bookcase with curiosity.
"Do you like reading?" she heard the other girl's question and nodded. "Look and pick whichever you like" the blond offered.
Leaving the bed, she walked and stopped in front of the shelves. One book caught her attention; she stretched a hand and took it out.
"Fairy tales" the blond read in her shoulder and Lia jumped in surprise for she hadn't noticed her. "So, that's what you like?" Lia shook her head after recovering from the surprise and Lucy frowned confused. "Then why did you pick it?"
"I had never read them" the other girl murmured staring at the cover with many illustrations of the different tales.
They fell in silence. After a few seconds, Lucy smiled and said "then you must take it". Lia looked up at her. "Every girl has the right to dream with her charming prince ~" she winked before going back to the wardrobe.
Lia looked down at the book between her hands again. Charming prince?
"So," the blond begun as she took out a piece of clothing and left it on the bed with the growing pile of clothes "any preferences? Something you don't like?"
The blue haired girl glanced at the pink blanket covered with clothes. "I-I don't know"
Lucy turned to look at her and frowned; "you are the one who's going to wear whichever you chose, so who else knows?"
Lia gulped and left the book over the bed. "I-I think I like dresses"
The smile was back on Lucy's countenance. "Good" she nodded and looked back at her wardrobe. "I will lend you a pair of jeans too, since it's still winter".
Lia nodded even though Lucy was not seeing her. She heard the blond chanting and after a while she called her. "Lucy-san?"
The girl looked away from the furniture to her and smiled, happy after hearing her saying her name. "Yes?"
Lia looked away from her since her smile was too kind. "W-With just a change is-"
"Stop it!" the blond cut her off. "Instead of saying unnecessary things, take those and change!" she ordered pointing at the piled up clothes.
The other girl blushed and Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What? You find it too embarrassment?" she asked and giggled when Lia nodded. "Don't worry" she said approaching her, "we are both girls!" she finished taking Gray's shirt hems and pulling them up; Lia instantly squeaked.
"Oe, Gray" Lucy called him. "We're ready"
The guy groaned while straightening up; he blinked a few times. "Finally" he mumbled annoyed and the girl punched him in the top of his head. "Ouch" he said rubbing the impacted area while looking at her.
Lucy smirked. "So what do you think?" she pointed at her side and Gray looked at Lia.
The blue haired girl was wearing a pair of jeans with brown high boots, a coat of the same shade of blue as the hat she was wearing over her ocean like hair. She was carrying a small suitcase in which he supposed were the clothes Lucy had lent her. "You look good" he smiled at her and she blushed while looking at the floor.
"Thank god she's the same size as me" Lucy sighed and stretching a bag to him said "here are your clothes"
Gray took it and stood up. "Then we are going" he said and headed to the door; the girls did the same. "We'll see you tomorrow at the guild, Lucy" the blond opened the door and the other two stepped outside. "Thanks for everything" Gray smiled and Lia frantically bowed before walking away.
"Gray!" Lucy called after a while; the guy turned around and groaned after seeing her motioning hand.
"What?" he said once in front of her.
"Take good care of her" the blond had a sad smile. "She's been through a lot".
Gray raised an eyebrow; he knew that Lucy was an easy-going person in which you trust from the first time you met her, but he didn't expect Lia to do the same so quickly. "Did she tell you something?"
Lucy shook her head and glanced at the blue haired girl a few meters away. "No, but her eyes did"
Gray frowned while looking at the stars. I already knew that.
He glanced down at the girl walking beside him. Lia was staring at her feet as they walked through the snowed street and the fact that she didn't have the usual absent-minded look in her face made him watch her faint frown with puzzlement. "Something's wrong?"
"Lucy-san..." she mumbled still troubled with her thoughts.
Gray raised an eyebrow waiting for her to go on, and as she didn't add anything, he smirked. "She's a nice person, isn't she?"
The girl nodded and for his surprise, she seemed sad. "I-" she tried but trailed off.
He folded his arms behind his head. "You what?"
"I didn't thank her properly" whispered the girl tightening the grasp on the suitcase.
Gray blinked bewildered by her worries and chuckled a bit; Lia looked up at him confused by his response. "Don't worry, you can thank her tomorrow" he explained with a wide smile and the girl nodded again before looking back at her feet. He looked up to the starry sky still smiling; maybe her bashfulness was starting to loose a little.
They strolled down the white extension for a long while before the girl spoke again. "Are all fairy tail members so kind?"
"Hmm, yes, they surely are". She looked up at him and his confident lineaments; he always smiles like that when this guild is mentioned. Lia stared at her feet again.
When he noticed she was still pondering about something, Gray rolled his eyes. "What now?" The girl glanced at him and back to the floor, hesitating. "You should look at people when they are talking to you" he sighed fairly annoyed and Lia muttered the usual sorry before looking up at him.
"I'm... scared"
Gray stopped on his track with widened eyes. "Huh?"
Lia froze too and tried to look to the floor, but remembering his previous words she quickly locked her eyes in his surprised ones. "I'm scared of... Fairy tail" she repeated.
The raven haired guy frowned confused, something he was doing a lot thanks to that girl lately. "Why?"
She couldn't stand eye contact anymore. "I-I..." she begun glancing at her hands. "I-If they..." she changed her words; "I wouldn't know-"
Gray sighed when she fell on silence. "I would like you to go on without me saying you to do so" he commented scratching his head.
She clutched her lips in a thin line while glancing at his onyx eyes and after finding some confidence in those orbs, she breathed deeply and spoke. "If they were good to me, just as Lucy-san or Stubborn-san" she looked at the floor when his eyes were widening again, "I wouldn't know what to do, I-"
She was cut off by something cold hitting her on the face; Lia stumbled back thanks to the impact as Gray's laughs echoed in the silence of the night.
"S-stubborn-san?" she asked rubbing her face and looking at the guy who was already making another snowball.
Gray straightened up with the white ball on his right hand. "Sorry, I can't stand you when you act like that" he shrugged and Lia's jaw dropped by this statement; Gray chuckled. "So insecure when there's nothing to worry about".
"B-but" she tried and some snow entered her mouth that time. As it turned into water and she rubbed her face again, Gray picked another one.
"There are no buts; when the time comes, you will know what to do or say" he smirked. "It's a natural thing, stop thinking so much about it".
"But-" the third impact made her fell on her butt and Lia squeaked as she landed.
"I said: no buts"
The girl frowned and when she started grabbing some snow, Gray throw the fourth ball and hit her forehead. "Too slow" he chuckled.
"S-so unfair" she muttered pressing her hand over her bangs.
The guy still laughing walked to the suitcase which had touched the ground from the first impact. He bent to grasp it and turned to look at the girl. "I'm sorry" he said stepping closer to her. "Here" he said while stretching his free hand to help her up, before a white ball smacked him on the face.
As he blinked surprised by the sudden attack, Lia giggled covering her mouth. "Too slow" she imitated him.
Gray throw the suitcase to the floor again while smirking with malice. "Huh? Now we feel like acting brave?" he said and Lia stood up still chuckling. "Hey, come here!" he called when the bluenette sprinted away from him.
"Stubborn-san?"
"Hmm?"
"You are an ice mage, right?"
Gray looked down at the girl walking beside him who was staring at the same hand he had frozen some nights before. "Yeah"
Her blue eyes looked up to his. "Are all Fairy tail's members mages?"
He nodded and the nervous look in her eyes made him curious. "Have you ever seen a mage before?"
"Eh?" she said surprised by the question; she frantically shook her head. "No..." she answered looking at her hands.
Gray smiled. "Well, you're seeing many mages in just a few seconds for that is Fairy tail" he said pointing at the end of the street.
Lia's eyes widened while scanning the building just before them and she didn't even notice when she stopped a few meters away from it. "Fairy tail" she read from the large sign in the top of the guild and her eyes widened even more when she recognized the draw stamped on Gray's chest. Glancing at him and pointing at the sign she said "that's your tattoo!" as if she had discovered the greatest thing in Earthland.
"Huh? Ah, yes" he chuckled. "That's the guild mark"
The girl looked back at the building but suddenly looked rather worried. Shouts, loud laughs and many noises were coming from the inside and making her nervous.
"Ready?" His simple word made her look up at him, and his lips curled up into his usual smile gave her some courage; she gulped and nodded.
They had stepped forward just one meter when something came flying out and through one of the windows. Lia squeaked and went behind Gray as something landed practically beside them.
"Argh, damn Erza" a pink haired guy moaned while sitting on the ground and scratching the back of his head. "Damn her and her monstrous strength"
Lia blinked with surprise and before she could realise Gray was no longer covering her, Natsu was hit on the top of his head. "OUCH!" he complaint looking up at a furious black-haired guy. "Huh? What was that for, stripper?" he said while standing up and smashing his forehead with Gray's.
"Why did you tell them I had diarrhea?!" the other guy shouted completely mad and punched him.
"You told me to make up something!" Natsu kicked him in the stomach.
"With all the excuses you could have said, you chose that one?!" Gray kicked him in a leg and made him fell on the ground again.
"Yeah, that's-" the fire mage begun but trailed off when his eyes catched the glimpse of another person. "WHAT?!" he yelled while pointing at the blue haired girl. "What's she doing her, ice-brain?"
"Jeez, stop being so noisy" Gray said scratching his head. "She's visiting the guild"
"Huh? I thought you said you were taking her to the police, not to Fairy tail!" the pink haired guy patted his pants after standing up.
Gray glanced at Lia who was clutching the hem of her blue dress. "Let's go" he said while motioning with his head.
The girl nodded and rushed to his side, but then remembered something. She approached the other male and stood before him. "I-I'm truly sorry for-" she bent as the phrase ended up incomplete and Natsu raised his eyebrows surprised.
When Lia straightened up, the toothy smile on his face stunned her. Natsu laughed while shaking off the matter with his hand. "Don't worry, some girls hit me even harder and don't even feel sorry about it". He stretched a hand to her "Natsu Dragneel"
The girl looked down at the offered hand and up to the owner. She timidly out stretched her own too. "L-Lia, nice to meet you"
He showed her his sharp teeth again. "Same here and welcome to our guild"
Gray sighed with pleasure and folded his arms. He had definitely done the right thing.
Well, here's the thing: since she's meeting fairy tail for the first time, I would like and truly hope you to help me think about how the "main members" (you know, Cana, Mirajane, Elfman, Levy, the master, bla bla bla) would react or say to this.
So please, remember: the more you help, the faster chapter 3 will be up xd PM me or write your thoughts in a review please!
As always, thanks for reading!
Yumeko nee