Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does. I wish I was him though. :)

A/N You might find Gray totally out of character here. Thanks for all those who reviewed. :3

Chapter 3: LUCY HEARTFILIA

She still have a week to prepare, her wedding's almost due. Lucy guess she's been having wedding jitters. Everything was almost ready. The invitations have been sent out, the wedding dresses and suits for the whole guild were on their respective owners' hand already.

Though she haven't seen her dress, she was excited really. However, Lucy had already seen Gray's suit.

YES, Gray's.

She will be walking down the aisle with Gray next to her in a week. It is undeniable that she was nervous. Even though they've been friends for so long, she had never expected she'll be marrying him. Everyone in the guild thought it will be her and Natsu. Oh, and even she did?

Lucy had no idea how it ended up like this - talking about Juvia trying to kill her, yes. The water mage was on it for six months since Gray's proposal. The blonde had seriously thought hhe was just kind of playing with her because he never dropped a hint that he likes her - or so she thought?

So she was surprised.

But not everyone was.

Happy was kind of sad too but still finds the pleasure of teasing her to Gray.

When Virgo overheard about this, Loke came almost every day trying to stop the wedding. Lucy found it funny because Gray and Loke would always bicker around just like how Gray and Natsu bickers in the past.

Reminds her of Natsu? She wondered how her best friend is doing.

He went on a secret quest two years ago - she was devastated when Gray informed her. Happy followed suit and kept bugging her every day. Ever since Natsu had gone out to that mission, Gray had always stayed with her. She was grateful, really. The ice mage would pull her into missions here and there. Though it still disappoint her that they'd come back with only half to three-fourths of the reward because he was still Gray - an expert at causing ruckus. Good thing he's not bad as Natsu though.

FLASHBACK:

Waking up, she found Gray sitting on her couch, topless and reading her manuscript as usual. So she did what she'd normally do - she snatched the compiled pieces of paper, hit him on his head, yell at him and kick him out of her apartment. Sadly though, her kicks never gets him out of the house (just gets him engrossed over the wall instead).

"Gray!" Lucy blushed, "You're clothes! Didn't I tell you never to strip on someone else's house!"

The ice mage lost the smile on his face and looked down, he gagged, "Crap! Where did my clothes go?"

Lucy face palmed. Seriously? She thought, allowing a chuckle escape her lips.

Gray scratched his head and walked towards the couch. He sat and gave her a serious stare that made her a bit nervous, "Natsu left on a secret quest."

"..."

Slowly, memories of yesterday's events formed in her head. "Shit, I can't believe I confessed to him!" Lucy cursed.

Gray pressed his lips into a thin line, "Can't believe it either." He commented nonchalantly.

"Did he bring Happy along?" the blonde asked quietly, trying to hide the pain in her voice but failed.

"Aye!" Happy yelled, startling the Celestial mage, "Lucyyy!" the blue exceed came crashing to her chest, wailing like his mother left him for good.

"H-Happy!" The cat's name escaped her lips in shock but relief overflowed inside her - she thought Natsu left only her behind.

"Natsu went on a secret quest without me. Without us." He cried loudly.

I dragged my vision to Gray, he just shrugged his shoulders and stared at the scene unfolding in front of him blankly.

"He really did?" Lucy asked, confused. But why would Natsu leave without them? Was he intending to avoid her?

"Aye..." Happy grumbled lowly.

Lucy ran fast, intending to get to the train station. "Shit, Natsu! How could you just leave without saying anything?"

And once she got there, she looked for him. "Natsuuu!"

The people threw her weird glances. Giving up, she sat on the bench, depression lines drawing above her head. She panted excessively, she was running around the station for quite a while now.

She felt a pair of eyes looking down at her and someone sat beside her without a word.

Lucy smiled, she doesn't have to look to tell who it was. "Gray?"

She lifted her head and faced him, he was staring at the busy people walking to and fro. Lucy followed his gaze, "You know what's amazing with these busy people?"

Lucy remained silent. She just watched the people.

"It's when they try to compete with time." He continued. "They know they'll never win but they never give up. Some live their whole lives like that."

"Oh." Lucy giggled, brightening up. "If it isn't the poetic Gray Fullbuster?" she teased, fascinated at this side of him. She shifted and moved closer to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder and drew out a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Gray."

"Hm?" He hummed, flustered.

"You don't mind that I haven't wash up yet, right?" She joked, oblivious at how red she made him.

He laughed, he was caught off guard. The blonde pulled her head and looked him straight in the eye. "Why are you blushing?" She asked innocently.

Gray immediately looked away, "Come on! You stink, Lucy. You look horrible. You're eyes are all red and puffy." He stood and walked off, not sparing her a second glance.

"Oh. Let's go take a job!" Lucy jumped out of the bench and trailed after Gray. "Hey, Gray. Will you promise me you'll never leave like Natsu?" She just had to say it. She couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"Love me back, then?" Gray smirked boldly.

With blush creeping across her cheeks, she twitched. "Well, I love Gray." She crossed her arms, "Silly Gray being a pervert again." Lucy laughed. This time, it was Gray's turn to jolt back and walk away. "Hey!" The blond shouted, swinging her arms as she tried to catch up with him. "Promise me, Gray. Ne, ne?" She bugged him.

"Okay, okay!" He finally retorted, sighing as if she forced him (which was partially true).

She grabbed his han and skipped, making him stop walking. He looked down at her, amused. "Let's work hard."

And so, for the next couple of months. Lucy, Happy and Gray worked on different kinds of missions. Of course she would occassionally miss Natsu and Erza - the team is incomplete without them after all. And it's different without them.

When Erza came back, she was delighted to see Lucy doing fine. The celestial mage knows Erza understood what's going on. She's as smart as Gray - well, maybe even smarter. She just avoids talking to Lucy about her feelings for Natsu because she wanted to hear it from Lucy firsthand. But Lucy wasn't ready - not when it's with Erza.

It's not that she doesn't trust the requip mage. She does, believe her - she trusts Erza with her life. But when it comes to love, she's kind of scared to bring this up to Erza. She doesn't want her to remember Jellal who was now locked up in the Council.

Lucy is heartbroken but Erza's situation is more heartbreaking.

After a year and a half, Gray proposed to Lucy.

The proposal was simple. Gray had always kept his cool but that time, he was different.

Lucy was at the guild talking to Levy about her plans on the next chapter to write.

Quietly, Gray crept beside me.

"Oi, Gray." Lucy greeted but got no response. He was blushing madly which kind of made her worried.

Lucy laid a hand on his shoulder, "Hey?"

"Lucy." He spoke in a loud voice, standing up and gestured as if he was about to kneel.

"H-huh?" the blonde stared at him dumbfounded.

And then Gray knelt, his face all red. "L-Lucy.. I.."

That's when it dawned on me, my cheeks suddenly felt hot. This is embarrassing. He looked like he was about to propose. She thought as she also stood up from her seat and pulled his arm, forcing him to stand.

He kept firm. "G-Gray, what are you doing?"

This time, Lucy was really confused and flustered. This drew the attention of everyone in the guild to them.

"O-oi, Lucy!" He started, "I had been confessing for over a year and a half now." He lifted his head up and looked her straight into the eyes.

"W-wha...?"

"MARRY ME! I love you!" And he shoved a small red box unto her hand.

The celestial mage blinked. And blinked. And blinked.

She stared at him, then to the box which she haven't accepted yet, then to him and then to the box. She forced herself to take in the scene unfolding before her. She was utterly stunned.

The guild quieted down and Lucy could feel everyone's eyes on her, waiting for her response.

Her face was about to explode.

"..."

Lucy took a step back and scratched her head.

Gray stood up, tears streaming down his face. He placed the box on top of the table where they sat a while ago.

'Is he serious?' Lucy asked herself.

He jolted around, about to leave the guild. But even before Gray could step out of the guild, a loud thud echoed through out the guild. "Lucy kick!"

She could her the stifled laughter of their guild mates as Gray fell face first into the floor.

It felt like Gray was running away again. Escaping once again. She likes Gray. She really does. But she's scared to take the risk. It might just end up like how things with Natsu ended up - he's her best friend too, just like Natsu. So she sealed all the romantic feeling that was starting to grow inside her. She doesn't want to lose Gray. Not Gray. "Running away, Gray?" she asked with a teasing voice. He wasn't moving, his body laid flat on the floor. She couldn't see his face. She took a step forward and stared down on him, "You're asking me to marry you when we're not even dating? You never asked me even once for a date?"

Gray pulled his body up and sat, she stepped back. He lifted his head and caught her eyes. "I kept on confessing but you're never taking me seriously. How the hell are we supposed to date?" Gray whined, "You're dense!"

Really? Lucy gasped. So those occasional pick up lines meant something more? Is that what he means? Those were times when I had always thought Gray was just being weird. "That's cold, Gray." was her only comment, trying to pick herself up together. She folded her arms across her chest and cupped her chin. She turned and eyed the box on the table earlier as she walked towards the table and grabbed the box. Once she opened it, she admired the ring in it.

The whole guild was breathlessly watching.

And Lucy took the ring out and wore it on her finger.

"I'll marry you."

Astonishment shone in Gray's face. She could tell he didn't expect her answer. She grinned.

"I really thought you were just making fun of me, Gray. You could have told me at least that you're serious. I'm sorry for being dense." She continued, "I'm scared to death to fall for you because you might not love me as I love you, you see."

He jolted up and hugged her tight. She blushed and stiffened but eventually relaxed. The whole guild roared. It was fast, Lucy knew. But maybe she just fell in love with the wrong person first - and had always been in love with Gray since forever?

She responded with wrapping her arms around his back. "Gray?"

"Hm?" he hummed, crying tears of joy.

"Clothes?"

And that ruined the mood as he backed away and panicked.

The guild exploded with greetings. She could hear Elfman telling Gray how manly his proposal was. The girls gathered around her checked her ring. She smiled. It was too good to be true.

As she recalled this, she felt thrilled and excited, though she still have a cold feet. In a week time, he won't just be Lucy Heartfilia. She will be Lucy Fullbuster. A blush crept across her cheeks. What was she thinking?

She face palmed and shook away her thoughts, standing up and wearing her sandals.

"Lucyyy!" the blonde heard a familiar high pitched voice yelled. "Natsu's back, Lucy! Natsu's back!"

A/N I'll apologize now if you find Gray totally out of character in this chapter. I'm really sorry. Punish me if you please. Wari wari!