Neither Gary nor Lucy said anything about their conversation in the garden or the kiss on the train once they got back to Magnolia. Lucy had been planning to talk to Levy about it but that didn't go to plan. When Lucy found Levy the day she got back the bluenette was having her own problems. Apparently training with Gajeel didn't go to plan. He had spent most of the day subtly insulting her. Levy had got so frustrated at him she had shouted at him, told him is she was so useless he should just bolt her to a tree again. She hadn't meant it, she had long forgiven him for it, but she had been angry and just lashed out at him. Gajeel and Lily had left town immediately after with no word of where they were going.

Lucy decided that a girls day was in order after hearing her friends story. They went to their favorite bookstore and hit some clothes shops. Lucy didn't have any extra money to spend on anything but just the time out with her friend seemed to do them both some good. Neither talked about their boy problems and by the end of the day Lucy had forgot all about her issues with Gray.

S-Class trials came and went, Freed was the newest S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail. There was the yearly Christmas party that was full of drinking and fighting, a typical Fairy Tail party. Things finally settled down after the new year started. Gajeel had yet to return but the master had been in touch with him and told Levy not to worry about it. Gray was still being his normal self around Lucy and Lucy found it strange how normal it felt. She had expected things to be awkward after their mission or for Gary to keep his distance now, but it was like nothing had happened.

They started going on team missions again after the new year. Natsu had returned from his unsuccessful dragon hunt and Erza was finished with the trials. Gray kept his distance from Lucy during their jobs and she knew it was because of Natsu. Not that Natsu understood what the term 'personal space' meant. Lucy found herself becoming more and more frustrated with Natsu as time went on. While on one job, Lucy found herself venting to Erza in their hotel room.

"I can't believe Natsu! He drives me crazy sometimes!" Lucy was pulling off the remains of her ruined clothes, thank you Natsu, and throwing them on the floor.

"Would you like me to punish him for you, Princess?" Virgo asked from where she was standing next to Lucy with a pile of new clothes for her.

"No, Virgo, but thank you." Lucy said as she took the clothes.

"Natsu can be a handful." Erza said, a small smile on her face. "But he means well."

"I think he is trying to burn my clothes off half the time." Lucy sat on the bed after she was dressed and Virgo had disappeared.

"Are you sure he's not?" Erza asked, making Lucy blush.

"At this point … no." Lucy admitted. "Why do boys have to be like this."

"Perhaps you should talk to him." Erza suggested.

"Yeah, like how you talk with Jellal?" Lucy didn't mean to snap at Erza. She had been meaning for it to be a playful tease at the confusing relationship Erza had with her, once psychotic murder turned good guy, old friend. Lucy's frustration had twisted her words and she knew she hurt Erza's feeling when the warrior women stiffened.

"I merely meant you should tell him about your interest in Gray." Erza said as she got up and headed to the bathroom to shower, leaving Lucy alone.

Lucy felt like she was tearing the team apart. Natsu and Gray were fighting more now than ever before. It was mostly started by Natsu but Gray wasn't innocent either. Gray was carful with his behavior around Natsu, but the Dragon-Slayer could tell something was up. Their fighting lead to more tension with Erza who hated watching the two fight. Now Lucy was starting to drive a wedge between her and Erza. The red-head knew almost everything about Lucy and Gray's relationship so she didn't understand why Lucy wasn't making it official. She didn't know about Lucy's conflicting feelings for Natsu.

Lucy had been spending a lot of time trying to sort out her feelings. Natsu was her best friend, and a good person. He always knew how to make her laugh and how to drive her crazy. He brought her to Fairy Tail, gave her a family that loved her as much as she loved them. He was always trying to protect her and look after her, even if he was the one that caused the trouble in the first place. She wasn't sure what she would do without Natsu.

Gray was so similar to Natsu but completely different at the same time. Where Natsu would charge into a fight in front of Lucy, Gray was at her side. He was there to support her, not fight her battles for her. Natsu always made jokes about her being fat or not attractive, Gray never did. Gray worried about her modesty and she often ended up wearing his jacket after Natsu destroyed her clothes. Gray took an interest in her life and the stories she would write, he knew almost as much about them as Levy. Just thinking about Gray would make her heart race and give her butterflies in her stomach. Lucy could live without Gray, but she didn't want to.

It wasn't until that moment she even noticed how she was comparing Natsu to Gray and she preferred Gray every time. Natsu was her best friend and Lucy finally was starting to figure out that her feelings for Natsu were that of a friend. Her feelings for Gray were much more than just friendly. Now that she had this information, she wasn't sure what to do with it.

When they got back to Magnolia everyone was getting ready for Valentines day. Evergreen and Elfman had made plans together, both swearing they didn't know it was Valentines day. Lisanna had asked Natsu if he wanted to go out to dinner, Natsu was oblivious to the holiday but excited about free food, agreed. Mira had plans but she didn't say with who or what the plans were. Wendy had been asked out by Romeo and Cana encouraged her to go. Erza didn't care much for the holiday and planned to spend it sharpening her weapons. Juvia claimed to have a date planed with Gray, he had no knowledge of this. Cana, Levy, and Lucy were the only girls at the guild without plans, so they decided to have an anti-valentines party at Lucy's house.

The girls did facials, manicures and pedicures and a lot of drinking. Cana had brought the wine over and she had brought barrels. The three of them had already finished the first one, most of it was drunk by Cana, when they gathered around to gossip.

"We are a sad group." Cana pointed out, pouring each of them a new glass of wine.

"I can't believe I chased Gajeel out of town. It's been two months." Levy complained, taking the glass.

"You just hurt his poor ego or something, he will be back. It could be worse." Lucy tried to comfort her.

"Oh, how?" Levy groaned, drinking most of her glass in one gulp.

"You could have told him you were in love with someone else. Still trying to figure out how to take that back." Lucy said it offhandedly but both girls were shocked.

"You what?!" They both asked, "Who?"

Lucy felt herself blushing and it wasn't just from the wine. She had thought she had told Levy about this but apparently it had slipped her mind. "I might have told Gray I was in love with Natsu?" She phrased it like a question and tried to look innocent.

"Why would you do something stupid like that?" Cana asked her.

"Oh, Lu …" Levi gave her a sympathetic look.

"He asked and I thought … I don't know. I thought I felt that way … maybe?" Lucy sighed and finished her glass, Cana quickly refilled it. "I was an idiot and now I don't know how to take it back."

"You both are so lucky to have me." Cana smiled at them. "I'm here to fix all your problems."

"Please don't" Lucy groaned. Cana's relationship advice normally consisted of just getting the guy in bed.

"How are you going to fix things?" Levy was as suspicious as Lucy was but she was willing to try anything at this point. She missed Gajeel and even Jet and Droy were asking when he would be back.

"I happen to know a certain metal studded Dragon-Slayer came back to town today." Levy perked up at Cana's words. "Now, if it was me, I would head over to his place and give him a reason to never disappear again."

Levy blushed and looked over at Lucy. "I wouldn't do what Cana is suggesting, but maybe try talking to him. He's stubborn so you might just have to tell him how you feel." Lucy told her.

"What if he doesn't like me?" Levy had never been self-conscious around boys until Gajeel showed up. It helped that Jet and Droy were both obvious with their feelings for her and most of the guys she had dated in the past didn't hide what they thought about her. Gajeel was new territory for her.

"He's into you." Cana reassured her. "He wouldn't have gotten upset if he wasn't."

Levy thought that over. She was lost deep in her thoughts when Lucy placed her hand on her shoulder causing her to jump. "Don't over think it. Just go over and see him."

Levy was still nervous but with a little more encouragement from Lucy and Cana, along with another glass of wine, she was leaving to go talk with Gajeel. That left Lucy and Cana alone to drink their night away. Cana's solution for Lucy's problem was even simpler then Levy's.

"Just tell him you want his Ice Pop and not Natsu's Hot Sausage." Cana had told her. Lucy had almost died of embarrassment and it took two glasses of wine before she could get the mental image out of her mind.

By the time Cana headed home for the night, Lucy was well past drunk. It wasn't even that late when Cana had left, not yet midnight, but Cana had left in hope of picking a guy up. Lucy didn't mind her leaving, she was tired and wanted sleep. Wine always made her sleepy and overly hot. She was one of those lucky people that reacted badly to any type of alcohol, it was the reason she didn't drink much. Even now she felt like she was burning up but it was comfortable and fuzzy feeling. Lucy grabbed her clothes for bed and laid them out when she heard a knock on the door. When she stumbled her way to the door, it was Gray on the other side.

Gray had been unsure about going to see Lucy so late at night, but when he got to her apartment he saw the light on and headed up. He had forgot all about Valentines day until Juvia had shown up at the guild with homemade chocolates for him. It had taken hours for him to get away from her. He had gone home after he was free of Juvia and dug out the gift he had for Lucy. It hadn't been purchased with Valentines in mind, he had just seen it earlier in the week and knew Lucy would love it, but if he could cash in on the holiday, why not. That's how he found himself at Lucy's door, just before midnight with a very drunk Lucy clinging to him.

"Gray!" Lucy squealed when she opened the door. She hugged her friend and sighed at how good his cool body felt against hers. "You feel good." She hummed

"Lucy? Are you drunk?" Gray put his arms around her to help support the giggling girl as he moved into her apartment. He had never known Lucy to get drunk, she would have a drink or two on rare occasions, but never ger drunk. Her skin was flushed and felt like fire where it touched his skin. He could feel the heat through their clothes.

"A little." She admitted before bursting into more giggles. "Maybe a lot"

Gray sighed, tossing the small box he had onto her couch before trying to pull her off him. "Let's get you to bed."

"No …" She whined at him. Her hands moved under his shirt and wrapped around his back. "You feel so good. I'm so hot." She complained to him

Gray didn't know what to do. He was having a hard time thinking with Lucy wrapped around him like she was. She had started planting messy kisses on his neck and chest. His shirt was gone now, damn thing had a mind of its own. Lucy was apparently a happy cuddly drunk.

"Why don't we both go to bed?" Gray offered. Lucy turned even more red and burst into another fit of giggles against his chest. Gray moved them over to the bed and Lucy fell back onto it. She immediately pulled off her shirt but Gray stopped her before she could get started on her skirt.

"Lucy, no." Gray spoke to her in a gentle but firm voice. He didn't want to upset her but he had for get through the fog the alcohol caused. "We are going to lay down, I'll help cool you down, and you are going to sleep. That's all."

Lucy whimpered and leaned into him, moaning lightly when her bare skin met his. "But I want you, Gray. Only you."

"You don't mean that. You'll feel better in the morning." Gray told her. He was trying to get her pajama top on her. She was nuzzling his chest but otherwise cooperating.

"I do mean it. I don't want Natsu, or Loke, or anyone but you." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. The warm cuddly feeling was starting to fade as Gary's body cooled her down. "I love you, only you."

Gray couldn't stop himself, he leaned in and captured her lips with his. He only meant got it to be a gentle kiss and he kept Lucy from making it anything more. Those were the words he had been wanting to hear for months now. It was everything he had wanted, if only she had been sober then he would have been happy to do everything her body was begging him to do. As it was, she wasn't sober and he wasn't even sure she would remember this all in the morning. He reluctantly pulled back from her.

"Let's finish getting you ready for bed." He said. It took a little effort, but he got her into her pajama and made her drink some water before he tucked her into bed. She was passed out the moment her head touched the pillow.

Lucy woke up late in the morning, or early in the afternoon, depending on how you looked at it. She couldn't remember much of the night before after the girls came over but she had a feeling she had done something embarrassing. She was lucky in the fact she didn't really get hangovers. She would sleep through the worst of the after affects and just woke feeling groggy. When she got up and stretched she noticed she was in her pajamas. That's strange, I don't remember changing she thought. It wasn't until she got out of bed she noticed she wasn't alone. Gray had made himself comfortable on her couch and was reading one of the books she had given up on writing, and, of course, he was mostly naked.

"Gray! It's bad enough you're in my place uninvited, but do you have to be naked!" she yelled at him before she snatched the papers out of his hand. "And who said you could read this?"

"Hey!" That got his attention as he tried to grab it back. "That was really good." He didn't seem to see any problem with him loafing around Lucy's house in just his boxers. "And you did invite me, last night."

"Last night?" Immediately her mind went crazy with all the things that might have happened between the two of them that she couldn't remember. She must have looked horrified because he was nice enough to put her out of her misery.

"Don't worry, nothing happened. I'm not the type to take advantage of a situation like that." He moved over so she would have room to sit next to him. "I may have helped you get dressed though" he added after she had relaxed.

"You what!" She shouted at him, causing Gray to laugh.

"What did you come over last night for?" She asked after she had calmed down again and he had stopped laughing at her.

"It was Valentine's Day. I got you something." He was a bit embarrassed about it now and he held a little box out to her.

"Gray, you didn't have to get me anything. I mean it's not like we are anything more than friends." She told him as she took the box.

"You're more than a friend to me, Lucy. A lot more." He told her, dead serious.

Lucy blushed as she opened the box. Inside was a silver gate key. On the handle was a three-star constellation the formed a triangle. Lucy immediately started laughing when she saw it.

"What is it? Don't tell me it's a fake or something. I had no idea what I was doing but the guy swore it was real and that it was one of a kind." Gray was freaking out, thinking he might have done something wrong.

"Do you know what this is? It's Leo Minor." Lucy was still smiling as she picked up the key. "The little lion, I wonder if there's any connection."

Gray sighed in relief. "That's why I got it. When I learned it was the little lion it just … seemed … right."

Lucy smiled at him before she nervously kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. And I didn't get you anything."

"I got what I wanted last night." He said with a smile.

Lucy again wondered what had happened the night before but pushed it aside. "Want to see what they look like?" she asked him.

"Sure." He shrugged.

"I summon you to my side. Open Gate of the Little Lion." Lucy called out to the room as she waved her new key. A little girl appeared before them. She looked to be nine or ten years old. She had brown red hair that was in tight curls that had been put into pigtails. She was wearing a blue dress and matching shoes.

"Hello, my lady" The young Sprit said with a curtsy.

"Awe you're so cute!" Lucy said excitedly. "Should we work on our contract?"

Gray watched Lucy and the girl for a little while. Working out a contract with a Celestial Spirt was tedious but important so Gray didn't bother Lucy. After a while he went back to reading the story he had started while she had been sleeping.

"All done" Lucy said when they finished. Despite her young appearance this spirt and seemed to be very polite and, honestly, normal. "Oh, I didn't catch your name, what should I call you."

"I'm Lionetta" The girl said. "And what should I call you, My Lady?"

"Oh, I'm Lucy." She smiled and held her hand out to the girl.

Lionetta shrieked in delight and jumped on Lucy, hugging her tight. "You're Lucy! I have heard so much about you! You're the one that saved Daddy!"

"Daddy?" Lucy and Gray asked at the same time.

"Yeah, Leo the Lion." She told them.

Lucy and Gray looked at each other. "Did you know he had a daughter?" Lucy asked Gray.

"No, how would I know?" Gray had never heard anything about Loke having a family. "Can Celestial Spirts have children?"

"I don't know." Lucy was confused.

"Excused me, Lady Lucy?" Lionetta asked politely acting like she had not just tackled Lucy. "Would it be possible for me to see my Daddy? I haven't seen him in a long time." Lionetta looked up at her with big pleading eyes.

"Sure, I have some questions for him." There was a hint of threat in her voice when she summoned Loke.

"Lucy, it's been too long. You might give a guy the wrong idea." Loke put his arm around her shoulder once he appeared.

"Daddy!" Lionetta jumped onto Loke like she had with Lucy, knocking him to the ground.

"Lionetta? What are you doing here?" Loke was trying to pry the little girl off of him but she refused to let go.

"Lucy is my new master. Isn't this wonderful Daddy? We get to be together again." She was grinning with her arms around his neck. Gray was trying not to laugh as Loke struggled with the little girl. Lucy was rubbing her forehead like a headache was starting.

"You never told me you had a daughter, Loke. I guess I shouldn't be surprised with all the girls you had chasing after you." Gray said, not able to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"I can't have children." He told them. Loke was clearly not amused by the situation at all. He finally managed to pry Lionetta off. "I'm not your father! Why are you always behaving like this Lionetta!" He scolded her.

"But … You're Leo and … and I'm the little lion … that means you're … you're my daddy." Lionetta could barely get the words out before she burst into tears at his rejection.

"Oh man, don't be like that." Loke was looking around, flustered.

Lucy got down and hugged the crying spirt, wiping her tears away. "Don't let him upset you. Loke still has a lot to learn about how to treat a lady."

Loke made a noise like he was insulted as Lionetta brushed away the last of her tears. "He is my Daddy, right?"

"Of course, he is." Lucy told her. She gave a warning look to Loke that he better keep his mouth shut. Lionetta smiled and hugged Lucy. "Why don't you head back now, I need to have some grown-up talk."

Lionetta giggled. "Just because I look like a kid doesn't mean I am one. I know what happens when Daddy is alone with girls." All three adults in the room looked very uncomfortable. "You play leap frog!"

Everyone let out a relived sigh. "How you play with three people though I don't understand. Do you take turns? If so who goes first?" Lionetta started asking herself.

"That's enough of that" Lucy said as she waved the key to close Lionetta's gate. "That was … interesting." She said to herself.

"Want to play leap frog?" Loke asked in a suggestive tone in Lucy's ear, causing her to jump.

"You're such a pervert!" She snapped as she jumped away from him, waving his key in the air. "You can go away too." She closed his gate as well.

Gray was laughing on the couch as Lucy collapsed onto it. He put his arm around her and pulled her against him.

"They are going to be a handful. And here I thought you had picked up a nice, normal spirt." She sighed and put her arm around him, curling up into his side. She fit nicely there and it felt natural to be held like this with him.

"I didn't mean to cause you more problems." He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Gray, you're still naked" Lucy pointed out as she noticed that she was on his bare chest.

"Does it bother you?" He asked.

Lucy blushed lightly. She could feel him looking at her, waiting for an answer. In truth it didn't bother her, it hadn't bothered her for a while. She wasn't sure when she had stopped caring if he was wearing his clothes or not, but now it just seemed normal for him to be undressed around her. She couldn't tell him that though. "A bit." She said as she moved away from him.

Gray had a feeling she was lying, especially after last night, but he didn't question it as he got up and put his clothes back on. After he was dressed he sat back down with Lucy but she didn't snuggle back up to him.

"What happened last night?" She asked him. She had been thinking about it all day, even when working out her contract with Lionetta. She could remember bit of things here and there but it was still fuzzy.

"You talked a lot. Said some things you probably wouldn't if you were sober. Then you passed out and I put you to bed." He said matter-of-factly.

"Then how did I end up dressed like this?" She asked, feeling like he was hiding something.

"I already told you, I dressed you."

"So, you undressed me while I was passed out and nothing happened?" she was watching him closely.

Gray blushed lightly, aware that he was caught. "Ok, maybe you did a little more than talk. But I swear that nothing happened."

Lucy was looking at her hands in her lap. "I know you're not like that Gray. I just feel like something huge happened and I can't remember anything. I don't like not knowing."

Gray pulled her into his arms again. "You don't need to worry about it. I know you were drunk and saying things that you didn't mean or didn't want to say. I 'm not going to hold anything you said against you. We can just both forget about it."

Lucy was quiet as she thought that over. If he was willing to forget about what happened, maybe she could too. There was just one thing that was still bothering her. "Gray, what are we? What is this thing we are doing?"

"We're friends, teammates. Just like we have always been." There was a note of sadness in his voice. He wanted more than that, Lucy knew that. Did she want that too? Were they already started down a road they couldn't turn back from?

"I should head home. It's getting late." Gray said. It was dark outside the windows. "Make sure you get something to eat."

"We could have dinner together." Lucy suggested when Gray got up. "Just give me a minute to change."

Lucy grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom to get dressed. She wasn't ready to see Gray leave yet. She liked him being around and his gift had been so thoughtful. She hugged her new key to her chest. Lionetta was a little strange and but Lucy loved having a new key and maybe she could help with things between the little spirt and Loke. Gray had also helped her out last night when she was drunk and alone. She owed him and taking him out to dinner seemed like a good way to repay him. It's not like it was a date or anything.