More details..

1. I made Gray, Natsu and Loke three of the smartest students at Fairy Tail Academy.

2. Lucy hates BOYS…because of his father? No.

3. I didn't put Natsu's motion sickness (but he gets seasick) and Gray's weird habit of stripping his clothes.

Edited: 08/23/13

Again, English is my second language and I'm not that good of a writer so I beg for forgiveness if there are wrong spellings or grammar…thank you.

Genre: Drama, Family, Friendship, Romance, some Humor, Hurt/Comfort.

Main Pairing: GrayXLucy

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. I am NOT Hiro Mashima.

CHAPTER 4: The Dare and the Girl

Oh no, Oh no, Oh no! Moms gonna kill me for sure. Damn that Natsu and Loke! This is all their darn fault! If they hadn't invited me to hang out then this wouldn't have happen! Curses!

I ran as fast as I could, but I still didn't make it on time.

It was 9:10pm. I tried to even out my breathing but with my nervousness eating me, it only made my heart go faster. Slowly, I opened the door and peeked inside to see if mom is there waiting.

She's not here.I sighed in relief then stepped inside and silently closed the door.

Thankfully moms not here. But where could she be?

I remove my footwear and placed it on the shoe rack properly. The last thing I want is for her to know I came home late. I slip my feet on my comfy slippers and was on my way to my bedroom when I heard mom called, the sound is muffled so I suppose she's in bed. "Gray? Is that you?"

Oh no. This is bad.

"Y-yea?"

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" I paused, not really expecting that. I was anticipating a 'Gray Fullbuster! How many times do I have to tell you that your curfew is only until nine p.m!' shout, but this is new.

"Uhm.." and because I wasn't expecting that, I don't know what to say.

"There's some left over in the kitchen. Preheat it if you want to eat."

"A-alright…?" I answered, waiting for her to answer back. Why isn't she mad? Did something happen to her?

When I didn't get any reply, I slowly walk to the kitchen but then her voice stopped me for the second time this night.

"And Gray…"

"Yea?"

"…Next time your late, you're gonna get it." her voice wasn't anything scary, in fact it was calm. But the threat in her sentence is something I should not doubt. I guess I spoke to soon.

"Understood?"

"Y-yes commander, I mean ma'am, I mean Mom, I mean...HAI!"

"Good..."

At least I'm safe...for now.

.

.

.

After eating, I went to mom's room, I don't know why.

I silently opened her door and see if she's awake. By the looks of it, I supposed she's asleep by the way she breathed evenly. I slowly walked towards her and seated myself at the edge of her bed, looking at her sleeping form.

"Mom, thank you…" I smiled at her and then kissed her forehead, "Good night, Mom."

I smiled at her again before leaving, closing the door behind me and walked towards my room. Tomorrow is another day.

I was so lucky today. First, I didn't have to do the dare that Loke was supposed to give me and second, mom didn't punish me for being late. Or at least that's what I thought.

UR'S P.O.V

I was really tired and sleepy today that I don't even have the energy to scold Gray when he got home. I simply threatened him, knowing he'll never do it again…or at least, not intentionally.

Not long after, I heard my door open. I lied there, not paying much attention to the intruder who dares disturb my relaxation time. I was going to ask who it was until it spoke to me.

"Mom," it was Gray, "...thank you."

I don't know why but I didn't say anything. Blame it to exhaustion, but I couldn't open my mouth or my eyes to let him know I'm awake. I let him kiss my forehead and felt happy. Even though he's not my real son, I can feel his love towards us. It made me feel tears stinging my eyes because of happiness.

"Good night, mom," He said and left.

"Good night, Son." I whispered and then let myself drift to sleep.

..ooOoo..

The next day

"Yo," I heard a familiar voice behind me that made me look over my shoulders to see a smiling Loke.

"Yo," I greeted back. He patted my back before placing his arm over my shoulders, knowing that I hated it when someone does that to me. I shrugged his arm while snorting a threat. Loke brought his hands up in defense before dipping it in his pockets.

"Seems like your fine. Didn't you get grounded or something?" I immediately felt a shift of emotions from being annoyed to being overjoyed.

"Nah. I guess yesterday's my lucky day," I smirked.

Loke promptly stopped and I had to turn to see him properly, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Speaking of lucky, I just remember you still have your dare, Gray."

And again my feeling shifted― this time from happiness to uneasiness.

"W-What? I thought it's already settled?"

"Tsk Tsk Tsk. Of course, not." He said, wiggling his pointing finger while simultaneously shaking his head. "You'll do it this lunch, alright? Be ready." He smirked evilly and walked passed me towards our classroom. What is he planning? Is it going to be torturous like Natsu's dare?

..ooOoo..

The bell rang through the empty halls of Fairy Tail Academy. Halls that will soon be filled with students rushing to get to the cafeteria first.

"Guys, I'm going on ahead to save us seats, alright?!" Natsu said running out of the class room as if running for his life, not even waiting to hear our answers.

"I really don't want to eat at the cafeteria, you know." I muttered, even though he's gone already.

"Oh, come on, Gray. Natsu's just being himself. We all know that he likes the cafeteria food, right?" Loke said.

"But did he ever consider what WE like?" I answered, irritated but still walked out with Loke to where Natsu is. I really don't like the cafeteria, at all. It's too noisy there.

"Hey Gray, do you know someone named Lucy Heartfilia?" This question was very sudden and was said so in a serious tone that it had me taken aback.

"Err, no…?" I answered him. He smiled and told me that this Lucy Heartfilia is the Vice President of the Student Council. "And?" I asked not really interested, I thought it was important with the seriousness and all, but it seemed not. Why would I even want to know?

"Nothing." he answered. I saw a smile stretching his lips as I glanced at him. What is he thinking now?

.

.

.

I was wondering how on earth had I manage to finish my lunch in the too noisy place we call the cafeteria. I shook my head, focusing on the dare Loke will be giving me any minute now.

"That was so good!" Natsu commented as he petted his full stomach while smiling in satisfaction.

"Every food you eat is always good Natsu." I said earning a grin from him.

Loke and I just shook our heads.

As we were walking our way to our classroom, Loke saw something that made him smile so much. He then turned to me and pointed his finger at the end of the hallway.

"Gray, she is my dare for you!" he said, indicating a blonde girl. Boy was she beautiful…but that's it for her. She's just beautiful. But don't get me wrong. Yes, I find her pretty because I can appreciate beauty, even if I don't seem like it. I know my place, and I'm not to take Loke's stupid title as 'the great flirt'. And I'm not gay. I'm just not the type of person to fall for someone I don't know.

"Wait a minute!" I snapped my head at my so-called friend just to see him grinning like an idiot. "What do you mean by she's my dare?!" I asked, completely flabbergasted that my friend even suggested that, because I know exactly what he mean. I just don't want to admit it.

"Never once did I imagine that you are as dense as Natsu…"

"HEY! What's that supposed to mean?" Natsu snapped.

"Do I really need to explain everything?" he sighed, "Fine. She's you dare, ask her out, play with her. As simple as that." Loke said totally ignoring Natsu.

Blink, Blink

Blink, Blink, Blink

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope."

"Why am I doing this again?" I just had to clarify it, before doing anything.

"Because you agreed in doing this…? And let me just remind you of the rule that sensei told us."

"It's more of like your rule." I snapped.

"Well, are you going to do it or would you prefer on doing THAT?"

"Is there any other option? This is torture. You'll ruin my reputation here!"

"As if you had one, BAKA!" Natsu said, happy that he could finally comment something. And I just had glare at him.

"What reputation are you talking about?" Loke said breaking the glaring competition that Natsu and I are having.

"I never go out with a girl I don't know." I said frowning, and putting my hands on my side pockets. "In fact, I haven't even been dating anyone yet. That's got to be one reputation I had to keep up here."

"Of course you do, now hurry up ask her out." Loke said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

I was silent after that, contemplating what Loke said. Ask?...Ask…Ask…ASK! Suddenly, I thought of something I'm so proud of. I'm very happy I have a very sneaky mind. Ask, eh? I smirked and looked at Loke, who's been giving me suspicious looks.

"What now?" Loke asked.

"I'm just gonna ASK her out, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Alright! Then I'm going to ASK her out now…" I said, clearly emphasizing the word 'ask' for him to get my point.

"Uh-huh…Wait what?!"

"You told me to ask her out. You never told me that I SHOULD GO OUT with her, right?" I said and started walking towards the blonde girl―she was talking to a smaller girl― without waiting for Loke's reply.

While walking, I looked at her face and a familiar face suddenly flashed through my mind, a blonde girl with chocolate brown eyes, causing me to stop halfway. My heart beats a pace I didn't know it was capable of. My mind swirls with different thoughts I kept for how many years now.

Is it really her?I thought. Even if I willed myself to start walking again, I can't. It's like my feet are rooted to the ground. I know Natsu and Loke are telling me something, but their voices are muffled from the voice inside my head that kept on egging me to walk. I thought I wouldn't be able to, but the moment her lips stretches upward to form a smile I couldn't ever forget, my feet moved on its own.

And before I know it, I was holding her shoulders on my hands as my eyes searches hers for some kind of recognition in them. A faint glint was all I saw, before she and everything else moved sideways towards my left.

I didn't know what happened until I feel a stinging sensation on my left cheek. My hand instinctively went to caress it before turning to see her face full of different emotions I couldn't exactly put a finger on.

"PERVERT! How dare you touch me!" she screeched, glaring at me. I was taken aback. Why would she do that? Can't she recognize me?

"Uhm, s-sorry? But, don't you recognize me?"

"I don't care who the hell you are. I don't care if you the president of this country or a multi-millionaire,"

She doesn't know me? That only means she's not…she's not her.

"You can't just show up and pull a girl harshly and looking at her in the eyes like some kind of pervert, you Pervert!" She yelled.

"N-no…I didn't mean―" I tried to explain.

"I'm not the kind other girl to squeal whenever a hand― whenever a boy touches her. To me every boy in this world is the same. ALL OF YOU ARE PERVERTS! HMP!" and with that she walks away leaving her companion behind.

"LU-CHAN, WAIT!" said the girl that she's with, bowing in apology before following her friend.

I was left dumbfounded. Not only did she slap me, she also called me a pervert. What's worse is that, she doesn't seem to recognize me. But she really looked like her. It's either she's not her or she just didn't remember me. Or maybe she wants to make me believe she's not her. But why would she do that?

Gray shook his head on the last option. No, she promised me…so it can't be the last one.

I was lost in thought that I didn't notice Loke and Natsu were right beside me, staring at me as if I'm the weirdest thing ever existed on earth.

"Nice going there, Gray! You just made a girl angry at you!" Loke and Natsu teased and patted my back as if I did a job well done. But I couldn't say anything― the shock is still taking a huge toll on me. No other girl ever did that to me, except for mom.

"Gray?" Loke said as he waves his hand in front of me, snapping me from my stupor.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked, laughing slightly. This probably was the first time he sees me this shocked.

"Y-Yea, it's just…this is my first time to be slapped by some girl…"

"Oh. She's no ordinary girl you see." Loke said, smirking. I looked up, hand that was still caressing my stinging cheeks travelled down as I waited for Loke's next words.

"She's the vice president of the student council, Lucy Heartfilia. Don't you know that she's the most wanted girl in school, that almost every sane man here on campus is targeting her? She's beautiful, hot, and she is the smartest girl here at Fairy Tail Academy. She's so perfect except…" Loke said in glee but then gloomily continued, "she doesn't like boys." Dark clouds animatedly surrounds Loke.

"Oh…" Is all I can say while looking down, still lost in thoughts.

"Eh? It sounds like Mr. 'I-can-get-all-kinds-girls-to-fall-in-love-with-me ' here has been dumped by a girl! Isn't that right, huh, Loke?" Natsu said smugly, nose high up in the air.

"Well, same goes for Gray!" Loke retorted, the dark gloomy clouds that surrounded him dispersed. "The first girl that he asked out refused to go out with him, with him not even saying anything at all!" he said glaring at Natsu and then to me.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes before walking off.

..ooOoo..

AFTER CLASS

I was about to leave the room but my teacher called me, Natsu and Loke, "Can I talk to you guys for a second?"

The three of us looked at each other before nodding our heads in response. She gesture us to come to the teacher's table before speaking what she wants from us.

"You see, the school trip is just around the corner and we really needed some help. Would you guys help us out?"

"Uhm, why us, though?" Natsu, who's been the laziest being I've ever known, asked.

"Well, you guys know that you three are part of the ten smartest students here at Fairy Tail Academy, so we thought that you guys would be of great help."

"Oohh~" Natsu and Loke answered (must be liking the sound of it), smugness evident on their horrid faces that I need to look away in disgust. Even though they're my friends, sometimes I couldn't help but wish they're not.

"So~ is that a yes?"

"Uhm sure, but what are we going to do?" Loke asked this time, seeing as Natsu is in the midst of his boastful self.

Our teacher smiled at us and said, "Come to the council and they'll fill you in with the details."

"The council?"

"Uh-huh. Be good to them. You can go now." Our teacher then took all her stuff from the table before leaving us. I bowed to pay respect before looking at my two stunned friends from hearing the word 'council'.

"Why am I involved, again?" I asked them. Loke blankly looked at me.

"Gray, did you even know that you're the second best here at this academy?" Loke said monotonously.

"Uhm, no…?" Wow. I didn't know that. Seriously. "But, what are we going to do to help?"

And all I get were shrugs from both of them as their replies.

..ooOoo..

So how was it?

Ja'ne