Oh, it's Christmas, you say? Okay, fine. Here's a gift.
Words, words, words. Humble thanks to my many readers and reviewers here. So and so forth. Words, words, words.
But a very special thanks to TheShipWeirdo for all the wonderful words and for making a cover! I swear, I'll get it uploaded soon. I'm on my phone and it's proving a tad difficult right now.
And now, the penultimate... chapter? Story? Entry? I don't even know what I'm calling it anymore.
Anyhow, this is the story/idea that started this damn whole mess. I had intended on this being a one-shot/stand alone. How it evolved into a series (I was actually working backwards on this thing) I don't even remember but here we are.
This was originally a whopping 11,000 words! With the multiple re-writes to preserve continuity, in it's current iteration, it stand at about 7,000+. So you're looking at an approximate 4,000 word cut. Essentially, it's been butchered because FF does not accept explicit content. And even with all the cuts, I'm not exactly sure if it's FF acceptable. *chews nails nervously as I wait for a warning and/or sudden and mysterious disappearance of story*
As with the previous entry, WARNING, WARNING, WARNING but times 9000. Adult content, themes, and language. I can not stress this enough. If it makes you uncomfortable and/or you are of an inappropriate age, just go ahead and skip the whole thing. Or after about a quarter (maybe even a third) of the way through, fast forward straight to the end. I promise you're not missing anything. I am not responsible for any brain aneurysms or eyeball bleedings that may occur should you ignore said warning. Proceed at your own risk.
It was another hideously and grotesquely hot day in Magnolia. For the past week and a half, the temperatures kept rising to unbearable levels. Even the sun setting offered no escape from the stifling heat. The request board was quickly emptied as the wizards eagerly took jobs (much to the dismay of Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Natsu) in hopes that it would take them to (relatively) cooler climates.
For some, the empty request board meant they were forced to stay in the sweltering heat wave. But for most, the heat made them far too sluggish and lazy. They loitered about the gloriously air conditioned guild, not wanting to walk home in the oppressive heat.
Mira understood. She wasn't looking forward to the long, hot trek home either. She tried to keep the guild open for as long as possible, but now, it was getting much too late. "All right, everyone! I'm sorry to have to do this, but it's time to go home!" Even amid the groans of protest, they quietly and reluctantly shuffled out the large guild doors.
"Oh, man. The AC at home is broken! I'm never going to be able to go to sleep in this," cried Droy. Most of the guild wizards looked over at Gray with longing. "I wish I were an ice wizard," Levy pouted with envy; expressing what everyone else was currently thinking. "Cold doesn't faze him. Heat doesn't faze him. Lucky bastard... Why aren't I an ice wizard too?!" Elfman cried to the heavens.
Gray smirked at his guildmates' discomfort, "See you tomorrow, suckers." He turned to Erza and lightly ran his thumb up her forearm, away from the prying eyes of everyone else. "Come on, I'll walk you home." Seeing Erza about to protest, he held up his hand to stop her, "I know. You don't need me to walk you home. And you certainly don't need me to protect you. But it's on the way, so humor me, okay?"
She smirked and nodded. They bade their good nights to the others and walked off slowly together.
"You really don't have to walk me home, Gray," Erza's uncharacteristically soft voice cutting through the steamy air. "I know I don't have to, Erza. I'm doing it because I want to." Satisfied with his response, she let the silence embrace them.
After several minutes, she glanced over at him and noticed that he had on what she had dubbed (some many years ago) his "thinking face." (Which is different from his not-brooding, deep-thinking face.)
"Something wrong?" His head jerked up at the sound of her voice, clearly startled that the comfortable silence was broken. He shook his head to clear it, "I was just thinking..."
"Ah-ha! I knew you had thinking face!" she grinned widely. He arched an eyebrow at her while smirking, "Thinking face?" he mocked. Erza's vocabulary is usually... so proper. But thinking face? That was anything but.
She colored prettily, "Well, I'm not wrong..." She paused and shook her head, "what were you thinking about?"
He grinned at her blush. Who would have thought that Erza, Titania, Queen of the Fairies, could produce such a charming reaction?
"About the day you came to Fairy Tail," he answered, deciding against teasing her over her blush. She felt her face heat even more at the knowledge that he was thinking of her. "What about it?" As he opened his mouth to answer, the skies decided right then to open up and pour buckets upon buckets of rain on top of their heads.
Jarred by the sudden downpour of rain, Gray looked wildly behind him, looking for a flash of blue thinking that maybe... but he saw nothing. And sensed nothing. He really has to stop thinking that at the first sight of rain.
"What are you looking for?" Erza shouted over the now thundering rain. He shook his head gently and tilted his head up, "It's nothing. Looks like the heat wave finally broke." She scoffed, "About damn time." They were just a couple of blocks from the dormitory. She quickly made a decision and grabbed his hand and tugged him behind her, "Come on! You can stay at my place until it stops!" They dashed quickly down the pavement and up the steps leading to the building.
Opening the door as quickly as possible, they tumbled into her living room. Erza tiptoed to the linen closet; leaving as little wet footprints as possible. Pulling two fluffy towels out, she tossed one at Gray's head, "Here. Bathroom is just through there. Go ahead and take a shower."
"What about you?"
She shrugged, "I can take one after. Don't worry."
Gray nodded and turned toward the bathroom. One step later, he turned toward Erza looking sheepish, "You wouldn't happen to have anything I could borrow, would you?" Gray asked as his eyes trailed down to look at himself.
Amused, she rummaged through her freshly done and folded laundry that she lazily left in the living room earlier in the day and pulled out several decidedly a-few-sizes-too-small-for-him shorts, "Oh, of course," Erza grinned, "I have plenty. Would you like black, red, blue, or green? Personally, I think you'd look hot in the green." He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and rolled his eyes, "I get it, Erza. No need to be snarky about it. A simple 'no' would have sufficed."
"Where is the fun in that? Anyway, just use the towel. It's nothing I haven't seen before."
That much was true. Gray's propensity for losing his clothes made it so. A naked Gray was hardly uncommon. But this was different. Losing his clothes unconsciously due to some freaky habit he picked up from Ur has a whole different vibe than knowingly stripping down and having nothing but a white fluffy towel to separate them.
"I'm going to start a fire." Erza glided toward the fireplace. There really isn't any other way to describe how she moved. She was just so damn graceful.
"When you're done, we can hang your clothes by the fire so it can dry." He nodded gratefully and turned toward the bathroom again.
The door shut gently and her eyes widened, suddenly realizing that Gray was going to use her shower. Using the shower she uses everyday. Where he'd be all wet and soapy... Hands running across his... No, Erza, stop it! He isn't here for that. He's here merely to take shelter from the pouring rain. But she couldn't help thinking about what had occurred in this very room just two days ago. It ended with Levy banging at her door and then him having to sneak out a window when morning came. They didn't even get to talk like she had promised herself; she had spent the next day patching up the various aches of the dorm. Shaking her head violently to free herself of such thoughts, Erza focused on the fire.
Gray chuckled and curled his tongue behind his teeth as he surveyed Erza's bathroom. Of course it would be pristine. Why would he ever expect anything but? The rubber ducky bath mat was what made him really smile though. After hanging the towel on the rack, he started tugging his clothes off with limited success. It clung to him like a second skin. He snorted at the irony; want to keep your clothes on? It'll vanish faster than the fishes you put in front of Happy. But when you're trying to get them off? They'll fight you tooth and nail.
After several minutes of fighting, he was finally divested of his soaking clothes. He turned on and jumped into the warm spray of the shower. Roughly scrubbing the day's sweat, grime, and, most recently, torrential rain from his skin, he gleaned at his options displayed before him. With the filth of the day sticking to him like a third skin, water wasn't going to cut it. And while Erza had an array of washes to choose from, none of them offered a not-smelling-like-a-strawberry-or-some-other-fruit option. Shrugging, he closed his eyes and grabbed at a bottle. Opening his eyes again, he laughed at his randomly chosen scent for the night.
Strawberry.
Of course it would be strawberry.
The massive downpour had an instantaneous cooling effect on the air. And there were no signs of the rain stopping anytime soon. Erza shivered slightly; the wet clothes hugging her so tightly that goose pimples erupted along her arms.
"Make up your mind, stupid weather," she grumbled bitterly at the two extremes she had to endure in the span of 10 minutes. Letting the fire to grow, she pressed her ear up against the bathroom door and heard the splattering of water against the tiles. Satisfied that Gray was still showering, she quickly stripped out of her wet clothes and rubbed herself dry. As Erza was pulling on a yellow top, she heard the shower turn off. Panicking, she yanked on the green shorts she offered Gray earlier before he caught her with her pants down.
Literally.
Which, in hindsight, was silly considering that just a couple of days ago, she had willingly stripped in front of him and he had her pressed up against the wall, his bare chest against her, and limbs wound tightly around him like a snake.
When the door was flung open, she squeaked and spun to face Gray. Seeing her red face, he tilted his head to the side, curiosity etched across his face, "is something wrong?" She shook her head in response not wanting to let him know how close he had come to seeing her with her pants down and darted to him and, still flush-faced, she grabbed the bundle of wet clothes from his hands and bolted to the fireplace.
Watching her hang his clothes the best she could in front of the fire, he flopped down on the couch that was conveniently pulled in front of the fire. When she turned, she frowned at him, "You shouldn't sit like that."
Cracking one eye open, he looked down at his splayed legs. "This is how I always sit," he pointed out.
"When you have clothes on, sure. You, in your current state, are clothing-less. So don't sit like that." Not wanting to argue with her, considering as how she generously opened her home to him and allowed him to take refuge from the rain, he didn't bother pointing out that "clothing-less" is pretty much his default state of being and forced himself to sit up straighter.
Glancing up at her, he quickly averted his gaze when he saw that her nipples had hardened beneath her top. He swallowed thickly, squeezing his eyes shut. But when he felt, rather than saw, her shiver, he frowned at her. "You're cold. And your hair's still wet."
He mentally face palmed; Captain Obvious is obvious.
"Well, I did have a ton of freezing rain dumped on my head so..." He chuckled and beckoned her to the open space on his left. He motioned with his hands, directing her to sit with her back to him.
"It wasn't freezing," he started and then heard her mutter, "says the ice mage." Choosing to ignore her interruption, Gray picked up her previously discarded towel, "it wasn't freezing, but it was rather cold," and started to rub her hair dry.
Erza startled at the feel of someone else's fingers in her hair. But as Gray's fingers continued to rub soothing, gentle circles on her scalp, her eyes fluttered shut and melted against him. His fingers were just so... doing some really incredible things right now. Magical. Yeah, that's it. Magical. And it just...
"Feels so good." Erza cringed at the breathy quality her voice had suddenly adopted.
His fingers paused at her moan; surprised at the reaction but he shook it off and continued. He chuckled. Her eyes shot open. It was deep. And rich. Were his chuckles always so deep and so rich? And when did he get so close?
"Like that, do you?" Gray rasped against the shell of her ear. Mesmerized by velvety quality of his voice and the delicious feeling of his hands, she could only nod her affirmation. He pulled the towel from her hair but continued massaging her head with his now unencumbered fingers.
Gray bit the inside of his cheek at her groan; reminding himself that this is Erza Scarlet and he had to tread carefully lest he wanted a broken jaw. Sure, they shared a passionate and intimate moment earlier in the week and he drove himself crazy trying to figure out what it all meant but he was under no delusions that that meant he had an open invitation to Erza's body or her bed. No, she was going to dictate what he was and wasn't allowed to do.
"Erza?"
"Hmm?" she murmured contently.
"Thanks for letting me stay." She pushed herself up and twisted to face him. And turned right into his chest. Wow. He was really, really close.
"I wasn't about to let you walk home when it's raining cats and dogs. I'm not completely heartless."
His smile twitched at that, "no, you're not. And if you ask me, you're not heartless at all."
He looked really, really good when he's looking at her like that. Like there was something he really, really wanted to share with her. Or that he really, really wanted to devour her. Huh, how did she know what that look would look like on him? And he smelled really good too.
She swallowed roughly, "hey, Gray?" Her eyes were glassy.
He bit himself again. He wanted to just... just something that would likely result in a broken rib. Maybe even two. Along with a concussion. So he really shouldn't... but he just couldn't help thinking about it. Not when her eyes got all dark, her pouty lips parted just enough for him to...
"Yes, Erza?"
"I'm going to kiss you now."
Oh. Not what he was expecting. Was hoping. But not expecting. "Oh."
"Would that be okay?" Her lips parted; drifting closer to his own.
"Okay."
She tilted her head toward him, "Good."
Her lips lightly feathered across his and then, she was already pulling back. It wasn't even long enough for him to taste her or her him; to reacquaint themselves. Not content, he cupped her chin and pulled her toward him, firmly pressing his lips upon hers. His mouth slid over hers, allowing him to savor her pretty lips.
So soft. His lips were just really...so soft. Were they this soft a few days ago? Was it only just a few days ago? What the hell had they been doing in the meantime? Why weren't they always doing this? Her lips parted when she felt his tongue swipe gently over her lower lip; as if begging for entrance to her warm mouth, of which she eagerly granted. Sliding her own tongue over and then under his, she felt his moan.
When they finally pulled away for much needed air, he rested his forehead against hers. "When you tell someone you're going to kiss them, you better damn well do it properly, Erza," gently chiding at her light brush of the lips from earlier.
She nodded, trying to find her voice. "Gray?" she whispered.
His eyes remained closed as he fought to control his now raging hormones, "Yeah?"
"I'm going to kiss you now," she muttered against his lips. He smiled that she had taken his little lesson at heart, "Okay."
Her urgent lips pressed firmly against his; their lips sliding over each other that left them gasping. Her hands played with his hair at the nape of his neck. She flicked her tongue at his lips, seeking entrance and like her earlier, he happily granted. When she started gyrating against him, seeking... something she couldn't explain, he pulled her across his lap without breaking their kiss.
She sighed. Better. Definitely better. But something was still...
She didn't want to leave the delicious feeling of his lips but how...
She pushed him into the back of the couch and lifted herself onto her knees. Swinging her left leg over, she straddled him.
Another sigh. So, so, so much better.
Looking back now, he didn't know how he did it. How he was able to ignore his most base desires. There was the silly, goofy flirting. And the gentle, fleeting touches. And the not so fleeting touches. And the heated glances. So yeah, how he was able to temper those desires were a mystery now. Because kissing Erza? Kissing Erza was... There were not enough words in the universe to describe what kissing Erza was like. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that she would return just a fraction of what he felt for her. But then two days ago happened and he racked his brain for the past two days hoping against hope that she felt...something for him. And now, here they were.
And fuck, he was hard. The way she was eagerly kissing him; tasting him. Like she wanted to consume him... The way she was straddled over him. The way she was rubbing herself against his chest. Fuck, he needed her to...
Erza felt his hardness against her. And it felt really nice. His fingers tunneled into her fiery red locks, holding her in place while he ravaged her mouth. But she knew he wanted more. Needed more. Hell, she needed more. So when grounded her ass into his erection, they both moaned. Her hand rubbed at his muscular chest, gently clawing at him, seeking some kind of hold on him as she fell deeper and deeper into the passion and pleasure he was offering.
Reluctantly, he tore his lips from her and kissed the corner of her mouth.
Then her cheek. Then his tongue was flicking at her earlobe. And when she mewled, he captured the flesh between his teeth and tugged at it gently. And then all too soon, he was moving on: down her jaw line to her neck. She tilted her head while he flicked her hair away, allowing him better access and an unobstructed view of her elegant neck. He nipped at her collar bone before latching on to a particularly sensitive spot he discovered on her jugular.
Her breathing were nothing more than short, harsh pants. She struggled for some semblance of clear, coherent thought. But he was doing all these tingly things to her and she just... Giving up, she rubbed herself urgently against him and clutched at his head, gently scratching his scalp as he suckled at her neck.
"Ah..." she gasped, "I need... Oh... I... need..." He pulled away from her neck, nuzzling his cheek against hers until his cool lips were at her ear.
"What is it, Erza? Tell me what you need." His voice was ragged and husky with lust and it made her tremble with want.
Her voice seemed to be caught in her throat but she was able to gasp out, "Touch me... Please. Please, please, please, Gray. ...I need you to touch me."
Impossibly, he swelled even more at hearing her beg for his touch. Not one to deny the lady what she wanted, he stroked the sliver of flesh that was exposed when her camisole rode up by her insistent grinding. She whimpered, unable to voice her desire for more but Gray understood. He slipped his fingers under the hem of the camisole, drawing gentle circles against the small of her back. As her moans grew more urgent, his touch became bolder; sliding higher and became more insistent. One of his hands skated to her stomach, caressing the taut muscles he found there before brushing higher. Gray's thumb swept at the underside of her breast.
She arched her back, pushing her breast into his hands. His magical (it bared repeating as many times as possible) and talented hands. When he palmed her breast and squeezed her gently, she groaned his name, "Gray..." She failed to recognize her own voice.
"Erza," he gasped against her jaw.
"Pl-please," she pleaded again. But this time, she wasn't sure what she was asking for.
Gray solved that for her when he turned his hand over and gripped the top of her camisole and yanked it down over her left breast; freeing it from the confines and baring it to his hungry gaze. He kissed her then, his tongue sliding into her open, panting mouth while his hand fondled her exposed breast.
Erza's body hummed at his touch. And yet, she still wanted... more. Sensing her distress, he dropped kisses against her jaw, her collar bone, at the hickey that was forming on her neck. The top of her breasts. The erect and exposed nipple. When he wrapped his lips around it, she stiffened and wailed.
"Yes! Gray...fuck, Gray..." He was stunned at her coarse language. She didn't curse often. Not unless she was particularly peeved at something. Or someone. Still, it had a certain amount of elegance coming from her.
He suckled at her; enjoying the low mewls and murmurs from her throat. She tugged him back to her lips, wanting to taste him.
He gripped her hips and roughly pulled her fully onto him. How he hadn't exploded all over the (surprising secure) towel yet boggled him. But he wasn't going to complain. Not when Erza was writhing in his lap. Not when Erza was gasping his name. Not when Erza was begging for his touch. He thrusted his erection against her and she gasped his name again.
"Fuck, you taste so good. ...Want you, Erza," his breath tickled her lips. Driving his hips against her again so she felt his ever-growing lust for her, he groaned, "Feel how much I want you?"
She nodded frantically, sliding one hand through his hair while stroking his Fairy Tail emblem on his chest with the other and then whispering into his ear, "I want you too. ...So much."
Wrapping one arm around her waist and using the other to push himself from the back of the couch, he settled them at the edge. He coaxed her legs to wrap around his waist and moaned into her ear as she rocked against him wantonly.
Pushing himself to his feet, he questioned, "bedroom?" She nodded frantically, "bedroom," she agreed. He carried a squirming Erza to the bedroom with long, quick strides. Settling her down, he smirked at her blazing, neon green with white polka dot sheets. "Nice bed sheets, Erza."
She scowled, "Well, excuse me! I wasn't planning on seducing anyone tonight." His smirk turned into a haughty grin, his eyes shiny, "is that what you did tonight, Erza? Did you seduce me into your bed?"
She felt ridiculous; lying on her neon green polka dotted sheets with one breast hanging out while her closest friend was cradled between her thighs. Blushing furiously, she pouted in correction, "I meant, I didn't plan on anyone seduce me tonight."
He grinned at her blush. It tickled him that she would be shy and awkward and bashful after she had been so assertive just two days earlier. That she could flush so prettily despite what they had done up to this point.
"Oh, no, Miss Scarlet. You had it right the first time. You said you were going to kiss me, remember? And now," he nibbled her shoulder, "I'm in your bed. You damn well seduced me, you little minx."
Damn it. He was right. "I could always kick you out of my bed, if you're so inclined." Ha! Take that! She'd do it too. He knew it. It wouldn't matter how much she wanted him. No matter how much she burned for his touch, she would kick him out if he got her angry enough. His chuckle rumbled deep in his chest but he smiled warmly, "Okay, you're right. I started it when I asked to walk you home."
She hmph-ed, "I knew it. Oh! And then the thing with the hands and my hair!" Double ha!
"Yes, Erza. Absolutely. I'm a scoundrel." She smiled brightly in agreement.
She pulled him down to her waiting lips and sighed. "You smell so good," she muttered and flicked his upper lip. "I smell like a giant strawberry," he grumbled. She laughed. And if it wasn't the single most beautiful thing he ever heard... He doesn't hear her laugh nearly enough. Not like that at least.
"I know. It makes me want to eat you up," she dragged her tongue along his jaw to his ear. "You would like that, wouldn't you?" Her tone was light. Playful. He really enjoyed how he was able to bring this side out of her. As her words sunk in though, he groaned. "You can't say those things to me and expect me to be a gentleman."
"I don't want you be a gentleman. I just want you to be... Gray."
Erza grasped the end of his towel and tugged it free. Gray lifted up slightly to allow her to slide the towel from his hips. Her soft hands caressed his smooth back; up and down, up and down, enjoying the way his muscles bunched under her touch.
Plundering his tongue in her mouth once again, he rocked against her; felt her molten core through the thin material of her shorts. He wanted nothing more than to sink himself into her. But first, he was going to worship her the way she deserved. Maybe get her begging again.
His large, cool hands skated across her flaming, red hot skin, smoothly inching his way up her creamy thighs. Her breathy moans of him name letting him know where to let his touch linger. Coming to a stop at her shorts, his fingers grazed the silky skin at the hem before dipping under the garment. Fleetingly, she remembered that in her haste, she hadn't put in any panties but forgot about it in the next second as he...
Was delighted to find her bare when he cupped her rear and jerked her lower body to him. No bra. No panties. She's trying to kill me. His knuckles brushed against her dewy curls.
"Fuck," he muttered, his voice thick with desire. "You're so wet." Erza whimpered, pitching her hips toward him, he dragged his knuckle along her slit. Her nails dug into his shoulders painfully; drawing blood but he ignored it. He uncurled his finger and gently prodded at her opening before sinking his long, cool digit into her.
He watched her moans hitch in her throat. Her breasts heaving as she struggled for breath, her tongue darting out to lick her lips, her neck straining as she threw her head back against the mattress. She was captivating. Even in the throes of mindless passion, she was still so damn elegant. He could watch her like this forever.
She clawed at his back. Wanting more. So much more. She protested loudly as he withdrew his finger from her. He toyed with the straps of her camisole before slipping it off her shoulders. Shoving the cami down her body, he let the offending top bunch at her waist. She sighed in relief at the feel of the smooth chest now skimming against her now bared breasts.
His hard nipples scraped across her own buds eliciting dual hisses that filled the otherwise quiet room. His tongue painted small circles along her skin. Only stopping when he arrived at the newly revealed bud. Giving the same treatment he did on its twin earlier, she squirmed under him.
"Patience, Erza. I know it's not one of your strong suits but try to be patient." He winked at her when he saw her gazing down at him, "besides," a flick to her pebbled nipple, "I'm not nearly done with you yet."
She whined, "You're just teasing me!"
His shoulders shook with silent laughter, "I know. Isn't it so much fun?"
She pouted, "No! Yes. I mean, no!"
Oh, how he loved her pout. Unable to resist, he surged up to capture her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled at it. "Tell you what, you can always tease me back..." His lips and tongue descended over her body, leaving a cool, wet trail marking the path he took. First stop was behind her ears that caused her to quiver. Then, down her jawline to her pulse point to her collarbone. "I would really like that," he whispered against her heated skin.
He hooked his fingers at her bunched up camisole and waistband of her shorts. She squirmed in anticipation. And impatience. He tsked in disapproval at being silently urged to hurry up. This time, he refused to comply. He was going to take his time. While he certainly hoped this wasn't a one-time deal, he wasn't going to take this for granted and rush what would most certainly be the single best night of his life.
How was this possible? His hands. Fingers. Tongue. Mouth. She couldn't figure out which was the most talented of the bunch. She so wanted to feel him; for him to cool that burning ache inside of her that only he could quench. But she also wanted the feel of his cool hands and tongue sweeping over every inch of her heated flesh. Cheeky bastard was taking his sweet ass time though.
When she was finally free of the garments that were hindering the feel of his cool skin against her feverish flesh, she stretched and wriggled against the cool sheets. Her breasts swayed at the movement. He froze above her at the foot of her bed. His blue eyes darkened; almost black with desire and licked his lips. She smirked at his glazed reaction and poked her toe at his mark. "What's the matter, Gray? Don't how this works?"
He shook out of his reverie and grasped her foot. He kissed at her instep and and with a put upon sigh explained, "I'm not allowed to admire? Honestly, Erza, you have no sense of adventure."
"Gray..." her tone held a hint of warning. Quickly, he dropped a kiss on her ankle, the mattress dipping when his weight returned to the bed.
She trembled as he stroked her calves; his lips following the same path that his fingers had taken. She groaned and fisted the sheets beside her when his clever tongue dipped into the back of her knees. She felt him smirk against her skin. Normally, she would have done something, anything, to knock that smirk off his face but he earned it. With every teasing touch, every light caress, every intoxicating kiss... Oh, yeah, he definitely earned the right to be smug. Doesn't mean she won't get him back. It'll have to wait until later though... he kneaded her thigh... Yeah, definitely later.
He was unbearably hard. Needing some kind of relief, he gripped her other thigh and drew them over his shoulders. He shifted until he was lying on his stomach, his head cradled between her powerful thighs. He ground himself against the mattress, hoping to alleviate some of his discomfort but finding very little.
His nose brushed up against her and her thighs shook; hips canted upward, breath leaving her body. She clutched at his head with one hand while the other gripped the wooden slats of her headboard. She was so close. So, so close. He had been masterfully playing with her body like an instrument over the course of the night. And she was a taut string, plucked one too many times, just waiting for that final strum against her straining body until it broke.
Coming down from her high, he dropped quick kisses along the way and surged up her body, covering her mouth with his own; letting her taste herself on his lips and tongue. She moaned into his mouth, rubbing her calves along the back of his thighs. Her hands flitted and drifted across his chest, her nails scratching his hard nipples, fingers dipping lower to trace the muscles of his stomach. When she finally reached her prize, she grinned at his deep groan. He whimpered into her shoulder as he felt the warmth of her fingers wrap around him. His teeth sunk into her flesh; trying to muffle his moan. In her hands, he just felt...
"So big," she breathed hotly into his ear. She had always known he was well-equipped; what with the stripping and all, it was clear he was... gifted. And then there was that time when she was introduced to all his glory. Even if it had been a brief glimpse.
His chest puffed at that. He was well aware of his... endowment. Still though, having a gorgeous woman that was writhing in your arms tell you how big you were in that sultry rasp? Yeah, he liked that.
"Fuck... Fuck, Erza, I..." His breathing was harsh and unsteady as he tried to voice his needs. He didn't need to though. She kissed the corner of his mouth, keeping one leg curled over his hips, she positioned him at her opening. He pulled back just a hair, "wait, condom." She shook her head, "it's okay. I'm clean. And protected." She paused, "I mean, I do have if you really-"
He cut her off with a smile, "I'm clean too. I swear." She smiled at his assurance, "I know. I've seen your medical records."
"Good." He scrunched his face in realization, "wait, what?"
"Not on purpose. I was helping the infirmary move their files into storage."
"And you happened across mine and went, oh, let's see Gray's records?"
Erza, looking offended and appalled, grumbled, "nice to see how highly you think of me."
He winced and looked ashamed, "that's not how I meant it-"
"That's what it sounded like," she muttered darkly.
"I'm sorry. I'm being an ass. It doesn't really bother me. I'm just... an ass. I'm sorry."
Erza shrugged nonchalantly, "well, I did look at your files. I didn't purposely seek it out mind you, but it was at the top of the pile and I just wanted to make sure you were getting your regular check-ups. So technically, I did happen across your file and went let's see what's in Gray's records." She nipped at his chin, "did the mood just sour?"
He gave a short chuckle, "I've been fantasizing about this for this for months, Erza. It's going to take a bit more than that to sour me from this."
Erza groaned as he invaded her body. He harshly clenched his teeth and bit his lip so he wouldn't embarrass himself by coming too soon like a horny schoolboy. But fuck! The feeling was indescribable.
This is what it felt like to be burned. Forget Natsu's dragon slayer magic. This? This was the true meaning of fire. Gray froze. Buried to the hilt in her warm, soft body, he was sure that he'd be reduced to nothing but a pile of ash after this was over.
When she started to wriggle beneath him, he rocked against her; his name falling from her lips in a hypnotic chant.
Her nails dug into his biceps, leaving crescent shaped marks on his skin. Her head thrown back against the pillows and he couldn't help himself; licking and nibbling at the smooth expanse of her neck. His pace slowed, drawing out her pleasure, savoring every moment. He panted in her ear, air growing increasingly difficult to suck into his lungs.
"So hot... Feels so good. ...Love the way you feel..." He groaned when he felt her squeeze him and whimpered when she did it again. He was close now. So fucking close. But he wanted, no, needed her to fall over with him. Needing one final push, he reached between them, he gave her clit a rough twist. Erza's pleasure-filled screams rattled the walls. Her internal muscles clenched around him and he came with a roar of her name.
Gray collapsed into her arms as they struggled to draw air into their lungs. When their racing hearts finally slowed down to a relatively normal rate, he shifted to move himself off. But Erza held him to her.
"Stay," she murmured sleepily. He kissed her closed eyelids. "Not going anywhere. Just don't want to crush you."
She looked at him at that, "I'd like to see you try, bug paste." He laughed. A full bellied, shaking laugh. And it was making her feel all tingly again.
"Right, how could I forget."
Still though, he slipped out of her with a groan. He rolled them over so that he was on his back and she was draped over him. "There. Isn't that better?" he asked quietly.
She pursed her lips, "Yeah, okay, fine."
He grinned, "Hey, Erza?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for letting me stay."
"You already thanked me. With your mouth. Twice. Once without words," she smiled, "it was nice."
"Oh, you're a saucy one, aren't you?"
"But if you insist on showing me your undying gratitude again, I won't stop you."
His smirk returned, "Yeah, I bet. Liked that, did you?"
She licked and nibbled at his Adam's apple, "Hm. I remember you once asking about you being dessert... And I gotta say, I like it."
"Yeah, because I smell like a big ole strawberry."
She laughed. The one he doesn't hear enough of, "you're not actually complaining, are you?"
"Nope. I'll gladly smell like strawberries for the rest of my life if it means you'd want me as dessert."
She fingered the insignia on his chest, "hey, Gray?"
"Yeah?"
"You never... That is, before the sky started spraying water at us like an old man trying to chase us off his lawn, you were telling me about the day I came to the guild."
He nodded. "Hm, yeah I was, wasn't I?" She waited for him to continue. When he said nothing, she huffed, "well? Are you going to tell me?"
He pursed his lips, "just trying to... I gotta explain it a bit first."
He took a deep breath, "you see, before you came in, Cana was doing a reading. She told me that that I was going to have brilliant luck that day." He scoffed, "I thought it was bullshit. Lucky, my ass. I had fallen into ditches, forgot my wallet, and lost my clothes on the way to the guild. What kind of rotten luck was that? Anyway, I told Cana to read it again but she kept insisting that it was right; that no matter now many times she did it, it wasn't going to change. And then you walked in."
He smiled widely at her, "I mean, yeah, okay, we didn't get along at first, what with me being a grade-A dick; as kids that age usually are, and with you not exactly wanting to make friends. But we got past that, didn't we?"
"Well... You're still a dick. But not a grade-A one, so it's a definite improvement!"
"Gee thanks, Erza. Anyway, so earlier, when I had thinking face," she thumped his chest. "Ow," it didn't really hurt, "I was just thinking how Cana was right. Looking back on it now, knowing what I know, what it's like to have you in my life, how much your friendship and support has meant to me, it was really was my lucky day..." He rolled his eyes replaying what he said, "and what in the shit? Isn't that just about the cheesiest thing you have ever heard?"
She laughed in agreement.
"Don't repeat that. To anyone. I will deny it until the day I die. And don't tell Cana I said she was right. I can't deal with her being all... smug."
Erza's eyes brightened, "speaking of smug... I said I was going to get you back for being it."
His face scrunched in confusion, "you did?"
"Didn't I?" She knitted her eyebrows, thinking, "maybe it was in my head..."
He raised an eyebrow, "do you say things in your head a lot?"
"What? It was a tad difficult forming words before."
And the smug was back.
Oh yeah, she was going to wipe that look off his face.
Phew. How exhausting.
If you're still with me, that's great! I am most pleased that you made it this far! You can check out the uncut version of this at Archive of our Own. Same author name, same title. If not, see you at the finale! That's right, folks! There is an end to this long saga!
I will be holding the finale for ransom. A king's ransom. I accept payment for my labor in the form of reviews. So to all the lurkers and wallflowers out there: don't be shy. Let your thoughts be known.
