Cold and Armored Hearts
From out of the blue I present to you a new chapter!=) This chapter was inspired to me from one of my fav shows, 'In Plain Sight' so a slight warning there will be some OOC'ness going on here.
And there are any other IPS fans out there you'll know the episode and scene I ripped this from. (I love me some MxM!)^-^
Please Enjoy!
Middlemist Red
For an evening to have been so lovely Gray was unfortunately irritable.
Having heard from Lucy that the Salamander was running his mouth as usual, claiming to be the stronger of the two. Calling him a coward, a stupid ice machine that didn't know up from down, a loser who couldn't get a date even if his life depended on it!
Which in hindsight didn't sound like Natsu at all...
The Fire mage was usually the one to say to your face, not waste time talking behind your back.
Could the stupid lizard be any lower?
Oh well, that was where Gray came in to put him in his place!
With more force than was necessary he thrust open the large double doors to the Guild and stormed in with a heads-first attitude!
"Salamander what the hell lies-!"
He froze instantly.
Because an instant was all it took for him to realize that something was horribly, horribly wrong.
The large and outrageous new Guild that him and his nakama called home…was empty!
And with the night still young, this place should have been well over packed right now!
But it was completely empty…not a soul to be found.
Almost.
Turning to him with strong confusion upon her pretty features Erza softly called out, "Gray…?"
A deep foreboding awoken within the Ice mage.
"Erza? Where is everybody?"
And these were the very first words he had spoken to her in weeks.
He made his way unsurely toward her.
"I don't know…" For once she was out of her usual armor and in more casual clothes. A green shirt where the sleeves stopped at the elbows and slender black jeans and boots. "Natsu told me that Lucy was a little drunk and calling for me for assistance."
The puzzle pieces fell into place easily enough.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and fumed, "This was Lucy's doing…Salamander isn't smart enough to come up with even this lame idea."
Erza nodded slowly, "Amazing how she got the whole Guild to participate and vacate the building for the night."
"Yeah, amazing…" Gray mumbled moodily.
Honey brown eyes narrowed at the tone of voice as she crossed her arms before her chest.
For a moment nothing was said between the two and the silence grew more deafening and tense.
"Well then…" Gray said finally before turning to make his leave, "This was fun."
A mean smirk curled on Erza's lips, "Oh so that's it then? You're just going to leave?"
"Well" Gray said as he paused to look to her with a snide glare, "As fun as random staring contests with you are, I have other ways to spend my free time."
Erza's smile turned sweetly fake, "And how is that Gray, by continuing to smile and lie to our faces like nothing is wrong? It is what you seem to do best."
…
Unbeknownst to the two Natsu, Lucy, and Master Makarov stood well hidden in the Guild listening to every word.
Makarov rubbed a hand to his chin with a grave look upon his features, "I hope this works Lucy. I don't need them getting into a fight and messing up my Guild. Even if it is just them, the two can make a lot of damage."
"Don't worry they won't fight." Lucy said watching the two with rapt interest, "I just needed to get them talking again." Furrowing her brows together she questioned, "And just what did Erza mean by 'Smile and lie to our faces'?"
She looked to Natsu for an answer but irritably scowled to find him eating away at Mirajane's leftovers.
She gripped his ear and tugged hard which earned her a dull glare.
"I told Mirajane we wouldn't bother with the food!" she hissed in a low whisper.
Natsu's only response was garbled gibberish due to a full mouth of chicken legs.
…
Gray turned fully to the swordswoman and made his way purposely toward her, "You know what Erza! You seriously have no clue what you're talking about right now. So why don't you just-!"
"You must think I am truly a fool Gray!" Sneered Erza as she made her way threateningly toward him, "Do you think I cannot read? The proof was there! Sitting right there in black and white!"
"Who the hell do you think you are going through my personal stuff! You had no right! Absolutely NO right!"
They stood now glowering in each other's face heatedly.
"Yes Gray you are right! I should have found out the more respectful way by your sudden disappearance from the Guild! I'm sure that after a few days gone by it all would have been clear. Or better yet, would it have worked out more conveniently for you if I had been born a mind reader?"
Gray forced a cruel smile, "Cute. No Erza I was going to let you know! I was going to write a note to myself then leave it out on my table. You're so good at snooping through my things; you would have gotten to it, no problem!"
Fed up with the petty banter Erza screamed, "Why are you leaving Fairy Tail!"
…
At this Makarov and Lucy both gasped while Natsu tried to cry out in shock though his voice was muffled by too much food in his large mouth, so much so he almost chocked!
…
Gray took a step from Erza running a hand through his dark hair in irritation he turned his glower away from her.
"What are you doing Gray? Why are you-?"
"It was just a note!" He sneered angrily.
The note he had written weeks ago excusing himself from the Guild of Fairy Tail.
The note Erza had found on his table when she had stopped by his place, for they were supposed to have left together for a mission together.
The note that they argued about loudly before Erza left in an angered huff.
The note they hadn't talked about since.
Hadn't talked, period.
Until now.
Until they're weird behavior and refusal to even acknowledge the presence of the other gained the attention of the rest of the Guild.
Forcing Lucy into her 'Make Erza and Gray talk again plan'! Which at the moment was raising a lot of confusion!
"But why!" Cried Erza with an almost pleading gaze, "Why would you write such a thing? Do you really plan to leave?"
Gray lowered his gaze fuming for a moment, then he raised his dark stare up to her and regarded the pretty woman before him.
Lowly he spoke, "I haven't decided yet."
This struck Erza (and the three others hidden) deep!
She swallowed thickly before speaking, trying her damndest to keep herself under control.
"Why…why didn't you tell me…?" Then she thought better of that question, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
Gray sighed heavily, "Because…because I needed to…make this decision for myself."
"Bull!" Snapped Erza shooting him a mean glare, "You've already decided haven't you? Haven't you Gray?"
He glowered but didn't say anything.
"That letter…was so…so…" Erza forced out a laugh that came out sounding weak and strange, "Detailed and thought out…planned."
She swallowed thickly then said, "You wrote apologies and goodbyes to damn near everyone in the Guild."
Gray lowered his gaze his body tense with unease for he knew where this was going.
"To Master, to Lucy, to Natsu, Happy, Kana, Elfman, Mirajane, Juvia, Wendy, Levy, even GAJEEL!" She screams causing Gray and the three others to flinch with shock.
"Even Gajeel gets an apology and a goodbye! Everyone gets one!"
And her eyes are wet with sadness and anger and hurt.
"Everyone…but me…"
Gray shuffles uneasily still refusing the red head his gaze.
Erza's gaze is now searching.
"Gray…?" And she suddenly finds her heart pounding and her nerves on raw because suddenly…she knows.
She already knows yet she asks anyway, "Gray…am I the reason you're leaving?"
"No." Gray answer's still not looking to her, "Don't be stupid Erza…"
They both know it's a lie.
Again Erza swallows thickly. She blinks back the tears, stands straight and tall and demands the truth,
"Gray! Am I the reason you're leaving!"
"No!" He snaps irritable.
"Gray!"
"What!"
"Tell the truth!"
"You're not the reason!"
"You're lying!" Sneers Erza as she moves just before the Ice mage trying to catch his gaze with her own, "Tell me! Tell me if it's because of me!"
Gray tries to move away but with each step back she moves closer, "No Erza! You have nothing to-!"
"I have a right to know Gray! I have a right to know if you're leaving because of me!"
"I…!" And he seems exasperated and angry and almost…hopeless.
"I…I just-"
"Tell me!"
"YES!" He shouts angrily in her face, "YES it is YOU alright!"
She pauses in shock because even though she knew the answer hearing it from him still held that traitorous, knife twisting, feeling.
And it hurts.
And something within her breaks.
She doesn't even try to hold back the tears anymore.
Gray stares at her his expression sick with guilt.
He opens his mouth then closes it…his words fail him just as he has failed her.
He tries again, "Erza…I-!"
The rest of his words cut off into a strangled garble as Erza delivers a swift and suddenly powerful blow to his gut! Sending the Ice mage to a painful crash almost halfway across the large building!
…
Makarov slaps a painful hand to his forehead in exasperation, Lucy gasps in shock and horror, and Natsu clings fearfully to her hiding behind her figure as though thoroughly convinced that once Erza's done with Gray, she'll come after him!
…
Gray lifts himself up from the damage of splintered wood and fallen tables with a pained look of disbelief but he doesn't get the chance to gather his bearings before Erza is once again before him!
She lifts him rudely to his feet before throwing another blow to his face! Then she hits him again! Then again! Then again!
Her rampage on Gray has the Ice mage all over the Guild!
…
Lucy thinks it's enough and they should stop Erza before she kills him but Makarov holds her back sternly (which is so unlike him) promising that Gray will be alright.
They both will be alright.
But this was something between them.
And as bad as it was now, this was something needed.
…
Gray is coughing up blood from when he bit hard on his tongue. In just a matter of minutes she had Gray turned into a bleeding and bruised pulp on the ground.
Erza glared down heatedly at him as he struggles to pick himself up.
This earns him a good sharp kick in the side.
He cries out against the pain as Erza huffs and moves away from him.
She scowls angrily as she then begins to pace to and fro. Gray again attempts to pick himself up.
She is angry because she lost control. She is angry because of what she's done.
But most of all she is angry because he never once raised a hand back to her.
Not even to defend himself.
Not once.
The tears are still falling when she looks back to him to find him now moving unsteadily on his feet.
He looks to her through his bruised eye because he can't see to good through the other. His face is so swollen it nearly shuts the other eye close.
"Okay…" He grumbles almost in a daze, "If you're done kicking my sorry ass…I'll be on my merry way…"
"You're not going anywhere!" Erza hisses angrily, "Not until you give me an explanation!"
"I don't have to give you anythinnnnnn…?"He slurs horribly as he stumbles unsteadily to the side.
Erza almost moves to grab him but quickly stops herself.
Gray is only half able to catch himself by grabbing onto the ledge of a nearby table but still falls bringing the furniture down with him with a loud bang!
"Dammit…" He grumbles before moving to prop himself into a sitting position against the fallen table.
Erza fumes as she watches him breath in deep and heavy and pained.
She lowers her gaze to the ground then allowing the guilt to fester unpleasantly.
"I'm sorry." She says quickly with the barest hint of bite.
Gray brings a hand up to his side gingerly applying pressure.
"I think you broke a rib…"
Erza brings a glare to him, "Well…it wouldn't be the first time."
Gray quickly brings a hand up to cover his coughing. His hand is red from the blood.
Erza rolls her eyes but moves yanking the table cloth from one of the tables that is still standing. She moves to kneel down beside him and begins wiping the blood from his hand then from around his mouth.
"Wow…" Gray mutters after a moment, "You usually don't help to clean up after your messes."
"I said I was sorry…I shouldn't have done this." She speaks quietly as she finishes her task.
She gives a deep sigh, "I shouldn't have done this…" She says again more quietly as she slides into a sitting position beside him, "Oh my goodness…I'm so sorry Gray…"
They now sit side by side shoulder to shoulder. Gray can feel the way her body trembles ever so lightly every now and then and he can hear her small sniffles.
And he hates himself so much right now.
"No…" He replies softly in a most exhausted tone of voice, "I'm the one that should be sorry…"
Erza looks to him and he returns her gaze, "I should have told you…I should have but…I wasn't sure yet…I wasn't ready…"
Erza continues to stare at him for a moment before lowering her gaze, "I shouldn't have went through your things." Her gaze returns to him, "But now that the secrets out…I have to know Gray…why? What did I do wrong?"
At this Erza can feel him tense, "Wrong?" He asks almost incredulously, "Who said you ever did anything wrong?"
"Oh come now Gray!" Erza snapped defensive, "I mean…I know what I am! I know that I…I come on to defensive! To…intimidating…I mean look what I've done to you just now!"
Gray firmly said, "It's not anything like that…"
Erza's gaze is desperate, "Then what?"
Gray shifts uncomfortably but refuses to look the swordswoman in the eye.
When the silence drags on and Gray has yet to supply an answer Erza turned away with a huff.
"God Gray…"
Then she spoke again, so softly it was almost a whisper,
"Don't you know you're…" She took a deep breath then said, "You were my first real friend…"
Gray looked to her but the red heads gaze was down cast…and so sad.
And it hurts to know he is the reason behind the emotion.
Gray swallowed tightly and whispers back, "You were my first real friend too."
Erza looks up linking their gazes.
His dark and bruised gaze clashing with her lighter and wet one.
Softly she speaks, "So…? How is it that I'm the reason for your leave?"
Gray's bruised gaze flickers to the ground then back, "I…" Erza's brows rose expectantly, Gray watched her closely and tried again, "I…" He shifts nervously, again looked away, again returned his gaze and then said,
"Erza…have you ever heard of the Middlemist Red?"
She blinks stupidly before slowly shaking her head no.
"It's a…" He shifted again, "Um…rare flower…very rare actually." His gaze lowered then returned as he said, "It's exquisite, and wild, and…"
He paused here then slowly…cautiously and so nervously raised a hand up to tuck some of her stray hair behind her ear,
"Really…beautiful."
Just as her heart began to speed he allowed his hand to drop.
This time when Gray looked away from her he did not look back, "And…for a long time I've felt like…the keeper of this flower. And for even longer than that I've felt like…I'm supposed to be the one protecting this beautiful flower from the world…and I was alright with that. But then…I mean…now that Jellal…"
Erza's brows furrowed at this.
What did Jellal have to do with this?
Gray continued, "Now that Jellal's here…I don't think I'm needed for the job anymore…you know…someone else can do it now. So I…"
And he suddenly feels so stupid all of a sudden. His face is burning, his heart is drumming, and he wants Erza to look anywhere but at him at the moment.
Oh why did she have to find that stupid note!
Erza continued to stare incredulous.
…
Makarov, Lucy and Natsu all stared with bated breath and rapt attention as well.
They hadn't heard everything, but they had heard enough.
…
Finally Erza's gaze turned stern,
"Gray I do not understand what Jellal has to do with anything but…you just can't give up on your responsibilities now!"
Gray looked to her in shock, "What?"
She leaned in close placing a tender hand upon Gray's shoulder.
She gently pulled him in closer setting his stomach exploding with butterflies, neither one losing eye contact.
Their foreheads touched and they were almost nose to nose when Erza quietly spoke,
"The…Midmist Red is your job…and your job alone."
Her eyes were on his intensely and her next words came out so low he had to strain to hear,
"And you cannot give up on me. Understand?"
He answered without missing a beat,
"Okay."
Neither one moved.
And because his heart was still racing and his face was still flushed Gray couldn't help but nervously add,
"And it's the Middlemist Red…by the way…"
Whether she heard him or not she gave no indication.
She simply leaned in to place a gentle kiss upon Gray's swollen cheek.
She allowed her lips to linger just a moment before pulling away from the now star struck mage.
…
Makarov and Natsu both gaped stupidly at the scene that had just taken place before them.
Neither Fire mage nor Master could form words so they just stood there their mouths opening and closing with no words forming their fingers pointing to Erza and Gray.
Lucy pulled the two gaping fools away.
"Okay you two." She spoke quietly but pleased, "I think our jobs done. Let's get out of here…" she smiled knowingly, "give them some privacy…"
…
For a moment both Erza and Gray simply continued to gaze at one another…then in another moment they shared a smile.
Gray then looked away from the swords wielder quickly bringing his fist up to stifle another bout of bloody coughs.
Erza frowned, "Come now Gray, let's get you to a doctor."
Gray shook his head, "No…I…I'll be just fine…I think all I need is a little…rest…"
And Erza could already hear him fading out as he leaned heavily against the table allowing his eyes to settle close.
The red headed woman watched him considering for a moment then leaned in scooting closer to rest her head daintily on his chest.
"Gray…? I'll be here when you wake up."
Her answer to this was only a small grunt and then his arm moving to rest around her shoulders.
And just before he was out for the count Erza heard him quietly grumble.
"Thanks for holding back the blows…"
Erza smiled lovingly,
"For you? Always."
~Fin~
Anyone notice I left out Happy? By the time I realized it I was through with the story and didn't feel like going back to add him. How the hell did I do that?=/ And I already know Master Makarov was horribly done...but yeah...other than that how'd it go?=)
Peace)-AR