Taste [teyst] – (1) to try or test the flavor or quality of (something) by taking some into the mouth. (2) to eat or drink a little of. (13) to have a particular flavor.


Chapter 11

Luna had basically dragged Laxus away from his home gym to visit Gray and focus on the cake taste-testing. Of course, cake on its own meant bringing along the only cake expert they knew, Erza. Now normally, Luna and Laxus would have brought Lucy along with them, but the young blonde had an exam. Luckily for them, Erza had been more than happy to take the blonde's place.

The sad thing was that they had to go earlier than the day they had agreed on. This was due to the upcoming national boxing match their school was participating in. Hence why Laxus and Luna could still be found at the high school even though the students were on break, not to mention those few students that had to go to summer school.

The ride to the restaurant was a bit awkward, since Luna was still mad at Laxus for making Sting, one of the students part of the boxing club, climb up the roof. The poor teenager had managed to do fine climbing up to the roof, but on his way down, he had missed a step near the end and fractured his arm slightly. To say the blond teenager and his girlfriend, Yukino, had been surprised to see her walk away from them and in the direction of the gym at the end of their story would be an understatement. Their buff coach had been scolded by a small woman in front of the team, not to mention the fact that he had cowered in fear had been a sight to see.

Luna sighed. From the passenger side window, she could see Erza's ecstatic face as she probably texted Jellal or Mira about her adventure to her paradise. From the corner of her eye she saw Laxus's hand twitch next to the stick shift. As mad as she was, she missed the touch of his hand on hers. She didn't want to give in, but she felt as if it was her fault they were in this situation, although technically speaking he was at fault. She unconsciously shifted her hand from her lap and put it near the shift gear. Laxus noticed from the corner of his eye before he grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

She looked at him with her ocean green eyes, surprised by him. He didn't look at her since he was still driving, but he still brought her hand to his lips none the less and kissed the ring that lied on her finger. Quietly, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

The look of shock erased from her face as she gave him a small smile. By now they had reached a red light, looking from the corner of her eye to see if Erza was still busy with her phone, she lightly leaned in towards him and gave him a small, soft kiss on his lips. When she moved back to her seat, she said, "I'm sorry, too."

He grinned. For the rest of the ride the two kept quiet as Erza started talking about the different types of cakes they would taste and which ones would be better over the others.

*~Line Break~*

When they reached their destination, the two walked hand-in-hand with Erza in front of them and met Minerva at the front of the restaurant. They talked a bit before going inside and selecting a flavor. They saw Gray put the last slice into a small plate and aligned it with the rest of the cake slices.

"Ready to begin?" he asked them.

The first choice was a simple vanilla cake with strawberry filling. Erza was more than happy to try that one. Next came the red velvet cake with lemon cream filling, followed by a lemon chiffon with white chocolate filling. The more cakes they tried, the more nervous Gray became. What if they didn't find a flavor they liked, what then? He watched them try about 15 different cake combinations and still not a single reaction from the two. Erza didn't count considering she was enjoying herself by finishing the slices.

Gray anxiously waited for them to finish. When they were done, he couldn't help but notice that Erza had somehow managed to get second and third helpings of the vanilla strawberry cake.

"So which one of the flavors do you prefer?" asked Minerva while handing Erza another slice of cake.

Gray watched as the two looked at one another and simultaneously said, "The lemon chiffon with white chocolate filling."

He blinked. While he knew the two had been together for a while, he didn't expect for them to be in sync with one another. Luna tilted her head and gave Gray a confused smile. "Everything okay, Gray?"

"Y-yeah," he said shaking off his surprise.

She nodded before turning to Minerva and saying, "I think we should go and discuss the price for the cake, including any extra charges before it gets any more late than it already is."

Laxus nodded.

Minerva smiled a kind smile and directed them to her office. "Very well, right this way, please."

The couple nodded as Erza stayed behind and continued eating the cake as if there was no tomorrow.

'She sure has a sweet tooth,' Gray thought as he picked up the rest of the plates to clean them up.

"STOP!"

Gray froze in place and turned to the scarlet-haired woman. "Y-yes?"

She stood up from her seat and somehow managed to put all the extra slices in her plate to form a whole cake in her plate at the speed of light. She returned to her seat and turned to him, "You may proceed."

He chuckled lightly. "You like cake a lot, don't you?"

She turned to him, still eating her new creation. "I do," she replied with a small smile. "Lucy and Luna had been the ones to introduce me to these heavenly pieces."

"Lucy did?"

She nodded. "I used to think that liking sweets wasn't good for my image back in the beginning of high school. You know, whether I look like it or not, I used to be quite the fighter back then."

'Believe me, we can all see it,' he thought as put away the plates in the sink. He started wiping the table with such concentration that he missed most of the things she said afterwards.

"Gray!"

"Huh?" he said.

"I said, at time are you picking up Lucy tonight?" she asked him once more, a bit annoyed for being ignored.

"At 7," he replied.

"Well then shouldn't you be on your way home to get ready?" she asked pointing to the clock on the wall. It read 5:30.

'Shit!' he mentally cursed. He knew he had forgotten something that day and that been to tell his boss that he needed to leave work early.

Erza saw his hesitation and mentally rolled her eyes. "Just go," she said. "I'm sure they'll understand."

He looked once more at Minerva's closed office before making up his mind. "Thanks," he said and left the kitchens.

Erza sighed with a small smile. While getting another piece of the strawberry cake, it had occurred to her that Lucy had mentioned that Gray had invited her to a business dinner. She looked back at the office where the couple was in. If Gray had a business dinner, then what was Minerva still doing here? Shouldn't she have left too?

'Unless…' thought Erza as she narrowed her eyes dangerously, scaring a good half of the kitchen staff before shaking her head with a small smile. 'Nah, besides Minerva is the Head Chef, it's only natural for her to leave last and makes sure everything is in order.'

When Erza had basically finished 2 strawberry cakes, much to the staff's amazement and horror, Luna and Laxus appeared out of Minerva's office along with the Head Chef herself.

Luna asked Erza, "Where's Gray?"

"He left," she replied obviously.

"Already?" asked Laxus.

"So much for surprising him with a birthday gift," said Minerva holding up a blue gift bag.

"Wait, what?" said Erza as she dropped her spoon.

"Yeah, today is Gray's birthday," said Luna picking up the spoon from the ground.

"But I guess he had already made plans," sighed the brunette as she put her hands on her hips. "Maybe I wasn't paying attention when he told me…"

"Wait, didn't he make dinner reservations or something?" asked Laxus.

"Yeah," said Luna and Erza together.

"Maybe that's where he's taking Lucy," added Luna nonchalantly.

"He's what!"

"Oh, grow up! You saw this coming and you know it!" said Luna in a teasing manner.

Laxus pouted and looked away. "Doesn't mean I'm okay with it," he replied in a low voice.

Luna giggled before grabbing his arm. "Let it go, already," she said with a smile. "That reminds me, I have to help Lu-chan get ready, so let's go."

The three bid their goodbyes to the Head Chef and left the hotel. One happy with a grumpy expression because his sister was going on a "date," another with a smile on her face because she had managed to eat all sorts of cakes, and the last excited for the little's sister's "date" to come.


Lucy finished putting the last touches on her makeup when Virgo knocked on her door.

"Hime-sama," she said as she entered.

"Yes, Virgo?" she asked turning around.

"Fullbuster-sama has arrived," she answered.

"Okay!"

Lucy stood up and grabbed her purse next to her. She walked out with Virgo behind her. Her heart was racing with each step she took, when she had reached the grand staircase she had to take a deep breath to calm herself so she wouldn't fall as she went down the stairs.

When Gray looked up from the bottom of the stairs, he couldn't help but have his breath taken away when he saw Lucy. He almost dropped the small bouquet of roses he had brought when she reached the last step.

"Hey," she said as she stepped near him.

"Hi," he said.

The white one shoulder dress she was wearing did no justice to her beauty. Her hair was in soft waves and her lips were a cherry red. It took him a minute to remember how to speak. He lifted up the bouquet and handed it to her.

"For you."

Lucy smiled and took them in her hands.

"Thanks," she took a small whiff. "They smell lovely."

He smiled as she turned to Capricorn.

"Would you mind putting these in a vase up in my room?"

"Of course, Lucy-sama," replied the butler as he took the roses from her as she turned to Gray.

"Ready?" he asked her while offering his arm to her.

"Yeah," she replied as took it and allowed him to lead her to his car outside. He opened the door for her and closed it when she was in. He jogged back to his side, got in and started the engine.

"You look wonderful," he said as they left the Heartfilia premises.

She blushed. "Thank you," she said. "I hope I didn't over dress."

"To where we're going…not really," he replied with a small chuckle.

"Where are we going anywhere?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he said with a wink.

"But isn't this a business dinner? Shouldn't I have the right to know?"

He flinched lightly, but not enough for her to notice. He felt kind of guilty for not telling her the real reason as to why they were going to dinner. He always believed that honesty was the best policy and that included in both his personal and professional life.

"Actually, Lucy..."

"Hmm?" she asked him while starring out the passenger window, oblivious to his inner turmoil. He was really contemplating on making up an excuse other than wanting to spend his birthday with her, but one look at those chocolate brown eyes – eyes whose innocence had been tainted by one too many people, he backed out.

"I lied," he said under his breath.

"What?" she said giving him her full attention.

"There is no business dinner tonight," he continued, still looking at the road ahead of them, scared of her expression.

"What? Did it get cancelled or something?" she asked innocently.

"No," he said taking a small breath. "There, uh, there never was a business dinner."

"Then why are we going to this mystery restaurant?"

"Because I," they reached a red light, allowing him to lower his gaze. "I, uh, wanted to…" His voice was so low Lucy hadn't been able to catch much of what he said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," she said.

He sighed and leaned his head against the wheel. 'Thank God the light is still red,' thought Lucy.

He turned to her, a small blush crossing his face. "I wanted you to spend my birthday with me…"

He watched her face intently, his embarrassment rising with every passing second until she burst out laughing.

"W-what?" he asked lifting his head up. He noticed that the light had just turned green and was more than glad to have to focus on something else.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, her laughter still not diminishing. "B-but I can't help it." She laughed for another couple of moments until only a couple of giggles escaped her lips. She gave him a smile. "You know you could've just asked instead of coming with this little scheme," she teased him.

"I-I know," he said, his blush returning once more. "I just didn't think you would say yes…"

"So making up an excuse about a supposable business dinner worked better for you?" she asked while giggling.

"I hadn't really put much thought to it," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. When they parked he turned to her. "You aren't…mad at me?"

She shook her head with a smile on her face. "Why would I get mad on your birthday?" she asked him.

He gave her a smile of relief before exiting the car and opening the door for her. He offered his hand to her which she gladly took. The two walked inside the restaurant hand-in-hand, while both their hearts were racing at the same time, neither wanted to let go. To distract herself, Lucy looked around the elegant restaurant.

She spotted an aquarium tank that ran along the back of the restaurant. While watching the fish, she thought she had seen her brother along with his fiancé, but shook her head because she had been more than positive that they had been home when she left doing something wedding related.

"I have reservation," said Gray bringing her out of her thoughts. "Fullbuster."

The hostess scrolled down the list until she found the name.

"Ah!" she said when she found it. "Fullbuster, table for 2, correct?"

He unconsciously squeezed Lucy's hand, making her blush at the action. "That's right."

She smiled at the couple. "Right this way please," she said and led the two to a table near the back. She handed the two a menu and said, "A waiter will be with you shortly to take your order," and left.

The two looked at the menu for a minute before an awkward silence fell upon them. It had been a good two minutes since Lucy found something that she liked and she was getting tired of reading the menu twenty more times. Se peaked over the menu and noticed that Gray was looking at her, his menu down and a smile on his face. She blushed and ducked her face back into the menu. She looked up again and he was still looking at her, she couldn't take the intense look in his eyes so she asked.

"W-what?" she asked putting down her menu. "Do I have something on my face?"

He shook his head. "No," he said. "I just can't get over how beautiful you look tonight, it's all."

Somewhere in the restaurant they heard the screeching of a knife against a plate. The two turned towards the sound but found no one, only couples enjoying their meal.

In the direction of the sound a young woman with black hair and ocean green eyes told her date in a low voice so that only he could hear. "Will you relax?"

Her date, a man with dark hair and orange eyes replied through gritted teeth, "I can't help it."

"Oh come on," said the woman. "He saved Lucy, and now you're telling me you don't think it's a good idea for them to enjoy a dinner together, Laxus?"

"That's just it," Laxus said. "What if he has other motives?"

She gave him a deadpanned face. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm serious, Luna."

"Lucy is twenty-two – twenty-three really since her birthday was 2 weeks ago!"

"Still doesn't change the fact that I don't trust him," he said as he looked at them with his eyes narrowed.

"Okay, that's it," said Luna as she took off the black wig.

"What are you doing?" he asked worried for a minute as he tried putting her wig back on.

She pouted. "You take me out to dinner and all you're doing is spy on your little sister."

He felt a guilt trip coming his way.

"I mean, the last time you took me out to dinner was when you proposed, and even then that had to be cut short…"

"Luna-"

"-but hey, if you want to sit here and ruin a man's birthday, than be my guest," she said crossing her arms and looking away from him.

"All right, all right," he said putting his hands up in defeat. He took her hand in his. "Then let's just ignore them and make this about us."

Her lips twitched in a small smile before returning back to the pout. "Really?"

"Really," he said.

She smiled, then they caught Lucy's harmonious laugh. "You sure you're going to be all right?" she teased her fiancé as she watched him try not to look in the direction of the laugh.

"Y-yeah," he said taking a small deep breath. He caught the eye of a waiter and called him over. "I'm going to need a bottle of your finest wine."

"Right away, sir," replied the waiter before leaving.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "This is your way of handling it?"

"I'm working on it," he said as he tried to focus on the woman in front of him, ignoring her teasing eyes.


"I can't believe you actually let her," said Lucy.

"I couldn't just tell her no," said Gray. "The look on her face when she saw me clearing off the plates was priceless. It was as if the world had been ending."

"That's Erza for you," she smiled.

She took a bite of her dessert and allowed the sweet flavor overpower her sense of taste. Luna and Laxus had come to this restaurant before, and every once in a while they would bring her back a slice of cake or a crème brûlée. But right now, this tasted better than all those times they brought her dessert. She remembered one of those times she had caught a commercial for a romantic restaurant, it's ending slogan had been "food always tastes better when you share it with someone you care." She hadn't believed it back then, but now she saw what they meant.

They had been enjoying their chat when Gray's phone rang.

"I'm sorry," he said and looked at his phone. "I really have to take this."

She shook her head. "Go ahead."

He answered the phone and motioned the waiter to bring them the check.

Lucy sipped a bit of her champagne as she tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation, which was kind of hard to do when he was talking right in front of her. When the call ended he turned to her.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "I forgot to tell Wendy about my plans for today so she's been waiting for me back home with Ultear to celebrate."

"Don't worry about it," she said as he signed the receipt and put his credit card inside the check book. "It's nice that your sisters are doing something for you."

"Yeah," he said as he handed the book to the waiter and waited for him to leave. "Though I wish I had told her so they wouldn't be waiting so late."

Lucy gave him a confused look until she decided to check the time on her watch, it read 10:20. "Oh my God, your birthday is almost over! We have to get you home before it's over, I can't believe we've spend so much time here!"

He chuckled. "Time passes by quickly when you're having fun," he winked at her.

She blushed lightly, but smiled none the less. She couldn't believe they had really spent so much time on dinner. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't really done much to celebrate Gray's birthday, only eat dinner and keep his sisters waiting for him back home.

When they left the restaurant, Lucy couldn't help the small frown that crossed her lips.

"What's the matter, Lucy?" asked Gray as he drove back to the Heartfilia Mansion.

"I didn't really do much to help you celebrate your birthday," she answered as her shoulders slumped forward.

"Well to be fair, I didn't tell you," he said.

"I know, but still!" she said not willing to let the fact go. "Is there something you want? A new car? New watch? Anything?"

"Hey now, no need to go off spending our dad's money like it's nothing," he chuckled.

"Okay, but at least let me make it up you."

"I told you it was fine-"

"No! I'm not taking no for an answer!" she said defiantly. "Now come on, there must be something you want…or need."

He thought for a moment. For a brief second he almost answered 'you,' but that could be taken the wrong way.

"All right, how about you and I go somewhere?"

"Like where?" she asked.

"That's a surprise," he said.

"Oh come on!"

"What?"

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because my gift from you will be your face when you find out."

"Fine," she said crossing her arms and pouting a bit, although the laugh in her eyes said otherwise.

When they reached the mansion, Gray got out of the car before Lucy could even unbuckle her seatbelt.

He opened the door and offered his hand. She took it and got out of the car. "So next week?"

"Yeah," he said.

The two stared at one another for a good 5 minutes until Lucy had to look away when she realized what she had been doing.

"Well, goodnight," she said tippy toeing to try and give Gray a kiss on a cheek. Once she did she tried not to run to the door of her home. She turned back to him as she opened the door. "And Gray?"

He turned to her, masking his shocked expression from before. "Yeah?"

Her cheeks became a soft pink. "You looked handsome tonight," she smiled and closed the door behind her.

She leaned on the door for support as she lightly touched her lips with the tips of her fingers. It had been then that she realized that he had been wearing the cologne she had gotten him last week. Not even the small frown on her brother's face when he found her still leaning on the door could make the smile or blush on her face disappear.


Outside, Gray sat inside his car, still not getting over what had happened. He touched the side of his cheek, the spot where Lucy had kissed him felt warm. He laid his head on the steering wheel; she was going to be the death of him. He didn't have to look in the mirror to know that his face red. He probably would have stayed that way if his phone hadn't started ringing.

He picked up the phone and before the other person on the line could say anything.

"I'm on my way, Ultear," he said, he couldn't help but notice that his voice had a smile to it. "I just dropped off Lucy."

"All right," she replied with a smile. "Just don't stay there all night."

He chuckled. "I won't. I have a feeling if I did, her brother would kill me."

She laughed. "See you soon."

"Yeah," he said and hung up. He turned on the engine and drove out to the main road. While on his way home, he couldn't help but think to himself. 'Best. Birthday. Ever.'

When he reached his house, not even Ultear's teasing could take the smile he had plastered on his face for the rest of the night.


Happy Valentine's Day you guys :)

~Karie

P.S. If you guys want to see Lucy's dress for this chapter you can find it on my website. I have a link to it on m profile. ^-^