A/N: As always, I'm super behind with updates. Sorry! Lacking enthusiasm. Obsessed with another fandom at the moment too. This chapter is mostly plot progression and fluff. Maybe smut in the next chapter, just wasn't feeling it this time around! Also, for any repeating or new readers, I have a question. Does my weather tmeline add up? I've lost track, and I get confused between fanfics. Having said that, I don't have the time to re-read fourteen chapters. So if anyone has just caught up, let me know! I'm aiming for springtime, with northern areas still bogged in snow, and summer lurking on the horizon. Cool at night, but not freezing. Hopefully it all adds up! Let me know in the reviews. And thanks everyone for your ongoing support!
Chapter 14: An Unexpected Return
"How much farther do we have to go?" Clairre's voice came from behind. Gray blinked, clearing away the daydream that had kept him occupied until that moment. He looked over his shoulder to see the raven haired mage trailing behind. While her wounds had almost healed entirely, her eyes remained downcast and shadowed.
"It's about another hour of walking until we reach the next town. We can catch a train back to Magnolia from there. We should be home by sundown," Gray estimated, turning back to the road.
The pair of ice-make mages had left Aerith and Zack's cottage a few hours ago, the latter having left for work before they had even rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Angie had waved them off enthusiastically from the gate, keeping it up until he had vanished from sight. Gray was sure he would have kept going a few minutes longer, just to be sure. The lad had more energy than he knew what to do with.
Gray sighed, wiping the away the light sweat that had formed on his brow. The temperature continued to climb as they ventured closer to their destination. Clairre had still kept her dress on, but Gray had stripped down to his pants.
They travelled mostly in silence, unless speech was absolutely necessary. Gray had attempted conversation a number of times, to which Clairre had only offered curt answers, until finally Gray had given up. He had allowed his mind to wander, thinking of the trio they had left behind. Gray couldn't help but imagine leading a similar life with Lucy. He would work as a mage, taking on small jobs and requests, while Lucy would care for their child and write novels. He could imagine a young boy like Angie, bearing Lucy's eyes and Gray's wild, raven hair.
The ice-make mage found his lips twisting upwards at the thought. He couldn't imagine anything more perfect. He found himself longing for Lucy's company more than ever. Feeling guilty for having such light thoughts, Gray glanced back at Clairre. She hadn't said any more about what had occurred while imprisoned. Judging by her crossed arms and lowered gaze, Gray was sure it was bothering her.
Unable to see his friend in such a state, Gray dropped back to walk beside her. He stayed quiet a moment longer, unsure of how best to broach the topic.
"How are your injuries? Are they feeling better?" he started, his voice quiet and careful.
Clairre looked up slowly, blinking at him as she considered his question. "They're fine. Aerith worked miracles on me. I can hardly feel any of them."
Gray nodded, chewing on his thoughts before carefully letting them fall from his tongue. "I can tell its bothering you, Clairre. If you need to talk about it, you can trust me."
Clairre looked at him for a long moment, digesting his words. Finally, she smiled. "I remember once, a very long time ago, you said something very much like that to me. Lyon was being mean to me, and you promised to always look out for me. I guess we haven't changed as much as I thought."
Gray shook his head. "My memories are a little foggy, but I do remember Lyon picking on you all the time. I wonder if he still would."
"Perhaps," Clairre said, and then laughed to herself quietly. "As far as Vang goes, I suppose I have some explaining to do before I tell you what happened."
"Go on, we've still got a lot of walking to do," Gray encouraged, shoving his hands into his pockets as their pace slowed.
"As I told you previously, I trained with Zen until I turned seventeen, learning how to use Chaos Soul magic. You remember, right?"
"Right," Gray agreed. "Then you said that only one other mage knew how to use it."
Clairre nodded. "Correct. When Zen died, there were only two of us left. Myself, and Zen's other pupil. A boy a few years older than me, named Vang."
Gray halted, allowing Clairre to walk a few steps before she paused and waited for him. He scowled, recognising the name. "The same one?" he probed.
"Yes," she clarified, to which they both resumed their walk. "We travelled together for some time, training with each other and acquiring new summons. Tied together by a dying magic, we understood one another like no one else possibly could." She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "By the time I was nineteen, we were impossibly in love. We found a small home, on the outskirts of a village to the north, where we settled down together. For a time, we were happy."
"Yet this is the same Vang that leads around a guild of dark mages?"
Clairre nodded sadly. "After a few months he became restless. The Chaos was beginning to poison him, eating away at his mind and spirit. He was seduced by its power, and began to crave more. I thought I could find a way to help him, to make it stop, but I was wrong.
"I came home one day and found him covered in blood. I demanded to know what he'd done, but he just looked at me. He looked at me with madness in his eyes and laughed." Clairre shook her head slowly, lamenting her loss. "I knew then that I had to leave. I snuck out while he was away the following day, and didn't see him again. I spent two years searching for a cure to his madness, but there was nothing. I travelled around, jumping at shadows for years. I knew he'd come looking for me, and as you know, he did eventually find me."
"How was he, when you saw him? Has he changed?" Gray asked quietly.
Clairre was silent, and for a while, all Gray could hear was the dirt crunching beneath their shoes. At last, she spoke. "It was horrifying. When I left him all those years ago, he was more or less crazed and entirely unpredictable. But when I saw him again as his captive, he seemed to be in control of himself. Even so, he was different, as though he'd had the light leeched from his very soul." Clairre looked up at Gray with wide eyes, her horror apparent. "I couldn't control myself. He was so entirely different, but also the same in so many ways. He . . . he took me. And I let him. Goddammit, I let him!"
Gray grabbed Clairre's shoulder, yanking the hysterical mage to a halt. "How far did he go, Clairre?" His tone was low and deadly, anger searing around the edges of his vision.
Clairre's cheeks were deathly pale as she choked out an admission. "As far as a man can go. I didn't even . . . I didn't even try to fight him! I was so pathetic, so weak."
Gray growled at her, yanking her gaze upwards to meet his furious gaze. "Don't ever say that again," he warned her. "And you used to love him, Clairre. Things like that don't just disappear. He used your feelings against you. That doesn't make you weak. It just makes him cruel."
Clairre looked away, staring at the ground resignedly. "I suppose you're right."
Gray sighed wearily when she offered no further words. "Come on," he started, pulling her along at a steady walk. "We've still got a long way to go."
They fell back into silence, their short breaths and the crunching of stone beneath their boots serving as their only vocal company. Gray found himself daydreaming again, thinking both of Clairre's tale and also of Lucy. He found it difficult to imagine their roles reversed.
Lucy paced around her apartment aimlessly. She'd run out of jobs to do around the house, and had even gone as far as dusting the skirting boards in an attempt to keep herself busy. She'd been called back to the guild the evening before, with Cana explaining that Gray had located the dark guild. Lucy's fellow guild members had begun preparing for an assault, yet she had nothing left to do but wait for Gray's return.
Having been sent to one of the further regions, Lucy knew the ice-make mage wouldn't arrive until later in the evening. With a few hours left to spare, she was beginning to grow restless. There was always a chance that Gray may have chosen to tackle the guild head-on, which in turn made Lucy extremely nervous. She knew he ought to be smarter than that, but it was always a risk. Things never seemed to go to plan when Fairy Tail was involved.
Finding herself unable to bear the empty and too-clean apartment any longer, Lucy snatched up her keys and headed outside. A gentle breeze caressed her skin as she stepped out into the warm sun. It was a mild day, as could be expected with the approach of summer. The temperature was slowly rising. A trip to the beach would be in order soon.
Lucy wandered the streets of Magnolia for some time, finding the warm, fresh air helped to settle her nerves. She waved at the men in their boats as they paddled past her on the river, and helped an old lady carry her shopping across the street a few blocks away. Lucy lost track of time as she wandered in and out of shops, stopping occasionally when an overexcited child would ask for her signature. She laughed and smiled, agreeing to their innocent demands without hesitation.
Before she knew it, the skies had shifted to red and gold hues, signalling the approach of nightfall. Feeling her stomach twinge with anticipation, Lucy made her way to the guild without further delay. The streets had begun to quieten, with shops closing and families heading home for dinner. Lucy's own stomach growled with hunger. It could wait until she reached the guild. Mira was sure to have something on hand.
The main hall had settled down considerably since her last visit that morning. For once, no one was drinking. Except for Cana. The abduction of her friend had seemingly sent her into a binge. A steady collection of tankards and barrels had begun to pile up around her. Mira was opposite the brunette, scolding her for drinking so much. Cana didn't protest, but merely ignored her, downing another tankard.
Lucy didn't stop to watch what happened next. Instead, she found Natsu a few tables over, listening to Erza and Wendy discuss strategies. He appeared bored by their exchange, and immediately brightened upon seeing Lucy.
"Heya Lucy!" he bellowed, waving with childish enthusiasm.
"No sign of Gray?" she asked, sliding onto the bench beside him. Natsu dropped his head against the wooden tabletop, appearing bored again. A new realisation suddenly dawned upon Lucy. Natsu was simply itching for a fight, sitting around and waiting just wasn't in his nature. It was no wonder he seemed agitated.
"No sign of droopy eyes," he agreed. "Wish he'd hurry up. I wanna go beat up that dark guild already!"
Lucy sighed, propping her head up with her elbows. "I wish he'd hurry up too. I'm starting to worry," she muttered to herself. Natsu didn't fail to hear her though. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see a pair of green eyes narrowed in sympathy.
"He'll be fine Lucy. Gray's too stupid to get into trouble."
Lucy offered him a small smile of thanks. Although not particularly brilliant himself, Natsu's heart was in the right place. He left his hand there only a moment longer, before resting his head back against the table. Lucy looked away, the guild doors catching her eyes as she did so.
"Gray!" she exclaimed in relief, knocking the table noisily as she stood. The ravenette was framed by the doorway, clad in nothing but his dark washed jeans. Another figure appeared beside him, almost unrecognisable in her dress.
Murmurs rose up around the guild, followed quickly by louder shouts as the mages realised that Gray's companion was none other than Clairre. The loudest shout came from Cana, who was last to realise the cause of the sudden commotion.
"Drinking buddy!" she cried, hurtling across the room before throwing herself at her friend. Clairre smiled and returned the drunkard's bone-crushing hug, lightly wincing at the contact.
Lucy smiled as she watched the ordeal, but it quickly faded as she put two and two together. Her temper rising, she stormed over to Gray and very nearly slapped him. She settled for a lecture instead.
"You idiot!" she yelled, her fists balling. The surrounding Fairy Tail mages quietened, turning towards the sudden outburst. "You are an absolute ass Gray Fullbuster! You were told quite specifically not to take on the guild singlehandedly. You could have gotten yourself killed you blithering idiot! What were you thinking, taking on an entire dark guild!? That mission was S-Class, and you just decide to waltz in like a hero and take them on, all by yourself!? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Lucy stopped to gasp for breath, her anger slowly seeping out with each word.
Gray lifted his hands in surrender, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Well?" She demanded, hands on hips.
"Actually Lucy, it was really my fault," Clairre explained, coming over to them. She looked small and fragile in how she carried herself. It was a surprising contrast to the feisty mage Lucy had befriended. "I managed to escape Vang and his men. I snuck out while they were held up in a meeting. I ran into Gray on the way out."
"Oh." Lucy felt herself deflate. "Really?" Clairre nodded. Lucy turned her gaze back to Gray and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry."
"It's okay, Lucy," he said quietly, his lips turning up in amusement. "Right now, Clairre needs rest and a look over from Wendy. We had a village healer take care of her injuries, but a check-up wouldn't hurt."
"After Wendy has finished, I have a few questions for the both of you," Makarov interrupted, stepping out from behind Erza. Clairre and Gray both nodded in acceptance. The guild master retreated upstairs, his expression thoughtful.
The crowd dispersed as Clairre was taken off to the infirmary. A loud buzz of conversation started up again quickly as theories were swapped amongst mages. Lucy turned her attention towards Gray, unashamedly pulling him into a gentle hug.
"Sorry I yelled at you," she muttered against his chest. She felt his hand stroke her hair soothingly. "I was just so worried. I thought you might have been caught, or hurt-"
He shushed her quickly, tightening his grip around her waist. "I'm here now. It was just a lucky coincidence."
"What happened?" Lucy asked, pulling back to study his face.
"I'll tell you later," he promised, placing a kiss against her forehead. "I have to go see Gramps first."
"I'll wait for you."
Gray nodded, kissing her cheek before heading upstairs to where Makarov would undoubtedly be questioning Clairre already. Lucy headed back to her seat beside Natsu. The dragon slayer looked outright miserable.
"What's the matter?" she asked, swatting her hand playfully at his distinctive, pink spikes. She found her mood had picked up considerably, now knowing that Gray and Clairre were both safe. The tension from earlier had faded.
Natsu scowled. "I'm happy Clairre's back, but I was really looking forward to a good fight!" he admitted unashamedly. "I was all worked up and ready to go."
They sat quietly for a long time, listening to the surrounding chatter of their comrades. Lucy hummed thoughtfully, spotting Lisanna sitting across the room with her brother and Evergreen. "You know, you could use that energy for something else," she said suggestively.
"Huh? Like what?" he asked, dense as ever.
"I'm sure you could ask Lisanna to help you let off some steam," she tried again.
Natsu frowned, still not catching on. "You mean fight her? But she's my girlfriend. Guys shouldn't beat up their girlfriends, even if it is just training."
Erza snickered across the table, catching on to the conversation. "I think you need to be more direct where Natsu is concerned," she advised the blonde.
Lucy blushed. "I don't want to sound crude though," she complained.
Natsu looked between his two teammates, clearly baffled. Luckily, Gray was there to save the day a second time. "She means, you should go have sex with your girlfriend, like normal guys do," the ice-make mage taunted, sliding in beside a startled Lucy.
Natsu scowled at him. "Don't tell me what to do ice-bastard! Why don't you go have sex with your girlfriend, huh? Maybe then you'll keep out of my business."
"Actually," Gray started, his voice dropping dangerously low, so that only Lucy and Natsu would hear him beneath the chaos of the guild. "I was planning to."
Lucy gasped, looking at Gray with wide eyes. Saying something like that, here, in the guild of all places. To Natsu, of all people! She swatted his leg scoldingly. He smirked at her, his eyes predatory. Foggy memories of their night in the hotel surfaced, and she couldn't help but imagine how nice it would be to have Gray push her up against the wall and take her, roughly. She blinked, clearing the steamy thought away.
"I think it's time for us to go," Lucy announced, standing abruptly. She quickly said goodnight to the others before retreating.
Gray appeared surprised but made no objections as he followed her outside. She remained quiet as they stepped out into the evening air, smiling up at the splattered specks of light above.
"Where are we going now?" Gray probed, stopping alongside her.
Lucy thought of home, and quickly decided against it. After being locked up inside for most of the day, her too-clean apartment had lost its appeal. "Can we go back to your place?" she asked, feeling nervous. She hadn't seen his apartment before. It was both thrilling and terrifying to think about. As his girlfriend, it was an obstacle she had to tackle sooner or later. With any luck, it would be a good first impression, providing she could play out her earlier train of thought.
He looked a little surprised by the request, but overall Gray seemed, well . . . pleased. Had he been waiting for the opportunity to ask?
"Of course," he offered, taking her hand to steer her through the winding streets of Magnolia.
They said little on the way, choosing to leave the heavier conversation for when they had reached the privacy of his apartment. Lucy was happy just to be in his company, hand in hand, beneath her beloved stars. With all the chaos of the past few weeks, they'd had little opportunity to simply spend time together as a couple. It just made these simple moments seem so much more precious. As the days faded into years, the magic of such simple gestures would fade, but for now, it was electric and new.
Gray's apartment proved to be a great deal further from the guild than Lucy's, but she made no complaint. She waited anxiously as he fumbled with his keys, but a moment later they were over the threshold.
Lucy's reaction was immediate. "Gray, it's freezing in here!"
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I keep it cold, that's just how I like it."
Lucy frowned. This put a dent in her plans. No matter how much things heated up later, she didn't fancy stripping off in the cold. Gray seemed to sense her distress.
"I'll change the settings," he said, moving over to the air-conditioner's control panel.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "I'm used to warmer at the guild and on missions. It's a preference, not a necessity. I want you to be comfortable."
Lucy smiled, and reached up to kiss him, running her fingers gently down his neck. He relaxed against her, the nervousness fading from his limbs. She pulled back a moment later, eyeing him carefully. Before she could let her pent up frustration get the better of her, they had more important, or rather, equally important matters to discuss.
"Would you like some tea?" Gray offered, pulling her over to the lounge. She sank onto it gratefully, feeling weary now that the day's apprehension had passed.
"Yes, thank you. Peppermint if you have it." She'd developed a sudden love for peppermint fragranced tea since her initial encounter with Gray. The minty aftertaste reminded her of their kisses. It was both comforting and refreshing.
"Easily done, that's my regular cup," he admitted, heading towards the kitchen. Well, no wonder he so often tasted of peppermint. That was one mystery solved. Now, she just needed to solve the mystery surrounding Clairre.
Gray returned a few minutes later, two mugs in hand. He settled on the couch beside Lucy with a relieved sigh. Apparently she wasn't the only one feeling spent from the ordeal of the past few days. She mirrored his sigh with her own, and curled up against him, hot mug in hand. Naturally, his was lukewarm, quickly turning cold.
"What happened while you were away?" she asked, taking a sip from her tea.
Gray launched into his story, recounting the events from when he had seen her, right up to their arrival back at the guild. She asked a few questions along the way, but otherwise kept quiet. He skimmed over his discussion with Clairre, merely explaining that she had a messy past with Vang, and that it wasn't his place to say more. Lucy felt a twinge of jealousy, hearing that her elemental rival had confided in him so deeply. Still, she couldn't blame Clairre. With so few friends, she wouldn't have a great deal of venting outlets. Gray was the most obvious choice. Even so, she couldn't erase the jealously, merely subdue it.
They sat in silence for a long moment once he had finished his recount. Lucy sipped her tea thoughtfully. Gray finished his. She shifted a little on the couch, and finally tackled the obvious question.
"What now?" Gray looked puzzled. She ventured further. "What will happen now? Vang has the amulet. Is it a big deal, or is just a sentimental thing? And what's Clairre going to do?"
"I don't know what she's planning, and honestly, I don't know much about the amulet either. She made it sound important, but I don't know what it has to do with anything. Getting it back could be a challenge. We'd need a pretty strong hit team. I don't know if the whole guild is necessary, but I think we need a little more than just the usual team, just to be safe. I don't know what they're capable of, but they kept us busy enough back at the GMG trials."
Lucy considered this. "We should ask Clairre what it really is before we go chasing after dark guilds. If it really is dangerous, then we should know what we're getting into."
"Clever thinking as always," he praised, placing a chaste kiss against her forehead.
Lucy placed her empty mug alongside his on the coffee table. She was tired of worrying. She needed a break. Heck, they both did. She had the perfect idea in mind.
"We'll leave it for the morning," she decided, eyeing him mischievously. "Right now, it's heating up in here, and I'm ready to take off some of these clothes."
"No house tour then?" Gray asked.
"In the morning," she proposed.
"In the morning," he agreed, reaching for the hem of her shirt.