DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail; not its characters, the settings or anything—Hiro Mashima-sensei does. The only thing I do own is the plot of this story. Either ways, please respect our works.

WRITER'S BLOCK: I'm just glad I can be lazy again since it's summer and exams are over and—ugh! I can update at long last. I know I've kept you guys waiting but, yeah… I'll stop talking and start writing… Enjoy!

WARNING: This chapter could suck. But, please read anyway… T_T

-CHAPTER TWENTY: FOR YOUR HAPPINESS-
"He hated it. He hated it all. But he…wouldn't do anything about it because he wanted Lucy to be happy. And if that had to happen at the expense of his own happiness… so be it."

Tok! Tok! Tok!

Gray turned on his bed. Stupid birds, pecking my window again.

Tok! Tok! Tok!

He turned again and this time, he covered his ear with his pillow. What is with those birds and his window anyway?

"Graaaaay!" called Lucy's voice.

Gray's closed eyes shot open and he immediately sat up.

"Ack!" he complained. His wounds weren't completely healed yet so it was strained when he moved about quickly.

"Graaaay, are you in here?" said her voice again.

Gray would blow up anyone's head if they woke him up but since it was Lucy, he'd make an exception. So he got up slowly, put pants on and went to the door.

"Graaa—"

"I'm coming! Geez…" he said. Then, he opened the door and in came a seemingly very excited Lucy in her signature blouse and miniskirt plus the boots. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, good morning, too…" Lucy greeted, eyebrows almost meeting. "I came to ask a favor from you."

"This—" she said, holding up a red dress on one hand, "—or this?" while holding a blue one on the other.

"Seriously?" Gray said, obviously not having fun.

Lucy had come to his house just that morning and dragged him to the clothes store to help him choose a proper outfit for her date with Natsu. What sucked wasn't only the fact that he was picking a dress out for her but it was for her and Natsu's date. Just thinking about it made him want to curse the latter for his luck.

"I'd go for the red one." Gray said inattentively, his head on his palm.

"But you're not even looking!" Lucy stomped her feet in irritation. "Which would look better on me, this one or this?"

Gray looked at her. You look good even if you wear a year-old trashcan. "I told you: the red one."

"You sure?" Lucy asked, Gray nodded.

"Why did you take me here anyway? Aren't girls like Mira good at this?"

Lucy stayed silent for a moment and just shrugged. "I guess your house was nearer? Besides, you have a bike."

"Liar." Gray teased as Lucy turned back and paid for the dress. "So let me get this right: it's your monthsary today and you're surprising him?"

"Uh-huh." Lucy smiled proudly. "I wanted to do something specia."

"But he's the guy; shouldn't he be the one to prepare things like this?"

"Weren't you the one who told me to be a bit more understanding of him since he's a bit immature?" Lucy snapped back, scolding with her words.

"Good point." He said, smiling. "But will he remember?"

"That's why I'm preparing." Lucy said, receiving her change from the cashier. "Because I don't think he did."

"That lucky bastard." Gray said under his breath.

"What did you say?" the stellar spirit mage asked.

"Nothing." He lied.

And they went out of the store to where Gray parked his bike.

"Where to next, chief?" he asked the girl.

"Uhm. Home. I want to cook for him." Lucy said, wearing the helmet.

"You can cook?" Gray asked, sarcasm in his voice. He got on his bike and started it.

"I'll try to." Lucy said, got on the bike and held on to Gray's waist for dear life as the ice mage drove away at top speed.

Gray blew on the red, viscous liquid on the spoon and put it in his mouth. His eyes widened as the taste spread in his mouth. The next moment, he went to the faucet and drank a lot of water.

"W-well?" Lucy asked, hesitantly.

Gray gasped, trying to catch his breath, then replied, "Remember when people say that your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die?"

Lucy, whose lightning-fast mind seemed to get what Gray was implying, simply opened her mouth in a smile of disbelief at Gray's joke. "Don't even say it, Gray Fullbuster. I know where you're going on with this."

"It's all true. I think I saw my mom." He continued anyway.

"Shut up." Lucy said, splattering the red soup toward Gray's direction. "I'm sorry I can't cook."

"Seriously, Luce." Gray said. "You're a girl, too."

"I just can't cook anything except hard-boiled eggs." Lucy said, smiling. Then she looked at Gray and said, "So?"

Gray looked at Lucy's eyes and after a split second, seemed to read what was on her mind. "That's also why you wanted me to come here?"

The girl sheepishly nodded.

"Mira can cook, too, you know?"

"But she's busy at the guild and everything."

"And I'm not?" Gray said. "Fine."

Gray stepped forward and put his hair, well some of them anyway, in a ponytail then grabbed the spatula and started to 'fix the soup' while Lucy just watched in awe at his new image.

"Have you always been this responsible?" Lucy said, watching Gray from behind.

"I dunno." Gray replied without looking. "I mean, you try living alone for as long as I've been."

Then, with one last dash of salt, Gray scooped some of the soup, now slightly orange, with the spoon and called for Lucy.

"Here, try it." He said, holding the spoon for Lucy.

"That fast?" Lucy smiled in amazement then reached for the spoon.

"Wait." Gray said before she could get it from him and he blew it for her. "Here you go."

"Wow, Gray!" Lucy said after tasting the soup. "You should really consider replacing Mira!" (Somewhere, Mira sneezed.)

"No way…" Gray said, removing the band from his hair. "So, do you need help with anything else?" Gray said.

"No." Lucy said. "I'll just go and buy food from some store. I've had enough of cooking."

"Well, I'd better leave before Natsu comes here." Gray said, turning his back and walking toward the door.

"Wait, Gray." Lucy said, coming after him.

"What?" he said, turning around.

"Thank you." Lucy said, smiling. She initially wanted to hug him but hesitated and, finally, did nothing.

Gray only smiled and pinched Lucy's nose. "Whatever."

"Oww!" Lucy complained.

Then Gray put his hand on her head and said, "Anything for you."

Surprised, Lucy only looked at Gray, wide-eyed.

"Go and change before he comes here on you looking like a—nevermind."

He, then, turned his back on Lucy and drove off back to his house.

Gray was thinking of Lucy's look before he was about to leave. Priceless. She looked extremely—cute.

What could she be doing now? He asked himself, taking the bottle of beer to his mouth again and drinking from it. Che. The more I think about it, the more disturbed I become.

He was there, sitting in front of the fireplace, drinking alone in his dark home. No. It wasn't a home. If it was, it wouldn't be that lonely there. It was a house. Just a house.

He took another gulp of the strong liquid from the bottle.

"So what now?" Gray asked himself.

He had honestly thought about going to sneak up on Lucy and Natsu's date but thought knew better. For the first time, Gray felt pity for himself: for not being able to do anything, for just staying behind the curtains while the play was going, for not being able to fight for Lucy. He hated it. He hated it all. But he couldn't—no—wouldn't do anything about it because he wanted Lucy to be happy. And if that had to happen at the expense of his own happiness, well, so be it.

I'll just have to drink this away again, he told himself putting the bottle's mouth to his but it was empty.

He put it away with all the other bottles he had drunk. One, two, three, four… Nine bottles in all.

Well, that was all of dinner, he snickered then grabbed all the other bottles to take them outside.

Gray walked carefully. He knew he was a bit drunk so he moved as slowly as he could so he wouldn't trip. He was seeing double and that was bad. Opening the back door silently, Gray placed the bottles on the ground.

"Gray." Said a female voice.

Gray saw the girl's shoes in front of him. He looked up and saw the girl's face, who looked as if she was about to cry.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be—" Gray was surprised enough to sober up. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, Gray!" the girl said, hugging him by the waist.

"What happened? Are you okay?" he made her stand straight up and put his hands on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Lisanna?"

Was it crappy? I know, right? I'm sorry. I truly need inspiration. Anyway, (as always) R & R please?