CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A KNIGHT FOR A QUEEN

It was closing on midnight when Gray and Evergreen reached her door. The street lights were dimmed and the quiet stillness in a usually busy town should have made them realize how late their dinner lasted. However, the conversation had been fun and easy under the beautiful rainbow cherry blossoms. It was only the appearance of a policeman, checking to see if the woman with the guy in underwear was actually there of her own free will, that caused them to leave their picnic spot and wind their way here...facing each other...at her door.

Evergreen toyed with her fan, putting off the inevitable good night.

She looked up into Gray's dark eyes. His lips lifted in a teasing smirk as he asked, "So, was I good enough that I can see the snow globe?"

Evergreen's low chuckle felt more intimate in the shadowy quiet of a sleeping Magnolia. "Is that your way of asking to come in?"

"No, it's my way of asking if you had fun. I mean, you could always bring the globe out here."

"If you were good," Evergreen arched an eyebrow in soft challenge.

"Yes."

He remained still and silent as she unlocked and opened her door, not moving until she turned and beckoned him in. "It's over next to my chair." She pointed with her closed fan, suddenly shy in the deep privacy of her house.

He nodded and slipped by her over to the chair, giving her space as he moved deeper into her house. "Nice reading nook."

Her brows rose, "How did you know that's what the area was for?"

"Lucy has a spot in her house like it ...and, when Levy had a new book, she always arranged a chair near the biggest window in the guild when we were growing up." He reached down and picked up the glass globe, giving it a soft shake to set the snow swirling as the little gold queen followed her path. "It's beautiful." His eyes remained on the small figure. "Reminds me of you, at the club."

Evergreen drifted closer, watching the queen move through the snow, "I had to have it when I saw it." She tilted her head as the queen's face moved in and out of view. "Odd thing, though, the last few days...I think she looks lonely." She waited for his laugh or sigh that she was reading too much into a bit of ice.

When he remained silent, she risked a glance at him.

His head was tilted slightly, staring into the globe thoughtfully. Then, he slowly smiled. "I think I know why."

She could barely force out enough breath for a one word question. "Why?"

His eyes remained on the globe even as he answered her faint question. "You told the little girl every fairy queen should have a knight. Maybe she's lonely without a knight."

Evergreen swallowed, hoping and afraid, unsure of whether to move closer or away. "Possible."

He brought up his other hand and cupped the globe, whispering softly, "Ice make, fairy knight."

Within the little winter world, the snow swirled into a blizzard, growing denser and denser until falling away to reveal...a knight made of ice, armored, sword before him, point to the ground but with a sense of readiness. It...he was beautiful.

Evergreen leaned in closer, studying the interplay of the knight's position with the queen's dance and gasped, her gaze rising to immediately lock with his.

"What do you think?" His eyes were dark with tension, dilated in fear as he waited for her judgement on what he had done.

She looked back down at the figures, making sure what she'd seen hadn't been wishful thoughts.

He had added glasses and a fan to the fairy queen figure, making them match Evergreen's own accessories perfectly. And the knight...the knight was Gray with the fairy tail guild mark etched into the knight's chest armor, an exact match for the placement of Gray's own mark.

Her eyes lifted to his again, her hands reaching up to cup his, feeling soft tremors in his hands.

What did she think? It looked like she was thinking the same thing he was. She lifted a hand from the globe to his face, cupping his cheek. "Be my knight?"

He pressed his cheek into her touch, lids half closed as he set the globe down. One hand reached up to cup hers as the other carefully slid along her waist to her lower back. He pressed a soft kiss into her palm.

Her body flickered and warmed at the touch and her voice was low, "Is that a yes?"

He smiled down at her, sliding his hand along her arm as he leaned in, his breath a soft breeze over her lips as he whispered, "Yes, my queen." His lips pressed to hers, firm but light, soft caress even as she parted her own lips in quiet invitation.

His hands moved over her back in long strokes as he urged her closer to him and she pressed into his body, feeling the long strong lines of him against her. His soft warm mouth drifted over her lips then down her chin to her jaw, his arms tightening around her as he nuzzled at her neck.

"I thought about you while I was gone, missed you."

She toyed with his hair, running her fingers up the back of his neck into the thick strands. It wasn't soft but it had a nice texture. "Oh really? Then why did it take you so long to get back?"

A small laugh puffed over the base of her neck. "We only got done this morning. Actually, Natsu insisted we stay another day, claimed his stomach couldn't take a train ride today."

"And how did you convince him to brave it?"

More laughter slid over her skin, vibrating from his chest to hers. "I encased him in a ball of ice and started rolling him towards the train station."

She pulled back to look into his face. "You didn't!"

He shrugged, "It worked really well on Moondrip island to get him moving so I figured it'd work again."

"What did Lucy say?" Everyone knew there was a deep connection between her and the dragon slayer. Surely she had protested. "And Erza?"

Gray smiled, toying with the strands of hair that trailed over her shoulder. "Lucy had to lean on Wendy to stop from falling over laughing. Erza told me I was rolling him too slowly and took over rolling him to make sure we didn't miss the train and get here too late for dinner."

Evergreen pulled back, suspicious. "You must be joking."

He shook his head. "No, that's exactly what happened." His smile slid away. "Having second thoughts? I know you're not going to abandon the Thunder Legion for my team but...you know that goes the other way too, right? They're my team."

"Shhh," Evergreen quieted him by pressing her lips softly to his, before reassuring him. "I had just thought some of the more colorful stories about them were exaggerations." She stroked his bangs back from his face. "Our teams are our families. We can figure it out."

He nestled back into her shoulder, voice soft. "Mmhmmm. Lucy and Erza already like you."

She smiled. "And the others?"

"Happy and Wendy like everyone. Carla tolerates everyone."

"And Natsu."

"He's an idiot so who cares what he thinks." His chuckle was soft, barely there.

She turned her head to get a better look at him and noticed dark circles under his eyes. "You haven't been sleeping?" She tried not to sound accusing, she really did but her tone came out sharp anyway.

He nodded slightly, not opening his eyes. "Yeah, it was a rough mission and I should have gone home to sleep a lot earlier but…"

She rubbed her cheek against his. "I didn't want to end the evening either. However, I don't want you to wear yourself out."

He slowly pulled back and brushed his mouth to hers. "Then, I'll head home."

"Will you be ok? If you're too tired-"

He smiled, "I'll be fine. Meet for breakfast?"

She nodded. "Late breakfast." It was better he not see her before her coffee until they were better established.

They moved reluctantly to the door, sharing a few more light kisses before parting. It wasn't until he was walking away that she realized, "Wait! You don't have any pockets."

He looked back, confused, "So?'

"What about keys? Will you be able to get into your place?"

Gray grinned, "Like I told the guy in Edolas, I'm not an ice wizard. I'm a maker." He held up a hand, an ice key quickly forming between his fingers. "I memorized my key after the first time I lost it along with my pants."