"Lucy, you have amazing taste…this strawberry shortcake is unbelievable!" Erza gushed.
Natsu frowned. The bakery had been his idea.
Erza was on her third piece. It had been suggested that supper would be a good idea, but Erza insisted strawberry shortcake was akin to a well-balanced supper and it would suffice just fine.
Lucy giggled. She liked Erza when she was like this. She was a lot like Natsu in a way, experiencing some things like it was her first time. She had been completely blown away when Lucy suggested a chai tea upon their arrival at the bakery. Erza drank it back like she was drinking the nectar of the gods.
"So you're Gray's cousin?" Lucy asked.
Erza nodded, "Our dads were brothers. Well, foster-brothers to be fair."
Natsu glanced out on the street. He really thought Gray would have joined them by now.
"So you knew Gray as a child then…was he always so serious?"
Erza laughed, a booming, joyful laugh. Lucy backed up a little closer to Natsu, finding his hand underneath the table. They interlaced their fingers. Lucy's foot was wrapped around Natsu's left leg. He was having a hard time sitting still with the contact and he really wished Erza would go away and let him have his date with Lucy.
"Gray was a little brat!" Erza exclaimed, "And I admit at times I was his ring leader! We used to get into all sorts of trouble! There were four of us, if you include Mirajane and Elfman. And we all lived together in a large house with man called Makarov."
Natsu furrowed his eyebrow, wondering how much of this story was true.
"What happened to your parents?" Lucy asked.
"I never had a mother. She died when I was very young. Our dads were both killed in a hunting accident," Erza said, "There was an mudslide from too much rain and they couldn't outrun it. They didn't stand a chance."
"That's so sad," Lucy said softly.
"And what about you, my dear?" Erza asked, "Tell me about yourself. What was your childhood like?"
Lucy regarded the older woman. She was kind of freaky in a way. Her emotions changed faster than Gray could take off his clothes. One minute, she was calm, the next she was excited or passionate about something and/or yelling.
Lucy couldn't deny her beauty. The woman was stunning, with her red hair flowing down her back and her big brown eyes. She also had a…quality about her that made you tell her more than you were planning to divulge. She had an interesting way of drawing information out of people. She was incredibly intimidating, despite her pretty appearance.
"I grew up in a mansion," Lucy said softly, "My mother left me when I was young too. She died when I was 8."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Erza said, reaching across the table.
Lucy shook Natsu's fingers off and grabbed Erza's quickly. Natsu fought the urge to throw a hissy fit about it. He had Lucy's hand first.
"But your father…he was still there for you!"
Lucy looked very uncomfortable now. She squirmed a bit, removing her hand from Erza's.
"No," she stated, "My father didn't want anything to do with me. I reminded him too much of my mother."
Erza nodded and Natsu wondered just how far she intended to push Lucy. He didn't like Lucy's expression. He wanted to tell Erza to stop nudging, but Erza was on a roll now.
"That's horrible! I'm so sorry to hear that!" Erza took another drink of her chai tea, "And what about now? Are things better for you now? What are your career ambitions? Got a boyfriend?"
Lucy shot Natsu a look for help. He couldn't think of a single other topic to bring up to divert the conversation…so he stood up, his knees hitting the edge of the table forcefully.
The entire table flipped over, crashing the contents onto the ground. Everyone at the café glanced up. Staff started hurrying over to help clean up the mess.
"Oops," Natsu said loudly, "I'm so sorry – I was just trying to get up to use the bathroom!"
"It's fine," one of the staff said, "These are light tables. Not the first time it's happened."
Erza was glaring at Natsu as he stooped to pick up the remnants of her cake.
Lucy was wide-eyed, noting the tension between them.
They paid their bill at that time and headed back to the apartment in silence.
Levy watched Gray from the shadows. She'd seen him in the shadows, darting over the railing of his balcony moments ago. That was unusual. He always walked through the front doors of the building.
He was in Natsu's bedroom, shaking as he curled up on the bed. He was fighting sobs.
She was fighting with herself over whether to appear to him. Her heart was breaking for him right then and she didn't think he'd deny her company, even after the way she had treated him earlier at the library. He needed the comfort. It was obvious something had happened with Juvia. It was the only explanation for his complete brokenness. The tension between them could wait. Right now, Gray needed a friend.
"Gray?" she asked as she appeared in solid form, "Are you okay?"
He wasn't. She knew that before he glanced up at her, the pain and anguish in his eyes causing her to take a deep breath and step closer.
"I'm fine," he whispered, sitting up on the bed. He watched her carefully as she rounded the bed, sitting beside him.
"Liar," she teased. Her face turned serious, "We're friends, Gray. No matter what else has happened lately, I'm your friend first. I'll listen to you if you want to talk about it."
He shook his head, "I can't. Not right now. Not with you."
"Then let me hug you, Gray. You don't have to tell me anything. Just let me hug you so that you know you're not alone."
She didn't wait for permission. She leaned forward, placing her head on his chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso.
He returned the hug loosely, then, despite himself held her closer, the tears returning and cascading down his face.
"I lost it, Levy," he confided, "I lost my temper. I have never wanted to hurt anyone like I wanted to hurt them at that moment."
She realized she had relaxed her hold on him. It was him grasping her, almost to the point of hurting her. She knew that wasn't his intention. Gray was...distraught.
His desperate sobs filled the room, "I didn't do it, Levy! I didn't actually hurt them. But the fact that I wanted to..."
"Gray," she whispered, pushing him back a bit so she could see his face, "Please. Tell me what happened."
"I can't," he choked.
She heard the front door open. Natsu, Erza and possibly Lucy were home.
So far, she'd managed to avoid Erza, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before she'd have to face her too. Gray was in no condition to face her, that much she knew.
"I'll keep her off your back," she whispered, standing up and kissing the top of his head, "We'll talk later. I'm sorry, Gray. I wish I could be of more help."
He nodded as she flitted back into shadow form and disappeared out of the room.
"That was a stupid stunt you pulled," Erza said, glaring into Natsu's face.
"You were hurting her," Natsu said in a small voice, "She was uncomfortable and anxious. You were pushing too hard."
"How else are we going to determine what's going on with her?" Erza demanded.
"W-We talk to her. We gain her trust," Natsu stuttered, "It's what we've been doing all along. And we've learned a lot about both Lucy and Levy that way."
Erza scoffed, picking up a game controller from the middle of the floor and tossing it onto the couch, "You aren't here to be her friend. You are here to find a way to mend her life. And I really don't know what to make of Gray. It seems he's not contributing anything to this mission at all."
"Berating her the way you just did is not going to accomplish that!" Natsu snapped, "And Gray is a good partner. He may have his attitude, but he's been working really hard!And we're learning how to work together! You have to trust both Gray and I! We are getting through to Lucy and Levy! And we will FIND a way to complete our mission!" Natsu's eyes widened in fear as he realized his voice had been steadily increasing to a shout. He cursed himself. He had just yelled at the Titania. THE Titania.
Erza smiled, sitting down on the couch, "There you are, Natsu," she said, "That's what I was looking for."
He was confused…completely and utterly confused.
Erza was still smiling as Natsu waited for his impending death…um, re-death. He had yelled at Erza! But Erza's smile was genuine, it seemed. There was nothing behind it. She didn't start yelling…nothing. In fact, she was sitting in the chair across from him with a smirk on her face. A smirk?
Erza was nudging me.
"I don't understand," Natsu said, sitting in the armchair.
"You care for Lucy," Erza said simply, "And you're coming to her defense without a second thought. You protected her when she was getting uncomfortable because you care so deeply. Most of all, you and Gray are starting to understand what it is to work together."
Natsu was still confused.
"I'm not here to take over your mission," Erza continued, "I'm here to determine if you'll get the job done. You can't imagine the talk throughout Heaven right now…the Angel of Oops taking on a mission that involves deep matters of the heart. With the Ice Prince himself, no less. There's even a betting pool started as to the date where you both return unsuccessful. We're playing for chocolate. I am satisfied now that you're taking it seriously. More than that, I'm satisfied that you and Gray have started a deep, meaningful friendship. I'm going to put my bet on a successful mission. I'll be eating chocolate-dipped strawberries for months."
Natsu's mouth dropped open. A deep, meaningful friendship? With Gray? He knew they were on better terms, but could he hope that Gray could be a real friend too?
"I will observe for another few days," Erza said.
Natsu nodded, his respect for the fearsome woman in front of him skyrocketing. From the shadows, Levy felt her respect for both of them soar too.
"You were testing me," he said in awe, "Last night…the threats…the interrogation…pushing Lucy…it was all a set up."
Erza nodded.
"Not everyone believes that you're incapable of everything, Natsu," Erza said, "I think the bigger problem is that no one really ever gave you a proper chance to learn. They pulled you out of missions as fast as you went in, not really giving you a chance to adapt or fix your mistakes."
She paused, tilting her head, "Of course…there were some mistakes that really could not be fixed…actually, a lot…but the POINT is, you weren't given a chance. The other thing is, I think you do better with matters of the heart. It takes a pure heart to see the matters that lie beneath. In just a short time, you've broken the barriers Lucy and Levy put up and became real friends with them. You've done well, Angel of Oops."
Natsu was completely dumbfounded and speechless.
"Now," Erza said, patting the sofa cushion beside her, "How about you tell me the entire truth about what's going on? Keeping in mind, I have my ways of knowing when you're lying to me."
Natsu froze.
Happy mewed to get up on the sofa too. Erza bent and picked him up, rubbing his adorable little ears. Natsu was swallowing a large lump in his throat.
"W-what do you want to know?" he stuttered.
"It's okay, Natsu," Erza looked straight into his eyes, "That was a joke. Even though I know you're not telling me the whole truth, you can be assured, I've already figured it out. You will tell me everything eventually. Rest assured, I'm not done calling you and Gray out on your lies yet. Nonetheless, I have…a different mission."
Natsu shivered.
"So," Natsu said, gulping back the lump in his throat, "If you're not here to help us with our mission, what's your mission?"
She smiled, "I'm not here to help you with your mission because you are my mission."
Natsu was confused again.
"Firstly, I was sent here to determine if you and Gray were capable of completing your mission," she said slowly so Natsu could keep up, "But the second part of my mission is to help you and Gray personally. You're gaining social experience and your mistakes are decreasing. Still there, but definitely on the decrease. There are some 'things' we will need to talk about. But Gray…he hurts so badly. And he will need to be my top priority for the moment. It's not easy to be conflicted between two beautiful women. One he can never have, the other unforbidden but still out of reach."
Levy glanced toward the bedroom from the shadows. Erza knew.
"You can come out now, Levy," Erza called.
Levy froze. Gray had said the night before that he hadn't divulged Levy's secret. Neither had Natsu.
"Unshadow."
Levy appeared, offering her hand to Erza as a welcome.
"How did you know?" Natsu asked, eyes wide, "Gray and I didn't tell you!"
"I think you'll find I know pretty much all of what you do," Erza said, "Levy, all I'm going to say to you at this point is that you've done well protecting Lucy all this time. You have no reason to feel bad about being unable to do it alone."
Levy had been beating herself up for years, feeling so inadequate as Lucy's Guardian. Her words were relieving. There were times Levy thought Heaven had completely abandon her. Gray and Natsu had been Godsends...literally.
This Erza wasn't intimidating at all, yet she still reflected the strength the rumours always implied.
"He's in his room, right?" Erza said to Levy.
Levy nodded slowly. If Erza was that perceptive, she might be the only person Gray could talk to, even though Levy had said she'd deter Erza from him.
Erza got up from the couch, disappearing down the hall.
"How does she do that?" Natsu asked in absolute wonder, "She's been here for a day and she already has us pegged!"
Levy was still staring down the hall after her, "I wish I knew, Natsu. But it seems she's gotten a reputation as the Titania for a reason."
"GRAY! GET UP! YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!" They heard Erza thunder.
Natsu and Levy exchanged glances. Point and case.
A second later, she was dragging Gray down the hall and out the door, slamming it firmly behind them.
Natsu and Levy exchanged glances again, feeling nothing but pity for poor Gray.
"Go. Be with Lucy," Levy suggested, "They won't be gone long. And I have a feeling Erza is going to call an Angel's meeting."
Oh yeah! Erza was out of the apartment and now Natsu had a golden opportunity. He realized Lucy must have said something to Levy. And for some reason, she wasn't going to lecture him about how wrong it was since Lucy was a human and Natsu was an Angel. Thanking her, Natsu left the apartment.