A/N:

And the long-awaited GrayLu Weekend 2020 is here! I'm super stoked to be participating in such an event for the first time – I know I'm a late bloomer, but well, it's better late than never, right? I'm so excited to be able to do my part to keep the GrayLu love alive, even in 2020! :)

And here's my submission for Day 2. I've worked with the prompts, which are quotes from the anime, and I hope you enjoy it! I will be posting a story each day based on either one of the prompts. They are all one-shots, and exist independently of each other.

As a side note, I realized that not everyone is aware of this year's GrayLu Weekend 2020 event. GrayLu Weekend 2020 is an event hosted by the Tumblr blog, grayluweekends, and will be running from 6 – 10 November 2020. It's separate from the other supposed GrayLu Week dates, and etc.

For those who are not fans of the GrayLu pairing, I've specifically stated in the story description that it's not for you if you're a hater of this ship. I would really appreciate it if you just avoid reading the story instead of leaving not-so-nice comments about how you wish this didn't exist. Fact is, it does. :)

Here we go with Day 2! Yay!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

Day 2: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

[Prompt] Gray: "You know you mean a lot to us."

A soft sigh escaped Lucy as she took out a piece of paper, and her favourite quill pen. Making herself comfortable at her desk, she began to write.

Dear Mama,

It's that time of the year again. Every time this day passes, I feel a sense of relief that I cannot explain. I know it's weird, but once the clock strikes twelve and a new day begins, I feel like I'm allowed to return to my reality, a reality where I'm truly happy with my newfound family in Fairy Tail. But in the two weeks that lead up to July 1st, I cannot help the heavy feeling that overcomes my heart, and steals away the joy that I fight for the other fifty weeks of the year.

It sounds ridiculous, but despite having overcome so many different enemies and problems of different scales, this is possibly the one and only enemy that has me in its clutches effortlessly, an enemy that I cannot even begin to fight against before I raise my hands in complete surrender. All hail, the Birthday monster. I know you'll probably laugh at how silly this sounds, right Mama? I know, I do feel a little silly too.

I recently found out that 'Birthday Depression' is a real thing. I thought it was just me who felt this way, but it seems like birthday blues are something that anyone can experience if their birthdays happen to be associated with negative memories or feelings. Over the years, I've always wondered why I dreaded the arrival of my birthday while others couldn't wait for theirs, and I think I've finally got it. I've been spending quite a bit of time thinking about my previous birthdays in my last two weeks of being moody, and I think the catalyst was all those years ago, when Papa rejected my handmade onigiri on my 6th birthday. I guess, ever since then, my birthday has always carried a reminder of your passing, the knowledge that I'll never be enough for Papa, and the void that was inevitably left behind after you left.

To me, my birthday wasn't a celebration of my coming into existence. It was a reminder that I was my father's regret. Even though Papa and I have made up, these feelings just can't seem to go away. I miss you so much, Mama.

Sigh, now that I'm turning 20, I do want to get over this… birthday complex. I'm not sure how though. I was thinking of inviting the gang out for a fun dinner, but all of them are away on separate missions. I guess I'll have to deal with this stupid Birthday monster for one more year… hopefully next year will be better. I think I'll send Gray, Natsu and Erza invitations two months in advance, haha!

Of course, my greatest wish would be for you to be able to celebrate my birthday with me. I'm sure these birthday blues would evaporate the minute you show up! It's alright though, I know you celebrate with me every year in my heart. I love you, Mama.

Always missing you,
Your lucky Lucy.

Lucy ended her signature with a small flourish, putting her quill pen away neatly. She folded the piece of paper into thirds, slotting it into an envelope and sealing it with a small wax stamp. She stood up to open the chest in which she kept these precious letters to her mother, putting the latest addition in the front to preserve the chronological order.

It was June 29th, and her birthday was in two days. It was true, a week ago she had thought of organising a small get-together at her place for her group of close friends, one of whom had recently become her official boyfriend, Gray. After several years of travelling and fighting alongside each other, they finally got around to confessing their hidden feelings for each other, and Gray had asked her to be his girlfriend. She had been over the moon, and they've been happily dating for the last six months.

However, two weeks ago, right before her birthday blues began, Gray had told her that Lyon had sent an emergency request for his help. Apparently Lamia Scale had received an urgent job needing two ice mages, and Gray was Lyon's obvious first choice. He had been very apologetic about having to leave Lucy in Magnolia for two weeks, but he had promised to be back for her birthday. She didn't tell him about her birthday depression, not wanting to inconvenience Lyon and be a spoilt, selfish girl, so she had reassured him that she would be fine.

Lucy had initially thought that she would be able to hang out with Natsu and Erza instead, perhaps do some simple day jobs to earn some spare cash to treat herself to a nice present. But it seems fate had many other plans – Natsu and Happy had disappeared on one of their random fishing trips, and Erza had finally decided to sign up for a two-week baking course. It was uncanny that all their sudden commitments had to occur within the same two weeks, which also happened to be the same two weeks that Lucy dreaded spending alone, but she couldn't have done anything about it. After all, she couldn't always hope for someone to be around, right?

She reached for her key pouch, and taking out the Gate of the Canis Minor Key, she summoned her beloved little white dog, Plue.

"Puun-puun!" greeted the little creature enthusiastically, shaking in all its excitement.

"Hi Plue, how are you?" Lucy smiled happily at him as she gathered him into her arms. Well, she had two more days to get through before Gray returned. She might as well spend the time productively – maybe get some writing done, try cooking a couple of new dishes to surprise Gray with, and go out for some fresh air. Actually, trying the new bakery that recently opened down the street sounded pretty good. She stood up, chattering lightly to Plue as she headed towards her wardrobe to get changed.

Lucy opened her eyes, waking up even before her alarm rang. She had been unable to sleep well, tossing and turning all night long, knowing that when morning came, it would be her birthday, the day she had been dreading. Nothing bad typically happens on the day itself, but she just can't seem to get rid of the heavy feeling sitting in her heart every 1st of July. It's a somewhat complicated situation, because as much as she doesn't want the day to come, she also kind of wants it to quickly come so she can get it over and done with, and go back to being her chirpy self.

This year, there was also something to look forward to – her boyfriend, Gray, returning from a two-week long mission. She had learnt a couple of new recipes in the two weeks he had been away, so she was planning on whipping up a hearty meal to welcome him back with. He had said that he'd be back before noon, so it was a good thing that she had woken up early then. That would give her some extra time to head to the Farmer's Market to stock up on groceries, and do some tidying of her house.

She got out of bed, summoning Plue as was her daily habit. Going through her usual morning ritual, she was dressed and ready to leave in half an hour.

The Farmer's Market in Magnolia was massive, featuring rows and rows of stalls selling the freshest local produce, ranging from fresh vegetables to meat and poultry, to organic eggs and bread. Other than produce, there were plenty of stalls selling other types of goods like fresh flowers, homemade jam, and healthy treats for pets. There was also a section dedicated to imported goods from neighbouring towns and countries. Lucy loved checking out this section, because it often contained many hidden treasures. Some of her favourites finds over her past visits included special cooking spices, a couple of interesting silver keys, and also a few vintage pieces of clothing.

Having finished her usual round to get whatever ingredients she needed for dinner, she checked that Plue was still following her, before heading over to the Imported Goods section. Plue danced in excitement, waving his lollipop frantically, because the last time Lucy had visited, she had bought him a small mirror that had caught his attention. He had refused to leave until Lucy bought it for him, because he had seen his reflection in the mirror and thought it was another Nikora that looked exactly like him! But after realising that it wasn't actually another Nikora and was just his own reflection, he had been so fascinated with the mirror that he didn't even want to put it down – he was obsessed with watching himself dance, eat his lollipop, and even just shivering.

Well, that is, until he accidentally dropped it when he fell down from Lucy's bed, and it had shattered. Plue had been devastated for a little bit, spending a week sitting dejectedly in a corner of Lucy's bed and not even succumbing to the temptation of a lollipop. Today though, he was hoping that he would be able to get a new mirror!

Lucy shook her head in amusement at Plue's excited dancing, before entering a row of shops. As she looked around, she caught a glimpse of a head of tousled navy hair at a distance, and she paused for a moment. That looked suspiciously like her boyfriend's hair… but it couldn't possibly be him. It wasn't even 9am, and he would likely only come back into town much nearer to noon. Even if he had returned earlier than expected, he would definitely not be at the Farmer's Market. She frowned slightly, but shrugged it off, only absentmindedly thinking about how there was actually someone else with hair similar to Gray's.

Coming across a stall selling handmade jewellery and trinkets, she leaned forward to examine the available offerings, quickly forgetting about the random sighting earlier. Picking up a pair of silver dangling earrings featuring beautiful aquamarine gemstones, she held it up against her right ear, turning to Plue to ask for his opinion.

"What do you think, Plue?" she asked, turning to the right and left to show the earrings from various angles.

"Puun-puun, puun, puun-puun-puun!" was his reply. Lucy nodded in agreement, putting the earrings down. She thanked the seller, and moved on to the next stall.

"Yeah, you're right, Plue, it does look pretty expensive. I should save the money instead."

They continued on with their shopping, going stall-by-stall to ensure that they didn't miss anything new or special. Finally, after an hour and a half more of exploring, Lucy decided to call it a day.

"Let's head back, Plue! I need to get these in the fridge, and I also need to do a bit of cleaning up in the house."

"Puun-puun," Plue tried to protest, wanting to go another round in search of a new mirror. They didn't manage to find a new one this time, either. Lucy shook her head sympathetically, promising that they'll try again next month when the Imported Goods section gets a new shipment of products. Poor Plue had to agree, sucking on his lollipop sadly.

At 1pm, Lucy looked out the window for the third time in the last hour. Gray was never one to be late, and seeing that it was more than an hour past his supposed return time, she was feeling a little puzzled, but not too worried. Perhaps his train had gotten delayed, or he had decided to spend some additional time with Lyon and their friends from Lamia Scale.

Humming to herself, she decided to take a shower as she had gotten sweaty from doing chores. She let Plue return to the Celestial World, and grabbed some clean clothing.

3pm soon rolled about, and at this point in time, Lucy was feeling a little more on edge. Gray was supposed to be back three hours ago, but until now, there had been absolutely no sign of him. Could something have happened to him and Lyon during their mission? No, that couldn't be it – if something had indeed happened, Lamia Scale would have contacted Fairy Tail by now. Or perhaps something had happened to him on the way back to Magnolia? That was also pretty unlikely, it was a straight train ride from Margaret Town, where Lamia Scale was based, to Magnolia, and Gray had none of Natsu's severe motion sickness. So what could possibly be holding him up?

Lucy fiddled with her fingers as she pondered over this question, lying comfortably on her sofa. She had been reading a book, but with her thoughts constantly returning to Gray, she found herself unable to focus properly, needing to re-read paragraphs several times with nothing getting into her head. Finally, she got too restless to simply lie there. She got up, put the book back onto her bookshelf, and went into the kitchen. She would just get started on dinner early then, since the fresh produce needed some washing and preparing before she could start cooking. Glancing at the clock once more, she bit her lower lip in worry, hoping Gray would soon appear in front of her, whether it was through the window, the fireplace, or by some miracle, the actual door.

At 4pm, Lucy finished with preparing the dinner ingredients. Everything was washed, chopped and neatly put aside into multiple small bowls, ready for her whenever she needed. Wiping her hands on her apron, she came back out into the living room, taking a look at the wall clock hanging above her fireplace. She frowned, seeing that yet another hour had passed and still there was no sign of Gray. Now she was beginning to wonder if she had gotten the dates wrong – did he actually say that he would be back the following day instead? No, that wasn't possible – he had clearly promised to be back for her birthday… unless he was the one who had mixed up the dates instead. No… that would be what Natsu might have done, but definitely not Gray.

He was a thoughtful and sweet guy under his cool exterior, and he would never forget her birthday. He had never once forgotten their monthsary in the six months they've been together, so there was no way he would forget an even more important date than that. She had complete faith in her boyfriend.

She made up her mind to give it one more hour. If there was still no sign of Gray by 5pm, she would head down to the guild and ask around. At least then she would be able to have some peace of mind, or get support if they thought it to be weird as well.

At 4.45pm, Lucy started getting changed. If Gray hadn't appeared in the last forty-five minutes, it was unlikely that Gray would suddenly show up in the last fifteen minutes. Donning her usual blue-and-white cropped top with flared sleeves and her black miniskirt, she pulled on her thigh-high socks, brown boots and checked that her key pouch and whip were attached to her belt.

Summoning Plue to keep her company, she was about to open the door when suddenly, the air in front of Lucy emitted a bright golden glow, and she only had a split second to sense a magic presence before Loke stood before her in all his suave radiance the next moment.

"Loke?!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Lucy! You look beautiful as usual," he crooned in a velvety voice, made to seduce. "You look like you're about to go somewhere."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, I was about to head to the guild when you appeared. I'm a little worried about Gray, because he was supposed to have returned from his mission with Lyon at noon today, and it's already 5pm and he's still not back. But anyway, what are you here for, really?" she pressed, not having received an answer to her question earlier.

Loke adjusted his tie, tipping his head down towards her. "Ah, I wanted to ask a favour, Lucy, if you don't mind. If you could spare me an hour… I promise to accompany you to the guild later!"

That piqued Lucy's interest. "An hour? What do you need, Loke?" she asked her celestial spirit.

A sheepish expression came over his handsome face, and he rubbed the back of his head subconsciously. "I, uh… wanted to get a gift for Aries. She's always been there for me, and I wanted to get a little something to express my appreciation for her, but I don't know what would make a good gift. I was wondering if you could help me out with that?"

"Aww, Loke! That's awfully sweet. I would love to help," she replied enthusiastically. However, she still had no idea where Gray was and despite her desire to help Loke, she was quite worried by now. "But um, I am quite worried about Gray though…" she admitted.

Loke nodded quickly. "Yep, I understand. Hmm, come to think of it, I overheard some people talking about how there was a delay in the train lines running from Margaret Town to Onibus because of a train fault and a minor accident on the tracks. Gray's train might have been delayed quite a bit because of that. Tell you what, since the next scheduled train is at 6pm, why not we do a bit of shopping now, and at 6pm, we can head over to the train station to see if Gray's on that train?"

Loke's suggestion made sense, and Lucy knew that even if she went over to the guild now, there wasn't anything they could do. She just wanted to get out of the house and do something other than wait around worrying for Gray. Since Loke needed her help, and he offered to accompany her to both the train station and the guild later, she decided that there was no harm in following his suggestion.

"Alright, that sounds like a good idea. Let's go, Loke! Do you have any idea of what Aries may like?" she smiled warmly at the Lion, taking his proffered arm and stepping out the door together.

Approximately fifty-five minutes later, Lucy was waiting patiently for Loke to finish paying for the present they had finally decided upon. Loke had mentioned that besides liking to tan, Aries enjoyed relaxing in her own home, knitting and reading books while listening to calming music. That had given Lucy the idea of suggesting a magic scented candle that can be customised with up to five different scents, allowing the user to select whichever one he/she preferred at the point of usage. She herself owned several scented candles, appreciating the calmness that certain scents managed to induce, while making her apartment smell good.

They had stumbled upon an aromatherapy boutique in town, where they found a reasonably priced magic scented candle. The next twenty minutes were spent trying to decide on the five scents for Aries, and a good portion was spent in a debate on whether they should pick 'Cut Grass' or 'Clean Laundry' as one of the scents. Lucy had tried very hard to explain why Aries probably wouldn't like 'Cut Grass' – just because sheep typically ate grass didn't mean that the celestial spirit equivalent would enjoy smelling it, in the same way Loke probably wouldn't enjoy a candle exuding an aroma of raw meat. Loke had countered that he wouldn't mind a room spray of 'Steak', which made Lucy almost gag as she imagined it.

Finally, they decided to choose neither, and opted for 'Sea Breeze' in lieu of the original two options. They agreed that the smell might help Aries imagine herself suntanning at the beach. Along with 'Sea Breeze', the other four scents they had chosen were 'Spring Sakura', 'Lavender Sage', 'Christmas Yuletide', and 'Boyfriend's Shirt'. With the decision made, Loke had gone to pay for the purchase.

Seeing him walk towards her, she gave him a thumbs-up, with which he met with a face-splitting grin. As they exited the shop, he checked his watch. "Wow! It's 6pm on the dot. Thanks Lucy," he winked as he wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders.

"You're welcome," she huffed out as she tried to shrug his arm off. "I hope Aries likes it! Let me know what she says! Mmm, shall we head to the train station now?" she asked, fingers crossed that Gray would be arriving in a few minutes and she would be able to see his handsome smiling face again.

Loke kept his arm around her shoulders as he nudged her in the direction of the train station. "Sure, let's go. But there's just one last place that I need to visit, it's on the way to the train station so we can just continue in the same direction."

"Oh, okay, sure!" Lucy was curious what this other place was, but since it didn't require a detour, she didn't mind the request.

They were walking past a stretch of restaurants when Loke suddenly came to a stop in front of a two-storey restaurant, with alfresco rooftop dining. It was a famous restaurant that Lucy had always wanted to visit, but hadn't had a chance to yet.

"Loke?" questioned Lucy as she turned to look at him, wondering why they were pausing in front of a restaurant when they weren't looking for a dinner place. Unless this was the place that Loke mentioned he needed to visit? That was weird if it was so – what could he possibly need in a restaurant?

He confirmed her thoughts as he nodded. "We're here. Follow me." Without even looking for a waiter, he immediately strode in, as though he knew exactly where he was going. Lucy simply followed, not knowing what he was up to.

Loke led them to the spiral staircase, and started climbing up towards the alfresco dining section on the second floor. At this time, the sky was just beginning to turn shades of orange, signalling the approaching sunset. As they reached the top of the stairs, Loke moved aside to make way for Lucy, and she emerged expecting Loke to explain what they were there for, only to be faced with...

Her entire Fairy Tail family, shouting variations of "Happy Birthday Lucy!", popping loud party poppers and party streamers, and cheering in welcome for the birthday girl. Right in the middle of the group was a huge three-tier birthday cake, customised with a fondant topper that was shaped like the guild hall, and the words 'Happy Birthday Lucy!' beautifully piped around it. Above their heads hung a blue-and-white bunting, similarly reading 'Happy Birthday Lucy!'.

Lucy's jaw dropped to the ground in open shock, obviously rendered speechless by the scene that laid before her. Her eyes roved around, spotting all the usual faces that she would typically see in the guild hall everyday – Cana, Levy, Jet, Droy, Macao, Wakaba, Laki, Kinana, Mirajane, Lisanna, Elfman, Juvia, Gajeel, Wendy, Charla, Romeo, Bisca, Alzack, even Laxus, Bickslow, Freed, Evergreen, Master Makarov… and her team? Her eyes widened as she spotted Natsu's wide grin, Erza's knowing smile, and the man she had been worrying about all day – Gray, in his full glory, with his head of tousled navy hair, a sexy smirk on his handsome face and arms held out, waiting for Lucy to jump straight into them.

And that, she did. Lucy let out a loud gasp, tears welling in her eyes as she sprinted towards Gray, throwing herself into his arms with such momentum that he staggered back a couple of steps until Elfman caught him and helped to steady him. "Whoa there, Lucy," he laughed as he ruffled her blonde hair with a hand. "Seems like you've missed me."

She kept her head buried in his chest as she replied in a muffled voice, "Oungf couf I have! I've meen mworrying about you all day!"

Pulling back, her teary eyes quickly met with the other guild members who were looking at her with happy smiles. "And you guys! I can't believe this! A birthday party? For me?" Turning around in Gray's arms to stare at Loke, she exclaimed, "And you, Loke? Were you planning to bring me here the whole time? What about Aries' present?"

Loke chuckled as he walked over to where the rest were. "I was really intending to buy Aries a present. It just happened to be the perfect excuse. I hope you were pleasantly surprised by this, Lucy," he told her.

"Of course I am! I love you guys so much, this means so much to me. Fairy Tail is really the best family I can ever have! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Everyone laughed as they watched Lucy alternate between crying and laughing, all of them aware of Lucy's negative feelings towards her birthday. They had planned this surprise party with the intention of helping her get over her trauma, and to help her see how birthdays could be something to be excited about, and to look forward to. Most importantly, they wanted to help her move forward. Fairy Tail never left anyone behind.

"Ahem, Lucy, don't just thank us. There's someone who did most of the work, and who came up with this idea in the first place," Cana yelled over the ruckus. She winked as she wiggled her eyebrows, looking in Gray's direction.

As Lucy looked over to Gray, she saw a light pink dusting his cheeks. "Was this all you?" she asked him softly.

He smiled at her as he tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ears. His fingers came to stroke her cheek lightly, as he replied, "Yeah. You didn't think I would forget your birthday, would I?"

Her eyes shone with unshed tears of happiness and love. "How about the mission with Lyon? How did you manage to put all these together and get everyone here?"

"Well, I did go on the mission with Lyon, but it was pretty simple and it didn't really require two weeks. I got back here a few days ago to make sure everything was organised and put together as planned. I'm sorry I left you alone for the last two weeks, even though I know it's always hard for you during this time," he explained, with a sincere apology. He dropped a kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering for a couple of moments more. "I missed you," he mumbled.

"I missed you so much too, Gray," she returned. "But I'm so happy that you're here with me now. I really was worried something had happened to you."

They stood there in each other's arms, basking in the presence of their other half, and the bliss of finally being reunited after a long two weeks spent apart. But of course, the moment would never last with the rest of the guild around.

"Oi droopy eyes! Stop hogging Lucy and let me wish her a happy birthday too!" bellowed Natsu, his hands on fire and waving angrily in the air. Somewhere behind him, Cana, Macao, Wakaba and Master Makarov were guffawing noisily, all of them holding a mug of beer in each hand. Erza, Mirajane, Wendy and Carla were admiring the birthday cake for Lucy that the restaurant had kindly provided, while the other members were milling about, helping themselves to the buffet spread or chatting with one another.

Lucy laughed, lifting a hand to wipe away the happy tears that had escaped from her eyes. "This is wonderful. I really never expected this. What did I do to deserve you guys?"

Gray lifted a thumb to help wipe away a stray tear that she had missed. "You know you mean a lot to us," he told her earnestly, holding her brown eyes captive with his own burning gaze. "We would all do anything for you, because we know you'd do the same for us."

This time, she didn't bother wiping the tears away as they overflowed, carving wet paths down her cheeks as she cried openly in pure joy and happiness.

Dear Mama,

I didn't have to wait till next year after all. This year, I had the best birthday of my life – and from now on, I will always remember my birthday as a day I can spend with the people I love the most – my family.

Today, I was reminded of the importance of moving forward, because that is the only way we can head towards the future. I realised that I can't let the past chain me down any longer, and that I needed to be a better Lucy for the sake of my family, Fairy Tail. The faces of Fairy Tail is the sole reason I make the decision to move forward every single day, and I don't want to disappoint.

To 20-year old me now, my birthday is a celebration of belonging, love and familial ties. I can't believe how blessed I am, Mama. I wished you could have been at my party today, I'm sure you would have enjoyed yourself as much as I did! I've truly never been happier.

Sorry that this letter is a little short, but I've got to go now. Gray is finally back from his two-week mission, and he says he has a special birthday surprise for me. He's been hurrying me all evening, so I guess I better give him some attention now. I hope he won't keep me up all night… hehe! He's truly been the best boyfriend to me, and I love him so much.

I love you Mama.

Always missing you,
Your lucky Lucy.

- End -

This story is a little more sombre than yesterday's, but at least there was a happy ending? :p Thank you to all the sweet readers who took the time to read, and leave kudos/comments/reviews! They really do mean a lot to me, and motivate me to write more!

Constructive feedback is also definitely welcome~ Till tomorrow!

x, WinterMaidenMuse