I watched her stride out of the door while I was on the side of the building smoking a cigarette. I could see her lips moving and her brows furrowed. What the hell did you do now flame brain? I questioned while putting out my cigarette and flicking it down the alley. I walked towards her and could see the toll that Natsu's return was taking on her. I grabbed her arm, pulled her close and embraced her to see if I could ease some of her tension before we got in the car, because I knew the ride home would be hell and every other word out her mouth would be Natsu this and Natsu that. The guy messed up her life more than her own father did. Imagine putting all your trust, time and energy into someone and having their baby, only to get ignored for years. We were honestly doing just fine before the dumb ass showed back up 6 months ago, pleading for a relationship with Nashi and hoping to pick back up where he and Lucy left off, but it was too late. Me and Lucy had our own thing going and I even proposed to her the year before. I didn't care that Nashi wasn't mine, because I treated her as if she was my own. I loved them both to death and would annihilate anything and everything that would stand in the way of me doing that.

The beginning of the drive home was silent... a little too silent for my own comfort. I peered out the corner of my eye to make sure she wasn't crying, but I could see she was deep in her thoughts. I reached over to grab her hand and placed kisses all over it, before finally saying something.

"Wanna talk about it" I asked breaking the silence.

"Not really... it's nothing ya know. I just wish this could be over with already".

"I know, we'll be okay no matter how long it takes".

She let out a sarcastic chuckle, "there you go with all this positivity talk. I understand your trying to be there for us, but it's okay to say how you really feel sometimes. Your actions and the words you speak are sometimes very different Gray... I just want you to be more realistic about this".

"More realistic? I don't get what else you want me to do Lucy. I say what I mean, and if I say I will wait forever for all this to be over, then I will do just that" I replied firmly.

I felt her hand lose its grip on mine as she slowly pulled out of my hold. I hated the damn meetings they continuously had to have. She would always get into this funk usually when we got to the house but today it begun as soon as she stepped foot in the car. Natsu had some sort of influence on her to where she believed I wanted to do the same to her as he did. If I was the old Gray I would have lied to her and told her what I thought she wanted to hear. But the 3 years we had been together I have grown and been shaped into a better person. Everything I told her was the complete truth, but she didn't want to believe it since he returned. These past 6 months have been nothing but frustrating.

I pulled into the driveway of our two-story home that we just purchased and shut off the car abruptly letting out a deep sign, which stirred her to shift in the seat. Although this was supposed to be a happy time for us, it wasn't. Lucy and I worked so hard on building this house and sacrificed so much to make it happen. But it frightens me that she has become so distant as if here feelings for me were wavering. I tried talking the Gajeel and Jellal about this, and they all called me crazy and told me I had nothing to worry about.

I didn't say another word to her nor helped her out of the car after I got out. I figured she would want to be left alone.

The conversation in the car was still bothering me, Lucy had no reason to doubt my feelings. I let everything go because I didn't want to start an argument nor fight with her, since it looked like she had already been through enough today. While grabbing some water from the fridge, I figured getting some sleep would probably be best for me now. So, I trucked down the stairs and collapsed on the sectional in the den and stared at the ceiling until it started to become a blur to my vision.

I woke up to the T.V. on blast and the smell of cherry blossoms. I looked down to see Lucy laying under me fast asleep. I pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, which woke her up from her slumber.

"I was waiting for you to wake up, but I ended falling asleep with you" she said sleepily.

"Lucy... we need tal-".

"I know Gray... I haven't been feeling like myself lately. I want to apologize for the way I have been treating you. I could see everything I was doing was effecting you and I don't want that to happen you".

"Your pain is my pain and my pain is yours. I don't want you to feel bad for feeling out of place. I expected this, when I heard Natsu was planning on coming back. But I didn't expect you to question the way I felt. Lucy, I have given you no reason to doubt me and I never will. I just want you to go back to opening up to me, I feel so helpless not being able to help you get through this".

Her brown eyes began to tear up and I could tell she was holding this in for some time.

I slid my hands around her waist and shifted my weight to one side to sit up. Finally getting my feet planted, I stood up and shifted her to the center of my body. In sync, she wrapped her legs around my torso and her arms around my neck. We walked upstairs, and I stopped by the kitchen to grab whatever I could get my hands on to eat. I reached the foot of the stairs that lead to our bedroom looking defeated. The last time we did this I caught a cramp in my right thigh. So, this time I wanted to avoid all that, because I doubt Lucy wanted to be dropped again. I placed the apple I grabbed, in my mouth biting down on it, and tightened my grip on Lucy once more. I had devised a plan, while grabbing my snack from the fridge. It was to race up all 31 of the steps, steadily without stopping. I braced myself and got footing on the first step and was off. Lucy was bouncing out of control and damn near choked me since I still had the apple in my mouth. I spit it out and listened to it hit every step I just went up. I continued my pace but was startled mid-way when I heard Lucy bust out laughing.

"Gr-ay-ay-ay" she stuttered." I ca- ca can walk".

"No way, do you know how long it's been since I have been this close to these things"?

She started giggle mischievously before kissing my neck, awakening every perverted male sensor in my body.

"You keep on were not going to make it to the top".

"I'll take my chances Mr. Fullbuster" she replied finding the right timing to ease her lips onto mine.

I didn't want to stop because this reminded me of the time I had her hemmed up against our shower wall. I slowly let her lower half slip onto mine, so she could feel what she was brewing up, but it didn't faze her. Her kiss intensified, and I stop running, because I couldn't concentrate on the stairs anymore. I broke away from her kiss trying to read her eyes in the dark. I set her down on the stairs to separate us for the moment.

"I want to forget about today Gray" she said hoarsely.

I knew exactly what this meant... She basically wanted me to bang her brains out until we both collapsed. Any other night I would be down for the pound, but tonight I just couldn't shake my inner thoughts about her being hot and cold. Of course, I wanted her but that was my body's natural reaction to her.

"Lucy, I don't think we should keep doing this, just because of Natsu. Its unhealthy and its beginning to make me question you".

I watched her stand up, and step down on the step before me. She kept her eyes on me while digging her hand into the top of my jeans. When she got a good hold of them she turned around and started to head back up the stairs pulling me in tow. Watching her be this demanding was more than a turn on and I knew that when we made it up to our room and that door was closed, I wasn't going to deny her, I was going to take her and make her forget everything about today.

Seems like someone's feeling conflicted... I wonder what will happen next chapter when Lucy has her weekly girl time with her friends.