I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, and I do not own this plot. This belongs to CrAzY-SiLLy-Me, whom I thank very much for allowing me to use her plot to make more GraLu stories.

~Say It Again~

Chapter 3

January: The Beauty of Fireworks

"Move in a little closer."

My eyes seemed dull right now, or so my friends claim. I keep telling them that it was just my mood, but they keep insisting that it was something else.

"Hah." I jumped up from bed and stretched my arms. No use trying to sulk over anything, so, it's best to get to work.

I just phoned my boss - well, the one who's in-charge of me at least - Porlyusica, and she was pretty understanding. She said the job is still open even if I quit. It's really stupid of me, I know, to quit a high-paying job over something as simple as tending to a flower shop.

But...

Can you blame me? I'm starting to feel that I really have it bad for Gray, despite him having someone else.

"Too bad," I sighed. So what if he has someone else? That doesn't mean I should stop being his friend, right? Right.

"Lucy!"

I looked up when my mother entered my room and smiled.

"I thought you were still asleep, but it looks like you're ready."

I smiled at her. "I was just lying around, feeling a bit lazy but hey, I get bored doing nothing for so long."

"Well, good, Gray's here to pick you up."

"Oh, right." I followed my mom outside, cursing myself for forgetting that he actually made it a point to take me to and from work, saying that it's a lot safer. "I wonder why you and dad are fine with it."

"Hmm? Why not?" my mom asked, turning to me as I kissed her cheek for a goodbye. My dad had already left for work. "And I thought work won't start until January 6?"

"Gray isn't even my boyfriend, or courting me for that matter, yet you two let him act as if he is one. And yes, work officially starts on the 6th, but we still need to water the flowers and all."

"I don't see why he isn't courting you, and I really do hope he'll be your boyfriend." She smiled at me. "Gray's such a nice boy."

"Yeah, I know." I smiled nervously. Mom's right about him, he's just too perfect for me, and maybe... his special someone is as perfect as he is.

"Lucy, hurry now."

I grinned when my mom ushered me out of the house and waved at Gray who smiled and nodded in acknowledgement before passing his helmet to me. Without bothering to ask why he still doesn't have a spare, I took it from his hands and put it on, waving to my mom before sitting down behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. He soon took off when I tightened my grip, leaning my helmet-covered head to his back, wishing that I didn't have to wear the stupid headgear to get a better feel of him. This is the closest thing I could get.

"Hmm... Lilies...check..." I murmured, a hundred percent sure that I've watered those flowers. "...Lotuses..." I smiled and sprinkled a few drops, imagining the little flowers thanking me. "Check."

I glanced at Gray, seeing him quietly do his part. We divided the flowers in half after all, so he gets that other side. He's already at the roses section, and as always, he would pause and look at the many colors of roses, his eyes half-closing when they landed on the white and pink ones. If I remember correctly, Mira once said that pink and white roses combined meant "I love you still and always will".

"Um..."

Gray snapped from his train of thoughts and looked at me, and I could feel my face heat up when his eyes gazed at me, and I suddenly forgot why I called his attention, or why I even bothered to.

I saw him raise a brow, and I think my face turned redder, if that was possible, and I looked back to the flowers, deciding to just pretend as if I didn't call him. Unfortunately, I kind of felt him behind me, which caused me to stiffen all of a sudden.

"What?"

Blinking, I turned my head slightly to look at how Gray patiently waited for me to answer him.

"Erm...you seemed...dazed earlier."

"...Aa," he replied, turning back to the roses. "...I just remembered something."

I couldn't help but snort, which caused him to turn back to me with another arched brow.

"Or someone," I muttered, wondering if he noted how bitter I actually sounded all of a sudden. "Forget I said that."

"...Well, yeah," he said, turning back to the roses as he picked up a white one. "It's not something but someone, you're right."

And again, I saw the pain and guilt, and possibly regret, in his navy blue eyes. Could he have broken up with the girl and is now wishing he didn't? Or does he terribly miss her and only hoped that he had done something for her first before going here? Are they still together..? Or did they end their relationship due to distance? Is she part of the military students too? Did they both go to NDA?

So many questions are plaguing my head, and I can't even ask him one.

"Hn." Gray closed his eyes and sighed, before returning the white rose and heading over to the next batch of flowers.

"What's her name?" I asked all of a sudden, mentally kicking myself for bothering.

"...It means 'Beautiful Flower'..." He murmured. "Mika, Mika Jaden."

"How is she connected to the roses?" I asked, holding back what I thought were tears as I tried to compose myself and watered the flowers at the same time. Gray didn't seem to mind talking about her, but if he stops, then I'll stop.

"It's more on white roses actually," he said, not looking at me, but I did turn to see his expression.

Gray's eyebrows were furrowed as he eyed the white roses.

"Instead of giving me red roses when she confessed, she handed me white ones instead," he sighed. "It had so many meanings all at once. She said she was charmed by me, said she considered her love innocent and pure, mentioned something about my silence all the time, and lastly, she said that to her, I was heavenly."

Well, Mika is right about that.

"That was last year's Valentine's Day."

Damn. So she confessed to him last year, and now, they're about to reach two years.

"That's romantic."

I glared at Mira who didn't bother to say anything else other than that.

"Seems like all the good guys are always taken, huh?" She grinned at me, and I glared further. "But cheer up Lucy, there's bound to be someone out there for you."

"Che, yeah. By the time I turn old most likely."

"It's better than being alone."

"Mira!"

"Haha! Just kidding Lucy!" She winked playfully at me, before turning her head elsewhere, her lips suddenly forming a wide grin, before she ran off, leaving me behind as I sighed and shook my head, smiling slightly upon seeing Mira hug Freed, who carried her in his arms as she laughed and he gave a small smile.

Suddenly, the thought of Dan once doing those things to me, making me happy, keeping me alive, letting me feel loved, ran through my head, and my smile faded, and I lowered my head upon remembering what we once had.

"Hey."

I blinked when someone placed a hand on my head, and I looked up, seeing a familiar black laced bracelet on the right wrist of the owner, the rectangular silver charm that was attached to the lace had the engraved name of the owner. That was the gift I had given Gray last Christmas.

"Do you know how stupid you look standing in the middle of the room and staring at the floor?"

Suddenly, a vein popped at the side of my head, and I turned to yell at him, unfortunately, I couldn't upon seeing his eyes looking worriedly at me.

So, he wasn't teasing me after all...

"Sorry..." I unconsciously touched the pendant resting between my collar bone. This was what I got from Gray. It was a silver chain that had a small diamond shape pendant, and engraved on the pendant was a full-bloom cherry blossom. "I just...remembered something."

"Hn. Your ex?"

Why is it that Gray can easily read me like an open book in just a span of three months?

"Were you and him like Mira and Freed?"

"Yeah." I smiled slightly. "I...don't really know why it turned out like this."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Gray turn to the happy couple a few feet away from us, his hand was still on my head, until it moved to my shoulder, and I blushed at the idea of him having one arm around me, but that thought disappeared when he suddenly had me in a headlock, and started to drag me towards the two.

"H-hey! I'm a girl! Are you forgetting?!"

"Hn. Things happen for a reason Lucy." I stopped complaining and looked at Gray when he finally let go. "Remember that." And he went towards Freed who raised his hand in greeting, Mira waving enthusiastically at him. I sighed and jogged after him, smiling at Freed in greeting before asking what he was doing here.

Apparently, he and Gray had decided to head to the mall to check out the new arcade.

"Aww man..!" Mira grumbled as I smiled nervously while she glared menacingly at her defeated character on the glowing screen.

"Mira, maybe you ought to try a different game?" I suggested, getting tired of standing for so long only to see Mira's ass get kicked in Tekken. "Maybe we ought to go look for Freed and Gray."

"Ah geez, they're probably playing those guy games..."

I raised a brow and smirked. "You're also playing one."

"...Let's go look for them," Mira suddenly said, grabbing my arm as she dragged me around the place, stopping upon seeing Freed playing basketball. "Freed, where's Gray?" she asked, looking around.

As soon as Freed was done playing, he turned to us and pointed to his left. Mira let go of me and hugged Freed's arm as the three of us walked to where Gray was, seeing him engaged in playing Time Crisis 4. My eyes instantly went to his score, and I gaped, then turned to his life points, which was still complete. It made me wonder if he died earlier and continued to play, or if he was just this good.

"How many times have you swiped the card?" Freed asked, obviously amazed at the score and life points.

"Once," Gray answered, eyes still fixated on the screen as the game began a new chapter. "It's easy to predict where the enemies are hiding."

Did he just say it was easy? Hell! Time Crisis 2 was supposed to be easy but I still kept dying! How can part 4 be easy?!

.

.

.

Right. He graduated from NDA, from a strategic course no less.

"You're pretty good," Freed commented, watching intently as Gray had no sweat in shooting down the bad guys, only having to hit them once. Aside from that, majority of his shots were on the opponent's head.

"Are you some kind of sharp shooter?" Mira asked, gaping. "Because it's the first time I actually met, or saw, someone who played this with so much ease." I noticed how her brows furrowed. "Unless this isn't your first time?"

"Hn. For your first question, I scored high in dexterity back in NDA. Lastly, no. This is really my first time playing this game."

"You ought to try playing a sniper game," Freed suggested. "You'd score high, for sure."

I didn't know why, but I suddenly swiped my card and joined him. He, Freed, and Mira looked at me, and I just grinned at them with a peace sign before taking the gun into my hand and preparing myself for battle. "I've always wanted to try this game, but I always end up backing out, since no one would play with me." I stopped and eyed Gray who stared back. "That is, if it's okay..."

He smirked. "Hn."

I sighed, nodding as Mira cheered and started calling the others to inform them of the news. She wanted all of us to celebrate New Year's Eve together, and after forcing me to agree, she did not stop being so hyper over it.

"Sorry about this Lucy."

I smiled at Freed, silently saying it wasn't a big deal. He gave one nod and went over to calm down his girlfriend, since a lot of people are beginning to stare at our group. I took note that most of the people were staring at Mira and Freed, but my eyes caught how a few girls have turned from the couple to gawk at Gray who just stood there, minding his own business.

"Did you get stared at by girls back in NDA too?" I asked, grinning when Gray turned a bit red and looked away.

"Sadly," he murmured.

I laughed at him. "I bet your girlfriend was jealous," I said, walking a few feet away from him as he stared at me with a raised brow. I turned back to him, wondering what was wrong.

"What...?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"You know, your girlfriend!" I said. "I'm pretty sure she was jealous at the other girls that stared at you."

"...Lucy, what made you-"

"Heh. I'd like to meet Mika someday," I forced myself to smile, but I could feel how my eyes were starting to sting from the idea that he's taken, and that he can't possibly return the same feeling I harbor for him.

"Lucy, listen," Gray said, grabbing my arm when I was about to walk away. "I don't have a girlfrined. Mika isn't my girlfriend."

.

.

.

"Huh?"

I must have sounded pretty stupid.

Gray sighed, lowered his head for a moment, before raising it to look at me.

"Mika is not my girlfriend," he said. "What made you say she is?"

"...She reminds you of roses, right?" I asked. "I see how you look at the flowers with so much pain, regret, and guilt..." I murmured, looking down to avoid his gaze because they were distracting me. "And whenever you talk about her, it's like...you and her...are together...or you broke up...or..." I shut my eyes, hoping that my hair covered them. "And she confessed to you, how am I suppose to not think that...she's not your girlfriend?"

"I didn't say anything about returning her feelings, nor did I tell you that I already have a girlfriend."

"But-"

I got cut off when he spoke again.

"Don't assume things, Lucy."

Great. I cried every night at the idea of Gray belonging to someone, who isn't even his girlfriend.

"Then...why?" I was on a roll, why not interrogate the former soldier?

"It's...a long story," he said, letting my shoulders go, and I saw that look on his face again, I saw how his eyes expressed those same feelings of pain, regret, and guilt... and it made me want to hug him, and that's what I did, not minding how surprised he was at my sudden action.

And it made me wonder...

...Could he have loved Mika but didn't say it?

I feel like I don't want New Year's Eve to arrive. I wish that I would fall asleep and miss it. I hope that Mira won't remember about the plan she had formed.

Damn it.

Curse this life of mine. Everything doesn't go the way I want it to.

Just when I was about to drift off to sleep, my parents burst in and tell me to get dressed, saying that my friends have arrived. My female friends who have their boyfriends also made sure to bring Gray along.

My parents came along, taking us to the center of Magnolia where a crowd consisting of kids, teenagers and young adults alike were gathered. I saw couples holding hands, fingers intertwined and eyeing the gigantic clock on the big screen TV that had the countdown for midnight displayed. I heard how some lovers talked about the legend of kissing just as the clock struck twelve, a said rumor that has been passed on and on which will keep lovers together for an eternity.

…Didn't work for me. I'm currently single, as you can see.

I saw how Mira hugged Freed's arm; the boy looked stoic, but I knew he enjoyed being with his girlfriend. I smiled at how Laxus chatted with Cana who relished every second of it. I giggled at Levy who told Gajeel that they would kiss by twelve midnight. I shook my head at how Erza was keeping her eyes away from Jellal's who admired her more especially tonight; in his eyes reflected love. Laxus's gaze showed care as they were glued to Cana's face. The piercing gaze Gajeel always had seemed a bit different tonight for they were much softer upon staring at Levy's excited face. The way Jellal had offered his coat when he saw Erza imperceptibly quiver.

After thinking about all of this, my smile turned to a frown, until my eyes turned sadly to other couples. Maybe I was meant to be alone. Perhaps finding my true love, my Mr. Right, my one and only, my soul mate, my everything, is not for me.

"Hey."

I turned, seeing Gray looking at me. "H-huh?" I replied dumbly.

And just when I thought I would be out of the unlucky in love list, I've come to face the fact that it will never happen, for my name is written with permanent ink on that list. It will never be erased.

"Look up," he told me, and I did, and I felt the snowflakes fall on my forehead. I know for a fact that the white, sparkling diamonds have covered a bit of my hair, and I was very much aware of how this evening turned out to be magical, yet quite sorrowful for me.

"Dan…" I breathed, seeing how my breath formed a cloud before me, reminding me of how cold it is, making me recall how my ex used to wrap an arm around me to keep me warm, to make me feel loved, to let me know I'm safe.

But right now, it's not going to happen. It's the first night of New Year's that I would feel alone.

"Lucy?"

I glanced at Gray, seeing him looking at me, his eyes always showing how he's so worried about me when I'm silent and not my usual cheery self.

"You're not in the mood," he observed, staring at me, watching how my eyes were half-closed and my head lowered, and turned to the side. "Are you feeling alright?" I flushed when Gray's hand touched my forehead, feeling for my temperature, and I can't help but want to just push him away, only to realize how my hands won't move. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No," I murmured. In fact, I want him to actually comfort me, in a way a boyfriend does to his girlfriend. I want him to hold me the way Dan did. But how can he? Gray's not my lover, he's just a friend. "Are you even supposed to be here?" I asked him, though I was sure my tone sounded a bit harsh, for when I looked at him, I saw how his eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before half-closing and looking away. I know it wasn't right, especially since he was only being concerned, but what can I do? I'm bitter. That's how I'm reacting to the stupid realization of loving someone who will never return the same deep feelings.

"What do you mean by that?"

And I was just glad that the fireworks started to signal the New Year, the loud noise of the crowd cheering and greeting each other a "Happy New Year" was able to drown out what I just yelled at Gray, who stood still, staring at me, trying to speak louder for me to hear, but we both couldn't. In fact, we both shouldn't bother.

We realized that it was futile to try to yell louder than the others, so we just resorted to staying silent, looking at each other. Gray's eyes were a bit narrowed but looking quite hurt. Mine showed how annoyed I was, and how I wanted to be his girlfriend so badly.

"You're right," he suddenly said, voice cold, managing to find the right time to speak, for it was when most of the people have quieted down, it was when lovers did a second round in kissing. "I shouldn't be here." And I regretfully watched Gray turn his back to me and make his way through the crowd. I just stood, eyes widened, fists clenched, mind yelling and willing my feet to move, but I couldn't, not after what I just yelled at him. I shouldn't blame him for what I'm feeling, I shouldn't have told him how I didn't want him to be next to me and how I wished that it was Dan and not him, because in reality, I actually desired for him to stay beside me…

"Gray…"

…Eternally.

"Take it to a whisper, just a little louder."

How was that for you?

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