Chapter Summary: If they haven't had that argument, Erza wouldn't know how much he cared.
Warnings: Errors, curses and mentions of violence. I do not put this without reason okay?
Disclaimer: Here we go again. I don't own any of the characters or the anime.
Erza thinks it's annoying.
It could've been a normal, working day in her shop with her coworkers and girl friends. She could've been at her usual self of serving her customers sincerely just like she always does; and perhaps she would've felt so relaxed in her own domain where she can bake to her heart's extent.
She sighs and waved to Lucy and Mirajane that she'll be back in a minute. She wouldn't make it obvious, but the scarlet knows.
She shuts the back door.
"You're too trusting."
She sighed for the nth time, "Gray, I hope you understand this but, I can't be sure if it's a good thing that you're like a loyal dog protecting me and the others at the shop that you start to act like a mad dog glaring daggers at almost every customer that enters the shop."
"Did you think I didn't see it?" she continues.
"People are dirtier than you think, Erza. I'm just saying you're trusting too much." Gray knows he can't win this argument with her, did he ever win one? He can't remember that one time.
"And you doubt too much. Why don't you see the good in people for once?" she crosses her arms in irritation.
He tried, of course. But he won't admit that the last time he did that almost cost his life. He's still human after all.
He smirked like his usual old self. He moved with the wind and saw hazel orbs widened at his actions as Gray managed to catch Erza off guard in holding her chin up gently.
The scarlet went speechless. "See? You're so easy to take advantage just like this, Scarlet. It's because you trust me too much, too."
Then he walked away in silence, leaving a stunned scarlet; hiding a deep scowl for recalling a distant memory he doesn't want to linger into anymore.
He hears the calling from inside the shop, and he knows that instant the redhead had left.
She's surely pissed right now, he thought.
Pissed? That's an understatement. Erza is beyond pissed. Just who did he think he was? She's a strong adult woman who is capable of taking care of herself and any idiot who'd dare against her. He knows that!
"Erza...are you okay?" Lucy leans in to her red-haired friend.
"Hm? Uh..Yes. I'm fine."
"Erza-san! Our regular customers are here again today!"
There at the largest table, five people waved their hands at her, "We'll take the usual, Erza-san!"
Erza's mood lifted up. She suddenly remembers why she loved this work. It's because she can give as much happiness to other people. If these kinds of people are what Gray meant, he's so wrong.
Gray thinks it's just inevitable. He's gone through a lot enough to make him the cold-hearted human he is now. Life is unfair; people are wolves under their sheepskin.
He hopes Erza will really know that, because it's not the fact that he had just saw her accompanying their so called 'customers' that he's jealous over five random guys flirting with her scarlet; it is the fact that he knows those men, and they're not random enough in the eyes of an assassin who has memorized every person that belonged to the shadows like him. And that he knows that look on their eyes whenever Erza turns her back: the look of hunger and lust. (He wasn't a top class hitman for nothing). It's disgusting.
And you know what? No one touches what's his.
Gray doesn't come back to the flat that evening, and Erza thinks it's just not right. But she knows one thing: she wanted to give Gray her piece of mind. When he comes back... She'll definitely do that.
The next morning though, she is surprised to see their avid customers all wrapped up in bandages and looking mummified alive apologizing to her and the rest of the staff with their knees folded and begging for mercy.
"What's happening?"
"We're terribly sorry! We really didn't know it! We won't bother you again!"
"What?!" Erza inquires.
"We're sorry!" and then they ran off like headless chickens.
"Explain." Erza stands behind a raven laid back on the grass in the moonless evening. She is not usually into looking for the raven-haired man for she knew it is not needed (either he's got a business to do or something, she knows he'll be back anyway) but when it comes to that, Erza Scarlet NEVER fails to find the younger man wherever he is.
Said person didn't open his eyes, though he muttered, "So they did have the balls to apologize..."
"That's it, Gray! I've tolerated you stalking me for like everywhere I go, but I just can't have you running around doing what you want hitting every guy you think is suspicious enough because you want-" she rants.
"They're fucking yakuzas. And not just fucking yakuzas, if you must know. They're the kind of yakuzas who get what they want, and just like every other redhead, they want you to be their toy and then leave you naked in the streets when they get tired of breaking you. And don't get me started with the guy you defended earlier than that, your so called innocent photographer is a rapist and a thief in the mafia whose head costs more than what you earn; That woman you pitied a week ago was a swindler ought to fool you into selling your own shop by drugging you in that coffee. And for that old man? He's an addicted sadist who enjoys seeing women in aprons on their knees begging for him. For heaven's sake Erza Scarlet, don't push me to say a whole lot list of this bullshit because I doubt you'll ever believe in them. You told me to see the good in people, right? Fact is Erza Scarlet, it's difficult to see the good in people when you know they're not."
Gray snapped. For the first time in front of Erza, Gray actually lost his temper.
Gray stops and pants but stays silent after that, he had sat up abruptly when he blew up and turned his head towards the scarlet, glaring. But now that he's done, he lost the urge to face her and looked away instead, all the while gripping the grass around his knuckles too hard.
What difference does he make with the other people he mentioned anyway? Wasn't he the worst for being a hypocrite falling in love with an innocent woman with hands stained of other people's blood?
'What are you doing with your life, Gray Fullbuster?' he silently asks himself. Yeah, he's expecting a cold, menacing reply from the scarlet a moment now and all he got was empty silence.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm not in the position to say that either-I..." he tries to say.
"-Wait."
".. I know I should've known that already.-"
"No, Gray... It's not-"
"Sorry... I-" For crying out loud, this guy never stops speaking when he's embarrassed!
There was no other way around it: Erza shut Gray with a seal of kiss. And Gray would've slapped himself to see if he was dreaming right there and then.
Erza locked her arms around the stunned hitman's shoulders. She can't help but laugh at herself, for being worked up for nothing; for being angry at his lover for a small argument like this; for getting this far when it couldn't have been ended earlier.
"Idiot. I'm the one who's sorry. Just Tell me earlier next time, okay?" she pecks a kiss on his lover's nose. The hitman remains tongue tied in the mercy of the scarlet's charm.
No. She laughs because she thinks it's cute that HIS Gray is being so overprotective of her (and maybe even jealous for countless times), and that he never fails to worry about her.
Erza thinks Gray is cute this way. "Thank you, my guardian angel."
And Gray has never been this glad that he's once again lost in an argument with Erza who once again stole his breath away.
A/N: SHOUTOUTS. SHOUTOUTS EVERYWHERE! Shoutouts to Ein011, LaynieCakes, TsundereFairy, bella-romeo, and AsDarknessSpreads!~ Special thanks to those who made this story their favorite, and followed it!
Did you know it was my Birthday last 29th? You have no idea how you made my 15 year old self happy and gleeful! ~Hurraaaah!
Reviews are (belated) birthday gifts for me!
Hints: What will Erza do when all was said and done? Erza tries to comfort a lost-in-the-past Gray.