A/N: MANY APOLOGIES FOR THE LATE UPDATE! Uni life can be so demanding :( Again I hope you enjoy this chapter!
- Chapter 7 -
She looked around, gazing in wonder at the sparkling sculptures around her. They were beautiful and terribly life-like! Lucy approached one, feeling awestruck in its presence. She stared at the figure's perfectly serene face. It looked awfully familiar somehow…
"MYSELF?" she cried out but then hastily covered her mouth as if her exclamation would anger the sculptures.
"Exactly," Lucy spun round at the husky voice.
"Gray! D-Did you do this? The ice mage smiled gently and stepped towards her taking her hand.
"I did, have I ever told you what an artist's pride is?" Lucy blushes at Gray's intense gaze and she shook her head completely speechless.
"It is to capture beauty, for me that is you, Lucy."
"Wh-what are you saying?" his touch distracted her jumbled thoughts. His hand was cool yet strangely warm at the same time, sending electricity through her entire body. She couldn't break away from those dark eyes. But something was lurking on the back of the Celestial mage's mind, there's something I should be careful of but I can't seem to remember!
Lucy's only sane thought shattered as Gray dropped down to one knee.
"Lucy Heartfilia, I'm not much of a romanticist but with these sculptures representing my love for you… Would marry me?" Lucy's face burst into shades of scarlet as her leapt to her throat.
"Gray. You're born to be a romanticist! And I totally do!"
"I what?" Lucy's eyes snapped open. It was morning and the sun was already beating down. She frowned then turned her sore neck only to see Gray's real gaze staring back.
"GRAY!" she yelled then pushed herself away from the ice mage.
Gray winced as Lucy fell from his back and dropped to the ground with a thud, "are you OK?"
"Yeap, yeap! Very much so! I'm absolutely no doubtly fine!" Lucy scrambled up straightening Gray's coat which she was still wearing. The Celestial mage blushed as she remembered her dream. What was I thinking?
"Really, so what were you saying?" Gray cocked an eyebrow. She's acting flustered, and I definitely heard her right.
"It was your imagination!" Lucy demanded waving her arms around in embarrassment. Gray longed to scoop her right up in his arms as he became mesmerised with her cuteness. God damn this!
"Really? Although I did hear a very loud shout of 'I totally do' coming from my back," he teased taking a few steps towards her.
"L-Like I said you were hearing things Gray!" she insisted.
"Oh? It was very loud I recall, shall we get some witnesses?" Lucy looked blankly at a smirking Gray, "Raijinshuu I know you're all there!"
In the bushes behind the ice mage, 3 silhouettes appeared.
"Aww, looks like our game's up!" Lucy's jaw dropped as Evergreen, Bixlow and Freed walked out.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"On our way back from a quest. So Gray, how long have you known we were watching you?" Gray only grinned.
"You guys really freak me out you know, following me and Lucy for nearly 2 hours in the bushes."
"Oh, not bad for an S-class mage potential! Well we were just worried that you were kidnapping the girl, she was asleep after all," Lucy was glad Gray hadn't continued interrogating her about her embarrassing dream but then Evergreen's words pierced through.
"You were carrying me all night?"
"Well of course! Otherwise those 3 may have kidnapped you to see Laxus."
"We may have done sinful deeds in the past but we walk the path of light now," Freed said looking forever serious. Lucy tried to hide her guilt. Poor Gray… He hadn't slept all night!
"Loosen up Freed, and you might not want to try walk-!" Freed's feet slipped from underneath him as the mage tried to walk up the hill towards Gray, "-ing uphill…" Gray trailed off.
The green-haired mage drew his sword and struck it into the ice trying to stop himself sliding down further but as he proceeded to pull himself up, the ice around the blade cracked.
"Crap," Freed muttered to himself as he went tumbling down.
"Lucy watch out!" Gray yelled as Freed crashed towards the Celestial mage uncontrollably.
"I can see thaaaaaat!" but Lucy only pushed herself into Freed's line of fall as she tried to skate away.
Evergreen, Bixlow and Gray cringed as the Freed-Lucy combo crashed into a tree with a juddering halt.
"That went smoothly," Bixlow said to a sweatdropped Evergreen and Gray, "anyway what are you two doing here alone? A date of some sort?"
"Huh, this is place isn't exactly dating material is it?" Gray replied. Evergreen fanned herself.
"So where are you two off to then?"
"Long story short, Blue Pegasus to find how to undo an enchantment," Lucy said having untangled herself from Freed.
"Why can't the Master just do it?"
"One, he's not in the guild, two, it's an enchantment only Ichiya seems to know how to undo," Gray informed folding his arms in annoyance, get lost already…
"Let's go back," Freed muttered, his fringe shadowing his eyes.
"Ah well, have fun on your date!" Bixlow teased before the Raijinshu disappeared. Lucy sighed.
"Everyone just seems to be about huh?" Gray smirked.
"Now that you're awake, shall we continue what we left off last night?"
…
Natsu lay face down on the table a dark cloud over his head. Lisanna dropped herself next to him.
"Come on Natsu, it can't be that bad can it-?"
"Lucy," he moaned, Lisanna could only smile uneasily, "I feel so empty."
"How about some food and drink to fill that 'emptiness'?" the silver-haired mage said before walking towards the Fairy Tail kitchens.
"Pst," Lucy…, "Pst," why couldn't Erza have taken me? Aren't we all on one team? "NATSU!"
The angry whisper jolted Natsu from his sulking and he looked around for the source, "eh, Loke! What are you doing here, not as a Key?"
"Keep your voice down! I'm not supposed to be here!" Natsu raised an eyebrow staring at Loke under the table.
"Then how are you here?"
"Whatever just hear me out! Natsu, I propose to you an offer," the Spirit of the Lion pushed his shades up his nose, "I can get you out of Fairy Tail via the Spirit world but in return, you help me find Lucy with your heightened sense of smell."
The fire Dragon Slayer narrowed his eyes, "oi Loke, I'm not dumb I know you're after Lucy too you perverted overgrown cat."
Loke only smirked, "come on Natsu, being stuck here you're only trapping yourself. Once we're both out we can fight fair and square."
Natsu grinned, "ha, fair and square is how I like it."
"All we need now is a distraction-."
"Raijinshu, welcome back!" Mirajane said happily as the trio approached the bar, "I'm guessing your quest went well?"
"Of course! We're unbeatable!" Bixlow laughed manically his soul dolls prancing around him. Freed sat down heavily at the bar his head in his hand.
"Are you alright, Freed?" Mira asked. The green-haired mage only sighed.
"I-I want…"
"What is it?"
"… HER TO PUNISH ME! I'M THE WORST!" Freed yelled at the top of his voice. Loke and Natsu both grinned.
And Freed joins the fray :P Sorry for the bad writing :/ Thank youuuuuus for the reviews, really encouraging and dispelling for the ever threatening writer's block! Stay tuned for morrrrre!
Shaari