A/N: Little bit of fluff ahead... you have been warned! :3 (hope Gray isn't too OOC!)

- Chapter 12 -

"Gray."

The ice mage smiled. Greatness, I'm hallucinating about her. Surely I can't be that obsessed.

"Gray."

Yeah, I get the idea that I like her and all but quit fantasising about her! He sternly told himself.

"Gray…"

Eh, even agitated she sounds hellishly sexy-.

"QUIT IGNORING ME, GRAY!" the Fairy Tail mage scrambled away as sand spewed into his face.

"Wh-What the hell was that for?" tears overflowing from his eyes, Gray squinted at his attacker.

"What the hell? I should be asking you that question! Why were you ignoring me when I called your name?" the Celestial mage accused menacingly.

"Sorry I-I was, uh thinking," Lucy raised an eyebrow.

"Must have been a pretty heavy thought if you even chose to ignore me," Gray looked away towards the sea. Calm down. Yes she's here and your heart is threatening burst, but damn it play it cool! You're already a point down to those dorks; the last thing to do is to sink to their level!

"Geez, I'm sorry already," he refused to look at her. He was already struggling not to pounce at her as she spoke; heaven knows what a look from her would do to his self-control.

Lucy sat down next to her fellow Fairy Tail mage.

"What's up Gray? You've been rather distant as of late."

"What were you expecting, serenading you like Natsu or Gajeel did?" Gray teased not seeing Lucy's deathly glare as he brought up the embarrassing memory.

"No, and I'm glad you're not. Just… how are you feeling?" she blurted out.

"Normal," Lucy's heart fell, did that mean he never liked her in the first place? Was it in her imagination all along?

"I see," sensing Lucy's crestfallenness, Gray tried to lighten the mood.

"Better than trapping you in the same room as me," no reply. Hibiki's words haunted Gray's mind as the silence fell.

"Don't you think you should be back at the hotel, it's not good hanging around a stalker," Gray joked though deep inside the acid bubbled dangerously and his chest ached.

"That's not it! Gray, you're not that kind of person and I know it!" Lucy rambled. What am I saying? You're doing number 3 on your priorities list first! Why am I out here anyway? Yeah, Gray's here I know that but what did I want with him?

"But it is getting late, I take it we're going to have to rise early tomorrow morning to reach Blue Pegasus," the ice mage picked himself up and without looking at Lucy, he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Gray felt a shiver run through his arm and down his body as Lucy's warm hand clasped his wrist. But as quickly as the contact was made, Lucy let go just as surprised as Gray at her impulse.

Not good Lucy, not good!

"No, I mean. Well, I just wanted to apologise for dragging you all the way out here when this was entirely my problem to begin with," the Celestial mage hastily explained afraid of meeting Gray's gaze. She knew his eyes were upon her because suddenly she was very self-conscious.

"If I remember correctly, it was me who dragged you to go to Blue Pegasus that day. Besides, on the subject of apologies, I should be the one doing that…" Gray's voice trailed off. Lucy sneaked a glance at him but his hair obscured his eyes.

"Gray…"

"I'm sorry I acted so out of my mind earlier. I don't know what came over me, just happened. I guess that's what too much alcohol does to you."

Lucy's heart dropped further. He doesn't like me. Oh Lucy it's so obvious that it was the alcohol/spell that was making him say those things. He's just like the others, just friends with a bad case of confusion. Told you not to get your hopes up, told you so! She swallowed hard, forcing down the growing lump in her throat.

"I-It's fine. I wasn't really expecting anything less after what Natsu and the others put me through," Lucy laughed nervously. She knew it wasn't really a rejection but it was still there, the heavy harshness of their situation. Fate has played a horrible prank on us both…

"No! That wasn't my intention at all! I'd never do something as shallow as what they did, Lucy!" Gray's sudden insistence made Lucy look up. His intense gaze was back, those deep and sincere eyes laced with pain.

"Playing around with girls' emotions is seriously low."

"Th-That's not what I meant, Gray! I just mean that I don't really mind what you said to me since it's all the enchantment's doing it's not going to be true, so it's alright I won't think bad of you," Gray clenched his jaw painfully. It's now or never.

Lucy gasped as Gray clutched her shoulders tightly. She couldn't look away as his eyes continued to lock onto hers.

"Everything I said back then, I meant it. Not a word of falsity. I may be under that Blue Pegasus bastard's enchantment but like Hibiki said, it amplifies emotions. And I can tell the difference between endearing someone as a friend and caring for someone as… something more."

Lucy couldn't help but widen her eyes as heart rose to her throat. Anticipation flooded every nerve in her body as she tried to process Gray's words with her frozen brain.

"I- I don't understand…" she bit her lip, so does that mean… does he mean-?

"I guess it can't be helped, ranting on like this is unlike me and they do say," Gray lifted Lucy's chin, "actions speak louder than words."

And his lips closed around hers.

Yeap, I've gone and done it. Gray has kissed Lucy. Pls don't kill me Gray fans... deep down I'm seething with jealousy too! _

Shaari