A/N: Have any of you guys watched or read SAO? I'm literally dying of laughter whenever I read the reviews. They criticize show's flaws in such a funny way that there needs to be a whole quote board for them. My fave? "Just like in the last season, the animation here is still really good. The backgrounds look detailed and the fight scenes still look stunning, even if there were a few questionable choices with the character designs (I'm looking at you, dollar store Darth Vader, androgynous Kirito, and Sinon's ass)" Don't get me wrong, I like it well enough there are just a boatload of plot/script changes I'd love to do. xD Sorry for the tangent haha

Chapter 15 - Contradictions

Seeing his perfect face twist in agony brings her back to reality. Out of all the people in the world to see her like this, it had to be Gray. She bites her lower lip and waits for the oncoming onslaught.

Gray speaks surprisingly calmly, "Hey, was I interrupting something? I seem to be doing that a lot lately."

Despite knowing him for more than half of her life, it was hard to read him. His face remained expressionless and Erza realizes what a mess her friendships have become. Guilt pricks her, sending chills down her spine. If only she had tried harder to understand him, because what had been a simple problem had been dragged out to become a trap she couldn't avoid.

Erza looked straight into his eyes, "I, I don't know what to say." She wasn't going to apologize to him, after all technically it was Gray who distanced himself first.

"I think I have you figured out and then straight out of left field I find out you've been lying about your past. Do you not trust me enough to tell the truth?" He spits out his last sentence like its poison.

Feeling her blood pressure rise she sharply counters, "Why does my past concern you? I thought your knew me well enough that lying isn't exactly my style."

"Well I thought so too, but everyone has their secrets. Does Kagura ring a bell? What about your house being burnt down?" He angrily sighs, and as an afterthought he says, "Also if Jellal was your foster brother then why were you kissing him in the first place?"

Erza spoke quickly, she had to explain herself before he made what happened even more awkward. "First off, I was only with my foster family for a few weeks. Since foster care is usually temporary my "family" treated me just like guest, especially since my uncle and aunt were out of the country and I needed a place to be until they got back." Getting the air cleared (regarding that issue at least) felt nice, although that name was tugging at her buried memories, struggling to come to the surface.

Words kept tumbling out of her mouth, and she couldn't resist a jab at her slightly insane friend. "Second, are you high? If my house had burnt down don't you think I would be with my parents?"

Gray's eyes flashed in annoyance, "That's the thing! What happened to your parents? I'm not talking about your aunt and uncle, I mean your biological ones."

Despite trying to keep a calm demeanor, Erza was definitely struggling. For some mysterious reason he's agitated about my past, but there's no real reason to be. She glared daggers at him, "Stop, stop interrogating me like you know what's best. My biological parents died in a fire when I was six, don't you think that's good enough of a reason for not wanting to chat about it?" The 19 year old was caught up in vague, sad memories that she was almost shouting. "I just want to remember the good times alright. Am I selfish for wanting that?"

By this point the raven haired boy had also lost his cool. What came next was something he'd deeply regret later. "To be perfectly honest, yeah, you're selfish for wanting that. Everyone has horrible, tragic moments. But you know what, that's life. If you can't handle what's been given to you, fine. But you know what, I don't want to be involved in your life if every time I don't know whether the words coming out of your mouth are true or not."

Those words cut through her, splitting her heart wide open that it felt like she was physically stung. "You know what I mean, it's not like that. Don't talk down to me, pointing out my flaws, I already know they're there. But you keep pressing the matter, it's like you're not done with your job until you find every single one." She strode over to him and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "I don't want to be with you either, it's not every day you find out your best friend for 12 years is actually an insensitive jackass."

His right hand gripped Erza's, and in a quiet voice he said, "I'm tired, really exhausted with this back and forth. You're so stubborn it's crazy, and I've quit being stubborn for you." He extricated her hand from his shirt and placed it at her side.

"I should mention that I met Jellal before that incident on the pier. The weekend before Ryuzetu Land he approached me on campus, saying he was investigating a case for his law firm, Marvell and Strauss. He said he was an old friend and he showed a letter you wrote him to prove. Jellal said you sometimes had flashbacks concerning the past, and he thought you might be able to remember something important about his case. He wanted to trigger you're memories, and he wanted me to stay away from you so I wouldn't accidentally trigger something off. It seemed shady, but then I remembered you before our first concert at The Sub, how you were unconscious on the floor. I didn't want you to experience that again, and I thought Jellal would be better able to help you. Remember that whole thing about keeping you at the school and furthering my hockey career? That was all a hoax to keep you away from me, I thought that was the best way but saying it aloud I realize how idiotic I was."

He grabbed her hand again and pulled her closer, so close she could stare straight into his eyes that resembled midnight blue water."I know you deserve better than this but," he closed his eyes and gave her a soft kiss, his his lips only lingering there for a second, "this is likely the only one I'll have with you." He pulled out of her reach and ran, faster than he had in his entire life.

Stunned, all Erza could do was look at Gray's retreating figure. The tears that she had kept under wraps all this time finally bubbled to the surface. It was a short, breathtakingly painful cry. She bitterly thought, Contradictions, I'm so full of contradictions. We're all so full of contradictions.

She wiped the corners of her eyes and sank to her knees in the soft grass. She stared at the small river, remembering the last time she had cried here. That was 12 years ago, and the boy who had comforted her so long ago this time wasn't going to be there for her.

A/N: I know, I know, before you guys all bombard me with "wtf what about Natsu and Lucy?" let me just squeak in that they're coming first thing next chappy. *sighs in relief* I feel like I had to clear that up so I won't get murdered in my sleep or something xD Let's move onto the more pleasant topic of the shout-out corner.

introverse - Thanks for the fave! :D

Iceberry2666 - Yeah, I've totally skipped chapters before too! I'm so confused with everything until I finally figure out why a month later xD (ok maybe not that long haha)

Bridgeburn100 - Haha yes you. My concerns about getting murdered are mostly because of you. But hey, motivation for the writer right? xD

Welcometotheanimeparade - I looked up Yato, and my face still remains like so o.O (probably because I'm almost an ice-cube it's so freaking cold here haha)

MAILORDERCOWBOY - Your review was really awesome, thanks so much for leaving them!