Happy Valentine's Day everyone! In celebration, I finally decided to post this one-shot I wrote about a month ago. I didn't have enough time to edit this one so please forgive me for the errors. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I'm not usually a fan of disclaimers but just to be sure, I own nothing. The quote I used here was a text message sent to me by a friend of mine and some parts of this story was inspired by other stories I read in this site. Again, I own nothing.
Erza quietly sat by the riverbank she always went to as a child. This place has held a lot of memories for her. Most of them sad, but they were her memories nonetheless. Besides, she thought, this place didn't hold only bad memories but a few good ones as well. Like the first time Gray found her there.
She admits to herself that she didn't expect him to see her there crying; and based on what she saw, it would seem that he wasn't expecting it either. Then again, who would have expected the strong, armored, one-eyed loner of the guild would be sitting by a riverbank crying? He probably thought she wasn't capable of doing so.
But ever since that day, everything has changed for her. It was the turning point of her young life. If it wasn't for Gray, she would have been the mysterious mage of Fairy Tail instead of Mystogan.
"What are you doing here?" a male voice asked. She lifted her head to meet the Ice mage's topless form.
"Speaking of the devil…" she murmurs to herself.
"Did you say something?" he asks as settled down beside her.
"Nothing." She answered with a smile. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at the guild, picking up a fight with Natsu or something?"
"Woah… Seriously Erza, is there something wrong? You're actually encouraging me to duke it out with smoke breath!"
"Nothing is wrong, Gray; that I can honestly tell you." She replies, trailing her vision to the horizon.
"Then why are you here, alone?"
Erza suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu as he said those words. The exact words he asked her 8 years ago at this very same spot.
"Just… I needed some time for myself. You know, away from everyone, to think."
"That, I can understand." Gray smiled. "I mean, I love everyone back there but sometimes it gets too crazy."
"This is coming from the guy who manages, along with most of the male mages of Fairy Tail, to destroy the guild every time you're there."
"Hey! Just like, you said, I'm not the only one responsible for that. You know, most of the damages are because of Natsu's flames. Heck, 90% of the fights are started by him."
The armored mage could only smile at her friend's defensiveness. "I guess you're right…"
The two were quiet for a while until Gray decided to break the silence.
"Uhm, Erza…"
"Yeah?"
"If you don't… uhm… don't mind me asking, what were you thinking about? When… before I got here?"
Erza didn't respond immediately, making the ice mage think that she didn't want to share it with him. It did hurt him a little that she didn't trust him enough to tell him her thoughts but he understood that there were things that you don't share with your friends, even the ones you are closest to.
He was about to withdraw his question when Erza decided to speak.
"About the future… that maybe I'm destined… to be alone."
Her answer slightly confused the ice mage. "What are you talking about? We're here! Your nakama will never leave you. Whatever happens, we'll always be right here with you!"
Erza smile at the boy's misunderstanding. "I know. I never doubted that thought for even a second.
"Then what are you talking about?"
The woman blushed bright red before responding. "I meant… romantically."
Gray blushed as well, no longer able to respond. What was he supposed to say to that? The suddenly, something he had read earlier somewhere popped into his mind.
"Hey Erza…" he called. "Look at this."
The scarlet haired mage to his direction, seeing his raised right hand.
"Okay? What's with your hands except for them being girly?" she joked.
"Hey! My hands are not girly! These hands are manly, capable of producing one of the strongest ice sculptures in all of Fiore."
Erza couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Oh enough with the manly talk, I think we get enough of that from Elfman."
"You started it!" Gray snarled. "Damn, now I forgot what I was gonna say!"
"Something about your hands?"
"My hands? Oh yeah! See this?" he asked, gaps between his fingers. " The spaces between your fingers were created for someone else to fill them.
"The one to fill those gaps is somewhere out there. You just have to wait for them. And he arrives, he fill in those spaces between your fingers along with the gaps in your life. And when that time comes, you'll feel complete."
Somehow his words triggered something with her. She realized gray has always been there for her. Their friendship started in the most unconventional way, but ever since that fateful encounter 8 years ago, he has always been there for her. Even through the whole Jellal incident and with the confusion with Mystogan's identity, he has offered his help, no questions asked. Gray has been the consisted factor in her life. A life without him was something she could not picture. Somehow, he made her feel… complete.
"Hey Gray, can I see your hand again?"
"What? Damn, for the last time Erza, my hands are not girly!"
"I know! Just give it me!"
Gray, still terrified of the great Titania, extend his right hand towards the woman. It would be an understatement to say that he was surprised when he felt her fingers slid into the spaces between his.
He turned his face towards his companion, meeting her grinning face. Erza slowing raised their intertwined hands in front of his face before saying.
"Perfect fit!"