Weeks passed without a word between the two mages, both of them lost too much in their own sorrow to notice the other one was in just as much pain though the rest of the guild noticed it. Gray and Natsu exchanged concerned looks as Lucy walked into the guild, seeming just a little brighter than she had the day before. Levy, wrapped in Gajeel's arms, noticed in as well and hoped that the blonde was starting to move on from Bickslow.
Across the guild hall another set of eyes, hidden behind a visor, also noticed how her smile seemed more genuine than it had only days earlier. Bickslow sat back in his chair, allowing himself to be distracted by the movements of various women in the guild. His eyes kept drifting back to the Celestial Spirit mage, however, as she sat between Natsu and Gray, laughing at something one of them had said.
He wanted to yell at them, to demand that Lucy stop flirting so obviously with the two. Until now he hadn't thought he would be jealous of anyone Lucy chose to move on with, but right now a fiery rage burned through him, making him hate her two best friends. He stood quickly, knocking his chair over as he stormed out of the guild to find amusement elsewhere. He couldn't stay and watch his ex with those two.
Lucy looked up in surprise as Bickslow stormed out of the guild. Anyone who didn't know him would assume that he was just leaving because he was bored. Lucy knew him better than anyone else and, despite the visor that hid most of his face, she could see the fury that was written across it. His shoulders were stiff, his face turned down in a scowl, and he seemed like he was in a hurry to get out of the guild hall. After a moment she turned back to Natsu and Gray, pretending like she'd never noticed her ex-lover as she listened intently to what they were saying.
"Umm... hey, Luce, can I talk to you for a moment?" Gray finally managed. "Alone?"
Lucy looked at him in concern before nodding, not noticing the thumbs up that Natsu gave his friend as Gray pulled her off into a more private area of the guild.
"What's wrong, Gray?" Lucy asked in concern as he lead her into an abandoned room.
He shut the door quietly before turning back to her.
"I was just thinking," He started. "You and Bickslow were together a long time."
"Yeah."
"Well, do you think you'll ever be able to let him go?"
Lucy laughed lightly, "Gray, I loved Bickslow with my whole heart. You know that as well as anyone, but he hurt me a lot. Trust me, I've let him go."
Gray hesitated a moment before finally working up the courage to say what he wanted to say.
"Then do you think you'd be willing to give me a chance?"
Lucy looked at him in surprise. All the years they spent together he'd never given her any sign that he was the slightest bit interested in her. She'd always thought that maybe he was secretly into Juvia and was playing hard to get, but now she was unsure.
"But Juvia -"
"Juvia and I finally agreed that it was better if the two of us remain friends rather than allowing her to pursue this romantic relationship that she's been hoping for."
Lucy smiled, her first real smile in quite some time.
"I would love to go on a date with you then," She answered, brightly.
Gray smiled back at her, his heart in his throat.
Bickslow woke up slowly, feeling a curtain of hair on his arm. He shifted and his other arm landed on something soft. Opening one eye the first thing he saw was the blonde hair that was sprawled across his bed. For a brief moment his heart soared as he thought Lucy had returned to him. Then he noticed that the chest was a little too flat, the curves sharper, the blonde duller, and the legs longer.
He sighed heavily. Once more he'd taken home a strange girl who, he was sure, looked too much like his ex-girlfriend under the dim lights after a few too many beers. The girl rolled over and hummed in contentment before opening her eyes, which were green and not the brown he loved so much.
"Who's Lucy?" She asked, sleepily.
He froze in the act of putting on some pants.
"What do you mean?"
"Last night, you kept calling me Lucy. My name's Candy," She answered.
Bickslow shrugged, "Must have misheard you."
"Must have been one stupid girl to let you go."
He opened his mouth to protest when she continued on.
"Must have been one hell of a girl for you to still be calling out her name."
Bickslow hung his head, "I'm sorry."
She smiled brightly as she finished dressing, turning so he could zip her up. She turned back and kissed him on the cheek.
"Don't worry about it, babe. If you ever need some release feel free to call me. The number's on your counter. I don't mind you calling me Lucy or anything else you want to call me. I don't expect anything from you but a mutual release of tension."
Bickslow watched her as she skipped out of his apartment, winking at him. For a moment he was stunned, then he started to wonder if maybe things could work out for him after all.
He was actually feeling pretty good about himself when he walked into the guild an hour later. That went downhill the moment he opened the doors and saw Lucy's fingers entwined with Gray's as they leaned close together, talking in low voices. Something that the two of them used to do, before everything had gone wrong.
Lucy didn't notice her ex as he watched them. She was surprised at how easy dating Gray was. Not like being with Bickslow, where dating was as easy and breathing, but pretty close. She felt she could actually grow to love this ice mage in front of her. Gray was still the same as he was when they were friends, but something in him had changed. He was more caring, more talkative and Lucy couldn't help but wonder if this was the real Gray as she spoke in low tones to him about her life. He was a great listener, keeping her hand in his own as she explained everything that had happened between Bickslow and herself.
He grinned at her a lot and a few times stroked her hand with his fingers as she told him the sadder aspects of their relationship. So intent on their conversation were they that never even noticed the Seith mage as he turned on his heel and fled the building.