A/N: HAH there we go. Chapter two for my GraLu fanfiction (AND updated on the very next day. Can't promise that tomorrow though) c: Thank you to those who reviewed, favorite, followed and for -coughs- "inspiring" me to continue this story (threatened works too) Oh, and I tried something a little different in the beginning! I used first person p.o.v … And it was weird. I had to keep going back to fix the "he's" and "she's" that I placed in it by accident. So I gave up after a while xD Still, I hope you enjoy this! As you can see (once you finish reading) I'm planning on making this longer than I'd originally planned it to be. Gray still needs to find that stalker! Anyways I'm sure you're tired of me talking, so I'll just let you read now xD

Word Count without A/N: 3,169 -claps loudly-

-Lucy's P.O.V.-

I could feel myself running. My eyes looked ahead, heart racing a million miles an hour. It wasn't the same pounding I felt when I was with Gray, no, on the contrary. This was straight out fear.

My eyes were wide, sweat beading my forehead and upper lip as I continued running in the darkness. What was I running from again? What was I so afraid of? But I didn't stop running. I kept going, straight into the blackness of my mind. Then I heard him.

"It's ok Lucy-chan. I'm not going to hurt you" His voice made my blood freeze over, every bone in my body tensed and slowed. Suddenly I could barely move. I tried to keep running, oh I tried, but I couldn't. My breathing became heavy, tears lined my eyes, and then I could see it. A silver knife came into view, light reflecting off of it wickedly. I saw the hooded man come closer to me, so very close. Tears ran, I cried, I screamed, but I still couldn't move. He kept coming closer, and I knew it.

This was hell.

I gasped, shooting upwards reaching for who-knows-what. My body shook uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face as I tried to suppress my sniveling sobs. I glanced to the side, unable to control my voice as I stood up and lit another lacrima. I let out yet another shaky breath, signifying the end of my tears. But not before the familiar form of an ice-mage was seen at the door of the room.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked, concerned. I just wiped my tears again and nodded my head.

"I-it's fine now though" I tried giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm awake now, so …" I never got the chance to finish my sentence. He was already in front of me, his face close to mine. I simply looked up at him with my cheeks stained as red as my now blood-shot eyes.

-Normal P.O.V.-

Gray stood before her, his toes touching hers, his face was so close that their noses almost touched. Upon noticing how close they were to each other, he reached his hands towards hers. He carefully grabbed her fragile hands in his, lifting them up to her shoulder height as he slowly laced their fingers together like puzzle pieces. He didn't break eye contact for even a second, not missing this chance to pull her close.

He rested his head on her shoulder, dropping their hands slowly to fall by their sides without breaking the hold. She rested her cheeks on his chest, knowing that he was doing this to comfort her. His body heat seeped into her skin, and she inhaled softly, enjoying his scent. A small smile played on her lips. She knew that this was his way of saying, It's ok, I'm here for you.

They stayed like that for a while, her head buried in his chest as his lips rested on the nape of her neck. She knew it wasn't a kiss, but that almost disappointed her. Lucy wouldn't mind it if he made a move right now. But she knew he wouldn't. There was no way he thought about her that way. That was what she thought. She didn't know anything about his feelings though, nor the reason he let her stay at his place.

Sure, he was worried for his friend, but he wouldn't offer that to just anybody. He felt so protective of her, as though no matter how strong she may get he would never stop trying to soothe her aching heart, or wipe away her tears. He heard her let out another sigh, and knew that this embrace was going to come to an end soon. The ice mage didn't want that quite yet though.

He let go of her hands, his arms slowly wrapping around her torso as his fingers stroked her hair. It was so soft, so beautiful. He wished he could run his fingers through her hair like this on a daily basis, but knowing that she only thought of this as comfort, he decided he should savor it while he still could.

Lucy was slightly shocked with his sudden actions. Instead of letting her go, like she thought he would, he held her tighter. She closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of his strong arms holding her petite body. She wished they could stay like this forever. And, just as Gray had initiated the hug, he was also the one who decided to break it. He took a step back, looking off to the side. He didn't want her to see him with flushed cheeks.

"Thank you, Gray" He heard her whisper. He took a glance towards her, seeing her soft smile glow with the light from the lacrima. He chuckled, reaching out to pat her head.

"Well I'm glad you calmed down" This small exchange of words, gestures, and smiles helped calm Lucy's heart. She felt so safe, so protected. Her chest clenched, feeling a tugging on her heart. It raced and pounded loudly in her ears, but this time it wasn't because of fear. She tried so hard to resist the urge to run into his arms once more, and even worse than that she tried to keep herself from running away.

Emotions this strong scared her. It was like a fire, slowly consuming everything on the inside. And she knew that it would only be a matter of time before it swallowed her whole, leaving nothing behind, not even a sliver of her sanity. She looked down, concealing her emotions that she knew showed only too well on her face. Gray looked at her, unable to read what was going through the girls head.

"Well, how about you try to sleep again? I'm in the next room so you can just call out to me if you need to" He smirked. He started to turn when he felt a tug on his shirt.

"W-wait! Um, c-can you … maybe, uhh t-that is …" She fumbled with her hair, eyes glancing back and forth from his eyes to the ground.

"What's wrong?" She knew his eyes were intently watching her. She looked up at him, cheeks stained red.

"C-can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" She blurted out. Immediately after she said it, a look of embarrassment spread across her face, making it turn apple red. He laughed at this and put a hand on her shoulder.

"If it'll help, then I'd be more than glad to" He was still laughing, amusement obvious on his face. Lucy pouted slightly, a little agitated that he was laughing at her in her embarrassment. A smile quickly replaced it though, with a curt thank you as she fumbled with the sheets in attempt to lie back down. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to look at the now half-naked ice mage who was still smirking in front of her.

"GRAY YOUR CLOTHES" She whined, shooting up in the bed to yell at him. He looked down, eyes widening at the sight.

"Ah shit! How'd that happen?" He mumbled to himself, swiftly putting his pants back on and re-buttoning his shirt. She stole glances at his masculine chest, which was disappearing from sight as he finished putting his clothes back on. He left a small section near the neckline undone, but to be honest Lucy didn't really mind.

She rested her head on the pillow, her eyes starting to close as exhaustion started to take over. Soon afterwards, Lucy fell asleep. The ice mage stayed, wanting to watch over her a little longer. She was so cute when she was asleep, he had to admit no matter how creepy it sounded. Her long eyelashes fluttering over her cheeks as her eyes moved underneath her closed eyelids. It made him wonder what kind of dream she was having now. A frown crossed over her face, making him worried. Was she still having nightmares?

He didn't really know what to do, so he grabbed her hand, pulling it close to his lips as he watched the fear on her sleeping face.

"G … Gray" She whispered. His heart pounded. Was she dreaming about him now? He leaned forward, holding her cheek hoping that her nightmare would quickly end. Then something surprising happened. She threw her arms around her neck.

He could tell she was still asleep, because her grip was really weak, her head slowly sliding down his chest. His cheeks reddened, and he carefully pushed her arms away. See, if she was awake then he wouldn't dare do so. In fact, he would probably lose his cool and make love to her on the spot. But since she was asleep it was totally different. He couldn't take advantage of her like that, it just wouldn't settle well with him.

With her arms now off, he was about to leave and go back to the couch. But now she wouldn't let go of his shirt. He tried loosening her grip, but she kept stirring every time he tried. He gave up quickly, not wanting her to wake up. After deciding to stay for a few more minutes, he saw a softer expression come over her face. He smiled, moving strands of hair away from her cheeks.

Before he knew it, he felt his own eyes grow heavy with fatigue. He tried to get up again, but her hand still didn't move from his shirt. He sighed and moved his face close to her ears.

"Lucy, you're going to have to let go …" He whispered softly in her ear. That was a mistake. Her arms snaked around his neck again, this time catching him off guard and pulling him down onto the bed with her. His cheeks flushed. Was this girl really sleeping, or was she trying to tempt him? He moaned inwardly, agonized that this couldn't happen with her awake. He laid down to the side of her, his face close to hers since her arms were holding him captive on the bed.

He could easily shake her off, but he knew why he didn't. His eyes started to close, and the last words that popped into his head were:

"Ah, screw it" He put one arm over her waist, holding her closer to him before he finally fell asleep, their foreheads lightly touching.

The girl woke up a few hours later. Her eyes remained closed, and she felt an intense warmth wrapped around her. She slowly opened her eyes, noticing Gray, who was still extremely close to her. She wanted to shriek, but she knew that doing so would cause him to wake up. Despite the awkward position she was in, she liked the fact that Gray was holding her in her sleep.

She looked around the room, seeing the clock that said it was still only 6 in the morning. Just a little longer, like this. I want to stay like this a little longer, she told herself. All she had to do was go back to sleep and pretend she never woke up, right? She moved a little closer, their bodies pressing together as her nose touched his. She looked at his closed eyes, monitoring his slow breathing and the steady rise and fall of his chest against hers.

She hugged him, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she realized what she was doing. She had to get up. It wouldn't be right if she stayed like this but … She couldn't help herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, continuing to hold him as if she never woke up in the first place. Eventually she did find sleep again, her tensed muscles relaxing as dreams overtook her. But this time they were good dreams.

Later in the morning, she woke up to find Gray gone. She walked out of his room to see a note on the table, next to a plate of waffles and a cup of orange juice. She could tell that he'd left only a few minutes ago, for the waffles were still warm. Lucy reached down and picked up the note, reading it with a smile playing on her lips.

Lucy,

I left to find that bastard stalker. Don't forget to eat, and stay at the guild today. Don't come back here without me at night just in case I don't catch him.

-Gray

She giggled, folding the note and leaving it on the table. Carefully taking a bite of the waffles, she hummed in bliss. Despite his personality, Gray was actually a pretty good cook. Once she finished she called Plue, and started walking towards the guild.

It was loud and wild, and just as crazy as any other day only … Something was missing. Gray still hadn't arrived at the guild, making Lucy rest her chin on the table and pout. Sure, he was helping her, but lately she was very fond of the ice mage. She liked talking to him, and pouring out all of her worries because she knew he'd listen.

She sighed, hiding her face in her folded arms. A very curious Mirajane walked up to her, placing a glass of water in front of her. Lucy looked up at the sound of her humming, and smiled a little.

"What's wrong Lucy? You seem down today" Mira asked, eyes full of worry. Lucy just laughed at this.

"I think I'm going crazy Mira" She whined, informing the bartender mage of everything that had happened last night. She decided to leave out the things that happened between her and Gray, other than him saving her and letting her stay at his house. She smiled when she reached the end of her story, remembering that Gray was out there searching for her assailant. Mira just dropped the plate she'd been drying, tears lining her sparkling eyes.

"I knew it! Gray did love y-" The silver headed girl was cut off by a blushing Lucy, who'd placed her hands over the woman's mouth in attempt to keep her from finishing her sentence. A few eyes were already on them.

"Shhhh Mira-chan! I don't want everyone looking at us" She hissed, slumping back in her chair with a blush staining her cheeks. "It's not like that … He's just helping out a friend in need" She said, trying to convince the other woman but ended up depressing herself. Her eyes glanced at the floor, pain obvious on her face after thinking about what she'd just said. She was so stupid, of course there wasn't any more feeling to it than that. And to think she had been hoping for more.

With a groan, she laid her head on the table, strands of golden hair falling in her face. Mirajane just looked at her amused.

"I don't know Lucy. I'm pretty sure that if the same thing happened to anyone else Gray wouldn't offer such a thing to them." She smiled brightly, excited by the thought.

"That's not true …" was what she said in return, but Lucy couldn't help but feel happier with this thought. Was that really how it was? Lucy had just assumed that Gray would do the same for all of his friends, not just her in particular. She felt her body heat rise to her cheeks and continued to mumble to herself as Mira just hummed a happy tune, picking up the plate she dropped.

After a few minutes of in depth thought, a finger tapped her shoulder. Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin, snapping her head around to see a wide-eyed Gray. He hadn't expected her to be so surprised, but maybe she was still skittish about the whole stalker thing. He sat down beside her, ordering his usual meal before turning to her and opening his mouth to speak.

"Sorry, I wasn't able to find the guy" He said, irritated with himself. Yeah, he hadn't searched for the whole day, but it was pointless since he didn't even know what the guy really looked like. If he was like Natsu, he probably could have found him by tracking his scent, but he wasn't him, so that was out of the question.

Besides … He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he really wanted to get back to Lucy. Not just to protect her from the man who was stalking her, but because he genuinely wanted to see her again.

"It's fine, this just means I'll be staying at your house again right?" She laughed, blushing a little at what she had just said. Truthfully, she was hoping that the same thing would happen tonight (excluding the whole stalker part) just so she could be in his arms again. After that they just talked, having conversation about pointless things, laughing at who knows what. It was back to an ordinary day at the guild; Natsu challenging Gray, a huge fight starting up in the guild, Lucy laughing her butt off as Erza came to knock them both out.

The day quickly passed, the sun already kissing the horizon when Gray decided it was time to head back to his place with Lucy. They walked close together, fingers brushing together every once in a while. She remembered the night before, where they'd held hands all the way to his house. Lucy smiled at the memory, looking down at their hands that were only centimeters apart.

With a sigh, she looked up around her. Surprisingly, there was a large amount of people out at this time of the day. However, awkwardly enough, mostly everyone here were couples. Pairs of lovers were everywhere, holding hands, talking sweetly to each other, flirting. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up. Of course they had to walk into the place for couples while heading home. She could see why they chose here though. The sun was setting just right, casting off hughes of orange and yellow, red and pink. Clouds up ahead would move by slowly and gracefully. A fountain nearby was still on, its water trickling over every layer of stone until it reached the bottom pool.

Without realizing it, she stopped to look at her surroundings, causing Gray to look at her with an amused smirk on his lips. He walked over to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along with a playful grin on his face. He brought her in close so he could whisper in her ear.

"If we're like this, it's almost as though we blend in, huh?" He said softly. Lucy blushed, punching his arm lightly while smiling. They laughed, deciding to "blend in" by holding hands, fingers intertwined just the way she wanted them to be earlier. This moment was perfect, and Lucy wouldn't trade it for the world, a happy smile plastered on her face. If only she knew what awaited her at Gray's house.

If only she knew.

To be continued …