Happy Friday! Not much to mention in the A/N this week. This is, by in large, a bridge chapter before the good stuff happens. And by good stuff, I mean like bad stuff, lol.
- K. Chandler
The target that Gray had fashioned was still there the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. Erza supposed that Gray must have made it out of magic ice, the sort that wouldn't melt.
It was a good thing, too, since Erza found herself down at the range every day. She practiced until her arms were sore and her shoulders screamed for mercy. But she wouldn't quit.
Gray had said that this was how he had learned to shoot. And if he could do it, so could she. She need to do this. She needed to prove that she could handle herself as well as Gray could.
Today, she had slipped away after Lucy 'accidentally' shoved Natsu into Gajeel. With the guild about to fall into another legendary Fairy Tail Brawl, Erza decided that no one would miss her if she disappeared for a couple hours.
But she was wrong.
"Hey."
Erza's stomach flipped as a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. "Gray…"
Gray looked like he always did. Erza took in the messy hair, the steel-colored eyes, the chiseled physique of a warrior. He looked fantastic, as usual.
"You've improved," he observed. His eyes flickered to the shafts that protruded from the target.
"You think so?" asked Erza, pleased.
"You'll have to show me just how much. Why don't ya gimme another round," Gray challenged.
Erza shifted into the now-familiar stance, letting her muscles act on instinct. She drew her bowstring and let the arrows fly in rapid succession.
"Well?" she looked at Gray expectantly.
Gray's eyes flitted to her face coolly before scrutinizing the range. He hummed pensively. "You know, I think you've almost got the hang of the whole aim-then-fire thing," he observed. With a teasing grin, he pointed down range.
Half of her arrows had found their mark. The other half were scattered about uselessly.
Erza deflated when she realized he was just teasing her. "I hit the target most of the time," she insisted. "I think I'm doing fine."
"You only wanna defeat your enemies most of the time?" mocked Gray.
"Well, no…"
"You only wanna win most of the time?" continued Gray.
"Unacceptable," said Erza.
"So, what'cha gonna do about it?"
"I'm going practice until I get it, of course," she muttered sullenly. "I want to master the bow and that's that."
Gray grinned crookedly. "Now, that's the Erza I know and love," he said.
Gray molded an ice bow for himself. Frost danced at the tips of his deft fingers. Erza let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She had long suspected his magic to be one of the most beautiful, and now she couldn't be surer.
Taking his place at the shooting line, he took aim. As he drew the bow string, Erza could see the power in every muscle, in his chest, in his arms. The motion was fluid, precise and deliberate. There was no hesitation.
Even after he let the arrow fly, Erza's eyes lingered. Most of her guildmates were fit, but Gray was in peak physical condition. He was toned, but not bulky. Lean, but not lanky. Sure, he was no Elfman, and all the better, as far as Erza was concerned. There was such a thing as too much muscle.
"What?" asked Gray.
Erza tore her eyes away, her heart-rate just a little too fast. She was not doing this. Erza Scarlet did not ogle. Gray was her teammate, nothing more. Part of her was even a little confused as to why she was behaving this way. She didn't have an answer.
Instead, she sighed. "You make it seem so easy," she complained.
"There's nothing easy about it. Kinda like your swordsmanship. Just takes practice."
"I've been practicing," she said.
"I know," he said quietly.
"You do?"
Gray nodded. "I've seen you sneaking out of the guild to come down here," he said.
"I shoot two hundred arrows a day," she told him.
"You what?"
Erza nodded. "At least," she said. "Sometimes I do more if I've got time."
"Erza, that's crazy! You're going to hurt yourself doing that," he said, frowning.
"That's what you said you did, isn't it?" asked Erza stubbornly. She was a little sore, but it was nothing a little post-workout ice couldn't fix.
"Well, yeah…" said Gray. "But that was when I was a kid. I didn't know any better. And I'm surprised you remembered," he added.
"Regardless, all the practice doesn't seem to be helping. I never seem to improve," she sighed. "And then there's you…"
Gray quirked a questioning eyebrow. He waited for her to continue.
"You're good at everything," she blurted out.
"I—what?" he asked, shaking his head. Gray looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "What are you talking about?"
"Swords, cannons, hand-to-hand, you can do it all," she said. "And your Maker-Magic gets you out of anything."
"You do realize that's what most people would say about you, right?" he asked slowly.
"All I can do is Requip and hopefully knock someone's skull in," she mumbled.
"Y'know, that's a pretty effective tactic, all things considered."
"You're incredible, Gray. I've always admired you," murmured Erza, her voice small.
He gave her a worried glance. "What brought this on?" he asked gently.
Erza shrugged. She wasn't about to share her insecurities with someone who was good at everything.
"Erza. The whole guild thinks you're amazing," he insisted.
Erza gave an incredulous chuckle, shaking her head. "Gray, that's—"
Gray cut her off. "Don't laugh, it's true."
His expression said more than words could have. Gray was one to tease, but he certainly wasn't teasing now. His eyes reflected his sincerity. More than that, she could see what looked like genuine admiration.
"Thank you," she breathed. "It means a lot."
Gray just nodded. "Now, we've done the whole sappy feelings bit. Why don't we get back out there and get another round of practice in before it gets late? But then that's it for today, okay?"
"First to twenty?" she asked.
"You're on!" he said, grinning back.
Anybody find it strange that Erza's struggling with the archery? I know it's not easy, but combat should be her forte...what's going on there?
For anyone who read Snowbound, realize what a major opportunity Gray isn't taking... Ask yourself why.
Next time, in [Mazeverse] The Problem with Ranged Weapons, Gray changes up his teaching methods: "All right, Erza. Aim it right at me."
Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.