Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I'm sure you guys don't want to read my excuses so I'll let you just go ahead and read the story. As always, I look forward to your reviews. Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Natsu's mind ran wild as he tried to make sense of what had just happened, had his own rival since the first day he joined the guild actually confess to him. The thought of it confused him beyond belief and the only thing that brought him around was the laughing that came from above him. He lifted himself into a sitting position on the floor to see a proud Gray in front of him with his arms crossed, looking down on his defeated rival.
"Did he really say he was falling in love with me?" Natsu whispered to himself, but the super-sensitive hearing from the iron dragon slayer caught it and he focused his attention to the two.
"Told you ash face that I'd beat you" Gray said as he flashed a victorious smirk at him, but Natsu only saw a kind smile grow across Gray's face.
He immediately jumped to his feet and gripped Gray's shoulders, a hard glare was set when he was eye to eye with him. He had to know if the ice princess actually meant what he said to him or if it were a bluff to drop his guard.
"Repeat what you said to me ice freak!" Natsu's confusion only fueled his determination and it slightly caused him to wonder what he felt for him.
"You heard me flame face!" Gray was just as stubborn as Natsu when it came to showing dominance over the other, however the case was much different for each. Where Natsu was a sure answer to a confession, Gray saw him questioning his true victory over him.
The two glared at each other harshly, but the scene painted a completely different picture to some of the on lookers. Juvia especially was on the verge of her seat with the strong delusion of witnessing the development of boys' love. Had her mind been in the right place she would've noticed the irked expression of her good friend who was marching his way over to the arguing mages.
Gajeel had tolerated the Salamander being close to the Stripper at the beginning and thought nothing of it, until he heard his claim that the Stripper was falling for him. He had no idea why this began to anger him, that the Stripper was going for that damned pink haired idiot than himself. At that point he completely stopped on his march now realizing that he had just thought of the ice mage in such a different way. The way he had thought of him was how he usually thought of Shrimp, believing that someone else had caught her eye and he couldn't accept that.
"Damn these confusing thoughts" Gajeel said to himself and decided to be an on-looker rather than getting involved to see how it played out. He'll figure out what's going on soon enough, for now he'll just watch.
Back with the arguing mages, Gray was getting tired of Natsu not understanding that he lost and Natsu was getting even more irritated that Gray won't repeat himself. Gray could do this all day if he wanted to, but he was getting uncomfortable with how close Natsu was and the way he held his shoulders. He tried shaking him off multiple times, but the fire eater kept putting them right back on them and he held them as if he were desperate for something.
"I'm telling you ice princess to just repeat what you told me and if you meant it!" Natsu's temper was rising increasingly by the minute and his vision of Gray kept bouncing around at different points.
"I'm not repeating myself for you ash face!" Gray exclaimed, "It's embarrassing to say something like that again" Came the added reply of the other Gray.
"Fine then ice boxers then tell me if you meant it!" Natsu couldn't handle being denied of an answer any longer so he opted out to know if it was the truth or a bluff.
"Of course I meant it!" The reply was the same, but the delivery was viewed in two different perspectives. To everyone else, Gray answered seriously with a no-nonsense expression while to Natsu he answered in a very timid and shy manner.
Once again Natsu froze on the spot with the answer, but before he could come back with any sort of reply he saw Gray get smacked from the back of his head hard. Gray immediately reached for the sore spot and looked to see if Natsu would get a similar punishment from none other than the Titania herself. To his joy, he did although it seemed he was hit even harder given to the fact that it sent him straight into the guild floor.
"That's enough bickering between the both of you. Natsu you got your answer now leave Gray alone. Gray your coming with me this instant understand." Erza said with her commanding tone as she looked between the two.
"Hold up Er-"
"Understand?" Erza cut him off and gave him a stern look, causing him to stop any further argument with her.
"Yes Ma'am!" Gray immediately stood straight, completely on instinct when it came to appeasing the Great Titania.
"Good, now come along." She said walking away and with that Gray followed her still clutching the spot where he was struck, but used his magic to sooth it a bit.
Erza was rational at the correct time and she felt that it was necessary to get Natsu away from Gray, although she only got that far when she knocked down Natsu. Though Erza doesn't find a lot of amusement in beating those two, she had found a bit of satisfaction when she knocked Natsu to the floor. Her mind had somehow viewed Natsu as someone taking Gray away from her for some reason, as if he were a rival but that couldn't be it and besides she was fairly positive that Natsu doesn't swing that way let alone Gray. On the other hand, she can't be too sure so a watchful eye may be a safer bit.
Erza took a glance at the ice mage behind her, still rubbing the back of his head until he caught her gaze and she immdeiately turned her head around. Her heart began to beat fast as she was caught looking by him and her face grew hot of the possible thoughts that might be going through his mind. Erza had never been like this before, save the times with Jellal but those meetings were very spread apart.
Her mind reeled back from that thought. Had she overlooked her crush for Jellal and could only focus on Gray? There was a line drawn on how far she let her feelings interfere with her actions, but the thought of having to choose between the two had never crossed her mind before. Erza couldn't believe that such a sudden choice between the two had come around out of the blue from just the mere mention of Jellal. Would she keep her crush on the man she has come to forgive and understand after the event of the Tower of Heaven or would she look onto a new beginning of a relationship with her childhood friend that was the first to accept her into the guild after that day near the river.
"Hey Erza are you okay?" Gray asked as he gently shook Erza's gauntlet hand seeing as she had been spacing out ever since they sat down. That brought Erza back to her senses and was surprised to know that they were already sitting in their booth although she made sure her surprise wasn't noticeable.
"Yes I'm fine, just had something on my mind is all" She replied letting the quickening beat of her heart slow down so nothing looks out of place.
"If you say so" Gray replied although he was still mindful of Erza's behavior, he was worried about her since she has been acting out of character a few times today.
"Do you guys need anything?" Came Mira's kind voice from right next to Gray's side which came to a relief for him in this awkward moment, but Erza had a strange feeling that there was something off about Mira's demeanor.
"Hey Mira, I'll just take a glass of water and could you please get Erza another slice of cheesecake. Oh and put it on my tab." He said and Erza was about to object before she was stopped by what Mira did next.
Mira leaned over, licked her thumb and rubbed it across Gray's cheek where a trace of dirt caked there from the brawl with Natsu. This would've been seen as a kind act by a friend if it weren't done by the match-make demon right in front of her formal rival, which Erza took as a declaration of competition. The winning prize was the the ice mage, ignorant of the silent challenge made between old rivals.
"What was that for Mira?" Gray asked a little shaken with what she did, but let his cool persona take control.
"You just had a little scuff on your cheek that you had after your fight with Natsu. I just cleaned it for you." She replied sweetly, but Erza knew her too well to know that she has an ulterior motive to her little stunt.
"Uh...Thanks Mira, I guess." Gray truly didn't know how to answer her, but knew better than to offend Mira.
"You should have just told him he had it and let himself clean it off." Erza said as normal as she could although the fist she had hidden under the table looked like it could shatter bone at that point.
"Well I thought it be faster if I just did it for him and besides Gray doesn't seem bothered by it. Are you Gray?"
"I...Uh...well um..."He really didn't want to answer because he already knew that there would be a consequence if he chose either side and he was already hoping for a distraction to save him.
"Sorry ladies, but I need to borrow Gray for a bit. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll answer whatever your question was later." For the many things in the world Gray was thankful for the celestial spirit that came to his rescue.
"Alright Loke, but make sure to bring him back" Mira said and Loke saluted to her before walking away with his former wing-man by his side towards the booth his master sat at.
As the two made their way out of hearing range Mira looked back to Erza who had a serious expression plastered across her face. Obviously she didn't like what Mira did, while the take-over mage smiled in her success getting the Titania into another competition.
"I know what you were doing Mira and I won't allow you to take Gray." Erza knew she had to choose between the two men later, but for now she wouldn't let her rival beat her to the punch if she decided to stay with Gray.
"Cana might be right Erza. She noticed what Gray grew up to be while you hadn't yet even if you were on the same team. Truth be told, I too barely realized how much of a man Gray became."
"So you're becoming my rival for Gray's affection is that it Mira?" Erza knew that there was no way she was about to lose to her old rival when it came to Gray.
"Well I had my suspicions that you were interested in him and now I've got my answer. So yes this means that you, Erza Scarlet, have become my love rival." That sweet tone Mira had spoken to Erza hid the underlying strength of determination that rivaled Erza's.
"Very well, may the best woman win."
The two most powerful women in Fairy Tail have officially made clear their goal, but how long will it be before others come together in a similar fashion for the ice mage?
