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Chapter 8.

The cold air played in Gray's black hair. He sat alone on a bench. People were rushing trough shops, and some kids were playing on the street. It was afternoon, the busiest time of the day. He was supposed to buy something to eat to himself, Natsu and Alica, but he wasn't hungry, so he had taken a break. They could wait.

He learned his head back, and closed his eyes. Everything was so messy right now; Lucy was getting married. He clenched his teeth just by the thought.

Suddenly something hit him right in the face and he opened his eyes in surprise. Instinctively he raised a hand and grabbed the round ball that had hit him.

"Sorry!" A young girl yelled. She came running toward him with a worried expression. She was very young and her long pigtails danced around her little face, "We didn't mean to hit you ... sir."

"Hmm …" Gray just murmured clearly annoyed, and handed the ball to her.

"Wow …" she suddenly exclaimed surprised. Gray followed her gaze and realized that his shirt was gone (once again), and the young girl stared at the mark on his chest, "you're a mage!" she said and respect shone from her brown eyes.

"Yeah…" Gray said and a smirk formed on his lips, "Fairy Tail, kid!"

"That's amazing!" the girl said and slammed her hands together in excitement. Her friends were beginning to come closer. Another girl hurried to hide behind the first girl's shoulders and two other boys just stood a few steps away and stared.

"Could we see a trick?" the girl begged. Gray sighed.

"I'm not in the mood, kid." Gray said and waved rejecting, but the girl didn't move.

"Please, sir," the other girl said too. First now Gray realized their appearance; they were clearly poor, their clothes were old and most of it was far too big and hung loosely on their small, skinny bodies.

Gray sighed in defeat and lifted both hands palm-up and concentrated. All the kids stepped closer when the ice started to form in his hands.

"It's a rose!" the shy girl cried out in excitement. Gray couldn't help a smile; he had formed the head of a rose in his palm. It was an easy task, but it always stunned people, if they hadn't seen some of his other creations.

"Can I have it?" the girl with the pigtails asked.

"It'll melt in your hand. It's ice." Gray said and saw the disappointment form in her eyes, but it disappeared immediately when the rose suddenly changed into a new thing.

"It's a dog" one of the boys said. Gray nodded.

"I whish I could use magic," the other boy said and didn't leave Gray's hands with his gaze. Gray looked at him with expressionless eyes, then he reached forward and grabbed the boy's hands. The boy widen his eyes in surprise.

"What are you doing to my brother?" the first boy said, ready to defend his younger brother.

"Quiet." Gray mumbled and pulled his eyebrows together in concentration.

"I – it's so cold," the younger brother said stunned. Gray pressed his hands tighter around the boy's hands. He could see the boy get goose bumps on his arms. After a while Gray placed his palms under the boys hands and sighed in exhaust.

"Now try to focus all your strength to your hands," Gray instructed. The boy looked at him in wonder, but then clenched his teeth and stared at his hands – which had gotten blue, by the cold from Gray's hands.

"I – I feel something!" He said and almost lost concentration. All the kids stared at him. A blue wind was starting to twirl around in his palm. Gray kept holding his hands a little under the boys.

"Concentrate," Gray instructed seriously "forget anything else."

"Yeah …" the boy said and a sweat drop formed on his forehead. Suddenly a small ice-crystal was forming in his hands, it was only a little one, but it was there and the boy got so surprised that he lost concentration, and the little crystal melted almost immediately.

"Good job," Gray said and removed his hands.

"I made magic!" the boy said and looked at Gray with admiration, "thank you, sir…"

"What's your name, mister?" the older brother asked.

"Gray, the great Gray Fullbuster," he said and laid his hand on the boys head.

"Gray Fullbuster?" a voice suddenly said. He turned his head and looked down at a little woman. She was old and looked at him with serious and judging eyes.

"Yes," He said, and removed his hand from the boy's hair.

"You shouldn't happen to be a mage from Fairy Tail?" she said and looked at him trough narrowed eyes.

"You know me?" Gray said and lifted an eyebrow. He tried to recognize the woman, but she didn't seem familiar.

"Of course, you're the ´Great Gray´, right?" the shy girl said and grabbed around his leg. He pushed her a little away and kept looking at the old woman. Her eyes ran up and down him, and it felt rather uncomfortable.

"Yes, my name is Supetto. I'm a maid of Miss Lucy"

Gray had to swallow and look away. He kept his eyes on the ground for second, but he hurried to pull himself together and looked at her again.

"And what do you want from me?" he asked and had gotten his normal expressionless face on.

"I want you to stay away." Supetto said straight.

Gray didn't move a muscle, just kept staring at her. The kids looked back and forth between them with confused expressions.

"Miss Lucy is very nervous, because of her upcoming wedding, and the last thing she needs, is someone to pull her back to her old life," Supetto said seriously, "So if you want her to be happy, you and your friends from Fairy Tail, stay away."

"Could you give her a message from me?" Gray asked, and ignored her words. Supetto looked at him with obvious irritation. "Please tell her … that –" Gray cut himself off for a second, but then his eyes harden, "tell her that we miss her and … her rent needs to be paid, soon."

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Supetto said angrily and clenched her little fists.

"Yes," Gray said and tilted his head, "I just don't care."

Lucy sat in her room and stared at her keys. She couldn't summon Loki again, it was too soon, but maybe she could make Lyra sing her a song. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Lucy was pulled out of her thoughts.

"Miss Lucy, can I come in?" It was Supetto's voice.

"Yes!" Lucy said and didn't bother to hide the keys.

Supetto opened the door; her expression was harder then normal. That made Lucy worried.

"Has anything happened?" Lucy asked and hurried to her feet.

"Please sit down, dear," Supetto said and pushed her back on the bed. Now Lucy was even more worried, she shifted on the bed and looked at the little woman – that was clearly uncomfortable.

"Please tell me what's wrong." Lucy begged.

"I don't want to sadden you." Supetto said with a little voice. Lucy took her hands and sent her a little smile in encouragement.

"You only make me sad, by keeping secrets from me," Lucy said and the curiosity was taken over her, "Please tell me."

"Well …" Supetto began hesitating, "I met one of your old friends at the marked today." She began. She could feel Lucy stiffen and hesitated even more.

"Who?" Lucy whispered.

"I think his name was ... Gray Fullbuster," Supetto mumbled and regretted she had opened her mouth.

"Gray?" Lucy said, and suddenly tightens her grip around the old woman's hands, "What did he say? Did he say anything?"

"Not much," Supetto lied, "he was teaching little kids silly tricks."

"Oh …" Lucy said, clearly disappointed, "nothing at all? You didn't talk to him?"

"No," Supetto said again and didn't look Lucy in the eyes. She felt the young girls hands loosen and letting go. Lucy let herself fall back and landed on the bed. Gray was still in the town, Gray hadn't left yet. He was here. He had been at the marked; it was so close that it was almost unbearable to think about.

"Was that all?" Lucy said with a cold voice.

"Y – yes," Supetto said flustered.

"Then please leave," Lucy said. That made Supetto surprised, Lucy hadn't used that tone to her in a long time.

"If there's anything at all, then just call." Supetto said and made a little nod, before she walked out and closed the door behind her. When she was gone Lucy jumped forward and buried her face in the pillow.

"Idiot! Idiot-Gray!" she yelled down the pillow. She fought the tears back. She was done crying. She was tired of acting weak. She just sobbed silently and clenched her fingers around the sheets, "Damn Gray. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot!"

Her eyes suddenly got heavy, and she had to turn her head from the pillow to get some air.

"Idiot," She whispered before her eyelids darkened her vision.

It only felt like she had slept in minutes when she woke up again, but everything was dark, so she must have slept for many hours. At first she didn't know why she was awake, she still felt sleepy, but then she heard a weird noise outside the window. Was that the sound that had woken her?

It was probably just the rain outside. She could hear the drops on the window.

"Ouch, damn roses!" An annoyed voice suddenly whispered.

"Gray?" she whispered sleepily, but after a while everything had gotten quiet again. Had it been her imagination? Probably. She made a little sigh and tried to fall asleep again, but suddenly the window flew open and slammed loudly against the wall. The loud sound made her jump up in surprise. She looked at the window for a second, but it remained silent, except from the wind that twirled around, and the rain that pounded.

"Help!" a strained voice suddenly sounded.

Lucy hurried to the window and looked out. Everything was covered in darkness, no sign of … anything.

"Down! Look down!" the voice said panicking. Lucy lowered her gaze and saw a dark silhouette hanging right under her window. Gray looked up at her, with a strained expression, he was holding tightly around a rock that was sticking out of the wall, "little help?"

Lucy just stared at him for a second. Then She exclaimed a panicking yell and reached down after the soaked mage.

"What the hell are you doing, Idiot!" she said and pulled him up. He got a hold around the window and pulled himself in.

"Why did they place your room so high? are they trying to kill me?" he said annoyed, "And I came after you of course." Gray said and shook his head like a dog, so the water splattered everywhere around him.

"Hey! Stop!" Lucy cried out and tried to cover herself from the water. Gray stopped and looked at her with tired eyes, and messy hair.

"I have climbed for hours … a little gratitude would be nice," He said and let himself sink down a nearby chair, "wow, this is comfy … I like your chairs."

"Thanks," Lucy said sarcastic and tried to find out if she was dreaming or not, "and why was you climbing, anyway?" she asked and sat herself on the bed, staring at him.

"I don't think they would let me use the front door," Gray said and tilted his head.

"No, I mean, why didn't you lift yourself up here with ice, or something?" Lucy said and stared blankly at the soaked boy in her chair. He was actually wearing a (soaked) shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Oh that …" Gray said and scratched the back of his head, "I have kind of … taught children ice magic the whole day, so I'm pretty worn out."

"Taught children magic?" Lucy said surprised. Now she was sure this was a dream.

"Yes … is that so hard to believe?" he said annoyed.

"Yeah," Lucy confirmed. Gray made a groan and let himself sink down the chair. Lucy watched him for a moment, she couldn't see him clearly in the dull light, but it was clearly that he was tired, "Gray?"

"Yeah …" he mumbled with closed eyes.

"Why aren't you angry? And why did you come here?" Lucy whispered and was almost afraid of the answer.

"Why should I be angry?" Gray said quietly.

"Because I kissed Mako and let the Guild down," Lucy whispered and the words almost made the tears come again. Gray was silent for a second, then he got to his feet and Lucy thought he would leave for a second, but then he started to walk toward her.

"Lucy," he whispered and kneeled in front of her, "I'm not angry – nobody's angry. Like I said yesterday; no one is forced to join Fairy Tail. I just got surprised, that's all – I'm sorry if I made you sad."

Lucy felt a blush spread in her cheeks and she turned her head away, but she could still feel the dark eyes on her face.

"I wasn't sad," she lied silently.

"I'm glad, then," Gray whispered and sat himself beside her on the bed, "but I'm a very selfish person."

"What?" Lucy said surprised and looked at him again. Gray caught her chin in a fast movement. His eyes was serious and hard.

"I don't want you to marry that guy, what-was-his-name," Gray whispered and his cold eyes held Lucy's. She didn't move. It was different from when Mako did it, she wanted Gray to kiss her, she wanted to know how he tasted.

"It's more complicated," Lucy managed to whisper.

"I don't care," Gray said and his eyes got serious, "I want you back to Fairy Tail, right now"

"I'm getting married tomorrow, Gray." Lucy whispered.

"So soon?" he gasped disbelieving. His eyes flicked for a second and Lucy tried to figure out what he was thinking.

"But," Lucy hurried to whispered and caught his attention again, "I promise you, that everything will be much easier when the wedding's over."

"Don't say that to me." Gray suddenly said and a flash of pain showed in his eyes, "can't you understand? Can't you see it?" his voice was almost desperate. Lucy held her breath for a second.

"Kiss me." She whispered. She was getting crazy by the space between them. Gray looked at her, his expression was so filled with pain that Lucy almost felt it too.

"Not if you're marring someone tomorrow," Gray said and let go of her chin.

"Please, Gray," she whispered.

"No! Don't play with me!" he said a little too loud and rushed to his feet. Lucy hurried to reach out and grabbed the back of his shirt.

"I'm not. Please Gray, don't be angry," she said with panicking eyes. Gray stood with his back toward her for a second, and then he turned around in a quick movement and yanked her into his lap. She felt her heart race and her cheeks turn hot.

"I'm sorry," Gray whispered just outside her ear, "I made you sad again."

She felt the tears form in her eyes again and she hurried to bury her face in his shoulder and tighten her grip around him. She wished the time would stop, right now and forever. She never wanted to let go – she didn't care if this was a dream or not, but the moment was over too quickly.

"Someone's coming," Gray whispered and pushed her a little away. Lucy stood for a second and just stared blankly ahead, then she saw Gray step up in the window and hurried back to reality.

"Don't!" she cried out and ran toward him and grabbed him from the back, "Don't go!"

"Shh … be quiet." Gray hushed and tried to remove her fingers from his shirt (Why did I wear a shirt, just when I shouldn't), "Lucy, please," he pushed her away with a little bit more force.

Now the footsteps outside the door were clear.

"Listen to me," he said, when she tried to hold him back again, "I'll see you again – it's not like, this it's goodbye, and I'll even …" he cut himself off.

"Even what?" Lucy demanded to know.

"I'll even love you, if you don't say ´I do´ tomorrow," he whispered and sent her a little smile. Lucy was too stunned by his words, that she didn't get a chance to stop him. Before she knew it, he was out of the window.

"Miss Lucy," one of the maids sounded, "are you okay, I heard voices."

Lucy didn't answer, she just hurried back I bed and hid under the covers. She heard the maid open the door, but she ignored her and just focused on stopping the tears that in a minute would flow.

Natsu, Alica and Mako wasn't really showing in this chapter - but they'll be in the next. :)

I finally made a proper GrayLucy moment. :) Did you like? Of course he had to leave fast, so Lucy didn't get to tell him everything. xD - hope you liked and please review. :D