A/N: Thanks for the encouraging reviews. Just to make clear Leo and Loke are the same person. Enjoy! BDN
Chapter Two:
The two Fairy Tail teammates walked in companionable silence as the rain had let up briefly during their journey to the northern section of Magnolia where their job was to take place. Gray appreciated the crisp air against his exposed skin; though he was trying hard to keep his clothes on to remain professional. Most of the times he stripped were when he was nervous and in Lucy's presence he felt at ease and relaxed.
"Oh my gosh, Gray! This was a brilliant idea!" Lucy exclaimed when they reached the job site. She raised her hands above her head and twirled in a circle with the length of her blue-grey trench coat flowing out before taking hold of Gray's hands and forcing him to spin with her.
Gray chuckled self-consciously as he allowed himself to be swayed by Lucy's childish antics. Their job was to demolish an old hotel to make room for a new school. "I figured that if you used Taurus and I could use my Ice-Make Cannon and we'd have completed the demolition aspect for the Schools of Tomorrow Project."
Lucy released his hands and then rubbed her palms together eagerly. "And at 200,000 jewels it's more than enough to pay for my rent!"
"And we'll use some of the profit to buy appropriate dress attire for our next job," Gray explained. He hadn't told Lucy what the second job was, but he was confident she'd enjoy it. It was the work that Mirajane had given him saying the customer requested him specifically. He remembered when Lucy first joined Fairy Tail Natsu often had her dressed as a maid or some other such ridiculous costume. She was always the decoy while he did the dirty work. Lucy was stronger than that and Gray wanted her to be an active participate in the job. She wasn't quite as destructive in her powers like the rest of Team Natsu, but she was a valuable member—why else would she be kidnapped so often when villains had ideals of world conquest in mind?
A harried figure rushed over toward them from the small construction trailer on the job site. It was an older man wearing a tall red top hat and a long red rain coat. "The weather is a bit unfortunate, but work doesn't wait," he said. "You must be the Fairy Tail mages?"
"Yes sir, I'm Gray Fullbuster and this is Lucy Heartfilia. We are here to fulfill your job request to demolish the old hotel," Gray said holding out his hand to shake that of the older man.
"I've heard of you two," the older man said. "I'm the project manager Josiah Veridian and I look forward to working with you both. I basically need you to knock down all the walls. We have a bull dozer coming in the morning to push aside the debris before we can hall it off. I just hope this weather clears up soon so we can begin construction."
"If I might make a suggestion, sir," Gray interjected. "Lucy and I can also move the debris if you're willing to pay us an extra fifteen percent of the promised fee."
"That would certainly be cheaper than renting the bull dozer," Josiah said rubbing his jaw. "Very well. I'll be closing shop this evening around five. I trust you'll be finished by then. I'll be in my trailer working on fine tuning some blueprints. I'll check on your progress after a while."
"No problem," Gray vowed. He turned to Lucy after their employer went back inside the small trailer. "After we bust down the walls, I'll create a glacier to push aside the debris. And Taurus could use his axe as a shovel if need be."
Lucy pulled out her Taurus celestial spirit key and held it high into the air. "I command the Gate of the Golden Bovine Palace to open! Taurus!"
The ferocious bull materialized holding his battle axe high above his head in a two-handed grip. "Moo! I'm ready, Lucy-san! Just let me knooooow what you need from moooo!"
"Hi, Taurus. You see that run-down building there? I want you to whack it down to pieces. You remember Gray?" Lucy said gesturing toward her teammate.
"Moo! Certainly!" The large bull was dancing anxiously in place, shifting his weight between his feet.
"He's going to shoot some ice cannonballs toward the building to start the demolition and you're going to finish knocking down the remainder. Understand?" Lucy explained.
Taurus nodded and held his battle ax at the ready and stopped his dancing about and looked ready to charge into action.
The early morning rain had saturated the ground. "My turn," Gray said slamming his bare hand onto the earth and drawing up the water within the soil to his grasp, then using both hands as his master trained him he created destructive art. "Ice-Make Cannon!" A surge of ice energy coursed through his body and he sent the first wave of his ice cannon ball barrage toward the dilapidated building.
"Moo! You're pretty goooood, Gray-san!" Taurus said twirling his battle axe enthusiastically. "Is it my turn, Lucy-san?"
"Go Taurus! Destroy the east wall!" Lucy ordered. She stood back next to Gray as they watched her celestial spirit reek havoc on the eastern wall.
"I have a feeling we'll be done before the five o'clock deadline," Gray commented.
He was right; by three o'clock they had demolished the old hotel completely and relocated the debris as requested. They were tempted to knock on the trailer's door, but decided to wait for their employer to return and Josiah most likely wouldn't be back to check on their progress or to pay them for their efforts until five- so they needed to kill time.
Lucy dismissed Taurus and reached into her messenger bag for two bottles of water and a bag of dried fruit and nuts. She sat on a relatively dry portion of a nearby bench and offered her food to Gray. "Hungry? We haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I guess Leo was right, breakfast is very important."
"Loke always was a big fan of eating," Gray agreed sitting next to her. His portion of the bench was chilled and damp, but he didn't mind. Ice was his element. He accepted a handful of the snack and the water gratefully. "So, you want to tell me why you were so upset this morning?"
"It's stupid. I just- I had become complacent. Ever since I joined Fairy Tail it has been Natsu there to help me on jobs. He's the one that fulfilled my dream by bringing me to the guild. I owe him so much."
"You'd have been recruited eventually, regardless if Natsu had been the first to find you or not," Gray argued. "Especially with Loke being one of the celestial spirits you were fated to join Fairy Tail."
"Maybe," Lucy shrugged and sipped from her water. "It's just, he was my partner. And then you and Erza became my partners, but on the small jobs it was just me, Natsu, and Happy. I guess I just figured it would always be that way."
"Lucy, you are just as much my teammate as you are Natsu's teammate. And sometimes you go on jobs with Erza and Wendy. It's not only Natsu." Gray angled himself so he could face the celestial spirit mage better, but she averted her eyes. "And it was Cana that you fought with in the S-class mage promotion exam. Fairy Tail is about multiple bonds, not just who was your first friend."
"You're right and I know that. Leo was right, I was just over-reacting. And while I don't like-like Natsu, Happy always implied that he liked me, so when I found out that was all lies and that he was engaged to Lisanna. It just really hurt."
He thought about that for a few moments. He'd been attracted to Lucy when he first laid eyes upon her. And near the beginning of their friendship they'd swapped bodies under the Changeling magic from their request board—he knew from first hand that there was nothing to complain about. "Hurt your feelings or hurt your pride?" Gray asked gently.
Lucy met his eyes with tears that wouldn't fall. "Maybe both? He's been my best friend here and I thought he would have said something to me if he was planning to propose to someone."
Gray focused on gathering ice magic in his hands and created a small ice lilly. He handed it to Lucy. "His conversation with you was the first I'd heard of it. I doubt if Lisanna even knows that he considers a promise made as a child to be binding as an adult. And seeing as we've been missing for the past seven years if she had feelings for him I imagine they probably faded somewhat. You realize, Natsu is an idiot, right? Did you really want to be the object of his affections?"
"He does a good job of saving me when the situation is dire," Lucy said smiling down at the ice flower in her palm. "But then, so do you and Leo and Erza." After closing her eyes for a few moments to collect herself the tears in her brown eyes dried up. "And you and Leo have both given me flowers now. What will Juvia think if she found out you gave me a flower?"
Gray groaned and cradled his head in his hands. "That woman is crazy."
"She just really adores you, as she should. You're pretty amazing," Lucy confided. He peeked at her through his fingers. "She even joined Fairy Tail after you defeated her because you made such an impression."
"Juvia is a friend. She and I work well together-water and ice do mix together nicely. However, she's absolutely psychotic around me. I was really grateful to have a chance to not cross paths with her. But, it's really funny, because Leon-my old training partner-has a huge crush on her."
"Hmm," Lucy said with a thoughtful expression. Gray glanced at her worriedly. It had been his experience whenever she grew creative it was either brilliant or disastrous - no middle ground.
She didn't seem forthcoming with whatever scheme she had, so with a heavy sigh, he asked, "And what are you thinking now?"
Lucy smiled manically and giggled. "I have a great idea!"
"Okay, let's hear it," was his wary response.
"So, I was upset that Natsu is engaged to Lisanna-even though that's ridiculous-but if that's what makes our friend happy then I should be happy for him. I don't want him to think I have crush on him or anything."
"Do you have a crush on him?"
"Of course not! Well, maybe a little, since he has saved my life multiple times. But then so have you, Erza, and Leo. I certainly don't have a crush on Erza."
Did that mean she had a crush on him and Loke? "And you've been an important member of our team as well. Without your skill over the celestial spirits there would have been many disasters that no matter our power we'd have been unable to thwart," Gray conceded.
"Thanks for that, Gray." She gave him a faint smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "So, my idea, given your situation with Juvia: you want her to be your friend, and even though you've told her repeatedly that the feeling isn't mutual she keeps being interested. Maybe if you were unavailable she'd move on and you could work with her without her acting crazy."
"That sounds good. Go on. How am I supposed to be unavailable? Extended jobs haven't worked so far other than giving myself a mental holiday from the crazy."
"You and I," Lucy said pointed between them. "We become the ultimate team."
"By team, you mean..."
"We pretend to be lovers. It's brilliant!"
"..." Gray didn't know what to say to that.
"Do you not agree?" Lucy asked cautiously. "I thought it would work. Natsu could freely explore his relationship with Lisanna without worrying about my feelings and Juvia would finally get a clue."
"Why lovers? Why not boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Oh, uh," Lucy laughed nervously. "That could work too."
Lucy's idea might just hold merit and he shouldn't discount it straight away. "Not to be arrogant, but I'm handsome and you're gorgeous. It stands to reason that once we started a relationship we wouldn't be able to keep our hands off one another. So after a few jobs alone it would seem the natural progression." The temperature had started to cool.
"Uh, Gray, are you sure you're comfortable with the idea?"
"Of course! Why would you think I'm not?"
Lucy lifted up his discarded shirt and pants. "You're sitting on the bench in your boxers."
"Jeez," Gray muttered grabbing the articles of clothing and dressing himself again. "Okay, maybe a little nervous about the idea."
"So, what's the other job you have picked out for us?"
"It's the job Mirajane gave me. It takes place on Saturday evening, but we'll need to arrive in the early afternoon to prepare," Gray answered. "And we'll go shopping either later tonight or tomorrow for the appropriate attire." Lucy loved shopping and she had great taste and a limited budget, so with her help he might be able to keep the experience productive and short.
"And what attire is that?"
"A tuxedo for me and an evening gown for you."
"What exactly is our job?"
"Don't worry, Lucy!" He reached over and cupped his hand against the back of her head and drew her face to his chest, then kissed the crown of her hair. "I know for a fact that it will involve skills we both possess." He released his hold on her and smiled in a dazzling display of his pearly whites. "Erza should be back on Sunday. We can probably start on the complicated job you found by Monday."
"Maybe this pretending to be lovers thing is a bit too much," Lucy murmured.
"Non-sense. It's the best idea you've had for our situation! And, it will be fun!"
The door to the trailer opened, and their employer Josiah Veridian stepped out holding a bowl of fruit. He paused halfway down the stairs and almost dropped the bowl at seeing the cleared off slab. "I just came out to see if you kids needed a snack. I didn't really think you'd be done."
The Fairy Tail mages stood and Gray quickly put his pants back on hoping the older man wouldn't have noticed his habit. He had good timing; because by the time Josiah turned to face them he was appropriately dressed. The older man held out the bowl to them.
"We finished a short while ago and were taking a breather," Gray explained.
"Help yourself to some fresh grapes. I'll go back inside and bring out your payment with the fifteen percent bonus. There's no need for you two to stick out here." He gestured toward the darkening sky. "The bottom is about to drop and you'll get soaked by the looks of things."
Lucy picked up Gray's discarded shirt and tossed it to him before she buttoned up her rain jacket. Josiah returned shortly with their money—all twenty-three hundred jewels.
They left with a spring in their step and their wallets bulging with money. Thunder rumbled ominously in the overcast sky. "We might need to wait to shop until tomorrow morning," Gray commented.
"A little water never hurt anyone," Lucy countered. "My landlady is going to be thrilled—she'll be getting my rent a few days early!" She hooked her arm through the crook at Gray's elbow and fell into step with him. "You are a master at reading the job request board."
"You've got the best apartment in our team, I have to make sure you can make rent," Gray countered. He was a little uneasy at having Lucy latched onto his arm. Perhaps she didn't notice that her large bosom brushed against his arm. Surely, she had some back aches from supporting that weight. He remembered briefly when they swapped bodies that it was a bit difficult to balance with her shape. Perhaps she was the most fit of them all being as mobile as she was with her generous proportions.
"What are you thinking? You look a million miles away?" Lucy asked, dark eyes searching his.
"Just that we need to hurry or we're going to be soaked," he answered as a flash of lightning lit up the sky followed almost immediately by a crack of thunder. That meant the storm was near. He started to speed up and Lucy matched his pace as they headed back toward the guild.
It wasn't another five minutes before the bottom fell out of the clouds and the downpour of rain started to drench them. Gray took hold of Lucy and swept her up bridal style and with her body pressed close against his chest and her arms around his neck ran at top speed with her apartment as his goal.
"Gray!" Lucy squealed ducking her head against his throat.
"It's faster this way," he growled. By the time they reached Lucy's front doorsteps the rain was so dense they could hardly see more than a foot in front of them. Lucy pulled out her front door key and after unlocking the door, Gray stumbled inside still clinging to Lucy. He set her gently on her feet and leaned wearily against the door closing it behind him.
Lucy began to laugh. "My, that was exciting. I don't think I've ever been carried like that to avoid a little rain. I've only been carried when I was too injured or running from monsters."
Gray sent her a wobbly smile. "Glad I could change up the experience for you." He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the run to his own home. "Well, I'll come by in the morning then." He reached for the doorknob, but Lucy's hand upon his wrist kept him from opening it.
"Don't be ridiculous. You might be the amazing ice mage, but you can still pick up a cold from this weather. You're going to dry off and get warm and wait for this rain to stop. It's not like you haven't broken into my apartment before."
"It might not let up until morning, Lucy." Gray was nervous about the idea of possibly staying over at her place now that they had decided to try their hand at pretend lovers. What if things got out of hand? Lucy was his friend, but there was no denying he was attracted to her—especially after carrying her wet body pressed tightly against him.
"Then you'll stay the night. Let me grab you a towel. I may care about your health, but I'm still selfish enough to want dibs on the first hot shower," Lucy said giving him a quick smile. She went to the linen closet just inside of her bathroom and took out a pair of towels. One she set on the counter of her bathroom and the other she held out to Gray. "Now you can strip out of those wet clothes. You can set them on the washing machine and I'll wash and dry them in a bit."
He didn't even have a chance to protest because she went into her bathroom, shut the door, and turned on the shower. He couldn't help but note that she failed to lock the door. Was that trust on her part? Or was that an open invitation? He decided not to test his luck and did as requested, stripping out of his wet clothes including his boxers and then wrapping his waist in the towel.
He noticed on the desk in the corner of the room a familiar journal. The steam from the shower had started to seep out from under the bathroom door. She tended to take long showers, so he had time if he wanted to look through her journal—maybe a quick peak.
The temptation was too great and he found himself flipping through the pages. There was no declaration of undying love for him—he wasn't surprised as this wasn't his first glance through her journal. What he did find was a surprise. Her last few entries had been the lyrics to songs she was writing—and they were actually pretty good though a bit darker than he would have thought.
I draw disaster from the fane
Like fire in the sky
I am the bandage and the bane
The furor of the fires
I stand alone when none remain
A creature of the night
I'll cut you in, but there's no way out
I run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds
He heard the water turn off and he quickly put the journal back as it was and settled himself on the couch and closed his eyes feigning sleep. He could feel the steam from the shower envelop the room when Lucy opened the bathroom door. He opened his eyes after a moment.
"It's all yours," she said stepping out wearing a robe and hand-drying her long hair with a towel.
"If you were trying to convince others that we were a couple all they'd have to do was see this scene between us: you coming out of the shower in a robe and me in only a towel." He stood and started to make his way to the bathroom.
Lucy's gaze traveled up and down his body. "I've seen you half naked before, but it still amazes me just how good looking you are. Now hurry up and shower before I ravage you," she said with a giggle.
Gray rolled his eyes. "You joke, but you're seriously putting me in a weird position," he said passing her and stepping into the bathroom.
She reached out and took hold of his shoulder, her cheeks were crimson and she wouldn't look him in the eyes. Her gaze was solidly fixed on his collarbone. "Maybe we wouldn't have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend."
Gray swallowed thickly. "Let's just leave ourselves open to the possibility," he said. He wasn't about to risk one of his very precious friendships. "And regardless, promise to be friends."
Lucy nodded and then looked him in the eyes. "Promise. Now, take your shower. I'll make us something to eat and start the laundry. There are more towels in the linen closet and I have another robe that isn't too girly in the back of that closet if you'd prefer it."
"Maybe some hot tea?" he asked.
"Of course and with a dash of milk to make it not too hot, just like you prefer," Lucy said starting for the kitchen.
Gray lingered in the doorway for a moment longer to watch her sashay her hips. He then stepped into the bathroom and shut the door and leaned against it. What was he getting himself into? He'd never even gone on a date before. He knew that Lucy had, because he'd seen her dress up and meet up with guys in town—he and Natsu had taken turns keeping an eye on her to keep her safe in case one of the guys tried something. Maybe he should ask Loke for advice—the celestial spirit was renowned for his dating prowess—however, how would he feel when the woman in question was his beloved key keeper?
There was a knock on the door. "Gray? Are you having trouble figuring out the shower? It can be a little complicated."
"Uh, no I think I've got it figured out," he answered. He stood in front of the shower and then blinked in confusion. She wasn't kidding. There were at least three nozzles and none of them were marked.
"Are you sure?" Lucy asked, her voice teasing.
"Okay, maybe a little," Gray admitted.
"Can I come in?"
"It's not locked."
She entered the bathroom and without a glance at him made her way to the shower. The mirror was still fogged up from her hot shower. She started the lowest nozzle and water poured out of the bottom faucet. "Feel this and let me know when it's the right temperature. Once you find the right setting you can't change it."
He kneeled beside her and touched the streaming water and cringed. "A bit hot for my tastes."
She adjusted the nozzle and then glanced at him in askance. He felt the much cooler temperature—still a bit warmer than usual for him, but it might be nice. He nodded. She then flipped a switch and the water came out of the shower head up top. "Enjoy," she said with a last smile before flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking out of the bathroom closing the door behind her.
He was definitely in trouble. He hung his towel on the hook behind the door and stepped into the shower—and then promptly turned it off so that he could turn down the temperature a few notches before starting it back up again—he definitely could use a cold shower.
A/N: The lyrics come from a House of Heroes song called Lose Control—it's one of my favorites!