Prompt: Cold (GrayLu Week Day 1 - September 1st, 2014)
Standard Disclaimers Apply
The cold always sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. It stripped her, left her feeling naked despite the layers and layers of expensive wool, silk, and linen she wore. It humiliated her.
And she absolutely hated it.
The first time she met Gray, he was literally naked.
It was humiliating just to watch, but he wasn't naked because of the cold. It was the opposite. He claimed everything to be too hot, and he found no humiliation whatsoever in stripping himself bare.
And she slowly began to envy him, admire him for the things she wished she had.
They soon became teammates, and she found out he utilized ice magic.
He was able to control the source of her fear, warp it into whatever he felt necessary. The ice assisted him in battle. It helped him prosper. On the other hand, the cold and anything related to it seemed only to destroy her.
Many nights, she wondered why she wasn't more like him.
More than once, Gray noticed her glancing at him in battle.
"Watch out!" he warned one day. He had immediately rushed to her rescue, cradling her in his arms tightly. "You idiot! Why weren't you paying more attention?"
She didn't know when jealousy and admiration evolved into love, but the realization finally hit her that night after their battle.
He had brought her out to the beach and gestured for her to sit.
"You're always staring at me," he started smoothly once they settled down.
She didn't know what to say, so she hid her face in her arms, pretending that the sound of the waves crashing against the shore rendered him inaudible. In the silence that followed, she figured out her feelings. It was a strange feeling, like the blooming of a spring flower in the midst of winter.
At the sound of magic being cast, she looked up and found a translucent flower on the sand in front of her. It was still a bud, but it looked animate enough that she thought it would bloom at any moment, though he had made it out of ice.
"Do you love my magic that much, Lucy?" His hand sought closer and found a place right beside her on the ground. His body began to follow.
She didn't notice as she nervously glanced up. The flower. What does it mean? Did he read my mind?
He whispered in her ear just then, taking her breath away. "Or is it me that you love?"
His hands began to explore her, fingertips grazing her soft skin, palms applying just the right amount of pressure. She felt numb yet sensitive to even the slightest contact made by those icy cold hands of his.
She should have hated it because he was cold, because she was shivering again.
But this time, the shivers were not unpleasant; they were teasing. They stripped her bare, but she no longer felt humiliated. It only made her feel loved.
Beside them, the flower made of ice bloomed.
A/N: I've never done this prompt thing before, so it was a lot of fun to do! Thank you so much to Nora57 for inviting me to GrayLu week! ^^ (Okay it's super cheesy and last minute, but I'm sorry!) Thanks for reading! Please review!