GrayLu Week 2016 Day 4
Prompt: Drunk
And now back to Fairy Tail Guild, where an easy job leads to exciting results... so to speak. ;)
Chapter 4 – In Vino Veritas
Fairy Tail Guild, Part II
The next time the team got together for a job, Lucy smiled brightly at Gray, determined that she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way of developing strong friendships with all her team-mates. Besides, she'd gone over all of her impressions from the last few weeks, and she had to admit that there wasn't much to go on. On the other hand… There were no good explanations for last week's behaviour that made sense other than jealousy. Being an optimist, she decided that it would sort itself out.
Gray felt a certain amount of apprehension as the team boarded the train for one of the more distant towns. He'd known that Lucy would probably go for somebody fun and cheerful like flame brain, but he'd at least had the sense (and the guts) to try to talk to her one-on-one and gauge her reaction before giving up. And… until Natsu had shown up, he'd thought that maybe he had a chance after all. He could see now that he'd just been suffering from an unusual fit of optimism. It was time to face the facts and get used to being a good friend and team-mate – and nothing else. But Natsu always got sick on trains – hell, he'd get sick on a donkey cart – so he'd probably rest his fluffy pink head on Lucy's lap for the trip… Ugh.
Lucy and Erza boarded together, chatting as they went up the steps and along the car to find seats.
"You'll see what I mean in a minute, Lucy," murmured the striking, scarlet-haired woman.
"But he always gets sick," Lucy protested. "He must expect it by now!"
"Uh-huh." Erza stowed her hand luggage, a mere leather hold-all and two suitcases, onto the metal racks above the seats. Train conductors and station staff simply did not argue with Erza.
Just then, the guys came down the aisle toward them. Gray had his usual half-serious, half-wary look, but a slight quirk at the corner of his lips suggested that he was trying not to laugh. Natsu was definitely not laughing.
"Erza, wait up! I just remembered how much I hate trains! I was thinking that I'd just –"
Lucy rolled her eyes and Erza smirked, an unusual look for her. To Lucy's shock, Erza feigned understanding, and then knocked the Fire Slayer out with one precise strike. She lowered him quite gently onto a seat by the window, taking the seat beside it and settling his lolling head with its extravagant pink mane onto her lap.
"B-but… what?!"
The Requip Mage smiled kindly at Lucy, who suddenly realized that the Guild's leading female warrior had just arranged things nicely so that Lucy would spend several hours sitting in close quarters with Gray. It dawned on her that Erza had probably been speaking with Mirajane, Fairy Tail's most fervent match-maker and a long-time friend of the red-head's.
Lucy barely restrained herself from a totally understandable face-palm. She heard Gray clear his throat from behind her.
"Would you prefer the window or the aisle? Either's good with me."
His face and voice were studiously neutral. On the other hand, he'd already misplaced his t-shirt. Oh wow. Was she going to have to sit beside a half-dressed Gray for five or six hours? The seats weren't especially roomy either.
"Um, Lucy?" She could see a bit of colour creeping into the other mage's face, and realized that (a) he'd just discovered that he'd lost his shirt, and (b) she'd been staring at him again.
"Right! Yes! I'll take the window seat if that's okay with you."
Lucy scooted into the far seat and tried to look out the window as Gray settled himself in beside her. If he'd been as big as some of the other Fairy Tail men, like Laxus or Elfman, their shoulders would have practically been touching. Lucy tried to be alarmed by the prospect of spending so much time just inches away from Gray, but failed. She then had to do her best to ignore Erza's slightly smug expression, which wasn't much easier. Lucy felt like sticking her tongue out at the other woman, but didn't want to have to explain her motivations.
Once the train had gotten underway, Gray had tracked down his shirt. He hadn't put it back on, though, on the basis that the carriage was hot and stuffy. He had looked pointedly at Natsu.
Lucy mostly believed his excuse, but she wondered if maybe he just liked the way she looked at him when he wasn't wearing a shirt. Of course, he might just prefer to walk around half-dressed.
Eventually, Lucy got tired of polite monosyllables from Gray, who seemed distracted, and went back to looking out the window. Erza had taken out a book, which appeared to be absorbing all of her attention. At some point, Natsu had gone from being unconscious to being asleep, but either way he was drooling slightly, which Erza seemed prepared to overlook for some reason.
As time wore on, Lucy started to slump. Eventually, she curled up against the window and started to drift off; however, she started imagining how much better it would be to curl up against the man beside her, and then had to tell herself off. She had apologized in advance to Gray, in case she was restless in her sleep, but he had shrugged and said that he would be fine.
"Lucy?" Gray said softly, just as she was about to fall asleep.
"Y-(stifled yawn)-yes?"
"There's a good pub in this city we're going to… I was thinking that unless we end up working tonight, maybe we could go check it out?" There was a hint of anxiety in Gray's usually even tones.
Lucy suddenly felt less sleepy. Was he asking her on a date? Or at least a sort-of date? She hesitated, not wanting to freak him out by being too enthusiastic if she had misjudged, and he decided that she was really weird to get so worked up about going out for a couple of drinks with a colleague…
"It's no big deal," Gray told her after a moment, obviously taken aback by her panicked silence. "I just thought, since you've never been to the town before, you might want to see the place a bit…"
Lucy just knew that his next words were going to be along the lines of: "Don't worry, we'll ask Erza and Natsu to come too." That's not what she wanted. Out of nowhere, she remembered sitting at a patio table outside a café, writing a letter to Gray. She hadn't wanted there to be any more misunderstandings. Except… Lucy knew that she'd never written a letter to Gray. But she could clearly feel the need to…
"…speak now or forever hold your peace, as the saying goes," she muttered.
"What?" asked Gray, confused. He continued: "I was just going to say –"
"Yes, the pub sounds great and I'd really like to go with you," she interrupted him. Lucy put as much warmth into her voice as her courage would let her. If Gray thought that she was being strangely enthusiastic, then so be it.
She peeked sideways and accidentally met his eyes, which were the darkest midnight blue that she'd ever seen. And suddenly there was another strange memory that wasn't a memory, and she found herself reaching out to run her fingers over the blue mark on Gray's chest. For a moment she even felt herself being held in his arms, her head against his chest – and then self-preservation kicked in and she yanked her hand back as though it had been burned. Gray was staring at her in surprise.
"I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"
Argh! What a stupid thing to say! She waited for the wisecrack about how it was obvious what she'd been thinking and so on.
But the Ice-Make Mage just looked at her oddly and shook his head.
"Um, that's okay Luce – I mean, a little weird, but don't worry about it."
Lucy pressed her burning cheeks into the cool glass of the window and tried not to remember the feeling of being held in strong arms against a lean, muscled chest. It seemed unfair that it was so hard to forget something that hadn't actually happened. Unfortunately.
After a while, she really did fall asleep.
When Lucy woke up, she wasn't surprised to find her head resting comfortably on Gray's shoulder. It was a lot more comfortable than the window.
"We're almost there," he said neutrally. "I'm afraid you kind of… fell over onto me. I hope your neck isn't too stiff."
Lucy automatically massaged her neck, but it was fine. She tried not to think about how rumpled she probably looked.
"Anyway, it's time to wake up the world's most annoying pink-haired man."
Lucy couldn't help it – she laughed. "How many pink-haired men do you know?"
"Just one. That must be why I haven't killed him yet – he is also the least annoying pink-haired man I know, so it all balances out to a kind of meh."
The Celestial Mage's hopes for the trip started to rise again… Sure, he could just be bantering with her as a friend and colleague… but maybe not! Lucy was nothing if not determined.
The pub was crowded and a bit loud, but it covered up the slight awkwardness of being out alone with Gray for the first time. The job had gone well – especially since Lucy had taken down two of their opponents who had tried to sneak away once Erza, Natsu and Gray started taking apart their leaders, not to mention their base of operations. Of course, Happy claimed that he had done everything himself, but that was normal.
It was too bad that one or two (or three) of Natsu's wilder attacks had burned the top off the City Hall, but at least Gray had made himself popular by putting the fire out quickly. Lucy could still picture him as he calmly used precise ice attacks to quench the flames.
Erza had made Natsu's property damage the excuse for not allowing him to go out drinking with the other two, telling him that she wanted him where she could see him and where he couldn't cause more harm to their reward money. Not surprisingly, Natsu was sulking. However, knowing Erza, she would eventually relent and then go out with Natsu for a few drinks and several desserts. They might or might not see her later.
"I decided to bring over a bunch of different things to try," Gray called over the music, as he set a tray down on the tiny wooden table that they had to themselves in one corner. "I hope there's something you like!"
"This'll be fine! When does the music start?" Lucy picked a glass at random and sipped at it. Not bad. Okay, now to have a good time with the guy I've got a crush on without getting drunk and making an idiot of myself.
"In about thirty minutes. How's the beer? Most of the ones I brought over are made here."
They talked about the beer and today's battle, and Lucy made a point of not mentioning Natsu too often. It wasn't really a problem, though. She was a bit of a lightweight when it came to drinking – even beer – and by the time the music really got going she was feeling distinctly buzzed. Gray had gone back to the bar for more drinks, even though they still had a couple of tall glasses left of some kind of dark, fizzy stuff. He'd made her promise not to start without him.
When he got back, the small tray had shot glasses as well as a pitcher of the local beer that Lucy had liked best. Lucy laughed at him.
"Trying to get me drunk?" she asked quizzically.
"No – well, sort of I guess." Gray turned a little pink at that. "Anyway, the dark stuff in the tall glasses is double-distilled apple brandy and a light beer. They call it shandy, but honestly, the stuff has a crazy kick. I wanted to get us refills before things get EVEN NOISIER."
The band had moved on to a couple of fast numbers, which were definitely on the loud side. Lucy moved her chair closer to Gray's – so that she could hear him, of course. Apparently, Gray had the same idea, because they ended up colliding. Gray managed to keep both of them from falling over, but somehow ended up with an arm around Lucy's shoulders.
They tried the so-called shandies next, and Lucy decided that the stuff tasted great. She recognized that she was quickly going from buzzed to intoxicated, but it all tasted really great. Besides, she seldom got really drunk, and she wasn't going to have much more.
Gray tried to say something to her, but she just shook her head at him and giggled. He grinned at her, reached over, and pulled her into his lap. As his shirt was long gone, this seemed like a brilliant idea to both of them. She loved the feeling of his skin against her bare middle. In a fit of wild optimism, and knowing the man's tendencies, she'd worn a very short, sleeveless top and an ever shorter skirt. Mira would be proud of me, she thought hazily… Lucy was pretty sure that she wasn't misreading any cues now. She wriggled a little closer.
"So! How do you like it so far?" Gray asked, putting his lips against her ear – to be heard, of course.
Lucy discovered that she couldn't respond right away, as Gray's soft breath in her ear was making her a little dizzy – unless that was the alcohol. His left hand was holding her tightly against him, her back to his chest. His right hand had started running along the exposed skin of her right thigh. Lucy felt tingles spread all along her nervous system. His hands were cool and warm at the same time – the flesh and blood was warm, but there was just a hint of frost over it too, as if the Ice Make magic was lying just under the surface.
In the end, she didn't bother answering the question; she just gave him a lazy – probably drunken – smile, and leaned back into him even more. She'd never sat with a guy like this before, but she was pretty sure that he was more than a little turned on at this point.
Gray moved his hand off her leg long enough to finish another drink – the table was now littered with glasses – and then he put his lips to Lucy's ear again.
"You may have guessed this already…" he said quietly, pausing to run the tip of his tongue along the inside of her ear, "… but I really like you." His words were barely slurred, despite all the alcohol that he'd had – and he'd definitely had more than she had. "I thought…" now his left thumb was softly caressing the soft skin of her bare stomach, "… that you liked Natsu… and I almost screwed things up by just, I don't know, giving up I guess…"
Gray stopped and leaned his forehead against the back of her shoulder; he could smell some kind of citrus-y shampoo in her hair and the light rosewater perfume she seemed to prefer. She had gorgeous hair.
"Mmmm… What changed y'ur min' ice prince?"
Lucy giggled softly when Gray reacted to the nickname by huffing in mock-irritation into the back of her neck. When he started to tickle her, though, she protested:
"…'s better than ice princess right? Am I right? Stop it – oi!"
She started to tumble off Gray's lap, and discovered that her limbs, especially her legs, weren't working at all well. Fortunately, Gray either had better reflexes or was more used to being drunk, because he caught her before she hit her head. He set Lucy back into his lap, but this time made sure that she was sitting across his knees so that he could see her face. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from drinking, hopefully from something else as well. He couldn't quite get over how soft she was – for somebody who could kick bad-guys like she did, anyway.
When Gray started nuzzling her neck, Lucy pushed at his head a little, eventually pulling his face up by curling her fingers into his hair. She liked his hair. Wow… she had really fallen for this guy… It was a little scary, but thankfully the alcohol was beating the crap out of her inhibitions.
"You di'n't – didn't – answer my question, Gray. Pay atten…tion." She was proud that the final syllable came out late but not slurred. She was done drinking, she decided. Whatever happened tonight, she wanted to be able to remember it properly the next day.
Gray wrapped his arms around tightly around the blond mage (mostly so that his hands wouldn't go where they might not yet be wanted… he could be patient, right?). The reason was ridiculous, but what better time to explain something ridiculous than when you were – just a little bit – drunk. Although right now he thought that infatuation and lust were giving the alcohol a good run for its money.
"Um… when we were on the train… I suddenly felt as if I was going to lose you… not just now but always… And then I thought I saw your Fairy Tail mark start to fade. It was weird. I mean, it was probably nothing, but it was a very strong nothing, if you know what I mean. An' – And I didn't want to be a coward."
To Gray's surprise, Lucy just looked at him with big, dark brown, serious eyes. She nodded slowly (and very carefully).
"I believe you. Thanks for telling me."
She leaned forward and tried to kiss his forhead, but missed and hit her nose.
"Ow."
Gray laughed – Lucy hadn't realized that he could laugh like that – and then Lucy giggled.
"Let me try," Gray suggested, his own cheeks red with more than just alcohol. He could hear the slight roughness in his voice that was about something else altogether.
The dark-haired mage slid both his hands into the soft blond hair and pulled Lucy's mouth firmly onto his own. She twitched in surprise, but when he didn't let go she relaxed and then he could finally kiss her properly. He kissed her lips until they both needed air, and then he moved his tongue between her lips and licked the inside of her lips, and behind her teeth, and then further and further back until she started pushing back against him with her own tongue. Leaving one hand in her hair to keep her tightly against him, he snaked the other hand around her waist to her hipbone just beneath the waistband of her little skirt.
His mind was pretty clouded now, but he waited to make sure that she was comfortable with what he was doing, before going back to kissing her. Oh dear gods, please let me not be too drunk to stop. The thought kept running through his mind as he savoured the feeling of her lithe body pressed against his and her mouth on his and her hands that were now wound tightly into his hair.
"Hey – loverboy!" A rough hand shook Gray's shoulder and he immediately, if reluctantly, lifted his head to look up. He could just tell that he had the drunken, glazed look of a man who was half gone between alcohol and fierce desire.
"Yes?" he demanded, forming the word carefully with bruised and puffy lips. He narrowed his eyes at a sturdy man in a moderately clean white apron whom he vaguely remembered as the bartender and possibly co-owner of the pub.
The man studied him for a moment and then laughed.
"Look son," he said, in a slightly kinder voice, "do us all a favour and get a room will ya? My wife's not really one for such goin's on in the public drinkin' area, and your girl is barely half-dressed – not to mention you. Okay? Fair enough? You're them Fairy Tail folks right? I do rightly appreciate what you did for us an' all – especially you, son, puttin' out the fire like you did… But it looks to me like you've got a bigger fire t'deal with now, eh?"
The man couldn't quite keep a smirk off his face, but Gray decided that he couldn't blame him. Besides, what the hell was he doing necking with a drunk Lucy in front of a bunch of yahoos anyway? He nodded stiffly to the pub-owner and stood up, helping a protesting Lucy to her feet – and helping her stay on her feet.
He made sure to leave a decent tip on the table, then guided Lucy back through the streets to the inn where they were staying. She kept trying to tell him something, but he wanted to get her back to her room. When they got there, Gray had to fish her key out of her small purse and then help her inside to her bed. She flopped down gracelessly and smiled dreamily up at him.
"So, does this mean we're going out now, Gray?" she asked sleepily, her cheeks still flushed but her eyes half-closed. "Like… as a couple?"
"Uh, yeah – I hope so. Otherwise I've gone to all this trouble for nothing…"
Lucy laughed happily – and a little bit drunkenly too.
Gray knelt carefully beside the bed, because he really wasn't sure what would happen if he just crawled in beside her. But he could guess. They'd have to talk about that. His conscience cheered him on, and his libido rolled its eyes and demanded a retrial.
"Okay, tha's good Gray… really…"
Beautiful, adorable Lucy looked at him and smiled, her lips swollen and a little bruised from kissing him. He smoothed her hair back from her forehead, but couldn't resist running his other hand across her soft belly, which made her shiver slightly and giggle. With as much control as he could muster, he gave the red, inviting mouth a last kiss and then got himself out of the room as quickly as he could manage without making her feel badly.
"G'night, Luce," he said at the door, leaning a little on the frame.
"Oh… goodnight, Gray… Thanks… see you tomorrow…"
Gray closed her door gently behind him and walked away.
Sorry it's late! Stuff happened... And then it got much longer than I'd planned! But I hope you enjoyed the fluffy GrayLu goodness... (grin)
Many, many thanks to all those who have sent me encouragement here and on Tumblr. Just knowing you're reading and liking is great!
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~ImpracticalOni (it's a Hakuouki thing, don't mind me ;)