Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail because if I did, the manga wouldn't suck right now.
A/N: YOSH~! Okaeri-nasai minna-san! Your reviews were so heartwarming and supportive – despite the last chapter being a total disaster, I can't love you guys enough ^.^
THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO OuiSexSi FOR BEING SUCH A HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE READER AND ALSO TO WELCOME HER TO THE D2L FAMILY :)
Previously on D2L: …this was no dream, this was no nightmare, this was no illusion – this was Gray and this was real.
Continue:
"Ah if it isn't Fullbuster-san!" Came a voice from behind him.
"Yajima-san" Gray nodded in acknowledgement.
"You have grown, boy. I remember telling your mother that one day, you would do her proud and the Fullbuster Inc. that you and your step-siblings have nurtured is proof of my prophecy. Well done" Yajima-san said and Gray thanked him. He had known Yajima-san for a long time… It was all the way from when he was born till he landed in Fairy High. Yajima-san had been close with his parents, with Ur and even with Makarov; he was as much a father figure to Gray as Makarov was.
"Kitami-san, won't you meet my boy – This is Gray Fullbuster, CEO of the Fullbuster Inc. Son of Silver Fullbuster and step-son on Ur Milkovich" Yajima declared proudly to Kitami Hyodo, a very proud businessman.
And like that, Gray kept meeting more and more people. He had become so used to this kind of atmosphere that he had managed to submerge himself within it and actually come to enjoy them – in his own way.
"And this, my boy, is Tsukiyomi Aruto's son – Arata-kun" Yajima continued to introduce. Gray shook hands with the raven head. His hair, though the same color, was a bit shorter than Gray's or maybe a lot shorter considering Gray's lion-style mane; for some reason, the shortness kind of bothered Gray.
He took a sip of his champagne and continued to laugh at the jokes he never bothered to listen to.
"It's a very nice arrangement though, isn't it?" 'Beetroot-san' as Gray liked to call him said. It was after all, difficult to keep track of all the names and despite attending functions like these for years, the idea of memorizing random names of supposedly important people, never really sunk into his mind well.
"Yes, one would expect no less from Eucliffe-kun"
"Gray have you met Eucliffe-kun yet?"
"Oh, I haven't had the pleasure to do so just yet." He replied politely as he had learnt to over the years. He was just giving his last greetings to them when someone accidentally stumbled on him, but he was quick. He caught the girl in a flash.
"Alright, I'll see you around Gray-kun" Yajima-san who was last to disperse said and Gray replied with a nod before turning to the girl he had the pleasure of saving.
At first he was met with wide chocolate brown orbs, staring straight at him; his heart almost stopped as he stared back following the fall of the beautiful blond hair that framed the angelic face he hadn't seen for what felt like an eternity. His eyes bore into every change in her features.
He had always thought that at least one day in what was left of his life on this Earth, they would surely cross paths once and when they did, he had had so much he had planned to say to her – to the girl whose heart he had broken, the girl whose pain had been his own. But right now, as he felt her intense stare at him, the words were nowhere to be found. His throat was tied up – he was completely at a loss for words.
He had thought that perhaps his feelings were no longer there in his heart, but right now as he held her, he felt them all flooding through him and he realized – the feelings had always been there, he just needed to remember.
And then he called her name softly, almost like a whisper, afraid if he was too loud, she would disappear and it would all just be a game of his mind, "Luce?" In that one word, he had poured in all the five years he had spent wondering if she even remembered him, if she had forgiven him, if she still loved him.
He watched as her eyes that were in complete mayhem, released a single glistening tear drop. He saw in her things he wished he didn't have to see; he saw confusion; he saw horror; he saw despair… if there was anything close to love in those eyes, it was completely camouflaged by the others. He felt a pang in his chest as he balanced her and let her go, just like he had done five years ago…he felt her warmth escape him, the warmest thing he had felt in a long time. He knew now that this girl, was one he would never ever forget.
.
.
.
'Why?' she wondered as she stared at him, why did she have to see him? Why now, when she had finally forced herself to move on?
All these years of living in his memories, and all the misery that it brought along with it when she remembered the last time she ever saw him… When today she had hoped it would finally obliterate from her memory no matter how hard that was – when she had finally made her resolve!
She had promised herself today that the next time she saw him, if ever, she would have gotten over everything but just then as she felt his blazing touch and looked into those eyes, she felt it all coming back – all the feelings, all the emotions, everything she had ever felt for him and most of all, all that pain. She could feel the heart she had messily placed together, falling apart once again…
And oh how much she felt the confusion! Because despite all the reluctance, she knew that deep down, she had desired that something, anything would stop her today… just like she had hoped five years ago when she had climbed onto that train, losing herself in the crowd of people where despite being crowded, she felt so alone.
She knew it… she knew she had wanted to see him. She knew that even after five years of being apart, he made her heart jolt.
She remembered… how only a few months after returning to Hargeon she had still wondered if at all he had come to that train station that day.
Dear Diary,
Dear stupid, ugly book,
I couldn't do it...again. I couldn't go to that stupid party. I know father would be mad at me but, do you know what today is? It's his birthday…
Should I be happy and cut a cake for him? Should I hate him and curse him? I don't know… I can't be happy, that would be lying to myself… but I can't hate him either. All I can do right now, is just sit here all alone with Winky-Dinks and Plue and wish that things had been different, that it hadn't all been a lie…
Winky-Dinks always takes his side though… Winky-Dinks thinks he came that day… to the train station… Did he? Well, Winky-Dinks is crazy. Why would he? He never loved me.
Happy Birthday…Gray…
Slowly his name alone had become difficult for her to think of… and right now, he was right here, in the flesh! And he wasn't just here, he was looking right at her, he was saying her name! And she didn't know how to react, what to think or what to feel.
"Luce…I-It's really you…" He managed to say, his voice breaking off – he was afraid he might break down right there.
And she couldn't take it… the look in his eyes just melted her… she was losing it…her judgment, her resolve… everything…
"G-gray…" She croaked, as if confirming he was really here. He nodded slowly at her with melancholy and longing.
Her eyes were questioning him, as if asking his permission. Every part of her body was urging her forward, towards the guy who had reminded her how to laugh, who taught her how to love and also to the guy who had crushed her heart like never before.
But fate was cruel because such a reunion wasn't meant to be… for the two were just about to get the biggest reality check of their life – the reality check that would put them in their place… the reality check that would once again set the barriers firm between them.
"Gray Fullbuster!" Came a deep voice filled with delight, "fancy seeing you after what? Fifteen to sixteen years?"
Lucy went completely silent and Gray's eyes turned in the direction of the blond male that had just declared some sort of reunion he had no idea he was having.
"I'm sorry but you are…?" Gray asked unsure.
The guy looked a bit disappointed at Gray's question, "Really? And here I thought we'd be having a really teary reunion" the guy said with a shrug, "Come on Gray, try hard… The Fairy tail orphanage… does that ring a bell?"
At that Gray's eyes widened in realization, "No way… you're that guy we used to call the Hakuryu… If you're here… then even Ryos –"
Lucy just watched in utter confusion or more like in horror.
"That'll be Rogue for you. No one calls him Ryos anymore. And I know have a 'proper' name – that'll be Sting Eucliffe" The blond guy, Sting actually, finally said.
They gave each other a brotherly hug, slapping each other's backs, smirking… and Lucy had never felt more horrified in her life.
"I see you've met Lucy" Sting began and Gray's eyes once again eyed her but this time he noticed something was really off about the look she was giving out.
"Lucy-san! I've been searching for you everywhere!" Came the white-haired Yukino who had been forgotten among all the chaos. Lucy felt relief flood through her, but little did she know that the true chaos was yet to come…She walked up to her best friend smiling and then noticed Sting and Gray, "I see we've all met up… So Lucy, I'd like you to meet Gray Fullbuster, my 'fiancé'" she said smiling, her fingers forming quotes in the air at the word 'fiancé' winking at Lucy.
"And Gray, I'd like you to meet Lucy, MY fiancé" Sting finished with a smirk.
That was it. That was all it took.
"My fiancé"
"… fiancé"
The words seemed to repeat themselves again and again colliding and coinciding and echoing. The room that was still booming with sound of the music, of the voices of talking people, ignorant of the two broken hearts, seemed to go completely silent in Gray and Lucy's ears as the only voice that remained was the one that said the words that hurt the most.
The world seemed to smash to fragments of nothingness as Gray and Lucy let the words they heard sink in, as they let reality sink in… It felt like the ground beneath them had been wiped out and they were just there, falling…deeper and deeper into despair…waiting for when they would finally crash.
The hurt they felt now could never have been greater, just like the love they had once shared.
A/N: There, I did it! I never thought I'd be able to finish this chapter! Well, even though I promised to finish it sooner I'm still late but I hope you guys can forgive me I was born a latecomer :D
Ok so congratulations to: fairychime-diamond47, Maria-chan, Esmika and Lizz Cold 790 for sniffing out the many hints I left behind in all the previous chapters about Gray and Yukino's little link up :D Yup, all your suspicions were perfectly on point! Hats off :P
Gray: She was hoping more people would figure it out sooner which was why she dragged it a bit longer…
Yukino: I wish she had let me in sooner
Sting: You're just saying that 'cause this gives you more important role in the plot *scoffs*
Lucy: Aren't Gray and Yukino a very unusual pairing?
Itami (SDQueen): Unusual? Well, they're rarely ever paired up so I guess… but you know they kind of look good together even though I don't ship them. AND the story isn't about them anyway. Yukino's just adding in the spice.
Rogue: Can I come back from wherever I've gone now?
Erza: Relax dude… We'll all be back soon *eats strawberry cheese cake*
Cana: That's right~!
Sting: What're you guys doing here!
Loke: *smirks* collecting our scripts for our epic comeback
Sting: WHAT?!
Jellal: *laughs evilly* so you really thought we'd get fired?
Natsu: We're coming back soon because –
Levy: Itami-chan missed us a lot!
Lisanna: Well, our roles are scheduled quite faraway though…
Gajeel: Yeah, we won't be on screen for what? Six chapters?
Itami (SDQueen): Ok…this party's crashed now. See you later guys!
DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A REVIEW TO TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKED, DISLIKED ABOUT THIS CHAPTERS AND WHAT YOUR PREDICTIONS ARE FOR THE NEXT :D
Look forward to hearing from you all!
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
JA'NE!