Chapter 17: Action Taken

Erza stopped at the door in front of her, taking a deep breath. She reached out to push the doorbell, hearing the chimes ring inside of the house. On cue, she heard the familiar muffled sound of feet jogging down stairs. The door opened, Gray in front of her.

"Hello." she greeted politely, trying to keep her excitement down.

"Hey." Gray greeted back, eyebrows raised. "You look pretty."

Erza tried to hide her blush. After much deliberation, she had decided on her usual black sweater, but paired it with boots, sheer tights, and a plaid miniskirt instead of pants. Her hair was half up and half down, hanging elegantly down her back. She nervously pushed her hair off her shoulder. "Thank you, Gray. That's very nice of you to say."

He crossed his arms. "I just have to say, I'm honored that you'd get ready for me." he smirked playfully.

"Excuse me?!"

Gray leaned towards her, his smirk growing. "Don't deny it! You totally dressed up, just for our date."

"I'm not taking outfit comments from the guy who somehow still has his clothes on." she retorted immediately, but she couldn't hide her blush.

Gray laughed, putting his hands up. "I'm kidding! Seriously, you look nice."

Her blush deepened. "Oh! Well, thank you." She held her hand out at Gray's dark orange short-sleeved button down and black jeans. "You look nice as well."

"I keep telling you guys I'm a fashion expert." he asserted, grabbing the door handle and closing the door behind him. "Shall we?" he asked, walking past her.

"Where are we going?" Erza asked, following him down the driveway. I thought we'd just be hanging out at his house…did he plan something? she thought, trying to ignore the anticipation fluttering in her chest.

"We," he smiled, opening the passenger side of his car for her, "are having an adventure."

"I've never been on this side of the river before- it's breathtaking!" Erza bubbled, looking out at the crystal clear water around them with wonder in her eyes.

Her comments were oddly positive. Mainly because they ignored the winds that were picking up, the cloudy sky, and of course, Gray opposite of her, rowing their kayak with more effort than he would have liked. He grimaced, trying his best to look as chill as he could, but feeling his annoyance increase as the wind tossed his hair in his face again. "Right, so breathtaking…" he muttered. "Why did the kayak guy give us only one paddle, anyway?"

"True," Erza agreed, "But maybe it's a good thing. Your arms are getting quite the workout."

Gray immediately lowered his wide eyes, hoping Erza wouldn't notice him blushing. "I think we're far out enough," he decided, pivoting the conversation. He put the paddle across his lap and reached behind him, handing a small lunch bag to Erza. "Here, for you."

Erza took the bag eagerly and smiled as she opened it. She chose one of the katsu sandwiches inside, and handed the other to Gray. She ate a bite of her sandwich, happiness filling her chest. "A picnic! On the WATER!" she exclaimed. "What made you decide on this?"

Gray smiled. "You're always talking about having one, so I figured we might as well do it with a view. Sorry the weather's shit, though." He scrunched his face at the overcast sky. "Damn clouds…"

"It's lovely. Thank you." Erza reiterated.

Gray shrugged. "No big." They ate in a peaceful silence. Gray looked out, noticing the wind had brought them out a bit further than when they had stopped. "We might have to cut this short…mainly because our parents would never forgive me if we were lost at sea." He moved to take the paddle, but Erza grabbed it from him. "Hey, I got us out here, I can get us back!"

She shook her head. "It's the least I can do, since you brought the food." She pivoted the kayak back to shore, and turned to look at him. "Besides, I can get us there in half the time." she contended.

Gray rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Yeah, we'll see about that."

"I thought you said there wasn't any rain predicted?!" Erza spoke, putting her hands over eyes in an attempt to shield her makeup. After all that time I spent getting ready, this mascara better not run… She hurriedly walked down the street, next to Gray.

"I said it didn't look like it was going to rain!" Gray responded, shrugging off his button down and holding the garment over Erza's head to protect from the droplets above them.

"I swear you said- did you already take off your clothes?!" she blurted, noticing Gray's shirt now above her head.

"What! No, I'm clearly wearing an undershirt too! I'm not a heathen!"

"Heathen, exhibitionist, the list goes on- "

"Relax, you weirdo, we're already here." Gray put his shirt down, and held the door open for her.

"Weirdo? Well, if that's where we're going, I'll have to-" She cut herself off, gasping as she saw her surroundings. They arrived at a bakery, its warmth and bright interior heavily contrasting with the crummy weather outside.

"Oh my gosh!" Erza exclaimed, rushing towards a display case of various cakes and pastries. She spun around to Gray, her eyes alight with excitement. "Are these not the most beautiful items you have ever seen?"

I could think of something else… he thought almost instantly. Luckily, Erza didn't notice his lack of response- she was already investigating the options in front of her, even roping in one of the clerks to answer her questions.

He sighed, and took a seat at one of the open tables in the busy cafe. He watched Erza point to different cakes, each gesture followed by a serious facial expression and question. He couldn't help but laugh. But at the same time, he felt a tug of doubt pull his smile away. There was still something he had to ask her.

"So. I've made all the necessary inquiries. And I've returned with many options." Erza announced, dropping a tray onto their table with several cake slices.

Gray's eyes widened in surprise. "Hold up, did you buy all this?" he realized, reaching for his wallet.

She shook her head and held a hand up. "Don't worry, your chivalry is not needed here. This was funded by me. For research purposes." She leaned towards him. "Did you know they had three variations of strawberry cake?!" she whispered excitedly.

Gray grinned, pride puffing in his chest- that was exactly why he picked this bakery. "And I assume you've already ordered all three?"

Erza gave him a serious nod. "Absolutely." She sat across from him and looked over each of her options. After some time, she decided on the middle slice: a light pink cake layered with white frosting and topped with thinly sliced strawberries. Gray watched as she took a spoonful of the dessert, and laughed at her immediate groan. She pushed the tray towards him. "You must try some."

"You? Sharing cake?!" Gray feigned disbelief, taking a spoonful of the dessert as well. He nodded approvingly. "Oh yeah, that's hella good."

"Of course I'd share. How could I keep something this delicious to myself?"

Gray gave her a knowing look. "Please. Are you forgetting the White Elephant disaster last year?"

Erza smiled proudly, recalling how she physically fought Natsu for stealing a strawberry scented bath set from her. "That gift was clearly for me. Again, why would I pass up on something so delicious?

"It wasn't even edible!"

She scoffed. "That's hardly the point- "

"Or how about the time the ice cream truck was at school, and you interrogated the driver for ten straight minutes because they didn't have any strawberry shortcake bars?"

"Again, hardly the point, but," she held a hand up, "I see what you're saying. But you all know better than to mess with my strawberry items."

Gray laughed, going in for another spoonful. "I'm just saying. It's a surprise and an honor to share something so special with you."

"It's not a surprise. You're special to me." Erza stated matter-of-factly.

Gray's face reddened at her forward comment, gulping his bite of cake. "You…what?" He shook his head. "I mean, yeah, we're friends. And we care about each other. Which we've said." he recalled her words from their conversation after Levy's birthday dinner. "I just wasn't expecting you to say it like that."

"Please, Gray. You're making me sound bad." Erza set her spoon down, feeling her palms getting hotter. She ignored her quickening heart rate. I can do this.

She looked at him. "You do many thoughtful things for me. Like today's picnic, this bakery, even driving together…You made today all about my favorite things. But it's more than that." She looked to the side, feeling her cheeks redden. "I've had so many worries, and bad moments these past few weeks, and you helped me through all of it." She looked back at him. "You've helped me learn to trust again."

Gray stared back at her in surprise- he wasn't expecting her to confess any of that. It was true- he decided he liked her, and this date was to show that he was determined to take their relationship a step further.

But he couldn't bury the paranoia that panged in his gut. Trust… he thought warily, thinking back to his doubts about Erza and Jellal, especially after Lyon had seen them together. Although he was enjoying their time together, he still hadn't brought up what he knew to Erza. He could feel the guilt and worry form a pit in his stomach.

He mustered up a smile, and opened his mouth to say something, when Erza looked down, smiling nervously to herself. "Anyway, let's get back to the other important things. Like the rest of this dessert."

Gray's smile remained, but he could feel his unease grow.

Erza stepped out of the bakery, the jingle of the bell on the door only slightly audible over the pouring rain. "It is certainly coming down, isn't it?" she remarked, looking out at the darkness around them.

"It really is," Gray agreed, frowning. "I can bring the car over, if you want?"

She shook her head, and handed him the box of their remaining desserts. "Just keep the cake safe. Besides," she pointed to a door awning halfway from the car, "we can stop there to adjust. Looks about halfway, right?"

He shrugged off his button down, nodding as he put the garment over the cake box. "As long as you're okay with it-" he agreed, but Erza had sprinted off. "Wha- Erza?!" he called out, seeing the scarlet haired girl run through the rain to the awning. He stifled a laugh, before taking off after her, holding the box tightly. He reached her quickly. "Wow. I don't think I've seen you run that fast at a track meet." he joked.

"You're an imbecile." she laughed back, playfully swatting his chest. She almost took a step back, when she suddenly felt her heart beat faster, like before. She left her hand on his chest, and looked up at him. He looked back at her, a clear expression on his face. Throwing caution to the wind, she ignored the heat rushing to her face and leaned towards him. He instinctively leaned closer and put his hand over hers. She closed her eyes, tiptoed slightly, and tilted her face to meet his, lips parting-

When he pulled back.

It was the smallest movement, but the distance between them suddenly multiplied. She froze, staring back at him for a moment- his hand was still on hers, but he was looking to the side, expression uncertain.

Erza immediately stepped back, eyes wide. She plastered an awkward smile on her face. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to.. Was that my fault? That was my fault, wasn't it? I'm so sorry! Ahaha!" she babbled, trying to laugh over the nerves that were taking over her body.

Gray shook his head, softly letting her hand down. "No Erz, it's fine, that was me. I just…I need to ask you about something." His expression remained unreadable. "I really had fun today. And I want to go further. But something is bugging me, and I know I can't go all in unless I know."

Her mind replayed all the happy moments they had had today, filling her with excitement. She looked back at him hopefully. "What is it?"

"Lyon said he saw you and Jellal together the other day."

…What?

Her smile instantly fell, disbelief shattering her thoughts. She felt her cheeks get hotter, but it wasn't the nervous blush from earlier- instead, it was anger. Her body almost twitched with an overwhelming sense of annoyance. What does Jellal have to do with any of this?

Gray continued. "I know I shouldn't be worried. But I'm confused. And this date was supposed to help me be less confused, but now I'm more confused on why you were even with him in the first place, but you were saying all those nice things, and I- "

She tried to steady herself. "What are you saying, Gray?"

Gray took a breath, looking back at her. "How do I know that you actually care about me, and not him?"

She stared at him. She could tell he was upset. But her own anger quickly settled in, disorienting her as his words echoed in her head. "You…you really mean that?" she asked, confusion clear. Was that not what I was showing him this whole day?

His eyes were downcast. "I just don't want to get hurt."

"I don't either."

The silence between them was heavy.

She tried to think of what to say next- some sort of plan, some sort of reason, some sort of reassurance- but between her anger and her confusion, she couldn't find the words. She blinked, noticing her eyes had welled up with tears.

He looked out at the rain, an upset expression still on his face. "I should get you home, before this gets worse." He turned to leave, but paused, waiting for her.

She tried to find the words again, anything, but nothing came. Her confusion diffused her anger, leaving her feeling empty. She nodded, resigning to the silence. She followed behind him, numb to the cold rain around her.

The ride home was silent, even more so once they arrived at Erza's house and the car was off. Gray stared blankly out the window- this was a place that had felt so familiar, so comfortable over the past few months. But now it felt cold and distant. He shook himself out of his daze, and turned to her. "I…I'm really sorry, Erz. I didn't mean to ruin this, or ruin our day-"

"Oh! No, it's quite alright!" Erza interrupted, feeling her nervous energy automatically kick in. "I'm fine, really! And I should probably get going anyway, huh?" She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and gave him a strained smile.

He tried to find the words, or give her a look to tell her that he wasn't convinced. But his pained expression remained, even though he could tell her eyes weren't in it. "Okay." he resigned, nodding to her. "I'll see you at school Monday, yeah?"

She nodded. "Yes. Of course." She exited, briskly walking towards her house.

Gray looked at her seat, and noticed her dessert box was still on the floor of the car. He felt something stir in him- he had to call after her, to try and fix this, to make everything right again. But his strength wavered as soon as it came. He watched her walk inside the house, not looking back. He paused for a moment, and then started the car to leave.

As he pulled away from the house, millions of thoughts flooded his mind- Did I just fuck things up between us? Was this the end of it? He tried to find solace in the sunshine that was slowly appearing. But he felt nothing except for the pit growing in his stomach.

Cana, Lucy, Mira, and Levy were hanging out at Lucy's house, each in a different corner of her bedroom. Lucy was scrolling her finger rapidly on her phone, pressing her lips together anxiously. "Has anyone heard from Erza? Or Gray?" she jabbered. "I SO know they went on a date, but I haven't seen anything! Not even a measly story, or a selfie, or tag on either of their socials! I would take a frickin' latte art at this point!"

Levy giggled, closing the book in her hands as she looked over at the blonde. "Didn't we all agree to lay low for a bit? That we would let them do what they wanted, without meddling? Or incriminating ourselves?"

Mira shook her head. "No, Lucy's right. I feel like Erza would at least give us a three sentence summary, but we haven't heard anything all day. Maybe they're busy?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Cana nodded. "Yeah, should I text Gray? Let's see, how about this: 'Are you getting some?'" The other girls laughed.

"It's killing me!" Lucy pouted. "Oh my gosh, like could you IMAGINE if we casually drove past her house tomorrow, and his car was still outside?! Or if they were holding hands at school on Monday?!" She let out a high-pitched squeal, immediately prompting everyone to cover their ears.

Cana laughed. "Alright, slow your roll Luce. You sound like you need a man- is your new plan with Natsu not working out?"

Lucy's cheeks reddened. "I- I don't need a man!" She crossed her arms decidedly. "Besides, like I said: Natsu's old enough, he can tell me how he's feeling if he feels that way. And I am perfectly fine with that."

"You might be giving him too much credit there."

Mira threw a pillow at the brunette. "You, shush! Natsu and Lucy are really close, don't pressure her!"

Lucy joined in, throwing another pillow in her direction. "Yeah, Cana!"

Cana held her hands up, laughing. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I'll change the subject: Lucy, have you thought more about my proposition?"

"Oh, the party thing?"

"Yes!"

"What party?" Levy asked, looking up from her book.

"I was saying, Luce should really host a party this year." Cana explained. "You are literally the perfect candidate: your dad is always out of town, you have a ton of space, you have a pool, and you have chill neighbors! Do you know what I would give to have chill neighbors?!"

Lucy scrunched her face. "I know, but it's so much to organize. I wouldn't even know where to get all that alcohol, and my dad's stash isn't forever."

"Easy. You're talking to the queen of connections."

"You're saying you'd be able to get enough alcohol for a party?"

"Yep. One of my alcohol guys owes me one for chipping in on a few of his parking tickets." Cana winked.

"Sure..but what about my house? There's so many rooms, and with so many people…" She shuddered. "The thought of people getting it on in my house is not my favorite."

"All your doors lock, right? So we could have one room for coats, and a couple bathrooms open. But everything else will be sealed tight."

"What if someone gets locked in?"

"I'll use a paperclip!"

"And what about all the fragile stuff in the living room? It's hard enough to keep Natsu from breaking a vase every time he comes over, and I've already resorted to plastic ones."

"We'll help put away all the fragile things beforehand. I won't let anyone mess with your stuff."

"Yeah, I'd be happy to help clean before and after!" Levy chimed in.

Lucy furrowed her brows. "How many people are we talking? And what about other schools?"

Cana pursed her lips. "We'd probably have a couple stragglers from Sabertooth, or Mermaid Tail, so in total I'd say…fifty?"

"Fifty?!"

"Or less! Or more? Whatever you want!" Cana put a hand on her chest. "I'll keep 'em in check. If anyone gets out of hand, I'll kick 'em out."

"It'll be like baby-proofing a room, but for a party instead." Mira added. "And I'd be happy to help keep an eye on everyone too. You know I won't let anyone get out of line in your house."

Levy clasped her hands in excitement. "And aren't we finishing a major test block in a couple weeks? That could be just what we need to celebrate!"

Lucy looked back at her friends' eager faces. Part of her was excited at the thought, but the other part was still skeptical that it would be as smooth as Cana proposed. "Okay, I'll think about it. But don't get too excited! You know how intense my Dad is."

"I'll take that!" Cana grinned. "Just know that when it happens, it will be amazing and glorious. Thanks to me. And my amazing awesomeness- "

"-I said I'd think about it!"

:)

-Pinky