After their return to the capital, they had directly brought the cars back and gone to the hotel; in half an hour, they had gathered their things and were ready to leave. The rooms had been paid for by the council.
Erza had quickly booked seats on the next train. It was already late; night had fallen for hours. The temperature had dropped drastically, and few people were still outside. The terraces were deserted; only smokers dared to risk it. The heat and light of the bars contrasted violently with the blackness of the night as soon as the doors opened and customers came and went.
Lucy complained of feeling her body freezing, each step being more painful than the previous one. In reality, she was exaggerating, not because it wasn't cold but because even if it was unpleasant, the temperature was still bearable; nevertheless, she needed to be alone for a bit. Complaining allowed her to do so; they gave her some space, and she didn't need to find an excuse to isolate herself.
Wendy was tired. Between the exhausting spells she had cast and the unbearable travelling companion she had had to put up with, who had achieved the feat of patience she thought was prodigious, she only wanted one thing: to sleep.
There was only twenty minutes of walking until the train station. Erza had thought it would be quick, but she had underestimated the general tiredness of everyone. Even she was exhausted. Maybe they should have stayed here another night, but when she had suggested the idea, even if she had done so half-heartedly, no one had expressed any desire to stay. They wanted to sleep in their own bed and go back.
Finally, they arrived five minutes later than she had expected. They catch their train five minutes before the departure. The arrival was planned at half past midnight. She felt tired.
She helped Wendy with her luggage, standing on tiptoe to put it away in overhead luggage compartments, but she felt her arms quiver. She didn't realise she was that overtired, but the fact that she could no longer support the weight of her armour, forcing her to remove it, although she had been wearing it less and less lately, should have alerted her.
"I will do it."
She didn't expect him to be so close; she had barely turned her head when she felt his torso against her back. He raised a hand to push Wendy's bag to the back of the storage rack. He did the same with her suitcase so she wouldn't have to lift it. She gave in and left him as she went to sit on one of the four seats adjacent to those occupied by Lucy, Natsu, Wendy and Carla.
She took the window seat; a minute later, she was joined by Grey, who sat across from her. He looked at her, unable to take his eyes off her. The Sandman had already sprinkled his chimerical dust on her. Sleep tickled her eyelids, preventing him from fully admiring the beauty of her half-closed but still sparkling amber eyes.
Home sweet home. They were back. Natsu was relieved and hurried to get up to jump out of the train that had just stopped. He pushed the few passengers huddled in front of the doors and rushed to the platform. Grey sighed, but Erza smiled; she would obviously reprimand him, but she liked his enthusiasm.
While she was only thinking about her bed, it offered her a distraction, reminding her to take it easy and not let the fatigue make her irritable before she got home. And she knew that even if Grey pretended to be exasperated, he felt the same way.
On the other hand, she was surprised that Lucy hadn't followed him. Usually she was always the first to follow him. Maybe she was just tired. Wendy was, anyway, so much so that Erza had a hard time waking her up.
"No… I want to sleep."
"Wendy. You have to get up".
Wendy gave a little whimper of protest. Forcing her eyes to stay closed.
"So you prefer sleeping on this train. You don't even want your bed?"
The mage finally woke up. Her bed seems a very comfy and desirable picture. They all got off and joined Natsu, who was waiting for them to say goodbye before leaving. Erza looked at Grey, who was carrying Wendy while she was half asleep. He hid his surprise well, but she saw that he had noticed it too.
Another train arrived at the station in a deafening din as it slowed down and the wheels squealed against the rails as it stopped. They immediately deserted the platform, reaching the empty hall, and finally they went through the doors, greeted by a biting cold.
The buildings could be guessed more than they could be seen, hidden in the darkness. Natsu turned on his heels without waiting for Lucy, and even Happy seemed disconcerted. They always went home together; it had become a routine after long missions : Wendy and Erza left for Fairy Hill while Grey made the way home alone and Lucy and Natsu walked together.
"Do you want us to walk you home?"
Lucy turned towards Grey. She didn't like the idea of walking home alone, but his house and the fairy-tale dormitory were on the opposite side of her apartment.
"No, thanks. I'm old enough to survive fifteen minutes of walking. And I'm a mage; I know how to protect myself."
"Don't be ridiculous, Lucy; we come with you."
She looked at Erza gratefully. She wasn't going to spend the whole way home watching for every strange rustle, every suspicious play of shadows, or turning around frantically when she crossed an alley.
"Thanks."
" It's common sense."
She was relieved; she knew Erza would understand, but Grey genuinely seemed not to be bothered either.
The walk to her apartment had gone quickly; they had talked, and she was grateful for it because she knew Erza and Grey weren't really talkative by nature. That was usually Lucy's quality, but they had noticed that she wasn't in the mood to chat, thinking it was probably due to Natsu's earlier rudeness, so they made sure to always have something to say and distract her without her having to make the effort to answer them. She thanked them as she closed the door, but even that didn't wake Wendy since she had fallen completely asleep against Grey, who held her on one side of his body.
"Seems that you must be really comfortable. She is sleeping soundly.
He looked at her, still walking, and his guileful smile made her regret speaking.
"Don't know; seems that you had enjoyed it too."
Trying her best to suppress the astonished smile that tickled her lips, she retorted.
"I was cold."
" Sure "
She forgot how annoying he could be sometimes.
"You know that's the truth."
"Oh, but it was for twenty minutes, not the whole night."
"You are really …"
"Easy, Er'z; there is a child."
She just let out an exasperating sigh before lightly accelerating until she joined Carla, who flew some metres in front of them. He smiled; he loved to tease her maybe a little too much.
"Hey, Wendy."
The girl didn't answer; she was too deeply asleep. Then Erza came closer, murmuring as she caressed her dark blue hair.
"Wendy, you have to get up."
"Shake her a little, and if that doesn't work, just let go of her, and she'll be forced to wake up."
Both of them turned towards Carla, who was obviously exhausted and just wanted to rest.
"Give her to me; I will take her in bed."
"With you shivering arms? You are exhausted. Lead the way; I will do it."
"You cannot enter here; you are a man. Rules are strict. "
"I would say you knew nothing."
"Like if it was the problem."
She opened the door of the dormitory, and they entered. The manager was not here. They crossed the hall and reached the stairs. Erza and Carla advanced first, making Grey sign to follow. Finally they arrived, and Carla was relieved. Erza removed Wendy's shoes, putting them in a corner, and pushed the blanket as Grey put her in bed. She pulled the blanket over Wendy, and they left.
She tried to avoid the creaky steps as they descended the stairs.
"So where is yours?"
"Why? Want to come visit"?
"Another day. I think I'm tired."
She smiled, and he absentmindedly rubbed his arm as if carrying Wendy had been exhausting.
"When I was thinking that you had finally become a gentleman."
"I was hoping you knew me better."
They returned to the hall, but she didn't seem to have any intention of leaving him. So far, he had assumed she had walked him out so he wouldn't know where her room was.
" What are you doing ? "
"Coming with you."
He was puzzled. Did she want to talk? Or stay at his place for the night? He couldn't figure it out, but he didn't ask. The idea of staying with her appealed to him. Then, they quietly walked back toward the city centre.
"So what do you want?"
He looked at her with more confusion as he heard the unusual cheerfulness in her tone.
"We are officially the thirteenth of February."
"For more than one hour," answered he sceptically.
"But I'm still the first."
Then his gaze softened when he saw the glitter of pride shine in her beautiful eyes.
"You are always the first."
He half smiled. And it was her turn to be confused because it was not true. She was not the first to wish him happy birthday.
"Not since Juvia has arrived."
He didn't answer to it; it didn't matter who was the first; she always was for him. The first in his mind. The one he could wait all day for her wishing it to him. And finally, the first who made it special. She was the one who mattered, the first.
"That means I can have all I want?"
Then he got closer and closer, and she realised that somewhere between the beginning of this conversation and now they had stopped walking.
"Depends on what you want, but yes."
Their gaze was anchored, and she felt herself losing in his dark blue eyes.
" So many ideas."
His voice was low and suave, and to tease him, she had responded with an equally seductive voice.
"But only one wish."
"And you still pretend we are just friends?"
It was innocent; actually not, but he didn't say it to make her uncomfortable, and yet she was. It was her cue to set up some boundaries back before completely losing control of what was happening between them.
"Because we are just friends," she smiled tenderly, but she kept seriousness in her tone. She was earnest to make it perfectly clear if she had a day to choose between their flirtation or their friendship. She wouldn't hesitate. She cherished their friendship more.
" Sure "
"Don't say it like this; I'm serious."
He was simply looking at her, but his gaze was ignited by an emotion that she could not decipher. His eyes seemed darker, much more intense than usual, and it was unsettling but so appealing. She couldn't bring herself to look down. He was always a charmer, at least with her, but this time, she felt drawn to him in a way she had never felt before. It was magnetic but felt as natural as breathing.
She swallowed suddenly, feeling nervous while their gaze anchored. Then he slowly quit her eyes, letting his slide towards her lips.
That was a bad idea, but she closed her eyes as he leaned towards her. She could feel his hand on the back of her neck; his thumb rubbed her skin, and his breath fell on her face. Each touch woke up a delightful discharge along her spine.
His lips barely brushed hers, but he never kissed her. Instead of it, he slowly pulled away, whispering something at her ear before looking at her with a proud smile.
"But you closed your eyes."
She was speechless and flushed and fluttered, and oh lord, at this moment she didn't know if she really hated him or if she hated what he made her feel. Her heart was secretly conspiring with him, and she felt betrayed by her true feelings, the ones she tried to ignore so much.
Her lips were still slightly shivering, and she had to bite her bottom lip to finally be able to compose herself. He clenched his jaw while his attention was drifting towards her; she had closed her eyes again to avoid his gaze, but she was short of breath. He could feel that she was fighting as hard as he was not to give in to temptation, and it was frustrating because all he was waiting for was encouragement from her.
"I'll go."
"Ahem, yeah."
Damn. He cleared his throat, trying to ignore how hoarse his voice had sounded. Why did she have to be so dangerously alluring ?
He who was so proud minutes ago, thinking he had succeeded in making her flustered when she was usually so equable, was now losing his cool. It was the biter bit. If she had been less troubled, she would have teased him; fortunately for him and his pride, she was troubled.
"You didn't think I was going to spend the night with you?"
His fault. He had underestimated her haughtiness. She couldn't lose. She was Erza: too proud to lose to him when she was the one who had teased him first. He repressed his smile. She would have searched for it.
"Of course not, just hoping for."
He looked at her smiling, and she smiled back.
"Okay. I think that's definitely the moment for me to go."
"Sounds like a good idea."
He didn't think a word of it. It was the reasonable idea, the most practical but not the best, and certainly not what he would call a "good idea", but it was her choice, and he had to respect it.
"Good night, Grey."
"Night Er'z"