Lucy sighed as she watched the vendor across the street restock his flowers. Their shapes were beautiful, some still buds and others blooming with maturity. She often watched as men stopped by the stall, leaving with a bouquet of flowers each time. The roses were popular. The vendor always sold them all, men often leaving disappointed if they came past a certain point in the afternoon.
Lucy, the aspiring novelist that she was, liked to imagine different scenarios the men would buy the roses for. Roses had different meanings based on their color, and Lucy liked to guess what color each man bought and for whom. Her mind was filled with romantic proposals and secret admirers. She was a romantic at heart, longing for the day her soul mate would walk into the little book store she worked at and bring color to her life.
She was a classic beauty, long blonde hair falling down her back and huge golden brown eyes bringing attention to her face. Most people had made the bet that she would meet her soul mate by the time she was eighteen. How could she not? She was kind and beautiful. Everyone who knew her loved her. Some called her an everlasting dreamer, but there was nothing wrong with that. She had an active imagination that needed to be set free, and what better way than to envision the stories she committed to paper?
She was twenty-five now, almost a decade past the age she herself had expected to finally begin her life as a woman who no longer saw everything in grey.
She never gave up hope like some of the women her age who had settled down with people who were not their soul mates. She stayed true to the belief that you would meet them when you were supposed to. Lucy liked to think she hadn't been ready for her soul mate at eighteen. Maybe they hadn't been ready for her.
Still, Lucy longed for the day that someone would bring her roses.
With a small sigh, Lucy focused on the inventory she was supposed to be imputing. Customers came and went, most looking for books by well-known authors. Lucy forgot about her soul mate woes as she dreamed of finally making it to the top of the bestseller's list.
Well, first she had to actually publish a book.
Lost in her head, Lucy didn't hear the door to the book shop open. The black haired man didn't spare her a glance as he went straight to the reference section. It took him ten frustrating minutes to find the book he needed. He walked up to the counter, slightly annoyed that the blonde manning the register had her back turned and didn't even seem to notice him. Looking around, he sighed as he realized she was the only employee in the shop.
He cleared his throat, causing the blonde to give a little scream and spin around to face him.
Lucy opened her mouth to scold him when she noticed it.
His shirt was blue.
Lucy didn't know how she knew this, she certainly hadn't seen the color before, but she did. His shirt was blue, his hair was black and he was looking at her with his mouth hanging open.
He was perfect.
Her heart pounded as they drank each other in. She had never given up hope, and here he was. She'd always thought that when she was finally able to see color that she would have eagerly soaked up all the shades she hadn't been able to before. Now that it was finally happening, all Lucy could do was stare at the man she was going to spend forever with.
Laughter from outside brought the two out of the world they had slowly sunk into, one where no words were exchanged but their eyes had said it all.
She held her hand out, a sunny smile on her face. "My name is Lucy."
He took her hand, keeping his eyes on hers as he brought it to his lips. "Gray."
Gray and Lucy walked back to her apartment, both lost in their thoughts. The duo had gone on a mission, just the two of them. It had gone well, better than Lucy had thought it would, and they had completed it in record time. It shouldn't have surprised Lucy that Gray was able to focus on a mission without causing mayhem. She'd noticed he only participated in the destructive tendencies of their team when Natsu was there. She'd been noticing a lot of things about Gray recently. He was the same Gray she'd come to know and love. He still stripped unconsciously and still brooded if she let him retreat into himself. It was the little things she hadn't even realized he'd been doing that was now becoming apparent to Lucy. He helped her get settled wherever they were staying before getting himself situated. He made sure she was eating before he'd touch his food. He always had his hand placed at the small of her back, making it clear to everyone that she wasn't to be bothered. Lucy wasn't surprised that during their three-day solo mission, things had begun to shift.
Gray watched her when he thought he wouldn't get caught, and then blushed when he did. The conversations between them flowed with no end. He was genuinely interested in her writing. Lucy had begun to notice how his toned body moved without a majority of his clothes. His blushing embarrassment when she eventually pointed out his near nudity made him adorable in her eyes.
Yes, something had definitely changed.
When they reached her apartment Lucy cleared her throat, disappointed that they would be going their separate ways now. She smiled at him. "This is it."
He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "It is."
They stayed silent for a couple moments, neither wanting to end whatever this was. Lucy thought about asking him out. The worse he could do was say no. Well, no, the worse thing that could happen was he freaked out and decided they shouldn't be friends anymore. The more she thought about it, the more Lucy wanted to run into her apartment and have a good cry.
She mentally slapped herself. She was letting her imagination get the better of her. Gray was not the type of person who would end a friendship because one of his friends happened to like him. Look at Juvia. Despite her blatant crush on him, they were still pretty good friends.
Lucy opened her mouth at the same time Gray did. "Lucy-" "Gray-"
They stopped, laughing awkwardly at the embarrassment they were both starting to feel. Gray said, "We should do this again sometime, go on a mission by ourselves."
She smiled at him, happy this wasn't going to be a one-time thing. "I'd like that."
He gave her a half smile. "Great. I'm going to head to the guild. See you later?"
She nodded her assent and leaned in to hug him. He'd had the same intention.
Their bodies collided, their foreheads smacking against each other. She jumped back, ignoring the flare of pain from her head as she stammered out an apology. Deciding things really couldn't get any worse, Lucy turned and fled into her apartment before the fates decided to prove her wrong.
Gray was watching the guild doors, waiting for her to walk in.
He'd been such an idiot earlier, unable to say much once they'd reached her place. Then he'd had to go and injure her while he was at it. Things had been going so well until then. He'd actually gotten her to go on a solo mission with him, which was a feat in itself considering she had a Dragon Slayer guard dog that followed her everywhere. He'd acted like a gentleman per Freed's instructions, and tried not to blush terribly when he caught her checking him out.
Their three-day trip had been one of the greatest moments of his life.
He could admit the first time he'd seen Lucy in a new light. Sure, he'd noticed her the day she joined. She was a beautiful woman, but she was also guild and Gray tended to avoid dating guild members. His decision to steer clear seemed to be a good one once they'd formed a team. Then Phantom Lord had attacked, and Gajeel had approached Lucy in the days that followed to apologize and commend her for braving through his relentless abuse. Gray had felt the first string of emotions that didn't scream guild member.
The tugs on his heart had gotten stronger when Loke had pulled him aside after the revelation of his true origins and revealed exactly what Lucy had done to save him. He had been both proud and scared. He'd also wanted to throttle her for putting herself in danger like that, even if it had been for a guild member he was close to. He'd never felt like that for any of the risky situations his guild mates had gotten into.
His feelings had continued to grow until it was not a question that he needed Lucy to know how he felt. He was finding it hard to go on as her friend, her guild mate, without knowing if she could ever return his feelings.
The doors opened, and Gray straightened as he saw her signature blonde hair.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Natsu spot her. Before the matchstick could get up, Gray called out to her. "Lucy! Over here!"
She made her way over to him, nervously tugging on a strand of her hair. He'd learned that she did that when she was unsure about something. She smiled. "Hey, Gray."
"Hey," he replied. The guild was getting louder, everyone distracted by their own conversations. It was the perfect time to ask her without anyone interfering. He spoke, trying not to let his words carry to the demon barmaid that was close by. "Hey Lucy, do you think you might want to go out sometime?"
Lucy saw Gray's lips moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying. The guild was getting louder by the minute, more and more people coming to the bar to place drink orders. She said, "I'm sorry Gray, what was that?"
Gray spoke a little louder. "We should go out sometime." As he was saying it, Elfman's booming voice rang out from behind Lucy. She shrugged apologetically, having missed what he said, again.
Losing the last shred of patience he had, Gray shouted, "Oi! Pipe down! I'm trying to ask Lucy on a date!"
Everyone stopped, heads turning at the statement. Blushing wildly, Gray looked down at Lucy who's cheeks were also stained red. Now it was deathly quiet, nobody daring to make a sound. Grinning sheepishly he said, "So what do you think?"
Biting her lip, Lucy nodded, giving him a small smile. "Sure, that sounds great."
AN: This is sooo late, but I hope you enjoy. Happy GrayLu Day everyone!
I meant to get this posted last week, but Tumblr told me my rate limit exceeded (whatever that means), so it’s getting posted now.
Lucy Heartfilia had always dreamed of being an artist, something her father had always disapproved of. She'd taken art lessons, had many art tutors, but could never manage much more than pretty doodles. Her father had taken this as a victory, and Lucy had to admit, she'd almost given in.
That was until she'd taken a digital art class in college.
She was a business major, but some part of her still held hope that she would get to be an artist. She didn't want to take over the family business. It had ruined her parents' marriage long before her mother had died, and Lucy refused to let it happen to her. She'd minored in art, and taking that class had been the best decision she'd ever made.
The class had shown her that not every artist needed to make beautiful portraits, or abstract paintings. It had shown Lucy that she could take her pretty, but small doodles and create something more. She'd found her purpose in life during that class.
Now, five years later, Lucy had a small business that she was perfectly content with.
She made invitations.
Some people, her father especially, would say making personalized invitations was not a career. They would look at her background, and call what she was doing a hobby. They could be right. Lucy had a trust fund, and that gave her the freedom to do what she wanted. It could be true, but Lucy knew it wasn't.
It wasn't just a hobby, or a rebellious phase.
Even her father, with all his complaints about her chosen profession, used her exclusively for all his parties and events. It was a testament to her talent in Lucy's mind, because her father demanded the best. He wouldn't use her services if he didn't think she was the best.
Being Jude Heartfilia's daughter meant that the wealthy came to her as well. It started off as just wanting to be able to tell him his daughter worked for them, but they always ended up leaving satisfied and coming back for more. It was always a personal victory for Lucy, and she wouldn't give it up for anything.
Looking at her clock, Lucy realized her next appointment was due any second. It was a couple getting married, and Lucy was having so much fun designing their invitations. The woman wanted vintage, something Lucy hadn't done yet, and was willing to pay the extra cost for the special paper. She also wanted Lucy to do everything by hand.
At first, Lucy had been apprehensive, imagining at least 300 invitations. She'd been ready to tell her no, but Juvia had gone off into dreamland about how beautiful everything was going to be. The sight was so cute that Lucy couldn't have refused her, even if it meant doing 1000 invitations.
It turned out it was actually only 100, something Lucy was more than happy to work with. Today was the day that Juvia would approve the final design they had been working on. She had never done something like this, but it was really exciting.
If only the fiancé was content to let them handle everything.
He'd introduced himself as Gray, and actually never had an opinion of what they discussed in terms of design. Juvia didn't really care either, but it bothered Lucy.
Maybe it was because all he did was stare at her.
From their first meeting, he'd done nothing but stare. It unnerved her, and if Juvia noticed, she didn't say anything. It struck Lucy as wrong, but there was no way to get him to leave without being rude. She didn't want to lose this client, because she couldn't handle some asshole's staring. He'd never made any moves on her, but Lucy was always thinking about the heat in his eyes when he looked at her. It was wrong, so wrong, but Lucy sort of wished he wasn't engaged.
Putting the thought out of her mind, she focused on being professional once they showed up. She had lines, moral values, and being a home wrecker was one of them. He continued to stare at her, but she ignored him, focusing on her awesome bride. Really, Juvia deserved someone whose eyes wouldn't roam, but Lucy wasn't being asked to judge. Maybe he just liked looking at women. He'd be an idiot to cheat on someone as friendly and cute as Juvia.
Halfway through their appointment, Juvia got a text that had her jumping out of her seat. "Oh! I'm so sorry Lucy, but I forgot I had another appointment and I'm going to be late if I don't leave now. It's for my dress."
She smiled, "It's no problem. We're pretty much locked on the design anyways."
Juvia was beaming. "You are so great. I'm so glad I came to you. This has really been the easiest part of planning my wedding." She turned to Gray. "Can you finalize the price and everything with Lucy? I really need to leave."
Her and Gray alone? Lucy was having none of that. She opened her mouth to tell Juvia they could meet at her convenience, but Gray answered. "That's fine. Go do your dress thing. We'll be alright."
Once again beaming her thanks, Juvia raced out the door, leaving Lucy with Gray.
Things were quiet as Lucy busied herself with typing up the final quote. She could feel his eyes on her, not even bothering to do covertly. It made her uncomfortable, because he was engaged and she wished he wasn't.
Knowing she couldn't draw out getting their quote ready any longer, Lucy turned to face him.
He was closer than she'd realized. He was looking over her shoulder at the screen, reading what she'd typed. Startled, she let out a little scream.
He just seemed amused. "Sorry, I didn't know you were skittish."
Who wouldn't be when her moral problem was practically hugging her from behind? "Could you move back please?"
He studied her face, looking for something, but did as she asked. "Why don't you like me?"
"Like you?" She asked, confused. "What makes you think I don't like you?"
He said, "I've been coming here for weeks, yet we've hardly conversed. You definitely don't want to be alone with me, and you practically jumped to get away from me just now. Is it just me? Or is it just men in general?"
He was coming closer to her again, forcing Lucy to back up against her desk. "Look, we have a professional relationship, and this is hardly appropriate."
His arms caged her between him and the desk. There was no escaping unless he let her. "And if I don't want to keep it professional?"
For a second, Lucy felt like giving in. He wanted to kiss her, there was no doubt. His eyes were on her, and his gaze was heated again.
But then she remembered the bubbly bride that she had come to think of as a friend.
Furious, she pushed him. He was startled by her outburst, allowing her to move away from her desk. "How dare you! Juvia is a lovely woman, and does not deserve this! I can't believe you thought it would be okay to do this!"
Confused, he asked, "What does my sister have to do with this?"
All the furious air left her, shock taking its place. "Your sister?"
"Of course, who did you think she was…." Gray trailed off, coming to the conclusion she had weeks ago. Then he started laughing. "Oh man, you thought I was Juvia's fiancé?"
Lucy flushed as embarrassment came over her. "You came to every meeting."
His laughter simmered down, but he was clearly teasing her when he said, "Did you even read the words on the invitation? Maybe we shouldn't hire you."
Looking down at the notepad she had unknowingly grabbed to hit him with, she read, "We invite you to celebrate with us as Juvia Lockser and Lyon Vastia take the next step in their lives as husband and wife…" She looked up at him. "You are not Lyon."
He grinned, "Nope, just plain old Gray. Lyon is still deployed, and won't be back for another month. As the loving older brother I got drafted to take his place in wedding preparations. His words: She wants, she gets. I'm looking forward to the heart attack when he sees how much her dream vintage wedding is costing him."
Embarrassed to her core, Lucy looked down. "Oh god, I'm so sorry. I just assumed, and then I got really mad…"
"Well, you know what they say about assuming," He chuckled. "But it's no worries. I'm actually glad we had this little misunderstanding. Sticking up for my sister that way… It shows what kind of person you are."
She sighed, wondering if there was a hole that was willing to swallow her. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
She grabbed her hand, causing her to look at him. "I'm willing to think about keeping this between us, but you have to come out with me." He smiled at her.
Gray was sitting next to Lucy at their table, for once not participating in the daily guild brawl. His girlfriend had been sick the last couple of days, and she was barely recovering, so he'd opted to stay by her side. Anybody looking at Lucy could tell she was ill, from her simple write shirt to her sweats. This was not normal Lucy appearance, and while Gray sometimes wished she'd cover up more, he did not want it to happen like this.
She was currently pushing around the soup in her bowl around with the spoon, her appetite still gone. Gray had stayed with her all weekend, and they'd done nothing but cuddle and watch movies when Lucy wasn't puking her guts out into the toilet. Her even accepting a bowl of soup was an improvement over the last few days. Even if she only ate a couple bites, he'd feel accomplished.
Lucy pushed her soup away, and leaned against him. "I think I'm done for today."
He wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead so he could check her temperature. She was feeling a little warm. "I should have made you put a sweater on. This t-shirt is doing nothing for you. You're getting warm again."
She nodded, "It is a little cold right now. Let's head out."
The doors banged open, a high pitched wail coming from just outside.
"Oh no," Mira murmured.
Juvia ran into the guild hall, sobbing loudly as she ran to the bar. She was obviously devastated about something, because the guild hall started filling up with water. Gray cursed, and lifted Lucy onto the table so she wouldn't get up. There was no way they were leaving now, not with the guild practically flooding.
Someone else must have had the same thoughts, because that person shouted. "Hey! Someone make her stop crying! The water's annoying."
Lucy just face palmed, knowing the outcome to this particular situation.
Juvia slowly turned to face one of the newer guild members, her eyes bloodshot. She glared at him. "You think Juvia's water is annoying? I'll show you annoying!"
All the water that had risen to the benches suddenly rose up. The poor bastard only had a chance to drop his jaw before the water careened towards him. He tried to dodge, running into the table Lucy was currently sitting on. The water simply redirected, rising once again and slamming into the table.
Lucy yelped as the water soaked her, the wind that continued to blow in from the open guild doors not helping any. Gray, who'd been knocked back into another table when the water hit, glared at the Water Mage. "You got Lucy wet, Juvia! She's sick."
Juvia looked at Lucy, having turned away when her magic had made contact with the newcomer. Her eyes widened, "Oh no, Juvia is sorry Lucy." Then her cheeks went red.
Lucy waved a hand in her direction. "It's no problem. You didn't know."
She became puzzled as Erza stood next to Juvia, her face also red. Slowly, everyone turned towards Lucy, their jaws dropping and cheeks blushing. Bickslow looked over the railing, and wiggled his eyebrows, his visor lifting with the movement. "Nice, Cosplayer, very nice."
Still confused, Lucy looked down at herself, not seeing the problem. Yes, she was soaked to the bone, her clothes plastered against her. Blushing now, Lucy realized what had happened. Yes, her clothes were soaked through; her white clothes.
And she hadn't worn any underwear.
"Pervert's!" Lucy shrieked as she tried to cover herself. Gray quickly stood in front of her, glaring at anyone who was still looking at her. He quickly stripped off his shirt, slipping it over her shivering body. The shirt was long enough that it went to her thighs, effectively covering everything that was exposed.
"I knew I should have made you wear a different color," He muttered.
He picked her up, cradling her in his arms so she could hide her face in his chest. He could tell she was really embarrassed, and the quietness of the guild was not helping. Her body had been aching, so she hadn't bothered with any underwear as trying to put them on this morning had bothered her like crazy. He'd figured it was alright, even if the color white wasn't the best choice. They were her comfiest pair of swears though, so he'd gone along with it.
He almost made it to the guild doors when Bickslow shouted. "Aw come one Gray! Don't be stingy! Share with the rest of us!"
He guessed he was getting involved in a guild brawl today after all.
This was meant to be posted yesterday, but I couldn’t find my USB.
Warning: Smut. It’s pretty tame.
Lucy was a little nervous as she walked up to Master's office. Earlier, Lahar and Doranbolt had come to speak with him. Everyone had wondered what was going on, but had just figured they needed Fairy Tail's help with something. Now, Lucy had been summoned by a solemn Laxus, making sure not to let the others know about her required presence.
She had felt Gray's questioning stare, but she'd only shrugged. She had no idea why they would summon her. Team Natsu hadn't actually done anything wrong lately, so it had to be for something else.
Four frowning male faces met hers as she walked into the office. Laxus stood off to the side, arms folded across his chest, clearly displeased. Lahar's face was blank, and Master's was angry. Only Doranbolt looked happy to see her.
He crossed to her, wrapping her in a hug before letting her take his seat. "How are you Lucy?"
She smiled at him. "I'm alright Doranbolt. How are things with the council?"
Lahar cleared his throat. "We did not come here to discuss pleasantries Miss Heartfilia."
She lifted a brow, not surprised by his unfriendly tone. He didn't like dealing with Fairy Tail unless he had to, which unfortunately, happened to be often. "Then why am I here?"
Laxus said, "The Council needs our help with a task, and they seem to think you are the perfect one for the job."
Lahar handed her a file. "In there, you will find information on the Kingdom of Vincere. You may not know, but they have been threatening Fiore for years now. They have not taken action, but we were able find out that they are mustering their army come the next year."
She knew about the Kingdom of Vincere. It literally meant 'to conquer'. She hadn't known they had hostilities with Fiore, but Lucy tended not to pay attention to things happening outside her own country. The public obviously did not know about this.
"How did you guys find this out?" She asked.
Doranbolt rubbed the back of his neck. "I was sent to spy a little over three months ago. Things were going good, until someone discovered me using magic. Turns out, they aren't big fans of wizards."
Lucy frowned, "Couldn't you have just wiped their minds?"
Doranbolt shrugged, "By the time I got my wits about me, half the castle knew. The Council figured I shouldn't go back in."
She nodded in understanding. It made sense. He would not be able to work his magic on a castle full of people. "Alright, but why am I being brought into this?"
Lahar pushed his glasses back up his nose. "While Doranbolt was there, he was able to learn that the current King has a weakness for blondes. All his top advisors have the hair color, as well as his mistress's. We have a man on the inside that has gone undetected so far, but alas, has not made the cut to be in the King's inner circle."
Lucy was shocked. He couldn't be suggesting what she thought he was. "Are you saying you want me to become the King's Mistress?"
Doranbolt laughed at the outrage in her voice. "Of course not. Look, you were raised nobility. That means you're smart, tactful, and a great actor. You know the workings of a castle, and from what everyone keeps saying, you're a pretty good Tactician. Our guy will bring you to see the King under that pretense. We just need you to keep feeding us information."
Lucy shook her head in disbelief. "You want me to go undercover in a country that hate's mages? Are you guys insane? I haven't had to deal like a noble in years."
Lahar disagreed. "Once it's learned, you never forget. I think we can agree on that. As for your magic… I have a source that tells me Celestial Mages can mask their magic as well as detect others. Is that true?"
Lucy nodded, "Yes, it's not really a secret, but we don't exactly blurt it out either." Laxus seemed surprised at this, but did not say anything. "You're asking me to mask my magical energy while I'm there. That will be a drain on my magic itself. I won't be able to keep it up forever."
Lahar shook his head. "Everyone in this room knows how big of a container Celestial Mages really have, Miss Heartfilia. You would be able to keep a steady mask, even in your sleep, for months before feeling a drain. Still, you would not have to do it 24/7. Unless someone is sensitive to magic or a wizard themselves, you shouldn't have to hide in the first place. We would just have to find a way to hide your keys and whip, because it has been made clear that you would not go in without support."
Lucy had a feeling that was due to the two Dreyar's in the room. Doranbolt said, "We really do think you are the perfect mage for the job. You'd be doing a service to the country, and hopefully helping us stop a war that the guilds would get dragged into."
Doranbolt knew Lucy's weakness, and that was her guild. They'd been through so much already; had started healing from the wounds inflicted by Tartarus. She would do anything for her family.
She looked at Master in question. He sighed, "I don't like the idea of one of my children going alone to another country on a dangerous mission without backup from the guild. You are as much my granddaughter as Laxus is my grandson, Lucy. I know what you are capable of, and I would never have let them summon you if I thought you could not handle it."
Laxus finally lost his composure, and slammed his hands on the desk. "Are you guys serious? You are talking about sending the Light of Fairy Tail to a country where she will be killed if she is discovered. She will have no backup, and she will not be able to use her magic. If you think I will let that stand, if you think Gray and the rest of Team Natsu will let that happen, you are sadly mistaken."
He was right. Her boyfriend would not let her go off alone, let alone her overprotective best friend. They'd come after her if they knew. Lahar seemed to realize the same thing, because he said, "That is why only the people in this room will know. The rest of your guild is not to be informed. They are simply to be told she is on a mission with the council."
Laxus growled, but Master held up his hand to silence him. "The decision is up to you, my dear."
Laxus was telling her with his eyes to decline, and Doranbolt's were telling her to accept. Lahar was once again blank, and Master had turned away to face the window. She already knew what her answer was, and she knew she was going to hear it from Laxus later.
"I accept."
True to his nature, her honorary brother was letting her have it in his office. Lahar and Doranbolt had left, letting her know that she would have a week to prepare while they built up her cover. She'd already decided she would talk with Hisue, and see what she could come up with in concealing tools.
Lucy couldn't believe she was going to be gone for a year. It just didn't seem real. On one hand, she was scared out of her mind. Vincere was not a place enemies wanted to be. She'd heard horror stories as a child at parties, which was one the reasons she never payed attention to it later. She never thought she'd actually be going there.
It hurt that she could not tell Gray what was going on. Their relationship was still too new to be keeping secrets. He wouldn't like it, but she had no choice. He really would not let her go, and this was something the council obviously trusted her with.
Laxus waved his hand in front of Lucy's face, startling her. "Are you even listening to me?"
She sighed, "What do you want me to do? They came to me for a reason, and if the newly formed council thinks I can do it, then maybe I can. Who am I to argue with a bunch of Wizard Saints?"
"You argue with Warrod plenty," Laxus said dryly.
Lucy dismissed that statement with a flick of her hand. "That's when he's here as another Fairy Tail member."
Laxus looked to the ceiling like it would give him answers. He said, "You're going to take a communication lacrima. Conceal it with your keys. There's no way you're staying out of contact for close to a year."
She nodded, "I was planning on asking Master for one anyways."
He sat down in his chair. "Alright, go start making your preparations. I have paperwork Gramps has dumped on me."
Lucy left his office, making sure to shut the door behind her.
Now, all she had to do was tell her team.
1 Week Later
Lucy checked over the backpack Virgo had given to her once more before putting it away. Tomorrow, Lahar and Doranbolt would escort her to the ship that was going to take her to Vincere. It was making a stop in Bosco, a country they were not threatening, and her contact would meet her there so they could travel together.
She had spent as much time as she could with Gray once she'd come back from her three day visit to Crocus to see the Princess. He wasn't happy with the explanation she had given them, and the fact that she would be gone for so long. She'd promised to call him whenever she could. Erza was suspicious, making everyone else the same, but once Lucy had reassured them it was a Celestial Mage thing, everyone had calmed down.
Tonight, Gray was coming over, and she had decided she was going to give herself to him. They hadn't been dating for more than three months at most, but she trusted and respected him. She also suspected she was coming to love him deeply as well. There were no guarantees in this mission. She could die. Lucy was prepared for that, had to come to terms with it in the last week.
She'd decided she wasn't going to leave Fiore without showing Gray how much he meant to her.
When he knocked on the door, Lucy made sure she was smiling as she opened it. "I swear, before we started dating, you always came in through the chimney."
He gave her a half smile. "I'll start doing that again if it makes you stay."
She sighed, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "The council specifically requested me. I'll be doing Celestial Mage things. It's not like I'm going to war." As quickly as she threw out the little joke, Lucy regretted it. She'd wanted to keep the lying to a minimum.
He chuckled, "True. It's a relief that the mission is not dangerous."
She kept her smile in place, but said nothing as she led him to her room so they could get comfortable. She distracted him with discussions about the guild, and other silly things that would take his mind off her leaving.
Pretty soon, their talking turned into making out. She'd kissed Gray countless times on this bed. He'd never pressured her for more, taking whatever she gave him. Any other guys with the lady count he had would have, but Gray was different. It was another reason why she had decided he was the right one to make love with for the first time.
Breaking their kiss, she smiled at him. "I'm ready to take it to that next step."
He was shocked as the last time they'd talked about it, she had been adamant about waiting longer. "Are you sure? What brought this on?" His eyes narrowed. "What aren't you telling me?"
She giggled, "Of course I'm sure. I realized I am going to be gone for a whole year, and I'm going to miss you terribly. I want to create a memory that'll last for the both of us. There's no point in waiting." She met his eyes. "I love you."
Gray's eyes softened. "I love you too. I think I've loved you since the first day you kicked me into a wall."
Their lips met again, both eager for what was going to happen soon. Gray's hands roamed over her body, his movements slow and wonderful. Lucy loved his hands. They were always cold, but they never failed to warm her up when he was touching her. The combination of hot and cold was pleasurable to her, making her want more of his touch.
She let him unbutton her shirt, and take it off, followed by her mini skirt. Gray took the lead, stripping her of her clothes one by one. The fleeting touch of his hands as he slowly peeled off her clothing was unbearable by the time he finished. Lucy was wound up tight with anticipation and need.
He seemed to know this, because he smirked before kissing down her neck. Goosebumps broke out across her flesh wherever his lips touched. She felt his hand at her entrance, and then the sensation of finger going in. It felt weird and wonderful at the same time. He slowly moved his finger inside of her, inside and out. Pretty soon, they were rocking against each other, her legs having wrapped around his waist at some point.
Then he was naked, looking at her in question. Lucy was in a daze from everything she was feeling, but she managed to nod and smile at him.
They came together, and Lucy had never felt anything more incredible. Something was building up inside her, and she couldn't help the sounds that came out of her mouth. It seemed to do something to Gray, because he started going harder and faster. Their eyes never left each other, their breaths mixed together.
She came hard and fast, his name escaping her lips. A few more hard thrusts had him coming with her, her name shouted loudly. Their hearts were beating loudly, their breathing harsh.
Gray found the strength to move to the side, and pull her to his chest. He ran his hands down her back, pressing tender kisses to her forehead. She snuggled into his body, the feeling of their bodies pressed together something she would never forget.
She drifted off into sleep, her body content, her mind sluggish. Tomorrow, she would think about everything else. Tonight, she just wanted to sleep in the arms of her boyfriend.
AN: Lahar is alive! I was so sad when he died, I had to bring him back for this.
I wrote this prompt before any of the others, because as soon as I saw it I knew I was going to turn this into a story. I do have plans to turn this into one, after I finish with all the ship weeks I planned to be in, so stay tuned! I'm actually pretty excited for it. I've been wanting to start an actual Fairy Tail story for a while, but I keep putting it off.
I will be posting the bonus prompts over the course of the weekend, and maybe into next week: T-Shirt, Vintage, Fly
Ahhh this is late because my internet decided it was going to not work for half the day.
Happy GrayLu Day everyone!
Today was the day Lucy was going to make Gray her boyfriend.
She'd had a crush on the Ice Make Mage for a long time now. They worked so well together, and were two of the more mature ones on her team. He always listened when she had a plan, and had never seen her as weak.
The only problem was he saw her as a sister.
The day he'd said that, Lucy had felt like her heart was ripping in two. It was a comment made to Mira when she had gone into one of her fantasy couple pairing modes. Until then, Lucy had also thought her feelings for him only extended so far as siblings. The pain couldn't be denied, and that was when she'd realized her feelings were more than that.
She'd decided to keep quiet about it, because she'd known if she'd approached him, he'd have rejected her faster than he could strip. That kind of humiliation was not something she ever wanted to face.
Trying not to be obvious, Lucy had started trying to get Gray to notice her. She'd gone from wearing very revealing outfits, well more revealing than normal, to making sure her T-shirt got wet around the pool when they all hung out.
Nothing had worked.
It worked on everyone else, even her dense best friend was starting to look at her in a new way. Gray remained oblivious, having no reaction whatsoever.
Obviously, the man had no weakness, or so she'd thought. Last week Cana had pulled her aside, and let her know that Gray had been interested, but he'd locked it away. Why? She didn't have a clue, but that gave Lucy hope that he could be persuaded to bring those feelings out again.
She'd also learned that he'd been warning everyone off her. Cana had told her how he'd told everyone he was just being a big brother, but the Card Mage knew better. He may not want to admit his feelings, but that didn't mean he was going to let someone else steal her away.
If Lucy hadn't been so happy with the fact that he did have feelings towards her, she'd have hit him for being such a man.
Mira had overheard them talking, and had taken it upon herself to help. It turned out Gray did have a weakness, and his name was Lyon. If Lyon pursued her, he wouldn't back off if Gray told him to, and both women thought it would force him to act. Lucy didn't necessarily like this plan, because she had no intention of leading Lyon on, but she was desperate.
Mira was also very convincing.
So now Lucy was waiting for Lyon to come to the guild. She didn't know how Mira had managed to get him to come over, but she had. She passed her time chatting with Lisanna, talking about Lisanna's latest date with Bickslow.
An arm came around her, Lucy recognizing it as Gray's. "What are you two up to?"
Mira answered for them. "We're just keeping Lucy company until her mission starts."
Gray was surprised, as was Lucy. Mission? "I didn't know we were going on a mission."
Mira smiled at him. "Actually, it's just Lucy going from Fairy Tail. It turns out someone sent a quest to a different guild, mistaking them for us, asking for a Celestial Mage. Lamia Scale does sound like Fairy Tail I guess."
"They sound nothing like each other," Gray argued.
She shrugged, "Sure, we know the difference, but some don't. Anyways, Lyon will be here soon, and they'll be off."
Gray's eyebrow started to twitch at the man's name. "Lyon?"
Mira looked at Lucy, and she took as her cue to start speaking. She smiled at him. "Yes, Lyon took the request. It's pretty exciting. It's rare I get to work with other guilds."
Gray frowned, "What's wrong with us?"
Lucy was quick to reassure him. "There's nothing wrong with you guys. I just like to get out there once and a while. Besides, working with other guilds solidifies the bonds between our guilds, don't you think?"
"Yea," Gray mumbled, clearly not pleased.
Lucy couldn't believe he was brooding about it. Did he really hate the idea of her being alone with Lyon? Or did he just dislike the idea of Lyon in general?
The guild doors opened, the other Ice Make Mage walking in. He scanned the area, and crossed over to the bar when he spotted Lucy. He took her hand, kissing the back of it, causing Lucy to blush. "Ah, Miss Heartfilia, we meet again. If you are ready, we can get started on our mission."
Gray put himself between the two of them. "Knock it off Lyon. She's not going anywhere with you."
Lyon's brows rose in confusion. He looked to Mira and Lucy. "I thought the mission had already been approved by your master?"
Mira nodded, "It was, Lucy was just waiting for you to get here."
He was all smiles as he faced her again. "Then we should get started."
Lucy hopped off her stool, but Gray kept himself in front of her. She said, "Gray, I need you to move out of the way."
He did, but he grabbed her hand, preventing her from going to Lyon's side. "I'm not leaving you alone with him. Mira, tell Master I'm going on this job too."
Lucy didn't say anything, but Lyon was quick to react. "There's no need for you to come. Miss Heartfilia and I will be fine on our own."
"Please just call me Lucy," She said.
Gray glared at him. "I don't need you trying anything. Lucy isn't that kind of girl."
Lucy's cheeks heated at the implication. She was sure Lyon would reassure him that he wasn't interested in any of that, but the man just glared at him back. She looked helplessly at Mira who only smiled. Sighing, and already regretting Mira's interference, Lucy walked towards the door. "You two are welcome to join me, or I'll be going on this mission by myself."
She made it outside, and down the street before they caught up with her. They flanked her, still glaring at each other. She didn't say anything, but on the inside she was cursing herself for going along with this in the first place.
This was going to be a long trip.
The train ride was just as bad as she'd imagined.
If Lyon wasn't openly flirting with her, then he was fighting with Gray. Lyon had beaten him to the seat beside her, so Gray was left with watching his attempts to woo her. She'd chatted with Lyon while trying not to flirt back. She really wasn't going to lead him on, but it was hard when he was such a charming man.
She'd also noted Gray's glare had gotten deadlier by the minute.
The mission was simple enough once they'd found out what the problem was. Someone had found a silver key, and had jokingly used the incantation to call out Celestial Spirits. The person was not a Celestial Mage, but for some reason the Spirit had come anyway. Knowing, the poor man could not send him back, the Spirit had proceeded to terrorize the town.
She'd taken the key, forcing the Spirit back to his realm. He wasn't even sorry. Apparently, it had been payback for abusing him all those years ago when a Celestial Mage had resided here. He'd heard of her though, and was more than willing to make a contract with her once this mission was over.
The town mayor didn't even tell her she couldn't. He wanted the key gone.
Really, she could have done this mission by herself. All the other two had done was do their best to see who could protect her better.
They'd all gotten separate rooms at the Inn, much to Lucy's relief. While, she didn't mind sharing a room, she didn't think she could take their bickering all night.
Now, she was taking a much needed bath. The water soothed her nerves, helping her get over her irritation with the situation. Cana had been right. Gray was interested in her. She could see it every time he attempted to divert her attention from Lyon. He may say he was acting like an older brother, but his eyes said otherwise. He was definitely jealous.
Lucy planned to jump on that opportunity as soon as they got back to Magnolia. Hopefully, once they were back home she could ask him out and not be rejected.
She got out of the bath, wrapping herself in a towel before heading to the door that connected the rooms. Opening it, she was surprised by how cold it was, but then got a look at who was in her room. It was Gray, and he was brooding. He probably didn't even realize he'd dropped the temperature.
Deciding she couldn't just wait for him to leave, Lucy strolled into her room. He looked at her, and if he noticed her state of undress, he didn't comment on it. All he said was, "What's so good about him?"
"What?" She said, pretending not to know what he was talking about.
He stood up and walked to her. "What is so good about Lyon?"
She brought her hand up to her chin, actually giving thought to his question. "He's really charming, and he seems really mature."
"I can be charming and mature," He muttered.
She fought hard not to smile. "What was that?"
He shook his head. "It's nothing. Is that all you like about him?"
"Well there is his Ice Magic, it's really pretty."
He grumbled, "Just because he can make stupid animals…"
She decided not to pretend she hadn't heard him. "It's not just that. It takes a lot of creativity to be able to use Make Magic, and I like imagination."
He glared at her, "I use Make Magic too, so I have just as much imagination as he does."
Lucy was shocked for a second. Did he even realize what he just said? She nodded, "Sure, but I don't think Lyon thinks of me as a sister."
Gray just seemed to stare at her until Lucy wanted to fidget under her towel. She'd done it. She had thrown down the gauntlet so to speak. She wanted to regret calling him out, but she couldn't. He couldn't run people off, or question her choices if he was not willing to make the move himself.
A minute later, Lucy was ready to apologize and tell him to forget it, when he seemed to come to a decision. Closing the distance between them, Gray pulled her to him, devouring her mouth with his.
He waited until her knees buckled, before pulling back. "Does that feel like I think of you as a sister?"
She shook her head, dazed, but had no time to recover as he covered her mouth with his own again. She had no problem opening up, and letting him claim her.
In the room next to Lucy's, Lyon smiled.
Mira really was a devious person, but she was a person that got things done. He'd had no problem complying with Mira's plan to get them together. After all, he owed Gray for the times he'd saved Lyon back in the day. He'd play the part until they reached Magnolia, and then report everything to the Demon.
After that, he'd make sure to lay low. The last thing he needed was Fairy Tail's matchmaker coming after him next.
AN: Forgive me! The genre was supposed to be fluff/smut, but it seems this came out as neither. BUT I hope you guys enjoyed!
Day 4 is here! I think it goes without saying that I do not own Fairy Tail.
Lucy sighed in pleasure as she relaxed in her bath. Virgo had added some type of bath salt that soothed her nerves, and smelled divine at the same time.
Tonight was the night.
When she had first started dating Gray, she had made it clear she was in no way ready for sex. To her surprise, he'd been completely fine with that. When she'd expressed her disbelief, recalling his playboy ways, he'd simply told her that he'd had no interest in pursuing a relationship with those other girls.
Lucy was pretty sure that was the night she'd started falling for him.
She was ready now after three months of dating. She recalled how flustered he'd gotten when she'd told him. It was pretty adorable, and thanks to Gajeel having heard the whole conversation, was something he'd never live down.
She already had the night planned. She was going to dress up, and they were going to have a quiet dinner that she'd spent the afternoon making. Candles would be lit, and music would be playing softly in the background. Then, after a couple of glasses of wine, she was going to seduce him.
He wouldn't know what hit him.
Gray was nervous as hell.
When Lucy had told him she was ready to take the next step in their relationship, he'd been both happy and shocked. He'd wanted her for a long time, but knew pushing her would be a good way to lose her. She was special to him, one of the most important people in his life, and he never wanted to screw that up.
He knew their intimate dinner tonight was meant to lead to bed, and it scared him. What if he messed it up? What if he hurt her? What if she thought he was terrible? All these 'what ifs' had been running through his head all day, making him a nervous mess. Like, what if Magnolia was suddenly attacked while they were doing it? Or his personal favorite: What if Natsu decided to break in during their time together?
He knew he was going nuts when he was imagining Laxus suddenly holding a second Battle of Fairy Tail just to keep them from making love.
To help calm his nerves, Gajeel had offered to buy him a drink. They hadn't shouted their plans to the world, but the damn Dragon Slayer had good ears. One beer had turned into six, and then the shots had come out.
Now? He was feeling damn good.
A part of him knew he was drunk. It told him maybe he should stop drinking, but that part was quickly silenced by the part of him that wanted to continue to feel good. There were no such things as nerves in his current state. He wouldn't mess up. He'd kick Flame Brain's ass if he dared show up tonight. Let Laxus start the next Battle of Fairy Tail. They'd ignore it.
Gray was feeling pretty confident in himself. Tonight, he would show the woman of his dreams how much he loved her.
Everything was perfect.
The candles were lit, the music was playing, and the food was already served on two plates on her table. Lucy had made sure she looked fantastic. Her hair shined as it fell down her back, and her skin glowed. She'd chosen a strapless dress in his favorite color with matching lingerie underneath.
She knew he would appreciate the lingerie.
The bath had done what it was supposed to do in calming her nerves. Nothing bad was going to happen tonight. She'd even warned Natsu not to come over, or there would be hell to pay. He'd grumbled about it, but had complied.
Now, the only thing missing was Gray.
When he knocked on her door, she felt her nerves rise up again. Taking a breath to calm herself, she answered the door with a big grin on her face.
Gray pulled her into his arms, giving her a sloppy kiss. Lucy was shocked for a moment, but then she smelled it.
Alcohol.
Incensed, she pushed herself away from him. "Please tell me you are not drunk!"
He grinned at her. "Alright, I am not drunk."
She sighed, "Oh Gray… What am I going to do with you?"
"I could think of a few things," Gray grinned at her suggestively.
Even drunk, he looked adorable with that dopey grin on his face. Lucy couldn't stay mad him, and instead led him over to the couch. She went into the kitchen with the intent of getting him food. It would help him sober up a little, and then maybe they could go forward with their plans for tonight.
Lucy walked back into the living room, ready to get some food into her drunk boyfriend.
Or maybe not, Lucy thought once she saw him.
He was curled up on the couch, fast asleep. He'd managed to strip to his boxers, the clothing a pile on the floor. He looked so peaceful that Lucy didn't bother trying to wake him up. Instead, she got out a spare blanket, covering him. They could always try tomorrow, when he wasn't drunk or hungover.
Even though Lucy was disappointed by the turnout of tonight's events, there was some satisfaction that this was another thing he was never going to be able to live down.
Some of her biggest life decisions had been made by writing a letter to her mom. It helped put things in perspective, let her pour out her feelings, and gave her the comfort of her mother watching over her.
She believed in the power of writing letters so much, that she was determined to get Gray to do it as well.
She loved her boyfriend, but lately his broodiness had been getting to her. She understood he had a lot of pain inside of him. She respected his need to not tell the world about his problems. What she didn't like was how he used the pain to push people away, to push her away when things got too bad.
He had no problem being there for her. He refused to be excluded on anything going on with her. It was his job as her boyfriend, he'd tell her, and it was one he did happily. Lucy loved that she could always count on him, but she needed to be able to do the same for him.
He knew she had his back in battle. He knew she would never betray him. He didn't trust her to not leave him though, and that was a problem she hoped would be solved tonight.
It had started when they took the mission to bring down a pack of Vulcans terrorizing a town. It had been going smoothly until Natsu had slammed into her. They'd gone tumbling off the edge of a cliff, Happy trying to catch up to them. She'd used her whip to get them to a hanging tree branch, but had overestimated the strength she needed to get them both to the little ledge. They'd ended up slamming into the rock face, Natsu's dead weight crushing her.
When the rest of the team finally made to them, Gray had been frantic. He'd thrown a barely conscious Natsu off of her, desperately checking her over for injuries. With the exception of a few bruises, she'd been fine.
Over the next few weeks he'd started acting weird. At first, she'd thought it was because he might had been a little embarrassed over his display. She'd wanted to ask him about it, but he'd decided blowing her off and avoiding her were preferable to actually talking to her. Once, she'd had enough of being ignored, she had went and confronted him.
The fight had been ugly. Her confusion over his motives had her hurling accusations left and right. He'd finally ended the fight when he'd told her he had come to the realization that she could leave him. One day she would leave him, and he was not okay with that. Nothing she said would get the idea out of his head. Everyone left him, and someday she would too.
She'd given him his space, but that ended tonight. He couldn't always be worried about what might happen in the future. It wasn't living if you were stuck in the past.
She knew things were bad when he actually used her front door to walk in. He walked up to her, giving her a quick peck on her lips before saying, "I'm sorry about before. I know I shouldn't worry about those things, but sometimes it just gets to me."
She smiled at him. "It's alright. I know you have unresolved issues. I get why, and that's why I called you here tonight."
He closed down. "Lucy, I love you, but I am not going to talk about it."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I know, and I'm not saying you have to. I want you to write a letter."
He was clearly confused. "What are you talking about?"
She walked over to her desk, taking out a large stack of letters. "After my mom died, there was no support in helping me with my grief. I was the daughter of an aristocrat. I was to be the good daughter that never bothered anyone with her feelings. Once I left him, I realized I still had a lot of unresolved anger and sadness when it came to my mother. I started writing letters to her. I poured out all my anger and grief into these first letters, and it helped me come to peace with her passing."
"So you want me to write a letter to your mother?" He was clearly baiting her.
Lucy took a deep breath, not giving in to his bait. "I want you write a letter to Ur." He stiffened, but she continued. "Then I want you to write one to Ultear, and the last to Silver."
He frowned at the letters like the personally offended him. "Why are you doing this?"
She sighed, taking his hands in her own. "You can't just keep these feeling bottled up inside of you for the rest of your life. These unresolved issues have created a fear that causes you to close up. Look what happened when you thought I was hurt? You pulled away from me and that hurt, Gray."
"Look," Gray said, still apprehensive. "I said I was sorry about that."
"That's fine," She said. "But what if it happens again? You don't trust me not to leave and we can't move forward, you can't move forward, until you get past this. I'm not saying to talk to someone else about it. I'm telling you to talk to them."
She knew Gray was vulnerable right now. It was all over his face as he let her lead him to her writing desk. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but it was a start.
And later, when he finally broke down and cried, she was there to comfort him.
I actually had something way different in mind, but my brain was done, so this is what came out instead.
