synopsis: reader somehow ends up prying a love confession from gray fullbuster
notes: MAINLY FLUFF!! implied friends to lovers with slight...angst?? wrote this randomly because I’m getting back into fairytail and reminded of him again :)
the weather today had descended as a gift, abruptly following several days of consistently cruel and unpredictable temperatures. it wasn’t too hot, nor was it all that cold—somewhere perfectly right in the middle.
but most importantly, the air had been crisp.
as for you, you had started dabbling in the art of jewelry making within the past month, which quickly began occupying most of your free time. it kept you busy during times when there weren’t any missions to take on, and you loved that about it.
initially, you picked out all of the supplies at miscellaneous shops yourself, not thinking much about your selections as you were first starting out. some of the beads you even recycled from old pieces of fabric that you were planning on getting rid of.
at first, you were only making them for yourself, which slowly extended to close friends. however, not once did you think about selling them for a profit.
not until lucy had brought it up, and after some convincing, here you were—sitting at your very own small booth in the heart of magnolia, where other businesses were located, your handmade pieces displayed in front of you.
you were apprehensive at first, of course, afraid that nobody would stop to approach your table. that you were out of your mind and this whole thing had been for nothing.
and that’s exactly why you recruited natsu, happy, and lucy, whose jobs were to reel in potential customers by handing out flyers.
mira had also overheard your conversation back at the guild and kindly offered to stay back with you at the booth if you needed an extra hand or just a boost in confidence, to which you happily accepted. you honestly couldn’t have ever asked for a better group of friends.
to your surprise, it only took about two hours for the table to almost clear out. you were over the moon, in utter disbelief that people were actually willing to buy from you—stuff you created with your own two hands.
you couldn’t contain your smile. even the pieces you were hesitant to put out had completely sold out.
mira quickly took notice of your unconfined excitement and gave you a small pat on the back. “seems like the citizens of magnolia also admire your beautiful work,” she praised, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she grinned. you remembered her gushing over the pair of earrings you surprised her with not too long ago.
you almost fell over as you rushed to pull her in for a hug, feeling the vibrations of her laugh as she leaned her head into your shoulder.
“thanks, mira, but I honestly don’t think this would’ve happened without your help,” you said, and you meant every word. mira was the main one to take charge during transactions, flawlessly handling the many bargains that had come up while making absolute sure that you weren’t getting lowballed for your hard work.
and she handled it like a pro. your eyes darted back and forth in awe. it was like you were in the front seat for an olympic sport of some sort, and if you were one to judge, then her team was minutes away from taking home gold.
you suddenly let out a sigh of—was it relief?—that you didn’t know you were holding. and that’s when your eyes found themselves locked on the last necklace left to sell.
you knew you felt it, without a doubt, as you stared at the small blue beads—your heart skipping a beat.
it was one of the first pieces you crafted when you finally shifted over from exclusively making bracelets. the one you made for gray but never got around to giving it to him for reasons unknown.
for some odd reason, it ended up being mixed in with the ones you did want to sell. you weren’t sure how it got there, yet here it was—the last one remaining. had it been by total coincidence, or perhaps fate?
mira peered over at you, who was now hunched over, fingers tracing the circular shape that formed the silver pendant at its center.
the sun illuminated its rays on the beads, transforming the ocean blue color into a slightly crystal one. the necklace was absolutely stunning, jaw-dropping, without a doubt, and she certainly knew it was going to sell in the next couple of minutes.
“mira,” you murmured, “I think it’s time to get ready to leave.” your eyes never left the necklace. “I’ll get everything packed up to go. you just let the others know that we’re all set here.”
mira furrowed her brows in confusion, opening her mouth to obviously question you about the remaining piece of jewelry.
that was until a familiar husky voice took over, drawing closer and closer, cutting her off before she could let out her concerns.
it was gray, of course, the one person you just so happened to be thinking about.
“didn’t expect to run into the two of you out here,” he smirks, briefly pausing to likely read the sign you had set up, his dark eyes ascending to take in your writing.
he then looked down at the single necklace left over, the one that was sort of, in a way, his. a small grin slowly emerged on his face as he lowered his eyes to you.
“last sale left, eh?” he says, never breaking eye contact. it was like he was waiting for you to confirm something, although it seemed like the answer couldn’t have been made more apparent.
you felt a sudden rush of heat travel upwards from the base of your neck, the words somehow lost, stuck inside your throat, like they always were with him around.
god, you hated this embarrassing hold he always had over you. it was incredibly infuriating how you could barely even think straight when he was near, and you hated every single bit of it.
luckily for you, your attraction towards him and his innate ability to make an absolute mess out of you at any given time always seemed to fly under his radar.
his gaze fell back on the necklace before finally picking it up, examining it. a comfortable silence enveloped you.
he delicately traced the rim of the pendant with his thumb, his expression softening with each passing second.
“this is beautiful,” he finally said, his voice low yet sincere. “I didn’t know you were into jewelry making.”
“she has been, though it took her some time to start selling it,” mira beamed, full of enthusiasm and encouragement. you felt your cheeks flush at her words.
“y/n even made one just as beautiful for my birthday,” she continued her praises. “she's got an eye for design and detail that’s truly impressive.”
as you were about to speak, you could’ve sworn you caught a flash of what appeared to be... jealousy?
could he possibly be jealous of mira?
no, no. you must be seeing things wrong. or at least your interpretation might’ve been off.
you shook your head slightly, trying to clear your thoughts, but the lingering look on gray’s face had left you bothered.
“thanks, mira,” you said, forcing a smile. “but it’s really just a hobby. I’m still learning.”
“you know—” gray chimed in, his voice once again dropping to its familiar low pitch, although now filled with more hesitancy than ever.
“if you want, I can maybe model some pieces for you... you know, for like advertising or whatever.”
you didn’t know it was entirely possible to see gray—who was often calm and indifferent—act so... shy. and it was this quick shift in demeanor that kicked in the irresistible urge to take charge and maybe—
“hmm...” you tilted your head, squinting your eyes to get a better look at him. he was absolutely breathtaking, without a doubt, although the faint red hue of his cheeks made you fall harder as they started to deepen.
you pranced over from behind the stand before stopping in front of him. his breathing ran shallow as you continued your intense gaze, now targeting his neck.
and oddly enough, he wasn't wearing his usual necklace, which only brought forth another idea.
you reached forward to take back the necklace, both your fingers slightly brushing in the process. a jolt of electricity coursed through you, and judging by gray's reaction—the way his breath hitched and his eyes widened—you just knew he felt it too.
you moved to stand behind him, unclasping the necklace before bringing your hands to his neck to position it carefully.
you purposely slid your cold fingers across his peeking collarbones, and he felt goosebumps emerge as your breath danced across the skin of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.
it was an oddly intense feeling. had he always felt like this with you?
your fingers lingered there for a moment before you stepped back for a nice look.
the necklace glimmered against his skin, and you couldn't help but smile. he somehow managed to look twice as dreamy as he did when you imagined him wearing it.
“oh wow,” you murmured, your heart fluttering at the thought. but you couldn’t help it.
i mean, how could you when the light blue beads provided a beautiful contrast to his dark blue eyes and hair, enhancing his sharp features in a way that made you feel…breathless?
Mira quickly takes notice to the longing glances between you both, before grinning knowingly, slowly leaving the booth to give you both some alone time.
gray almost quickly caught your gaze, the way your eyes were now lidded and your soft lips were apart in awe. and no, you weren't looking at the necklace. you were staring at him.
he felt his heart start to grow warm and his mind hazy, the world around you fading into a soft blur.
“you know,” you began, letting out a small sigh, “I actually have something I wanted to confess.”
now it was your turn to feel your heartbeat quicken when his gaze fell back on you, eager and curious to hear what you had to say.
“that necklace was actually supposed to be for you.” it finally slipped from your lips, and much to your surprise—you see him frown.
"hey! I thought you liked the necklace." you fold your arms, "you even called it beautiful."
gray quickly scrambles, profusely waving his hands in the air. "No, I didn't mean it like that at all. the necklace is beautiful and I really do love it."
"well it seems to me you don't seem too happy about my confession." your lips form into a pout to which he had to restrain himself from the urge to reach over to squish your cute cheeks.
his shoulders drop, and he runs another tense hand through his dark hair, "its just—I wasn't expecting that. Or at least for you to say that."
you can tell that he was certainly holding back on something. and maybe you knew what exactly it was but just wanted for him to be the one to say it.
so you take another step towards him.
"well what were you expecting if not that?" you furrow your brow, gently, but surely, egging him on.
his teeth catch between his bottom lip, rolling it. feeling his heart pace at a rate where it feels as its gonna burst as you both lock eyes.
“honestly? I thought maybe you’d confess something… more personal." his reaches out, his hands finding yours, warmth radiating from your touch. "like your feelings."
it was as you expected though your breath still hitches at his words, the weight of the moment crashing over you.
“you really thought that?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.
gray nods, his gaze unrelenting. “Yeah, I did. I’ve been hoping for a long time that you felt something for me too.”
your heart swells at his admission, and you can feel that spark once again brewing.
“I do, Gray. I’ve been so scared to say it, but… I really like you.”
a smile breaks across his face, and it’s like the tension in the air shifts, replaced by a warmth that envelops you both.
“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” he replies, his thumb brushing over your knuckles.
“I was worried it was just me.”
"I did as well." you laugh, "and I-"
then on a whim, he rushes to pull you into hug, your face now rested against his chest to where you can hear, even feel, the strum of heartbeat. you feel at ease as you inhale the strong scent of his fresh cologne that usually lingered the air when he passed by.
as he pulls back slightly to look into your eyes, the world around you seems to fade into the background. the intensity of the moment holds you both captive, and his gaze drops to your lips.
you can see the desire simmering in his dark eyes, inviting you to push even further.
“gray,” you breathe, feeling your own rush of desire start to bubble, before abruptly snapping in half. you peer up at him with doe eyes before your hands find themselves tugging greedily on his shirt collar.
and just like that, without a second thought, he leans in, closing the excruciating distance.
his lips meet yours softly at first, testing the waters, as if he’s afraid that you’ll suddenly have a change of mind, which in fact, isn’t possible. the moment is electric, and you find yourself leaning into him, deepening the kiss.
as you took control and reeled him in closer, he forces down the low groan pushing its way past his lips.
the warmth continues to spread throughout both your bodies, igniting a fire that you’d both been holding back for far too long.
after some time, he finally pulls away making you whine from the loss of contact. he laughs and leans back for a brief kiss. he plants another on the tip of your nose.
when he pulls his head back, he takes a longing look at you, his hands never once leaving your back. your lips were now swollen and slightly parted, your brows bunched together, while your eyes had been swimming with nothing but desperation and need.
he wouldn’t admit it, ever, but it felt like an ego boost. having you looking up at him especially like that.
“if you wanted to kiss me that badly then I would’ve given in much sooner.” he smirks when you gasp at his remark, just like he wanted.
“let’s not act like you didn’t want to kiss me as well.” you perk up a brow, “you were the one to confess to me.”
and once again, your lips reconnect, and conversation is lost, while the whole world is tuned out once again.
