#team natsu continues to be a mood | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ignitedbynatsu · 3 years

Text

He Makes You Feel Insecure ~ Bickslow

A/N: here is the Bickslow one! Please let me know who you want me to write for next as I no longer have a request right now 😁. Thank you for the incredible support so far it means the world to me and makes me want to continue with the series 💕

warnings: insecurities (he makes you feel boring), cursing

genre: angst to fluff

Other versions:

Gray ~ Laxus ~ Cobra/Erik ~ Gajeel ~ Natsu ~ Jellal ~ Freed ~ Sting ~ Rogue

👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅

“(Y/N)! Can I get another one?” It was as rowdy as ever in the Fairy Tail Guild, but you didn’t want to have it any other way. Gray had thrown his shirt God knows where ready to fight Natsu while Erza kept an eye on the two said boys. Cana was talking loudly as she usually does when she gets drunk. Jet and Droid were gushing over Levy while she had a conversation with Lucy and Wendy. Happy was trailing behind Carla like a lost puppy. It was the usual stuff.

“I’ll be there in a second!” You yelled back as you passed Mira-Jane behind the bar to get to the beer. You tapped the golden liquid and went to give it to Cana.

On your way back, strong arms snaked around your waist making you yelp out of surprise “hello to you too, princess”

“You scared me” You slapped Bickslow’s chest as he chuckled and placed a kiss on your cheek before telling why he stopped you “Me, Freed, Laxus and Evergreen are going out on a mission, you wanna come?”

“No, thank you” You kindly declined as you walked back to the bar with Bickslow following in your steps, a frown evident on his face.

“You never go out on a mission with me” he whined, making you chuckle and peck his bottom lip that stuck out.

“Well, I guess I like it more inside the guild. It’s less dangerous and less stressful” You replied as you started to wash the glasses that were piling up. He cocked his head to the side in confusion but shrugged his shoulders and let it slide.

“We’ll probably be back in the afternoon, don’t miss me too much” With that your boyfriend was gone along with his friends, leaving you to continue to look after the guild along with Mira-Jane.

After the busy Lunch break, you noticed that you were running low on some supplies, meaning you had to go take a trip to the market to buy some more food and other stuff. “Mira? I’m gonna head into town and stock up on some necessities, I’ll be back in a bit”

“I’ll come with you!” Lucy exclaimed to which you agreed. You weren’t going to turn down help, knowing fully well how much of a pain it will be to get all the groceries back.

“Hey, I was wondering, how did you and Bickslow end up together?” the blonde asked as you looked at the fresh strawberries, trying the find the right batch.“It’s because we’re so different, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean- “ she quickly cut herself off when she heard you chuckling “It’s fine, you’re fine. After all, you’re not the first one to ask”

You handed the lady behind the counter some money before continuing your search and your story “I’ve been helping Mira with the guild for as long as I can remember so of course, he knew who I was. Him being a part of the Thunder God Tribe also made him well known in the guild. Bickslow always says that he knew I was the one from the day he saw me lash out at Natsu for being so careless after he accidentally burned me. He only wanted me to bring them food or drinks and every time I did, he had a bad joke prepared to try and make me smile. I always felt somewhat invisible in the guild, but it was like I was the only one there in his eyes. Laxus decided one day that he had enough of Bicklow’s bad attempts at jokes so decided to take things in his own hands. He dragged us out of the guild and told us not to come back until we had gone on a date. And I guess that’s where our story started”

“Who would’ve thought that Laxus would be the one to bring people together "Lucy chuckled, making you laugh along “I know right ”

Lucy and you continued to shop until you had everything you needed. “I feel like my arms are gonna fall off”

“Stop your whining, we’re nearly at the guild You chuckled as you could see the said building in the distance.

Once inside, you two went to the storage room and put everything in the right place “I guess that’s everything”

You were about to leave when you heard your boyfriend and his friends talking about you "I could always ask (Y/N) to be part of the Fairy Tail B team”

“Don’t bother,” Bickslow told Laxus “ She doesn’t even want to go on a job. She’d never want to participate in something as exciting as the Grand Magic Games. She says that she doesn’t want to do anything besides this boring job, no offence Mira”

“None taken” Mira replied as you could hear the sound of glasses clinking together and the sound of streaming water, signalling she was cleaning them.

“Anyway, you should probably ask Juvia or something. (Y/N) doesn’t like to get out of her comfort zone. ” Bickslow said, making Evergreen snort at that “makes you wonder how you two ended up together. She’s so boring”

As you listened to the conversation you couldn’t help but take his words to heart. You’ve always known you two were incredibly different, but you didn’t know he viewed you as boring. Sure you were known for not going out on missions, simply because you didn’t want to put yourself in harm's way, but did that make you boring? Did he view Mira boring as well? Probably not because she’s a known S-class wizard you do not want to mess with.

“Are you okay? ” Lucy snapped you out of your thoughts as she noticed your sudden change in mood.

You covered your doubts with a smile “Yeah! Of course, let’s go”

You reappeared in the guild alongside Lucy with a bright smile as if nothing happened, but in the back of your mind, the same thoughts about you being boring kept playing over and over again.

You decided to do something about it and asked your boyfriend to go on a job the next day. To say he was surprised, was an understatement “Of course I wanna go on a job with you!”

This went on for a couple of weeks. You often took more jobs in a day to seem like you were always doing something new and exciting. As the days past Bickslow noticed how more tired and unhappy you grew. You always brushed it off and told him it was nothing, but he wasn’t so sure if he liked the new you if it meant he had to give up his alone time with you. You hardly went on date nights any more because you were either away or asleep. Sometimes you two went days without seeing each other because either he just went on a job when you came back or the other way around.

He finally decided he had enough and sat you down to talk about his concerns. “(Y/N)? Can we talk? ”

“Can we do it another time? I’m about to go on this job” You said as you looked at the paper in your hand that held the description.

“It’s rather urgent” He pleaded, making you look up from your paper. When you saw that there was no sign of his usual cheeriness, you knew something was up. You gave in a went to a more isolated table in the guild. “So, what you wanna talk about? ”

“What’s up with the personality switch?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” You asked, pretending to be oblivious to what he was referring to.

He frowned at your dishonesty, unsure if he had done something to upset you, so he decided to just be blunt about it, “We hardly see each other lately because either you’re on a job or I’m on a job and when we finally get a moment alone together you don’t want to do anything because you’re too tired.”

“I thought you’d like this less boring side of me” you mumbled.

He tilted his head a little to the side as he looked at you in confusion “Boring? Who told you that?”

You chewed on your bottom lip as you gather the courage to talk about your insecurities “I overheard you and your friends talking about the Grand Magic Games and how you said to not even bother asking me because I don’t want to do anything except for my boring job. After that Evergreen called me boring, and you didn’t comment on it, so I assumed you also think that’s true”

Bickslow was ready to protest, because he was certain to never talk behind your back about something like that, but a vague memory of that day crept inside his mind. He had never thought much of the exchange, but seeing how much it affected you, he couldn’t help but start to feel guilty.

“(Y/N), listen to me, I do not think you’re boring. Sure, your job is boring, I ain’t gonna deny that but that has nothing to do with your personality. Who cares if you don’t like to put yourself in danger? Does that make you boring? Absolutely not, because I know that when push comes to shove you’ll be the first in line to protect everyone in this guild. I fell for you because of your caring nature and the goodhearted soul you have in you. Are you a daredevil? Absolutely not. Does that make you boring? Maybe a little. Do I care about that? No, most definitely not, because you have so much better traits that people could only dream of having. ” He took his helmet off, took your hands in his and never once broke eye contact. Desperately trying to show how much he meant it.

“But what about the first time you really fell for me? You said it was after I scolded Natsu for burning me. You always said you knew I was the one after you saw my fierce side.” You frowned.

He chuckled softly at the memory, seeing as you completely misunderstood why he knew he was going to make you his after that day. “I mean sure, seeing you all fired up and scolding someone much stronger than you was undeniably hot, but that’s not the real reason. After you got burned and put Natsu in his place, you didn’t even care about your wound. You were quick to check up on Gray and Natsu to see if they had gotten hurt in the process. You always put others first. Your selfless personality is what got me drawn in. I’d pick your caring and loving side any day over the reckless and daring side. I am so sorry for making you feel like you were boring. I never meant to make you feel that way”

“No, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have assumed things” You apologized as well.

“Please don’t apologize. I should’ve realized sooner what was going on. How about I make it up to you with a proper date? We haven’t been on one in a while and I really missed my girl at my side” He suggested.

“I’d love to” You agreed as you planted your lips softly on his.

538 notes · View notes

bbygirljuvi · 3 years

Text

Gruvia Week Day 6 - Agony

Author’s note: l know it’s very late but hope you enjoy ^^ /// hurt-comfort

Summary: This takes place in a “possible” or more likely “alternative” future where Juvia and some of the other members joined Team Natsu in Elentir, and White Priestess needs a stone formed by Selen’s magic’s remnants in order to stop Elentir from exploading.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“YOU ARE NOT GOING.”

Whole guild stopped and turned their head to the entrance, where annoyed Juvia stormed in followed by raging Gray.

“DO YOU HEAR ME. JUVIA. YOU ARE NOT GOING.”

Water mage suddenly came closer to him and speaked in a composed voice:

“Do you have a better idea then, Gray-sama?” This shut his mouth for a second.

“No” he said, greeting his teeth. “But sacrificing yourself is not an option too”

“IT IS AN ACCEPTABLE RISK” she brust out with frustration. Guild shooked by another shock wave. Had Juvia Lockser yelled at her beloved Gray-sama??

Gray could have been shocked too if he wasn’t in total rage. How could she even thought about doing this to herself! What’s worse was that he knew Juvia enough to know there was no turning back when those determination sparkes settled in her eyes.

Erza was the first one pulled herself together. She separated water and ice mages whos was looking at each other in a silent war. It was so weird seeing them like that..

“What’s going on?” Erza asked in a commending way.

“Juvia found a way in,” she started excitedly but continued more irritated “and made the mistake sharing her plan with Gray-sama first, thinking he would be supportive-“

“It’s a suicIDE MISSION” Erza warned him with a look but she had a bad feeling about this. There were a few things that could piss Gray off this much.

“Juvia realised there is an underground riverhead near here which rises to the surface around Black Moon Mountain and goes beyond it’s foot!! Juvia can sneak in using her water body, get stone samples and sneak out just as she get in!” She dropped the bomb which caused different reactions from her friends.

Natsu cheered happily “That’s perfect Juvia!” while Levy whined “Juvia!!?” in terror. Erza was rubbing her forehead, evaluating the idea. Lucy and Wendy were looking hesitant while Gajeel was shaking his had in approvement. Erza started:

“ I don’t know Juvia...There is so many things could go wrong? Sending you there alone is just...” Her words calmed the ice mage who was about to rail Natsu. His lips curled up a bit. He turned to Juvia, opened his mouth to say ‘see?’ when Erza continued:

“But I can’t think of any other way.”

“WHAT? YOU’RE APPROVING THIS?”

“Gray-sama Selene don’t know what stones can do. There won’t be any protection around the area. Riverside is maximum one minute away from magic remanence. And this is a take and run mission, Juvia can always run back if somethings go wrong-“

“You. Can’t. Know. That! We have absolutely no idea what Selene knows nor don’t. You can’t know if there is an extra protection. You can’t know her or her minions suddenly won’t feel like using the area. What if they catch you? You’ll be alone in there Juvia! We won’t be there in time if something goes wrong-“

“Gray you’re speculating-“ Erza started but he cut her short angrily

“These are not speculation, possibilities!”

“Gray she is very well capable of doing this. None of us wants to send her alone but this is our best shot.” Lucy explained in a considerate voice.

“And Juvia always had been good at sneaking. Phantom used her as a spy a lot of time.” Gajeel commented in a similar voice. Which somehow drove ice mage even more crazy.

“ I know she’s strong and capable but I also know she’s not immortal like she likes to think!”

This caused an awkward silence because everyone was aware he wasn’t entirely wrong. It was a dangerous mission with a high potential of disaster.

“What are you suggesting than Gray-sama. Should we let a dimension of people die just because it was a little dangerous for Juvia?”

“No.. but we can find another way-“

“But we couldn’t and time is ticking.” He kept his silent while examining everyone.

Lucy, Wendy and Levy were still hesitant yet accepted the situation. Natsu was confused. Gajeel was giving approval. Erza had warmed up to the idea. And lastly, Juvia was heartbroken yet determined.

His heart tightened. He knew she would do it anyway, even the whole guild would be against it. Anger he’s been desperately holding on since she told him about her plan was fading. Giving it’s crown to the actual emotion, fear. His eyes started to burn.

“Are you going to go?” He asked,

trying to keep his voice calm and straight.

“Yes”

“Fine.” he said taking a few steps back. “If you want to kill yourself, do it. But I won’t stay here and watch it.” Then he left as fast as he came.

With his exit everybody took a deep breath. Juvia felt her eyes getting filled with tears. It was their first fight. She knew his actions were fueled by worry yet this knowledge didn’t ease the pain in her heart. Erza pulled her into a hug, mumbled:

“ You know he acted like this because he cares about you a lot, right?” while caressing her hair.

“Juvia knows but it doesn’t make it any easier..” She left Erza’s arm with a last squeeze and dried corner of her eyes. She didn’t want to cry this time.

Natsu was still looking where Gray left. He was very confused. “What’s wrong with ice princess? It wasn’t like him at all.” he verbalised his confusion.

Lucy felt her eyes twitched in annoyance. “Of course It’s too much for you to understand” she grumbled as she walked to Erza and Juvia. Left even more confused Natsu behind her.

“He is not entirely wrong tho Juvia.” she sat down in front of her. “You have no obligation to put yourself in such danger.”

Juvia shook her head. “I’m doing it of my free will. Let’s stop talking about weather should i do it or not and start talking about how to do it.”

After that they made backup plans for every bad scenario they could think of. Which was a lot since Levy was a doomsayer. They thought about what tools she should took along, when she should leave, how long she should stay inside and other details until dinner time.

As they went onto the details it got more believable that this misson was doable. So at dinner everybody was in better mood, they were still worried, of course, but relaxed enough to laugh a bit.

As time went on and her leaving time, which was a little after it got dark,came closer; Erza hesitantly asked:

“Ehem Juvia.. are you sure you’re okey leaving without saying goodbye to Gray? We can found him if you want-“ She shook her head rapidly.

“If his stubbornness is more important than farewelling Juvia, there’s nothing to say.” She said determinedly. But couldn’t hide the pain crossed her heart. She hoped he would come. She thought he would come.

“And it’s almost time to go too, Juvia should get ready.” She got up with a determined smile. Looked around the trusting faces she called family and continued with a even brighter smile. “See you later, everyone.”

This time, it was Lucy who pulled her into a hug. Followed by Erza whom followed by Gajeel whom followed by Levy and a moment later whole guild was touching their one and only water mage, cheering and exchanging assuring words.

She exited from the hall followed by echoes of her friends voices. Her smile faded as she got closer to the bigger building they used as an inn. Fully aware that she would spend her remaining time suppressing her disappointment. Thinking about how stupid her ice mage is on a dangerous mission wasn’t a good idea.

That’s why she felt suprised, angry and euphoric at the same time when she saw him sitting on the floor, in front of her door. His eyes were covered by his hair. He was playing with his finger like he always did when he’s nervous. She slowly took last two ledder while her lip curled up.

When she stood in front of him, for a second he ignored her. Continued playing with his fingers as he looked down. Then slowly hugged her legs. Hid his head from her sight and mumbled:

“I’m sorry, I overreacted.” His voice was hoarse like he’d been cried a lot. “ It’s just.. I-I might not..” he squeezed her legs harder, instead of finishing his sentence. Juvia lifted his chin despite his resistance and looked into his eyes. They were red and swelled, confirming her suspicion. He’d been cried. A wave of affection passed through her veins.

He saved himself from her grip with a blush and burried his face to her legs once again. Her hands went straight to his hair, carresed it with compassion.

“You might not what?” her voice came out more eager than she intended.

“I might not be over the Invel incident...”

No shit, she thought as she kept her silence for him to say more. But mentally she was literally jumping. They were finally having this much needed conversation.

“It’s just.. I hold you in my arms as your heart slowed with every beat Juvia... There were blood everywhere a..and I was leaning on you, to feel your breaths but I...I couldn’t-“ he stoped once again when his voice broke. They stayed in that position one or two minute. He slowly continued. whispering this time:

“I saw the world without you, Juvia. And I can’t afford living in it. I can’t”

She slied into his arms and sat down on his lap, pulled his head to her breast as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Gray-sama do you remember, while we were fighting against eclipse dragons, we had a vision that Gray-sama was...gone.”

He lifted his head just for a second. “I do..”

“Well, Juvia does too. She had many sleepless night over that. Waiting him return from missions were literally torture. She even pucked out of anxiety once when he was late. She wanted him to choose safer jobs, no, she wanted to lock him in case.

“She blamed herself a lot too. For being so weak, so careless..” Gray lifted his head again, to object this time but she stopped him.

“Then one day, you stepped on Natsu-san’s scarf while he was hiding under the table to prank Lucy and didn’t get up for a while.” She chuckled to annoyed growlings he made. His nose had broken that night.

“And at that moment she realised she couldn’t destroy every hidden scarfs standing his way. So instead of waiting some bad thing to happen her beloved Gray-sama and missing her chance at the process; she decided to enjoy every moment they had together until separation was inevitable. And hope that day won’t come for a long long time.”

He was looking her with a complex expression. A small smiled formed on his lips a moment later. Now it was his turn to pull her into his chest. “ I can try that” he said softly. Then his expression hardened a bit.

“But you still have to promise me you will drop the mission if some out of plan situation occurs.”

“She promise she will be reasonable.” He sighed and said

“Fair enough. And I will break into if you won’t return till sunrise.”

“Juvia will definitely return then.” She looked outside “To be able to keep her promise she needs to get ready now” His lips curled down immediately. Like a kid whose candy has taken away from him.

She pinched his cheeks near his pouty lips with a reassuring smile before going into her room.

Approximately 10 minutes later she came out wearing tights, small backpack and one of his shirt she owned while they were living together. That cheered him up a bit. She offered her hand to him:

“Let’s go down to others.” He hold her hand but stayed still instead of gettting up.

“I don’t want them to see me like this,” showed his eyes “Would it be okey if we say goodbye here?”

She kneeled in front of him and hugged him tightly, whispered:

“See you later, Gray-sama.” And pulled back quickly, feeling his intention of keeping her in there another half an hour.

She was just about to get up when she felt his grip on her armed, followed by a sudden kiss on her cheek.

“Good luck kiss,” He said while his grin got bigger as her flushing got deeper. “Now go!”

He ambivalently watched his girl left for an extremly dangerous mission; stumbling and smiling like a silly.

#gruvia #gruvia week #gruvia fanfiction #gruvia drabble #bbygirljuvi writing

167 notes · View notes

artickoushi · 3 years

Text

haikyuu characters as cliche romance tropes

alrighty so sorry for not posting for the past week! first we thought i had covid i do not, then i started throwing up like twenty times a day so that was fun, then yesterday i think i threw my back out so i can hardly move! yay! anyway thanks for reading!! pt 2 will be out if you guys like this!

hinata shouyo

the childhood friends to lovers

so yall are probably neighbors and your rooms are across from each other

so hinata being hinata is probably the one to start the interactions to get to know you

now he has some manners, so he knows it would be weird to knock on your front door to ask you to be friends

so he probably does that thing where he writes a question on a piece of paper and tapes it on his window

and when you post your answer and continue with another question?

this boy is pratically shaking with happiness

so things quickly set off from there

even of the two of you dont have a ton in common I think it would still be super easy to get along with hinata

so soon the two of you are like super comfortable with each other

like the type of comfortable where you can change in the middle of his room with him in it

as long as he isn’t facing you because he got a nosebleed and passed out one time when he forgot you were changing and turned around to ask you a question and found you in a shirt and underwear

so yeah

super comfortable

anyway you start having sleepovers and cuddling is big thing for you two

natsu asks hinata very loudly when he’s gonna ask you out at breakfast so you can offically become her big sister

he almost passed out the first the first time she asked

you both have keys for eachothers houses

and you have a plank of wood sitting between your windows for easy access

you call each others parents either by their first name or mom/dad

by the time the two of you go to highschool you two are probably attached at the hip

your honestly the two people in school who everyone thinks is dating

cause you call each other nicknames and hug for a little longer then necessary

but it probably takes him til his second year in highschool to confess

i think it would be like after a major game win

and you came rushing down from the stands with suga, daichi and asahi and he would just run up to you and hug you

but before you can pull away from him and hug the others on the team he just cups your cheek and just flat out says it

like he’s still high on the surge of confidence from the win so he litteraly just looks at you and says ‘i love you’

kageyama tobio

the dramatic misunderstanding

I think that without looking at Kageyama’s face, he’d probably look really common to other people.

so something probably happened where one of your friends left you to struggle by yourself in a sticky situation

So like when you go to confront him about it, he’s probably on his way to volleyball practice after his last class

so you rush up to him, your nostrils flaring and eyes burning with anger as you reach up and yank on his shoulder so he stumbles and is now facing you

as you fold your arms across your chest, ready to demand answers, you freeze

“what the fuc-”

yall just stand there for a good five minutes with awkward asf eye contact

before you finally snap out of it and immediately your face flushes with embarrassment as you bow and spew out apologies one after another.

so after you finally stop apologizing and explain that you had mistaken him for someone you were upset with

he kinda understands? like he still confused on how you mixed up your friend with him but whatever

so after you explain you ask if you can make it up to him

and he’s probably wary at first cause like? you almost physically harrased him? even if you mistook him for someone?

but after you follow him around for the rest of the day and insist that you make it up to him, he gives in out of annoyance and makes a deal with you

the deal was for you to buy him milk at lunch everyday for two weeks

so yeah

you guys start eating lunch together

and he eventually realizes he likes your company somewhat?

and like your surprisingly good with reading people so he has you come to practice sometimes

but yeah the two of you just start hanging out and eventually he asks you out one day when you were at the park at 2 am cause you wanted mcdonalds

tsukishima kei

enemies to lovers

i think we all know this tall glass of salty ass water can be a competitive mf when he wants to be

and I think while he’s in class 4, he would be the type thats naturally smart

like he wouldnt study and he’d get an A on some pop quiz or smth typa smart

lucky ass mf

anyway

so your labelled as the smart kid in school

so like no matter what year someone is they come to you for help

and you hold your top spot in class proudly

so when some blind ass, blonde, sirenhead reject looking ass comes in and knocks you down to number 2?

oh boyyy war has begun

tsukishima is quick to notice the annoyed glare you send his way and it doesnt take him long to figure out why

so tsukki being tsukki, he decides to mess with you a bit

and thus WW3 has begun

the two of you litteraly eat lunch together and you go to volleyball with him just to fucking bicker with each other

your dedicated

so it goes on forever

if your at volleyball all the boys (except yams cause hes loyal sometimes) will join on your side and bicker with Tsukishima as well

eventually Daichi will step in (maybe suga) and your honestly the type of people who will just throw dirty looks and make silent death threats at each other

yall act like five year olds istg-

so it’s probably about midway through the school year when you stay home sick

and Tsukki’s just looking around the whole day trying to find you when Hinata tells him at practice that you stayed home sick

and he’s just like ‘oh good riddance’

but then its been almost a week now and you still haven’t come back to school?

and he’s lowkey worried and he almost showed up at your house the day before with a slice of strawberry shortcake and he realizes he’s getting kinda lonely at school (despite Yamaguchi’s attempts to help)

so when you actually do come back to school (turns out you had a really bad cold), you sauntered right up to Tsukki all smug and stuff since you expected him to be in a bad mood

“did ya miss me, Tsukki?”

he just chuckled and plops and hand down on your head to ruffle your hair

your honestly too caught up in trying to pry his hand from his head to notice yamaguchi down the hallway taking pictures-

so he finally moves his hand from your head and wraps his arm around your shoulder before pulling you into a bone crushing side hug

and as your repeatedly smacking him and yelling at him to let go cause you ‘can’t breath’, you almost miss his reply

“I sure did pipsqueak”

so you two start hanging out

and of course you still have your competitions but now the two of your are literally flirting and the team thinks its kinda gross but also good for Tsukishima cause he managed to find someone that for some reason likes him? whatever

so your probably at a cafe with him a while later, its an unofficial date the team is even at a booth on the other side of the cafe to keep an eye on the two of your, and Tsukishima ordered a slice of strawberry shortcake obviously

so probably wanting to tease him when he got to the last couple bites of his cake, you picked up your fork and before he could stop you, scooped up the cake and shoved it in your mouth with an innocent smile

so he just smirks and mentions that you have some frosting on the corner of your mouth, but you cant seem to figure out where

so instead of wiping it off with a napkin like a normal person, or using his fingers to wipe it off like some cliche romance novel, this mf curls his hand around the back of your neck, leans in and full on kisses you

somehow during the kiss he manages to snag some of the cake back so when he pulls away he’s chewing

he just smirks and says ‘delicious’

the team just starts screaming incoherently-

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x f!reader #haikyuu x m!reader #kageyama x reader #tobio x reader #kageyama tobio x reader #hinata x reader #shouyo x reader #hinata shouyo x reader #tsukishima x reader #kei x reader #tsukishima kei x reader

380 notes · View notes

isabellafoster13 · 2 years

Text

This isn't a request. Just something I decided to write.

I think the idea of Romeo having a one-sided crush on Lucy is very cute. I've read a few fics about Romeo having a crush on Lucy and I love them all. Plus, Romeo's absolutely adorable and he doesn't get enough love. So, I'm going to write about him having a crush on Lucy.

Hope you enjoy it!

One-Sided (Romeo x Lucy)

Romeo sat at the bar, grumpily sipping on a glass of apple juice.

He was fuming.

Once again, his father left on a job. Romeo had asked if he could go too, but his dad simply said "you're too young, Romeo" and left. Now, Romeo was in a bad mood.

Why couldn't he go on a job? Just because he wasn't as skilled as his father at magic didn't mean he couldn't still help. He hadn't yet gone on any jobs, either alone or with another mage, because his father thought that he still needed to train more before he did anything remotely dangerous. Romeo, however, disagreed.

As Romeo continued to glare at the wall that sat on the other side of the bar across from him, a blonde celestial wizard could be heard scolding her team about being too destructive on their most recent job. Romeo couldn't help but chuckle a little. Typical Team Natsu.

He then Lucy inform her teammates that she would be taking a solo job this time. Cue the whining, Romeo thought to himself. Right on cue, Natsu, Gray, and even Erza were telling Lucy that they wanted to go with her. Throwing all sorts of reasons, the most common being that they wanted to protect her. After all, she does have a tendency to get kidnapped. Lucy, however, simply said that she would be fine and practically stomped to the request board, her still complaining team following on her heels.

Romeo focused his attention on what he would do while his father was away. He could practice his magic a bit more. He knew that Mira would be more than happy to spare with him. But, he didn't want to just train all the time. He wished that there were more things that he could do.

Suddenly, someone sat next to Romeo and placed their hand on his shoulder, making the boy jump in surprise. Sitting next to him was Lucy. Upon his reaction, the blonde immediately pulled her hand away, saying sweetly, "I'm sorry, Romeo! I didn't mean to startle you."

The boy shook his head. He asked, "what do you want?" Lucy didn't usually talk to him. Her attention was typically taken up by her team, especially Natsu.

Lucy smiled and held up a job request. She spoke when Romeo gave her a questioning look, not understanding why she was talking to him, "want to accompany me on a job? We'll be back before your father returns."

Romeo looked at her smiling face, shocked. Lucy actually wanted to go on a job with him? Why? The young mage looked at the job request. Taking it into his hands, he read it over. It was requesting a couple of mages to capture a dog that's been snatching food and personal items from people and running off. The townspeople have tried to capture the dog, but nothing has worked.

Romeo looked back at Lucy. She was smiling brightly at him, silently asking him to accompany her. The boy looked back at the piece of paper. The town was very close, only one or two hours away. The job seemed easy for them. Shouldn't take more than a day. The reward was a hundred thousand jewel and one silver celestial spirit key. The key must be what sealed the deal.

Romeo eventually came to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt to accept. It'll give him something else to do, at least for a short time. The boy nodded at the older mage. Lucy grinned. She then told him to be here at eight in the morning tomorrow with some extra clothes packed. Romeo nodded and watched as Lucy walked away. He turned back to his juice, still wondering why Lucy wanted him to accompany her on a job that she had earlier said was going to be a solo one.

Romeo walked into the rowdy guildhall, a blue suitcase being dragged behind him. He scanned the guildhall, eventually making his way to the bar when he spotted Lucy sitting on one of the stools, drinking her favorite milkshake. The boy cleared his throat when he stopped behind her causing the blonde to turn around. Lucy grinned upon seeing him. "Romeo! Right on time, good job!"

She then slurped down the rest of her milkshake and hopped off of her stool. She grabbed Romeo's wrist and dragged him outside. Once the doors closed behind the pair, Lucy turned to her partner and took out a gold key. She pointed it away from them and called, "Open! Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"

Suddenly, a flash of gold revealed a pretty young woman. Romeo could tell as he stared in awe that she was one of Lucy's celestial spirits. The woman was dressed in a maid outfit, had pink hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a mask of emotionlessness on her face. The spirit bowed to Lucy as she spoke, "Greetings, Princess. Is it time for punishment?"

Romeo looked up at Lucy questioningly. Lucy blushed in embarrassment at her maid spirit as she frantically said, "no no no no no, Virgo! No punishment!"

Romeo couldn't stop himself from laughing at what he was seeing, earning a glare from Lucy. The boy simply laughed more. Eventually, Romeo was able to get his laughter under control and Lucy was able to calm herself. Lucy then requested of her spirit, "Virgo, could you keep Romeo's suitcase with my things, please?"

Virgo responded with an "of course, Princess" as she took Romeo's suitcase out of his hand. She then asked Lucy, "is there anything else, Princess?" After Lucy shook her head the celestial spirit gave a bow, saying, "I await your next request, Princess." She then disappeared in a shower of gold sparkles with Romeo's suitcase.

Romeo looked up at Lucy with a humorous smirk. "What was with that punishment question?" Lucy responded by blushing and stuttering out an explanation. Romeo tried to fight the second laughing fit of that day, only to fail almost immediately.

Lucy rolled her eyes. Once Romeo had gotten control of his laughter, he wiped the tears from his black eyes. He asked his partner, "are we going to walk or take a train?"

"We'll get there faster if we take a train. That would probably be best. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can catch the dog, and the sooner we can get the reward." Lucy answered him. Romeo nodded at that and became walking, Lucy falling in step beside him.

The female mage soon asked him, "you don't have motion sickness, right?"

Romeo raised his eyebrow at her. "No?" Why would she ask that? Lucy sighed in relief. Seeing that, Romeo chuckled. "One of your teammates has motion sickness? Let me guess, it's Natsu." Lucy nodded at him, looking exasperated. Romeo chuckled again. It made sense that Lucy would want to have a break from her team, especially if Natsu has motion sickness.

The pair soon reached the town that had posted the job request. They had just spoken to the mayor. As Romeo and Lucy walked through the town, they each held something that they hoped would lure the dog to them. They would then follow it and try to catch it. Romeo was holding a bag of food in his hand while Lucy held her keys on their ring in her hand that she let hang by her side. She wasn't keen on risking the dog taking her keys, but she knew that she would get them back once they followed the dog to where it kept its stolen items and caught it. The only problem would be Aquarius' fury at having her key slobbered on by a mutt.

As the two walked, Romeo asked, "why did you want me to come with you on this job?"

Lucy glanced down at him before she smiled and slung her arm around his shoulders. "Because, while I don't think you're ready for a job on your own just yet, I do think you can go on one as long as you have another mage with you. I thought that this job would be a good experience for you. This will be a good opportunity to show your dad that you can go on jobs. Besides, I'd like to see what you can do. I've seen you train and I've got to say, I'm impressed."

Romeo looked up at her to see her famous bright smile. He could feel his face heat up. Nobody had said that they believed he was capable of going on jobs. Nobody has said that they were impressed with his skill in magic. He looked at Lucy's arm that was wrapped around his shoulders and looked back at her. She was looking forward again as they continued to walk. Even though, Romeo could still see how beautiful she was. He wasn't sure why he was just now noticing, but suddenly he wanted to stare at her all day, to get lost in her chocolate brown eyes that seemed to sparkle. He wanted to hug her, hold her hand, kiss her plump lips. At that last one, his blush darkened. Romeo soon noticed a fluttering feeling in his stomach and his heart was beating rapidly. What was happening to him? He's never felt this way before.

Suddenly, Lucy released him and Romeo felt saddened by the loss of contact with her. Her melodic voice then broke him out of his thoughts, "Hey, look." Romeo followed her gaze, finding a large brown dog several yards in front of them. Lucy stopped and grabbed Romeo's arm, making him stop as well. Romeo looked up at her and waited to know what she wanted to do.

Lucy leaned down to whisper to him, "Let's look away from the dog. It'll most likely try to steal from us if we look distracted." Romeo nodded and looked at a cafe across the street from them, watching the people that sat in front of it. He looked back at Lucy to see that she had taken out her communication lacrima and was pretending to have a conversation with someone on the other end. Romeo turned back to the cafe, trying to keep his mind off of the weird feelings he had developed towards the beautiful blonde.

After what seemed to be hours but was more likely a few minutes, Romeo felt a harsh pull on the bag of food before it was ripped from his grasp. He and Lucy immediately took off after the dog, running down the sidewalk and into a forest. The two mages ran beside each other, but to their dismay, the dog was ridiculously fast. Romeo looked to Lucy, about to ask what they should do, only to see her pull out a gold key. She called loudly, "Open! Gate of the Seagoat: Capricorn!"

Romeo then felt himself get picked up and cradled against someone's chest. He looked in front of him to see Lucy was also being held, her eyes on the dog ahead of them. He then looked up at whoever was running while carrying them. It was another celestial spirit, what appeared to be a humanoid goat dressed as a butler and wearing sunglasses. Romeo looked back at the dog. He was surprised to see that they were closing in on it. Lucy then said to her spirit, "slow down a little Capricorn, we need to find out where the dog is stashing the things that it steals."

Capricorn answered with a "yes, My Lady" and slowed his speed a little, allowing the dog to stay ahead, but not too ahead of them that they end up losing it.

They eventually came to a stop in front of a small cave that the dog had escaped into. Capricorn sat the two mages down and returned to the Celestial Spirit World. Romeo began creeping towards the small cave, holding his hand out towards Lucy to tell her to stay where she was. The boy got onto his knees and peered into the cave. He raised his fist as he muttered, "Red Fire." His fist was then engulfed in red flames, giving off light that allowed Romeo to see into the cave better. He saw the brown dog deep inside, scarfing down the food that it had stolen from him. He looked closer to find that the dog was laying on an assortment of clothing. To his surprise, five puppies were playing with other stolen items, such as children's toys and jewelry, while three other puppies suckled on their mother. Romeo distinguished his Red Fire and pulled ot of the cave. He rushed back to Lucy to report what he had found.

"The dog has about eight puppies in there. It appears she stole food for herself and her puppies, clothes for bedding, and other things for her puppies to play with." Lucy's eyes widened. She looked to the cave and then back at Romeo.

She told him in a low voice, "you can create a net with your Purple Flame magic, right?" Romeo nodded, prompting Lucy to continue, "you catch the puppies, I'll grab the dog." Romeo nodded.

The two approached the small cave. Lucy whispered for Romeo to get ready to catch the puppies as she crawled inside. It didn't take long for the dog and puppies to run out of the cave, followed closely by Lucy. Romeo yelled, "Purple Net!" as he threw a purple ball of flame at the group of running puppies. In an instant, the eight puppies were trapped in place by a net made out of purple fire. Romeo smiled, proud of himself. He looked behind him upon hearing the sound of grunting to see Lucy struggling to keep a hold of the struggling dog. Romeo chuckled, only to be shushed by Lucy when she sternly said, "stop laughing at me and come help!" Romeo obeyed, not wanting to make the young woman angry.

They eventually took the dog and her puppies to the mayor. The greying man stated that he would take the canines to the local vet and take them in himself. This provided Lucy with relief as she had been fearing the worst. After showing the mayor where the mother dog's stash was, Lucy and Romeo collected their reward and made their way back to the train station.

On the train, Romeo watched as Lucy examined her new silver key happily. He smiled at the joyous look on her face. He had heard many men talking about how beautiful Lucy was in the past, and he had to admit, she really was beyond gorgeous, both inside and outside. He felt his cheeks once again heat up. He shook his head trying to think about something else. Leaning forward as he tried to get a good look at the key, Romeo asked, "what spirit is that one?"

Lucy handed the key to him to look at as she answered, "try to guess." Romeo leaned back in his seat as he examined the silver key. The blade was cylindrical while its tip was shaped like a pair of open handcuffs. Running up the blade of the key from the handcuffs was a chain, winding around the blade until it reached the handle. On the surface of the handle was a sea-green crown that appeared to be sitting atop the waves of an ocean. Romeo racked his brain for a constellation that would fit the handle's engraving. However, his knowledge of constellations was very limited.

He shrugged his shoulders as he handed the key back to Lucy. The blonde chuckled before giving him the answer, "this is the key of The Chained Princess, Andromeda." Romeo nodded. He knew about The King and Queen Constellations, but not a Princess Constellation. He leaned back and looked out the window next to him. He enjoyed going on a job with Lucy, he even got to split the reward money with her. He planned to ask her if they could go on another job together sometime, but first, he wanted to figure out what these feelings were that he was having for Lucy.

Romeo walked into the guildhall after he and Lucy said their goodbyes. After they took Romeo's suitcase back home, he had decided to hang out at the guild while Lucy was going to go back to her apartment and relax. Romeo made his way to the bar and sat down. He scanned the guildhall, looking for someone who might be able to decipher the new feelings he was experiencing. His attention was drawn to the other side of the bar by a familiar voice, "Hey, Romeo. Where did you head off too?"

The boy answered as he watched her set a glass of apple juice down in front of him, "I just went for a walk." Mira nodded. She turned to walk away until Romeo suddenly said, "wait! I have a question, Mira." The white-haired woman turned back to him and silently gestured with her hand for him to continue. Romeo took a deep breath before beginning, "there is this girl I know. Very recently, I've been having these feelings towards her. Whenever she so much as smiles at me, my face gets hot, my stomach gets this weird fluttering feeling, and my heartbeat goes wild."

He looked up at Mira, only to see that she was giving him a wide smile that honestly looked painful. He raised an eyebrow at her. Before he could ask if she was okay, Mira rushed around the bar to grab Romeo by the arm and drag him outside.

Once outside, Mira almost squealed while clutching both of Romeo's shoulders in her hands, "Romeo, you're in love!"

Romeo stared at her in shock. In love? That's what these feelings mean? He's in love...with Lucy?

Mira's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "tell me, who's the lucky girl?" Romeo shook his head and stepped away from her. He walked past her and headed in the direction of Lucy's apartment, ignoring Mira's pleas for him to tell her who it is that he was in love with. He didn't know if he was making a mistake, but he knew that he had to talk to Lucy about this.

He wasn't going to fool himself, he knew that he didn't have a chance with her. He remembered having overheard Freed tell another guildmate that the best way to get over your romantic feelings for someone is to tell them and get rejected. Freed was smart, so that had to have some truth to it, right?

Romeo knew that this was going to probably mess up the friendship that he had just started forming with Lucy, but he didn't want to complicate it by having romantic feelings for her. He had to tell her, get rejected, and move on. He knew it was going to hurt, but it had to be done.

He had gone to Lucy's apartment once when he was dragged there by Natsu for some reason, luckily he remembered where it was. He approached the door and knocked. It took about two minutes and five more knocks for Lucy to answer. She looked down at Romeo in confusion. "Why are you here, Romeo?"

The young fire mage asked, "I need to talk to you about something." And he wanted to do it soon because he could feel his confidence and resolve begin to slip. He followed Lucy into her living room and took a seat next to her on the couch.

Lucy gave him a concerned look. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Romeo shook his head. Unable to look her in the eye, the boy focused his black eyes on the coffee table in front of them. He took a deep breath, released it, and then spoke, "Lucy, recently I started getting this feeling around you. My heartbeat quickens, my stomach feels funny, my face heats up, and I want to be around you more and do things with you that two friends typically wouldn't do. I spoke to Mira, and she said that I was in love. So, I guess I'm in love with you." Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but Romeo cut her off as he continued, "I know that I don't have a chance with you, but I once heard that if you have romantic feelings for someone and you confess to them and get rejected, then you'll get over these feelings for them faster. Lucy, I want to be your friend, so please, reject me so I can get over these feelings and be your friend."

He was finally able to bring his gaze up to look at Lucy. She smiled kindly at him. In a swift move, the blonde had wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Romeo blushed and hesitantly returned the embrace. Lucy soon pulled away and looked down at him kindly. She said softly, "I'm sorry, Romeo. I don't feel the same way. I would love to be your friend, though. You did a very mature thing just now. I'm proud of you." Romeo smiled at her, trying to ignore the aching feeling in his chest and the urge to cry.

It hurt.

He knew that it would.

But he had to do whatever it took to get over these feelings.

He and Lucy shared another hug before he asked her, trying to keep his voice steady, "do you think that when I get over these feelings, you and I could go on another job together?" Lucy nodded in response.

Romeo walked out of her apartment and began his walk home. He decided that once he was in his bedroom he would let the tears fall. Then, once he was done crying, he would wait for his dad to come home and talk to him about everything that just happened today.

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #romeo conbolt #romeo x lucy #one sided love #virgo #capricorn #mirajane strauss

8 notes · View notes

classysassy9791 · 2 years

Text

When a job goes terribly wrong, the Fairy Tail guild is left to pick up the pieces. Mourning the deaths of their guildmates, Lucy can't seem to find the strength to move forward. But she comes to realize one person understands. His madness was her mercy, and she finally began to hope that maybe he could make her heart beat again.

Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Adventure/Tragedy Warning: Character Death(s)

Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l

Chapter 5 Word Count: 4,000 Can also be found on AO3 and FFN @ft-reboost

When Lucy finally returned inside the warmth of the guildhall, Lyon found her. Usually dressed in a striking blue, it was strange to see him clothed in black. The color didn’t suit him. Their eyes met, and Lucy knew exactly who he was looking for. “He’s out back.”

Lyon glanced at the back door thoughtfully, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “How is he?”

“How do you think?” She sniffled, wrapping her arms tighter around the damp fabric of her dress.

He placed a gentle hand on her arm, not bothering to hide the affliction in his dark eyes. “I’m sorry about your friends. Natsu and Erza were some of the strongest mages I’ve ever met, and had more heart than anyone I know.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, giving him a shaky smile. He returned the gesture before retreating to where she had just come from, surely on a mission to comfort his old friend.

Lucy walked aimlessly through the guildhall, watching the others drink themselves into a stupor. She briefly overheard Macao and Wakaba attempt to keep the mood cheerful, sharing humorous stories regarding a hot-headed dragon slayer with his flying blue cat and a queen who ruled with an iron fist. But their weak laughter quickly snuffed out, replaced with haunted expressions. Wakaba drew a deep breath in from his cigar and Macao finished off his alcohol in a single gulp. They felt what everyone else did. How could they laugh and be merry when those who had ensured it the most were gone?

Most of the night continued in that fashion. Lucy vaguely recalled people she didn’t recognize coming up to her and giving their condolences since she had been a part of the strongest team in Fairy Tail. Guilds from all over had shown up, everyone feeling the loss of the Salamander and Titania, including those from Sabertooth and their exceeds, who had lost a dear friend.

Drained from answering to others’ sympathies, Lucy found a little corner of the hall to escape to. She leaned her back against a pillar, watching out the window as rain continued to beat relentlessly on the cobblestone path, her unrecognizable reflection peering back at her through the glass.

She studied herself, pulling her lips into a smile. A frightened sob fell from her lips. She had to admit, when she smiled, she looked okay, normal even. Inside, the ache for Natsu gnawed at the very heart that still beat within her chest. But on the outside, anyone could mistake her lackluster grin for real happiness. How was it possible for her reflection to look so ordinarily normal when she had crumbled inside?

“Lucy?” Mirajane’s voice called out to her, causing Lucy to pull her gaze from the window.

She turned to find the barmaid and Makarov staring at her with morose expressions. “What is it?”

Makarov furrowed his brows, peering up at her with a look of sympathy. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, my dear, but Gray isn’t exactly in the most talkative of moods.”

Lucy sighed, averting her eyes. “Do you blame him?”

“No,” Mirajane assured. “We just-” She paused, unable to bring their reasoning for seeking her out to fruition. It wasn’t an easy request to ask of Lucy, especially after everything she had been through in the past few days, but it was something that needed to be done. Their master had given Lucy and Gray adequate space and time to try and process everything that had transpired, but now he needed answers.

“Lucy,” Makarov began in a stern, yet softened tone. “Can you tell us what happened that night?”

Lucy’s breath caught. She felt the panic begin like a cluster of sparks in her abdomen. Tension grew in her face and limbs, her mind replaying fragments of the attack. Her breathing became more rapid and shallow. A wave of nausea came over her as she swallowed past the thick lump in her throat. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lucy shook her head, wisps of blonde hair brushing over her shoulders. “I-I can’t.”

Makarov’s frown deepened. “I understand,” he said. “But, I need you to at least tell me one thing: Who did this?”

The celestial wizard bit her lip, her throat closing up as the faces of those demons flashed through her mind - teeth barred, venomous words, blood-soaked claws. She didn’t know their names. They had never revealed them in the heat of the battle. Both parties had been caught unaware, so pleasantries were never exchanged.

But…

She knew of them. She knew who they belonged to, the dark guild they took refuge in, its name spoken between blows.

With a shaky voice, she whispered, “Tartaros.”

Mirajane gasped as Makarov’s eyes hardened, fury emitting off of him in waves. “Tartaros?!” he seethed. “Tartaros did this to my children?!”

Tears burned Lucy’s eyes as she nodded her head.

Makarov clenched his hands into fists, alcohol mixed with rage blurring his lines of reason. “Master,” Mirajane muttered, causing him to turn his gaze to hers. She shook her head. “Not here.”

Her words heavily reminded him to reel back his vexation as he quickly scanned the rest of the guildhall. It seemed no one else had caught onto their conversation, which was probably for the best. If any of the others had overheard who was responsible for the slaughter of their family - particularly the dragon slayers with their sensitive hearing - it was likely a war would be started based on wild emotions.

No. A war against Tartaros was not something to be taken lightly. They couldn’t run into a fight half-cocked and blinded by grief. The dark guild had evaded even the Magic Council for years. If Fairy Tail was to challenge them, they had to be smart - methodical.

Makarov sighed, relaxing his shoulders as he turned back to Lucy. “It’s okay,” he said in a hushed tone. “Thank you for telling me. Please, don’t say anything to anyone else. We need some time.”

He shuffled away from them with his hands clasped behind his back, head bowed in thought. Mirajane wiped a tear from her cheek and turned back to Lucy. “I have something for you.”

Lucy brought her eyes up to the small, wooden box the barmaid presented to her. “What is it, Mira?”

“It’s Natsu’s scarf,” she explained gently. “Wendy and I managed to get the blood out of it, but since it was so important to him, I figured he’d want you to have it.”

Lucy took the tattered box into her bandaged hands, running her fingers carefully over the splintering wood. Fairy Tail’s emblem had been carved carefully into its lid, the lines blurred by her tears. She didn’t have the vigor to open it, but she thanked Mirajane all the same. “This means a lot.”

Mirajane squeezed her arm affectionately before disappearing into the crowd of mourners, leaving Lucy alone with her empty thoughts. In that moment, Lucy realized that when a person’s heart is shattered into a million pieces, all they could do was try to keep holding onto what was left. She needed to breathe. She needed to try moving forward. She tried not to think about him - about them.

But she also realized that doing all of those things was very, very hard.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, curling her hands tighter around the only piece she had left of her best friend. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

She closed her eyes, her heart crying out to the whispered voice in her ear. “I should’ve saved you.”

She brushed her bloody hair out of her eyes. Clouds of ash streaked the night sky. She stood frozen, lips half open. She tried to cry out, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Nice weather.”

Looking up, Lucy saw Hibiki’s reflection appear in the window beside hers, watching the rain fall outside. Part of her loathed him for interrupting her quiet destruction. “Not really,” she replied forlornly. “But then, sometimes I prefer the rain, especially if it’s from Juvia. Because we’re all sad together, you know?”

“I’m sorry,” he finally said the words she had grown to detest. “I know there isn’t anything that can be said to ease the pain, but I’m here if you ever need me, and I’ll offer any condolence I can. Blue Pegasus’ doors are always open.”

“Thank you.” This time she meant it.

“Words can never describe what those three meant to everyone, but I understand the heartache you’re going through. When Karen died, I didn’t think I’d ever learn how to breathe again.” He laid a hand gently over hers, compelling her to look at him. “But Lucy, listen to me. I want you to hold on. There’s still good left in this world.”

Lucy pulled away, glaring at his reflection with watery eyes, clutching Natsu’s box tighter in her hands. “What good is there to come of this?”

“We don’t have that answer now,” he admitted solemnly. “But someday, today will be a distant memory - a faded scar.”

She knew he was only trying to help, but his words suddenly made the room feel too tight, the murmured voices in the background too deafening. Lucy felt her heartbeat quicken, her fingers fidgeting across the splintering wood. She needed to leave. She couldn’t be there anymore.

“Thank you,” she told him, stepping away from the window. “You’ve always been so kind.”

Dark eyes watched as she turned to take her leave. “Would you like me to walk you home, or at least grab an umbrella for you? It’s still raining pretty hard out.”

Lucy shook her head with a smile. “No, that’s all right. I’ll be fine. I don’t live far.” He opened his mouth to object, but she held up a hand to silence him. “I have my keys on me. I’ll summon one of my spirits if I need to. You’ve always believed in how strong I am, so please, don’t doubt me now.”

Hibiki studied her expression. Her face was stern, a touch of melancholy, but her eyes steadfast. She wasn’t going to budge. Even still, he knew she was a fighter. She always had been. He sighed with resignation, smiling at her words. “You’re right. Get home safe, okay?”

“I will.”

She bid him farewell and left the guildhall, not bothering to say goodbye to any of her guildmates, her precious gift clutched tightly to her chest. The rain soaked her within minutes, small pellets of water sprinkling her hands as the remainder of the drops fell to form scattered puddles decorating the flagstone. Lights from street lamps reflected off the water, causing the street to glisten.

Walking alone toward her apartment, Lucy faintly realized the boatmen who usually occupied the river around this time were nowhere to be seen. She supposed it had something to do with the weather. She reached down to summon Plue, as was her normal routine on her walk home, but as she gazed at his silver key glistening in the rainfall, she realized she wasn’t really up for any company right now. So she returned it to her side and went back to holding the box, Natsu’s scarf safely tucked inside.

Before she knew it, she arrived home. That night, she finally understood why people fear silence. There was a common saying about the calm before the storm, but no one ever talked about the deafening silence after the storm hit. Her door creaked open into the dark apartment beyond, revealing no annoying teammates who had broken in, or a mess to clean up, or food thrown about her room.

It was her first time home since the job and her days spent in the infirmary.

Lucy dropped her celestial keys on her desk, setting Natsu’s box beside them. Levy had dropped off some food earlier in the day, already pre-packaged in the fridge and ready to eat, but Lucy wasn’t hungry. She felt drained, so she closed her door and leaned against it.

There was a lump in her throat and fire in her lungs as her eyes studied the emptiness of her apartment. And finally, after the long grueling days of knowing they were gone, it began to hit her that it was true. Being tucked away in the infirmary. Going to the cemetery. Mourning at the guild. None of it had really felt real. It just felt like a really bad dream.

Now, as she sat in her apartment, where Natsu and Happy always barged in without invitation, hearing the screaming stillness of their deaths fully and completely, without having them to come home to…

Lucy’s vision blurred as she choked out a sob. She slid to her knees, her cries finally releasing the suppressed pain that inescapably tore her heart and soul apart. Memories of Natsu hit her full force, of the dragon slayer who had brought her into this crazy adventure she called her life - needing him to be there. But he wasn’t there, and it hurt so damn much.

As her cries rang through her apartment, she wished Natsu was in the room with her right now. She wished she could put her arms around him, to touch him, because then it would mean that he was real, that he was with her, and wasn’t-wasn’t gone. Out of her reach.

Lucy found it hard to breathe, to feel anything, but the loss of Natsu.

The bar closed down fairly early that night. There was no real reason to keep it open, as everyone had disappeared to separate corners to grieve the events threatening to drown them. The visiting guilds who had come to pay their respects had returned to their hotels for the evening, giving Fairy Tail members a chance to mourn in privacy. Even Cana had retreated to Fairy Hills in a drunken stupor. Mirajane stood in a daze, drying the last glass of the night, her empty eyes gazing at the guildhall doors longingly.

“We made it back alive!”

How often had she heard that phrase? How often did Natsu and Happy come barreling through those doors shouting it to the skies, with Erza, Gray, and Lucy following behind, rolling their eyes and smiling at their boisterous behavior? How often did they take it as a normal greeting, a simple welcome back to their home?

The phrase had become such a natural part of the guild that along the way it had somehow lost its deep-seated meaning and had been taken for granted. Every time a member of Fairy Tail went out on a job, there was always a chance, no matter how small, that they would never walk through those doors again. They had seen it with Lisanna, had almost endured it when Macao had disappeared into Mount Hakobe, and even with Gildarts - their strongest wizard - when he came back two limbs short and with deep wounded scars from a dragon.

So why-why weren’t they more cautious? Why weren’t they more careful?

Droplets fell and hit the glass, causing Mirajane to pause, and only then did she realize she was crying. “Such a fool,” she whimpered.

“Who’re you calling a fool?”

Mirajane snapped her head to attention, wide eyes watching as Laxus stepped behind the bar. “L-Laxus,” she stuttered, quickly setting down the glass and wiping her eyes. “I-I didn’t know anyone else was still here.”

“Just came to check on Gramps before heading out,” he said, but knew she didn’t need an explanation.

“I see.” She casted her eyes down as she fiddled with the towel in her hand. “He hasn’t really been himself lately.”

Amber eyes watched her carefully. She looked half-dead in the pale light of the moon. “None of us have.”

Mirajane studied him out of the corner of her eye. The tragedy that had befallen the guild in recent days was not the only thing that caused Laxus Dreyer to make drastic changes. After the Battle of Fairy Tail - which felt like eons ago - and his expulsion from the guild, Mirajane hadn’t seen much of Laxus. Not until his reappearance on Tenrou Island seven years ago. The transformation in him was almost palpable. The anger and frustration he harbored for so many years of growing up in the shadow of his grandfather had been washed away. He had been reborn as a proper mage of Fairy Tail, of a person who stopped to aid his fellow man, and stood up against a dragon with them.

It wasn’t until they had formed Fairy Tail Team B and competed in the Grand Magic Games did Mirajane finally obtain a glimpse into the true nature of Laxus. He was tenacious and witty, traits that had long been hidden behind his indignation. He felt anger for their comrades, as well as concern, even going so far as to check on Lucy when she had been severely injured. The arrogant, foolhardy Laxus she had grown up with had changed for the better.

It reminded her of another person who she had always been at odds with during her childhood.

Mirajane exhaled deeply as the pair remained quiet, letting the empty silence of the guildhall fill the air between them until it became unbearable. “She was there for me,” Mirajane finally murmured, her words easily picked up by Laxus’ astute hearing.

“Hn?”

“Erza.” She choked back the lump in her throat. “When I thought Lisanna had died in my arms, Elfman had been overwhelmed with guilt. All I could do was try to keep myself together for him.”

He folded his arms over his chest and leaned his hip against the bar.

“I didn’t have the luxury of letting go and grieving openly,” she confessed. “Because if I showed him how sad I was, if I showed him how weak I was in the face of Lisanna’s death, I wasn’t sure what that would do to him. He was the only family I had left, and he was going through something that I couldn’t even imagine. How could I let him hurt more than he already was?”

“The kids fine,” the lightning mage argued softly. “He came out all right.”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a sad smile. “I have Erza to thank for that.”

He raised a brow in question.

“It’s true that she and I fought a lot when we were kids.” He scoffed at that, earning him a playful glare. “We fought about pretty much everything. But when I was at my lowest, when my sister was dead and my brother an emotional wreck, it was Erza who came to me.”

…

Mirajane slipped out of the door toward home, hiding her tear-stricken face from the guild as she left. She couldn’t let Elfman see her like this. She couldn’t let him see her so fragile, especially after what he did to Lisanna.

No. She gasped and quickly chastised herself. It was an accident. He was not to blame and she refused to put that stigma on him. It was all just a terrible, terrible accident.

“Mira?” a voice called, causing her to pause in walking and glance over her shoulder.

Erza stood in the doorway of the guild, wearing her armored chest plate and her scarlet hair woven in its usual braid down her back. “What do you want?” Mirajane snapped, running her good arm quickly over her eyes to wipe away evidence of her tears. “Can’t you see I want to be alone?”

The requip mage didn’t say anything for a moment, until finally she sighed, her expression falling to one of concern.

“I don’t need your sympathy!” Mirajane ordered, seeing the familiar emotion in her eyes. Of all the people to witness her fragility, it just had to be Erza. “Just leave me alone.”

She pivoted on her heel, prepared to stomp back to the place she resided with her siblings, so she could hide in the room she had shared with Lisanna, but arms around her waist stopped her. Erza held her back to her chest, head resting on her shoulder, tightening her hold. “I’m so sorry, Mira,” she mumbled quietly, her breath brushing against her neck.

Mirajane clenched her hand into a fist, knitting her brows as she glared at the ground. “What are you apologizing for?” she demanded, squeezing her eyes shut against the burn of her tears. “You had nothing to do with it!”

Wanting to escape the heavy reminder of her loss, Mirajane pulled against Erza’s tight hold, wanting nothing more than to be safe in her own bed, curled beneath the blankets, where she could shut out the world that kept turning without her little sister. But the scarlet-haired girl refused to release her.

“Let me go!” The takeover mage pulled and pushed against her grip, but Erza didn’t budge.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, causing Mirajane to pause. “You are not weak just because your heart feels so heavy.”

Mirajane didn’t know what it was about those words that cut her so deeply, but she suddenly found tears falling down her cheeks, her struggles ceasing, as Erza circled her so they were eye-to-eye. Erza embraced her again and Mirajane covered her face with her hand.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she sobbed.

Erza held on tighter. “You just do it,” she murmured softly. “You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot in front of the other, and damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way.”

Mirajane cried out to the endless sky, allowing Erza to slowly lower them to the ground, feeling her fingers rake through her hair to give her some sort of comfort she hopelessly needed. Mirajane wasn’t sure how long they sat there on the cool ground, the loss of her sister weighing on them so heavily she was sure they would be swallowed up by the Earth itself.

But somehow, afterwards, as she collected herself and stood from Erza’s embrace, the nights turned into days. As the guildhall once again filled with laughter and animated voices, understanding glances were exchanged between scarlet and silver, memories shared of a night she had broken so deeply that she would never be the same.

And Mirajane realized even with a broken heart, she learned to live again.

…

“We never fought again after that,” Mirajane concluded, turning to give Laxus a sad smile.

“Tch. Good news for the guild. I don’t think this place could’ve held up against you and Erza fighting on top of Gray and Natsu nowadays.”

She snorted at that. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

And just as quickly as a breath escaped her lips, Mirajane felt a sudden, deep longing for Erza’s company - her frisky remarks, headstrong attitude, and endless orders for strawberry cake. It made her heart ache deep within her chest, taking root so far as to cause her physical pain. She doubled over the bar counter, bracing herself as a wave of emotions hit her and a choked sob fell from her lips.

“Hey,” Laxus soothed gently, stepping over and laying a comforting hand on her back.

“I-I don’t understand,” she cried out. “Why-Why did this happen?”

Wearing a grim and sad expression, Laxus turned his eyes to the guildhall doors which would never burst open with the same spirited cries of return again. “I don’t know,” he said, an image of Natsu’s grinning face coming to mind.

“It’s not fair!” Mirajane wept, clenching her hands so tightly her fingernails dug crescent-shaped indentations into her palms. “It’s just not fair!”

He sighed, vision skewed by tears. “Well, no one ever said life was fair.”

As he tightened his hand around her shoulder, the hush of the guildhall broken only by her quiet sobs, Laxus knew they were facing an uphill climb to being okay again. All of them. But he also knew that when every day was a battle, it was okay to lose some days. After all, a setting sun still whispered a promise for tomorrow.

They just had to keep that in mind every day - survive until tomorrow.

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #gray fullbuster #graylu #mirajane strauss #laxus dreyer #miraxus #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #my fanfiction #sassy stays classy #the last of us #natsu dragneel #erza scarlet #makarov dreyer #hibiki lates #lyon vastia

7 notes · View notes

jekde04 · 4 years

Text

A Glimpse of the Future

Pairing: Gruvia (Gray Fullbuster & Juvia Lockser)

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Genre: Romance

Word Count: 3,253 words

Summary: Juvia had always wondered where exactly she stood with Gray. She finally got her answer when Gray came back from Edolas and saw someone he never expected. [Based on Chapter 66 of Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest.]

You may also read it on FanFiction.net or AO3!

Juvia ran to the guild as fast as her feet could take her. If she only knew they'd be back this morning, she wouldn't have taken that three-day job outside Magnolia that prevented her from taking her usual station at the table nearest the guild doors – the one she claimed for herself every time Gray would come back from a mission.

She barged right into Fairy Tail and shouted, "Gray-sama!" attracting the attention of a few guild members. Everyone was so used to her Gray-related antics by now that they no longer pay much attention to it. Max simply pointed to the direction of the infirmary with a kind smile and told her, "He's over there, Juvia."

"Thank you, Max-san!" Juvia gave him a clumsy bow before she dashed off to the infirmary, as if Gray might disappear any moment.

After all, it wasn't like her fear was unfounded. The last time they were together, Gray's body suddenly glowed and disappeared to God-knows-where for days. Only the thought of the rest of Team Natsu being with him made Juvia calm down.

And now they were back, she could hardly wait to see her Gray-sama.

Slowing down as she approached the infirmary, Juvia pushed the door gently and peeked. Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Wendy, and Gray lay on each bed, all sound asleep. Quietly, she made her way towards Gray's bed, the one farthest from the door and nearest the window. She sat beside him on the mattress, the bed creaking a little.

Though Gray looked a little roughed up – bandages wrapped around his naked torso and left arm, another bandage around his forehead, and a small gauze on his cheek – Juvia was glad his injuries were far from serious. It would take a lot for Gray-sama to become worse for wear, she thought with a smile.

Juvia gently clasped Gray's warm hand nearest to her. The action made him stir, and in a couple of seconds, Juvia found her eyes locking with Gray's still sleepy ones. "Juvia?"

"Gray-sama! Juvia's sorry to wake you up like that!" She immediately let go of his hand and cupped her reddening cheeks. "Juvia was worried, so she just wanted to check up on you. She's just glad to see you're safe. She will let you rest now." Juvia started to stand up but Gray grabbed her wrist, causing her to fall back onto the mattress.

"It's okay, Juvia," Gray said, giving her a small smile. "I was actually looking for you when I got back."

It never ceased to amaze Juvia just how much more vocal Gray had been these days. After years of pining for him and barely receiving a response, Gray being more open and receptive to her was something she still had to get used to. She didn't mind it in the least, but she still couldn't control the blush blooming on her cheeks whenever he said something remotely sweet.

"Oh, Juvia went on a solo job while you were gone," she told him. When Gray's eyes narrowed at her, she quickly added, "But it wasn't anything dangerous, Gray-sama! Juvia just had to conjure rain for this small town. It was an easy one, really. And it was something only Juvia can do." She winked at him for good measure – after all, Gray liked it when she acted cute sometimes.

During the past year, Gray had become increasingly reluctant to let her go on solo jobs, always insisting to come with her even if it was just a simple three-hour job. When his team wasn't around, he would ask her to tag along with Gajeel, Levy, and Lily. Though Juvia cherished his newfound protectiveness, she wasn't too keen on following him because she was perfectly capable of defending herself. Suffice it to say it had been the subject of a number of their disagreements.

This time though, she wasn't in the mood to argue with Gray, so she quickly changed the subject. "But where did you go, Gray-sama? What happened to all of you?"

With one last glare at her, Gray let it slide and sighed. Juvia pursed her lips to suppress the smirk forming on her lips. She knew full well that Gray would bring it up the next chance he got, but it was still a victory for her, no matter how short-lived.

Propping himself up on the bed so he was sitting against the headboard facing her, he answered, "We were transported to Edolas."

"Edolas! You mean, the world without magic? How?"

"Apparently, the White Mage brought us there because she needed our help, but I can't really go into details. You know we can't divulge anything about the 100 Years Quest."

Juvia nodded. "Oh, so it was part of the quest. Juvia understands and won't pry anymore." She patted his leg and added, "Juvia's just really glad that Gray-sama's back in one piece."

Gray grinned. "Of course. And we got a lot of help too from the Edolas Fairy Tail."

Juvia's eyes lit up. "Really? So you got to meet our counterparts there!" she said, clapping her hands together. She heard so many tales about their Edolas doppelgangers, especially about Edo-Gray pining for Edo-Juvia. She got so jealous about it that she even reverted to her old hairstyle just to try to get Gray to notice her. Sadly, it didn't make a difference.

"Uhh... yes," Gray replied sheepishly, cheeks reddening as he did so.

She waited for Gray to continue, but when he didn't, she prodded him. "So, how was it? Did Edo-Gray finally get Edo-Juvia to love him back?"

Gray simply nodded, not looking Juvia in the eye. Is Gray-sama embarrassed?

Wanting to learn more, Juvia continued to question him. "That's great! So, they're now a couple?"

"Y-yeah. Well, kind of."

Juvia's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? Is it like... ours?"

It was now Gray's turn to be confused. He looked at her, raising a brow as he asked, "Ours?"

Juvia blushed as she looked away. Truth be told, she and Gray never sat down to have "the talk" before, as she always felt that Gray wasn't the type to put labels in a relationship – or even get into a relationship, for that matter. But the shift in their... whatever they had going on right now was apparent ever since their war with the Alvarez army.

For one, Gray had become more protective of her, not allowing her to go on solo missions he deemed dangerous (As if he had a say in that, Juvia thought smugly, though she appreciated the concern). Gray would also immediately cover her up or drag her somewhere private every time he realized she had once again stripped alongside him during their battles.

And she couldn't deny that Gray had been spending a lot of time with her, whether on missions, in the guild, or even just some random day strolling at the park – eating caramade franks, laughing at each other's stories about their guild mates, with Gray insisting that "this is not a date" even as he walked her back home, his scowl getting bigger and bigger as they neared the doorstep of Fairy Hills.

And then there were those subtle touches and gestures, too small to notice if you weren't paying attention. But Juvia was Juvia, and she always paid attention to everything her Gray-sama did.

So she always felt those lingering touches on her elbow, her shoulders, and at the small of her back whenever they were walking together. She noticed those smirks that turned into smiles that he tried to hide whenever she said something amusing or did something cute. She basked at how he always sat a little too close to her even if there was still plenty of space on his other side, their elbows and knees touching. And there had been one too many times when she caught him gazing at her, eyes suddenly traveling somewhere else as his crimson cheeks betrayed him.

Juvia saw and loved all those changes. She couldn't deny how Gray made her feel special.

But if she was being completely honest, she wanted more.

She wanted him to talk to her more openly, so she didn't have to rack her brain just over analyzing his words. She wanted him to feel free to hold her hand whenever he wanted to, not just brush them against hers and get extra sulky when she wouldn't latch onto his arm like he was used to. She wanted to let everyone know that Gray was hers, erasing the fear that one day, he would just wake up and find a love rival who's a lot better than her.

Juvia wanted to know if they were on the same page. She wanted to know if they have a future together.

But she also knew that she couldn't force Gray to take a step forward if he wasn't ready. So, Juvia did what she knew she did best for Gray – wait for him. Patiently.

"Umm, nothing, Gray-sama. Juvia just wanted to know what you meant when you said they were kind of a couple," Juvia stammered, internally chastising herself for almost forcing Gray to put a label on their relationship.

Gray just stared at her, as if debating in his mind what to say next. When he spoke again, it was in a low voice. "They're not like us... Actually, they're already married."

"Juveen!" Juvia shrieked and immediately covered her mouth, remembering that their friends are sleeping. She could feel her blood boil and all of a sudden, her face felt extremely hot. Against her will, her mind launched into an all-too-familiar scenario of the two of them exiting the church after their wedding, all their friends cheering at the lovely newlyweds. Gray would sweep her into his arms, lean her backwards, inch his face closer as she closed her eyes...

"Juvia? You there?"

Juvia's eyes snapped open – she drifted off to dreamland again with just the mention of marriage! Gray's hands were waving in front of her, his face a mix of concern and amusement.

"Juvia's s-sorry! It's just that... m-married..." Juvia stuttered, fidgeting on her seat. If the couples in Edolas are the same in Earthland, then does that mean that Juvia and Gray-sama would... She shook her head as her imagination threatened to run amok again.

But instead of giving him his usual scowl, Gray's lips curved into a small smile.

"That's not the best part."

Juvia just stared blankly at him. Is Gray-sama insane?! What else could be better than getting married to him?

"They... they have a son."

Juvia's jaw dropped as she felt more blood rush to her cheeks, and she fought the urge to squeal again. A son?! For Gray-sama and Juvia???

But instead of an equally embarrassed Gray, she was surprised to see him staring outside the window, a contented smile playing on his lips and a hint of pink on his cheeks. It was a completely new expression she hadn't seen in Gray before.

"You know... he has your eyes. Huge, dark blue ones, like you can just get lost in them. And your lashes, too. They frame his eyes so perfectly," Gray said as his eyes crinkled a little in remembrance. "His hair's like mine, though. Dark, but I think it had a tiny bit of blue in it. But a messy mop of hair like mine all the same." He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a small laugh.

He finally returned his gaze on Juvia. "At first, I really freaked out. I mean, that's a kid right there – five, maybe six – who looks like you and me at the same time. It's so uncanny. He even acts all quiet and cool, it's like looking in the mirror.

"But then he blushed, and he... he's just so cute. Too cute for his own good," Gray said with a soft smile on his face. Juvia was so fixated on what Gray was saying that she didn't notice his hand intertwining with hers.

"He... he looks so much like you when he blushes. All shy and cute, like I just want to squish his tiny cheeks and kiss them." He was smiling widely now, his other hand rubbing the back of his neck – a habit Juvia knew he does when he was feeling shy.

"I can't believe we could make something as precious as that, you know?" Gray locked eyes with her, and Juvia felt like a thousand butterflies were fluttering in her stomach for a thousand different reasons.

Maybe it was the fact that their Edolas counterparts were now married and had a family together. Maybe it was because she had never seen Gray like that before, so happy and at ease.

Or maybe it was the possibility that this was the same future laid out for them: a happy marriage and an adorable son who was the perfect mix of both of them, in looks and personality. 'I can't believe we could make something as precious as that, you know?'

Could Gray-sama be thinking that far ahead... with Juvia?

She knew she could spend an eternity just watching Gray like that, but she had to remind herself that this was not actually their life. It was Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia's, not theirs. Right now, she wasn't even in a formal relationship with Gray. Her heart sank a little.

Forcing to tear her gaze away, she shook her head and brought herself back to reality. "That's... that's nice, Gray-sama."

Gray frowned at Juvia's sudden change of demeanor. He squeezed her hand and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that... it's Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia. It's not really us."

It took a few moments for Gray to respond.

"Yeah, you're right."

They stayed silent for some time, Gray once again pensively gazing outside the window and Juvia looking down on her lap, busily fidgeting with her skirt. When he finally spoke, she could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "Juvia... don't you want something like that?"

A mix of emotions rushed straight into Juvia's heart like a raging river. Shouldn't Gray-sama know by now that there's nothing else in the world that Juvia wants than to get married and build a family with him?

"Of course Juvia wants it!" she answered, a little too loudly. Checking herself, she added in a whisper, "It's just that she's not sure if that's what Gray-sama wants, too."

Gray looked at her as if she'd grown another head. "W-what? But I thought all these will eventually lead to that!"

"E-eh? Wha... What does Gray-sama mean?"

Gray drew a deep breath. "Juvia, I know I'm slow at these... things, but I'm sure."

When she didn't react, he continued. "It may have taken me a while to get here, but I'm here with you. I'm here for the long haul. And seeing that boy Greige, well, it gave me a glimpse of what our long haul looks like." He took her other hand in his. "I mean, I've always known and felt that it's going to be with you, but seeing it, in the flesh, it... it made me more excited about what the future has in store for us."

Juvia couldn't believe her ears as her heart pounded mercilessly in her chest. Just a few moments ago, she was questioning herself whether this was what Gray really wanted, and now, here he was, telling her that they have a future together. Her eyes filled with tears as she grasped Gray's hands tighter.

"Gray-sama wants... a future with Juvia?"

Gray averted his eyes and scratched his cheek with a finger, looking a little bashful. "Of course. Who else would it be?" he mumbled. Then he looked back at her, his eyes softening. "And frankly, I kind of want to start that future as soon as possible."

Steam shot out from Juvia's ears. She snatched her hands away from him and covered her chest.

"E-eh?! Gray-sama wants to make a baby right now?" Juvia exclaimed, face as red as a tomato.

Gray flailed his hands in front of him, just as flustered as Juvia was. "N-no! Not right now, of course!"

She threw herself in his arms as he squirmed. "Juvia would love to! Juvia and Gray-sama better start right now if they want 32 babies!"

"32?! What the hell, Juvia!"

Juvia pretended to be hurt as she looked him in the eye. "Gray-sama does not want to have babies with Juvia, then?" She pouted and gave him her best puppy dog eyes, tears threatening to fall on her cheeks.

"No! I mean, yes! No! Juvia!" Gray ran a hand on his face, then sighed. He grabbed her shoulders and stared right back at her.

"Look, I want babies. With you. But not right now. And not 32, for God's sake! Just please, don't cry." With that, he pulled her into his arms and Juvia couldn't help the warm feeling spreading throughout her whole body. Gray-sama really sees a future with Juvia!

Deciding to stop tormenting Gray, Juvia wiggled out of his grasp as she smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "Juvia's just teasing you, Gray-sama. But... she wants you to know how happy you made her just by hearing that Juvia is part of your future."

Gray's face softened, his hands cupping her cheeks as well. "I honestly don't know how you could think otherwise." Gray's face inched closer to hers, his breath fanning her lips, and Juvia closed her eyes.

"Get a room, you two," Lucy's voice broke the moment, making both jump away from each other, red cheeks and all. They were so wrapped up in their conversation that they forgot they weren't alone in the room.

"How many eggs would you like Juvia to lay, Ice Pants?" Natsu asked as he tried to control his laughter.

"Shut up, Flame Brain!" Gray retorted. "At least I'm not stupid enough to believe that babies come from eggs!"

Natsu crinkled his brows in confusion while Lucy facepalmed and Wendy giggled. Erza mumbled something about Natsu's need for further education.

"Moron! They totally do! Happy came from an egg!"

"Natsu-san, I don't think it's the same..."

"Idiot! How did you grow up and not know where babies come from!"

"Natsu! Gray!"

As the petty exchange escalated to a full-on brawl, Juvia cheered her Gray-sama, heart fluttering with the promise that someday, a beautiful boy with her deep ocean eyes and his unruly dark locks would be jumping and shouting beside her, cheering his Daddy on.

A/N: I couldn’t resist writing this even though I was in the middle of working on another fic. I just can’t wait for Gray to tell Juvia about Greige!

#gruvia #gray x juvia #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #fairy tail #gruvia fanfic #gruvia fanfiction #greige surge

277 notes · View notes

fairytail-incorrectquotes · 8 months

Text

Erza: Natsu, the worst thing you can do in these situations is to take matters into your own hands.

Natsu: Got it.

Natsu, to Gray, Wendy and Lucy: We're gonna have to take matters into our own hands.

#team natsu #natsu dragneel #natsu continues to be a mood #erza scarlet #fairy tail #incorrect fairy tail quotes #fairy tail incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #incorrect quote #anime #manga

314 notes · View notes

twomanyideas · 3 years

Text

The Way To A Man's Heart - Chapter 2

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404

AO3 | Prev: Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Next:

Chapter 2

The hotel was fancier than Natsu remembered from their previous visit with Happy, Erza and Lucy, but he wasn’t all that concerned about it. Stuff like that had never mattered to him. He was much more worried about the line of people waiting to get into the restaurant. He’d been about to complain about it, but he never got the chance.

“Relax, Pyro. We have a reservation, remember?”

Right. And he was thankful for that. Outside of the unexpected train ride, this dinner had been a godsend. The perfect solution to what had been shaping up to be an uncomfortable situation.

Natsu loved his guildmates; they were his nakama after all, but they were too damn nosy for their own good. It was bad enough that they’d already made Gray’s life miserable by encouraging Juvia’s antics despite his constant rejections, but now it seemed they’d set their sights on him.

He knew he should have expected it, but he’d hoped that they would have interpreted his lack of romantic interest in Lucy for what it was. Instead, they’d decided he was oblivious, and encouraged her as well.

Natsu loved Lucy dearly. He just wasn’t in love with her, but he didn’t want to hurt her by telling her that. He’d kind of hoped she’d get bored by his lack of response and move on to someone else. Someone like Loke, who was clearly crazy about her. But that hadn’t happened yet, and even worse, he’d overheard Mira telling Cana that Lucy planned to make her move that night.

He’d jumped at the chance to escape the guild. A night full of food and drink was just what he’d been in the mood for, and the prospect of hanging out with Gray intrigued him.

He followed Gray to a podium, where a hostess greeted them. That already was a big change from the places they usually ate. The hostess verified their reservation and handed them off to a server, who led them down a dimly lit hallway and into a small room.

“Your table isn’t ready yet, but this is our lounge,” she announced with a smile. “It’s not as noisy as our main bar, and you can still enjoy a drink while you wait.”

She gestured towards the lounge’s bar area and left. Music played softly on the room’s music lacrimas, and along with the usual bar stools there were several sofas that looked more expensive than Natsu’s house, contents included. He decided the bar stools were probably safer.

The lounge had large windows, giving them a splendid view of the ocean.

“Oh wow, this is great!” he exclaimed, watching the people on the beach enjoy the warmth and beauty of the setting sun. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun, and there had been so many stalls to check out. He longed to go join them.

When was the last time they’d been able to do anything fun?

“Yeah,” Gray agreed. “Maybe we can check it out after we eat? Mavis knows I won’t be able to get you back on the train after that.”

Natsu hated to admit it, but Gray probably had a point. They took their seats, and the bartender walked over to them.

“Can I interest you in a drink?” she asked politely. “Yeah.” Gray pored over the wine and cocktail menu he received. “Could we get two of those magic drinks?” “Excellent choice, Sir. Two Magic Wonders coming right up.”

Natsu’s stomach rumbled as the smell of food wafted over to them, causing Gray to roll his eyes at him. Gray got the bartender’s attention again and added, “Can we get an order of your spiciest appetizer too?”

“Sure thing.” The bartender put their order in and continued to mix drink orders.

Gray got up and patted Natsu's shoulder, “There, don’t say I never did anything for you.”

“Hey, where you going?”

“To take a leak.”

He walked off and Natsu watched him go, amused to notice his friend had kept his shirt on for once. It felt almost unnatural. His eyes lingered briefly on Gray’s broad shoulders, traveling down his back, and before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself staring at Gray’s ass and thinking about how nice it was.

“Oh, and try not to destroy the place while I’m gone.”

Gray turned around then, a teasing smile on his face which turned into a wink when he noticed Natsu’s eyes on him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Natsu spluttered, his cheeks red with indignation, or at least that’s what he told himself, refusing to acknowledge for the moment that his best friend had caught him checking him out. Gray’s parting chuckle irritated him even more.

Stupid Ice Princess. Like he couldn’t be left alone for five minutes without getting into trouble. What did Gray think he was, a Vulcan in a pottery shop?

But seriously, what in the world had possessed him to do that?

It had to be Juvia. He cursed her for his sudden awareness. Ever since she’d joined the guild it had been Gray-sama this and Gray-sama that, until the guy’s name lingered in the air, working its way into Natsu’s brain like some kind of annoying hypnotic suggestion he couldn’t escape.

Yeah, that had to be it.

He went back to staring out the window while he waited for Gray to return.

0-0

Gray entered the restaurant’s bathroom, closing the door behind him quietly and checking the stalls to make sure they were empty before he allowed himself to react.

“Yes!” He pumped his fists in the air in celebration, smiling so widely he barely recognized himself in the mirror.

He had a chance! Natsu had been checking him out, and that had never happened before. At least, not that he’d ever noticed.

Feeling more confident that this plan might actually get him somewhere, Gray did his business, his head up in the clouds, filled with possible dream scenarios about how the evening could go.

You've got a little something there. Oh, it's me! Nah, too corny.

That sunset looks beautiful, doesn’t it? Not nearly as beautiful as you, though. Ugh… too sappy.

There had to be some smooth move he could make, something not too in-your-face yet still obvious enough even the Flame Brain would get it.

Well, whatever. He had Natsu all to himself tonight, with an enjoyable meal ahead of them and the beach to look forward to after that. He'd think of something. For now, he’d start small. Maybe he’d offer a compliment. Everyone liked those. Right?

Gray washed his hands, and after giving himself one last pep talk, he headed back to the bar. As he walked, he tried to remember a joke Loke had told him earlier. It had been a little crass, but he was sure Natsu would find it funny. Gray could almost hear Natsu’s laughter ringing in the air.

Yeah, just like that.

It took him a second to realize he hadn’t imagined it. As he got closer to the lounge, he could hear Natsu’s laughter loud and clear, and Gray thought it was the best sound in the world. A smile spread across his face, only to be wiped off immediately at the sight that greeted him at the bar.

More specifically, at the sight of the barstool he’d left behind, which was now occupied by none other than Sting Fucking Ew-cliffe.

He’d only been gone for a few minutes. Where had Sting even come from?!

Gray clenched his fists, fighting off the urge to grab the Sabertooth Master by the collar of his shirt and pull him out of his seat. But as much as he’d like to do something like that, he knew it was a bad idea. If he was a jerk, it would piss Natsu off and that would be the end of their evening.

Instead, he plastered a smile on his face and approached the two dragon slayers.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, hey, you’re back,” Natsu said as his laughter died down. “Sting told me a joke.”

Sting offered Gray a half wave, looking unexcited to see him. The feeling was entirely mutual.

“Well, it was nice of you to stop by to say hello but don’t let us keep you.”

“Me? Nah, I’ve got time to spare. Our table isn’t ready either.” Sting casually rested his arm on the bar and turned to Natsu, “I’m surprised to see you guys here.”

Great. This was going to be awhile. Gray decided he might as well sit down and begrudgingly claimed the vacant stool on Natsu's other side.

“Our table?” He looked around, trying to spot anyone he might recognize from Sabertooth. “I don’t see anyone else here. Did you get stood up?” “Of course not! He’s just late,” Sting said, sounding pretty sure of himself even as his legs bounced on the edge of the stool and his eyes darted in the direction of the hallway they'd come in from.

“Stood up? So you’re on a date?” Natsu asked, pouting in disappointment and giving Gray a mini heart attack for a second until he added, “I thought maybe Rogue would join you.” Sting promptly stilled, staring at Natsu and blinking rapidly. “Uhm... Rogue is my date.”

Natsu laughed heartily, “Good one, but seriously, is it anyone we know?”

Gray winced, almost feeling sorry for the guy. Definitely not what you wanted to hear, especially not from someone you looked up to. With any luck, Rogue would get there before Natsu’s obliviousness destroyed Sting’s confidence any further. Although, he had to admit that would be fun to watch, too.

“Why wouldn’t it be Rogue? I mean, you and uhm-” Sting looked over at Gray, eyes narrowing in concentration and fingers snapping before he shrugged his shoulders- “him don’t strike me as dating either, but here you are.”

“Well, but aren’t you the Twin Dragons? I thought you guys were brothers.”

Brothers?!

How the hell could Natsu think that? Sure they were called the Twin Dragons, but they looked nothing alike. They even had different last names, for fuck’s sake.

Gray could only stare at him in amazement. He was in love with an idiot. Might as well say he was moronsexual.

Sting spoke up before Gray could call Natsu out.

“That’s just our team name, stupid. Do you really think I’d date my brother?”

“Do you really think Gray would ask me out on a date?” It started out as a chortle, but Natsu soon burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Gray no longer thought it was the best sound ever.

“Why wouldn’t he? And I mean, look at this place-” Sting gestured at the fancy decor and the expensive furniture in the lounge- “It doesn’t exactly scream just friends, does it?”

Natsu shrugged, a faint smile still playing on his lips. "Nope, that’s not what happened here. I just overheard Gray talking about having a reservation at an all you can eat restaurant as part of a job reward and invited myself along."

It seemed his and Loke’s plan had worked a little too well. Gray desperately wanted to ask Natsu what he would have said if he had asked him out, but he wasn’t about to do that in front of Sting.

“You got a reservation as a reward? Man, I wish I’d seen that job.” Sting looked at Gray, eyes wide in disbelief. “I had to make one 3 weeks in advance!”

3 Weeks?!

Gray had no idea this place was that popular, and he wondered what strings Loke had pulled to get the last minute reservation. And more importantly, what he would ask for in return. He’d better make the most of it.

“Do you think Rogue will like it? It's our first date, so I wanted to impress him.” Sting looked around the lounge, suddenly eyeing the place with a look of dread.

“Um... sure,” Natsu said, “It has an awesome view of the beach and, you know, there’s food.”

“You’ve just described every restaurant in Akane,” Gray pointed out. Then again, he was pretty sure with restaurants, Natsu didn’t pay attention to anything outside of the food.

Natsu shrugged. “Where are our appetizers and drinks, anyway? Shouldn’t they be here by now?”

Gray silently agreed. He was hungry, and he’d really like for their date to start, minus the interloper.

“What about me? Do I look okay?” Sting stood up and turned around, eyes wide as he awaited their judgment.

“There’s something different about you. What is it?” Natsu muttered, tapping his chin with his finger as he studied Sting.

“Well, for one, he’s wearing an actual shirt.” Gray said with a frustrated sigh. This was not how he had envisioned their date going. What was it going to take to get rid of this guy?

Actually…

“You look fine, dude. Might have overdone it a bit on the cologne, though.”

“He’s not the only one.” Natsu scrunched up his nose. “You both smell like one of the Trimens.”

Gray bit back a retort, but Sting went into a panic, grabbing a napkin from the bar and scrubbing his neck. “Fuck, I knew it was too much. Does this help any? It doesn't, does it? I should clean it off.”

He bolted out of the lounge, dodging a few other guests who were being guided to their table, and shouting a “be right back” over his shoulder. Just as Gray had hoped he would.

“Take all the time you need,” Gray called out after him cheerfully, reclaiming his original seat because… well, he’d had it first.

“Well, that was something.” He said, glossing over that minor act of pettiness. “Didn’t think we’d bump into anyone we knew.”

“Hey, you think they'd be down for a fight later?” Nasu asked, punching his left fist into the palm of his right hand.

“Of course not. They’re on a date, moron. Do you really think they’d want to do something like that?”

“I would.”

“On a date?” Gray challenged, although he wasn’t sure why he was surprised. This was Natsu, after all.

“Yeah, why not? Aren’t you supposed to have fun on dates?”

Gray couldn’t really argue with that, and fighting with Natsu was always fun. He was about to suggest they spar later when he spotted the bartender coming their way.

“Two Magic Wonders, and some Firecracker Shrimp to whet your appetite,” she announced, arriving with their drinks and appetizer and setting them down before them. “Apologies for the long wait, we're fully booked tonight so we're a little backed up.”

Finally!

“I think they’re broken,” Natsu complained, examining the drinks with slight disappointment, “they just look like two glasses of plain water.”

Gray had to give him that one. This wasn’t what he’d expected from the so-called magically infused cocktails either.

“The spell is still unfinished,” the bartender explained. “You need to wrap your hand around the cup and focus some of your magic energy into it. It doesn’t need much-”

Gray could tell Natsu had stopped listening. Before she'd finished her sentence, he'd already grabbed the cup in his hand and set it on fire.

“Natsu!”

"Sir!"

He ignored the protests from both Gray and the bartender, keeping his attention on the glass, which had begun to shake in his hand. The liquid bubbled and turned bright red, and then it shot up like a failed potion, right into Natsu's face.

“You idiot! Do you ever think?!”

So much for not insulting him.

“Geez, relax, will ya? A little thing like that isn’t gonna hurt me,” Natsu pointed out, evaporating the liquid easily, as Gray had seen him do so many times. The bartender breathed an audible sigh of relief, wiping the remaining spillage from Natsu's drink off the bar with a cleaning rag. “I’ll be right back with another drink,” she assured them before moving to another section of the bar, where she restarted the mixing process.

“You’re still an idiot,” Gray grumbled, making Natsu laugh in response.

“Well, you know what they say, it takes one to know one.”

Gray opened his mouth to answer, but Natsu quickly changed the subject.

“Why don’t you try it then?”

“Gladly.”

Gray focused a small amount of magic on his hand and wrapped the glass in a thin layer of ice. As soon as he did so, bubbles sprouted from the bottom, rising to the surface and forming a vortex that spun until the liquid had changed color from clear to the vibrant blue of glacier ice. Vapor rose from the liquid’s surface and transformed into small snowflakes that gently floated back down into the drink.

“That’s so dainty. Precisely what I’d expect from an Ice Princess,” Natsu snickered. “I bet mine’s gonna be way cooler.”

“I just hope the restaurant’s still in one piece by the time you’re done.”

Gray took a small sip, swishing the contents around in his mouth and closing his eyes.

The liquid was cold, so much so that it sent a small but welcome shiver up his spine. Hints of chocolate and peppermint danced on his tongue, reminding him of when he’d lived with Ur and Lyon.

Their training had been intense, but on days when she’d been pleased with their progress, Ur had made him and Lyon hot cocoa that tasted much like this. She had made them responsible for crushing the candy mints, and they would bicker about the best way to do it as Ur laughed at them from behind the stove. He could almost picture it, and rather than cause him the usual grief, the memory made him smile.

He opened his eyes to find Natsu watching in rapt fascination, his curiosity just about bursting out of him.

“Well? What did it taste like?”

Gray didn’t answer right away, still caught up in his memories. It took him a while to even register that Natsu was staring at him, focusing on his lips as if he’d never seen them before.

Gray thought of how to describe it, and suddenly he knew. “It tastes like winter.”

And just like that, Natsu snapped out of his trance, bouncing in his seat with excitement. “Ooh, me! I want to try winter!” Gray covered his drink with his hand, fixing Natsu with a glare that screamed at him to back off.

“Come on, don’t be so stingy! I don’t have a drink.”

“And whose fault is that? Besides, I don’t know where your mouth has been. No way I want that in my drink!”

Natsu pouted, but soon mischief crept into his eyes. Before Gray could consider what that could mean, Natsu had already grabbed his hand. Gray’s heart beat faster, not sure where Natsu was going with this, but excited just the same. Natsu’s tongue darted out, licking a stripe across the palm of Gray’s hand while maintaining eye contact.

Holy shit!

“Now you do,” Natsu grinned, looking quite pleased with himself even as Gray struggled to come up with an appropriate reaction. He took advantage of that, grabbing Gray’s glass and taking a sip.

“What do you know! Your magic actually tastes good, kind of like peppermint hot chocolate.”

Gray looked away, not wanting Natsu to see just how much his little stunt had affected him.

“So, uh, what were you thinking about? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that before.”

“My drink tasted like the hot cocoa Ur used to make for us,” Gray said, relieved to be back on more comfortable ground.. “I hadn’t thought about that in a long time.”

“Why didn’t you just say that, you dumbass? I wouldn’t have pushed.”

“Yeah, you would have.” Gray chuckled.

Natsu tried to deny it, but he must’ve known it was a stretch, so he laughed along with Gray. “Okay, yeah. I would have.” He grabbed a Firecracker Shrimp and chewed on it. And for the second time since they’d arrived, Gray caught him staring out the window. “Another Magic Wonder,” the bartender returned with Natsu's drink. She'd also brought a fire extinguisher, and was trying, but failing, to hide it subtly under the bar.

If Natsu had noticed, he didn't seem to be bothered by it, focusing only on the glass in front of him.

“Don't overdo it this time,” Gray reminded him.

Natsu furrowed his brow in concentration, coating his glass in a small flame and anxiously watching the liquid change color again. It slowly turned that same intense red from before. Instead of the vapor from Gray’s drink, there was a plume of smoke that transformed into a bright flame that remained lit.

He eyed it for exactly one second before drinking all of it down in one gulp.

Gray had expected Natsu to react in some over the top manner. To yell, or go on about how his drink was superior, just like his magic, but there was only silence. That wasn’t exactly true, though. Now that he was paying more attention, Gray could see that Natsu’s eyes were teary.

“Natsu?” Gray put a hand on his arm, worried by the uncharacteristic change. “What’s happening?”

“I’m fine, it’s just- it tasted like Igneel’s fire,” Natsu sniffled, hugging the cup to his chest with reverence. “It’s been so long since I last tasted it and now it’s all gone.”

Oh no! Natsu looked like he was ready to cry. That wasn’t supposed to happen on a date! Gray panicked, not knowing what to do or say to make Natsu feel better. He looked at his drink, still sitting on the bar, and considered offering it to him.

Idiot! He won’t want your stupid drink after tasting Ignel’s fire. Oh, of course! How dense could he be? He could order him another one.

“Don't worry, I’ll get you another one.”

Gray scrambled out of his seat after glimpsing the bartender serving a customer at the other end of the bar.

“I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder, determined to fix this slight glitch in his plans.

He waited as patiently as he was able for her to finish.

“I need another Magic Wonder.”

“Sure, I’ll put in an order, but it’s going to take a while. We’re very backed up.”

“Isn't there something I can do to speed it up?” He thought of the jewels in his pocket. “I can pay extra if that helps.”

“Sir, I already-”

“Please? This can literally make or destroy my night.”

The bartender glanced over at Natsu, who still looked despondent, hugging the empty glass to his chest. Her expression softened slightly. “Alright, I’ll do it just this once. Stay right there.”

Gray nodded, tapping his fingers on the bar as he waited. A couple sat next to him blocking his view of Natsu but he dared not move, worried the bartender might decide to give the drink to someone else.

As soon as she returned with his order, Gray turned around, almost dropping the drink he'd shamelessly begged for when he saw his bar stool once again occupied by someone who wasn't him. Any relief he might have felt that it wasn't Sting this time was overshadowed by dismay at seeing Rogue talking to Natsu, leaning in ever so slightly and nodding in sympathy.

Oh, come on!

He all but stomped his way back over, still careful not to spill any of the drink, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get another for quite a while.

“You’re in my seat,” Gray informed Rogue, attempting to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.” Rogue got up and moved to stand on the other side of Natsu.

“Here you go,” Gray said, placing the fresh drink in front of Natsu before reclaiming his seat.

He watched as Natsu put the glass he had been holding on the bar and stared at the new drink with something akin to awe. He cupped his hand around it and let out the barest flicker of magic to complete the spell.

“Are you okay?” Gray asked worriedly, not used to seeing Natsu act this way.

“Yeah, I just don’t want to waste any of it.”

The way he said that made Gray feel like he was intruding, so he turned his attention to Rogue, who still stood peering into the dim corners of the lounge.

“You’re looking for Sting, right? He’s in the bathroom,” Gray informed him, frowning as he realized the Sabertooth Master had been gone for quite some time. “Come to think of it, he’s been in there a while.”

Rogue looked heavenward and sighed. “Great. I hope he's not munching on the paper towels again.”

“Seriously? That’s disgusting!” Gray pursed his lips in distaste.

“Meh, he’s eaten worse things.” Rogue shrugged, taking a seat next to Natsu.

To Gray’s slight surprise, he in no way looked like he was about to go on a first date. As far as Gray could tell, Rogue looked just about the same as he always did, contrary to Sting, who had obviously dolled himself up for the occasion like a teenage girl.

Gray leaned back so he could see past Natsu and study the shadow dragon slayer better, wondering if he was about to deal with another nervous wreck. But Rogue showed no signs of being anxious. If anything, he looked tired and frazzled, which Gray guessed made sense. The guy was late, probably just rolled off a train.

“Is something wrong? Was this your seat too?” Rogue frowned at him, realizing he was under scrutiny.

“Huh? Oh, no. I’m just surprised. The way Sting was talking earlier I thought you’d be more into this,” Gray said, turning his attention back to Natsu.

He seemed to have calmed down, although he appeared to be in deep thought while staring at his drink. Gray supposed there was a first time for everything. He’d give him a few more minutes to snap out of it. It’s not like they could get anywhere until they were either called to their table or Sting got out of the damn bathroom.

“This? This what? You mean the restaurant?”

“He means Sting,” Natsu said, joining the conversation when Gray least expected it.

“What about Sting?” “If you don't like him, just tell him. He's your friend. You should be honest with him about how you feel.”

Rogue flinched so hard he almost slid off his seat. “I- What? What the hell are you talking about?”

Gray began to suspect that Rogue was as clueless as Natsu as to why he was there.

“Rogue! You made it!” Gray, Natsu and Rogue all turned towards Sting’s voice, which could somehow be heard over all the other noise. He walked toward them in quick steps and Gray brought his hand up to his mouth to cover up the laugh he couldn’t contain.

Sting’s shirt was covered in wet spots. His hair, which had been styled in perfectly gelled spikes, had flattened into bangs, and there was a long piece of toilet paper attached to one of his shoes.

He’d gone to wash off some cologne, but had returned looking like a survivor of some bizarre bathroom battle, and somehow he still reeked of cologne. But you wouldn't know it from his beaming smile.

Sting walked up to Rogue, reaching into his pocket and pulling out... something Gray couldn’t make out at first because he shoved it at Rogue with such speed that it became nothing but a blurry shape.

“Here, for you.” Sting said, placing what looked to be a small box into Rogue's hand.

“What’s this for?” Rogue said, breaking away from the mess that was Sting, to glance down at the box.

“Open it.”

Rogue slowly slid the elastic bow off and opened it. Whatever was inside caused him to jerk his head back toward Sting with wide eyes.

“Oh.”

“Do you like it?” Sting stared at Rogue in a way that Gray recognized, with a face full of hope and hearts in his eyes.

“I-I uh,” Rogue stuttered, looking back and forth rapidly between Sting, Gray, Natsu, and the lounge. “Give me a minute...”

“You know, I‘m thinking Rogue didn’t know this was a date.” Natsu whispered in Gray’s ear, which was to say he’d blurted it out in a voice loud enough to make his ears ring.

“You think?”

“Yeah, I do,” Natsu nodded, the obvious sarcasm flying straight over his head. “I kinda feel bad now. Maybe we should have told him.” Gray stiffened, Natsu’s words along with the advice he’d offered Rogue earlier echoed through his head. No matter how the thought caused his stomach to twist itself into knots, he knew he’d have to be honest about his intentions at some point. Natsu was his friend too, he deserved as much. “Is that true?” Sting’s shoulders slumped upon hearing the less than subtle conversation between them. “But I asked you and everything.” “Yes, I realize that now,” Rogue said, sounding a bit snappy, which Gray couldn’t blame him for. He gathered himself quickly, though, taking a deep breath and getting up from his seat. “Come-” he grabbed Sting’s hand and led him to a sofa that had just opened up when a couple was called to their table. Gray took another sip of his drink, mirroring Natsu, who he could tell was focusing his ears on the Twin Dragons’ conversation. Under any other circumstance, Gray wouldn’t give a damn about how that would unfold, but the possibility of having a heartbroken Sting join them for the rest of the night changed things a bit. He nudged Natsu, raising his eyebrows in silent question. Natsu didn’t answer, still listening, but if his expressions were anything to go by, it was not going well. Fuck. Please. This can’t be happening… Curiosity getting the best of him, Gray peeked over his shoulder. Sting looked positively dejected, and the visible part of Rogue's face looked no better. “Well, this is awkward.” Gray turned back to Natsu, not sure if he’d be able to watch that train wreck in his current situation. Would his night end like that, too? “Yeah,” Natsu sighed, but then he perked up and started laughing. “Actually, I think they’ll be fine.” “Oh-” Gray absently grabbed a shrimp and began eating- “Good for them.” “Uhm, Gray…” “Hmm?” Gray grabbed another and chewed lazily, not realizing that Natsu might’ve been trying to warn him until he felt his lips and tongue burning with the heat of a thousand suns. He swallowed what was still in his mouth in one go, sending the burn down his throat now as well, and broke out in a violent coughing fit. The blazing heat spread through his entire body fast, setting his skin on fire and causing sweat drops to form on his face. Whose stupid idea was it to get the spiciest appetizer?! Oh, right, that would be him. God bless his icy drink. He gulped it all down, only half hearing Natsu’s rambunctious laughter.

“Who the hell deemed this safe for consumption?” he gasped, fanning at himself in a sorry attempt to cool down.

“Someone who's not an Ice Princess like you,” Natsu snickered, holding out a shirt that looked awfully familiar.

Damn it! How did that happen?!

Gray grabbed his shirt and put it back on before anyone could complain, calling on his magic to help cool himself down.

Natsu shook his head, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Pervert.”

“I can’t help it!”

“I know, Ice Block, I know.” Natsu finished the last of his drink and set it back down on the bar, his eyes straying back to the window for a full minute before peering back at Gray.

“Listen, I know this was a big part of your reward and everything, but do you mind if we take off?”

“You want to go back home?” Gray was crestfallen. He’d thought they were having a good time, outside of the unexpected drama.

“I didn’t say that, but it’s hard to sit still when I know that’s waiting for us,” Natsu said, pointing at the beach. “I’ll even pitch in since it’s my idea.”

Gray thought about it. This restaurant had been Loke’s idea and as far as he was concerned it had already served its purpose. If Natsu would rather go to the beach, then they’d do that. It was bound to be more fun. Plus, this way, if Natsu reacted badly to his confession, he wouldn’t have to worry about property damage.

As much.

“Yeah, we can do that.”

“Wow, that was easier than I thought. That shrimp too much for you?” Natsu taunted.

Gray ignored him, focusing on finding the bartender so he could close their tab. Luckily, she was heading towards him. He was just about to address her when a voice spoke up next to him. “Hey there! Can I get two of the Magic Something drinks?”

“Yes, of course,” the bartender assured Sting. She turned to Gray. “I believe your table should be ready any minute. Would you like anything else?”

“No, thank you. We actually won’t be needing that reservation after all.”

“Alright then, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“You’re leaving?” Rogue asked, appearing by Sting’s side. “But you haven’t even eaten yet.” “We passed a ton of food stalls on the way here,” Natsu said, already sounding excited by the prospect. “Besides, the food they serve here is too spicy for the Ice Princess.”

Gray glared, “Oy! That shrimp was the spiciest appetizer they had.”

Rogue rolled his eyes at the exchange, “You two sound like a married couple.”

"Well, you kinda look like one," Natsu laughed, pointing at the necklace Rogue was now wearing. A thin silver chain with a crystal pendant that was identical to the one dangling from Sting's ear.

"Oh, shut up," Rogue huffed, clutching the piece of jewelry as his cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink than Natsu's hair.

“I’m glad things worked out,” Gray said, mostly to be polite. He winced as he heard people scream in panic as they witnessed Natsu drying off Sting’s clothing with his fire. He could almost hear the bartender rushing to the extinguisher. Why didn’t the idiot ever think?

Yeah, going to the beach was probably for the best.

"Me too." Rogue eyed the spectacle warily. "Sorry you got dragged into that."

“Yeah, it was… something.”

“He means well.” Rogue smiled apologetically, but his eyes were soft with affection. "Oh. That reminds me, can you thank Natsu for me? He was right."

“Now there’s something you don’t hear every day.”

Rogue snorted into his hand, looking less tired than he had when he'd just arrived. "Alright. Get Natsu out of here before-"

Whatever Rogue said after that became inaudible when the screams increased and were almost immediately joined by the loud hiss of the fire extinguisher.

At a loss for words, Gray and Rogue watched the chaos of scattering guests, the bartender frantically trying to extinguish the fire, Sting inhaling the massive gust of white powder blasted at him, and a loudly cheering Natsu.

"... Just get him out of here."

“Good plan.”

Gray hurried over to the two dragon slayers, not about to give Rogue another second to reconsider his life choices. He grabbed Natsu by the arm and pulled him back towards their seats so he could pay for their tab.

“It’s on the house, please just go!” The bartender waved him away, looking like she was on the brink of having a complete meltdown.

“Thank you.” Gray took out his jewel pouch and placed a large tip on the bar, wanting to make up for some of what they had put her through.

Natsu, oblivious as ever, thanked her and waved blithely even as Gray dragged him out of the lounge.

They had almost reached the exit when Natsu shook off Gray’s arm.

“I can walk on my own, you know.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

They left the restaurant and walked through the lobby in silence until Natsu started giggling.

“The look on the bartender’s face when Sting ate that powder!”

Now that the restaurant was safely behind them, Gray couldn’t help but join in. Soon they were laughing so hard they had to hold on to each other to keep from falling down, earning them curious but mostly annoyed looks from the other patrons.

#fairy tail #gratsu #stingue #gratsu & stingue #other #fics #update

21 notes · View notes

eryiss · 3 years

Text

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hi all. Thanks for your continued support. This time, now they've decided to give each other a chance, we can see them seeing the benefits of each other's company.

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Five - Cracking The Code

Day Four: Thursday

"Damn," Gajeel murmured. "Maybe I wasn't as harsh on you as I thought."

He didn't know exactly what time it was, nor did he know exactly where he was, but he didn't care. The train journey had been long and, despite Freed's runes taking a lot of the strain off him, Gajeel's stomach had started to squirm and bite against him. The growing nausea mixed with the sparsely healed injuries from the day before and the overall exercion of the past three days had caught up with him, and all he could think of was the bed that Freed had promised him.

By the looks of the building - a large ranch, large enough for Freed's entire team despite the fact he lived alone - the bed would be luxurious. Gajeel had been presumptuous about Freed's wealth in the last few days, and was starting to feel guilty about it, but maybe he hadn't missed the mark.

Sure as hell made his one room apartment look like crap.

"If it makes you feel more comfortable, I have a barn at the edge of my property that has some hay you could sleep in," Freed mumbled under his breath, but Gajeel heard. "I wouldn't want to force you to live outside of your elements, would I?"

"Nah," Gajeel grinned, because he felt guilty about the last three days and didn't wish to get into another argument. "I can try a bed out if I have t'."

Freed explained what was happening during the train ride home, that his demon was influencing their moods and making them more antagonistic. The conversation came from out of nowhere; Freed had a habit of scuffing his feet, Gajeel had gotten annoyed, snapped, and an argument had begun. After some insults, Freed clenched his right fist, rubbed his suddenly glowing eye, and explained the effect that his demon was having on them. After that, they made a decision to think about the reason behind their anger before they spoke, to understand if it was truly what they thought.

It was a tense and fragile truce, and they were acting at being friends. It was a difficult situation to understand; Gajeel didn't really know what he thought of Freed. He knew he was impressed by his resilience, and at some point the slight resentment at the previous day's attack would make way for intrigue and him feeling reluctantly impressed.

Was he really holding back a demon at all times?

"I'll call for Wendy to come here for when you wake up," Freed kept speaking, walking up the staircase with the expectation that Gajeel would follow him. Gajeel did. "She'll be able to be sure I didn't hurt you too badly."

"Sure," Gajeel said, a yawn sneaking out. He didn't miss the small grin on Freed's face when he heard. Dammit, he had been told his yawns were somewhat… feline like. To distract the man, he kept talking. "We doin' any training today? Or just a rest day?"

"I intend to train with you, if you've not got an injury we don't know about," Freed said. "But we should focus on resting first. It's not overly time dependent."

Two days ago, Gajeel might have made a comment about Freed's training regime being too cushy and pampered, but now the words would have come out as bitter and kind of pathetic. Also, his aching body and swirling stomach wanted nothing more than to collapse into a bed and sleep for an age. Damn the tournament and damn the weird forfeit that Makarov had planned.

He followed Freed through the small landing of the upper floor until they stopped by a door, which Freed opened. It was clearly a guest bedroom, nice enough and stocked with more comforts than Gajeel would have been able to fit in his apartment, but definitely not lived in.

"You got a lot of rooms going spare?" Gajeel asked, planting a bag of clothes he'd picked up on the floor.

"Six," Freed said, allowing Gajeel to wander around the room that would be his home for the next three days. "Originally it was intended for the Raijinshuu to all live here, but they need their space, which is understandable. And they stay here from time to time, so normally it doesn't feel so… unoccupied."

Gajeel might have said lonely rather than unoccupied, but it wasn't his place to say.

"You've a bathroom attached to your room and it's stocked with everything you need," Freed explained, then frowned a little. "Well, maybe the two-in-one shampoo and conditioner might not do for you like it does for Laxus, so perhaps you could borrow mine," Freed reached up and curled a lock of Gajeel's hair. "Yes, you keep your hair well. You'll need my products."

"Right," Gajeel said a little curtly, looking at Freed's hand that held his hair with slightly dilated pupils.

"Sorry," Freed said, removing his hand and taking a step back. "I'll be having a shower before sleeping, so if you want me you may need to raise your voice. I'll leave you some time to get used to the room."

"Thanks," Gajeel huffed slightly, not sure what to say.

They looked at each other for a moment, giving each other a nod in goodbye. Freed turned and walked to what was clearly his bedroom, and Gajeel closed the door behind him. He glanced at where Freed might be, absently wondering if this false politeness between them would make way for something more passionate. It felt like he was missing something now he and Freed weren't arguing; maybe Freed was one of the people Gajeel was meant to feel passionately about.

Nah, it was the demon's influence. Must have been. And there was no point in focusing on how they were acting around each other, it wasn't like it would change anything.

He shucked off his jacket, then his shirt and pants. His skin was hardly the cleanest and the blood from his earlier injury wasn't exactly clean, but Freed probably had a change of sheets for him. He climbed into the bed, the mattress a hell of a lot softer than the stained, spring filled piece of crap that made up his own bed. He groaned a little at the soft, cool covers as he wrapped them around his body, burying his face into them. God, whatever they were made of, Gajeel was becoming addicted to instantly.

Maybe he could guilt Freed into giving him these sheets once they were done.

Tiredness overtook him, and he was nearly asleep within a moment. The only thing stopping him from dropping off immediately was the sound of movement in the building. One of few perks of Gajeel's apartment was that the walls were soundproof - he didn't dwell on why that needed to happen - so other people making noise when he was trying to sleep was abnormal.

Not entirely unpleasant. The shifting of fabric followed by water hitting tile was soft, and slightly muffled by the walls between them. But it was comforting, and the sound rhythmic humming that Freed indulged in as he stepped under the water sent a slight shiver down his spine. It had been a while since he'd worked with other people, and the eclectic mess of sounds that accompanied their movements had been missing in Gajeel's life for a while.

He didn't think too much about it, and instead buried his face in the pillow further, a little smile on his face.

——

Gajeel had known Freed was a powerful mage.

The first time they had met one another, if you wanted to call what happened at the festival a meeting, Freed had filled Magnolia with unbreakable rune traps. Though he had been kept in the Cathedral, Gajeel had both seen and heard stories about how many runes had been placed and how complex the traps had been. So clearly he was a powerful man with a lot of magical potential, but he was apparently a genius with his power as well.

For his half of the training, Freed was going to use a 'Simulation Program'. He had explained he had created a selection of runes that would create a training environment made for their specific needs. Apparently it was a complex system that Freed had used many times to push himself.

"So, when we both place our hands on the column, my runes will create a simulation designed to improve our teamwork," Freed explained, motioning to a shaft of runes in the middle of his basement.

"And you ain't gonna be controlling it?" Gajeel asked, looking at the runes with a slight tilt in the head.

"No, the program essentially has a mind of its own," Freed explained, placing his hand on the column without hesitation. The runes seemed to glow under his touch. "I can cancel it, of course, should it get too intense or if the simulation just isn't working out. But so far it's always been an achievable task and always helped me with training."

"You got any idea what it'll be like?" Gajeel asked, stepping towards the runes.

"Not at all," Freed had a near giddy look on his face; like Natsu before a fight. Maybe he was more Fairy Tail like than Gajeel thought. "When you're ready."

Gajeel shrugged, placed his hand on the column, and allowed it to take some of his magic.

Eight walls of runes suddenly lurched upwards, glowing and dripping with magic. The basement seemed to fall away, replaced by pristine whiteness that seemed to be like a void. Gajeel knew he hadn't been teleported - the teleportation had felt different - so clearly they were still in the basement, but the reality of the room had changed. Gajeel looked to the side; Freed could literally create runes that could change the world around him. All whiteout breaking a sweat.

What would he be able to do without the runes keeping his demon contained?

The thought was gone as quickly as it came. On one of the eight walls, letters began to form as if written from fire. They weren't runes - Freed's runes were square and angular, these letters were more flowing and rounded - and Gajeel didn't have a damn clue what it said. He glanced towards Freed again, to see an expression of open confusion.

He scrunched up his nose when he was confused. Hah.

Before either man could say anything, a wall of magic appeared before them in a language that both Gajeel and Freed could read.

'To finish the simulation, you must complete two tasks. One mental, one physical. These tasks will bring you closer together and highlight your potential as a team.

Task One: Translate the Words and Speak Them Aloud.'

"Yer good with languages right?" Gajeel murmured. "Should be easy."

"This language is incredibly old," Freed frowned, walking to the wall where the statement was written. "Frankly, I've never seen it before. I wouldn't know where to start."

"Yer magic knows things you don't?" Gajeel frowned.

"Apparently."

This wasn't the type of thing that Gajeel could help with, so he leant on one of the walls and decided to watch as Freed worked. The other man was scribbling things down on a wall of runes that he's created which seemed to only allow for writing. He still had his nose all scrunched up while he was thinking, and he kept tucking his hair behind his ear when it fell. It was funny to think this was the same man who had gone primal and all jungle-man the day before.

He really had misjudged Freed, hadn't he? Now he knew the demon had been affecting his mood - and knew how to ignore that influence - it was easy to agree that Freed was powerful. Hell, maybe if they hadn't gotten off to such a bad start, they would have been good teammates.

They could still, that's what the point of the simulation was, right? To bring them together.

Gajeel didn't know how giving Freed a task that Gajeel would be no help with might bring them together, but the simulation seemed pretty impressive so far. He let his gaze fall on the untranslated words again, and actually looked at them this time. It still looked like a selection of random lines, and Gajeel nearly gave up and went back to watching Freed again. It was only when he saw a familiar spiral looking shape in with the rest of the lines that he realised how this was meant to bring them closer.

"Fuck," Gajeel cussed, and Freed immediately looked towards him. "It's Draconic."

"Draconic?" Frred said incredulously. "That language has been dead for millennia. You know it."

"No," Gajeel shook his head. "Well, not really. Even when I was a kid there was no point in learning it since it was forgotten by everyone but the dragons. Metalicana, he was basically my father, insisted that I be able to write my own name in my language," He walked to the writing and pointed at the single spiral. "That's an 'A', I could never get that right. Pa used to yell at me, so I remember it."

"You don't happen to remember the rest, do you?"

"Not of the top of my head," Gajeel spoke under his breath. "Can I use that writing rune thing?"

"Of course," Freed said, making a motion. The small slab of runes that Freed had been scribbling on flew towards him, and Gajeel sat cross-legged on the floor like he had when he was a kid. Suddenly, he felt like he was back in the fields where he had grown up, writing with chalk on stone under his Pa's instructions. He didn't often think about his youth; it was nice.

His arm moved without him thinking. Writing his name was muscle memory, and the familiar pattern of lines that was his name in Draconic quickly was printed on the runes. It had been years since he had seen it. It was nice.

He couldn't dwell on it. He certainly couldn't get emotional about it.

"I'm pretty sure it's similar to how we write. There's a letter for A, a letter for B and so on," Gajeel murmured a little. "Give me a second."

He wrote his name normally under the Draconic counterpart, showing what each letter's counterpart was. Freed made quick work of finding all the letters of Gajeel's name in the statement written on the wall. On the wall there was one G, one A, three E's, one L, four R's, one D, two F's and three O's. Not enough to find out what the statement was, but it was a starting point. Freed had immediately began trying to look for patterns in the letters they already knew, hoping to reverse engineer the alphabet. By the look of frustration on his face, it didn't seem to be working.

"You need help?" Gajeel asked, taking a step towards Freed. "Anything I can do?"

"Did your father only teach you how to write your name?" Freed asked, and Gajeel found it oddly comforting that Freed didn't seem off put by the fact Gajeel called a literal dragon his father. "Is that the only link to your Draconic ancestry you have? Do you know any history? It might help."

Well Gajeel could do that.

Years worth of history lessons seemed to spew out without Gajeel thinking. Everything from how dragons used to live, to the nesting patterns of hatchlings, to everything else that Gajeel had thought had left his head years ago. Once he started talking it felt like he couldn't stop, and Freed didn't seem to want him to. It was kinda nice to be able to talk about his past openly; the only other people who might have understood were Natsu and Wendy. They already knew everything, Freed didn't.

Once Gajeel had run out of things to say, Freed asked him more about the nesting patterns. Gajeel went through it all again, and inadvertently explained the types of mountains Dragons used to nest in. From this, Freed figured out which continent the Dragons lived on, and what cultures developed from Draconic influence. Somehow, he managed to reverse engineer the Draconic alphabet from that of a language currently in use.

Gods, how did the man's mind work?

"There's good news and bad news," Fred eventually said, looking back at Gajeel. "We've translated it, but it seems my magic has an agenda of sorts."

Before Gajeel could ask what that meant, Freed motioned for his writing runes to fly towards him. It was incredibly weird, and funny, seeing just how bad Freed's handwriting was, but he quickly ignored that. As much as he wanted to make fun of the man for his near incomprehensible writing, they weren't close enough to say things like that to one another.

Hm. Gajeel had kind of forgotten he was nervous about his relationship with Freed for a moment.

Rather than fixating, he looked down to the runes again and saw what Freed had translated. He grinned a little when he saw what they had to say to progress; Freed's magic did have an agenda, and didn't seem to be very subtle.

"We gotta say it at the same time?" Gajeel asked.

"I expect so," Freed agreed. A moment later, they both spoke.

"Our similarities outweigh our differences."

With a flurry of movements, the runes glowed and the room shifted around them. The words on the walls disappeared, and a small metal rod rose up from the ground. A metre away from the metal rod, a spark of lighting appeared in the air, flicking with powerful magic. A moment later, the instruction appeared in front of them both.

'Task Two. Conduct the electricity from the lighting into the metal rod. Touching the lighting will fill you with enough pain to render you unconscious, meaning you have failed the simulation.'

"Shit," Gajeel whispered. "Yer runes can be brutal."

"They're usually not quite so bad," Freed mused, walking towards the lightning and inspecting it, though not closely enough to touch it. "I intended the simulation to make us work well as a team. I suppose after the way we have been treating one another for the past few days, my magic believed we need something intense to bring us tougher."

"Guess so," Gajeel mumbled, a little guiltily. He was responsible for that. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Freed dismissed, seemingly fascinated by the challenge. "Honestly, I think the challenges are aimed at challenging my preconceived ideas about you. I had written you off as an idiot who could only utilize your fists, so my magic put us in a situation where you would talk about something you're well versed in and passionate about," Freed was still looking at the spark, a little wistful in his expression. "Frankly, the way you described your culture was beautiful. It certainly destroyed any ideas I had about your mind being anything but… well, wonderful."

Gajeel flushed a little at the compliment, looking away. He wasn't great when people said good things about him, and he tended to deflect when it happened.

"So, yer magic worked. We respect each other at least now, right?" Gajeel said gruffly, Freed nodded. "Other than respect, the only thing I need to work well with another guy is trust. So, guess this is made to make us trust each other."

Freed hummed a little, and his nose scrunched up again.

Fuck, it was kinda cute.

"Say, hypothetically, that this lightning didn't cause you any pain," Freed mused aloud, glancing between the spark of lighting and the metal rod. "Would you be able to use your magic to transform your body into a conductive metal. So you could stretch your fingers from the spark to the rod and have the current pass through you?"

"Yeah, I think so," Gajeel shrugged a little. "Don't exactly wanna touch it if it'll knock me out. Had enough of that this week," He had spoken before thinking, and Freed averted his gaze. "Shit I didn't mean to say that."

"No, no. It's fair," Freed said passively, but didn't seem to believe his words.

"Why'd you ask anyway?" Gajeel asked, trying to avert the topic.

"I've crafted runes that will lessen the effect of lighting magic, a necessity of working with Laxus," Freed explained, looking at the spark again. "If you're correct and this is to make us trust one another, then perhaps it's as simple as you using your magic to make a metal bridge between source and the rod, and you have to trust that my runes will stop you from hurting."

"Guess it makes sense," Gajeel agreed, frowning. "You sure it works?"

"It has worked against every type of lightning I've used it to deflect from before," Freed said, looking to Gajeel. "I can't promise that it will work, though. This is made of my magic, not natural lightning, so there's no way of knowing for sure yet."

Gajeel thought for a moment, before stealing himself and shrugging. "Fuck it, we ain't got any other ideas. Lay it on me."

Freed moved to stand behind Gajeel, and a moment later a cold hand was pressed against the back of his neck. He heard muttering in a language he didn't know, then the familiar feeling of magic rolling down his skin. The sensation of a rune on his skin was unknown to him - a rune not meant to hurt him anyway - and it sent a slight shiver down his spine. Maybe that was just because Freed was cupping his neck; it was a part of his body that people didn't often touch, after all.

A sheen of magic flowed over his skin, and Gajeel watched as his body flowed purple for a second. The spell was obviously completed, as the magic seemed to seep into his skin, but Freed still kept his hand on Gajeel's neck.

"You gonna let go?" He asked with a frown.

"No. If my rune fails, we should share the pain," Freed's tone left no room for argument.

"It's yer funeral," Gajeel mumbled.

He placed his hand on the iron rod, covering his skin with his iron. Slowly, he extended one of his hands towards the flickering sparks of lighting, wincing a little as it got closer. He really fucking hoped Freed's runes worked, because even after Wendy had come by to heal him, Gajeel wasn't fully recovered. Another bout of unconsciousness would only make things worse.

With a flinch, he forced his metallic digit into the lightning. It didn't hurt as such, more like a tingle that spread through him and perhaps Freed. The lightning passed across him, into his hand, and lit the metal rod up. The room turned green.

"Guess it worked," Gajeel grinned a little, turning to Freed.

When he turned, he was taken aback by the sight of the other man. Freed was hot, Gajeel hadn't bothered to hide that even when they were arguing, and he was handsome too. But when he was smiling a victorious smile, a slight magical haze in his eyes, expression equal parts cocky and satisfied, he looked fucking beautiful. The glow of the purple runes illuminated his pale skin, made his eyes shine, and made Gajeel damn near breathless.

He was staring at him, and suddenly something fell into place. He had wondered what would take the place of the antagonism between them, and suddenly an option was shown to him. Freed was now sexy, handsome and beautiful. He had a scrunchy nose, hummed in the shower, and had a wild side.

"It did," Freed's voice, which sounded like honey now Gajeel paid attention, cut through his thoughts. "Thank you for trusting me, Gajeel."

"Ain't a problem, Pretty-Boy."

The slip of the tongue made Gajeel freeze. Freed didn't comment on it, but Gajeel didn't miss the slight upturn of his lips. Fuck he had a pretty smile, didn't he?

Gods dammit.

#Gajeed #freedjeel #Freed x Gajeel #freed justine #gajeel redfox #fairy tail #fanfic #writing #canon divergent #multi chapter #chapter five #word count: 4K

5 notes · View notes