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lucy heartfilia finds herself staring at the mirror more and more as the days pass. to anyone else, they would simply think the blonde was checking herself out, or anything else a girl would do in front of a mirror, but gray had thought differently.
every time he finds lucy staring at a mirror, he cant help but stare at her do so. everything else falls deaf upon his ears when gray hears lucy murmur something about her body. did she dislike the way she looked? women still play a foreign part to gray’s mind, even when he has juvia follow him around, it doesnt really help him figure out what goes on inside a female’s mind.
but, this was lucy.. his best friend . his teammate. someone he cared for ─ and if he could at least lessen the way she worried about her body in any way possible, he would. he knew damn well that he would do everything in his power to help lucy feel better. whatever that may be.
not now though. not in front of juvia, whom he knew would put up a fit and start throwing harmless threats at lucy’s way if he advanced. not in front of the guild members, no. that could tarnish what they have or at least, imply something else was going on between the two to those who didn’t understand the situation. later. ‘when we’re alone.’
though, lucy finally turns her back on the mirror, replacing the frown gray caught through the reflection with a smile. it causes gray himself to frown. it upsets the darker haired male that lucy goes out her way to mask the way she truly feels. he was about to speak out and motion the blonde to sit herself next to him when juvia abruptly stands in his way and talks about something that gray didnt even catch. “damn, where’d she go?”
it happens again at lucy’s house. gray had only let himself enter when he catches lucy standing in front of the mirror with a frown once again. “lucy.” gray makes his presence known, startling the celestial mage. almost animatedly, she turns around in confusion. one, gray entered through the front door and not by the window?
“oh! gray. you’re here again..” instantly, lucy forces a smile, raising an arm to smack gray for entering her home without notice but was immediately stopped by him in the action. “gray..?” she looks up at him, brows furrowed at the suddenness of it all. the ice mage doesnt utter a word but spins lucy around; allowing gray a clearer view of his friend.
“is there something wrong, lucy?”
“wh- no, of course not! why would you think that way? are you alright?"
"you're lying to me, luce." he clenches his jaw, placing both of his hands on either side of lucy's hips. "you're troubled arent you? think i havent seen you cautiously checking yourself in the mirror every time you walk pass one? everyone else might think you're just doing whatever, but i see the frown that settles on your face whenever you stare at the reflection."
lucy falls quiet, embarrassed by how gray easily caught on. not that she could blame him, he was known to be attentative towards the littlest of things. the blonde laughs airily, “so you’ve noticed, huh?” there was no escaping this, really. gray wouldnt leave until she told him what bothered her and how he could stop that from happening. both mages dont seem to acknowledge how gray’s hands were still on lucy’s hips ─ too engrossed in hearing what the celestial witch would say. "i dont like the way i look.. i- i really dont know how to explain it.."
'so i was right..!' now it was gray's turn to look confused. did girls really have this problem..? i mean sure, he worked out a lot but he could care less about how he looked. ur didnt have a problem with her body either, though he only deduced so because she was not ashamed by stripping in the mountains. (would it really count if only he and lyon saw?)
"you have a nice body though, luce."
"yeah, but i'm not pretty enough like mira-chan, or petite enough like juvia-chan…"
those words were enough for gray to feel unsettled. possibly more than the female herself would be feeling. why is it that this topic infuriates him a little? he could understand why she would feel that way towards mirajane, considering lucy's always wanted to be on the magazines and mira happens to be fairytail's poster girl. but juvia ? he doesnt see it. lucy looks perfect to him ─ why the need to compare to juvia.
“dont say that..” gray mumbles, the hands on her hips now wrapping around her torso and engulfing the mage in an embrace. lucy was warm against him, perhaps because he felt cold all the time, but it was a different feeling. lucy was a different type of warm ─ nothing like natsu’s warmth, less like the heat radiating from a fire, and more like the heat that radiated from the sun on a windy day. she was warm like the sun, description fitting the colour of her hair.
“g-gray? what are you doing-" lucy's cut short by gray laying his head on her shoulder, a hand lifting her chin up so she would look at him through the reflection. lucy's cheeks turn bright red, seeing the way gray looked at her with such adoring eyes. it made her blush. hard. to be gazed at by a man whom she began to care for so badly over the years. to be stared at like shes the only thing that mattered. almost as if she was the only woman in the world.
if anyone were to walk in ─ they’d be damned. worries start to bubble in the back of lucy’s mind, but all shattered when she feels the pads of gray’s cold fingers on her cheek, turning her head so she would be at eye-level with him. “you’re perfect the way you are, lucy heartfilia.” gray offers a small smile, cheeks and ears flushing red; mirroring lucy's.
she still doesnt get it. however, it doesnt stop the unwelcoming tears that begin to well in the corners of her eyes. “gray… i- i dont get it. why would it matter so much to you, about what i think about myself..”
to be fair, gray sucks at letting another person know how he truly feels. he, erza and natsu have always resolved everything by fighting since its the easiest way for them. but lucy's different. she's sensitive, she's someone gray has to be careful around. he cant afford to mindlessly spew words around lucy in fear that it would hurt her. she's like the rose from beauty in the beast, and he would be the glass that surrounded it.
“it pains me to see the woman i care for so much, look at herself in ways that i dont see.” gray replies, dark blue eyes staring at lucy’s chocolate ones. gray laughs at the face lucy makes, raising his hand to wipe the tears that have rolled down her cheeks and settling to cup her cheek softly.
“woman you care for so much..” the fact doesnt seem to sit well on lucy’s mind yet, especially knowing about her friend’s heavy feelings towards the man who’s arms were comfortably wrapped around her. the man who was inches away from her own face, practically feeling his breath being exhaled. she searches for any sort of lie or joke within gray’s eyes, but is only met with pure sincerity. it causes her heart to thump loudly against her ribcage.
“may i?” gray spins lucy around again, her back now to the mirror as gray leans closer towards her lips. “may i kiss you, lucy?” she can practically feel his breath hot against her own skin, eyes flickering between gray’s eyes and mouth. her lips part, a slight nod is given but its enough for gray to close the gap between them both.
lucy’s lips are soft against gray’s drier ones, not for one to really care for his lips asides using chapstick (as much as he would like to deny it), but they're plump and the ice mage feels addicted already. he pulls lucy away from the mirror, breaking the kiss whenever they needed to take a breath and then resuming like they needed each other so much. as if both parties were waiting for this day, for the day gray is able to press his cold lips against lucy’s warmth and be able to shower her in so much love. love that she needed.
they do end up on the bed eventually, lucy sitting on gray’s lap as she lays her head on his shoulder, grip around her so tight it’s like he doesnt want to let lucy go. their breathing has calmed from when they kissed, the silence that overcame was peaceful and neither wanted to break it.
“luce.”
“hmm?” comes a tired response.
“you tired?”
“a little, why?”
“here, hop down a sec.” lucy gets off of gray’s lap, turning around as the male had ordered and fidgets with the hems of her skirt. she feels gray stand behind her and seconds later, feels a cold metal being wrapped around her neck. soon she realises its the necklace gray always wears, pale cheeks turning rosy from the action once more.
“you know.. for a guy who sucks at being affectionate, you’re a little too good at this.”
“oh you know, i’ve watched and read enough.” they both laugh at that, gray pressing a sweet kiss onto lucy’s forehead while draping his white coat around lucy.
“can we go sleep now? you’ve sucked my energy out with all that kissing.” lucy jokes as she hides under the covers. gray groans in reply, failing to hide the blush that’s settled upon his cheeks as he slips underneath the covers with his lover.
“what would the guild members do- no.. what would juvia do..”
“uh. cry us a river?”
“she's going to KILL me.”
“yes, but that and cry us a river,”
lucy punches gray on the chest, pouting. “you're not funny, fullbuster! and, you still have to take me out for dinner, hmph!”
“whaaat? seriously? i just kissed you and everythin— i'm kidding . of course i plan to take you out properly, who do you think i am?” gray replies smugly, grinning to himself like he's won the lottery only to be met by lucy's glare.
“magnolia's most eligible bachelor?”
“then they better put loke up for that position because i am not looking for another girl when i have the one i want in my arms.”