Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Chapter 1: Monday

Lucy was sitting on a bench in her beloved guild, Fairy Tail, with her was Mirajane discussing the celestial mage's current situation.

Lucy was back from the seven years time skip, just to find out her rent was huge, and there was just no way she could pay for it. The blonde tried some rooms at Fairy Hills, but they were all too expensive. Mira like always, gave her the smartest of the ideas.

"Why don't you sleep at Natsu's for the week, just until you find yourself a place to stay. I'm sure he won't mind."

"I don't know Mira-chan, I've seen Natsu's room, and I don't think I can live in that mess, even if just for one week." Lucy replied.

"Well why not Erza's then. Her room is big enough for the whole Fairy Tail." Mira stated.

"You're right, but since Jellal confessed to her, she's been living with him, now all those rooms are available... for rent that is." Lucy's face dropped to the cold wood of the bar's counter. "I don't know what to do anymore!" She cried.

"Try Gray's." Mira spoke again.

"Gray's? I don't think it'd be a good idea."

"Why not?" Mira asked.

"Juvia would kill me." Lucy's fingers started to tremble with the thought.

"She doesn't need to know." Mira blurted.

"Mira I didn't know this side of yours." Lucy smiled.

"Don't say such things, it'll make me look bad." Mira blushed.

"Gray is probably the best option I must admit, but I just can't ask him." Lucy's heart almost stopped beating when she received her answer.

"It's ok with me. I wouldn't turn my back to a friend." Gray popped out of nowhere making Lucy go extremely red.

"Gray? Oh lord. That's so embarrassing." Lucy looked away.

"What? You just confessed that I'm your best choice. Are you taking it back?" Gray looked a bit disappointed.

"No I'm not... I just had never felt so embarrassed in my life." The blonde answered.

"Don't worry, it's just Gray. What could go wrong?" Mira said with a sweet smile.

"Sure Lucy, it's just me." Gray gave her a smile she hadn't seen before, a smile that said I'm here if you need me. It's very weird to read other people's smiles, but then again, some people can talk with looks, sounds, or expressions, are smiles that different from those?

"Ok, I agree, but you have to promise me you won't let Juvia know anything about it." Lucy looked very serious.

"What made you think I'd tell her anything? And from all the people why Juvia is the one who can't know anything?" Lucy gave Gray a look.

"How dense can someone be?" Asked Mira.

"Tell me about it." Lucy replied.

"You two are just messing with me." Gray ran his hand through his hair.

"Sure." Lucy winked, and gave him a playful smile. "Mira, I'm leaving earlier. I need to pack my things."

"Oh, it's ok, I'll make up some crazy story if anyone ask me anything." Mira answered.

"Thank you Mira-chan. Gray you're coming with me, since I don't know the way to your house." Lucy grabbed Gray's hand, and dragged the ice mage leaving behind three confused mages... well actually two mages and a cat.

As soon as Lucy and Gray were out, Erza's curiosity took over her body. The Titania moved like lighting to the bar's counter.

"Where did they go?" Erza asked Mira, who was now just cleaning up some cups.

"I don't know." Mira lied.

"I know you know something. Now tell me." Erza's face was a mix of anger and curiosity.

"Where is Gray? That droopy-eyes has second intentions with Lucy!" Natsu shouted.

"I'm sure they're just hanging around." Mira answered.

"Sure..." Replied a suspicious looking Erza.

Lucy and Gray had already gathered the celestial mage's clothes, which were at Macao's house, since the blonde didn't pay for the seven years of her rent, they put her things on the streets, someone saw them, and gave them to someone from the guild.

The two mages made it to Gray's house. Lucy carefully examined his residence. It wasn't that big, but wasn't small either, for a single person it was pretty spacious.

"I'll put your things on my room." Gray carried Lucy's things to his room.

"I hope you're not suggesting anything with that." Lucy chuckled.

"I'm suggesting you take my room, I'll sleep somewhere at the living room." Gray answered after he finished setting the blonde's things on his room.

"Such a gentleman." Lucy teased. "Will you really let me sleep here?"

"Of course I will. Any problem with that?"

"Not really, I just thought I'd sleep in a separated room." The blonde had a fading blush on her cheeks.

"I wouldn't let you sleep at the couch Lucy. Don't you know me?" Gray asked, and for once Lucy stopped to think about what he said, she had never thought about him like this before, it was always just missions, and eventually all the destruction Team Natsu caused, she never had a moment alone with the ice alchemist to get to know him better.

"Of course you wouldn't. You're such a gentleman aren't you?" Lucy teased again.

"Keep the gentleman joke, and I might change my mind about letting you sleep here." Gray smiled playfully. Lucy just returned the smile.

After making herself at home, and spreading all her things over Gray's room. Lucy took a shower and went to her new writing place, which was Gray's bed, but with her current situation it was quite a difficult task to ask for inspiration. The blonde couldn't focus.

"Is it that novel you were writing?" Gray asked with a curious look.

"Yes, the one you read without my permission." Lucy glared.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I saw it laying over your table, and at first I didn't want to, but when I started reading it, I just couldn't stop. It's really good." Gray said not really looking at her.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really, I wish you'd let me read the rest." The ice mage smiled.

"Hm... maybe I'll let you take a look at the first chapter." Lucy pondered.

"I read it already, let me read the second."

"You read a whole chapter that night!" Lucy's face was one of surprise.

"Yes, I did, the beginning makes me want to know the end. Now I'm just curious about what's going to happen." Gray sat beside her on the bed.

"What if I'd let you read it? I think you'll just make fun of the way I see things." Lucy blushed slightly looking down.

"Try me." Gray simply answered.

After a huge pause and uncomfortable silence, Lucy finally spoke. "Ok, I'll let you see it, I shouldn't since I promised Levy she'd be the first to read it, just don't tell her alright?" Lucy looked almost in pain while handing Gray the manuscripts.

"You don't need to ask me that." Gray replied.

Lucy spent half an hour alternating from walking in circles, going to the kitchen and watching Gray as he read her novel.

"I'm done with chapter two and three." Gray finally spoke.

"So how was it? Good? Bad? Tell me!" Lucy was radiant, a smile on her face that showed nothing , but enthusiasm, and maybe a little bit of concern.

"I like it Lucy, you should really consider becoming a writer." Gray said giving Lucy thumbs up.

"Really? Thank you Gray! That means a lot."

"Yeah, really, I'll take a shower, and go to sleep. I have an important mission tomorrow." Lucy frowned as soon as she heard Gray's words.

"Important mission? How come I don't know about it? Don't tell me Natsu, Erza and you left me out of it because you think it's too dangerous." Lucy pouted.

"That's not it. I'm going alone this time, I'm broke, and it's just the beginning of the month." The ice maker answered.

"Then I'm going with you. I'm staying here with you for a week, so I want to repay you somehow."

"I see no problem with that since the mission is quite simple." Gray handed the report with the information about the mission to Lucy.

"I see. So we'll have to take part in a theater play again?" Asked Lucy with an annoyed look.

"Basically."

"I guess it should be fine." Lucy stopped sighed, and then laid her back on Gray's bed. "I'm going to bed Gray. Wake me up tomorrow when you're going to leave."

"Good night Lucy." Said Gray in a very low tone. Lucy just smiled, and repeated his words. Gray left his room to take his shower and move to his new bed, at least for a week.

The next day came, and with it, the morning light that can be so warm and disturbing at the same time. Lucy woke up with the light touching her skin, it felt good, it felt calming, it made her wake in a good mood.

At the other side of the house, Gray also woke up with the warm morning light, but it was nothing like Lucy's morning light, it was too hot, it was like a flash bang to his eyes as soon as he opened them and worst of all, it woke him up when he was having such a good dream.

"Gray, stop being lazy and get out of the couch already." Lucy said already dressed.

"I don't want to." Gray laid facing the couch and put his pillow over his head.

"Come on, we have to get going, or we'll be late." Lucy started to lightly shake Gray's arm.

"Lucy, you saw the wrong time on the report card, this one is for another play, ours is at seven PM." Gray said much to Lucy's dismay.

"What did you say? I told you to wake me up early, but you didn't say anything. You're telling me I woke up at six AM for nothing?" The blonde was now shaking her friend frantically.

"Lucy stop that will ya? I'm trying to sleep." Lucy ripped the pillow from Gray's head and tossed it away.

"If I have to wake up this time, you'll wake up too." The blonde glared at the ice mage, now shaking him with full force.

"What are you doing? Get off me!" Gray grabbed her arms in order to stop her, but when he did, she lost balance and fell towards him landed abruptly on his chest. "Ouch!"

Lucy was facing Gray's chest, which obviously was bare. The blonde rose her face a bit just to realize Gray was also looking at her, causing their lips to touch for a matter of seconds.

"What are you doing?" Lucy sat hiding her face with her hands. "Are you trying to steal my first kiss?"

"Where did you get that from, I was just worried. I thought you got hurt when you fell." Gray's eyes got wide when he saw a blush coming from his friend's cheeks.

"Whatever. Let's go to this dammed mission!" Lucy moved ahead not looking at Gray.

"But it isn't the right time!" Gray let out a long sigh. "Wait, I'm going too."

Lucy waited for Gray to get ready and they left to the train station. It wasn't even near seven PM yet, but they decided they could use the time to memorize their texts.

Already in the train heading to their destination, Lucy was acting differently for obvious reasons, she almost kissed Gray a while ago, but the boy didn't seem to be bothered at all. Suddenly she let her mind travel through the possible reasons for the ice maker's behavior.

At first she thought it was just his natural way of dealing with this kind of situation, and that he'd be more experienced than her when it came to love life. Then she thought maybe he was a playboy who was used to kiss many girls and didn't care about them as much as her, even if it was with her. Eventually, she came to a conclusion, she decided her kiss wasn't good enough, and that he should be thinking she was a bad kisser.

In her mind that made sense somehow, don't ask her how, it just made sense.

"Hey Gray." Lucy called shyly.

"What?" The boy turned to look at her.

"Aren't you feeling a bit different?" Lucy asked.

"How different?" Lucy's jaw dropped. Was he teasing her, or was it possible for someone to be this dense?

"I don't know, maybe feeling nervous about something?" Lucy tried again.

"Not really. Why should I?" Gray smiled.

"Hm... forget it, it's nothing." Lucy turned to look through the window. The rest of the trip went in silence.

They arrived at the theater, and Gray went straight to the person who made the request.

"I'm here. Where are the other actors?" Gray asked.

"Oh I see you came earlier, I like that. Now who is that pretty girl with you?" Asked the man who looked around twenty five, he had short blonde hair and green eyes. Lucy seemed to get bothered by the older man's compliment, so she answered before Gray could say anything.

"I'm his girlfriend." Lucy had narrowed eyes, showing discontentment.

"She's going to take part in the play as well." Gray informed.

"Oh that's just perfect!" The man looked a bit too feminine to the mage's reference of man. He clapped his hands in enthusiasm, jumping like a happy rabbit.

"What's s great about it?" Lucy asked already worried about the guy's answer.

"It's a secret, but I'm telling you, you'll like it." The guy left in a hurry performing ballet moves in his way.

"That was just..."

"Weird." Lucy completed her friend's phrase. They followed the man to a separated room.

"Here you can memorize your texts. Take your time." With that he said.

Gray and Lucy picked their texts there where on a small table in front of them, and started reading.

"That won't work, there's no way I can memorize that in time." Gray said messing his hair around with his hands.

"We have to, you took the job, so make it like a Fairy Tail mage, we don't ever give up." Lucy cheered.

"If it was about beating strong mages I'd gladly continue, but this is much harder."

"Gray, what you said was just insane you do realize that right?"

"I can't do that Lucy, it's too much to store in too little time." Gray looked defeated before he even started.

"I'll be here to help you, come on don't give it up yet." Lucy unconsciously put a hand over Gray's. They stayed like that for a while, before she realized what she was doing. Lucy quickly too her hand away from his looking very abashed.

"I'll do my best." Gray smiled at her.

"We'll make it together." Lucy smiled back at him.

They spent two long hours playing their characters until Lucy suddenly froze. Gray looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong Lucy?"

"It's this... this..." Before the blonde could finish her sentence, the door was open revealing the man who talked with them earlier.

"It's time to you show shine." The man said.

"Which means?" Gray asked.

"That it's your turn on the stage."

Lucy started to panic. "I can't go I'm not ready yet."

Two women went inside dragging them to another room. There, they got make up and their clothes. The play was about elves and humans in some kind of forbidden love. Lucy's character was a elf princess, and Gray's was a human swordsman.

Lucy wore a short dress that had some features of a leaf, she wore golden jewelry, bracelets, earrings and rings, she also wore a golden tiara.

Gray wore a black coat with a white shirt under it, and black pants. He kept his silver necklace and bracelet, and also the chain on his pants. Gray's sword was on his waist.

"Go now!" They shouted for the two mages.

Lucy was the first to appear. Her scene was about hunters killing elves at the forest. Lucy was hidden on a bush waiting for them to go away, but they didn't go anywhere. The hunters caught her and held her prisoner.

"Now it's your turn, go go go!" The man informed Gray.

"Alright I'm going!" Gray sounded annoyed.

Gray's scene was about seeing the fleeing hunters with Lucy on a carriage. He tried to stop them, but couldn't keep up with the carriage.

The rest of the scenes were about Lucy being humiliated by humans on a castle and Gray looking for her.

The swordsman finally gets to the castle, but as soon as he does, he is surrounded by hunters, The first two hunters come running towards him. The swordsman swings his sword to cut the first one in the waist in the right, while the other comes from the left and tries to stab a sword in his heart. The swordsman is able to spin holding the dead hunter's body, putting the dead body in the way of the hunter's sword, then the ice mage kicks the dead body over the other hunter, which causes him to fall with his sword stuck on his fallen comrade. The swordsman finishes the hunter with a descending strike with his sword.

"You finally arrived traitor, how dare you step inside my castle when you've turned your back to me and all humanity after I declared war to the elves? You're no better than these filthy creatures." The man is holding the elf princess's body, but then throws her to the floor.

"What you do to the elves is wrong, and even though you are now the king after your father's death died, I can not allow you to continue slaughtering the elves. Prepare yourself." The swordsman gave the king a challenging look, and stood in fighting stance.

"Fool! Do you really wish to die here for this animal? So be it!" With that the king comes running in swordsman's direction with two rapiers. The king uses fast fencing stabbing strikes to try and pierce the swordsman's body, who is able to dodge all of them. It's only when the swordsman realizes the princess is caged, and under a descending stone block moving very slowly that he rushes to her side, but lets his guard down in the process, one chance was enough for the king to finish the fight. The king pierces through the swordsman's body with both the rapiers.

"I told you, it's useless, I shall rule this land, and make the elves my slaves." The king gave a sinister laugh.

The swordsman lies motionless on the floor, he glances at the cage and sees the princess ready to get crushed by the huge stone block.

"No! I will never allow that to happen. Get ready, I won't face death alone." The swordsman stands up with his last breath, and cuts the cage allowing the princess the get out of the cage in the last minute.

"I shall finish your miserable life now." The king comes once again, the swordsman goes in the king's encounter with the speed he can manage after the strikes he suffered.

The theater lights go missing for a while and when they're back the swordsman is lying on the floor, at the other side the king stands proud and going in the princess direction. The princess try to run away, but she's weak from all the mistreatment she received. The king is about to put his hands on the princess when the armor he was using falls on the floor divided in two.

"I promised I wouldn't die alone." The swordsman lifts his sword showing the kings blood streaming down on it.

"I can not believe. How can this happen?" The king's body falls forward to the floor.

The princess comes running towards the swordsman, and holds him in her arms. "Do not worry my brave knight. You shall be fine. I'll heal you with my magic." The princess starts hovering her hands over the swordsman's body. Before Gray could give sequence to the dialog, Lucy speaks once again. "Looks like it might be too late for the normal healing." Lucy blushes and Gray stares at her confused. "I will have to use this." Lucy leans close to Gray's face and pasting a passionate kiss on his lips.

Gray's eyes are still wide from the shock, but eventually he accepts the kiss, now kissing her back with the same intensity. His hands travel through the back of her head pulling her closer to him. Realizing they've been like that for a little to long, Lucy breaks the kiss.

The rest of the play goes on the swordsman and the princess getting married, and building a new land for humans and elves.

All the actors salute the public that applaud their performance. The curtains are down hiding the mages. Lucy stands up trying to get away from the incoming questions, but she is surprised by the request maker.

"You were splendid, magnificent." The man says to Lucy who can't stop blushing.

"Ok, now I think I'll be on my way..." Lucy tries to avoid the man, but he blocks her way.

"I suggested the kiss scene, but I didn't know you'd agree with kissing your boyfriend in front of all those people." Lucy freezes.

"What did you say?" Gray arrives behind Lucy.

"I said Lucy agreed to kiss you, even when she didn't have to, it was optional." The man let out the truth.

"Is that so?" Gray turned to ask Lucy.

"Well... kinda, not exactly..." Lucy couldn't help being nervous.

"Thank you." Lucy's head jolted in Gray's direction. "You told me we'd make it if we stayed together, and you went to the point of agreeing to kiss me in order to do so. So thank you Lucy." Gray blushed while smiling to his blonde friend.

"You're always welcome Gray." The blonde returned the smile. "But we should probably get back to Fairy Tail now." Lucy said trying to change the subject.

"You're right, let's go."

They bid their good byes and went back to Fairy Tail, the way back was fast, and once again, in full silence.

The train arrived at the station at nine PM, so the two mages decided it would be better to just go back home instead of going to the guild.

They arrived at Gray's house, and after a long shower, Lucy went to Gray's bed and fell tired on it. She looked at her friend who was laying on the couch and constantly changing positions. Lucy took her manuscript and started writing on it.

"Inspiration is leaving me." The blonde whispered, but it was loud enough to earn her an answer.

"What are you writing about now?" Gray asked from the other side of the house.

"About the same thing, I'm not trying to write two stories at the same time, it'd take too much of my already missing inspiration." Lucy sighed. "Do you think I should write about something else?"

"I don't know. I think you be in trouble if you tried, because you would have to think about another plot." Gray replied.

"What do you think about a story about a vampire who never gets close to any girl, but then fall in love with the smell of the new girl from his school, then decides to avoid her, but the need for her is bigger, and eventually they fall for each other." Lucy said as Gray yawned.

"Are you serious? So the guy never looked at any other girl, and then he magically fall in love with this girl's smell and decides she is the love of his life... his eternal life. That's lame in my opinion." Gray said with the all the honesty he could gather.

"I'm just kidding. I read this story on a book, I think the book was called... twi... I don't remember, but I actually liked it, the way they fall in love is stupid and totally out of reality, but it's about vampires who shines in the sun... I was wrong to expect much from a story like this."

"I wonder if people don't realize how crazy a love between vampires and humans is." Gray turned to look at Lucy.

"Hm... it's not that bad, I think it's about the forbidden love and stuff, but I heard many people got depressed while reading this book, because they wanted a love life like the one of the main characters, and started thinking their life were boring." Lucy stood up and went to the couch, she looked at Gray who was now sitting on the couch, then she sat beside him.

"Let me see what you got up until now, maybe I can help you with that." Gray said pointing to her manuscript.

"Levy is gonna kill me." Lucy sighed while handing the manuscript. Gray read the manuscript for about fifteen minutes.

"Well... I have no idea about what you should write there." Gray laid once again, his head almost on Lucy's lap.

"Wow, that helps a lot." Lucy said with sarcasm all over her face. "What I need here, is a cute phrase from the guy to the girl. As you see, she is going through a lot, and he can't be with her, cause he had to travel to another place for a while. He is currently writing a letter for her."

"Well I don't know the guy that well, since I didn't read the whole story, only parts of it." Gray explained.

"Let me ask you something. If you were in the guys place, and you had to write a letter for the girl. What you you write?" Lucy asked moving closer to her friend, her right thigh were now touching his head.

They heard a noise from outside, and Gray lifted his head a little to look through the window, when he laid his head back, he didn't feel the couch's fabric, instead he felt the fabric from Lucy's pajama, and the warmth of her skin, so soft. He decided he was going to pretend he didn't know what was happening.

"If I had to write something for her?" I don't know, I don't even know the girl, if I knew her, and was really in love with her, then I'd think about something."

"What if you were writing to me then? Wait, I know you're not in love with me, but I'm your friend... you know me so you'd know what to write... right?" Lucy rested her hand on Gray's head, before she knew it, she was gently caressing his hair.

"I guess you're right, but I'll just pretend I'm in love with you then, that will help me thinking about something." Gray closed his eyes enjoying the touch from the blonde's hand.

"Do as you want." Lucy replied.

"I'd say something like..." Gray paused for a moment. "I'll turn off the lights and let you sleep. Just close your eyes relax and breath in slowly." Lucy kept close attention to his words. Gray weren't really good letting out his feelings, she had never seen him doing so.

"Please continue." Asked Lucy.

"I'll try to." After five minutes of more thinking, Gray continued. "No, don't feel lonely cause, I'll be right here by your side, if you should awake into the night, keep dreaming cause I'll be keeping your heart in mine. Don't you know I'll always be here? Even in the hardest times. Don't you know I'm always right here?"

"Gray... that's so nice, I almost wish I'd be away from you, just to read something like that in a letter." Lucy had a weak smile on her face. "Keep it up... please."

Gray sat and turned to face her. "Are you really going to use that?"

"Who knows, now just finish what you started." Lucy smiled.

"Let me think for a while..." Gray paused once again. "When you're feeling lost... don't give up because it's alright."

"Why is it alright? I- she is all alone." Lucy rested her face on Gray's chest, who embraced her and gently laid his chin on top of her head.

"When you're feeling lost. Don't give up because it's alright. When you close your eyes I'm by your side." Gray whispered on Lucy's ear.

Lucy melted in his embrace, she didn't feel like going back to her bed, she wanted to be close to him, even when she knew he didn't mean those words, they felt so real, it felt so good to be close to someone. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Gray?" Lucy asked in a shy, and very cute tone.

"If I close my eyes... will you be by my side?" The blonde's question caught him off guard. He was surprised, and a little nervous, but still answered.

"I will."

"And when I open them will you still be here?" Lucy looked up to face him, gazing straightly into his eyes. Gray was very nervous, and he didn't seem to be doing a good job with hiding it.

"I will. I promise." Was all Gray managed as an answer.

"You know Gray... those girls who wanted to have a love life similar to the one they had on that book." Lucy spoke softly.

"What about them?"

"I think they were wrong to wish for something like that. We don't have to live in a fantasy to find love, and even though it's really hard to find, I believe there's still true love out there, and maybe it's closer than you'd ever imagine." Lucy looked at Gray's face that was now red as a tomato. The blonde just smiled.

"You're so cute Gray." Lucy said giggling.

Lucy closed her eyes, relaxed, and breathed in slowly... and most importantly, she didn't feel lonely at all.

A/N: In case someone notices. Yes, what Gray told Lucy is actually a song from Faber Drive, the song is called By Your Side,

Sorry for Twilight fans. It's just a matter of opinion, don't hate me for the joke xD

I'm not a review collector, but I see so many fovorites, story alerts and no reviews, please don't just read my story, let me know what you think about it too. A good review makes anyone's day :)