HEY, guys! I'm new to this so please take care of me. I've been a silent reader for quite a while now and I suddenly had this idea to write and it's been haunting me. So I decided to write it out. I'm not really sure but I might as well give it a shot. English is my third language but I promise to give my best in writing this story.

DISCLAIMER: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

PROLOGUE

Hey, stranger. I'm at the usual place. Wanna come over? I'll be waiting.

Gray got dressed as soon as he read the message on his phone. He had planned to retire early for the night but sleep was too far away from his reach. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, ruffled his hair in style and snatched his longboard on the wall just beside his bedroom door before heading downstairs. His brother spotted him when he reached the living room with a bowl of popcorn in his arm.

"Where you headed to, man?" Lyon asked him and glued his eyes back to the telly.

"Somewhere." Gray mumbled, not really in the mood for his older brother's prying. He reached the street outside their apartment and pushed on the road, feeling the cold rush of the air.

Gray reached the main road and was glad that the traffic has long died out. He wanted to take his time on the way but the thought of seeing her again made him pick up his speed with caution. He arrived at base of the bar and took the stairs up to The Rooftop where he found her sitting near the railings, smoking a cigarette with a bottle of beer.

"You made it." She said as he sat across her. Gray grinned and settled his longboard against the railing and signaled the waiter for a beer.

"I had nothing to do and I wouldn't keep a lady on her own in this side of the city at this hour." He replied and took out a packet of Marlboro from his jean pocket before his drink arrived. He looked at her and noticed the bags under her glazed eyes and her face showed exhaustion. Her beautiful brown orbs were shining against the lights and her long blond locks were tied up in a messy bun.

Gray met her two weeks ago and what was supposed to be a one-night stand turned into a regular "meeting" for the both of them. She was new in town and he had been more than glad to tour her around. Every now and then they would meet, drink some, play around and have sex and it didn't take a genius to figure out where this night will lead to.

"Alice?" He asked without thinking. The girl in front of him laughed and he found himself laughing along.

She shook her head. "Try again," she said.

"Madonna? Diana? Cassandra? Samantha?"

"How about... Cleopatra?" She flashed him a wide smile as he pouted. Until now she refused to give him her name and he had been wondering why.

"It was worth a try. I'll give up for now but that doesn't mean I'll stop, stranger," he said with a sigh and lit up another stick. Gray noticed that her fingers were trembling. There was something odd about her this time. She seemed shaky but not uneasy.

"Hey, stranger," she asked quietly without looking at him, "have you ever felt as if you were hollow?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like a hollow person. As if you have nothing inside you. Oh, crap. Nevermind. Forget I asked." She glanced nervously at him.

"No, it's fine. Well, I don't really now. Haven't thought about it."

Silence seeped through them for a moment before they decided to leave. He went with her at the hotel where she was staying at. Three days ago she was checked in a different hotel and he figured that she moved around. A lot. They bought a bottle of gin from a nearby liquor store and drank at her hotel, talked some more, and ended up in her bed- naked.

When Gray woke up the next morning, he found her wide awake, sitting on the chair in front of the window while looking at the view. She was still drinking. Gray sat on the bed for a while and observed her, noticing the paleness of her skin. He saw how beautiful she was yet it was strange that there was something else about her that draws him in and it wasn't just because of her beauty. It was a given fact that she remained as a mystery in his eyes but he knew that it was better that way. He knew that she was a puzzle that takes time to be solved, not something that must be rushed. He wanted to ask her if she had slept but he kept his mouth shut and chose to look at her in silence. Gray wondered if they will remain as strangers forever.

When he finally left Lucy Heartfilia turned off all the lights and closed the curtain. Her fingers were trembling and she was palpitating. She sank on the bed and closed her eyes but sleep was impossible and she was not hungry. She had long ago lost her appetite and had gotten used to the pain inside her stomach. She wondered when was the last time that she had a decent meal and sighed before she crawled out of bed and sat on the carpeted floor while still holding the bottle of gin on her hands. Embracing her knees, she looked in front of her and laughed. The things around her were moving and the curtains were swaying in circles. She drank and drank, paying no mind that her jaw and neck was drenched by now. Out from nowhere, little black insects started to crawl everywhere only to disappear and appear again. She didn't want this to stop. She had no reason to. It was the only way for her now- a point of no return. With shaky fingers she took out a small zip lock bag from her breast pocket and carefully took out some crystals. She settled them on the back of her hand, just below her thumb, and brought it to the side of her nose while her other finger blocked the other side. With her eyes closed, she breathed hell in heaven.

TBC

Boring? Don't worry. This is just the beginning. It will get better. Don't forget to review! And oh, any suggestions? Comments?