Graylu Fluff Week 2017

Day 1 Prompt: Play Date

"So, I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast at the guildhall?" Gray asked.

"Sure, sounds good," Lucy answered, for the fifth morning in a row. The exchange had become a nightly ritual, and Lucy couldn't quite decide if that was a good thing or not.

Each of them had finally decided that enough was enough, so last month, in January, exactly eighteen days ago (although nobody was counting), each of them had managed to blurt out a shy but sincere confession to the other. Of course, neither of them had been able to hear the other person, since they were talking at the same time, but eventually it had gotten sorted out. They had spent most of their free time together ever since, as if making up for lost time, and Lucy was surprised by how much happier and relaxed she felt just knowing that Gray was there for her and finally knew how she felt.

Although Gray wasn't the most demonstrative boyfriend—at least, not in public—he was very considerate. Lucy felt genuinely cared for, which was wonderful. For example, Gray made sure that Lucy got to walk on the smoothest part of the path when they were outside. If they were sitting with a big group of people, he would make sure that she had a comfortable seat and wasn't perched precariously on the edge of a bench. If they'd been placed at a table that had a chair with wobbly legs, Gray would fix the problem and take the wobbly chair just in case.

Unfortunately, Lucy was beginning to realize that there was something wrong. They'd been going out together for less than three weeks, but something was missing. Worse, she had a feeling that Gray felt the same way. As embarrassing as it was, Lucy decided to seek expert advice.

"I'm—I just don't understand. It wasn't like this when we were just friends and teammates. I can't quite explain it, but it feels like we used to laugh more, you know?"

Mirajane nodded understandingly at Lucy. Although Mira wasn't really more than a couple of years older than most of the people she listened to, counseled, and occasionally pushed into relationships for their own good, she behaved as though she was everyone's mother and most people simply went along with it. Probably because it's comforting, Lucy thought.

"You know," said Mirajane in a considering tone, "you're both an unusual combination of serious and playful. I suspect that this is just a case of honeymoon jitters."

"Honeymoon?! We're not even engaged!" Lucy was almost too confused to blush, but not quite. She felt her cheeks redden. "Um, I mean, we're just—you know—starting to get to know each other a bit better? Other than as just friends, I mean." Lucy frowned for a moment. "Although I don't like the expression 'just friends', because friends are really important to me as well."

Mirajane smiled fondly at the other woman. Lucy had her flaws—they all did—but she truly embodied Fairy Tail's most important precept: that the bonds of friendship were at the core of their strength.

"I tend to refer to the early days of any romantic relationship as the honeymoon phase. I didn't mean to startle you." There was a glint in Mirajane's eye that suggested that she had already thought about Lucy and Gray's wedding, honeymoon and possibly children, but she managed to keep most of that off her face, so Lucy let it slide.

"You're going to have to explain what you mean, Mira," Lucy said, trying to brace herself for whatever frank comments Fairy Tail's hostess was about to make.

"Sure. It's not meant to be complicated. I've noticed that most people get along well at the beginning of a relationship because both parties are trying hard to please the other person. Eventually, that wears off a bit, and they start behaving more normally again, which means more arguments, usually, but also more…" Mirajane paused, searching for a word. "… Well, more excitement, I guess, although that's not quite it either. It's a quirk that humans have: most of us don't want to be handled with kid gloves all of the time. The trick is to find the right balance."

Mirajane watched Lucy trace a design on the top of the bar with her finger. Unlike others, the oldest Strauss sibling didn't underestimate Lucy's intelligence, so she thought that Lucy would probably figure out for herself what was going on, now that she'd been pointed in the right direction.

"I think," said Lucy slowly, "what you're saying is that we're not being entirely ourselves with each other—we're being careful and kind and that's great, but we're not doing any of the crazier things that we've done for so long as teammates. And we've kind of lost that connection. Or maybe misplaced it."

"Is that a possibility?" Mirajane asked.

"Maybe," said Lucy. "In which case we need to get out and have some fun—not exactly a date, more like a play date." She looked at Mirajane and suddenly giggled. "Oh for the gods' sake I sound like we're five!"

Her confidant laughed. "Play like you're five, if you must—not in here!—but remember that you're adults and there are more, ah, adult ways to play once you're done with being five."

"Mira! I don't want to hear it, okay? We're working on that." Lucy's blush deepened again.

"If you're calling it work—"

"Enough! Thank you! I'm out of here!"

The playground was covered in a thin layer of snow. It was deserted, other than by Lucy, who sat on one of the icy swings twirling absently first in one direction and then the other. She was rapidly coming to the conclusion that this was a dumb idea. Maybe she'd taken the whole concept too literally and—

"Hey Luce! Jeez you look cold…" Suddenly Gray's voice went from concerned to teasing. "You need a push? You don't seem to be getting far."

Lucy opened her mouth to respond and then gasped as strong arms pulled the swing a long way back—and higher than Gray could have reached without some ice magic—and then let go. For a moment, she thought she was going to go shooting straight off the seat, but her gloved hands tightened around the thin chains holding up the swing and she only slid a little at the top of the arc. The downward curve was fast enough to make her feel a slight swoop in her stomach. Then she noticed the almost transparent webbing of ice keeping her somewhat more safely in place, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the ride.

Not too long afterwards, Gray brought the swing to a halt and Lucy all but toppled into his arms trying to stand up. Her legs felt a bit rubbery but she was grinning. Gray hesitated a moment, then smiled back. He gave Lucy a quick kiss on the lips, and then rubbed his hands together and looked around.

"So, I have absolutely no idea what we're doing in a kids' playground, but since there aren't any kids around, maybe we can jazz things up a little."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, um, better swings and… a really good slide… and…"

Lucy stood and watched as Gray transformed the park around them. He completely redid the swings, turned the slide into a fabulous twisting, curving dragon of ice and the industrial plastic playhouse-fort went from being dismal to awe-inspiring. Eventually, she had to tug on Gray's arm to get his attention.

"This is awesome but what's it for?"

He looked stymied for a moment, the turned a bit red.

"I thought, since you wanted to come here, it might as well have a bit more to it, you know?"

"The playhouse has towers! Gray, it's amazing! And I so want to try the slide. But wasn't that an awful lot of magic power?"

They gazed around at the park, which was now a glittering children's fantasy out of ice, complete with—as Lucy had pointed out—a turreted castle.

Lucy shivered slightly. Gray didn't look the least bit cold, but with all the ice, the park was now distinctly chilly.

"Oh, sor—"

"Don't!" cried Lucy. "Don't apologize! This is great—I'm fine, I'll be fine."

"Okay… Um, as for the power, well I kind of needed to train anyway." Gray's mouth quirked back into a smile. "I, uh, haven't been fighting Natsu so much lately, so it's good to stretch a bit."

"Yeah. I guess spending time with me is kind of getting in the way of—"

"No way, don't say it! I really, really want to spend time with you."

They looked at each other for a few moments.

"Slide?" asked Lucy, just as Gray was about to speak. "Then try out the swings?"

The slide was just as amazing as it looked and wide enough to go down together. Unfortunately, by Lucy's third trip down she really was shivering. Gray scooped her up, tucked his own coat around her over the too-light jacket that she'd worn, and fastened her scarf more firmly. She laughed as she stood there with Gray doing up the too-big coat right to her chin.

"Seriously, Gray, I really do feel like a little kid with their mom putting on all the poofy extra layers!"

Gray gave her a cautious look then burst out laughing as well.

"To be honest, Lucy… do you remember the other me—I mean from Edolas?"

"That bad?!" Lucy tried to swat him on the arm, but it was fairly ineffective. She had to admit, he looked very, very good standing there in the fairy-ice park wearing nothing but his favourite jeans and a close-fitting dark t-shirt.

"Okay, really, you just look super-cute in my coat. I may have to loan it to you." He hugged her close, despite being out where anyone could see. "Shall we tour the castle, princess?"

"In a minute."

Lucy moved just enough so that she could look up at Gray. She was good at reading, writing, and talking about things, but right now… She stretched up slightly onto her toes, wrapping her arms around Gray's neck. Happily, he took the hint, and their lips met in perfect accord.

"I'm jus' tryin't'get w'rrm," Lucy told him, pressing herself as close as she could wearing two coats, one of them too obviously too big.

Gray responded by deepening the kiss and wrapping one arm tightly around Lucy so that she didn't lose her balance. They stood like that for quite some time, lips parted but mouths locked together, tongues exploring, arms twined around each other. Lucy felt surprisingly overheated despite the cold.

"Wow." Gray blinked down at Lucy. "You're really amazing."

"I thought you already knew that," she retorted.

"Well, now I know it more. Let's try necking in the ice castle."

Lucy blushed slightly but went willingly. Thanks to Gray's magic, they had no trouble reaching the small room at the top of the highest tower. It wasn't especially high, of course, but it was a little more private. Lucy peered down at the playground, which was starting to attract attention. In a stern voice, Gray told Lucy that she should be admiring his handiwork, not staring out the window at random peasants.

"The random peasants are getting closer, my lord," she replied deferentially.

"Well in that case, I suppose I'd best kiss the princess while I can."

Rather unexpectedly, Gray deftly tugged the scarf away from Lucy's neck and started pressing decidedly warm kisses along the skin between her left ear and shoulder. Lucy shivered from something other than cold when the lowest kiss became more insistent, and Gray's mouth and teeth started to leave a bruise at the point where her neck met her shoulder.

"Ummmmm… if you kiss the princess, won't she turn into a frog or something?" Lucy's voice sounded oddly unfocussed, and she found herself standing very still, as if otherwise she might buckle at the knees.

"I like Frosch," murmured Gray into her ear as he carefully replaced the scarf.

"Mmmm. I could get a Frosch onesie made I suppose…"

"I'd like to see that."

Lucy knew that they were exchanging nonsense, but she hadn't felt this kind of fuzzy, aroused-but-relaxed warmth with Gray before. She decided that she might try another play date in the future, if they ever started to overthink things again. Sometimes, you just had to find a good ice castle to neck in.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this! I do plan to do several more prompts and will likely continue on with this fluffy little story. \(^u^)/

All reviews, favourites and follows are very much appreciated! This story is also available on tumblr under impracticaldemon