First day of GrayZa week! Whoooo! GrayZa is my secondary otp, right after NaLu, but I don't like to get as freaked out about it because I know it won't be canon (sobs). But, JerZa is my backup ship for Erza, and I like Gray with various others (just not Juvia and Lucy), so I'll live. Anyway, I love doing these pairing weeks, but I wish NaLu and GrayZa didn't overlap so much (NaLu week ended yesterday, so I barely got this done). So, here we are, GrayZa week day 1: Memories.

"I'll scream these words till they come true, then I will think no more of you. Look back on what I'm going through, this isn't my identity." -"Only a Memory," Icon for Hire

"Hey…how are you holding up?"

Erza didn't look up, but acknowledged her friend's presence with a small smile. "Okay, I guess," She chuckled humorlessly. "I thought I'd moved on, but…I guess not." Gray shrugged, trying not to give away how concerned he really was, as she'd told him not to worry about her. "That's okay," He whispered, a feeble attempt at consoling the scarlet haired warrior. "Some things you never get over. Like how I never really…" He trailed off, suddenly recalling how much he didn't want to talk about that. The memory of his beloved teacher was always, and would always be, a slap to the face, no matter how long ago it was. "Got over Ur?" Erza finished for him, an understanding smile on her lips. "I guess you're right. But I feel like I should be able to overcome my past, you know? Things have changed since then. I've changed since then. Or at least…I thought I had. I thought I was stronger now, but seeing him again after seven years…it was different. I know he's changed, I know I've changed, and yet, a part of me still sees that evil person who had his face. And that part of me turns into a scared little girl all over again."

Her voice cracked ever so slightly, just enough for Gray to notice. But he made no comment on it; Erza didn't like people seeing the cracks in her armor, so to speak. He placed his arm gently around her shoulders, pulling her into a somewhat awkward hug. "It's alright. I guess I'm kind of the same," He sighed. "Ultear looks so much like her. And while I know I can trust her now, and I care for her, it's still hard to see her face. It's almost like…it's almost like I think she's going to leave me all over again. She just brings it all back."

Erza rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes drifting closed. "Yeah," She breathed. "I guess Jellal does the same to me. I wish I could get past that, but I seem to have put up a wall. I really care about him, but I just can't…" She didn't finish her sentence, but he understood all the same.

"But those are just memories now, right?" Gray reassured her, offering a compassionate grin. "We're different now. Stronger, wiser. And if we find ourselves back in those dark places, we have each other, right?"

Erza exhaled quietly, her lips stretching into a delicate smile. "Yeah…thank you, Gray. You've taken a lot of weight off my shoulders. More than you know."

"Sure thing," He grinned. "I'll always be there to pick you up when you fall." She giggled, a rare, bubbly sound. "That sounds so cheesy. But…yeah. Me too."

From then on, the scared, lonely children that they'd once been were no more than memories.

Meh. I wish it was longer, but I spent so much time on NaLu week that I ended up not getting this done until today. Plus, the summer PE class I'm taking hasn't been nice to me and I'm really tired but I really wanted to do this, so...here it is. Well, I'll be updating this daily all week, and hopefully they'll improve in quality. Happy Grayza week! :D