Lessons in Love » NaLu A.U.

chapter » eleven

"I hate cinnamon."

"I know."

"Like, I'm practically allergic to it."

"I know."

"Why did you tell Lucy to bring it then?"

"Because you going into anaphylactic shock would be the least worrisome thing you've put me through all week." Erza said calmly.

The redhead settled back into her chair in Gray's hospital room as he sat on the bed rather impatiently. It was easy to tell he wanted to get up and leave, but the doctors nor Erza would let that happen.

Grabbing the yogurt from Lucy's hand, Erza snagged a plastic spoon from Gray's food tray and began eating.

"So I paid for your lunch and his torture?" Lucy asked, just to be clear. She still had the bag of Hot Tamales in her hand, and she was skeptical to give them to Gray.

Erza rolled her eyes. "He's not actually allergic, he's just being a baby."

"I hate cinnamon, Erza." Gray scowled.

"And I hate you at the moment. We're even." Erza reprimanded him thoroughly before turning back to Lucy. "Thanks for coming."

Lucy just smiled wearily. She dropped the bag of spiced candy beside Gray's leg. It was obvious he was holding back from kicking it across the room.

Erza sighed quietly before standing up. Looking down at the phone in her hands, the redhead took a deep breath. "Well, I'll be going. I have plans." She said wanly. "Make sure Gray doesn't screw anything up again."

With that, Erza slipped her phone into her back pocket and walked out. Lucy wasn't sure if Erza had seemed sad, anxious, or something in between. Had Gray done that, or was it something else?

"Don't mind her, she's not good with goodbyes." Gray said mid-yawn. He stretched his bare arms out in front of him. "She really would stay, but she has a busy schedule. Like--" Gray was cut himself off as if he went against it.

"What for?" Lucy asked in intrigue. She fell back a few inches until she sat at the foot of Gray's hospital bed.

The raven haired man chuckled. "Not my place to tell you." That sounds familiar. "You didn't have to come, though."

Lucy furrowed her brows at him slightly. "Erza told me you wanted to see me. I can't exactly pass that up."

Gray's cocky smile faltered. "She said that?"

His sudden seriousness made Lucy clam up. Was she not supposed to say that? "Yeah. She said you weren't talking to her, and that it'd be easier to talk to me."

Gray's chest sunk into himself as his lungs deflated with a deep sigh. "She's pretty deductive, I guess."

Lucy faltered. "So you do want to talk to me?"

"It's not that simple." Gray rubbed his pale hands over his face as a sign of indefinite stress. "Erza and I are too close. You know how sometimes you're so close to people that you can't tell them everything? It's like you trust them too much?"