Gruvia Stories

A Merry Gruvia Christmas

Well, 'tis is the season coming! With its lots of decorations, songs and smiles on people!

Everything to make Gray puke. Because this was also the times when he could not place one foot at the drug store, sit fifteen minutes in a coffee shop or just go outside without hearing the same songs everybody sang for decades. But mostly, it was the time when he had to go visit his family and try to tell them he was okay (which he was). Unfortunately, his family would always argue that, no, he was not okay or happy or whatever crap he was trying to feed them with. Their beliefs only stood on the fact that they have never once seen their son date. No childhood crush, no teenage fling, no young love. If the problem wasn't the thousands of people living in the city, it must be the child they raised. They had desperately attempted to set him up with someone. To no avail, Gray refused to date after his parents' standard. Like being in a relationship with some random strangers their parents picked up ever made someone the happiest person in the world. That never made any sense for him. Being in a relationship in general either. Gray is single in a men's world. He enjoys himself very much! He didn't need a long time partner with which he'd have to make concessions and take care of and patch shitty things up, he already has his friends to do all that. Worst of all, you have to talk about feelings when you are in a relationship. They say everywhere that that is the base of any good situationship. God society is exhausting. He was not ready to share any sort of feelings with anybody at the moment, in fact, he is persuaded he won't ever want it. Can't people be happy and single forever? He doesn't know if he can take all that shit for another year, or ever for that matter. One problem at a time, for now, he had to find a solution for next month.

When he expressed his annoyance to his friends one evening in a bar, the hint of an idea came around their table.

"You can subscribe to this site... What's it called? It's to find a date for a one event thing! You'll probably find a girl there who's willing to help you." Lucy has suggested, sparkles in her eyes and a devilish smile on her face. This was not going to end up well.

"Like what, for money?" Gray asked with furrowed eyebrows and a questioning look.

"Of course not. It's only 100% volunteers! What's it called? Erza, I'm sure you know it, help me out here!"

"I don't think I know about it. And if I'm being honest, that sounds a little crazy."

"Thank you, Erza." Gray muttered beside her.

"Come on you ass, you're scared to meet a crazy stranger who'd probably be able to kill you?" Natsu teased his friend with a grin on his face.

"Don't be stupid, Pinkie. I ain't scared of anything, it just sounds weird that random people would be willing to give their free time to other random strangers freely on Christmas! Who does that?"

"Well people do and when I'll finally find the name of it, I'll send it to you." Lucy told him.

"Go on ahead but I won't use it."

"Oh you will Gray. You'll do it because you really can't deal with spending a week hearing questions about when you'll introduce your special someone. Same questions as last year. And the year before. Let's not mention the year again before that."

"You done?" Gray cut her monologue through gritted teeth.

"You are so desperate to find a solution. It's either you go alone, or you ask someone to fake it. And you know deep down, Gray, there is no other solution. Take it or leave it." Lucy could be very persuasive when she wanted to, and when she sends him daggers with her eyes like that at the end of her sentence, he knows he'll do it.

"You'll even maybe found someone you really like, we never know." Erza finally said, not sounding as resilient as the start. She looked like she was having a debate in her head, with her fingers on her chin, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes looking in the emptiness in front of her.