Your Highness

Confessions

Lucy was a nervous wreck by the time Gray showed up. The ice make mage looking as calm and collected as ever, until he met her eyes. She was wrapped up in a slightly cool hug and Lucy felt herself crying all over his shoulder.

"What's wrong? Claude do something?" he asked, and Lucy shook her head. She backed out of the embrace and led him to the couch, offering him a glass of iced tea. Gray took it and settled back, his eyes watching her intently.

Years ago, she would have flushed or wanted to do something with the handsome man, but not now. Lucy had the one demon she desired and could not picture her life with anyone but Claude. Even if she sent him back to hell so she could get some clarity and calm down her emotions.

She sat with Gray in silence for a couple minutes before she sighed. "I'm pregnant."

Gray sucked in a breath, "are you okay with that?"

Lucy shrugged, "no, not really but I know he wants them."

"Them?" he asked, and Lucy turned to show off the three little spiders that showed up in the web. Gray let out a whistle, "wow, least you can get it all done in one shot," he teased, and Lucy groaned.

"This isn't funny, I have plans Gray, I'm too young," she protested.

Gray countered, "are you?"

She blinked, "I'm only twenty-one, I've only had three years of adventure and I want more."

"Wow, only three years," she said, his voice heavy in sarcasm and Lucy blinked. He took a sip of tea, "that's three more years than most people get in their entire lives. Also having kids is a pause, not a full stop."

"How would you know that? You aren't..." she noticed pain in his eyes and she covered her mouth. Something clicked for her and she reached out for his hand.

"Before you got to the guild, I had a fling with a mage in another guild. She wound up pregnant and with the same line of reasoning she aborted the baby. I was maybe seventeen at the time and I agreed with her." He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a whispered cussword before he met her gaze again. Lucy could see a bit of moisture in his eyes, she had no idea. "Though not a day doesn't go by that I don't think about my kid and what kind of parent or life I would have had. I know everyone in the guild would have helped me in being a father, but I didn't get to try that. Now all I get is regret and what if."

Lucy threw her arms around him and hugged him, she would never have imagined that Gray had been on the same side of this situation as Claude. That the pain she saw in her demon was being mirrored by her friend. Part of her felt horrible for making him talk about this and she was certain he would be an unbiased opinion, only to find out that she was wrong. It also made him the perfect person to talk to.

"I'm scared, Gray," she admitted as he rubbed her back.

"I can imagine but I've seen the way you and Claude are with each other, also what he did to Happy today, oh damn. Imagine what he's going to be like the first time one of your kids comes home from school crying cause some kid pushed her or him." He said, and Lucy could picture it. Spiders everywhere, his voice low and calm as his eyes turned red, and he would smile with fangs showing. Claude has a very unusual smile, it was horrific.

She started laughing as Gray rubbed her back, "It'll be okay Lucy, but really you gotta do what you think is right. If you absolutely cannot handle being a mom, I'll go with you but if you think there's even a chance, you owe it to them to try."

Lucy pulled back and grabbed her tea cup, taking a small sip as she relaxed a little. They went back to comfortable silence as she thought, there was so much to consider. All the details of having a family and putting a pause on her life.