"Y/n I need to talk to you,"
"Okay, well I'm kind of in the middle of-"
"Now,"
Y/n mouthed okay and turned to face Gajeel with an apologetic smile. "I'll catch you later I guess,"
The iron dragon slayer muttered something she didn't quite catch and rose abruptly from his seat. It seemed that any time Gajeel was near y/n something or someone would get in his way. He shot Lucy a half-hearted glare and offered y/n the slightest of smiles and a two-fingered salute before leaving the two girls to their devices.
Y/n watched as Lucy took the now empty seat, brow raised questioningly. "So, what is it that's so pressing?"
"You need to apologize," She stated, crossing her arms and trying for an authoritative stare.
"What?"
"Gray, you need to apologize to him," Lucy said. "I don't know what's going on between you two but it's affecting everyone and it needs to stop,"
"Wish I could help you Luce but I have nothing to apologize for," y/n declared, leaning back into her chair. She practically oozed nonchalance as she kicked her feet up onto the table between them and started examining her nails as if the conversation one she'd had a hundred times before. Her voice was surprisingly cold as she spoke, not even bothering to look Lucy in the eye. "I didn't do anything wrong! He's the one who should be sorry. Not me,"
"Look, I wasn't there for whatever happened in the library two weeks ago, but sometimes you have to be the bigger person," Lucy tried to keep her exasperation from her voice. This had gone on long enough and they all knew it. Y/n and Gray were just too headstrong to admit it.
"But don't you think I should let Gray be the one to do it?" y/n asked. "Because it is clear that the man has never been the bigger person in his life. It would be wrong of me to rob him of the chance,"
"Would you just look at the guy? He clearly regrets it he's just stubborn," Lucy reasoned. "He looks like he's killing himself over this- like it's slowly eating away at him,"
Y/n looked up and met the blonde's gaze head-on. Lucy couldn't help but shrink in on herself at its intensity as well as the scathing tone of voice. "Good,"
"You don't actually mean that do you? Gray is your friend,"
She shrugged carelessly. "I'm sadistic,"
Lucy stared at y/n in tired disbelief.
"And I masochistic- it's as if we're meant to be,"
Lucy rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What do you want Loke?"
The celestial spirit pushed up his glasses and offered her a sly smile. "Who says I want anything?"
"You always want something,"
"What can I say? It's one of my best traits," he said, leaning against the table with his hands crossed.
"Unsurprising considering how repulsive the rest of them are," y/n said, sitting up straight.
Leo turned to her as she spoke and his smirk grew into a coy smile. "Oh y/n, wry as always, it seems,"
"What can I say, it's one of my best traits," she replied in a decent impression of his voice.
He chuckled, sliding himself into the seat next to hers. He draped his arm over her shoulders and y/n had to bite back a growl as her entire body instinctively tensed at the touch. She let out a shuddering breath, forcing herself to relax. She knew Loke, she was safe with him.
The two had an interesting dynamic from day one.
Loke was known for his flirtatious nature and if y/n was to be known for something it would be her ineptitude with social interaction. She responded poorly to attention, often struggling with crowds and converse with strangers.
The first time the two had met Leo was true to himself. Cocky, confident, greeting y/n with a pickup line and flirty wink. Y/n had laughed, firing back coyly, surprising not only the others but herself. She knew that she could beguile and flirt, it was an easy way to isolate targets. But it was an act that she put on, the teasing nature didn't come naturally to her. Until Leo.
Y/n figured that it was due to the fact that it was all in good fun and she needn't worry about killing him. The lack of worry and commitment allowing her a strange sense of freedom she hadn't known before.
Loke's arm moving from her shoulder to rest around her waist, pulling her close. Their sides pushed up against each other, one of y/n's legs strewn over his. Y/n had to fight back a shudder as Leo leaned in. The unfamiliar feeling of his warm breath fanning over her neck was odd, but not unwelcome. His lips curled up into a smirk against her skin as he whispered into her ear. "I've been thinking about you a lot since we last saw each other, not all of it PG,"
She rolled her eyes, opting to ignore the spirit and instead turned back to Lucy who had been watching the pair curiously. "I'll think about it,"
"Thank you," The blonde smiled at her gratefully, her voice soft.
"Don't thank me yet,"
***
Y/n sighed as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. Her tolerance for social interaction had certainly improved but it still left her exhausted at the day's end.
She looked up at the sound of shuffling on the landing and her eyes widened slightly. Gray was leaning against her door, arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at her. They met each other's gaze evenly, neither of them saying a word. In the end, it was Gray who broke the suffocating silence.
"Are you going to let me in or what?" he asked, stepping back and nodding to her door.
"Yeah, sure," Y/n eyed him wearily as she unlocked her apartment, stepping inside so that Gray could enter. This was the first time they'd spoken in weeks. If what Lucy said was true, if Gray was negatively affected by it then perhaps he was here to apologize? To be the bigger man?
He looked around the room, picking up a trinket that interested him before putting it back in its rightful place. He walked around, not even sparing a glance in y/n's direction. After a few minutes, y/n had grown tired of waiting.
"Gray," she said, leaning against her desk as she watched him. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I just wanted to know if Lyon's okay with you trapezing about with other guys when he's not around,"
Y/n tilted her head to the side, lips pressed together in a strained smile. The smile, no matter how fake, did not reach her eyes. E/c burning with cold anger and malice. "What?"
"Saw you at the guild today, chatting it up with Gajeel, then Leo," Gray shrugged, turning to face y/n his face bitter.
"I can't believe I was actually going to apologize to you," y/n muttered. Here she thought he was finally ready to end all this. To put the arguing behind them. But no. He'd only come to throw more accusations her way.
Gray growled and took a step towards her.
Y/n physically recoiled at the strong scent of alcohol. She had noticed it earlier and attributed it to her time at the guild. It was hard to leave without picking up the scent of booze, even if it was faint. But this was not faint. No. The smell rolled off of Gray in waves, hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"You're drunk aren't you?"
"Why the hell do you care?"
She rolled her eyes at his hostile reply. No, as long as he didn't throw up over her floor she didn't really care. But it meant that the ice-mage wasn't thinking entirely straight. Y/n groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. She already knew that this wouldn't end well.
"There's nothing going on," she stated. "Not with Lyon. Not with Gajeel. Not with Leo,"
"Oh no of course not," Gray rolled his eyes.
She reminded herself that he was inebriated. But it was said that drunk people speak the truth. And despite smelling like he'd bathed in vodka, Gray didn't seem too drunk. He was articulate with his words. His movements were a little slow. But it seemed the only thing that was severely affected was his common sense.
He smiled cruelly. "Don't worry though, I'm not gonna tell Lyon about you being a whore,"
Y/n's entire body went rigid. The cold from y/n's eyes now spreading through the room, it's temperature dropping suddenly. Gray's hair was standing on end and not from the cold. The magic energy she was emitting was immense, the room humming with power and tension. One of the windows cracked, a long cobweb-like fracture spreading through the glass.
"Get out," she spat, her body shaking as she attempted to control herself.
Any sane person would flee, sufficiently intimidated and terrified. But at that moment Gray was anything but. His mind clouded with alcohol, fueling the pent up anger and resentment.
"What?" he cooed mockingly a cold smirk on his lips. "Don't like hearing the truth about what you are?"
Y/n's eyes were murderous as she met Gray's gaze. His mind went back to her previous occupation, suddenly hit by the realization of just how dangerous this could be.
"Don't make me ask you again Gray,"
But he didn't leave. Instead, he marched right up to y/n and met her gaze steadily. "Or what?"
"You don't want to know,"
"Oh but I do," he grinned, watching as she stormed towards the door. "Are you going to hurt me? Kill me like the demon you are?"
"I'm not fucking around with you anymore Gray," y/n snarled. "Get the fuck out of my house. Now,"
The window exploded, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. The curtains started flapping erratically, fueled by intense wind. A small wood carved sculpture y/n had made herself burst into flames. The door to the bathroom split down the middle.
It was quiet for a moment, deathly so. Neither of them moved, barely daring to breathe as they stared each other down.
The next thing y/n knew her back was up against the wall, the ice mage's lips on hers.
Gray growled lowly as he kissed her fervently. He bit and nipped at her lips as if he were claiming them as his own. The kiss was sloppy and she wasn't even reciprocating, but Gray didn't seem to care. He pushed himself up against y/n as one of his hands found her waist pulling her closer.
He let out a mix of a grunt and a whine as he was thrown back.
"What the fuck, Gray?" Y/n snarled.
Her hands were clenched into fists, one enveloped by fire, the other a crimson mist. She was shaking, though from what Gray's drunken mind couldn't be sure. The air in the room became thick, the magic built up in it so strong that he could hardly breathe.
Her e/c eyes were swirling with different emotions all clashing together in a fierce storm. "You can't just do that- not only is consent important but it's also super unhealthy!"
Gray blinked at her owlishly, his head spinning.
"This is not how arguments are resolved! This is not how you fix things!" she said, gesturing wildly as she spoke. "You can't just kiss this away. We need to talk,"
"I-I..." Gray cut himself off with a gag, his body jerking forwards as bile rose in his throat.
"But that can wait for tomorrow," y/n groaned. She rolled her eyes and raked a hand through her hair, tense shoulders dropping as she sighed. "Now get to the bathroom before you throw up all over my floor,"
***
Gray blinked his eyes open with a low groan. He lay still for a moment trying to gather his bearings. Dark eyes scanned the room and he cringed at the rush of memories from the night before.
"Here,"
He turned to see y/n standing next to him. She helped him sit up, handing him a glass of water and a small pill.
"Listen y/n, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," he said, his voice hoarse from sleep. "I don't know what came over me... It's just I saw you with Lyon and it... It made me so angry,"
Y/n sat on the edge of his bed, e/c eyes boring into his as he spoke.
"It's just... He's like my rival and he's been better than me for so long. You seemed so happy with him, so comfortable, and I just got scared," he took in a shaky breath and averted his gaze to the glass in his hand. "I felt like you'd see how much of a loser I am and leave,"
"Gray I would never do that," she said, her voice soft. Her eyes were warm and sincere.
"I ignored you at first in hopes it would go away but it didn't... And then we talked in the library and I lashed out, I said things that I didn't mean, and I'm sorry," He brought a hand, raking it through his tangled hair. "And last night... I don't even know what I was thinking, God I was so fucking stupid. I didn't mean any of what I said, you're a great person. I'm really, really sorry and I understand if you never want to see me again,"
"I'm not going to say what you did is okay, because it's not,"
Gray swallowed and nodded his head in understanding. That made sense.
"And I'm not going to forgive you,"
Gray flinched at y/n's words. He felt his heartbeat quicken as his breathing became uneven. He'd messed up. He'd messed up so bad. He'd messed up and now she hated him for it. She hated him. She hated him.
And it was all his fault.
"Not yet anyways... But, with time, I think we'll able to get over this,"
He bit at his bottom lip and let out a stuttering sigh.
"And, for the record... I'm sorry too,"
"Sorry?" Gray asked, his head shooting up so that he could look her in the eyes questioningly. "For what?"
"For not being honest and not handling the situation better," y/n explained. She let out a low sigh, her fingers tracing abstract patterns on the quilt. "This could have gone a lot better if I'd acted more maturely or if I just told you where I was-"
"No, no," he shook his head animatedly, "You don't have to tell me anything. It's your business and none of mine, and I'm really sorry for trying to get you to share something you didn't want to,"
"Stop apologizing,"
"Sorry,"
Y/n snorted at that, smiling at him amusedly. Gray felt his heart skip a beat, for a moment he thought she'd never smile at him again. The smile soon faded as she shifted her gaze to the floor. She drew in a deep breath, letting it out with a huff.
"I went to visit my exceed,"
"You have an exceed?"
"I had an exceed," she corrected and Gray's stomach sank. "She died a while back. She's buried out in the woods near Lamia Scale. Lyon found me in the midst of a panic attack and he helped me,"
"Oh," he felt even worse now. "I'm-"
"If that's an apology forget it," she told him, flicking his nose. "Just try not to get like that again. And when it happens, because human nature is inevitable, just talk to me, please? And for the love of the gods, listen,"
"Of course,"
"Oh, and Gray?" y/n asked. "You don't worry about me leaving ever again. You guys are stuck with me. Forever,"
He smiled widely, his heart fluttering in his chest. "I think I can live with that,"
~~~
2,529 words
lol I know nothing of flirting. Hope this wasn't too bad...
I thought about leaving out the conclusion and having them go to Tenroue without resolving things between y/n and Gray but ultimately decided against it. The tensions would have proved challenging to work with.
Tenrou Island is up next. Everything's gonna go down.