Author's Note: Whoo! It's hard being a senior year high school student and still find time to do stuff like this. Again, this is a one shot between Erza and Gray. I just love the pairing! Don't you! Well, it may not be good you you guys better forgive me. Though I had a little hard time writing it. :) Well, then, start reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail cause Hiro Mashima still won't sell partial ownership to Fairy Tail. If he ever did, I'd be buying.

Gray Fullbuster sat back in the guild. Natsu and Lucy weren't there and they were most probably off on a date. Ever since the celestial spirit mage hit it off with the dragon slayer, the two have been a popular item ever since.

Gray sighed.

It wasn't like he was ok and all. He looked at the guild around him. Fried had trapped Mirajane's heart in his runes and the only way she could get out was to love him. Of course, it didn't take long for Mirajane to accept Fried for the way he was since Mirajane always had a liking towards the swordsman. Then there was Gajeel and Levy. The Iron Dragon Slayer and the Script mage together? It was something that people weren't really expecting to happen. But there was something about Gajeel that Levy couldn't resist. Or was it from the fact that he rescued her countless of times and volunteered to be her partner in the S-Class trial exams? Then of course there is Elfman and Evergreen. Apparently, they really were not joking when they said they were getting married.

And the look that was plastered to Mirajane's face the whole week since they announced it was priceless. The bar was practically closed because of it. Of course, that didn't make Cana feel any better since the beer had also been locked up for a week.

Gray looked to the side where he saw Juvia sitting by herself and staring at him again. Was she staring at him because he looked good or was she staring at him because he had stripped? Either way, there was not a single thing where he was able to escape her attention. Wherever Gray went, you would find Juvia somewhere hiding and stalking. It wasn't like Gray had not noticed her before.

He just didn't have the guts to tell her to stop it.

The guild was making noise once again. The ice mage looked from his seat to what had entered. Her scarlet hair cascaded down her back and the noise that her armor would make. She seemed pretty beat up from whatever S-class mission she had to take that took her 3 days to accomplish. It was relief in his eyes that she was ok.

The guild was never the same when she left.

Their team missions along with Natsu, Lucy and Happy have been getting less and less and it was making Gray start to wonder how long would the strongest team in Fairy Tail would hold up. Everyone was starting to go their separate ways and rumors have been going around that Team Natsu was going to break up.

He was back to the loser kind of missions.

While Erza, she could take up on any mission that she wanted. After all, being an S-Class mage does have its perks. He looked at Erza. Her smile was just so genuine and her face was perfect just the way it was. It may have been a little dirty and there were a few scratches on her cheek. But it would disappear in no time.

Gray knew the horrible truth about him and Erza.

He didn't deserve her.

And hell did she deserve more than him.

She deserved much more. She deserved someone like Jellal. Gry knew he couldn't compete for Erza against a guy like him. He practically occupied the woman's heart. Fairy Tail also shared that space in her heart. And where was Gray? He would've been squeezed in a little corner in her heart. Mystogan might also have her a space in her heart since he looks exactly like Jellal. He was strong and he had the capabilities to match Erza, If Jellal would disappear in Erza's life, the first person she'd go to would be Mystogan. Why would she ever need to go to Gray? All he was to her was a crying shoulder and nothing else. He didn't have that much importance in her life like the two look-alike mages they had encountered.

What does a lowly ice mage like himself have to give Erza? She practically earns more jewels than him in missions and she is disciplined and hard working when it comes to missions. She was totally out of his league. He would probably hit it off better with Cana or Juvia. But the thought of him and Cana, an ice mage and a drunk mage didn't seem to suit the two. Him and Juvia was a different story. Sure Juvia was a strong mage, but Gray couldn't just have the Water mage following him around like a lost puppy, professing his love wherever they went. It was already annoying as it is and it sure would hell be more annoying if he hooked up with her.

He never thought about what could happen between him and Erza.

He didn't deserve the love of a great mage like Erza. With that in mind, he stood up from where he was sitting and started to make his way out of the guild Of course, he'd have to pass by Erza; who was busily greeting the other mages. Erza took notice of Gray approaching her and thought that he'd be also greeting her.

"Gray…" Erza smiled and tried to speak but stopped when Gray just passed by her. It was as if he had not seen her. Erza looked behind her and saw the exhibitionist just walk out to the streets of Magnolia. Her smile turned into a frown towards the actions of her Nakama. Mirajane took notice of the shift in Erza's expression.

"Erza-san, don't worry. Gray's been a little stressed lately." Mirajane tried to explain. Erza looked at the white haired mage with a small smile.

"I was only gone for three days." Erza said, turning around leaving the guild. Mirajane tried to stop the scarlet haired mage from leaving but was stopped when a certain swordsman held Mirajane's hand disabling her from following wherever Erza was going. Mirajane looked at the person who stopped her with her concerned eyes. He sighed.

"Mira, let her be." Fried spoke with his voice, almost cold as ice. Mirajane looked at Fried then looked back to where she had last seen Erza. Of course, Erza by then had disappeared. Mirajane knew what was going on between the two. Ever since people in the guild started to confess their feelings for one another, the only thing that was bothering Gray was him and Erza. Everyone in the guild knew how much Gray cared for Erza and the latter to him.

It was just the way that Gray was thinking.

~-X-~-X-~-X-~-X-~

Gray Full buster had been trying to avoid large crowds the whole day. What he needed now was peace and quiet so he could think. What was he planning to do now? It wouldn't take long before Natsu and Lucy would be announcing that they were going to get married. Natsu and Lucy have always liked each other and now that they were able to tell each other instant sparks set off. Gray wouldn't be surprised if he had to deal with miniature Natsu in the near future. He had hoped that whatever offspring Natsu and Lucy were going to produce, was going to specialize in celestial spirits like his mother.

The thought of having a family seemed nice. Even though he was thinking about the dragon slayer and celestial spirit mage's future, Gray had barely enough factors to even think about his. He brushed the idea out of his mind and continued to walk mindlessly through the streets of Magnolia. It struck him when he found out that he had been walking aimlessly for hours since the sky's hue was of reds and oranges.

It was sunset. And soon, the streets would soon be empty for people getting ready for bed and a good night's sleep. He noticed he had been walking by a certain riverbank. He took a peek to see no one there. The stepped out of the street and walked down the slope. Upon reaching the side of the riverbank, he sat down. This scenery reminded him of when he first found Erza crying all by himself. It was years ago. And that was the only time when Erza showed the vulnerable side of her. And he was the only one to see it. Instead of challenging her, he decided to sit down with her that day.

It was then that Gray promised himself that he would never let the scarlet haired mage cry while he was still alive. And hell he wouldn't make her cry because of him. It did not take long before the hues of reds and oranges slowly vanished and the night sky appeared complete with a perfectly crescent moon and peppered with stars. To view scenery like this, you'd have to get a bit far from the city as the lights would just outshine the stars.

For a while, Gray just sat there, watching the beautiful scenery by himself. He lay down on his back and just watched the splendor beauty of the night sky. The stars had reminded him of the first time when he met Erza. The day when he fell into ditches and lost his wallet over and over again. She had told him that it would be his lucky day. Gray didn't get the irony in what she said. The only good thing that happened to him was when he first gazed his eyes on Erza. The armor mage looked so different then. She came in with rugged clothes, unruly scarlet hair, dirt and scratches all over her body, an eye patch and a knapsack. She was a different Erza back then compared to now.

She used to embrace the loneliness.

But now, she was a strong woman. Porlyushca had given her an artificial eye in which she had never been able to cry out in. It pleased Erza she wasn't able to cry in that eye saying that she had cried half her tears already. Erza grew out her hair now cascading down her back. He hair had never been a problem for her. In fact, Gray liked her hair. It was soft and he liked to play with her hair. And-

Gray's train of thoughts stopped when he felt a familiar presence approach him. He looked up to see brown eyes meet his black orbs. Scarlet hair ran down from her head into his cheeks. He brushed aside the hair from his face and placed his hand on the cheek of the woman he had avoided earlier. And what he noticed more was that she didn't wear her armor. She was wearing plain clothes. It wasn't like her to be without her armor. In Gray's eyes, she was fragile without the one thing that protected her.

"Erza…" he spoke her name softly. Erza tucked he hair behind her ear and smiled at the ice mage was was lazing around her favorite spot. She held the hand that Gray placed upon her cheek. She felt his fingertips, they were cold, and she took the hand of her cheek. Gray seemed a little alarmed about the Titania's actions.

"Gray, what are you doing around these areas at this time?" Erza asked as she moved beside him. The ice mage sat up and looked at Erza. Though it was dark and the minimal light framed Erza's face so perfect, he could see the hint of worry in her eyes. Worry? Why would Erza be worried of all people? What did she have to worry about? Whatever it was, it was certainly not Gray.

"I was walking by. I came across this place and I guess I must've lost track of time in my thoughts…" Gray stopped. He saw the woman beside him nod at his sentence. She looked down as if she was hiding something from him. Gray needed the perfect sentence to start off a conversation with the Titania. Though as he was about to speak, Erza spoke.

"Why did you avoid me when I came back?" her voice roared. Gray's eyes widened at the sudden anger the armor mage suddenly let out. Gray didn't realize that Erza had wanted to see him the moment she came back. Gray was about to tell her of his actions when her lips moved. "I came back early because I wanted to see you. Then as I was about to greet you, you walk pass by me, as if I was some ghost." Erza told him. Her eyes started to water up and tears fell down her cheeks. Gray gulped. He did not mean for her to cry. And he felt guilty about what he had done earlier.

Erza tried to stop the water coming out of her eyes. She had promised Gray that she wouldn't cry anymore and right in front of him right now, there she was crying like a child. Gray moved in closer and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. He had vowed to himself never to make her cry and now she cries because of him. This would be the last thing he'd want to do to his nakama.

"Erza… I didn't mean to make you think that I'm avoiding you…" Gray spoke softly as he rested his chin above her hair, still keeping the strong mage close to him. Erza for a minute there stopped crying and looked at Gray. He had a lot of explaining to do. "I just thought that maybe you'd deserve someone better than me. I'm not fit for you Erza." Gray admitted what he was thinking about earlier that day causing him to just simply pass by Erza.

"You really are an idiot Gray!" Erza yelled at him. Her arms snaked around his neck and hugged him tightly. Gray was surprised by the turn of events. Erza was hugging him. It wasn't in her personality to just suddenly do something like that. Gray could still feel some tears from Erza as she was trying to control herself from crying any further. Gray just hugged her back. "How could you say that I don't deserve you! You are the sole reason why I always find it pleasing to come back to Fairy Tail! Cause I know you'd be there waiting for me!" Gray's eyes widened at what she said. Was she serious? He was the reason why she'd always comeback earlier than expected? Gray couldn't blame her. Whenever he went out on a mission, He'd always be hoping to find her right there in the guild waiting for his return.

"Erza, I…" Gray was silenced when he felt her lips upon his own. Erza Scarlet, one of the strongest mages known and the woman he loved was kissing him.

Yes, he had loved her; for a very long time now. Now he knew what Cana was talking about that very day. The luck he had been trying to realize all these years was just in front of him. How could he miss that? It was the day when he met this woman, the woman who opened her heart to him and who felt comfortable around him. The woman who used to beat him up when they were younger and would stop him from having fights with Natsu. This was the woman whom he had loved all these years.

Their lips finally parted and Gray looked at Erza. Her cheeks were red and there were still strands of hair dangling in front of her face. Gray gently brushed the strands off her face and looked at her eyes. They were full of love and concern for him. Gray never experienced this much love from a single person before. And what made it more special was the fast that it was coming from Erza. Gray smiled and hugged Erza tightly. Tight enough to make sure she would never be released from his grip but comfortable enough for her to still relax in her arms.

"Erza, I… love you…" he whispered the last two words in her ear. The Titania couldn't help but blush from what the ice mage had said to her. Was this all true? Erza hugged him back even more tightly, pressing her body against his, feeling the warmth that was radiating off his body. Despite being an ice mage, he sure did have a warm body. Erza liked… not liked, loved this feeling. She felt even more secure than she was when she was in her armor. She felt loved by this man. His embrace was even better than her armor.

"Gray… I… I love you too." Erza responded to what he said smiling into his chest. She felt happy knowing someone actually loved her. And it wasn't just them saying 'I love you' just for the sake of the feeling of being belonged in the guild. It was the sort of 'I love you' that was really meant, the kind that he'd protect you no matter what would happen. Erza looked at Gray again. This was sort of an awkward moment for the both of them. Erza just brushed the idea of with a smile. Gray smiled back at her. And it wasn't just one of those smirks he'd usually give.

"So Erza, you don't actually plan on staying like this for the rest of the night?" Gray asked her as he noticed that the two have been hugging in the same spot for a while now. Erza giggled at what he said. Afterall, this was her favorite spot to cry on. And this was the spot where he first found her crying all those years back. And now, this was the spot where they had just confessed to one another.

"I don't know Gray. I sort of like it here in your arms." Erza said, moving into a more comfortable position so that she would be leaning on Gray while his arms still wrapped around her. At the same time, he head rested on his shoulder as she looked up and watched the stars that night. Gray kept her close that moment. He stroked her beautiful long scarlet hair. It was soft in his touch. Everything about her was beautiful to him. And though that she wasn't beautiful to other people, there wouldn't be a single person that would be able to change his mind about that. The two lovers sat beside one another, his arms wrapped around her protectively as they spent their time together watching the stars peppered in the sky until the wee hours of the night.

~-X-~-X-~-X-~-X-~

Natsu and Lucy were having breakfast in the guild the following morning along with the blue exceed known to all as Happy. Everyone in the guild was in a jolly mood with Mirajane serving them drinks and food and the master watching all of them. A few mages had gone out earlier in the day for some jobs but that they'd be back soon.

"Hey Natsu," Lucy spoke as she was looking around the guild looking for the two mages that would complete Team Natsu. Natsu and Happy on the other hand were busily stuffing their faces with whatever their mouths could consume in one go. "Where do you think Erza and Gray are? We should take up missions together again as Team Natsu!" Lucy said happily.

"I don't know. But it'd sure be great if we went on another mission with those guys. I feel like we've been neglecting both of them." Natsu said shortly after he swallowed a mouthful of food of whatever he stuffed in there. Lucy nodded still looking around the guild for the two mages.

Lucy just sighed wondering where Erza and Gray might have gone off too. She decided not to bother anymore when she heard two voices talking to each other in such a comfortable way. She then looked at the entrance of the guild to find Erza and Gray talking to one another in such a comfortable manner. She had never seen the two like this.

"Is it just me or did we miss something between the two?" Lucy asked Mirajane who was serving them drinks right at that moment. Even Natsu took notice of the behavior of the two and found it odd at the very least.

"Do you think that Erza is going out with Gray?" Happy asked. Mirajane couldn't say anything but give them a smile. She was happy that two of the most troubled mages yesterday were now two of the happiest around. The smile that was on Erza's face was different from her usual smile. This one had more life and meaning.

"Oi Gray! Let's go on a mission as Team Natsu!" Natsu stood up from his seat and yelled at the two mages who had just entered. Gray and Erza smiled. "We'll show them that Team Natsu isn't breaking up!"

"Sounds tempting. What do you say Erza?" Gray asked the scarlet haired mage who stood beside him, smiling at the other mages sitting down. Erza tossed her hair back and suppressed a chuckle.

"Sure, why not?" Erza agreed. And in one instant, Natsu had dragged Lucy out with him while Happy flew closely behind them. Gray sighed at the actions that his rival made. He didn't change and maybe would never change. For a while, they just looked as the Dragon slayer along with the Celestial Spirit mage made their way off without even getting a job from the request board.

"His actions never get old." Gray commented.

"Here, we could do this one." Erza said as she presented a piece of paper in front of Gray. It was a job request to take out some bandits in the mountain range nearby and it offered a high reward.

"This is perfect." Gray said taking Erza's hand as they both ran out the guild catching up to their fellow nakama.

-end-