Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.

She frowned as she shuddered, her breath coming out in small white puffs of frozen moisture. This was not what she had expected when she had been called on the lacrima disk to meet. Then again, this was her own teammate that she was dealing with, anything could have happened between the time she agreed and got here. Not much surprised her after all these years. Hell, Tartaros more or less took her shock value almost to zero, than Zeref's little attempt to take over Fiore had finished it.

Wrinkling her nose, fighting the urge to sneeze as she could feel the mucus that was inside freezing to the tiny hair follicles. Her mind doing a slow countdown. Once it finished she would just leave and say screw it! Nothing he could want to talk about was that important that she froze to death in the freezing winter cold. Not when she could be in her small apartment, warm under blankets, drinking hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and watching comedies on the television. She had a backlog of things to watch from the last few months, due to the team taking mission after mission.

"Lucy! Sorry!"

At the sound of her name being called, she turned and looked at her very late teammate. Whose, oddly enough, face was flushed a dark red. Those dark almost indigo eyes stared at her, glinting with something she couldn't put her finger on. So, with a tilt of her head, Lucy waited for him to start explaining what he wanted with her, denying him a greeting. Mostly because if she opened her mouth, she'd probably whimper in pain, since she was sure it was frozen shut.

"I have a good reason for being late... But I guess it won't excuse me for being late?"

The slightly hopeful tone and look he gave her, as she just let her eyebrows jump up on her forehead, before shaking her head no. Causing the man before her to wilt and look a bit sad. That had her shifting her very bundled body up so that she was more or less directly facing him.

"So, yeah... I uh... wanted to talk to you... It has been five years since Tartaros fell... and I have had more than enough time to... uh... gather my thoughts, feelings and stuff... So... Lucy... I want to know if you'd like to, or even just think about it, to go out on a date with me... to see where it will go?"

She couldn't hide the shock she felt, as she just looked at her teammate, guildmate, friend, and family member Gray Fullbuster. Who just stared back at her, clearly looking nervous. This was not what she had expected him to talk to her about. As she tried to figure out where this was coming from, on top of his sudden shyness and lack of confidence he normally oozed from his pores. Not once, other than the small tidbit Gemini hinted at all those years ago, had he shown any romantic interest in her. Then again, with Juvia stalking him and scaring away any female that looked like they held an interest in him...

"So, will you at least think about it? I mean I asked for permission to ask you this... from both Erza and Natsu so that I wasn't just upsetting our team dynamics."

This omission had her blinking her eyes. Realizing he had to be serious about what he wanted to do that. Erza still scared him when she wanted. Add to the fact that he asked Natsu... who had asked her out after the war with Zeref was finished, though she turned him down due to having her interest lied elsewhere. That elsewhere was right before her, clearly interested in her. Causing her to smile softly, as the cold air seemed to vanish as she looked her companion.

"I don't have to think about it at all, Gray."

At her comment, she saw his face fall, looking dejected. Making her bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing aloud. It was cute in its own little way.

"Oh! Okay, I understand, Lucy."

As he spoke she saw him start to turn and leave. Rolling her eyes, she moved forward and threw her arms around his neck before he could face away. Enjoying the startled look on his face, while his eyes showed he was a bit wary. Smiling widely, she pulled herself up against him until she was practically standing on her tippy toes and kissed him. Enjoying the feel of his body stiffening than softening against her own as he kissed her back.

Finally, they broke apart, staring at each other with a sense of contentment. Both smiling happily, or smugly in his case.

"I take that means yes you'd not mind going out with me?"

Burying her face against his chest as she smothered her laughter as his not so innocent question. While on hand gave him a quick pinch to the back of the neck.