Chapter 17: Just say "Yes" to Marriage

Title of story: The Other Man

Update: 05/25/15 (MONDAY) 7:25 PM

Edit:

+Summary:

Gray Fullbuster threw his fiancé, Lucy Heartfilia out of his life when he thought she'd betrayed him with someone else! Six years later, and Gray learns that Lucy was innocent! His cousin and currently arranged fiancé, Juvia Lockser lied! But also he learns that Lucy was pregnant! However, Lucy wants nothing to do with Gray. He can't get her back, for she has a new man in her life now! What's Gray going to do now…? How is he going to get his Lucy back? And who is this damn Other Man?

+Pairings:

Gray x Lucy

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail and this plot. The story belongs to "MizEvilBlossoms," at least some part of it hhahaa! I recently read this story "The Italian's Stolen Bride" by Emma Darcy suggested by one of the Graylu Fans here BelieverInMusic. This is a Fandom. I guess I'll be making changes and name this story "Gray's Stolen Bride By the Other Man" XD I'm just jokin'

Chapter 17

Just say "Yes" to Marriage

"They're grading all the kids for the soccer teams tomorrow," Grey and Grayson announced on the way home from Magnolia Town. "Can you come, Daddy?" asked Grey.

"Your father has other things to do tomorrow," Lucy quickly inserted, panicking at the thought of having to withstand Gray's pursuit of marriage with her a second day in a row. Besides, a Sunday visit was not part of their agreement. Her hands clenched, the need to fight against any pressure racing through her mind.

"I bet all the other fathers will be there," Grayson grumbled.

Gray's hands tightened around the steering wheel. Lucy's heart sank. She knew what Gray was thinking—robbed of five years of fatherhood and still being blocked from taking part in his children's life. It violated his sense of justice and threw Lucy into confusion over what was fair and what wasn't.

Was she being selfish, limiting his access to Grey and Grayson? Did she have to protect them both from the Fullbuster family when Gray had placed himself so unequivocally beside them, prepared to ward off any harmful interference in their lives?

"It's not until four o'clock," Grey informed, His voice brightening with the hope the late time might make a difference. "You can have all day to do other things." Grayson finished.

Lucy closed her eyes despairingly. It wasn't Gray using Grey and Grayson to pressure her into doing what he wanted. Their sons were doing a good job of it all by themselves. She heard Gray's swift intake of breath hissing between his teeth. He was hating this, and God help her, she hated it, too. It wasn't how it should be for Grey and Grayson.

Gray spoke, determinedly testing her resistance to the idea. "Perhaps I could come by the soccer park…"

Words left hanging for her to pick up on, words carefully strained of any forceful persuasion, words that begged acknowledgment from her.

And Lucy heard herself say, "Grey and Grayson would like that."

Gray's relief was palpable. The thin edge of the wedge, Lucy thought, but it was difficult to regret it, listening to Grey and Grayson's bubbling pleasure in the possibility of their father coming to watch them.

Not possibility.

Certainty.

Lucy had no doubt about that. Gray confirmed it before he left that evening, pausing on the front porch to thank her for stretching their agreement and thankfully not pressing her for anything else.

Though his eyes did. His eyes bored into hers, intent on smashing every barrier between them. She knew he wouldn't be content until there were no limitations on their relationship. But she wasn't sure what was the driving force behind the burning intent.

Love…possession…revenge?

All of them were powerful feelings.

Long into the night Lucy lay awake, feeling her own way through Gray's current conflict with his mother. He'd thrown down the gauntlet to her—lose him or accept her as his wife and Grey and Grayson as his sons. He expected to win the challenge, but would he?

The method used to separate them last time had been an extreme act, demonstrating the depth of his family's opposition to a relationship which didn't fit into their world. To Lucy's mind, their grief over losing their younger brother and Ur's youngest son, was highly unlikely to change their attitude towards her. Heaven or Hell, wherever his sisters and Lyon are, they still wouldn't approve of her and Gray's relationship. The painful memories of how Lyon and Juvia plotted against her. Lyon who she thought was her nakama had also betrayed her.

Ur would want Gray to fulfill their plans for her even more now. Since she already lost her daughters and one of her two sons— Gray is her one son left to uphold all they stood for; The Fairy Tail Guild corporation.

Gray thought Grey and Grayson would be a swaying factor—Her two grandchildren—but Lucy doubted her sons have the power to pull their grandmother into acceptance. The trust fund proved how much she would pay to keep the unwanted by-blow out of their lives. Her twins weren't wanted any more than she was.

She probably saw Gray's reaction to Juvia's deathbed confession as a rebellion against having been manipulated into giving up a woman he'd wanted—shock at discovering he have twins. Sons. His skills at building things might stay in the Guild and his mother's hand from any further interference with her life or Grey and Grayson's, but there would surely be mounting pressure on Gray to drop them from his life.

It could become a very bitter battle.

Gray had spoken of his mother losing but Lucy couldn't see her rolling over to oblige what might be considered as only wounded pride on his part. Yet it wasn't pride she felt pulsing from him when he was with her and the twins. It was need. And it kept stirring need in her, as well. Even more unsettling…need in Grey and Grayson.

Where would it all end?

Juvia's deathbed revelations had set in motion a train of action she had no way of stopping. Gray was the engine driver and she and her sons were captive passengers. All she could hope for was they didn't crash against an immovable force which would break them apart with worse wounds to carry into the future.

Eventually Lucy fell into a fretful sleep. She was wakened the next morning by an overexcited Grey and Grayson who declared they are going to practice playing soccer all day. No prizes for working out why, Lucy thought wryly. "Daddy" featured in practically everything they said.

Gray was already at the playing field when they arrived. Grey and Grayson, of course, had spotted the blue Ferrari in the parking lot, so there was absolutely no sense of disappointment to suffer through. The only suffering was done by Lucy, continually torn by Gray's and Grey and Grayson's pleasure in each other and the fear that she had made a big mistake in not enforcing the limits she had imposed on their relationship.

Yet could the damage be limited, if damage there was going to be? Did time limits mean anything when emotions were involved—emotions that were probably heightened because there wasn't constant contact. Wasn't it said, absence made the heart grow fonder?

Watching Grey and Grayson adoring their father for the caring interest and the soccer advice Gray was giving to them as they watched other boys play their games, Lucy could barely contain surges of heightened emotion herself. It was all too easy to fall in love with Gray Fullbuster. Hard experience could support her will to fight her feelings, but Grey and Grayson didn't know how, wouldn't understand why there was any necessity to shield themselves from possible hurt. She found herself violently thinking she would kill Gray if he ever let Grey and Grayson down.

There were a hundred and sixty five-year-olds to be graded into teams. Short games were organized for the coaches to view and judge levels of talent. When Grey and Grayson's rostered game came up, they ran onto the field with eager anticipation, determined to show how good they were at running after and kicking the soccer ball.

Gray grinned at her as they were left standing on the sidelines. "Keen, aren't they?"

"Very," Lucy dryly agreed. And to stop Gray from assuming too much from the relaxation of rules today, she added, "Once they start playing in earnest the soccer matches will be on Saturday."

His day.

The grin faded into an ironic little smile. "My Sundays are not full of other things, Lucy. I'd much prefer to spend them with you."'

"That would be cutting yourself off from the life you've led these past six years," she said, trying desperately for a matter-of-fact tone.

"I'm far more interested in a life with you and our sons," he returned without the slightest hesitation for second thoughts.

Her eyes begged him to be honest. "We don't belong in your world, Gray."

"Are you saying I must give up everything else to have you and Grey and Grayson?"

Her heart skipped at the intense purpose he loaded into his question. Would he do it? But surely he would regret it if he did, regret it and blame her for forcing such a decision in years to come.

Lucy sucked in a quick breath and answered, "No. I'm just saying we're prisoners of our different backgrounds and it's foolish not to recognize that reality."

Gray's mouth quirked into a mocking smile. "You'd be surprised how little my background means to me. You hit the nail on the head in calling it a prison—an oppressive prison I wish to be free of."

Lucy shook her head. "It's not how you're acting, Gray. The bonds are very tight. You're pressuring your mother to accept us and she won't."

"I'm simply giving her the chance, Lucy."

"You're using force."

"No. Just telling her I've made my choice. Whether she want to live with it or not is up to her."

"You're prepared to walk away from everything you've known?" Lucy couldn't believe it. Gray looked back at her with a searing blaze of unwavering resolution. "If I have to, yes."

Her heart turned over. All her resistance to him melted under the heat of wildly hopeful desires, suddenly let loose from the restrictions she had placed on them. Gray reached out and took her hand, interlacing her fingers with his, gripping hard, and it felt as though he was providing an anchor that would hold her from breaking adrift in any storm.

"Don't doubt my commitment to you and Grey and Grayson, Lucy," he said, his voice a low throb that drummed on and on in her head. "Don't doubt it for a second."

The referee's whistle blew, alerting them to the start of Grey and Grayson's game. The soccer ball was kicked from the center line and then there was a blur of boys racing after it. Lucy was far too conscious of Gray's grip on her to concentrate on picking Grey and Grayson out of the crowd.

Lucy could not stop herself from wanting this link with Gray. It felt good—warm, firm, secure. Maybe it was because she'd been alone for too long and Gray was Grey and Grayson's father. He was also the only man she had ever loved and he was here for her, here for children they'd made together, too. They should be together.

"Go for it, Grey and Grayson!"

Gray's yell snapped Lucy out of her thoughts. She saw Grey and Grayson streaking ahead of the other boys, chasing down the ball which had been kicked towards the goal-posts. Grayson reached it first, dribbled it away from the reach of the goalie who had run out to pick it up, then passed it to Grey who shot it into the net.

"Goal!" Gray yelled, releasing Lucy's hand to throw his arms up in praise to Grey and Grayson's triumph—a triumph that beamed from his little boys face as they turned to see if their parents had been watching and they instantly copied Gray's action, the shared joy of it making the triumph even better.

Lucy clapped so hard her hands hurt. "Well done, Grey and Grayson!" she called and they trotted back proudly to the center of the field to start playing again.

"That's our sons!" Gray said just as proudly, throwing one of his lowered arms around Lucy's shoulders and hugging her close. "Grayson a fastest boy on the field and Grey a proving striker. What a team!

What if they'd been the slowest and a dud at soccer, Lucy thought. But they weren't so there was no point in thinking it. She doubted Grey and Grayson was going to be a dud at anything. They were both Gray's sons.

And hers.

Parents together.

Gray rubbed his cheek over her hair and murmured, "Marry me, Lucy. This is how it should be."

Lucy wanted to say yes. Being held so close to him, her whole body yearned for the intimacy that could bind them much closer. But the fears she had of consequences could not be banished.

"Give it time, Gray," she muttered, ducking her head to break the yearning she felt coming from the caress of his cheek.

"Well, at least that's not a no," Gray said on a sigh of satisfaction, and dropped his arm from her shoulder to take her hand again, squeezing it possessively. "I'm here to stay, Lucy. The sooner you realize that, the sooner we can become a family."

That might be true.

But Lucy couldn't bring herself to risk making any commitment to him when they'd only spent a couple of days together.

There was a long future ahead of them. Let Gray prove what he said.

~till next time~

Graylu Fan Moto:

"Spread the Graylu Love"

Amazing! What a quick turn of event! Grey and Grayson passed their soccer trial and their mother is close to saying yes to marrying their father. Keep up the great work Gray! One day Lucy will be all yours and there will no longer be another man! I don't think there is another man at all. Sting should have gotten the message when Lucy left him to tend to a "poor" sick Gray.

I want to say that I'll be updating 2 more chapters either this month or next month. Since I'll be doing summer school for college. I'll try my best to upload ASAP GrayLu fans! I know I have not been uploading for a year and I really want to see this finish. And I am quite disappointed in myself for missing GrayLu week. Damn! When was that again? August? Anyways,

Happy Memorial's Day!

and

GrAyLu FoReVa! (GrAy X LuCy) (GrAy AnD LuCy) likes has reached to 3103! AWESOME! KEEP LIKING THOSE PAGES GUYS ^O^

And Remember!

To Always

"Spread the GrayLu Love"

-Cesia14

Special Thanks To:)

GrAyLu FoReVa! (GrAy X LuCy) (GrAy AnD LuCy), a current active site to wonderful fandom pics and shared moments of Gray and Lucy. Good job admins! Good job GrayLu fans who never gave up on our OTP.

Special thanks to EVERY GRAYLU FANS WHO LOVE THIS STORY AND READ THROUGH THIS WITHOUT SKIPPING PARTS AND ALSO TO GRAYLU FANS WHO ARE DEVOTED TO GRAY AND LUCY AND HER CHILDREN! =) THANK YOU GRAYLU FANS WHO REVIEWED THIS STORY.

~COMING SOON~

A Family Vacation