Aria (Gray x OC)

+Eight+

For the first time in a while, Gray observed the available jobs posted on the job board. His lack of recently completed jobs didn't go unnoticed by others who knew him before the arrival of the newest member.

"Gray!" He turned to the familiar voice, silently dreading what may occur with the presence of the particular blue-haired girl. "Are you finally going on another job?!"

He nodded, but maintained a stoic face. "I'm thinkin' about it."

Juvia clasped her hands together, an excited glimmer reaching her eyes. "Can I go with you this time?! It would be a chance to spend more time with you, my darling."

"Nah." He responded quickly. "It's about time Mellodi went on her first job. So I figured I'd find a good one for her and go with her."

The bluenette frowned. "Why is she stealing you away from me? You're mine, Gray. She's only been around for a few months."

Gray laughed and set his hand on the curly-haired girl's head. "Keep telling yourself that." He chuckled and left the guild hall, a job posting in his hands.

Meanwhile he thought about the three months that had passed, the relentless training, and the addition to the Fairy Tail family that seemed to affect him more than anyone else.

+—-*—-+

Once again, pebbles knocking against her glass window woke Mellodi from her sleep. Yet, she had grown quite used to it as the action had become her alarm for the past three months. With a groan, she rose for another day of magic training.

She groggily pulled her window up, leaning over the edge of the windowsill to see Gray smiling up at her. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be down in a minute."

"Well, I've got a surprise for you, so hurry up!"

She shrugged off the element of 'surprise' and within minutes, she left the dorm, saying a quick "good morning" to Erza as she drank coffee in the lobby area.

Mellodi yawned as Gray approached her outside. "So, what's this surprise?" She asked tiredly.

"We've been training for three months, so I was thinking that maybe it's about time to take a step further..." He handed her the paper he was carrying. "Let's go on a job."

She gasped. "That's a lot of jewels."

"Yep." He nodded.

"When is this?"

"We'll leave this evening."

"'We?'"

"You're not gonna go on your first job alone, are ya?" Gray smirked.

Mellodi laughed. "I would feel a lot better if you were with me."

The boy hesitated to speak further, a light blush rising to his cheeks. But she was carelessly smiling with excitement.

She then began to read the details of the job. "Oo-oh. We're going to a tropical island."

He laughed, suggesting she needed to read further.

"Oh wait..." She seemed disappointed.

"Yeah, you're gonna need to bring warm clothes; and don't forget your guitar."

+—-*—-+

Mellodi watched the scenery quickly flash by outside of the train's window. Her guitar sat in a cushioned seat across from her and Gray sat beside her. Before long, they had left Magnolia and headed towards the western coast of Fiore.

"Are you excited?" He asked, breaking the quietness.

She nodded eagerly. "But... I'm not quite sure if I'm ready." She trailed, still feeling the insecurity of her lack of experience involving magic.

"We wouldn't be going if I didn't think you were ready."

She was still unconvinced.

"C'mon... I'm your teacher! Would I lie to you?"

"You did try to kill me on the first day..." She mentioned.

"It was a training exercise."

"I still almost died."

"Yet, do you trust me?"

"Good question."

"Oh, come on. You don't mean that, right?"

Mellodi sighed and finally met Gray's vaguely worried, dark gaze. She tried to act stoic with a stern frown on her face, but her facade didn't last long. A bright smile cracked on her lips as she chuckled softly. "Yeah, I trust you."

His expression softened and he reached a hand towards her round face, pausing momentarily, and instead of stroking the vibrant hair beside her cheek, he tapped the top of her head in an assuring manner. "That's a good student."

She latched onto his hand, forcing it away from her head as she pouted. "I'm not a dog."

"Really? Sorry, I forgot after all that training." He said sarcastically.

She scoffed. "So rude!" She angrily turned her head away from him again.

He still laughed. "I was just joking."

She didn't answer.

"C'mon..."

Still, no response.

Unsatisfied with her reaction, he grasped both of her shoulders and pulled her back, pressing her shoulders against his —luckily covered — chest. His fingers pressed into her side rhythmically, causing her to burst into laughter that she could not physically prevent. "Gray!" She squealed between breaths.

"This is what you get for being pout-y." He muttered in her ear.

She continued to laugh relentlessly, most likely bothering anyone sitting in the train cart. "S-stop it!"

Unfortunately, as a common source of punishment if Gray wasn't satisfied with her training, he often tickled the girl to the point where she couldn't breathe. Although it was a laughable punishment, it surely was effective as tears budded in her eyes from the ceaseless action.

"You're the one who needs to stop pouting." He said, catching onto the spell of laughter.

"A-ah! Okay! S-stop!" She mustered.

"Say ple-ease." He said in a song-like tone.

"Please, stop!"

And finally, just as she had asked, he released his hands from her body, which collapsed tiredly as soon as he let go. She took a few heavy breaths as she regained the air she lost in the laughing fit, exhaustively leaning against Gray's body as she did so, and he chuckled.

They stayed that way for a little while, assuming the peaceful position as Mellodi felt oddly secure being so close to him. She heard him sigh, feeling his calm breath breeze over her ear, gently whisking the bright locks off of her shoulder.

Before long, the girl fell asleep, safely resting beside the one person she certainly did trust more than anyone in Fairy Tail. Hearing her quiet, restful breaths, he casually slung his strong arm around her shoulders, keeping her closer and secretly admitting his growing feelings for the girl.

He had always been fond of her — since she approached him in the street asking for an odd favor, to when she decided to join his beloved guild, throughout the three months of training; the time that passed only brightened his mood, and although she was occasionally moody, she made him laugh in a way that only few did. She was a weird girl, and she had a beautiful voice that could probably seduce any man, but he began to understand the way he felt was different than the general likeness for the girl.

This girl was beginning to nestle herself into a secluded part of his heart — a place that had been frozen before she introduced her sunny personality into his life.

She definitely was a weird, funny girl, but perhaps that kind of girl is the one that Gray needed to defrost his own demons.