Aria (Gray x OC)

+Ten+

"Why are you humming?" Gray suddenly asked after a few minutes of walking through the eerie, damp cave. Icicles hung dangerously from the ceiling, yet the musician girl didn't seem to have a care in the world as she joyfully whistled under her breath.

Mellodi hummed as she thought. "I dunno. It just happens."

"This is an odd place for you to be so light-hearted."

"I'm actually pretty nervous right now." She chuckled casually. "I'm not light-hearted at all." She scratched the back of her head, and her smile showed her worry.

"Why are you nervous? I've taught you well, and I won't leave you alone..." He flashed an assuring grin. "With me around, we'll be able to do anything."

Mellodi turned away in a joking manner. "Says the Ice Mage who couldn't shatter a piece of ice." She scoffed and chuckled to herself.

"Hey!" The boy retorted. "Don't be picking on me here. You're the amateur."

"Well, who knows if I'll get a chance to seem stronger than you again." Mellodi shrugged with a casual smile.

Gray sighed with a defeated air. "Whatever. Just go back to humming."

Silently claiming her victory, the girl did as the more experienced mage said and hummed a simple tune to calm her nervous heart. She shifted the guitar case on her back nonchalantly as they proceeded further into the mysterious cavern, unsure of what they may encounter sooner or later. The young man narrowed his eyes, curious as to why she would be carrying her precious guitar on a job, but decided not to question her. So many things about her confused him, and it was just that that also intrigued him.

His face softened at the thought, and his lips curved into a small smile. She was such an odd girl, with odd quirks that made almost everyone enjoy her presence. And then he began to think about when they met; her wide grin and pleading hands as she asked for help onto a statue. He wasn't able to stifle a quiet chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Mellodi questioned with a frown.

"Nothing." He answered, dismissing the thought. "Hey, do you know where we're going?"

The girl blinked in shock, having completely forgotten about the map that was given to them. "Oh, right." She muttered as she unfolded the old map. "We haven't made any turns or come across other tunnels, so I assume we're..." She trailed, pointing to the single path on the map stemming from what was labeled as the 'entrance.'

Gray peered over her shoulder, his surprisingly warm breath tickling the chilled skin of her neck. "We've been walking for a while and it looks like we've barely moved on the map... This is gonna take longer than a day." He concluded.

"What do you mean?"

"We're going to be spending the night in this cave."

"Eh?!" The inexperienced mage exclaimed. "Like, sleeping here?! In this icy cave?!"

"Mages don't exactly get to stay in glamorous hotels when they go on jobs."

Mellodi's shoulders dropped with disappointment. "Let's hope I don't catch hypothermia." She mumbled under her breath as she began to proceed further through the cave with a solemn step.

Gray chuckled as he caught up to the girl and casually slung his arm over her shoulders, catching her by surprise. "It won't be too bad. Don't worry."

+---*---+

Hours passed, and after what certainly was no less than kilometers of walking through endless tunnels, the two mages still hadn't made it halfway to the center of the volcano signified by the map. Mellodi tiredly dragged her feet and Gray had become quiet.