Aria (Gray x OC)

+Fifteen+

Once the sun had begun to set off the newly freed ocean, Gray knocked on the door of the room Mellodi had been staying in. When they decided to get ready for the festival, Mr. Fedler entered the room and advised the boy to leave. Seeing as they were 'special guests,' he had arranged for Mellodi to be treated by a make-up artist and hair stylist.

Gray couldn't deny that he was excited to see Mellodi dressed up. His heart beat rapidly with excitement, but he was still worried about how insecure she had seemed when she woke up.

As he waited for someone to answer the door, his mind began to run frantically with paranoid thoughts. He wondered if he should've gotten flowers or jewelry for the girl, or if he was under-dressed... He felt like a girl from overthinking everything.

A woman answered, who he assumed to be the hair stylist due to her elaborate hair style. She frowned quizzically when she saw him, but nonetheless, opened the door more widely. "Um, Mellodi?" He asked, unsure of himself.

She was sitting in a revolving chair in the center of the room, and as soon as she heard him say her name, she turned to him.

Upon seeing her, Gray felt his cheeks flush. Embarrassed, he averted his blue eyes and nervously scratched the back of his head.

Before he could say anything, Mellodi commented, "You look nice."

In Gray's mind, compared to his casual white button-up and jeans, the girl looked like a goddess. She stood, and her long black sun-dress floated to the ground. It hugged her upper-body, but not too tightly, and was loose in the waist and legs. Although it was a beach style, she looked elegant. Her hair, too, was twisted to the side of her head, falling over her shoulder in long, beautiful curls. Tucked behind her ear was a white hibiscus flower, extenuating her bright eyes that appeared larger with the minimal make-up that she wore.

Still frazzled, Gray muttered, "U-um, thanks... You too."

"Hm?" She tilted her head to the side.

"You look really pretty."

Her lightly glossed lips curved into a sweet smile; the first expression of true happiness that he had seen her wear all day. "Thank you."

"Oh, come on." The hair stylist interrupted. "Just take her to the festival already." Almost as if on cue, the make-up artist latched onto Gray's arm and pulled him closer to Mellodi.

Their eyes met, and each of their cheeks reddened lightly. "Are you ready?" Gray asked and held out a hand to the girl.

She nodded surely and accepted his welcoming gesture. With her free hand, she lifted the side of her dress to make it easier for her to walk.

As soon as they set foot outside of the hotel, they were greeted with a storm of confetti and flowers. Mellodi released a genuine laugh, and merely that made Gray grin joyfully. After the festive shower, numerous islanders thanked the mages and Fairy Tail.

Following their grand entrance, a parade of musicians and dancers flowed down the beach, and once they found the two mages, they became caught within the excitement and pushed along for all to see. The forceful crowd eventually pushed them onto a stage that sat on the beach and crowded around below.

Mr. Fedler climbed onto the stage as well and introduced Mellodi and Gray as the Fairy Tail mages that saved their island, immediately earning loud cheers from every person attending the large festival.

Still unsure of what was going on, Mellodi waved, slightly uncomfortable but not unhappy. Then, she felt pressure on her shoulders, forcing her onto a stool that had been placed onto the platform. She looked around, startled, and an acoustic guitar was placed in her lap. Someone set a microphone stand in front of her, but she was at a loss.

She looked to Gray for an answer, but he just stepped off of the stage and smiled at her reassuringly. She swallowed deeply and listened as Mr. Fedler announced she would perform.

Feeling insecure, she glanced behind her only to find a full band waiting for her to strum the first chord.

She quickly scanned the audience, and everyone was looking at her with glistening, hopeful eyes.

Thus, she took a deep breath and began with what she was familiar with: a simple song with just her voice and guitar. Eventually, the band picked up on her song and began to play behind her.

As she sung the final lyrics, she met Gray's kind eyes, and although she didn't speak it out loud, she silently thanked him.

The crowd erupted with shouts and applause after Mellodi finished the song, and she remained beaming. Gray, too, cheered, and then he began to shout, "Encore!" The people in the audience quieted for a moment, but he persisted.

One person joined his repeated shouts, and then another, followed by another. Before long, the entire crowd was exclaiming the encouragement in unison.

Mellodi looked to Mr. Fedler for approval, but he was also shouting alongside the islanders.

She took another deep breath and began a rapid strumming pattern on her guitar. More quickly than the previous time, the band picked up the sound and joined her in an energetic performance. With the final chord of her second song, she leapt to her feet and raised her guitar with joy.

The islanders cheered even louder, and Mellodi's happiness was clear. She was shining with pride, and her smile wasn't hiding any past hurt. She stole a glance at Gray, and with his pleased grin, she knew that the performance was his doing. He seemed to know what she needed better than she did.

He took her hand as she climbed from the stage and returned the guitar to its owner. The boy leaned closer to her and spoke loud enough so that only she could hear. "The fireworks will be starting soon. Let's go up to the balcony."

She nodded and followed as he took her hand.

Before long, they had escaped to the grand balcony of Mellodi's room where elaborate wooden railings kept them from falling. They leaned over them, eagerly awaiting the light show. It was quiet until Gray spoke. "You're feeling better, right?"

She nodded surely. "Yeah. Thank you, Gray." She released a short laugh and tucked a loose strand of magenta-colored hair behind her ear. "You seem to know what I need more than I do."

He chuckled at her comment. "I just pay attention."

"But still, thank you." She looked at him as he gazed at the stars. "Not just for this, but everything. For forcing me to join Fairy Tail, for teaching me how to use my magic, and..." She shyly looked away for a moment. "And for saving me."

Gray looked down at her, particularly shocked by what she had mentioned. He still believed that he failed her, but she was thanking him instead of feeling unsafe.

His gaze softened as she met his blue eyes again. He admired the way her auburn eyes shined under nothing but the firelight. Slowly and cautiously, he caressed her cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise at first, but then placed her smaller hand over his. Her expression, too, softened as her cheeks took upon a pink color.

She tilted her head to the side as he slid his hand towards her chin. He turned his head slightly to the side as well and leaned towards her. He didn't really understand what he was doing, but it felt right, and it's what his heart wanted.

As Gray's face drew closer, Mellodi stood on her toes to reach him more easily. Their lips connected just as the first firework illuminated the night sky, outlining their silhouette in a magical scene.

They parted for a moment and examined each other's faces. With a satisfied grin, the girl rolled onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and kissed him again. The second kiss was deeper and more passionate than the first, effectively returning his feelings for the girl.

His arms laced around her waist and pulled her up from the ground, into his warm, embracing arms.

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