He Came To Collect (A Gruvia FanFiction)

Chapter 03 - Return

Chapter 03 - Return
[Updated: 20/07/2015. Unedited]
(AN: Sorry for such a long gap between chapters 2 and 3! >.< School came back and I was busy! Gomen!)

❅~~~☁ ~~~♥~~~☁ ~~~❅

Gray hesitated before knocking.

Technically, boys weren't allowed at Fairy Hills. But he hoped, with special permission and female "guards," as Lucy had called herself, he might be able to pass through safely.

'What are you waiting for, Popsicle?' Natsu asked impatiently, folding his arms over his chest.

'Tch,' Gray bit back a retort by biting his tongue.

Lucy stepped forward, placing a calming hand on Natsu's shoulder and he backed down. He looked at her and she shook her head; a kind of warning that he understood.

'Natsu, don't be mean,' she scold. 'I'm sure Gray's very worried about Juvia.'

'R-right,' Natsu scratched the back of his neck somewhat guiltily. He hung his head a little, and Gray took that as an apology in itself.

'I'm not worried,' Gray grumbled. 'Just ... concerned. You guys are concerned too.'

Lucy nodded comfortingly in agreement while Natsu tossed a simple, 'Luce, dragged me here.' The blonde swatted his shoulder and he hung his head again, grinning sheepishly while she scowled.

Turning back to the door, the ice wizard rapped his knuckles on the frame three times and then stepped back to await a response. Even from outside, the resounding echo could be heard beyond the concrete walls of the female dormitories. For the space of seven heartbeats, there was silence.

Footsteps tapped from inside the building, getting closer with every step. There was a noise of locks being slid and the door swung open.

'Gray?' Erza said. 'Lucy? Natsu?'

'Hi Erza,' Lucy piped up over Gray's shoulder. 'We thought we might come and see how Juvia is doing. Do you think it would be okay for the boys to come in?'

Erza hesitated, looking dubious. She studied the group, her gaze settling on Gray last. She ran her eyes over his face and seemed to see something in it that caused her to soften her expression and step back to let them through.

Erza nodded at him as he passed her, 'I'll show you to her room.'

'Thanks,' Gray muttered.

Gray, Lucy and Natsu followed the redhead through the halls of Fairy Hills, up a staircase and around a set of corners. Natsu gawked and oogled everything they passed like a child, Lucy following closely to prevent him from touching. Gray dragged behind, digging his hands in his pockets.

'Lu-chan?'

A blue head poked out a doorway, blinking with wide eyes. Breaking into a smile, she bounced out of her room and tackled the blonde in a hug.

'Lu-chan!' Levy cried happily. 'I haven't seen you here for ages.'

Lucy snuggled the bluenette, 'Sorry, Levy-chan. I've been busy.'

'It's okay!' Levy practically leaped into the air. 'Lu-chan, I just finished that book you leant me! I can't believe the ending! I never thought she was going to die! How could the author just kill off all the best characters? It's not even fair!'

Levy continued to babble on for what felt like forever to Gray, until she finally focused over her friend's shoulder, seeing the two boys lingering behind awkwardly in the middle of the girls dorms.

'E-eh?'

Levy looked down at herself and seemed to notice for the first time that she was wearing denim overalls over a white shirt stained with something that looked suspiciously like barbeque sauce. She had floppy white socks pulled over her feet and her hair pulled back in a flower patterned bandana.