Of Fire and Ice

C.32

I walked Grey to my old bedroom and looked around at all the pictures I ever so crappily drew and all the dolls I had arranged in order of the colour of their hair.

"Is this you?" Grey picked up the very first doll, a white haired one I named Elsa. "Maybe. Ari's mom told me my mom made it for me, but it doesn't look much like me. At least, I don't think so." I hummed. "This one is my favourite. I can't believe I left her behind." I sighed, picking up a cloth doll with pale skin, a black and pink Victorian dress and pink spiky hair; like Natsu's, but longer and more girly.

"Did you name them?" He said and I nodded. "This is Lolita. Th white one is Elsa. And I don't have time to go through the other's names." I sighed and set Lolita back on the shelf in her place.

After a few moments of silence, we got in our PJs and lied down, looking at each other. "Henley?" "Yeah?" "If we broke up..." "Don't think like that." "Hypothetically. If we were to split up, would it be something like that. What you said to that guy?" His voice cracked and he avoided eye contact.

"Grey, don't ask me that." I sighed, closing my eyes as to not let tears out. "Please just answer it." He sighed. "Yes, it would be like that. Most likely exactly like that."

"Why did you hurt him like that? How could you hurt him so badly and not care?" He asked and I hid my face behind my hands. "Whoever said I didn't care? Radcliffe was one of my best friends before I met you guys. It almost killed me to say that to him." I sniffed, and Grey hugged me. "I'm sorry, I just assumed-"

"You know what I've noticed about humans the last decade or so? They never like what they hear. Radcliffe asked me if I ever missed him. I had only two options of what to say. I could either say of course I missed him, which would most likely lead to some empty promise to visit him as soon as I could, which I would never fulfill, and end up breaking his heart even more. Or I could lie and let him get through the pain quickly." I said and Grey went quietly. "I understand. But I thought you said you didn't like lying to your friends."

"Sometimes you have to lie to protect them, don't you?" I sniffled, wiped under my eyes, and smiled at Grey.

"Tell me how it was like living in this cabin with two dragons." He said and I smiled. "Everyday was the definition of amazing." "Sounds pretty amazing." Grey smiled back at me.

"I used to be just like Natsu. Everyday another room or piece of furniture was burned and destroyed." I chuckled and Grey laughed. "Yeah, you fit perfectly in Fairy Tail." "Well I better." I smiled softly and we just lied there, smiling at each other.

"Are they finally asleep?" I heard Natsu hiss to Lucy through the room. "No." Grey and I called. "Go to sleep!" Lucy yelled and we just yelled back at her until Erza screamed at all of us.