Frozen Over

Chapter 16

Gray frantically opened the door to the house. He let his eyes search the dark hallway, landing on the only light coming from the end of the hall. 

"Erza?" 

His voice filled the hallway as he traveled to the room at the end of the hallway. Slowly, he pushed open the door to find the scarlet haired woman sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest. Her face was puffy from crying while small sobs escaped her mouth.

Gray quickly moved down next to her, placing one hand on her should in a comforting way. 

"Hey, I'm here," he whispered consolingly into her ear.

Erza continue to let the tears soak her cheeks while not moving from the fetal position she was in. Only her eyes moved to Gray's, complete and utter fear in her eyes. 

"He doesn't want him," she whispered barely audible. Her eyes traveled to her stomach which had begin growing since the beginning of her pregnancy. It was obvious she had a child inside of her now as the bump was now there. 

"What do you mean?" Gray asked, following her eyes to her stomach. 

"Jellal," Erza replied with tears following his name. "He doesn't want our baby. He wants me to kill him."

Her eyes traveled up to Gray's face, meeting his eyes before saying, "He left me, Gray. He left me and our little boy." Erza then hid her face in Gray's chest, letting her tears wet his shirt. 

Gray immediately wrapped his arms around Erza, the first girl he had ever truly cared about. Erza, the girl whom Gray was in love with for many years and now considers a sister, means to the world to him. Seeing her so upset brought tears to his own eyes which was becoming a habit.

"God dammit," he whispered, bring a hand up to gently rub the tears from his eyes. He gently pulled away, finishing wiping his face before putting both his arms on Erza's shoulders. 

"Erza Scarlet. You are one of the most amazing people in the world. You deserve everything, and you deserve to be happy. Jellal is not the man you thought he was if he's leaving you because you're pregnant. A real man, Erza, would never leave someone who carries his baby. Especially if he loves them. You deserve so much more than Jellal, Erza. Please, don't cry about him. Seeing you cry makes me cry, and then I look like a baby," Gray said, a small smirk covering his face at his end words. 

Slowly, tears welled at the already wet corners of Erza's eyes. She began crying, but a smile covered her lips. 

"You-You already are a baby," she teased, wiping the tears and wrapping her arms around Gray in a tight embrace. 

"I am not," he replied gently in her ear, kissing her cheek while rubbing the small of her back. 

Erza slowly pulled back, wiping the last of the tears from her puffy face while smiling at Gray. Her eyes then traveled down to her stomach, her hands caressing it. 

"The doctor told me he's a boy," she said, rubbing her stomach gently. "He moves a lot."

Gray smile, placing a hand on her stomach. He then said, "I'm just glad you and him are healthy. That's all I ask for. Also, I plan to be the coolest uncle ever."

Erza giggled, putting an arm on Gray's shoulder before saying, "I don't know if I'll let you or Natsu anywhere near him."

"What?! I'm going to be an amazing uncle. Trust me."

"You and Juvia will be the cool aunt and uncle, huh?"

"I mean," Gray said, his smile slowly fading at the sound of Juvia's name, "I will be."