The New Girl (Fairy Tail Fanfic):
Chapter 24: Edolas Sabertooth
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Sabertooth Guild—Elaine ran out of her room half naked.
Yes.
Half naked.
Elaine bolted out of her room, breathless, her tiny towel barely clinging to her. The commotion behind her—maids chasing her with brushes, outfits, and various beauty products—made her pulse race. She had woken up to them trying to undress her, and that was how she found herself sprinting through the halls, half-dressed and desperate for an escape.
Her wide eyes spotted a door, and without thinking, she flung it open and darted inside, her feet slipping slightly on the carpet as she tumbled forward—
Right into Gray's arms.
They teetered precariously for a second, Elaine practically falling onto his chest. Gray, quick on his feet, steadied them before they could hit the floor, his arms instinctively wrapping around her. Her soft body pressed firmly against his, her breath quickening as she hid from the chaos outside.
For a moment, they froze. The soft thudding of the maids' footsteps passed by the door, fading into the distance. Elaine let out a relieved sigh, still leaning into Gray's solid chest, her face inches from his bicep.
"Gray," she whispered, her voice a mixture of panic and relief. "Thank the Gods they're gone."
"Glad I could help..." Gray muttered, but his voice trailed off, sounding unusually distant.
Elaine, still pressed against him, glanced up at him. "Gray?"
The moment their eyes met, she realized the situation. She was practically wrapped around him, wearing nothing but a towel that barely covered her. Gray's eyes flickered, his usually calm demeanor replaced with something she couldn't quite place.
Elaine's face turned fifty shades of red as she yanked herself away from him, but the movement only caused her to brush more intimately against his torso. Her fingers were still gripping his arms, feeling the taut muscles flex under her touch.
Her cheeks burning hot as she tried to regain some composure. "Get it together, girl!" she mentally scolded herself. But her body betrayed her—her heart was pounding not just from the chase, but from the way Gray had held her, firm yet gentle, as if he could've let her fall but didn't.
Gray stood motionless, his usually stoic face slightly flushed, though he tried to play it cool. What Elaine didn't notice was how his pulse had quickened, his grip on her towel-covered waist lingering a little feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers. Her bare shoulders and collarbone gleamed, and though he didn't want to stare, his eyes betrayed him for a split second.
And her scent—it was fresh, like the rain, making his mind flash back to when he could hear her heartbeat in the cursed town. He wondered if he could hear it now if they were close enough again.
Elaine, still fumbling to adjust the towel that had slipped slightly, tried to push away the embarrassment rising inside her. She'd been close to Gray before, but never like this. The heat radiating between them wasn't from embarrassment alone—it was something else, something that made her feel overwhelmed and...drawn to him. Her mind flickered to that one time they sparred in the empty Guild when she was inebriated.
"Did I drink something?" she thought, panicking briefly. "No... it's the morning, dummy."
As she struggled to make sense of the rush of sensations, Gray suddenly moved.
He grabbed a blanket from the nearby bed, his body brushing against hers as he wrapped it around her shoulders, the fabric brushing lightly over her skin.
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The New Girl (Fairy Tail Fanfic)
FanfictionTime period: After Grand Magic Games Further stories (from the anime or manga) updated after is not tied to this fanfic. Note: I don't own Fairy Tail, this is simply a fanfic. Elaine Vitalihive is a noble that is the daughter of two former members...