Help Me Gray

Chapter Nine

"I assume the job was a success?" Master Makarov asks after making his way over to us when he spots us walking into the guild.

"There was no job," I inform him as I take a seat at a table and everyone joins.

Makarov stands beside the table with a perplexed look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"The only person we saw claimed that they never sent out a job request," Lucy says as she picks up a menu off the table and flips to the desserts.

Master Makarov twists the end of his mustache thoughtfully. "Quite perplexing." He climbs up on the table and stares at Gray and me. "It's almost as if the cosmos set you up for not helping me out..."

"Are you kidding me?!" Lucy shouts angrily as she stands abruptly, and throws the menu out of her hands and onto the floor. "This whole thing was to get back at Natsu and Gray!?"

Master Makarov's arm stretches and picks up the menu off the floor and places it back onto the table with a pleased smile. "Quite ingenious, wasn't it?"

"More like mean," Happy says as he nibbles on some fish.

"I'm just wondering why you dragged the rest of us into this!" Lucy grumbles as she sits back down and crosses her arms angrily.

Gramps shrugs and hops off the table and starts waddling away. "I never asked the rest of you to go along."

"Doesn't matter anyways." Gray stretches and lets out a yawn. "It was actually kind of fun." He throws a wink my may and I turn away so no one can see me blush. Why am I acting this way?

Gramps stands there frozen with his mouth wide open in shock. "You seemed kind of in a hurry to leave to me..." Happy reminds Gray as the master coughs and composes himself.

"Do you know how much money I spent on all that!?!" He bellows angrily as spit flies from his mouth.

Lucy comments without missing a beat, "No one asked you to spend all that money to scare them, Master." Lucy's comment smacks Makarov in the face and he sinks to the floor in defeat.

"I suppose an old man just can't win..." He says with huge sad eyes as he looks up at Lucy.

She flicks him on the forehead and grabs the menu again, going back to the desserts. "You're not getting any sympathy from me you dirty old perv."

"But-" Makarov stops talking when he spots an irritated looking Mira with a strained smile marching his way.

"There are some matters that require your attention, Master," Mira says through gritted teeth. Before he can protest she grabs him by the ear and hauls him away howling in pain.

Lucy sighs and sets down the menu. "It's always something with you two."

"Who are you talking to?" I ask.

Lucy glares at me. "Erza and Happy of course," she says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I'm talking about you and Gray."

"I didn't do anything," Gray mumbles defensively.

"I have to agree with Lucy." Erza sips some water from a glass and sets it down, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Especially you, Natsu."

I stand up angrily, placing a foot atop the table and pointing furiously at Erza, "Like you're one to talk! My room is in shambles!"

"Speaking of which, isn't there supposed to be a funeral for..."

"Mr. Whiskers ," Lucy says, finishing Gary's sentence for him.

I had forgotten about Mr. Whiskers and seeing as the day is almost up, we will have to burry him fairly soon. I turn to Lucy, "Do you have a place in mind?"

"About that..." Lucy thinks for a moment before snapping her fingers in an aha moment. "We could always have Levy fix him!"

"Do you think you can do it, Levy?" I ask hopefully, turning around to face her. "He's in pretty rough shape..."

Levy nods and crosses the room to pull a lever on the wall which causes a platform to lower from the ceiling. "It'll be as good as new in no time! Though, it won't be done tonight..."

"Thank you so much Levy!" I shout as I jump up and tackle her, wrapping her in a huge hug. "You're the best!"

"Aww, thanks!" She says bashfully as she blushes. "You should go home though. I'll have him ready for you first thing in the morning!"

I thank Levy again and head back to the table and say goodnight to everyone. Happy tells me he's staying at the guild again tonight.

"Guess you're crashing with me again?" Gray asks as he gets up and walks beside me towards the guild exit.

"If it's no trouble..."

Gray shakes his head and pats me on the back. "None at all."

"I'll sleep on the couch this time though if that's okay?"

Gray suddenly has a hurt look on his face and stops. "Did I do something to upset you?" he asks with a hint of a anger in his tone

"N-no," I stammer at Gray's change in tone which makes me nervous.

He shakes his head and tsks. "I'm really trying here Natsu but you're making this difficult."

"I- I don't k-"

"Forget it." Gray shoves his hands into his pockets and starts walking off in a different direction than his house. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be home later tonight," he mutters.

I watch as he walks away, perplexed and feeling like crap. What did I do? Whatever it was, Gray obviously needs some space and I don't feel like talking to him tonight. I decide to sleep at my place instead of Gray's. I was going to sleep on Gray's couch anyways so I might as well cut out Gray's foul mood and sleep in the comfort of my own house.