With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 27

"You want to move out?" Ur asked when the boys shared their plan.

"We know it's sudden, Aunt Ur," Gray replied, "but we're adults now. We can't just keep mooching off you—it wouldn't be right."

"Don't be silly," she said gently. "I know you two would never take advantage of me. But if you feel ready to live on your own, I understand."

"So, you're okay with this?"

"Of course. I never expected you to live with me forever, Gray. And I'm sure Natsu's eager to start fresh somewhere new."

"I'm so relieved you're not upset."

"When do you plan to leave?"

"Today, we're heading into town to look for apartments near campus—something affordable."

"That sounds good. Will you be home late?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll call if we are."

"All right, dear. Good luck with your search." Ur kissed her nephew's cheek before heading into the kitchen to do the dishes.

Only after she heard the front door close, signaling their departure, did she let her tears fall. She had dreaded this day for years—the day her sweet little nephew would leave the nest. Of course, she knew it was inevitable, and she'd accepted it, but she hadn't expected to feel this deeply saddened.

Gray was the closest thing Ur had to raising a child to adulthood. She had once known the joys of natural motherhood, but that chapter had ended years ago. It was a few years before Gray was born, back in her senior year of high school, when her boyfriend got her pregnant. When she refused to have an abortion, he left her, and her parents disowned her after finding out. But Mika, her older sister and Gray's mother, had welcomed her in without hesitation, offering support and helping her raise the baby.

Mika and her husband, Silver—Gray's father—had been Ur's pillars of strength. They helped her find a job, covered medical expenses, and even built a nursery. Then came the day Ur gave birth to her daughter, the little girl she loved the moment she laid eyes on her. She had never known such happiness. But her joy was short-lived; her daughter was born with a fragile immune system, plagued by illness, and passed away at the tender age of four, shattering Ur's heart.

Through her grief, Mika and Silver stood by her side, comforting her and promising they would always be there when she needed them. The pain lingered for a long time, but hope returned the day Mika gave birth to Gray. The moment Ur held her baby nephew for the first time, she felt the same fierce love she had felt for her own daughter.

After Silver and Mika's funerals, Ur made a promise at their graves—that she would always look after Gray and raise him well. She hoped she had raised him the way her sister and brother-in-law would have wanted.

Her eyes drifted to the picture frame on the shelf. It held a photograph of Silver, Mika, and a young Gray standing beneath the shade of a tree. Silver and Mika held hands while Gray sat atop his father's shoulders, all three smiling warmly. Ur lifted the frame, pressing it against her heart.

"I hope I did a good job, Mika. I really do."
...

Natsu and Gray sifted through countless ads for affordable apartments, but many were either already full or way out of their budget.

"I give up," Gray sighed. "We're never going to find a place."

"Wait, what about this one?" Natsu said, pointing at an ad. "This building has two rooms available, and it's within our price range."

Gray frowned. "But it says roommates are assigned. I thought we were going to room together."

"Well, that changes things," Natsu admitted, "but this is all we've got so far. Besides, it's better than nothing."

"Good point," Gray agreed.

They headed down to the building and spoke with the landlord. Since it was a campus-managed property, that explained the assigned roommates. Within a week, they moved in—but they wouldn't be sharing a room after all. During the week they prepared for their new lives, but surprisingly, they never met their assigned roommates.

"My roommate's some guy who's supposed to inherit his dad's company or something," Gray said. "Probably a stuck-up rich kid. Man, I can't stand those people. What about yours?"

"I haven't heard much about him, but apparently he goes to the same college as us."

"Hmm... maybe we know him. What's his name?"

"I didn't catch that. But if he goes to our college, he must be pretty smart."

"I guess. Hey, changing the subject—I learned something interesting about Lucy the other day."

"Really? What's that?" Natsu asked, taking a sip of his soda.

"Well, according to Juvia, she has a crush on you."

Natsu almost spit out his drink in surprise.

"Really?! She has a crush on me?!"

"Technically, it's on Red Dragon. But, you know, he is you."

"Wow! I don't believe it! The girl of my dreams has a crush on me."

"Actually, your alter ego."

"Oh... yeah." He sighed, realizing the downside. "And I can't ever tell her that I'm the guy she likes, can I?"

"I'm afraid not, bro."

"Man, this sucks."

"Hey, at least she likes one part of you."

"A part of me she doesn't even know is me."

"Hold on, we don't know for sure that's true. Juvia could be mistaken. She might still just be interested in Loke."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better."

"Sorry."