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Stellar Mistakes
By : Rhov
Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail
Views: 14748 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail nor do I make money from this fanfic.
Chapter List
- 32
- 33
- 34
Chapter 33
Tugging on the Heart
The next day, Gray arrived at Lucy's apartment, she hopped into his truck, and they went to a drive-thru coffee shop Gray apparently knew well, because he had a massive thermos with their logo printed on the side, which they refilled with iced coffee like it was something they did every morning and was not at all strange that someone drank that much coffee.
Then they settled into early morning traffic until they could get out of Magnolia. Once away from the city, the road opened up to green hills sprinkled with red and white barns and farmhouses. Lucy felt very strange. She had grown used to the way Loke drove, the smoothness of his sports car, the elegance of his fingers on the wheel, how he focused on driving as if it was a passion.
However, Gray kept looking off the road, gazing at the scenery, or fiddling with the music, as if driving was a chore. The car itself was purely utilitarian. It had scratches, dents, dried mud on the fenders, and the inside was well-used with a lingering smell of cigarettes. Still, Gray seemed like he was at home in the truck. As she looked at his profile, it was simply too different. Gray was a handsome man, to be sure, but … it was just not the same.
They arrived at the cemetery to see the film crew were already setting up equipment. Lucy and Gray met with the groundskeepers, thanking them for allowing this filming and promising the utmost respect of the surrounding graves. The place they had picked was on a hill, which gave the cameras a great scenic background, and it was part of many graves for the military. The previous weekend had been a patriotic holiday, so there were tiny national flags on each plot, as well as flowers on the graves people still visited. Lucy had to admit, doing this shot just after a holiday, when the resting places of fallen soldiers would be honored like that, was perfect.
However, she realized Gray had drifted off. They were still waiting for the actors to get finished with makeup, so she left to follow him. He went to another part of the cemetery, to a much more humble grave with the names Silver and Mika on the headstone. Lucy gasped as she caught the last name: Fullbuster.
"Is this your parents' grave?" she whispered. "I had no idea."
"It was just coincidence," he mumbled. "But to be honest, it's why I wanted to take you with me. I haven't been to their grave in years and … and I wasn't sure if I'd be okay," he confessed softly.
Lucy stepped up beside him for support.
"It was a while back, so I don't know if you've ever heard of Deliora the Devil."
"A serial killer, terrorized the area almost twenty years ago, that's all I know," Lucy said with a shiver in her arms.
Gray nodded to confirm that. "I was just a child. My father fought Deliora while my mother hid me. They sacrificed themselves to keep me safe. I owe them everything," he whispered, "yet I can barely bring myself to visit their grave."
"They don't need you to if it's painful," she assured. "I'm sure they would want you to remember them in whatever way brings you happiness. You have good memories of them, right?"
Gray smiled to himself. "Yeah, I do."
Lucy gazed off over the hillside. "My mother died of illness when I was little, and my father passed on just recently. I visited his grave once, but I haven't been back. I have some amazing memories of my mother, but my father … not so much," she muttered with a sad look on her face. "However, before she died, my mother told me to be happy in whatever way works for me." She closed her eyes, and Loke's face came to mind. "The problem is, you can't always be happy, and often something you dearly want simply can't work out. Sometimes, too much stands in the way of finding happiness."
Gray glanced back at her. "Are you talking about your complicated relationship?"
She jolted. "Oh! That was rude of me. I'm so sorry. Here you are, facing your parents' grave…"
"It's okay," he assured. "You're right. They'd want me to be happy, whether that means not visiting their grave because it stirs up bad memories … or taking a chance." He reached over and took Lucy's hand. The bold move made her catch her breath. "You know, my offer from a while back still stands. If you wanna hang out, have fun … whatever you want," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "I know that would make me happy, and I hope it'd make you happy as well."
She blushed and could not meet his eyes. "Saying something like that, right in front of your parents' grave…"
"Especially here, in front of them. I think they'd like to know I can find someone as pretty as you." Gray tugged on his shirt nervously. "Y'know, if it doesn't work out, then that's okay. If we're better off as friends, I'm cool with that as well. I don't necessarily wanna sleep with you. I just thought we'd have a fun time together."
He didn't want to sleep with her? How different that was! "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, we both like to write, so maybe go attend a writing seminar, or drive around and check out a bunch of indie bookstores. Or if that's boring, there's a cinema in downtown Magnolia that shows old films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. You can't get much better than Bing Crosby or Rosemary Clooney."
Lucy had to chuckle at his old-fashioned style. "Yeah. Actually, I love browsing through bookstores, but I warn you," she said playfully, "I can be dangerous in those places."
"I like a woman who can be dangerous," he said with a flirtatious wink.
"No expectations, though. I want to start this off right, see if we're compatible." That was one thing she did not get to do with Loke. She only realized how similar they were and how fun he could be after he was trapped in an engagement and things had to end.
"Can I hold your hand?" asked Gray.
"Not right now. We're on the clock. Nothing at work."
"If you say so," he said with a lighthearted shrugged. "So, are you free Sunday? I have hockey on Saturday."
She smirked and folded her arms. "How about this? I'll watch your game on Saturday, and if you win, you can take me out on Sunday."
His mouth dropped. "You'd watch my game? Damn, none of my girlfriends wanted to watch a single hockey game."
"Maybe you suck," she teased.
"Hey! We were regional champions two years ago."
"Your parents would be proud of that."
Gray glanced back at the grave. "Yeah … Dad was into ice skating. I think he played hockey when he was younger, because I remember there were trophies in his and my mom's bedroom. He taught me how to ice skate pretty much as soon as I could stand on my own. He loved the ice … and so do I."
"He'd be proud to see you're continuing that legacy."
Gray's cheeks turned pink, and Lucy thought Gray's pride for his family was heartwarming. Then he turned aside and went down the hill toward the camera crew. "We should start getting ready."
"Do you need to stay by their grave a little longer? It's okay—"
"No," he cut in. "You're right. My parents would want to see me remembering them in happier ways. My mother would read me stories, and that's what led me to this job. My father loved being on the ice, and that's why I got into hockey. So simply by living my life, I'm remembering and honoring all that they instilled in me."
Lucy smiled at his resolve. She felt the same way. Maybe her parents had not intended for her to get into advertising, maybe her father strongly disapproved when she was in university, but it was Loke's commercial that reminded her of her mother, and it was that love that pulled her into this line of work.
She was honoring her mother's memory by making this commercial.
They returned to the camera crew and worked hard for hours. Although this scene would only be a few seconds in a commercial, everything about those few seconds had to be perfect: the movements of the actor, the facial expressions, even the way he saluted the grave. The military wardrobe could not be amiss in the slightest. That was when Lucy found out Gray had served in the military just after high school. He personally inspected the actors like a drill sergeant and ordered the wardrobe ladies to shine the shoes better and straighten the lapels.
Lucy was more focused on the emotions in the face of the main actor for this scene. The pride had to show through in his eyes, the sadness apparent in a tremble of his lips as they struggled to keep firm, and the determination needed to be blatant in his salute, realizing that winning a gold medal was not enough, it was only the beginning in a lifetime of honoring his fallen parent.
They all realized, this would be the emotional apex of this commercial. This was the moment when viewers got goosebumps and mouths dropped. If they were at all disrespectful in this scene, everything would crumble.
When they were done and the director called out "That's a wrap," everyone applauded. People shook hands and exchanged business cards as the feeling of having accomplished something amazing burned through the air.
They left the cemetery, and Lucy and Gray once again went to the groundskeepers to thank them and to be certain that the camera crew did no damage. Then they hopped into Gray's truck for the long ride back to Magnolia. Once again, the trip passed with Gray's music playing, and Lucy had to admit, she missed Loke's comfortable car seats.
He dropped her off with only a wave and saying he would see her at work tomorrow. Lucy was stunned that Gray had not used the high energy of that day to try to woo her, invite her out for drinks, steal a kiss, none of the sleazy tricks she had grown accustom to over the years. Lucy went into her apartment feeling buzzed from the excitement of that day. She hugged Plue up to her chest.
"It was perfect. The absolute perfect video shoot," she told the white dog, which only replied with Pu-puun. Then Lucy sighed and looked out her window. "I still don't know what to do about him, though. I'm worried … I'm just not ready. Sheesh, how could I be!" she exclaimed. Thoughts of Loke still pained her heart. "But Gray seems like the sort of guy who would wait until I'm ready to move on. That's a charming thing about him. He's so laid back. He flirts, but he doesn't really expect much. It's relaxing, but maybe a little … I don't know … boring?" She laughed and shook her head. "That flirty Lion got me used to thrills, and now probably everything will feel a bit dull compared to him."
She took Plue on his evening walk, cooked some dinner, but a deep ache set into her as she waited for the rice to finish. She felt so lonely, unlike she had ever felt in her years of living on her own. She wanted to talk to Loke, so badly it burned her heart. She wanted to tell him about the shoot, how perfect it was, how talented the lead actor was, how lonely she felt—
… No, she couldn't say anything about that. Loke was going to get married one day, probably soon, and Lucy refused to be a mistress.
It hurt.
Maybe it was okay to text him a progress report, just to keep him updated on the project. Yes, that was a perfectly normal thing for workmates to do. She pulled out her phone, her fingers began to type out the words, but she felt her heart racing.
They were just coworkers. She had nothing to be nervous about.
"Just got back from the location shoot. All went perfect. The groundskeepers give their thanks. Will I see you on Tuesday?"
Lucy stopped, looked at that last sentence, and erased it. She did not want to sound desperate.
"I will have a full report on Tuesday."
Yes, that was neutral enough. She clicked send and let out a breath she did not know she had been holding.
She missed getting late night calls from him. She missed his voice sizzling in her ear. She missed the eroticism of masturbating for one another over video chat. That thrill deep in her soul had been terrifying, but now she ached to feel it again.
She shook her head. She couldn't do this to herself. She had to let him go and move on.
Her phone buzzed, and she grabbed it frantically.
"Good job, Miss Heartfilia. I'll look forward to reading your full report."
That was it. Short and sweet. If Loke had just sent the words "I want to see you tonight," she would have flown to him. Instead, he was respecting her wishes, and it hurt. Why couldn't he be the big bad boss who makes her think she has no choice but to give into him? Why did Loke have to be such a perfect gentleman?
Then, after over a minute, her phone buzzed again, and Lucy saw another text from Loke.
"I hope your night is pleasant, Miss Heartfilia."
She held her phone to her chest as her eyelids burned. They were such simple words, and yet in them, in how long it took for him to send them, she knew what he was saying. He missed her, but he wished her the best.
She knew, just two words would bring him to her. Text "I'm lonely," and he would swoop back into her life.
It hurt to do nothing.
Tears were on her cheeks as her trembling fingers sent back a message. "I hope the same for you, Mr. Leo. See you at work."
"Why am I doing thing?" she whispered to herself. It was only torturing her more.
Her phone buzzed again, and she almost did not want to look. If he said just one word, she would crumble, run back to him, be ravaged and thrilled, and she would regret it in the morning. She wanted no regrets with Loke.
However, it was another name on the screen. Gray Fullbuster. Lucy gulped down her heartache and checked the text.
"Hey, good job today. I just emailed Mr. Leo a brief report."
Her lips twitched up. She bet Gray had no problem sending Loke a message. It was just reporting to the boss for him. She rather envied that simplicity.
"Good job as well, Gray. I also texted Mr. Leo briefly. I think he'll be happy with the results of everyone's hard work."
So long as they won this account, so long as Loke's ambitions came true, he got his promotion, he made Fairy Tail number one in Fiore, and so long as he was happy, she would regret none of this.
Her phone buzzed again. "I also want to thank you for being there with me at my parents' grave. You were a real support today."
The ache in her heart soothed. Maybe she could help Gray as well, as she slowly healed her own heart.
"I'm glad you could see them, maybe get some closure."
"A bit, yeah. I was really glad you were there. It helped."
Lucy felt warmth melting into her heart. "Anytime, Gray."
She meant it, too. She knew the pain of losing her parents, and for Gray it had been a horrific tragedy, orphaned so young, probably bouncing around foster homes. No wonder he had a cold personality at first and was slow to warm up, yet he was growing closer to her, of all people. She felt he was strong to continue and become so successful after the trauma he must have experienced in childhood.
She wished she could tell him all that in a text, but it was too jumbled up in her head.
"You're a fighter, and I'll cheer you on." Was that stupid and cliché? Maybe, but it's what came out of her fingertips.
"Talking about cheering on, are we really on for Saturday? Hockey?"
She chuckled and wiped aside the last of the tears.
"Yep! And remember, you only get to take me out on Sunday if you win!" Lucy chuckled to herself as she added a winking emoji to the text. It was just a little flirtatious, and it made her feel better.
There was a long pause, and she could see that Gray was typing, typing, typing. He was a copywriter, after all. He crafted his words carefully, and Lucy understood that. She waited for him to finish his thought, and it pinged through.
"Look, about that. If my offer was offensive, I deeply apologize. Please don't think I'm trying to harass you. I just think you're a nice person, and it would be nice to hang out after work. Take that as platonically as you want, okay?"
That gentlemanly side really was endearing. Loke would have flirted and seduced her without worries about them being boss and subordinate. Like that night of phone sex, he would have thrilled her from afar and left her craving more. However, Gray worried about the implications of a workplace romance, he was concerned for her happiness, and he was cautious not to push her into something unwanted. It was different, but it was a nice change.
Lucy texted back: "I'm not offended. If you ever cross a line, I'll let you know."
"Yes, please do."
He was thoughtful, but the little happiness that stirred up in Lucy's heart also triggered the pain.
"Thank you. You're a sweetie." Lucy paused at that word, grimaced, and backspaced. "You're a really considerate man." She stopped again and shook her head. She did not want a message that was overly sweet, nor overly professional. She backspaced the whole thing. "Thanks. That's thoughtful of you. I'll see you at work." She needed to end this conversation before her heart gave out from all the emotional struggles.
"Yeah, see you, Lucy. Again, thank you for today and good job."
"You're welcome, and good job as well." She sent that, but then Lucy smiled as she added a smiley with "Good night!" attached to it.
Gray returned that ending with a sunglasses emoji and a text of "Good night."
Then Lucy put her phone away. What a day! Her rice cooker dinged just then, so she finished preparing her dinner, letting the rote motions pull her away from everything else. Her heart was in too much chaos now, so she picked up Plue, carried him to her couch, and sat down to watch some television that would take her away from her own life's drama.
- 32
- 33
- 34
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Stellar Mistakes	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 14748 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail nor do I make money from this fanfic.

Stellar Mistakes