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I'd Freeze the Heavens for You	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 3091 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 1-Labyrinth
- 2-Aimless
- 3-Pitfalls
- 4-Penalty
- 5-Berries
- 6-Destructive
- 7-Countdown
- 8-Ice
- 9-Perseverance
- 10-Warmth
- 11-Hostages
- 12-Time
- 8
- 9
- 10
A/N: My first job was at an amusement park (which is seriously the most kick-ass "first job" ever). My friend is married to one of the carnies (carnival employees) and he taught me some of the tricks they use, such as weighted milk bottles, oval basketball hoops, rubber bottomed barrels, and counter-balancing weights in rings for the ring-toss games. These tricks have been used for over a hundred years. That's why it's so hard to win those silly giant stuffed animals. There's always a trick. Sometimes, only the carney himself can manipulate the game, and sometimes it all comes down to skill, luck, and perseverance.
Chapter 9
Perseverance
Gray stared down at the frozen body under him. Lucy... dead? He refused to accept that. There had to be a trick to this.
Willie Whitehall was a trickster, a gamer, a former carnival man. Everyone knew that the games carnies ran were rigged to seem easy, while really being deceptively hard to win. For example, toss a ball into a hoop, but from the angle of the player, it's impossible to see that the hoop is oval, not round. However, every game had some trick, a way to cheat the deception. Know the trick, and you could cheat the damn carny out of his prize.
Gray wasn't sure what it could be, though. Could you cheat after a game was over? Could you cheat death? Could you still win after such a total loss?
Still, that was the only explanation for why so many hours had passed and Whitehall was still not here. If it was truly Game Over, Whitehall would have claimed his prize right away. If he was waiting until Lucy was totally dead, the deranged wizard would have taken her coffin of ice while Gray was unconscious for all those hours. Yet here she was, still trapped in the enchanted ice.
Enchanted... Magic...
Did that mean she could still be alive in there?
No, she wasn't breathing, and he sensed her frozen blood. Even if perfectly frozen, the brain dies after too long without oxygen.
Then why wasn't Whitehall here? Was he waiting to see how long until Gray gave up?
"You can forget it!"
Gray glared around the empty room. He guessed that, just like how the maze had cameras to keep an eye on his progress for Whitehall's entertainment, there must be similar monitoring devices in the cabin as well. Whitehall had probably been watching the whole thing, both Gray's race against the clock and Lucy's mental torment, forced to watch Gray suffer alone.
"If you're waiting for me to give up... never!" he shouted. "Fairy Tail doesn't abandon their friends. I'm not leaving her alone. I'm not leaving her side. I'd rather die than abandon her."
Yet Gray realized, he really would die soon. Three more hours. Probably less, by now. Perhaps Whitehall was hiding because he did not want to fight. That seemed likely. Why fight when he just had to wait a few hours, and his opponent would drop dead? Then he could simply step over Gray's body and claim his prize.
Gray sat on the floor and draped himself over the block of ice. "I'm not leaving her," he whispered adamantly, gazing down at the face frozen in a sleep-like death. "She's too precious. I would willingly die for her. If I could exchange my life for hers..." He glared around the silent cabin, wondering where the cameras were. "Is that allowed? Can that be an alternative to the rules? I'll take her place. Just... just bring her back to me. Bring her back to life!" he screamed.
Gray held still, hoping for a response. He would even accept the annoying voice that had taunted him all through the maze. Nothing. Total silence. Maybe asking to take her place was beyond the dark wizard's powers. Lucy was dead, after all. Perhaps if he had requested that at the very beginning...
But he hadn't felt so desperate when he first made it to the cabin. He thought they would win. He would free her, grab her, kiss her...
Kiss her? He blushed just thinking about something like that. But yes, if he could free her, after going through so many days of hell to reach her, he would chance a slap to the face and kiss Lucy, as he had so often wanted to do.
Now, he felt useless. He had not offered up his life right at the start, so all he could do now was sit beside her and wait. He looked down at Lucy's face. She was beautiful. She really was! Her perfection was frozen in time, marred only by the sadness in her opened eyes. His hand rubbed right over her face. At the very least, he wished he could touch her soft skin. He wished he could hear her voice one last time before the poisonous bloodberries killed him.
"I... don't want her to die," he whispered, caressing the ice. "She suffered so much in the past. I want her to live a long life, with friends and laughter. I want to be with her through those happy years, but if I can't..." He gazed into those empty brown eyes. There was not even a gleam of life in them anymore, vacant and glazed. "If I can't be with her, at least if she can live on, I could die happy. I want Lucy to live. I want her to laugh. There's so much..."
He held back the words, but as tears gathered in his eyes, the words and the salty drops both tumbled out.
"There's so much I wanted to tell you, Lucy. A little secret I've been trying to ignore." He snuffled and wiped his eyes. "I thought if I said it, you'd think I was being foolish, or maybe hit me. Well, you can't hit me now. I... I was afraid," he confessed. "Afraid that if I told you, it'd ruin the friendship we have. So I never said anything. I just stayed close, I watched you from afar, and I protected you, no matter the cost. You were always there beside me, but I said nothing. I don't want to die with that regret. Even if only your spirit hears me, that's enough. At least I'll have said the words before I die." He gazed down intently, wishing with all his heart that she could hear him. "Lucy, I... I..."
He sighed in anguish. All this time working beside Lucy, he had never been able to express how he really felt. What right did he have to say it now? Still, the icy beauty of her face tugged at his heart. He pulled the frozen body closer to him and whispered into the ice.
"I love you, Lucy."
He closed his eyes. Finally confessing was a huge relief. He hoped that somehow, someway, Lucy heard him. Maybe she was smiling in heaven. He felt as if her spirit was there, glowing beside him.
No, that really was a light, a magical brightness.
Gray pulled back with massive eyes. The icy coffin began to glow, getting brighter and stronger, filling the whole cabin with light.
"What the...?"
In the front of the maze, Natsu was pacing irritably back and forth.
"What's taking that stripping popsicle so long?" he grumbled. "It's been days! I would've burned the whole maze down by now and be done with it."
Bisca tittered softly as she sat on a picnic blanket with her husband. "Then it's a good thing Gray is the one who went inside and not you."
Erza was going over her plan with Wendy, who had come since they were expecting Gray to be in really bad health. "Are you sure about doing this?"
"Yes," the little girl nodded. "I looked up about bloodberries on the train ride here. I think I know how to cure him. But... um..." She glanced behind her to a certain dark-haired boy with an orange scarf. "Don't tell Romeo why he has to be the one to make it through the maze."
Erza patted her head. "I won't, and I'll make sure no one else does, either."
Wendy blushed bright red. She had heard talks around the guild about the trouble her friends were having up north, and when Levy rushed back to Magnolia, urging Wendy to come with her to help cure Gray's poisoning, she bashfully suggested that the quickest way to reach Gray was to go directly to the end of the maze, which meant needing someone who loved her to come along. When Levy had asked if any boy loved her, Wendy silently pointed out Romeo.
"He doesn't know that I know," she whispered to Erza. "I'm not sure if he even realizes it himself."
"How do you know?" Erza asked curiously.
"I smell it on him. Also, Carla keeps hinting that in the future... well... him and I..." She tucked her chin down shyly.
"That's wonderful," Erza said gently. "He's a loyal friend and will grow to be a strong wizard. You two will make a cute couple some day." They both heard him and Natsu telling some perverted joke. "So long as a certain immature Dragon Slayer doesn't corrupt him."
Suddenly, the topiary archway glowed golden and a bell rang out joyously. "We have a winner! The next game starts now. Come one, come all, come on in to Willie Whitehall's Wonderful Winter Maze!"
"Who won?" shouted Natsu. "Did Gray win? Is Lucy okay?"
"The previous contestant did not make it in time."
"What?" they all screamed.
Wendy gasped and covered her face. "Then... Lucy..."
"Buuuuut..." the maze's voice sang.
"But?" They all stood tensely as the speaker took sadistic delight in forcing them to wait for the final judgment.
A distance away, atop a snow-covered hill, Wisteria watched the cabin. She had begun to head back to see if Lucy's beau had abandoned her, and if he was still around despite knowing there was no use rescuing her, she would at least show him out of the maze so he could get medical treatment. However, she saw the glow beaming through the cabin windows and smiled to herself.
"He figured it out," she whispered. "I'm really glad." She pulled out a tiny communications lacrima from her pocket. "Whitehall, it's Wisteria. It's truly Game Over now. Can I bring him an antidote?"
"Yes, the fun is over. You may tend to the guests. You did well, Wisteria. I really thought you'd break the rules this time. Such an obedient child!"
Her face hardened at his condescending voice. "I'm leaving you, Whitehall."
"I figured as much. You only stayed out of guilt. That's no fun at all, and I only like things that are fun."
"Helping these two is my redemption. Plus, I have a feeling you'll be brought down, and I don't want to be mistaken as being your ally. Fairy Tail is not going to let you get away with this. You're going to rot in jail, you twisted bastard."
"I'm in discussion with the Fairies at the front gate. How about we make a deal? If they can defeat the maze three times, I'll shut it down."
"You better keep that promise."
"Rules are rules. Even I must follow the rules, including the rules I myself set. Cheaters are disqualified from winning, you know."
She glared at his smoothly beguiling voice. "Goodbye, Whitehall." She threw the lacrima far away. Then she stomped off through the crunching snow, heading back to her personal storehouse to get an antidote.
Gray could hardly believe his eyes. The frozen coffin melted like ice in a boiling pot, drenching the rug under him. Lucy's body limply fell out of it, and she laid peacefully on the floor.
"Lucy!" he screamed.
She did not move. As he stared hesitantly, he realized her chest was not even moving. He panicked and felt her throat. Her skin was frigid but pliant. The pulse was so faint, he barely felt it, but it was there. She wasn't dead. However, he realized she was not breathing.
"Lucy! Wake up!"
He tried to shake her, but her hand just slid off her chest and flopped to the side. Hardly thinking, Gray knelt over her, pinched her nose, and breathed into her mouth. Her body was ice cold, not too surprising given the circumstances, but he knew this was bad for a normal person. He rubbed her skin and placed his hand over her heart. It was so faint, he could not feel the pulse there. He connected his mouth to those frigid lips again and breathed into her lungs. There was resistance, as if her lungs were iced solid. The air that came back out was far colder than his own breath, frosting his face. He felt her throat. Still a pulse, but no breathing.
"Come on!"
He took another deep breath and forced air in again. This time the chest rose a little. He rubbed the upper chest, hoping to warm up her lungs. What he wouldn't give for Natsu's fiery hands at this moment!
"Breathe, dammit!"
He bent over and forced more air into her mouth.
"Lucy!"
She jolted and gasped. Her lungs rattled as they remembered how to work. Her eyes were wide as she struggled for air. Gray grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her body. She was wet from the melted ice, her hair drenched and her clothes soaked. He listened to her straining to inhale, and he rubbed her skin vigorously.
Finally, she looked over, shivering and pale. "G-Gr-ray? Wh-what... you... h-h-here?"
He suddenly grabbed her and held her tightly against him. She limply laid against his chest, staring ahead in shock and confusion. He was warm... so warm. Gray had never felt warm to her before, but as she rested against his body, she wanted to hold him and soak in his body heat.
"Lucy," he sobbed. She was alive. How, why, what sort of magic was this... none of that mattered. She was alive!
"Y-y-you... c-came."
"Of course I came, silly." He laughed, eyes burning with tears. "I'd fight through hell and freeze the heavens for you."
"G-... Gra-..."
"Shh, you're frozen solid. Don't talk yet."
"Burns," she whispered.
He saw her face was in pain. She was so frozen, the normal temperature of the cabin was scalding her body.
"You'll need to defrost slowly," he realized. "Wait a minute."
He leaped up. Dizziness and sickness threatened him again, and he held onto the wall.
"Not now," he growled quietly. He held out and kept walking forward for her sake.
He knew about snow, about frost, and about frozen bodies. Someone with frostbite could get even worse cellular damage if the skin was warmed too fast. He filled the bathtub with cold water, then raced back and lifted Lucy into his arms. He struggled, and he realized he must really be weak from the poison if she felt this heavy.
"Gray..."
"Don't use your throat yet," he warned. He entered the bathroom and sat beside the tub. "Tell me if the water is hot or cold." He dipped her down just far enough to feel the water with her feet.
"Warm," she said.
Gray knew the water was the coldest he could get without resorting to magic. If Lucy thought this was warm, her body really was frozen. He placed her down into the tub, letting the water help to defrost her.
"Getting... c-colder," she said after a couple minutes.
Gray let some water drain out, then filled it up again with warm water. He kept doing this, adding warmer and warmer temperature, until Lucy was sitting in a tub of tepid water.
"Feeling better?"
She nodded. She was drenched in her clothes, but she had stopped shaking so much.
"Can you stand?"
Lucy tried, but not even in a full sitting position, she shook her head. Her muscles did not want to work at all.
"Don't strain. The frost was all through your muscles and blood. It might take a while."
He lifted her out of the tub and carried her back to the couch to sit by the fire. He wrapped blankets around her and kept rubbing her hands.
"Heard... I... heard... you." Her throat still felt weak, but she looked at him as she whispered. "I heard... all you said."
Gray blushed in shame. "All of it?"
She smiled and nodded. "Everything. I could still hear, and I heard you." Her cold hand caressed his cheek. "Do you know how you broke the spell?"
"Honestly? Not a clue," he admitted.
"Wisteria told me, the way to break the ice's spell was to hear the words I always wanted you to say."
"Free rent?" he asked in confusion.
She tried to hit him, but she was too weak and her hand fell back down onto the couch. "You know that's not it!"
He felt embarrassed as he realized what she meant. "I said... I... I love you."
"Did you mean it?"
He gulped hard, but when he forced himself to look at her, his embarrassment melted just like the ice. "Yes," he declared. "I meant it. I'm in love with you, Lucy. I guess I have been for a while."
She smiled, warming up inside to hear him say that. "That's what I always wanted you to say. I wanted to know you felt the same as me."
"Same as you?" He gripped her hands eagerly. "You feel the same way?"
Lucy's cheeks turned pink, which was such a gorgeous sight after being pale as death. Silently, she nodded. She was not sure when she figured it out, but now that she realized it, she felt like she had these feelings for Gray for such a long time.
An astonished smile crooked the corners of his mouth. His hand took her chin and raised it slowly out of the cute, tucked position. Their eyes met, intimately close. Lucy could already feel his breath tickling her lips, yet he hesitated.
Gently, he whispered, "Can I kiss you?"
"Silly. Your lips already met mine."
"That was medical and out of desperation. This..." and he leaned in closer, "...is out of love."
His lips brushed against hers with a soft, slow, and tender touch. Lucy's eyes closed, and she gave a slight hum as his lips felt burning against her frigid mouth. Slowly, the heat sank in, tingling over her cheeks, flushing down her neck, and shivering down her spine. It was like life was flowing back into her veins.
Gray's hand drifted behind her neck, holding her there, afraid that if he let go, she would be yanked away from him once again. Lucy ran her fingers up into his soft, lanky, black hair, clutching just slightly, enough to get Gray to moan from the possessive hold. He could not recall ever kissing a girl who kissed back even harder, but that was Lucy: stronger than she looked on the outside.
He tested that aggressive side by licking across her bottom lip. He heard her gasp just faintly, yet her mouth opened with eagerness. Her tongue met his, and he tasted something that must have been a pastry she ate before falling under that frozen spell.
Suddenly, Lucy pulled back. Her face drew up, her nose wrinkled, and for a few seconds Gray panicked that maybe a kiss like that was too much. Or even worse, maybe his breath was bad, or he stank. He realized he had not showered since they began this mission.
His fears were alleviated when Lucy let out a badly suppressed sneeze, small and cute, like a cat. He could hardly help but laugh, and thankfully she did, too.
"What a way to ruin our first kiss," she chuckled, rubbing her nose.
"It's understandable." He massaged the blanket against her, but it was pointless. She was still in wet clothes. "Do you have something else you can wear?"
"Wisteria had some pajamas for me. I guess I should change."
"I'll help..."
"I think I can do that much, Gray," she interrupted sharply.
"But I..." He was about to protest that he could assist her, until he realized what he had almost asked. "Oh! I... I didn't mean..."
"It's fine," Lucy said bashfully, tucking a wet strand of hair behind her ear. "You're just worried."
"Y-yeah," he said awkwardly, unable to look at her now. He was bumbling around like a total idiot.
"I can walk now, I think." Unsteadily, she rose to her feet. Gray leaped up and held her under the elbow until she got her balance. "Just a little stiff, but I'm fine."
"I'll fix you hot tea. We need to finish warming you up."
"Oh?" she asked with a gleam in her eye. "And precisely how do you want to warm me up?"
Gray felt like chiding her. What sort of heiress gave a man a sensual smirk like that? "Ooh, I know of a secret northern technique for warming up a frigid body."
"Secret, huh?" she asked coyly.
His hand stroked down her cheek. "Very secret. Only one special woman will ever know it." He loved how her face went bright pink with that. He chuckled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Now seriously, get out of these wet clothes before you catch cold."
End of Chapter 9
- 8
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I'd Freeze the Heavens for You