Anime: Fairy Tail

(Y/n)'s POV

Throwing the coin into the water, I made a wish. The rumours said that a mage's desires would be fulfilled no matter how long it took if a wish was made upon this fountain of golden water.

As for my wish, I...longed to join the guild in which my mother fought for...but with my current situation, such wishful thinking only worsened the reality of my cruel life.

"Hey, you're here again?" asked Gray.

I felt butterflies in my stomach, many of which refused to leave me alone. This ice wizard had been my first and only friend ever since we were children...and as much as I would like to refute it, I had fallen in love with him.

"How's everything at the guild?"
"The same as usual. Natsu's seriously annoying the hell out of me."

I couldn't help but laugh. Although I had never met any of his friends, it was fun to hear about them and their little brawls. I...longed to join Fairy Tail. As we slowly began making our way, I glanced at the male beside me.

He looked so calm, so peaceful, so...free whereas I was trapped, encased in nothing but endless responsibilities. Suddenly, Gray handed me a small ice butterfly, making me smile.

"There's that smile," he exclaimed with a grin.
"I-"
"Miss (Y/n), where have you been?! Even if your mother was a disgraceful mage, you are still the heir to this household! I expect you to act with grace and honour, unlike those ruffians," said Gwen, my maid and mentor.
"They're not what you think they are, Gwen."
"What makes you say that? Have you ever met them before?"
"No but I find it unfair to judge people based on stereotypes."
"Don't talk back to me. If your father finds out that you've been hanging out with a mage from Fairy Tail then he'll have them all slaughtered."

The butterfly shattered in my hand. I stared at it in surprise, not sure if I had crushed it or if some other force had done it. Looking at Gray, I realised that it was the anger fuelling his power.

"(Y/n)'s a mage too," he said quietly.
"So what if she is?" Gwen asked.
"You're technically insulting her too. I've never heard of a maid insulting her mistress."
"That girl is an anomaly. I can say with confidence that she is terrible at using her memory make."
"Really?" Gray asked, seemingly unfazed by her statement.

Without warning, Gray sent an attack towards me. I deflected it without so much as batting an eye. I knew he went easy on me but giving me some indication that he was going to test me beforehand would've been better.

"T-that- you went easy on her!"
"I-"
"(Y/n)."

I looked past Gwen at my father. His piercing gaze made me freeze on the spot. I unconsciously found Gray's hand, feeling him give me a reassuring squeeze.

"Leave him. You have duties to do," he ordered.
"No, father."
"This is your last chance. You've done this too many times."
"No, my answer will never change."
"...then so be it. I'm disowning you."
"Fine, see if I care."

~Some time later~

Gray had introduced me to the members of Fairy Tail. Grazing my fingers over the mark, I thought of my mother and how she had been in the exact same place...

We...used to be a family. When did father start to get so distant? Why did he stop loving me? Why...did he change so much? I clenched my hands into fists, trying to hold back the tears.

"Hello (Y/n)," a blue-haired girl greeted.
"Hey."
"Juvia is happy to finally meet Gray's childhood friend."
"So...your name's Juvia?"
"Yes, Juvia is Gray's girlfriend."

This time, I could feel my whole world crashing down on me. Gray...had a girlfriend? Of course he would...who was I think that he would ever love someone like me?...

"I hope Juvia's not troubling you too much," Gray exclaimed while wrapping an arm around her waist.
"N-no, she's really nice. Don't break her heart."
"Of course."

I managed to crack a smile but underneath, I was dying.

"I'm going outside for a bit. See you tomorrow."
"Do you have a place to stay?" Juvia asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I have enough money to go to an inn."

Without waiting for their reply, I rushed outside and into the woods. I couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears fell against my will but if I was to be honest with myself, it was a relief to let these feelings out.

No one's POV

While Gray seemingly remained oblivious to (Y/n)'s love, Natsu had seen her rush out into the dark. He followed her scent into the forest and heard her soft crying in the dark.

He moved quietly to her side and said a quiet 'hey' as a greeting. This startled the girl, making her wipe her tears although it was somewhat hopeless. It was like a river, never ending and persistent.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.
"...that's none of your business."
"I heard that Gray brought you to Fairy Tail. I'm Natsu by the way."
"...he always talked about how annoying you were."
"Me? Annoying? He's the annoying one. What with all that ice and everything."

The girl smiled a little but her heart was still aching. First broken by her father's refusal to accept her as the way she was and second, shattered by the fact that Gray loved another girl despite how petty it sounded.

"Why were you crying?" he tried asking again.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I don't like seeing people cry, especially if they're a comrade."
"...it's nothing important."
"If it's enough to make you cry then I'm pretty sure it'll be quite important to you."
"...I love Gray."
"But he doesn't-"

That was when the realisation hit him. (Y/n) loved the ice mage yet he had been asked to keep the secret and despite how much he disliked the ice mage, he always kept his promises. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say.

"(Y/n)? Natsu?"

The two heard Gray's voice, turning their heads to look at him as he slowed to a stop in front of them.

"I'm going back, bye!" Natsu exclaimed quickly before leaving, wanting to escape from the awkward tension.
"Oi!"
"(Y/n), are you okay?" Gray asked worriedly.
"Yeah."
"What are you doing out here?"
"I...nothing."
"Come on, you can tell me anything."
"But not this."
"Why not? You told Natsu about it, didn't you?"
"But this is different..."
"What's so different when talking to him?"

Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath.

"I love you. I've loved you for a very long time but you...have Juvia and I was already upset from the thing with my father-"

He cut her off with a passionate kiss. It was rough and forceful, as if he had waited for this for a long time. He pushed her up against the tree, making her kiss back.

(Y/n) collapsed against him, his arms finding their way around her waist before the two pulled apart. Her heart was beating impossibly fast, her face flushed bright red.

"(Y/n), Juvia loves Lyon. I asked her for a favour just to see your reaction. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you so much. I love you. Forgive me?"