Scarlet Meets Dark Blue

"I love you"

ᕼEY GᑌYᔕ!!! I ᕼᗩᐯEᑎ'T ᑌᑭᗪᗩTEᗪ Iᑎ ᖴOᖇEᐯEᖇ ᗩᑎᗪ I'ᗰ ᑎOT ᑌᑭᗪᗩTIᑎG... ᗷᑌT I ᗩᗰ ᗩT TᕼE ᔕᗩᗰE TIᗰE... ᗯᕼᗩTEᐯEᖇ!!! TᕼIᔕ ᑕᕼᗩᑭTEᖇ ᗯᗩᔕ ᗯᖇITTEᑎ ᗷY ᕼIᗰYᑎᗩᗰEIᔕᔕᕼᗩᗪY. ᑎOT ᗰE!!

ᗪIᔕᑕᒪᗩIᗰEᖇ: I ᗪOᑎ'T Oᗯᑎ ᖴᗩIᖇYTᗩIᒪ... ᔕᗩᗪᒪY..

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~Months Later~

"Gray, I'm tired of this!" Erza exclaimed, her hands shaking and her cheeks tear-stained. Gray rubbed his face carefully, avoiding her gaze.

"Erza, please, just listen-"

"NO, Gray! You listen to ME! We haven't gone on a mission in MONTHS! You hear me? MONTHS! Just because we have children now does not mean we can just give up our jobs!" By the end of the sentence, Erza's tone had dropped an octave and her look of fury became one of sorrow.

"Gray, I can't handle this... You know how tense I've been. I... I don't know if I can be a good mother in this state. Or a good WIFE-" She was interrupted abruptly by her dark-haired husband.

"Don't you dare say it, Erza." He snatched her wrists in his tight grip and as he looked into her eyes, they turned from pleading to soft.

He loved her. That would never change.

Slowly, the redhead began to smile. Then, all at once, the loving couple embraced with a warmth they had both missed dearly.

"I'm sorry," Gray mumbled into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. Erza closed her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry, Gray... I'm still stressed is all. It's not your fault."

After a moment of silence, Gray spoke up again.

"You're right, you know."

Erza pulled away from the hug but still clutched both of his hands in hers. She tilted her head questioningly.

"About?"

"About us needing to do our jobs."

Erza looked at the floor guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Gray. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to snap at you and-"

The ice Mage once again cut her off.

"It's okay, Erza. Let's just put it behind us, alright?" He then grinned playfully and turned over her hand, kissing her wrist briefly. Erza's face flushed and she laughed.

"Oh, quit being a tease."

Gray stood up straight once again and gestured towards the front door of their home.

"Since Juvia is here to watch the children, shall we go?"

Erza hesitated. It had been so LONG since her last job... But glancing at Gray, she let out a content sigh. With him by her side, she would be okay.

"Yeah. Let's go."

~Two hours later~

The train to Vernès City was a magnificent one, indeed. Class A, to be exact. The seats were pure red leather, the staff ranked at five stars. Each passenger even got their own room, if purchased. Gray bought one without hesitation. He wanted a place to talk to his wife, Erza. The one he loved most in the world.

As they sat on the luxurious couch in their own bunker, the two lovers never let go of the other's hand. After a few minutes of silence, the dark haired ice Mage finally mustered up the courage to speak to his beloved.