Melting Gray [Gratsu]

18

Chapter Eighteen

☆ Gray Fullbuster ☆

A/N: hope it works this time...

December 19, 2011

"Gray! We have to get home! The new episode of iCarly is on in sixteen minutes!" Ultear whined, clutching onto my leather jacket. I pulled her off it irratably.

"We haven't gotten all the groceries yet," I told her calmly. "If you want to go speed the process up, go get me some milk. 2 percent. We'll be coasting down the isles when you get back."

Ultear, my little eleven-year old sister, looked excited to venture off into our local supermarket unsupervized. Somehow, I regretted that descision, but she was already out of sight. I sighed to myself and bend down to look at Lyon, my four-year old brother.

"Hey, bud," I said cheerfully. His large blue eyes looked expectantly up at me. "Can you grab that can of soup for me? It's pretty low down and I'm too tall to bend down and grab it," I lied.

Lyon's face lit up at the idea of helping out with the groceries. "Okay! I can get it, I'm a big boy!" He announced, suddenly looking determined. He got on his tip-toes, his fingers barely touching the tiny can of tomato soup. I stealthily pushed it closer to him, and his fingers clutched on to it happily.

"Got it!" He cheered, setting it lightly in the basket.

"Thank you, little bro," I grinned. "Now what's next," I mumbled, my eyes skimming over the list my mother gave us. "We got that... got that... Oh! Macaroni! Let's go get the good kind, since Mom isn't here to tell us we have to get the yucky organic kind."

"Ew!" Lyon echoed. "Yucky."

We made our way, with me pushing the cart and Lyon "helping" by grabbing on the side, down the grains isle and paused in front of the packaged uncooked macaroni boxes. "Can you grab three?" I asked Lyon. He nodded haughtily and tossed the boxes in the cart while I responded to a funny text from one of my best friends, Jellal.

We continued shopping for a few minutes and we were ready to check out. That's when I realized Ultear hadn't returned with the milk.

My breath hitched as I dragged Lyon over to the milk. She wasn't there. "Ultear?" I called out, ignoring the irritated look from a girl shot my way. I ditched the cart and took Lyon's hand, beginning to bolt down the isles and scouring for a small girl with raven-black hair.

"Ul?" I yelled. "Ultear!"

"Gray? Where is sissy?" Lyon asked, looking scared.

"I honestly don't know," I breathed, a thousand possibilities soaring though my mind. Was she... abducted? I tried not to think about that as we continued to look down isle after isle, dodging annoyed shoppers.

"Sissy!" Lyon pointed. My head shot forward and I spotted Ultear. My heart expanded three times as I ran up to her and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the floor.

"Ul!" I said happily. "Where were you?" I scowled, ready to unleash my terror on her.

"Well, I got the milk, and I tried to come find you by looking down the isles, but I couldn't find you, so I decided to wait here," Ultear said, her eyes grazing over the bench. "Sorry, Gray. Please don't be mad!"

"I'm just glad you're okay. But I'm not letting you out of my sight from now on," I said sternly. "Come on, let's go get the cart and get out of this place."

Overhead, we heard a loud boom. Lyon squeaked, Ultear shot up in her posture, and I decided to think logically. "It's just thunder, guys."

"Oh! I like rain!" Lyon clapped excitedly. "Let's go jump in puddles!"