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e1ectricwords · 2 months ago

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Through Thought and Chaos

Gray x Reader Soulmate AU Word Count: 4168 Fluff, implied inneundos, rescue mission

Steady Drip. Cold Water.

The noise was starting to drive you insane. Forming slowly from a stalacite overhead, clinging onto the point before succumbing to gravity, falling into the small pool of water below. It fell with a small plink, sending ripples through puddle. The rhythmatic continuation drilled itself into your brain. Each droplet sounded like a hammer to your head. You had tried to stop it once, sticking your boot under the trajectory of the divers. It was a futile attempt. The sound continued, this time with a much more hollow tone as it hit the side of the leather material, and the icy water had seeped through almost instantly, numbing your toes. You had pulled back with a hiss of discomfort and pulled your legs up to your chest, seeking to preserve any remaining heat you had left. Your lips moved with the droplets, meekly mumbling a 'plink' each time they hit the water. Every breath exhaled as a faint mist, dispersing into the heavy air. Your only light source was a very weak, flickering glow from the torches situatied outside your cell, the bars of your cell would glow as if taunting you. Everything blended into a symphony of discomfort, the chill, the maddening drip of water, the uneven surface of your cell poking you no matter what angle you sat at, and now your damp boots. How on earth did you ever end up in a place like this?

It was naive to assume you could do this alone, you realised that now, and as slowly as the drip fell, you were starting to realise that rules were in place for a reason. After the incident with Macao in the mountain, Makarov had implemented a strict rule that no one was allowed to leave on jobs without the accompaniment of at least one other person. The only exception pointed to the S-Class wizards who were permitted solo pursuits. The rule had been pinned to the job request board. Impossible to miss, possible to ignore. You had taken it upon yourself to exempt yourself from this rule, despite not going through any proper trials to become S-Class, in that moment you had deemed yourself on the same level, and had left without bothering to tell anyone where you were going. You had planned to just be gone for a day or two, the possibility of a dark guild being involved hadn't even crossed your mind.

The hours dragged painfully on, each one hazing into the next. With no sight of any sunlight, you couldn't even tell what time it was, or how long you had been kept in the cell. The members of the guild barely acknowledged you. It was confusing. You were expecting taunts, heckles, something laced with malice, but all they did would pass by to slide meagre plates of food to you, and to point at the puddle in the cell when you asked for some water. The purpose of your capture was still unknown. You had no idea if it was a hostage situation or if you were about to become a sacrificial lamb. The cold, hard truth was that you had no real solution to getting out of this cell. The shackles around your wrists prevented you from using magic and there was no way you could just strongarm your way out through the front. With no real useful ideas, you began to fill your head with useless ones instead. How does Gajeel not break his teeth on iron? I bet he could just eat his way out of this cell. You let out a soft snort at the visuals that followed. I hope I can shower again before I die. You grimaced at the thought of being found dead and smelly. Then, the forbidden final thought slipped in; Gray is pretty hot, I guess.

"You think I'm hot?"

Your eyes snapped open, heart pounding, you whipped your head around in the dark cell to try and locate the source of the voice but your search revealed nothing. Your breath hitched in your throat and you shuffled slightly on the ground, finding new angles to be poked from. The chill suddenly felt much sharper.

"Gray?" You questioned aloud, voice shaky and uncertain.

"Yeah, who else? You think I'm hot?"

You let out a shaky laugh, moreso in disbelief at yourself than amusement. Shaking your head slightly you muttered, "that water must've made me sick. I'm going insane in my final moments...great."

"Final moments? Where are you?" The voice was distinctly Gray's. Smooth and oddly comforting in the moment. You searched the cell some more, eyes tracing along the moss-covered walls, but the voice was still coming distinctively from within you. 'He' was insistent and steady, containing a level of concern that you hadn't encountered from 'him' before.

"Oh, and now I'm in denial. Fantasic." Your response was dry and drawn out. Rolling your eyes you added, "I'm going to die in here, me, just let it happen."

"Look, I don't know how I can hear you either but I'm not part of your conscience," he pressed. "Now where are you, dummy?"

You blinked slowly. The entire situation was absurd. It made your frustration bubble and boil. "In a cell," you gestured, shackles rattling as you made over the top movements. Might as well embrace the madness if it has come for you this early.

There was an audible sigh. Exasperated. "Well I know you're real because no one else can be this dense. Where did you go?"

"Cave."

"You are insufferable. What did you do to end up there?"

Brows furrowing together you mused over why the voice was asking you this question. It should know if it came from your head. Engaging in the question, if not to just enjoy some conversation with some aspect of yourself that may or may not liked Gray, you started to answer, "I went on a job alone. The job that was there for a few days."

"The one that was posted right next to the new rule? I know the one."

Your jaw clenched in frustration. "Don't get sarcastic with me," you snapped, tone sharp. "If you are real how the hell are you even speaking to me right now or did you plant some weird telepathy device on me you freaky little pervert?"

"Yeah because if I had something like that you're totally the first person I'd plant it on." Another sigh. "I already told you that I don't know how I can hear you, I just can." His tone softened slightly, "stay put. I'll come get you."

"As if I can go anywhere," you muttered in response, resting your head on the uneven wall behind you, jagged rock pressing into your scalp. The torchlight flickered faintly in the corner of your eye, the shadows on the walls dancing mockingly as if to remind you how utterly trapped you were.

"Or I'll just stay here I guess. I'm nice and comfortable."

"If I ever see you again, you're getting decked, Fullbuster."

He didn't humour you with any sort of response to your promise, "where did that job say to go?"

"Gazania," you responded bluntly, the irritation clear in your tone. You strain to recall the details of the job poster. "Six-thousand Jewel," you manage to add. The damp chill of the cell hinders the ability to think, the steady drip from the stalacite pin-pricking every single memory you try to recall.

"Of course you remember the money," the voice belonging to 'Gray' chimed in with a slight laugh.

You were quick to cut him off, "I mean it, Fullbuster. If I ever see you again then you're getting decked." The sharpness in your voice softened as you exhaled. "I think the job was requested by a...Mr Flynn?"

"Got it," the voice replied with a confidence. It carried a smirk. "Mr Flynn in Gazania. Sit tight, and don't worry your pretty little head about it."

"You are actually insufferable," you shot back.

The voice disapeared, leaving you alone once again in the oppressive quiet of the cave. It was a suffocating fog, only pierced by the drip of the water. The torches outside of your cell flickered weakly as they struggled to survive. Shadows danced on the walls outside, stretching and shrinking in an uneven sinister manner. You shuffled closer to the bars of your cell door, shackles clinking with every movement , and peered outside and into the hallway. The cell itself had been crudely built into the basement of what seemed to be a very old house. From where you could see, the bricks that made up the old basement were cracked and crumbling in places. Dust fell from the ceiling outside of your cell, trickling down to the stone floor. The house was unloved, and it groaned for every tiny piece of itself that it lost.

There was no sign of any other prisoner or hostage. As you strained to see as far down the hallway as possible, you never once heard another cough, another shuffle, another sniff. It was silent, bar the steady plink of that goddamn water. With a sigh, you retreated back into the corner of your cave, quietly resigning yourself to the thought that the voice was the first sign of madness, and no one was coming for you.

________________________________________________________________________________

"So, essentially," Erza began, crossing her arms as she frowned. Her gaze pierced Gray as she scrutinised his word, looking down at him from where she stood.. "You heard a voice that sounded like Y/N, telling you that they had been kidnapped and you're going to save them based on that alone?"

Gray leaned back in his hair, classically topless. "That's exactly what I said." He was ironically playing with fire standing up to Erza.

Lucy let out a tired groan from beside them both, slumped over her own arms on the table. She didn't even lift her head as she mumbled under her breath, "the ice is freezing your braincells."

He ignored her. "We haven't actually seen them in five days," he pointed out.

Erza considered his words but tried to find a logical reasoning, "what if they're just sick?" She paused slightly, "they could be resting at home. Perhaps we should send over some cake."

"They went out on a job," he bluntly stated as if that statement alone should end the discussion. He stood up from his chair, meeting Erza's eyes.

"But the new rules state that no one is to go out on a job alone," Erza countered, trying to find a more logical reasoning as to why one member of their guild hadn't been seen in five days.

"When does anybody in this guild follow rules?" Gray retorted, raising his voice ever so slightly.

Lucy meekly chimed in, "he has a point." She raised her hand ever so slightly before letting it fall to the wooden surface with a soft thud. "Natsu destroyed two buildings only a day ago, Erza."

Erza's lips pressed into a thin line, "even so how do we trust this voice? How do we know it's not just a telepathic device implemented by someone trying to get ahold of Fairy Tail members?"

"If that's the case then they can take me hostage, I'm going to find Y/N." Gray stormed towards the heavy entry doors of the guild. "I'll even do it alone." The doors slammed behind him, drowning the rest of the hall in silence for a few seconds before the steady hum of chatter washed back in.

"Should we go after him?" Lucy asked, pulling herself upright to exchange a long and weary glance with Erza.

Erza remained quiet for a few seconds, moving her head back to stare at the doors. "We'll do the sensible thing and go check on their residence first...and prepare a cake just in case." Erza looked around, her crimson hair flowing down her back, "where have we lost Natsu?"

"The home intruder duo invaded my apartment last night, and they're still there."

Erza nodded with a sense of knowing. "Let's get going then."

________________________________________________________________________________

You awoke with a jolt. It wasn't a peaceful slumber by any means, nor was it a willing one. Constantly shivering and enduring the neverending drip, you had just intended to doze off to pass the time, but as the grim world you find yourself in greets your eyes, you see that it was just to delay the inevitable. A guild member stood at the cell door, blocking any of the weak light from entering, and casting a long shadow into your cave cell. No food. He was here for a different reason. A sinister grin plastered to his face. You decide not to say anything, as much as you want to clap back with witty remarks, you keep your lips strictly sealed.

"It's time," are the only words that leave his mouth, low and gutteral.

You could only assume that this was for your purpose of being captured. Cursing that stupid job flyer, and wishing you had never made your way to Mr Flynn, your brain and mouth disconnected. "No."

The dark guild member frowned, eyes growing dark, and his grin fell. They took one step closer towards the door, holding a set of keys in one hand. "You don't get a choice."

"No," you repeated again. Absolutely defenseless with no way to fight back, this was up there with one of the stupidest things you had ever done, but, by some miracle, the absurdity of your defiance had stopped the member from whisking you away as quickly as was intended.

"Are you dumb?" They questioned, shoving the correct key in the cell door. It jingled and clunked as he gripped it between thick fingers.

"Possibly," you responded quickly.

"They are," a new, very familiar, voice added. The addition of the voice caused the member to whip around on high defence, letting go of the key in the process. It hung from the lock procariaously.

The dark guild member wasted no time lunging at Gray with a startling speed, acting on instinct and fuelled by adrenaline at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Gray's eyes widened at the sudden movement, but he quickly sidestepped the man's trajectory. Boots scraping across the rough surface of the stone floor, the attacker pivoted harshly, directing another fist at Gray. Taking a few steps back and reacting swiftly, Gray summoned a shield of ice, just in time to intercept the blow. As flesh met ice, a sharp crack reverberated throughout the hallway. The guild member pulled away, hissing in pain as frostbite crept across his bleeding knuckles.

With a growl, the member dropped low, aiming another attack at Gray's stomach. Gray went high, bringing his elbow down on the man's back with a practiced precision, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Groaning and twitching, he attempted to lift himself up, but he wasn't given any such chance. In the blink of an eye, Gray had encased the attacker in a ball of ice, allowing only his head to remain untouched. Impressed with himself, and believing that you should be too, Gray turned to your cell. Stepping up towards the door, he gripped the bars and leaned in, leaving the key in the lock as if he had all the time in the world.

"So...you think I'm hot, huh?" He asked, voice low with amusement, with a dastardly cocky smirk creeping up his stupid face.

Prick.

"Who are you calling a prick?" He exclaimed, stepping back from the cell door, plucking the keys from the door. "I just saved you from a ritual sacrifice."

"I never called you a prick!" You yelled back, frustration evident in your voice.

"Well, I heard you call me a prick," he spun the keys around one finger as he leaned against the corridor wall directly opposite your cell door. The dim light flickered over his obviously shirtless chest.

You sighed, not wanting to get into any argument with him at the current moment, choosing to steer the interaction back into something productive. "have you done anything about the rest of the guild?"

He smirked again at the thought of you doubting him. As if on cue, Erza's unmistakable voice called down from the top of the stairs as a body toppled down into the basement. It landed with a groan. "That's the last of them! Have you found Y/N?"

"I follow the rules," Gray whispered only loud enough for you to hear, clearly enjoying himself at your expense. He turned his head, calling back up the stairs to Erza, "I have them, they're fine!" He stepped forward again, sliding the key back into the lock. The metal groaned in frustration as he turned the key to open the door. His smile softened ever so slightly as he looked over your unfortunate form, "come on, dumbass."

Boots crunching on the soft ground of the cave, you shuffled over to him as he held a second key upright. The key to your shackles. Presenting your wrists to him, he slid the second key into that lock. The shackles clicked and fell to the ground. Bruises painted your wrists but the second that the shackles were free from your arms, you felt magic seep back into you like a breath of fresh air. You took a deep breath and rubbed your wrists slightly.

Gray hesitated, before tentatively reaching up. Cupping one of your hands in his he gently rubbed the bruises lightly. "Five days, huh?" He murmured, voice low.

"You can imagine how wiping went," you quipped softly, unable to resist injecting sarcasm even into the sweet moment.

His lips quirked up into a grin as he responded ever so casually, "still find you hot."

A frown formed on your face, and you blinked through the confusion, "huh?" But before you could process that sentence, the promise you made earlier crashed into your head. Lifting up a weak fist, you sent it into his shoulder.

Gray groaned, stepping back slightly and massaging his shoulder. "I call you hot and you punch me?"

"I promised it to you earlier!"

He paused, recalling the past telepathic conversation. "Fine. Okay, you did."

The two of you go silent for a brief moment, unable to really process Gray's confession. "So, how did you hear me earlier?" You ask, adding something in to at least attempt to ease the tension.

Gray rubbed the back of his neck slightly, "no idea. We'll ask Gramps when we get back." He moved closer, snaking one arm around your waist for support. Falling into place, you draped one of your arms over his shoulder and together you moved slowly through the dimly lit corridor, boots scuffing on the steps as you made your way towards sunlight.

________________________________________________________________________________

The moment of reckoning had arrived. Barely a step into the guildhall, and you had been summoned by the master. The stern look in his eye made it painfully obvious that this was not going to be any form of appraisal. Closing the door softly, you slowly slid into the seat opposite the master.

"Hey, Gramps," you offered weakly. It wasn't a long journey back to Magnolia and so your bruises still throbbed with a fresh memory.

The master's gaze was sharp, and it cut through any excuse you had prepared. He didn't waste any time on checking how you were, he could tell from the state of you already, and as long as you were alive and breathing, you were well enough to receive a firm talking to. "Repeat to me the newly implemented rule of this guild."

"That no one, bar the exception of S-Class mages, are to undertake any job alone." You swallowed hard.

"If it's that ingrained into your head then why did you go alone?" His accusatory words hung heavy in the air.

Dropping your gaze to the floor, you hung your head in shame. "I thought I could handle it, I have before." It was a weak answer, given from a weak voice.

"But even if you have handled a hundred jobs before, something can always go wrong." He softened slightly, the pronounced wrinkles in his head fading as he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You didn't account for the dark guild. I'm just thankful that you at least told someone where you were going." He rubbed his temples. "I don't know what I would do if I lost one of you," he muttered, almost to himself.

You kept your mouth shut, not wanting to let Gramps know that you did not in fact tell anyone where you were going. Drawing your lips into a thin line, you mused over your next choice in words, desperate to change the topic of conversation. "Can I ask you about a type of magic?"

He grumbled incoherently under his breath before muttering, "yes. Go on then."

"A type of telepathy, I think. When Gray-" you paused over your next few words, how to phrase them to stick to the story that he had woven himself that you had at least told someone before leaving. "When Gray came for me, we were able to talk telepathically. We've never done that before."

He raised an eyebrow at your statement. "And this has only happened between you two?" You nodded in response. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he was quick to hide it. "It's a very rare form of magic, and so rare that people even call it a myth." Jumping down from his perch, he found an old dusty book from his shelf, handing it over to you. "Here. You can read this whilst you recover." You briefly glanced down at the dusty book before looking back up at the master but he was already waving a dismissive hand at you. "Now go. And don't make me regret not scolding you harder."

Holding the book with all the strength you could muster, you hobbled out of his office, legs stiff with every step. Gray was waiting outside for you, leaning against a wall but he quickly straightened as soon as you emerged and quickly falling into stride beside you as you made your way to an empty table.

"So how hard did Gramps wail on you?"

You pointed your head down to the bruises on your arms. "Fresh from Gramps," you joked.

"You're joking."

"Of course I am, idiot," you responded, rolling your eyes. You let the hefty book fall onto the table with a thump. "He gave me this though."

He slid across from you into an empty chair. "A book?"

The pages crinkled and groaned in protest as you slowly opened the book, releasing a small cloud of dust. "You're such a genius," you exclaimed in a monochromatic tone.

"Prick."

"Who are you calling a prick?" You exclaimed, frowning at him.

"It's just happening again," he sighed, "you're just hearing my thoughts."

You arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Your thoughts are mean to me."

"And your thoughts think I'm hot," he teased lightly. "What else do you think about I wonder."

You kicked him from under the table and chose to ignore his question, instead looking down at the title of the front page. Magics of the Soulmate. Your stomach churned at the implication and you fell silent. Without saying another word, you spun the book around and slid it across the table towards Gray.

"Soulmates?" He exclaimed. The surprise fully took him before he dropped his voice into a low hush. "Gramps thinks we're soulmates?" You attempted to open your mouth to answer but no words escaped. Gray ignored you and dropped his head down to read further, "Only in dire situations or moments where thoughts are really felt that they are then projected onto one's soulmate, if that individual has one." He stopped reading and looked up, smirk creeping across his face. You knew what was coming. "So you really think I'm hot, huh?"

You kick him again out of desperation, harder this time. "Shut up!" You whisper harshly, face flushing out of your control. "So what does this mean? You suddenly start loving me?"

"Well you are kinda hot," he shrugged a little. He then grew serious and leaned back in his chair, lazily flicking through the pages of the book. "This doesn't have any answers, it just kinda says what we experienced. It's all just vague."

Growing silent once more, you muse over the implications. There was one thing that you forget during the whole ordeal. Looking up, and into his eyes. They had grown softer, fully living in the seriousness of the situation. You softly speak; "thank you for saving me earlier."

Gray reaches out, thumb brushing over the back of your hand. The ironic warmth of his touch caused the hairs on the back of your neck to rise. His voice was low and steady as he spoke, just for you "Anytime."

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