Chapter Text
The hotel was fancier than Natsu remembered from their previous visit with Happy, Erza and Lucy, but he wasn’t all that concerned about it. Stuff like that had never mattered to him. He was much more worried about the line of people waiting to get into the restaurant. He’d been about to complain about it, but he never got the chance.
“Relax, Pyro. We have a reservation, remember?”
Right. And he was thankful for that. Outside of the unexpected train ride, this dinner had been a godsend. The perfect solution to what had been shaping up to be an uncomfortable situation.
Natsu loved his guildmates; they were his nakama after all, but they were too damn nosy for their own good. It was bad enough that they’d already made Gray’s life miserable by encouraging Juvia’s antics despite his constant rejections, but now it seemed they’d set their sights on him.
He knew he should have expected it, but he’d hoped that they would have interpreted his lack of romantic interest in Lucy for what it was. Instead, they’d decided he was oblivious, and encouraged her as well.
Natsu loved Lucy dearly. He just wasn’t in love with her, but he didn’t want to hurt her by telling her that. He’d kind of hoped she’d get bored by his lack of response and move on to someone else. Someone like Loke, who was clearly crazy about her. But that hadn’t happened yet, and even worse, he’d overheard Mira telling Cana that Lucy planned to make her move that night.
He’d jumped at the chance to escape the guild. A night full of food and drink was just what he’d been in the mood for, and the prospect of hanging out with Gray intrigued him.
He followed Gray to a podium, where a hostess greeted them. That already was a big change from the places they usually ate. The hostess verified their reservation and handed them off to a server, who led them down a dimly lit hallway and into a small room.
“Your table isn’t ready yet, but this is our lounge,” she announced with a smile. “It’s not as noisy as our main bar, and you can still enjoy a drink while you wait.”
She gestured towards the lounge’s bar area and left. Music played softly on the room’s music lacrimas, and along with the usual bar stools there were several sofas that looked more expensive than Natsu’s house, contents included. He decided the bar stools were probably safer.
The lounge had large windows, giving them a splendid view of the ocean.
“Oh wow, this is great!” he exclaimed, watching the people on the beach enjoy the warmth and beauty of the setting sun. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun, and there had been so many stalls to check out. He longed to go join them.
When was the last time they’d been able to do anything fun?
“Yeah,” Gray agreed. “Maybe we can check it out after we eat? Mavis knows I won’t be able to get you back on the train after that.”
Natsu hated to admit it, but Gray probably had a point. They took their seats, and the bartender walked over to them.
“Can I interest you in a drink?” she asked politely.
“Yeah.” Gray pored over the wine and cocktail menu he received. “Could we get two of those magic drinks?”
“Excellent choice, Sir. Two Magic Wonders coming right up.”
Natsu’s stomach rumbled as the smell of food wafted over to them, causing Gray to roll his eyes at him. Gray got the bartender’s attention again and added, “Can we get an order of your spiciest appetizer too?”
“Sure thing.” The bartender put their order in and continued to mix drink orders.
Gray got up and patted Natsu's shoulder, “There, don’t say I never did anything for you.”
“Hey, where you going?”
“To take a leak.”
He walked off and Natsu watched him go, amused to notice his friend had kept his shirt on for once. It felt almost unnatural. His eyes lingered briefly on Gray’s broad shoulders, traveling down his back, and before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself staring at Gray’s ass and thinking about how nice it was.
“Oh, and try not to destroy the place while I’m gone.”
Gray turned around then, a teasing smile on his face which turned into a wink when he noticed Natsu’s eyes on him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Natsu spluttered, his cheeks red with indignation, or at least that’s what he told himself, refusing to acknowledge for the moment that his best friend had caught him checking him out. Gray’s parting chuckle irritated him even more.
Stupid Ice Princess. Like he couldn’t be left alone for five minutes without getting into trouble. What did Gray think he was, a Vulcan in a pottery shop?
But seriously, what in the world had possessed him to do that?
It had to be Juvia. He cursed her for his sudden awareness. Ever since she’d joined the guild it had been Gray-sama this and Gray-sama that, until the guy’s name lingered in the air, working its way into Natsu’s brain like some kind of annoying hypnotic suggestion he couldn’t escape.
Yeah, that had to be it.
He went back to staring out the window while he waited for Gray to return.
0-0
Gray entered the restaurant’s bathroom, closing the door behind him quietly and checking the stalls to make sure they were empty before he allowed himself to react.
“Yes!” He pumped his fists in the air in celebration, smiling so widely he barely recognized himself in the mirror.
He had a chance! Natsu had been checking him out, and that had never happened before. At least, not that he’d ever noticed.
Feeling more confident that this plan might actually get him somewhere, Gray did his business, his head up in the clouds, filled with possible dream scenarios about how the evening could go.
You've got a little something there. Oh, it's me! Nah, too corny.
That sunset looks beautiful, doesn’t it? Not nearly as beautiful as you, though. Ugh… too sappy.
There had to be some smooth move he could make, something not too in-your-face yet still obvious enough even the Flame Brain would get it.
Well, whatever. He had Natsu all to himself tonight, with an enjoyable meal ahead of them and the beach to look forward to after that. He'd think of something. For now, he’d start small. Maybe he’d offer a compliment. Everyone liked those. Right?
Gray washed his hands, and after giving himself one last pep talk, he headed back to the bar. As he walked, he tried to remember a joke Loke had told him earlier. It had been a little crass, but he was sure Natsu would find it funny. Gray could almost hear Natsu’s laughter ringing in the air.
Yeah, just like that.
It took him a second to realize he hadn’t imagined it. As he got closer to the lounge, he could hear Natsu’s laughter loud and clear, and Gray thought it was the best sound in the world. A smile spread across his face, only to be wiped off immediately at the sight that greeted him at the bar.
More specifically, at the sight of the barstool he’d left behind, which was now occupied by none other than Sting Fucking Ew-cliffe.
He’d only been gone for a few minutes. Where had Sting even come from?!
Gray clenched his fists, fighting off the urge to grab the Sabertooth Master by the collar of his shirt and pull him out of his seat. But as much as he’d like to do something like that, he knew it was a bad idea. If he was a jerk, it would piss Natsu off and that would be the end of their evening.
Instead, he plastered a smile on his face and approached the two dragon slayers.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, hey, you’re back,” Natsu said as his laughter died down. “Sting told me a joke.”
Sting offered Gray a half wave, looking unexcited to see him. The feeling was entirely mutual.
“Well, it was nice of you to stop by to say hello but don’t let us keep you.”
“Me? Nah, I’ve got time to spare. Our table isn’t ready either.” Sting casually rested his arm on the bar and turned to Natsu, “I’m surprised to see you guys here.”
Great. This was going to be awhile. Gray decided he might as well sit down and begrudgingly claimed the vacant stool on Natsu's other side.
“Our table?” He looked around, trying to spot anyone he might recognize from Sabertooth. “I don’t see anyone else here. Did you get stood up?”
“Of course not! He’s just late,” Sting said, sounding pretty sure of himself even as his legs bounced on the edge of the stool and his eyes darted in the direction of the hallway they'd come in from.
“Stood up? So you’re on a date?” Natsu asked, pouting in disappointment and giving Gray a mini heart attack for a second until he added, “I thought maybe Rogue would join you.”
Sting promptly stilled, staring at Natsu and blinking rapidly. “Uhm... Rogue is my date.”
Natsu laughed heartily, “Good one, but seriously, is it anyone we know?”
Gray winced, almost feeling sorry for the guy. Definitely not what you wanted to hear, especially not from someone you looked up to. With any luck, Rogue would get there before Natsu’s obliviousness destroyed Sting’s confidence any further. Although, he had to admit that would be fun to watch, too.
“Why wouldn’t it be Rogue? I mean, you and uhm-” Sting looked over at Gray, eyes narrowing in concentration and fingers snapping before he shrugged his shoulders- “him don’t strike me as dating either, but here you are.”
“Well, but aren’t you the Twin Dragons? I thought you guys were brothers.”
Brothers?!
How the hell could Natsu think that? Sure they were called the Twin Dragons, but they looked nothing alike. They even had different last names, for fuck’s sake.
Gray could only stare at him in amazement. He was in love with an idiot. Might as well say he was moronsexual.
Sting spoke up before Gray could call Natsu out.
“That’s just our team name, stupid. Do you really think I’d date my brother?”
“Do you really think Gray would ask me out on a date?” It started out as a chortle, but Natsu soon burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
Gray no longer thought it was the best sound ever.
“Why wouldn’t he? And I mean, look at this place-” Sting gestured at the fancy decor and the expensive furniture in the lounge- “It doesn’t exactly scream just friends, does it?”
Natsu shrugged, a faint smile still playing on his lips. "Nope, that’s not what happened here. I just overheard Gray talking about having a reservation at an all you can eat restaurant as part of a job reward and invited myself along."
It seemed his and Loke’s plan had worked a little too well. Gray desperately wanted to ask Natsu what he would have said if he had asked him out, but he wasn’t about to do that in front of Sting.
“You got a reservation as a reward? Man, I wish I’d seen that job.” Sting looked at Gray, eyes wide in disbelief. “I had to make one 3 weeks in advance!”
3 Weeks?!
Gray had no idea this place was that popular, and he wondered what strings Loke had pulled to get the last minute reservation. And more importantly, what he would ask for in return. He’d better make the most of it.
“Do you think Rogue will like it? It's our first date, so I wanted to impress him.” Sting looked around the lounge, suddenly eyeing the place with a look of dread.
“Um... sure,” Natsu said, “It has an awesome view of the beach and, you know, there’s food.”
“You’ve just described every restaurant in Akane,” Gray pointed out. Then again, he was pretty sure with restaurants, Natsu didn’t pay attention to anything outside of the food.
Natsu shrugged. “Where are our appetizers and drinks, anyway? Shouldn’t they be here by now?”
Gray silently agreed. He was hungry, and he’d really like for their date to start, minus the interloper.
“What about me? Do I look okay?” Sting stood up and turned around, eyes wide as he awaited their judgment.
“There’s something different about you. What is it?” Natsu muttered, tapping his chin with his finger as he studied Sting.
“Well, for one, he’s wearing an actual shirt.” Gray said with a frustrated sigh. This was not how he had envisioned their date going. What was it going to take to get rid of this guy?
Actually…
“You look fine, dude. Might have overdone it a bit on the cologne, though.”
“He’s not the only one.” Natsu scrunched up his nose. “You both smell like one of the Trimens.”
Gray bit back a retort, but Sting went into a panic, grabbing a napkin from the bar and scrubbing his neck. “Fuck, I knew it was too much. Does this help any? It doesn't, does it? I should clean it off.”
He bolted out of the lounge, dodging a few other guests who were being guided to their table, and shouting a “be right back” over his shoulder. Just as Gray had hoped he would.
“Take all the time you need,” Gray called out after him cheerfully, reclaiming his original seat because… well, he’d had it first.
“Well, that was something.” He said, glossing over that minor act of pettiness. “Didn’t think we’d bump into anyone we knew.”
“Hey, you think they'd be down for a fight later?” Natsu asked, punching his left fist into the palm of his right hand.
“Of course not. They’re on a date, moron. Do you really think they’d want to do something like that?”
“I would.”
“On a date?” Gray challenged, although he wasn’t sure why he was surprised. This was Natsu, after all.
“Yeah, why not? Aren’t you supposed to have fun on dates?”
Gray couldn’t really argue with that, and fighting with Natsu was always fun. He was about to suggest they spar later when he spotted the bartender coming their way.
“Two Magic Wonders, and some Firecracker Shrimp to whet your appetite,” she announced, arriving with their drinks and appetizer and setting them down before them. “Apologies for the long wait, we're fully booked tonight so we're a little backed up.”
Finally!
“I think they’re broken,” Natsu complained, examining the drinks with slight disappointment, “they just look like two glasses of plain water.”
Gray had to give him that one. This wasn’t what he’d expected from the so-called magically infused cocktails either.
“The spell is still unfinished,” the bartender explained. “You need to wrap your hand around the cup and focus some of your magic energy into it. It doesn’t need much-”
Gray could tell Natsu had stopped listening. Before she'd finished her sentence, he'd already grabbed the cup in his hand and set it on fire.
“Natsu!”
"Sir!"
He ignored the protests from both Gray and the bartender, keeping his attention on the glass, which had begun to shake in his hand. The liquid bubbled and turned bright red, and then it shot up like a failed potion, right into Natsu's face.
“You idiot! Do you ever think?!”
So much for not insulting him.
“Geez, relax, will ya? A little thing like that isn’t gonna hurt me,” Natsu pointed out, evaporating the liquid easily, as Gray had seen him do so many times.
The bartender breathed an audible sigh of relief, wiping the remaining spillage from Natsu's drink off the bar with a cleaning rag. “I’ll be right back with another drink,” she assured them before moving to another section of the bar, where she restarted the mixing process.
“You’re still an idiot,” Gray grumbled, making Natsu laugh in response.
“Well, you know what they say, it takes one to know one.”
Gray opened his mouth to answer, but Natsu quickly changed the subject.
“Why don’t you try it then?”
“Gladly.”
Gray focused a small amount of magic on his hand and wrapped the glass in a thin layer of ice. As soon as he did so, bubbles sprouted from the bottom, rising to the surface and forming a vortex that spun until the liquid had changed color from clear to the vibrant blue of glacier ice. Vapor rose from the liquid’s surface and transformed into small snowflakes that gently floated back down into the drink.
“That’s so dainty. Precisely what I’d expect from an Ice Princess,” Natsu snickered. “I bet mine’s gonna be way cooler.”
“I just hope the restaurant’s still in one piece by the time you’re done.”
Gray took a small sip, swishing the contents around in his mouth and closing his eyes.
The liquid was cold, so much so that it sent a small but welcome shiver up his spine. Hints of chocolate and peppermint danced on his tongue, reminding him of when he’d lived with Ur and Lyon.
Their training had been intense, but on days when she’d been pleased with their progress, Ur had made him and Lyon hot cocoa that tasted much like this. She had made them responsible for crushing the candy mints, and they would bicker about the best way to do it as Ur laughed at them from behind the stove. He could almost picture it, and rather than cause him the usual grief, the memory made him smile.
He opened his eyes to find Natsu watching in rapt fascination, his curiosity just about bursting out of him.
“Well? What did it taste like?”
Gray didn’t answer right away, still caught up in his memories. It took him a while to even register that Natsu was staring at him, focusing on his lips as if he’d never seen them before.
Gray thought of how to describe it, and suddenly he knew. “It tastes like winter.”
And just like that, Natsu snapped out of his trance, bouncing in his seat with excitement. “Ooh, me! I want to try winter!”
Gray covered his drink with his hand, fixing Natsu with a glare that screamed at him to back off.
“Come on, don’t be so stingy! I don’t have a drink.”
“And whose fault is that? Besides, I don’t know where your mouth has been. No way I want that in my drink!”
Natsu pouted, but soon mischief crept into his eyes. Before Gray could consider what that could mean, Natsu had already grabbed his hand. Gray’s heart beat faster, not sure where Natsu was going with this, but excited just the same. Natsu’s tongue darted out, licking a stripe across the palm of Gray’s hand while maintaining eye contact.
Holy shit!
“Now you do,” Natsu grinned, looking quite pleased with himself even as Gray struggled to come up with an appropriate reaction. He took advantage of that, grabbing Gray’s glass and taking a sip.
“What do you know! Your magic actually tastes good, kind of like peppermint hot chocolate.”
Gray looked away, not wanting Natsu to see just how much his little stunt had affected him.
“So, uh, what were you thinking about? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that before.”
“My drink tasted like the hot cocoa Ur used to make for us,” Gray said, relieved to be back on more comfortable ground.. “I hadn’t thought about that in a long time.”
“Why didn’t you just say that, you dumbass? I wouldn’t have pushed.”
“Yeah, you would have.” Gray chuckled.
Natsu tried to deny it, but he must’ve known it was a stretch, so he laughed along with Gray. “Okay, yeah. I would have.”
He grabbed a Firecracker Shrimp and chewed on it. And for the second time since they’d arrived, Gray caught him staring out the window.
“Another Magic Wonder,” the bartender returned with Natsu's drink. She'd also brought a fire extinguisher, and was trying, but failing, to hide it subtly under the bar.
If Natsu had noticed, he didn't seem to be bothered by it, focusing only on the glass in front of him.
“Don't overdo it this time,” Gray reminded him.
Natsu furrowed his brow in concentration, coating his glass in a small flame and anxiously watching the liquid change color again. It slowly turned that same intense red from before. Instead of the vapor from Gray’s drink, there was a plume of smoke that transformed into a bright flame that remained lit.
He eyed it for exactly one second before drinking all of it down in one gulp.
Gray had expected Natsu to react in some over the top manner. To yell, or go on about how his drink was superior, just like his magic, but there was only silence. That wasn’t exactly true, though. Now that he was paying more attention, Gray could see that Natsu’s eyes were teary.
“Natsu?” Gray put a hand on his arm, worried by the uncharacteristic change. “What’s happening?”
“I’m fine, it’s just- it tasted like Igneel’s fire,” Natsu sniffled, hugging the cup to his chest with reverence. “It’s been so long since I last tasted it and now it’s all gone.”
Oh no! Natsu looked like he was ready to cry. That wasn’t supposed to happen on a date! Gray panicked, not knowing what to do or say to make Natsu feel better. He looked at his drink, still sitting on the bar, and considered offering it to him.
Idiot! He won’t want your stupid drink after tasting Ignel’s fire. Oh, of course! How dense could he be? He could order him another one.
“Don't worry, I’ll get you another one.”
Gray scrambled out of his seat after glimpsing the bartender serving a customer at the other end of the bar.
“I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder, determined to fix this slight glitch in his plans.
He waited as patiently as he was able for her to finish.
“I need another Magic Wonder.”
“Sure, I’ll put in an order, but it’s going to take a while. We’re very backed up.”
“Isn't there something I can do to speed it up?” He thought of the jewels in his pocket. “I can pay extra if that helps.”
“Sir, I already-”
“Please? This can literally make or destroy my night.”
The bartender glanced over at Natsu, who still looked despondent, hugging the empty glass to his chest. Her expression softened slightly. “Alright, I’ll do it just this once. Stay right there.”
Gray nodded, tapping his fingers on the bar as he waited. A couple sat next to him blocking his view of Natsu but he dared not move, worried the bartender might decide to give the drink to someone else.
As soon as she returned with his order, Gray turned around, almost dropping the drink he'd shamelessly begged for when he saw his bar stool once again occupied by someone who wasn't him. Any relief he might have felt that it wasn't Sting this time was overshadowed by dismay at seeing Rogue talking to Natsu, leaning in ever so slightly and nodding in sympathy.
Oh, come on!
He all but stomped his way back over, still careful not to spill any of the drink, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get another for quite a while.
“You’re in my seat,” Gray informed Rogue, attempting to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.” Rogue got up and moved to stand on the other side of Natsu.
“Here you go,” Gray said, placing the fresh drink in front of Natsu before reclaiming his seat.
He watched as Natsu put the glass he had been holding on the bar and stared at the new drink with something akin to awe. He cupped his hand around it and let out the barest flicker of magic to complete the spell.
“Are you okay?” Gray asked worriedly, not used to seeing Natsu act this way.
“Yeah, I just don’t want to waste any of it.”
The way he said that made Gray feel like he was intruding, so he turned his attention to Rogue, who still stood peering into the dim corners of the lounge.
“You’re looking for Sting, right? He’s in the bathroom,” Gray informed him, frowning as he realized the Sabertooth Master had been gone for quite some time. “Come to think of it, he’s been in there a while.”
Rogue looked heavenward and sighed. “Great. I hope he's not munching on the paper towels again.”
“Seriously? That’s disgusting!” Gray pursed his lips in distaste.
“Meh, he’s eaten worse things.” Rogue shrugged, taking a seat next to Natsu.
To Gray’s slight surprise, he in no way looked like he was about to go on a first date. As far as Gray could tell, Rogue looked just about the same as he always did, contrary to Sting, who had obviously dolled himself up for the occasion like a teenage girl.
Gray leaned back so he could see past Natsu and study the shadow dragon slayer better, wondering if he was about to deal with another nervous wreck. But Rogue showed no signs of being anxious. If anything, he looked tired and frazzled, which Gray guessed made sense. The guy was late, probably just rolled off a train.
“Is something wrong? Was this your seat too?” Rogue frowned at him, realizing he was under scrutiny.
“Huh? Oh, no. I’m just surprised. The way Sting was talking earlier I thought you’d be more into this,” Gray said, turning his attention back to Natsu.
He seemed to have calmed down, although he appeared to be in deep thought while staring at his drink. Gray supposed there was a first time for everything. He’d give him a few more minutes to snap out of it. It’s not like they could get anywhere until they were either called to their table or Sting got out of the damn bathroom.
“This? This what? You mean the restaurant?”
“He means Sting,” Natsu said, joining the conversation when Gray least expected it.
“What about Sting?”
“If you don't like him, just tell him. He's your friend. You should be honest with him about how you feel.”
Rogue flinched so hard he almost slid off his seat. “I- What? What the hell are you talking about?”
Gray began to suspect that Rogue was as clueless as Natsu as to why he was there.
“Rogue! You made it!”
Gray, Natsu and Rogue all turned towards Sting’s voice, which could somehow be heard over all the other noise. He walked toward them in quick steps and Gray brought his hand up to his mouth to cover up the laugh he couldn’t contain.
Sting’s shirt was covered in wet spots. His hair, which had been styled in perfectly gelled spikes, had flattened into bangs, and there was a long piece of toilet paper attached to one of his shoes.
He’d gone to wash off some cologne, but had returned looking like a survivor of some bizarre bathroom battle, and somehow he still reeked of cologne. But you wouldn't know it from his beaming smile.
Sting walked up to Rogue, reaching into his pocket and pulling out... something Gray couldn’t make out at first because he shoved it at Rogue with such speed that it became nothing but a blurry shape.
“Here, for you.” Sting said, placing what looked to be a small box into Rogue's hand.
“What’s this for?” Rogue said, breaking away from the mess that was Sting, to glance down at the box.
“Open it.”
Rogue slowly slid the elastic bow off and opened it. Whatever was inside caused him to jerk his head back toward Sting with wide eyes.
“Oh.”
“Do you like it?” Sting stared at Rogue in a way that Gray recognized, with a face full of hope and hearts in his eyes.
“I-I uh,” Rogue stuttered, looking back and forth rapidly between Sting, Gray, Natsu, and the lounge. “Give me a minute...”
“You know, I‘m thinking Rogue didn’t know this was a date.” Natsu whispered in Gray’s ear, which was to say he’d blurted it out in a voice loud enough to make his ears ring.
“You think?”
“Yeah, I do,” Natsu nodded, the obvious sarcasm flying straight over his head. “I kinda feel bad now. Maybe we should have told him.”
Gray stiffened, Natsu’s words along with the advice he’d offered Rogue earlier echoed through his head. No matter how the thought caused his stomach to twist itself into knots, he knew he’d have to be honest about his intentions at some point. Natsu was his friend too, he deserved as much.
“Is that true?” Sting’s shoulders slumped upon hearing the less than subtle conversation between them. “But I asked you and everything.”
“Yes, I realize that now,” Rogue said, sounding a bit snappy, which Gray couldn’t blame him for. He gathered himself quickly, though, taking a deep breath and getting up from his seat.
“Come-” he grabbed Sting’s hand and led him to a sofa that had just opened up when a couple was called to their table.
Gray took another sip of his drink, mirroring Natsu, who he could tell was focusing his ears on the Twin Dragons’ conversation. Under any other circumstance, Gray wouldn’t give a damn about how that would unfold, but the possibility of having a heartbroken Sting join them for the rest of the night changed things a bit.
He nudged Natsu, raising his eyebrows in silent question. Natsu didn’t answer, still listening, but if his expressions were anything to go by, it was not going well.
Fuck. Please. This can’t be happening…
Curiosity getting the best of him, Gray peeked over his shoulder. Sting looked positively dejected, and the visible part of Rogue's face looked no better.
“Well, this is awkward.” Gray turned back to Natsu, not sure if he’d be able to watch that train wreck in his current situation. Would his night end like that, too?
“Yeah,” Natsu sighed, but then he perked up and started laughing. “Actually, I think they’ll be fine.”
“Oh-” Gray absently grabbed a shrimp and began eating- “Good for them.”
“Uhm, Gray…”
“Hmm?” Gray grabbed another and chewed lazily, not realizing that Natsu might’ve been trying to warn him until he felt his lips and tongue burning with the heat of a thousand suns. He swallowed what was still in his mouth in one go, sending the burn down his throat now as well, and broke out in a violent coughing fit. The blazing heat spread through his entire body fast, setting his skin on fire and causing sweat drops to form on his face.
Whose stupid idea was it to get the spiciest appetizer?! Oh, right, that would be him.
God bless his icy drink. He gulped it all down, only half hearing Natsu’s rambunctious laughter.
“Who the hell deemed this safe for consumption?” he gasped, fanning at himself in a sorry attempt to cool down.
“Someone who's not an Ice Princess like you,” Natsu snickered, holding out a shirt that looked awfully familiar.
Damn it! How did that happen?!
Gray grabbed his shirt and put it back on before anyone could complain, calling on his magic to help cool himself down.
Natsu shook his head, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Pervert.”
“I can’t help it!”
“I know, Ice Block, I know.” Natsu finished the last of his drink and set it back down on the bar, his eyes straying back to the window for a full minute before peering back at Gray.
“Listen, I know this was a big part of your reward and everything, but do you mind if we take off?”
“You want to go back home?” Gray was crestfallen. He’d thought they were having a good time, outside of the unexpected drama.
“I didn’t say that, but it’s hard to sit still when I know that’s waiting for us,” Natsu said, pointing at the beach. “I’ll even pitch in since it’s my idea.”
Gray thought about it. This restaurant had been Loke’s idea and as far as he was concerned it had already served its purpose. If Natsu would rather go to the beach, then they’d do that. It was bound to be more fun. Plus, this way, if Natsu reacted badly to his confession, he wouldn’t have to worry about property damage.
As much.
“Yeah, we can do that.”
“Wow, that was easier than I thought. That shrimp too much for you?” Natsu taunted.
Gray ignored him, focusing on finding the bartender so he could close their tab. Luckily, she was heading towards him. He was just about to address her when a voice spoke up next to him.
“Hey there! Can I get two of the Magic Something drinks?”
“Yes, of course,” the bartender assured Sting. She turned to Gray. “I believe your table should be ready any minute. Would you like anything else?”
“No, thank you. We actually won’t be needing that reservation after all.”
“Alright then, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“You’re leaving?” Rogue asked, appearing by Sting’s side. “But you haven’t even eaten yet.”
“We passed a ton of food stalls on the way here,” Natsu said, already sounding excited by the prospect. “Besides, the food they serve here is too spicy for the Ice Princess.”
Gray glared, “Oy! That shrimp was the spiciest appetizer they had.”
Rogue rolled his eyes at the exchange, “You two sound like a married couple.”
"Well, you kinda look like one," Natsu laughed, pointing at the necklace Rogue was now wearing. A thin silver chain with a crystal pendant that was identical to the one dangling from Sting's ear.
"Oh, shut up," Rogue huffed, clutching the piece of jewelry as his cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink than Natsu's hair.
“I’m glad things worked out,” Gray said, mostly to be polite. He winced as he heard people scream in panic as they witnessed Natsu drying off Sting’s clothing with his fire. He could almost hear the bartender rushing to the extinguisher. Why didn’t the idiot ever think?
Yeah, going to the beach was probably for the best.
"Me too." Rogue eyed the spectacle warily. "Sorry you got dragged into that."
“Yeah, it was… something.”
“He means well.” Rogue smiled apologetically, but his eyes were soft with affection. "Oh. That reminds me, can you thank Natsu for me? He was right."
“Now there’s something you don’t hear every day.”
Rogue snorted into his hand, looking less tired than he had when he'd just arrived. "Alright. Get Natsu out of here before-"
Whatever Rogue said after that became inaudible when the screams increased and were almost immediately joined by the loud hiss of the fire extinguisher.
At a loss for words, Gray and Rogue watched the chaos of scattering guests, the bartender frantically trying to extinguish the fire, Sting inhaling the massive gust of white powder blasted at him, and a loudly cheering Natsu.
"... Just get him out of here."
“Good plan.”
Gray hurried over to the two dragon slayers, not about to give Rogue another second to reconsider his life choices. He grabbed Natsu by the arm and pulled him back towards their seats so he could pay for their tab.
“It’s on the house, please just go!” The bartender waved him away, looking like she was on the brink of having a complete meltdown.
“Thank you.” Gray took out his jewel pouch and placed a large tip on the bar, wanting to make up for some of what they had put her through.
Natsu, oblivious as ever, thanked her and waved blithely even as Gray dragged him out of the lounge.
They had almost reached the exit when Natsu shook off Gray’s arm.
“I can walk on my own, you know.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
They left the restaurant and walked through the lobby in silence until Natsu started giggling.
“The look on the bartender’s face when Sting ate that powder!”
Now that the restaurant was safely behind them, Gray couldn’t help but join in. Soon they were laughing so hard they had to hold on to each other to keep from falling down, earning them curious but mostly annoyed looks from the other patrons.