Work Text:
Despite his magic Gray did not enjoy cold showers. Lukewarm or tepid was preferable, allowed his body to maintain a desirable human temperature even though he had built up a strong immunity to the cold. He could still get ill, and as a wizard work was everything; Gray needed to be as healthy as possible, and cold showers were not always ideal for that (of course they were occasionally necessary, but Gray often had more on his mind than if he was going to catch a fever or not).
No, Gray enjoyed the little pocket of warmth, enjoyed seeing steam billow up and feeling its effects. It made a change from what he was used to, was relaxing in its own way, and after a long hard day of work Gray often found himself craving that heat.
However if there was one thing Gray enjoyed more than a warm shower, it was Natsu’s smile, and being the cause of that smile was euphoric to Gray, a sensation that he would never tire of; he was an addict, but he was okay with that. Natsu was the sweetest kind of drug, and Gray loved him deeply.
So when Natsu stretched out like a cat, muscles pulled taunt, lithe limbs straining, and asked Gray if he wanted to take a shower, he shrugged, picked up his book and his glasses and smiled at Natsu.
“It’s okay, you go first.”
He liked warm showers, but Natsu liked them boiling , able to melt the skin from a normal human; Gray would not use any hot water, would rather take a cold shower then deny Natsu a simple pleasure such as this. He knew that eventually they would need to get an apartment together where they could both pay the bill and enjoy as much hot water as they pleased, but for now Gray would enjoy his cold shower knowing that the warmth of Natsu’s embrace would surely follow.
It was a small sacrifice to make, but Gray did it gladly, if only to see Natsu smile just once more.