Work Text:
Gratsu Weekend 2020
Prompt: Join
Pairing: Gray x Natsu, Siegrain x Gray
August 14, 2021
Gray hurried into the train station, looking down at his watch to make sure Natsu’s train hadn’t arrived yet. His shoot had run longer than expected, but he’d raced out of the building as soon as it finished hailing the first cab he’d encountered.
He’d wanted to turn the job down, but Hibiki had convinced him it was a rather sizable sum of money for the amount of work required. Plus, they would also pay for his stay in Crocus. When his mother had agreed to watch Aki for the weekend, he’d realized this could be a great opportunity.
Natsu worked pretty much all the time, but if he could somehow convince him to take the Saturday off and join him, then they could turn it into a weekend getaway. He was sure Makarov would love to watch the kids, and they could certainly use some time alone.
Gray and Aki had been staying over every other Sunday and after getting used to sleeping on the same bed with him, Natsu had become more comfortable and curious about exploring their physical relationship, leading to some pleasurable evenings.
Gray looked at the platform numbers, stopping when he reached number seven. The train arrived at the platform, its brakes squeaking as it slowed down and came to a halt. He spotted the flash of bright pink moving through the crowd of passengers that were boarding and disembarking.
“I’m over here,” he called out with a wave, and Natsu turned to him with a smile. Gray grabbed him by the hand, guiding him into a less crowded area so he could pull him into an ardent kiss.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he murmured into Natsu’s ear, giving him one last hug before once again grabbing his hand. “I can’t wait to show you around. I even found an all you can eat place near the hotel for lunch.”
Natsu’s stomach rumbled in agreement, but Gray didn’t think he even noticed. He knew Natsu had traveled little, although he’d always wanted to, and as they walked outside the train station, he devoured their surroundings eagerly.
Crocus was an older city, the capital of Fiore. It had long been known as the Flower Blooming Capital. It was easy to see why when there were flowers as far as the eye could see in every color imaginable. Flower beds decorated the sidewalks, while window boxes added a certain charm to many of the shops in the commercial district. Gardens were prominent features of the parks they passed on their way to their hotel.
Gray chuckled, squeezing Natsu’s hand occasionally when he made an over the top reaction, amused to see how much he was enjoying this. He couldn’t wait to show him around the capital, but the first order of business was to get rid of the small suitcase that Natsu was carrying. Soon they reached the hotel where Gray had been staying since Thursday, and he led Natsu inside.
Natsu’s eyes widened comically as he took in the luxurious design of the lobby. Gray caught him staring in a dumbfounded manner at the elegantly dressed staff, so he hurried them towards the elevator.
Once they made it to the right floor and stood in front of the door to their room, Gray chuckled.
“What?”
“I don’t know. The way you’re acting, I almost feel like I should carry you over the threshold or something,” Gray teased.
“Fuck you!” Natsu objected, not liking the implication of those words.
“On second thought, I like your idea better,” Gray snickered, opening the door and hurrying inside to get out of the way of Natsu’s response.
“Very funny,” Natsu muttered before something outside the window caught his attention. He dropped his suitcase and rushed over to examine it. “I’ve just never seen anything so beautiful.”
Gray smiled as he came up behind him, holding him close while resting his head on his shoulder and murmuring, “I have,” into Natsu’s ear.
Natsu stopped gawking out the window and turned around, finally paying attention to his boyfriend. He touched their foreheads together, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of Gray’s cologne. “I missed you,” he admitted, threading his fingers through Gray’s dark hair.
“I’m here.” Gray’s voice was breathy as he nudged them ever closer to the bed until the only way to go was down. And Natsu complied, pulling Gray along with him as he sat down on the mattress and laid back slowly.
Although it had only been minutes since they’d locked lips at the train station, Gray felt ecstatic to be kissing Natsu again. He was sure he’d never get sick of it. Every kiss they shared still brought him the same joy as it did the very first time.
They started off slowly, but it didn’t take long before they got carried away. Their kisses became deeper, more passionate. For the moment, Gray had forgotten about the plans he had made in his head. The lunch, and the list of all the wonderful places in Crocus he’d thought would be fun for them to visit. His focus was only on his boyfriend. His warmth, his scent, the smoothness of his skin as Gray slipped his hands underneath his t-shirt. Natsu made soft sounds of pleasure against his lips, hums, and moans that were like music to Gray’s ears, and Gray wanted to hear more of it.
He let his hand travel lower, dipping below the waistband of Natsu’s jeans and tracing the outline of his hardening cock through his boxers. It elicited another wanton moan, but before Gray could move to get those jeans out of the way and give him some easier access, there was another sound coming from Natsu.
A low rumble coming from his stomach.
Gray knew they wouldn’t get anywhere when Natsu started giggling, interrupting their heated make-out session. He was quick to continue, but his stomach growled once again, and Gray let him go with a laugh, “Fine, fine, to be continued. Once your stomach does that, it’s impossible to get you to focus on anything else.”
He could tell that Natsu wanted to protest, but as much as he’d enjoyed what they were doing, Gray knew he was going to be patient. Besides, for once, they had all night to play without worrying about how loud they might get. They could pick up where they’d left off later, and he was already looking forward to that.
0-0
When they exited the restaurant, they were both stuffed, which wasn’t surprising considering their meal had turned into an eating competition which neither was willing to lose. It had finally ended when Gray had reminded Natsu they were wasting time that could be spent exploring.
They held hands as they walked through the more colorful areas of the city, the ones that were mostly geared towards tourists, and Gray found he was enjoying himself despite having seen them plenty of times before. Seeing the awe in Natsu’s eyes as he took everything in made him want to show him everything. From the sculptures that decorated the fronts of many large buildings, to the street performers who entertained crowds with their tricks or haunting melodies, all the way to the shops, many of which sold items rarely seen in Magnolia.
Natsu loved it all. He ran from place to place, pulling Gray along behind him until he noticed the one building that was larger than any other, dwarfing every other structure surrounding it.
“Is that a castle?” Natsu asked with obvious excitement.
“Yep, it’s called Mercurius, a long time ago when Fiore used to be a monarchy the King and his family lived there but nowadays it’s used as government offices. Oh, and it has some beautiful gardens you might like. I’ve done a few shoots there.”
“I’ve never seen an actual castle before.” Natsu soon gave him the puppy eyes, “Can we go there?”
“Sure, why not?” Gray smiled.
“If we hurry, we might be able to take a tour,” Gray announced after looking up the information on his phone. They reached the castle in about twenty minutes. There was a long line for the tour, so they opted to walk around the gardens first.
“Erza would love it here,” Natsu smiled, taking picture after picture to show her. They followed a path that led them to a garden maze.
“I forgot this was here,” Gray exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of a challenge. “Want to see who can get to the center first?”
“You’re on,” Natsu was already grinning in a way Gray recognized. He had gone into his competitive mode. They each chose a different entrance, but before they could get started, Gray’s phone rang.
He looked down and wrinkled his nose, “I have to take this.”
Gray motioned for Natsu to keep looking around while he took the call. It was Hibiki.
“Hey bro, hate to take you away from your day out, but they need some reshoots,” Hibiki sighed, probably feeling bad that the shoot had proved to be such a pain.
Gray groaned, “We just got to Mercurius.”
“I’m sorry, but it shouldn’t take long. You can bring him with you and show off a little,” Hibiki suggested.
“Fine, we’ll be there soon,” Gray grumbled before hanging up.
He turned to see Natsu kneeling down in front of a spectacular flower display, and he called out to him, snapping his picture when Natsu looked at him.
“Hey, no fair!” Natsu protested, “I wanted a picture of you.”
“Maybe we can get one together,” Gray declared, stopping a couple that was walking past and asking if they would mind taking their picture. He handed them his phone and stood next to Natsu, his arm draped over the shorter man’s shoulders as they both smiled for the camera.
Once the picture was taken, they thanked the couple and looked at the results. “Oh man, I look stupid,” Natsu complained.
“Look?” Gray teased, holding his phone away so Natsu couldn’t delete the picture. “Come on, we have to go.”
“Go where?” Natsu asked curiously, “Who was on the phone?”
“Hibiki, my manager, I have to go back to Blue Pegasus for some retakes,” Gray apologized, but to his surprise, instead of seeming upset, Natsu looked excited.
“I’m going to get to see you work?”
“Yeah, trust me, it’s not in the least bit exciting. It’s a lot of getting ready and sitting around waiting on the photographer to decide on his shots.”
“You get to see me work all the time,” Natsu reminded him.
Gray chuckled, grabbing his hand and leading him to the taxi line, “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
0-0
Hibiki texted him on the ride there, asking him to come in through the back entrance. That should have been his first clue that something was up, but he thought nothing of it, caught up as he was making out with Natsu in the cab to think about anything other than what they would get up to after he was done working. Their kisses grew more and more heated, and even though Gray wasn’t a fan of public displays of affection, but he didn’t mind right now. He just wanted to finish the retake as quickly as possible so that they could get back to the hotel, and he could get Natsu out of those clothes.
They got out of the cab, and Gray led Natsu to the back of the building, where Hibiki was waiting for them. They hugged briefly, and Gray introduced Natsu to his friend and manager.
“Hibiki, this is Natsu, my boyfriend,” he announced with pride, frowning a little at the appreciative once over Hibiki gave Natsu.
“So you’re the one Gray won’t stop talking about,” Hibiki smiled. “It’s great to meet you. Welcome to the Blue Pegasus Talent Agency, and might I say if you’re ever interested in trying modeling, I would love to represent you.”
“Down, boy.” Gray laughed at his friend.
“What? He’s gorgeous! Just look at those cheekbones, and those eyes,” Hibiki went on talking about Natsu as if he wasn’t there.
“Stop making him uncomfortable, will ya? And tell me why I’m here?” Gray asked as they walked into the building, heading towards the set.
“They decided their concept lacked originality or something,” Hibiki rolled his eyes, “You know how these creative types can be.”
Gray immediately groaned. “Are you kidding me? After all the different shots they tried this morning?”
“I know, I know,” Hibiki soothed, “They assured me they wouldn’t take up much of your time, so why don’t you go get ready and hopefully you two can be out of here in an hour or two.”
They had arrived in front of the dressing room he’d used that morning, and he opened the door to find Eve, his previous assistant, and a makeup artist already waiting for him. Hibiki offered to give Natsu a tour of the building while Gray got ready, and he accepted, causing Gray to yell out, “Don’t sign anything!”
Hibiki chuckled, “I can’t promise I won’t try.”
“What’s the matter, Princess, afraid I’d be more popular than you?” Natsu taunted.
“Princess?” Hibiki snorted at the nickname, “Oh, I like him!”
“Should I show him the picture we took earlier?” Gray raised an eyebrow, laughing, when Natsu hurried out of the room.
“So that’s Natsu, huh?” Eve asked as he grabbed the clothes that Gray discarded and handed him a robe. “He seems nice.”
Gray nodded, sitting down in the makeup chair and relaxing his features as much as possible to make it easier for the makeup artist to do her job.
“I’m glad you’re moving on.” Eve patted him on the shoulder before leaving the room to get the outfits Gray would need to wear from the clients.
“Me too,” Gray replied to the closed door, receiving another shoulder squeeze and a smile from the makeup artist.
Gray closed his eyes and willed himself to relax. As much as Hibiki wanted to remain as his manager, he knew this life was no longer for him. Every time he entered the building, he would tense up, knowing he could bump into Siegrain at any moment. It hadn’t happened yet, but he had a feeling that was Hibiki’s doing.
The long shoots and crazy hours, the parties, and most of all, the interviews and the keeping up of appearances. None of it appealed to him anymore. Not that it ever had, but he’d put up with it for Siegrain’s sake. Back then, he’d thought they were a team, each building on the other’s successes, not having a clue of all the things Siegrain got up to behind his back. At this point, he just counted himself lucky that he hadn’t caught anything from his husband’s many affairs.
His life was most definitely in Magnolia now, with his family, and Natsu and their kids, but he’d continue doing these small jobs to help him get enough money together to open up the Taekwondo school he’d told Natsu about. It would be nice to teach others how to defend themselves and help them develop their minds and bodies. That was the life he wanted to lead. Simple but full of meaning, joy, and, most importantly, love. He looked forward to it.
When Hibiki returned with Natsu, Eve had already hung up his wardrobe on a portable rack. From the way they were laughing like old friends, Gray could tell that Hibiki approved of him. The makeup artist finished up with some eyeliner, and he could feel Natsu’s eyes on him, making him feel a tad self-conscious when he stood up to get dressed.
“Eyeliner looks good on you,” Natsu announced, and while at first Gray thought his boyfriend was messing with him, his admiring glances told another story.
He put on the first set of clothes, determined to get through the retakes as soon as possible, Natsu’s presence making it hard for Gray to concentrate on anything but him.
After an hour of wardrobe and lighting changes, he was done. He left the makeup on since Natsu had seemed to like it. And after putting his clothes back on, he guided him out of the building.
With a sly wink, Hibiki had informed them he’d sent a bottle of champagne to their room for their trouble and invited them to order whatever they wanted from room service before bidding them good night. Several members of the agency’s security staff walked them to a car Hibiki had arranged to take them back to the hotel.
It all felt over the top, but Hibiki was like that sometimes, so Gray thought nothing of it.
“Was it as boring as I said?” he asked with a knowing smile.
“Not at all, it was interesting, but you’re right I could never do it,” Natsu admitted, “Having to be still for that long would drive me crazy. But you looked amazing. The way you changed your expressions and stuff, it was sort of like acting.”
Gray laughed, “Not even remotely, but thanks!”
“I could feel your eyes on me,” Gray whispered in Natsu’s ear, mindful of the driver, “It was so hard to focus, all I wanted to do was get you back to our room, and take off those clothes so we could pick up where we left off.”
He could hear Natsu swallowing hard at his words, and it turned him on even more. “Would you like that?” he teased, blowing warm air into Natsu’s ear and watching him squirm as he nodded.
Soon they arrived at the hotel, thanking the driver before hurrying inside. They were walking across the lobby and towards the elevator, arms wrapped around each other’s waist as they debated what to do for dinner, when Gray heard Siegrain’s voice behind him.
“You must be quite pleased with yourself.”
He froze, not entirely clear what he was going on about but uncomfortable at having Natsu witness whatever circus this was going to devolve into. When he finally turned around to face his ex, he was baffled by what he saw. Siegrain’s substance abuse had produced a dramatic effect on his appearance. It hadn't even been that long since Gray last saw him for negotiations, but he looked at least 10 years older. His hair was matted, his skin dry and impure, and he'd lost weight.
“What are you doing here?!” Gray demanded, pulling Natsu behind him. He could feel Natsu fighting his grip, but he held on tightly, knowing Natsu’s short temper.
“You have some nerve saying that to me after getting me kicked out of Pegasus.” Siegrain ignored Gray’s question, preferring to continue with his tirade.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Gray stated calmly. “I was only there for some reshoots.”
“You think you’re such a big deal, don’t you?” Siegrain narrowed his eyes, studying Natsu in a way that made Gray nervous, “Tell me, are you enjoying making a fool out of me in front of our friends?”
“Let’s take this outside, alright? No one here is interested in this,” Gray declared, trying to sound reasonable, “Natsu, wait for me upstairs, will you?”
“Like hell I’m leaving you alone with this asshole,” Natsu raged, and Gray could see from the stubborn set of his jaw that there was nothing he could do outside of carrying him over his shoulder that would get Natsu to return to their room.
“I can take care of myself, remember?” Gray assured him.
“I know, but I’m not about to give him the chance to hurt you.”
Gray looked from one man to the other and, with a long-suffering sigh, walked out to the hotel’s entrance. They could follow him if they wanted, but he wasn’t about to make a scene in the lobby. Natsu was right behind him, asking him in a whisper if he was okay.
Siegrain stomped after them. “Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you!”
“What is it you want?” Gray crossed his arms across his chest, feigning boredom even though his heart was beating a mile a minute. “We have plans.”
“I want to talk to you. I miss you.” Siegrain attempted to look genuine, but it only made Gray feel even warier. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“You missed me?” Gray scoffed. “Well, it sure as hell didn’t seem like you did when you were plowing everything in sight.”
“Come on, Baby. We don’t need all these lawyers. We’ve always been able to work things out between us.”
Siegrain flashed him one of his most charming smiles, and once upon a time, that would have been enough to get Gray to do whatever he wanted. But that spell had broken long ago. Now Gray could only wonder how he had ever been so naïve as to fall for it in the first place, and it filled him with sadness and shame that he’d let this man mistreat him for so long.
“You had more than enough time to work things out, Siegrain, you just weren’t interested.”
Siegrain took a step closer, still flashing that same smile, like a scam artist only capable of one trick. “I know I’ve made mistakes, and it cost me our relationship, but you’ve made mistakes too. Can’t we put those behind us? Have a coffee with me sometime. Now that you’re making your comeback, there are some amazing opportunities we can discuss. No one knows you better than me. Let me put that to work for us! We’ll make millions, all you have to do is drop Hibiki. Come back to me.”
Gray stared at Siegrain in shock. No one knows you better than me? Come back to him? The man was delusional. Scratch that, he was certifiable, but before he could respond, Natsu did so for him.
“Not a chance,” Natsu growled, putting his arm around Gray’s waist while glaring at Siegrain openly. “He doesn’t need you. He already has a manager looking after his best interests.”
“What’s this?” Siegrain scowled, gesturing towards Natsu, “We’re not even officially divorced yet, and you’ve already replaced me with a boy toy?”
“Let me make myself perfectly clear. I have no interest in pursuing any kind of relationship with you. Now or ever,” Gray’s eyes bore into Siegrain, “As for him, he’s none of your business. If that’s all you wanted, you can go. As I’ve already said, we have plans.”
“You cockslut!” Siegrain screeched, “Where the hell do you get off talking to me like that?! I made you what you are! You were just some punk college kid without a jewel to his name when I found you.”
“Yeah?” Gray replied, thanking God that Natsu was with him because trying to keep him from doing something stupid was allowing him to remain collected. “Well, it was this punk college kid that allowed you to live the lifestyle you’re so enamored of.”
“Can I just deck him?” Natsu pleaded, both his fists twitching at his sides.
“He’s not worth it,” Gray replied, searching for Natsu’s hand and lacing their fingers together both as a source of strength and a declaration.
“Also, Aki is doing well. I know you haven’t asked, but seeing as you were so determined to see him, I thought you might want to know.” He turned them around, trying to enter the hotel before things escalated, but Siegrain called after them.
“Fuck you and that snot-faced brat! Out of all the mistakes I’ve made, he was the biggest one!”
Gray could feel Natsu struggling in his grip, and he was almost tempted to let him loose, but he held firm. He turned around. “He is the only thing to come out of our marriage that I don’t regret. But I’m not surprised to hear you say that. You’ve never cared about anyone but yourself.”
Siegrain laughed, “Oh, I care about plenty of things, you just don’t happen to be one of them.”
Now it was Gray’s turn to laugh. “Was that supposed to hurt me? You’re going to have to do better than that. You know, I wasn’t going to say anything, but since we’re sharing truths, here’s one. You look like shit, man. All strung out and itching for a fix. What’s the matter? Did people stop finding you interesting once my money ran out?”
Gray felt the blood dripping even before the pain of Siegrain’s fist colliding with his nose exploded in his head. He could hear the doorman calling the police, but all he was concerned about was Natsu’s response to him being hit.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Siegrain smirked, looking quite satisfied with himself, “Every single time you’d start in on me about spending more time together or whining about the brat, I fantasized about doing it. Gotta say it felt as good as I imagined it would.”
Gray wasn’t sure whether he let go of Natsu’s hand or if he wrestled it free, but the result was the same. There was no hesitation. Natsu charged at Siegrain, his fist already flying toward his face, and Gray could see he’d made no effort to control his force. He had expected that, but what he hadn’t expected were the words that came out of his mouth as he held Siegrain up by his shirt collar, ready to punch him again.
“You’re pathetic, you know that?” Natsu glowered, “You had everything, and you threw it all away for some cheap thrills. You never deserved either of them, and I swear, if you ever try to come at Gray again, I will be there.”
Siegrain spit out a tooth, wiping his mouth of the blood that had sprayed out with it. He stared at Natsu for a full minute before announcing with a sneer, “He’s a lousy lay, but you probably already know that. Am I right?”
“I’m sure he’s better than you could ever hope to be,” Natsu retorted.
Gray was done with the entire conversation. “Just let him go,” he said tiredly, noticing for the first time that there was a group of people watching them. Some even had their phones out and appeared to be recording. “Great, it’s going to be all over the news. Lyon is going to kill me.”
He tried to disregard the sting he’d felt at hearing Siegrain say those words. Even if they had only been meant as provocation, they reinforced the insecurity he’d always felt over whether that was the reason Siegrain had sought his pleasure with others.
Throughout their relationship, Gray had agreed to do so many things he wasn’t proud of, things he’d rather forget, hoping Siegrain would look at him with the same love he had once felt, but he realized now how futile that had all been.
The police arrived at the scene, separating the three of them and asking them what had happened. The doorman verified Siegrain had instigated the whole incident, including throwing the first punch, and they viewed various videos that corroborated their story.
They handcuffed Siegrain and escorted him to the back seat of a squad car. It didn’t seem to bother him, and as he climbed in, he made sure to get Gray’s attention, mouthing, “You’re going to regret this,” with a crazed grin.
Gray tried to ignore him. In the morning, they’d have to go to the police station to give their official statements, and to press charges, Lyon would have a fit if he didn’t. But for now, they were free to go.
0-0
The hotel doctor had already looked at his nose, resetting it and making sure the bleeding had stopped, though that didn’t keep Natsu from fretting over him. They rode the elevator in silence, Gray feeling tired and humiliated.
He could feel Natsu’s gaze on him, but it wasn’t until they entered their room that he spoke.
“So that was Siegrain, huh? He’s a dick,” Natsu said as he fiddled with his hands, “I’m still having a hard time believing he’s related to my boss.”
Gray could only nod in agreement, feeling overwhelmed by the whole encounter. He scowled at his phone, knowing he’d have to call Lyon soon and dreading the harsh words he knew his friend would have for him, no matter how well deserved they were.
“I’ve got to call Lyon. Why don’t you look at the Room Service menu? We might as well take Hibiki up on his offer.”
Natsu reached out for the menu and looked through it as Gray locked himself into the room’s spacious bathroom.
By the time Lyon had finished asking all his questions, and Gray had called Hibiki to give him a heads up, the food Natsu had ordered had already arrived, along with the champagne bottle Hibiki had promised them.
“Lyon and Hibiki will meet us at the police station tomorrow morning,” Gray sighed, running his fingers through his hair in frustration as he slid down to the carpeted floor.
He looked at what should have been their dinner, finding he’d lost his appetite. Part of him kept wondering what Siegrain had meant by his parting words, while the rest searched for a way to forget the whole incident so he could once again focus on Natsu.
“Siegrain always could ruin a mood.”
“We don’t have to let him,” Natsu pointed out as he opened the champagne bottle, smiling at the noise the cork made when it popped and filling two flutes with the bubbly drink as it burst out. He placed the bottle back in the ice bucket and handed one to Gray.
“I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I ordered a few things,” Natsu offered him a plate, but he shook his head, earning a rare frown from his boyfriend. Despite his obvious disapproval, he didn’t push.
He could feel Natsu’s eyes on him, and afraid of what he might see, he sipped his drink, attempting to smile in enjoyment before he could ruin Natsu’s evening too. But of course, it did not fool Natsu.
“I only know the little you’ve told me, but I do know this. You’re incredibly strong, Gray, and an amazing father.” Natsu put the plate back on the table and sat down next to him, “You don’t owe that sonofabitch anything, not after the way he treated the both of you.”
Gray absorbed that thought, recognizing Natsu was right. He had given enough of himself over to Siegrain during their marriage, and more often than not only gotten put-downs or backward compliments in return. He didn’t owe him a thing, but that didn’t change the way he felt right now.
“I’m sorry.” Gray studied the designs on the carpet, not wanting to see Natsu’s reaction to his words. “I wanted tonight to be special for you, but I — I just can’t.”
“What are you talking about?” Natsu lifted his chin, forcing him to look at him, “It already is special. I’m here with you, aren’t I? I don’t care what we do.”
Gray didn’t answer. While he appreciated the sentiment, he couldn’t help but feel like he was failing them.
Natsu got up and walked over to his suitcase, opening it up and rummaging through its contents until he’d found what he was looking for. He returned, holding a small bottle and placing it on the nightstand.
“I’d wanted to surprise you,” Natsu smiled, sounding shy, which was rather unlike him, “but now seems like a perfect time.”
Gray peered at the bottle with curious eyes, but before he could read the label, Natsu had blocked his view.
“Gray,” Natsu sighed, “the way Siegrain treated you, it’s just like you once told me, it was emotional abuse. He made you feel bad about yourself for his own benefit. And he knows that if nothing else, he still has that over you, and he’ll continue to use it against you for as long as he can because he still gets off on having control over you.”
“But that’s not what love is like at all,” he leaned down, capturing Gray’s lips in a gentle kiss, “Real love is warm and unconditional.”
Natsu peppered him with soft kisses, his fingers fumbling with Gray’s shirt buttons, kissing each newly exposed patch of skin until Gray giggled from the ticklish sensation. “What are you doing?”
“Showing you the love you deserve,” Natsu murmured, continuing to trail kisses down Gray’s chest, “but if I can make you laugh, that makes me happy too.”
“I’ve never had anyone see me the way you do,” Gray whispered as he felt his shirt fall off his shoulders. Natsu gestured for him to remove his pants, and Gray stood up and did so, finally realizing what Natsu was up to. He settled on the bed lying on his stomach, feeling Natsu climb on beside him, the weight of his body on his as he stretched to get the bottle which Gray could now see was some sort of scented massage oil.
The warming sensation on his skin as Natsu’s fingers worked on his shoulders, kneading at the tension that sat there, felt wonderful. For a few minutes, he could forget what had happened earlier, but then he turned his head slightly, wanting to catch a glimpse of Natsu only to be struck by the affection he saw reflected in those green eyes he’d come to know so well.
It made him tear up because in the nine years he’d been with Siegrain, he’d never once looked at him like that, and it brought up all the negative emotions he’d been struggling with since the moment Siegrain had shown up. Gray huddled into himself, not wanting Natsu to see him like this, not when he was trying so hard to bring him out of it.
“Hey, whatever you’re thinking right now, stop it.” Natsu tapped him on the head before shifting his attention to Gray’s back and eliciting a deep moan. “Look, I don’t know what that asshole said to you over the years, but I know none of it is true. He never understood how special you are or how lucky he was to have you. But I do. Every time I look at you, I thank my lucky stars that you came into my life, and I’m sorry it took me so long to understand how I felt.”
Gray smiled at Natsu’s words, wishing he could just accept them at face value, but he knew he was in trouble. From the moment he’d grabbed Aki and left for Magnolia, he’d only been focused on the safety and well-being of his son where his issues with Siegrain were concerned.
He’d been running and hiding non-stop, from Siegrain himself and from their shared past. As long as he focused on others, he could detach himself from his own emotions, stick his head into the sand. But both the disastrous confrontation and Natsu’s words had brought them to the surface, and as much as he’d wanted to, he couldn’t ignore them anymore.
“If anything, I’m the lucky one,” Gray confessed. “And I know you’re right. My heart even agrees with you but my mind... it just isn’t there yet.”
“We’ll get there. I know we will because I will personally drill it into your thick skull,” Natsu assured him with one of his signature grins, and Gray couldn’t help but snort in response.
“That’ll be a first. It’s usually me trying to drill things into your thick skull, Darlin’,” Gray teased, laughing at Natsu’s anguished groan as he was reminded of their study sessions.
Even though their usual banter had improved his mood, Gray understood there was no way he could go through with his intentions of making love to Natsu during their getaway. Regardless of how excited he’d been earlier that day at the thought of them reaching a new milestone, or how eager Natsu might have acted. Siegrain’s presence still haunted him. His words had brought all of Gray’s insecurities to the surface, and he was determined not to let Siegrain ruin anything else for him, especially when it was something as meaningful as this.
Natsu put all of himself into everything he did, and Gray knew that when they finally had sex, it would be no different. But he also wanted to do the same. And as long as they hadn’t dealt with their respective feelings regarding Lisanna and Siegrain, that wouldn’t be possible for either of them.
He was still a little disappointed with the outcome. It had felt so right that morning, and it was a bitter pill to swallow, this feeling that rather than moving forward, they had somehow taken a step back. But he recognized it was the right decision for now. To feel his concern for his welfare, and know that he didn’t care that Gray was in some ways broken, made him love Natsu that much more.
Gray let himself enjoy the rest of the massage, feeling his body surrender to those nimble fingers, and growing drowsier with every passing minute. He barely felt it when Natsu left the bed to clean up and turn off the lights, or when he climbed in next to him, wrapping them up in the covers and pulling him into his arms before kissing him good night.
And so Gray drifted off to sleep, cradled in the warmth of Natsu’s loving embrace and holding on to the thought that he was no longer going to grant Siegrain the power to hurt him.