Chapter Text
“Natsu, we’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up!” Gray shouted up the stairs for the third time in as many minutes, tapping his fingers impatiently on the banister when there was no reply, before stomping off towards the kitchen. What the hell was the idiot doing? He had been the one to accept Sting’s invite to have Christmas dinner at theirs, and the one to insist on making far too much dessert to take around as offering, so what on earth was he playing at now?
There was a thud from upstairs, and then a crash as though Natsu had fallen over and Gray froze, listening intently. There was a pause and then he heard his boyfriend cursing loudly, and he shook his head. Natsu could climb and wiggle through things faster than anyone Gray had ever met, and yet when it came to moving around the house, he was the clumsiest idiot alive. Their Christmas tree was a statement to that, he thought glancing across at where it stood leaning heavily to the left, it’s star almost at a right angle from where Natsu had fallen into it the night before, sending it crashing into the bookcase. “Natsu, is the house in one piece?” He called.
“What about me?!” Natsu howled from upstairs.
“You’re too noisy to have hurt yourself,” Gray retorted loudly. “Besides, if you had actually been on time you wouldn’t have crashed into whatever you’ve walked into this time.”
“That’s not fair!”
“It’s absolutely fair.”
There was silence, and then a stomping noise that he recognised as Natsu in a huff and as soon as he heard the wonky top step creak under the force of it, he turned around to look at his boyfriend. “What took you…?” Gray trailed off, the question dying on his lips as he stared at Natsu and blinked. And blinked again. Nope, the image wasn’t changing. Natsu Dragneel, the idiot and love of his life, had reached the bottom of the stairs and was stood there in a santa outfit. Not just any santa outfit either, as this one left very little to the imagination and that was being…generous. “I…” His mouth opened, closed, opened again. “…what?” He squeaked at last, flushing as a decidedly wicked grin crossed Natsu’s lips.
“I told you I had a surprise for you later,” Natsu replied.
“I’ve got a surprise for you later too,” Natsu murmured as Gray kissed him in thanks for his gifts, fingers still curled around the beautiful frame that held a painting of Ur clearly based on the few photos he had of her, still wandering when Natsu had managed to pinch them long enough to get this done.
“But you’ve already spoiled me rotten,” Gray protested.
“And you spoiled me too,” Natsu retorted. “Besides, it’s our first Christmas living together, that means we get to go all out, and I promise you’ll like this one.” There was something about the way Natsu said that, but Gray couldn’t put a finger on it, and promptly forgot about it as Natsu kissed him. “I promise.”
“I…” Gray’s wasn’t sure which was more broken at this moment, his voice, or his mind… his mouth was dry and as much as he tried not to, he couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing over Natsu. “Where did you even get that?” He asked finally. It wasn’t the question at the top of his list, not really, but it was all he had as he eyed the leather material, the hat that Natsu had perched at a jaunty angle and far too much of his boyfriend to keep himself sane when they were supposed to be heading out for dinner.
“Erza knows some interesting shops,” Natsu replied with a shrug and Gray groaned. Of course Erza had been involved with this, she was much too invested in their relationship and she loved seeing Gray flustered as he had always teased her for being a romantic at heart, before he’d gone and fallen head over heels (literally as it turned out, that when it came to ladders he was as clumsy as Natsu was…and that was a story for another time) for the idiot in front of him. “So…” Oh that was a voice that promised mischief, and Gray wondered how on earth he’d ever thought Natsu was sweet and innocent, as the other man positively sauntered towards him. “What do you think?” The kiss that accompanied the question was too brief, and Gray yanked the idiot back in choosing to answer the question that way since he didn’t trust his voice to work.
I love this idiot…
…and I might have to thank Erza later…
Eventually they broke apart, and he could see the fire in the olive eyes, the promise of more. And oh how he wanted it, and Natsu in that moment, but…
“We are not being late to Christmas Dinner because I-I…” Gray protested, and it sounded weak in his own ears, made worse by the fact that his hands were lingering, reluctant to let go.
“Because you?” Natsu was blinking at him, all doe-eyed and innocent, but the act was ruined by the glint in his eyes and the fact that he was pressing closer. Deliberately teasing. Gray hated and loved him in that moment, and then he smirked, leaning in to steal another kiss. This one deliberately hungry and lingering, until he was forced to pull away.
“Because I want to savour this gift,” he let his gaze drift over his boyfriend, and nearly surrendered there and then, but he locked his knees and held firm. “All night.” There… there was what he had been aiming for, the delectable blush that spread across Natsu’s face, starting at the tip of his nose and spreading up and across until his entire face and ears were bright red.
“Oh…” Now it was Natsu whose voice had trouble working, the word so soft that Gray would have missed it if they’d been any further apart. “So…”
“Tonight,” Gray said, the word a solemn promise sealed with a kiss, before gently pushing Natsu back towards the stairs. “Now please go and get dressed, before I forget myself and have to explain to Rogue and Sting why we didn’t make it…” They would probably find it hilarious, but Gray knew there was not a cat in hells chance that the rest of their group wouldn’t hear about it before the evening was out.
“Fine,” Natsu huffed, looking a little disappointed.
“Tonight,” Gray promised with a small smile, and Natsu nodded and headed for the stairs. Leaving Gray to catch his breath, and glance at the dragon shaped clock on the wall and groan.
They were going to be so late…
****
“This is the last time I let you decorate the tree alone,” Sting proclaimed staring up at their tree and rubbing his nose. It wasn’t that it looked bad, after all Rogue was a florist and had much more of a creative flourish than he did. It was just… “Why do we have a goth tree?” He asked after a long moment, reaching out to flick at one of the black and red baubles, listening to it tinkle merrily and noticing both Frosch and Lector perk up at the sound.
“I liked the baubles…” Rogue muttered sounding sulky.
“I mean they’re nice, but…” Sting was casting around for what to say, before gesturing down at his jumper which sparkled whichever way you looked at in the Christmas lights. “It doesn’t quite scream Christmas.”
“Well if the cats hadn’t broken our original ones, and you hadn’t tossed that box from your family in the rubbish maybe you would have a tree you liked.”
Okay, he had definitely hit a nerve and he sighed. It wasn’t as though he was wrong. Rogue had owned a massive box of glass decorations, all silvers and blues, but they’d left them on the edge of the sofa while they were otherwise distracted and the cats had decided they needed to be in the box right that moment, and neither the baubles or box had survived the twin assault. As for the old decorations he’d rescued from home, there was no way he’d wanted them on their tree for their last Christmas as an unmarried couple, the past and his family had no role to play in that, and it had been wonderfully cathartic to launch them into the bin. “You’re right, I’m sorry, it’s just…”
“Not your taste…?” Rogue finished for him, a little less moody this time. “We can get some more for next year.”
“Better yet we can put them on the gift list,” Sting suggested, and he knew that he was forgiven when Rogue laughed and pulled him close for a kiss.
“As long as we make sure Gajeel isn’t the one to pick them.”
“Are you picking on my jumper again?” Sting demanded.
“Maybe…” Rogue admitted, darting for the kitchen as Sting pulled back and tried to swat at him, sparkling the whole time, and not for the first time wondering why he had fallen for someone who didn’t appreciate things that things were always better with sparkles.
**
“Have you heard from them?” Rogue asked as he finished putting the last touches to the table a few minutes later, shooing Frosch away when the cat started to paw at the tablecloth, having visions of everything crashing to the floor. It wouldn’t be the first time, although Lector was just as guilty as his own idiot.
“Gray said they’re running late but, on their way…” Sting replied as he joined Rogue at the table. “I get the feeling Natsu was up to something.”
“Which means you helped plan it,” Rogue grumbled, knowing that he could be catching an earful depending on how irritated Gray was.
“I’m innocent,” Sting protested, which did nothing to reassure Rogue.
“Sure, you are…”
“I am.” There was too much glee in those words and Rogue looked up at him, just in time to see his fiancé lift the mistletoe that had been hung above the front door to catch their unsuspecting guests out. “See,” Sting whispered leaning to kiss him, and despite the urge to roll his eyes, Rogue melted into the kiss and pulled Sting close.
“Idiot,” he murmured fondly, when they pulled back, still keeping his arms around Sting and holding him close. Seeing the protest building, he kissed Sting again. “You don’t need mistletoe.”
“I know,” Sting replied, unbearably smug. “But it’s Christmas.”
“Yes, it is and…”
Whatever Rogue was about to say was forgotten as there was the chink of moving glass, and they both whirled just in time to see the tablecloth, with all the carefully laid placemats, plates and glasses go sliding off the far side of the table with an almighty crash. There was a brief pause as one of the plates, miraculously intact, rolled away across the living room, and then with two panicked meows, Lector and Frosch sped out from the crumpled pile of tablecloth and dashed for the shelter of the bedroom. Leaving their owners standing there open mouthed and horrified, just as there was a loud knock at the door.
“Well shit…” Sting muttered.