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Gray wakes up to the feeling of fingers dancing on his skin, going gently up and down his arm. Warmth surrounded him from the blanket on top of him and the body pressed to his. He can’t help but smile as he moves closer, burying his nose in the crook of his neck. Natsu lets out a light sigh and his arms circle around Gray, caging him against the furnace that is his body.
“You’re clingy this morning. Should I be concerned?” Natsu teases.
“Why can’t you just enjoy the moment instead of pointing out the anomaly? That’s why we can’t have nice things.”Gray mumbles against his skin as he starts squirming to detach himself from him.
It is no use though. Natsu seems to be much more awake than him, and in an instant, he finds himself pinned to the bed, with an entire body laying on him.
He finally opens his eyes, ready to fight back and make a statement, but all of it is forgotten as soon as he sees the beaming smile adorning Natsu’s lips. His arms are crossed over Gray’s chest, his chin resting gently on them. The mischief he thought he was going to find in his bright green eyes is replaced with fondness. His pink hair is going to all the places, witnessing an eventful night - Gray is pretty sure Natsu wouldn’t be able to sleep without moving to save his life. Ninety percent of the time, Gray finds it cute, since it usually ends up to Natsu clinging to him for dear life, but the ten percent left is a real pain in the ass -sometimes literally.
Gray relaxes his body, unable to find the will to fight anymore.
“We should go out today.” He blurts out, “You know for…”
He is interrupted when a sudden knock makes the tiny house they are in tremble.
Natsu sighs and lets his forehead slam against Gray’s collarbone. Judging by his reaction, there is no doubt that their teammates are behind that door. Gray pats his back in compassion.
“Come on, let's open the door before Erza tries to break through like last time.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me, I’m pretty sure the door frame will not be able to take it this time.” Natsu answers, lifting himself from Gray’s body, and making his way out of the bed.
“What do you mean? You told me you fixed that door last month?”
He sees the way Natsu hesitates for a moment. Surely pounding the pros and the cons of answering that particular question.
“Natsu…”
“I can hear Erza using her magic, it’s a matter of a time before a sword is thrown somewhere!”
“This conversation is not over!”
*
The moment the door is open, Natsu escapes the scene, claiming he needs to shower. Gray decides to let it slide this time, in favor of turning his attention to Lucy and Erza who were sitting on the couch, careful not to disturb , somehow, a still asleep Happy.
“You know, it’s like… 7 am, on a sunday. Usually when people don’t have a job to do, they tend to be lazy in bed and enjoy their day peacefully. Are you, perhaps, familiar with that concept?” Gray says, as he makes his way to the kitchen.
If his morning is going to be ruined by whatever the two girls have to say, at least he needs some caffeine in his systeme.
“Oh Gray, don’t be like that. What were you planning to do? Sleep? With Natsu? You are aware that this guy has the energy of a dozen guards combined right? If it was not for us, surely he would have wreaked havoc by 8 am.” Lucy lets out.
Gray bites his tongue so as to not let out a sarcastic comment. It’s too early for him to start banter that he knows will never end.
“What do you want?” He finally asks, leaving the kitchen bearing two cups of tea and some cookies he made the day before.
“We wanted to know if you would like to come on a mission with us? We will have to go by noon if that's the case.” Erza answers. “So we can be there before the night comes. It’s a couple who needs help finding an old book. We will stay in an inn. The couple took care of it. Honestly the mission seems pretty easy and it pays well. It should be over in less than a week. What do you say?”
“I mean, maybe I should ask Natsu, but it’s okay for me. We didn’t plan on taking any job yet so we’re free.” Gray says.
“I never noticed how you speak for two now. I don’t know if I found it cute or if I want to puke.” Lucy replies.
The comment makes Gray stop his movement, his attention fully on the blond woman. An unsettling feeling makes its way in his stomach. Just like for the comment from earlier, he doesn’t say anything as to not engage in an argument. Erza is quick to take charge of the conversation again, probably sensing the tension. Gray doesn’t really pay attention to what she’s saying. Instead he watches as the pink flush from Lucy’s face grows darker by the second. Gray isn’t sure if it’s from embarrassment or anger, and at this point he decides it's not the most important thing to focus on.
Natsu and Gray have been together for almost six months now. After years of chasing and pushing each other around, it was only a matter of time before one of them cracked. Turns out Natsu was tired of playing chase and confessed his feelings for him in a very dramatic way, under the pouring rain, after another fight with an enemy he doesn’t even remember the name of or even his power. The moment itself was messy, Natsu vomiting words like never before, barely making sense. The instant Natsu closed the gap between them with tears shimmering in his eyes, Gray knew exactly what he meant and he didn’t waste time in returning his feelings. Their time trying to figure out everything was interrupted by Lucy who just landed next to them after receiving a kick from her opponent.
He didn’t miss the way her eyes widened at the sight of them. At the time he thought it was from the shock of the fight. He didn’t dwell on it.
But recently some events made him think twice about things. When they told the Guild about their newfound relationship, Lucy didn’t stay long at the impromptu party. Natsu said she was tired and he didn’t dare to ask more about it. The next few days Lucy was nowhere to be seen and they were too engrossed in their new normal to pay attention to it, after all if something was really wrong someone would have reached out to them. However Gray didn’t miss the other instance where Lucy would make a remark about them being together. It was never harsh words, Gray couldn’t even find an ounce of disdain in her voice, but he understood every undertone of her sentences.
Until now, he excused everything by the crush he knew Lucy had on Natsu. It was not a difficult guess to make when you spend half of the time with the same people. He remembers she tried to make a move on him a year or two ago. All he knows about the story is what Natsu said to him: she told him she loved him and he let her down as gently as possible. Natsu didn’t want to go into details, claiming that certains things said that night needed to be shared by Lucy herself if she wanted to. They never discussed the matter again, and Gray didn’t dare to let anything out about his assumptions, not knowing how to approach the subject.
And judging the way things didn’t seem to settle, he fears that he will need to address the elephant in the room sooner rather than later.
He’s brought back from his mind when Natsu, finally out of the shower and settled next to him, slides a hand on his thigh.
“Erza asked if we could get Wendy on our way to the train station. She and Lucy need to do some errands before we meet up.”
He can tell that Natsu is suspicious that something is wrong with him by the way his eyes search his face. Gray knows he is not being subtle, but he is grateful that neither Natsu or the girls called him out for it.
He simply nods before standing up and making his way to the bathroom.
He senses that this trip is going to be a long one.
*
Natsu has his head on his lap as the train goes at full speed to Shirotsume. He keeps a fresh hand on his lover’s forehead, trying his best to calm his nausea, even though it probably doesn’t change anything.
Wendy, who is sitting in front of them, isn’t doing any better, her face hidden between her knees as Erza runs a gentle hand up and down her back.
Lucy is staring out the window, weirdly quiet, with a sleepy Happy sitting on her lap. Aside from the two dragon slayers who are basically useless once in any sort of transport, the silence between them is unusual.
A sigh escapes his lips. A minute or two later he hears Carla slide the door of the cabin open as she goes straight to Wendy, probably with the water bottle she promised she’ll be back with. Her sudden return seems to ease the tension a little, providing a distraction that Gray is pretty sure he is not the only one who needed it.
*
They arrive at the inn around 6pm. The couple is there to welcome them and share a few details about the mission. Gray understands pretty quickly that the mission doesn’t require all of them. A simple book to find, the girls alone would have sufficed for this. But he doesn’t say anything as he chooses to stay behind, waiting for them to end the exchange.
When the keys to their rooms finally are handed over, he doesn’t waste his time to take his and Natsu’s luggage as he makes his way to the stairs.
“We should meet up at 7 tomorrow. This will give us time to eat something.” He hears Erza say.
“Is it necessary to wake up this early?” Natsu grumbles “Seriously, this mission is ridiculous. I’m sure it will be over by tomorrow night . Why are we all here?”
“Well, they did say we could stay for the rest of the week even if we manage to find the book earlier than expected. Everything is already paid, I’m not about to complain about that!” Erza beams.
Gray stops in front of his door and turns to the rest of the group who is still chatting. The only thing that catches his eyes is the way that Lucy is slightly behind everyone, still quiet.
“Are we meeting up for dinner?” Wendy asks
“Oh…” Natsu smiles sheepishly, “I actually want to stay with Gray tonight if it’s okay with you all.”
Gray arches an eyebrow, quite surprised by Natsu’s request.
“No problem, we still have the rest of the week! See you tomorrow guys!” Erza tells them hastily, already making her way to the room she’s sharing with the girls.
Happy too engrossed in a conversation with Carla, is absently following them.
“Come on, open the door Ice Princess”
Gray shoots him a half hearted glare before granting the request.
The room is pretty simple, a double bed in a corner, a couch randomly placed next to the window and a small table. There’s a balcony with two chairs. Small but clean and pretty enough for them to stay in for the week.
“I’m sorry for speaking for both of us, but I wanted some alone time with you.”
Gray frowns a little. Those words again -speaking for two, speaking for both of us, he thinks.
“You don’t have to be sorry for that Natsu. Even if I’m pretty curious as to why.”
Natsu hums as he helps Gray place their stuff in a corner.
“I saw that something was wrong this morning. I didn’t want to bring it up until you were ready to talk about it. And even if I was not feeling well earlier in the train, I could feel something was not right. You smell… distressed. So what is going on?”
Sometimes, Gray forgets how perceptive Natsu can be. He doesn’t make it obvious, most of the time he prefers to be labelled as the idiot of the group when it comes to emotions and how to handle them. It took Gray a few years to understand that in reality, his lover was like a sponge, drinking every emotion around him, knowing exactly what every single one of them meant and how to handle it. The facade Natsu left on was only to make everyone else around him comfortable, give them a sense of privacy. After all, how do you explain to someone that you know they are sad, happy or even that they are lying because you can smell it ? Gray didn’t even bother to try and ignore Natsu anymore, when he mentions the things he could sense. It was no use, anyway.
“Does Lucy hate me?” Gray blurts out.
Even he is surprised by the way he said it. But in the end, it was probably the main thing bothering him. Since he’s known the blond girl, he became attached, to the point of considering her like a sister. The past months took a toll on him. He admits that he didn’t try to bring it up with Lucy, in fear of making things worse, but mainly in hope that it would all settle on its own. Turns out not everything can be solved if you keep ignoring it, and he was starting to see it now.
“Why would you think that, love?” Natsu asks, clearly shocked.
“I- I don’t know how to say it without sounding like a moron but Natsu I can’t be the only one who noticed that she doesn’t act the same around me since you and I got together.”
Natsu stares at him for a few moments before sighing. He goes to sit on the couch before patting the seat next to him, a clear invitation for Gray to come by his side. The brunette makes his way to him, and the second he is comfortable enough, Natsu takes his hands in his, playing with his fingers. “It helps me concentrate” Natsu told him once “feeling you grounds me, enough for me to stay in the present”.
“I don’t think she hates you, Gray. I think she’s just hurt. For a lot of things. Some I can tell you now because I know, or I think I know but the rest of it you’ll have to talk to her.”
“Then tell me what you can.”
“As you know, before we started dating, she confessed to me.” Natsu starts “ I let her down as gently as I could. I explained to her that I don’t see her that way, because well, I’m quite gay as you may know.”
Natsu grins at him and Gray rolls his eyes fondly at his attempt to lighten the mood.
“But I wasn’t honest with her about the fact that I was also in love with someone else.That someone being you.” Natsu adds, dropping his eyes on their linked fingers. “To be frank, I didn’t want her or anyone else to know about my feelings for you because I selfishly wanted to keep them to myself. You were out of reach for me back then, I never thought that you could love me back.”
With a sad smile, Gray takes out one of his hands from Natsu’s to gently let his fingers caress his cheek. The sweet attention made Natsu look up.
“Now that we are together, and well -we are not hiding our relationship. Maybe it’s kind of my fault and she is taking it out on you.”
That particular sentence makes Gray frowns.
“What do you mean? Your fault? I don’t understand how this mess is your fault.”
“Imagine confessing your feelings to your teammate and a few months later that same teammate is in a relationship with another teammate.”
“Natsu, I know what you are trying to say but I still don’t think it’s your responsibility! If it was the case she would act the same way she acts around me, toward you. And it’s not the case.”
He sees by the way Natsu bites his lips that it’s not all he has to say on the matter. And that observation only worries him further.
“Babe, what is it?” Gray prods.
“Actually -I didn’t say anything because I thought it would get better with time, but it’s been a few weeks since we last talked to each other. I mean apart from the times we all are on a mission together, or at the guild, she tends to avoid me.”
Gray is kind of surprised by the revelation. He has to admit that he didn’t notice any change in their dynamic. But that was probably because he was too engrossed in the falling of his relationship with Lucy to pay attention to anything else.
“It’s barely noticeable I guess,” Natsu adds, as if reading his mind. “But it’s there. I don’t know how to talk to her about it. So I talked to Erza a few days ago and I have a feeling this mission is just an excuse to get us all to talk. I mean, Wendy alone could take that mission.”
The Ice Mage nods in agreement. He noticed the way Erza was eager to come here, all of them together, and the way she dodged Natsu’s question earlier about why they were all here.
Sighing, Gray rearranges himself on the couch and pulls Natsu toward him, until the Dragon Slayer is lying between his legs, his head softly resting on his chest.
“We will talk to her this week. Erza said that even if the mission is complete early, we still have access to the facilities, so surely we will find a time to have a conversation with her. Okay?”
Natsu nods against his chest, sliding a hand under his shirt until it reaches his heart. His fingers are warm, as usual, and the familiarity of it gives him some reassurance.
They will fix this.
*
It turns out the mission only lasted half the day. The book was easily found and taken back from some wannabe thief. He is handed to the police by noon and the team is paid not long after for their effort. As promised, they still have access to the inn until the end of the week, and all of them decide to enjoy it.
They are all sitting in a booth at a local restaurant for lunch. The atmosphere is strangely less tense without any of them trying, and he can see Natsu takes full advantage of it by the way he is teasing Lucy. The blond smiles without restraint and it's almost as if the past few weeks didn’t even happen.
It’s nice but Gray doesn’t let this illusion of peace distract him from the fact that by the end of the week, they need to settle whatever resentment is in the air.
Once lunch is over, Gray watches the girls excuse themselves so they can go to the onsen next to the inn. The Exceeds easily follow them, and soon enough Natsu and Gray are left alone.
He feels Natsu press his body against his, an arm resting around his waist.
“Want to run away with me flamebrain?”
Natsu laughs and kisses his cheek.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
*
“Where are we?” Natsu asked a few moments later.
They are sitting under a tree, enjoying some waffles and fruits that Gray bought for them. They walked at least for an hour around the town, and Gray isn’t sure that they will be able to find their way back without getting lost in the process.
“I don’t know, does it matter?” The brunette replied
“No. Not really, you’re here.” That got him a kiss on the cheek
Gray’s nose wrinkles a bit at the sticky feeling that is left on his cheek after Natsu settles back in his position so he can keep enjoying his dessert.
“And you’re here too.” Gray smiled at him
*
They find their way to the inn around 7 pm. They did get lost but only because Natsu was distracted by everything his eyes set on for more than ten seconds. Gray didn’t say anything though, simply existing in the present. He can’t tell the last time he saw his lover acting so freely. Lately all they did was take mission after mission since Natsu tends to get restless if doesn’t spend his energy. Now that he thinks about it, the fact that Natsu’s friendship with Lucy was slowly declining must have played a role in his need to always be busy. As a matter of a fact, this Sunday when the girls came to their home, was supposed to be their first day off in several weeks, upon the insistence of Gray. Things didn’t really go as planned, but now that they have at least five days before them to enjoy themselves, Gray doesn’t really complain.
When they arrive on their floor they see Lucy in front of their door, seeming hesitant to knock. Natsu halts next to him, gripping his shirt in his fist so Gray stops moving as well. They share a look ‘are we doing this?’ , ‘we need to do this’ .
Natsu is the first to make a move, ever the brave one even in situations like this. Gray follows him, a little slower, not really eager to face any negative things after the peaceful afternoon he spent with Natsu.
“Luce! Did you need something?” Natsu inquires pleasantly.
His voice seems to startle the blond girl as she wipes her head toward them, eyes slightly widening.
“Oh- uh, I just wanted to talk but it seems like you guys just came back so I won’t bother you.”
She looks like she is ready to fly, but Natsu has other plans when he opens the door and practically pushes her inside.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you are not bothering anyone.”
Gray watches with some amusement the way Natsu leads her to the couch and forces her to sit down. Lucy looks like she suddenly rather be anywhere else than here, and Gray can’t help but sympathize with her. Natsu seems determined to have it fixed, and Gray himself doesn’t think that he would be able to change his mind even if he wanted to.
Natsu sits down next to her, and Gray decides to use the end of the bed.
“So, we are all ears!” Natsu exclaims.
If Gray didn’t know his lover any better, he would think that the upcoming conversation didn’t scare him or unsettled him. But the way he is twisting his fingers on his lap tells him otherwise.
Lucy seems nervous as well and doesn’t spare them a single glance. As much as Gray doesn’t want to have this conversation after such a great day, he also knows that this has to end. Now that the three of them are here, it’s like the memories of the past years are rushing down. This is not them, they haven’t been themselves for a few months now. They don’t tiptoe around each other, they embrace whatever emotion they have until everything is calm again. This is how they work.
So Gray decides to take the lead, for once.
“Actually Lucy, if you don’t mind I would like to say something.”
His words bring their sudden attention to him, and Gray has to fight the urge to squirm under their scrutiny eyes.
“I - I’ve noticed that things have changed lately. You’ve been distant and well - not as open as before?” He tries, rather clumsily, at sharing his thoughts on the matter.
“I mean, that’s a kind way to summarize the fact that I’ve been a bitch recently, yeah.” She looks at Gray.
For the first time in a long time, they share a smile. Without restraint, without any heat. It is just them for a few seconds.
“I didn’t want to seem cold, you know, since it’s in my nature.”
Lucy rolls her eyes but the smile doesn’t leave her face. Natsu doesn’t say anything, but Gray can’t help but notice the relief that takes over his features, and the way he relaxes a little.
“Your jokes are terrible Gray, I hope you know that.”
Gray only shrugs and before he can say anything, Lucy sighs and decides to speak.
“Look, I know, I wasn’t the most welcoming person in the world the last few weeks. I wasn’t the best friend either. I was unfair to you both, and it took a long conversation with Erza for me to find the courage to be here right now. Honestly, I was ready to bury myself in a hole somewhere until we could all pretend that nothing happened.”
“Luce, come on you did nothing wrong, if anything I should have-”
“Natsu, and I say this with all the love I can right now, shut up please.” Lucy says gently. She turns slightly to look at her friend and takes one of his hands in hers. “I’m the one who should apologize. Not you. Neither of you for that matter. The reactions I had these past weeks are completely immature. I should have come to you guys instead of acting like -like you were my enemies.”
From where he is, Gray can see different emotions dancing on his boyfriend’s face. Sadness, confusion, even an ounce of anger that Gray is sure is directed at himself. But the pink haired man doesn’t say anything, as if he knows that this moment belongs to Lucy. So Gray decides to keep to himself as well, at least for now.
“I’m truly happy that you find your way to each other. I mean, now that you are together I can’t believe that for a moment I thought that you could love me too Natsu.”
“Lucy-”
It is heartbreaking to witness such a scene. For a brief moment, Gray feels like he shouldn’t be here.
“I see the way you love each other. I guess I had a hard time coming to terms with it because-” Lucy takes a shaky breath before smiling sadly “I never had anyone in my life like I had you, Natsu. I suppose I was, I am , afraid of losing that. I’m - I’m really sorry for the way I acted toward the both of you. Truly. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.”
“You are so stupid sometimes Lucy.” Natsu tells her before taking her in his arms for a warm embrace.
Gray has been in those arms enough time to know the sentiment of safety they can bring, and how it is so easy to let go. And he watches it all unfold in front of him, in the way Lucy’s shoulders start to shake uncontrollably, her arms tightening around the Dragon slayer, almost like she is afraid he will go away.
“I can’t be there for you the way you want me to be, but you know, you should know , that I’ll never let you down. You are my best friend Lucy. What I have with Gray won’t change that.” Natsu continues.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.” She cries.
“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out.” Natsu promises.
Gray doesn’t move from where he is, he doesn’t want to disturb the moment they have. He is sure that they’ll have to discuss more about everything, but for now he lets them be. After all, and just like his lover said, they’ll figure it out.
*
Erza is lying on a long chair, not far from the private lake next to the inn, that they’ve been allowed to visit after Natsu saved the five years old daughter of the owner of the inn. She was running around and almost knocked herself out with a pile of boxes next to the front door. Thankfully Natsu was able to catch her an inch before any damage was done, so here they are, enjoying the fresh water and the warm breeze around them.
Gray sits down next to her, his eyes falling on the pink haired man in the water. Natsu has Wendy on his back, probably taking her on the deeper side of the lake. She looks anxious as she clings to Natsu for dear life. Gray can’t help but smile when a moment later she visibly relaxes, probably feeling better by whatever Natsu said to her. And he is sure that the gentle presence of Lucy next to them is helping.
“I think I have to thank you for a couple of things.” Gray finally says.
“Mmh, I’m not sure what you are talking about.” She answers, but her tone leads Gray to think otherwise.
He turns toward her. Erza has her eyes closed, basking in the sun, completely unbothered by the situation.
“If you say so.” Gray leans until his back touches the soft surface of his own long chair. “Thank you” he adds more quietly.
And the soft hums for Erza is enough to tell him she heard him.
*
Natsu is giggling against his lips as he presses Gray against their door. They are a little tipsy from the drinks they had at the Guild earlier, and the fatigue from the road on their way back home, surely wasn’t helping their state.
Gray could feel a warm and sizzling feeling settle in his heart as he captures Natsu’s lips for a gentle kiss.
“We should definitely do this inside.” Natsu mumbles, trying to break free from the kiss but failing miserably.
Gray slides a hand behind and fumbles around until his fingers find the door knob. A moment later a soft click is heard and the door opens.
Everything is soft and quiet, kisses still being exchanged. Until a loud bang breaks the spell. He doesn’t have to turn around to know where the sound comes from, even less to know what caused it. The fact that Natsu goes completely still is enough for him to understand what is happening. He gently pushes Natsu back so he can look at the love of his life in his eyes.
“If this fucking door and door frame are not put back from where they fell off before I wake up tomorrow morning, I’m leaving you and this place.”
He ends his sentence with a quick kiss on his boyfriend’s lips before he enters the house without a single glance behind.
He couldn’t wait to grow old next to Natsu.