My Fair Dragon

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

*Rated M for Mature

Summary: It's the day before Spring Break, and Natsu can't wait for some fun in the sun. But his dreams come crashing down when a school project not only winds up making him stay at the home of his worst enemy, but also his biggest crush—Gray Fullbuster! Modern/AU/High School

Chapter 1 – Friday (Warning: Abuse/Alcohol)

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Boy! Git yer ass up!"

Natsu bolted into complete wakefulness at the sound of his uncle—Acnologia—banging on his door, yelling at him in a slurred voice. This was not good.

Scrambling from his bed, he threw on his school clothes, grabbed his school bag, and ran toward the window.

"Git up, ya lil piece o' shit!" his uncle spat from behind the locked door. If he didn't get out of here soon, he'd really be in for it.

Opening the window, Natsu leaned out and reached for the fire escape just outside. Quickly grabbing onto it, he raced down the unsteady steps just as his uncle broke into his room, splintering the door from its hinge.

As soon as Natsu's feet hit the pavement, pain shot up his leg, but he took off running anyway.

It was still dark. He took a quick glance at his watch and groaned. Two in the fucking morning. Where the hell was he supposed to kill the next five hours before he had to go to school?

Natsu stopped running when he reached the sidewalk near the middleclass area of Magnolia. Briskly walking alongside the empty streets, his hands in his pockets and bag thrown over his shoulder, Natsu decided the park might be the safest place to 'hang out.'

Taking the familiar path to his sanctuary, it took him no more than ten minutes to reach the place he called home when he was unwelcome at the apartment he shared with his uncle.

As he searched through the dark, Natsu finally found the spot he was looking for: a small wooden bench nestled underneath a large pine tree. It was out of the way, somewhat sheltered, and would serve as an ideal place to sleep until he had to go to school.

Settling himself on the bench, he laid back, his school bag serving as a makeshift pillow. Staring up at the clouded sky through the branches, Natsu sighed as he tried to figure out how he was going to survive the next couple weeks.

Last night had been one of the worst nights of his life. His uncle—who'd taken him in about ten years ago when his father Igneel disappeared—had come home roaring drunk, beat the living shit out of him, and then had gone out to do some more drinking.

Natsu had then been left to nurse his wounds, which consisted of a few bruised ribs, a slightly twisted ankle—he was actually surprised he'd been able to run in his current condition; thank goodness for adrenaline—and a nice knot on the back of his head.

Running, however, probably hadn't been the best idea. His ankle hurt like hell now, and he winced every time he took a deep breath. But it was a small price to pay for getting out of his uncle's vicious hands.

What really sucked, though, was that today was Friday, the day before Spring Break. He'd be off for two weeks—and as it was looking right now—with no place to go. Natsu really didn't want to go back to that hellhole he refused to call home, but what choice did he have? He didn't want to intrude on his friends, and besides, they didn't know what went on between him and his uncle anyway.

Natsu brought a hand up to his face when he felt something wet running down his cheek. Was he actually crying? It couldn't be, could it? The wetness felt oddly cold. But when he started feeling drops of water on every other part of his body, he realized that he wasn't crying; it was raining.

"Why the fuck does it have to rain?" Natsu grumbled as he sat up on the park bench. So much for getting some well-needed rest.

Bringing his knees up to his chest, Natsu stared out at the rain that seemed to want to make the start of his day grow even worse. Mother Nature appeared to want to torment him, too. Could he never get a break?

As he huddled on the bench in an attempt to stay warm, he closed his eyes, wishing that the day would improve. And if he didn't have to go home for the next two weeks, that would be even better.

Natsu smiled as he closed his locker. Only one more class to go, and then he was off from school for two whole weeks! Spring Break was so close he could almost taste it. Where he'd spend those two weeks was still a bit of an issue, though, but he'd deal with that later. He was just thrilled that his day had improved.

He'd gone all day without being late, dealing with Gray, getting in trouble, dealing with Gray, falling asleep in class, and did he mention dealing with Gray? Natsu hadn't seen the asshole all day, making him feel a combination of both joy and…sorrow.

What? Could he help it if he actually liked the guy? Not a like as in the friendship kind of like, but the like as in like-like.

Yes. He had a major crush on the sexy and rich ice prince of Fairy Tail Academy. Even though all they did was fight, Natsu couldn't help but feel delighted whenever Gray Fullbuster sought him out to pick on him. It made him feel…special.

But not seeing Gray might have been a good thing. Natsu wasn't really in the mood to fight. He was tired, in pain, and was still worried about where he was going to spend his Spring Break. Minus the morning's events, he had been having a pretty good day.

Well, that was until he walked into something both hard and soft at the same time. The familiar scent of mint wafted through his nose.

Natsu hesitantly looked up, only to see a pale face shrouded by dark hair and evil-looking blue eyes; said eyes were glaring at him.

"Watch it, Flamebrain," Gray snapped as he spun on his heels and headed to class.

"Stop calling me that, ice bastard," Natsu retaliated softly, without much fire or spark, but his response fell on deaf ears.

Or so he thought.

Gripping his school bag tightly, he followed Gray to their classroom. Their Psychology classroom. Why he had to take Psychology of all things, Natsu didn't know. Why Gray, of all people, was taking Psychology, he really didn't know.

But, alas, that's what happens when budget cuts run rampant throughout the school district; it cuts out all the good stuff and replaces it with subjects the school board feels the students need, not want.

What high school student in their right mind would willingly take Psychology? It was stupid! At least it was in Natsu's eyes.

All they did was read the damn textbook and answer questions in the back of it! No lecture, no activities, no group work, no projects. Natsu hated to say it, but he would have done anything to have something interesting happen in that class.

As he took his seat near the back, Natsu started wishing he hadn't made that thought as he read the board: Social Behavior Project.

"Great," Natsu muttered under his breath. The last thing he needed was a school project to do over his Spring Break. Really, were all teachers evil?

"Good afternoon, class," began their teacher, Mr. Dreyar. "Today I'm assigning a project for you to complete over the break. It will be on Social Behavior."

The entire class groaned, including Gray, Natsu noticed.

"Now, I know you'll all be thrilled by what I have to say. This project you'll be able to do in partners," the blonde man said with faux enthusiasm.

Natsu's ears perked up at that. The class seemed to buzz with excitement as well. If the project was going to take all Spring Break, maybe he could stay at the home of his partner. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. As long as—

"And I've already picked your partners," finished Mr. Dreyar, stunning the class into silence. Natsu could have sworn he heard a cricket or two, but brushed it off as his imagination. Plus, he wasn't pleased that their teacher had taken the liberty of selecting their partners.

"I've even assigned the project to be completed with each pair," Mr. Dreyar explained with a smirk. Did the whole 'freedom of choice' thing totally go over this guy's head or what? And with that, Mr. Dreyar began calling out the names of their partners.

After half the names were called, Natsu found himself growing anxious. He clenched his hands so tightly they were turning white. The only thing going through his mind at that moment was the mantra: Please not Gray. Please not Gray. Please not Gray.

"Natsu Dragneel will be paired with—"

Natsu held his breath.

"—Sting Eucliffe—"

Natsu sighed in relief.

"—Oh, I'm sorry. I skipped down a line," Mr. Dreyar said sarcastically.

Natsu held his breath again.

"Mr. Dragneel, you'll be paired with Gray Fullbuster."

Natsu paled. "What?!" Bolting from his seat, the chair he'd been sitting in clattered to the floor. "I'm not gonna be his partner!"

"Mr. Dragneel, sit down," Mr. Dreyar replied, unfazed.

"I don't think you understand," Gray started, rising from his seat and glaring ominously at their teacher. "I will not be paired with such a moron."

"Hey! Who are you calling a moron, you icy bastard?!" Natsu roared, turning on the teen. Perhaps yelling wasn't such a good idea. His chest was starting to hurt again.

"That is enough!" Mr. Dreyar snapped. "You will be partners, you will do this project, or you will fail this class. Is that understood?"

Both teenagers sat down. But Natsu had to sit down again. This time with the chair. He'd forgotten he'd knocked it over.

Mr. Dreyar finished reading off the names and told them to sit with their partners. He then passed out a large manila envelope that supposedly held the requirements for their project.

Natsu was about to open it when Gray snatched it out of his hands.

"I was gonna open it," Natsu said softly, glaring weakly at Gray. Why did he feel so drained?

"Unlikely. Morons don't know how to use their opposable thumbs, remember?" Gray replied with a smirk.

Natsu huffed and crossed his arms. He couldn't think of a comeback. Like he ever could.

Why did that hot, sexy bastard always have to have the last word? Of all people, why did he have to like him? Natsu didn't know how it had happened. It just had! It was like one of those unsolved mysteries or something.

"What…the…hell?"

Gray's stern voice drew him from his thoughts. Of course, when Natsu looked at him, he wanted to run for cover. Gray looked like he was about to explode.

This time, Gray bolted from his seat. "What the hell do you mean we have to live together over the break?!" he yelled at Mr. Dreyar, who, again, appeared unfazed.

"It's the only way you'll be able to effectively complete your assignment. The two of you must live together for the entire break, although, where you stay does not matter to me. Everyone will present their projects as soon as school resumes."

As Gray and Mr. Dreyar had their verbal battle about the requirements for the assignment, Natsu couldn't help but panic.

They couldn't live at his place! His uncle would kill him! And, now that he really thought about it, if he was gone for two whole weeks, and then came back to the apartment, his uncle would really kill him!

Natsu hugged himself subconsciously. He was screwed either way. If he thought the beatings he received at home were bad now, he didn't know what to call them when he went back after being gone for two weeks. He was as good as dead.

"Flamebrain?" Was that concern in Gray's voice or was he imagining things again?

"Huh?"

Gray seemed to contemplate his next words. "You look like you have a fever," he said, placing a hand on Natsu's forehead.

Natsu recoiled from the sudden touch. "Don't," he stated firmly.

Sighing in irritation, Gray drew back his hand. "If you're going to be living at my place for the next two weeks, I would suggest you not come sick."

Natsu just grew more concerned. When was the decision made that he was living with Gray? Had he been lost in his thoughts for that long?

"I'm…living with you?" Natsu asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, moron! Haven't you been listening at all?"

Natsu's head started pounding. Maybe he was getting sick. Rubbing his temples, Natsu whispered, "Please don't yell." His head hurt so much that he felt like he was going to cry.

Gray was shocked by the other's quiet response, but he didn't let it show. What the hell was wrong with the idiot now? He was unsure about what to do next, and that made him uncomfortable. He always knew what to do…but now, he didn't.

"Do you want me to explain the project to you?" inquired Gray evenly.

Natsu looked up at him with surprised eyes. Was Gray actually trying to be civil? "Um…o-okay."

"Our Social Behavior Project is on the relation between social influences, personality, and such. Basically, one of us has to study the other—which will be you—take notes, and write a paper on it. Then an experiment is conducted on that person—you again—meaning you get to be my guinea pig. I'll need to change the way you handle yourself, and be able to pass you off as someone of my elite status. When we get back from the break, I will be presenting you as the completed portion of this project. Just think, you might not be a moron anymore, but mediocre," Gray said with a smirk.

Natsu just gaped at him like a fish. What was he? Some kind of kept pet or something?

"Why do you get to be the one doing experiments?"

"Have you ever read Pygmalion?"

Natsu shook his head, not knowing where Gray was going with this.

"Have you ever seen My Fair Lady?"

Natsu shook his head again.

"Both are one and the same. A man comes along and takes a poor woman selling flowers off the street. He cleans her up, teaches her how to speak and act as a proper lady, and virtually passes her off as some sort of princess. Our project is basically the same." Gray turned to smirk devilishly at him. Natsu didn't like that look. "Well?"

Natsu just dropped his head and nodded in defeat. There was no point in arguing now because Gray had already made up his mind. And he really didn't feel like fighting. He was too exhausted.

"What the hell is wrong with you today?" Gray asked, his voice deathly low.

Natsu's brows knitted in confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

"Why won't you fight with me? Why are you suddenly acting so…submissive?"

"I'm not. I'm just tired, okay?" Now, leave me alone, Natsu thought to himself.

Gray did not want to let this go. Something was wrong with his moron. He'd figure it out sooner or later. Sooner rather than later.

He was about to comment on this when the shrill cry of the bell suddenly cut him off. Glaring at the bell evilly, he stood up from his seat and stared down at Natsu.

"Are you coming or not?" he snapped as he briskly walked out of the classroom.

Natsu grabbed his school bag and sped after him. "Where are we going?"

"My car."

When they reached the parking lot of the school, Gray led him to a shiny black car.

"Get in," Gray quipped.

Natsu hesitated. "Where are we going?" he repeated.

"My place. Now get in!" Gray was beginning to lose his patience.

"But…my stuff…is at…home." Natsu flinched a little as he reluctantly called that dingy apartment he shared with his uncle 'home.'

"You won't need anything. Now get in before I make you."

Natsu sighed and slid into the car, Gray following suit.

"Why can't I get my stuff?"

"According to the requirements of this project, you won't need your stuff."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're going to be my experiment, then I need to change everything. This includes the way you look and dress." Gray smiled inwardly. This was going to be fun. The moron was his now, to do with as he pleased.

Gray suddenly balked when this thought crossed his mind. Why am I getting a rush from calling him my moron? He isn't mine. But…I have to admit I wouldn't mind him belonging to me. He's loyal, compassionate, clumsy, adorable…Where the fuck did that come from? As Gray started arguing with himself in his head, he didn't notice the sudden change in Natsu's demeanor.

The pinkette put a shaky hand to his head as he was hit by a wave of dizziness and nausea. What the hell was wrong with him now? Was he really getting sick, or did he have a concussion from where he was hit?

Panic slowly started to seize him when he started blacking out. "Gray?" he gasped out. What else could he do? He was scared something was wrong with him, and Gray was the only one there.

Gray was surprised, to say the least, when he heard fear in Natsu's voice. And when he turned to face him, he was shocked into action. Pulling over, her put the car into park. "Flamebrain? What's wrong?" he asked as he reached over and steadied Natsu in his seat.

"Can't see," he whispered as he clutched onto Gray's arm.

Can't see? "What do you mean you can't see?"

Natsu swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut when a wave of pain coursed through his body. He whimpered slightly, waiting for it to pass.

By this time, Gray was literally freaking out. What the hell was wrong with his Flamebrain? His Pinky?

Reacting more out of instinct than anything else, Gray gently grabbed Natsu and pulled him into his lap securely and tried to get him to relax.

"Easy there, Pinky," he said soothingly.

Natsu was temporarily brought out of his pain-filled delirium when he realized Gray was being…comforting. And gradually, the pain began to subside and his vision finally cleared, but he was still scared to death.

Gray, noticing that Natsu no longer seemed to be in pain—at least for now—turned the pinkette to face him. "Pinky?" he called out softly.

Recognition seemed to dawn in Natsu's eyes, but there was confusion there, too. "Pinky?" Today was the first day Gray had ever called him that, and he had to admit, it was better than Flamebrain.

Gray froze. Shit. Had he actually said that out loud? By the puzzled look on Natsu's face, he assumed he did. "Yes. Pinky. Because of your hair," he mumbled in explanation for his slipup.

"Oh," Natsu replied, looking down at his lap. That's when he noticed whose lap he was in. And then he was trying to struggle out of Gray's hold. "Let me go."

"No," Gray said forcefully, pulling Natsu back into his lap. "And stop flailing. You'll only make what's wrong with you worse."

It was Natsu's turn to freeze. Worse? He didn't want to feel worse than he already did.

When the pinkette stopped moving, Gray decided now was the time to figure out just what was going on with him. "How are you feeling now?"

Natsu eyed him warily. Why should he tell him anything? "Why do you wanna know? You don't care," he responded quietly.

Gray couldn't help but feel his heart go out to him. Natsu sounded so helpless. So…alone. "Maybe I do. Now tell me. How are you feeling?"

"Not…good."

Sighing in irritation—for what felt like the hundredth time that day—Gray asked, "Do you feel sick? Are you hurt anywhere?" At this, he felt Natsu stiffen. Thinking he struck gold, he continued. "Where are you hurt?"

Natsu just shook his head.

"Where are you hurt, Flamebrain?"

Closing his eyes again, Natsu tried to wish everything away, but failed miserably. Why did Gray have to sound so…concerned? It made his heart ache for something more.

"Flamebrain, if you're hurt, tell me where so that I can have a doctor take a look at you," Gray insisted.

"Everywhere." Natsu decided to give in.

"What?"

"I hurt…everywhere." Please don't ask how.

"How did you get hurt?"

No. I can't tell. Because then I'll remember and I'll…no! I can't cry now! Natsu squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, but he couldn't help the little tear that escaped.

Gray noticed it. "Flamebrain."

The rest of the drive continued in silence. Gray looked back at Natsu, concern bubbling inside of him. "We're home, Flamebrain," he said softly, hoping to coax Natsu into cooperation. Gray slipped out of the car and waited for Natsu to follow suit.

When he finally did, Gray had to rush over to catch him when he lost his balance.

Pain shot up Natsu's leg, making it feel as if it were on fire. He'd overworked his sprained ankle. He knew that, and he wouldn't be able to get around without help.

"Flamebrain?" There was Gray's concerned voice again. "Are you okay to walk?"

Natsu hated to admit it, but he didn't think he could even make it a step. Shaking his head, Natsu got the shock of his life when Gray lifted him bridal-style and started carrying him to the house, babbling his head off.

"I'm calling a doctor as soon as I get you inside. You will stay in bed unless I say otherwise. I don't want you getting worse. You will tell me what happened. You'd better be honest with me as well," he rambled as he stepped through the front door.

"Gray!" came a deep-pitched voice. "And Natsu!" Lyon exclaimed, quite surprised. But soon, a mischievous twinkle was in his eye as he noticed the position they were in. Hey, it wasn't every day you saw your younger brother waltz in through the front door holding their secret crush like a bride. Not that his brother knew that he knew, of course.

Lyon's loud voice was a bit too much for Natsu to handle at the moment, for he placed a hand to his head again and whimpered slightly.

"Natsu?" Lyon called, this time softer. Concern and worry were etched on his face as he looked to his brother for an explanation.

"Call the family doctor and tell her to get here. Soon," said Gray as he made his way toward the stairs. Lyon raced off to do just that.

When Gray reached the top of the stairs, he debated where to take his Pinky. For the love of—his Pinky? He really needed to stop doing that…even if he really did like the pinkette in his arms. How could one simple crush make him want to do anything for him? But he highly doubted Natsu felt the same.

Deciding he'd much rather have Natsu in his room than anywhere else, that was exactly where he took him. And as he gently placed the pinkette on the bed, he stepped back to take in his pallid complexion.

Natsu took in his 'blue' surroundings apprehensively. This had to be Gray's room. But why would he take him here? Feeling uncomfortable, he was about to say something when he felt a weight on the bed next to him.

"My doctor will be here to check on you in a bit. Do you want to tell me anything before she gets here?" Gray asked honestly.

Natsu remained silent.

"Then I guess I'll just find out after she examines you," Gray said finally as he stood from the bed.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Gray? Mira is here," announced Lyon.

"Let her in."

The bedroom door opened and in came Lyon and Mira. She was a beautiful woman who looked to be quite young for a doctor.

"My patient is on the bed, I presume?"

"Yes," responded Gray.

"Then I'd like to ask the both of you to leave so that I may examine my patient in private."

Gray weighed his options, but decided it was for the best. Taking Lyon, they left Natsu with the doctor.

"How long does it take to do a stupid examination?" Gray grumbled under his breath as he paced the living room floor.

Lyon just sat on the couch and watched his brother helplessly. "He's going to be fine, Gray."

Pausing, he stared at his older brother, sighing tiredly. "I hope so."

"You should tell Natsu you like him."

Gray's head shot up and a light blush stained his cheeks. "What? How'd you—"

"I'm your older brother. I know everything about you. You should know by now that you can't hide anything from me. Especially that diary of yours," he snickered.

"You—"

"Gray?" Mira's voice interrupted their conversation.

"How is he?" Gray asked, rounding on the poor doctor. "Is he going to be okay? What's wrong with him?"

Mira placed her bag down and stared at the nervous teen. "He's suffered a mild concussion, which explains the slight blackout he had accompanied by vision loss, but that will clear up if he takes it easy. He has a few bruised ribs, which I've wrapped, and a severely sprained ankle. I've wrapped that as well. Make sure he stays off it for a few days. He is also covered in numerous bruises. Some bad…some severe…and he appears to be a bit malnourished. I think he's…being abused. Are you aware of his home life?"

Gray was still trying to take everything in. "He…um, he lives with his uncle. I know that he…drinks quite often."

Nodding, Mira continued. "I shall report him to the authorities. Make sure Mr. Dragneel remains in bed for the next few days, make sure he starts eating well, and give him the painkillers I've left on the bedside table. He has a bit of a cold, mainly due to his immune system being shot from malnutrition, but the painkillers, rest, and a few balanced meals should fix him up. Take good care of him," she said.

As she left, Gray and Lyon just stood there in silence.

His Pinky was being abused? By his uncle? For how long?

"Give him some painkillers, and I'll get him something to eat, okay?" said Lyon, trying to get his brother to respond.

Gray nodded absently and went up the stairs and entered his bedroom. Natsu was curled up in the center of the bed, trembling.

"Pinky?" Gray called softly. When he received no response, he decided to try a different tactic. "Natsu?"

Well, that was new. Uncurling himself, Natsu slowly turned to see Gray staring at him—dare he say it—tenderly. Suddenly, the pinkette's eyes watered. "She told you, didn't she? She told you."

Gray sat on the bed and pulled Natsu into his arms. "Mira told me that someone had been abusing you. Was it…your uncle?"

"Y…Y-Yes," Natsu stammered out between sobs as he buried his face in the crook of Gray's neck and cried. He'd finally said it.

"Then how would you like it if you never had to go back? You can stay here."

"What? But why—"

"Because no one should have to go through something like that," Gray interrupted. "So you will stay here, and for the next few days you will remain in bed. Mira said you need to take it easy. You've got a mild concussion, bruised ribs, a sprained ankle, and you're malnourished."

Natsu appeared stunned. That much was wrong with him? "I'm…gonna be okay, right?"

Gray nodded. "If you rest and eat well, you'll be fine."

Silence followed as they tried to figure out what else to say to each other. It was strange…not fighting about something. This was the closest they had ever been to being civil to one another.

Here they were, in the same room, each harboring a crush for one another without the other's knowledge, and they couldn't say a word. Even with how Gray was helping Natsu now, the teen couldn't find it in him to express his true emotions to the pinkette.

The awkward silence was soon disrupted, however, when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, Lyon," said Gray.

Lyon walked in with a tray filled with food. "How did you know it was me?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "Who else would it be? Ultear's away at school, and mom's on a business trip."

Laughing in embarrassment, Lyon set the tray on the bedside table and looked over at Natsu. "How are you feeling?"

"Um…okay now, I guess," Natsu replied hesitantly.

"I brought you food," Lyon stated brightly. "I didn't know what you liked, so I just grabbed whatever I could find."

Gray looked at his older brother disapprovingly. "I hope it's not all junk food, Lyon."

"No matter how many times I hear it, it's still rather odd being lectured by your younger brother," scolded Lyon. "And it's not. I made a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And I got you a banana, some carrot sticks, chips, cookies, pudding, and some milk," Lyon stated proudly.

Natsu couldn't help but smile at the older teen's enthusiasm. "Looks good," he said softly. He moved out of Gray's grasp when he noticed he was still in his arms and settled himself in the middle of the bed. Lyon put the tray next to him and tossed the bottle of painkillers to Gray.

"I'll let you eat and then Gray can give you something for the pain," stated Lyon as he headed toward the door. But before he left, he turned his worried eyes on Natsu. "And please get better soon."

Natsu was taken aback by Lyon's sudden seriousness. "I will."

Lyon, content with Natsu's response, left the room in peace.

"What was that all about?"

Gray sighed and looked at the pinkette. "He's worried about you."

"Oh." Natsu fidgeted with his shirt. "Are you worried about me, too?"

The pinkette swore he saw a light blush staining Gray's cheeks, but before he could verify it, it was gone.

"You should eat. Then I'll give you some painkillers. All right?" responded Gray after a moment's hesitation. Feeling slightly disappointed by Gray's response, Natsu nodded and quietly began eating.

About a sandwich later, Natsu said he was full, and he drank the milk with the painkillers.

Gray was not pleased by how little Natsu ate, but he pushed that worry aside. Perhaps his Pinky was just too tired to really eat anything. Besides, the pinkette looked as drained as he felt.

"Do you want to change into something more comfortable?" Gray asked suddenly.

"Sure," Natsu stuttered. Gray acting both nicely and distantly at the same time was confusing. Did Gray like him, or did he just feel pity for him?

A rustling sound drew him from his thoughts. "Put these on," said Gray, tossing a pair of pajamas next to him. "Let me know if you need any help or when you're finished dressing." Gray then headed into the bathroom with his own change of clothes.

Natsu looked down at the red silk pajamas Gray had left him with. They were smooth to the touch and seemed comfortable, even if they did appear a bit too big.

Taking off his shirt, he slipped the pajama top on and did the same with the pants. As soon as he finished, he let Gray know he was done. When Gray came back into the room, he was dressed in a matching pair of pajamas, but these were blue instead of red.

"Are you ready to get some sleep?" asked Gray.

Natsu nodded, but then he realized something. "Where am I gonna sleep?"

"Here," Gray answered a little too quickly as helped Natsu up so that he could pull down the blankets.

"W-With you?"

Gray gave him his signature smirk. "I need to make sure that you're resting and not doing anything to harm yourself further, so yes, you'll be sharing my bed with me. Now get in."

Natsu started to visibly tremble, not sure that he could quite trust the smirking teen.

"Pinky," Gray began calmly, "I'm not going to do anything to you. I promise. I just want to be here in case you need anything or if your current condition worsens. You had a fever earlier, and I want to keep an eye on you. I don't want you getting any worse. Now come to bed." Sliding into the bed, Natsu soon found himself under the blankets with Gray lying right next to him.

Gray quickly realized that it looked like his Pinky wanted to ask him something. "What is it, Pinky?"

"Could you…never mind. It's stupid," Natsu mumbled as he rolled so that his back was facing Gray.

"Pinky, don't be afraid to ask me anything."

Natsu shyly looked back at Gray and muttered, "Could you…hold me until I fall asleep…please?"

When Gray made no indication of responding, Natsu turned away from him again. It was a stupid idea anyway. Why would someone like Gray ever do something like tha—

Natsu yelped as he suddenly felt two strong arms wrap around his body. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" whispered Gray.

Sighing contentedly, Natsu replied, "No."

But he was still a bit tense. Gray knew that. He also knew that it would take a while before Natsu would trust him completely. "Goodnight, Pinky."

"Good…night," he mumbled, his consciousness fading. It had been a long day and he was really tired. Natsu figured he'd just sort out his feelings and the mess he'd gotten himself into tomorrow.

Gray relaxed and let a smile show on his face when he heard the soft snoring coming from his Pinky. Tightening his hold around him, he made himself more comfortable and thought about what tomorrow would have in store for them.

Perhaps the only way to truly get Natsu to trust him would be to get to know him. It was probably a good thing that they had this Social Behavior Project to complete. This would give him the leverage he needed to…court him, if you will.

"Tomorrow, we'll start our project. Isn't that right, Natsu?" Gray smirked at the sleeping pinkette. He couldn't wait until tomorrow. Although this was strange coming from him, he had to admit, what he had planned sounded quite…fun.

End Chapter