A/N: Happy holidays, my lovelies. :)
5 PM (Gray, Natsu, & Happy)
Gray grabbed Natsu's arm and yanked him back.
"No eating the candlelight," he said for the hundredth time.
"Hungry," Natsu grumbled. "We were supposed to be out of here already."
He'd come to collect Gray for a super secret surprise at the promised time, but Gray was still being ordered around by Lucy and Mira, ice being a valuable decorative feature at Christmastime.
"Erza will be pissed if the candles are gone," Gray retorted, slinging an arm around Natsu's shoulders. "Do you want Erza to be pissed?"
They glanced over to where the lady sat drumming gloved fingers on the bar. Between the drumming and her expression she appeared irritable; but her being in full armor gave away the fact that she was anxious, which was more dangerous than simple grumpiness.
"Who is she waiting for, do you know?" Lucy asked, coming up behind them.
"Dunno." Gray jerked Natsu away from the candles again. "Can I leave now? If you keep me here much longer, Natsu will inhale all the fire."
"There's ice on the front steps again," Lucy said. "Warren just about broke his neck. And you didn't frost all the trees out front."
"Yes I did!" Gray protested.
"Well, the rain undid it."
Grumbling, Gray trudged outside the guild and defrosted a path yet again between Fairy Tail and the street. A steady drizzle in freezing temperatures meant ice kept accruing everywhere. Gray had sarcastically told Lucy people could just skate to the guild, but that only earned him a whack on the head.
Natsu was doing something special this Christmas Eve and Gray hadn't a clue what it was: curiosity was killing him. Not to mention Natsu was getting impatient about leaving. Gray really, really wanted to get out of here already.
After re-frosting the trees (which he did admit looked rather festive), Gray slipped back inside and snuck up behind Natsu, arms wrapping around his boyfriend's waist.
"Quick. Let's escape while—"
"Gray," Lucy scolded behind him. "I'm not done with you."
"Yes you are," Natsu said. "He's mine now."
Natsu threw a significant look at the clock and Lucy started.
"Oh! Ooooh. Right. Of course." She smiled.
Gray looked between them. Damn it, Lucy knew?
"Bye," Natsu called, guiding Gray toward the door in a rush, as though worried Lucy would change her mind. "Happy Christmas and all that."
"You're not coming to see the guild lights this evening?" Lucy asked.
Before Gray could answer, Natsu wrapped jealous arms around him and said, "We're busy."
Lucy snorted and waved them off. They attained the outdoors at a run, Natsu bursting out in a laugh that made Gray smile. Excitement was bubbling in his stomach just seeing Natsu happy.
"How're you doing?" Natsu asked as they started off down the street.
"Tired of people," Gray said, before realizing this was probably not the best response. But Natsu just hummed and smiled.
As the two wended their way through town, Natsu's thumb tapped out a rhythm on the back of Gray's hand.
"So where are we going for dinner?" Gray asked.
Natsu grinned. "Who says dinner is involved?"
"You're starving, flame brain. You said so half a dozen times."
The Dragon Slayer nodded in acquiescence but gave no more hints.
"You're so smug I'm getting nervous."
"Oh, shut up." Natsu smacked his arm, then reached out to grab Gray's coat as it fell earthward. "Don't take that off just yet, snowflake."
Flushing, Gray slid his jacket back on.
"It's not cold," he muttered.
"Yes it is, ice queen. You'll freak people out walking around the snow in your underwear."
"You like it though," Gray shot back, squeezing his hand.
"Yeah," Natsu smiled, "but only if nobody else is around. With all these people out, I can't do anything about it."
Gray's face grew a brighter shade of crimson.
"So really: where are we going?" he said in a rush.
"I'm not telling. All I can say is that I reserved us a spot eating the best food ever: Natsu Dragneel's fried chicken," the Salamander said. "Happy is keeping it warm at home."
"Oo, my favorite."
"But we're not going there just yet."
"Fine, keep your secrets."
"I will; thanks." Natsu grinned.
They turned down another street and Magnolia's central park came into view. Ahead stood the town's oldest and tallest cherry tree, snow gracing its limbs. When full dark fell, colorful lights would illuminate it, but for now it was lit by the winter sun setting behind it in orange fire.
Natsu continued pulling Gray forward, frozen grass crunching under their feet.
"Perfect timing," Natsu murmured.
Confused, Gray slowed as they headed to the giant tree. Two steps from the trunk, Natsu pulled Gray against himself, grip tight. The ice mage found smiling black eyes meeting his from a few centimeters away.
"Uh?" Gray whispered.
"I need to kill a bit of time," Natsu said.
Then Natsu kissed him.
The Salamander's fiery breath heated Gray from the inside as Natsu kissed him slowly, languorously. Gray suddenly realized where they were. Three years. Exactly three years since he kissed Natsu right in this park and followed it up by punching him because Gray was so nervous of Natsu not returning his feelings.
Natsu had returned both punch and kiss, and the next day the Dragon Slayer yelled at Juvia in front of the entire guild that she needed to stop flirting with Gray right fucking now because Gray is mine. And that was that.
Gray slid his tongue between the Dragon Slayer's lips and smiled as Natsu bit him. The Salamander opened him up, pressing Gray against the tree bark as he possessed the ice mage. Natsu kissing him like this always made Gray feel like he was worth the world.
There were burning hands on Gray's skin: at some point he'd stripped off his shirt and coat, but Natsu didn't seem to care this time, caressing his ribs. Gray felt like they were fused together by Natsu's furnace and Gray squeezing as close as he possibly could to that strong body he loved.
Behind Gray's eyelids, light suddenly flared—red, blue, green. He felt Natsu smile. The pair didn't stop kissing but their eyes opened: the tree had lit up above them, an umbrella of glittering light.
Under the twinkling branches, Gray slid his fingers down the side of Natsu's face, threaded through his hair, and hummed.
Eventually Natsu pulled away with a sigh of steaming breath, looking luminous.
"This is where I first kissed you three years ago."
"Yup, I remember." Gray's grip didn't let up, the two of them breathing hard on each other's faces. "Except I kissed you."
"No, I definitely kissed you first," Natsu laughed.
"Pretty sure I was first, fireball. You were taking too long to work up your courage."
"And you weren't?"
"I was still first," Gray said.
"Whatever you say, ice princess."
Gray snorted.
They both leaned in at the same moment. This time, Natsu's lips trailed down Gray's neck, making his breathing hitch. When Natsu explored Gray's mouth, they were both panting. Gray's fingers trembled on Natsu's skin as warm things slid through him.
The second kiss might've lasted as long as the first, but after a few minutes Natsu's arms tightened around his waist and Gray realized they had an audience. Someone was clapping as they parted, both blushing furiously.
Half a dozen bystanders stood in the park, come to see the tree lit up.
"Kiss him good!" someone called.
"Fine by me," Natsu called back, obliging their audience by giving Gray a loud, wet kiss. Gray couldn't do much more than splutter.
"Ready to go home now?" Natsu whispered in his ear.
Gray was blushing too much and grinning too wide to do more than nod.
"Don't forget these, icicle." Natsu handed him his clothes.
With a sigh, Gray took the offering and decided not to be too miffed about the chortles he was getting. He was Fairy Tail: people were used to odd behavior.
Throwing the garments over his arm, Gray entwined their fingers and followed Natsu out of the park.
Everything was perfect. Natsu was full to bursting with good food; they'd spent dinner laughing at stupid things; and now he had his whole little family with him in front of the fire. Happy was curled up on Gray's stomach, fast asleep after eating too much, while Gray stretched lengthwise beside Natsu with his head against Natsu's chest.
As Gray stared into the flames, lost in thought, Natsu contemplated whether it would be rude to take the last piece of fried chicken. He still hadn't made up his mind when he realized Gray's breathing had grown heavy, eyelids fluttering shut.
No sleeping yet. Natsu was too happy to keep all his joy to himself.
"Hey Gray," he said quietly, pointing at the ceiling, "look."
Gray blinked his eyes open and stared up, mouth slightly agape as he tried to figure out what Natsu was indicating.
When Natsu kissed him, Gray inhaled in sharp surprise. Grinning, Natsu assaulted his face with affection, pushing his boyfriend down so he could travel down and nip Gray's ear. Gray hummed and relaxed into his touch.
"Good holiday?" Natsu asked.
"Mm." Gray's eyes were closed again. "I like lounging around with you."
"We can go to the guild if you want," Natsu said, worry creeping into his voice. "Join the party. Look at more lights. I don't mean to monopolize the evening: we can do whatever you like."
"I'd rather stay here."
The Salamander beamed. It was like Gray knew exactly what to say. Or like we really like each other.
He realized Gray was watching him, expression thoughtful.
"So it's been three years now, huh?" Gray said, stroking Natsu's cheek slowly.
"Guess so. Good thing I kissed you that Christmas."
Gray snorted, but didn't argue. They were both enjoying the warmth and Natsu's slow caresses on Gray's body too much.
"Gray?" Natsu asked after several minutes, fingers running down Gray's bare chest.
"Yeah?"
Natsu paused. This was home. His family. It filled him up to see Gray gazing at him in perfect contentment, to hear Happy mumbling about fish versus chicken—to be able to make them happy.
"I love you," Natsu breathed. "And merry Christmas."