Story Title: Beloved and Boys
Rated: T
Pairings: NatsuXGray
World: AU
Warning: Shounen Ai, Yaoi (Sexual themes), Language
O.o.O Beloved and Boys O.o.O
By Flame-Belt
Natsu glanced at the wall clock of his office.
"Craaaaaaaapppp. Shit-just shit, Great."
11:45 PM did scare him a bit.
He tousled his hair in frustration, then clicked with the mouse to access the mail of his firm to write down one last message before-well-printing one last copy of that submission sheet, typing one last notification to the CEO, sending one last fax to the post office, looking at that last resume-and fuck, because if he was any Prime Minister in any country around the freaking globe, he would be less busy and he would have a life.
He rubbed his eyes one more time, and went over to the copy machine, waiting for the printout, same time his phone vibrated in his pocket.
"Yes?"
"NATSU!"
Natsu jumped from his standing position, which was perfectly normal if you got bombed as a phone call greeting.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Natsu shouted.
"You mean you don't know?!" Elfman growled, "Did you even eat anything today? Anything at all?!"
"Ah…" Natsu sniffed, then his face looked like someone ready to produce a new fat-ass lie, "Yeah, I did. Good food."
"What did you eat?" His friend inquired.
"Umm." Ok, ok, ok. Think of anything, "You know the… um, the noodle thing, they put this—excuse me. Just a Sec." He opened the copy machine's tray of the ink and then slammed it back, clicking on some of the buttons to get it ready to print again, "—Ok, sorry, what was I saying?"
"The noodles?" His friend sounded so bored.
"Oh yeah yeah yeah, the noodle thing. You know this thing they put on top and the thing which is-like a sauce, and the other thing that comes with it and then… this… big ass drink—I'm telling you, it was a helluva lunch."
"You're lying."
Natsu's mouth pronounced the word 'fuck' without any voice, then rubbed his forehead, feeling so tired already.
"Um, Yup."
A sigh was his instant answer. "Natsu. MAN! Do you know that the shit you're doing is nothing short of a suicide mission?"
"Gre-"
"SHUT UP! You wake up at the crack of dawn, you don't eat, you don't sleep, you don't do nothing but slamming your face into that PC. Now tell me what the hell are you gonna do now?!"
"I…" Natsu pronounced 'Fuck-Fuck', "-am gonna checkout and head home…"
"Call me when you're on the street."
Natsu flinched a bit from the harsh hung-up. So, sometimes his job demanded from his twice extra lazy ass to be productive-and he couldn't not do it 'cause if he did then he could end up on the street next to these homeless guys.
News flash: He wasn't exactly Alaadin with a freaking Genie in his pocket to grant him a fat-ass palace right next to a legendary banquet. (Wow, that would be cool. With lots and lots of meat).
And? He doesn't have anything in his life worth of 'having a life' for so might as well do the job right. However, he knew the game was over the minute Elfman called. He had to head home before he gets cursed by the Strauss family.
"After this damn printout."
He kicked the machine, then crossed his arms over his chest glancing at the white thing with disdain.
Man, it WAS late. Natsu headed to the desk, checking that his keys, papers, and wallet are all in his backpack, then went to shut the warm yellow lights from the other offices. Lastly, he shut his own personal computer, checking twice before that he had logged out.
"Ok, HOME. Here I come."
He placed his finger on the checkout machine, and breathed. Getting out of that environment was great for a moment. He quickly got into the elevator because he knew that Elfman would be counting the minutes, and if he didn't really call when he's on the street, then he would be lectured by the most boring person on earth.
"Hey."
"Twenty minutes, Natsu? Really?"
Natsu hurried his pace while walking across the street. There were multiple intersections that he had to cross before getting to the train station, and every day, Elfman didn't only prove that he was an annoying parenting bastard, but also a great entertainer when these intersections took a lot of time to move.
"Yeah, routine man. Had to organize stuff."
"I told you-"
"-Oh C'mon Elfman. You know me, buddy. I'm no workaholic, I don't give a shit, alright? Submission day has to be a bitch day and neither I nor humanity can do anything about it so save your breath."
"-It's no excuse for you to kill yourself for a week."
"-Yeah, tell that to the job description."
"Man! You gotta be a man, Natsu! You gotta meet someone, date, eat, sleep."
Natsu rolled his eyes, then crossed the semi-empty traffic, looking again before jogging to the next intersection.
"Man, leave me alone. It's not like it's the end of the world." He looked again before reaching the last intersection. "Is this enough for you? I'm gonna go now."
"Fine, call me when you get home."
Natsu nodded. "Ok, will do."
Elfman was like a checkpoint. Everything he had to do in life has to be put under the microscope for this man. He shook his head, then crossed the intersection without looking as he was busy opening the backpack and getting out his train pass which was buried deep-down-somewhere.
He sighed when he finally reached the card, but his cheery green eyes got replaced quickly by a wide, stunned one when a speedy vehicle was only two meters away from him.
"…"
He saw black.
"JESUS!"
With fear gripping his heart like never before, Gray exited his Mercedes and shakily ran to the person he might have killed.
"Oh god… oh god…"
The first thing he had to be thankful for is that there was no pool of blood ready to welcome him, and that the person was actually, moving. So he increased his speed, kneeling down, and checking the guy out for any bruises.
"Oh god!" He searched and searched, however, he didn't find anything other than a minor scratch on the guy's cheek.
Gray didn't know whether the other was probably internally bleeding, or maybe it's been something in the head-
"Or worse! Gray, you just gave someone a freaking ass HEARTATTACK!"
The guy looked like he fainted, but other than that, Gray couldn't tell if he was healthy after what happened, so he just stood up, walked in hurried circles, then almost slapped himself.
"Ok, um, ok. Hospital. Hospital, hospital, hospital!"
He took the backpack first, throwing it in the back seat of his car, then carried the guy being extra careful since he didn't exactly know about the guy's case. He just knew that he had to get to the nearest hospital possible in a record breaking period.
So he did that.
"Please, can I just see him?"
"Sorry, sir. It's protocol. Only a related individual can see him right now."
"Ok, can you um, at least tell me what's going on with him?"
"Sir, I can't. Protocol. In these cases, we should report to the police first. You'll get to look at him after you reply to the higher authorities."
Gray was seriously pissed off.
"Listen lady," His tone got louder and darker, "You're acting like a crappy school headmistress, ok? Now, all I'm asking you is to see him and to know if he is freaking dying or not. You know? That thing they call being a responsible human? I'm gonna reply to the authorities alright, so what's the damn problem?!"
"It's-"
"-YEAH, crappy protocol. I know. I'm asking you to break it for once in your life."
The brunette nurse sighed and then glared. "I'm sorry I can't do that until a related member of his allow you to see him. And we don't have that now."
Gray thought hard enough to get out of this stupid situation. So he had to contact this person's family somehow? Gray hurried to his car and opened the backpack that belonged to the guy, finding a phone. He searched in the log for the last person the victim contacted and took a deep breath.
'Victim'…
He was so screwed.
"FREAKIN' FIFTY MINUTES! Natsu, the hell are you doing-? HEY NATSU!"
Gray jumped off his place and cringed. Who was the motherfucker?
"Hello?"
"-Who is this?"
"Um… the name is Gray."
The conversation on the phone was so random, Gray hadn't really understood anything besides 'Asshole I'm gonna kill you' and, 'Don't you dare leave town', and 'You're so dead' and, 'OH GOD YOU'RE SO DEAD'.
Yeah. Gray figured that the guy he had just hit a very protective buddy, and he didn't know what deep shit he fell in until the 'buddy' showed up. He had white hair, huge figure, one hell of a frown, the freaky leather jacket, and a look of hatred. Maybe the guy he hit was a member of the Yakuza? Wait, no, pink hair, normal blazer, shirt and everything, he couldn't be a member of a gang.
"Are you Gray Fullbuster?"
Gray got a bit late replying the guy's question. "I think, it depends."
"Oh god, you're him."
"Listen. I'm very, very-god-very sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything now, but I really want to see your friend. If you can just tell them to let me in."
The guy glared, then wore a look of helplessness, "I swear if anything happened to Natsu, you will wish you were never been born!"
"Already am." Gray regretfully replied when the guy was close and intimidating.
Apparently, 'Elfman' was convincing enough with his yells and insults so that the ass of a bitch granted them both an access to the princess, also known as the victim. Gray didn't feel so victorious in his whole twenty three years of life. He opened the white curtain before the 'buddy' and then went in the small partition, finding another nurse applying a bandage around the guy's ankle.
It was horrible.
Insanely deep green eyes, gorgeous body, attractive smile.
God, he almost committed a crime against the one and only major hottie in town.
"Elfman!"
"Hey, are you alright? Can you move? Pain?"
'Natsu', most likely, was bombarded by a set of questions by his buddy who was freaking out. However, the guy was sitting straight with a minor band aid on his cheek so he was probably not THAT damaged. God, he just wanted to know what the situation was with him.
"I-um…" Natsu stared at him, lost for words, and for a minute, Gray thought that he really did damage his brain or something.
"Oh." Elfman sighed, "That's the guy with the car."
Natsu looked at Elfman, then stared again at Gray with puzzlement.
Gray moved a bit to the front. "Yes-um-"
"-Natsu, give me a minute, Nee-chan is calling."
"Ok, sure."
Elfman got out of the room, rapidly telling someone what happened, leaving both in a sudden awkward silence.
"Ah… pretty eccentric friend you got yourself there."
"…" Natsu was silent, then tried to speak, but Gray saw him struggling with words.
"I'm really sorry. Are you hurt anywhere? How-how are you feeling?!"
"D-Don't apologize… It… is my fault anyway."
Gray was relieved to know that the guy can still talk properly. His red face was a bad indicator though. What if he was having a fever?! "Whatever you say, I'm the one to blame here, so please don't try to change that. I… I-"
"Dude." Natsu nervously spoke, "I.. Crossed the road without… looking, and there's nothing serious. Sensei told me I fainted because of not eating for more than twenty four hours, so… don't beat yourself up."
"… You serious? Why haven't you eaten?"
"Um-"
"Gray Fullbuster-san, we need you outside for the investigation."
"Coming now."
"-You're not going anywhere!" Natsu interrupted, "He didn't do anything, I'm not gonna press charges, ok? Let the poor man be."
The nurse gave them both an approving look, then nodded, "Ok, but anyways, officers still need to do their job. You'll be fined and you have to answer their questions before you can go."
Gray nodded, then faced Natsu again, "I'm gonna go for a while, so don't leave just yet."
Again. Gray didn't know why the guy's face was immensely red.
Man, he WAS cute, and Gray almost kicked the fate's ass. Why must he get attracted to the guy he just could have killed?!
"Sorry, Natsu. Nee-chan was worried. Are you really alright?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."
"What did that guy say to you?! That asshole he-"
"-Stop it. He didn't do anything wrong, You heard the nurse!"
"-But who you think-" Elfman pointed to Natsu's ankle.
"-I was obviously shocked. I retreated back a few steps, then what happened, happened, ok?! Leave him be."
"MAN! Why are you defending him like that?!" Elfman almost roared in Natsu's face. "And what's with the red face?"
Natsu was silent for a while, and Elfman wasn't the smartest person alive, but it took him forty seconds to figure it out.
"You're crushing on the guy who almost got you killed? You gotta be kidding me."
"Shut up! Not my fault he's… god…" Natsu shook his head, "I'm not talking with you-"
"I'm back. Officers are going this thing through with the hospital, then I'll be questioned again."
Natsu fell silent, his heart beating like crazy at the sight of those two dark blue electric eyes. Everything about the man encouraged him to drop his jaw like a fool and to not know how to form any meaningful sentences.
Elfman cleared his throat when he noticed how both of the individuals were looking at each other, and pulled Gray outside the room, pushing him to the wall.
"If you were a responsible man, you'd give us your contact information in case it turned out that he had a heart failure because of what you've done!"
"S-sure! I'll do anything, keep me posted!"
"And." Elfman let him go, then gave him an approving look, "You still didn't apologize properly."
"Of course…"
It seems that every time his eyes land on that Natsu, he will not function like he did before. The guy was just… perfect. Elfman had had another call, and right now, Gray didn't know how to approach Natsu.
"The nurse said I was fine. Please leave. I will be-am fine."
"Man, You must hate my guts right now, huh?"
He saw the other's eyes widen, "You're mistaken. There's absolutely no grudge, you can rest assured."
"How are you-"
Natsu laughed, "Please, I've had my fair share of how-are-you-feeling question today. I am okay, I promise."
"You're not. You haven't eaten for a long time."
Natsu adjusted his seating position and shrugged, "Guess I didn't have time."
"Would it be too much if I asked you something?"
Natsu was obviously surprised. "Um… no, you can ask."
Gray was nervous as hell, but he couldn't bear it anymore.
"How about you join me for a late meal now?"
Natsu's breathing stopped for a minute. He opened his mouth to say anything but couldn't, especially when the other got closer to the bed.
"I…" Natsu mentally slapped himself. "I don't-don't know… what to say…"
"Say yes?"
"Are you… actually-like… asking me out? Cause when I hear it-"
"I'm asking you out."
"-We just met-" Natsu tried to reason, however, all reason was thrown outside the window when the other's hot breath was just above his lips.
"Hi. I'm Gray." He said with a meaningful smile.
Natsu couldn't take his eyes off the other's lips. "… Natsu."
"See? We met, and that's past tense."
"… Damn it." Natsu breathed.
Gray wrapped him up in a passionate sweet kiss while Elfman knocked on the door loudly.
"We're in the hospital."
Natsu glanced at the wall clock of his office.
10:15 PM did scare him a bit.
But it was okay, he was almost done from all the demanding work.
"Pizza, grilled chicken, pasta. I have it all."
Natsu jumped in surprise, then growled when he saw Gray with all the food bags.
"YOU bastard. Are you planning on really killing me this time because you couldn't do that with your freaking lame car?!"
Gray sighed, then took a seat in front of Natsu's desk, putting all the bags aside. "Dude, that was a year ago. It's time to forgive and forget."
"You'll feel the same when you face the situation-"
"-And you said you didn't hold a grudge!"
Natsu rolled his eyes then focused on the PC screen. "What's all that?"
"Ah, nothing. Thought we both could have a late meal."
"Oh my gosh, the déjà vu is killing me." Natsu chuckled, then shut down his PC, emptying the bags with Gray.
"Me too." Gray shook his head.
"So. Elfman called you, I presume?"
"Nope. You told me you had submission so I just figured. And… he really is a good guy, he's just looking after your bothersome ass."
Natsu couldn't agree more. "Yeah. Sometimes he can be, you know? Like… he exaggerates and stuff."
"I don't think so." Gray said while pushing the pizza slice into Natsu's mouth. "You should take care of yourself."
"WIGHT."
They both laughed.
Suddenly, nights like these didn't seem so long or lonely anymore.
The End
Author Note:
Ok, so from long time ago, I was planning to post a one-shot, however, I don't know why I always wait for the right moment, because really, there will be no right moments for me so I have to jump straight into it. GUYS, so sorry my writing skills are degrading.
This one-shot came as a small idea, and my friend MiserablePunk, is having a birthday today! So yes, this story is dedicated to all GrayXNatsu fans, and especially, MiserablePunk. So Happy Birthday friend! I know it's not the best of works (Normally I work a week to get a one-shot done... this was just a day...), however, I tried to make something for you in a short time so forgive me. I just hope you and the readers have enjoyed even a 1% of this thing.
Thank you ALL for reading, and don't hesitate to share your thoughts with me.
Love you all.
Flame-Belt