This will be a mini – okay, maybe not so mini, but an easier project while I slave it out on Fire and Ice. For I have rediscovered my love for AUs! I probably should have started this story first before FaI, but then this plot bunny was conceived only recently. And it is a cute bunny, thus the attention I'm giving it. Admittedly, AUs are much easier to write than canon fics because I, er, set the settings and I decide what the hell will happen to the characters of Fairy Tail. Canon settings are really quite taxing because I feel a damning responsibility to get the facts right... thus the appalling length of the time period between each chapter of FaI.

*bows apologetically to the FaI readers*

BUT WAIT. Hear me out!

I aspire to fulfill some of my Natsu/Gray fantasises here - those kind of fantasises that you and me both will really like to see, but will have to wait approximately ten more chapters to read about in FaI. If you, dear friend, are dying from a lack of Natsu/Gray, then that makes the two of us... this story is to satisfy myself actually lulz. Because of the severe lack of bottom!Gray in the FT fandom currently I'm on a fatal state of withdrawal. Hence, this fic is dedicated to the top!Natsu/bottom!Gray fans (like me) out there. If you are one, then you'll enjoy this story, probably! (Because Gray will top a few time in the course of this story... he is male after all.)

This will be a romance fic with a dash of mystery/crime to spice things up... or is it a mystery/crime fic with a dash of romance? Huh. I guess it's a matter of perspective.

So... read on and enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own. The image used as the story cover does not belong to me.

Naturally

Chapter One

Gray watched absently at the dust motes swirling languidly around the empty classroom, tinted in bright morning sunlight and blurry around the edges. Vaguely curious, he reached out, attempting to catch the tiny particles and hold them in his hands. They slipped through his fingers no matter how he tried to catch them, dancing just beyond reach of his fingertips and scooting lightly across his skin. After a while, he grew tired of watching the motes and sank down further on to his chair, placing his head on his arms and closing his eyes, letting the muted sounds of outside wash over him.

It wasn't long before the serenity was fractured by unwelcome voices.

"Look who's here!"

"The skanky little traitor, of course."

He tensed, his body going taut in anticipation of a blow. His foresight didn't fail him. A tiny, pained gasp escaped him as he found himself lurching sideways from the force of the punch, hands outstretched to grab at something, anything, to stop himself from falling. His fingers scrabbled uselessly at the smooth plastic surface of his table as he slid off his chair, landing hard on his behind on the tiled floor. Keeping his head down to present a non-threatening image, he surreptitiously inched backwards, drawing his knees to his chest defensively. His heart sank as his back hit the wall. He was cornered.

"Why so gloomy, darling?" There was a scornful laugh. "Was I too harsh on your pert little two-timing ass?"

A day or two ago he would have snarled and snapped and lashed out at the degrading comments. Now, he hugged his knees to his chest and bit his lip in an effort to refrain from replying. It would do him no good if he talked back. Once bitten, twice shy, they said. He had no intention of re-enacting the scene from that night, no matter his feelings at the moment. It had been quite terrible, really, an emotionally-damaging act committed upon him by someone he had trusted.

"Answer me, bitch."

A foot pressed down almost painfully on his calf. A bit more and it would snap his bone. Knowing what the owner of that foot wanted, he grudgingly raised his head and trained his gaze on a spot somewhere beside the other's ear. Out of focus, he thought that perhaps the other had curved his mouth into a sneer.

"Good boy." The pressure on his calf eased and slid up the length of his leg instead to press insistently at his groin. He flinched but kept his gaze where it was. "Still as obedient as ever, I see."

Oh, if only they could see what was going through his mind now–

"Get up, bitch."

Hesitating for a moment, he slowly uncurled from his defensive position and got unsteadily to his feet. He was barely upright when his collar was grabbed. There was a rough push and his back met the wall with a loud thud. Lips found his with bruising force and a leg thrust itself against his groin. He was more frightened than aroused, and the kiss was sending waves of fearful anticipation through him, for the last time he was kissed like that–

It had resulted in his love and trust been irrevocably shattered.

It seemed like hours when the other finally pulled away. A finger nudged the droplet of their shared saliva at the edge of his lips and he had to repress a shiver. A hand came up to caress his cheek, sliding into his hair and fisting his thick locks roughly before yanking them none too gently forwards. Lips brushed against his ear, smearing a hot wetness across the sensitive skin there and making him shiver.

"...Why did you?" He murmured, unheeding of the consequences.

The other regarded him like the mangy dog he was, distasteful possessiveness clear in his eyes as his fingers tightened painfully around Gray's hair. "You're my bitch, that's why."

Mocking laughter chased down the damning words, and Gray could say, or do, nothing. It was an irrefutable fact that had been established months ago, and had only been reinforced a day or two ago. He closed his eyes and bared his throat like the trained mutt he was, relinquishing all control to his owner. Multiple hands clamped down on various parts of his body and pinned him to the wall, where he remained motionless and malleable. He stayed quiet as teeth attacked his exposed throat. Hands roamed carelessly, greedily over his skin, grasping and pulling at his clothes. Fingers skimmed his hips and held them in an iron grip before hoisting him up. There was no need for a command as he lifted his legs and curled them around the other's waist, his back firmly against the wall.

"Good boy."

Gray felt his teeth clenching out of reflex, but it only served to stilt any words he had to say.

The other boy murmured something, inciting the others to roughly but deftly strip him of his clothes while he clung limply to the other boy, his back still against the wall. He was left with only his shirt for modesty; his pants and belt had been tossed somewhere to the side. It felt so much like a rerun of that night that he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, unable to look. Fingers pinched and pulled at his skin, sliding sluggishly over him as though to appear seductive. He almost bit down on the fingers pushing roughly into his mouth, and only just managed to restrain himself.

"Suck."

He closed his lips softly and obediently wrapped his tongue around the fingers.

"Good boy," came a low croon of praise. The hands on his body rearranged themselves; hot rods of self-revulsion digging into his skin and into him. Then he was lifted once, higher against the wall, and a tear escaped from his eye as he prepared himself for the pain he knew was coming–

"Oi!"

An unfamiliar voice punctured the air, startling all five boys present in the classroom. Immediately, there was a flurry of panicky movements as the other boys lurched around in an urgent bid to escape.

"Shit!"

"What the hell is this!"

Gray was unceremoniously released and he collapsed to the ground with a jarring thud. His heart was beating like the wings of a thousand butterflies in flight, thumping almost painfully against his ribcage. Someone was here – a stranger. But who was it? A student? A janitor? Maybe even a teacher? He didn't think it was any of them as it was far too early in the morning for anyone to actually be in the classrooms, besides him. Everyone else were either in the cafeteria or at the fields.

He didn't dare look. Not in his pathetic state of half-undress. He kept his head down, listening to the sounds of the scuffle taking place. He winced at the pained grunts and gasps he heard. Who was getting hurt? Were they beating up the stranger? If so, he really hoped the stranger would at least save his own skin first and make a run for it. Four against one was hardly fair, especially when his boyfriend – if that bastard still deserved that title – was involved. He had been on the receiving end of the punches before and knew only too well the latent strength within the other's lean form.

He heard his boyfriend hiss furiously at a henchman as he skidded around a table. "Damnit, why weren't you on the lookout!"

The henchman muttered something unintelligible.

His boyfriend's tone turned murderous. "You fucker–"

There was a renewed commotion as internal conflict brewed. Gray wondered briefly what the other boy had said to incite his boyfriend's wrath. He got his answer as his boyfriend executed a roundhouse kick on the lackey, snarling, "Next time you so much as touch what's mine without permission–"

Abruptly, all movement ceased. From where he was curled up on the ground, Gray raised his head a little and peered through the metal legs of the tables and chairs as somebody was flung against the wall. He recognised the sneakers as his boyfriend's.

"If you know what's good for you," came the stranger's voice, his tone icy and his breathing heavy. "You had better stop your nonsense now."

"And who do you think you are?" His boyfriend sneered, clearly unruffled by the fact that the stranger had him pinned against the wall.

"Someone whose business is hardly of your concern." The stranger replied calmly. "The only thing I can say is that I could have you expelled for misconduct in a moment's notice."

There was a second of stunned silence as the words sunk in, and then everyone was scrambling to get out of the classroom. Gray watched in a daze as his boyfriend struggled free from the stranger's grip and fled the scene, his gang right behind him. He was safe – for now. But fear was slowly, insidiously worming through him. The stranger was a teacher... a new teacher at that, for he had not recognised the man's voice. The teacher was going to bring him to the infirmary – and after that, straight to the principal. After seeing what had happened, which teacher wouldn't? His breath caught in his throat as he imagined himself trudging through the corridors, the object of curious gazes and whispered gossip. Then he imagined himself having to confess to the police of all the dirty things that he had done and had been done to him. And the worst part of it all was having the entire school made aware of the scandal. He didn't think he could bear facing all those pitying looks – or the hate from his boyfriend's sympathisers – for the rest of his school life. He would rather die.

"Hey."

Gray flinched away at the teacher's soft murmur. Damnit. Damnit all. Now he was going to have to see the principal – and reiterate all that had happened between him and his boyfriend to that old man. All his dirty, little secrets...

The teacher knelt down quietly beside him, breathing still a little winded from the fighting he had done earlier. The man spoke gently, "Are you okay?"

He turned away, hugging his knees to his chest in order to preserve a modicum of his modesty and buried his face in his arms. He couldn't look. He was beyond ashamed. A complete stranger – and a teacher, no less! – was seeing him at his worst. Abused, both physically and sexually, by a fellow student, and the most mortifying fact of all was that he was stark naked from the waist down. He could almost imagine the disgust in the teacher's eyes. How the man must be struggling to keep the revulsion out of his voice as he spoke to him! And afterwards, when he was brought to see the principal–

Oh, god. God damnit. Damnit. Damnit.

"It's okay, it's alright. They're gone now. Shh," coaxed the teacher in a low, gentle voice. It was then Gray realised he had been whimpering, the sound growing steadily louder. It was with a crippling sense of self-loathing that he mentally berated himself. God, how wretched could he get! He was such a mess, in front of a teacher too. He could only imagine the worst at what the man could be thinking or feeling now. He must appear a pitiful student indeed, bullied around by the others like that... weak and helpless to the point he could be sexually assaulted in his own school by his own fellow students.

"It's okay, it's okay," the teacher continued to murmur. "You're safe now. They're gone, alright? Look up, please. Look at me, it's alright – yes, let it out, it's alright. Just cry and let it all out. They can't hurt you now. It's alright if you don't want to look up, just let it all out. It's alright, you're alright..."

Gray was trying his damnest to not let out any sounds, but his shaking shoulders and his trembling body was giving him away. It was adding insult to injury that the teacher was seeing him, an almost-adult, in such a pathetic state. It was a small comfort that his head was down and his hair shielded his tears from sight. His chest was heaving in the effort to rein in his whimpers, but one or two tiny sobs still found their way out. He winced with every sound that emerged, hating himself for appearing so weak and wretched.

A faint shadow fell over him and something draped itself around his shoulders, eliciting a startled yelp from him and a frantic shuffle backwards. Instantly, the man withdrew. Gray still didn't dare to raise his head, only watched the other's shoes with lessening wariness. He was relieved to find that his sobs were subsiding.

"Sorry," murmured the teacher, an apologetic note evident in his voice.

Gray was too busy running his fingers along the smooth, soft material of the apparel clinging to his shoulders. It was a leather jacket, he realised. It was a shiny black with several metal buttons at the edges of its collar and pockets with snap button closure. He noted the cowhide leather with a slight tinge of envy. No doubt it was of premium grade. The bottom half of the jacket splayed around his hips where it met the floor. It was long enough to reach mid-thigh if he stood up.

"Are you feeling better now?" The teacher did not try to get any closer, but remained where he crouched. Gray only drew the jacket tighter around him, arranging it so that it hid most of his lower body. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that the man was still keeping his face turned away, only from the way his body was angled towards him indicated the other's full attention on him. "Do you need anything? Would you like to go to the infirmary, or call your parents?"

Neither was anything he would even dream about. He was almost flattened against the wall by now in his desire to just disappear. He wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, and afterwards return to classes when he was sufficiently composed. His mind was still whirling with what had occurred earlier. The addition shock of a teacher being privy to his precarious relationship with his boyfriend had dealt a harsh blow to his self-esteem, leaving him vulnerable and insecure. There was an uncontrollable urge to flee; a strong, intense longing to be rid of this situation. He was feeling so embarrassed, so awkward–!

A movement to his right caught his attention. The teacher was slowly standing up, backing away as he did so. Unconsciously, Gray relaxed, his shoulders slumping and the tension in his arms lessening. Wordlessly, the teacher walked away. Curious despite himself, he cast his gaze directly in the man's direction, able to look now that the other was not facing him straight on. He watched, suddenly at a loss, as the denim-clad legs headed towards the classroom door. Halfway there, the teacher changed direction, walking along the windows facing the corridors. There was a slight whooshing sound, and the room rapidly turned dim. Suddenly fearful and alert, Gray sat up a bit straighter. Why did the teacher draw the curtains? What was he planning to do? Was he...? No, he didn't even want to think about it. But if – if it was what he thought it was, he would fight tooth and nail, as it would be different this time. It wouldn't be his boyfriend this time, for whom he would allow some liberties. But this was a teacher, a complete stranger–

His paranoia took a nose-dive into its grave as the teacher didn't even pause before he exited the classroom. The back door shut gently, plunging the classroom into a darker dimness. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. He started as the loud click of the lock echoed throughout the classroom. He paused, uncomprehending. A few more seconds passed before the front door was similarly locked.

What...?

From his curled-up position on the ground, Gray stiffened, suddenly fearful and alert as his misgivings flooded back into him. Where was the teacher? Was he... was he in the classroom as well? The fully locked classroom, he remembered with a sinking dread. Locked from the inside out. Then he jumped as the teacher's voice floated in from outside the back door.

"When you feel better, come out for lessons, alright?" The teacher's tone of voice was light, yet solemn, but completely approachable. Gray didn't notice himself relaxing once more. There was a slight jingling sound that drew his attention to the base of the back door, where the sunlight from outside streamed in through the gap and painted a rectangular area on the floor golden. A detached sense of wonder filled him as the classroom keys went spiralling across the tiles from under the door. The metal winked back at him as the sunlight hit it.

Gray was on his feet before he knew it, his jacket flapping open in his astonishment and revealing his bare legs, but his attention was solely on the man outside of the door – and he wasn't self-conscious anymore, not now when it was dark and there was nobody around. He rushed towards the door, suddenly filled with an inexplicable need to – he didn't even know what he was doing, but he was pressing his face against the narrow panel of glass that was built into the door and peering desperately through it.

He was too late, though, and caught only a glimpse of pink, sun-lit hair before the teacher rounded the corner and was gone.

Ooh, I wonder who could that be? ;D

Admit it, how many of you initially thought that the boyfriend was Natsu? Hmm? Oh, you cruel people and your love for angst! Anyhoo, if you like where this story is going, do give a shout out. It's always a slice of heaven for me when my readers review, so do remember to review.

Also, I'm looking for a beta for Naturally. My other beta has her hands full with life and whatnot. If you like this story or would like to see improvements to it, do send me a PM or review to notify me of your interest in filling the beta vacancy. I hope you guys will take up this offer x)