Story Title: Stay

Rated: T

Pairings: NatsuXGray

World: AU

Warning: Shounen Ai, Yaoi (Sexual themes), Language

O.o.O Stay O.o.O

By Flame-Belt

He would rather be in a tropical land.

Surrounded with lots and lots of warm sunshine, seawater, hot chicks, those umbrella-dressed pineapple drinks and all that Jazz, however, reality acted like a vindictive motherfucking bitch.

Natsu red flushed face frowned as he sat on the floor of the spacious semi-dark living room in futile hopes to get heat out of the smart heating system under the flooring.

"And now! The winner of the brand new Volkswagen is-"

Who cares about a stupid moron winning a stupid car on a lame show? That lame ass show was only on, because whenever he was sitting around alone, surrounded by crickets chirping, he would open the chatterbox (television) to fill in the void of stillness.

Damn it, it was only getting colder he could feel the frost forming on his freaking body.

After hearing the door ring, he stood up and slipped his feet into slippers, moaning about how his body felt like it was petrified and then breaking into pieces as he walked towards the door.

"It's about time you show up." He greeted, in his own unique way.

"Is this the shittiest day or what?" Gray shook his head, going inside, taking off his shoes and throwing his keys and backpack on the couch. "The work doesn't end, Natsu. Mountain fucking Everest is technically on top of my desk."

Natsu huffed in his hands, and followed the other, still shivering from the cold.

"May God be with you."

"Make fun of me you asshole." Gray snapped.

It happens when you work almost twelve hours a day. You get cranky, you get anti-social, you get gloomy, and basically you become the world's worst rank bastard.

"Keep talking shit about me and you're never getting that bath, dinner, bedtime story or even a Goodnight kiss."

"Mommy, why are you doing this to me?" The stoic dick made sure he sounds like a small a kid and not a twenty two year old adult, "So bath is ready?"

"Bath is ready. Leave your dirty clothes in the hamper. Tomorrow is Landry day. I swear to God I'm gonna strangle you one day for leaving your clothes everywhere. Do you know that I spend a fortune on washing detergents, rather than spending it on food?"

"Stop bitching around, it's not like you're paying it from your own pocket."

"Yes mister supplier." Natsu mocked as he sat on the carpeted floor once more, taking a glance at the television.

"A Volkswagen? What the hell were you watching, man? That's so lame."

"I know. That shit is made for fraud purposes." Natsu agreed.

"Then why are you watching it?" The other looked analytically at him.

"Because when you're not here to color my life with shit of happiness, It gets too damn quiet, and I get lonely."

Gray scoffed at him because of the generic unemotional answer and headed for the bathroom, then suddenly, he walked backwards and glared at Natsu with a threatening attitude.

"By the way," He started with a low voice that got higher, "If I get in that tub and find another Michael Angelo in it, I'll kick your ass out of my house for sure."

Natsu grinned, "Whaaat~? It was a very cute turtle and I couldn't resist the temptation of creating a natural atmosphere for you while you soak in peace."

"Except that I hate reptiles so damn much and a real turtle swimming beside me is just downright despicable. One more stunt and I'll-"

"JEEEEEEZ! There is nothing in your bathtub! Trust me for today baby."

"So there is no Donatello this time?" Gray crossed his arms, investigating.

"Not even Raphael. Can you make this faster? I'm starving here and dinner is going to turn into pieces of freaking frostbites."

The jackass gave him one more I-am-watching-you looks and then disappeared into the bathroom.

Lame-ass.

Natsu smiled to himself, proud of his last prank on Gray. He huffed one more time into his hands, and went into the kitchen to prepare his and Gray's dinner. It was simple sweet and sour chicken with white long grain rice and garden salad. He wanted to make desserts, but felt too lazy to accomplish the mission in the freezing weather.

Instead, he made fresh pineapple and coconut juice, and saved some leftover bread and jam if they were up for it, later.

The small smile kept glued all over his face when he prepared the dining table, laid the plates, distributed spoons, glasses. He never got tired of it, and every time he did it, he felt some sort of satisfaction—only he'll never let Gray sniff anything about it.

When they were eating, Natsu couldn't help but to think that Gray needed a serious vacation.

"Be a dear, and pour your guts about your work issues." Natsu suggested.

"Please, I've had enough of that mind-fuck. Home is for you and me."

"Awww, I'm so touched. Still. I'd like to hear your whining for a change."

Gray chewed his food slowly and resisted laughing. "Well, it's not really something, but remember how I told you about that project my team was in charge of?"

"Yeah, the one that was canceled by another assholic project division and the one you grieved over for three weeks? The same one that made you kill my blood circulation for putting extra-salt in your food?"

"Surprisingly, you hold a grudge." Gray stabbed the fork in his chicken.

"Not at all, but it was a memorable event."

"Anyways," Gray coughed, "The assholic division that canceled and then held that project are now being—oh oh oh—dismantled. It was so fucking crazy you know? Like I was walking and practically saying 'in your damn faces fuckers', I felt sheer victory."

Some people are just so vindictive. Like Gray Fullbuster.

"They are being dismantled? Wow. You win, game over."

"I know. I'm so freaking ecstatic-hand me the salt."

"Mm? Well, good, I don't have to worry about you releasing temper tantrums on my poor head." He passed the salt and stood up, taking his plate to the sink, then returned back to continue his (boring to others, but really fun to himself) talk with Gray.

An hour later, they were finished with dinner. Gray on his laptop, the television open with no one to watch, and Natsu with some classified newspapers in front of him on the dining table.

Useless-check.

Stupid-check.

Not good enough-check.

Bad enough-check.

GAWD. Natsu wanted to pull his hair out in frustration.

"Give it up, there is no customized vacant jobs for Natsu Dragneel in the whole world, let alone Japan."

The bastard was snickering as he continued gawking at the laptop screen.

"Shut up, GRAY. I'm gonna find a very nice job, kick your ass, and I will be working soon enough."

"Right. Wait a minute, Why do those words sound so familiar? Yeah, cause I heard them last month."

Natsu rolled his eyes and continued marking the best possible ads with a scowl.

"I'm ready to sleep." Gray closed the laptop and stood up, stretching, "Want to join me?"

"No, I still need to look at those. You go ahead."

The boy sighed, then went over and ruffled his head briefly, making him slightly shocked from the touch, "Don't over work yourself and don't be so late."

"… Ah… Yeah, ok. Go ahead."

Natsu reached over the top his head when Gray was absent and felt the blood rushing in his ears.

Damn it, he needed to find a job, not get sucked away by Gray.

"For Godsake Natsu Dragneel! You've been living with Gray for what?! Three months? That's the longest you've ever stayed with anyone of us! Do you fucking know what does that fucking mean?"

"Yes, Lucy. I'm loving this city."

"YOU Hate cold! It's practically freezing over there!"

"Well yeah it has some advantages."

"Name three." Lucy sighed over the other end of the phone.

"Ah… quiet compound, lots of job opportunities, nice-pet… shop?"

Lucy growled. "First of all, you hate anything quiet. You haven't got a job in forever, and-ok, maybe the pet shop thing is valid-BUT. Natsu you are already head over heels for Gray. It's time you made any development in this sucking-friendship-status-relationship! I can't take it anymore!"

Natsu sweat dropped. "What's your business in all of this? Stop imagining weird things."

"NATSUUUU!"

Boy, does that girl scream like a bitch?! He moved the phone away from his ears, twitching, then huffed and put it back. "Look, I'm just staying with him until I can find a job, after that, I'm out. You know how I don't like to stay in one place for too long."

"Natsu, I know you like him. Remember high school?"

"When I was a silly teenager with defected hormones and a stupid man-crush? Suuuuure, I remember that."

"You can deny it all you want. But look at you! You are practically settling down. Don't say a word and listen to me! You got in my house for a week and then you took off. Same thing with Lisanna, Erza, Loke, etcetra, etcetra, etcetra. Don't you think that you are being so comfortable around him? Because you obviously madly in love with him?! Stop being a coward and do something about it! You can't hibernate forever, otherwise, sooner or later, a woman is going to snatch him from you!"

Natsu winced. His ears were bleeding. "Listen-"

"She's going to snatch him from you! And you know what? Find a job instead of creating an excuse by sounding like a freaking house wife!"

He scoffed. "I DON'T sound like that at all. Hold up, I'm watching the laundry, and if Gray's clothes got all pink, I'll sue you, bitch."

"GRAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"FUCK! MY EARS!"

"YOU STUPID MORON!"

"WITCH!"

"That's it! I'm hanging up you coward!"

Natsu sighed for long and shouted like a five year old and not a twenty two year old adult.

He can't believe how his face felt so warmed up over a stupid conversation. Yes, he was looking for a damn job, he moved among his friends' houses in different areas for job hunt, but his never-widening ass got tired so easily from being deployed in one place for too damn long.

Never once, he stayed long enough to even complete a month. Yet, here he is, making a damn record out of lazing in Gray's apartment for like… forever. Well, Gray wasn't a nice guy, but he let him stay in return of doing the house chores or else he'd be a parasite like Gray has mentioned three months prior.

He was getting so comfortable. He felt comfortable enough, and it didn't give him a job. It gave him Gray Fullbuster's company.

And he didn't need it anymore, it was getting too painful because Natsu was so close to the bastard man of his dreams (yes, sadly), yet, he wasn't able to do anything about it.

The washing machine beeped.

And Natsu felt pathetic.

When they were eating dinner, Natsu remained uncharacteristically quiet, pretending to watch the television.

"Something wrong?"

Crap.

"No." He knew he didn't sound so convincing.

"No? Then why are you barely touching your food? Tell me what's wrong."

Natsu stared into concerned blue eyes for what seems like forever, before he feels a shiver running down his spine and looking ahead again, playing the food with his fork.

"There's just… Nothing. Normal thinking that's all."

"Like what? Tell me."

"Well, like-"

"-Oh hold on."

Gray reached over for his ringing phone and answered.

"Yes, Hello?"

Natsu thank god. That was close. He felt glad that Gray's phone rang, he could use it as a diversion.

"-My house? Sorry, it's kind of tricky. I've my annoying friend staying over… well if you want we can go to a café or something. Yeah, it's a date, I will see you then."

Natsu's eyes widened. Then he felt something gripping his heart so tightly.

"Agh, someone wanted to come to your house?"

"Yeah, some new girl in the company. Her name is Juvia and guess what? French."

He slowly nodded, never breaking eye-contact with the food.

"Don't you think she's too… bold?"

A while passed before Gray slowly rest his chin on his intertwined fingers on the table and gave Natsu a challenging look.

"For her obvious and honest want to have sex with me and for telling me that she oh-so-much likes me and for being so blatantly frank? I like bold, bold is my color, if everybody got bold, then I'll be more at ease, and my problems will become less."

There was an underlying meaning in every word that Gray spoke of, but he didn't want to even think about it. So he simply brushed off the comment and nodded, looking at the television.

"Good… for you."

"Thank you."

Washing off after dinner, Natsu headed for the guest room and sighed. Now he was an obstacle in Gray's love life?! Unbelievable, he wanted so bad to roll on the ground until he's out of Gray's damn apartment. Seriously, he has to get out of there.

Natsu continued to browse through the ads, and Gray was napping on the couch. Natsu felt that cold again and shuddered. Gray was an asshole who liked to keep the heater very ineffective.

Damn it.

He went to the room and got a blanket to cover the dick of a person because of pure kindness. And well, he won't let the man he loves gets sick.

So when his phone rang, he took it quickly and went to the balcony to speak there (in the freezing weather) because often times, Gray hated his nap being disturbed, and then Natsu would end up paying for the electricity bill.

"Yes, Natsu speaking."

"Natsu-san! It's a pleasure to finally hear your voice!"

"Wait a minute… Sting? Oh my fucking god, how… what… my god!"

His friend laughed on the other side, "I called Lucy-san, and she gave me your number. I'm so glad I called you."

"I'm so glad I get to hear from you again. Man, how long has it been?! Since high school?"

"YUP. Somehow Lucy-san reached me and when she did, I was sure that I will reach you. How have you been? I heard from Lucy-san that you're searching for a job."

"Yeah it's-it's been tough. Jobs are never easy to find."

"Natsu-san, Why don't you come live with me? We'll search together since I'm having the same dreading experience."

"Ah, won't it be a bother?" Natsu got taken back by Sting's suggestion.

"Not at all. Lucy-san mentioned something about you in need of extra motivation and other places to search for a job. We can help each other."

Natsu laughed. "Be careful, I might take you up on that offer."

"I want you to. My place is open for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, okay. Let me think about it and I will get back to you."

"Take your time. And Natsu-san, it's good to hear from you again."

"Likewise nice-guy. Goodnight."

Unknowingly to him, Gray stood, leaning on the frame of the balcony with a hidden expression in his eyes.

He thought about it for Hours. Days. A week.

Then he reached to a final decision.

Ugh, he placed the last of his clothing inside a mini-size suitcase and locked it. Tomorrow was the day he was going to leave Gray's apartment. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but he forced himself to accept it. The facts are there, Gray has an independent life, he wants to have a love life. Natsu thought that being in the way sucked, but being away from Gray sucked even more.

The last month he felt the place growing on him. He still didn't know how on earth he was going to leave tomorrow after that long time filled with a hell a lot of pleasant memories and everything.

He got out of his room to find Gray awake, watching television.

"Hey, still awake?"

"Mmm." Gray nodded, "Done packing?"

"Yeah…"

"… Natsu come here for a minute."

"What's this about?"

"Just come sit."

Natsu rubbed his arm and felt nervous as he sat on the sofa in front of the other.

"What?" He inquired.

"Why are you doing this? I'm not against the idea, but I just want to know the reason very clearly."

He huffed in his hand from the cold with reddened cheeks, then chuckled, "Because you never turn the heater to maximum. There are no human rights in this damn house."

"Be serious."

Gray WAS serious.

"Don't look so uptight, ok? It's just… you know how it has been for me. And I don't like to stay in one place for too long. I mean three months are phenomenal."

"But is it enough reason to move out? This bullshit is enough?"

Natsu flinched. "Alright, you know what? You have to have a good sport, accept it, and don't act like a bitch during break up."

"Do you want to do this? Look at me and answer this question." Gray's strong gaze bored into his soul, and Natsu has to say that it's completely illegal for human beings to read one another's thoughts or even TRY to.

"Um." Natsu looked at the other and struggled with words, "Gray look… You… You are a fantastic guy. Despite the fact that you made me go through hell sometimes, you accepted me in your house and… it's all amazing and everything but I haven't got the chance to do what I wanted to do when I first came."

"Is it because of me?"

"What? No, no, of course not. It's just… me. Just me."

Gray sighed, looking away, in irritation. After a while of silence, he spoke up again, "Look. I can see that you don't want this as much as I don't want it. But it's your final decision, I can't do anything about it. Tomorrow, I will see you off before going to work. RIGHT now, I want you to know that I'm so fucking pissed."

He went to his own bedroom and Natsu swallowed thickly as he felt a heavy cloud floating on top of his chest.

Natsu went through the house. He closed the television… then walked to the kitchen. He washed the dishes for one last time, then made some tea for himself, sipping from it as he went to the balcony to stare at the night view outside for some time.

He asked himself so many questions.

Was he doing the right thing?

Is it okay for him to continue living with Gray longer?

Is it okay for him to take advantage of the situation and get comfortable?

Is it the right thing to leave?

Everything came with a price. If he stayed, he'd suffer watching Gray move on with his life with another woman that he was so not ready to be buddies with. If he left, he would miss Gray's annoying ass so damn much to the point it will be hard to just breathe for a while.

Was it all worth it?

The boy desperately tried not get too damaged, and just go to sleep, and forget about everything for a while.

Early in the morning, he was prepared to leave the apartment for good.

Gray hasn't talked to him all along so he assumed it was a bad sign and it broke his heart because they never got along during high school, but now that they did, Gray was going far away again. As if those three months never has happened.

Natsu went to the door, and faced the other who stood with an expressionless face to see him off before he heads to work.

"So… this is it, BUDDY! Too bad you'll have to get another housekeeper soon."

Gray remained silent eyeing him from head to toe.

"C'mon, don't be like that. You know I LOVE you. Let's hug one last time."

"You think this is funny?"

Natsu practically wanted to shout. "I will miss you okay? I promise I will come visit sometime."

"…"

"Let's hug. One last time~! C'mon!"

Natsu sang, but the other ignored him completely, as an awkward silence fell the void. Natsu almost felt the urge to tear up at the sight of the house he lived in for three months whereas the other glared.

Then at a minute, Gray started moving closer and closer, and Natsu backed up by instinct.

"What? Didn't you want a hug?"

Natsu stuttered, cursing himself. "Yeah, sure!"

He felt warmth that he hadn't felt in forever. Like Gray's apartment wasn't giving him a hard time the past three months. It all vanished and Gray's addictive scent hit his sensitive nose.

It was amazing. Natsu found it really amazing…

However…

This hug was taking too long.

"Um, I'm letting go, and you're not, why?" The question came out of him very cracked.

"Stay."

It was a slow, husky, hot, demanding whisper in his ear, which immediately was drowned in red.

"Wha… Gray-"

"I beg you stay." Gray's hold on his waist tightened and his face was suddenly too close for Natsu to handle.

No doubt, he was blushing, and it was so hard trying to hide It now. Just too fucking hard.

"Don't slip away, I need you to stay, and you want to stay."

"… HOW CAN YOU BE SO-"

Suddenly, Gray's head dipped down, and pressed his lips strongly against his. That was when HIS mind had completely gone into a coma. He wasn't even sure that it was happening. His focus was on that taste in his mouth, and how he would pay anything to anyone for Gray to keep it like so.

Dear God, please tell me it's not a prank for all the fucking foolish things I did.

He kissed the other back slowly, then both pulled away, Natsu's face absolutely flushed with a complete frizzled look, he didn't even know when his fingers were caught up in Gray's hair, pulling him forward.

He licked his lips, panting, then looked at the other with questioning eyes.

"What…"

"I… want you here. Stay."

For a while, Natsu thought that if anybody heard Gray's reasoning, they would laugh and call it not even a good one, but for him, it made him pour out some bubbled up sorrowful tears that immediately got brushed away by the other who leaned down to kiss him with new-found passion on the lips.

"I want you. Stay?"

It was a silly, silly reason.

"Ok." Natsu choked out a sad laugh, while being wrapped up in another bone crushing hug.

Natsu would take that silly reason.

He would take it anytime.

"Thank you, Natsu."

And Later.

"Why did you close the guest room? I was getting cozy there."

Gray scoffed. "Well, I will have you know, you can get pretty cozy with me on my bed just as well."

"No Ulterior motives?" Natsu asked suspiciously.

"No Ulterior motives." Gray reassured.

Well, Gray was a FUCKING liar cause the soreness in his body the next day was downright excruciating.

And Later.

"What the hell?! Gray! I thought I told you not throw everything like that! How much in your mind it'll take to clean all this?!"

"You got nothing to do. Start working on it!"

"I want to look for a job!"

"You have a job."

"I'm not your maid! GOD I COULD JUST KILL YOU!"

Gray smirked as he watched the other fume around, but forced to clean anyway.

He just has to keep him busy by his side, right? So easy as a piece of cake.

And later.

Natsu watched as Gray continued to nap on the couch while he was preparing dinner. The mere sight of the asshole's peaceful face was too damn gorgeous to handle.

He sighed after putting their meals on the dining table and went to get him to wake up.

"Gray." Natsu shook him slowly. "C'mon. Dinner is served."

The other's eyes cracked his eyes open hardly then yawned.

"C'mon. You can sleep later."

The guy stared at him for a while, then pulled Natsu down.

Natsu's shock was priceless. But was even greater when the other breathed and murmured a soft, "Stay…"

Natsu Dragneel was sucked by Gray.

And he was sure that he was going to stay like that for a long while.

The End

A/N:

Who knows that I COULD continue writing for four straight hours? Seriously guys, I'm exhausted. I'm so going to sleep because this story got me bags under my eyes.

Right... How did you like this one-shot and is Gray an ass or what?! Hope you all enjoyed it. And I know I did little of proof reading. But spare me please!

Love,

Flame-Belt