TRIGGER WARNING for self-destructive behaviors and PTSD symptoms in later chapters. Gray had a pretty traumatic childhood.
Some smut in later chapters: MM and FF. All of the pairings alluded to (including exes) in this work are: Gray~Loke, Natsu~Lisanna, Freed~Laxus, Lucy~Erza, Gajeel~Levy, and of course, Gray~Natsu.
A/N: This chapter has spoilers for the Deliora arc, but not beyond. Next chapter will have spoilers for the Daphne arc. Please no spoilers in the comments beyond what's in the chapter.
Chapter 1: Galuna Island
Deliora crumbled.
Gray's father, his mother, his town, his boyhood friends, the blood, the destruction, Ur - all the things he tried not to think about because he had a new family now and he'd come to terms with his past and there was no need to dredge up old pain - it was all being released. The battle against guilt and pain was over.
He was free.
He put a hand over his eyes as tears fell.
I will seal away your darkness.
Ur was gliding away into the sea. Somewhere behind him, Lyon coughed. Natsu stood a few feet away emanating heat from his magic.
"Your master really is amazing, huh?" Natsu said, a grin in his voice.
Gray just nodded, still covering his face, but he was smiling too.
Natsu's warm hand landed on his shoulder, and Gray could practically feel him still beaming his flaming idiot grin.
Gray wasn't quite able to say, thank you for knocking sense into me and saving my life, not to his rival, but he was pretty sure Natsu would get the picture. Erza always said most of their communication was nonverbal anyway.
Gray leaned in and put his free arm around the fire mage so they stood side-by-side in front of the crumbling demon. It felt good to have one of the members of his current family next to him right now.
Sure, it might be Natsu, and that might make this complicated later, but the warmth of another person felt good, so whatever. Natsu was smarter than to make fun of him for this.
Besides, the physical show of friendship meant Gray didn't have to say anything. It meant he didn't accidentally reveal something vulnerable that Natsu would hold over him and taunt him for next time they got in a fight.
Natsu's head leaned against Gray's temple.
Gray froze. What? What the hell did this gesture mean? Subtly wiping away evidence of crying, he glanced sideways.
Tilted comfortably against Gray, Natsu had his eyes on the disintegrating spectacle.
"Stop pretending," the fire wizard muttered without looking at him. "I'd cry too."
Gray smiled and moved closer as they watched the last fragments fall. Natsu was still hot from his magic and Gray found he liked it: it felt alive.
This moment, right now, was perfect.
How long they stayed like that he didn't keep track. When Gray wiped the last tears off his face, Natsu looked around, but he kept his arm tight around Gray. They were wrung out, so it was probably the only thing keeping them both upright.
Laughing, Natsu pointed out the now-unconscious Lyon.
"How hard did you hit him?"
"I did beat him," Gray snorted.
"Yeah, no kidding."
Gray rolled his eyes, a little vim coming back to him. "What did you think I was going to do, give him flowers?"
Natsu turned back to Gray with a funny grin on his face.
Gray raised an eyebrow. Before he knew what was happening, Natsu had kissed him.
Natsu's mouth was a raging inferno. Gray's insides ignited and he moved into Natsu automatically, gripping the boy tighter as his fingers found the fevered skin just below the edge of Natsu's vest.
Natsu's lips pulled on his and Gray bit back, kissing him deeper, fighting for more. Natsu's nails dug into Gray's shoulder as Natsu shuddered. Gray swore he could taste Natsu's heartbeat. They shared an erratic breath.
Natsu pulled away just barely, breathless, their faces an inch apart. Natsu wore a glowing smile as he met Gray's gaze, and Gray could feel Natsu panting against his mouth. Gray had to restart his heart. They were so much closer than they'd ever been, so close Gray could see the striations of color in Natsu's eyes, and goddammit he wanted more.
He took a much-needed breath.
Clanging footfalls echoed in the cavern.
The boys sprang apart. Gray regretted it instantly: the sudden deprivation of Natsu's heat felt wrong and confusing. He touched his side, bereft.
Then Erza entered, followed by Lucy and Happy.
"You did it." Erza's tone was both questioning and incredulous.
Gray couldn't answer: other sensations were swirling in his chest. Pain had reasserted itself and he bent over, hands on his knees. The ice covering his injuries was gone and blood was starting to flow. The Dragon Slayer had inadvertently melted his bandages. Of course.
The boy in question glanced at him with a quizzical, almost worried, expression. Shaking his head, Gray re-sealed his wounds.
The three newcomers hadn't noticed a thing. Erza gave them a rare praise of "good job" and Lucy smiled while Happy began flitting around asking frantic questions.
Hearing Natsu's voice giving answers was surreal. That mouth had just kissed him. Gray had a burning desire to interrogate the Dragon Slayer on the subject rather physically. What the hell just happened?
Was there going to be more?
A/N: So, this entire work is written and just being edited. I'll release a new chapter every 1-2 days. I know how excruciating it is to wait months for a new chapter and don't want to put you through that.