Warning: This story is rated M for foul language, eventual sexual content, and adult situations. This story will contain M/M sex, so if you are uncomfortable with that or the other warnings, please do not continue reading.
I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I do not give anyone permission to repost any parts of this story anywhere. Please be respectful.
This story might seem a little fast paced, but I hope it works out. I hope you enjoy this story. If you are not interested in gratsu, I suggest you leave now. For those who stay, please let me know what you thought. :)
Chapter One: Flyers
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this Mr. Dragneel, but you're going to have to go to summer school if you want to graduate with the rest of your class."
"Natsu... This... This isn't working out. I think we were better off as friends. Is that okay?"
"Natsu! I'm so sorry! I left the door open and—"
Needless to say, Natsu was having a horrible summer. Some of it was his fault, some of it wasn't.
He was lazy and decided to skate through his junior year of high school, causing him to fail a few classes. The only way for him to graduate on time was to take three summer school classes. He passed them, but it ate away at most of his break.
Not only that, his girlfriend of four months broke up with him. That one was partially both of their faults. At first he was upset, but when he thought about it, Lucy made sense. They were better off as friends before they tried dating. He was just glad they stayed friends in the end.
Those two things combined sucked, but he could handle it.
What he couldn't handle was when he came home from work and found his little sister, Wendy, crying in the living room. "Natsu! I'm so sorry! I left the door open and Happy got out! I-I tried chasing after him, but he was too fast!"
That resulted in Natsu spending the last few weeks of his summer vacation looking for his missing cat. He had Happy for over five years, and he couldn't imagine living without him. So, he spent every minute of his free time trying to find him.
He knocked on doors, hung up flyers offering a reward, and searched neighborhoods. He got chased by a few dogs when he got too close to some backyards, but he was determined to find his cat.
Nothing seemed to work though. Natsu even checked the local pounds every day, but it was fruitless. He wasn't giving up hope, but it was difficult to stay optimistic. He realized more and more that the chances of Happy magically showing up at his house were vanishing.
Still, Natsu kept going.
Happy meant the world to him, so he couldn't give up.
It was the last week before school started, and Natsu began feeling desperate. He hung up twice as many signs, called out of work for two shifts just to look for Happy, but nothing was working. He'd be lying if he said he didn't cry over it. Who could blame him? Happy was his best friend, and now he was gone!
It wasn't fair!
As much as Natsu wanted to blame Wendy, he couldn't. She didn't mean for him to escape. Happy was just a cunning feline, one that loved adventuring outside whenever the opportunity presented itself.
This was the first time he ever ran away though.
With bags under his eyes and his hair a mess, Natsu ventured into a neighborhood he hadn't searched yet. It was three miles away from his house. He didn't think Happy would travel that far, but it was worth a shot. If anything the flyers he put up might help.
Who could miss a blue cat?
Natsu walked up to the nearest telephone post with the stack of papers and a staple gun. He held up the sign, but froze when he saw a picture of a blue cat on the post.
"Happy?"
Confused for a moment, Natsu wondered, 'Have I already been to this neighborhood?'
He shook his head. That couldn't be it. He knew for a fact he'd never been there before Happy went missing.
'But...'
But that was definitely his cat in the picture, but the pose was different from the one on Natsu's flyers. With a shaky breath, Natsu read the text written over the picture.
Found cat. If this is your cat call—
Natsu couldn't pull his phone out fast enough. He dropped the flyers and staple gun in the process, not caring about the mess he made as he dialed those numbers.
He raised the phone to his ear, waiting as the dial tone sounded. After three rings, someone answered, causing Natsu to suck in a sharp breath.
"Hello?"
"H-hi!" Natsu coughed, clearing his throat.
He was nervous, wondering if this was really the way to get his cat back. A part of him was still in disbelief that someone had found Happy and took the time to put up flyers for him. He thought for sure he'd either find Happy at the pound, or worse, on the side of the road de—
"Hello?" the person on the other end of the phone said, startling Natsu out of his thoughts. "Who is this and why are ya calling?"
The voice was deep, definitely belonging to a man. Natsu didn't care if it was a man, woman, or child. As long as he got Happy back safe and sound, he could be talking to a cow for all he cared!
"Hi! I'm Natsu, and I saw the flyer for the found cat. Do you really have him?"
There was a pause before the voice returned. "How do I know it's your cat? What color was his handkerchief?"
Natsu cocked his head, then glanced back at the flyer. There was something different between his photo and the one hanging up besides the pose. Happy wasn't wearing his signature handkerchief. Natsu's eyes drifted to the bottom of the photo, reading the words written.
Must prove it's your cat before you can have it back.
Natsu blinked, then rushed out as if his life depended on it, "Green! It's green with little blue fishes on the edges!"
"Oh..." The man sounded startled. "Okay. Yeah I have your cat. Thing is a real pain in the ass. When can you come get him?"
Natsu ignored the rude comment in favor of saying, "Now! I can come now!"
"Great. I'll text you the address. I'm assuming this is a cell phone?"
"It is," Natsu nodded even though the guy couldn't see him.
"Cool. See you soon." With that, the man hung up.
Once Natsu got the text with the address, he grabbed his discarded flyers and staple gun in a hurry. He started running after he put the address into his GPS, racing as fast as he could to get to the house where his beloved cat was at.
The house ended up being four blocks away. Natsu dropped his supplies on the porch before knocking on the door, sweat dripping down his forehead. His heart pumped erratically as he waited for someone to answer the door.
Running hadn't worn him out, but the anticipation of seeing Happy again sure did a number on his body. He nearly gasped when the door opened, revealing a man holding a little blue cat, green handkerchief around his neck.
"Happy!"
Natsu was too excited, he barely thought his actions through as he grabbed the man. He wrapped him and his cat in a warm hug, snuggling his face against Happy's blue fur. "I can't believe it! Thank you so much mister!"
"Geez!" the man shouted before trying to take a step back. "Could you let go?!"
Natsu pulled back, a deep flush surfacing on his face when he realized how rude he was being. He wasn't exactly the best at judging personal space, but he guessed hugging a stranger probably crossed a few lines.
"I'm sorry! I'm just so happy you have Happy and—" Natsu sputtered for a few seconds as he took in the guy's appearance. "Wh-why aren't you wearing a shirt?!"
Natsu took a step back, raising a brow at the odd man. 'Didn't he remember I was coming by? Why wouldn't he get dressed?'
The man looked down, groaning when he saw he was topless. "Damn it. I was just wearing one."
As the man looked around the entrance of his house for the article of clothing, Natsu took a moment to really look at the guy. Judging from the phone conversation, he guessed the male was a man, but after seeing him in person, he didn't look that much older than himself, and Natsu was seventeen.
Natsu wouldn't admit it out loud, but the guy's features were actually pretty cool. He had raven black hair, but the sun shining on it made it look dark blue, just like his icy eyes. His skin was pale, looking drastically different from Natsu's complexion.
Natsu didn't exactly love how he looked, but he was used to it. With pink hair and green eyes, he was definitely unique. He only knew a few people with pink hair, but they were all girls. His skin was naturally tan, but spending most of his free time outdoors caused his flesh to look sun-kissed.
The guy holding Happy waved a hand in front of Natsu. "Umm? Are you okay?"
Natsu shook his head, bringing him out of his daze. He sometimes had a problem with zoning out. It was probably a reason he didn't do so well in some classes.
"I'm fine! Thank you again for finding Happy for me." Natsu reached in his back pocket, pulling out a worn wallet. He took out two hundred dollar bills before holding it out to the young man. "Here."
The guy stared at the money for a moment before shaking his head. "I didn't do it for the reward. Honestly I didn't even know there was one."
Natsu frowned as his gaze fell to Happy, who was still in the young man's arms. "But... I don't know how else to repay you?"
The guy raised a brow before shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. He wasn't that bad, I guess." As he spoke, he stroked Happy's back. The cat purred loudly, snuggling closer to the man's bare chest.
Natsu felt a hint of jealousy spike in his heart. He should be the only one Happy snuggled with!
"Well... Can I at least get your name?" Natsu asked, eyes not leaving Happy. He wanted to grab his cat, but he knew that might be rude when he already violated this guy's personal space.
The young man raised a brow before shrugging. "I'm Gray, Gray Fullbuster."
"Natsu," he introduced himself, holding out a hand. "Natsu Dragneel."
When Gray went to shake his hand, Natsu acted fast. He put the money in Gray's hands before trying to grab Happy. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't as quick as he needed to be.
Gray took a step back, clutching Happy tightly to his chest while holding out the money. "You're leaving with both the cat and money or neither. Your choice."
Natsu clenched his teeth as his frustration kicked in. He thought he was being sneaky, but his plan backfired. He just wanted to thank the guy for finding his cat. He didn't think it would be so difficult getting someone to accept his money.
"Fine," Natsu groused, holding out his hand. "I choose both."
Gray nodded before handing back the money, then reluctantly wrapped both hands around Happy. He lifted him up, peering in his black eyes. "Well, it was fun."
Gray looked upset as he handed Happy over to Natsu, as if the task weighted heavily on his heart. "Next time make sure you don't lose him."
Natsu's eye twitched, but he chose not to say anything on the matter. He was just happy to have Happy back safe and sound. He cuddled the little feline close to his chest, rubbing his face against the top of Happy's head for a few seconds. He really missed his best friend.
Natsu still felt bad he couldn't repay the guy for taking his cat in. He knew the feeling would nag at him until he figured something out. "Hey," Natsu started once he saw Gray try to close his front door. He didn't want things to end like that.
"What?"
Natsu caught him off guard with his request. "Have dinner with me!"
Gray's eyes widened, a soft blush gracing his cheeks. "Huh?"
Natsu nodded, hoping he came up with a good compromise. Who could say no to a free meal? "I gotta do something for you! Let me at least buy dinner for you!"
A flash of realization flashed through Gray's eyes. "O-oh." As quickly as it appeared, his blush was gone. "I don't know..."
"Please!" Natsu was ready to beg. He didn't like owing people things or favors, so he liked repaying them back immediately. "We can go anywhere you wanna go! Please? I gotta thank you for finding Happy!"
Gray sighed, running a hand through his dark locks. "Fine. I guess that works." As he started closing the door, he said, "Meet me at Lamia Scale at say... six?"
Natsu couldn't nod fast enough. "I'll be there! Thank you again!"
"Uh huh," Gray muttered before closing the door, effectively ending their conversation.
Natsu stared at the door for a few seconds before turning his attention back to Happy. He gave the feline a hug, once again rubbing his face against Happy's fur. "I missed you so much!"
Happy let out a soft meow before closing his eyes. The little guy looked tired and ready to sleep. Struggling to carry his flyers, staple gun, and cat, Natsu made his way back home, thankful one of his family was going to feel whole again.
Natsu surprised Wendy when he charged into the house, a bright grin on his face. "Wendy! Guess who's home?!"
A little girl with long blue hair came around the corner, her jaw dropping when she saw Happy in Natsu's arms. He thought she would smile, but her eyes lined with tears as she fell to her knees.
"Wendy?" Natsu dropped his supplies next to the front door before stepping closer to his sister. He bent down, rubbing a hand on her back while his other hand held Happy. "What's wrong?"
"I'm... s-so... h-happy," she cried, her tears spilling from her eyes. She held out her hands, sobbing when Natsu gave her Happy. "I'm sorry h-he escaped! I w-won't d-do that again!"
Natsu smiled softly, moving to sit down next to his sister. "It's okay. See, Happy's just fine! Don't beat yourself up!"
After taking another good look at Happy, Natsu realized just how true his words were. Happy looked not only well-groomed, but well-fed too. He really did need to thank that guy for taking care of him.
"We'll just need to keep a better eye on him in the future," Natsu said, gently petting Happy's head while Wendy nodded. "Don't worry so much about it. Everything's fine now."
Natsu arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes before he was supposed to. He felt a little anxious, but he didn't let it bother him. He never had dinner with a stranger before, but he wanted to do it if it meant repaying the guy who helped Happy.
He checked his phone absentmindedly as he waited outside. He sat on a wooden bench, waiting for his dinner guest to arrive. He wanted to send a text letting Gray know he was there, but he didn't in case that would annoy him.
It didn't matter in the end. Right at six, a car pulled up to the space in front of the bench Natsu sat at. He looked up, seeing Gray step out of the driver's side door. He couldn't help but think maybe he was wrong with guessing Gray was around his age. Only a few teenagers his age had their own vehicles.
Gray walked up to Natsu, tugging on the collar of his shirt while avoiding Natsu's gaze. "Hey."
"Hi!" Natsu stood up, giving Gray a sheepish grin. "Glad you decided to come. I kinda thought you'd bail on me."
Gray allowed himself a small chuckle. "And what was the plan if I did that?"
Natsu shrugged as he thought about it. "I dunno, maybe come back to your house and fight you until you took my money."
Gray barely got the chance to raise a brow before he felt himself being jerked to the side. Natsu already grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards the front of the restaurant.
"Let's go!"
Gray looked down at where Natsu held onto him. His hand was abnormally warm, but Gray usually thought everyone felt warm since his body was naturally colder than most. He ignored the way his heart stuttered wildly in his chest as Natsu dragged him into the building.
Once inside, Natsu let go. He didn't want to risk Gray leaving, figuring if he got him inside he was in the clear. Natsu walked up to the host, smiling as he said, "Table for two."
"Right this way," the man behind the podium nodded before leading Natsu and Gray to a table towards the back of the restaurant. He handed them their menus, saying their waiter would be out shortly. "Enjoy your meal."
As the host walked off, Natsu looked around them. He hadn't been to Lamia Scale in a while. The last time he went to eat there was his birthday two years ago. They served a lot of healthier meals, but Natsu preferred whatever tasted best, whether it was healthy or not.
"Order whatever you want," Natsu said as he flipped through the menu. He didn't want Gray to hold back.
"Okay..." Gray slowly grabbed the menu, looking over each page as he casually stole a few glances at Natsu. He wasn't exactly sure why Natsu was so insistent on taking him out to dinner just because he found his cat, but he was trying to go with it.
The only problem was Gray couldn't seem to get over the fact that Natsu was a very handsome guy. From his exotic pink hair to his gorgeous green eyes, Gray didn't know what to think of him. He decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being seeing as he didn't want to make a fool out of himself if he was reading into things.
If this was only a repayment of debt, Gray could live with that.
"Have you ever been here before?" Natsu asked, eyes skimming the menu. He tried deciding between the fish fillet or the chicken breast. He really wished the place served steak, but Gray chose the restaurant, so he would deal with it.
Gray shook his head, keeping his eyes on the menu. "No, but my brother works here. Figured I'd give it a shot."
"Your brother works here?" Natsu looked up and around, glancing between customers and waiters. "Does he work tonight?"
"Nope. That's the only reason I said this place." Gray chuckled a bit. "I would hate to come here when he was working. He'd probably find some way to fuck with the food."
Natsu found himself grinning at Gray's laugh. He enjoyed himself better when the people he was around were in a good mood. "Is that so? Well then I'm glad he's not here."
Gray saw Natsu's sharp canine teeth, causing his throat to temporarily dry up. "Y-yeah..." Without realizing it, Gray's hands went to fumble with his shirt. He undid a few buttons before Natsu raised a brow.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh?" Gray looked where Natsu was pointing, seeing he was stripping again. "Shit, not again." He fixed his shirt in a hurry before he could cause a scene. He couldn't count how many places he got kicked out of for his weird habit.
"Anyways..." Natsu trailed off. Just as he was about to ask Gray a question, their waitress came up.
"Good evening boys. What can I start you off to drink?" She pulled out a small notepad, smiling at Natsu as she waited for him to order.
Natsu motioned for Gray to go first. He nodded before saying, "Just water, but with a lot of ice."
Natsu's brow arched, but he didn't say anything. When the waitress looked at him, he said, "I'll just take a root beer."
"Sounds good, Cutie," the waitress jotted down their drinks before asking if they were ready to order their food.
Natsu looked to Gray, wondering why he lost his smile. "I'm ready, you?"
Gray nodded as he looked down at the menu, his icy blue eyes a little duller. "Yeah."
Between bites of his grilled chicken breast, Natsu talked with Gray. He found out quickly that Gray had two siblings, an older brother and an older sister. He also found out Gray was seventeen just like himself, and he was about to be a senior at Magnolia High too.
They compared schedules, seeing they would have a few classes together like 'Gym', 'Business & Computers', and 'English IV'. Natsu already wanted to get to know Gray better, but he calmed down a bit after finding out they would be seeing a bit of each other anyway. There was no rush.
"So you just moved here?" Natsu asked before taking a gulp of his drink. He never seemed to run out of his root beer since the waitress made a point to fill it every other time she passed the table.
Natsu wished he could pretend he was oblivious to the whole thing, but he caught on rather quickly that the waitress was flirting with him. He ignored it for the most part, figuring her behavior was an attempt to get a better tip.
He didn't bother looking into any hidden meaning behind her random winks and the way she -not so casually- brushed her hand against his arm while refilling his last glass.
"Yup," Gray nodded as he stabbed a piece of broccoli on his plate. If he had known Lamia Scale was a healthy restaurant he would have suggested somewhere else. He guessed it was his fault for not asking Lyon, his older brother, when he mentioned he got a job there.
Gray told him about his hometown. It was up north in the mountains. Natsu said he hadn't been, but Gray assured him he wasn't missing out on anything. "There's a lot of snow. That's basically all we're known for. As far as I can remember it's never been sunny."
"Is that why you're so pale?" Natsu asked, pointing to Gray's arm.
He narrowed his eyes, thinking Natsu was insulting him. "Yeah, so?"
"So nothing," Natsu said, shaking his head. "I was just wondering. It's always sunny here. I thought you might be a recluse or something. Maybe you can get a tan before school starts?"
"Doubt it."
School started in a few days, and Gray didn't see himself spending that time sun bathing. He still had to go supply shopping and finish unpacking his room. He got a little distracted when he first moved into the house since a certain blue cat came to his house.
Natsu shrugged before taking another bite of his chicken. He spoke with his mouth full, not caring much about manners. "I'm probably gonna go tanning tomorrow. You can join if you wanna."
"Why would I do that?" Gray asked, his voice sounding disinterested, but he would be lying if he said the offer wasn't tempting. Judging by the way Natsu's shirt fit him, he guessed there were some muscles hidden underneath. He found himself looking at his toned arms a few times too, but he kept scolding himself for it. 'This isn't a date. It's just him saying thanks.'
"I dunno. It gets kinda boring just sitting outside by myself." Natsu laughed, "I mean, I'll have Happy, but he's gonna be on a lease the whole time. Can't have him running off again."
The blush that threatened to surface on Gray's cheeks vanished in an instant at the mention of Natsu's cat. It reminded him once again why they were having dinner.
"I might go, but only to hang out with Happy."
Natsu's grin spread. "I never asked, how'd you find him? Thanks again, by the way."
"Yeah, no problem." Gray sighed, idly twirling his straw in his glass of iced water before telling the story. "We were moving in. I went to grab another box and there was this cat on the porch."
Gray chuckled at the memory. "I tried to shoo it off, but it wouldn't budge. When I tried to ignore him, he started following me around."
That got Natsu laughing. He could imagine Happy being a stubborn cat. He was just like his owner.
Gray tapped a finger to the straw, remembering how soft Happy's fur felt the first time he pet him. "After we got done moving all our stuff inside, the cat still wouldn't stop following me. I took him to every house in the neighborhood to see if he belonged to anyone, but no one would claim him. I thought if I hung up a few posters someone was sure to call, but for a while no one did."
Natsu's smile turned sheepish. "Sorry about that. I actually live like three or so miles from you. I really didn't think he'd get that far."
"Well, I kinda wish you woulda called me sooner." Gray flushed a little, swallowing thickly before adding, "Your cat's pretty spoiled."
Natsu didn't have to ask what he meant. He already knew Happy was picky. He would only eat certain things, sleep in certain places, and be friendly towards certain people. He guessed Gray had to find all that out the hard way.
"He wouldn't eat regular cat food. I had to go buy cans of tuna. Real tuna! He didn't even like the artificial kind!"
Natsu laughed, holding his stomach as he grinned. "Yeah, that's Happy for ya!"
"I'm just glad he liked the litter box and bed I got him," Gray sighed. "Although, I guess he didn't like the first litter I bought him. I had to go get that expensive stuff. Why is your cat so spoiled?"
Natsu ignored that question, focusing on the other things Gray said. "Were... were you gonna keep him?" Why else would Gray go through all the trouble of buying Happy pet supplies. He could have turned Happy over to the pound if he didn't want him around.
Gray scratched the side of his face before his hands went to his lap. He started unbuttoning the top button when he realized what he was doing. With his hands laying flat on the table, Gray tried to relax. "Well, if no one claimed him after another week or so, yeah. I was gonna keep him. He's not that bad, I guess. We even had some bonding moments."
Natsu saw Gray smile, a faraway look in his eyes. He guessed he was thinking about those moments, and for some reason, Natsu wanted to know them. "Like what?"
"Well, he liked laying on my lap while I played video games."
Natsu leaned in a bit, his attention fully on Gray. "He does that for me too. What kinda games do you play?"
Gray eased into the new topic. He told Natsu about the current game he was playing, as well as the other types of games he enjoyed. He found out they shared a lot of things in common, both loving action games with a long story mode.
They still occasionally picked at their food, but their attention stayed on the conversation. It turned out they shared a few interests, both loving to run and work out. The wildest thing for Natsu was when he found out Gray was adopted.
"I'm adopted too!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
Natsu pulled out his phone, scrolling through his gallery until he found a picture of his entire family. "That's my mom and dad." He pointed to the two adults in the photo. "This is my little sister Wendy, and this is my older brother Zeref. He's my only living relative." His finger tapped on the young man with jet black hair.
"He doesn't look like you," Gray said, his eyes flitting to the small boy in the picture. It was easy enough to tell that was Natsu. He was the only one there with pink hair.
Natsu nodded as he put his phone away. "We get that a lot. I have a picture somewhere of my real parents. I guess my dad had pink hair too and my mom had black hair."
"Can I ask what happened to them?" Gray knew it was a risk asking, but he was curious. "If you don't want to tell me you don't have to."
"It's okay." Natsu's smile faded just a bit as he said, "They died in a house fire when I was younger."
Before Gray could say he was sorry to hear that, Natsu cut him off. "I was only two when it happened, so I don't remember them."
Gray still felt the need to tell Natsu he was sorry for the loss, but the words died in his throat as soon as Natsu asked, "What about your family?"
Gray told his own story, but he rushed through it as quickly as he could. "My parents were killed by a drunk driver. I stayed in foster care for a while until Ur adopted me. She already had a daughter, but she took me and this other boy, Lyon, in too. He's technically older than me, but only by a few months."
"That's cool," Natsu said with a grin. He was already perking back up. "I think adoption is really awesome! I wanna adopt a kid when I get older."
"You do?" Gray blinked, a little surprised. He hadn't even thought about which college he wanted to apply to yet Natsu was already thinking of children. "That's pretty cool."
Natsu opened his mouth, but he stopped when he saw the waitress come by with the check. "Any to go boxes today?" she asked, eyes lingering on Natsu's for a moment before looking at Gray.
Natsu looked down at his food, surprised he hadn't eaten every last bite. The conversation with Gray seemed to absorb all his attention. He forgot they were even at a restaurant. "Uh, no thanks. Gray?"
"I'm good."
"Well, here's your check. Take all the time you need." She set the slip down just as her hand landed on Natsu's shoulder. He didn't jerk away, causing a knot to form in Gray's stomach.
She set a separate check down beside Gray, but he didn't seem to notice. He was dealing with the slight sting in his chest. It wouldn't be the first time he was disappointed after finding out a guy he could see himself liking was straight, and for all he knew, it wouldn't be the last. It wasn't anyone's fault, just a part of life Gray dealt with.
Natsu nodded politely to the waitress. He waited until she left before snatching both checks. Gray protested, but Natsu shot the idea of Gray paying for himself down. "I invited you out to dinner. It's only right that I pay."
Natsu realized he should have told the waitress the checks would be together, but it didn't make that much of a difference to him. He pulled out enough money to cover the bills and leave a decent tip before chugging the rest of his drink.
"Ready to go?"
Gray suppressed a sigh. "Yup." He went to stand and leave, but his feet froze as soon as he saw the words written in pink pen on Natsu's bill.
Call me?
Written next to that was a little heart with her phone number, but that wasn't what caught Gray's attention.
Under her little message, Natsu wrote his own.
Sorry, not interested.
Gray blinked a few times, sure he was missing something before Natsu snapped him back to reality.
"Are you coming?" He tugged on Gray's arm as he jerked his head towards the exit.
"Uh y-yeah," Gray stuttered, feeling his throat closing up. "C-coming..."
He wished his cheeks didn't warm up from Natsu's grasp. It was only the first day of meeting him and already he had touched him more than Gray was used to. He didn't exactly understand if Natsu knew what he was doing to him, but a small part of him hoped he wouldn't stop.
Once they made it outside, Natsu took a deep breath. "I'm gonna miss when summer ends. I think it's the best time of the year. You?"
Gray furrowed his brows a bit, wondering how Natsu went from rejecting that waitress to talking about the seasons so quickly. "I think I like winter better... This heat makes me a little dizzy."
"Ah, that makes sense." Natsu nodded when he remembered Gray was used to the snow. "So, do you have any plans for the rest of the night?"
Gray cocked his head, not sure where Natsu was going with that. "Not really? I guess video games or unpacking?"
"Cool." Natsu's green eyes seemed to brighten. "You wanna keep hanging out? I heard that new movie about the Devil slayer is out. It seems good. You wanna go?"
"A-are you sure?" Gray couldn't help but think, 'Dinner and a movie? Was I wrong about him?'
"Why not? You seem like a fun guy. I mean if you'd rather unpack that's fine. Just thought it'd be cool to hang out a bit." Natsu snickered to himself. "Plus, between you and me, I could go for a good bag of popcorn or some nachos. That chicken didn't have much flavor. I thought using that hot sauce would help, but it was pretty gross."
Gray found himself laughing. "Yeah, my food wasn't much better."
"So how about it?" Natsu asked, grinning as he waited. He finally let go of Gray's arm, not noticing the way he blushed in response.
"Umm, sure?"
"Awesome!" Natsu threw a fist in the air. "I'm all fired up now!"
Gray let out a soft chuckle at Natsu's energy. He seemed to have too much of it. "Where's the theater?"
Natsu stopped cheering for a moment to tell Gray how to get there. Gray asked why didn't he just drive with him, but Natsu hesitated before agreeing. "I uh, I get car sick..."
"Oh. Can you ride with me without puking at least?"
Natsu nodded as he walked over to the passenger side of Gray's car. "I can try."
On the way to the theater, Natsu tried explaining that he took the bus to the restaurant. He tried avoiding vehicles if at all possible, but Lamia Scale was too far away from his house.
Natsu felt beads of sweat drip down his forehead as he stayed hunched over. He could get through the car ride, but the powerful urge to vomit stayed present.
Once they got to the parking lot of the theater, Natsu opened the door. He fell out of the car as if he were a big ball of slime. He rolled once, landing on his back so he could stare at the sky. It was getting a little dark, but there was still plenty of time to hang out before he had to be back home.
Gray went around the other side of the car to see Natsu heavily breathing on the concrete. "Natsu? Are you okay?"
"Will... be..." he managed to say. It always took him a moment to collect himself before he was okay to walk again.
Gray gave him time to recover, not wanting to rush him. When Natsu finally stood up on his own two legs, he flashed Gray a smile. "Okay! Let's go!"
The two males walked to the theater. It wasn't very busy since it was a Wednesday, but they didn't mind. It actually made the experience better because they didn't have to wait in extremely long lines.
After Natsu purchased their tickets -much to Gray's dissatisfaction, they went to get food. While they waited for the elderly couple ahead of them to order, Gray decided to ask Natsu what was on his mind.
"So... Did you not like her?"
Natsu raised a brow, tearing his eyes away from the candy display. "Her? Who?"
Gray shoved his hands in his pocket so he couldn't accidentally strip. "The waitress... You two seemed to be getting along." That was a stretch. The waitress flirted with Natsu while he sort of accepted it. Not once did Natsu try to flirt back, even though he had several opportunities to do so.
"Oh her?" Natsu shrugged. "I don't know her. Why would I want to date someone I don't know?"
Gray felt his shoulders sag a little. "Huh..." He hadn't expected that answer. He thought maybe Natsu would say she wasn't his type, or he was already in a relationship, but he didn't date people he didn't know?
"I guess that makes sense..."
Natsu grinned, thinking that part of the conversation was over. He was about to ask Gray if he wanted to get some drinks, but Gray was already talking again.
"So how long do you have to know a person before you consider dating them?" Gray tried to act indifferent, thankful Natsu couldn't see the way his stomach twisted with built up anxiety.
Natsu tapped his chin. "I'm not sure. I mean I've only dating one person before, and I knew her since middle school."
Gray resisted every urge in his body to say "Her?" He already suspected it, so he didn't know why he was so surprised. Still, he found himself asking, "So you like girls?" He wondered if that sounded as lame as it felt. He wanted to take it back in an instant, but he could already see Natsu cocking his head as he formed a response.
Natsu didn't really understand the question. He hadn't thought much to it since every guy he knew liked females. That was normal, right? "Well... Yeah. Don't you?"
Gray felt his heart drop, but he swallowed back the pain. He knew it was idiotic to assume Natsu's kindness was some sort of way to get closer to Gray. He said so himself, dinner was just to repay him for taking care of Happy, and Natsu was only hanging out with him afterwards because he seemed like a 'fun guy'.
It was as black and white as it could get.
Then, why did Gray feel so upset?
"Umm..." Gray debated telling Natsu the truth. It would probably be better to tell Natsu he was gay. Then Natsu could make the decision to continue hanging out with Gray or not.
Or...
"Y-yeah, sure..."
Or he could lie to save face, even though it hurt worse than the unintentional rejection. He felt sick lying, but he had already said it. It seemed stupid to take it back now.
Natsu nodded as he turned back to the concession stands. They were up next. Natsu ordered two sodas for them, as well as a large bag of popcorn and the biggest container of nachos they served. He made sure to get a few jalapenos on the side so he could satisfy his love for spicy food.
After paying for their food, Natsu ushered Gray to the hall where the movies were playing. He didn't notice the way Gray's eyes stayed trained on the floor, or the fact that he struggled to keep himself from undressing due to his stress.
They went to the correct theater, then found some seats directly in the middle. It allowed them to see the entire screen without being too far back. Natsu handed Gray his drink, then offered him some popcorn as the trailers started playing.
After a minute, Natsu leaned over, whispering directly into Gray's ear. He didn't see the way Gray tensed as his hot breath fanned over his skin. "It's awesome we got here just in time."
As he started to pull back, he saw the panicked look in Gray's eyes. His own eyes widened, realizing his mistake. "Shit! Am I doing it again?"
"Shhhh!" someone in the back shushed, causing Natsu to mutter an apology.
He lowered his voice before explaining. "Sometimes I don't realize when I get in people's space. Have I been making you uncomfortable?"
Natsu thought back to all the times he grabbed Gray's arm or wrist to drag him along, or even the hug he imposed on Gray when they first met. "I'm really sorry. I'll try to be better."
Swallowing his pride, Gray said, "No, it's fine. I-I don't mind."
Natsu grinned. He was about to yell again, but he caught himself, settling for a loud whisper. "Great!"
It took him a moment, but Gray finally relaxed. A few things started making sense in his head, the main one being Natsu's touches. The guy just had boundary issues. He could put up with that.
Gray realized Natsu's behavior also explained why he wasn't bothered when that girl was touching him at the restaurant. Natsu apparently didn't have a problem with physical contact. Gray would be sure not to take advantage of that since he was already wrapping his mind around the idea of Natsu being straight.
Gray was already used to the disappointment that came from finding out someone he found attractive wasn't interested in guys. He would do what he always did, suppress his feelings before they grew too strong in favor of a simple friendship.
Natsu did seem like a good guy to hang out with, even if he was a little odd at times.
"Want some nachos?" Natsu whispered, making sure to keep a gap between his lips and Gray's ear this time.
Gray smiled, already liking the idea of a friendship with Natsu. "Sure." He grabbed one, popping it in his mouth before turning his attention back to the screen.
The day wasn't quite going how Gray imagined. He planned on spending his time lounging around on the couch, hanging out with Happy -who he secretly named 'Snowball' despite the cat being mostly blue, but this wasn't bad at all. Sure he was out a cat, but he gained a new friend.
Natsu was a bit more excited by how the day turned out. He got Happy back, and he made a new friend. He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the seat in front of him since no one sat there. "Hey Gray," he started, gaining said boy's attention. "Thanks for hanging out with me."
Gray nodded, grabbing a handful of popcorn before shoving them into his mouth. Just like Natsu did earlier, he spoke with his mouth full. "No problem, any time."
He didn't realize Natsu would definitely take him up on that offer.
Up next, Chapter Two: The party
Let me know what you thought of this story! One of my favorite tropes is mutual pining, so we'll see that next chapter. :)
I hope I haven't offended anyone with this chapter. The way I'm writing it is somewhat based on how I grew up. As a kid I assumed I was straight by default. It wasn't until late elementary school/early middle school I started to wonder why I was feeling a certain way towards girls as well. In this story, Natsu was like me. He just assumes he's straight because that's what he's been led to believe, so when he starts getting feelings for Gray (as seen in the next chapter) he starts to question himself. I know I was confused for a few years before I found out it was okay to like boys and girls.