Author Note: Missed all of you ^^

Story title: The Award

Rated: T

Warnings: Shonen Ai/Yaoi, language and a little changes to Natsu's home.

This will be Canon. I'll try making them in Character as much as I can.

This is a fanfic meant to be for entertainment.

... Story begins ...

Happy was snoring which brought Natsu to smile. Surprisingly Natsu was at his home and not bothering Lucy by stealing her bed for himself, after all he made a deal with her not to break in her apartment for a week to prove that he can win any challenge whatever it was, and now he is regretting that. He used to live with her, stick to her bed like some kind of permanent glue and just fucking enjoy how warm and fluffy it was.

Now he had this day dedicated to cleaning his home in order to be able to live in it because if he went to Erza, she'll kick him in the ass and if he went to Gray, he'll kick him in the ass, twice. He wasn't a parasite. He's on his own now. Yes on his own.

He wasn't even in the mood to go on a mission. He'd just destroy everything and anything and he'll have lots of ass kicking from Erza. The red-haired demon. He sighed as he drunk his warm milk while sitting Indian style on the kitchen's floor as the sun illuminated the area.

Zzzzzzz!

Happy was a lucky cat.

He scratched behind his head and yawned. After awhile he stood up, brushing NON-imaginary dust off of his black shorts and his dark blue and white t-shirt. Man, his house was so dirty that he could hear the cockroaches partying in every corner of the area.

So Natsu wasn't a planner, even in S-class missions, he didn't think with his brain, he just acted with his body, but with this serious situation, he doubted that he'll survive the day without any strategic planning 'like-how-lucy-described it'

"So what did Lucy say?"

He tried to remember. Strategic planning demanded an objective. Hell yeah, he wanted his house clean. So what? Now the goals. Yes that's it. The goals.

Did he have anything to clean with? No.

Did he have the tools to clean with? No.

That meant he had to buy these stuff….. with the money that he wanted to spend it on all the good stuff, not cleaning.

Damn his house was so dirty that he was already coughing from the dust.

Ok done. He had all the cleaning stuff in front of him. A broom, a sponge, cleaning chemical, chlorine and a mop. Natsu cried looking to all that stuff which was staring at him intently. They weren't even magical ones, he didn't have enough money for those which reminded him of Lucy telling him to save every Jewel for the most needy days and it happened that this day was one of them.

There was no one to help, even happy woke up long time ago, saying that he had a date with charle. The lying bastard! He was just getting away and abandoning him. At least he was gonna keep it a secret that Natsu is actually cleaning his course, if his friends found out, they won't let him live with it. Natsu mentally cursed.

He was living in a house of a monster, not a human. He sighed heavily as he went to his room. He folded his scarf and kept it safe in a place away from the dirt that was living in his closet and changed into his black shorts and dark-blue and white t-shirt again. The only magic he could use, is to move things which he thought it'll ease up his mission.

Why was he being reasonable anyway? Why did he have to go through all the trouble?

Shit. Fuck. If he was going to live in his house, he'd have to make it like Lucy's home.

"Happyyyyy!" he whined while circling himself and almost teared up.

He was a man, and if anything, he should be clean. The first thing he had to do is to clean up all of his closet which was disgusting, terrible in smell and downright stinky.

"Ugh… Happy…" there was green moss growing in his closet and the cat's closet. So he gathered all the shit from the house and went to the laundry area which he had to ask about its direction a thousand times since he didn't fucking wash his clothes at all. He just took his usual outfit and dipped it in water with shampoo when it felt dirty.

"Ahem, sir… you've to take a ticket…"

"Oh, uh sure."

Natsu took his washing Machine's number and went to the receptionist.

"Yes, sir. It looks like you'll pay much with all that stuff."

"Eeeeh? How much?"

"Well, give me that."

The woman named 'Vicky' took the three huge bags of clothes and closed her nose at the smell while counting. "Hmm. 700 Jewel after discount for your guild."

Natsu grinned and took 700 Jewel placing them in front of the woman.

"Done! Say, can I come back later? I'm kinda busy today."

"Ok, well, no problem. We can deliver it to your house for free."

"Really? Great! Can I specify a certain time?"

"Yeah sure! Anything for that adorable pink hair."

Vicky sweetly smiled as she leaned forward exposing a good part of her huge breasts as she muttered those words to him earning a grin. Of course, Natsu wasn't the type that would get to know what seduction is. "WOW! You are AWESOME! Thanks v-v-vicky!"

The lady's shoulders hurt when Natsu patted them in a manly kidding way.

"See ya!"

He stormed outside of the building to his home. Vicky sweat dropped and gathered the clothes to clean them. "That….. Stink."

"Charle! Go out with me!"

"No way, baka Neko!"

"Eeeeh?"

Gray, Lucy and Wendy sat watching the cats quarreling in front of them. This was the 10, 000 time that happy had asked charle out and was met with absolute refusal from the pinky fur ball.

"I still can't believe that Natsu is actually remodeling his home."

"Why remodeling? It's just cleaning…." Lucy asked the ice mage.

"You actually think that the hot-head's house is fine with all the bugs in the world munching on it? He won't survive I tell you that."

Lucy smirked evilly. "Serves him right. He'd learn how to live in his 'home' with that baka Neko."

"Lucyyy! Don't tell Natsu that I told you!"

"Sure, Baka Neko."

"Shut up Heavy woman!"

"What did you say?"

Happy shrieked and ran. Gray sweat dropped at the scene. "….. Guess I'll go get my clothes washed."

Erza smirked. "Hmm, are you feeling the competition now Gray?"

"Huh?"

"Natsu is cleaning, so you want to clean too?"

"Ha? No way. It's just that it has been a week now and I haven't visited the laundry yet."

"Good Luck."

Gray scowled and went out. "What's up with that guy?"

"Good afternoon. How can I serve you in the guilds laundry?"

Gray sweat dropped as he saw a green haired woman leaning dangerously on him from the reception desk. "V-Vicky-san…. Cleaning please."

"Sure! Anything for those blue-eyes."

Gray sweat dropped. That woman was a slut. She was just offering him her 'body' in every movement possible. "Sir, please sign your name here."

Gray took the pen to write his name and after he finished, he handed her the schedule.

"Oh…. Can I just look at that again?"

Vicky eyes Gray suspiciously. "Hmm. Sure?"

"Thanks."

He looked again, scanning through the names until he found it.

Natsu Dragneel. 1:30 PM

"Are the clothes ready for Natsu Dragneel?"

"Yes sir why?"

"Actually we are…. Friends. We are in the same guild. Can I take it for him?"

"Sir, he ordered delivery. I can't give it to you."

Gray hummed and nodded.

"Blue-eyes, don't hate me~ it's a policy."

"I understand perfectly."

"Good boy~"

"Ugggghhh!"

Before Natsu could start cleaning, he had to make a plan. His house had a living room, one bedroom, bathroom, storage and a kitchen. Everything was fairly medium size and so the boy thought it'll be easy, but no. the many layers of dust clustered during ages, and Natsu shoved the idea of burning down his house and living somewhere else, aside. It was the house he and happy lived in for years, he wouldn't abandon it.

Still…. There was something that smelled so strong that was making him choked. He was done from 3 quarters of the house, discovered many valuable items, and now he was cleaning the bathroom and he was being literally choked. He got out the bathroom, holding his neck desperately for some miracle to happen and make him get rid of that stingy odor that was killing him cruelly. He stumbled until he held a glass of water and when he did, the glass fell, and was shattered on the kitchen's shiny, brand new floor. Fuck! His house smelled so clean that it was killing him!

He slowly went out the kitchen, not knowing what to do until he collapsed, breathing slowly and faintly. Somewhere between his consciousness and unconsciousness he saw blue….. Blue horrified pupils.

"Natsu! Idiot!" Gray slapped, kicked and punched the unconscious, dirty idiot on the floor, getting no response whatsoever.

He couldn't believe it. Natsu's house smelled chlorine and the idiot's skin was redder and blue-r than usual while the moron's face was covered with tears and saliva.

He huffed and took Natsu by the collar of his shirt and dipped the idiot's body in water which he had filled the bathtub with.

Four…. Three….. two….

"GAAAAAH!"

The idiot coughed the water out of his mouth and shivered from the apparent coldness. "Sh- shit! W-what… BASTARD! WERE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"

"I just saved your ass after seeing you half dead and you are awarding me with insults… what the hell were you thinking when you were using chlorine? The bottle is fucking empty!"

"What are you doing here? How the hell did you get in my house?"

"I broke the window. If I didn't you'd be dead."

Natsu was all wet sitting in the bathtub that was filled with water. He had seen death. He got choked by the enemy many times, but not like that time. He felt it was the end.

"Your laundry has arrived. I brought you a towel and clothes, so hurry up and get out before you die from cold this time."

Natsu nodded reluctantly, not paying attention to the bastard at all. Gray sighed and went out to the surprisingly clean living room. He couldn't believe that this was Natsu's house. The moron did a pretty amazing job with the cleaning. Who knew that he couldn't only just destroy things but also make things pretty and clean?

Then Gray wondered what was he doing here, and how his curiosity overwhelmed him until he arrived to this now clean sparkly house.

"What are you doing?"

"Sh-shit!" Gray cursed. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Hmmm…."

"Nothing idiot, I was just…. Leaving."

Natsu's heart beats quickened and almost stopped. "w-why? I-mean…. Why don't we have diner…. T-t-t….. together?"

"Huh?"

"Come on! I-I brought many ingredients today, we could have many options. I will cook you whatever you want!"

Gray looked suspiciously to Natsu who was fucking cleaner than the usual, and wondered why was he being so nice. Normally, they'd use that chance to fight and to challenge each other to death, not to act like best friends and have 'dinner'.

"Dude. Don't worry, Erza is not here, you can drop the act."

"I….. I'm serious!"

"….."

"….."

"… you are?"

"Yes…."

In the end, Gray was the one who cooked because Natsu was destroying everything he held. He was….. dare Gray not to say it, but he was 'weak'.

They ate and Natsu convinced him to stay over after he'd heard that happy is sleeping over with charle in wendy's home.

Gray had declined thinking that Natsu was hiding a trap for him in the bedroom or something, but after the mysterious pleas and begging, he'd hesitantly agreed to the issue.

And now, they were back to back on the bed with Gray half naked as usual and Natsu having shorts and t-shirt.

They were both awake. Gray was feeling all weird sleeping in Natsu's home beside a clean Natsu that had a wonderful fragrance which made him shake his head a few times for the ridiculous thinking.

"Something wrong Gray? You smell funny…"

Shit. Curse that smelling sense of Natsu.

"Nothing. Stop annoying me. I can't sleep."

They had no covers covering their bodies. They used each other's backs as a source of warmth.

Gray sighed when he smelled that amazing smell again. "You smell awful Natsu."

"….. R-Really? That's weird. I'm sure that I washed myself good this time."

The idiot was actually sniffling himself all over to see if Gray was telling the truth, and eventually he was confused.

"G-Gray I…."

"Relax, I was kidding."

Natsu glared and elbowed Gray in his back. "Bastard."

It was the first time he'd heard Gray laugh so…. Freely.

"Sheesh, sorry. You smell great."

Natsu's scowl was visible, but on his cheeks, something pink was visible too.

"Liar."

Gray laughed. His legs were fully clothes with his black Jeans and he moved one of them slowly to link it with Natsu's leg. "No. you smell like a girl. That perfume is for girls idiot."

"What perfume? I didn't use any."

"…."

"Maybe it's the shampoo. Lucy gave it to me when she complained that my hair wasn't clean."

"Thant doesn't change that it's for girls idiot."

"Sorry about that asshole. So what if I smell like a girl? They are clean right?"

"Shut it Natsu."

"Fine!"

Gray's eyes widened. "I can't believe that you actually listened to me. Something wrong?"

Silence.

"Talk idiot."

"… Nothing."

Gray thought about it for a while then dropped it.

"I'm going to sleep outside." Gray turned to see Natsu getting up. "Why?"

"Because I…. you are taking the whole bed."

Gray looked at Natsu's back for a while then sighed and grabbed the idiot's arm and dragged him back to the bed, this time, with gray trapping his waist from behind.

"You'll have to learn sharing, Na. t. su."

Natsu had his face flushed as he heard that husky voice in his ear. "H-Hey!"

He tried making Gray loosen his grip, but couldn't.

"Natsu, you are alive. You are fine and you being in your bed with me annoying you is a big fat proof of that. So tell me what is worrying you. You are not that kind to let me stay for the night and we both know it."

There. He touched the injury. He could feel the slight trembling of the pink-haired between his arms. "I'm…. just afraid. What if I didn't see Igneel again because of death? What am I going to do?"

"Stop talking like you are gonna die soon. Remember our battle? It never ended. So make sure to end it before kissing your life goodbye."

Natsu scowled and turned his head behind to glare at gray only to discover that it was a bad idea. The other had a sad look on his blue eyes that made Natsu feel guilty because of an unknown reason, and he hadn't realize how close their face was after being captivated by such look.

"You scared the life out of me today…. Natsu."

Natsu had his cheeks flushed a little. Gray had never ever showed his concern for him before….

"You are freaking me out…"

"Good…. Don't think of death. I'm the one who'll take your miserable life, not some cleaning chemical you moron."

It made the pink haired chuckle. "If someone heard you, they'll think that you are in love with me."

"…"

"…"

"I'm in love with you."

It was morning. And Natsu was washing his face. It was a long night….. he smiled.

He looked at himself in the clean mirror to find his lip bruised somewhere, and surprisingly he was flushed.

"Ah sorry about that….."

Natsu saw the black-haired standing behind him smirking. "It was a good fight though…"

Natsu elbowed him in his gut earning laughter, but after a while Gray pecked Natsu's lips so gently and made the other gasp.

"Sorry….. I was just excited."

"Sure thing asshole. Next time you've to put in your consideration that I didn't fucking kiss before and that you have to take it easy…. I'm not a fucking marshmallow…"

"Sure."

It ended with the raven kissing the forehead of his best friend and now…

Lover.

….. The End …

That's One-shot for you ^^

Araide-