Cuddling

Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail

Summary: Gray wants to learn something new.

Cuddling (Rated M for a little smut)

That's it. I'm going to ask him, Gray thought to himself as he walked up to the bedroom door. Turning quickly on his heels, he headed back down the hallway. No I'm not.

He'd been doing this for about a half an hour now. It wasn't that he was afraid. Okay, so maybe he was just a little bit. But it was just…so embarrassing!

Gray stopped and sighed. Taking a deep breath, he turned and went back to the bedroom door. Before he could change his mind, the door suddenly opened, revealing a beautiful, salmon-haired teen with dark eyes.

"Hey, Gray," Natsu said softly, smiling up at him.

Gray felt like a deer caught in headlights. "Hi," he replied unsurely.

Well, that hadn't been the reaction Natsu had hoped for. What was wrong with the ice mage, anyway? "Are you okay, Gray?"

"Yeah," came the soft reply.

"Are you gonna give me anything other than one-word answers?"

"No."

Natsu bit back a frustrated groan. He hated it when Gray beat around the bush. He knew Gray wanted to ask him something, but for some reason, he was always too shy to ask.

Reaching out, Natsu grabbed Gray's hand and pulled him into their room. As he led him to the bed, Gray planted his feet on the ground and stopped them. "No."

Natsu turned and looked at him, confusion evident in his eyes. "No, what?"

Gray glanced up at the ceiling, trying to find the right way to phrase his…question.

"Come on, Gray. Tell me what's wrong," Natsu pleaded.

"Nothing's wrong…it's just…"

"Just what?"

"Can…you show me how to do something?" Gray asked quickly.

Natsu was taken aback. Show Gray how to do something? What did he know how to do that Gray didn't? Other than fire dragon slaying magic. "Um, do you mind telling me what you want me to show you how to do?"

At this point Gray started fiddling with his hands, which only made Natsu nervous. "You're gonna think it's stupid," Gray muttered.

That really had Natsu going. Never, in all the time he'd known the ice mage, did he ever think he'd hear those words. Plus, seeing Gray so insecure was unnerving him.

"Gray, I promise I won't think it's stupid. Now tell me," Natsu insisted comfortingly.

"Iwantyoutoteachmehowtocuddle," Gray replied quickly.

"I didn't quite catch that." Even his heightened hearing couldn't help him make out that mess.

"I…want you to teach me how to cuddle," Gray repeated, more slowly this time.

"Oh." Natsu didn't know what else to say. Cuddle? Gray wanted him to teach him how to cuddle?

"I told you it was stupid," Gray grumbled as he headed for the door. Considering how cold his body was all the time, it wasn't something he'd had the opportunity to learn. Not that he hadn't tried.

A hand suddenly shot out and stopped him. "It's not stupid, Gray. What brought this on all of a sudden?"

Gray sighed deeply. It was now or never. "I don't want…our relationship to be just about sex. I feel like the only time I show you how I feel is when we're making love. I want to do something more to show you how much I care for you."

"And you think cuddling is it?" Natsu couldn't help but be slightly amused.

Gray started fidgeting again. "Natsu, I don't know how to cuddle! And I just thought that—if we just cuddled some—then maybe we could spend some quality time together that didn't revolve around making out or having sex. I know I'm not best candidate for cuddling, but I…" he explained as his voice trailed off.

Natsu just smiled at him. "Then let me show you," he whispered as he led Gray over to the bed. Pulling down the covers, he slipped under them and beckoned for Gray to do the same.

Once he had, Natsu instructed, "Put your arms around me like you do when you're hugging me."

Gray did. When he felt Natsu slip his arms around his waist and push him so that his back was on the mattress, Natsu rested his head on his shoulder. Gray tightened his grip around Natsu and leaned his head closer to his.

"See? We're cuddling," Natsu said softly as he listened to Gray breathe.

"That's it?"

"Yep!" Natsu replied, snuggling closer.

"I'm not too cold?"

"No. You're just right," Natsu sighed.

Gray smiled softly.

"But our relationship isn't just built on sex," Natsu continued. " Part of it is making love, but we're also friends, companions, confidants, and lovers. There is an emotional attachment we have with each other as well as a physical one. And when you say that you love me, I know that you mean it. There's more than one way to show someone you love them."

"Oh," Gray said quietly as he thought for a moment. "You've been talking to Lucy, haven't you?"

Natsu glared. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gray chuckled. "Nothing. I just didn't expect to hear so many big words come out of your mouth."

Natsu stuck his tongue out at him.

"But I don't think cuddling is such a good idea now."

Natsu looked at him in shock. "Why?"

Gray let a dark look cross his face that just spelled trouble. "Because whenever you snuggle closer, you rub against me."

"And?" Natsu replied, still not understanding where Gray was coming from.

"And that means…that you're just making me hard…and horny."

Natsu yelped and tried to scramble away, but it was too late. He was already trapped beneath the ice mage. And in a bed of all places! He was in for the molestation of a lifetime now!

"I guess there are benefits to cuddling," Gray said as he started sucking on his flustered dragon slayer's neck.

"Ooh! G-Gray! We already did it this morning!" Natsu complained with a pleased moan.

"But that was so long ago," Gray teased, breaking away briefly before pulling off Natsu's vest.

"Long ago? It was just two hours ago!" exclaimed Natsu, trying to pry himself out of Gray's grabby grasp.

"I know!" Gray exclaimed mockingly. "Far too long, Natsu."

"Ah! G-Gray! N-No—oh! Mn…uhn!"

End