Thank you Akiko Natsuko for telling the days for the gratsu fluff week event~

I know I'm technically like two days late. But I wanna try my hand at this. Always wanted to participate in these week fests, except I never know when they start. Plus with either lots of planning or lots of time to write I'm not usually good at these things. Although given the circumstances I wrote this fairly quickly (started it last night? And finished it after I came home from work today) even if it's short, but hey I'm not perfect.

Anyways, not sure if I'll be able to do all the days (so behind already) but like I said I wanna try. Plus it might be good practice to write more on the spot.

This idea has actually been swirling in my mind for a while. In which Gray never joined fairy tail and he's sorta a bad guy (more like neutral and selfish and doesn't always do the right thing, y'know? But not comepltely evil). Except who knows if I'll ever make that idea into a fic...

Welp, let me know what you guys think!

Rated T: for language (sorry not sorry)

Love at Gloaming

Episode 1

Once Upon a Smile

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"The road to darkness is seductive, but it will only lead to loneliness and despair. And once you go down it, there is no going back."

"Tch," Gray clicks his tongue, his bangs shadowing his face. "What is there for me to head back to?" He says to no one in particular.

He has always been alone.

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When Gray first meets the pink-haired idiot, the guy is crying rivulets of tears. Probably enough to refill the whole damn lake that he is sitting next by.

In Gray's honest opinion, it's kind of gross.

The boy, he notes, is probably around the same age as him, sixteen if not younger. Although with all the sniffling and snot it's hard to tell. Knowing how the forest works, the other kid probably has been crying here for a long time. He does seem really sad or troubled by something…

Well it's not like he actually gives a shit. The real problem here is that this loser is trespassing on his territory! This is Gray's domain, his forest, and no one should even be able to make it in this deep. He has enchanted the whole dang area for the very purpose of not allowing anyone to even be capable of doing such a thing. The last thing he needs is for someone wandering around like a dipshit, sticking their noses where they are unwanted, and interrupting his peace.

Normally he would've kicked out anyone who got too near his area. The native folks who live in the nearby towns outside the circumference of the forest know better than to wander too deep into his domain. They even created folk tales of how his woods are enchanted or curse or whatever.

Well technically… It's true. He did enchant this forest for his own selfish purposes but that's neither here nor there. The natives never really took great care of this land, and now the land is suddenly biting them back in the ass. Serves them right. However he does find it amusing that they even have created stories of Gray himself, believing he is some sort of guardian spirit of the forest.

Granted, they have never seen even him before. He has made sure to keep himself hidden and if he ever has to leave for business then he would make sure to conceal his presence. Plus the multitude of transportation lacrima he owns really come in handy.

But then there is the occasional curious traveler. They hear these fantastical stories that they don't believe from the townsfolk before heading off their merry way through as if they think they are gonna be the special exception.

They never are.

Mages from many magic guilds used to come by here as well, when the enchantment was first enacted, adhering to various requests to try and lift the supposed curse. Of course they would never succeed, Gray made sure of that. There were the dark guilds too, wanting to somehow obtain the mystical power of the forest and use it for their own gain. They would also attempt setting foot on his grounds. Please, Gray had the least bit patience with those guys.

In the end, Gray had made a fine little settlement, away from civilization where he could do his work on his own without being bothered. And it has been like that for a good few years now.

That is, until this pink haired guy.

Gray has been resting on a relatively high branch that stands nearest to the lake while overlooking the boy. He remembers first finding the boy roaming around like a lost defeated soul about two days ago. But when he found him crying by his private lake, he decided he'd watch the boy as he wrenched his heart out because Gray felt bored. Except the kid has been sulking here for about two hours now. Which is really starting to get annoying. How much could a person cry?

His jaw clenches. He won't answer that question. That part of him has been lost to the darkness long ago.

In the end however, his curiosity gets the better of him. How could this boy manage to travel so deep into his woods, without getting hit with a dark curse? Not even the slightest bit of repercussions? Those who usually set foot here, are doomed to get lost in the forest, before they traverse through an unseen portal that takes them to land that is faraway. And the pollen found on the flowers ensure that their memories of this place is nothing more than a hazy dream they can never fully recall. Where do these lost souls end up, Gray doesn't know neither does he really care. All that matters is that it sends them faraway and that they don't come back.

The trick to avoiding this however is to find the way out before twilight. Should be easy because the pine trees of his forest don't grow messily nor do they tangle on themselves like he's seen more of in the south. Well there's that and also because of another special enhancement that Gray has placed over the woods—where nobody should even be able to reach the center, the lake, under any circumstances.

That is, again, until the pink haired boy. He's managed to bypass all the rules of the forest that Gray has set.

This irks Gray quite a bit.

But it certainly makes the young boy interesting. Well that and the pink hair, Gray has never really seen anything like it. A shade that reminds Gray of the darkest tints of pink on the the flowers of his cherry blossom trees he has planted near his home. He's not accustomed to seeing people, but he knows most northerners in this area tend to have more neutral color hair, much like his own. And even though he has to been to many places across Fiore and the peninsula, pink is still a very uncommon hair color.

Or maybe Gray's just really unobservant of others, that seems like a more probable reason.

The boy beneath him lets out a shuddering breath. Ah, yes the real problem is that after two days the boy is still here, even when it shouldn't be possible. Gray was shocked when he spotted the boy again a few hours ago, running through the trees like a wild animal before stopping by the lake to have his emotional break down.

Gray looks out towards the lake and spots a familiar peak of a small mountain. He also sees the how the sun is steadily making its descent towards the horizon. Gray frowns, it's almost twilight hour and this idiot is still here. But it finally seems as though the other has calm down. Maybe they can have a little chat before he kicks the other out.

"Oi!" Gray calls, snickering when the other jumps at the unexpected noise.

"Huh?" The boy scans hastily from side to side. "Who's there?" He wipes his face with the back of his hand. Trying to remove the tears to make him look less pathetic. He continues to look around before he begins sniffing the air.

Sniffing huh?

"Up here!" Gray says, to help the poor fool out.

The other looks up when he hears the rustling of leaves as Gray adjusts himself on the branch. But almost falls back into the lake when the boy unceremoniously drops himself to a lower branch, hooking the back of his knees on it, to allow him to hang upside down in front of the other.

Gray doesn't do it very often but when he approaches others their expressions are always either wary or scared. But not the pink haired boy, he notices, instead he looks more curious.

He continues to hang there, as the other simply stares back at him. The first thing the young teen does however is readjust his scarf with care before eyeing him again with that unafraid curious look, head tilting to the side.

"Who are you?" The boy simply asks.

Gray shrugs, still upside down. "You shouldn't be asking me that."

"Huh?" The pink haired stranger blinks rapidly, caught off guard by his strange response. Well it wouldn't be as fun if he gave him normal boring responses.

And the other's confusion has Gray smirking. "This is my forest." He calmly states. "Therefore I should be the one to ask 'who are you?'"

Before the guy in front of him can say anything else, Gray quickly interjects with a, "that!" Startling the other again, "and I should also be asking as to why you are trespassing." He ends his sentence by flicking the other on the forehead because he's within both his right and reach.

"Hey!" The boy complains, rubbing his forehead, face scrunched with irritation. "Not cool." He mutters petulantly. But when he notices the other looking at him expectantly, he decides to forgive the weird stranger in front of him this one time and instead give him a proper answer.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel." He starts with a smile, putting his hand out for the other to shake. Which he does despite still hanging down from branch by his legs. What a weird funny guy indeed, Natsu muses.

But the stranger doesn't offer a name back. Rude, Natsu immediately thinks, even after his previous impressions of the guy. But what else is to be expected when this stranger randomly shows up from out of nowhere (there's no way Natsu couldn't have notice the other boy otherwise despite him dropping down from a tree), then he demands to know who he is, and after all of that the raven haired guy in front of him won't at least have the courtesy to offer his own name?

As if reading Natsu's mind Gray sighs, pulling himself upwards before throwing himself off the branch, easily landing on his feet. His spins on his heels before he's facing Natsu once again.

"Now tell me why you're trespassing." Gray commands, and Natsu frowns at the other's tone.

"Why should I?" He stubbornly replies back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Gray looks affronted, "well it's just like I just said—you're trespassing." He shakes his head in disbelief, "as in you're not allowed to be here!"

"Says who?"

Gray snarls, "says me! This is my forest! Didn't the townspeople tell you to not go into the woods?"

Natsu stops at the rude boy's words, blinking not once but twice, as if he were seriously contemplating whether or not that had transpired.

"Huh–I don't really know. Maybe?"

Gray face palms.

"Pfft, whatever." Natsu shrugs, "I don't see why I'm not allowed to be here."

"Did you not understand a word I just said? Are you stupid?"

"No you're stupid." Natsu spitfires back, tension growing around the two males as they glare at each other. He sees the boy with raven hair pinch the bridge of his nose, and—is he seriously counting to ten? What a drama queen, Natsu snorts.

The sound the other makes has Gray snapping his attention towards him. This idiot, Gray growls.

"Oh so I guess you just came here to cry for hours like a baby is that it?" He mocks, feeling the satisfaction grow as quickly as the embarrassed flush spreads across the face of the other boy.

"W-wha-what!?" Natsu almost shrieks. "Y-you saw that?"

Gray can't stop the haughty expression from forming. "Yeah, was surprised to find someone out here so deep in the woods. But I sure didn't expect to find out this someone was a total crybaby."

Natsu grabs at his hair and falls to his knees dramatically, "ugh, I can't believe you saw that! Why didn't you say anything earlier?" He groans.

The boy still standing before the other rolls his eyes. What a drama queen, Gray scoffs. "Wanted to see how long you were gonna keep at it. Didn't expect you to keep going for two freaking days."

"DAYS!?" Natsu shouts, horrifyingly astounded. "Impossible! I've only been here for at least a few hours." As sure as his statement is, there's something in the way that other other teen in front of him appears indifferent to Natsu's dilemma, that makes him lose a touch of confidence.

"Is that what you think?" Gray darkly chuckles. "A common occurrence to fools who can't realize that this forest is enchanted."

"What?" Natsu's eyes pop out in shock. "Is that really true?"

Gray nods once. "Sure is. Whatever it was that you were so upset about is old news now." And Natsu bristles at his tactlessness..

Memories of his dearest friend with short white hair flashes through his mind, her kind disposition, her tinkling laughter... His heart breaks a little more. "No it's not! You don't know anything!" He yells emotionally.

"Please don't tell me you're gonna cry again." Gray sighs, throwing his hands up dismissively.

Natsu glares up at him, small tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Shut up!" He barks at the towering boy.

"Tch." The raven haired teen looks unimpressed. "Whatever. I don't really care about your problems. The only thing I want is for you to leave."

"Why is it such a big deal that I do?" Natsu angrily asks, standing to his full height again. Seeing the red trimmed eyes makes Gray want to punch him in the face.

"Pinky, I get it that your pea-sized brain is having a hard time trying to understand. But really, all I need is for you to leave the forest. It's not a difficult concept."

"Pinky?" Natsu murmurs to himself. Was he really just called that? He purses his lips, "I get that." He says, annoyed. This rude and rightful jerk is really starting to get on his nerves. "I just don't see why it's such a big deal."

Natsu catches how the abrasive teen briefly bites his lower lips before muttering, "listen I'm doing you a favor here. You have to leave before nighttime."

But he also notices how the mysterious forest boy glances towards the lake and the horizon, where the sun is slowly setting. There's a concerned glint in the other's cold eyes that obviously wasn't there earlier. Maybe there really is a reason to be worried about leaving.

Or maybe this jerk face is just an antisocial prick.

Natsu crosses his arms defiantly. "That isn't a good enough reason for me."

Gray lets out a frustrated sound. "Seriously you can't be stuck in the woods any longer than you already have. Especially after it turns dark!"

"Why? Because the forest is enchanted?" Natsu gibes. "That's so dumb!"

At the other's mockery, Gray snarls, hints of dark rage brewing from beneath his fair facade. He tears at his hair and yells. "Ugh! This place is cursed you dumbass!"

"CURSED!?" Natsu exclaims obnoxiously. "Really?! Why?! How?!"

With Natsu's incessant questioning and Gray having lost all patience, he admittedly shouts, "because I cursed it!"

Natsu, again, is stopped by the other's words. "Why would you do that?" He asks seriously.

And Gray is left dumbfounded by the question. It's not one that he normally gets asked (not that anyone could ever get the chance to), considering the fact he makes his private mission to avoid as much human contact as possible. What else could he possibly say?

He clicks his tongue in annoyance, trying not to let the other see that his question has bothered him. "It's to prevent nuisances like you from bothering and interrupting my work."

"Well that's stupid." Natsu eventually remarks.

"You're stupid." Gray immediately bites back. But blushes in mortified shame for mimicking Pinky's earlier immature comeback.

Natsu ignores the childish jab, instead he struggles to keep his mouth from twitching upwards into a grin at sight of the other guy getting so easily flustered. Forest-boy here is ridiculous but hanging around with him, the insults and banter, is kind of fun and he's different from anyone he's ever met. Sure, he is really annoying but there's just something about this reclusive weirdo that Natsu finds very endearing. And hilarious.

Gray expects the other to make fun of him, what he doesn't expect and is even more surprised is when the other starts laughing. It's loud and obnoxious much like the idiot in front of him. Yet it's also bright and… Heartwarming? Gray feels disgusted for even associating the word with this loser. Which is why he tries his damn hardest to ignore the small twinge of something strange and unfamiliar that flits through his chest when he listens on to Pinky's laughing.

"Hehe, you're actually pretty funny. I change my mind. I like you."

For a moment Gray splutters incoherently, what a ludicrous notion! Where the hell did the abrupt mood swing come from? But Gray is the first out of the two to say anything else—a gasping, not entirely there laughter—"What?"

No. Really.

He is laughing because this idiotic boy named Natsu is insane.

"I like you." Natsu says again, bits of laughter still fitting in between his words, and ever so sunnily—it sounds like summer and even his smile is beaming. "Hey, what's your name?"

Gray's breath hitches and his face feels uncomfortably warm. He doesn't know how to react and feels completely clueless. "Gray." He answers dazedly, "Gray Fullbuster." When the other boy cheers, hollering something about finally getting his name, he has to turn his gaze away when the boy's eyes begin to shimmer brightly.

Gray also has to bite down on his lower lip, hard enough to prevent the small smile that wants to stretch across his face.

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To be continued?

So yeah it's not much but I hoped you guys liked it nonetheless. And hopefully after gratsu fluff week, I can write better fluff haha.

I was thinking of making all the days revolve around this setting but we'll see.

Thanks for reading!

Take care~

Nova