I don't know how, and I don't know why, but I am slowly becoming more and more of a shipper of Gratsu. It's really becoming a problem, but Lyon finding out and teasing Gray about it is so cute! I really need to get away from all the Gratsu because it's affecting my life, but I can't because GAY IS THE WAY! Also, all spelling mistakes in Gray's speech are meant to be there. And I know eight is probably a bit old for him to be talking like that, but I really don't give a crap because it's freaking cute and I cannot.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing but homophobia. Jk, I'm too gay to own that. Is it just me that feels like all homophobes are the tiniest bit gay on the inside? Just me? Okay, I'll leave then.
"Lee?"
"Yeah, Gray?" the eleven-year-old looked up from his homework to face his brother, who was sitting on his bed in the roomed they both shared with a brooding expression on his face.
"There's somethin' that I jus' don't get."
"What don't you get?" Lyon asked, swiveling around in his chair and away from his homework to face his baby brother.
"I jus' don't get why some people gots a problem when someone likes someone else dat's like dem," Gray said, looking up from the carpeted floor he'd been boring holes into to meet the snowy-haired boy's eyes.
Lyon's eyebrows furrowed in bemusement as he tried to figure out what Gray was trying to say. He eventually gave up and asked, "What d'ya mean?"
"I mean, like, uh…" Gray's entire face scrunched up as he tried to think of a way to get his meaning across, "I mean, why do people not like when people who are da same like each other. Like…like, if I smooched-ed anoder boy."
Lyon's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected his answer. When had his brother even discovered that gay was a thing?
"Uh…it's like…it's like how some people discriminate- uh, treat people differently because of their skin color or because of where they come from, kind of…" Lyon tried to explain. He found it difficult to get a child with only just eight years under his belt to understand that sort of thing.
"But I still don't get it. My friend Natsu has a big sis'er, she's like, seventeen, and I seened her holdin' hands with dis girl wid yellow hair, and dey look so happy. But Natsu tol' me dat someone was pickin' on the yellow-haired girl because o' it and dat his sis'er freaked out real' bad on da people, and der scare' o' her now. I jus' don't get it, Lee. Why does it ma'er?" Oh, so that's where Gray had learned it from. Lyon hadn't even been aware that Natsu had an older sister.
"Well… sometimes people don't like it because of their religion. Lots of religions say that it should be a boy and a girl, that's it. Some people just think it's not natural. And some people are just jerks about it," Lyon said, and Gray nodded his head like it made a sort of sense.
"I guess I kinda get it, but I still don't tink dat oder people should really care. Erza and that oder girl are real' happy and stuff. And der nice. I don't know why people wanna hurt 'em."
Lyon shrugged. It didn't make much sense to him either. It wasn't like they were hurting anyone just by liking people.
"Do you…like another boy, Gray?" Lyon asked haltingly, not quite sure how the little boy would answer.
He looked up at his older brother with wide, curious eyes, like he hadn't been expecting the question and wanted to know why it had been asked.
Gray paused for a moment to think before saying, "I like you, Lee. And I like Daddy."
"No, I mean…in a different way, Gray. Like…like what you said earlier. Like you wanna kiss 'em."
Gray was silent for several minutes as he stared unblinkingly at the floor in thought. And then, "I don't tink I ever wanted to smooch someone before."
"Oh, okay," Lyon had figured that his brother was a little young, "Well, if you ever did…"
And that's when Gray's pale little cheeks lit up red like lights on a Christmas tree. Lyon had never seen his brother turn such an intense color before. Even his neck and forehead had taken on a crimson hue.
"Uh, Gray? Are you okay? What happened? Did you-"
"Hey, Gray!" a pink-haired boy greeted from the open doorway of their bedroom. Lyon had completely forgotten that Natsu was coming over today.
"I-um-I-hi, uh, Natsu," Gray stuttered out, and his face grew even more red, if that was even possible.
Something just seemed to click inside Lyon's head at that moment, and as he looked from his brother, to Natsu, back to his brother again, a wide grin spread across his face, and he said, "Ah, I see now."
"Shut up, Lee!" Gray shouted as loud as he could at him, but Leon did not stop smirking.
Natsu tilted his head to the side in confusion, "What's goin' on? Did I miss somethin'?"
Lyon said, "Oh, you definitely did," at the same time that Gray yelled, "Nothing at all!"
Natsu's perplexed expression simply grew more nonplussed as Gray glared at Lyon, which might have been intimidating had he not looked so utterly embarrassed.
"Should we…go play now?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes! Come on!" Gray jumped from his perch on the side of his bed and ushered his friend out the door as quickly as possible.
It wasn't quick enough, apparently, because Lyon still had enough time to shout, "Have fun, you two!" in a tone that suggested he knew more than either of them.
Gray took back what he said earlier about liking Lyon. Gray thought that he might just hate his brother at that moment.