A/N: Again, I'm just an informal watcher of ice skating.

Unbetaed.

Slide

A few years had gone by.

A strange mix between rivalry and friendship emerging between Natsu and Gray.

Everyone from their class had improved, branched out and chosen their own paths. With everyone's growth there were some changes, new people were met, competitions and school started to fill up the time.

Yet, it was noticeable how there was something there, between Natsu and Gray. Their urge to outdo the other kept everyone on their toes.

And seeing their results in competition – at least so far – also showed their strange connection.

The first important event they competed in, Gray won while Natsu took second place. Only for things to get reversed in the next one with Natsu taking the gold.

At that point, the big changes also started to happen. Gray's father was transferred to a nearby town and the whole family moved out. Their schedules for practice and class also got harsher and off sync. Gray went to a different ice rink now, with different colleagues, friends and coaches. Some effort was still made to see if they could meet, the friendship component still mattered quite a bit, but it got too difficult.

Texts and emails were exchanged but there was some shallowness slowly creeping in.

There were still a few meets where they got together, but for the most, their paths had parted.

And then there was that fateful day.

They were competing at the regionals.

Natsu had just finished his free skate performance and gotten his score and rank. He was still under his season best and that was bumming him a lot. He just had to show Gray how much better he was.

Lucy approached him. She had come to cheer on him, as she'd already finished for the day – the girls competition had been in the morning and the boys' was in the afternoon. She had a strange expression, muted from her usually bubbly self.

"What's up, Luce?" Natsu asked, holding onto her hand as she extended hers.

"Did you hear?" she said instead.

"Hear what?" was the instant response. Natsu was starting to guess that something was off.

"It's Gray."

"What about him? Did he get hurt?" Natsu started, only to catch himself. "No, that's not it. He's performing right now," Natsu waved his free hand, a gesture meant to showcase the music sounding from the rink.

"So you haven't…" Lucy sighed. She glanced at Natsu, sadness oozing off her. "Huh… see, we just learned that Gray and his parents are going to move to Pergrande."

"What! You're kidding!" Natsu's exclamation and raised voice had people glancing at the pair. "That can't be true. We had… we were… no. It can't be true." Natsu denied, shaking his head vehemently. He could feel a weight settling on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I know you guys had some plans." Lucy placed a comforting hand in Natsu's shoulder.

"I… I need to go talk to Gray." Natsu said as he turned on his heel and walked swiftly towards the rink.

Gray was at the end of his piece. All Natsu had to do was wait. And fume. And wait some more for Gray to finish his part.

As soon as the score was given – and Natsu was so bothered that he didn't even register the rank at which his friend-and-rival had ended up – Natsu approached Gray.

"We have to talk." And without further ado, he grasped Gray's wrist and started to take him to one of the empty rooms in the bowels of the large arena.

When they stopped and stared at each other, the air in the room seemed to still for a beat. And then Gray broke the stalemate.

"So you've heard." He said straight away.

"Yeah, I just heard. What the hell, Gray!" Natsu huffed and crossed his arms. He drummed the fingers of his right hand on his arm before letting his arms fall to the sides of his body. A slight swooshing noise coming from the fabric of his clothes.

"Hey, it's not my fault." Gray raised his hands in a placating manner. "My father was promoted and we have to move again."

"Fine. But why didn't you tell me, you asshole?" Natsu raised his hands in frustration.

"I'm not the asshole!" Gray stepped menacingly until he was almost nose-to-nose with Natsu. "At most, I'm a good friend because you've only learned this after your performance and it hasn't fucking broken your focus which led you to botch your program." Gray nearly barked out the last words, giving Natsu a small shove.

"What!"

"Didn't you hear? You're in first place. I landed on fourth because I fell on the ice." Gray deadpanned.

"You fell? You don't…" Natsu was starting to say but he started blinking and bit on his lower lip. Then he looked back up at Gray, very intensely. "You had a lot on your mind."

"No shit." Gray replied sarcastically.

Natsu ran a hand over his hair, grimacing slightly at the gummy feeling.

"Sorry, I…" Natsu began to apologize only to be rebuffed by a sharp move of Gray's hand. "What the hell Gray," He said dejectedly, "what are we going to do now?"

Gray snorted, a mirthless smile appearing on his lips.

"Skate. What else?" he looked at Natsu, finally meeting his gaze.

"Okay. But how?" Natsu's intense stare was still on.

"You keep doing your thing, I guess." Gray shrugged and looked down at his hands. He was twisting them out of nervous habit. Then he stopped and looked back up. "As for me, I'll keep practicing, getting better and the next time I see you, I'll kick your sorry ass."

"Ah! You wish!" Was Natsu's instant reply, accompanied by a bright smile. The smile diminished and Natsu became serious again. "But, you think you can still compete here?"

"Hopefully, yes. But, what can I say?" Gray said with a shrug before straightening up. "I mean, why not? But I promise we will meet again."

"When?"

"Maybe at the nationals? Next year probably because right now I have no clue about how things are going to be."

"I promise I will get to the nationals and kick your sorry ass." Natsu said as he extended his hand.

"It's a promise." Gray echoed, as he took the offered hand.

Only for both to break the handshake pretty quickly with grimaces on their faces.

"What gel did you put in your hair?"

Natsu's only answer was a laugh.