2 - Homecoming – Gratsulu Week 2018 Prompt "Date"
*Special thanks to MorriganFae for her input on this one!*
Rated T.
The wind howled through the city streets, whistling through the canals, a thin film of frost webbing the water. Lucy kept her head down, her chin tucked securely within the thick winter muffler. She tugged her hat further down her ears until only the tip of her nose and her eyes were open to the elements – her long blonde braids fluttering and tangling in the breeze behind her.
She trudged forward, her toes cold despite her wool socks and fleece lined boots. She'd even pulled on a pair of jeans, foregoing her usual skirt ensemble. At least it had stopped snowing, the cobblestones clear of ice, though they were streaked with dirt and salt.
She swore under her breath as she made her way down the road, knowing neither of her boyfriends would be bothered by the weather. Gray would revel in the cold, he found it refreshing. Natsu would hardly register it, impervious to most changes in temperature… though he could be a pain when the summer got too muggy. He had once complained about how the humidity messed with his hair and neither of them had ever let him live it down.
Still, it would have been better if either of them was with her, but she'd only just gotten back from a job with Erza and Levy. The dragon slayer always made sure she was toasty, while Gray – well, he wouldn't be able to help with the cold, but she still enjoyed his company...and they always managed to keep each other warm in other ways.
Turning the corner, she hurried her steps, anxious to reach their apartment by the river. It was on the opposite side of Magnolia from the flat she'd first leased when she'd joined Fairy Tail – more spacious to accommodate its three non-feline inhabitants.
Happy had moved in when Natsu had… which had been immediately, though the exceed tended to split his time with them and Wendy's apartment with Charle. It had taken longer to convince Gray to leave his bachelor pad, though his resistance was more ceremonial than anything else. They were hardly ever at his place, both boys preferring her homey furnishings to their own.
She giggled softly to herself as she flashed back to one evening when the ice mage had come rushing out of the bathroom, his eyes wide as he shouted incoherently about toothbrushes of all things. He'd bumbled awkwardly about how his toiletries were on the sink, and half his clothes were hung up in the bedroom closet.
It was Natsu who'd broken the ensuing silence, answering from his sprawl on the couch: it's because you basically live here already, dumbass.
There wasn't much else to say at that.
Later that same evening, the three of them had gone together to box up the rest of Gray's things, making the move official.
Back in the present, Lucy found herself standing in front of a large brick building, the copper roofing dulled under patina and embroidered by a host of dripping icicles. Reaching down to her belt, she fingered through her keys before unlatching the front door. She made her way up the steps to the third level, her heartbeat racing in anticipation.
She heard the lock click as she pushed past the entrance, making her way into the living area while kicking her boots off. Her breath caught as she took in the scene before her.
The room was dark, the shades drawn until the only light came from a handful of flickering candles dispersed on the old oak coffee table and the kitchen counter-tops beyond. She halted, letting her bag fall to her feet as she began to shrug out of her coat, hanging it on the arm of their charcoal couch. She inhaled deeply, recognizing something savory and warm wafting from the stove.
It wasn't until she peeled her gloves off however, muffler dangling haphazardly from her shoulders, that she realized there was movement by the bedroom door.
"Guys?" She asked, voice soft, her fingers pushing her loose hair behind her frozen ears. "I'm home." She called again, hoping for a response. She startled when the door shot open and a blue blur crashed into her, knocking her into the pillows of their plush sofa.
She coughed, wrapping her arms around the bundle of fur that had attacked her, squeezing the cat to her chest.
"Happy, I missed you!" She cooed, nuzzling his head as he purred against her, his paws catching against her sweater, small lumps of yarn pilling under his claws. Her jumpers didn't have a great shelf life with him around.
"I missed you too Lushi, we have a surprise for you!" He beamed up at her, his whiskers jerking while his tail curled behind him, brushing against her wrist.
She perked up at that as she leaned further back into the cushions. "Oh yeah? What is it?"
A pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders, the heat sinking into her as she brought her fingers up to trace the corded muscles and sun-kissed skin. A laugh rumbled from behind her, making her shiver. "If he told ya, it wouldn't be much of a surprise – would it?"
She tilted her head back to rest against a warm chest, blushing as she locked eyes with ember-lit jade. She pouted softly, fluttering her lashes – still wet from the snow outside.
"Natsu, won't you tell me? I've been gone all week." She elongated his name, her voice sugary as she tried to coax it out of him, twisting to press a kiss against the side of his throat. His Adam's apple jumped at the feel of her plush lips. When she pulled back, his irises had grown hazy, conflicted – as if he very much wanted to give her the answer she craved. The dragon slayer had always been easier to wrap around her pinky than the ice mage.
"Don't you fall for it Flame Brain, you promised to keep it secret." A deep voice chastised, though amusement laced his tone. Gray Fullbuster was leaning against the island counter, his arms crossed over his white shirt, the buttons half undone. She giggled at that, the sound airy as she reached out in his direction, wiggling her fingers to beckon him closer.
He obliged, skirting around the other man to plop down next to her on the couch, throwing his arm under her neck as he hugged her close, nestling into her clavicle. Happy squirmed between them, complaining until he managed to wriggle loose, settling on Natsu's bright locks as the pinkette sunk into the cushions as well.
She squealed when Gray pressed his cold nose against the underside of her jaw, batting at him playfully until he shifted down to her shoulder. He pecked the freckles there gently before straightening, pulling her onto his lap. She snuggled into him gladly, fire pulsing through her veins despite his cool touch.
"Did you miss me?" She asked, amber eyes crinkling as she looked up at him. He hummed in response, kissing the crown of her head. It was rare for her to go on missions without them.
"Of course, though you're actually back a bit earlier than we thought you'd be." He told her, his arm wrapping around her waist. She cocked an eyebrow, canting her head to the side. She shifted, letting Natsu drag her legs into his lap, her toes curling at the sparks crackling just under the surface of his skin. He ran his hands up her ankles, from her calves to her hips, melting her beneath his deft fingers.
He peered down at her, pupils dilated as he worried his lower lip. "Yeah, we had this whole thing planned. We even made dinner, but it's not done yet." He lamented, sighing heavily as he shook his head at her. She snorted at his accusatory gaze.
"Aye Lushi, we made stew and it's really yummy too! I didn't let them break or burn anything either!" Happy proclaimed from his perch. He hesitated briefly, his tail swishing before he piped up once more. "Well...almost anything. Your apron may or may not be ash…"
"What?" She squawked, eyes wide. Natsu stiffened under her look before he cleared his throat. His hands trekked back south, reaching down to curl his fingers around the soles of her feet, gently kneading the arches. She whimpered, exhaling deeply as he soothed her worn muscles, allowing him to distract her – she'd been planning to replace the ratty old thing anyway.
Gray, unwilling to take the blame for Natsu's overzealous cooking techniques, immediately jumped in, switching topics. "So, how did the job go?"
Lucy groaned, relishing the heat on her skin. Natsu tempered his fingers as he continued his massage, digging his thumb in small circles against her heel. "It went well. We didn't need to break our cover until the very end." She breathed.
It had been a covert mission at a Zentopian convent by Clover town. The three female mages had gone in under the guise of acolytes, sent to retrieve evidence that the head priestess had been siphoning donations for her own use.
"What happened?" Gray asked, his digits weaving through her hair as he undid the ties on her braids, slowly unraveling them.
"The usual. The matriarch became suspicious and tried to interrogate Levy-chan since she's so small. When we realized she was missing, Erza and I went storming in, only to find the woman tied up, and the Levy-chan reading the ledger in the back office." She explained, stretching her back as Natsu lifted his attention to her ankles and calves – scalding heat stroking her skin.
She bit back a keen before fluttering her eyes open, not realizing she'd shut them. "Now will you two stop stalling? I want my surprise." She whined, looking at them both dolefully.
Gray blinked at her slowly, but otherwise didn't react.
Unhindered, she simply focused her full attention to the weaker target. Natsu visibly gulped when she broke one leg from his hold, gliding her foot up his arm to hook at the juncture of his neck before dropping it back his lap. His mouth felt dry, wishing he could feel her bare skin instead of the denim of her jeans. They had missed her.
"We had a plan, there was food and a bath, and dessert –" He listed off, his eyebrows furrowing under his messy bangs.
She didn't let him finish.
"Okay, now I'm just worried." She teased, taking in the way they avoided direct eye contact with her. She squinted at them as if she could pry the truth straight from their brains. Sadly, she didn't have mastery over telepathy. "What exactly are you three up to?"
Her gaze narrowed further when Gray and Natsu looked at each other, their eyes wide in silent debate. Since when were her boyfriends ever quiet?
A second later however, and Gray sighed, shrugging as he sunk further into the couch, his hands sliding against her stomach.
"Fine." He muttered, rolling his cobalt eyes. Natsu's pleading expression cleared.
The dragon slayer whooped, sliding from the sectional as he dropped her limbs back to drape across the slate fabric. He bounded across the room in a flash, scrambling out of her sight. She fidgeted in Gray's lap, tangling her fingers with his as she listened to the whisper of fabric moving in their closet.
She cocked her ear, trying to decipher what was happening, when the pinkette came barreling back to them with a noticeable skip to his step. He plopped down beside her once more, rearranging her legs on his as he leaned over to play with a strand of her hair.
Raising his right hand, he held a plain envelope between two long, tapered fingers. Her name was hastily scrawled on one side, in a cursive that could only be Gray's.
She took it wearily, her knuckles brushing against his as she licked her lips, eyes drawn. "Last time you gave me a letter, you and Captain Fluffy over there left on a year long training trip." She jerked her gaze from him to the exceed resting on the top of the sofa.
He had the decency to blush, the rouge blending with the shade of his hair as he grumbled, the sound vibrating through him. He focused on the lock of gold he was still twisting around his index, his other hand resting on the ice mage's knee, looking for comfort as he pouted. "Just open the damn thing."
She did, her nails running along the seal, neatly tearing it before dipping inside to find three slips of paper. Her brows furrowed as she read, pupils constricting. She glanced up into their hopeful expressions, glimmering emerald and navy watching her – motionless.
"Oh my Mavis, really?" She breathed, mouth half open in disbelief as she scanned the tickets over. She squealed when Gray nodded, his dark gaze crinkling as he took in her excitement. "We haven't been to Akane in years. It'll be so warm."
"We know how stressed out you've been, and we've got more than enough saved away. Besides, you've been complaining about the cold non-stop since December started." Gray explained, his hand slinking down to his knee to clasp Natsu's. "I don't see why though – winter is awesome."
"Only for you, Popsicle Dick," The dragon slayer goaded, a smirk lighting his features as he made to steal Lucy, grabbing at her waist to pull her to him.
Gray was too quick, doubling down his grip, drawing an oomph from the blonde, as he glared at the fire mage. "What did you say, Ash Breath?"
The man in question just grinned wider, his canines showing through the crack in his lips, running his tongue over the sharp incisors.
"You heard me." He purred, leaning into their personal space so that his forehead brushed against Gray's. Lucy cocked an eyebrow up at them from her position in the ice mage's lap. She could see the tendons in the ice mage's fist whiten. She exhaled through her nose before reaching up, pinching them both by their ears and yanking them apart.
In other words, business as usual.
Startled, Gray's grasp around her loosened enough that Natsu crooned and snatched her away, resettling her on his lap instead. The raven head groaned but reclined back, letting his left arm fall behind the dragon slayer on the couch, his fingers brushing the man's bare shoulder.
"I can't believe you got these!" She whispered, leaning over to peck Gray on the cheek before nuzzling into Natsu. The ice mage smirked, placing a soft kiss on top of his boyfriend's disheveled mane.
"It was the Pyro's idea. Look at the date stamp."
She did, tracing her fingers over the raised type font. She gasped softly. "This is the anniversary of the day we moved in together."
Gray's hand came up to rest on her thigh, sketching small circles in an affectionate gesture. His voice was low as he spoke. "What do you think?"
"I love it!" She told them, eyes bright twisting at her waist to gather them both in a hug, looping one arm around Natsu's neck and the other round Gray's torso. She brushed against their smooth muscles, reveling in the feel of their even breathing, blending in with the cadence of their heartbeats.
"You really like it?" Gray questioned, murmuring softly, his exhale caressing her throat as he leaned into her embrace. She squeezed him tighter, rubbing her nose against his.
"Yes, really." She answered, her feet swinging freely off the edge of the couch, her toes just sweeping the shaggy ivory rug. Natsu's hold on her hips tightened, his fingers lingering on the tops of her thighs, playing with the hem of her sweater.
"How much do you like it?" The pinkette asked, nosing at her ear, ghosting along her pulse as Gray raked his hands through her hair. She bit back a whimper at the husky undertone of his voice, the sound licking down her spine and pooling in her abdomen – the pressure building as two different sets of fingers began hiking up her jumper.
She didn't realize her eyes had fallen shut until she heard a groan from behind them – and not the type she was expecting.
Butterscotch eyes refocused as she broke away slightly to observe the cat sitting on the edge of the sofa. The feline's limbs were crossed, his paws fisted together.
"Don't you guys start. I missed Lushi too, and I'm not leaving!" He scowled, whiskers twitching in agitation. Peals of laughter flooded out of her as she untangled herself from the two boys, ignoring them as she scooped the exceed into her arms.
"Don't worry Happy, you're my favourite little man anyway." She mewed, nuzzling his face with hers. Natsu and Gray looked slightly affronted but shared an exasperated look with each other as she shuffled back into the cushions.
Natsu groaned at her dramatically, falling sideways so his head rested across the ice mage's legs, sighing when Gray began carding through his locks as if to placate him.
The blonde snickered, still cuddling with the cat as she winked at them.
It was good to be home.
Hey guys!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the first mini-fic! Especially to those of you who reviewed, followed, favourited or PMed me! This one took place at some indiscriminate point after the engagement party. Since someone asked, these guys are in their mid-twenties right now. Let's put Lucy at 24 and the boys around 25 in this chapter.
General Gratsulu Note: Thanks to those of you joining me on this little Gratsulu side adventure! Don't worry, I still adore Nalu, and have fics in the works for them, but I like this ship as well. "Sugar, Spice and All Things Ice" is a collection of interconnected one-shots in an alternate version of the canon-verse. They vary in theme and length, but most are short and sweet. I will be publishing one for every day of Gratsulu Week 2018.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know! I love feedback, and always make a point to respond. However, please remember to be polite. I am happy to accept constructive criticism, but if you just don't like the pairing, please just feel free to skip it and I won't be offended. I have a couple other Nalu stories in the works if you prefer those.
Cheers,
Satyrykal