After talking with the mayor, Erza had learned that the cloaked figures only appeared on nights with clear skies. Although there was no rain today, the sky had been progressively getting darker, and by nightfall it would be difficult to spot a single star. With that in mind, the group decided to get a full night of rest so that they could be wide awake should the figures attack tomorrow. They weren't sure what they were going up against; it could turn out that the figures were just local troublemakers with no magical abilities at all. But just in case they were facing a powerful foe, they wanted to be prepared.

Unfortunately, after the large bill from their earlier meal, Erza was low on cash. Gray had paid for the last room, and Natsu wasn't exactly the best with saving money. Try as she might, Lucy failed to get any sort of discount at the inn and was only able to afford a room with two small beds. They didn't even have their own bathroom, and Lucy nearly cried when she realized she'd be bathing among strangers. Dinner that night was comprised of whatever leftovers they had from the restaurant and a few pieces of cake from Erza's bag.

The second the last ray of sunlight disappeared from view, Erza stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Alright, we've got a big day tomorrow so everyone needs to get some rest."

Natsu wasn't quite ready for bed. "Aw, come on. You didn't even give me a piece of cake yet."

"I don't care. We have a job to do and we can't do it if we're too tired."

"But I just-"

"Do I need to help you get to sleep, Natsu?"

Natsu shuddered at the thought of Erza's methods for putting him to sleep. It probably involved giving him a bump on his head that'd feel sore in the morning. He aggressively shook his head and Erza smiled at his obedience. She then crossed the room, requiped into her pajamas, and collapsed onto one of the beds. Lucy was right behind her, taking care not to wake the seemingly already asleep readhead. Happy had already fallen asleep on top of plate that used to be filled with fish, and Natsu was content to leave him there. He'd want it that way.

Gray was honestly a little nervous about sharing a bed with Natsu. He was already so confused about whatever their relationship was at the moment, and Natsu not wanting to talk about it didn't help. He waited for Natsu to make the first move, and didn't have to wait long. The dragon slayer quickly swiped a small piece of cake and stuffed it in his mouth before flopping onto the bed in satisfaction. Gray watched with a smile as Natsu wiggled himself underneath the covers and got comfortable. The dragon slayer yawned and settled his head on the pillow, looking uncharacteristically peaceful.

Gray stood up and stretched, still not moving to get into bed. That doofus takes up half the bed alone. Maybe I should just sleep on the floor. The bed was very small, and truthfully, Natsu looked too cute to disturb. Before Gray could make a decision, Natsu opened his eyes and picked his head up, looking confused. His eyes found Gray and he gave an innocent little grin. He spoke in the quietest and softest voice Gray had ever heard him use: "Come on." The dark haired boy almost shivered. He knew Natsu was a generally warm and inviting guy, but he'd never experienced this kind of behavior from him before. It was very obvious that Natsu liked close contact with Gray, and it was almost too much for the ice mage to handle.

Not having the strength to ignore the adorable invite, Gray slowly made his way over to the bed and slipped under the covers next to Natsu. It was a strange sensation, being that close together. Natsu's body was always warmer than the average person, and Gray's was colder. At the moment, they were barely touching, but they could both feel how they balanced each other out. It was like going inside after being out in the snow and jumping in a pool on a hot summer day all at the same time. Gray was initially tense at the feeling, but slowly allowed himself to relax.

Natsu only allowed Gray a few moments of comfort before he acted on his urges to pull the ice mage closer. He wrapped an arm around Gray's bare chest, resting his head on it as well. Natsu felt momentary nerves when Gray tensed up again, but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he felt Gray's arm curl around him in return. Although they'd probably deny it until they died, they both had severe redness spread across their face until they both drifted off into peaceful slumber.

Gray awoke to the absence of warmth in his bed. Peeling his eyes open, he found that it was still mostly dark, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. He was a little more upset than necessary that Natsu had left him alone in bed, but figured he'd probably gotten hungry or something. After letting his eyes adjust and spotting a still sleeping Happy on the floor, he doubted this reason. If Natsu got up that early for breakfast, there's no way he wouldn't have woke Happy up too. The two girls were still asleep, so he took comfort in knowing Natsu and Erza hadn't decided to have some sort of duel first thing in the morning.

Eventually, Gray spotted Natsu outside the sliding door of their room. This inn was devoid of a fire pit, and simply had a grassy area behind it that could be considered a small park. Gray slid out of bed and quietly opened the door, not wanting to disturb his sleeping comrades. The breeze tickled his bare skin as he made his way over to Natsu. The dragon slayer was lying on his back on a little hillside, his hands behind his head as he watched the sky. If he sensed Gray's approach, he didn't show it, and Gray sat down next to him without a word.

After a moment, Natsu sat up, finally looking away from the sky for a moment. He studied Gray, his brain suddenly considering a thousand things at once.

"Are you mad?" Natsu couldn't tell if Gray was upset or just tired.

Gray hadn't been expecting the question. "Why?"

"You look mad."

"You do realize it's like six in the morning right?"

"That's why I didn't wake you up, Mr. Grumpy." That infectious Natsu smile was back, and Gray had to look away to avoid smiling himself. This time, it was the ice mage who scooched closer.

"Do you always wake up to watch the sunrise?"

"Yeah."

"Well, next time wake me up too."

"I thought you'd think it was stupid."

"Eh, it kinda is." Gray lightly placed a hand on Natsu's cheek and gave him a quick peck on the lips. The kiss was soft and fleeting, but made both of their stomachs perform acrobatics. "But it's better than waking up without you."

Natsu didn't have a response for that, and he didn't need one. The pair continued to watch the sunlight in silence, leaning on each other all the while. Erza watched the boys from the window, feeling happier than she thought was necessary. But she couldn't help it. She'd known both of them for a big chunk of her life, and she knew how starved each of them were for affection. Neither one of them had the best past with parental figures, and maybe that's what drew them towards each other. Despite their constant fighting, Erza could sense the love underneath, and had been waiting for the day when they figured it out too.

However, the requip mage knew there were more important things going on than watching the sunrise with your loved ones. She shook off the mushy feelings and opened the door.

"Enough lounging around you two! Get dressed. We've got work to do."

The boys were visibly startled, but Erza slipped back inside without giving them a second look, so there was only a slight feeling of embarrassment. Natsu was up first, nearly sprinting back to the room. In the few seconds Erza had the door open, Natsu's powerful nose managed to catch the scent of freshly made pancakes. Gray followed slowly behind, not even trying to hide his smile. This is the guy I fell for? Figures.

The day sped by quickly, crammed with warnings from the townspeople and strategies from Erza. It was pretty hard to come up with a plan when you weren't exactly sure what you're up against, but the group was pretty certain there was at least some magic involved here. Otherwise the people in the village probably could have formed an angry mob and chased them away themselves. They weren't big fans of wizardry, but apparently were ok with calling on it in their time of need. Everyone ignored their hypocritism due to the hefty reward offered for completing the job.

Night finally came, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. The four wizards (and an exceed) stood in the heart of the town, awaiting the cloaked figures to emerge. It was clear they were coming. It was absolutely silent. The type you only hear when something is about to happen; when there's something or someone lurking in the shadows. Lucy clutched her keys. She also didn't like scary silences. Gray's eyes constantly darted back and forth, awaiting anything that might jump out at him. Natsu kept sniffing the air, trying to pick up the scent of whoever they were expecting. Erza was completely still, sword in hand and ready for anything.

The figures appeared slowly. They stepped out from behind buildings and creeped in from the alleyways, coming from every direction. They made no sound, just slowly moving to surround the Fairy Tail wizards. None of them could deny, this was eerie and unsettling. Gray felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and he looked to Natsu to see if he was scared too. Scared wasn't the right word to describe the dragon slayer. He looked aggressive, but in a defensive sort of way. Like a dog defending it's owner. He gave Gray a reassuring look before continuing to glare at the approaching figures.

It was very clear that Team Natsu was way outnumbered, but so far no moves had been made by the cloaked figures. After surrounding them, they simply stopped moving, still not making a single sound. Even to the bravest of souls, it was at least unnerving. Happy, who'd been previously flying around freely, had since retreated to Natsu's shoulder. Lucy resisted the urge to ask what the hell they were going to do, fearing what would happen if she broke the silence. Barely a minute had passed, but it might as well have been hours. The tension kept building and building, and the suspense was unbearable. Finally, Erza spoke.

"Who are you?" Her voice was strong and commanding as usual, showing no sign of fear.

The only response was the drawing of weapons.

Thank you for reading. I meant to update this over the weekend but then I did that thing where I didn't do anything for two days. I don't recommend it.

More coming soon

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