Recap: Natsu hasn't slept in a couple days, watching over Gray. He continues to find aspects and pieces of Gray he likes a lot. Wendy forgives him and sets out to see Porlyusica for help with this curse. And with her departure, Natsu receives a surprise visit from Lucy and Erza. They talk and come to the conclusion that Gray needs a bath, which Natsu gives him, blushing and spazzing out in all of Gray's naked glory. After the tiring day, Natsu snuggles with Gray in his bed, coming face-to-face with a waking ice mage.

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Chapter 4

Awkward Feelings.

The first thing Gray noticed when his eyes fluttered open was his incredible hunger. It felt as if his stomach wanted to growl at him, but hadn't the energy to do so. Man, I could really go for some pasta right now, he thought. The second thing he noticed was how exhausted he felt. His body was putting in extra efforts just to keep him awake.

The last thing Gray noticed was the warmth encasing him. And how he was unable to move. And how this room looked nothing like his. And how something or someone was sniffing his hair and running his or her fingers up and down his abs. Gray shuddered. It felt nice too. He wasn't one for heat, but it felt really soothing in that moment.

Using up the rest of his energy, Gray turned his head towards the source, and was quite shocked at what he found. Too bad he was too tired to show it. He wanted to scream at the flame brain and demand to know what the hell was going on, but his throat was drier than a desert. A dizziness spell waved over his head, and he was left silent to stare half-lidded at the sleeping boy cradling him.

But, Natsu felt it. His mind woke him like an alarm, and he was ecstatic at the sight. Energy filled him in the form of happiness and adrenaline, and it wasn't stopping any time soon.

"Y-you're awake!" he squeaked in his manliest voice.

His hold on Gray tightened even more, and he snuggled into the boy's body as much as he could. The idea of throwing insults between the boys went out the window. He didn't want to let go of Gray. Natsu was just… he didn't even know. God, he just couldn't stop his stomach from flipping and his body from heating up in excitement.

"Guh…" the ice mage managed to say, but it didn't really help.

Natsu immediately sat up and climbed out of the bed. He couldn't stop a muscle-paining grin from pulling his lips apart either. Natsu pulled the blankets up to Gray's chin and fluffed his pillow.

"Do you want water? Are you hungry? Wait right there! I'll be right back, promise!" Natsu blurted out before darting out of the room.

Gray stared at the door and blinked. What. The. Fuck? He hadn't been so confused in his entire life! Why was he lying in Natsu's bed (he assumed)? And why was the idiot being so considerate? Gray tried to sit up, but his body wouldn't move.

A few minutes later, Natsu zoomed in the room with a tray of chicken noodle soup, half a turkey sandwich, and two glasses of water.

"Lucy made all of this really yummy food and wrapped some up for you. You know, for when you wake up," Natsu explained.

He set the food down on the end of the bed before replacing Gray's pillow and pulling him up to a sitting position. Natsu grabbed the tray and put it in ice mage's lap.

Gray could sort-of tell Natsu was saying some other things, but he was fading out fast. He was too tired to stay awake. Like something was still sucking his energy away. Oh. Instantly, the images of battling the ice witch, Maeva, entered his mind. Those bratty children, the weird heart on his chest, this stupid illness all reminded him of just why he felt like shit. She was coming back, breaking his seal… through him. And Gray wasn't sure he would be able to seal her again in this condition.

Unable to stay awake any longer, Gray dropped his head forward. He would have dove straight into the soup if Natsu hadn't caught him.

"Oi, Gray! Don't fall back asleep! You have to stay awake! Hey!" Natsu shouted frantically. He rubbed Gray's cold arms with his hot ones in hopes that warming him up would keep him awake.

"Nngh," Gray groaned.

What does he want? What does he need? Ack, I don't know! I'm not Wendy! Natsu thought hysterically, still rubbing the ice mage's arms. Natsu picked up a spoon and dipped it in the soup. The food was already chilling, and it would've been a waste to let it sit there. Maybe eating would help. Natsu brought the soup up to Gray's moist lips. The spoonful gave Gray's stomach the energy to irately growl from neglect, so Natsu continued the process until the bowl was drained.

The dragon slayer watched the ice mage in silence. Gray continued to breath heavily, his eyes were scrunched closed. Finally, he grabbed a glass of water and downed all of it.

"… Lucy's a good cook," he spoke slowly. Gray's voice was so scratchy.

Natsu sighed in relief. He pushed the tray away and wrapped his arms around Gray again. His eyes were burning again, but he held the tears back this time. Gray's awake! He's really awake! The ice mage stiffened in his touch, but relaxed against the warmth he was starting to like.

"What? Did you miss me so much?" Gray teased, even in his condition. He was tempted by the hug.

"Shut up. You owe me," Natsu growled.

His hold only tightened. It made Gray chuckle lightly. He felt strength returning bit by bit. Maybe Natsu is a battery, he joked in his mind and rested his dark locks on Natsu's shoulder. After what felt like forever to Gray, Natsu retracted. He stood tall; hands secured on his hips, and smirked.

"All right! I'm all fired up!" Natsu pumped his fist into the air. He didn't shout loudly, his voice was betraying him a bit. It was a little low, but Natsu shook it off and cleared his throat. He felt a little weird. Ugh, the things Gray does to me.

Gray groaned, rolling his eyes. Not even a quarter of his energy returned, but getting home sounded like a good idea in the moment. Natsu was probably going to be annoying. And it would be great to sleep in the comfort of his home.

Gray attempted to stand up. His eyebrow twitched when he saw the state of his legs—scratch that, entire body. It irked him that his muscles were smaller than Natsu's now. It was like Erza sliced his man-pride in half. Dammit Maeva! If I could seal your ass again… The ice mage felt feverish from the movements. How could standing up take so much out of him? A second after his feet touched the floor, Gray's legs gave out. Again, Natsu was there to catch him. Gray clicked his tongue, and Natsu raised his eyebrow.

"Satisfied? You're really weak Gray, so you should just stay in bed until Wendy and I can make you better," Natsu chuckled in a soft voice that made Gray's heart skip a beat. Yup, like I said, annoying, Gray thought.

"Nah… I'd rather go home." the ice mage managed to reply.

"You can't go back there!" Natsu panicked.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so!" And you'd be really pissed your house got destroyed… a-anonymously!

"You can't tell me what to do," Gray attempted to fight back, but it was taking toil on his body. Every movement felt so energy-intensive. He was already slipping back into unconsciousness. Oh, but he was going to push Natsu off him before that!

A vein popped on Natsu's forehead. Gray was starting to aggravate him. He did not do all of this to be pushed away. By his rival, nonetheless! Natsu's eyes started glowering. A red flicker passed through them and he released his hold on Gray, watching him collapse on the ground. Gray's head hit the side of the bed, and he groaned. Ouch. Great, now the room's spinning—my god. A hot hand grabbed hold of his jaw and suddenly Natsu was kneeling over him.

"You listen to me now," Natsu ordered, his voice was dangerously low. The room temperature raised a few degrees.

He did not loosen the grip on Gray's jaw and pulled him closer to his face. He was mad Gray was trying to leave him and go home. He was mad the ice-block was overexerting his body in its deteriorated state. Natsu gritted his teeth, making sure to glare daggers straight into Gray's eyes.

"You will get in that bed. You will follow my orders. And I'm going to take care of you," he barked, letting go Gray's jaw and watching him nod dumbly.

Pleased, Natsu picked the speechless mage up from under his arms sat him back on the bed. He smirked. Haha, I won! Though, he hadn't meant to go so far. Oh well, whatever works! Natsu shrugged to himself. Making Gray act obediently excited him. Yeah, Natsu liked the challenge Gray brought to the guild, but this was new. He felt like he was exploring fresh territory and boundaries. Glancing at the quiet ice mage, Natsu noted his pondering face. Gray looked like he was off in his own world. Though, the drowsiness and dreariness never left his face.

Natsu's heart squeezed. He furrowed his eyebrows. Unknowing of the reason, he wanted to hug the ice mage again. Hooking his hand in the small of Gray's back, he forced the dark-haired man out of his thoughts, arching his body into his chest.

"Damn it, Natsu quit…" Gray's voice slowly trailed off. His head fell onto Natsu's chest and a soft exhale escaped his lips, eyes rolled into the back of his head.

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After easing Gray back into the bed again, Natsu sat down in his little chair and thought. Yes, that sentence sounded weird even to Natsu. He didn't think. It wasn't his forte. However, this subject was Gray. These reactions and feelings… were they normal to have when taking care of someone? Natsu hadn't spilled open so many emotions in the last few days than what he would have in months. Being happy for Gray's recovery was a given. Natsu wouldn't deny that feeling because it was normal. Even though Gray is an ass, and a stripper, and a douche… wait where am I going with this? Oh yeah, he's still a friend… a family member. But, what about all the hugging and the cuddly sleeping in the bed? Getting mad at Lucy when she wanted to help wasn't normal either.

Natsu knew he wanted to help Gray. He knew that he didn't mind watching Gray or taking care of him. He actually liked it. Was that weird? And when Gray woke up, Natsu thought he was going to die from rapturous relief. He wasn't tired anymore, and his adrenaline was on an all time high. Hmm, maybe Gray's curse is affecting me too? Natsu thought. Except, when Wendy was attacked by ice, she felt sad and depressed, not happy with a side of bipolar switches between anger and jealousy. Gah! This is too confusing! I hate thinking! Natsu gripped his pink hair in frustration. I don't care anymore. Whatever it is, I'll think about it after Gray gets better.

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I walked into the dark cave with confidence. The surface of the cave was coated in a thick layer of ice. I had one mission. One quest. 'Seal the witch.'

"Hmm, just my kind of style," I hummed.

Wait. A. Minute. I abruptly stopped walking. Didn't I already…? Everything seemed so familiar… I thought I had already done it before…

Strolling deeper inside, a light peeked out from behind a corner, leading to a large cavern. The entire room sparkled from the light bouncing off the ice. A large throne sculpted out of ice that sat right in the middle.

"Hello Gray. Fancy meeting you here," a voice spoke up. I shuddered. This voice… it was beautiful, familiar.

And it belonged to such a beautiful lady. Long black hair flowed down in natural bouncy curls. Porcelain skin was reluctantly hidden under a skin-tight, long black dress with a slit at the hip. Those full, boisterous breasts just dying to slip out of that revealing dress. The lady smiled mystifyingly, her plump lips stained blood red from lipstick (I assumed). The light made her skin sparkle and outlined her hourglass figure.

I groaned, "Damn it."

I had already been there. I had already done this. She… we've already met.

She laughed. It was cute and sent jitters down my spine. I hadn't known I was already under a spell. I hadn't known I was under an illusion as soon as I entered the ominous cave. But, she couldn't fool me twice.

"Aw, don't be like that. We can still have some fun," her smile grew wider and my heartbeat sped up.

I shook my head. Get a hold of yourself, man!

"What do you want? Is this… really happening or am I just dreaming?" I snapped.

Then, she stopped smiling, "You are no fun."

I raised an eyebrow, "No shit."

Then, I blinked. The room was just as dark as when I arrived at the cave a week ago. A small stream of light settled in the middle of the cave. And my shirt was gone, but that was nothing new.

Pain shot through my body like a knife, though there wasn't a single cut on me. Immediately after I felt it, the pain disappeared. Though, a numb feeling pulsed over my chest. Something was dripping onto my face. Water maybe? I tried to move, but my wrists were cuffed to something and it was too damn dark to see what it was.

"Hmm, I thought you would be happy to see me again. To know how you failed to seal me properly," a voice spoke again. Though this time it was revolting. My stomach plummeted. My mouth was dry.

A clicking sound filled the room as it stepped forward. Maeva the Illusionist, as cold as the black ice she was born from. She specialized in some forbidden ice magic and illusionary enchantment. But, her illusions never worked twice on the same person. My eyes trailed towards the clicking noise, nearly shriveling up at the sight stepping into the light. The beautiful illusion was long gone.

"Why are you here?!" I shouted, trying the keep the bile from rising.

She laughed, and I cringed at the noise. Viscous black liquid oozed off her murky skin, sizzling against the icy floor. Nasty eyes like slits bore into my vulnerable figure.

"Because we are linked at the heart, my dear Gray. Didn't you realize it when my signature mark started sucking on your delicious, tender skin?" she asked, her rusted yellow teeth gleamed in the light, "I will always be with you. Feeding off of you until you can offer no more. And when that time comes, I will be reborn."

She cackled, stepping out of the light and into the darkness that created her.

Then, the pain returned.

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"Gray! Oi, wake up idiot! Gray!" Natsu shouted frantically, shaking the convulsing body on the bed.

Out of nowhere, Gray started thrashing and seizing up. He was sweating bullets, but it wasn't normal. He was sweating ice. His skin was so cold. Yet, the ice hadn't covered his body.

Natsu didn't know what to do.

"Get out of my way, you imbecile!" a strong voice snapped before a small hand pushed Natsu away from the bed.

He staggered to the side, ready to beat the shit out of this person. Who the hell do you think you are—oh. OH!

"Old lady!"

"Excuse me?"

"Erm, P-Porlysucia-san!"

Porlysucia shook her head, her pink bangs waving along with her, while she mumbled something about lesser, idiotic beings. Focusing on her new patient, she scanned his body for something to work with. Her eyes narrowed on the oddly shaped bulge on Gray's chest before pulling his shirt up. The crooked heart-shaped ice turned a swirling black color. Porlysucia clicked her tongue.

"This isn't a normal curse. It is a type of Forbidden Succubus magic. Ice-derived, I assume," she deducted and raised a finger to trace the heart.

"Wait! Don't touch him! You'll get eaten—"

"Be quiet. What do you take me for? An utter fool?" the medicinal advisor spat, "I have already taken the appropriate precautions."

Instantly, her finger glowed a faded blue color. She outlined the heart. The ice latched onto the boy's skin as if it were growing out of him. Porlysucia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vile. There was a black, slimy liquid swishing inside. She added a few herbs from her other pocket before shaking the vile violently. The liquid instantly turned the faded blue color.

Carefully, she raised Gray's quivering head. Her entire arm was covered in the faded glow. Bits of black ice huddled around her fingertips, but were not able to pass through the glow. She lifted the vial to his lips, slowly spilling it into his mouth and down his throat. After all of the vial's contents were emptied, Gray gradually calmed down.

"Wendy was spot-on about your magic. To help combat this type of curse, an unique fire magic is necessary," Porlysucia started, rolling her eyes at Natsu's confused face, "What? Did you not find it weird when you were the only one able to counter the ice?"

Natsu shrugged. He really hadn't thought about it. He was just happy he was able to melt the ice. He was so happy when he could dissipate through this ice. Because it wasn't Gray's ice. It was cold and black. Well, Gray's ice is cold… ice is cold in general… but it never made anyone feel callous and hollow on the inside. The medicinal advisor retrieved another small vile from her pocket. The liquid was like water, but a fiery red color.

"Drink this. It will enhance your magic's effect on the curse, hopefully stabilizing the effects for now," Porlysucia explained, handing over the vial.

Natsu didn't think twice before downing the liquid. Immediately after finishing, his face scrunched up and he nearly gagged. It tasted worse then that time Happy dared him to lick the bottom of Gildarts' shoes.

"Guh, that was disgusting!"

"Shut up. Now, I need to you make contact between both solutions. Activate your fire magic; it will be the link," the medicinal advisor ordered, and Natsu blinked in confusion. She ignored him and walked back over to her patient. In swift movements, Porlysucia pressed her thumb and index finger on Gray's neck, forcibly waking him up.

Gray's eyes bulged open, frantically darting from side-to-side. He was panting again, and the color was drained completely from his face.

"For this to work, the patient needs to be awake. Both magic types need to be alert and mingling," Porlysucia snapped her head towards Natsu, who was still standing awkwardly in confusion, "Boy! Go make the connection!"

"How am I supposed to do that?!"

"Through oral contact! Must I spell everything out for you? Hurry while the ingredients are still fresh and active!" she grabbed his arm and pushed him towards the equally confused Gray.

Well, Gray wasn't really paying attention to the two bodies in the room. The pain from his dreams was still occurring. It felt like teeth were sinking into his chest and extracting out his life. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body lurched forward uncontrollably.

"Hurry up!"

'Damn it all to hell!' Natsu gritted his teeth. He didn't understand what this woman wanted, but all he had to do was kiss Gray, right? Then he'd do it! Natsu crawled over Gray's convulsing body, gently cupping his scrunched up face with his hands. Without blinking, Natsu crashed their lips together.

Gray snapped his eyes open at the warm contact. He felt something warm flow through him, making his body go limp. Without permission, his ice magic churned and whirled in his stomach, expelling a cool fog in the room. Gray didn't understand what was going on, but he felt great. Giddy warmth filled his body and clashed with the sinking pain, causing his body to go numb.

Natsu felt something coursing through his body and expelled his fire magic without even blinking. He felt as if electricity was running up his body and tickling his arms. His heart was beating erratically. His mind was foggy, eyes dizzy and clouded. He didn't understand why he felt so pleased, but he didn't want it to stop. He nibbled on Gray's bottom lip, loving the feeling of it under his teeth. Slowly, he ran his heated tongue against the ice mage's lips, receiving a quiver as the muscles loosened up enough for Natsu to enter.

Natsu chuckled at the sensation of roaming through Gray's mouth, earning another shudder in the process. It was wet and foreign to him. And he loved it. Finding Gray's cool tongue, he sucked on it until a sweet noise rang in his ears. Gray's moan. Natsu momentarily paused. Gray's tongue suddenly licked Natsu's, and Natsu pulled back. A thin line of saliva connected their glistening lips.

Natsu swallowed, noting the dryness of his throat. He panted lightly for air. His face was pulsing from the amount blood rushing to his head. And his wide eyes were glued to the gasping mage under him. Natsu clamped his eyes shut for a moment, trying to calm down. But, it wasn't working. He was feeling so scandalous. His hands shook as they slid under Gray's shirt, pulling it over the ice mage's head and flinging it to the floor. Natsu let his fingers roam across Gray's chest, stopping at the black heart. Instantly, he felt angry. He clenched his hands into fists, steam erupting from them. Somehow, he felt like that heart was connecting Gray to something else. Someone else. And Natsu didn't like it.

The heart was branching out in vines headed in every direction. Leaning down to Gray's chest, Nastu, let his tongue run across one of the icy vines, raising the wet muscle a few hundred degrees in the process. The vines hissed under the heat, steaming into thin air. Gray lurched forward, his hand gripping the bed sheets. Natsu tongue trailed every vine, slowly and gradually until they were all gone. His eyes flickered up Gray's face, lips curving into a smirk. Gray's cheeks flushed tomato red. His lips were slightly puffy and red and still wet from the kiss. His dark eyes quivered in want under Natsu's gaze. Natsu was about to recapture those beautiful lips until someone yanked his scarf and he fell off the bed.

"All right! That's enough. I've had enough! The medicine should stabilize him for a good amount of time," Porlysucia intervened. She shook her head. However, a light blush dusted her cheeks.

"In the mean time, just continue stabilizing him for now. Wendy and I will work out a spell to break this curse. She is already working on one back at my clinic."

Porlysucia left Natsu's house. Natsu finally calmed down, exhaling slowly and resting his head on the ground. He listened to Gray's breathing as it went from erratic to a constant rhythm. He was asleep. Natsu continued to stare at the ceiling, his mind drowning in confusion.

…What just happened?