A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. At first I was just plain struggling with beginning this chapter, but then my professor decided to launch a cannon of homework at my face... so then I had to put a pause on this. And like delicious toppings on ice cream, my family and I are in the middle of moving which sucks ass to be truthful. I got a second job, and then I got into a car accident trying to get to my second job. Just terrible. v.v
This isn't very long and it isn't much, but it's all I have at the moment so I hope y'all can still enjoy. As for Licking Flames, I'm still writing that up but I've decided to revise it. So if anyone is still following that story, make sure to look for the revised one once I have it up. The title will be Licking Flames: Revised. Nothing drastic will change, but there will be changes so. Please don't kill me. lol.
Anyways, I have a whole month of school left and 3 major essays I have to get done so this might be all from me for awhile. Unless someone wants to take my spot T.T I wouldn't mind at ALL.
"What's the look for?" Gray asked, his tone light with amusement. Meanwhile, Natsu's stormy expression darkened and he crossed his arms over his chest with a humph. And Natsu would've gladly remained with that look but Gray reached out and swiped his thumb softly across Natsu's bottom lip, thus breaking the pinkette out of his scowling.
"Bastard-" Natsu started, voice high and face flushed, but Gray talked over him still greatly amused.
"You're too cute to be looking like that. Anyways, what is it that you're getting?" the artist asked while he pulled up the black rolling stool. He sat down on it after placing it next to the ink bed Natsu had been deposited on. Crossing his arms, Gray leaned forward enough so his elbows were flat on the taut leather and brushing up against Natsu's right thigh.
Natsu, still slightly flushed, cleared his throat. "Eh, not really sure. I mean I had an idea for one but really I was dragged here. So I didn't put a lot of thought into what I want..." the pinkette met Gray's twinkling stare and pouted. "What?" he grouched embarrassedly.
"Nuthin'. Tell me the idea you had and we can work from there if you want." the ravenette offered before getting up. Natsu's onyx eyes watched the taller male walk to the neat shelving area that was placed against the back wall of the room. The room itself was pretty small, but very home feeling despite it being a tattoo spot. For starters the room was a warm indigo color and covered in a soft, thick black carpet. Gray had the ink bed in the middle of the room and directly in front of it was the shelving area that was stocked with different colored ink bottles, ink guns, and thick black book he had just pulled down. The wall in front of Natsu was decorated in tattoo designs and Natsu guessed it was more work from Gray.
Said artist plopped back down on his stool and rolled closer to the bed. Natsu met questioning gel cobalt eyes and realized he had yet to answer Gray. "Oh, I was thinking of getting my dad's name somewhere. Maybe with his birth and death date underneath it." the pinkette scratched his soft locks and lowered his eyes to the black book in Gray's grasp.
"How about this?" Gray stood up once more but instead of walking away, he crouched down close to Natsu and pressed slightly against him. Natsu felt warmth spread through his arm that Gray was touching but was quickly distracted when Gray pulled up his left sleeve. And no, it wasn't due to the bulging muscles of Gray's bicep that he could see clearly, it was because of the tattoo sculpted in the inside of Gray's arm that had his attention. Mostly.
Natsu read the beautiful cursive that was drowned in the smooth, black ink, and styled into one name.
Ur Fullbuster.
Below the words just like Natsu described, was the birth and death date, which was two years recent. Whoever Ur was, they were only 33 when they passed on. Without knowing it, Natsu reached out and gently touched the scripture. "My mom." Gray murmured and Natsu lifted his eyes up and the dark orbs exposing deep sorrow took Gray by surprise.
"I'm sorry." Natsu whispered and softly stroked the smooth skin. "It's beautiful. Who?" he asked, the silent unspoken question lingering in the air.
Gray stared down at those tan slender fingers laced around arm. "I did. The day of her funeral actually."
"You did this?" Natsu didn't try to conceal his shock or amazement, and continued touching over the inked skin. Brows furrowing, Natsu glanced up at the artist. "You guys didn't have the shop yet." he stated in confusion and let his hand fall back in his lap while Gray nodded.
"Yeah, I was only eighteen too. But I had my own gun and ink, so I did most of my tattoos at a young age." Gray smirked at the shocked expression Natsu wore and decided to tease the poor pinkette further. "Actually, my first tattoo I did is right here," Gray wasted no time in pulling down the waist band of his jeans and, to Natsu's mortified horror, his boxers. Wait, scratch that mortified horror. Gray wasn't wearing any boxers. "See?" Gray purred with a sly smile.
Natsu definitely could see. His onyx eyes saw a lot, thanks. To start it out, the tattoo Gray said was his first ever was a simple silver dollar size of a four leaf clover. It was dented in the dip of Gray's right hip. The tattoo that was circled around his stomach area stopped at the artist's v-line meaning the rest of the tattoo was covered by Gray's shirt. Thank God that was covered but Natsu couldn't do the same for Gray's dick. Jesus fuck, the man had no shame.
After many silent minutes of gawking, Natsu finally gathered enough thoughts to form a sentence. "Where the FUCK is your underwear?!" he demanded and glared up at the smirking artist. "And who the hell SHAVES? Wait a minute-" Was that? Natsu appeared to have no shame either for he leaned down to get a closer look at Gray's impressive package wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head when it was clear he was looking at exactly what he thought it was. "Your dick is pierced." he rasped out and Gray tucked himself back into his pants still grinning.
"Yeah. I did that too."
Natsu suddenly felt a headache coming on. "I feel bad for the girls you come across. Shit must be painful."
"Nah, ten inches isn't that bad." Gray answered seriously and Natsu nearly choked.
"YOU BASTARD I DID NOT MEAN YOUR FRIGGIN' DICK MEASUREMENT."
Gray chuckled and sat back down on the stool. "I only had one girl complain. But guys find it pleasurable."
"Okay well good, because I would feel bad for your lack of sex-" Natsu started off but clamped his mouth shut when Gray's words finally sunk in. "EH?"
"Aww, how sweet of you to worry about my lacking of lack of sex life. I'm a healthy horny growing boy so I get laid in generous amounts. But you're so cute." Gray smirked which only fumed Natsu.
"Do- I mean- you asshole! Gah! Don't ever use 'horny' and 'growing boy' in the same sentence!" the pinkette stammered out, his feathers quite ruffled. Looking away, Natsu took a shuddering, well needed breath. Jeez, what's with this lunatic? His face couldn't possibly burn more than it already was.
Gray let out a breathy laugh. "Okay okay. On a more serious note, was this what you had in mind?" he pointed to his tattoo and Natsu looked over once more. "It doesn't have to be like this, there are other ways to do memorial tatts. Ultear just has our mom's name on her chest, and Lyon has her innitials on his wrist. Or you can just do the birth and death date." Gray let the options sit in the air for a minute before hesitantly asking, "Can I ask what happened?"
"I would say storm but it was actually more of a hurrican. Hurricane Mavis to be exact." Natsu replied, his voice numb. That was right, his parents had gone on their 15th anniversary but decided to drive instead of taking a plane. They were on their way back when the hurricane hit the state they were in. Luckily for Natsu and Laxus, they were nowhere near the hurricane so they didn't lose their house or anything. Just their parents. Natsu sighed. "I was pretty young."
Gray whistled lowly. "Wow. I'm sorry to hear that. And yeah, that was almost what, eight or ten years ago? Wait, if they both died, why aren't you getting your mom?"
Natsu blinked at the sudden question. "I loved my mom but I was closer with my dad so I want his name first. And if I decide where I want the name, the next time I'll come get mom's name but put it on the opposite side of dad's." Clearing his throat, Natsu gave Gray a pointed look. "Since we're playing twenty-one questions, what about your mom?"
This time the tables switched and it was Gray who blinked. However, he recovered with a soft exale and replied without looking at Natsu's face. "She commited suicide."
