Family is Everything
Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail
Summary: Natsu accidentally claims Gray as his mate, leading to some unexpected consequences. Gratsu/MPREG
Author's Note #1: Let's have a little fun, shall we?
Chapter 14 – Vacation (Rated T)
"Gray," started Natsu as he sighed, "the train stop five minutes ago. We can get off now."
"Then why are we still moving?" the ice mage responded dizzily.
Natsu turned to Sting. "Can you help him off the train? I don't think he'll make it otherwise."
The white dragon-slayer stared at Gray emotionlessly. He'd only recently cleaned himself of the vomit. He did not want to go through that again. "Why can't you do it? He's your mate. Ow! Rogue! What the hell?!"
Rogue lowered his hand and watched his mate rub the back of his head tenderly. "Do you really believe either of us is capable of dragging Gray off this train at the moment?"
"Well, sorry! You guys make it kind of hard to remember you're pregnant. Seeing as how you can still smack people around," he mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that, Sting. Keep it up, and I'll be rooming with Natsu during this trip."
"Fine! I'll help Gray!" Sting conceded. He marched over to the ice mage and pulled one of his arms over his shoulder. "I swear, if you throw up on me again, I'm leaving your sorry ass on the train."
"Just get me off," Gray groaned.
The minute everyone was off the train, Gray collapsed on the ground as if worshipping the earth beneath him. "I'm never going on a train again," he declared.
"Yeah, we all say that, but there's really no way to avoid transportation," replied Natsu, slightly amused by his mate's behavior. That was, until Gray knelt before him on his knees and took his hands in his own. "Gray?"
"Natsu," the ice mage began, "I've had a lot of time to think."
"During all that vomiting?"
"Y…Yes. I had a chance to really reassess my life. It was almost like my life was flashing before my eyes. And I now realize what I have to do. I should have done this a long time ago. I really shouldn't have waited until now to say it."
What the hell is he doing? Wait! Is he proposing to me? In the middle of the fucking train station?! Natsu thought frantically. "Gray, get up. You're making a scene!" he said when he witnessed everyone turning their attention toward the couple.
"Not until I get through this," continued the ice mage. "You know I love you, and I do realize how much I've hurt you. All of that is going to change. I promise. So…will you…"
Sting watched as Rogue's eyes twinkled, a small smile on his face. Shit! Cut it out, Gray! You're giving Rogue ideas and making me look bad!
"W-Will I what?" Natsu asked nervously. This was it. But why did it have to be in the least romantic spot possible?!
"Natsu, will you…forgive me?"
The fire mage felt his world come to a stop. "Say what?"
"Will you forgive me?"
"For…give you? For what?" This wasn't a proposal?!
"Will you forgive me for all the taunting and teasing I did to you when you were motion sick?"
Rogue's happiness plummeted. How dare Gray get his hopes up like that?! He'd expected Gray to kick things up a notch so that Sting would follow suit. Their mates were morons. Complete and utter morons!
"You…idiot!" Natsu snapped as he tried to hide his embarrassment. How could he have thought Gray was going to propose to him? Although, he had to admit, he was slightly disappointed.
"Huh?" responded Gray, utterly confused by Natsu's reaction.
"Come, Natsu. Let's head to the hotel," said Rogue, taking the fire mage's hand and leading him away. "Unbelievable."
Gray watched the two dragon-slayers walk away. "What just happened?"
"You really don't know what that looked like just now, do you?" asked Sting, hands clasped behind his head.
Gray shook his head.
"You had everyone here thinking you were going to propose," stated Sting as he walked away. "Including Natsu."
Gray stared blankly after him. "P-Propose?" As in…marriage?!
Laxus lifted another beam as he prepared to put it into place. Construction of the new house had begun not too long ago. And Gajeel's revelation that it would not only house Gray and Natsu, but Sting and Rogue as well, threw everyone into chaos.
Luckily Laxus was able to sort them out. He wanted to ensure that his newly acknowledged dragon family had everything they could possibly need. Everyone at the guild eagerly agreed.
"Laxus," called Makarov, who'd been watching his grandson for some time.
"Yeah, Gramps?" the lightning mage responded.
Makarov cleared his throat. It was now over never. "When do you plan on…settling down? Finding a mate, so to speak."
Laxus's grip on the beam faltered, and everyone paused in their work to look at the lightning mage. "E-Excuse me?"
"I just worry about you sometimes. And it seems so many of our members—even younger than yourself—are settling down and starting families, and I wondered if you had a special someone." Makarov almost had a heart attack when Laxus began blushing. "L-Laxus?!"
"U-Um. I-I…"
"Are you saying you've found someone?! Are they in Fairy Tail?!" Makarov exclaimed, pointing his finger at his grandson.
If anything, Laxus got even redder. "I-I need…to get some more supplies. I'll be right back," he said before taking off.
Makarov stared after him in astonishment. His grandson actually liked someone! His reaction confirmed it! There was only one problem! "Who in the world is my grandson in love with?!"
"I can't believe I thought he was going to propose to me," grumbled Natsu as they headed for the hotel.
"You and me both," replied Rogue. He cast a small glance to his right. "Did you want him to?"
"Honestly, I'd never thought much about it. I mean, we're already mates. But when he knelt in front of me, and I thought he was going to propose, I felt really happy. Even if it was a less than desirable location for it," Natsu answered.
Rogue sighed. "I was hoping he would, too. I thought that would get Sting to do the same."
Natsu glanced behind them. "You know, they look kind of miserable right now."
The shadow dragon-slayer hummed in agreement before his expression became sad. "We still need to talk to them about—."
"I know. I'm still worried about how they'll take it."
"Hey," said Sting as he jogged up to them. He grabbed Rogue's arm. "Are you okay? You felt really sad just now."
"Yeah. I felt that from Natsu, too," said Gray, looking at his mate worriedly. "What's wrong?"
Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when he couldn't form the words.
"We're upset," said Rogue. "We thought Gray was proposing, and it turned out to be quite disappointing." Sure, it wasn't really what they were sad about, but there was a hint of truth to it.
"I knew it!" hissed Sting. "I told you, Gray!"
"How was I supposed to know that's what Natsu wanted?!" responded Gray. "And for your information, that means Rogue was expecting a proposal from you, too!"
Sting's eyes widened. "Rogue, I—."
"It doesn't matter," the shadow dragon-slayer cut in as he resumed walking. "What's done is done. There's no need to linger on it anymore."
"What he said," agreed Natsu.
Gray and Sting watched them go.
"You know what this means, right?" asked Gray.
The white dragon-slayer nodded. "We let them room together."
"What? No! We find a way to propose! Why are you such a moron?!"
"It takes one to know one!"
"It's better to let someone think you are an idiot than open your mouth and prove it!"
"Ooh! That's original! Is your ass jealous of the amount of shit that just came out of your mouth?"
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Natsu roared back at them. "If I wanted to practice taking care of children, I'd do it with Asuka, not you two bumbling idiots! Now shut up and make this a good vacation for all of us, or you will suffer the wrath of two very pissed off pregnant dragons!"
Gray and Sting swallowed thickly and nodded as they watched Rogue and Natsu continue moving forward.
"Is it just me, or is Natsu incredibly hot when he's pissed?" stated Gray.
"You, my friend, have a death wish."
Levy stared at Gajeel's house nervously. Why'd he ask her to come over? He wasn't going to go on about this mating business again, was he?
Hesitantly, she knocked on the door. It immediately whipped open to reveal an exhausted looking Gajeel.
"Ya made it," he said tiredly.
"Well, yeah. You asked me to come. Are you all right?" she asked as he let her inside.
"Just tired. I was up all night workin'."
"On what?" she asked curiously.
"These," he replied, pointing at the three beautifully crafted structures in from of him.
"Cribs!" Levy gasped. "You handcrafted cribs? They're beautiful! I didn't know you could work so well with wood."
Gajeel flopped onto his couch and sank into it. "There's a lot ya don't know about me then. Ya really think they look good?"
Levy traced the intricate dragon carvings on the wood. "They're stunning," she replied softly. "What did you need me for?"
The iron dragon-slayer stretched and let out a huge yawn. "I was wonderin' if you could place some kind of protection runes on them or somethin' to prevent the little brats from chewin' their way out."
"They…They can do that?" Just what kind of monsters were Natsu and Rogue having?
"It's a dragon-slayer thing. They'll eat. A lot. Even if it means eatin' their way out of the cribs. And I didn't do all this fuckin' work for it to eaten by a handful of brats."
Levy smiled and put her hands on her hips. "I think I can help with that," she said. "It was really sweet of you to…Gajeel?"
She tried to stifle her laughter when she realized the tough dragon-slayer had fallen asleep on the couch with his mouth hanging open. Walking over to Gajeel, Levy brushed a strand of hair out of his face. He seemed to melt into her touch. "You really are sweet, Gajeel. Just give me a little more time."
"This place is nice," whistled Gray. "I didn't expect to be set up at such an elegant ryokan."
"I didn't know we'd receive our own private bath," Natsu said in awe. "This place is amazing."
"Hey. I see they've provided us with yukatas. How about you change, and I'll get us some tea ready."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Get comfortable. I know you're tired. Just relax and let me take care of you."
"Okay," Natsu replied with a smile as he grabbed one of the provided yukata. "I'll be back in a bit."
When Natsu left to change in the bathroom, Gray approached the table near the entrance of the room laden with supplies for making tea. Several minutes later, he had the tea ready and waited for Natsu.
"You have no idea how comfy this is," said the fire mage when he reentered the room, smoothing out his yukata.
Gray raised his head. "That looks good on," he said, approaching Natsu and pulling him into his arms. "You're adorable."
Natsu narrowed his eyes at him. "Guys are not adorable."
"I guess that makes you the exception then," Gray responded. "Maybe we should buy you a few."
"Hm? Why?"
"I figure it's got to be more comfortable than your regular clothes. It's a little more manageable for you since you're starting to show. Don't you think you'd feel more comfortable wearing these during your pregnancy?"
"I guess you're right. Maybe we can get a couple."
Gray smiled. "Consider it done. Now let's have some tea."
He led Natsu to the table and they sat on the floor. The ice mage poured his mate a cup of tea, which he sipped casually.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," chuckled Gray, admiring the pleased expression on Natsu's face.
"I can't really remember the last time I've felt so relaxed. We owe Laxus a very big thank you when we get back. Maybe we should pick him up a gift."
"Okay," replied Gray, removing the cup of tea from Natsu's hands and setting it on the table. He leaned in and kissed his mate firmly on the mouth. "But I don't want to think about Laxus right now. I want to focus on you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. And there's something I want to say," Gray began uneasily. He cleared his throat. "Sometimes…loving you is a bit scary, because I feel it'll just all disappear one day, which is why I think I've been holding onto you so possessively. I feel like…if I ease up, just a little, I'll lose you. I know I shouldn't think that way, but I've lost so much in my life that the idea just haunts me."
"Gray…"
"Let me finish. And so…I…I feel that your purpose is to shake me up a little bit, knock my pride down a peg or two, show me that I can be accepted regardless of my faults and sins. You bring light into my heart, my life, and you make me feel as if I can do anything, even when my world is spinning out of control. You make me feel all these things, all these wonderful and scary things. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you. I'd do anything for you. And I know I'm not all that great with expressing my feelings, but—."
"Gray," Natsu cut in, cupping his mate's face in his hands, "this connection we share now lets me feel you. All of you. I only ask that you rely on me so that I can chase your fears away. I love you. I care for you more deeply than anyone I've ever met. You show me everyday how much I mean to you. Let me do the same. That's all I want. Let me in completely. Let me love you fully, Gray."
The ice mage placed one of his hands over Natsu's, turning his head slightly and placing a gentle kiss on his mate's palm. Gray then leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Natsu's lips, sighing. "You have no idea how much I want to make love to you right now," he said leaning into his mate's touch.
Natsu placed a kiss on Gray's forehead. "What's stopping you?"
"Rogue, you're feeling sad again. Are you sure you're okay?" Sting asked as he observed his mate looking out at their private bath.
"I'm fine," he replied, albeit tersely.
Rogue's wrath be damned. Sting pulled the shadow dragon-slayer against his chest and embraced him. "No, you're not. And whatever is bothering you, tell me. I can't bear seeing you this upset. Let me take away your sorrow."
The tender words were Rogue's undoing. He turned around, buried his face in Sting's chest, and cried.
The white dragon-slayer didn't know what to do other than hold his mate while he sobbed. He whispered sweet and consoling words in his ear, stroked his back soothingly, and yet, Rogue still cried. His reaction tore at his heart.
When it seemed Rogue's tears subsided somewhat, Sting asked him again. "What's wrong?"
The shadow dragon-slayer's only response was a shake of the head, but he clutched Sting's shirt as if it were his only lifeline.
"Why can't we talk about it?"
"N-Not…ready to," Rogue cried.
"Okay," replied Sting as he continued stroking his mate's back. "Is it…something I did? Did I do something wrong?"
"No," came the muffled reply.
"Then what can I do to help you? I don't know what to do."
"J-Just hold me…f-for now. P-Please."
Sting kissed the top of his head and embraced him firmly. "Whatever you want from me, I'll give it to you. All you need to do is ask."
Rogue seriously hoped Sting's words would hold true.
Natsu relaxed in the private bath, letting the hot water soak into his tired body. He casually opened his eyes when he felt Gray enter the bath with him.
"How's your body?" the ice mage asked affectionately. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"I'm a little sore, but I guess that's to be expected since we haven't done it in a few months," replied the fire mage. "But it was…different than it was before. It was…"
"More intimate."
"Yeah. I didn't know having a connection with someone would—."
"Feel like this?" finished Gray as he crept closer to Natsu. He pulled the fire mage into his arms and kissed him tenderly on the lips before peppering kisses down his throat.
"Gray, I can't anymore," Natsu gasped. "I'm worn out."
The ice mage chuckled. "I guess I still got it, huh?"
"We'll see if you've still got it after we have two little ones running around," Natsu replied.
Knock! Knock!
"Who the hell could that be?" questioned Gray as he got out of the bath, peeved that the mood had been ruined. He quickly dried off and threw on his clothes, Natsu following suit with his yukata. "Did you order room service?"
"No."
Gray opened the door to their room, becoming surprised when he found a puffy-eyed Rogue standing there. The shadow dragon-slayer wasted no time in pushing past Gray and heading toward Natsu.
"Sorry about this," said Sting as he stepped into the room. "But Rogue wouldn't stop crying no matter how much I tried to comfort him. And then all he wanted was to see Natsu."
Gray shut the door, watching as Natsu hugged Rogue. When he felt sadness seeping into his mate, the ice mage became concerned. "Natsu?"
"Can you give us some privacy, please?" said Natsu pleadingly as he led Rogue to the private bath. He slid the door shut, leaving Sting and Gray to stare at their shadowy figures through the paper thin doors.
Gray tapped Sting on the shoulder. When he got his attention, he motioned to creep up to the doors. Maybe they could hear what was going on since their mates didn't seem keen on speaking to them.
"Rogue, we need to tell them sooner or later," they heard Natsu whisper. "We can't keep this from them much longer."
"I know. But I don't want to hurt Sting. That's the last thing I want to do," Rogue replied desperately.
"You're not going to hurt Sting."
"You don't know that for sure. And what about Gray? Aren't you still afraid of how he'll take it?"
"M…Maybe a little," Natsu replied quietly. "But I do believe the both of them will understand…eventually."
"I had hoped Levy and Gajeel would've come up with something by now to support our…case," said Rogue.
"Well, that's beginning to look a little bleak," said the fire mage, sighing. "We need to tell them."
"I know. But it's not like I can just go up to Sting and tell him I'm quitting Sabertooth in order to stay with you."
Bang!
Natsu and Rogue spun around at the sound, only to find that Gray and Sting had somehow managed to knock down the sliding down—if the two of them being splayed about in its remains were any indication.
Sting scrambled to his feet and stared disbelievingly at Rogue. "Wh-What do you mean you're quitting Sabertooth?!"
"And what does he mean by staying with you?!" added Gray.
Sting and Gray tried to reel back their anxiety when they noticed their mates looking a tad terrified. Probably from being found out.
"I-I…" started Rogue. "I didn't want you to find out this way. But…I can't leave…Natsu. It's hard to explain."
"I'm gonna need a little more than that," implored Sting.
"We feel…the need to stay together," tried Natsu as he attempted to find the right words. "The more we talked about having our babies, the more we came to realize that it seemed…unnatural for us to separate."
"It's…instinctual, I guess you could say," added Rogue. "The thought of raising our babies separately… i-it doesn't sit well with us."
"So, in other words, you two want to raise the babies together?" questioned Gray quietly.
Natsu had a hard time figuring out how his mate truly felt about this news, so he just nodded. "I know it sounds weird. That's why we spoke with Gajeel and Levy. Levy heard some news about an old dragon and dragon-slayer book. She's been trying to get her hands on it. We were hoping it would have information that would shed some light on our situation."
"To be honest," began Sting, "I hadn't thought that far ahead. I didn't think about where we'd be or what we'd be doing after the baby was born. And now that I think about it…"
"It feels right somehow," said Gray, "as odd as that might be. I mean, we've all gotten pretty close these past few months. And you two are nearly inseparable. I guess there's no other choice."
"What do you mean?" asked Natsu restlessly.
Sting inhaled deeply, realizing what he had to do. "Everything's going to be fine," he said as he sat next to Rogue and pulled him into his lap. "We'll all stay together. If that's what you two need, that's exactly what we'll do."
"Are you sure?" Rogue asked quietly.
"Absolutely," answered Gray, pulling Natsu into his own arms. He felt relief fill his mate. "But we really do need a bigger place. Natsu's just isn't going to cut it."
"Can we worry about that later?" said Natsu. "I want to relish in the fact that you two are okay with this."
Gray chuckled. "Sure thing."
Rogue relaxed against his mate and closed his eyes, a smile finally making its way onto his face. "Thank you, Sting."
"It's good to know you're not sad anymore. Everything's going to work out just fine," said Sting.
Suddenly, Rogue's eyes shot open and his body stiffened. "Oh, no."
"What is it?" questioned Sting worriedly.
Rogue stood up and began pacing. "I think I'm…impossible."
"Rogue?" Natsu stood and gripped the shadow dragon-slayer's shoulders in his hands. "What's wrong?"
"Um." He gave Sting a troubled look. "I-I think I'm getting a craving."
Sting shot to his feet faster than a bolt of lightning striking a tree, a grin plastered on his face. Finally! He'd been waiting so long for this moment! "What is it?!" he asked excitedly. "Whatever it is, I'll get it for you!"
Rogue stifled a groan. "I want…"
"Yes?"
"I want…lava."
The grin on Sting's face waned. "What?"
"I want lava," Rogue said, a little more confidently this time.
"Lava," Sting repeated slowly. "Where the hell am I supposed to get that?!"
Sting definitely had his work cut out for him. Gray thanked the heavens he only had to deal with dirt and snow.
"Why the hell am I hiding?" Laxus whispered under his breath. "It was just a stupid question."
The lightning mage rubbed his face as if trying to wash away his embarrassment. Why did his grandfather have to ask such a question?
Sure, he liked somebody from Fairy Tail…sort of. It wasn't like he was going to do anything about it. He didn't have the nerve.
Well, that was an excuse. He actually didn't feel he deserved that person, not after all of the horrible things he'd done in his life. No one would truly want him if they knew all of his deepest, darkest secrets.
That's exactly why he was hiding. In order to face the person he liked, he'd have to face himself. And he wasn't ready to do that just yet.
End Chapter
*Author's Note – Please Review! And in that review, name the person you want Laxus to be with from Fairy Tail. I'll put the options in a poll and have you guys—the readers—vote on it!*