Chapter 36: The Drawing
One year later.
Gray's fingers dug into Natsu's shoulders, his muscles tensing desperately. His face was centimeters from the Dragon Slayer's, who was able to see every eye-closing shudder and swallow every twitching gasp as they moved in sweaty rhythm.
The Salamander wasn't going particularly slow, but he wasn't moving as fast as Gray wanted either, drawing things out, excruciating, delaying his boyfriend on purpose as he thrust into him. The ice mage was sitting in his lap, chest-to-chest with him, legs looped over Natsu's thighs and heels digging into his back.
Feeling Gray straining around his cock, Natsu bit Gray's lip. When Gray groaned, Natsu lapped into his mouth, curling around Gray's tongue and drawing him in. Kissing the ice mage remained his favorite thing.
With another thrust from Natsu, Gray arched back, stiffening so hard his body shook and gasping, "Please…touch me…"
"But I like enjoying you," Natsu murmured innocently. (He could only be so innocent when he was this out of breath. Gray was so tight, and it felt amazing.) "I like feeling every part of you—"
"Please, Natsu," Gray grunted. "Please…"
Gooseflesh breaking out over his skin, Natsu's thighs tensed.
"Since you ask so nicely," he said, and pulled Gray's hips closer before bucking into him.
Gray cried out, "Natsu—!"
As the ice mage hissed in a ragged inhale, a ripple played down his abdomen, tugging at the Dragon Slayer's cock and nearly losing Natsu his self-control. This was the angle Gray loved, the movement that always pulled him apart into beautiful pieces in Natsu's hands; and as the Salamander thrust firmly without reprieve, Gray dissolved.
When Gray clenched up and let out a long, extended cry, Natsu had to stop moving, both to sustain Gray's pleasure and to keep from coming in that incredibly tight, wonderful body. The euphoria that swooped over his boyfriend's face was exquisite. Gray came against Natsu's stomach and slumped back boneless, Natsu sliding his palms up to catch him.
"How was that?" Natsu whispered, memorizing every centimeter of Gray's face, from his still-closed eyes to the exaggerated red of his lips—Natsu might've kissed him a little hard. Gray loved rough kisses.
"You made me beg," Gray accused, smiling in contentment.
"Of course."
Natsu grinned and kissed him. Wrapping a hand around Natsu's neck, the ice mage pulled him closer, mouthing at him and deliberately clenching around Natsu's cock until he gasped.
"Fuck, fuck, wait a sec…"
"I don't want to wait," Gray breathed, though he stopped squeezing, kissing a tantalizing path under Natsu's jaw line. "More, harder, Natsu…I want to come again."
Gray licked his earlobe and nipped at it. His warm, solid cock lay against Natsu's stomach, twitching quickly back to life, and the Dragon Slayer was weakness itself when Gray was horny. Lazy days like today tended to give the ice mage particular stamina.
"Fuck," he whispered, shivering. "Wh-What do you want…?"
"Fuck me more."
Natsu was straining for more already, pressing slowly into Gray, afraid what would happen if he went fast. Gray was so beautiful and Natsu was so on edge… It wouldn't take much for him to come. Not much at all.
Gray's kneading fingers moved down his shoulders. When one hand slipped down to grab Natsu's ass, the Salamander squeaked and bucked harder. The increased pressure seemed to be just what Gray was going for, because he gripped Natsu's ass and tipped his head back, leaning away and putting his whole muscular body on display.
Damn, that body. Holy shit.
Gray leaned so far back Natsu worried he would slip off. Gray was pulling at him, tugging him toward the bed—
Startled, he realized what Gray wanted.
Gray rarely bottomed when he bottomed: he was better with riding Natsu or being in his lap. They were always face-to-face when they fucked, no matter how they did it: Gray couldn't handle sexual touch from behind, and Natsu preferred seeing him. The time or two Gray had tried fucking Natsu from the rear had been tenuous, Gray not fully enjoying while Natsu missed looking in his lover's eyes. There was something about staring at each other while each of them came that he loved.
But Gray lying beneath him was sometimes okay, and if Gray wanted to be under him today, Natsu wasn't going to deny him. He trusted Gray.
Lowering his ice mage down, he pushed Gray's thighs wide without pulling out, appreciating all the bare, vulnerable skin. It made Natsu groan with desperation: he could fuck Gray deeper in this position, and his whole cock being clenched tight was amazing.
As Natsu kept going, Gray moaned, hand sliding mindlessly down Natsu's chest. Suddenly the ice mage was rolling Natsu's nipple between his fingers and the Dragon Slayer shouted in pleasure, pushing into the touch. Sweet lines of ecstasy spread from his hard nipple as Gray kept going, thrills imploding his body. Fuck.
Opening his eyes, Natsu stared down through hazy thoughts at the gorgeous man looking back at him. Those dark eyes made him feel gloriously naked. Natsu settled an arm by Gray's head so he could kiss him, deep and slow.
When he opened his eyes again, Gray was still giving him a deliberate, knowing look. Noticing Gray's shoulder moving, Natsu glanced down.
No longer having to support himself, the ice mage had reached down and was jerking his own cock, grunting erratically as he put on the display. And what a display it was. Natsu couldn't look away from the scarred fingers sliding over that all-too-familiar cockhead—
"Fuck you," Natsu gasped, doing just that as his balls slapped Gray's ass. "Fuck, Gray, why…so hot…"
"Why? Because you like it. Because—nnng, oh gods, more like that—because it riles you up. Just like it does when I ask you to please, please go faster…"
"Haaa…when you beg…"
Natsu pressed his face to Gray's chest as he sped up, fist dragging at Gray's thigh so he had all the access he could want. He felt Gray thrust his head back into the bed, curving up into Natsu's body, skin on skin.
The Dragon Slayer knew exactly which wondrous expressions were accompanying the ice mage's aching moans.
He kept his eyes on the impressive spectacle of Gray jerking himself off as the pressure in his own cock built. He could feel nothing else, the world heavy with pleasured anticipation, waiting for right—now—
"G-Gray," he called, less in warning and more like a prayer.
"Yes, do it," Gray groaned. Full of approval. Longing.
As Natsu's balls tightened, he slammed hard into Gray's hips. Natsu's spine tingled and pleasure roared through him as he shot his load deep, gut twisted up.
His boyfriend was everywhere, holding every part of him.
Natsu scraped his teeth over Gray's skin and bit into his pec, and Gray cried out just like Natsu knew he would. Stroking becoming irregular, Gray exclaimed, "Natsu! Nnh…Nats…"
Warmth splashed his abdomen again.
Natsu watched the transformation of his lover's face. Gray. It was the name of the pleasure still wracking Natsu's body. The name of contentment and halted thought. The name of these happy smells.
"I love you," Natsu said. Just like he always did after they fucked.
Grinning, the ice mage slid a tired hand up to hold his cheek. "Yeah."
Natsu relaxed, shaky and sweaty, and took a moment before pulling out. As he scooted over to fall on the bed, he massaged Gray's ass automatically. Gray's hum added to the warm fire in his chest.
"So what do you think?" Gray asked.
"Yeah." Natsu swallowed. "It was good."
He glanced down at his softening cock, amazed at where his bare flesh had just been. The shape of things was no different, but barebacking stimulated his nerves in new and delightful ways.
Yeah, definitely good.
"What about you?" he asked, looking back up.
"I liked it…" Gray flushed and bit his lip.
"What?"
Snorting, Gray pressed his face against Natsu's neck.
"I liked it more," the ice mage said, voice muffled. "I think I prefer it this way."
The Salamander beamed. "We can do it this way whenever you want. Your ass is clean." He smoothed his fingers over the ridges of Gray's chest. "Especially since I just flushed it full of cum."
"No kidding." Chortling, Gray smacked Natsu's shoulder. "I'm going to start leaking, gods."
As Gray twisted off the bed, Natsu gave him a cocky look.
"What can I say? I'm just that virile."
Gray rolled his eyes and disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.
When he returned a few minutes later, he slid up against Natsu's side and began toying with the scar on Natsu's neck.
"So," Gray said.
"So," Natsu said.
They glanced at each other and almost busted out laughing. For no reason whatsoever, which was the best reason of all.
"Wanna do a job just you and me, snowflake?" Natsu asked.
"You sound like you have one in mind."
"I saw a request today that's for just outside Crocus. I don't know why it wasn't sent to one of the closer guilds, but I already signed for it." Natsu's voice dipped down to a mutter. "It's pretty close to where they rebuilt Ryuzetsu Land."
"Serious?" Gray grinned at him. "You want to risk burning that place down again?"
"That wasn't my fault!"
Gray nipped his nose.
"Ah! Oi!"
"Don't get so defensive, sunflower," Gray chuckled. "I'm pretty sure I can keep you in line."
Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"
"I think I can stop an explosion or two from a little dragon boy."
Growling, Natsu attacked Gray's face with kisses, while Gray's infectious laughter vibrated between them. The Salamander tilted Gray's chin and kissed him deeper, happiness pooling in his chest.
"Are you high, ice cube?" he asked, smiling.
"Off you."
"Off your Dragon-Slayer-induced multi-orgasmic hormones maybe."
"Nope." Gray grinned. "Just off you."
Feeling warm, the Salamander curled up and put his head against Gray's chest. The strong pulse beat against his cheek.
"So what do you say to the job?" he asked.
"Of course, flame-brain. It sounds like a job with a vacation afterward. I could use a vacation."
"Good." Natsu nuzzled into Gray's neck.
"Sleep now?"
"Whatever you want, snow queen," he murmured. "You're the boss tonight."
Gray snorted.
"If I were really the boss, you'd still be fucking me into the bed. Tonight I'm just…your tired boss."
"Works for me," Natsu laughed, hugging Gray tighter as the ice mage pulled the covers over them.
Reedus was a wizard by accident—doing magic spontaneously when one of his sketches came to life; he was an artist first and foremost. Capturing meaning in art was his soul.
At that particular moment, he had his eye on Gray's hand. The tendons stood in sharp relief, knuckles curled around his boyfriend's hand. His little finger glided up and down Natsu's skin—and Reedus wished for the millionth time he could capture movement in his paintings.
As he finished the pair of hands, clasped loosely between the two men, his subjects let out a laugh. He waited for them to spoil his perfect perspective, but when they stayed perched on the edge of a table, he continued: up the shoulders, Gray's brown muscles and Natsu's uncovered guildmark, to the faces.
Though the fire mage's back was to Reedus, Gray was in profile, and Reedus had just started on him when the Dragon Slayer said something and the ice mage burst out laughing.
Greedily Reedus took in every detail of that grin. Bending over his canvas, he didn't look up for several minutes, drawing frantically before anything was lost.
The light in the eyes, relaxed, no lines of stress. Brows drawn up in warm surprise. The open-mouthed laugh, pinching the face with delight.
Perfect.
In every painting, Reedus captured something different. He had one of Lucy looking furious as Cana and Loke ganged up on her with tickles. Another of the Strausses showed Elfman lost, Mira furious, and one-third of the canvas blank.
This painting showed full-hearted intimacy. You could see the affection, still enchanted by each other, and the absolute trust that came so naturally neither of the men questioned its existence.
Every detail said: I love you and we can handle anything.
At the bottom, Reedus labeled it:
All Is Well.
A/N: The end. *happy sob* It's time. Gray has reached a healthy survivorship and healthy relationship, which is what I wanted for him and Natsu. (That said, I may add more epilogue chapters at later points...)
I'm not going anywhere ^^ Due to my only-one-ongoing-fic-at-a-time policy, I have a backlog of completed FT fics. Including more abuse-related stuff, because these stories are so important.
For example, talking with some of you fellow survivors I found some people had the opposite reaction of me and Gray: no sex instead of all the sex. It got me thinking and I wrote a Fraxus threeshot about recovery sans sex. That'll come out today.
For all of you who left comments, messages, and encouragement, thank you. You are amazing and helped keep me going. Go conquer dragons! xoxo