No matter how close the two of them were to their friends, there were just some things that they just didn't speak about. It wasn't because they didn't trust them, because Natsu and Gray would trust their guild with their lives with no hesitation, but rather their tendency to gossip.
Natsu was nice to all of the girls in the guild, so naturally, there were rumors about him with at least half of them. They were all wrong of course, he was without a doubt, only involved in sibling-like relationships with all but one of them. He wasn't dating nor interested in the exception to the rule either. He greatly disliked her because of what she did to Gray, and what she caused the guild to think of them.
The entire guild was convinced Gray was dating Juvia, and this could absolutely not be farther from the truth of the matter. She was a stalker, and that was that. Unfortunately the guild saw Gray's rejections as him "playing hard to get," but Natsu knew better. He was the way Gray flinched when she was near, and he was aware of some of the things she'd done.
He was also keenly aware of how not one of their friends ever turned the one true possibility into a rumor.
The two of them had been dating since they were children, and now they were convinced that no one would believe them if they said anything.
Luckily for them, they won't have to.
Natsu was comfortable. His head was on Gray's chest as he intently listened to his heartbeat. They were at his house this time, eager to get away from the guild after a mission and desperate to do nothing but be in the other's company.
"She followed us again," Gray whispered as a shudder ran through him. Their mission had been long, but trying to avoid Gray's stalker was more difficult to do in the middle of nowhere than in a city.
Natsu's nose scrunched up in annoyance. "Yeah, I noticed. She really needs to back the hell off." He pulled Gray closer and the blanket around them tighter, content with the thought of never letting go.
Gray didn't speak for a moment. "Yeah… but I can deal with-"
"No," Natsu interrupted, "I'm tired of watching you have to deal with this shit… The next time she tries something, I'm calling her out then and there.I'll even call her a creepy bitch to her face."
"Natsu, no-"
Natsu huffs, "Gray, I know you don't want to hurt her feelings, but she's destroying your mental state. I listened and stayed out of it for almost a year. I'm done. I'm tired of watching her hurt you and you doing nothing to protect yourself." He holds Gray's gaze as best he can without actually moving from his comfy spot. "I love you, okay? But I can't just do nothing anymore."
A soft sigh leaves Gray's lips, and he only says one other thing that night, "I love you too, Natsu."
The very next day, Natsu got the opportunity he'd wanted for the past year. The moment Juvia stepped into the building, she made her way to their table and Gray. Natsu was already between them, keeping his plan subtle at first by pretending he didn't notice her approach. He leaned against the booth and tucked his legs up into the hoodie he'd borrowed from Gray, making sure to block the entire seat, which kept Gray against two walls and Juvia on the other side.
No matter how subtle he was though, Gray still noticed. He shifted himself closer to Natsu in preparation for what was coming.
"Gray-samaaaa!" Juvia could be heard all across the guild, and most of the members turned to watch. She stopped just beside their table, eyes locked on Natsu, "Can Natsu-san move so that Juvia can sit with her beloved?"
Natsu shot a look to Gray, making sure he was really okay with all of this before starting it. He received only a single, nearly unnoticeable nod, but he got the message. "No, I don't think I will." If they didn't have the guild's attention before, they certainly did now. All eyes were on their table."
Juvia didn't appear to be angry yet, only slightly annoyed. "And why not?"
Natsu fought to keep his face neutral, a smirk desperate to stretch across his face. "For several reasons, actually. Firstly, I'm both comfortable and lazy. I don't want to move. Secondly, I'm really, really tired of everyone here just giving you what you want. And thirdly, possibly the most important one, I'd like to keep a stalker away from her target."
Not a single sound could be heard in the guild, and for a single moment, everyone thought that Juvia was going to explode. "Then Gray-sama can move elsewhere with Juvia. She can keep him safe from his stalker. Who is it? Juvia will tear them apart."
"Juvia, you're an idiot," Natsu said bluntly. He pinched the bridge of his nose to avoid facepalming, "You follow him around, break into his house, steal his things, steal his clothes, and have made dolls with his hair. Anytime he sees you anywhere near him, he's visibly uncomfortable, and he goes to massive lengths to keep you away. Hell, he's even rejected you multiple times. You're the stalker." Natsu had stood at some point during the argument, becoming a solid wall between Juvia and Gray.
Juvia looked completely flabbergasted, and several members of the guild had started shifting away, terrified of the fallout about to happen. "Juvia is not-"
"Yes, you are," Natsu had no intention of letting her attempt to defend herself. His entire body was shaking with rage, and it took all of his will power not to go ahead and hit her, "Leave, or I'll make you."
Of all the people who tried to but in, Natsu never would have expected Macao. "Hag on a minute, I think Gray can speak for himself…"
Natsu shot a glare his way, one he typically reserved for enemies. Well, he's against what's best for Gray right now, so he technically is an enemy. Thankfully he didn't have to say anything.
"She makes me uncomfortable," Gray whispered, but in the quiet guildhall, it was the loudest thing in the room.
It didn't stay silent for much longer though, and Juvia's pained screech filled the air instead. "But Gray-sama! Juvia is-"
Natsu slapped his hand over her mouth, "Shut up. 'Gray-sama' this, and 'Gray-sama' that. Fuck off. We're all tired of it, Gray included. Go be a whiny bitch elsewhere, before you send him into a panic attack again." Juvie tore away from him, running out the back door of the guild, and they could already hear the storm in the distance.
"That was fucking uncalled for," Gajeel shouted. He slammed his cup back down onto the table, and he walked over to Natsu, getting in his face. "You could have just-"
"No, I couldn't have," Natsu interrupted him too, "She doesn't know how to take no for an answer."
Gajeel growled lowly, "So you make her sob in front of the entire guild?"
A soft sigh escaped Natsu's lips, "Look, I get it. She's your friend, maybe even like a little sister to you, but you and I both know she's not really in love with him. It's an obsession that's stemed off of hero worship and went too fucking far. Everything thing I said is just the shit I've seen myself. Gray's been spending nights at my house because she can't get in. There have been daily panic attacks. If making her cry is what I have to do to get it through her thick ficking skull that she has to stop, them I'm damn well going to do it." He hands were balled into fists, and he was desperately trying to rein in his anger.
Of all people, I thought you would have understood why.
"Why do you even care? You can Gray hate-"
A startled laugh from Gray cut off Gajeel's rebuttal, and when Natsu turned around, he saw thatGray had curled in on himself almost desperately. Fuck. Natsu quickly sat beside him and leaned in so that he'd only have to whisper. "You okay?"
"...Can we leave? Please?" Gray was shaking worse than Natsu had been, the situation clearly getting to him more than he wanted it to. He was bordering on hysteria.
"Yeah, come on. Let's go home," Natsu placed one f his hands on Gray's shoulder, and he Grabbed one of his hands with the rubbed small circles into Gray's palm, but it wouldn't do much to help until they were away from the crowd.
Gajeel didn't even stay to argue. He went quietly back to his table and watched from afar as Natsu help Gray to his feet and led him through the back exit of the guild.
Natsu held Gray closely as they sat on the couch. He'd calmed down from the racing panic a few hours ago, but neither one of them was ready to let go yet. "...You didn't have to go that far…"
"After everything she's done…" Natsu mumbled quietly, "I honestly feel like I haven't done enough."
Gray shuffled so that he could look Natsu in the eyes. "Why are you blaming yourself? None of this is your fault."
Natsu spluttered for a moment, "wha-No, I'm not- I…" he shakes his head. I could have helped…I could have stopped so much of this…" he cuddles into Gray more, the contact grounding him just as much as it was Gray.
"But I asked you not to, and you listened because I asked." Gray wrapped his arms around Natsu tightly, then pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine…"
"It's not your fault either," Natsu mumbled as he flicked Gray's forehead. "It's hers." Gray only shrugged, but Natsu knew that was the best he was going to get right now.
The storm that hit Magnolia that night was powerful. Several houses ended up without power, and most of the back roads had flooded terribly. It continued to rain throughout the day, and it was still going when Natsu and Gray finally went back to the guild in the late afternoon.
This time though, Natsu didn't let go of Gray's hand before they entered. Rather than head to their table, they went straight to the bar for food. "Can we get something to take back with us, Mira?"
"Of course you can. I'll get your usuals ready." She was smiling at them guiltily, and Natsu wanted to reach across the bar and hug her.
Natsu felt a hand tap his shoulder, and when he turned, he was face to face with Erza. "I was told you called Juvia a stalker yesterday."
"I meant it, too," Natsu quipped.
Erza gently pat his head, "You wouldn't have done it unless it was deserved." Yet again, the guild went quiet. "Though I was also told about everything else. Is it all true?"
Natsu rolled his eyes, "Everything I said yesterday was true."
Erza nodded, then pulled him into a tight hug, "It was kind of you to protect your rival…" She let go of him, moving to Gray the second she let go, "And I'm sorry I didn't realize what was going on."
Gray didn't even try to resist the hug, "It's okay Erza… but uh… You do know we don't hate each other right?"
"I can see that now. I'm glad you finally became friends!" She smiled gently at both of them, and
Natsu's shoulder shook with the force of the laughter he was holding back. "Erza, we've always been friends. We spar because it's fun and to push each other to be better, not because we hated each other." He wrapped his arm around Gray's waist as Erza let her own drop out of shock.
Gray smiled softly, and everyone gaped. Gray didn't smile often. "I don't think 'friend' is the right words either." He wrapped his arm around Natsu and pulled him closer.
"Yeah, but the specifics have never been any of anyone else's business, so there was no point in saying anything." Natsu shrugged, uncaring of anyone else's opinions.
Erza was beaming at them, "Best friends then? Even better!"
Natsu and Gray were both holding back their laughter, but the second they made the mistake of glancing at each other, they were gone. They were laughing so hard they nearly hit the floor. "Erza, oh my god, Erza, no," Natsy managed to get out.
"We've been dating since we were twelve!" Gray had actually fallen to the floor laughing, and Natsu was watching him with a fond look in his eye.
The entire guild seemed to realize that it was true at the exact same moment, Natsu's look of absolute love and care being the cause, and it there was screaming all around. "Hush!" Natsu shouted, and they listened. "Don't get pissy because you weren't in the loop. Y'all keep stuff to yourself too." Natsu dropped to the floor beside Gray and wrapped his arm around Gray's shoulders again.
Erza was frozen in place in shock, as well as several of their other guildmates. "...I didn't even know you were gay."
"I suspected it," Lucy chimed in. She was the only one who didn't seem to be even slightly shocked."Not their relationship, but that they were both at least a little gay."
"I'm bi," Gray supplied.
Natsu didn't answer for a moment, "I don't actually know. I've only ever been into Gray, so I don't really care to find out either…" He ignored the guilds c Oh! I wanted to ask Gramps something. Is he here?"
"He's not," Mira answered from behind him. She sat their food on the counter in a bag so that they could take it with them. "I can message him though."
Natsu smiled and nodded, "Would it be possible to get a restraining order on Juvia since she's still a Fairy Tail mage?"
Mira's eyebrows nearly hit her hairline, "I have no idea. I'm sure we can work something out though. Was… Was it really that bad?"
"Yeah… I…" He paused. He and Gray had talked about what could have caused it for a while last night, "I think it may have something more to do with her mental state too. She needs help, but she also needs to stay the hell away from Gray." Gray pulled him into his lap, and Natsu cuddled in with no hesitation, and the guild couldn't help but think it looked right.
"Do you mean that?" Gajeel whispered. He looked torn, like he wanted to yell at Natsu still, but also like he agreed.
"Yeah, I meant it. Was I right in saying you think of her like your sister?"
Gajeel nodded, "...I'll… I see what I can do."
Gray was still smiling softly as he held onto Natsu. "Thanks, Metal Head."
Once Makarov had returned to the guild, he made an arrangement for Juvia to spend some time with Crime Sorcière, hoping that Meredy could help her sort out her emotions. It may take a long time, but they all believed it would help.
Natsu and Gray still kept their relationship fairly private, even when they were asked intruding questions from their guildmates, but no one would have it any other way. The two of them were happy, and if what made them happy was going back and forth between rough sparing and gentle, sweet kisses when they thought no one was looking, then who were they to question it?
They were Fairy Tail, a family made of people who chose to be family, and who helped each other out when it was needed, no matter the reason.
It doesn't matter that they're all a little weird.
