Author Notes:
Warnings: Swearing - Sexual themes/Content.
Genre, in depth: Male/Male Romance, also known as, Yaoi.
Story Cover Art: The Amazing Astrovique.
Beta Reader: The one and only enjoys literature.
Disclaimer: Dear reader, I'm not the owner of Fairy Tail's characters. If they were mine, Gray and Natsu would be boyfriends.
O.o.O Chapter Fifteen O.o.O
The grumbling water in the electric kettle fought with the harsh thumping outside for dominance. In the middle, Gray stood, his fingers brushing over the black marble countertop, watching the rain as it slid down the glass window.
Good heavens, why?
"I want you… I do."
He had been in a trance since he said those words. The wind chime entertained his ears more than it should with its clinking metal.
The ink-black marble filled with white veins, the splash of indirect light that lit the working surface, and the brick pattern interested Gray who searched a way to undo what he did half an hour ago. He thought hard—like real hard of his statement's indication.
'Calm your shit down. You just want him… in your life.'
He also wanted him, like naked with legs spread apart and everything. But that wasn't what he meant earlier, and he prayed his friend didn't get the wrong idea.
Why was it so bad for Natsu to get the wrong idea? Wasn't Gray determined he'd stay by Natsu's side and request from Natsu the same? Yeah, also, stay in his bed too.
The kettle's tick wasn't the only sound that alerted him, but also, Natsu's sneeze, and with all the heaviness in the world, he huffed and poured the steaming water into a cup with a green tea bag. He stirred it and looked at the pouring one more time before he ambles shirtless into the living room where the scene of rain continued on the glazing.
Natsu graced the sofa with his presence. His pink hair was damp, and the dark blue cardigan didn't prevent the cold from searing into his bones, judging by the hands rubbing and the continuous sneezing.
"Fuck…" Natsu wiped his nose with the napkin and breathed.
"You deserve it. Remember when I told you to fucking get into the car? Nooooo, you didn't want. Look at what happens when you play hard to get."
"Shut it Fullbuster…" It came out softer than Natsu intended to.
"Here we go." Gray placed the cup on the coffee table, and sat next to the boy whose face flushed red.
"Don't tell me you're getting sick."
Natsu scoffed.
"Right. Idiots don't."
Natsu's feet jabbed Gray's leg, "Go away."
Motherfucker. It was the injured leg.
"Ouch. Gunshot. Bullet pierced through my muscle tissues. Rings a bell?"
"Shit!" He pulled away and jumped to examine it, "Shit…"
"Come on. I don't feel it anymore."
That made Natsu's eyes roll. He adjusted himself on the sofa and rubbed his arm for warmth. And there, the silent moment Gray loathed. Usually, it came before someone asked a question, and received a stupid answer for it.
"Listen man, I'm not judging you or anything. I've done things that don't settle well in my belly, but sometimes you do what you gotta do if it's the right thing."
Natsu coughed and his palms hugged the teacup for warmth. His licked his lips and sniffled as his mouth opened to answer, shut, and then it opened again.
"… Being an adult sucks." The pink haired let out, "I've never thought I'd be in that position. I watched the movies and was disgusted from people like me who put on fake faces… but everything I made fun of is my reality. I hate to say this, but the truth about Ondrej's occupation rattled me bad, as well as dad separating us, and… It's all fascinating now."
Gray hummed in response and stretched an arm over the sofa's backing, "Next thing you know I have business with the Japanese Yakuza, and the biggest badass boss ordered me to mingle in and assassinate you for reasons he only knows. I nod my head and carry out my plan when you're sleeping. And Loke is like my partner in crime, so he helps me exit the base, all clean, no evidence."
Natsu didn't move, he blew on the teacup, and tensed, "I'd believe you."
"Really?" Gray smirked, "So what are you gonna do about it? Guess I have no choice but killing you. Maybe I'll dump your corpse in the rain outside."
Natsu's lips formed a lopsided smile. The boy sat aside the teacup as he turned so he faced Gray fully.
"Ok." He shrugged, "I don't mind if you finished me off. At least… I wish. That's the perfect way to go."
The biggest problem wasn't in what Natsu said, it was how Natsu said it. The affirmative face, his cut-and-dry tone, and his demeanor... Natsu has meant it. There was no room for argument, and it slashed Gray across the chest.
His throat dried and clogged his words as he stared incredulously at Natsu's fire-fueled determination. He was serious, fuck. His affirmation, what should he make out of that affirmation?
He had lost control over the wave of fuzzy feelings crowding against every inch of his body as those green eyes told him things he wished he could hear.
His stretched arm moved until his hand wrapped around Natsu's damp neck, his thumb hard against the scar there. The boy's Adam apple moved as Gray pressed further, then Natsu looked down.
The desire to kiss Natsu became too great after seeing the genuine resignation from his part. Kissing was better than killing anyway.
If that's the logic followed, rape was better than killing too.
No one can describe how much of a bastard he was. His friend gave him his life, and he was thinking of raping him.
Gray's thumb loosened as his fingers tangled themselves in Natsu's wet pink hair. Everything about that boy was precious… everything.
And when he leaned into Gray's touch with flushed cheeks, he was a beautiful sight.
'What am I doing…?'
Gray's fingers slid on the side of Natsu's blistering cheek, his chin, then his neck as they untangled themselves from Natsu's scorching warmth. It did things to Gray, things he contained and reined with steel bars.
"I… will be in the study room. You should... drink that, it's—good for you." He decided to leave.
"Gray!"
It was a pleading call, one that pulled his attention. Natsu's cry told Gray that he, and he alone, possessed a cure that can grant Natsu mercy. A miracle of some sort. That's how desperate and distressed Natsu sounded.
Did he take his joke seriously? Fuck.
"Yeah?"
"You…" Hurt rigged his voice.
"Me?"
"Ah… nothing." Natsu forced an unhappy smile, "Will go sleep first, I'm beat."
"Ok. Call me if you need anything. And watch your back." Gray cackled, "Bam Bam and you're finished."
His face was pancaked by a flying pillow.
Gray wanted to kick his own ass.
The pressure magnificator waited on the table for its insides to be fiddled with, but Gray's mind lingered on Natsu's statement earlier. With Safety glasses on, he gazed at the rain and the military Jeeps and trucks splashing water against the pavements.
Two hours passed, and Gray accomplished no shit while contemplating about what he has done, or while googling, what's the worst that can happen if you suddenly kiss your best friend? You know the horse-shittery questions girls would ask? His mini-research endeavors revealed a terrifying number of lassies embarrassing themselves online, something that signaled for a blindingly bright generation.
What the fuck did they do in the seventies when they didn't have fucking google? Or ANY other research engine?
Gray threw his safety glasses on the table, legs all strained and squirmy, he took the laptop with him upstairs. Conducting software experiments on Vance wasn't in his or anyone's best interest when his mind hazed, he couldn't risk anything physical with the weapon.
The lump on the left side was Natsu shuddering under the covers, so damn funny.
Gray first stretched on the bed then paid attention to the system on his lap. The urge to create a new function in the artificial intelligence device, wherein it bombs his ass outside Japan from his room was greater than exploring the weapon.
When the shivering next to him intensified, a fragment of him worried.
"Need more covers?"
The back of Natsu's head nodded, so he sat aside the laptop and went to get just that. Gray spread the brown heavy comforter from the neighboring room over Natsu.
"Thanks-wha-"
Natsu's forehead burned under his touch.
"Natsu." Gray kneeled to look at him, "Shit… how do you feel?"
His answer wasn't needed because it was all over the strained face Natsu had.
"… Your hand feels good. Cold."
Gray's suspicion about the fever couldn't be any more correct. His hand left Natsu's forehead as he stood, contemplating.
"… I have medication for fever, but if you're getting sick, It's better not to bring it down unless it goes terrible. Should I wait? Or are you paining a lot?"
Natsu hugged the pillow and sighed with exasperation, "Stop freaking out, this is nothing. Go back to what you were doing and let me sleep peacefully."
Gray's feet showed great reluctance as he nodded and left, getting into the same position before with the laptop. It was better to sweat it out if Natsu's sick, but if this was the worst fever that was gonna torment his baby, then what?
"It's better that you take the pill after all-" He started moving from his spot.
"-Stop. I'm ok." Natsu turned on the side where he could see Gray, "I need your hand though."
'How can I work though?'
"Fine. It's all yours." Natsu's skin escalated from burning to scorching and damp under his palm, "Sure you don't need the pill now?"
"Nope. This is enough." Natsu's smile was hazy as his eyes closed, contented.
"Fine. But I'm getting the pill if it becomes too much."
"Yeah, ok."
"Good boy."
Gray needed to learn how to use a single hand while working on a freaking laptop.
'Test one. Let's see if this was worth the agony.'
Whatever happens to the crappy attempts, nobody could take away his pride in what he had done with the pressure magnificator. You hear that Stephen Hawking? He dissected the weapon (or at least half of it), and re-assembled its parts into one fine ass, created new functions with its software, fixed some loopholes—created a new Vance. Vance Version 2.
What do you know? His career life was winning. Gray remembered a crying spong-pop and refused to let himself bawl with disgrace like the animal, fish, jellyfish, sponge, whatthefuckever. If he was spong-pop, does that mean Natsu was Patrick? Fuck, that Patrick was such a hideous starfish… It's not like Spong-pop was handsome anyways.
'GRAY. Focus, you could blow up this Unit in a second, god.'
Gray had conducted as many experiments as his sanity could afford. Hunger was supposed to kick in, but Natsu's situation chipped away his appetite.
When his head buzzed with a weird melody, Gray took a hint and closed his laptop surrendering to sleep. His hand left the sleeping boy's forehead to go take a super quick shower. The thumping of the rain turned into heavy bounces on the room's window and it was about time it stopped because they were in Fukuoka. Boy.
As he exited the bathroom, the whole room flickered white for an instant before a loud roar echoed. The skies thrashed with irritated rumbles, one that was weird. Maybe the rain wasn't that bad. Listening to the pour distracted him from the squeezing thoughts in his head.
At that point, Natsu hummed as he slept—and enough. Gray fumbled in his backpack for the fever pills his doctor prescribed for the gunshot treatment side-effects, and sat on the bed, waking Natsu.
"Hmm."
"Open your mouth." Gray's finger pressed the pill against Natsu's lips, and never mind what it did to his lower-half, Natsu needed to swallow it, "Come on."
"Hmmm."
His finger was in Natsu's hot as fuck mouth, above the twice as hot moist tongue.
"Good. Swallow."
Not wanting a stupid arousal before he slept, Gray pulled away his finger and laid down watching Natsu with a queasy sensation. Both of his hands held Natsu's cheeks, he liked it more when the boy was energetic.
"Feels so good…" Natsu smiled, sleeping.
As a common ritual, the stars, the moon, the meteoroids, the bloody horoscopes, along with other mystical forces in outer space, all agree their anger on the human race should be bestowed upon an unlucky person. That sucker won't be entitled to a good night's sleep.
First, the roaring of the skies, followed by the intense shrilling of the officers' vehicles, then by his friend's annoying coughs, besides being cursed with a restless brain that kept giving him disturbing dreams.
Or nightmares, like when Vance fell and his efforts the past days were nullified.
Because the obstinate coughing and choking got on his last nerve, dumping his tantrum on Natsu sounded the right thing to do. He strode across the room, and cursed while reaching for his pants and putting it on, not bothering with the shirt. His eyes landed on his phone and shoot.
4:50AM
"The fuck, you kidding me, you gotta be kidding man." Gray threw his phone.
He continued to the bathroom and since it wasn't locked, without knocking, he entered.
His voice sounded hoarse, but who cared in that ungodly hour, "Dude! Can you be anymore louder?! What the fuck is wrong?"
"…"
Natsu's head was underneath the faucet that spanked it with cold water, and it freaked the hell out of him. Gray didn't let a second pass, he yanked Natsu away from the water and got a towel to dry his head forcefully.
"What the fuck man?! You crazy fuck."
"D-did I…" Three things were wrong. Natsu was wheezy-strangled, thick, and adenoidal. That disembodied voice belonged to someone else, "—Sorry..."
The boy realized Gray had woken up because of him, but he didn't talk further because he couldn't, instead, his chest crackled with another cough.
"Holy shit, are you alright?"
Natsu's forced a disconnected chuckle, interrupted by violent coughs, "Peachy."
'No... That stupid question didn't come out of me, no.'
Gray padded them inside and as Natsu made it on the bed, he crouched in front of the boy. His palm was hot the minute it touched Natsu's forehead.
"Fever's not going down, and that cough sounds like it's coming from the underworld... I'll give Eve a call, ask him where we can find a clinic with a doctor and-"
"No." Natsu said in a definite decisive tone as he sat, "No."
"No? Excuse me, I don't understand."
"I'll be fine. No big deal."
"If that's not a big deal, then what is?"
"…I've seen worse, trust me. Medical care is a luxury I don't need, I'm sure." Natsu coughed a bit, then swallowed, "I'll sleep it off."
"You can't sleep it off, that's the whole point." He couldn't help his voice getting higher with irritation.
"Leave it…" Natsu got under the covers and cocooned himself.
Gray exited the room, then descended from the stairs and yawned. Dead tired and wanting at least five minutes of good sleep.
He opened the kitchen lights and washed his face to freshen up a bit. As the kettle heated the water, Gray squeezed a whole lemon into a glass, and added one big spoon of honey. Luckily, the freezer had ice, so he put some cubes into a bowl and added tap water on it. Going through all the beige cabinets, he found a kitchen towel.
When the water grumbled in the kettle, he poured it onto the lemon and honey mix and headed upstairs with the bowl and steaming glass.
Gray opened the small table lamp and nudged his friend.
"Natsu. Nat. Get up."
"Hmmm… what-shitshitshitshitshit!"
The chilled kitchen towel was slapped on Natsu's head.
"—Take it off. Take it off now."
The ugly voice belonged to an old man in his sixties.
"—Hands off." Gray smacked Natsu's hand when it pried the cooled cloth off his forehead.
"It's—god!"
Gray repeated the aforementioned act.
"It's supposed to be like this. Dude-" Gray was firm, "Hands off or I call the Eve, your choice."
Few drops of water ran down Natsu's red cheeks, hopefully chilling them too. "That's—I-"
"-Also, drink this." Gray pushed the glass towards Natsu who scrunched his nose.
"No."
"No? You won't let me take you to a doctor, and you won't let me take care of you, then?"
"But it looks gooey and weird…"
"But it looks gooey and weird—are you fourteen? Do you really wanna go against your daddy here?"
"You're daddy?" Natsu stared at him, fascinated.
"Of course… now baby, you've to drink it, otherwise daddy will spank you."
"Baby my foot!" Gray protected the beverage against Natsu's attempt to shove it away.
"Dude, if you stop being fourteen, I'll stop being the daddy. So just drink this for our sakes."
Resigned and drop-dead sick, Natsu accepted the glass and scrunched his nose as he sipped the warm yellow liquid. When all was done, Gray left the chilled cloth on Natsu and warned him against removing it. Bit by bit, Natsu closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. Peaceful, from the looks of it. So yaay, he gets to sleep too.
Right when that thought consumed him as he got comfortable in bed, his phone vibrated on the nightstand next to him.
'IGNORE. SLEEP.'
It continued the vibration, so he adjusted in bed and checked the caller ID.
"Fuck…"
Of all the people, why Hibiki Lates?! Moreover, why Hibiki Lates at this ungodly hour? Five fucking AM.
Since Natsu has just got to rest, Gray walked outside, went downstairs, and to the study room to take the call because he can't risk having that idiot wake up again.
"Hibiki-san, are you in Japan?"
"Yes, I am."
"Do you know what hour this is?"
"Yes, I do."
"Do you have to do this now?"
"Yes, we do."
"Ok, hold on a sec."
Gray drunk from the energy caffeinated drink he left in the study room that can bring life back to his drooping eyes then got back to Hibiki.
"What's up?"
"Where's Natsu?"
"He's dead."
"… That's a jest right?"
"No, he's dead for real."
"Good. Never joke like that again. We take it very seriously here."
"Noted."
"In about two hours, more or less, a team of hulks will be at your place."
"I don't get it."
"Four major servers are down because of rain, and we have a crisis at hand, especially at the time Ondrej is moving. They're coming because we can't afford to have other bitter experiences."
Gray stared at the ceiling.
"The team consists of five people, they're experienced and capable. You've met most of them."
"Please don't say Loke."
"What's wrong with Loke? I thought you guys would get along well."
"Shit."
"You've met Gajeel and Erza, AND Loke."
"Super."
"You'll have two more people coming, one of them will be the lead. Got a lot of hassle convincing Gajeel to give up the lead role."
"I'm sure. I don't think he gives up the shit that comes outta his ass."
"You know him so well… not good. We'll have to force you to work with us."
"Yeah right, that's never gonna happen, I can tell you that. Why the hell is Gajeel working here if he's such a dick?"
"Simple. He's good at what he does. A rarity, but not as a team lead, that's why someone else will take over."
"Still not convinced."
"Surprisingly, you're opposed to Gajeel's presence more than Erza's. Something happened? Or has the ambassador's words bewitched you?" Hibiki's tone was pissed.
Fuck. Right. Last time Gray sounded more than ready to bulldozer Erza for her deeds. Gray looked at Vance and then chuckled, "Nah, just remembered Gajeel's encounter first."
"I have to go. This is a safety measure taken by our management. And the people who are coming know what they're doing like no one else."
"I'm not freaking out."
"Good."
"For how long?"
"Didn't understand."
"How long are they gonna be here?"
"Until our servers are back in business… which is gonna take some time, and the rain isn't helping. Let's say two days, including the buffer. Our agency will be screwed if it takes more than that. There're a lot of Ondrejs out there, and people who have similar conditions to yours."
"Understood."
"Call if you need anything."
"Sure."
"Stay safe."
No man is as busy as Hibiki Lates, Gray knew of that fact, thus, he rebuffed drilling the man for details, although Hibiki wasn't telling him everything. From what he grasped, he was forced under surveillance for unspecified reasons, and it irked him.
Curiosity wasn't Gray's trait, but acting under rules he didn't fathom? That's when he got curious.
With irritation bubbling in his chest, he sighed. He would not sleep soon, whom was he kidding? He checked on Natsu once he was on the way to the room, and the boy was out of this world. The wet kitchen cloth was on top of his head, and he was sleeping with a difficulty in breathing.
Gray removed the towel and put his hand on Natsu's forehead.
'Not bad. Fucker listened to me after all.'
He changed his clothes, wore his safety glasses, and before heading to work, he made himself a huge cup of coffee and settled. He continued fiddling with the magnification tool, listening to the rain and he couldn't see the dawn, but it was a little after seven in the morning.
Fukuoka, Japan – 7:30AM – Blue Pegasus Base, Unit 8
Gray was at a critical moment of welding when the doorbell interrupted.
Having visitors was unlikely, not even the mailman.
'Fuck. I forgot the justice league was coming...'
He marched to the door and swiped the card to open.
The last face he needed to see in the morning, was Loke's face and his usual phony smile. Not even the asshole/Gajeel with his puffed-out chest and degrading look. The other two? Sergeant Sting and… another enigmatic blonde man who Gray didn't have the honor of meeting before.
He didn't think he would be fine with Erza's presence despite of the first bad impression.
"Gray." Why was shaking hands necessary for greeting? Ugh. "I'm sure the General has informed you we're coming."
"He did." Gray forced a complimenting smile, god he was so irritating with his flashy sunglasses. "Come in."
They weren't waiting for his approval. Hibiki was insane because Gray couldn't live with a riv—the potential boyfriend Natsu had in mind. Ondrej wasn't dangerous, Loke was, and Unit 8 couldn't take the intensity of Gray's jealousy.
He wasn't jealous. Just disrupted and thinking of a strategy if he saw them talking with each other in the Unit.
They converted the dining table to a temporary office as they laid all their five black cases.
"Good morning." The tall blonde man shook hands with him, his firm hand-hold jerked Gray half a step forward, "Laxus Dreyar."
"Gray Fullbuster."
The blonde towering over him with good few inches sucked away the air around Gray's lungs, leaving him to suffocate as something in his sharp coral eyes flickered. Gray resisted swallowing the nervous bile in his throat as Laxus Dreyar pierced him with an analytical look, like Gray was a mystery he was figuring out. The scar that slashed his left eyebrow was one of the many things that made him unapproachable.
This guy wasn't like the others. This guy was wildly dangerous. When he was done evaluating Gray, he retreated with the cool of a panther towards his black case on the dining table.
"Sergeant Sting Eucliffe." Unlike the others, Sting gave a thin smile, and no handshakes, bowing with a back slope of no more than five degrees. Gray remembered him from when they first arrived to the military base. He had always given off seriousness and curt sentences.
"We need your phones." Sting's gloved hands were behind his back, holding together loosely.
Gray blinked, failing to understand the purpose of that request. Was it a request or was it an order? Could he even ask?
"… Mine is with me. But my friend's is… with my friend, and he's sleeping-"
"-yeah, we need it. Where's he sleeping?" The blonde's sharp reply made it clear he'd extract their phones, not caring if they were willing. "I'll wake him up."
Gray's eyes widened. "That's unnecessary. He's sick, and he's resting so let me… get it for you."
"Fair enough. Don't forget to get yours."
With that last kick in the ass to move from Sting, Gray nodded. Was being a jerk one of the qualifications required to be a Sergeant?
Gray grabbed Natsu's phone that was on the nightstand and shook his head at the boy who slept through the doorbell and Gray's examining hand on his forehead. The fever has gone from worse to fine, but still. Natsu was sick, and he would need medical attention, but Gray left him to sleep since he didn't get enough the previous night.
He got his phone and handed both to the Sergeant.
"Sting." Laxus Dreyar's deep voice raised the hairs on Gray's neck.
It was an unspoken command that Sting nodded at. In seconds, the small squad dispersed in the house. Two went upstairs, and the remaining two searched the ground floor.
"What's going on?" Gray asked no one in particular as he looked left and right.
"Pardon?"
"Why are there people going to the study room and the… bedroom?"
"Protocols to ensure security." Laxus typed away on his laptop, focusing on the screen.
"But there're cameras and-"
"-I didn't know you could do my job."
"That's… I'm trying to understand what's happening around that's all."
Laxus then gave him marginal importance by a look from the corner of his eyes, "When you need to know something, I'll let you know. Trust me on that one."
Hurried in steps with a pinched expression, Sting stood still in front of Laxus and spoke, "Major, we've got an issue."
Laxus shared another silent gaze with Sting and nodded as he followed the blonde.
"Come." Sting's tone wasn't the happiest when he urged Gray to move.
'What the fuck…?'
Gray was the last person to show up in Hibiki's study room. And then it clicked.
Shit…
"Question. What on earth is that?" Laxus asked Gray, who had his hands shoved in his pockets with his thumbs visible outside.
"This…" Gray stared at Erza who paled, "That is… Vance."
"Vance?" Laxus repeated his words.
"Vance."
"This-" Laxus begun.
"-I gave it to him."
'Thank god, she is alive…'
"Pardon? You did what?" Laxus narrowed his eyes at Erza while pointing at Vance, "What in god's name is that?"
"Um, can we… t-talk in private?"
"Answer the bloody question."
The weapon was dismantled, wires out, and wires in. Gray had a voltmeter plugged into it as other cables, data and software displayed on the computer… he didn't need to be a militant with a high position to figure out he and Erza were in deep slimy shit.
That was a governmental weapon, a secret, and five of that existed in Japan. Was he gonna spend the rest of his youthful life in jail?
'Just amazing, fuck.'
Erza Scarlet blanched. The magnitude of problems came crushing down on her like a waterfall. To begin with, they sent her to the blue Pegasus military base for disciplinary purposes, and with her giving a civilian a secret weapon because they both goofed around one another that day, they completed the full recipe for the 100 years of prison time.
"M-Magnificator…"
"Didn't hear you Scarlet. Why don't you add up some volume?"
"The… Pressure M-Magnificator…"
Loke's glasses almost fell off, Gajeel slapped his forehead, and Sting Eucliffe whistled.
Laxus's two strong arms trapped Erza between the wooden cabinet and himself. Having no control over his instinct to protect, Gray jumped to the rescue, but sting held his arms behind his back as Loke's put his palm over Gray's chest.
"Fuck!" Gray gritted his teeth.
"So what's next scarlet? … God oh God, do you want to work as private security at the Zoo?"
She looked down, and Gray couldn't see her full expression because of hulk who stood in the front, only the strained and whimpering amber eyes.
"You gave a civilian a weapon that can destroy an entire army in one blow. If you don't want to work at the Zoo, or end up with a death penalty on barbeque skewers, then pray tell, what's your purpose?"
Her voice was small and trembling, "In my possession… there are lots of different weapons, and… this is—our agency haven't decided whether to treat it as a weapon or a drywall testing tool-"
Bang!
She flinched at the slam on the wooden cabinet.
"-So that's what you're gonna give me? This one wasn't that dangerous, oh yeah sure, let's give it to a civilian who can go psycho at any point of his miserable life."
"-I'm-" She tried.
"-you're lucky you got shot for me once. But you won't be back to airport security for another three years, I promise."
Erza's head shot back up. Her eyes narrowed, and one of her fists banged the cabinet behind, creating a noticeable indent in the thing; Gray could hear the cabinet wailing with tears and uttering, 'Motherfuckers, my wood is imported from the U.K and have you any clue how much that's worth per square meter?!'
"Do your worst. I'm getting used to working here." The fire and determination that filled her hung Gray's mouth open, and her courage blinded him because not so many men had it in them.
Laxus Dreyar's knuckles turned white as he grunted and walked past Gray and the others. His commanding tone was thick with anger, "Close this room. No one enters apart from Sergeant Sting and I. You," Laxus pointed his finger at Gray without looking at him, "We'll have an interesting talk, now."
When he was far enough, Loke and Sting sighed, putting their hands on their chests as Sting loosened his grip around Gray's arms.
"Maaaaan. That was… not bad. Erza, I swear there're lots of cracks in your head. Serio—what the fuck? What were you trying to do? Get yourself abolished from the freaking Justice agency? You wanna go make hamburgers on a freaking truck on an unknown touristy island? Shit!" It may have been whispers, but Loke's face burned and minimizing the shouting made his voice sound like an angry child, "Even then no one would buy your hamburgers because you chose the wrong profession! And the hot guy next to you with the lemonade and strawberry smoothie stand will make the money!"
"You're wrong. Even that guy won't be making money because people like the Pina Colada stand. I know." Sting commented.
Wait, that guy can talk like normal human beings?
"You both are idiots. It's obvious that the person standing with a guitar in his arms will grab all the attention and THEN they realize, oh we should've hired that guy for our business to blossom." Gajeel interjected.
Sting, Loke, and Erza (and Gray yeah) stared at him for at least a minute in which Gray wanted to do something horrible to the guy.
Erza's chest released a tired sigh, and her eyes turned from bright to miserable. "You three are right… what am I doing…"
Gray's chest tightened in shame, "I'm-I'm sorry. Sorry-"
Erza stopped him with her palm.
"My emotional decision that day got me into this and nothing else, it's my responsibility."
"You saved the Major's life once, so don't worry. He's enraged, and he needs time to calm down, that's all."
"I wish that's true…" Erza was well aware the blonde didn't want her to freak out, but it wasn't that easy.
When Major Laxus Dreyar called, they all headed out, and Sergeant Sting closed the room, demolishing the little joy Gray had in life.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter Release: TBD. My (expectation) is 15 days, subject to change.
Special thanks to: mdelpin, deboome, Ren. Guys, you're thhhhheeeee besssstttttt.
About Next chapter: Well... Just that Gray's getting a lot of surprises, and not all pleasant. Of course, it's a Natsu-related surprise.
Thank you ALL for reading. Feel free to share any comment, inquiry, or advice. I'd love that.
Alright, till next time!
Looooooove,
Flame-Belt