Author Notes:
Warnings: Swearing - Sexual themes/Content (Especially this chapter, you can still go back if it doesn't suit your taste).
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 Nineteen O.o.O
Unit 8 has transformed to an Oasis/beach resort when no one was looking.
Sergeant Sting Eucliffe, the Blondie who starred as a perfect statue (no smiles, no jokes, no physical contact, and just no) chatted like there was no tomorrow with his Natsu. His once dim azure eyes became sparkling sea water under the sun that was Natsu Dragneel.
Horaaay.
Meanwhile, Loke sat next to Natsu, with an arm draped over the pink haired's shoulder, as if marking his territory because Sergeant Sting was sweeping Natsu far, far, far away with his abundance of charm.
Cool.
What was her name? Lola? Lily? Whatthefuckever. "The other blonde-girl" laughed at Natsu's jokes, too easily, and ruffled his hair more than a time. Three times, and there, that's the FOURTH.
Fiona? Something like Laura or Lana?
A mind-electrifying fact: Major Laxus allowed the corner of his lips to crack and show a faint smile, and by the looks of it, he held himself back from socializing as he kept to himself in the corner, working on his reports. Why the fuck NOT Laxus? Why don't you chat with the lowly civilians?
Blonde, check (one), check (two), check (three), check (four). Fucking wait a minute… Was Ondrej… blonde?
Gray thought he had a rival (Sergeant Loke). Scratch that, he'll work with three.
Can he win this death match? Fuck.
When Sting laughed at something Natsu said, followed by cool Loke's hand pat on the head, and Leslie's snuggle with his cheek like he's a goddamn speaking stuffed toy… the hair of his body stood, thirsty for violence.
If Natsu was a stuffed toy, he would be his stuffed toy. No one plays with his stuffed toys.
So they were having the time of their lives while he was stuck in a room with his ex-boss developing a deadly weapon… There's something wrong with that sentence. That's right… his sense of 'time of one's life' is severely injured.
People should be envious of HIM. He's the one doing the cool stuff, like he cares about the obvious sexual harassment happening in the living room.
"I didn't know Café de l'Ambre opened a branch in your kitchen." Sergeant Gajeel said with a wide smirk.
"Excuse me?" What the fuck was this guy hinting at?
"Are you a coffee addict?"
'Why this prying little bitch…'
"Sometimes… when I'm stressed… yeah." Gray had replied with a thin smile.
"You know, you could always walk over there and talk to Lucy. I'll tell you all the good stuff, make sure you lay a badass impression."
What the hell…?
Ok, although the girl's boobs impressed him, he didn't ogle, and why the fuck would he talk to her?!
"I… Not—that's—wait… You got this all wrong. I'm—not interested…"
"I could swear you're going back and forth for coffee just to see her. It's so high school, I remember how I used to stalk my crush… been there, done that."
This bastard won't give it a rest.
He heard a girly giggle. Being so curious to know where it came from, he spotted a young girl with a navy-blue hair drinking orange juice next to Major Laxus Dreyar.
Ok. He knows how this sounds. But she was the one who made Natsu's fever go down, and that was… extraordinary. Talent can get you anywhere. Even if you're five years old.
Upstairs resonated with enthusiasm. Lots of reasons contributed to that (Erza Scarlet's heated commands, or bangs on the table is the primary cause). Earlier in the day, she discussed air-raids possibilities during the rainy weather, and how to respond to it with the rest of the gang.
The pros and cons, the activation of the safety evacuation from the anti-blast unit for the people within the compound, and how it affects neighboring states which has close co-ordinates… when Gray barged in with an emergency.
All the faces in the room turned to stone serious; he left the dramatic pause and asked her to convince Major Laxus to take them out for lunch instead of eating the tuna sandwiches again.
She snapped the pencil in her hand, tossed it on the table, and threatened to put him on their next satellite heading to mars for the next ten years where he can enjoy science all he wants… that and to get the hell out.
Food IS crucial you know.
Work changes people, but it changes Erza a lot. It straightened her back, puffed out her chest, aroused her nose in the air, like a damn Persian Peacock. To sum up, she's violent and heartless and he doesn't like her anymore.
A queue of black vans parked outside Unit 8. One of them had Hibiki's team, along with lieutenant Freed Justine, who monitored the CCTV's in and around the base, in other words, they were on stake out. The compound assigned special people to do it, but Hibiki's team did it using a different protocol and it worked in Gray's favor, because the woman who molested him was with them.
"I'm gonna die…"
One of the female militants smacked Natsu. The others laughed as she checked his temperature.
"Your condition is improving. Stop being a brat."
Back at work, it went better than he imagined.
Gildarts communicated with Major Laxus and Hibiki online. They've requested five drones that could withstand the weight of Vance, and their arrival time estimated was the day after, or the same day, depending on the availability of the model.
Major Laxus Dreyar asked if Hibiki had acquired the weapon usage authorization, and Hibiki had rubbed the back of his head and laughed, telling them he was working on it.
Also, his ex-managing director had contacted the manufacturing company of the weapon through Hibiki, requesting extra technical information on the machine, plus requesting more models of the same type. The phone call's duration was two hours (Gray involved, and typing notes). The outcome of the conversation was fruitful and erased a lot of vagueness for Gray.
"Shame." Gray said, stretching his body.
"You can't expect them to agree. Think about it. Two models are a miracle to have in two days."
"Yeah, but…" Satisfaction drowned his muscles, "What's the use of money if it can't be powerful. And we had such a bitch chat with Hibiki."
"Can't be helped." Gildarts checked the software readings, "They can't fabricate this intricate device overnight. God bless all our souls if it malfunctions. Speaking of malfunctions…"
"-Got it. Here." Gray clicked send, "Check your transfer file."
"Impressive… When did you…?"
"I had lots of free time…" Gray sipped from his coffee, and his eye-brow twitched when it stung him, "This was a source of entertainment."
"Nice. Wish I had a source like that in my confinement. Sadly, we can only play cards."
Gray froze. Gildarts typed on his keyboard as if he has just said he was at a boring park.
"…" Gray focused on the screen in front of him, "Serves you right."
The older man's lips arched to form a vague smile and brushed off his comment.
He reminded himself to erase that tight feeling in his gut, because that asshole has fooled Gray, shot him, and stolen everything important to him. After the incident, his shoulder and leg had to undergo extreme shit physiotherapy for over three weeks before they moved into the base. Not to mention the drilling in his limbs that drove him to tears and the blood he had to see every day and in his dreams. He didn't deserve empathy.
Did he apologize? Oh, he did, but those bone-deep engravings of the man's violence lost Gray's trust in him. If those two shots didn't teach him a lesson, what will? He can't and won't do it all over. He won't trust this man, or allow himself to feel safe around him because as Natsu said, he is a monster.
Although Gray had put on a bold front and told Natsu to calm the fuck down and that it was ok and he was under control, Gildarts's tone froze his limbs for milliseconds before he could collect himself, his normal inquiring gaze shot his brain dead and he struggled to think before coming up with an answer.
God, shit. He needed to get out of there. At least, until he calms his demeanor.
The rain had stopped for three straight hours that day, but regardless of the weather's condition, he crossed out the 'Unit 8 exit' idea because of the temporary house-arrest. Instead, he went to the first floor to see the status of his room (Erza and her team).
The room was deserted. His bed hosted all their belongings, from mean-ass black cases to diet coke and water…. headphones, gun-cases that have no guns, laptops… But where's everybody?
Forget it.
Gray stared at the bed that he slept on the day before and thousands of ideas worked his mind. What If… he made a mistake? What if Gildarts Clive was developing this weapon with him to steal data? What If he blew up this house and then broke out? What if he kills people?
His hands shook, so he held the back of his head with them both to force them to stop.
Shit… fuck-shit, everyone's gonna die because of him. He had to tell them to send him back to jail. There was no other way.
His breath hitched at the faint creak of a door, that he whipped his head to expect the worst.
And that was when he ran out of oxygen.
Shit, dude. Shit.
Natsu emerged from the steamy bathroom, hand busy with moving the damp towel back on forth on his pink hair. Originally, Natsu is an athletic human being. He played in several clubs during high school, then boxing and Taekwondo continuation in university, plus his usual workout routine (which is brutal). What kind of body does that look like?
The shower's sparkling water drops cascaded on unrealistically carved abs and equally hardened core. Natsu's honeyed caramel skin glamour slapped him across the face, especially the hints on the thighs, knees, and legs, under the ripped faded jeans.
A loud siren bellowed in Gray's system.
"Hey… you ok?"
Natsu was unfazed. He asked with casual worry, like he wasn't the reason Gray was malfunctioning.
"I-ah…" He swallowed, and no matter how many times he did, his crackling-dry throat won't hurt less, "… break."
"Break?" Natsu shot him a puzzled stare. He flashed his armpit as the process of hair drying intensified.
Fucking hell. Natsu belonged with those models posing on those trashy magazines that everyone's mom likes to buy and read. But… This is different. He has seen lots of douchebags with ripped to hell bodies, and they were repulsive (from his own mom's magazines).
In Natsu's case, it wasn't the face, or the fuckable body. It was the uniqueness of the soul that baffled him. There was something dangerously cute about it.
"You sure you're okay?"
Natsu has used the rosemary and mint shampoo, the one in the white bottle with the green text, on the shelf-shit. Was he okay? As if a heated iron pressed against his skin, it scorched. In reality, it was just Natsu.
Gray pointed backwards, "Work break."
"Oh… I get it." Natsu huffed as his hair irritated him.
A snake-like pain crawled on chest as his protruded eyes couldn't grow more. Was this real? Was the pink hair real? That skin tone? That boy, was he real? No. He was an angel forced to disguise as a human being and live a humanly painful life.
It wasn't the first time Gray sees his friend half naked, yet, it petrified him. Especially now, when he knows, there's a possibility for anything.
When he picked up the rustling on the stairs, Gray's eyes could grow more. Something cold brushed up the back of his neck. Someone was coming. Someone was fucking coming. He allowed chatting and casual flirting in the living room with various motherfuckers, but allowing the motherfuckers to eye-fuck Natsu, was a big fat red underlined bold NO.
Gray jerked from his spot, shoved Natsu inside the bathroom, foot kicking the door to close.
"ffffffuck… yahii…"
Natsu's face twisted in pain, hand rubbing the side of his right leg. The small cabinets which existed underneath the bathroom's sink had rounded golden knobs, one of which Natsu's leg bumped against.
Gray's hands rested on the cold marble top, at either side of Natsu's figure as he focused on the noise outside.
'Don't…'
"Oh maaaan." Natsu kneeled to pick up the soaked towel he once used to dry his hair, "Look what you've done, you idiot…"
Ok, they weren't coming. Shit, that was close.
"YO!" Natsu called, his foot stomping on the wet tiles, tone laced with frustration.
The black raspberry vanilla scent vibrated his senses and acted as fucking great alarm. He was too close from Natsu to pick up the soap type he used on his skin. Type of perfume too. Everything was switching Gray ON, when it needed to be OFF.
Gray let go of the marble top and retreated three steps, too quick for Natsu's taste.
"Ok? What's—you're acting as if you're possessed dude, what's the matter with you?"
Gray coughed to regain control over his voice, resisting the invisible red pull towards Natsu's body.
"Nothing. Will get going now…"
Natsu grabbed Gray's shoulder.
"Hoooooold on a minute! You can't just shove me around and then it's a 'Nothing'!"
Gray whirled, the area between his eyebrows was pinched and his eyes narrowed, "What… what were you thinking... going out naked in a house full of-" His throat hurt, wanting to say (guys), "P-people? What?"
Natsu blinked, and chuckled nervously, "I don't—I'm not naked-I was on the way to get my shirt-"
He didn't know the reason behind the racing pulse and clenching chest. With a gruff tone, he replied, "Well, I don't care what you were getting. You're not going out unless you're fully dressed." His finger pointed up and down at Natsu to emphasize his point.
"Ah-" Natsu's smile was inquiring and edging towards bafflement, his cheeks showing a little red. He licked his lips and waved his hand around, "Tell me one thing." He scowled, "Why's this so important-"
"-Because I consider this as cheating." Gray grumbled, "I don't understand. Do you really wanna cheat on me?"
Natsu was breathless and unmoving. Like the warm thickening steam in the closed bathroom has taken away his words. When his answer never came for the next two minutes, Gray inched closer, his hand on his waist, and his throat irritating him, "Do you?"
As Natsu's lips closed tight, the Adam apple moved up and down his throat, three times, before the blood rushed to his cheeks and ears.
He averted his eyes from Gray's stare, hand scratching slowly at the deep scar on his neck.
'What the fuck did I do?'
To preserve Natsu's body, he blurted out something freaky. And he has to live with the consequences. Just because he exchanged a kiss with Natsu, didn't mean he claimed him. That kiss was apologetic, there were foreigners who did it.
Damn you-
"N-No…" It was a breathless whisper, "N-Not if…"
When Natsu met with Gray's piercing blue eyes, he got more assertive, "No. Not anymore."
The cells in Gray's body tingled, glittered a bright glitter, and he existed on cloud 9. Fuck. He said 'not anymore'. What sort of unrealism was that? His chest melted with Natsu's answer, but he multiplied his scowl to hide how elated was he to hear those words. He needed to look confident like he always is.
"Then fucking wait here 'till I get you a shirt."
Natsu was urging the 'ok' out, and when it took him so long, Gray proceeded, expecting an agreement. As he held the knob to open the door, his chest electrified him with joy. Shit, he couldn't believe this. He needed to believe this.
He marched backwards with the same scowl he had put on earlier. His friend has retreated 'till his spine was straight up against the wall tiles, gazing at Gray with a flinch and a faint tremble in his chin.
To cover up the panicking in his eyes, Natsu's hand raised to scratch at the scar on his neck again with hesitance, "Wh-what?"
Gray held Natsu's wrist to a stop, then touched the side of his damp neck. The slight touch of his hand seized Natsu's breathing, who fished out the softness inside Gray's cold-looking eyes. He let out a small adoring smile, one that showed off Natsu's charms, taking a step forward to press himself into Gray, brushing their noses.
Gray couldn't be more obvious as his eyes messed with Natsu's lips. The steam leftovers of Natsu's hot shower in the mid-size bathroom enhanced the raspberry vanilla soap along with other fragrances. One of them was their want for each other for so long, over years long, and that smelled so amazing that he swallowed.
How he could resist this guy all that time was beyond him.
"Hurry." His friend's voice sounded sick minutes ago, but as he whispered the word, it sounded different. And it went straight down between his hips.
Fuck, he wouldn't want to go against what Natsu wanted, what he wanted. Immediately, their mouths met and melted in a raw kiss.
Seconds and they broke it off for a second, a third, and a fourth kiss. Gray's hand had moved from Natsu's neck to his hair, and Natsu pushed himself more into Gray as he breathed, his arms wrapping over Gray's shoulders.
That wasn't an apologetic kiss, for sure. It was one that stole his breath, raced his heart, and wetted his mouth. It was more heavenly than the ones he fantasized about, and he savored every second of it. But, he grew greedy fast. He needed more of the warm touch of their lips.
Gray pushed Natsu back on the wall. Natsu had moved his lips away, panting, to glance above with wide eyes. The hook of the towel was inches away from his head.
"Careful-" Gray's pressing kiss stopped Natsu's speech and rewarded him a pretty moan.
Shit, the fog thickened around his brain. He couldn't think of anything but the inviting hotness of Natsu's mouth. And Natsu has responded to him in ways that fluttered his chest. He met Gray's firm presses with eager, but caring ones. He assured Gray once and again with a trail of small kisses on Gray's chin before he was back to his mouth, that he was fine with this, that he wanted this-maybe a little more than Gray himself did.
Nothing rivaled the acceptance feeling Natsu gave him. Just nothing. He could trace Natsu's lower parted lip with his tongue, and Natsu would breathe hard and pull at his chest, begging him for more until Gray pushed it in. His groin twitched because of the erotic dance their tongues carried out. It was as if they were memorizing each other's feel and sweet taste.
He could kiss and graze Natsu's neck with his teeth, and Natsu would bite his lips to strangle the series of throaty groans. Soon, one hand pulled at Gray's hem of pants with a tremble of want, the other left crazy tingling on Gray's spine underneath his shirt.
Fuuuckkk.
"Shit. Shit, shit, you're driving me insane…" Gray said after he had kissed the life out of Natsu.
Natsu's hand moved under Gray's belt-fuck-cupping him over his underwear.
"Yeah?" He kissed Gray, flushed to the bones, hand squeezing a little harder, "And what are you doing to me?"
Shit, if Natsu continued what he was doing, he would be asking for a not-so-gentle fuck onto the bathroom's floor.
Gray let the boy pull his shirt above his head, and throw it somewhere, plastering his luscious mouth all over Gray's, making him realize that it was what he wanted, and when Natsu wanted something, he would get it.
But Natsu didn't have to work hard convincing Gray who had already fallen into the black hole of need towards his best friend.
"I'm telling you Erza, I'm sure I left it here!"
"Come on, we don't need it, you could use one of mine."
"Yours are bulky, and I don't have enough experience carrying that."
"You'll be fine."
Their lips froze mid-kiss. Gray's heart has dropped in his foot, and Natsu's hand on him pulled back slow.
"It's so weird. I know the bloody thing is in here somewhere."
"Could be in the other room?" Erza questioned.
Gray held Natsu's waist, forehead pressing against his. When the rustling outside stopped, Natsu breathed out long and came back at Gray.
"Wai-wait." Gray whispered, "No."
Natsu let out a playful whine, "Right? Shit. Man. Shit."
Oh God, Natsu. Don't think you're the frustrated one here. Erza and her friend will pay for this. Gray's gonna launch Vance on their asses and waste the government money.
"Hey." Gray caressed Natsu's flushed cheek as he kissed him, "We're not done. I'll get you, but don't you dare have second thoughts on me."
"Who? Me?" Natsu's skin seared Gray's as he pressed a loving kiss on Gray's chin, "You better not."
"Okie dokie."
With that unspoken promise, Gray could finally pull himself away from Natsu's touch and search for his shirt—that was wet from the bathroom's floor.
"Really? You couldn't be thoughtful?"
"Payback for my towel." Natsu pointed towards the soaked piece of cloth.
They let out small timid chuckles as Gray tried putting on the wet shirt. Now he had to get them both shirts.
"Stop using the shower like a baby."
"Shut it. I'll use it however way I want."
"Man." Gray shook his head as he headed for the door, then took off his shirt, "It's so fucking wet."
Natsu chuckled, still red in the face, "Deal with it!"
He opened the bathroom door and then asked, "Wait, your suitcase is-"
"-I told you, Erzaaaaaaaa. My gut's-"
Erza, her blonde friend, and Gray, froze.
The three exchanged looks and if Gray would've known what came next, he would've never chosen that moment to exit the bloody bathroom.
Erza's blonde friend sat next to her, unable to stop shaking with an aching grin plastered all over her face that he wanted to wipe so badly. She was freaking humming and Erza encouraged that with her own smirk.
They were doomed, that's a fact.
Natsu and him sat opposite from the girls on the bed, flushed as fuck. Natsu was dressed in an olive-green t-shirt, and Gray was back in a teal comfortable printed t-shirt with two white stripes, his necklace hanging over it.
"Sooo!"
'Here it comes…'
Gray made up excuses, but he was surprised AF that he made pathetic ones, and ones you can't just believe. There was no mysterious creature that appeared in the military and crawled above the bathroom's false ceiling to take away Natsu's life, that's rubbish and he knows it. Gray didn't screw up so awfully often.
'Fuck.'
Natsu sneezed, bending to the front, and his foot jerked from the floor, shivering. It's good they didn't do so much in the bathroom. That dumbass would've collapsed all over. Gray raised the comforter off the bed and draped it around Natsu.
"Thanks." His friend offered a grateful smile.
"Oh my god! Oh my god! They are in their own world!"
That freaking blonde irritated the shit out of him. Should he treat Natsu like garbage so she shuts up or what?
Erza grinned with the blonde who asked, "Sooooooo, are you two dating?"
The boys froze. Gray wasn't sure how to handle the question, and again, why was she asking? Why stick your nose in other people's businesses? That's wrong, very wrong.
He crossed one leg over the other and exchanged looks with Natsu who was as twitchy as he is.
Dating? That's a big word. Natsu and him needed to talk at one point (when they're not busy exploring bodies), but until then, he couldn't force them under the 'dating' category. He didn't know what Natsu wanted. He knows Natsu would not cheat on him though. That's… something, right?
After clearing his throat, Gray said, "It's a… work in progress."
Erza's friend wasn't expecting that answer, so she stopped humming, but then beamed, "But you're together, right?"
Damn that girl.
Natsu interjected, "Lucy, give us a break, will you?"
"Do you want me to tell the entire world?" She teased with a fake evil grin.
"Seriously?" Natsu used his manly charms and flashed a timid smile, then she was his.
"I'm so excited, that's all." She rubbed the back of her blonde head, "It's so funny! I thought you were into me-"
"-Oh god, I thought he was into me!" Erza pointed at Gray.
The boys didn't find it so funny when Erza and the blonde laughed like there was no tomorrow.
"Anyway, Gray," Erza straightened herself, contained her laughter, and that sounded weird, "Shouldn't you be working on weapon development? What are you doing here?"
'Fuck…'
Right. Shit. Natsu has sidetracked him from thinking about his ex-manager's 'theoretical' schemes.
"Erza," Gray surprised them with his firm tone, "Let's contact Hibiki about Gildarts. I can't trust him, and I can't work with someone whom I can't trust, period."
"Did he do something?" Erza's tone switched to be as firm as Gray's.
"No." Gray rubbed his hair, "But I remember that day all the time and I can't do this. I'd like to think I can work with him fine, but how do you guys know that he's not stealing data, that-"
"Hibiki has sent someone to monitor him. She's also watching the data flow, and so far, we haven't been informed of any misconduct from his side. But I understand what you're feeling, it's normal." She paused, then smiled, "Don't worry. This time, he won't hurt you. Won't hurt anyone as long as Lieutenant Freed and Major Laxus are around. Sergeant Sting too. And to be honest, he's not a trash of a person. It's the circumstances that led him to that point."
"…" Gray exhaled and Natsu gave him a worried look.
Erza rubbed her hands together, then said, "If you want, we could speak to Hibiki about it. Tell him you can't do it, but I'd advise you to try again before we do that."
Gray nodded, reluctantly.
"Shit!" The blonde's hand flew to her open mouth, "Loke has been waiting for half an hour!"
Erza and the blonde jumped and exited the room with a fast 'see ya'.
Natsu's hands sought the warmth of the peppermint green tea Gray handed him.
"I'm never gonna recuperate…" Natsu sneezed, rubbing at his nose, "All because of you."
"Don't put the blame on me. You were the one who got out naked." Gray sat next to Natsu on the bed and shot him a reprimanding look.
"And you made it all better." Natsu didn't scoff, but Gray heard it anyway.
"Fucking drink and shut up."
Natsu wiped his nose, and looked up, a little flushed, "Right, I'm okay. All dressed up. You can go if you want to."
Erza's words resonated, and despite her assurances, Gildarts's presence in Unit 8 rattled him and his thoughts, and he was lost. He didn't know what to do when he almost always did.
Bugged and frustrated, Gray tousled his hair and leaned to the front.
"Gray."
He heard a sigh. His friend scooted next to him and nudged his leg.
"What happened before you come here?" Natsu's voice softened with the inquiry. "He did something, didn't he?"
"It's not that." His chest stiffened, "I've always wanted to work with him, and now that I had the chance to do it, I—there's no way to run from the fact that I'm scared. I'm scared he'll steal data, I'm scared he'll kill people, that he'll hurt you. God, what did I do?"
Natsu placed the steaming cup of tea on the bedstand. He got rid of the blanket on him in favor of an arm around Gray's shoulder.
"Don't worry about me. He's not stealing anything, and he's not killing anybody, and even if he did, it's not your fault. I was angry as fuck earlier, and I blamed you he's here—I wanted someone to be blamed. But it's not you, It's the amazing psychopathic general, and god only knows the reason he brought him for-"
"-right? Dude, when I saw him at the door, I could only think of SHIT, we are all fucking dead."
"Meh." Natsu shrugged, his warmth tingling Gray's limbs, "If it's tough working with him, speak up and Hibiki has to deal. And he's not hurting you. I'll kill him before he does, alright? But, to be honest, I don't think he will. Call it a hunch."
Natsu's instincts were sharp and impeccable. The strong way he spoke and held his shoulder calmed Gray a hell a lot. It subdued the panic churning in his stomach because more than anyone, Gray trusted Natsu the most.
Before realizing, his lips offered a smile that reached his eyes. His arm pulled Natsu's waist closer to him, "You're amazing, you know?"
Natsu's cheeks burned, although he grunted, "Of course."
Erza's and Laxus's strict orders echoed all over the place. Gray Failed to decipher Elfman Strauss's accomplishments, who strode upstairs and downstairs, altering between multiple teams. Loke abandoned Natsu's side in favor of doing actual work with Erza, and Sting Eucliffe who stuck onto Gajeel's side.
Gray worked with Gildarts whose soul was attached to the laptop data. Both individuals in the study room noticed the change of atmosphere because an hour ago, it was strict and electrified, then it was cloudy storms full of Laxus's thunder.
A girl with long platinum hair jerked the door of the study room open.
"Major Laxus Dreyar calls for an urgent meeting."
Gray and Gildarts dropped their tools and followed the lady without taking their safety glasses off.
Major Laxus was in the middle of the living room with the other teams gathered. Natsu rested on the sofa next to Lucy, and Gray detested it because they became close friends in an instant, and it wasn't logical.
Maybe it's the big boobs effect.
"We've got a confirmation the blue Pegasus base is being infiltrated. Our northern forces are doing their best to suppress the infiltration from deepening and taking control over the situation, but expect the worst."
While Laxus bellowed, their ears caught up the sound of an explosion, and sirens. Shit. Gray's ears drummed and Natsu straightened his posture on the sofa, color fading from his face.
Lieutenant Freed Justine rubbed the back of his head and clapped his hands.
"Remain calm. The blue Pegasus base is highly secured. Whoever infiltrated will be sorry when they realize how stupid they were. We can't move around or act on anything until we get directions from the general. Do you all get that?"
The teams nodded, but Gray saw fire in their eyes... as if they wanted to get out and fight. They were arrogant or crazy.
The earth shook underneath their feet, and Gray held a gasp.
"Shouldn't we move out?" Gray blurted, "To a place more secured?"
Major Laxus glared, "We're on the far south of the base, the most secure location. Not only that, we can't move you two around as we please, unless we get official orders."
Lieutenant Freed Justine nodded, "Keep your eyes open and report if anything happens. Dismissed."
A hand landed on Gray's shoulder.
Gildarts' stern look signaled a critical situation, "He's here. We've got no time to waste."
Gray hurried after his ex-boss to the study room, head nagging with one thought.
"How do you know it's him?"
Gildarts typed on the keyboard several codes. "I don't. I assume it's him because your friend has communicated with him like three days ago, and now this happens, so yeah."
"Yeah, but anything can happen, right?"
"Right." Gildarts said, "Remember when you were working like hell and you were super focused, like only ten minutes ago?"
"…"
"Please get back at it. And we don't have a half day. This has to be done within three hours max."
Gray resisted laughing hysterically.
"Three… hours? I'm not a robot!"
"Then be one." Gildarts commanded dryly, "Be fucking one. You have three hours, starting now."
"Fuck!" Gray ran to his desk, trying to catch up with the trickiest deadline set to humanity.
"MAJOR LAXUS!" Gildarts hollered. Both Lieutenant Freed Justine, and Laxus Dreyar entered the study room.
"The hell is wrong with you?" Laxus questioned.
"The Drones. We have only three hours to get them delivered, as well as the other two developed models."
"Come again?" Laxus waved his hand around, "It's not toffee—even the toffee batch delivery doesn't work like that."
"Listen to him!" Gray yelled, overwhelmed by the deadline, but frightened because if Gildarts set a three-hour limit to their preparations, it was all they have.
And no other choice.
Lieutenant Freed Justine nodded and held Laxus's shoulder, who sighed.
"I'll see what I can do."
Prior being confined in the study room, Gray has spotted the apprehension on Natsu's pale face, and he wished to talk to Natsu, but the three-hour deadline stood between them.
Gray pushed himself to the limits. The three-hour limit crushed his soul with stress, more and more when the bangs of explosions rippled around Unit 8. His brain panicked and curiosity nagged on him to check on the compound's predicament.
"Can I intrude?"
Gildarts replied, "We're super busy, I'm afraid you can't."
A female entered the room and offered them both a frantic bow.
"I heard about the three hour-limit from Major Laxus. I can help."
Gray never stopped the work, leaving Gildarts to do the talking for him. This girl… she thinks she can do the work that he has been doing for almost a week?! Fuck, even arrogance should have reasonable limits.
"What are your qualifications? What makes you think you can come into this room and throw this joke our way? You realize this isn't the time for jests, right?"
The girl fixed her big brown eyes on them, "I understand your concern; however, I have accessed all the data you both are working on ever since Gray has been discovered to work on the weapon. I'm a fast learner, and I know what you're trying to accomplish, thus, I'll need minor pointers."
Her comment had Gildarts speechless for a minute as he analyzed her.
Gray paid no attention to their conversation and continued. A shadow bothered his vision, thus, he looked up to eliminate the source.
"Levy McGarden, I'll be your assistant."
"Are you fucking… hey BOSS! This shorty should be sent home to drink more milk to grow. I'll be damned if she held my precious voltmeter."
Lately, all Gildarts does was shooting him stern looks. "She's not asking to help. She will help because she was ordered to."
"Precisely." Her blue hair irritated him, "Please let me help. For such complicated programming, that deadline is close to impossible."
"If she proved to be incompetent from the first five minutes, we'll throw her out." Gildarts warned.
"Noted." She wasn't offended.
"Get over here." Gray ordered.
He transferred knowledge to her of what to be accomplished, being concise and unfair so she will drop-out after five minutes.
Shit you not, Gray almost wet his pants when, shit you not, she achieved progress over him, and even pointed out some of his mistakes. She had safety glasses on as she helped Gray with the operation and forget about Natsu Dragneel! He has fallen in love with the girl!
Ok… that was an innocent joke.
Stop glaring you.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter Release: Next week, Wednesday 27th May.
Hey Guys, I've released this chapter earlier than promised because tomorrow, I'll be super occupied with various things, and an appointment with the dentist came out of no where, like what the fuck? Anyway, there you go!
Special thanks to: deboome (I love it when people swear after reading the chapter hahahaha. I don't know why, but I find it very funny. Thanks for reading and reviewing, you're the best.), Kori No Koibito (Quarantine, is the best. I'm such a fucking introvert, so this... it's perfect for me. I get to be home all the time, YAY.), JO (Err... I hope you don't mind the stupid things they did this chapter... *nervous laughs*...)
Thank you ALL for reading. Feel free to share any comment, inquiry, or advice. I'd love that. AND stay safe, stay home.
Alright, till next time!
Looooooove,
Flame-Belt