Gratsu Weekend 2020
Prompt: Sweet
Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, Sting x Rogue
December 27, 2020
It was almost three in the morning when Natsu arrived home from his shift at Fairy Tail. He was exhausted, but also looking forward to being able to get up late for once. He checked all the downstairs doors and windows to make sure they were locked before making his way upstairs to his bedroom as quietly as possible.
He planned on taking a quick shower to get the stench of cigarettes out of his hair before crawling into bed. It was only after he'd peeled his clothes off that he looked to his bed, seeing two small bodies already asleep on it.
He sighed tiredly, all thoughts of a peaceful slumber eradicated by the restless way his children were moving in their sleep. Once in the shower, he thought about how hard Christmas had been for all of them. It was the first one since Lisanna's death, and they had all taken it hard, her absence once again opening wounds that had only recently begun to heal.
Natsu had tried to keep her alive for the kids, encouraging them to make her a present while he had bought her a bouquet of her favorite flowers. They had placed their gifts at the small shrine they had created for her in their home. Looking back maybe that had been a mistake, but he couldn't bear the thought of his children forgetting their mother like he had forgotten his.
He dried himself off and put on some pajama pants over his boxers before climbing into bed, both children automatically reaching for him in their sleep. He could hear Hana's whimpers and gently threaded his fingers through her hair to soothe her even as he wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her closer to him until she settled down.
He soon fell into a dreamless sleep, which was interrupted by the distinct feeling that he was being watched. Natsu blinked his eyes open, already regretting it as he realized it was still dark outside.
"Please not yet guys, Daddy is tired," he whined, and to their credit, both Hana and Atlas tried to be still, but they were Dragneels, and that just wasn't working in his favor.
"Alright, alright," he mumbled ten minutes later, getting up from his bed and moving downstairs. He turned on the television, flipping channels until he found cartoons, then stretching out on the couch in the hopes that he would be allowed to snooze, but Atlas climbed on top of him, giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek before snuggling into his chest.
He had almost fallen asleep again when Hana called out to him. "Daddy, do you think we can open the oven today?"
Natsu held Atlas against him as he sat up, making room for Hana next to him. "Yeah, are you sure you want to do it with me and not Aunty Erza or Mira?"
She nodded shyly, "You make the best cakes."
Natsu chuckled, "Alright, give me a few minutes to wake up, and we'll get it set up."
Hana got up and ran towards the kitchen excitedly, "I'll make you some coffee!"
"Well, there goes my sleep," he muttered under his breath. He wasn't too concerned though, he knew he'd get through the day somehow. He always did.
He could hear the coffee machine going and wondered what had possessed his sister to teach Hana how to use it, then again, Erza had always marched to the beat of her own drum.
Natsu got up and entered the kitchen, opening up the pantry and grabbing some cereal. He put some in a snack cup and added milk in a sippy cup, taking them both out to his son, who was now completely immersed in his show.
By the time he'd returned to the kitchen, Hana had already prepared his coffee just the way he liked it, and he had to smile. She was such a sweet girl, which was why he'd felt terrible when his Christmas present had backfired.
He'd remembered that Lisanna had promised her an Easy Bake Oven when she was old enough, but he hadn't factored in that part of the promise had been that she would teach her how to use it. Rather than the excitement he'd anticipated at the present, Hana had broken down into inconsolable tears for the first time in months, and he hadn't known what to do. So Erza had moved the present out of sight, and they hadn't discussed it since.
But now she had moved it to the kitchen counter, and Natsu set about helping her open the box. He had gotten her the deluxe one, so it came with an apron and baking tools.
He helped her put on the apron as they looked through all the mixes together, picking a chocolate one to get started. He helped her follow the instructions, both grimacing when they tasted the results.
"That's nothing like your cakes," Hana complained, looking outraged.
Natsu laughed, "Mine aren't all that great kiddo, I think you're a bit biased."
Hana's eyes widened in puzzlement.
"Biased, it means you think good things about me cause you like me." Natsu explained, "Still, I do think we can do better than that."
"I want to make a cake for Uncle Sting," Hana confided, "one that's as good as yours."
"What about for Uncle Rogue?" Natsu teased as he went back into the pantry and began taking out the ingredients they would need.
"I guess he could have some too, but only if Uncle Sting says it's okay. They're not very big," Hana pointed out.
"True enough!" Natsu knew it had more to do with his daughter's childish crush on his friend, but he also knew better than to bring attention to it. "I think I was just about your age when my mom taught me how to make cakes," Natsu chatted as he opened drawers looking for the bowls, measuring cups and spoons they would need.
Once he had everything assembled, he went into the broom closet and got out a step stool so that Hana could help. "She always made us cakes for our birthdays, said nothing tasted sweeter than a treat made with love in your heart, or something like that."
Telling Hana about that reminded Natsu of something Gildarts had mentioned in passing the night before. Today was Gray's birthday. It had surprised him at first that he hadn't known considering how much time they'd been spending together for the last few months, but then again, Gray was very tight-lipped about himself. Natsu knew his friend was going through a hard time, although he didn't know many of the details outside of the fact that he was in the middle of getting a divorce.
Even though he had a feeling that Gray would rather let the day go unnoticed, Natsu felt an urge to do something for the man. Gray had humored him on Lisanna's birthday, dancing with him when anyone else would have laughed off the request or even punched him for daring to ask. Natsu had to imagine the shots he'd drunk before all the well-meaning questions had become overwhelming were to blame for the impulsive request, although he had an inkling it had also had something to do with the pain he had sensed within Gray.
A pain that had become even more evident to him as they'd danced. Lost as he'd been in his thoughts of Lisanna, he'd still managed to recognize how vulnerable Gray had felt and looked in his arms, and he'd decided then to put aside all their petty differences. They each had enough on their plates without having to contend with a stupid rivalry.
And now that Gray had decided to help him get his GED, spending all that time and energy on him, Natsu wanted to do something in return. He just didn't know what. He didn't really have much extra money, and what he had he'd spent on Christmas presents for his family.
He thought about his mother's words, the ones he'd just repeated to Hana, and even though he'd always made it a rule to only do this for his immediate family, and of course Lisanna, Natsu decided just this once he would make an exception. After all, wasn't family the people who helped take care of you when you needed it and pushed you to be better even when you were scared? And hadn't Gray been doing precisely that?
Natsu looked down at Hana and gave her a quick hug before announcing, "First, we're going to need to crack some eggs."
0-0
Natsu examined the end results of his hard work with a frown before shrugging away his doubt. Decorating had never been his strong suit, but he knew from experience the cake would taste fine, and he was reasonably sure his friend was partial to the color blue. It still threw him a little that he'd decided to go this route. But after all the time and energy Gray had been putting in to help him prepare for the first test, he felt like they had grown closer.
Still, even after spending so much time together these past few months, Natsu didn't feel like he knew much about the guy. It didn't really concern him though, he'd always believed that everyone was entitled to their secrets, and it wasn't like he talked about his own past all that much either.
After finding one of the cake boxes Erza seemed to always have on hand and placing the cake inside, he went on a search for his phone, ultimately finding it in between the sofa cushions. He searched for Gray's name in his contact list, picking up toys from the floor and putting them in baskets as he waited for him to answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey," Natsu greeted, "I wanted to call and wish you a Happy Birthday! Are you busy?"
"Me?" Gray scoffed, "Hardly, I'm just hanging out at the Bean for a bit."
"Want some company? That way, I can drop off your present," Natsu suggested, still doing a cleaning sweep of the living room.
"Yeah, sure, but you didn't have to get me anything," Gray protested even though Natsu could hear a change in his voice, and he grinned. It seemed even Gray got excited about presents.
"Trust me," Natsu laughed, thinking of the misshapen mess he'd just boxed, "It's not much."
"I'll be here."
"Alright, I'll see you in a few," Natsu said before hanging up.
He called out to his sister, who was in the playroom with the kids. He'd been hoping she'd come out by herself, but instead, both kids followed her.
"What is it?"
"Is it okay if I take the car for a little while? I want to go to Magnolia Bean to meet up with Gray and give him his present."
"That's fine, I have no plans to go anywhere," Erza was giving him that look again, one he recognized from years of experience. There was something she wanted to say to him, but she was afraid it would upset him, which meant whatever it was probably would.
He was about to call her on it when two eager little voices begged to be brought along. They pouted and cried and tried every trick they could think of, but he remained firm.
"Not this time, guys, I won't even be gone that long," he promised.
Atlas looked up at him with teary eyes, "Cookie?"
Natsu had to roll his eyes at the blatant manipulation, but he hugged them both to his chest and agreed. "If you behave while I'm gone I'll get you each a treat from Magnolia Bean, alright? But only if Auntie Erza says you were good."
Both children nodded eagerly before running off to play with the hoard of Christmas presents they had received.
"Be back in a bit, and I'll get you something too," he assured Erza with a grin before grabbing the cake box and the keys and heading outside.
Ten minutes later, he entered the busy coffee shop, looking for his friend, and finding him seated in one of the comfy armchairs.
"You must have been here a while to be able to score one of these," Natsu plopped in the chair across from him, carefully placing the cakebox on the small table between them.
"Hey," Gray smiled briefly, grabbing a large coffee cup from another table and handing it to him.
"Thanks!" He went to take a sip to warm up from the freezing weather when he noticed a phone number scribbled on his cup.
"Um, this for you?"
"Huh?" Gray peered at him in confusion.
"There's a phone number on my cup along with a name and a little heart, I can only imagine it was meant for you," Natsu teased, "Is that why you come here so often?"
Gray blinked at the cup, "Huh, didn't even notice."
"That sort of thing happen to you a lot?"
Gray shrugged, "I used to be a fashion model, so I guess. I actually started coming here because Sting told me you liked it, I figured if I brought you stuff for our study sessions, it might help motivate you."
Natsu opened his mouth to tease him further but decided against it. That was the first time Gray had opened up to him about anything from his past, and he was afraid if he pointed it out, his friend would just clam up again. He opted for something safer, "So, uhm, how old are you anyway?"
Gray took a sip from his drink before replying, "I turned thirty today."
"Thirty?! I thought you were younger," Natsu replied without thinking.
"Why?" Gray leaned forward resting his hands on the table and peering at him curiously. "How old are you?"
"Twenty-six."
"Really? I thought you were older," Gray smirked, "Your kids are older than mine."
"Hana was kind of an accident," Natsu admitted, although he was quick to add, "A good one, though."
"So that's why you didn't finish high school?"
"Not exactly," he thought about telling Gray more, but he didn't want to bring the conversation down. He sipped his drink, deciding to ask the one question he was curious about, "How come you're sitting here all alone on your birthday? I would've thought you had plans."
"Nah, my birthday's always been a bit of an afterthought, too soon after Christmas. I did go to lunch with Lyon earlier, though. That was nice."
"Then how come you look so glum?"
"Just coming to terms with being thirty, I'm not anywhere near where I thought I would be."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm just stuck," Gray grunted, "I can't move forward until my divorce finalizes, and despite Lyon's best efforts it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon. It just feels like even though I left him months ago, he's still controlling my life, and I hate it."
"You, uhm, never talk about him," Natsu pointed out, although a bit uncomfortably. Now that he and Gray had been spending more time together, he'd begun to feel oddly protective of him. The thought that someone was making him so unhappy filled him with rage. He might not be the easiest person in the world to get along with, but Gray Fullbuster was a good man.
"There's not really much to say, he's a self-centered asshole," Gray snapped, his face contorting into a glower. He hid his head in his hands for a moment, and Natsu could see that he was trying to do some sort of odd breathing.
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
A few moments later, Gray lifted his head, looking remarkably calmer. "It's just something I learned in martial arts training, it helps me to relax."
"I didn't know you did martial arts!" Natsu practically jumped out of his seat, "I always wanted to learn!"
"I can teach you some time if you want. It'd be good practice for me as long as you don't mind me kicking your ass regularly," with a teasing grin, Gray added, "and you'd have to call me Master."
"As if," Natsu scoffed, "I'm no lightweight."
"That's got nothing to do with it, dumbass," Gray explained, "I'd show you, but we'd probably get kicked out. Tell you what, pass your first test, and we'll start lessons."
"Is that what you wanted to do, be a teacher?" Natsu asked with more intuition than he was usually capable of.
"It was one of the things I was considering, I was actually studying Business Administration before I dropped out. I haven't seen a martial arts school in town, though. I think I'd like to open one."
"When you open it, I'll be the first to sign up, the kids too, if they're old enough." Natsu promised and then just for fun appended, "Master Gray," playing with the inflection of his voice as he said it.
Gray's entire face burned bright, and Natsu began to laugh at the flustered expression on his face even though he didn't quite understand it.
He grabbed his present from the table and handed it to Gray, wanting him to focus on something else. "Like I said on the phone, it's not much, but I made it myself. Oh, and don't shake it!" Natsu advised.
He watched as Gray opened the box, curious to see what he thought of it. Gray shut his eyes instantly, almost as if he didn't want Natsu to see his reaction.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just been a long time since anyone baked me a cake for my birthday," Gray smiled softly.
"Well, don't get used to it," Natsu retorted, unsure as to why that smile made him feel so good inside, almost like a hard-earned victory.
"I'm sure it'll taste like ass," Gray taunted, but when Natsu moved to take it away, he cradled the box in his arms and pouted. "Mine."
Natsu could only laugh, "You are such a child. Well, I better get in line, I had to promise a lot of treats to be able to come alone. Speaking of which, where's Aki?"
"At Rogue's with the twins, he watched him so I could go out with Lyon. I wasn't ready to go back yet, so I had him drop me off here. Do you really have to go already?"
Natsu had been about to get up, but his resolve weakened when he heard the plea hidden in the question. It was very unlike Gray's usual behavior and like a lot of things that had happened since he arrived at the coffee shop, he didn't quite know what to make of it.
He looked down at his watch, worrying at his bottom lip and wondering how upset Erza would be if he stayed out a little longer. He knew what it was like to dislike your own birthday. Natsu had hated his ever since Igneel had abandoned him and Erza on his ninth birthday, and nothing Erza, or Lisanna had ever tried to do to change that over the years, had made a lick of difference.
"Uhm, no, I suppose not, I can stay for a bit," he offered, reminding himself to buy two slices of cake for his sister.
"This is kind of nice," he blurted out as the thought crossed his mind.
"What is?" Gray looked around the coffee shop in puzzled wonder.
"Just hanging out like this. Usually, we're working on something like a practice test or homework or whatever. We don't really get to talk a lot."
Gray snorted, "That's because it usually leads to bickering."
"I guess," Natsu acknowledged as he tried to think of something to talk about, "So if you're thirty, that means you're close to my sister's age. Did you guys know each other in school?"
"No, I'm pretty sure I would remember her," Gray remarked with a grin that Natsu didn't like. He was used to guys thinking his sister was hot, and it usually didn't bother him all that much, but this time it made his stomach clench uncomfortably, until Gray added, "She's very intimidating, so is Mira."
Natsu relaxed at those words and chuckled in agreement, "Try growing up with her."
Gray shuddered, "Rogue wasn't so bad, just a little moody sometimes, but Cana was a whole different story."
At the mention of Gildarts' daughter Natsu couldn't help but confess, "I have to admit I'm really confused about what's going on with Gildarts and your dad."
"You're not the only one," Gray declared, "How is it you know Gildarts anyway? I get the feeling it has nothing to do with the Club," Gray sipped his coffee as he peered at Natsu curiously.
"Umh, well, he was our social worker," Natsu answered, looking out the window to avoid seeing Gray's expression.
"Oh, right, I keep forgetting he wasn't always going around destabilizing countries," Gray joked, but soon apologized as Natsu remained silent. "I'm sorry you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Natsu looked back, noticing Gray was looking at him just the same as always, giving him the confidence to add a bit more. "I mean, he's always been great to us. If it hadn't been for him, Erza and I would have probably been split up and put into the system."
"But you don't like to talk about it," Gray guessed, and Natsu nodded his head in agreement.
"Then you don't have to," Gray assured him, "The thing with Gildarts and my dad is something I'd always suspected but didn't know for sure until recently. Apparently, they were a thing in college until my mom came into the picture."
"So they're both bi?" Natsu eyed Gray, somewhat confusedly.
"My father is, yes. He was always open about it, which was kind of reassuring for me growing up, I have to say I'm not entirely sure what Gildarts identifies as."
"So, you're also —," Natsu asked before realizing it, not even sure why he wanted to know.
Gray's phone rang before he had a chance to respond, and Natsu watched his expression change to one of resignation as he answered, "Hey Rogue."
Natsu got up from their little nook, deciding to go buy his treats so that Gray could have some privacy and to remove himself from the conversation he had accidentally started. By the time he returned, he had found Gray doing the strange breathing thing again.
"Everything okay?"
Gray looked up, his blue eyes closed off once again, and Natsu instantly felt the loss.
"I have to get home," Gray replied in a monotone voice.
Natsu found himself offering him a ride, using the cake as an excuse when, in reality, he just didn't want to leave his friend just yet.
0-0
They arrived at Sting and Rogue's house, and Gray could already tell from the cars that were parked on the driveway that more visitors had come. He recognized the car sitting behind Rogue's as the one Cana drove, so she and most likely her daughter as well had to be there. Chances were that Gildarts was with them too, but Gray wasn't sure of that, knowing that his parents would be coming over later.
As much as Gray liked the idea of spending his birthday with her and Rogue, just like they had when they were younger but with the addition of new family members, he'd been having a great time with Natsu at the Bean as well. Frankly, he was hoping that Natsu would stay a little longer, but he wasn't going to say it in those words.
"Thanks for the ride, do you wanna maybe come inside for a drink?" he asked instead, playing it off as simple common decency.
"I wish I could, but I really need to get going," Natsu apologized, "Sunday is the only day I have to spend with the kids, and Erza needs some time for herself as well."
"Yeah, of course." Gray unbuckled his seat belt, carefully lifting the box with the cake in it to get it out of the way. "So...I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Definitely!"
Natsu's big grin distracted Gray for a moment, causing him to almost lose his grip on the cake box despite his efforts to keep it safe before.
"Alright! Have a nice Sunday then!" He rushed out, getting out of the car before he could do or say anything stupid. But before he slammed the door shut, he gave Natsu a half-hearted smile, "Oh and thanks-" he nodded at the cake box, "for this."
"You're welcome, let me know if it tastes like ass."
Gray scoffed, remembering he actually said that, "Sure, will do."
"Well, I know you didn't feel like celebrating all that much, but I still hope you'll have a nice birthday."
Natsu gave him another smile and waved as Gray closed the car door. Gray watched him drive off until his car was out of sight, savoring his last few seconds of peace and quiet before going inside the house.
The moment he walked through the door, Aki came running towards him, waving around a piece of paper and beaming with pride. "Dada!" he cheered, happy to see him again, "Made you dwawing!"
Whatever it was his two-year-old son drew, Gray couldn't distinguish. It just looked like a mess of colored crayon, but as most parents would agree, if their kid made it for them, it was perfect.
"That looks great, Aki!" Gray praised, "Why don't you keep it safe for me so I can put it on my bedroom wall as soon as we get back to uncle Lyon's place."
Aki nodded and ran over to the coffee table, where he put down the drawing right next to his beloved teddy bear. There was no sign of Gildarts or Rogue, but Cana was chatting on the couch with Sting as Temperance tried to build block structures with the twins on the floor.
"Happy Birthday, Gray!" Cana greeted him, getting up to give him a loose hug. Gray didn't hug her back, refusing to put down the cake box. In the few months he'd gotten to know Sting, he'd quickly learned that nothing sweet would last long around him.
"Thanks," Gray managed a smile at her anyway, following the direction she was pointing at to the dining table, where more gifts were waiting for him.
"Don't drink it all at once," Cana winked. Of course, she'd gotten him strong liquor, that was a given, but around the bottle's neck was a black bead bracelet. "That's onyx," Cana explained, "it protects your personal energy, absorbs the negative energy around you, and helps to ease your stress."
Gray finally put the cake box down on the table so he could put on the bracelet. He could admittedly use some stress relief, even in a comfortable environment like his old house, where he was surrounded by family. And aside from the spiritual meaning behind the bracelet, Gray thought it looked pretty good as well.
"Can I get like a ten-pound version of this stone to bash that... insufferable cretin's head in with?" he joked, substituting the foul language he'd wanted to use to describe how he felt about Siegrain with something more child-friendly, "that would definitely ease my stress."
"The bottle should do. Just make sure it's empty first."
"Naturally," Gray promised. "Hey, I could have sworn I had a brother who was nagging at me to get here. Where is he anyway?"
"Cana was sharing stories of all the stuff you three got up to when you were younger," Sting mentioned with obvious amusement, "I think he had enough of that conversation, he went to the basement." He came up to Gray's side and looked at the cake box curiously, "What's that? Did you get more presents?"
"Look what I found!" Rogue came walking up the basement stairs, struggling to open the safety gate with one hand while carrying some boxes in the other. Gray recognized them as their favorite childhood games, Leap Frogs and Don't Break The Ice, and on top of the bigger boxes, there was also a deck of regular playing cards.
"I knew we still had these lying around somewhere, thought Aki might like to play them," Rogue said as he closed the gate behind him. "What's that?" His gaze had landed on the cake box.
"It's a cake," Gray shrugged, opening the box to show them the cake, "Natsu made it for me."
Sting was looking at him as if pigs had suddenly begun to fly, Cana came walking over to examine the cake. "Wow. That looks horrendous," she stated blatantly, to which Gray quickly closed the box again and shot her a mildly offended look.
"Natsu baked you a cake?" Rogue asked perplexed. "When did you even see Natsu, I thought you said you were going to have lunch with Lyon?"
"I did. I met Natsu after that, he dropped me off here."
"Was that why I had to call you to get you to come home?"
Gray quickly grabbed the games out of Rogue's hands and dropped them on the dining room table, sitting in one of the chairs and keeping his cake box close to him. He really didn't like the way Sting was looking at it now that he knew what was in it.
"Let's just play the damn games, alright?" Gray grumbled. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.
0-0
Gray had been sitting quietly with Aki on his lap, holding the plastic hammer for the Don't Break the Ice game they were attempting to play in his hands. They were currently playing against Sting, who was still eyeing the cake box with puppy eyes.
"Will you stop that?" Gray demanded.
"I just want a little piece," Sting pleaded.
"And I said no," Gray replied, enjoying torturing his brother-in-law, especially since Rogue had been giving him a look since the moment he'd realized Natsu had given him a ride home.
"But everyone goes on about how good it is, and I never got to try it, Rogue ate the piece he was supposed to save for me from Hana's birthday," Sting whined giving his husband an accusing look, which he ignored in favor of examining his brother.
"So how did you meet up with Natsu again?" Rogue questioned.
"He called me up while I was at the Bean, wanted to give me a present," Gray shrugged, making sure to sound completely uninterested. He knew better than to show any weakness in this group.
"Come on, Gray, just a little piece, you have a whole cake," Sting coaxed, "Don't be so stingy!"
"Oh my God, Sting!" Gray snapped, finally having enough, "If you want some so badly, why don't you just ask him to make you one?"
"He did, practically begged actually," Rogue commented, "Natsu said he only makes them for family members. Which is why we're rather curious as to why he made one for you. Is there something you're not telling us?"
"Yeah," Sting added, "are you Gray Dragneel now?"
Gray couldn't entirely hide the blush that rose to his cheeks, although he tried. "I'm not entirely sure what you're implying, but Natsu and I are just friends."
Cana and Rogue immediately began to tease him, and he wanted to smack both their heads together so badly as they chorused, "Gray and Natsu sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes—"
"Alright, you're both hilarious, now knock it off," Gray wasn't amused, especially as he could see Aki had raised his head, watching his aunt and uncles with interest, the simple cadence of the children's rhyme appealing to him.
"You are seriously no fun," Cana muttered from behind her drink.
He was saved from having to answer by a knock on the door. Thinking it was Gildarts or his parents, he got up to answer, bringing the cake box along with him. He was surprised to find Natsu on the other side.
"Hey, change your mind?" Gray asked, confused as to why he had returned, although no less pleased.
"Uhm not exactly, Hana—," Natsu stopped his explanation in favor of raising an eyebrow at Gray, "Why are you still holding your cake?"
"Sting keeps threatening to eat it," Gray explained.
"Oh," Natsu nodded as if that made perfect sense, followed immediately by his eyes widening as he said, "Oh!" more forcefully.
Natsu chuckled, but Gray thought he sounded a bit nervous and wondered what that was about. "Uhm, well, he'll be happy to know Hana made him one. She begged me to bring her so she could drop it off. Sorry, hers looks prettier than mine, Erza helped."
Sting came to the door and nudged Gray out of the way, "Excuse his manners, please come in. Did I hear you say something about cake?"
Hana's hands were shaking so much as she handed Sting the cake she had made him that Gray was afraid she was going to drop it. It was made up of three Easy Bake Oven cakes covered in white frosting and decorated with rainbow-colored cake glitter.
"F-for you," Hana stammered, her cheeks coloring prettily. Natsu nudged her gently, and Hana added, although somewhat reluctantly, "Uncle Rogue can have some too."
"That's beautiful, Hana, thank you!" Sting admired the cake before giving the girl a hug, He glanced over at Rogue with a smirk, "He wishes. I think I will eat it all by myself if you don't mind."
"Stingy Sting," Rogue teased his husband, though it seemed like he did it more for the sake of teasing than actually being bothered by the fact that he wouldn't be getting any cake.
Hana shook her head and looked down at the floor shyly. Gray's heart went out to her, having the impression that they were having some of the same feelings.
"I have something for you too, actually!" Sting disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing with a fork, and a plastic container filled with a type of cookies Gray had never seen before. "My mom made them, but she made so many, and I already had...well...a lot of them. I'd meant to give you and your brother some. Thought you'd like them."
Hana's face was the same color of bright pink as her hair, but she nodded anyway and accepted the container with a big smile, clutching it to her chest and waiting for Sting to taste the cake.
Gray looked unimpressed when Sting took his first bite and turned to Rogue, rubbing it in his face that he was eating cake and Rogue wasn't, by making exaggerated moaning sounds. At least, Gray hoped that that was the idea behind it.
"Oh wow, this is seriously amazing, Hana!" Sting complimented her sincerely, "Did you make this all by yourself?"
Hana shook her head even as her cheeks once again flushed at the compliment, "I helped Daddy when he was baking Uncle Gray's cake. He let me have some of the batter we made."
Sting gave Gray a triumphant look before turning around and going at Natsu, "Speaking of which, what the hell Dragneel?"
Natsu played dumb, grabbing Hana by the hand and waving, "It was great to see everyone, but we need to get home, enjoy your party."
Hana said her goodbyes as well, and they left quickly. They had been there for less than ten minutes, but it had been long enough for Gray to see that the others had been telling the truth.
For some reason, Natsu had decided to make an exception for him, and Gray didn't know whether it had anything to do with the bracelet Cana had gifted him, but he suddenly felt like he was soaring, and it was something he'd not felt in a long time.
He went into the kitchen to grab a cake knife, wanting to taste his present right away after seeing how much Sting had enjoyed his. Cutting a generous slice and placing it on a plate, he took a bite, reveling in the sweetness of the cake and the man who had gifted it to him.
It was already the best birthday he could remember.