I know I said that I was going to use unpopular songs, but this is one of my favourites!
Song: Accidentally in Love- Counting Crows
Chapter 2: First Date
"First date?" Gray raised an eyebrow, questioning how idiotic that sounded, yet there he was, in his room getting ready like a high school girl.
He was to meet Natsu in the center of town at noon. He brushed his teeth, took a shower, and got dressed in his usual jeans and a plain black t-shirt that was slightly fitted. Though he preferred them, baggy clothes seemed to make it easier for him to lose them.
He looked at the clock. 11:30. He should get going now. Grabbing his wallet and locking the door behind him, he took off for town.
He got their just in time. Natsu was leaning up against a lamp post with his arms behind his head. "There you are my ice princess." He walked up to Gray and put his arms around the back of his shoulders. "Shall we be going? I have a big day planned for us you know!"
Gray could only nod and follow along, pretending to look bored but his eyes gave him away. He was secretly anxious and excited.
Natsu bought them ice cream. Happy eating away at his cone, Gray pulled out some cash and handed it to Natsu.
"What's that for?" Natsu asked pointing at the money in Gray's outstretched hand.
"The ice cream." Gray stretched his hand out a little further.
"Um no. This is on me today." Natsu smiled his big goofy smile.
"That's not fair! Let me pay at least half." Gray tried to force the money into Natsu hand, but Natsu lit his fist on fire, making Gray pull his hand away on instinct.
"I said no. You can pay for the next date. I'm looking forward to it!" Natsu laughed, letting the flames die down.
"Next… date…" Gray put his head down and covered his face with his hand to hide his slight blush. This was going to be a regular thing. It was nerve rackingly too good to be true.
He nodded simply and Natsu leaned towards him and rubbed his soft cheek against Gray's making Gray's blush deepen. "There. It's a date."
"Stop! We're in public." Gray exclaimed trying to keep his voice hushed.
Natsu stopped and looked around. Nobody was staring and nobody cared what they were doing. Everybody was simply trying to go about their own business.
Natsu snuggled closer against Gray's cold cheek, loving the feeling. "You worry too much."
Gray closed his eyes in defeat. Instead he focused his attention on the hot breathes that tickled the skin on his face. That, and the heat of the day, we're making his brain turn to mush. It was almost a little too hot.
Suddenly, Natsu pulled away, leaving Gray shocked at the loss of contact only to have Natsu reach out his hand. Gray looked at it in confusion. "We should hold hands." Natsu said, grabbing Gray's hand out of impatience from Gray's hesitation.
They went to see a movie at the cinema. It wasn't romance, but an action thriller, which suited Gray just fine. They didn't have to do everything stereotypical of a relationship. It was easier this way too, because Gray was still trying to get used to this idea of being Natsu's… boyfriend.
Just the thought alone was enough to make his head spin in happiness and confusion. How did something that seemed so impossible the day before become the very reality that he was living right now?
By the time they got out, it was dinner time. Gray just realized that the only thing he had to eat all day was the ice cream from earlier and the popcorn at the theatre. His stomach told him of its discontent.
Natsu heard Gray's stomach growling and silently chuckled. "You hungry, or is that a dragon I hear?"
"Shut up! I haven't had a proper meal all day!" Gray pulled his hand out of Natsu's and looked away as his stomach gave another huge rumble.
"Jeez, don't be so sensitive. I'm starving too. Good thing I have reservations at that restaurant over there." He pointed across the street to…
"Holy shit! You've got reservations at Wizard's Paradise." Gray couldn't believe it. "How the hell did you manage that?"
"I took a job off the bulletin board for them to get a special spice. The reward was a table for two at the special VIP seats on the rooftop." Natsu shrugged, obviously pleased with himself. "I've been saving it for a special occasion."
Who knew Natsu was so thoughtful of things like this? Gray thought. He certainly had no idea.
Gray reached out his hand again for Natsu to take, which Natsu accepted happily. They crossed the street together, each with their own smile imprinted on their face.
Natsu approached the front desk where a man sat wearing a dress shirt and nicely groomed. Gray felt underdressed. "Reservations for Dragneel."
"Ah, right this way Mr. Dragneel." The waiter led them up a neatly decorated spiral staircase with crystal chandeliers lining the way to the rooftop. There was a single set of cushioned chairs and a crystal table top situated in the center of the roof. Flowers of the greatest rarity surrounded them, as if they were sitting in the middle of a royal garden, and not a rooftop.
It was simply amazing. Natsu looked at Gray from the corner of his eyes and saw the ice wizard's eyes wide and awed. He smiled.
The waiter pulled out the seats for the two of them and handed them each a menu. Everything was so expensive, but the waiter assured them that any main course was free as that was a part of the reward that Natsu received from his mission. Natsu ordered two glasses of champagne.
Natsu and Gray sat at the table in awkward silence until the waiter brought them their champagne. Natsu thanked him and the waiter bowed. Taking a sip of his drink, he asked Gray nervously, "So, am I doing this right?"
Gray paused. "Doing what right?"
"You know. The whole relationship thing." Natsu said staring into his champagne glass.
"Oh. It's all great." Gray assured him.
"Really?" Natsu heaved a sigh of relief. "You know, I'm new at this. This is actually my first date. Just wanna do it right, you know?" His thumb tapped nervously on the corner of the table.
"Really. It's all fine. A little over-the-top, but nice." Gray said, grabbing hold of Natsu fidgeting hand to silence the tapping and Natsu's nerves.
"Over-the-top eh?" Natsu averted his eyes.
"Well, it's not someplace I would ever go on my own. But you did a job for it right? So it's okay."
Natsu sighed. "Alright. So next time, a little less. But for now, let's eat!" The waiter had come to check on them and they each placed their order.
"I'm… actually trying to get used to this… That is… being together with you. That's the weirdest part of today, to be honest." Gray forced himself to look Natsu straight in the eyes. Natsu stared back in shock.
Without warning, Natsu reached across the table and hugged Gray. Gray was pulled slightly out of his chair as his body was drawn closer to the scorching body in front of him.
"I am too, but I think… it won't be so bad to get used to." Natsu words were muffled against Gray's shoulder.
The food was great and Gray and Natsu were full and happy. The thanked the waiter for his time, gave him his tip, and were off again.
"That was… really nice." Gray said quietly. He wasn't used to being this way with Natsu. He didn't quite mind it, and he knew Natsu was trying to be the 'good boyfriend', but that wasn't what Gray fell for. He didn't want Natsu to forget that.
"Oh, we're not done yet." Natsu grinned and pointed towards town square. Gray looked and could see spotlights lighting the area. "The local band is playing tonight. Let's go check it out." He grabbed Gray's arm, not bothering to give him time to protest.
"Natsu wait." Gray called out. Natsu just looked over his shoulder and laughed.
They got downtown, and Natsu made the required donation to go see the band. He led Gray over to an empty chair. "Have a seat, my sweet ice princess."
"Shut up, stupid flame-brain." Gray frowned, but sat down regardless.
Natsu sat down beside Gray and casually grabbed hold of Gray's hand. Gray looked down at their intertwined fingers and up and Natsu's face in confusion, but Natsu's eyes were on the stage.
The singer on the stage finished his song and thanked the audience. "For our next song, we're going to be doing a cover of the song 'Accidentally in Love' by the Counting Crows, if you've heard of it. Feel free to sing along."
The music began and an energetic tune filled the area. The people in the band started to put on a show as the jumped and moved with the movement of the music. Some people in the audience got up to dance.
"So she said 'what's the problem, baby?'
'What's the problem?' I don't know,
Well maybe I'm in love (love).
Think about it.
Every time I think about it.
Can't stop thinking about it."
Natsu mumbled quietly. "I know I'm in love." And he squeezed Gray's hand a little harder. Gray looked at him again, but still, Natsu's were still glued on the performers.
"How much longer will it take to cure this?
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love).
Makes me wanna turn around and face me,
But I don't know nothing about love, oh."
Natsu sighed. Gray thought maybe it had something to do with what Natsu was saying at the restaurant, about how Natsu was new at this. Gray swallowed his pride and mumbled, "This is really nice. Thanks flame-brain." The corners of Natsu's mouth turning up in a happy grin made it worth it.
"Come on, come on.
Turn a little faster.
Come on, come on.
And the world will follow after.
Come on, come on.
Cause everybody's after love."
"Hey Gray?" Natsu asked suddenly.
Gray turned towards him, curious. "Yeah?"
"Wanna dance with me?" Natsu extended his arm. This was the first time tonight he didn't just take Gray's arm without waiting for Gray to give an answer. Gray accepted.
They made their way to the front of the stage and danced and bobbed to the happy tune together.
"So I said 'I'm a snowball running,
Running down into the spring that's coming all this love'.
Melting under blue skies, belting out,
Sunlight shimmering love."
Gray sighed. He'd been trying to not fall into this too hard right at the beginning, but this just seemed too perfect and easy to him.
"Well baby, I surrender to the strawberry ice cream,
Never ever end of all this love.
Well I didn't mean to do it,
But there's no escaping your love, oh."
Gray gave up. He wouldn't fight it anymore. He moved to dance a little closer to Natsu, and Natsu raised an eyebrow but didn't question it.
"These lines of lightning mean we're never alone.
Never alone. No! No!
Come on, come on.
Move a little closer.
Come on, come on.
I want to hear you whisper.
Come on, come on.
Settle down inside my love, oh."
Natsu grabbed Gray's arms and started swinging them back and forth. He really could be childish. Childish, but loveable.
"Come on. Come on.
Jump a little higher.
Come on. Come on.
If you feel a little lighter.
Come on. Come on.
We were once upon a time in love.
We're accidentally in love."
Gray was suddenly pulled into a slow dance. He looked at Natsu's face, and instead of the goofy grin it normally had, it wore a soft and loving smile. Gray allowed himself to get pulled in a little closer.
"Accidentally in love.
Accidentally in love.
Accidentally in love"
Natsu switched the slow dance tempo to a more bouncy one as the music picked up. Gray felt like Natsu was sending a message. 'We're still gonna be friends too.' And Gray was happy to hear it. He didn't want to lose Natsu as a friend.
"Accidentally in love.
Accidentally in love.
Accidentally in love.
Accidentally in love.
Accidentally!
I'm in love. I'm in love.
I'm in love. I'm in love.
I'm in love. I'm in love.
Accidentally!
I'm in love. I'm in love.
I'm in love. I'm in love.
I'm in love. I'm in love.
Accidentally!"
Gray and Natsu started to laugh as the stood there at the front of the crowd, goofily dancing with each other. They were having the time of their life, and they didn't care who saw.
"Come on. Come on.
Spin a little tighter.
Come on. Come on.
And the world's a little brighter.
Come on. Come on.
Just get yourself inside her love.
I'm in love."
The music faded away and everybody clapped. Natsu and Gray joined in the clapping, both out of breath.
Gray reached out his hand for Natsu's. "Wanna go back to our seats?"
Natsu stared at the hand, shocked that Gray was offering to hold hands. Natsu nodded eagerly and grabbed the cool palm. It felt nice.
You know what I want... Review Review Review! (I'm trying something different here, so I need to know if it's good)