The movie was okay. So far, neither Gray or Natsu thought it was going to be anything more than 'eh'. It began with the story of an unassuming young woman, moving through her regular day. Nothing stands out until she meets a man in town. He quickly asks her out to dinner, which the woman accepts; not having been on a date in some time.
Natsu was a very talkative movie-watcher, Gray noticed. He audibly critiqued, commented on, and joked about almost anything on screen. When the man had arrived at the restaurant, Natsu laughed uproariously at the slow, vertically scrolling shot of the man to highlight his outfit. He had cited "Sure, he's hot, but they don't need to put his dick on display whenever possible." as his reason for finding it so funny. Gray hadn't realized until that very moment that, yes, the directors had found excuses to zoom in on the man's crotch whenever they could. It made the beginning of the movie significantly more entertaining to search for, and loudly point out, any stupid camera angles.
The man and woman had a wonderfully pleasant date, both sharing similar interests and senses of humor. They continued to see each other until the woman asked to be official partners. At this point, the man became evasive. He said he couldn't date her, that something was keeping him from her. The woman felt hurt. She left quickly, returning to her house in supposed rejection.
The next morning, the woman heard a knock at the door. She thought it might be the man, but it wasn't. It was a strong and mysterious figure who promptly grabbed and subdued the woman, taking her into a car. She screamed and fought, but was unable to break the figure's hold. She was driven for multiple hours, out to some undisclosed location.
At this point, Natsu was glued to the screen, his jokes and comments slowing down as he became invested in the plot. Both Gray and Natsu had finished their food and were now curled into the blankets. They were close. They could feel the heat radiating off of each other's bodies, feel the cool brush of air on their skin when the other breathed out. As the figure was trying to intimidate the woman during their drive, Natsu spoke to Gray.
"How do you like the movie so far?" He asked, whispering only to gently break the silence.
"It's okay. Kinda cliche."
Natsu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is cliche. It reads like any other romance that I've seen in the past few years."
"You watch romance?" Gray asked, surprised. "You seem like the type to either only like action or to not watch movies at all."
Natsu flushed, realizing that he had revealed a small, embarrassing secret at that moment.
Gray rolled his eyes, knowing what Natsu was thinking. "Dude, it's okay. I watch soap operas." At his silence, Gray met Natsu's eyes. He seemed to be holding back laughter. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, you can laugh." Despite not wanting to, Natsu did. It started as a chuckle but grew to a fit within a minute.
"Jesus, Natsu!" Gray complained, chuckling along as Natsu laughed so hard that he leaned into Gray's arm. "What the fuck is so funny about that?"
Natsu struggled to speak coherently. "It's just that— Like, all I can imagine is you, with like, your trademark cold stare, watching overdone people scream and wail on the TV. And just, I don't know! You're just sitting there, furrowed brows, while a soap opera plays and it's just so funny to me!"
"Cold stare?" Gray exclaimed. "I do not have a cold stare!"
"You are constantly brooding like some kind of anti-villain!"
At this point, both were laughing pretty hard. The movie still played, but neither were watching.
"I will admit, though—" Natsu continued. "It has gotten better since your teenage years."
"Well damn, Natsu, I would certainly hope so! I mean, that's not me admitting that I have a 'cold stare' but—"
"Wait, wait! We're getting off track!" Natsu proclaimed, bolting upright. "Do you actually watch soap operas or did you just say that to make me feel better?"
"Yes, I like them! A lot of people do!" Gray insisted, throwing an arm into the air.
"Well, sure, yeah, but not people like you!" Natsu retorted.
"That's rude! They're… well, they're not good shows, per say, but they have so many plot twists and unbelievable scenarios that I just can't help but watch them. It draws you in, y'know?" Gray explained, not understanding Natsu's total disbelief. "Plus, dude, you watch romance. I didn't expect that of you, either."
"Well, yeah! It's cute and makes me happy. I wanna get married someday, have someone at home who will cuddle me at night. These movies just show that desire."
"That's a much more wholesome reason than mine."
Natsu stuck his tongue out at Gray. "Duh, because I'm a wholesome person. And you're just an idiot with a cold stare."
Gray responded by "playfully" putting Natsu into a wrestling pin. Gray's shins were pressed into the backs of Natsu's knees, one arm swept under and around one of Natsu's, and Gray's other hand was pressed into the bed, keeping himself steady. Natsu yelped, not expecting the sudden attack.
"This won't change the fact that you're a brooding bitch." Natsu mocked, his voice muffled considering that his face was being shoved into the mattress.
"You love this brooding bitch." Gray didn't realize the implication of what he was saying until after he said it. His stomach churned from sudden anxiety—why the hell did he just say that?
"Yeah, I do." Natsu smirked. "Now let me go or I'll set you on fire." Gray relented, letting Natsu up from the pin. He still felt nervous.
"That was easier than I expected. I really thought I'd have to set you on fire." Natsu joked, pushing himself upright.
"Do you really lo—Uh, nevermind. Well, we should probably watch the movie!" Gray said, completely unrelated to Natsu's comment. They looked towards the screen, only to find that… They had no idea what was going on. Characters they hadn't seen were on screen, saying things that hardly made sense. "Okay, guess not." Gray grunted. He leaned over the foot of the bed, not wanting to get up, to turn off the lacrima with the tips of his fingers.
"Eh, doesn't matter to me. Didn't seem too great of a movie anyway." Natsu said coolly. "You said something weird before, though. It seemed significant. What did you say?"
"You're blunt."
"Answer the question."
Gray stuttered, obviously not wanting to answer. Natsu sighed out of his nose, crawling forward to meet him. "Dude, c'mon. We just did a whole thing today about being friends and being honest and stuff. Deliver on it!"
Gray still didn't respond, somewhat caught up in his thoughts. He looked closely at Natsu, who was now significantly closer. His hair had been matted by the pillows, flattened on one side, giving him the effect of being lopsided. He had large eyes, a nice jaw, good skin, and… and he was sweet. He cared for Gray.
Gray made a split-second decision.
His right hand slid upwards, going ever so slowly, until it came to rest on Natsu's jaw. Natsu seemed to realize what was happening. He readied himself.
Gray tilted Natsu's head up. Their eyes met.
"Shit, Natsu… I, Uh—" Gray stammered, trying to get his feelings across and failing quickly.
"I understand, Gray. I know how you feel because I've been feeling the same things. Spending these past days with you has been… well, amazing. Now kiss me already!"
Gray complied. He bent down, pressing their lips together, causing a tingle to spread through both of their bodies. Gray felt Natsu's arms slide around his midsection, holding him a soft hug. Gray moved his lips, slightly, rhythmically, trying to see what Natsu was comfortable with. Natsu responded zealously, pressing his hands into Gray and moving his lips along to Gray's slow, pleasant tempo.
It didn't take long before they separated. The kiss had only lasted a few seconds, but it had felt like minutes. Both were pink in the cheeks, looking at each other with wondrous excitement. Neither had expected the night to turn out like this but, somehow, they knew it was bound to.
Natsu was the first to break the silence. "Can we cuddle?"
"Of course." Gray said softly, pleased that Natsu was responding so positively to his advances.
Natsu flopped onto his side, allowing Gray to land behind him. Natsu thought Gray seemed very tentative, so he decided that he should help guide him. Natsu flipped around, facing Gray's chest. He pressed his head into where Gray's shoulder connected to his neck, wrapping one arm behind his neck and the other over his side. Gray was shocked at his forwardness, not knowing what to do in response. Natsu wasn't very patient.
"Hold me back." Natsu whispered into Gray's chest. He soon felt a reciprocating arm around him, giving a slight squeeze before relaxing. Gray kissed the top of Natsu's head, using his free hand to pet his hair.
"I just want to say this, Natsu." Gray mumbled, embarrassed and shocked at the recent turn of events. "I'm doing this because I think you're sweet and I appreciate that you care for me in our unique little way."
Natsu simply snuggled into Gray's chest harder. Gray pecked Natsu's head again, holding it for a few seconds.
"Your hair is stupidly soft, too." Gray finished, finally settling into their position.
"Thank you." Natsu hummed. "I'll be honest, I don't do anything besides wash it."
"That is so unfair." Gray pouted, continuing to run his fingers through Natsu's hair, now out of fascination rather than romance. "I put hair masks, oils, and so many products in mine."
"I mean, it looks good." Natsu giggled.
"Maybe, but it doesn't feel like this." He ruffled Natsu's hair to emphasize his point. Natsu laughed, feeling distinctly like a dog getting told it was a 'good boy'. He smiled, tipping his head back to allow Gray to reach everything.
"Oh, that was adorable." Gray mumbled sweetly. He brought his head down, setting it in front of Natsu's. His hand found Natsu's cheek, his thumb softly running up and down his cheekbone.
"Natsu?" He mumbled, kissing Natsu's nose gently. "Is this… too fast? It feels fast."
Natsu considered his next words, knowing they were important. "Well, it might be fast for some people. But I'm comfortable with it, you're comfortable with it, and that's all that matters."
"I guess that's true." Gray paused, suddenly laughing. "Oh god, wait until the guild finds out. We left fighting and came back kissing!"
Natsu laughed too, imagining everyone's shock at the eternal rivals turned lovers. He hummed, rubbing his nose against Gray's. "Can you kiss me more? Like, more more?"
Gray flushed bright pink. "Y-Yeah, I can. I will, actually!" He brought his head down sharply in excitement, hitting his top lip on Natsu's teeth. He pulled away just as quickly, embarrassed. Natsu simply laughed, not mockingly, and invited Gray to try again. He did try again, slower, allowing their heads to tilt into each other's. Natsu opened his mouth, causing Gray to open his. They began cautiously, just exploring each other's wants.
Gray realized that Natsu ran ridiculously warm. He had to kick off the covers as their kiss gradually grew rougher, the contact with Natsu's body causing Gray to overheat. Natsu slid his tongue into Gray's mouth, taking him entirely by surprise. Gray pulled Natsu close to him, giving him the go-ahead to kiss a little harder, be a little more aggressive. Natsu took that chance with glee.
Natsu immediately flipped Gray onto his back, pushing his tongue far into Gray's mouth, moving faster and harder. Natsu's hands began to explore, starting from Gray's head and ending just above his hips. It all felt wonderfully good. All of Gray's nerves were alive, jolting his brain with every movement. Typically innocuous parts of his body had been set aflame by Natsu's touch. Gray's hands kept slipping up and down Natsu's back, feeling all of the smooth, firm muscles that Natsu worked so hard for. He particularly liked holding one hand on the curve of Natsu's lower back, the other gripping just above his shoulder blades. Natsu pulled away for a moment, catching his breath.
"Is this okay?" He asked quietly, holding his face only a hair's breadth from Gray's.
"Yeah." Gray answered simply. "To be honest, while I'm still adjusting, I think I prefer you taking a bit of the initiative."
"Adjusting to what?"
"Just… you. I wasn't expecting this at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy! Just shocked."
"I'm a little shocked, too. But I think I've wanted this for longer than I thought."
Gray paused momentarily. "Are you suggesting that you've been crushing on me for a while?"
"Well shit, I did just say that, didn't I?" Natsu said, somewhat surprised at this revelation. Gray made fun of him through an evil grin. "I guess… maybe I did have a crush on you? Just a little, though, don't get too cocky."
"You fucking nerd." Gray's retort was met by a pillow being shoved into his face.
"You kissed me first!" Natsu yelled, pushing the pillow down harder.
"Mrrph–Mph…phbt!" Natsu wasn't sure what exactly Gray said, but he knew it was scathing. He tried to keep the pillow on, but suddenly, Natsu had his turn being flipped. He landed on his stomach in a position not dissimilar to the pin Gray had him in earlier. This time, however, it sent a different message—one that tingled Natsu from his ears to his toes. This did not escape Gray. He took full advantage of it, attacking Natsu's exposed neck with quick kisses.
"I did kiss you first, because I've liked you for a while, too. This past week was just the trigger that sprung me into action."
Gray slid up to Natsu's head, his nose brushing the shell of his ear. He tried to put on a seductive voice. It felt a little embarrassing to do, but he thought it sounded okay.
"I want to do a lot of things first, so… can I take off your shirt?" He whispered, low and suave. Apparently, the sexy voice worked, since Natsu croaked out a 'yes' almost immediately. Gray allowed Natsu to sit up—it's hard to take off your clothes if you're being pressed into a mattress—falling back onto his heels, Gray right behind him. Natsu spread his arms slightly, inviting Gray to work his stripper magic.
Despite knowing that he could take it off in under a second, Gray took it slow. They probably weren't going to have sex tonight. Sure, it would be nice, but what Gray really wanted was to love Natsu—to take him out on dates, to hold and to compliment him. He didn't want Natsu to think he just wanted sex. So, Gray assumed that this was about as far as they were going to get tonight, which was fine. He wanted to take it slow and enjoy it.
Gray began by moving all over Natsu's chest and arms, over the hoodie, teasing him slightly. Natsu soon pushed his shoulders into Gray, signaling for him to get a move on. Gray fingered the hem of his hoodie, pushing it up by barely an inch. His other hand slid under the cloth, his palm laying flat on Natsu's stomach. He resumed kissing Natsu's neck, sweet pecks that he held for a few seconds each, as he began to slip the shirt up further and further. Natsu's breath was significantly heavier—Gray could hear it whispering in and out of his nose. On occasion, he would let out a soft sigh, as if to release extra air that had pent itself up in his lungs. His head kept moving, opening Gray to new skin to kiss, lavish, and love. Natsu's hands were busy, feeling Gray's thigh, pushing his head closer, or gently placing them over the hand that was leisurely pulling off his hoodie.
When the hem reached Natsu's chin, Gray changed his tactic. He realized it would be hard to comfortably pull the hoodie over Natsu's head and arms at this angle, so he just let Natsu do that part himself. Natsu excitedly ripped off his shirt, pulling his head out before sliding the sleeves off of his arms.
Gray took a second to admire him. Yeah, he'd seen Natsu's chest quite a few times. Honestly, he'd seen Natsu's entirely naked body before—and Natsu (along with nearly everyone in Magnolia) had seen his. Gray already knew where all of Natsu's scars, moles, and marks were. But, those times were different. Seeing his upper body then, one which Gray was currently noticing how wonderfully toned it was, was only a product of circumstance: swimming, bathing, damaged clothes, or any other variety of reasons. This time, though, Natsu was intentionally opening himself to Gray—not some benign, unimportant instance—but a symbolic gesture of romance and, frankly, sexuality.
Gray placed his lips onto Natsu's collarbone. "I'm happy." He breathed.
Natsu stroked the back of Gray's head, his face breaking into a genuine smile. "Me, too."
Gray began. He kissed along Natsu's collarbone, following the boney ridge to his shoulder. There, he playfully bit Natsu, small and light, before sucking the area into a hickey. Natsu squirmed, wishing that Gray would dedicate more time to places more sensitive than his shoulder.
He brought himself back to Natsu's chest, pressing into one pectoral. Gray began to use his tongue along with his lips, leaving trails of kisses and saliva across his breast.
"Can you try, um…" Natsu motioned to his nipple, too embarrassed to say it aloud. Gray hid his smile against his chest, trying not to make fun of him too much.
"Sure." He used his hands first, massaging Natsu's pectorals. He soon focused on each nipple, thumbing over them in circles. Natsu flushed, excited for what was to come. His stomach felt hot, more than usual, a small pressure building in his core. He shook slightly, mostly from all the different feelings pulsing throughout his body. He wrapped his legs around Gray's waist, keeping him close. The motion, which he thought would relieve some of his body's pressure, only increased it. He squeezed tightly into Gray's sides, tipping his head back into the pillows, trying to ride out the surge.
Gray laid a flat lick onto Natsu's right nipple, ending with a very gentle suck. It was a little odd: it felt like licking a mole.
"Huh, weird." Natsu mumbled. That was not what Gray expected to hear at all. He looked up, meeting Natsu's eyes.
"Uh, sorry. It just… sounded a lot hotter than it ended up being. It doesn't feel any different than the rest of my skin." Natsu explained apologetically.
"It's okay. I guess you just aren't very sensitive there." Gray posited, adjusting his position to be more comfortable. "Though… I would love to find where the sensitive areas actually are." He paused for effect, keeping his gaze solid. "May I?"
Natsu let out a definitely-not-real-words sound, a sort of gasping hum that took both of them entirely by surprise. Natsu's hand jumped to cover his mouth.
"That's a yes, I assume?" Gray chuckled. Natsu released his legs, letting Gray sit up on top of him.
"Yeah, it is." Natsu squirmed, not knowing what Gray was going to do, exactly, but wanting it nonetheless.
"Perfect. I'm going to try out a couple different places, okay?" Gray asked dimly, shifting their positions to be more useful. Natsu grunted in agreement. "I'm gonna try your spine, ears, neck, and… hm, maybe your wrists?" He pulled Natsu up, having him sit opposite to him. Their legs were tangled together, allowing their faces to remain close. "Are there any places you don't want me to touch?"
"I don't think so. I just want to say, though, I think I want to wait to have, like, actual sex."
"Me too. I was thinking about that earlier, actually." Gray responded, relieved that he and Natsu were on the same page. "I want to treat you well, first, before we jump into sex."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"I dunno."
"Liar."
Natsu giggled, settling into Gray's chest. "Maybe a little." He grew more serious. "Is it okay if we go to bed after the exploration thingy?"
"Yeah, totally."
Gray decided to make it quick. He kissed Natsu's temple, allowing him to remain half-cuddled on his torso. He swept his fingers up Natsu's spine, bouncing over the ribbing of his bone. His back was very warm, changing the temperature of the pads of Gray's fingers.
"How was that?" He asked, murmuring against his head.
"A little ticklish, but not bad."
Gray took a mental note of his response, moving on to his wrists. He gently rubbed the veins on Natsu's inner wrists before bending down and pressing his lips into the delicate area.
"Sweet, but not very sexual." Natsu informed, not needing to be prompted for his response anymore.
Gray continued to sweep one thumb around Natsu's wrist, liking that he now knew a gesture that was sweet, but also pretty unique. He kissed Natsu's jaw, alerting him that his neck was next. He slipped down, pressing right under his adam's apple. He used his tongue to add a little pressure.
Natsu breathed out softly, his eyebrows cinching. "Mm, yeah, I like that." Gray could feel the muscles in his neck bob as he spoke.
They were almost done. Gray used his free hand to find the little divot behind Natsu's ear. He slid around it, pressing his lobe, the back of his ear, anything that seemed to do something. All the while, Gray continued to both rub his wrist and also kiss his neck.
Natsu closed his eyes, focusing on the sensations he was feeling. He loved the sweetness contrasted with the sensuality of Gray's mouth. Strangely, whatever Gray was doing to his ear felt really good. He didn't expect it, considering it was just his ears. Natsu tipped his head to the side, begging Gray to do a little more. He did.
Gray brought his mouth from Natsu's throat to his ears, kissing the divot first before moving all around. Natsu allowed little sounds to leave his chest, anywhere from soft murmurs to whimpering squeals.
"I assume you like this?" Gray whispered into his skin.
"I love it." He gasped. "Holy shit, I love it."
Gray laughed, finishing their session with one, solid kiss on the side of Natsu's neck. He fell onto his back with a happy sigh. Natsu settled himself on top of Gray, curling up, almost like a cat curling into a warm patch of sunlight. Gray rolled the sheets over both of them, tucking them under their sides.
"I'm really excited to explore this new relationship with you." Gray said, collecting his exact thoughts on the matter.
Natsu had been pretty tired out from all of the emotional, and physical, madness of the past approximate hour. Not to mention, it was getting pretty late by now. He mumbled something not understandable.
"Yeah, fair." Gray chuckled. He looked deeply at Natsu, his pink hair against his shirt, the rise and fall of his body as he breathed, taking in all that he committed himself to. It didn't take long until that breath deepened, telling Gray that he was falling asleep.
A lot had happened. But Gray wasn't going to deal with it, at least not right now. He shifted until he felt comfortable, closing his eyes, warmed from the boy laying over him, allowing sleep to cloud his mind and pull him into unconsciousness.