A/N: There's just no excuse. But I'm gonna have one anyway: I lost inspiration for this! I had written four other versions before I wrote this up from the top of my head. It shows too, I was just typing everything that came in mind. But at least I got something out, right? RIGHT?!
Let's review some stuff, refresh our memories, shall we? For my own benefit ha ha:
Gray and Lyon are now at FT Stables
Gray and Natsu have met and share some sort of feelings for each other
Natsu's guy friends rub Gray the wrong way and now he's avoiding Natsu
Wow, this story is just so great (sarcasm) Siiiiigh, well, you work with what you've got! This story will see completion, best believe that. Anyways, here's the next chapter where things get revealed but we already know them so why make a pointless chapter? Filler? Filler.
It's one in the morning, I'm sorry for my lack of intelligence.
Something was up.
Something was definitely up. But Natsu didn't have a damn clue on what it could be.
It's been almost a week since Gray brushed him off. A long, almost week filled with Natsu trying to get Gray to talk to him and Gray continuing to brush him off.
It was starting to hurt and anger Natsu.
Obviously there was something bothering Gray and with the way he's acting, Natsu can't help but think it's because it has something to do with him.
And he needs to know why so he can fix whatever he did to make Gray upset with him. If only Gray would quit avoiding him! Natsu puffed out a breath and sunk lower in his seat. Various eye brows quircked up but the pinkette ignored all of his friends. A pout graced his lips while he nudged the fried potatos on his plate around.
The cafeteria was buzzing with the new riders as they gushed about the horses they would be receiving in a few days. Some were excited, others a little nervous. Natsu could care less, honestly, he could. His situation with Gray was beating him up.
Sets of eyes watched the pink haired rider slump forward with a groan and bang his head on the table. A hand poked his shoulder. "Do you feel sick Natsu?" Happy's voice carried in Natsu's ears. He just groaned. Happy rubbed his best friend's shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes."
From across the table Loke scoffed. A double stacker sandwich squished messily between his tan hands. "You're both clueless." he offered before taking a large bite of his lunch. On one side of him was Lucy, the blonde rider, and on the other side of him was Jellal.
Lucy watched in slight disgust at Loke who grinned at her, crumbs surrounding around the corner of his mouth. The girl made a face and used her napkin to dab them away, sucessfully making Loke's face brim a low pink.
"Have you tried talking to him?" the blonde had been let in on what had been happening between her best friend and his new found crush -yes, Natsu admitted to her that he liked Gray- 'It's not like he to tell me though, I already knew'
Natsu mumbled into the table and although his words were heavily muffled, everyone at the table still heard him say that he had already tried, about a million thousand times. Everyone was (besides Lucy, Happy, Natsu, Loke, and Jellal): Erza, Gajeel, Zeref, Lisanna, Carla, and Pantherlily.
Lucy sighed at the pinkette. "I meant in a different tactic."
Natsu looked up and stared at her in confusion. Gajeel snorted. "He hasn't figured it out so how can he?"
Natsu knew when he was being insulted. He glared daggers at Gray. "And like you know what's going on?" he demanded. A chorus of 'yes's' went around the table. Natsu blanched slightly. "How? What's wrong with Gray? How come you all know but I don't?"
Pantherlily swallowed the last of his sushi down and commented, "Because you're dense." the dark teen stood up while gathering his trash. "Happy, Carla, don't forget we're to go aid Wendy and Romeo with the tack room."
Happy beamed. "Ayy sir!" the bluenette jumped to his feet and ran around the table to a pretty white haired female. "Carla!" He held out a hand for her which she begrudgingly took with a sassy 'Humph'. "Bye Natsu, bye everyone!" Happy called over his shoulder before flying towards the door, Carla stumbling behind him all the while scolding at him. Pantherlily gave a short wave to the table of his friends who waved back before following the two retreating forms.
Erza turned her attention on Natsu. "Have you honestly no idea as to why Gray could be avoiding you?" she asked. Natsu just shrugged, a frown set on his lip.
"I don't think I did anything to offend him... did I?" he asked this to Zeref and turned to him who was sitting beside him. The dark haired teen just stared at him. Natsu's eye brows furrowed.
Jellal sighed. "Well, we can't keep on having to guess. He'll never figure it out."
Loke chuckled. "It probably wouldn't even have crossed his mind."
Natsu pouted. "What are you guys talking about?"
Lucy sighed. She hadn't really spoken with Gray, the only time that she had was when he and Lyon arrived. The blonde was busy with other things but that didn't mean she didn't have an hawk's eye. Whenever she spotted Natsu and Gray together, she could tell immediately that the two had something going on, disregarding all facts that they weren't together. After seeing the two interact with each other the first time, she kept her eyes on them whenever she could- it was quite cute to see her best friend being unknowingly smitten with a hunk, a hunk that very much so reciprocated his feelings.
Another thing Lucy found interesting was when one of the guys, Jellal or Loke, would join in with Gray and Natsu, Gray's body language basically put off a red alert sign, like he didn't want Natsu near them while he was present. Maybe that's a bad way to put. In other words, Gray would grow jealous. Lucy was very good at reading people, especially if they left themselves open like a book- which Gray did. It was amazing that Natsu couldn't see this.
Especially when it was Zeref who was around him at the time as Gray. Gray practically had a snake's fork tongue darting in and out of his mouth, hissing at Zeref each time he got close to Natsu- which was pretty often. The two had always been that way, the Fairy Tail riders knew of this and just learned to go with it. There was nothing going on between Zeref and Natsu, just like nothing was going on with Natsu and the rest of the guys.
They all have been at the stables since they were pups, they shared a history together that no one else could ever live in. And that's what Lucy and the others minus Natsu knew that was why Gray had been avoiding Natsu. It really wasn't that hard to see. Except for Natsu.
But that was Natsu.
Lucy leaned her chin in the palm of her hand and stared at Natsu who looked utterly confused and hurt and frustrated and Lucy didn't know whether to hug him or laugh or what because he was honestly getting worked up for nothing. As was Gray, the shit. Just because he was jealous it didn't make it right for him to cut Natsu off. If that's what he thought would make everything better, he was wrong.
But then again, isn't that was all guys do? No?
"We've all known for a while, I guess we were just waiting for you to figure it out for yourself." Lucy mumbled while staring at Natsu. The pinkette's focus was on something else and Lucy turned her head to look where he was and found herself staring at Gray.
The class had divided into half for the day. Mira had help from an older rider named Cana and had half the class go to Cana so they could see the horses that were picked out for them while the other half stayed with Mira so she could talk a little about the basic of riding them. Then they swapped so the half with Mira went to Cana and the other went to Mira from Cana. Gray had been in the latter and Mira had once again talked his ear off. The woman had accidentally talked through some of their lunch time which was why Gray was just now getting his tray and sitting down next to a weird looking blonde guy.
And successfully caught Natsu's attention. The pinkette stared at Gray with a mixture of expressions. He looked mad but upset, longing but like maybe he wanted to punch Gray. Lucy smirked. Even though Gray had a right to feel how he was, the way he just pushed Natsu away without an explanation kind of pissed the blonde off. Under all of his crazy, bubbly and airy layers, Natsu was a sensitive guy.
Lucy would give him a perfect reason to punch Gray. The others had noticed Gray as well and after a couple of seconds, Gray seemed to have felt eyes on him and looked over at the table. His eyes widened slightly at all the attention he was receiving before collecting himself and turning his focus back to the weird looking blonde guy. Natsu's eyes narrowed at him.
He was very close to Gray.
And Gray didn't really seem to mind.
Gajeel glared over at Gray's table. "How could he possibly think that I'd have it for Pink Brains over there."
Jellal gently pushed his tray away. "You can't blame him though. Coming in a circle that is already formed is hard."
Loke nodded. "From an outsider's view, it might look like we flirt a lot with Natsu."
Gajeel snorted. "That's you all. I harass him."
"Gray could still see that as flirting though." Loke argued. Jellal looked away from Gray's table.
"And Natsu with Zeref is the worst. So you can't be mad at Gray for thinking like that. I saw the wheels turning in his head each time we would be together- he was not liking it."
"Jellal is right about the first part- but we can be mad at him for handling the situation. He could have just talked with Natsu." Erza supplied, sipping her water. Lucy huffed.
"Guys, we aren't getting anywhere stating the obvious even though Natsu is still clueless about it!" Eyes watched Lucy stand up and go around the table to sit next to the pinkette. "Natsu, obviously we all know why Gray hasn't been around you."
Natsu forced himself to stare at his best friend with intense eyes. "Yes." he said.
Gajeel rolled his eyes.
"Just listen- Gray is jealous."
Everyone stared at Natsu for his reaction. The pinkette sat there staring at Lucy with rounded eyes. "What?" he asked dumbly. Lucy pressed her hands down hard on the other rider's shoulders. "Gray. Is. Jealous. Natsu, it's clear that he likes you! But you have Jellal, Loke, Zeref, even Gajeel who you act very familiar with, cozy even. Looking at it from Gray's perspection, he easily will get jealous and try to, you know, remove himself from it. I guess. I don't know! I would have never handled it the way he did- but that doesn't matter- the bottom line is that that's the reason why Gray's been avoiding you, because he was jealous of Loke and the others."
Natsu's mouth had fallen open during Lucy's long speech. "Wh-what?" he squeaked.
That was why Gray had been brushing him off? THAT? That was stupid. The others were like his brothers. They were his brothers. Natsu looked over at Gray again.
"Go talk to the idiot, Natsu. It's perfect because he's an idiot and you're an idiot." Loke smirked. Natsu went to glare at Loke but the weird blonde guy was starting to lean into Gray so Natsu just flung a piece of lettuce from Zeref's plate at Loke's face before rushing out of his seat and hurdling over to where Gray was.
Gray could only blink when he was yanked out of his seat and dragged out the cafeteria doors. He stumbled after the blur who captured him, he stumbled all the way after the blur until they were outside and tumbling down a path. It was then that Gray formed the blur as Natsu. Natsu thundered down a steep path and Gray stumbled and sidled after him.
"Natsu! Natsu! Slow down- what the hell?" Gray exclaimed, feet tripping and buckling as they fought to keep up with Natsu's. It wasn't until the trees began to surround them did Natsu halt to a stop and shoved Gray against a tree.
A sound of pain flitted from the ravenette's mouth before he glared at his capture while rubbing his head. "Just what the hell do you thi-"
"Shut up!" Natsu snapped. His snap made Gray fall silent and stare at him in slight shock. "Just shut up you jerk and hear me out." the pinkette looked disheveled and wild but his eyes held a fierce determination to them. "For the past almost week you've been dodging me like I had the plague. I had no idea why, what, or if I had done something to you and I kept trying to get you to talk to me but you always always blew me off."
Gray looked away. "I don't want to talk about th-"
"Can you please just shut the fuck up!" Natsu snarled. He shoved Gray, who had peeled himself off the tree, back against it before throwing himself against Gray while placing his hands on the tree, caging Gray in. Gray blinked in surprise at Natsu stared back at him. "I have been trying to get you alone to talk with me, you aren't getting away so easily now." he said quietly. Gray felt his body heat up slightly.
"Natsu, I can't-"
"No Gray, I can't." the pinkette shook his head. "I can't have you keep doing this, not when something is bothering you about me."
"It's not you- look, it's complicated-"
Natsu quirked a brow. "What's so complicated about jealousy?"
Gray fell silent. Natsu went on. "Okay okay, my friends had to tell me but jeez. I thought I had done something far worse to you without realizing it. Do you know how these past days have been for me?" Natsu pressed himself further into Gray, his lithe body fitting against Gray's larger frame. Gray felt the heat rising and tried to push Natsu off but Natsu had stuck himself securely to Gray. "All because you were jealous over something that doesn't exist."
Gray opened his mouth but Natsu quickly covered it with both of his hands. "Will you quit trying to talk? Listen to me."
Gray took in Natsu's owl eyes and closed his mouth behind the pinkette's palms. "You already know that I've grown up here and everyone else has too. We've grown up here together and so of course we're close. We're like family, we're a family. Loke is an older brother to me. Jellal? Older brother. Gajeel is a prick but he's still an older brother. Zeref? It's complicated but there is no lovey dovey feelings with any of them. Happy? He's like my lover except the friend version. Besides, he has Carla."
Natsu slowly took his hands away from Gray's mouth and stared at the ravenette's eyes. A slow crimson color began to spread over Natsu's cheeks and he took several steps backwards mumbling something. Gray swallowed. "What?" he asked.
Natsu looked away with a small frown. "I just want to say sorry for manhandling you."
The air around them was quiet and thick for a long minute. Finally Gray spoke. "I'm sorry I assumed... everything." he apologized quietly. To keep things short, Gray felt like an idiot. He liked Natsu and seeing the other guys interact with him in such a close way- well, it made him act how he did and he wasn't proud of it to say in the least.
Natsu shrugged. "Just know that when it comes down to assuming things about me, you will always be wrong."
Gray bit his lip before taking a step towards the pinkette. "Even if I assume that you like me?" he asked quietly.
Natsu chuckled but inside he was in one word: scorching. Yes, a perfect word to describe what he was feeling inside. Nodding, the rider rubbed the back of his neck cutely. "No, I do Gray. I do a lot you jerk. You big fat jerk-" Natsu closed his eyes when he was pulled into a warm chest and arms closed around him. Wiggling his arms free from being pinned against Gray's chest, Natsu slid them up Gray's back and held the other back. "You jerk, when you have a problem, don't run from me okay? No one likes that." Natsu grumbled against Gray's chest.
After a while past with the two embracing, Gray tilted Natsu's face up and leaned down, connecting their lips together briefly. Natsu's eyes fluttered before widening when Gray pulled back. "I don't want to rush you... or us if that'll push you away." the older male admitted. Natsu's eyes crinkled.
"I'm pretty sure my crush on you sported when we first met which was what, a week ago? And we've done a lot together already or it seems that way to me- shit, you're letting me ramble-" Natsu cut his own self off by pulling Gray back down into a kiss, humming happily against the other's lips. Gray's hot breath breathed out a low laugh against Natsu's soft mouth.
Natsu pulled away the second time just as Gray was getting really into their making out session. The pinkette stared up at Gray wearing a big smile. Gray chuckled. "What?"
"I just think it's funny that we made up so quick. Just yesterday you were-"
Gray covered up Natsu's moving lips. "I was an idiot. I let my jealousy and insecurities get the best of me, I didn't even let you explain yourself- except it sounds like you had no idea why I was mad." Gray started looking like he was accusing Natsu who began to look sheepish.
"Look here, no one has ever been jealous of the guys with me. I mean, if they have then I wouldn't have known because I just assume that everyone knows that they're like my older brothers." Natsu shrugged and wrapped his arms around Gray's neck. "Actually..." He stared at Gray but wasn't seeing Gray, his dark eyes had glazed over. "There was one guy... but he knew..."
Gray watched Natsu fall quiet. He moved his hands to Natsu's hips and gave them a gentle squeeze. Natsu blinked. "Huh?"
"What's the matter, who's the guy?" Gray couldn't help but get that jealous feeling again. Since Natsu was now aware that it was only jealously, he could now easily see the ravenette bristle on the spot.
Natsu laughed. "There's no need to be like that Gray. This guy was a jerk, more than you. He and I, well. He just didn't like the way the guys were with me. I was mad at him, I still am. What give you the right to tell me how to act around my friends because you don't like it?"
This time Natsu bristled. "What happened?" Gray asked, massaging Natsu's hips. Natsu looked up at him cutely.
"You know who Sabertooth is right?" Gray nodded. Biggest stable rival to Fairy Tail. "Yes, well, the reason we hate each other is because I dated a Sabertooth rider. We were named some power couple or something like that, I can't remember. It was like three years ago, the guy's name is Sting. When we broke up, we broke up." Natsu's eyes darkened. "Our breakup was the cause of both stable's rivalry."
Gray's eyes widened. Seemed a little extreme. "Honestly, I think both stables secretly hated each other to begin with, just Sting and I's break up was kind of like the deal breaker, you know what I mean? He's a dick." Natsu pouted before kissing Gray's cheek. "Come on, let's get back."
"You expect me to drop this conversation now? I want to know what happened." Gray pouted as Natsu led him back up the path hand in hand.
"Another day, I promise. For now, are we telling people that we're together?" the pinkette tipped his head back to stare at Gray. Gray blinked.
"You want to be... together... with me?" he asked. Natsu paused in mid step.
"I like you. A lot. So yes. Unless you don't want to." Natsu looked a little deflated and Gray pulled him in close.
"No, I definitely want to." Natsu peered up at Gray whose eyes darkened. Gray slipped an arm around Natsu's waist and snagged his lips. Natsu gasped at the sudden kiss and Gray captured the pinkette's bottom lip and suckled. Natsu made a whimpering sound. Gray smiled. "Definitely want to." he murmured against Natsu's lips before taking a step forward, dragging Natsu with him while still keeping their lips brushing together.