A/N: Here you go! A long chapter to make up for the long wait. I hope you won't be disappointed, okay, I think you will, but in a good way! I have all next to week to sit on my computer and type, so I hope to get another chapter up sooner.

Magic

Chapter 6

"I feel so refreshed!" Natsu stretched as the group exited the train. He looked the picture of health, which surprised everyone as he bounced onto the platform, carrying a stranger's baggage. He set the two suitcases down, and the old man paid him.

"Ah, Natsu," Lucy said, putting her hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Don't make him pay you. You're the one who walked up to him and grabbed his stuff."

Natsu blinked, his eyes widening at the thought of having to give the money back. He looked back at the old man, who just waved his hand, shooing Natsu and Lucy back to their group. Natsu smiled widely and grabbed Lucy, picking her up and carrying her over to where Gray, Erza, and Happy were waiting, dodging Lucy's kicks and flailing arms.

"Why is Natsu so energetic all of a sudden?" Erza asked, glancing at Gray, who shrugged in response.

"It's because Gray gave Natsu CPR," Happy said, floating by their shoulders. "Natsu fell into a deep sleep when he was done." Gray grabbed the flying feline and stuffed him in the nearest trash can. Erza raised an eyebrow at him, but Gray shrugged.

Natsu gently set Lucy down, letting his hand linger on her waist for a moment before she stepped away from him. Gray bit his cheek and turned away, not needing a visual reminder that Natsu liked her. It was obvious they had a bigger chance of getting together than he did getting together with Natsu.

Erza grabbed the back of Natsu's vest and pulled him towards the doors of the train station, the others following.

"We need to stop fooling around," Erza said, letting Natsu go. The group stood at the top of the stairs, looking around at the bustling town, each person they watched a suspect. "We need to find a rich collector who is interested in buying the stolen needle."

"So where do we look first?" Natsu asked, cracking his knuckles. He froze for a second, then turned to Lucy. "Hey, you're experienced with rich people. Where do they usually buy stuff illegal?"

Lucy placed her hands on her hips. "How would I know? My dad was legit."

"We can split up," Gray suggested. "Look around in the local pawn shops, or follow anyone who looks like they could afford it, or ask someone who would look suspicious."

Erza nodded. "Right. Lucy, you come with me. Natsu and Happy should go with Gray. If you find anyone, follow him first before jumping in with the obvious questions."

The boys exited their tenth pawn shop, with no more luck in finding their rich collector. Happy sat on a bench, waiting for them. When he saw them, he flew up and hovered in the air by Natsu's shoulder.

"Any luck?" Natsu asked.

"Nope. They thought they found the rich guy, but apparently he was into a different type of thing he was looking to buy."

"What was that?" Gray asked, looking down the street.

"Naked women."

Natsu choked and Gray placed his hand on his forehead. The cat was so blunt that it took them by surprise. Natsu broke out laughing and followed as Gray quickly made his way down the street.

"I wish we found something that interesting," Natsu exclaimed. "Just some old people, and a guy who grabbed my ass, but he was taken care of."

Gray covered his mouth to keep himself from making a noise. It actually wasn't some random guy, like Natsu thought. They were in a crowd, and Gray couldn't help himself; his hand moved on its own. Luckily for him, Natsu thought it came from someone on the opposite side of Gray.

It was a nice ass to grab, though. Gray held up the hand that did the grabbing, and praised it. He contemplated whether he should wash it or not.

Natsu placed a hand on Gray's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Natsu said. "We'll find him sooner or later."

Gray couldn't help the slight blush from forming on cheeks. Natsu glanced at him, and noticed his friend's cheeks turning pink. He pulled on Gray's shoulder, stopping him. Gray blinked at him, confused why Natsu stopped them. Natsu opened his mouth to start speaking, just as someone came running down the sidewalk, bumping into Natsu, pushing the pink haired boy closer to Gray. Gray instantly wrapped his arms around Natsu's waist, his reflexes working on their own, trying to stop Natsu from falling.

Natsu's hands were placed on Gray's chest. Gray could feel the heat of the other's palms, and was glad that he had it in his mind not to randomly remove his shirt like he was known to do. Natsu took a moment to regain his composure, then realized where he was. He blinked up at Gray, who's cheeks had gone darker. Natsu used his hands to keep himself from being any closer to Gray, and he couldn't help the anger that was bubbling inside him.

He wasn't angry at Gray, but he felt awkward in that position, and the awkwardness was turning into anger. He pushed away from Gray and turned toward the direction where the kid who had bumped into them had gone. He zeroed in on the retreating back, and immediately took chase.

Gray needed a moment to realize what happened. Again his mind was filled with images and situations that involved Natsu being close to him like a few seconds ago. He could still feel the warmth of Natsu's hands through his shirt. He had to look down to make sure his shirt wasn't on fire.

It wasn't.

And then, why did Natsu pull away so quickly? Was he able to feel Gray's feelings? Did he get embarrassed being so close in a sort of embrace with another man like Gray? Gray didn't mind.

Happy pulled on Gray's shirt collar, pulling Gray back to reality.

"Gray! Wake up!" the cat was yelling. "Natsu ran off! We have to go get him!"

Gray took off after Natsu, not needing to ask anymore questions. Natsu blindly chasing some kid could not end well, in any circumstance. He had to stop Natsu from hurting the kid. They were in the middle of the day, with so many people around, it could only end disastrous. Besides, Gray didn't want the kid hurt in any way. If it wasn't for the kid, he wouldn't have been able to hold a conscious Natsu. He wanted to personally thank the kid.

He followed the pink haired boy, keeping his sight on the only flash of pink in his vision. He even called out to Natsu a few times, but he could tell his friend was so pissed that he probably couldn't hear him. Finally, Natsu turned a corner, disappearing into an alley. Gray followed at top speed, and nearly ran into Natsu.

Natsu and the kid were staring at each other, both breathing heavily. Gray stood behind Natsu, ready to step in at any time if he needed to.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Natsu asked. Gray glanced down at Natsu's hands, and became alert. Natsu had his hands clenched so tightly into fists that his arms were shaking. It suddenly dawned on Gray that Natsu was just a little overly angry. He had no reason to be so angry to this kid - and he was literally a kid, about twelve or thirteen.

The kid looked around, but he was trapped. There was a solid brick wall behind him, and the walls of the buildings on either side of the alley weren't too far apart. The kid was scrawny, so it didn't look like would be able to physically overpower Gray and Natsu, and, for being just a kid, he was most likely only a rookie in using magic, if he could at all.

"I'll ask again," Natsu growled. "Where are you going, and why didn't you apologize for running into me?"

"Ah, jeeze, Natsu, really?" Gray grabbed Natsu's shoulder. "You're pissed because he didn't apologize?"

Natsu jerked out of Gray's grasp. "More or less." Gray wasn't sure, but it seemed like Natsu was keeping Gray from seeing his face, always turning when Gray tried to see him.

Natsu pointed at the kid. "Answer me, kid, or I'll have to seriously hurt you!"

"Listen, man, it wasn't my fault," the kid pleaded, putting his hands up, palms facing Natsu. "They were chasing me. I didn't have time to stop and chat."

Gray turned around. If someone else was chasing the kid, maybe they still were. He sent Happy to keep a look out. The kid backed up, Natsu following him step for step, until the kid's back hit the wall, his hands still up.

"Careful, Natsu," Gray muttered under his breath. He wasn't sure if Natsu heard him, but Gray was suddenly on his guard. He didn't trust this kid, and he hoped Natsu didn't either.

"I'm so sorry," the kid said, placing his hands on the brick wall behind him. He sniffed as tears started running down his cheeks. "Just don't let them catch me."

Natsu relaxed a bit. "Who's chasing you? We can help you."

The kid shook his head and looked down. "No one can help me. They won't stop until I'm dead."

Natsu glanced back to Gray, then looked at the kid. Gray shook his head. He still didn't trust the kid, but he could pity him a little, though not as much as Natsu obviously was. He took a step towards the kid.

"You wouldn't happen to know where we can find a jewel encrusted sewing needle, would you?" he asked.

The kid abruptly started laughing. Gray quickly moved, stepping towards Natsu just as the kid's hands glowed. The light glowed until it was impossible to keep their eyes open. Gray covered his eyes, but still moved forward, trying to find Natsu. He realized that Natsu was going after the kid, but he didn't get there.

The light suddenly disappeared and the wall behind the kid exploded, sending bits of brick and mortar flying in every which way. The dust was unbearable, but Gray was determined to find Natsu. He pulled his shirt over his mouth and nose, and ran towards the exploded wall. The longer it took to find Natsu, the greater his anxiety grew.

Natsu had run to the kid, but just how close did he get before the kid blew up the wall?

Gray flapped his hands in front of his face, trying to clear the dust, but it didn't work. He called for Natsu, but the atmosphere around him was eerily quiet. He took a few more steps, then he saw a blur of pink on the ground. Gray sprinted to Natsu, who had been knocked down. He dropped to the ground next to Natsu and rolled him over so he was laying on his back.

"Natsu! Can you hear me?" Gray looked around. It was weird how quiet it was. Did the blast make a sound? He couldn't remember. He looked down at the unconscious boy, and slapped his cheeks. He seemed unharmed, but Gray couldn't be entirely sure.

He put his hands on either side of Natsu's head, gently moving his hands to find any injuries. There was no blood, so Gray had to carefully inspect all of Natsu to make sure he didn't break anything. He moved his hands down the boy's neck, then his shoulders.

He stopped. What was he doing? He knew this was for the good of Natsu's health, but Gray couldn't help but think of some erotic imaginings. How he would love if he weren't checking for broken bones on Natsu, but actually touching his body for other, more enjoyable purposes.

No, Gray. Concentrate. What if Natsu had seriously hurt himself? And here you are thinking of other things!

Ah, hell…

Gray continued his roaming, for health purposes only, but he leaned down and placed his lips against Natsu's again. No one was around this time, and Natsu was already passed out, so he wasn't as gently as on the train. He trailed his hands down Natsu's abdomen, slowing down to examine the muscles more carefully.

If only Natsu was awake, he'd be able to explore his mouth. Gray didn't want to force Natsu's mouth open, afraid how it'd feel, but he was just contented with placing their lips together while he rubbed Natsu's muscular middle.

A small shard of brick fell on Gray's head, causing him to pull away from Natsu quickly. Okay, so, Natsu was fine. He looked around, but they were still in the middle of dust and silence. It reminded him of the North, on dark, snowy nights. He couldn't help but become nostalgic, remembering standing in the middle of a heavy snowfall, everything silent as if he were the only human in the world.

He took a deep breath, almost smelling the cold from back then…then he realized he could breathe normally in the midst of the dust. He wasn't breathing in dust particles.

"Gray?"

Gray looked down to see his friend awake. He smiled down at Natsu, thankful that he didn't wake up a few seconds before.

"What happened?" Natsu asked, holding his head as he sat up.

"The kid blew up that wall," Gray said. "I don't really know what happened after that. I only wanted to find you."

Natsu blinked up at him, thinking that that was an odd thing to say, but he shrugged it off. He stood up, brushing dust off his pants, then froze. He registered where he was, and what was going on in his surroundings.

"Uh, what happened?" he asked again.

"I have no idea what's going on, but I have a feeling it's part of that magic that kid used." He helped Natsu to stand up, holding onto Natsu's hand firmly.

When Natsu was standing, Gray continued to hold his hand. Natsu tried to pull away, but Gray didn't let go. Natsu became worried as Gray smiled down at him. It wasn't anything big, but it still made Natsu nervous.

"Gray, let go of me." Natsu tried to pull his hand out of Gray's, but Gray still held on.

Natsu pulled again, and Gray let him be pulled into Natsu. Natsu didn't expect Gray to bump into him, and the two toppled over. Natsu began pushing Gray off, but Gray had him pinned. Natsu struggled underneath him, trying to push him off, or crawl out from under him, or something that didn't involve him using magic. He didn't want to hurt his friend, but he will if Gray didn't get off soon.

"Gray, what are you doing? Get off me!"

Without another word, Gray leaned down and placed his lips against Natsu's, who froze. Natsu was too surprised to do anything, and Gray took that as an invitation to go further. He pressed his tongue into Natsu's frozen mouth, and explored. The warmth from Natsu's mouth was more than Gray had ever dreamed. It wasn't overwhelming, and it sent shivers throughout Gray's body.

He felt himself growing hard, and he shifted, placing his legs on either side of Natsu's body to make himself more comfortable.

Natsu regained his composure, and closed his eyes, trying to wriggle away from Gray again. Gray gently bit Natsu's bottom lip, then kissed his way down Natsu's neck. He couldn't believe Natsu was letting him do this. But, hey, it was a dream, right? When had Natsu ever refused him in a dream?

"Gray, stop it." Natsu breathed out. Gray smiled as he felt Natsu grow hard underneath him, and he moved his hips, grinding, promising of what was to come. Gray moved his kisses downward, adding in some licks and nibbles, reveling in the feel of Natsu shivering underneath him.

Gray let go of Natsu's wrists, and brought his hands to Natsu's abdomen again, kneading and massaging like he had been doing earlier. He moved Natsu's vest out of the way, giving him access to Natsu's left nipple. He licked it, then gently bit it.

"Okay, Gray, it's time to seriously stop now." Natsu's breathing became ragged as Gray was grinding his hips again. Gray moved to the other nibble, and proceeded to kiss, lick, and nibble it as well. His hand gently made its way into the band of Natsu's pants. Natsu jerked, and tried to pull free from Gray again, but Gray put his other arm on Natsu's chest, just above where Gray was giving attention to his nipples, holding him down.

Gray glanced up to see Natsu's reaction as Gray moved his hand fully into Natsu's pants, and quickly grabbed hold of Natsu's member. The other boy grunted and jerked, trying to free himself from under Gray, but Gray held him down. Natsu's eyes were closed tightly, his cheeks flushed, and he covered his mouth with his hand to keep from crying out. Gray smiled as he started moving his hand, stroking Natsu until he started breathing heavier.

Natsu shook his head and tried again to free himself, but he was at the mercy of Gray now. Gray chuckled as he resumed kissing down Natsu's body. He used the hand that was stroking Natsu to pull down Natsu's pants.

Natsu could tell what Gray was about to do, and he couldn't help shivering again. He shook his head, not understanding why his friend was doing those things. It was the effects of that kid's magic, it had to be. Why else would Gray act this way?

He felt something warm and wet touch the head of his cock, and his eyes flew open. He couldn't help himself. He called the minimum amount of power in his fist and punched Gray off him. He used more strength than he had intended, and he sent Gray flying off him.

Natsu backed up from Gray a few feet, pulling his pants in place. Gray had landed a few feet away from him, on his stomach. He pushed himself up, but only up to his knees. His hands clenched to fists as he glared at the ground.

"Gray, what happened to you? Why did you do that?" Natsu slowly stood up, and took a step towards Gray, prepared to fight back if he needed to.

Gray shook his head and he smiled up at Natsu, his right cheek sporting a large red area where Natsu had punched him.

"I have no idea what happened," Gray said. He sat back on his heels and looked around. "It must be this dust, or that kid's magic or something." He looked up at Natsu who had taken a few more steps closer. "I'm so sorry, Natsu. I didn't know what came over me."

Natsu held out his hand to Gray, and Gray accepted the help in standing up, then let go almost as soon as he was sure he could stand without further help. Natsu folded his arms over his chest and looked around.

"Now let's figure out a way to get of here." Natsu placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, then started walking. And never speak of this again…

Gray watched Natsu walk away from him. He bit his bottom lip to keep from crying. He couldn't cry, not in front of Natsu. It wasn't an affect of the kid's magic, it was all his own doing. Why didn't he stop, though? He sighed and followed Natsu. He needed to talk to about this, explain to Natsu what happened.

When this was over, he will talk to Natsu, go back to his original plan of just wanting this job to get over and done with.