This is a BOYS-LOVE STORY and also contains BOY CROSS-DRESSING AS GIRL! So, please for everyone who don't like this kind of story, don't bother to read and review if it's only for bashing me. Thank you very much for understanding, people! I love you all!
/ CHAPTER 10 – If /
Gray suddenly grabbed Natsu's waist, lifted him up, and abruptly sat him down on the table.
"Ouch!" The pinkette winced. "Hey! What are you doi–
"Take off your shirt." The raven demanded.
"... What?"
"Take off your shirt."
/ WELCOME TO FAIRY TAIL CAFÉ /
Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima
Info(s): AU human world, no magic
Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, (oneside)Sting x Natsu
Warning(s): !BOYS LOVE!, cross-dressing, cursing, OOC, bad writing and English
I don't make any profit from this story. It's purely just for fun.
Let's go back to a few hours before that.
"Sorry. I got lost. Again. Haha." Natsu smiled sheepishly while explaining to all his friends when he and Gray were back to the committee station.
Right. He would never tell his friends the real story about what exactly happened. It's so humiliating. And humiliation from Gray alone was more than enough, he didn't need any additions. Luckily Gray didn't seem to mind going along with the pinkette's lie. But there's a certain condition for it.
Never wandering alone ever again. Natsu had to ask at least one person (preferably Gray) to accompany him wherever he went.
Deal.
As long as the raven didn't ask Natsu to strip or anything.
Yet.
.
.
.
"Good job, guys! Today's charity bazaar was a very successful event! Thank you for your hard work!" Sting announced as soon as all the guests leaving Mag-U.
All that's left for the committee was to settle everything back to the way it was so that Magnolia University could start functioning normally the day after. As the chief of the event, Sting divided a few small groups of five or six to clean up each different spots, while he himself would walk around and do the supervising. Aside from his playboy nature, Sting's a great leader whom everyone respected.
"I want to help out." Natsu suddenly stood behind team Gray, Loke, Hibiki, Lucy, Lisanna, and Juvia.
"My dear, Natsu. It's not your obligation since you are our special guest today." Hibiki took Natsu's palm and kissed the back of it.
"I'm staying." Natsu shoved (threw?) Hibiki away. "I may be a guest, but I'm still your friend. It's not like I have anything to do now since it's café day off. And Mira's staying too, waiting for Lisanna. The more the people, the faster the work, right?"
After being friend with Natsu for a while, they knew nothing could stop him if it's about helping others. So they let him. Besides, they did enjoy the pinkette's presence. Especially a certain raven haired.
"Sure. Go grab the tools then." Gray smirked.
"Aye!" Natsu grinned widely.
.
.
.
Gray hated to admit but when it came to girl-matters, his bestie was one of the best.
"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be lifting that heavy thing. Here, let me help you, princess." Loke took the box Lucy was holding.
"T-thanks." The blonde girl blushed.
Loke was a total gentleman for always offering help to the girls, especially Lucy. Not just that, but also the sweet-talk. No hesitation to use those cheesy words like pretty, or cute, or (the cheesiest of them all) princess. But somehow girls just loved that.
Maybe Gray could really learn a thing or two from him and practice it right away.
But he forgot that his subject of interest was actually a boy.
"Natsu." Gray approached the pinkette.
"Oh, hey." Natsu was busy cutting the wooden structure of decoration using a saw.
'Offering help.' "Give me the saw. I can do it faster."
"... Sorry I am slow. If you're here just to mock me then go bother someone else. I'm busy."
'Erm... That came out wrong? The sweet-talk then.' "No, but you look like you're gonna cut your hand off. So for once, please act like a sweet girl and hand over the saw."
A popped-vein was now visible on Natsu's temple. "Excuse you, Mister Almighty. Are you telling that I couldn't do it just because I'm a... girl? I can break all your bones in a single movement. Now get lost before I decide to prove it."
'No! I'm not– Ah, fuck this shit!' Gray grabbed the saw handle and pulled it.
"What do you think you're doing?!" It's Natsu's turn to pull the saw.
"Give. Me. The. Fucking. SAW!"
Pull.
"NO!"
Pull.
"Why are you so stubborn, fire-freak?!"
Pull!
"Tell that to yourself, ice-block! Now LET GO!"
PULL!
"As you WISH!"
RELEASE!
Everything seemed to move in a very slow-motion. From the releasing, the pulling so hard, the stumbling, and–
CRASH!
The pinkette's back hit the wooden frame in a rough way. Some small stacks even fell over his fallen body.
"Shit! Natsu!" Gray quickly approached him.
"Cough – cough! Ouch... Why the heck did you let go?! Keh, whatever..." Natsu grinned and made a 'peace' gesture with his fingers at the raven. "I won! Take that, ice-block!"
"Idiot! It's not about winning! Are you o–
Before the Gray could finish, all the committees including Mirajane went to their spot and half-circling the two. Natsu brushed the dirt and wood crumbs off his clothes and hair as he stood up. The pinkette explained his recklessness for 'playing-around' with Gray without blaming the raven. He even shot Gray the 'don't-you-dare-talking-the-unnecessary-"It's-my-fault"-thing' threatening look.
"Sooo... That's it then. I'm fine, Gray's fine, everyone's fine. It's a happily-ever-after yaay. The end." Natsu ended his story-telling.
When the pinkette turned around to take the saw on the ground, "N-natsu... Y-your back..." what Lucy (and everyone) saw was very shocking, "It's... badly... b-bleeding..."
"Really?" Natsu turned his head and slightly pulled the shoulder part of his white shirt. "Oh. Probably just a scra–
Gray suddenly grabbed Natsu's waist, lifted him up, and abruptly sat him down on the table.
"Ouch!" The pinkette winced. "Hey! What are you doi–
"Take off your shirt." The raven demanded.
"... What?"
"Take off your shirt."
Every person in that spot was dead speechless hearing the request. They knew Gray would feel guilty for 'playing-around' with Natsu and indirectly causing that. But where did the absurd request come from?
In the middle of confusion, Natsu suddenly flinched because the wound started to spread the pain and more blood. And it made Gray even more panic.
"Shit! Shit! SHIT! Come on, Natsu! Let me check your back! I promise I'll treat it right! Take off your shirt now!"
THWACK!
Surprisingly, it's not Natsu who smacked the raven's head when he tried to strip the wounded pinkette. But the sweet, lovely Mirajane.
"Excuse me, Gray." The white haired girl said (threatened). "I know you're panic and all, but you can't just tell a GIRL to take HER clothes off in front of so many people even what you're about to do is a good and right thing."
After Natsu left with only Mirajane to the nearest restroom, Gray finally 'awakened'. "... Oh... OH..."
.
.
.
"It's just a scratch! Calm down, people!"
Almost everyone asked Natsu's condition after the treatment finished. Sting told him to go home and get some rest; again, no arguing. The pinkette gladly accepted the command because he was dead tired. Not because of the work, but because people kept pestering him about the wound.
Then a realization hit him. Of all those people, no Gray.
Natsu asked a few people until one of them saw Gray walking towards the storage room, probably grabbing some tools and stuff.
"Gray? You there?" It was dark already. And the storage room was no better with the lights off. "The switch, switch, swi–
"The lamps are broken."
"GAH! Don't just suddenly appear, you creep!"
But Gray didn't respond. I was hard to see because of the darkness, so Natsu could only catch the silhouette of the raven. "Gray?"
"Why didn't you blame me?"
"Here we go again. Because even if you didn't let go, I would still be able to pull it and win over your arrogant ass because clearly, I'm stronger than you."
"I'm serious!"
"So am I! As far as I know, it's not just your fault, but mine too for pulling away too hard. So stop blaming yourself or I will for real!"
"... Okay. Sorry. I haven't had the chance to say it back then. So we're good?"
"Were we not? But yeah, yeah, we're great. And I'm sorry too."
Natsu knew Gray was going to feel terribly guilty. That's why he felt the must to straight things up with the stupid raven before he started to blame himself and built an awkwardness between them.
"I just... wanna help you knocking down the decoration, that's all. But ended up hurting you... Irony, isn't it?" Gray suddenly said.
The moonlight went through the small window making Natsu could see the raven's face. "... Wait... So you were trying to... help... me?"
The pinkette really wanted to smack the raven's head and tell him to improve his horrible conversation skill. But seeing him in that susceptible state, Natsu knew it wasn't the right time for that. And it might not be that visible but he could see a glimpse of red on Gray's cheeks as the latter averted his eyes from the pinkette's.
'This... idiot Gray... Why so... vulnerable? Makes me wanna...'
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
"... Natsu...?"
"Uh... uh... I..." Natsu wrapped his arms around the raven's neck. He freakingly HUGGED Gray. 'W-what am I DOING?!'
The pinkette's mind screamed to his muscles to pull away but a pair of hands gently placed themselves on his back to stop him and rubbed the red spot on his back. "... Does it hurt?"
"N-not really. Just a scratch. Well, a big one. Haha..." Natsu exhaled as he tried to relax. "Look, don't be too hard on yourself. I'm okay, really. So you better be okay too!" He ruffled the raven lock playfully.
"... Okay. Sorry. And thanks..." Gray smiled on the pinkette's shoulder.
"No problem, ice-block! Hehe..."
Hugging someone other than his own family members for the first time had never been expected to be this nice by Natsu. Especially when the 'someone' was the one he deeply cared for.
.
.
.
CLING! CLING!
"Good morning, Master Gray! Welcome to Fairy Tail Café!"
"I knew it. There's no way anyone could force you to rest, eh Natsu?" Gray sighed.
"Geez! First Wendy, second Mira, third Cana, and now you too? Stop worrying too much! It's not like I broke both of my legs or something! I can still work just fine!"
"I highly doubt that. I don't even know how bad your wound is. Shouldn't you? Show me?"
"... If you're asking me to take my clothes off again, you're so asking for a death wish which I'll be more than glad to fulfill it."
"Well, I don't mind dying if the last thing I saw was your naked body."
"DIE YOU SICK PERVERT BASTARD!"
Lovely and lively morning in Fairy Tail Café as usual. With the teenage drama of idiot 1 and idiot 2 as the opening scene which Mirajane and Cana would never be bored to watch.
.
.
.
For the next few days, all the routines seemed to be going just fine for everyone. Until one evening, when the four owners arrived at their café as usual, the first image they saw after Sting opened the front door was...
Natsu. With a face full or rage. Strangling a middle-aged man.
After the pinkette found it enough, he released him and the man ran away in panic, pushing through the four owners. Before the man was far away, he screamed at Natsu, "I'll sue this café! And you too!"
And Natsu screamed back. "Thanks for the visit, Master! I hope you never come again!"
"Hey, hey, calm down. What's wrong?" Sting patted Natsu's back.
"That pervert! Didn't only harass the maids but also the female customers." Natsu snorted. "He even made a girl cry! Just what kind of man is that!"
The crying girl had finally calmed down and approached the pink haired maid with her group of friends. "N-Natsu... sniff– Thank y-you..."
"You're welcome. It's okay now. He's gone." Natsu patted her head gently.
Then the girl and her friends said bye and proceeded to leave. After seeing them off, Natsu went back inside the café. He was welcomed with applause and gratitude from everyone. And a hug. From Lucy.
"Awesome, Natsu! Thanks for getting rid of him." Lucy said between the hug. "You sure are strong!"
"Haha. That pervert deserves it for treating us like that. My dad taught me to always protect girls and treasure them." Natsu laughed.
"Well, aren't you one yourself? You're funny." Lucy giggled.
"Uh... I mean, yeah, it's for myself and every girls for sure. Haha..." Natsu laughed sheepishly. 'Oh my god! These days I keep on forgetting that I'm a GIRL! Stupid me!'
"You know." Lucy released the hug and held Natsu's hands. "If you're a boy, I would definitely date you immediately."
"LUCY! WHY?!" Suddenly Loke screamed.
"Why won't I?" Lucy then cupped Natsu's cheek. "Natsu is sweet, funny enough to make me laugh, and even manlier than any man I've ever met. I bet if we dressed her up as a boy, she would look very handsome."
Natsu blushed. Never in his life someone told him he's handsome. And most of all: manly. Except for his mother and his little sister, of course.
But wait.
He's genuinely a boy, often mistaken as a girl, was faking his gender as a girl, and now his friend who knew him as a girl told him he's handsome and wanted to dress him up as a boy. How more complicated could this situation be?
"Oh my god, you're so cute with that blush, Natsu!"
Lucy suddenly kissed the pinkette's cheek. Once again, Natsu's cheek became the poor victim-for-nothing.
And all hell broke loose.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" The desperate scream from Loke attracted attention of the whole café.
Lucy once again hugged the frozen blushing pinkette. "Stop being so hysterical, Loke. Or I will really choose Natsu over you. And what's wrong with a girl kissing another girl?"
Everything, Lucy. Everything.
Not just Gray and Sting's fans, Loke would also kill Natsu the moment he learnt about the truth. Good job, Lucy.
"What's wrong? I'm JEALOUS!" Loke shrieked.
Don't worry, Loke. You're not alone in that. Gray (silently) got your back. Everyone in the café (mostly girls) were praising the pinkette who's blushing even more. And all those scenes clicked something in Gray's brain. Something that had never crossed his mind until now because he's so focused only on his own problem about that.
.
.
.
Not sure how he was trapped on his own bed in his own room. But Gray was petrified. Because he was trapped UNDER Natsu. Who was slowly unbuttoning Gray's shirt.
Whoah. Whoah. WHOAH! Something's really NOT right.
"W-WAIT!" Gray got up abruptly and switched their position. Then he realized he accidentally put his hand on Natsu's...
"B-breast?!"
When the raven was about to pull his hand away, Natsu grabbed it and stopped him from pulling away. "What's wrong, Gray?"
"Y- you're supposed to b-be a BOY!"
"I'm a girl. Always been one. Don't you like it?" Natsu tilted his (her?) head cutely. "Come here, Gray. Come to me."
Those words were like a controlling spell which Gray's body couldn't reject. He leaned his head down to capture those tempting pinkish lips–
"I KNEW IT! YOU ALWAYS LIKE GIRLS!"
Gray roughly stopped and turned around to see MALE Natsu standing angrily in front of his door. "N-natsu?!" Another Natsu?
"You only want me as a girl!" A woman suddenly appeared next to Natsu and he hugged her. "Well, good for you! Because I also like GIRLS!"
"Wait! No! Natsu!"
Gray was about to chase the male Natsu when the female Natsu hugged his waist from behind with teary eyes. "Y-you don't like me, Gray?"
Male Natsu only 'tch'ed because the raven couldn't shove female Natsu away. "Good luck with your dream-girl-Natsu! Because I'll never be a GIRL! I'm a boy and I like girls! Good bye!" The male pinkette turned around and walked away while still hugging the girl tightly.
"NO! I only like you! I don't care if you're a BOY! Don't go with that girl! NATSU!"
.
.
.
"NATSU!"
Waking up in the morning with sweat all over his body was never Gray's favorite.
Stupid. Fucking. Twisted. Nightmare.
Female Natsu was tempting as hell, he couldn't deny it. But then, the real male Natsu would leave him for a girl because he thought Gray liked girls. But he liked the real MALE Natsu for Mavis's sake!
That nightmare made him rethink again along with the incident at the café. The girls. The blush. The handsome part. The strong and gentle pat. The kiss from Lucy. And finally, the misunderstanding.
'... What if... Natsu is into... girls?'
.
.
.
.
.
Author's Note: Because Gray was so busy with his own problem, he never thought about Natsu's problem. Or situation, to be precise. Finally Gray admitted his feeling for the pinkette, putting aside his gender and all. But what about Natsu? He's a boy as well, so it's not impossible for him to like girls. Oh and oops, a little NatsuxLucy up there. Because I like this pairing as well. Thehe~
P.S.: My homework and final exams are torturing me as hell...
/REPLIES/
Nega Kris: Well, Sting's not interrupting them, haha. And Gray's talking to all his team via walkie-talkie, because that's what walkie-talkie does, isn't it? By using the same channel, everyone connected to that specific channel can communicate or just for reporting to one another. Sorry, I'm such a stupid writer for not being able to write that clearly. *sob* Btw, thanks for always reviewing! I love you!
Guest: Uh... Sadly, no smut, dear. Because like I said before, I don't have the heart to write smut. Hahahaha. So sorry...
Shiona Acitiu: Yep, because to check the wound, Natsu would need to take off his shirt, right? Haha. And thank you for always reviewing, my dear! *hug!*
MistyMachine: Just Natsu, getting some injuries on his back. So he needed to take his shirt of in order for his wound to be treated. Haha. Thank you so much for the review! *smooch!*
phineashiccup: Thanks! Here's the next chappie for ya!
darkhuntressxir: Because Gray felt guilty and wanted to treat Natsu's wound. Hahaha. Thanks for every reviews in every chapters! Love you! *kiss!*
naruto kurama: Sorry! Please don't hate me for loving cliff-hanger so much! Here's chapter 10!
gratsuftw: Because because because BECAUSE... I fall in love with cliffy! Ahahaha.
Thank you for everyone who read, fave, and review on my story. I accept every critiques and inputs for this story progress. I'll try to keep every characters to their own personality.
Sorry for the typos, wrong grammars, bad spellings, etc.; English is not my mother language.