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 13 – Truth /
"No."
Cold breeze completed Natsu's shocking answer.
"... Why?" Gray was very confused. Didn't Natsu like him too?
"Just... no..." Natsu averted his eyes.
"But why?"
"I... can't..."
"Natsu, do you like me?"
"Gray... It's not about–
"DO YOU?"
"YES!"
/ 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.
"YES I DO!" Natsu finally admitted in frustration.
"Then why can't we be together?" Gray asked once again, starting to get irritated himself.
"Because... we just... can't..." The pinkette then walked away. "Go home, Gray... It's already late and I'm... tired. Good night." He got inside his house and immediately closed the door, leaving the frozen raven outside.
Natsu leaned back to the door. He could hear the sound of Gray cursing and kicking the trash can. The next thing was the harsh slam of his car door followed by the roaring sound of the engine. And then nothing. Gray's gone.
The pinkette exhaled the breath he'd been holding. He closed his eyes. His lips slowly turned to a little smile, then to a smirk, then a laugh, and then there's–
"WHOHOOOOOOOOO!"
–... this scream of... joy?
"Gray LIKES meeeeeee!"
Natsu started running around his tiny house, leaping through the couch and jumping all around. Let's just pray nothing's broken. Call him crazy, mad, lunatic, he didn't care. All he cared was one thing: Gray liked him.
But suddenly he stopped the madness. Once again he started circling the house slower, but this time while clutching his head in desperation. His eyes widened as the realization slapped him hard in the face.
Natsu REJECTED Gray.
"... What have I DONE?!"
Talk about female mood swing.
Could Wendy please come home a.s.a.p.? Because her brother seemed to be losing his sanity bit by bit.
.
.
.
"Go home, Natsu."
"But Mira, I can still wo–
"Good morn– Holy sweet lord Mavis!" Cana was very shocked when she came to the café the next morning and saw Natsu in his awful current state. "One day you came with hickey, and the next day you came with all those bruises? What a mess turn over!"
"It's nothing! Just a little incident, that's all." Natsu said.
"Nothing? Little?! Whatever, you don't expect to work now like that, do you? Go home, brat!" Cana pinched the bridge of her nose.
"But–
"Stop right there, Mister." Demon Mirajane appeared. "Go home. Get some rest. Take a few days off. And I mean it." Cana and Natsu gulped before the demon-manager continued. "At least until the bruises disappear. I'll tell the others you're having a fever."
After thinking for a while, Natsu finally gave up and left while pouting.
Cana then huffed. "Really... Don't you think it's getting more and mor–
CLING. CLING.
"Sorry but we're not open ye– Dear Mavis in heaven what is WRONG with both of you?!" Cana yelled in frustration. "First Natsu, and now you too Gray with all those bruises?"
Ignoring Cana's rant, Gray asked straightly to Mirajane. "Where. Is. He."
"Home. We can't let him scare the customers with the blue-purple painting all over his body, can we?" Mirajane folded her arms in front of her breasts. "What. Happened."
"... Shit happened." Gray tch-ed a little.
"I give up." Cana suddenly raised both her arms in the air. "I can't stand any of this stupidity anymore. Just leave me out of it from now on and do anything you want. Honestly, you two really are beyond helping."
Mirajane could only silently watch the cook went inside the kitchen without stopping her. Then the manager turned to raven and sighed. "I hate to admit but Cana's right, Gray. From this point on, it's all up to the both of you, isn't it?"
Gray contemplated for a while. And then he nodded before leaving the café without saying anything.
After seeing her boss off, Mirajane went into the kitchen. "Are you sure about this, Cana?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I? They can't rely on us forever, right?" Cana said while peeling and cutting some potatoes. "I did say they're beyond helping, but what I mean was, the only one who can help them is themselves. Not us, not anyone. Just them. Besides," CHOP! "if they truly like each other, they'll manage. Somehow."
.
.
.
"Natsu? Why're you home?" Wendy was confused when she saw her brother. That afternoon she came back from the school trip. But Natsu was supposed to be still at work at that time. So why–
"Wendy..." Natsu slowly turned to face his sister.
"Omigosh, Natsu! Why are you bruising–
Suddenly the pinkette jumped and hugged her as he started rambling. "It's happening it's happening it's happening IT'S HAPPENING!"
"W-what is happening? And the bruises? What happened?"
"Bruises! These– Ah! Later! More importantly! It's– wait what's that again ARGH! Oh! That– ugh how– Him! The confession! The I-like-you! GRAY!"
"WHAT?! Okay, okay, let's calm down, sit down, and talk about it. Sloooowly, okay?"
The siblings sat down on the couch and Natsu started telling his sister about the whole story. Starting from coming over to Gray's house, the incident, the hickey, the Sting-jealousy, the fight, the bruises, and finally the confession. How incredible all those things happened in just a couple of days. Wow.
"Okay so, first thing's first. I should punish Mister G for giving my pretty handsome brother all these ugly bruises. An eye for an eye." Wendy smiled evilly.
"What?! No no no no NO! You can't do that!" Natsu was panic.
"Relax. I'm just joking." Wendy giggled. "Back to the topic. So in the end, you rejected him, didn't you?"
"T-technically yes. Because he likes me as a girl, Wen. Actually I almost, almost, tell him the truth but... I was scared. Scared of him hating me as a guy. So I thought rejecting him was a better choice, seeing there are plenty of nice girls who would die to be with him." Natsu smiled. "Besides, it's enough for me to be able to just see him from afar."
"Oh Natsu..." Wendy put her palms on top of her brother's. "Dear poor brother of mine... You're lying."
Natsu gulped. Bull's eye.
"You're a terrible liar and don't you dare denying. How long do you think I've been living with you?" Wendy then huffed. "You are... the most selfless person I've ever known. But it's okay to be selfish sometimes, in getting something, or in your case, someone, you really care about."
"B-but I–
"No buts. Let's be honest here. Or be selfish. What do you really want?"
"I..." Natsu looked into his sister's eyes. "I... want to... have you graduated until university, obviously. Want to... keep this small warm house. Want to... keep being friends with Mira, Cana, Lucy, and the others. Want to... stay and work at Fairy Tail, it has become my second home. Want to... be liked by Gray. Well, he already does. And..."
"And...?" Wendy smiled.
"And I... I like Gray. Yes, I really do. So much 'til it hurts for being a lying coward all these times. And I want him to... accept me as I truly am." Natsu said the last sentence proudly.
"Yaay! Way to go, Natsu! I'm so proud of you!" Wendy hugged the pinkette in happiness. "Now that you know what you want, aim for it all! And remember, even if the whole wide world against you, I'll always have your back. So don't you worry."
Yes. Thanks to his sweet little sister, it's all crystal clear. Natsu's head and heart felt so light after releasing those 'selfish' wishes. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Wendy's shoulder while saying 'thank you's repeatedly.
.
.
.
After one week off because of the 'fever', Natsu finally came back to work at Fairy Tail as usual.
The conversation with Wendy in the past few days really brightened his days and raised his confidence. He determined to tell Gray the truth and apologized, as well as confessed his true feeling for the raven. The only thing he had to do now was waiting for the raven to come, asked him for a private meeting for the two, and done.
"Gray didn't come to your house? Not even once?" Mirajane asked.
"No? Why would he anyway?" The pinkette tilted his head in confusion.
Of course Mirajane (and Cana) would think Gray came straight to Natsu's place on that faithful bruised-morning. But the fact that he didn't come and didn't show up at the café for the whole week when Natsu's off was weird enough. Since both girls had promised not to meddle with the 'stupidity' anymore, they just left it like that.
And a week passed with no Gray around.
Natsu was confused, and he's starting to worry. Because Sting, Loke, and Hibiki were still coming regularly to the café while the raven not.
"Gray? He said he's pretty busy nowadays so he may not be able to hang out with us for a while." Loke said.
"I see... Thanks, Loke." Natsu smiled half-heartedly.
The pinkette understood it so well that Gray was a very busy person. That's why he would patiently wait. It's fine, Natsu's good at waiting. Or so he thought.
Another two weeks and still no sign of Gray.
Natsu had had enough.
If Gray didn't want to see the pinkette, so be it. Natsu just had to be the one to go and pay him a nice visit.
.
.
.
Finally.
Sunday afternoon. About a month after their encounter.
Natsu was now standing in front of Gray's door.
.
A little bit of Flashback.
"Good luck on making up with your boyfriend, Miss!" A female employee around Natsu's age waved eagerly while escorting the pinkette out of the chocolate store.
Natsu laughed dryly at his own idiocy while looking at the item he just bought. "What the heck am I doing..."
First, he's a guy, but lately he got used to being called 'Miss', 'Ma'am', 'Lady', whatever.
Second, why did he think because he would pay a NICE visit, he should at least bring something, anything, as souvenir?
Third, he knew Gray didn't like sweets so why the fuck there's a package of dark chocolate on his hands. Sure it's dark chocolate, but still...
Fourth, Gray's NOT his BOYFRIEND!
.
"Haha... I'm so fucked up." Natsu sighed as the flashback ended.
Even worse, he's already standing for a while in front of the door but was having an epic battle with the doorbell. And it's 7 – 0 for the doorbell wins. Natsu couldn't feel anymore pathetic than that.
"Come on me... Push it, push it, push it... Argh! I can't!" Natsu ruffled his pink lock in frustration. Once again, it's the doorbell's win. 8 – 0.
"Good afternoon, Natsu."
"WAH! W-wha– Why? H-how did you– H-hello, Gray. Haha..." The pinkette was having a shock therapy because suddenly the door opened and revealed the owner of the house.
Gray pointed at the CCTV camera above the door. "I've been watching for about half an hour since my doorbell seemed to be abusing you mentally. So I decided to save you from misery."
"I was just about to really press it by the time you suddenly opened the door!" Natsu yelled out of embarrassment.
"I doubt that." Gray shrugged. "What brings you here?"
"... Right. We need to... talk."
"Then talk."
Natsu was a bit speechless. "... Here?"
"Yes."
"..."
"Look Natsu, if you just want to have a staring contest, I have to ask you to leave because as you know it, I'm busy."
"You're not busy. You're just avoiding me." Suddenly Natsu blurted out.
"So what if I am avoiding you? You know that and you still dare coming here? Are you mocking me?" Gray was starting to lose his composure.
"Nothing. Yes. And no." Natsu answered all the rhetorical questions. "I'm here to clear things up. Between us."
"Us? There's no us, Natsu. Let me remind that you rejected me."
This was getting nowhere. And Natsu's honestly tired. Tired of Gray's childishness. But what could he say? If the pinkette were to put in Gray's shoes, there's no guarantee he wouldn't act like this. Because it seemed his crush toying with his heart. Whatever, he had promised Wendy and himself that he would settle all of this mess once he met the raven. So just get on and be done with it.
"I'm really sorry about that, okay? But there's a reason why–
"I don't want to hear any of your excuses anymore, Natsu."
"Just listen to what I have to sa–
"No. And I'm done here. Go awa–
"LISTEN YOU IDIOT!"
Natsu finally snapped and it successfully made Gray shocked enough to shut his foul mouth. Fuck with the 'nice' visit.
"I'm a GUY!" The pinkette yelled so loud. "I'm a GUY and that's why we can't be together!"
"Nats–
"NO! I'm not finished yet!" Natsu cut the raven's saying. "Do you know how much it hurts for lying? Especially lying to the one you like? And it hurts so fucking much every time I imagine about you hating me! Despising me! I was scared to death!"
"Hey–
"Now you know the truth! About me being a GUY and LIKING you!"
"Wait! Nats–
FHWACK!
Natsu threw the dark chocolate straight onto Gray's face. "I'm not a girl, yet I brought you something like that... in hope for reconciling... How foolish of me. Tch..." The pinkette gritted his teeth. "Good bye, Gray."
Gray couldn't stop Natsu who suddenly ran away very fast. And it's not like the raven could react because his brain was fully loaded with what had just happened. Everything was so fast it happened in a blink and the pinkette had already gone.
"Natsu..."
.
.
.
The next morning, Natsu came to Fairy Tail with his red and swollen eyes. He only said two words in which shocked both Mirajane and Cana, aside from his messy face.
"... I quit..."
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Author's Note: Rewriting the ending of a story you've been planned for long ago was incredibly torturing. All I can say is, I'm still struggling to write the most 'fit' ending for this story and I still can't find the right... right... RIGHT... thing...? But it seems, with the story continuing, I feel like I can... feel the invisible ending. I just can't grasp it yet. *sob*
/REPLIES/
Alaer: I can only apologize for the late update. Because even I, myself, am confused with how this story will go. Haha...
ChaosDragonKing: Thank you so much! I love you!
Tee: Well, I don't think it could happen because Gray had promised himself to wait until Natsu tells it himself. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!
Daygon Yuuki: It did sting so much. Mwahaha.
darkhuntressxir: Yep, yep, Natsu did say no. For reasons.
Guest: Sorry, but here's the new chapter and another cliffy?
VioletLotus: I deserve to be punished for the super-late update... *smacked*
Serial Letters: It's okay, I deserve to be blamed. Haha... Thanks for reading and reviewing btw!
Mintleaf64: Thank you! Here's chapter 13 for you!
80TakeshITsunA27: Eh... Here's the update. Please don't kill me!
Guest: Here's your super-late christmas present, chapter 13! Hahaha.
Shiona Acitiu: Thank you! Chapter 13 is here! Finally...
Guest: Yikes! Here's your new chapter!
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.