Author's note: Thank you all for reading, faving, and reviewing; I appreciate every word of encouragement from you. Enjoy the new chapter.

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The third time is the charm

The first time it happened, Natsu had been an emotional mess and Gray had been too deep in denial to admit just what it was he was doing, so it didn't count.

It had been right after Lisanna's supposed death, and Natsu was languishing in self-blame. The bloody idiot. Like he could have prevented it in the first place. Then again, that wasn't the point. The point was that Natsu was suffering; he refused to eat or sleep, and took on camping out at Lisanna's grave for days on end.

No one had said anything, because the guild hurt when a member of it was hurt, and it hurt more when a member of it wallowed in agony so harsh it burnt. That was what Gray did at first, nothing. Yet, after the fourth day had passed, it became unbearable to him.

At that point in his life, Gray hadn't been as close as could be to Natsu, the fights between them teeming with more enmity than their current friendly brawls ever could be. And yet, despite his distaste for the slanty-eyed moron, he couldn't help but feel Natsu's sorrow gouge a hole out of his young heart.

Perhaps that was why he did what he did then – he sought Natsu out as the other boy was still kneeling before Lisanna's grave, body wasted and an empty look in normally vibrant eyes. The scene had stabbed Gray like a knife to the heart, and he had cursed himself for not coming here sooner. Why it had hurt so much then, he hadn't understood, and probably hadn't paid the mind to understand, either. All that Gray knew in that heart-breaking moment was only that he had to get Natsu away from there, and beat the light back into those defiant eyes. If he didn't, they might as well just lose Natsu, he thought.

That, in turn, was why Gray had come close, past hatred forgotten as his arms wound around the broken boy. In hindsight, perhaps the way he had failed to be disgusted by the distinctly unmanly gesture toward his rival should have alerted Gray to his feelings deep, deep down. However, it did not, and that was the end of the matter, at least until they revisited it much later on. Right then, though, all that mattered was how Natsu felt so much colder than he usually was, and that had scared the shit out of Gray, because, hell, if Natsu wasn't burning Natsu, then what was Natsu at all? That single thought had been what drove Gray forward.

He leaned forward and kissed Natsu on the cheek, just like how Ur had kissed him and Lyon.

It wasn't the smartest thing to do then, he knew it now. Lisanna probably had done that to Natsu in the first place, and the kiss could have triggered so much worse. Thank the gods, the only thing it triggered was a violent jump, before Natsu turned and sent Gray tumbling with a surprisingly powerful uppercut.

As the rain started to pour about them, the look Natsu had worn on his face was forever burnt into Gray's mind like hot iron to the flesh. Eyes wide, that furious glint back in those pupils again, Natsu was back just like that, and though he hadn't looked any better, Gray had been ready to prostrate himself and pray to whoever out there that listened to him at last.

'I hate you, Gray.'

It was the only thing Natsu had said in days, before he got up and left. And for what had felt like hours after that, Gray had imagined that the rain was hot on his face.

The first time definitely didn't count.

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The second time it happened, it had been a showdown about romantic prowess, so it didn't count, either. Probably.

Natsu, like the moron he was, started it first.

'Like hell you have more experience than me! I'm a man too, remember?'

'Not trying to say you're a girl, hothead, though that'd probably suit you with your pink hair. Regardless, have you even kissed?'

'Hah, just because you don't get laid doesn't mean no one else does. For your information, I have, so kissing is child's play!'

Gray had to raise an interested eyebrow at that. Who would've thought. It seemed as though he had grossly underestimated Natsu. Still, it had been entirely possible that the idiot was merely puffing.

'So, one-night stands, huh? Heh, didn't peg you as the type, flame brains.'

'Fuck you, who says anything about one-night stands?!'

'I don't see you have a girlfriend with you, though. You sure those encounters weren't just wet dreams?'

Natsu sputtered, and for a moment his face lit up brighter than even his flames. And then, without a single warning, he jumped Gray.

It was more of a violent attack than a romantic activity – maybe it was violent because it was an attack. However, despite how rough it had been, the only thing that registered in Gray's stupefied mind was that Natsu's lips were warm and chapped, and his tongue was hot and powerful, just like the rest of him was. There were teeth involved, and suddenly Gray found that his lip split, the coppery tang of blood exploding on his own taste buds, accentuating the exotic tinge of sunlight that was Natsu. Distinctly, he could hear the sound of Natsu slurping the blood up, before his tongue swept up to delve into Gray's mouth again.

It was another fight of sorts, Gray realised, and after he had gotten over his initial shock, he retaliated by showing Natsu just what exactly a good kiss should be like. He lightly bit on the foreign tongue in his mouth and held it there, refusing to let Natsu back up, before languorously sucked it in deeper. His own tongue moved slowly to stroke Natsu's in a sensual fashion as his hand came up to cup Natsu's fuzzy soft cheek in an almost loving manner. Just like that, the pace slowed to Gray's control, and the snarling fight between them became something resembling a lover's tryst.

This was how it was supposed to be, Gray thought, a moan threatening to bubble out of his throat, but not nearly soon enough to smother Natsu's groan of, dared he say it, pleasure.

Yet, before he could do anything else, Natsu had pushed at his chest harshly, and they separately as abruptly as they had begun. The strange thing was, despite Gray's every expectation, Natsu was not angry. No, on the contrary, he had appeared… flustered, the furious blush on cheek threatening to put the sun to shame. And for the first time in a very long time, ever since that first unfortunate incident, Gray felt his heart twist again in something he dared not name.

'So, wet dreams, it was.' To cover up his own bewilderment, of course Gray had to leer like a pervert and drawl in the most annoying voice he could.

Never one to disappoint, Natsu had jumped him again for a real brawl.

Alright, for that brief moment it had felt almost like a real kiss, maybe the second time it happened, it should be counted as something at least, right?

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Gray was glad that what people said about the third time being the charm was not that far off from the truth.

He had been on one of those quests that went awry that no one ever talked about. Things happened that, well, he didn't want to talk about it, so he wouldn't. The short of the matter was that, Gray was a month late coming home from a supposedly three-day quest, and when he was back, Fairy Tail had already sent out several search parties for him. The quest had taken him so far up north, that for that whole month no one could find a trace of him. When he was home at last, it was all Gray had wanted to do to roll over and just die in peace, his entire body wracked by exhaustion.

That was before Natsu got wind of his return, of course.

Gray was in the courtyard before his house when it happened. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see a flaming fist flying his way, and for a second after that, everything went black, before he opened his eyes again to find himself knocked against the wall, a murderous Natsu right in front of him. Rubbles were chaffing against his bare back, and it was all too tempting to just close his eyes again and go into a much needed coma.

'Where the fuck have you been, bastard?!' Natsu, of course, would have none of that. A hand was roughly yanking Gray to his feet by the shoulder – if he had worn a shirt it would undoubtedly have been fisted in the collar, although Gray was surprised Natsu didn't go for his neck. 'Answer me! Do you know how worried we have all been, fucker?!'

'Yeah, yeah, look,' But Gray was just too tired to deal with Natsu right then, 'I'm sor…'

'Do you know how motherfucking worried I have been?!' To his utter shock, Natsu had cut in, before pulling him forward into an iron hug. Okay, one, Natsu Dragneel did not hug Gray Fullbuster, no matter the circumstances; and two, Natsu Dragneel did not admit that he was worried about Gray Fullbuster, ever. To say that Gray was stumped would be the understatement of the century; he had felt like the earth was pulled underneath him into a vacuum that left him almost swooning.

Then, as abruptly as it had started, the embrace ended. Natsu shoved him away, before turning as though to run away.

Later, Gray would often wonder why or how he had pulled Natsu back, because, frankly, he was running on empty there. However, pull Natsu back he did; a hand around his wrist and a full-body snap later, they were sprawling on the ground amidst the rubbles, Natsu on top of Gray, his back pressed to Gray's bare chest, through which violent trembles passed like quakes from the bottom of their hearts. Quiet hiccups could be heard, and Gray wound his arms about Natsu's chest to just hold him there, exactly like he had perhaps occasionally dreamt. As the initial shock wore off, a smile crept its way up Gray's lips, and despite all the pain his body was screaming from, the foreign warmth that spread in his chest finally chased away the pain he never realised he had been feeling every time Natsu had hurled hurtful insults at him in their fights.

'Bastard.' Natsu repeated as a drop of warm liquid trickled down the side of his neck, before landing on Gray's shoulder. Gray pretended it was raining all over again, like that day so long ago when the rain had been warm and tasted like salt on his own lips.

'Yeah. I'm sorry.' He replied, just as quietly, before rolling to the side to turn Natsu to face him, ignoring the sharp rock that dug into his ribs.

He didn't know who started it this time, but as he gazed into those shining eyes and inched closer, Natsu was holding onto him like a lifeline, too, a hand on his bruised cheek and bodies pressed so close together he could feel the shuddering thump of Natsu's heart. The kiss was soft, hesitant, like they were unsure of what they were doing, before one of them grew in confidence, pressing more firmly, lips moving in tandem over each other, slotting together so perfectly it could have been pieces of the same puzzle falling in place. It was slow and filled with longing of a lifetime that neither had realised until that moment, touches shy and desperate at the same time. It made Gray's insides ache with sweet satisfaction like nothing he had experienced before.

'Shit. Just, don't disappear like that again, you hear me?!' When the kiss ended, Natsu was hotheaded Natsu again. However, that was fine with Gray, because the fourth kiss was fierce and filled to the brim with concern and sudden relief, and the fifth certain of passion that bloomed before either of them knew it.

The only thing after that that Gray remembered before passing out from the emotional rollercoaster and physical strain, was that Natsu's lips were made for Gray's, full and sensuous as though in compensation to the thin of Gray's own, and the kisses burnt a trail straight into his heart. It was breath-taking, just like the whole of Natsu was, so much so that in that moment, it was Gray who had felt like crying.

The third time was indeed the charm, but Gray had lost count of the number of kisses after that.