Let me just preface this by saying I hate Natsu Dragneel. Well, I don't hate him, he's just super freaking annoying. Maybe it's just better to leave it at, "It's complicated."
Did I really just mention Natsu and "complicated" in the same sentence?
Either way, this has been going on for a few months now. Since I found out that I, uh, didn't quite hate the guy I've been fighting every day in the school parking lot since kindergarten, I mean. You know, for a guy that's willing to try and beat the living crap out of me, he's remarkably nice outside of that. And stupidly naive and unobservant to boot.
You'd think he would have picked up on what I'm doing by now. I'm suddenly remarkably clumsy around him - perhaps when we're passing each other in the hallways of our school, I drop a pen that just so happens to roll at his feet, for example. He hands it back and our eyes meet, if only for a second. A smile tugs at my lips, not wanting to give too much away, I subtly smirk at him as he walks away. Wash, rinse, repeat, as often as possible for three whole months.
That's not where it ends, though - I got so bold as to try and ask him out on Valentine's Day. Indirectly, of course, and not without encouragement from my friend Lucy, but it was much less subtle than my other advances. During math class, I manage to slip a sheet of paper with my number and name on it into his bag. Granted, he already has my number, but if anything, that should've been more of a hint to him. Eventually the bell rings and, with chest still pounding, I make sure to place myself right in front of him as the class is filing out the door. He taps me roughly on the shoulder. My heart now practically pounding out of my chest, I turn around and he says to me:
"Hey Gray, you dropped your scrap math work into my backpack. Figured you wanted it back." He hands me back my 'subtraction problem' with his characteristic toothy grin and walks away, leaving me momentarily stunned. My heart sinks, and I can't tell if it's from his adorable smile or his astonishing stupidity.
Thankfully, however, my prayers were answered a few days ago when I received a text from a certain subtraction equation.
"Hey Gray. I'm bored. Netflix and chill?"
I've never grasped a phone so tightly in all of my life. It was as if I were to let go of the phone, I'd let go of the golden opportunity somehow; like I'd look back down and realize that I'd dreamt the message. After a few moments of pondering my very existence, I came to terms with the fact that Natsu and I were finally going to happen. I would've like to start out slower, but relieving three months of seemingly one-sided sexual tension wasn't a bother to me, and if this was how Natsu was going to go on a date with me, I'd take it.
"Sure," I text back with tense hands.
"Cool, come over to my place. Bring food."
And so, half an hour later, I'm inside Natsu's house. He beckons for me to join him on the couch when I come in.
"I was going to do this with Lucy or Erza, but neither of them are home," Natsu states, answering the question of why the invitation was so sudden. I'm shocked at such a casual response, but it doesn't surprise me that much that Natsu could be so casual about something like this. And I can understand him swinging that way, too.
"So… What movie should we watch?" Natsu asks excitedly, remote in hand. I shrug.
"I don't know, is there something you had in mind?"
"Everyone's been saying I should watch 'Saving Private Ryan.' Have you seen it?" I shake my head.
"No. You realize that's a war movie, right?"
"Yeah. So?" I think I'm finding out more about Natsu's interests than I would care to know on the first date. But I don't want to screw anything up, so I consent.
During one of the less intense parts of the movie, I quickly put my arm around Natsu and attempt to pull him close, wanting to be a bit romantic before the gore starts again. Natsu looks surprised, but he makes no attempt to pull away, and his expression returns to normal after a second or two. Finally, the classic move happens: both of our hands reach into the popcorn bowl simultaneously. I grasp his in mine and let them linger, his hand still fidgeting for kernels. He turns to me as soon as I grab his hand, and without taking the time to register the expression on his face, I dive in for a quick peck on the cheek.
Immediately Natsu's face shifts from what I now recognize to be confusion to outrage.
"What the hell!?" He screams, jumping off the couch. "Do you want to get punched, princess?"
Any other time one of us would do something stupid to upset the other, I'd jump at the chance to fight Natsu. But at this moment, the world collapses around me. Natsu, in his infinite wisdom of pop culture, was using a popular phrase to invite me to watch a movie as a friend. And I just blew my cover completely and he hates me for it. So I do something I've never done when confronting Natsu - run.
He chases after me, and, knowing his house better than I do, is on my tail the entire time, pinning me to the wall once I make a futile attempt to open the front door.
"You're not going anywhere until I get an explanation!" He shouts in my face, still wearing a shocked expression.
I go limp and let my head hang in despair. I slowly muster the strength to look up at the pinket, and I stammer out, "Natsu. I… like you."
Natsu slowly calms down and his face soothes into a blank, neutral expression. Time slows to a crawl, and gradually, Natsu's expression change subtly, and I swear I see a glint in his emerald eyes. His expression shows that something's clicking with him, and, operating on instinct in classic Natsu fashion, he aggressively turns his pinning into a giant hug.
"I think I do, too," he says, buried in my chest. He sounds like this is the first time he's grasping the concept - figures he would be oblivious even of his own emotions.
"You know," he says, releasing me from his grasp, "I haven't done a movie marathon in a long time. Would you care to, uh, Netflix and chill with me for a while?"
"All I can say is you better cuddle better than you hug, ash-for-brains."
"You're on."