"Maybe you're agoraphobic or something?"
"What the fuck is that? You callin' me names, stripper!?" Gray immediately crossed his forearms in front of his face, blocking the punch Natsu wound up in a matter of seconds.
Gray forced out a frustrated breath," You're a fucking moron, you know that right? A-GOR-O-PHOBIC. It's gotta do something about never wanting to leave home and not meeting people."
Natsu fell back down on his side of the booth with a huff," But I leave my place every day and I meet people every day. You, Erza, metal-face, Mira, 'Ssana, and most importantly…" He reached below the table and felt around until his fingertips felt the familiar smooth fur from his best friend.
Grinning he picked up a tiny blue toned cat with winged harness around his back, "The BEST buddy in the wooOOOoorrRRrllLLlddd. Happy, say 'aye sir'!" He began twirling and semi-ball room dancing with the little kitten. It almost looked like there was a mischievous grin plastered on the kittens' face.
"mmrEOW!"
'I swear it's like that cat actually knows what that idiot's saying.' Gray sighed into his hand, the clear point he's trying to make is going nowhere. Looking back to the bizarre and dense grown man dancing in his own world, he decided to be a good friend today to his…best friend. He gagged visibly at even the thought.
Just for today.
Shaking his head, Gray began again," No, it's like you're not willing to make any changes to your surroundings. Then you get stuck in a rut and get scared if-"
Natsu, as if struck by something, got out of his dancing-with-my cat trance by hearing his most hated statement. He let Happy scurry away towards the kitchen and got on Gray's side of the booth. "HEY! I ain't scared of nothin'!" Gray immediately shoved the sudden face in his personal space out of his way.
Getting more and more frustrated, but calming himself down, Gray began again," JUST LISTEN WILL YOU. And-no shut up and listen!" He said after seeing the pink-haired man open his stupid mouth. "What I'm saying is, sometimes we get comfortable just doing what we always do but that's not always good. It means you're limiting your chances of…uh I don't know but something different in life." After noticing the unconvinced look on Natsu's face, he added," I…I looked it up cause after my aunt Ur died, I didn't leave the house for months." An entire year, in reality.
Natsu's face softened at the mention of his friend's mentor, Gray wasn't the most open person, but he would always have a proud and distant gleam in his eye during press conferences as he mentioned the reason he became one of the world's most exceptional snowboarders was because of his aunt.
He secretly appreciated the effort Gray put in to be patient with him, when he needed these moments. Natsu was also deliberately being a bit more ridiculous than usual these days, ever since he heard back from the overseas operation Aconologia team, his mind couldn't focus on anything but this weird gnawing tug in his gut. His gaze unintentionally moved towards the front entrance of the building…
Fairy Tail.
In proud letters, displayed to each of its members and served as a reminder of what they stand for. Every single one of them has a reason to be there, Fairy Tail is an organization that gave them a purpose, a drive and a family. Despite its namesake, their establishment functions as a privately appointed fighting force. Their members were extended opportunities from a range of being private bodyguards for the King of Fiore himself to working the bar and kitchen in the building itself. They functioned like a business to the world, but they all considered the other family, each would fight to the death for one another other.
Not being surrounded by that environment or not being able to see them for a long period of time worried him. It wasn't as though he thought they would drift apart but in his personal history, his father disappeared mysteriously, and his brother ran away to who knows where on Earthland. He tried his best to find both but it all occurred when they left his sight. There was admittedly, a deep-rooted uneasiness that settled in him after Makarov announced his decision after Natsu requested to join Operation Acnologia.
Natsu always demanded the most gruesome jobs as a testament to his strength and durability, often sparring with those levels upon levels above him to a fight. He'd gone on jobs where he had to leave for months but it was known when he could return to his safe cavern. While he can hold himself down in most missions, project Acnologia was rated S-Class. Which meant this excursion is most likely one of the deadliest journeys any Fairy Tail member would take.
They had already sent out their top preforming members including the legendary Gildartz Clive, a modern-day warrior whose name alone intimidates all those who oppose them. He is known all throughout the continents for his supreme hand to hand combat, intense survival instinct and emitting a dangerous presence in aura alone. They had also sent Laxus Dreyer, a close follow up to Gildartz, Erza Scarlet and their hidden member. While the team was sent out nearly half a year ago, Makarov received the most recent update as a request to send more teammates. The news nearly frightened him, as the S-Class soldiers were the most formidable beings on the planet in his eyes.
But then he was ecstatic, this meant the mission opened a door for him, and he lunged for the opportunity. This was the journey he can make to become an S-Rank. It was just, the same door brought in more things before he could make it out.
Yet when Makarov announced that Natsu Dragneel would be amongst the second surge group, alongside Gajeel Redfox and Grey Fullbuster, he couldn't stop this unease. It built up as the days came close to their deployment. That's when Grey noticed that Natsu wasn't following his usual pattern of excitement before starting a mission, and decided to not make fun of him but explain that even though his closest and strongest were near him, he has a rooted attachment to his 'home'.
Glancing back at the expressionless and-wait,
"Put some fucking clothes on, you pervert!"
Gray's eyes slammed down to his body, "What?! I swear I just had pants! Don't look, gay-boy!" he
"Huh?! Who the fuck would wanna look at your ugly disgusting mug, idiot?! And why are ya' shy now, yer literally stripping naked in the middle of the hall!"
Mirajane Strauss giggled into the glass she was wiping from behind the bar while other members opted to openly sigh at the boys' strange stripping habit, and more decided to coo and yell for him to put his clothes back on. All of them were waiting on the impending event that follows this very common occurrence.
"You wanna fucking go?! Nobody in their right mind would ever call me ugly!"
'That's what you want to focus on?' thought everyone watching the daily showdown.
Gray jumped out of the booth seating in shock but backed into/shoved poor little Wendy Marvell.
"Oh sorry, Wendy." Gray leant out a hand to help the girl off the ground.
Wendy appreciated the gesture with a gentle smile and reached out to the ice-cold hand in front of her but immediately pulled back, as if bit by fire.
"Gray-san! You-yo-your underwear-it'snotthere!" after stuttering that our she turned red and ran outside the front doors. Gray's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he noticed just flesh below his neck.
"UWAHHH! When did that happen?! T-uerugghh!" Gray was interrupted by a direct kick to the chest and was sent flying over into another open table where Elfman, Evergreen, Fried and Bickslow sat and all the food, books and…strange dolls(?) tumbled all over the ground.
"FALL LIKE A MAN!"
"HOW DARE YOU CRETINS RUIN MY DRESS?! PREPARE TO BE PETRIFIED"
"BAAAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaAaaaAAaaAAABBBIiiIIieeEEESS!"
"Those who break the rules shall be subjected to a fate worse than death."
A chair was thrown over a head, punches were met with punches, yelling and singing ensued to an ear shattering level. Fairy Tail had yet again, returned to its original state of constant chaos and calamity.
Watching from the second floor, Levy McGarden and Lisanna Strauss peered down and released a sigh, ready to say the same thing they do every day.
"Good grief."
"Oh, good grief, Gray. It's not that bad, and look! I'm evening helping you say bye to your little girlfriend!" Natsu said mockingly with his arms folded behind his head as he walked on the stone divider separating the sidewalk from the sandy beach.
Gray threw the melty ice pack with full force and knocked Natsu down to the other side," She's not my fucking girlfriend, b-but she's gonna be sad when she doesn't see me-"
Natsu's head comically bounced out of a sand hill with his eyebrows raised ever so slightly and non-amused," So you're doing all this just for her sake, huh? Just for no reason?"
Gray started sputtering," We said bye to everyone else an-"Natsu's hand came out of the sand as if to signal a stop," Yeah, cause they were all there and they know what's going on. I don't see you going out the way to say bye to anyone else like this."
Feeling the heat on his face but not from the dry sun Gray defended himself," I just-I just would feel bad since she does things like cook for me and I-I don't know! Talks to me and she's really nice so-just shut the fuck up, flamebrain." Definitely tried to defend himself.
Natsu's laughs cut through Gray's ongoing list of reasons. Gray wanted to say goodbye to his…uh, stalker? He wasn't sure of the dynamics exactly, but they met during the last Grand Winter Games where Juvia Locksar locked eyes with Gray during her swim routine warmup. Ever since, she constantly bombards Gray with her presence whether it be at home, Fairy Tail, a mountain, sometimes an onsen and she never complains about his stripping habit. Something that bites Gray back considering other people do complain once they notice.
While Gray developed a softer and kinder attitude towards the girl over the year, he's still unable to properly assess how to approach her she constantly professes her love and throws herself at him, offering anything and everything. Whatever that meant. So, he brings Natsu to distract himself and not suffer the entire onus of her currently unrequited love.
Still chuckling, Natsu finally stepped out of his mole hill sandcastle and dusted himself off. "Whatever, ice princess. It's not like I care, let's just hurry up." He jumped over the stone wall and steadied himself.
"She said she'd be by the entrance of Akane beach, but I don't see her." He frowned in thought for a moment before taking out his lacrima phone. "Gimme a sec, I'll call her." Behind him, Natsu groaned and idled mindlessly. His eyes fell on the sun settling down in the waters. The ocean waters calmly edged their way up the sand, nearly covering majority of it as if tucking the land into bed.
He snorted at the thought, 'That's so stupid.'
Just as stupid as his queasiness to leaving Magnolia for an undisclosed amount of time.
He frowned thinking back to his current predicament. It didn't make sense to him why he felt this way, Natsu didn't ponder at the implication of things or decipher the in-between. He worked on instinct and knew deep in his gut that Fairy Tail will always be his home and always be there for him.
But he had thought the same for his father, Igneel, as well.
It was definitely different, and more importantly his closest friends were going with him too. So why was he reacting like this? Why can't he just go gun-ho a 'blazing like he always does? He felt like he hit a wall. It's not that he wouldn't go, he's never entertained the thought of not going, this is literally a dream come true. It's just, he's bothered by the danger of this mission, how will he protect his most precious teammates, and what's going to happen when they get back? His future wants to go forward but his stomach wants to stay rooted physically at home.
He's in a trance as his eyes stare thousands and millions of yards ahead, at the dipping Sun. His eye naturally shifts as it catches something closer to the shoreline, and suddenly he sees something emerging from the water.
His eyes widen as much as possible, and he feels something akin to how he felt as a child watching Gildartz pull out a jewel from the back of his ear for the first time.
It felt like magic.
The thing that came out of the foaming water was probably the most surreal sight he's ever seen.
Long, thick, blonde tendrils plastered around her and her delicate face. Her eyes had a playful flicker to them, but he was lost in the biggest chocolate eyes he's ever seen. The smile on her face as she struck the water pooling around her thighs was perfect, she looked like she was having fun with no care in the world. Her body was being hugged by a simple white dress, clinging to her curvaceous figure. For a second, he saw a wave splash right behind her and for a moment she just…
She looked like an angel.
-su. Natsu. Natsu. NATSU.
"OI. IDIOT. QUIT FUCKING DROOLING!" Immediately snapping out of his trance he turns to look at the offending man that grabbed him by his t-shirt neckline.
Gray looked annoyed and confused, he's been seeing Natsu space out a lot these days but now he had been yelling at him for a whole seven minutes to no avail. Pushing his wrist off, Natsu opened his mouth but Gray beat him to it.
"Listen man, I don't what you've got going on in your tiny empty head, but you need to get yourself together before we leave. You can't do that while we're going to be on an S-Rank mission." Gray had to say it. He knows Natsu would never purposely jeopardize his friends in any capacity, but emotional strain was something he needs help navigating, but this was the only way he knew how to say it to him.
Quickly glancing over the water, he wanted to see if she was still there and, thank Mavis, she was wading deeper into the water, now to her waist. She didn't just look at peace, but she looked like peace. As his eyeline was returning to Gray, he also saw-
"GRAAAYY-SAMAAA!~" A flash of azure tackled Gray to the ground, and a crying women with literal cups of water flowing out of her eyes couldn't stop yelling.
"Juvia! Get off me! We're on the sidewalk, for Mavis' sake! No-no, do not touch me there!"
Juvia removed most of herself from Gray's struggling body but still had gigantic balls of tears welled up in her eyes,"wwaaaaaahhhh, Juvia is so displeased she must depart from her beloved Gray-sama! Juvia was here at the entrance but Juvia's friend wanted to enter the ocean so I could not spot you, my dear love." It was almost as if a puddle was forming from all the tears falling out of her eyes, and she kept wailing.
"Aughh, Juvia it's fine! Just let me get up first and we can-." "JUVIA DOES NOT WANT GRAY-SAMA TO LEAVE." They ensued in a semi tackle where Juvia tried to pin him down but Gray, not wanting to hurt her, tried to lift her up off him but immediately lost balance when she sat on his stomach again and suffocated him with her chest with her arms wrapped around his head. He could faintly see his nose bleeding.
"Let's go to the beach." Natsu said quietly.
Both Gray and Juvia paused their activity and looked at Natsu's curious gaze towards the water. They had never heard the normally obnoxious and roaring boy say something so softly.
"Ah yes! Also, it is good to see you Natsu-san! But yes, let us depart towards the sunset!" Suddenly as if hearts appeared in her eyes, she continued," A SUNSET WITH GRAY-SAMAA! ~" Wrapping her arms around herself as if to contain the excitement. Natsu smiled at the girl but had a quick turn towards the beach.
As he walked closer to the girl, she turned towards him, and they made eye contact. Her eyes somehow bugged out even more and without knowing, Natsu's toothy grin made it back to his face. He walked closer to her, but her eyebrows scrunched up after glancing somewhere behind him. Her face then became very clearly angry, which made his smile falter but completely fall into a curiously open mouth as she stomped her way over to him. The water sloshed angrily, and a deep frown set into her angelic face, but he still couldn't stop his heart from beating out of his chest like an animal in a cage. Maybe that's just her uh…greeting face? Her brows furrowed more and more as she got on the sand towards him.
Raising his arm out in front of him, he grinned and went for it," Hiya! I'm Natsu- "THUCK
The last thing he remembers is flying over Juvia with her hands covering her mouth in shock and Gray laughing uncontrollably on his back pointing at him. He even saw a triumphant smirk on his angel's face.
Was that a roundhouse kick? Nice. But for a second before losing consciousness, he considered this a sign to get out of his head and finally did.
Getting out from the black void, he started to wake up from his assault. He felt something slimey on his face, right above his mouth.
"I'm so sorry, please wake up!" He heard panicked song-like voice say.
"Lucy, how could you knock out Juvia's beloved's best friend!" There is no need to guess who that is.
"Hey, hey can you just make sure the seaweed moustache doesn't fall off his face. I just need a couple more." That bastard.
"I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you and all Gray but YOUR FRIEND IS UNCONSCIOUS HERE. And also! Juvia! You kept waving both your arms I thought that meant you felt threatened. I thought he was the guy who keeps following you, you said he knew Gray!" That voice scratched an itch in his brain.
"Wait, someone's been following you, Juvia? And they know me?" That idiot sounded more confused than concerned.
"I'm sorry, can we please bring it back to your friend who, I did not mean to knock out whatsoever. Even though I did it, I really didn't mean it. Oh god, he was even trying to introduce himself, I deserve to get run over by a bus. He looks so nice." That last whiney part made him let out a little chuckle and open his flickering eyes to the bleary view. The sun was down but the moon illuminated the night.
The sweet brown eyes were look closely down at him, and somehow the night sky made her look genuinely extra-terrestrial. She looks so sad but hopeful as he looked towards her.
He opened his mouth and murmured a word while they held eye contact.
She moved closer to him to listen with her eyebrows crumpled in concern and tiny frown on her face, "I'm sorry, what was that?"
Angel.
He wanted to say Angel.
But when she had bent down to hear him better his eyes and complete full bodily attention shifted to the gargantuan melons that he could make out from her semi-wet dress. His eyes locked in and did not even try to look above her neck. He'd never seen a pair so huge and almost made a mental notice to ask how her back must be faring from carrying them. Then he thought-
"I wanna suck em'."
He was caught off guard, yet again, by the swift punch that knocked him out. Again.