#Gratsu Week 2021 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

twomanyideas · 3 years

Text

Rumor Has It...

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404

Gratsu Week 2021 Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, Gray x Juvia (unrequited) Prompt: Surprise

AO3

Summary: There was always a hint of gossip in the air at the Fairy Tail guild, and Natsu would be lying if he said that he didn’t take part in it now and then. He’d always thought it was harmless fun; a little teasing between friends.

But this time was different.

0-0

Story Notes

A few years ago I came across this comic from のん( ˘ω˘ )12月は徹也月 (@0601non) one of my favorite gratsu artists. I had always wanted to write a story for it and @oryu404 was kind enough to humor me and come on board.

The initial rumors and the Avatar references come directly from chapters 424, 428 and 438 of the manga.

0-0

There was always a hint of gossip in the air at the Fairy Tail guild, and Natsu would be lying if he said that he didn’t take part in it now and then. He’d always thought it was harmless fun; a little teasing between friends.

But this time was different.

“I heard those two were living together? Is that true?”

“Yeah, they tied the knot.”

“And they have a kid.”

Every word felt like someone had hammered one of those nails Natsu had watched Juvia hand Gray earlier into his heart. To make matters worse, he couldn’t escape it no matter where he was at the building site. His enhanced hearing made sure of that.

When it wasn’t speculation about what had happened between Gray and Juvia, then it was Juvia telling anyone who would listen about her time living with her Gray-sama.

Her Gray-sama...

Those words made him want to tear something to shreds. Not Juvia, of course, Natsu didn’t blame her for what had happened. There was only one person to blame for his misfortune, and his name was Natsu Dragneel.

He doubled his efforts to help in the construction of their new guild building, needing to get some of his frustration out without attracting any unwanted attention. But Juvia’s high-pitched giggles as she prattled on to Gray were more than he could take, and he slunk away as soon as he thought Erza wouldn’t notice his absence.

Natsu walked around town, not really paying attention to where he was going, just wanting to put as much distance between himself and the never ending rumors as he could.

He’d been the one who’d left town without a word, too caught up in his grief to spare any thought to Gray’s. Stupidly thinking he would be there waiting when Natsu came back.

But no, Gray had run to Juvia for comfort. Why wouldn’t he? It’s not like they’d ever given a name to what existed between them. And of course Juvia had welcomed him with open arms.

Natsu had been woefully unprepared for what he’d discovered in that small house where they’d found Juvia. Her scent mixed in with Gray's, tainting it, had been enough to make his stomach flip in a way no train had ever done. And that was before Juvia had relayed how they’d spent their days together while living under one roof.

And in this very bed…

Even though she had gone on to explain that Gray had sent her away, it was too late. Those words had painted a picture in Natsu’s mind that he couldn’t unsee. And even if nothing had happened, he’d certainly never lived with Gray. What more proof did he need that Gray had moved on from him?

Natsu knew he needed to move on as well. Torturing himself wasn’t helping matters any, but it was so hard. The year he’d been gone had been the loneliest of his life. He’d spent countless nights berating himself for his weakness and training nonstop to make up for it. Thinking about his relationship with Gray and looking forward to seeing him again had been the one thing that had kept him sane after losing Igneel like that.

But that was then, and unfortunately for him, this was now. And as much as he didn’t want to give up, what right did he have to make things difficult for Juvia and Gray if they were happy together?

He needed to do as Igneel had always taught him. Look to the future... even if it seemed bleak at the moment.

0-0

“Juvia has already begun packing her things.”

“Oh? You going somewhere?” Gray replied absently, only half listening to her chatter as he watched Natsu flit around the guild, talking to everyone -well, everyone but him- and acting like everything was fine until Erza yelled at him to get back to work.

But everything was not fine.

Natsu could pretend all he wanted, but Gray knew him better than anyone. He could read all the little gestures that Natsu thought no one would notice. The tense shoulders, the strain that lay at the edge of his smile, all signs that he was holding himself together. But worse than that was the way he acted whenever he caught Gray looking at him. For the fleetest of seconds, an almost pleading expression crossed his features, right before his fists clenched at his sides and he looked away.

What Gray wasn’t entirely sure of was how much of Natsu’s behavior was caused by his grief and how much was in reaction to the situation they found themselves in.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Gray had missed him, damn it! He’d spent more nights than he could count fantasizing about Natsu’s return. About long nights and lazy mornings spent doing what they did best- laughing, loving, fighting, playing... The year they had spent apart from each other had left him feeling like a part of him was missing, and it had made him want things he’d never considered before. Things that his forced cohabitation with Juvia had brought to his attention.

As much as he’d resented the intrusion at first, it had opened his eyes to the idea of sharing his life with someone.

Just not Juvia.

Now those six months she’d stayed with him were at the heart of the problem. It was a situation made even more difficult by the guild’s constant gossip and ridiculous rumors.

Each one filled him with outrage. If there was one thing he hated more than being the center of attention, it was having his privacy invaded. Having both those things happen at the same time was more than he could stand, but while he was miserable, Juvia was having the time of her life. Every one of her exclamations and innuendos only fed the rumor mill, regardless of how many times he explained that none of it was true.

No one was interested in his side of the story.

He frowned, wincing as Natsu hammered a nail into a beam with so much force it was a miracle the thing didn’t split in half.

The sound of Juvia’s high-pitched giggles brought him back to attention real quick. Had he missed something?

“Gray-sama shouldn’t tease Juvia like that.”

Tease? What the heck was she going on about now?

“Juvia is getting ready to move her things into Gray-sama’s apartment.”

His what now? Oh, hell no!

He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, awaiting his response, but he didn’t care one bit. There was no way he was subjecting himself to that nightmare again.

“We never moved in together, Juvia. You moved into my house and refused to leave, remember?”

“How can Gray-sama say that when we ate, trained and went on jobs together every day?” Juvia chided him gently. “We were so happy!”

“No,” Gray was quick to point out. “You were happy.”

“But Juvia-”

“Whatever fantasy you thought up, it never happened. We shared the same living space, that’s all. I told you from the beginning there was someone else.”

Gray instantly regretted saying that, because it shifted the rumor mill into its highest gear. The whispers soon began again, each one wilder than the one before it.

“According to what I've heard, Lucy is his mistress.”

“Mistress?”

“And there’s whispers that he’s seeing Erza on the side, too…”

For fuck’s sake, these people had known him most of his life. Was this really what they thought of him?

Gray clenched his jaw to keep himself from exploding while searching the room for Natsu, hoping that his outburst would at least make him understand that whatever Juvia had told him wasn’t real. But to his dismay, Natsu was nowhere to be found.

Oh, come on!

Not willing to put up with anymore of the guild’s nonsense, he decided to take care of a small errand, hoping a walk around town would help clear his mind.

How had everything gone so wrong?

If only he hadn’t gone to Isvan first, he might have avoided this entire mess. But Natsu had locked himself in his house with Happy and refused to see anyone, and Gray had wanted to give him some space to get a handle on his grief. He should have known the idiot couldn’t even do that like a normal person.

When he returned, he’d learned Natsu had taken off with Happy, leaving only the barest of notes to Lucy. Gray had tried to find him, knowing that being alone was the last thing Natsu needed, but for once, there had been no trail of destruction to follow.

That had scared him most of all.

All he could do was wait for him to return, so when Erza had turned up asking for his help, he’d jumped at the chance to infiltrate Avatar. It was the distraction he needed, and a welcome reprieve from Juvia’s antics.

More than once during his time in Avatar, he’d hoped Natsu would show up, wanting to kick his ass for doing something as stupid as joining a cult. Sure, it would derail his infiltration efforts and all of Erza’s plans, but Gray thought it would be worth it just to see Natsu and know that he was okay. To fight side by side again.

But when it finally happened, it was both exactly as he’d expected and nothing at all like he’d imagined.

Natsu had come barging in, yelling for him at the top of his lungs, just as Gray had known he would. It had taken all of his acting skills and self-restraint not to laugh out loud at that.

But then…

"You got people waitin’ for you! Like Juvia!!"

Of all the things he’d thought Natsu would yell at him when he saw him, he had to admit that one had never made the list, and he got a terrible feeling in his gut. Why would he even bring her up when they hadn’t seen each other in a year?

“And me!!” Natsu had immediately added, but it had felt almost like an afterthought, especially when he’d launched into what amounted to a Fairy Tail recruiting pitch right after. That and the near jaw breaking punch he’d received in greeting pointed to only one thing: Natsu and Lucy had found Juvia before coming to look for him.

Things had only gotten worse when Juvia had shown up to the fight with Wendy. A week had passed since that day without a proper chance for Gray to talk to Natsu, and he knew that when he did, he’d need to have more to show for himself than just empty words.

And he would; he already had a plan. Was it going to work? Gray desperately hoped so, but he wasn't sure, considering Natsu had seemingly decided that he and Juvia were a thing. And, okay, that part was totally his own fault. How would he have felt if he’d returned from a long absence to discover Natsu had been living with Lucy?

Gray could only imagine the picture Juvia had painted for them. He shuddered, remembering the number of times he’d kicked her out of his bed.

That he’d never flat out told Natsu how he felt about him probably didn’t help his case either. He’d just always assumed Natsu knew, although he realized now how unfair that had been on his part.

Igneel, the most important person -uhm, dragon- in the world to Natsu, was gone, and that must have left him feeling lost. What Natsu had needed after a year spent alone was to be reassured that Gray loved him, not be confronted with Juvia’s romanticized fantasies. And although neither one of them had ever been interested in letting others know about their relationship, given how nosy everyone at the guild was, maybe that was exactly what he needed to do. Make some public declaration of his love that let Natsu know he was the only one for him and hopefully put an end to the rumors once and for all.

Gray reached the small jewelry shop he’d discovered a few days earlier and stood at the door, working up the courage to go inside, knowing once he did so, there'd be no turning back.

What if he botched things up more, insulting Natsu rather than getting his feelings across and ending up in one of their fights? Granted, that would still feel like a step up from where they were now, but that did little to calm Gray's nerves.

Not that it mattered, since the shop owner had already seen him, and cheerfully gestured at him to come inside.

“Perfect timing,” she said. “I just finished engraving your order a few minutes ago. Let me go get it for you.”

Gray could only nod in response, feeling foolish for being so wound up. He tugged at his shirt collar, actively fighting the urge to strip.

Hearing a chuckle, he looked up to find the shopkeeper grinning at him.

“You look just like my Martin did right before he proposed.”

She placed a small black box on the counter between them. Her eyes twinkled as she opened it so that he could inspect the ring that was inside.

Gray had chosen a black metal band inlaid with orange and blue gemstones, meant to represent their elements, and in a fit of sentimentality that had surprised even him, he’d asked the shopkeeper to engrave his name on the inside of the band. He picked the ring up carefully, checking to ensure they’d spelled his name correctly before placing it on his finger.

It fit perfectly, which was one less worry because that meant it would fit Natsu as well. If he'd accept it, that is.

“Did he do anything, you know, special?” Gray asked, hoping for some advice, even though he realized whatever this Martin had done would likely not work on Natsu.

“Just speak from your heart, dear, that’s all you need to do.”

Gray nodded and put the ring back into the box, grabbing his wallet and handing the woman the Jewels he owed for his purchase.

"The best of luck!" The shopkeeper smiled reassuringly, “And be sure to bring him by if there are any issues with the ring.”

“Alright, thank you.”

He safely tucked the box away in the pocket of his coat and exited the store, already racking his brain, trying to figure out what to do next. Should he go find Natsu?

He decided that would probably be a waste of time. He didn’t know where Natsu had gone off to, and if he was upset, Gray doubted he’d be easy to find by anyone other than another dragon slayer.

Besides, he still didn’t know what he was going to say.

He peered at the store’s window absently, not really paying any attention to the items displayed within.

“Just speak from your heart…”

The shopkeeper had made it sound so simple, but after years spent doing the exact opposite, it was anything but.

Come on, Fullbuster, man up. You’re not a scared little boy any longer. You’ve faced your demons head on and come out on top. How can telling Natsu how you feel about him possibly be any scarier than that? It’s only three little words…

Gray leaned forward, studying his reflection in the glass.

“I… ”

That one was easy. He took a deep, calming breath, working up to the next one.

“I L-”

“I Lo-”

Oh, for fuck’s sake!!!

“I love yo-”

Gray was unable to finish his declaration, his eyes widening in stunned recognition once he noticed the person standing behind him.

0-0

Natsu had calmed down enough that he felt like he could brave the guild again. He hurried toward Fairy Tail, figuring if he didn’t return soon, Erza and Lucy would hound him with questions he wasn't keen on answering. He traveled along the side streets, hoping to avoid some of the more crowded areas, and ended up in a part of town he wasn’t very familiar with.

The street he was on had many small shops, including a candy shop he immediately knew he wanted to bring Happy, Asuka, Wendy, and Romeo to as soon as he had some extra Jewels. He continued to walk around, all thoughts of returning to the guild forgotten as the thrill of exploring took hold. He wrinkled his nose at the overwhelming smells wafting out of a shop that sold incense, peeked curiously at the window display of a store that sold trinkets, and gazed longingly at a noodle restaurant.

He turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks at the unexpected sight of Gray and Juvia standing in front of a store. Juvia pointed at something in the display window, her cheeks flushing prettily in excitement.

Natsu looked up and read the shop name off the sign. Heartgems Jewelry. Peering at the display window, he saw what Juvia was pointing at. They were looking at wedding bands. He didn’t have the heart to look at Gray’s face, couldn’t bear to witness the joyous expression he'd likely see there.

He told himself it was for the best. If the two of them were getting married, he’d have no choice but to accept that everything was over. He just hadn’t expected it to feel as devastating as losing Igneel- both times. It was like he was being abandoned all over again.

Natsu staggered back to the street he'd just come from. The pain in his heart overwhelmed him, and even though he fought to hold back his tears, it was a losing battle.

0-0

“Juvia likes that one!”

Gray could frankly care less which ring she favored. He was still reeling from having almost accidentally confessed his love to the wrong person. He thanked his lucky stars that she hadn’t heard him, because he’d be in a much different level of hell if she had. Not that the one he was currently in was anything to write home about.

“Gray-sama is so romantic to surprise Juvia with a ring.”

Seriously?! Had he not just told her there was someone else?

Gray couldn’t understand how one person could be so purposely dense, but he needed to set her straight once and for all.

This stupid drama was ending today.

There was only one thing he could think of that would make her understand. It felt a little cruel, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t warned her. He still hoped that telling her would be enough, but she never let him finish.

“I’ve already bought a ring, Juvia, and it’s not for y-”

“The answer is yes!”

Juvia’s eyes had already turned to hearts the moment he mentioned he’d bought the ring.

Damn it!

He hated this. Why couldn’t she ever listen to him? He was so tired of always being put in the position of breaking her heart. It wasn’t fair.

“I didn’t ask.” Gray steeled himself to see it through. “The ring isn’t for you.”

“But, Gray-sama-” Juvia swallowed, and sounding unsure, she asked, “Weren’t we happy?”

Gray’s hand wavered over his coat pocket as he debated showing her the ring. Fuck it. At this point, he was all in. He grabbed the small box, gripping it in his hand and opening it, revealing what was obviously a man’s ring.

Juvia stared at it in awe for a moment before frowning curiously, and Gray could tell she'd finally connected the dots when she looked up at him, eyes wide from shock. Tears pooled in their corners as she whispered, "Natsu?"

“Yes,” Gray said, admitting it out loud for the first time. “It’s always been him.”

“But, Gray-sama…” Juvia whimpered, her eyes returning to the ring, and miraculously, she quieted down.

“I’m sorry, Juvia.”

“But why didn’t Gray-sama and Natsu ever tell anyone?!”

“I did tell you there was someone.” Gray reminded her. “And as for everyone else, why should we have to? It’s nobody’s business but ours.”

“Because Juvia told Natsu she tried to sleep with Gray-sama!” Juvia wailed, looking horrified. “Juvia wouldn’t have done that if she had known! Juvia just wanted to brag to Love-Rival!”

“You told him what?!” Gray yelled. He’d sort of figured that might have been the case, but it still pissed him off. “Did you at least tell him I kicked you out?”

“Juvia thinks so?” She tapped her chin, pointedly avoiding his eyes.

“You think so?!”

“Juvia can’t be sure. Juvia was ill!” Her tears flowed down her cheeks now, but Gray had other things to worry about at the moment.

"Goddammit. Fuck my life!" He shoved the box back into his coat pocket and ran towards the guild, hoping that Natsu had returned, or at the very least was still planning to.

“Juvia is sorry!” She called out, chasing after him even as the sky opened up all around them.

0-0

Natsu watched from a distance as his friends got back to work now that the unexpected rain shower had finally ended. He’d decided against going home, even though he knew he looked a mess. He figured he could get away with making a brief appearance if he acted like he was sick, and maybe even get a few days of peace out of it.

All he had to do was congratulate Gray and Juvia, tell Erza he wasn’t feeling well, and then get the hell out. It should be easy enough to do.

Except it wasn’t.

A lump that felt large enough to prevent any air from traveling in or out of his lungs formed in his throat the moment he spotted Gray, and no matter how hard he swallowed, it didn't seem to make a difference. His leg muscles strained to bring him closer, but each step he took felt like he was wading through syrup. He soldiered on bravely, determined to just get it over with so he could retreat and deal with his heartbreak in private.

The walls he'd worked so hard to put up crumbled as soon as Gray and Juvia turned around and stared at him with matching shocked expressions.

“Congratulations, Gray,” Natsu managed to get out before his body betrayed him. It shook, even as a searing heat rushed to his cheeks. He closed his eyes and plastered Earthland’s fakest smile on his face, willing his tears to evaporate before Gray could notice them.

“Congratulations?” Gray repeated slowly and Natsu opened his eyes, confused by his puzzled tone. “Whatever for? It’s not my birthday.”

“You know what? Doesn’t matter.” Gray said, letting out a sharp breath. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. We need to talk to you.”

“It’s okay, I already know.” Natsu said, still selling that fake smile for all he was worth. “I saw the two of you in front of Heartgems earlier. I wish you the best.”

Juvia gasped, her hands moving to cover her mouth, but Gray fell silent. Instead, he watched Natsu with wide eyes, his body as unmoving as any statue. The only sign of life to be seen was a thin trail of sweat that trickled down his face.

“Did Natsu say he saw Gray and Juvia in front of Heartgems?”

“Isn’t that the jewelry store on Honeydew Street?”

“They’re getting m-married?!”

That last one came courtesy of Erza, and it was loud enough to get everyone’s attention. Mira squealed at the news, and as more and more people chimed in, Natsu knew he only had a few precious minutes before the inevitable celebration kicked off.

Despite all the noise surrounding them, Gray, Natsu and Juvia remained in a sort of standoff, and as nothing but awkward silence passed between them, Natsu decided to make a hasty exit. He’d done what he set out to do.

But before he could even turn around and walk away, Gray had grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into a tight embrace. His head burrowed into Natsu’s neck, his body trembling slightly against him. Natsu’s arms hung in midair as he fought between the urge to struggle and the desire to keep holding on to Gray forever.

But he knew he couldn’t do that. Gray belonged to Juvia now.

“What’s going on over there?”

“Are they getting ready to fight?”

“They better not, we just got the frame up.”

“Don’t tell me Natsu’s in love with Juvia too… Poor Lucy!”

“Everyone be quiet!”

Gray let go of Natsu but grabbed on to his shoulders firmly, forcing him to look into his eyes. “It’s not what you think.” He pleaded, confusing Natsu with the underlying fear he could hear in his voice.

Their nakama quieted down, all eyes riveted on Natsu and Gray and the drama that was unfolding.

“Yes, we were at Heartgems, but I was there buying a ring for you, not her.” Gray pulled a small black box out of his coat pocket and opened it.

“Did he just say he bought a ring for Natsu?!”

“Quiet!”

Inside the box lay a black band with some sort of blue and orange gemstones all around it. Natsu gaped from the ring -an obvious nod to their opposing elements- to Gray.

“I love you.” Gray proclaimed loudly enough for the entire guild to hear and to hide Natsu’s astonished gasp. “I know I should have said it sooner. I just- well, you know.”

You suck at talking about your feelings…

It was something Natsu had always understood, and in all fairness he was only marginally better. In the years they’d been together, Gray had never once said those words to him, and Natsu had never needed them. He’d sensed it in Gray’s actions, and that had been more than enough for him. And yeah, Juvia had always been an issue, with her constant love confessions and demands on Gray’s time. But Natsu had never really seen her as a threat to their relationship until he and Lucy had found her waiting for Gray outside that house.

To hear Gray say those words to him now, in front of their family no less, was everything he hadn’t known he’d wanted. His eyes filled with tears again, but this time, he didn’t bother hiding them.

“Being apart for so long, I don’t want to do that again.” Gray got down on one knee, amid loud whispers and catcalls, but his eyes never left Natsu's as he placed the box in his hand.

“Let’s get married, Natsu.”

“Called it. Macao, you owe me ten thousand jewels!”

“Cana!”

“What? He does.”

Everyone commented at once, despite Erza’s continued warnings.

“Heaven’s Wheel”

There was a sudden burst of light as Erza requipped into her armor, along with enough swords for everyone present.

“Don’t think I won’t use these.” She glared at all of them, daring them to speak out of turn, but none of them did.

Normally, Natsu would have been annoyed by her interference, but as it was, he felt so far out of his depth that he welcomed the extra time she bought him, not that it helped him much.

“Married?” Natsu repeated, feeling like he was missing something. “But you were living with Juvia…”

Gray opened his mouth to explain, but Juvia spoke before he had the chance to.

“When the guild disbanded, Juvia didn't know where to go, so Juvia begged Gray-sama to let her stay with him,” Juvia admitted, wringing her hands together as she talked. “Gray-sama told Juvia there was someone else, but Juvia wouldn’t accept it.”

“Juvia thought she could win Gray-sama’s heart, but after trying her best for six months, Juvia must accept that Gray-sama’s heart belongs to Natsu.” She bowed her head. “Juvia is truly sorry she hurt Natsu.”

Natsu couldn’t decide which shocked him the most, Gray’s unexpected proposal or the sight of Juvia apologizing and encouraging the two of them with a smile.

“I-I don’t know what to say, I thought-” Natsu looked back down at the ring in wonder, as he fumbled to find words that expressed how he’d felt over the past week.

“Just say yes already. You know you love him!” Happy hollered, the words and Gray’s hopeful expression finally getting through to Natsu.

“Yes!” And refusing to let Happy steal his thunder, he exclaimed as loudly as he could manage, “I love you too, you droopy-eyed bastard!”

Natsu grabbed Gray’s hand and pulled him up straight into a hug, being careful of the box he was still holding. This time, he allowed himself to breathe Gray in. He smiled as he felt the soothing tingle of chilly lips against his and heard the familiar sizzling sound of their opposing temperatures coming together. He’d missed this.

Meanwhile, the rest of the guild was still so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone watched with wide eyes, slowly turning to Erza, who dispelled her swords and gave a nod.

The guild erupted into cheers, and Natsu and Gray soon found themselves surrounded by all their friends, yelling their congratulations and patting them effusively on their shoulders as, after a long year apart, they weren’t ready to let go of each other just yet.

“Welcome home.” Gray whispered in his ear, and Natsu touched their foreheads together in response.

After all the heartache and stress, Natsu did finally feel like he’d come home. And his fire, which had felt as though it had been waning this past year, blazed inside him once again.

#fairy tail #gratsu #natray #gratsuweek2k21 #gray x natsu #natsu x gray #Gratsu Week 2021 #other #fics #prompt: surprise

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watcher-ofthe-sky · 3 years

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“This is where our stories begin I’m lighting up your world.”

Made for Gratsu Week 2021!

#gratsu #gratsuweek2k21 #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #fairy tail #natray #gray x natsu #natsu x gray #my art #okay I have a lot to say but it is 2:37 am so I am just glad that it is d o n e

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khaoticvex · 3 years

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Gratsu Week 2021 Day 1: Surprise

It is them!! I will try to continue this for the week themes, bear with me.

PATREON | Commissions | Art Tag

#gratsuweek2k21 #gratsu week #gratsu #natsu dragneel #gray fullbuster #fairy tail #ft #khaotic art #sketch #i have ideas and i am late but i guess gratsu fans are craving content at all times #better late than never...#natsu doesnt know how to romance so he gets wildflowers like a lil boy lol

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uzunotegaki · 3 years

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NatsuGray Week (Gratsu Week) 2021 Day 4: Invisible

Natsu becomes invisible after he got hit by a strange magic. Interestingly, he considers this as the chance to pull a prank to his closest friends. Gray is one of them, obviously.

#fairy tail #gratsuweek2k21 #gray fullbuster #natray #natsu x gray #fanart

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fuckyeahgratsu · 3 years

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster Additional Tags: Idiots in Love, Married Life, Married Couple, Boys In Love, Christmas Smut, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Tree, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Surprises, I'm Bad At Tagging, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Ship It, Gratsu Week 2021, Short & Sweet, Holidays, True Love Summary:

Gray hates the Holidays, he absolutely despises them. Especially Christmas. When he ruins Natsu's Chritsmas spirit, he decides to make it up to him. Will he eventually change his mind about Christmas, which he loathes so much?

#fairy tail #gratsu #gratsuweek2k21 #starcrossedlovers #gratsuxmas

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ao3feed-gratsu · 3 years

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Peppermint

by Jinx13GXA

Many of Natsu's habits come from Igneel, and he still keeps doing them despite the pain he felt when his father abandoned him. However, who he was and the family he had among the dragons are just as important to him as the family he's found in the guild, and he loves them all dearly... Even when they go out of their way to celebrate his birthday, a day he associates with upsetting memories.

However, a special gift from Gray simoultaneously makes things better and worse.

This two shot is for the Gratsu week 2021 prompts "Surprise" and "Goodbye."

Words: 2451, Chapters: 1/2, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Gratsu week 2021

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Lucy Heartfilia, Igneel (Fairy Tail), Happy (Fairy Tail)

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster

Additional Tags: Character Study, Fluff, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Domestic Fluff, Natsu Dragneel has abandonment issues, Found Family, Gray is soft, Lucy's only mentioned, but it's an important mention, Happy is adorable, Natsu Dragneel is a little shit, Extended Metaphors, First Kiss, Falling In Love, Grief/Mourning, I tried writing in present tense and I'm not sure how I feel about it

Source:https://archiveofourown.org/works/33969574

#gratsu #ao3feed gratsu #fanfiction #fairy tail #gray x natsu #natsu x gray #mlm #slash

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ft-dads-au · 3 years

Text

Castles in the Snow

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404

Gratsu Winter Solstice 2020 Prompt: Fun in the Snow Pairing: Gray x Natsu

AO3 | FF.Net

January 6th, 2021

“Have you figured out the answer yet?” Gray asked, trying to remain patient even though it was clear to him that Natsu wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to the math problem he was supposed to be working on.

“What?” Natsu finally stopped staring out the window long enough to glance at Gray with a guilty expression that he couldn’t help but find incredibly cute.

Hana, Atlas, and Aki were glued to the window as well, oohing and aahing as the backyard accumulated more and more snow.

“What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all acting like you’ve never seen snow before.”

“Well, I mean, they sort of haven’t. It didn’t really snow that much in Edolas, a few inches at the most,” Natsu reminded him, “This is the first big snowfall they’ve ever seen, and they’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”

The longing in Natsu’s eyes made it clear that the kids weren’t the only ones who had been looking forward to it. To his credit, he did try to shift his focus back to studying, staring at the problem he was supposed to solve for about five minutes before his eyes strayed back to the window again.

“Fine, fine, you win,” Gray sighed, realizing any further attempts would be pointless and that Aki would probably love to go out with Atlas and Hana in the snow. “Let’s go play.”

He snorted when his words were immediately met with cheers and dazzling smiles.

“Are you sure?” Natsu asked, “I know I can get this if I keep at it.”

“There’s no point. Your mind’s clearly out there,” Gray shrugged. “We can take a break for one day. It won’t mess up anything. Besides, how can you expect me to say no to those faces?” He nodded towards the kids, who were staring at them with big, pleading eyes, bouncing on their feet in anticipation. “I guess you’re right,” Natsu chuckled and closed his math book as he got up. He stretched his arms above his head, causing his shirt to ride up and expose part of his abdomen, and now it was Gray’s turn to be distracted.

Hana dashed to the coat closet to grab her winter gear and put it on, all the while telling them all the things she wanted to do once they got outside.

“Do you have stuff for Aki?” Natsu asked, his lips twitching at Hana’s running commentary. “I think Erza got two sets for Atlas. He’s welcome to borrow one.”

“Nah, I’ve got his stuff in the car. I’ll be right back.”

Gray put on his jacket and went outside, stopping briefly to collect some of the snow that had accumulated on the steps into his gloved hand and examining it, grinning when he saw how well it stuck together. Perfect snow for playing, fluffy and wet.

He felt his own excitement build. Winter had always been his favorite season, and some of his fondest memories were of playing in the snow with his parents and Rogue once he was a bit older. They’d had snowball fights, built snowmen, collapsed on the snow to make angels, and careened down ever higher hills on sleds for hours, returning home to hot cocoa and cookies as their mom complained that their lips were a worrying shade of blue.

Gray still treasured those memories and looked forward to doing some of those things with Aki now that he was old enough. He rushed back inside, beginning the long process of bundling his son up into his winter gear.

Thankfully Atlas was there to distract him, chattering excitedly as Natsu got him ready. It was only when both boys were dressed that Gray shifted his attention.

“Are you sure you don’t want to put anything else on?” Gray mocked, amused by the ridiculous amount of clothing Natsu was wearing. Snow pants tucked over his snow boots, a padded jacket, the checkered scarf he often wore, a balaclava under a woolen hat, and thick gloves.

“It’s cold,” Natsu shrugged, then looking him over, he urged, “Shouldn’t you get ready? The kids are getting impatient.”

“I am ready, Sunshine.”

Natsu gaped at him, or so Gray imagined since the only part of his face that he could really make out was his eyes.

“You can’t be serious. You’re going to freeze!”

“And you call me a princess? I hate to break it to you, but it’s not even that cold. I’ve got gloves and my jacket. I’m good.” He opened the door that led to the backyard and walked out with Aki and Atlas following close behind. Hana dashed past him in a purple blur.

Snow continued to fall, although the heaviest part of the storm seemed to be over, and Gray stuck his tongue out, trying to catch snowflakes as he’d done when he was little and smiling at the familiar tingle.

Gray thought he saw Natsu staring at him, but it was too brief for him to be sure. He shrugged it off, switching his attention to the boys and chuckling at their antics. Atlas had lain down on the snow and was rolling himself around, turning into a human snowball as more and more snow stuck to him while Natsu somehow managed to take pictures on his phone.

Aki was busy alternating between admiring the snow that stuck to his mittens with an awed expression and giggling at the crunching noise his boots made when he moved, causing Gray’s heart to swell. He quickly took a few pictures to show his parents and walked over to encourage him to play with the others.

He stopped short when he saw the misshapen blob that Hana and Natsu were cobbling together.

“What is that supposed to be?”

“What do you mean? It’s a snowball, obviously.” Natsu held up his creation with a lot more pride than it deserved.

“That thing has no business calling itself a snowball,” Gray scoffed, “It’s going to fall apart in the air long before it hits anything.”

“Will not.”

“Oh yeah? Go ahead, throw it at me.”

Natsu hurled the snowball, but Gray didn’t even bother moving, and just as he expected, it never hit.

"Told you," he said smugly and squatted down to grab some snow off the ground, skillfully shaping it into an almost perfect ball. "My turn," he flashed a wicked grin and threw the snowball, watching with childish glee as it soared through the air and hit Natsu square in the face.

“Hey, no fair, you’re not supposed to throw them in people’s faces,” Natsu protested, wiping the snow off his face with his glove.

“I figured you wouldn’t even feel it through all that padding,” he teased, making no effort to apologize. “That’s what a real snowball feels like.”

“How’d you get it to pack like that?”

“Here, let me show you, and then we can have ourselves a real fight,” Gray offered before Natsu could get it into his head to retaliate. “You too, Hana.”

He cupped some snow between his hands, rotating them slowly to help fuse the snow together. “You just gotta make sure to press down firmly when you rotate your hands. That packs the snow in real good and keeps it from falling apart midair.”

Hana and Natsu watched eagerly as he explained, imitating his actions. Their first efforts were pretty pitiful.

“Just keep at it. Those already look better,” he encouraged, “ You’ll know you’re doing it right when you can stack them up.”

He noticed Aki gazing at the trees with interest and picked him up, walking over towards the nearest one so his son could touch one of its branches, delighting at his laugh when the snow came down. Gray kissed Aki’s chubby cheek and whispered, “I love you, kiddo.”

“I did it!”

Hana’s exalted cry was cut short as the stack of snowballs she’d worked so hard on toppled over when Atlas attempted to grab one.

“Hey!” she started to protest, but whatever expression Atlas had on his face changed her mind, causing her to dissolve into giggles instead.

The sound of Hana’s laughter drew Aki’s attention, and he wiggled in Gray’s arms, wanting to be put down to go investigate what his friends were up to.

Gray obliged, watching as Hana and Natsu created stacks of snowballs for Atlas to topple, and when Aki joined in, he began to make some as well, amused by how easily the two boys were entertained. After a bit, Natsu changed up the game, showing them how to stack the snowballs instead.

He had to admit that his friend was pretty good with kids, which was probably not a huge surprise, considering he seemed to be a big kid himself. It made Gray wonder what parenting might have been like if he’d been married to someone like that.

He analyzed Natsu’s backyard, trying to distract himself from any thoughts of his ex. He was soon struck with an idea.

“Hey Natsu, you got any snow shovels?”

“Yeah, hang on.”

Natsu waddled over to the small shed that sat on their driveway, returning with two adult shovels and two child-sized ones. “What do you have in mind?”

“How do you feel about putting a small sledding hill in for the kids?”

“I think it’s a great idea, just surprised you came up with it, “ Natsu’s eyes crinkled, and Gray could easily visualize the accompanying grin underneath the balaclava. “I bet I can shovel more snow than you, though.”

“In your dreams, Squinty Eyes.”

They decided on an area and began shoveling snow into a large pile and packing it down while Hana kept the boys entertained.

“Getting tired yet?” Natsu huffed.

“This is nothing. I could go all day,” he smirked, noticing Natsu’s discomfort, “You seem pretty done, though.”

“In your dreams, Droopy Eyes.” Natsu unzipped his jacket to reveal a fleece liner underneath, “I’m just getting started.”

“Droopy?! And here I’ve been told they’re one of my best features,” Gray retorted, as he climbed to the top of the makeshift hill, ensuring the snow was packed in well enough. “I think we can stop now. This is probably tall enough for them. You’ll have to impress me with your stamina another time.”

Natsu’s eyes widened in disbelief before he exploded into a fit of raucous laughter.

“Is it ready?” Hana asked, rushing over to them with Atlas and Aki chasing after her.

“Yep, go get your sled from the shed, and can you bring that little inflatable one?”

“Yeah,” Hana ran off, returning with a pink saucer sled and a folded up piece of vinyl, which she handed over to her father to inflate.

“I got it. Wouldn’t want you to have to take off anything,” Gray grabbed the sled out of Natsu’s hands, finding the plastic tube and blowing into it until it had filled up.

Hana climbed the steps he’d carved into the snow with the kid shovels and sat down on her sled, squealing loudly when he gave her a firm push. She slid down the hill, her sled continuing to travel for several feet, leaving a trail in the snow. She was up as soon as her sled stopped, running back to them with a massive smile on her face.

“That was awesome!”

Gray couldn’t help but grin in response, pleased that he’d been able to make her so happy with such a simple act. He wondered how Aki would respond, and knowing his timid nature, he asked Natsu to have Atlas go first.

The sled had a little seat belt built into it, which was nice because the last thing on Atlas’ mind was holding on. He cackled all the way down and then chatted excitedly to Natsu as they returned.

Aki pulled on his leg, eager to take his turn, and Gray helped him into the sled. He let him have a moment to get used to it before nodding to Natsu to give him a push. Although his response to the experience was more muted than the two Dragneel kids, it was no less joyful, and Gray hid his face, fighting back unexpected tears at watching Aki lead a life more in line with what he’d always wanted for him.

Rather than tease him for getting overly emotional, Natsu offered him a half hug and went back to helping the kids sled down the hill until he was ready to rejoin them. It was gestures like that that made him wish that Natsu would see him as someone he could love, rather than just a good friend.

“Dada!”

Aki’s excited cries called him back, and they stayed out until the kids’ teeth began chattering from the cold.

0-0 After they’d helped the kids get out of their layers and put all the winter gear away, Natsu moved to the kitchen. He filled a large glass measuring cup with water, placed it in the microwave, and then started searching through the cabinets. “Do you want some hot cocoa?” he asked Gray once he’d found what he was looking for: a box full of packets of instant hot cocoa powder. “Sorry, what?” Gray stared at him in a mixture of horror and pure disbelief. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.” “Huh?” Natsu puzzled, completely lost as to what he meant. “Whatever you think that is-” Gray pointed an accusing finger at the box, “I'm not drinking it. Move over.” He did a quick check through the fridge and the cupboards to make sure Natsu had everything he needed to make real hot cocoa and got to work. Meanwhile, Natsu piled a mountain of cookies onto a plate to go along with it, laughing when Atlas and Aki came begging one off him before he’d even finished. Natsu’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he quickly wiped the cookie crumbs off his hands before checking it. Gray watched his brows knit together as he focused on the message, but his expression soon turned into one of joy and relief. “Well, looks like I get tonight off. Jellal told me not to bother coming in. It’s been quiet all day because of the snow,” he reported happily as he put his phone away again. “You should stay for dinner. The roads are crap anyway.”

“You sure? We wouldn’t want to put you out.”

“Sure, we’ve got plenty of frozen pizzas,” Natsu opened the freezer, pointing to an alarming amount of pizza boxes.

“Is that all you eat?” Gray asked in horror.

“Hah, well,” Natsu threaded his fingers through his hair in an embarrassed gesture, “Erza’s the one who usually cooks. She gets those for us for when she’s not around. Oh! I should let her know she doesn’t have to hurry back.”

He pulled out his phone and began texting his sister as Gray mulled the invitation over. He hadn’t really been looking forward to going home yet. Lyon would still be at work, and he knew the apartment would feel empty after having spent the afternoon surrounded by Natsu’s warmth.

That decided him.

“Fine, I’ll stay, but we’re not having frozen pizza.” He rolled his sleeves up and headed to the sink to wash his hands, thinking about the limited number of things he knew how to make.

He opened their pantry and breathed a sigh of relief when he found two boxes of pasta and a few jars of sauce. “Make yourself useful, fill a big pot with water and put it on the stove,” he demanded, moving stuff around to see what ingredients he could use to add to the sauce.

“I dunno, Erza uh- doesn’t really like it when I use the stove,” Natsu murmured, avoiding Gray’s gaze.

“Why? What did you do, set the kitchen on fire?” Gray blurted, laughing at how absurd that was.

When his joke was received with silence instead of the angry denials he’d been expecting, he glanced up to find Natsu quietly pouring the hot cocoa into mugs and placing them on the table in the breakfast nook along with the cookies. He called the kids over and walked back into the kitchen, still avoiding direct eye contact.

“Oh my God, you did! Didn’t you?!”

“It was an accident!” Natsu protested, “I was making dinner when Atlas’ diaper overfilled, and I had to deal with it. By the time I was done with that, I had forgotten the stove was on.”

Gray wanted to give him a hard time about it, but he could absolutely see that happening. He was well aware of how unreliable Natsu’s attention span was at the best of times. It was the one thing they struggled with the most during their study sessions.

“Well, I’ll be the one cooking, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” Gray assured him, pointing him towards the sink once again.

“What about knives? Are you allowed near those, Pyro?” he taunted as he tossed him an onion to chop.

“It was an accident!” Natsu complained, and when that did nothing to stop the teasing, he pouted, “You’re not funny.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Gray smirked, quite pleased that he might have finally found a nickname to counter the dreaded Princess.

“Jerk,” Natsu muttered, grabbing a knife and attempting to chop the onion.

They worked in somewhat comfortable silence. As usual, Natsu couldn’t stay mad for long, and soon he was telling Gray funny stories about people he’d met at work, while Gray told him about some of the places he’d traveled to for shoots.

“I’ve always wanted to travel,” Natsu commented, pulling out plates from the cupboards and walking off to set the table.

“You’re not exactly dead yet, you know,” Gray called out, pouring the pasta into a colander and checking on the sauce one last time before turning off the stove.

“Yeah, but come on, when am I ever going to be able to afford it or have the time?”

Gray had no answer to that, so he changed the subject instead, “Food’s ready.”

“Hey, you wanna watch a movie after? There’s this one about dragons and vikings we’ve wanted to watch.”

“How to Train your Dragon?”

“You’ve seen it?”

“I went to the premiere,” Gray explained, but when he saw how disappointed Natsu looked by his admission, he hastily added, “But who really watches the movie at those things, it’s all photo ops and gossip. I’d love to watch it.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, either. Siegrain had felt slighted by some industry bigwig and had spent most of the movie complaining about it. But honestly, even if he’d seen it a hundred times, he’d gladly watch it again if it meant he could experience the beaming smile Natsu flashed his way.

The sun had long ago set by the time they finished eating their dinner, and it wasn’t hard to see that all three kids were going to conk out as soon as they were still for any amount of time. Natsu didn’t seem to notice, though, and Gray didn’t have the heart to dampen his enthusiasm. Not when he was practically bouncing as he went around making popcorn for everyone. Gray volunteered to load the dishwasher, claiming, much to Natsu’s chagrin, that he didn’t want to be responsible for his being banned from yet another kitchen appliance.

Natsu lit the fireplace, placing the screen securely in front while Gray settled the boys on the sofa. After a frantic search for the remote, they were finally ready. They sat down next to each other as the opening credits played. Aki climbed onto Gray’s lap, and Atlas did the same with Natsu, while Hana snuggled up next to her father.

As Gray had predicted, all three kids were out ten minutes later, and then it was just the two of them again, talking and laughing along with the movie. Gray ached to stretch his arm and pull Natsu closer to him, even as Aki snored quietly against him.

He stopped paying attention to the movie, frustrated by how his infatuation with Natsu kept growing outside of his control. Today had only made it worse, enticing him with all the things he’d always wanted in a relationship but had given up on somewhere along the way.

The sound of loud snores startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to discover Natsu had also fallen asleep, his neck tilted at an awkward angle.

Gray stretched his arm, wrapping it around Natsu’s shoulders and slowly pulling him into his chest so he could rest more comfortably. Natsu muttered something in his sleep, snuggling into him with a faint smile that he found adorable.

He sat quietly, content to let everyone sleep while he watched over them, and let himself imagine that maybe, someday, this pocket of happiness could belong to the two of them.

#fairy tail #ftdadsau #gratsu #gratsuwinter2020 #fics #Gratsu Winter Solstice 2020 #prompt: fun in the snow #gray x natsu

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oryu404 · 2 years

Text

I posted 197 times in 2021

12 posts created (6%)

185 posts reblogged (94%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 15.4 posts.

I added 417 tags in 2021

#fairy tail - 120 posts

#stingue - 57 posts

#sting eucliffe - 52 posts

#gratsu - 43 posts

#rogue cheney - 41 posts

#sting x rogue - 32 posts

#mdelpin - 24 posts

#gray x natsu - 19 posts

#natsu dragneel - 17 posts

#update - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 55 characters

#dein i'm sorry but your wife is stuck in gratsu custody

My Top Posts in 2021

May I present to you.... *drumrolls*

My first entry for the Mashima’s Heroes Big Bang, hosted by @ft-ez-bb! I was excited to be paired with @mdelpin, my main partner in crime, who is writing the amazing story that inspired this piece. Check it out here!

60 notes • Posted 2021-02-19 23:59:52 GMT

It's about midnight for me, so right in between 06/09 and 06/10. Happy Rogue Day, happy Sting Day, and happy Pride Month! It's bloody damn hot so I felt summery lol

71 notes • Posted 2021-06-09 22:05:02 GMT

07/07 Time to appreciate some dragon slayers

76 notes • Posted 2021-07-07 21:48:15 GMT

Fireflies could never shine more than you can, even in the darkest night.

@shadowlight-week day 4: Fireflies

87 notes • Posted 2021-08-11 17:22:30 GMT

“Nothing that’s happened changes anything between us. I love you, just as I always have. And I know you feel this is all your fault, but it’s not. I was right there with you. Like I always am, and I’ll always be.” For @mdelpin, from her story The Red Dragon, chapter 21 This chapter is so amazing. It'll probably always be my favorite, and I just had to make something for it. <3

110 notes • Posted 2021-04-06 22:33:51 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#your tumblr year in review

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entomjinx · 3 years

Link

Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Lucy Heartfilia, Igneel (Fairy Tail), Happy (Fairy Tail) Additional Tags: Character Study, Fluff, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Domestic Fluff, Natsu Dragneel has abandonment issues, Found Family, Gray is soft, Lucy's only mentioned, but it's an important mention, Happy is adorable, Natsu Dragneel is a little shit, Extended Metaphors, First Kiss, Falling In Love, Grief/Mourning, I tried writing in present tense and I'm not sure how I feel about it Series: Part 1 of Gratsu week 2021 Summary:

However, a special gift from Gray simoultaneously makes things better and worse.

This two shot is for the Gratsu week 2021 prompts "Surprise" and "Goodbye." This story is also avalible on Wattpad and Quotev, but I have stopped posting on Fanfiction.net for several reasons.

#gratsu week 2021 #gratsu #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #fairy tail

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fairytail-multishipper · 3 years

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Link to my Gratsu Week 2021 fics. Only the first 2 prompts are done, but enjoy anyway!

#xvi speaks #my ao3 #my writing #gratsuweek2k21 #gratsu #gratsuweek2021 #otp: don’t die on me

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mdelpin · 3 years

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A Proper Send Off

Gratsu Week 2021 Prompt: Goodbye Pairing: Gray x Natsu

AO3

Summary: Natsu is having trouble coping with everything he learned during the Alvarez War and tries to sneak away again, but Gray isn't about to let him go alone.

They take off together and find all their friends waiting for them at the Magnolia town marker. After all, no one is allowed to leave Fairy Tail without a proper send-off.

0-0

Gray caught up to Natsu and Happy about a mile from the Magnolia town marker.

“You going somewhere, Flame Breath?”

Gray’s heart caught in his throat when Natsu refused to look at him, his eyes staying firmly on the ground.

“I tried to talk him out of it, Gray, but he wouldn’t listen.” Happy complained, “It’s just like last time.”

“Don’t worry about it, Happy, I’m not about to let him make the same mistake again.”

“I have to go.” Natsu said in a strangled voice. “Please don’t try to stop me.”

Gray wasn’t really surprised. He’d been expecting something like this for days.

Tartaros, Alvarez, Zeref, END…

Any one of these was a lot to handle, but all of them at once? It was just too much.

For both of them.

Things still hadn’t gone back to normal between them, and truth be told, Gray was still worried that Lucy’s attempt to rewrite the book of END might have changed Natsu somewhat.

But he knew that wasn’t exactly fair. It wasn’t so much that Natsu was different now; it was more that he didn’t know how to act around others.

And who could blame him? Even the people around town who had always treated Natsu as a friend had begun to treat him differently.

On top of that, after spending years searching for answers to his past, he’d certainly learned more than he’d bargained for. Who his family was, how he’d ended up with Igneel, the connection he shared with Wendy, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue as well as Lucy’s ancestor.

Even more, he’d learned what he was and the purpose he’d been meant to fulfill.

How many people had been killed or had their lives destroyed because of Zeref’s attempts to resurrect him? How did anyone live with that knowledge?

It was something Gray could easily sympathize with. After all, guilt was something he dealt with daily. For the people who had died so he could live, for not returning Juvia’s fervent affections, and for not being able to offer his father the peace he’d asked for.

And now he could add trying to kill the person he loved most and breaking a promise to the list.

Gray didn’t know how they were going to come back from any of this, but he knew that as much as he wanted to tell him he was wrong, Natsu was on to something. He needed to leave to sort through all of his doubts and fears, including this new one that he was a danger to his friends.

Zeref might be gone, but that had never stopped dark sorcerers from searching out any vestiges of his magic, and that was part of what Natsu was now.

But Gray wasn’t just about to let him do it alone.

And he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Who said anything about stopping you?” Gray said. “I’m going with you.”

Natsu’s head jerked up and Gray pointed at the travel bag that hung on his shoulder.

“But what about Juvia?” He blurted out before adding in a softer tone, “And the others?”

“Juvia will never get over her creepy obsession if I stay, and as for the others,” he paused, because the truth is this part did make him sad. “They’ll be fine.”

The members of Fairy Tail had been his family for so long, he knew he’d miss them all terribly.

But everyone had to leave home sometime. It was part of growing up, and he truly felt that his future lay with Natsu.

He knew mending their relationship wouldn’t be easy, but it was important to him to try. Besides, he’d already discussed it with Gramps, and the old man had agreed. This was what was best for Natsu right now, and it would be much better if he didn’t go alone.

“I don’t know where I’m going.” Natsu said, looking a little embarrassed by the admission.

“I expected that from a Flame Brain like you.” Gray laughed. “That’s okay. We can figure it out on the way. I doubt it matters much, anyway.”

“Are you sure about this? It could get dangerous.”

“Standing next to you is dangerous,” Gray scoffed. “Don’t worry about me, love, I can hold my own.”

“Love?” Natsu said, sounding puzzled at hearing the familiar term of endearment. “But I thought…”

“Well, that was your first mistake,” Gray quipped, but when Natsu didn’t laugh, he gave up the pretense that everything was alright between them.

“I know I fucked up. Said and did things I didn’t mean, but that doesn’t mean I stopped loving you. And I know it won’t be easy, but I want to work on us again.”

Natsu searched his eyes for the briefest of seconds, and satisfied with whatever he found in them, he began walking, pulling Gray along with him.

Happy flew around them, looking much more cheerful now that he knew Gray was joining them on their journey this time around.

They heard the commotion before they saw what it was, and Gray groaned as they got to the top of the hill, only to find Erza and just about everyone else in the guild waiting for them.

“You didn’t really think you’d be able to leave us without a proper sendoff, did you?” Erza asked, looking incredibly pleased with herself as everyone else snorted their agreement.

Yes, he’d rather hoped so. Gray hated scenes and he could already feel Natsu stiffening next to him. He shot an annoyed glare at Gramps, but the old man merely shrugged his shoulders unapologetically.

Natsu was examining the ground again, and curious what brought that about, he looked around and noticed Lucy heading towards them.

“It’s alright, Natsu. I’ll be just fine this time.” Lucy smiled. “I’m even working on a book about all of our adventures. Levy is helping me.”

Natsu looked up at that. She wrapped him up in a quick hug, and Gray backed away to give them some space.

“I-I just wanted to say thank you for everything. All the times you saved me, and all the fun we had. These last couple of years I was able to find a family again, and it was all thanks to you. I’m going to miss you. You too, Gray!”

“We saved each other,” Natsu corrected with a fond smile, even as Happy flew into Lucy’s arms and hugged her.

“Don’t let him destroy too much, Happy, okay?”

Happy nodded solemnly and gave his customary, “Aye, sir!”

Everyone jumped in with well wishes and words of encouragement until there were only a few left.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” Wendy wailed as she hugged them tightly.

“It’s okay, kiddo. You’ll see us again!” Gray assured her, hoping that he was right. He didn’t know how long this journey of theirs would take, but he hoped they could return someday.

“Try to keep your pants on,” Cana said as she hugged Gray. She whispered, “Unless you don’t have to…”

“Cana!” Gray protested as he shoved her away playfully.

“I heard that,” Natsu grumbled.

“I know,” Cana winked, capturing him in a hug as well. “Take care of each other, and say hi to my old man for me if you bump into him on the road.”

Natsu nodded.

Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna came as a group. Mira handed Natsu a bag with food.

“Here you go, I packed you both some lunch.” Mira fussed over them, “Don’t forget to eat, and write us letters from time to time to let us know how you’re doing.”

Lisanna giggled, “Like Natsu would ever forget to eat.”

She gave him a big hug, “Take care of yourselves.”

She whispered something into Natsu’s ear that Gray did not catch, but his face turned an interesting shade of red, and he shushed her.

Interesting…

Gray had little chance to think about what she might have said because Elfman enveloped them in a hug and slapped both their backs hard enough for it to hurt.

“Elfman, are you crying?” Mira asked, watching her younger brother with an amused smile.

“Crying is manly,” Elfman wiped away at his eyes.

Warren stepped forward and handed them each a mobile lacrima device. “Here, take these, in case you want to get in touch or something.”

“You don’t have to-”

Gray got no further as Warren turned away, muttering “Just take them.”

“Is he crying?” Natsu whispered, and Gray could only shrug in response.

Macao and Romeo came next, and neither made any effort to hide their tears. “Take care, you two, and try to get along, will ya?”

Romeo only stared at them and it was then Gray remembered he’d been the one who’d never given up on them all those years they’d been stuck on Tenrou.

“You’re going to have to train hard,” Natsu told him, “Cause I’m leaving you in charge of the guild while I‘m gone, okay?”

Romeo nodded, and like Wendy before him, hugged them both at once. Gray found himself petting his head, as Macao used to do to them when they were younger. It didn’t feel like it had been all that long ago, really.

“I’m not gonna say goodbye, since I plan to pop in on you now and again.” Loke gave them each a fist bump. “So make sure you have interesting stuff to tell me.”

He stepped back to stand between Cana and Lucy.

“Juvia doesn’t see why Natsu has to take Gray-sama with him,” Juvia wailed loudly to anyone who would listen.

“Try not to get too lost in that little head of yours, alright?” Gajeel slapped Natsu on the back. He shook Gray’s hand and muttered. “I’ll try to keep the crazy away as much as I can, but you guys might want to hurry the first couple of days, so there isn’t a trail for her to follow.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Gajeel waited while Pantherlily and Carla said their goodbyes to Happy.

That left only Erza and Gramps. Erza pushed Makarov’s wheelchair over to them.

“I better not hear you two are running around destroying towns and bothering people,” Erza started off sternly, but by the end of her scolding, there were tears in the corner of her eyes.

Gray could feel matching tears coming on and he could hear Natsu sniffling next to him too.

“Come here, you two,” Erza said, grabbing them both into a fierce hug. “You’ve come so far. You’re going to be just fine, I just know it. I’ll- I’ll miss you.”

They held on to her tightly, letting her cry over them. Gray had known she’d be the hardest. For as strict as she’d always been on them, they shared the most history. Not to mention she’d also been the one to force them to get past their stupid rivalry.

They finally let go of her, smiling as they wiped away their tears.

“There’s only one thing left to do.” Gramps said, and everyone lined up behind him.

“While you are leaving us, always remember that Fairy Tail will always be your home, and should you, no, when you choose to return, it will be here waiting for you.”

“Now, as you know, there are three rules that any mage who leaves Fairy Tail must abide by.

Number One - You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live.

Number Two - You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain.

And Number Three - Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might. You must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends for as long as you live.”

Gramps looked so small in that wheelchair, fragile almost, and Gray had a passing thought that this might be the last time they got to see him. He felt his heart clench at the thought, not ready to think about losing anyone else that was important to him.

“Thanks, Gramps.” There was so much more Gray wanted to say to him, but he had a feeling the old man knew. “For everything.”

“Yeah, Gramps, thanks for taking me in.” Natsu smiled, the first genuine smile Gray had seen since the war had ended.

“The pleasure was mine,” Gramps grinned, “Well, most of the time anyway. Now, get going!”

“Take care of yourselves boys, and try not to be so reckless.”

“Bye everyone!” Natsu and Gray called out, waving to everyone before turning around and walking away.

Gray reached out for Natsu’s hand, wanting to test the waters, and was pleased to find Natsu didn’t fight him off.

Now that they were finally on their way, the wave of sadness lifted and the excitement creeped in again, and as they turned back one last time they saw everyone had lifted their hands in air making the Fairy Tail hand signal.

Even if we can't see you... no matter how far away you may be... we will always be watching you.

“We’ll be back someday,” Gray squeezed the hand he held in his.

“I hope so.”

Happy took one look at their joined hands and squeaked. “I knew it! You looooove him!”

“Do not, shut up!” Natsu yelled, pulling away from Gray and chasing after the Exceed.

“You looooove him, you looooove him!” Happy chanted, flying just out of Natsu’s reach.

Gray watched them and chuckled, glad to see Natsu acting more like himself. They had left their home behind, and it would be tough going, but in the end, he truly hoped Natsu could find the peace he was looking for, and he wanted nothing more than to share it with him.

But of course, there was nothing wrong with having a few adventures along the way!

0-0

A/N: This is immensely personal for me. Today is the last day of the last Gratsu Week hosted by @becausewhenyoupracticeyouimprove and the @gratsu-week blog on Tumblr. It was the first event I ever participated in back in 2018, and it's an event that I have helped organize for the last three years. It's very special to me.

So it is very fitting that the last ever prompt was goodbye.

More than just a story, this represents my goodbye to canon as well. I will go no further than this point.

I was one of those people who was really excited by the announcement that Fairy Tail would continue in 100 Year's Quest, because God knows I wasn't ready to let go.

But from the moment it first came out, I was horrified by what it turned out to be (a horrible story whose only purpose was to further the big 4, with even more fan service than before, and I won't even get into the character assassination). As such, I refuse to have anything to do with it. So I have ended things my way, because if the point of Fairy Tail is now ships, then I will sail with mine.

Hopefully, this will also provide some of you with the same comfort it gives me.

#fairy tail #gratsu #gratsuweek2k21 #gray x natsu #natsu x gray #natray #ftfanfics #prompt: goodbye #Gratsu Week 2021

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twomanyideas · 3 years

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The Grill Next Door

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404

Gratsu Week 2021 Prompt(s): Impress, Smile, Smokey Pairing: Gray x Natsu

AO3

Summary: Natsu had to repress a loud snort when he caught his first glimpse of his neighbor. The guy was dressed in only a pair of black boxers, his fair skin slick and shiny from the thick layer of sunblock he had applied. His back had white streaks and missed spots all over it from where he hadn’t been able to distribute it evenly, and some of the lotion was sticking to the dark hairs on his neck.

But the absolute worst thing of all was that he obviously had no idea how to use a barbeque properly.

0-0 Summer was arguably the worst time to be moving. Who in their right mind would want to spend all day inside unpacking boxes when it was 90 degrees outside? Definitely not Natsu, and yet here he was, dragging another box full of stuff up the stairs in his new home. He was grateful for his friends, who had been there when he’d gotten the key and helped him clean the house, paint some walls, and install the larger pieces of furniture. But now that there was only the smaller clutter left, he was on his own, and he was missing out on all the summer fun. His friends were all enjoying themselves without him; spending their free time at the beach or the pool, barbecuing in their yards, raiding the ice cream parlor… “Soon…” Natsu sighed to himself. Soon, he could join them again. He just had a few more boxes filled with necessary items to go.

He’d already unpacked the ones filled with kitchen utensils and Happy’s stuff. All that was left were his toiletries and a few clothes. He’d sort through the rest of his crap bit by bit, one or two boxes every night until he was done. That way, he could still get the most out of the vacation days he'd pulled out for moving. He opened the box he’d brought upstairs with him and groaned; of course, he’d grabbed the wrong one. Instead of towels and shower products, he was looking at some of the housewarming gifts he’d gotten. A key hanger from Lucy, because he was always losing his keys. A baking set from Erza, which Natsu had to admit was the most optimistic gift he’d ever gotten, and a cute houseplant from Wendy, carefully wrapped up in brown paper, with wet paper towels to keep the soil moist.

There were a few more small gifts, but Natsu’s attention was drawn to the flat package at the bottom. More specifically, to the image that was on it, giving away what was inside: a bright pink flamingo kiddie pool. “So you can have a pool in your backyard!” Sting had grinned when Natsu unwrapped the gift. It was obviously a gag gift, and at the time, Natsu had seen the humor in it. He’d even joked that he’d call Sting for a pool party once he was all settled in, but right now, it only fueled his longing to do something fun. Actually… Screw unpacking, he’d do that later. One look through the window, at the bright blue sky and the burning sun, was all it took to finalize his decision. He picked up the box and took it downstairs again, quickly watering the plant before it could die in the summer heat, and putting it on a windowsill. Leaving the rest of the box’s contents for now, he took out the inflatable pool and started digging through one of the other boxes in search of his swim trunks.

He’d done enough for today. He was going to sit in his backyard and enjoy his stupid pool, damn it. Once he’d changed into his swimwear, he applied a thin layer of sunblock he’d found during his search for a towel. He went outside with the pool under his arm, sticking his foot out when he slipped through the sliding door to keep Happy from sneaking outside.

“Sorry buddy, you can’t go out yet,” he apologized, knowing that it was for the best.

They'd only moved in a few days ago, and Happy needed to get used to his new home. If he were to run away, he'd get lost trying to find his way back to their old apartment, and the last thing Natsu wanted was to end up like Rogue, who had spent all night frantically searching for Frosch when he had just moved in with Sting and failed to shut the front door behind him fast enough. Still, Natsu couldn’t help but feel guilty at the sight of Happy pawing at him from behind the glass. Maybe he could get him a cat leash tomorrow, so he could at least explore the backyard safely. One thing was for sure, he’d definitely give him some of his favorite fish treats to make up for a few hours of sitting alone inside. With that in mind, he smiled and took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh summer air and the delicious smell that came along with it. It was one of his favorites, and he instantly recognized it. One of his neighbors was grilling in his backyard. Too curious for his own good, Natsu followed the scent. His nose told him it was coming from the house to his left, from the backyard that was only separated from his by a tall wooden fence. Tall, but not tall enough to keep Natsu away. He was just able to peek over the top if he stood on his tippy toes.

He wanted to get an idea of who was living next to him, that’s all. Okay, and maybe he wanted to live through them a little as they indulged in one of his all-time favorite summer activities. \

Natsu had to repress a loud snort when he caught his first glimpse of his neighbor. The guy was dressed in only a pair of black boxers, his fair skin slick and shiny from the thick layer of sunblock he had applied. His back had white streaks and missed spots all over it from where he hadn’t been able to distribute it evenly, and some of the lotion was sticking to the dark hairs on his neck. But the absolute worst thing of all was that he obviously had no idea how to use a barbeque properly. “You know, your food is going to cook more evenly and taste a lot better if you close the lid,” Natsu suggested, bursting out in laughter when the guy jumped and almost dropped his tongs. “Idiot!” He whirled around and glared at Natsu, waving the tongs in the air as he stomped closer. Damn! This guy was actually pretty cute when he was mad.

"I almost burned myself. What were you thinking?!"

"That you weren't doing those ribs the justice they deserve," Natsu retorted, frustration rising within him once he managed to tear his eyes away from his half-naked neighbor and focus back on the grill. All that delicious aroma-filled smoke that would've added so much flavor to that gorgeous meat was getting away!

It was a fucking crime.

"Pay attention to what you were doing, you jackass! You gotta flip them over!"

The guy quickly returned to his grill to tend to his ribs, cursing as he fumbled with the tongs while trying to keep a safe distance between the searing heat of the barbecue and his own bare ribs.

"Man, you really suck at this," Natsu couldn't resist pointing out.

"Oh, and I suppose _you _could do better?"

In all honesty, Natsu was a terrible cook. He lacked the ability to multitask in the kitchen, always made an enormous mess, and often combined ingredients that his friends insisted should never be combined.

However, cooking and grilling were two completely different things to him. His dad had taught him how to cook meat on an open fire or a makeshift grill during camping trips since he was little, and he had it down to a fine art by now.

"You're damn right I can," he scoffed, taking the question as a challenge and being kind enough to climb over the fence and invite himself to his neighbor's backyard so he could show him how it was done.

"What are you doing?!"

"Saving your meat, of course! Move over."

Too stunned by what was happening, the guy didn't protest when Natsu snatched away the tongs. He just watched with his mouth open as Natsu flipped the ribs and set the grate to a higher level, making sure they'd cook slower. And much to Natsu’s amusement, it wasn't just the grill he was staring at.

Satisfied with his intervention, Natsu closed the lid and stepped back. "There, that should do it!" he grinned, putting the tongs down on a plate on the nearby table so he could hold out his hand in greeting. "I'm Natsu, by the way. I just moved here last Wednesday."

"... Gray," his neighbor replied, frowning warily but still accepting Natsu's hand and shaking it briefly. "Do you always stick your nose into other people's business like that?"

“Just wait, you’ll be thanking me soon enough.” Natsu said, amused by his neighbor's grumpy tone. “Anyway, you should be fine as long as you leave the lid closed for about an hour.”

“An hour?” Gray complained, “I thought grilling was supposed to be faster.”

“I mean, do you want fast, or do you want good?” Natsu drawled suggestively. He wasn’t sure if it was the beautiful weather or just the high he felt from having had a hot guy so obviously checking him out because normally he wasn’t much of a flirt, but he felt the urge to test the waters. “Cause I could show you both.”

Gray surprised him by laughing heartily at his innuendo. “There is seriously nothing subtle about you, is there?”

“Nope.” Natsu agreed and laughed along. “Well, it was nice to meet you. I’ll leave you to your grilling, gotta go set up my pool.”

He climbed the fence to get back into his yard, hearing Gray yell behind him. “You’re going to get yourself killed. Just use the gate next time.”

“But then, how could I show you my best asset?” Natsu retorted once he was safely over, chuckling as Gray muttered something he couldn’t quite make out. He wasn’t too worried, though. After all Gray had said next time.

0-0

Gray looked back at the grill, already tempted to open the lid and check on the ribs. What was he supposed to do for an hour? He’d mowed the grass earlier, and he didn’t feel comfortable staying inside while the grill was going.

The sun felt overly hot on his skin and he found shelter under a tree in his backyard. Playing on his phone had netted him ten minutes of entertainment and two group conversations he wasn’t all that interested in.

Maybe Natsu did know what he was talking about because the smell of the ribs cooking was making his mouth water in ravenous anticipation. Thinking about his new neighbor brought a smile to his face, especially since he heard odd noises coming from the other side of the fence. Didn’t he say something about a pool?

With all this time to kill, maybe he should go return the favor and see what he was up to.

With that in mind, Gray walked over to the fence and peered over it, unable to hold back a snort when he saw Natsu sitting on the ground and puffing air into a pink flamingo-shaped pool.

"Wow, I guess you really are full of hot air."

Natsu looked up at him, flashing that grin Gray was quickly developing a weak spot for. "So you think I'm hot?"

Yes, he sure as hell did, but he wasn’t about to give Natsu the satisfaction of saying so. At least... not yet.

“I think you’re having an awfully hard time blowing, which is… disappointing.”

"Huh. Never had any complaints before." Natsu shrugged, returning his attention to blowing air into the flamingo.

“Why don’t you let me show you how it’s done?” Gray said, feeling confident.

God knows he’d blown up a ton of these things for his brother’s kid. He’d quickly learned there was a little trick to it. You had to squeeze the valve as you blew into it or the air wouldn’t get in properly. Clearly, his hot dumbass of a neighbor didn't get that.

“You want to show me how well you blow?” Natsu tilted his head, looking amused by Gray’s suggestion. “How can I say no to that?”

Gray let himself into Natsu’s backyard, using the gate that connected their properties, like a normal person, and grabbed the pool away from Natsu. Using his trick, he quickly filled both rings of the pool.

“Color me impressed.” Natsu whistled in appreciation once Gray set the pool down on the grass. He filled it with water from the hose, which he oh so charmingly put between his legs, giggling to himself as he swung it around.

How the guy could go from flirting to acting like a five-year-old within the blink of an eye was beyond Gray, but he had to admit that it was oddly endearing.

Natsu jumped in with both feet as soon as the pool was filled, watching with glee as water sloshed out onto the grass from his efforts. He sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him, and immediately propped his arms around the pool’s rim.

“That feels so much better!” Natsu moaned happily.

Now that Natsu was inside it, Gray couldn't help but notice that the pool could fit two people, albeit a little snugly considering their size. And though normally he wouldn't be caught dead in one of these things- especially a pink flamingo one- it was a very hot day, and Natsu’s yard was a lot shadier than his.

"You want in?" Natsu asked, his lips stretching into a mischievous smile.

Gray’s eyes were drawn to the slightly pointy canines, finding them incredibly sexy, and he immediately wondered what kissing that mouth would feel like as Natsu patted the empty spot next to him invitingly.

What had gotten into him? He’d just met the guy, knew next to nothing about him, yet here he was acting like a hormone driven teenager. It wasn’t like him at all, but he couldn’t deny the chemistry that sizzled between them, so palpable he could almost touch it.

Besides, what was wrong with having a little fun? It was summer, and he had been in a bit of a dry spell for months.

That thought decided him.

“I suppose I could join you for a bit.”

He had just stepped one foot inside the pool when, to his surprise, Natsu stopped him. “Hang on a minute. I didn’t say you could come in. I only asked if you wanted to.”

“If you want in-” Natsu winked at him. “It’s gonna cost ya.”

“Cost me?” Gray sputtered in protest. “You can’t be serious.”

“Dead serious. I will be more than happy to share my pool with you on this incredibly hot day, but only if you share some of those ribs with me.”

Gray had already been planning on doing that, but it was infinitely more fun to make Natsu work for it.

“I don’t know,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, which only netted him greasy fingers from the sunblock he’d slathered on earlier. “It seems to me like you’re getting the better end of the deal here. This is just a kiddie pool after all.”

“Alright, you drive a hard bargain, but I can respect that. How about this then? I’ll throw in some of my world famous special sauce.”

“World famous?” Gray scoffed, “It’s probably just something you picked up at the grocery store, but… okay, I’ll bite.”

“You promise?” Natsu gave him a cheeky smirk, one that ignited a need in Gray to get in that damn pool right the hell now and show him what he intended to do.

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” Gray said. “Just don’t complain if it ends up being more than you bargained for.”

Gray was so determined to get in there that he completely forgot he was already partly in the pool, and tripped over the edge when he tried to step in. He caught himself with his hands but still ended up splashing Natsu, not to mention had the wind yanked out of his sails.

He looked up to see the damage. The water had darkened Natsu’s pink hair and flattened it against his face, softening his features and somehow making the bastard look even more attractive. Gray watched in rapt fascination as a drop of water traveled from Natsu’s cheek, joining others on its way down his neck and over his chest until rejoining the rest of the water at waist level.

“You’re right,” Natsu laughed loudly, slicking his hair back and away from his face. “That was definitely more than I bargained for. Nice entrance, by the way.”

Gray was utterly mortified, and he scrambled to sit down, desperately trying to come up with a witty comeback, but before he could say a word, Natsu had already splashed him.

“There you go. No need to make that face. It’s a pool. We were going to get wet, eventually.” Natsu shrugged, his expression gradually changing to distaste as he looked at the water.

“Dude, what did you use for sunblock, SPF lard?”

“I burn easily!” Gray protested, smoothing out the bits of sunblock he could see on his skin.

“Yeah? Then maybe you should actually get it on all of your skin. Turn around.”

“It’s hard to reach back there! Besides, you just want an excuse to get your hands on me,” he argued, but did as he was told anyway, turning his back to Natsu.

“Yeah, that’s the idea. Are you complaining?”

Gray pouted but remained silent.

“That’s what I thought.”

It was hard to miss the smug tone in his voice.

Natsu’s hands spread the globs of lotion evenly across his back, occasionally stopping to knead on one of his muscles and then concentrating on his shoulders. Gray closed his eyes, biting his lip so as not to let on how much he was enjoying it. If this was what he got in exchange for some barbecued ribs, he'd love to know what other types of food Natsu liked.

“There you go.” Natsu said, giving his shoulders one last squeeze. “You can turn around now. It should be safe for you to walk in daylight again.”

Gray turned just in time to see Natsu lean back into his previous position.

“Are you implying I'm some sort of vampire? Cause I’m not the one with the pointy teeth.”

“No, but you are the one who offered to bite me.”

“True.” Gray laughed, and not wanting to lose the mood, he made his move, adjusting from a sitting position to a half straddle. He leaned in, close enough that he could feel the slight puff of Natsu’s breaths on his face as he murmured, “I can still make that happen.”

“You talk too much.” Natsu said just as quietly, peering into his eyes for a split second before closing his eyes and bridging the distance between them.

Gray hadn’t expected Natsu’s body to feel so warm against his, especially considering they were both wet from the pool water, and he instinctively pulled him closer. As arousing as the kiss was, and Natsu sucking on his tongue was definitely doing things to him, he realized he had no urge to push for more.

That should have been his first warning.

But he wasn’t really thinking about anything. His world had narrowed down to sensations. The torrid heat of Natsu’s mouth, the sharp sting of teeth nibbling on his lips, and the tingling pleasure of his hair being tugged, coupled with the sounds they were both making. Needy moans that would have embarrassed him if Natsu hadn’t sounded the same.

Gray liked it all a little too much. Already, the thought of separating filled him with a sense of dread. And perhaps that should have been his second warning.

He was busy running his hands up and down Natsu’s back when he felt him let go of his hair. His hands trailed down to his chest, but no lower, and he pulled away, leaving Gray to chase after him. Confused and more than a little disappointed, Gray opened his eyes. Natsu sat perfectly still, his eyes slightly widening as he sniffed the air. “THE RIBS!!!” Oh crap! He’d forgotten all about the ribs!

“Go open the lid,” Natsu urged, scrambling to get up and out of the pool. “I’ll be there in a few minutes with the sauce.”

Gray watched Natsu enter his house and then hurried over to his yard. The food smelled even better than before and when he opened the lid and poked the ribs with the tongs; he saw they were indeed done, the meat tender and ready to fall off the bone. Rather than stand around waiting awkwardly, he grabbed two beers from his fridge along with plates, napkins and utensils to bring outside.

He opened the sliding door that led to his backyard and found Natsu brushing sauce onto the ribs from an unmarked blue bottle. There was a content smile on his face as he worked away, and Gray felt a flutter in his stomach at the sight.

Shit!

He’d never been one for one-night stands, so why had he thought he’d just be able to go along this time? Because Natsu was hot and seemed willing?

Gray wanted to know more about him, but he wasn’t sure if Natsu felt the same way or if this was just a game he liked to play. What would happen if he played along to its inevitable conclusion? Would that be the end of it? The two of them- probably awkwardly- moving on as just neighbors who happened to have hooked up?

Was it wrong of him to want more?

Natsu looked up then, waving at him and gesturing him over. His smile widened when he noticed the beer bottles Gray was holding.

“Ooh, beer wasn’t part of the deal! I must have kissed you real good!” Natsu teased, accepting the bottle and easing some of the uncertainty Gray had felt about whether things would turn awkward after their make-out session in the pool.

“You’ll notice this is only domestic beer, so I wouldn’t get too full of myself if I were you.” Gray retorted, still playing along.

“Meh, beer is beer, and it goes great with ribs.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

The back and forth was nice, but Gray was itching to ask what was really on his mind.

Can I keep you? Or will you run off after the next pretty face that strikes your fancy?

The lid of the barbecue closed again, and Natsu walked over. “They should be ready in about five more minutes.”

He clinked bottles with him and took a swig. Gray followed suit and decided to just go for it. He’d rather know what to expect than hope for something that wasn’t meant to be.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” he blurted out, sounding a bit more eager than he would have liked.

“Sure, shoot.”

Natsu gave no sign he knew what was coming, or at least that’s what his relaxed posture seemed to broadcast.

“Do you do this kind of thing often?”

“Moving? God, no, I hate it with a passion. Might as well bury me here cause I’m never doing it again.”

“No,” Gray frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” Natsu mock sighed, “I’m just trying to think of an answer that won’t go to your head.”

“What?” Gray didn’t know what to make of that answer. Was he trying to find a way to let him down gently?

“No, I don’t do this type of thing often.” Natsu admitted, meeting Gray’s eyes and holding his gaze. “Look, you’re hot and turned out to be fun to mess with, so I figured there was no harm in seeing where that led. But I’m not expecting anything if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Gray wanted to ask if that meant that he’d like to date, but to his chagrin, all that came out of his mouth was, “You think I’m hot?”

“See?” Natsu said, sounding amused. “What’d I tell you? Right to your head!”

He put his beer bottle down on the table and traded it in for the tongs and the plates before hurrying back to the grill to check on their food. Satisfied, he turned it off and heaped a large serving of ribs onto each plate.

Gray followed him to the table, only then noticing the sliced watermelon Natsu must have brought with him from his house. He bit into one to buy himself some time to organize his thoughts.

Next to him, Natsu had already begun to dig in, messily devouring the ribs, stopping only long enough to take a sip from his beer. Gray shrugged and did the same. It wasn’t like his table manners were anything to write home about, either. The moment the meat from the ribs touched his tongue, his taste buds were assaulted with flavor. Sweet, salty, spicy… all blending together in perfect harmony. It was by far the best ribs Gray had ever tasted. He could hardly believe they’d come off his grill. He glanced at Natsu admiringly. Not that he noticed, focused as he was on his plate.

“So, what other things can you make?”

Natsu looked up at his question. There was a glob of sauce at the corner of his mouth, driving Gray all sorts of crazy with the urge to kiss it off him, but he held strong.

For now.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but this is it. I can’t cook worth a damn.”

“That’s too bad.” Gray tried but failed to suppress a smile. “Guess I’ll just have to show you all the best places to eat around here, then. You busy tomorrow night?”

Natsu shook his head, breaking into a smile so blinding it wiped every single thought out of Gray’s head. Save one.

"Nope, I'm all yours," Natsu answered after what looked like a brief moment of contemplation.

Gray sure as hell liked the sound of that.

“There’s just one thing…”

Natsu tilted his head and scrunched up his nose in silent question, which was just perfect.

“You’ve got a little something there,” Gray said, leaning in and licking the sauce off before claiming Natsu’s lips hungrily.

The kiss tasted like sauce and beer, but most of all, it tasted like more. And more was definitely bound to follow soon, tomorrow night, and many more days after.

Gray could feel it.

#fairy tail #gratsu #gratsuweek2k21 #natray #gray x natsu #natsu x gray #Gratsu Week 2021 #fics #other #prompt: impress #prompt: smile #prompt: smokey #humor #flirty

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