#Gratsu Week 2020

[mdelpin]

Gratsu Week 2020 Prompt: “If it’s important don’t let it get away from you” I had a lot of fun making this little comic, and my daughter helped so that made it even better! I hope you like it!

Almost forgot, thank you to @oryu404 for their photoshop magic with that scarf!!!

[ft-dads-au]

Natsu and Gray

Gratsu Week 2020 Prompt: “Does this fire you up Natsu?” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

Gray thinks he knows just how to get Natsu all fired up, but the reality is just a little different than what he imagined!

[fuckyeahgratsu]

Gratsu Week 2020 - Day 3, July 18th- "What's with all the noise? I'm sleepy." (on Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/DcvCipush8 Gratsu Week 2020 Credit to @fuckyeahgratsu on Tumblr for prompts and reblogging this to Tumblr

[aki-natsuko]

Changes

It was supposed to be over.

   Gray had seen Lucy rewrite the book of E.N.D. with his own eyes, had held his breath alongside her when it had vanished and had seen Natsu come back to them. To him. Alive and whole, no trace of the demon to be seen, just Natsu exhausted and wounded, but alive. Acnologia and Zeref were gone, the guild was safe, Makarov was alive.

It was over.

   Gray had allowed himself to believe it. To lose himself in the celebrations, even his hand had never strayed far from Natsu’s, his eyes continually searching for the Dragon-slayer as though some part of him still believed that he was going to disappear again. They’d had a terribly awkward conversation about their fight, had taken the chance to punch each other when Erza was distracted. No magic, no rage, just a tentative reach for normality, and when it had descended into a brawl that had spread through the guild, it had felt like he could breathe again. Neither of them forgot what had happened, or how close it had been. It was there in the way that Gray never strayed too far, unable to forget what had happened the last time he let the idiot out of his sight. It was written in the scared, burnt flesh on Natsu’s arm that was slow to heal despite Wendy’s best efforts, and how their nights were punctuated with nightmares that chased them into each other’s arms for reassurance.

    He had been watching so closely, that he’d missed the signs. Blinded by his need for everything to be okay, the belief that it was over. At least that was what he told himself, even as a doubting voice whispered in the back of his mind that it wasn’t that he had been blind, but that Natsu had been hiding it. It was hard not to think that as his first glimmer that something was awry was when the bandages were being changed and he caught a fleeting glimpse of vermillion scales against scorched skin before Natsu had turned away, one hand resting over the patch. Naively, desperately Gray hadn’t said a word, hoping that it was a trick of the light, a leftover from Natsu losing himself to the flames, a flash of Igneel shining through.

    Then one morning, he woke to amber eyes staring at him from the other side of the bed, bolting upright with a shout of alarm and all but scrambling off the bed. Yet, when he’d looked back at Natsu’s startled cry and question, the amber was gone, the Dragon-slayer’s eyes back to the warm olive he knew so well. He’d played it off as a nightmare bleeding into his waking moments, it wouldn’t be the first time, and Natsu seemed to buy the excuse and miss the way that Gray watched him for the rest of the day, and the next and the next…

It didn’t stop.

   They would be talking, and Natsu’s eyes would flicker, flashing amber for a moment, but as soon as Gray looked again, they would be back to normal. The Dragon-slayer’s arm healed, and the scales were nowhere to be seen when the bandages were removed for good, but then Gray walked into the bathroom while Natsu was in the shower and had frozen, staring at the scales that trailed down his back. Another morning, he’d rolled over, reaching for Natsu and felt scales beneath searching fingertips, but when he’d checked again, smooth skin had met his touch. Another night and roused by Natsu’s nightmares he had held him close despite his growing disquiet and started to run his fingers through bed-mussed hair to soothe him, only to find them brushing against tiny, curling horns nestled amongst the pink. He’d pulled his hand away as though scalded, masked it by humming under his breath and holding Natsu close, even as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to will it away.

  It didn’t go away, the changes happening more frequently until others started to notice too. Natsu included because the Dragon-slayer began to pull away, a haunted look in his eyes, his grin a distant memory. His eyes were amber more often than not these days, scales forming and fading in front of their eyes. Horns growing slowly but steadily until they couldn’t be ignored anymore, and Gray could feel his magic stirring, reacting to the emerging demon and knew that time was trickling through their fingers. That the more Natsu changed, the less things changed, a slow, inevitable pull back to the place they’d been in during the Alvarez war – a devil and his slayer.

[twomanyideas]

I Know What You Did Last Christmas

A collaboration by @mdelpin and @oryu404

Gratsu Winter Solstice 2020 Prompt: The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, Sting & Natsu, Sting x Rogue, Gray & Rogue

AO3

Summary: Sting and Natsu go on holiday vacation to a mountain resort. Sting immediately meets an alluring dark haired stranger, sticking Natsu with his less than pleasant friend, who doesn't seem to remember they've met before.

Chapter 1

After an excruciating 5-hour bus trip and another 45 minutes of waiting in line to check-in, Natsu and Sting finally received their keycards to the hotel room they’d be staying in for the next couple of days. The lobby overflowed with guests, the majority of which were college students who’d gotten off one of the many charter buses parked outside, just as they had. The line for the two elevators was long enough for Natsu to decide he wouldn’t join it. “Come on, let’s just take the stairs,” he suggested, bumping Sting’s shoulder to get him to move. Sting looked at his suitcase, which was so ridiculously large it looked like he’d packed for a three-week stay rather than just the five-day vacation they’d booked, and for a moment, Natsu thought he was going to protest. But he simply shrugged and started making his way through the crowd. “Sure, I’ve been sitting still for way too long anyway. I could use some exercise.” 

Natsu could too. They hauled their luggage up the two flights of stairs, and he couldn’t help but stare longingly through each window they passed, already picturing himself going down the snow-covered hills. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until tomorrow, as they still had to put their stuff away and rent their equipment. It would be getting dark by the time they finished. They made it to their room, and with a quick slide of the keycard, Sting opened the door. He blocked the view, and with the room being unlit and the curtains closed, Natsu couldn’t see much past the entry hallway yet. His friend’s first reaction made him that much more curious. “Holy shit...” “What?” Natsu stood on his toes, pushing Sting forward impatiently when he couldn’t see over his shoulder. As they walked into the room, Sting found a light switch and flipped it, and they both looked around with dropped jaws. The room was beautiful- spacious, clean, and nicely decorated. However, there were a few things that raised some alarms for Natsu. Rather than the two double beds he was used to seeing in just about every hotel he’d ever stayed at, there was only one.

That was impractical but not that concerning. They were roommates, after all. It wasn’t that unusual for them to fall asleep on each other while watching TV.

The next thing that caught his attention was the heart-shaped hot tub in the middle of the room. And even that was more of an afterthought.

It was the bottle of champagne that was sitting in an ice bucket next to said heart-shaped hot tub that was really giving him the most significant pause. If you added all three of those things together, they spelled out something, and while Natsu might not be a great speller, he also wasn’t that dense.

“Uhm, Sting?” “Okay, so hear me out,” Sting chuckled nervously, side-eyeing the hot tub. “When I sat down to book us a room, I noticed they had a special deal for couples and uhm...I dunno, how was I supposed to say no to a room with a hot tub?”

“Oh, thank fuck, for a moment there I thought- You know what? Nevermind. Hot tubs are great!”

“You thought, what? That this was some kind of big, dramatic set-up to a confession?” Sting teased, “You’re giving us both too much credit.”

“Yeah yeah, you know you want me.” Natsu dumped his suitcase next to the bed, feeling relieved by Sting’s explanation. “Sorry, but I don’t date below my league-” Sting shook his head and offered him an apologetic smile, “but don’t worry, we can still be friends.”

Natsu snorted, “You couldn’t handle me, anyway. Let’s bounce. The last thing I want right now is to be stuck in another enclosed space, no matter how nice.”

Sting climbed on the bed gesturing at Natsu to join him.

“What are you doing?”

“Bouncing, just like you said. Come on, it’s fun!”

“You’re an idiot,” Natsu grumbled, but he got on the bed anyway, and soon they were bouncing together until they heard a knock on the wall and a loud voice demanding they cut it out.

They left the room in a fit of giggles, excitedly chatting about all the things they were going to do on their holiday.

0-0

“I thought the whole point of doing this today was that it would be faster,” Natsu complained, balking at the long line of people already waiting at the rental center.

“You think this is bad?” Sting replied with unusual calm as he took his place at the end of the line, “Trust me, it’ll be way worse tomorrow morning when everyone and their kids are here.”

“But I’m hungry, can’t we just come back after dinner?” he asked, hoping the mention of food would entice Sting to change his mind.

“How hungry are you?”

“I’m starving.”

“Then they’ll be closed by the time you’re done. We might as well wait.”

Natsu groaned, looking around the room at the different equipment options available to keep himself entertained. He hated waiting, and it felt like that’s all they’d done all day. They were supposed to be on vacation.

His attention was finally caught by an attractive guy standing a few feet away, giving him what appeared to be a once over while his friend was clearly eyeing Sting. Now, this was more like it. He nudged Sting with his elbow to get his attention and nodded towards the two guys.

“Oh, he’s cute,” Sting murmured in approval. “You think they’d like to have dinner with us?”

Natsu shrugged in response and started to walk in their direction when Sting grabbed his arm.

“I’ll go. No offense, but you tend to get overeager.”

“That was one time!” Natsu called after him, but Sting only waved.

Great, now he was stuck in line while Sting was off flirting with a cute guy. He watched Sting’s progress, smiling to himself when the guy didn’t seem to be responding to his advances, although he had to admit he didn’t precisely look put off either. The other guy, however, seemed annoyed by the intrusion. Natsu hoped he’d say something. It would serve Sting right for leaving him there.

Sting returned a few minutes later, looking pleased.

“Well? Are they going to join us?”

“Dunno yet. They were going to discuss it. Rogue, that’s the guy I was talking to, seemed interested. Not sure about his friend.”

This information rubbed him the wrong way, but Natsu resigned himself to being Sting’s wingman if it came down to it. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“What were they like?”

“You’ll see for yourself,” Sting answered hurriedly, and it was only then that Natsu noticed that Rogue and his friend were making their way towards them.

“Natsu, this is Rogue, and his friend - uhm,” Sting blanked for a moment and smiled apologetically, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name.”

“I didn’t offer it,” the guy responded coldly.

Natsu snorted at the discomfort on Sting’s face but instantly shut up when he caught a brief glimpse of the sword pendant the guy wore. His eyes darted up, examining his features more closely and much to his dismay, realizing they’d met before.

“Something funny?”

Natsu wasn’t at all intimidated by Gray’s scowl. He turned to Sting, “His name is Gray.”

“Do I know you?” Gray asked, sounding puzzled. His eyes traveled over Natsu’s face, studying him intently and showing no signs of recognition.

“You could say that,” Natsu snapped, feeling downright mortified. He nodded at Gray’s friend, “Hey Rogue, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Rogue said, his forehead furrowing as he glanced from Natsu to Gray with growing interest.

“Hey, Pinky,” Gray prodded, managing to hit on that one most hated of Natsu’s nicknames, which did nothing to help his case. “You didn’t answer my question. Do you have a problem with me?”

“Other than your lack of manners? No,” Natsu muttered through gritted teeth.

That got a response, although not the one he expected. Gray chuckled and got in line next to him. “So, are you going to tell me how we know each other, or is it some kind of national secret?” he asked in a teasing tone, clearly not picking up on Natsu’s anger.

Natsu’s thoughts were all jumbled, and there was no way in hell he trusted himself to bring any of that up in the middle of a crowded room, so he stuck his tongue out instead.

Because he wasn’t already humiliated enough. Fuck his life.

“Oh, that’s real mature,��� Gray rolled his eyes in response but went ahead and changed the subject. “So, are you boarding or skiing?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Natsu crossed his arms in front of his chest and feigned interest in the posters that hung on the walls. He knew he was acting like a toddler, but what else was he supposed to do? Of all the people he could possibly have anticipated running into on this vacation, Gray was the last one he would have thought of. And with good reason.

He felt utterly humiliated. The fact that Gray didn’t even remember him rubbed salt on a wound that had never quite healed. He felt all their eyes on him, and it wasn’t helping, especially when Gray was acting completely unconcerned by his behavior. And damn it, how had he forgotten how hot he was?

Sting liked Rogue, that much was pretty obvious, and Natsu didn’t really want to ruin his chances or be left to his own devices over the holidays. Maybe if he just tried to be civil, it might not be so bad.

I am doing this for Sting. I am doing this for Sting. I am doing this for Sting…

He repeated the words in his mind, using his affection for his friend to bolster his resolve.

“Have you been here before?” he asked in the most civil tone he could muster.

“Yeah, I used to come with my family when I was younger. The lower trails are just okay, but their black diamonds more than make up for it.”

Natsu was so surprised to get an actual answer that he almost forgot to reply.

“That’s awesome!” He cheered, feeling the familiar excitement course through him like it did whenever he was about to take on a challenge. It had been a few years since he’d last gone snowboarding, and he couldn’t wait to see how much he remembered. It almost let him forget his situation.

Gray stared at him again, “Are you always this loud?”

Almost. So, he was loud, was he? Well, he’d rather be loud and honest than whatever the fuck Gray was. Natsu was fuming by this point. As far as he was concerned, Sting was on his own.

He wasn’t putting up with this asshole any longer than he had to. He’d already wasted too much of his time on him as it was. Plenty of snow on the mountains to keep him entertained for days on end.

“Asshole,” he muttered under his breath.

“Did you say something?”

Natsu shook his head, staring ahead and willing the line to move more quickly. Sting was chatting away with Rogue, not paying any attention to him whatsoever.

When it was finally Natsu's turn, he quickly gave the attendant his boot size and grabbed the board they gave him. He paid for his rentals and signed his name to the agreement.

“I’m going back to the room to drop these off,” he announced, not responding to Sting’s raised eyebrow. “It was nice to meet you,” he told Rogue and turned back towards the hotel without even a glance at Gray, the asshole.

“Wait up!”

Sting caught up to him a few minutes later, out of breath and holding on to his rentals awkwardly. “What happened? Did I miss something?” Natsu sighed in an effort to calm himself down, “That was the guy.” Sting seemed pensive for a couple of seconds, but then his eyes widened in realization. “Oh! You mean the guy? Gray? Yikes.” He winced and looked over his shoulder, searching for any sign of Rogue and Gray, but the two were nowhere to be found. “Look, Rogue seems like a cool guy, and I know you like him and all, but if Gray’s coming to dinner, I’m bailing,” Natsu declared resolutely.

“Nah, man. Bros before... well, you know,” Sting grinned. “Let’s go drop these off, and we’ll get something to eat, okay? Rogue said there’s an arcade too!” “Sounds like a plan!”

Now that he knew his night was looking up, Natsu relaxed and put the whole encounter behind him. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t see Gray again.

0-0

After bringing their rentals up to their room, Natsu and Sting had spent the rest of the afternoon checking out the hotel and other parts of the resort, all of which were decked out for Christmas. Eventually, they'd stumbled upon a diner where they’d sat down for their first official holiday meal.

Dinner was fun, the food was nothing to write home about, but it was the first time in months they'd been able to relax. They knocked back a few beers and pored over a resort brochure, checking out the different trails and marking the ones they wanted to try out.

It was still too early to go to bed, and although they kept toying around with the idea of going in the hot tub, they were just too wired to return to their room. They decided to search for the arcade Rogue had mentioned instead. Natsu knew that Sting was hoping to bump into his new “friend” there, but with any luck, there’d be other students from their university that Natsu could hang out with if he did.

They heard the music long before they found the entrance. The arcade turned out to be more of a sports bar, which Natsu was quite happy about. There was a pool table, darts, air hockey, and a few old pinball machines in the back. Plenty to keep him entertained, even if Rogue and Gray happened to be there.

Sting wanted to go look for Rogue, and Natsu left him to it, finding an empty stool at the bar and getting his ID out so he could order a draft beer. The bartender had just brought him his order when someone sat down next to him. “I’ll have one of those as well and put them both on my tab.”

Natsu turned to see who had just bought him a drink, effectively without asking and had to resist the urge to throw it right at the sheepish grin Gray was flashing him.

“It has been brought to my attention that I may have been an asshole earlier.”

“Oh?” Natsu replied, not willing to take the high road. “Who enlightened you?”

“Uhm, you. You know, when you called me one. How about we start over? Hi, I’m Gray,” he held out his hand for Natsu to shake.

So he had heard him.

“Natsu,” he shook Gray’s hand, squeezing harder than was strictly necessary for a greeting.

Gray looked down at his hand in surprise, stretching and squeezing his fingers as he recovered from Natsu’s handshake.

“Well, Natsu, I have no idea what I did to make you dislike me this much, but I am very sorry, and I can see that it is very much my loss,” Gray lifted his mug in mock salute, flashing him a devilish grin.

Until that very moment, Natsu had been willing to accept his apology and put the whole incident behind them. He was in a much better mood now that he’d eaten, and he knew it was likely they’d be seeing a lot of each other during the rest of this trip. There was nothing to be gained from continuing his animosity, but that grin pissed him off.

Well, maybe not the grin itself, that was quite attractive actually, but the expectant gaze that followed it. As if Gray knew that grin was the key to getting people to do whatever he wanted. Well, that might have worked on him once, but Natsu had no plans on it happening again. He remained silent.

“That’s funny. I seem to remember you being a lot chattier,” Gray remarked after a few minutes had passed.

Natsu finished his beer and got up, noticing one of the dartboards had opened up, but Gray stopped him.

“Come on,” he cajoled, “Don’t be like that. I’m bored, and I don’t know anyone else here.”

“Not my problem,” Natsu glared at the hand that had wrapped itself around his arm.

“He speaks!” Gray cheered, blue eyes sparkling with amusement, “Look, I get it. You don’t like me. Hell, I probably even deserve it, but I did say I was sorry. ”

Natsu grunted in acknowledgment, defenses lowering despite his earlier determination. “I was gonna go play darts. If you feel like getting your ass kicked, by all means, come along.”

He walked over to the dartboard, grabbed the darts, and moved to stand behind the throw line. He’d just been about to let go of the dart when Sting slapped him on the shoulder and messed up his aim.

“Awesome, you scored us a game!”

“Hey, you botched my shot!” Natsu complained, even though he knew Sting could care less. When he noticed Rogue and Gray having a private chat, he let his eyes linger on Gray. He definitely was easy on the eyes.

“Like what you see?” Sting teased, although he managed to keep his voice low for once.

“No,” he denied, shoving his friend away and ignoring his knowing laugh. He looked away quickly before he could get caught.

“You guys know how to play 501?” Sting asked.

When both men nodded, they decided to split up into teams to speed up the game as they were all eager to get to the slopes early the next morning. Natsu grabbed on to Sting, knowing without a doubt that he meant to stick him on a team with Gray, and wanting nothing to do with it.

“The two of us, against the two of you,” Natsu announced. He knew he’d been right when he noticed Rogue shrugging at Sting.

“Sounds good. When we win, I’d like another draft,” Gray taunted.

“I have no intention of buying you a drink,” Natsu declared, determined to win the game and make Gray eat his words. He took a coin from his pocket and tossed it up high, grabbing it in midair and covering it with his hand. He asked Rogue to call it.

“Heads.”

Natsu uncovered the coin, showing it as heads. “You guys start. Are we doubling in?”

Once they’d agreed on the rules, play began. Rogue was up first, but he didn’t manage to double in, so his points didn’t count. Sting followed, his third toss barely missing the double 20. Both teams were still at 501.

Gray was up next, and much to Natsu’s dismay, he managed a double 20 on his first toss. He followed that up with a triple 20 and a 1, bringing their score down to 400. Natsu was suitably impressed, even though he pretended otherwise, scoffing at the satisfied smirk Gray sent his way.

Natsu got it into his head that he was going to try to match him throw for throw. He started off a bit shaky, landing a triple 20 before the double but rallied when he managed to land in the inner ring of the bullseye for his last toss. Something he’d only succeeded in doing twice before, netting his team a total of 150 points, and giving them the lead.

Sting was practically jumping on top of him in his excitement, but it was Gray’s grudging nod of respect that gave him the most pleasure, even though he was well aware that his round had been a fluke.

Rogue was a decent player, but his attention wasn’t really on the game, neither was Sting’s, for that matter. They each took their turns and returned to their shared conversation.

Natsu and Gray, on the other hand, were very much into it. As the game progressed and the margins narrowed, their taunts increased. They called seemingly impossible shots and, most of the time, actually made them. They goaded and insulted, but there was no longer any heat behind their words, and Natsu was surprised to find he was even having fun.

Now all that was needed for them to win the game was for him to double out. Unfortunately, the almost unbelievable luck he’d been riding throughout the whole match finally left him. He wasn’t able to get it, giving Gray a chance to win for his team.

He stood behind the line, his body set in the perfect throwing stance. Studying the board for much longer than usual, he tossed his first two darts, each landing smoothly in the spot he’d called. All conversation in their group ceased as Sting, Rogue, and Natsu all watched with bated breath as Gray tossed his last dart. He needed a double 5 to win, but the dart landed on the double 12 to the left of it instead.

Rogue groaned in defeat. They had busted out. Gray made a show of being upset, but he was quick to head to the bar to get their order while the others moved to a table. He clinked mugs with Natsu and congratulated him on a game well played, and as the four of them chatted for a bit before calling it a night, Natsu couldn’t help but think that maybe he’d been too hard on Gray.

0-0 Gray hadn’t thought his first vacation day could get any worse. Getting up early to spend hours in a hot and noisy bus wasn’t for him, neither was the hassle of a last-minute room switch because of a broken heater. Honestly, he’d have been fine without a heater. Rogue was the one who’d insisted on going back to the reception to ask for a different room, and since it was high season, the only thing they could do was to upgrade them was to a couples’ suite. Complete with a heart-shaped hot tub and a complimentary bottle of champagne. If that hadn’t already soured his mood, knowing that he could kiss snowboarding goodbye for the day thanks to the ridiculous line for the rentals definitely did. And to top it all off, he’d had to spend the wait watching his friend getting hit on by some annoying guy, growing ever more frustrated when Rogue wasn’t blowing him off. There’d been one plus, though. Blondie’s friend was good eye candy. Sadly enough, he was also annoying- loud and incredibly childish, not to mention he seemed to have something against him. Gray wished he could remember what the hell he’d done to the guy because for some reason, he hadn’t been able to get him out of his head. It wasn’t so much guilt as it was that Natsu, unlike so many others, had refused to take any of his shit. Something he’d proven yet again at the bar when he was less than impressed by his apology. Even more surprising, he’d seemed immune to his charms, which had made Gray all the more determined to win him over. He had a feeling he’d succeeded a little that night, so when he and Rogue arrived back at their room, his mood was better than it had been all day, even as he was greeted with the atrocious sight of the hot tub and the double bed. “Have you ever considered switching to a drama major? Because that was some impressive acting you performed back there,” Rogue deadpanned as he closed the door behind them. “I have no idea what you’re going on about,” Gray replied, avoiding his friend’s gaze as he opened his suitcase and looked for the ziplock bag that contained his toiletries. “You were really going for it, weren’t you? Building up the suspense when you made that last shot, throwing a whole-ass tantrum...You almost convinced me, except we both know you could make that shot with your eyes closed.”

Rogue was facing the wall as he changed into his pajamas, so Gray couldn’t see the look on his face. Not that he needed to; the amusement was virtually dripping from his voice.

Gray shrugged his shoulders, “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. It just wasn’t my night.”

“Hmhm, so it had nothing to do with you eye-fucking Natsu through most of the match? Why don’t you just admit you like him and be done with it?”

“And how would you know who I was or wasn’t looking at?” Gray countered, “Seems to me you were pretty busy.”

“I can converse and observe at the same time. It’s not that difficult,” Rogue responded with a patronizing tone that had Gray rolling his eyes.

Rogue wasn’t exactly wrong. He had decided to throw the game at the last minute. Even though he’d certainly set out to win and bring Natsu down a peg, somewhere along the way, he’d started having fun with him and his ridiculous challenges.

Besides, the guy was mad at him for something he couldn’t even remember doing. He figured maybe if he let him win, it would help him get past it, and they could have more fun. And he hadn’t been disappointed. The smile Natsu had directed at him had been nothing short of radiant, and he already wanted to see more of it.

That in itself was surprising. It had been a long time since anyone had managed to gain his interest so quickly. But he didn't want to discuss that with Rogue, so he changed the subject instead. “Speaking of observing, what’s the deal with this Sting guy?”

“Could you be more specific?” Rogue asked him as he grabbed his toiletry bag and moved to the bathroom. “He’s kind of a lot. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“I dunno, should I be looking for another room?”

The answer Gray received came in the form of dead silence, only to be disturbed by the sound of the tap running. He snickered and got himself ready for bed, removing his clothes and waiting for his turn in the bathroom.

“Are you not going to put on pajamas?” Rogue frowned when he returned, stopping just shy of the bed and watching Gray’s state of undress with mild concern.

“This is how I always sleep,” he shrugged, entering the bathroom and fishing the toothpaste and toothbrush out of his bag. “Besides,” he called out, “you didn’t seem to mind it earlier.”

“I don’t recall sharing a bed with you before.”

“Well, that’s what you get for changing rooms at the last minute.” Gray finished brushing his teeth and turned the bathroom light off. He walked back to the bed, climbing in next to his friend under the covers. “The heater wasn’t working, Gray,” Rogue reminded him, “I was breathing white clouds. Inside our hotel room.”

“I feel like there’s a point you’re trying to make here, but it escapes me.”

“Of course it does,” Rogue muttered from behind his phone, thumbs racing across the screen. Without looking away from it, he smirked deviously, “That isn’t the only thing that escaped you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, I know why Natsu hates your guts,” Rogue dangled the information in front of him.

Gray sat up, in no mood to play it cool, “Well? Don’t keep me in suspense. What did I do? Kill his cat or something?” “You’d like to know, wouldn’t you? So, what do I gain from telling you?” Rogue stroked his chin and pretended to sort out his demands, but Gray was pretty sure he already had a list at the ready. Fucking bastard.

“Fine, I’ll wear a fucking shirt to bed,” Gray grumbled, “Will that satisfy you?” “And you’re going to admit that I’m right. You like the guy.”

“You’re pushing it, Emo Boy.”

“Call me that again and I’ll never tell you,” Rogue sneered, and if looks could kill, Gray would be well on his way to the afterlife thanks to the glare he shot him.

“Fine, I like the guy. Happy? Now, spill.”

"Uh-uh, shirt first."

Gray got up and grabbed a t-shirt from his suitcase, wrinkling his nose in distaste before putting it on, already planning to take it off the moment Rogue fell asleep. He climbed back into bed and eyed his friend expectantly.

“So,” Rogue began, pleased with the results of his bribery, “do you remember going to a big Christmas party last year?”

“Yeah?” He’d gone to the Christmas party at the Blue Pegasus club with a few of his friends. It had been a wild night. Oh shit! Had he gotten into a fight with Natsu? He wracked his brain trying to remember. He and Lyon had been doing shots early on, everything after that was pretty hazy.

“But not hooking up with someone and then ghosting them?” Rogue raised his eyebrow.

“I did that? Fuck!” Gray groaned, “Still, that was like a year ago, he can’t really still be pissed about that.”

“That was my first reaction as well but it turns out you were the first person he’d ever hooked up with.”

“Seriously?! He’s our age, right?” “Yeah, so?” Rogue shrugged, “Not everyone enjoys hooking up casually, some people take it more seriously. From what Sting told me, Natsu thought he felt a connection but you never called him.”

“Well, this sucks, I literally remember none of this.” Gray wished he hadn’t gotten so trashed that night. Then again, he generally shied away from getting serious, so even if he had remembered, he might not have called.

To his great annoyance, he was even more intrigued than before. Especially now that he knew he’d already hooked up with the guy once.

One small problem: Natsu might have lightened up, but Gray was pretty sure he was nowhere near forgiving him yet, and he had no idea how to fix it. He couldn’t pretend to suddenly remember. Unless…

He fumbled for his phone, flipping through his photos, searching for any he might have taken at the club that night. There was one of him and Lyon wearing Christmas hats and doing shots, and another of Ultear with some of her friends. Swipe after swipe showed him pictures of just about everyone he knew, but not a single picture of Natsu.

Gray wanted to text Lyon and ask him if he remembered anything but he didn’t want to risk finding out he’d hooked up with numerous people that night. Somehow that would have made the whole thing worse, especially knowing it had been special for Natsu. He was just about to put his phone away when it vibrated in his hand, showing an incoming message from Rogue. Gray opened it, surprised to see a forwarded picture taken at that Christmas party, and although they weren’t the image’s main focus, he and Natsu were definitely in it. They kind of stood out even, as they were the only ones who weren’t smiling at the camera. They seemed to only have smiles for each other, sappy ones at that. “That one’s on the house,” Rogue grinned smugly before ignoring him in favor of his phone again.

Gray couldn’t tear his eyes away from the picture. He zoomed in with his fingers, studying his face. He couldn’t get over how strange he looked. Why was that?

He tried to imagine what it might have been like. To have Natsu’s eyes close in surrender as his fingers pulled at Gray’s hair and their mouths collided in reckless abandon.

Gray laughed, reminding himself it had been Natsu’s first hookup, and he’d been plastered so it probably didn’t go anything remotely like that. One thing was for certain, he wanted to experience it again, minus the alcohol. “Maybe if you show him that you’re not the kind of guy he thinks you are, he might give you another chance,” Rogue suggested, interrupting his thoughts.

“Maybe,” Gray mumbled, putting his phone away for the night. The question was, how would he go about doing that? He’d never been much of a planner. He guessed he’d just have to follow his gut and hope for the best.

He couldn’t help but feel nervous about the next day. It had been years since he’d last been on the slopes, but that didn’t worry him one bit. He was more concerned with trying to fix his fuckup.

He finally drifted off, visions of Natsu smiling at him like he’d had in that picture lulling him to sleep.

[becausewhenyoupracticeyouimprove]

Gratsu week 2020: Day1 : 

“Don’t complain , if you get hurt doing this ... I’ve got no right to say a word”

[uzunotegaki]

NatsuGray Week (Gratsu Week) 2020 Day 5

Video game (especially fighting game) is one of everything that can make Natsu fired up more than usual. Gray knows this and he suggests Natsu to visit the game center (as he is also an avid gamer) when they are skipping class. And the rest is history.

[watcher-ofthe-sky]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Characters: Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel, Juvia Lockser, Lucy Heartfilia, Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden, Cana Alberona Additional Tags: Non-Linear Narrative, Falling In Love, Gratsu Week 2020, Gratsu - Freeform, Symbolism, Dragonflies, almost canon-compliant, gruvia is mostly one-sided Series: Part 2 of Tumblr Requests 2020 Summary:

“The Dragonfly is iridescent both on its wings and body. Iridescent is showing of different luminous colours that change when light falls at a different angle. It symbolises the discovery of one’s own abilities by unmasking the real self and removing doubts one cast on their own identity.” Just like a dragonfly, Gray wanted to fly forward, shedding away the weights of the world. Wiping the tears with the heels of his palms, Gray laughed tirelessly. I love him. Just from my heart, more than anything, I love him and that’s all I know. @gratsu-week​​

So as usual, Tumblr happened and I had to delete the original ask. Thank you for sending the requesting, @sunsofmars​! I hope you will enjoy the fic. ^^

[ao3feed-gratsu]

That Idiot

by Akiko_Natsuko

Gray just knew that Natsu was in the middle of whatever was happening, wondering not for the first time how it was that his boyfriend managed to find himself in the middle of the worst of the chaos every single time. Of course, Natsu didn’t help matters by rushing off on his own to face things, and Gray and the others had been more frustrated than worried when they’d regrouped and turned around to find that the idiot had disappeared. At least until the building had started shaking, rocks and dust falling from the crumbling ceiling.

Words: 2640, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 80 of Gratsu, Part 4 of Gratsu Week 2020

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster

Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster

Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Missions Gone Wrong, Going off alone, Blood and Injury, Serious Injuries, Worry, Hurt/Comfort, Ambiguous/Open Ending

Source:https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385581

[mdelpin]

Take it on the Run

Gratsu Week 2020 Prompt: “That idiot! Running off on his own again” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

AO3

They stood in the wreckage of their guildhall, still not able to believe that the Master had disbanded the guild. The silence was overwhelming as they all stared at the remains. It had been their home for so long none of them had any idea of what to do or where to go. Or even who they might be without it.

“He’s gone!”

Gray turned his head sharply at Lucy’s cries, his fists clenching at his sides as their meaning sunk in. It didn’t take much to figure out who she was talking about. Gray had already noticed that the Flame Brain wasn’t there, and while strange, he’d thought that he was still holed away in his house, caught up in his grief over Igneel’s death.

That idiot! Running off on his own again.

It’s not like Gray could blame him, he’d thought about doing the same thing, but in the end, he’d decided he’d rather find a distraction to keep him from thoughts of his late father and what had been done to him. Not to mention the strange magic that he had bequeathed him. Gray had only used it a few times, but he had developed a healthy fear of it. The way it made him feel, it wasn’t something he was willing to play with even though he understood that he needed to learn to control it before it had the chance to control him.

While everyone asked Lucy who she was talking about, he peered at Erza, waiting for her reaction. When he received a nod, he immediately took off for his apartment, rushing to get a bag together and go after his idiotic whatever the hell he was to him these days.

That was another source of confusion that he’d been avoiding thinking about for quite a while. Something had changed between them. Gray wasn’t sure when it had happened, or even if it was something the other wanted, but none of that was important now.

Gray couldn’t deny that he felt hurt that Natsu had left Lucy a note instead of him, and maybe it was for that reason that he’d chosen not to stick around to hear the message. Although he supposed it made a sort of sense, Lucy had become very attached to Natsu, and the dragon slayer wouldn’t have wanted to worry her.

Natsu was hurting, and for the first time in his life, the grief was so profound that he couldn’t hide it behind one of his smiles like he always did. It didn’t necessarily surprise him that the dragon slayer had taken off, it was more the fact that he had done so as quickly as he did. That’s the part that worried Gray.

He knew he had to find him before he did something stupid, like try to avenge Igneel by going after Acnologia by himself. Gray refused to lose anyone else that was important to him. But where the hell would he have gone?

The only thing he was sure of was Natsu wouldn’t take transportation, but with Happy being able to fly him and his ability to use fire to speed himself up, he already had a pretty big head start.

Gray finished packing, grabbed the last of his jewels, and left before Juvia could attempt to follow him.

0-0

He had roamed around Fiore for weeks, his worry bubbling inside him with every passing day. Memories of Natsu’s sobs over Igneel’s remains urging him on even though he had no clear trail to follow.

He trained as he walked, at first using only his regular ice magic. Gray molded object after object refamiliarizing himself with his magic as he worked on his focus and his precision. Then he began adding small amounts of his new magic, being careful not to draw too much power just in case he lost control. The combination made his ice more robust, but even using that small amount, Gray could feel that strange darkness probing him, and it scared him.

In his determination to find Natsu, he came up with something he’d never tried before. After much trial and error, he was able to create a pair of wings strong enough to bear his weight. Using everything he remembered from Ur's lessons and the little dynamic Ice-Make Lyon had managed to teach him, he was able to make them fly.

His first flight had been as terrifying as it had been exhilarating. He’d almost crashed countless times as he attempted to learn how to maneuver through air currents, but Gray was no stranger to hard work, and within a day or two, he’d gotten the hang of it.

Don’t do anything stupid, Flame Brain, at least not til I get there.

Flying sped up his efforts considerably, and it was especially helpful around mountainous areas. Gray was now able to travel long distances in one day. Even so, when he finally found Natsu, it was due more to luck than any action on his part.

He’d been flying around at night when he felt an overwhelming source of heat. His wings began to melt, and he had to reinforce them swiftly before he plummeted into the darkness.

Gray swooped down excitedly, determined to find the source when he heard what sounded like a loud explosion followed by inconsolable wails, communicating a sorrow that tugged at his heartstrings.

Searching for a safe spot to land, he discovered a clearing, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he ran, knowing he’d found the dragon slayer at last. He followed the sound of the cries only to stop in his tracks when he caught his first glimpse of Natsu.

“Gray!” Happy greeted, and the ice mage could hear the relief hiding in that greeting, which could only mean the Exceed was worried, and given what he’d just seen, Gray wasn’t all that surprised.

He muttered a greeting in response, his eyes never leaving Natsu, appraising the changes the last few weeks had wrought. The dragonslayer was filthy, which was to be expected from being on the road for so long, Gray was sure he didn’t look much better.

But it was much more than that. Natsu appeared too thin, making Gray wonder if he’d been eating regularly. His olive eyes, which had always been imbued with the spirit of his determination, now appeared dull and empty.

It was disconcerting and much worse than Gray had anticipated.

“Easy, it’s just me,” Gray kept his voice soft when he noticed that Natsu looked like he was about to bolt. He sat down where he stood, keeping some distance between them.

“What are you doing here? ” Natsu groaned, hiding his head in his hands, but he seemed to be calming down, and Gray took that as a good sign. “I specifically asked to be left alone.”

“Did you? I didn’t exactly stick around to hear your little note,” Gray shrugged, making a valiant effort to sound like it hadn’t bothered him.

Natsu peered up at whatever he heard in Gray’s voice before quickly looking down at his hands, “Gray, I-,” he sighed, “I was going to write you one, but I couldn’t come up with the words I wanted, Lucy was... easier.”

“You didn’t have to leave at all, you dumbass,” Gray pointed out, “We would all have been there for you. ”

“I didn’t want anyone to see me like this,” Natsu revealed, and after a moment, admitted, “I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“Natsu -,” words escaped him. Gray wanted to tell him that he’d been almost sick with worry since the moment he’d realized that Natsu had left, but he understood that wasn’t what the dragon slayer needed from him right then. And in the absence of words, there was only one thing he could think to do. He stood up, approaching Natsu slowly.

“Come here, you big idiot,” Gray grabbed Natsu in a rough embrace, smiling when he felt the dragon slayer relax into him, his arms slowly coming up to return the gesture. “I’m just glad I found you.”

“How did you?” Natsu sounded puzzled, but he didn’t let go of Gray, and the ice mage took that as a win.

“Luck mostly,” Gray answered honestly, gently rubbing circles on Natsu’s back, “and a healthy dose of wanting to kick your ass for leaving in the first place.”

Natsu stiffened at that, and Gray was quick to let go of him. He walked over to his pack and searched for some food he could share with the dragon slayer. Finding some apples, he grabbed a handful along with the last of his jerky and shared them with Natsu and Happy.

Happy didn’t even complain about it not being fish, devouring his apple in one bite, and looking hopefully at Gray for another. Natsu studied his apple for a few minutes before taking a tentative bite and sitting down.

Gray sat next to him, placing the rest of the food on the ground atop Happy’s green kerchief. Natsu needed to eat something more substantial, but this would have to do for now. He’d hunt them down some food once he was sure that Natsu wouldn’t try to take off in his absence. Maybe he could even convince him to do it together like they sometimes did on team jobs.

Natsu continued to eat slowly, something Gray never thought he’d see in his lifetime, taking occasional peeks at Gray.

“I’m not going back,” Natsu said defensively, “at least not yet,” he amended when he saw Gray getting ready to protest.

“I have to get stronger so I can take him out,” Natsu roared, ” I won’t lose to him again!”

“I know, I’m not here to take you back,” Gray assured him, “I’m here for you, and, “ he paused, wondering if it was too soon, “because I need your help.”

“My help?” Natsu watched him warily, trying to catch the lie in his words, “What could you possibly want my help with?”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Gray insisted, recognizing the disgust in Natsu’s voice. He knew Natsu would never stop blaming himself for what had happened to Igneel, just like Gray would never forgive himself for not being able to give his father the peace he’d asked for, “there was nothing you could have done, nothing any of us could have done.”

“It’s not fair!” Natsu lamented, punching the ground for emphasis, even as his eyes shone with unshed tears. “He was right there, Gray, and then he was taken from me before I even had a chance to talk to him. And then to find out he’d been inside me all along - I searched all those years! What kind of rotten trick was that?!”

“I don’t know,” Gray answered honestly, “ but even I could see he loved you. I have to imagine it wasn’t an easy decision for him to make.”

He took a chance and reached out for Natsu’s hand, squeezing it firmly and pulling him closer until their knees touched.

“Gray?” Natsu glanced at him in surprise, and Gray had to admit it was unusual for him to be so tactile.

Outside of the occasional fistbump, the only time they ever really touched was during their neverending brawls, but maybe it was time to change that as well, to give a name to whatever it was that was happening between them. If this experience had taught him anything, it was that life was full of curveballs, and you had to hold on to the things that were important to you before they too were taken away.

“I know you think you failed, but we’re going to get stronger, and we’re going to take down that sonofabitch, and E.N.D, and Zeref, and anyone else who gets in our way,” Gray vowed, “but we’re only going to be able to manage that if we work together.”

Gray had made a promise to his father, and he intended to keep it, to put an end to all the suffering his family and others like them had suffered at the hands of Zeref’s demons. But he had also made many promises to himself in regards to his Fairy Tail family, and Acnologia had come after them twice now. They couldn’t afford to give him a third chance.

Natsu didn’t respond to his words right away, weighing them carefully against whatever he’d been planning to do. His gaze shifted from Gray’s face to their joined hands until he managed a smile for the first time since Gray had arrived.

“Together then,” he agreed, and for a brief moment, Gray caught a glimpse of the usual spark in Natsu’s eyes, and it gave him hope that everything would turn out alright.

A/N: Thanks to @oryu404​ for their help with the edit. This was somewhat unplanned but I wanted to contribute something! Might turn into a multi later, might not...

[ft-dads-au]

Turn the Tide

Gratsu Summer Solstice 2020 - Prompt: Fun in the Sun Gratsu Week 2020 - Prompt: “What’s with all the noise? I’m sleepy” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

A Collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

AO3 | FF.Net

Summary:  Natsu has hated his birthday for years. It served only as a a painful reminder of the day his father abandoned him and Erza. All he wants is to get through the day with the least amount of fuss possible, but Gray has other plans. 0-0

July 7th, 2021

What’s with all the damn noise? I’m still sleepy…

Natsu groaned as the annoying beeping noise that had woken him up refused to stop, and he soon realized it was coming from his phone. He glared at the device, but as expected, it did nothing, the beeps continued as text after text came in.

What the hell is going on?

He stretched his arm and grabbed his phone from his nightstand, fighting the urge to throw it across the room...

Happy Birthday, Bro! 🎈🎉✨🎁 Where the party at? 👀🧁🎂 Gotta do rounds, but I’ll call you later!

Happy Birthday, Natsu!

cat_birthday.gif

Another year older, Firefly! I’ll stop by Sorciere and buy you a drink tonight...

Happy Birthday, dude! Get Gray to blow your 🕯️!!! 😂😏

Natsu scrolled through the texts that kept coming in from his friends and family, rolling his eyes at the last one, not even having to look at the sender info to know it was Loke’s contribution.

As nice as it was to receive well wishes, rather than cheer him up, all they accomplished was to envelop him in a cloud of gloom that was very familiar. Still, he replied to all the messages and got up to start his day.

At least it was a Wednesday, which meant that Gray would soon arrive with Aki for one of their study sessions. It was the first time in a while that he was impatient for Gray to visit, not because he wanted to see him, but because of the distraction that studying for the GED would provide.

What he really wanted was to get out of the house. To escape the memories that refused to let go.

The previous year he’d been too numb from everything else that had happened in his life for it to sink in that he was back in his childhood home, sleeping in the very room his father used to call his. The last place he’d seen him before he’d disappeared from his life, leaving him and Erza behind without any warning or explanation. For so long, he’d held on to the belief that his father was coming back, but no matter how many nights he’d waited for him, he never did. And so his birthday became a day Natsu resented, a painful reminder of his abandonment.

The doorbell rang, startling Natsu out of his gloomy thoughts. Atlas raced towards the door at the noise, chanting the name Aki over and over in joyful anticipation.

Natsu ran down the stairs to head him off, knowing from experience Atlas would open the door regardless of who might be on the other side. It was much too early for Gray to arrive for their study session, and given that it was his birthday, the idea of an unexpected visitor set him on edge.

He got to the door just as Atlas opened it and was surprised to see his boyfriend was indeed standing on the other side of the door.

“Hey,” he greeted, feeling slightly puzzled but no less pleased, “Are we starting early today?”

“Nope,” Gray smirked, “You’ve been working pretty hard for the past few weeks. Today you get the day off. We’re going to the beach!”

“Beach!” Aki repeated, and now that Natsu looked at him, he noticed he was dressed in a swimsuit and holding a colorful bucket and shovel like the ones sold at the grocery store.

“Beach?” Natsu parroted in disbelief, “With three kids? Are you insane?”

“Four, you forgot to count yourself,” Gray teased, entering the house and closing the door behind him. He pulled Natsu to him for a quick kiss, “Hey.”

“I don’t know, I’d have to pack stuff for the kids and get them ready,” Natsu hedged, not feeling up to such an involved outing.

“Nice try, Sunshine,” Gray turned him around and nudged him towards the stairs. “All you have to do is get yourself ready; Erza already took care of the rest.” Gray walked over to the small closet that sat at the foot of the stairs and opened it to show that indeed there were two bags packed along with Atlas’ car seat.

“We’re going to the beach?!” Hana squealed behind them, and at that point, Natsu realized he’d already lost. Hana had always loved the beach even though her skin was so fair she had to be slathered in sunblock constantly, but she hadn’t voiced any interest in it since her mother had died. Knowing that, he didn’t want to disappoint her.

“Looks like it,” he replied with as much enthusiasm as he could muster at the idea. It might even be a good thing. If he were chasing after the kids, he wouldn't have time to think about anything else.

“That’s the spirit,” Gray remarked, his words dripping with sarcasm, “Go get ready, and I’ll start putting stuff in the car.”

Now that the decision had been made, Natsu went along with it. He’d wanted to get out of the house, after all. Changing into swim trunks and a t-shirt, he quickly tossed a change of clothes and a towel into a bag. He searched around for his sunglasses and sunblock, and when he heard Gray yelling for him, he hurried down the stairs to find everything had already been packed up, including the kids.

“Why today?” he asked, gazing at his boyfriend with suspicion.

“Because it’s going to get super hot, and you’re too cheap to install an air conditioner.” Gray retorted, “Since nothing’s getting into your little brain today, we might as well have fun. Now come on.”

He grabbed the bag from Natsu’s hand and led him to his car, making no mention of Natsu’s mood. Natsu relaxed, he’d never told Gray when his birthday was, and he hadn’t gotten a text from Lyon, so it was possible he didn’t know. The people in his life always wanted to make a big deal about his birthday, but all Natsu wanted was to forget it, let it pass quickly and quietly. And who knew? A day of fun in the sun might just do the trick.

0-0

“Beach!” Hana ran off towards the sand the moment they stepped outside the air-conditioned train station and into the summer heat.

“Hana, wait!” Natsu ran after her, terrified of losing her in the crowd of people. He glanced back to see Gray trying to handle the boys and the remaining bags, and he flashed him an apologetic smile.

Gray hadn’t been exaggerating. It was a hot day. Thankfully the beach wasn’t too packed yet, and once he’d gotten Hana to stop, he rented a large umbrella for them to sit under, knowing the heat was going to be too much for the younger kids and for Gray, who was as fair as Hana.

He was already applying sunblock on Hana when Gray finally arrived with Atlas and Aki, dumping all their bags on the sand. “A little help would have been nice,” he grumbled.

Natsu glanced up to see his boyfriend was already flushed. “Go sit,” he ordered, pointing towards the shade the umbrella provided and handing him a bottle of water from one of the bags Erza had packed. He managed to get all three kids ready and sent them off to play in the area in front of them.

Natsu grabbed a new bottle of sunblock and knelt behind his boyfriend, who had already taken off his shirt, “Are you feeling better?” he asked as he spurted some of the contents of the bottle into his hand and began to apply it on Gray’s shoulders.

“Mhmm,” Gray groaned in appreciation, “That feels nice. Thanks for getting the umbrella, that was a good idea.”

“Well then, it seems my little brain is good for something after all,” Natsu retorted.

“Your hands aren’t bad either,” Gray observed, leaning forward so that Natsu could apply sunblock on his back. “Hana really likes the beach, huh?”

“Yeah, back when we lived in Edolas, Lis used to take her to the beach all the time,” he explained, watching as Hana examined some seashells she’d found. “It’s nice to see her excited about it again.”

“What on Earth is Atlas doing?”

Natsu turned his attention to his son and had to laugh, “He’s digging a hole, obviously.” One that only seemed to get bigger by the minute now that Aki had caught on to what his friend was doing and had begun to help.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?” Gray asked worriedly.

“Why? They’re not hurting anything,” Natsu shrugged, “or are you worried they’ll end up upside down on the other side of the world?”

“Smart and funny, how lucky am I?” Gray answered drily.

“I used to like to do that too,” Natsu muttered, ignoring the barb as he remembered beach trips with his own family.

He used to dig holes deep enough that he could hide in them and startle his mom as she walked by. Sometimes Igneel would even help him, laughing just as hard as Natsu when his wife squealed in fright as Natsu grabbed her leg. He hadn’t thought about that in years. A lump lodged in his throat at the thought of his mom, and he couldn’t help but reflect on how much Erza resembled her these days.

“Here, let me put some on you,” Natsu felt Gray’s hands on his back as he rubbed the cooling lotion on his warm skin, interrupting his train of thought. He closed his eyes briefly, enjoying the glorious sensation of those fingers kneading his muscles.

It was much better to focus on what he had. There was no reclaiming what he’d already lost.

“You know,” Gray declared as he continued to cover Natsu in sunblock, “there wasn’t an amusement park the last time I came here, it’s too bad the kids are too little. That could’ve been fun.”

“Well, maybe we can come back another time,” Natsu suggested, shading his eyes with his hand as he tried to locate Hana amidst the growing crowd.

“You mean like on a date?”

“Why not? I bet Sting and Rogue would love to come too.” He found his daughter talking to another little girl, not too far from where they were sitting and relaxed.

“Maybe,” Gray wrapped his arms around Natsu’s waist and pulled him closer to his chest, “I don’t get you to myself often enough, though.”

Natsu rested his hands on Gray’s and smiled, “You, my love, get most of my spare time. You’re just greedy.”

Gray chuckled, “True enough. Want to go check out the water? The kids look like they’re getting restless.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Natsu agreed, stealing a quick kiss before grabbing Atlas under one arm and racing towards Hana at full speed as Atlas yelled her name out joyfully. She squealed at their approach, running away from them and towards the water.

He could hear Gray grumbling behind him and grinned.

“Daddy, no!” Hana shrieked as he put Atlas down so he could join the chase and continued to charge after her.

“Don’t worry, Hana, I’ll get him for you,” was all he heard before being picked up from behind and tossed over Gray’s shoulder.

“What are you gonna do now, Sunshine?” Gray snickered, holding on tighter as Natsu did his best to get loose, “What do you think, Hana? Should I throw him in?”

“Yeah!” Hana giggled, “Throw Daddy in the ocean!”

“You heard the lady; you’re going down!” Gray turned them around, and Natsu could see that Hana looked positively gleeful at his predicament. All three kids cheered as they egged Gray on.

“Traitors!” He called out in mock dismay, as he flailed around, trying to mess up Gray’s balance. His efforts proved pointless, however, as the next thing he knew, he was falling, but only for a short second until he landed face-first into the cold water. Moving quickly, he turned himself around, snaking his arms out and grabbing Gray’s legs while he was busy laughing at him.

Using Gray’s distraction to his advantage, Natsu pulled, taking Gray down with him.

“Come on in, the water’s fine!” Natsu couldn’t help but cackle at the surprised expression on his boyfriend’s face.

“That’s it, Dragneel, you asked for it,” Gray announced before splashing water at Natsu’s face.

They wrestled in the water, both laughing too hard to be able to gain any advantage over the other. Soon they were joined by the kids who were more than happy to enter the fray.

After a few minutes, they each grabbed one of the boys and placed them on their shoulders so they could wade deeper while keeping an eye on Hana, who swam beside them. Both boys were overjoyed to be up so high. They eagerly called out every wave that rushed towards them.

Natsu was having such a great time that he completely forgot to keep track of Hana’s skin, and when he noticed the telltale redness on her nose and the back of her neck, he decided it was time to get back to their umbrella. Gray wasn’t doing much better, which made Natsu smile. The guy might be thirty, but he was still young in all the best ways.

Gray treated them to lunch, and they all sat together under the umbrella munching happily on pizza and chicken nuggets.

“Are you having fun?” Gray asked while helping Aki eat a slice of cheese pizza.

“Yeah,” Natsu answered honestly, “I have to admit, you had a good idea for once.”

Gray rolled his eyes at his response but chose not to protest. They shared a fun afternoon building sandcastles with the kids, collecting shells, and helping Atlas dig ever deeper holes, which Natsu made sure to refill once his son had moved on to the next one. Much too soon, it was time to get on a train as Natsu had to return to Magnolia in time for his evening shift at Crime Sorciere.

Natsu sat on the train, feeling content as Hana leaned against him, and Atlas snored in his lap. On the opposite bench, Aki was also K.O. in Gray’s arms, while Gray gazed out the window with a serene smile. Natsu watched him for a while, mesmerized by how breathtaking Gray looked when he was at peace. It didn’t happen nearly often enough for his liking, and that always saddened him. Gray deserved the world, and Natsu was determined to get it for him. Someday.

They made it home with enough time for Natsu to take a shower before leaving for work. He noticed a notification on his phone as he was getting dressed, and seeing that it was a text from Gray, he scanned it immediately.

Happy Birthday, Natsu! 😉

Natsu realized then that he hadn’t thought about his birthday once since they’d arrived at the beach. He was touched to learn that Gray had been aware all along, choosing not to treat the day any differently because he’d remembered how Natsu felt about it.

Just like that, Gray had understood what he’d needed, something Erza and Lisanna had struggled with for years.

For the first time since Natsu was nine years old, he’d had a birthday he could look back on with a smile. And that was the best present he could have ever asked for.

A/N: We had started this one for Summer Solstice but ran out of time, luckily Gratsu Week gave us the motivation to finish it! This fic marks 200K words in our AU!

[fuckyeahgratsu]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster Additional Tags: Gratsu - Freeform, Fluffy, Sweet, Smut, Frottage, Top Gray Fullbuster, Bottom Natsu Dragneel, Couch Sex, Gratsu Week 2020 Series: Part 3 of gratsu week 2020 Summary:

The war is over and it's a million degrees outside.

Submitted on AO3 by vix_vivere

[aki-natsuko]

Hoarding

    Gray wasn’t completely oblivious, he had noticed that his wardrobe was slowly but steadily getting emptier and emptier, especially after Natsu had been staying over for a few days at a time. However, he wasn’t ready to call the Dragon-slayer on it, because for all he knew he was just if not more responsible for his decreasing pile of clothing.  Mavis knows he lost clothes far too often, and while he was usually good at tracking them down, he still lost a fair amount that way. Going on jobs was even worse, because he could and did fling stuff out of train windows, leave them in inns and a dozen other places, and Natsu was rarely inclined to go back and fetch them, especially if travel was involved. At the same time, he hadn’t missed the number of times he’d glimpsed Natsu wearing something of his, particularly his hoodies, and not just in his flat, but at the guild, out on jobs and when they were hanging out at Natsu’s house, and so he waited.

    It was a couple of weeks later that they had some downtime so that Natsu could recover from their last job, the idiot protesting that he was ready to go on another one even as he winced when moving, his side and left leg still heavily bandaged. Gray ignored the protests with the ease of long practice, although he had a feeling that he would need to get Erza involved when Natsu got really restless. That was for later though, because for now, Gray had convinced Natsu to curl up with him on the couch to watch the lacrima-tv, the Dragon-slayer sprawled against him and half-asleep…and wearing one of Gray’s hoodies.

“Natsu…”

“Yeah?” Natsu’s reply was slightly delayed and heavy with sleep, and Gray hesitated for a moment. “I need to go the bathroom," he said instead of his original question, smiling at the grumble that earned him, and he had to kiss messy pink hair and promise not to be long before the Fire Mage allowed him to slip out from under him.

   Upstairs, he paused for a moment before heading for the bedroom, trying not to feel guilty even though his bag was sat on the end of the bed waiting to be unpacked. Not entirely sure what he was looking for, he glanced in the laundry basket – wincing a little at the pile that was building up, but while he found another of his hoodies, that was it. Next, he checked under the bed, as he knew Natsu had a habit of stuffing things under there in favour of tidying up, the last time they’d cleared it out they’d found the payment from a job they’d done months ago that Natsu couldn’t even remember shoving under there. It was messy and cluttered, but with everything but clothing apart from an odd sock that Gray considered warily before fishing out and launching into the laundry basket. Maybe he had just lost the stuff, but it was a lot, and even with his regular stripping, he couldn’t help but be suspicious.

   Finally, he turned his attention to the rickety old wardrobe, deciding to give it up if nothing was there. Noting with amusement the scorch mark on the side from where Natsu had once woken from a dream about fighting and launched fire at it – scaring them both half to death and leaving the wardrobe scarred for life. He had barely touched the handle on the wardrobe before the door all but burst open, and clothing – far too much clothing – tumbled out onto him, and he fell back on the end of the bed with a startled yelp. The wardrobe definitely hadn’t been that full last time he’d checked because he could remember making an offhand comment about having to go clothes shopping. Wondering how the hell Natsu got by on so little – the memory of the ‘because I don’t strip it off and lose it everywhere, Ice Princess’ comment making him roll his eyes. However, Natsu hadn’t been shopping, and Gray was torn between triumph and bemusement when he realised that the vast majority of the clothes that had fallen on him was his own missing clothing.

“… Gray?” The quiet voice startled him, and guiltily, still covered in clothes he turned to see the Dragon-slayer in the doorway, red-faced and leaning heavily on the door frame. Gray opened his mouth to scold the idiot for climbing the stairs without him on his injured leg, but instead, he found himself asking.

“Why are you hoarding my clothes?” He smiled as he asked, not wanting Natsu to think that he was angry. Confused as hell, yes. Relieved that he hadn’t lost that many clothes, but not angry, especially because Natsu only seemed to get pinker at his question, looking down and all but squirming under his expectant gaze.

“… they smell like you.”

[ft-dads-au]

Master Gray

Gratsu Week 2020 Prompt: “Don’t complain if you get hurt doing this” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

Summary:  Gray should have known that promising Natsu that he'd teach him martial arts was a bad idea, but he never would've guessed the reason why.

0-0

“Come on, don’t be such a worrywart, I can hold my own.”

Gray sighed, trying to explain for the hundredth time why it wasn’t a good idea for them to play fight, “I’ve told you before, it’s not about holding your own, I can seriously hurt you.”

“As if! I bet you can’t even land one hit,” Natsu crossed his arms in front of his chest, his mouth set in a pout that looked exactly like the ones Gray had seen on Atlas’ face. He told himself he absolutely did not find it adorable.

Gray could feel the combined weight of Erza and Mira’s gazes, making him even more nervous. Mira giggled at them, but Erza was eerily silent, feeding into Gray’s worry because he knew damn well she was more terrifying than Natsu could ever hope to be.

Atlas and Aki were already play wrestling on the grass while Hana supervised to make sure they didn’t get out of hand.

“You promised that if I passed the math test, you’d teach me,” Natsu reminded him.

“Ugh fine, but don’t complain if you get hurt doing this,” Gray rolled his eyes at Natsu’s cheers, wondering how he could have fallen for such a childish dork but then caught a glimpse of his boyfriend’s radiant grin. He couldn’t ignore the flutter in his chest or suppress his own smile in response.

It was a beautiful Spring day, breezy but warm, and the grass felt cool against his toes. Gray would much rather find a shady spot where they could sit and relax while watching the kids play, but he knew that once Natsu got an idea in his head it was almost impossible to change his mind, and he supposed this could be fun too.

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” Gray turned his body to the side, keeping his feet two shoulder widths apart and bending his knees slightly. He brought his hands up near his head to block whatever kick Natsu attacked with, closing his fingers and flicking them towards himself in a 'come at me' gesture.

Natsu was quick to rise to the challenge, charging with more speed than Gray had been anticipating. His knee rose to his waist and his foot quickly extended up to Gray’s face in a decent attempt at a front kick, one of the most basic kicks in TaeKwonDo but also one of the more powerful. Gray was quick to block it with his hand, moving back slightly and out of the way in case of a follow-up punch.

“That wasn’t bad at all,” Gray praised, “a little sloppy, but it had a lot of force behind it.”

“Told ya I could hold my own,” Natsu boasted, looking a little smug.

“Well, you can definitely dish it out, but can you take it?” Gray raised an eyebrow in challenge, a smirk playing on his lips as he decided he wanted to take Natsu down a peg.

“Why don’t you show me what you’ve got?” Natsu invited, and Gray got ready to do just that, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to show off a little in front of his boyfriend. He hadn’t really stretched, but he decided he could probably manage a tornado kick without too much trouble.

Gray had already started his approach, making the turn and lifting his foot when Natsu called out, “Master Gray,” in a tone of voice that ran a shiver down his entire spine. It startled him mid-move, and as he lost his balance, the last thing he saw before tipping over was Natsu’s smug grin turning into a surprised gasp as he tried to catch him.

He failed. The momentum behind the move was too much for him to absorb. Under the sounds of their spectators’ yelps, they fell to the ground. Or, more accurately, Natsu fell to the ground while Gray’s fall was broken by his boyfriend’s body.

“Idiot! Are you alright?” Gray fretted, already lifting himself up so he could check Natsu for any injuries, but all Natsu did was laugh.

“Your face!” he managed to get out between snorts and giggles.

Gray breathed a sigh of relief, Natsu seemed fine. “That was a dirty move,” he muttered, his cheeks flashing warm again at the thought of Natsu’s words.

“Well, you did say I had to call you that,” Natsu’s attempt to look innocent failed miserably as his eyes shone with joyful mischief he couldn’t contain, and there was that flutter again.

“You know damn well I didn’t mean for you to say it like that.”

“Like what?” Natsu teased, wrapping his arms around Gray’s waist and pulling him back down on top of him.

“Just shut up,” Gray grumbled, embarrassed by how easily Natsu could rile him up.

“Make me,” Natsu challenged, “Mast-,” and before he could complete the words, Gray did just that, capturing his lips in a swift kiss that was enthusiastically returned.

“Idiot,” Gray said fondly as he caressed Natsu’s cheek with the back of his hand, grinning happily when Natsu blushed at the touch. He was getting ready to kiss him again when he noticed Natsu’s expression switch to one of alarm.

“Incoming,” Natsu announced, and that was all the warning Gray got before finding himself at the bottom of an impromptu cuddle pile. Managing to turn himself over, he was confronted with a sight that took his breath away. Aki was grinning from ear to ear, looking happier than he’d ever seen him before.

“I guess that’s it for martial arts lessons today,” Natsu chuckled, lacing their fingers together and squeezing Gray’s hand, as Atlas bounced on his chest. “How do you feel about sword fighting?”

Gray could only groan in response.

[ft-dads-au]

Cat-alyst

Gratsu Week 2020 Prompt: “I’m ready to die if necessary” Pairing: Gray x Natsu

A Collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

AO3 | FF.Net | Takes place after Break Free

Summary: Watching a horror movie late at night probably wasn't the best idea Natsu and Gray ever had. Combine that with scary noises coming from the basement and you have a recipe for a night neither one of them is likely to ever forget.

0-0

August 17, 2021

Natsu and Gray had just finished putting the kids to bed and were settling in for a quiet night at home. They had turned off all the lights to create ambiance; that part had been his bright idea. The blanket that covered them as they cuddled on the sofa watching TV had been Natsu’s. Gray wasn’t sure who had decided on the awful movie they were watching. It had probably been a result of their usual bickering and constant challenges. Either way, there they were watching a scary movie like two stupid teenagers, neither willing to admit that it was making them nervous.

Gray didn't know much about horror movies, but he could tell by the eerie background music that something terrible was about to go down. The first time it had happened had been funny, Natsu had squeaked loudly and leaped into his lap at the jump scare, and Gray had a great time mocking him, but now that was coming back to bite him in the ass. The suspense was killing him, and he held his breath as he watched the protagonist walk around her house.

Agonizingly slow, eyes wide open in fear, she reached the basement stairs and descended into the darkness. Gray found himself gripping Natsu tighter against him as if he were his only tether to reality. He tried to remind himself that it was just a damn movie by taking comfort in his boyfriend’s presence, solid and real by his side.

"Hello?" the young woman on the screen called out, her voice quivering in fear, "I-Is someone there?"

Gray held his breath as she took another step down, the old wooden stairs creaking beneath her weight. The camera focused on a dark corner of the basement, slowly zooming in while the ambient sounds that were giving him the creeps intensified, and then…

CRAAASH!

Gray jumped to his feet at the clatter, wincing as he heard the thud that immediately followed, realizing much too late that he’d just dropped Natsu on the floor. However, instead of the loud complaint that he’d expected, Natsu had only scrambled to his feet, his breathing shallow and fast.

“What was that?” he asked as his eyes darted around the ample open space of the first floor of his house.

“Probably just our overactive imaginations,” Gray chuckled nervously, “how about we watch something else?”

CRAAASH!

Jingle Jingle Jingle

“Overactive imaginations, huh?” Natsu grumbled as the jingling sound continued.

“Should we check it out?” Gray asked although he wanted nothing to do with whatever might be in the basement.

“Sounds like a great idea,” Natsu approved, “thanks for volunteering!”

Gray felt himself being nudged forward and instantly dug his heels, “Hell no! It’s your damn creepy house.”

“My house is not creepy!” Natsu huffed.

Gray raised an eyebrow as another noise rose from the basement. This one followed by even more crashes.

“Ugh, fine!” Natsu turned on the living room light and walked over to the small closet that sat at the bottom of the stairs. He opened the door and grabbed one of Erza’s foam practice swords, closing the door as quietly as possible.

He quickly walked back over to Gray and handed him the sword.

“Me? What do you want me to do with it?”

“I don’t know. You’re the big bad martial arts 100th level Master or whatever, go martial art!”

“That’s not even a thing, you dimwit,” Gray scoffed, looking at the foam sword with dismay. Seriously? What was he supposed to do with that? He gave a practice swish and reluctantly started to move forward, not wanting to look bad in front of his boyfriend.

It was at that moment that the protagonist let out a piercing, blood-curdling scream that made both of them jump again.

He handed the sword back to Natsu, “Fuck this, it’s probably nothing.”

The scream seemed to have affected whatever was downstairs as well because the noises started up again, that eerie jingling speeding up with every sound.

Natsu sweatdropped, “Are you for real?! Fat lot of good you are.”

“Hey, I’m injured, remember?” Gray pointed at his broken nose, a souvenir from seeing his ex the previous weekend.

He grabbed the TV remote from the sofa and turned off the TV, eliminating one source of stress as they debated what to do.

Natsu gazed at Gray in disbelief, sighing when he refused to budge, “Fine, I’ll go.”

He took two small steps, obviously waiting for Gray to change his mind or, at the very least, come with him. When neither happened, he turned to Gray, his eyes imploring, “I’m ready to die if necessary.”

“My hero,” Gray deadpanned, ignoring the blatant attempt at manipulation, he gave his boyfriend a small shove towards the door that led to the basement stairs.

“What in the world is going on down there?” They both looked up to see Erza coming down the stairs in her pajamas. “I could hear your bickering from my room. You’re going to wake up the kids.”

The warning came too late for the kids had already woken up. The sounds of little feet padding on the floor and coming out of their rooms attesting to that fact.

“I think there’s something in the basement,” Natsu informed his sister, having the decency to look embarrassed now that everyone was awake to witness their cowardice.

“I see,” Erza eyed both of them before shaking her head in disappointment at their behavior.

“Give me that.” She demanded her sword, and Natsu was quick to hand it over.

“I was just getting ready to go, you know,” Natsu protested, sounding much braver than he had just a minute earlier.

“Yes, I heard,” Erza smirked but refrained from saying anything else.

“Gray, why don’t you go check on the kids? Natsu, you’re with me.”

Natsu grabbed another sword from the closet, swinging it around as he followed his sister down the stairs, glaring when he noticed Gray laughing at him.

Gray hurried upstairs, herding the kids into Atlas’ room, which was the closest to the stairs. It wasn’t two minutes later when he heard an unmanly squeal.

There was a loud metallic sound followed by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

“Everything’s fine, we found the culprit,” Erza called out, and there was something in her voice that piqued his interest. Was it amusement?

He hurried down the stairs, all three kids following close behind.

Erza was putting her swords back in the closet, and there was no mistaking the crinkling in her eyes. Gray turned to look for Natsu, who had yet to reach the living room.

“Where’s Natsu?”

“He’s having a little chat with our intruder,” was all she would say.

Gray was about to go after him when the basement door opened, and Natsu finally made an entrance holding a rather unhappy looking kitten by the ruff of its neck. The kitten had managed to get itself tangled up in some sort of Christmas decoration that was mostly made up of bells.

Jingle Jingle Hisss

Gray was about to tease his boyfriend when he noticed the scratches that littered his arms and hands, some deep enough to bleed. He set out to find some antiseptic instead. Natsu continued to hold the kitten speaking to it in a soft voice as Erza carefully freed it from its bonds. Once his part was over, Natsu handed the kitten over to his sister so she could examine it. Hana gasped loudly as she got a better look. She clapped her hands over her mouth in surprise before rushing over to Natsu and Erza. “Kitty!” she squealed in delight, bouncing on her feet. “It’s so cuuutteee!!! Can we keep it, Daddy?” “I don’t know,” Natsu thought aloud, “we’d probably need to get it checked by a vet, and we’ll have to buy all kinds of stuff for it...Pets are expensive…” Although he had a good point, Gray knew it the second Atlas, and Aki joined in with their oohs and aahs, and all three kids unleashed their combined attack of puppy eyes. Natsu was screwed. “Pleeaaassseeeee?” they all chorused, delivering the final blow, and judging by the defeated groan he let out, Natsu had accepted his fate.

“Your father is right,” Erza tried to intervene on Natsu’s behalf, “We can’t make that decision until we have a vet check to make sure it’s healthy.”

The kids groaned at her words, but they didn’t let that ruin their enthusiasm. Little hands reached out to pet the small creature who seemed to take the attention in stride for the most part.

Erza chuckled and carefully petted the kitten’s head. “It is cute, though, isn’t it?” she smiled as the kitten relaxed under her touch, offering her sweet little purrs in return.

Gray couldn’t help but agree. Even though its fur was matted down with dirt, it was a pretty blue-gray color, and now that it wasn’t scared anymore, the kitten was looking around curiously and mewling.

“Yeah, adorable,” Natsu grumbled under his breath, somehow managing to examine the scratches on his arms while deftly evading Gray’s advances with the antiseptic.

“Stand still,” Gray complained, “we need to get those cleaned up.” Natsu obeyed reluctantly, wincing at the sting of the antiseptic as Gray dabbed the scratches, “What happened anyway?”

“I forgot to close the bulkhead after I finished clearing the yard, apparently that hellion snuck in and knocked the Christmas decorations over.”

“Hellion? That little guy?” Gray couldn’t help but laugh at Natsu’s choice of word, “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a tad? Besides, you might as well get used to it. We both know you’re stuck with it now.”

Gray had always loved cats, and he was itching to get a closer look, so when he had finished tending to Natsu, he joined Erza in the kitchen, where she was giving the poor thing a warm bath in the sink while the kids watched in awe. He carefully extended his hand to let the kitten sniff him before attempting to pet it, quickly springing back when it hissed at him.

“You know, now that I think about it,” Natsu smirked at Gray’s wounded look, “I guess he’s not that bad.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s see if you still think that tomorrow when you’re getting a nice tetanus shot.”

“A what?!” Natsu complained, “You’re joking, right?”

“I suppose you don’t have to,” Gray shrugged, pretending to give the matter no importance, “You did say you were ready to die if necessary.”

“At least I wasn’t a big scaredy-cat, Mister it's your damn creepy house.”

“Oh, please, like you were any better. The only reason you went was that your sister didn’t give you a choice, and you know it.”

"Oh yeah? Let’s finish that movie and see who the bigger wuss is. You know, the one you turned off because you were too chicken to keep watching it!"

Gray was about to remind Natsu about who it was that had jumped into who’s lap when Erza put an end to their squabbling.

“That’s enough! You’re both wusses,” Erza retorted matter-of-factly.

“Honestly, getting so worked up over a little kitten. Here, hold it while I get the bathroom set up,” Erza handed the kitten over to Natsu and recruited Hana to find some dishes they could use for water and food.

“I didn’t notice any fleas, but we can’t let this little guy run around unsupervised all night,” Erza reported before running upstairs in search of some old towels and blankets.

Natsu nodded his understanding and grabbed the blanket from the couch, tossing it to Gray so he could spread it out on the floor. Once that was done, Natsu sat down and let the kitten walk around on the blanket.

Atlas and Aki soon wandered over, fascinated by the small creature, but to their great disappointment, it seemed to have eyes only for Natsu. It walked right up to him and sniffed him curiously before rubbing its head against his hand and licking one of his fingers.

Gray still had a hard time believing that the little guy had freaked them out so much, even though that stupid movie had been a significant factor. He watched a small smile spread across Natsu’s face at the gesture, and he felt all of his previous irritation vanish, replaced by a warmth in his chest that still caught him off guard after years of feeling nothing but sadness.

He joined them on the blanket, placing his arm around Natsu’s shoulders as Aki settled on his lap, shyly trying to pet the little cat and giggling when it purred in response.

Hana placed two small saucers at the edge of the blanket, one filled with water and another with tuna. She looked overjoyed when the cat went over to explore her offerings.

Gray watched the kitten devour the tuna messily, smiling at how easily Natsu had accepted the creature who had scratched the crap out of him. It reminded him of the way he’d accepted him despite how much of an asshole he’d been in the beginning.

Natsu was a lot of things. He was incredibly loud, loved to bicker about the stupidest stuff, couldn’t sit still to save his life most of the time. God, there were so many things about him that drove Gray completely up the wall. But for every one of those shortcomings, he had discovered a dozen other things that kept him coming back for more.

Real love is warm and unconditional.

Gray’s cheeks flushed as he remembered those words, spoken so earnestly just days earlier. Breathed into his skin and burned into his soul by the man he held in his arms. He hadn’t been capable of responding then, not with all the negative feelings that had been flowing through him after their encounter with Siegrain. Still, Gray knew he’d felt that warmth for a long time now— flowing through him as it cautiously worked its way to the surface, present in every one of their interactions until he felt heady with it. And he knew it was time to let go of his fear that once he said the words, they would be used against him again.

Gray gazed down at the man he’d fallen in love with - the one who had taught him so much about love from the moment he’d asked him to dance a year earlier, who was everything he could've ever dreamed of and more.

It was time to trust in what they had built together and finally make his feelings known.

“I love you,” he spilled quietly, but loud enough to know Natsu would hear him.

Natsu turned to him, and Gray could tell he was surprised by his sudden confession. His eyes glistened, and his face was swiftly turning a pleasing shade of crimson, but still, he managed a cheeky grin as he confessed his own feelings for Gray.

“I love you too, dumbass.”

Gray snorted, recalling how he’d responded to Natsu’s awkward confession when he’d returned from Crocus. “I suppose I deserve that.”

Natsu lay his head on Gray's shoulder, neither one capable of suppressing their smiles as together they watched the now tired kitten curl up in his lap.

"Alright, the bathroom is ready for our guest," Erza announced as she walked in, her expression once again turning into one of amusement when she saw them all sitting on the blanket. "What's with those goofy grins of yours?"

Their smiles widened as they looked at each other, "Oh, nothing," Natsu replied, “ Just happy, that's all."

[fuckyeahgratsu]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster Additional Tags: Gratsu - Freeform, A little angst, Nightmares, gray is sad sometimes, Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy, Gratsu Week 2020, Descriptions of wounds, Fighting Series: Part 2 of gratsu week 2020 Summary:

"So.." Natsu mumbles after the awkward silence between them lingers for an uncomfortable amount of time before he looks up at Gray, a cheeky grin forming upon his lips, "you wanted to kiss me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Submitted on AO3 by vix_vivere