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mdelpin · 5 years ago

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Happy Holigays 2019! For: @weissgrayblu - Merry Christmas, I really hope you like your gift! AO3 |FF.Net

The Truth in their Stars

Natsu and Gray - Age 11

"Catch me if you can!" Natsu yelled. With their chores finally done, it was time to play. He took off into the forest as quickly as he could, sparing only a second to gauge how far away Gray was.

With a grin, he raced ahead, his boots crunching in the snow, amused at the determined expression on his friend's face. As soon as he was deep enough into the forest, he climbed the nearest tree quickly, waiting to pounce on his unsuspecting friend. He could hear Gray's steps getting closer and tried to stifle his laughs, even as he panted from his exertions.

When a few minutes had passed, and Gray was no closer to reaching his hiding spot, Natsu looked around only to be knocked off his perch by the force of a well-aimed snowball, landing face down in a large snowdrift.

His ears reddened as Gray’s laughter assailed him, “Next time you want to ambush me, maybe remember that all the leaves have already fallen off the trees, moron.”

Natsu had to admit that had been kind of dumb on his part, so he laughed along, carefully collecting snow underneath him and shaping it into a snowball that he threw at his friend in one fluid motion as he turned over onto his back. The snow hit its target beautifully, covering Gray's smug expression in snow.

“I suppose we should call that a tie,” Gray commented as he calmly wiped the snow off his face. He offered his hand to Natsu and helped pull him back up to a standing position. “What do you want to do today?”

“Let’s go exploring!” Natsu immediately replied as he did every other time, eyes lighting up with excitement as his mouth widened into a fanged grin that caused a faint stirring in Gray’s chest.

"Okay!" Gray agreed, ignoring the strange feeling and once again chasing after Natsu. Together they ran through the trees, occasionally stopping to wrestle and roll in the snow until they were both shivering with cold.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Natsu and Gray age 18

Over the following years, the stirring in Gray's chest flourished into a spark, which soon ignited into a full-fledged flame. Every moment spent with Natsu was equal parts enjoyment and torture, especially since Natsu had never given any indication he felt the same way.

Even if he did, Gray would never be able to act on it. They lived in a small traditional village. There had never been two men romantically involved in the entire history of Isvan. Marriages were determined by a ceremony. The village elder would study the stars and consult the gods for every male in the village when they turned five, informing them of who they were fated to marry. The results were accepted blindly. As far as Gray knew, no one had ever gone against the elder's findings.

His own ceremony had gone badly, although he’d never been able to get the details from his parents. All he knew was that whatever the elder had prophesied for him had gotten her kicked out of the village.

Gray had never been too concerned that he was the only one that didn't know the name of his supposed true love. He amused himself with the fantasy that maybe she had named Natsu, and it had caused an uproar.

He'd never thought the ceremony made much sense. He might have lived in Isvan his entire life, but he was well aware that they were but a small part of a much larger world. With so many people in existence, how was it possible the stars would only ever point to people in their own village?

Natsu wasn't from Isvan. Igneel, the village blacksmith, had found him in the woods. He'd taken him in and adopted him as his son when no trace of his family could be found.

He’d had become a large part of Gray's life right away as there weren't many children his age in the village and the thought that he could have missed out on him because of something as silly as geography had always bugged him.

Natsu’s arrival and love of exploration had opened up Gray's eyes to the fact that there was so much more to the world than what they were taught. What else was out there? He wanted to find out, to go off exploring with Natsu one day and maybe never come back.

A few days after Natsu’s eighteenth birthday, Gray noticed his friend had been quiet, his usually carefree features furrowed into a frown as he sat across from the entrance to the blacksmith’s shop.

"I'd offer you a jewel for your thoughts, but I know you're not capable of any," Gray shoved Natsu to the side, making some room so he could sit next to him.

"Hey!" Natsu immediately shoved back, and one of their typical wrestling matches began. Gray was pleased to see Natsu's smile return gradually as they rolled around in the ground, earning annoyed protests from the villagers that were attempting to walk by.

Once their energy was spent, they both sat staring at the blacksmith's shop, occasionally catching glimpses of Igneel as he moved around inside.

“So, what’s wrong?” Gray finally asked, not used to so much silence between them.

“Igneel told me the village elder came to see him this morning,” Natsu confessed, looking troubled once again, “She wants to perform the stars ceremony on me, says it’s well past my time.”

Gray found he literally couldn't breathe for a full minute after hearing those words. He knew it was true, all the other boys their age had already begun courting their future spouses, but he and Natsu had lived in this bubble for so long that he'd hoped maybe Natsu would somehow be exempt since he was a foundling.

And of course, his own ceremony had been bungled. As far as he knew, the ceremony had never been performed twice on the same person, so despite the best efforts put forth by the village girls who had yet to be matched to get his attention, Gray had been free to do as he wished.

What would the result of Natsu's ceremony be? Gray dared to hope that maybe he would be called as Natsu's match, even though he knew the odds of this were fairly slim. If it did happen, what would Natsu think of that?

He'd never shown any romantic interest in Gray, at least not that he had been able to tell. Then a worse outcome entered his poor brain, what if Natsu were matched with someone else? Would Gray be able to spend the rest of his life watching the one he loved live out his life with someone else?

But one look at Natsu's face, coupled with the uncharacteristic hug he received before Natsu entered the blacksmith's shop to help his father was all Gray needed to realize that the answer to his initial question was even worse than he'd anticipated.

Natsu was getting ready to leave Isvan, and Gray was faced with a crucial decision. Could he leave everything he knew behind to follow the one he loved?

The answer proved to be simpler than he'd anticipated. Gray would absolutely leave everything behind, but not without at least providing his parents with some sort of explanation.

He asked for their blessing to go seek his fortune, to explore the world that lay past the boundaries of the forest that surrounded them. To his surprise, they encouraged his decision.

And so Gray spent the day packing everything he could think of for the both of them, knowing if Natsu was sneaking out, he might not have the chance to pack very well. At sunset, he bid his parents farewell.

His mother whispered, "Good luck, my darling," into his ear in a way that made Gray wonder if she knew what he was really up to.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Gray arrived at the entrance of the forest he knew from experience Natsu used the most. He put his supplies down and settled in for a wait, leaning against a tree for comfort.

About an hour after he arrived, he began to hear quiet noises, and soon Natsu came into view, moving with more stealth than Gray thought him capable of. His expression was sad, and he stopped every few feet to look back at the village.

Gray didn't like to see him like that, so he did the only thing he could think of. He jumped out from behind the tree he'd been resting against and yelled, "Gotcha!"

Natsu was so startled he managed to fall on his ass, “Bastard!” he hissed in outrage, “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

Gray grinned and offered his hand, pulling Natsu up once he took it. “I was trying to get that stupid look off your face. Seriously, you looked like you lost your best friend or something.”

Natsu refused to meet his gaze, but he muttered, “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Ho ho, so that was about me!” Gray teased, “I didn’t know you cared.”

Natsu glared at him, ready for a fight, as always, “As if. Shouldn’t you be home by now?”

Gray went back to the tree and grabbed his bag, strapping it on his shoulders, "And let you go on an adventure without me? Hell, no!"

“How did you—?” Natsu began to ask but seemed to think better of it.

“Know you were taking off?” Gray chuckled, “You are so easy to read, what I don’t understand is the why?”

Natsu squared his shoulders and crossed his arms in front of his chest, “I’m not about to let some bullshit ceremony decide my life for me.”

"Why do you think it's a bullshit ceremony?" Gray asked, already knowing his own thoughts on the subject but curious to hear if Natsu knew something he didn't.

"Yesterday, I was doing deliveries for Igneel when I saw Jude Heartfilia handing a bunch of jewels to the elder. Then all of a sudden, after years of no one caring about whether the ceremony had been performed on me or not, they're demanding I have one?"

They began walking side by side through the forest with no other light but the moonlight and stars to guide their way.

“Hey, Gray?” Natsu asked after a few hours of traveling in silence.

“Hmm?” Gray had been running Natsu’s words over and over in his mind. He’d had his suspicions over the years, but he’d never thought money was involved. What could possibly have happened at his ceremony to have the village decide to banish the previous elder? It didn’t make any sense.

“How come you haven’t started courting your intended yet?”

“I don’t have one,” Gray said simply.

“I don’t understand, I thought everyone did except for me,” Natsu peered at him, his eyes as confused as Gray felt.

"We used to have a different elder, I barely remember her. She had pink hair like yours and was always in a rotten mood, but after she did my ceremony, she was banished, and the one we have now took her place. I was never told who my match was, so I guess I'm destined to be alone."

Natsu remained quiet for a few minutes before declaring, "No one is destined to be anything, we get to choose for ourselves. I chose to leave the village rather than submit to a life I don't believe in, and you, well, you decided to come with me." Natsu grinned. "So now that we've made these decisions, where should we go?"

“I’ve always wanted to see the mountains,” Gray mentioned, thinking that was as far away as he knew of, and it would keep Natsu beside him the longest.

“Why stop there?” Natsu asked, his eyes shining as they always did when something excited him.

“Well we should at least stop for the night, we should be far enough away now,” Gray pointed out, his eyes beginning to droop with tiredness.

"Alright, I think I see a clearing," Natsu ran ahead, and by the time Gray arrived, he'd already set his pack down and was rummaging through its contents. He grabbed some items and tossed them to Gray, who accepted them gratefully, not shocked at all to see it was food.

Gray dropped his own pack on the ground and sat next to his friend, both munching on the food Natsu had brought. Once it was all done, Natsu lay down on the soft earth, using his pack as a pillow while Gray removed his sleeping bag and laid it out.

"I don't suppose you happened to bring another one of those?" Natsu asked, hopefully.

“You really are an idiot, did you only pack food in that thing?” Gray asked curiously, glad that he had thought ahead to what they might need, afraid of this very same scenario.

“Well yeah, what else would I need?”

Gray pointed at his sleeping bag and rolled his eyes, "It's going to get even colder soon, what were you planning to do when it started snowing?"

“I didn’t think of that,” Natsu admitted sheepishly.

“Good night, Natsu,” Gray muttered as he crawled into his sleeping bag, trying to ignore the sounds of the other’s discomfort, too worried his body might betray him if Natsu was sleeping in such close quarters. He fell asleep quickly, tired by all the walking they’d done.

Gray awoke sometime later to hear a loud chattering noise, and he felt terrible, they should have at least started a fire or something. He was the practical one, he should have thought of that. "Just get in here," he grumbled sleepily, "You're going to wake up the bears at this rate."

There was no witty response, just a flash of pink as a freezing cold Natsu crawled into the sleeping bag and settled in behind him, "Th-thanks," Natsu replied, teeth still chattering.

Gray turned around to face him, wanting to get a good look and tried not to laugh at how miserable he seemed.

"You should warm up soon," Gray assured him before turning back around, not trusting himself to not do something physical to warm Natsu up, and perhaps it was only wishful thinking, but he thought Natsu had looked mildly disappointed.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

They spent the next day trying to put as much distance between themselves and Isvan as they could, knowing by now Jude Heartfilia must have noticed Natsu’s absence and might have decided to try to bring him back.

By the time the sun had set, they were exhausted and thrilled to happen upon a large outcropping of rocks. Their configuration created a sort of cave that would protect them from the brutal wind. Natsu and Gray crawled in eagerly, and after a quick meal of whatever they could quickly get out from their packs in the dark, they nestled against each other inside Gray's sleeping bag, neither bothering to remove any of their heavy clothing. They fell asleep this way, their back's touching. Or at least that's what Gray remembered, but he woke to find Natsu's arm draped carelessly around his middle. Heat rushed to his face as Natsu's loud snores tickled the back of his neck, and he realized that they were spooning.

He snorted at the noise, in all the times they had shared a room, he couldn't remember Natsu ever being that loud as he slept. Gray decided his friend must just be exhausted since he also couldn't imagine Natsu cuddling him willingly either. Still, he allowed himself to enjoy this rare instance of affection.

And that’s when he heard it, or rather didn’t hear it. The loud snoring had stopped, yet he could still feel Natsu’s breath on his neck.

There was a rustling near them, and a low growl that was soon followed by loud sniffing and the sound of ripping canvas. Gray lay very still, afraid he knew exactly what was there even if he couldn’t see it. The impression of a cold nose sniffing the air around them helped to reinforce his suspicions.

“Natsu,” Gray whispered, gently moving back the arm that was draped over him.

Natsu remained dead to the world, and Gray once again remained quiet, not wanting to draw the bear's attention since it seemed to be enjoying their food. He shook his friend behind him.

“Natsu,” Gray whispered a little louder.

"Hmmm, Graaaaay," Natsu finally replied, although the tone of his voice and the sudden shifting of his hips made Gray wonder precisely what kind of dream he was having.

"Natsu," This time, Gray shook him hard enough that he knew there was no way Natsu could sleep through it, and when he felt his friend move sluggishly, he tried to let him know what was going on. "I need you to be very quiet, okay?"

“What’s going on?” Natsu whispered back groggily, much to Gray’s relief.

“We need to get out of here,” Gray managed as calmly as he could, given the circumstances. “There’s a bear in here with us.”

He didn't get a chance to say anything else as the bear finally ran out of food and became enraged by the noise they were making, Gray tried to unzip his sleeping bag as quickly as possible to give them a way out, but the bear was already charging. Gray had no more time to think. He somehow managed to crawl out quickly, pulling Natsu along with him.

For once in his life, Natsu remained silent, not once complaining about being pulled along by Gray. They both got to their feet and ran as fast as they could with the bear giving them chase.

"Where did it even come from? I thought bears hibernated," Gray complained when five minutes later, the bear showed no sign of slowing down.

"Nevermind that, we gotta find a tree to climb," Natsu's head darted quickly, examining the trees that surrounded them before quickly pulling Gray behind him, "That one!"

Natsu had always been able to climb trees easily, and this was no exception, letting go of Gray's hand he was halfway up the tree in no time, but Gray had never been as good, and now with the added pressure of an enraged bear closing in on them, he couldn't seem to make any progress. He was still stuck on the lowest branch. Natsu scurried down, holding on to the tree trunk with one arm while offering Gray his hand.

“Just go back up, I’ll think of something else,” Gray assured him, not wanting Natsu to get hurt.

“I”m not leaving you down there!” Natsu grabbed his forearm and pulled him up onto the next branch and continued to help him until they were about halfway up the tree. They were both panting as they hugged the trunk as best they could. Their eyes fixed on the bear that had begun to shake the tree below them.

"I guess we're going to be here for a while," Gray sighed in consternation, but Natsu started to laugh.

“What the hell is so funny?”

“I was just thinking that I’d much rather be here, stuck in a tree with you while avoiding a pissed-off bear, than back home.”

"Speak for yourself, idiot," Gray countered, but he was glad it was too dark for Natsu to see the way his words, combined with how they had woken up, had affected him.

“Can I have your belt?”

Gray was confused by the request, but he unbuckled his belt and handed it over, watching as Natsu tied it to their hands then to the tree trunk. "In case we fall asleep," Natsu explained, "It's a long way down."

Somehow they did manage to fall asleep in the tree, with Natsu leaning against the trunk and Gray leaning against him, their hands joined together by the belt, only waking when the sun rose. Thankfully by then, there was no sign of the bear.

Natsu unbuckled them, and they climbed down, feeling all sorts of aches from sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

Gray stretched his arms above his head, looking around to see where they were. Not that he expected to recognize anything, this was the furthest either of them had ever ventured from Isvan.

But the mountains were ahead of them, and they continued to walk towards them.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

"We're screwed," Natsu finally declared what they had both been thinking. They'd lost their packs, which had contained all their food. They'd also lost Gray's sleeping bag, which had been the only thing to keep them warm at night. They could ignore the rumble in their stomachs for a while longer, but if they didn't find shelter before nightfall, they might not survive the night.

So when they found the small frozen pond, they decided to try to cross it, hoping to reach the other side while it was still daylight. Natsu went in search of sticks they could use to test the ice before walking on it.

While he waited impatiently for Natsu's return, Gray decided to just test the ice, stepping on it carefully to see if it would bear his weight. When there was no sign of a crack, he moved away from the edge, gliding gracefully once he'd gotten his balance.

He didn't attempt to do any tricks, knowing it would be a disaster without ice skates. He was surprised to see Natsu standing at the pond's edge, watching him with what appeared to be a fond smile.

“I’d forgotten how good you were at that,” Natsu called out.

"Well, not all of us can be squirrels," Gray retorted. He liked having Natsu's eyes on him, loved

the attention, and the way his friend was laughing at his lame comeback. He was starting to think that maybe Natsu liked him back.

He beckoned Natsu to come on the ice, showing him it was safe. Natsu stepped on the ice slowly, immediately falling backward as he slipped. He scowled when Gray laughed at him.

“Come on, try again,” Gray managed to keep his balance as he helped Natsu get to his feet, holding on to his gloved hand as he encouraged him to use one of the branches he had collected as a sort of walking stick and taking the other for himself.

“Take short steps, and bend forward a little. Like this, okay?” Gray began walking, continuing to hold on to Natsu’s hand to help him keep his balance, or so he told himself. “And if you feel like you’re going to fall lean your head forward, you don’t want to lose what little brains you have left.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Natsu muttered under his breath as he continued to struggle.

Gray held his tongue, knowing how much Natsu hated to look foolish in front of others. Instead, he squeezed his hand, "Just relax, and do what I do."

Pretty soon, Natsu had gotten the hang of it. Gray could probably have let go of his hand after the first few minutes, but he was enjoying it, and Natsu wasn't complaining.

In this manner, they made their way across the pond, both remaining silent so they could keep track of any noises from the ice. It was slow going, but neither seemed to mind and when they had gotten about halfway, they saw smoke in the sky. It filled them with hope. If they could make it to the other side without incident, they could seek out its source and maybe ask for shelter for the night. They glanced at each other and smiled.

They were almost to the shore when they began to hear a cracking noise. Natsu froze, refusing to move in any direction until Gray deemed it safe. They began to use the sticks to test the ice more and more, but the cracking became louder, and a visible line appeared in front of them. Without even a thought, Gray pushed Natsu as hard as he could towards the shore, trying to keep him from falling in.

It was too late for him though, before he had a chance to move, there was one last loud crack, and the ice underneath him gave way. Gray fell through, managing to keep his mouth shut before he could swallow any water. He was disoriented at first, but there was enough light left in the sky to help him find his way back to the surface, and after a couple of failed attempts, he was able to find the opening.

Gray wasn't able to celebrate this small victory, however, for as soon as his head came up above the water, he soon felt both his heart and his breathing speed up, making him panic. He flailed in desperation, and that's when he saw him.

Natsu was headed back to him, running and screaming at the top of his lungs, "GRAAAAY!"

"St-stay over there, y-you'll only make things worse," is what Gray tried to say, but he was only panting the words out. There was no way Natsu could hear him. He had to get himself under control to show Natsu that he could handle it on his own before the fool ended up in the water with him.

He calmed himself down as much as he could, helped along by the feeling returning to his limbs. Once he managed a deep breath, he was able to call out, “Stay right there, I can get out!”

Natsu listened, although Gray could tell from his stance that it was but a temporary reprieve. He could see the worry in the well-loved features, and it fueled his determination.

Gray tried to grab the ice with his gloved hands, but it was too slippery. He grunted with the effort, his clothes were soaked through, and everything felt cold, but he knew he had to keep trying, Natsu's legs were practically twitching.

This time, instead of grabbing for the ice, he kicked his legs, moving his body as close to the ice as he could manage. He placed his arms on the ice, using them to prop himself up and continued to kick his legs to get as much of his torso as he could manage out of the water and onto the ice.

He could feel Natsu slowly moving towards him now that he was mostly out of the water, and this time he didn't protest. That last effort had exhausted him, and even as he continued kicking his legs weakly, he was afraid of what might happen if he fell back in. Gray felt himself being pulled the rest of the way out until he was on the shore. He had never been so relieved in his life.

"Thank fuck, you scared the hell out of me!" Natsu's breath was coming in pants, and to Gray's confusion, he felt his friend tugging off his clothes.

“What are you doing?!”

“What do you think I’m doing, I’m getting you out of these wet clothes. You’re going to freeze to death!”

Natsu ignored all his protests, and soon he was taking his clothes off as well, placing them on Gray to try to keep him warm and then bundling him up in his coat.

“Natsu, you’re going to freeze,” Gray objected weakly.

“I’ll be fine, there’s a house up ahead,” Natsu reported picking Gray up and carrying him on his back as he ran towards the source of the smoke they had seen from the lake.

Gray saw that Natsu had been right after all, in less than ten minutes they were at the door of a house that seemed to be built into a large tree. Natsu wasted no time, knocking on the door loudly.

“Help!” Natsu knocked insistently until a cantankerous voice could finally be heard.

“What the hell do you want? I didn’t move all the way out here to get visitors.”

"My friend fell in the pond, he's freezing. Please! He needs to be warmed up." Natsu pleaded even as he continued to knock relentlessly.

“Alright, alright, stop that infernal knocking already!”

The door finally opened, revealing an older woman with pink hair that looked vaguely familiar to Gray. She studied him before snapping at Natsu, "Don't just stand there, you simpleton, come inside. We need to get him near the fire."

She slammed the door behind them, leading them to a large room where a fire was burning. She instructed Natsu to place Gray on the sofa, immediately covering him in a blanket and leaving them alone to go in search of others.

“If you had died because you decided to come with me, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Natsu blurted out as he hugged him through the blanket.

“I’m fine,” Gray patted Natsu on the head, reassuring him as best he could since he wasn’t sure how to react to those words or the hug, “A little time in front of the fire and I’ll be good as new.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the return of the old lady, her arms full of blankets.

“Where are his clothes?” she barked at Natsu, making him jump away from Gray.

“I left them by the pond,” Natsu replied before sitting closer to the fire, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm himself up. He was only wearing his pants and boots, having taken everything else off to warm Gray up.

“Go get them,” she ordered as she piled blanket after blanket over Gray’s still shivering body without offering Natsu one.

“What? You’ve got to be kidding, it’s freezing out there, and he’s wearing all my clothes.”

“That’s not my problem, now go get them before I decide not to let you back in when you return,” she shrieked.

“Fine!” Natsu yelled, getting up and slamming the door behind him on his way out.

“Now then, young Fullbuster. This is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into,” the woman sounded like a completely different person now that Natsu was gone.

“You know me?” Gray furrowed his brow as he turned to look at the woman.

“I should, you’re the reason I was banished from Isvan,” her red eyes sparkled with amusement, “Not to mention, you’re the spitting image of your father.”

"Are you Porly- uhm," Gray tried to remember the rest, but it was a confusing name, and it had been years since he'd heard it.

“Porlyusica. Yes, I am, ” Porlyusica smiled kindly.

"I'm sorry, I don't really know what happened, but they shouldn't have banished you for it."

“They never told you?” Porlyusica muttered something under her breath that Gray wasn’t able to catch.

“What?”

“Nevermind,” Porlysica studied his face intently, looking for what, Gray had no way of knowing, “I imagine you’ll want to know the results then?.”

Gray thought about it. Did he want to know? When he was younger, he'd been very curious to know what happened, especially as no one would tell him. But everything was different now.

He thought of the last few days he and Natsu had spent together. Even though they had been fraught with danger, he had been oddly content and seeing some of Natsu's reactions had given him hope that it wasn't one-sided, that they might be able to have some sort of future together.

There was one question he needed an answer to, but only Natsu could give him the answer he was searching for.

“I was curious for a long time,” Gray admitted, “But now that I’m older, it doesn’t matter to me anymore. I don’t believe anyone is destined to be anything, I think we are all free to make our own choices, and I’ve already made mine.”

"The stars and even the gods can only give their opinions, but only you can truly know what is right for you. In all my years doing that idiotic ceremony, you are the only one who seems to have grasped that simple concept." Porlyusica grinned at him approvingly, patting him on the head but

making no further comment on the subject, "I'll go make some tea for when the idiot returns."

Gray chuckled, and when he began to feel lightheaded, he buried himself in the comforting weight of the blankets.

They stayed at Porlyusica’s treehouse for several days. She was determined to have Gray take it easy until she was sure there were no long-lasting effects from his unexpected swim in the freezing pond.

Porlyusica and Natsu were constantly at odds with each other, their bickering ringing loudly throughout the house. It shocked Gray. Not only did people usually like Natsu, but in all the years Gray had known him, he'd never noticed his friend showing animosity towards anyone before. Even more confusing, Gray had seen that Natsu was acting strangely towards him too, almost as if he were trying to distance himself, and Gray couldn't understand why. And with Porlyusica always there, there was never an opportunity to bring it up.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Once Gray had been deemed healthy enough to travel, they'd left Porlyusica's treehouse behind, continuing to move toward the mountains, which loomed ever closer. Before bidding them farewell, Porlyusica had given each of them a pack filled with as many provisions as she could spare, along with one sleeping bag large enough to fit both of them comfortably.

He and Natsu had walked all day, taking few breaks now that their goal was so close, but by nightfall, they were too tired to continue. They found a spot to camp for the night, and Natsu went off in search of kindling while Gray looked through their bags to find something to eat.

They got a fire going and sat around it in silence. Natsu had been quiet all day as well, only answering when Gray called out to him. It was obvious he was thinking about something, but Gray had no idea how to get him talking.

He decided that if this behavior continued the next day, he would confront Natsu and force whatever this was out of him. For now, he just laid out the large sleeping bag and crawled into it, Natsu followed, and soon they both lay on their backs looking up at the stars, which at the moment seemed closer to Gray than Natsu, who was less than a foot away.

“What are you planning to do once we reach the mountains?” Natsu asked suddenly, sneaking a peek at Gray before staring up at the sky fixedly.

Gray was surprised by the question, he’d thought they’d just keep going, traveling together until they found a place they’d like to live, but maybe he’d assumed too much.

"I don't know, I never really thought past that. The mountains are as far as I know," Gray responded as honestly as he could, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice.

"Are you going to go back to Isvan?" Natsu's entire demeanor was tense, and Gray, for the life of him, couldn't figure out what was going on inside his head.

"Why would I want to go back?" Now he was even more bewildered. Hadn't he made it clear he had no plans of ever returning?

"I just thought, now that you know who your intended is, you might want to go back to be with her," Natsu still refused to look at him, but Gray thought maybe they were finally getting somewhere.

Gray sighed, turning to face Natsu, "Is that what this is all about?"

Natsu turned to face him as well but still wouldn’t meet his gaze, “It’s just, before you didn’t think you had anyone, but now you do. It changes everything for you.”

“I still don’t know actually,“ Gray replied truthfully.

“Didn’t the old hag tell you?”

“She offered the first night we were there, but I told her I didn’t want to know.”

"But why? I mean, my ceremony was going to be a hoax, but yours was the real deal," Natsu puzzled, his eyes blazing with questions, "That woman may have been a menace, but she was honest."

And with those words, Gray was finally able to connect all the dots. Natsu had been acting weird because he was upset at the thought of Gray leaving him to spend the rest of his life with some girl, and he resented Porlyusica for being the cause of it.

He wanted to laugh but knew it would only work against him, so he decided to reassure Natsu instead. With only the briefest of hesitations, he reached out and caressed Natsu's cheek with his thumb, "I made my choice long ago, Natsu. Whether she confirmed it or not wouldn't have changed how I feel. "

Natsu's entire face had changed colors the moment Gray had touched him, and he tried to turn away, but Gray wouldn't let him, not when they were finally communicating.

"Do you mean, uhm, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere. These past few days have been amazing, I mean yeah, we were chased by a bear, and I fell through the ice, and we stayed with a scary lady, but you were with me through all of it. I can get through anything as long as you’re with me."

Gray watched as Natsu's eyes lit up brighter than any star in the sky, his lips slowly stretching into that impossibly wide grin that Gray had always loved. He looked beautiful, and Gray was filled with a strong desire to kiss him, but before he could do anything about it, Natsu had already pressed their lips together.

The kiss was rough and playful and perfectly Natsu, and Gray loved it. He rolled them carefully until Natsu was atop him, allowing him to trace the contours of Natsu’s back as they kissed.

Once they separated, Natsu lowered his head to Gray's chest "I'm sorry, I should have asked. I've just wanted to do that for so long."

Gray chuckled, holding Natsu against him and running his fingers through the pink locks, “I’m glad you did, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to work up the courage.”

Natsu lifted his head, looking into Gray’s eyes with wide-eyed honesty, “These last few days all I could think about was you leaving me behind, and I hated it. I hated her. I always knew I liked you, but now, after everything that's happened, I think it's grown into something more."

“I love you too,” Gray managed to get out before seeking out Natsu’s lips, wanting to feel them against his again.

They were just two men kissing underneath the stars, and whether it was right or wrong, Gray couldn't say. He only knew it was right for them. They had found the truth in their stars, and Gray would happily spend the rest of his life following their light.

#fairy tail #gratsu #happyholigays2019 #ftlgbtales #happy holigays 2019 #ftfanfics #gift exchange #for: weissgrayblu #my edits

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lupinsinactivemainblog · 5 years ago

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This is my part for @ft-fairyexchanges holiday holiday event. For @dappercookiexd, you requested something cute and fluffy I hope I got it right 😅😅. Anyway, Happy Holidays!!! ❤️❤️

#luli #HAPPYHOLIGAYS2019 #fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #lisanna strauss #lisanna x lucy #Ft #lupin draws

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pan-princess-levy · 5 years ago

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happy holidays AND happy birthday to the sweetest person in the world @ceruleanshockwave!

CERU SWEETIE I LOVE YOU MORE THAN THE GODDAMN WORLD!!!

and HA!!! you foolish child! it was i, your own monny, your secret santa gifter by the @ft-fairyexchanges! b e h o l d t h e p o w e r o f g a y

i love you so much and i hope you like the drawing i made for you! i had a lot of trouble figuring out what to draw, but the realization hit me like a truck and HERE WE HAVE MIRACULOUS AU LUVIA because!!!! reasons! gay reasons!

happy exist day and holidays dear sharp baby i love you ahhhh

#luvia #lucy heartifilla #juvia lockser #lucy x juvia #happyholigays2019 #monnydoesart #ft discord shenanigans #CERU SWEETIE I HOPE YOU LIKE IT

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twicesix · 5 years ago

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Happy holigays to @fineapplethepineapple !! Hope you like this little gratsu drawing :)

#ft #happy holigays 2019 #happyholigays2019 #not kpop

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oryu404 · 5 years ago

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Happy Holigays 2019 Gift Exchange

My gift for @bun-bun-xbox, who requested some fluffy Stingue :) I hope you like it, and Merry Christmas! <3

#happyholigays2019 #ft-fairyexchanges #gift exchange #stingue #oreo draws

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xnovamore · 5 years ago

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Beautiful

My part of the @ft-fairyexchanges Ftlgbtales Happy Holigays Exchange 2019. This is for @eilynn-arts your request mentioned Lolita styled dresses and flowers so I took that and ran with it. I hope you like it! (also I didn’t know if you have an ao3 account but if you do please let me know me, I’d love to gift it to you on there as well)

Happy Holigays 2019

Pairing: Lucy x Juvia

Word count: 2553

Read on Ao3

On the outside, she was sure she had the tough guise of the almost S-class rain woman whenever dealing with the other mage. Her stern glare and annoyed mask firmly in place as she brought her face closer and closer to the one stirring up unspeakable emotions within her. But on the inside, her heart was beating a mile a minute each step she took closer to Lucy’s.

Lucy Heartfilia, the bubbly blonde menace to society that was surely going to be the death of Juvia.

You see, Juvia did not handle crushes well…even she can admit that. And it didn’t help that Juvia crushed easily, always looking for someone to form a connection, a bond with. Someone she could love and cherish for all time and whom would give her those same feelings of passion right back. It was something she crazed desperately. As Mirajane once put it, Juvia was in love with love.

But nothing could compare to the way she felt when Lucy pressed their foreheads together all those years ago.

It was a build-up of things. It started with the pain and helpless she felt as that man controlled her body and forced her to do battle with Lucy. Forced her to hurt someone whom was calling out to her, believing in Juvia to be stronger, able to fight off the mage’s control. Juvia wanted so badly to prove her right, to be strong the way Lucy thought she was. Then it was speaking to Lucy through her magic and feeling for the first time like there was someone else out there besides Gajeel who listened to her, who understand her desire to find a family in the Fairy Tail guild the same way Lucy had. The turning point came when they fused their magic together to form an unison raid. Juvia doesn’t even have the words to describe the feeling of their magic tying them together so closely that they hearts beat in sync other than calling the experience extraordinary. Then afterwards they sat for what felt like forever panting softy with their hands holding the others face and the foreheads pressed so gently together. Gentle, Loving, Warm in ways Juvia never experienced before or since then. Never had anyone hold her as if she precious the way Lucy did. So, when they finally separated, Juvia knew without a shadow of doubt that Lucy left a piece of herself within Juvia.

But Juvia had no idea if she had left a piece of herself within Lucy, or if Lucy would even want her too.

So that leads to them now, Juvia glaring into those honey-brown eyes hoping her false anger would excuse her red cheeks and clenched sweaty fits to anyone looking closely.

Which just so happens to be the entire guild.

“Juvia…” Lucy starts with annoying warm voice of hers. Tone soft and her hands held up in the signal of surrender in an attempt to calm the raging water mage down. She shared a glance with a pouting Natsu, concerned Mirajane, gleeful Cana, and a slowly backing away Gray. So much for their help. “Juvia it’s really not that bad. I know you don’t want to do this, but you heard Master, Cana decides the team for this mission.

Turning her fierce glare onto the snickering card mage, Juvia pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. “Cana will re-pick the teams then! The cards must have been wrong this time!”

“Sorry but no dice Juv,” Cana snickered again not even bothering to hide her amusement in the antics of the woman in front of her. “The cards have spoken, and they said the holder of the zodiac keys and the water mage are the perfect team!” Besides…” Her voice trailed off as she threw an arm over Juvia’s shoulder. “I thought you would be happy. I hear the place your going is beautiful this time of year! All that snow and mistletoe will sure make for an interesting time.” She even threw in a wink for good measure ignoring the killing intent coming off of the other girl. Honestly, Juvia would thank her one day, hopefully one day soon. She had a bet to win after all and with Christmas coming up soon she didn’t have much time to spare.

There was only one flaw in her plan. “But Cana! Me and Lucy always are together on saving the world missions!”

Natsu. They had forgotten about Natsu. Well that wasn’t entirely true, they had purposely left Natsu out of their plan because of his inability to keep his big mouth shut.

“And besides guys, you still haven’t told us what the mission is?”

Thankful Gray was to the rescue, Cana should have known he would have her back. “That doesn’t matter right now. Your train is going to be leaving soon and you still need to pack! We can debrief you once you reached your destination.” Gray said pushing Lucy towards the guild doors. With a glare in their direction, Juvia followed quickly.

Once they were out the door, Mirajane let out a relieved sigh. Cana turned to her and spoke gloatingly.

“And here you doubted me.”

“Okay you were right.“ Mirajane giggled. "I didn’t think that would actually work.”

“It won’t.” A rough voice spoke from one of the tables. Laxus watched the spectacle unimpressed apparently.

“Your just jealous that your team is going to lose.” Cana smirked at the table smugly.

“Failure is not in our vocabulary.” Erza declared next to Laxus, even raising her sword to illustrate her point. “Lying to them about a mission is not going to get them together by Christmas. You are going to lose!”

“It will work!” Cana and Mirajane yelled back in unison. The glaring contest with the four threatened to resume the months long argument that nearly resulted into a brawl before the teams were formed, each with a different plan on finally getting Lucy and Juvia together. So far, neither group had any luck but Mirajane, Cana, and Gray were sure the plan they conducted would finally pull through before the agreed upon deadline. It was important to do this now because the A team would have their turn again after Christmas, and judging by Laxus’s constant smirk, they must have come up with a plan that might actually work. The B team could not allow that to happen.

“I don’t really care which of you idiots finally get those two to stop dancing around each other.” Gajeel said strumming his guitar. “Just that it happens. Juvia deserves to be happy. Lucy too.”

A silence rang through the guild as they were reminded why they started this bet in the first place. Yes, there was the added bonus of bragging rights once the deed was done, but more importantly, they wanted to help their friends to be happy together. Even if that involves a little lying…what was the worst that could happen?

Juvia ran into her apartment in Fairy Hills a nervous chaotic mess. She raced around throwing all the basic necessitates she needed into her bag before stopping in front of her large closet. Throwing it open, Juvia eyed her clothing selection wary. She still wasn’t sure where they were going, but Cana had mentioned snow which meant it was probably somewhere cold. But were her winter wear cute enough to gain Lucy’s attention? Biting her lip, Juvia eyes wandered to the gem of her collection, the dress she that was her second love after Lucy. It was a baby blue Lolita dress with pink trims and white fluffy ruffles. The dress was nearly floor length stopping just a bit over Juvia’s knee. The dress was complete with silky pink ribbons on the sides, a pair of baby blue flats easy to slip on and off, and a blue headband. The longing Juvia felt when she first seen the dress was nearly strong enough to bring her to her knees. She bought it immediately spending off the jewels she had and nearly tripped herself in a hurry to put it on.

The dress made her feel like a princess. The fabric and ruffles were so soft and warm and it hugged her skin in a way no other dress had before. The light blue of the headband contrasted so pretty with the darker blue of her hair and eyes. The curls in her hair, the ruffles, and the way the dress fawned out at the bottom had her entranced. It was beautiful, she felt so beautiful in it, and now a small part of her wondered if Lucy would find it beautiful too.

Making a decision, Juvia gently placed the dress into her the zip-close bag and packed into her suitcase. Within the next moments she was gone heading for the train.

The train ride wasn’t as awkward as Juvia thought it was going to be. Her nerves still made her flustered, but instead of tense silence, they filled the ride talking about various topics from the weather to guild events and recent jobs they took. Lucy was in the middle of telling her the story of how Gray and Natsu’s fist fight nearly furthered damaged the already decimated town when a bump on the road sent Lucy flying forward from her seat next to Juvia to her head smacking against the train window.

“Lucy!”

“I’m okay.” She tentatively raised a finger to the knot forming on her head wincing. “Ouch that’s going to leave a mark.”

Worry still simmered in her stomach as she wrapped a hand around Lucy’s wrist pulling the girl towards her. “Rival you need to be more careful.” She continued to pull until Lucy’s head rested against her lap. She summoned small bits of water into her palm then froze it the same way Gray had taught her how. Lucy sighed immediately at the cold touch.

“Wow Juvia your hands are magical.”

That darn blush was back. “Gray taught me how to summon water into my hands while still keeping them solid.”

“Oh.” Lucy made herself more comfortable pushing her head more into Juvia’s hands. She stared up at Juvia. “You and Gray have been getting along more lately. You probably wish he was here with you hun?”

“No…no I’m glad I’m here with you.”

Lucy’s smile brightened the entire train. “I’m glad I’m here with you too.”

The train stopped at a midpoint halfway to wherever Gray brought the tickets for. She stepped off of the platform dragging Lucy with her.

“Juvia I told you I’m fine.”

“Nonsense rival. If we leave it you will bruise! There should be medical aide somewhere near here.”

“But what about the trai-”

“We will make it back in time or we will catch the next one. You are getting checked out now! I will not allow my rival to be done in by a head injury.”

By the time they found a healer to check out Lucy the train and long since left. They agreed to book a room in the inn near the train stop and rest until the next one came that evening.

Juvia was the only one in the room now. Lucy was downstairs gathering information about the village they were being sent to. Gray, Cana, and Mirajane debriefed them over lacrima but the details were fuzzy and the three spent more time bickering between themselves then giving clear instructions on what this save the world mission was so Lucy and Juvia decided to do some digging themselves.

Juvia was glad she was alone because she needed the few moments to gather her courage. Staring herself down in the mirror, she ran her hands loving down the sides of the Lolita dress, the familiar softness of the fabric grounding her. She knew there was little chance of her getting an opportunity to wear it once they reached the village. She had an opening during the hours before the next train left to impress Lucy and she needed to take it. Here in this sleepy little town where its just the two of them far away from any distractions would be her best chance to make Lucy notice her.

And notice her Lucy did.

She was there at the bottom of the steps watching with wide eyes as Juvia slowly descended the stairs. Juvia kept her movements slow and her head held high, eyes locked on those honey-brown ones. Lucy’s eyes drifted from the way the dress swished and shayed with the movements of Juvia’s hips down to the blue flats before coming back up, lingering on the ruffles down by her legs, then focusing on the blush lingering on her cheeks.

“Juvia…” she whispered softly. She took one step forward then another. Soon the were rushing towards each other desperate to close the distance between their bodies.

“Juvia” she said again, breathless now. Her hands lifted close to Juvia’s face but not quite touching yet as she looked to Juvia for permission. Juvia nodded rapidly closing her eyes in pleasure as Lucy’s warm hand tugged on a stray curl brushing it back behind the headband. The hand drifted down her cheek, brushing her lips, then tracing every inch of the dress she could reach.

“Juvia, you’re so beautiful”

Her hands played with the ruffles.

“It’s so soft. Soft like your hands Juvia”

She linked their hands together using both to continue her exploration.

“Warm too. The fabric is so nice under my hands. It looks taken care of too, you must really love this dress.”

“I do. It makes me feel beautiful”

Lucy frowned at that. Taking their joined hands, she cupped Juvia’s cheek again. “Juvia, your always beautiful.”

The blush deepened but Juvia wasn’t going to allow her embarrassment to take control this time. Instead she pushed more into Lucy’s palm speaking so only she could hear. “I wanted to look beautiful for you. I wanted to share this part of me with you.”

“Juvia…” Juvia was quickly growing to love the sound of her name coming from those lips, especially when Lucy was smiling at her like that. “Come, I want to show you something.

They walked slowly up the hill taking their time. Juvia had one hand on her hip keeping her dress from being blown by the wind and the other still locked in Lucy’s. They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached the top of the hill where an endless array of flowers bloomed.

“Oh.” Juvia gasped out.

“Yeah it’s amazing isn’t.”

She pulled out a blanket from her bag lying it onto the ground. She motioned for Juvia to sit on it then followed once again lying her head in Juvia’s lap.

“I found it when me, Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Wendy went on a job in a town near here. I always wanted to come back here.”

She took Juvia’s hands again and pressed a soft kiss to the back of one. Juvia’s smile was so wide her cheeks stung. She laughed softy unable to contain her joy of being here, in her favorite dress with her favorite girl watching the sunset over the beautiful bed of flowers talking the night away.

In the end, the missed their second train. But they gained so much more.

#happyholigays2019 #ftlgbtales #luvia #lucy x juvia #femslash fairies #gift exchange #ftlgbtfics #gift fic #i hope you like it!#my writing

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aphtoris · 5 years ago

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Sparks ✨

Happy Holidays everyone!!! This fic is a Secret Santa gift for the very lovely, @the-disaster-tiefling !!! I hope you enjoy!!

[[MORE]]

The sparks started to fly when Bickslow was just twelve years old. He saw a boy in the corner of the guild, literal walls of ancient text boxing him in while he silently read. Though when he saw the rather annoyed look on his face, as he watched the chaos that was the Fairy Tail guild hall, Bickslow could tell he wasn’t boxed in. He shut everyone else out.

That just made him want to find out more about this mysterious kid, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. Closed tight books were always the most fun to read.

“Hey! Hey you!” He called out, banging on the wall of runes. He pressed his face to the wall, a tingling buzz spreading throughout his body. This was such an interesting form of magic. Bickslow has only ever seen Magic Counsel soldiers use rune magic, but this boy’s way of using it felt different. It already felt raw, like there was more lurking beneath the surface.

He was surprised when the boy actually closed his book to give him a glance. “You know, when someone is closed off like this, it means they generally want to be left alone.” The boy said. His way of talking was so eloquent. Words poured from his mouth like every single one was important. Bickslow just grinned wider at him.

“Hey, closed books are the most interesting to read.” He stared, sitting down, as if he were getting comfortable. He wasn’t planning on moving for a while. “So are you gonna tell me your name, or am I gonna have to go to Makarov for your life story?” He teased. “The name’s Bickslow!”

The boy sighed, as if he already knew he wasn’t getting out of this. “Freed. Freed Justine. No need to be so chummy. I don’t plan on making friends here. This is a place for me to earn money. Nothing more.” Freed said, already opening up his book. He seemed surprised when Bickslow rest his back against the runes.

“Well it’s too bad for you! This spot is pretty comfy. I might just stay here for a while!” He teased. Freed made no effort to move the Seith mage, deciding he wasn’t being too much of a bother.

————

The sparks fanned into flames as the two aged into their teen years. It took a bit of worming in on Bickslow’s part, but there came a point where Bickslow could call Freed one of his closest companions. They went on jobs all the time together, and even decided to share a room at the men’s dormitory to save money. Sure they had their spats, but they seemed inseparable, even after Evergreen joined their very small circle.

“I have an announcement.” Freed said softly to the two of them after coming home late from a job.

“Ugh, it’s not another boring job is it? Come on Freed, you gotta start picking some exciting work!”

“It’s nothing like that.” He said, trying not to seem offended that Evergreen apparently disliked the jobs they were working on. “I spoke with Makarov recently.” He admitted.

“Oh? What’d the old geezer say? We ain’t in trouble are we?” Bickslow asked, pouting. They had already gotten a stern talking to recently for supposedly “going too far” on a bunch of thugs.

“No, it’s not that either. He brought up Laxus. He...asked me to keep an eye out for him. Keep him safe. I think we should make a more formal team, to aid him.” Freed states, seeming oddly apprehensive.

One would think of it as Freed seeming nervous for such a large task. But Bickslow knew better. Those were nerves from Freed’s crush on Laxus. He remembered prying the information from Freed late one night, hoping Freed’s recent distractedness was because of him.

Bickslow feels the flame start to grow dim.

————

The flame is drenched in water the night Laxus leaves the guild.

They all took it hard, Bickslow had thought. He had been angry that Makarov chose to only banish Laxus and not all four of them for their treachery. Evergreen had cried as their friend and idol left.

Freed seemed unmoved. Saying only “we’ll see him again one day”. He seemed oddly optimistic for someone who considered himself so close to Laxus.

The three of them decided to forgo attending the Fantasia parade, deciding it would probably look pretty bad on Makarov’s part if the three mages who participated in a mutiny were also in the parade.

Evergreen had locked herself in her room. Bickslow has visited a bar outside of town. Freed...didn’t say where he was going to be. And that worried Bickslow. He knew Freed was independent but the fact that he seemed so unaffected by Laxus leaving seemed off.

He decided to pay the other a visit, rapping his hand against the door to Freed’s room. They had long since switched to single dorm rooms, since they started making more money attending S-Class missions with Laxus.

“Yo. Yo Freed, you in there?” He asked. He peeked up when he heard a faint buzzing coming from Freed’s room. He placed his hand on the doorknob, and twisted. The room was unlocked.

Bickslow let himself in, the buzzing growing louder, and the door to Freed’s personal bathroom slightly ajar.

Long locks of bright green hair lay on the floor of the bathroom, so long they fell outside the room. Freed leaned against the bathroom counter, eyes red and raw from previous tears. A buzz cutter lay on the counter.

Freed slowly turned to face Bickslow who now realized Freed was taking Laxus’ banishment much harder than he let on. He was never good at expressing his emotions or helping others out with theirs. None of them were really. But his body seemed to move on it’s own as he walked into the bathroom, and pulled Freed into an embrace. He could feel the pangs in his heart as Freed seemed to hold on for dear life, shoulders wracking with each soft sob.

Now that Bickslow thought about it, he had never seen Freed cry before.

————

The sparks start to flicker again, as they all rediscover themselves. Freed starts smiling again and has become less closed off. He’s apprehensive about making new friends, but has found some in Levy, Lucy and even Mirajane. Lucy even uses one of her spirits to restore his hair once he’s moved on.

Bickslow knew Freed might never move on. The pain still hurts, and he and Evergreen are also still trying to find out the best way to approach their new selves in the guild. But Freed seems happier. They all do.

Freed jokes with him more, and they stay up late together again. It feels just like when they were kids.

Bickslow is elated when Freed asks him to help carry him to S-Class status, knowing for sure no one else can match up to Freed.

After all, Freed is cunning, decisive, unafraid, so charming and—

Bickslow stops that train of thought before it can get rolling. Before the fire consumes him and it can’t be put out.

————

The flame starts to die because they’re both at the brink of death.

Acnologia appeared out of nowhere before all of them, and they threw their all at him. Fought tooth and nail. And none of it was enough.

Freed and Levy frantically decided their best bet was to try and make a magic circle to protect them all. Bickslow has never seen Freed so afraid in his life.

Natsu has the bright idea for them all to hold hands to help make their friends stronger. Lucy takes Natsu’s hand, Exceed’s taking each other’s hands.

Freed stands next to him, frantically working on his spell.

Bickslow takes hand and squeezes it tight. He feels a tear slip down his cheek when he feels Freed squeeze his hand back in a vice-like grip.

Bickslow hates that this is the moment he realizes he could never live without Freed.

All Bickslow can do is try to smile through his tears, and try to help Freed see that everything’s going to be okay.

The flame stays quiet and stagnant for seven long years

————

The flame only seems to grow stronger. It’s also harder for Bickslow to try and snuff out.

So much had already happened since they came back to the land of the living, and the Grand Magic Games had been a whirlwind of adventure and meeting new people.

Dressed in horrid clothes given to them by the kingdom, Bickslow mingled with other mages at the gala. He was less closed off than Freed and even Evergreen, so it was easy to become the life of the party.

When the band started to play music, Bickslow rested against the wall, watching the other mages dance. Some were way better than others, like Erza and Kagura. Others could have practice a little as he snickered while watching Elfman and Evergreen struggle to even make eye contact while dancing.

“I’m surprised you’re not out there with them.” He heard. He turned and saw Freed offering him a glass of champagne. He thought that only Freed could make these ugly clothes still look good, his long hair pulled back for once in a low ponytail.

“Eh, this formal dancing isn’t my style. I’m surprised you’re not out there either. Thought this stuff was more your speed?” He asked, taking the glass from Freed and taking a sip. Maybe a bit of alcohol would keep his mind off of how good Freed looked tonight.

“I thought about it. Though my last offer for a dance was rejected. I thought I might sit this song out.” He stated. A smile was on Freed’s lips but it felt fake. He seemed disappointed.

Bickslow would blame his extra bout of boldness on the tiny sip of alcohol he consumed and offered his hand out to Freed’s.

“Well, I don’t know who was rude enough to deny you a dance. But I’ll dance with you if you want.” Bickslow offered. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt so nervous. It was just Freed. It should be fine.

The more natural smile that melted onto Freed’s face was pure magic. As Freed slowly his hand into Bickslow’s, he gave the taller mage’s hand a soft squeeze.

There was no way Bickslow could dose the flame now.

————

The flame is almost impossible to control now.

Too many close calls must be a sign to Bickslow that he needs to say something before it’s too late. Tempester almost kills their team and Laxus, making them all so sick they can hardly move. He would have confessed how he felt to Freed in his deathbed, if he even had the strength to talk. He could barely even turn his head to look at the other. Freed had beared the brunt of the attack right after Laxus, using the last of his strength to save all their sorry asses.

He can hear Freed struggling to breathe in the bed beside him. He promises himself if they survive this, he’ll tell Freed how he feels.

———

Bickslow chickened out, and a few months later, the four of them are in Blue Pegasus.

Being in Blue Pegasus is different. It’s not bad, it’s not good. Just different.

It’s nice to see Evergreen making friends with other women, and her defensive nature falling to the wayside. It’s amusing to watch Laxus try to be smooth with men and women alike when he knows all the blonde wants to do is just punch someone again like the good ol’ days.

And Freed meshes pretty decently into their new guild. He also looks too good in his new suit for the guild. Bickslow has stopped beating himself up over admiring how Freed looks. If he could only just get the guts to do something about it.

Freed smiles to him from across the guild and Bickslow gives a weak wave back.

The fire hasn’t died yet, but is in fear of being doused at any moment.

———

The Fairy Tail reunion brings many things. It brings tears, joy, and a sense of camaraderie back into their lives. It also brings many more near death experiences.

This time, Freed has taken the least of the damage, still able to walk despite the bandages on his arms and torso. Evergreen is passed out at the moment, and Bickslow’s injuries keep him awake, unfortunately.

He sees Freed take a chair to move closer to Bickslow’s bedside, a worried expression marring his features.

“Concern’s not a good look for you, Freed. We’re all gonna be fine.” He wheezes out, covering his mouth from a coughing fit.

Freed offers a weak smile. “I apologize. I just wish I could have done more to help. Perhaps we wouldn’t have sustained so many injuries otherwise.” He mused, eyes narrowed in thought.

“Freed, you held a barrier spell over the whole town and for like what, half an hour? And not to mention you and Ichiya did take down that weird robot. You did much more than what anyone could ask if you.” He reassured. He wished Freed wouldn’t put so much pressure on his own shoulders.

Freed’s eyebrows unfurrowed, seeming as if he were trying to calm down a little. “I suppose you’re right. Thank you.” He said. Bickslow was happy to sit in comfortable silence with Freed while they both rested.

It was comfortable until he felt Freed take both of his hands, making his heart race more than it should.

“Freed what are you—“ he started to say.

And was silenced with the soft press of Freed’s lips against his. If a kiss could heal wounds, Freed’s kiss was almost life saving. If he paid attention to anything else, he might have been able to feel the quiet tears that fell down Freed’s cheeks onto his own.

It felt like ages had passed when Freed pulled away, worry, sadness but also, a tinge if hope graced his features.

“I had to. At least once. Just in case…” he said softly. The rest of those words didn’t need to be spoken. Neither wanted to finish that sentence. With the way this war was raging, things seemed bleak.

All Bickslow could do was tug Freed closer, scooting over weakly in the tiny infirmary bed so they could share. To his surprise, and delight, Freed too upon the offer and lay next to Bickslow. Their hands intertwined in the soft comfort that they both needed. Bickslow felt exhaustion sleeping into his bones as his eyes slipped shut.

“Rest for now. I’ll keep watch.” Was the last thing he heard ever vigilant Freed say, before sleep took him.

The fire had consumed the both of them, and there was no putting it out.

————

Bickslow is close to falling asleep on the couch. It’s Christmas Eve, and the fireplace is blazing while soft Christmas ballads play in the background and snow softly tumbled down outside. In the crook of his arm, is Freed reading in comfortable silence.

A smile was graced upon Freed’s lips, nestled in Bickslow’s embrace. Bickslow ran his fingers through those long, silky strands of hair, feeling the tired slowly wash over him as if the repetitive motion was lulling him to sleep.

Before he let sleep take him, he pressed a tender kiss to Freed’s cheek, earning a soft chuckle.

And he swore he could feel the spark catch on his lips. A spark that would never fade.

#happyholigays2019 #bixfreed #bicksfreed #freed justine #bickslow #fairy tail #ft #fics

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gaymirajane · 5 years ago

Text

- even the leaves would fall for you, my dear

Here is my entry for the @ft-fairyexchanges secret santa. My recipient is... @sonteirenda. My lovely, Sol... I hope I did your kindness and warmth justice, and that I can maybe make you happy with this. May the stars shine bright and your holiday be merry.

Much love <3

The plan was simple, or at least it should have been. Sting and Rogue were bringing the main food, music, and a blanket to keep them warm and dry; Yukino and Minerva were in charge of games, snacks, and wine. Compared to all of their adventures and near-death experiences, this was just a cozy picnic lunch in the woods. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that. Or that was what Yukino was hoping, at least.

Of course, Sting and Rogue were dragon slayers, and they did not feel the cold like normal humans did. How they had convinced Yukino to this outdoor excursion in autumn was a mystery. She pulled her hat further down over her ears to keep them from the chill. All Yukino could hope was that Sting and Rogue would be there soon, but as the frustration on Minerva’s face grew it seemed altogether less likely by the second. Sting was not a punctual person by nature, but even for him this seemed extreme.

Minerva had been staring at her communication lacrima for what felt like an exceptional amount of time, but now she gave a growl of annoyance, clicking off her lacrima and turning to face Yukino.

“Sting finally got into contact. He said that him and Rogue will meet us there.” Minerva rolled her eyes. “He could have told us earlier.” She grumbled, but then shrugged.

Yukino knew that there was no point in getting angry, because Sting was just like this. But still, she wished that she could be as blase as the other woman; that being left alone with Minerva was nothing more than two guildmates meeting their friends. But of course that was not the case, and Sting knew that.

The worst part was, Yukino trusted Sting. Or at least she thought she did. Everything was falling into question now as she walked through the woods, Minerva by her side. It was silent between them, awkward and thick and Yukino hated it, hated how she did not know what to say to the other woman. There was much she wanted to say, of course; if Yukino could she would open her heart and tell Minerva. But she couldn’t, and it hurt.

After being in Sabertooth for so long, Yukino had become accustomed to how Sting could be. He liked to play games, to trick and fool and meddle with the other members of the guild. None of it was meant in malice, she understood that much; Sting had a childish soul, but not a cruel one. He would never deliberately hurt a friend. That did not ease her anger with him, though, and with each step through the muddy woods her vexation grew.

Still, the woods were beautiful. Everything had taken on a warm glow, with orange and yellow hues carpeting the floor and climbing up the trees. Minerva seemed in her element here, a goddess of the woods, and Yukino could hardly believe how breathtaking the other woman was. Her thoughts flitted between wanting to wring Sting’s neck and wanting to run her hands through Minerva’s hair.

By the time Minerva finally cleared her throat to speak, Yukino was hardly paying attention to her surroundings.

“Are you doing anything special for Christmas this year?” She paused. “Do you even celebrate Christmas?”

Yukino took a deep breath, focusing less on her pent up anger and more on the simple bliss of being with Minerva.

“Me and my sister were raised Jewish, but I still celebrate Christmas with my friends.”

Minerva raised one eyebrow.

“I never knew that. Are you doing anything for Hanukkah?”

“Maybe.” When Yukino saw the affection and interest in Minerva’s eyes her smile, was accompanied with a flush of her cheeks. “This is my first Hanukkah with Sorano since we were children. I think we’re going to light the menorah - the candles - together, and probably do some baking and exchange gifts.”

It was an exciting prospect, one that Yukino had gotten lost in; her anxiety fell away as she spoke of time spent with family, and Yukino only noticed when Minerva’s steps stuttered to a halt.

“Sounds like fun.”

Minerva looked as though there was something more she wanted to say, and Yukino yearned to know, yearned to experience everything about and with Minerva. But the black-haired woman shifted her gaze, features drawn up in confusion, and Yukino swivelled on her heels to see what was behind her.

The woods opened up into a small clearing, with gnawed branches intertwining and curling around the edges, forming a circle. It was beautiful, and not something which Yukino had expected. In the centre, a picnic was spread on the floor, a closed basket lined with blankets and pillows. A music lacrima was paused and ready, and a small slip of paper was tucked underneath.

Minerva marched forward, passing Yukino, and grabbed the note, knocking the lacrima onto its side.

“Those bastards.” She hissed and curiously Yukino slid the paper from Minerva’s grip.

This is our treat. Thank us later. Enjoy, and be good ;) - S + R

It was deliberate; there was no other explanation. They had to be mocking Yukino, and she felt that anger bubble up again.

“If this is a joke, it isn’t fucking funny.” Minerva shouted into the blank abyss of the woods, and found no reply.

That hurt more than Yukino could ever admit. It was clear that Minerva did not want to spend time alone with her. Yukino could understand that feeling if Minerva knew how much Yukino truly loved the other woman, but to think that way when she thought that Yukino saw her only as a friend? The anger turned to despair, and Yukino fought hard to hold the tears at bay. Being rejected would be one thing, but this? Yukino could see no way for her heart to recover.

“Is being alone with me really so bad?”

It was supposed to be a joke to deflect from the pain, but even Yukino heard the wounded, watery quality of her voice. She winced with it, with how pathetic she sounded.

Minerva seemed genuinely panicked at this, eyes wind and hair whipped into a wind-fuelled frenzy. She grabbed Yukino’s hands in her own,

“That is not the problem at all, Yukino.” The way she said Yukino’s Name made her shudder, it was so soft and earnest. The grey-haired woman did not think she would tire of it. “I love every second which I get to spend with you.”

Maybe that hurt more, the thought that Yukino was taking advantage of Minerva’s kindness. She did not know that Yukino had an ulterior motive, and maybe that made her a liar, or someone tarnishes her integrity, but Yukino would rather those things than be without Minerva. She hiccuped, nodding slowly.

“Me too.”

Her words were an admission of defeat, of holding the truth of the matter to the light and inspecting it. The wind rustled the trees, causing the music of nature to surround them, and Minerva searched Yukino’s face for something. She hesitated a moment, and then brought Yukino’s hands to her lips.

“I maybe enjoy it a little too much.” Minerva punctuated her statement with a kiss to Yukino’s knuckles, and everything else fell away.

Part of Yukino wondered if this was also part of the trick, if perhaps Minerva was in on it and they were all laughing at her, but the other woman seemed so open and vulnerable, eyes wide and expression open, waiting for Yukino to react.

And she did.

Yukino grabbed Minerva by the ruffles of her shirt and forced their mouths together. The first kiss was not as delicate as she would have liked, with teeth clashing and noses bumping, but it was still theirs, and that made Yukino love it all the same.

Minerva’s hesitancy faded along with her shock, and she took Yukino into her arms gladly, as if it was everything that she had been waiting for. If she was anything like Yukino, that was likely to be the case, and the celestial made tried to focus that yearning and passion and need into her kiss.

For all of her aggression, Minerva was a soft person at heart. The contrast was what made her so appealing to Yukino, and the feel of Minerva’s skin, velvety but blemished with war, caused feelings to stir within Yukino which she did not even know that she was capable of. She held Minerva closer, firmer, desperate to show the woman just how much she cared; how much she wanted this. And then Minerva gasped slightly, reciprocating the longing with her own crushing grip.

They stood there for an indeterminable amount of time, until Minerva’s lips felt like an extension of Yukino’s own body, breaking only for gasps of air.

Eventually, Minerva’s smile became too large, and she rested her forehead against Yukino’s instead, savouring the moment for as long as time would allow.

“Those sly bastards.” She laughed, and then Yukino realised that in many ways this had been a set-up, only one intended to heal instead of hurt.

“Did Sting-Sama know about how you felt?”

Even saying it aloud made Yukino’s skin ignite.

Minerva shook her head,

“Rogue did though.”

Of course they both knew; they did everything together, kept no secrets. Yukino should have just told Rogue herself, she thought.

Still, the gesture was kind, more than that even, and she appreciated it.

“I’ll have to thank them later.” Yukino murmured, and Minerva hummed her agreement, taking Yukino’s hand in her own.

“Me first.”

* * *

The girls embraced once again, settling on the blanket which had been laid out for them. Sting looked away, giving them their moment, and turned to face Rogue. His partner was frowning, pulling his bottom lip between sharp teeth.

“Do you think they’ll be okay?”

It was a fair question; both women had been through their share of adversity, but they had always triumphed, victorious and proud. Sting took Rogue’s hand, running his thumb over a faded scar which marred the pale skin.

“We were.”

Rogue flushed, nodding slowly.

“I guess so.”

Their eyes met, and even after all of this time together their smiles were still shy. Weisslogia had once told Sting to be with someone who always made him feel like this, someone so perfect that the butterflies never flitted away. Rogue was that person to Sting, and he was all so grateful that he got to be with the other man. And now they had helped their friends to share in that happiness, too.

He stretched out his limbs and leaned his head on Rogue’s shoulder.

“Besides,” Sting muttered, cautious of making too much noise as so to not disturb their guildmates. “We’ll be there for them.”

For months now, Yukino had been telling Sting how deeply her feelings for the other woman ran. Rogue had been receiving the same from Minerva, and it was frustrating, watching them dance around one another. Gray and Natsu had complained about Mirajane and Erza doing the same before they finally got together, and Sting had to wonder what it was about lesbians which made communication so difficult.

He sighed, but it was fond. Doing this for the people that they cared about meant a lot to him and Rogue; valuing bonds was not something which Sabertooth had ever been especially encouraged to do, so now they were making the most of this new found freedom and friendship.

Sting believed in them, knew that all they needed was a small push. Now, Minerva sat with her hand casually resting on Yukino’s leg, and the grey-haired girl had her arm around Minerva’s waist. They would be okay.

“Come on.” He tugged on Rogue’s sleeve, and the other man nodded. They moved as silently as possible, heading back to the guild with the knowledge that their friends were happy thanks to them. It was a nice feeling, one which Sting knew that he would not tire of.

Rogue linked their fingers together and squeezed, and Sting was once again grateful for his friends, and for his lover, and for the life he got to lead where he was completely and indescribably happy.

#happyholigays2019 #ftlgbtholidays2019 #yukinerva #yukino x minerva #my writing #my edits #mine #ft

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