Fairy Tail 1. Chapter 1: The price of a human life

**Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail.**

The wind whipped by mercilessly, drowning out nearly all the other surrounding sounds, although in the present circumstance that was not particularly a bad thing. Screams were drifting throughout the heavy weather, dying just before making it to another's ears. Before them smoke and rubble hazed the air as figures sped around, fighting off their attackers as best as they could.  
Gray shook his head and peered down at his hands in sorrow, anger and pure disbelief. How had things come to this…? It was completely beyond him. Just that night the guild had been full of happy chatter and playful brawls and now… now half of the ice mage's beloved family was down for the count, long since having been knocked unconscious, or at the very least he hoped that was the case. It seemed as though no one was capable of fending off this force, not even Fairy Tail's strongest team.  
It had been in the wee hours of the morning that the trouble had begun. The attacker had begun to pick off the sleeping guild mates one by one in their sleep, which is until he had arrived at Gray's house.  
At the time the raven had been happily lying in bed, warm arms wrapped around him in a tight and loving embrace. Natsu, his boyfriend, had stayed over that night as he had been doing quite frequently since they had begun dating those several months ago. Just weeks after the S class mission on Galuna Island to be precise.  
However, the dragon slayer had woken up the moment the intruder stepped into Gray's house, his instincts kicking in as he swiftly tugged his lover closer to his warm body, peering around the empty darkness in search of the case of his unease.  
It didn't take the fire mage long until he discovered why exactly he was on edge, for soon he watched as the bedroom door slowly opened and a figure in a black cloak crept inside. The black clad male seemed to pause in surprise at seeing that not only was the owner of the house not alone, but the male beside him was awake and glaring intensely at him.  
From there things merely seemed to spiral out of control. Gray had stirred awake at the feeling of the warm arms wrapping even tighter around him, a low growl erupting from his holder's throat. That immediately alerted the dark blue haired male that something was horribly amiss.  
The twohad just barely managed to dodge the figure's attack before they contributed with their own, nearly blowing up the raven's precious house in the process. Luckily it was not long before they slipped out the window and continued the battle outside.  
All thoughts that the cloaked human was a mere burglar that happened upon the wrong house was blown away as the two mages found themselves more on the defensive side to the attacker's magic. This individual was powerful, more powerful than the lovers would care to admit.  
At the sounds of explosions it wasn't long before more members of Fairy Tail, the ones that had not already been visited by the enemy that is, came to the scene to see what was causing such a ruckus. However they were not the only reinforcements that came to aid their battling comrades. Within minutes more of the enemy's friends had joined the brawl, each with an overwhelming power.  
Gray cursed under his breath as he watched yet another one of his friend's fall, this time it was Lucy. She was beaten, bloody, and empty of any shred of magical energy. Not even her precious celestial spirits lasted too long, for everytime one foe was taken down two more took his place. It reminded the ice mage of a hydra.  
Without wasting any further time the creator magic wizard raced to his friend's side, relieved to find that she was still alive and just barely conscious. Her clothes lay in shambles around her, thin fabric only remaining over her private areas and ugly purple bruises trailed down her once flawless skin. The mere sight induced both anger and pity within the raven.  
A familiar growl of furry caused Gray to shift his attention from the blonde to the pinkette who, at the moment, was fending off the mages surrounding him. Had the ice mage not known any better he would have thought that his love was winning, although he was far too smart to believe such a thing. He may have had the upper hand at the moment, but his magic energy was running low and the attackers still swarmed him at all sides.  
"Ice make: Cage!"  
Rushing over to the dragon slayer's side, Gray trapped several of the males, his breath coming in short, ragged breaths.  
"Gray, are you alright?"  
The ice mage couldn't help but smile slightly at the concern in the other's voice. Here the fire wizard was, fending for his own life, yet he still found time to ensure that his lover was safe. That was just one of the many things that he adored about the pink haired male.  
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."  
It was an obvious lie. Everyone was far from fine. Even Erza and Mirajane were struggling against the opposing forces. Although it was not the lackeys that were causing most of the damage, no, they were merely there to pose as a distraction. The main male that had them all falling to their knees was the master of the dark guild that all those pieces of scum belonged to.  
Cries became clearer as the wind began to die down, the remaining Fairy tail wizards fighting dwindled down to a mere three. Erza, Gray and Natsu were the only ones still somehow managing to remain standing.  
"Dammit…" Natsu's curses were just barely audible over the war cries, "There are too many of them and the leader doesn't seem to have taken a single hit! Damn him!"  
Dark blue locks swayed gently as the raven nodded his argreement, his body burning and arching with just that slight movement. He was nearing the end of his magical energy as well as his stamina. It was absolutely affirmative that this be ended as soon as possible.  
Gray found himself swearing the gods that these enemies just had to attack while both the Thunder legion and Makarav were away. They all could certainly use their help at a time like this.  
Suddenly the slightly taller mage's breath caught in his throat as he noticed a figure standing on a nearby roof, pistol in hand as he aimed at none other than the dragon slayer, who at the moment was wearing thin, his movements turning sluggish and fire dimming with each passing moment.  
"Natsu!" Adrenaline kicked in as Gray managed to push the somewhat smaller male aside just as the distinguishable sound of a gunshot pierced the air. For a moment the ice mage felt as though time had slowed as he shoved his boyfriend aside, causing the other to stumble and crash to the floor at the sudden impact. That just served to prove how tired he was, usually the other was much harder to knock down. However, his thoughts did not focus on his lover for long as a new sensation made its way into his already foggy mind. Unmistakable, burning pain coursed through his chest as he felt a bullet collide forcefully just to the right of his heart, causing the stripper to tumble backwards.  
"GRAY!"  
He just barely heard his own name ring out as he clutched the side of this upper body, his teeth clenched in an attempt to distract himself from the pain.  
"Heh, I'm fine… N-Natsu…" He murmured, his voice hardly above a whisper and nearly inaudible amongst the sound of destruction and screams.  
"Fine my ass. You just got shot for damn's sake, droopy eyes!" Natsu scolded his eyes wide and brimming with worry as he staggered up, just barely able to maintain standing. "You should have just allowed me to take the hit, you damn idiot!"  
Natsu's chiding was harshly cut off as a beam of magic struck him, causing him to slam back into an alley wall, a string of even more curses leaking from his mouth as he tried once more to get up, although this time he was not nearly as lucky as the last time. He managed just inches before he was forced to cling to the wall again, his eyes closed in agony and his legs trembling in exhaustion.  
"Natsu…"  
The ice wizard watched in horror, his pain temporarily fading away as he watched Erza soon join Natsu In his state of complete magic and energy loss. As it was he was the only mage still successfully standing and he was just barely managing to stay conscious himself.  
"Is that what the entire Fairy Tail guild is capable of?!" A gruff, condescending tone asked as the same male who started the fight stepped closer to the distraught mages. "I must say, you disappoint me. All of you lousy fairies."  
"The fight isn't over!" The salamander choked out, his voice hoarse as he glared at the black clad individual, "I'm still standing."  
A low, amused chuckle escaped the figure, who so happened to be the dark guild leader, as his gaze flickered from the now unconscious Erza, to the wounded and shaking Gray to the fire mage who now was on his knees, his hand covering the spot on his stomach in which the beam struck him.  
"All I see are a bunch of annoying flies that don't seem to understand when to give up! This is futile, you have all lost! Now I shall take all your feeble lives!"  
No…. Gray's hands clenched as he pulled them away from the bleeding bullet wound, his bangs shadowing his face. No… He couldn't let all his friends die… Erza, Lucy, Mirajane, Gajeel, Levy, Juvia, Natsu,… all his friends from Fairy Tail… He couldn't, no, he wouldn't allow him to die. He just couldn't.  
Almost as though it was a reflex, Gray bent down into an all too familiar and terrifying pose, his gaze hardening at the male's back as he spoke nonchalantly to the livid dragon slayer. All his friends had so much to live for, so much to do; there was no way he would allow their lives to be cut short.  
Just because his Fairy Tale would come to a close wouldn't mean that theirs would as well. He would gladly meet his maker if it meant allowing the others more pages to their storybook.  
Ice flared up around him and the now calmer wind resumed its furious tendencies due to the raven summoning the last of his magic energy. All those years ago Ur had sacrificed her own tale in order to preserve his and now, he would return the favor, only this time to the ones that he loved and craved to protect. He knew that his fellow guild members would be irritated by his actions, they may even hate him after this, but as long as they were alive to experience such emotions, Gray didn't mind it.  
Onyx eyes widened as his glare shifted from his enemy to his lover, his blood running still as he saw just what his other half was doing.  
"Gray!"  
No… He wouldn't dare… Anything but that…. Damn it, he better not do that spell!  
"Stop that right now, Gray!"  
A small smile stained the bluette's lips as he heard Natsu's voice. So he did recognize this stance after all, did he?  
"Sorry, man, but I'm afraid I can't do that."  
Ice slowly began to creep up the foe's legs, a petrified expression on the dark guild master's face as magic symbols surrounded him. It seemed as though even he was aware of what the ice mage was trying to do."  
"You promised you would never attempt that again, Gray! You swore that you would never run away by using that spell, that… that… Iced shell!" The salamander roared, his body protesting as he attempted to get closer to his lover in order to get him to stop. He couldn't lose him too…. He had already lost his parents and Igneel, there was no way that he would lose his mate too!  
"Yes… I fully meant to heed to that promise too…" Grayed admitted sheepishly, his skin already beginning to become translucent as the ice was now up to the dark guild master's thighs, "Sorry, but that's one promise that I will have to break now…"  
"No, you don't!" The fire mage cried as he fought to get to the other wizard, his legs feeling like jelly, "You don't die for your friends, you live for them!"  
"Yes… That's true, but answer me this, Natsu." Gray closed his eyes and smiled a sad smile as tears began slipping from his dark blue eyes, "Which is more important, the life of one or the life of many? If I do not risk my life to save the others than I will have no more friends to live for, just emptiness…"  
"We will live through this! We always will! No one is stronger than us!"  
"You know, I once thought that too, however my master, Ur convinced me differently. She told me that no matter how strong you are, there is always someone out there who is stronger than you. At the time I thought she was just spouting nonsense, but only now do I see how true her words were. She sacrificed herself to save Lyon and I, her beloveds. Now it is my turn to do the same…"  
"Gray, no! I don't want to lose you! Please no…" Natsu pleaded, tears streaming down his face as he staggered over to the other.  
"Iced shell!" The wind kicked up as the ice grew up to the male's neck.  
"It's too late…. My time here has reached it's dreaded conclusion. This is where my tale ends so that yours can prosper. I love you, Natsu Dragnel," Gray opened his eyes and looked at his boyfriend one last time, his skin already fading as he offered the Dragon slayer one final, genuine smile, "I only ask that you never forget me…"  
"Stop talking like you are gonna die! You aren't!"  
Strong arms wrapped around the ice mage as Natsu buried his face in the other's slightly apparent neck.  
"I love you, Gray… Please don't go…"  
"I hope that one day, you can forgive me for my selfish actions… Please tell everyone I love them and thank them for always being there for me… Until later, flamebrain…."  
"Absolute Freeze!"  
Blinding light shot throughout the city and everything stilled for several minutes as the glow slowly began to dim, exposing the battlegrounds in all it's glory.  
There, kneeling in front of a large block of ice was none other than the cheerful Natsu Dragnel, however, his signature grin was far from his face as he clutched a small object tightly to his chest, hot tears streaming endlessly down his red face. There in the fire mage's hands was the ice mage's beloved cross.  
The next day, after the mess from the battle was tended to the usually loud and excited guild was silent and gloomy. Throughout the entire ordeal only one life was lost, the life of everyone's beloved Ice mage, Gray Fullbuster.  
Thus, the short, tearful story of one Gray Fullbuster finally came to a close. It truly was a pity, this one. A Fairy tail story with no happily ever after. But, while this one came to a horrid and painful end there were 99 others that were given the privilege of extending even further, allowing even more adventures to take place in other little tales of woe and love. For there is never truly a happily ever after for everyone, no, very few actually get such a title. It is only once you view the side of a victim that you realize that sometimes life is bitter sweet because after all, nothing truly comes to a perfect ending.  
In order for some to live, others must die.  
**Sorry, but I haven't read through this yet. I decided to write this instead of doing my homework at the moment, so the grammar and punctuation may be off until tomorrow. 0_0. Anywho, I decided to write a series of Natray oneshots just for the heck of it and this happens to be the first once. Heh… Don't work, the next one will be nice and fluffy to make one for this sad one… Sorry if the characters are OOC, I tried. **  
**So, please review what you think and feel free to request ideas for oneshots or just give me a word and I'll make a story about Natsu and Gray out of it :D.**


	2. Chapter 2: To live for friends

**Due to the review from Uzukun89 I have decided to make an ultimate ending to the last chapter. This one with Gray surviving. Sorry about his death in the last one, but this one will have more Natsu X Gray fluff and bravery. This will pick up from when Gray and Natsu are speaking to the dark guild master. That said, enjoy.**

**Thank you to DreamscomeTRUEE Uzukun 89, and 6purplecats for both reviewing and following ^.^.**

**Also thank you to Cake-Addict and grayXnatsuFT for following :D**

**Disclaimer: This wouldn't be called a fanfiction if I owned the show, now would it?**

**Recap: Fairy tail finds itself being picked off one by one by an impossibly strong force. With the aid of his lackeys the dark guild master manages to knock out all the guild members, that is with the exception of Natsu and Gray who are hanging on by a thread. Gray, fearful of his friends no doubt impending death makes a final decision and lowers himself into an all too familiar pose. Iced shell.**

**"**G-Gray...?" Natsu sputtered, his eyes widening as he watched his ice mage fall into the position that was linked to a lost and very sacred ice spell. Iced shell, the very spell that harvested enough power to allow them all to win, but in exchange the caster would lose their life. Their body would disappear and become unmeltable ice that would forever trap their enemy.

"Stop that right now!"

Gray just barely heard his lover's command, his concentration invested in casting his spell perfectly. Fresh blood fell freely from the hole in his chest as well as the numerous scratches and gashes that lined his body. He hurt like hell, but he refused to allow such a meager thing to faze him.

"I said stop it, damn stripper! We can beat him! You don't have to give up your life!"

A sad smile crept to pale lips at the others words. If only he could believe such a thing, although he never really was optimistic. That was Natsu's forte. He himself had always eased into things slowly, thoughts of everything that could possibly go wrong revolving around his head. Right now the only thing he cared about was ensuring that all his friends and family survived, even if it meant giving up his life in the process.

The Dark Guild master, Hegro, looked from the fire mage to the ice wizard, his hood hiding the shock flowing throughout him. How on earth was that weakling aware of that spell?! That was lost magic for god's sake! His surprise and worry only managed to flourish when he felt ice begin to slowly crawl up his calves. Damn it! Once one was trapped within the magic symbols it was impossible to escape until the spell was either interrupted or completed.

"I'm sorry, Natsu, but I have to do this... I don't want to leave, but my time here is up..."

"Don't you give me that! That's what you told me at Galuna island! You are just running away!" The salamander growled irritably, finally managing to gain enough strength to stand up, leaning against the wall in support. He had to stop Gray before the spell was completed.

Dark blue eyes closed in obvious sadness, tears threatening to escape their confinement. He knew that Natsu would hate him for doing this cowardly act, but he truly saw no other opinion. There was no way anyone could beat that beast of a man at the moment. It just could not happen... Not without using Iced shell, that is...

"Natsu, please... This is the only way..." His stance drooped slightly as his body fought back quivers. He refused to give up.

"Like hell it is!" The dragon slayer huffed as he stumbled forward, his legs barely agreeing with him as he stalked forward towards the raven. He was so going to beat his ass after this was all over and done with for breaking a promise. "We can still beat him!"

"What other way do we have, Natsu?" The dark blue haired male's voice turned cold as he opened his eyes, only to narrow them at his lover. "You are just struggling to stand, Erza and the rest are down for the count and my magic energy is on its last legs. There is literally nothing left but for me to sacrifice my life for yours."

With a final bound the pinkette appeared at the ice mage's side, his arms wrapping around the other's thin body tightly.

"We can live and fight together! Don't you dare think dying will fix everything because it won't! WE believe in each other and that's all that matters! You are powerful, Gray and I hate to admit it but you are as powerful as me! Don't leave me... I can't lose you, a friend, a rival, a mate, my love..."

Tears streamed down tan cheeks and Gray couldn't help but stop his concentration, his gaze switching from the enemy to his miserable lover. Just the fact that he was making the other cry was enough to finally make his brimming tears fall.

Seconds passed before the ice mage released his pose, a hard fist crashing into his stomach causing him to cry out and crumble to his knees,causing the spell he was casting to end.

Natsu didn't waste a single moment as he fell beside the other and pulled him close to his body, burying his tan face into the others cream colored neck. He was so close... He was so very close to losing his rival again...

"You idiot..." Gray mumbled, his hands clenching the others scarf gently as he pulled away slightly, only to be pulled back against the pinkettes toned chest. "You should know better than to interrupt a deadly spell..."  
A small smile graced Natsu's face as he kissed the raven's forehead, the situation at hand temporarily forgotten.

"I will never let you die, Gray. I'll always protect you, even if that means I have to protect you from yourself, you ungrateful snowflake..."

More tears welled up in Dark blue eyes as the creator magic mage looked into the other male's eyes.

"Natsu..."

Before he could continue he was cut off by hot lips claiming his own cool ones, arms wrapping even tighter around him, almost as thought the fire mage was afraid that if he let go the ice mage would melt away. Then again, that fear wasn't quite as bizarre as one would think.

Tan fingers caressed raven locks as the kiss deepened, the relief coursing through one another apparent through the sweet embrace. Had the situation not been the way it was I dare say the harmless actions would have turned intimidate rather swiftly.

But alas, time for fun and games was hardly before them. No, they have merely endured one hardship with many yet to be triumphed. After all, the vain of their existence was still standing there, watching them in a mixture of disgust, uncertainty and relief. He was indeed still a bit frozen, however the threat of being turned to ice had strayed away completely.

Begrudgingly, Gray finally pulled away, his lungs burning in desperation for a breath of air. They gazed into each other's eyes in wonderful silence, that is until the sound of clapping filled the air along with a disgruntled sneer.

"Oh dear, boys, keep the affection to a minimum, yes? While I hate to interrupt this 'endearing'" He growled out the last word in obvious discontentment, " moment, but, I'm afraid this battle has begun to bore me. You are too weak to defeat myself or my guild. Truly, I expected more from you Fairy Tail lot. I suppose you are just all bark and no bite."  
A low growl that rivaled the enemy's escaped Natsu as he glared daggers at the black cloaked man. That man nearly caused his love to give up his life. For that he could never forgive him!

"We aren't done yet." The dragon slayer huffed, standing up shakily before barely managing to help his love up as well. "The only thing you've managed to do is bring us closer and in turn making us stronger."

"What big talk for a salamander. I advise you to watch your tongue before I cut it out for you. Your boisterous words are making me reconsider the honor of a fast death by my hands."

"Honor, eh?" Gray chuckled dryly as he removed his arm from around the fire mage's shoulders, refusing to show any further weakness before the enemy. "You chide us for our pride yet you are worse. Unfortunately for you, I despise hypocrites."

"Enough of this feeble argument!" The dark guild master hissed, his anger rising at the boys persistent and irritating words. "You should be begging me for mercy, yet here you hardly stand, cockily throwing humorless insults at me?!"

Without allowing the mages another moment to make a retort, Hegro moved to step forward, fully intent on bashing the arrogant little flies heads in. His plan would have been perfect had it not been for a slight problem that arose. Upon attempting to move further he found that instead of clearing the space between himself and the Fairy Tail wizards he collided with what seemed to be an invisible wall.

Seconds passed as the black clad figure looked around him, confusion no doubt lingering on his concealed face. Did one of the little brats before him process a power he had not been informed of?

Wordlessly the male drifted through the mental files he had of one Gray Fullbuster and Natsu Dragneel before muttering his data under his breath.

"Natsu Dragneel: A fire dragon slayer with a high ego and tendency to run blindly into a brawl. Shows little intelligence outside of battle but seems to wise up when facing a tough opponent. Son of the mighty fire dragon Igneel. Danger ranking: Max..." Shapeless eyes drifted discreetly to the infuriated pink haired Natsu before the coat surrounding the figure swayed softly, proving that he was shaking his head. No, there was no way a fire mage could induce a hidden barrier...

The figure then looked towards the ice mage, who seemed to be in a similar state as the fire wizard.  
"Gray Fullbuster: Creator magic ice wizard with a rather cool attitude, yet quick to anger. He also carries a somewhat boisterous ego, but is keen on evaluating situations before making a move. Trained by the powerful female known as Ur Mikovich, Danger ranking: Max..." Hmm... Could this invisible wall somehow be a product of translucent ice...? While that was a possibility, it didn't seem right. As far as he knew Gray could only produce powerful attacks when using both hands. The figure hadn't seen the boy move in the slightest since he stood up... Then what was it...?

His questions were soon answered as a series of letters appeared, hovering in thin air. They seemed to produce words that differed from his native tongue, although he still had no trouble deciphering it...

"No individuals with evil intent towards Fairy Tail may pass."

Natsu's onyx eyes widened as he noticed what the lingering words were. These were runes, there was no doubt about it. But wait... If there were runes than that means...

"Freed?!" Gray sputtered, beating the fire mage to the chase as dark blue eyes peered up at the building top closest to them, bewilderment lacing their faces.

"Oh good. You two are alright then." A familiar voice spoke before a male with long green hair leaped down from his perch on the building, his expression neutral, although his eyes showed worry. "Now, tell me what is going on here."

"We were ambushed by this bastard and his guild." Natsu growled, his rage returning as he recalled what led up to this, "They caught us all by surprise..."

"I see.." I greenette muttered, sighing in exasperation before turning to look at the now trapped enemy, "I take it this is the leader?"

His question was met by a nod from both mages.

"Then that settles it. Laxus, Bickslow, did you hear that?"

"Loud and clear." A gruff voice confirmed before a large, well built blonde male emerged from the darkness surrounding him. Behind him another man followed, this one wearing a strange helmet with what appeared to be little wooden barrels floating beside him.

"Looks like we are going to have a little fun, huh babies?" The soul mage purred.

"Fun! Fun! Fun!" The little souls chirped in happy agreement.

"I can't believe I am saying this, but for once I'm actually happy to see you, ya Lightening bastard." Natsu smiled, unconsciously rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh? Did the small salamander get stepped on so easily by this buffoon?" Laxus boomed, laughing softly, "Not that that comes as a surprise. Why don't you leave this to the big boys now, huh?"  
The dragon slayer opened his mouth to return an insult to the lightening mage when a cold hand covered his mouth to cut him off.

"Where's Evergreen?" Gray inquired, shutting the fire mage up before he could anger the new team. Right now was no time for careless fighting.

"She is taking care of the injuried members." Freed replied, his hand resting on his sword as he carefully watching the male that was still trapped in his set of runes. "Wendy also gained consciousness, so she is helping out as best as she can."

A sigh of relief passed by both Gray and Natsu at the news. So that meant that all their friends were indeed just knocked out cold.

"Enough talk," Laxus grunted as he narrowed his eyes at the hooded figure, "I've been itching for a good fight, so you better not disappoint me, old man." His attention turned to the last two standing wizards, "We can take care of it from here, go take a nap kiddies and let the big kids fight."

"Like hell we will." Natsu roared, his fist clenching before bringing it up to his chest, "I ain't giving up and letting this old geezer win. I've still got a fire in my belly!"

"Yeah, thats' called pain from bruised organs and busted veins." The second generation dragon slayer sneered, tossing a coy smirk over his shoulder at the pinkette, "Please, in the state you are in now you aren't any help to us."

"For once I have to agree with Natsu." Gray mumbled, the bangs shadowing his eyes moving aside as he lifted his gaze from the floor to the three males of the Thunder Legion team, "After what this bastard did there is no way I am backing down."  
"Tch, fine. Suit yourself, just don't come crying to me when you get your asses handed to you."

Allowing the comment to slide, the group of Fairry Tail wizards braced for battle; a new sense of hope restored in the two bruised and bloodied mages. Perhaps there truly was a light in even the darkest situations.

* * *

"Ow... ow... OUCH!"

Lucy chuckled softly at her patirent's loud outbursts and shook her head in amusement.

"Oh come on, Natsu, this is the smallest wound yet. You didn't make a sound earlier."

The said Fire dragon huffed and crossed his arms in a small pout, his gaze shifting down as he muttered,

"That's because you didn't have to lean on me to bandage the other wounds. You weigh too much and it's hurting my side..."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" The blonde screamed, her eyes flaring with untamed rage as she stood up from her leaning position. She had been leaning over his bed in the hospital to take care of the wound farthest from her current position, which meant that she had to put some of her weight on the dragon slayers side in order to reach the desired area.

"N-nothing!" He stammered, holding his hands up in mock surrender as his grinned apologetically.

"That's what I thought! Hmph, the nerve! Gray didn't complain when I was taking care of HIS wounds, isn't that right, Gray?!"

A low groan filled the small hospital room as the raven shook his head in amusement and glanced over at the hospital bed that was right beside his. Both mages had insisted upon interconnecting beds the moment they both woke up from their several days coma.

"Leave me out of this! Man, can't a guy get some rest?!"  
"Nope!" Natsu smirked as he reached over and yanked the ice mage closer, wrapping his arms around him the moment he was within arms length.

"Ugh, be carefull flamebrain!"

"Aw, does the ice princess hurt? Let me kiss it better for you!"  
"Like hell you will! Shut up, Ash for brains!"

Another low giggle escaped the celestial mage as she watched the couple's playful banter, cuddling up within each others embrace. They truly were perfect for each other.

Several minutes of mindless insults passed before the ice and Fire mages finally settled down, content with relaxing in each other's arms.

"So, Luce..." Gray began, resting his head in the crock of the dragon slayer's tan neck, "What happened?"

Brown eyes blinked at him in shock before the blonde took her seat again, her gaze remaining on the intertwined couple.

"You mean you two don't remember...?"

The ice mage shook his head and the pinkette grunted in agreement with Gray's response. Everything that occurred was just a whirl of meaningless memories in their jumbled up and throbbing heads.

"Well, I wasn't awake at the time to see it," She admitted, placing her small hands in her lap, "but from what Laxus told us you two, Bickslow, Freed and Laxus himself fought against that dark guild leader for a long time. At one point Erza apparently gained consciousness too and joined the brawl. With you all fighting together you managed to beat him!"

A smile spread on the girl's face before a dark frown claimed it once again, her gaze settling on Gray, who in turn gulped.

"Although, Freed said that the reason they were able to beat him was because some of the guy's life force was already drained, making him weaker. That was great and all, until he told us that ice was still clinging onto him. Both Bickslow and Freed agreed that that was what was causing his energy to dissipate. Gray... Please don't tell me that you tried _that_ spell."

The ice mage gritted his teeth slightly, well aware of the glares he was receiving from both Natsu and Lucy. That's right... He almost forgot about that...

"Y-yeah, I did... I'm sorry, Luce..."

The perky blonde sighed sadly and looked down. "You promised that you would never use that spell again, Gray... Erza is furious that you could even think about trying that, let alone actually attempting it..."

How it was possible, no one knew, but the raven seemed to get even paler and unconsciously cuddled closer to his lover, who in turn smirked and kissed his cheek.

"Aw, are you afraid of the big bad Erza, ice cube?" He purred, playfully blowing in the raven's ear.

"Shut up you damn flame!"

Laughter filtered through the room for a moment before silence settled upon it once more, the matter at hand not yet forgotten.

"Never try that again..."

"Huh..?" Gray shifted his head and glanced up at the now serious Natsu, "What?"

"Never use iced shell again, got that? You are mine and I don't plan on losing you to anyone, not even death." His tone softened as he leaned down and pecked the dark blue haired male's lips gently, "I can't stand to lose you. When you die I will die too, so that's why that no matter what happens you have to live for the both of us..."

The ice mage swallowed and hesitated a moment before nodding his head numbly. "I promise..."

"Good... I love you, Gray Fullbuster..."

"I love you too, Natsu Dragneel..."  
Maybe, just maybe, there was such a thing as a happily ever after ending in this mixed up world. After all, if something such as that actually was true than what better place for it to occur than in a magical guild called Fairy Tail?

**Well, there we are. A happier ending for those of you that prefer loving endings over depressing ones. :D You are free to stick with whatever version fits your fancy. **

**The next one shot will be Jealousy, aka a love triangle due to 6purplecat's idea. Who will the love triangle be between? Who knows ^.^ However, I will say that Gray will be in the middle. Sorry, but I'm biased with him, seeing as he is my favorite character. But, besides the point who the third person will be will be a mystery for now. Thank you all for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3: Rainy day bets

Dusk had long since settled upon Mongolia, however, it was hardly even noticed by the city's residents. Instead they dwelled on the nonstop rain that hammered against their windows and roofs. Needless to say that harsh and persistent weather managed to cast a rather gloomy atmosphere everywhere in it's path. Even a few of the usually rowdy members of Fairy Tail found themselves falling victim to the dull mood. Their usually excited and jolly attitudes were subdued, especially a certain blonde celestial mage who decided to haul herself in her apartment, claiming to be working wholeheartedly on her novel.  
Despite the unfavorable rain, there were a few individuals who seemed to be unaffected by the dreary atmosphere. Settled nicely in a booth located at the back of the guild was Fairy Tail's very own Natsu Dragneel, Loke and Gray Fullbuster as well as a rather unlikely guest. Lamia scale's Lyon Bastia also resided with the males, a content look on his face as he chatted idly with his fellow mages.  
The elder ice mage had originally arrived at Fairy Tail early that afternoon in search of the blue haired women that he claimed to have fallen smitten with. Unfortunately for Lyon and luckily for Juvia luck was not on the silver haired male's side, for Juvia had left with Gajeel earlier that morning for a mission.  
To make matters worse for the cold emperor who had found out about his loves absence the horrid thunderstorm had already begun it's cruel reign, leaving the creator magic wizard with no choice but to remain in the guild until the storm lessened.  
While one guest was stuck there the other, Loke, had grown tired of the spirit world and decided to pay his guild and best friend a little visit. He figured that since his master was preoccupied the chance of her requesting his presence was slim to none, making it so this was the opportune time to take a well-deserved break.  
That is how this seemingly odd group grew to be and it is also where this little tale truly begins.  
Idle chatter and characteristic banter was exchanged among the group until Gray grunted, rolling his eyes at the fire mage who insisted on them engaging in yet another fight and instead got up, escaping to the bathroom.  
Really, his friends could be so irritating. Thus far Loke had continuously called him sweetheart, regardless of his constant demands for him to cease labeling him with the same term that he labeled females with, much to the ice mages dismay. Of course then Lyon had to butt in and join the damn cat with his nonstop teasing. Sometimes Gray was convinced that his friends only lived to irritate him.  
Natsu, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy watching the ice mage flustered and fuming. The fire mage's snide comments every so often only managed to make Gray snap every time, resulting in one of their famous brawls. After two fights the younger ice mage began to feel a bit on the uncomfortable side, feeling as though someone was watching him intently as he fought his rival. Seeing as Juvia was not around at the moment, Gray was puzzled as to who it was that was watching him closely and why it was that Natsu refused to leave his side throughout the night, especially when he was talking to another male.  
Perhaps it was merely the raven's imagination, but he could have sworn that he could feel the dragon slayer move closer to him in the booth with every passing moment, or how Loke insisted on looking at him with a devilish smirk. Even how Lyon stared at him when he was convinced that his younger rival was not paying attention dawned on Gray as to be odd. Perhaps it was just the weather messing with their already nearly useless brains.  
'They must be seeing who can get on my nerves first.' Gray muttered to himself as he slipped past the restroom door, cursing to himself upon looking in the mirror to find that he was once again without a shirt.  
Meanwhile, little did the striper know that even in his absence the conversation between his friends revolved around him, their voices hushed as they spoke to one another.  
Natsu watched his rival from the corner of his eye as the ice mage stood up from his sitting position beside the fire mage, leaving to visit the lavatory. His thoughts wondered freely as his eyes unconsciously shifted from the raven's wild locks, to his well-toned back until they were finally resting on his jean covered rear. It seemed that Gray had managed to lose his shirt once again, not that the salamander was complaining.  
"You like what you see?" Loke mused, a feral smirk gracing his features as he took a sip from the glass of wine he had ordered prior.  
Immediately the pinkette's cheeks flushed to a color similar to his hair as he spared a glance at the orange haired male.  
"I have no idea what you are talking about…"  
"Oh please, Natsu," Lyon rolled his eyes, his face set in a firm line as he glared at the rival of his rival, "your gaze was too low and you know it."  
A feigned grimace was forced onto the fire mage's face as he attempted to deny the other's statement, although he knew it was futile. He was caught openly admiring the raven mage.  
"What does it matter to you where I'm looking, snow white?"  
"He's like family to me." Lyon informed bluntly, crossing his arms as he stared blankly at the salamander, an irritated glint in his oynx eyes. "It is my concern if it involves people like you looking at him in an inappropriate way."  
"Oh? Is that why you are always looking there too?" Loke asked, moving his glasses down to peer at the elder ice mage; amusement sparkling in his blue eyes.  
Now it was Lyon's turn to blush and turn his gaze away  
"O-of course not! I have no reason to look there…" His voice trailed off as he gripped the sides of his arms tighter, obviously wishing for the conversation to travel elsewhere. Unfortunately for him, that oh so lovely conversation was just beginning to show its true colors.  
"Hey, don't act offended. I see both of you admiring him." The lion stated matter of factly as he brought his glass of wine up to his mouth. "I never said that was a bad thing, if anything I understand." He winked.  
"You understand…?" Natsu blinked his sudden feat of embarrassment slipping away as he starred at the orange haired male. "You think he's attractive too..?"  
Loke offered the other a short nod as he finished his glass before waving Mira down for a refill.  
"Fairy Tail's playboy goes for men too?" Lyon asked, seemingly as shocked as the dragon slayer.  
The cat shrugged slightly and twirled his empty glass absentmindedly on the table.  
"Male, female, as long as they have a good body it doesn't really matter to me. He's my best friend, so I've had time to sort as much out."  
Green eyes narrowed as Natsu subtly glanced from the lavatory to the two males sitting across from him. So he wasn't the only one that thought of Gray as being attractive. Two sets of emotions stirred within him upon that realization.  
He was slightly relieved to find that he was not insane for thinking so fondly of his rival, yet he was also angered by the fact that others were looking at Gray in a manner similar to the way he did. He figured it was his dragon instincts that caused such thoughts. After all, it wasn't as though he hadn't heard of others who liked Gray. Even he himself had supposedly had a few admirers, although they were mainly females while for Gray it tended to be more males. Besides that rain woman, that is.  
"So, enough small talk."  
The ice and fire mages were pulled from their train of thoughts as they glanced over at the male who had spoken. Blue frames now hid the male's eyes from view, but the cocky grin lining his face was proof enough that this little kitten had something devious up his sleeve.  
"Care to form a bet?"  
Pink and white eyebrows rose at the others questions, both wizards answering simultaneously.  
"What kind of bet?"  
Loke smiled and halted the conversation for a moment as Mirajane refilled his glass, not wanting her to overhear what exactly it was that he was planning.  
Once he was certain that the she-devil was out of earshot he turned his attention back over to the anxiously waiting wizards that had their gazes set steadily at him; urging him to continue.  
"A bet for who gets to ask Gray out, of course."  
The orange haired feline had to suppress a chuckle as both Lyon and Natsu's eyes widened, several emotions passing through them as they tried to understand just what the celestial spirit had said.  
"A bet for whom gets to be with Gray…?" Lyon repeated, his cold disposition returning as he managed to contain the thoughts now swirling within his mind. Would winning over his rival really be that easy? A part of him hoped so.  
Excitement burned in Natsu's eyes as he grinned and slammed his hands on the table, standing up as he did.  
"That sounds like a challenge! So what? Are we all going to fight?!"  
The lion sighed softly at the others obnoxious reaction. Honestly, why was he always so loud?  
"No, not quite." He assured, causing the dragon slayer to slump back down in his seat, disappointed that a brawl was not in fact involved. He had been so certain that he could win too.  
The silverette sent the fire mage an irritated glance before looking over at the spirit.  
"Then what exactly does this bet entail?"  
"Hmm…" Fairy Tail's honorary playboy pondered that for a moment before the feral smirk returned, his voice coming out in a soft purr as he placed his elbows on the table, clasping his hands in the process. "How about something simple and meaningful…?... Ah, I know. How about whoever manages to hold a kiss with Gray for 5 seconds gets the chance to make a move on him without the others objections. Sound good?"  
Silence consumed the group as the pink haired fire wizard and the silver haired ice mage thought about that for a moment. On one hand, if they won than they wouldn't have to worry about anyone taking Gray before they had a chance, yet if they were to lose they would lose the however slight chance they have with him. It certainly was a difficult situation.  
"I accept! I'll kick both your asses just like usual." The salamander smirked, leaning back in his chair as he reached his decision.  
Lyon gritted his teeth at the youth's words, but said nothing of them. Instead he conceded with nodding his agreement.  
"Great, looks like it is settled then." Loke smiled, taking off his glasses and resting them in his breast pocket. "This should be interesting."  
They all took to creating mental plans as they awaited the dark blue haired male's return. Everything had to be performed perfectly if they did not want to potentially scare the raven off before any of them won the bet.  
It was several moments later that the youngest ice mage returned from the restroom; a blue button down shirt now covering his once bare chest. The three boys would have been lying if they said they were not disappointed by that discovery. Very rarely did the male ever actually find his discarded clothes, but even when he did it wasn't long before he unconsciously striped them off again.  
Gray, having not the slightest idea as to what went down when he was absent, simply returned to the table and took his seat beside Natsu. Somehow he had managed to find his long lost shirt in the bathroom. How on earth it ended up in there of all places he had not the foggiest, but he supposed that it didn't quite matter. Now he didn't have to hear Cana continue complaining about his lack of clothing.  
"So you finally decided to redress, huh ice princess?" Natsu sneered, shifting his gaze from his nearly empty glass of fire whiskey to his rival.  
"Shut it, fire brain." The ice mage grumbled, staring at his own cup of ice water. He himself didn't quite enjoy getting as drunk as the others. He hated anything that resulted in him losing control of his actions and or thoughts.  
The fire mage opened his voice to send a retort to the other when his attention was diverted to the celestial cat that had stood up.  
"The guild is clearing up. Let's sit at the bar. It'll be easier to order drinks that way."  
Of course the feline's intentions weren't nearly as pure as he made them seem.  
"Fine by me." Gray shrugged, following suit with Loke and stood up before walking with the other male to the empty bar. By now it was no doubt close to midnight, making it so only the drunktards were still out and about.  
Lyon and Natsu begrudgedly agreed, knowing that the playboy had something else planned than what he had stated aloud.  
The raven took a seat at a stool near the far end of the bar and hardly paid it any heed when Loke sat beside him, their legs gently touching. After all, it wasn't uncommon for them to sit in such close quarters. Being best friends and past mission partners they were forced into closer and somewhat more awkward positions. If anything the ice mage enjoyed the others soothing company.  
He did, however glance over to his other side when he felt the stool beside his own wobble, a triumph looking Lyon sitting and smirking at a furious fire mage who was now on his ass on the floor. Could the ash for brains really not go a minute without attempting to fight someone?  
Natsu, on the other hand, was royally pissed. But the reasoning behind his anger was not that he couldn't convince anyone to engage in a fight, no, his fury was solely focused on the white haired bastard.  
He had ensured that he walked slightly faster than the snow boy when they made their way over here so that he could take the other seat next to Gray. But it was only when he was about to sit down that that ice head swooped over and snatched it right out from under him, causing the fire mage to crash to the floor.  
All the while Lyon had arrogantly taken the stool and placed it closer to the dark blue haired youth, a smirk adorning his lips as he glanced down at the dragon slayer.  
Damn snow cone, that was his seat and he absolutely hated when someone took what was his!  
"Oy, firebreath, calm down, will ya?" Gray grumbled, his attention now focused on the obviously pissed off male.  
"That ice prick stole my seat!" Natsu complained, jabbing an accusing finger at Lyon, who merely smirked slightly back at him. Damn him.  
"It's just a seat." Dark blue eyes rolled as he turned back to continue his conversation with Loke. "Find another one. They are everywhere."  
Irritably the dragon slayer huffed and did as he was told, gripping his drink in frustration as he glared at the two mages surrounding his rival. The urge to bash both their skulls in was strong and the alcohol he was ingesting certainly was not helping that burning desire.  
Gray allowed himself subtle glances at Lyon and Natsu as he spoke idly with his best friend, secretly wondering what had gotten into the three of them. Ever sense he returned from the restroom the feeling of being watched had increased tenfold and quite frankly that only served to annoy him. They really were idiots when they were drunk.  
The ice mage turned away from the cat and bit into the snow cone that Mirajane had brought him upon request. Cliché or not, he really did love these cold things. It reminded him of his times with Ur and Lyon when they were younger in Isvan. Every afternoon after enduring frigid training their master would reward them by gifting them with a cold snow cone.  
At first the raven had felt as though Ur was being cruel by giving the freezing boys an equally cold reward, but over time he began to look forward to the tasty treat. Maybe the short haired women really did know what she was doing after all.  
"Gray, are you listening?"  
"Huh?" The youth in question looked up from admiring his food to see Loke staring at him, his orange eyebrow raised in question.  
"Oh sorry, Loke." He mumbled, "Guess I spaced out. What were you talking about?"  
"It's nothing…"  
The celestial spirit's mind drifted as his gaze shifted from the dark blue eyes of the boy to his equally blue dyed lips. They were slightly puffy from sucking on the ice cone and ripe for the taking.  
The lion allowed a soft chuckle to escape him as he leaned closer to his best friend, their lips merely centimeters from the others.  
"You make quite a mess when you're eating." He purred, his breath ghosting over the shocked raven's blue lips, "Let me help you clean up…." Without another word the cat closed the distance between the two.  
1…  
2…  
The thoroughly shocked Gray blinked as his mind slowly made sense of what was going on here. His instincts told him to pull away; that Loke was acting strange…  
3…  
He would have done precisely that had it not been something else yanking him back right before he himself was about to end the sudden lip lock.  
Irritably, the celestial cat opened his eyes, narrowing them once they met an angered set of oynx eyes. Lyon stood, holding the raven against his chest as he glared at the playboy, relieved that he had managed to end their little kiss before it hit the 5 second mark. Damn, he had just looked away for a moment to tell the whining fire mage to shut up when all of a sudden he heard a small gasp from Gray, signaling that his breath was being taken away by something, or rather, someone.  
"You taint his lips by meeting them with your own." He chided before glancing down at the surprised and blushing younger ice mage who stared up at him in a mixture of relief, anger and utter confusion.  
"Let me cleanse them with my own…"  
Without wasting a precious moment, Lyon pressed his lips against Gray's, enjoying the contact as soon as it occurred.  
1…  
2…  
3…  
4…  
Just when the silver haired male was certain his victory was in the clear he felt heat build on his back. For a moment he had believed it to be nothing more than a side effect of kissing the one that he desired. It was only once he smelt smoke that he realized this was not normal.  
Letting out a series of curses the elder ice mage had no choice but to disconnect the kiss; instead he focused on putting out the ever growing flames that was engulfing his shirt, and if he wasn't careful, soon his back.  
Natsu grinned at his handiwork, watching happily as his flames ended the kiss abruptly, the silver haired male's eyes wide as he made short work of the fire with a combination of his magic and hands. Heh, this bet was actually turning out to be amusing.  
However, his cheerful mood plummeted when he turned to look at a fuming and blushing Gray.  
"What the hell is wrong with you guys?!"  
The fire mage blinked and looked away, not wanting to see the anger marring his rival's features.  
"Well… err.. You see…"  
He glanced over at Lyon and Loke, who seemed to be in a similar, silent state. None knew how to explain what they were trying to do to the raven.  
So, given the circumstances, Natsu did the only thing he knew how. He started a fight.  
Considering how drunk the remaining members were, it was remarkably easy to get everyone present into a brawl. Even the ice mage and cat decided they would rather face a fight than the dark blue haired male's fury.  
Gray stared at the fight in front of him, uncertain as to what to do. A hand subconsciously trailed up to his lips as a series of different emotions surged through him. Fury, embarrassment and lust all stirred within him as he replayed the kisses he had endured. Were his friends really drunk enough to suddenly turn gay?  
Letting his hand fall back down to his side he settled with shaking his head and crossed his arms. His comrades were sure as hell going to explain what exactly they were doing once their impromptu battle ended. This was entirely unlike them. The kissing part, that is. The fighting was all too normal.  
Turning his attention back to his long forgotten snow cone he frowned upon the realization that it had slipped from his hand when Loke had initially kissed him. Now it lay helplessly on the floor, creating nothing more than a mess.  
His attention was suddenly pulled from the pathetic mess of ice and flavoring on the ground as he felt something hard smash into him, causing him to topple over onto his back on the ground.  
He let out a soft groan and closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his head where it banged into the marble floor. Damn, that was certain to leave a bump.  
Peeking an eye open, he was surprised to find a familiar face right in front of his, green eyes staring at him in innocent curiosity.  
"Ugh, get the hell off of me, idiot." He grumbled, all too aware of the fact that he was laying on the ground with Natsu straddling his hips, tan hands on either side of his head.  
"Wait… I wanna try something…"  
Without giving Gray a moment to reply, the fire mage leaned over and gently pressed their lips together.  
1…  
2…  
The ice mage's eyes widened as he felt a warm hand capture his own and move them so they were over his head, leaving him unable to move. The raven felt warmth surge through his stomach at the contact and he dare say he found the feeling of the other's rough, hot lips on his own to be pleasant…  
3….  
4…  
Natsu's eyes closed as he ran his tongue over his rival's lips, silently pleading for entrance. When the other made no move to allow him access the dragon slayer finally managed to slip his tongue through anyway, enjoying the minty cool flavor that was Gray Fullbuster…  
5….  
Albeit hesitantly, the pinkette pulled away, only a strand of saliva connecting the two mages as a large grin consumed Natsu's face before he punched the air in what appeared to be victory.  
"I win!" He announced, ignoring the curious look from Gray and the dangerous glares from the other two males of which ultimately lost the bet.  
"W-won…?" Finally, the ice mage's anger reached its peak and he punched the man on top of him, causing the male to fall off of him and onto his ass. "One of you bastards better tell me what the hell is going on before I freeze all your asses off!"  
Natsu, somehow missing the venomous tone lacing the raven's voice, settled with happily picking him up bridal style and kissed his forehead before walking towards the door.  
"Where are you going, fire bastard?!" Gray demanded, his face flushed from their short make out session.  
"To claim my prize." His smirk widened as he exited the guild hall and into the now clear weather, still ignoring the angry glares he was receiving from Lyon and Loke.  
"Your prize…?"  
"Yep! You. You're mine now, frostbreath."  
Okay, so maybe something good did come from that gloomy rain. After all, Gray did have the tendency to make things better just by being his oblivious self.

**There we are ^.^ After careful consideration I decided to make it a love rectangle of sorts? Maybe? No? Yes? Ah well, here it is. It was so fun to write this XD It also got me thinking that maybe once I update my other stories I should make a story out of a topic similar to this one? What do you guys think? Anyway, thank you for reading and please review/favorite/follow.**


	4. Chapter 4: Savages!

**_Okay, so this one shot revolves around Pocahontas and it's song "savages." In this song fic Gray is John and Natsu is Pocahantas... Kind of. A very brutal Pocahontas XD I was listening to this song the other day and just randomly got the inspiration to write this. Why I have no idea, to be honest. I'm also not quite certain how this turned out, but hopefully it makes sense. They also may be a bit OOC, but hey, I tried._**

**_A bit of back ground information. Before this scene in Pocahontas John Smith's friend, Thomas, accidentally kills a friend of Pocahontas due to the fact that the Indian was going to potentially hurt the foreigner. After the Indian's death John insists on Thomas's leave. Right after the friend leaves more Indians come and, upon seeing their dead member's body, captures Smith. Pocahantas, now scared and confused, runs away in order to regain her thoughts. _**

**_I changed what happened around slightly to fit the characters, but whatever. Don't hesitate to ask if you have a question. _**

**_Enjoy and sorry for this randomness XD ~_**

_**(Italics and '' represent the song lyrics)**  
_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own this song, any of the characters, the movie Pocahantas or Fairy Tail. If I did the movie Pocahantas would be more historically accurate and Natsu/Gray would be canon.**_

_'What can you expect, from filthy little heathens?'_

Gray chuckled dryly to himself as he leaned against the cell wall; the chains binding him etching a bloody pattern into his skin. How on earth the raven managed to find himself in this position was really beyond him. Upon first arriving on this new land he was advised not to fraternize with the natives. The captain, Ultear, warned him that they were nothing but filth that adored the sight of blood. It was because of that that at first he was cautious around the strangers, that is, except for a strange little pinkette.

'_Here's what you get when races are diverse, they're skins are hellish red,'_

That boy, Natsu, he was merely another enemy, a freak with skin so tan it rivaled red. That could only mean that he was trouble. That was his initial thoughts, however, against his better judgement he began to spend more time with the mysterious youth.

_'They're only good when dead, they're vermin as I said,'_

The Indian was boisterous, cocky, rude and idiotic, yet Gray felt as though he had never found one he was so compatible with. He wasn't vermin as the pale boy was told, instead he was a sweet individual who only wished for the safety of his friends and family. Just like Gray.

_'And worse, they're savages, savages, barely even human! Savages! Savages! Drive them from our shore! They're not like you and me that means they must be evil!'_

Only now, sitting in this cell did the blue eyed boy realize that maybe these people were like he was warned. Upon daybreak he would be killed and Natsu had made no viable skin of argument. against the matter. Maybe this was what the pink haired male had planned since the beginning; to get close to the cold foreigner just to, in the end, set him up for death.

_'We must sound the drums of war! They're savages! Savages! Dirty shrieking devils!'_

Lyon… That damn bastard… He always was so protective of Gray, whom he viewed to be a little brother figure. It was because of that that the albino attacked the short white haired Indian woman. His so called brother was only trying to save the raven, but in the end he only managed to damn him with these tan skinned devils.

_'Now we must sound the drums of war!'_

Chains clinked as he pulled his legs up to his bare chest, his strong arms wrapping around them before he laid his head on his knees. This was a pitiful position, that the dark blue haired male knew, but it didn't matter any longer. It made feel slightly safer. At this point he could do nothing but wait for morning to come. His heart ached slightly at the thought that in the end Natsu only betrayed him, thinking that he was nothing more than a killer. Well… Maybe that wasn't a completely false statement. To the Indians he and his people were nothing more than demons. At the very least he could die knowing he experienced true love, even if that love was unrequited.

_'This is what we feared,'_

Natsu slammed his fists on the dirt, tears threatening to cloud his vision as he grit his teeth and glared heatedly at the ground beneath him. No… This couldn't be happening…. This shouldn't be happening!

_'That pale face is a demon. The only thing they feel at all is greed,'_

Damn it! That damned white man…. Gray Fullbuster… He had come to his people's land along with a large ship full of others. Their skin was milky white and their intentions at first seemed suspicious. He and his people disliked them, ensuring that they were watched carefully.

_'Beneath that milky hide there's emptiness inside.'_

Natsu shook his head. Somehow he had managed to befriend a foreigner. That raven who seemed to be so cold and laid back to begin with turned out to actually be pleasant with only good intentions. Against the tan man's instructions he began to become better friends with the blue haired youth. He should have known better. That Gray looked nothing like him. That should have been a sign to him that he was no good.

_'I wonder if they even bleed!'_

At first he wouldn't have cared if that man was faced with death. After all, he was nothing more than a pest that entered his people's lands with what they believed to be ill intentions. But… somewhere along the way he realized that he was wrong… That male was pure like his skin. Despite their constant fighting the cold skinned male began to grow on him, slowly making his way into his heart. Before long the tan youth came to the realization that he loved that male.

_'They're savages, savages, barely even human! Savages!Savages! Killers at the core!'_

However, he thought that feeling completely ebbed away the moment the raven's friend, Lyon, killed his beloved Lisanna. They were nothing but killers! Gray even let the offender run off, despite the fact that he had killed the female that was only trying to help the pinkette.

From there Natsu's people came and, upon finding the girl's unmoving body, arrested the sole pale male remaining, thinking that he was the murderer.

_'They're different from us, which means they can't be trusted. We must sound the drums of war! They're savages! Savages! First we deal with this one and then we sound the drums of war!'_

Pink hair swayed as Natsu shook his head. He knew he shouldn't have trusted that invader. They were freaks of natures; nothing more than evil creatures. They murdered poor Lisanna in cold blood! They must face retribution for such a heinous act!

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to hate Gray. It was Lyon who killed his best friend, not the raven, and after all, the white haired male had only murdered her because he believed his friend to be in danger. If Natsu was in his position he would have done the same thing; no one hurt his nakama.

_'Savages! Savages! Let's get a few, men! Savages! Savages! Now it's up to you, men! Savages! Savages! Barely even human! Now we sound the drums of war!'_

Natsu closed his eyes. He knew not what to do…

_'This will be the day!_

_ Let's go, men! _

_This will be the morning! _

_We will see them dying in the dust!'_

Gray was brutally awoken by an Indian kicking him before yanking him into a standing position. Ah, so it was morning already, was it? Today his fate was no doubt sealed. His life would be ended by these people; the tribe of the man he grew to love.

_'I don't know what I can do, still I know I have to try!'_

Natsu growled under his breath and punched the ground one last time before he stood up, a new resolve bubbling within him as a slight frown overtook his face. No, he would not sit here idly as his beloved was killed for an act he did not commit. His people and Gray's people were not as different as he had first thought. He had to stop them! It was merely sunset, he still had time!"

_'Now we make'em pay!'_

The raven struggled to keep up with the men who were violently shoving him forward, his head down as he stared harshly down at the grass. These men were really set with killing him. They were now on their way to what he could only presume to be the spot of his execution. As he continued his tiresome trek he allowed his thoughts to shift to the tanned, friendly boy he had met just days ago. He would accept whatever punishment they saw fit so long as that boy was spared.

_'Eagle help my feet to fly!'_

Natsu ran as swiftly as his feet would allow him, the rising sun serving as nothing but a grim reminder of what was to come. He had to save Gray!

_'Not without a warning!'_

The rising sun assaulted cobalt eyes as the pale male looked up at the sky. His impending death was nearing, the sun warned as much. He didn't quite know why, but at that moment the sky was becoming so blue that it angered him.

_'Mountain help my heart be great!'_

The ground was a mere blur beneath the pinkette's feet as he picked up his pace. He knew precisely where he would find the chief and his love.

_'Now we leave'em blood and bone and dust.'_

Gray knew all too well that a war was coming. There was no way Lyon would allow his death to go unpunished. Not that that was what the dark blue haired male wanted. If anything he wished that both his brother and Natsu lived long and peaceful lives. Never did he want them to see the horrid sight of blood and bone.

_'Spirits of the earth and sky, please don't let me be too late!'_

Natsu prayed to anything that would listen that he would just make it in time. He couldn't lose another friend, he just couldn't!

_'Savages! Savages! Demon! Devil! Savages! Savages! What are we waiting for?!'_

The fair skinned foreigner felt himself be pushed roughly to his knees at the end of a large cliff, suppressing a wince as his restraints dug tighter into his flesh. Behind him he could feel the presence of the village chief, Igneel, hovering over him. From the shadows before him the raven knew all too well how his death would come about. He would be grotesquely beheaded.

_'Destroy their evil race until there's not a trace left. We will sound the drums of war. (How loud are the drums of war?) Now we sound the drums of war!'_

Gray's eyes widened as he watched numerous figures approach the bottom of the cliff, his heart beating faster as he realized just who they were. There, marching towards the Indians and their captive were the foreigners. All were armed with murderous glints in their eyes. Leading them were Ultear and Lyon. No... He was right… There was a war brewing and his death would begin it. All that blood would be because of him… Damn, he couldn't do anything right!

_'Now we see what comes of trying to be chums…'_

Cobolt eyes closed as the raven silently cursed to himself. He caused this. If he had just kept to his main goal in this foreign land neither Natsu's people nor his own people would be here, prepared to kill one another without a second thought. He should have never befriended that tan Indian prince…

_'Now we sound the drums…. ( Is this the death of all I love carried in the drumming of...'_

Natsu's breath caught in his throat at the sight just meters in front of him. Gray was being forcefully shoved down to the ground while Igneel loomed over him, blade in hand as he was about to deal out the white man's punishment. Damn, just a bit closer!"

_'War!'_

"No!" The pinkette growled desperately as he watched his father's muscles strain, about to slam his weapon down upon the boy.

Without thinking, he immediately threw himself onto the boy that he grew to love. He shifted so his body was covering the other's completely before he glanced up at his shocked father, the blade mere inches from his gravity defying pink hair. Determination burned in his eyes as he hissed his next words,

"If you kill him you will have to kill me too!"

Natsu leaned over Gray as his father hesitated. Gently kissing the shocked raven's ear he whispered just soft enough for the other to hear,

"You aren't a demon to me, Gray. I love you and won't let anyone else hurt you…"


	5. Chapter 5: Pretty boys

**Well, this was a request from Rewinsan and needless to say I absolutely loved the idea XD It was fun to write. Hopefully it meets everyone's standards ^.^**

**Warnings: Protective! Natsu, slight OOC (maybe), violence and perverted strangers.**

Noon had come and gone on the rowdy city of Mongolia, making it so the Fairy Tail guild was at its most populated. By this time the everyday residents of Fairy Tail had already awoken and made their way to the guild. That could only mean trouble.

"Hey, Gray, there's something here that you might want to see…" Lucy called, her eyes glinting with the silent amusement she was attempting to suppress.

"Eh?" The raven inquired, retracting the fist that was about to collide with Natsu, his boyfriend's, face. "What is it? I'm busy."

"Come on, I _really_ think this is something that you should see…"

With an exasperated sigh the ice mage sent a final, halfhearted glare at his boyfriend before slamming his hands into his pants pockets, making his way over to where Lucy sat on the other side of the guild.

"What's so important that you have to show me, Luce?"

"This," The celestial mage pointed towards the magazine she held in her hands, a light blush shading her cheeks as she held it out towards her friend. "Sorcerer weekly has a new listing…."

Cobalt eyes widened and he felt a blush creep up his neck as he studied the information on the page. No wonder the blonde wanted him to see this, it was slightly flattering, but more embarrassing than anything else.

"Wha-What the hell?!"

"What is it, Popsicle?" Natsu asked, grabbing the paper from the ice mage's hands the moment he got over to the raven.

Instantly the fire mage felt his blood boil and he clenched his teeth as he read what was printed on the page.

"This editor must have a death wish…" He growled.

There on the cover of Sorcerers weekly magazine was a picture of Gray in all his shirtless glory. The usual bored look was plastered on his face as he appeared to be looking elsewhere, obviously unaware that someone was taking his picture. Beneath the picture were the words, 'Sorcerer weekly's number one Pretty boy.' Beside that was the page number 7, indicating where the reader would find a more intricate story behind the caption.

Without wasting a moment, the dragon slayer tore the insulting booklet open, his eyes mercilessly scanning the book until he found the correct page number.

On page 6 were the pictures of 9 other males who seemed to have made the cut for pretty boy wizards, however at the moment that was none of his concern. What truly caught his attention was page 7, which harvested numerous pictures of his mate either shirtless or in nothing but his boxers. He faced the cameras in none of the pictures, which only served to anger the fire mage further. Gray had been completely unaware that any of these candid photos were being taken.

Pushing his ever growing annoyance aside, Natsu focused on the words explaining why exactly the ice mage was featured on the front cover.

'Number one ranked for the most popular pretty boy as well as the strongest is none other than Fairy Tail's own Gray Fullbuster. This seemingly cold ice mage wooed the audience with his rather strange stripping habit as well as his laid back nature. While he seems cold most of the time he has a heart of gold when it comes to his friends and family.

He goes to the Fairy Tail guild daily and participates in their frequent brawl, which is when he isn't searching for his missing clothes.

Gray Fullbuster was raised and trained by the ice creator magic wizard, Ur, alongside Lyon Bastia (ranked 4). After the death of his teacher Gray left the icy lands of Isvan and made his way to Fiore where he joined Fairy Tail. For 8 years this male has baffled everyone with his stripping as well as his chiseled good looks. It really wasn't a surprise when the results rang up, indicating that this ice mage was deemed number one.

His team in Fairy Tail consists of the beautiful Erza Scarlet, the cute Lucy Heartfilia and the destructive Natsu Dragneel (ranked 3 due to his troublesome behavior). This raven haired and blue eyed male shows his worth of this position by being a major part in Fairy Tail's strongest team.

His ice magic can only be described as breathe taking as this creator magic wizard creates marvelous ice sculptures with incredible grace. It is because of this that he manages to steal the hearts of both men and women alike.

Luckily for you ladies and gents this eligible teenager's relationship status is single.'

Oh, hell no.

"How the hell do they know this much about me?!" Gray bellowed, his face reddening as he carefully read every word. If all this information about him wasn't bad enough the numerous pictures of his exposed skin as well as the damn posters were!

Within seconds the magazine was set up in flames by the incredibly irritated dragon slayer, who decided reading the rest would only cause his anger to flare further.

"This is why I hate those bloody bastards!" He hissed, his fists clenching at his side as he wound his arm around his mate's hips protectively. "This icy bastard snow cone is mine and he is _definitely_ in a damn relationship."

The dark blue haired male groaned and rolled his eyes, gently whacking the other upside his head at his words.

"Calm down, flamebrain, it's not like anyone even really cares about these things. I just don't like my whole past being on show, ya know?" His voice lowered subtly as he jammed his hands in his pant pockets once more, not even caring that he was shirtless at the moment.

Natsu grumbled under his breath as he glared at the burning pile of ash on the ground. Not only was his mate so exposed on the cover but it was also stated that he was single. Single! The fire mage didn't even care about his own ranking.

No, the raven was far from single. While a few months ago that would have been the case it wasn't any longer. 3 months, 2 weeks and 4 days ago (yes, he counted) he had admitted his feelings to his rival. Several months before his confession the pinkette had felt different around his fellow male; causing him to experience feelings that he had never felt towards another prior. The anger was still very much present, however new emotions stirred within him, feelings that, with Lucy's help, he determined to be love.

The slayer, being the upfront person he was, clearly stated to Gray how he felt, prepared to kick the other's ass if he so much as made fun of him.

To his surprise and amazement the raven admitted that he harvested similar feelings, although he wasn't certain if it was love. Despite that fact they both agreed to give their odd relationship a try. To this day they both agreed that it was the best decision they had ever made.

"Fine, but I'll show them just how destructive I can be if they so much as come near you with a camera again."

"You dope." Gray chuckled, kissing his rival's cheek before gently tugging on his wrist."Oy, come on and let's go and eat."

The dragon slayers mood immediately brightened up at the word 'eat' before he nodded furiously.

"Yeah! I'm all fired up now!"

The ice mage snickered slightly before stumbling along with the now once again cheerful Natsu, who held the other's hand tightly. The raven allowed a soft, relieved sigh to escape from him as he walked with his boyfriend, relieved that the possessive and protective part of Natsu seemed to ebb away the moment food was mentioned. Now he just had to ensure that both he and the pinkette were kept away from that magazine until the news died down. After all, he certainly didn't want any attention drawn to him nor did he want to see his love so jealous again.

Gray and Natsu walked down to a nearby diner together in comfortable silence, their fingers intertwined as they did so. Honestly it wasn't much of a surprise that no one believed that they were together, despite the fact that they were holding hands. After all, these two were once mortal enemies that couldn't be together in the same room for long before they tried to strangle one another.

But, then again, both love and hatred are very strong emotions. It truly was a wonder how swiftly the two could change.

The ice mage was pulled from his musings as a male stepped in front of him and the fire mage, a coy smile on his face. The stranger was a few inches taller than the raven and had short, blonde hair. Brown eyes were set on the two boys as he shifted his blue coat slightly.

"Well if it ain't that boy from the front cover of Sorcerer's magazine." The blonde smiled, his gaze seizing the ice mage up. "They weren't kidding when they said you had a stripping habit." Gray mentally kicked himself for forgetting to grab a shirt before he left the guild. "Although the pictures don't do you enough justice, ice boy." His words came out in a low purr.

Beside him, Gray felt the slayer stiffen and a soft growl escape from him. Giving the pinkette a reassuring squeeze of the hand the raven stared boredly at the flirtatious male.

"Please move aside, I don't care about that stupid magazine." His tone was polite and he was just barely able to control his annoyance.

"Ah, playing hard to get too, are ya?" He smirked before stepping closer to the dark blue haired male, his arm slipping around his waist and yanking him away from the Fire mage in the process. "How about we get a beer? I'll make it worth your while, pretty boy."

The absolutely drunk man leaned down closer to the ice mage, his breath ghosting over his ear before he glanced over at the absolutely seething pink haired mage.

"Heh, what's a guy like you doing with that boy? A pretty boy needs a real man."

Before the repulsed and enraged Gray could freeze the man solid he was beaten to the chase by an even more furious fire mage.

A flaming fist collided with the blonde male's cheek, sending him flying before he grabbed the ice mage once more, pulling him close to his body. Saying the dragon slayer was angry was an understatement. He was positively outraged and out for blood. That man dared pull his mate from him and even go so far as to touch him in such a manner that only Natsu was allowed.

Seeing his boyfriend looking uncomfortable and irritated while being so close to another male was the last straw. He felt his primal urges surge and before he knew it he had sent the stranger flying back, a pained moan escaping him as he collided with a far building and wasted no further time before scattering.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked, looking worriedly down at the manhandled boy pressed tightly against him in a possessive manner.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Ya know I could have handled that myself." Gray murmured, silently enjoying being so close to the warm body of the dragon slayer.

"I know, but it's a dragon slayers job to protect their mate. Now I have more reason to fire that ass who wrote that magazine article. Literally."

"Just don't make too big a mess, the last thing we need is more charges for damage. Now come on, I'm hungry."

The fire wizard happily agreed before escorting the creator magic mage to their favorite diner, bickering playfully with one another as they attempted to put what occurred behind them, at least, for the moment.

It was a mere few minutes' walk to the restaurant that both mages adored. It was also one of the few that they hadn't destroyed before.

Happily, the two entered the rather causal diner before sitting in a nice booth by the window. Ever since the two began dating they had been joined at the hip. Where ever one went the other would follow. They even started sleeping over at one another's house every night.

Natsu slid into one side of the booth while Gray slid into the other. While they both preferred sitting by one another they figured it best if they had room when they eat.

"So, droopy eyes, what do you want?" Natsu asked after setting the menu down with only one glance. He always just ordered everything on the menu, anyway.

"Hmm…" He pondered that for a moment. What was he in the mood for today…?

Sensing the other's uncertainty Natsu smirked slightly and leaned over the table, gently nibbling his rival's ear as he purred, "I know what we should have for dessert."

A light blush immediately crept over the ice mage's face and he jerked his head towards the window, not wanting the other to see his reaction.

"Behave yourself and maybe you'll get it, ash for brains." Gray didn't much care for PDA, however the Pinkette knew that and used it as just another way to successfully tease the pale boy.

Natsu pouted playfully and laid his head down on the table impatiently.

"But I hate waiting…" He complained, giving the ice mage a feigned innocent look, although the other was well aware that what the fire mage wanted was far from pure. In fact his lower back still ached from the last time he gave in to the dragon slayer's lust, which just happened to be last night.

"Too bad, and you call me the pervert, squinty eyes."

"Hey, I'm not the one that walks around with hardly any clo…."

He was cut off by the sudden movement beside both Gray and himself. Before he could even speak two males sat beside them.

"Sup, boys. You're Gray Fullbuster and Natsu Dragneel from Fairy Tail, am I right?" The male sitting beside Natsu asked, his eyes drifting from the ice mage to the fire mage.

The creator magic wizard withheld the urge to sigh in exasperation. Honestly, that damned magazine pretty boy poll only managed to cause both his mate and him trouble. Really, they should have gained the age's permission before they printed out such detailed information about their current and past lives, especially because the name pretty boy was usually adored by gay men as much as it was straight women.

"Who wants to know?" Natsu asked, his tone bored but his eyes narrowed in a deadly fashion, showing that he was not about to put up with any flirtatious remarks.

The male sitting beside the raven shrugged slightly before resting his elbows on the table and stared at the ice mage.

"We thought we recognized the two of ya from that sorcerer's magazine." His eyes drifted from the marking on Gray's chest to the similar one on Natsu's shoulder. "You're both from Fairy Tail. Yep, you two are definitely from the magazine."

Gray groaned and rolled his eyes.

"What about that damn thing?"

"Well, my buddy and I figured there was no better way to spend the day than with number 1 and number 3." The blue haired, slightly older male beside Gray grinned before resting his arm around the back of Gray's chair, the skin on his forearm just barely touching the ice mage's cool back.

"Move that arm or I will freeze it off."

The raven's threat earned him nothing more than a chuckle from both males.

"Come now, sweetheart, don't act so cold. The magazine says you're single. Why not spend some time with a couple of men, and don't tell me ya don't swing that way, because everyone knows you do."

The ice mage gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, about to punch the blue haired male beside him into next week when he heard a whimper escape from the red haired male, who, apparently, had attempted to wrap his arm around Natsu.

The dragon slayer, being the protective dragon he was, was completely outraged by these new goons, so when one attempted to wrap an arm around him he was having absolutely none of it. All it took was the fire mage to raise his body temperature higher for the flirtatious male to immediately yank his arm away, howling in pain from the inflicted burn.

Smiling smugly, the fire mage turned his attention to take care of the other annoying individual, which is until the sight before him made his blood run cold.

The blue haired male had progressed further while the red head was complaining about the pinkette's burning hot skin and had actually leaned in, stealing a kiss from the distracted ice mage.

Gray immediately stiffened and his vision was trained back to the male sitting beside him, the feeling of something warm against his lips enough to cause him to cease laughing at his boyfriend's antics with the other stranger.

That was it.

After this the ice mage would see to it that every single copy of that magazine was absolutely obliterated.

There was nothing that could stop him.

Waiting not another moment after he was forcefully kissed the raven felt the temperature in the room flare as Natsu was no doubt ready to kill the strange male.

However, the poor dragon slayer never received the chance, for the blue haired stranger cried out in pain, just like his little friend had, and jumped up from the seat, his lips and tongue frozen shut by the grossed out ice mage.

"Leave us the hell alone, perverts. Gray and I are together and if you so much as touch him or myself again I'll freeze your bloody balls off, got it?!"

Needless to say, that warning was more than enough to cause the assaulters to bitterly leave. Silence filled the restaurant as every set of eyes were trained on the two boys, although that wasn't actually a surprise. Upon first arriving every girl and the select few males had been watching the pretty boys, squealing about how they couldn't believe that they were there.

"That's it!" Natsu huffed, sliding out from his side of the booth before grabbing Gray and yanking him out of the eatery, his face showing just how furious he was. "You are not leaving the house until this whole number one pretty boy thing dies down!"

"It's not my fault and there is no way in hell I am spending the next few weeks at home!" Surely he would go insane.

Letting out an exasperated sigh the dragon slayer turned to look at his mate, his eyes narrowed and a small, devious smirk on his tan face. "Then I'll just have to make sure you're marked enough for everyone to know that you are mine. That reporter be damned he got his information wrong and I am going to make sure that everyone knows it."

But, the fire mage did make sure that he managed to grab an issue before he holed Gray and himself into their house. Those posters of Gray were the perfect decoration for their room whether the ice mage agreed or not.

Without another word Natsu dragged the slightly blushing ice mage to his house, prepared to make sure that the raven wouldn't be mistaken for single again. Once today was done the marks on Gray's neck and body would show that he was far from single. The limp would only help that cause. After all, a dragon was possessive of what he viewed as his and this teen was his favorite little treasure; a piece of treasure that he would never give up to anyone.


	6. Chapter 6:Missions gone wrong

**Here we are, this is another request I received, however this one was from Uzukun89. It was a lot of fun to write too ^.^. I just want to say real quick that it's always fun to receive requests. It's interesting to see what you readers like. Well, I am pretty content with how this one turned out. Enjoy~**

Natsu grinned as he faced the three opposing enemies, his fists slamming together while he prepared himself both mentally and physically for the upcoming battle.

"Ah, yeah. Some real opponents. The rest were pushovers, but you guys... I'm all fired up now!"

Gray watched his companion and suppressed the urge to groan at the others ridiculous catchphrase. Really, that flamehead couldn't have thought of some differing phrases? Seriously.

Pushing those thoughts aside, the ice mage trained his attention once again on the males in front of him. All were dressed in tight-fitting black outfits that covered their entire body, leaving only their faces and hands for show. All adorned goggles that covered their eyes, however the difference, the raven noticed, was their skin color. One was pale, just like him, while another was tan and the last was black. They looked more like a type of exterminator than a set of villains. He could only hope that their battle sense was better than their fashion sense.

The mission Team Natsu had accepted was pretty simple. There was a dark guild in a nearby town that had begun to cause such a ruckus that someone finally created a request to stop them. Natsu, having spotted the mission right away due to its relevance to fighting, accepted it for his team. Of course that was before he had even asked them, but luckily for the dim witted flame Lucy, Gray and Erza all found the task to be of interest.

From there they embarked on their journey North. Once they had arrived at the town, after many threats from the ice mage that if the slayer so much as breathed on him the wrong way he would be thrown out the train window. As if that wasn't bad enough the pinkette insisted on nonstop whining throughout the 4 hour ride. Needless to say it took all of Lucy's patience not to kill the two idiots.

After arriving at their employers house they received the rest of the information about their job. It seemed as though this dark guild was not all that giant, however they were sly and manipulative. With one last warning to remain aware at all times the wizards thanked the woman before they took off for the enemies' hideout, which they had been informed was deep within the woods.

Reaching a fork in the narrow path leading to the rest of the forest, Erza and Lucy went one way while Natsu, Happy and Gray went the other. They spared each other only words of encouragement before taking off, excitement and worry bubbling in each and every one of them.

That, is how their current predicament came to be. Thus far they had only encountered rookie mages who were defeated without the slightest bit of trouble. These three were the first that seemed as though they would cause at least a bit of trouble. That only served to excite the fire and ice wizards.

"You sealed your fate the moment you accepted this job," The tallest of the black suited guys murmured, his pale face showing no apparent emotion, "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave now."

"Yeah, right. That's big talk for someone who is skirting around fighting us." The dark blue haired male snickered, his position lowering defensively as his hand hovered over the other, prepared to attack within a moment's notice.

"I assure you, that is far from what we are doing. We have no problem killing you useless fairies." The tan man retorted, a slight malicious smirk playing at the edges of his lips. It seemed as though this individual was not able to hide his emotions as well as his friend was.

"Then shut up already and fight me!" The fire mage demanded before rushing towards them. He had quite enough of standing around, now he had a fire in his belly that he was just itching to release and these people were the perfect victims.

Gray, not about to allow Natsu all the fun, attacked as well. With a quick smirk to one another they assaulted the black clad trio, fire and ice flaring as their magic erupted.

Immediately the enemies evaded the attacks, their swift speed taking them both by surprise, however they allowed themselves not even a moment to hesitate as they struck out once again, their movements mirroring one another.

A flame coated fist struck a tan chin as the fire mage landed a smooth attack on an enemy, his grin widening even further as the male was thrown back, a look of slight bafflement showing by the sideways twitch of his lips.

"Is that all ya got? Come on, don't disappoint me now. I'm just getting started." Natsu sneered before bringing his hands up to his mouth.

"Fire Dragon's... ROAR!"

Hastily the tan faced villain barely managed to jump to the side, his shoulder sustaining most of the attack as he wasn't quite swift enough to completely evade it.

Releasing a growl of impatience and anger, the enemy raised a hand. Before the pinkette could even question what he was doing a blue light erupted, sending him flying into the air, just to be caught by Happy before he met the ground.

Muttering a small thanks to the small cat he rushed at the enemy again, his excitement raising tenfold. The guys shoulder, which had received the blunt of the attack, appeared to not be damaged in the slightest. Oh yeah, now _this_ is what he called a battle!

"Hey, not bad!"

Without wasting another moment the thrilled dragon slayer rushed at his opponent once more, fire sizzling as it sliced at the attackers arms and legs. The black fabric glowed red for a moment before returning back to it's midnight color, taking the dragon slayer by surprise.

"These suits have the ability to keep any and all magic from my skin. That makes your pesky flames virtually worthless." The tan skinned male informed, his tone hinting at the amusement he seemed determined to suppress.

Natsu stared at him for a moment before allowing a subtle nod. Wow, this just kept getting to be even more and more of a challenge. He absolutely loved it!

Gray, on the other hand, was finding the battle to be nothing of the sort. Instead he settled with glaring at the two men he was against, his eyebrow twitching in irritation. Thus far none of his ice attacks had even caused a scratch to lace their damned clothing. Had he not overheard what the person facing Natsu had said he was certain he would have exploded with frustration. There was nothing Gray hated more than for his magic to be useless in a battle.

Luckily, he had martial art skills to successfully fall back on, which allowed him to claim the upper hand yet again.

A well placed pale fist collided with a black suit, sending the male flying backwards. Ah, yes. It was for these situations that the ice mage had mastered fist to cuffs. Natsu, on the other hand, seemed to not be quite understanding that his fire was useless against the trio.

"Ugh, why won't you guys just catch on fire already?! Sheesh, this is no fun!"

Shaking his head, the raven sent another kick at the dark skinned enemies' abdomen, causing him to stumble backwards before colliding with his two other comrades, ultimately landing on the ground in a heap of limps.

"Fight without magic, squinty eyes!" He sneered, sparing a glance at the obviously annoyed dragon slayer.

"No shit, snow cone. I am, but this is not as much fun!" He complained, crossing his arms as he glared slightly at his rival. "I can't burn _anything_!"

He snickered. "You say that as though it's a bad thing, ash for brains. Maybe for once you won't cause as much destruction."

"You cause just as much destruction as I do, Ice Princess."

"Who're you calling ice princess, dimwit?"

"You trying to start a fight, stripper?"

"Hell, you started it, fire breath."

Just as Natsu was about to spew yet another insult, the quarreling two were caught off guard by a sudden screen of smoke claiming the room.

Coughing, Gray could barely make out three shapes coming towards him before he was forced to close his eyes to block out the eye watering gas. The lack of oxygen causing his stance to waver slightly. Damn, he had been so caught up with fighting with the fire idiot that he didn't even notice that their attackers had prepared for a new attack. He mentally cursed himself before the smoke assaulting his nostrils finally caused him to pass out.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

"Stupid... Come out and fight me like men you little bastards!" Natsu stammered in between coughs, clutching the whimpering Happy close to his chest. As a fire mage he was able to withstand smoke better than most others, making it so he was still able to somewhat move around, however even with his advanced sight he was barely able to see his hand in front of his face.

Deeming it best to stand his guard in a defensive position, the salamander waited until the assaulting gas fled the room.

"What... where the hell did those bastards go?!" The slayer raged, his fists flaring as he scanned the spot the trio was previously inhabiting. Damn it, he was too distracted with the ice mage to notice that the black clad group had set up offensive procedures.

Speaking of the stripper, he turned around to blame Gray for the enemies' escape, only for him to stiffen. He and Happy were the only ones left in the room and the dark blue haired youth was no where to be seen.

"Happy, have you seen Gray?" He inquired, thinking for a moment that perhaps the pervert had left the room in search of fresh air, but his thoughts were quickly distinguished when Happy shook his head.

"No, sir." He sighed before glancing towards the open door. Had the ice mage left the room voluntarily he would have no doubt returned, yelling at the pinkette about allowing the men to escape.

"They took him..."

Yes... That was the only explanation behind it. They must have set the explosive off in order to knock the two out and take them as captives. unfortunately their plan was tarnished when the fire mage remained very much alert if not a bit sluggish. Gray, however, stood no chance remaining awake with smoke. After all, it was what was produced from fire, thus making it hard for an icy person to handle.

"They fucking took him! I'll kill them!"

How dare they freaking take that icy bastard from him! Sure he was egotistical, annoying, stupid, irritating, infuriating... wait... he was beginning to get off topic there... Anyway, despite the ice mage being every one of those things listed he was still a part of his family and one of his best friends. He also just so happened to be his current and foremost crush... Not that he would tell anyone that.

"I'll skin those asses alive!" He fumed, a light blush creeping up on his cheeks upon thinking about the attraction he felt towards the raven. It was something that he hated to admit to himself, seeing as it only ever served as an emotional pain. There was surely no way Gray Fullbuster would love him. After all, that raven haired, girl popular male was as straight as an arrow... wasn't he?

Ugh, this definitely was not the time to sort out his emotional feelings! Right now he had to find those fashionless people and beat the shit out of them until they told him where they took Gray!  
"Come on, Happy, let's find those crooks and that ice bastard!"

"Aye sir!"

Running out of the room, Natsu and his feline companion raced down the large hallways, breaking down door after door in search of his comrade and his assualters.

Countless doors and hallways later, the dragon slayer was completely confused and annoyed. It had already been an hour and so far he had found absolutely no sign as to where the raven was. Every passing moment only managed to add-on to his rage.

"You like himmm." Happy purred, smirking as he saw his best friend look around, a worried expression creeping onto his face for a moment before it disappeared once again.

"Me like that stripper? You're insane Happy!"

He felt his face heat up slightly and he hurriedly looked away from the cat, acting as though he was merely strategizing. Geez, were his emotions really that obvious?

"Sureee Natsu." The winged feline knew his friend far too well to know that he was lying. They shared a room for gods sake.

It wasn't as though that information was all that surprising to Happy, though. He'd known about it for at least several weeks, seeing as he was awoken one night by Natsu's soft, sleep filled voice. At first the blue animal had thought nothing of his friend's muttering. He commonly would talk about food or dragons while he was off in dream land. It was only when he heard a familiar name that the cat's interest was peaked. Natsu had whispered Gray's name in what Happy called Natsu's loving voice.

Intrigued by his best friend's mumblings, the exceed flew so he was hovering over the pinkette; suppressing his laughter as he saw just why the slayer was speaking his rival's name.

There the fearless Natsu Dragneel was, his body curled up possessively around a pillow, one arm sprawled out over the top of it while the other laced around the bottom. His top hand absent mindedly rubbed the white silk pillow case as the fire mage nuzzled the fabric, muttering Gray's name yet again.

It didn't take a genius to realize that in the salamander's dream it was Gray that was nestled up to the hot head instead of the soft dowry pillow. Happy couldn't help but find the scene to be cute.

Despite the ever-growing urge to tease his best friend about his attraction, the blue feline never brought the matter up with Natsu. Even he knew it was best not to bring that topic up, seeing as it was no doubt a sore spot. Happy was well aware that the pinkette was silently hurting, having been convinced that Gray loved Juvia instead of him.

"Ugh! I don't know what to do!" The fire mage whined, plopping down on the ground as he crossed his arms. So far he had only managed to cause 6 explosions, 2 fires and 1 ass in flames. He was now completely drained of ideas.

"Let's play a game! Maybe it'll help you think of where Gray can be."

Completely out of other ideas, Natsu begrudgedly agreed.

"Let's play shiritori. I'll say a word and you answer with another word beginning with the last letter of the word I said. Let's go. My word is fish!"

The pink haired male sighed. What a surprise.

"Umm.. Hungry."

"Yellow."

"Window."

"Whitefir."

"What the hell is that?"

"A type of fish, of course!"  
The fire mage groaned.

"Ramen."

"Noodles."

"The only thing this game is doing is making me hungry!"

"Ah, come on, Natsu, continue. It's fun!"

Apparently the cat and slayer had two different definitions of fun. To Natsu nothing that involved using his brain, besides in fights, was considered fun.

"Scarf."

"Fish!"

"You already said that, Happy!"

"Oh, right..." He hesitated a moment. "Family!"

"Fairy Tail."

"That's two words, Natsu, no fair! It also doesn't even start with Y!"

"Ugh, fine. Yelling."

"Gray."

Silence settled between the two at that name before Natsu suddenly jumped up, the game temporarily forgotten.

"Shit! Gray! We don't have time to play this stupid game!"

Without wasting any further time the fire mage sped down the hallway yet again, searching for clues that he had not found earlier.

Suddenly he caught a scent that he had not smelt before. It smelt of fresh winter air and vanilla. It was the scent that he had grown to adore over the years. The smell that was distinctly Gray Fullbuster."  
"Oy, happy! I smell him, come on!"

Allowing his nose to lead the way, the dragon slayer and exceed found themselves back in a familiar room. The same room that they had last seen Gray in. For a moment he believed it to be an old scent, but a part of him pressed on, telling him that it was far too strong to have been from an hour ago.

Glancing around the room, Natsu caught sight of the bookshelf to the edge of the room. The side of it was slightly ajar, revealing a slight trace of light. Everything clicked into place.

Those cowards had stashed themselves away in their secret spot behind the bookshelf the moment they released the smoke bomb. It was a rather good plan, that much Natsu had to admit. His senses were temporarily disoriented from the onslaught of smoke, making it so he could not smell the black clad males disappear along with Gray behind the wooden piece of furniture.

Of course after having regained his sight the fire mage had headed straight towards the open door, not even considering the fact that there could have been secret pathways throughout the old building. He couldn't help but mentally kick himself at his stupidity.

"Come on, Happy. I know exactly where those idiots took Gray!"

"Do you now?"

A strange voice caused Natsu to pause halfway towards the bookshelf, his attention swiftly turning to the location of the voice.

"I must applaud you, salamander. It only took you an hour to figure out where we were hiding."

"What the hell?! Are you mocking me?!" Onyx eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other, anger searing through his blood. He absolutely despised being insulted!

"Maybe just a bit."

Glancing up, the dragon slayer just managed to jump to the side to dodge an attack sent towards him, seemingly from the roof. With a swift glance upwards Natsu caught sight of a figure jumping quietly from rafter to rafter.

"Tell me where Gray is right now!" He demanded, his hands igniting as he shot them up towards the figure, not caring that his clothing supposedly protected him from being affected by magic.

"Gray... Ah yes, that ice wizard from before. I'm afraid I have no reason to inform you of his whereabouts."

"I'll just have to force it from you then!"

With a single leap the dragon slayer set one of the rafters ignite, watching with a grin as the fire quickly spread from one wooden section of the roof, to the other, swiftly and surely setting the wooden borders of that section of the roof aflame.

A loud crashing sound rang throughout the guild as a large pose crumbled to the ground along with the fair skinned enemy.

"Your destructive nature presudes the rumors." The taller male mumbled, rubbing the back of his head where it had painfully struck the floor. "You are even more reckless than I thought. Setting the whole roof on fire like that..."

"ENough talk! If ya aren't gonna tell me where my comrade is than I'll just have to make you."

Any trace of entertainment lacing the slayer's voice was now gone as onxy eyes narrowed, his resolve to find Gray merely deepening.

The fight continued on without a hitch from then on. Fist clashed with fist and legs flew gracefully as the two engaged in a fearful battle of strength and skill. The salamander focused solely on his martial arts and was rather proud to find that even without his magic he was a pretty damn good brawler. He secretly thanked Gray for insisting on their fights in the guild to usually remain magic free, seeing as neither really enjoyed the clean up that followed when their combination of ice and fire destroyed large sections of the guild structure.

For several minutes their little encounter continued until finally the black clothed person let out a low chuckle, catching the pinkette by surprise.

"What the hell are you laughing about now, moron?!" Natsu huffed.

"You really are not as much of a threat without the assistance of that ice boy, now are ya? I must admit, before you had my comrades and I a little spooked with your team work, although alone you are nothing more than a pushover. I expected more from the great salamander. Well... too bad... I'm afraid we don't have any further use for you. We already have your friend to get all the information about Fairy Tail that we need." A pale hand came up to gently tap a clothed black chin, almost as though the male was in thought. "He's pretty stubborn, though. He refused to talk. Luckily we have ways to... persuade him into it. Shouldn't be long now before he finally drops the macho act and spills."  
Natsu's body went rigid at the other's words. His heart sped up and he felt his blood quicken through his veins. They had Gray and were no doubt torturing him. They dared hurt the one person besides Happy and Igneel that meant the world to him.

He.

Was.

So.

Dead.

"If you so much as lay a finger on him I will kill you!" He roared, flames flaring throughout his body as he stepped closer to his attacker. The air in the room rose several degrees and a feral glint was apparent in the slayer's eyes. Truly, the pale male should have known better than to antagonize an enraged dragon slayer.

Sensing the pink haired youth's sudden increase in hostility, the tight suited male gulped and stepped back, his hands out and ready to defend himself from any attack the slayer sent at him.

"This suit makes you a coward." Natsu growled, his canines considerably longer as his rage only continued to grow. "You hide behind it instead of fighting like a real wizard. You also torture others just for your own amusement. You. Make. Me. Sick!"

A rough onslaught of punches sprang from the fiery male, all sense of reasoning leaving him as he felt his bare fists collide painfully with his enemie's covered skin. While the suit was handy with repelling magic, it was absolutely useless when dealing with physical attacks. The goggles also seemed to make it more difficult for the wearer to see, making his weak points all too obvious to the fire wizard.

Within seconds the battle - if one would even call it that- was over and the pale man lay motionless on the ground. His beloved black uniform was torn in several places and bruises as well as cuts lined the little skin visable. THe only sign that the other was even still alive was the shallow breaths that carefully resounded from him.

"Great Job, Natsu!" Happy cheered, glomping his friend on the head. You beat him!"

"Go find Lucy and Erza, Happy."

The cat blinked. Very rarely did he ever hear Natsu's serious tone.

"B-but... what about you..."

"i'll be fine. I'm just going to beat the rest of these idiots, find Gray and leave." He offered his friend a small, reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll make sure that icy streaker comes back safe and sound."

"A-aye, sir... If you say so..."

With one last hug Happy flew out of the room in search for the girls while Natsu slammed the bookcase aside, hastily clearing the stairs behind it. This just had to be where they were keeping the ice wizard.

His suspisions were confirmed as he made it further down the countless stairs, just barely catching the muffled voices that could be heard several a ways down. There was one voice that even at such a low volume the dragon slayer could recognize. Just by the tone he could tell that it belonged to an extremely annoyed Fairy Tail stripper. That realization just caused the dragon slayer to speed up even more.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Gray was absolutely, positively, undeniably pissed off. There was no doubt about that and the two idiots who kept pestering him were certainly not assisting his poor mood in the slightest.

"You are too stubborn for your own good, boy." A green haired man chided, an irritated expression on his face.

"Like hell I am telling you anything about Fairy Tail." He spat, his glare deadly as he stared at the green and blued haired males standing before him.

At the moment the ice mage was currently kneeling on the ground, his arms tied painfully behind his back as his torturers continued to question him. He had awoken what felt like hours ago with a throbbing headache and two of the three black clad males watching over him. Since then they had removed their suits, seeing him as no threat considering he was unable to use his magic in his current position.

Of course he flat out refused to spill secrets about any members of Fairy Tail. He would much rather die than betray any member of his dysfunctional family.

It was this stubbornness that resulted in the blood steadily falling down many whip marks on his back and chest, however his resolve had not faded at all. He could endure this physical pain, after all, he was no stranger to discomfort.

Throughout his punishments he hadn't uttered a sound, deciding to instead bite his lip and fight against the whimpers and moans of pain that wanted so desperately to leave him with every lash of the leather whip the taller of the two males handled. If he got free, or rather, when he got free, they were in a world of pain. That he mentally promised.

Although, there was one other thing that bothered the ice make mage. He hadn't seen Natsu since their quarrel earlier and he couldn't help but wonder where and how he was. Were they questioning him too? Was he still well? Was he still free and looking for him?

He groaned inwardly at the last thought. Hell, if the dragon slayer was free and he saved him then the ice mage was certain that he wouldn't hear the end of it for weeks. He would continuously boast about how he, Natsu Dragneel, had managed to save the wimpy Gray Fullbuster like he was some damsel in distress, which was not the case, that much was assured.

But, the raven supposed that perhaps that was not that bad. The taunting would be, of course, but it would also mean that the slayer would be wearing that goofy grin nonstop. The very smile that Gray had grown to adore. Then again, he secretly admired everything about his comrade. He had for quite a while now.

Yes, he admitted it. Over the last few months of working together on the same team the dark blue haired male had grown to have special feelings for the fire mage. Feelings that could be considered romantic.

That was something that only he and his walls knew, though. He was honestly too embrassed to tell anyone about his crush, let alone the salamander himself. He feared that the other would be disgusted by him. It was obvious that Natsu loved Lucy anyway, so he settled with keeping his true emotions hidden behind a cold exterioior and witty retorts. Gray supposed that as long as the pinkette was happy, that would be enough.

"Hey, ice boy, this is no time to space out!"

He was yanked from his musing by a harsh attack on his back, causing him to let out a slight grunt. Crap, that one had taken him by surprise.

"Finally a sound, huh? Now then, are you g-..."

The dark skinned individual was cut off by a sudden growl from the doorway to the hidden room. There, standing behind them, was one severely outraged dragon slayer. All it took was a pained sound from Gray for Natsu to completely lose the little self-control he still maintained. Now he was past furious. His dragon instincts were taking over and he truly had no problem with that. He wanted those men to _pay_.

Everything occurred so swiftly that even the ice mage was baffled, watching his rival with wide eyes as he came at his two captors with every ounce of his power. Burning hot flames consumed the room, the two enemies helpless without their magic canceling suits. Within moments both were down for the count, skin red from the burnings they had received.

Then, the dragon like fire mage turned his attention to Gray, who merely gulped as he watched the slayer with weary eyes. He hadn't seen Natsu get like this in a long, _long_ time. It sent a shiver down the shirtless male's spine.

"Gray..." Natsu's voice softened as he knelt beside the restrained raven, his eyes checking him over once, seemingly analyzing his wounds. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy." He grumbled, his eyes still trained on the dragon slayer, uncertain as to whether he was in control of his actions or not.

Gray, expecting a sassy retort from the fire mage, was severely shocked when instead he was pulled into the other's lap, finding himself in a breathtaking hug.

"N-Natsu?" He blinked, never before had Natsu actually hugged him of his own accord.

"I'm so relieved that you are alright..."

The maker magic mage could solely blink up at his companion, confusion spreading throughout his face. Natsu was hugging him...? He never treated him this way. In fact, the only people he ever held like this were the girls when they were hurt.

For some reason that realization angered the raven. The fire mage was treating him like a freaking girl!

"Of course I am, hothead. I could have taken them on my own had you not butted in."

Natsu let out a breathless chuckle as he rolled his eyes and grinned at the boy in his grasp.

"Yeah, right, because you seem to have been having great progress." Loosening his arms slightly, the dragon slayer carefully inspected the pale skinned male's bare chest, incredibly unpleased to find several whip lashes marking his porcelain skin. hesitating a moment, the pinkette trailed a hand carefully down the other's back, his teeth clenching as his fingers gently nicked several more wounds lacing his friend's back.

Gray immediately stiffened as he felt warm hands glaze over his injuries, although he dared not show any outer sign of the pain searing through his body. Instead he pulled at his bonded hands and glowered at his rival. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy being this close to the slayer, but he hated the circumstances. He was completely vulnerable in this position and there was nothing more he despised than experiencing that, especially when they were still in an enemie's guild.

"Whatever, just untie me, sulfur brain."

Glancing up from the red gashes lining the ice mage's torso and chest, onyx eyes met challenging cobalt eyes, causing the fire wizard to smirk, his arms remaining around the ice mage.

"Oh, so the pervert needs my help now, huh?"

"Shut the hell up, squinty eyes!" He huffed, squirming in his captors arms for several futile moments before grunting and looking away from the fire mage, a light blush creeping up his neck. Just what the hell was this buffoon playing at?! "Just untie me already!"  
"Hm..." Natsu glanced up as though he was considering the idea before ultimately shaking his head, a cheeky smile decorating his face. "Nah, it's funny seeing you like this."

"Natsu..." His voice came out in an annoyed growl. Gray hated being in such a close proximity with this male because he knew far too well that the fire mage thought nothing of it. To him this was no doubt just a way to antagonize him. The damn flame had no idea how much he affected the raven and he never would as far as Gray was concerned. He had lost far too many of the ones he loved that, while the idea of Natsu ever being with another killed him on the inside, he had long ago accepted it. No one he loved stayed around for long anyway. "Stop teasing me already! Besides, the sooner we leave the sooner you can return to hanging out with Lucy."

The pink haired youth's smile wavered slightly at the mentioning of the blondes name. Why did that matter right now?

"What?"

Gray snickered and finally mustered up the courage to look his companion in the eyes. Did he freaking stutter? No, of course the idiot would make him state it aloud. After all, the raven knew why Natsu had been looking confused throughout the entire mission. He was no doubt worrying about whether that celestial mage was alright or not. Even the worried expressions that crossed his tan features were because of her, Gray just knew it.

"Just untie me already before I freeze your ass, squinty eyes." Like hell he was going to tell the fire slayer why. The walls the ice mage had built around himself were not already threatening to shatter as he sat, straddling his friend's lap.

Natsu tilted his head to the side, noticing the annoyed flicker in his rival's blue eyes. What did Lucy have to do with this?

"Wait, Gray..." The fire mages voice lowered slightly as he leaned closer to the dark blue haired boy, smirking to himself as he watched the others eyes widen in confusion. "Stay still for a moment..."

Moving one hand from the other's back, the salamander tilted his comrade's chin up so the rave was forced to look into his eyes once again.

"There's something I've been wanting to try, so stay put, snow princess."

Gray opened his mouth to protest to the nickname when his words were swallowed by the fire mage as he gently pressed his warm lips to the ice mage's cold ones. Starting out slowly in order to figure out how he felt about the kiss, Natsu steadily deepened it when he felt his heart flutter. Tightening his grip on his partner, Natsu couldn't help but smile softly to himself. The snowman was so going to kill him after this, but it would definitely be worth it.

After several breathless moments the fire wizard pulled away, mentally preparing himself for the insulting words that he was sure was going to erupt from the no doubt seething boy. However after several seconds of silence the slayer dared a glance up at the ice mage, deeply surprised to find a bright blush adorning the pale cheeks of his rival.

"Damn fire..." Gray breathed, looking up at the pinkette, "If your gonna start something you better finish it."  
Natsu blinked, barely managing a soft "eh?"

Feeling no need to answer him, the creator magic mage leaned forward, pushing their lips together once again. This feeling... Of being so close to the slayer... It was a feeling the ice wizard never wanted to disappear.

Their lips locked and a battle for dominance quickly grew, resulting in the fire mage winning when his hand slipped over a bleeding wound, causing the raven to gasp softly. Taking the chance, Natsu slipped his tongue greedily in the other's mouth as he gasped, adoring the flavor that was strictly Gray. Barely suppressing a low moan, the pinkette pulled away. This was certainly not the time to allow things to progress further.

Panting, the two broke apart, staring into one another's eyes as they caught their breaths.

"U-untie me..."

The dragon slayer, no longer in the mood to continue his teasing, absent mindedly nodding before shifting Gray off his lap and untied the tight ropes binding the pale wrists together.

As soon as the restraint fell to the ground the slayer was sent backwards by a fist colliding with his cheek.

"What the hell was that for?!" He sputtered, bringing a hand up to caress his cheek as he narrowed his eyes at the blue eyed male. This was certainly a delayed reaction for the kiss.

"That was for being an ass about untying me right away." The raven breathed, steadily raising to his feet before sticking a hand out to the downed pink haired male, helping him up to his feet as well. "And this is for the kiss." Leaning forward, he gently kissed a tan cheek, simpering as a blush shaded the other's face.

Silence lingered between the two for a few moments before Gray finally mustered up the courage to speak once more.

"So... Where does this put... us..?"

"Huh? Well isn't that obvious?"

THe fire mage was met with a blank look.

"You're my mate now, of course." He grinned, gently patting the ice mage on the head, too wary of his wounds to touch anywhere else, "Right?" After all, that kiss just had to mean something!

The Fairy Tail stripper snickered softly and shook his head slightly before looking over at Natsu, a matching smile on his face.

"Right, but if you _ever_ treat me like a girl again I'll freeze your balls off."

Feigning a wince, the dragon slayer gulped and nodded.

"Fine, ice princess, but that doesn't stand true for the bedroom."

Gaping, the ice mage clenched his hands.

"L-like hell it does, pinky!"

Rolling his eyes, Natsu glanced over his shoulder at the sound of low groaning, only to find the two previously passed out men back on their feet.

"Let's finish what we started, huh, ice block? Then we can continue talking about us."

Gray liked the sound of that.

"Bring it on, ash for brains."

"Oh, and we may want to hurry this up... I kinda sorta set the roof of the building on fire before, so it should be crumbling down right about..." A rumbling sound filled the guild, almost on cue with the fire mage's words, causing the ground to shake beneath them, "Now..."

"Idiot..." The dark blue haired man rolled his eyes before bringing his fists together, ready to finish the mission. "Well then let's hurry this up."

Sparing one last grin at one another the two rivals attacked in union, fire and ice dancing together in perfect harmony.

**There we have it~ **

**Also, I have a little side note. I may be unable to update for the next few days because my computer needs to be fixed. At the moment I am using my sister's computer, but I will not be able to write as much as peruse. So Shattered ice and To thaw a frozen heart as well as this story may have to wait a few days to be updated. Sorry, lovelies. **


	7. Chapter 7: Love rivalsEVERYWHERE!

**Here's a one shot based on a request from DreamscomeTRUEEE revolving around Natsu seeing Love rivals in everyone. XD Enjoy~**

**Warnings: Violence, Protective!Natsu, slight (maybe) OOC, cursing and Yaoi.**

Gray sighed softly as he leaned forward onto his arms, which were folded on Fairy Tail's bar. The sun had only been up for a few hours, but to the raven it felt like days. His gaze was set absentmindedly to the sweating cup of ice water placed before him; his mind wandering elsewhere.  
"What's wrong, Gray?" A cheerful voice inquired, causing the ice mage to look up from his drink. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even realized that Mira had come up to him, glass and towel in hand. Of course if anyone would notice his suppressed mood it would be her.  
The creator magic mage shrugged tiredly before he mindlessly twirled his half empty glass around, watching in mild interest as the liquid and ice became a whirlpool, threatening to go flying from the glass at any moment.  
Letting out a low giggle the white haired female looked at the visibly exhausted male.  
"Is it _that_ time again?"  
Gray glanced up from his whirling water to the she devil before releasing another sigh, nodding as he did.  
"Yeah, it seems to be."  
"Well, I'm surprised that he even let you leave alone then."  
The maker magic mage chuckled softly, his mood perking up,  
"It wasn't easy, but I managed to sneak out before he woke up. I just wanted a little time to myself, you know?"  
With a slight nod her grin widened.  
"I'll warn the others then, although it's interesting to watch them find out about it on their own." She winked.  
"Sometimes, but the bastard flame gets too annoying about it, even more so than normal."  
"I don't know, Gray, I think it's cute."  
"Cute my ass. He's damn insane during this time. Dragon slayers are too crazy..."  
"They certainly are unique." Mirajane agreed as she busied herself with drying off the cup she held, "But they are also..."  
She cut her sentence short at the sound of the guild doors slamming open, allowing the cold winter air to breeze throughout the otherwise warm guild. Several complaints filed throughout the building, all telling the person who entered to hurry up and close the door. However, their words fell to deaf ears as the individual who entered settled instead with scanning the crowd, almost as though he was looking for someone.  
Rolling his cobalt eyes, the raven mumbled softly under his breath as onyx eyes finally settled on him.  
"Speak of the devil..."  
There, standing with a look of anger and worry, was Fairy Tail's own Fire Dragon slayer.  
"There you are, you ice bastard!" The pinkette growled as he hastily stomped over to the dark blue haired male. His eyes were narrowed as he stopped centimeters from Gray; a mixture of emotions flashing across his tan face as his gaze shifted from Mira to Gray. He released a low growl at their close proximity.  
Taking the hint, the S class wizard offered the ice mage one last smile before disappearing into the kitchen, no doubt to begin preparations for lunch.  
Natsu studied the other for a moment before taking a seat beside him, their knees touching due to their closeness. Judging by the heat radiating from the pinkette, Gray could tell that his anger was still very much present.  
"Why'd you leave without telling me, ice princess?"  
Shrugging slightly, the creator magic wizard turned his attention back to the glass he had returned to twirling.  
"Just wanted some time to myself, hot head."  
"Well don't do it again, Gray."  
Gray? Surprised, the raven looked over at the flame. Natsu never called him Gray unless he was serious.  
"Since when are you the boss of me, ash for brains?"  
Screw it, there was no way in hell he was going to let that moron tell him what to do, boyfriend or not.  
"Since you became _my_ mate, dummy. I don't like you being around anyone else when I'm not there."  
The dark blue haired male groaned and ran a pale hand through his hair. Oh yes, it was definitely _that_ time again.  
Stifling a surprised gasp, the ice mage stiffened as he felt a hand wrap protectively around his waist before pulling him over so that he was practically sitting on the slayer's lap.  
"Damn, sulfur brain, let me go!"  
Smirking, the fire mage nuzzled his mate's neck before whispering into his ear softly.  
"Aw, come on, snow queen, don't be so sensitive."  
Well aware that the raven did not particularly care for PDA, seeing as it made him feel embarrassed, the dragon slayer continued trailing warm kisses down his neck. After all, he enjoyed teasing _his_ Gray.  
"Tch." The raven pushed at the other's chest in irritation, a warm blush creeping up his face. "Bastard..."  
Natsu grinned before leaning over to kiss his lover's cheek, the protective hand around his waist not moving in the slightest, despite the ice mage's efforts.  
A low whimper pulled both mage's attention from one another, their sights instead turning to rest on the water mage that was standing just inches away from the ice mage's back; way too close for Natsu's preference.  
"Gray-sama..." The water woman whispered, her gaze downcast as she fidgeted; a light blush on her cheeks. "T-there is a waterworks show going on later today and Juvia was wondering if Gray-sama would like to come with her..."  
"Huh?" Pushing the fire mage aside, the raven managed to move around so that he was turned towards the female. "There is? It's been a while since-..."  
"No, he can't." Natsu growled, swirling around to face the water mage as well, his eyes narrowing as he wrapped his arms back around the raven possessively.  
The dragon slayer glared at the blue haired wizard as the temperature in the room increased. That rain woman was well aware that he and her 'beloved Gray-sama' were together, yet her approaches onto him never decreased in the slightest. Needless to say that did not sit well with Natsu at all. That stupid pervert was his and his alone, although it seemed like no one respected that. To the fire mage everyone was his love rival.  
Cana, Lucy, Erza, Gajeel, Lyon, Loke, Juvia, Mirajane, _everyone_ was a potential threat to his and Gray's relationship; therefore he wouldn't let anyone near them.  
"Just give up already, will ya?"  
Juvia blinked up at the fire mage, taken by surprise. She had asked Gray, after all, not Natsu...  
"W-what...? G-give up...?"  
"Gray is mine, so give up." The pinkette's voice was low and gruff as his arms constricted around his mate. Ignoring the other's protests, he continued, " Besides, he'll be with _me_ tonight."  
"B-but..."  
"No buts. Go annoy someone else now." He raised his chin up slightly and flicked his wrist at her in a shooing manner.  
"Gray-sama is Juvia's prince! Juvia can't just give on him!"  
"No, he's my princess."  
"All along Juvia thought Lucy was her love rival but it turns out its Natsu!"  
Letting out an exasperated sigh, the ice mage turned around and leaned back on his elbows, attempting to block out the fighting fire and water mage. Really, they could act so childish sometimes.  
"Having fun?"  
Gray glanced to the side and allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he shrugged slightly.  
"Definitely, nothing like an idiot induced headache in the morning."  
The orange haired male chuckled softly at his friend's response before sitting beside him, ignoring the quarrels individuals that were now both standing up, leaving the raven alone for the moment.  
"From the way Natsu is acting I'm guessing it's _that_ time again?"  
Gray groaned and nodded.  
"Yeah, it's dragon mating season again."  
Loke smiled and adjusted his blue tinted glasses before he waved to Mirajane, wanting to place a drink order.  
"Yeah, I figured. He's only ever this easy to anger and this jealous when that time comes around. Although he is pretty much both of those things normally too."  
"So even you've noticed too, huh?" Gray snickered and shook his head, waiting for Mirajane to take the cat's drink order before attempting to change the subject. "So, how are you and Lucy getting along?"  
The celestial spirit's mood seemed to brighten at the mention of his and the blonde's relationship.  
"Wonderful. It's been hard not to flirt with every girl I see, but I'm getting better." He sighed happily and eagerly took a sip of the glass the she devil had just laid before him, "She's wonderful. I'm so glad she finally accepted my declarations of love."  
Gray nodded and offered his best friend a reassuring smile. Lucy had finally agreed to go out with the lion a few months ago and the male had been completely giddy ever since. The raven assumed that that was the reason why the orange haired male was even in the guild at the moment.  
"Well, I wish the best for you, man. It seems like Lucy's really into you."  
"You think so? That's great." He smirked, "So, how are you and Natsu?"  
The creator magic mage groaned before gesturing towards where the fire mage stood, now somehow in a fight with Gajeel. Gray guessed it was because the iron dragon slayer had accidentally come within five feet of the ice mage.  
"Pretty good, I guess. He's just too damn possessive. I swear, I'm going to freeze him one of these days."  
Loke chuckled, "Well, what did you expect? You are messing with a dragon slayer, after all."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right. But still…"  
"What exactly are you two doing?"  
Glancing over his shoulder, the ice mage wasn't surprised to find an annoyed looking pink haired male standing behind the cat and himself, his tan arms crossed firmly over his muscular chest.  
"I'm talking to Loke about Lucy, you know, his girlfriend."  
He hoped that bringing up the fact that the celestial spirit already had a relationship would lessen his mate's anger, however, that hardly seemed to occur.  
Instead, Natsu plopped back down beside the raven before wrapping his arms around his waist and rested his chin on his bare shoulder, his narrowed eyes set on the cat.  
The orange haired older male raised an eyebrow at the slayer and felt a small smile curl onto his lips.  
"Calm down, Natsu, Gray's cool and all but I don't swing that way. I prefer the ladies."  
"If you say so…" Tugging the ice mage closer against his chest, the fire mage ordered a plate of fish, his tense posture not lessening in the slightest at the lion's words.  
Gray rolled his eyes and mouthed a silent apology to the spirit, who in turn merely offered him an understanding nod. After all, this would be the second mating season that the two were together for. Everyone had learned not to mess with the fire or ice mage during the first occurrence.  
However, there were still the few who didn't take it to heart. Juvia was an example.  
Silence dwindled between the three, that is, until both Loke and Gray reached over to grab their drinks, which resulted in the two's arms to ever so slightly touch. That was the spark that set off the fire.  
Within seconds the dragon slayer was at the lion's neck, the blue glasses flying off at the sudden force.  
"Natsu!" The ice mage yelped, landing harshly on the floor due to his mate's sudden movement, "What the hell, hot head? Damn it, calm down, ash for brains!"  
Unfortunately his curses fell to deaf ears, for the dragon slayer was already busy brawling with the spirit, who happily obliged. After all, he was no stranger to the Fairy Tail's infamous brawls.  
Within moments the severely pissed off pinkette had somehow, but not surprisingly, managed to in cooperate almost everyone in the guild into their fight. However, his main target was still the orange haired male.  
Gray wanted to join the fight but decided against it. After all, he was certain that that would just encourage his mate's ever growing jealousy. And to think that they still had another 6 days of this.  
Groaning in obvious distress, the ice mage merely glanced over at the celestial mage as she walked over to him, attempting to avoid being pulled into the large scale fight.  
"You may not want to get too close to me." He warned, crossing his arms over his pale chest as he went back to watching his destructive boyfriend.  
Lucy nodded as she watched her celestial boyfriend as well, sighing. "I know, I could tell from how he was acting. At first I thought it was kinda cute, but now it just causes more destruction." She sweat dropped, "So, I'm guessing that means you two won't be going on any missions this week?"  
Gray shook his head.  
"No, the damn idiot will barely let me leave the house, let alone go on a mission, and I can only freeze him for so long before he escapes." He would know, seeing as he had tried to last mating season, with little success.  
Lucy frowned and mumbled. "Of course… Just when rent is due too… Well… I guess I can always…"  
The dark blue haired male tuned the blonde out as she began going on about other ways she could go about gathering money to pay her rent. Instead, having had enough of the pinkette's moronic ways, he made his way into the mess of Fairy tail members until he reached the now somewhat scaly slayer.  
"Come on, fire bastard, you're giving me a headache."  
Natsu finally tore his gaze away from the cat, his expression softening as he looked at his mate. His eyes were slitted and his canines enlarged, showing that his dragon instincts were slowly taking him over.  
Without a word of warning, the fire mage lifted the ice mage into his arms before growling in warning at Loke, walking towards the exit as he did.  
"Put me the hell down, flame brain! Don't carry me like a freaking girl!"  
"Calm down, snow cone. Everyone needs to know who you belong to, it's as simple as that." Placing a rough kiss on the raven's lips, the fire mage smirked, "You're my little ice princess and I plan to spend all week making that clear to you."  
The ice mage gulped before punching at his boyfriend's chest, smiling pridefully at the grunt of pain that escaped the pinkette. Damn, the ash for brains was even more delusional about love rivals than Juvia.  
Oh yes, Gray was certain now. This was going to be a very long week.

**Seeing as I was attempting to keep everyone in character, I didn't add as many encounters as I was originally planning, however I hope that was acceptable ^.^ Truthfully, the way I like writing Protective Natsu makes him very dominant and OOC, so I have to watch myself :P**

**Alright, well, this chapter aside, of the late I have received quite a few requests relating to one shots. First of all, I would like to say thank you to everyone. I love getting requests, seeing as they are all such wonderful ideas. However, I do complete them based off of first come first serve basis, so I apologize if it takes a few chapters to write about what you requested.**

**Another thing, Usually I will accept requests. There are very few I will turn down, but I'll put a few rules relating to that, just so everyone knows what not to expect to see.**

**1. Like the description says, I will only write Natray (Seme!Natsu X Uke!Gray), not Gratsu (Seme!Gray X Uke! Natsu), for several reasons. Mainly because most of the Natsu X Gray fandom is Gratsu and also because I have a hard time imagining Gray ever dominating another male XD **

**2. I've never written Lemon before, so I'm still contemplating whether I ever will. If you request a scene that I cannot guarantee that it will happen. I get too embarrassed when I try to write it, sorry.**

**3. Non con. I'm iffy on that topic, so the probability of me ever writing something like that is slim. At most it might be mentioned, but even that is unlikely.**

**That's about it. Don't be afraid to request as many ideas as you like, so far I plan on writing every one I've received, so keep an eye out. **

**Thank you all for reading this very long authors note XD**


	8. Chapter 8: Extinguished flames

**Warnings: Cursing, Major character death, maybe OOC, depressing themes and Yaoi.**

Gray stared at the motionless figure on the bed, his face expressionless as he gently ran his fingers through the familiar pink locks. Disbelief flooded his heart as he studied the paler than usual face. There was no way this could be happening, right? It took more than a simple mission to kill the fire clown…. Didn't it?

Leaning down, the raven gently brushed stray pink locks from the other male's face.

"Gray… You should go home and rest…" The blonde sitting beside him encouraged, resting her hand on his pale shoulder in an attempt to gain his attention.

"What? And miss the chance to kick the flamebrain's ass the moment he wakes up?"

No, ever since the fire mage had originally been brought in to the hospital he spent every free moment he had at his side. Any other time he spent on missions, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they would help distract him from the matter at hand.

"It's not healthy to keep living like this…" Lucy insisted, her brown eyes staring at the ice mage's back pleadingly. It had been two months since the dragon slayer had fallen into a coma without the slightest hint of movement. Things truly looked bad for the boy.

"I'm fine, Luce, really."

"Gray… Everyone knows that's not true. You have hardly spoken to anyone in the guild since the accident…"

That was true, but how could he speak to others like he used to, knowing that the fire mage could not? To make it worse he was the reason Natsu was even in this situation.

"Everyone is worried deeply about him, but also you, "She tried again, desperately trying to get through to her friend. Lately he seemed to have pulled away from the guild and his friends, "This isn't your fault. Please don't think it is…"

The dark blue haired male let out a humorless chuckle before sparing a slight glance at the female, his eyes showing his inner distress, but he remained silent.

"Please Gray…."

Tearing his gaze away from the celestial mage, the ice wizard settled his view on the far window. Like hell he would admit that he was actually deeply concerned for the dumbass. He shouldn't have cared this much. They were rivals, for god's sake! Complete enemies! There was no reason for him to care about him…

But he did. Rival or not, he was still his best friend, even if he didn't admit it out loud.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be, Gray! Don't make us worry about you too…. Natsu wouldn't want that…"

The creator magic wizard sighed irritably and shook his head.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Luce. That I think he will be fine? That he'll wake up from it like he always does? Well damn it, I can't!"

His fists clenched at his side as he looked down, his bangs hiding his expression. "He's dying and _I_ am the one to blame… He is losing his life because of _me_…"

If he had only noticed that the enemy on their last mission had set traps than none of this would have even happened. If he had just stepped to the right instead of the left then he wouldn't have been ensnared in that damn rune trap and the dragon slayer, who always just had to be the hero, wouldn't have jumped in front of him, taking the extent of the trap himself.

That magic spell that was triggered to hit the one that entered the trap was a deadly type of attack that sucked all magic energy away from the victim's body, leaving them nothing but a hollow shell of their former self. Gray even dared to say that it was then and there that all hope was lost in the dragon slayer living. He could blame no one but himself. If only he could have saved him….

"Don't you dare tell me it's not my fault. Don't antagonize me!" Looking at the pinkette, the raven stood up, balling up his fists before slamming them into the wall closest to them. The impact caused the cement to waver and give in, resulting in a large dent in the otherwise perfectly even and white surface. Bright red blood ghosted down his fist, although he paid it no heed, "I'm going on a mission. I'll be back in a few days. Tell me if anything changes."

Without allowing Lucy another moment to reply, Gray left the Fairy Tail medical bay before grabbing a random request from the board, showing it to Mira and left.

Yes, call him selfish, but he wanted a distraction; something to help him forget that his best friend might very well be nearing his death. Something to help him forget that everything that occurred was his fault; that Natsu would soon just be another individual who had loved and trusted him, only to be let down in the end.

Luckily for him, the job did just that. Apparently it was meant to be accepted by a team, seeing as his foes were numerous and rather strong, however, he welcomed the challenge. It allowed him to take out the rage and sorrow that he had suppressed within him to blaze free. By the time he was done he had taken out everyone who stood in his way, causing damage that would ultimately rival Natsu's.

Unfortunately the battle didn't help as much as the raven had hoped, for in the end everything that was occurring was painfully returned to his conscious brain, causing all his pent up frustration and quilt to return tenfold. Why was he so weak? Why was he unable to successfully protect those that he loved?

His parents, his town, Ur, Ultear and soon, Natsu, would all fall victim to death just because he was powerless to help them; to save them.

Just the mere thought of losing another one of the ones he allowed to breach the icy walls that he had so stealthy built up caused the ice mage's heart to clench painfully, the tears burning his eyes only strengthening. Even so, he allowed not one to fall, not yet. To cry would mean that he gave up, and as a Fairy Tail mage he knew to never give up until the very end. He would hang on until either Natsu woke up or his warmth finally faded completely. Only then would Gray allow himself to melt, just like his element. Without the fire brain life wasn't worth living.

But several thoughts kept circulating throughout his mind, present no matter what he did to get them to leave.

_Why them?_

_Why was he not the one chosen to die?_

_Why was he continuously the one lucky enough to live and unlucky enough to be forced to grieve the loss of those closest to him?_

_Why was he given the gift of life when all those others did not?_

Natsu was the only one that managed to get through to him; to convince him that all those deaths weren't because of him; that he could love without having to worry about those around him dying.

Now look were that got them. And to think they were supposed to go on their first official date the night after that mission. After all, it was simple enough. They just had to capture a group of individuals that escaped Jail. None of them knew how dangerous they were, nor did they know that they were dark mages.

That mistake might have very well cost the life of one of the key members of Team Natsu, Fairy Tail's strongest team.

His grueling thoughts were pushed aside as the Fairy Tail guild came within sight, causing him to hasten his pace. He had to see Natsu.

* * *

The first clue that something was even more amiss came about the moment he stepped into the building. Everything was quiet… Far too quiet…

The second were the distressed looks on both Lucy and Mirajane's faces. Tears glided down their rosy cheeks as they seemed to be attempting to have an intelligent conversation. Immediately the ice mage felt his heart sink.

"Yo, Luce, what's wrong?" He inquired, hoping against hope that they were crying because of something other than the fire mage as he walked over to the two females.

"Gray! I-I'm so glad you're here!" The blonde cried, bounding into the raven's arms as her ability to hold back the rest of her tears obliterated. "I-It's Natsu…"

Warm tears slid down the male's chest as he stared at the celestial mage, her head pressed against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her reassuringly. Although he could vaguely feel his own body quivering, wanting nothing more than to allow the tears he had been suppressing for two months to fall.

But he had to stay strong if not for himself, than for the rest of his living friends.

"I want to see him."

Lucy nodded in understanding before gently unlatching herself from the dark blue haired male, turning instead to return to talking to the depressed looking she devil.

No wonder the guild residents were so deathly quiet.

Not allowing himself another moment to hesitate, Gray hurried to the clinic, fear for his crush's survival allowing him to move even swifter than he thought possible.

Upon reaching the door, he slammed it open, stopping only when he found three pairs of eyes staring intently at him.

"Is Natsu alright?" He asked, his fist clenching around the doorknob he was holding as he stared hopefully at Erza, Master and Porlyusica.

The master looked at him with hurt eyes before shaking his head, his gaze turning to stare solemnly at the marble floor beneath them.

"I'm afraid not, my boy. He has only moments left…"

Those were the words Gray had never ever wanted to hear. Not again…

Wordlessly, the ice make wizard stepped closer to the bed, the three other residents moving aside to allow him room. Erza gave him a sorrowful look as tears gently slipped from her eye. This was something that no one in Fairy Tail ever wanted to experience; the loss of a loved one.

"N-Natsu!" Happy cried from his perch on the fire mage's chest, tears escaping freely from his big eyes as sobs rocked his small body.

"Wake up! Please! You have to wake up! Who else will I go fishing with? Who will I live with?! Who will be my best friend?! Please Natsu! Wake up!" The tears gushing from his eyes only strengthened as he sniffed and glanced up from his friend's face, not surprised to find Gray now standing beside the bed.

"Gray! Please, help him! Can't you do something? Anything?!"

The raven grimaced slightly at the feline's pleading, wishing beyond anything that he could help the dragon slayer.

"No, I'm sorry, Happy. I.. I can't help him…."

"Can't anyone save him?! You can't just let him die!"

The exceed broke into uncontrolled shivers and sobs before he was lifted up from the tan chest and instead into Lucy's arms. It seemed as though she had entered throughout the entire ordeal, not that that exactly mattered to Gray at the moment.

For once Happy did not complain about Lucy or her weight as she held him; instead they both clung desperately onto one another as they cried for their wounded friend.

Gray ignored the others around him, his attention trained solely on the lifeless looking slayer on the bed. Here lay his best friend, his rival, his would be lover… They could have been together and led a wonderful life had that mission not occurred.

"Didn't I tell you not to die?" He breathed, his voice close to shuttering as his hand grasped the scaly scarf still wrapped around his rival's neck, causing his limp head to lift up as well, "You said you would be fine, damn flame! Don't run away from your problems, that's what you told me! You don't die protecting your friends, you live for them! You saved my life you idiot! Don't you dare…" His head lowered down so that their foreheads were touching, his voice wavering as he continued, "But I failed to return the favor… I failed to save your life… Don't you die on me… "

The tears he had been withholding for the past few months finally fell, his resolve to hold them in slowly dissipating as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead closer to the others. He stayed like that for several moments before opening his eyes slightly; watching with blurry eyes as the salty liquid slipped down the pinkette's temple and cheeks, trailing slowly down the others face. For a moment it almost looked like he was crying along with Gray.

Natsu's usual heat had dulled greatly; in fact his now paler skin was cold, almost as cold as the ice mage's own. All the color he used to hold was nearly completely gone, leaving him as nothing more than a shell of his former, warm hearted self.

His grip tightened on his best friend's precious neck wear.

"Please, Natsu…"

Silence dwindled among the group for several seconds before a high pitched beeping breached the momentary serenity. The raven held his breath before placing a chaste kiss on Natsu's lips. Cliche as it might be, he hoped that maybe Natsu could be awoken from his trance with a kiss.

After all, this was the Fairy Tail guild. Were they not meant to receive their very own happily ever after?

Apparently not.

"Gray… He's gone…"

With those simple words, the ice mage _shattered._


	9. Chapter 9: Never again or maybe again?

Dark blue eyes stared unblinkingly at the wooden doors before him, almost as though he was attempting a staring contest with the building. Never before had he been so nervous to enter the guild, the place that had served as his home and anchor for the past 10 years. But then again, today was a day not like all the others. The raven came today on a mission, not just to lounge around and perhaps pick a quarrel. Today he was determined to admit his feelings to a certain mage.

However, it seemed as though thinking about it and doing it were two widely different concepts because for some reason the ice mage seemed to lack the motivation to actually enter the guild. While his demeanor remained cold and bored he was a worried wreck on the inside. What if this really wasn't the best course of action? Was he acting too rash? That was a part of his personality, so that idea wouldn't have been completely insane.

Shaking his head, Gray pushed those thoughts from his mind. No, this was really no time for such pessimistic thoughts. This was something he had to do. Gray Fullbuster was no coward and he was not able to allow his fears to overwhelm him, not again.

Taking a deep breath, the creator magic mage shoved the doors open and entered the building, not allowing himself another moment more to think. He always did seem to have the bad habit of allowing his thoughts to wander too far if he was given too much free time.

Immediately, the ice mage scanned the large building, not surprised to find it once again packed with familiar faces and voices. Currently it was around three in the afternoon, the most popular time for Fairy Tail.

However he was not here to simply chat with his comrades, instead he journeyed through the numerous tables, training his vision for a familiar hair color. He mustn't allow himself to get distracted now of all times.

"Don't tell me they aren't here… Damn…" He grumbled as he searched the nearby area once more without the slightest sign of the desired mage. Heaving a disappointed sigh, the dark blue haired male was about to just leave and maybe return later when suddenly he found the individual he was in pursuit of. Currently they were sitting at one of the many tables littering the lower floor of the guild as they hurriedly stuffed their mouth with a wide assortment of food. Oh yes, there was no mistaking it. Only one person in Fairy Tail could eat like that.

Luckily for him, the slayer was sitting alone at the table and the guild was as loud as peruse if not even more so, so his fear of others overhearing his conversation with the pinkette was reduced greatly. At the very least that part was in his favor. His actions now would either prove to be the biggest mistake of his life or his greatest decision. He desperately hoped it was the latter.

Cautiously, the ice mage approached the fire mage, stopping just inches behind him. This was it. There was no going back now.

"Yo, flame brain." He greeted, removing his hands from his pockets to instead cross his arms, his fingernails digging into his biceps as he nervously watched the pinkette turn around to face him, his mouth still chocked full of food as he replied,

"Whaw fo yew wat, Froooty?"

Gray rolled his eyes and not so gently bopped the other upside the head.

"Damn it, Ash for brains, swallow first. I can't understand a word you said and it's disgusting to see chewed food."

He would never admit it, but he found the fire mage's actions to be rather humorous.

Coughing slightly from the hit the slayer gulped down his food before turning back to glare at the other male,

"What the hell do you want, perverted stripper?"

Gray blinked at the other before glancing down at his own body, suppressing a moan as he found himself yet again topless. How the hell did he manage to lose it this time?

Pushing that matter aside, the ice magic shrugged slightly and looked down at the pinkette. He studied him for a moment before sighing softly. Damn, this was harder than he thought it would be….

"I.. well…"

"Oi, spit it out already, ice princess, I don't have all day."

Pale fingers clenched his arms tighter as he suppressed the urge to punch the other. He always knew just how to rile the creator magic mage up.

"If you would stop cutting me off I would, flamebrain. Now, I was just… err…"

A pink eyebrow rose and a curious expression appeared on the fire mage's face at Gray's inability to make out a legitimate question. Was he sick? Or was he just trying to get on his nerves? Natsu mentally decided that if it was the latter he would kick the raven's ass.

Groaning, Gray shook his head, inwardly embarrassed by his inability to properly form the needed words. Hell, he had never asked anyone out before, so he wasn't quite certain how to go about several more moments of mentally arguing with himself the dark blue haired teen gave up.

"Ah, screw it. I don't give a damn if this is proper anymore. Look, I like you, Natsu, alright? Will you go on a date with me or not?"

Immediately Gray felt a weight leave his shoulders, just in time for a sickening feeling to surge into his stomach as he stared into the other's surprised onyx eyes. He subconsciously bit his lip and held his breath as the pinkette seemed to inwardly consider his question, a series of emotions crossing his tan face before an understanding smirk lit up his face. Now it was the raven's turn to look puzzled.

"This is a bet, isn't it? Lucy got you to do it, right?"

Gray felt his heart clench painfully. Was this just all a joke to the dragon slayer? Did he really hate him enough to so freely toy with his feelings? The very feelings that he hadn't told anyone else. He took to merely staring at the fire mage.

"Wow, you're really into this, huh? Sucks for you that you aren't that great an actor, snow queen." Natsu chuckled, the mischievous smirk only widening, "Give it up, you know I'm not gay."

That was all it took for the dark blue haired boy's world to spin, his teeth now piercing his lower lip and he took several deep, trembling breathes before he finally did the one thing he always did when he felt embarrassed. He punched Natsu.

"What the hell was that for, Gray? I didn't even…."

"Is everything always a joke to you, Natsu?" The raven growled, his eyes narrowing harshly at the boy who now found himself on the ground beside his seat, "Yeah, you're right, this whole thing was just a joke. To think that I actually thought you would take me seriously. Or take anything serious for that matter." The ice mage scoffed as he turned his back to the fire mage, his anger only increasing as he tried to hold back the heart wrenching sadness he felt, " Forget I even said anything, damn fire bastard. Everything is just a joke, after all."

Without allowing the dragon slayer another moment to insult him further, the creator magic mage stormed out of the guild, wanting to just be alone now. Natsu was right. This was just all just one big game. A game where the dark blue haired male always ended up being the ultimate loser.

Silence resonated throughout the guild as everyone turned to see the raven storm out of the guild, the lowering temperature in the room just proving that the male was indeed furious. They all watch as Juvia hurriedly followed after the enraged boy, seeking to no doubt try to comfort her precious 'Gray-sama'. The only question that remained was what did Natsu do to make Gray mad _this_ time?

"Umm… Natsu…?" A familiar female voice asked, causing Natsu to turn around, a startled expression still evident on his tan features, "What just happened…?

"Like hell I know…" He mumbled as he stood back up, a warm hand gently raising to caress his own abused cheek. Damn it, he must have really screwed up with Gray, but he wasn't certain what he even did wrong.

Was it the fact the he said he wasn't gay that made the ice mage so angry and, dare he say it, hurt? He didn't see how it would, seeing as the raven himself wasn't. After all, he always had girls show interest in him. Not that Natsu could blame them. The dark haired boy was quite the looker and rather sweet at times. His eyes were wonderful and he was so cute when he blushed… Wait… What?

Pink spikes swayed as the slayer shook his head and returned his lowered gaze to the concerned looking celestial mage before him. That wasn't right, he shouldn't be thinking those things about Gray. After all, he himself just said that he wasn't gay.

Girls were cute, like Lucy and Lisanna. Guys…. Not so much. But then, why was it that he just called his rival that?

Well, there was really only one way he could find out if he really did like girls over guys. Turning his attention once more to the blonde, Natsu asked the one question that he never thought he would ever ask anyone.

"Will you go out with me, Lucy?"

* * *

Gray wandered aimlessly throughout town, not even caring that the sun was slowly fading behind the ever growing darkness that was night. Not that that fact bothered him. IN fact, it was the perfect representation of his mood at the moment.

It had been at least several hours since the ice mage had left the guild in a huff and ever since he had been carefully avoiding the water mage. His mood at the moment was foul and the last thing he wanted was to unwittingly lash out at a friend, especially not a female. If there was one thing he hated most in the world, besides the dragon slayer that is, it was making girls cry.

Besides, he knew that nothing the blue haired female would say could help him cheer up. For a moment he found the situation rather comical. Juvia was chasing after him, who was gay, and he was chasing after Natsu, who was straight. Also a jackass, but he didn't find that all too relevant to his current thoughts.

Perhaps he should give the water woman a chance. All she wanted was to make him happy, right? She would love him unconditionally. They could have an actual relationship. To hell with Natsu, right? That bastard could do whatever the crap he wanted and the ice mage wouldn't care in the slightest.

Except he knew everything wasn't true. The raven would never be able to completely commit to the third person referring woman and he certainly did not want to play with her feelings. Considering he knew how it felt, he didn't want anyone to experience similar emotions. He couldn't even get himself to wish it upon the fire mage.

His breath caught in his throat at that very thought and the ice mage took his frustration out on the nearby wall, not even caring when he felt the warm sensation of blood dripping from his knuckles and down his fingers. He'd hit so many different objects that day that his hands had already turned numb.

He sincerely hoped Natsu was happy with himself. He had finally won the biggest game. He had managed to find his way into the ice mage's heart, only to stomp on it in the end. He could only imagine how smug that fire bastard would be about it. Non stop teasing, no doubt. Maybe he would even look down on him for liking another male in that manner. For some reason the former hurt less.

Suddenly, the raven was torn from his depressing thoughts at the sound of two familiar voices passing by the alley he was walking down. Immediately the ice mage pressed his bare back against the damp wall, not wanting to be seen.

"You think so, Luce?" A happy voice asked as its owner drifted by the side road, seemingly not noticing the raven standing in it, "I'm really glad I asked you out."

Gray's already bloody nails dug deep into the brick wall as those words floated through his mind.

_"I'm really glad I am asked you out, Luce."_

_'Asked you out, Luce…"_

"So…" The raven chuckled bitterly, his head lowering so his bangs were shielding his eyes, "You asked Lucy out right after making fun of me for asking you out? You really are a bastard, Natsu… Go to hell…"

Closing his eyes in an attempt to keep the tears prickling the back of his eyes at bay, the creator magic mage swiftly pushed himself from the wall and left the alley, ice appearing every where he stepped. Never before had he felt so utterly angry and depressed.

"Huh? Did you hear something, Luce?" Natsu asked, glancing over his shoulder at the street behind them, just to find it void of people.

The blonde shook her head before following the other's gaze, "No. Why, did you?"

"Naw, nevermind. Must've just been my imagination." He slipped his hands behind his head as he trained his attention back on the shorter female, "So, you really do think that was what that whole thing was with Gray?"

Lucy nodded solemnly as she gave her friend a sad look. The pinkette had explained why their comrade had been so irritated when he left the guild and the celestial mage couldn't help but feel that Gray's punch was being lenient to the pinkette.

"You must have really hurt him, Natsu." She sighed, not even being able to imagine what that must have felt like. To be so bluntly turned down by the one you loved. If Loke ever did that to her, she was certain that she would be a mess. "You should apologize to him…"

"Apologize to that ice prick? Like hell….. Ah, Don't give me that look, Luce. I know I have to apologize to him. I just… I didn't think he was being serious. I could have sworn he was straight.

Lucy shrugged slightly before smiling,

"Really? I kind of saw it coming. He strips all the time, that kind of shouts gay to me."

The dragon slayer chuckled softly at the female's words and nodded, before frowning,

"Yeah, maybe, it's just, Igneel always talked about when I found my special girl, not boy. I guess I just didn't want to believe that maybe I was more interested in guys than girls."

"I understand, Natsu," She assured, "But you should go talk to Gray about it…"

The teen nodded,

"I will… That damned ice cube… Who would've thought…"

After properly escorting his friend home he gave her a quick hug for her help before quickly jogging over to the ice mage's house. He was no doubt pissed at him, but Natsu hoped that he wasn't too late to salvage their could be relationship. Hell, why did he have to be so damn dense? If he had just known that he returned Gray's feelings than he wouldn't have had to turn him down…

Before long the fire mage arrived at the familiar cottage located at the edge of town. The raven had always preferred to live excluded from everyone else. Truly, the ice mage was always so hesitant to let anyone in and what scared Natsu was the possibility that he had already blown his own chance.

Not bothering to knock on the door, the dragon slayer walked right in, confident that had he actually knocked the ice mage wouldn't have answered him. What a stubborn ass.

Carefully he maneuvered his way around the familiar household, calling Gray's name as he did.

* * *

Gray felt his body tense as a familiar voice rang through his two story house, causing him to grit his teeth in annoyance. Currently he was in his room sitting on the floor with his back against his bed frame. His knees were pulled up to his chest as he stared blankly in front of him. He refused to allow himself to shed the tears that wanted so badly to rock his body.

No, he couldn't allow himself to cry. Then that would just add to the fire mage's victory. He was no doubt here just to gloat about how well his little date with Lucy went. That simple idea proved only to add to the pain coursing throughout his body. Perhaps if he just remained silent the slayer would give up and leave him be.

No such luck.

Instead it was only moments later that an irritated looking figure walked into his dark room.

"Stop the hiding, snow cone, I know you're home. I can smell you, so just cut the shit and come out."

Oh yes, this pinkette certainly had some nerve to come to him after his actions earlier that day.

Hesitantly, the ice mage stood up from his slumped position, enjoying the slight look of surprise that flashed over the fire mage's face at his comrade's sudden appearance.

Flicking the lights on, Natsu's eyes widened at the seething mage in front of him, however it was not the annoyed expression on his face that surprised him, seeing as nine times out of ten that was what the raven looked like, instead it was the dried blood on both of his pale hands. It looked as though he had gotten into quite a fight with a wall and had lost pretty badly.

"Gray… What did you do to yourself…?"

"What the hell does it matter to you, jackass?" He growled, his arms crossing over his chest as he raised his head slightly. There was no way he was going to let the pinkette see just how badly he had actually hurt him, "and get the fuck out of my house."

"No. Look, I want to talk to you about earlier…"

"There's nothing for us to talk about."

"Yes, there is! Don't brush it aside like it never happened!" Now it was Natsu's turn to get irritated, "Just shut up frost breath and let me explain!"

"You've said enough. I get it, Natsu, Everything is just a joke to you. I am just a joke to you. Just go the hell back to Lucy and leave me the fuck alone you fire bastard!"

The fire mage grit his teeth at his rival's words and went to step forward when a warning from Gray stopped him.

"Take one step closer to me and I'll freeze your ass."

The ice mage's tone was serious as he glared at the slayer, his pale hands already in the ice make position. "Don't test me."

Sighing, Natsu swiftly kicked out a leg, catching the ice mage by surprise as he lost his balance and landed on the ground. Before the raven could even realize he fell the fire mage was on him, sitting on his waist while his hands gripped the raven's slender wrists and pinned them over his head.

"Let me explain, you damn icy bastard!"

"Get the hell off of me, Natsu!"

"Like hell I will."

The ice mage struggled in vain against the other's grasp before finally giving up and turning his head to the side, an annoyed frown settling on his face.

"What more do you want from me, Natsu?" His voice sounded defeated.

The pink haired teen sighed in relief as the other male calmed down and collected his thoughts before replying.

"Look, Gray, I… I didn't mean to make fun of you like that…"

"You could have fooled me…"

"Let me finish!"

The raven grit his teeth but allowed the other to continue.

"As I was saying… I.. It's just that I always thought I would settle down with a pretty girl, ya know? I never even considered the idea of a guy liking me…"

And this was supposed to make him feel better how? The raven's body went still, all the anger he felt prior slowly fading. Instead he just felt useless.

"But, today I went out with Lucy, well I guess you know that much already, huh? Well it wasn't really a date... More like an outing. She's with Loke, after all..."

He was met with silence.

"Anyway, she helped me realize that.. Well… I lied to you earlier. Unintentionally though…"

Gray perked up at that and turned his head to look at the pinkette. Onyx eyes met cobalt ones as they studied one another for several moments.

"I am gay, Gray." Natsu paused for a moment before bursting out in laughter, which caused the raven's furry to return. Was he seriously mocking him again?

"What the hell, Natsu?!"

"Haha, sorry, it's just those words seem to go together so well. Gay and Gray. If you add an r to Gay, it'll be Gray!" He laughed again.

"I'm surprised."

"Huh?" Natsu's fit stopped at the others strange response.

"What are you surprised about?"

"That you can actually spell."

"Ah, shut it, stupid streaker… Anyway, I also realized something else. The answer is yes."

"What the fuck are you talking about now, fire brain?" Gray's patience was really nearing the end.

"I never answered your question earlier in the guild, so I am now. I like you too, Gray Fullbuster and I will go out with you."

The ice mage stared wide eyed at his rival, almost as though he thought he heard him wrong.

"What makes you think that offer is still open, damn flame?"

That question actually took the dragon slayer by surprise.

"Ah, come on, Gray." Natsu pouted, leaning his head down closer to the raven's. "I already apologized, didn't I? That was damn hard to do too. Don't I get an award?"

Try as he might, the dark blue haired boy couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at his comrade's childlike whines.

"Fine, I'll go out with your sorry ass, but embarrass me like that again and I'll freeze you into a giant dragon Popsicle."

That was all the dragon slayer needed before he grinned widely at his new lover and kissed him passionately, already loving how his body felt against the creator magic's own.

For these two mages, this was the first day of the rest of their lives together.

**So, this was a request from a Guest XD Sorry, the requests aren't exactly in order because I want to space the themes out a bit. Also, I apologize to anyone that cried during the last one. It was a thought that kept annoying me and I had to write it. Hopefully this one with a happy ending with make up for that ^.^. The next request will most likely be the boys coming out about their relationship to their friends. That was requested by 6purplecats. That one will have quite a bit of fluff ;). **


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