"And when the hardest part is over we'll be here,
And our dreams will break the boundaries of our fears."
― Brandon Flowers

Gray strode into the Fairy Tail guild hall. Instantly, his eyes were drawn over by heat and a flash of pink.

"That won't work with me, Elfman!"

"We'll see who's more manly!"

"Take it outside, boys."

Gray smiled as he saw Elfman and Natsu in a brawl. He watched the nimble way Natsu fought. For how wild and destructive he was, his body movements could be swift and precise. He easily dodged Elfman's fist, leaped up onto a table without upsetting Cana's drinks, jumped, grabbed a rafter, and used the momentum to land two feet straight into Elfman's face. Gray took a seat on the side, not realizing just how much he was staring and smiling.

"Do you want to join in?"

Gray jolted and looked over to see Romeo also watching the fight. Beside him was Wendy, who was apparently babysitting Asuka.

"You look like you want to have a go with Natsu-nii as well," the boy noted.

Gray looked back at the fight. "He and I have something to discuss."

"A mission?" asked Wendy.

Romeo grinned in excitement. "A fight?"

"Fight!" Asuka cheered.

Quietly, Gray replied, "Not this time."

He thought about what he had confessed to Lyon. He did not see Natsu as physically attractive. Then again, Gray had always focused on things like breasts, hips, thighs, ankles, the back of the neck, even a girl's hands and shoulders could be desirable, sexy traits. He had sought out delicate features, and Natsu was anything but delicate.

Still, he supposed he could see why women would find him handsome. He knew what traits Cana said she liked about guys, mostly muscles and a firm ass. Lucy was a real romantic who spoke with a flush to her cheeks about men's eyes, their smile, simple things. Some girls ogled Gray for his abs or pectorals, some admired the scars he had and said they added character.

Natsu had all that: muscles, nice eyes, a beaming smile, and scars from fights. Still, while Gray could admire those badges of battle, his massive smile warmed his heart, and those eyes could enchant, altogether ... why did he not find Natsu physically attractive? Was he not into guys physically? Was it that he simply was not used to looking at men that way?

He admired Natsu's fighting style, though. He admired the way Natsu had trained his muscles. He admired those scars and what they stood for.

Was that enough?

Out of the haze of second-guessing, Gray realized there was a table flying their way. Reacting mostly on instinct, he pounded his fist into his hand, and a shield of ice blocked the soaring table, letting it shatter and splinter away from the children.

"Hey, bastard!" Gray bellowed. "Be careful around kids."

Natsu heard that voice, and he looked around in surprise. He had not expected Gray to come back so soon. A smile flitted across his face briefly just before Elfman got a hit in, and then it was Natsu flying toward Gray instead. He slammed into the ice shield, and Gray saw his smashed face pressed against the clear ice. Slowly, Natsu slid down, and Asuka giggled at how funny he looked.

Gray dispersed the shield and caught Natsu in his arms while Elfman howled his victory.

"Not ... done ... fighting," Natsu mumbled. "Haha, there's birdies flying in the guild."

Gray hoisted him up onto his shoulder. "Okay, that's enough for you." Then he sniffed something in the Dragon Slayer's breath. "Wait, are you drunk? You smell!"

"Beer!" Asuka shouted. "Natsu drank lotsa, lotsa beer."

"Idiot," Gray grumbled. "What time do you think it is?"

"Nap time," Natsu mumbled, and suddenly he slumped unconscious.

Gray groaned in annoyance, grabbed Natsu tighter, and with Romeo's help he hoisted Natsu up onto his back. "I'll take him home," he told the others. "Where's Happy?"

Wendy told him, "He, Carla, and Pantherlily left together on a training vacation. They'll be back in a couple of days."

"So you're alone," he whispered, glancing at where Natsu was asleep on his shoulder and starting to drool. "No wonder you got drunk."

He headed out, carrying Natsu through town and out to the woods. He followed the path to the house shared with Happy. Luckily, the door was unlocked, only a magic seal common to wizards. Gray pressed Natsu's limp hand on the seal, and the warding dispersed, letting them enter.

He took Natsu to the bedroom and dropped him down on the mattress. "This is payback for carrying me here that one time," he said.

Natsu giggled in his sleep. "Payback."

"The hell are you dreaming about?" Gray grumbled.

He went to the kitchen and made coffee, since Natsu would probably have a hangover when he woke up. Then he also fixed up a couple of sandwiches. He was doing dishes—which had piled up and were moldy—when Natsu shuffled out of the bedroom rubbing his head.

"What happened?" he muttered in a slur.

"You got your drunken ass kicked by Elfman," Gray told him.

"Wait, I lost?" he shouted, but instantly Natsu regretted the loud noise. "Ow, ow ... head hurts."

Gray pointed to the sandwiches on the table. "Eat. It'll help. Also, there are pills and a glass of water for the headache."

"Are you my mom or something?"

Natsu took the medication anyway. Gray poured out the coffee and set the cups down, taking a seat across from Natsu.

The narrow, green eyes glanced up. "So, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good." Oh hell, this was starting off nervous and awkward already! "I, um ... I talked to someone. Y'know, about us."

The grogginess of the hangover jolted out of Natsu's face as he caught his breath and stared at Gray in anticipation.

"You were right; it helped. I realized my fears were pretty stupid."

"They're not stupid at all," Natsu protested. "I've known for nearly a year that I had feelings for you, and it took me this long to do anything about it. I don't expect you to make a choice like this so suddenly. And you're worried about sex, right? If it'll hurt or feel good or what. I'm a bit worried about that, too. I mean, I'm a ... I'm ... I've never ... done it." His cheeks flushed as he muttered the last bit so quietly, his words blended with the ticking of a clock in the other room.

Gray looked at him silently. He tried to imagine it: Natsu and that lady, that other stripper, how he looked under her guidance, his faces as she taught him how to accept pleasure. He had to look away just to stop the growing jealousy.

Still, Rei-chan said she used only her fingers. In that sense, Natsu had less experience than Gray himself.

"At least you have experience," Natsu muttered.

Gray was shocked to see a little bit of jealousy on his normally childish face. Was this why Natsu went to Rei-chan in the first place? Gray knew he was jealous of that woman, feeling like she somehow corrupted Natsu. Was Natsu just as jealous of all the girls Gray had known in the past?

"I'm not really experienced in that," he said defensively. "At least you and that other stripper..."

Natsu looked up sharply. He said it again: other stripper. Somehow, hearing jealousy like that made Natsu happy.

Gray did not want to say too much. He did not want Natsu to know that the person he talked to was that woman, and he knew he should not feel jealous of her. Like she said, she had been only a tool, a living toy for Natsu to practice on to learn how to treat his partner gently. Gray knew from his attempts yesterday, touching in that area was not easy.

"This is totally different for me," Gray said, hoping to explain it. "You're a virgin, so it's easier for you."

Natsu scoffed, "No it's not!"

"Yes, it is," Gray muttered. "Everything will be new to you, so you'll be learning as we go. For me ... when you think you already know everything, and then you're thrust into a situation that's totally different, you make all sorts of mistakes. It's not the same at all!"

Again, he remembered fingering his ass. With women, the fingers slipped in so easily. On himself, it had been painful until he forced himself to relax.

"Even kissing you is different," he whispered.

Natsu shrugged. "Lips are lips."

Gray had to laugh as such a naïve concept. "No, they're not. Your lips..."

He broke off and blushed. Natsu kissed aggressively, unlike any woman he had ever known. Even the feel, the thinness, the slight roughness from shaving, everything felt different.

"And ... and how you touch me. It'll all be different."

Those hands had groped him with urgent possessiveness. They had been rough hands, callused and scarred, burning and yet still tender.

"It's not going to be the same for me," Gray muttered, "and that's intimidating as hell."

Natsu stretched his hand across the table and laid it over Gray's arm. "We can go as slowly as we both need. It'll be difficult on us in different ways. For me, everything is new, and it's all a little scary. For you ... well, you've dated girls at least, but I can see how being with a guy is different. We'll start with what we both like, and we can figure out the rest."

Gray felt annoyed that Natsu could say things like this so easily, whereas his heart was in chaos. It frustrated him, feeling like Natsu was a step above him, so he snapped in anger, "Stop sounding so goddamn mature about this."

Natsu jolted back, not expecting the outburst. "What?" he cried out, wondering if he said something wrong.

"It's just not you." Gray pouted and looked aside, wishing he could be so at ease instead of feeling his heart racing wildly.

Gray glanced across the table at Natsu. He remembered that dream about the long table and the waiting champaign bottle. It was still waiting. He had not made this official. Until he did, Natsu was so far away.

It really was a terrifying thing, feeling his heart racing and knowing it pounded for this crazy man. If this did not work out, what would happen to them, to their friendship, to the team?

But if he ignored it and pulled away, that would be even worse now that Natsu knew how he felt.

He had already leaped off the cliff. Now he either curled into a ball and fell, or he spread his arms wide and hoped to fly.

Natsu reached his hand out invitingly. For a moment, Gray thought he saw the Dragon Prince of his dreams reaching out to him, ready to pull the Ice Prince out of the ruins of the wintry walls and brumal barriers, offering to fly him away into warm fields and a summer sky. He just needed to stretch out across the table, take that hand, and soar with the dragon.

Gray wrapped his fingers around that rough, warm hand. He looked at the shades of their skin, Natsu's a little darker than his own. He felt the warmth, the realness of those fingers. Still holding them, he stood up and walked up to the Dragon Slayer.

"Natsu?"

He glanced up, wondering why Gray looked so serious.

Gray cupped the side of Natsu's face and said, "You were too air-headed to figure out how I felt, yet I guess I was pretty stupid, too. I felt cornered by these feelings, and so I fought against them. Still, now I can say—" He blushed. "—I like you. I ... love you."

Natsu's mouth dropped, and his heart felt like it stopped for a moment. Then he laughed and rested his forehead on Gray's as a feeling of relief swept over his heart. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. Damn, I was worried."

Both smiled to each other warmly as this declaration eased the longing they had felt for so many months.

Gray pulled back. "There's more. I..." He cringed as he still felt weird saying these sorts of words. He was used to flirting and sweet-talking girls, not pouring his heart out. "I'm not really confident, but I know I want you to be a bigger part of my life, so ... so..." He gulped hard and blurted out the rest in a rush. "Will you go out with me?"

Although Gray had said he would be the one to ask, actually hearing those words stunned him. It was a dream come true. No ... he never even dreamed of something like this. It was better than a dream. Gray wanted him! He wanted to be a couple!

Gray waited anxiously, but when Natsu kept staring with a gaping mouth, he got anxious. "Well?" he snapped.

Natsu jolted out of his shock, and like a firestorm, he surged forward, leaping into Gray's arms.

"Whoa!" the ice wizard cried out, getting knocked a few steps back.

"Yes!" Natsu shouted.

"Not in my ear, bastard!"

Natsu pulled back and grinned with excitement. "Yes. I'll go out with you. I love you, too. Gray!" He grabbed around again and hugged him tightly.

Gray was about to complain—it seriously felt like Natsu was about to crush his ribs—but he let it go. He hugged Natsu and smiled, feeling all the ice in his heart melt away.

"We're equals," Gray said.

"Yes," he said, his throat choking up.

"But we go at the pace that's comfortable for us both."

"Yes." Natsu sobbed and buried his face into Gray's shirt.

"And we have to promise that if this doesn't work out, we'll be mature enough to go back to being teammates."

"It'll work," Natsu insisted.

"No one can know that. I want it to work, but that's something that scares me. If it doesn't, I don't want the team to fall apart."

"It won't. I promise. And I'll make this work out. Whatever you need, anything you want to do, or not do, I just ... I..."

"You're getting snot on me, brat."

Natsu pulled up and wiped his face. "Sorry. I'm just so happy."

Gray smiled as he wondered how deep Natsu's emotions must have been to come gushing out like this.

"Stop crying."

"I c-can't."

"Then stop crying long enough so I can kiss you, idiot."

Natsu laughed moistly, roughly wiped his face dry with his scarf, and looked up with a smile. There were no more tears, but his eyes were puffy, his nose was red with a shininess of snot about to drip, and his face flushed from wiping so hard. He looked like a pathetic mess, but Gray found that endearing.

"Seriously, I fell for an idiot," Gray sighed, and he leaned over to give Natsu a soft kiss.

Natsu had been praying that Gray was using this time to really think about it and not just run away. He had figured Gray would take all three days and then ask for more time. He even schemed of ways to trick Gray into accepting him. Then Happy left, and Natsu fell into depression.

What if Gray really did run away? What if he really was ashamed like he had shouted? What if he just ruined everything and Gray would hate him?

So he decided to get drunk to forget his fears and make the time pass quicker. Then Elfman made some boast, and a fight sounded like fun. Fight, drink more, pass out, and maybe those three days would vanish. Then Gray would give his answer. He was almost positive it would be a denial. No way would Gray want this. He fucked it all up.

So seeing Gray in the guild hall really did shock him. Waking up at home with Gray fixing him food was like a dream. Now this! He really wondered if it was a dream, except the hangover's pain was too real. Maybe getting drunk was a stupid idea, but at least he knew he was sober now ... and hungover ... and Gray was here, hugging him, kissing him, wanting to be his boyfriend.

Natsu thought about those months dealing with the growing feelings alone, sitting by Gray's side in the hospital, watching him sitting in his wheelchair and slowly falling into depression, struggling to do things that would cheer him up, that horrible moment when Gray said he was going to get his leg amputated, and those weeks—or was it months—racing around Fiore, obsessed with finding a machine to heal him, ready to give anything, because Natsu knew that if Gray lost his leg, he would never be the same, ever! That would be it! He could never be whole, be the same Gray as before. There was no way in hell Natsu would let Gray suffer for the rest of his life, waking up every morning to the missing leg, a lifelong reminder of his defeat.

He would do anything—anything—to keep Gray from suffering for the rest of his life.

Natsu's heart was weak, but that was out of love. He could live with something like that, because it reminded him of his burning feelings. Gray's leg would have been a negative reminder. Natsu was not going to let Gray live with reminders that only pained him. He really would risk his life to prevent that from happening.

One day, he would tell Gray about that sacrifice, but it had to be the right time. Gray had to realize it was done out of love. Otherwise, Natsu's weakened heart would be something to pain Gray with guilt. He had to wait for the right moment, when Gray knew how deep Natsu's emotions ran.

Right now, they were just starting. Natsu felt wild excitement, like the rush he got when he knew a fight was about to begin with a really strong enemy. Only this time it was not a fight and not an enemy. It was exactly the opposite, and winning this was worth far more than Jewels on a reward poster.

Their kiss lingered until Gray slowly pulled back. "Have you calmed down?"

Natsu laughed softly. Calm? He would probably never feel calm again. Somewhere deep inside his heart, it would always flutter with happiness. Even if years passed and they were two old men reminding one another to put in their dentures, Natsu would still feel a slight twist in his stomach and giddiness in his bones just to be near Gray.

"Does your head still hurt?" Gray asked in concern.

Natsu felt a cold hand reach up to his forehead, and an aura of iciness permeated out.

"Ooh, that feels good," Natsu hummed.

"Let's sit on the couch. You can rest until your head feels better. Sorry for asking you such an important thing when you're hungover."

"It doesn't matter. I'm just happy."

"I still could have timed it better."

Natsu grinned as they walked over to the couch. Gray had asked because it was probably ready to burst inside of him. He wanted to say the words so much, he asked at what was actually a really crappy time. Not like Natsu cared! So as long as Gray asked and they were together.

"So, we're boyfriends now, right?" he asked, just making sure.

"I guess so," Gray muttered.

"You guess?"

Gray took a seat on the couch. "That's what you consider it, right? Boyfriends?"

Natsu sat and flopped his head down onto Gray's lap. "That's what I'm going to consider it. You're my boyfriend," he declared, grinning up at Gray's blushing face. "Hey, put some of the coldness on my head. That felt good."

Gray reached down and placed his hand on Natsu's forehead. Sitting like this was nice, intimate, and his heart fluttered to touch Natsu in such a gentle way.

"So, um ... what can we do?" the Dragon Slayer asked. "I know we both want to go slow, so what are the rules? Can I kiss you?"

Gray smiled with a soft blush. "Yeah, that's fine. Oh, but not in public."

"Okay." Natsu figured he could hold himself back that much. "What about holding hands in public?"

Gray thought about that. Normally, he had no problem with it, but he knew it attracted attention. Still, he rather liked the idea of holding hands and taking a stroll along the bay. "Maybe," he muttered. "It depends."

"Then I'll leave that to you. Hold my hand when you want to. Can we tell everyone?"

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't want to keep it a secret. That's pretty shitty, and Mira would figure it out anyway. She always does."

"True. Plus Erza and Lucy approve already. Can we go on dates?"

Gray chuckled softly. "That's what you do when you're dating, idiot."

"Uh, right! Anything else? What am I missing?"

"We can figure it out as we go along," Gray said gently. "If you want to try something, ask me. I'll do the same."

Natsu grinned. "Yeah, just ask. Ask me anything!"

"Okay. Then why the hell were you drunk? That's not like you."

Natsu pouted and stayed silent. He did not want to say that he had been depressed and convinced that Gray was going to run away again.

Gray guessed it anyway. "I told you, I needed time."

"I know. I was still worried. You're an idiot, so I had no idea what you might do on your own."

Gray glared, frosted a finger over, and stuck it in Natsu's ear.

"Hey!" Natsu yanked away, but instantly a pounding in his head made him flop back down with a wretched groan.

"That's punishment for calling me an idiot. Come on, rest some more." He placed his hand back on Natsu's head, stroked back into his hair, and slowly relaxed as he petted Natsu. His hair was surprisingly soft, and Gray smiled as he let his fingers play through the strands.

Natsu closed his eyes and hummed in contentment. "So, you talked to someone?"

Gray flinched slightly, but Natsu did not see it. "Y-yeah. I just got back from Lamia Scale."

"Oh! Yeah, it makes sense that you'd talk to Lyon."

Gray kept quiet and let him assume that was the only person he talked to.

"So, he talked you into it?"

"I think his words were 'about damn time.'"

Natsu chuckled at that and he snuggled closer to Gray's stomach. "It took us both long enough."

"You said it was last year that you fell in love," Gray pointed out.

Natsu nodded, keeping his eyes closed as he remembered those months of silent torment, scared that he felt the way he did, and unsure what to do about it. "You were still recovering in the hospital when things ... changed. Don't hate me, but I kissed you in your sleep while you were drugged up after a surgery."

"Asshole," Gray muttered, but he did not complain. He remembered his heartfelt confession when Natsu was in a coma. That was just as bad.

"It took me a while to figure it out. Months! I think it was that trip up north. That's when I finally realized what I was feeling. It's why I kinda hated you for sleeping with those two girls."

Gray frowned as he remembered that trip. He had not actually slept with those two girl. He had tried, but he could not stay erect with all the pain in his leg. So he pleasured them and left after they both were satisfied. It had been humiliating and awful, making him feel like a broken man.

"I didn't want to shock you with something like that, so I tried to deal with it myself. It didn't really work. Then came Rei-chan. She's that dancer; I think you met her."

Gray cleared his throat. "Um, yeah, we ... we met."

"At first, I went along with Loke because I thought that if I got a girl, I could forget about you. I thought I could force myself into fantasizing about someone else."

Gray frowned as he realized he had tried the same thing. "Like me and Juvia," he muttered.

Natsu finally opened his eyes. "I thought you dated her because you liked her."

"I do like her, but as a friend. I asked her out because I was messed up over you and thought you'd never want someone like me, a guy, your rival."

"Sheesh, we really are assholes," Natsu sighed.

"So ... you ... did you like Rei-chan?" he asked cautiously.

"She's a friend now, but ... I couldn't ... all I could picture was you. That first day, she took me to a private room. I thought I really could be a normal guy but ... it just wasn't what I wanted. She knew that, too. Right from the first kiss, she sensed it somehow. I don't know how she figured out that I was bisexual, but she did, almost instantly."

Gray nodded silently. That woman had an uncanny ability.

"She was the one who decided ... not to do me."

Gray jolted. "You were ready to have sex with her?"

Natsu turned his head aside with guilt. "I wanted to be a normal guy, and you were having sex with girls, so I thought if ... if I did that, maybe ... maybe I could get over you and go back to how I was." He frowned deeply with guilt.

Gray sighed in regret. He had bragged about those two girls up north, and he remembered how much Natsu hated that, always bringing it up. Now he realized Natsu had been in love with him during that time. It must have hurt him deeply.

"When ... um ... when did you first go to her?"

Natsu thought back. "I think it was the day we had that argument and you said I was like a brother. I dunno, that just ... it hurt a bit. I was in love, and the best I could hope for was being a brother. Brothers don't fall in love with each other. Well, not normally. I knew you meant it good, but at the same time it made me want to cry. That was when Loke found me and took me there. He thought if I got laid, I'd feel less crappy. Rei-chan said that what I needed wasn't sex, but training. She encouraged me to think of you while I kissed her, but ... but it wasn't the same. It just wasn't. I wanted you. Not her. Not anyone else."

Gray's lower lip quivered as he realized the reason why Natsu went to the strip club and hooked up with a call-girl was all to protect Gray from the intensity of his passion. His eyes softened in pity, realizing that Natsu probably felt like he had no other outlet.

Natsu looked up at Gray timidly. "Do ... do I kiss okay?"

Gray barked out a laugh. "Okay? You're incredible!" He froze up and blushed as soon as he said it. "Ah! I mean..."

Natsu laughed and cuddled into him with happiness. "Then the weirdness was worth it."

Gray sighed and kept petting his head. Weirdness? Natsu probably hated those sessions with Rei-chan, knowing he wanted to learn but feeling guilty about it afterward. Gray now had a bit of an idea about that feeling, although all he had done with that woman was talk and had her show him how to finger an ass.

He quietly looked over Natsu's body. It was not what he would personally consider cute, or pretty, or handsome. Natsu was not bad looking, but Gray was not really attracted to a male body. Still, he thought about the pleasure he had felt on his own, and he imagined how Natsu would look, the way his body would arch in ecstasy, the sounds of his voice, the flush of his face, hazy eyes begging for more, quivering whimpers as he moaned Gray's name...

"What's poking me in the back?" Natsu complained.

Gray jolted and coughed as he realized he had gotten aroused just thinking about it.

Natsu smelled it. He looked up at Gray, slightly stunned, utterly curious, wondering what sorts of things Gray fantasized about. Still, he did not want to ruin this special moment. He smiled, glad to know that he felt this way.

"Hey Gray?"

He coughed again and cleared his voice. "It's ... it's not like ... I'm sorr-..."

"Wanna go on a date?"

Gray choked back the apology. A date? Here he was, struggling with an unwanted erection, and Natsu ... damn him, he was trying to keep things casual, and Gray felt like kissing him for being that considerate.

"Yeah. A date sounds like fun."

Natsu grinned happily, sat up, and watched slyly as Gray quickly adjusted his trousers. He eagerly asked, "What kind of dates do you like?"

Gray thought about it carefully. What would be good for two guys? "Movies?"

"Sounds good."

He smiled, but then Gray hesitated. "Um, who's paying? I'm short on cash after that train ride."

"My treat then," Natsu declared. "We can be equals in dating, too. Next time, you pay." Natsu suddenly looked awkward again. "Um ... don't laugh at me, but ... well ... what do you do when you go on a date? I've read books and stuff, and Lisanna used to make me watch those romance movies she likes, but ... it's different between us. We already know each other well. I don't think I should bring you flowers or chocolates."

"Oh, hell no!" Gray sneered.

Natsu chuckled. "So, do I need to get dressed up? You at least need to find your clothes."

Gray looked down. Seriously, when had that happened? "No, we don't need to dress up just to go to the cinema." Natsu handed him his shirt, and Gray pulled it on. "Let's just go."

"Like this?"

"Yeah, like ... like that." Gray's eyes lingered on Natsu's body. He felt heat growing in his chest. He had never seen Natsu as handsome, but now something was stirring. It was not the body in particular. It was the fact that this was Natsu's body. He knew how hot it felt, how strong he was, he could see the hills of those muscles, and he imagined the raw power of those arms wrapping around him. "Or ... maybe..."

Natsu smelled the air changing. His heart raced as the scent of Gray's arousal flooded the room.

Gray scooted over closer on the couch and stroked his fingers across Natsu's arm, feeling the contour of muscles and the heat radiating through his clothes. "We could stay in. It's early. We could watch a movie later tonight."

Natsu loved the feel of the cold fingers tingling his skin. "Y-yeah," he stuttered as his pulse quickened. He wanted Gray to grab him, to smother him in an avalanche of his cold body.

Gray leaned in closer, up to Natsu's ear, and breathed softly, "I really like how you kiss."

Natsu sighed and trembled. He had been so uncertain with his kissing ability, so it was nice to hear that.

"Rei-chan once bragged about how you kiss."

"Sh-she what?"

"Yeah. I met her at the hospital when you had your heart surgery. She bragged about it. Got me curious as hell."

Now Natsu blushed. It was definitely awkward, thinking that Gray and Rei-chan had met one another alone.

Gray leaned in closer to Natsu's mouth. "She had every reason to brag." He let his lips flutter over Natsu's mouth as he closed his eyes and whispered, "You kiss really good."

Natsu felt those lips press up against him. A soft groan shivered out. Gray kissed him, lightly pulled on his lower lip, and let their lips pop as he pulled back.

"So, you learned this from her, huh?" he glared jealously.

Natsu cringed with guilt. "Just ... just basics."

Gray smirked at his reaction. "Like how to make out?"

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise. Did he really want that? "She ... um ... y-yeah?"

Gray's eyes stayed narrowed. "Did you ever make out with her?"

Natsu pouted, not happy that Gray was fixated on what he had done with Rei-chan. "She taught me. I wasn't in love. It was training."

Gray just smiled, amused to see him defensive. "You know I'll always be a little bit jealous, right?"

Natsu's lower lip stuck out, and his eyes widened in apology. "Forgive me?"

Gray chuckled softly. Seriously! Like a puppy! "You're an idiot."

He grabbed the back of Natsu's head, pulled him in, and kissed him hard. Slowly, those hot hands crept forward, rubbing over him. Natsu suddenly clutched Gray's shirt, squeezing him, hoping Gray did not pull back, because he was crying.

He was crying for all the loneliness up until now.

He was crying for doubting Gray, and for doubting himself.

He was crying in happiness, and those tears felt hottest of all.

They were together. Finally! Gray was his boyfriend. Everything had been worth it. To be here, on this couch, making out with Gray, to feel the strength in his arms wrapped around him, to taste his kisses and smell the scent of arousal, to know Gray was his and the searing joy in his heart at finally having his love returned...

It was worth it.

Every pain of the past.

Every sacrifice.

It was all worth this happiness!