Burning Bridges

I'm Cheating Today

Gray sat at the guild bar sipping something cold to fight the heatwave that had settled over Magnolia for a solid week. The hot weather always made the ice mage a little cranky, but today he was feeling extra peeved.

"Do you have ice cream or something?" he asked Mira.

"All out," she said with a beaming smile, never stopping her tireless wiping of glassware.

The guild doors burst open, and a brightly grinning face with pink hair stepped inside. A few people greeted Natsu as he walked in with Happy just behind. Mira somehow managed to make time in her busy job to come over and do a little gossiping.

"Oh, Natsu! Yesterday was your big date with Lucy, right? One month already!"

"Yep!" he cried out. "I gave her a bracelet, and see! I have the same type." He showed off the beaded bracelet.

Gray looked away in annoyance. The flame-brain was grinning like an idiot.

Mira squealed at seeing that they were already so close. "Soooo... how did it go?" she asked with eagerness.

"It was perfect," Natsu declared boisterously. "We went to a festival, and there were fireworks, and we ate at this really fancy restaurant—although I got in trouble—and then we took a walk along the docks, and then we went back to her place, and then we..."

A small but heavy fist slammed on his head. Lucy glared down at Natsu. "Finish that and I'll castrate you." She walked off to the mission board to find a job for the team.

Natsu recovered quickly and ran over to talk to Erza about plans for a mission. He completely ignored Gray. The ice wizard slumped and stared at him.

Did Natsu really have to lean over like that, with his ass sticking out, wagging back and forth like some stupidly happy puppy? Although Gray really didn't want to hear Natsu brag about his and Lucy's relationship, part of him was curious. Just how close were they? Lucy's reaction was suspicious.

They didn't do that, did they? He didn't think the flame-brain knew what sex even was. The curiosity was strangling Gray's mind.

"Ohhh Gray," Mira said brightly. "You're looking rather jealous. Don't tell me you have a crush on Lucy."

Lucy! He glared at the blonde as well. He once had feelings for Lucy, yet since she and Natsu got together, those emotions mutated.

"It's nothing," Gray muttered, which made Mira titter.

Let her think what she wants! She doesn't understand how I feel. No one does. Hell, I don't even know what this is all about!

Lucy apparently found a job, and their team decided to meet up early the next day. Natsu moaned that it involved a train ride. Then he went to the bar to drink. He sat beside Gray, and for once they did not exchange any of the usual insults. Natsu looked way too happy, in Gray's opinion.

"So," the ice wizard said casually, and he took a quick glance around the guild. Lucy was on the far end talking to Levy, and Erza was lost in the euphoria of enjoying some strawberry cake. "Your date went well, huh?"

"Yeah, lots of fun," Natsu exclaimed. "Lucy's sweet, and she's really hot in bed."

Gray's glass frosted over and shattered. Mira looked over quickly at the sound of breaking glass, and Natsu eyed Gray in confusion. Then the Dragon Slayer figured it out and chuckled cruelly.

"Yep, she's really soft, really knows how to work it, ya know," he whispered, nudging Gray in the ribs. "It's challenging, though. I mean, when the girl is that good, it's really hard to last long enough to thoroughly please her. Good thing I've got this little dragon down here," he said, pointing to his crotch. "It's always fired up."

Gray pounced to his feet and grabbed the white scarf hard enough to yank Natsu right up into his face. His eyes narrowed in rage, and Natsu just chuckled at the jealousy in Gray's face.

The ice wizard snarled, "I don't want to hear you talk like that... ever!"

"Whatcha gonna do about it, Frosty?" To Natsu, this was just another way to annoy Gray, and he felt delighted that he had now one-upped him.

"Not in here," Gray decided.

"Our normal place by the river?" Natsu asked cockily.

"Meet me at my house first."

"Why should I enter that smelly pigsty?" Natsu demanded.

Gray glared at him. "Are you giving up so soon?"

Natsu's eyes narrowed at him. "Fine, I'll be there at sunset. You better bring a towel, because I'm gonna melt you into a puddle."

Gray released him hard, practically throwing the Dragon Slayer back onto his seat, and stormed out of the guild hall.

Mira sighed and shook her head. "At least they're taking it somewhere else so I don't have to clean up their mess."

--

Gray sat on the roof of his apartment watching the sun go down. Around this neighborhood, people were accustomed to seeing a half-naked wizard in the middle of the day. He puffed on a cigarette and gazed down at the street as he saw a flash of pink. Happy was right behind the Dragon Slayer. Gray frowned at that.

"Happy, head back," Natsu told his buddy. "I plan to go all out this time, and I don't want to have to worry about you."

"Be careful, Natsu," the Exceed warned.

"Hey, it's me! That ice bastard won't touch me."

Gray felt a little better now. Just him and Natsu, how he wanted it. He crushed out the cigarette and jumped back into his window. He closed it tightly and shut the curtains against the summer heat.

There was a pounding on the door. "Get out here, droopy eyes."

Gray sighed at the noise. Luckily, his neighbors were off on their summer vacation. He had the building to himself. Gray walked over to a table and picked up a device with two prongs and a button on the grip. He felt the hard edges of the hand-held device, and his fingers clenched it with a bitter scowl of determination. Holding it carefully, he walked over to the door and opened it to see Natsu almost ready to knock again.

"There you are, slowpoke! I wanna get this fight over with and beat your ass. I'm supposed to buy more supplies for Lucy, if you know what I mean. So get your frosty ass out here and we'll..."

Gray's hand shot forward, pressed the device against Natsu's bare stomach, and he pushed the button. A jolt went through Natsu, and instantly he dropped unconscious to the floor.

"Sorry, Natsu," Gray said, putting the device to the side. "I'm cheating today."