Ten Days Until Christmas [Gratsu]

Time's up

Gray had decided not to get a date, no matter how many times Juvia had asked. She ended up not going, and Gray was starting to wish he hadn't either.

The party was just starting but Gray already felt like getting drunk. Seeing Lisanna with Natsu under the mistletoe more than zero times in one day was too much for him, and now the count was already at three.

He joined Cana at the bar, but even she was taking it easy with the drinking, as she wanted to enjoy the party with a, at least partly, clear mind.

Lucy came and sat next to Gray at the bar.

"Hey, Gray. It must be hard, seeing him like that." She said it low enough so that Cana wouldn't hear.

Gray looked at Lucy. "It is. That's why I drink." He took another sip from his Christmas drink. "What happened to your date?"

Lucy laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. "I don't know, he ran off. He was lame anyway, definitely not my first choice."

"Too bad, Lucy. Know how you feel though."

"The night is still young. You never know who you'll end up going home with." Lucy stared into Gray's eyes.

"Maybe be more like Josh," Lucy continued after a moment of silence. "You should take a chance. Jump right into something. It'd be good for you."

Trying to prove her point Lucy leaned in toward him, lips slightly parted, expecting a kiss.

Almost feeling the gears turning in his head, Gray quickly jumped off his bar stool and stepped away from her. Take a chance? "That's exactly what I should do!" He kissed Lucy's cheek and turned to walk away. "Thanks Lucy!" he shouted over his shoulder as he blended with the crowd.

He didn't know if it was him or the alcohol in control, but when he spotted the pink haired boy Gray ran as fast as he could in Natsu's direction.

"Natsu!" he shouted on his way.

"Gray?" Natsu let go of Lisanna in the middle of an awkward dance and stepped toward Gray. "Is something wrong? You don't look too good."

Gray looked at Natsu's hair, then his eyes, then his lips.

"Oh, fuck it," he said, and leaned down slightly and kissed the confused dragon slayer.

Natsu broke away almost immediately. "Hey! What was that about? Did you get a dare? Never play truth or dare while drunk, Gray, didn't you learn that last time?"

Lisanna came to the two of them and put her hands on her date's shoulders. She looked at Gray, confused and hurt. "What do you think you're doing, Gray?"

"I'm taking a chance. I see it wasn't appreciated."

Natsu shook off Lisanna's hands from his shoulders. "It... it was appreciated."

Lisanna opened her mouth to question Natsu, but he silenced her by just looking at her.

Then his eyes went back to Gray.

"I'm the one you wanted to go with?"

"Well..." Gray said and smiled quite awkwardly. "Yeah."

"I'm so stupid," Natsu whispered. "I should've asked you while I had the chance."

Lisanna had already left the two of them.

Gray felt something hitting the back of his head. He looked on the floor behind him, then saw what it was and picked it up.

"What a nice mistletoe," he said.

"Just kiss already!" Lucy screamed.

And they did.

The end. (Almost.) (There'll be an epilogue.)

Merry Christmas!