Family Vacation

One

The fresh air felt like a baptism, washing over his face as Natsu steered his convertible along the winding coastal highway. For the first time in the seventeen years he'd been spending his summers with his family and their friends, he felt like he was running from his life intend of running to a summer of fun.

He wished it could be like it was when he was twelve and sitting in the backseat of his parents car, watching out the window for the first glimpse of the bright blue ocean to break through the tree line. Back then, the only thing on his mind had been two months of non-stop sleepovers with his best friend in the whole world, Gray Fullbuster. Sure, sure they were practically inseparable back home but it was only at the beach house that they could literally spend twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week without any parental interference.

His parents bought the palatial ocean-front mansion along with two other families. One of those families were the Fullbusters. The others were the Heartfilias. Jude and Silver were both good friends and business associates of his father, Igneel. The three families split the cost of the home with the promise to meet up every summer for a whole two months.

Those early years held some of the best memories for Natsu. Natsu and Gray would spend the whole time together away from their parents and Natsu pesky baby sister, Wendy and the Heartfilia daughter, Lucy. The bulk of their time, at least in those early years, down on the private beach in the back of the house digging holes and body surfing in the waves. More than once, their mothers had to send Taurus, Natsu's pervy butler, down to the oceans edge to fetch the boys when the sun had dipped below the horizon and dinner was getting cold.

Natsu pulled up in front of the gates to the property. He leaned over and typed in the code to the keypad then waited as the huge iron gates slowly swing open. Was it a bit pretentious for a "beach house"? Sure. But considering the combined wealth of the three families exceeded that of some small countries, Natsu thought that excess was understandable. The neighbors didn't quite see it that way when the house was first built, however. His mother had told him the townspeople had gone to the city council to protest construction of the compound. Of course, yet again money greased the right wheels and now the families had a vacation home that any notorious family empire would envy.

He drove the Porsche down the drive and past the main house. Instead, he pulled up right in front of the guest house that was located a short way away from the main house. He and Gray had been staying at the guest house for the past several years for privacy sake. Sometimes they brought girls back with them and their mothers and fathers had been indulgent with them having their own freedom to do their own thing. Natsu noticed Grays Mercedes sports coupe parked out front and smiled as he locked up his own car. He hadn't seen Gray in several weeks and was looking forward to the chance to reconnect with his best friend.

Natsu grabbed his bag off the passenger seat and walked up to the door, letting himself in. "Hello?" he called out, unsure if Gray was there or if he was over at the main house.

"Flame Brain's here!!" came a booming voice from upstairs. "Be down in a sec, buddy!!"

Natsu set his bag down by the door and looked around the open floor-plan of the first floor. The housecleaners had done a good nod refreshing the place after being out of use for the whole winter. The windows along the back were all open, letting in the sights and smells and sounds of the crashing ocean beyond. He took a deep breath. Yeah, he could defiantly use this vacation.

Gray came thundering down the stairs with a big grin plastered across his face. They embraced, fists pounding on each others backs.

"I'm so glad you could make it." Gray said as he stepped back.

"Me too. I'm glad you talked me into it."

His private life was in tatters lately. His professional life was non-stop (now that his father was urging him to do more and more of the daily business of Dragneel Inc. as his father was preparing to retire) and for a while, he'd thought the annual trip to the beach house wasn't gonna fit into his schedule. Gray had worked on him for weeks, begging, pleading, bargaining....until he'd  given in. Gray always knew how to get to him.