Life After Near Death

The Sound of a Kiss

"The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer."
― Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Gray listened to the streaming water in the other room. Natsu hummed as he washed. Gray had already showered, letting Natsu rest and recover while he cleaned off sweat and lube. Now Natsu sounded so happy washing up, and Gray rested on the bed, still buzzing with the afterglow.

He would need to change the sheets. Later. He felt tired, relaxed, and...

And so in love.

That had to be this feeling. Love!

His fingers caressed the pillow Natsu had slept on. A fallen pink strand rested on the cotton cover. Gray swiped it aside, leaned in, and inhaled the pillow.

It smelled like Natsu!

So did his sheets, the whole room, probably the whole house was filled with his scent. Gray did not have a nose that could detect such things. He just knew his bed smelled like Natsu, that campfire musk with a hint of cinnamon. It made his cheeks hot as he played through memories of the past two days.

The water turned off, and Gray stopped nuzzling the pillow like some besotted idiot. A few moments later, Natsu walked out wearing snowflake boxers that hung loose on his hips, a purple palm-print shirt left unbuttoned and hanging open, and a towel across his shoulders as he continued to rub out his wet hair. Gray's mouth dropped as he saw his clothes on Natsu.

"Why the hell are you wearing that?" he cried out.

Natsu looked down at the clothes, then up in confusion. "My clothes are dirty from yesterday. You haven't washed them yet, have you?"

Gray opened his mouth but shut it with a low growl. "You should ask before taking someone's clothes. I wasn't ready for that."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "Huh? Ready for what?"

"You! Seeing ... that." He emphatically waved at Natsu's body.

"Would you rather I walk around naked?"

"At least I've seen you naked. I've never seen you wearing my clothes."

Natsu pouted. "Are you that mad?"

"N-no! No, I'm not mad. It's just ... it's ... dammit, never mind. I don't care if you wear my clothes. Just ask next time."

He scowled and looked away. He was not at all mad. He found it sensual, seeing Natsu in his clothes, walking around with his boxers hanging off his hips, hitching them up every few steps.

"Do we need to go to the guild today?"

Gray blinked and forced himself to stop staring at Natsu's ass. "I don't think so. Maybe we can do something. I was thinking we could go out, get something nice to eat, walk around the apple grove while the fruit is ripe..."

"No," Natsu said quickly. "No, we ... we should stay in."

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

Natsu flopped on the bed and curled up next to Gray. "You shouldn't go out. I'll get food. Just ... um ... stay inside. Rest. You should definitely rest."

Gray's brow furrow. "What the hell is wrong with you? If anything, you should be the one to rest."

"Seriously, relax. Let your body heal."

Gray barked out a laugh. "My body's fine."

Natsu's lips twisted into a sideways pout. He reached forward and touched a spot on Gray's neck.