crash & burn

26. feels like home

i'm gonna love you like i'm gonna lose you
and i'm gonna hold you like i'm saying goodbye
- meghan trainor, "like i'm gonna lose you"

"How're you feeling?"

Gray's voice was soft, and Natsu looked up where he was curled up in the passenger seat, a bright blue sucker caught between his teeth. He felt gross from sleeping in his clothes overnight, and he was sure his hair looked ridiculous. His eyeliner was smudged even more now, making his face feel itchy and uncomfortable.

"Natsu?" Gray asked again. "You okay?"

"... yes. Yeah. Sorry." Natsu blinked a few times, running a hand over his face and yawning. "Just sleepy. That bed was shit. How's your shoulder?"

Gray made a noncommittal sound. "It's okay," he said. "It's been... better lately." He turned the corner and Natsu winced, the sun suddenly blinding him. He pulled up his hood and ducked his face to avoid the bright light.

"Do you think your psychiatrist was right?" Natsu asked. "I mean, that the pain's... psycho-so-whatever?" He bit down on the sucker and crunched the pieces between his teeth. Gray looked pensive.

"Maybe?" he said eventually. His left hand drifted up to rub his scar, and Natsu's chest clenched. Gray had been much more open over the last week, and Natsu had plenty of opportunities to see him shirtless, but he knew that the scars still made Gray very self-conscious. "It probably helps that I'm distracted," Gray added.

"Mmm, by your handsome boyfriend?" Natsu teased, scooting over in his seat and sliding a hand over Gray's thigh.

"Hmm. Maybe." Gray made a soft, contented sound as Natsu's fingers drifted up and down the fabric of his jeans. Natsu could tell he was tense, but the stress seemed to dissolve under his fingertips.

"You okay, Snowflake?"

"Yeah, why?" Gray asked, flicking on his blinker and turning onto the street for the apartment.

"We were over there for a long time; you're not a people person." Natsu shrugged, fingers dipping deeper onto the inside of Gray's thigh. Gray shivered, and Natsu grinned. "You and Freed seemed to hit it off."

"Yeah, they s-speak French," Gray said shakily. Natsu could tell that he was trying hard to ignore the hand that was now ghosting across his lap to brush the inside of his left leg. "You are b-being very distracting."

"Am I?" Natsu feigned innocence. "I thought that was a good thing." He increased the pressure slightly, then leaned all the way across the console and pressed a sticky kiss to Gray's cheek. "I can stop if you want." He slid his hand away and Gray growled. "Guess you'd better get home quick so I can keep going." Natsu saw a muscle in Gray's jaw twitch, and didn't say anything when the car sped up slightly.

As soon as Natsu had kicked off his shoes, he felt Gray grab his sweater, and he yelped in surprise as he was slammed back against the wall.

"Ahh!" Natsu half-exclaimed, half-moaned as Gray leaned forward, biting his neck. "You... mnnn... we... ahhh..."

Natsu tipped his head back against the wall and gave up on talking, letting Gray assault his neck and throat with soft, open-mouthed kisses. The hand gripping Natsu's sweater trailed down and slipped under the fabric, pushing Natsu's hips back against the wall.

"Tu me rends fou," Gray breathed against Natsu's neck, and Natsu moaned as he brought a hand up to Gray's hair. "You are unbelievably hot." Gray pressed himself up against Natsu, moving his kisses to Natsu's mouth.

"Fffffuu... ah, god, yes," Natsu whispered as Gray dropped his hand lower and ground his hips forward. Gray ran his other hand underneath Natsu's sweater, dragging his nails across Natsu's chest as he bit Natsu's lower lip. "Ahhh, Jesus Christ. W-we... ahhh... sh-should move to the b-bedroom so-"