Melting Gray [Gratsu]

22

Chapter Twenty-Two

☆ Natsu Dragneel ☆

"Attics are so terrifying," I complained to Gray as I wiped dust off my face.

"You're the one who suggested camping. What's next? S'mores?" Gray asked sarcastically. When I didn't respond he face-palmed. "Of course."

"You can't have a campout without s'mores," I argued. "Now help me get this downstairs."

Gray nodded and found one side of the package while I lifted the other. I started walking backwards while he took careful steps forward. "Don't die," Gray said half-jokingly. I laughed and continued to guide the supremely-heavy package down the stairs.

When my feet hit the first floor, I breathed a sigh of relief. Going down stairs backwards while lugging a 30-pound tent isn't on my list of safe things to do. We carried it all the way to the backyard and dropped it carelessly in the grass, which was beginning to die, since it was already October.

"Have fun with that," Gray waved, turning around to go back inside.

"No wait!" I cried, grabbing his arm. He spun around, looking irritated.

"What?" He demanded with a strained voice.

I bit my lip nervously. "Stay outside with me! Isn't it a nice evening?"

Gray raised his eyebrows. "It's not like I can help you set up the tent, doofus. I'd just be sitting here in the grass."

"Perfect," I smiled fondly, leading him to the flatter side of the backyard. "You sit tight."

Gray groaned and flopped down, bringing his knees to his face and wrapping his arms around them protectively. "At least play some music."

"Okay," I agreed. I took out my phone, set it on my Happy Days playlist, and Fireflies by Owl City began to blast through the tiny phone speaker. Gray sighed contently and visibly relaxed. Smiling fondly at Gray's contentness, I ripped open the box and shook the tent out.

It was one of those bendy tents, so with a couple openings of Velcro straps and adjusting some poles, it was already standing up pretty well. The directions said to nail in the side pegs, so I told Gray I was going to find a mallet.

It wasn't that hard- I found one resting on the workbench in the garage. I returned to the backyard quickly and got to work on nailing in the pegs. The tent took eight, plus two to hold up the front overhang. After securing them all in the earth and competing the other instructions, I was finished after twenty minutes.

"That's gotta be an academy record," Gray commented as I collapsed on my back next to him. I rolled my eyes.

"I go camping with my dad a lot. It's one of the very few things we agree upon," I responded sadly.

"What's the deal with him? You don't talk about your family much," Gray noted softly. "If you want to talk about it, that is."

I smiled sadly, feeling tears brimming around my eyes. I had been crying so much these past couple days and I'm 103% positive I am no longer a man anymore. "He's always working. And with my mom no longer here, I'm always alone. Hanging out with friends just doesn't fill that void, you know? That's why you've got it lucky."

"Hey," Gray reached tenderly for my face. "I'm sorry about your dad. But you're lucky too."

"Oh? How so?" I whispered breathlessly.

"Because you have your friends, my family, and most importantly, you have me," Gray grinned, leaning in and kissing me softly.

I smiled into the kiss as we breathed each other in, disregarding everything else in the world and focusing on the now- and the now was our lips moving in sync and our hands exploring tenderly.