love, like rain

3. freefall

Tuesday came faster than Gray expected, but the day itself crawled by. He alternated between looking forward to seeing Sting again and panicking about the bright bubbly sensation in his chest that he hadn't felt since he'd met Natsu.

Breathe, Natsu texted him halfway through the day. I can feel you freaking out from here. He invited you, you're gonna be fine.

Gray sighed, rubbing his face and trying to take Natsu's advice.

By the time he got to the zoo, it was only an hour before closing. When Gray told the ticket-taker that he was looking for Sting, she waved him through without paying and pointed him toward the large cat exhibit.

Gray's shadow stretched out in front of him as he wandered down the well-tended paths. The zoo had changed so much since he was a kid, and even with the directions from the information desk, it took Gray nearly twenty minutes to find the glass-walled enclosure on the other side of the park.

There was a crowd of people around the window – mostly young children that were squealing and jumping up and down – and Gray moved around them curiously until he was able to see what they were all looking at.

At the front of the enclosure was a natural-looking swimming pool, crisscrossed with logs and ropes and surrounded by enormous toys. Sting was waist-deep in the water, holding his arms out to a frightened-looking tiger cub that was pacing back and forth along the bank.

"Carla's a little more nervous than her brother, so we're gonna give her a hand." Sting's voice came through the speakers and Gray realized he was wearing a headset. "Tigers are one of the big cats that love the water, so once we get her in, she'll be just fine."

Gray felt his heart melt as he watched Sting move closer to the cub, making a soft purring sound to soothe her. Carla looked uncertainly at him, dipping one paw into the water and then backing away, shaking it off.

"C'mon, darling," Sting murmured, making the gentle sound again. "You're all right." The gentle lilt of Sting's accent captivated Gray, and he couldn't help the soft smile that crossed his face as he watched Sting stroke the tiger cub's fur.

"Carla needs a bit of encouragement," Sting said over the headset, turning to look at the kids in the crowd around the enclosure. "I'm gonna give her a little ride and introduce her to the water."

Carla pawed uncertainly at Sting and he made the purring sound again, nudging her until she clambered up onto his back like a child taking a piggyback ride. Then he slowly moved into the deeper water until Carla's paws were touching it, making gentle sounds of reassurance.

"There you go," Sting said, slowly turning around and guiding Carla into the water. "See? Not so bad after all." Carla's eyes were wide, but she reluctantly started to kick her back legs while Sting held onto her front paws. "Good girl," he said softly.

Once Carla was happily swimming with Lily, Sting stepped out of the water and waved to the kids gathered around the glass. The rest of the presentation consisted of facts about tigers, but all Gray could focus on was the way Sting's wet shirt clung to his chest. It made Gray's stomach twist in ways that made him think of Natsu, followed by the low, thrumming guilt that had been following him around since Natsu had brought Sting home for dinner.

~

"Come on in!" Sting opened the gate for Gray, squeezing Gray's arm as he stepped into the enclosure. It was hot and humid, and Gray's shirt was already sticking to his back. "It's good to see you," Sting said, pulling Gray into a hug. The gesture was so comfortable and familiar; like they'd known each other for years instead of days.