When the Snow Falls (Gratsu)

Chapter 9- Teasing

Gray's POV

I was greeted at the door to Natsu's house by the blue-haired girl who I had seen staring at me yesterday morning. When she saw me, she immediately blushed scarlet and scampered away into another part of the house. At least she left the door open. I decided to go up to Natsu's bedroom because I wasn't sure where he was and there was no one around to ask anymore. I ran up the stairs and quietly opened his bedroom door. I walked into the room, leaving the door open a crack as I searched for where he might be. I spotted him still laying in his bed, tangled up under piles of blanket. I started to walk over to the side of his bed, but I kicked something about halfway there. I bent down to pick up the box but a shirtless Natsu practically flew off the bed and kicked the box out of sight before I could reach it.

He was a little too late.

"Uh...Natsu? Why do you have a box of condoms on the floor?" His face went red and his eyes widened with panic. I took a moment to take in his half-naked form. Wow. You got lucky with this one, Gray.

"Uh...no reason." I lifted my eyebrow at him. He sighed and raked his hands through his hair. "Well...some of the maids saw us yesterday...and they came in here yesterday night to give me that." He bit his lower lip and looked up at me through thick black lashes. Hot.

"Hot." His forehead crinkled and he looked at me like I was crazy. I shook my head. "That is not at all what I meant to say." Oh god why does my mouth betray me so?

"Okay, I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that a bunch of girls giving me condoms because they thought we were hooking up yesterday is hot." I cringed.

"That is seriously not what I meant. That is not hot, that is awkward. You, however..." I paused.

"However...?" He prompted me to go on.

"You, however, are very hot. I can't stand it when you bite your damn lip like that. And my mouth decided to betray my thoughts by speaking them out loud without my consent." He laughed, melodic and clear.

"Aww, you think I'm hot!" He did a weird little happy dance and I laughed.

"Not when you do that, you aren't." He kept going.

"What, you don't like it when I shimmy?"

"No, definitely not. You look like a chicken trying to do ballet." He finally stopped shimmying and bent over, crashing his face into my chest and laughing. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and smiled at him. Even if he can't dance, he's still perfect.

"Am I really that bad?"

"Yes."

"You're so mean."

"You love me anyway."

"You're right." I paused. The humor from a moment ago was sucked out of the air. He lifted his head from my chest and backed up a step. His eyes widened and he laughed nervously, running his fingers through his hair. "Uh...I need to go shower really quickly...You can hang out downstairs with Lucy if you want."

I nodded. "Okay." He turned away from me and I backed out of the room, shutting the door once I was out in the hallway. I leaned my back against the door and slid down to the ground until I was sitting on my butt. Well that was awkward.

Natsu's POV

As soon as Gray left the room I put my back to the door, sliding down until I was seated on the ground. I slapped my palm against my forehead. What was that about? Good job ruining the mood, idiot. I groaned. This is not how the morning was supposed to go. I stood up, grabbed some clothes for after I finished up my shower and turned the doorknob, pulling the door toward me. To my surprise, a boy with black hair fell backwards and laid at my feet.