Mating season (NaLu)

Part 3

"I told you already, Juvia, I don't want to go to the couples fight," said Gray while opening the door, not even bothering to look who was behind it. "Oh," said he when he realized who it actually was and began to close the door and return to his apartment.

"No, wait, you need to help me," said a very out of breath Natsu trying to barge in. Gray looked at him weirdly "What do you want," closing the door barely after Natsu had slipped inside, "at 9AM?" walking away to his kitchen to grab a cold drink. Natsu threw the backpack into the entry corner. "What, I'm now banned from here or something?"

"Yes, all nutheads are," answered Gray and took a sip of his drink. Natsu grabbed it and rushly poured it over his head, his face showing some kind of relief for a second or so. "What the fuck, man?"

"Cool me down!" shouted Natsu. "Cool yourself down, you idiot! What the heck?" shouted Gray back.

"No, you don't understand, I can't stand the heat anymore," said Natsu desperately. Gray wondered what was going on. Natsu never seemed to mind a little heat, but he did look a little out of character today. Sick even: his eyes were super sharp, overall his form looked exhausted and anxious. Heat was radiating from him almost as when he and Loke exchanged their bodies accidentally and Loke couldn't control his flames. Natsu reached out his hand and took hold of Gray's shoulder which by the way had somehow been stripped from clothes. A little sizzle came from the impact and Gray had to immediately use his magic to compensate for the heat that forced its way to his body.

"Stop burning me, flame brain," shouted Gray. "I can't, it's too hot in here" whined Natsu still grasping onto Grays shoulder like it was the only thing holding him up, "but you've got to help me."

"Ughh," scoffed Gray, feeling confused. What really happened to Natsu on that last job? "No, seriously," said Natsu impatiently, "like freeze me into your bath or something, like now." He was panting a little, sweat drops rolling down his face. "Unless your magic isn't strong enough to," wheezed Natsu now crouching over a little bit and holding Grays upper arm as a rollator.

"Will you shut up" said Gray, irritated by Natsu's words, but still willing to help," get in the tub, then." Natsu went to the bathroom getting support from the walls. "Does Lucy know about this?" asked Gray, annoyed by how slow Natsu was walking and how he was still grasping onto his shoulder. It was totally unnecessary, he can walk on his own! He tried to rip his arm from Natsu. Natsu stumbelled from the effect and crouched over even more, now stopping completely. Seriously, he had to catch his breath for a short path to the bathroom? Thought Gray.

"No, not really, but don't tell her anything," it was unusual for Natsu to keep secrets from anyone, but from Lucy was really strange, thought Gray. "She already saw me acting weird this morning," seductive Lucy flashed in Natsu's mind for a moment and made the situation for him even worse, "uhh.... just freeze me here, your apartment walls are almost burning me."

"These are stone walls, pyro, they can't burn you." said Gray in annoyance but saw that Natsu left some burning marks on the wall that was totally upholding him now. He sighed, grabbed Natsus hand and dragged him to the bathroom, not bothering to look whether Natsu walked or crawled behind him. Gray turned on the cold water and threw Natsu in it. Maybe a cold bath would be enough. The water started to sizzle a little at first but stopped almost immediately. "Ahh yes," moaned Natsu.

"What, you couldn't give yourself a bath at your house?" scoffed Gray who found Natsus behavior more than odd. Natsu tried to slide himself to the bottom of the tub so his head would be under water, but there was still too little water. After a while the water covered his face completely but Natsu stayed put. Gray looked at him for a while and then grabbed a bunch of Natsus hair, (meanwhile noticing that the water had grown warm already,) to lift his head up violently. "You wanna drown or what?" Gray raised his voice. "Jeez, let go of me, you sucker, I need cold more than air rn," answered Natsu, shoving Grays hands away from him. "Fine, wouldn't wanna save your ass anyway," answered Gray as Natsu showed his tongue out and merged in the water again.

Gray just looked at him irritated and thought what had got into Natsu? It couldn't be the mating season, it wasn't supposed to start before next week. So was he really sick? Natsu never got sick, except for train rides. He might've caught something on the solo job he went on to collect the money for his every year mystical trip to who knows where and what for. He says it's his special dragon slayer training but he is always scratching his head and piping his lips, not daring to look in the eye of the other, he can't really lie, can he. But Gray never pressed for answers, it's none of my business anyway, he thought.

I should take him to the gilds nursery, had Gray thought just before Natsu came out of the water and swung a weak punch at him, which Gray caught easily. "You turned the water hot," accused Natsu of Gray. "No I didn't, you idiot" said Gray annoyedly. "Turn it back, asshole," shouted Natsu in anger.

"The water's been the exact same temperature....." Gray had touched the water and was very much surprised at how warm it had become. "I.... it's too hot," said Natsu who was visibly melting. The sweat drops appeared again on his face and he panted lightly. "I....I can't take it anymore...," Natsu said while resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes, "...Lucy."

"Jeez fine, fine," submitted Gray and started to freeze the water with his magic, "don't have to be this dramatic over it." Feeling instant relief from the magic, Natsu opened his eyes and said, "what did you say, ice prick?"

"Stop picking a fight with me when I'm helping you!" shouted Gray. "Then stop provoking me," answered Natsu in the same way. "Where did you learn such a complicated word from, huh?"

"You little...." started Natsu and tried to punch Gray another time but Grays reflexes were faster. Gray put his hands in the water and froze all of Natsus lower body, for revenge. Natsu sprung up from the tup suddenly feeling very energised. „Oouche, ice cube, what made you think, I wanna match with your cold ass?" Flames erupted from his hands to melt the ice around his upper thighs but stopped when he realised that he wasn't feeling the heat anymore.

„Wow, it got a lot colder now," said Natsu with ease instantly feeling fresh and joyful again, „I wonder where's Happy, I'm sure he is burning with the temperature outside. This summer morning was really something, you know."

„Hmm, your eyes went back as well," noted Gray to himself then realised Natsus stupid words, „Happy doesn't feel a thing because this morning was normal."

„Well, thanks for the air conditioner," said Natsu, making himself breeze with his hands, „took you long enough to turn it on."

„There is no air conditioner here, you little shit," shouted Gray. „You wanna fight, droopy eyes?"

„Not in my apartment and you have to go to the gilds nursery, I can't stand you here anymore," said Gray. „Don't wanna, nursery is boring, büõõh," said Natsu who was already feeling bored,"well, Imma go then."

„Before that, what do you mean Lucy saw you acting strange this morning?" asked Gray while walking Natsu to the door. „Well, last night when I returned from the job, I went to surprise her. Me and Happy fell asleep next to her, but in the morning I woke up before her because of a weird dream I had."Natsu said carelessly till the last part, then he got serious. „In the dream I was... I was with her. And after that I woke up with an erection bhaha and Lucy was still asleep on me. And the air was hot, alright. And I said some weird stuff to wake her up but she didn't wanna wake and only pushed her hair on my face and the smell struck me, you know"babbled Natsu.

„I really don't," added Gray.

„And the dream returned to my mind and I knew if I didn't get out of there, I couldn't have had any control left. So I shoved her to the floor and jumped to her wardrobe and took a bunch of clothes and then retreated while Lucy and Happy were yelling at me confused. That was kind of funny, haha." Told Natsu sheepishly.

„What did you do with the clothes?" asked Gray, now feeling even more confused. „I brought them to my house of course, they smell like her and then the heat was almost unbearable already and then I came to you, bhaha what a weather."

„It's not about weather!" yelled Gray, dropping the weird clothes part as they had arrived at the front door.

„Screw you, ice prick," answered Natsu finally, smiled and opened the door, „and thanks for the bath."

Little did he know about Juvia spying behind Grays front door. "Juvin! My darling Gray-sama gave Natsu-san a romantic bath!"

"No I didn't! And Juvia what are you doing here anyway?" exclaimed Gray.

Natsu walked happily away with his backpack, ice slowly melting from his pants, wetting everything in 2m radios.