Life After Near Death

Tatami and Fingers

"The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space."
― Marilyn Monroe

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Gray sat on his couch reading a book when suddenly something heavy dropped into his lap and a head popped up right in his view.

"Whatcha readin'?" Natsu asked, looking down at the book in Gray's hands.

He looked annoyed but answered, "A study on the different forms of ice crystallization."

"That sounds boring. You should read something better. Like, did you know there are different ways to categorize a fire based on what fuel it burns?"

"So how do you categorize a flame-brain?"

"Hey! How would you categorize an icicle dick, huh?" he shouted back.

Gray rolled his eyes and tried to focus back on the book. Natsu stayed on Gray's lap. He looked at the words on the page, but they were long and boring, so he stared up at the bottom of Gray's chin.

"You have a booger in your nose," he stated.

Gray slammed the book shut. "Do you need something, or are you just planning to bother me?"

"I'm bored," he complained. "We should go swimming, or training, or take a mission."

"Nothing's stopping you. Happy would probably love to go swimming with you."

"But I want you to come."

Gray sighed, "I have such a clingy boyfriend."

"Yep!" Natsu laughed, and he grabbed around Gray's waist. "I just wanna have fun with you."

Gray smiled plaintively and stroked his fingers through the pink hair. How could he possibly stay upset when Natsu was so cute?

There was a thump at the door, and without even waiting Erza burst in.

"Yeah, go ahead and enter," Gray muttered at the intrusion.

Erza saw the two on the couch and asked, "Am I interrupting?"

"Yeah, we're busy cuddling here," Natsu snapped playfully, nuzzling Gray's thigh. "If you don't leave, we might start making out. I've learned the precise spot on Gray's neck to make him moan every time."

"Natsu!" he cried, and his voice cracked in shock.

Erza's cheeks went a little pink, but she remained focus. "How do you two feel about taking a major mission?"

Natsu bolted up and sat on the edge of the couch with sparkling eyes. "Ya mean it? How major? What are we fighting?"

"A rogue wizard on the coast wanted to help his villagers by using magic to increase the size of the fish in the ocean. Now the village is being terrorized by monstrously large crabs, starfish, lobsters, and the ocean is seething with giant fish, including a report of a shark the size of an island. The reward is seven million Jewels and all the free fish we want."

"Oh, Happy's gonna love this one," Natsu chuckled gleefully. "Yosh! Let's do it!"

She looked at him worriedly. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, I'll be great. I really need to beat up something, and giant crab legs sound yummy."

"And you, Gray?" she asked.

He nodded. "My leg is a lot better. Besides, you'll need someone who knows how to fight while on a boat. I've battled water monsters before. This idiot would just throw up all the time."