I Take Pride In What I Am

Been Meaning To Say Hi (Gray x Natsu)

Prompt: "Been Meaning to Say Hi"
Pairing(s): Gray x Natsu, Cana & Loke & Gray

Natsu had been in a funk all day. He couldn't help it. Today was the anniversary of the day Igneel had abandoned him, leaving him to wake up in a field alone and lost. With no idea what to do or where to go. He'd stayed on that field for days, letting the rain pour over him until Makarov had found him and offered him a home.

Ever since then, that day had become difficult for him. During the rest of the year, he was able to keep most of his negative feelings at bay. But on this day without exception, he felt bewildered by his loss, and it was just too much.

He used to take solo missions to have an excuse to leave Magnolia for the day, but quite often they ended in disaster and after he'd almost gotten himself kidnapped Gramps had forbidden him from going out on his own on this day.

Usually, he would just hole up in his house, thinking about Igneel until he made himself cry. Happy knew to leave him alone, and Mira would bring him food and leave it on his doorstep, usually with a sweet note.

This year for some reason, the thought of being alone didn't appeal to him. He wanted to be around people, even if he wasn't feeling particularly social. So he decided to go to the guild, despite knowing it was probably not a great idea.

Natsu opened the doors quietly, nothing like his usual entrance, so no one noticed his arrival. Most of his friends weren't there, they'd probably gone out on jobs knowing better than to ask him to come along.

He trudged over to the bar, making the snap decision to drink the day away. It's not something he ever did, and he had no idea if he could even get drunk. His elevated body temperature burned through both alcohol and poisons quickly, it was a side effect of his Fire Dragon Slayer magic. But maybe if he drank consistently, he could manage it.

He drank glass after glass of fire whiskey, ignoring the concerned looks he was getting from both Mira and Cana.

"Slow down, Natsu," Mira chastised, "You're not used to drinking like this, you're going to make yourself sick."

"I'll watch him," Somehow without him realizing it, Gray had sat next to him, "Give me one of whatever he's drinking."

"I don't need you to- to," Natsu stared at Gray trying to remember what he was trying to say as Gray watched him, eyebrow raised in amusement. "Babysit, yeah that's it!" He said proudly.

"Never said I was," Gray replied, "I've never seen you drink this much before, I thought it might be amusing." He took a swig from the drink that Mira had put in front of him.

"Ugh, this tastes awful, how do you drink this shit?" Gray turned to Mira, "Vodka, and keep them coming, please."

Mira pursed her lips, unhappy at the idea of having both Natsu and Gray drunk in the guild but she nodded.

"I like it," Natsu shrugged, "It feels warm in my belly."

"So how come you're drinking anyway?" Gray was studying him intently, and it made Natsu feel uncomfortable. He could see the concern in the deep blue eyes, and it freed something inside him, a feeling he wasn't familiar with. It confused him, and he broke the gaze before Gray could notice.

"July 7th."

"Oh shit, I'm sorry! Is it that day already?" Gray's shoulders slumped, and he looked sad, and that helped soothe away some of Natsu's hurt.

"It's fine, I don't expect anyone to remember," Natsu looked down at the bar trying to figure out why Gray was affecting him so strangely today.

"Uhm, do you want to talk about it or something?"