Small Sacrifices

Chapter 2

Gratsu Bingo 2019

Prompt: Friends

Chapter 2:

Gray looked up from his textbook as soon as he heard the sound of keys jingling outside the door. A smile played across his lips as he waited patiently for Natsu to open the door to their small apartment.

"Hey, welcome home," Gray greeted, but his words went unheard as Natsu was on the phone laughing with someone.

"Okay, gotta go, Sting, I just got home, see you tomorrow," another laugh and Natsu hung up already walking towards Gray who had gone back to his textbook to hide his frown.

Natsu put his keys down in his usual place and collapsed on the sofa, arms instantly reaching out for Gray. "How was your day Snowflake, did you get a lot of studying done?"

Gray allowed himself to be held briefly, but before Natsu could kiss him, he mentioned, "You were out late tonight, where were you?'

"Laxus asked me to substitute for one of the players on his Ultimate team, I figured it was okay since you were studying," Natsu replied but noticing Gray's guarded expression he asked apologetically, "Should I have called?"

Gray knew that Natsu had a hard time during his exam period, he felt like he had to be quiet around him, and that was hard for the naturally boisterous male. So a lot of the time his friends would invite him out to keep him out of Gray's hair, and he was sure that this was what Laxus had intended but...

"Did Sting play as well?" Gray asked, trying to sound uninterested as he pretended to look down at his book again.

"Yeah, he did," Natsu scratched his head, puzzled.

"You've been spending a lot of time with him lately, don't you think?"

"I guess," Natsu studied his boyfriend carefully, trying to figure out what he was missing when all of a sudden his eyes lit up, and he laughed. "Don't tell me you're jealous!"

"What?! No!" Gray spluttered, and he wasn't, he trusted Natsu completely. He knew Natsu would never cheat on him, just like he wouldn't either. It was something they had promised each other early on.

"Then what?" Natsu challenged, not understanding what could be upsetting his boyfriend.

"Natsu, it's obvious he likes you, and you spending all this time with him, it's sending him the wrong message."

"You're being absurd. Sting doesn't like me like that."

Gray rolled his eyes at him. Natsu was the most oblivious person on this planet, and he would know. It had taken him almost a year to get the idiot to realize he had feelings for him.

"He also thinks we're just roommates," Gray commented drily.

"Now that's just ridiculous! Everyone at work knows we're together."

"Lyon told me Sting asked Erik about me, and he told him that we had been roommates for years."

"Why would he do that?" Natsu asked, looking genuinely bewildered.

"Because all your friends are assholes, and Erik thought it would be funny since he knows Sting likes you," Gray explained hating to see the confusion in Natsu's eyes.

"Well, why didn't Lyon set him straight then?"

At that, Gray had to chuckle, "Because Lyon is an asshole too."

"So he really likes me?" Natsu seemed decidedly uncomfortable with the concept, and Gray couldn't blame him.

He'd been on the receiving end of a similar situation the previous year, and it had gone very badly. The girl had refused to accept that Gray was in a relationship and had become decidedly stalkerish. When she'd broken into their apartment with the intent to hurt Natsu, they'd had to get the police involved. They still had a restraining order out on her.