Frost

49

By the time the two wizards reached the guild hall, the sun was setting. They had stopped multiple times—Gray's pants were down to his ankles when Natsu noticed and yelled at him, calling him a pervert and an idiot while the ice mage, who was flustered, pulled his pants back up to his hips. Gray, however, wasn't the only guilty one. Natsu was so hungry that, when they walked past the shops, Natsu's eyes would be glued to the meat stands, and he would practically drool over the smell of a freshly grilled steak.

Gray had to drag him, and he would continuously remind the dragon slayer that they were going to eat at the guild hall. The rest of the walk was pure and awkward silence.

The ice mage noticed that it had nothing to do with them physically—they could act like their normal selves around each other, bicker without a problem, and have a simple conversation. It was their feelings towards each other that contributed greatly to the uneasiness that surrounded the two of them, whether the ice mage's feelings were reciprocated or not. He would flinch every time their arms brushed while they walked, and it made him so furious that something so little made his heart beat rapidly, as if he were completely vulnerable to the world around him.

He didn't know whether his feelings were a good thing or not, so he thought about the outcomes.

The positives were where he started, and it was quite simple. Firstly, Juvia would stop stalking him, and maybe she wouldn't be so flirty and possessive. It kind of freaked him out, but he couldn't lie and say there weren't times when he enjoyed her attention. It was honestly getting old, and she has to learn that Gray most definitely did not return her feelings. Secondly, life would be easier with another person living with him. He wouldn't have to worry about struggling to pay bills, because if he and Natsu were together and eventually moved in with each other, their money from jobs would combine and it would be easier to save up money. Not that it was the only thing he was looking forward to, of course.

Lastly, he would actually be with someone he loved. He would be able to look forward to every day, and it would be beneficial because they were in the same guild. They would always be together unless they weren't. They had the same friends and they knew the same people, and it would honestly just work for them.

And then there were negatives. Firstly, how would Juvia feel about it? Would she see Natsu as a potential love rival? The ice mage honestly didn't know what to expect from her. Not to mention how everyone else felt. Right now, the media was already swarming over his return, and to find out that him and Natsu had gotten together on top of that? Gray found it funny that he was already thinking about the future despite his previous failed attempt to kiss the dragon slayer.

Gray took a glance towards Natsu. He was chewing on his bottom lip, his eyes staring straight towards the ground ahead of him, as if he were only focused on reaching the guild hall. The ice mage knew that Natsu was in deep thought. In the past, he would be chatting nonstop, speaking or shouting whatever was on his mind. He just couldn't stand how different things were.

"You know, it really did suck when you were gone," Natsu said suddenly, and Gray's eyes widened. He turned towards the dragon slayer, who was now looking back at him. "I can't believe I'm telling you this out loud, but I really did miss you." A smile grew upon his lips, and Gray could feel his face heating up.

Natsu watched as Gray turned his head in the other direction, looking around for something that could maybe distract him. The dragon slayer laughed and threw an arm around Gray's shoulders, and they remained that way until they arrived back to the building.

It was quieter than it was when they had returned earlier. People were chatting calmly and enjoying their meals. The two mages looked at each other and then walked further into the large room, and it didn't take long for them to be spotted by Cana Alberona.

"Hey! I've been looking for you two forever! Come get a drink, will ya?" Before either of the two boys could answer, a cup of booze was shoved into Gray's hands, and he looked inside the cup before taking a drink. Natsu was given one as well, and once the two of them finished, they were offered more.

"No thanks, I think we're both good, Cana," Gray said with a smile. The card mage furrowed her eyebrows and looked between the two of them with a questionable look. Without a word, she stumbled away, calling for someone else from a different guild.

The two lasted only seconds before Gray was toppled over by Juvia. The two of them laid on the ground, the water mage's arms wrapped around Gray's torso. Her cheeks were flushed, and her face was smashed against Gray's back.

"Oh Gray! I missed you so much!" Her voice was choppy, and tears began to fall down her cheeks almost immediately. Natsu grabbed her arm and helped her off of Gray, who looked more panicked and confused than anything. "You've been gone for so long and I . . . I . . . Gray!" Juvia grabbed onto his arms and bawled into his chest. The room began to fill with water, and the calm chatter grew into loud complaints. Natsu lifted his legs up, biting his bottom lip in the process. He looked towards his friend, whose facial expression said it all: Help.

"Gray!" a loud yell came from the other side of the guild hall, and all eyes turned to see Lyon, who was standing on his own ice. He looked angry, and he sounded drunk. "You made Juvia cry!?" he slurred. "How dare you!" Lyon got into his normal stance, and he called out a spell. Not too long after, ice eagles were flying around the building. One shattered into Elfman's back, and he growled at the ice mage who started it. Soon, the two of them began to fight, and a table flipped over, causing a few other wizards to join into the chaos.

The building grew loud, and some of the wizards were starting to get stuck in the ice Lyon had made. Natsu, who was now growing excited, lit his whole body on fire, and the temperature in the room increased greatly. The water didn't vanish, for Juvia continued to cry, and Gray couldn't do anything about it because she clung onto him like her life depended on it.

Neither of the two wizards were expecting the rowdiness to happen when they returned. Gray laughed out loud when someone attempted to throw a plate at him and missed. Spells were flying everywhere, and Gray watched as a purple cloud appeared from a different part of the building.

And then his eyes met Asa's, whom was standing in the corner of the guild hall. He was alone, and it was as if he were trying to avoid the other wizards. Gray's eyebrows furrowed, and he turned his body towards the man, who then vanished into thin air.