#ft romance

Hi there ! I'm sorry for answering this late, I was just waiting for the right time to post it since I wanted it to be a part of the Jerik week!

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Jerik: Serendipity part 6: "Who said it was a good idea to have a child again?"

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“Come and catch me Daddy!” comes a little voice, quickly followed by a laugh.

And this time instead of going after his daughter, Erik lets himself fall onto the ground, his back meeting the grass, completely worn out.

Erik has faced countless enemies, and far more dangerous situations than to entertain his little ray of sunshine, but never he would have imagined that he would feel this tired after only one hour out with her.

He closes his eyes as he tried to breathe evenly again.

“Look at you. The great and powerful Erik aka Cobra of Oracion Seis, completely out because of a little girl.”

Jellal’s voice fills his ears, and Erik doesn’t have to look at him to know that he’s wearing a smirk on his lips.

“Shut up. Who said it was a good idea to have a child again? I think I want a refund. I’ve been tricked.”

He doesn’t mean a word of it, of course, and he knows Jellal understood this as well, when the other mage sits next to him and brushes a hand through his hair, rearranging a few strands.

“I’m sorry but I think you’ll have to deal with this until the day you die, my dear,” Jellal jokes. “But you can rest, for now, Sawyer is distracting her.”

As if on cue, he hears the light laugher of his eight years old daughter ringing around them. Erik decides to open his eyes and sit so he can take a look at the scene in front of him.

Alena is running, trying her best to escape her uncle’s hands. He knows Sawyer is probably indulging her, but his daughter has a happy look on her face and it’s all that matters.

“That explains why she didn’t come to get me right away,” Erik finally says.

He feels Jellal coming closer to him until their shoulders are brushing and their hands are tangled together.

“I love her so much,” Erik whispers.

“I know. I love her too.”

“We are so lucky to have her,” he adds.

“We are.”

“And we deserve this happiness,” he finishes.

There’s a kiss pressing on his cheek and Jellal squeezes his hand a little tighter. It’s not the first time that these words are exchanged, and it won’t be the last time either, because these mean so much to them.

It reminds them that they didn’t waste their second chance. It reminds them that despite their past, they are blessed with a little human being for whom they can make everything better and will do anything for. It reminds them that they have something good to live for.

It reminds them that they too are allowed to experience this kind of joy.

“We deserve this happiness,” Jellal agrees.

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Alena means "lights", "bright", "shining one"

Thank you to @watcher-ofthe-sky for helping with this ! You're a sweetheart as usual.

Day 7: Free prompt: Family.

Ultear puts her glass in the sink before turning her attention towards the living room where she can hear soft voices.

It’s past ten, and most of them are already in their room and the only reason she came here was to drop off her empty cup previously filled with tea. She didn’t expect to find one from the group here. She quietly makes her way to the living room and when she reaches it, she doesn’t dare to take another step.

From where she is, she only sees their sides but it’s enough for her to grow a smile on her lips as she takes a good look at the scene.

Erik and Jellal are sitting on the couch, comfortably pressed against each other, and Alena is on Erik’s laps, his arms circling securely around her, as her little legs are resting on Jellal’s. She’s asleep, her head against her father’s chest.

Ultear watches with amusement the way Jellal’s head slowly drops towards Erik’s shoulder and it’s not long before Erik notices it too, and nudges Jellal a little to wake him up.

“Let’s get her to her room and then we go to bed. You look exhausted,” Erik whispers.

“Ah, she wanted to learn a few spells from me this afternoon and well...she’s full of energy and clearly doesn’t know when to stop,” Jellal replies, a smile playing on his lips.

“Mmh, wonder where she got that from,” Erik says playfully.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

They both stand from the couch, turning away to reach the stairs to go to their room. Ultear only sees their backs now, but the way they still manage to be close to each other is too endearing for her to move back to her room yet. So, she waits until they are completely out of her view.

She wonders what it must feel like to be a family like them.

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For the wonderful @watcher-ofthe-sky 🌺

Also I am not going to take credit for this work. This is entirely from @grayserigala, so all the nice words, likes and reblogs is for her. I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did.

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Prompt: "You've always felt like home".

Natsu can’t help but smile as he watches Sting goofing around in front of, and with their friends. The pure joy and freedom in his face reflects through their hearts, and draws the smile onto the pinkette’s face, as well. Which is a good thing, since the last few days have been kind of hard on his lover. It is so alleviating to watch the thoughts that had Sting snapping left and right or too disheartened to move, now a world away from his precious boyfriend. Natsu wishes he could hold this moment of happiness in place for eternity.

A small chuckle escapes his throat as he watches his boyfriend taking Rogue by the arm and drag him into the foolery, to keep him close. From where he is standing, Natsu can't hear what's being said but if he trusts the exasperated look that is on Rogue’s face, he is positive that Sting is up to mischief again.

Shaking his head a little Natsu leans against the wall and brings his beer to his lips. The music around becomes something soft and the boy closes his eyes for a moment, to enjoy the warm feelings that build inside him.

He feels someone coming up to stand beside him, and Natsu jolts as a familiar voice sighs next to him, with a degree of fondness to the tone. His eyes slide open to gaze at the newcomer, and his gaze fall on Gray who is looking at him with an amused smile on his lips.

“It’s not like you to be all alone,” Gray comments, taking a sip from his own beer.

“I guess,” Natsu shrugs. “Just chilling.”

“That’s not like you either.” Gray hides a quiet snicker behind a sigh of content.

"What about you? How come you’re here and not saving your boyfriend?" Natsu follows up, cheekily.

Gray laughs at that, and his gaze falls to his boyfriend as it always does eventually, who is hiding his own fondness for the blonde behind a silent prayer for help. Sting’s enthusiasm is apparently wearing away that warmth, leaving draining tiredness.

"I'll save him later,” Gray comments with another swig and an indignant glare at Rogue. “For now, he can suffer for making me go to that stupid show to keep your lonely ass company.”

"Hey!” Natsu gasps, dramatically. “It wasn’t stupid and I know you enjoyed it!" Natsu argues.

“No I didn’t!” Gray argues back, their voices raising to a volume reflective of their lifelong rivalry. “How on Earth does anyone enjoy marionette shows, they’re creepy as hell!” Natsu snickers when Gray shivers at the memory, with a willingness to take it further and fight for nostalgia’s sake.

“This is why I wanted to go with Sting, he would’ve loved it and Rogue wouldn’t have to suffer now.” Natsu chuckles, sarcastically.

"Sting loves everything you do, so really he is not a reliable source here." Gray huffs.

Natsu is grinning at that, though he can’t tell if it’s the comment on Sting or the twinge of familiarity that comes with Gray’s frustrated tone. Gray looks over, with a flash of annoyance lighting up his usually dull, indecipherable eyes, one that dies down a little as Gray lets himself properly study his friend.

“You know this is all your doing, right?” Gray asks in an oddly quiet voice, and when Natsu looks over again, the raven is casually gazing at Sting.

“What are you talking about, Droopy Eyes?” Natsu retorts, trying to bring the playfulness back and reject the seriousness. Tonight isn’t about that, tonight is about the warmth of Sting’s smile and Natsu isn’t going to let anything bring that down.

Gray shoots him a flat look, that is directed at the nickname, and Natsu only just manages to keep from bursting into laughter with a sip of his drink. The raven sighs and and the irritation drains away, leaving Gray’s eyes more open than Natsu has ever seen, as he secretly rolls his eyes at the floor.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Gray starts off. “And before you decided to ruin the mood, I was going to tell you that Sting is happy because of you tonight.”

Natsu pauses at that, and with a couple blinks and seconds to register what Gray was saying, his eyes switch back over to Sting, who is still having fun teasing Rogue.

“You’re the idiot,” Natsu manages to choke out around his tightening chest.

“And you’re the idiot that he’s in love with,” Gray groans at Natsu’s difficult nature. “He’s smiling because of you tonight, because you gave him a home and didn’t give up on him.”

Natsu is left blabbing awkwardly, as he struggles to find the balance between the embarrassed butterflies that come from anything serious involving Gray, and the utter dedication that he feels towards Sting. His love for Sting wins. He has never once doubted Sting's love, in almost a decade of being together, he has always been confident that they shared a deep bond. And it’s not as if Sting has never said that to him, before, but hearing it from someone else, was firstly humiliating, but beneath the mortifying embarrassment, a weight grounds his heart and makes the decade-long dream seem real.

“...An-and Rogue’s told me that too, when he was trying to get us to be better ‘friends’.” Gray coughs, that same awkwardness rising up in him, too. “I don’t think anyone can deny that you two are made for each other, that you’re his home and he’s yours, but…” Gray trails off, a clear and obvious red painting his cheeks.

“...But what?” Natsu encourages, quietly, a note of worry in his voice.

“But Sting’s not the only one…” Gray continues quietly.

“I don’t understand…” Natsu breathes, searching Gray’s face. Gray slowly meets the pinkette’s gaze, as he swallows the embarrassment.

“I-” The words die in Gray’s throat, as he coughs out a laugh. “You do this for everyone, you worry and you care… f-for me, and Rogue, as well as Sting. Y-... he-... don’t take this the wrong way, I love Rogue to death, but isn’t it weird to think that we’ve known each other for almost twenty years, now?”

“I guess…?” Natsu replies slowly. “I still don’t understand.” Gray groans and mutters something about Natsu being difficult, but despite everything else, he slides a couple inches closer to Natsu, so their arms are almost touching.

“That’s nearly two decades, it’s basically a lifetime of knowing you.” Gray mumbles.

“Eww,” Natsu snickers, still not entirely sure what to make of the awkward atmosphere.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Gray glares. “But… it’s… Rogue, Erza, so many people have tried to make us better friends, but what… but what none of them seem to get is that you’re already my best friend. Twenty years... wow…” Gray shakes his head, hiding his eyes behind his hair. “You’ve seen me through everything, my worst, my best and my most stupid. Though, that last one is definitely your fault.”

“H-” Natsu cuts himself short, remembering Gray’s retort half a heartbeat late. Closing his mouth, he lets Gray continue and swallows his tease.

“There are very, very few people that I could say know me, or… know the real me.” Gray breathes deeply. “But goodness knows where I’d be if you weren’t one of them.” Gray turns his head and finally shows Natsu his face and the unshed tears in them. And those are enough to make Natsu worry, as his heart clenches and he tries to read Gray’s emotions. “Y-you’re Sting’s home, but… but you’ve always been home for me, too…”

Natsu feels his heart flip, dip and stutter to a halt all at once, as the words click and bring tears to his eyes in a chain reaction. Squeezing his mouth shut, Natsu fights against the tears, but it isn’t long before Gray is hidden behind a blurry film.

“W-woah, hey!” Gray’s panicky tone gasps. “Wh-what… I-... uhh… sh-should I call Sting? Why… I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

Natsu groans under his breath and hides his face in his hands, still trying to fight the drops of water running down his cheeks. Dammit, he didn’t plan on being an emotional wreck this evening, much less because of Gray.

“I… I-uh…” Gray stutters uselessly, and all Natsu can do is let out a choked laugh at his stupid best friend, and tug the raven into a hug. Gray freezes.

Natsu’s laugh continues to drown out his sobs. He could count on one hand how many times they had hugged, this was so far from their thing, but that doesn’t matter, not tonight.

“...’nd you’re the idiot that caused this.” Natsu parrots. Gray deflates in relief as he sees Natsu smiling, long arms wrap around him and hold him secure. “Th-th…-ank you…” Natsu whispers.

“You’re welcome, Natsu…” Gray replies, softly. “Happy birthday, dumbass.”

" I don't say whats on my mind quite as much as you'd like me to

I've been hearing that my whole life, I promise, it's not just you

But I so confidently want you that

When you say you're insecure about my feelings I don't take it serious

But if you need me to tell you more

You're one of the few things that I'm sure of

You're one of the few things that I know already

I could build my world of

One of the few things that I'm sure of

And I want you to unravel me"

Gray doesn’t remember when he stopped paying attention to Natsu’s rambling. It’s not because it’s annoying, it’s just that he’s now focused on something else.

Like the way the Dragon Slayer is talking animatedly to Lucy about some silly adventure he had gone on when he had lived with Happy. It’s quite endearing to see all the clumsy gestures he makes with his hands or his whole body when he’s too caught up in his retelling. It’s always amazed Gray how Natsu was able to keep people’s full attention on him when he’s talking. They’re all in awe from the moment he opens his mouth, even when it’s saying something dumb.

His green eyes are so vivid and full of life. It often surprises Gray to see how much emotions can pass through them. He is like an open book. An open book that Gray likes to read over and over again.

A soft breeze softly moves Natsu’s hair on his head, some strands brushing gently his forehead. It’s a little bit longer than what it used to be, and Gray loves to run his fingers through it when they’re at home and relaxing. And he knows for sure that Natsu loves it too, if the way he leans to the touch is any indication.

But what never ceases to astonish Gray, is Natsu’s smile. If Gray could compare it to something, it would be the sun, because it’s so bright, so warm and always there on his lips. Either on the battlefield or just here at the guild.

It’s that same smile that made Gray fall for him.

And then it strikes Gray.

It’s been nearly a year since they got together, started sharing a bed, started waking up to each other’s embrace, and Gray realises that he never told Natsu all the little things he’s thinking about right now. He knows that he doesn’t have to, because Natsu is the only one who can understand what he has trouble saying, but this realisation feels heavy on his chest all of the sudden.

Natsu constantly has an “I love you” on his lips, a caress to the touch and a feeling of being at home when he puts his arm around Gray. He always makes sure that Gray is fully aware of what his feelings are towards him. Even when they are fighting, Natsu is full of affection.

He is so shy about those kind of things, even if he is deeply in love with his boyfriend. His mate.

“I love you, Natsu.”

It slips through his lips and he can hear Lucy almost choke on her drink, while Natsu turns his face to look at him, eyes wide and mouth still open to that sentence he’ll never have the chance to finish. It’s not long before he can feel his cheeks burning with the realisation of what he just said, out of nowhere, but it’s quickly forgotten when he sees the tender smile that takes place on his lover’s face. His features softening and calming from his previous excitement. He can see how Natsu’s body is relaxing. And the green eyes are now full to the brim with a feeling that Gray can’t quite put a finger on it, but by the look of it, he knows it’s a positive feeling.

Then there’s a pair of lips on his, giving him a kiss full of love and he melts against it, giving in to the touch, lets himself completely go to that safe place.

“I love you too, Gray”

Natsu finally answers in a murmur, lips still over his. There’s a warm hand in his a few seconds later, a body closer to his, and they’re shoulder to shoulder now, and Natsu is back to his conversation with Lucy, giving him the opportunity to register everything. Gray knows Natsu’s doing it on purpose and it makes him fall a little more for him.

So he decides to ignore the looks he knows he’s getting and the way Lucy’s stuttering as she talks to Natsu. He ignores the little laughs he can hear from the other members, and intertwines his fingers with Natsu’s while he hooks their ankles together, letting a smile take over his lips.

His chest doesn’t feel heavy any more.

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Gray ne se souvient pas du moment où il a arrêté de payer attention aux paroles de Natsu. Ce n'est pas que cela l'ennuie ou quelque chose du genre, c'est juste qu'à présent son attention est dirigée vers tout autre chose.

Comme la façon dont le chasseur de dragon, raconte à Lucy avec animation, l'une des aventures qu'il a vécu avec Happy. C'est assez charmant de le voir agiter maladroitement ses mains ou ton son corps quand il est trop pris dans l'histoire qu'il conte. Gray a toujours été subjugué par la façon dont Natsu garde l'attention total des personnes avec lesquelles il parle. Ils sont tous bouche bée quand il ouvre la bouche, même lorsqu'il dit des âneries.

Ses yeux verts sont tellement rempli de vie. Cela surprend souvent Gray de voir combien d'émotions peuvent passer dans ses prunelles. Il est comme un livre ouvert. Un livre ouvert que Gray aime lire encore et encore.

Ses cheveux bougent doucement sur le sommet de son crâne grâce à une légère brise, quelques mèches glissant gentiment sur son front. Ils sont un peu plus long qu'avant et Gray adore y passer les doigts lorsqu'ils sont chez eux, à se relaxer. Et il sait pertinemment que Natsu aime ces moments également, si la manière dont il se rapproche de Gray est une quelconque indication.

Mais ce qui ne cesse jamais de surprendre Gray, c'est le sourire de Natsu. Si Gray pouvait le comparer à quelque chose cela serait le soleil, parce qu'il est lumineux, chaud et toujours présent sur ses levres. Que cela soit sur le champ de bataille ou comme à l'instant, à la guilde.

C'est ce sourire qui a fait tomber Gray pour lui.

Et c'est à ce moment que cela frappe Gray.

Cela fait presque un an qu'ils sont ensemble, partageant un lit, se réveillant dans les bras de l'un et de l'autre et Gray réalise qu'il n'a jamais dit à Natsu toutes les petites choses auxquelles il vient de penser. Il sait qu'il n'a pas besoin de le faire, parce que Natsu est la seule personne qui peut le comprendre ce qu'il a du mal à dire, mais cette réalisation lui met un poids sur le coeur tout à coup.

Natsu a constamment un "je t'aime" sur les lèvres, une caresse en guise de touché et la sensation d'être à la maison à chaque fois qu'il passe ses bras autour de Gray. Il fait toujours attention à ce que Gray sache les sentiments qu'il a envers lui. Même lorsqu'ils se disputent, Natsu est toujours plein d'amour.

Il est tellement timide lorsqu'il s'agit de ce genre de chose, même si il est profondément amoureux de son petit ami. De son compagnon.

"Je t'aime Natsu"

Cela lui échappe des lèvres et il peut entendre Lucy pratiquement s'étouffer avec la gorgée de sa boisson qu'elle vient de prendre, alors que Natsu se tourne pour le faire face, les yeux grands et la bouche ouverte sur cette phrase qu'il n'a pas eu la chance de finir. Il ne faut pas longtemps avant qu'il ne sente des rougeurs prendre possession de ses joues, alors qu'il réalise ce qu'il vient de dire. Mais c'est vite oublié lorsqu'il voit le sourire tendre qui prend place sur les lèvres de son amoureux. Ses traits s'adoucissent et se calme de son agitation d'un peu plus tôt. Il peut voir la façon dont le corps de Natsu se relaxe. Et les yeux verts sont à présent rempli d'une émotion qu'il n'arrive pas à nommer mais dont il sait que cela ne veut dire que du bien.

Et puis il y a une paire de lèvres sur les siennes, lui offrant un baiser rempli d'amour et il se laisse fondre, s'abandonnant au toucher, se laissant complétement aller vers cet endroit où il se sent en sécurité.

"Je t'aime aussi, Gray"

Finit par répondre Natsu dans un murmure, les lèvres toujours contre les siennes. Il y a une main chaude qui se glisse dans la sienne quelque seconde plus tard, un corps qui se rapproche afin qu'ils soient épaule contre épaule et Natsu retourne à sa conversation avec Lucy. Le laissant ainsi l'opportunité d'enregistrer ce qu'il vient de se passer. Gray sait que Natsu le fait exprès, et cela le fait tomber un peu plus amoureux de lui.

Alors il décide d'ignorer les regards qu'il sait qui sont sur lui et la façon dont Lucy bégaie lorsque elle s'adresse à Natsu. Il ignore les petits rire qu'il peut entendre et entrelace ses doigts à ceux de Natsu pendant qu'il coince leus chevilles ensemble, laissant un petit sourire prendre place sur ses lèvres.

Son cœur n'est plus aussi lourd.

I would like to thank @antomec for their beta work! And thank you so much for your support !

@fuckyeahgratsu