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splendidlyimperfect · 4 years

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It’s been twelve weeks in quarantine and the boys decide to head to Gray’s parent’s cabin for a weekend of isolation.

Chapter Summary: Rogue and Natsu talk about staying at the lake for the summer, and Gray thanks Sting for taking care of him.

Chapters (3/3): 1 | 2 | 3 Fandom: Fairy Tail Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Natsu/Sting/Rogue/Gray Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Polyamory, Established Relationship, Fluff, Morning Cuddles, Morning Kisses, Lazy Mornings, Soft Boys, Dorks in Love, Sharing Clothes, Teasing, quarantine fic, weekends at the lake, Talking About The Future, mentions of depression, disgustingly sappy as usual

**if you want some ambiance there’s a spotify playlist here and some instagram photos here

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“If you get my guitar wet, I’m legally allowed to murder you.”

Rogue rolled his eyes as he flopped down on his beach towel, narrowly avoiding Natsu and the guitar propped up on his knee.

“I’d like to see you try,” Rogue said, wringing out his hair into a puddle on the sand. The sweltering afternoon heat was already evaporating the water that clung to his chest and dripped down past his swim shorts.

“I could kick your ass,” Natsu said, making no move to back up his claim. Instead he picked out a few notes on the guitar and tightened one of the strings.

“Uhuh.” Rogue laughed and reached over to the cooler to grab a beer. “Says the man who tapped out to Sting last time you two wrestled over the brownies.”

“Okay, that’s just unfair,” Natsu said. “Sting is ridiculously strong and we both know it. I once saw him carrying four kids at the daycare at the same time.” Rogue nodded in concession. “At least Gray’s easy to beat,” Natsu said, grinning. “You just have to get him in a chokehold.”

Continue reading on AO3

Rogue snorted, covering his mouth to keep the sip of beer he’d just taken from spraying over the beach towel. “I’m gonna tell him you said that.”

Natsu just stuck his tongue out and continued tuning the guitar, humming to himself as he picked at the strings. Eventually he was satisfied and sat back against the piece of driftwood, setting the guitar in the beach chair behind him.

“Can you pass me one of those coolers?” he asked. Rogue looked down into the icebox and grabbed a bottle of something pink, raising an eyebrow and handing it over.

“That looks like cotton candy.”

“It’s watermelon,” Natsu said, popping the cap off and tossing it at Rogue. “They were out of cotton candy.”

Rogue made a face and caught the cap with one hand. “I was joking, that sounds horrible.”

“Okay, mister carbonated wheat juice.” Natsu gestured at Rogue’s beer. “I like my liquor to taste like fruit roll ups, thank you very much.”

“You just like fruit roll ups,” Rogue countered. “I can’t believe you’re thirty-two and your favorite alcohol is candy soaked in vodka.”

“Look,” Natsu said. “Time is a construct. Age is meaningless.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you love me.”

Rogue laughed as Natsu reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him into a kiss. “Fine, you taste good,” he said, setting his beer down next to the lawn chair and pulling Natsu closer. Natsu made a quiet sound of surprise, then hummed happily, settling in under Rogue’s arm.

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Natsu took another sip of his cooler and looked out at the lake where Sting and Gray were still swimming. They appeared to be playing some sort of game that involved wrestling each other under the water, then surfacing to splash at each other.

“He seems so much better,” Natsu said softly, watching as Gray laughed at something Sting said, then pulled him close and kissed him.

Rogue nodded, sliding his fingers between Natsu’s and squeezing his hand. “He does. I wish...” He sighed. “I wish it was easier for him to see how much we love him. It breaks my heart when he thinks he’s not important.”

“Yeah.” Natsu tipped his head against Rogue’s. “I wish... like, I don’t wish he was different, because I love him just the way he is, but if I could take it away, like make things easier for him, I would? Does that make sense?”

“Yeah.” Rogue kissed Natsu’s temple. “I’d do the same for you. I know this has been tough for you, too.”

“Ugh.” Natsu made a face. “Yeah, it’s been a shitshow, hey? I swear, I’ve watched every movie we own, and I couldn’t tell you the plot of a single one of them.” Rogue laughed. “This is good, though – being out here. I wish we could stay.”

“Maybe we should.”

Natsu tipped his head to the side and frowned at Rogue. “Stay?”

“Not forever, but maybe a couple weeks? Gray’s the only one that’s working, and I know Todd would give him the time off. Who knows when the rest of us are gonna go back to work. We might as well be out here if we can.”

Natsu nodded, looking back down at the water. Gray and Sting had swum over to the dock that stretched out from the beach and were sitting on the edge and talking. “We’d just have to convince Gray that we aren’t doing it just for him, ‘cause otherwise he’d feel guilty about it.”

“I’ll tell him it’s for you,” Rogue said, kissing Natsu’s cheek. “Cutting firewood is good for your brain.”

“And my biceps,” Natsu teased. Rogue rolled his eyes and grabbed the cooler out of Natsu’s hand, taking a drink and making a face. Then he tipped his head back toward Nastu’s guitar.

“Play me something.”

“What do you want me to play?”

Rogue shrugged. “Anything,” he said, kissing Natsu’s cheek. “I just like hearing you sing.”

“I never said thank you.”

Sting tipped his head to the side to look at Gray, who was lying on his back on the dock with his arm thrown over his face to block the sun. The sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue, and Sting knew his face was going to be a mess of freckles by the time they headed home.

“For what?” he asked. Gray didn’t answer right away, and Sting shifted closer and nudged Gray’s hip with his knee. “Gray? What’s wrong?”

Gray sighed. “For talking me down,” he said eventually, keeping his arm over his face. The tips of his ears were red beneath the rapidly drying strands of his dark hair. “It must have been scary for you.”

Sting reached out and took Gray’s hand gently, tugging it away until he could see the uncertain expression on Gray’s face. He didn’t look at Sting, instead keeping his eyes on a seagull that dipped in and out of the water.

“It was scary,” Sting admitted. He knew by now when to soften his words, and when to be blunt, and with Gray it was usually the latter. “I just want you to be okay. I love you so much and I want you to want to be here.”

“I do,” Gray insisted, finally looking at Sting. “I don’t want you to think…” He sighed, pushing himself up until they were sitting facing each other. “It’s not because you’re not enough.”

“Gray,” Sting said gently, taking his hand. “I would never think that. It’s not your fault.”

“I know, I just…” Gray sighed. “I was thinking about you, before I… and I should have asked for help.” He squeezed Sting’s hand. “If you hadn’t—if I’d—I couldn’t…”

Sting shuffled closer, reaching up and running his hand through Gray’s hair. “I’ll always be here for you,” he said. “We all will. No matter what.”

Gray nodded, and Sting was relieved to see how quickly his expression shifted back into something calm and content. “Thank you,” Gray said. “I love you.” He leaned in and kissed Sting’s cheek, then his nose, then his lips. “This is gonna sound weird, but I’m really glad Natsu and I decided to let you guys walk in on us that night.”

Sting laughed, thinking back to the unconventional way that their relationship had started. “Me too.” He kissed Gray once more, then pulled back to look over at the shore where Natsu was strumming his guitar and Rogue was watching with a beer in hand. “We’re all really lucky.”

“We are.” Gray stretched, then pushed himself to his feet and tugged on Sting’s hand. “C’mon,” he said, “I picked up those strawberry daquiri things you like, let’s go get tipsy and listen to Natsu play Taylor Swift.”

The sun set slowly, pulling its soft pink light in ripples across the water as Natsu strummed his guitar. Sparks crackled and popped from the campfire, spitting sparks into the air that floated up into the night sky. Gray sighed happily, breathing in the campfire smoke and leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Rogue’s head.

“You smell nice,” he murmured against Rogue’s hair.

“Oh?” Rogue hummed, tipping his head to the side as Gray slid his fingers through his hair, combing out the damp tangles and pushing it aside.

“Mhmm.” Gray kissed Rogue’s neck, breathing in the scent of sunscreen and woodsmoke. “Like summer.” He moved his kisses across Rogue’s shoulder, pushing his tank top out of the way to expose more of his dark brown skin.

“Summer, huh?” Rogue’s voice was low and teasing, and he shifted between Gray’s legs, tipping his head back against his shoulder.

“Mhmm.” Gray slipped his other hand up Rogue’s thigh and moved it under his shirt, running his fingertips across Rogue’s stomach. “’s nice.”

“So are you.”

Gray laughed against Rogue’s skin, sliding one hand down to twine their fingers together. Rogue shifted just enough to nudge Gray into a kiss – soft and lazy against the background of the sunset. The quiet sound of Natsu’s guitar picked up behind the crackling of the fire, and Gray smiled when Natsu’s voice joined the music.

“This song is on your guilty pleasures playlist,” Gray murmured, nudging Rogue’s nose. Rogue stopped kissing him for a second to listen, then giggled and rested his forehead against Gray’s.

“I don’t think they’re guilty pleasures anymore,” he admitted. “Natsu stopped teasing me about liking country music like… eight months ago.”

“You’ve converted him.” Gray caught Rogue’s lips in a kiss again, humming at the taste of beer and chapstick. Rogue melted into the kiss, nipping at Gray’s lip before pulling back and letting go of Gray’s hand. Before Gray could argue, Rogue nudged him back to lean against the piece of driftwood, then straddled his legs and pulled him back in.

“Better?”

“Better.” Rogue’s tongue slid against Gray’s and Gray let out a quiet, happy sound, running his hands up Rogue’s thighs and resting them on his hips. Rogue’s shirt rode up and Gray slipped his fingers below the waist of Rogue’s swim shorts, caressing the soft skin there. He could feel Rogue humming along to the song Natsu was playing, and after a moment he started to softly sing the words.

Never gonna grow up, never gonna slow down We were shining like lighters in the dark in the middle of a rock show

Rogue’s voice was soft and rough, and it pulled Gray back to the trips they’d take together – long drives, just the two of them, that ended with the windows down and both of them singing at the top of their lungs. It was something special that belonged to just him and Rogue, like the quiet words sung between them.

We were doing it right, we were coming alive Caught up in a southern summer barefoot blue jean night

“I love you,” Gray murmured, sliding one hand to Rogue’s back and pulling him closer. Then he tipped his head to the side to watch Natsu’s fingers dance across the frets of his guitar as he played. The sunset stretched across the beach, highlighting Natsu’s dark skin with a sheen of gold that made him seem supernal. Sting sat beside Natsu, leaning against his knee and gazing at him with an expression of adoration in a face dotted with freckles.

A warm sense of contentment flooded through Gray and he was caught off guard by the sensation of tears behind his eyes. The intense depression he’d felt last month felt like years ago as he sat on the beach with his favorite people, being loved and soaking up the summer sun.

“Thank you,” Gray said, turning back to Rogue and kissing him softly. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of the summer just like this.”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #fluff #sappy fluff #update #new chapter #complete #my fic

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 4 years

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Hii! I would like to know how all the boys would react to seeing each other cry or break down

if your heart's in a thousand pieces

all of me loves all of you

if you believe in love, you're always alive

father of mine (tell me how do you sleep)

the heart has storms and tides

i'm not crazy, i'm just a little unwell

you are the best thing that's ever been mine

you'll be in my heart

enjoy! ^-^

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #fanfic #yall just really want these boys to suffer huh #ask #ask us anything

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 4 years

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Hi i was wondering,when did Gray and Natsu first start to realize that they were deeply in love with Sting and Rogue did they start to act differently toward them? Or act the same?

they’ve always all been disaster gays together - even when they first met they instantly had crushes on each other (as chronicled in stumble upon a soul by @gray–dragneel). all four of them moved in together after about a year, and then flirted constantly with each other even when they didn’t realize they were doing it. they’re the kind of friends who were always mistaken for each others’ partners, and eventually they had their super flirty suggestive game of never have i ever which led to gray and natsu planning to actually get together in my heart is too big for just one of you.

~splendidlyimperfect

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gratsu #stingue #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #ask #ask us anything

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 4 years

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Hi , I really love all your fics you guys are awesome with the ot4 i love it .. uhm do you still take requests? I really want a fic about natsu’s struggle with his father... i love reading angst hurt/comfort fics

hey! thank you for the request ^-^ i wasn’t able to have the fic actually include sanjay (a bit of my own issues with my dad, projecting onto our favorite characters, etc etc) but this is all about their relationship.

it’s set a few months after the car accident in if you believe in love, you’re always alive, so natsu is still recovering from the accident.

father of mine (tell me how do you sleep)

Sting yawned, nudging open the front door of the apartment with his shoulder and kicking off his shoes. Natsu’s pink hair was just visible over the edge of the couch, but he didn’t look up at the sound.

“Hey, love,” Sting said, shifting the groceries in his arms and moving into the kitchen to set them down on the counter. “How’re you feeling?”

It had been almost two months since the accident, and Natsu was… well, recovering. Mostly. He’d been home for nearly three weeks now, and while it was mostly going well, Sting still felt like he was tiptoeing around something that could easily be shattered.

“Okay.” Natsu didn’t look up from the laptop that was balanced precariously on his knees.

“Did Rogue just leave for work?” Sting opened the fridge and started putting the food away while studying Natsu carefully.

“Mm. A few…” Natsu hesitated. “Times,” he said after a second. “Not the long, just… the hands?” He still didn’t look up, and Sting could hear the frustration in his voice.

“Minutes?” Sting suggested gently. Natsu nodded, rubbing his eyes and then returning to whatever he was doing on the laptop.

Continue reading on AO3

Sting sighed, folding up the grocery bags and setting them back by the front door before slowly approaching the couch. He could hear Natsu mumbling something under his breath, and when Sting got closer, he realized Natsu was reading something on the laptop screen and trying to sound out the words. It didn’t sound familiar, and it took Sting a second to realize that he was speaking Hindi.

“What’s that?” he asked, gesturing at the screen and settling down on the couch next to Natsu. Natsu didn’t answer at first, just tipped his head against Sting’s and ran his fingers over the edge of the keyboard.

“E-mail,” he said eventually. “I’m trying to read it, but… the words…” He huffed.

Sting wrapped his arm around Natsu’s shoulders and kissed his temple. “Who’s it from?” Natsu shook his head, shifting closer to Sting and then wincing. “Is your hip okay?” Sting asked, frowning.

“Yeah,” Natsu said, humming as Sting’s fingers started to move up his shoulder and into his hair. “Rogue took me to physio today.” He gestured at his leg, where the scar from his surgery stretched down his thigh.

“How’d it go?”

“Hurt.” Natsu tipped his head forward to Sting could comb out the knots in the back of his hair, sighing at the sensation. “’s okay now.”

They sat like that for a few minutes, and eventually the cats all meandered out of the bedroom and joined them on the couch. Happy meowed at Natsu, putting both paws on his arm and headbutting his shoulder.

“Hey, buddy,” Natsu said softly, scratching behind Happy’s ears. Then he tipped his head back against Sting’s shoulder and looked back down at the laptop. “I can’t do it.”

“Can’t do what?” Sting asked.

“Read it.” Sting’s heart ached at the tight lines of frustration that appeared on Natsu’s face. “It’s… the words are all wrong. Not like before, not the…” He trailed off, waving his hand vaguely.

“Dyslexia?” Sting suggested.

Natsu nodded. “It’s not mixed up,” he mumbled. “It’s… the letters don’t make sense. Like with the words, and I say things, and you say things, and they’re… my brain makes them wrong.”

Sting pulled Natsu tighter against him. “I’m sorry,” he said gently. “I wish I could make it better.”

“I know the words,” Natsu insisted. “I know it, and I can… it’s there, but it doesn’t make sense, and I can’t…” His voice caught on the last word and he turned, pressing his face to Sting’s shoulder. “I hate it.”

“I know, sweetheart,” Sting murmured, taking the laptop and setting it down on the coffee table, then shifting so he could pull Natsu into his arms. “I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be.”

“Everything is,” Natsu mumbled, curling up against Sting. “It hurts, and I hate… the…” He gestured to his face, where the broken glass of the windshield had left several thin, white scars. “I can’t—and Gray is sad, and I want to make it… I want to… I… fuck!” He growled, gripping Sting’s sweater tightly. “Fucking… fuck. Stupid, I hate it.”

His shoulders started to shake, and Sting realized he was crying in earnest now, trying to hold in the aching sounds that were desperately trying to escape. Sting could feel his own tears starting to appear, but he bit his lip to hold them back. This wasn’t about him.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, continuing to run his hand through Natsu’s hair while holding him close. “This whole thing sucks, and none of it’s fair, and you’re allowed to feel whatever way you want to feel.”

“I’m angry,” Natsu managed through the tears. “I don’t want to be.”

“I know,” Sting reassured him. “I know you don’t, but sometimes you just have to let yourself feel the shitty things.”

Natsu sniffed, rubbing at his face with the back of his hand and letting out a wet laugh when Frosche appeared, wriggling until she was between Sting and Natsu. She leaned in and started to lick Natsu’s hair, putting a paw on his head to hold him still.

“We’re all here for you,” Sting said as Natsu stilled, letting Frosche groom him. “I know it’s hard for you to see Gray hurting, too, but his guilt isn’t on you. He’s dealing with that with his therapist, and you can’t shoulder that responsibility.”

“I know,” Natsu said softly.

They were both quiet for a while, and when Frosche was satisfied that Natsu’s hair was clean, she moved up to Sting, climbing onto his shoulder and starting over again. Natsu’s sniffles petered out into occasional hiccups, and eventually his breathing matched Sting’s, soft and even.

“It’s from my dad,” Natsu said after a while. “The e-mail.” Sting tensed and Natsu must have felt it because he tipped his head back until they were looking at each other. “He was mean to you.” It was more of a statement than a question.

Sting hesitated, not quite meeting Natsu’s eyes. His interactions with Sanjay had been tense at best, and outright hostile at worst. Sting still couldn’t get the image out of his head of Gray yelling at Sanjay, tears in his eyes as he defended Sting and demanded an apology that would never be given.

“I don’t want to… he’s your dad.”

Natsu shook his head. “He’s a jerk.” He looked between Sting and the laptop. “What did he say?”

“Natsu,” Sting said gently, but Natsu squeezed his hand, giving him an insistent look. Sting sighed. “He told me to leave and said that our relationship – all of us – was unnatural. Gray got really angry at him and told him to apologize or leave… he wouldn’t, but your mom did. We didn’t see him again after that; I think Igneel made sure we weren’t ever there are the same time.”

“Fuck,” Natsu whispered. “I haven’t… haven’t, um… the words? Saying…”

“Talked to him?”

Natsu nodded. “Not since he went home.”

Maya had stayed for a week after Natsu woke up, helping the four of them with groceries and cooking and making sure everyone was well taken care of. Gray had been uncertain around her, but Sting had tried his best to make her feel welcome after her change of heart.

Sanjay, on the other hand, had left a few days after Natsu had woken up, and apparently hadn’t spoken to Natsu since then.

“When did he e-mail you?” Sting asked.

Natsu held up two fingers. “Days ago,” he added. He chewed on his lip. “Maybe it’s better… if I can’t?”

“You don’t want to read it?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to decide right now.”

“I know.”

They sat in silence for a little bit, and eventually Natsu leaned over and closed the laptop. Then he squeezed Sting’s hands and tipped his head toward the kitchen.

“Supper?”

“Are you busy?”

Gray looked up from his book at Natsu’s question, frowning at the uncertain look on Natsu’s face. He was standing in the doorway to the bedroom, looking down at the floor and playing with a small fidget cube in his left hand.

“Of course not,” Gray said, putting his book down and gesturing for Natsu to come sit next to him on the bed. “You need a hand?”

“’m okay,” Natsu said, shaking his head as he managed the few steps to the bed. He shuffled until he was lying down next to Gray, who wrapped and arm around him and pulled him close.

“What’s up?” Gray asked gently. “How was lunch with Erza?”

“Okay,” Natsu said. “She helped me read the… words. On the laptop, from pita.”

“The e-mail?” Natsu nodded against Gray’s chest. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I dunno.”

“Not good?” Gray guessed.

Natsu shook his head. “I hate him.” Gray’s heart ached at the words – quiet and laced with disappointment and defeat. “He’s mean. To you, and to Sting and Rogue… to me.” He took a shaky breath. “I don’t understand. He… why doesn’t he want me to be… good? Smiles?”

“Happy.”

“Yeah.” The resigned tone of Natsu’s voice made Gray feel like crying. “I was… I thought…” Natsu paused, taking a deep breath to try and make it easier to find the words. “I almost died.” Gray tried his best not to tense up at the statement. “I thought he might realize that I’m… not special, the other one?”

“Important?”

Natsu nodded against Gray’s chest. “He’s supposed to love me.”

Gray pressed his face to Natsu’s hair and held him closer. “I think he does love you,” he said carefully. “He’s just…”

“An asshole.” Natsu sighed, then added, “Sting told me.”

“Told you what?”

“That you told my dad to apologize.” Gray’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he recalled the outburst. “I’m sorry he was… wasn’t nice. Mean.”

“It’s okay,” Gray reassured him. “Nobody blames you. We were all scared.”

“’s not an excuse,” Natsu insisted. “He was a… he’s always… to you, and then now, with everyone…” He huffed in frustration, then leaned back and looked at Gray. “Can we go visit mom and dad?”

Rogue drove out to Silver and Mika’s. They took the long way – meandering through the countryside and avoiding the bridge where the accident had happened altogether. Gray napped in the back seat most of the way; drowsy from the anxiety medication with his head in Natsu’s lap.

“You okay?” Rogue asked, glancing back at Natsu in the rearview mirror.

“Mm.” Natsu looked back from where he’d been gazing out the window at the trees. “It’s not as bad for me. I don’t remember.”

Everything about the day of the accident was blurry, and the last thing Natsu remembered was leaving Silver and Mika’s. Even the half hour or so of driving before the accident was gone. Gray, on the other hand, had seen everything happen, and had still been mostly conscious when the paramedics arrived. Natsu had sat up with him after several nightmares, kissing his forehead and reassuring him that he was safe and alive.

“We’re here, love,” Natsu murmured gently when they finally pulled into Silver and Mika’s driveway. Gray grumbled at him, yawning and rubbing his face before sitting up slowly. “Sleep okay?”

“Mm.” Gray stretched and looked out the window. “That was quick.”

“You did sleep for four hours,” Rogue said as he got out of the car and moved over to the rear door. “Are you gonna use the crutches, or be a stubborn asshole?” The question was directed at Natsu, who made a face at him.

“Stubborn asshole,” he said, grinning when Rogue rolled his eyes and held out an arm to help Natsu to his feet. “Love you, babe.” Rogue flicked him on the forehead.

“Bonjour!” Mika waved at the four of them from the open from door and kissed each of them on the cheek as they made their way into the house. Natsu could hear her asking Gray something softly in French, and he was content to see Gray give her a genuine smile and hug her tightly. It was slow going, but he was getting better.

“Hey, it’s my favorite boys!” Silver appeared in the doorway to the kitchen with a wide smile on his face. “How was the drive?”

The sight of Silver made something crumple in Natsu’s chest and he nearly burst into tears. The ache that had been dragging him down all week slowly dissolved, and before he could think he was across the room, hugging Silver tightly.

“Natsu?” Silver’s voice sounded confused, but Natsu heard Rogue gently say his dad, and then Silver’s arms were around his shoulders, holding him close. “I love you, son,” Silver said gently.

Natsu didn’t realize he was crying until the front of Silver’s shirt started to grow wet, but once he started, he couldn’t stop. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled through the tears. “’s stupid.”

“Don’t apologize,” Silver said gently, voice rumbling against Natsu as he hugged him tighter. Another set of hands brushed through Natsu’s hair – Mika – and she pressed a kiss to his temple, then joined the embrace. “Family isn’t always the people who raised you,” Silver said. “And all of you will always be our sons.”

Natsu sniffed, hugging Silver tighter as he tried to push away his dad’s words from earlier in the week.

It’s not normal. I’m disappointed in you. I cannot accept this.

“You will always be welcome here,” Mika said, pulling the other three into the embrace as well. The tension in Natsu’s body slowly faded away in the circle of all the people who loved him.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, eventually pulling away from Silver and wiping at his face. Even though he could hear Sting sniffling behind him too, Natsu’s tears were still joined by an embarrassed flush in his cheeks. “I love you too.” He hesitated, then added, “Dad.”

Silver squeezed his arm and Mika kissed his cheek, and then Gray’s arm was around Natsu’s waist, holding him up just as his hip began to throb. “Come sit down,” Gray said gently.

The stubborn part of Natsu was tempted to argue that he was fine, he didn’t need help, nothing hurt. But then he looked at Gray – at the man who had come into his life and given him a home, who had dragged Natsu into his family when Natsu needed it most.

“Okay,” he said softly, leaning in and kissing Gray’s cheek. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Gray raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure you didn’t take a double dose of painkillers earlier?”

“Nope.” Natsu gave him a soft smile. “Just love you.”

Watching the redness creep up the back of Gray’s neck was incredibly gratifying. Natsu looked up at Silver again, nodding thanks again before letting Gray help him over to the couch.

“Now,” Silver said, grinning and gesturing to the barbeque on the back deck. “Who’s ready for dinner?”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #silver fullbuster #mika fullbuster #angst #emotional h/c #request #natsu's dad is a dick #but silver is awesome #prompt #splendidlyimperfect

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 4 years

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requests update

hey all! first off we want to thank you all so much for your lovely requests and submissions - we’re so glad that you enjoy this ship so much! it started off as such a crack idea and we quickly fall in love, so we’re happy you did too.

we absolutely accept requests, but it’s not guaranteed that we will fulfill them. this is due to a lot of different factors so please don’t take it personally! we love seeing your messages and do try to respond to all of them. occasionally it will take several months for requests to be filled so we appreciate your patience.

thanks again, you’re all lovely! <3

~splendidlyimperfect

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #requests

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 4 years

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But also cause it's winter, #2 for the otp questions! ❤️

2. On a cold day, who likes to snuggle up to the other?

Natsu hates being cold so he’s always trying to get in the middle of everyone else and stick his cold/hands and feet under everyone’s shirt (especially Gray because he’s a little shit).

@gray–dragneel wrote it perfectly in as you wish

“Don’t care, I’ll clean it later,” Natsu says, teeth still chattering. He hangs up his jacket and toes off his shoes before burrowing between Gray and Sting on the couch. “Ahh,” he breathes. “You’re both so warm.”

Gray flinches as Natsu slides his hands under his shirt. “Natsu, gods!” He squirms away. “You’re freezing.”

Natsu pouts, “That’s why I wanted a cuddle!”

Sting takes Natsu’s hands between his and squeezes. “I got you, babe.”

Natsu sighs and leans into Sting. “At least someone loves me.”

Gray rolls his eyes and pulls Natsu’s feet into his lap. “You know I do. A little warning would be nice is all.”

“Why don’t you take your own advice the next time I’m giving you a blow job,” Natsu snorts.

Gray’s about to tell Natsu to shut up when Rogue runs a hand through his hair. “Playing nice?”

“Natsu started it,” Gray grumbles.

“Gray won’t cuddle with me.” Natsu wiggles until he’s sitting in Sting’s lap. “And it’s like, minus twenty five. I need cuddles.”

Gray rolls his eyes. “First of all, your hands are like ice,” he says, pulling Natsu’s sock off just to hear him squawk. “Second, it’s only minus ten, you drama queen.”

“Whatever it is-”

“Minus ten,” Gray repeats under his breath.

Natsu sticks his tongue out. “It’s cold, and I don’t like it.”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #ask #ask us anything #gray--dragneel

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 4 years

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Hey, could I request a small oneshot about Rogue having a bad day at work (rude customers, or something) and showing how the other three make it better? I feel like Rogue needs more love ;w; Thank you ^^

Hey! Thanks so much for the ask, I hope this is what you were looking for! I posted it separately on the blog, but here’s the link to the story as well ^-^

i’ll keep you safe in these arms of mine (AO3)

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #emotional h/c #protective sting #bamf!sting #request #splendidlyimperfect

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 5 years

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Stinggratsu with angst prompt #42...?

Anonymous said: If you’re still accepting Angst/Fluff prompts, how about: “I wanted to apologize.”?

I got both prompts into one fic, hope you enjoy!

you are the best thing that’s ever been mineauthor: @splendidlyimperfect

Gray’s having a bad day, and Natsu’s music choices are making it worse.

—–

Natsu kicks Rogue in the shin as the front door of the apartment opens.

“Shhh,” he whispers, pulling the duvet up over both of them. “He won’t sing if he thinks we’re awake.”

Rogue frowns at Natsu but closes his eyes, and Natsu tucks his arm under his pillow and settles into a pretend sleep.

The bedroom door creaks open and Natsu hears Sting step into the room, humming quietly under his breath. The smell of fresh laundry hits Natsu as Sting sets the basket down on the end of the bed, then starts to pull things out and fold them.

Rogue twitches next to Natsu and Sting stops humming momentarily, but when neither of them moves again, he picks it back up. It starts off as just a jumble of notes, but eventually he starts singing the words under his breath, and Natsu recognizes it as a Taylor Swift song that Sting’s particularly fond of.

Natsu can barely keep a smile from creeping across his face as Sting’s singing gets a bit louder. His voice isn’t entirely in key, but Natsu loves the way he sounds. It’s sweet and happy, and when Natsu hears Sting change one of the lines to fit Gray’s name in, Natsu nearly cries.

Gray told me I was pretty when I looked like a messtoday was a fairytaletime slows down whenever he’s around

When Natsu hears Sting move away from the bed he cracks an eye open, holding in a fond sigh as he watches Sting dance over toward the closet. Sting keeps humming and singing, switching to a new song as he hangs Rogue’s dress shirts.

It must have been the way Rogue kissed mefell in love when I saw him standing there

When he turns back to the bed Natsu barely closes his eyes in time, and Sting’s quiet for a second. Natsu tries his best to keep his breathing even – he’s had lots of practice with it. Sting only sings when he thinks everyone’s asleep or nobody is home, so Natsu sneaks in these moments whenever he can.

Eventually Sting grabs the rest of the laundry and starts tucking it into their dresser as he picks up with a new song.

Well, he drives me crazy half the timethe other half I’m only tryingto let him know that what I feel is trueand I’m only me when I’m with Natsu

Natsu can’t help the tiny, adoring sound he makes when he hears his name, and Sting immediately stops singing. A balled-up sock hits Natsu on the side of the head and he pretends to grumble, opening his eyes and rubbing his face.

“Mornin’,” he says to Sting, sitting up and nudging Rogue, who also rolls over and fakes just having woken up. “What’cha doin’?”

“Your laundry,” Sting says, deftly catching the socks as Natsu tosses them back at him. “You really need to start checking your pockets for glitter before tossing stuff in the washing machine.” He holds out one of Gray’s dress sweaters that is now much more sparkly than it had been before laundry day.

“Oops.” Natsu makes a face.

“Where is Gray, anyway?” Rogue asks, kicking off the blankets and grabbing his phone off the end table.

“He left early for work,” Sting says, tucking the last of the shirts in the drawer and nudging it closed with his shin. He tosses the laundry basket back in the corner of the room and is about to head out into the kitchen when Natsu catches him by the wrist.

“C’mere,” Natsu says, tugging Sting toward him. He sits up on the edge of the bed and wraps his arms around Sting’s waist, resting his head on Sting’s stomach and kissing just above his bellybutton.

“What’s up?” Sting asks softly, brushing his fingers through Natsu’s hair. Natsu’s tempted to tell Sting that he wasn’t asleep, tell him that he’s sweet and perfect and Natsu would listen to him sing every day for the rest of his life. But Sting would turn pink and make excuses and stop humming sweet things for Natsu to wake up to every day.

“Nothin’,” Natsu says instead, sighing happily as Rogue leans against him and joins the embrace. “Just love you.”

Natsu’s still got Taylor Swift stuck in his head when he picks up Gray from work, so he flips to his favorite playlist while he’s waiting in the parking lot. They both work late today, so the streetlights are already on and are reflecting off the tiny drops of rain clinging to the windshield. The wipers move in time to the beat of the music, and Natsu taps the steering wheel as he hums along.

The passenger door finally opens nearly twenty minutes after Gray’s supposed to meet him. “Sorry,” Gray says, shaking the rain out of his hair and shooting Natsu an apologetic look. “I had to show Chad how to run the reports ‘cause Abby’s out of the office next week.”

“’s okay,” Natsu says, leaning over and kissing Gray’s cheek. “You hungry? Rogue just texted, he’s making chicken biryani for supper.”

Gray makes a noncommittal sound, tipping his head against the window as Natsu squeezes his hand, then puts the car into ‘drive’ and heads out of the parking lot. It’s not uncommon for Gray to be reserved after work – it takes him a lot longer than Natsu to decompress.

Natsu flicks on the blinker and merges onto the highway, taking the familiar route without thinking about it. The rain is louder now that they’re moving, and Natsu turns up the music so he can sing along.

“Why are you so obsessed with Taylor Swift?” Gray asks, leaning against the door and looking over at Natsu.

“I’m not!” Natsu insists. “Her music is just catchy.”

Gray rolls his eyes. “Her lyrics appeal to seventeen-year-old girls who just got dumped by their first boyfriend,” he says.

“The fact that you know that implies that you listen to her music just as much as I do,” Natsu says smugly, sticking his tongue out at Gray and turning the music up.

“I do not,” Gray mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s obnoxious. Can we please listen to something else?”

Natsu sighs but acquiesces, gesturing for Gray to pick another playlist. “I’m not listening to your boring history podcast, though,” he says. Gray hmphs and switches to classical music, then settles back into his seat.

“Y’know what I think?” Natsu asks as the sound of piano music fills the car. Gray doesn’t answer. “I think you pretend not to like Taylor Swift ‘cause she makes you feel things and you hate it.” He grins and pokes Gray’s thigh.

“Shut up,” Gray grumbles, smacking Natsu’s hand away.

“Ooh,” Natsu teases, “truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Just drive the damn car,” Gray snaps, and suddenly there’s more than just exasperation in his voice. Natsu frowns, looking over at him, but Gray refuses to make eye contact.

“Hey,” Natsu starts, but Gray shakes his head.

“Sorry,” he says softly. “Let’s just go home.”

Walking into the apartment is always a whirlwind – kisses from Sting, plaintive meows from the cats trying to trick someone into feeding them a second time, Rogue reminding Natsu to put his shoes on the rack and not kick them in a pile by the door. By the time Natsu sits down at the kitchen table, he’s nearly forgotten the exchange in the car.

“Where’s Gray?” Rogue asks, frowning as he hands Natsu a plate.

“Bedroom,” Sting says around a mouthful of bread. “Said he had a headache and he’ll eat later.”

Natsu frowns, glancing down the hallway. “When’s the last time you guys saw him eat?” he asks.

Rogue pops back into the kitchen and opens the fridge, then looks back at Natsu, shaking his head. “He didn’t eat his lunch,” he says.

“He left so early this morning, I don’t think he had breakfast either,” Sting says, brow creasing in concern. “You think he’s getting sick?”

Natsu sighs. “Yeah,” he says, setting down the plate and pushing his chair away from the table. “I think he is.”

The bedroom is dark, and when Natsu turns on the lamp on the side table, there’s a grumbled protest from somewhere in the middle of the duvet. Natsu kicks off his jeans, then pulls the blanket back and shuffles under it until he’s close to Gray but not quite touching.

“Hey, you,” he says gently. Gray’s curled up with a pillow against his chest and his eyes squeezed shut. Natsu’s pretty sure he’s been crying.

“I have a headache,” Gray says without opening his eyes.

“Gray.” Natsu reaches out and brushes his fingers gently over the back of Gray’s forearm. “C’mon, love. You don’t have to pretend.”

Gray doesn’t reply, but he doesn’t pull away either. He sighs, pressing his face against the pillow.

“When was the last time you ate?” Natsu asks. Gray shrugs and Natsu slides his hand up Gray’s arm. It takes a second for Gray to relax his grip on the pillow enough to let Natsu slide their fingers together.

They lie in silence for a while, and eventually Gray shifts a tiny bit closer to Natsu. It’s almost imperceptible, but Natsu knows it’s Gray giving him permission.

“C’mere,” he says, reaching out and pulling Gray into his arms. He kisses Gray’s forehead as Gray lets out a shaky breath and relaxes against him.

Gray’s quiet for a bit, and eventually whispers, “why do you stay?”

Natsu swears he can feel his heart breaking. “Gray,” he whispers, pressing his face into Gray’s hair and holding him tight. “How can you even ask that?”

Gray sniffs, rubbing his face. “I just—you’re all better.” His voice breaks on the last word. “Sting’s sweet a-and Rogue’s smart and th-thoughtful, and you’re… you’re you. And I’m n-not, and I just—my brain is stupid and even when I take my meds it doesn’t always work and I’m grumpy and tired and—”

“Gray.” Natsu interrupts him gently, running his hand down Gray’s back. “I know you’re feeling shitty right now, and I know that sucks, but we all love you so, so much.”

“Why?” Gray asks, pain and frustration clear in his voice. “I don’t understand. I’m always gonna be like this and I hate it.”

“And that’s okay,” Natsu says, voice almost pleading. He pulls back and tips Gray’s chin up. “I’ve loved you for a long, long time and that’s never gonna stop. You’re a part of me, in here—” he takes Gray’s hand and places it on his chest “—and nothing can change that. Nothing.”

Gray’s face crumples and he sniffs as Natsu pulls him close again. “When I was teasing you in the car,” Natsu says, “that probably didn’t help if you’re feeling like this, hey?” Gray shakes his head and Natsu sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“’s not your fault,” Gray mumbles into Natsu’s shirt. “You’re right. I suck at feelings.”

Natsu’s about to argue, but he knows it’s futile. Gray’s always struggled with expressing himself, and telling him that it’s not true isn’t going to help. Instead, Natsu combs his fingers through Gray’s hair and asks, “did the song we were listening to make you feel sad?” Gray exhales and nods against Natsu’s chest. “And you shut it off because you don’t wanna let yourself feel sad.”

“I just…” Gray sighs in frustration, cuddling closer to Natsu. “It’s stupid.”

“I doubt that.”

“I do know all the words,” Gray admits. “I listened to that song a lot when we broke up.”

The statement takes Natsu by surprise. They’ve been together for so long – even before Sting and Rogue – that their temporary breakup feels like forever ago. They’d both been young and scared and overwhelmed by their feelings for each other, and it had taken nearly six months for them to drift back into each other’s orbit and stay there.

“I missed you so much,” Gray says quietly. “I thought—sometimes I worried that you left because I was too much. I know I left too, but I’d been…” He gestures vaguely at himself. “Like this, I guess, before it. And I felt like I’d ruined things.”

“Oh, love,” Natsu murmurs. “No, never. You were never too much. You’ll never be too much.”

“What if Rogue and Sting don’t feel that way?” Gray whispers. “What if they don’t wanna deal with me anymore?”

Natsu’s chest aches, and he’s tempted to call out for the other two so they can come and cuddle Gray and tell him he’s wrong; that they’re never going to leave. He’s not sure that’s what Gray needs right now, though.

“They love you,” he says instead. “Just like this, for who you are. Your brain works differently, and that’s not your fault, remember?” Gray huffs. “Think about Sting,” Natsu adds. “How many anxiety attacks has he had since we’ve known him? Since we’ve been together, even?”

“Lots,” Gray concedes.

“And are you tired of him?”

“Never.” Gray’s voice is so full of conviction, and Natsu can hear tears on the edge of it. “No, I’d never—I love him so much and it’s not his fault. He…” Gray trails off. “Oh.”

Natsu lets the realization sink in before he says, “you don’t have to pretend. You’re not a burden or broken, and you can always talk to us when you don’t feel right.”

Gray doesn’t say anything, just wraps his arm around Natsu’s waist. Natsu thinks back to the song they were listening to in the car and starts to hum it quietly. Gray tenses, but Natsu keeps playing with his hair until he relaxes again.

“I’ve got you,” Natsu murmurs. “It’s okay to not be okay.”

They fall asleep not long after, tangled together and breathing in tandem. Natsu wakes at one point when Sting and Rogue come to bed, both kissing him before settling down on the other end of the bed to give him and Gray space.

When Natsu drags himself out of sleep the next morning, the first thing he notices is that Gray isn’t beside him anymore. Instead, Rogue’s curled up behind him with an arm thrown over his stomach. The second thing is that Sting is singing again, and it immediately brings a smile to Natsu’s face.

He cracks an eye open, hoping Sting won’t notice him, but Sting isn’t up and moving around like yesterday. He’s still lying on the bed, propped up on a pillow with Gray resting on his chest. Gray looks like he’s still half-asleep, but Sting’s holding his hand and is kissing Gray’s fingers between lines of the song. It’s the one that Gray had turned off yesterday in the car.

You put up walls and paint them all a shade of greyand I stood there loving you and wished them all awayand you come away with a great little storyof a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you

Natsu reaches down and rests his hand over Rogue’s, smiling when Rogue stirs and presses a sleepy kiss to his shoulder. Sting looks up, cheeks turning pink when he realizes Natsu’s listening, but he doesn’t stop singing.

When the song’s over, Sting kisses Gray’s forehead and Gray makes a sleepy sound, snuggling closer to him. Natsu reaches out and runs his hand up Gray’s back.

“How’re you feeling?” he asks.

Gray looks like he’s about to pretend he’s fine, but instead he looks at Natsu and quietly replies, “still sad.”

Natsu shuffles forward with Rogue until all four of them are touching. Then he grabs Gray’s hand and squeezes.

“You can be sad if you need to be,” he says, resting his forehead on Gray’s shoulder, “and we’ll be right here with you while you feel that.”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #ask #rogue cheney #depression #mental health #prompt #request #splendidlyimperfect

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 5 years

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other fic masterlist

These are the gratsustingue fics that don’t take place in the “i’m with them” universe ^-^ all fics by @splendidlyimperfect

you light my fire [explicit] Natsu, Sting and Rogue want to complete their bond with Gray, but it involves something he's not expecting.

discord and dragons [multichap, ongoing] When a magical mishap transforms Natsu, Sting and Rogue, Gray finds himself responsible for a horde of dragons.

fuck who you want and fuck who you like [explicit] Natsu’s had a thing for Sting for a long time, but it isn’t until Sting shows up to Pride in a crop top and sparkly eyeliner that Natsu finally decides they’re ready to do something about it. (aka Gray and Natsu finally decide they wanna fuck Sting and Rogue, and shameless smut follows.)

love, like rain [multichap, ongoing] When Natsu's morning commute gets interrupted by a cute guy helping a turtle cross the road, Natsu thinks it'll just be a funny story to tell later. But then Sting shows up at Natsu's café, with his cute accent and sweet smile, and Natsu starts to fall in love a bit. Which wouldn't be a problem, except that Natsu already loves Gray. Then Natsu introduces them, and Gray starts falling too.Sting's always been easily infatuated - with the cute air steward, the scuba instructor, the pretty guy at the grocery store - but he's never loved anyone other than Rogue. So when Sting meets Natsu and Gray and starts to feel like maybe this time, the infatuation is more than just a crush, he's not sure what to do, even when Rogue feels the same way.

we match hearts Sting, Rogue, Natsu and Gray love being parents, but it isn't always easy.

sometimes we take chances, sometimes we take pills Rogue and Sting are running, Natsu and Gray have nowhere to go. They’re all lost and broken, but maybe they can find a home in each other.

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #discord&dragons #babydragons!au #lovelikerain #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #fic masterlist #masterlist

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 5 years

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Sting's anxiety pushes everyone away when he needs them most.

Author: @splendidlyimperfect Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Pairings: Natsu/Gray/Sting/Rogue Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Polyamory, Established Relationship, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Medication, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, they're just really soft with each other, sweet boyfriends, Tumblr: FTLGBTales Series: Part 33 of i'm with them

**tw for anxiety/panic attack

“Babe, we can find it later.”

Natsu stood at the front door, frowning at Sting, who was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, opening random drawers and slamming them shut again. Sting ran his hands through his hair, groaning.

“I left it here, I know I did,” Sting said. “Maybe Rogue moved it.” He tapped his fingers against the counter, then moved over to the area where they kept their phone chargers and started rummaging through it again.

“I have my wallet,” Natsu said gently, stepping forward into the kitchen and reaching out for Sting’s arm. “We can look more when we get back, but we gotta get going – we told Dad we’d be there at two.” He glanced at the clock, which read 1:37.

Sting shook his head, pushing Natsu’s arm away. “It’s not – I just...” He tried to take a deep breath, but his chest felt tight. “It was here,” he insisted.

“You don’t need it,” Natsu reassured, trying again to reach out to Sting.

Sting pulled his arm away from Natsu again, stepping backward into the kitchen. There was a soft mrowl, and Sting cursed as he tripped backward over Lector and slammed his hip into the counter.

Continue reading on AO3

“Fucking son of a bitch,” he shouted, feeling a wave of guilt as Lector leapt away from him and darted toward the bedroom. Sting bunched his hands into fists, digging his fingernails into his palms and closing his eyes. “Sorry,” he said, trying to ignore the stinging pain on his hip that was definitely going to bruise.

“It’s okay,” Natsu said gently, staying where he was. “What’s going on?” Sting had been grumpy and on edge since Sunday, withdrawing from the other three and keeping to himself.

Sting shook his head. The tag from his shirt rubbed against the back of his neck and he resisted the urge to tug it off. Frosch was yowling from the bedroom and Sting wanted to slam the door.

“Do you wanna stay home?” Natsu asked. Sting wanted to shake his head, wanted to go for lunch with Natsu and Silver and forget the wallet, and the stomachache, and the low, thrumming anger under his skin. Instead he nodded, crossing his arms over his stomach and trying not to cry. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No.” Sting stared at the ground, at the hole in his socks – goddamnit, these were his favorite ones. He ground his teeth and closed his eyes. “Just... tell Dad I’m sorry.”

“Why don’t I reschedule with him?” Natsu’s voice was gentle, and for some reason it irked Sting. “I don’t think you should be by yourself.”

“I’m not a child,” Sting snapped, scratching at his wrist. The guilt in his chest was overruled by irritation and he glared down at the counter. “I’ll be fine.” Natsu hesitated and Sting’s voice turned sharper. “Just go.”

Natsu sighed, and Sting could tell he was trying hard not to move in for a hug.

“Okay,” Natsu said eventually. “I’ll leave my ringer on, call me if you need me, okay?” Sting nodded, biting his lip and biting back an irritated, I don’t need anything, go away. “I love you,” Natsu added.

“Love you too,” Sting said softly, listening to Natsu’s footsteps recede. As soon as the door clicked closed, Sting let out a shaky breath and leaned forward against the counter. His eyes were immediately drawn to the pile of dishes stacked next to the sink and he felt irritation flare up again.

He grabbed a few of the plates, opening the dishwasher and groaning when he realized it was clean. Tears pressed against his eyes again and he tossed the plates back on the counter, stalking away from the kitchen and into the bedroom. As soon as he walked into the room, he turned around again, grabbing his phone from the coffee table and curling up on the couch.

I’m sorry. He typed out the text under Natsu’s name, then deleted it and switched to his conversation with Rogue and wrote, I need you. Instead of hitting ‘send,’ he tipped his head back, angry tears filling his eyes as he threw his phone to the other end of the couch.

“Fuck,” he whispered, running his hands over his face. Happy jumped up on the couch and tried to climb onto Sting’s lap, and he growled, pushing Happy away. “Don’t... just...”

Sting curled in on himself and started crying in earnest, burying his face in his arms. His shoulders shook as he choked out a sob, pulling his knees tight against his chest. Everything was too much and not enough, and his skin was too tight, and suddenly he was too hot, sweating through his thin t-shirt.

His phone went off a few times, but he kicked it away from him as each buzz pushed him closer and closer to screaming.

Come back, Sting thought as he cried. I’m sorry, I need you.

~*~*~

The text from Natsu had been simple – im worried about sting, hes not good but he didnt want me there – but it had been enough for Gray to leave work early and immediately head home.

When Gray opened the front door, he could hear the shower running. He kicked off his shoes and headed for the bathroom, where he found Sting sitting on the floor next to the shower, shoulders shaking as he cried. His arms were red where he’d been scratching at them, and his forehead was pressed against his knees.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Gray said softly, crouching down next to Sting. “C’mere.” He touched Sting’s arm and when Sting didn’t pull away, Gray sat down next to him, pulling Sting into a sideways embrace.

“I’m s-sorry,” Sting said, his breath coming in short, sharp pants. “I didn’t... it’s just...”

“Shhh,” Gray said, brushing Sting’s sweaty hair away from his face. “Breathe with me, okay?” He took Sting’s hand and placed it on his own chest, then took a deep, slow breath, waiting for Sting to copy him before exhaling. “There you go. You’re okay.”

“I’m n-not, I don’t... I’m sorry, I was a j-jerk to N-natsu, I didn’t mean to...”

“I know,” Gray said, taking another deep breath. Sting shook his head, chest rising and falling erratically. “Nobody’s upset with you. Can you take another deep breath for me?”

“N-no,” Sting gasped, tightening his arms around his knees. “I c-can't, I can’t, I can’t...”

“Okay, it’s okay if you can’t,” Gray said quickly, running his hand up and down Sting’s back, but stopping when Sting pulled away. “I’m gonna get your meds, okay?”

Sting didn’t respond as Gray stood up, moving over to the medicine cabinet and grabbing a prescription bottle. He tipped one of the pills into his hand, then sat back down next to Sting, holding it out. Sting took it with a shaky hand, popping it under his tongue and then closing his eyes again, pressing his forehead to his knees.

“Do you wanna take a shower?” Gray asked. Sting shook his head, then changed his mind and nodded, sniffing and wiping his face. “With me or by yourself?”

“W-with you,” Sting said shakily. Gray helped him stand up, pulling him into a hug and kissing his forehead before tugging off his shirt.

As soon as they were under the water, Sting let out a deep breath, leaning against Gray and wrapping his arms around Gray’s waist. Gray started humming softly, grabbing the shampoo and lathering up Sting’s hair.

“Wanna come with me to Halifax next month?” Gray asked, rinsing away the soap and rubbing Sting’s back gently. “Todd’s sending me to a conference so they’ll pay for gas and the hotel. We can go to the beach if you want?”

Sting nodded against Gray’s chest. “Yeah,” he said softly. His breathing was slowly evening out, body relaxing against Gray’s as Gray’s fingers kneaded the knots in his shoulders. “All of us? Or just you and me?”

“Whatever you want,” Gray said. Sting didn’t say anything, just hugged Gray tighter.

~*~*~

An hour later, Rogue and Natsu were home, and Sting was curled up with them on the bed, wearing Natsu’s hoodie and Gray’s sweatpants.

“’m sorry,” Sting said, gaze slightly unfocused as he looked up at Natsu. His head was in Natsu’s lap, and Rogue was lying beside him, running his fingers over Sting’s stomach.

Natsu shook his head. “It’s okay,” he said, brushing Sting’s hair out of his face. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“I tol’ you to leave,” Sting said sleepily. “Was a jackass.”

“Yeah, but you’re a cute jackass,” Natsu teased. Rogue snorted, taking Sting’s hand and lacing their fingers together.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over Sting’s knuckles. Sting made a sleepy sound, blinking slowly.

“Drugs’re workin’,” he said softly. “’s all fuzzy.” He yawned, shifting a bit and nuzzling Rogue’s neck. “I don’ like taking them.”

“I know,” Rogue said, kissing Sting’s forehead. “But Gray said you were spiraling pretty bad, I think it was a good thing that you took them.”

Sting nodded, closing his eyes and relaxing into the strange sensation of being not-quite-real that always came with the medication. It was unsettling, but better than the time he’d passed out from hyperventilating.

There was a dip on the bed behind Sting, and a squeeze on his hip. He cracked open an eye and looked up to see Gray, smiling softly at him.

“Thanks,” Sting whispered, reaching out and taking Gray’s hand.

“Always,” Gray said, shifting until he was lying behind Sting. He wrapped his arm around Sting’s waist and placed a gentle kiss on the back of his neck, then murmured, “now go to sleep. We’ve got you – you’re safe.”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #emotional hurt/comfort #light angst #with a happy ending #sweet boyfriends #some fluff #splendidlyimperfect

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 5 years

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A little thing with the line “You think you’re so cute. Oh, you think you’re SO cute.” In it????

Here you go @gatorademachinegun ! Prompt: “You think you’re so cute. Oh, you think you’re SO cute.”Author: @gray-x-natsus-matching-hip-scars

“Why,” Gray sighs from the kitchen, “am I down for a dentist appointment on Tuesday?”

From the way Natsu freezes on the other end of the couch, eyes wide and fingers white around the N64 controller, Sting guesses he’s the one who messed up Gray’s meticulous calendar.

Gray pops his head around the corner, eyes narrow and Natsu forces himself to relax and keep playing like nothing happened. “You know my colour for the calendar is blue,” he says to no one in particular, though his eyes settle on Natsu. Rogue stifles a snicker. “There’s a literal list in the corner of the whiteboard dictating which colour-” Gray gestures to the board. He gasps. “Where is the red marker?” Natsu flinches, and Sting feels bad for him. Natsu squeezes his eyes shut, guilt etching over his face. “Natsu, did you-”

“It was me,” Sting blurts. Gray pokes back around the corner, eyeing Sting incredulously. Natsu and Rogue stare at him, brows raised.

“The writing looks like-”

“I’m red-yellow colour blind,” Sting lies.

Gray stares a second more before he seems to decide he believes him. “I’m sorry I got annoyed, babe. You didn’t mean to.”

Sting giggles uneasily. “‘Course not.”

Natsu heaves a sigh of relief when Gray shuts the apartment door behind himself.

“Red-yellow colour blind,” Rogue laughs. “I can’t believe he bought that. How does that possibly explain you picking up a blue marker instead of a yellow one?”

Sting shrugs. “I don’t think he did.” He lays his head in Natsu’s lap. “Maybe he just wasn’t in the mood.”

“Please.” Natsu yawns, setting the controller down and running his fingers through Sting’s hair. “I could feel him glaring at the side of my head. He just believes you because you’re the sweet one.” Sting hums, turning his head to press a kiss against Natsu’s palm. “Thanks for taking the fall for that one. I dropped my dumb marker and it rolled under the fridge. I forgot to ask Gray for another one.”

“It’s okay.” Sting knows Natsu’s been exhausted lately, picking up extra shifts at work to buy something special for Gray’s birthday. Today is his first day off in ten days. “I do feel bad for lying.”

Natsu shrugs. “It’s not a huge thing. He’s just so picky about his colour coding.”

“You can both apologize when Gray finds the toy Natsu brings home from the dentist,” Rogue says, picking up the N64 controller and kissing Natsu’s cheek. “He’ll be over it by then.”

Gray, it turns out, is not over it by then. It’s Monday evening, and he still squints suspiciously at the calendar when he walks past it.

Natsu’s just settling in for a movie on the couch when Sting gets in. “Hey,” Natsu says brightly, leaning forward to kiss him. “Wanna watch Beary Tales with me?”

Sting laughs. “Sure. Just lemme get changed.”

Gray’s putting clothes away when Sting walks into the bedroom. He drops the laundry basket onto the chair to pull Sting in close. “Hey,” Sting says softly.

Gray kisses him. “Whatcha doin’?” He slips his fingers under the hem of Sting’s shirt and Sting almost forgets for a minute.

“Babe, can you grab a blanket, too?” Natsu calls.

“Movie.” Sting giggles when Gray kisses him again. “Just getting changed.”

Gray pops the button on Sting’s jeans. “Don’t let me stop you, then.”

Sting is just stepping out of his pants when Gray says, “You should wear my red shirt. It looks good on you. It’s in the basket there.”

Sting grins and starts thumbing through the piles. There are two near the top. “Which one?” Sting asks.

“…The darker one. It brings out your eyes.”

Sting picks it out of the basket and turns, face dropping when he sees the expression Gray’s wearing. “You can tell which pen is red. I knew- Natsu, you little shit!”

“Oh, no.” Sting drops the shirt. “Natsu, run!”

Gray starts for the door. “Oh, I’m gonna-”

Sting panics and does the first thing that comes to mind. He kisses Gray, fingers carding roughly through his hair as Natsu stumbles around the foyer pulling his shoes on.

The door slams shut and Gray seems to remember why he was about to charge into the living room. “There isn’t even such a thing as red-yellow colour blind, is there?”

Sting grins sheepishly. “There’s red-green, but I kinda just said the first thing I could think of.”

“Natsu’s the one who fucked up my calendar, isn’t he?”

“…Fucked up is a harsh term-”

“I’m gonna kill him.”

Sting presses against him again, kissing him until he’s panting. When Sting tugs at Gray’s shirt, Gray pulls back again. “Stop distracting me,” he says halfheartedly.

Sting slips a hand under Gray’s shirt, fingers running up and down his back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He squeezes Gray’s hand, kissing along his jaw until Gray’s grabbing at his hips.

Gray hums, voice low, “You think you’re so cute.” Sting smiles, looking at him through his lashes. He kisses Gray, nipping at his bottom lip. “Oh, you think you’re so cute.”

Sting gets on his knees, thumb tracing over Gray’s belt buckle. “You don’t think I’m cute?” he asks sweetly.

Gray blinks, breath catching in his throat when Sting’s smile gets bigger. “You’re beautiful.”

Sting’s face turns pink. He presses a kiss to each of Gray’s hips and undoes his belt. “Can I distract you, love?”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #fluff #prompt #request #lastoneleft #gray--dragneel

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gratsustingue-the-ot4 · 5 years

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OT4 + “I am putting you in time out because you need to understand the consequences of your actions.”

Sorry this took so long! @grayserigala here you go, have some fluff ^_^

Prompt: “I am putting you in time out because you need to understand the consequences of your actions”

Summary: Natsu almost burns down the kitchen for the fourth time, so Gray sends him off for a ‘time out.‘

Rating: Teen and Up AudiencesPairings: Gray/Natsu/Rogue/StingTags: modern au, polyamory, established relationship, domestic fluff, cuddling & snuggling, kissing, fluff, natsu’s not allowed to use the toaster for a reasonSeries: part 31 of i’m with themAuthor: @splendidlyimperfect

“How many sticky notes do we need to put on the damn toaster?”

Gray scowled at Natsu, who stood by the counter, looking sheepish. A heavy cloud of black smoke hung throughout the kitchen, and Gray’s nose wrinkled at the smell of burnt toast. A small pile of brightly-colored post-it notes sat next to the toaster, one of them lightly singed.

“I just–”

“What do these say?” Gray interrupted, eyebrows raised, pointing at the notes.

Natsu sighed. “Ask an adult for help,” he grumbled. “I’m not a child!”

“No, but you have nearly lit the kitchen on fire three separate times,” Gray said, waving a hand in front of his face. “I love you, but you’re a terrible cook.”

“I just wanted the croissant to be warm!” Natsu protested.

Gray rolled his eyes. “That’s what the microwave is for.” He grabbed another sticky note from the fridge, and used a thick permanent marker to write Only bread in the toaster! No croissants! He stuck it on the wall next to the smoking toaster, then shooed Natsu out of the kitchen.

Continue reading on AO3

“Hey, I’m hungry!” Natsu said, pouting.

“I’m putting you in time out,” Gray said, grabbing a dish towel and snapping it at Natsu. Natsu yelped as it cracked against his thigh. “And don’t bug Rogue, he’s doing tax stuff. Go hang out in the bedroom. Your actions have consequences.”

“Graaaaa–”

“I’ll make the prawn curry you like,” Gray said with a sigh, “if you get the hell out of my kitchen.”

“Fine,” Natsu grumbled, reaching around the counter and pinching Gray’s ass before giggling and taking off down the hallway to the bedroom.

~*~*~

“Mmm, smells good.”

Rogue’s arms wrapped around Gray’s waist, and Gray sighed as Rogue nuzzled the side of his neck.

“Thanks,” Gray said, tipping his head so he could kiss Rogue. Rogue slipped his hands under Gray’s apron and his shirt, running his fingers over Gray’s stomach while Gray hummed happily. “You hungry?” Gray asked.

“Starving,” Rogue admitted, yawning and resting his chin on Gray’s shoulder. “Taxes are boring.”

“Mm, and you’re a saint for doing them,” Gray said, tipping his head to rest against Rogue’s. “Where’s Sting?”

Rogue rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss to Gray’s cheek, then moving back and leaning against the counter while Gray stirred the curry.

“I sent him to our room,” Rogue said. “He kept distracting me, he’s terrible.”

Gray laughed, then blinked, turning and tipping his head down the hallway toward the bedroom. Rogue frowned.

“I sent Natsu off for breaking the toaster again,” Gray said, rolling his eyes when he heard quiet giggling from the bedroom. “Not much of a time out for either of them, I suspect.”

Gray reached over and turned off the stove, then tossed his apron on the counter and beckoned for Rogue to follow him down the hallway. As they approached the bedroom, the laughter died away and was replaced by soft whispering.

“They’re incorrigible,” Rogue said softly, leaning forward and peeking through the door. His face transformed into a soft smile and he shifted over slightly so that Gray could peek into the room.

Natsu and Sting were lying in the center of the bed, pillows pushed to the side, both in their boxers with the rest of their clothes tossed in a messy pile on the floor. Their legs were tangled together as they kissed, hands drifting gently over each other’s arms, fingers combing through each other’s hair.

After a moment, Natsu broke the kiss and leaned back a bit, brushing his thumb over Sting’s cheek and laughing.

“I got glitter on you, sorry,” he murmured, kissing Sting’s nose. “The kids got it everywhere today.” Sting giggled, making a face and tipping his head to nip at Natsu’s thumb.

“’s okay, I’ll just sparkle,” he said.

“You always sparkle,” Natsu replied, and Gray was surprised at the sincerity in Natsu’s eyes. Sting’s cheeks flushed pink, and Natsu shifted closer, wrapping his arm around Sting’s waist.

“You think they’ve figured out we’re both in here yet?” Sting asked, sighing happily and resting his head on Natsu’s chest. He trailed his fingers down Natsu’s arm, rubbing his thumb over Natsu’s wrist.

“Doubt it,” Natsu said, yawning. “They’re probably makin’ out on the couch.”

Gray laughed softly, pressing a kiss to Rogue’s cheek.

“Should we go in there?” he asked, smiling when Rogue nodded. “We can’t let them have all the fun without us.”

#fairy tail #gratsustingue #ot4 #ot4fic #imwiththem #gray fullbuster #natsu dragneel #rogue cheney #sting eucliffe #humor #fluff #natsu's not allowed to use the toaster for a reason #several reasons actually #prompt #request #splendidlyimperfect

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