The next day came so quickly, it was like the blink of an eye.  

Gray wasn't expecting Natsu to have cooked, normally at that. He didn't think it was half-bad. In fact, it was pretty good.  Natsu had made homemade muffins. 

Gray had found that our when he saw Natsu cleaning up, and the oven on.

Natsu smiled and quickly said a morning, and kept moping the floor with headphones in.

Gray didn't think the floor was dirty at all, but he let Natsu keep moping.

Around 12 is when Natsu left, leaving Gray alone in the house with Happy. 

Gray was absentmindedly listening to some show similar to Doctor Phil, One thing he kept in mind is when; "I can't imagine my life without my best friend!"

This for unknown reasons piqued his interest, In truth, he couldn't imagine his life without Natsu. Not having Natsu around, just the thought stressed him out. Sure Natsu may be loud, a messy eater, hyperactive, insecure, and have some problems, But he couldn't imagine Natsu without those traits. Without those, it would not be Natsu. 

Gray remembered when he first met Natsu, He was still the Natsu he knew and admired today, but they weren't rivals at first. They had been close, sharing beds and having sleepovers, and begrudgingly taking baths together (Plus Erza), Natsu had made him really happy. They didn't' get into arguments nearly as much, and at least Gray, was happier then. They didn't have any worries and they were best friends, Then, It all went wrong. 

They had a fight and declared each other rivals. Internally, Gray knew deep down, that he yearned for those days, he wanted to be close to Natsu like that again.

Apart from the taking Baths together with Erza, That had just been scaring.

Meanwhile, with Natsu, he jogged down and over to the Fairy hills where Juvia was waiting for him.

"Natsu-san!"Juvia waved, and Natsu grinned.

"Ready to get your bake on?" Natsu challenged!

"YES!" Juvia grinned and ran to her apartment together.

The duo had preset the oven, mixing some ingredients together, and others together in a separate bowl. Then mix the dry ingredients first then adding the wet ones.  Furiously mixing the mixture into a fine paste.

Afterward, they poured it into a large pan and placed it in the oven.

Then came the waiting.

Juvia and Natsu sat on her blue-green couch, across from each other.  Natsu pulled out his phone, he had gotten a text from Gray, It was a selfie 

Natsu unknowingly put on a pudding face, Juvia saw this and grinned.

"Natsu-san, I know that look!" Juvia squealed; "Is it Gray-san?"

"It's weird hearing you call Gray that, "Natsu admitted. 

Juvia had stopped calling Gray, Gray-sama about 6 months ago, when he told her that he would never love her. Juvia started to get over Gray, thus replacing the sama with san. Since Gray-Kun didn't exactly sound better than Gray-san. Natsu had no idea who she liked now, but it made him happy to know that Juvia wasn't going to randomly take gray from his house hissing about him belonging to her. 

"Mabey." Natsu huffed going red.

"Your face is flushed." Juvia pointed out, then poked his cheek.

"NO ITS NOT! WHAT'RE YOU IMPLYING?"Natsu yelled standing up and crossing his arms into a defensive pose.

"Mmm, You sure that you don't even like him at all?" Juvia raised her eyebrow.

Natsu froze, "I...don't...It's not that I...I'm not allowed to."

"What do you mean?" Juvia tilted her head, "Nobody will judge you! Fairy tail is accepting!"

"Thats not what I meant. I mean like, I'm not allowed to because I'll get hurt." Natsu sighed putting his face in his hands, "It will go away anyways."

"Feelings don't just disappear, Natsu. Plus, anytime you like anyone there's a chance of getting hurt." Juvia patted his back.

"It went away before, It will go away again. Hows the cake along?"Natsu made an attempt to change the subject, Juvia wasn't having it.

"The cake still has 15 minutes, Natsu-san. I'm no therapist, but because we're friends, I'm telling you this, They didn't go away. You just pushed them away, didn't you? Gajeel-kun does the same, and I think so does Laxus-san. Wait, is pushing away your feelings a dragonslayer trend or not-" Juvia scratched her head thoughtfully.

"No, it's not a dragonslayer thing, Wendy doesn't do it.  Like you said your not a therapist-" Natsu felt his chest tightening along with his muscles. He could essentially hear his heart rate rising, and his heart screaming.

"Just think, about your feelings towards Gray-san. Without pushing any of them away." Juvia got up and left Natsu alone in her living room.  

Natsu felt his heavy breathing, only get heavier. He didn't feel like he was going to pass out, no, what he felt was pure fight or flight response. noradrenaline and adrenaline. His heart was hurting, he closed his eyes. There was one thing he hated doing, running away. But that is exactly what he had been doing, He was a coward. He was a coward like his mother, What kind of sick irony was that? His mother was the last thing he wanted to become...

He remembered Grays stone black hair that was soft and sometimes greasy. His blue eyes that were so dark almost looked black. His voice as he soothed him when he was distressed, the same voice that beautifully crafter words like an ice sculpture. His playful, sarcastic or accusing banter that they took part in, or the playful glares. Gray's protective nature, in those toned muscular arms. HIs laugh that rang like a cheerful carol that resonated with his heart and soul. His wonderfully enticing scent, like minty cool ice cream that melted in your mouth. His smaller habits like looking away from things when he was embarrassed. Or the bigger habits like stripping your clothes. His passion for whatever he does. His heart that shone like silver, protected by several icy barriers.

Natsu found himself drowning in emotions; happiness, a longing, hope, admiration, tranquility, confusion, fear, and love.
Natsu let out a breath in realization, his heart pounding, demanding that he go to Gray now. He shook his head. 

Natsu realized that he pushed his feelings down more than he recognized. When Gray smiles, or When they were kids or all of those times his heart flared. Natsu thrived on emotions for his friends and family but it was all plutonic, how was he supposed to tell the difference? He didn't know romantic love, he was actually rather scared of it.

Juvia walked back into the room, "Natsu-san?"

"What's the difference between plutonic love and romantic? I can't fucking tell." Natsu grumbled.

"You'll know! If you truly love someone, their laugh is music. Their happiness is more important than yours, to an extent. When you could look at them all day, not just for their looks but just happiness for being around them. When their imperfections and scars make them even more beautiful. When you look at them and know, if they picked someone else over you, you would let them be happy with them. Instead of begging for them to stay with you, you move on. You would be fine with their beliefs and boundaries. When seeing them in pain, pains you the most." Juvia rambled on about Love.

"Dam, Okay. Sakura is shaking." Natsu laughed, "Okay, thats poetic and all, but like I love my friends too?"

"Well, it you I suppose. Try imaging doing couple-y things with him then."Juvia checked her phone. "Two minutes for the cake. I hope you didn't forget about that."

"I didn't."Natsu smiled, "I want some frosting."

Juvia grinned, "Duh, frosting is the best part, Natsu-san!"

Natsu imagined some situations in which Gray and Natsu would act like a couple. Cuddling, the thought made him glue his eyes to the floor. Other things also made him blush and fidget. But, after thinking about it, he did want to do it. More erotic things... well Natu got a nose bleed.

"NATSU-SAN!"Juvia worriedly handed him some tissue paper.

"I'm sorry!" Natsu cleaned the blood off the table,

"I don't care about the table, are you ok? Juvia saw Natsu nod, "When I said think about stuff, I didn't mean getting a nose bleed."

"Didn't mean to." Natsu laughed and stuffed the paper up his nose.

"Cake is done. So, what's your hearts verdict?" Juvia pulled the cake out and started to mix the frosting.

"I, um, YOU KNOW ALREADY DAMMIT! Doesn't change the fact that I don't deserve it, or that I'm scared, or the fact that I don't know what to do-" Natsu was interrupted by Juvia wiping frosting on his face.

"Natsu-san, I know Love is scary, but you do deserve it! Everyone does. Nobody ever knows what to do. Don't get ahead of yourself either. Don't be irrational. You literally just acknowledge that there are feelings there. Give it time." Juvia spread blue frosting on the cake, "Love takes time."

"I wasn't planning on doing anything like that." Natsu hadn't been planning on doing anything at all. "I know I'm impulsive and all but I'm not that impulsive."

"Debateable."Juvia took pink sprinkles and tried her best to get the Fairy Tail logo.

Natsu glared playfully at her.

They finished up decorating the cake for Lucy, and Natsu headed out. He walked the whole way back thinking about Gray.

he cannot know. I won't tell him. I don't deserve him, he's too good. I definitely can't tell him! I would lose my best friend and...crush... in one fell swoop. 

I do love him, but it's unrequited, so I suffer in silence. 

So- like 5 days ago, when I started writing this I kinda had my hair like Lucy's hair.  I tried to keep it natural, I'm taking this story slow because I don't feel proud if relationships jump the gun in stories. If u combine 13 and this one its more then 10. 

Also Today we had some mental health presentation, normally I'm just tense and stuff but I actually started crying but at least nobody noticed. I'm fine tho.