The next day, Natsu was waiting for lunch. Sting and himself, with a few other art majors like Lisanna, had a face painting thing for a grade during lunch. It was technically considered as a field trip even tho they wouldn't step a foot out of the school. 

Talk about the lamest school field trip ever.

Natsu rolled himself out of bed, literally. Natsu hit the floor with a thunk.

Sting laughed and helped him up, Rouge, too was still over as Sting never lets him go.

"Ugh I'm so sore-" Rouge complained bending his back.

Natsu promptly choked on his water, his eyes comically wide.

"I was doing stuff that made me sore" Rouge protested,

that is when Sting piped up.

"I'm stuff." 

"STING!"

"Poor rouge, rip his ass." Natsu smiled deviously.

"I'm out of here you uncultured degenerates." 

Soon enough, it was time for lunch.

Natsu ran into the lunchroom 5 minutes early and helped with setting up collapsible tables, packets full of face paint options, plastic cups with water, face painting, and of course brushes.

there were two tables, and six students for all three lunch periods. Natsu sat dead center of the bigger table, then Sting and Lisanna on his sides.

People came and gone. Some people wanted flowers. Others, dragons. Or tigers, lions, dolphins, fairies, flags. 

Eventually, Natsu had to eat. 

And during that break Gay- I mean Gray fullbuster walked up.

"OH HI GRAY!" Sting said louder than he needed to.

Natsu's head shot up.

"TOO BAD NATSU IS ON BREAK," Lisanna smirked.

"NO IM NOT-" Natsu dashed back into his chair, "Shut up, losers."

"Now what do you want me to paint darling?" Natsu winked playfully.

Gray blushed, "Sh-Shut up, and um, maybe an ice flower surrounded by fire."

Natsu blinked, "specific, alright I can do it. "

"Don't you have to finish your lunch?" Gray asked, glancing at the sandwich in Natsu's lap, or maybe Gray was looking for something of interest.

"Uh no, what lunch?" Natsu stuffed the sandwich into his lunchbox.

"Natsu just wants to stare at your face as he does it," Sting said smirking with his eyes closed.

"Maybe Gray wants to stare at Natsu too?" Lisanna piped in cheekily.

"SHUT UP!"
"SHUT UP!"

Sting and Lisanna let out thier uwus as the boys echoed each other red in the face.

"Okay, whatever, c' mere Ice Princess." Natsu sat on the table and prompted him to get on.

Gray complied, however, Natsu grabbed his waist and pulled him closer.

"Wow Natsu, you didn't do that with anyone else. Why's Gray special?" Lisanna wiggled her eyebrows.

"Shut up, I'm focusing." 

While Natsu painted Gray's face like his life depends on it, Gray stared and studied Natsu's face.

He looked at Natsu with his tongue sticking out a bit, determination written across his face. golden eyes that glittered like gold in contrast to the bags under his eyes. His eyes were big and slanted upward, perhaps he was wearing eyeliner too, it blended in with his long thick eyelashes. his nose was sharp and his lips weren't thin, but not too thick.

Gray sighed and smiled softly.

"Nice smile, but I  need your face still." Natsu smirked, "Smile for me any other time." 

Natsu painted the icy flower in light blues and white and the fire in warm colors like fire.

Natsu finished and it looked really great.

"Thanks." Gray smiled.

"You're welcome!" Natsu beamed.

"One last thing..." Gray looked down rubbing his neck, "Can later today, be a date?" 

Gray looked everywhere but Natsu's surprised face, if Natsu said no, he would feel silly and stupid for thinking anything of the sort.

Natsu broke out into an even bigger grin, words failed him but his heart pounded a mile a minute, but when Natsu spoke it was soft, "Y-yea I'd l-like that."