louder | natsu x reader

chapter 24

gray's jaw tightens, his gaze hardening as he squares off against natsu. "natsu, i hate to break it to you, but y/n's the one who's been here for us time and time again," he asserts, his tone unwavering. "she's always had our backs, no matter what. can you honestly say the same about lucy?"

natsu's expression darkens, his eyes narrowing as he bristles at gray's words. "lucy's always been there for me too, gray," he retorts, his voice defensive. "she's a valuable member of the team."

gray shakes his head, a flicker of frustration crossing his features. "i'm not denying that, but y/n's loyalty has never been in question," he counters, his tone firm. "she's proven herself time and time again, and she deserves our trust."

natsu's fists clench at his sides, his expression conflicted as he weighs gray's words. "i... i know, gray," he concedes begrudgingly, his voice softer now. "but lucy's my friend too. i can't just turn my back on her."

gray sighs, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he meets natsu's gaze. "i'm not asking you to," he replies, his voice gentler now. "just... think about it, okay? trust goes both ways."

lucy, sensing the tension, steps forward, her expression a mask of innocence as she interjects. "you know, natsu, y/n's always been a bit... possessive," she says, her voice dripping with faux concern. "i've noticed how she gets whenever we spend time together. it's like she's trying to keep us apart."

natsu's brow furrows, his gaze flicking between gray and lucy as he processes her words. "is that true, y/n?" he asks, turning to you with a searching look. "do you not trust me with lucy?"

you feel a surge of frustration bubbling up inside you at lucy's manipulative tactics, but you try to keep your composure. "no, natsu, that's not it at all," you reply, your voice firm. "i trust you both. lucy's just trying to stir up trouble."

lucy scoffs, rolling her eyes in mock disbelief. "oh, come on, y/n," she counters, her tone mocking. "we all know how you feel about natsu. maybe you're just afraid he'll realize he's better off without you."

your jaw clenches at her words, but you force yourself to stay calm. "that's not true, lucy," you shoot back, your voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. "you're just trying to drive a wedge between us."

you can't contain the frustration any longer, and the words spill out before you can stop them. "fine, lucy! maybe i don't trust you!" you blurt out, your voice tinged with frustration.

natsu's expression shifts from confusion to hurt, his eyes widening in disbelief. "what?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper. "y/n, how could you say that?"

you feel a pang of guilt at the hurt in his eyes, but you push it aside, your own anger still simmering beneath the surface. "it's true, natsu," you continue, your voice trembling with emotion. "lucy's always been manipulative, and I can't ignore that anymore."

lucy's smile widens, a triumphant glint in her eyes as she watches the chaos she's unleashed. "see, natsu?" she says, her voice honeyed with false sympathy. "i tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen."

natsu's gaze shifts between you and lucy, his expression torn between disbelief and betrayal. "i can't believe this," he mutters, his voice laced with hurt. "i thought we were a team, y/n. but if you can't trust lucy, then maybe you can't trust me either."

your heart sinks at his words, the weight of your own anger and frustration crashing down around you. you never meant for things to escalate like this, but now the damage is done, and you're left grappling with the consequences.

as natsu storms out, the weight of his hurtful words hangs heavy in the air, leaving you feeling utterly defeated. lucy's snarky remark only adds insult to injury, and you grit your teeth to keep your emotions in check.

"well, well, well," lucy's voice cuts through the tension like a knife, her tone dripping with condescension. "looks like you've really done it this time, y/n. couldn't keep your jealousy in check, huh?"

her words sting, but you refuse to give her the satisfaction of seeing you falter. instead, you lift your chin defiantly, meeting her gaze with a steely glare. "save your petty remarks, lucy," you retort, your voice laced with frustration. "i don't need to justify myself to you."

with one last disdainful look, lucy turns on her heel and follows after natsu.

gray notices the tears welling up in your eyes and immediately moves to comfort you, wrapping a supportive arm around your shoulders. "hey, it's okay," he murmurs softly, his voice filled with genuine concern. "let's get out of here, okay? you don't need to deal with this right now."

you nod weakly, grateful for his presence and the solace he offers. leaning into his comforting embrace, you allow him to guide you out of the ballroom and back towards the hotel, away from the painful reminders of the rift that has formed between you and natsu.

as you sit on the edge of the bed, gray gently takes a cotton pad soaked with makeup remover and starts to wipe away the traces of the day from your face. his touch is tender, each swipe of the pad soothing against your skin.

"you know," he murmurs softly, his voice barely above a whisper, "you don't need to hide behind all this makeup. you're beautiful just the way you are."

his words catch you off guard, and you glance up at him, finding warmth and sincerity in his gaze. there's a tenderness in his touch that goes beyond mere comfort, stirring something deeper within you.

"thank you, gray," you reply softly, feeling a flutter of emotion in your chest. "you always know how to make me feel better."

as he continues to remove the last traces of makeup, his movements become more deliberate, his touch lingering on your skin. there's a shift in the air, an unspoken tension that crackles between you, and you can feel your heart starting to race.

"y/n," he whispers, his voice husky with emotion, "there's something i need to tell you."

before you can respond, he leans in closer, his lips brushing against yours in a tender, tentative kiss. it's gentle at first, a silent promise of comfort and solace, but as the seconds tick by, it deepens, becoming more passionate, more urgent.

you're caught off guard by the intensity of his kiss, but you find yourself responding instinctively, your heart pounding in your chest as you melt into his embrace. in that moment, nothing else matters except the two of you, lost in the sweetness of the kiss.