A/N: I was challenged to this AU by becauseyourdrawingsarethebest on Tumblr: "write a 'the fire alarm went off at 3 am and now the cute guy from the flat next door is standing next to me in his underwear' AU."

Most American universities have Greek-letter fraternities. This one is fictitious.
Phi Tau Gamma = FTG = Fairy Tail Guild
Sigma Tau = ST = SaberTooth

In this story, Natsu is from Arlington, Texas, the hometown of Todd Haberkorn.

3AM Fire Alarm

a Fairy Tail fanfic

by Rhov

.

It was the middle of the night in the Phi Tau Gamma fraternity dormitory when Natsu heard an annoying alarm clanging through his room. His older brother and roommate, a quiet young man named Zeref, rose mechanically to the sound.

"Natsu," he called out into the dark, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "It's the fire alarm. We need to go."

Natsu rolled over in bed. "Someone pulled it, obviously a prank. Why should I budge?"

"You don't know that," his older brother warned. "What if it's serious this time?"

"It never is," Natsu grumbled.

Still, if just for Zeref's sake—he considered it a blessing and a curse to have his own brother as his dorm roommate—he dragged himself up. There was frost on the windows. It was winter, and Natsu hated the cold. However, he already heard students in the hallway shuffling sleepily and complaining about the fire alarm evacuation on a school night. Whoever pulled it was going to get his ass kicked!

Natsu wrapped his scarf around, then both he and Zeref slid on house slippers and pulled on coats over their pajamas. They joined the river-like flow of students leaving the dormitory.

Somewhere along the way, they were separated. That was fine; Zeref could handle being alone. He was good at it, a serious older brother who preferred solitude to Natsu's wild partying personality. Natsu grumbled as the crowd moved outdoors. The winter chill bit at his skin. Clusters of students huddled on icy paths, snow shoveled to the side in dirty piles.

This was the worst! 3AM on a school night in the dead of winter!

"Whoever did this will have a nice conversation with my fist," Natsu muttered.

"I'll join you in the smack-down."

Natsu jolted and looked over. He recognized this person, someone on his floor, not far down the hall. Ray? Dre? Trey? Something. Natsu gulped hard. He was just starting to realize he had preferences beyond the girls he had dated up until now. He noticed it with a few boys around the dorm, not everyone, but there were some ... he supposed they were his type, although Natsu was not sure what that even was yet. It was new, this flutter in his stomach when he saw exceptionally handsome men.

Gray—yes, he remembered now, he was named Gray Fullbuster—was certainly exceptional. Worst of all, he was in nothing more than boxers and socks. No shirt, no robe, nothing at all, just his underwear.

"Sheesh, aren't you cold?" Natsu cried out.

Gray shrugged as he looked up at the building. "Nah, I'm used to it. I grew up in Toronto. This is nothing." He glanced back and saw this pink-haired guy was bundled more than anyone else, even wearing a scarf. "Natsu, right? You're that guy with the genius older brother."

Natsu frowned. It was true, Zeref was naturally gifted in just about everything, always had been, and he had graduated high school early; whereas Natsu struggled with studying, and the only reason he got into a university was riding on a sports scholarship. They were not that far apart in age, yet Natsu was struggling with entry-level classes while Zeref was working on his doctorates in bioengineering.

"Where are you from?" asked Gray.

"Arlington, Texas."

"Shit, this weather must be awful for someone like you, eh?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, hating to admit weakness. He found himself staring at Gray more. Everyone else had huddled for warmth, rubbing arms and griping about the chill. Gray stood there in only boxers and looked around casually. Natsu felt frustrated that it was like he was purposely showing off his body, those sculpted abs, scars, and a tattoo on his pectoral.

Damn, this guy was hot as fuck!

Natsu felt his cheeks flaming, and although he welcomed the feeling of warmth, he feared giving away these new desires. No one knew yet. He had not even told Zeref about it, and they normally shared everything.

Natsu liked looking at the sexy view, but he also wished this guy would bundle up. He worried for him.

"Really, you've gotta be cold."

Gray shrugged unconcernedly. "Nah."

"No, seriously! You'll catch pneumonia and die, walking around like that."

Gray scoffed in amusement.

"You can't be out here in the dead of winter half-naked," Natsu insisted. Seriously, this man was too gorgeous to die from exposure and frostbite. Natsu yanked off his scarf and draped it around the bare neck.

Gray jolted at the sudden motion. "H-Hey!"

"Take it," Natsu insisted. "At least keep your throat warm. You don't want laryngitis."

Gray's cheeks flushed, and his eyes softened at the kind act. "Thanks," he said absently. He looked away and held the scarf around his throat. "It's ... warm."

Natsu smiled brightly. "Good!" Seeing Gray wearing his scarf made a lump in his throat burst into flames, and like usual, Natsu hid those feelings by lashing out. "Grab a coat next time, idiot! Sheesh!"

"I told you, I'm used to it," Gray muttered. "The cold doesn't bother me."

Natsu barked out a laugh. "Fine ... Elsa!"

"Shut up!" Gray snapped.

"I'll call you Ice Princess Elsa, okay?"

"Fuck you."

Natsu laughed, and suddenly the winter night was not so bad. Although he and Gray were not standing close enough to be touching, Natsu felt warmth just being nearby. Why had he never talked to Gray before?

Maybe because he knew these sorts of feelings would bubble up.

He shifted, just a shuffle across the icy pavement, but he brought himself a bit closer to Gray, then closer. He bit the inside of his lip and he slowly inched his way toward that cold-impervious body, imagining it as being like a ninja sneaking up on his target. Gray seemed not to notice or not care. His eyes were focused on the building. Natsu was almost close enough for their elbows to touch when Gray jolted. For a moment, Natsu feared he felt troubled by the lack of personal space, except Gray pointed to the building.

"Hey, do you see that?" he shouted. "Up there!"

Natsu looked, following the pointing finger. "It's smoke. Oh my God, there really is a fire."

As soon as they pointed it out, others looked up at the Phi Tau Gamma dorm and saw the smoke against the foggy night, black puffs against the orange glow of streetlights. Those gathered around began to point and shout. Fire! There really is a fire!

Natsu cringed. He had thought it was a prank and almost slept in. It was a good thing Zeref dragged him out. It seemed like his older brother was always looking out for him. Then he realized his brother was not around. He scanned the crowds.

"Where's Zeref?"

"Who?"

"My brother. He's the one who dragged me out." He took a second scan of the dorm clusters. "Oh! There he is." It was hard to see him, standing a little apart from everyone else, dressed in a dark robe, black hair, like a shadow you could look past without realizing someone was there. It was totally different from Natsu's flame-print boxers, bright yellow robe, and glaring pink hair. No one ever thought the two could be brothers.

Natsu scanned the building. The smoke was more noticeable now, and they saw an orange glow inside two of the rooms. There really was a fire, and it appeared to be spreading. Students moaned. Their homework! Their computers! Research notes! Someone was in a panic because he had not backed up an essay due tomorrow. Natsu's team uniform was up there, his expensive books, his class notes, and all of his clothes. His room was below the fire. With any luck, he would be okay. People were now asking around, trying to figure out what started the fire, who pulled the alarm, how did this happen. Grief at lost homework and essays turned into rage to find someone they could blame.

Amidst those grumbles, cries of panic, and shouts to find the guilty person, Natsu saw something near the top floor of the building.

"Hey," he bellowed out. "Look at that. Over by the far window. There's a kid."

Gray turned his gaze and saw the face shouting unheard words in a room not too far from the fire.

"Oh shit," Gray whispered. "Someone's still up there."

The crowd all looked.

"Who is that?" many muttered. They thought everyone was accounted for. The head boy of Phi Tau Gamma, Freed Justine, went through a list again. Yes, all dorm residents were out.

Gray squinted. "He's too young to be in university. He looks like he's just a child."

A dark-haired student bolted forward. "Romeo! Oh God! Romeo!"

Gray held him back from running in. "He's your friend?"

"My nephew," the young man said in terror. "Dammit. Romeo!" he shrieked up to the window.

Freed walked over. "You had a guest? That was not reported. You're supposed to sign in guests. Those are the rules, and rules are absolute."

"He was only visiting. My brother Macao was in town, he wanted to see some old drinking buddies, so I said I'd watch the kid. We were playing video games, we weren't going to stay long, so I didn't sign him in, but we fell asleep. Macao never called. He's probably passed out drunk somewhere. I ... I didn't think ... when the alarms went off, I thought he was right behind me. I've been looking around for him. Shit!" He shivered in dread. "He's only five."

The man tried to go toward the entrance, but Freed held him back.

"Firefighters are on their way," he said calmly, but the worried student would not stop trembling and hyperventilating.

Natsu's eyes narrowed. The fire was spreading but was not raging yet. The boy was a few rooms over. He calculated the smoke, the spread, the boy's location ... yes, he could make it.

"I'm going in," he muttered, taking a step forward.

Gray's hand yanked on his shoulder. "Hey! Freed just said that firefighters will be here soon."

"Not soon enough," Natsu shouted. "That fire is spreading too fast. Half the top floor will be engulfed by the time they arrive. Maybe that kid will be safe, but the smoke is the most dangerous part. He could still die before help arrives." He pulled again.

"Stop!" Gray yelled.

Natsu rounded on him in anger. "Look, I don't know about Canadians, but in Texas we don't leave people to burn to death. I'm rescuing that kid." He raced to the entrance, and no one stopped him. Freed was too busy with the panicking student, and most of the others in the crowd wanted to run in as well, but they were too scared.

Gray fisted up his hands. "Then don't go alone!"

He raced after Natsu. If he was going to do something this stupid, it was better to go as a pair in case something happened. Gray ran inside and up the stairs, rounding the landings, hearing Natsu's running feet just above him. The building seemed to be fine, but as he neared the top floor he smelled something acrid.

Smoke! It was beginning to drift into the stairwell.

"Natsu?" he called out.

As he reached the last landing, the smoke was thicker. Gray used the scarf to cover his mouth and nose. The smell was awful, and his lungs burned. Natsu was right, the fire was still small, but that poor kid could suffocate in this smoke. He stepped out of the stairwell and felt warmth on this floor. Far down the hall, he saw the lick of flames.

"Natsu!" he screamed. Gray coughed as the smoke seared his lungs. "Natsu!" His eyes were burning, tears gathering against the sting until he could barely see.

A hand grabbed his wrist. "Get down."

Natsu yanked him nearly to the floor to get out of the worst of the smoke. Down here, Gray could see clearer and breathe easier. Above him was a layer of brownish-black cloud.

"You shouldn't have followed if you don't know how to handle a fire," Natsu grumbled.

"You shouldn't be alone," Gray insisted.

Natsu smiled at the thoughtfulness. "Glad you're here. Do you remember which door it was?"

Gray wiped the stinging tears aside and looked around. "It was three from the north corner."

Natsu nodded and counted doors. They crept over the floor, passing doors, coughing as the smoke got worse. Finally they were three entryways down. Natsu pounded on the door.

"Hey, kid!" he shouted. "Romeo. You in there? Open up!" There was no response. "Kid!" He grimaced in annoyance. "I hear whimpering in there. Damn, he must be scared shitless. Hold on."

Natsu took a deep breath and stood, his upper body now in the smoke. He raised his leg back, took aim, and smashed open the door with a powerful kick.

Gray raised an eyebrow. Well! That's one way to open the door. Destructive, but at this point it probably didn't matter.

Natsu quickly lowered, he waved Gray into the room, and once they were in he shut the broken door behind them, blocking out some of the smoke. The air in this room was fresher, enough so they did not need to crouch. By the window, clutching an orange scarf, was a small boy with black hair, trembling as he looked out the window at the crowd gathered in the snow.

Natsu bent to one knee before the small boy. "Hey, partner," he said with a smile. "You're Romeo, right? Your uncle sent me."

Gray scoffed. Sent? More like his uncle wanted to run in as well and Natsu was just faster.

Natsu eyed the boy up and down, searching for burns or bruises. "Ya alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he muttered, and he looked at the door. "There's fire. I saw it. I ... I don't like fire." He cringed, beginning to tear up and snuffle.

"Keep it steady, partner," Natsu said gently. "We gotta get you out of here." He stood and tugged on the boy's shoulder.

"No!" he screamed, dropping heavily to the ground. "There's fire!"

Natsu knelt again. "I know there's a fire, but we're gonna go away from the fire."

"N-No," Romeo trembled. He curled into a ball. "I can't get near it. Burning." He grabbed his forearm and whimpered in terror. "It burned. The fire. It hurt."

Natsu saw scars on that arm. Fire burns! No wonder the child was petrified. He had been burned sometime in the past. Natsu turned his head aside with his own dark experience with fires, but right now he had a boy to save.

"Look, we're gonna get you out. No burning. I won't let you get burned. Definitely," Natsu said with fierce determination. "You won't get burned again. Not on my watch!"

Gray stood to the side, watching Natsu and the boy. He noticed the scars on Romeo's arm and that explained his fear, but Natsu looked just as troubled. He wondered what this young man's experience was with fire that could make his face so solemn.

"I ... I can't," Romeo sobbed. "I can't go out there. The fire is out there. Please, don't make me. Don't make me see it again."

Natsu cringed, and he placed both hands on the boy's thin shoulders. "Then we'll get you out through the window."

Gray jolted at the insane plan. "Natsu!"

The pink-haired man ignored him. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"No," Romeo answered.

Gray was enraged. "You're not gonna throw him out the window, are you?"

He grinned. "Yes."

"Hell no!" Gray shouted. "Kid, can't you just close your eyes? The fire isn't down this far yet. It's only a few seconds to the stairwell."

"No!" he screamed, curling into a tighter ball. "No fire. No burning. It hurt. It hurt so bad."

Gray could not force a kid when he was like this. It was tragic, whatever had happened.

"Gray," Natsu said stolidly, looking straight at him. "We can do it."

Gray saw a look he had never seen on another university student, something deep and dark and filled with pain. There was no way he could argue sense into someone with that gaze.

Natsu stood now and looked around, calculating again. He nodded, certain they could do this. He slid the window open and leaned far out.

"Hey guys!" he hollered to the massive crowd below. "Yeah, you guys. This kid needs to get out. You're gonna catch him."

"What?" a dozen or so shouted in unison.

The boy's uncle stepped forward. "I'll catch him for sure."

"Alrighty." Natsu pulled back inside. "Gray, find a blanket, a big one."

Gray nodded, ran to the bed, and pulled off the cover. He threw it to Natsu, who pulled it out the window.

"Catch this!" he shouted before dropping the blanket down. "Also..." He pulled back in and looked at the bed. "Damn, I'm not sure if it'll fit through the window. Gray, help me get this mattress out."

"This is insane," he said, but he still stripped the bed mattress of sheets and tilted it to slide off the frame.

"Firefighters do it all the time," Natsu insisted. "They'll catch him with the blanket, and if there's too much give, he'll land on this mattress. It'll cushion his fall."

"It's suicidal," Gray argued.

Natsu sneered at him. "Anything is better than being burned alive." There was that same darkness in his glare.

Although Gray still thought it was stupid, he carried the mattress across the room and hoisted it up to the window.

"Turn it to the side more," Natsu said, and he shoved the window up as high as possible. They struggled to make it squeeze through, and the mattress began to fold in half. Then he shouted, "Watch out below!" The mattress dropped, tumbling four stories to the snow-covered ground. "Get that set up." Natsu grabbed a nearby backpack. "This is where he'll fall. Try to catch it."

There were six young men now with the blanket pulled taut between them. When Natsu dropped the backpack, they missed. He then grabbed a laptop, yanked the plugs out, and held it out the window.

"Not my laptop!" the student below screamed.

"You'll really wanna catch it this time," Natsu chuckled sadistically as he let it go. The group adjusting their angle. The laptop landed on the blanket dead center.

"Hey, toss out mine too. I didn't back up my essay."

Gray laughed, it was like a game, and the little boy laughed too. Romeo fetched the other laptop, and Natsu dropped it out the window.

"Something heavy, Gray," Natsu urged. He yelled below. "One more, then you get to catch the kid."

Gray saw a massive pack filled with camping gear and fetched it. It looked like the heaviest thing in the room and about the same height as Romeo. Natsu struggled to hold the camping pack out the window, and when it dropped the people below were not expecting the weight. The blanket sagged, and the bag hit the mattress.

"Keep it taut," Natsu shouted down. Then he smiled to Romeo. "Your uncle is a good catch. Ready?"

He had an uncertain face.

"Look at me," Natsu urged, getting down to eye level with the boy. "We're going to get you as far away from the fire as possible. You'll go out the window, just like those laptops and bags. There are strong guys out there ready to catch you. Your uncle will keep you safe, as far from the fire as he can. When you get down there, hold onto your uncle and don't leave his side until your dad comes to get you. Got it?"

Romeo nodded quickly.

"Okay, partner. Let's get you up to the window."

Gray stepped forward. "Need help."

Natsu lifted the five-year-old easily into his arms. "I've got him." Natsu sat on the edge of the window and hollered below, "Are y'all ready down there?"

"Yeah," the waiting group shouted.

Natsu looked at Romeo. "You're gonna be okay. It'll be fun, like an amusement park ride. And no fire. Just a little drop and then you'll bounce on the blanket, like a fun house. Keep your arms tucked in, fold them across your chest like you're hugging yourself, don't bite your tongue, and try to land on your butt, not on your head. Ready?"

Romeo nodded.

Natsu moved cautiously out the window. He heard the gasps below. Other dorm groups were out now to watch the fire, and they saw the daring rescue. Natsu felt the mix of flame-heated air inside and crisp snowy air outside.

"This is it. Sure you can do it?" he asked Romeo.

"Yeah. I wanna do it."

"Then on the count of three."

Natsu looked down again and saw the six men below looking up with intense focus. He was lined up, that was why he dropped the bags, to make sure the drop would be correct. Still, his heart pounded frantically. If this did not work, Romeo could break his leg ... or worse! If it did work, he would be safe, and maybe he would not be so scared of fire anymore.

"One."

Romeo held perfectly still, arms folded, ready for the drop.

"Two."

Gray coiled by the window, wanting to stop this insane rescue, yet praying it worked.

Natsu let out a nervous, held breath and looked Romeo straight in the eyes. "Three. Yeehaw!"

He released his hold, and it was like the whole world held its breath. Romeo plummeted, and both Natsu and Gray looked out the window in anticipation. Some girl screamed, but then Natsu heard a thomf. The blanket almost sank all the way down with the added weight, but it was enough to break Romeo's fall, and what the men could not hold up, the mattress padded. Romeo unrolled himself and giggled. Immediately, his young uncle grabbed him, hugging him in relief.

"Ya alright down there?" Natsu hollered.

Romeo gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah! That was fun!"

"Great." Natsu sank out of view, pulling back inside and leaning against the wall as he felt the adrenaline rush wash over him. "Holy shit, that was awesome."

Gray smiled, truly impressed. "You're really good with kids."

"I was afraid of fire when I was little. My dad got me over it. He was a fireman," he said with a grin. "He used to throw me out the window like that at our apartment."

Gray gawked. "Your dad ... threw you out windows?"

Natsu nodded. "He had fire drills at home every month. He taught me and my brother all sorts of fire safety. Thanks to him," he laughed, "I'm pretty much fearless."

His heart raced from the thrill of courting danger, and it affected his body. It was the same effect as when he did sports competitions. After a huge event, the rush was overwhelming. It also affected him in strange ways. He felt that he was aroused and wished it would go away. Not this time, not with Gray in front of him!

"You're flushed."

Natsu gulped. "Sorry, bit of an adrenaline rush." Dammit, he really wished Gray would not be this close to him. His eyes looked heated, and his face was also flushed. Maybe it was the lack of air. Still, Natsu gulped at the way Gray stared at him.

"Are you really okay? We should get out of here."

"I'm ... fine. Just, if I go out there like this, it'll be embarrassing."

"Like...?" Before Gray could ask, Natsu reached down and tried to shift his pajama pants as discreetly as possible. When Gray glanced down, he saw the bulge. "Whoa!" he cried out. "Yeah, um ... you've got a ... a big problem there."

Natsu cringed. "Sorry. Like I said, adrenaline rush. I'll be back to normal soon. The fire shouldn't be here that quickly."

He licked his lips. "Do you need help making it go away?"

Natsu jolted and looked up in astonishment. "Wh-What?" he whispered.

The raven-haired man stumbled back, shocked out of his thoughts. "Shit. Sorry. Um ... it should be fine. As soon as you hit the cold air, no one will think anything of it."

"Y-Yeah," Natsu whispered. He thought for sure Gray had just propositioned him. No way! Still, he had definitely been looking down. "Hey, um ... are you ... I mean ... this is probably the wrong time to ask, maybe the worst time, but ... are you ... maybe ... by any chance ... y'know ... um ... into guys?" Natsu asked, cringing down worriedly.

Gray stared in silent amazement for a long moment before breathlessly admitting, "I'm bisexual."

Natsu grinned in relief. "Good!" He saw Gray's eyes widen. "Ack! I ... I mean ... that's cool. Y'know ... yeehaw for gay pride!" He grinned nervously. Yeah, real smooth.

Gray stepped back up close to him, trapping him against the wall. "And you?"

"Me? Um, bisexual. Maybe pansexual. I dunno yet, but ... some guys..." He felt an ache having Gray this close. "Some guys ... not all, I've never dated a guy before, but ... some guys..."

"Am I one of those guys?" Gray asked, leaning in closer.

Natsu loosened up as he felt cold fingers glide up his arm. "Y-Yeah. You're ... quite some guy," he moaned, wanting to feel that body against him.

Gray smirked at how seductive Natsu looked. "Do you always get this aroused when you throw little kids out windows?"

Natsu glared up. "No! It's the danger, the adrenaline, the fire, and y-..." His throat tensed in dread.

"And me?" Gray softly traced his fingers up Natsu's arm. "You're quite something. An hour ago, you barely knew who I was. Whereas," he whispered into Natsu's ear, "I've been watching you for a very long time."

Natsu gasped in astonishment. "You've ... been watching ... me?"

Gray smiled and nodded. "You, your brother ... I wasn't interested in him, though. You're the one with the smile."

"Smile?"

"I love the way you smile," Gray admitted, astonished that he was finally confessing all this. It had to be the lack of fresh air, right? "I wasn't sure about you, though. You didn't seem like the sort who'd be into guys. You were dating that blond cheerleader, after all."

Natsu blushed. "You were dating that girl on the swim team."

"Eh. She ended up being a stalker."

Natsu smiled that Gray actually was interested. He really wanted to try this out ... now!

"Kiss me," he whispered, lifting his head and letting his eyes lower.

Gray chuckled softly. "You really don't go slow, eh?"

"Not my style," he admitted. "Please. My heart won't stop racing from the adrenaline."

Gray slyly dragged his nails over Natsu's cheeks. "Is it really just the adrenaline?"

"And the flames," he admitted. "And ... and you."

"And me, eh?" Gray whispered deeply.

Natsu suddenly grabbed Gray's sharp hips and yanked him closer. "Definitely you," he sneered playfully. Then he caught himself and laughed awkwardly. "I ... I don't act like this around people I don't know, but—"

"It's all right," Gray cut in.

Natsu looked up in shock. "Yeah?"

Gray leaned in close to Natsu's mouth. "Yeah." He gave a peck on the lips. "You're a goddamn hero." He kissed Natsu again. "Wouldn't want people to see the hero with a hard-on." He tipped Natsu's jaw up to kiss him deeper. "I can't leave this burning building without you either. Your brother would kill me." He reached down and let his fingertips brush lightly over the bulge. "You owe me, though."

Owe him? The same favor? "Dre," Natsu sighed.

He sneered in annoyance. "Gray!"

"Gray," Natsu corrected. Shit, what a time to screw up names!

"Whatever. It's all right." He reached down through the elastic band of Natsu's pajamas. The pink-haired boy moaned loudly as the cold hands took hold of him. Gray hushed him in amusement. "It's all right," he whispered, smirking at his enthralled face. "So, you want ... this?" He firmly stroked the erection, listening to the heated moans. He chuckled softly. "Pervert."

"I'm not, really," Natsu protested. "I don't do this sort of thing."

"So why are you now, eh?" Gray asked in amusement. "Are you that interested in me? So enamored, you give up your Texan good manners and want a hand job from a stranger in some other guy's bedroom with a fire right down the hall? You're insane."

Natsu stuttered, cheeks turning red.

"Heh! I'm flattered," Gray said smoothly. "Someone as good-looking as you," he said, kissing Natsu, "interested in little ol' me," he chuckled as he licked around Natsu's lips. "I'll have to show you how Canadians kiss."

Natsu felt his head thrust back into the wall by the strength of Gray's kiss, his mouth invaded, and the taste of winter and Christmas filling him.

"Gray," he moaned.

"Good job. You got it right this time," he teased.

"I'm just bad with names. Always have been."

"Don't sweat it, Tex. I'm also bad, both with names and ... issues with adrenaline." He rubbed up close against Natsu, pressing him tight against the wall with his erection stabbing Natsu's hip into place. "There's still the fire, so I'm going to make this quick," Gray warned.

"Uh-huh," Natsu groaned.

"I mean real quick. Like your-roommate's-in-the-shower-and-you-gotta-finish-wanking-before-he-gets-out sort of quick."

"That's fine. That's..."

Before Natsu could finish reassuring him, Gray thrust up against him and began to jerk on Natsu's shaft as quickly as he dared. Natsu felt like the air was sucked right out of his lungs. He had dated only girls, and they had always touched him there with nervous delicacy, which was fine and incredible. None had given him a hand job like this. Gray knew precisely how tight to hold him and how to stroke, probably from years of doing it to himself. Natsu was left gasping in pleasure and arching back against the wall.

"Outside, can they see us?" he asked breathlessly.

"No, we're fine right here," Gray panted. "God, you're so hot in my hand."

"Nngh!"

"Hey Tex." Gray leaned up into his ear. "I wouldn't mind tying a lasso around you and watching you buck like a wild stallion." Natsu reacted strongly to that. "Want me to be your cowboy, Tex? Or do you like to ride on top? Makes no difference to me, so long as I get to hear you moaning my name."

"A-Ah!"

Gray smirked. "You like when I talk dirty, eh?"

"M-Maybe," he confessed in shame.

"Good," Gray sneered, "'cuz I like talking dirty. I like stroking you. I guess it's true what they say about everything is bigger in Texas. I'd love to suck that Texas-sized cock."

"Oh God, ye-..."

"But not today."

Natsu looked up with disappointment. "What?

"When I suck cock," Gray said, and he bit Natsu's earlobe, "I like to enjoy it. Canadians don't scarf down our food like Americans. We savor ... every ... last ... drop."

"Ahhh!"

"Touch me too."

Natsu reached down to find Gray's boxers already dropped to the floor and his erection springing free. He gripped with the same frantic pace, and Gray let out a low moan.

"Fuck, yes, like that." Gray yanked Natsu's pajama pants down to his ankles to free up room. "We gotta hurry. Fire's coming."

"Nnngh ... I know."

"You like that idea. You like the rush of danger. You're one of those adrenaline junkies, eh?" He chuckled, "Am I your newest fix?"

Suddenly, Gray felt like he had been shouldered by a rhino. He was slammed into a nearby bed, and in an instant Natsu was on top of him, glaring down in the light of the winter moon.

"You're not some adrenaline fix," Natsu said indignantly. "You're what I want, and I get what I want!"

He thrust his hips against Gray, frotting against him.

"Ahh! Natsu!" Gray listened as the bed squeaked and steel springs rattled with Natsu's thrusting. "Shit! Oh shit!"

Natsu reached down and stroked them both while rolling his hips and grunting louder than he ever dared while living in this dorm filled with other men. They could both be loud since everyone was outside. Somewhere far away, they heard firetruck sirens getting closer.

"Natsu!"

"Almost," he hissed. He could smell the smoke and feel the heat increasing. It was getting closer, and so was he. "Ah! Shit, Gray!"

"Yes, hurry," he urged. "Do what you have to. Just hurry."

"G-Gray..."

"I want to see you come."

"N- ... it's ..."

"Quicker!" he warned, edging on seriousness. "I'm not joking, I can hear the fire now."

Natsu realized he was right. The flames were close, so close. The smell, the acrid taste of smoke, the popping and hissing of wood and electronics catching aflame, all made his pulse race.

Gray kissed him. "The flames are coming," he warned seductively. "You'll be coming soon too. I want you to come before it does. Come for me, Natsu. Show me." He kissed him over and over. "Show me that face you have."

Natsu threw his head back and sped up.

"Yeah, that face," Gray moaned. "Fuck yes, that face! So sexy." He yanked the back of the pink hair and kissed him deeply. "God, I'm glad you finally noticed me."

Natsu gasped. Gray was ... glad? Glad for this? Glad to be with Natsu? The joy filled his heart just as he felt his body exploding over the edge of what he could take.

Natsu let out a loud roar, and Gray felt wetness against his cock, dripping down and making the friction even better. Natsu shuddered, slowly stroking out the last of it as he gazed into Gray's blue eyes. As soon as he felt Natsu finish, Gray grabbed his shoulders and rolled them roughly. Gray took over, thrusting right into the valley of Natsu's hip, not bothering with finesse and foreplay anymore.

"Ride on top, partner," Natsu teased.

"Canada will always be above the U.S."

Natsu laughed at that. "Shut up, Canuck." He latched onto Gray's neck, biting and sucking.

"Ah, fuck!" Gray howled.

A mix of frotting, stroking with his own hand, and the erotic pain of Natsu's bite sent him over the edge in less than a minute, spilling over Natsu's torso and dripping to the bed below. Gray collapsed, breathing hard. His lungs burned. The smoke was seeping more into the room. This was insane, totally insane. He had just fucked a guy he barely knew in a burning building!

"Whoever's bed this is," Natsu said, "it's ruined."

Gray laughed wearily and rolled off. "Yeah. With any luck, it'll burn and we won't have to explain the mess." He looked up at the ceiling. "Oh wow. My head is buzzing."

"That might be the smoke," Natsu explained. "We should get out of here."

They used sheets to wipe up the wet mess, then scrambled into their clothes.

Natsu glanced over, feeling happy but also guilty. "I'm sorry about all that."

Gray looked up with an arched eyebrow. "The hell are you talking about? I didn't mind."

"I never do something like that unless I'm dating a person."

"So?" Gray smirked. "We could do that."

Natsu's mouth dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Would I have said it if I wasn't serious?"

"You don't have to. I mean, this was just random and..."

"Shut up!" Gray kissed Natsu into silence, then whispered, "Just shut up." They kissed deeply, loving the taste of each other's tongues. "I told you, I've been watching you. I wanted you, but I was scared. I've been a goddamn fucking stalker, and you never noticed me once." He kissed Natsu roughly, showing both frustration and rejoicing that now they were together. "I'm stunned you actually wanted me. Dammit, I'm glad," he laughed, fighting tears.

"Me too," Natsu whispered. His first boyfriend!

"But we really do need to go," Gray warned.

"Yeah, they'll be worried."

As soon as they opened the door, smoke rushed in at them. Gray brought his hand up and began to cough. Natsu picked up the white scarf and let Gray take one edge while he took the other to cover their mouths. They stepped out into the hall and saw a raging fire down the corridor. Gray let out a startled cry. It was one thing to smell smoke and hear crackling. It was another to be less than a hundred feet from a wall of flames.

"It's okay," Natsu said, yanking on his arm. "It's far enough away. We should hurry, though. The fire could have weakened the floor board and is probably compromising the support beams. The smoke is the worst, though. It will cause disorientation and carbon monoxide poisoning. Most deaths in fires are not burns, but smoke inhalation."

They rushed away from the flames and to the stairwell. Gray had to stop and cough before he could go on, but Natsu kept urging him.

"You'll need oxygen," Natsu said in worry. "Shit, I feel like an asshole, keeping you in the smoke like that."

"It's ... cough ... fine. Wanted it." He coughed and spat out something black from his lungs. Oh crap! He did not think he had inhaled much at all. "You know a lot about this. Is it stuff your dad taught you? You mentioned he's a firefighter."

"Yeah, he was awesome. My dad was a hero."

Gray realized something. "Was?" he asked cautiously.

Natsu's proud grin shattered. "Y-Yeah ... was."

Gray blurted out before thinking, "Fire?" He cringed right afterward. Damn, asking about how his father died! How insensitive! Still, his head was dizzy, so he was not thinking straight.

Natsu began to walk down the stairwell, pulling Gray along as he focused off into a dark past. "He ... that day ... he wasn't in gear, otherwise it would have been different." He rounded a corner and kept going down the spiraling staircase, out of smoke and into fresher air. "We were asleep when the apartment's smoke alarms went off. We all knew what to do, of course. However, the fire was acting weird. It was spreading too fast. Turned out to be arson, some jackass named Acnologia who just wanted to see the world burn. Even with escape routes planned way in advance, we almost didn't make it to the exit. I collapsed, breathed in something real bad and just fell over. My dad carried me out. Then he ran right back inside. He kept pulling people out and running back in, never stopping. He saved seven people, but when he went back to get an elderly neighbor, he ... he never made it back out. He wasn't on duty, but he was a fireman to the end. They buried him as a hero," he insisted, but Natsu still looked pained.

Gray pouted at the sad story of selfless bravery. "Yeah, definitely a hero." They reached a landing and rested while Gray coughed again. Then he slugged Natsu in the shoulder. "You are too, now. A hero, following your father's footsteps."

Natsu laughed awkwardly. "All I did was throw a kid out a window."

"You ran into a burning building and saved that kid's life." Gray took his arm and looked down proudly at him. "You're a damn hero."

Natsu shuddered and grinned. Gray's fingers were freezing cold, but they felt good. Those hands had pleasured him in ways he had not experienced in a long time. He wanted more of those hands. Hardly thinking, Natsu picked up Gray's fingers and laid a kiss on his knuckles. It made Gray blush fiercely.

"I'll warn you," Natsu said. "I've never actually dated a guy."

"Then I'll make it a good experience," said Gray. They began to head down the spiraling stairway again. "So, just girlfriends up until now?"

"Yeah. I wasn't even interested in guys until near the end of high school, and then it took me almost a year to figure out why I was feeling different around some of the guys on the team. What about you?"

"I knew I liked guys first. I had a major crush on my stepbrother as a kid. I merely assumed I was gay, but then I started to like girls more and more as I hit puberty. At that point, I had no clue what was up with my body. Was I gay, was I straight, did I like girls because society said I should like them, or because I honestly liked them? I came to realize I liked both."

"So bisexual, not pansexual?"

Gray shook his head. "I questioned that too. I need to know what I'm dealing with. I can't handle the more blurred areas: butch girls, effeminate boys, genderfluid, no crossdressers either. Transgender would probably be on there too, except I don't know anyone like that. Nothing against those people; it's just the way I am. I need a girlie girl or a manly man, nothing in between." They reached the ground floor, and Gray took Natsu's hand for a moment. "That's why I thought you were perfect," he said gently. "You've got a hell of a body, you're athletic, and your smile won me over the first time I saw you in the campus diner laughing with friends."

"My smile, huh? Ain't you just a damn romantic!"

"Shut up," he said in embarrassment. They walked out toward the dorm entrance. "So, what's your type?"

Natsu paused at the entryway, looked back at Gray, gazed him head to toe and back up again, and gave a blithe shrug. "Whatever you are, that's my type."

Before Gray could ask anything more, Natsu opened the door, and they stepped out as the flashing lights of the fire trucks were pulling up. One firefighter ran up to them, and Natsu agreed that they should probably have some oxygen, despite Gray trying to insist he was fine. Natsu knew better. Even a little drop in oxygen levels was bad. They were escorted to the side, out of the way of the firefighters rushing inside to see if anyone else was in the building and getting hoses ready to douse the flames. An EMT handed them oxygen masks, and Natsu urged Gray to inhale deeply.

"Natsu!"

The pink-haired man turned just in time to find Zeref slamming into him, sobbing in fear.

"You're an idiot, running in there. Do you have any idea...? After Dad..."

"I know, Zeref." He frowned as he hugged his brother. "That's why I had to run in there. Because of Dad."

"I know. I figured as much." He still hit Natsu over the head. "Don't do that again. At least, not in front of me. I can't ... not in front of me ... not again." He cringed against the anguish and sank into Natsu's chest while crying.

Natsu hugged Zeref and whispered over and over that he was sorry. Zeref was older, he remembered that day far clearer, and Natsu had to admit that he knew their father better than Natsu had, or at least knew him longer. Zeref did not handle the death of any family member well.

"Put the oxygen on," Zeref said, fretting over Natsu now and adjusting his mask. "You didn't inhale deeply, did you?"

"Shallow breaths, stayed close to the ground, kept the door shut to limit smoke, all of Dad's rules."

"Good. You sure took your time getting out of there. I was afraid the smoke disoriented you. It doesn't take much for carbon monoxide to do that, you know."

"I know, Zeref. I know."

To the side, Gray smiled as he saw that Zeref knew a lot about fire, same as Natsu. These two really were brothers even if they did not look alike.

"Seriously," Zeref scolded, "don't ever do a stupid stunt like that again."

"I won't, unless it's you," Natsu said, smiling at his brother. "If it's you in the flames, I'd run in there in a heartbeat, just like Dad did."

Zeref looked up in awe with tear-filled eyes, smiled briefly as he saw the same eyes as their father, then fell back down into Natsu's chest. "Why do you always have to be this way?" he muttered.

Natsu wrapped his arms around him. "To drive you crazy, Zeref."

They watched from the ambulance as water was sprayed onto the burning building. Gray reached over and took Natsu's hand, glad they had gotten out of there safely. Natsu looked down at his hand, then smiled up at Gray. What they had done was truly stupid, his father would have smacked him over the head for putting his life in danger just because he was lost in an adrenaline rush, yet Natsu knew it was more than that. He wanted Gray! He worried that if he stepped out of that building, it would all be gone, like a dream. Gray would walk away, pretending it never happened. Now here they were, and Gray was holding his hand.

"How are you two kids feeling?"

The question made Natsu jump, and Gray pulled his hand back in a start. An EMT came up and checked their vitals.

"We're ... we're fine," Gray stuttered.

"It might be a good idea to send you both to the hospital."

"I'm fine, seriously," Gray insisted, dreading hospitals.

Natsu told the lady, "I made sure we kept our mouths covered and stayed below the smoke."

She hummed and nodded. "Well, your oxygen levels are stable. If you feel any burning in your lungs or disorientation, you should seek immediate medical attention. There can be poisonous vapors in smoke that absorb through the skin as well."

"Thank you," Natsu said. "By the way, how's the kid?"

"Are you the ones who saved him? He's lucky you were there to get him out, and through the window, from what I heard. That's one brave little boy. He had a little trouble with smoke inhalation. Due to his age, we sent him to the hospital for observation, but he should be fine."

"That's great," Natsu sighed in deep relief. He removed the oxygen mask, and both he and Gray thanked the emergency crews nearby. Natsu then looked at his brother, who had calmed down now that everyone was safe. "We should get out of here," he said, pulling Zeref away. He knew how scenes of burning buildings scared his brother, even on television. "Well, our stuff will be ruined. That sucks. I wonder where we can sleep now."

Zeref told him, "Freed and a few others were talking about setting up at Sigma Tau's frat house."

"Ugh! I hate those guys," Natsu grumbled.

"I know, but I already said I was going. Natsu, I know you don't like that one guy—"

"Sting!" he sneered. "He's a cocky little shit."

"Yeah, him. Just don't fight, okay?"

"Screw him and screw Sigma Tau. I'll find somewhere else."

Gray interrupted the two. "I'm going to visit my brother Lyon for a change of clothes and then just stay in the twenty-four hour coffeehouse off campus. If you want to sleep, you could crash on his couch. He'd be fine with it."

"What about you?" asked Natsu.

Gray laughed and shook his head. "After all this, there's no way I could sleep. Plus I have to be up at six for my part-time job."

"Oh," Natsu muttered, and he suddenly cheered up. "Then I'll keep you company. I doubt I'll sleep too."

Gray gave him a small smile. "Sounds like fun." He licked his lip slightly. "I wouldn't mind one bit."

Zeref scolded, "Make sure you wake up for class, Natsu. Fire or not, you had better not miss math."

Natsu groaned in annoyance. Still, he looked up to Gray and saw his eyes shining. Natsu gulped hard. He had a feeling he would not be getting much sleep tonight, and likely they would not end up in a coffeehouse until dawn.

Zeref grinned as he looked between the two others. "Well then, I'll be off. Natsu?" He looked up at Gray, then pulled Natsu aside. He leaned into his ear and whispered, "Do you have protection?"

Natsu yanked back with an instant blush. "What?"

"I know we haven't talked about it openly, but I already know you're into guys, and there are rumors about Gray, and you two were in there way too long just to rescue a kid. He has a hickey, and you're giving each other pretty blatant looks. It's easy to tell. So I'm serious: do you have protection?"

Natsu scoffed and looked away. Seriously, this brother of his was impossible! "I ... I didn't exactly grab anything on my way out," he protested.

"They sell condoms in the convenience store near the coffeehouse. You had better buy some."

"How do you know ... no, never mind," he sighed. Zeref was older, after all. He might be a bookworm, but he had probably partied through a few wild nights in his life.

"I'm serious!"

"I know. I will," he snapped quietly, mortified at having this sort of conversation with his own brother. Then he looked down at Zeref, smiling as he realized his brother had already known about him being bisexual and accepted him without any coercion. He ruffled up his black hair, much to Zeref's annoyance, then waved goodbye. He walked up to Gray with a smile.

"What was that about?" Gray asked, turning to go but looking behind his shoulder at the mysterious dark-haired man watching them with doleful eyes.

Natsu smiled privately. "Just a big brother looking out for his little brother. Seriously, if it wasn't for him, I'd probably have died as a toddler."

"It's nice he's still your roommate." They were quiet as they walked away from the flashing firetruck lights and gathering crowd. "Do you want to skip the coffeehouse?"

Natsu jolted, but Gray smiled down at him.

"I was lying a little. My brother is out of town. I have a key to his place." He ran a hand up Natsu's arm. "I also know where he keeps his condoms."

Natsu gulped hard, then smiled slyly. "Who's a pervert now?"

"You, if you accept," Gray teased.

"It'd be rude not to accept such hospitality, and one thing Texans are good at," Natsu said, sliding up against Gray's chest. "We're experts at hospitality."

"Oh? Is that the only thing you're good at?"

"We're also good at taming wild bucking broncos."

"Who says I want to be tamed?"

"Who says you're the one who's wild?"

"So are you saying you want to buck me?"

Natsu sneered with lust. "Hell yes!"

Gray chuckled and leaned in close. "Yippee ki yay, partner," he whispered, and he gave Natsu a kiss.

The End