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One of the consequences of training in the unforgiving cold of snow-filled winter is that you stop paying attention to body temperature. Gray gets reminded of this every time his stripping habit leads to laughter or gawks and stares. Usually it would take a substantial amount of heat, flames hotter than even Natsu’s, for Gray to feel anything.
That is, before Lucy.
Even before he wakes, Gray can feel the soft body pressed completely to his front. He knows that he’s naked under the covers because her skin sparks a fire at every point its connected to his. She’s so warm. Always warm even in the chill November air.
He opens his eyes to see long strands of blonde hair tickling the base of his neck. He’s grown used to the sight of her sleeping on his chest by now. He’s not too sure why she does it, but given the countless life-threatening situations they’ve faced, he figures it offers her some comfort at night. The same way waking up with her in his arms does for him.
His arms raise to circle her waist as he felt her head lift to meet his eyes. “Morning” he mumbles. The lingering sleep catches in his voice made the words come out rougher than usual, but Lucy always seemed to like that given the way she bites her lip whenever she hears it.
This time is no different.
“Morning,” she answers with that sweet slow smile. She lifts her head almost inconspicuously and Gray takes the signal to lean down and seal their lips together. It was chaste, just a mere brush of their lips together. A touch just to touch. Then he takes the opportunity to rub their lips together in a side to side motion just to hear that giggle that he fucking loved. She hums against his lips with a short burst of laughter until she pulls away. Lucy rests her arms onto his chest and looks up at him with those bright brown eyes. “I was thinking…I really don’t want to get out of bed today.”
“Oh,” he teases playfully squeezing her thighs. She rolls her eyes at him but the smile on her lips stays. “Don’t get cocky Fullbuster. Your still on thin ice for making a mess in my apartment.”
He opens his mouth to give his usual it was all Natsu’s fault spiel, but a pointed look has him closing it just as fast. She can go from sweet to feisty and back to sweet in a flash and he was not looking forward to being Lucy-kicked out of the bed. “Sorry sorry. What did you have in mind then?” The look on her face changed from an annoyed scowl to barely contained eagerness. He knew that look well. “The book Levy handed you yesterday?”
“It’s the final part to that series I’ve been obsessing over! Lev found it while we were away and it had just arrived right before we got back. She promised to tell the rest of the guild that we’re recovering and not to bother us.” She pauses to shrug “They probably still will but I'm dying to know how this series ends.”
He smiles too looking forward to the inevitable ranting and raving Lucy will do when she finally does finish a good book. “Then let’s take a shower and stay in today.”
She rises off his chest and out of the bed. As she stretches her arms into the air, he’s once again taken aback by her. She’s not even touching him anymore, but he still feels her heat radiating off of him in waves. Burning him so sweetly that it left a permeant mark on his heart.
She turns to him somehow oblivious to the effect she has on the ice-mage, “Hey instead of a shower do you want to take a bath?”
He hides his emotions behind a soft smile reserved solely for her. Just her, always her. “I don’t think my bathtub can fit two people.”
She wiggles her eyebrows at him a mischievous smile on her face, “Wanna find out?”
~
After they’ve dried off and the clouds part to make way for the midday sun, Lucy rests against his headboard book in hand with nothing but his shirt and underwear on. Gray lays shirtless in his gym shorts with his head rested against her thighs listening to her explain the key plot twist of the series. Neither are dressed appropriately for the cold temperature outside, but it didn’t faze them one bit. The warmth they radiate for each other inside of Gray’s little house was more than enough.