A/N: Okay so instead of Happy ruining their dinner date, I made it so Happy helped them with their dinner date. He's just a good friend like that.

Purr-fect Matchmaking

Part Two

The Dinner Date

Happy gave out an unsatisfied growl before nudging the kitty kibble further away.

Geez, a cat tries to help out his best bud finally talk to his crush and this is how he repays him: kitty kibble and no fish for a week! Happy shakes his head in disbelief and settles down beside one of the legs of the table. This spot allowed him to easily gaze at his owner and best friend, who was currently humming a song while stirring something in a pan.

Then again he did steal the poor man's underwear for three months, but what other way could a cat get his best friend's crush's attention. If he were human, or at least able to speak human, he would have gone up to Gray and personally introduce him to Natsu. But alas, he is only a cat and as a cat this was the best he could do.

Ever since they moved to this new apartment, Happy immediately sensed the strong attraction his owner had felt towards the tall, dark haired man. He remembered it clearly. Natsu was getting checked in at the front desk and waiting for the landlord to come back with his room key. Happy was patiently laying by his feet when the elevator dinged. Out came a flustered and disheveled Gray. He dashed out of the elevator and nearly tripped on his own two feet. Happy heard a chuckle from above and saw Natsu's eyes follow Gray's movements. The raven-haired man made it to the front doors and pushed the doors but they would not budge. He cursed and pushed the doors for a span of two minutes before he suddenly remembered something and pulled the doors open. His cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink and muttered an "I knew that" before continuing his dash onto the streets. Happy looked up at Natsu and saw a smile on his face, eyes still staring at the doors Gray had gone through. Since that moment, Happy notice how Natsu would always gaze longingly at Gray from a distance. Sometimes he would get this really determined look on his face, as if he were going to go up him, but in the end he would lose his courage and continue on with his day.

Happy saw no improvement with Natsu and realized it was up to him to bring these two idiots together. He was a cat so there was not much he could do, but soon an idea struck him after once catching Gray doing his laundry. He could steal some of Gray's clothes! He always left his windows open, so all he had to do was crawl through the balcony and into his room, steal whatever was at hand (which happen to be his underwear), and bring it back to Natsu.

In the end, it didn't work out as planned, but it did manage to bring them together so Happy wasn't complaining.

"All of the downs and the uppers

Keep making love to each other

And I'm trying, trying, I'm trying

But I…

Can't keep my hands to myself"

Natsu's singing voice interrupted his little flashback. He looked up idly at his pink-haired owner. While Natsu was singing the catchy pop song, he danced rather comically around the tiny kitchen. When he got like this, the pinkett became unaware of his surroundings which most of the time led to accidents. His owner was such a dork but he wouldn't want him any other way.

After watching the pinkett's uncoordinated dance moves for a few moments, Happy got up from his spot and strutted towards the open window. He figured he might take this moment to go spy on Gray and see how's he doing.

"Can't keep my hands to myself

I mean I could but why would I want to?"

"Gah!" Natsu's yell was then followed by the crash of a pot hitting the ground. "Shit," he cursed loudly.

Happy shook his head before climbing outside onto their balcony. He gracefully hopped onto the rail before jumping onto Gray's balcony. He saw that Gray's window was open as expected. He sauntered up to the window sill and took a seat as he peered into the room.

Inside stood a flustered and frustrated Gray standing in front of a full body mirror, only in his underwear he might add. The room was a complete mess. Shirts, pants and even a few pair of boxers scattered the floor and furniture. The raven-haired man was currently holding a white dress shirt in one hand and black dress shirt in the other. He seemed to be debating which one he should wear for their dinner date, which was in less than an hour. Gray was looking intensely into the mirror, switching the dress shirts in front of him every few seconds. He seemed deeply troubled.

Oh boy. Happy figured he should leave the man to his fashion crisis when something across the room caught his eyes. It was a sketchpad. Happy shamelessly climbed inside and stalked over to the discarded sketchpad. It was open to a specific page, the most recent one he guessed. His curiosity got the best of him and he peered inside. He was shocked to see what Gray had drawn.

Before he could explore any further, a hand came swooping down and swiped the sketchpad up from the floor. Happy looked up. Gray stood in front of him with a blush on his cheeks. "Nosey cat! This is for my eyes only."

Interesting, Happy thought. He looked up at Gray innocently and swung his tail back and forth. "Why are you even here?" Gray grumbled as he glared suspiciously at the cat. As a response, Happy got up and climbed back onto the window. He looked back at a confused Gray before giving him a meow. With that he leapt back onto his balcony.

As Happy returned to his apartment, he began to formulate a plan. He hadn't planned on intervening on their little dinner date, but knowing those two he knew they would need a push in the right direction. Sure Happy still held some resentment towards Gray for making Natsu put him on a kibble diet, but for the sake of his best friend he was going to help them out.

Matchmaker Happy to the rescue!

Natsu took another look at the clock hanging on his living room wall. Ten minutes until seven. He could hardly stay still!

Ever since Gray accepted his dinner invite, he had been nothing but giddy. After he finished cooking their meal, he showered, dressed in his clothes, and sprayed on his favorite cologne. Now he sat anxiously on the couch, barely able to keep himself still as the wide grin never left his lips. Natsu still could not wrap his head around the current event.

His crush was going to have dinner with him!

Natsu worried his bottom lip. He really hoped this dinner went well. If this dinner goes well, it could lead up to more in the future, and if there were more dates it could possibly lead to a romantic relationship between them. Natsu shook his head. "I can't get ahead of myself. First I need to get through this dinner date before there can be more. Right, Happy?"

The pinkett turned his attention towards the blue feline resting against his thigh. Happy looked up at him and gave the pink-haired man a little meow. Natsu smiled at him. He could always count on Happy to have his back.

Suddenly there was a knock on his door.

Natsu immediately turned to face the clock. Seven o' clock. He's punctual.

He stood up and practically ran up to the door before holding himself back. He took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Then he took ahold of the door knob and opened the door.

"Right on time, Gray!" Natsu smiled brightly at the man in front of him.

Before him stood Gray clad in a white dress shirt followed by a black cardigan and dark washed jeans. Natsu had to hold back a blush. Damn, who knew Gray could look so good! His outfit was a bit snug and it accentuated his muscular physique perfectly. Fuck. Natsu already felt overwhelmed and the date was just beginning.

Gray gave Natsu a small smile before nodding. "Um, can I come in?"

The pinkett just realized that he had been blocking the doorway, too busy ogling Gray's masculine figure. "Oh shit. My bad. C'mon in!" Natsu stood off to the side and extended his hand outward towards his apartment. "Welcome!"

Gray entered the room and looked around, curiosity present in his blue eyes.

Natsu was so relieved he had spent the majority of the day furiously cleaning his apartment. He did not want to give the impression that he was a total slob. He honestly wasn't, he just had been really busy this week and cleaning was the last of his priorities.

The pinkett pushed those thoughts away and guided Gray to the kitchen table. "So Gray, you ready to try my apology dish?" Natsu gave the dark haired man a smirk. Gray returned Natsu's smirk with one of his own. "Bring it on. I wanna taste these amazing cooking skills of yours," he answered, making sure to put air quotes when he said the word amazing.

What a cocky bastard. He liked it.

"Well prepare your taste buds because they're about to be blown away!"

Natsu got some plates out and began to arrange the food on top. For their date, he decided to go with a simple yet elegant dish: pepper mackerel with a purée garnish. It was a traditional Japanese dish: grilling Spanish mackerel with Chinese pepper. This dish itself required very little ingredients, which was a good thing since he desperately needed to go grocery shopping. The garnish only required cabbage, butter and fresh cream that is later seasoned with salt and pepper while the mackerel is fried with salad oil, sake, mirin and soy sauce. Usually he would not prepare dishes like this if he were cooking for himself and Happy, but this was a special occasion and he really wanted to impress Gray.

He carried the plates back to the table and set one down in front of Gray before serving themselves two glasses of white wine. "Ta-da!"

Gray looked down at his plate as the wafting aroma of the freshly grilled mackerel caressed his face. He was a little shocked to see how artistic it looked. The crispy, dark skin of the fish was contrasted against the light green of the purée garnish it sat on and the fresh cabbage leaf right next to it.

"It's fish-"

Natsu held up a finger towards Gray to stop him mid-sentence as he took his seat across from the dark haired man. "It's mackerel," he pointed out.

Gray rolled his eyes. "Fish is fish. It doesn't matter. What does matter is how it tastes." He took ahold of his fork and cut a piece before placing the warm mackerel into his mouth.

Gray's taste buds were immediately attacked by the full flavor of the mackerel that was perfectly complemented by the mild smooth sweetness of the cabbage purée. He couldn't help but close his eyes and relish the taste as it lingered on his tongue. Gray moaned out loud. "That was really good! It was like a food-gasm in my mouth."

Natsu looked shocked. "Really?" He grabbed his fork and stabbed into the crispy skin of the fish before taking a devouring bite. His eyes widen as he chewed eagerly. "Woah! This really is good!"

The raven-haired man raised a questioning brow. "Why are you acting so shocked? Surely you've tasted this before, right?"

The pinkett was already on his third mouthful of mackerel when he shook his head. "Nope. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever cooked this dish."

Gray gave Natsu and incredulous look. His first? He couldn't possibly be serious! This was too good to be accomplished on the first try.

He continued to gaze at Natsu, who was completely enraptured by his own cooking, before taking another bite of the fish. He closed his eyes in pure bliss. "How the hell were you able to get it to taste this good on your first try? You're messing with, right?"

Natsu shook his head, all the while swallowing his piece of fish. "Nope. I swear I haven't made this before. I'm just really good at cooking fish, since that's what me and Happy eat most of the time. Well, that and just all sorts of meat," he shrugged casually.

Gray accepted the response and began to enjoy the meal before him.

They ate in tranquil silence. Gray originally associated long silences with awkwardness, but this silence was different. It was welcoming and calm; simply savoring their meals while enjoying each other's presence. This was definitely new to Gray, but he rather liked it.

As the meal carried out, Nastu would occasionally sneak little glances at Gray from across the table. He was still having trouble believing that here he was dining with his crush. He had so many times imagined this exact scenario. Him and Gray sitting across from one another, spending an evening together just like this.

His eyes moved up from his mackerel and glided over towards Gray, oblivious to Natsu's stare. Piercing brown eyes were hypnotized by Gray's seductive movements. His eyes followed those long pale fingers as he cut a piece of fish, slowly bringing the warm meat pass supple pale pink lips. With a few slow moves from his well-chiseled jaw, he swallowed before taking a sip of the white wine, tongue peeking out from in between his lips as he deftly licked any remaining drops of wine.

The pink-haired man looked away in embarrassment, cheeks feeling hot.

Was Gray aware of how sexy he was being? Natsu took ahold of his glass and sipped the wine in an attempt to cool down his emotions. He could not let his mind run wild with passionate scenarios of the two of them. To keep his mind from straying into perverted territory, he decided to strike up a conversation.

This brought him to remember all those times he had seen Gray running around the halls of their apartment building, a frown always present on his face. He'll admit that the pouty frown was actually quite cute, but it bugged Natsu that he never seemed to smile. With this in mind, Natsu made sure to tell all of his funny experiences he encountered while working as a firefighter. Surely, one of his tales was bound to get him a smile out of Gray or maybe even a laugh.

Natsu told stories from when he was just starting his career as a firefighter. He told Gray about the first time he and Happy met. Happy had been stuck on a tree and Natsu was the firefighter who was suppose to rescue him, but he ended up getting stuck as well. They bonded on top of the tree while waiting for another rescue team and have been together since. He also told the story of how he had accidentally dyed Happy's fur blue but since Natsu thought it suited Happy, he decided to keep re-dying his fur from then on out.

Sure enough, Natsu's tales had certainly amused Gray. Gray found himself smiling throughout the various stories, laughing at the silliness each and every one of them contained. He could not help himself but be transfixed by the pinkett in front of him; his excitement contagious. The way his toothy smile never once left his lips and the way his eyes gleamed whenever he got to his favorite part of the story; all these things made his stomach tie itself in knots.

As Natsu finished up telling the time he nearly set his last apartment on fire, Happy rested on the floor, staring intensely at the couple above him.

So far neither Gray or Natsu had made any romantic advances. It has been friendly palaver up until now, which was not necessarily a bad thing since they were getting to know each other. But if Happy wanted to get these two hooked up by the end of the night, he needed to speed things up. How, though, was the issue.

As Happy continued to think of ways to get them together without being too conspicuous, Gray's laughter brought his attention back to the couple above him.

"You sure have some crazy-ass adventures, don't you?" Gray asked as he took another sip of his wine to quench his parched throat from all the laughing.

Natsu shrugged his shoulders in response. "Maybe. I just don't want to live a boring life. I need a little spice in my life to liven things up, y'know." He then grinned at the raven-haired man. "What about you?"

Gray raised a brow. "Me?"

"Yeah, what do you do for a living?"

It was now Gray's turn to shrug in return. "I'm a dance choreographer."

Natsu's eyes nearly bugged out as soon as Gray had uttered those words. He slammed his hands down on the table and leaned in closer to Gray's face before yelling, "That's amazing!"

Gray leaned back in shock at Natsu's outburst, not in the least expecting it but feeling flattered by his compliment. He turned his head to the side, trying not to show his flushed cheeks. "I-It's not really that amazing. It's just dancing," he muttered.

The pink-haired man shook his head furiously in disagreement. "Yeah it is! You're like those people who get to choreograph dances for famous artists, right? Not to mention you also get to dance with them on stage. That's seriously awesome!"

Happy's ears immediately perked up at the word 'artist'.

Artist….that's it!

The blue feline immediately leaped up and ran into the living room and out the window. Happy knew exactly what he needed to do.

Back at the dining table, neither men had noticed Happy's absence. Instead Gray was desperately trying to hold back a blush as he tried to explain to Natsu that what he thought his career entailed did not necessarily apply to him.

"Look, some dance choreographers are hired to do that, but not all of them. I don't do that. It would be nice, sure, but for now I'm just an instructor at a nearby studio. I basically teach people how to dance," the raven-haired man explained as he tentatively looked up at Natsu.

Natsu sat back down, but continued to grin at Gray. "I still think it's pretty awesome. Teaching other people how to dance the latest moves while learning them yourself? That sounds tough."

"You're a freaking firefighter," Gray cried out in disbelief, "You save lives on a regular basis! How can you possibly think my job is awesome?"

"Easy. Because I can't dance for shit."

Gray was flabbergasted. Once it processed through his head what Natsu had just said, he nearly face-palmed himself.

"Let me get this straight. You are basing your opinion on my job, on the fact that you can't dance?"

"Yup!" Natsu grinned at him. Gray deadpanned.

"That's so-gah!" Gray yelped, springing backwards into his chair as Happy leapt onto the table. The blue cat had surprised him appearing out of nowhere.

"Happy," Natsu exclaimed as he wondered what the hell has gotten into his pet. "What are you doing?"

In response to his question, Happy strutted down the smooth surface of the table and placed a small black sketchbook in front of him. He nudged it forward with his nose, wordlessly telling the pinkett to open it.

Natsu looked confused, but grasped the sketchbook before beginning to flip through the pages.

Happy looked proud of himself. Surely this would bring the two closer together. The feline watched closely as Natsu stared in amazement, flipping through the drawings sketched onto the pages. Once Natsu reached the last sketches his eyes widened. If Happy were a human, he'd be smirking right now.

"Oi, what did Happy give you?" Gray's voice interrupted the silence that had settled between them. The cat had placed himself right in front of his owner and made it difficult to see what was it that had the pinkett so stunned. His irritation began to grow every second Natsu delayed in giving him an answer.

"Oi! Don't just ignore me. What the hell are you star-"

The raven-haired man stopped himself mid-sentence as he finally saw the small black sketchbook in the pinkett's hands. The dark leather and withered pages filled with penciled drawings suddenly became terrifyingly familiar because...that was Gray'ssketchbook.

Normally he wouldn't have minded Natsu flipping through his artwork, he's quite proud of them to be honest. The thing is, though, Gray's most recent drawings featured the pink-haired man that was currently scanning through them.

Once Gray's mind finally processed everything, he let out a shocked gasp. His immediate anger and embarrassment was directed to the same culprit who had taken various pairs of his underwear.

"You thieving cat! I thought we reached a truce!" Gray surged forwards in an attempt to capture the cat. Happy had quicker reflexes and slipped right through his hands before scurrying away into the living room. "How the hell did you even find my sketchbook?" Gray yelled at the retreating figure of the blue-furred thief.

Gray's angry shouts shook Natsu out of his stunned gaze he had directed towards the drawings of himself. Gray had sketched him in such a beautiful way, he could hardly believe that this was how the raven-haired man saw him. They had only spoken twice before this dinner, but Gray was able to expertly capture the deep brown of his eyes, the tanned complexion of his skin, and the sakura pink of his wild hair. But the one feature that stood out above anything else was the way he captured his smile. It seemed too stunning to be his smile, but was this really how Gray saw him?

Natsu's eyes turned to look at Gray's flustered appearance. His cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink when they made eye contact. He opened his mouth to speak, but Gray beat him to it. "It's my muse's fault!"

"Huh?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion. What the hell was he talking about?

"My muse, okay? I can't help it when I'm struck with inspiration, it just happens. Usually when that occurs, the idea won't leave my head until I have to draw it out. It's a curse really," Gray grumbled out his excuse for drawing Natsu, rather than telling him he absolutely fell in love with his smile and felt the compulsory need to capture it. "I'm sorry if it seems creepy or stalker-ish. I swear it's not like that."

After hearing Gray explain himself, Natsu couldn't help but let out a laugh, much to the raven-haired man's irritation. He gave the pinkett a pouty frown, "What the hell is so funny?"

Natsu grinned widely at Gray, "Nothing. It's just that I've always wanted to have my very own portrait."

Gray's eyes widen in surprise before mumbling embarrassedly, "It's not really a portrait. It's just a sketch, really."

The pinkett's grin then turned playful. "Then how about I hire you to draw me an actual portrait. You're an awesome artist after all," Natsu said in a hopeful tone.

Gray's cheeks tinted red at Natsu's praises. "No way. That's embarrassing as hell!" The dark-haired man refused as he looked off to the side, taking a sip of his wine. His stubborn pride would not allow him to admit that he would, in fact, love to draw Natsu's portrait. But after all the embarrassing moments that have occurred between them, he couldn't possibly draw him. Portraits required long hours working together, staying secluded in a room, and sometimes even required suggestive poses. No, there was no way he was enduring through something as embarrassing as drawing this man's portrait!

"C'mon Gray," Natsu persisted. His eyes took on a mischievous glint before adding in a playful tone, "Draw me like one of your French girls."

Gray choked on his wine.

As he pounded on his chest to cease his coughing fit, Natsu burst out laughing.

"Oh god, you should have seen the look on your face!" he gasped out through his boisterous laughter, all while pointing at Gray.

Gray tried to shoot the man in hysterics a glare, but his coughing had yet to cease and would not allow him to do so properly. This idiot nearly killed him...through his suggestive comment! Did he even know what he was implying? Did he forget how that scene played out in the Titanic because Gray vividly remembered there was nudity and intimacy involved. His cheeks burned as he thought about them playing out that exact scenario from the film.

Gray picked up his wine glass and drank small sips to alleviate the burning in his throat left by the violent coughs. He managed to regain his composure just as Natsu simmered down from his laughing fit. Gray could properly execute his glare at the pinkett now that he wasn't coughing up a lung.

"That wasn't funny," Gray growled.

Natsu smirked. "Oh c'mon! It was a joke. I didn't actually mean it." Even as he said these words, Natsu knew that deep inside there had been a tiny flicker of hope that Gray would have taken his offer. Of course he knew that was most likely not going to happen, but it was still worth saying since it drew out this kind of reaction from him.

"Don't do that. It completely threw me off," Gray grunted, frown still in place.

Natsu opened his mouth, a helluva tease poised at the tip of his tongue, when music began to play.

"Grips on your waist

Front way, back way

You know that I don't play

Streets not safe

But I never run away

Even when I'm away"

Happy looked up from his position on top of the radio, tail swishing idly behind him.

Since Gray turned out to be a lot less forward than Happy had anticipated, his plan to get them to confess to one another through Gray's artwork failed. The blue feline had overheard that Gray was a choreographer so the next plan was obviously to get them to dance together. Happy turned his head back to the radio.

He wished he could have picked a much more romantic song, slow-dance material was what he was aiming for, but seeing as he is a cat he had no clue how to work all those buttons and nobs. He knew that the big button at the very top was to turn it on only because he has seen Natsu press the button plenty of times before the contraption blared music out. Happy couldn't risk messing around with the radio so he let the song play. He'll just have to hope for the best.

Back at the dining table, Natsu had a raised brow in confusion. "Why'd you turn on the radio, Happy?" Before Happy could give his typical 'meow' answer, Gray commented, "Does it matter. I like this song." The cat in question gracefully hopped off the radio and made himself comfortable on the plush couch beside the radio.

Gray rose from his seat and made his way to the living room. He felt the music course through his body, beckoning him to obey its command: to dance. He surrendered his body to the music and let it take control. His arms twisted above his head and his hips swayed rhythmically while his feet tapped and stepped in harmony to the rest of his body. Dancing was second nature to Gray, it was what he loved to do. The music had him thoroughly enraptured that he had not sensed the intense stare he was receiving from the pinkett.

"And that's why I need a one dance

Got a Hennessy in my hand

One more time 'fore I go

Higher powers taking a hold on me"

Natsu was captivated.

He was a prisoner to Gray's seductive dance, eyes unwilling to look at anything but him. His eyes travelled down those muscular arms raised above his head to the swinging hips—which allowed him to get a sneak peek of that sexy V-line followed by the elastic band of his boxers—and finally rested on the legs nicely outlined in those well-fitted jeans. He would like to say he wasn't insanely aroused, but that would be a lie.

At that moment, Gray finally processed that he was not the only one in the room and turned to look at Natsu. He smirked when he saw the mesmerized look on his face. "If my dancing enthralls you so much, why don't you come join me?"

Natsu had been so enraptured by Gray's movements, he had nearly missed Gray's question. He felt his cheeks begin to flush with embarrassment at being caught practically drooling at the raven-haired man. His mind scrambled for some kind of excuse for his gawking, but he drew blank. Gray must have sensed his silent panicking because he let out a chuckle. "Doesn't feel good getting teased, does it?"

Natsu gave Gray a glare before turning his head away from the smirking man, angry thoughts buzzing in his head. Screw him for getting back at him, screw him for making his heart beat this fast, but most of all, screw him for looking too damn sexy when he smirked.

Gray couldn't help but laugh at Natsu's childish brooding. See how he likes it when the tables are turned. He knew his dancing skills had allured many people in the past so it did not surprise Gray when he had seen Natsu's stupefied gaze. But unlike the many previous gazes and stares onlookers had given him, Natsu's stare made his heart flutter while butterflies took over his stomach. He liked that feeling, which is why he had been internally debating whether or not to tease him about it.

His eyes glanced over to Natsu, who still seemed a little peeved. Gray smiled. He should probably make peace with him.

"Hey, are you going to make me dance all by myself?"

Natsu grumbled, "You seem to be enjoying yourself. I don't see why I should join you."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a baby and just dance with me."

The pink-haired man crossed his arms across his chest, frown still in place. "No. Besides you wouldn't want me as your dance partner. I suck at dancing remember?" Gray stopped his little dance to look straight into Natsu's eyes. "What," the pinkett questioned.

Gray sighed. "Natsu, I teach people how to dance for a living. I'm pretty sure I can handle your dancing." Natsu didn't seem convinced. "No, really I am terrible at dancing. I've given up on trying to dance."

The raven-haired man stalked over to Natsu and grabbed his hand without any warning. "Well that's because you haven't had me as a teacher. It's not that hard really, I'll teach you," Gray encouraged him as he began to tug him out of his chair.

Natsu began to panic. He honestly did not feel like embarrassing himself in front of his crush by showing him his crappy dance moves. "I have two left feet. I'll probably end up stepping on your feet. I twisted my ankle earlier today and it's hurting right now." Natsu was now spewing out whatever excuse he could come up, desperately hoping Gray would let him go. "I don't care," Gray huffed, "seriously I've taught some really terrible dancers before so you'll be fine. I'm sure you're not that bad."

Natsu reluctantly stood from his seat and followed Gray's lead towards the living room. "Alright. Now just do as I do. We'll go slow," Gray aided as he picked up his previous dance at a slower pace. Natsu simply stared at the raven-haired man with a sulking expression before he half-heartedly attempted to mimic the movements.

Gray turned to look at Natsu's rather lame dancing before commenting, "Oh come on. You're not even trying."

Natsu pouted, "I am." His stubborn personality would not allow him to admit that he wasn't actually giving it his all.

On the couch, Happy had an unimpressed expression at the scene unfolding before him. They were suppose to be having a romantic slow dance, not a dance lesson! Granted the song playing wasn't really slow dance material, but he was sure Gray could have made it work. He was a dance choreographer for crying out loud!

Happy had honestly thought this would be the thing to get them together. He shook his head. These idiots need more help than he expected.

Silently, he jumped off the couch and made a beeline for the bedroom, where all his cat toys were placed. He spotted the yellow ball of yarn almost immediately and carried it back to the living room in his mouth.

Time for Plan C!

Gray had been lecturing Natsu on where to place his hands, when he felt something warm slither around his ankles. He looked down just in time to see a blue fur-ball wrapping yellow yarn around his legs. "What the hell," Gray cried out as he tried to detangle his legs while trying to take the yarn from Happy's mouth. "What are you doing now, cat!"

Natsu stopped his mediocre dance and went over to help Gray out of yarn. "What's gotten into you, Happy," the pinkett yelled as he began to scramble after his blue companion. Unfortunately, Natsu realized too late that in chasing after Happy, he was tangling himself and Gray further into the yarn mess. He had failed to notice the yellow yarn also wrapped around his own feet.

Happy continued to slither and slip in between their legs, securely wrapping their feet tighter together, until his favorite ball of yarn was no more. He took a few steps back and admired his work. Gray and Natsu were practically pressed chest to chest, legs tangled against one another much like the yarn that bounded them together. They both struggled and squirmed, trying to maintain their balance while at the same time untangle the yellow mess at their feet.

"Goddammit, Natsu! Your cat must really hate me!"

"I swear I don't know what's gotten into him. Happy! You come untie us right now!"

"He's not going to listen to you. That cat's a demon, y'know."

"He's not a demon, okay? Wait, Happy, where're you going? Happy!"

"Shit, Natsu! Stop squirming around we're going to f-gah!"

Just like Gray had almost finished saying, they fell. Natsu had given a particularly hard tug in the direction his cat had gone and just like that, they toppled over one another onto the floor. Natsu ended up sprawled all over Gray's body, face buried in his broad chest, legs remaining knotted together.

Gray let out a pained groan. "My head." He tried rub the ache on his head, but soon realized that his arms were trapped underneath Natsu's weight. He glared at Natsu's pink head, "I blame you for all of this."

Natsu was trying to recover from the fall, even though it had been cushioned by Gray's body. His head remained pressed against the strong chest beneath him, listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was such a soothing sound. He could have listened to the rhythm of that heart for hours, that is if Gray's remark had not finally registered in his head. "My fault? I wasn't the one who tied us up," Natsu yelled back before lifting his head from Gray's chest. His breath caught in his throat.

The bluish-grey skies of a winter morning met the deep brown of rich summer soil.

Their noses barely grazed one another as their breaths mingled between the mere inches that separated their parted lips. Natsu's abrupt movements and awkward positioning had made it possible for him to lift his upper body only a few inches off Gray's body, thus allowing him to be nose-to-nose with Gray and not an inch further.

Both shocked gazes melted into a trance, gradually getting lost in the depth of their eyes. Gray was swimming in a viscous lake of warm chocolate, while Natsu explored the depths of vast oceans.

Slowly, their trance pulled them closer.

Noses brushed against one another, breaths became hotter but neither of the two noticed. All that mattered was closing the remaining space between their lips. They were both done exploring the profundity of their eyes and now craved to explore their mouths. Their eyes began to lid with lust as their faces edged closer and closer. With one final passionate glance, their lips met.

This kiss was completely unexpected but mutually desired. The kiss slowly escalated from its initial idle pace; steady breaths turning into heavy pants, lips no longer timidly pressed against one another. Gray's hands managed to weave themselves into Natsu's pink hair, tugging him as close as physically possible. Natsu couldn't help but let out a low growl as Gray lightly scratched his scalp, sometimes pulling on his hair whenever Natsu did something Gray really liked.

While Natsu's hands were occupied in keeping a stable stance above Gray, his mouth made up for the lack of groping. No longer was he diffident. He bit and pulled at Gray's bottom lip which earned him groans of pleasure.

He ran his tongue across Gray's lip, much how like Gray had done earlier with the wine. It didn't take long before Gray granted Natsu the access he craved. He eagerly opened his mouth, allowing Natsu's tongue to explore the wet cavern. It wasn't long before their tongues met. Instantly, their tongues began a sensual tango that could only be performed between lovers.

Now this was a dance Natsu could do all night long.

Neither one was ready to separate, but the need for air became painfully evident. Reluctantly their lips parted, a thin string of saliva connecting their wet lips. Their heavy pants were drowned out by the music still playing from the radio.

Both were at lost for words. This had been quite a turn of events neither had expected.

The lack of words exchanged between them was beginning to settle in like a heavy weight. Someone needed to say something!

"Uhm...I...uh," Natsu began to stutter. He really hadn't planned out what to say, all he knew was that they couldn't continue being silent.

Gray saw Natsu battling for words and smirked. What an idiot.

He disentangled his hands from the pink hair and cupped both of Natsu's cheeks. With that seductive smirk still in place and lust-filled eyes, he asked, "Bed?"

The sexy purr in Gray's voice alone was enough to send shivers down his spine, but once the flirtatious invitation processed through his head, he nearly jumped up and dragged Gray to his bedroom.

Natsu instead settled in giving Gray an eager nod.

As soon as both came to an agreement, they scrambled up. Hastily pulling the yarn off their limbs, they made their way to Natsu's bedroom. Natsu had barely enough time to turn off the radio before Gray impatiently tugged on his hand and pulled him towards the room.

Damn, it was incredibly arousing to see how eager Gray was.

He still could not believe his luck! Gray liked him. Gray wanted him. He had thought his feelings would be one-sided, but now they were about to express their mutual attraction in the most intimate way possible.

As soon as they made it past the doorway, Gray immediately began to strip. Natsu gulped back the sensation to tackle Gray onto the bed and ravage him. Damn him, but Gray's stripping was just as erotic as his dancing: slow and provocative. Instead, he focused on himself and began the task of liberating himself from his clothes. That is until he spotted a blue fur-ball curled up in the corner of the room.

Happy.

Happy had been taking a nice nap on his small cushioned bed.

After putting Plan C into action and seeing the fruitful results, he sneaked off into the bedroom and took a well-deserved nap. Of course his peaceful slumber came to an abrupt stop when a pair of warm hands yanked him off his favorite cushion and placed him outside the open doorway.

He quickly turned around, hair puffed out in anger and sleepy crankiness as he faced his pink-haired owner.

Natsu gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Happy. Me and Gray are gonna need the bedroom tonight. You'll sleep better out here."

Happy could not believe what he was hearing! He helped out his best friend get the man he's been daydreaming about for three months and this is how he repays him? By throwing him out of the room and making him sleep in the cold living room, just so him and Gray could...do whatever it is they're gonna do. Come to think of it, why do they need the entire bedroom for? Aren't they just going to sleep?

Angry thoughts and questions buzzed around in the cat's head as he bitterly turned his head away from Natsu.

"Oh c'mon, Happy. Don't be mad," Natsu pleaded.

The blue feline just continued looking away, ignoring Natsu's words. He heard a sigh.

"Hey," Natsu began, "I owe you one."

Happy's eyes widen and he slowly turned to gaze at the pinkett in front him. Natsu had bent down and now reached over to place a comforting hand on the cat's head.

"Thanks, Happy." Natsu smiled. "I promise to make it up to ya!"

Happy's anger melted away and was replaced with warm feelings. If he could have smile, he would have been smiling right back at him. Natsu had noticed his efforts in bringing him and Gray together. He acknowledged his work and appreciated it. Happy felt guilty for getting upset at such an unimportant detail. He was Natsu's best friend, he should've known better. If Natsu was happy, he was happy.

To show he understood, he purred softly and nuzzled his head further into Natsu's hand.

Natsu grinned wider as he continued petting Happy.

"Natsuuuuu," Gray moaned, "if you don't hurry, I'm going to start without you."

That heated moan sent tingles straight down Natsu's spine. He shot up, desire written all over his eyes as he gave Happy one last apologetic look before closing the door. "Sorry, Happy. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, he was engulfed in silence.

For about ten seconds before he started hearing weird noises coming from bedroom.

Happy shook his head and decided it was best to give the newly founded couple some privacy on whatever it was they were doing.

What a crazy day, Happy thought to himself as he crossed the living room and made a beeline for the balcony. With a lithe jump, he perched himself on top of the railing and fixed his gaze on the twinkling night sky.

Though it had not been easy, he managed to fulfill his goal. He'd gotten his best friend a mate and that was all he needed to know to be content.

He gave a rather loud yawn and stretched tiredly on the railing.

Man, all this matchmaking and planning had him completely tired out. He needed to continue that nap was (rudely) interrupted. With another weary stretch, Happy made himself as comfortable as possible on the balcony and nodded off to sleep.

All in a day's work of a matchmaker cat.

The End.