A/N: It's Gratsu Week. This time around, instead of one-shots every day, I'm doing a 7-chapter story. I loved the first day's "Businessman" prompt so much, I just went with it. So here is software engineer Gray and CEO Natsu. The chapters follow the daily prompts.

Gratsu Week Day 1: AU / Businessman

Ice-Make: Software

a Fairy Tail fanfic

by Rhov

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Chapter 1

The Scarf-Wearing Boss

Gray straightened his tie and made sure his coat was on straight, after having taken it off in the summer heat about a dozen times. However, as he stood in front of the corporate headquarters of Dragon Enterprises, he knew he should be dressed properly. It was his first day on the job, and first impressions were important.

He strode in, trying to exude confidence. He got his brand new employee badge and was shown to his cubicle. He shook hands with a few others on his team, a graphical programmer named Lyon, a senior engineer named Invel, a woman he already knew named Ultear, and a small, young, energetic man named Eve. They welcomed him to the team who would be working on the ICEMAKE software and asked if he needed any help starting up. Gray assured them, he knew the ICEMAKE software by heart. He had been hired to adjust some security issues with the software, to strengthen it against viruses. He dove right into his work and hardly realized when he once again removed his business coat and tie.

He had just undone two buttons of his starched shirt when a prim man with long, green hair stepped up to his desk.

"Mr. Fullbuster?"

Gray jolted out of a monitor filled with code. "Yes?"

"Freed Justine, attaché of the chief executive officer," the man said in introduction. "The CEO wishes to see you."

Gray panicked, yanked his tie back around, and tugged on his coat. "Am I in trouble? Look, I won't remove my tie next time…"

"I would recommend you not keep him waiting."

"R-Right," he muttered.

Gray kept tugging on his clothes as he followed Freed through the cubicle farm and to an elevator. He remembered to button his shirt back up just as the elevator dinged. He gave a few more tugs to make sure his tie was straight, and finally he was in front of two large doors.

Freed knocked and opened a door. "Mr. Fullbuster, as you requested."

"Show him in," came a man's high voice.

Freed regally motioned for Gray to walk through. With a gulp and another nervous tug on his tie, he entered into the office.

He had expected a cold, stark, minimalist room with an aging, balding, paunchy man wearing a tailored Armani suit. Instead, the room was bright red, the carpet like flames, and the man sitting at the cherrywood desk was young, no older than Gray. Even more surprising was his brightly colored pink hair and the scarf he wore instead of a tie.

Gray bowed stiffly and formally. "Mr. Dragneel, an honor to meet you in person."

Natsu stared at him with narrow, piercing eyes. "You're the new guy, huh?"

"Y-Yes, sir. Gray Fullbuster. Just started today."

Natsu hummed, rubbing his chin. "No wonder I didn't recognize you. I sometimes watch the security monitors, you see, and I saw a face I didn't know."

A little bit of the nervousness eased out of Gray's shoulders. "You run a big corporation. You're not expected to know every employee."

"Of course I should! What sort of boss would I be if I didn't know everyone?"

Gray thought to himself, A normal boss. No previous employer of his even bothered to speak with those under them, let alone learn their names.

"You looked like you were really into the program. That's the new ICEMAKE software, right? Seems like you really know your stuff."

"I trained under the woman who created that software."

"Is that so? No wonder you got the job so easily, I wasn't even called in during the interview. So hey, since I didn't get to meet you during the interview, I'll do a little evaluation of my own, if you don't mind."

Gray gulped hard. An evaluation? Now? By the CEO himself?

"Lunch!" Natsu declared with a massive grin.

Gray blinked. "L-Lunch?"

"Yeah, I'll take you out to lunch, my treat. Hope you like spicy food."

Gray hated spicy food, but he felt he could not turn down the offer. "That's really generous, sir."

"Well, you … intrigue me." Natsu glanced him over, up and down, and a prurient smile lifted his blushing cheeks. Gray felt nearly naked under that captivating gaze. "Well! See ya at lunch."

Gray was lost for words, so he merely nodded, turned around, and fled out of that office. He hurried back to his desk, tried to focus on his monitor again, but now he wondered where the security cameras were. Where was Natsu watching him? What intrigued him?

He told himself his heart was racing so frantically because this man was his boss, and this was just a natural feeling of intimidation.

Not … absolutely not … because he thought the CEO was drop-dead handsome.