Movie nights happen every Friday at 8:00 PM EST, sharp. They pick movies in rotation, so everyone has a chance to watch what they want, but if someone is absent they forfeit their chance to pick a movie that week.

"So what's a movie Gray would hate?" Natsu asks, grabbing the remote as he hops over onto the couch, it creaking in protest. It's his turn since Gray's out on a date with the promise 'I won't be home til tomorrow'.

"Something mediocre," Lucy says with a shrug, sitting down between Natsu and Erza.

"A musical," Erza suggests. "Anything Disney, especially Frozen."

"Why?" Lucy questions as she curls her legs underneath her, getting content.

Natsu gives her a blank look, "For when Gray gets back."

"Gray said he wasn't coming back," Lucy counters.

Natsu scoffs, "He's obviously comin' back. Didja hear him complain 'bout his bf last movie night? I doubt he'll get laid-probably break up with 'em."

"I dunno, Gray seemed pretty excited about this date," Lucy argues.

"That could be accounted for the fact that he's expecting to get laid," Erza suggests.

"Yeah, and from what I heard from Gray, this Bora guy is a fuckin' jerk," Natsu continues. "Pushin' Gray to his wits ends. Either Gray will break up with Bora after gettin' one last ride, or Bora will quit on Gray before they can get that far."

"'One last ride'?" Lucy questions, and gives Natsu a harsh push with her elbow. "Natsu, that's disgusting!"

Natsu shrugs, "It's true."

"So then why do you want to find a movie Gray hates if you're planning on him coming back?" Erza questions.

"He's probably not," Lucy points out.

"To make 'im suffer fer leavin'," Natsu says with a twisted grin.

"How can you be so sure that Gray will be coming back?" Lucy continues to argue.

"It's a gut feelin'," Natsu claims. "I'm so sure 'bout this that I'm willin' ta bet money."

"Do you even have any money?" Erza questions.

"I happened ta have come into the possession of a crisp Alexander Hamilton today," Natsu brags. "So, ten dollars on Gray comin' home before the movie of my choice ends."

"You're being that cocky?" Lucy questions. "Twenty on him not returning until tomorrow after a successful date."

"Yer on!" Natsu replies.

"Ten on Gray returning home tonight, but after Natsu's movie is over," Erza says. Lucy gives Erza a side-eye, but Erza just shrugs and replies. "I'd just like the chance to get thirty dollars. So Natsu, what's your movie of choice?"

"Well, what's medicore, a musical, an' also made by Disney?" Natsu ponders out loud, scrolling through Netflix. He suddenly gasps and enters the search menu, "Disney Channel Original Movies!"

"Some of those are good," Erza counters.

"But will Gray hate it?" Natsu questions.

Erza pauses, and then agrees, "Oh most definitely."

"Alright, so do we want High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Radio Rebel, Cheetah Girls, Lemonade Mouth-" Natsu lists.

Erza gasps and cuts Natsu off, "I haven't seen Lemonade Mouth in ages! That was so good!"

"Lemonade Mouth it is!" Natsu declares, selecting the play button and then throwing the remote onto the battered ottoman.

Lucy observed Natsu's and Erza's excited faces as they took a trip down memory lane, while Lucy just sighs, "I had a wildly different childhood from you too."

"That's just cuz yer dad sucks," Natsu comments.

"True," Lucy sighs.

They watch the opening of the movie for a few moments without much hoopla (aside from Natsu's confusion, "There's no fuckin' way that they're teenagers, right?") until Lucy points out, "We're going to air our grievances, right?"

Another time-honored movie night tradition is letting everyone have a chance to vent out the stresses of the week, and complain about love life, jobs, or even each other. Lucy insists on calling this tradition 'The Airing of the Grievances' and it just kinda caught on.

Natsu shrugs, "I dunno. I just got the usual stuff to complain about, and you and Erza will talk 'bout yer jobs, and Gray's not here to complain 'bout Bora."

"I'd love to vent," Erza says with sigh. "Ichiya was especially infuriating this week."

"Why do ya tolerate his shit?" Natsu questions.

"Because he's my boss," Erza growls, glaring at the ground and clutching a pillow so hard it might burst. She takes a deep breath and eases her grip on the pillow, "Unless you want to go first Lucy. You brought it up after all."

"I would love to," Lucy sighs, leaning her head back on the couch.

Natsu raises an eyebrow, "What's botherin' ya? Not work?"

"I could complain for forever about how meaningless my work at Sorcerer's Weekly is," Lucy says. "But . . . that's not my current problem."

Erza's and Natsu's attention are now both off the movie as Lucy begins.

"Okay, so I told you how Cana got a roommate, and old friend of her's from college who, for some Mavis-forsaken-reason, decided to move to this shithole of a city-" Lucy begins to rant.

Natsu shrugs, "Magnolia ain't that bad. Just pricy."

"Okay, yeah," Lucy admits. "So Cana said that he was fine, and he seemed kinda decent but apparently he's a womanizer and brings back a different woman almost every night of the week so . . ." Lucy heavily sighs, "We haven't gotten any alone time since he moved, and it's not like I can bring her back here with all of you around."

"You could have just asked us to leave," Erza points out.

"Where would you go?" Lucy counters.

Erza pauses, ". . . Good point."

"Well I'm gonna go uptown Monday to visit Grandeeney and Wendy, an' I'll probably be stayin' the night," Natsu points out. "Erza, can't you stay with Mira or somethin'?"

Erza shrugs, "Her apartment is being fumigated, so she's staying with Elfman. Won't be until Wednesday that she'll be able to get back in. And what about Gray?"

"Ain't he working Monday 'cuz he hasn't gotten a commission in a while?" Natsu questions. Erza shrugs. "Well Lucy, you can just kick Gray out anyway. An' Erza, you can always come with me. Wendy loves seein' ya."

"I'll consider that," Erza says. "But Lucy, you should be able to get the apartment to yourself on Monday."

"Thanks guys," Lucy sighs.

"Yer welcome. That'll let ya work out yer sexual frustration," Natsu teases, quickly falling into a high-pitch giggle. Lucy quickly kicks him in the thigh while Erza just frowns at Natsu, "OW! Okay, okay sorry. I can respect wantin' alone time with yer significant other."

Lucy glares at Natsu trying to decide if he's actually being sincere, and she finally says, "Alright. But really, thanks guys. Erza, is it your turn? What did Ichiya do this time?"

"Other than be completely insufferable?" Erza questions. "He continues to tread the very fine line of both my personal space and harassment policy. It's never enough to bring it forward to corporate, but it is enough to get on my nerves. He's just an annoying, disgusting gremlin."

"How the fuck did that man become a manager?" Natsu questions. "He smells like he ran laps in the perfume department, looks like a goblin, and acts like a pervert."

Erza shrugs, "I'm waiting for corporate to notice."

"You'll definitely become manager there one day," Lucy says, trying to comfort Erza with the thoughts of a promotion. That usually cheers Erza up, the idea of a bigger paycheck, but Erza's frown stays and her eyebrows crease, deep in thought.

"What else is eatin' at ya?" Natsu notices this change as well. A concerned look draw on his face, the same as Lucy's.

"Nothing," Erza says. "Just feeling . . . a little discontent. That's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy questions.

"Not right now," Erza insists. "Natsu, what about your week?"

"Same old, same old," Natsu says, but he's still suspicious, just the same as Lucy. "Gajeel is a fuckin' asshole. The thing that I do wanna complain about, however, if the fact that Disney can never capture what high school is really like."

"I think for starters is that they don't understand that in high school, you don't randomly break out into song," Lucy points out.

"I would have loved that," Erza sighs.

Lucy gives Erza a curious glance, "Erza, you have debilitating stage fright."

"Still would have loved it."

"Yeah, and I don't think sports ever had a big enough presence over the arts that anything gets banished to the basement," Natsu continues. "And we did have freedom of speech. Like, we had a GSA-which wasn't in the basement."

"Are you actually watching the movie?" Lucy questions.

" . . . Of course," Natsu scoffs. "You should watch it too. It's good."

"It is," Erza agrees, focusing on the TV like Natsu. Lucy sighs and decides to join them.

They don't complain for a while, focusing more on the movie and making stupid comments. However, seventy minutes into the movie, over half-way through, the door to the apartment creaks open and sullen feet drag across the floor.

"I'm back," Gray announces dejectedly.

Natsu flashes Lucy and Erza a shit-eating grin, and they discreetly pass over the money before Gray sees. Natsu pockets the cash while Gray falls onto the couch between Erza and Lucy, looking slightly upset, but mostly annoyed.

"You an' Bora break up?" Natsu questions, trying to hid his smugness.

"Yeah," Gray sighs. "Was gonna happen soon anyway. He's an asshole."

"Sorry about your breakup Gray," Erza says as she awkwardly pats his back.

"What happened?" Lucy checks.

Gray shrugs, "We got into an argument at the restaurant about him bein' an asshole and we decided to break it off. Because he's an ass. But I really don't want to think about that. What are we watchin'? Somethin' good?"

"Lemonade Mouth," Erza answers.

Gray scowls, "Isn't that a Disney Channel original movie?"

"Yep," Natsu says, barely concealing his smugness as he cheekily grins.

Gray sighs, "Fuck."

"Anything you want to complain about?" Lucy checks. "About Bora or work or-"

"I already said that I don't wanna talk about Bora," Gray interrupts. "But I haven't gotten a commission in a week so I'm gonna be workin' Monday at Blue Pegasus. I'm much rather be designin' a house than dancin' on a pole."

"I still don't understand how a male strip club has better consideration for hours for you than my own uncle has for me," Natsu comments.

"That's because he's family," Gray argues. "Bob just doesn't mind have an extra dancer occasionally and likes me, in a weird, creepy way. I do my best to ignore that to get the nice part-time hours."

"I wish I could ignore Ichiya's face," Erza sighs.

"So then what are you doing this weekend?" Lucy questions Gray.

Gray shrugs, "Try and find a comission. Or another part time job."

"You always say that but never follow through," Lucy argues.

"That's 'cause Blue Pegasus' got good hours and a good paycheck," Natsu comments. "Plus, what other job is he gonna get where people literally throw money at him?"

Gray shrugs, since he can't really argue with that, "Why? I am I needed for something?"

"Nope!" Lucy chimes back happily and turning towards the TV. "You are exactly where I want you!"

" . . . On the couch?" Gray questions.

"Out of the house!" Lucy responds.

Gray just gives Lucy a confused look and returns his attention to the TV before groaning, "Can we please watch something else?"

"No," Erza barks, as she is really enjoying it.

"Not unless Erza wants to talk about her feeling discontent," Natsu claims.

"No," Erza repeats.

"Then I guess we'll just have to finish the movie," Natsu says with little sympathy in his voice.

"I am so confused," Gray sighs.

"Next time," Lucy says. "Don't skip out on movie night."

"Especially just to get some from your asshole boyfriend," Natsu chimes in.

Gray reaches over Lucy to try and punch Natsu, but Natsu leans out of the way and Gray just ends up floundering onto Lucy's lap. Lucy tries to push Gray back with little success, so Erza grabs his collar and tugs, yanking Gray back. Natsu still snickers at the whole spectacle so Gray jumps out of his seat, which is when Natsu knows to fucking run. The two chase each other around the couch like they're in a Tom and Jerry cartoon, while Erza continues to watch Lemonade Mouth and Lucy tries to decide whether she should step in. Eventually, she decides to trip up Natsu as her revenge for the bet, and Gray pounces on Natsu, finally getting to punch him.

However, with that now resolved, Gray returns to his seat and with a glare from Erza, Natsu also surrenders. Together, they watch the final act of the movie in peace. All together, it is a pretty normal movie night.

so hey my continuation of this story is entirely based on feedback so thank you in advance