The Red Dragon

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Natsu had left the cave with no clear direction in mind. He'd just needed to get away. He'd meant what he'd said, he absolutely understood why Sting had done it, but that did nothing to diminish the pang of betrayal. Sting was the only one he'd trusted with his secret. It wasn't like he hadn't known what could happen.

He could almost hear his father telling him there was no point in dwelling on things he couldn't do anything about, but after everything that had happened in the last few days, he wasn't capable of much else.

With nowhere else to go, Natsu flew towards Drak Aast, trusting Atlas to get Weisslogia there on his own. The dragons greeted his arrival enthusiastically, and there were plenty of problems that required his attention. He was grateful for the distraction they offered. And as he set to work on them, he made a point of ignoring Belserion's concerned expression at his presence.

By the time Atlas arrived a few days later, Natsu was on the other side of the island, mediating a dispute between the earth and rock dragons.

He spent months on the island immersing himself more and more in his duties, happy to see many dragons had already begun nesting. He was excited about the possibility of seeing plenty of hatchlings when he returned on his next visit. If they had a successful season, they might bring their numbers up sooner than expected.

Natsu never stayed in any one area of the large island for long, moving along to the next one as soon as things had settled, and he had too much time to think. But no matter how much he did to keep himself busy, he could never escape thoughts of Gray completely. The continuous physical ache was a consistent reminder of what he'd lost.

After entering a mating bond, a dragon needed to remain close to its mate for a full year. Any extended separation within that time was painful and to be avoided at all costs, with the intensity increasing daily. It was one reason he'd wanted to wait when they had first confessed to each other, knowing he might have to leave at any moment.

While he was on the island, he could keep himself busy, but Natsu knew he needed to go home eventually. He'd only meant to be gone long enough to process what had happened and accept his fate. But he could feel a pull at his bond, and he knew it was Gray calling to him. He didn't know what to do, but he also knew he couldn't ignore it much longer.

0-0

Gray wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, taking a break from cutting wood with the saw he'd fashioned out of his ice. He'd taken off Natsu's scarf so as not to get it dirty, setting it down neatly on top of his shirt. Lyon had taken off his shirt as well, the strenuous work making them both uncomfortably hot despite having set up the sawhorses by the lake.

After making sure the black dragon had attacked no other nearby villages, they'd set about rebuilding Talos to the best of their ability. Everyone chipped in as best they could, from the village guards to the orphans in Anna's care. Together they'd gotten the village back into livable shape, forging a closer community along the way.

Gray noticed Erza and Juvia coming over carrying what looked to be two large picnic baskets and sat down, willing the breeze to pick up so he could cool his body without having to resort to magic. He looked forward to taking a break after a long morning spent doing construction work.

Things with Juvia had improved somewhat after that first disastrous night. He had apologized for the necklace incident, although he still didn't understand what had prompted it. It hadn't responded that way to anyone else. In return, she'd toned down her advances, which had made her a lot more pleasant to be around.

Lyon waved at the girls and hurried over to take the basket from Erza, giving her a kiss before spreading a blanket where they stood.

Juvia kept walking towards Gray, giving the two lovers some space. She sat down next to him and smiled shyly.