The Drunk List [Gratsu]

twenty three

A/N: IT HAS ARRIVED

Natsu's POV

I read somewhere that stormy cumulonimbus clouds were a bad omen.

I figured that made a lot of sense, considering how horribly my hell-hole of a Tuesday evening was going thus far.

I bolted up the spiral staircase, nearly tripping over more than a few times as I stumbled over my mismatched striped socks. I choked back a sob, forcing myself not to freely cry until I stumbled into my room, locking the door behind me with a loud slam, which very well echoed across the house, getting my point across. I threw myself on my unmade bed, burying my face deep into the pillows and allowing myself to let go of the barricaded tears in my eyes.

"No," I whispered in a voice that even scared myself, slowly sitting up after a minute or two of letting my sobs escape my lips. "I'm not going to cry. Not anymore."

I picked myself off, wiped my nose with my sleeve, and no, I do not care if that mental image sounds gross or not, and walked across my bedroom to the large double windows taking up a good amount of the wall. I drew the heavy navy curtains back, with some effort, considering I felt weak and exhausted.

But I needed to do this, no matter how tired I was.

I barely remembered to tug on a pair of shoes and a hoodie, flipping the hood over my messy hair and zipping up the front. I unlocked the window, shimmied it open with some added force, and threw one leg out to swoop through the window pane.

From outside the wind howled and whistled by my face, instantly chilling it. I shivered and closed my window, leaning against it as I balanced on the roof shingles of the side of our house.

This wasn't the first time I had snuck out before. I had gone to my fair share of weekday parties and events late at night, so I had quickly learned to master the art of climbing down two story buildings safely.

The issue was my sore ribs. That and the impending storm coming in.

Slowly but surely, I inched down the roof and climbed down the sturdy vine winder nailed to the side of our house. It was the perfect ladder to descend the wall. When my feet hit solid ground, I was able to breathe properly again, and I began to sneak through my yard.

My feet sloshed through already damp grass, making squishy mud sounds as I stealthily grazed by our house and towards the sidewalk. My mind was cluttered with so many thoughts and worries that I had no idea where my feet were taking me. I had a hunch, though, as after fifteen minutes of padding though damp, cracked sidewalks and crossing barren roads with various puddles that I was headed towards Gray's house, about the only person who could make me feel better about this entire situation.

I didn't even know what I was doing. I just was there- on his doorstep, knocking weakly on the cherry-red wood and feeling my entire body shake violently from the cold. I was only in shorts and a hoodie and soaked to the bone from the rain.

I decided I didn't like the rain.

I waited for a minute, almost about to give up hope and turn around when I heard the door unlatch and being slowly pulled open. Gray opened it, welding a pair of earbuds around his neck and already in pajama pants, even if it was almost nine in the evening.

"Natsu?" Gray asked incredulously, taking in my drenched, pathetic appearance. He frowned with concern as took a step outside and quietly shut the door behind him. "Jesus, did you walk all the way here? What's wrong?"

"It's a long story," I said coolly, praying my voice wouldn't crack. Gray looked bothered and scared, and he reached out to touch me. I turned away sharply, and he recoiled back.