Art by @khaoticvex, do NOT repost without her permission.
And here we are the end. 2 years and 10 months and a little over 200K words later.
It's been a long time coming and I want to thank you all for your patience as this was not an easy story to write. I hope you enjoy this final chapter, I tried to get in everything I reasonably could.
Chapter 35
Gajeel gazed at Wendy as she watched the huddled figures of Natsu and Gray sadly. He could tell she was about to go over there, and he held out a hand to her.
"Don't," Gajeel warned. He'd directed it at Wendy, but he meant it as a warning to the others as well. "I don't have the first clue what the hell all that was about, but I do know Natsu doesn't need us all over him right now."
"But-" Wendy protested, seeing as Happy had crept closer, but even he was giving them some space, content to rest near them.
Gajeel could hardly blame her. He felt the same urge to comfort Natsu. He knew exactly what it felt like to have your parents ripped away from you unexpectedly. Could relate to the emptiness and shock Natsu was undoubtedly feeling, which was why he also knew that his friend wouldn't want anyone but Gray and Atlas near him at the moment.
It had been a long, exhausting battle, and it left him feeling battered. It all felt so anticlimactic. They'd finally put an end to Acnologia's carnage, but he could find no joy in it. His heart felt heavy in his chest and all he wanted to do was collapse on the ground and avoid moving for a while, maybe thinking too.
Whatever they'd just witnessed, and Gajeel understood precious little of it, Igneel had been someone he'd cared about deeply. The fire dragon had always taken an interest in all the dragon slayers, chatting with them and making them feel at home from the first moment they had met him and the rest of the dragons. And he'd always seemed larger than life. Gajeel was still having trouble accepting he was gone, but with Natsu out of commission for the moment, it fell to him to once again be the leader of their little band of misfits.
The battle had taken a lot out of all of them, especially Natsu and Happy. They wouldn't be flying home for a while. The best thing they could all do for now was to get some rest and recoup some of their energy.
Gajeel moved away from the three dragons, nudging Wendy to follow. He found them a spot where they could sit somewhat comfortably and wait for Atlas to return with Irene and Oliver.
"Do you- do you think he'll be alright?" Wendy fretted, as was her way.
Gajeel could only shrug, "I'm sure he will, but he's going to need some time. We all will."
Wendy nodded and Gajeel changed the subject for both their sakes. "Rogue handled himself pretty well out there, don't you think?"
"Yes!" Wendy immediately perked up. "Those legs you made him work really well. He fought just as well as he did before."
Gajeel was about to say something about it to Rogue when he noticed the Shadow Dragon slayer and Sting were still locked in an embrace. "Ugh, you're all disgusting. I seriously need to find a girlfriend. I'm so tired of watching all of you."
Wendy smiled, "Well, you should definitely have better luck with that in Talos than you did in Drak Aast."
In his defense, it wasn't like there had been that many female dragon slayers in Drak Aast to begin with, and the few there had been were not overly fond of him.
"Oh great, here comes yours," Gajeel groaned as he noticed Atlas approaching.
The hellfire dragon landed near them and as he crouched down, his tail swished, yeeting Acnologia's corpse several yards away from them, where it slammed to the ground with a terrific thud.
Atlas looked completely unrepentant.
"Holy Shit! What did I miss?!" Oliver asked, sliding off Atlas' backside and studying the remains of the clearing in dismay. Irene followed him down in a more dignified manner.
"Everything." Sting rolled his eyes at the lightning dragon slayer before sitting down near Gajeel. "As usual."
"Hey! Don't say that like I do it on purpose," Oliver complained.
Gajeel had to snort at that. Oliver had always been slightly accident prone, but once they'd arrived at Drak Aast, hardly a day had gone by without him coming to see Wendy for healing. They had soon come to realize he had a massive crush on her and had gone to splendid efforts to make his life a living hell until Wendy had made them stop.
"Oliver!" Wendy rushed over to her boyfriend, using what little magic she had left to check his injuries.
"I'm fine, and even if I wasn't, you need to rest." Oliver scolded, wrapping Wendy up in an embrace and kissing the top of her head as he looked the others over. "Wow, you all look like death warmed over."
"Yeah, well, not all of us got to sleep through the fight," Gajeel grumbled from where he sat leaning against a downed tree trunk.
Wendy took Oliver by the hand, leading him back to the others.
"Is it really over?" Rogue wondered out loud as he collapsed tiredly next to Sting. He set about removing his metal legs, seeking to ease some of the pain in his stumps after all the running he'd done.
"Yes, it's finally over." Atlas assured him. "I'm so proud of all you kids. You put up one hell of a fight."
"I don't know about that. If you and Gray hadn't shown up when you did, we would've been screwed," Sting said, "I know I sure as hell didn't have much left."
Gajeel grunted his agreement. His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in bruises despite being as hard as iron. "Tell me about it, I think I'm gonna sleep for a week once we get home."
"I know you said there wasn't time to explain before, but-" Wendy glanced over at Natsu and Gray again. "How is any of this possible?"
The dragon looked as tired as they all felt, making Gajeel think he wouldn't answer, but after peering over at Natsu, Gray and Happy, he launched into an explanation.
"It was Igneel's idea. When Gray didn't set off the warning sigils we'd placed in the cave, he became determined to figure out why. He had this theory that dragon souls were being born in human bodies. That was how it all started."
What followed was a story as shocking as it was tragic, and Gajeel had to admit his estimation of Gray improved greatly in the telling. He'd certainly seen how love made people do all sorts of crazy shit, but he would never have expected Gray to go that far, especially given how much he'd always hated dragons. It filled him with a strange sense of pride, like what he imagined Anna felt when she looked at all of them.
"So hang on, does that mean we have dragon souls too?" Rogue asked while pointing at himself and Sting.
"There's a lot we still don't know, but I think it's likely, given that you're soul bonded. As for the rest of you, it's possible? Maybe that's why some dragon slayers took to the enchantment better than others. If you really want to know, I can check all of you when we return."
Gajeel let that idea sink in for a minute. It was certainly interesting to consider, but he doubted it changed anything for any of them.
The sound of heavy, unsteady steps alerted them to Gray's approach. He tottered towards them with a sorrowful expression on his face. Once he reached them, he nudged Atlas.
"Natsu wants you."
Atlas closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "How's he doing?"
Gajeel knew the dragon well enough to know that he was really asking.
Does he blame me?
All eyes were on Gray as everyone waited for his response.
"He's doing better," Gray said, although his eyes never strayed from the ground. "Still a little shell-shocked, though."
"What about you, how are you doing?"
Gajeel could see the concern in the hellfire dragon's eyes and it made him wonder just how difficult this entire experience had been for Gray.
"I'm fine."
Atlas frowned at the response, and for once he seemed to be at a loss for words. But he tried.
"We always knew he wouldn't take it well. How could he?" Atlas nuzzled Gray's head gently. "But as much as I hate to admit it, Igneel was right. We needed to do this. If we hadn't, Acnologia would have killed them all. Remember that."
"Yeah." Gray said, although he didn't sound very convincing. He watched Atlas walk away towards Natsu, the frown never leaving his face.
Gajeel noticed Sting watching Gray thoughtfully and got a bad feeling. Oh gods, he wasn't dumb enough to bring that up, was he? Now of all times?! Rogue must have had the same idea because he grabbed on to Sting's hand like a vise and shook his head.
It was Wendy who got up and approached Gray. She wrapped her arms around him as best she could and cried.
"Wendy?" Gray gawked at her. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm just so happy for you guys!" She smiled through her tears, "Now you can be together, just like before."
"Well, not exactly like before." Gray didn't really feel like smiling, but he tried for her.
He was glad to see them. He'd missed all of them so much and had spent the last few years worrying about them. As he gazed from one to the other, he noticed all the changes with his newly enhanced eyesight, which he was slowly getting used to.
Gajeel looked to have changed the least, at least outwardly. His hair was a lot longer, but the biggest difference, as far as Gray could tell, was in the way he held himself. He exuded an even tougher air than he used to. Wendy looked nothing like the young girl she'd been when she'd left, although the war didn't seem to have affected her sweet disposition any. Natsu had told him about Rogue's legs, but it was still jarring to see it. And Sting, well, Sting looked like he had aged the most out of all of them.
"You all look so different."
"We look different?" Gajeel scoffed, "That's rich coming from the guy who turned into a dragon."
"What kind of dragon are you?" Wendy asked. "You don't look like any ice dragon I've ever seen."
"We don't really know. Atlas thinks I might be the equivalent of a hellfire dragon for ice dragons." Gray shrugged his shoulders.
"That magic of yours sure came in handy," Rogue chimed in, "Although it almost gave me a heart attack at first."
"Sorry about that, I wasn't sure how it would work." Gray admitted, "To be honest, I was kind of winging it."
"That was you winging it?" Sting finally spoke, peering at him in awe. "Damn! Those soldier dudes were badass."
Gray nodded absently, becoming distracted by a scent that wafted towards him. It smelled familiar, but also different. He sniffed the air and searched for the source until determining it came from the red-haired woman that stood by Acnologia's corpse, which had reverted to its human form after releasing all the souls he'd held captive.
"Is that Erza's mother?"
"Yeah," Wendy glanced over at the woman sadly.
"Is something wrong with her?"
"Not exactly, she began to dragonify, so she's worried about how Erza and Anna will react to her appearance."
"Dragonify? You mean like one of those renegades? Is it going to get worse?"
Wendy must have seen the distress on his face because she shook her head vehemently and immediately said, "No, no, nothing like that. Natsu removed her magic, so it won't get any worse. But she has some red scales on parts of her body, kind of like Natsu did after-" Wendy's voice drifted off and she looked away.
"Oh." It was funny how his guilt over his past actions still lingered, but he chased it away. None of that mattered anymore, and he knew in his heart that neither Anna nor Erza would care one bit about what Irene looked like. They just wanted her back.
"I'll go talk to her."
He said that, but it was easier said than done, given the distance between them. Moving was getting easier, but he still felt so awkward. He made his way over to Irene slowly, gasping as she turned to look at him curiously.
She looked just like Erza!
Her hair was styled into two thick braids, and Gray couldn't help but notice that her outfit left just as little to the imagination as Erza's requips. It was more ribbons than clothing, but that wasn't even the most striking thing about her. That would have to be her face, or rather the large patch of torn skin that began just below her left eye and covered most of her cheek, revealing bright red scales underneath.
"You must be Gray, it's nice to meet you finally. I have to say you look a little different from what I expected," she said with a slight smile before turning back to the corpse and doing something that shocked him so much he forgot all about Erza and Anna.
Kneeling down, she closed Acnologia's eyes and whispered, "May you find your way to peace."
"How can you-" Gray stopped himself, realizing anything he said would only sound rude.
"How can I say that after everything he did?" Irene sighed. "I suppose it's because he wasn't always like that. He was a good man once, before a dragon destroyed his village and killed all his loved ones. It changed him."
"Don't get me wrong. I don't agree with any of the things he did, and I would have killed him myself, given the chance. But even so," she bowed her head. "I'd like to remember the good that once lived inside him."
Gray sucked in a breath at her words, causing her to look up at him inquisitively. She stared at him for a moment, recognition suddenly dawning on her face.
"That's right, Natsu mentioned something like that had happened to you as well. I'd like to say that the dragon slayer spell played a large part in what happened to him, but the truth is, Acnologia's hatred was boundless. He fed it every chance he got, and in doing so, he created a literal monster."
Her mouth curved up into a soft smile. "I'm happy to see you chose love instead."
"I chose Natsu," Gray said simply, not wanting to get caught up in a discussion of his past and how it may or may not compare to Acnologia's.
He'd set his hatred aside once he'd finally understood how much pain it had caused Natsu over the years. Deliora was dead, and now Acnologia- who had devastated their lives in even more ways- was gone as well. Gray was content to let his hate die along with them. All he cared about now was being there for Natsu and helping him get through Igneel's death.
He stepped closer to the body, curious to see what the man had looked like, but his nose instantly rebelled at the overwhelming stench of blood and guts the body exuded. He was about to leave when another more subtle scent caught his attention- a familiar one that was mixed in with the man's. It smelled of rain and those blue flowers that grew at the base of their mountain.
Juvia?
But what would Juvia be doing with Acnologia? He shook his head at the thought. That was ridiculous.
But was it?
Why else would her scent be on him? And what did they really know about Juvia's mystery boyfriend? What was it she'd said?
Gray tried to remember her exact words, and he let out a groan as soon as he did.
Then Juvia met Logan, and he was very interested in Juvia and Juvia's friends.
That sonofabitch!
He must have been using Juvia to spy on them all along!
A maelstrom of emotions engulfed him at the realization - rage at Acnologia for using Juvia when she was already vulnerable, guilt for telling her when Natsu was returning, and pity for the loneliness she felt that caused her to get into these situations.
Whatever the renegade had told Juvia to explain his absence, she would await his return.
And Gray knew exactly what it felt like to live in constant wait. Hoping and praying that the one you loved would come back to you. Standing in place while everyone around you went on with their lives. He couldn't just sit back and let that happen to her. Not when he knew damn well "Logan" was never coming back.
He wanted to scream in frustration, knowing Natsu was holding on by a thin thread as it was. But as much as he loathed the idea, he knew what he was going to have to do, and just how much it was going to piss everyone off.
"Is something wrong?" Irene peered at him with concern.
Gray could only look back at where the slayers were sitting, and past them to where the red dragons were talking to Natsu.
Fuck my life...
0-0
When Erza woke up that morning, she'd barely been able to contain her excitement. After so many years spent worrying about her mother and childhood friends, her wait was finally over.
Lyon had teased her as they'd gotten ready, but he'd taken her to her favorite bakery for breakfast and then they'd gone for a walk around town before work. It was a beautiful day, with nary a cloud in the sky. A soft breeze played with their hair and clothes as she chatted about the welcome home party she wanted to throw for their family and friends.
As excited as she was, it took her a few minutes to realize Lyon had gone quiet, even longer to understand why.
"Oh gods, I'm so sorry!"
"You're fine." Lyon chuckled, squeezing her hand. "I love to see you like this, and I am excited, too. I'm just feeling a little conflicted. It makes me glad to know Gray is happy. The gods know he deserves to be, but he's my little brother and it makes me sad when I realize he won't be a part of these things anymore."
"I'm sure we'll still see him." Erza rested her head on Lyon's shoulder, smiling when she felt him wrap his arm around her waist. "Honestly, the idea of those two being dragons is terrifying."
"And just think, you won't be able to keep them in check anymore," Lyon said.
Erza stopped in her tracks. Oh gods, Lyon was right! She'd been the only one able to keep those two under control. Who was going to do that now? How much destruction would they be capable of during one of their squabbles now that they were both dragons?
"Relax, I was joking!" Lyon laughed, "They'll be fine."
Erza wasn't as sure of that. She knew that while it would make Natsu happy to have Gray at long last, it would also devastate him to lose his father. She wished, not for the first time, that Natsu would have confided in her over the years. That she could have helped him through some of the things he'd held inside for so long. And more than anything, she hoped that he'd come see her so she could make him understand how much she still loved him.
But maybe it was time to take matters into her own hands. Now that everyone was coming home, she was done with worrying and waiting. If he wouldn't come to her, then she would just have to go to him.
0-0
"Watch out!" Sting yelled as Gray came within a few inches of colliding with Happy.
Again.
"I'm doing my best."
Sting held on to one of Gray's fin spikes for dear life, even though it made him feel like his body was going to turn into a popsicle. He didn't understand how Irene could remain so calm, and he honestly wished she'd stop interrogating Gray about Lyon so that he might at least focus more on his flying, which sucked royally.
To be fair, the guy had only been a dragon for a couple of hours, but still. Sting had lost count of how many times they'd almost crashed or suddenly lost altitude, and while Gray was apologetic, it did nothing to improve the feeling of impending doom Sting felt.
Although he knew a lot of that had more to do with the fact that they'd be home soon. As much as he'd tried to prepare himself mentally for any outcome, he still dreaded the disappointment he was sure to see on Anna's face once she learned what he'd done. And he could only imagine how furious Erza and the other guards would be.
Sting knew he deserved all of it. After all, he'd put everyone in danger. He didn't even want to consider what might have happened if Natsu hadn't been there to fight Acnologia.
His biggest fear, though, was that the Talos village elders would decide to exile him. If that happened, he didn't know what he'd do. He didn't want to take Rogue away from his home, but he also knew his mate would refuse to stay without him.
Please, please let them forgive me. I will do anything...
Rogue's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Everything's going to be fine.
He turned his head to glance at his mate, who along with Gajeel rode atop Natsu, and flashed him a sheepish smile.
How did you know?
I don't have to read your mind to know what you're thinking. I know you... They'll understand.
I hope you're right.
I know I am. Have faith in them.
He could feel Rogue's love pouring into him and it calmed him down some, right until Gray dropped a few hundred feet all at once. It was terrifying enough that Irene finally stopped with her questions.
"Gray!"
"Sorry! I've never flown holding anything before."
"Yeah, well, no one asked you to bring him along." Sting snapped, thinking back to the tense fight that had ensued when Gray had made his bizarre request to bring Acnologia's body back with them.
All of them had been against it, but no one as much as Atlas. The fighting had only ended when Natsu came out in Gray's defense. No one was about to argue with him in his state.
Sting sighed in defeat. Really, who was he to judge about doing the wrong thing for what felt like the right reasons?
"I'm sorry. I get what you're trying to do, and it's nice and all, but it burns me up that we're bringing him home like some kind of war hero."
"That's not what I'm trying to do." Gray hissed. "I just want Juvia to move on."
"I know. But have you given any thought to how she's going to feel when she realizes she led him straight to us."
"It wasn't her fault, she didn't know!"
"Do you really think that's going to make one bit of difference to her?"
"It doesn't matter. What's past is past and nothing is going to change it." Irene joined the conversation, peering back at Sting with a knowing look. "If this Juvia feels guilty, she'll just have to work through it while she grieves. Just like everyone else."
"That wasn't exactly subtle, Irene." Sting grumbled.
"Wasn't trying to be, dear."
"Ugh, I don't know if I can handle having two Erzas around again."
"Oh Sting," Irene chuckled, "You never could."
"We'll land in front of the village gates," Natsu announced, and the dragons grunted their assent.
All but one.
"Hey, Gray?" Sting called out, trying not to let his sudden panic show in his voice.
"Hmmm?"
"You do know how to land, right?"
"Sort of?" Gray's nervous chuckle in no way made him feel any better.
Oh well, he'd lived a good life. At least he got to see that fucker die before he bit it.
"I'm not worried at all," Irene said as she patted Gray's neck. "And I have to say if your brother is half the man you are - well, uhm dragon, I guess - then Erza is a very lucky girl."
"He's better," Gray said. "I'd have never gotten this far if it hadn't been for him. But I will forever deny having said that."
Irene laughed. "I can't wait to meet him."
"So, uhm, Wendy mentioned you were nervous about Anna and Erza seeing your scales."
"I was, but almost dying earlier made me realize how silly I was being. I think everything will be okay."
"Good, because I saw them last night, and they were really excited to see you."
Sting tuned them out, paying more attention to their surroundings. It had been quite a while since he'd been home, but he recognized their mountains up ahead. They would be at the village in the next few minutes. He knew he was right when he felt Gray tense beneath him and Natsu appeared next to them.
Not a word passed between them, but as Gray made adjustments, Sting knew that Natsu was talking to him through their bond.
He reached out to Rogue through their own bond.
Nice knowing you!
Stop being so dramatic, he's doing fine.
Sure, for someone who learned to fly in the astral realm, whatever the heck that is.
The sound of Rogue's laughter was exactly what he needed to hear to relax.
I love you.
I love you too, dork. Might want to hold on now.
In the end, Gray mostly glided down, with Atlas and Natsu on either side of him. It wasn't a bad landing overall. There had been plenty worse during the war, but Sting still felt the need to kiss the ground after he jumped down.
The village gates stood in front of him, looking slightly different from what he remembered, but still familiar.
Behind him, he could hear everyone else dismounting, as Natsu teased Gray about his flying skills while Happy and Atlas laughed along.
The rest of the dragon slayers joined him in staring at the doors, None of them making any effort to enter. Then Wendy grabbed onto his left hand, while Rogue took his right. One by one, they linked hands and squeezed tightly before taking that first step together.
They were home at last.
0-0
Erza didn't know how it was possible, but this day felt longer than all the years she'd waited put together.
She'd managed to keep her good mood for most of the morning, but as the hours passed and there was no sign of the dragon slayers, she began to worry. Her mind filled with all sorts of worst-case scenarios, and no matter how hard she tried to dismiss each and every one as ridiculous, another would rear its ugly head to replace it.
She attacked her work with vigor, hoping to distract herself from her thoughts, and that worked for a time, until she ran out of things to do. Lunchtime came and went, but she remained in her office, too worried to be in the least bit hungry.
Where the hell were they? Why was it taking so long?
That sense that something was wrong was stronger than ever. But what could she do? She didn't know what direction they were coming from, so even if she sent some guards to investigate, what would she tell them? Well, she could always-
A knock on her door interrupted her planning. She looked up from her desk to see Juvia standing at her door.
"Is Erza okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she lied, plastering a smile on her face. "How can I help you, Juvia?"
"Lyon was called away to deal with a disturbance in town. He asked Juvia to make sure Erza ate lunch."
"Lunch?" As riled up as she was, the idea of food was unappetizing, so she tried to placate Juvia with another lie. "Oh, yes, thank you. I'll be sure to grab something later."
Juvia crossed her arms in front of her chest, and studied her, "Lyon said Erza would say that, and to not take no for an answer."
"Did he now?" Erza made no attempt to hide her irritation. She'd never enjoyed being babied or handled. It was one of the quickest ways to ensure her wrath.
Just who did Lyon think he was, anyway? She'd taken care of herself just fine for years before meeting him. If he thought he could just come in and-
"Lyon also said to tell Erza he'd asked the cook to make strawberry cake for dessert today."
Strawberry cake?!
She wanted to laugh at Lyon's blatant attempt to manipulate her. Like she was so simple that she'd submit to his whims just because he'd asked the cook to make her favorite dessert.
It was just cake.
Sweet, moist, delicious cake with frosting and luscious fresh strawberries on top...
She tried to resist the temptation, but her stomach had already broken rank, grumbling its opinion on the matter, and whether she meant to or not, she was already walking towards Juvia.
"I suppose a quick break for lunch would be fine." Erza ignored Juvia's knowing smirk as she fell in step beside her.
"Erza's friends will be home soon." Juvia said, putting her arm around Erza's shoulders and giving her a side hug. "Juvia just knows it!"
"Let's hope so."
The dining room was mostly empty, as everyone had already eaten. Lyon was true to his word. There was indeed a strawberry cake, and even better, the cook had saved two slices for her.
"Mind if I join you girls?"
Erza looked up from her dessert long enough to nod at Anna.
"I thought you'd be in your office," Anna smiled.
"Can Juvia get Anna anything?"
"No, thank you. I was just going crazy waiting at the orphanage, so Andrius offered to watch the kids for a few hours."
"Didn't you get any sleep?" Erza asked, noticing the dark circles under Anna's eyes.
"Not really, I started worrying about Gray, and that got me thinking about Igneel and Porly, which then led me straight to Natsu." Anna sighed. "That poor boy, I can't even begin to imagine how he'll take it."
"Yes, I thought about him this morning as well."
"Why is Anna worried about Gray?" Juvia peered at Anna with obvious alarm. "Did something happen?"
"Oh, uhm, I-" Anna bit her lip, clearly not knowing how to respond to Juvia's question.
Erza wasn't doing much better. How much could she tell her? When he'd resigned a few days earlier, Gray had told everyone he and Natsu were moving away. She should have realized that meant he had no intention of telling Juvia about his actual plans.
"Anna worries about all of us. She can't help it. After all, she raised most of us." Erza tried to defuse the situation by acting purposefully obtuse. She cringed internally at her words, knowing how lame they sounded, but couldn't come up with anything better.
"Yes, but it sounded like it was more than that." Juvia insisted.
One of the younger guards, a woman by the name of Alyssa, chose that moment to run into the dining room, slamming into a table and cursing out in pain. All three of them winced in sympathy, but before Erza could ask her if she was alright, the girl yelled out.
"CAPTAIN, CAPTAIN!"
"There's no need to yell, Alyssa. I'm right here. What is it? Do you have something to report?" Erza kept her composure, but she was tense. Could this be what she'd been waiting for?
"IT'S DRAGONS, MA'AM!"
"Dragons?" Erza jumped out of her chair, quickly followed by Anna and Juvia. "Where, how many?"
"FOUR DRAGONS, MA'AM, HEADED TOWARDS THE TOWN FROM THE NORTH."
"Do you know if they were red dragons?"
"YES, MA'AM, THERE WERE-"
Erza didn't know what else Alyssa might have said because she ran out of the dining room as fast as she could. If they were red dragons, it had to be them!
She sprinted down the long hallway until she reached the doors, stopping only long enough to pull them open. She heard others running behind her and hoped the door didn't hit them when she raced outside.
However long it had taken Alyssa to find her was enough time for the dragons to have landed in the grassy area in front of the village gates. Erza could see them clearly now. There were indeed four dragons, three red ones and a blue one with wings and horns made of ice that had to be Gray.
However, she filed that away for later, for as majestic as the dragons were, they were nothing to her when compared to the individuals who stood in a line in front of them. There was one among them Erza didn't recognize, but once again, the details meant little to her at the moment.
Her eyes filled with tears as she watched them take a step forward together.
"You're home," she whispered.
And then, as if a spell had broken once she'd said the words, she yelled them out with all her might, wanting everyone to hear the joy that was in her heart.
"YOU'RE HOME!"
She lunged at them, not paying any attention to which one of them she tackled. Not that it mattered, as they all fell to the ground in a chorus of grunts and laughing complaints.
"Well, it's nice to see you're as impulsive as ever." The sound of her mother's laughter left her reeling, and she pushed herself up to search for her, taking a moment to see who was underneath her.
She could feel the blood rushing to her face as, to her dismay, she'd landed on the one person she didn't know. She scrambled to get off him, and in her haste, landed back on the grass. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry!"
"Don't even worry about it." the man said, waving at her with an amused grin. "I'm Oliver, by the way. I've heard a lot about you."
Erza nodded at him, too flustered to say anything else. There was a light tap on her shoulder and she looked up to see her mother offering her a hand up.
She grabbed hold of it and found herself pulled into a familiar embrace.
"I missed you so much," Erza cried, holding her mother close.
"I missed you too." Irene ran her fingers lightly through Erza's hair, playing with it as she'd done when Erza was a child. "I'm sorry I was gone so long, sweetheart."
They separated, and Erza got her first good look at her mother. It horrified her to see a patch of red dragon scales on her cheek, not because it marred her beauty, but because of what it could mean.
"Mother, those scales- are you?"
"Turning into a dragon? No." Irene assured her. "I used a lot of dragon magic during the war, but Natsu removed the dragon slayer enchantment. It won't get any worse."
"If it bothers you, Atlas said he could create some sort of illusion spell-"
"No, you're perfect!" Erza was so relieved to learn she wouldn't lose her mother again that she crushed her to her chest in a violent hug.
"I'm not going anywhere, Erza. I promise." Irene said once she'd regained use of her lungs.
All around them there were sounds of people laughing and yelling greetings and as much as she wanted to hold on to her mother for a little longer, she knew that there was someone else who had been awaiting her return just as anxiously.
"There you are!"
She turned at the sound of Lyon's voice and saw him hurrying towards her, looking entirely out of breath. "I came as soon as I heard. Did you see your mom yet?"
"Indeed, she did," Irene answered, moving to stand next to Erza and stopping Lyon in his tracks.
He gawked at her for a moment, seeming uncertain of what to do next, but Erza rescued him. She stepped forward and grabbed his hand, pulling him to her side.
She felt a little anxious, remembering how intimidating her mother could be and knowing how easily flustered Lyon could get when he was nervous.
She really wanted him to make a good first impression.
"Mother, I'd like you to meet Lyon Vastia."
Erza wanted to tell her everything wonderful about Lyon, but to her horror, she got tongue tied instead.
"I'm pleased to finally meet you," Lyon said, bowing his head briefly in a gesture of respect before offering his hand. "I'm Erza's husband,"
Erza watched her mother's face nervously. It stunned her when Irene merely shook his hand with an amused smile. "The pleasure is all mine. A little dragon told me all about you on the way here."
"A dragon?" Lyon sounded puzzled, and Erza could almost work out the second he figured out Irene was referring to Gray.
"You mean it really worked?"
"See for yourself," Irene said, pointing at the blue dragon that Erza had noticed earlier. It stood some distance away from the crowd of people, along with the red dragon that had become their town's protector.
The dragon they now knew was Natsu.
Erza tore her eyes away from the dragons to focus back on her mother, and she saw Lyon do the same, but Irene waved them away.
"Go to them, I'm not sure how much longer they'll stick around."
"Are you sure?" Erza hedged.
"Yes, we'll talk more later. There's someone else I need to say hello to. Assuming the kids let me anywhere near her, that is." Irene said with a laugh.
It didn't take long for Erza to sight Anna surrounded by Sting, Rogue, Wendy and even Gajeel. All of them were talking at once while Anna laughed at them and asked them to slow down.
It reminded Erza so much of their younger years, though back then she and Natsu would have been in there too, demanding their own slice of attention.
"She's even more exquisite than I remember," Irene mused.
"Aren't you going to go to her?"
"In a bit, let them have their moment. I'll have her to myself soon enough."
She shooed them away, turning to greet one of the village elders.
0-0
"That really is him, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I'd know that resting bitchface anywhere."
"And I suppose yours is better?" Erza taunted, but Lyon only snorted in reply.
It didn't take them long to reach the dragons. Lyon wasn't all that surprised by Gray's appearance, having seen the ice sculpture his brother had molded weeks earlier. Although even that paled compared to the real thing.
Lyon found himself mesmerized by the ice that made up Gray's wings, horns, talons, and the tip of his tail. It was flawless and he couldn't help but wonder what creations made of it would look like. But he shifted his focus to Erza as she slowly approached Natsu.
He could see the uncertainty on her face, and he couldn't blame her. He knew how much she loved and missed Natsu. There was a lot of guilt mixed into her feelings as well, but he knew she'd face it as she did everything else.
Natsu relaxed slightly in their presence, but his expression remained guarded and he inched closer to Gray.
"Hello, Natsu," Erza said, reaching her hand out tentatively. "It's good to see you again."
"Hey Erza," Natsu leaned into her hand for a moment, allowing her to pet his snout.
"I know this isn't the time for long conversations, but," Erza touched her hand to her heart. "I'd like to talk with you sometime, if that's alright."
Lyon watched with bated breath, waiting for Natsu's response just as much as Erza.
"He wants to talk to her," Gray told him. "He was just afraid of how she'd react. Now that he's seen she's not angry or scared of him, I think they'll be fine."
"Well, that's good. I know she's missed him terribly." Lyon said, switching his attention to his brother. "I want to apologize to him for our last meeting as well, but I doubt he'd want to hear that now."
"Probably not." Gray agreed, "He's been doing a little better, but I want to get him home."
"I can hear you, you know." Natsu complained, sounding much more like his usual self than Lyon had expected. He refrained from responding with one of his usual put downs, regardless.
Instead, he studied Gray and Natsu closely, pleased to see they already radiated that same bubble he'd always noticed around them. He was sure whatever happened next, wherever they went, they'd be alright. And that was all he'd ever wanted for them.
"Well then, we won't keep you, there will be plenty of time to talk later." Lyon backed away and tripped over something. He looked down at it with a puzzled expression.
"Just one thing before you go, though. What's with the corpsicle?"
"Oh crap, I almost forgot about him." Gray groaned. "That's Acnologia. He ambushed them some miles from here. Atlas and I barely got there in time to help finish him."
"You were in a fight already?!" Lyon sputtered.
"So that's what happened," Erza said, "I was wondering why Sting and the others looked like they'd been in a fight."
"How can you sound so calm?!" Lyon protested, peering at Gray more closely in search of injuries.
"Don't be such a worrywart. I'm fine. You realize I'm a dragon now, right? Plus, all of us fought him together."
Lyon wanted to ask more about what had happened, remembering how terrifying that black dragon had been, but quickly realized it was better for his sanity if he didn't.
"You're trying to tell me that man is the black dragon that attacked the village?" Lyon examined the body again, feeling decidedly skeptical about what he was being told, and wondering what on Earthland would have possessed them to bring the corpse back here.
"Yeah, he was one of the renegade dragon slayers. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing he was."
"I don't follow."
"I think he might also be Juvia's mysterious boyfriend. Her scent is mixed up with his."
"Her scent? Okay, first of all, that's creepy. How do you even know what she smells like?"
"I just do. I know what you smell like too." Gray replied crossly, "Would you like me to describe it?"
"Oh no, poor Juvia! She was crazy about him." Erza interjected, trying to keep them from derailing into their usual pointless bickering.
Lyon searched for any sign of the water mage and found her by the village entrance, watching along with a few of the newer guards.
This was going to break her heart.
"I had to bring him back once I caught her scent on him."
Lyon immediately understood what his brother was getting at. Gray had wanted to shield Juvia from suffering through what he'd felt while Natsu was off fighting, even if it hurt her.
Erza also looked in Juvia's direction and sighed. "Just get out of here. We'll deal with it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, you'd never planned on telling her about any of this," Erza gestured at Gray's body. "Besides, if he really was her boyfriend-"
"Well, that's a lot to handle already."
It took Lyon a moment to grasp everything Erza hadn't said, and he couldn't agree more with her assessment. He remembered Juvia joyously telling him about how Logan was so interested in everything to do with her, especially her friends.
"Off you go," Lyon made a shooing gesture. "We've got this."
"Won't she know about the dragon thing, anyway?"
"No, the slayers have always kept any information about the dragons to themselves." Erza reminded him, "Even I knew very little, and I grew up with them. I see no reason for that to change, especially now that the dragons want to be forgotten."
Gray peered at Natsu, who nodded his agreement with Erza.
"I'll leave it to you then," Gray said. "Can you tell her- can you tell her I'm sorry?"
"Sure."
"Natsu," Erza implored, "Don't be afraid to call for us if you need anything. We're still your family."
Natsu's expressions softened slightly, and he offered a half smile in response.
They watched the two dragons fly off, Lyon snickering when he saw how sloppy Gray's flying looked compared to Natsu.
Maybe he should hold off on getting that ride.
His thoughts turned to Juvia. He'd always been suspicious about the man's refusal to cross the lake to come see her, but she'd seemed so happy. And he'd been glad that she'd finally put her obsession with Gray behind her, so he'd turned a blind eye. And that had almost proved fatal to their friends.
He intended to be a better friend to her while she mourned.
0-0
While they had flown the short distance home, Gray had worried about how Natsu would react to seeing the remnants of the spell, but Atlas had obviously expected that. He'd already removed all vestiges of it from sight.
He'd also dispelled all the furniture in their room save for the bed, which was now large enough to fit both of them comfortably. Natsu's scarf lay folded neatly on top of it. Gray couldn't tell if the temperature spell had been removed, as the cave's heat didn't seem to bother him anymore.
He was grateful for Atlas' actions, but it was also a tad disconcerting. It felt like his previous life had been erased, and he didn't know how to feel about that. Natsu hadn't said a word since they'd left and that worried him a bit as well, but he'd left it alone knowing he shouldn't expect anything different. He had no idea how many memories Natsu had of Igneel in this cave, but Gray was sure he was thinking about all of them.
He could still recall how he'd felt immediately after Deliora had killed his parents, and while he knew Natsu had grieved for his mother, he'd never really known her. This type of grief was different. It would take time to heal, but that wasn't a huge deal. After all, time was something they now had plenty of.
Natsu made no remark about their room being different, just walked in and curled up on the bed, with his head resting on the scarf. It would have been adorable if it wasn't for the sadness in his eyes.
Lie with me?
It had been a long, emotionally draining day, and Gray had to admit he was exhausted as well.
Always.
Gray joined his husband on their bed, smiling happily when he felt Natsu coil their tails together. He cuddled him, murmuring sweet nothings and reveling in how perfectly they fit together. They soon fell into a deep sleep.
0-0
Gray woke before Natsu and, deciding to let him sleep a while longer, he ventured out of their room in search of food. Hearing an unfamiliar noise, he tracked it down to a room he'd never entered before. Inside it, Sting was packing up his and Rogue's belongings into boxes.
"You guys are moving out?"
"Oh, hey man, you're finally up." Sting said, looking up from the box he was working on. "Yeah, it'd be kind of uncomfortable for Rogue to make the trek every day, unless he went, you know, shadow form."
"Oh, right. I'm sorry, I didn't think about that."
"Nah, it's fine." Sting waved away his apology. "Anyway, we found an apartment to rent in town, close to that bakery Rogue likes and to the Guard Headquarters. We moved in a couple of days ago."
"Wait, days? How long were we out?"
"About three days. It's been raining, so I hadn't been able to grab our stuff yet."
Three days?!
Gray knew they'd been tired, but damn. "Well, I guess that explains why I'm starving."
Sting laughed, "You'd better get used to it, you have a dragon's stomach now."
"I have a dragon's everything now," Gray pointed out smugly.
"Including their sense of humor, I see." Sting rolled his eyes.
"So what else did we miss while we slept?" Gray asked, leaning against the cave wall.
"Oh plenty. Let's see," Sting began counting off on his fingers. "Anna was reinstated as a Village Elder, and she and Irene got engaged. Gajeel and Wendy also rented apartments in town, they're right next to each other though, so Oliver's screwed. Speaking of which, he took over your spot in the Guard and Erza moved him into your old apartment."
"That's fine, it's not like I'm ever going to use it again. Did everyone else go back?"
"Most of us did. Rogue is going to help Erza part-time while he figures out what he wants to do. Wendy will help out in emergencies, but she's mostly going to work at the orphanage with Anna and continue to train as a healer. Talos hasn't had a powerful healer since Natsu's mom died."
"Hey, uhm, how is he?" Sting was still looking at his hands when he asked, but Gray could hear the worry in his voice.
"He's still asleep. He didn't say much when we got back."
"I'm not all that surprised by that. He'd already run himself ragged even before we left. Plus, you know- everything. He must've been exhausted."
"He was."
It touched Gray to know that Sting still cared for Natsu, but he didn't like discussing his mate with him. It was awkward, and he didn't want to get caught in the middle of their fight. He'd already tried to get Natsu to talk to Sting before he'd left, and that was as far as he was willing to go. This was something they'd have to sort out for themselves.
So he tried to change the subject.
"Do you happen to know how Juvia's doing?"
"Well, like I said, it rained nonstop for the past couple of days, but the sun came out today, so I guess she must be doing better. You should ask Irene or Erza. I heard they talked to her."
That was something, at least, although he wasn't sure if learning more about who Logan was would help. Gray just hoped that whoever she set her sights on next would be someone more deserving of her affections.
He wondered what they'd done with Acnologia's body. He knew Atlas had wanted to incinerate it personally, he'd made that much painfully clear during their fight.
"Do you think we could talk for a minute?"
Gray blinked at him blankly. "I thought we were talking."
"Yes, no, I mean talk about what happened. You know, what I did."
To his credit, Sting didn't look away, even though he was obviously uncomfortable.
"Sting, you don't have to." Gray tried to wave him away. He'd already forgiven him.
Now that everything was over, he didn't see the need to carry a grudge. And if he was being honest, if it had been Natsu who had been in danger, he wasn't sure he'd have been able to do anything different.
"Please, I need to apologize to you." Sting begged, "I understand Natsu may never be able to forgive me, but I feel so terrible about how I fucked up your lives. Gods, and after I gave you that if you hurt him speech, too."
"I honestly don't think that there was anything else you could have done, and I know Natsu understands that too. If you need to hear it, I'll be happy to say it. I forgive you. And who knows, maybe with time Natsu will too. But even if he never does, you need to stop torturing yourself and just move on from this whole fucking mess."
"I know, I'm working on it. I already told Erza and the Elders about what I did."
Gray sucked in a breath, "Oof, how did that go?"
"About as badly as I'd expected. The Elders wanted to kick me out of town, but Irene and Erza came out in my defense. So, I'm not the most popular guy in town right now, and I'll be pulling the crappiest job details indefinitely, but I can stay and that's all I could have hoped for."
"That's great." Gray gave Sting a knowing glance. "This mate stuff is brutal, huh?"
"But it's worth it."
Gray couldn't agree more.
"I'm gonna go figure out something to eat before you start looking edible."
"Oh, one last thing!" Sting snapped his fingers. "The town is throwing a big celebration tomorrow night, and they wanted to invite the dragons to take part."
"I'll let them know." Gray said, and with a wave he left to check on Natsu, smiling at Sting's whispered Thank you.
It felt good to let it all go.
0-0
Rogue looked up as Sting entered their apartment, looking sweaty and disheveled and carrying far too many boxes. He got up to help, but Sting shook his head, holding the door open for someone Rogue couldn't see as they were behind a stack of boxes.
It turned out to be Oliver, looking just as flushed as Sting. He uttered a cryptic 'Don't forget what you promised' to Sting before waving goodbye to Rogue and heading out.
"What was that about?"
"Oh," Sting chuckled nervously, "I sort of bribed him to help with the promise of distracting Gajeel so that he could spend some time with Wendy without him hovering. So I guess we'll be having him over soon."
He put the boxes down and collapsed on their sofa, and Rogue hurried to bring him a glass of cold water.
"You got the fridge working?"
"No, Lyon stopped by earlier and molded an enormous block of ice to keep in there for now."
"This place is a shithole," Sting sighed.
"It's not so bad, and it's close to the bakery," Rogue reminded him.
"I'm sorry, love. It's all my fault that no one would rent to us. I'm sure this place is nowhere near where you imagined us living."
"Sting," Rogue said, in fond exasperation. "We've lived in a cave for longer than I can remember. We've either slept on the ground or on magical furniture designed by a dragon who had zero concept of human comfort. This is fantastic. Besides, I told Erza how much the guy was charging us and I've never seen her leave a room so fast. I expect our rent will go down shortly."
Sting gaped at him and then erupted into a fit of giggles, "Well, when you put it that way."
"There is only one thing I require anywhere I live, and this place has it in spades."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
Rogue didn't know if Sting was being purposefully dense or not, but considering how rough the last couple of days had been for him, he didn't mind boosting his ego a little.
"You, stupid. You're all I need to be happy."
"And wine?"
Rogue snorted, "Yes, you and wine. Speaking of which, Lyon dropped off a few bottles as a housewarming present when he came by. Would you like some?"
"Fuck, yeah!"
Rogue opened the fridge and pulled a bottle out quickly, not wanting to let too much warm air in. He didn't bother with any cups, just removed the cork and brought the bottle back to the sofa with him.
Sting had already shifted on the sofa so he was lying on it, his legs slightly spread so Rogue could lie between them. He handed the bottle over while he got comfortable. Sting took a swig and handed it back.
"This is good."
Rogue agreed once he'd tasted it, although given how little wine he'd been able to get his hands on since they'd left, he wouldn't have been all that picky about quality.
Lyon, however, had always had excellent taste. Something Rogue had learned during nights spent sneaking drinks in the barracks while riding out some punishment or another.
It became a tradition of sorts for them, and it was one he hoped they could pick back up again, minus the punishments, of course.
Sting ran his fingers through Rogue's hair, tugging on it and massaging his scalp as they continued to pass the bottle back and forth. It felt wonderful and the combination of that and the wine were making him feel incredibly relaxed.
"You know, it feels kind of strange."
"What does?" Rogue murmured.
"Just lying here like this," Sting said. "Not having to worry about being attacked, ambushed, or even seen. I like it."
"Hmm, I do too. We can do anything we want now. Gives me a few ideas."
"Oh yeah? Any in particular?"
Rogue heard Sting put the bottle down on the floor and grinned. He turned until he was facing his mate and leaned in for a kiss, sucking gently on Sting's bottom lip before delving inside his parted lips.
Sting wrapped his arms around Rogue's waist, pulling their bodies closer as they kissed.
"Hmm, I like that idea." he said, chasing Rogue's mouth as he pulled back to peer down at him mischievously.
"Yeah? Well, I've got plenty more," Rogue assured him. "And a lifetime to try them out."
"I'll be right here with you." Sting promised solemnly, pulling Rogue back down for a kiss of his own.
0-0
Natsu stood at the entrance to Igneel's room.
Atlas had told him his father had left him a letter, but he hadn't worked up the courage to read it until now. He could see the long parchment on the desk, along with the writing supplies his father had favored. Natsu had so many memories of Igneel in this room, working away on a spell or writing messages for the dragons to take with them to the war front.
Knowing he'd never see him there again, well, it was crushing, but he couldn't hide from it any longer.
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Atlas wandered out of his room and eyed him with concern.
"No," Natsu said, after giving it some thought. "This is something I need to do by myself."
"Alright, but I'm right next door if you need me."
Natsu knew that both Atlas and Gray were walking on eggshells around him at the moment, both worried about how he felt about them going along with Igneel's plan and it saddened him to see it. He wasn't quite feeling like himself, that much was true, but he loved both of them deeply and he knew that anything they might have done, it had been for his sake. And how could he really fault them for that?
To be honest, he wasn't sure what he was hoping to find in that letter, but it felt like he was drowning in his loss and he wanted to find the strength to move forward.
And Igneel had always been good at giving him direction.
That wasn't fair, though. At some point, he had to grow up and decide his own path, beginning with easing the minds of those he held dearest.
"I don't blame you, you know." Natsu said, "Although I wish you had told me."
"I know. I'm sorry." Atlas' fire dimmed, reflecting his mood, and he moved to enter his room.
"Hey," Natsu called out, suddenly worried by how meekly Atlas had been acting. "You're not planning on doing anything stupid, are you?"
"Always, kid. But I have no plans to go anywhere, if that's what you're asking. You're stuck with me."
Atlas' smile was but a shadow of his usual one, but it heartened Natsu to see it.
"I'm gonna hold you to that." Natsu grumbled, hugging his uncle as hard as he could, just to feel him against him.
Atlas hugged back just as hard until finally pulling away and gently shoving Natsu towards the entrance. "Get in there, already."
Natsu took one step, then another, and everywhere he looked, the ghosts of his memories comforted him with their warmth.
0-0
"I thought I'd find you here." Gray huffed, catching his breath from having climbed up the mountain.
"Did you seriously just climb up the mountain?" Natsu gawked at him. "Why didn't you just fly?"
"Cause I suck."
To his chagrin, Natsu didn't disagree with him, but he laughed out loud and that made Gray's hardship worth it.
Natsu patted the ground next to him invitingly. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"
Gray plopped next to his mate and gazed up at the sky. It was indeed beautiful to watch as the sun's last rays mingled with the stars. But he was more concerned with Natsu and he studied him, trying to figure out what was going on. He didn't feel any of the sadness that had been present earlier.
"Are you okay? You're acting-" Gray struggled to find a word that wouldn't be misconstrued.
"I take it Atlas told you I read the letter?"
"Yeah. Do you want to talk about it?"
Natsu nodded, staring off at the sky as he collected his thoughts.
"He told me about everything. Your struggles in the astral realm, how you and Atlas both fought with your decisions, and all the guilt he felt over his mistakes."
"There was so much I didn't know about him, and some of it hurt because I never understood how truly lonely he felt over the years. But most of all, what I saw in that letter was how much he loved me and how determined he was that I have the life that he only got the barest glimpses of."
"And that's what I want too. I want to live that life with you."
Natsu rested his head on Gray's shoulder. "I love you, Princess."
"I still can't believe you gave up everything to be with me. I can't imagine how hard that must have been."
"It wasn't as hard as you might think." Gray admitted, and it was true. Once he'd let go of his fears, it had been a simple decision to make. "I love you too, Natsu. So much it scares me sometimes. If there was any chance we could be together like this, I had to take it. I was just worried you'd hate me for it."
"I could never hate you. You've always been everything to me." Natsu lowered his head. "That's why I could never really let you go, even when I knew it was what was best for you."
Gray wasn't having that. He lifted Natsu's head so that he could look into his eyes, and see how serious he was. "And now, you'll never have to."
Natsu frowned, looking uncomfortable with his next words. "You know we can't stay here forever, right? We'll have to move to the island."
"Is that what you're worried about? I already figured as much, dummy."
"We can come visit during the summer solstice, though. I'll have to leave the island anyway."
Now that he hadn't counted on, and it pleased him to learn he'd get to see his friends at least once a year.
"Hey, do you think I'll change too?"
"We won't know until then, but it could happen." Natsu grinned just thinking about it. "That'd be pretty fun. But we'll definitely need to work on your flying just in case you don't. That would be a pretty pathetic way for me to die."
"Jerk," Gray grumbled at Natsu's teasing. "You know, I seem to remember you were pretty ticklish as a human, I wonder..."
He pounced, attempting to catch Natsu off guard.
Dragons, apparently, weren't ticklish at all, but Gray didn't care because soon they were wrestling around, nipping and scratching as they each sought to pin the other down. It was more difficult than he expected, but that was probably because neither one of them could seem to stop laughing.
And all Gray could think about, besides gaining the upper hand, was just how much he'd missed this. Playing together and just having fun, without the weight of the world constantly on their shoulders. For the first time since Natsu had left him to go fight, he finally felt like everything was going to turn out alright.
They continued until they were both laid on their backs, spent and out of breath.
"I'm so going to get you next time, Flame Brain." Gray panted, repeating a taunt as familiar as it was empty.
"In your dreams, Ice Princess." Natsu said with his usual fanged grin.
Gray rolled onto his belly, his attention caught by a movement in the sky. "Hey, is that a shooting star? Hurry, make a wish."
"I have nothing left to wish for." Natsu said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he righted himself and gazed at Gray with awe.
Stupid romantic dragon!
He'd never tire of the way Natsu always knew exactly what to say to make him feel all flustered.
Gray draped his body over Natsu's, hugging him to his chest so that he wouldn't see the blood he could feel rising to his face. He'd recently discovered that his favorite thing about being a dragon was his tail. He loved how it instinctively sought Natsu's whenever they touched, just as it did now.
Sitting here, doing nothing more than staring at the stars, it was perfection.
It had taken them years, more than Gray cared to remember. Both of them had made mistakes, but against all odds, they had been granted a second chance to find their home in each other.
And they lived happily ever after...
THE END
Thank you for reading!