Chapter 8
It had been an unusually long day. Erza had them run drills for hours, switching up partners every round. Natsu had been holding his own until he'd been paired with Rogue. Usually, he didn't have that much trouble fighting the Shadow Dragon Slayer, but he was just too tired to maintain the speed needed to stay one step ahead of the shadows that tried to suffocate him.
He'd hoped that Erza would take notice, but she'd given him Gajeel as his next partner instead. She kept her eyes on him the whole time, evaluating him as she always did and barking adjustments he couldn't make in time. Paying attention to her meant he wasn't paying attention to Gajeel, and that was a big mistake.
He woke up in the infirmary with Gray sitting in a chair by his bedside. He was staring at him with concern and an air of sadness.
"Why won't you let us help you, Natsu?" Gray asked, and although he tried to hide it, Natsu could tell that he was just about at his limit of how many of his excuses he was willing to listen to.
"What could be so important that you have to do this to yourself?" Gray caught his gaze and refused to let go. Natsu felt trapped in those eyes, and it frustrated him that they demanded answers he just couldn't give. Not yet.
"It's a task only—," He got no further.
"Yeah yeah, a task only you can do. I know. You've said." Gray sounded annoyed as he waved the excuse away. "What is this task, Natsu?"
Natsu set his lips in a hard line, having to yet again fight the instincts that demanded he keep no secrets from his mate. He felt a trace of anger and quickly subdued it. If only Gray wasn't so unreasonable about dragons, he could tell him everything, instead of continually having to hide what he was and how he felt.
"I'm fine now. That must have been some nap," Natsu gave his friend his best grin. He noticed with some confusion that Gray was staring at his mouth a little too intently, a frown marring his features.
What was that about?
Natsu closed his mouth.
Gray shook his head, laughing before starting in on him again. "Nap? Natsu, Gajeel knocked you out with one punch."
"What?! No way that metal freak took me down in one punch." Natsu yelled in outrage and quickly sat up.
He pressed his hand to his head as his yelling introduced him to a headache that had been shyly hiding until then. He groaned and fell back on the bed.
"I swear, I can't tell whether it's the hit you got to the head or if you're just really this stupid." Gray rolled his eyes as he chuckled.
Natsu shook his fist at him, but it didn't really have the intended effect as Gray only looked concerned again.
He muttered something under his breath that Natsu purposefully ignored, having the decency to at least feel bad about making his friend worry about him.
"Don't look so worried, Ice Block. I'll be fine in no time." Natsu tried to reassure Gray, to no avail.
"I don't know if you've noticed this, but your regeneration is not working as well as it used to."
The glare on Gray's face softened, and he placed his hand on Natsu's cheek, "I care about you, Natsu. Please let me help you."
Natsu felt his heart race at those words. That was the closest Gray had ever come to admitting he had feelings for him. It was what Natsu had always wanted, but dammit now was not the right time.
There was a sharp knock on the infirmary door, and Rogue entered. "Gray, Erza wants to see you in her office."
"I don't want to leave Natsu," Gray dismissed the dragon slayer without even a glance.
"She said you might feel that way and to tell you it wasn't a suggestion." Rogue shrugged, stoically facing Gray's displeasure with a look that said, Don't look at me, I'm just the messenger.
"Erza gave Natsu the rest of the day off. Sting and I will get him home. I'm sure Wendy can do better than the guard healer."
Gray got up reluctantly, knowing full well it wasn't wise to defy Erza. "We're not done talking about this, Natsu." He warned before leaving the infirmary.
Rogue looked at Natsu with something akin to interest. "What was that about?"
Natsu got up from the infirmary bed slowly, "He wants to know what I've been doing at night."
"He's not the only one," Rogue took in how beat up his friend looked and frowned. "We're worried too."
"As I already told the Ice Block, I'll be fine," Natsu said as he yawned tiredly. He really needed to get some sleep. He was grateful Erza had given him the afternoon off, even though he knew it would more than likely come with a price.
O-o
"Couldn't this have waited, Erza?" Gray griped as he entered the Captain of the Guard's office. "I was about to get Natsu to tell me what he's been up to."
"I highly doubt that." Erza viewed the angry expression on Gray's face with amusement. "He's stubborn as a mule and clearly doesn't want us to know what he's up to."
"I, for one, am done waiting. If Natsu doesn't want to tell us, then we'll just have to take matters into our own hands."
Erza got up from behind her desk and walked around it, choosing to sit on one of the chairs in her office. She motioned Gray to sit across from her.
Gray sat impatiently, wanting to get back to the infirmary before Natsu left. "What is it you think he's doing?"
"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think he's doing anything wrong," Erza assured him. "But we both know that Natsu is reckless."
Gray nodded in agreement. Natsu could be amazingly reckless, especially when it came to protecting those around him. He'd already taken several hits for Gray in their time together as partners.
"It's not a well-known fact, but red dragons inhabit our mountains." She paused when she saw Gray stiffen.
When he didn't immediately comment, she continued. "I am sharing this information with you because I'm concerned, so if I hear you went off to do something stupid, you will regret it."
"If a dragon doesn't kill you, I will make you wish he had." Erza glared daggers at Gray until she felt sure he understood the enormity of what would befall him if he acted outside of her orders.
"You and Lyon aren't from here so you might not realize this, but Talos hasn't had a single dragon attack in the last sixteen years. I've always thought that strange. Villages all around us have been targeted, but never us."
She gave him some time to think about that before she told him what she'd been getting at. "I believe the red dragons have protected us over the years."
Gray protested, but Erza cut him off, "Shut up and listen, Gray."
"Natsu's fire dragon magic came from a red dragon, a rather powerful one by the name of Atlas from what I understand. Now I can't be sure, but I think that whatever this Atlas was doing to keep the village safe, he made Natsu responsible for it in his absence. That must be the task he was given." Erza clenched her fists. "It's the only thing that makes sense."
"I think he's trying to go after dragons on his own, getting to them before they can be a threat to us." Erza watched closely for Gray's reaction.
"No! I refuse to believe that." Gray roared, "Not even he's that reckless."
Could it be true? Could Natsu really be going out at night on his own battling dragons?
He found he could barely breathe at the thought of Natsu fighting a dragon the size of Deliora on his own. There was no way. He didn't care if Natsu was a dragon slayer. There was no way a single human could fight against something like that and come out on top, especially with no injuries to show for it.
For the first time, he thought about the possibility that one day Natsu might not be there and it shook him. His need to get to the infirmary grew even more. He had to shake some sense into that idiot.
Erza noticed the change in Gray's expression but wasn't sure how to interpret it. "What's the matter?"
"I'd just never thought about the fact that Natsu had a dragon. I mean, I get he's a dragon slayer, but — Is that why all the dragon slayers live in a cave?"
"Natsu has always lived in a cave." Erza looked at him with surprise. "You know, Gray, for such a close friend, you seem to know very little about him."
"We don't discuss our childhoods much," Gray admitted, "There are some things there we'd rather forget."
Erza nodded with understanding.
"They all got their magic about three years ago, as did my mother." Erza recounted, "Natsu's dragon created the spell, and they all moved in there so that he could make sure that there were no problems. Then they sort of came together as a family. It's why they're so close."
Gray sputtered, "A family? With dragons?"
"Yes, Gray. You're going to need to open your mind a bit."
"Talos is our village, and it is our responsibility to protect it any way we can," Erza said heatedly.
"Even if Natsu is considered the strongest of our dragon slayers, he's still not a dragon. He can't keep doing this by himself. Eventually, he will get hurt. If we can find out exactly what he's doing, we can help him. Whether he wants it or not."
"That's why I called you here," Erza said, finally getting to the point. "I want you to follow him and find out what he's doing." Erza gave the order sternly, before softening her voice, "Then we can keep him safe."
Gajeel walked away from Erza's office as quietly as he could. It appeared Erza's thinking was in line with his. He couldn't have Gray following Natsu, though. He had a feeling that would be more trouble than it was worth. He'd just have to make sure he never got the chance.
Natsu might not want help, but this at least was something Gajeel could do.
O-o
Sting and Rogue half carried, half dragged Natsu all the way up to the cave. They placed him on the floor of the principal room, and he fell into a deep sleep the moment his head touched the ground.
He woke up more refreshed than he had in a long time. Wendy must have healed him while he slept because he couldn't feel any pain. He opened his eyes to find four pairs of eyes scrutinizing him with varying degrees of worry.
Natsu groaned, not again.
"How are you feeling?" Wendy asked, her voice barely registering above a whisper in the deep cave. "Does it hurt anywhere?"
"No, I feel great." Natsu smiled at the younger girl and sat up. "You did a great job, Wendy. Thank you!"
Wendy smiled happily at his praise and sat down next to him.
"Alright, get it over with. Say what you gotta say." Natsu watched as the others tried to figure out who was going to be the first one to speak.
"Look, we know that Igneel and Atlas left you instructions," Sting began, "and that you're working very hard not to let them down."
"But you can't keep on like this." Rogue continued. "Let us help you. We're dragon slayers too. We're not useless."
"Black and White over there are right, Salamander." Gajeel scowled. "At this rate, you're bound to get hurt. Don't get the wrong idea, it's not that I'm worried about you or anything. It's just that if you're going to get hurt, I'd rather it be by my hand."
Wendy frowned at Gajeel before turning her attention back to Natsu. "We're your friends. No, we're your family." She reminded the dragon slayer. "We've only ever had each other, even before the dragons."
"Guys, I really appreciate the sentiment," he glanced at Gajeel, "Well, maybe not yours so much, but I'm fine. I really am."
Gajeel snorted but added nothing.
"Can you at least stay home tonight? Give yourself time to heal some more and rest." Wendy pleaded, "It's been a really long time since we've all hung out together." She fixed her large innocent eyes on him.
In fact, Natsu noticed, they were all looking at him with sad eyes.
Nothing like some blatant manipulation to foster family togetherness.
It was going to be a long night, but he couldn't deny them. They were right. It had been a while since they'd spent a night together.
Erza usually tried to schedule them in the daytime, leaving the night shift for the older members who lived in the town. But Gajeel and Sting were often in trouble and forced to stay for long shifts as punishment. Natsu was usually in that camp as well, but he couldn't afford to get in trouble at the moment since it would interfere with his night patrols.
Natsu smiled at them in agreement, and they all relaxed. Gajeel gave him a knowing look but didn't argue. He would go out as soon as they were all asleep. He knew Gajeel wouldn't stop him.
Sting and Rogue went out to hunt for some food while Natsu started a fire. They sat down around it.
"What's going on with Sting and Rogue?" Natsu asked, realizing he had seen little of them lately.
Wendy immediately blushed all the way to the roots of her hair, while Gajeel merely looked amused.
"What?" Natsu asked, confused by Wendy's reaction.
"Let's just say that they're doing what you only wish you were doing with the Ice Freak," Gajeel smirked.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Natsu protested, but with his face matching Wendy's he wasn't particularly convincing.
Gajeel only laughed knowingly. "Please! I've seen how you look at him."
"So they're together?" Natsu asked once his face had returned to its natural color.
"For a few months now." Wendy smiled.
Nastu wondered how he could have missed it. Sting was his best friend. Had he really been that out of it since his father left?
"They haven't really told anyone," Wendy assured him.
Still, he should've noticed. Then again, he realized with a touch of guilt, he'd never told Sting anything about his feelings for Gray either, although he was sure his friend suspected.
"Yeah, so don't expect the food to get here anytime soon." Gajeel teased them, clearly enjoying their discomfort. He sniggered and slapped his knee as he watched both their faces change colors again. "You two are too easy!"
"What's going on with Gray?" Wendy asked shyly.
"Nothing, we're just friends," Natsu replied, and that was true enough.
"But don't you want him to be more?"
I care about you, Natsu.
Those words gave him hope, they gave him warmth, but they were also empty. Nothing had really changed. "It doesn't matter what I want, as long as his views on dragons remain unchanged, friends is all we can ever be."
Wendy insisted, "But he's your m — "
"Friend, he's my friend." Natsu interrupted her before she could say the word. He couldn't explain why he didn't want anyone but Wendy to know Gray was his mate, but he felt the need to keep it a secret.
"What do you think they're doing now?"
Natsu examined Gajeel's face, at first thinking he was still giving them a hard time about Sting and Rogue, but he saw a wistfulness there that didn't match up and he realized Gajeel was talking about their parents.
"Definitely fighting, Atlas and Igneel are probably bickering about something," Natsu replied with a smile.
The other two chuckled, knowing it was true. Those two were continually bickering, in a way only they could, having known each other for hundreds of years.
"Yeah, Metalicana is probably pissing someone off," Gajeel added. Natsu and Wendy nodded in agreement.
"Grandine is, she's—," Wendy tried to come up with something funny, but ended up crying instead.
Gajeel and Natsu moved to either side of her and tried to comfort her.
"She'll be alright, Kid," Gajeel assured her, "Grandine is tough. Heck, she keeps the others in line, doesn't she?"
Wendy managed a chuckle through her tears, knowing that much was true. Dragons were not very sociable by nature. Having so many types of them living together was often quite tricky. Grandine always put them in their place, though. Even Igneel, much to everyone's amusement.
"Jeel is right, Wendy." Natsu kissed the top of Wendy's head and called Gajeel by a nickname he rarely used. "I'm sure she's doing fine."
"I'm just so worried." Wendy said, "I had nothing to lose before, you know? I just... I don't want to lose her."
Gajeel nodded in agreement. He rarely admitted it, but he was very fond of his adopted father. He boasted, "Metalicana could probably end the war all by himself, but with the others helping, they should be back any day."
"They'd never both left before, you know?" Natsu added, "You'd think I'd be excited, I can do anything I want for the first time in my life, but I just want them to come home."
"Do you think we'll ever have to go fight too?" Wendy asked, her voice quavering.
"Igneel promised me that would never happen," Natsu told her before she could work herself up any further.
All three of them remained silent after that, not wanting to voice any of the worries they each held in their hearts.
"I hear congratulations are in order," Natsu said, much to the confusion of Gajeel and Wendy.
Sting and Rogue walked into the cave a minute later, carrying the carcass of an elk between them. They shared a look, and Rogue nodded, going off to prepare the meat for them to cook and eat.
"Yeah, I meant to tell you," Sting said, looking somewhat uncomfortable, "The right opportunity never came up, and I didn't want you to feel uhm... bad?"
"Why would I feel bad Sting?" Natsu replied, "I'm happy for you guys. I guess this explains why I haven't seen much of you."
Gajeel and Wendy moved away from Natsu and went to help Rogue, giving the two friends some space to talk.
"No, you haven't seen me because you're never around," Sting retorted, "You're with Gray or off doing whatever it is you do. We barely ever see you outside of work."
"That's not fair, Sting. I can't really do anything about either of those things." Natsu pointed out, "I'm here now."
Sting pouted but was soon cajoled into telling Natsu all about what had happened with Rogue. The others joined them, and the smell of cooking meat soon filled the cave. They spent the rest of the night eating, talking and laughing. Natsu was glad they'd gotten to spend some time together. He hadn't realized how much he missed spending time with the others.
Once all of them were asleep, he got up to do his patrol. He noticed Sting and Rogue snuggled up together and smiled. Someday, he told himself. Someday that will be me and Gray.
"Be careful." Natsu heard a low growl and stopped.
He nodded and gave Gajeel a backward wave as he left the room and walked towards the cave exit, only transforming once he was there. He flew out into the night.
Gajeel waited a few minutes before getting up to make sure Gray wasn't able to follow Natsu. A small part of him wondering if he was doing the right thing.
A/N: I finished editing early, so I figured I'd just post the chapter a day early. I finally got all the dragon slayers together at the same time! I kind of want to write some side stories after the story is finished with them as kids, to explore Natsu and Sting's friendship more, among other things. Hopefully, I'll still be up for it after I'm done.
I know there will be at least one additional one-shot in this world to resolve a conflict that couldn't really be addressed in the story.