A/N: -deep breath- HI PEOPLES! I'm waving at you enthusiastically through my laptop right now, you can wave back~ any who, as you can see I'm back with a new improved Licking Flames. At least I'm aiming for improved... I liked the other version until it slipped off the right track on how I wanted it to go. So, here I try again because I like this story, it's great in my head and I dang will try my best to show you all what I mean.

As for the rest of my stories, they are slowly in the works. Turtle slow. So love me? Bear with me? I'm about to get caught up in college and dance so I might be terrible for posting this because who knows how long the updates will be. Like I said though, I've had this story in mind for a good long year and some months and I'm really happy that I finally started it. So I'm sticking to it no matter what.

A couple of notes: This is still a songfic! And it's still Gratsu! And it's going to be angst filled for the first few chapters. It's rated M for a reason and Natsu forever remains as Gray's submissive baby! Characters might be OC later on, I really can't say but I'll add that to the list anyway.

And the most important thing to know is that I do NOT own Fairy Tail. : )

-enjoy-

Licking Flames

-Prologue-

The baby boy cried as he was carefully wheeled out of the hospital room. His little body yearned for his mother's warmth instead of the uncomfortable cart he was bundled on, but the poor thing wouldn't know until later on in life that he was now without a mother.

The medical people in the room felt defeated. In this tragic situation, it was clear that only one could be saved. By the mother's plea and wishes, it was the baby boy they saved. If only both lives could be spared. One of the nurses wiped the stream of tears off of her cheeks. Anything can happen during a pregnancy, she knew this. That didn't change the fact that it was still heartbreaking when soon to be mothers die giving birth.

With a heavy heart, the nurse helped the others clean up before someone would come and retrieve the body. Meanwhile, the doctor, also with a heavy heart, went out to give the woman's husband the awful news.

They had sent him out of the room when everything went downhill. The doctor found the nervous looking man pacing in the waiting room. His heart grew heavier at the sight.

"Mr. Dragneel." the doctor spoke, catching the man's attention.

Mr. Dragneel looked even more of a nervous wreck as he came over to hear the doctor out. And what was told to him made his once pounding heart freeze cold. Mr. Dragneel slumped down on his knees and shakily brought his hands to his pasty colored face. "N-no.." he shook his head disbelievingly and gasped. "Sh-she can't be- not Surya, please god no, not S-Surya-"

And this was one thing the doctor abhorred about his job. Giving bad news to his patients or loved ones to the patients. Eleven years of this and he still can't stand to see them fall apart right in front of him.

"Words can't express how terribly sorry I am for your loss, Mr. Dragneel. We did everything we could but in the end there could only be one. Understand it was her wish for your son to live." the doctor paused, staring down at Mr. Dragneel with sad eyes. The aforementioned was well known in Magnolia. He was a respected man by everyone, and when news came around that he and his wife, Surya, were expecting a child, everyone in the town celebrated. In a softer voice he finished, "And understand that, if within my power and possible, I would bring her back this second if only I could. Surya was a wonderful woman and will always be remembered."

The doctor rested a warm hand on Mr. Dragneel's shoulder and squeezed gently. Mr. Dragneel brought his hand up and patted the other man's hand though his face was still a chalky paste color. "Wh-.. Where is he?" Mr. Dragneel rasped out and looked up at the doctor.

The doctor was glad that no one was in the lobby at this time so no one could see Mr. Dragneel look so lost. Carefully, the doctor pulled the kneeling man up from the ground. "Come with me."

...

Mr. Dragneel peered inside the small see through box where his son lay fidgeting. Wrapped up in a blue blanket, the baby looked like a rolled up pink blob. His face was scrunched up and his eyes were closed. Mr. Dragneel leaned closer for a better look.

"He's eight pounds even, the sucker." the doctor was telling Mr. Dragneel fondly. His eyes were still sad but he was happy that the baby was close to the father now. Looking at Mr. Dragneel, the doctor noticed he held a far off gaze expression as he stared at his son.

The baby continued to fidget underneath his blanket and Mr. Dragneel gently placed his large hand on the the glass. As if there was a connection, the baby stopped. His little body seemed to relax and he finally slept soundly.

Mr. Dragneel smiled strangely.

"If I'm not mistaken, his name is Natsu, correct?" the doctor didn't see the strange smile Mr. Dragneel wore due to the fact he was staring down at a clipboard that suddenly was in his hands. By the time he looked at Mr. Dragneel, the smile was gone.

"Yes. His full name is Natsu Ren Dragneel."

The doctor jotted this down on his clipboard and continued to jot while Mr. Dragneel continued to stare at his son. He looked calmer than before but inside he was a conflicted raging storm. He felt a burning pride that this was his baby.

And then he felt a burning rage because this baby was what all he had now of his wife.

Once everything was finalized, the doctor explained to Mr. Dragneel that after a week of monitoring Natsu, he would be able to take him home. Mr. Dragneel just nodded. "Before I leave, I would like to see her."

The doctor looked solemn but in the end he lead Mr. Dragneel to the room. Asking a passing nurse to see if Surya was still inside and recieved a 'yes', the doctor opened the door for Mr. Dragneel and watched him enter with sad eyes.

...

The room smelled heavily of disinfect but Mr. Dragneel didn't care. He went straight up to his dead wife lying on the hospital bed so small and frail. It was crazy to him how only 11 hours earlier was she screaming at him that her water broke. Now she was still, her long flower pink hair strewn around her like waves. Her skin still held the soft tan color but the glow to it was already fading. Her eyes were closed and as he stared down at her, Mr. Dragneel pitifully wished that she was only sleeping. But her chest did not rise and her breath did not move the air in gentle tuffs.

Mr. Dragneel knelt down next to her and gently touched her face. She is still so beautiful, he thought longingly. Long thick lashes brushed her high cheekbones and her pink lips were closed together gently. He stared at them, desperately wanting her to call his name, hear her musical voice. Tears began to form at the word musical. She had such a beautiful voice. In general, but when she sang. Oh god, how he wished she would sing right now. That would calm him down. He wiped the tears and imagined her now- alive and well, singing to him as they lay tangled together. She would finish her song and he would ask for more.

She would laugh her bell like laugh and say, "Inigo, there's only so much my voice can take!" but she would go into another song because she knows as well as he does that she'll sing until her voice is gone.

Once Inigo returned home, he went straight to the bedroom and climbed in the bed fully clothed. He never went to sleep, just stared up at the ceiling from the time he got in bed until the following morning.

It was funny, the bad funny, and very frightening how one day your life can get turned upside down so quickly. Here Inigo thought that he would raise his son with his wife, that they'd be a happy family. But now... they won't.

And Inigo doesn't think he'll ever be happy again. Surya was his other half, his soul mate. They were high school sweethearts and titled Magnolia's Power Couple. Surya was his one and only, the one he was going to grow old with and die with. They were going to grow their own family but now... none of it will ever happen.

Inigo jolted up and grasped his chest. It was hard to breathe and his vision was growing blurry. "Why?" he gasped out. "Why?!"

The man collapsed on the bed and curled in on himself. For the rest of the day and that night, until the next morning he laid there not moving, unseeing, and muttering 'why' to himself.