Golden Hour
One - Slow Burn
It was a balmy afternoon. The sun was setting, already a big, orange ball that seemed even bigger due to the clouds that seemed to be around it.
In the distance, someone was strumming a guitar, the notes being carried by the wind.
Natsu was sitting in one of the benches that overlooked the river, looking at the people and the birds that broke the otherwise placid park.
The park was an important part of Magnolia, some even called it the lung of the city.
Natsu didn't pay much attention to all that. He just enjoyed going there, walking, being close to nature. That never failed to make Natsu smile, to think about his father.
And it was in moments like these, the sun setting, a gentle breeze starting to blow, the sound of music and people and birds, that Natsu felt like he could breathe.
It was in these moments that the world seemed to slow down a bit, the natural overpowered the man-made; everything became relative, smaller, and inconsequential.
The sweet scent of flowers reached him, and Natsu smiled.
He didn't mind waiting.
More, he liked waiting if he was in such a nice place as the park in a beautiful day.
And he minded waiting even less when he knew that his companion would be reaching him soon.
It wasn't his first time. He knew that those flowers tended to open at just a certain time.
A hand resting on his shoulder made him tilt his head to the side, his customary grin on his lips
Gray sat heavily on the bench, a weary sigh escaping his lips. He looked at Natsu, a small smile on his lips too, before looking out towards the setting sun, the river and the people.
It was customary for them to meet at the park, recharge a bit before heading home.
They were silent but saying so much.
Their hands met in the space between them. Fingers interlocking.
They sat like that, watching the sun slowly disappearing on the horizon.
