Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Natsu? Flame-Brain, open up! Open the door or I'll break it down." Grey called through the wooden door. During Lisanna's homecoming party, Natsu had said he was tired and had gone home to take a nap, and that had been strange in itself, but something else about the dragon slayer had disconcerted Grey.
"That's it. I'm coming in." The ice mage called before kicking in the door. He was a little worried for his friend, though he would never admit it. Natsu had been through a lot in Edolas and it had only been a few hours since they'd returned.
He entered the small cottage and it was a complete mess, as it always had been. He walked through the sea of clutter and headed for Natsu's bedroom. He'd visited often enough in the past to know the layout of the small house.
He knocked on the smaller wooden door and sighed when he heard no answer. He put his ear to the door and listened for any signs of life.
Whimper. "…no…"
That didn't sound good.
"Natsu, I'm coming in." The raven haired teen opened the door to find his friend huddled in a corner, clinging to his scarf and desperately casting flames from his hands.
Immediately he ran to him.
"What's wrong? Hey! Speak to me!" Grey was panicking.
"G-Grey?" A timid voice asked, barely a whimper.
"God, Natsu… Yeah, it's me. I'm here. You're alright. Tell me what happened." The taller teen had never been very good at heart-to-hearts, especially with the fire mage, but when the situation called for it he'd try to pull it off as best he could.
"I-I was s-so sc-scared, Grey… They t-took my magic and I c-couldn't help W-Wendy at all. It hurt… I b-begged them t-to take mine and l-leave her but th-they wouldn't listen. I was p-powerless… I'm st-strong, right? I-I'm strong, Grey. I-I'm… not weak." He was stuttering and practically pleading. He had been vulnerable without his magic and that was exploited by horrible people; he couldn't bear to see his friends hurt and yet he was forced to watch Wendy tortured and stripped of her magic while he could do nothing to help.
"You're strong, Natsu. You're really strong. Stronger than anyone else. They took advantage of a brief moment of weakness. There was nothing you could have done, okay?" Grey pulled Natsu to his chest and ran a soothing hand through his hair.
"I'm s-strong. I'm n-not weak. I'm undefeatable. Definitely. B-but… why does it still hurt, Grey? M-my body is… numb…" Natsu fell onto Grey's lap, unconscious.
"O-Oi, Natsu!" Grey shook him and heard soft, deep breaths. The idiot had been running off pure adrenaline and had finally crashed. He should get checked out by Ms Poluschka but for now he needed sleep more than anything. His stamina and magic were completely drained, Grey also felt the effects of the past couple of days and sighed, adjusting to accommodate Natsu's limp body. He fell asleep like that, a warm body beside him.