Jumanji
At night they fly,
You better run.
These winged creatures
are not so much fun.
-Jumanji (film, 1995)
He watched them from atop a very tall building. He could not name them. Almost-monkeys. Almost-bats. Almost-birds. Of all the things he had seen it was these that he considered not from this world. They stole people up and dropped them back down. Few survived. Gray had. Natsu had too.
(It had all been a game.)
Gray had not seen Natsu yet. It was just a theory, yet unproved. Natsu survived.
He himself was not uninjured. He had checked himself over with cool indifference moments before. His left leg, shattered. His left arm, broken. Ribs, smashed. He thought he would heal in time. It was how many that wouldn't that scared him. Mildly. It was how little he felt that made him quiver.
(What a sour game this was.)
There were steps behind him. He turned slowly, saw pink hair – tinted red. He thought he had whispered the man's name but he couldn't hear for the beating of his own heart.
Somewhere there was the crack of lightening. A gun shot. A shout, victorious in nature.
(The tides have begun to turn. This game could still be won.)
Gray saw none of that. Only Natsu standing there. A theory proved correct.
"Oh thank- Fuck! Gray... I thought you were- I don't want to think about it."
"Give me a hand up, will you?" Gray asked. He didn't dare hold up his right arm. He would fall over if he did.
Natsu didn't. He sat down beside Gray and hugged him, kissed him. Forehead. Eyes. Jaw. Lips. Gray kissed back, happy to taste life. Burning, fiery life.
Someone whispered a thank you. Gray did not know who until Natsu whispered a "You're welcome." back.
"Shouldn't we help the others?" Gray spoke into the crook of Natsu's shoulder.
"Let them handle it. I'm happy here."
A/N: Another of my favourites. Fanfiction is such a great medium for experimental writing. This isn't a new story and has been completed for a while. I still haven't written fanfiction and still have no plans to despite loving and respecting the medium. However, I'm still writing stories and would always love any feedback given. :)