Fairy Tail is not mine.

Rambles: I wonder... why are there no stories about a guy being broken? (If there is... maybe I haven't found it yet. Please share if there is. Thank you. Why would I want to read one? Well... I just found it weird every story I read is about a girl being hurt by a guy then getting back with him or his friend or you know what I meant, right?)

Question: If you found a guy losing his cool will you ask, help, or pick him up? Will it be the same or different if it's a girl? (*shrugs*)

If it went OOC on Mirajane, I'm sorry. First time. Hehe

SLIPPING AWAY

CHAPTER 1

Some people would rather stay broken and give their pieces to make a person feel whole. - Zane

Fairy Tail - AUGUST X791

Natsu kicked the guild's door shouting, "WE'RE BACK!" with a wide grin plastered on his face. Soon his team followed minus Happy who was with Wendy and Carla, who are currently trapped in their minds with a thinking or blank expression. He walked to where Mirajane is and ordered a drink and took a seat in front of the counter, she soon placed his order in front of him.

"How's your mission, Natsu?" She asked with her cheery tone. She's used to it because it happens every time they got back, used to see him being distant to his team and hanging around the counter.

"Why can't we just kick him out?"

"Natsu." Mirajane called out to the person in front of her. "Natsu... hmp. Guess you have mastered sleeping with your eyes open by now." She said a bit teasingly hoping to get his attention but failed causing her to frown a bit. Natsu had been staring at nothing for more than a half an hour while his hand grip, tightened on his mug that was already half empty. She waved her hand in front of him but he didn't budge, she sighed and grabbed another glass to wipe. It only started after he took a few missions with his team after the Grand Magic Games, showing an empty look and tightened grip, no mask to cover it all.

She could feel it even though no one told her, she can't feel the usual happy and cheerful aura, she can't feel the warmth surrounding him, all she could feel was nothing and the usual warmth turned to its opposite element, cold and it bothered her to see him like that.

"He destroys things; we end up receiving half or less than half of our rewards. Like right now, I need to take another mission to pay my rent."

"Well... we could just tell Flame-brain to hold back but..."

"He's an idiot, I don't think he have any self-control..."

"Natsu-san has control."

"Heh."

Gajeel then walked to where they are and took a seat a stool away from Natsu. Mirajane cocked an eyebrow at him waiting for his order and also hoping or maybe expecting him to wake Natsu out of his trance. "The usual." He said. As Mirajane left to get his order, he sighed and took a glance at the Dragon Slayer and looked behind the two of them. Soon he returned his attention hearing Mirajane's footsetep walking back with his order, his favorite, Mercury.

"Look at him, drinking and chatting."

"More like ignoring Mira."

"We can't just kick him out, he helped us a lot."

"Tch. Very useful."

Gajeel then took a glance at Natsu with one thing in mind, "Wow, they are using him and they thought he can't even hear them.".

"Don't tell me you're going to lock yourself in trance too." Mirajane said as she wiped another glass. One person is enough and two that's kind of problematic, right?

"I won't." He answered her shortly, taking a sip on his drink.

"Do you have a clue?" She asked him as she took a worried glance on Natsu, hoping Gajeel had a clue or would tell her so he could help the fire dragon slayer in little ways.

"Yeah and I'm sure his Team knows something too." He said looking at the greyish liquid in his mug.

"Huh?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Let's just say he had been helping everyone in this guild only to receive insults than praise." He said with a shrug. He took a glance behind him knowing that someone walked behind them. Wendy was about to put a hand over his shoulders but she stopped, noticing how colder it got when she got near him. Her hands fell to her side.

"He did save us a lot but he shouldn't take that for granted and break everything."

"I'm surprised there are no guild brawls."

"Well Natsu's the only reason for that."

Wendy shook her head, even though she's twelve she's already aware on what's going around her. She could hear everyone clearly and she felt bad for the pink-haired teen. She hugged Natsu from behind causing him to stiffen and soon relaxes to the hug and earns a little smile from Gajeel and Mirajane.

"Are you okay, Wendy?" Natsu asked, glancing from his peripheral vision.

Gajeel and Mirajane looked at each other and look at Natsu with the same thing in their minds, "Geez. You're the one with a problem and you're asking others if they are okay." Mirajane smiled feeling a slight warm aura coming from Natsu.

"Gihee." Gajeel grinned as he took a sip from his drink.

"I am. Are you?" Wendy asked him.

"What do you mean?" He asked, giving her a confused look.

"Oi. Salamander, something's fishy and I know what it is." Gajeel said, without turning or facing him. Wendy soon let Natsu go and took the stool beside him, sitting between the two to avoid a fight.

The three were surprised to hear Natsu sigh. "Then don't breathe." He answered, ignoring the glare coming from Gajeel, he looked at Wendy and grinned at her. "I am."

"Natsu-san..." Natsu's attention was soon taken away by Mirajane's question.

"Is it because you are here instead of sitting with your team?" Mirajane asked, observing his reaction and wiping another glass. Natsu cringed a bit; after all she did hit the nail right on the head. Instead of answering her, she ignored what she said and took a sip on his drink. "You know you could-" She was about to suggest but he cut her off before she finished her sentence.

"No." He then finished his drink.

"Like an animal without a leash...?"

"We could buy a leash."

His ears twitched and he let the empty mug go and stood up from his stool, the two dragon slayers stared at him preparing if he is going to attack the person who said those words but it didn't happen. He went to the request board and grabs a mission for himself. Mirajane was still confused at what just happened, she was clueless but she could feel it, the two being on-guard and alert. He then walked back and showed the job flyer to her.

She stopped from wiping and put it on the counter. She then grabbed the paper and read it with her eyes.

"But Natsu this is-" a team mission.

"I need to let it all out anyways." Natsu said with a grin, she approved it anyways. Before he left he took a glance at the two dragon slayers and smiled, "Thanks for trying but it can't be ignored, and I could still hear it." He said and noticed the frown on Wendy's lips, he sighed.

He put his hand on top of Wendy's head and patting her head lightly, making Wendy look up to him. "I'm okay, Wendy. Thanks for asking." He said with a grin. Wendy returned it with a smile, she was proud to herself knowing that she helped him in her own little way.

"Why the hell is he petting her? She's not a puppy."

Natsu's grin slowly disappeared with Wendy's smile yet he hold on to it. "Smile." He started and Mirajane tilted her head to the side, "You'll look better when you smile." He said as he stop and let his hand fall to the side and said, "See ya." He grinned and waved with his other hand as he left running out of the guild. Once again, he wore his mask and left.

"Pink leash would suit him."

"Finally! He left. We could get another mission."

Mirajane looked at the guild's door; "Does he really think no one noticed?" She asked herself looking at the guild's door, she noticed the other two staring at the door too, soon Erza came with a job flyer in her hand, and she smiled and approved it. "What about Natsu?" Erza left with the other members following her and she frowned at the sight.

Why was she so blind? She just noticed it, after a month she JUST noticed it. The same routine happens every time after he took a mission with his team, he hangs out at the counter then sooner or later he'll took a solo mission and a few minutes later his team will took a mission for themselves without him knowing.

She looked at the two dragon slayers that are still facing the guild's door. She knew that they know something.

"The brat's gonna slip away without even knowing it."

She noticed the two dragon slayers' ears perked up, Gajeel growled lowly and glared at the second floor while Wendy turned around to face Mirajane with a frown.

"You heard Natsu, smile." She said smiling at the young dragon slayer, resuming on wiping another glass. Wendy sighed and smiled a little bit, maybe because she was proud of herself or was flattered by what Natsu said. Look better, huh? Maybe... that's why you smile a lot Natsu-san, to at least feel better and won't make anyone guilty nor worry about you. She thought.

FOR: The Fallen ( Change of Heart ) Readers! Yeah. I haven't updated on it because I am not proud nor pleased on what I have written. There's something missing. That's why/ what.