Chapter Two: Second Chance?
***Natsu's POV***
Natsu had been thinking about how nobody seemed to have noticed the change in his attitude or his appearance when he faintly heard Gray, and Happy long before that, talking to him. The pinkette hadn't quite processed that fact when all of a sudden he felt pain explode in his side, and he went flying into the opposite wall.
The dragon slayer hadn't even realized that he had been close to tears at that one moment. Natsu had snapped his head up in surprise when he hit the wall, and noticed the speechless look on Gray's face. That was when he finally noticed the tears in his eyes, and felt embarrassment and fear well up in him. The man was afraid that the ice mage would notice the change in his personality and Natsu would start to become a burden to him.
He didn't even know what he was doing when he began to run away from the guild. Happy tried to follow after him, but Natsu was running too fast for the small cat to follow.
As Natsu ran through the streets of Magnolia, the townspeople stared, but went on with their daily lives. The pinkette's vision blurred as he ran due to the tears that ran down his face, but didn't stop running. It felt like he had run miles when Natsu heard yelling behind him saying," Natsu, stop running! Please! Natsu!"
He didn't stop running though. The only thoughts running through his head were I have to get away from here! I can't stand it there! I have to get away!
***Gray's POV***
After Gray and the rest of the guild finally snapped out of their shock, Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Happy ran(or flied on Happy's case) after him. To Gray's surprise, Natsu didn't stop when he reached the forest, but kept running.
He yelled,"Stop Natsu! Let's just talk, so please stop!"
Erza tried to stop the ice mage and tell him to let Natsu be and let him cool down, but he refused and kept going after him. Gray was the only one left chasing after Natsu at that point, and finally caught up to him. The raven haired man grabbed Natsu's wrist to stop him and said,' Stop running and tell me what's going on with you. You're worrying everyone-"
"Yeah right," Natsu spat, interrupting the other man, "They don't care about me. They didn't even notice how I changed. They don't care about me at all, so why would they worry about me!"
just
The outburst had shocked Gray, but then he snapped at Natsu saying,"Of course we care. Everybody in the guild does. All of us have been worried about you, but we assumed you just needed space. I'm sorry, but don't just assume things! The whole guild loves you and worries about you Natsu, especially me!" Gray ended his rant yelling and breathing heavily.
Natsu stared at the ice mage with wide eyes and whispered,"Y-you . . . you love me? Since when?"
Gray hadn't even realized what he had said until it was too late, and whispered back, "Yes, I do. I have since I met you."
***Natsu's POV***
With those words Gray had said, Natsu felt that small flicker of hope grow into a raging fire and thought to himself I have a second chance at life. Maybe Gray can stop me from fading.
But then, he felt that raging fire of hope shrink into something more like a match, but it was still there and Natsu still felt that maybe, justmaybe Gray could save him from fading into nothing, and for the first time in two months Natsu gave a genuine smile.
"Do you mind if I spend some time alone for a while? I need to think," Natsu asked.
Gray answered, "Sure, just make sure you come back," and walked out of the forest, leaving Natsu alone to sort his thoughts.
