Magnolia had been blessed with mostly dry weather for the longest time, but now the heavens had finally opened. Fairy Tail were on a race against time, making sure that every hole and broken tile was secured, every home and livelihood protected from yet another catastrophe. The guildhall was quickly sealed against the downpour, so most of the wizards scattered across the city in search of citizens that had struggled with the onslaught of water.
Just as he'd been instructed, Natsu wandered the city. He searched for hours, looking out for anyone that needed his heat or warmth, or even just a helping hand. Every footstep carried a river, his clothes anchored with a heavy weight dragging him down and leaving him sweaty, shivering and tired. The cold rain lashed down relentlessly, biting into him with reminders of the gruelling days. With every cold splinter he felt his haste, his determination, his desperation to fix what was so obviously close to breaking.
Not that it mattered anymore. Any damage that had been done from the adverse weather was either fixed or beyond repair.
He hadn't realised where his mindless wanders had led him until he saw the bench, stained dark with water. And the townhouse, a siren of smells against the moist air.
Juvia was nowhere to be seen. She was either still out doing jobs or… inside.
The lump in his throat suddenly felt like a knife. It tore through his insides, shuddered against his breath and plunged straight into his heart.
There was no lie he could tell himself to mask this anymore: He didn't like Juvia being with Gray. He didn't like the idea of her hands pawing across his naked chest, feeling the curves of his abs and tracing fingertips along his dark guildmark. He hated the thought of her running sharp nails through his dark hair, embracing his musky smell and biting into his shoulder. Only now was he starting to realise that those were not images of a shy rain woman, but those pleasures he had wanted all along. Pleasures he had ripped away from himself, handing as a gift to one of his treasured nakama.
He felt like screaming into the air. All this time, all those stupid fights, they meant nothing. When it came down to it, all that mattered was an unbreakable bond. A bond that was now being stretched and broken out of shape, all because Natsu was too late to realise that he wanted it to be more. He needed it to be more, in whatever form they could find themselves.
Because Juvia was right. He should have gone in that very first day and told Gray that he cared about him.
And because he cared for him, he wanted him happy. And he wanted Juvia happy. He had always known that they could make each other happy, and now they clearly were enjoying their happiness. Because Juvia wasn't outside his house; she was inside with him and finally everything was at peace.
And Natsu walked home alone, using the raindrops as an excuse for the tears rolling down his cheeks.