Every Time We Touch
Disclaimer – I do not own Fairy Tail
Author's Note: I don't know why I threw yoga into the schedule of our two boys. I just thought it'd be funny!
Chapter 3
Natsu swallowed the bile rising in his throat. They'd been on the train for about eight hours. With the exception of two quick—very quick—stops at two random stations, they hadn't stopped. Where the hell was this camp anyway? In an unknown region of the world?
Glancing back out the window, Natsu realized the scenery had taken an immediate change. The landscape was now covered in dense woods, and it was dark and pretty creepy—like some camping horror story or something. And he hadn't seen a house for at least an hour. At least. If the scenery was like this, there was no telling what the condition of the camp would be in. It probably wasn't even on any map.
The train gradually began to slow as it pulled into a station that looked abandoned. Well, this wasn't making Natsu feel any better.
Eventually, they came to a stop and stumbled out of the train. Natsu had to resist kissing the ground; he was glad to be in steady land again.
Once everyone was out of the train, they gathered together and started heading toward the camp. Natsu had to admit, he was quite surprised. It appeared brand new and had so many buildings and structures—even a huge lake—that the dragon slayer was rendered speechless. Makarov then headed toward the front of the group and began to address them.
"We'll soon take a quick tour of the camp. Then we'll have lunch and you'll be assigned to your cabins. You'll stay there until dinnertime today and after dinner, you'll return to your cabins. Lights should be out at ten. You'll begin your official daily schedule tomorrow, is that understood?"
The guild members nodded, eager to get started since they'd been sitting for so long. As soon as Makarov began walking, everyone quickly followed, stretching their limbs as they did so.
Natsu grabbed his bag as soon as he found it. Tossing it over his shoulder, he waited for the tour to begin.
The camp was a lot bigger than everyone had originally thought. With the lake being in the center, the mens' cabins rested on one side while the womens' resided on the other. There was a Lodge where they'd take their meals, campfire spots, a health center, and other buildings that served as focal points for the camp.
There were also athletic facilities that sponsored many activities. The waterfront was also something spectacular: a large, heated pool and a private, spring-fed lake with separate dock systems for swimming and boating. However, the arts area was phenomenal as well.
And then there was the outdoor adventure: an extensive ropes course with twenty-four high and low elements, a 300-foot zip line, and two 28-30 foot high climbing structures with five varied climbing fences.
There was so much amazing stuff to do here!
But Natsu and Gray would get to do none of it since they'd been put on such a boring schedule that the only action they'd see would probably be having meals. Either that or Gray being attacked by a Vulcan on their Nature Hike. One could hope, right?
Natsu's stomach gave a loud growl, signaling that he needed food…and he needed it now. He hadn't eaten that morning and he was desperate for food now. And thankfully, the tour was over. Which meant it was lunchtime!
They headed over to the Lodge where they'd be having their meals for the duration of their camp experience. Upon entering, Natsu was slightly disappointed by its appearance. Everyone gathered in a line, eager to fill their stomachs with food. With a camp that looked like this, they were bound to have some good grub.
By the time Natsu discovered what they were having, he was having second thoughts. Staring at the plate that had been placed on his tray, he counted five chicken wings. Like that was going to fill him up. Stepping forward, he wandered over to the buffet looking thing. Hopefully there would be something more there to fill his empty stomach.
There was a salad bar with all sorts of vegetables, dressings, cheeses, hummus, and yogurt. Pass. Soy nut butter and jelly. Double pass. Fresh fruit. Triple pass. And grilled cheese sandwiches. Grumbling to himself, Natsu placed a couple grilled cheese sandwiches on his tray, along with a handful of croutons, an apple, and a small thing of milk. Beggars couldn't be choosers. Perhaps dinner would be better?
Gravitating over toward his friends, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, making him flinch.
"You have an assigned seat, Natsu," announced Makarov. He pointed to a small table on the far side of the room. "Both you and Gray will share your meals together over there."
"What? But…that means I won't get to spend any time with anyone else," protested the dragon slayer. His only chance of spending time with them now was on the off chance that they'd pick an activity that went along with his schedule. Or if he was allowed to spend his free time with them.
"You're here to bond with Gray," stated Makarov firmly. "You want to reach S-rank, don't you?"
"Yes," Natsu sighed in defeat.
"Good," he replied, patting the dragon slayer on the back.
It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't anything go right for him? It was like he'd be stuck with Gray 24/7!
Maybe he would have been better off ditching this trip and hanging around the woods around his house. No. He couldn't think like that. He had to look at the positives. He was going to have a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in, three meals a day, and he could bathe in water that was actually warm!
With the prospects looking up, Natsu sat down at the table he'd been assigned to. A few minutes later, an aggravated Gray sat down with him, Happy right on his heels.
"This camp looks so cool! I'm glad I got to come, Natsu," started Happy cheerfully.
"It sure does, Happy," said Natsu, pleased that the Exceed decided to join them.
Gray grunted. Personally, he just wanted to get to their cabin and lose himself in his thoughts until dinner. Bonding be damned.
After lunch, Happy snuck away with Gray and Natsu and went to find their cabin. It took them forever to find the stupid thing. For some reason, they'd been given the one far away from all the others.
Gray eyed it in distaste. Who knew if this thing had been properly cleaned? Taking the key, he unlocked the cabin door and opened it, stepping inside cautiously. Well, it was a bit better than he'd expected.
There was one bed accompanied by two nightstands, a dresser, a long couch, a table with a few chairs, a cabinet that contained towels, extra blankets and pillows, and a door that probably led to the bathroom. He opened said door, his eyes inspecting everything. It was only a small shower with a toilet and a sink.
Natsu was very pleased with the place until a thought struck him. There was one bed, two people and an Exceed. And knowing Gray—
"I will take the bed. You sleep…wherever," Gray deadpanned, interrupting Natsu's thoughts.
"But there's room enough for you and Natsu. I can take the couch," commented Happy.
Before Gray could protest, Natsu interceded. "No. Gray can take the bed. You share it with Gray, Happy. I'll take the couch. It's okay."
"But—"
"Happy, it's fine," Natsu insisted. There was no way he would be selfish enough to deprive Happy of a spot on the bed. And besides, a couch beat the woods any day. Tossing his small bag onto the floor next to the couch, he plopped himself on it and started to relax.
"This bed smells like vomit!" Gray roared.
Natsu took that as his cue to avoid him. "I think I'm going to take a shower. Don't want stink up the place," he said jokingly as he grabbed his bag, a towel, and bolted for the bathroom. He shut the door and locked it.
This was bad. If Gray was uncomfortable, then that meant he'd focus his attentions elsewhere. Like on him!
His heart pounded at the thought of the ice mage tormenting him raced through his mind.
Natsu discarded his clothes and stepped into the shower. Turning the hot water on, he breathed deeply as his body warmed. When was the last time he'd showered in hot water? It had probably been a long time, so this…was heavenly. Yes. This could be his heaven from now on, because he knew that as soon as he walked out that door, it would be hell.
Natsu glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was almost time for dinner. And he couldn't wait! He was starving! As he rose from the couch, he chanced a glance at Gray and Happy. The Exceed was sitting on the bed playing a card game—most likely Solitaire—while Gray glared at the far side of the cabin.
"Maybe we should head over to the Lodge," suggested Natsu hesitantly. "It's almost time for dinner."
"Dinner?" Happy exclaimed, his head popping up. He jumped off the bed and headed for the door. "Come on, Natsu! I'm hungry! I hope there's fish!" And with that, he left.
Natsu made to follow, but Gray's voice stopped him. "Flamebrain," the ice mage called, walking toward him with an evil glint in his eyes.
"What do you want?" Please, just leave me alone. All I want to do is eat and then crash for the night, he thought to himself.
Gray's fist soon came in contact with the dragon slayer's midsection, making him hunch over while gasping in pain. Gray then stomped out of the cabin. "You need to work on your blocking."
Natsu collapsed onto his knees. His midsection was never going to heal properly at this rate. Gray had hit one of his burns. Fighting the urge to throw up, the dragon slayer got to his feet and gingerly left the cabin, making his way up to the Lodge. By the time he got there, nearly everyone had been served.
Getting into the fairly short line, Natsu shakily grabbed his tray, trying to ignore the pain. Taking a few calming breaths, he smiled at the woman who placed a chicken pot pie on his tray. Moving over to the buffet spot, he glanced over it. Again, there was soy nut butter and jelly, fresh fruit, and the salad bar. But there were also a couple new additions. There was a pasta bar with tomato sauce and fresh dessert.
He made himself a small salad with dressing, took a bit of pasta with sauce, and grabbed two chocolate chip cookies. Hoping that his meal would go peaceably, he wandered over to the table he had to share with Gray. Happy was present, too. Sitting delicately in his seat, he soon dug into his food.
"Could you be any messier?" Gray taunted. "It's like you were raised by wolves."
Natsu stopped eating and turned his hurt-filled eyes to the ice mage. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" he asked softly. "I don't like our situation any more than you do. I won't get in your way if you just leave me alone."
"You'll always be in my way. Just your presence is enough to make me despise you," the ice mage replied.
Knowing he was too exhausted to win, Natsu looked back down at his food. His stomach churned, but he didn't know if it was from the pain or knowing that Gray was bent on breaking his spirit on this trip. It was probably both.
Losing his appetite, Natsu stood up and went to find Makarov. When he did, he tapped the man on the shoulder. "Is it okay if I go back to the cabin now? I'm not feeling too good."
"Huh? Oh. I guess that's all right. Did you at least eat dinner? I saw that you were the last to arrive," replied Makarov.
"I'm not hungry."
Makarov grew concerned. He liked to think he knew the dragon slayer very well, and him not being hungry was sending red flags. "Do you feel sick?"
Natsu subconsciously crossed his arms over his stomach, becoming tense. "Can I just go? Please?"
"All right," Makarov relented. "But if your condition worsens, come find me or go to the health center."
"I will. Thanks," Natsu said before leaving the Lodge. He quickly made his way down to the cabin and threw open the door. Slamming it behind him, he rushed into the bathroom and spewed all the contents in his stomach into the toilet. When his heaving ceased, he flushed and moved over to the sink to rinse out his mouth.
As he left the bathroom, he walked over to the cabinet, grabbed a pillow and a couple blankets, and turned the couch into a makeshift bed. Lying down, he found that he could stretch out comfortably; that was an unexpected bonus. Resting his head on the pillow, he pulled the blankets over himself and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would soon take over and that tomorrow would be a better day.
End Chapter
