Part of my submission for Gratsu week 2017. Day Seven: Hospital
Summary: Everyone deals with grief differently. Some people cry, others try to hold it in. Natsu didn't know how to take the death of his father, so, he took off. Loosely based off a post break-up au prompt: You're my emergency contact and I've been in an accident so you drop everything to come to the hospital.
Rated: T for foul language and adult situations.
Pairing: Natsu/Gray (Gratsu)
Genre: Hurt & Comfort, Angst (Hopeful ending)
Word Count: 5.3K
Hospital
The first thing Natsu felt when he started to wake up was pain. It radiated from his right side, then spread throughout his body. A groan left his clenched teeth as he opened his eyes, blinking the sleep away.
He saw a white ceiling, causing him to furrow his brows. The shitty motel he was staying in had stains all over the ceiling, but this one was clean. His head lolled to the side, seeing a table beside him. On top rested a tray of food containing a half-sandwich, a cup of mixed fruit. and a small bottle of apple juice.
The uneaten food wasn't the thing that confused him. Natsu was confused because the only thing he'd eaten or drank over the last seven months were chips and tap water.
"'Bout time you woke up," an eerily familiar voice spoke from beside him.
Natsu jerked his head to the side, cringing when he felt the kinks in his neck. However, the pain only registered for a second. Once he refocused on the man before him, all other feelings left his body.
"Gr-Gray," he whispered, voice cracking. He hadn't seen his boyfriend in over half a year. He almost forgot how breathtaking he was. His dark blue hair looked black, unless under sunlight. The same could be said for his eyes, almost looking onyx unless someone stood closer to him. His face was just as pale and stoic as ever, making Natsu feel as if no time had passed since he last saw him.
But, time had passed. Seven months to be exact, and he couldn't blame their time apart on anyone but himself.
He had run away when the going got tough, too much of a coward to face his problems head on. It was all his fault, and there was nothing he could do to make up for that time they lost.
Could he even still call Gray his boyfriend?
Judging from the scowl surfacing on his face, no. No, he couldn't.
And honestly, Natsu couldn't blame him. He skipped town and had only left a letter to say he was sorry. He didn't even bother packing all of his stuff. He packed a small bag before hitting the road and not turning back, leaving most of his possessions behind in their house for Gray to deal with.
He knew Gray was going to be upset, but he did it anyway, all so he could avoid the harsh reality he wasn't ready to face. He still didn't want to face the fact that his adoptive father, Igneel, had passed, but he knew he could no longer run from it. He decided to come back to Magnolia, but after that, everything was a blur.
Natsu opened his mouth, hesitating before saying, "I'm sor—"
"Don't," Gray cut him off immediately, his nose scrunching up as his dark eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."
A lump formed in Natsu's throat as his heart dropped. He had wanted to apologize to Gray since he left, but now he didn't get the chance. 'I don't deserve forgiveness,' he thought, realizing Gray didn't have to hear him out if he didn't want to.
Natsu could at least spare him that courtesy.
Instead of attempting to apologize, Natsu asked, "What are you doing h-here?" With every word spoken, the pain in his side increased. He looked down, but all he saw was a white sheet over his body. "Where am I?"
"Dumbass," Gray muttered, his glare not fading. "You're in a hospital."
"Hospital?" he asked, as if the word was foreign to him. "Why? What happened?"
For a second, Natsu saw an emotion on Gray's face that wasn't pure anger, but it faded quickly. He raised a brow as he looked down at him. "You were in an accident."
"An accident?" Natsu repeated, brows pinching together. What kind of accident did he get in? Was that why his body felt like he had been hit by a train? "Wh—"
Before he could get the word out, the door to the room opened. Natsu glanced over, seeing a female in light blue scrubs come in. She smiled when she looked at Natsu before walking over to his bedside, opposite of Gray.
"Good morning, Mr. Dragneel. Glad to see you awake finally."
"Finally?" he asked, frowning when she nodded. "How long have I been here?"
"Well," she started, heading to the end of the bed to grab his chart. "You were admitted around midnight Saturday night, so it's been almost a day and a half."
The nurse didn't notice Natsu's wide eyes as she put the chart back. "You're lucky. Not everyone survives a motorcycle accident."
Natsu's chest tightened as the news sunk in. "I... I crashed my bike?"
"Wrecked it," Gray answered, crossing his arms over his chest. Natsu looked over at him just as he added, "It's a surprise you even made it." His eyes were unbearably cold.
Natsu felt the back of his eyes prick, hoping they weren't becoming watery. The way Gray said it sounded as if he didn't particularly care if Natsu made it or not. The thought alone made his heart pang, guilt racking his body. He remembered how loving Gray was before he left. It was his fault for making Gray angry and bitter. He had no right to be upset at him after leaving without a proper goodbye.
The nurse, not noticing the tension growing in the room, said, "You broke three ribs on your right side, you broke your left arm in two places, you had a concussion, and you suffered some internal bleeding. The doctor had to rush you into surgery, otherwise you would have bled to death. You also have some cuts and scrapes, but they weren't nearly as bad."
Natsu felt his hands shaking, but his arms were numb. He didn't remember crashing. He barely remembered packing a bag while still in his motel. That was Friday night.
"I-I don't remember," he whispered, voice just as shaky as he felt. He tried to look down at his body to assess the damage, but the sheet blocked his view. He was too scared to lift the sheet, deciding he could find out later how bad his condition was.
The nurse nodded as she messed with some of the medical equipment in the room. "That's not surprising. Memory loss happens sometimes in accidents like this. If you can't remember right now, don't force it. Just focus on resting. The doctor will be in later to talk to you. Right now I just need to get your vitals, then I'll leave you two alone."
Natsu's heart clenched when he heard Gray snort, as if the idea of being alone was funny to him. He remained silent while the nurse checked a few things. Even after she left, the room was still too quiet.
When Natsu looked back at Gray, he saw he wasn't looking at him anymore. Instead, he was on his phone, typing away at it. Natsu wanted to ask what he was doing, but he knew he didn't have the right to ask. However, there was something that bugged him. If Gray was acting like he didn't want to be there, why was he present?
"Why are you here?" he asked, eyes widening when he saw Gray meet his gaze, eyes narrowed.
"You don't want me here?" His voice was laced with malice, almost sounding offended. "I can leave."
"No!" Natsu shook his head quickly, then winced at the pain. He guess he also had whiplash, but the nurse didn't mention that. "Don't leave, please?"
Gray looked reluctant, chin tipping upwards as he glared down at him. After a few seconds, he sighed. "Whatever." Without another word, he went back to his phone.
That only made Natsu feel antsy. Gray didn't answer the question. A little frustrated, Natsu asked again, "Why are you here though? I thought—" He couldn't finish that sentence. He thought Gray hated him for what he did, but he couldn't ask.
If he asked, he might receive an answer, and Natsu didn't want to hear if his fear was true.
Gray sighed as he glanced over to Natsu, his expression almost bored. "The hospital called me."
"They did?" Natsu's brows pinched together as he tried to think. Did he ask for Gray while he was here? He didn't remember it. But then again, he didn't even remember getting on his motorcycle to crash it.
Nodding, Gray said, "I guess... I guess I'm still your emergency contact."
Natsu's shoulders tensed. That was right. He hadn't changed any of his information since he skipped town. 'Wait...' "So, we're in Magnolia?"
Gray held his gaze for a few seconds before looking back down at his phone, seemingly uninterested. "Yup. They said you crashed at the edge of town on the freeway. You don't remember?"
Natsu didn't bother shaking his head, not wanting to feel any more pain. "No."
Without looking up, Gray asked, "What's the last thing you remember anyways?"
Despite not looking like he cared, Natsu detected the slightest hint of curiosity in his voice. He swallowed hard, knowing Gray wouldn't want to hear his answer. "P-packing..."
Gray's eyes snapped to his, that earlier anger returning. "Oh? Why am I not surprised?" His passive aggressive tone didn't go unnoticed, not that he was trying to be subtle about it. "What were you running away from this time?"
'Ouch.'
As much as Natsu knew he deserved it, Gray's attitude was starting to piss him off. If he wasn't willing to listen to his apology, why did he have to listen to Gray berate him?
"For your information," Natsu all but growled, "I was headed home."
"And where's home these days?" Gray asked, glaring at him. "You forgot to leave a return address on your note."
Clenching his teeth, Natsu muttered, "It was a letter."
"A letter usually has more than two sentences in it. What was it... 'I'm sorry I can't do this. I love you, bye.' Shortest letter I've ever seen."
If Natsu clenched his teeth any harder they would surely break. He could feel hot tears stinging his eyes, but he didn't care. His blood boiled, angry at Gray, but also angry at himself. He knew he fucked up. He didn't need Gray reminding him. "I— Never mind."
"What?" Gray taunted, baring his teeth. "Say it."
Natsu knew the only reason Gray wasn't yelling at him right now was because they were in a hospital. If they were at their house— He shut his eyes tight, remembering it wasn't their house anymore. When Natsu left, he gave up the right to call that his home.
Slowly, Natsu opened his eyes, fresh tears slipping down his cheeks. His bottom lip twitched as his heart dropped. Nothing he said would make things better. So, he decided not to try. Closing his eyes once more, he mumbled, "Just... go."
"What?"
"I said just go." Natsu's voice was strained, but he managed to raise his volume a bit. He couldn't look Gray in the eye, his stomach twisting as he imagined his expression.
Natsu didn't expect the sudden silence that overwhelmed him. He almost wanted Gray to scream at him, to tell him to go to hell, but the room remained quiet. It only put him on edge.
The sound of a chair scraping against the floor made him jolt. He heard Gray's clothes shift as he stood up, followed by his footsteps. A moment later, the door to his room opened, slowly swinging closed a few seconds later.
'He... He left.' Natsu didn't open his eyes, not wanting to see that empty chair beside him. He knew he shouldn't have been upset, but he was. He had left Gray, and now—
"Are you in pain, Mr. Dragneel?"
Natsu's eyes snapped open, his vision blurry for a moment before he blinked away his tears. A man with long, green hair and pale skin stood above him, wearing a white lab coat with a name tag resting over his left breast pocket.
Dr. Justine
"Wh-what?"
The doctor raised a brow before stating the obvious. "You're crying. Are you in pain?"
Not wanting to admit the real reason for his tears, he nodded. "Y-yeah." He wasn't exactly lying. His body was in pain, along with his heart.
"I can't give you anything too strong, but I'll tell the nurse to bring you some painkillers. That should ease the pain. Now," he started, taking a seat beside Natsu's bed, "I hear you've had some memory loss. What's the last thing you remember."
Natsu hesitated, his throat feeling tight as he admitted, "I was packing t-to come back to Magnolia."
"Where were you?"
"Cr-Crocus."
The answer seemed obvious given his crash, but the doctor asked anyway. "Were you going to drive or fly?"
"Drive. I was gonna take my bike." Natsu's voice lowered, his heart aching. "I don't remember anything after that."
"Well, it's hard for me to guess what happened. You were unconscious when someone found you and called 911."
"Did... Did I hurt anyone?" Natsu asked, terrified of the answer. He didn't know why he didn't realize that was a possibility until now. "When I crashed?"
Dr. Justine shook his head. "No. From what I've been told, it looked like you veered off the highway and hit a concrete border. No one else was harmed."
Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know what he would do if he hurt someone. He already felt guilty about what he did to Gray. That would be nothing compared to actually harming someone else.
"I... I might've been tired," he confessed, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate. "I remember thinking I had to get to Magnolia as fast as I could. I thought about sleeping and leaving in the morning, but I don't think I did."
"When was this?" Dr. Justine asked as he pulled out his phone.
"Friday night."
"Hmmm." After tapping at his device for a moment, the doctor said, "The drive from Crocus to Magnolia is roughly twenty-four hours. If you left Friday night, that would make sense that you arrived right outside of Magnolia Saturday night, but it also means you didn't stop to sleep. There's a chance you fell asleep while riding."
"Or got sick," Gray's voice sounded from the corner of the room.
Natsu's head shot up, pain coursing through his spine, but not registering as he stared at his boyfr— ex-boyfriend. 'I thought he left?'
"Sick?" the doctor asked, not noticing Natsu's wide eyes and parted lips.
Gray nodded as he strolled closer, his hands buried deep in his pockets. "He gets motion sickness. He might've forgotten to take his meds and got sick."
"Has it happened before?" the doctor asked, causing Natsu to finally nod.
"Uhh, yeah. Once or twice..." He slowly turned away from Gray, his heart beating faster than before. "But never when I was driving. I'm usually careful."
"If you were tired, it's possible you might have forgotten."
"Maybe," Natsu mumbled, swallowing hard. If he got sick while riding, there would have been nothing he could do to properly stop his bike. He was determined to make it back to Magnolia as soon as possible, so the likeliness that he forgot was high. "Probably..."
"Either way, you're alive, and that's all that matters." The doctor stood up to adjust some things for the IV drip. "We're keeping you one more night to be sure you're okay before releasing you. I'll have a nurse come in to remove your catheter when she comes in with your medicine since you're awake now."
Natsu didn't think his eyes could grow any wider. "There's... a... a..." He looked down at his body as he gulped. "I'm wearing a catheter?"
The doctor nodded as he walked to the end of the bed, grabbing his chart to write something down. "Correct. You were unconscious for a while, Mr. Dragneel."
Natsu cringed. Suddenly his broken bones didn't feel as bad as what he imagined removing a catheter would feel like. "Is it gonna hurt?"
"The removal?" the doctor asked, shaking his head. "You may feel some discomfort, but it shouldn't be painful. Just follow the nurse's instructions and you'll do fine." Dr. Justine put the chart back in its place before asking, "Do you have any other questions?"
Natsu had to force himself to nod. "Y-yeah. Umm, can I walk?"
Raising a brow, the doctor said, "I don't see why you wouldn't. Your legs are bruised, but no bones were broken. It may be painful to walk, but you should be able to."
"Also, uh, my backpack... Do you know where that is?"
Dr. Justine blinked once before nodding, heading over to a chair in the corner of the room away from Natsu. He pointed to a dirty bag resting on the chair. "It was damaged, but everything inside looks unharmed."
Before Natsu could sigh in relief, the doctor added, "Though, why someone would carry that around, puzzles me."
Natsu wanted to shrink down, but he knew he couldn't from his position. He could feel Gray's eyes burning into him, but he couldn't look at him. "I uh... wasn't usin' a bank account for a while."
"It appears so," the doctor said, his tone growing distant. "Well, if there's no more questions, I'll send the nurse back in. Good luck with your recovery, Mr. Dragneel. If you need anything else, just tell a nurse to come get me."
"Thank you."
The doctor left the room a few seconds later, leaving Natsu alone with Gray. He slowly looked over, almost flinching when he saw that dark gaze. "What?" he asked, as if it wasn't obvious.
Gray's eyes narrowed a bit before looking over at his backpack. "What are you carrying?"
"It's just money," he admitted, not wanting Gray to think he was holding onto anything dangerous. "It's a lot of cash... from my last job."
"What job?" Gray asked, taking the seat he was in earlier.
Natsu didn't want to spook him away by commenting on it, instead deciding to keep the conversation moving. With any luck, Gray might stay and hear him out, even if it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Boxing. I won my last match."
Gray raised a brow. "Why would you not keep your money in a bank?"
Natsu thought the answer was obvious. His only bank account was a joint account with Gray. How was he supposed to disappear if there was a money trail? Still, he wanted to answer without risking Gray leaving. He went with another truth. "It wasn't exactly... legal. They were underground matches..."
He swallowed, his throat feeling dry. "Couldn't even use my real name."
Gray surprised him by asking, "What name do you use?" He almost sounded interested.
"Salamander. And I don't use it anymore..."
Gray snorted, the smallest twitch at the corner of his lips looking like a smile. "Shoulda figured you'd use that nickname."
Taking a chance, Natsu teased, "It's better than some of the nicknames you've given me. I think my personal favorite was Fire Crotch."
Gray's shoulders shook from a silent laugh as he shook his head. "You're the one who thought it would be a good idea to use hot sauce in the bedroom." It looked as if he was going to say more, but he shut his mouth, his lips curving into a frown.
Natsu realized that was a sensitive subject. It was a mistake to bring it up. "Sor—"
"Did you sleep with anyone else?" Gray asked, cutting him off.
"What?!"
"While you were gone? I know I shouldn't ask, but—"
"Of course not!" Natsu shouted, not caring if he was being too loud. He tried to sit up straight, but pain shot through his body, forcing him back down. He squeezed one eye shut while he tried ignoring the pain. "Gray, I love you. I'd never cheat on you."
Natsu didn't know why he thought that would make things better. He swore the hurt that flashed through Gray's dark eyes was more painful than all his injuries combined. "Then..." His voice was soft, barely a whisper. "... why'd you leave?"
"I was stupid," Natsu confessed, his heart feeling as if it was shattering. "I... I didn't know what to do. Every time I looked at you, I remembered—" He shut up, feeling his chest tighten.
"What? What did you remember?" Desperation tinted Gray's voice, something Natsu hadn't heard before. He already knew he hurt Gray by leaving, but now he truly felt it with every fiber of his being.
"Igneel."
The two men stayed silent for a moment, Natsu cringing in pain while Gray shook his head. "How?"
Natsu looked down, no longer able to hold Gray's gaze. "Igneel... was the one who introduced us... If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have known you."
Igneel hired Gray as a seasonal employee at his shop. Natsu didn't get along with Gray at first, but after working together side by side for a whole summer, the two grew close... Much closer than anyone anticipated.
"Every time I saw you, it reminded me that he's... he's..." Tears filled Natsu's eyes, threatening to fall over at any second. "Gone."
Gray swallowed thickly, his face growing cold as he tried to hide his emotions. "Is that why you really left? It wasn't because... you were tired of me, or something?"
Natsu shook his head as he broke down. The first of many tears raced down his red cheeks, his chest shaking as he slowly lost his fight to remain in control of his emotions. "No! I promise it wasn't you. I'm sorry, Gray. I fucked up. I really, really fucked up. I didn't mean to stay gone so long. I promise."
"Why did you then?" Gray asked, his own face turning red as he fought off his tears. "You were gone seven months. Why so long?"
"E-every time I tried to come back, I kept... I kept thinking about how mad you'd be at me. I was too scared to face you." Natsu hated admitting something frightened him, but he was more terrified of losing Gray forever. He doubted they could resume their relationship where they left off, but maybe, just maybe he could salvage their friendship. He would rather be in Gray's life as his friend than nothing at all.
"I... I wanted to see you. I only left to clear my head, but—"
"Did you?"
Natsu shook his head. "No. I couldn't stop thinking about you... about my dad." He didn't know what hurt worse, his body or his heart. Everything inside him throbbed painfully, reminding him of his mistakes, both physically and emotionally.
"I regret leaving. I regretted it as soon as I did it, but I couldn't f-face you like this. I couldn't deal with my feelings. I thought if I shoved them all down, I'd feel better, but I didn't."
Gray shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "You know I hate losing people, don't you? How do you think I felt when I woke up the next morning and you were gone?! Just gone! All you left was a fucking note! It looked like you just scribbled some words down and left."
Natsu's lower lip trembled as he forced himself to talk, voice sounding hoarse. "B-because that's what I did... I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Everything reminded me of his death. I w-wanted to come back, but every day it got harder. I knew you'd be mad."
"Why now?" Gray asked, causing Natsu to meet his eyes. "Why come back to Magnolia now?" He looked down at Natsu's body, seeing bandages around his head, on his face, and a cast on his left arm. "And in such a hurry you ended up crashing?"
Natsu didn't want to fool himself, but he swore he heard concern in Gray's voice. The thought alone made his heart ache more. He didn't deserve Gray's pity. "I just needed to see you again. I was ready to beg for forgiveness. I still am! I know I have no right to ask for you to forgive me. I get it, I really do. I fucked up."
Gray gritted his teeth, his eyes turning glossy with unshed tears. "Why didn't you call or write? Anything would've been better than that note."
Natsu didn't bother saying it was a letter. He realized now that just because it was on a full sheet of paper, didn't mean it could be considered a letter. "I tried calling you, but most of the time... I hung up. I-I called you on your birthday..."
Natsu used the hand with his IV attached to it to wipe at his tears, frustrated when they refused to let up. "I thought you might pick up, but you didn't. I couldn't even leave a real message."
"I was out with friends. Our friends," Gray corrected. "Lucy and Cana threw me a surprise party at their place. Everyone was there." He paused, letting out a sigh. "Well, almost everyone. It was weird. I couldn't get you out of my head all night. Then I got home and had a voicemail... I—"
Gray took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say. "I saw it was from an unknown number. I thought it was you. I was hoping it was you, but when I checked it, it was just a minute and a half of silence..."
"I'm sorry," Natsu whispered.
Gray shook his head. "That's the last thing you should be apologizing for."
He nodded, knowing Gray was right. "Yeah. Sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, just please, know I really am sorry for putting you through that. If I could change it, I would."
"Honestly," Gray started, his eyes softening, "I wish you would've talked to me. There's no shame in admitting when you can't handle something. I wanted to be there to comfort you. I..." He paused, wrestling with what he was about to say. "I still want to be there for you."
Natsu looked down at his body, the pain pulsing at every injury. "I feel like an idiot. Look at me."
"If it makes you feel better, you look like an idiot too."
Natsu huffed at him through his nose, earning a snort from Gray. He wiped his tears away, thankful when they stopped flowing. He knew everything wasn't okay, but he felt better getting that off his chest. He didn't have Gray's forgiveness, but he hoped he would be able to earn it instead of getting shut out.
Gray looked over at the clock on the wall, frowning. "I should get going. I gotta get home and feed Happy."
"Happy?" Natsu asked, cocking his head.
Gray nodded, running a hand through his dark hair. "Yeah. It was too quiet after... after you left, so I... I got a cat." His lip twitched into a small smile as he glanced back at Natsu. "I think you'd like him. He's a little fireball of energy."
"I'd like to meet him," Natsu said hesitantly, not wanting to upset Gray. "I know I don't deserve it. I know it, but... Is there anyway I can have another chance?"
Just as Gray's eyes started to widen, he added, "As friends! I know I ruined any chance of us being together, but, I really wanna be your friend, Gray. I love you, and I promise I'm sorry for what I did."
Gray took a deep breath as he thought about it. "The doc said you get released tomorrow... I'm not making any promises, but until you get back on your feet, you can stay with me."
Natsu's green eyes flashed with hope as he tried to sit up, wincing when the pain reminded him why he was laying down in the first place. Before he got a chance to say anything, Gray interrupted him.
"I'm not taking you back," he said quickly, keeping his voice firm. "But I'm not... opposed to it in the future... I don't trust you, but I want to."
Natsu nodded, completely understanding. "I'll earn it back. I promise, I'll be better this time."
"And talk to me," Gray added. "If you're feeling down, just talk to me. I'm always available to listen, but you have to tell me if you're upset. Trying to bottle it up inside is only gonna hurt you, and I guess hurt me too."
Natsu swallowed, his heart aching. He knew he hurt Gray, but to hear it confirmed made him feel worse about himself. 'I deserve to feel this way,' he reminded himself as he nodded again. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Good." Gray stood before buttoning his shirt back up. Somewhere between their conversation, he had tried to undress himself without realizing it. "But you're sleeping on the couch."
"Absolutely. Makes sense."
When Gray finished with his shirt, he took a step closer to Natsu. He held his hand out, pausing before he reached down and grasped Natsu's hand, giving it a soft squeeze. Natsu returned it immediately, his heart pounding as his cheeks tinted pink. He had missed Gray's touch.
"Get better, okay?" Gray said before pulling away, heading towards the door. "I'll be by tomorrow to pick you up. We can sort everything else out later."
Natsu nodded, not that Gray could see. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." Gray looked over his shoulder, flashing Natsu a small smirk. "Just wait until you recover. I'm kicking your ass."
Natsu's heart dropped as he asked, "For leaving?"
Gray's eyes widened just a bit before he shook his head. "No. I wouldn't do that." He chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. "It's just been too long since we've fought. I... I miss it."
Natsu couldn't stop the large grin from forming on his face. "I'll be counting down the days."
Nodding, Gray opened the door, slipping out of the room without another word. Natsu's head fell back against his pillow, counting himself as the luckiest man in the world. He knew he didn't deserve Gray, even before he left him like that.
He would work hard to be a better person, a better friend to Gray. He hoped they could possibly return to a relationship after they sorted through their emotions, but he knew he couldn't hold Gray to that. He couldn't blame Gray if he decided he didn't want to try again.
As long as he was in his life, Natsu was happy. He would dedicate the rest of his life to making sure Gray was happy too, relationship or not.
"Mr. Dragneel?"
Natsu's head snapped over to the door, seeing the nurse had returned. "Yeah?"
"I brought you some medication for the pain." She handed him two pills and a small cup of water.
He gulped them down, muttering a thanks as she went to throw the cup away. He hoped that meant his pain was going to end, at least for the time being.
"Now, time to remove that catheter."
Natsu cringed, realizing the pain wasn't quite over yet. 'It can't be worse than a broken heart,' he reminded himself, knowing there were much, much worse things he could experience than getting a tube removed from his bladder.
He could tolerate a little more. This was nothing compared to what he put Gray, or himself through for those months apart. At least Gray was giving him the chance to redeem himself. It was much more than he deserved, and he was so thankful his father introduced them all those years ago.
Gray made this hellish world seem bearable. He couldn't afford to take him for granted ever again, and he didn't plan to.
Let me know what you thought of this story! No smut, but you got a dose of angst! If you're unfamiliar with me, you should know I love to add angst to stories. Anyways, please let me know what you thought of this one-shot! :)
