Chapter 10: A Kick in the Balls from Reality

A/N: Two chapters in one day! It's because I love you guys :) Thanks for all the comments. Agreed: Gray and Natsu are both being stupid. Let's see how they deal with shock...

Fairy Tail came into view and Gray put on more speed. He nearly tripped over Warren as the latter turned onto the street.

"Gray!" Warren greeted him, then he took in the body in Gray's arms and his smile evaporated. "Oh my god. Is he okay?"

"Get Porlyusica!" Gray ordered without breaking pace. "And warn Mira I'm coming!"

Catching up to keep pace with him, Warren nodded and put a finger to his forehead. As they pounded down the last block, Warren said, "Porlyusica says she won't come into Magnolia: bring him to her."

Gray's terror erupted in anger.

"Do you see all this blood?" he almost screamed. "Tell her to fucking get over here!"

The snarl on his face made Warren go pale.

Gray burst in the doors of Fairy Tail.

"Mira!" he shouted. "Natsu's hurt!"

Mirajane was already heading toward the infirmary, pre-warned by the telepath.

Gray dashed around tables, knocking several people over in his wake. There were cries of "what's going on?" that he ignored. No time. He was vaguely aware of Master and Erza following.

He didn't stop running until he was laying Natsu down on a cot. The ice was all gone, so he made more, then stared down at his shaking hands, breathing in great gasps. His fingers were bloody. With Natsu's blood. The sight arrested him.

"What happened?"

"He was stabbed...through the chest..." Gray panted. "I-I stabbed him..."

Erza's hand landed on his shoulder in a fierce grip. He couldn't tell if it was meant for comfort or vengeance.

Mirajane fluttered around busily. Gray couldn't stand any longer—all his muscles were trembling. He collapsed backward onto another cot and sat with elbows on his knees, holding dripping fingers away from his body.

Fuck, there's blood everywhere, this is bad, holy shit...

Erza squeezed his shoulder.

"What were you two doing?" she asked.

"We were fighting..." He pressed the backs of his wrists into his eyes. "I don't know, he just...stopped. I wasn't trying to hit him—I mean, I was, but I wasn't trying to do...this."

He had to break off as fear ripped at his throat.

The delirious Salamander seemed to be stirring a little nearer to consciousness, breathing changing. Without hesitation Gray leaned in closer to the sweaty face, waiting, waiting, for something.

"Don't stop," Natsu breathed.

"What, are you a masochist now?" Gray whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. His voice was hoarse. "I am never fighting you again. I don't want to hurt you worse. Moron."

Insults seemed to be the only way Gray could handle what was going on.

He could feel Makarov's eyes on him from across the room. He remembered the incident with the Dragonoid: how everyone thought Gray had it out for the Salamander, how everyone thought he'd betrayed the guild in order to hurt Natsu. Nobody understood this was how they took care of each other. Gray put him through this sort of thing because Natsu was his closest friend.

Maybe Natsu didn't understand, either. Maybe Gray was just an idiot who kept doing the wrong thing.

"Ojiisan." Gray looked up desperately. "I swear—"

"We believe you," Erza interrupted.

Gray glanced up at her. She was gazing down at Natsu with a worried expression that shattered him.

"Master," Mira interjected, no trace of her usual smile, "we can't help him here. This needs Porlyusica."

"Mm." Makarov's frown didn't leave Natsu's face. "Send someone to get her."

"Warren already told her," Gray said in a rush.

"In that case," Makarov finally looked at him, "there's nothing more you can do."

"Jiisan—"

"Go get cleaned up."

Gray stood, his chest so tight that breathing was difficult. He was afraid for Natsu, afraid that if he weren't here watching, something terrible would happen to the Dragon Slayer in his absence. And a new fear was growing: afraid if he stepped out of this room, they wouldn't let him come back in.

Gramps didn't let anyone hurt his children. I'm going to be put out of the guild.

He swallowed, but it didn't stop a tear from getting out. He took another breath, but it was loud and shuddery and everyone looked at him and dammit he was crying...

"Are you hurt?" Erza gasped.

Gray shook his head, trying to speak without letting any more emotion leak out.

"Is he going to be okay?" His voice sounded small and terrified. He put a hand over his mouth to stop the noise.

Erza walked over and hugged him. For once he didn't complain about being crushed against the cold metal breastplate. His head fell on her shoulder, hiding his tears.

"Come." She pulled him toward the door.

At the threshold, Gray jerked back and stared at the unmoving pink head.

It shouldn't be like this. Natsu's skin was as tough as dragon-hide. Gray loved that: it's what gave him the freedom to go all out with Natsu. This—this shouldn't be possible. Gray knew he was good, his ice magic was strong, but even he wasn't this powerful. Natsu had faced far worse with less damage.

You let me do this to you. I am going to kill you.

Gray froze. Maybe he had already killed him.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck—

Erza took his hand and led him out.

Erza led Gray by the elbow, but let go when they reached the main hall to minimize his embarrassment. He kept his head down as they entered, dark bangs hiding his face.

He'd only let out one heavily-stifled sob and seemed to have himself under control now. He nevertheless looked like death.

She took him to the industrial sink in one corner behind the bar and turned on the water.

"Wash."

Gray put his hands under the stream mechanically.

"Soap," she said, putting the bar in his hands.

He very slowly started to scrub at the dried blood.

Erza glanced around. Looks shot their way, but nobody was outright staring. Still, Gray looked about to fall apart and this wasn't the place.

She did a quick requip to get rid of her armor—it was hard to be comforting while encased in metal. Using magic made her realize part of why Gray seemed so empty: he was almost drained of magic power.

Gray washed off Natsu's blood with agonizing slowness. It took all her self-control not to reach over and help him like a lost child. Instead, she noted his wounds: besides the usual lacerations, his left shoulder was burned and red, and a dark stain showed through the right knee of his pants.

"Come," she said, turning off the water and tossing him a towel.

He didn't question her.

Once out in the street, she had to keep her eye on him as Gray didn't seem able to avoid tripping over people and objects in his path. Finally they turned onto a familiar street and Erza pushed him up a flight of stairs.

At the landing, Gray glanced around, noting their surroundings with surprise.

Erza knocked on the door. "Lucy. It's me."

A beautiful blonde head peaked out, then the door swung wide. Despite the circumstances, Erza's heart jumped at little at the sight of her.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, her smile quickly replaced with worry as she watched Gray fall into a chair.

Erza leaned heavily against the closed door. She took Lucy's hand and drew her next to her, both for comfort and so she could speak in a low voice.

"He and Natsu got in a fight. An actual fight."

"How bad?" Lucy whispered, watching the boy put his forehead down on her table.

"I don't know what happened exactly, but Natsu was wounded. He's in the infirmary: Porlyusica's on her way."

Lucy's jaw dropped and her eyes grew huge. There was no need to say how bad it was; Porlyusica coming into town was almost unprecedented.

Gray was off in some other world. Since they were effectively alone, Erza lifted Lucy's hand to her face and held it there.

Lucy, the girl with a heart big enough to fit the world, gave Erza the most comforting, understanding smile and pressed her cheek. Then she walked over and got the silent Gray a glass of water. He stared at it. Lucy sat in the chair next to him and put an arm around his shoulder.

"It's okay," she said.

Gray nodded and took a drink.

Erza didn't know how Lucy did that. How she got people to move and respond, lifted people up out of their dark places, and was neither chipper or forceful, but kind.

Lucy was a different kind of human from the usual Fairy Tail stock. Special.