Here's Chapter Thirteen. So sorry for the long wait.
Title: Fire and Ice
Rating: M
Genre: Romance, Supernatural, Horror
Summary: They were opposites. Light and darkness, fire and ice. They were destined to tear each other apart, yet something else happened. They were drawn to each other eternally and nothing could separate them. This is the tale of the masters of fire and ice.
Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster
Warnings: Fluff, I guess. I don't know; I'm not that good at writing it...
Relationships: Gray/Natsu
Author Notes: This is the continuation of Part V, which is the mini-series entitled Solace. Enjoy and don't forget to review!
Part V-II: Solace
"The night is darkest just before dawn. But keep your eyes open; if you avert your eyes from the dark, you'll be blind to the rays of a new day. So keep your eyes open...no matter how dark the night ahead may be." ~Sakata Gintoki (Gintama)
His partner was fast asleep in his lap, an ever-present embodiment of the warmth and comfort in the cold winter world around them.
He took in the scars littering his lover's body, an ugly and abhorrent reminder of just what exactly the man before him was—nothing but a monster wearing a human's skin.
The pink-haired man groaned, shifting in his makeshift seat and letting out a heavy breath. A grimace appeared on his lips as he visibly trembled, clearly offset by whatever he was dreaming about.
With a sigh, the raven-haired man moved into a more comfortable position and shut his eyes. Natsu's heat was a thing he had to become accustomed to, and even though the rain outside had lessened its power, it was still strong enough to try and counter his own magic.
He tensed as his stomach growled, glancing down at the sleeping man. Natsu was seemingly undisturbed and continued to sleep on with that faint frown pulling down the corner of his lips.
Gray leaned down and pressed his lips to sweat-slicked, slightly cold skin. "I'll be back in a minute."
I sighed and leaned against the marble island in the center of my kitchen, taking a long drag from the mug of coffee in my hands. The bitter, harsh taste of the unsweetened drink was a welcome comfort from the wild and unrestrained fervor that was my life.
Grimacing as my head began to pound, I rubbed the heel of my hand viciously against my eyes. I had to stay awake. I had to make sure Natsu was okay.
"Gray?"
I flinched as the voice sounded in the doorway behind me. The mug in my hands jolted and tilted to the side, and I was hissing in pain as the scalding liquid splashed over my skin.
Out of reflex, I dropped the cup and glared helplessly, exhausted irritation as it shattered with a loud crack. My hands trembled and I narrowed as my skin began to burn. Frost attempted to coat my skin in an effort to combat the unwanted heat, but water vapor seeped off of me as the heat and cold reacted.
Natsu stared at me through bleary eyes, his confusion and agitation clear in his gaze. "Gray?" He stumbled slightly and pressed his weight into the kitchen door frame, perspiration gleaming on his tan skin.
"What are you doing out of bed, flame-brain? You need to rest." I moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him close and pressing my lips against his forehead. We backed up almost unconsciously, only stopping when the small of my back hit the island in the center of the room.
Natsu hissed and rested his head against my chest, his body trembling slightly. "You left me alone." He glanced down at the mess of coffee and porcelain behind us, frowning and pressing his weight harder into me. "If you wanted to sleep, you could have."
"I'm fine." I began to urge him back towards my bedroom, but he growled and dug his socked heels into the tile floor in order to fight off my grip.
I met his defiant glare as he turned his head to look at me. "You're not fine. How long have you been awake?"
"Natsu, I don't think—"
"Don't lie to me, Gray."
I sighed and shook my head, threading my fingers of my uninjured hand through thick pink hair. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
He hummed softly, pressing into the lingering touch of my cold hand. "At the expense of your own health?" Dull green eyes reflected the dim light of the kitchen as he turned to look up at me.
"Your health is a bigger priority." I found myself staring at the strands of vibrantly colored hair wrapped around my fingers, feeling an unseen weight press against my shoulders.
Two damp, warm hands were steadying me as the world tilted and spun around me, and the blood was roaring in my ears as I struggled to regain my sense of balance.
Darkened emerald eyes watched me carefully as my vision cleared, startlingly close. "Sit down, Gray. Now."
"Natsu." I grimaced and pressed my lips together, my injured hand protesting as I grasped his tightly. "I'm fine. Don't try to—"
"Stop it and sit down," the pinkette rasped, giving me a defiant, insistent glare. "You're not well at all, either. What do you expect me to do?"
"You—you need to get better first," I gasped, feeling my aura weaken and Natsu's heat begin to overwhelm me. "I need you to get better first."
Natsu bared his teeth and leaned closer, our noses almost touching as his breath lapped at my skin. "Why?"
"I don't—it's just there, Natsu. I can't sleep if I don't know you're okay." I held his face in my hands, pulling him close and resting my forehead against his own. "I just have to know you're okay. Nothing will make me change that."
He laughed softly, his breath hitching in the back of his throat. "Your empathy will be the end of you someday, Gray. I hope you know that."
I found myself smiling as I leaned against the counter of the island again, the marble and granite digging into my skin and keeping my mind present. "It's one of my faults. And you know you love it."
I watched him through bleary eyes as he knelt to gather the pieces of what had been the mug. "Watch the shards and don't—"
"We're both exhausted and probably sick. A little cut won't be that much trouble; we've been through much worse." Natsu glanced up at me, giving a half-hearted attempt at a smile. "Go on back to the room. I'll be there in a minute."
Natsu sighed as he straightened slowly, grimacing as a series of cracks sounded in his back. Letting out a heavy and exhausted breath, he moved over to the trash can and emptied the contents of the dustpan into it, putting the broom and its companion away afterward.
He paused to lean against the marble countertop, shuddering as a wave of dizziness passed over him. With a determined huff, the pinkette headed towards his shared room, using the wall nearest him for support.
The inside of Gray's room was cold and dry, as always, but there was a hidden menace lingering in the darkened air—most likely from the storm of emotions his partner was dealing with currently. Faint bands of frost lined the hardwood floor on the ice wizard's side of the bed, and a soft fog-like air crept around and beneath the corners of the bed.
Shivering slightly and attempting to raise his own body temperature, Natsu approached his side of the bed, where it was only slightly warmer—the warmth was only because of a spell Freed had put on their shared bed, one that would retain Gray's characteristic cold and Natsu's unnatural heat.
Gray lay there fast asleep, one arm outstretched across the fire wizard's designated side, almost as if he were blindly searching for his partner's warmth.
Feeling a smirk curl back his lips, Natsu gently moved the raven's arm aside and made himself comfortable on the bed. Gray sighed deeply and shifted closer, strangely drawn to the warmth and presence of the fire wizard.
Resting his head on his pillow, Natsu took to watching the ice mage sleep, feeling suddenly unable to drift off into unconsciousness himself. The moonlight streaming in through the window made his skin even paler than it already was, and he seemed restless as he moved agitatedly in his sleep.
"Natsu..."
The fire wizard glanced over at the sleeping wizard, smiling softly at the sound of his name. Even in his dreams, Gray couldn't seem to be without him—not that he was complaining or anything.
As he shifted on the bed once more, Gray let out a soft but heavy breath, his eyelids fluttering as he turned towards the other wizard. It was then that Natsu noticed the sheer exhaustion on the man's face—the darkened bags beneath his eyes, the sickly pallor of his already-pale skin, the faint sheen of perspiration that covered his skin. A faint pang of guilt overcame the fire wizard as he realized that his partner had forced himself to stay awake for hours just to make sure he was okay.
"Natsu."
Dull emerald-gold eyes glanced down to meet glazed obsidian orbs, the silvery moonlight of the evening sky reflecting in those endless eyes.
"Hmm? Go back to sleep, Gray."
"You first." The ice wizard narrowed his eyes and glared at the pinkette, his stare tinged with the slightest hint of concern and agitation.
Natsu sighed and stretched out on the bed, almost shuddering at the softness of the sheets. "I never was asleep."
The raven's voice was muffled as he turned his face to the side so half of it was concealed by the pillow. "Why not?"
"Can't sleep." When the ice wizard made only a deep, noncommittal noise, the pinkette glanced down at the exhausted man. His eyes were shut once more, and his breathing was heavy and even.
Natsu smirked and turned over on his side, watching his lover sleep through the night.
Ugh, apologies for the bad ending once more, and if this one dragged a bit. Be sure to leave a review and suggestions, please!
Next chapter won't be up for a minute. I'm working on Paradox (another Fairy Tail story; check it out if you haven't already), Corpse Flower, and Psychosis, as well as the next installment of this. Leave suggestions, comments, questions in the reviews!