You'll Fade

Chapter XX – You'll Fade...

That dark room, the hard cold table, the smell of burning flesh, those screams, the blood…he'd never forget a single detail from that day. The day he found Gray- bound, burned, bleeding, crying, shaking…scarred. New scars scattered around his right hand and through the left, light scars across his chest and waist, burn scars lightly covered the underside of his body, and the two small scars that went above and below his faded eye. That one day…he'd wish nothing more than to forget it. To forget all of it.

It's you again.

Go away.

Why have you come back?

I said…go away.

You've come to me.

That's not true.

Tell me. Why're you here?

Shut up.

Is there something you need of me?

I don't need a damn thing from you.

My mistake. Is there something you want from me?

I…

I gave you my explanation on why I did what I did. What else could you want? Tell me.

…N-No.

You hesitated. Fine. Tell me this then. How much time has passed?

What?

How long has it been since I took what was yours?

You fuc-

Answer me.

S-six months.

Is that all? Has he healed up nicely?

Shut up, you sick freak.

Hahaha…of course. I'm the sick one. I could say the same to you.

What are you talking about?

What else? You did all of that to him. If you were stronger he wouldn't be so scarred.

Shut the hell up. You can't say shit about me. You're dead.

And yet you're still here. Why's that? You still haven't told me.

Because you won't leave.

Like I said…you came to me.

…

Still nothing? Hmm…you're wasting my time, dragon slayer.

I said shut up! Just leave already!

I'd love to. As much as I love being inside of you…you're boring me.

Fucking bitch.

Oh my I see your mouth hasn't cleaned up in the time we've been apart.

…

If you won't tell me then maybe you should just go.

I'm not going anywhere.

Then spill it. I'm not a patient woman as you know.

…I understand.

What?

I understand why you wanted to kill your husband.

Do you? My…my…-

Don't get the wrong idea. I get why you wanted to, but I don't agree that you should have.

Well…I honestly don't care what you think.

But I don't get why you had to kill you son or all of those innocent people.

You'll never understand. So why are you saying this now?

Shut it. I think it's because I wish I killed you myself.

If you think killing is so bad then why do you want to kill me?

Why? I think it's funny you have to ask. Why wouldn't I want to? After all you did.

And that justifies you killing me?

You're a murderer, rapist, manipulator, dark mage, assassin…should I go on?

So what…you came here to kill me?

No because you're already dead. You're already dead.

That may be so, but this won't be the last you hear from me, Natsu Dragneel.

Even if it isn't, you are dead and gone. You can't touch him again.

Maybe not, but if I can still be the cause of these dreams of yours…

…

Who knows what's going on in his head? I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

You're sick.

Every scar on his body is a reminder of me, Gwenera. I will always be with him.

Shut-

Everyday that goes by…

Stop it.

Every time he blinks; only able to see half of his world.

…

Every time he falls from the pain in his legs. He'll beat the ground and curse my name!

SHUT THE HELL UP!

"Hah…ah…what the…?" Natsu said turning his head. He raised his head from the cool, hard, floor and looked up at his bed.

"Shit." He cursed as he got to his knees. He couldn't remember the last time he actually fell out of his bed. Natsu's grimace softened as he gripped the sheet, pulling his upper body onto the bed. His eyes stuck to the sleeping raven that claimed half of his bed. Gray's arm was laid across Natsu's side. Natsu sighed as he slowly lifted the arm and climbed back underneath it, snuggling close to the chilly man. He turned towards Gray and watched his face turn from a peaceful slumber to an expression of torment from another nightmare.

"Gray…?" Natsu whispered; hearing Gray's teeth begin to softly grind together. He didn't want to wake the ice mage, but he didn't want him to suffer through that bitter darkness. Natsu frowned. He knew all too well what he was dreaming of and who he was with.

"Hey Gray…" He whispered again as he lifted himself onto his elbow; moving Gray's arm down to his waist. The fire mage continued to watch Gray's face contort deeper into a scornful scowl. He carefully brushed the hair from Gray's face as the raven moved closer to his pillow as if trying to hide.

Natsu felt himself wanting to bite at his lip. This same thing has happened almost every night since they returned home. The only time this didn't happen was when they got so drunk that neither of them could remember if it happened or not. He hated to see Gray struggle to get just a couple hours of sleep each night. He hated that even though they were home…he was still fighting that woman every night. And every night Natsu would just sit and watch the one he loved get torn apart again and again. If he wasn't watching it happen on Gray's face, it'd be happening in his own dreams. There was no escaping it.

Natsu shook his head. He wished he could just forget it all. All of it.

"Finally! We're back." Gray smiled big as he raised his arms up in a stretch.

"Ugh…you g-go on without m-me." Natsu said hunched over, gripping at his knees.

"Are you kidding me? We got off the train awhile ago and you're still nauseated? Pathetic."

"S-shut up, stripper. We should've w-walked."

Gray looked down at his legs. They were already trembling from standing too long.

"Heh yeah I think you would've been carrying me for most of that "hike."

Natsu followed Gray's gaze and couldn't help but frown slightly at his tired limbs. He stood up straight and swallowed the lump that clung to the back of his throat.

"Do you want me to carry you now?"

"What? No, Natsu I don't. I'm fine."

"But you're-" Natsu motioned towards his legs.

"I know, but I'm fine. Let's just get to the guild, okay?" Gray said with a reassuring grin. Natsu nodded while trying to mimic that same grin.

"I feel like we haven't been home in years." Natsu said looking around the town. His face lit up at seeing some familiar townspeople. Gray didn't look at them; he kept his eye focused on the big castle of a guild right ahead of him. Natsu looked over at Gray.

"You doing okay? Do you want to rest?" Natsu said, concern clouding his onyx eyes.

"Dammit flame-head do you have to keep asking me that!? I said I'm fine." Gray spat back quickening his pace as Natsu stopped frozen in his tracks. His eyes held a hurt expression for less than a second before he felt his knuckles crack from annoyance. Natsu sped up after Gray, gripped the back of his shirt, spun him around, and threw him up over his shoulder.

"N-Natsu!? What the hell?" Gray said, thrashing against his captor.

Natsu walked to the closest café and sat Gray down at one of the outside tables. He dropped their luggage next to his chair and sat down in the chair across from him. Gray stared at him for awhile before slamming his fist on the table; both mages shared the same look of irritation.

"Are you going to say anything?"

"What does it matter what I say?"

"What're you talking about, Natsu?"

"You're in pain."

"I'm fine."

"See! What does it matter what the hell I say if you're just going to sit there and lie to my face! You're not fine. You are in pain."

"I'm-"

"If you say "I'm fine" one more time I will seriously kick your ass."

Gray sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Gray, please. I just don't want you-"

"To what? Be in pain? Natsu, I can't get rid of the pain by sitting down. I can't lessen it by resting. It takes more than that. More time, but even so I'm not going to waste anymore time."

"What do you mean?" Natsu said, gripping the edge of the table.

"I…want to go home."

"We are-"

"No." Gray shook his head and pointed towards their guild home.

"Gray…"

"The entire time I was with Gwenera I thought of nothing else but you and going home. Now I'm here with you and you're telling me to wait when that's the last thing I want to do."

Natsu watched as the irritation faded from Gray's face just as quickly as it came.

"I want to walk through those doors…with you. Right now." Gray said as he slowly stood up. He walked over to Natsu's chair and looked down at him; hand held out in invitation. Natsu's face fell in disbelief at hearing the desperation in Gray's voice for the hundredth time.

The pinkette looked down at the hand that was still waiting to be taken. He watched the pale scarred skin shake, but he couldn't tell why it was shaking. He blinked rapidly, clearing his thoughts, and gripped the hand tight in his as he was pulled to his feet. He kept his eyes on that hand that instinctively clung to his. He didn't even blink until Gray moved his fingers so that they intertwined with his. Gray bent over and pulled their luggage from the ground; throwing it over his back.

"Are you ready, Natsu?" Gray asked, pulling on his arm. Natsu's eyes travelled around each finger, up to his hand, up his arm, to his love's eyes. Natsu cupped the side of Gray's face; his face covered in a look of discontentment. He loved how strong Gray was, but he hated his stubbornness. Even now Natsu fought the urge to throw the raven over his shoulder and run to the guild, but he knew Gray would end up kicking his ass if he picked him up again.

"Natsu?" Gray said; his hand covering the hand that still touched his face. Natsu looked down, took a breath, and lifted his head again in a smile. He nodded.

"Ready."

He gripped the cold hand that pulled at his as he watched their home get closer and closer. Each step that brought them closer, Natsu's smile grew while Gray's pace sped up. When Gray touched the door his face lit up and at the same time he crumbled. Natsu smiled as he watched Gray shed a tear from his faded eye. Gray turned towards Natsu, meeting his gaze.

The pinkette didn't console him; he didn't say a word.

Natsu just took a deep breath and kicked the door wide open.

"Hey~! We're back!"

"What's wrong? Why're you up?" Gray said groggily rubbing his eyes. Natsu was so lost in thought that he jumped at hearing Gray's voice.

"W-what?"

"What?" Are you okay?" Gray asked.

"Yeah…just the usual bad dream."

"Yeah. Me too." Gray said, turning onto his back; laying his arm across his eyes.

"How do you feel?"

Gray lifted his arm, laid it on his forehead, and looked questioningly at Natsu.

"Natsu, I'm okay. You don't have to keep asking me that."

"I know but-"

"Natsu, it was just a dream." Gray said, turning his gaze away from the pinkette. Natsu hung his forehead towards his pillow; a thought entered his head as he slowly raised it back up to stare at the raven.

"Can I ask what you were dreaming about?"

Gray hesitated to answer. He sighed; keeping his arm over his eyes.

"I think you can guess."

"Right."

Natsu turned onto his back and looked at the ceiling. Seconds of silence went by.

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"What did you dream about?"

"It was just her again. We were talking."

"Really? That's more specific than the last time I asked you. What happened?"

"Nothing. It was like that one nightmare I had the day she took you. Remember?"

"Yeah."

"Only this one was just us talking. I couldn't see, hear, touch, or smell anything. It was just an empty space filled with our voices."

"That's just..." Gray's words fell from his mouth. Natsu didn't look at him, knowing he'd have the same look of disgust with a twinge of confusion covering his face. Gray sighed in an over exaggerated way.

"With these dreams we have every night it surprises me it's been six months." Gray said raising his hand in the air; his eyes playing connect the scars on his skin.

"It feels like we just got home yesterday." Natsu looked over at Gray then to the hand that was raised, clawing at the air. He watched Gray open and close his hand over and over without any struggle. He smiled.

"It's good your hand is back to normal."

"Yeah. I just wish my damn legs would hurry up with the "getting back to normal" process."

Natsu lifted his hand into the air next to Gray's. His eyes glued on Gray's face.

"You'll get there."

Gray looked at Natsu, already feeling his warm grasp wrap around his hand.

"We'll be here for you through the whole thing. Me and Fairy Tail." Natsu said pulling Gray's hand back down with his. Gray followed his gaze and saw their hands were wrapped around each other. He continued to stare as Natsu moved their thumbs so they were pointing out. He felt the corners of his mouth wanting to rise when Natsu then uncurled their index fingers so they were pointing straight into the air. Gray smiled; he's never seen something that fit so perfectly together as one. Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, and Fairy Tail.

That same night the two fairies lay together as one, wrapped in each others arms. Minds at ease and hearts calm. Neither had another nightmare that night.

As the morning light entered their room, Gray opened his eyes; the sun lit up across their intertwined bodies. He looked down, seeing Natsu's sleeping face snuggled onto his chest while the pinkette's arm wrapped around his waist. He looked over at their hands and smiled. Natsu hand's still clinging to his.

Gray once thought he wanted to forget it all. To forget everything that happened on that horrible mission they'd been cursed with.

"Gray…?" Natsu whispered blearily, tilting his head up to look at Gray.

One look at Natsu was all he needed to never think about wanting to forget a single second of that mission again.

Gray pressed his lips to Natsu's forehead and squeezed him carefully tight in his arms. He never wanted to let go of that warmth. He couldn't remember what his life was like before this warmth had entered his cold world. However it was…he didn't care to live that way again. Natsu was now his life.

Natsu brushed his fingers across Gray's cheek just below his scarred eye. He blinked back another wave of enraged tears. He threw away the angry thoughts. Even if he was half blind…Gray was alive. That's all that mattered to him now.

That one day. Even if he could…he didn't want to forget. Looking up at the man he loved more than life itself, he just smiled. Thinking that nothing could make this moment better and no nightmare could make it any less from perfect.

She still talked to them; haunted their dreams every time they closed their eyes. Every time she claimed it was "them" who came to her and every time the dream would end the same way. With more unanswered questions that only increased their hatred for that demonic being that plagued their minds. Every morning Natsu and Gray would share their dreams before beginning their day and some days they wouldn't leave their bed.

Natsu dropped his hand from the raven's face and pulled away from his embrace.

This won't be one of those days. Natsu thought as he forced himself to move.

He pushed himself off of the bed and threw on his clothes that were scattered about. He looked around the room, searching for Gray's clothes. He picked up Gray's clothes and tossed them to him as he, too, got dressed. Although it was barely noticeable, Gray still struggled to pull his pants over his legs. The struggle then grew when he had to pull them up. Natsu never pushed the issue, but he was curious on how badly it still hurt down there. He kept his eyes on Gray as he pulled his shirt over his head, covering his newly made Fairy Tail symbol.

Gray got to his feet and walked over to Natsu. Natsu wrapped his arms around Gray's neck as the raven clung to his waist. The dragon slayer locked onto Gray's gaze before pulling him into his arms, he held on tight and never wanted to let go. Gray smiled and buried his face into Natsu's scarf.

Natsu's eyes travelled to their reflection in the window. He saw the scars that were on his and Gray's body. Even if it wasn't a drastic change, he could tell that their scars faded a little more everyday. He closed his eyes and heard her voice, but soon realized it, too, began to gradually grow silent. Natsu smiled and pulled away, looking into those dark eyes.

They would never forget, but each day that came and went their nightmares, pain, and scars would slowly become lighter. Natsu brought his lips to Gray's as he tangled his fingers in the long dark locks. Gray smiled into the kiss; his hands wrapping tight around Natsu, pulling him as close as possible.

Even though Natsu couldn't hear her anymore, he still saw her face as though she was just inches away. He felt himself wanting to mock her. He knew that someday she would fade away with the scars.

They broke the kiss and ran out the door, hand in hand, into the sun towards their home.

There'll come a day…where you'll fade away.

The End

(A/N) I knew it wouldn't be a long chapter and I know many were expecting more scenes and dialogue with their friends at Fairy Tail, but I wanted this final chapter to end in a quiet, somewhat peaceful, manner, if you will. Hmm well there is some good news. Although I feel as though I've done all I set out to do with "You'll Fade," I am keeping this story and progress of the pairing open...so that means I will be doing several separate little drabbles (one-shots) soon and I've already begun "Raven Hunt." I just love them so you'll be seeing much more of them soon. I promise!

I want to thank every one of you who read this, reviewed, and sent me private messages. It means a lot to know you enjoyed my story. I hope you'll enjoy my future fics as well. I've also decided that since I'm continuing "this" separately..."Raven Hunt" will be a completely different story. So let's watch them fall in love all over again...although I haven't decided if it'll be Yaoi yet...it might just be a friendship thing...hehehe yeah we'll see if I can keep it that way. Doubtful. Anyways "Raven Hunt" will begin in 2015!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year my lovely Yaoi lovers!

**One more thing...I'd like you, my Yaoi lovers, to check out my two new one-shots, if you haven't already! They're both Fairy Tail of course and they're called... "Mistake" and "Come Alive." I hope you enjoy! :)

Please Review.