Chapter 21:

Disclaimer: I do not own any right to Fairy Tail or Ravemaster, nor its characters. They are the sole property of their creator, Hiro Mashima, and publisher. I do not own any right to the intellectual property of D. Grayman. The following story is meant for entertainment purposes only and neither I, the author, nor the forums in which this story is posted expect to or will receive any monetary compensation. Support the original work.

A/N: It's been a while for this story. To all of you who started with me on this journey, thank you for letting me be and continue to be your guide. For all of you joining us for the first time, welcome.

In the time since I last updated this, the world has shown a great mixture of the worst and most divisive humans can be. But in response, there are so many more coming together. That is humanity. We have the dregs, but I want to believe at least that the majority of us care. Love is not some hippy thing. It's really the center of who we are. We hurt. We love.

I hope everyone reading this takes the time to express just how much they appreciate those around them. And I hope, you take the time to calm your mind, away from the news and aggravation. Take some time and think back. Really think back. Find that one memory that is more pure than all others. No matter who you are, you have one.

Make that feeling what gets you moving tomorrow.

Lots of love,

James

See you next week.

Echoing Songs

Leaning back against the beveled surface behind him, Gray let out a contented sigh. It was his day off, yet he was in the hospital again. Part of the perks of being the Chief of Medicine's go-to guy. Natsu was inside the capsule behind him. The only hyperbaric chamber in Magnolia. And Gray could bring Natsu here as often as he wanted - provided that the hospital wasn't using it.

It was completely quiet. Living in the fire station, Gray didn't quite know how to deal with the silence. But, maybe he didn't need such a noisy life after all. Silence was part of the beauty of the world. Gray had known that ever since he heard the greatest jazz musicians. The king of the silence was Miles Davis. It took talent to play fast, hit ridiculously high notes, or weave through chords like a rushing waterfall, but it was something else entirely to reveal the pure essence of sound. The purity of a note was not from the strength of its forte, but rather from the way it rang clear as a crystal, accented by the hollows of silence as its backdrop.

Maybe it was starting to be that time in his life, as well. There was not much more reason to stay at the fire station. Natsu's recovery was exemplary, and he was sure that hyperbaric treatments would speed it up, still. Indeed, Gray was thinking more and more about getting a small, secluded place up in the mountainside. He could slow his life down and really find what it meant to wake up each day without a fire alarm to startle him out of sleep. More, he would be far away from Fairy Tail, from everything. The fire would come with him, far away from his family. And Natsu.

Running his fingers back through his raven hair, Gray let himself drift in the void of noise, to wade back into the tide that was the sound of his thoughts alone. His gaze drifted slowly over the smooth, bowed surface, of the nearly whale-shaped chamber. Keeping Natsu safe was now something that Gray needed with all his being.

Inside the hyperbaric chamber, Natsu kept his eyes closed and focused on his breathing. As Gray had told him, he tried to just relax and rest inside what Natsu could only feel was a coffin. It felt strange at first. Gray had explained the way the coffin worked to Natsu as they were driving to the hospital, but Natsu couldn't quite recall it. Something about one-hundred percent oxygen. But, he smiled. He could see those lips move as Gray talked. He could see the way the sun shined so brightly off those pure, sapphire gems.

It was the only thing keeping him together. Though he tried his best to just relax, he couldn't help it. Natsu Dragneel was not made for sitting still. He needed to be doing something. Especially after a week of bed-rest, per Doctor Fullbuster's - Natsu's lips winged up - orders. What he'd give to be able to shove open that coffin and go running. Hell, Natsu tapped his foot idly against the bottom of the chamber, antsy. If he did just that, who was going to stop him? Gray was in good shape, but Natsu could out pace him without breaking a sweat.

But Natsu pursed his lips, before taking one between his fangs. That would all be if he could even walk straight, without his head spinning.

"Hey, you in there! Relax already!"

"I am reeeeelaaaaxing!" Natsu huffed. The tempo of his tapping foot increased. Gray, the damn bastard. He would probably have no problem sleeping in this coffin. He'd meditate all the time, back at the station. He liked this sort of thing. As his thoughts surged back to Gray, front and center, how could Natsu possibly even hope of relaxing? He was consumed by a fiery need that was burning in his veins. No, he wouldn't shove that coffin lid open and run for it.

He'd shove that coffin lid open, and pin Gray to the ground.

"And why's your heartbeat going up? Calm yourself."

Like he could calm himself. Now, all he could think about was tearing the white lab coat off Gray's shoulders. Ripping his shirt off. Tearing his pants off. Snaking out his tongue, Natsu glided it over his sharp incisors. That, as far as Natsu was concerned, was the best way he could heal. Gray was the best thing for his mind and body. He was an antidote. One week. Gray had promised. One week. One day down.

Six to go.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It was like being buried in a coffin that was thrown into the ocean." Natsu grumbled as the hyperbaric session ended and he climbed out of the chamber with Gray's assistance. He blinked, his eyes smarting as they tried to adjust to the brightness of the room. Though . . . he felt . . . better. He turned his head. No swimming. He glanced at Gray, to find crystal blue eyes watching him closely.

"You need to learn how to just chill. I don't think I saw your heartbeat actually get to a resting state! What were you thinking about?"

"You." Natsu's voice was low. He felt good. Really good. And it made him just want to - their lips crashed together. His tongue plunged. He devoured.

"See." Gray pulled back, his chest thundering. He huffed for breath. "Hyperbaric therapy is good for you." He swallowed, his mind instantly overwhelmed so easily. Natsu took him again, this time grabbing Gray's hips in his hands. He pulled them together until Gray fit perfectly in the curves of Natsu's sculpted torso.

"Ahh, so this is how a doctor heals his patient."

Gray shoved Natsu them apart, the sudden appearance of his brother like an icicle through his system. "Lyon."

The white-haired firefighter flicked two fingers to his brow and then to the air in a mock salute. "At your service. Though, I have to say, I'm relieved that my doctor isn't so hands-on."

Natsu still had his hands hooked on Gray's hips and he eyed Lyon with a not so subtle line of irritation. Finally, he decided to screw it. Taking Gray by force, he bent him over, diving in and stealing a long, burning kiss.

Flushed, Gray struggled to push Natsu away. "Natsu!" He stood with his chest heaving, staring dead-eyed with his absolutely amused brother. He was never going to live this down. "What do you want, Lyon?"

"What? A guy can't just hear that his brother is here and want to go pay him a visit?"

"Not without an ulterior motive, no." Natsu tried again to engage Gray, wrapping his arm around his waist and leaning in to nibble at Gray's ear. The raven-haired doctor swatted at him like he would an over-excited puppy.

"Clearly, it works wonders."

"What?"

"I was wondering about the hyperbaric chamber."

"This isn't 'cuz of that," Natsu mumbled, his teeth teasing the rim of Gray's earlobe.

"Clearly," Lyon repeated, laughing this time. Whether it was seeing Natsu so active after his injury or - hell, Lyon knew it was really that embarrassed brother of his. By the look of it, Gray had no clue how to handle Natsu. The pale-skinned doctor's cheeks were bright, cherry red. Eventually, he gave up trying to wriggle free from the pink-haired dragon's grasp. Perfect. Gray needed something he couldn't handle. Gray, more than anyone, needed to be swept off his feet. For too long had he been trapped inside his own head, calculating and logical. It was Gray's defense mechanism, to never get hurt again, but Natsu was simply overwhelming that shell. Lyon couldn't wait to see what would be in front of him when Gray's shell was completely melted away.

"Why are you heeeere, Lyon?"

Oh, he definitely couldn't wait. He wanted to see his brother again - the brother that was free, back when they were children. "Like I said, I was wondering about the hyperbaric chamber. How did your first session feel, Natsu?"

"Boring," Natsu replied, his breath hot on Gray's ear. "But I do honestly, feel a lot better right now. I don't know if it's psychosomatic." Natsu blinked. He'd been having such a hard time thinking of words like that over the last week. Every time he had tried to form the words in his mouth, he felt as if he had lost his mind to a stormy sea. Now, it just slipped off his tongue like normal. He couldn't help but smile at that, and squeeze Gray tighter in his arms.

"You're thinking about Juvia." Gray managed to recapture a little of his composure, though shivers raced down his spine at the feel of Natsu's warm breath against the back of his neck.

"I'm that transparent, huh?"

"You brothers aren't very good at hiding what you want."

Gray blinked at Natsu's words, but he couldn't help but smile. He reached up weaved his fingers through Natsu's silky pink hair. "I guess we aren't after all. I've already scheduled Juvia's first session for tomorrow morning. What," Gray's smile grew crooked at Lyon's expression, "I am her doctor, after all."

"Thanks. Just don't be doing," Lyon brought his finger up and made small circles in the air, signaling to the lovers' embrace, "Whatever this is."

"He won't. Now it was nice seeing you, Lyon, but can you leave so I can kiss my boyfriend?"

"I didn't seem to be stopping you before."

"Okay," Gray spoke finitely, ending their teasing. "Lyon, get back to Juvia's room. Natsu, you're coming with me. We are going to go get dinner then go home." He nodded firmly, stepped forward, and past his brother. Lyon and Natsu just looked to each other before bursting out, laughing.

"You really didn't have to do that in front of Lyon!"

"You really didn't have to be that embarrassed! We are dating, after all. Lyon knows it. That's what boyfriends do, right?" Natsu balanced the Chinese takeout onto his lap after climbing into Gray's truck.

"Yeah . . . but not in front of my brother."

"Why not?"

"Because, it's weird!"

"Kissing me is weird?"

"You know that's not what I'm saying." Gray turned over the engine and rolled out of the parking lot.

"A doctor who's embarrassed by something as simple as kissing? What's the world coming to?"

Stopping at a red light, Gray slid Natsu a sideways glance. "Just give me an egg roll. He reached out when Natsu pulled a roll out of the bag.

"Ah," Natsu jerked back the egg roll, out of Gray's reach. "You know what you have to do to get it."

Rolling his jaw, Gray stared at Natsu flatly. Finally, he snatched Natsu's shirt in his hand, and with a balled fist, tugged them together. They nearly lost their Chinese food on the floor as their lips smacked together.

"The light's green, Gray."

"Give me my egg roll."

"Here you go." Natsu held it out with a smile.

Stuffing Natsu's egg roll into his mouth, Gray turned back to the road out his front windshield.

Sucking in a bunch of noodles, Gray watched with amazement as Natsu ate with utter abandon. How the heck did the guy stay so damn fit? And delicious? And beautiful . . . eating like that? Sitting cross legged in his bed, Gray slowly made his way through his chow mien while Natsu devoured the cashew chicken, ginger eggplant, sweet and sour tofu, and a huge scoop out of the fried rice.

Stuffing kung pao into his mouth, Natsu looked up to find those watchful eyes. He held out the kung pao, cocking a brow, but when Gray held up a palm, Natsu shrugged and upended the rest down his gullet.

"It's good to see that you've got your, erm, appetite back. I guess that hyperbaric session really did help. It's such a great thing, the pressure inside the chamber is higher than you're used to in your normal day. It allows your body to really open up and oxygenate. And the more oxygen your cells can absorb, the stronger they'll be."

"Whatever you say, doc," Natsu spewed half-eaten mushroom and beef as he replied.

"So, we'll go back tomorrow afternoon."

Swallowing hard, Natsu frowned. "You didn't say anything about me going in that coffin again."

"I'm saying it now. You'll go in every day for sixty minute sessions." When Natsu scowled at him, Gray added, "You do want to get better for a week from now, right?"

"Hmph," rolling his eyes, Natsu shoveled a large scoop of fried rice past his teeth. "Fine. It's so boring though."

"Why don't we practice your rhythm, then? If you still want to learn how to dance . . ."

"Dance?" Natsu blinked a couple of times. It had been so long. So much had happened. Had he really just gone to Gray to learn to dance? To learn . . . for Lucy. Ha. Natsu helped clean up after dinner, and settled in next to his boyfriend. It's funny how just a few weeks could change so much.

"Yeah, remember, your timing? Counting with the leading beats of a song like we practiced?"

"Yeah," Natsu repeated back, "I remember. Alright," sitting up, Natsu snatched Gray's phone off his nightstand. "What should we listen to? What should we -" His brow dropped a little as he found an odd playlist on Gray's phone's music library. Come to think of it, that same playlist was on Gray's laptop back when he was searching for jazz for their picnic yesterday. "What's 'World's Circle'?" It was starred, but in a sub-directory, separate from all the other playlists, He looked up and was quickly taken aback by the stun in Gray's blue eyes. "I'm sorry . . . is it -"

Shaking his head, Gray just shrugged. "It's a playlist of Ur's favorite songs."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."

"It's fine." Weaving his arms around Natsu, Gray pulled him close to his chest and laid back into his pillows. "I named it after two songs. 'He's Got the Whole World In His Hands'. My mother used to sing that to me as she tucked me into bed. And, 'All my Life's a Circle'. Ur's favorite. Words ended there that night. Natsu adjusted himself until he fit against the curve of Gray's embrace. They said more, shared more, just by their touch.

As Natsu began drifting off to sleep, he could just hear a soft humming behind him. Natsu grabbed the hand over his chest, giving a soft squeeze before slipping into his dreams.

Next Chapter: One Week