Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Pairing(s): Natsu Dragneal x Zeref

WARNINGS: violence, alternative history, shounan ai (boy/boy pairing); you have been warned so don't like, don't read

The Will to Live

By V. Shalyr

25. A Shared Moment

They hadn't planned on lingering in Reed. But the workers in the post office where they'd picked up their package talked nonstop about the concert taking place that evening, and then out in the streets, they'd run into a girl passing out coupons for a local hot spring resort—the kind with little, private cabins instead of regular hotel rooms. Due to the lake monster, tourists and other travelers had been scarce, so prices had been reduced dramatically. It really was a great deal, especially after the last few days of unexpectedly difficult travel. It was no wonder that people preferred to cross Eden Lake by boat. Not only were large sections of the shore rocky and devoid of proper trails, all there was to look at when the lake wasn't in sight were rocks and dry, sandy dirt.

One thing led to another, and by the time afternoon rolled around, they'd booked a cabin, taken a bath, and eaten a resplendent meal in a private room at the resort's restaurant. Then there was the wind instrument concert.

"I don't think this is allowed," Zeref said, watching Natsu scale the side of the house.

"Says who?" Natsu asked, holding a hand out to him. "Come on."

Zeref looked at the hand, hesitated, then accepted it and allowed Natsu to help him climb up as well—from the ground to the first-floor roof, then from there to the second and then the third. It was a pretty big building.

"This appears to be a private residence. I imagine that the people who live here would object."

"It's not like we're breaking in," Natsu replied, sounding perfectly reasonable. "We're just borrowing their roof for awhile. They'll never know we were even here."

"What if they come home while we're still here?"

"Then we run really fast."

At the expression on Zeref's face, Natsu added, "We'll pick a spot where we'll be able to see them but they won't be able to see us, all right? Don't worry. Anyway, I'll know if anyone gets close way before a human could actually see anything."

Zeref relented. He was already on the roof after all. It was a bit late to change his mind.

Besides, the concert was starting soon.

This particular roof—covered in smooth, slate blue shingles—belonged to a large house not that far from a plaza where several rows of wooden benches had been set up before a makeshift stage. It was a far cry from the grand concert halls that could be found in cities like Crocus, but that didn't stop people from being excited. It was also free, which was something for people to get excited about all on its own. According to the post office chatter, the concert would serve to showcase the reed pipes and flutes that the town was famous for and provide new musicians an opportunity to be heard. The performers listed in the program for that evening included both master musicians and amateurs, and rumor had it that several of the songs had been composed specially for tonight.

The two wizards settled themselves next to a chimney from which they had a fairly decent view of the plaza. Whether they would be able to hear well enough from here to enjoy the concert, however, remained to be seen. The benches down below had already filled with audience members, who scrunched together to make room for the people who were still arriving.

Good thing the two of them hadn't tried for a spot in the plaza. Zeref would have had to leave almost immediately.

It was a bit chilly up here, but at least it was safe. It helped, too, that the moment they'd sat down, Natsu had pulled him into his arms. Like he'd promised, the dragon was patient with Zeref's skittishness. But he was persistent too, and that persistence was paying off.

"I don't know how you're doing it," Zeref had told him the night before when they'd made camp in a small hollow with a view of the lake. "But it's working."

To which the dragon had simply replied, "Good."

Now, settled together on a roof they probably weren't supposed to be on with a concert scheduled to start in five minutes, Zeref found himself unexpectedly at ease. Since they still had some time, he pulled the folded piece of parchment that had arrived with their belongings from his pocket.

"Is it from Xander?" Natsu asked, peering over his shoulder at the page crammed with careful if somewhat spindly handwriting.

"It is," Zeref said, scanning the letter's contents. A crease formed between his brows. "He says there have been several kidnappings in Sage Town."

Natsu scowled. "You mean the kind with ransom notes? Or the kind where you just never see them again?"

"They don't know yet, but he says not to worry because the Rune Knights are helping."

That made Natsu pause. "They are? Did the kidnappers use magic?"

"No, but apparently, the captain that's just arrived in Sage Town said that kidnappings should be everybody's business."

It was obvious from the tone of Zeref's voice that he approved of this philosophy. Natsu did too, actually, which just went to show that even people you considered your enemies could be good people.

The crease in Zeref's brow deepened as he read on.

"Problem?" Natsu asked. He found it difficult to identify any of the words himself. Xander's handwriting seemed designed to be as fancy and illegible as possible.

Zeref rested the letter on his knee and bit his lower lip. "He says... that he's heard they've recruited Dragon Slayers. Two of them, assuming it's not just rumor. They haven't arrived in Sage Town yet, but it's only a matter of time."

Natsu mulled this over. "Well, if they haven't found the kidnappers and missing people by then, Dragon Slayers should be a lot of help. Assuming their dragons taught them properly."

"They might figure out that you're traveling with me," Zeref said, turning anxious eyes to his companion's face.

"So?"

"I don't want to get you involved. They're only after me."

Natsu rolled his eyes. "You do remember how we met, don't you? I got involved a long time ago, and I don't regret it."

"But, Natsu—"

The dragon wizard put a finger to Zeref's lips to quiet him.

"The concert's starting. Really, don't worry so much. It's a terrible way to spend time when you should be having fun."

Zeref looked away, dropping his gaze back to the plaza.

The first song was a duet, played by two musicians using different types of flutes—one high and clear and one low and a little airy. The two melodies overlapped and intertwined in a slow, sweet dance that somehow managed to feel both warm and calm. The audience fell silent, listening, and some of the turmoil in Zeref's heart eased. It really was a beautiful evening.

"Besides," Natsu murmured next to his ear. "It's not about hoping that things don't go wrong. It's about making sure that even if things do go wrong, we make them right again."

.

By the first intermission, Zeref had finally managed to put away his worries—if only for the time being. They chatted about the different songs, guessing at what had inspired them and then checking the notes in the program to see if they'd been right. There were melodies meant to mimic the twitter of birds and the burble of water flowing over rocky streambeds. Some songs tried to recreate the lively rhythm of a midsummer dance or to invoke the forlorn, lingering ache of a heartfelt farewell. And then, of course, there were love songs like that first duet.

"Humans really are weirdly interested in other people's relationships," Natsu remarked after they read the story behind yet another love song—the seventh one so far out of twelve compositions.

"Dragons don't gossip about these things?" Zeref asked, amused.

"Not really. But then I suppose the whole courting process is rather a lot simpler for us. Humans make everything so complicated."

"Do we? I've never really paid attention."

"Yeah." Natsu made a face, although Zeref had his back to him and couldn't see it. "Xander kept going on about things like creating the right atmosphere and what was or wasn't romantic, which didn't make any sense at all. He also told me that it varies a lot from place to place, but it's often traditional to give gifts like flowers. Not very practical, if you ask me. I mean, what good are they? You can't eat flowers."

"You asked Xander about human courtship customs?" Zeref asked, incredulous. "Why?"

"Because I wasn't sure if I was going about it all wrong, or if there was something I ought to do that would make it all make more sense to you and help get my point across. I didn't think you'd want flowers though."

"No. They would probably just die."

And that would be... upsetting.

Zeref lifted a hand to the ivory pendant around his neck, tracing the smooth patterns upon its surface. The gesture was starting to become a habit. He felt warm, and it wasn't because the evening breeze had grown any less chilly. It was endearing, the effort Natsu put into trying to understand humans in general and Zeref in particular. He really didn't need to do anything special though.

"For the record," Zeref said quietly, "I like simple. I think simple is good."

The intermission ended and the next song began—an energetic and playful tune played on seven different instruments. It was amazing, Zeref thought, how anyone could come up with seven different melodies that all managed to harmonize with one another. As far as he was concerned, that was far more miraculous a feat than anything magic could accomplish.

When the song ended, Natsu said, responding to Zeref's earlier words, "That's good. I'm not that great at complicated."

Zeref turned to look at him then. The sky had grown dark enough that several lamps had been lit down in the plaza, but there was still enough light up on the roof for Zeref to make out his companion's features.

Natsu caught his gaze and asked, "So... does this count as a good memory?"

The tone of the question was light, but the expression on Natsu's face was serious.

Zeref didn't know how to describe the emotions that flooded him at that moment. They were soft and warm—and possibly a little fuzzy, if fuzzy could be used to describe emotions. He wished he knew how to tell Natsu what he was feeling, but somehow, none of the words that came to mind seemed quite right.

Well, there was one thing he could do that wouldn't require any words.

Zeref hesitated, steeling his nerves, then leaned forward tentatively to brush his lips against Natsu's. It wasn't so much a kiss as an invitation—an invitation that Natsu was happy to take. He pulled Zeref closer and moved a hand to cradle the back of the wizard's head as he pressed their mouths more firmly together. And when he ran his tongue along the line of the wizard's lips, Zeref tensed for only a fraction of a second before relaxing again and letting him in.

Natsu felt a certain thrill when Zeref settled against him, melting into his caresses. Maybe there was something to be said for humans being such warm and soft sort of creatures. Or maybe he was just incredibly biased now because of how much he wanted this human in his arms. This human who was capable of caring so much, who was so sincere in his words and actions, and who shed tears for others as easily as he shed them for himself. This human whose smile and laughter made Natsu grin.

Natsu was absolutely certain of one thing. He was never ever letting this person go.

.

In the end, they stayed in Reed for three nights before beginning their trip up into the mountains. In addition to the concert, they participated in a flute playing workshop their second evening, in which they learned that they were both really terrible flute players. Mostly though, they lazed about the resort restaurant and their cabin, testing out the private hot spring in their yard and reviewing the newspaper articles that Xander had dug up for them on various healers in the towns and villages around Eden Lake. It felt very much like a vacation, and both of them were sorry to say goodbye to the place. But gradually, the passenger ships that used to traverse the lake were beginning to sail again, and so on the fourth morning after arriving in the isolated little town, they packed up their belongings, checked out of the resort which was disappointed to see them and their money go, and continued on their way.

TBC...

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