Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Pairing(s): Natsu Dragneal x Zeref
WARNINGS: Slight AU , Shounan ai (boy/boy pairing), you have been warned
Firelight and Shadows
By V. Shalyr
Scroll XXXV: Fairy Tail Cleaning Services
Overkill
"What kind of person hires a team of wizards to do their spring cleaning?"
Lucy's question was a valid one, and the answer was—the kind of person who owned an old mansion that nobody had lived in for more than a decade. Actually, for having been abandoned for so long, the building was in fairly good condition. Some parts of the roof would need to be patched up and the gardens were a mess, but mostly, it was just extremely, unbelievably filthy.
The layer of dust on the floor was so thick it was like walking through a field of gray cotton wool. Cobwebs festooned the ceiling, and Lucy was sure she spotted signs of mice. In one room, the window had been blown open and dead leaves piled in its corners. Most of the furniture would have to be thrown out too.
"The entrance hall looks like it's been cleaned recently," Gray said, picking his way across the dirt-smudged kitchen floor to open the window above the sink. They'd decided to start with the kitchen since they might be able to use it later.
Or not. There was running water, but the water that flowed from the faucet was tinted yellow.
Erza opened a cupboard, grimaced at the stale, musty smell that wafted out, and left it open to air.
"Apparently, they've hired other cleaning crews before, but they've all been driven away by multiple occurrences of uncommonly bad luck."
"Bad luck," Natsu repeated, raising his eyebrows. "Like what?"
Erza shrugged.
"Equipment failures, things breaking—that sort of thing. A worker tripped on the stairs and broke a leg. Someone else fell in the garden pond and almost drowned."
"The pond?" Natsu sounded skeptical. "That thing's barely two feet deep."
"Yes, that confused me too," she said, resting her hands on her hips. "I suppose that's why they blame bad luck. In any case, it looks like we've got a lot of work ahead of us. We should get started."
.
Bemusement
House cleaning.
Zeref looked around himself at the remains of what might have been a living room, feeling rather bemused. Talk about things he had never thought he would do. He cleaned up about Natsu's apartment because he liked things to be tidy, but this was a whole different level of disorganization. Not that he minded. It was just... kind of funny really.
"I'm not sure where to begin," he said when Natsu came in.
"I say we start by throwing out everything in these rooms that needs throwing out."
As far as Z was concerned, that looked like everything.
"Did the owner have any criteria for that?"
"I think Erza said to keep anything that still feels solid and looks serviceable."
Right. Z looked down at the glass tabletop that was no longer transparent. Cautiously, he tapped the gritty surface with one finger. Despite the fact that his fingertip came away black, the coffee table seemed steady.
"I suppose that means we keep this."
"Yeah, but these," Natsu made a disgusted face at the dilapidated couches, "probably need to go. Looks like some animal's been chewing on them."
Some animal probably had—and living in them too. Mice most likely.
The Dragon Slayer sighed, braced his feet and began pushing the first of the two couches towards the door. It left a semi-clean swath of floor in its way, picking up more dust as it went and collapsing a little as though most of its inner structure had been turned to mush.
"I am amazed that any place can become this filthy without completely falling apart," his partner mused aloud, shaking out a garbage bag and starting to dump things into it—dead flowers from the vase in the corner, a rotting cushion, a chipped cup and a pile of what might have been magazines once upon a time.
Natsu grunted, getting the couch into the hallway with a final, hard shove.
"Tell me about it. What do you think about all that bad luck stuff?"
"I don't know. It could just be coincidence. People are often strange about old houses."
"About a lot of old things," Natsu said, unimpressed. "They slap huge price tags on them and call them antiques."
Zeref smiled a little at that.
"Yes, that too."
.
Spider
It was the largest, hairiest, and most definitely ugliest spider Wendy had ever seen. It sat in the middle of the room's single, narrow bed like it owned it, which it probably thought it did. She could swear that all eight of its facetted eyes were fixed on her, daring her to take a step closer.
Wendy gulped and edged a little closer only to halt immediately when one hairy leg twitched. She wondered if it was poisonous.
The spider crawled forward a few inches. Wendy scooted a few inches back.
Maybe she could go get someone else to deal with this room.
And the already faulty light she'd switched on flickered out accompanied by an alarming, hissing sound from the bed.
Wendy freaked and wind blasted through the room like an indoor whirlwind. The window shutters banged open, almost flying off their hinges with the force. For a very brief moment, the spider was a black splotch framed against the blue, blue sky, and then it was gone.
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Roofing
"What color?" Levy called up from the ground four floors below.
Gajeel glanced at the roof tiles beneath his feet.
"It looks blue here, but there are also some gray ones. You'd better bring some of both."
"All right."
The Rune Wizard sorted through the various piles of new tiles, loading the ones she thought would fit into a bag which she slung over her shoulder before making her way up the ladder. Different sections of the building appeared to have been constructed at different times or by different people, and the roof was a patchwork of colors.
"Thanks," he said gruffly, taking the bag from her when she reached him.
"It was no trouble," she assured him, smiling. "The view from up here is pretty amazing, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Levy sat down carefully, bracing herself so she wouldn't slide down the gray-blue slope. Gajeel spared her a glance to make sure she was safely settled before setting to work replacing the broken or missing roof tiles. Levy closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the spring breeze and the warm sunlight. She'd have to make another trip down in a minute for more tiles, but that could wait for her to catch her breath. Climbing up four floors' worth of ladder hadn't exactly been easy for her.
Gajeel tensed at a sudden noise at the edge of the roof and looked over just in time to see the top of the ladder slide out of view. There was a heartbeat of silence and then his ears caught the flat clatter of the ladder crashing into dirt and stone.
He swore.
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Floorboards
Natsu braced his feet and shoved the wardrobe across the floor, trying not to breathe. The thing reeked of rotten wood and moth-eaten fabric, and he was half tempted to just burn the thing to ashes right there. He didn't, however, because he would probably bring the entire mansion down around their ears at the same time.
Beneath his sandals, the floorboards creaked in protest. He had no idea how he was going to get the thing down the stairs. Hell, he had no idea how the mansion's occupants had gotten it up the stairs to begin with.
Maybe he could get Z to transport it out onto the front lawn with magic.
This struck him as a great idea, so he abandoned the wardrobe to run back towards the room where his partner was gingerly sorting through a collection of moldy stuffed animals with apprehensive disgust. Neglect had not treated the plushy things kindly.
"Hey, Z! Could you—what the—!"
Zeref jumped at the sound of splintering wood and hurried to the doorway.
"Natsu?"
A section of the hallway floor had vanished, leaving a jagged gap. From somewhere in the darkness, Natsu cursed.
"This is way more trouble than it's worth."
Z stepped up to the ragged edge and looked down.
"The walls down here are made of stone," Natsu added, inspecting his new surroundings. "Do you think this is some kind of secret passage?"
"Is it clear? I'm coming down."
"Hold on a second. I'll get the wardrobe out of your way. Well, what's left of it anyway—okay, it's clear. Be prepared for a fall of about four meters."
Z let himself drop into the darkness, landing in a crouch on the dusty floor. Further exploration of what turned out, indeed, to be something like a secret corridor between the walls on the first floor revealed a steel-reinforced door leading into a spacious but windowless chamber. Unlike back in the corridor, the walls here were scarred with scratches and scorch marks, and there were a few broken pieces of white chalk on the blotched tabletop.
"I think," Z said slowly, "that this was a wizard's workroom."
"Yeah, somehow, that doesn't surprise me." Natsu sniffed the air cautiously and grimaced. "It smells really weird in here, that's for sure. Wonder what kind of magic he practiced."
"If you really want to know, we could probably find out. I'm sure this mansion is full of clues."
"Eh, I'm not sure I'm that curious. Seeing as how this place is practically a ruin, it probably wasn't anything good."
"You're probably right."
It wasn't uncommon for wizards to fall victim to their own magic, especially in the pursuit of power or fame. Well, perhaps notoritaty would be a better word than fame. Many such individuals were dark wizards.
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Attic
Lucy poked her head up into the attic and glanced cautiously around. She'd seen some pretty nasty attics in her time, but this one definitely took the cake. It looked like a tornado had swept through it and then everything had just been left for half a century. Dust tickled her nose and she sneezed, sending more dust puffing up into the stale, dry air.
"How's it look?" Gray called from below.
"Bad."
Grimacing, she braced her hands on the floor and heaved herself up. She found precious little room for walking, but managed after a minute of shuffling about to edge herself forward between two teetering towers of misshapen boxes.
"Wait a moment," she added. "I'll get the window."
She gingerly leaned over a crate of assorted jars and reached for the latch holding the shutters closed. It was farther than she'd thought and her fingertips just brushed the rusted metal.
"Just a little more," she whispered to herself.
And something long and scaly dropped from the rafters with a thump and a hiss, a heavy coil just missing her head and bumping her shoulder on the way down.
Lucy screamed.
"Lucy!"
Gray scrambled up into the attic.
"What happened? What's wrong?"
"Don't move!" Lucy shouted from further into the narrow space. "It's right in front of you."
"It?"
Gray looked down—right into a pair of unblinking, yellow eyes. Of course. Practically every other common rodent and reptile seemed to have found a nest in this house. Why wouldn't there be a snake living in the attic?
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Dust
Jellal set the bag of dust and used rags out in the hallway and waved at Wendy, who had just stepped out from the room next door.
"I got most of it. It's ready for you now."
"Okay."
The Sky Dragon Slayer circled the growing pile of bags; it still astounded her that you could collect so much dust that you could bag it. The stuff was soft and fluffy, and there was so much of it that you could probably use it to stuff a few pillows.
Moving into the now moderately cleaner room, she checked to make sure the window shutters had been opened then took a deep breath and blew lightly. The air in the room immediately began to move, swirling and picking up any remaining dust before wafting out through the window. She was really getting the hang of this.
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Bad Luck
The old owner of the mansion had apparently harbored a great love for books. A careful enchantment had spared them the wear and tear of neglect, and, after the still serviceable bookcases had been cleaned,, all that remained was to line them up upon the shelves.
Z flipped through a rather interesting yet incorrect spell book then turned to replace the book on the shelf just as a tremor ran through the building. His eyes went wide when the bookcase jiggled and then began to tilt forward. Old wood creaked and he threw himself to the side just in time to avoid being buried under a cascade of dusty volumes and dark oak.
"You okay?" Natsu asked, appearing in the doorway and hurrying to help him up off the floor, which was now a mess of books and knickknacks.
Z winced, coughed out some dust, and rubbed at his elbow where it had scraped across a rough patch on the floorboards.
"Yes, but I am starting to put some store in the theory that this place suffers from excessive bad luck."
"No bad luck's going to defeat us," Natsu declared, glaring at the bookcase for a moment before moving to right it. "We make our own luck. Come on, I'll help you with the rest of the shelving. We've finished clearing out most of the furniture that needs replacing. Once we're done here, I think our help would be appreciated outside."
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Junk
Lucy lugged a box over to the attic window and Gray helped her lift it onto the sill where they balanced it for a second before letting it slide down the icy ramp down onto the front lawn. Once it reached the bottom, Wendy and Z sorted through it and removed anything that might be worth donating. Whatever was left after that ended up in Natsu's bonfire.
"Aw," Lucy cooed suddenly, plucking something out of a box and holding it up. "Isn't this cute?"
It was a small plushy, white dog with round black eyes and floppy ears.
"I guess so, but it's got kind of a silly look on its face."
"You think so?" Lucy turned the plushy around to study its face, a fond smile on her own lips. "Maybe a little. Huh, what's this?"
There was a piece of paper tucked under the plushy's blue collar. Carefully, she removed and unfolded it.
"A number? Fifty-six."
"This thing has a number too," Gray said, holding up an ornate, glass lamp. A similar piece of paper was tied to the top with a length of string. "Only this one says a hundred and two."
Now that they were paying attention, they unearthed several dozen more of the paper slips—tucked in music boxes, hanging from various sculptures, and even taped across the back of a decorative porcelain plate.
"Do you know what this reminds me of?" Lucy mused, replacing the plate in its cloth wrappings with care. It really was a beautiful piece of work. "A lottery or a raffle."
The Ice Wizard raised his eyebrows.
"You think he won all this junk from playing a raffle?"
"Maybe. Although it was probably more like hundreds of raffles."
Gray started to respond then paused, an odd expression passing across his face.
"What?" Lucy asked.
"I just wonder if this has anything to do with the string of unfortunate accidents."
"Huh. You might be on to something there."
She'd have to ask Z about it after they finished going through the mansion owners' motly collection of useless if prety winnings.
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Lunch
Z appointed himself to prepare lunch. He was easily the best cook in the lot of them, and nobody was going to argue with him over it or volunteer anyone else.
The poor state of the mansion kitchens meant Z had decided to do the cooking out on the lawn where they seemed to be doing almost everything else. A giant stewpot had been excavated from the storage room by the kitchen and they'd managed to find a barbeque grill in the garden shed—still in working condition.
"Something smells good," Lucy noted, wandering over while she wiped dust off on her skirt—good thing she'd worn old stuff—and glancing into the pot bubbling over the fire. "What's in it?"
Z hesitated before answering her.
"Snake."
Her face turned green and she stepped back hurriedly.
"You cooked it? Why? Is it even edible?"
"I checked, and it is. It... just seemed like such a waste to throw it away. The nearest supermarket is a whole extra half day by carriage, and we didn't bring much in the way of supplies. You know, snake is considered a delicacy in some places, and it's supposed to be quite good for you—although some of that is probably superstition. I have been reading about it."
At least it didn't look like snake anymore. All the same, Lucy didn't think she'd be able to stomach any of it. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl.
"Would you prefer frog?"
"What?" The Celestial Wizard spluttered, yanked out of her disgusted contemplations of the soup. "No! Why would you even ask?"
"I am fairly sure I saw some near the pond of an edible variety. Natsu and I had a frog dish at this local restaurant the other day."
"You did?" She could hardly believe her ears. "What did it taste like?"
The Black Wizard considered this, stirring the contents of the pot with a long, wooden ladle.
"Chicken, but the texture was a little different."
"I swear, you and Natsu could probably write a comprehensive Fiore restaurant guide by now."
Zeref paused, just about to test the soup.
"Should we?"
"Should you what?"
"Write a restaurant guide."
Lucy hadn't been serious when she'd made the comment, but Z looked like he was actually considering it.
"Well, it might not be a bad idea. I'm sure a lot of people would be interested."
And that was true too. Everyone had to eat after all, and it was definitely an activity that many people enjoyed.
Z didn't say any more, but he returned to his work with a rather thoughtful and contemplative expression.
.
Picnic
It felt like half the guild was there, Zeref thought, lingering on the edge of the bustle of activity that surrounded the picnic area. Erza, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Gajeel, Levy, and not to mention the three cats. Even Jellal had joined them. It was a little bizarre to think that what had brought them all this way was a rundown, old mansion in need of a makeover.
It... really did feel like a family activity except that none of them lived here.
"Huh, what's this meat in the soup? I don't think I've ever had anything like it."
"Trust me, Levy. You don't want to know."
"Where did all this fruit come from?"
"Gray found them."
"Gray?"
"There's an apricot orchard around back."
"What? But apricots shouldn't be in season right now."
"Beats me. This isn't exactly a normal house. I'm more curious about the bread. I know we didn't bring all that."
"Oh, there's nothing mysterious about that," Erza said dismissively. "A bakery worker was making a local delivery, and we convinced him to sell some to us. He wasn't on a schedule, so he could afford to return to his shop for more to round the delivery back out."
"You, um, did give him a choice, right?"
"Well... we were paying him for his trouble..."
Z finally chose a spot under a tree that was only just beginning to acquire its spring foliage, and Natsu joined him shortly after with half a dozen fruit sandwiches and a giant bowl of stew.
"Jellal found raffle tickets in a chest under the stairs. Whoever lived here must have been a real, diehard fan."
Z nodded, looking thoughtful.
"It would make sense."
"It would?"
"He was probably using magic to try and make himself lucky."
Natsu snorted.
"You're telling me that all this bad luck is because the wizard who lived here messed with a bunch of spells to try and win a couple raffles?"
When put that way, it did sound rather ridiculous. Then again...
"People do strange things sometimes. I am sure that raffle was important to him somehow."
"Yeah, wonder what the grand prize was."
"I suppose we'll never know."
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Referrals
It took them three days to finish everything. Considering the state of the mansion, three days seemed like a decent accomplishment. The man who had hired them had dropped in on day two to check on their progress and been openly pleased with their work.
Erza gathered everyone on the front lawn on the afternoon of day three.
"I hope you all had fun," she said, holding up a rather thick package, "because this just arrived from the guild."
"And?" Gray prompted when she didn't continue right away.
"It's packed with job assignments."
Lucy had a bad feeling about this. Erza was usually all for new assignments, unless...
"Don't tell me," she groaned. "A whole bunch of people want their houses cleaned now."
Erza smiled wryly.
"Apparently, we did such an amazing job that our client referred us to several of his friends who just moved in to this area."
The news was greeted by a collective murmur of dismay.
"Don't worry, it's not all bad," Erza assured them. "Aside from the fact that we're being paid quite handsomely, these clients have given us a number of—how should I put this?—paid vacations. It turns out that these people are quite high up on the business food chain."
"Yeah? What sort of vacations?" Natsu asked suspiciously.
Z shared his partner's wariness. From what they had seen in the past three days, he wasn't sure what he thought of these people's general good taste.
Erza's smile was extremely amused.
"The kind of vacations that take place at fancy resorts. They've got all the classics—seaside, hot springs, lakeside and fishing, mountains—and we get to choose three. They'll put us all up for two days, meals included."
This time, the murmur that ran through the group was of surprised anticipation. Now that was a generous reward for house cleaning, even if that house was a mansion.
"So then," Erza continued now that her audience was suitably impressed. "I say we take a vote."
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Soaked
Z set the water pitcher and empty glasses down on the even, rough stone before it gave way to the steaming water of the spring.
"They said you must remember to drink water or else you will become dehydrated."
Somehow, it didn't surprise the four of them—six including the two male cats—that he would take it upon himself to make sure they didn't forget this. Zeref had developed an almost obsessive dedication to ensuring that his friends lived long and healthy lives. He tried his best not to get too carried away, but he did a lot of little things where he could—like using less oil when he cooked and adding this herb or that one into the food.
After three long days of menial labor, it was unsurprising that the hot springs had come out with the most votes. Also in its favor was the fact that it was in the area, and so they could enjoy that first break before moving on to their other assignments.
"Aren't you getting in?" Natsu asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I'd rather not," Z said, straightening and turning away, intent on making a hasty retreat. He was in a mood to be sentimental, and he didn't think that was a good mood for him to be in surrounded by people.
However, he wasn't quite quick enough. There was a startled squeak and then a loud splash as Natsu pulled him backwards into the steaming water. Z surfaced, soaked and spluttering, water streaming from his hair and generally making him look like someone who had narrowly escaped drowning. He turned and gave Natsu a reproachful look, not bothering to push his sodden bangs out of his eyes.
"My clothes are soaked, and the other set I brought still needs to be cleaned."
It was just a statement of fact, but he managed to put so much mournful misery into his voice that Natsu, stubborn though he was, wavered. Zeref was good at misery. After a moment, the Dragon Slayer sighed and moved to the side of the pool, his partner slogging after him. The Black Wizard's garments were already heavy, and being drenched only made them more so. Natsu helped him out of the hot water, snagged some towels for the both of them, and pulled him back towards their room in search of more towels and something dry for him to wear, leaving a trail of puddles behind them. The wizards still in the hot spring couldn't see his face anymore, but Z's shoulders seemed to relax with relief.
Gray raised his eyebrows.
"Do you get the feeling...?"
"That Z's deliberately acting as pitiable as he can?" Jellal finished, greatly amused. "Yes, I do. I suppose it's easier than trying to argue."
Most of the wizards in their guild were rather stubborn and confrontational, and Natsu was most definitely no exception.
"If he looks pathetic and unhappy enough, Natsu won't push him."
"Do you think Natsu realizes?"
"I would imagine so. They do understand each other quite well."
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Occupied
The wizards had been provided with two extremely large rooms designed for parties containing a number of what the resort staff called futons.
Luckily, the bathroom was right next to the front door, so Z didn't have to drip water all over the floor matting. He went and dripped on the earthen floor tiles instead, pulling off his drenched garments and attempting to wring out as much water as he could before dropping them into the laundry basket. Maybe the resort staff would do a better job.
"Natsu, could you check the closet for me? I think there were several clean robes in there."
"There are."
Z paused at the closeness of the voice and turned to find his partner watching him, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. Z was suddenly very aware of the fact that his clothes were in the laundry basket. He didn't have to be a genius or to see the look in those dark green, slitted eyes to realize what his partner was thinking about.
"Natsu, we're sharing this room with other people."
"Well, yeah." Natsu sounded rather matter of fact as he covered the distance still between them in a few quick strides. "Why do you think I want to take advantage of the fact that we're alone and they're occupied? You did pull me away from the hot spring."
Z shivered at the feel of warm, calloused hands on his still damp skin. He shut his eyes and leaned into the touch automatically. It was easy to give in. As Natsu had said, he had pulled his partner away from the others, so he could hardly fault the Slayer for seizing the opportunity for other, more private activities.
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Together
The wizards gathered in a private dining room for dinner with a set of doors that opened out onto a small ornamental garden. The contented, relaxed atmosphere surrounded all of them, even Z. He sat on the floor next to Natsu with a small porcelain plate in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. Unlike his partner who tore indiscriminately into the food, he picked at the various dishes arranged upon the long, low table, sampling each with the careful thoughtfulness of an expert.
Lucy ladled some of the light fish stew into her bowl, marveling at how flavorful it was despite its pale, clear color. Apparently, Z approved too, because he took the ladle after Gray finished refilling his own bowl and fished around in the large soup pot, examining its contents.
When most of the food had been consumed, Erza challenged everyone to a game of cards, and everyone except Natsu was surprised when the Black Wizard did not decline to take part. He didn't play with much effort, however, and turned in his cards early in favor of a fresh kettle of tea.
Lucy finally excused herself from the game to use the restroom, and when she returned, she lingered in the doorway just taking in the scene before her—of the people that had come to be her family.
The three winged cats had appropriated their own corner of the large room to talk over miniature porcelain cups of what she thought looked incredibly like milk. She wondered what it was cats talked about when they were alone. Wendy and Levy were now immersed in discussion over a book that the Rune Wizard had recommended she read. It was a good call. Lucy had read that one herself not so long ago, and she agreed that Wendyh would enjoy it. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Jellal, and Gajeel were still going at the card game like it was a battle—no surprise there. She would have been more shocked if any of them had given up. Z sat watching them with his teacup in his hands and occasionally offered his partner advice, much to the other players' annoyance. It was kind of funny seeing the Black Wizard dressed entirely in white—the only color the resort's robes and towels came in. Next to Natsu, he looked so normal and so... well, young. For the sake of her writing, Lucy had taught herself to observe people, and her practiced gaze decided that this wasn't just because he didn't age. Happiness could really change a person, couldn't it?
The Celestial Wizard wished a little wistfully that she was an artist instead of a writer. She could paint vivid, wonderful pictures with her words, but paintings were able to capture something else.
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Closeness
The card games and conversations ran far into the night. All the food was gone and the empty plates and bowls had been cleared away. Natsu only noticed the late hour when his partner started nodding off. In a brief lull while Erza shuffled the cards, he scooted back so he could lean against the wall then pulled Z into his lap, rearranging the both of them so the other boy could sleep more comfortably. Z mumbled something incoherent, curled in on himself a bit more, and turned his face into the crook of Natsu's neck.
Their friends were used to the easy closeness with which they interacted by now and didn't even look twice. When they were settled, Erza passed out the next round of cards.
Natsu glanced over his first hand, but his own attention was wandering from the game. He smirked to himself and wondered what their guild mates would think if they knew how much Z liked being cuddled. It was certainly a far cry from when Z used to panic whenever he woke up with the Dragon Slayer's arms around him.
On the other side of the room, Levy yawned.
"I think I've had it for tonight, everyone. I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Me too," Lucy said. She stood and stretched.
A chorus of "goodnights" followed them from the room, and gradually, all the rest of them followed suit. The cards were packed up, the furniture they had moved put back in their original places, the remaining cups and teapot returned to their tray and set by the door, and all but one of the lamps put out.
.
Always Tomorrow
Fear, cold and heavy and choking, crushing the air from his lungs and clogging his throat—
Z woke with a gasp, struggling free of the blanket that had gotten tangled about him. For a moment, he couldn't see or hear anything, couldn't remember where he was, too caught up in the nameless dread that overwhelmed all his other senses. Blindly, he stumbled to his feet with no idea of where he was going or what he was looking for, then familiar hands had caught and steadied him and a voice he recognized was asking him what had happened.
Z blinked, the dark room fading back into focus. Worried eyes caught his and held them.
"Natsu?"
The Dragon Slayer relaxed when he saw that he'd started to calm.
"Yeah. Nightmare?"
"I... don't know. I can't remember." He let out a shaky breath, focusing on the feel of Natsu's hands, solid and real and in the present. Time sorted itself out in his mind and his heartbeat slowed back to normal.
His partner glanced around the room that seemed suddenly too enclosed despite its size, considering, and then led him out through the corridor and then out into the cool, night air. It was a wonder they hadn't woken any of their roommates.
"I'm sorry."
"Why the hell are you apologizing for having a nightmare?" Natsu demanded, pushing him down onto a bench before sitting down next to him.
"It just seems like an unpleasant way to end an otherwise pleasant day."
Natsu sighed.
"You get too caught up in endings. So what if today didn't end so well? There's always tomorrow."
Always tomorrow.
Z closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, there would always be a tomorrow, but what he really wanted was for today not to end.
Right. He really should try harder not to be so pessimistic. It was just... difficult with something about the atmosphere and his own mood of the evening making him feel sentimental and almost but not quite nostalgic.
When Natsu spoke again, his voice was quieter and more serious.
"You know, there aren't a whole lot of plants around here. It's okay to think things through, and I'll know long before anyone gets close enough to be in danger."
Zeref turned his head to rest his cheek against the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. And for the first time in a long time, he let himself think about how nice it was to be warm and how cold it had been when he had been completely unable to do so much as stand next to another living being. He let himself think, too, of how much he appreciated it.
"Thank you."
Natsu didn't ask him what for. He understood that it wasn't for any one thing in particular.
TBC...
AN: The next section's going to be more serious and possibly a little dark, so just a heads up.
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