Author Notes:
Warnings: Swearing - Sexual themes/Content.
Genre, in depth: Male/Male Romance, also known as, Yaoi.
Story Cover Art: The Amazing Astrovique.
Beta Reader: enjoys literature.
Disclaimer: Dear reader, I'm not the owner of Fairy Tail's characters. If they were mine, Gray and Natsu would be boyfriends.
O.o.O Chapter Six O.o.O
Gray couldn't sleep as long as he wished he could because of a minor headache, the feeling it's not his home, a series of twisted dreams, plus overthinking about his managing director and his contrivance to kidnap his stupid friend.
His FUCK stupid friend.
"… Don't you dare ask for my trust when you've betrayed it once."
Cold water soaked Gray's head that pounded. He dried his hair with a towel, and urged himself to go back to sleep and maybe he'd feel better, but when laughter traveled in the corridor, he steered himself towards it.
He was blown.
Natsu sat obediently on the beige sofa as Jellal rubbed some kind of ointment on his bruised wrists and later wrapped a bandage around them both. Their hands were linked, feather touches happened now and then. It made something in Gray flinch.
Stop smiling. Stop touching.
Natsu should've stayed cuffed like he so deserved.
The ambassador stopped Gray as he was about to walk away and pretend he saw nothing.
"You didn't try hard enough."
Gray halted and a generic smile appeared on his lips, "You're too good that's all. How did he not accuse you of conspiring against him?"
"He did." Jellal smiled towards Natsu who shook his head, "We're past that, buuuuut the heated argument starved us."
What the fuck happened when he was asleep?
"Hibiki-san swore to cook only breakfast, I can't cook without destroying something, Natsu can't do anything with his state... sooo, you're our silver lining."
"Me?" Gray pointed at himself, "Can we order or something?"
Jellal laughed, "Are you kidding? We're trying to avoid communication at all costs, and the phones-"
"-Ah… right."
"Natsu says you're a great cook."
What?
Natsu tugged at the bandages on his wrist and faked interest in them. OK, they used to live together, and Gray used to cook, but he wouldn't call himself a 'great' cook. Natsu would eat a dry pitiful piece of meat and say it's phenomenal. We're fucking talking about an AMBASSADOR with a great class here. The award-winning chefs were the ones who fed this guy, and Gray is a fucking mere civilian with no culinary accolades.
"I… can whip up something, but… there's only so much I can do."
"Cool! Anything! I'm ready to help." The blue-haired boy hesitated, "But only with preparations… I have zero talent in the cooking field, you can't let me anywhere near the stove. You can't."
so what happens if you got food poisoned? Do you have any allergies—you know what? That's Gray shook his head, "… Ok, but you're warned, I can't cook that well. And… um. I don't know if the ingredients here are fresh, too much responsibility. I prefer if you let Hibiki-san make us sandwiches like those in the-"
"-Woah, Gray. Slow down." Jellal stopped him with his two palms in the air, "Hibiki-san won't do shit, he's so busy. Stop thinking too much! You're gonna cook, and it's gonna be okay, and just for your peace of mind, I don't have food allergies, so, anything's okay!"
Gray rubbed the back of his neck, still disliking the idea.
But… Natsu was probably hungry. He hadn't eaten-fuck.
There he goes again.
STOP thinking about that idiot. He trusted a complete stranger more than you!
"Ok. Lemme go get my glasses. Be right back."
Strategic planning is essential for tackling tasks.
Gray and Jellal had an average discussion that lasted for over fifteen minutes about the food they should make, only to discover they're both idiots. Working around the limited ingredients in the house was far more important.
Hibiki said he had all the ingredients, they were all set for a decent meal, but that was quite misleading. If his mother witnessed what Hibiki defined as "all ingredients" she would go shopping for his sake. Canned food consumed most of his shelves: beans, tuna, corn—you name it. How did Hibiki live his life?
"You gotta be thankful okay? This is a safe house, so it has something. His place has nothing, he can't cook for shit, and his girlfriends feed him all the time."
"…" Gray recalled his conversation with Hibiki in the morning, "He says he has none."
Jellal held two potatoes in his hand… and those two potatoes blushed for sure. Jellal influenced everything this way with his gentleness and confidence.
"I prefer calling them girlfriends rather than something else."
"Will you be offended if I ask you to peel them?"
Jellal shook his head, "I'll look for a knife... or a peeler."
"There's nothing I can use for the salad. I don't understand how he made those awesome sandwiches in the morning…"
The ambassador shrugged, "Typical Hibiki-san. He likes breakfast that's all."
"Right." Man that was bothersome, "We'll do basic stuff… like rice, and we'll find a solution for those raw meat cubes, will that be okay?"
"I'll eat just about anything. Gray, it's so sweet of you, but don't feel pressured to impress me."
That little... if he wasn't an ambassador, Gray would've smacked the back of his head.
"I'm not…"
"I know." The blue-haired laughed while peeling the potatoes.
For being a smart-ass, Gray smirked internally when he gave him the carrots and onions to peel too. It was fun watching an ambassador holding back his tears because of peeling onions and then failing at it.
He rinsed the meat, seasoned it with the pathetic available herbs, and cooked it along with the onions and garlic. Gray preferred to have the rice white and plain, but the ambassador wished it'd have vegetables too, and Gray targeted pleasing him since he refused to cause a diplomatic dispute between Japan and another country for something as inane as a rice cooking method, so the result was a marriage between both tastes.
He stirred the tomato paste, seasoned it, added the bell pepper and carrots. After the boiled water was poured in the small pot, he added in the rice and cooked it on low heat.
"Estupendo! I'm so excited; it's so familiar to the rice we make in our region."
Why was an ambassador fanboying over rice? Gray resisted asking which country ambassador Jellal Fernandes represented since there was no way in hell he was the Japanese ambassador—he figured that much. The last thing he wanted was to sound offensive.
While Gray prepared the hot oil for frying potatoes, the aroma of the cooked rice and meat joined and awakened his appetite. Usually, the food he made himself wouldn't excite him, but he'd only had breakfast and he was more than ready to eat.
And someone else kept fixating on the two pots, even peeking at them, and Gray was scared that as soon as he declared they were done, Jellal was gonna steal them, run to his chopper upstairs, and flee from the country or something.
So he didn't say it was done. Instead, he handed Jellal a small plate with fries seasoned with salt and pepper.
"Ah…" The ambassador was caught off guard, and took it after seconds of staring at it with nervousness in his tone, "Was I drooling just now?"
He snickered, "Kinda."
"I'm not saying no to those. Gracias." He fed an ambassador fries… "They're crunchy and perfect—hey that's stealing!"
The blond snatched fries from Jellal's plate and munched on them.
"You're right! They're perfect. Be my girlfriend." He winked at Gray, "Sawww Hawwt."
"Shouldn't you be working?" Jellal asked.
"I was. Then I smelled food. When are you two gonna stop flirting and give me my food?"
The ambassador waved the plate around so that Hibiki won't get what he wants, "We're not flirting."
"Dude, Gray's wearing an apron on bare skin while showing off his cooking skills. He has just handed you a plate of French fries, isn't that the so… kinky?"
FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. Did that have to happen when an ambassador was around?! Where did that piece of shit go?
"Shit!"
"Oh, you're right." Jellal's reaction to Gray standing half-naked wasn't what he expected.
That wasn't important! He dashed out of the kitchen to find his shirt.
When he strode into the living room, Gray's body changed to a malfunctioning clock hands, frustratingly anchored in its place, and no matter how many times you tapped on the frame, it won't move.
Goddamn it, he should've grown out of this. The sight of the idiot sprawled asleep on the sofa shouldn't stir the fuzziness in his stomach climbing up to his chest anymore. His fucking shirt was on the armchair next to that sofa and all he had to do was get it and go, but his fucked up head kept saying, go hug him, isn't he cold? Shouldn't you grab something to cover him with? One kiss. Just one, and he wouldn't know.
No, won't happen.
He had lost count of the times he had had the same emotional struggles with himself.
Aside from the brutality of those struggles, he was happy Natsu could sleep, knees pulled up close to chest, soft snores and all. He must have been drained after so many pull-ups, internal anxiety, tension. At least he felt safe enough to sleep in this house with those three individuals around him.
How on earth was Jellal able to convince him they weren't after his ass?
He trusts someone more than you. Great.
As Hibiki and his friend fought for the fries in the kitchen, Gray could barely move himself and even kneel next to his dozing friend.
Hints of strain tugged between Natsu's eyebrows, his bandaged wrists crossed one another. Why didn't Natsu believe in him and did in a random stranger? Jellal's persuasion techniques aside, he thought their friendship was strong to overcome any obstacle.
You're wrong.
His fingers almost brushed against Natsu's cheek—
You're wrong.
Gray pushed his glasses, grabbed his shirt, and headed to the kitchen to finish what he started.
Narita, Japan – 11:30PM – Hibiki Lates' Mansion
Gray has put the ambassador out of his misery when he announced that dinner was done and ready to be served.
While Hibiki distributed the plates, Jellal went to wake Natsu, and they both came around the dining table, smiles plastered on their faces.
Ok, he has to shrug off the stupid feeling because it affected his facial expressions, and Jellal was a good guy, he didn't want to put a wedge between them for no good reason. He didn't own Natsu Dragneel. Never did, never will, plus, Jellal Fernandes was being friendly, that's all.
Right?
The blond jumped around, "I can't believe this aroma is coming from my kitchen. Did you give the girlfriend offer a thought?"
"Oops, can't. I'm high maintenance."
For the first time in the last five hours, laughter filled the mansion. The glass dining table didn't have fancy food, but the gathering was comforting. It made their life crisis easier. Gray distanced himself from Natsu as he sat next to Hibiki, across Jellal and Natsu. He avoided eye-contact, physical contact, any kind of help, and left him to Jellal to take care of.
Better that way.
"That juicy meat is mine!"
"Don't hold back and attack as hard as you can." Gray encouraged as he gave Hibiki an extra serving of meat.
"Wow… this is, yahii…" Natsu chewed, his right hand on his mouth, "So nostalgic…"
"Hmm?" Natsu has caught the attention of the ambassador.
"Before… we…" His green eyes sought Gray's blue ones which shut him out, "We used to live together and he would cook, so…"
Hibiki paused inhaling his food. He and the ambassador stared between Natsu and Gray in a way that shook Gray's grip on the fork. The gay drama earlier between Ondrej and Natsu has affected their perception of Natsu and any other guy, and fucking hell, of all things, he wanted this clarified.
"We're just friends. My place was closer to the university, so it was pretty convenient to share the rent and it happened for a short time."
He didn't see Natsu's reaction because he avoided it.
Jellal smiled, "It's impressive how you guys are still friends. I'd say you both should treasure each other because you'll rarely find loyal friends these days-"
"—loyal huh?" Natsu grunted.
"... don't you dare ask for my trust when you've betrayed it once!"
Gray wasn't going to explain anything to someone who didn't believe in him anymore. That's a waste of time and energy. He simply shrugged Natsu's glare and continued eating.
Natsu waited for a comeback and raised an eye-brow when he got none.
"Kids…" The blonde's phone interrupted his intention at cooling them down, "Shit, excuse me."
"Natsu, was that Guinean?" Jellal deflected the topic, feeling responsible for the turn in the mood.
"Oh… yeah. Takes over once in a while."
"Understandable-"
They saw Hibiki dashing up the stairs, and into his workshop. Gray put down his fork and shared a stare with Jellal, "What…?"
The ambassador shrugged.
Hibiki came down with a large black backpack and threw a set of cards for Jellal to catch.
"Guys, we have information about Gildarts's location, and I need to be there."
"Hibiki-san, wait!" Jellal stood, "You got a location, so what?"
"It's not an ordinary location, and I really can't explain, I have to go. I'll update you as soon as I can. Take care of the kids for me."
They deserted the cold food on the dining table. Although Hibiki didn't explain his abrupt actions, he alarmed them all, and the safe house didn't feel safe with him gone.
Jellal's fingers hovered above his phone's screen, hesitant. In the end, he dropped it and stared at his laptop's screen, his chin resting on top of the back of his hand. Natsu sat on the sofa, his two hands clasping and antsy, worry flickering in his eyes.
Guys, sheesh.
It was stupid worrying about stuff he shouldn't worry about yet. He tried that shit before, and it was terrible, it poisons the mind and body.
Gray wrapped up the dining table and the kitchen. Of course he had his own questions. Hibiki left tons of them unanswered, it irked the hell out of him, but it's not like he can do anything. To ease up the situation, Gray grabbed the apple juice carton from the fridge, and poured three glasses for the guys and himself.
He placed one next to the tense ambassador who showed a thin smile.
"Gracias, Gray."
"You're welcome." The ambassador's voice wasn't as strong and confident as it was before, and that bothered Gray, "I have no freaking idea about what's going on, but I hope it'll be okay."
A hint of a smile crept to the ambassador's cheeks as he nodded.
"I gave you a job. So far, you suck at it."
He did his best recalling 'the job', earning a gentle laugh. Jellal's fingers pointed in the pink haired boy's direction, "Natsu, remember? You're ditching him big time."
"Ahhhh." Gray shrugged, "He thinks I'm on the other side, this is for the best, trust me."
"Your jealousy is outstanding." The ambassador whispered, then chuckled at the flush that burned Gray's face, "Can you try a little harder for me?"
Gray pushed his glasses back and held the two glasses of apple juice, "Why would I be jealous?"
"I'm not gonna have this conversation because you damn well know why. Now, do your job, and let me do mine."
They shared one last challenging look before Gray sighs and walks away with the two glasses.
Chaos roamed in Natsu's head, which was nakedly jumbled for the entire world to see. He pressed the chilled apple juice glass above Natsu's clenched jaw, receiving an immediate gasp. Natsu blinked, and when Gray pressed further...
"Ok, ok ok!"
Natsu accepted his glass and his gaze returned to the white tufted carpet.
Gray nudged Natsu's leg with his foot, "Move."
The pink haired's answer was a dumbfounded look, one that was cute.
"Come on, move."
Natsu scooted over in a snail's speed that Gray didn't wait. He tossed himself on the sofa and pushed Natsu and inch aside, gulping the content of his own glass as the warmth of Natsu's arm kissed him.
"Drink your shit."
Natsu nodded and stayed there, focusing on the floor.
His intentions were to lighten the mood, to assure Natsu he was safe and nothing bad was gonna happen, but he forgot an important point. He might be the source of Natsu's worries and scares.
Shit, he was stressing the shit out of his friend with his presence, judging by the stiff muscles of Natsu's arm against his own. That's the opposite of what he wanted.
He should go.
Gray's knee bounced, then he stood.
"Sit." Natsu commanded, eyes on the floor.
"I don't think it's a good idea."
"Sit."
He wasn't Natsu's dog, but the urgency in his voice made Gray comply without arguing.
He had a feeling he didn't want to listen to this.
Natsu's adam apple moved down, "I was an asshole to you, but I hope… you can understand."
"Apology not required." He rubbed the back of his neck, "You have every right to think the worst of me. I didn't exactly prove otherwise, so it's okay."
"Don't…" Natsu licked his lips and sniffled, "I'm serious…"
"I'm serious too. I accept the part where you said you were an asshole though. That's good enough for me. Future blackmail material."
"Oh," Natsu stung him with his irony, "We both know who the real asshole is."
"Of course. It's you." It's a fact, ok?
"Shut up."
"Love you too."
"Stop that!" Oh, he loved how those cheeks turned red for him. He wanted to touch them.
They fell into their old, relaxed, best friend-y selves they should be, and nothing made him happier. Natsu's earlier accusation lingered, and he hated it, but he accepted to be blamed for it. Gray believed nothing can hurt him so much after those three years of getting accustomed to the pain, but he was wrong.
There was one thing he needed to admit to himself and Natsu though. And he needed to. At least this.
"Hey Natsu…"
The pink haired's eyes questioned Gray.
"I missed you. Quite a lot."
'And then some.'
Natsu's cheeks and ears turned from pink to red.
"I give up…" Natsu placed his glass of juice on the coffee table with the marble top and rubbed his face with both of his hands, "I don't understand how you think… first, you abandon me, and now this? Why don't you-"
The ambassador's phone's ringtone startled them.
Maybe that was what they called, a sixth sense. He wasn't Spiderman, and he had no freaking idea what that phone call was about, but the hair on his neck stood. Unlike him, Natsu didn't look backwards where the phone ringing persisted, instead, he transformed into a gypsum sculpture.
Even Jellal stared at his phone, taken.
The 'crunch' of breaking glass snapped the hell out of them. Jellal had been absent-minded when he reached to answer his phone, so his juice spilled and he ended up staring at the mess he created and his phone.
Gray pulled Natsu with him towards the dining table as Jellal answered, his phone on speaker mode.
"Hello-"
"Listen, listen to every word! Take the Land Cruiser and evacuate NOW!"
"…"
His heart skipped two beats at the panic in Hibiki's voice because… if Hibiki panics… what does that mean?
The three stared at each other, almost paralyzed.
"What happened—is ever-"
The defense Intelligence general cut Jellal, "Shit! I said listen! Do as I say and head south! Take them and GO!"
"Sh-should I-?"
"ARE YOU MOVING?!"
Oh, this was bad. Not only Hibiki panicked, but the ambassador's confidence and demeanor received a visible fracture. He was shaking.
Jellal closed the laptop he was working on, and stuffed it into his backpack along with several files, one of which had proof Natsu was innocent.
"Okay, okay, I'm on it—my laptop-"
"IDIOT! LEAVE EVERYTHING AND GO!"
"Donedonedone!" Jellal had carried his backpack and strode to exit the house, "Gray, follow me!"
Gray dragged Natsu as they rushed behind Jellal who led them inside Hibiki's massive garage. Five SUVs stood in a line, and Jellal headed for the black one, dumping his backpack inside.
What was happening? What were they doing? Where are they going?
The seatbelt wasn't the only thing tightening around him, coldness did too. The pounding in his heart sped up when the vehicle's engine stirred to life.
What were they doing?!
"I'm out!"
Both Gray and Natsu's heads bumped against the front seats when Jellal's foot slammed the accelerator.
"South, south-south where?!"
"To the airport smartass! Jesus!"
"Mierda—what's going on?!"
"SPEED BUMP!" Gray shouted—his eyes widening to the fullest as Jellal hit the brakes to avoid the awkward speed bump in their way. And for the second time, Gray's head bumped against the front seat, his glasses fell—somewhere. Jellal winced from the seatbelt's clasp around his waist and the tires screeched.
Jellal shouted big foreign words, and Gray assumed they were curses.
"Oh honey!" Hibiki yelled, "Stop your gibberish cause I understand jack shit, are you alright?!"
"Fuck…" Jellal hit the accelerator again, "Not really! Why aren't you talking?!"
"He used a fucking bait to drag me out to get to you… when I put my hands on him—I'm on my way! Eve tells me I'm thirty minutes away from you."
"He? He?!" Natsu didn't show his fears, but as he said those words, so much panic clutched at every letter. He has experienced enough hardships over the last three days, so he could only predict the worst coming.
And Gray hated that. How useless was he?
"Fuck… my stomach…"
Even if Gray wanted to relieve Natsu's transportation sickness, this time he can't, and Natsu has to suck it.
Are you serious? His managing director was chasing their ass around? Are you fucking serious?!
"I knew something was off!" The ambassador yelled, "You should have fucking told me before you took your little stroll!"
"I had him under surveillance! What more did you want me to do?!"
Gray's body was falling down from a high skyscraper. He drove cars before, and wanted to test how fast they can go, and now he got the chance to see for himself, death approached them and FAST. At that freaking speed of 240 kilometers per hour, the ambassador would see nothing ahead, and they would never know what hit them as the field of vision narrowed.
"Hibiki-san…" Jellal dropped the speed of the car to take the turn, then picked it up, "That's not you in the back, is it…?"
"… No. shit, no. SHIT! Eve, fucking drive, he's behind them!"
Natsu's head whipped to the back, and so did Gray's. The headlights of the vehicle that followed were far and progressed forward with each second. Jellal was forced to lower the speed once and again to take a turn and noticed how the black SUV in the back caught up.
"Shit…"
"Where the hell did it go…?" The ambassador looked in all the mirrors, but like a ghost, the vehicle evaporated and it was no longer existing.
Confused, Gray exchanged a look with Natsu that said 'What the hell is going on?'
Natsu dropped his head down and did his best not to puke before he looked at his right.
"Right…" Natsu held on tightly and ducked, "Right! YOUR RIGHT!"
Jellal was less than a second late.
The black SUV with the metallic claws, sped and smashed against their right vehicle's door, where Jellal drove.
He couldn't tell how many times did their SUV roll around after it had flown across the street. The front glass, driver's window, and Natsu's window, shattered. It stopped swerving when it hit the trees and the ambassador was rendered lifeless with fresh blood oozing from his head.
'Fuck…'
Gray could open his eyes and come back to his senses because of the constant loud dinging of their vehicle, and the horrible kerosene-smelling smoke. It was as if someone laid a fat piece of burning coal on his lungs. He continued to choke and splutter, the grayish mist pulling his life away, and crushing his insides.
When he unbuckled his seatbelt that hurt his waist, sharp pain resonated through his left shoulder and blood splotched his shirt, where did it come from? Was it from him? Yes, but he couldn't tell where….
He kicked the remnants of what was once called a 'car door' open, with the bit of energy he had left, and again, the pain shot through his leg and shoulder.
Despite that, he coughed as he unfastened Natsu's seatbelt. Red stained the guy's right side of the face and forehead from several glass piercings.
"Natsu…"
'Shit…'
Gray didn't want to nudge the boy anywhere, in case he had an internal injury other than the superficial ones showing.
"NATSU!"
He thought shouting would bring Natsu's life back somehow, and it did. The pink haired moaned, coughed, and moved, holding his head. Shards of glass slid across his chest and fell.
The worry about Natsu's well-being was less severe than the ambassador's since the hit he received was direct and accurate.
Don't… God... Jellal didn't deserve any of this…
Gray dragged them both out of the smoke-filled car, every movement triggering pain in a different limb, and spurts of electricity shot in the back of his head, ringing.
Concussion. He has a fucking concussion.
They both had blood stained shirts and skin. Natsu fell on the ground, coughing the gallons of smoke he inhaled, his injured elbow almost showing the bones. Gray limped to the driver's seat, to check on Jellal. Oh the pain was unbearable, his organs, muscles, bones, it all screamed and protested as he moved.
And he was the least one damaged.
Each step took a toll, and the silence of the ambassador had scared Gray.
Shouldn't he be groaning or coughing like them both?
Shouldn't he be struggling physically?
Shit, please, no.
Gray halted when a hole of a gun almost touched his nose.
"Hello kiddo."
A long black coat covered the figure of a man he has always admired, the same one who stabbed Gray with devilish eyes that possessed a hint of azure insanity.
His throat lost all the moisture, his eyes won't blink, his mouth won't speak, his sense of time stopped when an unknown force chained his feet to the soil, giving him a false illusion of standing there for a lifetime instead of five mere seconds. The hair on the back of his neck stood, and coldness engulfed his organs while he viewed the world in gray-scale.
He hoped he had farsightedness. Seeing the main culprit was worse than the gun in his hand.
The man rotated the gun, "Get down."
He would love to do that. One problem, his body did the exact opposite.
"I need your friend that's all. I won't harm you, so get down."
"But you'd harm him?"
FUCK, he can speak?
"Depends." Gildarts shrugged, "I gave him several chances before, but he won't take them, so yes, I'll harm him."
"… Chances?" So fucking him up at the airport and the medical center was called 'several chances'?
He picked up Natsu's harsh breaths and rustling behind.
"Kiddo, come here and get into the car. You and I need to have a long nice talk." Gildarts ordered Natsu with a rigid voice.
'Motherfucking bastard.'
How that garbage spoke, it made the paralysis in Gray's body break. Yes, he faced death. Yes, the back of his neck throbbed. Yes, there was a tear in a different part of his body with each limp he took. But no fucking way was he giving Natsu up after he has just got him, and especially, not to this piece of shit.
He limped all the way back and glued his back to Natsu's chest.
"He's fine here." He added malice in his tone, "If you want him… you'd have to kill me first."
"Gray..." Natsu pushed at his back, but Gray rooted himself where he was at, and stopped Natsu with his barely moving arm. "Move, Gray, move!"
His cutting stone glare battled Gildarts's silent blank one while Natsu kept trying to pry Gray off, still coughing the smoke from earlier.
"Forgive me." Gildarts sighed, "I lied."
What-
A silent bullet opened a hole in his leg, slamming his body against the ground. A cry of pain burned and pushed past his throat as his breaths quickened. He could taste the soil, and if he hadn't seen the guy shoot him the leg, he would've imagined a chainsaw cutting through him.
"Gray!"
Natsu kneeled next to Gray, cheeks scratched and bloody, his face white, and his eyes fearful and big. He shivered all over, standing slowly to grant the man his wish.
'So not gonna happen, I just got you.'
Through the pulsing hole of agony in his leg, Gray pushed himself to the absolute limit. He pushed Natsu with his arm to the back and used his uninjured knee to support him in front of the boy.
"I said… nghh… he's not-not…n-not going… not…"
"He's going."
Another shot crackled, and Gray predicted his death.
But it wasn't directed at him.
In their minced car, the ambassador held onto a gun while blood covered his head. Could he even hold onto a gun?! Shit! He needed treatment and quick.
The old managing director pointed the other armed hand towards Jellal Fernandes in the car and fired.
'NO!'
The gun fell from Jellal's hand and his body was in sharp torture as he struggled to breathe. Shortly after, another bullet was fired and pierced through Gray's shoulder.
Needles prickled his body as he fell on the ground.
He can't… anymore. He just can't…
But he's not dead. And he promised Natsu wasn't going with that man unless he was dead.
"I BEG YOU STOP!" Natsu yelled.
The world rocked sideways, and blackness fought to take over his vision, but he fought it hard as fresh tears fell on the ground while his chest tightened.
'In the end, I can't do anything… Protect him? What nonsense… you can't even protect yourself… you're a worthless piece of shit…'
"I'll go! S-so stop… just… stop…"
Gildarts nodded, "Come over."
Natsu dropped himself next to Gray, whose body couldn't struggle anymore. His green eyes had collected so many tears, and several fell, staining Gray's shirt. The warmth of his hand contrasted the coldness of Gray's cheek.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, god… I'm so sorry!"
As Natsu stood, Gray kept repeating No, don't go, don't you dare, but his pleas and threats weren't heard.
"I like you when you're cooperative. Come over here kid."
"D-Do…n't…!"
He won't forgive Natsu for this, never. He heard the door of the SUV closing and one last word from Gildarts.
"Thank you for bringing him. I knew I could count on you."
He knew it… this was all his fault. He trusted someone he shouldn't have. For that, he gets to lose the most important person… Gildarts should've killed him. Gray can't survive this, he had to die…
The ground vibrated against Gray's body, and chopper blades drilled through his ears.
It was a car engine from afar, getting clearer, closer, greater.
Was it one car? No… two… Maybe five?
And two shots broke in the air.
A sharp scream cut through the brittle bones of Gray's body, but it was one that didn't belong Natsu. At the same time, the helicopter landed.
Somewhere, Jellal's brittle laugh broke as he coughed blood.
"You… idiot… late… so…"
Hibiki stood next to Gildarts's electrocuted Unconscious body with a demon's glare that no one had seen on the General's face before.
Officers and paramedics rushed towards the injured, transferring Jellal and Gray's stretchers to the helicopter emergency service that immediately flew towards Kameda medical center.
Natsu's tears haven't stopped as the paramedics tried helping with patching his most fatal wounds from the car collision. He sat, knee pressed to his chest, refusing medical help while entering a state of hopelessness.
Narita, Japan – 3:00AM – Kameda medical center
Eve patted Hibiki's shoulder. The blonde had lost his marbles as he looked at the ambassador connected to so many tubes. Eve himself has been speechless since and Hibiki said nothing but 'fuck'.
"Shit… I should have been in his place!" Senpai yelled.
Eve wanted to calm the blonde, to say 'it's no one's fault', but words won't come out. He could only watch the scene and not blink for a long while. Jellal Fernandes wasn't only a dear friend of Senpai's, but also, the Spanish ambassador, and his battered state will shake the Japanese-Spanish relations.
They were in deep shit. Especially, Senpai.
"Hibiki. He's ready for interrogation. Come." Ren called at the frustrated blonde.
Senpai faced him with clenched fists, gritted teeth and a murderous intent.
Eve pitied Gildarts-san. Senpai has never shown this kind of attitude before, and it was just… bad news.
For everyone.
To Be Continued...
Next Chapter Release: In 10-20days.
Err... Yeah. Bad stuff happen?
Special thanks to: deboome (Yes, that's a very rational way to think about things. It has happened to me once, not kidnapping though, but when you see someone pretending to be something else... it's... CREEPY. Hope you've had fun reading this one.), Kori no Koibito (Well, he could be? Could be not? Then again, who am I to spoil the whole thing for you? relax and wait for it.) JChrista(Errr… more trembling heart and emotions this chapter? I HOPE SO, but well... part of being a writer is writing things... like not very good things and events. Sorry... also, I'm really happy you want to know more about Gray and Natsu's past. That's a good sign you're willing to go through a backstory! You could read the next review reply to I LOVE UKE NATSU to understand what I mean.), I. LOVE. UKE. NATSU. (Yes, their story will be revealed... but like... in time, if you know what I mean. Like you need to be... super willing to go through a backstory. Personally, I hate backstories... but it's necessary for this one, and when it comes in time, I feel more motivated to read it... Hopefully when the time comes, you will enjoy reading it. Your enthusiasm is so cool! Enjoy!)
Thank you ALL for reading. Feel free to share any comment, or advice. I'd love that.
Alright, till next time!
Looooooove,
Flame-Belt