Yeesh, I feel like I was going to be murdered or something. You guys asked for the third part and I did it, actually I was going to write it either way, but I wanted to see what people said, and frankly you scared me into submitting it *sweat drop.* I hope you forgive the shortness, and I hope the ending is satisfactory. I am working on two more Gratsu fics, yes I'm on a role, and yes they're turning out to be angsty. Oh well, keep an eye out for them.

Thanks to grayXnatsyFT and DragonMarker! For your review*cough* threats *cough*

DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL NOR ITS CHARACTERS!

The ice mage looked around. He was surrounded by a world of ice, he couldn't see any way of escape. He wasn't sure if this was heaven or hell. But he knew he was alone, and that couldn't be a good sign

'Why?'

A voice that was unfamiliar to Gray ripped through the artic world similar to a bullet. It sounded so broken, and not even knowing this person Gray wanted to comfort them.

'Why what?'

Gray hollered back into the endless world.

'Do you realize how much this hurts?'

The voice sounded like it was even more broken that previously, and Gray thought that this person sounded like they had just had their lover's heart ripped out in front of them and eaten.

'Realize how much what hurts? What's hurting you?'

Gray's voice was swallowed up by the wind.

Is this how you always feel when you do this? Because its fucking painful!'

The voice cracked and there was a sob, Gray felt tears pricking at his own eyes. Whoever this person is couldn't deserve what had made them sound like that. But the voice wasn't making any sense.

'Feel like what when what happens?'

Gray cried out louder than before trying to reach this unknown person.

'Can you forgive me?'

The voice was barely above a whisper and it was filled with anguish. It was pleading with someone. Whoever didn't forgive this person was going to get a walloping from Gray. This person clearly wanted nothing more than to be forgive and they truly have regretted and repented upon the sin committed.

'I don't know if you're asking forgiveness from me or someone else… but… I FORGIVE YOU FOR WHATEVER YOU'VE DONE!'

That was the loudest Gray had ever yelled and the ice mage was known for raising his voices in arguments that were really going to affect him. He hoped that the person would here him and stop being tortured by whatever it was.

'Gray, can you please wake up?'

The voice was fading out into sobs, the desperation and the plea were present. It sounded like someone who was about to lose everything, of a broken person who couldn't be fixed, of a strong person who was weak when it counted the most.

Gray paused. Am I asleep right now?

There was a wetness running down his face. He couldn't remember ever hearing anyone sound so desperate outside of his own voice when he was younger and talking about Deliora or Ur when she died.

But if he was asleep then what did that mean? He closed his eyes.

Gray slowly came into consciousness. The first thing that he noticed was the most obvious; he wasn't dead. The second thing was that his entire body ached and he felt exhausted. Which were less of a surprise. But he knew he cast Iced Shell he had seen the ice forming at the base of the giant, so how was it that he was still alive? Or from what he thought of death being a painless abyss was wrong.

All of this thinking was giving him a start of a headache as his frontal lobe started to ache. His body was too stiff to even think about moving, and it was really sore as well.

He felt a strong heat at his side. Which caused him to get curious as to what was laying beside him to radiate that much warmth. The only thing that he knew that could do that was Natsu.

Gray's heart stopped in sudden panic. What had happened to his lover? He heard something that sounded like a sob and garbled words.

Natsu!
Gray was acting on instinct alone, he needed to find out what happened to the dragon slayer, he didn't care that his body might be fragile. He needed to know.

His navy eyes flew open, and he shut them quickly before he could be blinded by the light. Once he was sure he could open them without too much pain, he opened only one of them.

Taking in the view in front of him he saw Natsu. But this Natsu was crying, actually more like sobbing. Gray wanted to make a sound to comfort his distraught lover, but his voice caught in his throat.

Natsu looked back towards the bed and froze. Gray was impressed, it looked like someone had put him in an Iced Shell the way he stayed stock still. The ice mage wasn't sure the dragon slayer was actually breathing.

"Gray?" It was whispered like Natsu didn't want to break something.

"Yeah."

Gray stared at Natsu, and now that he was able to comprehend better he could see that Natsu looked tired and the skin was stretched over the face. Dark circles stood out against the pale skin, which had lost most of its color. Natsu was hunched over, and he looked like he hadn't eaten anything ever. The eyes which were so full of life looked warned down and aged.

All of that was erased the moment that Natsu cracked a brilliant smile. Gray though it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, which was saying a lot considering he saw the beauty of a selfless sacrifice.

"You're awake."

Natsu was still blunt as ever Gray noted happily.

Gray nodded slowly. "What happened?"

"You attempted to kill yourself by using Iced Shell and I stopped you just before you could finish the spell." Natsu shrugged, actiung like he didn't care.

Gray nodded, he wasn't sure on the full details of Iced Shell, he never bothered to read up in the spell that had almost killed him and actually did kill his master.

Something clicked in Gray's head. "Wait how long was I out?"

"Two weeks."

Gray blinked. That long? That means… oh god! Natsu!
"Were you awake the entire time?"

"All but two days."

Gray frowned, his raven hair coming down to shield his eyes.

"You're the one begging for forgiveness, yet I'm the one that should be asking even thought I don't deserve it."

Natsu looked at Gray a little confused. "Gray, you were just trying to protect everyone. I should've stayed by your side."

Gray closed his eyes to hold back the tears. Natsu kept speaking. "That's what we promised, isn't it?"

Gray, forgetting himself for a moment he whiped his head towards Natsu letting the tears fall freely from his face.

"Natsu." He breathed.

"After all you're the one I'm supposed to be protecting, because you're my one."

Gray launched himself awkwardly at Natsu, thankfully the dragon slayer had quick reactions, because otherwise Gray would've fallen on his face. He sobbed into Natsu shoulder, allowing him this one time to let everything he'd ever felt go at once. He could tell that Natsu was crying as well, because of the wetness soaking his bandages.

The two males didn't care about appearances at the moment. They just wanted to be held by the one they love. To know that the other was still alive, and they wouldn't have to go through life alone anymore.

That was their greatest fear, that this sweet dream they dream will turn into a terrible nightmare when they wake up.

They weren't only crying for whatever had happened briefly before and the two weeks they had been apart, they were crying away whatever doubts that they once had during this realashionship.

Natsu was crying because he thought he had forced Gray into this, and that Gray's true feelings laid elsewhere.

And Gray was crying because he had thought that Natsu had made up the whole dragon mate thing just so they could have sex, and then Natsu would move onto someone else.

But the one reason that they shared was because they knew now that whatever challenges that they faced, however they may feel, and whatever fate was laying in store for them. They knew that they would be together, after all Natsu wasn't one to break a promise, and Gray wasn't one to be disloyal to his friends.

On the outside they may seem like they don't mesh, and even some of their friends wondered about it. But the two made each other happy and they had lasted this long so they knew that they could last a lifetime, however long that may be. They prayed it would be a long time.

With recent events, they knew now that they should cherish every moment they got with each other and savor all the time that they've had, because someday they knew that fire would melt the ice or ice would freeze the fire.

Because honestly, they were made to support each other and destroy each other. There was no yin without yang, and without their partner they held no shape.

But all of that didn't matter when Natsu pulled away from the embrace, after inhaling a large amount of Gray's scent and leaning in to kiss his mate.

Because at that moment everything was back to how it should be. For however long was not known, but now Gray and Natsu were going to keep on living.

Together.

They sealed their promise with a kiss.

Yes it was sappy, no I don't regret it, and yes I did have the Fairy Tail sad themes playing in the background while writing it. So it kind of matches the with tunes. So I'm out for this story I hope you enjoyed this and I hope to see you on stories that I publish later. And no they won't have cliffhangers as the end of the story! I'm trying to get out of the habit!

DragonMarker I honestly wouldn't doubt that you would do something like this, I hope this satisfies you! And I do understand you're love of angst!

Later! ~IF