I Dare You
Chapter Two - Trust
Natsu carried Gray until they had reached their teams' housing area.
"Natsu you can put me down now." Gray said in an irritated tone.
The pink haired dragon slayer dropped Gray onto his bed, gently. Natsu stood and looked down at his injured friend. Blood was seeping through the gauze that was strapped to his forehead.
"Dammit. You're bleeding again I'll have to change your bandages." Natsu said as he sat down next to Gray.
"What? No. Just wait for the Doctor to get here, he'll do it."
"We don't know how long that'll take Gray; and you're bleeding."
"Have you ever changed a bandage before? Or done any kind of first aid?"
"Ah…no. I've changed my own before though." Natsu said with a nervous smile.
"Great. I think I'll just wait for the Doctor to come then. No offense."
Natsu stood up again from Gray's bed and walked to the door. He poked his pink head out the door to search for the Doctor; and failed to spot him. Natsu walked back to Gray's bed and sat down; slowly turning his head to stare at Gray with this devilish grin forming.
"W…what?" Natsu's face gave Gray chills.
"Doc's not coming."
"We'll wait."
"We're not waiting."
Before Gray could cover his wound, Natsu had grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his bandage.
"What are you going to do now Natsu? You're holding both of my hands with yours, but you need them to change a bandage." Gray said with a smirk.
Natsu exhaled a frustrated sigh and look at his hands and back up to Gray.
"Don't be difficult Gray. Let me change your bandages."
"I've seen how you do things Natsu and they usually include fire, burning something, or just an explosion. I'm not ready to have that on my face." Gray said, trying to pull his hands away. Natsu let Gray have his hands back as his smile dropped. He quietly stood from Gray's bed and walked back to the door.
"N…Natsu? What're you doing now?" Gray asked quietly.
"I'm waiting for the Doctor." Natsu murmured.
"Now you're going to wait? I thought you didn't want to wait."
"Have to."
"Why?"
"You don't trust me."
Gray fell silent. He didn't know it hurt Natsu that much not letting him change his bandages. Gray slowly got off his bed and walked over to Natsu.
"Don't get up Gray." Natsu said without even looking away from the door.
Gray finally made it to Natsu and grabbed his hand, pulling it towards his blood soaked bandage.
"Here. Change it." Gray grunted.
Natsu pulled his hand away.
"No."
"Natsu."
Gray, again, grabbed Natsu's hand and placed it on his forehead.
"I trust you."
The dragon slayer nodded and walked the ice mage back to his bed. The first attempt at re-doing Gray's bandage failed, being that it was too tight; Gray ended up passing out.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Natsu said, trying to revive Gray.
"I…its okay flame head. Try again." Gray said, waiting for his vision to clear.
After a few more tries, Natsu finally got the bandage wrapped the correct way and loose enough for blood flow.
"There. It finally stopped bleeding." Natsu said cleaning up his many bandage attempts.
"Hah...thanks." Gray huffed; lying back in his bed.
Natsu looked back at Gray.
"What?" Gray said, feeling his gaze.
"What?" Natsu said, not realizing he'd been staring.
"You're staring."
"Just checking out my first bandage."
"Right. We should show Erza and Lucy." Gray laughed.
There was a knock at the door. Natsu invited the Doctor to come in to check on Gray's injury.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to come, but it looks good. Did you change it yourself?" The Doctor said, looking at Gray.
"No, Natsu did." Gray said, sitting up.
The Doctor glanced over at Natsu and back at Gray with a "really?" look on his face. Gray just nodded and waved the Doctor goodbye.
"Okay Gray let me know if you have any pain." The Doctor left.
"Guess you're not the only one who thinks I can't do anything but burn." Natsu said sitting down on Gray's bed.
Gray didn't know what to say. So he just did what he thought would snap the flame head out of it and suddenly Natsu was on the ground holding his cheek.
"What the hell!? Why did you hit me!?"
"Because you're being an idiot."
"What!?"
"You don't just burn things. Even you should know that."
Natsu, again, stared at Gray. He thought it was weird that Gray was actually trying to make him feel better. Even though he made him feel bad to start with, Natsu was happy.
"Thanks." Natsu said getting up off the floor.
"Yeah."
There was another knock at the door. Erza walked in holding a tied up young man over her shoulder.
"Erza!?" Natsu and Gray said in unison.
"How do you feel Gray?" Erza asked, ungracefully dropping the man to the floor.
"Uh fine. Who's that?"
"This man is the one who injured you." Erza said glaring down at the man.
The entire room felt like it was on fire as Natsu's fist's engulfed in flame. He walked towards the man on the floor, picking him up with one hand and smacking his forehead to the man's.
"WHY?" Natsu spat.
"…"
Natsu threw the man against the wall closest to the door.
"Natsu stop!" Gray yelled, jumping out of bed. Light headed, he collapsed.
"Gray!" Erza gasped as she ran to Gray.
Natsu snapped out of his fury and looked back at Gray, dropping the man. He quickly ran to Gray, holding him up so he didn't fall.
"Are you okay Gray!?" Natsu said, worry growing.
"Y…yeah. Erza how do you know it's him?" Gray said through pants.
"After you two left I waiting underneath the VIP area."
"You stayed there this WHOLE time!?" Natsu exclaimed.
"Yes. I was waiting for him to show his face…that's when I caught him." Erza explained gesturing towards the silent man on the floor.
Natsu helped Gray stand and walked him back to sit on his bed. Erza picked the man up and sat him in one of the nearby chairs.
"Explain. Why did you injury one of Fairy Tail's mages?" Erza asked in a stern voice.
"…"
"Were you trying to hurt Fairy Tail's chances at winning?"
The man exploded with laughter. The three mages were taken back by the sudden outburst. Natsu charged at the man, grabbing his collar.
"What's so funny?" Natsu said, tightening his grip.
"If anything I increased your chances at winning. With him out you have a better chance." The man said gesturing at Gray. The ice mage lowered his head.
"What the hell makes you think you-"
"Natsu! Silence. Release him." Erza commanded.
"WHAT!? WHY ERZA-"
"Now."
Natsu let the man go, untied him, and walked back to Gray with Erza following close behind. The man stood, leaning against the door frame, wiping away the tears caused by his previous laughing fit.
"What the hell Erza? Why'd you let him go?" Natsu whispered.
"Someone's listening."
Natsu, Gray, and Erza glared at the man then the door.
"Finally noticed huh? I expected ice boy to be this slow but not Titania and Salamander." The man chuckled, opening the door to let in an older man. Natsu stepped in front of Gray, heat already emanating from his body. Erza held her hand out, halting Natsu.
"Natsu." Erza said, staring as the older man entered the room; like he owned the place.
"So you see how this is going to work now right?" The younger man said, head held high, winked a green eye at Natsu.
Erza's jaw tightened. Natsu cracked his knuckles and pushed Erza's hand away, walking towards his opponents.
"Nat-" Erza stopped when Natsu suddenly stopped. They both looked back at Gray, who was holding onto Natsu's scarf.
"Idiot. You can't fight them." Gray said without looking away from the floor.
Natsu looked back at the two men standing at their door. The younger man titled his head to the side, grinning wide, and gave Natsu another wink.
(A/N) Okay...sorry this chapter took so long. I was in NY for awhile and I didn't bring my laptop with me...I know VERY STUPID. Anyways you can clearly tell I rambled in this one. BTW I branched FAR away from the original story and it'll probably stay this way. I'm making it all up as I go from now on, hope you like it. Let me know if I should stay where I am or go back the original store somehow. Thankyou! REVIEW! :)