I really have problem coming up with the title for this fic. So please bear with me if I change it again.

Please read and review :).

Chapter 2

Natsu was hiding behind a tree in a forest. He clutched his throat in pain for having taken something he shouldn't.

"Gray…"

"Come on out, my little Salamander!" A man's voice was heard. He was closing in to Natsu as his cynical laughter was getting louder.

Natsu curled up to himself. This guy had been in love with him for some time. He had even confessed his feeling to Natsu who rejected him outright. Natsu would not betray his feeling towards Gray. The man was thought to be understanding towards him and was willing to become his friend instead. How naïve could Natsu get?

They made acquaintance with one another after Natsu left Magnolia. Natsu settled down in a village alone. He wanted to cool off his mind to sort out his feeling towards Gray and had a habit to sit by the river whenever he felt troubled. That was where he met him. They made it off very well and had become very good friends.

Apparently, he snapped when he found out Natsu's feeling towards Gray and was determined to make Natsu his when he heard Natsu talking in his sleep when he came to Natsu's lodging to look for him. He had spiked Natsu's drink when they met up. Natsu took it without suspicion and he lost his consciousness before he realised what was happening to him.

The man managed to have his way when he got Natsu on his bed. Natsu looked so alluring when he was asleep. The throbbing pain what caused Natsu to wake up some time later. Natsu realised that he was naked from top to toe. That was when the man walked in feeling proud of his work.

"Did I wake you up, Natsu?"

"What did you do to me?" Natsu pulled up the blanket and demanded.

"You are asking for the obvious. I said I'll make you mine before we did that." The man laughed. Tears of frustration welled up Natsu's eyes. He had been humiliated by the man in front of him. Natsu struggled to put on his clothes and stood up wobbly.

"He didn't treasure you so I might as well do it on his behalf". The man laughed before his expression darkened. "For your sake, I will teach him a lesson for failing to treasure you. I remember you called his name. His name is…" Natsu punched him before he could finish.

"Don't you dare to hurt him! I will have it out with you…" Natsu felt drowsy from the drug and he fell to be caught by the man. That was when Natsu snapped and attacked him with his Fire Dragon Roar. An explosion occurred creating a smokescreen enabling him to escape.

"As expected from the little Salamander, your fire is indeed hot". He smirked as he removed his own jacket which was still burning hot.

"Requip!" The man commanded. He was seemed to be using the same magic as Erza. He was determined to capture Natsu for himself.

That was how Natsu ended up hiding behind a tree. He was weakened from the effect of the drug.

"Gray…" Tears well up his eyes when he thought of the raven-haired young man he was in love with. A sharp pain ripped through his body in sudden. Natsu thought it had been too quiet but he was too engrossed in his own thought to notice the man who had found and slashed him from his back cutting down the tree altogether.

Natsu fell on the ground bleeding heavily.

"I will not give in to you. Gray is the only one I love". Natsu retorted weakly. He was gradually losing his consciousness due to loss of blood as he watched the man approaching him. Was that the end of him? Was he going to die without seeing Gray again? He would regret if he was to die. He recalled a heart-to-heart talk once with Gray when they were sent back in time by the book "Memory Days". Gray was getting Natsu back to his senses when he wanted to search for Igneel.

"Look at the river! This river is gone in our time. I never thought I will get to see it another time." Gray said as they sat by the river. "Isn't it nostalgic? We used to fight here all the time when we were kids." This was the very reason Natsu would sat by the river whenever he was troubled.

"I want to see Gray again. I want to sit with him by the river. I'm not going to die here." With sheer determination, Natsu dodged his next attack and struggled to stand up holding his injured back.

"I see that you can still stand. I thought I will incapacitated you so that you will belong to me forever. Looks like I have to take you by force." The man waved his sword and attempt to cut Natsu who caught the blade with both of his hands. Natsu gritted his teeth in pain when the man pushed the sword against his palms forcing him backwards. He jumped away from the sword and attacked him with his Fire Dragon's Wing Attack which the man dodged at ease. He managed to hit his head with the hilt of the sword, slashed him a few times on his torso causing him to scream in pain but he would not go down. Natsu was badly injured so he assumed that he wouldn't last much longer and he would just play with him but he was so wrong.

Natsu was not as weak due to the drug as he seemed to the man. Right, he was afraid of him because he had humiliated him. It was not death he was afraid of, he was afraid that he would not be able to see Gray again and Gray might be killed by this guy without him knowing.

"For the sake of my pride, for the sake of protecting the man I love, for the sake of seeing him again. I will face my fear..." Flame erupted around his body which startled the man. In an instant Natsu caught the blade of his sword and broke it into half which shocked the man. His strength was way different from just now. Natsu knew he needed to end this fast. He jumped to the air and summoned flames on both of his fist and brought them together. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" An explosion occurred and the man was blown a distance away out of his sight.

Natsu fell shortly after ensuring that the man was defeated and not coming back any moment. He no longer had the strength to fight. Dark eye ring had formed around his eyes resulted from extreme loss of blood pooling around him.

"Gray..." Natsu groaned weakly as he struggled to crawl forward when darkness crept over him.

"Natsu!" Gray shouted when he saw him struggling to crawl forward with his hand reaching for something when he finally fell from his injuries.

Gray was raging in fury. He did not notice the man was approaching where Natsu was hiding and neither did he knew Natsu was hiding behind a tree in front of him. The man just went right through Gray's body before he started cutting down Natsu along with the tree. They would not have notice his presence despite him shouting at the man to stop his attack on his precious Natsu. He felt consoled when he saw Natsu standing up despite his injuries and tried really hard to defeat the man because he wanted to see him again.

"Natsu, I'm here for you. Come back with me."

With Loki's help, Gray had gone into Natsu's inner mind. He was hoping to find Natsu and bring him back.

"Gray!" Natsu tried to call for him within his mind. Even though he was supposed to be in coma. Natsu could feel the weight of Gray's body lying over his aching body. He wanted to wake up but his body and his eyes would not obey him.

He could sense someone approaching them with a killing intent. It was the crazy man who was defeated by him. He had found them. He was going to kill Gray and keep Natsu for himself.

"Wake up, Gray!"