Warnings: It's on the first chapter.
Author's Section: Would you forgive me if I said I'm sorry? Are you going to believe me when I say I've been busy in life, work and school which are the reason that took me so long to update this story? No? Then I won't bother doing so any more. Just read on and enjoy, and be glad that there's finally an update. No death threats! Or else I'm going to force Gray to marry Juvia and make Natsu fall in love with master Bob. Do you really want that? Then no death threats, I still love my life.
Reviewer's Section:
-Crystalangel554- wow, really? I'm not quite expecting such a reaction about Gray's singing. And in behalf of our favorite ice mage, Gray really wanted to thank you for all the support you're giving him! And Juvia? Well it's not that easy for her because you see, she do not see Natsu as a love rival. To her, Natsu is someone whom she don't stand a chance against with when it comes to Gray's love, seeing Gray was too dedicated with our little dragon. Anyway, thank you for reviewing and sorry for the long wait.
-AsDarknessSpreads- Glad to know you like the song. It's one of my favorites. Yeah let's all go cheer for Gray. Go Gray! And thanks for the review!
-darkhuntressxir- yeah that was really good for her. I can imagine how people would react if she did not understand. Poor Juvia.
-YokuMiya- I agree! Coz Juvia really can't be mean to Natsu. She knew Gray loves him so much. She didn't want to risk Gray getting mad at her. I sympathize with Gray and I wonder what you would do after reading this chapter.
-theabridgedkuriboh- yeah. Poor Natsu. He's expecting a wonderful outcome only for it to be crushed in his face.
-x0xalexis8- oh well, no one really can't stand a crying Natsu although he looks absolutely adorable when he's crying.
-CapnKYT- Yeah I've been wondering myself too. No, not what will happen when Gray catches up with Natsu coz I already know that. I want to know what your reaction would be after reading this chapter. /dun'dun/
-TaMaCHI iNsAnITY- *sweat dropped*thanks for reviewing although I don't understand what you mean when you say "you can't do this!" What exactly did I do that I shouldn't have done? Oh well, read on and enjoy the next installment of Ice Roses!
-Flame Belt – I'm sorry for the late update Flamebelt-san! I hope you still have plenty of healthy hair in your head coz you are gonna need them. Why? Because you're definitely going to have something to pull again after reading this chappie! =)
If you think the last chapter is a MAJOR EPIC CLIFFHANGER S-CLASS LEVEL, I suggest you to brace yourself coz this one is worse than the previous one. *wink'wink*
Thank you for the lovely review and oh please don't make any wishes, I'm an evil author, I might just crush them. LOL.
P.S. don't you dare commit suicide! I'll hunt you down I swear!
-Cat- I have the latest update for you Cat! And of course a truck of fish in apology for taking this so long!
-Morgan AMV- thank you for reviewing this story and I'm glad to know you like this story a lot. Although I doubt you would still after reading this chapter. *blink innocently*. Enjoy!
-Guest (1)- here's the latest issue! Thanks for the support!
-Guest (2)- the long wait is over! And you're going to know what will happen now so go on and read fast! Don't forget to leave me your thoughts afterwards okay?
-Khsora- that was a very wonderful thing to hear! Best Gratsu fanfic? Are you sure? Coz although I like the very idea of it, I believe there's a lot more story out there that you can call the best. But still thank you so much for the support. Your review makes me smile.
Special Thanks to:
YaoixJoe 3, grayXnatsyFT, x0xalexis8, xxXanimefreak101Xxx, Pholas, loveuseth, HipsterBubble, Otaku-TACO, blue0naga, GranateCandy, Shadowcat203, donotinquire, Ayoru77, jinxcat99, alpcamazngphanlions, Slylark-san, PinkTim, Yua-chan, and LoveRayz for following this story, for the favorites and for the Author Favorites and Subscription. Thank you so much and sorry for taking this so long. Never really thought this story would gain so many supporters. Oh well, why am I so surprise, this is Gratsu yaoi we are talking about! Go Gratsu fans! You guys rock!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my fantasy.
Ice Roses
Chapter 7: Finding Solace
By: Johan Lee
Several hours had passed and the night had fallen already. The major street of Magnolia is almost empty of busy people. Gray, however, refused to go home until he found the runaway dragon slayer.
"Damn it, Natsu where are you?!" Gray growled in frustration as he leaned his body against a lamp post, stopping momentarily as he gasped for needed oxygen. Fire seemed to burn down his feet due to hours of non-stop running. His mouth had gone dry and he seriously needed water to ease down the burning sensation on his throat. Taking a glance around, Gray hopefully searched for an open eatery to buy something to drink.
After a moment of searching, his shoulder slumped down in disappointment as he found nothing but close establishments. Who was he kidding? It's already past ten in the evening!
Gulping down his own saliva instead, Gray pushed himself up and began his search for the pinkette again. He'd been running out of possibilities of where Natsu could have gone off quite honestly. The fire breather's house is empty and he never went back to the guild. He tried at Lucy's but it was definitely a wrong idea. How had he managed to escaped the bombarding questions of the Celestial Spirit mage was still unknown to him.
Gray sighed. He knew she have guessed something have gone wrong, and he felt slightly guilty for not filling her information she desperately needed to know. But Gray wasn't in for a chit-chat at the moment. He needed to find Natsu and that was his priority.
Stopping in an intersection, Gray carded his fingers through his messy black hair as he gazed over the road on his left. That's when a thought occur him.
"The river."
When Natsu broke off into a run to get away from Gray, he ended up wandering aimlessly outside the town of Magnolia. The image of Gray holding Juvia a little-too-intimate for his liking kept replaying on his mind, and he had too blinked away the stinging sensation of tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
At first, he had thought of running straight back to his house, locked himself up and cried his eyes out until he finally emptied himself. He'd also considered going back to guild, took a request that would last for two to three weeks and get the mission done alone. Lucy's house, the river and many other places he used to hang around were still in his option, but on the last minute, Natsu have decided not to go to places where Gray could easily find him. That is if the droopy-eyed bastard decided to chase after him which he highly doubt would happen.
Natsu scoffed. The journey outside the town was vague and foggy. His mind kept going into circles and every step he took felt heavier than the last. He was only brought back to reality when a splash of lukewarm water reached his boot-clad feet, soaking them on the process.
That's when he realized he ended up strolling down the seashore.
"Damn." He cursed, staring down at his now soaked leather shoes. "These shoes are expensive. Lucy would kill me if I let these things get wasted."
Natsu quickly hurried of the water and into the dry sand where the waves cannot reach him. He took off his shoes and sat down on the sand which surprisingly still felt warm on his skin. He sighed out loud in exhaustion as the cool sea breeze gently washed over his troubled-looking face. He couldn't help but to let his mind wandered back to the scene where Gray had his arms around the blue-haired water mage.
They certainly looked like a couple, and they made a good one, even Natsu would admit it. But despite his unbiased opinion about them, the truth still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Gray is not his secret admirer.
And Natsu realizing he have feelings for the ice mage just made the thought much more difficult to accept. Disappointment came crushing down on him like a hundred tons of ice bricks. And he had no one to blame but himself for putting too much expectation about it.
"I'm such an idiot." He blurted out loud to himself, finally admitting for once that Lucy was right.
A chuckle.
"Yes you are. Took you so long to realize it huh?"
That made Natsu whipped his head around in utter shock. Surprise must be written all over his face as he stared at the white-haired guy standing a few meters away from him.
"Lyon!"
Natsu's mouth hung agape as he did nothing but to stare at Lyon as the Lamia Scale's ice mage casually strode down to approach him, his boot-clad feet crunching softly against the sand. Without any words said, Lyon sat down beside him, not even asking any permission. Bastard. Very much like the droopy-eyed ice cone Gray Fullbuster.
"So." Lyon started, breaking him out of his shock state. "What brings the infamous brat of Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel out here alone?"
Natsu furrowed his eyebrows inwardly at the inserted insult. "My reason doesn't concern you slanty eyes! Leave me alone."
To his surprise, Lyon just laughed. "You're a slanty eyes yourself, brat."
"Whatever."
Silence reigned between them for a long moment after that. There's nothing but the sound of sloshing waves crushing against the shoreline and the occasional chirp of crickets from nearby. Moonlight showered above them, amplifying the beauty of the scenery before their eyes. With the presence of Lyon on his side however gave a chilly sensation on his skin. The same feeling he always had whenever Gray was standing close to him. The memory suddenly made him shiver unwillingly against his own and Natsu instinctively wrapped his arms around his quivering form.
"You cold?" Lyon suddenly asked, effectively breaking the iced silence that enveloped them for a long moment.
Natsu shook his head to answer his question but a cold sea breeze suddenly blew over their general direction, making him shiver again. He wasn't able to hold back the surprised gasp that escaped his lips when something warm was draped around his shoulder.
It was Lyon's coat.
Warmth spread across his tan cheeks as he turned to stare at the ice mage.
"W-what-"
"Just take it." Lyon cut him off as Natsu stumbled upon his words. "It's better to have it on you than to just have it on the ground. I don't really want to get it dirty, plus," He casted a glance on Natsu's direction. "You look cold. You seem to need it."
Natsu was left speechless as Lyon turned his attention back to the ocean. He cautiously peered at him sideways, noticing how his facial expression seem relaxed compared to the stoic emotionless face he usually wore. Even the aura of superiority looked like have vanished complete in his presence. He was simply, not the person he used to know. Not that he knew this air-headed snowman that much, they're not even friends. Acquaintance maybe, since their guilds were allies. But he hadn't considered him as a friend. Well, not yet.
"Ano…" Natsu started, immediately catching the other's attention as Lyon looked at him from the corner of his eyes. "What exactly are you doing here?"
Natsu was quite expecting the ice maker to actually snap at him for being a nosy brat and that he should just mind his own business. But instead of a harsh comment, Lyon just smiled at him, which surprised him to some point, not to mention his cheeks turned a bright color of crimson.
"I'm supposed to ask you the same, but to answer your question since you asked me first, I'm here to visit Ur."
"Oh."
Natsu blinked as he stared at Lyon in mild confusion on why on earth he would visit Ur in this kind of place. That's when the events on the Galluna Island flashed back in his mind, back when Lyon was still the crazy bastard who wanted to surpass his teacher by defeating the demon Deliora whom Ur had failed to defeat. Despite Gray's warning, Lyon still used Moon Drip and melted Ur's Ice Shell which flowed down into the sea.
That explains why Lyon is here.
A small flicker of guilt flashed in his dark orbs when Natsu caught his eyes. Lyon quickly averted his gaze, and turned back into the ocean once again, watching the waves curl as they crashed into the shore. The sudden urge to place a comforting hand on his shoulder suddenly bubbled on Natsu's stomach.
He shuffled closer to the white-haired ice mage and was about to do what he planned when his subconscious suddenly voiced out something in his mind, causing Natsu to stop in mid-motion.
'He's not Gray.'
No matter how much Natsu tried to shake the thought away, it kept on echoing repeatedly inside his skull.
'He's not Gray.'
He must have zone out for a moment or two and when he snapped out of it, Lyon was looking at him with worried eyes.
"You okay there?"
"Y-yeah…I'm fine." He stuttered, flashing a grin as to not worry the ice mage further.
Lyon smiled back in return as he pulled one knee up against his chest. He looked vulnerable in such position and the small guilt still present in his eyes wasn't helping as it made Natsu suddenly want to snuggle up beside him, which kinda freak him out a bit.
'He's not Gray.' The voice in his mind nagged again, but this time Natsu was able to push it back. He put a hand on Lyon's shoulder, making the other turned in mild surprise.
"Cut that guilty look on your face Snow Cone! Blaming yourself won't change the past anymore you know? But you still can change the future by becoming a better person out of your old self! Forgive yourself and step out of your darkness Lyon! It's time to move on!"
Lyon had an amused look on his face and Natsu realized he must have raised his voice a little too much. Blood rushed through his flaming cheeks upon realizing what he just said and an interesting sound of laughter reverberated out of the white-haired ice bastard.
"What's so funny, Snow Flakes?! I'm trying to enlighten you mind here!"
"Enlighten…my mind…?" Lyon managed between laughter. "Seriously?"
Two deadly options entered Natsu's mind as he glared daggers at the laughing maniac. One, send him flying on the ocean to get eaten by sharks and two, bury him alive on the sand and roast him with his flames.
He was about to go for option one when a thought suddenly occurred him.
"Hey! How come you're laughing? You're supposed to be depressed?!"
It wasn't a stupid question really, or a silly statement. It was just something to mask out his surprise seeing the cold impulsive ice mage was actually laughing.
Was this Lyon after seven years? Had he really loosen up? Seeing this side of Lyon was a shocker, not that he's complaining. This guy really needed to stretch out his facial muscle once in a while by putting a real smile on his face.
His laughter almost sounded like Gray's. Almost.
Natsu shook his head and reminded himself that the person beside him wasn't Gray but Lyon.
The ice mage's laughter died down finally but a smile was still present on his handsome pale face. Lyon tapped his shoulder playfully with his knuckles and Natsu shivered at the contact, not from the coldness but from the fuzzy feeling the skin contact gave.
"Just so you know, brat, I've already stepped out of 'my darkness' a long, long time ago. I'm just messing around, Flame Brain."
That made Natsu froze on his spot. The words kept echoing in his mind as Gray's distant voice filled his ears.
'Flame Brain!'
"….."
"Natsu? You okay?"
Quickly, Natsu snapped out of his dazed stupor and turned to meet the other's concerned gaze.
"Yeah I-I'm fine, just….suddenly remembered something."
Lyon gave him a skeptical look but Natsu shrugged it off and he swiftly tore his gaze away. Out of many insults he could have thrown at him, why does it have to be the one Gray frequently used to call him?
Silence hang in the air, and as minutes continued roll by, Natsu knew Lyon was staring at him, possibly unnerved that for once he was being quiet.
"Natsu?"
"Hmmm?" he answered absent-mindedly as he felt another blast of cold wind coming from the ocean gusted over his face, making him close my eyes for a moment.
"What would you feel if I told you that…."Lyon's voice suddenly sounded so close to his ears, he could feel the ice mage's surprisingly warm breath ghosting over his skin, tickling him a little. "I'm the secret admirer you've been looking for?"
That made him snapped his eyes wide open in utter shock.
"What….?"
As Natsu turned his head to the side, his breathing was caught in his throat as his nose bumped into Lyon's. And he realized how close their face was to each other, their lips just an inch away. Olive green eyes met coal black ones, and Natsu was paralyzed, unable to move.
Meanwhile….
Breathing in a mouthful of fresh air as he tried to give his abused lungs the much needed oxygen; Gray glanced around apprehensively at the riverbank not so far away from where he stood. He scanned the area with hopeful eyes, his heart racing in his chest frantically as he searched for the beautiful face that haunted him a hundred times in his dreams.
"Natsu…." He whispered, still out of breath. "Please be here…please…."
A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him and he dropped on his knees, face connecting with the grass-covered Earth beneath. Exhaustion was finally kicking in and he was near his limit. Pushing himself from the ground, Gray tried to stand up.
"Natsu…" he called out again, staggering forward with shaky legs. His vision started to blur and he begun to feel lightheaded. As he attempted to take another unsteady step forward, Gray failed to notice a small rock protruding from the ground, partially covered with grass, resulting his foot to stumble upon it quite hard.
"Fuck!"
Gray lost his balance and fell down the hill, descending down the slope in rapid motion. When his body stopped on rolling, he was on the river side, one hand dangling over the edge, tips of his fingers brushing slightly on the gushing water, his body full of small cuts and bruises. If he had broken bones, he couldn't tell.
"….Fucking… stupid rock….that hurt…"
Darkness slowly overwhelmed his vision and his eyes fluttered close. Before he fully slipped out of consciousness, he whispered something in the wind.
"Flame Brain…."
To be continued….
Author's Section: And that was the much awaited chapter of Ice Roses. Characters may look liked OOC but honestly I don't care. You're inside one of my fantasy so you have to deal with it. So how was it? Not what you're all expecting I bet. Did you see this coming? Natsu crossing path with Lyon? Gray despite his efforts failed to find Natsu and got himself into trouble?
Oh I know what you're all thinking. Yeah I know I'm
Anyway, I would like you people to share me your thoughts, comments, suggestions, complaints, exaggerations or whatever you wanted to tell me. All are welcome except pointless bashing, I won't appreciate it. Criticism is better.
That would be all for today. Sorry for some grammatical errors and spellings. I'll see you next time around coz I can't really promise when will be the next update. But I'll work on it I promise. bye!
-Dark Sorcerer of Fire-