I-

I was walking in the snow toward home when I heard a shout from behind me. I slowly turned, my breath puffing out in a white cloud in front of my face, before it disappeared.

I saw a silhouette of a person running towards me, he was kicking up snow as he went. Before the streetlight illuminated his face I knew who it was.

Natsu.

I crossed my arms over my chest and cupped my mouth with my hands to warm them up. As I waited for him to catch up, my heart gave another hard throb.

Damn, there it goes again.

My face broke out into a smile automatically when he finally caught up and stopped in front of me. I took a small step forward so I could bask in the heat that emanated from him naturally. Being a Fire Dragon Slayer sure had its perks.

"Natsu? What are you doing out here?" I asked with my teeth clanking together. Even with the extra heat I was still freezing. The Dragon Slayer didn't say a word as he stared intently at me. I shifted, a little bit self conscious of myself under his intense gaze. After another moment of nothing but silence from him, I began to get a little bit concerned. I frowned and took a step closer to him. "Are you alright?" I asked him softly as I looked up at him. I lifted my hand and laid it gently on his shoulder. That's when I noticed that his whole body was rigid underneath my hand.

Now I was starting to get worried. "Natsu, say something, you're scaring me." He sort of blinked out of whatever daze he was in and shook his head. "Sorry...I didn't mean to worry you..." He muttered softly.

I took another step closer till we were toe to toe. I could feel the warmth that his body radiated off him a lot better now. "Don't worry about me. I'm more concerned about you." I told him with a small smile. "You've been quiet all night, which is highly unusually for you." Natsu cracked a smile. "That's because I was thinking."

"Uh-oh." I mocked. His smile grew a little, "Shut up." He said with a chuckle. Even if I wanted to I couldn't force myself to smile. My teeth were still chattering and that made it impossible for me to smile. He tilted his head a little as he noticed my chattering teeth. Natsu took off his beloved scarf and before I could protest, wrapped it around my neck.

He never let anyone wear his scarf, let alone take it off. As I looked down at the white cloth I was reminded of that night when he had held me. He had given me his scarf then too. 'There, no more nightmares.' And the funny thing was, I never had another nightmare after that night. I smiled softly at the memory. It was the night that I finally admitted to myself that I loved the Fire Breather.

"Thank you." I told him, clutching the scarf in my hand. It was so warm around my neck and it smelled like him. I closed my eyes for a moment, drinking in his intoxicating scent.
A warm summers night and something spicy that I couldn't identify but loved anyway.

When I blinked my eyes open again I found Natsu looking at me strangely. I blushed, "What?" He came closer to me and before I knew it he had wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He then brought me too his chest and wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug. I didn't know what was going on. But I wrapped my own arms around him and buried my face into his chest.
A smile tilted my lips up.

I love you.

There were those three words again that have been pestering me for months. They had been mocking me. Always echoing around in my mind uninvitedly. Begging, wailing, yearning, to be let out. They wanted to be screamed out so loudly that everyone in Magnolia would be able to hear them. But...I never let them be free. I didn't deserve to have or even utter those three untainted words. They would forever be tainted if they had the misfortune of passing between my lips.

Even though I knew this it didn't stop me from closing my eyes and loving every second of him holding me. He would never know how I felt...and I was okay with that. I just wanted him to be happy. Even if he was happy with someone else who wasn't me. I knew he couldn't every find that happiness with someone like me. I mean how could he?

I was ensnared into the darkness that had grown inside of me for years. And he was the light that destroyed anything that the darkness had in its evil grasp. I would never tell him. I could never do that to him. I could never put his life in even more danger than I had already had. So, I let myself just stay there in his arms, just for a moment, I could pretend.

I could pretend that everything was right in my life.

I could pretend that Natsu loved me as much as I loved him.

I could pretend that I was his and he was mine.

Yay, I could pretend.

His hand ran down my back, leaving a warm trail behind, and wrapped around my waist. He brought his other hand up and buried his fingers into my hair. I opened my eyes and watched as a snowflake drifted by.

"Freya...?" I lifted my head from his chest and looked into his eyes. They were alight with...something. I had never seen this emotion before. I was more then curious as to what this unfamiliar light was. I titled my head to the side and waited. The hand that had been buried in my hair slowly traveled down my face until he cupped my cheek.

I was frozen.

I could feel my eyes grow a little wider and my heart was thumping against my chest to the point where it hurt. A snowflake landed underneath my eye, Natsu brought up his thumb, and gently wiped it away. The movement sent shivers up my spine. He leaned forward and stopped only when his forehead touched mine.

I couldn't breath.

My mind went blank.

My blood began to boil as my adrenaline picked up. My heart was pounding in my ears. My breath was coming out in short little puffs of white clouds. When Natsu spoke again it was hushed, like these words were only meant for me too hear, and me alone.

"I have to tell you something." He murmured.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and whispered out an, "Okay."

"Remember the first time we met?" He asked me as his pupils dilated till they resembled a cat's. I slowly nodded against his forehead. His eyes darted away quickly and I swear his cheeks started to turn pink...it wasn't from the cold either. "Well, when I first saw you, I felt something throb in my chest." He closed his eyes for a moment as if recalling the feeling. "I didn't think anything of it. All I was focused on was you and the fight."

He laughed softly and went on in that same soft voice. "Then when I pinned you down...I looked into your eyes," his eyes flashed open and he looked into my eyes again. "And that same strange throb happened again. Only, this time it was stronger, I had no idea what it meant. Time went by and I forgot about it."

He closed his eyes for a moment and his grip on me tightened.
"Until that one day when I heard you scream...and you were taken from me."

Natsu looked back at me and sucked in a breath before continuing. "I-I was so afraid that I would never see you again. The panic that I felt was something that I had never felt before." He sucked in a sharp breath.

"You have no idea the relief I felt when I found you." He paused and his eyes glazed over as if he recalling the relief that he had felt. The arm that was around my waist tightened even more. He slowly blinked his eyes and our eyes locked. Natsu's shining green eyes against my icy blue.

"I swear I fell for you the moment you accepted my fight challenge...I just didn't know it yet."
Natsu told me softly as he flashed me one of his soft smiles.

We stood there, in the snow, locked in each other's arms. I didn't say a word. Shock was coursing through me along with overwhelming joy. I was afraid if I opened my mouth this moment would be forever gone. Or I would wake up and still be at the Guild, watching Natsu, with a stupid, and whipped smile plainly written across my face. Everyone would notice it...except for the one person it was meant for.

So there I stood, my lips frozen, along with the rest of my body, it seemed. Staring into the eyes of the person I loved with all my heart.
Natsu searched my face, but whatever he was looking for, he didn't seem to find it. Those breathtaking eyes started to dim.

His arm that was wrapped around my waist started to lose it's tight grip. He was letting me go. Oh hell to the tenth power no! I waited far to long for this moment to just lose him before whatever this was even started! I snapped out of my frozen state and wrapped my arms in a vise like grip around him.

I was never letting him go.

No more pretending.

When I made sure he wasn't going to run away. I ran my hands up his arms, across his chest, and into his hair. I sighed against his lips. We were that close. He had no idea how many times I wanted this very moment to become a reality. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and it took all I had to choke them back.

After a moment I ran my now shaking hands down his warm face and cupped his still pink cheeks. Yay, definitely not from the cold. I took a deep breath. These words I was about to say were the words I had been wanting and yearning to tell him for far too long.

And here I was.

Only inches apart from him and only moments away from telling him...everything. So, I opened my mouth, and whispered,

"I-"

My eyes flashed open wide and my hand shot up just behind his head.
I felt something cold and metallic slip in between my two fingers. My eyes shot to the small object and my eyes narrowed to stilts.

In between my two fingers was a small, gleaming dagger.

Author's Note: The long awaited confession has happened. But, before Freya could also return her feelings, a dagger had almost murdered the one she loves the most. Who would have dared tried to hurt, kill, Freya's most precious love? Find out in the next chapter! I dedicate this chapter to Infinite_Midnight who is an inspiration to me.