"Man!" I stretched my arms and my legs out, "I haven't gotten that much sleep in a couple years."

"At least you got some rest," Erza said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "I had to stay up all night at the hospital."

"Why?"

"It's Dad. He's in complete pain now," She sighed, "everyday he's getting worse and worse if that's even possible." She rubbed her eyes, trying to deceive Natsu into thinking she's not crying.

But he knew better.

"All I could remember was those words he said to me before they had to rush him to the hospital." She laughed to herself, taking off her glasses to cover her eyes, "he told me to let go." She sniffed, "can you believe that?"

"It's not the worst thing Erza..." Natsu sighed, "He doesn't want you to keep watching him suffer."

"But it's my dad, Natsu." She slid down against the door, "hes all I have. I can't just let him go."

"Well, you have me." I took off my covers and let my feet touch the cold hard tile. Taking a deep breath I stood up, taking small steps toward her. Each step hurt more than the last.

She lifted her head up from her arms, "What are you doing?" She stood up and caught me before I fell to the ground, "you're going to hurt yourself even more."

I chuckled, "I didn't think you cared that much for me."

She lightly nudged his shoulder, "of course I do you idiot." She sighed, "I may not show it a lot, but I do."

"Nice to hear." She sat me down next to her. We closed our eyes tuning everything out, only focusing on our breathing. The wind from the open window hit our faces, cooling us off.

Felt like paradise to me.

"I got a job,"I said. I could feel Erza staring me down in disbelief.

"You got a job!?" She blurted out.

"Geez, can you sound a little less suprised?"

"I'm sorry, but wow, This is great news! You can finally start saving up for things, buy your own stuff, just endless possibilities!"

"Maybe not endless Erza, but it's a start."

"You're right." She turned back around and closed her eyes again, "so where do you work?"

I opened my eyes.

I really didn't think this through.

There is no way I can tell her that I'm going back to the underground. Not after this. She'll definitely tell mom and then they will both take turns killing me and then dance on my grave!

I can picture it now...

"Hey Natsu!" Erza yelled.

"Yeah?" I turned to her, alarmed.

"You blanked out for a second."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What was the question again?"

"I asked where's your new job?"

"Oh umm, it's the corner store down the street from my house," I blurted out.

She gasped, "you mean that little corner store we always used to go to where that lady always gave us free chocolate bars?"

"Yeah..." I scratched the back of my head, "that's the one."

"Oh my gosh! This is so exciting!" She squealed.

"Yep, it's pretty exciting." I have to stop lying to her.

"So when's your first day?"

"As soon as I get out the hospital, which is probably tommorow."

"Great! I'll come visit you then."

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets, "Wait! No-"

"Oh I'm so excited for you!" She squealed, "your first job!"

"It's really fine Erza I don't need you there... really."

"Nonsense!" She yelled, "I have to go, it's your first job." Her face lit up when she said those words, "Natsu's first job."

Sheesh, she's more excited than I am.

"Oh! I have to go to the store then so I can buy a new camera." She jumped up from the floor, running to the door.

"Wait! Why do you need a new camera?" I asked.

"So I can take pictures of you working duh!" She grabbed her bag from the handle, "I'll see you tommorow."

"No! wait Erza-" before I could say another word she was already down the hallway thinking of the numerous ways to embarrass me at my fake job.

This is it Natsu. You mind as well sign your death warrant now because when my mom and Erza finds out that I lied and I work at the underground, death would sound more pleasant than what they would do to me.

"What am I going to do!?" I screamed.

"Sounds like you're having a little trouble..." I turned to my door to see that blue haired guy from the cafeteria, "mind if I help?"

I sighed, "I don't know if you can help."

He sat on the bed next to me, "try me. There's always a solution to everything."

"Well you remember that girl I was sitting with earlier right?"

"Oh, I believe her name was Erza right?"

"Yeah. I told her I found a job at this corner store we used to go to when we were kids but I lied to her."

"You lied to her about getting a job or..."

"No, I have a job it's just..." I couldn't even speak I was so frustrated with myself.

Note to self, lying equals stress and more problems.

Never doing that again.

"Just what?" He asked, "is it embarrassing or something?"

"No," I sighed, "I promised her that I wouldn't go back but I broke it and now I work there to pay off a debt."

"A debt? How much do you owe?"

"Not that much just a couple thousand."

His eyes widened, "a couple thousand?! As in a couple thousand dollars?"

"Yeah, what else would I mean?"

This is a very silly dude. I mean a couple thousand dollars isn't that much... right?

"You make it sound like you just have a couple thousand laying around your house or something."

I sighed, "I wish I did." I sat back in my sorry excuse for a bed, "I wouldn't be in this mess if I could just pay off this debt."

"Well, how did you get in debt in the first place?" He asked.

"Oh, that?" I stratched the back of my head, "I used to work at a place called the underground. It's like an illegal fighting club."

He gasped making me jump a little, almost giving me a heart attack. He stood up from the bed pointing at me, "that's where I remember you from!" He yelled, attracting attention from the other nurses in the hallway, "you're the salamander! Natsu Dragneel!" He jumped up and down like a little child who just won one of those stuffed animals out of one those toy machines, "that's why I recognized your name and your face a little and the hair..." he trailed off, "but I was like there's no way that could be him! Anyway if you couldn't tell I'm a huge fan!"

"I kinda figured by the way you were jumping up and down earlier."

"Man! Like I'm just a huge fan of your fighting style. It's just like gildarts except you put your own little twist to it."

"That's cool that you would notice that. Are you a fan of gildarts too?"

"Hell yeah!" Jellal said, standing on top of one of the doctors chair, "I've been watching him since I was kid! He was the best of the best, but when he died, I don't know. It just put a whole in my chest for the longest time. He was my idol. I looked up to him and to see him go like that broke me."

"The same with me. I still remember that day. I was sitting in my room watching his match and then I saw that final blow and I just-"

"You had the same feeling I did huh?"

"Yep. I looked up to him too when I was growing up and to watch him go out like that was a nightmare."

One of the nurses knocked on the door, "Mr. Dragneel, you'll be ready for discharge in a couple hours. Do you need us to call someone for you?"

"No that's fine I have someone already picking me up." I smiled.

"Alright! Well then your follow up appointment is the same day next week. Make sure your taking the medication we prescribed you for the pain."

"Will do." Finally, I'm out of this stinky hospital and I can get back to training. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

"And sir?" She said, glancing at Jellal who was still standing on top of the chair, "It's a safety violation to stand on top of the doctors chair."

"Oh." He hopped down on the ground, placing the chair back to its rightful place, "sorry about that."

"Well you boys both have a good day." She smiled before leaving the room.

"Well," Jellal smiled, "What do you have planned for the rest of the day?"