Chapter 22

Natsu had left the cave with no clear direction in mind. He'd just needed to get away. He'd meant what he'd said, he absolutely understood why Sting had done it, but that did nothing to diminish the pang of betrayal. Sting was the only one he'd trusted with his secret. It wasn't like he hadn't known what could happen.

He could almost hear his father telling him there was no point in dwelling on things he couldn't do anything about, but after everything that had happened in the last few days, he wasn't capable of much else.

With nowhere else to go, Natsu flew towards Drak Aast, trusting Atlas to get Weisslogia there on his own. The dragons greeted his arrival enthusiastically, and there were plenty of problems that required his attention. He was grateful for the distraction they offered. And as he set to work on them, he made a point of ignoring Belserion's concerned expression at his presence.

By the time Atlas arrived a few days later, Natsu was on the other side of the island, mediating a dispute between the earth and rock dragons.

He spent months on the island immersing himself more and more in his duties, happy to see many dragons had already begun nesting. He was excited about the possibility of seeing plenty of hatchlings when he returned on his next visit. If they had a successful season, they might bring their numbers up sooner than expected.

Natsu never stayed in any one area of the large island for long, moving along to the next one as soon as things had settled, and he had too much time to think. But no matter how much he did to keep himself busy, he could never escape thoughts of Gray completely. The continuous physical ache was a consistent reminder of what he'd lost.

After entering a mating bond, a dragon needed to remain close to its mate for a full year. Any extended separation within that time was painful and to be avoided at all costs, with the intensity increasing daily. It was one reason he'd wanted to wait when they had first confessed to each other, knowing he might have to leave at any moment.

While he was on the island, he could keep himself busy, but Natsu knew he needed to go home eventually. He'd only meant to be gone long enough to process what had happened and accept his fate. But he could feel a pull at his bond, and he knew it was Gray calling to him. He didn't know what to do, but he also knew he couldn't ignore it much longer.

0-0

Gray wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, taking a break from cutting wood with the saw he'd fashioned out of his ice. He'd taken off Natsu's scarf so as not to get it dirty, setting it down neatly on top of his shirt. Lyon had taken off his shirt as well, the strenuous work making them both uncomfortably hot despite having set up the sawhorses by the lake.

After making sure the black dragon had attacked no other nearby villages, they'd set about rebuilding Talos to the best of their ability. Everyone chipped in as best they could, from the village guards to the orphans in Anna's care. Together they'd gotten the village back into livable shape, forging a closer community along the way.

Gray noticed Erza and Juvia coming over carrying what looked to be two large picnic baskets and sat down, willing the breeze to pick up so he could cool his body without having to resort to magic. He looked forward to taking a break after a long morning spent doing construction work.

Things with Juvia had improved somewhat after that first disastrous night. He had apologized for the necklace incident, although he still didn't understand what had prompted it. It hadn't responded that way to anyone else. In return, she'd toned down her advances, which had made her a lot more pleasant to be around.

Lyon waved at the girls and hurried over to take the basket from Erza, giving her a kiss before spreading a blanket where they stood.

Juvia kept walking towards Gray, giving the two lovers some space. She sat down next to him and smiled shyly.

"Juvia thinks Talos is looking nice again," she remarked, absently grabbing some water from the lake and turning it into a cool mist she let fall on Gray, who smiled at her in appreciation.

"Thanks, it's murder out here."

Juvia nodded and stared out at the water, "It's so hard to believe how quickly everything was destroyed."

The dragon fight had ruined many buildings and caused countless injuries, but miraculously no deaths. Gray suffered the most wounds, but since his memories had yet to return, he didn't know how bad they had really been.

He'd returned to the field in daylight, hoping it would trigger something, but outside of dismay at the large patches of blood splattered grass, there had been nothing.

It was a constant hum in his brain that he couldn't quiet. Where had he gone? Had he been alone? But no matter how much he thought about it, the answers still evaded him.

All he could remember for sure was that he had walked towards Talos full of a feeling that something good was going to happen. Then he'd woken up in the field. He planned to return to the village where he'd taken that last job as soon as they finished the village repairs. Maybe if he retraced his steps, it would give him some sort of clue about what had happened to him.

"How are the repairs to the orphanage coming along?" Gray asked, mostly to make conversation.

"We're almost done," Juvia assured him, although her expression got a little teary. "Anna is a lovely woman, Juvia wishes there had been a place like that for her when she was younger."

"Yeah, she took care of most of my friends before they were adopted by... uhm, before they were adopted." Gray caught himself before revealing the dragons had taken them in. A fact that, as he understood it, was not generally known.

"Are these the dragon slayers that left to fight in the war?" Juvia asked cautiously, her eyes searching his face for a reaction, suggesting she knew she was getting close to a forbidden topic.

"Yeah," Gray replied and immediately opened the picnic basket to see what was inside, not wanting to invite further discussion, but that didn't seem to dissuade Juvia in the slightest.

"And the scarf you wear belongs to your partner?"

Gray's head jerked as he heard those words, his eyes widening in panic before realizing much too late that Juvia was only referring to the fact that Natsu had been his guard partner. And even as he bravely tried to answer noncommittally, he knew he'd given himself away.

"Uhm, yeah."

"Oh," Juvia remained silent for a moment, her cheeks reddening slightly as she grasped what his reaction to her innocent question meant. But then she rallied, gazing at him intently.

"Juvia is sorry for her actions. She shouldn't have made assumptions," she grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently before letting go, "Juvia is sure he will return to you."

"I wish I was," Gray muttered as he absently fidgeted with his necklace.

0-0

Natsu flew home with Atlas, who had shown up to retrieve him a few days earlier. They hadn't spoken since he'd left the cave Sting and the others had been staying in, and although he could tell Altas was working hard to remain quiet, he could also see that the effort wasn't easy for him.

They slowed down as soon as he could pick out Gray's scent, and Atlas finally spoke.

"I didn't tell Igneel what happened. I'll leave it up to you if you want to do that."

"Thank you, it's probably best he doesn't know."

Atlas grunted, although Natsu wasn't sure if he agreed with his decision, "How are you feeling these days, kid?"

"About as expected, I figure if I'm near him, it might be enough to help."

They arrived at the cave, and Natsu spent a few days catching Igneel up on the goings-on of the island. Each day his curiosity and need to see Gray grew incrementally until he finally gave in.

He found a perch atop their mountain where he could sit and have an unobstructed view of the village without being seen. It relieved Natsu to see the village looking almost back to normal, remembering with some guilt how much damage he'd caused during his fight with Acnologia.

Throughout the day he got peeks of Anna, Lyon, Erza and some other guards he recognized from his time there. But it wasn't until the third day that he got a glimpse of Gray. He was doing his patrol sweep, a route Natsu remembered well.

He'd been expecting to feel something when he saw him, but he hadn't expected the overwhelming need that came over him at seeing Gray so close.

Natsu watched him eagerly at first, noticing all the slight changes the last few months had wrought. All he wanted was to hear Gray's voice and know his touch. To share his bed and feel his love. Images he'd spent months trying not to think about played in his mind, each one stealing his breath and shattering his already damaged heart further.

And as the scent of what he wanted most but could never have again filled his nostrils, he imagined that this was what hell would be like. Not a blazing inferno, but having his heart shattered over and over again.

He steeled himself for what would surely be several months of this torture, swearing to himself that once the required time had passed, he would make his way back to Drak Aast, never to return.

0-0

Gray glanced around his apartment in the dim light of the early dawn hours, trying to make sure he had everything he needed before he left. He was getting ready to go when a noise behind him caused him to startle.

"Aren't you even going to eat anything?" Lyon complained, exiting his room with his travel bag slung on his back.

"Where are you going?" Gray asked, puzzled that Lyon hadn't mentioned leaving on a job.

"Where do you think, dumbass? With you." Lyon walked into their kitchen, opening their refrigerator in search of something to eat and throwing a piece of fruit at Gray. "Or did you think I was just going to let you leave on your own?"

"How did you—?"

"Know you were going to leave?" Lyon smirked, "Erza told me you asked for leave, it took little for me to figure out what you were up to. Knowing you, there were only two choices. You're going to go retrace your steps, or you're going to go off in search of Natsu. Or both?"

Gray stared at his brother, and while his first inclination was to tell him he wanted to go alone, the truth was he feared what he might find. Having Lyon around would be a welcome distraction, not to mention his brother had always been very observant. He could be a lot of help on this journey.

But it wasn't right. Gray didn't know where this trip was going to take him. If something happened to him, no one would miss him all that much, but if something happened to Lyon, it would devastate Erza. She'd already had too many people leave her behind. It wasn't fair to her.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Lyon insisted, arms crossed across his chest in stubborn defiance.

"What about Erza?"

"She already knows I'm leaving," Lyon remained in the same posture, but the way his eyes strayed away from his face let Gray know he'd had similar thoughts.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Gray cautioned, trying to give him one last chance at an out.

Lyon sighed, putting his arms back down by his sides, "Look, I'll admit the thought that we might not return has crossed my mind, but I understand you have to do this. If something like this had happened to me, I'd do the same. I'm your brother, let me help you."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Lyon grinned in triumph, moving forward to give him a quick hug before opening their door and stepping out into the chilly morning air, "Let's go!"

Gray followed, locking their apartment door behind them. They made their way to Gray's last confirmed location slowly, neither knowing what it was they were looking for but hoping they'd recognize it when they found it.

They filled the first few days with a lot of talks, and Gray was almost enjoying himself, despite the lack of progress. It had been a long time since he'd gotten to spend time like this with his brother outside of a few hikes into the mountains, and he'd missed the closeness they'd shared before Lyon had dated Erza.

Not that he minded. He felt they were right for each other.

They finally reached the town, and even after two days of asking questions of anyone who would listen, they had come away with zero answers. Gray had sort of expected that, though. After all, Erza had mentioned Lyon and Juvia had already investigated when he had gone missing.

So they began their search for Natsu and the other dragon slayers, heading towards the last location where they had heard there had been fighting. But after a week of finding nothing but destroyed scenery, Lyon had become silent, and Gray didn't know what to make of it. When Lyon finally spoke, it blindsided him.

"When we return, I'm going to ask Erza to marry me." Lyon declared, his words filled with a strange determination that didn't quite vibe with their message.

"That's great!" Gray replied. And he meant it. He was glad things had worked out for his brother and his friend, and he refused to let his own perpetual misery mar that.

"Thanks," Lyon smiled briefly, walking alongside Gray with his hands stuffed into his pockets, once again seemingly deep in thought. He remained silent for a few more minutes before starting a line of conversation that Gray hadn't seen coming.

"It's been almost three years, Gray," Lyon began, stopping amidst a particularly charred area in the forest they were currently traveling in, "I don't think they're coming back."

Gray could only gape, his brother's words going straight through to his heart, for they were words he thought often but refused to believe.

"He's coming back, he's too stubborn not to. You said so yourself."

"I know what I said, but look around you," Lyon pointed at the remains of the once lush forest, "The things they were fighting were capable of all the destruction we've seen, they didn't stand a chance."

"You don't know that for a fact," Gray countered, "Fighting dragons is what their magic is for."

"Then, where are they? If the war has ended, why aren't they back yet?" Lyon debated, his voice remaining collected even as Gray's rose. "Don't you think he would've already rushed back if he could?"

"Shut up."

"This is Natsu we're talking about. He wouldn't keep you waiting. I think you need to accept the fact that he's never coming back."

"SHUT UP!"

"Gray—"

"If he were dead, I would know it," he felt that with every cell in his body. His bond had felt muted since he'd woken up in the field, but it was still there.

"How? That spiritual bond you talked about? It's a child's story, Gray, a pretty tale he spun when he romanced you. Things like that don't exist in real life."

"That's not true, I've felt it. I've heard Natsu in my mind since I was a child, and I've been able to reach him a few times too."

"Alright fine, let's assume for the sake of argument that you're right. When was the last time that happened?" Lyon peered at him, not needing to wait for a response when he saw the way Gray's shoulders slumped at his question.

"Look, I will be with you on this journey for as long as you need me to, but I want you to promise me that if we don't find anything, you'll give up on this," Lyon pleaded, "You need to move on, Gray. While you insist on living out this fantasy, your life is passing you by. We both know that's not what Natsu would have wanted for you."

"Stop talking about him as if he were dead!" Gray snapped, feeling angry and scared. He didn't want to listen to any of the things Lyon was saying.

"Gray—."

"Natsu is out there, and he will come back to me when he can."

He could see the pity in Lyon's eyes, but he didn't care. He refused to believe he'd never see his mate again. They continued to search for an additional week before returning home, and Lyon wisely never brought the topic back up. But Gray could still feel the weight of his worried stares.

He ignored them. The trip had been a complete waste of his time; he had retrieved no memories or found any sign of Natsu, but Gray still refused to give up hope.

He would see him again.

0-0

Natsu woke up but kept his eyes closed. Letting himself enjoy the warmth of the sunlight as the late spring breeze blew in through the window and caressed his body.

He whimpered, knowing this dream well.

Gray lay beside him, their limbs tangled up in each other as they always did when they slept together. Natsu turned his blessedly human body to face his mate and stared at the ice mage as he slept. A soft smile played on his lips at the sight, and his heart soared, content knowing that they were now one. They would spend the rest of their days fighting together and loving each other. And nothing would ever tear them apart.

But then the dream would inevitably change. Natsu's body transformed into his dragon self, causing Gray to pierce his heart with one of his ice swords, even as Natsu cried out that he was still the same.

He knew the whole thing was ridiculous, Gray's swords couldn't hurt him, but that did nothing to lessen his anxiety.

Natsu waited for the dream to shift, but to his surprise, there was only the sound of a soft sigh as long fingers threaded through his hair in a way that he instantly recognized.

He sniffed the air in disbelief. How could this be?

Natsu recalled flying down to the field to reminisce about some of his earlier times with Gray. He must have fallen asleep, but when had Gray gotten here and why wasn't he freaking out? And wait, hair? What the hell was going on?

"You still can't control it when you're asleep, can you?" Gray teased him, his voice fond and full of craving.

Natsu wanted to cry in response. He'd missed Gray so much, their time apart had been agonizing for him both physically and mentally.

"Why didn't you come find me when you got back?" Gray continued, his fingers stopping their gentle petting and thwapping him roughly on the head. "I wouldn't have cared if you woke me up. Are you back for good?"

Natsu heard the hope in Gray's voice and wished he could reassure him, but he didn't know what to say. He was in unchartered territory at the moment.

He opened his eyes to find a pair of deep blue eyes staring down at him, brimming with far too many emotions for him to track. He could feel them pouring into their fractured bond, overwhelming him with all of Gray's worry and pain and, gods, so much love. And this time Natsu let himself cry. From relief, from anxiety and from a joy he hadn't felt in so long.

Was he getting a second chance? Maybe it had just taken him much longer to turn back this time. If that was so, he promised himself, he would never transform again. It wasn't worth it.

Natsu didn't want to move from this spot, from this moment, afraid that it would somehow break whatever spell had turned him back into his human self. He looked around to see he'd fallen asleep at the very edge of their field, beneath some trees that would have usually hidden his body but now afforded them some privacy.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gray fussed over him, checking him over for injuries and rediscovering scars all over Natsu's torso he didn't know he'd forgotten.

Not finding any open wounds, he grabbed Natsu and enveloped him in an embrace that threatened to take away Natsu's ability to breathe. Yet Natsu found he didn't care.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Gray whispered into his ear, "Lyon told me to give up hope, that if you hadn't come back yet the worst must have happened, but I knew--" Gray swallowed around the lump that was threatening to drown them both in his tears. "I knew that if you'd died, I would know."

"I told you I'd be back," Natsu managed shakily, attempting a smile as he touched Gray's face reverently, using his thumb to wipe away the tears.

Now that Gray was in front of him, he wasn't about to waste any time. He wanted to hoard every second he could, still not daring to believe this could be permanent.

"You did," Gray agreed readily enough, releasing Natsu from his embrace before growling, "But nearly three years is a fucking long time to go with no word."

Natsu felt guilt flood him as he looked at his mate and rushed to mask it, not wanting Gray to realize anything was amiss. He still felt terrible for removing Gray's memories of their six months together, but he knew he'd done the right thing.

It killed Natsu to know they'd been so happy before Acnologia's attack had taken away their future. And it only got worse with every passing day. He didn't want that for Gray. No, it was best Gray didn't remember. He'd already suffered enough.

Natsu was only thankful he'd had enough magic left to heal the worst of Gray's injuries after Acnologia's attack.

"We should go back to the village, I'm sure everyone would love to see you," Gray said, but Natsu could tell it wasn't what he really wanted, and he had no desire to see anyone else at the moment either, just Gray.

"Not yet, it's been so long, I don't want to see anyone else. I just want to be with you." He gazed at Gray with pleading eyes.

Gray leaned forward, capturing Natsu's lips in an ardent kiss that sent a jolt of pleasure through his entire body. He returned it with a passion born from months of separation, his needy moans leaving him feeling embarrassed, but Gray only wrapped his arms around him tightly.

Natsu had yearned for this, to believe his mate still loved and wanted him. He could feel their bond healing, reforging, and that worried him a bit, but it was so hard to think when his body's desires were raging out of control. The almost constant pain he'd experienced since leaving Talos had dissipated the moment Gray kissed him.

He wanted, no, he needed to claim his mate again, and the raw urgency of that thought scared him. But Gray's hands were soon straying from the embrace, exploring Natsu's body as he continued to kiss him. His touches were tentative as his hands touched every part of Natsu they could reach in this position, reminding Natsu of the first time they had made love, both of them fumbling in their desperation to join after so much time spent apart.

Natsu's heart ached at the memory as his body responded to the familiar touches. Gray's kisses grew more demanding, and Natsu didn't want to stop, his hands already returning the touches with an urgency he couldn't deny.

"Natsu," Gray's voice dripped with desire, a heat so intense that it melted through all of Natsu's quickly dwindling resolve and prompted him to moan in anticipation, "If you want me to stop, please tell me now."

Natsu shook his head, and that was enough for Gray to undress him, his mouth soon following his fingers. Natsu's back arched as he felt cold lips touch his skin, the perfect complement to his heat. He went to return the favor, only to realize Gray had already lost his shirt at some point. Was Gray even wearing it when Natsu first saw him? Natsu couldn't remember, but he also didn't care as it allowed him immediate access to the broad chest he was already covering with kisses. It had been so long since he'd been able to touch his mate in any way.

"I love you," Natsu blurted, having only been able to recite the words in his head for too long.

Gray stopped for a second and peered at him in wonder, "You've never said that to me before."

"I never got the chance to," Natsu lied, memories of all the times he'd told Gray that very thing in those six months flitting through his mind. He'd said it often, sometimes in fondness, sometimes in ecstasy and sometimes just to remind himself from within his frustration or anger, but every time he said it, it was with the same honesty that his feelings for Gray demanded.

Gray remained still, hands no longer roaming as he absorbed Natsu's words, interiorizing them. He flashed Natsu a smile that would forever become engraved in his heart; it was beatific and full of a tenderness that Natsu knew Gray showed no one else.

"I love you too," Gray's words nourished Natsu's soul, healing it from all the pain he'd experienced since Acnologia had shown up on their doorstep.

"I haven't said that to anyone since my parents died," Gray sighed at the realization that he'd never even uttered those words to Ur, although he thought that she'd known all the same.

Gray kissed Natsu again, and although this kiss was tender and full of promises, it had lost none of the earlier passion. There was no going back at this point. They were too caught up in their emotions and desires to rein themselves in.

They spent the next few hours exploring each other's bodies slowly and repeatedly, neither bothering to muffle their cries of ecstasy. And though at first the noises of the forest stopped at their intrusion, they soon became complicit, masking them in their chatter. That noise lulled them into a deep sleep once both their bodies and souls had finally become sated.

The last thing Natsu saw before his eyes closed was the radiant glow of Gray's necklace, and he smiled, knowing it meant their bond was whole once again.

0-0

Gray awoke to find Natsu watching him, and although he couldn't quite figure out his expression, it still brought a smile to his face. He'd missed waking up with Natsu. It was something that had been snatched from him, just as he'd gotten used to it.

"See something you like?" Gray grinned at the flustered expression on his lover's face at being caught staring. It thrilled him to know he could still affect Natsu that way, even after all this time. He was a bit surprised he felt so comfortable being naked around the other, but considering what they'd just shared, perhaps it wasn't so surprising after all.

"Always," Natsu replied, his gaze adoring as he leaned towards Gray and kissed his forehead gently before moving to kiss his lips.

"Good afternoon, or whatever time it is." Natsu scratched his head as he looked up at the position of the sun in the sky, trying to figure out how long they had slept for. It looked like the sun was setting.

Gray took advantage of Natsu's distraction to look at his body. Really look at it. Faint scars covered Natsu's body, some that looked like the wounds had been quite severe. He shook at their enormity. He could've lost him to any of those wounds.

Just what had Natsu been through while they were apart? Natsu noticed his gaze and tried to cover the worst of them with his arms.

"Don't," Gray scolded, "I need to see them."

"They're nothing," Natsu shrugged, but he stopped trying to hide them and remained uncomfortably still as Gray traced the scars with his fingers.

"Dragons did this?" Gray growled angrily, every scar burned into his memory, adding fuel to his hatred.

"No, people did most of these," Natsu said, and it was true, Acnologia had once been a human before he had devolved into whatever he was now. "There are very few dragons left."

"People did this? I find that hard to believe," Gray retorted, unwilling to let go of his earlier assumption.

"Why? People have always killed each other. Why would war be any different?"

Gray knew there was truth to Natsu's statement, so he changed the topic, not wanting to argue so soon after reuniting. "Are the others back too? They're okay, aren't they?"

"They're alive," Natsu responded, and this was accurate enough, " I don't think any of us can really be expected to be okay, though,"

Gray studied him, quickly recognizing a lot was hiding in that statement but not precisely grasping how to pursue it without ruining the moment further. He felt like he needed to know, he'd worked and played with the dragon slayers since his arrival in Talos. He considered them all friends, and he'd worried about them too, but maybe now was not the time to push the subject, so he began a hasty retreat.

"Do, do they look like you?" Gray asked worriedly, fingers once again tracing Natsu's scars.

Natsu shook his head. He didn't want to talk about this, about them or the war or any of his other failures. The other dragon slayers were bruised, and they were definitely not the same, but they had survived, and maybe they would choose to return someday. But even if they did, he knew things would be different. Still, he felt like he had to say something.

"They've chosen to stay with their dragons for the moment, I don't know when they'll be back."

Gray hastily switched subjects. This Natsu was different than he remembered, almost fragile. He supposed that was to be expected. Gray didn't know what his mate had been through in the last three years, but he was realizing they'd be sorting it out for years to come. The thought was daunting, but he didn't care because that meant that Natsu was home to stay. They could finally build the life they'd wanted, together.

"Are, are your dragons, okay?"

"They're alive," Natsu responded, but Gray could tell that once again, a lot was being left unsaid.

He was getting frustrated by all of Natsu's non-committal responses. Gray was trying to understand what had happened, what things Natsu had been through so that he could start the healing process, and he pushed more than he should have, "What was it like?"

"I don't really want to talk about this right now," Natsu snapped, his voice loud and angry, startling Gray. He immediately looked chagrined, and he softened his tone, "I don't want to waste whatever time we have rehashing all of that."

"Whatever time we have?" Gray looked confused and disappointed, "What do you mean by that, do you have to go back?"

Natsu looked away, not knowing what to say. He didn't know how long he had, but he could already sense the change coming. Had felt it the moment he'd woken up, and no amount of trying to fight it off had made any difference. He wouldn't be able to stay in this form for much longer, and he was trying to hide his despair at the fact that he would soon have to say goodbye to the man he loved.

Again.

If only they hadn't wasted so much time sleeping.

"Are you hungry? Cause I'm starving," Natsu got dressed and tossed Gray's clothes at him, trying to conceal the way his hands were shaking, "How about we go find a place to clean up and hunt down some food?"

"Natsu," Gray grabbed his clothes and put them on. "NATSU!" he repeated louder when Natsu seemed to ignore him. He grabbed Natsu by the hands and forced the fire mage to look at him. "What aren't you telling me?"

He'd expected a fight, a denial, anything but the broken look on Natsu's face, and that's when he felt it, despair so deep Gray lost his balance for a second. It was enough for Natsu to escape his grip.

"Natsu, what's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry," Natsu said as his fingers instinctively moved towards his neck, searching for the scarf he hadn't worn for years now.

It was no use. His transformation was beginning. Natsu could feel the scales manifesting on his body. He was out of time.

He hoped Gray could forgive him for leaving him with no answers. He tried to contain his tears, not wanting that to be the last thing Gray saw of him.

"I'll always love you," he said one last time before running off into the wooded area that led away from the mountains.

"NATSU! Natsu, come back," Natsu heard Gray's yells below him as he took to the skies unseen, but try as he might he couldn't forget the deep, unmistakable hurt in his mate's voice.

He'd done it again, only this time he'd made things even worse.

Dammit!

Natsu flew towards his cave, hoping Atlas would know why he'd changed and if it was likely to happen again.