Forever Mine || NALU

7. "family reunion"

Lucy Heartfilia

I stared at the burnt foot marks, eyes widened and jaw to the floor. "H-he's here-- he was watching us-- how could we not see him-- why didn't he s-say anything--"

"Lucy--"

"Natsu never left this place--"

"Lucy--" Gray tried calling out again.

"B-But I've looked everywhere--"

"Lucy--" I paced around, asking questions to myself, my heart fluttering in a panic yet excitement.

"He never left the Heartfilia Estate--"

"LUCY!" The voice of a man, whose voice I tuned down in my head, yelled my name, grabbing my shoulders in attempt to calm me down and stop moving.

"WHAT GRAY!" I yelled back in frustration, glaring at the raven haired man who had a look of skepticism. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

He gritted his teeth and kept a hard stare into my eyes, "we need to go back--"

"Are you insane?! No! I'm not going-- we're close-- Natsu is here!" I stumbled on my words, shaking his arms off of me to loosen his tight hold. "I. AM NOT. GOING. ANYWHERE!"

Gray groaned, shaking his head furiously, letting go of my shoulders to slap his hand on my wrist and clenching his grip. He began to drag me away from the area with the dying and rotting plants and animals, and my eyes widened. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We're going back-- It's not safe here!"

"Like hell we are--" I swung my hand back to escape from his clutches, and glared at Gray once more. This time, with a look of anger and frustration, even tears threatening to fall and a lump in my throat forming. "How could we leave him here! He's lost and afraid--"

"We don't even know if this is Natsu for sure--"

"It is Natsu! I know it is! I know him all too well, this is magic power in the air, his smell, this feeling-- It's Natsu!"

"And what about the other magic power that was here, huh?" this part shut me up. "This may be Natsu, but his magic is fire. Not ice, and most definitely not-- whatever the hell happened kinda magic that does that to living things."

"W-Why does that matter--"

"Because Lucy, If Natsu wanted to come home by now, he would. He would've shown himself by now if he we're really watching us from the start. But he didn't." Gray explained, making me furrow my brows in frustration, not wanting to listen to anymore bullshit spewing out of his mouth. "And he's more definitely not alone."

"What the HELL is your problem Gray?!" I cursed, stomping towards him and clenching my fist ready to give him a Lucy Punch. "Natsu is your BEST FRIEND--!"

"I KNOW HE IS!" Gray burst in anger.

"Then, what's the problem--?!"

"Because THAT IS NOT NATSU!" My eyes widened. "You weren't there Lucy, you didn't see how he was like-- what he became. I've known Natsu LONGER than anyone else has. I've fought with him the most out of anyone else has..."

I could sense Gray anger begin to die down to frustration. He was gritting his teeth, and refused to look me in the eyes anymore, even his words we're starting to break down to a hint of sadness. "But that's not Natsu.. not the Natsu I know. And I know he wouldn't want anyone, especially you, to see what he's become."

I bit my lip and stayed quiet, a long silence weighing down us, refusing to argue with him any longer. That lump in my throat was threatening to come out in a cry, and the tears pricking at my eyes starting to fall.