Gray x Natsu ~ The Strength I Need to Protect You

Chapter 1

Natsus POV:

I wake up panting in a cold sweat. My body trembles as the recurring nightmare plays in my head for the thousandth time.

-Nightmare-

There Me and Gray were. Fighting Zeref. He was going to win. Me and Gray struggled to land a single hit on him. Nothing was working. We were running out of magic power.

"You won't beat us!" I yell charging at Zeref. His attack overpowers mine causing me to fly back onto the ground.

Gray charges at Zeref. Zeref sends Gray flying back into a wall. Gray falls unconscious.

"Zeref!" I shout. I give him everything I got to no avail. Im on the ground, weak. Gray begins to stand up. He then charges at Zeref.

My breath hitched as I saw Gray be pierced by Zeref's black magic right through the stomach.

"Gray!!" I scream. I use all my strength to run over to him and catch him. He stares at me with widen eyes.

"Natsu.." Gray whispers reaching a hand to my cheek. "I-I love you..." his eyes fight to stay open. I grab onto his hand as it slowly falls.

"Gray no!" I scream "You can't die! I won't let you! Gray please!". My screams go unanswered. The man laying in my arms doesn't take another breath. I hold his lifeless body close to my chest. Zeref then charges at me.

I didn't care. I didn't care if I died. The love of my life was dead. Zeref than kills me.

-End of nightmare-

I try and shake any memory of the nightmare from my thoughts and begin to head to the guild.

I've begun sparring with members of the guild everyday and taking on a job everyday. I've been doing everything I can to become stronger.

I head to the request board the second I walk into the guild looking for the hardest quest. "Hey Natsu!" A feminine voice calls out to me. I turn around to see Lucy running over to me.

"Hey!" I greet. I quickly turning my attention back to the request board.

"You've been going on a mission every day for a while. Shouldn't you take a break?" Lucy suggested. I shake my head.

"Nah" I respond. I don't give any explanation to my answer.

"Well can I at least go on the mission with you? It's been so long since we went on a mission together! Your always going on your own" Lucy comments.

"Sorry Luce. I have to go alone, but maybe soon!" I say excitedly. Lucy then jumps up and down excitedly. She heads over to a table where Levy is sitting. I turn towards the guild doors as I hear someone entering. The ice mage enters the guild and walks towards me.

"Hey pyro!" Gray yells running towards me "It's nice to see you" he whispered to me so no one else could hear. Me and Gray have been dating for a year but have yet to tell the guild so we try our best to hide it.

"Right back at ya" I reply smirking. Gray then wanders off to not cause suspicion. I finally choose a job and run out of the guild.

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My legs shake as I walk towards my house. The job took a toll on me. My body was covered in cuts and bruises. I make it home and treat my wounds. I then drift off to sleep being met with the recurring nightmare.

Im awoken out of my sleep by a loud knock. I groggily get out of bed and stumble towards the door. I realize that it's already light outside. Happy who is on the couch greets me.

I open the door to see Gray. "Hi Natsu" he says and then gives me a peck on this lips. I pull him into a hug. We don't get to act this way around each other a lot. We haven't seen each other much besides in the guild because of all the jobs I'm taking on.

"I've missed you a lot" Gray says.

"Me too... I've been busy with jobs sorry" I apologizes.

"I want to talk to you about that" Gray says in a more serious tone. I pull back from the embrace and move aside to let him into my house. Gray then pulls me along to the couch and sits us down next to Happy. Happy is the only one who knows about our relationship.

"Your overworking yourself. Even you can get burnt out. You wont let anyone go on quests with you. You look sick. What is going on with you?" Gray asks. He puts his hand on top of mine then interlocks our hands together.

"I want to be strong enough to protect you" I reply quietly.

"You already are dummy" Gray chuckled "I don't think you've realized how many times you've protected me. You've risked your life for mine countless times. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here right now" Gray finishes and kisses the top of my head.

"Thank you but... I keep having this dream where you die because I wasn't strong enough" I admit my teeth clenching together. Gray squeezed my hand.

"It's just a dream" he says. It feels like my body stops. It's just a dream. Those words repeat in my head.

"Yeah you're right!" I yell standing up but then my world begins to go black.