The Many Loves of Salamander

Gate of Love (Yukino Agria)

"Hey! Wait up!" She caught the slightly distant voice, her feet instinctively stopping her tracks. She glanced back a bit, her eyes recognizing the man that was running towards her. Natsu Dragneel had been a legend seven years ago before his disappearance, though it was not said that he could be slightly goofy. She even noticed the flying cat that was next to him, Happy if she was not mistaken. The duo stopped in front of her, panting slightly yet with smiles on both of their faces.

"Natsu... Happy?" She asked, her hand leaving the handle of her baggage. She fully turned around to face them, her eyes admiring the duo. While she didn't stay to look at Happy that much, she could admit that she stayed looking at Natsu for quite a while. He was slightly cute, in a childish manner if she had to say anything about it. But what caught her attention were the beautiful onyx colored eyes that he had, shining brightly. "What can I-"

"Gotta tell ya that I'm sorry" Her eyes widened a bit, her heart throbbing a bit against her chest. She was confused as to why he was trying to apologize to her. If ever, she should apologize to him and his friends once more for wasting their time earlier in the day. She looked down a bit, her eyes watching two of the three golden keys that she owned with a small smile. She looked back up, looking just how Natsu was scratching the back of his head and a wide grin on his face. "You're not a bad person after all!"

"Natsu, you can't go deciding that people are bad just because they came from Sabertooth" She gave out a small, unnoticeable smile at the words of the flying cat. It amused her seeing just how Happy was admonishing the salmon haired mage, who looked almost ready to strangle the cat in question. She quickly regained control of her expression, showing the duo an expressionless face which only held confusion. Sure, she understood bits of the conversation, but not the entirety of the situation.

"That's why I ran to apologize, right?!" Now that had her a bit shocked. Never in her life had she expected someone to apologize to her for anything. All she had ever received were reprimands, answers that only served to hurt her. She trembled a bit, her mind slowly making her remember the things that she had suffered, especially the one that she had experienced merely moments ago. She took a deep breath to try to calm down her revolting memories, her eyes staring at the duo that was in front of her.

"Apologize?" She questioned, her eyes trying to analyze the male in front of her. She couldn't get him, he was showing her more empathy than most of her previous guild ever did. She couldn't understand what was the difference between them, and was still unable to understand. She had forgotten what it was to feel the slightest hint of appreciation and friendship, with the last memory she held of that being before her older sister went missing.

"My bad!" He still maintained a grin over his face, her eyes over looking just how Happy shouted a reprimand at him. She could only stare at the duo in front of her, her heart throbbing a bit faster than before. It made her a bit conscious of the fact that he was not looking at her like others had done so before. He was just here trying his best to do what he thought was right, and that made her emotional. She even ignored just how the duo kept yelling at each other, probably discussing something regarding the way Natsu had apologized to her.

"Y-You came chasing me all the way here just for that...?" She muttered, her whole body slowly beginning to tremble. She even looked down, trying her best to control her feelings. She couldn't look at him right now, she refused to let him see her in such a vulnerable state. But she couldn't move, frozen just like a statue. She didn't know whether she wanted to know his answer to her latest question, but here she stood, unable to move and seemingly waiting for what he had to say about it.

"Well, you know, you got this dark look about you and I thought maybe it was 'cause of my attitude..." She closed her eyes, tightening them in efforts to contain the tears that had been threatening to escape. She could see now just why people smoke greatly about Natsu, even if a few of them were angry at the destruction that he causes from time to time. It was like he was able to understand what she had been looking for this entire time.

"F-Forgive me..." She sobbed loudly, which made Natsu look at him with worry on his face. For the first time in forever, there was someone that was trying to understand her and help her. She had forgotten what it felt like. "No... N-No one has ever considered my feelings like this..." She dropped to her knees. She could hear steps approaching her, her eyes saw just how the sandals of the man kept getting closer to her. Her hands were on her eyes, desperately trying to stop the tears from falling. Yet, even with all the effort she was giving to stop the tears, she could not stop the river that was escaping from her eyes. "I had always yearned to join Sabertooth and last year, I was finally able to join..." She had to get it out of her mind, she needed to tell him. Maybe that will alleviate the pain that she had been holding back.The pain that threatened to consume her and destroy her. "But now... I can never go back there again?"

"Huh? Why?" She couldn't look at him, not right now at least. Her mind was just replaying those moments, the feeling of shame invading her mind. She felt like a lesser being, not worth the worry of someone as warm and caring as Natsu. She wanted to scream, to keep confiding in him. She didn't know if he was the one that was finally going to show her a bit of care, and she knew that she was risking it a bit. But she needed the comfort, the safety of someone truly caring for her.

"I lost once and they made me quit!" And ignoring the deepest part of her mind, she confided in the duo that had followed her. She was still crying, a never ending river that dripped down to the cobblestone road. "I was forced to strip in front of a crowd of people..." She continued, her heart ached just by remembering the shame she went through. The humiliation that would stay engraved in her mind for what remained of her life. Nothing could erase that from her mind, and it was something she wanted to forget the most. "And remove my guild mark... It was-"

She stopped, her eyes widening in shock. Natsu Dragneel, a mage that was opposing Sabertooth in the Grand Magic Games, had knelt down and forced her into a hug. She could feel the warmth that escaped from his skin, it was soothing. She even heard the snarl that escaped from his lips, her mind hoping that he was angry on her behalf. The simple hug meant the world to her, because it meant that someone really cared for her. She didn't know if he was controlling himself because of her or not. But she didn't care, she just hugged him tightly and let the floodgate go rampart. Her tears were staining his shirt, her hands desperately holding onto him. For the first time in forever, she felt accepted for who she was. Her heart throbbed, yet she just kept crying. For the first time in a long time, she has remembered what it felt to love someone and she didn't want to let go of that feeling again.