Second Life

Chapter 2: A Close Call

A/N: So Homecoming week was this past week and I didn't get to write much from running around so much, especially during the Homecoming Games on Thursday and Friday....(us Juniors won! yay) I didn't expect this story to take off as it did and I'm sorry for keeping this chapter back for soo long! You guys are amazing and your reward is....*drumroll*....the newest chapter!~
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"N-Natsu?"

Shit. Shit. Shit! Natsu could feel his stomach hit the floor and his chest tighten in panic. Inwardly cursing himself as he shouldn't have taken the risk to sing while still inside the guild hall. He knew he wouldn't get away from this with his secret fully intact. It would be a miracle if he could even keep the brunt of it hidden away. Here he stood, filtering through a million and one different ways to get out of this situation while staring into the hazel eyes of the guild's top bookworm.

"Levy." Natsu clenched his fist, feeling how they'd become slightly sweaty. "How long...how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough." She admitted. "Where did you learn to sing like that?"

"I didn't." The pinkette replied. "You didn't hear anything."

"What?" Levy knelt to pick up her fallen books, "What do you mean, I heard you singing."

"No. You didn't." He persisted, "Just forget the past few minutes never happened."

"Natsu..."

"Please...Levy."

The girl was stumped. She wanted to push for every little detail. But the serious expression the usually cheery pinkette now held told her to just trust his judgement.

They stood in silence for what felt like forever. Natsu's emotions boiling under the surface while he waited for Levy to answer. Luckily he didn't need to wait for very long and he let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding as Levy nodded.

Natsu was truly relieved it was Levy that caught him. If it had been anyone else, he would've been screwed. He ran a hand through his hair and yawned lightly. This close call had worn him out and it wasn't even noon yet. Geez, he was ready to go home and sleep until next Thursday.

"Hey, Natsu?" Levy piped up, catching the pinkette's attention.

"Hmm?" he hummed, leaning against a table covered in precariously stacked books.

"Why do you want to keep your singing secret?" She asked. "You could find a job in the music community and earn even more alongside what you get from the guild."

"And have Gray and Gajeel have something else to hold against me?" Natsu shot back through a laugh. "Even if they didn't. I don't feel like giving them something to hang over my head."

"Why would they do that?" She was visibly confused."Your singing is professional level. They wouldn't be able to say or do anything of the sort."

"You'd think so."

"I know so."

Natsu glanced at the bluenette, a soft depth behind his eyes reminiscent of a deep ocean. "Levy, when's the last time you listened to the radio?"

"I listen to it every morning." She replied. "Why?"

"Who was the artist in the number one spot for that week?" Natsu clenched the table tightly, feeling the wood creak under his touch.

"Um..it was that new artist, Night, that no one-" Levy's head shot up, eyes fixated on the mage before her. "No. Natsu you're..."

"Now do you know why I don't want to tell?" He sighed, "I can deal with fangirls. I can deal with the deadlines and schedules. But...my music is like looking into a broken mirror." The teen held a hand before him, staring into his palm. "It's me but at the same time, distorted."