To Be Contained || Gratsu

The Potion

Word Count: 804

I'm sorry for the late chapter! A bit of humor is at the end to break up the feels, so you won't need your tissues this time~

Repetitive footsteps sounded as Gray continued pacing. Can she really help him? His thoughts had become as circular as his steps after watching an utterly broken dragon slayer be taken to Porlyusica. One look at Natsu, and the entire group had realized why Gajeel hadn't followed them inside: blood, the stench overwhelming even to those without enhanced senses. The pink-haired slayer hadn't been awake, which Gray felt was fortunate. He didn't think he could handle seeing those usually bright, excited eyes dulled from pain and sorrow. His hands opened and closed from their fists, as if wishing they had at least gotten to ensure that Natsu was real. He had been carted away as soon as he was spotted, leaving the ice mage to grasp at the air, picturing blood over top of the image of the dragon he had kept close to him all this time. You have to be okay...

//with Natsu//

Light prodded at his eyes through his closed lids, attempting to wake him from his slumber. He tried to open them, but they felt stuck exactly as they were. The calming glow of fire filled his dream-addled vision, quickly becoming an inferno he recognized immediately. The flames licked at his skin, but the usual, soothing heat felt blistering and painful. An all-too-familiar laugh filled his brain as a man's silhouette drew nearer. "You'll never escape, you weak little salamander."

"Natsu!" came a voice in reality, a pair of hands shaking his bruised shoulders. He finally succeeded in prying open his eyes, seeing dark blue hair hanging near his face. Wendy? "Were you having another nightmare?" she questioned timidly.

"I would assume as much," Carla answered for him, crossing her arms against her chest. His throat felt scratchy and he wasn't sure if he actually could talk at that moment.

"I don't know if I have anything for that... I could ask Gra- I mean, Porlyusica!"

"W-Wen-" he gritted out, clenching his fists against the pain attempting to speak brought him.

"Oh! Can I get you anything? I don't know what to do!" the young dragon panicked, looking to her exceed for help.

"I'm sure he simply needs more rest, right now," the feline said, voice gentler than her last response had been.

"F-Feel better! Gray's still really worried about you," she finished, hardly noticing that she had mentioned something that was somewhat of a secret. The guild had decided as a whole, that Natsu needed less stress as he was healing and Gray was sure to bring exactly the opposite. Processing her own words, her eyes widened and she began sputtering apologies, while Carla dragged her from the hut.

"Gr-a-y?" His throat felt itchy as he scraped the sound out. Gray is worried? The thought almost brought a smile to his face, as that was definitely nothing like the Gray he had last seen. However, that cynical, horrifying laugh hadn't left the front of his mind in months at least. He shivered, as if the window had suddenly let in a chilly breeze, although it had done no such thing. "G-Gray..." he managed to whimper, raising his knees and burying his face into the thin sheet covering his abused body.  Tears began soaking into the fabric, but this was a common occurrence already. The door opening and a scowl of disapproval at his emotion was not.

"At least you're awake. How do you feel?" Her tone exposed the fact that she only cared enough to get him out of her space, as she hadn't made an attempt to hide it.

He opened his mouth, but the burning irritation in his neck made him think before choosing to speak or not. His discomfort must have been clear, as the aged woman began rummaging around her cupboards, handing him a particular bottle. He nodded his gratitude, drinking it without taking a moment to read the label, if it was even in characters he could read.

Yuck, that's disgusting!

"I didn't ask for your opinion on my remedies," she responded to his thought with an unamused glance.

But I didn't say anything...

"You thought it. Perhaps if you read the bottle, this conversation wouldn't be so redundant."

What?

"Your thoughts are projecting, as your voice doesn't seem to be working. Answer my question."

What question?

The glare he received was enough to tell him she had already asked.

Uh... Oh! You mean how I'm feeling? Not great. How's the guild? Is Gray actually worried?

"What do either of those things have to do with me? How soon can you be gone?"

 I wonder if his eyes are still so blue... I missed him so much...

"Have you forgotten about the potion already? Your idiocy knows no bounds," Porlyusica said, rolling her eyes and turning away from the battered slayer. "If you're going to lust after your precious ice mage, take it somewhere else."

It's not- Well, only sometimes! Wait, you heard all of that!