The Distance We Create(Nalu)

6- Overlooked Cold

The sun shines brightly in the sky, a cool breeze blowing over my skin. I can hear birds chirping in the distance, and the sound of leaves rustling together in the wind. Instead of the usual itchy feeling, the grass was soft and comfortable underneath me.

The sun shines down in rays through the layer of foliage above me.

I close my eyes contently and let the rays shine onto my skin.

I get lost in the feeling, in the warmth and lightness of my surroundings, in the cool feeling of spring.

Suddenly there's a stinging feeling on my cheek and my eyebrows crease in confusion. I bring my hand up to my cheek and a drop of water touches the tip of my finger.

I open my eyes and the sun is gone. It's replaced by a streaky gray sky with an infinite amount of tiny white specks swirling towards me.

My body slowly lifts up, a huge amount of snow falling off of me onto the ground.

I glance in front of me and there's only white, as far as the eye can see.

A terrible feeling of foreboding shakes through me and my entire body shudders.

"I'm so cold, Natsu."
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"Natsu I'm cold, wake up!"

My eyes open slowly, wincing at the bright white of my surroundings.

"Natsu, it started snowing and the fire went out! Can we please leave now?"

I ignore him and wait as my eyes adjust to the light. Happy shakes my shoulder, his paws slightly trembling.

"Natsu c'mon! We didn't even need to stay up here for the night anyway! You finished the job before the sun went down!"

I wince and sit up.

"Alright, alright, Happy."

I lift my fist up and a fire ignites around it while my other hand cradles my head.

Happy warms up by the fire for a moment before going to grab our stuff that's been slightly covered in snow.

Happy starts putting things in his bag and I avert my eyes forward, looking at the mountains displayed in front of me.

We stopped at one point on the trail and settled down for the night. Though there was snow on the ground, the air was quite warm. I didn't expect it to start snowing up here.

My eyes follow a giant snowflake as it flutters to the ground, leading a complicating path of twists and turns as it slowly falls. It finally lands on my leg, and it disappears into nothing but a tiny darkened spot on my pants.

I breathe out deeply and stare with slightly tired and blank eyes at multiple snowflakes, following their paths with my eyes until Happy interrupts my random thoughts.

"Alright, let's go."

I nod and slowly stand up, the fire staying ignited on my fist to keep Happy warm.

We start walking and I glance at Happy. He no longer trembles and looks much warmer than when he had woken me up.

A feeling of guilt slowly rises on me. I'm a fire wizard. I don't get cold.

It makes it hard for me understand how others may feel out here.

Who knows how cold Happy was last night? I didn't even bother myself with caring and went to sleep.

Before I realize he might end up so cold he can't even function ...

I don't stop to apologize or say anything at all and instead just look back in front of me and walk on.
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After about five hours of trekking through the snow down the path, the ground slowly turns from white to brown, and then to slight green where plants start to grow from the ground and where the grass starts to regain its life.

Happy and I walked in silence for the most part, with the occasional comment or complaint about the job and the weather.

As soon as we start walking on the cement path that leads into town, however, Happy starts talking.

"Hey, Natsu."

My gaze gets directed towards him.

"What?"

"We had a deal, remember."

I shrug my shoulders and give him an "I don't know" look and he rolls his eyes at me.

"You said we could get food. So you owe me a buffet out of your share of the earnings from the job."

I scowl at him.

"I never said that I was going to pay for you! I just said that we were going."

He crosses his arms and turns his head away from me. I look at him with a deadpan expression.

"Really? Don't pout."

Happy huffs in response and keeps his gaze away. I sigh in frustration and finally comply.

"Fine! I'll pay for your food."

His pout immediately stops and he smiles brightly.

"Alright, let's go! We already missed out on lunch so I'm starving!"

I nod my head in agreement and pat my belly.

"Mmhmm...my tummy has been grumbling for hours now! I'm going to get everything on the menu!"

Happy's face bursts into excitement.

"Aye sir!"

"Hey, what time is it, Happy?"

Happy rummages in his bag for the watch he always keeps in there. He glances at it before shutting his bag back up.

"Almost two o'clock, why?"

My mouth tilts up in the corner a bit.

"Well, since we've already been gone most of the day anyway, I say we take our time while we eat!"

I look at him from the corner of my eye, my mouth pulling up into a smirk and then break off into a sprint towards town.

"And I'm picking where we eat!"