You're Not Alone (GraTsu)

One

'Damn, it's too cold to be out here...' Natsu thought to himself as he trudged through a thin layer of snow that covered the sidewalk beneath him. It had snowed overnight, and he had not been ready for it. Usually, he didn't get cold very easily, but with the temperature below zero, well he was practically freezing.

The omega huffed quietly as he tightened his white scarf around his mouth and nose. If he didn't have class today, he would have definitely stayed home under his blankets. Of course, before heading to class, the pink haired male had his sights set on a small coffee shop near his apartment . Luckily, today would be a short day for him. Two classes, then he could get himself back home.

As he entered the coffee shop, he was greeted by instant warmth. It felt way better in here than it did outside. The smell of fresh coffee hit his nose as he pulled his scarf down. His gaze shifted to a clock on a nearby wall. He had at least thirty minutes to kill. Thank god he didn't have to rush back out in the cold right away. Now he just had to figure out what he felt like drinking this morning.

Decisions this early in the morning were definitely one of Natsu's weaknesses. Granted, if he hadn't stayed up all night finishing homework at the last moment, maybe he wouldn't have such a hard time making a choice. Finally, after thinking over his options, Natsu approached the counter, only to be greeted by a young girl, who was also one of his classmates, and a very close friend.

"Natsu!" The girl was named Levy. She was a very small girl with beautiful blue hair that reached her shoulders. Her bangs were held back by a yellow headband with a white flower attached to it, and her brown eyes were beaming with happiness.

"Hey, Levy... I didn't think you would be here this early." The pink haired male gave his friend a gentle smile and glanced toward the menu.

"Well, I don't have a class until later in the afternoon, so I decided to take an early shift today." The blue haired female let out a gentle laugh as she returned Natsu's smile. "Do you know what you want?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just want a large mocha with an extra espresso shot." Natsu replied as he reached toward the back pocket of his pants to retrieve his wallet. He pulled out a worn down black wallet and opened it to ensure that he had enough.

"Alright then. Your total as usual is $4.50." Levy had actually already punched in the order right after she saw Natsu. He had ordered the same thing every day since the first day of the semester. Now, the first semester was nearly over. All that was left was a couple more days of classes before the final exams started next week. Natsu pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it over to his friend. As Levy took the cash from Natsu and returned his change, she smiled once again.

"Give me about five minutes and it should be ready. Until then, you should really sit down and try to warm up a little more. Your ears are looking a little red from the cold. Getting sick is the last thing you need this close to the end of the semester." Levy had always been rather caring toward Natsu. She did her best to look out for him since he didn't really have anyone else to do it. From what she knew, Natsu had lost his birth parents at a young age, and had been adopted by a man named Igneel. He became Natsu's adoptive father, but when Natsu was sixteen, he had lost Igneel in a tragic car accident. The accident also left a painful reminder, a scar right along Natsu's right cheek from where a shard of glass from the windshield had cut him.

After Igneel's death, Levy's family had opened their doors and allowed him to stay with them. Ever since that day, Natsu had changed. He had been a loud and obnoxious child, but now he was often quiet and even had a lonely look in his eyes, yet he always smiled. Of course Levy knew it was to hide the pain he was feeling. As many times as she tried, he would always tell her he was fine and not to worry about him. Though that never stopped her, it only made things worse. Not only that, but Natsu had refused to stay in the dorms. Instead, he had saved up money during high school and ended up renting a nearby apartment. She had tried to talk him into staying in the dorms, but of course he refused. He had told her he didn't want to be around all those people any longer than he had to. He had no interest in making any new friends, nor did he have any interest in possibly finding a mate. Yes, that question had come up, but he had told her he didn't want to bother falling in love with someone who could possibly end up breaking his heart. He had already lost all of his family, he didn't want to risk putting his heart in someone else's hands.