louder | natsu x reader

chapter 6

"how about you and peach take the bed and i'll take the couch?" gray suggests. you were in your head as you sat on the edge of the bed thinking about natsu and lucy sharing a room.

"hello? earth to y/n." gray waves his hand in front of you.

"what?" you snap your head at him.

"do you want me to take the couch?" he asks again.

"it's pretty small, so how about I take the couch." peach speaks up.

"I don't care." you reply.

"alright then." gray says awkwardly.

"i'm gonna prepare for bed." peach goes to the bathroom. gray takes a seat on the bed beside you.

"what's going on?" he asks. he seemed to genuinely care.

you've always been close to gray. maybe it was due to the fact that you're the only two ice mages in fairy tail.

you don't reply.

"it's natsu and lucy, right?"

you look at him. he takes his hand and uses it to rest your head on his shoulder.

"I know how you feel... having the person you love be interested in somebody else." he tells you.

"it seems like ever since lucy joined the guild, it's all been about her." you say.

"if natsu can't appreciate the amazing girl who's been in front of him all these years then maybe he doesn't deserve you." gray comforts you.

you don't feel natsu's unworthy of you. if anything, you feel like he's more than enough. he's kind, strong, caring...

gray laughs, "what do you see in the guy anyway? he's loud, obnoxious, and reckless."

you lift your head up from gray's shoulder, "I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

gray nods. you get comfortable on the left, setting up a pillow in the middle as a barrier. gray strips off his shirt and pants and lays beside you.

you wake up early the next morning to shower and meet everyone down in the lobby.

"our meeting with the mayor is set. after that, the day will be dedicated to looking around town and gathering more information." erza states.

the mayor's assistant takes you to his office. he sits at his office, looking completely destroyed. "thank you for taking our job request. it seems like all wizards need is a little more compensation for the work." he says.

"trust me, the reward is the last of our worries." you assure him. you think you're speaking for everyone... maybe not lucy.

"I appreciate you all. our town is so small our problems go unnoticed or are swept under the rug, so this means a lot to me and the citizens." the mayor says.

"what can you tell us about this gang?" erza asks.

"that was scary!" lucy cries.

"it's scarier for this people of this town. they live everyday in this fear." you say.

"I think we should split up! we'd cover more ground." natsu suggests.

"I think that's a terrible idea. what if we run into all 10 members then we're outnumbered." lucy argues.

"then we handle ourselves til the others arrive. here." erza uses her magic to spawn walkie talkies. "we can communicate with these."

you each take one.

"I agree. we split up." erza backs up natsu.

"I dont wanna be alone!" lucy continues to complain.

"how about I tag with lucy?" natsu suggests.

"no, we need more ground covered. I'll go with lucy!" peach speaks up. you look at her and she winks at you. "I might not be able to assist in combat, but I can fly her to safety if needed and she won't be alone!"

"I'd appreciate that! are you okay with that?" lucy asks you.

"I can handle myself. I'll be fine!" you assure her.

"great. we will all report to the hotel at midnight." erza instructs. and with that, you all headed in different directions.

under the city lights that flickered, you navigate the streets, you senses attuned to every subtle shift in atmosphere. the moon casts elongated shadows as you weave through the maze of alleys, determined to uncover the elusive wizard gang that plagues the city. 

you look through the photocopies given to you all by the mayor. 

your heart was racing with anticipation. drawing upon your own magic abilities, you detect traces of enchantment lingering in the air. the gang's presence is elusive. your silent footsteps echo through narrow passages, flickering streetlights cast intermittent shadows that dance in rhythm with your movements. 

"hello? anybody copy?" erza is heard on the radio. the other teammates check in. 

"i'm here." you say. 

"great. i'm glad to hear everyone is still okay. it's getting late, so we should start heading back." erza says. 

"copy." you all say. 

you turned around, but your focus sharpens on an abandoned warehouse. something was off about it. cautiously, you approached it. with nerves of steel, you edge closer. you push the steel doors open and it appears empty. you took a sniff and sensed someone had recently been here. you decide to enter. with your heightened hearing, you hear footsteps. you turn around and see a cloaked figure emerging from the shadows, blending seamlessly with the night. 

a low voice sends shivers down your spine, "you fairy tail wizards are persistent."

the cloaked figure unveils a symbol, matching the symbol on the countless corpses you saw in photos from the mayor.

your eyes widen, realizing you stand face-to-face with a member of the gang. before you can reach for your walkie, a powerful spell resonates in the air, enveloping the warehouse in a mysterious glow. 

"what the-" you weren't able to finish your sentence as rays of dark magic shoot towards you. you jump out the way. 

"y/n l/n... half of the twin dragons." the wizard states. "you think your frosty tricks can stand against the power of shadows?" the shadow wizard taunted, his voice a dark whisper. 

you grinned, summoning the essence of the ice dragon within. "let me show you the power of an ice dragon slayer." with those words, you released an ice dragon slayer's roar. a freezing air surged towards the shadow wizards, crystallizing the shadows in its path. 

the shadow wizard scoffed, dissipating the icy blast with a wave of his hand. "impressive, but you can't freeze what you can't touch." the shadow wizard sneered, his form melding effortlessly with the encroaching darkness. 

in response, you unleashed the ice dragon's frozen veil, a protective shield of ice that surrounded you, warding off the shadowy tendrils. "my ice senses more than you think. your shadows won't deceive me."

the shadow wizard, undeterred, casted another spell. a swirling vortex of shadows that threatened to engulf the whole area. ice clashed against darkness in a dazzling display of elements. 

as the frosty tendrils danced with shadows, unbeknownst to you, a stealthy figure from the wizard gang slinked through the shadows, ready to strike. 

the shadow wizard intensified his assault, distracting you with a surge of darkness. "your fate was sealed the moment you set foot in this town." he tells you. just when the clash reached its peak, a sudden blow to the back of your head sent you reeling. darkness encroached, and your consciousness slipped away. 

the ice and shadow magic clash died down. the shadow wizard and his unseen accomplice exchanged a cryptic glance, as your fate hung in balance. 

"y/n, do you copy?" erza's voice is heard on the walkie talkie.