To Be Contained || Gratsu

The Unbeatable Salamander

Word Count: 697

Natsu and Happy were walking, flying in the exceed's case, back from a job request. Happy was still complaining about being hungry, with Natsu grumbling his own protests in return.

"What I'd give for a fish! A juicy, juicy fish!" Happy exclaimed for the nth time. Natsu rolled his eyes, wondering if this was how annoying he sounded. The slayer dragged his feet on the pavement, feeling as if his pack was filled with all the different types of fish that his best friend was listing off.

"Ugh, why'd we pick a job so far away?" He groaned, wishing something would spontaneously ignite to provide him with a warm dinner.

"Why did I get stuck with a motion-sick loudmouth?" Happy asked jokingly, landing on Natsu's head and briefly blinding him. The fire dragon let out a chuckle, grinning and feeling his weariness wash away.

"Let's go, buddy!" And with that, Natsu took off at full speed, closely followed by a sighing azure tomcat.

In their dust trail stood a figure, shrouded in a tattered black cloak. He wore a manic smirk, his tongue lolling out of his thin lips and dripping thick saliva onto his dirty white shirt. "The Unbeatable Salamander, eh? Not if I have anything to say about it!" 

//skip to the guild!//

The doors to the Guild were crashed open carelessly by Natsu, scaring the newer members of the guild. The slayer darted over to the table where the rest of his team sat. Erza held a job request form in her armored fist, handing it to Natsu as he drew closer.

"We awaited your return, and we will go on another mission to pay for Lucy's rent." Lucy groaned, hiding her face within her hands.

"We should have left without him. That's the only way we'll actually get paid," the celestial mage whined. She begrudgingly stood, her keys clinking in time with her movement. Gray and Natsu acknowledged each other, but said nothing. If they weren't in the mood to fight, then they didn't interact. Happy moaned another complaint about fish, but he followed his dragon slayer to the train station.

"Wait... Are we going to the train station? Natsu questioned as the station itself came into view.

"Are you that slow? Guess you really do have ash-for-brains," Gray said challengingly. Natsu opened his mouth to respond, but decided against it. He didn't want Erza to knock him out, even if she planned to do that due to the train. "What's with the pout? Did I hurt your little feelings?" Gray continued with his teasing.

"Cut it out, Gray!"

Gray was ready to reply to whatever insult Natsu threw at him, but was completely unprepared to hear his own name burst from the lips of the fire dragon. Lucy and Erza exchanged a look, while Gray was in shock. When was the last time Natsu had called him by his name? To escape the tension, Natsu did the unthinkable: he willingly hopped on the train. The others shook off their surprise and trailed after him.

As soon as the train started moving, Natsu doubled over, clutching his stomach. Gray sighed, pushing the slayer's shoulder so that Natsu's head rested comfortably against him. That dragon is lucky I sat next to him, Gray thought. His neck felt heated from simply being near the fire slayer, but it wasn't as scorching as the real fire. Lucy gave him a glance, acting as if she knew exactly what was going on. He shook his head gently, trying not to dislodge the sleeping dragon. The spirit mage giggled at what she recognized as denial. Gray closed his eyes, hoping to shut out whatever it was Lucy was insinuating. Gray and Natsu were rivals, and that was that.

~With Mr. Creeper~

A shadowed figure raised his arm, snatching a paper from the grasp of wind. He laughed, sounding like the grating of nails on a chalk board. "Wherever you go, little Salamander, I'll always follow. Not long until I win," he gritted out in fury. Reaching up to push aside his hair, he began his trek to the site of the job request. "Nobody is invincible."