So this is the end. I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters used. Enjoy.

Natsu's eyes fluttered closed, Gray's lips lingering up and down his neck. The grease from his sandwich earlier stuck to his skin. His lips swollen already from kissing Natsu earlier. Gray laid him on the bed, already lifting up Natsu's shirt carefully, trying not to skim the cloth over Natsu's patch on his shoulder. Natsu tightly gripped Gray's hair as he brought him up to kiss Gray again. Deeply, their tongues switching in their mouths. Natsu bit Gray's lip.

"I love you…" Natsu breathed.

"I love you too, Natsu."

Their words hung in the air, landing on their breath and inhaling like a fire. The touched each other like it would be their last time. The warmth passing on their skin, being taken to a place to be described as the land of milk and honey like in the Bible. They bathed in the soothing milk in each other's arms and melted in the oozing honey which was their lips. Heaven was within one another, love was trapped inside and launching out.

They made love all night. Right after another they regained their energy and would reuse all of it. The love never faded in their hips. It stayed at the same pace, their sounds, loud. Loud enough for the world to hear them and how much they longed for each other. It flooded out the window, the heat, the noise, everything filled the streets. They didn't care how tired they felt, or how they were losing their breaths, they were in love and proving it. They fell asleep early in the morning. Gray spooned him and held Natsu's hand close to his chest. Feeling his heartbeat.

One beat… Two beat… Three beat…

Gray dreamed that Natsu's heart was a drum, and he was playing it. When the beats were lighter he hit the little drums, when they were lower, the bottom big drum. He made music with Natsu's arteries, strummed on his muscles, and sung on his vocal cords. Like Gray lived inside Natsu's body. He made a little house out of his skeleton system and organs. Trying not to disrupt his body's system.

Gray snuggled in the back of Natsu's neck, smelling his hair and pulling him close to him. He wanted to stay living in Natsu's body. His breath tickled Natsu's ear, making him shrug his shoulders every once in awhile. That made his grip tighter. His lips would scrape along Gray's knuckles. Maybe he wanted Gray to stay inside his body too.

But the scream of an alarm clock started to go off. Natsu scrunched up his nose, groaning and blinking. He started to sit up, pulling Gray's arm off of him. It was six in the morning, Natsu softly poked at the patch on his shoulder. It hurt, he crawled out of the bed, pulled on a baggy tee, took his medication, walked into the bathroom, pissed, and cleaned his tattoo with some bacterial soap. It seemed to be healing fine, he kept the patch off. He looked at the tattoo in the mirror. He smiled, having his fingers feel it to make sure it was real. Natsu splashed some water on his face and fell back on the bed. He kissed Gray's nose.

"Wake up. I'm hungry." Natsu said.

Gray groaned. He grabbed Natsu's waist and cuddled into him. Natsu laughed as Gray held him.

"Hey, get up!" Natsu nudged him.

Gray sighed and lifted up his head. Looking at the clock.

"Too early…." Gray mumbled and rested his head back down.

"Come on, Gray. I'm starving. I want you to make me breakfast."
"We have cereal, get a bowl. I want a little more shut eye, baby. I'm tired."

Natsu groaned and rolled his eyes, "I'll wake you up in ten, okay?"

"Make it fifteen?"

"I'll make it five, instead."

"Love you too, asshole."

Natsu walked out and stretched. Lyon was up and watching Jerry Springer and having a cup of coffee.

"Hey, morning Natsu," Lyon greeted, "Today's the day, huh? Excited?"

Natsu shyly laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, not really excited about a plane ride though."

"Motion sickness?"

"Yeah, I gotta stop by my house to get my cassette tape player before I leave or else I'll just vomit on the plane."

Lyon chuckled, "I don't know how the other passengers would feel about that."

"Not good, I'll tell you that."

Natsu licked his lips, "I'm gonna have a bowl of cereal. You guys got Lucky Charms?"

Lyon nodded, "Top cupboard."

Natsu walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. He heard the roar from the television audience. He got the milk and the box of cereal. He sighed and put his hands on the counter. In some odd hours, he would be on a plane ride where his future could be figured out. And that still scared the shit out of Natsu. Worries him half to death. Natsu got out a spoon and started to eat, he picked out all the marshmallow charms first. He kept glancing to see what was going on the television.

"Can you see if there's any cartoons on?" Natsu asked with a mouthful of marshmallows.

"Sure. Anything specific?"

"Check Nickelodeon. I think Ren and Stimpy is on. Maybe Rocko's Modern Life maybe"

"Anything for you, kiddo."

Lyon flipped through the channels while Natsu sat in a kitchen chair. Facing the living room while an episode of Ren and Stimpy midway through started. He needed this. This nostalgic child-like feeling of eating sugary cereal and watching Saturday cartoons in the morning. Something before he had to feel like he was finally forced to grow up. He wished Peter Pan would show up and tell Natsu he could be a Lost Boy.

Gray came out of the bedroom, shirtless and only in a pair of boxers. He yawned and scratched his bed head. He teased Natsu's hair and looked in the living room.

"Nice. Cartoons." Gray said.

Natsu nodded, "I love Ren and Stimpy."

"Yeah, they're pretty bad ass. Do you still want me to make you some breakfast?"

"Nah, maybe just a new pot of coffee."

Gray kissed Natsu's cheek and pat his shoulder. Natsu smelt his morning breath.

"Of course, baby," Gray walked over and got a new coffee filter, "What time do you want to stop by your house?"

Natsu hummed, "Soon. After breakfast. I want to get there early. Can't miss that plane you know?"

Natsu laughed nervously, gripping his spoon tightly as he tried to catch more marshmallows. Gray saw his uneasy as he started to coffee maker. He knelt down on the ground and held Natsu's hands.

"What's wrong, baby?" Gray whispered.

"Scared" Natsu mouthed.

"What about?" Gray mouthed back.

"Everything…"

"I told you. We'll be alright. You'll be alright," Gray slid his thumb on Natsu's cheek, "I'll be there every step of the way."

Natsu smiled, "Do you think it's still too late for me to overdose again?"

Gray lightly punched his arm, he didn't like the joke. Yet Natsu softly laughed anyway. He squeezed Gray's hand, feeling comfort from it. A big squeeze to make it last.

"I love you." Natsu mouthed

"I love you too. I always will."

"I always will too."

Gray smiled and kissed Natsu deeply.

"I'm gonna go ahead and shower," Gray stood up, "You finish up breakfast and have some coffee."

Natsu looked up. He looked up at Gray like the shepherds did to the Angel in the summer. Gray seemed like he glowed, Natsu was able to see that finally. The light yellow flare to his icy pale skin. He licked his lips and nodded.

"Okay."

Natsu finished his cereal while Gray was in the shower like they agreed. He had a cup of coffee while he got ready. He wore a beanie, a red flannel with an army jacket over it and ripped blue jeans. He wanted to stay warm on the plane ride. Gray came out with a towel around his waist, he kissed Natsu mid sip and took his coffee cup. He took a sip, Natsu laughed.

"You smell like soap…" Natsu said rubbing Gray's back before getting his coffee cup back, "So clean and fresh."

"Well I would hope so," Gray kissed the top of Natsu's head, "Get me a shirt please."

Gray dropped his towel and started to dry his hair while he put on boxers and joggers with the smiley face patch. Natsu got his hand print tee shirt and tossed it to Gray. Natsu smiled and sat on the bed cross legged.

"You remember the first time I wore that shirt? It seems like ages now." Natsu said.

"Yeah, you kept it forever. I thought I would never see it again," Gray put on the shirt and a few hemp bracelets. He smiled, "You looked so cute in it."

Natsu set the cup on the end table and stood up. He rubbed Gray's shoulders and kissed his neck.

"Would you have let me keep it?" Natsu whispered.

"I'd let you keep anything in the world,Flame brain," Gray turned around and kissed Natsu, "We better get everything in the car and head to your place. We can get something to eat maybe before we go to the airport."

"How do airports even work, anyway?" Natsu asked.

They had stopped by the coffee shop for two travel cup large coffees and all the muffins they had left from the morning. Which was about six or seven. Enough for Natsu on the plane ride. His favorite stale muffins. They were almost to Zeref's. Natsu hadn't seen him in a while. Only quick chats on the phone. Natsu's mouth felt dry.

"Well,"Gray sighed, "You go to the gate, they'll make you take off your shoes, scan your bag quick, then you wait to get on the plane. If your bag is too big for a carry on then you have to have them put it in the plane and get it once you're off."

Natsu hummed and shrugged, "Alright. Not too hard," Natsu sipped his coffee, "They won't take my pills will they?"

"No, no, not unless it's illegal or not prescribed to you. You'll be fine."

"Have you been on planes a lot?"

"Well, here and there for hockey tournaments if it's way out there. But usually we just take a bus."

Natsu nodded like he understood what Gray was talking about. But at this point he was trying to remember how many seconds were in an hour. Then two. Then three. But he got caught up in the numbers and didn't notice Gray was parking.

"You need me to go in for anything?"

Natsu shook his head, "No, it shouldn't take me long," Natsu kissed his cheek and popped open the door, "Keep it warm in here."

"Will do."

Natsu shut the car door. He looked up at the building, he wanted to cry. Natsu instead swallowed and started to walk forward, getting out his key. He saw Zeref's car in the parking lot. He walked up the stairs and unlocked the door. Happy rushed forward, crying out as he rubbed his back on Natsu's shins. Natsu smiled and sat down.

"Hey, buddy," Natsu said, petting Happy's head, "Miss me?"

Happy purred, rubbing into Natsu's palm. Natsu wondered if he could bring a cat on campus there. Happy might die if he wasn't with Natsu at all. Happy crawled on Natsu's lap, he picked Happy up and looked for Zeref. He heard the shower on in the bathroom as he walked towards his room. Natsu opened his bedroom door. He put Happy on the bed while he looked for his cassette player. His room had been untouched since he had moved everything out into Gray's place. He wondered if Zeref would come in at night to see if Natsu was in the bed. Maybe a quick peek to see if he would magically appear. Maybe he cuddled with Happy instead on the couch when he was whining. Zeref was a man, not a little sad and confused boy. Not Natsu.

Natsu found his player and his headphones. His hand glided on his pillow. That was one of the most uncomfortable pillow he ever had, yet he slept on it every night soundly. It had been there for him when no one else was to catch the tears.

"Feels real now, doesn't it?"

Natsu turned. Zeref's hair was damp with a glossy black. He had on light jeans and a tee shirt. He was leaning on the door frame with a smile and his arms crossed. Natsu swallowed and smiled back. Zeref opened up his arms wide while Natsu hugged him.

"Zeref…" Natsu breathed, "I missed you so much."

"Missed you too," Zeref rubbed Natsu's back, "Now I'm gonna be missing you again."

Natsu chuckled, "I'll just be gone for a week."

"Yeah, but if you get in you'll be gone longer than that."

"You'll visit won't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Zeref asked, "I'd be insane if I didn't have you, Natsu. I'll be missing you constantly."

"Heh, maybe we can get webcams and video chat."

"Ugh, have you seen the resolution on those things? It's horrible." Zeref said.

Natsu shook his head, "Nerd…"

Zeref held Natsu tightly. Burring his face in his hair, "You'll be okay up there by yourself won't you?"

"I won't be by myself. I'll still have you and everyone else here. I'll be…. I'll be okay."

Zeref bit his lip and gripped Natsu's jacket, "God you're so big. I feel like a dad right now."

"Pfft, you're way better than any fucking dad by a million," Natsu chewed the inside of his lip and lowered his head, "Don't tell Igneel that I left to California. He doesn't deserve to know."

Zeref nodded. He thought the gesture was cold but he wouldn't disobey, "Yeah. Yeah sure. No problem, Natsu."

Zeref pulled back, wiped his damp eyes and smiled. He took off Natsu's beanie and messed up his hair. Natsu laughed and snatched his beanie back.

"Little boy. Little dragon. Remember when I would call you that?"

Natsu chuckled, "Yeah, because my favorite animal is a dragon."

"Still?"

"Still."

"Dragons aren't real you know."

"Oh one day. One day they will be. The future is an amazing place I hear."

"My little dragon. Now you're my teenage brother who gets into shit he shouldn't ,"Zeref laughed, "You better get going huh?"

Natsu sighed, "Yeah… Yeah I should," he walked in Zeref's arms again, "I'm gonna miss you a lot." Natsu repeated

"No you won't. You'll forget about me during that week."

Zeref sounded kinda hopeful in that. Like he wanted Natsu to live in the future of California. Not the past of Ohio. Ohio had four seasons. California only had one. Sun. Summer. Heat. Warmth. A place Natsu could thrive in and grow. That's what he wanted for Natsu. To blossom into something beautiful.

Natsu smiled slightly, "Yeah… Maybe I will forget about you. Mmhm, that will be my first goal. Forget Zeref."

"That's the spirit," Zeref pulled back, "You want some snacks maybe for you trip? You have the money I gave you right?"

"Yes, Zeref, I have everything. And I'm good on snacks. I got a shit ton of muffins. But I'll use the phone really quick before I leave."

"Yeah, yeah sure go ahead."

Natsu wrapped up his headphones around his cassette tape and walked to the phone. He dialed Lucy's number and put the phone to his ear. It rang few times before there was a pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Luc. Today I'm shipping out. You want to meet me at the airport in an hour?"

"Well hell yeah I want to," Lucy replied, energetic, "Why wouldn't I? I gotta see you go."

Natsu chuckled, "Well get something to eat before I get one at the airport."

"You buying?"

"Pft, I don't have the funds for that. Bills don't chill, Luc."

"What fucking bills are you paying?"

"Watch your mouth, just meet me up. Look pretty for me, doll."

"Bye, broke-ass."

"Bye, bitch-ass."

Natsu hung up, his hand on the phone briefly before he started to laugh. Then started to cry, silently through the giggles. He was going to miss that girl. He loved her to bits. That was probably his first ever love. And he was leaving her. He was leaving Zeref. He was leaving Gray. He is sad. He is happy. He is more alone than he ever has been. He has more people in his life than he can count who care for him. Natsu is confused, yet now bright eyed. Zeref walks in and sees Natsu crying and laughing out of irony.

He wraps his arms around Natsu and whispers.

"Everything will be okay, Natsu."

"Yeah, I know!" Natsu gasped for air as he laughed and sobbed, "For once I really know it will."

They all sat down in the uncomfortable airport chairs that seemed to float and stick together. Lucy had a big burger in her hand while Natsu sucked on a milkshake and Gray was munching on fries. They all pitched in and bought a shit ton of fast food in the airport. They had a feast full of carbs and grease. Five burgers, ten piece chicken nuggets, three medium fries, a Coke for Gray, milkshake for Natsu, a sweet tea for Lucy, and three chocolate chip cookies. Everything rang up to almost thirty dollars, but they swore they would eat every last bite like it would be the last time they ever ate.

Lucy swallowed and sighed, "God, I think I might become bulimic after this. I could honestly throw up."

Natsu popped a chicken nugget in his mouth, "Your shirt looks like it's gonna pop at the chest because your tits are already growing more. Do you even have fat on your stomach?"

Natsu poked Lucy's tummy and she giggled, "Don't, I'll throw up all over you."

"Please no, I'll up-chuck after you if you do that." Gray groaned.

They all looked at each other before cracking up. They snorted, smiling and jostling each other. Lucy put her arm around Natsu's shoulder. Gray kissed Natsu. All their attention was put on Natsu. Natsu felt himself shrugging down as he laughed, like he wanted to become the smallest person in the world. Lucy hugged Natsu.

"Oh, Natsu, my cute baby boy," Lucy sighed and pinched his cheek, "I'm gonna be thinking about you for a long time."

"Don't talk about me like I'm gone already, Luc."

"Well you'll never be really gone. There's no way I'll never forget Natsu Dragneel, the best fucking partier there is," Lucy smiled and kissed Natsu's cheek, "And the best friend I could ever have."

"Lucy…. You'll make yourself cry if you talk like that." Natsu mumbled.

"I'm not gonna cry. I promised myself I wouldn't before I left. And you're not gonna make me."

Natsu chuckled and squeezed her frail hand. Gray smiled, he bit into his cookie and chewed. He had his hand on Natsu's thigh. Natsu thought about them having sex. How his hand stayed put on his legs the whole time. Just to make sure he wouldn't float away from the hot air. Natsu sighed, he checked the big digital clocks around the airport. It was one forty. Ten minutes till his plane would depart. And so would he and Gray.

Natsu laid his head on Lucy's shoulder, closing his eyes. Lucy's arms draped around Natsu's neck.

"I'll miss your guy's smells," Natsu mumbled, "Your wooden vanilla smell and your spearmint gum. It's always so soothing when you two are around."

Lucy stroked Natsu's cheek, "You know what you smell like? Like a cinnamon candle and fire wood."

Gray smiled, "He smells like ash and sweets to me. Like cigarettes in a cake."

Lucy giggled. Natsu's eyelids twitched, "Does it smell good?" Natsu asked.

Gray kissed Natsu, "Amazingly unique."

Natsu opened his eyes and rolled them, "So weird. Great."

"No, unique, dummy," Gray said, "Different, something that makes you the person I love."

"Awwww."

"Lucy, shut up."

"But that was soooo cute and mushy." Lucy groaned.

Natsu sighed, the speaker turned on.

"Flight to California, San Francisco is now boarding at gate C. Flight to California, San Francisco is now boarding at gate C."

Lucy looked down at the ground, then she smiled. She slapped her legs and stood up.

"Well, that's you," Lucy held out her arms, "Come here and give me a hug."

Natsu wrapped his arms around her. She stroked Lucy's hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm gonna miss you,honey," Natsu mumbled, feeling tears fall on his shirt, "Hey, hey, you said no crying," Natsu lifted Lucy's head and wiped under her eyes, "You're gonna make me cry."

Lucy sadly laughed and closed her eyes. She caught a few falling tears, "I know. But I'm just gonna miss not having classes with you anymore…"

That wasn't true, but she had to say something. That was the only thing she could think of. What she really was thinking about was never having Natsu in her car anymore for awhile. Or not having him spend the night while they are ice cream and Lucy would cry about her parents. She'd miss the voice who would give her strong advice. Natsu knew that she had a million words stored inside of her that wanted to rip out. Natsu pulled her back in his chest.

"Yeah. Me too."

"You better call me everyday this week. And when you get that apartment because you got into the school, you call me. When you're going to classes. Call. Me."

"I get it, I'll call you."

Lucy pulled back, her blue eyes red as she dried tears with her palm. Gray had his hands in his pocket and looked at Natsu. Natsu bit his lip and ran in Gray's arms. He stayed silent while Gray hugged him.

"I love you, baby…" Gray trailed.

Natsu lifted up his head and kissed Gray hard. His chest against his as his heart tried to synchronize with Gray's.

"I love you too, I love you so fucking much," Natsu inhaled, "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Shut up," Gray kissed Natsu's cheek a few times, "Stop saying that. Worry about that interview, not missing me."

Natsu shook his head, "Then I'll secretly miss you. So you'll never know."

Gray smiled. God that smile. He put his hand on Natsu's cheek and kissed him deeply.

"I can deal with that," Gray pulled back and put his hand in his pocket, "Here, something for you to listen to on the plane ride."

There were two tapes in Natsu's hand. One was the Sonic Youth tape and an unlabeled tape. Natsu gasped and punched Gray's chest.

"You were the one who kept my tape. Asshole."

Gray chuckled and teased his hair, "I was saving it for a rainy day," Natsu wrapped his arms around Gray's neck, "I was wondering if I should ever give it back to you."

"Thank you," Natsu breathing in Gray's ear, "For everything. Every last damn thing."

Gray smiled, "Shh, get on the plane."

Natsu pulled back, "Think of me." Natsu said grabbing his bags.

"I always will." Gray pressed his lips to his fingers and blew him a kiss. He waved at the two of them.

Natsu waved and handed the ticket. Once Natsu walked down the narrow hall and the stairs, he shuffled on the plane. Turning inward on himself as he sat by the tiny window. He got out his tape player and popped in the tape. He pulled on his headphones. The sound started out fuzzy.

"Natsu, I wanna say I love you and this is for you," Pause…., "One two three, one two three…"

Natsu's eyes widened. Gray's soft voice came on before the guitar started. Natsu bit his lip and started to laugh gently.

A mix tape. He made me a goddamn mix tape…. Are you fucking kidding me?

Natsu closed his eyes. They started to water while little dribbles of tears started to tail down his chin. Gray made him the tape as a reminder of home. Not a home with no father, or drugs, or lonely nights. A tape made for remembering diners at one in the morning. Watching the band play. Dancing with Lucy. Making love with Gray. The coffee shop...

I can't believe the news today,

Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away,

How long,

How long must we sing this song?

'cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...
Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won

Natsu smiled.

I have. I've won and lost. But right now I'm winning.

Natsu cried quietly, still not opening his eye and the smile on his lips. He was losing. He was fighting.

But he sure as hell was going to be happy.

See you guys next time.