Bitter Cold

Summary: He had never hated the cold more than he did now. One-shot. GrayxNatsu

Gray stumbled slightly under Natsu's weight. Natsu wasn't very heavy but Gray knew that while Natsu's arm was slung over his shoulder and he bore some of his weight, Natsu was mostly relying on his own two feet to carry him forward and not Gray.

Gray had to admire Natsu's stubborness, even wounded and out of strength the dragon slayer refused Grays help. That is until he draped Natsu's arm around his shoulder and slung his other arm around his waist to keep Natsu upright. He was surprised when he was met with no protest from the fire mage.

Anyways, what caused Gray to stumble wasn't really Natsu's weight. Like he said, Natsu wasn't putting much weight onto Gray. No, it was the thick snow they were currently trudging through.

It was a pain really, on any normal occasion Gray would walk through this blizzard like it was nothing, and to him it was nothing.

But to Natsu?

It's no mystery as to why a fire mage doesn't like the cold. Natsu may not like the cold, but he could usually withstand it.

His fire magic always kept him warm after all. Gray guessed he didn't usually have to worry about the cold getting to him.

But it was different this time. Natsu was injured... badly. The head wound Gray attempted to dress with the cloth of his shirt was still seeping red, and the limp Natsu had walking along told Gray he had suffered some sort of leg wound as well.

Add that to the fact that they were outside in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard.

And they had lost Lucy and Erza out here too, sometime during the mission.

Yeah... not his day.

Like he said, Gray could walk through this blizzard half naked (as he was now) and generally not give a care in the world.

But right now, Worry and concern clouded his mind.

And it only got stronger the further the two boys went along, Natsu was too injured and worn to use his fire magic and as a result, the cold was affecting him more than usual. Natsu always used his fire magic to warm himself up, but with his magic completely depleted... He couldn't warm himself up. Heck, Gray couldn't do a thing to help either, Natsu shivered every time Gray touched him.

He could only walk forward sparring glances at Natsu worridly as his lips turned from red to blue, his skin grew paler and his weight became more pronounced to Gray as he leaned more heavily on him.

Natsu was strong though, Gray thought with a small bittersweet smile. He hadn't complained once and he looked so tired he could drop but he also hadn't once closed his eyes or attempted to stop walking.

At this point Gray didn't know what the hell to do.

His best friend was dying damn it! And he was totally useless.

Gray hadn't realized it but tears were starting to slowly drip down his face. Gray knew what the cold could do to people, he had never forgotten the corpse of a girl frozen to death he had come across when he was young. He never forgot...

He looked at Natsu again and imagined Natsu as that corpse in the snow... lying motionless, face frozen, lips a permanent purple and tainted black skin from where the snow had bit into him.

Gray let out a strangled sob, surprising both Natsu and hiself. He turned away from Natsu quickly and hid his eyes behind his bangs so Natsu could see how desperate he was, couldn't see his tears.

"Gray?" Natsu cursed himself for sounding so weak and shaky, his teeth were chattering loudly making him stutter. Gray ignored him and kept walking.

"Hey..." Natsu's voice was a bit stronger as he tried to gain Grays attention "...look a' me ... popsicle..." Natsu attempted to start bantering with Gray but underneath that he was concerned for his friend, he knew Gray didn't get cold but... Natsu wasn't stupid enough to miss the tears that slid along his best friends cheek.

Surprisinig Gray, Natsu stopped when Gray didn't look at him. Gray quickly examined his friend trying to determine if he was at his limit.

"Don' worry...Okay?..." Natsu's head slowly went up and looked at Gray, he gave him a soft smile as much as he could manage on his frozen face.

"Who said I was worried?" Gray muttered but the tears still rolling down his cheeks were a dead give away to Natsu and he smirked.

"Luce and... Erza...are... looking for...us... they... they'll find us... Okay?" Natsu's breath was coming out in short pants making him talk in sentance fragments as he struggled to breathe normally. Natsu gave Gray another smile and took his arm off of Grays shoulder and used it to grab his hand. He kept walking and pulling a now stunned Gray along.

Natsu didn't make it very far before he tripped and fell. Or would have fallen had Gray not caught him. Natsu coughed weakly, scaring Gray further despite the previous, yet undeniably fake, words of encouragement.

"No..." Gray murmured feeling the tears still drip down his face, he wiped at them furiously, why wouldn't they stop? "Don't close your eyes okay Flame breath?"

Gray instructed Natsu immediately recalling one of the first lessons Ur had taught him about hypothermia.

How had their simple mission turned into this!

Natsu hacked again, pain raked through his frame with every cough that irritated his lungs further. Natsu's vision was dark and his eyes half closed unwillingly. He faintly heard Gray shouting something, he looked up and saw the shadow of Gray before him, he blinked again trying to get his sight back to normal.

Natsu's thoughts were befuddled and scattered, he brought his hands up to his eyes. His vision had cleared enough to allow him to see the state his hands were in although he immediately regretted even looking.

His fingertips were an inky black which seemed to be slowly spreading down to the palm of his hands. They didn't hurt, Natsu thought dimly, they just felt numb.

Numb.

Everything felt numb.

It took Natsu a second to realize Gray had grabbed his hands. He didn't feel it.

"-tsu?" Gray called out to him again, trying to shake the dragon slayer out of it. Natsu looked up at him in a sort of daze, still faint.

"Looks... burned... hah... a fire mage... getting burnt..." Natsu breathing was still irregular and his voice came out faint in between his panting as he struggled again to get in oxygen to his already suffering lungs.

"You have frostbite" Gray said sharply noticing how bad it looked "It's bad... oh my god... this is all my fault" Grays voice cracked and broke this time he didn't try to hide his tears.

He sobbed openly as he realized they weren't going to make it. Natsu wasn't going to make it. He was already dying.

"no... nonono. Don't leave me okay Natsu... don't... Don't leave me! Please!" Gray screamed and sobbed shaking Natsu lightly to make sure he got the message. His chest lurched painfully and his heart was absolutely breaking in half every time he saw Natsu's eyes grow dimmer.

Natsu looked up at Gray, his eyes were still drooping desperately seeking rest but his mind was clearer now. He held Grays gaze and moved his hand so it was pushing Grays chin up and forcing him to stare at Natsu.

Gray didn't like the look he saw in his best friends eyes... it was a look of...

Finality.

Gray choked again wanting to look away but he couldn't his onyx eyes stared right back at Natsu's emerald ones. He was still sobbing but Natsu smiled at him.

"I love you Gray" Natsu said, his voice sounded distant in Grays ears as his head spun and a million thoughts whirred inside his brain.

"W-wha-?"

Natsu pressed his now ice cold lips onto Grays before he could finish. Gray sat there stunned, his brain unable to comprehend what was happening and tears continuing to flow down his cheeks wetting Natsu's as well.

Gray fought back another sob and deepened the kiss, desperately tasting Natsu. Gray continued to move his lips in synch with Natsu's taking his once limp arms at his side and pulling Natsu closer to him so their bodies pressed tightly together.

Natsu wanted to smile but found he was no longer able to. His mind was fuzzy. His lips stopped working first, then his body and then... he couldn't feel anything at all.

Gray gasped and moved his head back slightly to look at Natsu the second that Natsu's lips stopped moving with his and went limp. Natsu's head rolled back and his eyes were closed. He sat there holding Natsu's unmoving body in his arms. He started to shake Natsu.

"Natsu?... Natsu Please! PLEASE!... Wake up! Please wake up, please... just... just wake up!" Grays voice faded away and he stopped shaking Natsu as his brain processed the truth.

No...

Nonononono!

Gray let out a wild hald scream half sob that echoed across the empty winter wasteland. He clutched Natsu's body closer to his and sobbed.

He didn't move when he heard a voice calling out his name.

Didn't move when footsteps could be heard approaching him.

He sat there and continued to sob clutching Natsu's limp body tightly, refusing to let go.

"Gray?" a hesitant voice rang out. Gray froze and stopped sobbing, he recognized that voice... he turned slowly.

"Thank god we found you, we've been searching everywhere!"

"E-erza?... Lucy?" His weak voice squeaked out, however, both girls were no longer looking at him. Their sights had caught upon a pink haired body that laid unmoving in Grays arms.

"Natsu!" Lucy's voice was shrill and heartbreaking. Both her and Erza ran closer and knelt next to Gray staring at Natsu's still form.

"I... I'm sorry... I tried to.. I..." Gray said pitifully his voice and spirit broken beyond belief. Both girls eyes widened and Lucy let out a choked noise.

"No..." Erza said in complete disbelief right as Lucy burst into tears and reached forward to touch Natsu before burying her head into his chest and crying.

"Lucy, Move!" Erza demanded harshly, getting over her shock rather quickly. She took Natsu from Gray and laid him down immediately checking for any signs of breathing.

Grays eyes widened slightly... he hadn't even checked.

Erza wore a mask making it impossible to tell what she was thinking, if Natsu was even breathing. But they got their answer as Erza began doing CPR on Natsu's limp form. Her hands pushing down on Natsu's chest. Gray didn't even flinch when Erza put her lips on Natsu's. She stopped to check again for breathing, before putting her hands back on Natsu's chest and repeating.

Gray look up at Erza, her face was stern but her cheeks were stained with tears and her mask was slowly breaking, because Natsu was dying. Maybe he was already dead.

Gray turned away. He wanted to hide from the world. He wanted to be alone so he could wallow in misery. He didn't want to hurt anymore. He just wanted Natsu... it took him so long to realize it... but, he just wanted Natsu back, by his side.

He hadn't even told Natsu that he loved him...

And now he would never get the chance.

Erza continued to beat at Natsu's chest. Lucy continued to sob, her tears only increasing. The sky continued to snow, a bitter cold that Gray could no longer appreciate.

It had killed his best friend.

He had killed his best friend.

Gray had never hated the cold more than he did now.

Just... yeah... comment or something :)