Mating season (NaLu)

Untitled Part 4

Natsu was overly pleased at the outcome. Although he had forgotten to take Happy with him, which is really-really strange even for him, he had managed to get into the train station. They always do these things together so he was a little sad about not having Happy with him. Now he could't do anything about it as well, because Happy and Lucy were most likely still together, looking for him.

Hahaah, couldn't find me in the Ice Jerks home, could you, thought Natsu triumphantly. And Gray was also unexpectedly useful. If he really concentrated on not thinking of Lu....... Luxury All-You-Can-Eat buffets, then he can fight the dominating thoughts all together.

His pants were now almost all melted and looking just wet. He wasn't keen on the thought of them melting completely, knowing on the train he'll be throwing up and having blue balls which he could not take care of in the train. And he was getting kind of bored, the train leaves in 2 hours. (12)

Gray POV

Only when Happy and Lucy with an ugly leather bonjo came to my door, I started to consider reading the book. They were asking if I knew where Natsu was and when I asked about what happened they said that he had woken up 5:30 and without any explanation just jumped out of the window. This was weird even for Natsu, not to mention the pile of clothes he had taken with him. I told them that Natsu came by and that he looked kind of sick, took a bath, then went away suddenly feeling well again. "I sent him to the guilds nursery," I said, "but he told me he's fine, maybe he changed his mind and is making time right there."

"No, we checked and he wasn't there and we even ran into Porulysca in the city and she said she didn't know anything either, he wasn't in his house, nor the woods," said Lucy seriously.

"This really sucks we were supposed to go fishing today," slurred Happy with a depressed face, "think of how many fishies we would've caught by now."

"Okay, is there anywhere where you haven't looked?" I asked a little irritated now that I knew that they looked everywhere he could be and they still came to me as if I'd be having a cup of tea with him right now. He wouldn't come here anyway. But he did? What is going on here?

"Well we haven't asked Evergreen and Fried, 'cause they live by the train station, right? So we thought we don't have to go there trice," said Lucy. Okay, so they asked EVERYONE in the guild. Why are they so anxious? "I think we'll go there now."

"Gray, you wouldn't happen to have any fish in the fridge, would you?" wondered Happy, "I was gonna meet with Carla today..."

"Oh come on Happy, she doesn't want your fish anyway, so let's go." said Lucy and dragged Happy out of the door also.

"LOVE RIVAL! WHAT A....." and the door closed after them. So Juvia is still lingering around my front door.

It was most likely because of the mating season, Natsus disappearance and his strange behavior. And since he wasn't interested in the mating season himself and the future Natsu thought the book was important enough to time travel, that means someone should read it. So it doesn't matter, whether I read it or someone else in the guild does, so I can just read it. Come on, it's a book, what awful knowledge about Natsu can there be anyway?

#flashback#

"Hey, what the crap!" I yelled and tried to shove away the man who had pushed me to a dark alley. "Let me go!"

"Shut up, Gray! I just came by to give you something," said the man, sounding a lot like Natsu. And he looked just like him too, but older, stronger and with a beard. He had scars all over his body and one even on his face. I hate to admit it, but he did look kind of cool. His eyes were different though, the look in them wasn't cheerful and playful as you'd expect but a little sad, haunted even.

"Who are you?!" now I was angry at him. "Quit being so impolite, you little ice brat!" yelled the man back and our heads collided with annoyance both ready to fight each other, "I'm Natsu and like I said, I have something so just take it and don't ask any questions."

"What! There's no way you're Natsu, Natsu's with Elfman in the forest right now. And you look old." I said with as much violence as I could muster despite feeling confused about the situation.

"Look, I came from future to give you a book about dragonslayer mating season and all you have to do with it is give it to Natsu, when his seasons go bad." Said Natsu like it was so easy nothing needed explanation.

"From the future! That's not possible! And what's a mating season? And why don't you give the book to him yourself? How are you here even?" I shouted now feeling just confused, "this doesn't make any sense!"

"Ahh, you were such a dumb brat, Gray," said Natsu severely irritated.

"I'm not dumb!" I shouted.

"Mating season is when a dragon chooses its mate for life and they make little dragons, of course. And I don't give him the book because I don't wanna. And for the record, it is possible, just so you know, to travel in time, actually there's plenty of ways if you're powerful enough, hahahaha" Natsu laughed as he praised himself with the last line.

"Well, I'm not a dragon, I don't care," I blurted out. "And I don't believe you, Natsu isn't that powerful to travel back in time whenever he feels like it, so this isn't you."

"You wanna test that, Ice Freak? I'm plenty of powerful, I'm way stronger than my aged Ice Cube, you'd be out in a second," Natsu and I were rolling our sleeves up again. "That's not true! I'm always stronger than you!" Maybe he is Natsu, he sure acts like him. And then it got me.

"Wait, Natsu needs help to find a wife?" this is too funny! " This is hilarious, I gotta tell the guild." But he grabbed me by the shoulders and held me in place when he got all serious.

"No! Listen, you will not tell the guild anything about it, not even Gramps! And you can't read the book either. Do you understand?" Natsus sharp eyes were focused on mine. "When the time comes, you will give him the book and that's it. Natsu will understand and he won't ask anything, alright?" When the crap had Natsu gotten so secretive about books? They're books. They bore the life out of him.

"I.... I don't," I started to fumble.

"Do you understand? Do not read the book, it will ruin his life." He said like that was the question of life and death, I even believed it was. "It will ruin everything."

"O-okay, I won't read it," I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. "But how do I know when his mating season starts?"

"Every year, somewhere in summer, Natsu will have a week when he's vulnerable, you could say. His body will ache to mate, but it's bish-bosh. Nothing unmanagable really, you just give it to him when the seasons are getting worse." Future Natsu said, let go of me, gave me a book and started to walk away.

"Hey, but what do I get from that?" I asked as I realized I was being used.

He turned around and said with a sly grin, "you will have a girl because of my girl."

"What!" I blushed at the thought of me having a girlfriend. But he just walked away with a sad smile on his face.

#end of flashback#

But Natsu hadn't taken into account the fact that he couldn't never under any circumstances read a book, especially when he didn't have a clear reason why. I had done everything the future Natsu had said, without any results. And even 8 years later I can't think of a reason why this book would ruin his life, he ruins it himself when he keeps disappearing into the thin air so often. So I might as well read it. Right.

And I grab the book off of my bookshelf and head out of the door. Gotta borrow Levy's glasses so I don't have to spend too much time on that pyro queen. "Gray-sama, what a coincidence.... " began Juvia right beside my front door.

"I'm going to the guild, wanna come?" I asked her.