This chapter is mostly about Natsu's whereabouts and scaping. And maybe his side of everything that's happened, perhaps a short flashback? Enjoy~

Sniff.

Sniff.

Exhale.

Natsu growled lowly, the blizzard flurrying up a storm. Since the snow was technically a form of water, scents were smudged in the bristled wind. He hated how he couldn't tell food from people.

It'd been a month.

A fricking month.

He'd been acting out from whatever spell that purple lady put him under. His brain was reeling from everything she told him about Lucy, too.

She was pregnant.

And it was his fault.

The way that lady talked, it was like she knew for a while. He couldn't have been more prone to murder than he ever was. He wasn't certain she was telling the truth, and having felt the raw dark magic spilling out of her made him think otherwise.

He wasn't entirely aware of what happened after she kissed him, everything had gone dark and real fuzzy. Whoever she was, Natsu knew she wasn't there to give any assistance.

He also knew she was using him to her advantage. The why she needed him in the first place, for him to take Lucy and hand her over like some card, he felt clueless. All this time, he'd been trying to resist the spell, which forced him to hunt for Lucy and their baby.

Their baby.

God. Why does saying that feel so wrong?

Natsu wasn't the smartest person, but he was smart enough to know he did a very bad wrong. He'd have to live with that guilt every single day for the rest of his life.

All he wanted to do now was apologize, he was fine not having his apology taken. He just wanted Lucy to know he regretted that day since it happened. He so desperately wanted to deny it ever happening, but the monster inside him refused him that. It thrived on her pain, her tears. It wouldn't let him forget it. Every day his mind was plagued with that cursed day.

He wasn't fully conscious when it had happened, he came to the minute he...ejaculated. He was so horrified with himself, the only thing he could of to do was to run and pretend it never happened.

Igneel would put him a hundred feet below a volcano if he were here today.

Burning in hell is what he deserved.

Natsu slipped into a seemingly empty alley, watching as a couple glided by. They were hugging each other while laughing to themselves.

The pink-haired dragon slayer frowned, leaning against the cold bricks and gazing at the other brick wall across from him.

He knew he should've left for a desolate place when Metal Face told him to.

"Going on another mission, Gajeel?"

Levy's voice was soft and yet still perky. She, like always, had her nose stuffed in a book as thick as Gajeel's forearms. She hadn't taken her eyes away from the pages quite just yet, but somehow she knew he had his mission bag packed and ready to go.

"Keh, " Gajeel dismissed gruffly. "You ain't comin' along."

"You have a way with your words, Redfox-kun~"

Gajeel froze, his eyes glazing over for a split second before he snapped himself into reality. The way she said his name, he nearly went off the edge.

Why did she have to be so cute? It really wasn't fair on him.

So irresistibly cute.

"Just take care of Lily for me, Shrimp, " he grinned. "Then maybe I'll use better words."

Eugh. They seriously were flirting in front of everyone?

It was then did Natsu, from his seat next to his beautiful fiancee gets a hardened glare from his fellow dragon slayer. He wasn't being spoken to, but the look in Gajeel's eyes told him to follow behind.

Far from prying ears, Gajeel waits in the back of the guild, furthest from the chattering crowd. He adjusted his pack from one shoulder to the other.

"Why you ain't you leaving?"

"And why would I be leaving?" Natsu gave him a blank stare.

"You're not serious, are ya?" Gajeel said.

He was serious. Very serious.

"It's summer's end. Our heat is starting."

"Heat?" Natsu's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Didn't your dragon tell ya what that is?" Gajeel grew impatient by the second.

"Eh, probably, " Natsu shrugged carefreely. "He said a lot of things I didn't listen to."

"You---" Gajeel inhaled sharply, groaning in annoyance. "All dragon slayers go into heat at the end of summer by the time they're seventeen, for fourteen days. I'm going up to the mountains. You should leave too."

Scoffing, Natsu dismissed him. "Heat schmeat! I don't get hot! I think I'll be fine!"

"I ain't talking about temperature, dumbass! This is a dangerous time for us to be around people! As dragons, we can get real violent real fast."

"I'm sure I can handle it."

"Whatever happens, " Gajeel started to leave. "It's on you."