Gajeel stomped angrily through the crowded street, brooding about the pain in the ass job he'd just completed.
All he wanted was some food, then he was heading straight for home...and his cat. The large man spaced out for a moment thinking about his furry best friend when suddenly he felt his foot hit something and then heard loud crying.
He looked down and saw a tiny kid who couldn't have been older than 4 at the most. The kid was at Gajeel's feet crying and saying "I'm sorry." over and over. He glared down, realizing he must have kicked the kid, and for half a second actually felt bad. He bent down and picked the tiny thing up, making it cry even more.
"P-p-please d-d-don't hurt m-m-meeee!" it cried. He really couldn't tell if the kid was a boy or a girl, just that it was tiny, wearing worn out rags despite the cold, and had shoulder-length black matted hair.
"oy, oy!" he said, attempting but failing to sound less frightening. "I ain't gonna hurt ya!...Did you get hurt when I kicked you or just scared?"
"Just scared..." The kid whispered, reducing it's tears to just an occasional sniffle.
"What's your name, kid?
"...Urchin."
Gajeel growled, that didn't answer the gender question he had...And who the fuck would call their kid urchin? "Who calls you that? Your parents?"
"The grown-ups do. I don't have parents."
Gajeel sighed, so the kid was an orphan like him. "Ok then what are you? a boy or a girl?"
"I'm a girl! Stupid!" She suddenly yelled. It was plain to see the small girl took offence to the question, had to admit she had guts calling the giant man stupid. He asked her where she lived and she pointed to the small alley next to a ramen restaurant. He figured his best bet was to ask the guy in there about the girl.
After beating the answers he needed out of the ramen guy and getting some food for both of them, Gajeel knew what he had to do. At first he argued with himself that he didn't need a kid, but looking at her he remembered himself and how Metallicana, a ruthless dragon, had taken him in...and he'd be damned if he was outweighed in humanity by that asshole dragon.
He walked out of the restaurant, the kid on his heels, but she turned to walk to the alley after a few feet.
"Hey kid where ya going?" She looked at the man like he was crazy until he continued, "You can come stay with me if ya want. I don't mind." Hearing this the small girl continued to stare, wondering if the man was teasing her. When she was convinced he was serious she ran and threw herself at Gajeel, who managed to catch her before she faceplanted into the road. He held her and she hugged him with all her might. He began walking to the hotel, figuring he'd get cleaned up and sleep before heading home, he missed the last train anyway.
"Hey mister..." she said, breaking the silence as they walked. "What's your name?"
"Gajeel."
"Oh, that's better than Urchin"
"Your name ain't Urchin, kid."
"Then what is it?" She asked with wide expecting eyes.
He thought this over for a moment, what was a good name for a girl? He could just call her Lily after his cat, but that could get confusing. Iron was his other favorite thing but that wasn't really a name, unless he used something that just sounded similar.
"Ira." He said, proud with himself for thinking of it. "Your name is Ira Lily Redfox." He couldn't help but laugh at the huge smile she wore after hearing her new name, but she still had one more question.
"Gajeel?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you my papa now?"
He stopped walking for a moment and stared into her large dark eyes, trying to think of the answer to that question. He'd picked her up off the street and given her a home and a name. Being called papa seemed alien to him but he wasn't sure what else he would be called in this situation. He'd called Metallicana dad, right?
"Yeah...Yeah I guess I am." He said, not quite believing it himself but feeling strangely good about it.
Content with the answer he'd given Ira nuzzled deeper into his arms, her new papa's arms.
Gajeel Redfox, the terrifying bastard of an iron dragon slayer, was a father.