A/N: Just a quick, little, fluffy future fic. ^-^
"I'm back!" Gray announced, shutting the front door behind him as he entered the home he'd been missing for the past week. The cozy wooden house belonged to him, his wife of two years, Juvia, and their two young children Gwendoline and Luke. Gray often went out on jobs alone these days, because the kids were still under one, and Juvia refused to leave them with anyone for much longer than a day. She had said that she did not want to miss anything, as every new development for her twins was one she cherished with all her heart.
Gray, therefore, had become the sole provider for the family at the moment. But he didn't mind, for every return home he made, Juvia bestowed a welcome upon him that seemed more lavish than the last. This time he could smell a full course meal cooking away in the oven. After the paltry dishes he'd been purchasing all week, the aroma of Juvia's home cooking was positively heavenly.
"Welcome back, my love," Juvia said warmly as he entered the bedroom. She pulled Gray into a deep kiss which he returned with enthusiasm before his eyes were diverted to the small, wiggly bundles lying on their bed.
"Hey there, who's hijacked our bed?" he asked jokingly, as he clasped Juvia's hand, and she led him over to their twins.
"Juvia brought them in here, because they wouldn't stop crying. You like mama and papa's big bed, don't you?" she asked them, as they laughed up at her, their bare legs bouncing to an unheard tune.
"Getting all antsy while I was gone, huh?" he said, ruffling their hair playfully. Gwen's was as dark as her dad's but Luke's was a clear sky blue like Juvia's.
"Juvia is sure they were just anxious over Papa's return today like Juvia was," she said, smiling affectionately at them. "And that reminds me!" Juvia said suddenly, rushing over to a large chest of drawers, and pulling from the top of it a shirt, which she held up to show Gray.
"What…is…that?" Gray asked slowly, as he scrutinized the navy blue t-shirt Juvia held out before him, his eyes focused on the bold, white words, his face scrunching in distaste.
"While you were away, Juvia made a shirt for you to wear, Gray-sama."
"I refuse," he said flatly, as the nearly nine month-old twins cooed up at him from the bed.
Juvia's face fell dramatically. "But you must! Everyone should know that you are the "World's Best Papa,"" she said seriously, reading the words on the shirt enthusiastically, and pumping her fist in the air.
Little Gwen copied her from the bed, giggling, and Luke soon followed, although their fist pumps were more like energetic wiggles. Juvia smiled proudly and beamed at Gray, who's expression was dour.
"I am not wearing that and getting laughed at," he said, putting his foot down.
Juvia's smile faded at once, and her face became shrewd, as she reached out to another pile of what looked like matching shirts, and held them before Gray. His eyes widened in horror
"You will wear it, Gray-sama, otherwise Juvia, Gwenny and Luke will wear these."
The largest of the T-shirt's, clearly meant to be Juvia's read "Gray-sama's #1 Fan." The other, much smaller T-shirts, had upon them "Gray -sama's #2 Fan" and "Gray-sama's #3 Fan."
"You wouldn't…" Gray choked.
"We would," Juvia smiled triumphantly, before turning to the twins lying on the bed. "We all love papa very much, don't we?" Juvia asked happily, and the twins answered her back in chorus.
"Papa! Papa! Papa!"
Gray's frown couldn't help but grudgingly turn into a smile as he looked at the twins bouncing around on the bed, their faces full of laughter.
At this, Juvia knew she had won, as she carefully picked up their babies, and held them out one at a time to Gray.
"This is blackmail, you know?" he said to her, but still smiling as Gwenny pulled at his spiky hair that so matched her own.
"Yes," Juvia agreed, grinning.
Gray rolled his eyes and sighed, thinking that Juvia had brainwashed their children already, as they once again started chanting, "Papa! Papa! Papa!" and the only way he could get them to stop was to tickle them into submission. Juvia joined in, and the afternoon ended in giggles.
The next morning however, was quite a different story for Gray. He walked into the guild, sporting the T-shirt with his new title of "World's Best Papa" emblazoned on his chest, followed by, what was arguably, his fan club, also known as his family. Thankfully, they were minus the matching T-shirts, as Juvia had stuck to their bargain.
Gray hoped no one would pay his clothing choice any attention, and he'd have the opportunity to strip it off before long. However, he nearly ran into Gajeel as he was walking in, and the bright white words of the T-shirt caught his eyes at once.
Gajeel stopped in his tracks to read Gray's shirt, and then looked him in the eye, one studded eyebrow raised. "World's best, eh? Says who?" he asked challengingly.
Gray, however, didn't have a chance to answer, as Juvia chimed in with the twins, who she was carrying in each arm, so as Gray's shirt could be displayed properly. "Says us," she said confidently, "Papa is the best, right?" she asked the twins merrily.
"Best papa!" they agreed in loud voices.
"Oh yeah?" Gajeel asked Gray threateningly. "Well I got a kid at home that says I'M the best."
Gray's eyes narrowed. This statement annoyed him for some reason, and he stepped forward towards the iron dragon slayer, so their faces were nearly nose to nose. "Well, I've got two kids and a wife AND a T-shirt," he stated, standing up straighter.
Gajeel chuckled humorlessly. "Big deal, Levy could make me a T-shirt, too," he growled.
"Juvia could give Levy-san the pattern if you like, Gajeel-kun," Juvia offered politely from behind them.
"Ah," Gajeel said in acknowledgement, still eying Gray and his shirt with distaste. "She'll have to alter it though to say "universe" instead of "world."" he grinned.
Gray flushed angrily.
"What the heck are you two losers talking about? If anyone is the best dad, it's me," Natsu said, walking in carrying his oldest daughter Crystal in one arm, while Lucy was cradling their other little girl Lola beside him. It looked like they had been standing in the guild's entrance for a while, listening in on the conversation.
"And I'm not just the best dad in the world, or even the universe, but in all of Fiore! Ain't I, kids?"
The child in Lucy's arms was still too young to say anything, but his oldest agreed with Natsu and beamed at him, before Natsu showed his appreciation by gently knocking his forehead against her own.
"That's my girl," he grinned.
"Uh, Natsu, honey, Fiore is quite a bit smaller than the world and the universe," Lucy tried to explain embarrassedly, but Natsu didn't appear to be listening.
"And not just Fiore, but in Fairy Tail, and if you want to take the title from me, you're going to have to fight me for it."
Other guild members seemed to be clearing away from the group, clearly anticipating a brawl.
"Nobody is fighting anybody!" Lucy said quite loudly, as the three men had approached dangerously close to each other at this point, and were sizing each other up.
Lucy looked on in panic, as Natsu was still holding on to their daughter, who was giggling in his arms.
"You can do it, Gray-sama!" Juvia cheered from near Lucy.
"Don't encourage them!" Lucy said to her friend in desperation, before turning back to Natsu. "At least let go of the kid before you fight!" she pleaded in resignation, nearly on the verge of tears.
"Gray-sama, should Juvia go get our matching T-shirts for support?"
"Yeah, you do that!" Gray ordered, not taking his eyes off the other two.
"Ok, my darling, we'll be back in a flash, so don't win the fight until we return!" and Juvia raced out of the guild with the twins in tow.
Lucy was left behind, silent tears running down her cheeks. "This was suppose to be a relaxing day," she whispered to herself sadly, as her youngest daughter looked innocently up at her, and said her first word ever.
"Fight!"
The End
A/N: I just liked the idea that these grown men, with wives and families of their own, would still find something silly to fight about. So, basically, no matter how much time passes, nothing has really changed lol! ^_^