He was tired. This last mission that started as easy had became really hard really fast. He was walking through the woods with his exceed companion resting on his head and his apprentice sleeping on his shoulders while he carried him. He finally saw the beautiful wood house beside the small lake and sighed. It took them almost a month for the mission to be completed, almost double the time they firstly estimated. His blue exceed was spent having to use his human form for almost every day. At least Carla would be proud of him, he thought smiling inwardly. As soon as he approached the wooden door he knocked his typically knock he always used. Soon a blue haired beautiful woman opened the door, her eyes turning from initial surprise to full shock and then she smiled.
"Natsu!" she yelled and hugged him. He smiled but nearly collapsed at her force.
"Yo Juvia, how you been doing?" he asked as she pulled back. Before she responded, she went to his backside and picked the boy's face , he was carrying, in both of her hands and kissed both of his cheeks.
"Oh my little Storm, what have you done to him?" she asked accusatory to him. As he released the boy so he was leaning fully on the beautiful bluenette, he scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Hm sorry about that, but he went a little overboard with the last standing of the dark guild. But you should have seen his ice breathing roar, it was so big he could have frozen an entire city!" Natsu said proudly but Juvia wasn't amused at all. "Well he has no physical damage, just some magic depletion. He just need some rest and will be as good as new." He added. Juvia sighed as she looked at her son;s smiling sleeping face. He must had had a good fight. He resembled his father more as day passed with his deep black blue hairs and his long lashes. She smiled and returned her attention to Natsu once again.
"Want to come inside for a minute, lunch is almost ready, but if I knew you would be coming back today I could have made Storm's favorite." Which of course was Natsu's favorite as well. His famous super spicy chicken and rice. Storm was the only one in her family that ate that bomb. Natsu scratched the back of his head once again smiling genuinely.
"I have to pass this time Juv, I really need a bath and some good rest so I'll be heading home, and Happy too must have missed Carla and the little ones. I just wanted to bring Storm as quickly as possible so you wont be worrying" he said and she nodded gratefully.
"Thanks Natsu, again. I hope he wasn't causing too much trouble." She said brushing some hair away from her son's eyes.
"Of course not, you know he is a good boy and I always enjoy his company, unlike his father's" he added a bit annoyed. Juvia just smiled. The chemistry her son and Natsu had was beyond her. They were like father and son even though their magic were opposite.
"Okay then. I will quickly put Storm to bed and finish lunch. Yuki will be coming soon home and she must be hungry." She said and started to walk away carrying her son with the help of her water magic by creating a small liquid bed for him to lay.
"How is she?" Asked Natsu at the retrieving figure.
"Oh she is good. She missed her brother a little but she is working hard for the s class test." Natsu groaned a little bit. Yuki was just 16 year old and yet she wanted to take the S class exam so early, and he knew whose fault was.
"I'm sorry, I have to talk to my son as soon as I am in touch with him." He heard her chuckle at that a little bit.
"Oh and you think he would listen to you. He is more rocambolesque than you at his age. Nonetheless I think Yuki can do it and don't think she is doing it solely for your son because I know her better than you. Yes initially he may have been the cause for her decision but I see that she is really determined to pass." Natsu just sighed, crossing his arms. He knew she was right even though he didn't liked, he couldn't do anything about it.
"She loves him doesn't she?" he asked but was more like a statement. Juvia smiled a little at that. Natsu was always so considerate to all of them. He was grown in to a good man that every women would kill to be with. Lucy was really a lucky woman.
"Yes she does." She said softly and heard Natsu tsk at that. She already knew what was on his mind. "And I'm happy that your son is the one she has fallen for!" she added to which his eyes widened.
"But-" before he could say anything she cut him off continuing.
"Don't worry about it, even though Ares is a bit oblivious he cares deeply about my daughter so he would never hurt her. When the times come he would realize his feelings as well. And you know it's not really his fault, after all his father was as oblivious as him at his age" she told him while laughing a little bit.
"Am not!" said Natsu irritated. He was about to tell her goodbye but was stopped one again by her lending him a little book and a paper bag most likely containing food. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Just a book Lucy was searching for and some biscuits I made this Sunday as a thank you for taking care of my boy." She said. He grinned at her and took the items.
"Thanks Juv!" he said and waved a goodbye adding "By the way tell the ice bastard I say hi" and with that, he was gone.
"Don't call my husband bastard!" she said with a fist raised in the air. She then just smiled and went on to lye Storm in to his bed.
…
Natsu was finally able to see his original home now modified to be able to fit his big family and Lucy's studio and library. She still was a mage and they went on quests but she often took some months for herself to write and publish a new book. It was time like that, that he took solo jobs or jobs with his apprentice or his children at times. Though for more delicate jobs, original team Natsu was required and Lucy would go even if it meant to leave her writing pending for after she returned. He opened the door using his spare key and as soon as he was inside was assaulted by a bear hug by non other than his beautiful daughter.
"Daddy!" she yelled happily. His now 19 year old daughter was a beautiful lady with soft straightened pink hair and a side pony tail resembling her mother least for the color of her hair. He hugged her back just as tightly. Out of all his children she was the one that was the most attached to him. He smelled her sweat strawberry scent that was so originally her and pulled back a little bit looking at her beautiful brown eyes.
"Hey Nashi, I'm missed you!" he said kissing her forehead.
"I missed you too daddy!" she said letting him go. With how much he had grown her head reached to his shoulder even though she was just a tiny bit shorter than her mother. He was the same height as Gildarts now and just as bulky as him. He grinned at her and she grinned back mirroring him just like a little Natsu. The exceed finally let out a yawn from above their heads.
"Oh, we are home Natsu." He said groggily. Nashi picked him up and gave him a little peck on his head.
"Happy it's good to see you as well she said." Happy smiled and quickly hugged her with his tiny hands.
"Nashi it's good to be home finally." He said. Now floating to the kitchen. "Is Carla and the twins home ?" he asked from the kitchen while drinking from a milk bottle.
"No, the twins are at the guild while Carla and Pantherlily is helping the queen for the exceed festival. And don't drink from the bottle or mom with throttle you!" she said smiling happily. Happy ignored the last comment now looking depressed.
"She didn't wait for me?! Oh my god Natsu, what if something happened to her. I need to go as quickly as possible." He said panicking.
"Calm down buddy, Carla is with Pantherlily and you knew the festival is in two days so of course she would go. You need to rest and regain some of your magic before you go. And aren't you missing the little ones?" he asked. To that Happy's eyes widened.
"Oh my god I was going to go without even seeing my children. I am such a bad father!" he said depressed. Natsu and Nashi rolled their eyes at his dramatic reaction. He grabbed the little exceed and put him on his bed while patting him. His exhaustion combined with the comforting bed and his best friend's patting warm hand, made his eyes close slowly and he was already snoring. Natsu smiled at this. Happy was so easy to be dealt with, unlike some of his children he thought grudgingly but he wouldn't want it any other way.
"So where's mom?" he asked still patting Happy. Nashi sat beside him on the bed and took his free hand on her smaller ones, massaging it. Natsu sighed happily as he felt her warming magic on his veins.
"Mom went with aunt Levy on this quest to decipher some ancient language that the council requested. She wont be coming till next week from what I heard" She heard him groan and smiled inwardly. It was unbelievable how much he loved her mother even after so many years. He always wanted to be beside and some time her mother would be irritated by his lack of privacy toward her and would give him the cold shoulder. But not long enough and she would feel guilty and surrender to his manners. She knew that what her parents had was very, very special. She could see in their eyes when they saw each other. That spark that only freshly enamoured couples had. They still loved each other like the first day. She would often dream about some love like that for herself and a certain boy came to her mind, but she dismissed that image questioning herself why did she even thought about him in that way.
"What about Luke and Ares?" asked her father interrupting her disturbing thoughts. She was now massaging both of his calloused hands and he had his eyes closed. She smiled and thought that he might have been really tired.
"Luke is studying for his next exam to become a rune knight with Xavier and well Ares I don't really know. He was gone 3 days ago saying that he would train for his S class exam and hadn't returned yet." To this Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose. That boy would be the death of him. He was always doing what he wanted, not asking for permission at all.
"Did he finished his exercises with Loke this month at least he asked." Nashi's eyes widened. She was really a bad liar but he had promised Ares that she wouldn't tell the truth. Natsu already picked up her accelerating pulse and knew the answer before she could even talk. He stood up and punched the wooden wall creating a small fracture in it. Nashi closed her eyes and sighed. She knew he was really good at this. "Why do I have such an idiot son? Doesn't he know those exercises are vital? How many times do I need to tell him?" his voice was getting angrier and angrier by the minute. He felt her daughter hug him from behind just like her mother did to him so many times to calm him down.
"Dad he really want to do the exam and you know those exercises tend to lower his magic stamina. So just for this month he skipped them and Loke agreed too. Even though mom wasn't excited about it she was okay in the end." She said slowly. His anger went away because he could never made her or his other children upset. He sighed.
"Am I the only sane in this family?" he asked smiling slightly and heard his daughter snort at it making him smile wilder. He knew he wasn't but he was always worried about them. "You know I could never forgive myself if something happens to Ares." He said more seriously and Nashi tightened her grip. She knew it was true.
"I know dad and Ares knows too. He is strong, really strong, after all he is your son and lie it or not he resembles you the most out of us." She said and it was true. Apart from his half orange half salmon hair, Ares was the spitting image of his father. From his locks to his facial feature apart from his eyes color which he had taken from her mother. His attitude too was hotheaded like her father. And even though they were so similar the two of them argued the most in the family but secretly Nashi knew that Ares was her father's weakness for two main reasons. One concerning his delicate condition of his magic and two, because he was putting himself always in troubles and danger much like the stories she heard about her own father.
She once had heard a little argument of their parents during a night from their bedroom. Even though Lucy had casted her soundproof magic, because of course she herself and Ares had inherited their father's enhanced senses, Nashi had found a way to break the spell for her to listen out of curiosity. She had heard her father concerned about Ares and how he was unsure for his future by how he acted. She had never heard her father so unsure and it had feared her. But her mother was already comforting him telling that he was exaggerating. Nashi was really surprised to see that in Ares case they had swapped roles. Natsu becoming the worried parent and Lucy dismissing his worries and telling him that it would be fine. She knew that her mother had full faith in Ares and Ares had the strongest bond with her as well.
"You and Luke are my children too. You are as strong as Ares, don't forget that." Her father said now having turned so he was facing her and cupping her head delicately in both of his hands, sending her a warm smile and making her entire being feel happy. Her father had this talent to make everyone feel safe and secure and bring the better out of them. He was always confident and strong and that's why she was really surprised when he was so vulnerable talking about her younger brother. She nodded at him smiling and he let her go. " I'm going to take a bath, I really need one after two days of walking and is there something to eat Nashi?" he asked as he moved away from Happy's and Carla's bedroom in the direction of their smaller bathroom and throwing his long dark and flaming red cape just like the one Gildarts had on the dirty clothes chest, along with his sport pants and t shirt as well. Remaining only in his boxer in front of his daughter, but she wasn't effected at all now used to his nudity as he really never covered his upper body when home. Only when they had friends coming over and her mother obliged him to cover and make himself decent. She scanned his body for any new scars or bruises but found none. It was really rare for him to be injured nowdays. None really knew how strong he really was. He and uncle Gray were the top on the list for their immense power. Aunty Erza was scary but she had really dropped her power level since she had become a perfect mom for his daughter and son and a perfect wife for the magic councilor Fernandez. She knew that her mother was a badass too but they never had seem them in full power mode in all these years. Smiling that he didn't need medic assistance she headed toward the kitchen.
"Yup dad I made some risotto with pureed shrimp. I'm going to heat it up a bit and make some salad too." At that she heard him groan. She knew he didn't like vegetables but he always ate when she made it. He never ever refused hers or Luke's food even when they were younger. Even when the food was not edible , he would eat it and never say it tasted bad. He was the best father in the world, always concerned that he would hurt their feelings. She remembered that time when Luke had found some strange mushrooms in the woods and he had made a soup out of them. He had made her try it but she had spit it out as soon as she had tried it. It was the worst. Being just 6 and 5 at that time Luke had started to cry alarming their parents. Her dad was the first one to pick both of them protectively alarming his senses for any danger. Lucy with a 4 year old boy in tow had finally asked Luke about the fuse. He had told about the soup and how his sister didn't liked it.
Lucy had tried it and spit it as well, making Luke cry again. Natsu had sent a glare towards Lucy's direction which she had rolled her eyes. She had tried to explain Luke that some mushroom weren't edible but he was really disappointed because it took him hours to collect them. Seeing his son upset Natsu had gurgled down the entire of the bowl while his eyes twitched from distress but he put a damn smile on his face and said that it was amazing. Luke had smiled and quickly hugged his father's leg, while her mother was alarmed to no end. She had made Ares sit on the chair and took Natsu as quickly as possible to the bathroom demanding him to throw up but he had refused. She had used force then and made him throw up. Luke didn't really knew what was happening because he couldn't hear them, but she did. Later that night her father had started vomiting hard alarming the entire family. Her moother had quickly called Poluscyia and aunt Wendy. They had helped him and told them that some of the mushroom he had ate were fatal and was a miracle he was still able to breath. Unfortunately Luke had been near and heard what they were talking about. He had started to cry and throw himself to his father's bed and asking for forgiveness over and over again. She had started to cry as well launching herself in his father's embrace. Even though he was really exhausted, he had smiled at them and told Luke that it wasn't his fault and that the soup was really just that some mushroom wasn't to be eaten. She had seen her mother standing at the infirmary's door smiling at them softly. After that episode, Luke neve brought mushrooms home again.
She was almost finished with lunch and soon her father entered the kitchen with a towel in his head and newly changed shorts. His mouth watered at the sight of food and a bottle of wine. It was a gift from one of her mother's editor. It was really good and old. They had almost for a year to go.
Natsu opened the bottle and filled two glasses with the red liquid. Nashi had actually ate before her dad came but she liked to accompany him while he ate.
"So what have you been doing for the past month little pumpkin?" he asked her. She made a face at him for using that nickname.
"Daad!" she said emphasizing that she was too grown for something like that. "Well I have been on two quests with Esmeralda (Erza's and Jellal's younger daughter) and Gale (Youngest son of Gajeel and Levy Redfox). The second one was a bit more difficult because it required to open a rare manuscript and we had to search for different rare items around the town. I had to retrieve the eye of the lost sea. Which I found was a pearl buried in the desert where millions of years ago there was a sea. I found a labyrinth full of caverns below the desert and fought a really strong creature which was the guardian of the eye. Well we found that the pearl was a gift to the princess of a ruined city a thousand years ago etc…" she stopped talking when she saw that her father was almost half asleep already finished the meal. He jumped when heard her stop.
"Um sorry I'll listen so go on" he said, but she just smiled shaking her head.
"Come on dad let's get you to bed, I know you are tired." With that she helped him out of the chair and to his bedroom upstairs. She helped him lye on the bed and kissed his forehead. "I'll be going to the guild. When you wake up this afternoon come right away, master wanted to talk with you as soon as possible." She saw his eyes change with concern a little bit but he nodded understandingly.
"Okay Nash, I will just rest a few hours!" he said looking at the clock in the stand. It was almost 2 pm. "By 5 I'll be there"
"Okay then dad. I'll go and train a little bit with uncle Gray" she said and heard him groan which made her giggle. He really hated how she had chosen Gray to be her mentor but he never said anything to her to not upset her. She was really glad to have been born in such a place with the bestest mother and father in the Earthland!
To be continued…
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Well It's been a long time since I wrote something. I hope you enjoy this new story I came up with. Please let me know if I should continue this or some other series in my account. I would really appreciate some reviews guys.