Chapter 1
Welcome Back
The air outside the airport terminal was bitter with cold, nipping at Natsu's cheeks. The smell of asphalt and smoke from nearby cigarettes filled the air, and the concrete sidewalk was speckled with black dots of long since chewed gum. The sun had already set leaving the earth to be the black blanket of night. The hollow blackness draped most of the sky leaving only a soft blue on the western horizon. Fall had passed making way for winter, and the first coming of snow. Vans and buses pulled in and out of the front of the terminal while people scurried along dragging bags of luggage behind them.
Natsu tucked his hands into the pocket of his olive green sweatshirt with the letters USMC imprinted in gold on the front. Around his neck, he wore a white and black checkered scarf, crinkled and yellow from a lengthy period of going unwashed. At his feet rested an olive green duffle bag, thick and heavy and worn. The handles and edges were strewn and tattered.
He waited on the corner of the street terminal until he spotted a yellow taxi pull up to him. He held up his hand signaling for a ride. The cabbie pulled over and waved him in.
Natsu tossed his duffle bag to the far end of the back seat before falling into his own seat with a thump. It was warm inside the taxi, almost a bit too warm and it reeked of dry beer and curry. The driver's seat was covered in a brown and red Indian bead seat cover while empty bottles of soda and a sandwich wrapper littered the floor of the passenger seat.
"Where would you like to go, my friend?" asked the driver in a thick Indian accent. He was a short man, pudgy around the neck and cheeks with eyes dark like black coffee. He flashed Natsu a friendly grin of yellow teeth under a thick mustache that could easily be mistaken for a dead cat.
"Take me to 12 Springgan Street, Magnolia," Natsu answered.
"Yes, yes will do," said the cabbie with a merry voice.
He pulled out into traffic as loud Hindi pop music began to play. Natsu rested his head on his fist and stared out the window. He soaked in the familiar sights of the surrounding skyscrapers and foliage that lined the airport roadway. Overhead he could see planes as they descended to land and lifted off into the sky. Their white lights flashing like large fireflies amidst the curtain of the black sky.
"Where are you coming back from, my friend?" asked the cabbie.
"Virginia," he answered gruffly.
"I see, long trip. Long trip. What brings you out our way?" He eyed Natsu through the rearview mirror.
"Family," Natsu replied not averting his eyes from the window. He watched the passing traffic drift on by. The lights of the surrounding skyscrapers passing like a daze, while the car passed under the faint orange street lamps like a continuous loop.
"Ah yes, family, very good. One needs to see family am I right?" the old cabbie laughed. "My family and I have been out here fourteen years. Fourteen years, can you believe it? Ah yes, it is very good. Very good indeed. Just this past Christmas I took my wife and children home, back to India to visit my parents. They need to know their grandpapa and grandmama."
The car steered onto a ramp, heading up the freeway. From here Natsu could see further out into the city. The skyscrapers had faded into the distance, now they were surrounded by the suburbs. Natsu could feel his eyes waning. It wasn't late, but he was exhausted from the trip and sleep was beginning to take him. His eyelids grew heavy, and he was about ready to slip off into slumber.
"Are you Army, my friend?" asked the cabbie snapping Natsu out of his daze.
"What?" he asked, seeing the cabbie eyeing him in the rearview mirror.
"I see your duffle bag. I picked up many a man who served in the Army. I was wondering if you were Army as well."
"No," Natsu said, sheepishly shaking his head. "Marines." As if the giant USMC imprinted on his sweatshirt wasn't enough to give it away.
"Ah, I see," said the cabbie. "Marines. Tough men, very tough. Good for you, my friend. You should be proud, it's not easy to be a Marine." He looked at Natsu hesitantly. "But if you don't mind me asking, what is the difference between a man who is a Marine and a man who say works in the Army?"
Natsu smirked. "Marines are the first to fight," he said reiterating the famous words. Words that were embedded in the hearts of every Marine. "We're the ones that go in, kill everyone, make sure it's secure and then hand if off to the Army who then takes all the credit."
The cabbie erupted into laughter. "That is very funny, my friend."
For the next forty minutes,they rode in silence apart from the loud Hindi pop music. Natsu attempted to sleep, but the cabbie's music was too loud now. The taxi pulled into a familiar street, lined with miniature mansions all furnished with lavish green lawns, bushes, palm trees, rose bushes, hibiscus flowers, primrose, talinum lilies and an array of other magnificent flowers. The houses were stucco with terracotta roofs, flagstone walkways that led to black gated entryways in front of oak wood front doors. All polished with decorative windows framed in brass that lined the front. Most of the driveways were illuminated with lamps from the front yards.
The taxi didn't have to drive very far before it pulled in front of a large stucco home with a large ash tree in the front yard and a flower bed that lined against the driveway. Flagstone steps led to the gated front door. A small clay fountain, currently turned off, resided in a little courtyard between the gateway and the front door. Natsu thanked and paid the cabbie before grabbing his sack.
"Take care of yourself, my friend," said the cabbie before Natsu left. "It is a very dangerous world out there, and men in your line of work are always in danger, yes? I wish you the best of luck."
Natus nodded before he threw the sack over his shoulder. The air was bitter and the air filled with the scent of the fresh cut grass. The garage was black and the only light came from a bedroom window that stood above it. Though the blinds were closed so he couldn't see in.
He sluggishly made his way up the flagstone steps to the gate. It creaked open when he pressed through. He stopped and looked at the fountain. There were even more flowers planted throughout the courtyard, lining along the flagstone steps. The gravel between them was red like lava rocks, with a few bits of quartz thrown in.
Natsu knocked on the front door and waited. Eventually, it opened revealing a young man with straggly black hair and dark eyes. It was late be he still wore a white dress shirt, but without the tie, untucked from his black slacks.
"Natsu?"
"Hey Zeref," Natsu said, offering a weary grin.
Zeref threw opened the door and embraced his brother in a tight hug. "Why didn't you call me to let me know you had landed?" he asked breaking away. "I would have picked you up."
"I didn't want to disturb you guys," he answered. Zeref wasn't satisfied.
"Honey, who is it?" a quaint voice from behind Zeref asked. A young woman with long hibiscus hair twirled in wavy locks and eyes green like the summer leaves emerged in the doorway. "Natsu!" the girl exclaimed before Zeref had time to answer. She too embraced the boy with a loving hug, squeezing him tight. She broke away and looked up to offer him a beaming grin filled with joy. She was a short, thin woman, a good head shorter than either of the men. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you call and have one of us meet you at the airport?"
"Hello, Mavis. I didn't want to disturb you guys. I know that you're busy and all, especially with Larcade..."
"Oh hush now," Mavis hushed with a pat on the chest. "Larcade wouldn't be any trouble. He would be more than happy to see his uncle."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside out of the cold. Zeref closed the door behind them and took Natsu's bag before he had a chance to react.
It had been a long time since Natsu had seen his brother and sister-in-law. He hadn't been to their new home for a long time, but he had to admire how well off the two of them were. The house was large on the inside, with the travertine tiled floor that led to a stucco stairway with polished wood banisters. The dining room was close to the entrance with a large mahogany table covered with a white linen table cloth. Above a small chandelier with crystal ornaments that hung from brass branches. A flower patterned couch was seated near the front windows with white satin curtains. Paintings of flowers and pictures of the family hung on the cocoa butter walls framed by white molding.
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" Mavis asked heading towards the kitchen. "I have some parmesan chicken in the fridge. We can heat it up, and I have some extra rice and carrots I can start boiling."
"I'm fine, don't trouble yourself," Natsu answered.
"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all," she said, smiling.
"You know you don't have a say in the matter," Zeref muttered with a wink.
"I figured that," Natsu sighed scratching the back of his head.
"Come on," Zeref said placing a hand on his shoulder.
He led Natsu to the kitchen where Natsu sat at the green granite island situated in the middle of the room. Mavis a few pieces of tubaware from the stainless steel refrigerator and placed them in the microwave. Zeref followed behind her and pulled out to cans of beer. He opened and took a sip of his before handing the other to Natsu.
"How was your trip?" Zeref asked sitting down next to his brother.
"Long," he replied opening his own can. "How's work been?"
"Ah man," Zeref sighed with a deep breath. He rubbed the sides of the can with his fingers. "Work's been all right. Tough, but all right. My boss is a total dick. He's having me fill out some stupid reports on a case that has nothing to do with my department. And I have to do my own analytics on top of that!"
Zeref worked at one of the largest law firms in Magnolia. Something that often surprised Natsu, as he had never imagined his brother becoming a lawyer. When they were younger Zeref had always been an academic. He read indulged in books like other children would sports or video games. When he went to college he double-majored in history and political science with a minor in religious studies. Natsu expected him to continue his career in academia and possibly become a professor, but after meeting Mavis he opted to go to law school.
His brother looked exhausted, there were bags of purplish-blue that sagged under his eyes. His voice was dragging when he talked.
"So, Natsu, what was it like in Iraq?" Mavis asked leaning over the island, chin resting in her palm. Her friendly smile still lighting up her face. "We hardly ever wrote or called."
He went silent, mulling over his beer. He took a long hard sip. The smile faded from Mavis's lips. Looking at Zeref she could see that he too was a bit uneasy. He could tell his wife was at a loss and though it was only for a few brief moments, it felt like hours.
"I'm sorry," she apologized standing upright. "I didn't mean to..."
"No, no, it's quite all right," Natsu said taking another sip of his beer. "I know I haven't talked to either of you for a very long time, and that's my fault for making it more awkward than it needed to be. Iraq was fine. Met some good people, did some interesting things and I have a lot of stories to tell. I just don't feel like telling them all right now."
"Hey," Mavis said leaning over the island and resting her hand on his. "All that matters is you're back now. And just in time for Christmas."
The microwave went off.
"It's been a long time since we've been able to celebrate it together as a family," Zeref said as Mavis turned to fetch Natsu's dinner. He wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders. "It's good to have you home baby brother."
"It's nice to be here. Sorry, I couldn't get time off for Thanksgiving though."
"Don't worry about it. You know you're always welcome here, Natsu," said Mavis laying the plate in front of him.
"I know," he sighed. "And thank you."
"No problem," she said, her smile returned.
She walked around the island and up behind her husband. Kissing his cheek she laced her arms over his shoulders and snuggled her cheek into his. He rubbed her hands and kissed her, and soon it seemed as if all his tiredness just disappeared. A soft smirk crossed his lips as he closed his eyes and leaned into her. Mavis cradled his upper torso in her hands.
"So, you heading back out right after Christmas?" asked Zeref.
"No," Natsu shook his head after taking the first bite of chicken. It was good, though it was a tad soggy and the middle was still a bit cool. But still, it had been a long time since he had a genuine home cooked meal. "I don't have to report to base against until the 7th of January."
"That's fantastic!" Mavis exclaimed. She practically jumped in place. "I thought you had to go back first thing after Christmas, but you can stay another two weeks! Larcade will be so happy!"
"Yeah, he will be. He hasn't seen you in a long time," said Zeref.
Not since his birthday last year. Natsu reflected on that. His baby nephew was two years old, and he hardly seen him at all. He wondered if the little guy would even recognize him. He guessed he had more work to do on that front.
"But you're here now," said Mavis. "And that's all that matters."
After he had eaten Zeref showed him to the guest room. A small, quaint room with a bed covered in a blue quilt and white pillows. There was a walk-in closet at one end with a dresser and nightstand near the head of the bed. Beside the bed was a window looking out onto the street. A faint light from the street lamps seeped in through the white window blinds. He placed his bag down in front of his bed and began to undress in front of a mirror in the corner of the room. He removed his sweatshirt and undershirt before taking off his jeans.
He sat on the edge of the bed and eyed the silver bracelet on his right wrist. He ran his finger over the two names inscribed into the chrome metal.
Eduardo Gomez
Tyrese Jackson
He sighed taking the bracelet off and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. A digital alarm clock flashed 11:13 in bright red lights. He rested against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. It all felt so foreign to him. His brother, Mavis, even the town. He grew up here, but after being gone for so long, it just felt abnormal. Sure it was a new house, and he had never been here before, but it just felt so odd to him. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
The next morning Lucy Heartfillia groaned and rolled about in her bed. She managed to pry herself up and into the shower. The hot water would be enough to wake her up, she hoped. Perhaps it wasn't wise for her to go out drinking with the girls on a Thursday. Sure the weekend was close, but they still had work on Friday. Her head throbbed from the hangover and her stomach grumbled with a defiant wail. If only she had waited one more night she could have slept it off. That was the last time she let Cana convince her to go out on a weeknight.
She returned to her room, finding the purple lace dress she had worn the previous night on the floor. It was a tad wet from sweat, which she could only imagine just reeked. She picked it up and threw it into a hamper near the closet. She wore a blue pea coat with a black scarf with black sweatpants. She ate a small breakfast of toast and eggs before driving to work.
She had always wanted to be a writer, but that was a hard field to enter for any girl, especially one at the age of 25. For now, she took a day working at a small publisher in the middle of town. Sure, it wasn't exactly what she wanted to do for a career, but at least it was a step in the right direction.
She got to work and walked over to her cubicle sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee from the office kitchen. She could smell the fragrance of cinnamon and nutmeg that wafted out of the cup. She took a big whiff before she sat down at her desk.
Her cubicle was small, with ash gray walls and white plastic frame. She had a Macbook Pro on a tiny plastic-wooden desk, already turned on and opened to the day's word documents she had to look over and edit. She had a little plush snowman resting beside her computer and pictures of the different constellations plastered on her cubicle walls. She took a deep sip of her coffee and began to work.
"Lucy!" she heard a soft feminine voice call to her. She nearly gagged on her drink. She coughed into her hand looking up to see her co-worker and friend Levy standing over her cubicle wall. "Did you hear?"
"Hear what?" Lucy choked out, her eyes watering.
The other girl beamed. "Natsu's back!"
She stopped coughing her eyes going wide. "Natsu Dragneel?" she gasped.
"Uh-huh," Levy said nodding her head. "He just got back in last night."
"How do you know?" Lucy asked befuddled.
Levy gave her friend a queer look. "Mavis posted it on her Facebook last night."
"Really?" Lucy shook her head.
"Yeah! Last night Mavis posted on her wall that Natsu had come back for Christmas."
Her gaze fell to the coffee cup in her hands, still steaming with flakes of cinnamon on top. It had been over five years since she had last seen him. When they graduated high school. She elected to go to Stanford after high school, thanks in large part to her father's connections and willingness to donate a large sum of money to the university. Natsu, on the other hand, went to San Diego State. After that contact had been severed. She enjoy her college life and she assumed that he enjoyed his. Perhaps she should have kept in touch better.
"That's wonderful," she sighed.
She took a soft sip, wondering what he was like now after so many years. When they were younger he was so vibrant, so full of life. He always found ways of getting into trouble and he was always getting into quarrels with those in authority. That's why it was such a surprise for her when she found out that he had contracted with the Marines. But he was a fighter, and strong headed, perhaps it was the best place for him.
"We should invite him out tonight!"
"What?" Lucy said perplexed.
"Yeah, you, me, Cana- Everyone! It will be just like in high school."
Her head was already throbbing from the previous night, she didn't know if she wanted to do it all over again. But it would be nice to see Natsu again.
"As long as we don't drink too much," Lucy moaned. "My head is killing me."
"I told you that you and vodka don't mix," Levy sighed. Lucy flashed her friend a harsh glare, but to no avail. Levy had become accustomed to Lucy, and no matter what she did, the small girl would never recoil. "So, don't drink tonight. Problem solved."
"No, because I don't have his number, and I don't think you do either," she said.
"It's okay, I'll just shoot Mavis a message on Facebook. So, again, problem solved," said Levy pleased with herself.
He still needs to say yes. Lucy felt her stomach drop. It had been so long. Would he even come out with them? She knew that his brother lived in town, and most likely he came back for family. Would he care to see her, or any of their old friends again?
She took a deep sip of her coffee. Great. Now how was she supposed to concentrate on her work?