Big green eyes stared at the tv with hopes, fingers clenching the blanket on his lap. The five year old boy was a bundle of nerves, staring at the two men fighting.
An older man sat on the couch in the room, chuckling at his younger son, who held his breath while watching an old film from a handful of years ago.
"And look at that! Tetsuya Dragneel lands another hit-another! Wow, the champion still remains on his feet, just how in the world does he do that?!"
The other commentator chuckled, shaking his head. "Who knows! Dragneel might have the right to show off, look at him now!"
"Daddy's kicking that jerks butt!" The little boy yelled heroically, scrambling onto his feet to throw a few carefree punches in the air.
The man smiled, raising an arm to ruffle his hand through his sons' pink hair. "A little revenge for your uncle, remember? Also for that damn old man, Makarov. He hates that guy."
"Watch your language, honey! Not around the kids," A feminine voice called from the other room.
Tetsuya rolled his head back to reply. "Not like Natsu understand what it means, and Zeref ain't even here!"
"I don't care!"
He sighed. "Don't listen to your mother, she's crazy."
A woman popped from around the corner, her pink hair in a bun with her bangs swept in her face. "I heard that, and I don't think I'm the crazy one."
"Zalea, I'm sure a bad word won't kill the boy."
His wife put her hands on her hips. "Guess someone didn't keep their promise for tonight." She winked at him both of them fully knowing what 'plans' they had if he wouldn't swear for a week.
"Babe, wait, hold on- I said.. What'd I say, Natsu? Help a man out here!" His father pleaded, placing his hands on his sons' tiny shoulders.
Young Natsu turned around, a grin slapped on his lips. "You said damn!"
Zalea rose her eyebrow, but puckered her lips victoriously. "Guess I'll be going out with the ladies tonight instead, what a shame."
Tetsuya watched his wife's hips sway until she was out of sight, then slumped into the couch, whipped. He could barely keep up with her little games, and she left him craving her more and more every second.
Damn, she was stubborn.
Natsu stared at the small screen, watching his father sock the turquoise-haired man right in the jaw, following with more punches to knock the man off his feet.
"Dragneel won't give an inch against Acnologia, and I ain't surprised why, but the crowd's goin' wild here!"
"Yeah, no kidding there. The last fight Acnologia had was against Igneel, and it was a blowout! Igneel got sent to the hospital with a life-threatening injury, but luckily he's recovered now. I guess Tetsuya wasn't gon' let Acnologia get away with that, especially for being the champion for several years now!"
Natsu watched Acnologia spit up blood, stumbling backwards and tumbling towards the ground completely unconscious. "That's whatcha get for messin' with dad," he mumbled.
"Wow, and the champion, Tetsuya Dragneel holds his title once again! Nothin" like watching two fearless men fight it out."
"I was hoping our fighter from Hawaii would pull through a little more, but seems like the man of Seattle was just too strong."
The two commentators chuckled together. "So, I have a conspiracy, since both men do have at least one son."
The young man eyed the other. "Try me."
"So both these boys are 'round the same age, wouldn't ya like to see a regeneration of these two families fighting again? I know Acnologia and his wife divorced, but his son is a spitting image of him! The lil' mans name is Gapri."
The young commentators eyes widened, his mouth wide open. "Tetsuya Dragneel does have two sons, Zeref and Natsu. I'm sure one of them will take after his old man."
Natsu remembers the story his father told him about his uncle, Igneel. They grew up fighting together with a friend named Gildarts, and their trainer was... Maka-Microwave? Macaroni?
He remembered screaming, breaking his mom's favorite vase while watching the film of uncle Igneel fight Acnologia, having nightmares seeing him completely knocked out, laying limp and breathless.
Igneel was always taking care of him and his older brother when his parents went to work, almost declaring him as his second father. He practiced boxing with him on the weekends, practiced with his dad at night after school and made sure to put that to good use whenever some bully approached him or his friends during recess at school.
Since that stupid Gray doesn't have any self-defence.
Whatever detention was, it really wasn't all that bad. It was a lot more fun than listening how to add or subtract.
"Dad, I promise that I'll kick that boys butt, and then I'll be the champion for sure!" Natsu's eyes sparked, embedding the name 'Gapri' into his mind. "I want to grow up just like you!"
Tetsuya grinned wide, picking up his son and smothering him into his arms. "First, we got to make you strong!" The gleeful laughter and remarks from the young boy reminded him of himself. Zeref more so took after their mother with the brains and the same face shape, but taking after his hair color.
The only difference with Natsu is he took his pink hair after his mother. Otherwise, the small boy had a fire within, ambitious and reckless with anger.
He was going to be the next-generation boxer for sure in this family.
"But first, I'm going to teach you how to back up your father, he just wants to... spend more time with momma at night."
"I hear you guys fighting all the time though!" Natsu whined, placing his tiny hands on his father knees.
Tetsuya raised an eyebrow. "Fighting? I could never hurt your mother! I love her, where did you get that idea?"
"Well, the last time I heard it, it was..." Natsu paused, tapping his finger on his lip for a second while counting with the other hand. "It was like, two months ago! It sounded like mom was screaming your name, but before I knocked on the bedroom door Zeref told me she was fine and made me go to his room! I heard a lot of banging too! How 'bout you tell me why you were hurting ma?!" He demanded, narrowing his eyes the best he could.
Tetsuya's face was burning a deep crimson. "Oh trust me, you have a lot to learn, young man."
"Just so you know, I'll always protect momma!" Natsu puffed out his chest and threw a couple punches at his dad, which were swallowed by the mans' big palms. "I'll protect my friends too, so you better stop hurting mom cause someday I'll beat you!"
"Dream big, son."
Tetsuya softly smiled as Natsu clicked to watch one of his fights from seven years ago. He's been retired for a few years now, now known as the former-champion. If Natsu really wanted to be like him, it was going to be a ruthless and fearless ride, no matter what cost.
Nonetheless, he believed in his son that he could put his mind to his dream. They didn't have all the money in the world, boxing didn't used to pay as much money, and it still doesn't.
Tetsuya couldn't help but grin, having a feeling that the evolution of boxing was going to change.
A little young girl ran across the smooth sand, barefoot. "Ma, look at the water! Isn't it pretty?" She pointed towards the ocean, watching the soft waves overlap each other. Amber eyes widened with excitement.
Layla smiled as she followed behind her daughter. "Of course, he nani loa."
She'd taken her daughter back to Oahu, Jude was going nuts again over his company in California. They had two main buildings, one in San Diego and the other in Honolulu, but she'd noticed that her daughter always loved the Hawaiian culture here. They'd had another argument, and she decided to live back here instead. Lucy shouldn't have to deal with her own husband's problems he created, and nonetheless take it out on her.
Oahu was Lucy's home ever since she was a small baby, since her great grandfather was part Hawaiian. For Layla, she was from Seattle, but Hawaii still was another home that her daughter loved.
"That means pretty, doesn't it?"
Layla kissed Lucy on her temple, standing next to her. "Yes."
Lucy awed at her favorite scenery in the whole world. The sun's light reflected off the water in shimmers, glistening beautifully. The palm trees danced with flowers of reds, pinks, and oranges along the warm breeze, her toes sunken into the silky sand.
Her best friend lived here, and she'd met him on this beach, and for that she was grateful.
"Mahalo, momma. I'm happy we came back."
Layla touched her daughters hair, taking a seat. "I'd do anything to make you happy, this has always been our home. Aloha iā 'oe."
Lucy hugged her from the side. "I love you too."
Fight for Glory
❀ by queen_random1 ❀
Thank you for reading