Lucy huffed as she rushed through a crowd, trying to lose the desperate ex she left behind before he could drag her back to the cafe they were once seated. A nearby festival in the park provided her cover as he chased her, the blonde slipping off to the side and into a forest of sakura trees while he was swept off in the opposite direction.
"That's the last time I date someone Cana introduces to me," She groaned, the light breeze rustling in the trees and calming her of the stress hot in her cheeks. She could stick around to see the lighting of the rainbow sakura while she was hiding out, hoping the Blue Pegasus playboy had taken the hint and would look for some other girl to chase. The area she walked through was scarce compared to the main courtyard, couples by her side as they took a stroll under the shower of pink petals. She sighed and took a seat under the berth of a large tree, tilting her head back against the wood to let the stress of her morning disappear. Her eyes closed for a brief moment before a nearby hiccup, ears picking up the familiar cries of a child. She was quick to look around, expecting to see a mother calming her child but the cobblestone road was empty. The closest people were in the main square, and the noise was too concentrated for her to discern voices from the music. She peered around the trunk of the tree, surprised to see little shoes kicked off and into the grass, a small bundled body hiding against the timber.
"Are you okay…?" Lucy asked as she crawled around to face the child, her heart clenching at his puffy red eyes, snot and tears dripping from his features, and a bloody gash on his knee. "Oh my goodness!"
"O-Onee-chan, R-Ryuu got hurt," He sniffled and pointed to the cut, crying further as he rubbed his eyes.
"Don't worry, honey, I've got you," She shushed him and pulled out a thin packet of tissues, cleaning his face before rummaging around for an antiseptic wipe. "This might sting for a second, but it'll help make sure you don't get sick okay?"
The boy nodded and hissed as Lucy began to wipe up his injury, blowing on it to help him feel better. A shaky smile grew on his face as she plastered a colorful bandaid over what was just a dripping scratch, wishing away his pain with a light kiss.
"Papa told me to say thank you when Ryuu gets help." He grinned as Lucy smiled, holding another tissue up for him to blow his nose into.
"Where's your papa now, hmm? Did you lose him?" Lucy held his hand and helped him up, looking around for a possible pink haired man in search of the boy.
"Ryuu followed the flowers, papa was getting Ryuu juice…" His eyes began to well up again, the two walking into the open sidewalk to get a better eye on the distant crowd.
"I don't think it's a good idea for us to go rushing into that crowd," Lucy huffed, knowing they'd get lost in the sea of people all over again. "What does your papa look like?"
"Pink like Ryuu, papa has dark eyes, Ryuu has blue like mama."
"Is your mama here too?" Lucy asked as she crouched down to his level, the boy shaking his head.
"Mama left when Ryuu was little, just Ryuu and papa now," His grin told her he didn't know exactly what that meant, but she smiled and nodded, walking them both over to a nearby food cart.
"Let's get you something to eat and drink while we wait for your papa." They took a seat on a nearby bench, Lucy letting him choose a bundle of cotton candy and a meat bun, Lucy indulging herself with the same bread roll and splitting the bag. She bought him a cup of dragon fruit juice, his favorite, in a novelty cup with rainbow sakura as its cap. She had a soft spot for spoiling children, what could she say.
They talked about random things, mostly because he was three, Ryuu calmer now that he had eaten and sipped on his favorite juice. She asked him about his father, the boy describing him as a giant that swung him around and let him fly like a dragon. He had a lot of aunts and uncles that she assumed were just his father's friends, his coherent words jumbling together as he babbled. Lucy nodded and agreed even though she couldn't understand a good percentage, letting him talk all he wanted before his antsiness willed them both back onto their feet.
The crowd had begun to make there way to the grass to find good seats, giving Lucy an opportunity to lead Ryuu back into the main square in search of his father. She carried him to help look overheads, the two sticking to circling the fountain. Lucy yelped as Ryuu began to squirm in her hold, his finger pointing wildly at his father near an entrance gate, speaking to a police officer. She calmed him down and dropped him to his feet, holding his hand as the toddler dragged her toward the gate.
"Papa! Papa! It's Ryuu!" The boy shouted wildly, his fathers head whipping to greet them both with relieved eyes.
"Ryuu! Mavis, I couldn't find you!" He groaned as he fell to his knees, opening his arms to strangle the air out of his son. Their reunion was sweet and kind of awkward as Lucy stood behind them, unsure if she should just walk away. Ryuu giggled as his father assured him with kisses, sighing into the wild pink tufts of his hair.
Lucy flushed as the father made eye contact with her; something about them seemed virtually soul stealing, their blackness like an abyss. His grin replicated his sons, the little pink haired boy separating and returning to Lucy's side.
"Onee-chan found Ryuu! She's really nice!"
"Oh yeah, buddy?" The man stood up to shake her hand. "Thank you so much, I only looked away for a second, and he was gone."
"He's a fast one, I'm sure," She laughed, smiling down at the baby clinging to her leg. "We had fun, don't worry about it. He can sure talk once he's had dragon fruit juice."
"Can onee-chan watch the flowers with us, papa?" The boy plead with a dramatic pout, Lucy saying she was free and the father having no objections. He'd like to show more gratitude for taking care of his son.
"I'm sure your name isn't onee-chan," The pink haired man hummed, his half grin painfully charming.
"It's Lucy." She smiled, "And yours?"
"Natsu."