Zeref Dragneel's fingers idly tap his desk as he waits for his call to be picked up.
The fingers stop fidgeting the minute the breathless voice on the other line says, "Hi, Zeref. Sorry it took me so long to answer. I was packing."
Zeref can't help smiling at her enthusiasm but also can't resist saying, "I can't believe you won't be here for Christmas."
There's a light little laugh on the other end as the girl says, "Don't be silly, Zeref. All your cousins will be over, and you'll have your brother."
Zeref sighs. "Natsu's closer to his cousins than he is to me." He isn't bitter; by now, it's a simple fact and the girl hums thoughtfully.
There's a pause before she says, "It's Christmas, Zeref. And miracles happen to everyone who believes in magic."
"Mavis-"
"I have to go, Zeref. Our flight leaves this evening and I still have a lot to pack. I'll see you when I get back!"
"Yeah," Zeref smiles, not questioning her beliefs. "Merry early Christmas, Mavis, seeing as it's still the morning of Christmas Eve."
Mavis smiles broadly, though Zeref can't see her, and says, "Merry early Christmas, Zeref."
She hangs up and Zeref lets out a sigh as he chucks his phone onto his bed. He has just gotten up from his chair when there's a knock on the door and a head of thick, red hair with a tanned, friendly face peeks in.
"Ah, Zeref- good, your room looks clean; Grandine will have a fit if it's untidy."
Zeref can only smile at his adopted father and Igneel Dragneel's warm black eyes, so much like his own, so much like Natsu's, seem to smile back.
"Come on," Igneel says warmly. "Let's get downstairs; everyone should be arriving soon."
"Where's Natsu?" Zeref asks as they make their way downstairs.
Igneel doesn't bring up the time when Zeref always kept tabs on his brother. Instead he says, "He's at that man's-Makarov Dreyar's house. He and his friends decided to exchange gifts early today as they probably have to get back to their families."
"Makarov Dreyar," Zeref repeats thoughtfully. He has heard a lot about the headmaster who opened his school doors to Natsu- prone to fighting Natsu- when the Dragneels had first recolated to this area.
"Funny how he doesn't mind a group or rambunctious teenagers messing up the place," Igneel comments. "Anyways, it's almost noon so Natsu should be home soon."
Almost on cue, Natsu Dragneel bursts into the living room, holding a large white box in his hands and his cat, Happy, at his side.
"I'm back," Natsu announces loudly. Natsu is always loud; Zeref always feels the house is too quiet with him gone and too loud when he is there.
Igneel's face breaks into a broad, warm smile as he moves to take the box from his son. "Welcome back, Natsu; what's in this?"
"Our presents-mine and Happy's!" Natsu seems delighted as he eagerly opens the box.
"They gave Happy presents too?" Zeref asks, startled.
"Of course," Natsu scoffs. "Happy's not a pet; he's my friend."
Though Happy had originally been Igneel's welcome-to-the-Dragneel-family present for the both of them, Happy had quickly latched on to Natsu and the two were rarely seen without each other. Zeref wasn't too upset with that arrangement.
"Happy got fish from most people, and Lucy even gave him this little green knapsack thing that I can tie around his neck."
"What did you get?" Igneel asks.
"Well, I got a whole, homemade strawberry cake from Erza-see? I best put it in the fridge, though."
"You can open it when all your cousins arrive," Igneel suggests and Natsu yells an affirmative from the kitchen. He walks back into the living room and resumes scrutinizing his gifts.
"That ice bastard got me this little ice charm-see, see, it won't melt though because it resembles ice or something-I don't know he explained it but I wasn't paying attention. It's a great gift though; it better be since I spent a lot of money on Gray, too."
"Um, Natsu, what is this supposed to be?" Igneel asks, picking up Gray's gift and peering at it in different directions, black eyes squinting. "Looks like a fairy with a tail."
"That's because it is, dad," Natsu explains and ignoring Igneel's bemused look, continues, "Anyways, Lucy got me-"
"Paper?" Zeref interrupts wryly.
Natsu rolls his eyes. "It's not just paper, brother mine. It's a story she wrote for me, featuring me as a dragon."
Igneel's eyes twinkle as he says, "That's wonderful Natsu. Did she like your gift?"
Natsu grins, remembering Lucy's delighted face as she pulled out the expensive red dress that she had wanted for a long time. "Yup," he nods. "She's wearing it to the party her dad's throwing tonight.
Also, dad, I want this up in my room."
Natsu pulls out an enormous framed collage of pictures of him and everyone else in the guild. The silver frame catches the light and Igneel takes the heavy present from his son and whistles. Even Zeref has no words.
"Natsu, this is-" Igneel starts, only to be interrupted by Natsu who says, "Creepy, right? Don't even know how Mira, Lisanna and Elfman got hold of so many pictures of me."
Zeref stares; Igneel chuckles and they both meet each other's eyes knowing that Natsu will probably never change.
However, before Natsu can pull out the next present, the doorbell rings. Natsu's face lights up as he jumps up to open it, faithful Happy bounding along with him.
On the front porch are the three females of the house. Wendy, bright-eyed, blue-haired, launches herself into Natsu's arms screaming with excitement. Natsu is no better for he eagerly joins her, spinning her around before placing her gently on the ground.
"Honestly Wendy," Grandine reprimands, smiling, "you are going to be a teenager in a couple of months."
"That's right," Igneel joins in. His laughter is much like Natsu's-warm, infectious, loud and he immediately scoops the little girl up into a bear hug. "Little Wendy's growing up," he wails.
"You're a child yourself Igneel," Grandine laughs but she scoops up Wendy's pure white cat, who seems itching to play with Happy, and closes the door.
Zeref's attention is caught by the next gift in his brother's pile. He pulls out expensive Skull Candy headphones, and a matching phone case from, he reads the card, Laxus and his grandfather, Makarov. He dimly remembers seeing Laxus with almost identical headphones and the fact that Natsu wants something that resembles the older guy, who is, in fact, Zeref's age, does not sit well with him.
"We're the first ones then?" Wendy asks, breathless, pulling him out of his musings. He drops the headphones back in the box, harder than necessary, and turns to welcome his cousins.
Grandine gives him a quick hug. "My, 18 years old, huh, Zeref? Last time we met, you were Natsu's age. You're 16, aren't you, Natsu? You know, if you didn't have such bad motion sickness, you could be driving by now."
"Zeref's the only one with no motion sickness," Wendy proclaims and Zeref smiles, looking fondly into her large brown eyes. Wendy is the quietest, least rambunctious, and most intelligent of his cousins (despite the age gap) and thus is Zeref's favorite.
He only dreads the commotion that is bound to happen with the arrival of-
"What are you staring at metal-freak?"
"Why do you care, pyro?"
"My God, you almost burn down the house one time and no-one lets you forget it."
"Gihihi. Still as slow as ever, aren't you Natsu?"
"I'll show you slow, Mr. I-have-more-piercings-than-brain-cells; you're probably too slow to dodge this punch."
- Gajeel Redfox and his father, Metalicana.
As Gajeel and Natsu erupt into a full-blown fight, Metalicana and Igneel urging their sons on in the background, Grandine and Wendy sigh in unison, identical looks of exasperation on their faces.
Grandine places her hand on Zeref's shoulder for a minute then says, "I'm glad you're nothing like them."
Wendy lets out a giggle. "If we didn't have people like them, though, the world wouldn't be fun."
Finally, Grandine screams, "Natsu! Gajeel! And you too, Wendy and Zeref. Why don't all of you place your presents under the tree, yes? Give you something constructive to do-you hear me, Igneel, Met?"
Both grown men sighed but followed Grandine's wishes. Natsu eagerly lays out his presents, followed by Zeref and everyone else and soon the space under the tree is almost completely filled, looking beautiful and twinkling as the light hits the tree's ornaments.
"You've still got a vile look in your eyes," Metilicana informs his nephews. Zeref rolls his eyes but Natsu laughs and says, "You haven't changed a bit, Uncle Met."
"He says the same thing to me," Gajeel pitches in, rolling his eyes.
Uncle Met must have been in a good mood for all he does is ruffle Natsu's hair and make faces at his son, in which Natsu eagerly joins in on.
In an effort to balance the war out, Gajeel calls, "Uncle Ig! Come over here and help me."
And by the time Gradine comes out from the bathroom, there is another war going on with Wendy playing referee, much to her horror; Zeref merely sits on the couch, reading. He has a lot of assignments due after this break and no-one ever bothers him in these reunions. Natsu is more than enough for everyone.
Grandine sinks onto the couch and groans. "There is not enough alcohol in the world to deal with this family."
Zeref looks his book. "Natsu's got a bottle," he suggests.
Igneel freezs before he roars, sounding much like the dragons Natsu is so fond of, "Who gave you alcohol, Natsu?"
"Cana," Natsu yelps. "She gave a bottle to everyone, didn't she, Gajeel?"
Gajeel and Natsu were both at Makarov Dreyar's house earlier this morning for Gajeel and Natsu, being in the same grade and school, were both invited to the early Christmas party.
Gajeel nods in agreement next to his pink-haired cousin and Igneel calms down but confiscates the alcohol.
"Is he even allowed to do that to Christmas presents?" Natsu asks Gajeel and Wendy.
They both shrug. "Who knows," Wendy murmurs in reply.
There is a few moments of blessed silence; Zeref even reaches the next chapter when the doorbell chimes again-twice.
Zeref reluctantly closes the book for he knows there will be no peace if the twin terrors have arrived.
Though not actually twins, Weisslogia's and Skiadrum's children have grown up together since they were in diapers, much like their parents before them.
Wendy opens the door to see the beaming Sting Eucliffe and the grinning Rogue Cheney, their parents still trying to get out of the car.
"Wendy!"
The two exclaim in unison-like twins- and hug the delighted girl.
Natsu and Gajeel appear behind them, identical grins on their faces.
"Look at that, Gajeel," Natsu comments with a smirk. "Our little brothers think they're too cool to greet us now that they're 14 and oh-so-cool."
Sting whips around, blue eyes brightening with delight as he, much like Wendy before, launches himself into his older cousin's arms. Natsu grins as he spins Sting around.
"I missed you, short-ass," Natsu says fondly and the comment makes Sting's day.
(Zeref is still amused by how much hero-worship Sting has for his little brother. He remembers a time when Natsu was the only one Sting let feed him, change him, wash him and an 8-year-old Natsu had come up to 10-year old Zeref exhausted and said, "I appreciate you a lot more right now, Zer."
He doubts Natsu remembers, though-the nickname or the memory.)
Rogue is the milder one so he merely walks straight up to Gajeel, demanding black eyes peering up at the older boy. Gajeel gets down on one knee and ruffles Rogue's hair. "You've grown, Ryos."
Rogue doesn't scowl, like he used to, at the nickname.
Wendy watches all of them, so much joy, love and pride in her heart and if only Zeref would take pictures and play with them like he used to everything would be perfect.
It is Metalicana who ruins the moment by barging in, gagging and demanding to know where Weis and Skiadrum are.
Weis is the oldest of all the adults but his face is alight with youth and vigor as he enters the room and claps Metalicana on the back.
"Thanks for leaving me to lock up the car," Skiadrum's dry voice comments as he enters, shooting a small smile at Metalicana, Igneel and Grandine.
"Hey Uncle Weis; hey Uncle Skiarum," Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy chorus. Zeref just nods politely as is, for once, unnerved by Skiadrum's searching, understanding, glance.
"Hello, you four," Wes greets. "Sting, Rogue-did you put all of our presents under the tree?"
"Not yet," Rogue says, picking up the bag he had brought in. "Let's go, Sting-you still need to write who each gift is for, remember?"
Sting sighs but picks up a pen from the pen-stand and squats down next to Rogue in front of the highly decorated tree.
Laughing and fighting, all the others head indoors; everyone is here and accounted for and Igneel and Grandine hand out hot mugs of chocolate milk and egg-nog and plates of gingerbread cookies.
Zeref sits a little bit away from the others, on the sofa with a rug on top of him. He is surprised when Natsu sits down next to him.
"It's almost five in the evening," he comments. "I didn't even realize that much time had elapsed."
"Neither did I," Zeref agrees, still wondering what Natsu was here for. But Natsu doesn't say anything else and Zeref resumes reading, trying to concentrate as best as he can.
He is, however, preoccupied, wondering what his brother is doing for Natsu has not spoken for the past five minutes, nor has he moved.
Finally, Natsu speaks, a little jerkily, a little unsteadily. "Remember our first Christmas in Magnolia- five years ago, wasn't it? You gave me socks as a present."
"You said you wanted them," Zeref protests.
"I was kidding!" Natsu throws his hands up in exasperation and for a moment both brothers look at each other and grin widely.
Then the smiles fade and the couch grows silent.
Over the years, the brothers have drifted apart. Zeref threw his lot in with his girlfriend Mavis Vermillion and his 'friends' at the prestigious Alvarez Academy. Natsu adores Mavis but he can't stand Zeref's friends-Brandish, in particular, always takes sick pleasure in tormenting Lucy Heartifila.
Natsu grew up wild and free in the local trouble-school Fairy Tail High and he has new brothers now- Gray, Romeo, even Gajeel and Sting and Rogue.
All they can do now is use words to fill the growing 5-year gap. But words don't last forever.
Natsu realizes, with a pang of sadness, that their last memory together was a very long time ago.
"Oi, get off the couch," Gajeel calls.
"We're having a snowball fight-us vs. all the adults. Happy and Carla are on our side," Wendy explains.
"Come on, Natsu," Sting cajoles. "You, too, Zeref," Rogue adds.
They invite him out of perfunctory courtesy, Zeref knows, for he has never accepted their offer before. This year, however, he is feeling rebellious, Mavis's words are swimming in his head and his last memory with Natsu refuses to leave his thoughts.
So he gets up and nods, chancing a look at his younger brother. Natsu's smile is broad, his eyes are bright, and both Wendy and Gajeel exchange a glance for they know that something is beginning to change.
Igneel finally collapses more than two hours later on the snow-covered lawn in front of the Dragneel residence.
"What?" Metalicana teases. "Tired already, old man?"
"I'll show you old man, Met-"
From the other half of the playing field, Natsu and Gajeel watch their parents with a sigh.
"Immature," Gajeel comments. "Tell me about it," Natsu murmurs back.
Skiadrum chuckles at the irony before dumping a fistful of snow on Natsu's head. As Gajeel breaks off into his peculiar laughter, Natsu thrusts a snowball in his face and suddenly the mini-Igneel and the mini-Metalicana look much like their elders-just a blur of fists and snow.
Sting and Rogue take turns pelting Natsu and Gajeel with snowballs from the back, laughing as each blamed the other.
Zeref smiles to himself as he rolls out a head for the snowman he and Wendy have spent the major part of the last hour on.
It's a pretty big one and Wendy hums cheerfully as she brings back the stones she collected for the snowman's eyes. He has had a surprising amount of fun today, even going so far as to tackle Natsu into the snow.
He spent last year's Christmas in the living room by himself, texting Mavis or reading quietly; none of his cousins were over last Christmas and Natsu spent more time at Makarov's mansion than at home, much to Igneel's disappointment, but even Igneel had been called over to his friend Gildarts's house for most of the day so the first half of Christmas Eve was a quiet one for Zeref.
He preferred this Christmas Eve, though. He and Natsu had spent a long time sitting in the snow after the tackle, laughing-something they hadn't done for some time. Zeref had missed it, and he knows that Natsu did too.
Wendy sneezes; all the commotion freezes. Grandine immediately bustles her daughter indoors.
"I think that's enough for today. Everyone, inside, please. Igneel, Weis, come help me get some hot chocolate out for everyone."
"She didn't ask us because we're pants at cooking-we'd probably end up burning the drink," Met informs Skiadrum as they traipse indoors after the kids.
Skiadrum rolls his eyes. "Don't remind me," he groans. "Grandine hasn't let me hold so much as a knife unsupervised since that incident."
Both men shudder in unison before they walk indoors.
From his spot in his kitchen, Igneel watches Zeref throw a blanket over Natsu and hand out thick ones to everyone else. He grins broadly.
"They're good kids," Weis says quietly. "Natsu's a rambunctious one and Zeref's a little anti-social but they're good kids-and good for each other."
"You get along well with Zeref," Grandine adds. "I thought that was surprising seeing as you only adopted Zeref since Natsu wouldn't leave his brother."
Igneel looks offended. "I did not just adopt Zeref for Natsu," he explains, earnestly. "There's a lot of heart and soul in Zeref, too-like there is Natsu, like there is in me, like there is in all of us and Natsu will be the one to bring that part of him out. I love Zeref just as much as I love Natsu and that will never change."
"Give the man an Oscar-so long as it'll shut him up," Metilicana teases but there is abosultely no heat in his words.
Skiadrum looks over to the children huddled by the tree and says, "I see a lot of myself in Zeref- someone who wanted to hide in the shadows, but it's good you've got light bubbles like the others around to draw him out of there. Zeref will be fine, but I won't if I don't get that hot choclate soon. I'm freezing."
Igneel laughs and hands the man a mug. "Steaming hot," he promises and Skiadrum gulps it down gratefully.
"Besides," Igneel adds slyly. "Zeref's the first one with a partner."
And then he saunters out of the kitchen, ignoring everyone's synchronized cry of, "There's an age difference, you twat."
There's a lulling silence in the living room, but it is family tradition to stay awake until they all open their Christmas presents on Christmas morning, so Wendy suggests they watch a movie.
Immediately the room is abuzz as all the members immediately argue for the movie of their choice.
But Wendy is the youngest so her choice of "Home Alone, parts 1 and 2" trumps Igneel's cry of "Frozen" and the Dragneel brothers' childhood favorite- "The Grinch who Stole Christmas!"
Natsu grumpily sits down next to Gajeel with Sting's head in his lap as the blonde luxuriously stretches out in front of him.
Natsu smiles to himself when he hears Zeref plop down next to him with a sigh.
"I was really looking forward to the Grinch," Zeref confesses.
"Me too," Natsu whispers back. "Remember the time we-"
"Oh, shut up both of you," Rogue says, who seems very excited at the prospect of this movie. He is curled up next to Gajeel, Skiadrum's arm around his shoulder.
Igneel and Metalicana are on the couch, still grumpy about not watching Frozen.
Weis smiles as Natsu absentmindedly runs his fingers through Sting's messy mop of hair; he has seen Zeref do the same to Natsu many times before.
Grandine finishes helping Wendy set up the movie and sits down next to Metalicana as the youngest guest of honor eagerly bags the only beanbag.
Of course no movie with this bunch is ever quiet-
"Buzz is such a bully."
"Aw Wendy, don't worry; big brother Sting will protect you."
"Get off her you lunatic. Honestly, Sting, did I get the brains out of the two of us?"
"Well, then I got the looks."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"You guys are ruining the movie!"
"Gihihi, look at that. Seems Dragneel the Second is getting pretty into it."
"Are you crying, Natsu?"
"Shut up, Gajeel. And no, I am not crying, Zeref."
"It's alright Natsu. It's just a movie. But I think it teaches us all the importance of family."
The room freezes at Wendy's innocent comment before Zeref realizes that the littlest one is right and turns to his brother who looks back.
Natsu's eyes are wide with words he cannot say.
And later as they watch Home Alone 2, Zeref whispers, "Natsu-do you, do you maybe want to be brothers again?"
Misreading Natsu's wide eyes, Zeref panics and says, "Not that you're not. I mean I haven't stopped loving you. It's just-"
"Yeah, Zeref. I'd love that." Natsu's doesn't say anything else though and the wild boy looks at him seriously and though Zeref is proud of his brother's maturity, he also realizes that somewhere along the way he has missed seeing his brother grow up.
Instead he smiles, black eyes fixed on his brother's face. "You've really grown, haven't you?"
"Huh?" Natsu looks confused.
"Nothing. Now, come on, brother-mine, Kevin's just gotten off the plane in NYC."
The movie wraps up just a little after midnight.
"That means it's finally Christmas!" Wendy beams.
"Presents," Natsu and Igneel cheer together as they lunge for the tree.
Everyone laughs and follows.
Present-opening is just as chaotic as watching the movie was. Streaks of colored boxes fly everyone; one narrowly avoids hitting Zeref on the side of his head.
"Gajeel-this is for you, loser."
"I bet it's a terrible present!"
"Can't be worse than yours, metal-head. Where is my present anyway?"
"Here, Wendy-from your favorite uncle Ig."
"I'm here favorite uncle, you idiot. Uncle Met is everyone's favorite."
"Oh, shut up you two and just take these presents."
"Weis, you got me exactly what I wanted."
"As did you Skiadrum; as did you."
"Here, Zeref, this is from Sting and I."
"My present to you; give this to Sting, Rogue."
"Natsu, I drew the design on the shirt myself. There's one for you and your Gajeel- your school's little fairy thing."
"Wendy, this is amazing."
"Comfortable, too."
"Bet I'm a faster changer than you, metal-head."
"In your dreams, pyro."
"Carla, Happy, these are for you."
"Wow, everyone gave them fish."
"I gave Carla a bow."
"She looks stupid- I mean stupidly cute. Yeah. That's what I meant. Definitely."
"Hey, where's my present, dad?"
Metalicana grows silent suddenly and Gajeel's eyes narrow.
"You better not have forgotten, dad."
"I didn't," he said and suddenly grins broadly, looking much younger and much like Gajeel. "I've just been waiting for the right time to give him to you."
"Him?"
"Well, Gajeel, since you've wanted your own cat for a while now-here."
Gajeel looks as if he's in shock when Metalicana hands him the small, black cat.
Sting and Rogue throw a temper tantrum in unison. "We want cats too," they holler simultaneously.
"I see who this family prefers, Rogue."
"And it's clearly not us, Sting. You suck, Gajeel."
"Gihihi."
Weis rubs his temples before he looks at Skiadrum, who nods back. "Next year, for the both of you," he promises and the twin terrors subside- for now.
"He has a crescent scar on his eye but I didn't think you'd care about that," Metalicana says.
"He's perfect dad. Thanks."
"Merry Christmas, Gajeel."
"Merry Christmas, dad."
"What're you going to name him?" Wendy asks curiously and Gajeel sets the cat down with a frown on his face; the new arrival immediately starts playing with Happy and Carla who seem delighted to have a new friend.
"Lily!" Gajeel exclaims suddenly. "I will call him Lily."
Natsu stared at his cousin for a while before saying, abruptly, with no sense of tact, "That's a girl's name, Gajeel."
"It's short for Panther Lily, obviously. And you named your cat Happy!"
Happy pricks up at the mention of his name and Natsu scratches him behind his ear as he retorts, "Better name than Lily, anyway."
"Whaddya say, punk?"
"You heard me."
Wendy pries the boys away and gives them a hug as she says, "No fighting on Christmas, remember?"
And suddenly everyone is in the huge dog-pile.
In the middle of the hug, Zeref is startled when he feels Natsu press his hand into his but smiles and squeezes his brother's hand tightly in response.
Igneel scoops his sons into a giant bear hug and tosses both his sons over his shoulder; suddenly there is a horde of adults with their adopted kids in the arms as they parade through the house singing Jingle Bell Rock.
Natsu stares at his insane, insane family before he throws back his head and roars with laughter.
He wouldn't trade this for the world.
Slowly, the clock ticks past 1.00 am on the 25th of December and everyone settles down in their respective designated sleeping areas and Igneel cranks up the heater as the winds swirl loudly outside.
Wendy is the first person to sleep, followed by the adults who have had their fill of their kids.
Sting and Rogue think it's cool to stay up texting but around 3.00, even they are fighting yawns and when Gajeel yells out his goodnight from across the room, even the twin terrors retire to their sleeping bags.
Then, it's just Zeref and Natsu.
"Had fun this Christmas?" Natsu, Zeref can see, is desperate to break the awkward silence.
"Yes," Zeref nods. "More fun that I thought I would have, anyway."
"Heh, yes, our family is more on the wild side."
"I'm not."
"Yes, I know, Zeref- little isolated introvert."
"Excuse me, but you're younger and shorter than me, twerp."
"Not for long."
Zeref is the one to break the second awkward silence. His voice is low and quiet and Natsu has to sit next to him on the bed to hear him.
"Thank you, Natsu," Zeref says slowly, tasting the words. "This Christmas- it's been real; it's like we've finally, you know,-"
"Connected," Natsu interrupts. "We were always connected, though," he adds thoughtfully, "but I just think we got a heck load of bad signals on the way."
"Was that a metaphor, Natsu?"
"Yeah-Lucy's been teaching me. Was it a good one?"
And looking at this enthusiastic younger brother, Zeref's eyes soften and he smiles broadly as he says, "It was a great one; Lucy would be proud. And speaking of your blonde, I- I will personally ensue Brandish, and all my friends, never troubles your lot again."
Natsu stares at him seriously. "You better," he warns. "You may be my brother, but they are my family too. I- I was so upset with you and I couldn't believe you were the same person who saved me from my own bullies."
Zeref winces. "I didn't want to get involved with your life. We weren't talking-we weren't, well, doing anything together- and seeing you laugh and smile and call them your brothers," he stops his distressed rambling and says, coherently, "I just didn't think you needed me in your life anymore."
Natsu chuckles and moves Zeref's hand to rest on his heart. He hears the sharp intake and says, "There's always room for one more, but no-one will ever replace you. And that's a promise."
Zeref nods, Natsu smiles and Zeref grins back- the expression makes him look like a carbon copy of Natsu- and they meet each other's eyes for they know something has changed, and they want to preserve it.
"Let's spend a lot of time like this, okay?" Natsu's voice is getting drowsy with sleep and it's nearing 4.00 so Zeref pulls his brother down till Natsu's head in in his lap and Natsu shifts closer as Zeref runs his fingers through his hair.
It's soothing and Natsu shifts closer to Zeref and whispers, "Merry Christmas, Zer."
"Merry Christmas, my beloved younger brother."
As Natsu succumbs to Morpheus, Zeref realizes, with a start, that he has forgotten to text Mavis.
He reaches awkwardly for his phone, consciousness of the sleeping Natsu, and finally manages to reach it when he remembers: Miracles happen to everyone who believes in the impossible.
His phone pings with a text and it's from Mavis: Reconnect with your brother? Merry Christmas Zeref.
And as Natsu shifts closer, and Mavis's tinkling laughter echoing in his ears, Zeref smiles broadly-broader than ever before- with a heart close to bursting as he texts: Merry Christmas Mavis. Though he doesn't say anything else, he knows Mavis will understand.
As Zeref settles down to sleep, he rather feels like the Grinch who finally Discovered Christmas.
Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart-to-heart and hand-in-hand.
As Natsu cleans up the mess in the hall later that morning he notices a fallen piece of paper that wasn't there before, laying awkwardly on the gift he received from Zeref. He picks it up and his eyes widen.
Natsu and Zeref: Brothers, Dragneels and Friends. Till the last Christmas of our lives. I love you, little brother.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that. I've always loved stories with Zeref, Natsu and the whole Dragon Slayer family. I just really wish we could have a lot more episodes showing Natsu's life with Igneel, and his brother.
Please Read and Review.