AN: I haven't hit a wall with my other writings, I just needed to get this idea out of my head first. I haven't written in well over a month to be truly accurate as I have been struggling with personal issues. I just want to thank those of you still floating around and following my work. I am trying to get back into writing, but it's currently a slow process. Please enjoy this story and give me your thoughts!
==[o0o]==
Looking across the field that stretched in front of the small farmhouse, a tall man lent against the post at the top of the steps reaching the stone walkway, his crimson eyes watching the horizon waiting for the figure who was long overdue to return home. The wind began to pick up causing cherry blossoms to blow off the single tree on the land into his face, surrounding him with the delicate scent and hiding his view of the lone road.
Inside the house the sound of two young children were happily playing, squealing with excitement from whatever game they had devised with, the padding of their soft feet sounding on the hardwood floor before slamming of doors and laughter still filling the home. A gruff sound made its way after the young voices only to have a shriek of amusement leave one child before silence and a groaning male voice leave the front door.
His ears strained to hear the sound of footsteps or even the sound of a carriage until faintly as the wind died down and the blossom stopped falling from the tree he could hear the sound of familiar footsteps even the scent stretched its way to his nostrils. It mixed with another scent, vanilla and salt? Another sound of footsteps followed by the smell of ash and smoke. As he straightened he caught sight of a pink haired man with a face hidden by the shadows with a blonde walking just ahead. Her form shaking.
His heart leapt into his throat as his stomach began to churn. What was this feeling? Jumping down the three steps ignoring the sound coming from inside the house he began to run towards the pair making their way towards him. Their footsteps slow and painful. His long hair flew behind him, his feet running on autopilot his mind had turned into blackness.
Stopping before the couple he made eye contact with the blonde, her face creased up as she couldn't say the words, fears falling from her chocolate eyes as she fell to her knees sobbing loudly holding a small piece of something in her hand. Clutching it with her life. Rushing to her side the pink haired man gathered her up, his eyes seething looking into the stunned male above them.
"No…"
A year later
"Gajeel-kun! Juvia and Gray are having a meal this evening with Yukiko and she was hoping the twins could join us? You're not going to deny your own niece are you?"
Looking across the booth at the bluenette with long blue hair, her large chest resting on the table as she eyed him suspiciously.
He closed his eyes as he did so with the menu he'd been previously reading. Leaning back Juvia clapped her hands in rejoice, "Wonderful! Yukiko will be so excited! I know Gray-sama has lots of activities planned for the three of them!"
Gajeel smirked listening to his oldest friend rattle on about her husband. "So Gajeel-kun, next week is parents evening, are you going to go with Lily?"
Shaking his head he looked around frantically for a waiter so he could change the subject, having no success he succumbed to the question still waiting to be answered. Drawing out a long sigh he avoided looking into her blue doe eyes, "No, Lily is out visiting the Exceeds, he's going to be gone for a while so it's just me lookin' after the pair."
Playing with her napkin and cutlery Juvia couldn't help but hear the tinge of pain still in his voice as he spoke.
"That's be why you suggested a lunch then…" She unwittingly said aloud and blushed profusely looking towards a shocked Gajeel.
"Let's just change the subject yeah? I gotta get back to the guild before I pick 'em up." Picking up the cutlery Gajeel began to nervously poke and prod his mouth with a fork, chewing on the prongs absentmindedly until he was at the base of the fork and nibbling his fingertips.
Eventually a waitress made her way over to the table smiling brightly at the pair, taking their orders she promptly returned with a new pair of cutlery for Gajeel and giggled walking back towards the kitchen to continue waiting the rest of her tables. As she moved around the floor Juvia couldn't help but notice Gajeel watching the waitress walk. She bit her tongue knowing the last time she brought up the sore subject with him. Resolving herself to speaking to him during the evening meal with the help of Gray she buried the desire deep inside her warm heart and continued with the small talk, trying to keep her best friends mind focused.
"Auntie Juvia! Uncle Gray! Yuki-Chan!" The sound of two sets of footsteps running up the garden path with excitement as they barrelled through the screen door and into the house.
"Yay!" The squeal of a young girl escaped down the stair case and into the arms of the twins grabbing their hands she grinned her father's grin as her dark blue hair covered her eyes.
"Yukiko what did I tell you about screaming in the house?" Gray sighed, holding a hand to his head as he walked around the corner from the kitchen, his once buttoned up shirt now undone and threatening to leave his shoulders.
The trio giggled and apologised before rushing into the living room to begin playing.
"Oi, stripper, yah gonna keep your shirt on in front of my two arn't yah?" Closing the door behind him Gajeel grinned as the ice-mage panicked and dashed into the kitchen to find the now missing shirt.
"Gajeel-kun, please don't use that language around the children…" Juvia's once warm voice now sent shivers down his iron spine, she had certainly picked up a lot of demonic vibes from Mira, that's for sure.
"Uh-Yeah yeah. At least teach your husband to keep his clothes on."
"Juvia doesn't need to teach her Gray-sama anything, he's perfect in every way!" her eyes bloomed into hearts as she gathered up several shirts of Gray's and disappeared into the utility room, tittering to herself.
Gajeel followed Gray into the kitchen and helped himself to a beer from the fridge, cracking the top with ease waiting for Gray to re-enter after finding a new plain blue t-shirt to wear.
"So Juvia told me you're going alone next week to the parents evening? That's gonna take some time with the twins." Gray lent into the fridge looking for something to drink and pulled his head out holding a blue coloured alcopop bottle. Twisting off the metal cap he threw the cap onto the counter top and took a swig, waiting for Gajeel to finish his own mouthful.
"Mmm…" Gajeel allowed a noise to escape his throat waiting for Gray to finish. This talking whilst the other drinks business always bothered Gajeel, whilst he appreciated Juvia trying to make him leave the house and socialise it always felt forced with Gray, even after knowing him for so long and knowing he could trust his children in his hands. He couldn't bear to let the children out of his sight in fear of something happening.
Clearing his throat Gray coughed lightly listening to the food cook in the oven and wished he could tend to it but knew full well that the food was almost ready and as such, nothing was needed to be done.
"So…" Gray wracked his brain, what could he possibly talk to Gajeel about without him flying off the handle?
"…Yukiko is learning practical magic next term… What about Cobalt and Nickel?" Gray thumbed the rim of the glass bottle looking at the slouching iron dragon.
"Yeah, they're learning it too."
Gray felt success, he was actually going to have a conversation that would last longer than thirty seconds and wouldn't be so painful.
"Do you know what they're going to try and learn?"
"Whatever is in their heart?"
Or not Gray mused.
The sudden sound of amazed gasps left the living room making Gajeel and Gray run into check up on the trio. In the middle of the room the youngest twin, Nickel with hair as black as Gajeel and the front fleck of hair as blue as the sky held in his hands a small wooden word in the shape of BOX. His face was grinning brightly, Yuki delicately touched the wooden word in his hands, giggling excitedly whilst Cobalt huffed with his arms folded.
Gajeel's eyes locked onto the simple word BOX in his son's hand and felt his heart break but fill with pride, he didn't know how to feel. He had no words to speak. Juvia shoved past the two gawking males and grabbed hold of Nickel wrapping him up in her arms, "Juvia is so proud of you Nickel-Bō!"
Nickel let a small giggle and looked over at his father looking for approval, a soft grin sat on Gajeel's lips before pulling himself together and made his way across the living room floor to gather Nickel from Juvia's arms and hugged him. Kneeling down he grabbed the scruff of a scuttling off blue haired youngster and dragged him into a hug. The sound of heavy breathing rattled in his iron chest trying to restrain his emotions holding his only family tightly.
Gray folded his arms, smiling fondly at the scene in his living room, ushering Yuki and Juvia to leave and help him prepare the table for their meal.
Cobalt gingerly touched his father's bare shoulder, touching the Fairy Tail emblem that was still rich in colour as the day it was applied.
Sniffing Gajeel looked at his two boys, placing a hand on either side of their shoulders, the blue haired boy looked deep into his father's crimson eyes, "Why are you crying did we do something wrong?"
Gajeel simply shook his head with a smirk on his face, his eyes puffy trying to look manly in front of his children and not a sobbing girly mess.
"Yah've done nothin' wrong. Yah've made me very proud. Both of you."
"But… Nickel was the one who used mummy's mag-"
"-Ah, he did but whatever magic you boys learn I'll help yah, same with Uncle Lily."
"Can we join Fairy Tail?" Nickel's voice rose in anticipation. He spent most of his youth attempting to read books that were still littered in a particular corner of the house, untouched and dusty.
"Perhaps. If yah strong enough."
Cobalt and Nickel grinned at each other, raising their fists up in excitement, their baby fanged teeth shone brightly looking up at their father still holding firming onto their thin frame.
"I'm gonna be stronger than you Cobalt!"
"No way! I'm gonna beat you Nickel!"
The pair began to wrestle in the middle of Gajeel's arms trying to one up the other one.
Smirking Gajeel hoisted the pair up easily watching their small bodies sway in the air still trying to swat each other.
"Pack it in, yah hear me? We're guests remember?"
"Yeh..."
"Alright…"
"Gihi, that's my boys." Dropping them from a safe height Gajeel turned and headed into the dining room to join the Fullbuster family for the meal, listening to Juvia mention to Gray about fetching them to join them.
Nickel and Cobalt turned and stuck out their tongues to one another, pulling faces at each other trying to get a rise out of the other one.
Gajeel turned around on a dime before leaving the hallway, staring at his son's looking completely angelic in the hall light. Cobalt's muddy brown eyes and nickels red eyes shining brightly as if nothing had just happened between the two of them.
Turning around Gajeel snorted and walked into the dining room aiming his voice to the pair now trying to trip the other one up. "I can hear you both yah know." Tapping his ears he sighed, watching Juvia giggle motherly sitting down next to Yuki who sat next to Gray at the head of the table.
The Redfox family joining the table to enjoy the close company. After the meal Yuki and the twins jumped down from the table to allow the adults to have a small discussion. Or at least that's what Juvia wanted to happen, in Gajeel's eyes he was being forced to stay at the table and be scolded like a bad child.
"Gajeel-kun… Juvia has held her tongue long enough, but… You should move on…"
Gajeel snapped his head up, his eyes narrowing in disgust that his own friend would suggest such a ridiculous idea.
"Gajeel – we're only thinking of your wellbeing. You've been a wreck for months now, you need to move on from the past and keep going forwards…" Gray tried to be as calm as possible, watching the iron dragon's fists whiten with rage building deep inside his body.
"I know it hurts Gajeel-kun but it's been over a year now…"
The iron dragon's eyes were now sealed shut, trying to control his fury that threatened to take out the whole dining room.
"We just have to accept what's happened and so must you, what happened was a tragedy but you can't keep blaming yourself or others. You need to-"
"-Shut up." Gajeel's voice was almost silent. "-Just shut up the pair of you. You haven't the faintest idea what it's like to lose yah mate." His fangs bared fiercely together as his nose and forehead creased in anger. "I cannot move on, I cannot accept that Levy died by an accident and neither should either of you!" His voice was beginning to raise, struggling to keep it in check in fear of the children hearing their heated argument.
"We're not accepting it Gajeel-kun, but there is nothing we can do about it, there is no evidence…" Juvia stood up from her place from the table much to the dismay on Gray's face, gliding down the table to take Gajeel's white fist between her cool palms. Completely unafraid of the angry dragon in her house. Lifting a hand to the side of Gajeel's face she stroked the stubble on his cheek softly, before leaving a warm kiss on his forehead, she had a wounded dragon in front of her, one that was still crying to the sky asking for closure on its torn heart and she couldn't turn her back on him, yet she wouldn't watch him destroy himself either.
"Gajeel-kun. She would want you to move on. She would want you to be happy… You've been so strong for Cobalt and Nickel but you can't keep beating people up about it… Forget about the incident and learn to trust people again." Pulling Gajeel into an embrace Gray noticed the iron man's hands relax as he wrapped an arm around Juvia's waist. Knowing he wasn't needed in the dining room anymore Gray departed and made his way to keep an eye on the children, organising a game to keep them occupied for the remainder of the evening.
"Shh... Gajeel-kun. Juvia recommends Gajeel takes a job after parents evening next week and leave the boys with me and Gray-sama. We can take care of them. Alright?"
A small nod rubbed against Juvia's chest as she kept a firm hold on the dragon slayer allowing himself to silently break down into his friend's arms.
==[o0o]==