"Hey, boy. I got some food, but I can't eat it all. Would you like some?" Igneel asked. Said child shook his head.
"I don't accept charity," he growled.
"It's not charity. It's payment for letting me live here," Igneel explained. Zeref's eyes widened.
"Well, when you put it that way..." He snatched some of the boar that Igneel had brought.
"Do you want me to-"
"SHADOW FLAME DRAGON ROAR!"
A burst of black flamed lit up the cave. Igneel froze in shock. The fire had come from the child's mouth.
"Boy, how did you do that?" Igneel choked out. Zeref was busy eating the now-cooked boar meat.
"I juth can do that. I don't know why or how, but ith juth nathural," Zeref mumbled around the boar. Igneel stared for a second.
"You used an ancient magic called Dragon Slayer magic. It's a spell rarely ever used anymore. Tell me, who taught you this magic?" Igneel asked warily. Zeref shrugged, already finished with his food.
"Hey, do you know a place where I could clean off? I haven't felt even remotely clean in years." He stood up and turned to Igneel.
"Yes, there is a pond not far from here. I could take you there," Igneel rumbled.
"Okay, let's go."
"AUGH!"
"What's the matter? Is it too cold for you?" Igneel teased.
"No, I stepped on a fucking snake! It bit me!" Zeref hopped around on one foot, clutching his other foot. He sat on a rock to check out the bite. "Oh, false alarm. It's already healing." Leaving Igneel confused at that comment, he gingerly stood up, relieved when his foot didn't even sting. He took off his shirt, leaving him in just his pants. Igneel gaped at what he saw. There, folded against Zeref's back, was a pair of dragon-like wings.
'Wings?! Since when did humans have wings?!' Igneel thought frantically.
"Okay, going in now!" Zeref ran to the edge of the pond and jumped in. The second his body touched the water, he yelped in surprise. "Why does it sting?"
"Oh, it's probably because you haven't touched water for years. Your body isn't used to it," Igneel explained automatically, still thinking.
"Well, that's damn stupid. I'm already used to it." Zeref started scrubbing at his face. The water around him started getting murky. "Eugh. That's fucking disgusting." He made a face at the brown water and moved off to a different spot. Igneel watched, wanting to see the boy's hair color.
"Hey! It's rude to watch someone take a bath!" Zeref yelled at him. Igneel chuckled.
"I'm merely observing. I don't want you going under." He continued to stare, wondering if the boy had any more surprises up his sleeve.
"Yeah, right." Zeref started working on getting the grime out of his hair. "Eww eww eww! Eugh! Bleh!" Igneel laughed at the child's antics; rubbing his head, checking his hand, then making a face at whatever he saw.
"Hey, boy! What's your hair color?" Igneel called.
"Wait and see!" Zeref shouted back before completely submerging his head. Igneel waited for him to come back up. And waited. And waited.
"Hey! Are you okay down there?" There was no answer. Zeref had been under for more than five minutes already. Igneel got prepared to jump in when a small, pink head popped up in the middle of the pond.
"WHOAH! IT'S LIKE A WHOLE 'NOTHER WORLD DOWN THERE!" Igneel gaped at the little, pink- haired boy that just appeared.
"Zeref?! Is that really your hair color?!" Igneel gasped. Zeref looked unseeingly to the water.
"Yeah... go ahead and laugh... everyone does..." He sounded sad, like everyone had laughed at his hair before, and he expected no different from a dragon. Instead, Igneel smiled.
"It's a very unique color. If you had a normal hair color, I would be wondering what was so special about you." Zeref tilted his head up.
"Really? You don't think it makes me look like a fucking pansy?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that..."
"HEY!"
Igneel laughed good- naturedly.
"Just playing, boy. Now, hurry up and get cleaned. I will get you some new clothes." He stood up and flapped his leathery wings. His red scales glistened in the dying sun.
"Bye, Igneel!" Zeref called after the red dragon.
"Goodbye, little Zeref," Igneel growled softly.
"Um, are you sure about this?"
"Absolutely."
"Really? This is kinda... uncomfortable."
"It's on backwards, boy!"
"Oh..."
Igneel, as a human, had gone to the town near the forest and had traded for some clothes for Zeref. Said child had taken one look at the clothes and was suspicious. He didn't think they would fit him. Igneel thought it would be because of the boy's wings.
The clothes consisted of a black shirt with golden lining, black shorts with the same lining, a pair of black sandals, and a golden headband. Igneel had also gotten a cloak, but he wasn't sure that Zeref could take the heat.
"There. Now what?"
"Now, we sleep. It is dark, and I need my rest." Igneel went to a larger part of the cave, where he lay down as a dragon.
"Aw, damn it! That's boring. I still wanna kick your ass," Zeref whined, but he went to his part of the cave.
"Stop complaining. You'll need your sleep for tomorrow," Igneel ordered. Zeref huffed, but went silent. Igneel laughed softly, imagining the boy with an annoyed look on his face.
"Say, boy, who taught you how to talk?"
"Nobody. I just listened to what everyone else said, and learned it myself," came the reply. Igneel shook his head in wonder.
"It's a surprise that you even know how to use such curses..."
"Well, my village was very violent." Zeref could be heard shuffling in the cave. Igneel sighed softly.
"Good night, boy."
"...Good night, Igneel the Fire Dragon."