Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.
"Mama, Papa!" A small voice yelled through the house. Drawing the two occupants in the kitchen's attention as a little bundle of energy burst through the door.
Both adults waited until the child had calmed and caught their breath — one asking if the other knew what was on their child's mind this time. Only to get a small shake of their head, because the child's mind and soul were unfocused and jumbled.
"I heard that you two had a Fairy Tale romance and a Fairy Tail type of wedding. Tell ME!"
At the plaintive wail from the child, both gave the other a look, before a sigh escaped from one as they bent over in the chair and picked up the little girl and placed them on their lap. Just to get a delighted squeal, further hurting their ears, at being put there.
"Letha, you need to calm and focus before I will tell you," he said, his amethyst eye holding the matching ones staring up at him widely.
When the girl quieted, doing her best to focus, so he could hear what her soul was saying. He grinned, silently telling his mate that he was going to kill her best friend, as he rubbed his daughter's blond hair. The images that his innocent six-year-old was conjuring was something he didn't think she needed to know at that age.
"Now, listen closely, your mother and I were not always in love. It took a lot of hard work. The Fairy Tale you have been told was a much nicer version of it," he stated carefully to his little girl. Listening closely as she did what her mother did, break it down, analyze it and put it in a way that made sense to her.
The moment she had her little epiphany, he waited, noticing the small smile on his mates lips, as she tried to hide it behind her coffee cup.
"You and mommy hated each other?" Letha asked.
"We didn't hate each other; we just didn't see eye to eye. And it took over nine years before we could. Then we fell in love sweetie," he said. Again listening as she broke it down and put it in back in order again.
"Oh, so you didn't have a Fairy Tale romance?" she asked.
"We did, but only after we got to know each other. You know, as you did with Jayvyn, Mister Sting, and Auntie Erza's son," he stated. Watching as his daughter made her 'icky' face at the mention of his godson's name.
Puffing up and preening at his daughter's reaction until he felt a sharp kick under the table to his shin. Getting the message quickly, he focused back on his daughter, who was looking at him curiously.
"So... where does the Fairy Tale come from?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as he heard a tantrum born of disappointment building in her soul.
"Ah, now don't laugh. But your mommy saved Daddy from a bad place he got into, sweetie. She was your Daddy's princess in shining armor, come to rescue the enslaved and tortured prince," he said, doing his best not to bust out laughing at the imagery his mate conjured to his words. Silently telling her, they'd have a talk about him wearing a frilly, puffy, pink dress with enough sequins that he looked like a faux pas, in bad taste, disco ball.
"Oh, wow! But Daddy you are so strong! How did you get caught and put in a bad place?" Letha asked.
Sighing at this, he was not sure how to explain to his daughter that he had done it to himself. All the guilt that had built up over the years just crashing down at once.
"Letha, sometimes it isn't a who, but a what that does it. Remember when you knew you had lied to me. How you felt before you came and told me what you had done?" His mate spoke up.
The way his daughters face morphed into a sad mask of understanding, he knew she got it. Then he was being hugged tightly as his little girl mumbled sorry into his neck. She was making him glad that he had been saved.
"As for a Fairy Tail Wedding, that was something that involved a lot of partying, people, and antics that got out of hand. You know, like what happens at the guild all time," he said.
The moment he felt his daughter shaking as she continued to hug him, he knew she was laughing silently.
"Now that I have answered your question, wanna tell me why Uncle Natsu was telling you about our romance?" he asked.
His daughter pulled back, flashing a fanged grin at him. "Oh, because Auntie Minerva was threatening him again, because he hadn't mated her and given her a Fairy Tale Wedding, yet! Though I do love my cousin Astrid! She is so tiny but so pretty with her little hands and dark blue eyes like Auntie Minerva!"
At her comment, he had to smother his laughter, as his mate choked on her coffee. It had been a long talked about topic. That Natsu had fallen head over heels for the Territorial Space Mage after she had apologized to Lucy for her antics all those years ago. They had a daughter already, with another one on the way. And yet, Natsu, In all his dense glory, had not marked her as his again. But there was no doubt the Dragon Slayer would move the earth for her if she asked it. That was the accurate Fairy Tale of Fairy Tail.