'I can do this. I can do this!'

He paced back and forth in front of the walkway, looking to the house in front of him and immediately began to walk back toward his parked car.

'Nope. Can't do this.'

'Oh yes you can! Get your ass back there!'

Sting Eucliffe was just a mess of nerves as he found himself turning back to the house once again, taking a couple of steps forward only to repeat his earlier process and arguing with the voices in his mind. Tonight was Thanksgiving and it was also the night he was to meet his boyfriend's family. He looked to the house again and let out a sigh before he squared his shoulders and began walking towards the house. He can do this.

He can do this!

'I can't do this!'

KNOCK KNOCK

'Too late.'

'Oh fuu-'

Sting jumped, snapping out of his trance and found himself at the front door, hand raised and was knocking on the thick wood before him. The sound sounding a lot louder then it should. He felt cold sweat envelop his skin as his eyes grew wide and he pursed his lips into a nervous smile. Oh Twin Dragons above- What did he just do?

He was boned.

"Sting!" Came a happy and cheery voice when the door swung open. "You made it!"

Sting found himself looking into the smiling face of his pink haired boyfriend, Natsu Dragneel and immediately Sting felt all tension and anxieties drain away and he felt his face and whole body grow warm. He smiled back at the small pinkette.

"Glad I could be here."

"I can't wait for you to meet my family!"

And then the anxiety and cold sweat came back.

Sting felt that he had walked into the definition of a lion's den. He stood in the middle of his boyfriend's living room, in front of the one person he was sure would have no problem in hunting him for sport and then proceed to bury him six feet under- In more ways then one. And it didn't help that this man was covered in array of scars.

Igneel Dragneel.

His boyfriend's father.

A man who sat on the couch before him with his brother and father and was boring holes into Sting's head with harden glare.

Sting knew the rest of Natsu's family, having met them on numerous and separate occasions and under different circumstances through the 5 years he dated the pinkette. He met his older brother, Zeref Dragneel and his wife Mavis and their 5 year old son, Larcade when they headed to the mall to see a movie to celebrate their first year together. He had met his stepmother, Grandeeny and her 10 year old daughter from a previous marriage, Wendy when Natsu first brought Sting to his home to introduce him to his family but at the time, Igneel was away, overseas at work. He met his grandfather, Igneel's father, August when he picked Natsu up for one of their dates, a nice old man but always warned the blonde about 'curfew'. He even met Gajeel Redfox, Natsu's hard-ass, street smart cousin and his father, Igneel's brother, Metalicana but that was because the man was dating his best friend Rogue Cheney which explained Rogue's presence and he met Laxus Dreyar, Natsu's other hard ass cousin from Igneel's previous marriage, his grandfather, Makarov and his boyfriend Freed Justine and despite their intimidating looks, both men agreed that Sting was the perfect choice for their baby cousin.

"Dad! This is the guy I wanted you to meet for like, ever!" Natsu beamed, dragging Sting closer to the man. To his death. "This is my boyfriend, Sting Eucliffe."

"Sting Eucliffe, huh?" Igneel stood up practically towering over Sting. "I finally get to see the man that I've heard so much about?"

"Y-Yes sir!"

'Twin Gods above, kill me and kill me now!'

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the man of my son's life," Igneel smiled, though Sting knew it hid a different meaning. He held a hand out toward the blonde, a hand that had Sting tremble, "I'm Igneel. The boy's father."

Sting knew this, he didn't need telling twice as he nodded vigorously and slowly reached a hand out and grasped Igneel's own, biting back a pained gasp when Igneel's grip tightened, almost crushing what bones were in Sting's hand and that look became more fierce- More threatening. It became more threatening when the large man suddenly wrapped an arm around the now frozen blonde's shoulders, pulling him toward him and onto the couch with him, earning a sympathetic look from Rogue, Makarov and Metalicana.

"I knew you guys would get along- Oh! That reminds me," Natsu suddenly grinned, clapping his hands together completely oblivious to the tension, "I gotta grab my camera! You stay here with Dad and get to know each other while I go grab it okay?"

Natsu placed a gentle kiss to Sting's forehead before disappearing around the corner and up the stairs and Sting paled considerably. His boyfriend had just left him-

Alone.

And with his father of all people.

Oh Twin Dragons above.

He was gonna die.

"So-" Igneel drawled out, voice seeping with dark promises, "Why don't you tell me little about yourself Sting."

"I- Uh- I'm-"

"I don't bite boy." Igneel smiled. "I promise."

'Bullshit!' Sting gulped, trying to relax his nerves. "I- Uh- I-I'm a s-student at Crocus University. S-Studying to get m-my degree in b-business- To take over for m-my dad-"

"Are you now?" Igneel nodded, patting Sting's shoulder rather harshly. "Following in the family business- A worthy career path."

"Y-Yeah."

"How long have you dated my son?"

"F-Five years."

"Five years? Well now that's quite some time."

"Y-Yeah."

"Yes," Igneel agreed, nodding, "Such a long time."

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the two men while everyone else talked around them, voices low enough to allow them catch a word the two men might say at any moment. After a long while Igneel spoke again, making Sting and everyone present jump a few feet, though the red haired man seemed to pay no mind.

"What does Natsu mean to you?"

Sting jumped. "Eh?"

Igneel gaze him a sideways glance. A glance that meant certain death should Sting say the wrong thing. "What does my son mean to you boy?"

Sting paused, mind whirling as he thought of the answer. He loved Natsu, the pinkette was everything to the blonde. Sting immediately recalled a time he had hit rock bottom in the second year in high school, his mother had died from a fatal illness and his father contracted it as well. His father fought against the illness for months and struggled to maintain his job and their house, the strain got to Sting and he eventually he turned down the spiraling path of drugs and alcohol, got into fights, alienating himself from his friends, family and getting himself in trouble with both school officials and law enforcement.

Then one day Sting got into another fist fight, a fist fight that left him bloody, battered and bruised and was left to rot when Natsu came into his life. It was like he was an angel sent from the Gods above, he stood there, wrapped in a golden halo of light as he regarded the broken blonde with worry and concern before offering a hand out to the blonde. A hand Sting accepted.

Since that day, Sting cleaned himself up, he quit the drugs and the alcohol cold turkey, though it was hard, he mended the bonds he broke in his drug/alcohol fueled state, cleaned up his grades, putting himself back on track for his future and basically cleaned himself up with Natsu right by his side every step of the way, offering emotionally support and being there for the blonde during his worst. Eventually, once Sting was officially deemed 'clean', he and Natsu started dating and Sting couldn't be happier having the pinkette in his life, by his side. He never stopped telling him how much he loved him, he held him, he kissed him, told him what an impact he had on him and how he became a better man because of him.

Natsu was everything to him.

"My son means that much to you huh?"

Sting blinked, lost at first before his face became a flaming red when he realized he spoke his thoughts out loud for all to hear. He buried his face in his hands.

He was so dead.

He flinched he felt that callous hand place itself on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. Sting peeked one eye over to the red haired man and found that he was giving him a smile and not just any smile either, it was the smile of pride no malice or forced muscles behind it.

"I'm proud that my son has picked out a good man, even if he had rough start."

Sting couldn't believe what he was hearing. "T-Thank you Sir."

"I'm actually surprised that you aren't gaining anything from this long relationship..."

Sting was taken back but once the meaning settled in, he felt anger and disbelief take helm. "I would never take advantage of him!"

"Oh~ That's good- But I must warn you," And just like that as quick as he turned sweet, Igneel then became dangerously sour, "If anything- ANYTHING- Should befall my son, you hurt one hair on his head or break his heart- I'll make you wish you've never been born boy."

"YES SIR!"

"I found it!" Natsu came rebounding back into the living room, camera in hand and wide smile plastered on his face. "Group together! This is going into the Book."

The rest of Thanksgiving dinner went rather smoothly, Sting was pleasantly surprised that he had a lot in common with Igneel, ranging from sports to cars to even tv shows, he bonded with him fairly well. When they began to list what they were thankful for, Sting admitted he was thankful to having met Natsu and his family and how they made him feel a part of a bigger picture earning him approval from the large family. The time to part ways came and Sting and Natsu found themselves on the front porch, enjoying the simple alone time they had.

"So- What did you think of Dad?" Natsu breathed against Sting's lips as he leaned in for another kiss. "Not bad... Right?"

"No- Not as bad- As bad as I thought," Sting agreed between kisses. He pulled away to stare into those beautiful golden pools, "For awhile, I thought he was going to kill me."

"Kill you?" Natsu echoed, utterly befuddled, "Why would Dad want to kill you?"

"Because I'm dating his 'precious son'," Sting replied with a sigh, "But I think I made a pretty good impression on him."

"That's good."

"Yes..." Sting agreed before pulling Natsu into another heated kiss. "It is..."

Their kiss was soon intreputed when Igneel's voice cut across them like a knife, startling both men and they stared at the man in disbelief with red faces and the next thing Sting knew he stood drenched before the pinkette. Sting blinked and sighed with a small smile, guess he was going to have to get used to this now.

"I may have given you my blessings boy but that didn't mean you could eat my son's face on MY doorstep."

"DAD!"

END