Everything Is Wonderful
By. Fanficer21
Chapter 10
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Disclaimer: When the mighty Pusheen rules the world, I will own Fairy Tail. Until then...meh!
Rated: T
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Enjoy!
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It was a dark and stormy night, and Natsu jumped awake in bed as a loud crack of thunder sounded outside. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm his racing heart. He was having a dream about Ian strangling him again, but this time in the dream he had died. Looking out the rain drenched window, he saw the wind sweeping through the trees among the lightening.
When he breathing was under control again, he put his feet on the floor. Only one thought raced through his mind. The night Ian choked him, the man had said something about his father coming to rescue him or something. Natsu didn't understand why he would say that. He remembered earlier as well when the man said something about his father again, but this time to his mother.
The boy didn't know what to think. His father died in a house fire...right? Why would his mother lie to him about something like that? With a sudden burst of determination, Natsu quietly walked to his bedroom door and listened to make sure all was quiet. Opening the door, he peeked out, jumping at the flashes of lightening bursting through the hallway windows. Creeping down the hall, he couldn't help but feel he was in a horror movie and some serial killer was going to jump out from around the corner.
Passing his mother's room, he slowly opening the door, grimacing at the slight squeak. Peeking inside, he saw the bump from her body under the covers. He didn't have to worry about Ian, since the man never slept in the room anyway. He preferred sleeping on the couch with his precious beer.
Leaving the room, he carefully made his way down the stairs in the darkness, keeping his ears alert for any sound of life in the living room. At the base of the stairs, a look to the left showed no inhabitants in the living room. A look to the right, he wondered why the kitchen light was on. Walking into the living room, he shuffled his feet as to not slip on the recent, emptied beer cans. Perhaps Ian left to go get more, in which case, that only left him about ten minutes or so before he got back.
Lightening filled the room just before Natsu turned on the light switch. He scanned the book shelves for the desired item on his mind until he found it nestled between two larger books. Pulling out the photo album, Natsu sat on the floor and paged through it carefully as not to make a sound. There had to be some kind of clue in this book about his real father. He'd been growing suspicious of his father being alive, after the comments that were previously made.
Seeing the old photos of him as a baby, he smiled at how cute he was. He turned a few pages, looking at his image as he grew, but stopped when he
noticed what looked like a picture hidden beneath another. It was a picture of his mother and Ian's wedding photo. He remembered that blue dress she wore, the haunting memory forming in the back of his mind. Turning his attention to behind the photo, he noticed another one behind it. Gently pulling it out, his eyes widened at the photo in his now shaking hand. A younger version of his mother was in the arms of a younger Igneel. Both were smiling happily up at him.
Igneel?
Wendy's Igneel?
Why was Igneel here?
The more he stared at the photo, the more his eyes began to burn as his heart and mind raced. What was going on? Why was Igneel with his mom in this photo? How come he doesn't remember meeting this man until recently, except for those few foggy memories from his childhood? Why did his mother always tell him his father died in a fire? Why was he looking at the Igneel he wished was his own father?
Remembering the photo Igneel gave him, he quickly dug into his pocket, pulling out the small photo. He looked at it with watering eyes, his breath catching in his throat. Igneel looked a few years older in this picture with him. It was true...wasn't it? His wish had come true. But in the cruelest way.
Lowering his head, he allowed a few tears to fall at the thought of being lied to all these years. Carefully putting the photo back into the album, Natsu put the book back in place. Getting to his feet, he listened to another crack of thunder outside. Not bothering to put on a raincoat, or even socks and shoes. He opened the door quietly, before heading out into the stormy night. Screw the lights, he needed answers, and he needed them now.
He didn't want to ask his mother. No. He needed to ask the one man he never knew existed, until recently. He needed the truth from Igneel. Shutting the door behind him, he ran all the way to the Dragneel's house in the rain. His adrenaline rushing too much for him to care about the cold water soaking him to the bone. His tears mixed with the rain as he ran, causing his vision to blur. He yelped in surprise when he slipped in a muddy puddle, getting his knees soaked in rain water and mud as they hit the ground. Slamming his fist into the wet grass, the boy gave a shriek of aggravation as lightening filled the sky.
Breathing raggedly, Natsu got to his feet, but they wanted to slip in the mud again. He continued to run as anger took over his emotions.
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Igneel jumped when he heard a pounding on the door. It was a good thing he was already awake, having just used the bathroom. Making his way to the door, he glanced at the clock with a grumble. It was three o'clock in the morning. He rubbed his eyes, wondering who could be bothering his family this early in the morning, especially a dark and stormy one.
Opening the door, he saw Natsu standing in the rain, soaking wet with muddy knees, and breathing heavily. Pink hair clung to his face with water trailing from the strands. The boy's eyes shown what looked like determination, anger, hope, and betrayal. Natsu stared at him with a stern look, biting his bottom lip. "Natsu, what-?" Igneel took a step back, starting to speak, but was cut off by the boy's growl.
"Are you my father!?" It sounded more like a statement than a question. The boy's fists clenched at his sides. "Answer me!" He shouted when the man didn't answer right away.
"W-When did you find out?" Was all Igneel could say, his eyes wide, watching as the boy's posture turned rigid, olive eyes becoming feral. "How long have you known?" Natsu bit out, his voice sharper.
"3 months." Igneel responded, resignation in his voice as he deflated against the door frame.
"Why didn't you tell me! We could have figured something out! I can't stand living in that hell anymore with Ian!" The boy shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as he clenched his fists harder, his arms shaking as more tears fell.
"It's not as simple as you think." Igneel said softly with a sigh as he put all his weight against the door frame. His eyes began to burn, every worst case scenario running through his mind.
"You don't care, do you! About me." Natsu said quietly, catching Igneel off guard. His teeth clenched and eyes to the ground, the boy's whole body shook. "Natsu. I lo-" Igneel tried to say, but Natsu shot his head up, eyes glossy from the tears hidden in the rain.
"You wouldn't even care if I died!" The boy growled, cutting Igneel right to the heart. Without waiting for the man's response, Natsu took off into the rain, running to who knows where. Igneel just stood there with an expression of shock on his face, his eyes burning even more. Clenching his hands and jaw, he took off after his son, not allowing his boy to ever believe such a thing.
Running blindly, Natsu slipped on another patch of mud, making him fall onto the wet grass again. Before he could get back up, he felt strong hands grab his waist, lifting him off the ground. Growling, he writhed in the hold, trying to get out, but only succeeded in making his clothes more muddy as he clawed at the soggy ground. Igneel tightened his grip, wrapping his arms tightly around Natsu's stomach and pulling him to his chest.
The boy grabbed his father's arms, trying to push them away, arching his back as he pressed the back of his head against the strong shoulder. Igneel only tightened the embrace, curling his body around his son's, one hand sliding beneath the pinkette's shirt as he continued to struggle. Pressing his face against the side of Natsu's head, he shouted into the boy's ear. "Don't you dare think that I wouldn't care!...I-If I ever l-lost you...I...I don't..." Igneel couldn't finish, chocking back a sob as tears slid down his cheeks, causing the boy to stop struggling with a start at the words.
Guilt filled Natsu when he felt the man shaking, the hand beneath his shirt clenching into a fist, pressing itself to his chest. The lips quivering against his ear made him feel remorseful. Lowering his head, his body deflated at his defeat. He felt the arms tighten around him more, bringing him closer to the strong chest. The heat radiating from the man made him realize how cold he was, his body shivering.
Igneel turned Natsu's body so his front was facing him, this time the boy didn't struggle as his face was pressed into the crook of said man's neck. He pressed his son's chest firmly against his own, transferring his core body heat to Natsu. Bending down further, he scooped the boy into his arms, before making his way back to his house. Once inside the house, he took off his shoes and immediately went to the bathroom, starting a hot shower. Sitting on the toilet seat, he held Natsu on his lap as he started to take off the boy's shirt, much to the pinkette's discomfort.
"Natsu. If I don't get you warmed up, you're going to get sick. And I will not allow that to happen." Igneel spoke firmly, stopping the boy's struggles. Pulling Natsu's shirt off the rest of the way, Igneel then took off his own. Natsu took off his trousers with shaking hands, because he didn't want Igneel to do it. When both were in their boxers, Igneel held his shivering son in his arms as he stepped into the shower, settling down on the bottom of the bathtub. He held Natsu close to him, pressing the boy's body against his chest to transfer more body heat. His hands rubbing along his son's back.
"I-I'm s-s-sorry..." Natsu stuttered through chattering teeth, shifting his body slightly. "Shh...don't speak. Just rest, my son." Igneel responded, using one hand to press Natsu's forehead to the crook of his neck, his fingers weaving into the soaked hair. Feeling Natsu nod against him, he breathed a sigh of relief, resting his head atop his son's. Closing his eyes, he hummed a soft tune, feeling the boy relax more against him. The pinkette started to fade into the darkness of sleep, the hot water and steam stopping the shivers.
Igneel held his son close for several more minutes, the water hitting and sliding down their bodies in a soothing motion. When he deemed Natsu warm enough, he shut off the water and grabbed a nearby towel. He quickly, yet softly wiped the water from his son's body, before wrapping the towel around the boy's waist. He used another towel to rub Natsu's hair dry. When finished, he sat Natsu on the toilet seat, letting him lean against the counter as he dried himself off. Wrapping another towel around his own waist, Igneel picked his son up again, and walked out of the bathroom, shutting the light off. Making his way to the living room, he quietly walked to the large couch as not to wake his wife and daughter in their respective rooms.
Setting Natsu down on the soft cushions, Igneel grabbed a thick blanket. Sitting down, he pulled his son onto his lap, resting the boy's mostly bare body against his own, as a means to provide even more body heat, just in case the shower didn't get rid of all the chills. Wrapping the thick blanket around both of them, Igneel rested his cheek against the pink hair, one hand weaving into the soft locks, the other holding the boy close until he too fell asleep.
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Early the next morning, Igneel awoke to a gentle tap on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw that Natsu was still sleeping in his arms, his head hung to the side over Igneel's arm. Pulling the boy and the blanket closer, he kissed Natsu's temple lightly, before closing his eyes again.
His eyes snapped open when he felt another tap on his shoulder, a little harder this time. Looking up, he saw Wendy standing in front of him, a curious, yet annoyed look on her face. "Dad, why are you holding Natsu like that? When did he get here? And why are you guys...uh, naked?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, demanding an answer in her own cute way. At her last words, Igneel's face burned red with embarrassment. "Uh. Is your mother up yet?" He asked, hoping to divert the attention, only cursing under his breath when the girl did not move, nor answer.
Looking down at Natsu once again, Igneel patted the cushion next to him, motioning for his daughter to take a seat. With a tender smile, he brushed the hair from the boy's brow. "Wendy, I don't know any other way to tell you this, but to just come out with it. Natsu is my son, and your step-brother." Igneel chuckled at Wendy's furrowed and confused expression.
"Before I married your mother, I had a girlfriend, 17 years ago. When she was pregnant, she ran away. Now, 17 years later, you make a friend at
school, who happens to be the boy I never knew existed. So I have you to thank for bringing us together." Igneel smiled, nudging his daughter's shoulder with his own, causing the bluenette to smile brightly.
"So...Natsu really is my brother..." Wendy stated softly, looking at the sleeping boy. Igneel watched as her expression changed to joy. "That's so cool! I always wanted a brother!" Igneel couldn't help but laugh, happy that his daughter was so welcoming to the news. At the sound of a groan, both sets of eyes shifted to the boy, who started to stretch in his father's arms. Opening his eyes, the boy looked up at Igneel, then Wendy, a confused look on his face.
"Good morning, Natsu." Igneel said, moving the blanket to cover the boy's chest after it moved from his stretching. "Good morning, nii-san!" Wendy chirped happily, causing Natsu to stare at her, then back at Igneel, before he sighed. He slightly remembered the events of last night, running in the rain, yelling at his dad, trying to run away, and struggling in his hold. He didn't know if he should be happy with his current situation, or if he should still be angry about it.
Thinking about it, his joy at Igneel being his father and being alive, trumped his anger at being lied to since he was a child. Tears formed in his eyes at the re-realization that he did indeed have a father. One that loved him like a father should. Sitting up with a pounce, he wrapped his arms around Igneel's neck, allowing the tears to fall freely. Igneel wrapped his arms around his son's bare back, happy to know the boy wasn't as angry as he thought he might still be. Tears of his own formed along with the brightest smile he's had in a while.
Jumping up with squeal, Wendy fell on them, wrapping her arms around them and caused them all to laugh.
"What's going on here?" Everyone jumped and looked at Grandine with wide eyes, her disapproving look making them uncomfortable. Igneel quickly shooed the kids away, allowing Natsu to take the blanket with him. Grandine watched the kids leave, before turning her stink eye back onto her husband. "And what have you been doing with the young man?"
Igneel held his hands up in surrender. "Come sit down and let me tell you." He said, sweat dripping down his temple. When Grandine sat down, the man told her about the events of last night and the news that Natsu knew he was his father and accepted it. Igneel almost jumped out of his skin when his wife jumped up with a squeal. She ran to the kitchen and proceeded to make a something.
As soon as a freshly washed and dressed Natsu came down to the living room with Wendy, Grandine ran up to him and wrapped him in her arms tightly. She breathed deeply before speaking softly. "Welcome to the family, Natsu!"
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