Chapter 2: Too good to be true

Natsu got up from the bed and stretched slightly before standing next to Lucy. The boy greeted Lucy, "Good morning mother. I have woken Nashi up and have come here to call you and father for breakfast."

"Thank you Luke! I'll come down right away" Lucy replied with a loving smile before hugging the child tightly. The child looked slightly flustered, but schooled his expression immediately and hugged her back.

After letting go, Luke turned to Natsu and in an instant the air around them turned lethal as he gave Natsu a revolting look, before adding condescendingly, "Please put some clothes on father. After all the complaining you do about uncle Gray, its unappealing to see you naked first thing in the morning!"

Natsu gave him a confused look as Lucy berated Luke, "That's no way to talk to your father Luke!"

The younger boy just turned his head with a 'humph'. Natsu found this behavior quiet amusing and contradictory, the boy seemed so saintly moments ago and now had an annoyed look on his face. Natsu chuckled silently.

Lucy and Luke left the room and Natsu got dressed up really quickly, he found himself lost in deep thought again as he was trying to figure everything out. He still couldn't digest anything that was going on and was starting to have a bad premonition about all of this. Just what kind of spell did that snowflake lady cast on him? Were Gray, Lucy and the others alright?

Not wanting to waste too much time idling, Natsu took a quick bath and put on the clothes Lucy had kept on the bed for him. White slacks, paired with an Orange T-shirt with a flame symbol on it and his signature muffler. Looking at the mirror, he noticed that he looked slightly mature. He examined himself for a while before letting out a defeated sigh.

Natsu exited the room and looked around the house for a while. He noticed that the house was fairly big for a family of 4 or should he say 5, as he saw a spaniel running towards him. It tackled him to the ground and started sniffing him. The collar of the tag showed the name 'Amber'. Hmm… We even have a nice little dog at home, interesting… He thought. He petted the pooch for a while, got up and dusted himself, only then did Amber get off him and tried to make him follow her to the dining room. Kawaii… he thought.

On the way, Natsu couldn't help but notice all the pictures and awards hanging on the walls and in showcases. Turns out Lucy did make it big as an author, a best-selling one at that. An unknown emotion stirred in his heart as his chest filled with pride and joy. He was genuinely happy for the blonde. No wonder the house is this big…

When he got to the dining room he found everyone seated on the table and waiting for him. For the first time he saw a girl around 10 years old sitting on a chair next to Luke. She had salmon hair which was slightly unkempt. She looked very identical to the Nasha he met in Edolas. AAAAH the cutest thing I've ever seen! She has Lucy's eyes… So pretty! Natsu almost squealed but contained himself.

As soon as Nashi noticed him come into the room, she ran and hugged him tightly. She looked at him with those big brown puppy dog eyes and he understood what she wanted. He hoisted her into his arms and gave her a tight hug. Nashi kissed his cheek and said merrily, "Good morning papa! How was your mission?"

Natsu couldn't help but blush a little as he gave her an assuring smile, "It was great!" They were interrupted by Lucy who still had a troubled look on her face. She asked again, "Natsu, where is the gift? Do you know where you kept it?" Natsu paled, the last thing he wanted was being beaten up by Lucy. He frantically looked around, when his eyes landed on Luke who was currently feeding Amber.

When Luke noticed his father's gaze, he merely gave a shrug and went up to a cabinet in the dining room, he opened a compartment and took out 2 identical watch boxes neatly wrapped. Seeing the gifts, Lucy gave a breath of relief and thanked Luke.

The kid isn't that bad, he actually helped me. Natsu thought as he gave Luke a look of gratitude. Luke just rolled his eyes and went to pet Amber. What Natsu didn't know was that Luke only helped him because he didn't want to see his mother sad. Luke loved his Okasan, he would go to any lengths to please her and see her happy.

The family sat to have their breakfast. Natsu was constantly pacing out and Lucy noticed his discomfort, "What's wrong sweetie? Is the food to to your liking today?" Natsu snapped back to reality and comforted her. I have to be more conscious of what I'm doing, lest I make everyone worried...I can't see Luce like that… Natsu resolved to himself.

As soon as they finished cleaning up they set out to Zeref and Mavis' house with gifts and cake in their hand. Lucy also brought a few books with her, Natsu found this strange but didn't question.

The older Dragneels lived in the outskirts of Magnolia, so it would take time to reach there even in a magic vehicle. Lucy offered to drive. Looking out the window, Natsu was awestruck at how much the town had developed, even though it wasn't very packed with people. He caught himself wondering how the guild looked now, considering the number of times it was remodeled.

When they reached their destination, both Nashi and Luke rushed to the doorstep of the house. Natsu, however, was still hesitant. He was still confused about all of this and was tipping towards his breaking point at an alarming rate. Lucy looked at him and held his hand, "You've been off since morning. Did something happen during the mission? You know you can share everything with me right? I'm right here…" She spoke in a comforting voice.

Natsu almost melted into her touch. He shook his head rapidly and have her a smile. Lucy looked at him for a while and said in a soft voice "I love you Natsu", barely audible, but thanks to his dragon slayer senses he heard what she said very well. Natsu never imagined 3 words could affect him this badly, the words made his insides flutter. He found himself at a loss for words and gaped at her.

Lucy only shook her head knowingly and let go of his hand. Natsu felt the warmth leave him as she let go and almost whined at the loss of contact. She instead pulled him closer by his scarf and gave him a rousing kiss. It didn't last long as they heard the kids calling for them. Lucy quickly let go and groomed Natsu's locks endearingly. She cupped his cheeks and said softly, "I'll always be there for you… Let's go?" She let go of him and got out of the vehicle. Natsu quickly followed suit but was stuck in a haze.

This was all too much. He felt like didn't deserve any of this! Was this someone else's happiness that he snatched away?! Am I still trapped in the spell or is this where I belonged this whole time? Everything seems to be just the way he wanted, everyone seems so kind and loving…

Lucas rang the doorbell and a man with long red hair answered the door. Natsu's mind was already in shambles, and the sight that greeted him almost made his brain shut down for good. The tall man at the doorframe looked awfully similar to Ignia, but his scent gave him away…

IGNEEL!

Author's notes:

So I'm introducing Igneel in his human form, because he can't really fit in if he's in his dragon form…lol

I will also be introducing Mr. Dragneel and Mrs. Dragneel. Still doubtful about their names as their names weren't mentioned in the manga. It would be nice to see the kids with their grandpa and grandma.

The updates might be irregular, but I'll try my best. I've got an awesome friend helping me with editing and feedback…

Thank you for your support and love!