Chapter Seven: I Love You
A/N: Damn the long wait! It was caused by a case of writer's block, having to move three times, and also the majority of my shit was in a storage unit and, long story short, got thrown away. Really busy and really shitty, but I'm here now! Thanks for telling me your concerns and still reviewing you lovely people! I'm hoping to get a Seven Years chapter out too.
I scared her. Natsu looks at his daughter with wide eyes. He can't say it's the first time. It isn't. And it won't be the last. But every time he looks into her eyes and sees the fear and confusion in the deep violet, his heart breaks just a little. Natsu looks to Gray, and Gray's face is no longer as red as before. They both know it's over.
Natsu takes a deep breath. Then another. He calms his magic and feels the tense muscles in his face relax.
"You done?" Ultear asks, and Natsu closes his eyes and takes another breath. Okay, Gray's words scared him. Because if Gray knows, then someone told him. Which means the whole guild knows. Which means they're all now going to actively try to bring him back. He prays the over-the-top reaction to Gray will stop any future fights over the issue. Although, Natsu peaks and eye open and looks around the guild, they're too stubborn for that. And he would know. After all, they frequently say that he inspires them, and nothing is more inspiring than his stubborn will.
"Yes." He says and turns to her with a sheepish smile. He's asking her for his forgiveness, which she thinks is just stupid because of course she forgives him.
"You idiot." Ultear says although she's only slightly serious, Natsu can tell she's not all too happy by his reaction.
"Speaking of idiots..." Natsu says with a grin. "We have three months to catch the team up." Natsu says and crosses his arms in thought.
"Please, like we need you to train us." Gray huffs, not willing to admit that Natsu is actually stronger than him.
"What did you have in mind?" Lucy asks, Wendy by her side. Natsu just looks at her for a moment then to Ultear.
"We'll head out tomorrow. Meet me by the train station?"
"Have you already bought the train tickets?" Lucy asks with a raised brow.
"No, not yet." He says and a mischievous smile grows on her face.
"Good. I know where we're going." She says and looks at the rest of her team. Wendy looks to Carla in mild fear but also excitement.
"Fine, Lucy, I'll go wherever you'll be sending us." Gray says as he takes his seat back and taps his fingers on the table. "But this won't be a 'Natsu training us' trip." He says and eyes the pinkette for a moment. Natsu looks to Gray and raises a brow but as Sonya sends him a look the pinkette simply adjusts his gaze.
"Alright Luce. What time should we be at the station?" She then contemplates for a moment as the whole team looks to her.
"I believe 10 sharp may be an appropriate time." Erza says, her patience running thin.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Lucy agrees and the pinkette nods.
"See you then." He says and turns around.
"Hey, wait." Gray speaks up and Natsu turns to look at the sitting man. The ice mage decidedly stands and ignores the height difference. "Did you know?" The look hidden in the pinkette's eyes is nigh unreadable and he turns back around.
"Hey, Happy." The blue cat, who had oddly kept his distance, is by Natsu's side in a moment. "After today, could you keep an eye on Sonya?"
"Aye Sir!" He says, eyes shining with the excitement of a new mission.
"Thanks Buddy." He says and pats the cat on the head. "I missed you, ya know." He says and the cat then flies into Natsu chest and clings tightly to his clothes. The pinkette continues to comfort Happy before patting his friend on the head. "We'll catch up bud, I promise." Happy then sniffles, wipes his button nose on Natsu's shirt, before backing away and saluting the pinkette. "Hey Sonya, didn't I promise ice cream?" He says and his daughter perks up immediately and apologetically races away from Meredy.
"Natsu, you can't ignore us forever!" Gray growls and the pinkette half turns.
"We have three months to deal with that." He says simply as his daughter races up to him and he scoops her in his arms. "I'm going to spend this time with my daughter." Gray just sits back down, arms crossed and face screwed up in annoyance. Lucy sits down across from him, brows furrowed in thought.
"You don't think..."
"Oh yes." Erza then sits, a finger tapping on the table.
"But he basically gave us permission to bug him for three months." Lucy says and the other two smirk.
"We'll have that asshat back in no time." Gray says, brow still furrowed in mild anger. From further back, Ultear watches the pinkette leave but allows it this one time.
After Natsu gets ice cream for himself and his daughter, they buy a few more things, and more, until dinner time where they then go and feast at a fancy restaurant. The night easily changes to a full-blown father-daughter date. At the end of the night, Natsu carries Sonya back to Crime Sorciere Magnolia home, and Sonya tiredly tries to enjoy the beauty of Magnolia at night.
"The river looks like it has stars." She says right before a heavy yawn.
"Yes, it does." Natsu agrees as he sees the water sparkling from the reflections of light.
"Where do stars go during the day?" She asks as she looks up at the constellations. Natsu eyes her for a moment, he had always been curious about her infatuation with stars and always tried to give her all the answers she needed, although he isn't the most knowledgeable on the topic.
"They don't go anywhere. We just can't see them."
"That's what I thought." She says, forcing her eyes to remain open. "I can always sense them." Natsu pauses in his walk for a moment and looks down at his daughter.
"What?"
"The stars." She says and a blissful, tired smile grows on her small face. "I can sense them. Can't you?" He looks up to the stars and a ghost of a smile grows on his face.
"No." He admits and a childish frown grows on her face.
"That's too bad." She says and Natsu then begins walking again. "It's like a warmth that never leaves. Kind of like you, Daddy." She says and Natsu chuckles at her words.
"I see." They then continue their journey in comfortable silence as Sonya drifts in and out of conscious, every now and then spouting half sentences of nonsense that Natsu tries to respond to.
When Natsu walks in the door, he sees the three members of Crime Sorciere sitting around the dining room table. He makes eye contact with Ultear then nods to the sleeping Sonya in his arms. She leaves the table and takes the girl from him.
"Long day with Daddy, huh?" She says in a hushed voice.
"Yeah. I blew through more Jewels then I meant to." He says sheepishly and she smiles at him. "She said something interesting to me."
"Is it about the stars?" She says as she begins to head up the stairs.
"You know? And you didn't tell me?"
"Well what did she say? I've noticed her obsession with them and she said something about their warmth once."
"She said she could sense them."
"That's new," She says and they both look at their little angel. Ultear reaches the room and lays her daughter down on a bed much too big for her. Together they tuck her in, smiles on each of their faces.
"That's dangerous."
"I know." She says and then sighs. "There are so many things we need to talk about, Natsu."
"Can it wait?" The pinkette asks as he looks down to Sonya.
"No." Ultear says and heads out the room. "You coming?"
"Just a second." Natsu says and keeps looking at his daughter. After a moment, he hears her head down the hall and the door to their room closes shortly after.
"Natsu, Ultear seemed like she needed to talk to you." Jellal says from the doorway. The pinkette hardly acknowledges the man. "What's wrong?" Natsu then looks up at Jellal. "Natsu, you know you can trust me."
"Yeah, obviously I can trust you." Natsu says softly. "You know I trust you." He says and Jellal smiles. "I'm worried." Natsu says as he sits on the end of Sonya's bed.
"About what?" Jellal then joins Natsu and Natsu just looks at him. "Ah."
"Sonya said she can sense stars. And their warmth. And I'm not sure what Ultear wants to talk about."
"You know exactly what she wants to talk about. But I'll look into what Sonya meant."
"Thanks. Time to go talk to her."
"When are you going to make it official?" Jellal asks as they stand up. "Sonya probably dreams about being a flower girl." Jellal then looks at Natsu and creases his brows. "Are you gonna pop the question?"
"I don't know, Jellal. I've never really thought about it." He says and Jellal sends him a knowing look. "Of course I have thought about it. But for people like us? I'm just trying to be realistic."
"You're basically married without the title."
"So then why get the title?"
"So you really don't wanna be husband and wife? You don't want the whole 'Mrs. Dragneel' or the rings?" Natsu contemplates the words for a moment and then looks to Jellal.
"But for people like us?"
"All wizards live dangerous lives, Natsu. That didn't stop Bisca and Alzack, did it? And that change in title doesn't make what we do less dangerous."
"I'll… think about it." Jellal then raises his brow and places a comforting hand on Natsu's back.
"Whatever you say, now just go talk to your Wifey."
"You aren't gonna let this go."
"Nope." He says and then smiles as they split ways, Natsu heading to his shared bedroom. When he opens the door the light is on and Ultear is dressed for bed. She crosses her arms as he comes in much later than she had anticipated.
"At this point, my anger has dried out."
"Anger? Are you mad at me?"
"Well first, you just take Sonya all day and don't contact me. At all."
"You watched me leave the guild with her." He says matter of factly as he begins to get dressed for bed.
"Yeah, but no contact all day? I trust you, it's just..." He takes the cloak off and hangs it on the back of the door beside Ultear's. "We have to be careful. I know I get to see her more than you do, but every time either of us go in public with her, we play with fire."
"I know. But I never see her." He admits as he sits on the bed. Ultear watches as he heaves a sigh and runs his fingers through his hair. "I'm always working with Fairy Tail, you know I like to steal Sonya when I can. Mavis, never thought guild work would ever feel like a job, but with a kid..." Ultear turns the light off and looks to him.
"I get it. I know. We both have dangerous jobs. And it's so-"
"Scary." Natsu finishes and she sits beside him. "Every mission, something happens."
"Just makes us appreciate Sonya more, right?" She says and Natsu smiles. "She's our blessing."
"Yeah." He then takes her hand. "I love you." She squeezes his hand. "What?"
"What was that earlier?" Ultear asks. Her smile then turns to a harsh glare. One Natsu fully expected as soon as the dots connected. She then retracts her arm and he lets her. "You completely lost your temper with Gray. Was the news really that shocking to you?"
"No."
"Because I-" Ultear pauses. Takes a moment and processes Natsu's one-word response. "No?"
"I wasn't shocked." Natsu states, and turns to her. "Do you honestly think I didn't know? That I didn't figure out what had happened?" She stands up in shock and although Natsu can't see Ultear's face due to the dim lighting, he can guess that she's jaw-dropped flabbergasted. "Come 'ere." He says and smiles. She presses her lips together and keeps her feet glued to the ground.
"How long have you known?" She asks and crosses her arms.
"A couple of years." He responds, a response that is too vague for her.
"What do you know?" She asks, trying to get more information out of him. Natsu sighs and sits at the edge of the bed. He looks at his wife for a moment.
"Everything." He says and looks into her eyes. "I forgave you a long time ago, I told you that. When I fell in love with you I told you that your sins mean nothing to me. That all those past crimes you committed, they're in the past, because I love you, and nothing is going to change that."
"But Natsu."
"No buts." Ultear smiles at him. She smiles through the sadness that had been eating away at her since she fell in love with him.
"Okay." She says and finally goes towards him. He takes her hands in his own and kisses the back on them before looking her back in the eyes.
"I love you."
"I love you too." She says and he smiles up at her.
A/N: I hope that clears a few things up on what had happened the previous chapter. Next chapter, some good ol' training! Thank you all so very much! Til next time, see ya!