Hello, my lovely readers, and welcome back!

It feels like an age since I posted a new chapter here, and I have missed the Fairy Tail characters so very much.

This chapter was not a request, it sprung to my head almost entirely fully formed whilst I washed dishes on Sunday evening and I had to stop everything I had planned, to put this down on paper (normal service will resume after this story concludes, I promise!).

The story is HEAVILY inspired by the dynamic of the Dragneel family as written by Kurasame on AO3 (with their permission) in their fanfiction, The Age of Etherion. I've said it already, but seriously, check it out! I will not spoil things but I was left a puddle of fluffy feelings after reading the adorably cute interactions between young Zeref and even younger Natsu!

I have never given too much thought to Zeref, and now see that for the great injustice that is, and within a modern AU with no strings of the canon events, it was even better to get to know him more intimately. There will be two parts to this story as I simply have too much to tell in just one part, this story will also interlink with the chapter Angel, think of this one as a prequel to that story, set around four to five years prior to Natsu meeting Lucy.

Seriously hope you enjoy it!

Requests are back open, so feel free to request away! Let me write your kinks or fluffy feelings :P

Much love fluff lovers!

~.~

The trill of the alarm clock cut through the air like a piercing scream, it was short lived as a hand rested atop the blinking device before being switched off with a soft sigh. Not snoozed, for he would never indulge in another ten minutes of sleep when he should be up and being productive.

The red digits flashed in the darkness, 6.30am and time to start the day. Yet he had already been awake for the past hour, the early bird does indeed catch the worm, but maybe not when he had spent that first hour of waking scrolling on his phone.

Zeref Dragneel was an enigma to most people, a closed book and it was truly a great shame. The mysteries and hidden depths within his pages would fascinate many a reader, but he held himself back for fear of being burned. He had responsibilities, a heavy burden for any almost nineteen year old but also a sense of duty that he would entrust to no one else.

Closing the manga he had been frowning in front of for the past hour, he resolved to finish it before settling into sleep tonight, he had to find out if Tohru would have a happy ending with the idiot Sohma. His face fell into a deep set scowl at that thought, Kyo was such a damned fool for trying to ignore his feelings, who would do that?

Who indeed?

His morning routine was completed in precise and measured steps; Zeref was nothing if not consistent. A quick shower, teeth brushed, raven hair mostly towel dried as he attempted as he did every morning to make the tuft at his crown lay flat and he failed miserably as he always did. His gaze lingered on his reflection a little longer this morning, a prodding finger lifting his top lip as he examined his strangely sharp canines, a family trait that he wasn't sure he was happy to have inherited.

The faint buzz from his bedroom halted his wayward thoughts, he was unsure what was causing him so much mild distress today. It was almost as if he could sense that change was in the air, an uneasy feeling of things being taken out of his control and he did not like it one bit. Perhaps it was merely the shifting of the seasons, the winter months were slowly melting into the first fresh, crisp days of spring? Zeref was not one for attempting to misdirect his instincts, but nothing seemed to be going the normal way today.

Dressing quickly for work into the company policy business casual dress code, what the hell did business casual mean?! A popular choice for most office-based workplaces but that simple phrase had caused nothing but strife for the young man in the first weeks of his employment. He had finally settled on pristine white dress shirts tucked into black jeans and if he were feeling extra casual, as he was today, he would roll his sleeves neatly up to his elbows.

Zeref glanced at his phone to find an email from the agency, a new babysitter had been matched to his request and he resolved to scan the details over breakfast. Phone tucked into his back pocket he stepped from his room and was met by the thunderous noise of snoring from down the hall. To others, it may sound like a fire-breathing Dragon were housed within the walls of the room at the far end of the corridor, to Zeref it simply meant that his little brother was still sound asleep, and that displeased him.

His hand had already shifted into a tightly clenched fist as he raised it, raining down a heavy succession of blows to the wooden door until the snoring jarred sharply and changed into sleepily murmured curses.

"Natsu, wake up! You should have been up thirty minutes ago. I expect you downstairs, ready for the day in fifteen minutes. Heaven help you if I have to come back up here!"

Oh how he wished he hadn't swung the door open to yell into the room, the sight that greeted him made his eyes water. The only way that he could describe Natsu's bedroom was 'shithole'; piles of discarded clothes lay around the dank room, clean likely mixed in with the dirty, a stack of empty water glasses towered precariously on the desk that was littered with magazines and dog eared notebooks that housed nothing but inane scribbling, and worst of all was the mass of various game controllers that lay like tangled snakes next to his bed. A trip hazard that would likely break Zeref's neck if he were to try and navigate this nightmare of a room.

A tanned arm shot skywards from the rumpled bed showing him a thumbs up that did not match the muttered words that he could not quite make out due to the pillow atop his head. Zeref grunted and began to pull the door closed, but not before he caught the thumbs up swiftly changed to another digit on prominent display.

The burn of irritation shot up his spine like wildfire, the patience, and unwavering calmness that he normally adopted gone in the blink of an eye in the face of his smartass brother that knew exactly how to piss him off. Quick as a flash he had taken one long step into the room and ripped the duvet from the bed, exposing the boy that lay only in his underwear to the cold morning air.

Natsu wriggled and writhed like a worm caught on a hook, maybe Zeref did catch the worm after all… his pink hair mused from sleep looked comical, as did the very angry look that spread over his face. Lips twisting into a snarl, his own sharp canines spilling over his bottom lip as eyes of pure fury burst open ready to obliterate everything's in his sight. The fire in his onyx eyes dimmed as he took in the grim appearance of his older brother who was very obviously not in the mood for playing around.

"Zerefff" he whined like a toddler, "give it back!" his arm outstretched, hand opening and closing around thin air, desperately wanting the warmth of his comforter back as goosebumps marched along his skin.

"No, you don't need it. Get up!" and the discussion was ended. The door slammed shut to leave him to his business, the trophy of the duvet folded neatly into a thick rectangle and stowed in the airing cupboard, it would be returned later after he had tidied his room.

As Zeref made breakfast and packed lunches he was hit with the sudden realisation that it was almost a year since they had lost their parents; the devastating evening when police officers had knocked on the door of their family home. It almost seemed implausible for something as ordinary as a car crash to have snuffed out the lives of the two people he had respected most in this world. How could a simple mechanical contraption such as a car end the life of his mother and father?

They had been such fierce and loving parents, a family unit that knew what true happiness meant. Zeref should be grateful for the years they had spent together, the many cherished and precious memories that they had made, but the stab of misery was quick to surface and blanket those thoughts. He could not stop himself from thinking of all the things that they had missed and would miss in the future; Zeref's graduation, his enrolling into University, Natsu's graduation, their own families to be found and nurtured.

It seemed like a cruel joke that the two brothers were practically carbon copies of their parents; Natsu could pass for a much younger version of his father with ease. They had the same vivid colour and wild style of hair that defied gravity and refused to obey any brush or comb, both had naturally tanned skin all year round and the same eyes, eyes that could go from blazing hot in their intensity to twinkling with sincere compassion in a nanosecond. Natsu had even inherited his father's energy and stamina, the hours the pair had spent playing all manner of games and sports, Zeref gleefully watching on once he had reached his own limits. Now that he did not have his father to rely on to wear out the boundless energy of his younger brother, he noted that energy was sometimes misdirected into trouble making and something had to be done about that.

As for Zeref, he was the male equivalent of his mother; hair as black as a starless night, pale skin that his father had referred to as the moon that lit up his world, and eyes that housed a myriad of emotions, all held in check unless under specific circumstances. He was more stoic, like his mother had been, preferring to listen and assess from afar before diving into things. Their mother had been his guiding light, never steering him wrong and only ever offering words of encouragement along with sage advice that such a young woman surely shouldn't possess. She was the reason that he was pursuing a career in medicine, and he was determined to make her proud.

There was one thing that both brothers had inherited from their father, other than the oddly sharp canines, and that was his smile. It is hard to put into words how their smile affects those treated to its full power, although their mother was probably the closest to capturing the true experience. She had once described it as being blinded by joy itself, wide and showing off almost every tooth in their mouth, it must hurt their cheeks to smile this widely yet they do so freely time and again. It is impossible not to be captivated by such a smile, and goodness help the women that fell victim to the smiles of these two boys when the time came, they would fall hook, line and, sinker for the Dragneel men, much like their mother had fallen for their father all those years ago.

The dramatic sound of banging and heavy footfalls roused him from his wayward thoughts once more, this day was fast becoming a write-off for the young man, uncertain of how much more he could endure before he declared defeat and stomped back to his own room to hide under the covers. Not that he would ever actually follow through with that, there was far too much on the line to allow himself the luxury of wallowing in his misery.

"Good morning to you too," he cheerily called out to Natsu who had thrown himself into the kitchen chair, slumped in a way that only teenagers could manage. It made him bristle to look upon, the itch to smack the back of his head was strong but he held back, for now.

There was no response, no thank you as he placed the monstrously portioned breakfast plate before him and it was getting more difficult to ignore the twitch that flickered his eye and jarred his vision. Zeref resolved to counting slowly in his head, the morning had started badly but that did not mean it had to continue this way.

1...2...3… breathe Zeref, just let it go.

~.~

To an outsider it may seem like Zeref and Natsu did not get along, it wasn't uncommon between siblings, in fact, it was fairly normal in most households, but this could not be further from the truth. Despite the many times that Zeref longed to smack his brother upside the head, he adored Natsu on a level that was unattainable to most people. It was a love not simply of familial kinship but of true undefinable adoration; his little brother had been the greatest gift his parents had ever given him and Zeref would move the heavens themselves to give him what he wanted, mostly.

As much younger children Natsu had been Zeref's constant shadow, his companion in all ventures, a friend that sought him out in the dark of the night, crawling into his bed during thunderstorms and begging Zeref to play with him on long summer days. The fantastical worlds that Zeref would create for them to immerse themselves in, his vivid imagination fuelled by the numerous books he consumed, and Natsu would be spellbound by his words alone.

Their bond had never faltered or diminished, even as the elder brother became a teenager, he was eager to continue lavishing his attention and time on his little pink imp. That is not to say that they did not fight, bickering was commonplace in the Dragneel household, often escalating until their mother took a death grip to the ear of each boy, the stinging pinch halting the heated words and thrashing limbs until only muffled sobs filled the air. It was left to their father to speak to them, it was hard not to balk under the steady gaze he directed at the mischievous pair, the reminder that they were brothers and that their bond should mean more than silly arguments and disagreements. Zeref knew this speech by heart, and he agreed with his father, but it was so very hard to like Natsu when he willingly trashed his things, bringing chaos to the order that he needed and craved.

~.~

"Your new babysitter starts tonight, I'd like you to tidy your room before they get here," he said calmly, determined to break the tension as he sipped his tea and scanned the details of the new sitter on his phone.

Ms Vermillion, huh?

The resume came highly recommended, with nothing but shining references that praised Ms Vermillion for her kind and no-nonsense nature with all ages of children. His head tipped to the side as his mind conjured an image of a kindly older lady in her sixties, laughter lines that crinkled her eyes and a smile that promised fun as long as the rules were followed.

He could not be further from the truth, but he would find that out all in good time…

"Are you shitting me Zeref? I still have to have a sitter? I am not a child, you know I'm – " Natsu's angry tirade was cut off by the death glare being levelled at him across the table. The boy may be a little dense at times, but he knew when to shut his mouth and this was exactly one of those occasions.

"I am well aware that you will soon be sixteen, idiot brother, but until that day you will need a sitter. I have to work during the day and go to evening classes at the University. This is for us, I want us to have a good future, I want to be able to provide for you, and allow you to enter further education without having to take on a part time job to support it," the monologue fell from his mouth for possibly the hundredth time, he was fast becoming his father and he could tell from the rolling of Natsu's eyes that he too had this speech memorised.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair to gaze at the ceiling. He really did not want to argue with Natsu, conversations like this one had a tendency to go round and round until they covered every point multiple times and often ended with the hot headed monster stomping off, refusing to speak to Zeref for the rest of the day and that was a punishment that he simply could not bear.

"Can this be the last one?" Natsu whined, finally digging into his breakfast, his eyes lit up like glowing coals after the first bite, and his head lowered to attack the food as if it were planning on dissolving if he didn't eat it quick enough.

This was a much more welcome sight, the elder brother watched the food disappearing from the plate and smiled. Natsu had so much energy coursing through his young body that his appetite never seemed to be truly appeased. This meal would likely only keep him going until morning break at school, and it was lucky that Zeref was the one to pack his lunches and snacks or he would eat nothing but junk. Zeref had suffered through enough of Natsu's insane sugar highs followed by the inevitable crashes to ensure that he ate nutritiously balanced meals at all cost.

He hummed quietly, "as long as this one doesn't allow your moronic friends to run riot in this house and lead you astray, then sure." The last sitter had been a man in his early forties who clearly thought he was still in his early twenties. The type that tried desperately to appear hip and up to date with current trends, and just ended up looking rather pathetic. Zeref had seen the warning flags the second he had referred to himself as 'woke' but he liked to give people the benefit of the doubt. His instincts had proved right though, they usually did.

Normal service resumed as the brothers chattered away, Zeref asking Natsu what he had scheduled for the day, listening intently to the younger brother's concerns about certain subjects, and planning how to help him out when he was next free to do so. It devolved into familiar territory and Zeref found himself promising to help Natsu out with his current video game once he was back from his evening classes. He would probably regret that decision but to see how Natsu's face illuminated like a freshly lit sparkler, he would forgo all sleep if necessary to keep him happy.

A series of knocks sounded on the front door, halting the conversation as Natsu sprang like a cat from his chair and sprinted for the door, he caught himself on the frame and turned to his brother. Zeref stood like a deer caught in headlights, his hand reaching for something within one of the kitchen drawers.

"Don't you dare put that fucking apron on!" Natsu roared, his eyes narrowing on his brother as his face quickly changed to the same shade as his hair. Zeref raised his hand in defeat, sliding the drawer shut and raising both hands in the air in full surrender, his dastardly plan had been foiled this time.

"Tsk, watch your language!" he called out as Natsu hurtled around the corner to answer the door that was still being pounded upon. He could hear the moronic voices of his friends waiting on the doorstep and Zeref could not restrain the eye roll, it almost hurt from how far back into his skull they swivelled.

Natsu's friends weren't bad kids, they just simply did not warrant enough of Zeref's attention to be considered anything other than pests. He was only three years older than them, yet he often felt much older than his years. Given the caregiver role he had found himself in, it was to be expected, but in honesty, even before his parents passed away, he found that his soul felt older than his body. Others tended to consider him as serious and unwilling to participate in fun, that simply wasn't the case, it was more that he was yet to find anyone other than Natsu that was worth the time and energy in showing his true colours to.

Natsu rushed back to the kitchen, grabbing at his school bag and swinging it so enthusiastically onto his shoulders that he nearly knocked over one of the chairs. Zeref could only chuckle, dramatically leaning back in his chair to avoid the whirlwind that was the younger Dragneel.

"See ya later!" was yelled at him and before Zeref could blink the sound of the door thudding shut filled the air and then there was only silence. Some may relish the peace, time to think about where the day may lead, others use the time to do the menial tasks that seemed to take far more time than they should to accomplish, but Zeref hated it. A stark reminder that he was alone in the house that had once been constantly filled with noise and warmth.

His chair scraped backwards, ready to head to work and continue his day now that it appeared to be on a much more even keel.

For how long would that last?

~.~

It was dark out by the time he parked the car he had inherited from his parents into their small driveway. Zeref had achieved a normal nondescript day, and although that may sound boring, he longed for it to continue until he could drag his weary body off to bed.

He found Natsu with ease, the sound of annoyed chatter prickling at his ears as he rounded the door to the living room. A mop of unruly pink hair danced about on the sofa, a controller in hand and a selection of normally restricted junk food by his side.

Zeref knew that his brother had not sensed his presence, too wrapped up in his game to pay attention to anything trivial such as the potential for home invaders! It may irritate him, but the opportunity to sneak up and scare him shitless was far too great to be passed over in favour of a lecture about safety.

Black socks padded on the wooden floor, he knew every squeaky floorboard and he dodged them like a well-trained ninja until he was towering behind the young Dragneel.

"Boo!" he thundered, hands clapping down on his shoulders with such force that he pressed the boy further into the sofa cushion. The high-pitched scream from his adolescent throat made the whole thing worth it, in fact, it was a shame it wasn't being filmed to be relived when Zeref was feeling low.

Natsu leapt forwards on the sofa the second Zeref's hands left his shoulders, knees crashing to the floor as he scrambled around to face him, the colour drained from his face and a wild pulse beating on his neck.

"What the –," Natsu managed to catch the curse, wary of the dark look that Zeref was throwing him, "fudge?" he finished, delighted in the smile that curled on his brother's mouth from the change of words. Natsu was pissed, but anytime his brother smiled it never failed to flip his mood almost instantly.

"I hope you've tidied your room as I asked?" the older Dragneel asked, eyeing the half eaten junk food with dismay. From the timid droop of Natsu's eyes and the very obvious way that his shoulders had slumped, he knew that he had either forgotten or decided to ignore the request and he wasn't sure which was worse.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, a headache sliding into place behind his eyes, the bickering started in earnest. Neither side was giving in, and there was no mother here to grab an ear in each hand so it continued far past the point that it would normally last. It wasn't until the doorbell sounded that all squabbling ceased.

"That'll be the sitter, get your room done quickly and come back down to greet her, got it?" he finished, striding from the room before Natsu could think of another smartass remark.

Zeref watched Natsu disappear up the stairs, his eyes following his heavy stomps as he pulled open the door, a smile already plastered on his face to greet the new sitter. Welcome to the madness, he thought, his gaze swinging to the door and trailing downwards until they rested on the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

"Mr Dragneel? I'm Mavis Vermillion, it's a pleasure to meet you!" she enthused, her small hand shot forth and Zeref could only stand there and stare at it like an idiot. He had heard of the saying 'words falling out of your head' but he had never experienced it, not until this very moment.

This had to be some mistake, this girl had to be even younger than Natsu! How on earth was she qualified to be a babysitter at such a young age?

She was a tiny thing, barely reaching Zeref's chest in height and with such long flowing hair that practically reached her toes, it fell in soft waves around her shoulders and was light blonde in colour, so light that it almost appeared white in places. Her heart shaped face held a peachy complexion and housed large emerald green eyes that shone with mirth and kindness, lips pretty and pink, and something inside his chest shook.

Lips that were curled into a smile, now sinking into a firm set line as he continued to stare at her, open mouthed but still no words would emerge from his strangled brain. It was as if another part of him was cutting off all access to his brain, and he was suddenly very glad that Natsu was not witnessing this.

The sharp rise of an eyebrow that told of her displeasure was enough to shake him free, he stuttered and stumbled but finally managed to rush out, "there must be some mistake, surely you are not old enough to be a sitter?"

She took one step forwards, still on the front step but making Zeref back up, all the same, her cheeks puffed as irritation glowed in her vivid eyes, "I think you will find that I am actually older than you are by almost a year, and I am more than qualified to look after your brother!"

Zeref smiled, he couldn't help himself, the fire in her gaze paired with the conviction of her words, she would be the perfect match for Natsu.

Maybe she would be the perfect match for you, Zeref…

Where had that thought come from?

"You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover, you know?" she murmured quietly as Zeref finally found his manners and welcomed her inside. He took note of the daintiest pair of ballet pumps that she slipped off, wiggling her toes as if glad to be free of them, yet he failed to appreciate the sentiment behind the words she had mumbled seconds ago.

~.~

He refused to do any more than the bare minimum, throwing clothes unceremoniously into drawers or under his bed and sweeping his magazines into the trash can under his desk. Voices drifted up to his room, the sitter sounded young and so very squeaky to his ears.

Ha, this could be fun!

Bounding down the stairs two at a time, he flew into the living room and halted as he noted the very flustered look of his brother. With foot mid step his head automatically tipped to the side to watch the interaction between Zeref and the sitter, he could only see the back of her head as she was seated on the sofa, but he could tell she was rather short.

Zeref hadn't even realised he was there, his eyes only for the girl he could not see, and this intrigued him. He had never seen a look like this on his older brother's face, black eyes wide with his long lashes fanning against his cheeks in slow blinks, and could he spy the tips of his ears coloured flame red?

Oh fuck, this was priceless…

He cleared his throat and Zeref jumped, caught in the act of his curious fascination with the mystery girl. The blonde head twisted around to look at him, and he frowned at the very young face that cast him such a friendly look.

"You must be Natsu," she cooed before his mouth spewed every thought that poured from his head, a lucky thing as the poor girl had already been humiliated this evening, and was in no mood for any more of the Dragneel's nonsense.

His mouth opened and closed making him look like a goldfish that had been plucked from its bowl, the girl spoke again and saved him from having to think of words to say, his brain hurt right now.

"I'm Mavis Vermillion, I'll be your sitter. Trust me, I'm almost a year older than your brother, so you have to listen to me despite my youthful appearance!" she enthused, it was clear to both brothers that she was going on the offensive, weeding out the snarky remarks that would hurt her feelings before they were said.

"Don't you have classes to attend Mr Dragneel?" she asked Zeref, an impatient tap to her barefoot on the rug. A hand fell to her hip and she seemed unimpressed with both of them so far, he heard the audible gulp from his raven haired brother and he chuckled, it had been a very long time since he heard that noise. Zeref had met his match in Mavis, Natsu vowed to be on his best behaviour whilst he fully sussed out this riveting situation.

~.~

He was being dismissed!

Dismissed from his own fucking house, and by a girl, he had only just met no less. After a quick discussion about phone numbers and safety measures, he found himself on the front doorstep his arms laden down with his textbooks as the door closed forcefully behind him. He hadn't even been given the opportunity to grab a jacket, and it was cold out. Where was his head at?

The entire drive to the campus was filled with question after question and the frustration of no suitable answers being deduced. Zeref was a logical man, there had to be a reason for how strange he felt around her, almost flustered by her presence.

He tentatively prodded at the thought he had refused to acknowledge until this moment, the sense of relief that had filled him on discovering she was indeed a little older than he was. There would be only one other reason for feeling that relief, other than knowing that Natsu was being watched over by someone of suitable age, and that was because he was attracted to her.

The moment that revelation sunk in, his heart pounded almost painfully in his chest and he was glad that he was finally parked up. He allowed himself to reminisce about her sweet little face, the way her eyes had sought out every little detail in the living room, and the tiniest nod of approval she had given, happy with what she saw.

There was a twisting in his stomach, like a mass of snakes were writhing for release and he knew this was most definitely the first time he had ever felt this way about a girl. He knew nothing about her other than her name and age, but he was so very curious, he wanted to get to know her, find what made her tick, and perhaps share a part of himself with her in exchange.

Had he finally found someone worthy of his time and attention?