After introducing themselves, the man showed them to the upstairs of the worshop, which had two spare rooms.
"Boy, your room's still the way you left it" Aki's lip twitched slight, an obvious attempt to hide the smile he had at Mori's words.
"Room?" Freed glanced at the auburn haired man.
"You used to live here?"Aki smirked
"For a bit, but the old man took me in" His tone was softer, and Laxus could tell that Aki was close to the scarred was strange to see the normally sullen male like that though.
"Anyway, I've got work to be doing" Aki huffed and Evergreen could have swore she saw the mage roll his eyes.
"I know, I'll call you when i've made your food"The man nodded, before he glanced at the blonde and the thunder legion for a moment. But then he headed back down the stairs, to his workshop.
Bixlow was the first to break silence. He grinned at Aki
"Sooo, How'd you meet him?" Aki raised an eyebrow, not seemingly impressed at his high pitch voice, a poor attempt at a girlish voice.
Evergreen simply shook her head.
"I'm equally curious...How is that you met this man?Was it when you saved his life?"Freed queried.
"It doesn't matter"He snapped "I haven't seen the guy for a couple years"
Laxus looked thoughtfully at the auburn haired mage.
"You must have been close if he kept a room for you and all"
Aki didn't say anything and instead headed towards the was tense again, and his eyes darker, but perhaps he was feeling talkative or maybe he simply felt nostalgic due to the familiar place.
He spoke again
"I suppose" He glanced back at the group, he had a frown on his face.
"But people who get close to me..Get hurt"
Laxus met his dark gaze, and understood the warning from his team Bixlow was the one to speak.
"Well, we're pretty strong."His dolls chimed 'strong' and Aki just narrowed his eyes, not seemingly satisfied with that answer.
"No matter how strong you think you are, there will always be someone who will be stronger" Aki muttered before leaving the room...
"Kid, you're cooking hasn't improved"The blacksmith grunted, as he took another mouthful of the vegetable stew in front of him.
"Neither has your attitude"He retorted. "If it's so bad, Then don't fucking eat it"
On the contrary, Laxus was surprised that Aki, could cook, as well as how good he was at it.
"Didn't say that"He glared at Aki "Don't assume things"He scolded
Bixlow sniggered as Aki returned the glare, yet before he could retort, Freed spoke, breaking up the tension between the two.
"Aki, i have to say, you're a very talented cook"Freed acknowledged, Evergreen took a sip from her beverage.
"It is surprising, for you to be able to cook so well"She complimented.
Laxus just smirked
"Who knew? Ginger here could cook"
Aki quickly turned to the annoying bastard that was Laxus Dreyer.
"I'm not ginger. Its Auburn, you damn lightening rod"He snarled, causing the blonde's smirk to falter.
"What did you call me?" It was Aki's turn to smirk
"Did. I .Stutter. Laxus-sama?" Mori, who had been watching the exchange between the two carefully, put his hand on Aki's shoulder.
"Brat, go buy me some more sake"Aki glanced in his direction, before quickly looking away.
It was late, and Laxus was waiting for his team mate to refuse the man's offer. Instead he simply nodded, and walked out the room, without a word. As soon as the door shut, Mori turned to the four.
"Now then...Would ya tell me how in hell's name you managed to convince that stubborn ass to join a guild, let alone your damn team with he- his bat-shit crazy family out there?"
Freed blinked, confused, noting how the man had backtracked.
"You know about his fucked up family then old man?" Mori glanced at the brunette.
"Of course I know!"He snapped, taking another mouthful of stew before continuing "I've know that kid for years."
"But he said that he'd lived here for a few months"Bixlow countered. Mori grinned, shaking his head exasperated.
"That kid."He huffed "That's some what usually stays here for a few months, before he leaves. He used to live with me..."
Laxus raised an eyebrow
"When did you actually meet Aki old man? He wouldn't tell us a damn thing."Mori glanced at the blonde,
"Well, I ain't suprised. He's never been the most talkative kid"
He paused, taking a sip from his drink.
"Found the brat unconscious outside my workshop one morning. Black and Blue and cut up he was. Kid was about 11 if I remember right."
"11?!"Freed exclaimed. Aki was 22 now, he didn't realised that this was such a old tale.
"I helped the kid out"He continued "When he finally woke up, he was scared shitless, i think"
He laughed.
"At the same time, he was trying to scare me, it was like a kitten hissing at me"Laxus grinned, as he imagined Aki as a cat. It suited him, hissing and spitting at anyone who got too close.
"I took him in, he got fed if he helped round the workshop and cooked. I can't cook for shit"
"How long did he live with you?"Evergreen asked softly, shocking herself. She never normally spoke in such a soft tone.
"Eh...About 2 years i reckon, Taught him a trade too"Bixlow's mouth dropped
"EEEH? Aki's a blacksmith?"
Mori, glanced at the seith mage, before he boomed with laughter.
"Hell no! The brat had no talent for that, ah the shit he made though!"he laughed again as he thought back to Aki's failed attempts.
"My family used to be carpenters, Aki had a knack for it. He is one of the best carpenter's I've ever seen."
Sullen Aki good at cooking and a carpenter of all things? Laxus couldn't believe this. Aki had a few hidden talents, and it made him realise that he knew very little about the guy. He vowed that would soon change.
Freed however was still confused.
"But then...Aki said he saved your life, but to me it sounds like the other way round" The smile fell from Mori's face, and he looked down into his cup.
"That's right"He finally muttered. "The kid did save my life, that family of his found him here. He went with them, in exchange for my life"He clenched his fist.
"Bastards came out of nowhere,cut me up real good.I couldn't even lay a scratch on em" A hint of sadness, or maybe regret passed by in his brown eyes as he spoke.
"I couldn't protect the kid"He stated in finality."So I want to know whether you lot can do what I failed to do"
The group was solemn for a moment. Then Evergreen spoke up
"Those scars..."She trailed nodded slowly
"Kid can't even look at me any more"
Another deafening silence followed, before he coughed.
"Anyway blondie, you didn't answer my damn question"
"Of course we can"Bixlow grinned, crossing his arms.
"We're Fairy Tail's strongest team"Evergreen smirked, pushing up her glasses. Freed paused at this
"What about Team Natsu?"The brunette whacked the rune mage in the arm.
" Freed. Shut .Up. WE are the Thunder legion for Mavis' sake"Laxus sighed slightly at the argument brewing before he nodded at the man.
"You have Fairy Tail's word. Our nakama will not be harmed by those bastards."Mori nodded, and appeared to be about to say something else, when the door open.
Aki stepped in, holding bag containing the blacksmiths sake.
"OI i got your damn sake old man"Mori grinned, standing up, he went to the fridge, only to pull out a bottle of fresh sake.
"Ah, turns out i didn't need it after all, stupid kid"Aki twitched in anger.
"You're fucking kidding me"He snarled.
Mori simply took a sip from his sake.
"It can go in the fridge with the other bottles"He gestured to the bottles that lined the inside of the fridge.
"One day, i am going to kill you! You damn old geezer"
They managed to get through the rest of the meal without murder being committed, and the thunder legion slept peacefully apart from Bixlow's snoring. That is all except for one member, who never really slept very well.
Finally giving up on the idea of sleep, he made his way down the familiar creaking stairs, to the kitchen, he filled a glass with cold water, all around him was a deafening silence. Something he rarely enjoyed in solitude around the loud members of his guild.
his guild
It was still strange to him, however much time had passed.
"So, you still don't sleep much huh?"He turned to see his old guardian.
"And you still refuse to sleep"He retorted. Mori smiled slightly, before walking past him to get a bottle of sake.
"So fairy tail..." Aki tensed "Thought you said that you would never join a guild" Aki frowned.
"It's not like i had much of a choice, fucking blonde bastard stopped me from leaving."
Mori grunted
"Right, it didn't have anything to do with your old man either"
Aki smiled, but it was cold and empty, lacking the warmth usually associated with the gesture
"Turns out I have a half sister too" He glanced at Mori.
"He was so happy to have a son. He hugged us and said how glad he was to have daughter and a son" Aki growled, causing a frown to appear on the blacksmiths face.
"Ri-"Mori was interrupted by Aki's cold laughter
"But it's fine, I should be used to it by now"His eyes darkened, which even Mori could see in the dimly lit room.
"Idiots, the fucking lot of them"His grip on the glass tightened, and a visible glass ran through it.
"Thinking that i'm his son" He snarled
"They don't know anything at all."