"AKI!"

"Don't touch me"

"Why are you so cruel to me my son!?"

The team was back at the guild, and Aki as per usual was getting the usual greeting from the over doting father. They had defeated the group and handed them to the magic council as well as collecting their payment, they had stayed on final night at Mori's workshop before leaving the next day. It was strange however, that they didn't really say goodbye, Aki and Mori... Aki simply said thank you for allowing them to stay, left the man some money and left. It was almost as if he was distancing himself from the blacksmith, despite it being obvious how close the pair were.

Thankfully none of the thunder legion had mentioned his outburst at the town hall. He didn't know what had happened. The idea of Aki vanishing, the look of confusion and fear in those usually calm eyes… something in him just snapped. He frowned in annoyance at the thought of it. Nowadays he was in control of his emotions, something he took great pride in.

Mira smiled at him as he pondered at the bar, and got the brooding man a drink.

"So Laxus, how was your first mission with Aki?" Laxus glanced at the white haired bar maid, nodding his thanks as he accepted the beverage.

"It went fine…" He trailed off when he noticed the very person they were talking about standing by the request board. Laxus felt himself frown. Did he really think he was going to go on another mission?

No.

Whether Aki liked it or not Aki was part of his team, and he wasn't going to let the idiot go off on his own with his bat shit crazy after him. Even if he was Gildart's son and a powerful mage. He said so himself, their magic was his weakness.

So leaving a confused Mirajane he walked towards the auburn haired mage, and leaned over his smaller statue.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Aki didn't seem concerned about the snarl in Laxus' tone.

"What does it look like I'm doing sparky?" He drawled in his usual monotone, his eyes focused on the requests.

"You're not going on a mission, not so soon after another one and not alone" Aki didn't appreciate his tone. Who did this bastard think he was. He grit his teeth. Who was he to tell him what to do?

He turned around, a cold glare across his face as he looked up at the blonde

"I can do what the fuck I want" He snapped "I don't need you telling me what I can and can't do"

At this point, some of the members of the guild had noticed the argument going on, and watched with bated breath.

Laxus returned the dark glare.

"I'm trying to look out for your sorry ass."

"Yeah well save your breath, I don't need anyone to babysit me" Aki, feeling that the conversation was over with, was about to grab an mission. Laxus however simply smirked.

"Oh really? Well what was Mori then?" Aki swerved round quickly.

"Shut up"Gildarts who had been listening frowned, and looked at freed, who was watching anxiously

"Mori?"Freed sighed

"He found Aki unconscious and injured outside his workshop, he took him in when he was 11. Aki still visits sometimes. You could say he is a father figure" Gildart's frown grew more. His only son had been living a life like that, whilst he was off doing who knows what? Yes, he hadn't known about Cana, but at least she had been safe in the guild.

Aki had been alone.

Although, it appears he had someone who looked after him, which he was glad about.

"You lived with the guy, so you can't say that you don't need someone to look out for you" Laxus had continued speaking about Mori, not noticing the dark aura around the energy mage. Finally it seemed to get to much for him, and without warning, his fist lit up with his magic and he punched Laxus right in the jaw, causing the man to stumble back a few steps. Makarov who had been watching the argument gaped at what he'd just seen. No one at the guild ever really tried to fight Laxus, so it was a strange sight to see.

"You know damn well what happened to him" He spat, shaking in anger " The old man's lucky to be alive! They didn't just fuck up his face, his whole fucking body is covered in scars and if that's not bad enough they-"

He paused a moment, before speaking again.

"So don't even try and fucking try and look out for me because I don't want any more blood on my hands."

Laxus, who hadn't exploded as everyone had expected, simply narrowed his eyes, he was going to retort when he stopped, Aki's words sinking in.

"Any more?" Aki who begun to walk away, too angry to even consider going on another mission stopped, a angry scowl etched into his face

"That's right." He laughed coldly "Mori was lucky to be alive, others weren't so" and after that, he angrily left the guild, who at this point were concerned about the auburn mage. He scoffed to himself.

He didn't want to see their looks of pity. He didn't need it.

"Well that's going to leave a mark"

Evergreen sighed in annoyance

"Shut it Bixlow"

After Aki had left, everyone, though at first had been tense and worried about the whole situation, soon went back to their business when Makarov demanded them to do so. The thunder legion, Mira and Cana were at the bar alongside Makarov.

Laxus rubbed his jaw and strangely laughed

"Not sure whether I deserved that or not" Makarov frowned

"Laxus, who is this Mori character?" Laxus sighed and then explained the group how they had met Mori as well as what had happened when Aki's family found him with the blacksmith.

Mira gasped

"How horrible, Aki most have been horrified"

Makarov hummed in agreement

"That does explain his reluctance in getting close to anyone"

Cana simply sipped her glass

"Well that's fucked up" Mira frowned at the brunette's unhelpful contribution, however the card mage then continued to speak again.

"Do you know who else he was talking about? Cus from the sounds of it, that bastard Kage Clan shredded more people then that old man."

Freed shook his head

"No, this is the first time we are hearing about this"Laxus scoffed

"Bastard was so pissed off he probably didn't even mean to say it" He rubbed his forehead in exasperation, before a small smile crept across his face, he murmured something that the others didn't quite catch.

"What was that Laxus-sama?" Laxus shook his head.

"It's nothing Freed" He still had that smile on his face, the words he just said making him smirk, amused at his thoughts

"He really is like an angry cat"

"Um, Guys?" They all glanced at Mirajane, who had a look of confusion on her face

"I've only just realised… but where is Guildarts?"

The mage in question had departed from the guild, and had followed after his son. Though it took some time, he managed to track the mage down. He was currently slumped against a stone, on a hill overlooking town of magnolia. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice guildarts sitting cross legged next to him. If Aki did acknowledge the older man, he didn't make any effort to start a conversation.

"…Nice place you've found here" Aki glanced at him, before turning back to the sunset

"…Thanks" He muttered. When Aki didn't continue Gildarts decided to get straight to the point.

"Wanna tell me what's got you so upset?" Aki frowned slightly

"I'm not upset" Gildarts grinned

"Really?" Aki sighed

"Really."

"Tell that to Laxus' jaw" Gildarts grin grew slightly wider as he saw his son's lip twitch

"It surprised everyone, no one normally starts a fight with the lightening beast that is Laxus"

"Yeah well the bastard was asking for it" he muttered angrily. "I'm 22 for fucks sake, I don't need him telling me what to do"Gildarts nodded in agreement

"You're right. You don't" Aki had obviously thought that Gildarts was going to disagree with him, and he looked at him wide eyed.

"You're a grown man now son, you're independent. It would be arrogant of me to try and lecture you. Even if I am your father, you're free to make your own decisions" Aki however seemed angrier at gildarts reasoning.

"Why are you so fucking understanding?" He looked at Gildarts, almost in despair.

"If you were an asshole, least then I could justify why I should push you away. I don't know what to do when you're so damn nice all the freaking time."

"Aki…"Aki laughed sadly

"You're a lot like that old man" Guildarts smiled softly at the glimmer of happiness that twinkled in his dark eyes.

"Mori was it?" Aki nodded

"That's him, he is like you, but you're more"

"Dashing? All powerful?"

Aki dead panned

"Obnoxious" Gildarts slumped in horror, causing a small smile to creep across his son's face. But then Gildarts quickly recovered.

"So, I heard he took you in when you were 11?" Aki turned back to the sunset.

"That's right, till my wonderful family showed up" He muttered. "Imagine my surprise when I come back from the store to find the place completely wrecked and the old man covered in blood"

He clenched his fists, and carried on talking as Gildarts silently watched him, letting him get off what was on his chest.

"The idiot, even in that state still tried to protect me. He told me to run, and told me that he'd be fine. In the state that he was in, he wouldn't have been bloody fine"He snapped.

"They grabbed me though, and told me to go with them without a when I didn't answer, they slashed at his face"Gildarts still remained silent, listening quietly, as his son continued, his eyes sparkled with unshed tears, the pain being obvious. Had he ever recounted that day to anyone? It didn't appear that way.

"Oh but that's not the best bit pops, when I actually answered and said no…Do you know what those bastards did?" This time a single tear did fall from his eye, his gaze still on that sunset.

"They used their shadows… and they cut off his arm"Gidarts at this point couldn't keep quiet, his eyes widened in horror

"WHAT?"

"They cut off his arm." He repeated, "After that I told them that I would go with them, if they got him help, if they didn't kill him." He turned to face his father, and Gildart a cold feeling filled him as he met Aki's gaze.

"And the fool, he still said he'd protect me, that he wouldn't let them hurt me anymore. That I was his child. But because of me…"he paused for a moment, blinking to hold back the onslaught of tears threatening to fall.

"He was a carpenter, a good one, but without his dominant arm, how could he carve again? Because of me he lost everything" He glared at Gildarts

"So you can tell Laxus and the rest of Fairy Tail, that I no longer want anyone to look after me, because they'll end up dead, or have a fate worse then death"

As he met his son's angry gaze, he felt as if he was seeing Aki for the first time. REALLY seeing him. Seeing him from behind the many walls he had placed around himself, seeing him from behind the tough, emotionless façade he had put up. He was seeing him for what he truly was.

Aki was broken.

So without warning, he held his son in his chest, at first Aki tried to pull away but perhaps, Aki hadn't been hugged for a long time, as he finally returned the gesture

"He didn't lose everything Aki." He began softly, his hand threading into the matching auburn locks comfortingly

"He didn't lose you" And with that, the damn holding back Aki's tears broke, and he held his son. No words were needed as shoulders shook in pain. And although guildarts was new to the idea of parenting, he knew that sometimes words weren't needed. And he also knew that his son had been strong for far too long.

But he also knew that he would make the Kage Clan pay for what they had done.

(Sorry if Aki acted a bit OC, but I wanted a Aki and Gildarts moment :3 please comment and favourite guys!"