Rias Gremory was in, what humans call, a pickle.
She had tried to lose her virginity to Issei last night to get out of marrying Riser, but Grayfia just HAD to come in and stop her. Not only that, she showed up the next day with Riser in tow. And he was belittling her cutie patootie dragon.
She did not just call Issei cutie patootie dragon, you're being delusional.
Anyway, he was insulting Issei and Asia for being humans and said that Pure Blooded Devils are supreme and that he and Rias would have to preserve the royal bloodline. Which she doesn't want to do. One, Riser sucks. Two, Riser sucks. Three, she may or may not have an interest in Issei.
Oh and Riser sucks.
Honestly, she was surprised Riser even agreed to see her in the human realm. Inside a human school. The guy is too damn prideful and she would love nothing more than to see him bloody and bruised and-
The following content is too horrifying to be described, so please wait for five minutes.
The point is, she doesn't like him. Since her plan with Issei failed, she may have to participate in the Rating Games to get out of it. And she wasn't sure if they have the power to take them down. She sighed. If the big man ever wanted to do her a solid, she WILL stop kicking vending machines to get free food. She winced in pain as a headache affected her. She did that out of desperation. She wasn't expecting any actual help.
Which was why she was surprised when Ophis teleported into the ORC room, stopping Riser mid-sentence.
Grayfia, whose eyes widened in shock at realizing who this is, instantly went down on one knee. She may be the strongest Queen, but her power pales in comparison to the Infinity Dragon God. Seeing that Grayfia was bowing, Riser and Rias followed soon afterward. Rias because she knows who this is. Rias may not have recognized Ophis, but if Grayfia was bowing to her then he must show respect. Despite being prideful, he is not an idiot. He knew great power when he sees it. And by word is she covered in it. Ophis's eyes looked around the room.
Seeing their King bow, the members of her peerage did so too. Expect Issei. He was just looking around confused. Ophis's black eyes scanned each individual as if judging their worth. Once she was done, she turned to Grayfia.
"You, Devil." Her monotone voice called out.
"Yes, Ophis-sama." Grayfia responded right away.
Hearing the name that Grayfia addressed the person as, the Devils, except Issei, eyes widened in fear. They were well educated on the dangerous beings in the universe, Ophis being on top. Because unlike the Great Red, who resides only in the Dimensional Gap, Ophis traveled the world. meaning you have a higher chance of running into her. So she was regarded as the most dangerous being around. The other reason is that her snakes are TERRIFYING. Very, very terrifying.
Ophis tilted her head at Grayfia. "Why are you forcing her to marry someone she doesn't love?"
For Ophis, it was a genuine question. Since her world had been expanded by Natsu, she had a better understanding of things. While she wasn't 100% sure about how she felt about Natsu, she did research about love. When someone loves each other, they confess. If the person feels the same way, they become a couple. And if the couple still loves each other after a few years, they get married. Marriage is an act where people who fall in love would commit to themselves and swear to the being they hold as god that they would be together forever. The act of true love is what Levy called it. This is why she couldn't understand why they were forcing Rias to marry someone she didn't love.
"I-If Riser may, Ophis-sama." Riser squeaked, speaking in his usual third-personPOV. "S-since Rias and Riser are both Pure Blooded Devils, the elders have agreed that it's best to preserve the bloodline."
"Why is that necessary?" Ophis's words were sharp.
"B-because we shouldn't have to associate with those low-class-"
"Shut up."
Riser clamped his mouth shut.
Ophis heard enough. It was clear to her that Riser was a person with too much ego and would belittle everyone he thought was inferior. Be it Angels, Fallen Angels, other Devils, or humans. It was this type of person that Natsu said he hated the most. Naturally, she came to hate these types of people as well.
"There are the Rating Games correct?" Ophis asked Grayfia, who nodded. "I see. In that case..."
She looked at Riser, her eyes losing color.
"...I will participate in place of Rias."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock. They couldn't believe their ears. Ophis, someone who can kill them in the blink of an eye, was saying she would help Rias? The person herself had her jaw on the floor.
"O-Ophis-sama?! Why would you-"
"I owe this Devil favor." She cut off Grayfia, who looked unusually flustered. "Thanks to her I had a better understanding of my feelings. So I simply wish to return my thanks."
Rias blinked at that. Was he talking about the time when she destroyed her wall, clad in full magical power that forced her to her knees and demanded to ask why her chest hurts? She wanted to cry. She had never been more terrified and none of her training with Sirzechs would've prepared her for that. Also the money it took to fix the wall...
What was she supposed to say to a DRAGON GOD?! "Ha! You're in love!" Yeah, that's a one-way ticket to the afterlife. And who in Hell did Ophis fall in love with? She just told her that she liked his smile and loves being with him. But who was this person? She can't think of a single person who might've caught her attention. People in the Underworld were sh*t. (She lives there, she knows what type of people they are.) She can't picture her with someone from the Angel faction, much less the Fallen Angels. Does...does that mean she fell in love with a human? Was there a human strong enough to catch her attention?! Why has she never heard about this before!?
"Ophis-sama! Don't you think you fighting Riser is a bit...overkill?" Riser's shouts turned meek when Ophis turned to him. Heh, little b*tch.
"I won't be doing the fighting," Ophis spoke, making Riser let out a sigh of relief. "The one I hold most dear will."
That threw them into a loop
"The one you hold most dear?" Grayfia questioned.
"The object of my affection, yes."
"...Just him?"
"Just him."
The room remained in silence as they tried to process this.
"If it makes you feel any better, you can bring as much many as you want. Be it Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and even Dragons." Ophis shrugged. "It's not like it will change the outcome." She turned to leave but then had a look of realization. "Do you mind if we broadcast the Games? I want everyone to see Natsu's power." Not waiting for an answer, Ophis went through a portal.
Great Red had been confused for the past few days.
First, Ophis arrived and came declared a truce, and let him keep the Dimensional Gap.
Second, she says she fell in love with a human.
And third, now she wants him to watch said human fight a bunch of Devils so they could get out another Devil from marrying someone she didn't love.
"Ok, why?" He felt like he was saying why a lot recently.
Ophis tilted her head. "Because I want to show off Natsu?"
"...Why?"
"...Because I want everyone to see his worth?"
"...Are you an idiot?"
"I don't think so."
"So instead of being emotionless you became an airhead...No, in the first place, why would you make a human fight so many beings?! Do you want him to die?!"
Ophis didn't respond, merely looking at Great Red with a tilt of her head. To be honest, he thought that he would never see Ophis again. Se he was surprised when she came to visit him. His surprise grew when he found out that the being who changed her was a human from another dimension and was going to fight against powerful (Human standards.) beings. And now she wants him to see him. He doesn't know what kind of person he was. Ophis only told him that Natsu was strong. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to meeting him. Can you blame him? He brought out a change in his rival that no one in the past millennium has ever accomplished.
Ophis continued to look at Great Red. "Do you think Natsu can't win against them?"
"If this Natsu is a human, then I doubt he can beat them." What he said was true. Humans are weak and can't properly use magic. Even a Devil child could kill an adult. So yeah, he doesn't think he can with. He was surprised when Ophis smiled at him.
"You set expectations for him already huh?" She wryly smiled. "That's good. Set the bar as high as you can. It'll just make it easier for him to surpass it."
Great Red blinked at that. "You...you have that much faith in him?"
"Yes." She replied without hesitation. "For the longest time, the silence was the only thing I wanted. Peace and nothingness. That is what I am. The infinite nothingness. I thought I would have all I need if I had silence." She looked into the distance. "...He changed me so much...The silence I wanted is drowned out by his voice. His laughter. His terrible jokes." She let out a quiet 'Heh' at the last one. "If I am infinite nothingness, then he is the infinite possibilities. He walks a path forged only by his own efforts and would not let things like fate deter him. The infinite nothingness was filled by simply being with him. He completes me. If it's Natsu, I know he can win."
Hearing her speech, Great Red looked into the distance...and screamed within his heart.
'HOW THE F*CK ARE YOU SO CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS?! YOU'RE LITERALLY SMITTEN WITH HIM D*MB*SS!'
Despite his cheery and questionable mentality, Natsu Dragneel was a simple being.
He gets over excited and is noisy, yes. But is very easy to entertain. Due to being raised in a forest and spent a majority of his time searching for Igneel, he's very out of depth when it comes to anything city like. Be it toys, appliances, utensils-pretty much anything really. As a result, even the simplest things entertain him. Mirajane once gave him a box of scraps and told him to make something with it as a joke. He returned 8 hours with a scaled down version of Magnolia. The fact that it was geographically accurate was the bigger surprise.
But his number one fun thing to do will always be fighting. The stronger the opponent, the more he's willing to fight it. Especially the Grade-A *ssh*l*s. They're so fun to beat into the dirt. But when a girl from another universe asked him to fight a dragon capable of destroying the universe, he couldn't say 'HELL YEAH!" fast enough. No, really, he couldn't. It took 0.001 seconds for him to say that. He did find it weird how she didn't seem to care whether he joined her or not, but he brushed it off. A week into his training really set him off, as he realized she didn't react to ANYTHING at all. Just acknowledging him with a nod or a small hum. She was like a robot. No emotions. No hate, no care. An empty husk given intelligence.
So he naturally showed her the joys of living. Foods, toys, games-anything he enjoyed, he showed it to her. He watched as the emotionless Dragon God found her smile, and continued to try new things each and every day. Months later, Natsu started to worry if Ophis forgot as to why she came here. He was looking forward to fighting the dragon! So one day, he decided to march up to her and childishly demand her to bring him to Grate Bed. Or whatever he is called.
He found her and...he froze.
There, sitting in the field of vibrant flowers, with a single tree giving her shelter, was the person ho his thoughts would travel to as of late. Her long black hair swayed with the gentle breeze as a few dots of sunlight caressed her beautiful porcelain skin.
But what caught his attention the most was her face. Her cold eyes were filled with warmth and compassion as she watched the flowers sway. No longer they looked like a snake cornering its prey, but like that of a gentle mother whose child took their first step. Her smile was small. Cute even. But it didn't falter. Not even when a ladybug landed on the tip of her nose. She just carefully brought her finger to it and let it climb onto it. Gently as she could, she set the ladybug down beside her and continued to watch the scenery with content. She was glad she found the joys of her world. To others, it would look like a beautiful scene only see in paintings, whose very creation could be described as otherworldly.
To Natsu, it was so much more. He who has met the Ophis of the past, he who has seen her interact with people she didn't want to meet before, he who has watched over her growth for the past few months.
And...he who has seen the love of his life be happy and fully appreciate the world around her and accept it with all her heart, thought that he wouldn't mind giving up fighting if it meant he could stay by her side.
If it meant spending his days with Ophis, Natsu didn't think retirement sounded all too bad. The time he spent with her was the happiest time of his life. It was days full of laughs he never wanted to end. He felt different when with Ophis. He knew he saw her as someone close to him, but he wasn't sure how close. It wasn't the same kind of affection with his guild mates. It was something...more. Something that fills him up more than any hefty meal he had. Whenever she held his hand or hugged him, he could feel his face get hot and lit on fire. He had to quickly put it out each and every time.
He would go through hell and back for her. He just didn't know he would LITERALLY go through hell and back for her a few days later.
Since he and Happy destroyed their house, Natsu decided to expand it. That and Ophis started to live with them. He thought about doing it himself but decided against it. He wanted her to live in the best, non-messy, house. So he hired some construction workers and let them get to it. Despite what others might say, Natsu was rich. Since he lived in the forest, he never had to pay rent. 89% of his meals come from things he's hunted, so not much to spend their. And all the toys and accessories in his house were things he made. Like that Erza punching doll. Also his dragon heritage made him a hoarder. So he had many jewels to spare. So just like that, is bathroom sized house was now a mansion. He filled it with all the basic necessities. A kitchen, bathroom, living room, television lacrima, lightbulbs, bedrooms, couches, chairs, and more.
When he invited his family over, they went slacked-jawed. Natsu Dragneel, the person with the poorest living conditions, now had a more luxurious home than them? Lucy cried at the thought.
Because of Ophis's sweet tooth, Natsu asked Mira to teach him how to cook and bake. She smiled and agreed. At first, she thought she'd teach him something simple. Starting with brownies. She made one herself and had Natsu watch her. Once they were out of the oven, she asked Natsu to repeat what she just did. She stood on the sidelines in case he needed help. That was her first mistake. She soon learned how terrifying Natsu could be when he puts his mind to it. When he was finish baking, Mira felt like any injury she ever received came back to haunt her. Yes, she has suffered the most damage...to her pride.
Natsu Dragneel was a prodigy. While he may not act like the smartest tool in the shed, he has come up with brilliant ideas in the past and would often study an opponent through the use of his enhanced senses and remembered every detail about their fighting style and made countermeasures for each of them. So he studied how Mira made the brownies and improved on it. He didn't even put it in the oven. He calculated the right temperature and blew it on fire for ten seconds. It was the best brownies Mirajane ever tasted.
3 days later, Mira was asking Natsu to teach her how to cook.
Next thing he did was learn to keep tidy. Ophis has a sensitive nose after all. So he burned whatever he didn't need and properly put everything he kept away. He officially got the badge "house husband" from Makarov few days later. He's never seen the old man cry so much. But yes. Natsu transitioned from a battle junkie to a less-than-before-battle junkie house husband.
Which brings us to now.
Natsu was wearing his usual clothes, shaggy white pants with a gold trimmed black vest, only with the inclusion of a white apron with pink frills. Spatula in hand, he continued to flip pancakes with skills that would make top ranks chefs jealous. Which they were. He competed in a cooking competition a few days ago. He continued to flip them until he heard the front door click.
"Ophis!" He looked over his shoulder and called out to her. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a counter. So he had a clear view of her. "Glad you're back!" He grinned. She smiled at him as she made her way to the high chairs by the counter. Natsu put the pancakes on a plate and made his way to her. "So what'll it be! Brunch? A bath? Or maybe..." He grinned mischievously...before pulling out a flat wide white box. "Donuts?"
"Donuts for brunch." She drooled. "And pancakes." Natsu chuckled before placing both down and watched as she greedily gobbled it up. Despite her petite bod, she eats equivalent to two elephants. When she reached the last of the pancakes and donuts, she paused. Looking uncertainly at Natsu, she rolled up the pancake, stuffed it in the hole of thee donut, and offered it to him. Smiling, he grabbed and held it like a lollipop.
"Thanks." He chuckled. Many said that Ophis has helped him mellow out...albeit only when they are alone and within the confines of their house.
"You're going to fight soon." She said suddenly.
"Are they strong?"
"No."
"Are there a lot of them?"
"Maybe."
"Good enough I suppose." Natsu shrugged.
If they weren't strong individually, they tend to group up. Not that Natsu cares. More fun for him.
It was late at night. Happy said he'd sleepover at Wendy's to try and impress Carla, leaving Natsu and Ophis alone. So they decided to watch a movie. Sitting on the couch, Natsu had his right arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Ophis snuggled into position and rested her head on his shoulder. This was the most comfortable position to them. When they stay in close proximity with one another. Just the two of them. Neither knew why they enjoyed cuddling each other, they just do.
"I met with Great Red today." Ophis informed him, only to receive silence in return. "I told him all about you. About how great of a person you are. About how-you don't know who Great Red is do you?" Ophis questioned, thinking it was strange for him to be quiet this long.
"I have no idea."
"He was the dragon I wanted you to fight."
"OOOOOHHHHHHHH! That guy!" Natsu smiled, barely keeping his attention on the tv.
Ophis nodded before turning back to the tv. "...I told him all about you...I don't know why I did." Natsu blinked at that.'"I...wanted to show you off? I wanted everyone to see your worth?" She questioned herself.
Truthfully, she didn't know why she did that either.
Natsu scratched the back of his head with a complicated look on his face. How was he going to explain this to her. Well, he knows how, it's just too embarrassing to say.
"...I think it's because you're proud." He said finally.
"...Proud?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "You're proud at the progress of your growth and of me, who helped you grow. So you took pride in it and wanted to share it with everyone. You wanted everyone to see and be like 'Oh! there he is! The one who chan ged Ophis!'...or something like that." He said bashfully at the end.
Ophis thought about it for a minute before nodding. "Yes, that would explain it."
"Glad to hel-"
"Since Natsu is just an amazing person who I love dearly, it's only natural that I, who holds you close to my heart, would want to brag to everyone how wonderful you are."
Natsu hid his face in his hands in embarrassment.
"...Thanks..." He muttered.
"You are very welcome."
They sat in silence for a bit.
"...Natsu, what are we?"
"Hm?"
"What are we?"
"...A pair of b*d*ss*s?"
"I mean what are we together? A couple? I love you a lot, but I am unsure whether it's romantic or not."
Ah.
I see.
F*ck.
HOW THE F*CK IS HE SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THIS?! HE CAN'T JUST SAY-'Oh hey, you're in love with me you know?'-WHO DOES THAT?!
He knows for a. fact that he is in. love with Ophis, no denying that, but did she feel the same way? What if it's a familial love? What if she sees him as a brother?
The thought of that wends him don a spiral of depression.
Gods he really hopes she sees him as a lover.
But...he can't force her. If he says that it's a lover kind of love, then she'd agree without question. She trust him more than anyone. She knows he would never lie to her or hurt her. So if he lies now, then she would take his word for it. But he can't. It's because she trusts him that he can't lie to her. He can't live as long as her and he can't fight by her side...yet...but he doesn't want to force her into anything she might hate.
Gramps once said 'Love is a beautiful thing. But it's a double edge sword. If the person you love loves another, then you may need to let her go.'
He loves Ophis.
So he will let her go.
"...Imagine hugging me."
Ophis thought about it.
"Imagine kissing me."
She nodded.
"Imagine starting a family with me."
She continued to think about it.
"Think about how that makes you feel. If you like it a lot, then you're in love with me. If you imagine doing those things with another guy, then you're in love with that person."
These were things he thought about with Ophis before. It brought a smile to his face each and every time.
Then he thought about her doing those things with some one else.
It hurts him more than he would like to admit. It hurt a lot to think about it. It hurts that he can't be the only one she looks at. He hates how she might fall in love with another. He hates how she might leave and forget all about him. He hates that she might decide to stay in her dimension.
But if that is her wish, then he'd let her go.
He just prayed to whatever god is listening that she would stay with him a bit longer.
Ophis hummed. "Guess I'm in love with you then."
'HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJ-AAAAAAAAAAAH!'
"Natsu?" She questioned. "You're crying."
"Ahm jusht haphy." He sobbed. "G-Give meh ah mihnuhte." She passed him a tissue box. "Thanks." He blew his nose.
30 Minutes later...
"I love you too." Natsu smiled, choosing to ignore the large pile of burning tissue behind him.
Ophis smiled. "I feel...very happy."
"I think I'm the happier one." He smiled.
"No, It's me." She said resolute.
"Nah. It's definitely me." He waved her off.
"No. It's me." She spoke with more force.
Natsu glared at her.
Ophis glared back.
Makarov almost chocked on his drink when Natsu and Ophis busted down the front doors of Fairy Tail.
"Natsu? Ophis?" Erza called out. "What are you doing here? It's late." The night was near pitch black and all of the members were just about to leave.
"FORGET THAT!" Natsu screamed. "WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE!" Ophis vigorously nodded next to him.
"WHAT?!"
Most of the members snapped to attention. Natsu and Ophis looked serious after all. And they were the strongest ones around, to Gajeel's, Gray's, and Laxus's, irritation. If they were serious, then the situation must be pretty bad. Without hesitation, Natsu and Ophis pointed at each other.
"SHE SAYS MY LOVE FOR HER IS WEAKER THAN HER LOVE FOR ME!"
"HE SAYS MY LOVE FOR HIM IS WEAKER THAN HIS LOVE FOR ME!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The Fairy Tail members simultaneously face palmed.