Warning you guys now, touchy chapter inbound. Remember to tell me what you thought!
Natsu yawned as he rolled over in the empty bed, growling at the empty spot of the bed where Lucy should've been. Was she up already? Ridiculous. It was only...what, 10? Insanity. Natsu was about to continue complaining until the sweet smell of bacon hit his nose, and he sighed. Lucy's cooking was always incredible. Natsu contemplated whether or not he wanted to get up before he did, and careful not wake Happy who was at the foot of the bed, he dragged his feet down the hall towards the kitchen.
"Mornin' Luce" He mumbled as he entered, his wife humming in reply.
"Morning Natsu" She replied happily. "Did you sleep well?"
"I suppose. What's for breakfast?"
"Food"
"Oh, no shit?" Natsu collapsed into a seat at the table as Lucy continued to cook, rubbing his temples. "What are you doing today?"
"Erza asked me to go on a job with her." Lucy replied without looking at Natsu. "I figured I'd make you something to eat before I left, because you're so incompetent on your own."
"Is that how you see me?"
"Yes." Natsu glared at Lucy as she stuck her tongue out at him and he sighed. "Anyways, what about you? Got anything planned?"
"Not as far as I know" Natsu replied, leaning back to stretch. "Maybe I'll go and start a fight with Gray, that'd be fun."
"Somehow I imagined you'd have grown up a little since you left." Natsu laughed.
"Did you even really know me?"
"Apparently not" Lucy placed a hand on her chin as she placed a plate full of bacon and eggs in front of Natsu. "I have an idea! Why don't you ask Nashi what she's doing?" Natsu swallowed his food and stared at Lucy curiously.
"Nashi?" He asked, wiping his mouth. "Why?"
"Maybe you can do something with her. You know, some father-daughter bonding time."
"Nah, I'm good."
"Why not? You barely know her." Natsu stared at her and she stared back. "Could be a good idea."
"What makes you think Nashi wants to spend her day with her old man?" Natsu asked, playing with his fork. "She's almost a grown woman for Mavis' sake, she has better things to do."
"What makes you say that?"
"What makes you think that she would agree to this?" Natsu and Lucy had a stare down as Lucy huffed. "I mean seriously Luce, she has friends, a life, other things to do other than talk to me" Lucy responded by picking up the phone and dialing a number.
"Nashi? Yeah it's me." Natsu stared wide eyed at her as she stuck her tongue out at him again. "Have any plans for today?...Well, that's all well and good but I was thinking you and your dad could spend the day together...no ,you can't bring Ul!...Because it'd be you and your dad!...Yes of course he agreed!"
"I did not!" Natsu yelled at the phone, and Lucy glared at him.
"No, that was Happy...Nashi I'm telling you he thinks it a good idea...Yes, you have too!"
"No you don't!" Natsu shouted.
"You should!...It's only a day Nashi , not the end of the world...I mean, you barely know your dad...so what? What's that supposed to mean?...Okay, well how about I come over there and make you?...Don't use that tone with me young lady!...Yes, I will do that!...Nashi, I swear on Mavis' grave...Thank you, was that so hard?" Lucy hung up the phone and turned back to Natsu. "She said she'll meet you in the park!" Lucy reported happily.
"Did you say that or did she?"
"Irrelevant. Fact is, she'll be there, which means you have to be there, got it?"
"Says who?"
"I'll divorce you, Natsu"
"Yeah right"
"Try me" Natsu and Lucy had another staring contest before Lucy sighed and poured on the sad act. "I just thought you and your daughter could get to know each other" She said sadly. "I mean, sixteen years is a lot of lost time, Natsu. What if she grows up and moves away, and all you know is her name and what she looks like?"
"I know more than that" Natsu retorted.
"What's her favorite color?" Natsu grew a complete blank. "What's her favorite food? her favorite movie? What's her middle name?" Natsu stared at Lucy before he sighed angrily.
"Alright, I'll do this damn day with her, just stop with the puppy eyes." Lucy laughed gleefully and jumped up to kiss Natsu on the cheek.
"Was that so hard, you big teddy bear?" Natsu growled in response as Lucy walked away.
"Don't think for even a minute I'm going to enjoy this!" He called after her angrily.
Natsu took his sweet time walking down to the park, maybe he'd find an excuse to not show up. A cat stuck in a tree, or an old lady that needed someone to carry her groceries, something. Anything. Natsu turned the corner and spotted his daughter waiting for him. He sighed, there was no turning back now. he walked down the steps towards the Sola tree and Nashi took notice of his approach.
"Hey." Natsu said awkwardly.
"Hey" Nashi replied equally as awkwardly. There was a silence between them until Natsu sighed.
"We really don't have to do this" he told her. "your mom will be gone all day, so we can just make something up and go with it when she comes home." Nashi chuckled and pocketed her hands.
"Nah, it's alright." She replied. "I thought it over on the way here, and it really isn't a bad idea. We really don't know each other at all." She smiled up at him, and for a moment Natsu saw Lucy instead of her. "Right?"
"I suppose" Natsu replied. "So, what now?"
"I was kind of hoping you had an idea" Silence befell them again, and Natsu racked his brain to find something to say. He really had no idea how to have casual small talk with her. "Let's just walk, maybe we'll see something."
"Alright, fine by me" Natsu walked beside his daughter down the street, still feeling uncomfortable. if Natsu could have one thing in the world, he'd have the ability to be around his own daughter without feeling uncomfortable. She seemed equally as uncomfortable. Natsu managed a weak laugh.
"Leave it to your mother to set this up" he told her. "I mean really, we can't talk to each other, what was she thinking?" Nashi chuckled.
"Maybe that's the idea." She said wistfully. "She probably thinks it's sad."
"Well, it is." Natsu remained silent for a minute before he continued. "So, how's it been since I finished training you?" Best to start simple, right? Nashi shrugged.
"Good" She replied. "A struggle, as you know, but it's fun going on jobs with everyone."
"Yeah, that's a perk"
"Speaking of jobs Dad," Nashi said,cocking her head to face him. "What was yours that kept you away for so long?" Natsu flinched visibly. He wasn't sure he was ready to discuss that with her, of all people.
"It's dangerous for anyone to know about, you can't know"
"Why is it so dangerous?"
"Because"
"Because why?"
"Because I said so." Natsu grinned as Nashi puffed up her cheeks in irritation. He could't tell her, she wasn't ready. "Don't be so upset, it's no big deal."
"Well, I mean it kept us apart for my whole life..." Natsu's chest tightened with guilt.
"What, you're going to guilt trip me now?" Nashi giggled at his question.
"No, I'm over it, it's alright." She turned to smile at him. "You're here now, that's what matters."
"Yeah. And, uh, for what it's worth..." Natsu trailed off and stared at the ground, and Nashi made a curious sound.
"What?" She asked.
"I know I've told you already, but if I had had any idea I had a daughter..." Natsu turned his head to meet her gaze. "I would've dropped everything." Nashi blushed slightly.
"I know." She replied. "Speaking of which, I guess you really aren't to blame for not knowing"
"Yeah, it's your mothers fault if it's anyone's."
"Yeah." Nashi stopped as did Natsu, and he watched her grin childishly at him. "Want some ice cream?" She asked excitedly. Natsu grinned.
"You are definitely mine, that's for sure."
"Hhhhmmmm" Nashi said, sucking her spoon dry and sticking it back in the sundae. They were currently at an ice cream parlor playing twenty questions, and Natsu honestly felt happy. "How about...favorite food?"
"Anything" Natsu replied with a laugh. "As long as I get to eat, I'm good." Nashi laughed.
"Me too! Man, we're so alike it's almost creepy." Natsu chuckled.
"The only Lucy part of you is your gender, apparently." Natsu rubbed his chin for a moment before a question appeared in his head. "Most embarrassing story?" Nashi thought for a moment before her face went red.
"Well, it's sort of recent." She trailed off, rubbing her arm. "And you have to promise not to get mad or overprotective or anything, alright?"
"...Okay?" Nashi sighed, playing with her sundae.
"It was a little bit before we went to Edolas" She began. "One morning the guys were...acting weird"
"How so?"
"They were flirting with us a whole lot more than normal" Natsu felt a protective surge of anger course through him, and he attempted to drown in out with more soothing thoughts.
"Who was it?" He asked quietly, and Nashi gulped.
"Drake." She replied, staring down at the table and Natsu did his best not to flip that very same table over and hunt down the Poison Dragon Slayer. "And I sort of, um...never mind"
"Nashi..."
"The only way to break the spell was to kiss them" She spoke quickly, and Natsu's rage began to envelop him. "And I, uh...missed my mark."
"by how much?"
"The space between a cheek and his lips" With that information, Natsu stood and began his hunt. "Dad, you promised not to get mad!"
"That was before you told me." He replied stoically. "Now I'm mad."
"It was an accident!"
"So?" Natsu paused when she grabbed his arm and he turned to stare at her. She was completely red and shaking slightly.
"It was an accident" She said shakily. "I had too, or else he would've kept flirting with me. I don't like him like that Dad, I promise." Natsu sighed.
"Yeah, yeah" He said, his rage subsiding. "Just tell him to watch himself."
"Right." Paying for the ice cream and leaving, Natsu and Nashi once again found themselves enveloped in awkward silence. Natsu knew his fatherly protectiveness was the cause, but he couldn't help it. She was his daughter after all, he wasn't just going to let any guy do whatever he wanted. Natsu sighed.
"Sorry about that." he spoke. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad." Nashi smiled.
"It's alright." She replied. "It's nice to know you care so much, even if a bit too much."
"It's just..." Natsu thought over his sentence before he spoke. "You're my daughter and he's...a guy and I know you're a teenager and everything..." Nashi made a strangled sound.
"Please don't tell me you plan on giving me the talk, do you?" She asked, and Natsu choked.
"What!? Mavis no! That's your mothers job, not mine! If I had a son it would be a completely different ball game, but you're a girl! That'd just be weird!"
"What does that make our current relationship?"
"Um...well..." Natsu didn't know how to reply to that, so instead he opted for a funnier response. At least in his head, anyway. he ruffled Nashi's hair and chuckled.
"Just be safe, sweetheart" he said, and she went completely red.
"You did not just tell me that, dad!"
"What?" Natsu asked innocently, doing his best not to laugh. "It's like I said, I know you're a teenager and that you have urges..." Nashi covered her ears with her hands as he continued.
"La la la la la la, I can't hear you!" She shouted.
"And that sometimes you act on those urges..."
"Dad!"
"Believe me, I know what it's like..."
"DAD!" Natsu grinned at his thoroughly embarrassed daughter.
"What?"
"Enough! I don't need a story!"
"Oh, a story? Well, this one time..." Nashi ran, and Natsu bolted after her. "Get back here and deal with me!"
"No, you're to embarrassing!"
"I'm supposed to be!" Nashi didn't reply and sped up, and of course Natsu followed suit. She thought she could out speed him, that was funny.
"Put me down!"
"Not a chance." Natsu had chased Nashi all throughout Magnolia, and currently had Nashi draped over his shoulder as she slammed her fists into his back, but they didn't hurt all that much. The sun was setting as Natsu carried her back into the park. "Not until you calm down."
"I'm calm!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!" Natsu unceremoniously dumped her on the ground next to him, and he chuckled as she fumed silently.
"Something the matter, sweetheart?" He asked innocently.
"First you launch into the most embarrassing conversation I've ever had, then you chase me around for a few hours..." She glared at him, and he only chuckled in response. "What time is it, anyway?" Natsu shrugged.
"Feels around six" He replied. "Don't worry, our day is almost over."
"Good, you're insufferable."
"It's your mothers fault."
"Believe me, I know." They sat down on the bench next to them, and Natsu stretched. "As unbelievable as it sounds, I did have fun." Nashi said quietly, observing the sunset.
"That is hard to believe" Natsu agreed. "But you're right, so did I" Silence befell them, and for the first time Natsu didn't feel uncomfortable during it. Just a normal silence.
"Dad?" Natsu was jerked out of his thoughts at the sound of his daughters voice. "Can I ask you something? It'll sound kind of stupid, but..."
"Go ahead, I don't mind." Nashi played with her hands for a little bit before she looked back at the sunset.
"Do you love me?" Natsu almost fell off of the bench at the question. He recovered and stared at the back of Nashi's head.
"What?"
"You heard me." She replied, her voice suddenly serious. "Do you love me or...am I just someone you feel indebted to be around?" Nashi had a sad expression on her face as she continued. "it seems silly, but...sometimes I feel like the only reason you trained me was so that you're own legacy wasn't tainted."
"Huh?"
"Y'know, the legendary Salamander of Fairy Tail's daughter can't even use magic. Sometimes I worry that's how you feel..." Natsu cut her off by placing a hand on her shoulder and glaring at her. She turned to face him weakly, tears in her eyes.
"I wish you'd stop saying that shit" he growled. "What kind of stupid question was that?"
"Well, I just thought..."
"No, you clearly didn't. You thought, what, the only reason I hang around is because I feel like I owe you or my legacy was going to be tainted or something?" Nashi nodded weakly. "That's ridiculous."
"What..."
"Of course I love you, you're my daughter for Mavis' sake. I love you more than I've ever loved anything, what cold possibly make you think otherwise?" Nashi remained quiet, so Natsu continued. "No matter what anyone tries to tell you, you're my pride and joy. I wouldn't care if I was on everyone's hit list if I knew you better than I do, or if I was there while you grew up. " Nashi was starting to cry, and now Natsu felt stupid.
"Dad..."
"I've never regretted anything more than not being there for you, If anything, I feel like you don't love me."
"But I do! When you first came back, I tried to tell myself I didn't but..." Nashi trailed off as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're my dad, I can't change that." She smiled brightly at him, and Natsu felt his chest swell up. Natsu wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him, relishing in the moment they were sharing. Nashi sniffled and chuckled. "I guess this is better than some fake story we made up, huh?"
"We could just tell your mother we can't stand each other." He joked, "That'd be fun."
"Or we could not." Natsu stayed silent as she remained in his one armed hug, pressed up against his chest. Natsu could've stayed like that forever, just him and his daughter. Lucy will never let me forget this if she sees this...
Lucy sighed as she walked around Magnolia, looking for her family. She couldn't find Nashi or Natsu anywhere, and she'd looked practically everywhere. She was on her way home when she passed the park, and noticed a blob of pink in said park. Turning and entering the park, she could see her husband and daughter alright, and her heart melted at what she saw.
Both of them were out cold, and Nashi was curled up against her father, using his chest as a pillow. Natsu had a protective arm around her, and he was snoring quiet loudly, but Nashi didn't seem to mind.
"And you tried to tell me you would enjoy this." Lucy whispered aloud, watching the pair with a small smile. She didn't have the heart to move either of them, so she left them as they were. "I told you it was a good idea, Natsu."
Aw, ain't that sweet? Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed, leave a review! let's try and get five!