Blossom

Douche

"...Oh."

"Oh?"

"Um... Did mom and dad tell you to call me, then?"

"No, I'm in town for a bit now. They're letting me and my family stay at the house. I asked how you were doing, and they said you'd have something to tell me. Wendy said it wasn't bad. Was she lying?"

"Um... Not really... Okay, are you alone right now?"

"So it's bad?"

"No... I just don't know how you'll react."

"...Little brother."

"What?"

"Did you go and get some girl pregnant?"

"I-" How the hell did he..? "I, um, I did, actually."

"...Oh."

"Yeah... How'd you know?"

"The way everyone was acting... It was very similar to when Mavis got pregnant. Also, I hear Gildarts wants to stay in town and finally settle down in one spot, which is very unlike him. I figured something important must've happened."

"Oh, I see."

"Mhm... Who is the girl?"

"You don't know her. We went to highschool together, and college too... But I actually just dropped out."

"I've heard... So what's your plan?"

"I guess I'll just do what you did- work my ass off until I can afford school again. I'd probably wait until my kid's a little older, though."

"Okay... Is this girl your girlfriend?"

"Not yet."

"Hm... Well I'd like to meet her sometime."

"Okay... I guess we could arrange somethin'..."

"August misses you, and Mavis would love to see you again. We'll all meet up before we go back home."

"Yeah... sounds like a plan."

"Okay, then. I'll see soon."

"Yep..." Natsu was the first to hang up, and he let out the long breath he'd been holding in. Things didn't get crazy, but he could easily tell from the tone of his brother's voice... he was mad. Really, he was very mad, or most likely disappointed.

He didn't show his stress on his face as he went back inside to join everyone again, and mustered a smile at the way Lucy was sobbing at yet another one of Cana's baby pictures.

"Your little cheeks... they were so chubby..." She sniffled, "You were so precious."

"What do you mean 'were'?" Cana pretended to be offended, "Actually, I'm not the only baby in this photo album..." She turned a couple pages before finding what she was searching for, "There! This was when I met Natsu. Now those are some chubby cheeks!"

"Oh. My. Goodness!" Cana was right, he really was chubby, and Lucy couldn't take it anymore. "Look at his fat little fingers!"

"Okay now," Natsu startled her when he snatched the book out of her hands, "Enough of that."

"Oh, you're back! How did it go?" Gildarts could already tell by the look in his eyes, "Oh... he was mad at you?"

"Yeah... but that's nothing new. Also, he wants to meet you, Luce."