Fairy Tail's Little Angel

Chapter 16 - Bonding

I took Lucy over to the hammock and laid her down, pulling the blanket over her. She looked so peaceful as she snuggled her plush dragon I placed next to her. "Hey Natsu, where can I put Rogue's and my stuff?" Sting said. I turned to him and pointed to the area beside my couch "over there" I replied. "Natsu are you ok? You don't seem to be your cheerful self?" Happy asked me, which caught everyone's attention.

I sighed, "I've been thinking-" I started saying when Gray exclaimed "Natsu's thinking! The world's going to end!" "Shut up Popsicle!" I retorted, "Wanna fight Ash for Brains?!" Gray argued back. "Bring it on Ice Cube!" I said getting into a fighting stance, "Natsu's back" Happy said. "Take the fight outside, you might hurt Lucy" Rogue sighed, me and Gray walked outside. Gray and I moved our fight to a clearing near my house. We exchanged punches and kicks until both of us were on the ground and couldn't fight anymore.

As soon as I walked back into the house with Gray, Lucy ran up to me and Gray. "Papa! Big Brother! Where did you go?" she asked with concern. 'I can't tell her we were fighting outside, if Erza found out... I don't want to think about it' I thought a little scared.

"We were um..." I started thinking on what to say, "they were bonding" Happy intervened. I internally thanked Happy, "what is bonding?" Lucy asked curiously. "It's when you sit with your best friend in a field making daisy chains" Happy replied trying not to laugh. "Don't tell her that!" Gray and I said in unison and we chased a laughing Happy around the house.

While we were chasing Happy, Sting was laughing hysterically on the floor and Lucy went over to Rogue. "Up please" Lucy said holding her arms up to Rogue and he picked her up. "What's for dinner Big Brother Rogue?" she asked, "Tempura" Rogue replied.

Gray and I stopped chasing Happy when we heard Rogue's answer. "You can cook?" I questioned, "and where did you get the ingredients?" Gray asked. "While you two were outside, Rogue went shopping while I stayed here" Sting said. "Frosch loves Rogue's cooking" Frosch spoke up.

"I'll get started on dinner" Rogue said as he put Lucy down onto the floor. "Let me help you" Gray suggested, "sure" Rogue emotionlessly replied. When Gray and Rogue left to cook dinner, we played Charades.

Sting went first, he crossed his arms and made his face expressionless. "Is it Rogue?" Frosch asked, "that's right" Sting confirmed. Next it was my turn, I took off my vest then I made a fist with one hand and put it on my open hand. "Oh, Big Brother! It's Big Brother!" Lucy answered excitedly.

Happy was next and he pretended to be Erza. After him, Lector pretended to be Sting and then it was Frosch's turn but nobody could guess Frosch's person. Lastly it was Lucy's turn, she put her fist into her open hand in front of her. My heart fluttered as I recognised that pose, it was my pose. "It's me!" I said happily, "you're right Papa!" she replied and ran over to where I sat.

Sting and I could smell food and turned to see Gray and Rogue coming out of the kitchen. Both were holding two plates of tempura each, placing them on the table and then going back to the kitchen. "Lucy go wash your hands, Sting you go too" Rogue said, "ok Big Brother Rogue" Lucy replied, running over to the bathroom with Sting following.

When Lucy and Sting came back into the room, we all sat around the table. "Thank you for the food" we all prayed before digging in. We had a lively dinner, talking and joking around. After finishing our meal, Gray and Rogue left to wash the dishes while Sting and I sat on the couch. Lucy ran over to the hammock, grabbing her plush dragon. She then ran over to where we sat, climbed onto the couch and then sat on my lap.

"Lucy, why don't you ever come to me?" Sting asked, I snickered knowing he's jealous. "What do you mean Big Brother Sting?" Lucy asked tilting her head curiously. I couldn't help but think she looked cute when she's confused. "You never sit on my lap or let me pick you up. You always go to Rogue or Natsu" Sting pouted.

"Sorry Big Brother Sting, Papa said not to" Lucy said sadly. "When did I say that?" I asked confused, "you didn't trust Big Brother Sting before you left" she answered. I thought back, which was hard, and then I remembered I glared at Sting while handing Lucy over to Rogue before I left for the mission. I burst out laughing, 'I can't believe that Lucy did that because I glared at him' I thought.

Gray and Rogue came into the room hearing my laughter. "What's so funny Fire Clown?" Gray asked and I immediately stopped laughing. "What did you say Popsicle Princess?!" I retorted, glaring at him. "Papa, Big Brother, don't fight" Lucy said with tears in her eyes. Oh, no "we weren't fighting were we Gray?" I said firmly saying his name. "Right Natsu" he replied in the same tone, "I'm surrounded by idiots" Rogue said to no one in particular. "Shut up!" Sting, Gray and I all said in unison.

Suddenly Lucy and the exceeds were laughing, hearing Lucy laugh was heavenly. I explained the reason why I was laughing earlier and when I finished explaining, Sting had a jaw dropping expression on his face. "That's why?!" he exclaimed, everyone laughed at Sting's reaction.

I heard a small yawn and saw Lucy looking tired, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Time for bed" I said, lifting her up with me as I got off the couch. Rogue told me that she used her onesie as pyjamas so I helped her into her onesie. After being ready for bed, I lifted her into the hammock and covered her up with her blanket. "Good night everyone" she said as she hugged her plush dragon. "Good night Lucy" we all replied.

After setting up Sting's and Rogue's beds, we all went to bed. Each exceed slept with their Dragon Slayers while Gray slept alone.