Trail of a Fairy

28. Son

Dammit. Natsu hit his head against the wall. It wasn't his wall, so he hit it as hard as he could — hoping he would either knock himself out or put a hole through the wall. Then, undoubtedly, Gray would knock him out. But neither happened.

From the other side of his living room, Gray watched Natsu. He groaned as the man's head hit the wall again.

"Will you stop it, flamer?" He growled. "The neighbors will complain."

Juvia sat on a couch opposite Gray. Her head swiveled between the two men, constantly waiting for one to throw the first punch. And it tied her stomach in knots that neither of them had.

"Natsu-san, Juvia does not think that hitting heads on walls will do much good."

Natsu glared at Juvia, and she cowered back. Gray, however, was not as timid in his response. Standing up from his chair violently — and pushing it back a few inches — he stomped over to Natsu. Grabbing the fire mage's scarf, he hauled Natsu up to his face.

"The hell are you doing, flamer?" He growled.

Natsu spat in his face. "Doesn't concern you, princess."

Gray didn't even wipe the spit from his face. But he threw Natsu's face into the wall — harder than Natsu himself had been. His skin scraped, and it began to burn. Natsu barely had time to cuss before he hit the floor. Sitting up, he wiped the blood from his face. It had smeared the white wall.

Natsu grimaced. "The hell you doing, Gray?"

"The hell am I doing? What the hell were you doing, not telling Nashi what you did for that scarf?"

Natsu froze — not physically, but mentally. He stopped thinking what was going through his head as he roared towards Gray. He grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him across the room. Juvia shrieked as her husband connected with a lamp, bringing it down with a loud crash.

"What was I doing? I was giving my son a gift from his mother because he's got a shitty father!"

"You dumb ass!" Gray growled as he stood up. "A shitty father figure? A shitty father figure?"

Gray roared, pulling up the pieces of the lamp. He gripped it tightly, holding it up towards Natsu.

"You want to know what a shitty father figure is? A dead one, that's what! So don't go giving me crap about him having a shitty father figure — at least he's got one!"

Juvia shivered — for once, she hated what Gray was saying.

"Gray-sama," she finally stood up from her chair, placing herself between the two men. Her voice was cold. "Juvia believes it the best if Natsu-san was to leave and for Gray-sama to calm down."

Juvia watched as the tension in her husband's shoulders released. He took a few deep breaths, looking between her and Natsu. With a scowl, Gray put down the pieces of the lamp.

Yet Natsu stood there; silent. He made no move to wipe the blood from his face or look away from Gray. He just stood there — simmering like a pot left over fire. One that had just boiled over. With a look from Juvia, Natsu headed to the door. The other two followed him. Gray was being held up by Juvia.

"Damn Ice Princess." Natsu cussed as he slammed the door.

Gray slumped to the floor, finally feeling the bruises. Violently, he threw the broken lamp across the room. Juvia flinched. Gray cussed.

"Damn flame brain. Doesn't get what he's doing."

Juvia nodded silently as she went to grab the first aid kit; Gray was beginning to bleed. She sighed heavily — glad she always kept the first aid kit on hand when Natsu came over.

"Dammit." Natsu cursed again, kicking some stray leaves on the ground. They were orange. "Damn Ice Princess."

Natsu shoved his thumbs into his belt, wishing he had pockets. He grumbled some more, never really listening to what he was saying.

"Damn Ice Princess thinks he can lecture me. What does he know about my life?"

Natsu, she's gone. Don't make Nashi lose both parents in one day.

Natsu cussed again. Why am I remembering that now? He shook his head, finally getting used to his shirt hair. With a heavy sigh, Natsu looked up. It was getting dark. And in the corner of his mind, he saw the leaves beginning to fall of trees in rainbows. He closed his eyes.

"You can't let me get away with anything, eh Luce?"

Natsu turned around, heading for the noise of the park. For the first time in a long while, Natsu noticed himself having to push through crowds. He pushed harder; he wanted to reach the park quickly.

When Natsu passed the river, he took a moment to clean his face. The cold water stung his wound, but he did no more than flinch. With a tsk, he chuckled. "Stupid exhibitionist."

Yet he continued to chuckle as he walked to the tree where he knew the guild would be. How could he forget that tree?

Nashi was sitting closest to the tree. Way in the front — next to the bingo caller — he sat with his friends. He didn't notice his dad coming, although everybody else did. But Natsu tried his best not to step on anyone's picnic.

"Yo!" Natsu grinned as he plopped next time his son.

"Dad! You're... Here!" Nashi jumped in surprise.

"What happened to your face?" He exclaimed a moment later.

Natsu waved his son's worry away. "It was just another fight with Gray."

"Uncle." Gael whined from across the picnic blanket. "You two need to stop fighting."

Nashi groaned as his dad gave him a noogie.

"I'll stop fighting your dad when my son picks it up!"

Nashi rolled his eyes, only gaining a reaction from Gael. She chuckled, but quiet enough so nobody noticed.

"I don't think that's going to happen, Uncle Natsu."

Natsu cocked his head — finally stopping the noogie on his son. But Natsu pulled Nashi closer.

"He's my son — of course he'll pick up my fight!"

"Dad..." Nashi groaned. "Give up already!"

With a laugh, Natsu released his son.

"Nope!"