#ftdadsau

[ft-dads-au]

Sleeping Beauty

A collaboration by @mdelpin ​ and @oryu404​

​Nali Week 2021 Prompt: Domestic Pairing: Natsu x Lisanna

AO3

May 26, 2019

Lisanna opened the door to her bedroom, smiling as the sound of Natsu’s snores welcomed her. She entered the room, closing the door softly behind her to keep out the noise of Hana watching television while she ate her morning snack.

She’d only meant to get her cell phone from the bedside charger, but now that she was there she couldn’t help but watch her husband sleep for a few minutes, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of him resting in their bed.

It was already past ten in the morning, much later than he would usually let himself sleep on a Sunday. When it had been just the two of them, they’d spent half the day in bed, talking and reconnecting. Now that they had kids, Natsu was determined to squeeze as much family time into his one day off as he could.

But he worked so hard, and so much that Lisanna couldn’t see her way to waking him up just yet. Instead, she grabbed her phone and walked over to his side of the bed, leaning down to give him the softest of kisses.

“Lisss-”

She felt the blood rush to her face on hearing Natsu call out her name. He turned on his side, arm reaching out to her side of the bed, searching for her in his sleep. He found her pillow and hugged it to his chest, looking even more boyish than he usually did.

Oh, Natsu…

Lisanna snapped a quick picture and sent it to Erza and Mira, leaving the room before she ended up waking him with her giggles.

[aki-natsuko]

The ‘Perfect’ Ring

  The shopping centre was heaving, reminding Laxus why he tended to avoid it, especially on weekends. At least the jewellers was practically empty, just one other man browsing a display on the other side of the shop, mercifully ignoring them as Laxus allowed Evergreen to pull him around the shop.

“So how are you going to do it?” Evergreen asked they paused in front of the next one, and Laxus supposed that he should be grateful that she’d lost the squeal that had almost deafened him when he’d confessed to her the reason for this secretive shopping trip with just the two of them. There was still that dangerous gleam in her eyes, the one that almost made him regret roping her into this. Almost. Because she’d come armed with the one piece of information that he hadn’t had ��� Freed’s ring size, obtained from Brandish, and he winced having a feeling she would be teasing him about that for a long time. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have asked her himself, but it hadn’t occurred to him, and Evergreen had known that smirking at him as she’d dangled the slip of paper with the details in front of him when they’d met outside.

“I don’t know…” He admitted, realising that she was staring at him rather than the rings, waiting for a reply and he rolled his shoulders nervously. “Can’t I just ask him?” He knew it was a stupid question even before she made a scandalised noise.

“Just ask him?” Evergreen echoed hands on her hips. “If you ‘just ask him’ Laxus Dreyar, then I am going to tell him that you agreed to let me and Brandish organise your wedding.” Laxus gaped at her, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks. Not sure if he was more taken aback by the threat – which he knew from her expression wasn’t really a threat – or by the thought of the wedding that still seemed like a very distant dream even though he was here looking for a ring. Then he blinked and shook his head because he could just imagine what she and Brandish might inflict on him and Freed, and he knew that Freed’s sister probably already had far too many ideas in mind without Evergreen encouraging her.

“Fine, I won’t just ask him,” he muttered, turning away from her triumphant grin and looking at the rings. Why the hell are there so many? He wondered, overwhelmed by the selection even after dismissing the ones that were clearly meant for women, eyes narrowed. They’d already had that awkward moment when one of the shop assistants had come bustling across all eager and excited mistaking for a couple, Evergreen had shooed the woman awake, laughing at his discomfort and completely unfazed. It wasn’t the first time it had happened after all, and more than once they’d used it as cover, mostly when Freed’s parents were in the vicinity, but it had felt wrong today when they were here for Freed. “I just…” He trailed off, not sure what he was trying to say and he nearly jolted out of his skin when Evergreen rested a hand on his arm.

“I’m just teasing,” she told him, voice softening as she met his gaze. “I’m sure whatever you do, it will be perfect.” That startled a laugh out of him because ‘perfect’ wasn’t a word he would use when it came to his efforts, remembering the almost unmitigated disaster when he’d asked Freed out the first time. Knew that Evergreen had followed his thoughts because she snorted and squeezed his arm again. “Well, look on the bright side, it’s got to be better than when you asked him out.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence,” Laxus retorted, but he was grinning. Some of the tension easing out of his shoulders, and he realised that had been her aim as she smiled and patted his arm.

“You’re welcome, now let’s find him the perfect ring and up your chances.”

[divinion1990]

Family Law

Summary: Fourteen years ago, Sherry Blendy and Lyon Vastia shared one fateful night together. Now, the conflicted fourteen-year-old Chelia discovers that her father is not the man that she believed all these years. Their journeys are destined to intertwine, but will the truth destroy their family bonds, or pave a strong future together? Collection: Fairy Tail Dad’s AU Main Characters: Chelia Blendy, Lyon Vastia, Sherry Blendy, Gray Fullbuster

----

May 12, 2020

The sounds of singing and pop music played by an overworked speaker resonated throughout the community centre. To some it was sweet, to others it was a nail through the forehead. Bouncing around the wooden floorboards and the pale teal walls, escaping through to the small reception room at the front.

“I’m sorry, the halls have ended up double booked due to the holidays,” the receptionist apologised to the two men. “The girls will be finished up in the next five minutes or so, I promise. Then the day-care centre will be free again!”

Lyon nodded, a polite smile written across his face. “That’s quite alright. We can wait.”

“Or we could not,” Gray rolled his eyes.

The older male scoffed. “Nonsense! This meeting is the best thing for you. See, they’re stopping already!” Lyon told him.

It was true. The sounds of the singing were replaced quickly with childish giggling and running around the room. Bags, coats and all other belongings were quickly gathered by the gossiping teenagers, little care for what was around them as they discussed their latest rehearsal successes.

“Did you hear that high note? And the dance routine… That last step was so hard!”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it!”

“I’m sure we’ll do much better next time.”

“We’re already getting much better!”

Gray tucked himself into the corner of the room as the small collection of young women raced out in front of him. They bounced around with an excited air, chattering and wishing each other the best of luck. It only gave Gray reason to give Lyon a long, flat stare.

“I promise you; it’ll be worth it,” Lyon reassured him, folding his arms over his chest. “I’ve recommended similar groups to many, many others in your exact position. They’re a great way to assist you in getting over your issues.”

Gray’s frown turned into a glare. “Issues?”

“See, Aki agrees with me,” Lyon offered, leaning down to the child by Gray’s side. He in no way seemed to be in an agreeing mood, too busy staring at the small crowd from behind Gray’s legs and holding onto his father’s hand tightly. Lyon didn’t seem to notice this. “We’re going to help daddy get over his issues. Aren’t we Aki?”

“Please don’t talk to my son about issues…” Gray hissed at him, grabbing onto Aki’s hand even tighter.

“The room should be free now,” the woman behind the desk called out to them both. “Second door on the right.”

“Thanks,” Gray huffed, quickly moving away and towards the door.

Lyon grinned proudly, watching his friend disappear with his son. Without a shadow of doubt, he knew that Gray would take great things from this experience. It had been an excellent idea - after all, Lyon had tried and tested this many times with other clients.

“Mom! We got through the second verse!”

“Excellent work, both of you! Oh Wendy, I love what you’ve done with your hair!”

“Th-thank you, Mrs Blendy…”

“Oh Wendy, how many times? You can call me-“

“Lyon!”

Lyon blinked suddenly, looking back to the man calling his name. “S-Sorry?”

Gray frowned back at him. “Are you coming or what?” he asked him impatiently. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just… thought I recognised someone,” Lyon explained, quickly ignoring his instincts and following Gray into the room.

 -----

 “I saw him today.”

Ren turned to his wife, pausing. It wasn’t her words that made him concerned, but the way that she held her arms over her body, the awkward glance away, the pauses between each breath. It was all enough to make him stop and listen.

“Oh?”

She hesitated. The words caught on her tongue. It held an almost ominous presence in the build up to her admission. “Her father.”

He paused again. He turned away, putting another item back into the cupboard. “I see,” he said simply.

She bit her lip. Squeezed her arms tight. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him around. I’d assumed he’d moved away again. But he was at the community centre at the same time as Chelia. If I’d been a few minutes late…” she gave a heavy, defeated sigh. “Not that I suppose that would be a bad thing…”

Ren just listened, continuing to put away the groceries in a solemn silence. Hearing that his silence was being returned, his hand stilled. “I don’t think this is my problem…” he said slowly.

She sighed again, this time more dramatically. No matter how sharp and uncaring that might have sounded to the untrained ear, Chelia understood. “No, you’re right. I need to decide what to do with this. We’ll stay a family no matter what happens. She isn’t going to stop loving you, you know,” she told him with a twinkle in her eye.

He turned away, taking an excruciatingly long time to put away just one can of peas.

She giggled. Ren was being as proud as always, but she could always see the love there, even when he didn’t like to admit it. “Thank you,” she told him, walking back to his side and placing a kiss on his cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

——

“And then she started going on about love and how we are all still a family,” Chelia finished explaining before ducking her head into yet another dusty box.

“I see…” Wendy told her softly, brushing the dust from another label. ‘Chelia’s Toys, 2006’. She pushed the box aside. “I can’t imagine what it must feel like finding out your father isn’t-I mean, he is-but-“

“It wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret,” Chelia admitted, pulling out random items and inspecting them. “I always suspected. I don’t look anything like him.”

“That’s true… but even so…” Wendy whispered quietly.

“Nothing’s changed,” Chelia told her seriously. “Even though he isn’t related to me by blood, he’s still my dad. All I’m looking for now is my father.”

Wendy nodded. It really was admirable watching the way that Chelia had dealt with the news that would have shattered her own world. To the point where she was concerned that denial was burning strong inside her, no matter how well she seemed to have rationalised the information. The only thing left for Wendy now was to be a support, a close friend, and a sister to prove not all family relied on blood.

“Um… Chelia…” Wendy paused, trying to get the words right that she’d already thought through a hundred times. “If your mother had this conversation with you… why didn’t she tell you who your father was? Why are we having to look in boxes?”

Chelia paused. It was a question she’d both expected and still struggled to find an answer for. “I didn’t want to ask her...” she admitted, looking down. “I didn’t want her to feel like I was-like I was turning my back on Dad,” she said.

Wendy nodded slowly. There seemed to be a lot more emotions going on there than what Chelia was willing to say, but that at least seemed healthy. She reached over and put a hand over her friend’s.

“We’ll find him together,” she promised her.

Chelia’s smile lit up. She jumped on Wendy, grabbing her into a tight, tight hug. “Thank you, Wendy.”

Wendy gasped at the sudden affection but smiled back warmly. She held on tight, knowing that it wasn’t for her own sake that they’d share this moment. “Any time,” she promised, giving another squeeze before letting go. As she did, her eyes drifted to another box in the far corner, and a name that filled with promise. “Look,” she gestured.

It was everything Chelia had both anticipated and feared. The cardboard box with the words scribbled along the side; ‘Sherry High School/College’. She slid across the floor to the box, pushing away the thick coatings of dust. A line of Sellotape that had long since lost all adhesive properties came away easily in her hands, as she opened the flaps. Everything seemed painfully slow to reveal. An oversized school sweatshirt, with gold embroidery of a snaked creature emblem. Old schoolbooks that were filled with notes, love-hearts and scribbles that could have one day been considered ‘important’. Dusty shot glasses that had been packed and forgotten about, tainted with memories of exciting nights.

Usually, Chelia would have found it all fascinating. A different side to the loving mother she had always known, one that had her whole life ahead of her and – from the contents of this box – seemed content to spent it chasing dreams, scribbling love-hearts and enjoying life. She began to pull out pictures, so many frozen images of long nights ago. She had been a popular woman, wearing a wide smile and more often than not with her hands cupped into a heart shape.

“Your mother was beautiful,” Wendy commented, glancing at the pictures that Chelia was putting onto the ground. “She-she still is beautiful! She was very beautiful in these pictures, though…”

Chelia nodded. “She was,” she agreed, starting to see the patterns. Though it often seemed she would be with a different person every night, she finally saw the friendship groups emerging, until she confidently could pick out a picture with four young people. “I think… I think this is it…”

Wendy glanced over, a serious look on her face. “… You’re sure?”

A small pause from the young woman before another nod. “The way that mother talked about him… I’ve only heard her talk that way about me and my father. It was someone that meant a lot to her. One of her closest friends. It has to be someone from these pictures, one of these… one of these men is my real father.”

----

Sometimes it felt like Lyon was a dark mark upon the world of children.

He was the monster that forced parents to fight and separate. He was the demon that turned lives upside down. He was the villain who asked the painful questions: Who do you want to live with? Did they hurt you? Who do you feel safe with? How often would you like to spend time with these people? They were no questions that any child should have had to answer, and it was not an easy question to ask. Sometimes Lyon had to play the bad guy, for the most important reasons.

There was always a secret sense of dread when he saw a child in distress. There were the background thoughts running through his head, the guilt of separating a child from comfort, the terror that if he made one wrong step someone could get seriously hurt, and then there was that look. The one that cut him right to his core. Even if he forced himself into that polite smile, tried to offer a peace offering of candy, and pray the child was not traumatised for life.

Lyon’s eyes stayed pinned to the small child, watching him even as he took continual sips from his coffee mug. Waiting for him to make a sign, some kind of indication of the trauma he’d caused. Or perhaps the salvation he’d brought.

Instead, Aki just brought him a small block. Lyon looked at him quizzically… and turned back to Gray.

Gray nodded with a small smile. “He’s giving it to you,” he said with a small smirk, relishing perhaps a little too much in how uncomfortable Lyon looked.

Lyon looked back at the ‘gift’, reaching over and taking it. “Oh… thank you very much.”

The child beamed and walked off again to search for more toys.

“For someone who works with kids all day, you sure are awkward around them,” Gray commented.

It was hard for Lyon to understand what Gray’s tone meant, even after all his years of training in other’s true motives. “I usually don’t talk to children as young as Aki…” he admitted, looking even more surprised as another wooden block was passed to him by a very proud looking Aki. “And when I do, they’re usually not social visits… Does that bother you?” he asked.

Gray paused for a few seconds, before shaking his head. “You’re a natural,” he said.

Lyon didn’t feel like a natural. He put down his mug to take yet another block, as Aki disappeared into his toybox and produced five more. He giggled as he was racing back and forth across the room now, trying to drop them into his father’s friend’s lap, a fun new game to explore.

“If you say so…” Lyon said, muttering yet another ‘thank you’ and looking more perplexed by the second. “Is he usually so, uh, generous?”

“No,” Gray smiled faintly. “It means he likes you. And trusts you.”

Lyon swallowed hard. That innocence. He was clearly far too young to understand. Either that, or he had been through too much and resorted to taking kindness in the most unlikely ways. “Well… I like him too,” he admitted, smiling back.

When Aki came running back over, instead Lyon held out one of the building blocks back in his direction. The child’s eyes widened, taking it in his hands and inspecting it intently. He smiled and made a happy little sound, running off again to repeat the game again.

“I’m surprised you don’t have a kid yourself…”

Lyon paused. There it was again, an edge of sadness he’d been expecting whenever around children. No matter how much joy or love it filled him with. “I… got distracted,” he excused himself, looking away. He didn’t want to talk about the years he’d wasted. On work, on some girl, on paths taken that left him much older and much less wise than he’d hoped to be by now. It wasn’t a choice he’d made, but many smaller choices which had left him alone.

It became clear he wasn’t going to say any more. In the spirit of distraction, Lyon quickly became caught into the new games with Aki. He poured the blocks onto the coffee table and within a few seconds had been showing the young boy how to rearrange them. Or Aki had been showing Lyon. It was hard to tell, Gray noticed, finding a very small hint of a smile on his face as he watched them both.

At least this, this small protected bubble, felt safe.

[mdelpin]

Weisz Steiner manga coloring for Weisslogia is used with permission from @23kukulcan. Skiadrum and Sting edits, as well as the Magnolia Dads Club logo, were done by @oryu404

Another hard one! This was for a header for our FT Dads AU. I wasn’t able to get everyone I wanted in because it would have been too busy, but it was still pretty challenging to use so many characters and try to place them based on their relationships with each other. Maybe someday I’ll be able to do one with everyone in it!

[ft-dads-au]

Our first fanart!!!!! Thank you so much @gaymirajane we absolutely love it 😭😍❤

Silver desperately wanted his family to like Gildarts. To see how kind, fun-loving and intelligent he was, and how absolutely perfect they were for each other. How much he needed him.

They approached it slowly, enjoying their last few minutes together before they faced their first hurdle of the day. Silver gazed at Gildarts one last time, hooking their pinkies together briefly before opening the door.

- x -

@ft-dads-au is my favourite source of Sildarts so I felt as though I should do a little doodle to celebrate. We Are Unbreakable is one of my fave fics ever. Please check it out if you have the time!!

[ao3feed-stingue]

Traces Of You

by DivineBurrito, mdelpin

Rogue is dealing with being abandoned by his family and his breakup with Sting, and everything around him reminds him of their separation. When his feelings taint his music by unwittingly showing up in a new song he didn’t even plan on composing, he reaches a breaking point, but before he can rid himself of the visible traces Sting has left, he gets a phone call that puts his resolve to the test.

Words: 2240, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 3 of Fairy Tail Dad's AU

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Rogue Cheney, Sting Eucliffe

Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe

Additional Tags: ftdadsau, Magnolia Dad's Club, ftlgbtholidays2019, Prompt: Written, Stingue Week 2019, Prompt: Reminisce, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, Song/lyrics inspired, Post-Break Up, Suppressed Feelings, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers

Source:http://archiveofourown.org/works/21709084

[ft-dads-au]

Be It Ever So Humble

A collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

150 Followers Drabble #1 - January Pairing: Zeref x Mavis

AO3

“It’s got a bathroom!” Mavis squealed from whatever room she had disappeared to.

“I was kind of hoping,” Zeref said, and even though he was teasing, he was aware of the big stupid grin on his face at the excitement in her voice.

“In the master bedroom.”

Oh. That was nice. They’d never had that, unless you counted their first apartment at uni, which had been one large room.

Since Larcade’s birth, it had become painfully obvious that their apartment was too small for their growing family. Zeref’s mother, Zelda, had suggested it was time to go house hunting, and that’s what they’d done for the past few days. However, none of the houses they’d viewed had called to them so far. Most of the ones within their budget were what real estate agents like to call “quaint,” or “full of character.” From what he could tell, that translated to needing a lot of repairs he wasn’t qualified to make, or could afford.

This one didn’t look so bad. Yet. It was in a quiet rural area, on the bank of a minor river. Mountain peaks arose from behind the trees surrounding the property. A welcome change to the concrete jungle that was the view of their current residence. The air was crisper, and it felt a lot cooler than the sweltering summer heat of the city.

Zeref shared an amused look with his mother at the sound of Mavis scampering from room to room, exalting all the things she liked about the house, sounding much like their three-year-old daughter, Zera. But with so many plus points, the thought that there had to be a catch started gnawing on him.

“Alright, level with me,” he said, turning to the real estate agent, “what’s wrong with it?”

“Zeref, don’t be rude!” Zelda was quick to apologize, “He means nothing by it, we’ve just looked at a lot of houses.”

“I understand. To be honest, I haven’t been here before. It’s just come on the market.”

“Zeref, come here!”

He followed the sound of Mavis’ voice, finding her in a bedroom, standing by the window. It faced the large water wheel, which had intrigued him from the moment they’d arrived.

“Listen to that, isn’t it wonderful?” Mavis said, her eyes starry, “Can’t you just imagine Zera lulling herself to sleep with it?”

“I’m pretty sure it’d just make her wet the bed. Might work better for Larcade, he’d already be wearing a diaper.”

Mavis swatted his arm, “You can feel it too, can’t you? I think this is the one.” She grabbed onto his hand, pulling him from room to room while weaving an illusion of what their life there would be like until he could see it clearly.

“Oh and look, here’s another bedroom. In case we want to have another baby.”

“Another one? Mavis honey, we just had Larcade three months ago!”

“So?” she asked, grinning in that carefree way of hers that he was powerless to resist.

Zeref snorted, you wouldn’t ever hear him complaining about that. He drew his lower lip between his teeth as he mulled it over. They’d dreamed of having a house like this for years. Even before they’d had a family. A place with a little nature so Mavis could feel at home, but close enough to the University so he could still work on his research.

“I think I saw a garden, let’s go check it out!”

Mavis nudged him, already talking about searching the library she worked at for books on growing vegetable gardens. The backyard wasn’t very large, but the flowers were sweet-smelling and their colors gave it a cheerful air. There was even a stone bench that faced west. Zeref could almost picture them sitting there, watching the sun disappear behind the mountains as Zera and Larcade played among the flowers.

“Do you hear that?”

He immediately understood what Mavis was getting at. The only sounds were of bird calls and the gurgling of the river. So unlike the noise they’d become used to in the city.

“We could make some fairy houses,” Zeref suggested, letting the house cast its spell over him as well.

“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Mavis clapped her hands in delight, “Zera would love that!”

They walked back to the house’s entrance, stopping to stare at the water. Mavis leaned over the railing to study the mechanism that held the water wheel in place, giving Zeref a minor panic attack and horrifying visions of Zera falling into the river.

“I’m a little worried about the kids and the river,” Zeref said, realizing the existing fencing would need replacing to ensure little bodies couldn’t fall in.

“I know we can make it work. Can we get it?” Mavis grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it. “I really like it here, Zeref.”

He did too. It would cost a little more than what they’d agreed on, but he still had the money he’d inherited from his father. He could use it to give their kids the childhood he and Mavis never had.

With his mind made up to put in an offer, he kissed Mavis’ head before resting his chin on her shoulder and hugging her close.

“You think we could use that water wheel to generate electricity?”

Mavis laughed, “Knowing you? We’ll probably be off the grid in six months.”

She turned around then, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck and peering up into his eyes in silent query. His lips soon met hers and for a while, they became lost in the joy of being together. The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them brought them back to the present.

“Have you decided?”

“We’ll take it, ” they chorused.

A/N: This is the first of twelve drabbles we have planned from the edits we made for reaching our 150 followers' goal on Tumblr! We hope to post one every month of 2021.

[oryu404]

Thank you for tagging me @mdelpin !

-The dining table had turned into a messy showcase of textbooks, school supplies and loose sheets of notes that Sting was desperately trying to organize in search of that one paper he knew had to be in there somewhere. -

Shit, that's almost 40 words...uhm....

@everyone who reads this, consider yourselves tagged and feel free to join!

(I know, I'm lazy 😂)

First line of a WIP

I’ve been tagged by @noviceotakus-blog and @clearwillow, so here it is!

Inuyasha had promised himself a long time ago, as his mother was buried, minutes before he was hunted out of the castle where he used to live with her, that he would never let himself feel powerless again.

You’re supposed to tag as many people as there are words but that’s quite a lot and many people were already tagged so don’t feel like you have to if you were already tagged buuut @elidebrey @shinidamachu @eternalnight8806-3 @mustardyellowsunshine @a-mad-youkai-tea-party?

[ft-dads-au]

Gratsu Weekend 2021

The calm before the storm...

[ft-dads-au]

Castles in the Snow

A collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

Gratsu Winter Solstice 2020 Prompt: Fun in the Snow Pairing: Gray x Natsu

AO3 | FF.Net

January 6th, 2021

“Have you figured out the answer yet?” Gray asked, trying to remain patient even though it was clear to him that Natsu wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to the math problem he was supposed to be working on.

“What?” Natsu finally stopped staring out the window long enough to glance at Gray with a guilty expression that he couldn’t help but find incredibly cute.

Hana, Atlas, and Aki were glued to the window as well, oohing and aahing as the backyard accumulated more and more snow.

“What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all acting like you’ve never seen snow before.”

“Well, I mean, they sort of haven’t. It didn’t really snow that much in Edolas, a few inches at the most,” Natsu reminded him, “This is the first big snowfall they’ve ever seen, and they’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”

The longing in Natsu’s eyes made it clear that the kids weren’t the only ones who had been looking forward to it. To his credit, he did try to shift his focus back to studying, staring at the problem he was supposed to solve for about five minutes before his eyes strayed back to the window again.

“Fine, fine, you win,” Gray sighed, realizing any further attempts would be pointless and that Aki would probably love to go out with Atlas and Hana in the snow. “Let’s go play.”

He snorted when his words were immediately met with cheers and dazzling smiles.

“Are you sure?” Natsu asked, “I know I can get this if I keep at it.”

“There’s no point. Your mind’s clearly out there,” Gray shrugged. “We can take a break for one day. It won’t mess up anything. Besides, how can you expect me to say no to those faces?” He nodded towards the kids, who were staring at them with big, pleading eyes, bouncing on their feet in anticipation. “I guess you’re right,” Natsu chuckled and closed his math book as he got up. He stretched his arms above his head, causing his shirt to ride up and expose part of his abdomen, and now it was Gray’s turn to be distracted.

Hana dashed to the coat closet to grab her winter gear and put it on, all the while telling them all the things she wanted to do once they got outside.

“Do you have stuff for Aki?” Natsu asked, his lips twitching at Hana’s running commentary. “I think Erza got two sets for Atlas. He’s welcome to borrow one.”

“Nah, I’ve got his stuff in the car. I’ll be right back.”

Gray put on his jacket and went outside, stopping briefly to collect some of the snow that had accumulated on the steps into his gloved hand and examining it, grinning when he saw how well it stuck together. Perfect snow for playing, fluffy and wet.

He felt his own excitement build. Winter had always been his favorite season, and some of his fondest memories were of playing in the snow with his parents and Rogue once he was a bit older. They’d had snowball fights, built snowmen, collapsed on the snow to make angels, and careened down ever higher hills on sleds for hours, returning home to hot cocoa and cookies as their mom complained that their lips were a worrying shade of blue.

Gray still treasured those memories and looked forward to doing some of those things with Aki now that he was old enough. He rushed back inside, beginning the long process of bundling his son up into his winter gear.

Thankfully Atlas was there to distract him, chattering excitedly as Natsu got him ready. It was only when both boys were dressed that Gray shifted his attention.

“Are you sure you don’t want to put anything else on?” Gray mocked, amused by the ridiculous amount of clothing Natsu was wearing. Snow pants tucked over his snow boots, a padded jacket, the checkered scarf he often wore, a balaclava under a woolen hat, and thick gloves.

“It’s cold,” Natsu shrugged, then looking him over, he urged, “Shouldn’t you get ready? The kids are getting impatient.”

“I am ready, Sunshine.”

Natsu gaped at him, or so Gray imagined since the only part of his face that he could really make out was his eyes.

“You can’t be serious. You’re going to freeze!”

“And you call me a princess? I hate to break it to you, but it’s not even that cold. I’ve got gloves and my jacket. I’m good.” He opened the door that led to the backyard and walked out with Aki and Atlas following close behind. Hana dashed past him in a purple blur.

Snow continued to fall, although the heaviest part of the storm seemed to be over, and Gray stuck his tongue out, trying to catch snowflakes as he’d done when he was little and smiling at the familiar tingle.

Gray thought he saw Natsu staring at him, but it was too brief for him to be sure. He shrugged it off, switching his attention to the boys and chuckling at their antics. Atlas had lain down on the snow and was rolling himself around, turning into a human snowball as more and more snow stuck to him while Natsu somehow managed to take pictures on his phone.

Aki was busy alternating between admiring the snow that stuck to his mittens with an awed expression and giggling at the crunching noise his boots made when he moved, causing Gray’s heart to swell. He quickly took a few pictures to show his parents and walked over to encourage him to play with the others.

He stopped short when he saw the misshapen blob that Hana and Natsu were cobbling together.

“What is that supposed to be?”

“What do you mean? It’s a snowball, obviously.” Natsu held up his creation with a lot more pride than it deserved.

“That thing has no business calling itself a snowball,” Gray scoffed, “It’s going to fall apart in the air long before it hits anything.”

“Will not.”

“Oh yeah? Go ahead, throw it at me.”

Natsu hurled the snowball, but Gray didn’t even bother moving, and just as he expected, it never hit.

"Told you," he said smugly and squatted down to grab some snow off the ground, skillfully shaping it into an almost perfect ball. "My turn," he flashed a wicked grin and threw the snowball, watching with childish glee as it soared through the air and hit Natsu square in the face.

“Hey, no fair, you’re not supposed to throw them in people’s faces,” Natsu protested, wiping the snow off his face with his glove.

“I figured you wouldn’t even feel it through all that padding,” he teased, making no effort to apologize. “That’s what a real snowball feels like.”

“How’d you get it to pack like that?”

“Here, let me show you, and then we can have ourselves a real fight,” Gray offered before Natsu could get it into his head to retaliate. “You too, Hana.”

He cupped some snow between his hands, rotating them slowly to help fuse the snow together. “You just gotta make sure to press down firmly when you rotate your hands. That packs the snow in real good and keeps it from falling apart midair.”

Hana and Natsu watched eagerly as he explained, imitating his actions. Their first efforts were pretty pitiful.

“Just keep at it. Those already look better,” he encouraged, “ You’ll know you’re doing it right when you can stack them up.”

He noticed Aki gazing at the trees with interest and picked him up, walking over towards the nearest one so his son could touch one of its branches, delighting at his laugh when the snow came down. Gray kissed Aki’s chubby cheek and whispered, “I love you, kiddo.”

“I did it!”

Hana’s exalted cry was cut short as the stack of snowballs she’d worked so hard on toppled over when Atlas attempted to grab one.

“Hey!” she started to protest, but whatever expression Atlas had on his face changed her mind, causing her to dissolve into giggles instead.

The sound of Hana’s laughter drew Aki’s attention, and he wiggled in Gray’s arms, wanting to be put down to go investigate what his friends were up to.

Gray obliged, watching as Hana and Natsu created stacks of snowballs for Atlas to topple, and when Aki joined in, he began to make some as well, amused by how easily the two boys were entertained. After a bit, Natsu changed up the game, showing them how to stack the snowballs instead.

He had to admit that his friend was pretty good with kids, which was probably not a huge surprise, considering he seemed to be a big kid himself. It made Gray wonder what parenting might have been like if he’d been married to someone like that.

He analyzed Natsu’s backyard, trying to distract himself from any thoughts of his ex. He was soon struck with an idea.

“Hey Natsu, you got any snow shovels?”

“Yeah, hang on.”

Natsu waddled over to the small shed that sat on their driveway, returning with two adult shovels and two child-sized ones. “What do you have in mind?”

“How do you feel about putting a small sledding hill in for the kids?”

“I think it’s a great idea, just surprised you came up with it, “ Natsu’s eyes crinkled, and Gray could easily visualize the accompanying grin underneath the balaclava. “I bet I can shovel more snow than you, though.”

“In your dreams, Squinty Eyes.”

They decided on an area and began shoveling snow into a large pile and packing it down while Hana kept the boys entertained.

“Getting tired yet?” Natsu huffed.

“This is nothing. I could go all day,” he smirked, noticing Natsu’s discomfort, “You seem pretty done, though.”

“In your dreams, Droopy Eyes.” Natsu unzipped his jacket to reveal a fleece liner underneath, “I’m just getting started.”

“Droopy?! And here I’ve been told they’re one of my best features,” Gray retorted, as he climbed to the top of the makeshift hill, ensuring the snow was packed in well enough. “I think we can stop now. This is probably tall enough for them. You’ll have to impress me with your stamina another time.”

Natsu’s eyes widened in disbelief before he exploded into a fit of raucous laughter.

“Is it ready?” Hana asked, rushing over to them with Atlas and Aki chasing after her.

“Yep, go get your sled from the shed, and can you bring that little inflatable one?”

“Yeah,” Hana ran off, returning with a pink saucer sled and a folded up piece of vinyl, which she handed over to her father to inflate.

“I got it. Wouldn’t want you to have to take off anything,” Gray grabbed the sled out of Natsu’s hands, finding the plastic tube and blowing into it until it had filled up.

Hana climbed the steps he’d carved into the snow with the kid shovels and sat down on her sled, squealing loudly when he gave her a firm push. She slid down the hill, her sled continuing to travel for several feet, leaving a trail in the snow. She was up as soon as her sled stopped, running back to them with a massive smile on her face.

“That was awesome!”

Gray couldn’t help but grin in response, pleased that he’d been able to make her so happy with such a simple act. He wondered how Aki would respond, and knowing his timid nature, he asked Natsu to have Atlas go first.

The sled had a little seat belt built into it, which was nice because the last thing on Atlas’ mind was holding on. He cackled all the way down and then chatted excitedly to Natsu as they returned.

Aki pulled on his leg, eager to take his turn, and Gray helped him into the sled. He let him have a moment to get used to it before nodding to Natsu to give him a push. Although his response to the experience was more muted than the two Dragneel kids, it was no less joyful, and Gray hid his face, fighting back unexpected tears at watching Aki lead a life more in line with what he’d always wanted for him.

Rather than tease him for getting overly emotional, Natsu offered him a half hug and went back to helping the kids sled down the hill until he was ready to rejoin them. It was gestures like that that made him wish that Natsu would see him as someone he could love, rather than just a good friend.

“Dada!”

Aki’s excited cries called him back, and they stayed out until the kids’ teeth began chattering from the cold.

0-0 After they’d helped the kids get out of their layers and put all the winter gear away, Natsu moved to the kitchen. He filled a large glass measuring cup with water, placed it in the microwave, and then started searching through the cabinets. “Do you want some hot cocoa?” he asked Gray once he’d found what he was looking for: a box full of packets of instant hot cocoa powder. “Sorry, what?” Gray stared at him in a mixture of horror and pure disbelief. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.” “Huh?” Natsu puzzled, completely lost as to what he meant. “Whatever you think that is-” Gray pointed an accusing finger at the box, “I'm not drinking it. Move over.” He did a quick check through the fridge and the cupboards to make sure Natsu had everything he needed to make real hot cocoa and got to work. Meanwhile, Natsu piled a mountain of cookies onto a plate to go along with it, laughing when Atlas and Aki came begging one off him before he’d even finished. Natsu’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he quickly wiped the cookie crumbs off his hands before checking it. Gray watched his brows knit together as he focused on the message, but his expression soon turned into one of joy and relief. “Well, looks like I get tonight off. Jellal told me not to bother coming in. It’s been quiet all day because of the snow,” he reported happily as he put his phone away again. “You should stay for dinner. The roads are crap anyway.”

“You sure? We wouldn’t want to put you out.”

“Sure, we’ve got plenty of frozen pizzas,” Natsu opened the freezer, pointing to an alarming amount of pizza boxes.

“Is that all you eat?” Gray asked in horror.

“Hah, well,” Natsu threaded his fingers through his hair in an embarrassed gesture, “Erza’s the one who usually cooks. She gets those for us for when she’s not around. Oh! I should let her know she doesn’t have to hurry back.”

He pulled out his phone and began texting his sister as Gray mulled the invitation over. He hadn’t really been looking forward to going home yet. Lyon would still be at work, and he knew the apartment would feel empty after having spent the afternoon surrounded by Natsu’s warmth.

That decided him.

“Fine, I’ll stay, but we’re not having frozen pizza.” He rolled his sleeves up and headed to the sink to wash his hands, thinking about the limited number of things he knew how to make.

He opened their pantry and breathed a sigh of relief when he found two boxes of pasta and a few jars of sauce. “Make yourself useful, fill a big pot with water and put it on the stove,” he demanded, moving stuff around to see what ingredients he could use to add to the sauce.

“I dunno, Erza uh- doesn’t really like it when I use the stove,” Natsu murmured, avoiding Gray’s gaze.

“Why? What did you do, set the kitchen on fire?” Gray blurted, laughing at how absurd that was.

When his joke was received with silence instead of the angry denials he’d been expecting, he glanced up to find Natsu quietly pouring the hot cocoa into mugs and placing them on the table in the breakfast nook along with the cookies. He called the kids over and walked back into the kitchen, still avoiding direct eye contact.

“Oh my God, you did! Didn’t you?!”

“It was an accident!” Natsu protested, “I was making dinner when Atlas’ diaper overfilled, and I had to deal with it. By the time I was done with that, I had forgotten the stove was on.”

Gray wanted to give him a hard time about it, but he could absolutely see that happening. He was well aware of how unreliable Natsu’s attention span was at the best of times. It was the one thing they struggled with the most during their study sessions.

“Well, I’ll be the one cooking, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” Gray assured him, pointing him towards the sink once again.

“What about knives? Are you allowed near those, Pyro?” he taunted as he tossed him an onion to chop.

“It was an accident!” Natsu complained, and when that did nothing to stop the teasing, he pouted, “You’re not funny.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Gray smirked, quite pleased that he might have finally found a nickname to counter the dreaded Princess.

“Jerk,” Natsu muttered, grabbing a knife and attempting to chop the onion.

They worked in somewhat comfortable silence. As usual, Natsu couldn’t stay mad for long, and soon he was telling Gray funny stories about people he’d met at work, while Gray told him about some of the places he’d traveled to for shoots.

“I’ve always wanted to travel,” Natsu commented, pulling out plates from the cupboards and walking off to set the table.

“You’re not exactly dead yet, you know,” Gray called out, pouring the pasta into a colander and checking on the sauce one last time before turning off the stove.

“Yeah, but come on, when am I ever going to be able to afford it or have the time?”

Gray had no answer to that, so he changed the subject instead, “Food’s ready.”

“Hey, you wanna watch a movie after? There’s this one about dragons and vikings we’ve wanted to watch.”

“How to Train your Dragon?”

“You’ve seen it?”

“I went to the premiere,” Gray explained, but when he saw how disappointed Natsu looked by his admission, he hastily added, “But who really watches the movie at those things, it’s all photo ops and gossip. I’d love to watch it.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie, either. Siegrain had felt slighted by some industry bigwig and had spent most of the movie complaining about it. But honestly, even if he’d seen it a hundred times, he’d gladly watch it again if it meant he could experience the beaming smile Natsu flashed his way.

The sun had long ago set by the time they finished eating their dinner, and it wasn’t hard to see that all three kids were going to conk out as soon as they were still for any amount of time. Natsu didn’t seem to notice, though, and Gray didn’t have the heart to dampen his enthusiasm. Not when he was practically bouncing as he went around making popcorn for everyone. Gray volunteered to load the dishwasher, claiming, much to Natsu’s chagrin, that he didn’t want to be responsible for his being banned from yet another kitchen appliance.

Natsu lit the fireplace, placing the screen securely in front while Gray settled the boys on the sofa. After a frantic search for the remote, they were finally ready. They sat down next to each other as the opening credits played. Aki climbed onto Gray’s lap, and Atlas did the same with Natsu, while Hana snuggled up next to her father.

As Gray had predicted, all three kids were out ten minutes later, and then it was just the two of them again, talking and laughing along with the movie. Gray ached to stretch his arm and pull Natsu closer to him, even as Aki snored quietly against him.

He stopped paying attention to the movie, frustrated by how his infatuation with Natsu kept growing outside of his control. Today had only made it worse, enticing him with all the things he’d always wanted in a relationship but had given up on somewhere along the way.

The sound of loud snores startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to discover Natsu had also fallen asleep, his neck tilted at an awkward angle.

Gray stretched his arm, wrapping it around Natsu’s shoulders and slowly pulling him into his chest so he could rest more comfortably. Natsu muttered something in his sleep, snuggling into him with a faint smile that he found adorable.

He sat quietly, content to let everyone sleep while he watched over them, and let himself imagine that maybe, someday, this pocket of happiness could belong to the two of them.

[ft-dads-au]

As the world for the FT Dad’s AU got bigger we realised that the existing maps for Fairy Tail weren’t detailed enough for what we were doing, and that the story we were building needed some adjustments to where places are. So, today we’re delighted to show our reinterpretation of the world through the two main maps of the world that FT Dad’s AU occupies, with plans for some more localized maps including Fiore, Edolas and Caelum. *please don’t repost*

[ft-dads-au]

Happy Natsu Day!

Natsu Day 2020

One day doesn’t feel like enough to celebrate this wonderful character so have four seasons instead!

Keep an eye out for a Natsu-centric story posting tomorrow!

[ft-dads-au]

Kiss Me

Fanart by @oryu404​, do not repost without their permission. A collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

Stingue Fall Equinox 2020 Prompt: Warmth Pairing: Sting x Rogue, Sting & Orga

AO3 | FF.Net

Summary: Sting has one thing on his mind when Rogue shows up at his dorm room unexpectedly: the kiss they'd shared at the end of a week spent studying together for midterms. He's dying to get Rogue alone again, but first he has to get past the embarrassment of his messy room, and his nosy roommate.

October 27, 2012

“Check this out,” Orga laughed as he showed Sting yet another silly TikTok on his phone. He had to raise his voice a little to surpass the sound of the music he’d put on- some kind of rock band Sting knew most songs from by now. “I’ve already seen that one, blockhead. You bombard me with so many of these that you can’t even remember which ones you’ve already sent me?” Sting groaned when his roommate shrugged at his comment and started singing along to the music, “Turn it down, people are still asleep! It’s barely past 10!” He had just finished speaking when they heard a loud banging against the wall. “See?” he flashed him a look that said I told you so, feeling rather victorious when Orga turned the volume down a little. Sadly enough, he didn’t stop singing. “Whoa-oa-oah, so hun-gry~” “The-eh-eh-en get fucking dre-essed~ We’re all out of...everything.” Sting checked the minifridge and the small cabinet they used for snacks, pouting in disappointment when all he found were empty wrappers and some leftovers from a salad that looked like it was ready to crawl out of its container. He pulled a face as he dumped it into the trash, “Nasty…”

“Or-” Orga swiped across the screen of his phone, “we could get some lunch delivered! What’re you up for? Pizza? Burgers? Ooh! You should try 8-Island!” The idea of getting delivery was very tempting, but they’d done that so many times already over the midterm week that Sting was almost looking forward to the crappy dorm food. He could hear his mother’s voice inside his head, giving him a lecture about the importance of healthy meals. Oh well, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. “But-” he was cut off when Orga raised the volume again. “This is the best part!” “Normally, yes! Your caterwauling kind of ruins it for me, though!” Sting noticed Orga was busy singing into the TV-remote for an invisible audience, so he took his chance and dashed for the computer. He was able to lower the volume to a more acceptable level again, despite Orga’s sung protest, but a loud knock at the door told him the damage was probably already done. “Great, now we have pissed off people at the door, which I have to answer because you’re still not dressed.”

Plastering a smile on his face, he opened the door, ready to charm his way out of yet another noise complaint. His smile widened as he recognized the person standing on the other side. That was until Orga opened his mouth.

“Is that Dobengal whining again? Cause if it is, tell him he can suck my big fat -”

Sting waved at Rogue cheerfully and put his hand up in a wait-one-sec gesture, quickly closing the door before Orga had a chance to finish that statement.

“It’s not Dobengal,” Sting hissed, “and can you put some clothes on?”

“Fine, fine. What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Orga muttered, searching through the pile of clothes that lay at the foot of his bed for a pair of pants. “There, happy?”

While Orga got dressed, Sting grabbed all of his clothes and threw them into his wardrobe in a last-ditch effort to make the room look somewhat habitable.

“Are, like, your parents here for a surprise visit or something?” Orga asked.

“No, worse. Rogue,” Sting explained, continuing to throw the contents of his floor into his wardrobe. He pushed all his weight against the doors to force them to shut, and when that didn’t work, he hooked his desk chair with his leg and dragged it towards him in an attempt to lodge it under the handles.

“You mean the guy you’re always talking about?”

Sting didn’t like the gleam in Orga’s eyes at the news or the way he made kissy faces at him. “Oh, come on, don’t be an asshole for once. Please?”

“We have a guest, and you shouldn’t leave him waiting outside. You wouldn’t want Dobengal to have a go at him, would you?” Orga smiled sweetly, and with that, Sting hurried to the door. He could only hope the wardrobe would hold.

Giving himself a quick once over in the mirror that hung behind the door and deeming himself presentable, he opened the door again and leaned against it. “Hey there! Sorry about that, loud roommate, and all that.”

“Hey,” Rogue replied, looking slightly uncomfortable but happy to see him.

“Uhm, do you wanna come in?” Sting almost wished he’d say no so that they could get out of there, but he knew it would be rude not to ask, especially after nearly slamming the door in his face. “Actually, I was just wondering if-”

Sting was ungraciously shoved aside, nearly faceplanting on the floor when Orga joined, “Are you Rogue? Nice to meet you. I’m Orga!” He gave Rogue a handshake that had his whole arm moving up and down and flung the door wide open. “Come in, come in!” Sting watched with growing dread as his roommate pulled his crush inside their room and showed it off. He didn’t see why. There was nothing worth showing off. His efforts to get his clothes out of sight barely made a difference. “Take a seat!” Orga gestured from Sting’s bed to the chair that was cranked underneath the wardrobe door handles, offering both as viable options even though he could see Sting waving his arms and shaking his head. “So, Sting told me you were in a band. Are you guys still looking for members?” “Don’t-” Sting quickly blocked the chair before Rogue would sit on it, “uhm...invite him to your band! He’s basically tone-deaf!” He regretted his words the second he saw Orga’s challenging smirk. The gloves were off. He needed to get them out of there quickly before Orga had a chance to humiliate him further.

“We’re all set, actually,” Rogue replied, eyes drifting across the room and taking in the mess with obvious distaste.

“Too bad, you guys are really good.”

“Oh, have you seen us play?” Rogue asked curiously.

“Not seen exactly, as much as heard,” Orga grinned cheerfully, “Sting plays your music all the time.”

That bastard!

Rogue was gazing at him, a surprised expression on his face, but at least it didn’t look like he thought he was a weirdo. There was still a chance to get out of this without suffering too much ego damage. He just had to get them out of there before Orga could say anything else.

“Guilty,” he smiled, “I like to listen to it sometimes, helps me get in the groove to study.”

“Sometimes?” Orga chortled. “Anyway,” Sting coughed into his hand, “What are you up to?”

“Oh,” Rogue focused on him once again, “I was running some errands nearby and thought you might like to get some coffee.”

“That sounds great!” Sting agreed readily, “Just let me grab my stuff.”

He scrambled to grab his phone, keys, coat, and wallet from their various locations around the room, having no trouble finding them despite the mess.

“Oh, can I come too?” Orga asked in a tone that Sting immediately did not trust.

“No!” Sting answered, grabbing Rogue by the arm and pulling him towards the door.

“Oh, you’re right. You probably want some private time to suck face again, my bad.”

Sting stopped mid-step, not sure what to do with himself after his roommate blurted out that little tidbit, and not wanting to look at Rogue’s face either. It proved to be a mistake as the chair holding the wardrobe closed slid out of place and fell over, hitting the floor with a loud smack. The doors flew open, and an avalanche of dirty laundry cascaded out onto the floor.

Orga’s laughs echoed in the room, and Sting could feel his cheeks burning from mortification, but to his great relief, he could hear Rogue laughing along.

“Let’s-uh... go,” Sting managed to get out, still feeling like he’d like to find a hole to crawl into. He flipped Orga off and closed the door behind them, muffling the loud love song blasting from the computer speakers to accompany their departure.

“God, I’m so sorry for him, he’s-,” Sting gestured with his hands in frustration, not able to come up with a word to adequately describe his roommate and still flustered by what the idiot had said.

“That’s nothing, trust me, my older brother can be worse,” Rogue chuckled. “How did your midterms go?” “I’m not sure, but I think I did okay?” Sting threaded his fingers through his hair. In truth, there were a few he wasn’t so confident about, and he’d been somewhat on edge waiting for the professors to post the results, but he didn’t really want to talk about that.

There was only one thing that had been on his mind since they’d last parted ways, and it was the kiss they’d shared. He’d worried about it, relived it, and pretty much obsessed over it since it had happened, but there had been no time to talk about it during midterm week.

Now he had all the time in the world, but no idea how to bring it up casually. God, he wanted to do it again, and he had a feeling Rogue did as well. The fact that he'd shown up on his doorstep the day after midterms were over at least betrayed that he'd wanted to spend time together, didn't it? But of course, Sting had no way to be sure, so he decided he’d let Rogue lead the conversation. ”What about you?”

“I’m only worried about Bio. The rest were pretty easy.”

As they discussed the Biology test, they reached the dorm’s exit, and Sting hurried to hold the door open for Rogue, smiling slightly when he saw the other’s eye roll at the gesture. His smile disappeared completely when a gust of cold air blew past him, making him grab onto his open coat and fold it tightly closed over his chest. “C-c-cold!”

“I have no idea how you’re going to survive the winter, if you think this is cold,” Rogue teased.

“You mean it gets worse?!” Sting replied in mock horror.

“Maybe we can find you a wool crop top,” Rogue snorted, “Come on, let’s go get that coffee before you freeze to death.” After weeks of being cooped inside studying for midterms, many students were out enjoying what was a rather beautiful day for this time of year. The sun was out, and despite Sting’s complaints, it was relatively warm.

A short walk brought them to the campus coffee shop, a busy place called Heavenly Brews, which sadly did not live up to its name. It was convenient though, not to mention cheap, and as expected, it was full of other students who’d had the same idea. But the service was fast, and in less than ten minutes, they each had a large cup of piping hot coffee.

Sting insisted on paying, still wanting to make up for Orga’s...well, everything, and Rogue let him. Once back outside, they began walking in a random direction, moving away from the hustle and bustle around campus to more quiet places.

“Every damn time,” Rogue shook his head as he showed Sting his coffee cup, turning it around so it showed the name written on it. Rouge.

Sting giggled, receiving an elbow to his side for his response. “What? It’s funny! Besides, that’s nothing. Try growing up with a name like Sting.”

He wrapped both hands around his drink, feeling its warmth seeping through the double cup as they walked. He recognized the area they were in from his morning runs. There was a small park further down the street that he’d often visited with Orga to throw a frisbee around when they were getting stressed.

Sting took in their surroundings, swiftly realizing he’d been so busy studying the last few weeks that he’d barely noticed the telltale signs of fall. Even though the leaves were not as brightly colored as those he was used to seeing in Edolas, they were still quite beautiful, covering the ground in a blanket of browns, yellows, crimsons, and oranges.

They reached the park entrance, and Sting decided it would be a nice place to talk. They walked past a game of touch football, making their way towards the small duck pond. The sound of the leaves crunching under their feet was satisfying, and he was pleased to find that with the ducks having already left to migrate south, the benches facing the pond were unoccupied. He immediately claimed one that was slightly hidden behind the thick trunk of a large oak tree, and Rogue sat beside him.

The air might be cold and crisp, but the sun’s rays warming his skin through the barren branches made it still pleasant enough to be outside. Or maybe, he guessed as he looked to his side, eyes drawn to Rogue’s lips as they blew small white clouds into his coffee cup, it had nothing to do with the sun at all.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Rogue asked when he caught him staring, lowering his coffee until his hands were resting in his lap. Fuck it. Sting put his coffee down next to him on the bench, freeing his hands so he could cup Rogue's rosy cold cheeks. He leaned in and kissed him, all sense of cold disappearing when Rogue deepened the kiss.

"I was just thinking about how much I've wanted to do that again," he confessed, still close enough for their lips to brush against each other with every word he spoke.

Rogue smiled sheepishly and asked, "And you really thought I'd get up before noon on a Saturday just to get sub-par coffee?"

"Hmm… true, you’re not a morning person at all,” Sting chuckled, “so I guess I should make it worth your while, then.” He pressed his lips against Rogue’s again, soon forgetting the rest of the world around them. He had no idea how long they stayed lost in each other, but by the time they broke apart, their coffees had gone from scalding hot to barely warmer than the heat that was burning under his skin.

Sting was about to risk spoiling the moment by saying something possibly sappy or cliche when his stomach spoke up in his stead, unleashing a loud roar that made Rogue hack up a laugh. “Wanna go out for lunch with me?” he asked when he was done laughing, finding it hard not to start all over again when he saw Sting’s pouty face. "I think you already know the answer to that.” Sting got off the bench, pulling Rogue along with him, and despite feeling a bit nervous about it, he kept holding his hand as they passed other people enjoying the outdoors on their free Saturdays. As they walked back towards the park’s entrance, Sting noticed kids playing around in the leaves, gathering them into big piles and throwing them around, reminding him of afternoons spent with Yukino when they were younger.

“I used to do that with my best friend when we were about that age,” The corner of his mouth curved up at the memory. “Did you do stuff like that?”

Rogue laughed heartily, “Every year. My dad and his best friend were the biggest kids in my family. So his daughter, my brother, and I would help them make these huge leaf piles. We’d come up with some rather creative jumps. My poor mom would totally lose it when she saw what we were up to.”

Sting snorted, thinking of how childish his own dad could be at times. It was something he’d always loved about him. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” His eyes twinkled with mischief as he pointed at a large leaf pile that sat a ways from where the kids played.

He was pleased to feel Rogue squeeze his hand briefly before issuing him a challenge, “Last one in pays for lunch!”

Rogue had already started his approach as Sting watched mesmerized until the words sunk in, “Hey! That’s cheating!”

He chased after him, overtaking him easily and laughing at Rogue’s protests. In the end, Sting slowed down and grabbed Rogue’s hand, counting down to one so they could both jump in at the same time.

Leaves flew all around them in a swirl of colors before blowing away. Sting stretched his body, much like a cat searching for a sunny spot, while still holding on to Rogue’s hand. When he was satisfied, he rested his head on Rogue’s shoulder, content to just lay there snuggled together for the time being.

When he’d first gotten to Magnolia for his exchange year, Sting hadn’t been sure if he’d made the right decision. He hadn’t made many friends, the weather was uncomfortable, and everything had been more difficult than he was used to.

Meeting Rogue had made him feel a little bit more at home in a foreign place, and although he knew he'd be moving back to Edolas at the end of the school year, he refused to deny the feeling that was bursting inside of him whenever they were together. So even though falling in love had never been part of the plan, it was far too late for him to resist. Not that he really wanted to.

Sting turned over on his stomach, captivated by the warm fall tones reflected in Rogue’s eyes. “I missed you this week,” he admitted, nudging their faces closer together and running his fingers through Rogue’s hair, gently picking out some leaves.

They stared at each other until Rogue grabbed hold of Sting’s jacket, pulling him in for another kiss.

“Me too,” Rogue’s contented hum at their closeness warmed Sting’s heart, chasing away any lingering chill he’d felt.

[ft-dads-au]

Girl’s Day Out

Fairy Friendship Week 2020 Prompt: Childhood Friends

When Lucy has a hard time coming to terms with her separation from Loke her friends all get together to help cheer her up! Nothing a little shopping therapy can’t help...

@ftguildevents​

[aki-natsuko]

The ‘Babies’

    Bickslow’s apartment was not the explosion of chaotic colours and patterns that Laxus had been expecting after seeing the man at work or his favoured attire. Although Laxus had harboured the suspicion that he only dressed like that to make sure that he was the centre of attention, although Bickslow’s grin and humour were usually enough to do that anyway. By comparison, the apartment seemed muted, with tasteful splashes of colour and decorations that had all been carefully chosen to complement one another, it should have felt impersonal almost like a hotel room, but it didn’t. There were little signs that it was a lived-in home, a hoodie slung over the back of the armchair, a book and mug abandoned on the coffee table, shoes stacked haphazardly just next to the door, and plants and random nick-nacks scattered amongst the deliberate décor.

It also looked as though it had been burgled.

    A plant had been knocked on its side, scattering compost and gravel across a grey carpet and it looked as though someone or something had walked through it, trailing it across the floor. The low bookcase on the other side of the room was covered in photographs, and most of the frames had been knocked over and piled up as though someone had been searching for something. While the remains of a vase or ornament lay shattered on the ground next to it. Laxus must’ve made a noise, because Bickslow looked over from where he had been toeing off his shoes and followed his gaze before snorting, the reaction derailing Laxus’ concern. Especially when Bickslow stepped up next to him, hands on his hips as he pursed his lips and made a half-clicking, half-crooning noise.

“What…?” Laxus didn’t get to finish the question, because with matching, deafening yowls too cream and brown blurs materialised from down the corridor and were already on Bickslow, twinning around his legs and meowing and purring before he had even realised that they were cats.

“Meet Astrophe and Mandu,” Bickslow said, crouching down to fuss the cats who were demanding attention, the noise they were making intensifying as they butted their heads against his hands. “My babies, who are also worse than any burglars,” he added with a grin, and Laxus couldn’t help but grin back and shake his head. Only Bickslow, he thought, before abruptly finding himself with an armful of wiggling cat as Bickslow scooped the pair up and dropped one into Laxus’ arms while all but cradling the other one.

   Nonplussed, Laxus looked down and found himself staring into wide, blue eyes. He lost the staring contest, glancing away, even as his fingers found their way up to scratch the cat behind the ears. “Which one is which?” He asked after a moment, realising that he didn’t have a clue, as they both looked identical to him.

“That’s Mandu,” Bickslow called back, as he headed for the small kitchen just off the living room. “He has a little brown patch on the back of his neck, and that’s the only way to tell them apart,” he explained, and Laxus looked down and found the patch in question before Mandu gave an imperious meow demanding more fuss and he capitulated. Chuckling as he finally moved further into the living room and looked across to see that Astrophe had climbed up onto Bickslow’s shoulder and was perched there looking regal as Bickslow opened a cupboard.

“So, they rule the roost then?” he asked, as Astrophe butted the side of Bickslow’s head and yowled at him, the noise rising in pitch until Bickslow lifted a hand to fuss him.

“Absolutely,” Bickslow replied, steadying the cat on his shoulder as he turned to look at Laxus. “So, coffee or do you fancy something stronger?” Another imperious meow from Astrophe was echoed by Mandu and Bickslow rolled his eyes. “After I’ve fed them of course.”

“Of course,” Laxus replied, struggling to keep a straight face. “And coffee, some of us have to be up at the crack of dawn,” he added, teasing Bickslow for his obvious delight each morning when he strolled into the house about three hours after everyone else.

“Spoilsport,” Bickslow grumbled without heat, moving across to retrieve the cats’ food bowls which had Mandu immediately abandoning Laxus’ arms to join Astrophe who had also jumped down, the two meowing and yowling at Bickslow to hurry up. Partway through he looked at Laxus and pointed a meat-covered fork at him, and faux-stern expression. “Once this job is done, we are going out and getting drunk.” It wasn’t a suggestion, but Laxus nodded anyway, feeling lighter than he had for a while.

“Deal.”

[ft-dads-au]

Wildflowers

A collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

Fairy Friendship Week 2020 Prompt: Bonds Pairing(s): Natsu & Igneel, Natsu & Erza, Eileen x Igneel

AO3 | FF.Net

Summary: The Dragneels take advantage of a warm sunny day to enjoy a family picnic in the East Forest.

July 14, 2001

Erza 10, Natsu 7

“Momma, momma, look at me!”

Eileen and Erza looked up from the flowers they’d been admiring, drawn by the sound of Natsu’s excited cries as he ran towards them, or rather tried to. For no sooner had he uttered the words than his sandals got caught on the overly large pants he was wearing, causing him to fall face-first on the soft grass that grew all along the East Forest.

Not one to be easily discouraged, he got right back up, grabbing onto his belt with his left hand and holding the pants up as he continued to hurry towards them. His right arm was swallowed up by the too-long sleeve of the dark jacket he was wearing, while around his neck hung a scarf that Erza immediately recognized, as their father rarely took it off. None of these things diminished Natsu's proud grin in the slightest, and Erza’s heart fluttered at how adorable her little brother looked dressed in their father’s clothes.

“Daddy’s clothes fit me perfectly!” he crowed once he reached them, but rather than standing still so they could admire him, he shifted his weight from foot to foot in an almost gleeful dance.

Erza giggled, “No, they don’t, they’re too big, Natsu.”

Natsu pouted at his sister, but before he had a chance to reply, Eileen had picked him up, hugging him to her chest and kissing his head even as he squirmed in her arms. “You have gotten much bigger, darling,” she agreed and was immediately rewarded by a beaming smile.

“Still shorter than me, though,” Erza teased, standing up straight to demonstrate her height.

Eileen set Natsu down, watching with amusement as he took off after Erza, who continued to taunt him, the chase even more comical as Natsu continued to fall every few feet.

“I am, however, curious as to why you felt the need to take off your clothes,” she mused, her words full of fond exasperation.

The blanket had been spread out under the shade of a large fir tree, the food basket she had so carefully prepared already sitting atop it, along with the clothes Natsu had been wearing. Her husband, Igneel, also sat on it wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers and an impish grin that was identical to their son’s.

“Maybe I just wanted your attention,” Igneel flashed her a roguish grin, patting the space next to him invitingly. Eileen snorted but indulged him, feeling his arms wrap around her middle and pulling her against his chest as they watched their two children play.

Natsu had finally caught up to Erza, but rather than get into a fight with her, he’d wrapped Igneel’s scarf around her neck, and they now walked hand in hand, Erza leading him back to the flowers she’d been looking at and telling him all about them.

“She is so good with him,” Eileen commented as she observed Natsu’s rapt attention at his sister’s words.

“Are you really that surprised?” Igneel placed his head on her shoulder, “She takes after you, after all.”

“While Natsu is just as troublesome as you,” she responded playfully.

“He’s got a lot of spirit, as does Erza. I can’t wait to see what they’ll be like when they’re older.” Eileen could hear the wistfulness in his voice and placed her hands over his.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, I know how lucky I am. I thought I’d never get to have this again. It’s just I can’t help but wish…” Igneel trailed off.

“I know they’ll get to meet him someday.” Eileen assured him, “But for now, we need to respect Zelda’s wishes.”

“As my Queen commands.” Igneel turned his head, placing a gentle kiss on Eileen’s lips.

“You are ridiculous,” Eileen chuckled, “Think you can manage to get your clothes back from our son before the mosquitoes eat you alive?”

“You’re no fun,” Igneel pretended to pout, but he released her from his embrace and got up, sneaking another kiss before walking over to where Erza and Natsu were playing and calling out, “Natsu, I need my clothes back.”

“You gotta catch me first!” Natsu exclaimed, running off and squealing happily when Igneel gave chase.

Erza sat on the blanket next to her mother, “Are you sure Daddy’s an adult?” she shook her head as she observed her father attempt to tackle Natsu, who somehow managed to evade him and keep running.

Eileen only laughed, “I think you’ll find that the best adults manage to retain a bit of their child selves. Would you like some fruit?”

Erza nodded eagerly, and they opened up the basket, searching through its contents for some grapes.

“Daddy, no!” Natsu’s laughs were loud, and Eileen and Erza couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

“I guess he finally caught him,” Eileen remarked, splitting the contents of the basket onto four plates.

“I give! I give!” Natsu’s laughter became more breathless as Igneel tickled his sides. He got up and stripped off his clothes, handing them back to his father until he was the one standing around in his underwear.

When everything was arranged to her satisfaction, Eileen called out for them to come eat, but they had disappeared. She put her hand up to her forehead, squinting to try to find them within the shadows created by the surrounding trees. It didn’t take her long to sight them. Igneel, now fully dressed and looking as handsome as always, walked back towards the blanket, carrying a wiggling Natsu on his shoulders, and an incredibly pleased smile on his face.

“They’re up to something,” Erza commented.

“Indeed,” Eileen agreed, sounding unconcerned even as she watched them approach, “those two usually are.”

In one swift movement, Natsu dangled upside down in front of her, his legs clamped around Igneel's neck to keep himself in place, while Igneel placed a hand on his chest to make sure he wouldn't fall.

“Here, Momma, I picked these for you!” Natsu looked very pleased with himself as he handed Eileen a messy bouquet of wildflowers.

“Thank you, darling, they’re lovely.” Eileen kissed him on the cheek, which for some reason, amused the dangling Natsu.

“And for my princess,” Igneel announced, presenting Erza with a much more orderly bouquet he’d managed to hide behind his back.

“They’re beautiful. Thank you, Daddy!” Erza leaped to her feet to give her father a hug, examining the flowers as she waited patiently for him to set Natsu down and bid him get dressed so they could eat.

"I'm gonna eat a lot!" Natsu said with his mouth already full, "And then I'll get big and strong just like you, Daddy! I'll fit your clothes for sure!"

Igneel laughed and moved one of the sandwiches from his plate onto Natsu's. "I don't doubt that for a second. Here, have a little extra then. You need it a lot more than I do."

“That’s for sure,” Eileen teased, laughing at Igneel’s outrage when she caught the grape he tossed at her and popped it in her mouth.

Soon they’d eaten all the food, and with the sun warm and pleasant on their backs they spent a lovely afternoon exploring the forest, looking for any animals brave enough to show themselves. It wasn’t long before Natsu started to lag behind, exhausted by all his previous running around.

Igneel picked him up, carrying him in his arms so that Erza and Eileen could spend a little more time in the nature they both loved. Natsu’s warm breaths puffed ever slower against his neck, and with a sleepy, “Love you, Daddy,” he succumbed to sleep.

“I love you too, buddy.”