Natsu Hates it When Zeref is Bored

Getting Old

Suggested by: CaRoLiNe from Quotev

18

Zeref stood outside the Fairy Tail guildhall while hidden under a cloaking spell. It was a chilly evening, but he ignored the cold breeze and watched his little brother interact with his friends.

Tomorrow was the due date for Zeref's next curse, but he had yet to figure out what to do. Natsu argued with his friend, Gray, but Zeref had already done something with that. It brought a smile to the dark wizard's lips, remembering Natsu freaking out about gaining Gray's stripping habit. He should do something similar again.

"Hey, Gramps! Why'd you stop us?!" Zeref snapped his head up when he heard Natsu's voice. He looked through the clear, clean window of the guild, watching as Natsu approached the little old master of Fairy Tail.

'Did Natsu call Makarov Dreyar: Gramps?' Zeref thought as he felt insulted for the little man, even if Makarov didn't seem to mind being called old. Zeref knew that many elders would feel insulted or furious at being called old, so he had a day in his county designed to respect and care for the elderly. 'Natsu needs to learn to respect those older than him.' The black wizard ignored the fact that Natsu was born 400 years ago, making him older by magic law standers, but his mind was that of a teenager, and that's what mattered. Pause!

A smirk of pure evil spread across Zeref's face like a fire on a wooden house. 'I have the perfect curse for you, Natsu dear. I think it's time you act your age.' With a dark, anonymous chuckle, Zeref left to prepare his curse.

Natsu entered the guild hall the next day after he and Gray went overboard, forcing Master to stop them. Makarov had punished them for wrecking the tables; Natsu and Gray had to clean up the ash and wood and replace all the tables and chairs with their own money. It wasn't the worse punishment his master could come up with, but it did empty Natsu's wallet. So he went to the request board looking for a good-paying job.

Natsu made numerous faces at the different jobs assigned on the board today. None of the requests were his style. One was an undercover mission: he would have to dress like a girl and lure in some perverts to capture and hand over to the authorities; another job asked for guarding some stuck-up noble, and next to that request was asking to help look for a cat. The only promising request that was more his style was to help put out fires.

'Putting out fires is so boring, though...' Natsu thought with an internal groan as the guild doors opened behind him.

"Excuse me! I have a job request!" Natsu's ears perked up when he heard the last two words. He turned to see an elderly man dressed like a scholar standing by the entrance.

"Over here!" Makarov waved by the bar, catching the man's attention. Natsu watched as the elder strolled over to Fairy Tail's master. "What is the job about?" asked Makarov.

The old man handed the request paper to the master, who gazed at it with hawk-like eyes. The scholar shifted and asked, "I also have to ask if there is a young man here named Natsu?"

Makarov lifted his eyes from the paper to the client. "There is, but he wouldn't be a good choice for your request. A translation job would best be handled by Lucy or Levi," replied Makarov.

Natsu felt disappointed. He hoped the job would be more up his alley, but he guessed not.

The client shook his head. "It's not about the job," he said. "I have something for him." Natsu wondered what it could be but knew he didn't have to wait long. Makarov called him over, and Natsu walked over with quick steps.

"What is it you have for me, gramps?" Natsu asked with a cheery grin. The scholar's eyebrow twitched, but other than that, he showed no signs of irritation.