Trail of a Fairy

11. For Her

Nashi sat alone in the bath house. The bath was nice and hot, and there was a lot of steam. Nashi could even draw faces on the wooden fence. Gently, his finger traced over the wood. The face started simply. A jawline and then some hair. The hair he drew was quite long. Next, the smile. It was a small smile, and a gentle one too. The nose came after, a simple shape in the middle of the face. But no matter how many times Nashi tried, no matter how many times he tried to draw it in a different spot, Nashi couldn't get the eyes right.

"Dammit." He cussed.

Her eyes. How could he not remember her eyes? After all those years of staring at that picture, after finally getting somewhere with his dad. He still couldn't remember her face. Nashi held his face in his hands. There was water on his face, and it wasn't from the bath.

Natsu closed the gate quietly. He saw it. The faces drawn in the steam, and the tears of his son. All those eyes that he drew were staring into Natsu. None but one pair really meant anything to him. But the last drawing - the last set - they were hers. Turning away, Natsu willed the steam to cover up the fence again.

"Taking a stroll, Natsu?"

"Oh. It's you." Natsu relaxed as he saw the innkeeper's face. It was a sad face.

"Did you tell the boy about his mother?"

"Yeah." Natsu sighed. "I did."

The innkeeper walked a little closer, and looked Natsu in the eye. "Did you tell him everything?"

Natsu shook his head. "I can't." His voice broke. "I can't do it."

Gently, the innkeeper patted Natsu's shoulder. Taking a deep breath, the innkeeper spoke. "I've known you for many years, Natsu. I've spent hours talking with you and Lucy. There was never a thing you couldn't do."

"With her. I could do anything with her."

"Or for her." The innkeeper reminded. "You would do anything for her. Do you really want your son to forget her? Do you think she wants her son to forget her?"

Natsu pulled his shoulder away from the innkeeper. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Natsu kept on down the hall until he was back in the room. As he shut the door behind him, he leaned back. Staring at the ceiling, he sighed. Where was he? The mage he once was - headstrong, young; the slow learner. Why couldn't he be more like that now? What had changed him so much?

Lucy.

Natsu knew it didn't take a genius to figure that out. But he also knew there was another part to it.

Nashi.

Pulling himself off the door, Natsu headed to his bed. Beside it was his pack. It took less time for him to find the needles and yarn. Trusting that Nashi would take a long bath, he began to work. He moved slowly, and tried to get it as good as he could. As he continued, he could still see the difference between the parts of the project. The straight and even parts were not done by him. However, the bundled and rough parts were obviously his.

"Dammit." Natsu cussed.

Freezing suddenly, Natsu listened. Someone was walking down the hall, and it sounded like Nashi. As fast as he could, Natsu shoved the project into his pack. Just as he went to shove it further down Nashi walked in. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and another hung around his neck. Hi hair stuck close to his head with water. Some drops even ran down his face.

"I'm back, dad." Nashi rubbed his eyes.

His dad was sitting flustered on the bed. His scarf flopped strangely over his head. Nashi paused, staring at his dad.

"Something up?"

Natsu shook his head. "No. Not really."

"Then why is your scarf like that?"

Natsu froze. Thoughts bustled through his head for a second, and he latched onto one.

"I was jumping on the bed."

"Jumping on the bed?" Nashi raised an eyebrow. I guess the bed does look a little messed up... Shaking his head, Nashi sat on the end of his bed. He sighed, and chuckled at his dad.

"You can be so immature, dad, you know that?"

Natsu ran his hands through his hair. He chuckled back, and looked guiltily at his son. "Yeah, I guess so."

Nashi stood up, grabbing a pair of pants. He headed for the washroom to change. Quickly, Natsu shoved the knitting farther into his backpack. Breathing a sigh of relief, Natsu paused. His scarf was flopped over his face. So he pushed it out of the way just as Nashi came out of the bathroom.

Nashi hopped onto his bed, standing on it. Natsu paused as he watched his son grin.

"What are you doing?" He asked warily.

Nashi grinned widely. "I'm gonna jump on the bed."

He began to jump. Hollering loudly, he made Natsu smile. Slowly, Natsu pushed himself up to stand on the bed. He couldn't let his son have all the fun. He began to jump too. Hollering and whooping, the two laughed as each other tried to out bounce the other.

"I'm higher!" Nashi cried as he jumped.

"Liar!" Natsu yelled as he saw his son begin to fall. "I'm higher!"

"Nuh-uh!" Nashi shook his head as he pushed off the bed. "You're wrong!"

BANG. The door flew open. The innkeeper stared at the two as they slowly looked behind them. His face was surprised - astonished even. With a hint of anger. Both Natsu and Nashi tried an awkward smile.

"Uh - hi?" Natsu tried.

"Get out!" The innkeeper yelled. "You'll break my beds!"

Quickly, the two boys climbed off the bed. Natsu gathered his things and shoved them into his pack. Nashi rushed through folding his clothes and packed them messily. The innkeeper watched with a frown as he saw the two pack up. Natsu was the first to sling the bag over his shoulder. As he came to the door, the innkeeper held out his hand. Natsu dropped the key and the money into his hand.

"Really, Natsu." The innkeeper sighed. "I would have loved to have you here for longer."

Natsu sighed. "Don't worry. A business is a business."

Watching his dad walk out the door, Nashi followed quickly. He thanked the old man quietly. The old man nodded with a sad smile on his face. And held Nashi back for an extra second.

"Make sure he tells you everything, boy."