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It’s almost comical, how pathetic the man beneath her looks. Cana can’t believe she’s spent so much of her life trying to be worthy of her father’s love and attention. And the fucking bastard can’t even remember her mother.
Gildarts is still rambling away, listing name after name of women Cana’s never even heard of. Women, he’s apparently slept with once or twice and never looked back. Not once does it cross his mind that Cana might be from the only one he married.
Is he just listing all the women he can remember sleeping with or just the ones from around the time Cana would have been created. She doesn’t know which option is worse.
To think this is the father she bared her soul to Lucy about. To think she learned Card Magic and joined Fairy Tail just for the chance of earning his respect. Gildarts clearly doesn’t respect himself; not with the way he’s desperately babbling random names at her.
‘I tried to make S-Class for you’ Cana thinks.
She came so close to it too. If only Laxus hadn’t bested her… not that Cana might have beaten Erza or Mystogan.
‘I’m your daughter’ The three words Cana finally managed to say.
And this is her reward. Some washed up powerhouse completely unaware of the world outside of his immediate view.
It’s quite a pair they make. A washed up mage and the town’s local drunk.
‘Like father, like daughter…’ some part of Cana’s subconscious taunts.
That’s all they are, Cana and Gildarts, just two drunks not strong enough to achieve their goals. Cana can’t make S-Class and Gildarts can't kill a dragon.
A Fairy Tail mage never loses the same battle twice and yet Cana probably won’t be this year’s newest S-Class mage. Not with someone like Natsu and Juvia in the running. She lucked out during her first year with Erza and Mira already being S-Class mages.
“Wait! I got it! You’re definitely Lacy’s kid!” Gildarts proclaims, so sure of himself Cana feels like she’s taking physical damage.
‘Are you fucking kidding me’ Cana wants to scream. Her last name is literally Alberona, just like her mom. They ever have the same fucking initials; Cana Alberona daughter of Cornelia Alberona. Cana looks exactly like her too.
And yet it never occurs to Gildarts.
She’s such a fucking fool. Of course, he doesn’t know where she comes from. He clearly doesn’t care about anyone outside of himself. Natsu’s the only one who comes close to gaining Gildarts’s love and attention.
She’s wasted so much of her life on him. So much of her time desperately trying to gain his attention. And for what? For this ? For a man who couldn’t love her mother enough to stay. A man who wasn’t strong enough to give up Fairy Tail for them.
Cana gets it, how the guild life can swipe you up. It’s so easy to get lost in the waves of constant adventures. The only difference between her and Gildarts is Cana didn’t leave anyone behind when she joined Fairy Tail.
“Seriously, you really have no idea, no fucking idea whose daughter I am. Why did I even think you cared?” Cana cries out, mainly in frustration.
She turns away from him , tries to walk away back to the camp but something stops Cana in her tracks. One of Gildarts’s arms- technically his only arm, tightly grips Cana’s shoulder. It’s not painful but Cana can feel the desperation leaking off him.
“ Wait !” Gildarts calls out. There’s an agonizing desperation in his voice that brings tears to Cana’s eyes. “I know that face. You’re Cornelia’s daughter. There’s no doubt about it.”
The confidence in his tone, the certainty of his words threatens the tears in Cana’s eyes into falling. There’s something about the way he calls Cana her mother’s daughter, something about the way his hand holds her shoulder that just lifts something off her chest.
It feels relieving, for the truth- the whole truth to finally be spoken aloud. It’s nice to be acknowledged in regard to her mom again; especially by someone that might still remember her in all the ways Cana can’t.
For the first time since their original meeting all those years ago, Cana can finally look her father in the eyes and this time he looks back in recognition. There are still more words needed to be said between them. They still need to hash out the new dynamic between themselves.
For now, Gildarts- her father, Cana should probably get used to calling him that, pulls her into a tight hug. For now, the rest can wait. They still have all the time in the world.