Natsu looked up from his food as Lucy walked into the room, holding their first child in their arms. The baby was screaming incessantly, and Lucy looked tired and frustrated as she rocked three month old Nalia in her arms. Happy came behind her, looking worriedly up at the two.
"What's wrong?" Natsu asked, standing immediately and moving towards the blonde celestial mage. Lucy was on the verge of tears, an anxiety building within her as Nalia cried.
Lucy hiccuped. "I can't get her to stop crying," she told him. "I've tried feeding her, I've tried holding her, I've tried changing her..."
Natsu frowned, taking their baby into his arms. Nalia seems to scream louder, and Natsu jumped at the sound. Happy held his ears down, trying to drown out the sound.
Natsu, ever the optimistic, tried to smile at Lucy as he bounced their baby in his arms. "Well, she's got an amazing set of lungs."
Lucy huffed, and Happy giggled. Natsu shifted Nalia back to Lucy, her screaming seeming to make the air around them vibrate. "Hold on," Natsu spoke.
Lucy watched as Natsu took his scarf off, wrapping it around his back and tying it at the ends so it hung around his torso and rested across his chest. Lucy raised her eyebrow in confusion. Natsu was concentrating, making sure the knot was secure.
"Okay," he said, turning his scarf so the knot was against his back. "Let me take her."
Lucy nodded slowly, letting Natsu gently take their daughter and cradle her against him. He slowly took Nalia's screaming form and placed her in the scarf, using his arm to support her beneath the fabric.
Almost immediately Nalia calmed, her screaming all but subsiding as Natsu positioned her sniffly against his chest. He grinned, placing his hand on her stomach and watching as the little pink-headed girl reached her tiny hand up and held his finger. Lucy released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, the intense throbbing in her head disappearing.
"How'd you do that?" Lucy mumbled, running her hand across her face in exhaustion. Natsu leaned forward and kissed the blonde's forehead, bringing his free hand to rest on her shoulder.
"All in a day's work, Luce."