DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL.

the first time i caught you

There was a gust of wind that forced her windows open, and the curtains swatted the sleeping girl's face. Lucy awoke in a coughing fit. She sat up in her bed and pushed the glass panes beside her canopy bed closed. She decided to go downstairs for a drink of water.

She crept out of her room. Her parents and the servants were probably all asleep by then. Quietly, she tiptoed down the grand staircase and into the kitchen. Her father would never approve of the amount of time she actually spent there. She stood on a chair as she reached for a pitcher and a glass, and poured herself a drink.

Once she was satisfied, she quietly placed everything back in order and headed back towards her room. As she was heading up the staircase, however, she saw a silhouette coming from the east wing. The figure was unmistakably her mother's. Lucy was about to run up to her with a smile, hoping they could have a midnight snack together, when a flash of moonlight seeping in through the windows shone on her mother's face. There was a troubled look there, and something stirred in Lucy's mind telling her that her mother was not supposed to be up, either. She hid in the shadows behind the marble steps.

Her mother's nightgown slid across the floor like a train behind her. Layla looked around, checking if anyone was watching her, before creaking the mahogany doors open slightly, just enough for her to slip through. There was not a sound made as they closed behind her. Lucy ran towards one of the windows beside the entrance to peek at her mother. Her eyes widened.

There was a dragon on their front lawn.

Even with just the light of the stars, Lucy could see fire reflecting in its red scales. It must have been just as big as her house. It had great wings, spanning perhaps two of her father's prized cars. And her mother was climbing up those wings, onto the dragon's back. Lucy quickly opened the doors and grabbed onto one of the dragon's hind legs just as it took off. She muffled her scream by biting into her arm, clinging for dear life at the scaly legs.

The dragon flew higher and higher above the clouds, and Lucy regretted not bringing her coat. The night air was merciless even to the child, and she could feel herself growing drowsy. Her fingers were growing numb.

Suddenly the dragon took a sharp turn, and by then Lucy's grasp was slipping. She took one wrong step adjusting her footing on the dragon's claws and slid off. Her entire body went into alarm mode, and she could not help herself from giving away her presence.

"Mommy, help!" she cried as she hurtled towards the earth.

Layla's neck whipped around, and a horrified expression suddenly clouded her face as screamed, "Lucy!"

The young blonde girl closed her eyes. At seven, she was old enough to know she would not make it. She felt a small, rough hand latch onto her wrist.

"Gotcha!" a voice yelled triumphantly. Lucy opened her eyes and saw a grinning young boy, perhaps around her own age, holding her up. He was cradled by the dragon's tail, which then lifted the both of them to join Layla on its back.

Lucy was deposited in her mother's waiting arms. Layla was crying, and she held her daughter tightly. She had almost lost her. Lucy hadn't noticed until then that there were tears running down her face as well. She sobbed into her mother's dress.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Layla admonished, and Lucy could not give her a proper answer.

"I-I just wanted to see where you were going!" she sniffed, speaking within hiccups.

"Did you see that, dad?" the boy said giddily. "I caught her!"

"Well done, Natsu. I apologize, Layla. Her scent is almost identical to yours, so I hadn't sensed her," the dragon spoke in a grave, deep, rumble.

Layla shook her head. "It's alright, Igneel, there's no need to apologize."

"I smelled her, though!" the boy interjected. Pointing to Lucy, he added, "You're really smelly."

"Idiot boy! You never tell a woman that!" Igneel scolded immediately, but Layla just laughed.

Lucy's fear dissolved and was replaced by anger. She struggled to escape her mother's tender embrace. She glared at the boy with the ridiculously pink hair. "You're the smelly one!"

He shrugged as though the insult meant nothing, and that night it never occurred to Lucy that it probably did mean nothing to him. She continued to glower at him for the rest of the ride.

They descended onto a clearing far from the main house, on the outskirts of the Heartfilia property. Natsu jumped off from the dragon's back even as they were still in the air. Layla got off next, delicately stepping down from Igneel's wings. Igneel let Lucy slide down his tail, which she enjoyed thoroughly.

Immediately, her hand sought the comfort of her mother's skirt, and she hid behind her. Layla rested her palm at the top of her head and combed through her golden locks soothingly.

"Lucy, this is Natsu," she said, pushing her towards the pink hair boy. Natsu crossed his arms and turned his head away, but was pushed forward by a nudge from Igneel's tail.

"Hi," he grumbled, and was promptly wacked on the back of the head. Lucy hmphed in response.

Layla knelt down beside her. "He did save your life, you know."

Lucy's expression softened, and she turned her head towards him. She sighed in defeat. "Thanks for saving me. I guess that was pretty…cool."

"That's 'cause I am cool!" he said, his demeanor suddenly changing. It seemed that the compliment endeared her to him immediately. Lucy was surprised by how easy that was.

"You two can go off and play. Igneel and I just need to talk for a while. Make sure you come back when you hear us call you." Lucy looked up at her mother apprehensively, but her wrist was again claimed by Natsu's hand. It was pleasantly warm.

"Let's go, Lucy!" he said, dragging her off to explore the forest.

.

.

.

Though hesitant at first, Lucy found herself at ease around Natsu rather quickly. He was a bit stupid, but he made her laugh and she liked that. He taught her how to climb trees, and she taught him numbers one through ten.

They were playing tag when suddenly she curled up against a stump, hugging her knees. He ran back to her, concerned. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just kinda cold, that's all," she said, teeth chattering slightly. He frowned, but then snapped his fingers in a eureka moment. He scampered off and returned carrying an armful of fallen branches. He dropped them into a pile a few feet in front of her.

He sat down next to her. "Fire dragon's roar!" Lucy's eyes widened in astonishment as flame erupted from his mouth, lighting the wood. It felt just like camping.

"How did you do that?" she asked him excitedly. He puffed his chest out with pride.

"Magic. Dad taught it to me."

"Is Mister Igneel your real dad?"

He gave her a quizzical look. "Of course he is!"

"Then how come you don't look like him?"

"That doesn't mean he's not my dad!"

"I look like my mom."

"Do you look like your dad?" he challenged. She pondered this before shaking her head. "So there. Maybe we all just look like our moms."

She was about to ask, "Where's your mom?" but then decided against it. It didn't sound too polite. Instead, she amended it to, "Is that why your hair's pink?"

He shoved her. "You ask too many questions. But that's okay, I guess. Dad says asking questions makes you smart." She smiled at that.

"Hey, thanks again."

"For what?"

"Catching me." He started to chuckle, but then there was something about the softness of her voice that took him aback.

"Uh, sure. Anytime."

"Hm."

"What?" he asked, feeling slightly conscious about the wondering tone in her voice. He hadn't had much experience with these girl-creatures before, but so far he thought they were a bit strange.

"I suppose that makes you my prince, then," she said thoughtfully. Natsu's face whitened and he stuck out his tongue.

"Gross! I ain't no prince!"

"There's no such word as 'ain't.' And I'm a princess, so if you're going to be saving me, you have to be the prince," she told him matter-of-factly.

"But I'm a dragon! Not a sissy prince!" he said in exasperation. Lucy sighed, as though arguing with a stubborn child –which she actually was.

"Fine. You can be the dragon that protects me in the tower, then. And you can beat up all the people who try to kiss me." He nodded, satisfied. He could live with that.

They stayed like that for a while longer. He listened to her fairy tales with rapt attention, and she listened with utmost fascination when he told her about magic. Eventually, they ran out of stories to remember, but when you're kids, you never run out of things to do. She stood up and stretched her legs.

"Let's play hide and seek." At his confused look, she explained to him the rules of the game. He grinned. He could count to ten. Natsu screwed his eyes shut and began to count aloud.

"One…Two…um…" Lucy took off deeper into the woods.

She had been a bit afraid of the dark before, but not that night. She hid behind a tree, breathing deeply, not daring to move. She would wait for him.

After she, on her own, however, had counted to thirty-four, she wondered if he was having difficulty getting past five again. However, as she was about to exit her hiding place to go check on him, she heard her mother's voice. She ran back to the clearing, towards the steady call of her name.

She found her mother facing Igneel with a sad, serious look on her face.

"Mommy!" she said. "Natsu and I were playing hide and seek, and –" her eyes landed on Natsu's sleeping form, nestled beside Igneel's claws. He looked strangely peaceful. The sight made her feel a bit drowsy as well. Unconsciously, she lay down on the grass.

"A little bit longer, okay Lucy?" her mother said, and it felt like everything was fading around her. "Just go to sleep, for now."

Lucy fought with all her might to keep her eyes open, but it felt as though a force were making her lids heavier. The last thing she saw were some strands of golden light, encircling the three.

.

.

.

When her legs could no longer hold her up, Layla fell to the ground in fatigue. "Shit," she murmured under her breath. There was a burn mark shaped eerily like a dragon on the back of her right hand. She crawled over to the sleeping boy in front of her. She gently traced a finger along his cheeks, brushing some bangs away from his face before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"I hope you were right about this, Igneel."

With the last bits of her strength, she summoned Capricorn, who immediately rushed to her side the moment he saw the state she was in. She waved him off.

"Just bring Lucy back to her room. Don't let Jude see you." The spirit nodded and scooped the little girl into his strong arms.

"And yourself, my lady?"

She took another glance back at the child beside her. "I think I'll stay for a while longer. I'll walk home." It was the least she could do.

As she watched him disappear above the trees, she resumed to tending to the newly re-orphaned little boy. Lucy she prayed silently, take care of Natsu, okay?

She watched the morning sun rise behind the trees. She didn't have much time left.

A/N: This was just supposed to be a tiny headcannon, but NaLu feels just escape me sometimes. This took me literally an hour to make, because ugh crying Natsu is the most adorable thing in the world. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear what you thought about this in the form of a review!