Nalu Fluff Week.
FINAL DAY: Family Life/ Marriage
Rating: T (mild swearing, a lil bit of innuendo)
Word Count: 3,952.
This follows my previous entry to Day 6, so it's more of a two shot.
I blinked at Natsu, shocked. He blinked back, before his eyes slowly fell to the ground. I followed his stare, speechless as Leila smiled up at us, toothless and innocent. Happy was sitting beside her, perfectly comfortable with letting our little girl pull on his ears and make soft garbled noises into the fur on his head. I noticed the tiniest bit of drool leak onto the blue cat's forehead, but he just wiped it away and continued to let her cuddle him.
"Did she just..."
Natsu's strangled voice made me look back up to him, and I gulped, "I think so..."
"Did you hear what she said?"
I shook my head slowly, as he frowned, "Neither did I... But I was so sure..."
"So was I... I heard something." I glanced around, looking for anything to explain the soft mutter we both had heard, one that we thought had been Leila's first word.
Natsu tugged on his scarf anxiously as I reached down to detach Leila from Happy, holding her to my hip. She made a happy noise and I smiled, noticing that Natsu's shoulders relaxed as soon as I smiled. His own one played on his lips as he ran a hand over our little girls head, the odd pearl shade almost too light against her fair skin tone. Even though she was only 7 months old, I had been worried when she hadn't begun talking as soon as the books had explained. When I stressed over it to Natsu, he did the exact opposite of what he normally does, and freaked out also.
I shrugged as Leila tried to bat her dad's hand away from her thinly covered scalp, her brown eyes staring up at me in a silent question as she attempted to jam as many of her fingers into her mouth as possible. I laughed, pulling her hand out and pressed my cheek against hers, "I don't think it was her... Happy, did you hear anything?"
He shook his head, hovering beside us as I began to bounce her on my hip, "I only heard her normal weird noises."
I gave Natsu a smile as he pulled lightly on Leila's ear, making her squeak softly and laugh. We both laughed along with her as she grabbed Natsu's hand and stuck his fingers in her mouth. I giggled at Natsu's playfully disgusted look, "You just had to do that, didn't you Lei? Daddy's fingers have to be put into your mouth, where your own foot has been at one point." Leila drooled and slurped at his fingers in response as he shook his head, pulling his hand out of her mouth.
Her eyes got wider, and pouted at him. I stifled my laughter as he looked away, shaking his head, "You got that from your mother." I noticed the way his hands twitched, as if ready to willingly give them back to her as I took her small hand in mine, cooing softly, "I think you are almost there, my little sweet-pea. Almost to the point where Daddy can't say no to you." She giggled wildly, as I bounced her up and down softly, her hand latching onto mine tightly. She pulled my hand towards her mouth and I noticed Natsu stare at her expectantly, but my fingers never met the inside of her mouth. Instead she pressed her lips against them, and made a loud, very garbled 'mwah' noise.
I smiled as Natsu openly complained with a loud whine of disbelief, "You got that from your father."
She had probably picked that up from Natsu, who had made it a thing, every morning he gave my lips a kiss, then each one of my fingers.
It made my heart melt a little that my own daughter had decided to do it as well.
"We should go to the guild today, Erza has been getting antsy about seeing her." I told Natsu as I walked towards the nursery, dodging the robotic dog that Gajeel had gotten her as a gift. It had insulted Happy greatly, which I assumed was part of his master plan. Natsu followed me, bending down to pick up the dog and turn it off. Happy glared at the piece of technology unhappily as I turned the corner, ignoring Leila's incessant yanking on my hair. That normally meant she was hungry.
I felt drool leak out onto my shoulder and winced a little, adjusting her so I could pick up the hand towel from the changing station when Natsu grabbed it instead, and wiped my shoulder for me.
I smiled thankfully, settling down in the rocking chair as he replied, "I don't know... Gray might be there."
My smile vanished as Leila began to fuss and fidget in my arms, as a slight pain pressed against my forehead, "How is he?"
Natsu shook his head, eyes focused on our daughter who was now trying to pull my hair out from the scalp, "Not good. Juvia won't even speak with him."
We had found out, a short while after my fight with him, that the reason of his outburst, was the news of Juvia being pregnant. I had seen Juvia at the hospital, she had came with our closest friends when I gave birth to Leila, but I still hadn't talked to Gray. Everything had happened so fast, despite the doctor telling us I wouldn't be giving birth until October, Leila decided to come out a few weeks earlier, in mid September. Now that it was early November, Juvia was three months into her own pregnancy and Gray had been scarce at the guild.
Natsu kept in touch with him, from what I could tell, but every time I asked about it, he got a tired look on his face.
I brewed over the thought, rolling my eyes when I pulled my top down and his eyes glanced away from Leila to my bare nipple. Happy always made himself scarce when it was feeding time, whether it was because he was uncomfortable or I was, I wasn't sure, but thankful nonetheless. I directed Leila's mouth to the peak, supporting her head as I murmured, "Maybe we should go... While Gray is there, I mean."
His eyes tore away from Leila's nipple, the interested look vanishing into a skeptical one, "Why? He's made it very clear, he doesn't care much for the pregnancy or Leila."
"He never said that." I told him softly, remembering what little details he had told me in bed one night.
"He also never even congratulated us Lucy. No card. No nothing."
I sighed, "I'm just saying, we can't avoid Gray forever. Well, Leila and I can't. You talk to him weekly, even if it's not much of a conversation. If he truly doesn't care about us as parents, or how we are doing, then he shouldn't care if we go visit the guild while he just so happens to be there."
I watched him as he tried to fight my logic inwardly, the faint tickle of Leila's throat working making my secret anxiety about not feeding her properly waste away. According to the doctor, a lot of new mom's weren't very comfortable or attentive during feeding time. I had made sure, I was always paying attention.
"Luce..."
I tilted my head at him, raising my eyebrow before pouting, "Come on Natsu, the guild is our family as well. I don't want to miss out on hanging out with them just because Gray couldn't care about me or Leila."
He sighed, eyeing my pout in petulant agreement, "Fine. We'll go. He might not even be there anyway."
I smiled, "Thank you."
"You are so unfair. How I'm going to deal with two of you giving me that pout and making your eyes big..." He muttered to himself as he left the room, shooting me a small grin as I giggled, listening to Leila's happy hum.
/-/
I noticed Natsu's protective stance, practically stomping in front of us, leading the way to the guild as I laughed, "Alright Commando, let's take a deep breath." Leila was happily cuddled in my arms, deciding that the stroller wasn't her favorite thing anymore. We had spent the last thirty minutes, putting her in the stroller, only to pull her back out when she began wailing. Natsu carried the big black bag of baby necessities. Something that Happy had dubbed, 'The Survival Kit'.
Unfortunately, Natsu had jumped on that nickname in a heartbeat and practically slept with the damn thing.
He only glanced back at me, eyes narrowed, "I take my job very seriously, please stay behind me civilian."
"Natsu, no role-playing in public." I stated playfully and watched his lips curve into a smirk. Happy made a disgusted noise from beside me, and Leila giggled, twisting in my arms a little to try and grab Happy's wings. I pulled her away a little, remembering the last time we had let her do that. Happy was not a fan of falling face first into the pavement, unsurprisingly.
Once we neared the door, he turned around swiftly and I halted, raising my eyebrow at him. He stepped closer, running a hand over Leila's head before kissing me softly on the lips. I returned the gentle affection before stating, "We are going to be fine. Stop worrying. You'll get frown lines, look older and make me leave you for a hotter, younger model." I winked as he chuckled, shaking his head at my words.
"God, I love you."
"God isn't the woman you sleep with every day." I reminded him before pecking his lips once more, "But I love you too. Now turn around so I can pinch your butt and we can get inside."
He grinned, turning around as I cooed to Leila, who giggled back and tried to catch my nose. She had succeeded once or twice, it was fairly impressive. He pushed the doors open and yelled, "We made it through the day alive!" I smiled, feeling a pinch of nostalgia ripple through me as I heard the loud clanging sound of armor. Erza practically pushed Natsu out of the way, and I watched him flail and hit a table loudly. I smiled patiently at Erza as she observed Leila closely, who just yawned and mumbled some baby speak.
Erza practically melted, equipping into something a little more softer so I could give her Leila to hold. I handed her over softly, as Leila garbled, a little piece of snot catching my attention. I brushed it away with my thumb as Erza whispered, "How are you Lucy?" I had told her, so many times, that she didn't need to whisper unless Leila was asleep because Natsu was the worlds loudest man and happened to be her father, but she never listened.
"I'm good. Tired. We thought she spoke today but it was only our imagination." Erza nodded, clutching Leila protectively as a few other guild members crowded around. Leila ate the attention up, blinking her large eyes at Elfman and I watched, amused when he almost fell to his knees. Natsu sauntered over to us, handing me a drink and shook his head, "We need to have a serious discussion with her about those eyes."
She then pouted at Cana and Lisanna who both squealed, as Natsu cursed, "And that pout."
"She's a regular heart breaker. Soon, we'll have lines of guys lining up outside our door."
"There will be no dating until she is forty."
"Natsu, I'm not even forty."
"That's because you are effortlessly beautiful and I'm a scumbag. I'm a dirty greedy man that seduced you, I'm horrible really." He wore a smug expression on his face and I laughed, shaking my head and taking a sip of the drink he had gotten me, suddenly very sleepy now that Leila wasn't in my arms. Natsu and I both yawned at the same time and I placed my head on his shoulder, leaning against him. His warm arm wrapped around my waist as we watched Leila interact with our extended family.
"We need rest."
"We also need sex." He muttered and I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow as he grinned, "So just me? I can tell when you are lying, remember that."
"Read the truth in my words, the day I get a full nights sleep. I'm talking 9 hours, is the day I let you insert anything into my oven." We had resorted into using metaphors for the dirtier subjects, if they ever came up. Which, they did, quite often. Happy often flew out of the room when Natsu got to out of hand, especially when motions where being made when Leila wasn't looking.
I laughed as he pressed a kiss to my forehead, "I happen to be a master baker. Look at the cake we made." He pointed at Leila who giggled at Gajeel's face, having being passed to the large man who was now pulling faces at her. Levy also giggled, her eyes melting at Gajeel's tender side.
"Well then, after I get my rest, we can see if you are up to the challenge of heating my temperature up just right."
He smirked cockily, opening his mouth to reply when a loud wail caught our attention. Erza held the baby yet again, and I noticed Gajeel was on the floor, knocked out cold. She hummed, trying to soothe Leila but Natsu and I knew that cry. I sighed, handing him my drink as he stroked my waist, "I'll hold them off you for a little while." Leila shrieked again, her wailing becoming louder as I nodded, intertwining my fingers with his as I led us to our screaming child.
Erza's eyes darted to me, wide and worried, "What's wrong with her? Did I do something wrong?"
I shook my head as Natsu explained from beside me, "Nope, that's just a mommy cry right there." I took her from Erza's arms as Natsu stated, "She has a daddy cry too, but it's normally when I'm trying to put her to bed." Leila wailed in my arms as I smiled at Erza, "Natsu's right. It's a mommy cry." I rocked her in my arms, humming to her softly as I kissed Natsu once before heading to a quiet corner of the guild. Leila fussed and cried loudly, as I sat down, and placed her in front of me.
Her eyes, brown and hurt, stared at me. I smiled at her with a soft little coo, "My little sweet-pea. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Her cries got softer as I waved my arms around, "You know, Daddy told me to have a discussion with you about your eyes. Should we have it now?" I pulled a face at her and she began to giggle, as I wiped the snot and tears from her face, "I think that was a yes! Oh yes, yes, yes!" I clapped my hands, as she copied my movements excitedly.
I already knew Natsu was listening in, but I hadn't noticed the rest of the guild was paying attention until I glanced over at him. He was wearing a soft smile and I sent him a wink before Leila pulled on my pony tail, bringing my attention back to her.
Whenever she cried like this, it normally calmed down if I sat her down and talked to her. About anything. One time, I spoke to her about Virgo and her new boyfriend. Her sad baby face, was soon a happy baby face.
"Where's Dad? Where's Daddy?" I brought my hands up as she scanned the guild, shrieking when she saw him. She pointed as I gasped, "There he is! Wave to Daddy!" Natsu gave her a wave and she giggled, her smile so much like Natsu's that it stunned me for a moment.
"Now where's Uncle Gajeel? Where's Gajeel?" I pulled a funny face and reached out to steady her, as she crawled into my lap once more, pushing up on the table and I supported her legs as she looked around before yelling something unintelligible, but I took that as baby speak for 'There!' I followed her crooked pointing, smiling as Gajeel turned around, "There's Uncle Gajeel! Wave to him!" She screamed happily, flailing both arms about as Gajeel waved back.
She turned to me, smiling happily as I wiped the spit from her chin, "Now who do we find next? Should we find Erza? Auntie Erza?" She began to look, recognizing the name probably when I felt a cold chill. Leila was oblivious to it, but I just held onto her waist and stated, "Are you going to stand there or sit down?"
I felt Natsu turn to me, confused at what I had said but kept my eyes away from him, glancing at the side door that Gray had decided to walk through. He probably just wanted to get a job and sneak back out. My eyes met his brown ones, my stare as cold as his but my heart made a soft ache. He looked terrible. Dark circles were sitting under his eyes, his skin a little paler then usual and while I normally found stubble sort of hot, his looked messy and made him seem thinner.
"Natsu." I whispered, my tone filled with warning as Gray glanced to the bar, where I had no doubt Natsu was walking over to us. I also glanced over, finding his deep green eyes immediately, "Don't."
He clearly wanted to argue but I fixed him with a glare. Leila garbled a noise which made me turn to her, as she pointed to a still Erza, also observing Gray and I.
"There she is! Go on, wave to Auntie Erza." Leila cackled cutely, flailing about once more as Erza gave her a smile and her own wave. Then she vanished from my sight because a chest was suddenly seated opposite us. I barely blinked as Gray adjusted his position, noticing Leila's curious mumble.
She began to pull and yank on my hair softly, tangling the bottoms of it, finding Gray uninteresting to her little baby mind. His blue eyes flickered from Leila then to me, as he took a deep breath in.
I waited, patiently, as he stated, "I'm... sorry."
I tilted my head, my heart already willing to forgive and forget but being Leila's mom had changed something in me, I wasn't so ready to just accept apologies and move on.
"There is something about being a parent, that makes you want to distrust everyone." I told him, and he gazed at me, as I shook my head with a smile, "When I had Leila, it changed my life for the better. I was tougher because she needed me to be tougher. I was softer because she needed me to be softer. I've only had her, in my arms, for a few months, but I already love her so much, it frightens me."
"Lucy..." I held my hand up, and his eyes fell down to it, watching Leila grab my wrist and kiss my fingers loudly with a 'mwah'.
"I don't know how my father let me go. The thought of letting Leila go... hurts me. Almost as much, as the thought, of one of my closest friends, ruining himself over his own fears." Leila cuddled into me, her small hands clinging to my shirt as I stated, "Juvia made a decision to not talk to you. I almost made that decision myself when Natsu and I had a fight when I was pregnant. You can call us hormonal, or irrational, but having a baby is something that changes you. Natsu now cooks dinner, he never cooked dinner before Leila came. We had our doubts, we are human after all, so I won't fault you on that Gray. You are allowed to feel emotional, and upset because you are scared of what sort of father you will be, or you are scared of the commitment and courage it takes to step up. But..."
I ran a hand down Leila's back softly, hearing her mumble into my stomach from her slouched position, her chubby fingers keeping my shirt tight around my back.
"You will never, tell anyone else what they are and aren't ready for. You will never, take something entirely personal and use it against that person in an argument. You will also, never make people feel like they aren't welcomed. I will not tolerate it Gray, if you truly are sorry, then you will know exactly how badly you behaved." I felt like I was his mother, chastising him after he swore or something, but I couldn't help it. This wasn't something that could be brushed past, we hadn't spoken in months. Perhaps it was my fault for not reaching out, not making an effort, but I will not allow the same thing to happen twice.
He nodded, his shoulders dropping and I saw just how stressed, and down he was, "Okay... I won't... I'm really sorry Lucy, more than you will ever know."
I eyed him before smiling a little, lifting Leila up from her obnoxious sucking on my shirt and turned her toward Gray. His eyes widened as I pointed at Gray, "That's Uncle Gray. He's a butt."
She smiled at him happily, giggling wildly as he gazed at her, before grinning, reaching his hand out, "Hi Leila."
"Hi." She responded and I smiled before stilling. Gray's eyes swapped to me, concerned as I swiveled her little body towards me, "Oh you did not... You just..."
"DID SHE JUST SAY HI TO THAT FROSTED PIECE OF SHIT?" I heard Natsu cry out, approaching us at alarming velocity as I whispered, "Now you've done it... Daddy's gonna talk about this for years. Do you like causing Mommy pain? Is that fun, my little sweet-pea?"
She giggled as Natsu jumped over the table, his foot smacking the side of Gray's head and Leila burst out laughing as he toppled over, barely missing my head also.
"Now come on Lei, why would you do that? He's not worthy of your first word!"
"Hi!" She chirped, and he groaned, "Now we have to talk to her about that adorable voice as well. Great job Lucy, you gave her the cutest genes possible." I laughed at his dramatics as he called, "Happy, get the survival kit. I'm taking my weird family home."
He began marching out, holding Leila to his chest protectively when the guild attempted to say good-bye, I followed with a smile, as Leila peered over Natsu's shoulder and stared at the guild for a few seconds.
Then with a bright grin and a flailing chubby arm, she stated, "Hi!"
FINISH IT OFF WITH A 4K
Happy Nalu Fluff Week!
check out my while you are still here *.*
