Storyline: Continuation of 'Happy' - Part Three
Natsu had to suppress a groan.
He looked over to the clock at his bedside. It was 3:47 AM, and Nashi was crying. Loud. He turned over to look at Lucy, who was groggily opening her eyes. He released an almost inaudible sigh before leaning over to press a kiss to her forehead, pushing her gently back into the pillows.
"Go back to sleep," he rumbled. He pulled away to throw his legs over the bed, standing in just his sweatpants. He threw on the t-shirt he had worn the day prior before heading out of the room.
"Give her a kiss for me," Lucy murmured as he pulled open the door and he turned to watch her bury her face back in the pillows. Natsu smiled but didn't reply, instead he walked steadily to his crying daughter's room.
Her door had been left open. He was met with the dim glow of the butterfly night light on her wall and her standing upright in her crib. She cried louder for attention as she watched her dad entered the room.
"Hey, hey," he muttered, putting his hands under her arms before picking her up to bring her to his chest. "What's all that noise for, eh?"
She quietened down somewhat, but there were a few loud yells that Natsu shushed patiently.
"Shush, Nashi, shush," he cooed gently and swayed her in a comforting motion. He stroked the back of her head, her wispy hair going through his fingers as she dropped her head onto his shoulder.
"You need to give your mom a chance to sleep, kid," he murmured to her. Her cries quietened into whimpers as he spoke before she cried out loudly once more.
"Aw, baby, c'mon now," he whined. He walked from her room and headed into the living room. The couch was full of baby toys and such so he sat at the dinner table beside the balcony.
He sat her on his knee, and she quietened, arching her neck to look at him curiously. He chuckled before turning her around and standing her up on his lap which she giggled at. Natsu laughed gruffly at the sound she made, bouncing her lightly as she tried to keep her balance.
"You'll be walking in no time, won't ya?" he muttered to her, and she laughed once more. He smiled before bringing her to his chest again. She may only be turning one in a few weeks, but she had to be the cuddliest baby ever.
She put her small arms over his shoulders and rested her head there. Natsu's heart hammered with the love he felt for her when she did things like that. He hugged his child to him before standing once more, heading over to the kitchen to make her some milk to try and get her to sleep again.
"Alright, here we go baby," he said as he placed her in her highchair and walked over to the fridge. He pulled out the bottle Lucy had made the previous day before heating it up, turning around as Nashi started whimpering again.
"Can't turn around to five seconds, can I?" he rumbled, sitting in the seat nearest to her and giving her his full attention. She whimpered some more before fidgeting in her seat, making Natsu sigh before picking her up once again.
"You're the neediest baby alive, you know that?" he said as he pulled her from her chair to rest her on his hip before he turned to pour the milk into a clean bottle one handed.
After screwing on the lid - not without difficulty - he moved back over to the living room to sit at the dining table again. The moonlight pooled eerily into the room from the window wall. He cradled the small child skilfully before bringing to bottle to her lips, which she opened eagerly. Natsu rolled his eyes - He believed she could hold a bottle on her own, she's a clever kid but she just doesn't want to.
"Lazy baby, ain't ya?" he told her as she looked up to him while she drank. "Just like your old man."
She just continued to stare up at him as she drank from the bottle. Her green eyes, so wide and childlike reminded him so much of Lucy it made his heart clench. He and Nashi had shared the same-coloured eyes, but Natsu's were never as bright, or prettily shaped.
He continued to support the back of her neck with the crook of his elbow while he fed her, still looking down at her in wonder. How could this perfect creature have been made by him? How could he have made up all those millions of cells to build something so beautiful and unimaginably perfect?
He knew the answer the moment the question entered his mind.
Lucy.
It was her. And him. Both of them together created this weird piece of perfection in his arms. She wouldn't be there if it wasn't for Lucy, just as she wouldn't if it wasn't for Natsu. He sighed heavily before drawing the bottle away and burping her, smiling as he watched her eyes droop as she fought sleep.
"C'mon baby," he murmured. He cradled her to him again and stood up to make his way back to her room.
She drooped slightly in his grip as she nodded off making Natsu chuckle quietly before securing his grip on her. As he entered her room he was met with the same calming glow of the nightlight, and he walked to her crib to gently set her down. She snuggled into her blanket and Natsu smirked. It reminded him of Lucy. He stroked her pink tufts softly before standing straight, his eyes not leaving her peaceful form.
"Natsu?"
He turned as the quiet, melodic voice sounded from the doorway. Lucy stood there with a warm, tired smile as she looked at her husband and daughter. She leaned on the door frame and tightened her robe around her waist before making her way forward.
"You should be in bed, sweetheart," he rumbled as he wrapped his arms around her. She put hers around his neck and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
"It took you a while to get her down," she replied before smiling. "But I see you two were just bonding."
Natsu chuckled before pressing another chaste kiss to her lips and looked back down on their daughter.
"Well, she's down for the night now so we should get a good night's rest," He loosened his grip on her while she tightened hers.
"Or we could, I dunno," she said murmured suggestively as she drew lazy circles on his chest, her eyes cast down. "Take advantage of the fact that we're both pretty much awake and Nashi won't be for quite a wh-"
She didn't get another word out as Natsu pressed his lips hungrily to her own. Lucy chuckled into their kiss before Natsu swept her from the room and to their bedroom.
Guess they didn't sleep too long after all.
