His Home

I just wanna let you know,
That I've done a few things I wasn't proud of,
might have said a few things that hurt you,
but you're still the only one who fills me up,
and all the tears that we've shared were worth it.
You are my home, you are my everything,
when I feel so alone.
You are my home, you are my shelter,
when all my hope is gone.
You are my home, you are my everything,
when I feel so alone.
You are my heart.
You are the one.

It's been his second month away.

He was exhausted and fatigued.

And he was finally on his way home.

In fact, he was just outside of Magnolia at around midnight. He'd long lost sight of Gray and Erza and Happy, for getting back to his girls was his main priority. God, he missed them so much. This was the first time he'd been gone for more than a couple of weeks, and it was killing him inside. He needed to see them again. He needed to kiss his wife, he needed to hold his baby girl. He needed to be home, with the two most important people in his life.

Natsu ran through the dimly-lit streets of Magnolia, heading for their apartment in a mad dash. His heart was thumping viciously against his chest from the adrenaline and anticipation. His feet were kicking up dust and small stones, and he nearly slipped from the water when he reached the canal. He couldn't remember running so fast in his life. His feet barely had time to land before they were picked up again. His body was worn out from the long mission and his muscles were screaming in protest, but he didn't care. He needed to reach their house as soon as possible. It was close to one in the morning, and he knew that both Lucy and Nashi would be asleep, but that didn't matter. He just wanted to be home.

Natsu skidded to a stop in front of their apartment, relieved to have finally reached it. He bent over his knees – which currently felt like Jell-O – to take a breather, his shoulders heaving with each deep intake of air. He could feel his blood pumping through his veins, the arteries in his neck and wrists pulsing harshly against his skin. After somewhat regaining his breath, he forced his legs to move, lifting the window open and hauling himself inside, ignoring how badly his arms shook as he did so. Instead of closing the window, like he usually did, he left it open so Happy could get inside whenever he arrived. Still breathing in sharp pants, he wiped away the faint sheen of sweat that accumulated on his forehead and took a deep breath through his nose. It smelled of cherries and chai. His exhale came out as a sigh.

He was home.

He followed the scent of chai toward his daughter's room and silently opened the door. There she was, peacefully asleep in her crib and wrapped snugly in his scarf. Nashi loved that thing almost as much as he did. Stepping up to her crib, he carefully reached inside and lifted her up into his arms, scarf and all. She whined. "Shh..." he hushed softly, gently brushing her hair from her face. The small child sniffed the air, and her dark brown eyes slowly opened halfway. They were heavy with sleep.

"Daddy…" she gurgled, her speech still sloppy and unpracticed. Natsu smiled warmly.

"Hey, baby girl," he whispered. "I missed you."

"Ah," she uttered sleepily, untangling her hands from his scarf and reaching for his face. "Ah." He grinned and leaned down to give her a kiss. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Go back to sleep, amai. Okay?" Understanding, she closed her eyes and snuggled into his chest with a tired whimper. Within a couple of seconds, he could tell that she was fast asleep. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Nashi." As he carefully lowered her back into her crib, he heard the door open behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Happy, his eyes half-lidded and baggy. He grinned. "Hey, buddy."

"Hi, Natsu," the Exceed answered tiredly, rubbing his eyes with his paws. He lazily nuzzled Natsu's cheek before landing in the crib and curling up beside Nashi. He yawned quietly and fell asleep a moment later. The Dragon Slayer chuckled and lightly scratched one of Happy's ears before leaving the room, making his way toward his bedroom. Lucy was at the far end of the bed, her back facing him. Her shoulders slowly rose and fell with each breath, her soft breathing the only sound occupying the room. Natsu yawned, the temptation of sleep finally getting to him. He approached the bed, discarding his shirt and sandals along the way. He slipped beneath the covers and settled directly behind the blonde, draping his arm over her waist. He pushed himself up high enough to lean over and place a kiss on her cheek, before sinking into the mattress and pressing himself against her, already falling asleep.

He felt her shift beneath his arm. She moaned sleepily as she looked over her shoulder at him. She smiled and reached for his hand that was resting comfortably against her stomach, tangling their fingers together. She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles. "Goodnight, Natsu," she whispered. Natsu grinned and snuggled into her hair, inhaling deeply. He never thought he'd be so happy to smell cherries.

"Night, Luce." He loved this woman. Wherever she was, that's where he wanted to be. She was his home.

Author's Note: Ne, mina! So… the song at the beginning was "My Home" by Thousand Foot Krutch. They are currently my favorite band. For those of you who haven't heard of them, I suggest you check them out, because they are amazing! They have so many great songs, and the majority of their love songs remind me of Natsu and Lucy, so be prepared for future chapters to be inspired by them. Anyway, I hope you liked it! I know it was short, and I apologize. But leave a review nonetheless, alright? Oh! And "amai" means "sweet." Just in case you were wondering.