Good to be Home

Lucy listened to the sounds of Natsu and Nashi roughhousing in the living room as she worked in the kitchen. It was so nice to have him back. The house was way too quiet in his absence. She turned to the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, just in time to see her husband step into the kitchen and press his back against the wall beside the door. He had a bright grin on his face as he lifted a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. She only smiled and nodded in response, turning back to the food cooking on the stove.

Natsu waited patiently for his daughter to walk through that door, trying to keep his breathing silent, which was fairly difficult considering he'd been running around the house for the past twenty minutes. His ears finally catching the sound of her delicate footsteps, he held his breath as she pranced into the kitchen, completely oblivious that her father was right there. Confused, she took a step towards her mother. "Mama? Have you seen Daddy?" Lucy glanced at her over her shoulder before shaking her head.

"No, I haven't, dear." Nashi sighed dejectedly. Little did she know that her father was right behind her, being as silent as ever as he crept up on her. With a playful growl, he snatched her waist and pulled her off the floor and against his chest. She screamed out of surprise and kicked, trying to wriggle out of his strong hold. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and harshly blew air into his face, catching him off guard. He closed his eyes out of instinct and reeled back, allowing her to slip from his grasp and make a run for it.

"You're not getting away that easily!" he shouted merrily, running after her. Lucy laughed to herself. She was really glad to have him back. The Dragon Slayer finally managed to get a hold of his giggling child, lifting her up with one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees. She tried to squirm out of his hand, kicking with gusto and using her small hands to try and push him away, all for naught. Managing to keep her arms away, he grabbed the hem of her shirt with his teeth and pulled it up to reveal her tummy, placed his mouth to her skin, and blew. Her laughter went up an octave or two, holding her hands to his head and using all the strength in her thin arms to stop him from tickling her, but all it did was encourage him to blow harder.

"Daddy!" she screeched, sounding eerily like her mother. "Daddy, stop it!" Natsu laughed and nuzzled into her waist, his hair tickling her highly sensitive stomach. Tears of mirth formed in the corners of Nashi's eyes, and it was getting increasingly difficult for her breathe. When he finally pulled away, she went limp in his arms, her head hanging lazily over his elbow and her chest heaving with each intake of oxygen. She was still caught up in giggles.

"If you're done torturing your child, Natsu," Lucy called from the kitchen. "Dinner's almost ready." Natsu grinned and shook his arm, causing Nashi's head to bounce, sounding more giggles from her throat.

"You gonna be okay, Nashi?" he asked. Nashi lifted her head to look at him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears of laughter. She nodded, breathing heavily. Natsu laughed and set her down. "That's my girl."

Time skipped over my skin like a falling leaf. I saw every moment pass by with crystal clarity.

Dante inhaled, uncurling his long fingers. He turned his head ever so slightly toward the audience, his lips curling upward in order to induce the crowd in his plan. But it was a stage smile because I never saw it touch his frosted eyes. Ad his smile grew into a full-fledged grin, Dante reached up to grasp Beatrice's feathered mask, which she had pushed up to her forehead.

I couldn't see Cassie's face, but in the drawn-out moment of time, I saw her almost take a step back and knew she was trying to cover her confusion at Dante's unscripted action.

"Peace," Dante said, lifting the mask and twisting it around—

The sound of a light snore reached Lucy's ears, and that was her cue to stop reading aloud. She was reading Nashi a bedtime story – like she did every night – and she almost always fell asleep before Lucy could get to the end of the chapter. That was how long she would read to her daughter, one chapter per night. The book she was reading was The Hourglass Door, one of her favorite romance novels from when she was a teenager, and still to this day. Nashi had taken an interest in romantic books, so it was the primary genre of her bedtime stories. She also liked thrillers, The Hanging Woods being her favorite. Natsu like The Hanging Woods as well, often asking his wife to read it again whenever she finished another book. He listened to her as she read along with his daughter, loving the way the celestial wizard read aloud.

Lucy looked up to the other side of the bed. Natsu was sitting cross-legged on the mattress with his back up against the wall. It wasn't Nashi's snore she heard, it was his. Natsu rarely ever fell asleep when she was reading, although she couldn't blame him. His first night back at home after a three-week long mission must've taken a toll on him, not to mention his roughhousing with Nashi earlier. Nashi was asleep as well, sitting in his lap with her head against his chest, her fragile hands being cradled in his own. Her bright pink hair had fallen into her peaceful face, contrasting beautifully with her tanned skin. She shifted in her sleep, her small chest expanding as she took in a large breath, slowly releasing it as a sigh. Lucy couldn't help but giggle. Natsu does the exact same thing when he sleeps. She was so like her father, it was almost uncanny.

Smiling warmly, Lucy marked their spot with a piece of paper and set the novel aside. She reached over and placed a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. "Natsu," she said, giving him a light shake. "Natsu, wake up." His mouth twitched.

"Mm…" he moaned, his brows furrowing over his closed eyes. Lucy giggled.

"Natsu, you goof, wake up." Reluctantly, Natsu peeled open his obsidian eyes, blinking the bleariness away. He looked at her through heavy eyes.

"What?" he said sleepily.

"It's time to take Nashi to bed." The Dragon Slayer lifted his head off the wall and looked down at his lap. He glanced back at his wife.

"Did I fall asleep while you were reading?" he asked apologetically. She nodded. "Sorry. I'm just so—"

"Tired?" she finished for him. She shook her head. "It's okay, Natsu, I don't blame you. And I'm sorry for waking you up, but I thought you'd want to tuck Nashi in."

He grinned. "Of course I do." With that said, he carefully slid an arm under Nashi's knees and lifted her up so he could scoot off the bed with her in his arms. She whined. "Shh…" he cooed, holding her against his chest as he made his way toward her bedroom, Lucy following close behind. The small girl instinctively sniffed the air, and with the scents of her beloved parents filling her nose, she relaxed and nuzzled into her father's shoulder. He smiled and stopped in front of her door, stepping to the side so Lucy could open it. Lucy stepped inside and her husband followed suit, walking over to their daughter's bed. Lucy also moved the covers away so Natsu could set her down on the mattress. He leaned over and carefully laid her down, slowly sliding his arms out from under her. Settling the thick blanket over her, he brushed her bangs from her face and lowered himself to place a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, baby girl," he whispered, stroking her hair with his thumb.

Lucy stood off to the side, watching the whole exchange with affectionate eyes. Seeing Natsu act this way made her fall all the more in love with him. Seeing the way he handled their child with such a tenderness she never knew him to possess caused her heart to melt. She loved seeing him behave this way. When she was pregnant and during the first two years of Nashi's life, he tried to avoid acting so sweet in front of her. He was embarrassed to be caught acting so mushy. She was glad he finally stopped being shy about it.

After a couple of moments, he stood up straight and made his way for the door, sending his wife a gentle smile as he did. He took one last glance into the room before he left to his bedroom. The novelist stepped up to her child's bed and also placed a kiss on Nashi's forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart." She straightened just as Natsu did and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She kept her hand on the doorknob. She was shaking. She was finally alone with Natsu, and there was no one to hide it from. After a few long and steady intakes of air, she slowly walked down the hall and into their bedroom. She was greeted with the sight of her husband pulling his one-sleeved shirt over his head. The floor creaked beneath her feet, effectively catching his attention when the sound reached his sensitive ears. He looked over his shoulder at her, a brilliant smiled stretched across his lips. It faltered immediately.

"Lucy?" he called, turning his body to face her. "Luce, what's wrong?" She met his gaze, a single tear running down her cheek. She ran up to him and encircled her arms around his waist, sobbing into his bare chest. He made a noise of surprise and stumbled back two steps, caught off balance by the sudden embrace. He stared at the top of her head, stunned and confused as to why she was crying. He hesitantly returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Luce…"

"I was worried," she whispered between sobs. "I was so scared that you weren't going to come back, that I was never going to see you again." Natsu took a deep breath, finally understanding. His arms tightened around her.

"Ah, Luce…" He placed his hands on her upper arms and pulled away, just enough to look her in the eyes. Well, if she weren't avoiding his gaze. He cupped her chin and tilted her head up. "Baby, look at me." Her brown were glassy with unshed tears, and her cheeks were red. "I'm right here, standing, breathing… alive and well." He perched one hand on her hip and cupped her cheek in the other, pulling her closer. "I'm still here. I'll always be here." The blonde choked out a sob and reached up to grab his wrist, holding his warm hand to her face. She'd missed his warmth…

"Promise?" she asked, tears finally falling from her eyes. A gentle smile curled onto Natsu's lips, his thumb wiping the salty liquid away.

"I promise. I'm not going anywhere." With that said, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She instantly returned the kiss, her grip on his wrist tightening. When neither of them could hold their breath any longer, they pulled away, panting. With a chuckle, the Dragon Slayer leaned his forehead against hers. "I could never leave you and Nashi. I love you two weirdoes so much. The two of you are my life." Lucy laughed before falling against his chest, fresh tears streaming from her eyes. Natsu wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him, stroking her hair. "Shh… I got you… It'll be alright."

Lucy sniffled and tightened her grip on him, refusing to let go in fear of losing him. "I love you, Natsu."

The Salamander grinned and lowered his head, placing a kiss to the crown of her head. "I bet I love you more."

The blonde laughed. "Try me."

Author's Note: Ne, mina!

Wow! Two oneshots in one day? That's crazy! Damn, you guys are spoiled! Haha.

So…I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day. I got an adorable stuffed puppy and a box of Fun Dip. :3 The puppy's fur is tan and it has a pink ribbon around its neck. It kind of reminds me of Natsu… I mean, it's tan, pink, and ridiculously cute! x3

Anyway, did you guys like it? Let me know in a review!