Decorative Fighting
"I fucking hate the snow, I fucking hate this town, I fucking hate that damn guild for being so fucking far away from my place, I fucking hate all of the fucking members for being so-"
He stopped suddenly, the man did, as he stood there in front of his home, arms folded in on themselves as he rubbed at his arms and stared at the house. Well, more the person in front of the house.
"What are you doing?" Laxus asked, his voice louder then as he took from grumbling and more to growling. "Elfman?"
The man was with Lisanna, out on the front porch. He was up on a ladder, stringing lights across the edge of the roof while Lisanna held them for him.
"What does it look like we're doing?" Elfman asked as the tiny ladder beneath him wobbled. "We're putting up decorative lighting."
Laxus blinked. Then he frowned. "And why the heck would you do that?"
"It's the winter festival, Laxus," Lisanna told him, glancing over as if concerned. "You know, the thing that happens every year? Where we all get together and-"
"Shut up, Lisanna," he grumbled. "The heck you doing putting them on my house?"
"Uh, gee, Laxus, maybe because it's Mira's house?"
"Lisanna-"
"We always put up lights," Elfman told him, though he was rather occupied in that moment, attempting to get those lights up there while also not breaking his neck by falling off the ladder. Once again, it shook. "Real men love cool lights."
Laxus narrowed his eyes at both of them before walking further up to the house, snow crunching beneath his boots as he went. He would have to take it up with Mirajane, apparently. Because there was no way that he was letting them put 'decorative lighting' up at his place. No stinking way.
"Mira," Laxus grumbled as he walked through the front door. "Where are you?"
"I'm in the kitchen," he heard her call. Figuring it best not to piss her off, he went ahead and left his boots by the door and dropped his coat on the rack. Then he went back to stomping and headed in there.
"What the hell does your brother-"
"Hi, Laxus," she greeted from where she was over at the counter. She had a cookie sheet out, which she was putting dough out on. "You're home early. I was just about to leave to go down to the guild, too. Or, ooh, are you here to walk me there? That's so sweet."
"The guild's boring," he told her as he came closer to inspect her cookie dough. "So no. And what is your brother-"
"I'm putting these cookies in the oven, Laxus, but Lisanna knows when to take them out. So don't worry."
"I wasn't," he told her stiffly. "But-"
"And you can have a few, when they're done, but not many, okay? They're not for you."
"Mira-"
"Now," she began as she went to put the tray into the pre-heated oven. "I'm going to go head into work, okay? Relieve Kinana. You know, she works so hard these days. I think-"
"Mira," he finally said, glaring at her as she only took to stare at him, head cocked.
"Yes?"
"Why are your stupid siblings putting up some damn lights on my house?"
She only continued to stare. "I thought we talked, Laxus, about not cursing so much?"
"Mir-"
"And it's their house too. It-"
"It's my house," he told her, tapping his chest then. "We got married. That means-"
"That means it's still my house and you're just my husband."
"Mira-"
"I have to get ready, Laxus. So if you're done throwing a fit-"
"I'm not throwing a fit. I'm-"
"We always put up lights," she told him. "Why did you think you being here would be any different?"
"Because-"
"What are the lights being up doing to you? Specifically? Nothing. So just deal with it," she said before walking around him and heading out of the room.
But it wasn't fair. He always had to just deal with it. Since marrying Mirajane that previous fall, he'd been bombarded with things that he just had to 'deal with' from her two bumbling siblings. Such as sharing the shower, risking his food in the fridge being eaten, having to be extra quiet when fooling around with Mira. It was all too much! They were married. They needed their own place.
But Mirajane owned the house. And she couldn't very well kick her siblings out or sell it. No, she'd insist. They would just all have to be happy together until Elfman and Lisanna found somewhere else to live.
It was turning out to be a nightmare for Laxus though.
It wasn't fair! He was supposed to be the king of the castle. Not just some guy mucking around the house and occasionally fucking the owner.
Ludicrous. It was absolutely ludicrous.
Growling once more, he headed back out of the kitchen and to his bedroom. Mira was in there, getting ready for work, but he just ignored her as he went to lay out on the bed. Maybe a nap would help him out some.
But he could hear Elfman and Lisanna outside. They were laughing and goofing around out there. Ugh.
When Mira took off, she pressed a gentle kiss to his head and promised to bring him something to eat home. And that if he wanted to come down and visit her at the guild, she'd take a break and sit with him. Then he had to hold up his ring bearing hand and interlace it with hers, though his grim face didn't match her overjoyed one.
She loved everything about being married. The jury was still out for him.
But he gave her a kiss, because no matter how horrible staying with her family was, he did love her, before rolling over and going to sleep. He could still hear Elfman and Lisanna (damn his enhanced senses), but he just tried to block them out. Eventually he drifted off.
Upon awaking, he found that it was many hours later. He could smell still, however, the scent of the previously baked cookies and some sort of meat or something, no doubt whatever Lisanna made for dinner.
That wasn't what awoke him though.
"Laxus," Mira was whispering softly. "I'm home."
He slept that long? When he peeked open an eye, he saw her there, some snow still sprinkled in her hair as she leaned over the bed, staring down at him. He only let out a soft yawn before pushing to sit up.
"You slept this whole time?"
"Mmmm."
"Careful." She poked his belly. "You don't wanna get lazy now, do you?"
He only grunted while she moved to grasp both his hands.
"Now come on. Get up. I'll make you something to eat. Or do you wanna go back to sleep?"
He couldn't imagine sleeping the rest of the night. If Mira was home, it had to be midnight, at least. He'd sleep the entire afternoon! Ugh.
"Can I have something other than a sandwich?"
"If you want," she giggled, taking his hand as they left the room. "Come on. First we gotta turn off Elf's lights though. I don't like leaving them on all night."
"I don't like having them on at all," he grumbled. "And my electric bill-"
"Hey, if it gets too high, can't you just, you know, be our own personal generator?"
That got him to narrow his eyes. "Ha ha, Mira."
He had to put his boots on to go out there with her, but neglected to put his coat on. Damn did he hate that, as Mira didn't just make him go outside to turn off the lights. Oh no. She made him go out there to look at them.
"Aren't they pretty?" she asked him as they stood on the walkway up to the house, staring at the red and green flickering lights strung over the roof and the white ones tossed around the bare trees. "Laxus?"
He was more focused on trying not to get hypothermia, honestly.
"I just think that it's so beautiful. You know. With the snow and everything," she was saying as he huddled in on himself, his arms wrapped tightly over one another, his hands rubbing at them. "Laxus?"
"Yeah," he grunted as she giggled, still staring up at them. She had her jacket and shoes on, of course, and was perfectly fine. Sigh.
"This is our first Christmas together. You know. Married."
So that was what was up. With another sigh, he reached an arm out before laying it over her shoulders. Pulling her close, he pressed his frozen lips against her white hair, mumbling against it.
"Love you, Mira," he told her softly. Then, because it always excited her so much, he added, "Mrs. Dreyar."
And yeah, alright, so Mira did look pretty damn angelic then, in the soft glow of Elfman's stupid lights. But that didn't mean that Laxus liked them or nothing. He just-
"Thought I heard you get home, sis!" And then Elfman was barreling out the front door. "You see my lights all finished? Pretty nifty, huh? Huh? Lisanna and I both thought so. And those little kids across the street said-"
"I think they're pretty," Mira told him as Laxus relaxed his grip on her. "Just like every year."
He came over to them then, Elfman did, to throw his arm around Mira too. Laxus frowned at this, letting her go. He didn't care what kind of garbage Mirajane spewed; they were far from one big happy family.
"You were turning them off, huh?" Elfman grinned down at his big sister before looking back up at the house. "Well, there's what? Twenty more days of them? They-"
Laxus was bouncing on his feet then as he wrapped his arms around himself once more. "I'll blast them full of lightening before I let that happen. Each one."
"Oh, Laxus," Mira sighed while Elfman just kept that damn grin on his face, ignoring the man. He did that a lot. Ignored Laxus. It pissed him off.
"I'm going inside," he grumbled, sprinting back into the house, shaking the snow off him while he was at it. "And hurry it up, Mira. I'm hungry."
When his wife finally did get into the house, she went to work preparing Laxus something to eat. He only stood over her, helping when needed, because he did kinda feel indolent that day, considering he'd slept most of it away.
"You know," Mira was saying as she fried something in a skillet while Laxus got himself something to drink. "Tomorrow you have to go down to the guild with me. We're going to be-"
"You want a beer?" The last thing Laxus wanted to hear about having to do something. Most of Mira's chores around the guildhall had him cleaning the book room or taking inventory. Bleh.
"No, I-"
"Or some wine?" He took his beer from the fridge before going over to the cabinet they kept the rest of the alcohol in. That was all Mira drank, when she did drink. He usually bought her expensive wine for her birthday and other holidays. And yes, to Mirajane, her birthday was a holiday. One that he was forced to celebrate. "What you want, babe? You-"
"I said no, Laxus."
"Ah, come on. You can drink a little."
"Laxus-"
"You feeling bad or something?" He closed the cabinet before going to pop the cap on his beer. "Mira?"
"Not bad, no. I-"
"Then what? Huh?"
"Laxus-"
"I just don't get why you won't-"
"I was trying to save this, to surprise you with it later, but if you're just going to push me, then I guess right now will do."
He blinked. Then he got suspicious. "You didn't buy something I'm gonna get all pissed about, did you?"
"No, Laxus." She turned off the stove then before going to scrape his food off on a waiting plate on the counter. Then, after placing the pan in the sink, she went to go stand in front of him. "I was kinda afraid that I would smell different or something and you would know, but-"
"I ain't one for surprises." He took a swig of his beer. "So-"
"I'm pregnant, silly."
He needed more than a swig then. After finishing the rest of his beer, he reached over to set it on the counter while Mirajane only giggled. When didn't she giggle?
"Really?" he got out, though he felt a little funny. They'd been trying since, well, their wedding, really, but it all seemed so sudden in that moment. "You are?"
"Mmmhmm." She bounced. Again, when didn't she? "Isn't it great? Now we get to- Laxus."
He only moved to hug her then, less because he was cold then and more because he was happy. He wasn't ever happy, but he was then.
"You keeping things from me, demon?" He pressed a kiss to her head as she giggled. "Huh? Keeping my…my kid from me?"
"No," she laughed as he snuggled her. "Laxus, your food's gonna get cold."
"Well, shit now," he grumbled as he let her go. "What am I gonna get you for presents if you're pregnant?"
"You can still get me tons of wine," she assured him. "I'm sure I'm going to need it, after the baby's here."
He tapped her nose then, which about made her explode with happiness. Seriously. For a demon, she was pretty much an angel.
"You know what babies like?" they heard then from the other room. "Lights! Decorative lights!"
Laxus blinked. Then he glared at the doorway to the living room where his brother-in-law was standing, apparently having been lurking around the whole time. He probably had been planning on sneaking a few of Mirajane's cookies from earlier or something.
"He's right, Laxus," Mira said as she went to take his plate to the table for him, as well as get him a fresh beer. "Little kids love lights. They think they're real pretty and fun to look at."
Laxus narrowed his eyes at both of them then before saying, "Then I guess we're gonna need some more. Before next year."
"Yes!" Elfman fist pumped then, making Mira laugh. His yelling awoke Lisanna, who came running, thinking something was going on.
"What's wrong?" she called out as she ran through the living room and into the kitchen. "Guys?"
"Nothing's wrong," Mira giggled as Elfman threw an arm around his baby sister. "At all."
"You know though," Laxus grumbled as he went to take his seat at the table, pulling Mira into his lap while he was at it. "I'm doing the lights from now on. You call that decorative? Huh? No. My kid's gonna have a real display of freaking lights. You guys as pathetic."
"What do you mean pathetic?" Okay, so sometimes Elfman ignored Laxus. The other times he rose to the bait.
"Elf," Lisanna tried, but Elfman was just glaring at Laxus. He only shrugged, reaching around Mira then to get at his food.
"I mean what I say. You suck at hanging lights. It's my job now. So get the hell over it."
"Why you-"
"Can't we just be happy for once?" Mira asked as she threw an arm around Laxus' neck. "I mean, honestly, if you guys are going to fight over lights, I really don't think this is the environment for a child."
"You told?" Lisanna asked, frowning. "Without me?"
"And another thing," Laxus went on. "You two are out. My kid needs space to…to breath. And with you guys around-"
"Laxus," Mira warned.
"Lisanna can stay," he said with a shrug. "But Elfboy on the other hand-"
"You-"
"Enough," Mira told them, frowning slightly. "Just drink your beer, Laxus, and eat. And Elf, he's only being mean to make you upset. Don't play into him."
Lisanna only crossed her arms. "I can't believe you told without me, Mira."
"Lis-"
"What do you gotta do with my kid?" Laxus grumbled, glaring at her as well. "You know what? You have to leave now too. Both of you. I- Ow! Mirajane-"
"You'll get another pinch too, if you keep this up," she said as she slipped out of his lap. "Now say sorry."
"What? I-"
"Laxus-"
"Mira-"
"Say it."
"But-"
"Say it," she repeated, staring hard at him then. "I mean it."
"Sorry," he grumbled, glaring down at his food then. Mira just stroked his head before turning to walk over to her siblings.
"Your turn, Elfman."
"What? I-"
"Elf."
"Mira-"
"Say it."
"But-"
"I'm waiting."
"I'm sorry," the muscular man grumbled, looking off as he ran a hand through his hair. "Laxus."
"Now kiss and make up!"
"What?"
"Mira-"
"Okay, okay, never mind," she sighed as she went to take Lisanna's hand. "Come on, sis. Now that Laxus knows about the baby, we have to plan all the things we're going to buy for it."
"Ooh, yeah, I-"
"What?" He frowned. "What does it need, but a cradle, some diapers, and a teddy bear?"
Mira didn't even give that a worthy response. Her and Lisanna just ran off giggling. Ugh. But it was late and he knew they wouldn't be spending any of his jewels till, at least, that morning, so he was safe. For the time being anyhow.
Then it was just him and Elfman though, in the kitchen. And after a moment, the other man went to the fridge to get a beer as well.
"You can help do the lights next year," Elfman conceded after a few moments. He turned to look at Laxus, who accidentally locked eyes with him. Then he was stuck. "But it's my thing! I've done it for my sisters since we moved here. So-"
"Yeah, yeah," Laxus grumbled, going back to stabbing at his food. Then, after a pause, he said "And your lights aren't shit. Mine'll just be better."
"We'll see," Elfman decided then, nodding his head. They'd reached a truce. After all, they were more than just brothers then. Laxus was…a daddy and he was the uncle. They had to start making those more often, the dragon slayer figured.
"Yeah," Laxus sighed, knowing that was true about a lot of things those next few months. "We will."
I had a different story I was going to use for this prompt, but it was getting too lengthy and detailed, so I just scrapped it and wrote this real fast. Hope you guys like it. Maybe I'll post the other one later.