Content

"Pike is my bubba."

"Yeah."

"And I like him!"

"I know."

"He looks funny though."

"Nathan, I'm a little busy-"

"How come his hair is white?" The little boy reached over to pat his baby brother on the head. "Like Mira? But mines not?"

"Because," the woman in question heard her husband reply, slightly out of breath, "you have my hair."

"Oh. How come his eyes are blue? Like Mira?"

"Because he has Mira's eyes."

"Oh." Then there was a pause. "I want Mira's eyes. And hair."

"Kid, are you counting?"

No.

At the moment, Nathan was supposed to be over near the edge of the bed, watching his father do pushups and counting them aloud for the man. Instead, he was up towards the top of the bed, with his baby brother, watching him. Pike wasn't even a year old yet and mostly just sat up against the pillows, drooling and being annoying.

But Nathan liked that he was annoying. Because he loved his brother.

Or something. Mira and Laxus kept insisting he did and, well, the baby could be entertaining sometimes. He pooped a lot. Which, while stinky, was very, very funny. Especially when Laxus had to change his diaper.

Mirajane was in the bed with them too, trying to catch a nap after working all day up at the bar. She had the night off and, later, she'd promised that she'd make dinner with Nathan, but so far, all she'd done with sleep. That was okay though, because Mirajane was perfect and he loved her.

"Yes," he complained to Laxus then who only growled.

"Well, how many have I done?"

"Um…five."

"Nathan."

"Three?"

"Why are you going down?"

Because he didn't know many numbers and those were the easiest to say.

"Eight!"

"Now you're just being annoying."

Gah! Laxus was so annoying.

Focusing his attention back on Pike, Nathan watched as the boy sucked on his thumb and mostly just acted oblivious to him. All the great things he'd been told about having a brother got disproved every single day.

"Pike." Nathan, who was laying on his tummy in front of the boy, reached out to grab one of the boy's little feet. "Bubba."

The baby spit out his thumb so that he could giggle. That was one thing that he could do. Sometimes. Nate was pretty good figuring out ways to make him do that.

"Boys," Mira complained from her side of the bed, groaning a little. "Knock it off. Why are you all in here?"

"Mommy." Nathan let go of Pike's foot then and shifted closer to her. "Get up now, Mommy? Make dinner?"

"We're in here, demon," Laxus grumbled from the ground, where he was still doing his pushups, "because you drug us all in here. Remember? When you told me that you were just going to rest and that we should all spend some quality time together."

"That was before."

"Before what?"

"I actually fell asleep."

"Up now?" Nathan snuggled up to his mother. "I was good."

"You were?" She yawned, snuggling him closer. "Nate?"

"Mmmhmm! I watched Pike and counted for Laxus."

"For Daddy?"

"For Daddy," he agreed.

"No," Laxus grumbled. "He didn't do any of that. He keeps bothering the baby and gives me random numbers that make no sense, even though I know for a fact that you can count, kid-"

He could. Very well. Mira worked with him on it.

But he sure couldn't for Laxus!

"Bleh!" He stuck his tongue out, turning his head towards the end of the bed. Laxus couldn't see this, of course, as he was down on the ground, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that noise. His bodyguard Bickslow made it enough.

"You little-"

"Nate," Mira sighed. "Be nice to Laxus. He always feels so left out."

He just snuggled even closer. "Dinner now?"

"Baby, I'm tired." She gave his head a lazy kiss. "Just a little bit longer, alright?"

If he had to. For Mira.

When she drifted off again, her arms went limp and he was able to crawl away, back over to Pike. It wasn't a far distance, anyhow.

"Bubba." Nathan gently reached out to poke the baby in the tummy then who giggled in response. "Pike."

He really didn't like that the boy looked so much like Mirajane. At all. It wasn't fair. He had to look like stupid Laxus. He wanted to have white hair like Uncle Elf and stupid Lisanna. Especially Mirajane though.

He loved Mira.

But if he couldn't, then he figured that it was a good thing that Pike did. Maybe he'd get old like Gramps soon and then his hair would be white.

Nate sure hoped so. It just didn't seem fair that he could love Mira so much and still have to be like yucky Laxus.

"Mommy's sleepin'," he called out to the man on the ground about then as Mira began to snore softly.

"You let her, you little brat," he grumbled. "And get back to counting."

No way. If Mirajane was napping, well, so was he!

"Go night-night, Pike." He leaned up to kiss the baby on the head, eliciting another giggle. Then Nathan hurried back to Mirajane to slip into her loose grasp once more. He was just most comfortable there. "G'night, Laxus."

"You're not going to bed," he grumbled. "You still have to eat dinner."

"G'night."

Why even argue?

When Laxus finally finished with his workout, he only got to his feet before glancing over at the bed. It was nice to see Nathan all snuggled up with Mirajane, but at the same time, he knew that neither would be up to making dinner then.

"Looks like it's up to you and me, Pike." Laxus went to grab the little baby from his spot, smiling down at him. "You wanna go with me to get dinner? Huh? Oh, don't whine, buddy. I know I'm a little sweaty and stinky, but the stuff I put up with from you? You have no room to complain here, kid."

As he set off with the boy, neither Mirajane nor Nathan arose. She'd been working hard up at the guild since finally going back after the baby and, well, it was taking its toll. Then, of course, she had all the things at home to deal with, from Laxus and his moods to Nathan and his. Honestly, in comparison to the two of them, Pike was pretty easy.

Mira had had worries, the closer she got to giving birth to that boy, that she would have a problem with splitting her attention between the two boys. Not to mention, with Nathan not technically being hers, it also weighed heavy on her mind that subconsciously, she might begin to treat him differently. And though Nathan did protest, frequently, when his baby brother arrived, she didn't feel any more or any less love for either one of them. They were both her babies. And without Nathan, there was a good chance she would have never had a chance to have Pike.

Not that Nathan knew she had those worries. He, after all, thought of her very much so as his mother. He did, however, have a few troubles of his own dealing with his brother. It took awhile to get it all sorted out, but in the end, he decided to give the little guy a try and things were working okay. Except for when he hogged Mirajane. Or slobbered on his toys. Then Nate wasn't really happy with him, but other than that, he was alright.

It was just hard getting used to Mira being a mommy to someone else. He didn't really like that aspect of it. Share Laxus? Fine. His toy cars? He was iffy. And his books were basically off limits, but his Mirajane? His mommy? It was crazy.

That's how come, when he woke up some time later to find the baby gone, he only snuggled closer to Mirajane, unintentionally waking the woman.

"Mmmm."

"Mommy." He giggled. "You up now?"

"No," she mumbled before peeking an eye open, immediately noting that they were the only ones in the room. "Nate, where's your brother?"

"I dunno."

"Maybe Daddy has him." She snuggled the boy then who only giggled. "We slept too long, huh?"

"You were sleepy," he told her, patting the woman's cheek. "It's okay."

"Thank you," she giggled as he just smiled. "But where do you think Daddy took your brother?"

"I dunno."

"I think he probably went to go get food."

"Not gonna make dinner?" he asked. She just kissed his head again.

"I would, baby," she sighed, shutting her eyes once more, "but I'm too tired. Wake me when Daddy gets here, alright?"

If he had to. He didn't get really why they needed stinky Laxus or his bubba to have fun. Him and Mira could live by themselves pretty okay, he figured. And his doggy. Maybe Laxus and Pike could come visit sometimes. Maybe. Only if they weren't too bothersome when they did show up.

Nate fell asleep again before Laxus came back. It was the smell of food though and his ever present appetite that awoke him when the man got back.

"Here." Laxus just sat a bag of food down on the bed as the two in it opened their eyes sleepily. He'd wheeled into the room a stroller, which housed Pike, and he went back over to that immediately to get the baby out. "I'll go make his bottle and-"

"No, Lax, wait." Mira yawned as she fully woke up before moving to get out of bed. "I'll nurse him. He likes that better."

Plus Laxus didn't really wanna make a bottle anyways.

Passing the baby off, Laxus just went to get back into bed. "Nate, did anyone tell you to get into that bag?"

"Hungry." He was just looking around in it anyways. "Eat in here, Daddy?"

"Tonight? Sure." He was rather tired himself and didn't feel like heading back into the kitchen. The demon just headed off with the baby, who was fussing a little then, and also let the dog into the room. The old mutt, he just came to clamber up on the end of the bed and give them his best sad eyes, a silent prayer that one of them at least gave him something.

"Baby doesn't eat food," Nate told his father as the man handed him something from the bag. "Pike isn't a big boy."

"Nope. He's not."

"I am."

"Mmmhmm. And big boys don't make messes, alright?"

Right. Err, well, sometimes.

When Mirajane returned, she had Pike with her, but just handed him off to Laxus, who put the boy in his lap as he sat with his back against the headboard.

"I'm not even that hungry," Mira tried as she got into bed next to Nathan. She didn't sit up though, just laid on her side behind the boy, staring over at her husband. "At all."

"Eat, demon."

"Laxus-"

"I mean it. Just eat something. I went out of my way to feed you, so eat."

"Want me to feed you?" Nathan was quick to do so, without her consent. If Mira was too tired to do it, well heck, there was nothing that would stop Nate from doing it for her! Unless, of course, it was something that he didn't want to do. Then he wouldn't be doing that thing. Even for Mira.

Maybe on a good day.

"Nate," Laxus scolded though Mira just opened her mouth and let him. "Behave."

"I am." He resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the man. "Laxus."

"Daddy," Mir corrected.

He didn't wanna call him that when he was being mean, so he just stuffed her face with more food to keep her quiet.

Sighing, Laxus glanced down at the baby in his lap, who looked ready to finally be put to bed. He still was going to have to suffer through story time though. Both of them. The first, where Nate did a horrible job at reading pages from his picture books to the boy and then the real one, where Laxus would read them something. Either way, Pike would probably pass out long before that, but Nate wouldn't mind. He liked reading to his brother for whatever reason.

"What's wrong, Lax?" Mira asked when she saw the look in his eyes. "Bored?"

"No." And he wasn't. He was a little tired, maybe, but definitely not bored. As odd as it would have sounded to him a few years back, the only time he could really relax was at moments like the one he was having then. When the boy wasn't screaming and the baby was safe and Mirajane was getting her rest. And the damn dog, as much as he hated him, it made him feel better to have him around too.

They were a family. One that he never thought he'd have. But damn it if they weren't the best one around. Even when the boy was annoying the hell out of him or he couldn't get the baby to quit crying and even when the dog had pissed on the carpet, they were still his boys. And the demon? Hell, she could rip his heart out and eat it. She'd always be his woman.

"Just…content." He smiled then, if only slightly, over at her. "Really, really content."

"Aw."

"Don't make it weird," he grumbled. And she didn't have a chance to as Nathan was shoveling more food down her throat. If Mira needed to eat, then he'd make sure she ate! Every last bite…that he wasn't going to eat. No need to go hungry at Mommy's expense. He didn't figure she'd want him to anyways.

When it was time to put the boys and dog to bed, they did it together. It always seemed like he was either out on a request or she was up at the guild. Being able to spend the time together was really…nice. Special.

And after they got the boys shut away in their photograph covered room with their faithful mutt to stand guard over the place, Mirajane and Laxus headed to the living room to spend some alone time together.

Which, of course, meant he got to read a book as Mirajane fell asleep with her head in his lap, too tired to even make it back to the bedroom.

But that was okay. As mundane as his home life was, he far preferred it if it meant keeping them all safe. His demon and his boys were his world. And he was more than happy keeping it just as it was.

Forever, if he could help it.

"Lax?" she whispered as one point as he turned the lamp in the living room out and took to just sitting there, trying to drift off himself.

"Mmmm?"

"We can't sleep in here."

"Seem to being doing a good job of it up to this point."

Shifting in his lap, she said, "Having two is harder than I thought it would be."

Two? Psst. Silly demon. Imagine having three. And a dog. And himself. Laxus was the one with his hands full!

Not that he'd ever see it from her side, which seemed much the same. Just reverse a dragon and a demon and they were having the same trouble.

Neither would ever trade it though, of course. Not for the world.

"Maybe," Mira went on as she drifted off again, "we can sleep here for a little. Not long though."

Yeah, right. He knew she was conked out then and was hoping to follow suit. Because as content as he was, he knew mornings with the boys were hectic. And afternoons. And evenings.

Sometimes long jobs sounded really nice…

"G'night, demon." He grinned slightly as he drifted off himself. "Silly."

Just a kinda plotless little bit into their world for no reason other than I felt like writing about Nate today. Heh.