Love is a Gamble

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Laxus sighed dismally as his weary gaze roamed over the mound of wedding this and that's strewn about their living room, his nose twitching as he tried to dispel the stain of black ink from his nostrils. He rested his chin on his folded arms as he sat on the floor next to the table Neirah was painting on, watching every inked stoke dry on the parchment. "I really don't get what the big deal is... Can't we just say the words and be done with it?"

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"Trust me, Prince, nothing would make me happier in this moment." Neirah threw one hand back behind her head to rub a stiff kink from between her hunched shoulders. "If nothing else I think my calligraphy's actually improving."

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He rolled his gaze to the side, his words muffled from behind his forearms. "Well if it's not a big deal, why're you makin' a big deal out of it?"

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Neirah sighed and dropped her gaze to his, a sleepy little smile on her lips. "It's out of my hands at this point. I mean, think about it; it's a big deal no matter how you look at it simply because we're... well… a big deal."

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A curt scoff caught defiantly behind his arms. "How d'you figure?"

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"Well, let's slice it up this way," she mused, drawing two fingers before her lips as she tipped her gaze to the ceiling. "Two of the ten wizard saints, two outwardly controversial dragon slaying powerhouses…" She unfolded a couple more fingers to the count. "Fairy Tail's prince and the infinity empress, a Sorcerer Weekly pinup and her hunky husband to be? Oh, and then to top everything off, pretty much everyone in the world knows I'm not human." She dropped backwards on top of her to-do list with an exasperated huff of impatience. "It's a celebrity matchup no matter how you look at it." She shifted her gaze to her stack of invitations before knocking them over defiantly. "We'll be lucky if it's only the city of Magnolia in attendance. With my luck, all of Fiore will be there. I swear, if I'm fat for what Erza calls my big day, I'm going to lose it."

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Laxus shimmied up to his fiancé, curling one hand around her flat tummy as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I still don't get why it's gotta be such a pain in the neck."

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"You mean pain in my neck? I'm the one hunched over all these invitations." She teased with a laugh, simply grateful for his presence as she strained over her objective. Watching couldn't exactly be exciting for him either. She slipped her fingers up over his as he rested them on her shoulder, his thumb rolling the aches from her nape. "Maybe they're all just coming to see if you'll level the church again," she teased wryly, raking her nails lightly over the top of his hand.

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"Oh yeah?" He challenged energetically. "They could just be interested in watching you try to kill me again."

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She scrunched up her nose distastefully. Shot-for-shot was typical with them even after they'd found out they were about to be a modest family of three. "I'm sure most people are expecting that to happen but they've graciously allotted you a year of survival time before we're gathering again to say farewell to the fool who wed a little psycho. Seriously, my brother is taking wagers."

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"On how long our marriage is gonna last? Are you serious?" Laxus growled. "You're just gonna let him do that?"

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"Oh relax, I told him to knock it off and he just took it underground like the fuzzy little sleazeball he is," she chimed. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure you'll last more than a year."

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"You say that like there's actually a chance you're going to try and kill me."

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"Laxus, I'm pregnant. No holds barred, or so I hear." She closed her eyes, her fervour fading with the addition to his second hand's efforts in easing her pains. "Mn… and if you want to go there-"

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"No… I don't want to go there." He interrupted swiftly, his words heady against her ear. "Here's good enough for me." He smiled as she squirmed sheepishly against his embrace, a whimsical chuckle on her lips. "You can send out every invite here but only one person there is gonna matter to me."

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She turned in his arms and laid one of her hands alongside his cheek. "Don't try to be cute," she warned him with a delighted smile. "Cute isn't your thing."

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"Then what is my thing?" He inquired softly, a playful ring in his voice as he raked his teeth over the hand she embraced him with. "Just tell me and I'll be that."

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Neirah's brow twitched expectantly with her amusement. "Oh sweetie, keep talkin' like that and you'll make it more than a year in this marriage." With a deep inhale, she turned entirely and spread her thighs over his lap, throwing her arms around his neck; silently promising to readjust her bet with her big brother in the morning. Her heavy-lidded gaze roamed a moment before returning to his with sly intent. "If we have a little girl, will you have tea with us and let her put flowers in your hair?"

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There wasn't a lot of hesitation between his blink and his reply. "No."

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Neirah burst with laughter before placing a quick kiss on his lips. "So you want a boy then?"

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"I didn't say that," he defended hastily. "Just not particularly fond of the idea of dress up."

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She wrinkled her nose and sealed her eyes tight, her tight-lipped smile sardonic as she rubbed her nose against his. "You're blushing," she teased.

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A startled breath escaped her as she was dropped to the floor among her RSVP's beneath his swell in fervour. His affections always seemed to shine when they started talking about the child their ventures had left inside her. "From the stories your brother tells, I think I'll have to worry more about keeping her from drowning in mud puddles or dropping trees on her head."

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"That's not fair," Neirah defended playfully. "I didn't have the choice."

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Her expression warmed beneath him when his hands found either side of her face. "We worked hard to get this far," he assured her warmly. "I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure that our kid's got everything they could ever want."

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Neirah tipped her humble smile his way, an affectionate glow in her eyes. "Everything except put flowers in your hair."

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He leant down and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. "I'll consider it."

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"In the words of the wise. Flowers are manly," she teased through a delighted fit of laughter. "A real man would wear them with pride."

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"Wise words huh?"

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She slipped her fingers into his hair and drew him into a passionate embrace. After a moment of indulgence, she pulled away and braced her brow against his. "You're going to be a good daddy," she whispered tenderly. "I have faith in you."

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"I'll try to be better than ours," he crooned gently. "That's a promise."

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Neirah smiled affectionately and simply lingered in the refreshing state of bliss that recharged her ambitions for the pile of cards and cords needing to be prepared for their big day. "Well, I should really get back to all this… you know… fun stuff."

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Laxus leant into her and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head. "Fair enough," he rumbled. "Then I guess tonight, dinner's on me."

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Neirah looked back at him in surprise and delight. "Ooh, mommy likes." She watched him climb to his feet and head for the kitchen. "You're starting strong, prince."

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Laxus smiled smugly as he paused in the doorway and closed his eyes. He didn't have to turn and face her to imagine the sudden drop in her expression. "So strong you might even wanna raise your bet?"

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"I- how could you even suggest that I would take part in my brother's ridiculous games?!"

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Laxus snorted and turned to face his blushing wife. "Please, bets are being put on my fuck ups and you seriously didn't think I was in on it?" He smiled smugly and shrugged his arms out to either side. "I have me out the day our kid's born."

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Neirah narrowed her gaze on him dismally. "And what makes you think I'll kill you that particular day?"

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Laxus opened one eye to examine her innocence. "Well, I don't exactly think it's a comfortable experience."

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Neirah's expression paled as she considered his words, leaving Laxus to escape into the kitchen.

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"Not my first rodeo when it comes to gambling," he crooned above the clattering of pots and pans. "Just remember the little things like this when you're considering decapitation." He grinned and hitched up against the counter as he filled a deep pot with some water. "Worst case scenario, the cash my victory pulls in sets you and our kid up for a while."

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Laxus hummed curiously when Neirah sauntered grimly through the kitchen and bopped her brow up against his chest. "Hm? Out of ink?"

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"Maybe it's best if you're not there when our child is born…"

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"You're probably right."