Mages and Masters
It wasn't as if Makarov didn't realize it. For some time, in fact, he'd known it. He was, as everyone was, dying. His race towards it, however, was nearing the finish line.
And though he'd resisted it at first, the best place for his final years was very much so in his grandson's home, where his great-grandsons and granddaughter-in-law were living. He honestly hadn't enjoyed his time away from the guild since, well, quite honestly, since Laxus was a boy. And even then, not nearly as much. He was dealing with the stress of Ivan and Laxus' well-being at time, which put a strain on things.
With Pike and Nathan, however, there was none of that. He'd do his duties down at the hall (or at least a limited version of them), before going back to the house to spend the day with his great-grandsons, playing and watching the eldest learn magic. Then there was the boy's cousin, Mace, who wasn't any blood relation to Makarov, but he didn't have to be. Those associated with Fairy Tail had been his family for so long, that it wasn't hard to just drag someone else into the mix. Especially someone that was so sweet as him.
Makarov spent as much time as he could with the three of them, sneaking junk food from Mirajane or staying up late in the old man's room, reading comics or watching movies on the lacrima. And even though at times his bones were stiff or his body was sore, the elderly man was always up for a walk around the block with them and their faithful mutt who, honestly, was on the wrong side middle age himself. For as much animosity as Laxus and the mutt had (or at least pretended to), he and Makarov were the exact opposite. He loved the old thing dearly.
Then again, it's not like his great-grandchildren would let him feel any other way.
Honestly, Makarov couldn't think of a single thing to add to his final years. Perhaps a woman, but short of that, he was pretty much set. He'd spend his mornings with Mirajane and the younger boys, eating breakfast and getting ready for the day before heading down to the guildhall. Shuffle through so papers, listen to the random disputes between guild members that might sprout up, hit on some of the younger women, get scolded by Mirajane, and be home by noon for lunchtime (and nap time, for him, mainly). Everything after that was always different, yet mostly the same. Just him and his boys.
What more could he ask for?
A granddaughter, apparently.
He'd never really known that he was missing another grandchild until she was there. Just having Nate, honestly, had been somewhat of a blessing, considering the start of his life didn't involve Laxus at all and, even when it did, it was with the intention of giving him away. Even once that all got resolved, Makarov had no way of knowing that Mirajane and Laxus would, eventually, have another son together. And Pike was just too perfect for words. Paired with Nate (and Mace, when he was around) Makarov was completely and utterly content.
But he didn't object at all to the addition of Ivory to his life.
Or Egg, rather, as Nate would insist that he called her. Quite forcefully.
"She likes that name better, Gramps," he'd complain if he caught him calling her by her proper name. "Egg. Don't you, Egg?"
He'd agree, of course, for the boy's sake. Honestly, Makarov was less interested in the new baby's name and, rather, just the idea of her in general. He'd never raised a daughter and, excluding the pseudo parenting he did down at the hall, had no experience in the like. And though he, obviously, wasn't raising any of his great-grandchildren (Mirajane and Laxus were quite competent in most aspects, more than making up for Ivan and the way he was with his son), he did have a big hand in rearing them. Laxus was quite the disciplinarian and a rather grouchy when the time called for it, something that, when he was dealing with his own son, Makarov found useful as well.
Not with Nate and Pike though. Oh no. He was always protecting them and commenting on Laxus' behavior towards them. The man in no way was unloving or abusive, but at times, he could be a bit much. And if the elderly man had played advocate for Laxus when he was a child and Ivan was being horrible, then he was downright a scapegoat for Pike and Nathan. He didn't like to see them punished for anything.
Anything.
It was rather doleful at times, as he would hold Ivory, and come to realize that more than likely, he wouldn't have those moments with her. He'd never have a chance to protect her from her father or mother's punishments for not sharing or poking her brother in the eye. Not have to cover for her when she spilled a drink all over the kitchen floor.
Because he wouldn't be there. At best, he had another good three years, but more than likely…
Nate and Pike were old enough that they'd already formed so many memories of the man that he was sure they'd carry him with them for the rest of their lives, but Ivory was just a baby. Ruefulness didn't even begin to describe how he felt when he considered that, though she meant so much to him in those final years, he wouldn't mean a thing to her.
So he didn't think about it. Or at least he didn't try to. The finality of death was rather morose on its own; no need to add to the ambiance of it all.
Besides, he frequently reminded himself, he wasn't doing it to be remembered. He didn't spend his days with them so that one day they'd all fondly recall it. Rather, he did it because he cared. Because he loved them. They were his legacy. Fairy Tail would, inevitably, change hands and another Master would begin his or her reign, effacing the Makarov Dreyar era. But his grandchildren? Nothing would take him out of them.
Nothing.
"What's wrong, Master?" Mirajane asked one morning after breakfast. She'd sent the boys off to go get dressed and for Nate to take a shower (he'd been stark against it the night before but, that morning, Mirajane was all business about it). "Are you okay?"
He was still sitting at the kitchen table, Ivory cradled in his arms. She had been up, as Mirajane had just fed and changed her, but drifted back off at some point. No doubt fearful of waking her once more, the man wasn't moving.
That wasn't what tipped the takeover mage off that something was up, however. Rather, it was the dour expression on the man's face as he stared down at his newest grandchild.
"Nothing, my dear. I just..."
"You have to get down to the hall," Mirajane gently reminded, though she didn't come over to take Ivory away. Only stayed over at the sink, where she was washing dishes. "Or are you not up for that this morning?"
"It's not… It's my chest, I think. I-"
"Not your heart," Mirajane interrupted, turning quickly to stare over at him, nearly dropping the plate in her hand at the same time. "Master? Do you need to go to-"
"Nothing like that," he was quick to assure her, glancing up. "It's only… I just need a day, is all. Do you think that you could take care of things at the-"
"Of course." Still, she didn't turn around. "But if you're not feeling well, please, let me take you to-"
"I promise you," he said, tone taking over that authoritative tone that she'd grown up with. "I am fine. I just need the day off, is all."
"Anything you want, Master."
He glanced back down at Ivory then, but still spoke to the baby's mother. "Thank you. I'll watch the-"
"Laxus is home," Mirajane reminded the man. "He just got back from his job late last night, is all, and still asleep. He'll watch the boys. And I'm sure with Elfman off that he'll come by to get them eventually and take them somewhere with Mace. You don't need to worry about anything."
Which was one of those things that was easier said than done. Still, Makarov nodded slightly as, to his surprise (and slight dismay) Ivory opened her eyes lazily. Their voices had no doubt disturbed her and, for a moment, he held his breath, ready for one of her loud wails that only a child of her age could make.
Instead, she just laid there, staring up at him he liked to pretend, but really nothing. At six months old, she was pretty content around the people in the house at that point. Mostly just Mirajane, but she seemed to recognize her father and brothers as well. Not to mention her Gramps.
That sneaky mutt, however, she was still extremely suspicious of. Especially when he started up that godawful barking. Ugh.
Makarov hardly noticed when Mirajane left the still unwashed dishes behind and went out of the room for a bit. It wasn't until Laxus appeared in the kitchen in her place that he knew what she'd done.
"Hey, Gramps," Laxus yawned, walking over to the man in some sleeping pants, scratching at his chest while he was at it. "You doin' alright this morn-"
"Your wife," he said simply as Ivory finally made some noise of discomfort, just from the sound of her father's voice, "is overreacting."
"What are you talkin' about?" Laxus wasn't as considerate as Mirajane and only came to take Ivory from the man at the sound of her cries. "I just got up and figured I'd come see what's for breakfast. And you were here so I-"
"Don't patronize me, Laxus. I know full well what you're-"
"You told the woman that your chest hurt," he pointed out, glancing down at Ivory before back at the man. "What did you want her to do?"
"That's out of context."
"If you're not sick or something-"
"I'm not."
''cause I don't want you dyin' in this house," Laxus told him with a frown. "I mean it, Gramps."
"Laxus!" they both heard from the living room where Mirajane was no doubt eavesdropping. "That is not something you should ever say!"
Still, the man only leaned down to nuzzle his head against the whining Ivory's gently before glancing at his grandfather again. He stared for a moment and seemed about ready to say something, but thought better of it, and only walked off.
Makarov wasn't alone for long, however (no one in that house ever was, really), as Pike, all dressed for the day, returned to join him at the table.
"Hi, Gramps," he greeted. "Do you wanna come play hide-and-seek with me? Before Nate gets out of the shower?"
On the end it was implied, of course, that once the older boy did, whatever they played would be at his discretion and therefore only gave them a short period of time to do what Pike wanted, so of course, the man agreed, slowly getting to his feet.
"You don't have to go to work?" Pike asked the man as, after being instructed to, he went to go stand in the corner of the kitchen and count. "Gramps?"
"Not today," he told him with a slight sigh. "I think I'm gonna spend the whole day playing with you. Would you like that?"
Immensely.
Nate was roped into the game rather quickly when he finished his shower, seemingly in a good mood that day. And things went well for a good hour. Mirajane, though rather apprehensive over it, left the household in Laxus' (somewhat) capable hands and headed out for the hall. Then the slayer just took Ivory with him back to bed and grumbled out something about not completely wrecking the place.
Honestly, Makarov thought that was the end of things for them.
Oh, if only he could be that lucky.
No one knew her family better than Mirajane and, to no surprise, Mace and Elfman did come by for the boys eventually and both went without a second thought. Nate, of course, wanted to do something fun and Pike, who usually was rather attached to his house, where things were safe, felt extremely comfortable around his uncle and only waved Gramps goodbye as he followed after them.
The man's mind was still bothering him a bit and he just didn't feel like making an appearance down at the hall that day. Instead, he headed back to his bedroom and, for awhile, just laid around on his bed, thinking. He must have fallen asleep at some point (he did that a lot), because next thing he knew, he was being joined in the room by the house's other future haunt, the dog.
And he just came to rest at the end of Makarov's bed and join him in a nap. Not much else for the two of them to do that day, it seemed.
It wasn't until late in the afternoon, when the man got up to find something to eat and encountered his grandson in the living room, watching the movie lacrima as Ivory sat in his lap, babbling a bit, that he even spoke to someone again.
"Good, you're up," was all Laxus said as he stood, abandoning the lacrima to go and gently pass Ivory off onto her grandfather. "I wanted to catch a quick shower, but she fusses every time I put her down. Think you can-"
"Of course," Makarov said, glancing down at the girl who, in his arms, made no move to even begin fussing. "I was just going to go make something to-"
"Let's go out to lunch," Laxus said suddenly. It should have been enough of a tip off to the old man that something was up, but he was so hungry that he didn't say anything. "Work some more on taking Ivory out in public, anyhow. You just cry so much at crowds, don't you, baby?"
And then the man patted his child on her head, messing up her tuff of white hair, before grunting at his grandfather and turning off to go grab that shower.
That was where he got trapped though, Makarov did. Because out at a patio cafe, with Ivory sitting in a highchair next to them, mostly just making a mess with the little bit of his mashed potatoes Laxus had sat in front of her (she'd just recently started solids and it seemed to be something she liked a lot) that the slayer said anything.
"You know, Gramps," he began as the old man mostly picked at his meal. He'd thought that he was hungry, but apparently not nearly as much as he'd assumed. Laxus, who had a full meal going over there (he'd just returned from a job; if he wanted to treat himself, damn it, he would, steak and all), picked up his beer and took a sip before saying, "Whatever's bothering you, it's best to just tell me. Else Mirajane'll keep hounding at you until-"
"There's nothing," his grandfather complained with a heavy frown, "wrong with me. Honestly, what is wrong with you kids? This is exactly why I did not wish to come stay with you. You're constantly in my business. I-"
"Calm down." Laxus was back to cutting at his steak. "I don't really care." As Makarov blinked, the slayer went on. "I just know that the demon will. You're not a little kid. I get it, alright? You're all...upset about having to give the guild hall up-"
"W-What?"
"Gramps, I mean, come on, it's obvious," the man went, seemingly at ease. "You're getting ready to hand the guild down to someone and you… You're nervous. I get that. About giving it to her. And that's fine. I don't care. I don't want it. I-"
"W-Wait, Laxus," his grandfather said, holding up at hand. "You think… Who do you think that I'm giving the guildhall to exactly?"
"Ain't it obvious?" He shrugged. "Erza, right? Makes sense."
"Laxus-"
"I don't care, Gramps. I know that Mirajane has you all convinced that, like, I'm going to be crushed or that this is my dream or something stupid like that, but there's no way that I could do it, you know? Give up taking my S-Class jobs to run this damn hall. For one, I've seen the jewels you rake in. Not nearly up to my standards."
"L-Laxus-"
"And I like to travel," he went on. "A lot. And get away from the house. I mean, don't get me wrong; I don't like leaving the demon out numbered with the boys and this one over here." And he even reached over to gently pat Ivory on the head who only giggled in response. "But I ain't a home dweller. And I know what I went through, what Ivan went through, with you being Master. I ain't gonna do that to my boys. I'mma be out there with them, on jobs. Not sitting around makin' rules and ruinin' their lives. I'm a mage, not a master."
For a moment Makarov could only sit there and stare. What could he say to that? Quite honestly, he'd long figured all of those things out. Erza wasn't even in consideration. He was going to hand the hall over to Laxus and make sure that, if things got too bad with him at the helm, Mirajane figured some way to get him out of the position and take over herself. Or appoint someone to the job.
But if Laxus didn't even want it…
"What?" his grandson asked when he only stared. "Was that not what was botherin' you?'
"No," Makarov said slowly. "Not at all."
It was, finally, Laxus turn to blink. Then he frowned.
"You weren't the least bit torn up about it then?" he asked with a slight snarl. The noise made Ivory stop playing in the potatoes and look to her father curiously. "That you were just going to hand the job over to Erza and skip over me without a single thought-"
"I was going to give you the hall, you dullard," Makarov told him. "But now that you don't want it, yes, I suppose I do have that to worry about as well. Thank you so much for-"
"You were giving me the hall?"
"Yes! Your wife has told me a thousand times about how you want it and-"
"And I've told her a thousand times that I don't. She just think that I'm only saying that to save face."
"Yes, well, perhaps that is something the two of you should get on the same page about, huh?" Makarov sat back in his seat in defeat. "So now I have to worry about my hall as well? That is just great."
Laxus still just stared. "If that's not what's bothering you then-"
"I said nothing was."
"Gramps-"
"And how egotistical of you to think that I would even consider your feelings in such a matter."
But Laxus didn't want to talk about that anymore. Shifting forwards in his chair, he stared hard at the man.
"What's wrong with you then? Gramps?" And his voice was soft as he stared over at the man. "Just tell me."
For a moment, they both only sat there, Makarov looking anywhere, but at his grandson. Then, slowly, he sighed before saying, "It is truly nothing. I am only… You do not understand what it is like, Laxus, to know that all of your friends are… There's no way for you to."
"Oh." And the slayer sat up then, stifled a bit, before saying, "I didn't realize you were feeling so… I mean, Gramps-"
"I'm not fearful of death," the man went on. "Of course."
"Of course."
"Recently, however, things have just felt rather-"
"I know that you're bored, Gramps," Laxus told him with a sigh. "And that we've been asking a lot of you with the kids. It's just-"
"It's not that at all." Just like that, the elderly man was lifting his head to stare at his grandson with wide eyes. "At all. I-"
"You don't gotta be so nice about it," he said. "I know that since Ivory got here we've been leaning too much on you and the boys-"
"There's nowhere I'd rather be right now than with them." And he meant it. "Rather, I've been feeling… It's something that you cannot comprehend yet, but to know that their lives are just beginning while mine is ending..."
Laxus, completely out of his element and, honestly, wishing that he'd left Mirajane to such a thing, shifted in his seat before saying, "Why would you think of that, Gramps? You're not, like, in dire straits right now or-"
"No more than usual."
"Then why even think about it? Huh?"
"Because, Laxus, there's no way to know that I'll know how close I am to...to...before it happens," the man told him, slightly exasperated with the conversation. "It could be tonight or tomorrow-"
"And I could die tonight or tomorrow or even in the next few minutes," his grandson argued. "So-"
"It's not the same."
"It is too." Laxus sat up straighter then. "I go out nearly weekly, Gramps, on S-Class jobs that I know that I might not come home from. Really, truly, deep down, I know that I'm not invincible, no matter what I tell the kids. And maybe, one day, I won't come home. But that's fine. Because I know that everything I did? As a mage? Was for them. All of it. And I gave them everything I could. Just like you did with Ivan and even me. So yeah, you'll have to go eventually, but everything you could give them, you did. Whether they remember it or not."
They both sat there for a good moment before, just like that, Ivory began sobbing.
"Oh, Ivory," Laxus groaned, getting to his feet before lifting her up. "Do you need a new diaper, silly?"
Horribly. And for someone to wipe those stupid potatoes off her fingers (palms, arms, face, and some of her hair). Not to mention she wanted a bottle. And soon. Potatoes were only good for some much.
That, however, effectively ended the conversation. Not that it made Makarov feel any better, not really, but it did bring him some amount of closure. Laxus was right, after all. When he was raising Ivan (and mostly raising Laxus), he put his life in jeopardy constantly with no thought to what it would bring. A mage couldn't worry about such things.
So why was he suddenly so concerned? Surely he didn't care more for Laxus' children than he did for the man himself...did he?
Hmmm.
"I won't, uh, mention this to Mirajane," Laxus told him when they arrived back home, Ivory happily napping in her stroller as the man pushed her along. "I'll just tell her that we talked and that everything is alright now. Okay?"
Not that he gave the man a chance to agree or disagree. Just rushed off to go get Ivory out of her stroller and into her crib for nap time. Laxus was nothing if not an attentive parent (and an awkward avoider).
Makarov was still feeling rather mopey that day still and, honestly, didn't feel much better until later that evening when Mirajane got home to make dinner and the boys returned from going out with their cousin and uncle, filled up on ice cream and adventure, both blabbering on to their father, who mostly didn't care, about it all. That left Ivory, however, with her grandfather to waste her last half hour before bedtime began.
They spent it sitting in the rocking chair in the old man's room, her in his lap, babbling sleepily while waiting for it to finally be time for Pike to read her to sleep.
He did that nightly.
"Gramps!" And then there was Nate, who mostly was concerned with the fact that Ivory was getting one-on-one time with the second to last person he wanted her to (Mirajane being, of course, the first). "What are you doing?"
"Mmmm," he sighed as the boy came unceremoniously into the room, bouncing around as he was still very hyped up. "Ivory and I are just-"
"Egg." He stopped hopping in front of the rocking chair. "You and Egg."
"Right. Egg and I were just sitting here, thinking."
"Egg doesn't think about things, Gramps," the boy said simply, reaching out to stroke his baby sister's cheek. "She just does them."
The man blinked. Then he nodded slightly. "I suppose so."
"Like Dad. He just does things. Or Uncle Elf. 'cause they're men!" Nate looked into his grandfather's eyes then. "Like you too, huh, Gramps?"
"I think about a lot of things, boy," he told him simply. "And it doesn't make me any less of a man."
Huh.
"Well," Nate said after a moment, "you went away when I was tellin' Dad about how, at the park, I beat Mace in a race from the bench all the way over to the fountain."
"I'd love to hear it now if-"
"Gramps! You wanna play-"
"No, Pike," Nate complained, not even glaring over at the bedroom door, which Pike was walking right on through. "He doesn't. Go play with Dad or the dog or by yourself or something."
"I-"
"You're fine, Pike," the elderly man sighed, closing his eyes as Ivory only snuggled closer to him. "Come sit down. Nate was going to tell us a story-"
"Well, now that you built it up," the older boy interrupted as, with a long sigh, his younger brother came to sit at his grandfather's feet and listen as well, "I should probably start from the beginning."
Which was fine. It carried them over to dinnertime, anyhow. And, before Mirajane came in there to get them, Makarov had to admit, even though Ivory was drooling a bit, Pike was humming very annoyingly, and Nate was just being long-winded for no reason other than to not give up the attention he was getting from the story, it was, by far, the best part of his day.
Even if he wasn't going to be with them for much longer, it was just as Laxus said. He was there as much as he possibly could be and, sometimes, that was enough.
Eek. I know I have to get back to Closure (it left off with quite the cliffhanger), but I just can't stop with this series recently for some reason.