Summertime Snuggles

The house was as dead as the town when Laxus arrived. There wasn't a single sound to be heard. And, when he entered, he couldn't find even a trace of a light being left on. A quick sniff, however, told his dragon sense that the demon was very much so home. Which he was expecting. When the scents hit him of his two baby dragons being around, he smiled.

Good. He was afraid that they had spent the night with Lisanna or Ever and Elfman. He liked them much better home.

When he went to their bedroom though, to check on them before he conked out for the night, he was annoyed to find them not there. His senses weren't lying to him, of course. It just meant that they were elsewhere.

"You can't be serious," he grumbled, when he found his four and nearly two year old snoozing in his bed with his wife. "Damn it, demon."

The worst part was that the older of his two girls, Haven, was totally stretched out in his spot, giving him no room to scoot in. And, after stripping down to his boxers, he went to go fix that.

"Have," he whispered, gently pushing her over. "You gotta give me some space, kid."

"No," she whined as he awoke her. "Laxus?"

"Yeah, kid, it's me. Now scoot. I-"

"Do you," came the sound from the other side of the bed, "have to wake everyone up when you come home?"

"Shut up, Mira," he grumbled as he just kept shoving at the little girl. She wouldn't budge though. "You're the one that brought them in here."

"It was cold."

"It's the middle of summer!"

"Then it was, uh… I just wanted them close to me, okay?"

As he felt that way constantly, he couldn't complain. Much.

"Besides," Mirajane went on. "You didn't have to move her."

"The heck I didn't. How else would I have-"

"You could have just slept in the middle of the bed," she pointed out.

"And what? Crawled in through the end of the bed?"

"Yeah, Lax. Makes sense, huh?"

"No." Finally, Haven gave him enough room that he was able to lay on the edge of the bed. "I have to box them in."

"Why?" Haven mumbled, awake now and moving to snuggle up against him. That was fine with Laxus, as it gave him a chance to shove her back and get even more room.

"I don't know, Haven. In case an intruder or somethin' tries to get you." He was looking across the bed then, at his wife and baby. Mira had her hair down and her eyes were shut, but he could tell from her little smile that she was happy to have him home. Snuggled up on her chest was their toddler, Marin, and she'd yet to even lift her head. "It's a parent thing."

"It's a stupid thing."

"Shut up, Mira. You box them in too." He tried to shift to get comfortable, but Haven wasn't helping much. "Hey, brat, you gotta give me some space here, huh?"

"Stinky," she mumbled sleepily as she rolled closer to Mirajane. "Laxus."

"I do not stink."

"You kinda do, Lax," Mira yawned, peeking an eye open. "I can smell you from over here."

"Shuddup."

"It's the truth."

"Well, what, Mira? You want me to get out of bed and-"

"I didn't say that," she told him with a sigh. "I know that you just got home and all. It's fine for tonight. I need to wash the sheets anyways."

"Hear that, kid?" Laxus grumbled to Haven who just stuck her tongue out at him. "The demon's fine with it so you better be too. Else you can get your little butt back to your own bed."

"Stinky."

"Stop calling me that."

"If the two of you are going to argue," Mira sighed, "I will just kick you both out and you can fight over the couch and Haven's bed. Your choice."

"Yeah, stinky."

"You little-"

And then it started. Crying.

"Great," Mira complained as Laxus bit his tongue and Haven threw her hands over ears. "You woke Marin up."

Growling, Laxus said, "This is your fault, brat."

"Stinky."

"You-"

"Enough." Mira wasn't playing anymore as she sat up. Laxus noticed then, in the darkness, that she'd worn one of his shirts to bed and it looked real nice on her. Like usual. He really wished then that they'd been alone in bed, but alas, that was dead in the water. "Honestly. The two of you have caused enough trouble, don't you think?"

"Let me see her, Mira," Laxus sighed as he sat up as well. Marin had her face buried in her mother's shoulder, but at the sound of her father's voice, she turned her head to look at him. "I can calm her right back down."

"No, you-"

"Seriously, demon." He was leaning over Haven then who, again, stuck her tongue out, and mumbled something about his apparent stench. "Give her to me."

She didn't want to, but him grabbing at the child wasn't helping anything. It was easier to just hand her over.

"Fine," she gave in, "but only because you haven't seen her in so long."

Haven sat up at that, frowning as her father snuggled the little white haired toddler to him. "No. Laxus, no. Marin's bad."

"Shush, Have," he sighed before pressing a kiss to Marin's head. "You had your chance at me. You blew it."

"Laxus," Mira sighed, rolling her eyes before, slowly, settling back into bed. "Come here, Haven. Marin just needs someone to calm her back down. That's all."

She didn't want her mother though and only moved closer to Laxus again. He wasn't allowed to pay attention to Marin. Seriously, he just wasn't. Ugh. Marin was such a baby. Always trying to steal Laxus. What part didn't she get about the old grump being hers? Seriously?

"No," Haven complained. "Laxus, I can cry."

"Well, don't," he grumbled. "I'm not exactly enthralled by Marin doing it, brat."

Yeah, but it was getting her attention. And, when Haven threw down a sniffle, he just gave her a glare.

"I'm serious, Have. Don't you start those fake tears," he warned. "You'll go sit in your room all alone if you do."

"You're not nice!"

"And?"

"Laxus, do you just come home to fight with her and get Marin all worked up?" Mirajane complained. "I mean, honestly?"

"I'm tryin', alright? Sheesh."

Wiping at her very dry eyes, Haven suggested, "Marin can go sleep in her room. We won't hear her then."

"Stop being a brat, brat."

"I'm not!"

"Yes, Lax," Mira continued to complain. "Making Haven yell is really doing wonders for Marin right now."

"You know, demon, sometimes-" But he just stopped as, just like that, Marin's cries came to an end. That was for one good reason though. "Dang it, Marin. I thought we'd been working on potty training?"

Handing the then smelly baby off to Mira, Laxus found himself left with Haven. As it should be, as far as she was concerned.

"Happy now?" he asked as Haven only glared.

"I didn't do anything."

"Of course not." Shifting to lay down once more, he said, "You know, brat, I can spend time with Marin. She's my baby too."

"I's first," she complained. "You liked me first."

"I did," he agreed. "I loved you first too. But only 'cause you were here first."

Haven didn't like that explanation though and snuggled right up to his side. "Marin's a baby."

"She is a baby. My baby."

Yuck.

"And I'm tired of the jealousy stuff," he told her. "I can hold her sometimes, you know."

"No."

"No what? No you don't know that or no you don't like that?"

"No."

"Haven."

Why couldn't Marin just have one of their aunts or something? Why did she need Laxus? And Mirajane?

When her mother came back, she had Marin all snuggled up in her arms, clean and feeling better, apparently. The toddler was babbling and wiggling around, clearly excited to start the day. The only problem was that it was one in the morning and the others were stifling yawns.

When Mira got to the bed, she gently dropped Marin on it first, the toddler immediately crawling over to her sister and father.

"No, Marin. You stay there." Haven wasn't having any of it. "With Mommy."

"Haven." Laxus made a face at her. "You leave your sister alone."

Marin was calling out for him too, in her broken words, so, with an exasperated groan, the man sat up once more to lift her up.

"No!"

"Haven." Mirajane, after laying down, pulled the four year old over to her. "You come snuggle with me, huh?"

Uh, no. She wanted Laxus. Mira would snuggle with a freaking tree. Her snuggles meant nothing. Laxus' were special and, at the moment, being wasted on her snot nosed sister.

"You miss me, baby?" Laxus smiled at Marin as she patted at his tattooed chest. "Silly. You gotta go to bed now, huh? Big day tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Mira asked with a yawn.

"Nothing."

"But-"

"Every day's a big day when you're me."

Rolling her eyes then, she said, "Sure, Lax. Well, I'm going to sleep, now, huh? So focus more on getting her to sleep, would you, than keeping her up."

Haven gave into her mother then, relaxing into her grip. "Stinky Laxus."

"I'm ignoring you, brat." Settling own into the bed once more, he laid Marin down on his chest. She didn't like this and tried to escape, but he only held her still. "It's alright, baby. I got you."

"Mmmm." Mirajane kissed the back of Haven's blonde head. "I think she needs a story, Daddy."

"Daddy's sleepy."

"Then make it a quick story, dragon."

Groaning, he asked, "What story do you wanna hear, Have?"

"I don't." She snuggled back to Mira. "Go back on a job."

"Brat-"

"Stop calling her that, Laxus," Mira sighed. "And Haven, you know that you like listening to his stories. He tells the best ones, huh?"

"No."

"Haven."

"Brat," Laxus grumbled. "And yes, for the record, I do."

"Talk too much."

"Hey-"

"Alright, never mind," Mira sighed. "No story."

"No, I'mma tell one." Laxus was indignant then. "Because I'm the best at it."

"Calm down there, dragon."

Huffing, he stared down at the baby on his chest before saying, "You know, Haven, you probably don't remember this, but when you were younger, probably, what, Mira? Two years ago now? I almost died, trying to get back to you. I went out on a job for Gramps and got super sick. It took me a year to get back. But I did. To you. All the coughing and the hacking and the way that I couldn't even move without my chest burning. Only for me to get back here and you not remember me. At all. You didn't even care about me anymore. You thought that I was just some stranger. But I remembered you. And I loved you. It was for you that I was writhing around in agony in that bed, trying to fight off the poison in my body. You know that? Huh? No. You don't care. You just see me kiss Marin a few times and think-"

"Alright, Laxus, enough." Mira, who had shut her eyes, opened them right back up. It didn't take a lot to get under the man's skin and, apparently, Haven had accomplished it in record time. She was the best at it, after all. "She's not-"

"I love you, you stupid little brat. And what do you do to me? Won't even come lay over here with me because I'm holding Marin."

"You shoved her away," Mira pointed out.

"Because it's hot, alright?"

"Well, then don't get mad when-"

"I'm not talking to you, Mirajane. I'm talking to Haven."

"And Haven's four years old so-"

"So?" He scoffed. "She gets what I'm saying."

"I don't even think you get what you're saying."

Turning his head to look at Haven, he said, "You're getting all mad at me for holding Marin, but you know what? You don't let me hold you anymore. You don't give me kisses anymore. You hardly ever tell me that you love me. So what am I supposed to do? Huh?"

"Laxus, are you drunk?"

"No, Mira." Just overly exhausted. "I'm not. And another thing, Haven-"

"See?" Haven looked back at her mother. "Laxus talks too much."

He blinked. Then he looked up at the ceiling. "Whatever, brat."

And, for a moment, they were all quiet. Even Marin was starting to settle out again. Mira was the first to fall asleep, after giving Haven a few kisses, and, when she did, her grip loosened, setting the blonde free.

Laxus was still on his back, staring up at the ceiling, so he was a little shocked when he noticed Haven scooting over to him. Not saying anything, as not to awaken the demon again, he just laid there, waiting.

"Laxus." When she was close enough, Haven reached a hand out, over his face. And, when he shut his eyes, he felt her stroke his scarred eye. "Big baby."

"I am not."

"Laxus stinky baby."

"Haven-"

"Shhh." She pressed a kiss to his cheek then and, when he opened his eyes again, she was moving to settle against his side. "Go to sleep, Laxus."

"You don't tell me what to do."

Haven was too tired to explain to him that, yeah, she basically did. And she was directly in line with where Marin was, above her on Laxus' chest, so the still awake baby on reached down to pat at her sister's head.

"No, Marin." Haven frowned up at her. "You're bad. Go to sleep."

Still though, the blonde didn't move to shove the child off and, eventually, when they fell asleep Marin's hand was still very much so resting on her sister's head.

Mmmm. Laxus only laid there, even when Mira shifted closer to them, ignoring the fact that he was burning up and still very much so annoyed that his demon looking so sexy had gone to waste. He'd been in such high demand with his girls that he really didn't even have time for Mira anyways. Who knew it was such a big deal to be able to snuggle with the dragon?

He did. Of course it was. They were all lucky to get the honor.

But, then again, there weren't three other girls on the planet that he'd ever bestow it on anyways. No. His demon and baby dragons were pretty special like that.

"I don't stink though," he grumbled to his sleeping girls. "You jerks."

Sniffing then, deeply, he frowned. Well, maybe just a little.