"My beloved son, I want you to understand that life can be unfair,

yet know that I will always be watching over you..."

Lisa Dreyar


Laxus has always found Mira's singing lovely, sweet, and soothing, but this morning as he watches her performs on stage from the corner of the guild, he wishes he could just rip his ears off.

"Mother, how are you today... " Mira hums following after the final chorus with her eyes closed. Immediately, the crowd gets up on their feet and cheers with the exception of Laxus who has been clenching his fist and teeth throughout the whole song.

"Happy Mother's Day." As the silver-haired mage waves her hand at the crowd, her eyes wander around the room to discover Laxus striding out the guild. "Hmm?" Clearly troubled by the scowl on his face, she decides to keep an eye on him.

"Mother..." Walking around the street with his hands dug inside his pockets, Laxus looks up to the clear blue sky trying to picture his mother's face, a face he has long forgotten since he was little. "Tch, this is stupid. What does she even matter."

Out of nowhere, a sobbing little blonde boy bumps into him. Laxus only stays silent, yet the little boy soon sobs even louder when looks up to find his grumpy face, much to Laxus' distress. "Wahhh! Wahhh!" He rubs his already swollen eyes.

"H-hey..." Unlike Mira, Laxus is never good with kids aside from scaring them away. Nevertheless, since people are staring, he crouches down to the boy's level before patting him on the shoulder. "What's wrong? Is there anyway I can help?"

"Mommy. I want mommy..."

Laxus sighs. "Let me guess. You got separated with your mom."

"Uh." The boy nod.

"Come, we'll search for her together."

"But, but... Mommy told me not go nor talk with a stranger."

Laxus chuckles, disgusted by how manipulative parents can be toward their children. "Now now, kid. Don't listen to everything you mother has to say. Just let me help you." He holds the little boy's hand against his will after getting up on his feet, dragging him behind him as the boy stares at his back in silence. "I promise we'll find her..."

Along the way, Laxus can't help but recall the happy memories of when he used to drag Makarov to places just like this when he was little. He remembers how he would ride on his shoulders as his eyes sparkle watching each Fantasia parade. Yes, his grandfather was the only person available who truly loved him, the only person he had always convinced himself he ever needed growing up...

"Pops, where are we going?" The boy calling him "pops" immediately snaps Laxus back to reality and stops him in his track for it was the last thing he would want anyone to call him.

"Listen, kid. I am not your fater, so don't call me 'pops'. Uncle would do just fine."

"Okay, Uncle~" The boy unexpectedly throws him a big, sweet smile which melts even his heart, to which Laxus smirks in return.

"Heh, now we're talking."

"So, where are we going?"

"We're here."

Having arrived at Magnolia's renowned playground, the boy gives Laxus a curious look. "How did you know Mommy and I were here?"

"Instinct." Truth be told, Laxus has only been following a distinct, peculiar scent any mother and son share with his keen senses of a dragon slayer, but he is just too stubborn to admit it. "Let's go. Your mom's waiting."

"Yes!"

Laxus carefully escorts the excited boy down the playground climbing stairs. Upon entering, however, the sight of parents holding hands with their children, a mother pushing her twins on the swings, and a father lifting up his son in the air by the slides, proves too much for Laxus. He soon finds himself immobilized.

"Uncle?" The boy tugs his hand to no reaction. "Uncle!"

"S-sorry, kid. On second thought I think we should just wait for your mother to find you with this crowd.

"Aww, okay..."

This day has certainly been rough for Laxus. He shuts his eyes as he sits right next to the boy on a wooden bench beside the stairs and sighs from time to time like a defeated man. He is so overwhelmed with emotions that he fails to detect the presence of a another giggling at him nearby just over the playground fences behind him.

"Uncle."

"Hmm?"

"Is Mommy really coming back? Mommy told me to wait for her, but I didn't. What if Mommy doesn't want me anymore because I was being such a bad boy...?"

"Don't be silly." Laxus pokes him in the forehead, causing the boy to wince. "No Mother in her right mind would even dream of forsaking her own son, you hear?" Laxus then stares into the distance. Unless of course it's her...

An awkward silence hangs in the air.

"... My name's Tony. What's yours?" The boy ask as he swings his legs back and forth in the air.

"Laxus."

"You're Laxus!? As in, Laxus of Fairy Tail!?"

"In the flesh." He smirks.

"Prove it. Show me your guild mark."

"Forget it, kid. I'm not showing you my chest in public. Perhaps next time, alright?"

"You don't have to." Sitting back, the boy stares into the playground. " I've always pictured Laxus as a cool, kind person and not the maniac my mom and friends say he is, so I believe you."

"I see... like I said, don't believe every single word your mom and friends have to say."

"When I grow up, I want to be just like you!"

Laxus raises an eyebrow despite being overly flattered. "Yeah? And what does your mom has to say about that?"

"Oh, Mommy would get me grounded for days whenever I said that. Hehe~"

Well that can't be good... Boy was Laxus right. Nothing can prepare him more for what's about to go down right that very moment.

"Kidnapper! Stay away from my boy!" A furious woman carrying two shopping bags in each hand yells from the distance. She quickly drops her bags and strides toward the puzzled dragon slayer. "Lay your dirty hands on my boy and I will make sure to sue your guild!"

Laxus immediately gets up from the bench as he puts his hands up in the air, cautiously stepping away from the boy. "Whoa whoa, easy there, Ma'am."

"Mommy!" The boy can't help but run into his mother's embrace after finally being reunited. "Mommy, I was so scared! Wahhh!" Bursting into tears, he only complicates the misunderstanding.

"Look at what you've done to my poor child, you maniac!" The mother yells before caressing her son's hair. "It's alright, sweetie... Mommy's here now... I won't let the bad guy hurt you."

"Err, actually, I was just—"

"Leave! Don't make me call the police!"

"Tsk." Just like that, Laxus puts his hand inside his pockets and walks up the climbing before things get out of hand, stopping halfway to take one last look at the mother and son cuddling. How he wishes he was that lucky.

Another woman standing at the end of the stairs however distracts that thought.

"Laxus... you alright?"

He grunts in response at the sympathetic look she's giving him and how her hand is resting on top of her breast. "How long have been watching, Mira?"

"..."

"Tch, figures." He walks past her into the street. His head hangs a bit lower than usual, while his steps are lazy. "Go home. I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Hey, wait up!"

The next five minutes is an awkward, silent, and mentally tedious walk. Occasionally, Mira would steal glances at Laxus, and Laxus would growl or glare at her in return whenever he catches her doing so until they eventually arrive at a port nearby.

"I'm fine, really. You can stop pestering me now." Laxus says as he leans forward and lays his arms on the railing, staring into the blue sea sparkling under the sunlight in hope that Mira would give some time to be alone, yet there she is still standing next to him frowning when he glances to his left.

"Laxus, I'm really worried about you. Are you sure you're really alright...? "

"You're not my mom, Mira. I don't need you worrying about me, and I certainly don't appreciate you snooping around on me like you did."

"I'm sorry... it's just that, you looked like you needed someone to talk to, and I wanted to be there for you to cheer you up."

"You're just wasting your time. Someone fortunate enough as you who grew up with siblings and love around couldn't possibly understand how I feel, nor what it's like to be alone."

"..."

"Pathetic!" Laxus slams his fist on the railing. "Just look at me making a big fuss over something so pointless as the past. I must really be getting soft these days..."

Mira shakes her head. "That's not true. We are what we are today because of our pasts, and I think I love that side of yours, Laxus. You handled that boy and his mother with such maturity. For that, I'm proud of you."

Laxus feels a sudden warmth inside his heart when Mira smiles at him. Slightly flushed, he quickly faces the other way to hide his face and grunts when he catches her giggling at him. He won't admit it, but he does feel a lot better now, for her presence is soothing, far more soothing than the gentle breeze running across his face itself. "Mira, would you... would you please stay with me a bit longer?"

"Yes, as long a you like me to."

"Thanks..."

Time flies in a blink of an eye as Laxus and Mira spend their time together watching the sea. This time it's different. Laxus wouldn't mind Mira stealing glances at him every now and then, and he in fact would smirk and glance at her back. Until...

"Mommy! Found him!"

Laxus and Mira turns around to find Tony and his mother approaching. Excited to see Laxus once more, Tony lets go of his mother's hand and rushes toward him, which Mira finds extremely heartwarming especially when Laxus gets on his knee and catches him in his arms. "Whoa, take it easy there, kid."

"I see my son has taken quite a liking to you." The mother folds her arms, still refusing to look Laxus in the eyes. "Tony told me everything. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have Jumped to conclusion like that..."

"Nah, that's alright. I'm used to it."

Mira approaches the mother with her signature smile. "Ma'am, I know my friend here may not look like it, but he's actually a pretty decent guy. Right, Tony?" She winks at the energetic boy busy toying with Laxus' hair.

"Yup!"

"Hey hey hey, stop messing up my hair. Mira, don't just stand there. Do something!" To his annoyance, however, Mira and the mother only stares at each other before bursting into laughter.

"... You're right. I suppose people do can change." The mother shrugs her shoulder."Okay, Tony, that's about enough. Time to say goodbye to Uncle."

"Aww alright..." Tony unexpectedly pecks Laxus on the cheek, rendering the man speechless on his knee as his eyes widen in shock for Laxus never had anyone kiss him before, not even his parents. It was a weird yet unique experience. "Goodbye, Uncle. Let's play again sometime!"

After waving goodbye at each other, Mira nudges Laxus twice in his ribs with her elbow. "Feeling all better now?"

"Yeah, and thanks for standing up for me back there."

"You're welcome, Uncle~"

"Haha, very funny." Laxus rolls his eyes to her laughter. He raises out his hand for her not long later but quickly draws them back, scratching the back of his scalp. "Err... you wanna join me for lunch? It's on me."

"Sure, let's go!"

"H-hey!" As Mira is busy running and dragging him behind her, Laxus finally finds his smile back. He is grateful and will forever be grateful for her. Because if it isn't for her, he will not have stumbled across his mother that day.

That's right. Laxus and Mira happen to run past a white horse drawn carriage on their way, and sitting alone inside that very moment is a gorgeous woman with long straight blonde hair and eyes greener than grass itself.


To be continued...

Thanks for reading. Your review and criticism are what inspires me to keep on writing and getting better. Look forward to the next chapter ^_^.