Parenthood

Chapter 10

The guild was even better than the kitchen floor, or so Nathan found out when Mirajane dropped him down there, with the warning that when she opened, he would have to come sit up at the bar with her. But until then, he had the run of the place.

Err, his cars had the run of the place.

It was wood flooring everywhere, which meant he could roll his little toy cars all over the place. Sometimes Mira would tell him to be careful or would drag him back to the center of the hall when he got too close to the stairs or the back hallway, but mostly she just left him alone.

She was working.

Eventually, Lisanna showed up and boy, was she glad to see Mirajane.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her. "Oh, please, tell me that I can go back to bed. Are you opening?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Seriously?" She rushed then to go hug her older sister, giggling slightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I-"

"Lisanna?"

"Yeah?"

"You're staying and helping." Mira hugged her back. "Don't you just love working together?"

No. Or at least Lisanna's expression then read as much. When Mirajane saw it, she only giggled more.

"I'm just kidding," she said, letting her sister go. "You can do whatever you want. Honest. I just would like you to stay up here for a minute while I go get downstairs all prepped. Watch Nathan, I mean."

"I really can go home after?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Then yeah, sure, I can do that."

Nathan happened to be close to them then and called out for Mirajane when he noticed her disappear down the back hall. He was about to get up and go follow her when suddenly, Lisanna came to stand in front of him.

"You know," she said to him as he only stared up at her. "I think that you're a really self-absorbed prick, Nathan."

He only continued to stare up at her. Then he stuck his fingers in his mouth and started to suck on them.

"I mean, I get you like Mira more than me. But Natsu? And Lucy? And freaking Levy? Now that I just can't accept. Especially the Natsu thing."

He sat back on his butt when Lisanna moved to take a seat on the ground with him.

"Mira," he said, pointing after where she went, thinking that Lisanna could make her come back.

"You know, considering you like Mira so much, you'd think you'd like me second best. I am sort of her sister," she said as she took to rolling one of his cars around, as if to distract him. "You'd think."

At the sight of her playing with his cars, he went back to that, though he kept glancing over at the hall, waiting for Mirajane to reappear. Not that he didn't like Lisanna. She was okay. He just wanted Mira there.

"It's real annoying being second best, Nathan," Lisanna went on. "But not even being that good is even more annoying."

"Laxus."

"Yeah, he is an ass, isn't he?" she asked, purposely misunderstanding him. Nathan only nodded when she did, always the little mimic. Giggling, she reached out to pat him on the head.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she asked. He went back to his cars, though he did say yes, like he usually did to questions. "I don't think you're going anywhere. Not any time soon. Maybe not ever."

He only giggled when she reached over to tickle his tummy. Then, after shoving at her hand, he got out, "Firsty."

"You are?" Lifting him up as she stood, Lisanna headed over to the bar, peeking around it to find his diaper bag, a sippy cup resting in there. "Lucky you, huh? You got the best babysitter in the world, don't you?"

She was sitting with him at one of the tables, letting him drink from his cup while mostly just playing with her fingers, when Mira got back. And though she liked the kid, sleep was sleep.

"You be back before the lunch shift ends," Mira ordered as Lisanna took off. "I mean it. I can't keep Nate up here all day."

"I'll be here."

"You better."

It was Macao and Romeo that showed up next, his son excited about some job that he'd just returned from or something. Macao though was far more interested in the child that Mirajane had in her arms as she wiped down the bar.

"So this is Laxus' kid, huh?" he said as he came to take a seat.

"Mmmmhmm. Porlyusica says so," Mirajane told him as Nathan took to waving.

"I never took you for the type, Mira," he told her then, shaking his head.

"Type?"

"All this time you've been turning me down for dates because you've wanted Makarov's brat, huh?"

And that was exactly what she'd been hoping to avoid the whole time. She only smiled though, because she always had to be nice, and told him that he was very far off as Romeo took to complaining about how his father was embarrassing him.

The more people that arrived though, the less time Mira had to take care of Nathan. Which was fine when, finally, some of the female members started to show up. It was Levy first, who was thrilled to have the baby around though Gajeel, who was with her, only went to the board to look for a job.

"It's nice to see you back finally, Mira," Makarov greeted when he arrived.

"It's nice to be back, Master," she assured him as he scrambled atop the bar.

"And where is my grandson?"

"I told you, Master, that I'm only employed under Laxus currently," she told him. "I don't keep tabs on him."

"Come now. You two are living together, yes?"

"N-Not really, no. I only spend the night to watch after the baby," she told him. "And that should all be coming to an end soon, I assure you."

"We will see," Makarov told her simply.

"We shall."

Laxus didn't seem to want to show his face at that guildhall that day, though it didn't surprise anyone. The only member of the Thunder Legion that came around was Bickslow and that was only to have some grub before heading out to train he mentioned to Mirajane.

Which was probably for the best. The last thing Mira need was Laxus to be around so even more people could rib her about how she'd taken up a practical residence in his apartment. Cana was that worst, though that was because she'd come in drunk that afternoon, apparently having made a stop off at the liquor store on her way over.

Then Erza had to hand down her own personal advice on the matter.

"I think it id admirable that you are helping Laxus out," Erza told Mirajane as she sat a plate of food in front of her.

"Believe me," the other mage said with a shake of her head. "The last reason I am doing it is for your admiration."

"Oh, you won't be getting any. Because I also think it is foolish."

Mira blinked at that. "Really now?"

She nodded slightly. "Laxus never has to pay for his crimes. He just goes off, licks his wounds, does one nice thing and then-"

"Are you jealous that he didn't ask you to babysit, Erza?"

She only clenched her fist. "I would be just as good as you at raising a child!"

Right. Because when someone saw Erza, the first thing they thought wasn't a mood crazed warrior. Nope. They saw child raiser extraordinaire.

Nathan was pretty okay for most of the day. Until around noon when he started to complain about being hungry. Mira only sat him behind the bar with her and gave him a plate of food.

"Don't make a mess," was her one warning. "And don't get under Kinana or my feet, huh?"

"Rawr."

Then she patted his head. "Rawr."

When he finished with that, he wanted someone to play with, which was great, because Asuka was around and had some paper and crayons. Which, of course, Nathan at first tried to eat, but eventually that got resolved.

It was his crying, about an hour later, that made Mira just want to bang her head in.

"Maybe he's sleepy," Asuka suggested as her own mother tried to tend to the toddler, if only so Mira didn't have to stop working. But it wouldn't work. Because he want Mirajane.

Err, actually, he wanted his mother, but she didn't seem to be coming around anymore. Mira was the only other that would do.

"Kinana and I are getting slammed, but you wanna cry?" she sighed as she took him outside, hoping it would only take a minute. "Honestly?"

"What'd you do to the kid?"

She frowned as, as soon as she stepped outside, she spotted Laxus coming up the walk, hands in his pocket as he stared at her with a slight frown.

"I didn't do anything to him," she said, glaring. He only shrugged slightly.

"Don't care none," he said simply. "Just came by to find Freed. He around?"

"Laxus, I don't know," she groaned as he came closer, her walking off slightly as she bounced the baby in her arms. "I think he's sleepy."

"Freed?"

"The baby, Laxus. You know what I'm saying."

He only glanced down at it, taking the red face and skewed up eyes before saying, "You try putting it to bed?"

She was about done with him, honestly. "Where, Laxus? I'm at the guild. And I really, really need to get back in there, so-"

"Alright, alright, I'll do it."

"Really?" That shocked her, as she was expecting more of a fight. Turning, she tried to hand off Nathan to him, but he wouldn't even remove his hands from his pockets. "Wha-"

"I'll go run the bar for you until you calm it down," he said before snorting. "I don't like touching the kid when it's not all snotty. You think I want him now?"

"Laxus-"

"Hurry up though, demon," he grumbled as he turned to head into the bar. "I don't take well to serving people."

It took some time, but eventually Nathan fell asleep against her shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her neck. She really wanted to be able to take him home, so he could truly nap, but until Lisanna showed up, that wasn't an option. And considering she hadn't seen Lucy, Happy, or Natsu the whole day either, she figured Lisanna was somewhere goofing off with them, completely forgetting her promise to her sister.

Upon entering the bar again, she was shocked to find that it hadn't fallen into complete disarray. In fact, Laxus was even up there running the bar…sort of. He was more or less just ordering poor Kinana around, but then again, he was always more of a overseer than a worker.

"Okay," she said as she made it back over to the bar, Laxus immediately coming around it, glad to be relieved of his duties. "He's sleeping. Now you should take him home and-"

"I ain't taking it nowhere," he said with a frown. "This was your poor planning, not mine. I never thought you should work up at the guild and for me. And by the way, I was very disappointed in having to make my own breakfast this morning."

She only rolled her eyes. "Laxus, I'm not in the mood, alright? He needs to nap. And if he wakes up, he's going to start crying again. I-"

"Then lay him down on the floor."

"Laxus," she growled before shutting her eyes and counting to ten. Then, slowly, she said, "Just go sit over there, at your table, and wait for Freed. Alright?"

"Like I needed your permission."

She followed him over to it though and, to his dismay, when he sat down, she placed the sleeping toddler in his lap.

"Mirajane-"

"If he wakes up, he's your problem," was she all she said before heading off to get back to work.

"I ain't paying you for this."

Honestly, with all she'd put up with the past few weeks from him, he wasn't paying her enough regardless.

He put his headphones in then, to let others know that no, he would not be up for talking. Child or no child, he was still very much the same Laxus as always.

Still though, he really didn't want the brat to wake up again. And he could feel too, even though he wouldn't look over there, the eyes of his grandfather on him from atop the bar, as if judging him.

Yeah. Like the guy that raised Ivan had any room to talk.

"Laxus, you will not believe what I did for you!"

"Be quiet, Ever," he sighed as she came bouncing over to his table sometime later, Freed leading the way. They had just come into the guildhall and, per usual, had headed right over to him. "You might wake the-"

"That will not be your problem any longer," Freed told him, his eyes bright as he took a seat close to the man he so admired. It had not tarnished his opinion in the slightest that he'd fathered an illegitimate child. In fact, Freed blamed those filthy women for even trying to pin such an atrocity on the good name of Laxus Dreyar, true or not.

"What do you mean?"

Ever only took her own seat, still grinning. "I have a friend that me and Freed met with today that is more than ready to take the child off your hands."

Laxus blinked. Then he narrowed his eyes. "A friend of yours, huh?"

"Yes. She and her husband cannot have children," Ever went on with a shrug. "And they've been looking into adopting one. So I told her about your predicament and she'll take him immediately! She only lives a train ride away. You don't even have to take him. Freed and I will. Won't we, Freed?"

"We would most enjoy your company," he said with a nod of his head. "But-"

Sneering then, Laxus said simply, "Ain't no friend of yours, Ever, worthy of a Dreyar."

She blinked. Then, slowly, she began to get flustered and only tried to backtrack.

"And did I ask for your help? Last time I checked, I didn't. Now scram! Go run off to Elfboy. I don't wanna see you the rest of the day."

She looked completely drained then as she stared at the man she held in such esteem. For a moment, she herself was stone. Then, as if recovering, she scurried off. Laxus only shut his eyes though.

He'd deal with making up with her later. She was so easy to manipulate.

"I am sorry if we have shamed you," Freed said quickly, moving to get up as well. "We were only trying to help, Laxus. We will find someone better. No, I will find someone better. If you so wish. I-"

"Knock it off," Laxus grumbled before nodding for him to sit again. Slowly, Freed did so. "I don't want you to look."

"U-Understood. Ever and I were only trying to-"

"And don't mention this to Mirajane."

"Huh?"

"Tell that to Ever," Laxus said. "Tell her not to tell Elfman and his sisters about how I turned down the offer."

"I don't understand. I-"

"That's because your puny brain can't understand anything close to what mine can," Laxus growled, the noise waking the child in his lap. "Now get out of here. Go train or something. I don't want you around for the rest of the day."

He literally bowed to him before scurrying off. It was just in time too, as Mirajane came up, scolding him almost immediately.

"What did you do to your friends, Laxus?" she complained as she moved to take the whining child from his lap. "You need to behave. You've been a real grouch lately."

He only watched as she went to tending to his son, who was easy to soothe, before setting him back in his lap.

The thing was, he decided as Mirajane walked away, that there was no way for Freed to understand it. Or Ever. Because even Laxus didn't understand it. Something in him just didn't…he couldn't…

"You live to see another day, kid," he grumbled softly to Nathan. "And you ain't even appreciative. Stupid brat."

The sleeping baby only cuddled closer to him, never knowing that he'd been words away from being shipped off to yet another family. And as Laxus went back to listening to his music and counting the minutes until Mirajane got off and they could go home, he knew he'd never understand it at all.

"Maybe I'm sick," he mumbled. It had to be that.

Didn't it?

Late, I know, but bleh.