Summary: Mira is determined that Nashi's first steps won't happen until after Natsu and Lucy get home.
Pairings: Parental Mira/Nashi, Mira/Gray friendship, implied Gray/Juvia, crack mention of Juvia/Natsu, Juvia/Mira friendship, parental Gray/Ur, parental Juvia/Ur, Mira/Lucy friendship, Natsu/Lucy, parental Lucy/Nashi, and parental Natsu/Nashi.
YouTube Prompt: Fairy Tail Girls tribute to 'Let Me See You Shake' by Black Stone Cherry.
Her little podgy legs shook under her weight but she puffed out a determined breath as her eyes had that defiant look that she definitely inherited from her father. Gray found that his breath was caught in his throat as he leaned in to watch Nashi Dragneel lift one foot up in the air and then –
"Oh Nashi, baby!" Mira cooed as she suddenly scooped up the ten month old baby. "Did you want something? What can Auntie Mira do for you?" Nashi squawked and squirmed against Mira's arms. "There, there, sweetie," Mira patted Nashi's back forcefully, "there's no need for that Mummy and Daddy will be coming home any day now. So why don't you sit down and stay there while I fetch you a juice, hmm?"
"Okay," Gray said as he watched Mira firmly place Nashi on her bottom, "what the hell is that all about?"
"Watch your language," Mira chided him gently, though you had to be as dumb as Natsu to miss the dangerous edge to her voice, "there are innocent ears running around."
"Please," Gray snorted, "you're talking about Natsu's spawn."
"Oh," an evil glint appeared in Mira's eye, "so you are not the father to Ur? I did think there was something rather Dragon-like about him."
Juvia gasped, horrified. "Gray-sama cannot think Juvia would betray him!" she cried out. "Juvia is loyal only to Gray-sama! There has never been anyone but Gray-sama! Look!" she began to tug and fumble with the blanket their sleeping son was wrapped in. "Look at Ur-kun, Gray-sama, is he not your likeness in every way?!"
"Juvia, Juvia, calm down!" Gray yelped as he covered her hands with his. "I know Ur is my son. I know you're the most faithful and loving of wives, can you please stop stripping our child?!"
"Why?" Mira teased. "If he is your son, he'll probably start stripping soon anyway. Might as well give him the practice." Gray scowled at her but this only made her giggle and smirk all the more. "Serves you right," she clucked her tongue, "for referring Nashi as spawn."
"Mira-san is right," Juvia said softly having calmed down almost instantly now she realised that Mira was just joking, "it is not nice to call a child names, Gray-sama."
"I was only joking," Gray rolled his eyes, "and don't think I hadn't noticed you avoiding the subject," he narrowed them onto Mira, who was still smiling a false, sickly, sweet, smile, "you're still up to something."
"I have no idea what you mean," Mira said innocently.
"Oh please!" Gray snorted. "I've seen you these last three days. Every time that poor kid tries to take her first step you swoop in like a demonic bat and pick her up. You've been walk-blocking Nashi!" he accused dramatically.
"Fine!" Mira huffed slightly. "I am preventing a baby from taking her first few steps, happy? It's nothing major."
"Nothing major?!" Gray squawked. "You're deliberately interfering with a child's development. I'm never going to let you babysit Ur again."
Mira's blue eyes widened as they suddenly flooded with tears. "I only wanted to make Lucy happy!" she sniffled. "I promised her that she'll get to see Nashi's first steps. I'm only trying to be a good friend!" she finished in a near wail.
"No, no," Gray groaned, "not the crocodile tears. You know I can't stand those, c'mon Mira, don't cry, I'm sorry."
"Gray-sama didn't mean it, Mira-san," Juvia reassured the sobbing Mira, "we would be honoured for you to continue babysitting Ur-kun. Juvia hopes that Mira-san would be just as a good friend to her as she is obviously being to Love Rival and Natsu-san." She shot Gray an extremely rare (though they were becoming more regular since the day she got pregnant) dirty look. "Isn't that right, Gray-sama?" she hissed.
"Yeah, yeah," Gray said as enthusiastically as possible, "ignore me. I was being insensitive."
"Okay!" Gray almost collapsed against the bar as Mira suddenly did a huge U-turn in her emotions and was now beaming radiantly. "I am glad you still trust me with the well-being of your child."
"So where are exactly Natsu and Lucy if they are unable to witness their first child's first ever steps?" Gray asked curiously.
"Classified, I'm afraid," Mira said grimly, "they were personally requested and there was no way they could say no, and believe me, Lucy tried. She argued with Laxus persistently."
Gray grimaced. On the whole, they had nothing to complain about, Zeref's evil was gone, they were the most celebrated guild in the whole country, and they were very content in their own marriages and starting their own families…..
But fame came with a price and it was beginning to dawn on them that that price was missing out on some of the important family moments. Gray had almost missed Ur's birth because a client was most insistent that only he and Natsu (urgh) could do the job.
"You can't keep running interference forever," he said bluntly, "who knows when Lucy and Natsu will be able to come back if it's that important. It might be months and you're already busy with the bar, and keeping the guild safe from our brawls, and helping care for all the other kids. Nashi is Natsu's and Lucy's child, she'll start walking the moment your back is turned."
Mira's eyes glittered fiercely. "Not if I can help it," she said determinedly. "And I can."
But she couldn't.
It was within that very hour, the guild had instantly filled up, and things were beginning to get chaotic as everyone wanted their lunch and drinks. And once again, Nashi began to pull herself up onto her unsteady legs, as she clutched the table for support, and this time, Mira was too far away with too many people to swoop in and get her.
"Gray!" she said urgently. "Ice the floor beneath her feet."
"WHAT?!" Gray bellowed. "Are you trying to get me murdered?! Lucy and Natsu wouldn't even leave enough of my remains for Juvia to identify me if I give their daughter a concussion."
"Gray, I am begging you!" Mira pleaded. "Wouldn't you want anyone to do the same so you don't miss your son's first few steps?"
"No!" Gray snapped savagely. "Because my son's well-being is more important than-"
"Gray!" Mira shrieked as Nashi let go off the table and hesitatingly turned on her wobbly legs. "She's going to start moving. Do something!"
"No!"
"Please!"
"No!"
"Pretty please!"
"Still no,"
"Pretty please with-"
The door banged open. "WE'RE HOME!" Natsu bellowed cheerfully as he and Lucy stepped inside. Happy followed in not so far behind with a fish all wrapped up for Charle. "Did you miss us?!"
"MMDDEEEK!"
Gray's jaw dropped as Nashi let out the most excited, incoherent, squeak ever known to man and immediately launch into her first few steps.
She didn't stagger or stumble like any other child. She didn't walk. She ran. She ran the first ten steps of her life, barely got across the quarter of the space between her and Natsu and Lucy, before she tripped and went flying forwards.
Lucy caught her in an instant, accidentally elbowing Natsu in the face as he also dived into catch Nashi, "Oh my God!" she gasped excitedly. "Was that her first steps?!"
"Yes," Mira virtually collapsed out of relief, her knees had given out and she was clutching the bar to keep herself upright, "I can honestly say those are her first steps ever."
"Oh, who is my brave, reckless, clever, little girl?" Lucy cooed into her child's hair. "That's right, you are, oh yes you are!"
"My kid ran before she walked!" Natsu crowed delightedly. "She is so awesome!"
And with that the whole guild crowded round the Dragneel family excitedly as they watched Nashi dart between Lucy and Natsu as she practised her run and learn to actually walk first. Mira looked utterly delighted and illegally smug that she had achieved her goal and Gray rolled his eyes as he found himself comforting a very disgruntled baby.
"Don't glare at me like that," he murmured softly to his son, "it's not my fault they're so loud." He pressed a kiss onto his son's forehead. "It'll be your turn soon," God will it really go that fast? His son was still the size of a loaf of bread virtually. "And not only will you catch up with her but you'll surpass her."
He just hopes he'll be there for those first crucial steps because quite frankly, after today, he wouldn't put it past Mira ordering Natsu to burn Ur's feet to make sure he is.