Parenthood
Chapter 3
"You like chicken? Huh?"
"Yes," the little boy said, making the women gathered around him giggle. Except for Mirajane who was working behind the bar they'd set him up on, clearly tired and exasperated.
"He's so cute, right?" Lisanna was saying as she, Lucy, and Levy all watched him pick up the ripped up pieces of meat off the plate in front of him. Further down the bar, another person sat on it. That was, of course, Master Makarov, who would randomly glance over at the child before going back to glaring at the guildhall doors.
He was waiting for someone.
"Super cute," Lucy agreed with a giggle. "Don't you think so, Natsu?"
"No," he grumbled from where he was seated on the bar, facing forwards, Happy resting on his head. "Me and Hap think that you guys are going crazy. You think that a baby is more entertaining than me? Seriously?"
"I think leprosy is more entertaining than you," Lucy told him bluntly.
"Well, yeah, Luce. Having a leopard would be way more entertaining than me! Is that an option?"
Rolling her eyes, she tuned back into the baby before her who seemed to be in a better mood than the pervious day. Lisanna insisted that he was become more accustom to them, but Lucy wasn't so sure that he was just glad to be feed.
"What are you doing, shrimp?" Gajeel growled as he walked passed. "I thought today we agreed that you were going with me and Lily to-"
"That was before I knew that the baby was staying here," she said. "Now though-"
"It's just a damn tiny human," he complained. "What's so great about-"
"See?" Natsu pointed at the other slayer. "Even Gajeel agrees with me!"
Frowning, the Iron Dragon made a face before saying, "No, I don't. Even I think that the baby is better than you, fire breath."
"Hey!"
"Mirajane," Makarov spoke up then.
"Yes, Master?"
"If he does not arrive in the next twenty minutes, I want you to find one of his bodyguards and have them bring him to me," the old man told her. "I am growing impatient."
She only bowed her head. "Of course, Master."
It was after fifteen though that Laxus entered. He seemed to be ready to just go to his normal table and await Mirajane to bring him a beer…until he saw the child sitting up on the bar, being fawned over by the girls.
"Mira," he growled as he came closer. "What are you still doing with it? I told you-"
"Laxus." Makarov jumped down from the bar then, landing on the ground in front of his grandson. Having not noticed him before, the Thunder God only frowned before looking at Mirajane.
"You told on me?" he asked, as if in shock.
"No," she said. "He was here when I got here with the baby today. He wanted to know who-"
"We need to speak," Makarov cut her off, staring hard up at his grandson. "Now."
"No. This isn't any of your business. You-"
"Now, Laxus."
He was red in the face, looking about ready to strike somebody, before he just turned to follow Makarov off to some back room of the guild. Mirajane looked after them before letting out a soft sigh.
"You okay?"
She glanced back over at the child to see Levy, who was seated at the bar, staring at her. Mirajane only smiled though.
"Yeah," she said. Now that Master was involved, she was certain that it would all be resolved within the next hour. "I'm fine."
At that point, the little boy, Nathan, was busy playing with Lisanna, who'd found a little toy car in his diaper bag, which she rolled around on the countertop. Mirajane thought about telling her to knock it off before just shaking her head. She had other things to worry about.
Twenty or so minutes had passed before Laxus and Makarov returned. And even then, the guild master only went to reclaim his spot on the bar as Laxus only went over to his supposed child.
"Where's Mira?" he asked the girls who frowned when he reached out to grab the child.
"She went to bring beers to the guys downstairs," Lisanna said. "What are you-"
"Tell her that I have the kid," Laxus said before looking to Lucy. "Clean up all his shit and put it in that stupid bag he has."
"Wh-"
"Now."
"No," Levy said, frowning. "What are you going to do with him? You-"
"It's fine," Makarov spoke up from where he was sitting. "Laxus is doing what I'm telling him to do."
"What did you tell him to do?"
They all glanced up as Mira was back to them then, carrying the empty tray with her. She was only looking to Makarov though.
"He's taking the child home. The guild is not an appropriate place for-"
"But he might do something to him," Mira said before she could help herself. Then, after a moment, she realized who she'd spoken out against and said, "I mean, Master, I-"
"Then go with him," he said with a shrug. "I do not care. Kinana is here. And Lisanna. You may go."
That made Laxus frown, but he didn't ague. Only shoved the child off on Mirajane when she came closer.
"Come on," he grumbled as Lisanna hurried packed the kid's toys back into his diaper bag before handing it off to her sister. "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" she asked as she hurried to follow the man, who was walking at a fast clip out of the guildhall. "Laxus?"
"To Porlyusica."
"W-What? Why-"
"She'll know."
"Know what?"
"If it's my kid or not," he said simply. "Besides, Gramps said to take him there, so that's where we're going."
"But-"
"If you don't wnana go, Mira-"
"No, I do," she assured him as the child in her arm took to wigging. "But just hold on. And stop walking so fast. He wants down."
Snort. "And?"
"And he can walk, so it's silly for me to carry him. He'll just hold my hand. You can't walk so quickly though."
Growling then as they made it out of the guildhall, he said, "I just want to get this the fuck over with, Mirajane. Why-"
"Being mean to him whether he's your son or not is going to help anything," she told him with a frown. "Is it?"
So he let her put the toddler down then, who immediately took to holding the woman's hand. Not before making a request though.
"Mama?" he asked her as Mira only frowned. It only got a snort out of Laxus however.
"You'll see her soon," Mirajane assured the toddler in that overly peppy tone she always had. Laxus only kept walking. "I'm sure of it."
Then, after a moment or two of walking in silence, she spoke again. That time to Laxus.
"What did Master say to you?" she asked.
Grunt.
"I'm only-"
"That I needed to get this all sorted out and fast," he told her simply. "Because if Ivan hears that I have a child, one that I do not want, he'll try and take him."
"W-Why?"
He only shrugged. "Another test subject, I guess."
"I'm sorry."
"Whatever."
She had all sorts of annoying ways to keep the child entertained as they walked along. She sang to him, told him stories, and even tried to teach him to count. Laxus just wanted to bang his skull in. Why had he let her come along? Why?
When they made it, finally, to Porlyusica's tiny literal treehouse, the man was more than ready to get the whole thing finished with. Best case scenario was, of course, that the child wasn't his and he could just let Mirajane do whatever the fuck she wanted with it. Honestly, that was the only thing he was hoping for.
"What do you want?" was the first thing Porlyusica asked them the second she saw them approach. She was outside of her home, broom in hand, and honestly, Laxus just didn't feel like getting hit by that. He'd been smacked by it the good side of a million times since he was a child and, well, he was pretty set on never getting another one. "What-"
"I have a complication," Laxus said simply, standing in front of Mirajane as he stared at the old woman. Time was not doing her well and, soon enough, it would be Wendy that they were all at the mercy of. At least she was kinder. "That I need your help with."
"Spit it out then."
He nodded down at the child. "This might be mine."
She blinked. Then she frowned, looking hard at Mirajane. Realizing what she was thinking, the barmaid quickly let go of the child's hand.
"It's not mine," she insisted, blushing deeply. Laxus rolled his eyes.
"Some woman just showed up with it at the guildhall," he told the healing mage as the child took to running around. Apparently, he liked the forest. "Says it's mine. Then she left. So… Can you help me out here or what?"
Leaning against her broom, she stared down at the child before glancing back up at him. "Your grandfather sent you?"
Grunt.
"Then I suppose I must," she complained before turning to walk over to her house. "Come inside. All three of you. But grab that brat! I don't want him messing anything up."
Laxus left the instruction to Mirajane. She only rushed to do so before following.
"His name's Nathan," she told the woman though Laxus was sure the old woman didn't care.
"How unfortunate."
Rolling her eyes, Mirajane said, "What are you going to do? To determine if they're father and son or not?"
"For me, it shall be simple. And free," she said as Laxus took to crossing his arms. "Set the child on the cot."
After doing so, Mira took a step back. The baby didn't like this though and reached out for her. She was the only one in the room that he was familiar with, after all.
"Stay," Mirajane told him, reaching out to pat him on the head. "It's okay. It won't hurt… Will it?"
Prolyusica only shrugged as she came closer. Reaching out, it looked like she was going to pat the kid on the head too…before she grabbed some of his hair and tugged it out.
"Hey!" Mira yelled at her as Laxus too moved to stop her. This made the child immediately begin to sob, causing Mira to lift him into her arms in an attempt to sooth him.
"Do you want me to do it to you?" Porlyusica asked Laxus as she held out her other hand. "Or can you do it?"
Reaching up, he made a face as he pulled a few strands of his own hair out. Mira had finally gotten the child quiet, though he was still sniffling. Even Laxus felt a little bad for him.
"Go wait outside," she told them both then. Mira was already headed that way though, glaring over at the woman as she held the child protectively to her. "It will take some time."
Once they were out there, Mira tried to set the baby down, but he wouldn't let go. So she only went to lean up against one of the trees, singing softly in his ear. It wasn't a lullaby, but rather one of her songs. He recognized it from when she'd sing in the guildhall.
"You're good with him," he said finally, slowly. He wanted to be angry at her, but even that was falling short. If it was his kid then she was the sole person that cared for him in those moments. And even if he wasn't, even better for her that she cared for an orphaned child.
He figured it stemmed from her own life though.
Mirajane glanced up at him, stopping with her song then as the toddler only laid against her. "Yeah, well."
"You'd… You'd make a good mother." He was trying to be nice, but it wasn't his strong suit. "Or whatever. Eventually."
"I just don't like seeing someone hurt," she said. "Especially not a baby."
Grunt. Then, coming closer, he said, "That's 'cause you're a good person, Mirajane. But me? I'm not. I can't…take care of a baby. I'm not-"
"Then don't," she told him.
"Huh?"
"If it's yours, don't take care of him. I don't care," she said with a shrug. "But you're going to find a family to take him. Not just dump him somewhere that might hurt him."
He let out a sigh then. "Gramps says that-"
"He's too old to deal with your mistake, Laxus," Mira told him simply. "He's got the weight of the guild on him. You want to add this?"
"I'm not saying that I'd give the kid to him. I'm just saying that he wants me to keep it. To keep it safe from Ivan."
"What do you want?" she asked. "Huh?"
"I don't know. Not a kid."
She looked down at the baby in her arms before back up at him. "You might have one though."
"Yeah," he sighed, kicking at the ground. "I know."
"And…and you're a mage. So you couldn't take care of a toddler," she said after a moment. "Not alone."
"Then you see my problem."
"You'd just need…like…someone to watch him. While you're gone."
"And what? Someone's going to wanna watch my kid for me? The one that I don't even-"
"It's called a babysitter, Laxus," she said. "And I'm sure you could find someone. I mean, you do know like, what? A thousand women?"
Taking that as a dig, he went to stand and wait a little further away from her. Eventually though, as the time wore on, Nathan got restless and began to wiggle. Mirajane dropped him gently on the ground which the boy took as meaning he could go back to running around.
"He's energetic," she said softly, glancing at Laxus. He wouldn't look at her though as his eyes followed the child as he rushed around the clearing. After a moment, she went to stand next to him.
"I can't have a kid," he repeated to her, that time with more feeling than before. "I really can't."
Slipping her hand into his, she shocked him for a moment. When he glanced down at her though, Mirajane only smiled, as if in a comforting manner.
"You're a member of Fairy Tail, Laxus," she told him as he learned slowly to like the feeling of her hand in his. "You take the things that can't happen in life, that you can't do, and you deal with them. We all do. It's just who we are."
A soft sigh escaped his lips. "It's who we are."