Parenthood

Chapter 12

She played for them at night. Both of them. At the same time. It was just easier that way, they figured, if she played for them both at the same time.

"Fine," Laxus grumbled when she carried Nathan into the bedroom with them. "But I ain't listening to little kid songs. You're going to play songs for me. Not him."

Originally, it started with Mirajane and Nathan on the bed and Laxus in the chair, but eventually that got silly and Laxus complained of his neck hurting, so he and Mirajane shifted, her going to the chair and him laying down on the bed. After about a week of that though, they tentatively tried being on the bed together, Nathan in between them.

"It's childish," Mirajane explained with a shake of her head. "We're both adults. It's not like… I'm mean, I'm just playing music to put you guys to sleep."

That worked for awhile too. Nathan would fall asleep in there, but Mia would always finish up playing and take him out to the playpen.

"I hate this song," Laxus would complain as, always, the third song would be Nathan's own special song. The first one, he'd usually be excited for. The second one, he'd snuggle up on the bed with his stuffed animals. And the third one, his special one, he'd fall right to sleep.

"Don't be sour, Laxus," Mira said as Nathan only yawned, waiting for her to start singing. "Or are you just jealous that I didn't write a song for you?"

And oh, Nathan's song went on and on. It was a horrible little piece where Mira just sang nonsense about what their day had been like. It changed, fine, because each day was different, but not that much. First she'd sing about what they ate for breakfast and then she'd talk about their morning and bath time, then there was going to the guild or the park and at some point lunch. Then more park or more guild or shopping and finally dinner. Finally, she'd end it just the same as always.

"And now you gotta go to sleep, it's getting kinda late," Mira sang as Laxus only glared at his son, annoyed that once again, they were having to listen to the stupid song. "Tomorrow's coming faster now, and even though I'm tired, I just can't wait."

It was such a stupid song. Why did Mira even need to sing Nathan to sleep? Huh? Huh?

…Oh yeah. 'cause without the kid, there was no Mira in his bed, signing at all. Huh.

"He's so cute when he sleeps," Mirajane told Laxus one night as he only laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Isn't he?"

He glanced over at his son before shrugging. "He's okay."

At that moment, he was all snuggled up in Laxus' purple sheets, curled towards Mirajane with one of his stuffed toys under his arm.

"Why do you have such a big bed anyhow?" she asked softly as she was able to fit on her own half of it, sitting there with her guitar, watching them. "If you never invite women back here?"

"'cause I'm a fucking king. I deserve a king's suite, don't I?"

"You're so cute."

He only grunted. "Play my songs now. The kid's asleep."

"Mmmm. I'm kinda tired too."

"If this is you trying to get me to pay you to sing or something, you need to get over yourself."

"You should tip at least."

"Here's a tip. Play my songs or get out."

"Behave."

His eyes shut then as he just waited. He could feel her watching him too, as if judging him. After a moment, he heard the intro to one of his favorite songs and only sighed a little.

How did he get to that? The moment he was in? How did it all get there? Ugh. He wasn't…

He'd always kinda wanted to bang Mirajane. She'd always been hot. But now he was…did…

Nah.

She was in the middle of one of his songs when Nathan started up, whining slightly. Mirajane didn't even blink. Just like that, Laxus' song was being turned into the beginning verse of Nathan's song.

"No. Mira-"

"-ate some breakfast, quickly now, the morning won't last," she went on as Nathan settled out some. "Laxus woke up at noon, but we had to leave soon."

"I hate this song And all it's incarnations."

Nathan didn't. He loved his special song. Mira told him that he was the only one that got his very own song. Which wasn't wholly true, Laxus figured, as a lot of Mira's songs seemed to be based on old boyfriends, but he figured anything to make the little brat feel special.

"This time I better take him out there, huh?" Mirajane gathered Nate into her arms the second that he drifted back off. "G'night, Lax-'

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"You can come back and play for me. You're supposed to be playing for me."

She only headed out of the room with the toddler, though she did leave her guitar behind. When she returned to him, it had been a few minutes and honestly, he was thinking that she wasn't coming back.

Then she did. And instead of saying anything, she only went to get back into bed, picking her guitar back up, and going back to playing like it was nothing. It was nothing, after all. They both had agreed that it was. It had to be. Because if it wasn't nothing then it was…was…something.

And what was going on with them was not something. Not at all.

"You getting tired, demon?" Laxus asked at one point when she stopped playing all together as she let out a long yawn. "Go lay down. You work the morning shift."

"But you haven't fallen to sleep yet."

He peeked an eye open for that. "What are you trying to say here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are…singing me to sleep?'

"For the past few weeks."

"Ha. No." He shut his eye again. "I'm just enjoying the sound of music being played as I may or may not drift off. That's all."

"Maybe you should go to sleep too, Laxus," she said as she moved to climb out of bed, yawning again. "You little grumpy dragon."

After she left, Laxus only laid on his back, trying hard to fall asleep. It wasn't easy. Recently, he'd felt a big clinch in his stomach when he was alone. Especially when he got a chance to think. It was like he couldn't turn his brain off anymore.

He had to do something with Nathan. He had to do something about the nothingness that was going on between Mirajane. He had to put an end to all of it.

…Eventually. In the very, very far future.

"I don't fish."

"No, but it would be a fun thing to do," Mirajane said as she spent her break at the guild at the Thunder God Tribe's usual table. Laxus had sent all of them off though when Mira said she wanted to speak with him alone.

"When do you even wanna do it? And I don't have fishing poles. They're a stupid thing to have."

She made a face at him. "What do you eat out on jobs?"

"Whatever the heck Freed makes me."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Then I'll ask Natsu and Lucy for some. Please? Nate really likes the idea of it."

The little boy, who was in her lap, looked up at his name. "Apa."

"What the hell does an apple have to do with fish?" Laxus grumbled.

"Aw. You can understand him?"

"What's there to understand? He's asking you for his freaking snack. He wants apple slices. So get him apple slices." Laxus looked off. "You should know that You're the babysitter."

"Well, considering that's not what he means, maybe you should try a little harder as a father."

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Look, demon, if you wanna go fishing, ask someone else. Why do I have to go?"

"I just thought you would like to," she said with a sigh. "Never mind."

But she didn't get up. Because she knew that if she just gave it a minute-

"Fine. Tomorrow we can go fishing. Now get the damn kid an apple or something. He's annoying me."

"He's not doing anything to you."

"He's looking at me."

"Oh, Laxus."

After she was gone, Freed and Bickslow came back over, the latter's dolls floating around his head.

"What was that about, boss?" Bickslow asked, tongue sticking out.

"Nothing," he grumbled. "Training's off tomorrow. For me anyways. You idiots still need it."

"Of course, Laxus," Freed said, bowing his head. "But why the sudden change of plans?"

"What does this look like, huh? Some sort of democracy? You shouldn't need me there to train anyhow." With that, he got up. "Tell Ever that she better be there too. I'm tired off her goofing off to hangout with Elfboy. It ends now. She's either one of my bodyguards or she's not. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Of course, boss!"

Then he headed out o the guildhall. He had to get away from Mirajane.

She saw him leave too, standing over behind the bar then as Nathan sat up on the bar next to his great-grandfather, babbling some nonsense to the old man. Makarov only humored him though, which was fine, as it kept Mira from having to keep too close an eye on him.

"What were you talking to tall, light, and ferocious about?" Lisanna asked her eventually. "Mirajane?"

"We're going fishing tomorrow," she said as her sister, who was sitting on a stool in front of the bar, only nodded.

"Oh, right, like a date."

"No," Mirajane said, giving her sister a hard look. "Not like a date. Nathan wants to go fishing."

"How do you know that?"

"He really likes songs about water and fishing and stuff."

"Mira-"

"How often do I ask for anything, Lisanna? Huh?"

"W-Well-"

"So if I wanna go fishing, can I not just go freaking fishing?"

"Okay, okay, never mind."

Mira only let out a slight huff. She was really tired of everyone trying to make her and Laxus into something they weren't. They were just looking after a child together. And, more often than not, she'd sing him to sleep at night. That was all.

"He likes fishin', huh?" Makarov glanced over at Mirajane. "Ivan used to like it too, when he was young."

"Well, I don't really know if he does yet," Mira giggled. "But Laxus didn't seem to want to really go."

"You know this about my grandson the same as I do," he told her then. "He doesn't do a single thing he doesn't want to. He- Hey now."

Nathan had reached up and snatched Makarov's jester hat off his head before tossing it to the ground with a giggle.

"Nathan," Mira scolded, bending down to get it.

"You think that's funny, do you, boy?" Makarov only patted the child on the top of his blond little head. "You're gonna be naughty like Laxus, huh? Or good like Ivan?"

"Good like Ivan?" Lisanna repeated, frowning.

"Ivan was the best child," Makarov said as Mira handed him his hat. "When he was young. Laxus though…" Shaking his head, he said, "He was constantly into things. Everything. You couldn't leave him alone in a room. His mother once…"

He didn't finish what he was saying and the women left it at that as Nathan only turned to crawl across the bar. Not wanting him to disturb anyone, Lisanna quickly pulled him into her lap.

"Where were you escaping to, huh?" she asked as the toddler only giggled and patted her cheek.

"So can you ask Natsu and Happy if I can borrow their fishing poles?" Mira asked her sister then. "Please? It'd be great if they could get them to me tomorrow morning."

Lisanna only sighed. "If you really-"

"Great. Thank you."

"You know, every time you ask me for a favor, I feel less like you're asking and more like you're ordering."

"Can you please stop talking now, Lisanna?"

"Ha ha."

"You better catch us some fish soon, Laxus. Nathan looks hungry."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled as he sat by the river, watching the current as it went by. Nathan was busy with Mirajane, a little bit further from the river's edge, so he didn't get curious and fall in. Mira had brought his diaper bag along with a few of his toys, which he was very interested in playing with.

"We could have just stayed home for this," Laxus remarked as Mirajane sat with the little boy, strumming on her guitar. "You know that?"

"You're bonding with your son."

Glancing over at her, he said, "I told you, Mirajane, we're not keeping him."

"Who said that we are?" She kept playing. "It would give you good practice, you know."

"I know what?"

"When you stop… When you grow up," she said. "When you settle down or whatever. And have a wife. You'll know how to deal with your kids."

"I'm never having kids."

"Right."

"I'm not," he told her. "This was a horrible mistake and I'd like to just move on and live like it never happened."

"See, I'd believe that more if you put any effort at all into finding him a real home."

"I'm so sorry, Mirajane, that I don't want to just pawn a young, defenses child off on some family that might as well be serial killers or something."

She only let out a soft breath. "The longer we keep him, the harder it'll be to get rid of him."

"For you, maybe," he grumbled. "But me? I could kick you and him both out on the street today. Right this very second even. Wouldn't feel a thing."

"You wouldn't?"

"Nope."

"That's not surprising," she said, "considering how coldhearted you like to pretend to be."

"There is no pretending, Mira. I-"

"You save people, Laxus. For a living. You-"

"For money, Mirajane. For jewels," he said. "For the prestige. Not because I give two shits about-"

"You saved us, Laxus," she told him softly. "Fairy Tail."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because we're family?" she asked. "Well, Nathan's your family too. And I think that you're growing attached."

"Really? 'cause I think that you're the one growing attached."

"Me?" She stopped playing then as she scoffed. "I just love taking care of babies. I would take in anyone's child. And the second I know that he has a good home, someone that will take care of him, I'll be gone. And you'll only be able to hear me play when you're lucky enough to be in the bar when I'm up on stage."

Snort. "You think you're good, woman? I listen to real music, everyday, through the best headphones in the world. I-"

"You have an outdated model, Laxus," she told him. "My headphones though, they-"

"Ha. Hardly."

She began playing again, just like that. Because as easy as it was for the two of them to ruin a good moment, it was also pretty easy for them to start one.

"I got one," Laxus said suddenly as his pole bobbed. "I got a fish."

"You hear that, Nathan? Laxus caught us a fish," Mira told the little boy who giggled at the sound of his name.

"Mira."

"Mmmhmm."

"Laxus didn't get anyone a fish, but himself," the man grumbled to which the barmaid only giggled.

"Yes, you did. You always get the women and children fed first. Or don't you know that, Mr. Hero?"

"I'm not a hero, Mirajane. I told you. I'm in it for the money."

"Okay, Mr. Hero."

"Knock it off," he grumbled as he reeled the fish in. It was of medium size and clearly, if he was going to feed them all, he was going to have to get some more. "You start on that fire yet?"

"No," she groaned, setting her guitar down on the ground. "I'll go find wood."

"Mira," Nathan called as she walked off. "Mira."

"Stay with Laxus," she told him. "I'll be back."

Great. He was stuck with the kid.

It took Mirajane so long to show back up with the wood that eventually, Nathan got bored and headed over to Laxus to see if he could get Mira to come back.

"Mira," he told the man as he came over to him. "Mira."

"She's getting firewood," Laxus grumbled. He'd cast another line then and only reached over to grab the little boy then, who was getting too close to the river.

"C'mere," he sighed, pulling him into his lap. "You sit here. You fall in that river and drown, I'll have the full force of Satan Soul coming down on me and I cannot deal with that. At all."

Nathan only sat up tall in his father's lap before leaning back against him. "Laxus."

Hunching forwards slightly, he rested his own head against the child's gently, sighing slightly as he stared out at the river.

"Ivan fucked me up, kid," he told the little boy softly as Nathan only yawned slightly. He was getting a tad sleepy. "Real bad. If it wasn't for Gramps… But see, you don't have a gramps. Your gramps is the guy that screwed me to hell. And he would only hurt you. So you get it, don't you? Why this can't… Maybe Ever's friends'll still take you. You'll be happy there. Ever's so… If they're her friends, they're good people."

Then he frowned. "'cept she's banging Elfboy, so I don't really know, but I'm sure they're nice. I'll check the place out first, you know? Get you settled. And Mira will probably… Nah. She'll probably be too sad to go. But you'll be fine there. Don't you think?"

"Mira."

He only let out a slow breath. "I just gotta do it. Soon. I just need a little more time."

"Laxus."

"Yeah," he sighed as the little boy began to nod off in his lap. "That's me."