Parenthood

Chapter 15

The sound was feint and, honestly, Laxus thought about ignoring it. But when it finally registered in his head exactly what was making those noises, he knew that he had to go and get it taken care of before the woman next to him stirred. He only slipped on a pair of boxers when he stood before leaving the room.

"You're on my nerves, kid," Laxus groaned when he got out into the living room to find Nathan sitting up in his playpen, wailing. "You still sick?"

He still felt a little warm when his father lifted him into his arms, making the man frown.

"You don't gotta throw up, do you, kid?" He bounced the baby gently.

"Mira," he moaned.

"If I take you in there, will you shut up? Huh?" Yawning slightly, he carried the boy back with him to the bedroom. "See? Mirajane's right here. She sleeps in here now."

"Mira."

"Don't wake her up, kid," he warned as he moved to lay back down on the bed. "I'm telling you."

Nathan settled out on Laxus' chest as he only stroked the boy's back gently. Mirajane, who was curled up the other way, sighed softly.

"Did he throw up?" she yawned as she rolled over to look at him.

"Nope. Just whiny."

"Mmmm." Reaching out, she stroked the boy's blond locks gently. "Nathan. What's wrong, baby?"

The sheets were only up to Mira's waist meaning Laxus had a pretty good view of her breasts then. She was so focused on the child though that she didn't have time to be bashful.

"You think he's hungry?" Laxus asked.

"No. He's kept down everything I've given him the past few hours," she sighed. "In the morning, I'll see if he wants more. Right now, I think he just woke up alone and it scared him."

"He loves you."

"Mmmm."

Laxus only took to shutting his eyes once more. "It's late. Go back to sleep."

She kept toying with the child's hair though, which seemed to be comforting him. "What happens tomorrow?"

"It is tomorrow."

"Then what happens today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Laxus-"

"I meant what I said, Mirajane. I want to give this a shot," he said, still not opening his eyes. "And if that means moving Nate in with you and I have to come visit or whatever, that's fine."

"But can you?"

"Can I what?"

"Be here alone and without me?" she asked. "And not end up at some hotel with a woman?"

"I'm not a dog, woman," he grumbled slightly. "I can contain myself, yeah."

"Then that's what I want. I want him to live with me and sometimes, fine, we can come over here and hangout or you can come over to see me." She stilled her hand then, resting it against he back of the toddler's head as she stared at him. "If that's what you want. He is your son, you know, not mine."

"Yeah, but he likes you more," he sighed. "Plus, I'm not exactly… No, if we're keeping him, then he's better off with you."

"I was thinking that I'd go ahead and buy him a crib," Mira told him. "Either that or he'll have to sleep in bed with me. Because I don't like him having to stay in that playpen. It's not fair to him."

"Don't get too attached," he reminded gently then. "If his mother ever does come back-"

"He's still your son," Mirajane told him. "You still have rights. If you want them."

Maybe. If the kid didn't barf on him.

Laxus fell back asleep first or so he found out when he awoke. Mirajane was still curled up next to him, on her stomach, and Nathan had flailed out on his chest, drooling a little.

"Yuck, kid," he grumbled, moving to lay him down on the bed with Mirajane before slipping out of it. "Stupid brat."

He left them there in bed as he got up to go shower. His head hurt and, honestly, he just wanted to get the day started with. He figured that after helping Mirajane move all of Nathan's stuff over to her house, he could get some training done. It would keep his mind off the current state of affairs at the very least.

It was while he was in the shower though that he heard the bathroom door open and Mira call out to him.

"Nate got a little messy."

Sticking his head out of the shower, Laxus glared at her. "Did he throw up on my sheets?"

"Your blanket," she said as she carried the little boy over to the sink, where she began washing him off. He was sobbing rather loudly and honestly, it was annoying. "Not the actual bed sheets though."

Growling, he went back to showering. Mira was speaking softly then to the toddler who calmed down some at that. When she left though, she neglected to close the bathroom door.

Fine. She wanted a show? Then he'd give her one.

When he finished with his shower, Laxus dried off before throwing a towel around his waist and going over to the sink to shave.

"Smells like effing puke," he grumbled as he wiped at the mirror some. "Stupid kid."

He was shaving (admiring himself in the mirror) when she appeared in the doorway.

"I have to go home now, Laxus," Mira said as he only turned to glance at her. She was wearing what she had on the night before and looked rather frazzled. "While he's well enough to go. So-"

"Well, wait a minute." He frowned some, dropping his razor. "You can stay for a little, can't you? And let him-"

"I feel…icky," she said. "And I took all my things home, so-"

"Wear something of mine."

"Laxus-"

"You have to stay for breakfast at least," he reasoned. "Come on, Mira. Please?"

"Do you always beg women to stay when the night's up, Laxus?"

He narrowed his eyes at her before going back to shaving. "Fine. Go. I-"

"I'm kidding," she told him with a sigh. "We're going to have to stop being so tense. Both of us. If we ever want it to go back to how it was, at least."

Grunt. Then, after a thought, he said, "I don't stick around most of the time, anyways, for there to be breakfast. So…"

"Then I guess I should feel lucky."

He only sighed. "Take a shower, Mira. I'll watch the kid and bring you something to wear."

He could tell that she was hesitant, but after shaving, he found himself sitting on the couch with his son in his lap as she took over the bathroom.

"You aren't allowed to puke again," he said as Nathan only sat there, resting against him. "So don't try."

He only babbled back to him as Laxus relaxed on the couch with a sigh. The past day or so had felt like the longest in a while. He just wanted Mirajane to make him some breakfast so he could get Nate moved in and go spend some time alone. Away from them.

"I work out a lot, kid," he told Nathan then, as if as an afterthought. "So if ever you need me or something and I'm not there, that's probably why. 'cause that's kinda one of the more important things to me. So don't get offended or whatever."

"Tunny."

"Your tummy?" He only stared down at the kid before nodding. "I get this way when I drink too much. Just let the virus course through your body, kid, and soon enough you'll be good as new."

He only took to sucking his thumb then, letting Laxus gently rub his stomach. At the sound of Mirajane coming into the room some time later though, he put a stop to that.

"You look good in purple," Laxus complimented her as she came in wearing only her panties and one of his button up shirts. "Real good."

"Elf thinks that it's an unmanly color," she sighed as she went to take Nathan from him before going into the kitchen. "So consider yourself completely unmanly. I mean, purple bed sheets, Laxus?"

"Hey, I happen to think it's the sexiest color ever."

"Mmmm." She headed immediately to the fridge as he only came up behind her to peek in as well.

"Damn it, Mira," he grumbled. "You never did get me any bacon."

"There's saus-"

"I hate sausage!"

In response to his yelling, Nathan started to as well, though he thought it was funny. Mirajane just bounced him a little with a sigh.

"Do you want pancakes then, Laxus? Instead of eggs?"

"Guess so."

"Great. Take Nate and go sit at the table, huh?" She handed the baby off. "I really do need to get home and talk to Lisanna. You know, ask her to work for me until Nate gets better."

Grunt. He only went over to the table, keeping the child in his lap as he awaited his food.

"How long do you think that he'll be sick for?" Laxus asked Mirajane as she stared on his breakfast.

"I dunno. But Porlyusica said that it was nothing to worry about and to give it three days, so I guess until then, we shouldn't worry about it. Just keep him fed and hydrated."

Laxus only looked down at the little boy with a frown. "You think that he'll like living with you?"

"As compared to what? Living here with you? Yeah, I think so."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I have an actual house, Laxus," she told him. "With a yard and more space."

"Didn't you mention something though about how you were strapped for cash? With, like, bad plumbing and things?"

"I got the sink fixed awhile ago," she told him. "And Elf got a new bed. But I'm hoping that now that he knows that I plan to take Nate, that him and Ever will realize that yes, they are dating and that they move in together so he can have his own room."

"You need a new house."

"I can't afford to move, Laxus."

"Hmmm."

"You could always move into a bigger apartment," she said slowly then. "I mean, if this works out, he's going to know you as his father, right?"

"I guess so."

"So he'll want a room at your place, yeah?"

"I guess."

That was a lot more than he wanted to think about, honestly. He mostly had just wanted to get Mira in bed and go from there. She was, like, planning for more than just the day and that wasn't remotely close to the way he was feeling. He didn't even like to think about what he was going to eat for dinner that night, really. It just kinda…happened. Everything. The only things he planned for were, well, jobs and schemes.

"But…what would that make you?" he asked her then, slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm the dad-"

"Which you are."

"Then you're-"

"I'm Mira," she told him. "Aren't I, Nate?"

"Mira," he mimicked. "Tunny."

"Does your stomach still hurt, baby?" She glanced back at him. "I'm sorry. You probably got sick thanks to Laxus."

"Me?"

"You."

"What did I do?"

"You're around more people than I am," she said with a shrug. "He probably got germs from you."

"Yeah, right. You're the one that has him up at the guild all the time with all of those disgusting losers." He shook his head. "This was probably your fault."

"Hardly. And besides, you have to build up his immune system," Mira went on. "If he never gets sick then-"

"Don't make excuses. You did this."

"Uh-huh. I think that we should probably discuss instead how you were just so concerned when you brought him to my house."

"Don't change the subject."

"You don't change the subject," she retorted. "You were scared that he was sick. You know that you were."

"No," he said, frowning. "I knew that if it, like, died then you'd blame me."

"Don't start calling him an it again, Laxus," she warned. "Seriously."

He only grunted. "So what if I don't want him to be sick? I just don't want to have to shove a fucking lacrima down into him. Is that such a bad thing?"

She glanced over at him then before shaking her head. "I'm sure it's not hereditary, Laxus. You were just born with a weak immune system. That's all. I mean, Makarov and Ivan weren't sickly. You just needed something to strengthen you and you got it."

"In a roundabout way, yeah, I did."

After breakfast, Laxus helped Mira get most of Nathan's toys and all his favorite ones packed up in a duffle bag to take over to her house. Then she put back on her dress from the day before, denying his request of him just finding her some jeans or shorts that fit.

"I get it," he grumbled. "You like wearing my stuff, but you don't want anyone to see that you're wearing it."

He walked her to her home, but left her on the doorstep, helping her get inside before taking off. He really, really didn't want to have to deal with either of her siblings. And there was this creepy dog up the front porch that seemed to have been waiting for her that made Laxus frown.

"You have a dog?"

"He's a stray," Mira said simply as she walked into the house, Nathan snuggled up in her arms and the duffle bag on her shoulder. "I just feed him."

Laxus only frowned as the dog headed right into the house, Mira only shutting the door after he was in.

"Some fucking stray," he grumbled, turning to head away. Mirajane only went to put Nate's stuff in her room as well as set the toddler down.

"Lisanna, are you home?" she called out, her dog coming to rest on her bedroom floor. Nathan immediately moved to start petting it with a giggle. "Elfman? Huh. I guess it's just us."

Nathan was done with her then though as he focused most of his attention on the fact that the dog had taken to licking his face. With a sigh, Mira set out on unpacking Nathan's bag, moving space around in her dresser as well for the few sets of clothes that he had. It was really setting in then.

She wasn't babysitting anymore. She actually had a toddler to deal with.

"Maybe I sorta didn't think this through," she mumbled as she glanced down at the little boy. "I mean, I don't even admit that I have a dog most of the time."

When he felt her eyes though, Nathan glanced up at Mira and giggled, smiling brightly. He hadn't thrown up since he first got up that morning and seemed to be doing better. At the sight of him actually happy about something (who didn't love animals), she found herself smiling too.

Who cared? So what if she didn't think it through? She liked taking care of Nathan. She likes being around Laxus. And if she could work both those things into her life, why not? It's not like she was ever overly indulgent.

Just then, she heard the front door open and close as well as the heavy thuds of her brother coming in. Smiling, she called out for him.

"You're home?" He appeared in the doorway with a grin. "And hey, you have the kid."

"Uh-huh. Laxus and I worked it out," she told him. That brought Elfman's grin down some.

"You did, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm going to be keeping him for now and Laxus…" She didn't know what Laxus was and only said, "He's going to be involved too. I mean, it's real tentative currently, but it's the way it is."

Elfman stared at her real hard for a moment before turning to head off for his room. "Whatever makes you happy, Mirajane."

"Whatever makes me happy," she agreed. She could get used to that.

"Still unsure why he gets to live here when he hasn't even taken the decency to learn my name."

"Lisanna," Mira sighed as she stood over at the stove, staring on dinner. "Honestly?"

"It's not fair. I mean, what has Evergreen ever done for him?"

"Everyone likes Ever," Elfman, who was busy chopping vegetables for his older sister, said. "It's just natural."

"Yeah, right, Elf," his younger sister said as she continued to roll toy cars around on the floor with Nathan. He really liked that. "Everyone's afraid of your girlfriend. No one actually likes her, but you. And maybe Freed and Bickslow."

"She's not my girlfriend," he grumbled, glancing back at Lisanna. "So stop saying that."

"Why? You get embarrassed?"

"Knock it off, guys," Mira sighed as she continued…whatever exactly it was that she was doing. Lisanna was mostly staying far away from that part of the kitchen in hopes they didn't ask her to help. She'd spent all day at the bar and the last thing she wanted to do was prepare more food. "I'm not in the mood for fighting."

"You're just afraid that I'll say something about your boyfriend," Lisanna mocked. She was in a real sour mood that day. "What's his name? Oh, I think Nathan calls him Daddy."

Mira was done. She honestly was.

"You know, Lisanna, coming from someone that's in love with a guy that doesn't even give her a second glance-"

"Mira," Elfman groaned.

"I hate you!"

Ugh.

They were usually all far better put together, but then they got to days like that when just nothing went right. Literally nothing. It was probably because they were all three in such good moods most of the time (except for when Elf was crying about…well, anything really). So when Mira found herself falling back into old, mean-spirited habits, it usually led to Elfman being too discouraged to stop the inevitable. Because if Mira was in a mood, then Lisanna was going to be in one too. And then what had just happened was right around the corner.

"You have a thousand other digs are your disposal, Mira," Elfman sighed as he just kept chopping vegetables. "And you had to say that?"

"I haven't had the best past few days, okay? And she was being a brat for no reason," Mira complained, glancing over her shoulder. But Lisanna was gone, her bedroom door slamming not soon after. "It's not like she wasn't being rude to us first."

But she was Lisanna. And Elfman and Mira were never mean to Lisanna. Not after they nearly lost her.

"I'll go talk to her," Mira sighed, stepping away from the stove. "Watch Nate. And feed the dog, huh? He's out in the backyard."

Elfman only agreed with a sigh. After Mira had headed off, he went over to Nathan and bent down to stare at him.

"You'll learn soon enough, kid," he said, patting him on the head, "that when the two of them fight, there is no easy fix. You picked the wrong time to drop in. It'll take another week for Mira to make up with Lisanna after that-"

"Fine!" they heard then. "I'm trying to say sorry, Lisanna, but if you're going to be like that-"

"Go back to Laxus' apartment! We don't want you here!"

Nathan giggled as Elfman only rubbed his head then.

"Gonna be a long few days," he sighed. "Glad to have you around. I'm usually the only man in the house- Not that Mira's not manly though! She's super manly. More than anyone I know! But I just meant-"

"Elfman!" And she was back, apparently. He and Nathan both looked up, the little boy giggling while the man only paled, his skin almost matching the tone of his sister's then. "Did you feed the dog yet?"

"N-No," he said, standing up right once more. "I was just-"

"And how about the vegetables? Have you finished chopping those?" Mira's eyes were so dark then that Elfman almost just ran out the backdoor. In fact, after a few more seconds, he broke.

"I'm staying with Ever for the week," he said before rushing out of the room. "Sorry, Nathan. You're on your own, kid."

His sister only narrowed her eyes after him before walking further into the kitchen.

"Mira?" Nathan titled his head back, staring up at her. Then he giggled. "Kiss?"

Slowly, she leaned down to press one to his forehead.

"I think," she told him with a sigh. "That you're the only one that appreciates me."

He only giggled. "Potty."

Or he was. Then he went and did that and landed himself squarely on the list with the others.

When Laxus showed up at her door two hours later, Mira was even less in the mood to deal with him than she was anyone else.

"What?" was her greeting as she stood in the doorway of the house, staring out at him.

"Uh…hey," he said. "I thought…I don't know. Was I not supposed to come here?"

With a shrug, she took a step back. "But just so you know, apparently I'm a major jerk to Lisanna and have never done anything for her anyways, so I might as well just leave the house even though it's my house and-"

"Yeah, this is why I just fuck women and not spend any actual time with them."

"Laxus."

"You make dinner?" He came further in, taking a look around. "And is your freaky brother home?"

"Don't call him that," she warned and her tone was low to start off with, making Laxus only nod his head. So mark joking around with Mira off the list of things to do.

"Where's the kid?"

"In bed."

"Oh." He nodded towards the kitchen. "So you save me a plate or-"

"Oh, so what? You think that it's okay to have guests over without mentioning it to anyone?"

Lisanna was there then, in the hallway, sending daggers at her sister right off the bat. The girl had nerves of steel, Laxus would give her that.

Or, maybe, she was just stupid. She had gotten knocked in the head pretty hard by Elfman that time…

"Considering it's my house, Lisanna, yes, I think it's fine," Mira said, glaring right back. "And I thought you weren't coming out of your room because-"

"You were being mean to me, Mira!"

"You started it!"

"So…is there food in the kitchen? Yeah? Good. I'll be in there." Fielding that one before they started, like, crying or something, he headed into the kitchen with a long sigh.

Why had he thought it was a good idea to go to Mira's? Huh?

In the fridge he found some leftovers, which he immediately went about heating up. He'd spent most of the day training, blowing off all the steam that he had held inside for the past few days. It felt really good too, to be out there alone in the forest, away from Mira and the brat. Even away from the Thunder Legion. They were great and everything, don't get him wrong, but sometimes Freed was a tad much. And those dang dolls…

He was busy eating when Lisanna stomped into the kitchen, Mirajane right behind her.

"Sorry," she shot at him through a glare, "for being rude to you. You're a guest and…"

"And?" Mira prompted.

"And I should treat you like one."

He blinked. Then he burped.

"Ew!"

"Laxus!"

Geez, women were so touchy.

"Bring me a beer," he grunted. "And I'll think about forgiving you, Lisanna."

That got him a look from Mira which immediately made him drop his eyes back down to his plate. Alrighty then. No beer for him.

Eventually Mira found herself seated at the table with Laxus, waiting for him to finish eating, while Lisanna trudged back to her bedroom, apparently not wholly made up with her sister yet. It was whatever to Laxus though, as he'd gotten his meal and was ready to get out of there.

And fast.

"The baby okay here tonight?" Laxus asked her as he went to drop his plate in the sink. "Mirajane?"

"He'll sleep in bed with me."

"Is he feeling any better?"

"I think so. He's kept everything down so far."

"Then…should I just go? Or should I, uh, do something?" He glanced over at her. "I'm not too sure."

"Did you want to stay?" Mira asked.

"Really?"

"Well," she said slowly. "Your blankets at home are covered in vomit."

He blinked. Then he frowned.

"You're cleaning those in the morning, Mirajane. I mean it. You're going over there and you're going to-"

"He's your son too."

"Still. Puke is nasty. I don't do nasty."

She only got to her feet then. "Did you…wanna come to bed with me then?"

When he nodded, she smiled slightly, forgetting all about how her and Lisanna were fighting.

"I'll warn you though," she said as they headed out of the kitchen. "In the morning I don't think that there's going to be anything of mine for you to wear."

"Ha ha."

"And the walk of shame is so much more embarrassing for a man, I hear."

"You think you're real funny, demon, don't you?" He reached out then and, as they were so close, he was able to wrap one of his arms around her neck, pulling her back to him as they stood in the hallway. "Huh?"

"I-"

"Ew. Gross."

They both frowned as one of the doors in the hallway opened and Lisanna was standing there.

"I might have to be nice to him as a guest, but if I hear him screwing you, Mira, I'm-"

"Lisanna-"

"Fair warning," she told Laxus as she walked passed them and over to the bathroom. "And I wonder what Elf will think when he gets home to find a naked Laxus in your bed?"

"You are about to get it."

Laxus only shook his head though.

"This is why I don't like being around other people," he mumbled to Mirajane as she only led him to her bedroom.

"She's just mad at me," she sighed. "She'll get over it."

Nathan was there, snuggled up in the center of the bed, pillows on either side of him to keep him from rolling off. Mira only went to move them before going into her adjoining bathroom. Laxus looked after her, but she just shut the door.

With a groan, he went to take a seat on the bed, moving the pillow back to the head of it.

"Looks like me and you aren't rid of each other yet, kid," he whispered as he pulled his shirt over his head after setting his headphones on the nightstand. "Huh, Nate?"

Mira only smiled when she came out off the bathroom to find them both in her bed, just standing there for a moment.

Maybe it would all work out. She sure hoped so.