Parenthood

Chapter 20

"I love you."

It kinda just…slipped out one day, those three words did. Laxus was home alone with the kid, which was slowly becoming the norm, and the toddler was up on the bed with him, playing with his toys.

Err, he had been playing with them. Suddenly though, he just looked over at his father, who was reading one of his novels, and said one of his standard words.

"Kiss."

Mira had taught it to him and he used it frequently, just to get her to snuggle and cuddle him.

Laxus just ignored the request.

"Kiss," Nathan insisted, still just staring at him. "Laxus."

That time he got a grunt.

Leaving his toys behind, the kid crawled across the small space between them, staring at his father.

"Kiss."

"Kid," he grumbled, setting his book on his chest before saying, "I love you."

And then it was out there, no thought put behind it. His sentence continued without a pause.

"But," Laxus kept up. "Men don't kiss. So get over it."

"Kiss."

"No." He patted him on the head. "I'm not Mirajane."

"Mira," the boy said, giggling slightly. "Mira."

"You like her, huh?"

"Mira." Turning, he went back to his toys. "Laxus."

Grunt. Then, still just staring at the boy, he said, "She loves you too, alright? And she'll kiss and hug on you. But not me. So don't ask."

He was over needing to be appreciated though, as he only went back to playing, making all those noises and sounds that used to bug his father, but slowly, he'd learned to ignore them rather than shove his headphones on. Mirajane always told him that it was a good thing, hearing him so happy, because it meant they knew he was safe.

He never thought that something like that would matter to him, that he'd care so much about the kid. But he did. Nathan was his son. And he didn't want nothing to happen to him. Ever.

Mirajane felt much the same way and it was plainly obvious. It had been for some time, after all. She'd always told him that she loved him and frequently snuggled him, sometimes without prompting.

"She's real good at that stuff," Laxus told Freed once as they sat at their table in the guildhall. It was a rather slow day and Nathan was sitting over at the bar, watching Mirajane work from Elfman's lap. She was spending most of the day though leaning against the bar and talking directly to the little boy. He loved that. "Taking care of the kid and shit."

"So are you," Freed told him, just like usual. "You-"

"Nah," he said with a shake of his head. "I only got into taking the kid because I was into Mirajane. That's it. I'm not-"

"Everyone only does something because something else forces them to," he said. "You brush your teeth because they'll fall out if you don't. All the pressures of life make you drink. Wanting to be with Mirajane made you take care of Nathan and now you like it. Why's that a bad thing?"

It wasn't, he figured. But it still didn't diminish how great Mirajane was.

He really thought that. He didn't say it a lot, but he did. She had to be one of the best people he knew, if not the best. He couldn't imagine living without her any longer.

"I think I want to marry Mira."

He said this to Evergreen one day when she came over to clean up around the place. He made her do this sometimes, when Mira refused. Ever loved it, as she thought that it was him valuing her or something.

Ha.

"Are you drunk?" Ever had been going to get a vacuum, but stopped in the middle of the living room just to stare at him as he sat on the couch, listening to his Sound Pod.

"No," he said.

"Then-"

"I should ask her. I should-"

"Slow down here," she said, making him lock their gazes. "How long have you thought this?"

"Just now."

Groaning, she said, "Laxus, you do realize that a year ago, you didn't even think of Mira as more than a guild member, right?"

"Yeah, and ten months ago, I slept with her and knew that I wanted to be with her. What's your point?"

"Remember when you used to wear that vest all of the time? So you could show off your biceps?"

"What about it?" he grumbled.

"You don't wear it that much any more, do you? Because, even after only a short time, you realized that you didn't like it?"

"I don't-"

"Just give it some time, Laxus," she said before continuing on over to the hall closet to get the vacuum. "I don't know what it is with men. You and Elfman both-"

"Do not ever compare me to him."

"Mmmm, you know," she said slowly. "They say that women marry men who remind them of their fathers. And Mira's told me before that Elf is practically a clone of theirs. So technically-"

"One more word," Laxus growled, "and Bickslow will be cleaning my apartment from now on."

Even though that threat worked, he'd have never been able to deliver on it.

Mainly because he, along with most everyone else, never saw heads or tails of the guy anymore.

Not that he knew at the time, but Laxus was actually very much responsible for that. It had all began a couple weeks before he had his sudden epiphany with Evergreen, all because he broke a date with Mirajane.

Which prompted the two of them to get into an argument about his commitments and what exactly he was doing instead of being with her. And how could he ever expect them to live together if he couldn't even keep a simple date?

Anyhow, it was that night that Mira found herself venting to her younger sister, who soaked up the drama with the same joy her sister typically had for those sorts of things. Mirajane even agreed that the next time she was off, she wouldn't be spending the time with Laxus. Oh, no. He'd missed his chance at going out to dinner.

The next time would be an evening dedicated to the two of them. Since the entrance of Nathan to their lives, the Strauss sisters hadn't had much of a chance to be alone. They were either arguing or extremely busy.

Raising a child wasn't simple, after all.

Man, was Lisanna excited about that. She thought that she and Mirajane could go shopping, maybe even out of town, and out to dinner. Just the two of them. Once, that wasn't such a treat, but rather a normal weekend, but those day? She craved to have that time back.

…Then Mira broke their date.

"I'm sorry, Lisanna," she sighed. "But Laxus is going on a job tomorrow and-"

"But you said-"

"I know. But come on, what do you want me from me?"

A lot. And she used to get it. But recently? Mira gave her a lot off nothing. Frequently.

And fine. When it was for Nathan, Lisanna didn't complain much. She rather liked the kid too. But for a guy? Not even a good one?

That was just wrong.

To make matters worse, Natsu and Lucy were out on a job with Gray and Erza, leaving Lisanna with hardly anyone to hangout with. The bar was slow and only Kinana was working. Even Levy and Gajeel hadn't shown their face in a few days.

It was torture. Everyone else had someone to be with, but her.

Even Elfman. And, don't get her wrong. She loved her brother more than anyone, but…seriously?

So she decided she go by herself, out of town. Why did she need Mirajane? What good was she? Let Laxus have her. Lisanna could have fun all by herself.

Then it happened.

"Going on a job, kid?"

She ended up on the same train as Bickslow.

"I told you," she grumbled as they stood on the platform, waiting for the train. At that point, she didn't know they were headed the same place and was holding out some sort of miracle that he was waiting for a different one. "I'm not a kid."

"Sheesh," he grumbled as he came to stand next to her. "Careful, babies. Lisanna hasn't had her coffee again."

"Why are you suddenly all over me again?" she grumbled, glancing at him. "There are tons of other places to stand. And where are you going anyways?"

"The shop that I buy my babies bodies from is only a few towns over," he said. "Sometimes I might walk, but-"

"Why do you need to buy more bodies? I mean, they clearly intact right now," she pointed out. He only shrugged.

"I have to keep a large stock," he said as the souls in question floating around, babbling incessantly. She didn't know how it didn't bug him. "They get into so many accidents. Not to mention, if I go out on a job, I like to carry a lot around in my pack, just in case."

"Just in case," they all shrieked, as if the loudest would win his affections. "Lisanna."

"Why do they know my name anyhow?' she grumbled, going back to staring at the tracks, waiting for her train to arrive. "I've never had anything to do with them."

"Why are you so sour towards me and the babies all of a sudden? I thought that we were friends."

"We were never friends."

"No," he agreed slowly. "But we've never been enemies either."

Another shrug.

"Is it because of Laxus and Mirajane?"

"W-What?"

"I know that you don't like him with your sister," he said with a shrug. "You make it pretty obvious. And I know that you get annoyed at times with Ever, about how she toys with your brother. And I guess that you're taking it out on me. It's whatever."

"I don't know what you're-"

"But I do know, kid, that you didn't tell Mira on me," he said, staring straight ahead then, his sallet hiding his eyes and the shadow from it his face. "That I was creeping you out or whatever. So…thanks."

She blinked. Then she just rolled her eyes.

"I don't care who Mira dates," she said. "If she thinks Laxus is so great, fine. And Ever and Elf are the same as they've always been. Neither of them are too great to one another."

"Ah. So you just hate me for no unexplainable-"

"I don't hate you, okay?" She was starting to get annoyed and unconsciously took to crossing her arms over her chest, glaring off. It was close to seven and the train station was rather packed. She thought about just going and waiting somewhere else, but why should she? When he was the one that approached her?

"Then-"

"I've just been having some really bad past few months."

"Compared to what? When you were dead?"

"Oh, so because I got to come back, that means I can't ever have a bad week or whatever?" Snort. Then she added, "And I wasn't dead!"

His tongue fell out of his mouth then and, even though she couldn't tell, she was pretty sure he was grinning.

"It's okay, kid," he said. "I like this you better anyhow, than the always happy and perky you. More real, anyhow."

She didn't know what to say to that and, lucky her, the train was coming into the station then, loud as ever, as the people all around were just beginning to get antsy. They got separated then, which was what she had been wanting anyhow. Still though, as she sat on the train a few minutes later, waiting for it to pull right back out of the station, she couldn't help feeling…kinda bad.

About Bickslow. Not Mirajane. No, she was still beyond peeved at her.

It bothered her the whole ride. Had she been being that bad to him? To everyone? She hadn't really noticed, but it would explain a lot. Even Natsu and Lucy didn't seem to like to hang around her that much anymore.

Was she different? She didn't feel different. She felt like everyone else was. Like they were all changing and turning into really shitty people. But what if it was her? What if it was her fault that they were acting strange around her? That they didn't want to be near her?

What if she was becoming, like, toxic or something? To her own friendships?

"What's the chance, huh?" she heard not soon after departing from the train. "Getting off on the same stop?"

There was a snickered attached to that, as well as five very annoying voices repeating, "Same stop," at noisome.

But Bickslow was only passing her as he left the station and didn't seem to plan to have any more dealings with her that day.

Something in her though, as he passed, made her reach out and grab his arm, tugging him to a stop. He only glanced back at her though, tongue pulling back up into his mouth.

"Wh-"

"I don't come here very often," was all she said as she let him go and blushed. "And-"

"And you want me to be your bodyguard? Well forget it, I'm off duty."

"What? No. I-"

"Just kiddin'. Standard rates apply though, kid."

With one hand, he reached up to push his sallet over his eyes, so that he could wink at her. And for some reason, even as corny and stupid as he was, even worse the way he dressed and that god-awful guild marking placement, she found herself grinning.

At him.

Because he was funny.

Man, there was something wrong with her.

Bickslow showed her the whole city that night. They ate out at his normal restaurant and, of course, went to get his babies bodies, but the rest of the time was spent showing her around.

"I love it here," he told her as they walked around. "There's cool fountains and statues and there's this one ice cream shop that, swear, has the best ice cream ever."

He just really seemed excited to have someone to hang around. She figured that a lot of his time was either spent with his team, Laxus, or just his dolls. That was the same as her, she figured, never having anyone anymore, not even her siblings.

Ugh. She found herself relating to him…

But that wasn't until much later. Because those hours they spent hanging out, she thought about nothing. They didn't talk about nothing. Really. They just…filled conversations with…stuff. She couldn't remember what. But she didn't remember a single bit of awkward silence between them.

Not once.

And when they went for a walk around one of the parks in the city, Bickslow showed her some of his tricks, clearly showing off as he had an audience. He could make his babies do very cool things, fine, but he himself was pretty slick. He could do flips, use the babies to fly into the air by balancing on their tiny tops.

"I can juggle too," he said, winking at her.

"And?"

"And? And? Lisanna, are you serious?"

"What?"

"You don't know what they say about jugglers?"

"What?"

But she was already laughing and he was grinning as he told her,

"They're super cool and always, always, make the best friends."

It wasn't funny. But she still laughed. At everything. And he did too. He always did, after all, but still. It all felt…different.

And when they nearly missed the last train back to Magnolia, she didn't even care. If she had to spend the whole night with him, it would have been fine.

Because she didn't need Natsu, Lucy, or Mirajane. They only brought her down.

But not Bickslow. Not anymore.

And, when she fell asleep on the way back into Magnolia, rested against his shoulder as they sat next to one another, he didn't even wake her. Because he'd already won, after all.

"Too easy," he decreed. Now that Lisanna was surely his friend, Laxus would…

But then he glanced down at her, snoring softly against his shoulder and he felt wrong. Almost like he conned her into it or something.

And he hadn't! Honest. Fine the coffee thing was a con, at first, but that day? Hanging out? That was all spontaneous. He really had just planned to get his babies bodies and go home.

"Maybe I won't tell Laxus," he mumbled as he glanced out the train window, his babies choosing to fall into his lap and Lisanna's to rest as well, until they got back into town. "For now."

He didn't either. And when Lisanna got home to find that no one had missed her, she decided not to say anything either. If Mira wanted to have her fun little life, fine, Lisanna would have hers.

That was how it ended up then. Whenever Bickslow didn't have to train or go on a job and she was free, they'd both meet at the train station and go hangout somewhere. He knew most of the surrounding towns well and liked taking her places.

As friends. Seriously, it was completely platonic. Wholly and truly. And it was…nice. She hadn't had a new friend in quite awhile, not realizing until then how much she'd missed the little things. Like learning their quirks or what made them tick. Having stupid conversations that led to deeper things.

In those few weeks, she probably had some of the most fun of her life. At least in the past year.

She even, once, found herself blowing off Natsu, who wanted to hangout with her, just him and Happy, because Lucy was with Erza doing…something. She didn't remember. Because she didn't care.

Bickslow was her friend then. And fine, she still wanted Natsu and always would, but…

Sometimes it was nice to be wanted back.

That, though, was where Laxus' suspicions came in. It was that day, when he mentioned Bickslow to Evergreen as a threat, that he realized something.

He hadn't seen the loser or his dolls in days! That was unheard it. There was a time, fine, when he used to not come around Magnolia a lot and neither did they, but that was many years ago. He saw all of the Thunder Legion at least once a week, most of the time more.

"Some bodyguard," Laxus grumbled as he sat on the couch, turning up his music louder to drown out the sound of the vacuum.

But Bickslow couldn't help it. Because as much as he worshiped Laxus, as much as he treated the men like a higher being, Lisanna was, well…

He didn't want to risk losing her. That. Their friendship. It was new to him too. His only true friends were his babies and Ever and Freed. Having someone else to pal around with was great.

He'd never had someone think so highly of him before. But she did. She thought all of his jokes were funny, even the ones that Ever said were stupid and Freed just flat didn't get. She didn't mind the babies none either. She even went with him to his apartment once, to see how he made them.

"It takes you a while, huh?" she'd asked. "To paint them just right."

"Yep," he said, nodding his head as they sat next to each other on his living room floor, them floating around in their current bodies as he worked at making their new ones. "But it's worth it. They're my family. And you always do for family. You know?"

She only grinned that before nodding slightly.

"Yeah. I know."

It got to the point where he didn't even care if Laxus knew that they were friends or not. If he ever knew. If anyone ever knew. He just wanted her to stay his friend. And he hoped that she felt the same way.

Sorry for no update yesterday. But I was pumping them out daily beforehand, so it wasn't too bad a wait, was it?