Parenthood

Chapter 29

"Anything you want to do today?"

Lisanna shrugged. "Whatever you guys are up for."

"When do you get off?" Lucy asked as Natsu and Happy argued over who deserved the last piece of fish on their plate. Hardly glancing over, Lucy moved to cut it in half for them. "Because I was thinking that we could go out to get something to eat. Assume these two aren't too full from what they just ate now."

"We'll be a-okay in less than an hour," Natsu assured. "Won't we, little buddy?"

"Aye, sir!"

Lisanna smiled while Lucy only shook her head.

"We can do that," the takeover mage said. "I just-"

"We came by the guildhall looking for you yesterday," Lucy said then, as if randomly. "Late. We figured you'd be off, but Kinana said that you'd already left. And we asked Mirajane, but she said she didn't know where you went."

"Oh." Lisanna blinked. Then she shook her head, not rightly wishing to think about the previous day. Not if it meant thinking about how Bickslow…kissed her. "I went home. I…had a pretty bad headache. I went to bed early."

"That's too bad," Natsu told her. "We had raked the leaves in the yard into these big piles and then we burned 'em."

"It was super cool," Happy said. "Maybe you can come over next time?"

"Maybe."

Lucy glanced around the guildhall. "I don't even see Mira around. Or Kinana. Tell me you're not stuck up here all day."

"No," she sighed. "Mira's here. Just down stairs, organizing the books or something. You know that she likes to do that."

"So you can leave now?" Natsu asked, as if excited. "And we can go get something to eat?"

"You just ate," Lucy complained.

"I could squeeze a little more in here," he said, patting his stomach. "If I tried."

Lisanna smiled at them. "Let's wait until Mirajane finishes up downstairs. Then I can probably take off."

So she was back to that, she figured then. She was just the third wheel (or fourth if you can't Happy, but who counted him) on all of Natsu and Lucy's dates, getting first hand knowledge of all their fights and makeups. Not that that was a complete bad thing, but…

Honestly, Lisanna had kinda liked having Bickslow. Not just because he was older or cooler or was into things her friends weren't. It was more than that. She liked how she felt when she was with him.

He made her feel special. More so than anyone else did. He would actually hear every single word she said, would actually respond to it. Wouldn't blow her off like Mirajane and Elfman. Or only half listen like Natsu.

Bickslow cared. Or at least he had. Now that she had gone and walked out on him after he kissed her, Lisanna figured that portion of their friendship was over. If it would even be a friendship any longer. She always had problems with confronting people. Especially people she was supposed to care about. And she knew that he wouldn't care enough about her to ever do anything to resolve their relationship.

It was dead in the water, she figured.

"Where do you guys wanna eat?" Lucy was asking then, directing the question more towards the other woman than to Natsu. "Because if it's somewhere cheap, Gray will probably tag along too."

"No way," Natsu complained. "I'm tired of Gray. And plus you'll yell at me when I try to fight him."

"If we're in a restaurant? Yeah, Natsu, I will."

"See? You're doing it already."

"We could invite Levy," Lisanna suggested then, mostly just because she didn't want to be left alone with the two of them. "But then she'd invite-"

"Gajeel," Natsu and Happy complained at the same time.

"What's wrong with Gajeel?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing's wrong with Gajeel," Natsu said with a shrug. "If we were going into battle. But going out to eat? He's all bossy. Like you, but worse."

"How am I bos-"

"You are a little," Lisanna said with a giggle when the other woman shot her a look.

"We can't invite Levy or Gajeel," Natsu decided then.

"What about Erza?" Lucy sighed, already defeated. It was impossible almost to find someone in the guildhall that wanted to go out with them. And then they all wanted to be picky about who they took? Come on. "I bet she-"

"Meh."

"Meh?"

"Meh," Natsu repeated.

"Why are we meh towards Erza?" Lisanna asked.

"She keeps hitting us in the head," Happy said, rubbing his own as if in sympathy. "So no Erza."

"No Erza, no Gray, no Levy," the celestial mage complained. "So who exactly do you want me to invite, Natsu?"

"You, Lisanna, and Happy are enough for me," he said. "Aren't I enough for your guys?"

Lisanna only shrugged at Lucy. "It's more fun the less of us there are anyhow."

"I guess so," the blonde said, though she could tell that she wanted some of their other friends to tag along.

After that was all decided, Lisanna thought that they'd go off and do something fun while they waited for her to get off. At least if they had done that, they wouldn't have seen what happened next. Honestly, she figured she'd have preferred that.

It was Bickslow that screwed everything up. Or made it right. Whatever. Either way, when he strode into the guildhall, honestly all she took to doing was wiping down the bar, as if the two of them being able to keep from making eye contact was a viable fix to their problems.

She knew that it could work. After all, they'd gone years without making eye contact.

But no such luck, she realized, as the first place he headed wasn't over to where Freed was happily looking over maps, no doubt planning their next big excursion (they liked to take a lot of small jobs at once in a certain area and get them all along the way). No, Bickslow headed right over to the bar, stopping in between Natsu and Lucy, so that he was right in front of her.

Lifting her eyes to stare at him turned out to be a mistake as it was then that Bickslow reached out to cup her cheeks. Lucy was confused then, as she no doubt thought that he was only going to request a beer or something.

Even in those few second though, Lisanna knew what he was doing. Or at least part of her feared she knew. And she did, as it turned out when not a second later, he was kissing her again.

And gah! If that woman being over in his apartment the day before had been awkward, she didn't know how to describe that moment. Worse was still to come though as, when he pulled away, she was left with the likes of Lucy, whose jaw agape, and Happy, who'd taken to pointing and snickering.

That wasn't the bad part though. It was when Bickslow, whose dolls she noticed were floating around his head, took to standing straight once more and glanced to his side, at Natsu.

"I'm dating Lissy now," he told the Salamander simply. Natsu only blinked before shrugging.

"Okay."

"You are?" Lucy was far more interested. "Lisanna-"

"No," she hissed. "Bickslow, why did you-"

"I'm a little hungover right now, so I really don't want to hear more of your yelling," he said simply before turning to walk away, his babies following. Lucy caught though the little grin he was sporting, even the shadow of his sallet not being able to sheath it.

"Bickslow, get back here!" Lisanna was quick to round the bar and head after him. Natsu just frowned as Happy snickered.

"What was that all about, Luce?"

"I dunno," she said, though she was grinning too. "But I think Lisanna has a boyfriend."

"Huh." He glanced over at Bickslow, who was heading out of the guildhall with Lisanna hot on his trail. "I don't see it."

"They're in love," Happy sang as Lucy only rolled her eyes and got to her feet.

"I better go tell Mirajane that she needs to get up here and man the bar," she said as Natsu took to shaking his head.

"Lisanna's so weird these days," he complained to Happy as he only jumped off the bar before taking to the air just so he could rest atop Natsu's head. "It's like we don't even know her anymore."

"I like her," he said. "This is her."

"I do too," Natsu said before laughing. "Of course I do. Lisanna's our best friend."

"The best!"

At the moment though, their best friend was having a none too fun argument with her best friend.

"-do that, Bickslow?"

"Because," he grumbled as she only took his arm and drug him over to side of the building, away from everyone. "I'm tired, Lisanna, of being second best to every fucking body else. Look! The Salamander didn't care. He doesn't want you."

"Oh? And you do?"

"I thought I made that pretty damn obvious!"

The sun was setting then and she hoped the shade of the building was hiding her blush. She had a feeling though that it was prominent.

"I don't want to… You just sleep around with, like, everyone. I'm not into that. So just-"

"I want to date you, Lisanna. And I know that you want me too."

"I do not! I-"

"And you can have the Salamander," he told her. "As soon as he and the stupid blonde one break up, you can have your go. But-"

"Stop yelling," she hissed, glancing around. "Anyone could hear-"

"As if they don't already know!"

"Bickslow-"

He was letting out a short huff of a breath then before saying, "I'm offering, Lisanna, for the two of us to date. It's a one time offer too. And you know that you want to take it. So here's your chance."

"Here's your chance," the babies pleaded, coming to float more around her than him then. "Lissy."

"I don't…"

"Fine." He turned then, to walk away. "Forget it. You can go back to pining after- Lisanna."

She caught him round the middle then, resting her head against his back as she held on, afraid to slacken her grip. Afraid he'd go. And that she would lose her chance.

"I like you," she whispered against the fabric of his shirt.

"I know, kid."

"And I don't want things to change."

"They will, Lissy. But for the better. Promise."

She swallowed then before saying, "I've never…dated a guy before."

"Never?"

"Never."

He laughed then, slightly. "You're in luck. I hear I'm the best first date."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"From who?"

"Babies," he prompted before they all chanted at the same time,

"Papa's the best first date."

She hated how much she giggled. He was so corny and stupid and…and…

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe.

The two mages just stared across at one another, a doorway between them, as the female one contemplated just closing the door in the male's face.

Then he spoke.

"How are you?"

"Gee, Elfman, I dunno. I have some sort of thing growing my stomach that won't let me keep any food down and restricts me from drinking. How do you-"

"Then you haven't gotten rid of-"

"Of course not, stupid."

He didn't like when she called him stupid, but at that moment, it almost seemed like a term of endearment.

Almost.

"Well," he said slowly. "Can I-"

"Come in," Ever groaned as she stepped to the side and allowed him entrance to her apartment. "You know that you were anyhow."

He took his shoes off, the second he stepped foot into her place, out of habit. Evergreen only went to reclaim her spot at the couch.

"So," Elfman began slowly as he went to join her. "Am I…in trouble? Or-"

"What?"

"You won't talk to me, Ever. You won't answer the door. And Bickslow and Freed both say-"

"You spoke to Bickslow and Freed? Behind my back?"

"You were talking to Mira behind my back!"

"That little snake," Evergreen grumbled, making a face at her. "I told you I couldn't trust her."

He blinked. "Are you serious right now?"

"Well."

"Ever," he complained. "Mirajane was just-"

"Do you really want to talk about your demented sister right now?"

"I don't know what I want to talk about," he said. "Or what I'm allowed to talk about. I mean…are we going to do this? Or-"

"You blew up at me when I suggested we weren't, so I thought-"

"Well, I want to," he said then, nodding his head slightly as she only rolled her eyes.

"Elfman-"

"I do. And I want you to want it too," he said, turning his head to stare at her. She was as far away from him as she could get on her tiny couch. He took up a good chunk of it, after all.

"I don't… You know that I never wanted a baby, Elfman."

"Then we won't have another," he decided then for the both of him. "This one will be a fluke. And if you dislike him so much, then he can come stay with me and Lisanna at-"

"Oh, what? You thought that it was staying here?'

"Well, I sorta figured," he said, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "I mean, don't mothers have to…you know."

"I know what?"

He blushed, laughing slightly. "You gotta feed it."

She blinked. Then she rolled her eyes. "Great. I'm pregnant by a guy who still giggles at-"

"I was only saying," he complained. "Plus, I figured you'd want it near you. Don't mothers, like, want their kids close? I figured."

"Elfman-"

"And I'll come stay with you too. Here." Then he grinned. "Or, you know, you were wanting me to keep that house. We could all move in there! We could have Mira's old room and the baby could have my room and Lisanna could help out and…and…and why don't you look excited about this?"

She only leaned forwards there on the couch, staring straight ahead. "Because, Elfman, this isn't appealing to me. At all."

"But-"

"I'm sorry," she told him. "But the thought of having this…thing doesn't make me feel all mushy inside. Or maternal. Because I'm not. At all. It's just not something I think I can be. I-"

"Yeah, but think about this, Ever," he said then. "Don't babies, like, need lots of stuff?"

"Well, duh, I mean-"

"And you like buying stuff, huh? So you could buy the baby stuff!"

She gave him a glance. "Are you serious right now? You think a shopping spree is going to be the selling point that gets me sold on the idea of having a baby?"

His grin fell some. "Ever, I'm trying here, okay? You think that I'm not scared too? I-"

"I'm not scared," she told him then, her voice not wavering in the slightest. "I'm not, Elfman. Why would I be? It's just a damn child. What would I be scared about?"

"I don't know about you," he began. "But I'm afraid of a lot of things. Mostly things that I've never done before. And I've never done this, obviously, so it's a little frightening to me. I mean, I don't know nothing about babies. I-"

"Then see? How are we supposed to be able to do this if neither of us knows how-"

"I didn't know how to be in a relationship either," he pointed out, glancing over at her then. "Before you. And look. I mean, we have some rocky points, but who doesn't? I love you and you love me. And I know that we wouldn't be perfect parents, but there ain't no one that expects us to be. I'd love the baby and he'd love me. And you'd be just the same."

She turned to glance at him then. "Elfman, I just-"

"It's okay to be scared." He turned to face her then too, having to grab her chin in his hands to keep her from turning way from him. "It is, Ever. It happens to the best of us. You think that Laxus doesn't get scared?"

"You-"

"Because I know that he does. He was scared too, when that woman first dropped Nathan off. Scared because he thought he couldn't be a father. Scared because he didn't know what to do. But you know what? He and Mirajane got through it. Together. And now you're Laxus, which I know that you just love, and I'm Mirajane. Let me help you through this."

They were just sitting there, staring at one another, when suddenly, they weren't. He didn't remember trying to kiss her and he knew there was no way that she would try to kiss him, not in that moment at least, but somehow, they found themselves intertwined. Which wasn't so odd for the two of them. It had been a long past few days.

"I'll take care of you, Ever," he whispered when they parted. Her head was bowed and his lips found their way then to her forehead, which he pressed a kiss to. "I always have. Now give me a chance to take care of our baby too."

When she lifted her head, their eyes locked and he only grinned at her slightly. Though she didn't match it, she also didn't push him away, which was a good sign.

It was a very good sign.

"I need…you," she whispered, as if making an admission more to herself. "These past few days without you-"

"Yeah, I know. I need you too."

Swallowing, she added, "Besides, how else could our kid be a man? Without you?"

He grinned, it falling slightly for a moment. "But…what if we have a girl?"

She looked off then, turning away from him. "So long as she's not a snake like your sister-"

"Ever," he groaned.

"Well."

But he was smiling. Because he knew that it wouldn't be smooth by any account, but they were on the path to being parents.

He didn't think he'd ever been more excited in his life.

"But Lisanna's not getting that damn house," Evergreen told him then. "You hear me?"

"Yeah," he said as his grin spread across his face once more. "I hear you."

A few weeks later had Laxus rather nervous. Mirajane had been dropping hints about their anniversary, but had yet to give him a solid date on what she considered it to be. Was it the first time they hooked up? Or the day after? Or…or…or…

Freed gave him a definite date for the night they first slept together. Which Laxus, of course, found a little odd, but Freed reasoned that he just remembered the date for the sole fact that it had been when he babysat Nate that time. When the boy was sick. And although Laxus still found it quite odd, he was only thankful.

"So you see, buddy?" he found himself saying to Nathan that morning as they woke up early, him having to slip out of bed slowly as not to wake Mirajane before going to get Nathan. He was still sleepy, but was always down for breakfast, which is what Laxus told him they were making. "Today's pretty dang important to the demon. 'cause she's a woman and stuff."

"Mira."

"Uh-huh," Laxus said. "But remember what I told you to call her today?"

Nathan, who was standing at his father's side, watching him scramble eggs, nodded his head slightly. They'd gone over that the night before, when Mirajane was up at the guildhall working.

Though he didn't like it, the toddler had come to realize that sometimes, Mira wasn't there to put him to bed. She had to work. Bleh. She didn't seem to like it either, but what could the two of them do? Laxus said that they could all blame Gramps for that, but Nathan rather liked the old man; he was funny. So he chose to just blame Laxus.

He blamed him for everything.

"Hey, Nate?"

"Story," the little boy had complained as Laxus, who was laying (uncomfortably) in the boy's toddler bed with him, stopped reading the bedtime story and instead took to talking. "Now."

"Nathan-"

"Now!"

"I wanna talk to you, buddy," he complained. "We'll finish."

Nathan didn't wanna talk! He wanted to see more pictures and hear more story and then whine and cry until Laxus read him another one.

It was usually how nights with out Mirajane went down.

Did it need to be stated that he liked her best? Because he did. Laxus was annoying.

"No."

"It's about Mira."

Nathan glanced up at the man, whose lap he was sitting in. "Mira? Home?"

"She isn't home yet, buddy. You'll see her tomorrow morning. Promise," Laxus said as the boy only went back to staring at his book, waiting for Laxus to turn the page. "I said I just wanna talk about her. I mean, you love Mirajane, huh?"

"Yes!" That was one thing that he would never deny. Mirajane was great. "Love Mira."

"You do, huh?"

"Yes."

Laxus paused then before slowly saying, "Do you remember…before you came to stay with me and Mirajane?"

The boy frowned, not understanding his words. "Laxus, read."

"I will, Nate, but tell me," he went on. "Do you remember before me and Mirajane? Huh? Do you remember…Mommy?"

He glanced up at his father, just staring at him before going back to his book, seemingly unbothered by his words. A year was a long time, after all, for a three year old. Laxus thought, maybe, there might be something in there.

"Come on, buddy. You have to remember Mommy, don't you?"

"Mommy," he repeated. "Mommy bear, daddy bear, baby bear."

"Not a story, Nate."

"Story, Laxus."

With a sigh, he gave up. "Well, anyhow, if you remember or not isn't that big of a deal. Because she's not ever coming back, it looks like."

Laxus did this sometimes. He would just talk and talk and talk. Mira did it too. Nathan figured it was a grownup thing. He liked to hear himself talk too. And sing. They must like to too.

"And…and you know how Mirajane doesn't let me call you Laxus anymore?"

"Daddy," he responded, glancing up at the man. "Laxus?"

"That's right," he said, nodding his head. "I'm your…daddy."

It still felt odd on his tongue, truthfully.

"Daddy." Nate wasn't deterred from his true goal. Reaching out, he patted the book his father was holding. "Read!"

Laxus only ignored that though as he looked straight ahead then, at the wall in front of the boy's bed. He wanted to put a little bookcase against it, so Nate his own little space for his books.

And so he got his own bookcase back.

"I did a lot of bad things, Nate, before you, Even after you." He was speaking slowly then, softly. Nathan just wished he'd hurry his little speech up. They were in the middle of a story. He had to know if the puppy got back home or not. "And you were one of 'em. Err, well, I guess… I don't ever want you to know that. To feel that way. The way I feel about… I don't want that for you.

"So… Mirajane's the closet I've ever been with a woman. She's… I didn't think I'd ever feel this way. I never wanted to feel this way. But now? Now I can't help it. Because I do. I do feel like this. And I ain't ever letting it go. I can't. I love her, buddy."

"Love Mira," Nate agreed. Maybe agreeing with the guy would help him along. At least the toddler hoped so. "Love Mira lots."

"Yeah. We both do, don't we?" Laxus leaned down to nuzzle the toddler's head making Nathan giggle. "And that's why I'mma ask her to be your mommy. But…first I need you to want that. Do you want Mirajane to be your mommy? Huh? You can call her that and…well, it probably won't mean a lot to you. It's just a word. She'll do all the same stuff, of course, that she does already, but, well, it'll just make her feel good to hear it. Can you say that word?"

"Mommy." Of course. He and Mirajane talked about mommies all the time. Like how some of his stuffed animals were mommies to the other ones. Or how Bisca was Asuka's mommy. And sometimes, when she was really tired and they'd run out off books to reread, she'd tell him about her mommy and how much she loved her.

Did he mention that he loved Mirajane? 'cause he did.

"I want you to call Mirajane that now, okay? It'll make her really happy if you did. And don't you wanna make Mira happy?"

Always. Unless her being happy interfered with one of his plans. Like covering the doggy with his finger paints. Or tracking his muddy shoes on the carpet because he liked to leave footprints. Other than that, he was pretty down with making the woman happy.

She was, after all, the best person in the whole wide world.

"Yes," Nathan told his father. "Yes, Laxus."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Yes, Daddy," he corrected. "Yes."

"Then can you do it? Huh? Tomorrow morning? Can you call Mira mommy?"

"Yes." He nodded his head. Anything for Mira. And then, because he was getting a tad sleepy, he patted his book. "Read, Daddy?"

"Yeah, buddy," the man sighed, though he was still rather tense about the whole thing. "Where were we?"

That was the night before though. And the real show of his son's memory was about to show itself. Because Laxus knew if Mira heard him prompting the kid to call her that, she'd complain that Laxus was coaching him or confusing him. But if Nathan did it all on his own, Laxus figured that Mira would just love it and it'd make her happy and, well, maybe it'd calm her down about that whole baby thing.

Or at least he hoped.

Not to mention, he knew that Mirajane wanted the boy to call him daddy because, well, she wanted him to forget that he at one point didn't know Laxus. Which was smart. But he wanted the same to go for Mirajane. He knew, somewhere deep down that the boy's mother was just gone. The same his was. When women left their kids, they left for life. Or at least that was the woe of being born a Dreyer.

Mira wanted though, he could tell, to be the boy's mother. And he figured, had he not been involved, if he had just let her take him without ever confessing his feelings for her, that Mirajane would have raised him that way.

With him in the picture though, Laxus figured that he complicated things in her mind and muddied the waters. Well, he didn't want he to have to worry about that. Because he knew that eventually, his little demon would wear him down about the baby thing. And how sad would it be for Nate to realize that he wasn't really Mira's son? But another kid was? Then there'd be jealousy and maybe resentment and, well, Laxus just didn't want that.

Plus, he'd be marrying Mirajane eventually. He knew that he would. He'd have to. And…he sorta wanted to. It'd make her Nate's stepmother and, well, what was the point of that? When she was basically his real mother already?

"Mira," Nate told him then. "Mommy."

"That's right. And don't tell her that I said anything about it, huh?"

Well, that command was just too much for the boy. He only took to wrapping his arms around Laxus' leg and whining about being hungry.

"I know it's early, buddy," Laxus sighed. "But Mirajane gets up before dawn. We had to beat that out."

The dog, who slept in Nathan's room with him, had followed them into the kitchen only to collapse on the kitchen floor with a sigh. It was even too early for him.

Laxus heard it too, only a few minutes later, when Mirajane got up. His dragon senses helped in that department. He heard her go into the master bathroom and close the door behind her.

She must have thought that he'd gone off training or something. Snicker.

Nathan had taken to playing with the magnets on the fridge, another favorite thing of his. He liked to make anything and everything a toy. Sometimes, when he got stuck with Makarov in the man's office at the guild, he'd make papers a playmate.

He had quite the imagination, Mirajane said. Laxus just called him annoying.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" Mirajane yawned later as she came into the kitchen to find them there. Laxus was finished up with her breakfast and only turned to go put it on the table. "Oh, wow, Laxus, you-"

She was close enough then that he only had to reach out and grab her, pulling her close to him with one hand after setting the plate down. Pressing a kiss against her down bangs (she hadn't had a chance to put them up yet), he only whispered, "Happy anniversary."

And Mirajane grinned at him and he allowed a little smirk to slip pass his usual guard. Nathan, seeing that Mira was up and totally ignoring him, rushed over to remedy this.

"Me," he complained, holding out his arms to her. "Mira!"

Laxus frowned, glancing down at the kid. Had they not just gone over-

"Oh, Nate." Mirajane pushed away from him then, so that she could lean down and pick up the man's son. "You're helping Daddy-"

"Mommy." He wrapped his arms around her neck, snuggling up close to her. "S'eepy. Hun'gy."

Mirajane, for some reason, frowned at that. "Did you say mommy?"

Laxus wasn't expecting that. Nathan only tilted his head up to stare at her.

"Mommy," he repeated before resting his face aginast her neck once more. "Mommy."

"Oh, Laxus," Mirajane sighed, bouncing the child slightly. "He wants his mother. What do you think made him remember? I mean, do you think we did something? What are we-"

"Uh, demon?"

"Hmmmm?" She was going to take a seat then, letting the child sit in her lap. And, seeing as Mirajane always said that he came first, Nathan only turned to help himself to her breakfast, going for the bacon first.

"I think," Laxus said slowly, just staring at her. How was it that Mirajane always managed to foil his plans? Huh? "I think that he's calling you that, babe. Not asking for her. Aren't you, Nate?"

"What? Why would he-"

"Mommy." Nathan turned then, holding out a piece of bacon to Mirajane. He knew how to share. With her anyways. And the doggy. "Hung'y?"

She blinked. "Nathan, I… I'm Mira."

"Mira." He kept trying to shove that bacon in her mouth. "Hung'y?"

"No, Nate," Laxus growled softly. "You wanna call her something different now, don't you?"

"Mommy." She finally accepted his offer of food, but he only went back to the plate to get her more. "Hung'y?"

"Laxus." Mirajane looked to him, frowning. "Why is he suddenly-"

"I don't know, Mira. Why do you always blame me for stuff? Sheesh."

"Did you-"

"No."

"Don't lie to me."

"I-"

"Mommy.' Nathan fed Mirajane what he had in his hand before going back to get some more for himself. He'd only share so much, after all.

"Nathan," Mira sighed, looking at the little boy then who was stuffing his face. "Why are you calling me mommy?"

Shit. Laxus knew he was caught then. But the boy only glanced up at his name.

"Mommy bear, daddy bear, baby bear." Then he giggled and went back to his food. The kid's thoughts were always so scrambled that sometimes Laxus didn't even understand him.

Mirajane seemed to think that she did though for some reason.

"Awe." She snuggled him close, which Nathan didn't hate, but he was kinda trying to eat. You'd think the woman would be a little more considerate. "Is that why, Nathan? Because you know that you're the baby and think that me and Laxus are the mommy and daddy?"

"Yes," he whined, though he was just doing that so she'd let him go back to his breakfast. Honestly, he wanted to go back to sleep too. "Mommy."

When Laxus came back to the table with his own plate of food, he found Mirajane almost in tears. She always cried though, at the dumbest of things, so he only smiled slightly.

"He loves you, Mirajane," he said with a slight shrug. "And so do I. You are his mommy. So why make things all complicated?"

She sat there for a moment, silent, before saying, "Laxus?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm gonna need another plate."

"Nate," Laxus groaned as the little boy only glanced up at him with a giggle. "Did you steal Mira's food?"

"Mommy," he reminded his father. And Laxus couldn't help, but to smile as he slowly got to his feet.

Mommy.

"Is there more to this?" Mirajane asked then, slowly, as Laxus came to bring her a plate as well as a cup of coffee before going to get Nathan some juice. "Or was this your big anniversary thing?"

"Oh, no, demon. You kiddin'? I mean, I know you work until the afternoon, but when you get off, we're going somewhere real nice. Just me and you."

"Whose going to babysit?"

"Your sister and Bickslow," he said with a shrug. "You know how agreeable the two of them have been, recently."

"It's because they're in love."

"Shut up, demon."

"They are."

"Bickslow told me himself, back when they first started hanging out, that it was just that. Hanging out. So-"

"Mmmm, I dunno, Laxus. I heard that they kissed."

"Ew."

"Laxus."

He only went to take his seat once more. "I can't see that. Them together. At all."

"And you know how many people can't see us together?"

"Idiots," he said with a shake of his head. "I mean, who couldn't picture this? We're the best family ever."

She only leaned down to nuzzle Nathan's head as he giggled. Laxus was right.

They were the best family ever. Weren't they?

The next one's the last one.