A large, old tome was lying flat on Erza and Mira's dining room table as the two hunched over it, intently reading what was written on the page. Mira was irritably tapping her finger against the hard wood of the table as she tried to decipher the text before her. Erza, on the other hand, seemed to at least half understand what was being said, though Mira would be lying if she said that it didn't make her feel better every time she heard Erza mutter 'no, that's not right' under her breath.
"I thought it'd be easier with the notes that Levy gave us, but…" Mira sighed, glaring at the small piece of paper that rested on the table beside the tome.
"She just gave us how to cast the enchantment." Erza replied, gesturing to the paper. "The book has much more information, though. If we cast the spell without deciphering the rest of the text, there's no telling who would be affected."
Mira nodded before grinning. "Can you imagine if Elfman or Natsu were affected?"
Erza cracked a small smile and shook her head. "I doubt it'd be pretty."
"Does it really matter who the spell affects? I mean we both want to cast it, right?"
"Of course it matters." Erza replied calmly. "If we don't know which one of us it's supposed to affect, we could very well both be affected. I'm not sure either of us want that."
Mira sighed.
"Though if you're getting impatient, I suppose we could try right now."
Mira grinned and nodded.
.
Mira had never thought that she would ever be met with the sounds of Erza Scarlet-Strauss vomiting in the bathroom, let alone hearing her vomiting every morning for the past two and a half months. With a deep sigh, Mira climbed out of bed and quickly padded into the bathroom, frowning at the sight of her wife hunched over the toilet and retching. Kneeling beside the redhead, Mira gathered Erza's hair and held it back for her.
"I guess asking how you feel is out of the question…" Mira said with a dry chuckle.
Erza replied with a withering glare before turning back to the toilet and coughing up another mouthful of bile.
"I figured as much." Mira sighed, gently rubbing Erza's back when she finally fell back onto her heels.
"Do you know when this will end?" Erza groaned, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.
Mira hummed and stood up, filling the glass on the bathroom counter with some cold water before answering. "From what I've heard… on average… it lasts three months at the most, so I suppose you're almost done…"
"On average." Erza scoffed, accepting the water and taking a sip before spitting it into the toilet.
"Maybe this will be the instance where you're actually average for once, Erza!" Mira grinned, flushing the toilet and helping Erza up.
"You're teasing me, aren't you?" Erza sighed, resting her head on the wall beside her.
"Only a little." Mira pecked Erza on the cheek and took her hand in her own. "Come on, I'll make you some breakfast."
"It'll be a waste." Erza grumbled, gently touching her abdomen. "This parasite won't allow me to properly digest my food."
"Don't call our unborn child a parasite." Mira sighed, leading Erza into the kitchen area and having her sit at the breakfast nook.
"What do you call a creature that lives within another and feeds off of its nutrients?"
"I…" Mira paused, turning to her wife with a frown. "You…"
Erza raised an eyebrow at Mira.
"Babies are not parasites!" Mira exclaimed after a moment.
Erza smirked.
With a huff, Mira turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs and the bread that Erza insisted on keeping in there. She prepared breakfast in silence, listening closely to any signs that Erza was going to be sick again. Every few moments, she'd turn and glance at the redhead, who was now resting her head on the counter and looking thoroughly miserable. Despite feeling this way for nearly three months, Erza still wasn't used to being ill.
"Breakfast is served!" Mira grinned, setting a plate in front of her wife.
"Thank you, Mirajane." Erza replied, heaving her head off the table and taking a bite of her eggs. "They're delicious, as always." For some reason eggs were the only thing Erza was able to keep down.
Mira leaned forward and kissed Erza's forehead. "I guess the baby likes eggs."
"The parasite is soothed by unborn chickens."
"You are so strange!"
.
Erza groaned and glared at her protruding stomach. It was not only irritating to look at, but it made nearly all of her clothes impossible to wear, leaving her to wear large, ugly sweaters that Mira had provided for her. She was almost entirely positive that they had belonged to Elfman at some point in time. Not to mention the absolute hell she went through trying to move around.
"I want this monstrosity out of me." Erza groaned, jabbing her stomach with her finger. "I can't stand being pregnant anymore."
"You couldn't stand being pregnant the moment you conceived." Mira hummed from the kitchen.
"Has it really been that long?" Erza muttered, watching as Mira came over to the sofa and pressed her hands against her stomach.
"I do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Mira asked jumping a little when she felt the baby kick. "Did you feel that!?"
"Of course I did, it's inside my body." Erza replied, smirking at the scowl that Mira sent her.
"I think they're gonna be strong, just like you." Mira said quietly.
"I don't know, the baby seems to turn into a demon from time to time."
Mira let out a dry bark of a laugh and sat down beside Erza on the sofa, not removing her hand.
"I hope the baby turns out to be like you." Erza continued quietly. "I'd be lucky if our child was like you."
Mira's cheeks went slightly pink and she looked away. "Don't flatter me."
They were silent for a while as Mira continued to try and feel the baby kicking. She rested her head on Erza's stomach, reveling in the feeling of Erza's steady breathing. If Erza minded, she certainly didn't say anything about it.
"You're so amazing." Mira found herself mumbling as she sat up and looked Erza in the eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Erza's brow was furrowed.
"Do you not understand that you're carrying a life within you?"
"Yes, but you're capable of doing so as well."
Mira laughed and kissed Erza's forehead before helping her sit up.
"You're also capable of sitting up on your own." Erza huffed, awkwardly crossing her arms and glaring at Mira.
"You know, most heavily pregnant women are worried about looking fat." Mira grinned, watching as Erza let out a bark of a laugh.
"Why would I think that I'm fat?" Erza asked, poking her protruding stomach.
"Some women gain a lot of weight with pregnancy."
"Did they read that it's perfectly normal to gain thirty pounds with their pregnancy?"
"Probably not."
"Do they know that they're supposed to exercise while pregnant?"
"I guess not."
Erza hummed.
"You're so strange."
.
Erza had heard that childbirth was one of the worst pains a human could experience. Those people obviously had never half-digested by a hydra before, but Erza did admit that the sensation was not particularly pleasant. Despite how unimpressed she was with the pain, Erza would admit that giving birth was a mildly exhausting endeavor.
Mira pushed Erza's bangs out of her face before kissing her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."
"That's puzzling." Erza sighed, sitting up completely. "I've done more strenuous and painful things in my life." She paused. "A few of those things happened to be your doing as well."
Their son was asleep in the basinet that the hospital had provided. He was smaller than he should be, but according to the nurses, it wasn't a bad thing. There was a small tuft of light red hair on the top of his head, and from what Mira could tell when he was awake, he'd inherited Erza's brown eyes as well.
"He's going to look like you when he grows up." Mira smiled.
"How can you tell?" Erza replied calmly.
"Are you doubting your wife?"
"No. I'm just asking for-"
Erza was unable to finish her sentence due to the door being thrown open by Natsu, who wore a large grin on his face. Following closely behind him were Happy, Elfman, Lucy, Gray, and Mira was sure that she could see Juvia right behind Gray. Elfman noticed the baby sleeping in his basinet and quickly covered Natsu's mouth before whispering loudly in the smaller man's ear.
"THE BABY IS ASLEEP! A REAL MAN WOULDN'T WAKE THAT BABY!" He whispered angrily.
"Hi everyone!" Mira grinned as they all awkwardly hovered around the baby. "He should be awake in a few minutes, we put him down a couple hours ago."
"What'd ya guys name him?" Natsu asked, sticking his face in the basinet to get a close look at the baby.
"We haven't given him a name yet." Erza sighed, looking over to the baby.
"All of the names I've thought of were for little girls." Mira added.
"I think Natsu is a good name." Natsu replied, taking a sniff of the baby.
"God, you're so weird." Gray groaned, flopping into a chair near the door. "Why are you sniffing the baby?"
"In case he gets lost!" Natsu snapped, grinning when the baby opened his eyes. "He's awake! Can I hold im?"
Erza and Mira silently shared a look before Mira plastered a smile on her face.
"Actually, we thought that Uncle Elf would wanna hold him." She said, her voice shaking slightly.
Lucy, Gray, and Happy visibly calmed at Mira's words, while Elfman delicately took the baby in his hands and held him gently. Natsu groaned and flopped into the chair beside Mira's, looking over at Erza curiously.
"Yes?" Erza raised an eyebrow.
"When do you think you'll get back to work at the guild?" Natsu asked, causing the others to look toward Erza curiously. "I mean you're one of the strongest wizards in the guild and we could really use you back. Especially since I need to have another rematch! I can't fight you if you're still exhausted from… baby… holding!"
"She'll be back as soon as she can." Mira grinned, putting a hand on Erza's shoulder. "But it should be a few weeks before she can spar with you again, she has to get in fighting shape again!"
"Alright!" Natsu pumped his fist. "Don't expect me to go easy on ya, either!"
"I could say the same to you." Erza replied, watching as Elfman handed the baby over to Lucy. "We really need to name him."
"I thought we agreed on Natsu." Natsu muttered.
"Or Happy!" Happy piped up, hovering over the baby and poking his cheeks.
"It'd just be confusing to name him after you both." Mira replied, holding out her arm for the baby.
"Here." Lucy handed him over with a smile. "And you should name him something that means something to the both of you. Something special."
Mira hummed and looked at the baby's face. "Do you remember what you told me a long time ago? About what happened in the Tower of Heaven?"
"Of course I do." Erza replied, furrowing her brow.
"And how you were almost killed."
"Yes."
"What was the name of the man who shielded you?"
"Simon. His name was Simon."
"I like that name." Mira said quietly. "Simon. Simon Scarlet-Strauss."
"Triple S!" Natsu exclaimed, only for Gray to hush him angrily. "Like the type of jobs that he'll take when he grows up!"
"Who's to say he'll even be a wizard?" Lucy asked, looking at the baby.
"When his parents are the two youngest wizards in our guild to reach S-rank, there's no way the kid WON'T be a wizard." Gray replied with a grin.
"He'll be stronger than us all when he gets older." Elfman said gently prodding the baby's cheek.
"I wonder what kind of magic he'll use." Erza murmured.
"I'll teach him to be a dragon slayer if he wants!" Natsu grinned, holding his arms out. "Can I hold Simon now?!"
"Of course." Erza smiled, watching as Mira instructed Natsu on how to hold the baby.
"I can feel how strong he's gonna be!" Natsu exclaimed, he was vibrating with joy now. "You're gonna be the strongest wizard in the whole guild! And I'm gonna teach you lots and lots of cool magic! You're even gonna be the master of the guild when you're old and gross like Gramps!"
"And I'm gonna let you fly with me, too!" Happy added.
"Speaking of the Master…" Mira turned to Gray. "Did you hear when the others plan on coming?"
"They're waiting in the lobby." Gray shrugged, gesturing to the door. "Juvia went to go tell them that Simon's awake."
"So that means…" Mira's face paled.
"Everyone is coming up here now?" Erza's eyes widened.
"I don't think the room is big enough."