It was past midnight, two days after he had left, when he finally arrived back home. His coat was hung silently on the coat rack by the door, his shoes slipped on the shoe shelf, and bag dropped off on a stool by the sofa. Mira was sitting in one of the armchairs by the fireplace, staring at him silently as if his return was nothing to celebrate, as if him coming back home after being missing again for two days was of no consequence. Her little hands were wrapped around a mug of chamomile tea. Her hair was let down and she was in pajama shorts and her bathrobe and slippers. Her eyes followed him until he dropped, like dead weight, onto the couch. He was bruised and scratched up, but nothing serious as far as she could tell. She was the first to break the silence.

"Where were you, Laxus?"

Laxus closed his eyes, dropping his head back against the cushions, "A job."

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going?" Mira whispered, her hands were shaking. She was afraid her tea would slosh out and burn her, but she didn't dare move to set it down. She was too angry.

"It was just a little thing. Didn't think I'd be gone too long. I got back just about when I expected I would."

"Where was it?"

"Are you just not going to let me sleep, woman?" He was irritated, she had been able to tell the moment he walked in.

"Well, did it go well?" She said, her voice rising. She couldn't contain herself for much longer.

"What does it matter?!" Laxus snapped, head jerking upright, eyes flashing open.

"I want to know if your little excursion was worth all of my panic!" Mira said, her voice rising to a shout.

"Panic? What the hell are you going on about?"

"You leave without telling me, your wife, and what am I supposed to do?! I worry, Laxus! I really worry! You've done this too many times now!" She was standing now, her tea violently set down on the end table, her hands balled into fists.

"I'm a grown man," Laxus snapped, slowly rising to his feet and towering over her, "I'm a dragon slayer. I think I can handle a tiny job, Mira!"

"I doesn't matter! I still get sick to my stomach thinking about it? Don't you worry about me when I go out? Can't you understand what I might be going through?" She pushed him hard in his chest, but it made her feel even more nauseous.

"Of course, I worry about you! That's why I do these stupid jobs! I want to be able to support both of us!"

"I can support myself," Mira hissed, "I don't need your help, and I never have."

"Oh, okay, right," Laxus said, raising up his hands in mock surrender, "Mirajane, who never takes a job, can take care of herself."

"You're horrible!" She shouted, involuntary tears trickling down her cheeks, "I've worked hard! I was there for Lisanna and Elfman, and you were only ever there for yourself!"

Laxus leaned over her, lightning dancing across his clenched teeth, "I was there for you because I fell in love with you!" He growled, "Why the fuck does it matter where I've gone if it's for the sake of that?"

"Because you're going to be a father!" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them, and the moment they were free and hanging in the air like stars in the sky she felt a weight lift off her shoulders and she burst into tears. "Because, Laxus, I'm… pregnant." His demeanor changed instantly, the lightning and the coldness in his eyes vanished and were instantly replaced with shock. He stood up straight, like he had been struck by lightning and it rooted him to the spot.

"W-what?"

"I worry, Laxus. I worry so much. I don't want our baby to grow up with a father who… who leaves for no reason. Who knows when he'll be back? I don't want our baby to grow up looking up at you with nothing more than…." She choked on her sobs, wiping away tears with her hands, "…disappointment." The words hit Laxus hard, and shook him to his very core. I'm going to be a father.

He remembered his father. He had once thought that the man cared about him. Maybe Ivan did, when he was small. At the Grand Magic Games, though, Laxus saw nothing but darkness, hate, and lack of emotion in those eyes. I'm going to be a father. But he would never be a father like Ivan.

Now, standing in front of his wife, like the fool he was, he bit his lip until he tasted blood. He hated himself. Everything that he said to her in the last few moments was locked in his memories, but he wanted nothing more to scrub those words out of existence.

"M-Mira," he whispered, his arms trembling. "I… I'm so sorry." She was still crying, but the moment the words came out of his mouth she fell into his arms, as if she had already decided—before he had ever even said anything awful—that she forgave him.

They held each other for a few moments, before Laxus helped his shaking wife sit down. He carefully handed her the tea she had set aside. Then, sitting down and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, he asked her to start at the beginning.

"I guessed that I might be pregnant a week ago," she said, a smile touching her lips, a tear caught in her dimple. "I wanted to tell you right away, but I wanted to be sure, so I scheduled an appointment and the doctor confirmed it. I… I was planning on telling you as soon as you got home from the guild, Friday night, but you never came home…"

"That's never going to happen again," Laxus snapped, though he was only really angry with himself, "Ever. I'm going to be here for you, and our kid, whenever he decides to arrive." Mira's smile reassured him, and he felt a little better.

"What makes you so sure it's a boy?" She giggled, "What if we have a little daughter?" She brought her free hand to her lower abdomen, and Laxus laughed.

"Guess we won't know for sure until they decide to make an appearance." After a pause he sighed, "How can you be so quick to forgive, Mira?" He whispered, "I… I'm an idiot."

Mira shook her head, "Because you're my idiot," she said, "No one said this marriage thing was going to be easy. I didn't sign up for easy, Laxus. I married you because I love you. I love you more than anything. Haven't I ever told you that?"

"Maybe once or twice," Laxus said. Mira smiled, and leaned against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

"We should go to bed."

"Mmhmm," Mira set aside her tea, and stood, pulling Laxus up with her. Laxus laughed as she led him down the hall to their bedroom. He thought of his grandfather, back and the guild and shook his head. Wonder how Gramps is gonna react when we tell him the big news. For now, he wanted to keep it to himself, and savor the knowledge that he and his wife had created something more precious than anything the world had to offer.