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jemmahazelnut · 2 years

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Pretending

Summary: Freed and Laxus have to pose as a married couple on a mission, but with Laxus looking uncomfortable, things aren’t going well. [Canon]

Link: AO3

Notes: Prompt: Pretend relationship

Pretending

“What the hell is this?”

Freed jumped at Laxus’ snarl and turned to observe his friend pulling out of the suitcase a... bondage garment? Judging by the amount of strings, it certainly was.

“What the hell! We pretend to be engaged, we will not have sex! What the fuck is going through Bickslow’s head?” Laxus growled red in the face. If Freed hadn’t been as embarrassed, he would have made fun of him, but it was from that morning that he was a bundle of nerves at the idea of having to pretend to be the boyfriend of the man he really had feelings for.

“I don’t even like this stuff! I’ll fucking kill him!” Laxus bellowed growing red as he pulled jars of lubricants and condoms out of the suitcase.

Freed began to laugh, more out of embarrassment and nervousness than anything else and Laxus glared at him.

“What? Is this your and Bickslow’s joke?” he snapped.

“No, I think I’m a victim of this joke as you are,” Freed replied when he managed to calm down, and walked over to the suitcase taking a look at the rest of the things Bickslow had put inside. Not many other items thankfully. “Forget it, Bickslow is an idiot, we should have expected it given how much he smiled as he packed our suitcase.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll kill him anyway,” Laxus grunted. “Bastard” he muttered closing the suitcase and slipping it badly into the closet.

Freed just smiled, slightly more relaxed thanks to Laxus’ comedy scene, but when he remembered why he was in a suite with Laxus the smile disappeared. For the duration of the mission, he and Laxus would have to pretend to be a married couple, and convince everyone that they were on their honeymoon.

Freed was no stranger to infiltration missions, and he had actually done undercover missions with Evergreen and Bickslow before. The problem was Laxus. And not just the fact that Laxus didn’t seem happy with the situation, or the fact that undercover missions weren’t his forte, but the fact that Freed was supposed to be his husband.

The husband of the man he had feelings for.

Freed already knew it was going to be a nightmare. He knew it from the start, staying close to Laxus, holding his hand tenderly or whatever they were supposed to do would be too difficult for Freed. He had accepted because he didn’t want to turn down a mission, but now that he was there, he realized he couldn’t do it. Above all, he feared that his friend would really notice his feelings, and that was not the way Freed wanted Laxus to find out. Furthermore, Freed felt that he was taking advantage of his friend who was unaware of it. If Laxus had known about his feelings, he might have changed his mind.

There was nothing good about that mission.

Freed turned to the double bed inside the room. At least they had a free room in a five-star hotel, with a balcony with great views and a jacuzzi.

“How do we do this shit?” Laxus grunted as he sat on the bed and ran his hands through his hair, in a nervous tic Freed knew too well.

“Just stay close, hold hands, stuff like that,” Freed said, trying to stay calm. Laxus was already nervous enough for both of them, so at least he had to take on a professional role.

“It doesn’t seem easy. And what does it mean to be closer? How close? Do we have to lie on the same deck chair? Doing romantic bullshit? Calling us by silly nicknames? And do we have to kiss?” Laxus’ grunts showed more and more annoyance and Freed quickly cut him off.

“It’s not necessary. Couples don’t kiss all the time,” he said as he sat down on the bed.

“Master Bob said we have to be convincing,” Laxus muttered.

“Yeah, but there are other ways to be,” Freed said, not sure if he was trying to calm Laxus more or himself. Besides the fact that he didn’t want to kiss Laxus like that.

“That are?” Laxus snapped.

Freed blinked for a moment. “Well, you know. We hold hands, we try to be a little more physical, sitting side by side, you know how a couple behaves,” he said. Laxus stared at him silently and Freed raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”

“Of course I know, but it’s embarrassing,” Laxus snapped crossing his arms. “I don’t really think I can do that,” he admitted annoyed.

Freed looked at him sympathetically, even he didn’t think he could, but for a completely different reason. If only he could, he would have taken the mission with Bickslow, but Laxus had been specifically requested and Freed doubted Laxus would be comfortable with any other person. Perhaps if he had known about his feelings, Laxus would have preferred to take that mission with Bickslow. Shit, he didn’t have to think about it.

“Okay, we can get used to it now. We have a couple of hours before dinner, let’s decide how to behave” Freed suggested. Planning everything would surely calm Laxus down. And Freed too.

“Shouldn’t we go to the pool? They will wonder what we’re doing,” Laxus murmured.

“Well, they’ll think we’re using the items in the suitcase,” Freed commented. Laxus stared at him in shock and Freed almost wanted to laugh at the expression again. “Okay, sorry, I’m not joking about this anymore,” he hastened to say.

“You better not do it,” Laxus muttered still tense. Freed tried to find a way to ease the situation, and maybe even make it less embarrassing. Apparently joking about the suitcase wasn’t a good move.

“How about we try to act like a couple now?” he asked and Laxus shrugged.

“We have to,” he grumbled as if he wasn’t at all happy with the idea. Freed nodded and sat closer to Laxus, who tensed even more and just stared at the wall in front of him.

“It’s not like we never sat together,” Freed pointed out in a calm voice and Laxus nodded.

“Right,” he snorted and relaxed his shoulders a little. “I’m acting like an idiot.”

“A little, but that’s okay, it’s embarrassing for me too. So, let’s try it now.” Freed smiled and took Laxus’s hand in his. At the contact Laxus tensed again but Freed didn’t let go, instead he squeezed. “It’s not difficult, it’s not like we’ve never touched each other.”

Laxus nodded softly. “Yeah,” he said. “Ok, so that’s enough, right?”

“I wish I could say yes but you’re still too tense, and I don’t want you to light me when I hug you out there,” Freed said, barely holding back a small chuckle that was both nervous and derisive.

Laxus widened his eyes. “Couples don’t hug in public.”

“Relax, and I mean this.” Freed let go of Laxus’ hand and ran his arm around his back getting even closer to him, so that their hips touched. Now Laxus was really a piece of wood and Freed felt his heart beating. Well, such a small contact was already too much for both of them. God, it’s not like they’ve never hugged each other before!

Freed rested his head on Laxus’ shoulder. “Come on, how many group hugs has Bickslow dragged us into?”

Laxus laughed softly. “Too many. Well, I’m officially acting like an idiot.”

“At least I only see you, no one will know that the great God of Thunder is so embarrassing in romantic relationships,” Freed teased with an amused smile.

“Asshole,” Laxus smiled and Freed was pleased to see him relaxed. Then Laxus put an arm around Freed’s waist and hugged him. Freed felt his cheeks heat up. Oh… oh. That was nice. “So, holding hands, hugging each other, what’s the next step?”

“You’re officially terrible in romantic relationships,” Freed laughed to calm the blush that was furiously filling his face.

“You’re not so much better,” Laxus retorted.

“I’m definitely better than you,” Freed retorted, pleased to note that Laxus was relaxing. Freed had also begun to gently caress his friend’s back, and the friend didn’t seem particularly embarrassed. Maybe just a little practice was really enough.

“Yeah, well, just because I don’t like romantic bullshit,” Laxus grunted.

Freed just smiled, and placed a hand on his friend’s knee. The Dragon Slayer tensed at first, but then seemed to relax.

“It’s not difficult, is it?” Freed asked.

“Maybe not,” Laxus muttered, placing a hand in Freed’s hair and starting to move it away from his face. He stopped when Freed looked at him in surprise. “That’s okay, right?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yes,” Freed assured him.

“Good,” Laxus nodded. “You usually hate when someone touches your hair,” he commented and Freed smiled a little. In fact, he did. Laxus, however, was an exception to several of Freed’s rules, if only the Dragon Slayer had known.

“I usually hate it because people touch them to annoy me,” he said and Laxus laughed softly.

“Like that time Bickslow tied them in two pigtails and filled them with pink glitter,” he chuckled and Freed rolled his eyes.

“Please don’t remind me,” he said but Laxus’ laugh only strengthened, and Freed couldn’t help but be amused. At least Laxus was really relaxing.

“You were looking good, you could do it again,” Laxus grinned.

“It’s never going to happen,” Freed said immediately. He’d hated that hairstyle and didn’t even know why he’d let Bickslow touch his hair. He probably had been drunk.

“You know, to pretend we’re married you would have to get your hair done by me,” Laxus continued with a provocative smile and Freed smiled.

“To make me do ridiculous hairstyles? No, thank you”.

“You should have more faith in me, Freed. I’m your husband.”

Freed ignored the increased heartbeat of the word ‘husband’ and smiled broadly. “Oh darling, I totally trust you on a lot of things but you won’t style my hair anyway.”

In half a second, Laxus’ expression fell.

“Darling?” he asked with wide eyes and burning cheeks and Freed looked at him in surprise for two seconds. Then he started laughing, loud. He’d never seen Laxus look so shocked, and knowing it was just because he’d called him ‘darling’ was hilarious.

Laxus recovered shortly after, and annoyed gave Freed a hard shove, knocking him out of bed. Which didn’t stop Freed from laughing even harder as he sat up with tears in his eyes. Laxus glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed.

“We’re done,” he growled.

“God, sorry, it’s just… you get really easily agitated,” Freed said with the giggles that still prevented him from speaking normally.

“You called me... forget it, I’m going to take a shower,” Laxus snapped and practically ran into the bathroom, locking himself inside.

Freed got up and sat back on the bed, hoping he hadn’t pushed Laxus too hard. But he didn’t think he had done it, he knew his friend enough to know that after the shower Laxus would be better and Freed would never raise the subject again. Though Laxus’s face when he called him darling had been epic.

Freed chuckled again, and lay back on the bed staring at the ceiling above him and thinking about the mission and how they should act. It wasn’t difficult, they just had to talk to people and get information, look for the wizard who had started targeting the couples who frequented that hotel and throw him in jail. And now Freed was also pretty convinced they could play a couple, he just had to give Laxus some time.

And maybe avoid calling him darling again.

Freed smiled slightly and rolled over on his stomach, wondering only if it was okay to do that mission when he clearly had feelings for Laxus. Maybe Freed should have told his friend about it, he didn’t like the idea of taking advantage of him, but he was sure that doing it before the mission would only make things more embarrassing. And anyway, it’s not like Freed was pushing Laxus’ limits, he sure wasn’t going to kiss him, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Freed glanced at the Lacrima, undecided whether or not to call Bickslow for advice, but before he could, he heard the bathroom door open behind him.

“This is the first time I’ve found a really comfortable tub,” Laxus said.

“Did you have time to take a bath?” Freed asked.

“Nah, I just stretched out for a moment.” Freed felt the mattress bend and looked up, but he didn’t have time to turn around when he felt Laxus stretch out on top of him. “We should try it one of these days” the Dragon Slayer blew in Freed’s ear.

Freed felt all the blood rush to his face and opened his mouth in shock and embarrassment, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. Suddenly he didn’t understand what was happening, he just felt the weight of Laxus’s body on top of him, his strong arms locking him against the mattress and his thighs pressing against his hips. How the hell was he going to deal with that?

He heard Laxus laugh in his ear and a shiver ran through his body. Then the friend moved, rolling on the bed and settling down next to him.

“Now who’s the agitated one?” Laxus laughed at him, with sadistic glee.

“I…” Freed stammered again with cheeks on fire but his throat went dry as he looked at Laxus. Fuck, he was hot! Laxus still had damp hair and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt that was slightly turned up and showed his abs line. Freed couldn’t handle Laxus like that. He just couldn’t. Laxus was already hot, he must at least be awkward and uncomfortable, if he became a flirtatious asshole Freed would be dead. He was supposed to be flirting with Laxus, not the other way around!

“It’s completely different, I wasn’t trying to make you feel uncomfortable,” Freed finally managed to say with his heart still beating madly.

Laxus laughed softly, the slightest blush on his cheeks. “Okay, actually you’re right. But I had to take revenge for how you fooled me,” he apologized. Freed looked at him puzzled, and fortunately managed to bring his face to a normal color.

“Well, now we’re even. I’m not fooling you and you… don’t do that again,” he decided, and Laxus nodded.

“Okay” he agreed and gave a small smile, abandoning his arrogant expression. “Can we start over? I still don’t feel comfortable with this,” he admitted. Freed nodded.

“Yes. I was thinking that maybe you are more comfortable if you initiate the contact,” Freed offered. Laxus nodded but hesitated a moment, then reached out and pulled Freed’s hair behind his ear.

“Is this ok?” he asked with an uncertain look and Freed nodded, although he felt a slight blush on his cheeks. He couldn’t help it, he couldn’t erase his feelings and having Laxus so tender and so close was something he wasn’t used to.

Laxus ran his hand over his cheek and stroked it and Freed stood still, trying not to be the one outstretched this time. Luckily, he wasn’t, it was actually quite easy to relax with Laxus around.

“What do we make up if they ask about our relationship?” Laxus then asked and Freed took a deep breath, before starting to tell his version, something he had thought about before starting the mission. Laxus listened, simply continuing to hold his hand or running his fingers along Freed’s arm, probably to get used to the situation.

Freed recounted how they got together, saying he was the one who came out - which Freed intended to do anyway - and then chose some details of their marriage that they could casually recount. He doubted anyone would be interested, but better be prepared.

Laxus listened in silence, just looking at him and when Freed finished he was pleased to see that his friend was now holding his hand in a natural way.

“All right?” Freed asked.

Laxus seemed to wake up and nodded quickly. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, that’s fine. You’ve thought about it,” he commented.

“I did,” Freed said. “Well, I’d say we can now move on to the next step.”

Laxus stared at him a little uncertainly and Freed smiled sweetly at him, wanted to reassure him and tell him that they could now go out into the corridor and head towards the dining room. Maybe if they walked hand in hand right away, Laxus would be more comfortable when they were in public. And Freed was sure that Laxus could do it, from what he had seen his friend was only uncomfortable at the beginning of physical contact.

He was about to say it but at that moment Laxus kissed him.

Freed’s eyes widened but before he could do anything Laxus pulled away, a slight blush on his cheeks.

Freed blinked in complete shock. He felt on fire. Both his cheeks and his lips. It had been a brief contact and it had absolutely thrilled him anyway.

“That was what you meant, right?” Laxus asked, equally red and with an agitated expression.

“I. Uh. Not really,” Freed murmured trying not to stammer. Laxus blushed even more and buried his face in his hands.

“Shit”.

“It’s okay, anyway we should have done it sooner or later,” Freed reassured him, and Laxus nodded, moving his hands away from his face.

“Fuck, I should have warned you,” he muttered.

“Well... it would have been better but, it’s ok,” Freed said, swallowing hard. He still felt the warmth of Laxus’ lips. It was possible?

“What did you mean by next step?” Laxus asked, perhaps to quickly change the subject.

“Go for dinner. I think we are ready. But yes, you did well. Better kiss me now than catch me off guard when we’re in public,” Freed said. “In fact, we should have done it anyway. So good. Um, anyway, do you feel ready for dinner?”

Laxus nodded.

“Yes” he said, albeit a bit uncertain and Freed hurried to get out of bed, taking Laxus’s hand and lifting him off the mattress. He had to settle down, and it was evident that the friend was now agitated again. Maybe the kiss wasn’t such a great idea. Not that Freed could tell.

“Then we go. We will be perfect, trust me” he said and then dragged his friend out of the room. When he shook Laxus’s hand and walked towards the dining room, he started talking to distract his friend, and he was pleased to hear Laxus wrap an arm around his back as they reached the tables. As he had thought, Laxus just needed some time.

***

“How am I doing?” Laxus whispered in the middle of the evening, after they had finished dinner and decided to go out on the terrace.

“Very well, now avoid thinking too much,” Freed said leaning against the balcony railing, while Laxus wrapped his arm around his waist. At first it seemed strange to Freed, and perhaps a little forced, but as the conversation settled on something that made both of them comfortable, it seemed almost normal.

“Good evening,” said a voice behind them and Freed and Laxus turned at the same time to see a young girl that Freed thought he had seen somewhere before. He couldn’t place her mentally until she introduced herself. “I don’t know if you remember me, I’m a customer of Blue Pegasus,” she said and Freed immediately felt Laxus stiffen beside him. The reason was obvious, if that girl revealed their cover they would be screwed.

“I remember you,” Freed smiled gently.

“Oh, well, I didn’t think,” she laughed awkwardly. “I er, well, I was just wondering why you were here. I hope there’s no problem with dangerous wizards or anything else,” she admitted. Laxus was now a log, and Freed hastened to put his hand on his arm, showing the ring on the finger.

“No problem, we’re just here for our honeymoon,” he lied to her and the girl blushed and widened her eyes. She looked at Freed’s hand and then stammered.

“Oh, I… oh, I didn’t know you were married,” she said embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, not many people know. We prefer to keep our lives private,” Freed said, and felt Laxus calm down beside him.

“Yeah, we would prefer the newspapers not go crazy. We just want to have a quiet vacation,” Laxus said and the girl nodded vigorously.

“Of course! I won’t say anything!” she hastened to say right away. “And… well, congratulations on the wedding! Heck, if I had known, I wouldn’t have flirt shamelessly with you, I… I’m sorry” the girl stammered, staring at Laxus in embarrassment, and the blond scratched his head nervously. Freed laughed softly, and it wasn’t exactly a fake laugh. Laxus’s embarrassment was palpable.

“You couldn’t have known,” Freed said. “And I know how hard it’s to resist my husband’s charm, I don’t blame you,” he joked. Laxus blushed, while the girl giggled softly.

“I’m glad you’re not angry. I won’t do it anymore. And well, maybe I should have understood that you’re married,” she added thoughtfully. Freed frowned slightly, but had no way to ask what this meant as the girl leaned against the railing next to them. “But when did you get married, if I may ask? After all, you’re still in Blue Pegasus, and when you’re not there, you’re on a mission,” she said curiously.

Laxus snorted softly, obviously annoyed by those questions, and Freed realized that this girl just wanted to chat. It was something that had happened often, ever since they joined Blue Pegasus. Many boys and girls also stopped them outside the guild, thinking they would be willing to entertain them anywhere, even if they technically weren’t at work. They struggled to understand the difference between working hours and free hours, perhaps because the Trimens on the contrary entertained people wherever they went.

“Three days ago,” Freed said.

“Oh, and who proposed?” the girl asked. Freed hesitated for a moment, and glanced at Laxus, who seemed to want to get out of there as soon as possible.

“I did it,” Freed said and then drew his friend’s attention by tapping him on the shoulder.

“Mh?” Laxus said.

“Can you get me a glass of wine?” Freed asked.

“Uh, yes,” Laxus said, and immediately walked away, maybe seeing that as an opportunity to free himself from that embarrassing situation. The girl didn’t notice, but she instead came even closer to Freed.

“And how was the wedding? Seeing you, I think you prefer intimate things.”

“We do, actually,” Freed smiled, and then began to tell a little, trying to pretend to be happy and in love. Which was a bit difficult, given that the marriage hadn’t actually happened. Only halfway through the story did Freed realize that there was a waiter on the terrace, who was obviously listening to everything, and he realized that he really had to commit to pretending to be Laxus’ husband.

“It looks really romantic,” the girl said dreamily. “And you both seem so much in love with each other,” she added.

“We are,” Freed said and then corrected himself as he blushed. “Well, at least I am,” he muttered slightly embarrassed, because it was the first thing he had said that wasn’t a lie.

“Oh, he is too!” exclaimed the girl. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be married,” she said and Freed laughed a little nervously.

“Yes, you’re right,” he said slightly uncomfortably. He didn’t know why he was, he had prepared that speech in advance. Perhaps because he had said it too coldly, too calculated, when he heard it again. Maybe he wasn’t convincing enough. Freed glanced at the waiter, who was still smoking outside the terrace, and decided that it was better not to risk being discovered, and to say something real and exciting.

“It’s just… sometimes it doesn’t seem real to me. I’ve spent so much time being in love with him not knowing he loved me back, that now having him as a husband is… incredible,” Freed whispered. The girl almost seemed to have tears in her eyes. “I feel really lucky to have a man like him by my side.”

The girl was moved, and Freed stopped when he felt a movement behind him. He turned and blushed slightly to see it was Laxus, two glasses of wine in his hand.

“Hey, I brought the wine,” he said obviously still embarrassed, and Freed smiled and thanked him, taking the glass as he turned back to the girl, who looked at them excitedly. Laxus leaned against the railing, this time without putting an arm around him, but positioned himself close enough for their arms to touch.

“I won’t bother you any longer, good evening and a good honeymoon,” the girl said, and after the two wizards had greeted her, she left. Freed noticed that the waiter was leaving too, and when they were alone again on the terrace Laxus groaned.

“What?” Freed asked a little surprised.

“You just... you can’t say things like that,” he complained.

“What exactly are you referring to?” Freed asked.

“It’s just, first you say I’m charming, then that you’re in love with me. You can’t tell things like that!” he said plaintively, with red cheeks. Freed laughed a little nervously.

“We have to pretend to be married, Laxus, and you’re obviously not capable of it,” he justified himself.

“I know I know. It’s just… it felt real,” Laxus muttered. Freed stopped for a moment, and met his friend’s indecipherable gaze, feeling momentarily panicked. What did Laxus mean by that? He didn’t understand his feelings, did he?

“I guess I did my job well then,” he said, his voice distant and hoping that Laxus wouldn’t notice his mood change. Laxus didn’t answer immediately, and Freed felt the panic rise, until his friend nodded.

“Yes, you did,” he said, and Freed decided to drink the whole glass, not wanting to think what his friend meant by that phrase.

***

Pretending to be engaged was harder than Freed had thought. Laxus was always stiff when Freed tried to get close to him, he wasn’t comfortable when Freed held his hand, or when he made any small affectionate gesture, jumped and looked at him strangely. Freed really tried not to push things too hard, lest it backfire on them, but Laxus didn’t seem in the least bit in love with him.

Obviously because he wasn’t, but Freed thought he could have been a better actor.

And ok, maybe he had also hoped to be able to take advantage of that situation to be closer to his friend. Evidently it wasn’t working. And evidently there were more important things to think about, such as the success of the mission.

“I’m sorry,” Laxus said as they stepped out of the pool, stepping away from the others and heading for the showers. “I just… I can’t do it. I can’t.”

He snorted looking at the door to make sure no one was coming. Freed sighed, and ran a hand through his damp hair. They’d spent the last hour in the pool, and Freed had just been trying to pretend to be a good husband - perhaps even taking liberties he wouldn’t normally take just to be around his friend - and Laxus had been a bundle of nerves the whole time. So much that in the end he got up and walked away, without saying anything. Freed had followed him, because what else could he do? Especially when a woman who looked like a gossiper was looking at them strangely.

“We can’t screw everything up,” Freed said.

“I know,” Laxus said. “Just... I’m sure there’s another way to complete the mission, it’s not necessary to pretend to be a married couple, we can find the wizard in another way.”

“I know, but Master Bob said we have to be as discreet as possible,” Freed reminded him. Laxus snorted and ran a hand through his hair increasingly annoyed. “Listen, why don’t you initiate the contact? Obviously if I do that, I make you uncomfortable, so do what you feel,” he said. If Laxus hadn’t succeeded he would have found another way, but giving up only on the second day seemed exaggerated to Freed.

“Because I don’t know what to do,” Laxus admitted.

“You don’t have to do anything exaggerated, as long as you’re not sitting ten meters away from me,” Freed said with a slight frown. He hadn’t meant to, but hell, it couldn’t be that hard to pretend to be married. Especially since they didn’t have to kiss every two seconds.

“I’m not sitting ten meters from you,” Laxus retorted in a grunt.

“You know what I mean,” Freed said, and from the expression his friend made he surely knew it. “You just have to try to relax, it’s not difficult.”

“Yeah well, maybe it’s not for you, but I don’t like this situation. I’m not like you.” Laxus grunted and Freed’s eyes widened slightly, momentarily panicked.

“I-what?” he stammered hoping he had misinterpreted. But he doubted it, if Laxus was uncomfortable because he knew about his feelings, it would be understandable. Laxus brought his hands to his face wearily.

“You know I suck at these things, romantic relationships and anything like that,” he complained, and Freed nodded again a little stunned, continuing to repeat his friend’s previous sentence to himself. He didn’t know if Laxus had said it just to complain or if he knew about his feelings. Freed was pretty sure it wasn’t obvious, but if the day before he pushed his friend too hard...

“Well, okay, I do,” Laxus snapped. “Also, because I’ve no other choice,” he added annoyed, and Freed tried not to get caught up in the disappointment. He hadn’t expected Laxus to jump for joy at pretending to be married to him, but that reaction seemed overwhelming. Shit, maybe that’s why Laxus understood his feelings. Because with that business of posing as his husband, Freed had taken too much advantage of being close to him. His face probably hadn’t been able to pretend it was all a fiction, and Laxus probably understood that.

“Look, Laxus...” he began but his friend interrupted him.

“Someone’s coming,” he said.

Freed just nodded, and slightly embarrassed looked away as he tried to think what to tell him. Shit. This was not how he had wanted Laxus to find out.

Freed was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed that Laxus was approaching, so much so that when he found himself with his friend’s hand resting on his side and his body a few inches from him, almost he took his breath away.

“What…?”

The words were swallowed by Laxus’ lips, and Freed’s eyes widened, gasping for a moment. He didn’t react, not right away, but when he realized that Laxus was insisting on kissing him - kissing him in a completely different way than he had done the previous afternoon - and that someone had entered the showers, Freed closed his eyes and returned. And damn, if that’s what he’d dreamed of doing for years.

Not like that, and not for that reason, but Freed could only let himself be pretended for a moment. Laxus interrupted the kiss for a second, and Freed slowly opened his eyes letting himself be overwhelmed by the intense gaze of the man, only to be kissed again. And then again.

Freed laid a hand on Laxus’s chest, and despite all the common-sense yelling at him that it was just a fiction, he couldn’t help himself. How to do it, when the man he had had feelings for was kissing him like that?

But when Laxus broke away the third time, he took a step back, leaving Freed to search for lips that weren’t there. Freed blinked dazedly and inevitably blushed. He tried to say something but all those thoughts disappeared when he saw Laxus’ shocked gaze. Red cheeks and pure shock in his eyes.

“I can’t do that,” Laxus said, immediately after he left.

***

Freed sighed as he entered the room. After Laxus left, he decided to give him some space, hoping that it would help him. Besides, he had also hoped that that moment would help him to understand how much Laxus knew, whether he really knew his feelings or not. He hadn’t come to a conclusion, so he went back into the room only to see his friend speak to the Lacrima.

“Anyone else, just not Freed!” Laxus snapped just before Freed opened the door. Freed’s eyes widened slightly, and paused to listen to the rest.

“Look baby, you can’t change husband now. I know it’s embarrassing for you but...”

Freed heard some strange noise, then the door swung open and Freed found himself in front of an agitated, annoyed and embarrassed Laxus. Right, given his Dragon Slayer’s hearing he must have heard him. Freed realized within seconds what Laxus had said implied and couldn’t help but feel a wave of disappointment pervade him.

Anyone else, just not him.

Laxus grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him into the room. Freed barely noticed that the Lacrima was off.

“Look, shit, I didn’t mean it that way,” Laxus said as he closed the door.

Freed for the first time found himself with nothing to say, terribly embarrassed and disheartened. He had thought several times about what it would be like to declare himself to the friend, but in no case had he thought of feeling this way. He had thought that even if Laxus turned him down, he would get over it. Apparently, it was more painful than he had thought.

“Shit, that’s not what you think,” Laxus said immediately and Freed tried to take a neutral expression.

“It’s okay,” he only managed to say. Laxus looked at him with a look mixed between shock and confusion.

“What’s okay?”

“I mean, it’s okay, I understand. I… must have pushed things too hard,” Freed said, trying not to get discouraged. He had also considered that possibility, so he could face it.

Laxus was silent, just looking at him, and Freed avoided his gaze. The worst part was that Freed couldn’t even leave Laxus for a few days. They had to complete that mission together, and it would have been terribly embarrassing.

Freed took a deep breath before starting to speak.

“Listen, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he said after a while. “Everything I did, I did for the mission, I didn’t want to take advantage of you in any way. The fact that I have feelings for you hasn’t affected my behavior in the last few days. I would never try to do anything to make you uncomfortable, and if it seemed like that, it’s only for the mission and...”

“What?”

“What I mean is, our friendship is worth so much more than what I feel. We are adults, we can face it without drama, and I will overcome it, it’s not necessary that you feel uncomfortable and that...”

“Freed, stop.”

“Just listen to me,” Freed insisted “You don’t have to feel compelled to say or do anything, it’s just me and...”

“Shut up!” Laxus snapped and Freed closed his mouth, looking at him for a confused moment. “Are you in love with me?” he asked and Freed blinked, unable to prevent the blush from spreading to his cheeks.

“Well, isn’t that why you’re uncomfortable?” he said, unable to answer directly without feeling too vulnerable.

“No!” Laxus exclaimed, eyes wide open. “No, I... what the fuck, no!”

Freed felt himself burn. “Oh,” he murmured. “Shit, I thought you knew.” The situation was even worse than he had imagined. Freed fought to keep an expression as dignified as possible. “Well, anyway, whatever the reason you don’t want me as your fake husband is fine, I know I’ve pushed things too hard and now that you know how I feel... Laxus?”

Laxus was suddenly too close, and his hands were cupping his face, lifting him and causing Freed’s heart to beat furiously, and he could no longer keep up with what was going on. Laxus’s lips were close to his, his breath was gently colliding against his skin and Freed found himself at a loss for words.

“Do you know what’s the only reason why I didn’t want to do this mission with you?”

Freed shook his head slowly, finding himself unable to put two syllables together.

“I couldn’t pretend I wanted to kiss you, without letting you know that I wasn’t actually pretending.”

It took Freed too long to understand what he meant, and when he did, Laxus was already kissing him.

#fraxus #fraxus week 2022 #freed justine #laxus dreyar #fairy tail #fanfiction

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