#i can't wait to see the fucked up fish we'll catch and possibly have to coin flip to avoid dying from

[love-at-first-bite]

The Termina update needs to come out so I can go fishing and catch a big ol' tasty fish for Abella and Henryk and they both kiss for me for it AND I get extra kisses for turning said fish into a good dinner. I need to kiss and cook for my sillies, Miro.

[tobiasdrake]

We have a ship. We have a mission. And I am focused.

Focused on faffing about.

Whole island just for a fishing pond. Seems unnecessary given that fish also live in the....

Wait, we can't fish in the ocean. I guess fish don't live in the ocean. You do need a pond for it. Huh.

There aren't any fish in this fishing pond.

...this might not be a fishing pond.

I hope I'm not doing a sacrilege right now. This. Might. Be something important that I'm desecrating with my ignorance.

We should probably lea--

FUCK YEAH SWIMMIN' HOLE

Okay, now we should leave.

I'm noticing a bunch of these under the water. What clearly looks like the timey-wimey panels we use to ruin people's sleep schedules. Wonder what that's about.

This must be Mesa Island. If you crane your neck upwards, you can see the barrier Moraine was talking about.

Pretty sure that's the head of Mesa's tossy giant too. Moraine mentioned the Fleshmancer Acolytes put him to sleep, but he looks decapitated to me. Unless the rest of his body is. Like. Inside the mountain.

Mm. That's a possibility. I'll keep an open mind.

The barrier looks even more impressive from out there. It's pretty even. I almost don't wanna pop it. But if we don't, then the Fleshmancer wins.

Wait a second. Are we....

Oh hey! It's Mirth! Our new village is a hop, skip, and a jump away from the epicenter of darkness, from which death and destruction will wash across the world.

I'm sure that's fine.

Hey guys, what's up? Something really cool down there?

Is it a party? I bet it's a party.

This island has a volcano. But more importantly, a fishing pond.

I don't need to resupply on fish. I just have a compulsive need to catch one of every fish.

Alright team, we are here at... some volcano. Because it looked neat.

I am very good at prioritizing. I'm glad we unanimously elected me Headmistress.

We make camp here and then, in the morning, we begin our perilous but rewarding delve into the mysteries of this completely ordinary geographic feature. Get a good rest, everyone. We'll need all of our strength for--

There is no cave.

...

Great work everyone. Especially you, Serai. Mission completed in record time.

COME DOWN

SHARE YOUR MYSTERIES WITH ME YOU AERODYNAMIC BASTARD

No, Zale, we cannot leave yet. I think it's working. Just. Another hour or two. To see if anything changes. Can you not smell the mystery in the air? It smells like intrigue and burnt shellfi--

Oh goddammit, I thought we swabbed this deck already. YOLANDE! WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE ON SWABBING DUTY? ...it's not me, is it?

Our home village. Which is completely inaccessible by any means other than the Forbidden Cavern and doesn't even have a port. Nothing but sheer cliff drops.

It was a wry observation when we were leaving. But now it's an infuriating geographic feature.

Joke's on them, though. There's a secret cave down at sea level where Garl, Zale, and I used to plan our raft adventure.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to navigate to that cave from the outside. Vespertine probably wouldn't fit inside of it either. So I remain screwed. Giant's gonna be our only option.

Weirdass prison village.

Brisk's looking better and it's partly thanks to the Molekin. Nice to see a more positive side to their community. I mainly know them from bullying a neurodivergent kid so it's nice to see there's some good in them too.

Oh sweet. Will I be allowed to fight in it? For money? I like money. And I'm really good at fighting. I'm looking forward to this. The new Brisk will be even better than it was bef--

We should have let you burn.

Not the city. You, specifically.

This is such a weird and unsafe way to travel.

It's nice to come back to Mooncradle. See the people. Pick up Rainbow Conches. Play some Wheels. All the things I wasn't old enough to do as a kid.

It's also nice to see we've finally got some variety to our crops. Guess the blue melon guy finally got fired, and some proper agriculturalists were put in charge of food production.

:')This is where I learned the joys of stealing everything that isn't nailed down from a community. Old times.

ASCENSION! To what is now effectively my kingdom.

The place should be pretty well abandoned now that Moraine's gone. We should have a look around and see if there's anything of value to--

Why are the servants still here.

Moraine was already planning on quitting forever when he came to Mirth. Did he leave all-a y'all up here to rake the cobblestones forever? The lift works via Solstice Magic.

...come to think of it, how did Garl operate the lift when he brought us that gallon jug of cookies? Huh.

At long last, it's time to find out what the fuck this is. I've been curious about it since we left Mooncradle, especially since we've seen so many other doors like this too.

It's a puzzle chamber. I mean, that makes sense. Puzzle looks simple enough. Paint the pattern but with the caveat of Ice Block sliding mechanics. Piece of cake.

Ooo, combo skill.

Gonna be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. After all that time wondering and Moraine hyping it up, I was expecting a bit more than "Slide the block and unlock a new attack".

Though we've apparently opened one of the locks on that thing. Pretty sure I saw that in the misty waterfalls during the climb up. Looks important. Probably has a super duper attack inside of it.

Well, this was fun but it's time to get back to--

HOLY SHIT A DOCK

I don't have to trek back to the other island!

Whew. It's a good thing I keep the Vespertine in a Poke Ball when it's not in use, or this wouldn't make any sense at all.

[casspurrjoybell-25]

November - Chapter 27

*Warning Adult Content*

- Cooper -

As Cooper lay in his bunk, he turned on the satellite phone and read through the texts between and Oliver and himself.

He was almost halfway through his fishing job and reading Oliver's texts had become a routine for him.

I hiked to Marymere Falls today.

Our first hike together.

I thought of you the entire time and as soon as you're back we need to go on a hiking date. :)

We can relive our experience and maybe this time I can get to the top of Mount Storm King.

Annabelle and I baked confetti cupcakes today and frosted them with buttercream icing.

And topped them with sprinkles.

You would have loved them.

She promises that the three of us can make them again when you're back.

I love you and miss you.

"Thinking about you and your sexy ass.

I miss it so much.

I want to grab it and squeeze it and then fuck you through the bed.

I miss your bear hugs and all your cuddles in the morning.

I even miss your beard tickling my face and waking me up.

The next one was heartbreaking and most of the time Cooper skipped it.

But today he felt like torturing himself, so he read it.

Oliver had sent it five days ago, shortly after two in the morning.

I can't sleep.

I miss you so much.

The bed's too big without you and I want to feel your body pressed against mine and your arms around me.

I miss your smile and your big booming laugh and your eyes and your lips.

I'm counting down the days until you're back.

I love you more than I thought it was ever possible to love someone.

I miss you I miss you I miss you.

I can't wait until you're back home.

I love you so much.

Cooper had cried the first time he read it.

His heart ached and he could feel how much Oliver missed him because he missed him the same way.

Cooper loved deep sea fishing, being out on the ocean and all the hard work and the thrill of a great catch and he knew he didn't ever want to give it up but he had to admit it was damn hard to be away from the man he loved.

Oliver buying the satellite phone had made a big difference though.

Cooper worked long hours and had little free time but they texted all the time and he made a point to call Oliver every few days.

They couldn't talk for hours like Cooper wanted to but it helped to hear Oliver's voice and talk to him in real time.

Cooper got up from his bunk and made his way up to the deck for their call.

Sometimes it was a challenge to find a quiet place to talk where he wasn't in the way but he didn't let anything keep him from calling Oliver.

Oliver answered almost immediately.

"Hey, Coop."

"Hey, love. It's good to hear your voice," Cooper replied.

‘I would give anything for a hug from Oliver right now.’

"It's good to hear yours. I miss you. How's the weather? Are you getting enough sleep?"

Oliver always had a lot of questions about how Cooper was doing and how the job was going.

Cooper’s answers didn't vary much, so he spent most of their calls asking him what was going on back home.

Oliver had a lot more to report and Cooper enjoyed listening to him talk and letting the sound of his lover’s voice wash over him.

"You've got a short break coming up, right?" Oliver asked, after filling Cooper in on his family and a hike he'd gone on a couple days ago.

"Yep. We'll be at Dutch Harbor in Alaska for two days."

"What are you going to do? I'm sure you've probably been there before but are you going to go see anything while you're there?"

Cooper laughed.

"I'll be sleeping and eating. That's what a lot of us do. I'm looking forward to being in a real bed and having access to a nicer shower and different food."

"Are you going to have enough time to talk to me?" Oliver asked, a teasing tone to his voice.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll keep talking to you until I fall asleep on the phone."

"Okay. Text me the days and times you'll be there so I can clear my schedule. I'm really looking forward to talking to you for hours instead of minutes."

"Me too. I love you and miss you."

"I love you too. And I miss you more than I can say."

Cooper didn't want this to devolve into sadness, so he tried to end the call on a cheerful note.

"I'll be counting down the days until my break. Love you. Bye, Oliver."

Cooper hung up and leaned against the railing, staring up at the sky.

He didn't want to lose Oliver.

It seemed like everything was going well and being able to talk to him regularly made all the difference in the world but he couldn't shake his doubts.

The last man Cooper dated didn't make it past a month and a half into his four month fishing job.

When they had pulled into the harbor for a break two months after setting out, Cooper had turned on his cell phone to find a text from him ending their relationship.

It had been sent a couple weeks prior.

It sucked, especially having to deal with the heartbreak while he was working and far away from his family.

‘If Oliver broke up with me and went back to California, I don't think I'd survive it. Even though I'd only known him for six months, he was my best friend. He was my everything.’

Cooper hoped this wouldn't be too much for Oliver.

He hoped he'd still be there when he got back.

- Oliver -

It was a grey, overcast morning in Alaska but it was beautiful.

The rolling hills and mountains rising from the ocean were a vibrant green and contrasted perfectly with the blue of the water.

It was chilly, so Oliver pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he watched the flurry of activity on Cooper's fishing vessel.

Oliver knew the guys had to be coming off the vessel soon.

He also knew Cooper wanted to spend his two day break sleeping but Oliver hoped he'd be happy to see him instead.

When Cooper told Oliver where the vessel would be for their break, he immediately booked a plane ticket out there.

Flying to Alaska wasn't cheap or easy but Oliver would do anything if it meant he could surprise Cooper and see him in person after two months apart.

Oliver finally spotted some men leaving the vessel and his heart started to race when he saw Cooper.

Oliver pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called him.

It warmed his heart when he saw the smile on Cooper’s face as he saw who was calling him.

"Hey, babe," he answered.

"Perfect timing. I'm literally walking off the ship and was about to call you. How'd you know I'd be able to answer?"

Oliver smiled.

"Because I can see you."

Cooper stopped in his tracks and his head shot up.

Oliver waved and when Cooper spotted him, the young man could see the shock on his boyfriend’s face.

Cooper’s phone slipped out of his hand and onto the ground.

He quickly bents to pick it up and then raced off the ship and jogged over to Oliver, barreling into him hard enough that he almost knocked him over.

But Oliver didn't fall because Cooper’s arms were around him, pulling him into his large frame.

Oliver took a deep breath, taking in the scent of Cooper’s hair and then the large man squeezed him and lifted his boyfriend off the ground.

Oliver didn't even care that Cooper was squeezing him hard enough that he suddenly couldn't breathe.

When Cooper finally put Oliver down, he was grinning, his smile wider than the young man had ever seen it before.

"What are you doing here?" Cooper asked, slightly shaking his head.

"I can't believe you're actually here. Am I dreaming? This is the best surprise ever."

"I missed you so much that I wanted to see your face in person."

Cooper continued to look amazed.

"How did you pull this off? You have to take two flights from Seattle and it's not cheap."

Oliver leaned forward and kissed the tip of Cooper’s nose.

"It was an adventure. And like I mentioned before, my boyfriend doesn't let me pay any rent so I have a lot of money sitting around."

Cooper pulled Oliver in again, kissing him hard.

Oliver slid his fingers into Cooper’s overgrown beard so he could cup the sides of his face.

The young man was so happy to see his boyfriend and feel his large arms wrapped  around him and his solid frame against his.

It was worth every second of the day of travel and the money he spent to get here.

They separated when they heard a nearby voice.

"Cooper, is this your boy?"

A few of the men who had been making their way off the vessel were standing near them.

Oliver wasn't sure how friendly they'd be about two men kissing but he didn't have to worry.

Cooper put his arm around the younger man’s slender waist.

"Yep, this is Oliver. He flew out here to surprise me. Can you believe that?"

One of the men smiled and offered his hand.

"I'm Jack. It's good to finally put a face to a name."

Oliver shook his hand and smiled back and Cooper introduced him to the rest of the guys.

"We're not going to see you at all for the next two days, are we?" Jack asked.

Cooper grinned.

"Nope. See you all again, when we're about to leave.”

After the guys walked away, Oliver turned to Cooper.

"You must be ready for a decent meal. Do you want to go get breakfast?"

"Only if the breakfast is you."

Oliver laughed.

"Hotel room it is, then."

Oliver had rented a car and as they made the short drive over to the hotel, Cooper's hand never left his boyfriend’s thigh."

I can't believe you're here," Cooper murmured.

"I'm still in shock."

"I didn't want to go another two months without seeing you."

Cooper squeezed my thigh.

"I hope you're planning on showing me just how much you've missed me."

"Oh, I definitely am. As soon as we get to our hotel room."

Cooper's booming laugh filled the car.

"I'm all for that but I need to take a shower first."

"But I like the way you smell after you've been working."

"Trust me, I need a proper shower. It's not like logging where I smell like sweat, dirt and pine needles. I smell like sweat, ocean water and fish. You're not going to like it. And I need to clean up anyway for what I want to do with you."

"Okay," Oliver laughed.

"We'll start in the shower.

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Investigations (Part 3): Ran Haitani x Fem!Reader

synopsis: when things are uncovered, can you handle the truth? Or are you doomed to make a mistake you can't rectify?

wc: 2.1k

tw: violence

masterlist

song recommendation:

Ran's past was a lie.

When you met him at the country club five years ago, your pasts had been explained in hushed tones and excited flurries of memories; sharing photos of the time before he was an executive of the communications company he worked in and the time before you were a journalist.

Ran said he had gone to jail twice, both for crimes he had been an accessory to as a delinquent kid, but that he'd cleaned up his act after and made his way up the corporate ladder. Nothing about gangs or being a Heavenly King in Tenjiku made it past his lips.

You had been honest, too. Your tales included the time you'd accidentally happened upon a massive gang fight, and that's how your investigative journalism skills began to bloom.

Who was fighting?

What were they going to do after?

Where did these gangs come from?

When did this argument start?

Why were they fighting?

How did gangs form in the first place?

Those were all the questions you sought out answers for that night and the next five years after, devoting your time and effort to finding the truth about everything.

"Babe?" You freeze, hands hovering over the keys at the sound of Ran's voice. You don't turn around - you can't even look at him the same these days - but he fixes that by walking over to you and turning you around in your chair. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Just doing some writing." His violet eyes search yours for the truth, but you know he won't be able to find it. Not while you're still trying to unravel his past. Ran kisses your eyelids sweetly, cupping your face in his large palms and littering his love across your face as you try your best to remain still and not confess about your research.

"Come to bed. It's late."

"I've got a few more paragraphs," you explain, motioning to the small print on your screen. "I'll be in bed soon."

But your lie is discovered shortly thereafter. It's five a.m. when Ran returns, seeing you slumped against your desk, arms cushioning your head, laptop screen blank. Instinctively, Ran pulls you out of your seat - making your notebook fall to the ground - grunting softly as he scoops you up into his arms and cradles you against his chest.

You willingly allow your husband to carry you to bed, where your two-year-old is also nestled among the sheets and pillows, thumb tucked into his mouth. And for a moment, Ran appreciates the view, seeing the two people he loved the most - besides his younger brother - laying in the bed he paid for, in the house he built, in the city he owns.

But then he remembers the slight disarray you left your things in at the desk and returns, picking up your pencil and notebook before laying them beside the laptop. Then his eyes catch "Ran's past?" written in bold, red letters, along with the words: "Tenjiku" and "Tandai" also written in the web of other words surrounding his name. "South Terano" is also on that web.

He'd have to take care of that in the morning.

And for the first time in a long time, worry bubbles to the surface of his mind, and Ran rips the sheet of paper from your notebook, tossing it into the kitchen trashcan and considering his deed done. He concealed his past to protect his family. And he's concealing the present to achieve the same goal; all for the future to be revealed later. That's how everything should be.

Right? _____________________________________________________________

"Ran," you whisper, lips running across his knuckles. His fingers cup your jaw, and his own lips press against your forehead, violet eyes darkening slightly. "It's six am. Where are you going this early?"

"I have to go into the office for a little while," he murmurs, kissing your forehead again. "I'll be back around lunchtime." Thoughts of Tandai and Tenjiku flash into your mind for a moment, but you smile at him sleepily anyway, absolutely sure these things are part of his past and not in the present.

"We'll be waiting for you, my love."

Despite all of your best intentions, though, you can't help but be consumed by the idea of Ran out, fighting, stealing, maiming... You consider asking him about these things, these concerns, but you decide against it as you're helping Kai with his lunch. If he wanted to leave it in the past, there's a good reason for it. He would have told you if it would be a problem later. Right?

Ran wouldn't jeopardize your family, your home, your life for something so... juvenile.

Right?

The clatter of keys on the counter in the living room brings you back to the present, and you perk up, your two-year-old mimicking your expression.

"Daddy!" Kai slides down from his seat and runs to greet Ran, clutching his father's legs with all his little might.

"Hey, buddy," Ran laughs, stooping to pick up his son with excitement. "How are you doing?" As son and father have a very stimulating conversation about playtime, you watch them in wonder, observing the way Ran makes his child a priority, just like he makes you a priority. But your countenance falls as soon as you see the blood spot on the bottom of Ran's lavender suit jacket. You know its blood because of the way it dried - that's no ketchup stain.

You fake a smile anyway, giving Ran a kiss on the cheek and tugging his jacket off after he sits Kai back on the tile floor.

"Hard day?"

"Kind of," Ran mumbles, and you catch the sight of a long scratch down the side of his neck. "But I made it through." You hum, taking the pin-striped jacket to the laundry room and slinging it over the side of the washer. You'd need that later.

"Need to relax?" you wonder, and Ran grins at you mischievously.

"Maybe later, after bedtime?"

_____________________________________________________________

But "later" never came.

Instead, Ran and Kai fell asleep on the sofa, watching a kid's movie, and you retreated to the office, powering up your laptop and pulling your notebook closer.

You immediately notice something's wrong, as the notes you had before were missing. Everything is gone. Not even a word of all the research you had done was there. Hadn't you written meticulous notes and names and things about Ran's past that could be interconnected? You break out in a sweat and search in every drawer of the desk, every place it could possibly be. You come up with nothing, and let out a frustrated sigh before slumping down in your seat and pulling up the computer history from yesterday. If you had to rewrite every single thing, that's fine. You'd just need more time to gather your evidence for the meeting on Saturday.

You're knee-deep in articles and police reports when you stumble across a more recent - actually as recent as this morning - article titled: "Ex-gangster found dead in meat factory". The picture of South Terano startles you, and you click on it, feeling a sense of dread as the article details how he was found hanging upside-down in the warehouse with a bullet hole in his head. And just like that, your newest lead has fizzled out. You groan, writing down "South Terano, deceased" on your notepad, then exiting the tab.

There had to be someone else you could ask. Shuji Hanma only provided you with Ran and Rindou's names, no one else.

"What's this?"

The door to the office shuts softly, and you look over your shoulder at Ran, who is walking toward you with measured steps, his eyes taking in your exhausted expression and the way you're hunched over that notepad. Again.

"What are you doing? You look tired, babe. Let's go to bed, yeah?"

Suddenly, pieces begin to click as Ran leans his hip against the desk, staring down at you in the chair with squinted violet eyes. "You threw away my notes... Didn't you?"

"What are you doing in my business, y/n?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were in two gangs?" you counter, fingers shaking slightly. "Ran, this is something I needed to know before--"

"You wouldn't have married me if I told you." Ran's tone is cold, almost as if he's turned into the past version of himself without batting an eye.

"You don't know that." Ran leans forward, coming to eye level with you a smirking.

"I know you. And that's all I need." Ran reaches out a hand to close the laptop, still smiling and maintaining eye contact. "Now here's what you're going to do. First, you're going to stop digging into my past. There's nothing there that you need to find. Second, you're going to come to bed. It's late, you're tired. Finally," Ran cups your chin like he did this morning, except his fingers aren't so tender this time. "You're going to cut off contact with both Shuji Hanma and Taiju Shiba. I'm not really fond of either of them, and I'm not a fan of having them tell my business to my wife."

"They were only doing it because I asked."

"Taiju, maybe. Shuji isn't so eager to fuck you. I doubt he did it out of the kindness of his heart." You can't say anything to refute his claims. Ran is probably right. But you can't get one question out of your mind.

"Why are you trying to hide your past? What's there that I won't like?"

"What isn't there is the real question."

"What can you tell me about the gang that's just surfaced in Tokyo?" Ran's face slackens, transforming into a half-surprised, half-blank look that you realize is one that means he's been caught. "Oh, my fucking god," you breathe, tears stinging your eyes. "South, the fish, the murders, the crime... It's you. It's been you this whole time. I've been chasing my own husband down." Panic begins to set in, and your mind whirls around as you shake in your seat, bringing your hands up to your head. "Just tell me Rindou isn't in this," you breathe, but Ran doesn't answer you, still wearing that dumb look on his face. You let out a cry of shock, covering your mouth and trying to back away from Ran as much as you can.

The source is a lot closer than you think.

You slide down the wall, shocked into stillness as your sobs quiet, and Ran straightens up, placing his hands in his sweatpant pockets. The long nights, the early mornings, the bloodstains, the damn suits... It all led to this. Ran had never really left his old lifestyle behind. He'd gotten caught up in it, and brought you and Kai into it unknowingly.

"I never meant for it to get this... unhinged." You can't reply, tucking your knees into your chest as you stare past Ran and at the opposite wall, wondering how you'd missed the signs, the obvious signs that Ran was up to no good. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we can--"

"I can't stay here."

The words fall from your mouth and Ran flinches, shaking his head.

"No. You can't leave."

"Yes, I can," you mumble, standing and wiping your tears. "I can do whatever I need to do to keep Kai safe, and--"

"Kai is safer here than out there," Ran snaps, pointing at the window. "I'm not letting my son out of my sight. Your snooping has caused enough trouble as it is; I wouldn't have had to go and clean up this morning if you hadn't--"

"Don't blame this on me," you retort, pointing at Ran accusatorially. "You're the one who joined a gang and is still in one! What kind of role model are you for our son now?"

"I provide the best way I can," Ran grits out, clenching his fists. "You've never gone hungry, cold, or ill-clothed a day in your life while you were with me."

"I would rather die than enjoy a life paid for with blood money."

"Blood money? You really think--" You try to push past Ran, but he grabs your shoulders, yanking you back in front of him. "You're not going anywhere except to our bed."

"Let me go, Ran Haitani," you mutter, hands balling up into little fists. "Or I'll scream."

"Who will hear you? Kai?"

How had you been so foolish? Ran's lips press together momentarily as his violet eyes run over your figure, taking stock of all your five-foot-six stature. You're no match for Ran. Not mentally, and certainly not physically. Ran notices your defeat and his hands slide down to your wrists, tugging your delicate hands up to his chest.

"Everything will be fine," he whispers, drawing you close. "I'm taking care of us. Just trust me."

Just trust me.

[eryiss]

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, and thanks for sticking with this. It’s quite fun to write for this ship, and I hope you’re all ready for homoerotic exercise and another argument between men who don’t know how to communicate :)

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Three - Proving a Point

Day Two: Tuesday

Gajeel woke in a pissy mood. This wasn't going like it was supposed to.

Freed was meant to be a smug, self important man with no practical skills, no world-hardened experiences, and no way of keeping up with what Gajeel was demanding of him. His three day plan had focused around humbling Freed, telling him that he wasn't hot-shit like he clearly thought, and making him realise that his cushioned life didn't mean he was Gajeel's equal.

What was not meant to happen was for Freed to be competent! He wasn't meant to make a shelter, he wasn't meant to be able to make a fire without a match, and he wasn't meant to be able to cook the damn fish and make them taste good! Even Gajeel couldn't do that.

Worse, the fucker knew. Oh he knew what Gajeel wanted but wasn't getting.

He hadn't been so smug when he'd lost though, had he? He hasn't been running his mouth when he'd been in the stream, gurgling his pathetic little surrender. Nah, he'd looked exactly how Gajeel wanted him; weak, embarrassed and unable to deal with the fact he was out of his league.

Sure, it hadn't taken long for Freed to recover and spout some bullshit about Gajeel being intimidated by his magic, or whatever the hell it was he said. He was trying to save face and Gajeel wouldn't let him; he had lost their fight because he couldn't live without his spells. That was impractical, short sighted and the way a spoiled brat of a man worked. No doubt if he had to rely on his fists more, he would have seen the stream as something to take advantage of and used it, rather than falling into Gajeel's trap.

Hah. At least one thing had gone Gajeel's way.

Mostly.

Kind of.

Look, Gajeel might hate the man and the things he seemed to stand for, but Freed wasn't bad looking. And Gajeel was just a man, who had been stripped to the waist with Freed in the same state of undress, wrestling one another. He was bound to get distracted for a moment. Thankfully, Freed's nasty kick to the balls and the ensuing tantrum after had quickly quelled any growing interest.

Gajeel knew what he had to do today, though. Because if he was going to fight with Freed at the end of the week, he needed to respect the man. He wasn't going to respect Freed if he couldn't take a defeat, and if he couldn't handle himself without his magic. So today, Freed was going to prove he had the ability to back up his words.

Okay, it was a tenuous reason for what he had planned, but fuck it. Fuck Freed too.

It was tempting to wake the prick up by dumping some of the water Gajeel had gathered over his sleeping face - a nice little reminder of how the fight had ended - but he decided against it. He needed to have everything prepared before he woke up, so it would be better to check that everything was in place. That, and Freed apparently snored a little when he was sleeping, and Gajeel certainly didn't want to interrupt the possible blackmail that could come from it.

And perhaps it was nice to have something cut through the silence of the forest.

Gajeel had trained in this forest many times, and as such had come to know how to utilise it's assets. He wandered slowly, blinking away the sleep in his eyes, and eventually found what he was looking for. A large tree that had fallen down years ago, and stumbled down a hill. What remained was a leafless trunk at the bottom of a steep incline, perfect for strength training.

Next, he walked to the largest upstanding tree within reasonable walking distance. Gajeel had often climbed this tree to push his agility and upper body strength, and it was the perfect way to test Freed's practical skills. The tree was still standing tall, the branches Gajeel used to climb still attached. Perfect, no excuses for when Freed fucked up.

When he got to the lake, Gajeel grinned a little. The morning was cold and the water would be freezing, the worst temperature to take a swim in. Normally Gajeel would have hated to swim in weather like this, but it would certainly be a nice wake-up call for the spoiled little Prince.

Yeah, this was gonna be fun. For Gajeel anyway.

——

"I think yesterday proved pretty damp conclusively that you're out of luck if you don't have your magic," Gajeel said with crossed arms, looking down at Freed. "So, today I'm gonna teach you a couple techniques that'll come in handy when you're in a situation where you can't spell yourself out of trouble."

Freed clearly wanted to make a comment, but held his tongue. He was learning, huh.

When Gajeel had returned from his check of the forest, Freed had woken up, set up a new fire and was using the rest of the fish (and a few berries that he had picked) to make them both a breakfast. Gajeel had wanted to reject it out of hand, but it had smelt great and if it was anywhere near as good as his meal the day before, refusing it would be a mistake. It had tasted amazing, so Gajeel had huffed out a thanks and gave a short nod of thanks.

Soon after that, Gajeel had motioned for Freed to follow him. Freed had done so without complaint - Gajeel couldn't prove it, but liked to think it was because the asshole was too embarrassed after his loss - and allowed himself to be led down the stream, towards the lake.

"You've got wings right, when you use yer magic?" Gajeel asked. "So yer probably gonna use 'em to get over every little thing, right?"

"Like you do with your little cat friend, I expect," Freed commented, and Gajeel stiffened slightly. Freed noticed and smirked a little. "My apologies, I interrupted you. Please, go on."

"Don't need yer permission," Gajeel grunted, more to himself than to the man standing before him. "But if yer using yer wings as much as I think you are, you ain't ready to deal with terrain that ain't easy to walk through. So, if this week's about improving then this is gonna help you get over that flaw. We run from here towards the lake, taking us through forested ground which ain't even and ain't safe, and then we swim from one side of the lake to the other."

"So it's a race then?" Freed asked, annoyingly not intimidated by the proposition.

"If you want," Gajeel shrugged. "But I ain't got a prize or anythin'. Definitely not one for participation, like yer probably used to."

Freed rolled his eyes at that, but didn't ride to the bait. Instead, he said, "Perhaps when I win, you'll cook for once."

"You ain't gonna win," Gajeel claimed.

"We'll see," Freed hummed a little, far too smug for his own good.

"Stretch up," Gajeel muttered, even though he wanted to push the man further, maybe even see if he could add an actual forfeit for losing, something to really make the fucker squirm. But, well, Gajeel didn't know for sure he would win, so couldn't risk things just in case.

Just as Gajeel went to start stretching his calves, he heard the sound of ruffling fabric and frowned. He ignored it for a moment as he felt the gentle burn of his muscles working, but caught sight of Freed's white - now dirt stained and crumpled - shirt now hanging over the branch of a nearby tree. With slightly furrowed brows, he turned towards Freed to demand an explanation, only to see him kicking off his pants and placing them right next to his shirt, leaving him only in his boxer-briefs. His tight and eye-catching boxer-briefs.

Before the thoughts could even form about how Freed was wearing his underwear to perfection, Gajeel forced his memory back to the night before. About how he'd acted and how he had tried to make Gajeel feel like crap just to feed his own ego.

Freed had lost a wrestling match, and had thrown a fit about it. Gajeel couldn't respect a man like that, and he couldn't find a guy hot if he didn't respect him.

"The hell are you doing?" Gajeel demanded.

"If we're going to swim, then I'd rather not get my only set of clothes wet when it could be avoided," Freed explained, and Gajeel was momentarily thankful that he didn't look ready to remove his boxers. He couldn't think like that, so spoke again.

"Cause you can't stand a bit of discomfort, right?" Gajeel grumbled.

"No, I just don't see the point of making things worse for myself to prove a point," Freed looked pointedly towards Gajeel when he said that. "The water is clearly going to be cold and the weather doesn't look like it'll improve, meaning it'll be a struggle to dry ourselves already. The fire can only do so much, and we'll either have to lounge around in wet clothes out of stubbornness, or remove them and wait for them to dry while we ourselves get dry. That extends the time we'll be cold, making us both uncomfortable and wasting time before whatever inane task you've got next. That, coupled with the fact that this is flu season, seems like good enough justification for avoiding a stupid problem."

Gajeel could hardly argue the point, so instead he mumbled, "We ain't gonna be lounging around."

"What an astute and well thought out argument," Freed deadpanned, and Gajeel wanted to punch him again. He didn't, instead averting his eyes as Freed started to stretch his arms. "Nobody is forcing you to do the same if you're shy, Mister Redbox. To me it just feels like the reasonable course of actions."

Rather than speaking, Gajeel turned his back. He also removed his shirt and boots; but he wasn't getting half naked like the pervert next to him.

Calling him a pervert was maybe a stretch.

He pushed back that thought, as well as the thoughts of how damn good Freed's ass looked in those boxers - Gajeel was only a man, and he couldn't deny what he saw - and instead got himself into line with Freed. The race is what he should have been focusing on, not the fact that Freed didn't look half bad when he was taken away from his pampered and luxurious sheen. Tangled hair and the odd spec of dirt really did wonders for the pretty-boy.

The race. Focus on the race. And the fact the guy couldn't deal with a loss.

"Ready?" Gajeel asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Go."

He lurched forward before he could think, sprinting through the undergrowth of the the forest as he ran towards the lake. Years of guild work in places like this had allowed for the perfection of running through the forest; you kept alternating your gaze between the ground and on the trees.

Usually he would have turned his skin to iron so he wouldn't have to focus on the branches in his way, but he was trying to prove a point. He winced a little as a sharp end to a twig scraped against his cheek, far too close to his eye, but didn't let it stop his pace. He could hear Freed's breathing very close behind him, so evidently Freed knew how to run through a forest as well as Gajeel did, so he couldn't let up for a moment.

When they were out of the forest, there was a short run towards the lake with more space than there had been in the forest. Gajeel forced himself to run as fast as he could, not wanting to let Freed overtake him now he had the width to do so. And not having a view of the man's body might-

The race. The way he'd acted the night before. Focus dammit!

If telling himself wasn't enough to cut off his libido, the face first plunge into freezing, dirty water certainly did. He let out a shuddering gasp when his head broke the surface, but couldn't allow the ice-cold water to stop him. He quickly started to swim, smirking a little when he realised he still had the lead.

The smirk died when Freed overtook him pretty damn quickly.

Gajeel saw nothing but ripples of water ahead of him, and gritted his teeth as he tried to speed up. He was a man built to brute force his way through a problem, while Freed was apparently more agile. He should have expected that, but he had wanted to leave Freed in the dust during the run so it wouldn't be an issue.

All he could do now was swim to the other shore of the lake, pissed off.

When he reached the end of the lake, he saw Freed resting on one of the large boulders that made up the shoreline. He was panting, soaking wet and still wearing those fuckimg boxers. When he saw Gajeel haul himself up from the water, he looked towards him and smirked.

"That didn't end up how you wanted, did it?"

"Shut up," Gajeel snarled. "Get yer clothes, we've got a busy day."

When Freed laughed, Gajeel nearly pushed him into the lake again.

——

"So, you think ya can beat that?"

Gajeel had more than got his confidence back now, and he was smirking at Freed with his arms flexed intentionally.

Both he and Freed were stood at the bottom of a steep hill, where the dead tree-truck sat. Gajeel had explained this challenge; they would both have to push the tree-truck up the hill as far as they could. The justification for this exercise was that Freed might one day find himself in a situation where he was trapped without his magic and needed to force his way out with his strength alone, and the exercise was meant to simulate that. Freed clearly saw that Gajeel just wanted to push his limits, but he didn't say anything.

This was the last task of the day. They'd already attempted the tree climbing that Gajeel had planned, and Freed had been obnoxiously good at it. Gajeel had been faster, but they both knew that he had a natural advantage because he'd had practice. Gajeel could hardly boast about being slightly better then Freed at something he had done many times and Freed was new to.

Gajeel had just finished his attempt at pushing the trunk, and was fucking delighted when he saw he'd beaten his own personal record. This was how he would regain his control over things.

Freed didn't stand a chance.

"I'm sure I'll be a worthy contender," Freed stated, walking towards the tree-trunk. "Which is a feat, I expect, given that you've clearly been setting me up for failure from the beginning."

"Maybe if you weren't so predictable then I wouldn't have been able to plan things out so well," Gajeel grunted.

"So you predicted that, in everything other than tasks that relied solely on physical strength, I have exceeded your expectations and beaten you in completion, I suppose?" Freed taunted quietly as he positioned himself against the tree-trunk. "I expect you did all of this simply to prove your inferiority."

"Inferiority?" Gajeel scoffed. "You ain't done anything but bitch about this because it's not going yer way."

"Not going my way?" Freed laughed, turning from the log and looking at Gajeel again. "You are joking, aren't you?"

"All you've done is make yer little comments about how you don't think it's fair," Gajeel challenged, taking a step forward and glaring the other man down. "And when ya lose, you throw a tantrum."

"I throw tantrums," Freed demanded, sounding equal parts exasperated and annoyed. "As opposed to you, who has been acting perfectly rational throughout this? It hasn't escaped my attention that you clearly see Makarov's initiative as some sort of personal affront to you, and you have apparently seen it fair to force all of these grievances onto me. So for you, a man who has been as close to stomping his feet and wailing as his pride allows, to complain about me throwing a tantrum is practically laughable."

"You think that's what I'm doing?" Gajeel took another step forward. "I'm doing this because yer clearly a spoiled little city-boy and I ain't associating myself with something who can't-"

"Can't what?" Freed snapped. "Can't make a shelter? Can't start a fire? Can't swim across a lake faster than you? Because I've done all of this despite your clear hopes otherwise. Or would you rather judge my worth as a mage by seeing me push a dead tree up a hillside, or to wrestle you without the weapon I use nor the magic I wield? Because, Mr Redfox, if you need to force such strict parameters to best me and you consistently lose, then perhaps your plan isn't a good one."

Fuck, he wanted to punch the guy. Fully encase his fists in iron and beat the shit out of the guy. It would be damn satisfying to see the guy knocked out, while the smugness straight out of him.

"Nothing to say?" Freed continued, a patronising look on his face.

"Fuck off," Gajeel growler, turning around and going to walk away. Before he could take a step, a wall of glowing runes shot up in front of him, blocking his exit. He turned to Freed with an expression of fury. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You," Freed snapped, and magic seemed to emanate from him.

He looked feral in that moment, with all the shields of fancy clothes and smart ass words replaced by anger and magic. His shirt was billowing in the magic induced winds, and the glare on his face was accentuated by the purple swirling in his eye. Fuck, he looked like a man on the edge and it shot straight to Gajeel's dick. Freed was a gentleman gone wild, and if that wasn't one of Gajeel's most well-buried fantasies then he didn't know what was.

The expression was gone as quickly as it came, and the magic swarming Freed's eye fell away. For a moment, Freed looked worried, but he was talking again before Gajeel could understand why he looked like that.

"Neither of us are happy about this, but at the end of the week we have to fight side by side, and the biggest issue we have right now is that we can't stand one another," Freed seemed more calm now, as if the bubble of anger had burst. What the hell had caused that? "So, either you plan something that might make us work together, or at least respect one another, or we both stop trying and say to hell with the consequences."

Gajeel didn't say anything. It felt like the rug had been pulled from under him.

Suddenly, a wave of shitty realisation hit him. Freed had a point when he said he was taking his anger out on him, when he really just didn't want to do the damn training thing at all. He wasn't being fair.

"I think that's enough," Freed sighed. "I'll gather my things and go home. You needn't contact me again."

Freed was walking away before Gajeel could react, and the walls of runes fell around them both. A horrid feeling of regret filled Gajeel, and he quickly jogged to catch up with Freed, who was clearly ignoring him. He kinda deserved it.

"Shit, Freed, wait," He placed a hand on the man's chest, and Freed glared at him. "Yer right, I ain't been fair," It wasn't a fun thing to admit. "I had some ideas about who you were, and didn't wanna let ya prove me wrong, even when you were kicking my ass," He sighed. "And yer right about me wanting to fuck you over, that's why I did this shit, and it wasn't right. That was shitty of me."

"Well, I can hardly blame you for judging me. We were both guilty of that," Freed admitted. "And thank you for admitting that. But I don't see how we could suddenly become a cohesive, effective team, we're hardly compatible."

Gajeel sighed, Freed had a point.

But if a Fairy Tail mage was good at anything, they were good at being stubborn.

"What if we have a fight?" Gajeel proposed, and Freed frowned at him. "Talking like this ain't gonna get rid of the attitude we have for each other, right? You're still pissed at me, and you said some things that made me wanna sock a punch in yer jaw. Maybe having the chance to beat the shit outta each other might break through the attitude problems we have."

"That's not too bad an idea," Freed admitted, glancing at the evening sky for a moment. "It would be cathartic to make you scream."

"Buy me dinner first, city-boy," Gajeel teased before he could think. Freed all but gaped at him, and Gajeel was speaking to fill the silence before he could stop himself. "Y'know, I ain't ever seen you fight before. Don't know how you work."

"Then I have the advantage," Freed grinned slightly. "And you're voluntarily giving it to me. Perhaps you really are repentant."

"Nah, just wanna kick yer ass without you having an excuse."

"We'll see," Freed smirked, and Gajeel found himself grinning back.