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fairiesherefairiesthere · 4 years

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The five proposals Freed Justine rejected and the one he did accept.

Fraxusweek by @fuckyeahfraxus day 7, with the prompt being : Proposal/Wedding/Engagement

1. A girl who's confused, but has got the spirit.

It's a precarious situation and Laxus doesn't know how to solve it. They've got the bad guy of the day cornered, but instead of going along willingly, the man thought it a good idea to get civilians involved. Quickly, the perpetrator had seen that there was no way to get out of his situation, with Laxus, Bickslow and Evergreen trapping him against the side of a building. So he had wrangled a little girl out of her screaming mother's grip and now, he has his one hand wrapped around her throat while he waves a weapon around with the other one.

To her credit, the little girl isn't going down without a fight, kicking and screaming as the situation keeps escalating. If the man wasn't wearing a mask, Bickslow probably could've done something about it. Brainwashing the girl herself is out of the question, as she's more likely to injure than save herself. Opening fire upon the man is completely out of the question, so now they're all stuck.

Rest of the fic under the cut!

The answer comes in the form of their ever so dependable captain kicking down the door from the inside, effectively smashing it into the man who had unwittingly been shielding the little girl from stray doors suddenly opening. With a dull thud, the man falls to the floor, unconscious.

As Bickslow and Evergreen cheer their captain on for a job well done, Laxus catches the surprise in his eyes and the 'oops' he silently mouths before looking around. When Freed comes to the conclusion that his habit of tresspassing for fun has not gotten him into trouble for once, he smiles at his teammates while telling them of the importance of 'seeing all the options' amongst other things. Later, in private, he'll tell the little shit that he knows he's full of bull, but for now Laxus will let him gloat.

Starry-eyed, the now saved little girl tugs on Freed's jacket, narrowly avoiding getting clocked by his sword. "Mister, you saved me!" she says and Freed nods with more confidence than he should have, considering his heroic act was one of mere coincidence.

"That means you have to marry me", she says in a matter of fact voice that throws all of them off. "That's what my books say", she continues before throwing a hopeful glance at Freed.

Behind his back, Freed makes a tiny gesture with his hand and with a bit of magic, he hurls a rather concerningly large rock at Laxus. Swiftly, he moves between Laxus and the rock, fending it off with his rapier. "Well young lady", he says, turning to the girl. "Now I have saved this man as well and now I have to marry him too. I hope you don't mind sharing."

With all the huffy- and puffyness girls that age usually possess, she turns her head harrumphs. "No, I don't like sharing. I'm not settling for trash", she continues, giving Freed the stinkeye. "So our engagement is called off, goodbye my sweet prince", she dramatically sighs before joining her mom. She does wave them all goodbye though, so that's a nice bonus.

2. A girl who isn't confused and hasn't got the spirit.

The second time Freed gets proposed to, it isn't even done by the bride to be. No, the bride to be stands there somberly, as her father tries to offer Freed her hand. "Surely", the man says, "A handsome young man such as yourself wouldn't refuse a gorgeous young lady. She knows how to cook and keep quiet, what else do you want?"

There's a quick flash of anger in the daughter's eyes and anger radiates off Freed as well, although he's more apt at hiding it. It's only because Laxus knows him so well that he knows how the other man really feels.

"What else I want?" Freed asks, voice carefully leveled before throwing on the biggest of smiles. "Why, your son would be a good place to start. He's gorgeous as well and I bet he's a fast learner, we could make our dinner together before having a ménage à trois in our kitchen."

The words immediately hit home and before they know it, the four of them are hightailing it out of there, but not before Freed has pressed a vial with suspicious liquid into the girl's hand with a whisper of: "Please feel free to use this however you want."

3. The spirit.

As far as Laxus knows, the party gathered in front of him is reaching the peak of their little roleplay game. He has no idea what they're actually prattling about, but Freed looks happy playing whatever it is, so of course he's there too. Although he isn't participating and merely laying his head down on Freed's lap, as he's done the past few session, he can kind of tell what's going on based on observations and little comments Freed gives now and then.

Wendy is narrating the story and honestly, her youthful spirit adds a gentle touch to it. Levy, Lucy, Mira, Freed and for some reason, Gray and Loke are the nerds participating and rolling dice. Throughout the story, familial bonds have been formed and right now, they're on the cusp on something more than just familial.

Loke and Freed's characters have been flirting since pretty much the first session. Laxus really doesn't mind, because he trusts Freed and also because both men are making a competition out of it. It keeps Freed sharp, so to speak and he only becomes better at flirting with Laxus in return. It's ridiculous how smooth he is sometimes.

In-game, Loke has proposed to Freed and the whole group is hollering and shouting until Loke rolls the dice. Then they fall silent, so naturally, Laxus presumes something bad has happened. Calmly Wendy shoots the group a warm smile before saying: "Alberion (the name of Freed's character) panics, thinking he's gotten too close to the enemy. He shoots Guryon (Loke) and flees, back to the dark castle where he was born and raised!"

A series of whats and hows raises from the group while Freed and Wendy bump fists. Seeing the indignant expression on the rest of the players' faces, Wendy merely shrugs. "It was on his character background sheet", she explains and leaves the group to deal with the betrayal.

4. A man who's had too much spirit.

"Justine, marry me", Hibiki Lates sobs into Freed's shoulder as Laxus watches in amusement. His boyfriend is looking mildly annoyed at the overly intoxicated man, but there's a hint of fondness in the set of his lips.

"Now why would I do that?" he asks with a sigh and Hibiki immediately straightens his back before putting a USB-stick into Freed's hand.

"There's a powerpoint on there", he explains before starting to list his good qualities. "I'll start with the main reason why you should marry me: I'm really, really cute."

"That's what you're going with? Not our 1 week relationship when we were both fifteen?"

"No, because we broke up you dumbass", Hibiki says before headbutting Freed harder than probably intended. "You're not good at providing comfort, I'm gonna look for someone else", he mopes before stalking off. Before disappearing from view completely, he turns around to yell at Freed. "This is why our teenage romance didn't last!" Both of them end up snorting and laughing about it.

5. A man who's lost his spirit.

To say he's nervous is a serious understatement. Laxus has been planning this proposal for months now, has lost a significant amount of sleep over it and will probably cry if even the littlest of details goes wrong. He's stressed beyond belief.

For now, everything seems to be moving in the right direction. His reservation at the expensive seaside restaurant hasn't magically been cancelled and the clothes he'd set aside for today still fit nicely. Freed has also been going along with Laxus' plans without demanding to know what they're doing. Seemingly sensing Laxus nervousity, he simply follows wherever Laxus directs him to be.

The first thing that nearly goes wrong, is transportation and Laxus really has no idea how that even happened. He planned this whole thing while giving his own weaknesses no thought. As the carriage had pulled up, Freed had commented how nice it looked before giving Laxus a teasing smile, while telling him how good it was that that carriage wasn't for them, as Laxus would've puked all over it.

Immediatle, he blanches and Freed, bless his heart picks up on it. He waves the carriage off, which isn't a problem since Laxus already paid for it and then sets up some transportation runes. "Just imagine the place where we need to be and we'll be taken there", he instructs Laxus.

The seaside view is luckily just as gorgeous as in the pictures and Laxus feels the repeated crashing of the waves soothing his mind. Maybe it would go alright after all. The two of them settle in their chairs and look at the menu, commenting on some of the stranger recipes. Swiftly Laxus decides what he wants to eat and puts the menu down to ask Freed for his choice.

It's then that he catches Freed drumming his fingers on the table while biting his lip. He's also tapping his feet, so Laxus knows that he's essentially screwed. "Is there something wrong?" he asks, nervousity returning in full swing.

"Ah...It's just a little something that hasn't really been brought up." Catching Laxus' questioning gaze, Freed winces a little bit. "I'm allergic to seafood. Deathly allergic actually", he admits sheepishly and Laxus wants to dig a hole in the ground and take a nap in it. "Don't make that face", Freed gently chastises him. "This trip isn't wasted." With a grin, he browses through the menu until he's found what he's looking for. Triumphantly he turns the booklet around to show Laxus the dessert section. "You best believe I am testing out as much of these bad boys as I can. I don't believe they'll put fish in there."

After something that could be counted as some form of a meal, the two of them want to take a walk on the beach. They are however dressed to the nines and after a brief moment of consideration, they come to the conclusion that neither of them wants to clean all the sand out of these clothes, so they let a walk on the sand itself drift from their minds for today. Instead they walk on the pavement until the sun sets.

During their walk, Laxus thinks that now would be a good time to propose. The setting sun is the perfect background and he bets it'd look really romantic if he were to pop out the rings right about now. Right about then, is when he realises he left the rings at home. After vehemently checking each and every one of his pockets, it's clear that a proposal isn't going to happen. To highlight this fact, the wind starts picking up and Laxus knows a gathering storm when he sees one. Defeated, he sits down on the sidewalk.

With more pep than Laxus'll probably feel for the rest of the week, Freed plops down next to him and lays his head on Laxus' shoulder. "My dear, do you want to cry about it?" he asks and honestly, he wants to but they're in public. Crying in front of Freed is one thing, crying in front of a crowd is another thing. "It's good that it's going to rain then", he adds gently before taking his head of Laxus' shoulder and opening his arms. "Get over here sweetheart."

It's a bit embarrassing, sitting there in the now full-on storm and crying while his boyfriend cradles him in his arms. But it feels too good to pass on, so he doesn't let go until he feels somewhat placated.

"My dear Laxus", Freed says softly but still audible over the storm, "You could ask me to marry you in the back of a dumpster and I'd wholeheartedly say yes. But you worked hard on this, didn't you? I'll keep that effort in mind. So ask me another day, when your nerves have calmed down. I just want to tell you now, I love you and I always will."

6. Two spirits, a shared love.

This time around, there are no theatrics or outrageously expensive restaurants. It's a simple breakfast prepared by Laxus, one he knows Freed'll like. After sliding the last egg on a plate, he goes upstairs to try to coax Freed out of bed for the third time this morning. A few languid kisses follow and reluctantly Freed follows, sticking close to Laxus because he is so very warm and comfortable.

"It's time for food, don't use me as your human blanket", Laxus softly admonishes him and Freed grumbles in return. With droopy eyes, Freed starts nibbling on his toast and although Laxus is very used to the sight of his boyfriend in the morning, it still elicits a smile from him.

"Yesterday I spent the day with Bix and he learned me some magic tricks", Laxus says and produces a set of cards out of his pocket. "Wanna see some?"

Vaguely interested, Freed hums and nods. Dutifully he picks out a card when Laxus asks him to and when Laxus asks him if he picked out Freed's card, the man shakes his head drowsily. "That isn't even a card Laxus, that's a box...", he complains quietly, yawning a bit afterwards.

"There is an accompanying card though", Laxus grins as he shoves the little box and the card to Freed side of the table. Predictably, Freed picks up the card first, reading the message and silently forming the words with his mouth.

Immediately the sleepiness seems to evaporate from his system as he quickly opens the box as well, revealing the rune-ingraved ring. Before even answering, he throws his arms around Laxus, planting a big, fat smooch on his lips before peppering a thousand little ones all over his face. "I love you", he gushes before collecting his thoughts a little bit. "And of course I'll marry you." They exchange some more kisses until Freed pulls back with a huge grin. "I'm going to brag to everyone. The guild, the lady at the grocer's, they'll be hearing it for months."

With a gentle tug, Laxus witholds the man from running out of the door in his bathrobe. "If they're going to hear about it for months, then you've got time to finish your breakfast, silly", he says warmly and Freed shoots him a cheeky smile and a wink in return.

#Fraxusweek #Fraxus #Fraxus Week 2020 #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #TheFairyWrites #5+1 things

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eryiss · 4 years

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Fraxus Week 2020: Day 1 - First Meeting

Summary: After a crappy post-college first year, Laxus jumped at the opportunity to leave town for a week for a road trip with his friends. He intended it just to be a week away with his friends, but when he meets an unfamiliar stranger, the vacation turns into something much more. [Fraxus Multichapter]

This was written as part of the annual Fraxus Week event hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. This year I’ve decided to make an eight-part multi-chapter fic out of the prompts. They might not be in the correct order, but I think the end product will be worth it. Hope you all enjoy it.

You can read this on Fanfiction, Archive of our Own, and under the cut. Read the other chapters from this masterlist.

Chapter One – Getting Aboard

It had been Bickslow's idea.

Nobody would think it, but the blue haired idiot was perhaps the most caring of the group, the mother figure, in a way. He wasn't the most conventional 'mom friend', and it certainly didn't diminish his enthusiasm to get drunk off his ass when the opportunity presented itself, but he was always the one keeping an eye out on his friends and knew when something was wrong. Apparently he had seen something was wrong with all three of them, and had come up with this plan on how to fix it.

A road trip to the Grand Canyon. None of his friends knew where the idea had come from, nor did they know why he insisted on renting an RV and driving there instead of getting the train. But the man had this enthusiasm about him that was cast upon them like a spell, and they couldn't find a way to fight it. Perhaps they all knew they needed the break.

Laxus was damn sure he did.

It had been just shy of a year since his graduation from college, and his plan had been to get a job in a gym being a personal trainer. That hadn't happened. He'd gone to many job interviews and nothing had come from any of them, and each rejection had been like a punch to the gut. He knew he couldn't just use his grandfather's money for ever, so had gotten what was meant to be a temporary job in an office while he looked for more appropriate employment. That had been nine months ago, and he hadn't been near to an interview for his chosen career in over half a year.

So far, his post college life had been a failure. Perhaps he had been naïve to think good things would happen instantly, perhaps he just needed to be patient. But the idea of getting away from everything for a week was what he needed.

Even if it was in what he could only assume was a crappy van.

Even if he had to wake up at five thirty to get on the highway before the majority of traffic, for some reason.

Even if one of the people he was traveling with was a stranger.

He had known Bickslow for the longest. They had been friends since they were kids and, although Bickslow moving away for college had meant they weren't as close as they once were, Laxus still considered the man his closest friend. He was chaotic, loyal, and overall just a fun guy. He could be obnoxious, but who couldn't?

Evergreen had come later, when she transferred into their high-school and Bickslow had dragged her into their small group. She was a little haughty at first, but that was clearly a defensive state she took on as the new girl. As they got closer, she showed a snarkier and quick-witted side. She fit in with the two men like the missing piece of a puzzle, even if she had a stupid insistence of hitting them with a fan when annoyed.

But now there was Freed.

Laxus didn't know all that much about Freed. He knew that he went to the same college that Bickslow and Ever did. He knew that he lived a few towns over, about half an hour's drive. He knew that he was a literary and science major. That was it. But both Bix and Ever thought well of him, so he was probably a good person.

"What time is he coming?" Makarov asked, cupping a mug of coffee while sitting at the kitchen table.

"Should be a few minutes," Laxus shrugged, biting into the toast he'd made for himself.

"I don't get why you have to leave this early," Makarov commented, glancing at the clock handing on the wall as sipped his drink. "You're going to be driving for days on end, you'll get caught in traffic anyway. You might as well sleep in to an appropriate time."

"Nobody asked you to see me off," Laxus quirked an eyebrow. He agreed with the sentiment though, he'd much rather leave later and deal with the traffic.

"No, but you seemed determined to bump into everything as you were getting ready and to make as much noise as you could. It's hard to sleep through that," Makarov grinned, clearly trying to get a reaction out of his grandson. "Besides, it's been years since I saw your friends, it'll be nice to see them again. And that new boy you'll be travelling with, I want to mee him too."

"We're picking him up later," Laxus said, crunching another bite of toast; he had burned it.

"Ah," Makarov nodded.

The two men fall into a comfortable quiet, the silence being accompanied by the radio Makarov had insisted turning on despite complaining about all the music they played. Laxus ate his breakfast while his grandfather read the newspaper. Once Laxus was finished, he checked the small suitcase that he had packed for himself to make sure it had everything he needed, then sat back at the kitchen table and waited for his friends to arrive.

A few minutes later he got the text saying that Bickslow was outside. He cracked his back and walked to the front door of the house he shared with his grandfather, and looked upon the large RV that had been parked at the foot of the driveway.

It was an impressive looking vehicle, and probably a good model. The idea to go on this road trip had been made in March, giving the four of them four months to save up enough to hire something relatively luxurious. Bickslow was hanging out of driver's seat window with a wide grin on his face, clearly happy that his plan was starting. Laxus found his enthusiasm infectious, and a small smile graced his lips as he approached.

This was exactly what he needed to put aside the disappointment of the year.

"Hey man," Bickslow greeted with a voice too loud for the time of the morning. He looked past Laxus and grinned wider. "Hey Mr D."

"Morning Bickslow," Makarov greeted from the doorframe, smiling. "Is Evergreen not with you?"

"She's in the back, sleepin'. Told her that it'll take a hell of a lot of beauty sleep not to make her look like that, but she didn't listen to me," He cackled at his own joke, and Laxus chuckled as he saw a hairbrush hit him in the back of his head. "The big guy wake you up, Mr D?"

"What do you think?" Makarov laughed, and Laxus glared at him. Since when was it a known trait that he couldn't keep quiet in the morning?

"See you in a week-old man," Laxus waved his hand, hoping to stop the taunting conversation between his friend and relative. "Try not to die while I'm gone."

"Cheeky brat," Makarov retorted with a grin. "Have fun kids."

Bickslow gave a response in the affirmative while Laxus pulled open the door of the RV, climbing up the steps. It was as nice inside as it was outside, with a small table and seating nook, a cooking area, a bed at the back and a small room that Laxus assumed would be the washroom. Laxus absently wondered if either he or Bickslow would manage to fit in the shower, given their size. But still, it was a nice vehicle and would be more than enough for their week inside of it.

Laxus walked to the front of the vehicle and took the passenger's seat, grinning at the sight of Evergreen with an eye mask on while buckled into the seats surrounding the table. The seat was comfortable enough, and Laxus found himself smiling at the vehicle.

"She's nice, right," Bickslow grinned in reference to the RV. "Best one they had. Turns out four of us not having any fun for months means we save a lot of money."

"Glad to hear it," Laxus chuckled. "I half expected you to pull up in some crappy van with a piss stained mattress in the back."

"Oddly specific there Dreyar. Speaking from experience?" Bickslow grinned, and it was clear that his excitement was going to make him completely obnoxious throughout the week. As annoying as it was, Laxus wouldn't have it any other way. "So, just gonna put this out here. Sleeping situation. The bed at the back fits two, and the table folds away and makes another single bed. Obviously, they'll be two of us in the back. So we can either have Ever and Freed sharing the single bed 'casue we won't fit-"

"Like hell I'm sharing," Ever snapped from her seat. "It'll be cramped enough as it is."

"Or we take turns each night with one of us in that chair," He nodded to the seat Laxus was sitting in. "It reclines and turns slightly, so they'll be enough leg space. It's basically like a plane seat without anyone behind you."

"I'm sure we can manage with that," Laxus nodded. "Wouldn't wanna piss of medusa," A hairbrush hit the back of Laxus' head this time. "How many brushes do you have?"

"Five, they each do different things," Evergreen grunted from her seat, and Laxus chuckled when he saw her put the mask over her eyes again.

"How can they do different things?" Laxus asked.

"They just do, it's why they're all different shapes and have thinner and thicker prongs," Evergreen sighed. "Ask Freed when he gets here, I'm sure he'll know. And that way you won't be talking to me and I can get some sleep."

Laxus decided not to push his luck, knowing that his friend had enough strength to throw a hair dryer at his head, as well as the morality to do so. Instead he leant over to Bickslow, who had pushed the key into the ignition, and spoke softly.

"Why would he know much about hair brushes exactly?" He asked, and Bickslow looked at him with confusion before realisation hit him.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that you know basically nothing about him," He laughed, turning the key, and starting the engine. It was a powerful machine, and Laxus appreciated it. "Freed's got really long hair, keeps it pretty well looked after too. Goes down to his ass, don't know when he last had it cut. It looks good on him though. Oh, and it's green. Like, bright green."

"Really," Laxus furrowed his brows. "Everything you've said about him makes him seem pretty… strait laced I guess."

"He is, kinda. He's just got green hair," Bickslow shrugged, smiling wide. "He's kinda contradictory when you get to know him. You'll love him, I know it baby."

Bickslow revved the engine unnecessarily, waved out the window with an overly loud 'Bye Mr D!' as he did so, and started to pull out from Laxus' neighbourhood. Laxus gave his grandfather a small wave in goodbye, and saw the old man return the gesture. He leant back in his comfortable chair and allowed the gentle vibrations of the vehicle moving to calm him, closing his eyes softly as the warm sun hit his face through the front window.

This was exactly what he had needed after the year he'd had, and even the idea of being in the RV with a stranger didn't put a damper on his mood.

~~~

It had taken about forty minutes to get into the town Freed had lived in, and only a little while longer to get to his apartment. The building wasn't the nicest looking place in the world, and Bickslow explained that Freed lived by himself and financed his own life through his student loan and a job. Laxus didn't judge him; that was an admirable thing to do and he couldn't look down on his because he lived in a slightly crappy apartment building.

Honestly, for some reason he had expected a spoiled kid.

"Could you go up and get him?" Bickslow asked, looking towards Laxus.

"Can't you text him?"

"Nah, he takes hours to answer any texts, so I never know if he actually reads them quickly or not. Don't wanna be waiting down here for ages," Bickslow shrugged, and then grinned. "Besides, it'll give the two of ya a chance to get to know each other before you get trapped in here with us. Makes it less awkward."

Laxus sighed, but nodded. He was almost certain that getting to know Freed was the only reason he had been chosen to find the man, but he couldn't prove it as he didn't know if Bickslow's claim about his texting etiquette was true or not. He shifted his way out of the RV, Bickslow shouting the man's apartment number and the code for the door as he did so. Once he closed the door, he could swear that he heard the two speaking in the van, but ignored it.

The apartment building wasn't run down, but it was lacking luxury. Paint was peeling off some of the walls and the elevator opened with a horrid creak. Laxus walked into it and pushed the button for the ninth floor.

A ridiculous bubble of nervousness entered his stomach as the elevator started to ascend. He had never been talented socially, and his communication skills were both blunt and often uncared for. This had meant he never truly got used to being around new people, and it took him a while to warm up with most people. And now he was going to be stuck in a pretty small RV for around a week with a man he didn't know. He knew that his friends were good judges of characters and they assured him that they'd get along, but Laxus still could be nervous about meeting him.

Once the lift had found the right floor, Laxus looked around and settled on the sixth apartment's door. He knocked it curtly, the sound echoing awkwardly in the hallway. Laxus fidgeted for a moment before it was opened, revealing Freed.

"Oh," The man said in a velvet smooth voice. "Hello."

"Hey," Laxus greeted. "I'm Laxus, Bickslow might have told you about me. He said to come get you."

"Of course," The man said, and offered him a smile.

It was a nice smile. In fact the entirety of the man was nice to look at. He had long green hair, as Bickslow had said, and it was tied up in a high pony tail. A few green strands had fallen down to frame his face, accenting his sharp features, and pronounced bone structure. His outfit portrayed a fit body, and the unassigned top button showed a small slather of a firm chest. He had piercing blue eyes, a small black mark high on his left cheek, and thin lips.

When his eyes flickered down, he saw that the man had two large sports bags at his feet, clearly his own luggage. Laxus was suddenly reminded of why he was there, and snapped out of his split-second trance.

"You need help with them?" He offered.

"I'm fine," Freed assured him. "Although you could hold this if you don't mind."

He reached for a shelf in his apartment and picked up a small plastic thermos, handing it to Laxus. The blonde took it and looked at it with confusion. "Doesn't it make more sense for you to hold your own drink. I really don't mind taking a bag."

"It's not for me," Freed explained, lifting his bags out of his apartment, and placing them down to lock the door. "I shared a morning class with Evergreen, and she was snappy enough at eight in the morning, let alone half six. I assumed she might need some caffeine."

"Yeah, both me a Bix got a hairbrush thrown at us already," Laxus laughed. "Probably a good call."

"I would have made the two of you one as well," Freed stated as they walked down the hall. "But I don't know what you drink, and I don't believe that Bickslow needs any help in being overly energetic."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my grandpa's neighbour is gonna complain because of the shouting," Laxus grinned a little as he called the elevator. His friends were a topic he could handle.

"I'm surprised he didn't try and get my attention by yelling from the sidewalk."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that the only reason he sent me up here is so we can talk without them being there," Laxus admitted, before wondering if it was appropriate to say so. Was it meant to be a secret?

"It makes sense," Freed nodded. "They haven't really told me too much about you. I know your name, that you're a year older than us, and that you went to college to become trained in sports science and physiotherapy. That's essentially it."

"Well, that's all true," Laxus said as he walked into the open elevator. "I haven't gotten a job in my field yet, so I took a temp job. But I'm still looking. Bix said you've got a job as well as going to college?"

"I'm a waiter at Blue Pegasus, a restaurant a few blocks away," Freed explained. "It's not the most interesting work, but the pay is enough to keep me stable. And sometimes I'll get a meal at the end of the shift for free, so I can't complain."

Laxus nodded, understanding the conflict of working at a job that doesn't thrill you without having the option of quitting. The elevator started to slide down, and a repetitive tone began to play in the small box. Neither man spoke, and Laxus would have expected the urge to fill the silence, but it didn't come. For whatever reason, he felt comfortable with not speaking when Freed was around, something that didn't happen to him often.

Thinking back, the last time he had been okay in silence with a stranger had been Evergreen.

They reached the bottom floor hallway of the building a moment later, and Laxus held open the front door for Freed so the man could walk out without dropping his bags. When they walked into the morning sun, Laxus found himself momentarily transfixed by the sight of the man under natural light.

He looked radiant.

His slightly paler skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, and his perfectly brushed hair shimmered in the light. His eyes even seemed to sparkle as he approached the comparatively dull vehicle that was their home for the next week. Laxus' grip on the thermos tightened slightly as he walked forward.

"Just opened the storage," Bickslow commented from the window. "Put your bags in there, so we have space."

Freed nodded, walking to the small storage cubby that was opened from the side of the truck. He placed his bags down and opened it, and Laxus walked beside him. Freed placed one of the bags into the RV's trunk equivalent, and Laxus lifted the other to do the same. It held a fair amount of weight to it, and Laxus found himself impressed that the man had managed to lift this and another bag without any difficulty. Maybe the bulging in his sleeves wasn't just vanity muscles, as Laxus had assumed.

"Thank you," Freed nodded towards Laxus, closing the storage space.

"It's fine," Laxus assured him.

The two men climbed inside the RV, being greeted by a still too cheery 'welcome to the party bus' form Bickslow. Laxus saw that, in his time in the building, Evergreen had taken the front seat and was reclining in it with the eye mask on and a blanket covering her body. He rolled his eyes, placed the drink in a cup holder on the dash, and looked back over the RV's interior. The only place you could sit while it moved were in the table booth that Freed was sitting at. Laxus took the seat opposite him.

As he got into the leather booth, he saw that Freed had taken out a novel and was scanning the paged with quick moving eyes. The sun was hitting his face just right and illuminated it in a damn impressive way. Annoyingly, Laxus blushed

"All aboard," Bickslow yelled. "Next stop, the Grand Canyon."

And, with a pleasant nervousness in his stomach as he looked at Freed, Laxus found himself excited for the journey.

#Fraxus Week #Fraxus Week 2020 #fraxus #freed justine #Laxus Dreyar #fairy tail #fanfic #writing #Event #multichapter #Modern AU

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dustyphantom · 4 years

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Fraxus week Day 1

So this is actually apart of a larger(unpublished) fic and is a bit loose on the prompt(Growing Old Together), but I hope it suffices. It takes place seven years after the 100 year quest.

Nobody had any clue how Freed and Laxus had survived two and a half years with twins. Laxus was generally pretty anxious, and Freed valued organization almost as much as he loved his husband.

But somehow, they were still alive and well, and they loved their little family more than anything else, however exhausting it might be.

Freed flopped unceremoniously onto the couch, resting his head on Laxus’s lap. His shoulder-length green hair was askew, hair tie lost somewhere in the process of putting their two children down for their afternoon nap.

Laxus noted his page number before setting his book down on the coffee table. He ran his fingers through Freed’s hair. Between two grabby toddlers and a series of ensuing incidents, Freed had decided to cut off most of his hair, much to Laxus’s dismay. The rune mage had agreed to grow it out again once he felt it was safe to do so.

“Any progress?” The Lightning Dragon asked with a sympathetic smile, brushing Freed’s bangs away from his face.

The rune mage sighed, shaking his head, “I feel like we’ve done everything. What else is there to try?”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

Laxus hoped so. He loved his children with everything he had, but sometimes they could be a bit… problematic, as all toddlers were. Yuri was a sweetheart who would never hurt a fly, but his sister was another story. Robin was a handful, thrashing about and refusing to behave, no matter what they tried. On top of that, nobody knew when her magic would present, or what it would look like.

Robin was biologically Freed’s child, which led to quite a few complications. Freed’s magic was hereditary, a very unusual trait, which he’d had for as long as he could remember. Robin showed signs of carrying her father’s magic, which had a tendency to be unpredictable and hard to control, especially in someone so young. They had no idea if or when she would tap into it, and what that would be like, on top of her attitude. She was already developing a magic presence, so it was only so long until they found out, most likely the hard way.

Yuri, on the other had, was concerning for the opposite reason. He had no magical presence at all, and showed no signs of developing anything. Normally, that would be fine for a two-and-a-half year old child, especially since his surrogate mother had developed her magic when she was eleven. The only problem with that was that Laxus had never developed magic properly, and of course he feared that his son would suffer from the same condition and would never be able to become a powerful wizard because of limitations he could never do anything to fix. Having a condition like what Laxus had when he was young and a monstrously powerful sibling couldn’t be good for anyone.

He was pulled from his thoughts when a mischievous smirk crossed Freed’s face. He sat up, twisting to sit on his knees. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss on his husband’s temple. Laxus smiled, “What’s got you so excited?”

“The twins are asleep,” the Rune Mage said, “So we effectively have the house to ourselves.”

The Lightning Dragon chuckled, “I like where this is going.”

Freed shifted to straddle Laxus’s lap, “You’re here and we’re free, so why don’t we indulge ourselves for once?”

Laxus smirked, putting his hands on his husband’s waist, “Yeah, this would be the perfect opportunity…” He shifted his grip, sliding his hands underneath Freed’s ass, picking up the smaller man. The Rune Mage smothered a yelp, allowing Laxus to carry him to their room, arms wrapped around the lightning dragon’s neck. He dropped Freed on the bed, and then promptly flopped down on top of him.

“Ack! Laxus, get off! I can’t breathe!” Freed cried through his laughter. Laxus rolled off of him, smiling playfully.

It was nice to see Freed so happy. For a long time, he’d been uptight and lived in the shadow of his troubled past, but he’d finally started to get over it seven years ago, just shortly after they’d started dating. Nothing made Laxus happier than seeing the love of his life unburdened and content. He’d never thought the sound of someone laughing would ever make him feel like his heart was going to burst. He placed a kiss on his husband’s lips, which reciprocated without hesitation.

The Rune Mage wrapped his arms around Laxus’s waist, holding him close so his face was buried in the taller man’s chest, “I love you. More than words can express.”

“I love you too,” Laxus responded, putting a hand on Freed’s back, between his shoulder blades. Freed’s hum of approval was muffled in his chest.

In recent years, moments like this had become less and less common. Raising children took up a lot of their time already, and it had only become harder once Laxus became a part of the Magic Council. He’d been named a Wizard Saint less than a year ago, which meant he had to be out of town quite often, working with the Council and making public appearances. Of course Freed was happy for his husband, but he did miss having Laxus with him almost all the time, spending whole days just cuddling and drinking hot cocoa and mulled wine in the winter.

Even so, he could never ask for a better husband. He was happy with what he had. There had been no fighting between the guilds in seven years, and for once he could just rest and be at peace with the family he would do anything to protect.

#fraxus #fraxusweek #fraxus week #fraxus week 2020 #fluff #you thought there was going to be smut but you were wrong!#cuddles #mentions of next gen #if you've followed me for a while foreshadowing

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mxyurix · 4 years

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Here’s my Fraxus week art thing for day 3, and it’s casual (e.g. conversation, clothes, ect) and I drew clothes because I adore fashio

There’s not a oneshot for this one because I couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t boring

So that was that

Bye babes

#fraxus week #fraxusweek #fraxus week 2020 #fraxus #shipping #fairy tail

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aki-natsuko · 4 years

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Loyalty

@ftguildevents “Tell us where he is.” Freed heard the demand and ignored it. Just as he had every time before, his eyes fixed on the opposite wall even as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. The pain was expected at this point, the first blow snapping his head to the side, reopening the gash above his eye again, fresh blood trickling down the side of his face to mix with the rest. The second saw him bite his tongue, and he couldn’t quite hold back his grunt of pain as his mouth filled with copper. The third was aimed at his shoulder and for a moment, or maybe it was longer all he could see was white. The joint was already swollen and distorted, bruising visible through his torn shirt and spreading down his arm and chest and he suspected his back too, and he definitely felt something shift in it under the force of that blow.

That injury scared him. He could handle the pain more or less, having given them nothing but curses and the odd, barely suppressed grunt…maybe a scream this time, he couldn’t tell over the roaring in his ears. He didn’t care what they did to his face, could handle most things, but his arm… his sword arm was part of who and what he was, and even though he would still have his magic, still be able to fight, the thought of losing even part of that terrified him. He thought they must’ve realised that at some point – maybe his expression had betrayed him – because they were focusing more and more attention on the joint that had been injured in his capture, and each time, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was the tipping point.

The point of no return.

The worst thing was that he knew how to make it stop, they had only wanted one thing from him ever since he’d woken in this hellhole of a cell. Laxus. They wanted information on the Dragon-slayer, and they wanted to know where he was – as though Freed even knew the answer to that considering he wasn’t even sure where he’d wound up once he’d been captured.

As though he would ever betray his partner.

He knew how to make it stop, and he knew that he would never do it. They had mocked his loyalty more than once, pointing out that Laxus hadn’t come for him, that it had been days, weeks – and he had no way to confirm or disprove what they were telling him. Taunting him about their failed attack on Fairy Tail. As though he hadn’t ripped that event and his involvement in it to shreds over and over in his mind in the months afterwards. Those words were easy enough to let wash over him. They had made their peace with that past, with the guild and found their place in Fairy Tail once more, and as for Laxus coming for him. That was an inevitability. Laxus would come for him. It didn’t matter how long it took, how well they tried to hide him away, the Dragon-slayer would find him, and then all hell really would break loose.

Because they didn’t understand. They didn’t know that it wasn’t just loyalty that kept him quiet, although he had been loyal to Laxus far longer than he could call it anything else. It was faith, his unwavering certainty that Laxus was looking for him, that he would tear Fiore apart if that was what was required to find him and bring him home. And it was love. Freed would let them ruin his arm, let them destroy every part of himself, even his life if that was what it took to keep the Dragon-slayer safe. Just as he knew that Laxus would throttle him if he even knew where his thoughts were going. However, considering he was hung here, arm a throbbing, burning source of agony, breath rattling in his chest – cracked possibly broken rubs – and blood staining his face and clothes, he figured that he was entitled to let his thoughts go where they would.

As long as he held his tongue, just a little longer…

Another punch snapped him back to the present, and he opened eyes that he didn’t remember closing. His vision was blurry, shadows encroaching on the edges and odd light spots dancing across his eyes. That’s new, he thought blearily, trying to focus on the man in front of him, watching his lips moving but unable to make sense of the sounds he was making. Not that he needed to, after all, there was only one thing they had been asking him about, and he worked his mouth for a moment, gathering the blood that had accumulated and spitting it out. It missed, the man jerking backwards with a snarl that Freed met with a weak, bloody-lipped smirk of his own. I won’t break, he promised not sure if he was talking to his tormentors, himself or the Dragon-slayer coming for him.

Laxus, I’m waiting for you…

#ftguildevents #Fraxus #Fairy Tail #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #fanfic #Aki Writes #drabble #Prompt: Loyalty #Slayers Week 2020

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zelkam · 4 years

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- Mhairi McFarlane “You Had Me At Hello”

∟Fraxus Week 2020 → late Day 2: Enemies to friends to lovers/Friends to lovers

#fraxus #fraxusweek #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #Fairy Tail #my coloring #late af but at least I finished it jkShfkjgdsgj #god I've been wanting to do smth with this quote and these two for so long already #bc g o d it fits them #also Raigo Issen was such a blessing for my fraxus loving heart

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gaymirajane · 4 years

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“You should see me in a crown.”

Fraxus Week 2020: Drunk on Power

#fraxusweek #fraxusweek2020 #freed x laxus #my art #otps: thunderstruck #ft

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fuckyeahfraxus · 4 years

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Hey fellow Fraxus supporters and/or active shippers! :)

In two months it’ll be time for the yearly Fraxus Week again! Are y’all excited already?? We are certainly looking forward to all the entries again!!

In one month we will be posting the official information, rules and prompts post - that’s why we’re posting this right now-

Because all of you have the possibility to send in suggestions and ideas for possible prompts again! You can leave a comment on this post, send us an ask or a private message. Either option works just fine!

So if you have a prompt you would really like to have, go ahead and scream it at us!

Under the cut there’ll be a collection of prompts that have already been used in past Fraxus Weeks!

Cooking & Baking

Thunderstorms

Clumsiness

Interfering friends

Flirting/Flirting gone wrong

Night

Confession

Anniversary

Beach

Music

Comfort

Fantasia

Camping

Unison Raid

Blue Pegasus

Sharing

Morning/Night routine

Reverse

Training/Sparring

Quirks/Habits

Gaming

Spoiling each other

Playful shenanigans

Motion sickness

Pride

First kiss or Mutual Pining

Power couple or Competing/Competitive

Makarov

Patching each other up/Taking care of each other

Modelling/Weekly Sorcerer/Interview

Mythical creatures/Zodiac/Gods/Four horsemen of the Apocalypse

Post war

Crossover

BDE Couple (Big dick energy? Big dork energy? Big dumbass energy? You decide, these nerds can be anything)

Unstoppable/Freed the Dark and the Thunder God

Night in/Night out

Mischief

Spa/Vacation/Hot springs

Hope/Despair/Complicated/Easy

Sweet treats

Seasons

Next generation/Adoption/Two Dads are better than one/The guild kids’ cool embarrassing Uncles

#fraxus #fairy tail #freed justine #laxus dreyar #freed x laxus #fraxus week #fraxus week 2020 #admin post #ft #queue: lovey dovey

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fairytail-multishipper · 4 years

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Start of Something Beautiful

Fraxus Week 2020 (Eve)

Prompt: First Meeting

Laxus glanced up from his coffee as a green haired man approached his table on the far end of the guild. His long, green hair bounced slightly as he walked over to where Laxus sat, alone.

He was younger than Laxus. Around 18 or 19. He was also new in the guild, having just joined about a week ago. That was more than enough time for anyone to learn that Laxus wasn’t interested in making “friends”. As soon as he could, Laxus was going to take over the guild, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

Laxus glared at the approaching man, warning him about coming any closer. His orange eyes were met by piercing blue eyes, having received the message, but there was something different.

Normally, anyone else would back down. Acting like they were going somewhere else, they were looking for the bathroom, or something. But not him. Not the green haired man. He got Laxus’s message. He met his gaze, and still kept going. He stopped in front of Laxus, standing over him.

Up close, Laxus saw how beautiful he was. He could get any woman he wanted, definitely. He should have been like Loke, another member of the guild, with girls practically hanging off of his arms. But, he was here, standing over Laxus with a serious look on his face.

Was he suicidal? Why would he challenge Laxus in such a way? Perhaps Laxus needed to teach him a lesson.

The man was only about a head taller than Laxus when he was sitting, and Laxus relished in the fact that he would tower over the new wizard if he stood.

“What?” Laxus grumbled, amused at the challange of knocking the man in front of him down a few pegs.

The man held his hand out towards Laxus, “Hello, my name is Freed.”

Laxus looked at his hand and then back into the eyes of the man. “So?”

Freed brushed off his harsh tone, “I’ve been told that you’re a S-rank mage. Is this true?” His outstretched hand stayed solid not shaking in the slightest.

Laxus was surprised by the man’s body language. His arm must have been getting tired, but he didn’t budge.

“So what if it is?” He asked.

“I hope that you won’t be to upset when I become the next guild master of Fairy Tail.” Freed replied.

Laxus’s eyes narrowed, “What did you just say to me? Do you kn-”

“Do I know who you are?” Freed interupted. “You’re Master Makarov Dreyar’s grandson. You’re father was originally going to be the next guild master before he got arrested for using black magic and kicked out of Fairy Tail.”

“How da-”

“You’re worried about people seeing you as your father, you desire to become the next guild master after Master Makarov retires.”

“Will yo-”

“I apologize, but I will be the next guild master. Not to worry, I will not forget you when the time comes. I hope that you can show me who you are.”

“Let m-”

Freed lowered his arm, “I see politeness does not run in the family.”

Laxus watched Freed walk away from him, still holding himself high and pride. Laxus was shocked at how this man had known so much. Laxus never spoke to anyone about his father, nor his desires of becoming guild master.

No one except his grandfather.

Perhaps, someone with a gift of grace and pride such as Freed would be helpful to have around.

#fraxusweek #fraxusweek2020 #otp: the god and the captain #fraxus #mlm ship #my writing #my drabble

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fairiesherefairiesthere · 4 years

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A candle passed on.

My entry for @fuckyeahfraxus ‘s fraxusweek! Day one: He likes guys.

This also has some Chendy in it, old gays supporting young gays u know

Freed hadn't been wary when Wendy had approached him, but he had felt a certain type of nervousity that usually appears when someone who's seen you in less than graceful states approaches you. That is, until she stands right before him and he can pick up the little telltale signs that she's far more nervous than he is. Shuffling with her feet, bouncing toe to toe, yep the child's jumpy alright.

Deciding to give her time to speak her mind, he merely gives her a questioning glance and in return, is met with puffed up cheeks and little fists balled in determination. "Mister Freed!" she yells and he winces a bit at the volume, making the girl colour red. "Yes?", he politely answers and Wendy aggressively sits down on the chair in front of him. "I have come to bargain!" she continues, face still determined but voice definitely a bit softer.

Rest of the fic under the cut!

"Have you now?" He smiles in amusement, but tries his hardest to come across as non-judgemental. Most of the time coming across in such a manner is the least of his concerns, but he's got the feeling that Miss Marvell wouldn't like it very much. "I will give you this", she states and puts a pouch filled with tooth-rotting sweets in front of him, opened and well within reach. "And in return, you will accompany me and uhh... a certain partner in crime to the Festival of Fiore in Crocus."

Suppresing a smile and the urge to pat her head, he leans back, pretending to think it over. He hates overly sugared sweets and even if he didn't, there wasn't much stopping him from taking them and leaving. "I don't know Miss Marvell", he lazily drawls and she tenses up, "I don't know if I can agree to your terms. How 'bout this", he says, faking some type of accent and leaning forward conspiratorialy. She giggles, leans forward too and takes on the accent as well. "What's ya offuhr, Mister uhhh Freed?"

"My last name is Justine, if you were wondering", he interjects politely and she oohs softly, probably remembering it. "Here's the offer lil missy, you take this pouch right back", he says and slides it back to her, "Instead ya give me exactly one nice picture of that evening. Ya've got one of those polaroids dun'ya? Also, I'll be bringing a partner in crime of me own aswell."

"Oh okay", she says, already forgetting about the accent. "I can do that, thank you Mister Freed." He shakes his head. "No need to thank me and you can just call me Freed. Calling me Mister makes me feel old." Cocking her head, Wendy gives him a confused look. "Well aren't you? You're like, twenty or something. A whole adult."

Immediately, Freed is blessed with a flashback to yesterday, where he had stubbed his toe on the same table leg, three times in a row. Wendy, bless her heart, continues. "My other option was my team, but I'd like to enjoy the festival, not burn it down, you know?"

"Then I'll be leaving Ever and Bicks at home", he says, thinking about the things they've destroyed together. Contrary to team Natsu however, they've got a few good liars on their team and are consequently not known as an utter disaster of a team (though thanks to certain situations, they definitely qualify). Naturally he waves off Wendy's questioning gaze, unable to throw his team under the bus like that.

"Then me and my accomplice will meet up with you and Chelia at the station tomorrow?" Wendy nods before letting out a startled little gasp. "I didn't tell you that! Are you actually smart Mister Freed?"

"I'd like to think so", he frankly replies, brows furrowed and Wendy merely shrugs. "Our mission together", is all the context she gives and honestly, also the only context needed. "Ah", is the delightful answer he offers before they part ways. It's the most graceful one he's got for now.

The festival is fun, Wendy decides, swinging Chelia's hand about as the both of them skip from booth to booth. Even with their money combined, the amount they could comfortably spend is pretty low. This problem was solved by either Freed or Laxus chipping in when either of them has been staring too long or too wistful at a certain booth. Both of them had fervently tried to refuse, but Freed had merely shrugged. "Don't worry about it, we have the luck of being financially stable adults." Laxus had added his own two cents. "Just go and be happy go lucky little squirts, it suits you two better."

It's no wonder that Freed had brought Laxus along, Wendy realises, because the two are practically joined at the hip. By having the opportunity to watch them during the day, she comes to the conclusion that it's also no surprise that Laxus had agreed to come along, as the two of them are clearly close. Although they bully each other quite a bit and are ridiculously competitive (when she had see them 'playing' icehockey, she wondered if it had been a good idea to see them as responsible adults), they openly cherish each other.

The sound of violins catches her attention and hand in hand, she and Chelia go to investigate, the adults following in tow. The source of the upbeat music is a group of musicians and on the square they're gathered, there are also people dancing, waving intricate designs with their bodies. She really wants to join, but can't figure out what patterns the people are making and what the exact sequence of the steps is. Looking at Chelia, it quickly becomes clear that the other girl doesn't know either.

"Young Lady, may I have this dance?" a voice interrupts her then and it's Freed reaching out his hand. "As soon as you've got the steps down, I'll let the two of you dance together. Let's lay the foundation down first." He helps her with the steps, explaining them in a soft voice and helping her find the beat. It's fun. When glancing at Laxus, who's trying to teach an overenthusiastic Chelia the same steps, she finds herself giggling at the lack of progress.

"Are we laughing at people who are learning Miss Marvell?" he asks her, hidden grin obvious in his voice. "Then let's see how you yourself fare when the tempo picks up", he says and right at that moment it does. For a little while, Wendy holds her own, but then she has to give up. It's simply too much, she thinks and whines a bit theatrically about it at Chelia who also had had to tap out, as she lays her head on the other girl's lap. Together, they watch as the two older men dance, skipping from partner to partner until they finally meet each other right when the music ends.

"Boo", Chelia says softly, stroking Wendy's hair. "I wanted to see some competitive dancing. I think they would've turned it into an amical fistfight in seconds. That's just how boys and their friendships work", she says sagely and Wendy nods.

A new song starts, romantic and slow unlike the previous one and instead of meeting up with the girls, the men seem to melt into each other and forget the rest of the world exists. Their grip, previously somewhat clumsy and harsh from being thrown at each other in the last second of a song, softens considerably and becomes more intimate with hands upon hips and distances close. The sweet song is short, but the accompanying dance oh so telling. Their touches speak of familiarity and their expression of closeness, of a love that's built on a sturdy friendship and had bloomed into more.

"Oh", she whispers, "He likes guys." She isn't sure who exactly she's referring to, but the words tumble out of her mouth, clumsy and not really what she wanted to say. "People are staring at them", she continues, a bit uncomfortable by some of the glares and hyperaware of her own position. "But it doesn't change a thing, does it?" Chelia says absentmindedly. "They are in loves and they are dancing. Does the world even exist when you're so near your lover?" Sinking back into the comfort of Chelia petting her hair, Wendy comes to the conclusion that no, it doesn't.

They end the day by watching the fireworks together and from the corner of her eyes, Wendy catches Freed and Laxus exchancing a quick kiss. Turning her head away to give them privacy, she meets Chelia's eyes and the unspoken look of 'you saw that too right?' is present. With a little squeeze to Chelia's hand, she steps closer and puts her arms around the other girl as they watch the fireworks together. They aren't at the stage of admitting feelings or kissing yet, but looking at the adults who are doing alright, Wendy feels secure. They give her hope for her own future love, as theirs (a love already burning longer than hers), hadn't been stomped out by the world yet. Things would be alright and she had all the time in the world to make them turn out that way.

#Fraxus #Fraxusweek #Fraxus week 2020 #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #Chendy #Wendy Marvell #Chelia Blendy #TheFairyWrites

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eryiss · 4 years

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Fraxus Week 2020: Day 8 - Proposal

This is the fifth part of my Fraxus Week admissions, hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. This year I’ve made the prompts into a single multi-chapter fic. You can see all the chapters in the Masterpost linked below. Hope you enjoy.

You can read this on Fanfiction, Archive of our Own, and under the cut. Read the other chapters from this masterlist.

Epilogue – The Defining Term

Three Years Later

When Laxus woke up, it was in the bed he shared with Freed in their apartment. Under the covers was a mess of limbs, and Laxus had apparently chosen to use the other man's chest as an impromptu pillow. He had the mans torso wrapped up in his arms, and when he blinked up at the blurry figure above him, he saw Freed attempting to wake up with as much difficulty as he was. He smiled sleepily at the sight.

"Morning," Laxus greeted, pushing himself off his lover's chest and sitting up.

"Morning," Freed repeated. He reached over Laxus to pick up his phone and turn the blaring alarm off.

Laxus let his back rest against the cool wood of their headboard, the covers dropping from him as he ran a hand through his hair to slick it out of his eyes. He watched Freed as he rubbed his eye with the back of his hand and reached for a hair tie, pulling his hair into a messy ponytail. It was clear that the early morning was affecting Freed more than it was Laxus, and the blonde had to grin at that and nudge the other man with his knee.

"You can't be pissed off at waking up early when it's your idea," He laughed, voice a little groggy.

"I'd agree with you, but I think right now I'm proving quite clearly that I can," Freed commented, sitting up beside Laxus. "I was always led to believe that my body would adjust to waking up early. Why hasn't it?"

"Guess you're just hardwired to be cranky," Laxus teased. "We can sleep in tomorrow, I'll get ya some coffee."

Freed thanked him, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as Laxus left the warmth of their bed. He shucked on the leopard print robe – which he wore both for the comfort it brought and the annoyance it caused in Freed – and trudged out of their bedroom and into the kitchen where he had prepared coffee in the percolator the night before; Freed hadn't exaggerated his distaste for being awake in the morning, so Laxus had been cautious.

The two men had been living together for about a year and a half. Their Magnolian apartment wasn't anything special. One bedroom, a kitchen-living room, a bathroom, and a tiny balcony. It was close enough to Freed's school that he could drive there, and directly above Laxus' gym. It wasn't much, but it was good for what they needed.

He flicked on the coffee machine to reheat the drink, walking to the kitchen pantry. He shifted a few boxes of protein assistants he knew Freed never moved, to pick out a small wrapped package and a single cupcake. He picked up a birthday cake candle that went unused before returning to the countertop. He made quick work of pouring them both a large mug of coffee, placing them on a tray along with the package, a butter knife and the cupcake, candle lit.

"Feeling any more awake?" Laxus asked as he nudged the door open with his foot.

"Not particularly," Freed groaned, before looking to Laxus with confusion.

"Happy anniversary," Laxus said in explanation, grinning.

Freed smiled at that, watching as Laxus placed the tray at the foot of the bed and handed him a mug of coffee. Laxus was quick to join Freed in the bed again, their shoulders pressed against each other. He picked up the cupcake and raised the candle to Freed's mouth to blow it out, which Freed did with a fond shake of the head and smile.

"Happy anniversary," Freed said, resting against Laxus.

"I know we said we ain't doing presents," Laxus said as he picked up the package. "I know we've been saving for the trip, and we agreed not to. But I just… I don't know, I thought you'd like this. It was cheap, so you can't get mad," Freed chuckled, picking the package up.

The two of them had been planning their anniversary trip away for a year. They had discussed going away for their second anniversary, but hadn't had the money. Laxus had quit his office job so that he could put all his focus into growing his personal training career, and Freed had taken an extension on his student loan so he could continue his studying at law school; he'd changed his major after his first year and wanted to see it through. Once they had discounted the option, they had promised each other that they'd save up and go away for the next one.

There had been some discussion as to where they could go, but they eventually settled on an idea: The Grand Canyon. The fact it was in the country meant they didn't need to pay for flights, and they could use their money on a luxury hotel and good food. And it felt right, returning to the place where they got together on their anniversary.

"You really do know how to charm a man, don't you," Freed grinned as he started to unwrap the present.

"You fell for me, so I'm doin' something right," Laxus laughed.

Freed removed the paper from the gift, revealing it to be a small framed picture. It was of the two of them from three years ago, sleeping in the back of the RV in each other's arms. Their sleeping faces were content, and their foreheads were resting against each other. It was one of the many pictures that Bickslow had taken of the two the night after they'd gotten together.

Laxus glanced up at Freed to see the man smiling softly at the picture. He rested his head against Laxus' shoulder and smiled. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," Laxus shrugged but smiled. "Happy anniversary," He repeated in a whisper.

"Happy anniversary."

They moved in sync, bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. They had gotten a lot better at understanding each other's movements in the three years of being together, but the spark that ignited when they were together hadn't subsided.

Eventually, they pulled away from each other. Freed seemed a little annoyed, but Laxus took delight in reminding him that it was he who had chosen they get the early train meaning that they didn't have the time to lounge around with each other; or do something a little more… active with one another. Freed had glared at him for that, and all Laxus had done was wink and flex his bicep to further annoy the man.

Cutting the cupcake in half, they ate it in place of a real breakfast and promised each other they would eat on the train. It was a quiet moment between the two of them, a silent moment of domesticity. Laxus had grown to adore those moments after moving in with Freed, however fleeting they might have been.

"I suppose we should start waking up properly soon," He said after they'd eaten.

"We should," Freed agreed, nodding. "Thank you for the coffee, and the gift."

"Yer welcome," Laxus said with a smile.

He leant down and pressed their lips together again, this time in a chaste kiss. He pulled away with a smile, looking at his lover with adoration in his eyes.

"Love you," He murmured.

"Love you too," Freed smiled, leaning in for another kiss.

~~~

"This is the first-class cabin," Laxus said, frowning. "We meant to be in here?"

"Of course," Freed said, stepping further into the train.

"I thought we were just getting regular seats."

Laxus looked around the cabin. It was smaller than the standard classes, and with nobody else inside of it. Each seat had a table by it, all with cloths, complimentary coffee, and a breakfast menu. Freed handed Laxus a ticket while walking to a seat near the middle of the cabin, and Laxus looked to see that they were indeed booked into first class. This hadn't been something that Laxus had been told about, and he frowned a little.

"Can we afford this?" Laxus asked, sitting opposite Freed. "I mean, it's great, and I ain't gonna complain, but I didn't know-"

"It's a thank you," Freed said with a smile. "I know that my studying and work has been making me stressed, and sometimes irritable. And you've been incredibly patient with me, especially when you've started your own business. So, although we agreed that all the tips I made wouldn't be part of the vacation savings, I made sure to save about half of them. So, fair warning, there might be a fair few surprise that you'll face throughout the week."

"You didn't need to do that," Laxus said softly, though he was flattered and couldn't help but smile.

"I didn't," Freed agreed. "But you're my boyfriend, I love you, and I fully intend to spoil you whenever the opportunity presents itself."

"Thanks," Laxus said, ducking his head in embarrassment as he often did. To recover, he gave a smirk and spoke with a mischievous tone. "Does that mean that, when you become a famous big city lawyer to millionaires that I'm going to be spoiled every day. Because if not, you're gonna have to deal with a really bitchy trophy husband."

"So long as you keep your legs like tree-trunks and your abs well-defined, I'll keep spoiling you," Freed teased back.

"That's all I ask of ya," Laxus laughed.

As the train started to move, Laxus looked out of the window while giving Freed a small nudge with his foot under the table; a silent sign of appreciation for what Freed had done. It had been quite quick in their relationship for them both to realise that Laxus used small physical gestures to show his appreciation for the man. Bickslow had once claimed it was a type of love language, and explained that the ways people showed affection ranged and that Laxus wasn't the type to use his words, particularly in public.

Laxus didn't particularly care for the weird social sciences behind it all. All he cared about was that Freed knew that with these small nudges, brushes against him, and tapping on his skin was his way of showing the man he loved him, and he was thinking about him.

He seemed to understand that, and nudged Laxus back in response.

The train ride was, as expected of being in a first-class cabin alone, luxurious. They were given a complimentary breakfast of bacon sausage and eggs, which had been given to them just as Laxus started to feel a sense of hunger. The coffee and juice they had been serves had been delightful, as had been the silence of the cabin. Laxus was glad he'd gotten over the slight motion sickness he got on trains, plains and boats, as he wouldn't have enjoyed this nearly enough if he was fighting off vomit.

As their empty plates were taken away, Laxus almost made a joke about how easy it would have been to get to the canyon three years ago if they'd taken the train. But then he was reminded of just how much had happened over that week, and the comment died on his tongue and he was wrapped up in the memories of their road trip.

Getting to know Freed, their shared kiss atop the RV, their date, the flirting at their stops.

All of that could have gone if they hadn't made the week into a road trip. If they had spent the day at the canyon then chances were that he and Freed wouldn't have gotten to know each other. He wouldn't be in love with the man, and instead he would be some kind of fleeting memory of a guy that Laxus had found attractive but hadn't had the balls to have a real conversation with. He would be a stranger, not a lover.

Hell, Laxus' life would have been pretty damn different. Freed had been the one to encourage him to leave his job and focus on personal training. And Laxus wouldn't have been able to keep a place of his own, so he might have still been living with Makarov. He would likely be exactly where he was three years ago; discontented, bored, and essentially alone.

But that hadn't happened. He had gotten to know the man he loved, and he was now sharing a third anniversary with him. All these hypothetical situations were entirely useless, because he was living the best life he could right now. And watching Freed's content, gorgeous face as he assessed the passing views through the window just proved it.

In retrospect, he was damn glad they hadn't taken the train.

~~~

When Freed had said that there would be a fair few surprise throughout the trip, he certainly had meant it.

After they'd arrived at the hotel, they had been guided to the most expensive and luxurious suite the place had to offer; the bellhop had even claimed it was the honeymoon suite, a fact which made Laxus blush slightly. After they'd unpacked, they had walked down to one of many restaurants and Laxus had eaten the best steak he'd ever had. When they'd returned from lunch to their room, they'd slept for a little while – Laxus had almost melted into the bed – and had been awoken by someone calling their room remining them of their couple's spa appointment. This had consisted of a few treatments, and then a class on how to massage one another. Laxus hadn't realised how many knots he had until Freed's hand had worked them out.

He was somewhat concerned about how much everything costed, but he knew that Freed wasn't the type to spend money he didn't have nor wasn't willing to lose. And even on his wage as a waiter, he always paid equally on the rent.

And Blue Pegasus did get rich customers, ones who would fall for Freed's easy charm. He was probably flirting without knowing. The thought made Laxus smile.

After completing the spa treatment, Freed claimed he had nothing else scheduled for the rest of the day; other than the evening walk to the canyon itself, but that had been planned between them both beforehand. Rather than returning to their room again, they had decided to have a coffee at one of the bars that overlooked the relatively empty pools of the complex.

"Thanks," Laxus said through the silence. "For all of this. It's really nice of ya."

"You really don't need to thank me, Laxus," Freed said with a smile. "Sometimes, I think you forget that you deserve to be treated and spoiled. You often do these things for me that mean a lot more than you might think. You downplay all the things you do for me, and I think that you don't understand what they mean to me, so I just wanted to make it clear that I more than appreciate all you do, and love you for it."

"I think you're bein' too kind," Laxus laughed, unable to take a compliment.

"I'm not," Freed denied. "The amount of time's you've come to the library with food because you knew I had to study and wasn't looking after myself, and you didn't once complain. I know it was you who organised the weekly nights out with Bix and Ever when I was getting stressed. Even the fact that you gave me that picture today; you have no idea how… loved you make me feel."

"You sound like you're describing some rom-com character," Laxus laughed, again trying to deflect.

"One day you'll be able to take a compliment without being awkward," Freed chuckled. "What I'm trying to say it, I know all the things you've been doing. I understand that these things you do are how you show affection. And that I love you so much, and that you deserve to feel the same sense of love and comfort that I do every time you do these things for me."

Laxus didn't say anything, and Freed didn't push him. They both knew that the intention of Freed's actions was understood.

They sat at the table in a comfortable silence for a little while longer, Laxus with his leg resting against Freed's. He had taken his lover's hand in his own and was gently rubbing his thumb against the calloused palm. In this gesture, Laxus was trying to show as clearly as possible how much he cared for Freed, and how he appreciated him just as much as Freed claimed.

Freed simply knocked his knee in reply, a silent message saying his meaning had been understood.

"This might sound slightly weird," Freed spoke again after a while. "But I'm always reminded of you when I think about swimming."

"You are?" Laxus asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes. It was at that waterpark when I realised that I hadn't been in love before," Freed began, looking out at the empty pools with fondness. "It was on that obstacle course. You had tripped and fallen on your face, and were so determined to win that you actually grabbed by ankle and dragged me down with you. And I looked over my shoulder and you had this ridiculous grin on your face because you were so cocky about what you'd done, and it just hit me. I just understood that I could feel so strongly about you, could be so reinvigorated by you, that nothing I'd had in the past would ever come close to you."

Laxus was momentarily stunned. Freed had thought so passionately about him then, on the third day that they had known each other?

"You've never told me that," He eventually said.

"Well, I used to be embarrassed by it because I barely knew you and I considered loving you. And it hasn't really come up since, but given the mood I thought I should tell you," Freed smiled a little then. "Also, right after that, you used my momentary lapse of concentration to push me into the water. Thus making me lose a bet, which you've been gloating about ever since."

Laxus chuckled, and grinned at the man. "You shouldn't make a bet you ain't willing to play dirty to win."

"I suppose not," Freed agreed.

"I knew I'd be in love with you on that week too," Laxus confessed, blushing a little. "I had a crush on ya when I first saw ya. But by the end of the week, I just had a feeling that one day I'd be in love with ya. Guess I was right."

"I suppose you were," Freed agreed, and they shared a private, lovestruck smile.

~~~

"I believe it was exactly here where we had our first real kiss," Freed said with a grin.

Laxus chuckled. The two of them were standing in the camping spot where, three years prior, Bickslow had parked up the RV. Just like three years ago, the sky was in the mid-section between the evening and the night, creating a soft orange that illuminated the impressive landmass before them. It was just as Laxus had remembered, both moving and humbling.

The walk towards the canyon had been one of the quiet moments Laxus loved. It was just the two of them in the open, with soft wind hitting them and cooling off the summer heat that had been battering down on them for the past few weeks. They had been hand in hand as they walked, relishing each other's company.

"The exact place, huh," Laxus said with a smile. "You seem pretty confident about that."

"Of course," Freed replied. "I have a good memory and I remember the exact position of the stars from where we had been sitting. And that was right here. Furthermore, the distance from the-"

"You're just guessing, ain't ya?" Laxus asked with a smirk.

"Yes," Freed admitted, grinning.

Shaking his head, Laxus pulled the man into a kiss. It was chaste and only lasted a moment, but they pulled apart with smiles on their faces. Laxus had always thought that Freed looked beautiful in the natural light, and the evening sun hitting their faces was a testament to that. The way his almost perfect skin glowed, the reflection in his eyes, the small quirk in his lips in a smile.

"You're so beautiful," Laxus mumbled, his nose pressing against Freed's. "I love you so fuckin' much."

"I love you too," Freed reciprocated. "I'm glad we came back here."

"Me too," Laxus whispered, pulling Freed into another kiss.

Rather than continuing the walk or returning to the hotel, they decided that they would spend some time sitting at the canyon and enjoying the view together. They walked closer to the canyon, climbing atop a large boulder, sitting with their legs dangling above the large pit. Their shoulders rested against each other, and the gentle wind that cooled them also gently ruffled their hair. The slowly setting son practically silhouetted them from behind, and it felt as though they were the only two people in the world at that moment.

The romance of the situation wasn't lost on the man, and he found himself resting his head against Freed's shoulder.

Freed's words from earlier in the day were still resonating in his head. Laxus had never been the type to do big grand romantic gestures, and although he'd gotten a lot better at speaking about what he felt and talking about his feelings, he would always prefer showing his romantic side in smaller, more subtle ways. The fact that Freed knew and appreciated that was such a great feeling that Laxus could hardly understate it.

Although, he had felt that Freed had been too harsh on himself. Yeah, the man had been stressed with his final year of school, but he hadn't been nasty with that stress. He's still tried to make Laxus feel loved, even on his worse days. That was something that Laxus wasn't going to overlook.

They were lucky to have found each other, and the thought made Laxus laugh a happy laugh.

"What?" Freed asked with a smile.

"Just thinking," Laxus shook his head. "About our relationship. And the fact it took us like eight months after we started dating to actually call each other our boyfriends. Especially since we both knew we'd be in love with each other the first week we met each other. Just crap at labels I guess."

"I suppose," Freed said with chuckle. "I've never really thought that labels were all that important, so long as we cared for each other and loved each other."

"Yeah, guess so," Laxus agreed with a smile, closing his eyes contently.

"Though, I must admit that I have come around to certain labels," Freed said, somewhat mysteriously.

Laxus waited a moment, expecting to hear a continuation of whatever Freed was thinking. When there wasn't one, Laxus opened his eyes. He looked at the mans face for a moment, to see that he was looking out over the canyon still. With a frown, Laxus' gaze fell slightly to their intertwined hands on the boulder, only to see something had been placed between them both. His eyes widened when he realised what it was.

A small, black velvet box, in which held an elegant obsidian ring.

"I should apologise for lying," Freed said, grin unhindered now. "I had one more surprise left for you."

"Is that a…" Laxus began, at a loss for words as he looked down at the ring glinting in the sun. "Did you… are you… I don't actually know-"

"I understand that you wouldn't want a large speech, that it would make you uncomfortable and clam up slightly, so I'll forgo that tradition," Freed continued, looking towards Laxus now, running his fingers over Laxus' knuckles. "But I just want you to know this. The moment I met you, I knew that you'd be the man I love. That has been more than true, and it would be a great honour if you chose to become my husband."

"You wanna-" Laxus asked, voice cracking with emotion. "I mean, just to be completely sure, you're asking me to marry you?"

"Really, you truly need to get better with compliments," Freed shook his head fondly. He leant forward, and their foreheads pressed together as Freed lifted the ring. "I am asking you to marry me, Laxus."

There was a beat, and then Laxus wore the biggest most dopey smile he had ever worn.

"Yes. Of fucking course I will," Laxus said in delight.

They were kissing a moment later, Laxus wrapping the man he loved in his arms a moment later in a tight and needy embrace. Freed laughed in the kiss, showing the same amount of glee that Laxus was feeling inside. He felt a giddy sensation flow throughout him as he leant further into his lover's kiss. His future husband's kiss.

When they pulled apart, they hardly moved, and that was only so Freed could carefully remove the ring from it's box and slide it down Laxus' finger. Laxus looked down at the black-stone jewellery, and it filled him with such a feeling of completeness that it physically made him ache.

"It's beautiful," Laxus whispered, then looked up to Freed with adoration on his face. "It's so fucking…" The words wouldn't come to him, and he didn't care. "I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too," Freed whispered with a small laugh. "And I fully intend to love you for the rest of my life."

Overcome by emotion, Laxus brought their lips together again in a strong, emotional kiss. He brought Freed as close as he could, portraying everything he felt in a single, beautiful kiss.

As they kissed, enraptured in their own world, the sun set low on the canyon before them.

#fraxus week #fraxus week 2020 #fraxus #freed justine #Laxus Dreyar #fairy tail #fanfic #writing #event #multichapter #modern au

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