A small crowd of wizards was growing at the bar to hear what was being discussed. Nobody could keep a relationship a secret for very long in Fairy Tail, and the gossip mill was on overdrive today. The latest juicy tidbit had triggered more debate than usual.
"I hear they're really into each other," said Droy.
"Freed? No way. That guy's as romantic as a cardboard box," Cana supplied, winning nods of agreement.
"You never know, maybe that whole 'bland and boring' thing is just a facade. Maybe he's actually all sweet and cuddly on the inside," Max jibed lightly.
"As if!" Grey denounced the idea.
Jet replied, "I heard he saved her from a dark wizard and she fell in love with him."
"Well I say good for him!" Macao raised his glass in support. "About time that kid got some tail!"
"Maybe he found a chick that's into creepy bondage spells," Wakaba added, smirking behind his pipe.
Cana made a disgusted face. "Take your sick fantasies somewhere else, you two. The only tail he's ever gonna have is the guild emblem on his hand. Take my word for it, there's nothing behind this story."
"Her name's Ashley."
Every face in the hall turned in astonishment to Laxus. He was seated across the room at a corner table, beer in hand and looking grumpy as usual. Silence reigned as they waited for him to go on.
Laxus coolly took another drink from his beer. He did not look up while he addressed them but that didn't stop his next words from being clearly heard. "They met on our last job in Hargeon. Seems that's the place for virgins to get a girl, right Natsu?"
Natsu and Lucy were sitting together at a table eating lunch. She felt her partner's body temperature rise a few degrees at Laxus' jab and the chuckles it elicited around the room. Her own face flushed slightly too, but everyone knew Laxus just liked getting Natsu riled up. As things went that was a comparatively innocent shot. Fortunately Natsu decided to let this one go. He muttered something that sounded like 'bolts for brains' under his breath while he made a big show of stuffing his face.
"So…?" Grey prompted the lightning wizard.
Laxus shrugged. "You want more, go ask him yourself. I don't do details."
This information coming authoritatively from Laxus ended the debate, and the guild started placing bets on what kind of girl this new Ashley was. Nobody saw Laxus' scowl turn into a smirk.
They sat in the shade of the cherry blossoms in Magnolia's central park. Freed gazed adoringly at his newfound companion as Ashley snuggled into a comfortable position on his lap and rested her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. He wrapped his arms around her in a soft embrace. He had never known this emotion before. His brand of love had always been exhibited as fierce loyalty to Laxus and the other members of the Thunder Legion, but that was love borne of overcoming battle side to side with your comrades. This was new. This was warm, soft, peaceful. Freed had never considered that his heart could be stolen like this. He supposed it should've scared him, but it felt so true, so right, that there was no reason to be afraid.
It had caught him by surprise. He certainly wasn't looking for it. But now that she was here he couldn't imagine life any other way.
He gently stroked her blond head. The rhythm of her breathing so close to his ear lulled him into a hazy state. Time ceased to matter. He felt as if he had never seen the sun before now. It was as if a layer of grey film had been peeled away from his eyes and he saw the world afresh, brighter, more open and dimensional than it had ever been. The breeze was a new breath of life, and the whispering rustle of the cherry blossoms overhead was nature's applause. Ashley was so soft and trusting in his arms. He would care for her and protect her. Nobody would ever hurt her again. He would be her hero, always, and she would be his sunlight. This world was theirs, and nobody could separate them.
Evergreen, half hiding behind a tree, spied on the scene with a mixture of jealousy and confusion. Freed had been sitting there with that puppy draped across him for the last two and a half hours. She had secretly always wanted a dog, but this was getting ridiculous. Elfman stood behind her, looking around the other side of the tree.
"He really is all sweet and cuddly on the inside, isn't he?" the man asked.
Evergreen nodded, forgetting that Elfman couldn't see her through the trunk. "To think he'd go all dewy-eyed over some abandoned mutt. Really. He's going to spoil the little beast."
Elfman didn't hesitate to reply. "I think you'd do great with a puppy." He turned to face her and placed a large hand gently on her shoulder. She broke her vigil on Freed to look up at the takeover wizard. "Let's get one," he said.
Evergreen's eyes were wide in surprise behind her green-rimmed glasses. As she looked at his sincere face she realized how close their proximity was, and felt a little blush start to creep into her cheeks. "Oh all right, since you insist. But when it chews up the furniture I'm going to remind you this was your idea."
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! This idea came to me while I snuggled my dog last night, because I was looking for something fun and lighthearted to write about. This is my first published fanfic and I don't know how good it is so please be nice. :)