So this is something that is very self indulgent. I love the idea that Laxus was actully kind up until his father'a banishment. I also like the idea of Freed and Laxus just being together before the Thunder Legion. "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers is what inspired this fic so I hope you all like it! Don't forget to leave a comment telling me what you think!
Long before the Thunder Legion was created there was only Freed and Laxus. The two quiet boys of the guild that had always something swimming under the surface. Long before Laxus had taken a darker look on the guild he had been quiet, reserved, and most importantly, kind. This was seen with the way that he had always seemed to have a soft spot for his best friend Freed.
One day long before Laxus' heart was clouded with darkness, he and Freed were lounging by the river. Freed had his hair up for once and was skipping rocks across the surface of the water. Laxus sat on the hard ground staring out into the horizon with a million thoughts racing through his mind. So, when Freed called out to him it took him a few tries before he had gotten the blondes attention.
"Laxus, are you alright? You know that you can talk to me." Freed said softly. The flush on his cheeks making Lauxs' heart do a funny little flip.
He coughed back whatever stupid statement he had been about the make. "I was just thinking about something. It's no big deal." he said instead with a shrug.
His large hand came up to rub at the side of his face to try and clear his mind so that it wasn't so obvious. When he finally looked up again he caught Freed's eye.
"You're a horrible liar." Freed stated bluntly.
That was when Laxus knew that he wasn't going to get off the hook as easily as he had wanted.
"Fuck…" Laxus muttered. Something had been weighing on him for some time. Ever since he had overheard his father and grandfather arguing about what his father had been doing. There was this nagging fear in the back of his mind. A lingering thought that had kept him up at night.
What if I turn out like my father? What if I turn bad and hurt the people I love; hurt Freed?
This existential crisis had gone on within Laxus' mind for a long time. Causing him to pull away from his family, the guild, and his best friend. Now it was finally catching up to him and there was only one thought in his mind that seemed to matter.
Freed deserves better than this.
Both Freed and Laxus had known each other since they had been little boys. He and his grandfather had been the ones to find him in the woods in the middle of a lightning storm. Since then they had always been together. Breaking away from the other guild kids. Freed never liked Natsu's loud personality. Laxus' never took kindly to Gray's over bearing hyper masculinity.
And defiantly neither were inclined to get in between Erza and Mira.
So, because of that they were never close to the others, but Laxus could see that they all had something that he lacked. They all were these pure hearts that would put themselves last if that meant the greater good. Laxus knew that deep down that he wouldn't do that. He knew that if the people that he cared about were safe then it didn't matter how it was achieved. The greater good be fucking damned, he just wanted to get powerful enough so that he wouldn't have to would about any bag guys.
That's when his dilemma came in. Freed was the sort of person that followed the rules, he was loyal to a fault. He would have your back no matter the situation and did whatever it took to see you through it. As long as it abided by his moral compass and followed society's rules. That didn't mean that he would snap back if he knew that you were the one breaking the rules. Laxus had his fair share of scolding from the smaller man that always set him straight. Well for as long as Laxus wanted to say on the straight and narrow.
Laxus always felt so dirty when compared to Freed, like just by looking at him was some sort of sin.
"It's just that I've been reading only mission tales from the library. They talk about all these amazing things. Gildart's and his strength, the old man and his gifts, Macao's control, and Wakaba and his smoke. They talk about how heroic and amazing they were. Fighting for this guild and their family." Laxus said with a grunt at the end of his rant. He drew up his knees so that he could wrap his large arms around them. His frame still thin and lanky, too early to have developed any muscle mass. "And I just don't see myself following in their footsteps. You've heard the old man and my dad go at it. My father is going to get kicked out for being the very thing that Fairy Tail is against. I'm his son what is stopping me from going down that same path."
The wind rustled through the trees causing the tide of the lake to come rushing up to the tips of Laxus' shoes. The next words that he said were almost taken by the wind, but Freed heard.
"You might as well just leave before I turn bad." He said with a weight over his heart.
Freed was taken back by what his friend had been saying. His hand coming down to drop the rocked that he had picked up. He took a deep breath before he spoke, afraid at the reaction that he was going to receive.
"Where would you want to go? How much do you want to risk, because I'm not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts? Some super hero or some fairy tale gift. I'm just looking for someone that I can turn to. Somebody that I can…" That was when Freed cut himself off. He didn't dare go any farther in his feelings for his best friend. "I want something like this. As far as I am concerned I am home when I am by your side."
Laxus for the longest time could only look up in wonderment. Freed looked down at him with a small smile that was laced with self-consciousness. His dark blue eyes wide with excitement with the idea of running away together. Hell, the idea was making the hairs on Laxus' arm stand up on end. It sounded too good to be true to Laxus. The thought of running away and not having to deal with a rowdy guild, the pressure of being a Dreyar and having the weight of possibly taking over the guild when the old man died, was a dream. Not only that but he would be with his best friend. The very same boy that would take him with everything that he is and had the chance of being. The boy that Laxus could never keep out of his mind.
The smile that formed on his lips came as natural as breathing. "I would go wherever you wanted to if you're serious."
Freed fell down to Laxus' side and his hands came up to rest on Laxus' forearm. "I am, let's run away. No turning back, just you and me." Freed said almost desperately.
From that moment on Laxus and Freed planned everything out. They talked about where they would travel, how they would train, and just what they would do. It made both boys excited for their futures for once. They were young and didn't even know that they were in love. When it was time for dinner they rushed back to the guild where everything began to fall apart.
That was the very same night that Ivan was banished and Laxus was forced to pick a side. With that pressure put on him from the two most important men in his life the darkness that had been pushed away that morning came back with a vengeance. All he could really do was let himself be consume as he began to feel the world turn against him.
Now in present day he found himself walking away from his home as Fairy Tail paraded down the streets. Mere hours after what he had put them and his team through. The tears running down his cheeks impossible to hide. He didn't care though, he just thought back to that day by the lake. When he was young and confused about what he was going to become. In all that chaos, there was a single person who put everything right.
Where would you want to go? The person had said to him.
In only six words Laxus had been offered the world.
He should have just run with Freed that very moment. Now as he walked away, his home was back at the guild with bandages covering his body and sad smile that looked a lot like the one that he had worn all those years ago.