Freed's body ached. Clear evidence that he needed to be resting.
However, with Natsu and the Thunder Legion out of commission. Freed needed to make sure that he stayed up ready for anything.
The two mages that were a part of the thunder legion were still resting after their most recent fight.
Making sure that he didn't make any noise he tipped toed to the chair that he had placed between both of the beds.
Moving through the infirmary he was able to make it to his seat without hassle. He winced slightly when his head began to ache. He had to make sure that he asked for some herbs for the pain seeing as Wendy was nowhere near to help.
For a while Freed sat between Ever and Bickslow dealing with the pain. He was able to ignore it for the most part, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before it got worse.
Then suddenly he heard Lucy talk through the white sheet that separated her and the Thunder Legion.
"Oh, they're right through there." She said in a very hushed tone.
Freed was confused for a moment as to who would be coming to visit him and the others. Getting up from his seat he turned to face the direction where the stranger would come in.
"Much obliged." A rough voice said in return.
For a moment Freed couldn't breathe and had a good part of his mind set on just running to the white sheet and ripping it off its support.
Slowly the owner of the rough voice lumbered through the infirmary until finally he made it to the white sheet. Freed could tell from his shadow that the man was hesitant to walk through the make shift barrier. His large hand was frozen in midair but that was all until Lucy spoke up again.
"Freed's very worried about you." She offered.
That seemed to be the last straw for the man because with a new found determination he pushed back the sheet and walk into the small isolated part of the infirmary with purpose.
Freed gasped in surprise. His vocal cords only allowing him one word. "Laxus…"
The Lighting Dragon Slayer's head snapped up at the sound of his name. The moment that his electric orange hues locked with Freed's own deep dark blues a wave of emotions broke forth.
A rare smile spread across Freed's lips and his shoulders fell with a sigh of relief. "You're alright!" He exclaimed with a tone of almost breathlessness.
The sound of that alone was like music to Laxus' ears.
The blonde surged forward, pushing pass Freed's chair and scooping up the Rune Mage in a tight embrace. The scent of the Captain alone was enough to put his nerves at ease and the ever present ache in his chest dull only the smallest of fractions.
"I'm getting sick and tired of see you like this!" He growled.
Looking over Freed's head he could see the state that Evergreen and Bickslow were in.
Laxus pressed closer to Freed's body. His nose brushing against silken green hair.
Freed returned the embrace with as much strength as his sore body would allow him.
"Laxus, there is nothing that you can do to stop us from getting hurt. We are mages of Fairy Tail. It's in the fine print." Freed said in the hopes of bringing humor into the situation.
His dragon was not going to have any of that.
Pulling back there was a sort of dangerous light in his eyes.
"I don't care! I'm going to kill Walh from doing this to you and the others!" Laxus growled.
Something in Freed's heart snapped and the hold he had on Laxus turned almost desperate.
"Laxus' it's alright." He tried to reassure. It seemed that was all he ever did for the dragon. Trying desperately to calm his raging emotions and dull his pain. But it was how their relationship worked. Freed was always going to be there to bring back Laxus and he would never ask for anything in payment. He cared for the blonde dearly. Willing to do anything in hopes of protecting him.
Of course he didn't voice those thought in fear that it would ruin whatever he had with Laxus.
Were they still friends? Had they become brothers or have they crossed a line that when far deeper than any of those two bonds. Freed couldn't come up with an answer, but he knew that there were times that there were three little words that he wanted to scream out to the blonde. Just for the sake of having them out in the open and no longer caged within his very being.
Laxus calmed at Freed's voice but his shoulders were still tensed.
Pulling back the blonde looked down at his friend of many years and the object of his affections for months. The bandage on his chin and the wrappings around his head made something strange grow in Laxus heart. The feeling was not unfamiliar, but still very strange.
As he continued to take in Freed's sharp aristocratic features he took note of the way his heart began to beat faster. The way that his mind was trying to memorize everything single thing that it could find. He could feel a sort of desperation start to form in his very core. The fear of never seeing Freed again was a startling revelation.
Laxus knew that he had some sort of feelings for Freed ever since Tartaros, but at the time he didn't know what to clarify them under. However, when Fairy Tail was disbanded for an entire year he was given the chance to figure everything out.
Freed was everything to him. There were no other words to describe it. He didn't know what that fucking meant, but it was something that made his heart clench and his head spin.
"Freed, I have to tell you something…" He whispered softly.
At the sound of those words Freed's eyes widened to the size of saucers. The blush that soon followed would have been something Laxus would have cherished if it weren't for the situation that they were in.
Something made Freed's eyes shine and he shook his head almost violently.
"Don't you dare say something like that! Don't you dare make it sound like a good bye!" Freed ordered, his voice cracking at the very end with emotion.
Laxus' eyes mirrored Freed's own until they softened a considerable amount. His arms fell from Freed's body to just stay limp at his side.
Freed let his head fall trying to keep the shine in his eyes to a more normal level.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say it when this battle is done." He said lastly.
Laxus swallowed back a few choice words. His shoulders falling in surrender.
Let me tell you what I feel! Let me tell you just this once so if I die, I die with the reassurance that you know that you were the reason while I lived with so much love.
Freed collected himself, rising his head slowly.
His arms that had been resting against Laxus' shoulders slid down until he was clutching almost desperately at the fur lining of his Dragon's coat.
"No matter what happens, you have to make it back home." He begged.
Laxus knew for a fact that he couldn't keep that promise, but he was going to make sure he tried his damn hardest.
Then past the white sheet they both heard a door open and Erza's voice boom through the wooden walls.
"Laxus, we're leaving." She warned.
Freed's eyes widened with clear fear for Laxus and his grip on the blonde's coat tightened.
"Come back soon!" He all but cried.
For a moment they just stood there, until Laxus rose a hand to cradle Freed's own fisted one. His calloused thumb stroked the soft skin of Freed's knuckle. The act alone had the Rune Mage let go of the fur he was clutching.
Another moment passed until Laxus let go of Freed's hand and walked away.
Neither one of them said any sort of farewell. They just both turned their backs to each other praying for the moment they would be able to see each other again.
Behind Freed he could hear Laxus stomping out of the room and shutting the door.
With the sudden absence of the Dragon Slayer, Freed let himself fall roughly to the chair. A sort of cold fear gripped his heart and his face stayed a mask of stone.
Then a thought struck him. With the little magic he had he slowly rose a hand. In a practiced ease he began to draw runes in the air. Soft purple light shined over his face, only furthering deepening his lines of fatigue.
This will protect you when I can't. His mind murmured.
As Laxus walked through the guild with a weight over his heart. A dark cloud was following him all until a surge of power struck him.
The feeling of warmth started from his chest and spread outward.
Stopping in his tracks he looked down in disbelief.
Over his chest was a set of glowing runes from none other than Freed Justine.
Even when forced apart you still find a way of protecting me.
Laxus smiled warmly at the spell. Knowing that he might just have a chance of making it was all the fire he needed.
I'll come back to you Freed, and when I do I'm going to tell you everything.