I don't even want to explain how this story came to be. Suffice it to say that it was a completely insane trail of thought while talking to Nicole4211. There will be another story for Freed very soon - another stop on the road to this fanfic here. Don't ask. It will only make you crazy. lol

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

FREED'S SEARCH

Freed woke to the rays of sun filtering through his window, and he smiled. Today was the day. Everything was prepared, the day all planned out to the smallest detail. Nothing could go wrong.

Rising from his bed, he glanced down at the table beside his bed, assuring himself that it hadn't moved while he slept. Nodding his head absently, he moved toward the bathroom when he stopped, freezing in place before hurrying back to the small table. Where was it? Had it fallen? Dropping to his knees, he peered under the table, then under the bed, and found nothing.

He stood to his feet in a near state of panic. What could have happened to it? It was right there! He reached down to shuffle through the papers when his eyes caught sight of something that didn't belong, something that he hadn't expected, something that set his blood to boiling. Bixlow's handwriting on a slip of paper:

Missing something?

hahaha! How about we play a little game?

I'll hide your precious envelope somewhere at the guild,

and you try to find it before time runs out and your plan falls apart!

Good luck sucker!

Freed grit my teeth, feeling something akin to rage at this breach of his privacy. He couldn't believe Bixlow would do something so dastardly when the Seith mage knew how important this was. Though, Freed supposed he should have anticipated such a thing from him. The wild man was famous for pulling pranks on everyone, but this latest one was taking things a step too far.

There was a lot riding on this plan today, and Freed couldn't afford to have anything go awry. Now, the entire day had been put into jeopardy. If he couldn't find that envelope in time, everything would be ruined, and he'd have to start all over. And he certainly didn't want to wait another three months.

So he'd play this game that Bixlow had set into motion, and without a doubt, he'd win. He refused to let Bixlow's childish behavior destroy all the work put into orchestrating this whole thing. It was paramount to the next stage of the plan, and therefore, Freed knew he had no choice but to engage in this ridiculous and frustrating version of hide and seek.

He headed into the guild, determination stretching his stride into a much faster pace. He could very clearly hear the tick of the clock, each second tapping by reminding him of his deadline. Every moment counted, so he got down to business.

Bending down, he painstakingly searched under each table in the guild, even going so far as to push the heavy wooden tables over to look under the legs. Sadly, they were not there, but Freed wasn't giving up. He had something to prove, and he had known it would not be easy. So, he proceeded to the bar, continuing his investigation.

He squatted behind the long bar, emptying the shelves until he could see all the way to the back. His pace was slightly rushed and more than once, the bottles clanked against each other, sounding loud in the quiet room. He didn't mind in the least. To his mind, it was more important to be thorough than stealthy.

However, the noise did not go unnoticed. "Hey! Who's back there?" Mira gasped as she rounded the corner and saw the state of her space. "Freed, what in the world are you doing? I can't believe you made such a mess of my nice, clean bar!"

"I apologize of course, Mira, but I am searching for something. It is quite vital to my goal," Freed called out from under the bottom shelf, not caring that his rear was even now angled at the woman he fancied. He didn't have time to waste on feeling shame at his ungentlemanly behavior. He had to find it.

Unbeknownst to him, Mira had also realized his position. She bit her lip, angling her head as she gazed down at his slightly rounded backside. She stood there admiring the view, hand pressed to her fluttering heart, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be angry at him for disrupting her domain. She was far too distracted by such a tempting sight.

Freed, for his part, sighed in frustration at finding nothing under the counter and began backing out. He stood to his feet with a frown, not noticing the way Mira's eyes swept his body before arriving at his face. "Where could it be?" he mumbled to himself as he scanned the room for other possible hiding places.

"Where is what?" Mira chimed in, having heard his quiet musing.

Startled, Freed spun around, then smiled apologetically. "Oh Mira! I forgot you were there. I'm sorry, but I must be on my way. There isn't much time."

With that, he brushed past her and headed upstairs. She watched him longingly, a sigh escaping her mouth as he got further and further away. Would he ever see her? Would he ever realize how she felt about him? Shoulders slumping, she turned back to her bar and promptly scowled.

He could ignore her, overlook her feelings for him, but he was not going to destroy her shelves this way without consequence. He hadn't even offered to clean up after himself. Her temper spiking, she scooted around the counter and stomped her way to the stairs. He was not leaving this mess to her. She had better things to do than tidy up after a stupid man.

Rooms away, Freed tore through the numerous book shelves, dragging volume after volume off and depositing them on the floor. He was becoming quite agitated at the lack of clues he'd been able to find. He was certain it shouldn't be this difficult. He'd already been through every office on the second floor, and still, not a bit of evidence to direct him.

He was flying blind at this point, and that was more irritating to him than anything else. He was not a man that enjoyed surprises or doing things capriciously. He liked a strategy, the more detailed the better, but in this case, he had no choice. He had to continue on.

Giving the room a final look, he huffed and exited the room, bumping right into the guild's pretty white-haired barmaid. Immediately, he reached out to stabilize her tottering form, drawing her close unintentionally. "My apologies, Mira. How clumsy of me."

Mira drew in a shaky breath at the nearness of the man she desired and found herself unable to answer for a moment. "I...I..." She couldn't believe he was holding her so tightly. Her heart was racing, hope once again burgeoning in her chest. Could this be the moment she had been waiting for?

Freed's brow wrinkled at her stammering. He'd never seen her behave in such a way. Perhaps she had gotten hurt when he'd knocked into her. "Are you well? I didn't harm you, did I?"

With those simple words, her hope was dashed. "Oh...no. I'm not hurt," she said glumly, extricating herself from his grasp. Of course he didn't understand what was wrong with her. The man had an indescribable ability to miss the most obvious signs of her attraction. Why would this instance be any different?

She'd been coming to realize that her feelings may never be returned. It was entirely possible that he wanted nothing of her but friendship, that he felt nothing when they touched. It struck her heart like a physical blow, and she looked away, struggling to hide her emotions under a calm veneer.

Freed was confused. Mira was not one to be so quiet normally, her preference leaning more toward conversation, but as she had said she was fine, he decided he would not harass her about it. She did not seem to be of a mind to discuss what was on her mind, so he left it alone.

Giving the woman a final check, Freed allowed himself to be distracted once more by his quest, and mumbling a quick goodbye, he rushed back down the stairs. He headed straight for the back of the guild, intending to search the pool area when he saw the bathrooms. It was a stretch to imagine it would be in there, but he couldn't discount it.

Mira remained at the entrance to the library as a tear slipped down her cheek. He didn't act affected by her at all, not even a little. He had appeared completely immune to her as he'd held her in his arms. She'd hoped for some kind of reaction, some sign that he felt something for her, at the very least a physical attraction to her. But he couldn't seem to get away from her fast enough, as if he had figured out her interest and didn't like it. Was he trying to escape her?

The thought caused her to sag against the wall in sadness. Could that really be what was going on? Was he avoiding her because her feelings made him uncomfortable? It was almost too painful to bear.

Lifting her hand, she brushed the wetness from her eyes. It wouldn't do to have someone find her this way. There would be questions and concerns, and she was ready for none of it. She had no answers, at least none she wished to share. It was her pain, and she didn't plan on sharing it.

With a little shove, she pushed off the wall and moved to shut the door to the library. She gaped as she caught a glimpse of the room, her mind refusing to believe what her eyes were seeing. Never in her life had she ever found this room in such a state, and to find it this way in the wake of Freed's visit was completely unheard of. The man was meticulous in every way, but most especially with books. He was not one to treat them casually, so why on earth had he done such a thing?

Spinning around, Mira darted to the stairs. She couldn't understand why Freed was acting so out of character. Perhaps something was wrong. He had mentioned that he was looking for something. Could that be what was causing this odd behavior?

Freed headed to the men's room first, combing over every possible hiding place he could find. There was almost nowhere to search, and he made short work of it before moving on to the women's restroom. Flying through that room as well, he grumbled, "Not here either. Where could that fool have put it?"

Turning, he found Mira standing in the open doorway, looking at him with wide eyes. "Um...Freed, what are you doing in here?"

"Oh, I must apologize again. I shouldn't be in here. I'll just leave you to your business," he answered quickly with a bow of his head.

He exited the room in the next instant, leaving Mira once again frozen in confusion. Why wouldn't he answer her questions? It wasn't like she asking anything particularly invasive. She was merely inquiring as to why he was tearing through the guild like this. He was acting so out of character, so of course she'd be concerned.

Freed moved outside next, scouring the back yard before heading toward the pool. It was the last place he could think to look. If he didn't find it there, he wasn't sure what he would do. It would call an end to everything he'd hoped to accomplish.

Pushing aside the negative thoughts, he began overturning the lounge chairs. There were so many though, and the more he checked, the more panicked he grew. What if he couldn't find it? What if it was gone for good? He'd have nothing to work with, and he'd be forced to start from scratch. No, that was unacceptable.

Expelling an aggrieved breath, he finished up with the chairs and moved on to the tables with the umbrellas. He had to find the envelope. There was just no other way.

Mira stood in the center of the bathroom, taking in the disorder Freed had left in yet another room, and sighed in frustration. This could not continue. The entire guild was in ruins because of him, and she was not about to kill herself trying to fix it. He'd made the mess, so he could damn well put things back in order.

Decision made, she bustled out of the room, following the sound of Freed's ruckus outdoors. She stopped just inside the gate to the pool area, surveying the chaos the man had once again created. Every chair was tipped on its side, some flipped completely upside down, and further out, she could see that he had all but dismantled the tables.

What could he possibly be doing? Why was he wrecking everything? Puzzled, she made her way over to him. She was going to find out what was going on...right now. This was nuts, completely insane behavior for him.

She came to a stop beside him and reached out to stop him. "Freed stop! What is going on with you today?"

His head came up for only an instant before he moved past her to continue looking. "I've got to find it," he rushed out.

"Find what? You're not making any sense," Mira asked, more than a little hurt at his dismissal. He had never brushed her aside this way, but pushing aside her personal issues, she firmed up her spine and demanded answers. "Freed, what about the guild? You've wrecked nearly every room in there, not to mention all of this out here. It needs to be fixed back the way it was."

"Look, I can't talk right now. Can't you see I'm busy?" he blurted out in his frantic state, not noticing the way she flinched at his abrupt response.

She couldn't believe the way he had just spoken, couldn't believe his short responses to her when she was simply concerned about him. How could he treat her this way? She could understand him not returning her feelings. She could accept that, but there was no need to be so harsh with her. Maybe he needed to be taught a lesson in respect.

A flash of light later, and Demon Mirajane was standing before him, her face a mask of anger. Suddenly, she had his complete attention. "You're too busy?" she snapped, giving him a quick shove towards the pool.

He stumbled backwards down the steps, his feet splashing loudly. She followed him down, her expression dark with some emotion he couldn't fathom. He backed away slowly, everything inside him telling him to be cautious.

"You..." she snarled, knocking him again, "Can't talk to me because you're too busy?!" She was so mad at him, at how easily he pushed her aside when she had spent so much time pining over him. It hurt...it hurt so much that he didn't seem to care how he was treating her. Did he really not want to be around her?

"I...I didn't mean it q-quite like that."

Now, he was the one stuttering, and it gave her a perverse pleasure. For once, he was the one tripping over himself. Still, it wasn't the same thing. She had struggled with talking to him because she loved him, and he was simply afraid of her. With that thought, her enjoyment evaporated and her anger rekindled. "How dare you! Who do you think you are?!"

Freed was stunned. It had been a long time since he'd seen Mira this angry, since they'd fought during Fantasia in fact. How ironic that it was once again because of him. But what had he done to have caused such a reaction? Was it just because of the mess? If that was the case, he could easily fix it. "M-Mira, I'll clean up everything I messed up, okay? I'll take care of it, I promise."

The man took another step back at the look of fury that came over her face. "You think that's what I'm upset about?!" she screeched, giving him another shove.

Now, he really was confused. What else had he done? He couldn't figure it out, but he wasn't about to ask. His last attempt had only made things worse. He was just going to keep his mouth shut and hope she'd calm down enough for him to escape with his life.

"You think you can just treat people like this? Just ignore them, make them feel insignificant?" she continued, forcing him deeper into the pool.

His brow creased at her words. She felt like she was insignificant to him? Was that really what she thought? That couldn't be further from the truth. "Mira-"

"No, you just shut up!" she yelled, pointing a finger in his face. "I'm not done talking. Besides, I'm too busy to hear you right now," she added snidely. She wanted to rail at him, a part of her desiring to ram her fist into his handsome face, but it would make no difference. It wouldn't change the fact that he didn't want her. Her face fell, her lips turning down in a frown. "I can't believe I wasted so much time trying to get your attention when this whole time, you weren't even interested. I was an idiot."

What? Was she saying what he thought she was saying? His heart gave a happy leap at the prospect. "You're not an idiot, Mira," Freed said, reaching out for her hand.

She scowled at him, jerking her hand away. "Don't patronize me. I don't want your pity!" The idea seemed to stoke her anger again, and her eyes flashed as she lunged at him.

He hopped back to avoid her anger and had almost succeeded when his foot slipped and he went under. He righted himself and stood back up, intent on evading the angry female, but something caught his attention. There at the bottom of the pool was what he had spent all day looking for. "There it is!" he cried out.

It took her next words to realize just how big a mistake he'd made. "You still aren't listening to me!" With that, she smacked both hands into his chest and sent him back beneath the water. He shot back up an instant later, pushing his wet hair back. "Wait, Mira. Just let me grab this, and we can talk."

Not waiting for an answer, he ducked back down to retrieve the waterproof bag. He rose with a victorious grin, having finally accomplished his goal. Now, he could finally do what he'd painstakingly planned for the last few weeks, before Bixlow had stuck his nose into things.

"Alright Mira..." He trailed off as he noticed that she was no longer there. She'd transformed back into her normal form and started to head back the way they'd come. "Mira wait!" he called, sloshing his way towards her.

She never answered, never once turned around. She just continued moving away from him, her shoulders drooping and her head down in defeat. She was done. She didn't matter to him, today had proven that. She could no longer fool herself, and now, all she wanted was to get out of there. She couldn't do this any more.

Freed hurried after her, feeling a sense of panic at her silence. She never ignored him, never before walked away from him. Now, she was doing both, and that invoked a feeling of dread deep in the pit of his stomach. "Mira please!"

By the time he caught up with her, she had already made it to the shallow end of the pool, the water barely reaching her waist. He grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her to a stop, but still she refused to turn and look at him. Gently, he spun her around and nearly faltered at the expression on her face. She looked utterly devastated.

She knew she must look a mess. Her hair had come loose, curling about her face and her dress clung to her body like a second skin. Hopefully, he wouldn't see that she'd been crying...it would be one more thing to humiliate her later. And that, she couldn't take.

The moment stretched between them until Freed lifted a hand to her face, wiping away an errant tear. Mira pulled back, her eyes pained. "Don't do that," she whispered softly.

"Mira..." She was killing him. The look in her eyes stabbed at him, and before he knew it, he was taking her into his arms. He didn't think it through, didn't consider the repercussions of it. He just allowed his instincts to guide him and moved.

She tensed at his unexpected action. Why was he doing this? She couldn't handle this back and forth, couldn't deal with him going from hot to cold and back again. What did it mean? Did he feel sorry for her? Feeling her pride well up at that, she pushed out of his arms and glared. "Don't play games with me, Freed. I didn't think you were that kind of man."

"No, Mira. That was not my intention. I just...I hate seeing you so upset," he explained pathetically.

Her jaw tightened with hurt, but she attempted a smile, her lips making it more of a grimace than anything else. So, it was true. He didn't see her the way she saw him. She was just a friend to him, nothing more. "I'll get over it. I just... need a little time," she said, before turning around to continue on her way.

Freed watched her back for a moment, everything inside him screaming for him to do something, to stop her. But could he really say how he felt? Would it make a difference? She seemed to want some distance between them, and he didn't want to upset her even more by forcing something she didn't want.

Still, the thought of letting her walk away without a fight bothered him. There was something so final about the set of her shoulders, the way she held her body. It speared into his chest, making his heart ache, and he sprang forward, discarding all thought of respecting her wishes. He couldn't just let her go.

He reached for her again and spun her around straight into his arms. Without thinking, his mouth came down over hers, swallowing her gasp. He kissed her the way he'd longed to for the last year, pouring every bit of the hunger he'd battled into it. He couldn't believe how incredible she felt against him, how perfectly she fit in his arms.

Mira's mind was a jumble, every thought as messy as the rooms Freed had trashed earlier. Her body thrummed at his touch, her lips tingled beneath his. Everything inside her ached to give herself over to him, to take this moment for all it was worth. She'd wanted this for so long, had hoped and prayed it would happen, and now that it had, she wasn't at all certain what to do.

She would be lying if she said she didn't kiss him back. Who could blame her for taking this one small pleasure? He was her every dream, the focus of every desire she'd ever had. She was hungry for him, and as she arched into his body, she wondered if she was a fool.

Had anything really changed? Had he now decided that he was interested in her, or was this another ploy to maker her feel better? She couldn't imagine Freed doing something like that, but she didn't know what to think. She felt lost, happy to have gotten the chance to kiss him, but more than anything else, she was confused. Why was he doing this now, after the way he'd acted toward her all day?

Slowly, she pulled away. She shook her head, lifting a hand to her mouth as if she didn't quite believe it had happened. Freed watched as her eyes closed and she sighed. Her face still held that sadness, that emptiness that frightened him. Maybe he shouldn't have tried for a kiss, but he couldn't regret it. He'd loved her for far too long.

"Freed," she said, lifting her eyes to his, "Why are you doing this? You've pushed me away all day. Why...why are you...kissing me?"

Guilt hit him at her words. She was right. He'd been positively deplorable to her in his haste to find his missing envelope. And what point was there in that, when the thing had been for her anyway? He'd fouled this whole thing up. Sighing, he lifted the little baggie and showed it to her. "You see this?"

She frowned at the change in subject, but seeing the pleading look in his eyes, she nodded. She would allow him to redirect the conversation for now, but she was going to be cautious. He had spun her in circles for the last time.

"This is something I've been working on for three months, Mira. I've spent a lot of time getting together this plan, and today was the day I intended to put it all into motion. But when I got up this morning, I discovered that Bixlow had stolen it and hidden it somewhere at the guild." Freed blew his breath out at the sight of her furrowed brow. He was screwing this up. He was explaining it all wrong. "Look, just open it."

Mira was hesitant as she took the envelope from him. Why would it matter for her to see what he'd been looking for all day? She lifted the flap and pulled out two thick card-like rectangles. Tickets? Why was he showing her tickets? She shot him a questioning look, and he pointed at her hand. "Read it."

Glancing back down, she found they were tickets to an exclusive resort, the largest and most expensive in Fiore. Her eyes widened as she found Freed's name on one ticket and hers on another. She blinked up at him, her mouth agape. She was speechless. He had paid a small fortune to take her away for a week. "Freed..."

"I wanted to surprise you with these today. I just messed it all up." He said with a shake of his head. "So I'm just going to tell you what I should have told you a long time ago. I'm in love with you, Mirajane Strauss."

Mira felt her eyes fill with tears. Could this really be happening? Could all her dreams be finally coming true? Taking destiny in her hands, she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. He stumbled back, but caught her in his arms and pulled her in closer.

The white-haired woman cupped his face in her hands and smiled tearfully as she whispered, "Oh Freed...I love you too." The words had barely passed her lips and she leaned up, pressing her mouth to his.

Freed met her eagerly, his mind fraught with disbelief. He was stunned at her admission. She loved him. It was all too incredible to fathom. He finally had everything he'd ever wanted. At last, she was his.

Their moment was broken with the loud cackling of his friend, followed shortly thereafter by another feminine laugh. Mira pulled away with a light blush across her cheeks, and he frowned up at the idiot who'd caused all this hassle.

"Damn Cana. You nailed it!" Bixlow crowed, his tongue sticking out of his mouth.

The woman beside him smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Of course I did. I told you - my cards are never wrong."