Hitting the Books

A/N: Here's the second part. The Freed dorkiness intensifies...

"What is it?"

"Sorry?"

"What the hell is it?"

"I...I don't follow what you..."

"What the hell is so damned interesting that you have to keep looking back at me every two steps? Do I have something on my face?"

"Um...not that I can see."

"Good, then stop staring at me like I'm some kind of freak."

"O-Ok Master Laxus." Freed's head snapped forward as his blush deepened. This was somewhat strange since he had totally not been looking at his friend on and off for the past five minutes. Like at all. He barely even noticed how the sun shone on the blonde's face, illuminating it to give it an almost god like texture. And the fact that his scar was especially distinct in this lighting too was also lost to him. Such a shame really...

"Where is this damned shop then?" Laxus grunted, folding his arms and scowling. "Jeez if something doesn't happen soon I think I'll go back to trying to kill people."

The rune mage's brain instantly started working over time. "No he looks bored! I knew I should have picked an activity he liked to keep him entertained!" Looking back he smiled shakily. "We could always go somewhere el-..."

"Finish that sentence and I'll finish your life."

"I know its around here somewhere!" Freed frantically began searching for any sign of the shop. "I-I think we are close. I know it is near to..."

"Is that it over there?" Laxus said, pointing to the literally glowing shop that was surrounded by many obvious signs.

The birthday boy squealed with delight. "Excellent work Master Laxus! Once again you have proven yourself to be a cut above the rest of us!"

The thunder god rolled his eyes. "Dude if you hadn't spent half the time looking at me you would have found it easily. Speaking of which why were you staring at me."

Busted! "Erm...well the walk was a fair distance and I was c-concerned you may have fallen behind and gotten lost."

"Freed that's bullshit and you know it." His eyes glinted in the sunlight. "We both know the real reason."

Instantly Freed's face flushed to nuclear proportions. "W-We do?"

"You're scared I'm gonna ditch you and back out on the present!" Laxus' triumphant smile quickly faded upon hearing his friend's nervous laugh of relief. "Hey what's so funny?"

"Nothing Master Laxus I assure you." Freed replied, struggling to keep the smile from his lips. "Thankfully he is not a mind reader as well as a genius."

"Good." He said warily, still suspicious. So suspicious in fact that he grabbed Freed's shoulder to stop him right outside the door. "Look man its your birthday today. Your 21st at that. Its a big day and there's no way I'd try something as shitty as backing out on you. Especially when its you. We clear then?"

"Master Laxus..."

"Are we clear?"

The rune mage instinctively returned to his soldier mode. "Yes Master Laxus sir!"

"Good." The lightening mage grumbled. "Now lets go and check this place out."

-Some time later-

"There is no god." Laxus sighed and readjusted himself in his beanbag cushion. "Why did I pick today to be nice to Freed?"

The pair had been in the library for exactly one hour, two minutes and seven seconds. It had started out pretty well for Laxus really. A few people in the shop recognised him and cowered away in fear, but after a while everyone seemed to get over the fact that the S-Class mage was actually there. Next he took to the books, but all of them looked too boring for his taste. I mean who the hell actually cares about the intricate knowledge of rune making?!

Oh that's right, the idiot he was stuck with. Freed on the other hand was having the time of his life. With all his time being spent on organising the Thunder God Tribe, going on quests and helping everyone out, he hadn't had the time to even peer through the window of the shop. But now he was actually inside the place, he couldn't believe how much of a paradise it actually was. Comfortable chairs, well lit places, plenty of small reading spaces and shelves and shelves of all the latest and most detailed books about runes. Along with a few weekly copies of the latest "Hottest Peeps in Fiore" but he was saving them for when his Master wasn't looking.

In fact, speaking of his master... "Freed how long are you going to be?"

He almost jumped out of his skin and dropped the book he was reading. "S-Sorry Mast Laxus, I was just checking up on the latest edition of 'Runes and Regulations'. See the title is a pun of 'rules and regulations', which is funny because..." Laxus' glare stopped him dead. "...we can leave right away."

The blonde grunted. "Well are you done here?"

"Yes I am."

"Freed you're a shit liar so don't even bother."

"But if you are bored then we should..."

"Ignore it and let you look at these shitty books." Laxus sighed, his willpower keeping him from blowing the place up. "Ok now think...what could you do in a book shop apart from scare people do death? Hmm...punch the clerk in the...nah. Blowing stuff up always seems to work? Freed may get upset though and that's..."

"Would you like me to read to you?"

Laxus blinked. "What?"

"You do not seem to be well acquainted with this area of magic so I..." The rune mage shuffled uncomfortably, instantly regretting his boldness.

"Sure."

"Indeed we shall leave right aw-...what?!" He gawked at his master, who had folded his arms and closed his eyes in mental preparation.

"Just pick a book and read it."

Hundreds of titles flew through his mind. "Pick something he would like! Wait, that leaves...nothing that you read. Excellent job Freed. Oh wait; what about the book about the lightening runes! That could be...that is off the table. He would die of boredom before I finished the first paragraph. Think think think! I suppose I could try..."

Suddenly a book was thrust into his hands. "Here, take this one." Freed looked up to see that Laxus' eyes were still closed. "I didn't peak so surprise me."

"Ahem." The rune mage cleared his throat and turned to a random page. "...they finally left the sea, dripping of water. Their wet bodies glistened in the moonlight as he bent over for his lover. 'My body is ready.' Justin proclaimed before moaning in pleasure as Drake penet-...GAAAAAAAH!"

The book was slammed shut and dropped to the floor. By now Laxus' eyes were wide open in shock. "Well...that was..."

"Master Laxus I am so sorry and it will never happen again I promise!" Freed stammered before slowly picking up the book. Its title was 'Mission Gay-Is-Possible Three: The Horny Island', which would have had alarm bells ringing in his head had he actually read it before reading the passage. However as it was his face managed to reach a new level of redness. "A-Allow me to burn..."

Just then Laxus laughed. Not his usual mocking laughter, but an actual genuine laugh that was followed by a genuine smile. "Jesus man of all the books I could've picked, I had to pick the gay porn! Aha ha wow!" The librarians present almost shushed him for being loud, but then remembered that doing so would probably mean certain death for them.

"You...are not mad?"

"Hell no that was hilarious! Your voice is perfect for that sort of stuff. Nice and serious."

"'Perfect'...that was a compliment! From Master Laxus!" He grinned. "Well I shall have to read to you more often if they were that amusing." And thus Freed's heart stopped beating. "I...oh dear lord I just said that out loud! This will be the point where he leaves and..."

"Dude we'll do it once a fortnight or something. Get Ever and Bickslow in on it too, I'm sure they'd find this just as funny as me. Bickslow will at least, I dunno about Ever."

"A perfect plan Master Laxus!" The rune mage beamed before picking the smut up and putting it back on the shelf. "Now, is there anything else you wish to check out here?"

Laxus took one last brief look around the place before shaking his head. "Fuck no. This will be the first and only time I come in here."

"As expected." Freed laughed. "Now the time is currently eleven thirty, which is when I usually head to the bank to check over our finances. Apologies for going there a minute and a half later than usual but..."

"Wait, that's what you do in your lunch hour?!" Freed nodded. "Shit man I thought you went and looked at the pigeons or something boring. You actually work through it?"

"W-Well the finances of the Thunder God Tribe are very important..."

"Yeah and they're also pretty secure man. Do you even eat?!"

"...The queue in the bank is often..."

"Freed?"

"...Most often I do not, no."

The Thunder God shook his head. "Ok well from now on you're spending your lunch break getting some fucking lunch. That's an order."

"Y-Yes sir." He replied, bowing his head like a puppy tied to a radiator. "How could I be so foolish as to upset him?"

"Oh Jesus stop moping." Laxus sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "We appreciate the amount of shit you do for us, but I'd appreciate you actually surviving more I think. Now what's next on this tour of terror across the town?"

"You appreciate me?"

"...Of course I do shit head, why do you think..." He trailed off once he noticed Freed daydreaming once again. "Great, now he's gone into idiot mode. Guess I'm stuck here waiting for him to leave."

And wait he did, for exactly five minutes and twenty three seconds to be precise. After this time Freed cleared his throat and blushed for good measure. "Apologies my mind was somewhere else. I...I suppose the park is a nice place to..."

"Good choice." Said Laxus, picking him up and carrying him out of the door before he zapped the place out of existence. "Now which direct-...oh god dammit Freed!"

Once again Freed was in a world of his own, albeit this time in the arms of his fearless, and now rather pissed off, leader. Happy times.

A/N: There is only so much I can have them do in one day, but any suggestions are welcome :)