Not surprisingly, the word that the Thunder Legion were planning a drinking party spread, so a few other people decided to do the same. Cana had a head start, starting at noon. It got later in the day, around seven, before anyone else decided to switch from juices to drinks. Natsu had to fight with Mira to let him partake in the celebration, and eventually pulled the 'we are technically 7 years older than we look' card and she supposed that was correct.
Grey decided not to drink, no matter how many cold beverages Juvia pushed on him. Lucy had fun talking with Levy, but neither were drinking fast enough to get drunk, while Gajeel was downing tankards so quickly it was hard to keep track. He and Jet then challenged each-other to see who could chug them faster.
Before long most of the guild was enjoying each-others company and drinking heavily. About the time Erza was demanding a rum cake, Cana decided to stretch her legs, and take a walk. She went up to the top floor, where Guildarts was drinking with Alzach and Macao, who were laughing about something. She swayed onward, trying not to fall over. The room started to spin a little and she felt a drunken dizziness come over her.
She could feel herself leaning over the rail, but couldn't make her drunken body react quick enough to prevent it. She was almost over when she felt someone grab her and pull her away.
"Woah there pretty lady. Don't want you to take a spill now do we? You feelin' alright?" The blurry blue vison asked.
"Are you alright? Alright?" The dolls asked spinning around her.
"Please make them stop, they aren't helping." Cana mumbled out, swiping at the dolls.
"Ah yeh right." Bix nodded and sat her down, taking the chair across from her. "You alright? You seem a little bit more wabbly than usual." He asked.
"I'm fine. Just too much to fast..." She shrugged holding her spinning head.
The blur in front of her shifted and she felt a hand on her cheek. When the room stopped spinning she was met with a familiar, but rarely seen face. Bixlow had pulled his mask off, and was showing his spiked blue, wild hair, as well as his strangely cute face, tattoo and all.
"If you're sure. Wouldn't want the fall to mess that face up. I mean ya got lucky the first time." He chuckled.
"First time?" She asked confused.
"Yeah, when you fell from heaven. A nasty spill like that usually leaves some angles pretty dinged up. You made it out ok though I'd say."
She looked at him a little confused and moved his hand off her face. "I'm fine. Question is, why are you being so weird."
"The real question is why you think its strange for a guy to flirt with ya. Whats that say about you?" He taunted.
She blushed hard and stood up quick. "LISTEN HERE YOU-" She started but felt her knees nope out of that situation and stop working all together.
She fell in Bixlow's lap making him chuckle. "Oh don't go fallin' for me now." He laughed.
"You sure talk big for a guy in a skirt." Cana mumbled scrambling to get up.
"Would you rather I take it off completely then?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows.
"Strip! Strip!" His babies sang.
"Do you ever stop?" Cana chuckled, with a grin.
Before Bixlow could respond, Guildarts stomped up.
"Why is the word strip being chanted at my little girl?" He demanded.
Bixlow held his hands up in mock surrender.
"Hey hey hey now, let's not start jumping to conclusions. We were talking about me being naked, not the other way around." He snickered.
Guildarts grabbed him up glaring, raising a fist.
"Come on, leave him alone. Hes just trying to get a rise out of you." Cana scolded.
"Well it worked. Hope he doesn't regret it." Gildarts slurred, angrily.
"Being held by a big strong man? No way that's the life right? How could I regret this?" Bix joked.
Gildarts sighed and let him go. "You sure got a big mouth." he growled and let him go.
He turned and walked off, knowing Cana could handle herself if things went sour.
Cana looked to Bix, care free and happy as he was.
"Hey what happened? I thought you went to go get drinks?" Freed asked approaching the pair.
"Oh I got a little distracted, sweeping ms. Cana off of her feet." Bixlow answered.
"Swoop! Swoop!" his babies sang.
Freed glanced to Cana, and back to Bix. "I'll go get the drinks then." he offered, sliding past them.
"Wait Freed! Take him with you!" Cana called wanting to go back to drinking.
He didn't seem to hear it, even though he was only a few steps away and she was near shouting.
"Man that guys hearing is going. I swear. Soon he wont even know when to yell at me for teasing him about Laxus or scold me for making fun of his hair." Bixlow laughed, knowing Freed ignored her request intentionally.
"Why so quick to get rid of me hua?" Bix asked. "You might just hurt my feelings if you keep up that cold act. Guess Grey isn't the only one here with ice make magic."
Cana thought about telling him how stupid that sounded, but found herself laughing instead. "That doesn't even make since." She laughed.
"Sure it does, with that icy heart of yours." he chuckled and they sat back down at the table together.
"Oh shut it. I'm not that cold." She batted the comment away.
"Prove me wrong then." He suggested, with a devilish grin.
"Prove it! Prove it!" His babies cheered.
"How?" She asked, narrowing her brow.
"Well I don't think a date could hurt." He suggested, leaning closer.
"wha? You...You want to go on a date with me?" She asked, slightly shocked by his forwardness.
He nodded. "Why not. You can hold your booze most the time and you seem great. Out of everyone in the guild I think I've talked to you the least, and one way or another, that is going to change." he promised.
"Ah...fine...But one condition." she smirked, matching his grin.
"Oh yeah whats that?" He asked back, noticing her change.
"Just you. You have to leave your 'babies' at home." She told him. She didn't mind them being around. She just wanted to see if he would do it.
He frowned a little and she could tell he was thinking it over. "hmmmmm...ehhh...alright. But just for you. Anyone else would be SOL." His smile returned.
She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Oh, I believe it." she cooed sarcastically.
Freed was coming back up the stairs, a tray of drinks in one hand, carefully balanced.
He paused by Bix and Cana handing them both a drink.
"Thanks man, I'll pay you back for my drink." He called to his friend.
"Don't worry about it. This rounds on me. Next ones on you." He chuckled.
"What? I didn't agree to that." He protested, whipping around to face Freed.
"I know, but the rest of us did. While you were over here rescuing damsels in distress, we were distressing on how the bill would be paid. So we are buying rounds in turns." He explained. "By the way, if you stay over here all night, then you are kinda ignoring why you threw this little get together."
"Oh...right. Alright. I might come back over there in a second." he turned back to Cana.
"Get lost. Get out!" A tiki ordered knocking Freed in the head, trying to push him away. "This is a private place!" Another cheered.
"Alright, alright! I'm going." He insisted, starting to walk away.
"Looks like Freed can't handle being at a table with the one he loves most without me there to hold his hand. I think I gotta go. You wont go throwing yourself off the balcony to get my attention once I'm gone will ya? Cuz it might work. Might." he snickered again.
"Oh I don't know how I'll get through the night." She rolled her eyes, smiling, before taking a large gulp of her drink.
"Well you could always come hang out with us if ya just couldn't be away from me. We usually have a really tight, 'Thunder Legion only' policy but we would make an acception for you." there was no such policy.
"Hmm...I think I'll pass, but thanks." she declined, swishing the drink in her tankard.
"Alright, but your missing out on a once in a life time deal!" Bixlow assured her, standing, and walking backwards, back to the table.
"Ill live." she promised.
"Alright if you're sur-" his back caught the rail and he was sent flipping off the balcony, over the edge.
Cana couldn't believe what she just saw and rushed to make sure he was alive. "BIXLOW!" She yelled, her voice ringing off the walls grabbing everyone's attention.
She looked over the edge to see Bixlow laying midair reclined, his hands behind his head, his ancles crossed. The babies had caught him. "Aww I never knew you cared so much. I'm flattered!" he chuckled as he was lifted by the dolls.
Cana blushed, glaring, a little embarrassed. A few people started to laugh.
"You big dope." Cana scolded softly, the slightest of smiles on her face.
"Oh don't be to mad. I only threw myself over to get your attention." He called. "Did it work?"
"It might have. Might." She cooed walking away.
Bixlow grinned and climbed back onto the second story. He joined his friends at their usual table.
"That was some show you just put on." Freed smirked, taking a drink.
"Want me to throw you over and see if...someone" he glanced at Laxus. "will catch your scrawny ass?"
"Aww, he would hit the ground and be flat like a pancake." Evergreen smiled finding that an amusing thing to picture. She could see him flailing and crashing into the wood floors, or maybe a table below.
"HA...HA. You guys are a riot." Freed praised jokingly.
Laxus looked over the group before taking a swig of his drink.
"So how have things been since I've been gone?" He asked.
"About the same. I think its nicer now that we can be on the second floor." Evergreen mused happily.
"Hey Freed, are we just never going to talk about how you gave up S class man?" Bixlow asked.
"Why bring that up now?" Freed questioned, glancing his way.
"Well I was just talking to Cana, and she was the one you threw in the towel for." Bix added.
"You gave up S class?" Laxus repeated. "I thought that really ment something to you."
Freed shrugged. "It does, but I have plenty of time to reach that goal."
"What's interesting is how he threw it." Bixlow laughed, and preceded to tell the rest of the table the entire story of how he lost to bikini babes.
The night went on with stories of what they had done, a few of the places Laxus had seen, and things of that nature. Bixlow was happy to secretly inform Laxus about Ever and Elfman when she went to get a round of drinks for everyone.
Freed didn't even notice the hours melt away, or the glasses empty so quickly. He began to feel tipsy quickly, while everyone else seemed immune to the alcohol.
"Does anyone feel a little l-ight headed?" Freed asked, trying to find a position where he didn't feel like he was going to fall over, but to no avail.
"Aah! Ya kiddin' me man. You've only had a couple beers." Bixlow griped. "You're such a light weight!"
Freed tried to look intimidating but he ended up looking like a pouting child. "I told you, I don't drink often. Is this to not be expected? No...thats wrong. Is this not to be expected. That makes more since." he knew he was yammering, and knew he was slurring, but didn't feel his usual urge to correct the problem and just let words come out.
Bixlow smiled a little.
"Ohh your inhibitions must be out the window right now!" Ever laughed gleefully. "I wonder what he will say now that he has no filter."
Laxus chuckled a little. "Come on leave him alone. It's not right to mess with someone who's defenseless."
"Defenseless against that body maybe but not against Ever and Bix." Freed mumbled just loud enough to be heard.
"Wait what?" Laxus asked, positive he heard him wrong.
Ever and Bixlow nearly lost it, they started laughing so hard, beating on the table.
Freed realized what he said and popped up "Ah nothing, don't mind me, I'm just saying anything." he laughed nervously and grabbed another beer. He didn't want to say anything worse, but he also needed a distraction.
"Oh man tonight is going to be a blast. I will pay for every one of your beers Freed." Bixlow promised.
"Oh so I guess that means I'm...Freed, to drink as much as I like then?" He laughed snorting a little as he enjoyed his own bad joke, which in how bad it was made Bixlow and Evergreen start to laugh with him. Even Laxus had to chuckle.
"You have to start drinking more. Seeing you like this is beautiful." Evergreen complemented.
"I don't know why you find it so funny, I can already feel the regret." Freed scoffed, smiling and grinning like a fool, his swaying becoming worse.
"Hes going to fall over if he keeps that up. Keep him steady babies." Bixlow ordered but had better intentions.
The little tikis flew over trying to support Freed's back.
"Up you go Mr. Freed!" One cheered, but the little toys were stronger than they looked, and shoved Freed right into Laxus's arm. Leaning on someone made the room stop spinning.
"That is a lot better. This is nice." he mumbled to himself. Damn Laxus was warm. He moved a little closer, wanting more of that stable feeling, but he felt his face get a shock.
"Ahhh!" he shot up, away from his arm. His hair was starting to raise up. "Why? You're as cuddly as an electric socket!"
"Sorry man. Sometimes when I drink it's hard to control my magic energy. Just lean on Bixlow." He suggested, taking another drink.
"Ehh, I'll pass. I think the table will do just fine." he was a little disappointed he couldn't use his drunken-ness to his advantage. He laid his head down on the table.
"Who's turn is it to buy?" Bixlow asked tilting his tankard upside down to show it was empty. "I'm bone dry over here."
"I'll go." Laxus stood and grabbed the empty cups, going back down to get refills.
"Sorry you missed the chance to get your cuddle on man." Bixlow smirked, flicking the lightning shaped licks in Freed's hair.
"Na that's alright. It's good that hes gone right now either way." He slurred back.
"Why?" Evergreen asked.
"I reaaaaalllly didn't want to throw up on him..." he cooed.
"AH! Man are you kidding?" Bix asked shooting up from the table.
"Naaaa...I would try to go to the bathroom but my legs are jelly." he sounded very distressed and even more drunk.
Bixlow rushed to Freed, trying to pick him up, finding it more difficult than expected.
"Come on man! Don't just lay here and puke all over us!" he demanded.
Freed started to laugh softly and smiled.
Bixlow was confused at first, then chuckled. "Damn... I believed you and everything." he sighed.
"Gacha..." Freed chuckled. "I am so good at pranks." He sighed to himself.
"Ok ok it wasn't that good." Bix shrugged, starting to walk away, but hit an invisible wall.
"Wha...Hey!" He laughed, noticing the purple script he had walked into. "Let me out of this thing!"
"Nope." Freed smiled. "Not until you admit that I am the king of pranks." he insisted.
"Oh come on! You want me to lie! That is just not right man!" Bix teased.
"Ok, but just so you know, gravity is going to get stronger the longer you're in there" he sang, starting to sway again.
"So Laxus how are things up stairs?" Mira asked, as she refilled the tankards.
"Oh, it's pretty interesting. Why?" he asked.
"You're all just being so loud up there its hard not to take notice." She smiled.
"Oh sorry." he frowned.
"No, its fine. It's nice to hear all of you laugh again." she placed his tray of drinks on the bar for him to take.
"ONe mOre for me PLease Mira." Lucy staggered up slurring, her face pink with a drunken blush.
"I think you've had enough." Mira laughed.
"Lucy? Damn, you are shit faced. How many have you had?" Laxus asked.
"UmmMm I thInk only Under FIVe." she grinned, waving and wiggling her hand in his face, to show him what five looked like.
Laxus laughed. "At least theres one person here who's a bigger light weight than Freed."
"Hey! I'm NOt a lIght wEighT." She assured him, frowning and stomping her feet.
"Whatever you say, princess." he shrugged, leaning against the bar.
Levy and Gajeel followed Lucy.
"Lulu don't run off like that!" She scolded worriedly.
As she did Gajeel fell over with a large thud, shaking the floor, passed out from all the drinking.
"Man do you have your hands full." Laxus mused.
Levy tried to lift the large iron dragon slayer but failed miserably.
"Laxus. Please help me. These two are driving me crazy. Every time I stop moving for a second, Gajeel passes out, so when I take two seconds to try and wake him up, Lucy keeps running away. I need help." she begged.
Laxus nodded and lifted Gajeel up laying him on a bench. "Leave him be, he might need to sleep this one off, then you can watch Lucy better. It might also help to take her home as well. Then you might get her to go to sleep too." he suggested.
"What about Gajeel? I can't just leave him here!"
"Don't worry about him. I will make sure somehow, some way he gets home." he told her, looking at the passed out man.
She smiled. "Thanks. I don't think I could take care of these two without you." she praised gratefully.
"Lulu, time to go..." Levy looked around, and Lucy was again gone. Levy sighed.
"I'll hunt her down. Don't worry about it. Meanwhile you should go say hello to Freed. It might be the only time you get to see him so out of it." he suggested.
Freed and Levy talked quite a bit around the guild. Their magic types were so closely related they could spend hours talking about how to improve them and the flaws their powers had.
She nodded. "I'll be right back then."
She skipped up the stairs with ease, and headed to the table. Bixlow was still trapped in a script, and looked to be fighting off something heavy.
"Hey there Freed!" Levy cheered, sitting next to him in Laxus's seat.
"Aww! Hey there Levy-chan!" He beamed. "How are you doing tonight?" He asked.
"Well Laxus just saved my skin. I'm starting to see what you see in him." She praised.
"Don't tell me! No Levy can't be my Rival!" Freed laughed. "I spend to much time with Juvia." he added.
"No. No. No. Please don't ever say those words in that way, implying what you just did! Laxus is great...but in nooooo way do I see him romantically." She made herself as clear as she could.
"So you know about Freed's little secret too?" Evergreen asked, interested.
"Well kinda. I had my suspicions and asked him one day, he just admitted that I was right." She told her, smiling. Most of the guild already had their suspicions.
"Some secret, pretty soon everyone will know BUT Laxus. Even Makarov." Bixlow laughed, strained by the pressure on his back.
"Man, I wish I had your relationship at least Levy. Even if Gajeel doesn't realize why he likes you so much, he still kinda knows he likes you." Freed rambled.
"Wha! That's so not true!" She blushed looking away.
"But if I was really pining after a relationship style, I think I would take Natus and Lucy's. They make it look so easy." He continued.
"How much did you guys give him?" Levy asked.
"Enough for him to start speaking the truth, looks like." Evergreen shrugged.
"Hey, I caught the princess! Do I get a prize for this?" Laxus called, holding Lucy's arm just enough to keep her in one spot.
"Freed can be the gold medal." Ever mused, not loud enough to reach Laxus.
"I would paint myself gold for him, and wear nothing but ribbon. Somehow I think he still wouldn't get it." Freed mumbled, poking the salt shaker on the table.
"Coming!" Levy called shaking off that mental image. "Bye guys. See ya Freed. Don't let these guys get you more drunk!" she skipped away. Soon Laxus was taking his place again.
He passed out the drinks and looked to Bixlow, who was being squished into the floor.
"Whats going on?" Laxus asked raising an eyebrow.
"Freed trapped him in there, then there was something about pranks...I wasn't really paying attention." Evergreen did her best to explain, still stuck on the thought of a glittering Freed.
"Freed, let him out." Laxus sighed shaking his head.
"Na he will be fine. It won't let him get squished to badly."he promised sweetly "Just until hes flat, like a pancake." he whispered to himself, with a chuckle.
"Freed...Let him out." Laxus ordered glancing down at him, not leaving room for argument.
Freed looked back and after a second of thinking what would happen if he defied their leader, he let Bixlow out. "Fine." he sighed.
Bixlow smirked and stretched a little before returning to his seat. "Thanks boss man!" He saluted Laxus.
"Thanks! Thanks!" His babies called whizzing around the room.
Freed sat up, his eyes half closed. He yawned. "I'm tired. I want to go home." he commented softly.
Without thinking he laid his head on Laxus's shoulder. He felt a bit of a shock on his cheek, but didn't mind it as much this time.
Before Laxus could tell him to find someone to walk him home, the green haired wizard was already asleep.
"Damn it." Laxus sighed. "Now I have two people to carry home?"
Bixlow laughed "Two people? Man you get around." he teased, but it didn't faze the lightning dragon slayer.
Evergreen smiled softly watching Freed sleep soundly. "This is how it should be between them." she sighed. "Don't you agree Bix?" she asked.
He glanced at the two of them. "Yeah. Just about." He agreed.
"What are you two talking about?" Laxus asked confused and as oblivious as ever.
Bixlow held in an annoyed sigh "If Freed won't tell him, we should!" he insisted to Ever.
"No he told us not to." She snapped.
"Yeah whatever." Bixlow rolled his eyes, resting his head in his hand.
"Again, What the hell are you two talking about!" Laxus demanded, slamming his hand on the table, a surge of lightning sparking, and fuzzing Freed's hair.
"It's nothing." Bixlow griped back.
"Don't worry about it." Evergreen snapped. "Now be quiet. You're going to wake him up."
There was a moment of strange silence.
"Well, I think I'm going to take these guys back to their houses." Laxus announced.
"Who else passed out?" Bix asked.
"Gajeel." He answered.
As soon as he spoke the man's name they heard a loud "LEVY!".
They peered over the railing to see what was causing such a commotion.
"Levy! Levyyyy! I know you're over...there? SOMEWHERE! Get back here short stack. Fucking...orange...blue haired...fucking angelic as fuck." Gajeel was staggering for the door, drunk out of his wits.
"Damn it! I need to go catch him!" Laxus growled, about to jump up and ruin Freed's nap.
"Hey! Just get Freed in bed safe."Bixlow commanded, catching Laxus off guard. "I'm sure Gajeel will find a great ditch to pass out in."
"What? Come on what if someone tries to mug him or something?" Laxus pointed out.
Bixlow raised his eyebrows. "Yeah...because someone is going to try that. Especially while hes like this." he shook his head.
Laxus looked to the door to see Gajeel had already left. "Well shit. There's nothing I can do about it now."
"Don't worry about him. Now if ya don't mind, I'm gunna go track down a ceratin girl that loves her spirits." Bix smirked.
"Lucy already went home." Laxus called, taking a drink from his tankard.
"Different kind of spirits." Bix corrected, taking his drink, headed down the stairs.
"Night." Laxus called.
"Night." Bixlow called back.
Laxus stayed long enough to have one more drink, Ever leaving before he did.
He was left with Freed, sleeping soundly on his shoulder. He nudged the sleeping wizard softly.
"Hey get up. At least try to walk." Laxus called softly.
Freed groaned and shook his head. "Naaaaa." he rejected, hugging Laxus's arm close.
The lightning wizard sighed. "Come on man, you should sleep in your bed." he advised.
"So should you." he mumbled.
"What?" Laxus glanced down to the drowsy wizard.
"Sleep in your bed that is...not mine...that would be bizarre. Stay out of my bed." Freed ordered. Maybe reverse phycology would be more affective."I don't want to get up. Carry me." he yawned.
"I'm not going to do that." Laxus declined bluntly.
"Then give me a piggy back ride...you're the whole reason I drank anything tonight. Take responsibility and take me home." Freed ordered, hugging his arm closer.
"Freed. That is not going to happen. We both know it." Laxus promised shaking his head.
Freed glared and stood up wobbling. "Well then I'll just go home without you. If I'm going to walk, then theres no reason you even need to go." he refused stubbornly.
He somehow got over the bench without killing himself, and stumbled half way to the stairs before his knees said no and he hit the floor.
"Damn it." He groaned, feeling his head spin.
A few seconds later he felt himself being lifted up. He felt Laxus's arms around him, and rested his tired head on his shoulder.
"Thank you." Freed called softly, already half asleep.