Disclaimer: *See Prologue*

Author's Note: I apologize that this is short but it's a scene I wanted to include and it moves the plot in the slow direction of where I want it to go. No major warnings for this minus Freed being adorably embarrassed.

Part Nine

It takes him a few minutes before he gets up the nerve to push open the door and step into the room. Staring at the shelves, he slowly inches forward staring at the vast array of books. Slowly, he reaches out brushing the bindings gently the thought that there probably wasn't anyone cruel enough to shoo him from the room something he wasn't quite used to. In hindsight, this would probably have the members of the guild raising eyebrows questioning if he was okay in some aspects and honestly, he wasn't sure what the answer was.

A moment later, he hears the door behind him open and instinctively jerks back. Meredy blinks from the doorway before smiling softly. "Hey, relax," she murmurs, "No one is going to chase you out of here. I dare say that the only ones who frequent here are me and Levy."

"I just...I'm not..."

"You're not settled yet," she finishes with a smile, "and it's okay. Don't worry about it. But they have an amazing selection here."

"So I've noticed," he says glancing back at the stacks, "So...how'd you know I was here?"

"Kind of figured when I didn't see you in the main hall that you'd finally wandered in here."

"Books are less judgmental than people."

"Less...Freed?"

He shakes his head. "Don't...don't worry about it. I just...I'm good at reading people. And I see it regardless; that look one gets when they don't actually trust that someone's there for the right reasons."

"They don't know you enough to judge that," she retorts.

"I know that. It's still not something I want to deal with. I just...It's too quiet at the apartment with the others on a job."

Meredy grins. "Got a bit used to them did you?"

"They're...something," he murmurs, "I just...Yes, maybe I have gotten used to them."

"What do you think?"

"I think...they're an interesting bunch."

"Just...interesting?"

Freed slowly steps back to the stacks. "Well, they're...definitely a law unto themselves. It's amazing how well they mesh considering how different they are from one another. They spend more time picking at each other than anything; it's obvious their bonds run deep."

Meredy chuckles. "We really lucked out in this...didn't we?"

"We certainly did," he agrees pulling a tome out, "This is a wonderful Guild."

"It really is...though I'm curious as to what happened on Tenrou..."

"With Laxus?" he asks looking at her.

She nods. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

"No, it's fine. I couldn't bring myself to do as commanded. There was no reason to harm them and certainly no call to command them DEAD. I just stood there and stared at him and just wondered what the hell ever possessed someone to actually LIKE being in this position over another."

"And then he came to."

"He did...and I think it was because he'd been called to handle Master Hades that I didn't end up incinerated where I stood."

"That would have sucked."

Freed chuckles. "Well, I can think of worst people to see before one dies...and certainly less impressive than Laxus Dreyar." The minute the words were out, he realizes that he probably shouldn't have said it especially NOT hearing Meredy giggle.

"Impressive huh?" she asks looking at him with a grin. "Just...HOW impressive are we talking?"

"That's NOT what I meant!" he protests feeling his face heat up.

"Uh huh, I'm sure it's not what with you blushing like you are."

Freed moves for a chair in the corner. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't."

"I'm just saying that he's...tall..."

Meredy starts laughing at that. "Tall. Riiight," she manages between peals of laughter, "Oh wow...so cute, Freed. You have a crush."

That has his eyes widening. "I most certainly DO not have a crush on him!" he protests.

The pink-haired mage grins at him. "Oh, I disagree, I think you DO have a crush on Mr. Blond-with-the-body-of-a-god."

"MER!" He was pretty sure his face was as red as his jacket.

"Amazing how you didn't bother disagreeing with me."

"We are NOT discussing Laxus OR his body."

"Oh, that reminds me; there was this one issue of Sorcerer's Weekly with him in a speedo. I'll go see if Mira has it handy."

Freed can only choke as the other skips out of the study wondering WHERE she got the idea that he was at ALL interested in the blond Dragon Slayer. He opens the book and wills away the heat coloring his skin. 'I'm NOT interested!' he thinks, 'I'm not. I've had enough of MALES in general.'

However, he's managed to read the same few words eight times by the time the door opens and he looks up swallowing at the sight of Meredy with a magazine in her hand. "Mer, I really don't need to..."

She holds it out. "Look at it and TELL me that you're not the LEAST bit interested in him. It's on page 25."

Slowly, he takes it and opens it telling himself that there was nothing to worry about. And then he looks at the image and nearly chokes. "O-oh...oh...wow...He's umm... yeah...Tall..."

Meredy laughs softly. "Uh huh, right. TALL."

Freed glances back down at the male who looked quite relaxed splayed out in a provocative position. The smirk at the corners of his mouth clearly said he was trouble. The problem was that the rest of him made one wonder if that trouble wasn't worth it for the chance to...He immediately closes the magazine and hands it back towards her feeling his face heat up further as he tries to derail his train of thought. "Keep it," she tells him with a grin, "Mira said that it wasn't doing much good just collecting dust."

"I don't want it!" he protests.

She grins at him. "Keep it anyway." And with that the minx would kiss his cheek before murmuring, "Happy reading," and sauntering out of the study.

Freed stares at it a moment. "Wh-what...am I supposed to DO with this?!"