A/N : Yes this story still exists
Warning/Disclaimer : Language, Homosexual, Mashima, Innuendos, Credit. (Some combination of these words)
It was afternoon already, and the flora, for Freed's taste, did not block the sweltering heat well enough. Closing his eyes, he trundled forward, the thickness of his coat insulating his nearly overwhelming body heat. Suddenly, he ran face first into a hard solid object.
"Huh?" he said looking up to see Gajeel's scarlet eyes.
"Watch where you're going, can't you see that we've stopped. " The larger man said to Freed.
"My apologies, sir," The rune knight's voice was brimming with sarcasm, as the eye that was not hidden behind his bangs glowed threateningly.
"Tch," Gajeel grunted before the two of them turned their heads towards their redheaded leader.
Once Erza held the gaze of all of the mages, she cleared her throat, "Ahem! Charle has spotted a hot spring not 3 miles from here." The she-cat puffed out her chest with pride. "Since there is no point in walking on exhausted legs," the Equip mage continued, "We will stop there for the night, and I will allow everyone to partake in the springs."
"Natural hot springs?" Evergreen questioned, "Kya! Thank Mavis!"
The Seith mage grinned, "C'mon babies we're gonna go have some fun!"
" 'Ah! It's about time, my feet are aching,' she says irritably," the thrum of Horologium's voice resounded within the woods.
Happy crooned, "Lucy's so lazyyyyyyy."
" 'I will make you into a new purse you dimwitted ball of fur!' she exclaims furiously."
In turn, the blue exceed ran off to his pink haired companion, "Natsuuuu, Lucy's being mean to me."
"C'mon," Laxus said to the Raijinshuu, "We don't need weaklings wasting our time when we could be relaxing."
Using their individual powers of flight, the three members of the Raijinshuu and their leader leapt above the canopy before quickly spotting the large basin of water that signified the presence springs. Bickslow howled from atop of his floating dolls as the foursome descended onto the shore aside the water. They all set their bags on a nearby stone that was in the process of being eaten away by lichens. Retracting the runic wings into his core, Freed approached and dipped the tip of his finger into the liquid. Ah… pleasantly warm, he thought with relief. But when he turned around, he did not expect to see his teammates already stripping down into their swimsuits. And of all things, he did most definitely not expect to see his Thunder God stalking towards him, swim trunks riding dangerously low on tanned hips. Mavis! Why did Laxus have to wear that godforsaken smirk? Why could Freed feel his chest heaving as something ran ramped from within? Why did the blonde have to appear so carefree and jovial, so damned… beautiful?
He is truly a God. For so many years have I sought to grant him this happiness. The ways in which the sun caresses his skin, and how his strength is stretched taught in the form of etched muscles. And his… his smile is radiating and ...perhaps even real?
The Lightning mage leisurely submerged himself into the steaming waters, as their level rose from his calves to his hips and soon, his chest. And then… well Freed thought he might have collapsed at that moment because God damn it all, Laxus…
threw his head back and laughed; a jubilant, flitting sound that echoed in the birds' song for miles, as they danced among the pale leaves of spring. For the first time in years, the Lightning mage felt alive. Teeming with energy, he breathed in the crisp air of the forest.
Evergreen walked over and tipped Freed's open-mouth shut with two of her fingers.
"Watch out, you're catching flies," the brunette grunted while doing so, before sauntering over to the pool in a flowered bikini. Bickslow was too busy having a splash fight with his dolls to make a more than likely lewd comment.
Reddening immediately, the man with green hair turned his head in attempt to stop himself from ogling over his leader before said leader could notice. Instead, he busied himself with discretely changing into his swimsuit trunks. Freed, then, returned to the spring where his teammates had already spread out.
"It's nice to get some peace and quiet before Natsu and the others make their entrance," Freed reflected. Just as Evergreen nodded in agreement, a resounding beat wracked the uneven earth. "Perhaps I spoke too soon?" Freed sighed. Crashing through the lining of trees, a small heard of Fairy Tail mages thundered into the clearing, stirring up dusty ghosts in their wake.
"Laxus! Why did you have to leave us? Come on and fight me!" The pinkette howled upon seeing the blonde basking in the spring. In response, Laxus merely sent a searing current of electricity right into his challengers face.
The Lightning mage huffed irritated, "Pssh, weaklings like you are what is ruining Fairy Tail."
"Easy their tiger," Bickslow jeered, memories of the Battle of Fairy Tale resurfacing.
For a while the mages of Fairy Tail piled into the water, sending waves splashing in the forms of fights, cannonballs, and other games. Laden in bikinis, the girls sunbathed upon sheer stone, heated by the afternoon blaze. Everyone was hooting and grinning with glee, as their worries quickly ebbed away in the humid atmosphere. The quest in which Fairy Tail had embarked on lay secluded in each mage's mind, the rigor of warmth preceding all other priorities. All and all, it was bliss for Freed who was all but meditating and surveying his fellow guild mates from the corners of his eye. This time is all that I need to rid myself over whatever improper commotion had taken over me earlier, the Rune mage thought in reference to once again seeing Laxus half naked.
Soon, however, Evergreen slowly made her way over to him, and reclined by his right side. "So tell me honestly, are you checking out Lucy and Erza?" the she fairy questioned, knowing full well that 'no' that was going to be Freed's answer. Maybe even this can get him to the point where he will finally confront his sexuality. Freed's so deep in the closet that he is about to enter Narnia. Heh, screw Bickslow, I can be fucking hilarious by myself.
"What? No!" The Rune knight replied in shock; the question effectively clearing all pretenses of serenity. Ever smirked, there we go… The green haired man looked up at the brunette in confusion, "Evergreen! You know that I would never do something as ogle women, and my guild mates nonetheless! I mean, that even less likely than Bickslow asking about Mirajane!"
"Well anyone else in mind?" Despite the Rune knight's love of cats, he was certainly not a fan of the feline predatory look that Ever wore while asking.
Blushing slightly, the Rune knight replied stoically with practice, "No, of course not."
Ever, in turn, sighed. Baby steps, so that's how it's going to be… She turned her head away so that her teammate would not see the roll of her eyes. Guess he needs a bit more, say, motivation. "Well in that case, let's play a little game shall we? A game of questions, perhaps? And since I know you love rules, why don't we make a rule that we aren't aloud to blatantly refuse to answer a question unless we give a good reasoning why?"
"What do you mean by good reasoning?"
"For example, if the asker accepts the other's will not to answer a specific question, then the other won't have to answer it."
"My pride would never let me decline your offer, very well, Ever," Freed's lips twitched at the challenge. "Let us entertain a game of questions."
"Good. So," the she fairy smiled, " Who do you think has the best boobs in the entire guild?"
At this, Freed blanched completely. Of all questions, she inquires about breasts size! "You can't be serious!"
If you would admit that breasts have very little interest to you, we wouldn't need to go through this… "Freed? Have you forgotten the rules?" Do you know how much effort I put into helping you sort out your life? Really! You should be eternally grateful that I am taking my valuable time that could be spent sunbathing. Not to mention this humidity is frizzing my hair!
"Hmmph, you know I am not a man to break rules, especially those which I agree to, but-but I honestly don't spend time looking at women's breasts! Even if I wanted to tell you I wouldn't have a clue!"
As a Gajeel sent a small splash to Evergreen's face from a cannonball, she grimaced. Gajeel Redfox you are lucky that I am busy right now, that mane of yours would make a nice structured statue. Facing the man with green hair once again she said, "You know strangely enough, I will accept that your evasion to noticing enticing women good enough reasoning to refuse the question; guess I'm feeling generous."
"Really?" Freed, however, frowned at the emphasis she had put on 'evasion to noticing enticing women'. "Very well then, if you allow it… So-um, uh, how do you feel around Elfman?" He was truly embarrassed to ask such a personal question.
"Eh?" It was Ever's turn to look surprised, "What do you mean 'how do I feel around him'?"
Cheeks tinged with a rosy blush, Freed replied, "Well how does it feel different than when you're around other people?"
"Honestly its none of you're damn business! I can't bel-Oh. Right. Our game…" Reluctantly, the she-fairy sighed before beginning to play with the water under her fingertips. "It feels- different. Towards the beginning it was nerve-wracking and uneasy when Elfman was around, like I had this god-awful habit of sweating profusely- Ladies never sweat. And yet I feel safe and, well, warm I guess. It's like I know that that big moron is protecting me even when he's off ranting about his manliness. Maybe I can't really explain it, but he's has this effect on me that no one else does... Does that help?" Ever turned to her left to find her green haired companion staring silently at into his lap.
Meanwhile, when all the other Fairy mages were reclining amidst the spring, Freed was busy combatting his inner turmoil. Nervous? Warm? Is that how one feels when infatuated? But that simply can't be. I can't be the same as those tremors and tingles that I get every time he casually brushes against my shoulder or when he flashes that lopsided grin right at me. No, it must be something different, its not like I could allow myself to-. She must be wrong about the protection too because Laxus protects me- I mean he protects us all as is his duty. I mean the ways I have been feeling the more recently, when he holds me, his fingers upon my hair- I-no, Evergreen is simply missing many details, she has to be.
"My turn!" said the brunette, trilling. "Out of all the men in the guild, who are the top five most muscular, in order from lesser so to more so?"
"Bickslow, Gildarts, Gajeel, Laxus, and Elfman," Freed rattled within a matter of five seconds. Is that not a simple question?
The she-fairy looked slightly taken aback in surprise. "Freed," C'mon now you're so close… "It's really amazing how you pay such close attention to the male physique in our guild, but are all but oblivious to women." He's dumber that Bickslow if he can't figure this out. Actually Bickslow already did figure this out.
"Huh? I- Oh- We-," The Rune knight thought frantically, do I really pay that much attention to men? I mean, I know I catch myself staring at Laxus, but it doesn't have to mean anything right? And yet, I can't erase the image from my mind of when he laughed earlier, he looked more beautiful than any human being has the right to be. Mavis, why am I thinking such improper things?
Just then, the blond topic in question leapt into the steaming water with an elated howl. Freed felt his breath catch completely in his throat as Laxus reemerged from the liquid depths, his torso painted in droplets. Oh gods, now that Ever has just pointed it out to me, I can feel myself staring at him. But when Freed caught a few of the female mages, eyeing up the Thunder God- no, his Thunder God, he was completely overcome by the urge to take Laxus and protect the blonde from anyone else's sight. Something was definitely wrong.
Evergreen had to lift her hand to her mouth in order to cover her laugh at the sight of the not so inconspicuous ogling that Freed was currently immersed in. Jackpot.
"Evergreen, if you'll be as kind as to pardon me from our little game, I have some thinking I need to do." The rune knight mumbled. He didn't wait to hear a response before scurrying out of the forest clearing.
Smiling quite satanically, the guild's only Iron dragon slayer swam over towards Ever. "Hey fairy lady, one thousand jewel says he comes out of the closet within a week."
"Put me in as two thousand, and within three days," Panther Lilly grinned. Oh yes Gajeel was certainly having the most awful effect on him. Next thing I know, I wake up with a belly button piercing.
A/N : Surprise bitch, you'd thought you'd seen the last of me. Anyhow, yes I have not given up on this story, trufully sorry that it has taken so long to update. Please show your intrest if you want this to continue because right now im really not inspired… who knows, we'll see…
Thanks !
-Tscarlet