"Freed!"
Leo jumps up and rushes around him to find the barrier is still up. He then rounds back on the green haired mage, but is stopped when Freed meets him eye to eye. Then he sees the sadness within. "You know."
"Yes. But as a rune mage, I hold fast to my words since my word is literally the truth surrounding me at times. And she said that I can't tell anyone either."
"Do you know how to help her?"
"Honestly, I'm too shocked to think clearly about it right now. I didn't even imagine..."
"Who would?" Leo says bitterly.
"We're going to have to continue this conversation later in private, Leo, but it explains things at least. Now," he turns to the rest, "I'm going to bring Lucy back in here, and we will talk about what we originally brought you for. No one is going to ask about what just happened here. You do, an you'll be in Pain." There are silent nods all around and he takes the barrier down. Lucy walks out slowly, looking embarrassed and not meeting anyone's eyes. Then Leo rushes at her and wraps her in a hug, calming himself back down several steps when he's got her in his arms. Well, she didn't ask for no hugs I guess, so he's technically safe. He pulls Lucy to the couch and she sits curled up in Loke's lap with no outward protests as the others take seats. Freed stands in front of them all and straighten his shoulders, pushing what he just found out on the back burner.
"Okay. Yesterday, through a series of unfortunate events I'm not going to go in detail over for their irrelevance now, Lucy saved my life. I stayed the night here yesterday and borrowed Gray's extra clothes and went home knowing that Ever would take it as a sign that I was at Gray's for, ahem, private reasons. Yesterday I proved my own thoughts that the main ladies of Fairy Tail have these set rumors about me, and all of those gathered, and I want to mess with their heads to prove a point."
"What kinds of rumors?" Natsu asks with his hand in the air.
"That Laxus and I are in a relationship and that you and Gray are in a relationship. And that Loke is just, well, how Loke was. No offense," Freed covers, glancing at the lion spirit.
"None taken," he purrs, content to have his master back.
"So Ever thinks that we were together last night just because you were in my clothes?"
"Well, I had Lucy help pose me and used make-up to make love bites. And the way Loke waltzed into our house, they have it in their minds that all of us were..."
"But Gray's not even my friend!" Natsu yells, a little slow on the uptake.
"People don't believe that's all apparently."
"So what's the plan?"
"We're going to rile the girls up before showing them the truth. The point is to get them to mind their own business. Lucy will be our informant on our progress. At most it will run six months. You can think about it like a mission if needed be."
"So make them think we are, and then flip it on them. I can handle that."
"Good. Natsu's your partner."
"What?!" They both exclaim. "I can't work with him!"
"Why not? You're already in sync," Laxus points out.
"You're already coupled in their minds and they are telling it like fact to newcomers like Lucy."
"I heard much of the same when I entered the guild," Loke speaks up. "That's why I approached you."
"Wait, you and Freed actually-"
"It was a long time ago, Laxus," Freed interrupts while shaking his head. "That's done now."
"It was fun though," Loke grins.
"You aren't making this better, cat."
"But it's the truth." Everyone is looking back and forth between them in a sort of awe.
"I still don't see why I have to be with Gray," Natsu mumbles, not caring.
"I don't know how they paired any of us up, but this is it."
"So kind of like when some people come out and say they are gay, your plan is to mess with their heads and then come out as straight?" Loke asks.
"More or less, yes."
"Okay. Count me in whenever you guys need me."
"If we're all paired, why is Loke here?" Natsu asks.
"Oh, for the little things," Loke begins to answer. "For jealousy and lovers' spats. For added spice to blow their minds since they now know I've been alive for centuries. To give you information you need to pull this off without a hitch and provide any props that might be needed. That, and I've been listening to them for years right along with Lucy. I pretty much know how all of their BL clocks tick. And I want to see it when you guys tell them. I've have a few bets to win against Erza and Master."
"Gramps is in on it too?" Laxus asks. "And he's bet that I...? Well hell. Now I really have to prove him wrong."
"I want in on the bets," Gray says.
"I can take your guys' bets as my own. I haven't started anything, so it wouldn't be trouble. And it wouldn't even look weird if I say so suddenly after all this time; they've been running for years," Lucy speaks up quietly. "I may even still have the blank ticket Cana gave me before Tenrou."
"Cool, thanks Lucy."
"Laxus and I are in, are you two? I want to be sure."
"I'll do it," Gray says.
"If Ice Prick here thinks he can pull it off, then I'm in."
"Of course I can pull it off, Flamebrain. In fact, I'm sure I can do it better than you."
"You're on!" Natsu lights his fist in anticipation of a fight, but Gray grabs his scarf and pulls Natsu forward and crashes their lips together, making everyone surprised with the sharp, yet smooth turn of events.