Laxus grumbled, fingers clenching in his long coat, trudging alongside Jee. He was tired, and dirty, and cold, and Jee didn't want to stop. So yeah, Laxus hated Jee just a little.
Mostly he hated how Jee had to save him from the damn monkey that attacked them earlier. What was the point in even going on missions? What could Jee possibly teach him? Laxus was too weak to be of any help, and more often than not he needed to be saved. He was a liability, someone that would get one of his nakama killed.
How was he going to protect his comrades, protect Fairy Tale, if he couldn't even protect himself?
So yeah, Laxus was upset.
And to top it all off…
Yup. Rain.
"Okay, Laxus, let's see if we can find some shelter around here, yeah?" Jee asked jovially, pulling Laxus' frown from the sky to his bald head, nose scrunching in discontent.
"Whatever," he mumbled back, stuffing his hands inside of the deep pockets inside of his jacket.
They walked for some time, leaves crunching underfoot, rain pelting at them from all directions, wind whistling through the trees of the forest. It was steadily growing darker and darker, and soon Laxus couldn't see eight feet in front him him. He sidled closer to Jee, feeling his breath catch and hands shake. He bit his lip and clenched his fists to stop the shaking, determined to show Jee that he wasn't afraid. Not one iota.
A shock of lightning struck in the distance, lighting up the forest for a glimpse of a second -
- A house!
Laxus gripped Jee's pants, but thunder clapped over their heads, drowning out all noise. Afterwards, an eerie howl rose around them.
"Let's move," Jee said solemnly, gripping Laxus' hand and pulling him forward in a quick jog. Huffing breaths and the quiet patter of feet followed them, and Laxus' breath stuttered in his chest, eyes wide in fright.
They reached the door of the little house, and Jee whirled around -
"Yarn of Protection!" Strings of wire appeared in a blaze of light, barbed and winding around the porch to cut off anything that wanted to get to them. A wolf shot out of the trees and into their little circle of light cast by the magic, hitting the wires in full force, snarls and barks drowning out Laxus' gasping sobs of fear. But the wires held, even after all eight wolves launched themselves forward. After what seemed like an eternity, the last of them trudged off into the night, bleeding from small puncture wounds and snarling quietly.
"They'll find their next meal somewhere else now," Jee murmured, and turned toward the door of the house.
"What are those?" Laxus asked, squinting in the dim lighting to glance at strange writings and tags of paper along the trim of the door and over the handle, still shaking.
"They are barrier seals, a magic made to keep things from crossing into or out of a specific area. Looks like these are made to keep something inside," Jee added contemplatively, leaning forward to trace a finger over delicate lines. Laxus gulped silently.
"What are they keeping in there?" he asked, hushed and nervous.
"Looks like a demon…" Jee sighed, gusty. "Okay Laxus, I need you to stay here-"
"- what?-"
"- I'm going to take a look inside."
"But what if you get hurt!"
Jee turned and smiled at the boy, ruffling his golden hair. "Don't worry, I know how to protect myself. I'll protect you, too."
Laxus paused, the words ringing in his ears. Protect me? But I want to protect you!
Laxus drew himself up as high as he could, chin jutting forward in a stubborn tilt. "I'm coming with you. I want to protect you."
Jee chuckled, ruffling his hair again. "That's the spirit. Alright, here's what we're going to do…"
Plan laid out, Jee broke the barriers by opening the door, slinking inside as silently as a cat. Laxus followed after him, back to the wall, hands raised in defense.
A slow, climbing snarl greeted them, and the hairs on the back of Laxus' neck stood up. He could see that Jee was similarly affected if the way his hands raised as if to fend off an attack were any indication. A figure low to the ground crept forward, and suddenly there were glowing magenta eyes focused on them.
Laxus wheezed.
The snarl grew until it was a loud, awful thing, reaching into Laxus' spine and curling wicked fingers around it, shaking his stomach down to his feet and heart up to his throat.
Jee cast a light.
It was a boy! But he was unlike any boy Laxus had ever seen - long green hair in ragged dreads caked over bared teeth and magenta eyes ringed in black. He was dirty, with clawed hands and feet, and scales smoothing over his collarbones and ribs. Ragged black pants that looked to have seen better days were holding on by threads, and there were scratch marks over his arms, some bright red, others dulled.
He snarled again.
Jee took one step forward and the boy lunged, screaming, anger twisting his feature until he jo no longer looked like a boy but a rabid beast. Clawed fingers twisted in the fabric of Jee's coat, but Jee wrapped his arms around the boy, tightly, rigidly. The boy screamed again and struggled, but and writhed, clawed and snarled… but Jee held him through all of it.
When the boy seemed to tire, Jee's hold lightened slightly, and the hold became a hug. Hesitantly, carefully, Jee rested his shaved head against mangy locks.
The boy stopped struggling altogether, and he stilled, fingers still twisted in Jee's coat. Only a moment later, a sniffle sounded, and Laxus drew forward tentatively. After one sniffle came another, and another, and then a sob.
A wail sounded, and no longer was it a demon, but a little boy with so much pain in his heart all he could do was cry and scream and sob. Laxus couldn't help but cry with him, silent tears littering the floor beside Jee's leather clad feet.
"That's it little one," Jee murmured soothingly, voice timbre and soft. "Cry it out, you'll feel much better. Yes, yes, that's it, I'm here to listen; I hear you. I feel your pain."
The crying went on for what seemed like hours, and Laxus had moved close enough to gently clasp the boy's little clawed hand in his own, fear gone and replaced by a sadness so deep it seemed unending. After the sobs dissipated, the little boy drifted off to sleep, eyes no longer glowing magenta, but a light, ice blue. Jee shifted to sit on the floor, and Laxus joined him, head resting on the man's strong shoulder. "Will he be okay?"
"I'm not sure," Jee replied softly, careful not to wake the sleeping boy in his arms. "We'll have to ask him what's happened to him after he wakes."
"Okay," Laxus whispered, and together they sat in silence until the sun came up.
About an hour after dawn peeked its way inside through the window and front door, the boy in Jee's arms stirred, making cute snuffling noises. "Good morning, Little One," Jee said softly but cheerfully. The snuffling paused and blue eyes snapped open to regard the man in serious contemplation. "I hope I didn't startle you," Jee continued, "but it seems we need to be reacquainted, and if possible, to get you some clothes and a bath. And perhaps some food in you, as well."
The boy stared unblinkingly into Jee's face. Jee frowned for a moment. "Do you understand me?" Still kore staring. Laxus was almost amused, but he couldn't see any laughter in Jee's face, so that squashed any and all traces of amusement.
"He doesn't speak?" Laxus asked, hushed. The stare switched to him, and Laxus gazed into those calm blue eyes, flush rising in his cheeks for no reason. But without that demonic glow, the boy was quite pretty, almost like a girl.
"I don't believe so," Jee replied. "Well, we should still get him some food and some new clothes. I'm sure something of yours should fit him, at least until he gets his own wardrobe. But right now…" Jee looked back down at the little boy's curious titled head, and smiled warmly. "Hello, Little One, my name is Jee Justine. It's nice to meet you."
"And I'm Laxus! It's nice to meet you Freed!"
Jee and Laxus both paused, glancing at each other in astonishment. "Did I just…"
Jee nodded, and slowly a smile encased his face once more. "You named him. I believe Freed suits him quite well, don't you, Freed?"
The little boy - Freed - answered with a chirp and a squeak, burying his face in Jee's warm coat.
...
I'm not dead! Hope you guys liked the final installment of my plot bunny. For those of you who like my words, please check out my Ao3 (GoldenMight).