Freed tried to focus only on the light fluttering of Mira's makeup brush on his eyelid. He thanked God his eyes were closed and that he didn't have to worry about seeing Laxus watch them. Freed kept replaying everything Laxus said over and over again in his head until the whole conversation had lost its charm. He wanted to forget how he felt when Laxus said he couldn't wait to see him in the complete outfit. The quick pitta patter of his heart. The warm and crimson light swelling in his chest and the light buck of his knees. The devilishly handsome grin on his dumb face as he said it. Freed had to forget it all. Yet, Goddammit, he couldn't! The more he tried to flush it out of his system, the more his mind wanted to replay it. Freed didn't even know why he wanted to do this anymore. There was no payoff in anything he was doing. The makeup, the transformation, the two people in the room with him; nothing was comforting. It was all unsettling to Freed and made the hairs on the back of his neck tingle with anxiety. Freed was growing tired of feeling on edge all the time. The feeling of Laxus's smokey-teal eyes watching him from his spot on the loveseat made him want to vomit from humiliation. He wanted to go home. He missed the feeling of just pure happiness when he placed his ordered outfits in his closet, never to be seen again. That was what he was used to, a familiarity he wanted back in his life. These new and foreign experiences terrified him, and Freed loathed people like Laxus, who took advantage of those fears. Freed knew he was in over his head, thinking he could cradle himself into indulging in his desires. His interaction with Laxus was confirmation that he just wasn't ready yet.

"Freed," Mira continued to softly stroke the makeup brush back and forward over Freed's left eyelid. Her free hand rested gently under his chin to keep his head still and tilted up to him. Freed was so deep in thought that he'd almost missed her voice, even when it was so close to him. "This shade of brown looks amazing on your skin tone." Freed's eyebrow twitched a bit, and he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. "Pinks and darker browns compliment you so well. And with the bright blue of your eyes, the smokey look will make you look so alluring!"

Ah …this was it. This was what relaxed Freed's worries. The sound of Mira's voice, the soothing words she spoke so freely without even knowing she was saying just the right words at just the right times. The way her fingertips felt on his skin, or the comfort she gave him just in knowing that someone thought all of this was worth it. The long minutes sitting in the styling chair, the itchy plastic apron around his neck, the cramps in his neck from having to arch it in several different angles. It was all rewarding in the end because Mira was magic. The work she did was magic. When Freed felt like everything was too much for him, he could remember that first time and the results of Mira's mystical wand. The way his face had changed and how he became a completely different person visually. And Mira was always there to coo in his ears how amazing he looked, how beautiful he had become. Maybe it was just her personality, or maybe Mira really was magic, and she could read Freed and know precisely what to do to soothe him. Freed didn't care. He was just so happy that someone like Mira existed when people like his mother and father were a part of his life. He couldn't let that go, and he couldn't let his anxiety get the better of him. Freed knew sometimes it would win and make him cower, but he couldn't allow that.

Freed took in a deep breath and lifted his hand to cup Mira's under his chin. She paused and leaned back, looking down into Freed's eyes when he opened them slowly. "Freed?"

"Thank you." He breathed, "I was feeling a little insecure. I was scared this was becoming a bit too much for me." Mira gave him gentle eyes and pulled her brush away.

"We could stop if you'd like. We don't have to do this every week, Freed. If you need more time-"

"No, Mira. This is perfect." Mira gave Freed a warm, glowing smile and set down her makeup brush.

"Good, because I love doing this with you. I want to help you in every way I can. You just have to be transparent with me and let me know when you're feeling hesitant. There's no right or wrong way of doing this. It's all up to you." Freed gave the white-haired stylist a smile in return and nodded his head. "Well." She says, spinning Freed away from the vanity mirror. "We are almost done! I just want to add highlighter and a red lip, and you'll be all done!" Mira leaned over to the vanity and grabbed a small square tube and circular makeup pallet before turning back to Freed. She took a makeup brush and dabbed it into the glittery shade inside the circular pallet, then lightly fluttered it over Freed's nose, cheeks, and right under his eyebrows. When she finished, she grabbed a dark brown lip liner and began slowly outlining his lips before filling it in with the red-colored tube she picked up earlier.

When the final look was presented, Laxus walked up, and they both looked down at Freed with matching expressions of marvel. Freed blinked back, now terrified to turn around and look into the vanity mirror. Did he look okay? Did he pick something that was too much for his face? He probably looked super awkward. Oh my god, he felt like he would cry until Mira spoke up, her voice strained in fascination. "Freed." She gasped. "You look…"

"Hot." Laxus finished.

"W-what!?" Freed quickly turned around and nearly fell over at the sight of himself in the mirror. Right there, right in front of him, was a cultivating woman. Her eyebrows gelled and arched to perfection. Her eyes hooded in stygian darkness bringing out the contrasting vividly blue eyes it was shadowing. A permanent look of sultriness, with her sculpted cheeks and vermillion red lips. Then his hair spiral curled and pinned up into a flowing ponytail. "Oh…" Freed stared, mesmerized by his own face. "It looks so good." Mira cheered behind him, dancing in happiness as Freed got up and inspected his face more.

"Dark brown looks are perfect for you, Freed!" Mira gushed behind him, "Your naturally hooded eyes and round face make it the perfect canvas for seductive, sultry looks." She looked over to Laxus, still watching Freed beside her. "Don't you think Laxus?"

Laxus smirked down at Freed when the other man turned around to look at him. "I told you it'd look good." Freed blushed and tried his best to ignore the blonde. He was still trying to get over their last conversation. The last thing he needed was more words to hang off of when it came to Laxus.

A slight knock sounded at the door, jolting Freed to quickly reel himself behind Laxus to hide as the door slowly pushed inward and a head poked in. "Mira-nee?" A woman with short snowy white hair like Mira's slowly stepped in and fiddled with her fingers. "Hey, I kinda need you for-um." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she tried to find the right words to say.

"O-oh!" Mira said quickly, taking brisk, short strides to her sister in the doorway. "I completely forgot!" She laughed awkwardly as she made it to Lisanna and put her hands on the other woman's shoulders, pushing her out of the room. Lisanna tried to speak, but Mira had already shoved her out of the room and shut the door. "Right- right. I'll be there in a minute!"

Freed peeked his head out from around Laxus's shoulder as Mira faced them with a blank face. Laxus cocked his eyebrow up at his best friend and crossed his arms over his chest. "What was that about?"

"Right," Mira snapped with a happy grin, "Lisanna told me earlier today she would need me for a root touch-up because she wasn't experienced with it yet, so." Mira shuffled over to the vanity, grabbing a few things and shuffling back to the door. "I'll go finish that up quickly and be back in time to remove your makeup, Freed!" She said with a smile. And with that, she disappeared behind the door and into the front of the salon.

Well, that was weird.

Laxus glanced back to Freed, still cowering behind him, and chuckled. "Well, I guess we can go ahead and transition into the next phase of your transformation." Freed gave him a stern glare and righted himself, taking several steps away from the blonde-haired man. Laxus walked over to the bag Freed brought with him and unzipped the top, pulling out the clothes Freed had inside. As the garments came out, the blush on Freed's cheeks continued to darken.

"Laxus, please."

"What? You brought it with you, so you already had plans to wear it. What's stopping you?" Laxus peered over the outfit, his own face flushing with a blush. In his hands were a red corset and dark leather pants. "Oh, I see. So you were going all out today, and only on your second time." he teased.

Freed tsked and snatched his clothes out of Laxus's hands. "I was going all out for myself. This just so happens to be my favorite outfit I bought, and I wanted to wear it when I saw Bob post this look on their Outergram. Honestly, I don't feel comfortable showing this part of myself to a complete stranger. I wasn't expecting you to even show up."

"You can go ahead and assume I'll be here every time you come in." Laxus retorted with a chuckle. "I couldn't possibly miss out on all of this." He gave Freed an obvious once-over and licked his lips to ice the cake. Freed shuddered at the sight of Laxus's tongue darting out and swiping a line over his bottom lip. Oh, screw him! "Just think about it," Laxus continued to jeer, walking a circle around Freed. "If I hadn't come in today, I would have missed all of this." He came to stand right in front of Freed, who eyed him cautiously. "I think it actually does you some good that I'm here."

"And why's that?" Freed cocked his head up to look Laxus squarely in his eyes. He was not about to let Laxus win this go-round. He may have cracked under pressure earlier, but Freed would stand firm against Laxus.

Laxus grinned back at the green-haired firecracker and grasped a strand of his coiled green locks in his hand. Freed flinched a bit but didn't break eye contact. Stay strong, Freed! " Want to know a secret?" When Freed gave Laxus a quirk of his eyebrow, Laxus leaned in inches away from his face. "If you keep it to yourself, I'll tell you."

"Go on." Laxus leaned into Freed, dropping the strand of hair to cup his shoulder and pulling him in closer.

"I have a kink for men in women's clothes." Freed's jaw dropped. He tried to speak, but every language, including English, seemed foreign to him. Laxus pulled back and looked back down to his blubbering acquaintance with an evil-tinted smirk.

"Wh-wh-w-what!" Laxus shrugged his shoulders, walking back to the loveseat and plopping into the cushions.

"I want to help you," Laxus said, crossing one leg over the other. "What Mirajane can't do with those makeup sticks is give you self-esteem. That takes time and nothing makeup could do. Think about it. Just putting on makeup alone isn't going to give you the confidence to face actual people wearing things like that." He pointed to the corset in Freed's hand. "That's where I come in."

"I don't want confidence to wear this-" Freed shook the corset at Laxus, emphasizing his point, "-in public. I just want to be able to wear it."

"Then what is this all for Freed?" Laxus sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "I don't get why you're coming in, getting a full face of makeup, paying Mira full price only to wipe it off. If that's all you want, you should just get on Youtube, find a tutorial, and copy it. Do it yourself. It'd be a hell of a lot easier than driving all the way over here just for thirty minutes with a small boost of confidence. What is this to you? A hobby? An interest?"

"Its-" Freed paused. What was this? Sure he liked coming in, and having Mira there for him was comforting, but so was Bickslow, and so was Evergreen. Everything about Mira that appealed to Freed was qualities that Evergreen possessed too. She was good at hair, good at makeup, a woman, and his best friend. Mira may have been a professional, but he was sure Ever could have done makeup just as well. But there was something about coming here, seeing Mira, sitting in her styling chair, and feeling the swipes of her brush on his face. Something about the poppy music playing in the background, the smell of acetone from the nail stations, and hairspray by Lisanna and Kinana at the front. Everything contributed to the swell of happiness he felt in the end. The feeling of he did it, and the fact that he did it in front of a complete stranger. Sure Evergreen could have helped him out and did all of this for him in the comfort of his own house, but that'd be just the same as taking his packages and stuffing them in his closet. No one saw this part of him. No one but the two friends who'd always known about this side of him would have seen the transformation. It was no different than how he'd always disregarded it.

It was then that he realized he needed Mira. He needed the jarring pushes she ushered for him to step out of his comfort zone and then her kind words and nurturing gestures. Sure it had been Bickslow to help him initially take those first steps, but Mira took over. And in the end, why did he even do it? Freed could have easily stopped at opening the packages and trying them on in his room. Bickslow even gave him time to turn back, to tell him that he didn't want to do it and go home. Bickslow didn't tell Mira that Freed wanted a feminine make-over; he had. Mira didn't tell Freed to bring an outfit today with him; he had. His desire for Mira to see him blossom and the desire to hear her commend him for being brave urged him to do it. And it wasn't just Mira. Freed knew a part of him wanted Laxus to be there. Having the other man compliment him and look at him like Freed was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen thrilled him. This wasn't just a hobby to Freed, nor was it just an interest. It had always been a part of him, a half he always hid because he was afraid. But the truth was, he no longer wanted to hide it. He wanted to prove his parents wrong, and he wanted to show the world the real Freed. This Freed. The Freed with smokey eyeshadow, red lips, and curled hair.

"No," Freed whispered. Laxus rolled his eyes, figuring he'd fucked up and reprimanded the boy too much. It'd be just Laxus's luck Freed never came back to the salon, and now he'd have no one to toy with, but to his amazement and shock, Freed started unbuckling his pants. Laxus's face flashed with a flame, and he quickly turned his head as Freed began undressing.

"Oi, you could have warned me before you started stripping-"

"It's a passion."

"Huh?"

Freed's eyes welled with tears as he slipped on the silky leather pants and fastened them at his hips. He threw off his shirt and climbed into the corset, pulling the red garment up to his chest. "I can't put this on by myself," he grumbled. Laxus glanced back over to Freed slowly, scared he would get mooned, but saw Freed faced away from him, with his back bared. "H-help me fasten the corset."

Laxus stood and grasped the long black strings looped into the sides of the corset Freed had gripped to his body. "I have no clue how to fasten this thing." Despite the tears threatening to race down his cheeks, Freed pushed out a laugh. "Tell me what to do."

"How should I know," Freed snorted, "This is my first time wearing one." Laxus sighed and started haphazardly tugging at random strings, tightening the fabric at Freed's body. "I was hoping Mira would help me put it on."

"Hate to break it to you," Laxus grumbled, growing annoyed as he fidgeted with the strings, "but I never seen her wear anything like this before." Freed remained quiet as Laxus pulled and jerked the ropes behind him, eventually making the corset tight enough to where Freed didn't have to hold it up. "Is that okay?"Laxus asked tenderly from behind Freed's neck.

Freed nodded and dropped his hands to his side. The corset wasn't fleshed with his body and stuck up a bit at the top where his chest was, but he was able to see it on him, and that was enough. Freed walked over to the mirror on the vanity and gapped at the entire look head to toe. He looked amazing. Freed was too scared to stare long, thinking the mirror would warp and he'd be wrenched away and woken up from his dream. But the moment, Laxus snaked behind him, wrapping his arms around his hips and pressing the front of his thighs, so he was pushed flesh against Laxus's chest, he knew it wasn't a dream.

"I said something insensitive earlier," Laxus rasped into Freed's ear. "I'm sorry. I see now there's something more. Something else that pushes you to do this."

Freed gulped, feeling awkward in Laxus's arms yet slightly relaxed. Almost the same warmth that Mira's words gave him. "It's okay," he said softly, cringing at the way his voice trembled. He cleared his throat, wiping away the nervousness, and looked Laxus in the eyes through the mirror. "You're right. Coming in and paying Mira to put the makeup on only to wipe it off is impractical. I understand that. However, this is what I have to do for right now. Until I'm comfortable with seeing myself like this, I couldn't possibly move on and show others around me. I realized I do want to have enough confidence to wear whatever I want in public, but I'm terrified. I thought comfort was only available in the familiarity of my home, but…." Freed took in a deep breath, holding on tightly to those same tears trying desperately to break free from his eyes. He couldn't cry, and he damn sure wasn't about to mess up the makeup Mira took her time to create for him. "I realized I find reassurance in Mira. She asked me the first time we met if I would trust her, and I hadn't acknowledged that I already trusted her before I even told her I would. And that's what I plan on doing, trusting her to gradually help me become more confident. It's something we both are going to work on. You say she can't build my self-esteem, and you're right. That's my job. All Mira is doing is creating the vision I picture for myself. Like today. She created the look, and I used the confidence she gave me to put on the outfit."

"You look amazing," Laxus whispered into his ear. "I was wrong for judging your methods. You know yourself better than anyone else. If this is the process you feel you need to take, who am I to tell you you're wrong."

"Laxus, its o-"

"But," Laxus quickly said over him, "I'm not taking back what I said about how my help would be beneficial to you." Laxus slid his hand from Freed's thigh up to his chin, where he turned his head toward his. Freed blushed when they made contact, noting that Laxus's free hand was still resting by his hip. How did they even end up in such an intimate position!? "Having someone else actively telling you how stunning you look," Laxus started, "How mesmerized I am by your beauty," Shivers ran down Freed's back. If he wasn't leaning into Laxus' chest, he would have fallen out right there on the spot. "This look of lust and longing I'm giving you right now is something Mira can't give you. Your friends can't give you that. This look of desire." It was true. Freed couldn't deny that Laxus's eyes flashed with a look of pure carnal hunger when his smokey-teal eyes swept over his body. He felt it the first time they met too, only now was that expression in his eyes purer, more concentrated. "Allow me to give you this; I want to see more of this Freed. More of this side of you. I want you to need me just as much as you need Mira."

Freed shuddered at Laxus's words. God, how could he say such embarrassing things so easily? Despite the resounding red sirens going off in Freed's head, he tilted his head to the side, pointing a slight frown at Laxus. "Well, considering you ignore me so, how could I trust you?" Laxus groans and lets go of the other male, running an irritated hand through his blonde spikey locks.

"I told you I did that out of respect for you and your work." Freed didn't seem pleased with his response when Laxus eyed him after his retort. "Okay," Laxus said with another groan, "If you want me to be more inviting and open at work, I will."

"I would appreciate at least a hello or good morning."

"Fine."

"And I do want to keep this a secret for now." Freed quickly said, "The makeup, and outfits, and such."

"Fine."

"And-" Freed raised an eyebrow at Laxus for his short answers but figured he shouldn't really care and focused on making his point. "I need time to think about your proposition."

"Fine." Another frown. Laxus chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest in his signature standing position. "I'm okay with that."

There was a thud from behind them as Mira slapped a dramatic hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh! Freed! You look so fierce! So sexy! Oh my gosh, I love this so much! We have to take a picture." Before Freed could even retort, Mirajane shimmied her way over, whipping her phone out and throwing Freed in an armlock for a selfie.

Laxus leaned in just as Mira snapped the picture and whispered lowly to Freed. "You do look sexy." Making the picture a collage of Laxus's shit-eating grin, Freed frantically blushing at him, and Mira stupidly smiling and gushing over how good all three of them looked together.

Bickslow opened an eye as his front door opened slowly. Freed tiptoed all dramatically and comically inside until he saw Bickslow laid out on their couch. "Oh- Bickslow. I thought you'd be sleep." Freed said, fumbling to shut the door and lock it.

Bickslow raised an eyebrow at the way he was acting and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I was waiting for you to come back. How'd everything go?"

Freed walked over with a bright smile, taking off his jacket and placing it beside them on the couch. "The look came out great! Oh! I forgot to tell you I'm gonna be making it late home on Friday. My job's going to be going out to commemorate a new hire. So can eat dinner without me." Bickslow's hand balled up into a fist. He took a deep breath, let it go, and then unwound his clenched hand.

"I'm proud of you, Freed." Bickslow placed a hand on Freed's shoulder and gave his green-haired best friend a comforting squeeze and dad-pat.

"I'm really glad you're getting out and trying to enjoy yourself. I hope you have fun. Just be careful." Freed grinned, throwing his best friend a thumbs up. Even though Bickslow wasn't really feeling like it, Freed's smile was contagious, and he couldn't help his own creeping over her cheeks.

"I'm always careful." Bickslow chuckled and threw his hand up behind him, and stalked down the hallway to his room. "Well, since you're home now, I'm gonna go ahead and head to bed. We've both got work in the morning."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Freed."

Once in his room, Bickslow took his fist and flung it through the air at nothing. His memory flashed back to a few hours prior to when he went to the salon himself just to see if Freed even showed up to his appointment. His job was close by, and since he drove Freed the first time, he knew he'd been there, but it was up to Freed to get to his appointment this time. Bickslow was worried Freed wouldn't show, and he'd left Mira hanging. And as he passed and he saw Mira standing out front, he just knew Freed had ditched her. The least he could do was apologize to her on behalf of his indecisive friend. As he walked up to the silver stylist, she blinked back a look of surprise and stood to greet him.

"Bickslow?" She asked as he made it closer. "Everything okay?" Bickslow narrowed his eyes at her and looked over the parking lot, catching Freed's silver accord parked towards the left side of the building. If he was here, why was Mira outside?

"Uh- I was checking on Freed. Making sure he came to his appointment." He said slowly, giving her a lookup and down.

Mira only smiled her usual smile back, with a slight tilt of her head. "Of course, he came!" Mira said with a cute giggle. "He's doing great! I'm so proud of his progress." Bickslow's face reflected a look of confusion, and Mira caught it. She inwardly grinned mischievously, feeling the tension beginning to cake the air around them. "He's actually inside right now, trying his outfit on with Laxus. You remember Laxus, right, from college?" Bickslow's eyes widened pleasantly to Mira, who watched him with a smile. Bickslow flexed his hand into a fist.

"He brought an outfit with him?" Mira cocked her head farther to the side, twisting her face into a look of mock confusion.

"He didn't tell you?" Bickslow swallowed hard, holding back the urge to burst through those salon doors. What the hell was going on? Freed was in there right now, prancing around in a frilly little outfit for Laxus. Just a few days ago, Freed had talked about the other man like he was the world's greatest nuisance. And here he was three days later, showing him one of his biggest insecurities. It made no sense. "We even took a picture together Saturday. Did he show you how good he looked?"

"No," Bickslow croaked out through clenched teeth, "he said he wasn't ready, and we didn't pressure him."

Mira hummed at this, wrapping her arms over her stomach. "I was under the impression Freed was beginning to open up. He's so open with Laxus." She cruelly laughs as Bickslow feels the pain of a stab wound through his chest. "I mean, I came out here just to give them some space!"

"-Thank you, Mira." Bickslow swiftly turned on his heel and started back for his car; not even caring he rudely ended the conversation. He'd wait for Freed to come home, ask him how his day went and if he talked to him about Laxus, he would feel better knowing Freed wasn't keeping secrets from him. But Freed didn't. Instead, he told him about some dumb event with his co-workers. While he was glad Freed was beginning to adventure out more within his job, he'd quickly glossed over his time at the salon. That was enough to tell Bickslow Freed was definitely hiding something.

Bickslow started this whole thing, to begin with. He urged Freed to take control over his desires. He introduced Freed to Mirajane. Bickslow told him he'd support him through anything. So why? Why was Freed hiding his progress from him? Why was he scared to show his best friend that part of him? Bickslow was the only person in Freed's life who supported him for years. When Freed had no one to turn to, Bickslow was the only person Freed confided in about anything, not just about this part of him. Bickslow was the only person for years that knew anything about his desires. Before Laxus, before Mira, before Evergreen. Bickslow gave him an escape from his family, gave him a real home, and Bickslow liked to think he was his only real family. So why ?

Bickslow laid in his bed, staring up into the ceiling. What did he mean to Freed? Was he ever that important to his best friend, or were they not as close as he had initially thought. It was painful to even imagine. Being replaced by someone like Laxus Dreyer. Bickslow snarled, the name ringing too many alarming bells.

Laxus Dreyer.

"Freed! You showed up!" Cana throws her long slender arms over her work friend and crushes him in a hug. "Oh my god, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Freed laughed over her shoulder before the brunette pulled away and flashed him a toothy grin. "We've already got a table; come on in!"

Freed follows behind her as she pushes the restaurant's double doors and leads him in. "You look nice, Cana." His wild co-worker was sporting a black mini skirt and a white butterfly-sleeved top, showing off her ample cleavage. She shoots him a grin while weaving through families and couples at tables.

"Thank you! You know I gotta bust out the tits to catch Laxus's attention." She joked with a chuckle. Freed laughed politely, taking into consideration his own attire. He was wearing khaki pants and a white button-up and threw on the ugliest vest he could find in his closet. All for the courtesy of not catching Laxus's attention.

Finally, Cana made it towards the back of the restaurant where the majority of the noise was coming from, pulling doors open to reveal all of the Fiore Housing Authority workers. Cana led Freed over to a table in the middle of the group where most of Freed's department was. "There they are!" A pinkette yelled from his place beside a pretty blonde. "Oi, hurry, the waitress is coming back!"

"I've brought company," Cana sings as she whirls Freed over to a seat beside a raven-haired man. Freed remembered everyone's faces; he saw them every day. It was just difficult to put a name to the face.

"About time you come outta the woodworks." The raven-haired man said, "I was beginning to think you hated us." Freed nervously laughed and waved his hand.

"I just have a hard time in big crowds, that's all." As he looked over their faces, Freed began to put names together. The pinkette was Natsu, one of the people Freed had visiting his desk on quite the occasion to avoid work. Never in his office, and when Freed needed him for a client, he would magically disappear. The blonde was Lucy, one of the snarky social workers who always had crying clients complaining about their problems. Whenever Freed called her to let her know there was someone in the lobby to see her, she'd let off a string of curse words complaining no one ever used the phones to contact her. The dark-haired guy beside him was Gray. The bulk of his clients flooded Freed with emails complaining that Gray never returned their calls or needed help getting in contact with him. Meanwhile, Gray would be hiding out in his office playing solitaire. The man sitting on the other side of Lucy was Loke. Freed had to call him so much that he knew his extension by heart. Loke's clients always came to visit him just so they could get a look at him. The man practically lived in the lobby. And lastly, Cana, sitting on the other side of Freed, was always on the phone with her clients. She never had clients come in and see her because she was always on the phone with them. Her office was next to his and was the person who trained him when he got hired. Freed looked to her for help whenever he needed something because she was really the only person he felt comfortable talking to.

"Well, we're just happy you showed up," Lucy tells him with a smile. Freed gave her a small one in return just as a waitress came up to ask Cana and Freed for their drink orders.

"I'll take a dry martini, oh, and can I get an extra olive?"

"Yes, ma'am, and for you, sir?" Freed peered over the drink list cringing at everything they had to offer. He could just play it safe and get a beer or a seltzer; they had a few options. Gray leaned in over his shoulder and pointed to a particular drink.

"This is what I'm drinking. You can get it in different flavors. I got peach."

"Moonshine daiquiri?" Freed read, squinting at the tiny text describing what it consisted of. Ole smokey and flavored frozen margarita? Sounded like he'd instantly be drunk from one sip. "That's a bit much."

Cana leaned in and looked over the drink's description. "That sounds good as hell, but definitely not meant for the faint of the heart."

Loke chirped in then, "You're not a big fan of alcohol, Freed?"

"I have an extremely low tolerance," Freed explained, closing the drink menu. "I'll just stick with a beer."

"What!?" Natsu groaned. "You can't go out on company's money and not get drunk. That's what company parties are for. Go for it!"

Lucy nodded, pushing her menu over to her co-worker and showing him what she was drinking. "If you want something light, you should just get this amaretto sour. You can get it with lemonade mixed in to make it lighter."

Freed read over the ingredients while Cana changed her drink order. "I'll get that," Freed says, looking up to the waitress.

"With lemonade mixed in?"

"No, as it is." Everyone at the table gape at him with light "Ou's," making Freed blush, "L-like said, it's good to let loose every once in a while."

Gray clapped a hand to his shoulder and grinned. "That's the spirit. You keep hanging around us, you'll be throwing drinks back like Cana." The waitress ducked off to the bar, and Cana snapped at Gray that they would absolutely not taint Freed like that.

Freed peered over to the other tables catching sight of a few more familiar faces. He could make out Erza sitting at a table in the upper corner with the other executive officials. That meant…

There was Laxus, laughing and drinking with the others at the table. Freed wasn't even sure if he had noticed he was there, but the blonde seemed like he was having a good time. Freed was actually thankful he was far away from the other man. After reflecting a thousand times over the events of Wednesday evening, he would be too embarrassed to face him. Thankfully they hadn't crossed paths since then.

By the time Freed had finished his drink, he'd learned a bit more about his co-workers. Cana, Gray, and Loke all went to college together and graduated the year after Freed. Natsu and Lucy had known each other since high school and were close friends outside of work. And everybody at the table was very interested in the new COO.

"I think he actually went to our College," Gray said to Cana as she swallowed down a tequila shot like it was kool-aid.

"Fuck, now that I think about it, I think he did!" Cana said, blinking in realization." I've been thinking his face was just familiar because of Makarov." Freed tuned in then, looking over to Gray.

"What college did you go to?"

"FSU." To Cana, Gray added, "He had to have graduated before us." Freed narrowed his eyes down at his second glass of amaretto sour. That was the college Bickslow went to. Freed opted into going to a community college, wanting to not waste another four years of his life in college. He hadn't had very many long-term goals, so he couldn't really settle on a major. Freed figured if it was necessary, he could always go back, maybe sometime in the future, but as of now, he was content with his place at the FHA.

Cana wrinkled her eyebrows together, trying to swim through all the liquor in her head to think. "So like seventeen?"

"More like, fifteen fourteen." Freed looked over to Cana for answers. Were they talking about school years? Now that he thought about it, Bickslow met Evergreen in college, and that was also where they met Elfman. Freed knew Bickslow was twenty-eight, the same age as him, and the same age as Elfman and Ever. If Mira and Laxus were the same age and Mira was Elfman's older sister, maybe…

"Sixteen," Freed mumbled. Gray looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You know what year, Mr. Dreyar graduated?" Freed frantically shook his head and laughed it off.

"Oh no! If he were thirty, I just thought it would have been around 2016 when he graduated. Or maybe I miscalculated because of the light buzz." Cana shrugged her shoulders, slumping back in her seat.

"I don't care what year he graduated, but now I have an excuse to strike a conversation with him. She grinned back at Freed, threw an arm around his neck, and spun him around to where Laxus was seated. She leveled a freshly manicured finger with his head and closed a single eye. "Tonight, we commence operation: get in Laxus's pants." Then with a cackle, she let a blushing Freed go.

"Oh my god, Cana, you're relentless." Lucy laughed. She was leaning against Natsu's arm for support, her full cheeks flushed in tune with the color of the glass of wine in her hands. "Nee, wanna tag team him?" She purred.

Cana laughed, leaning over the table to high-five the tipsy blonde. "Oh hell yeah, girl! That's enough man to share!"

Loke rolled his eyes, "You ladies need a cold shower," He grumbled, "May I offer my newly installed standing shower at my house." He looked over the two, wiggling his eyebrows.

Lucy snorted, "I don't want it unless the showerhead detaches."

Cana puffs her cheeks out, trying to hold a laugh in, but fails the moment Natsu looks at them with confusion, asking what the hell did that mean. Freed laughed himself when Lucy leaned over and whispered what it meant in his ear, turning him into a bubbling mess in embarrassment. Gray caught Freed chuckling and bumped him with his shoulder.

"How about a shot? You down?" He asked.

"Oh no," Cana cut in, "He's been babysitting that second glass of amaretto for a reason. Freed doesn't want to get drunk."

Natsu groaned, drawing the attention back to him. "That's depressing when the biggest drinker I know isn't trying to get everyone around drunk."

"Actually," Everyone looks down to Freed as he finishes off his glass. Cana opens her mouth to say something, but Freed beats her looking over to Gray beside him. "I'll take a shot. I'm feeling a little adventurous tonight."