Good and bad news
When Laxus woke up Freed was still asleep next to him, still completely naked. He ran a hand through his hair cursing mentally and trying hard not to let his gaze wander down the back of the sexy guy lying next to him. A very difficult task, especially after what they had done the night before.
He closed his eyes and the memory of their kisses and touches, as well as Freed's reactions, crossed his mind. Fuck no. What the fuck had he done. He had ruined everything. He got up trying to be silent so as not to wake the boy, gathered up his boxers and his clothes and walked towards the bathroom. He threw himself under the cold water, trying hard not to think back to the fantastic night he had spent.
Once he finished washing and dressing, he went back to the room. Freed was still sleeping. Laxus watched him for a moment. He hadn't slept under the sheets, in that heat it was impossible. Seeing him asleep and naked rekindled all the excitement that he had forced himself to swallow during the shower.
Shit. He'd never forget that night, he already knew it. He didn't know what to do. Did he have to wake him up? Wait for him to wake up? Go for breakfast without him? No, that last idea was bad. He wouldn't let Freed wake up alone, he didn't want him to believe it was just a night for him.
So, although embarrassed, he decided to wait a bit. He pulled up the blinds of the room letting the sun's rays come in, hoping that would wake Freed up as he thought about what he had to tell him. Because he had to admit, he had a big crush on Freed. But Freed could have it for him too, given how active he'd been in bed. Or maybe it was just one night. Hell, he hated that situation.
He went out onto the terrace while clearing his head. It was still early, it was only eight in the morning and since they had gone to sleep late, it was obvious that Freed was still asleep. Until he heard a door close behind him. Panic enveloped him and he spun around, but he saw that Freed was in the room, with only his boxers - thank goodness he was wearing them - and he had only closed the bathroom door.
"Hey," Laxus said embarrassed.
"Hey," Freed murmured in a low voice. The two boys looked at each other for a moment, both at a loss for words. Then Freed sighed slightly. "Can we talk about it after coffee? It's really too early for me to do anything," he said. Laxus just nodded and then Freed dressed quickly, reaching for the bedroom door to exit. He turned to Laxus before leaving.
"Um... give me a quarter of an hour, okay?" he asked. Laxus nodded again, and then the boy left the room. The blond sighed and sat down on the bed. Well, Freed at least wanted to talk about it. It was a good thing, wasn't it? Damn, why the hell had he dragged him to his room? Why had he let himself get carried away by his instincts?
Unable to sit still, he decided to go down to the bar and wait for Freed there. He walked to the porch and sat down at a table, staring out at the lake in front of him and trying to think of the right words to say. Why, even though he had been thinking about them for over half an hour, he couldn't find them?
He didn't wait long before Freed got out, fully dressed and sat down opposite him. The two ordered breakfast, and then stood in awkward silence until the waitress brought them the coffees and croissants. Laxus began to eat avoiding Freed's gaze, and for a while the two remained silent again.
The blond was looking for words to say, they just didn't come. He had hoped Freed would speak, but apparently it wasn't easy for the boy either. And if until the day before Laxus had been pretty sure that Freed had an interest in him, now he was no longer certain. Freed could simply be attracted to him, maybe he just wanted a disengaged relationship, or maybe it was just a mistake due to alcohol. Too many thoughts were hitting him all at once, preventing him from thinking straight.
"Well," Freed began and Laxus looked up at him. The boy had finished his coffee but hadn't touched his croissant and was staring at the napkins on the table. "Well, I should tell you I'm sorry I kissed you last night. And partly I am, because I was drunk, we were both drunk and we didn't think well, I got carried away by instinct but..." He paused and Laxus was able to look him in the face only because Freed avoided his gaze. He noticed the man's cheeks turning red and Freed started talking again.
"I'm not really that sorry. As far as I'm concerned it was a beautiful night, sure, maybe if I had been more lucid it would've been better but…" he shook his head because he was wandering and looked up and met his eyes. "I like you, Laxus. I mean, I'd like to go out with you, hang out with you, to put it simply, I'm romantically interested in you".
Laxus could now see Freed's entire face completely red, the way he nervously twisted a napkin between his fingers and the way he again avoided his gaze. For a moment Laxus was shocked by that declaration. Freed really felt something for him, he hadn't imagined it. He felt relief in his stomach and relaxed his shoulders. Hell, that was the best thing that could have happened.
Freed looked down at the napkin.
"Um... it doesn't matter, you know, I think... we can forget and..." he began to say in a hoarse voice. Laxus realized at that moment that he still hadn't answered Freed. He reached out and caught Freed's, smiling softly at him as the boy looked up at him again.
"I like you Freed too, and I'd love to go out with you," he said at that point. Freed's eyes widened slightly and a smile formed on his face.
"You do it?" he asked in a low voice, perhaps looking for further confirmation.
"I do," Laxus replied, then leaning towards him and leaving him a chaste kiss on his lips. Freed's face flushed and Laxus felt his cheeks heat up. Despite that, he smiled elated at the knowledge that he was going to start dating Freed. A laugh escaped the green-haired biker.
"Great," he said.
"Yes," Laxus agreed. The two looked at each other for a moment, smiling, then Freed took the brioche and began to eat and Laxus turned to watch the morning sun illuminate the lake in front of them. It was perfect. All the embarrassment had vanished, now the silence between them was pleasant and spending a morning with Freed was the most he wanted.
"So, what do you say if I take you to those waterfalls?" he asked. Freed glanced at him.
"Have you suddenly remembered where they are?" he asked.
"No," Laxus laughed. "But I'm sure Kinana will tell me," he said, nodding his head towards the waitress. Freed smiled and nodded, and Laxus felt a euphoric sensation in his stomach. He was going out with Freed, and the night they had just spent together hadn't ruined anything.
Laxus went to the track in a great mood, excited to see Freed. After the tour, the two had exchanged phone numbers, had kissed a few more times, especially under the waterfalls, and had agreed on the fact of chatting. They had exchanged a few messages and Laxus had been in a great mood ever since. Well, he admitted he was falling in love, even though it had been a few days since their first date. Always if they wanted to consider it a date.
Laxus actually wanted to invite Freed on a date, and even though he knew the boy was rich and that he was probably used to fancy restaurants, he had already thought about where to take him. He wasn't sure Freed would like the idea, but he wanted to take him to a nice place. It seemed that the boy had enjoyed taking that trip out of town, so he had thought of doing something similar again.
With that idea in mind, he headed for the track, but as soon as he arrived, he immediately realized that something was wrong. There was no one at the track, the parking lot was empty, except for Freed's car and Evergreen and Bickslow's motorbikes. He also noticed Lucy's bike and frowned, wondering why there was no one there. It was Friday night, usually the place was full. He approached the bar but noticed that there was a sign outside that read 'Closed'. For a moment he was surprised, pulled out the phone and was about to dial Freed's number when he saw Lucy come out of the bar.
"Hi Laxus. The trail is closed today," she told him.
"What happens?" Laxus asked. The blonde sighed.
"There was a robbery. Thieves destroyed the door of the bar and stole money, food and alcohol. They also destroyed the gate of the track," she said, pointing at him with her hand. Laxus followed her gaze and swallowed nervously. Fuck. That was bad news. He turned to the girl.
"Do you know who did it?" he asked.
"Maybe, Freed called the police this morning but they've yet to see the cameras," the girl said. "The point is, they didn't just steal, they did a lot of damage too… the back windows are broken, the warehouse destroyed, they were vandals," she said.
"Freed?" Laxus asked uncertainly. Lucy sighed and turned back to the bar.
"He's having a nervous breakdown" she said clearly "Better to leave him alone, he's not really in the mood". Laxus nodded, he could understand that. He himself would've been pissed. But he wanted to come in and help him. He didn't do it because it was Freed who came out, but he was making a call and yelling about everything to someone.
"I don't give a shit about your problems, or your fucking ideas about me! I know it was you, I know and I'll prove it, you fucking bastard!" he barked as he passed them without deigning a glance. Lucy and Laxus stood looking at him and soon after Evergreen walked out. Freed kept ranting. "I talk to you as the fuck I want, and as soon as the truth comes out, I'll make sure I post articles about you that will ruin you and your fucking companies, and your fucking reputation that you care so much about!" he kept screaming.
Laxus stared at him in amazement. He had never seen him pissed off. Irritated, annoyed, demoralized, but not pissed off.
"He thinks he was his father," Evergreen explained.
"He was his father," Lucy objected immediately irritated with her arms crossed. "I'm going to make a call, tell me if you've any news," she said and then took the phone and walked away from there, not to hear Freed's screams in the background.
"And fuck you!" Freed yelled before dropping the call. Laxus watched him as he walked over him and down with the phone gripped between his fingers, nervously running his other hand over his arm. Then he turned to them.
"Hi," he greeted without hiding his irritation.
"Hey," Laxus said.
"The track is closed. It will probably be closed for the whole month, in fact, it will probably close permanently because I've had enough of that bastard of my father, I didn't imagine that he'd send vandals to destroy everything. Everything I've built." He growled and tears of nervousness rose in his eyes but he refused to cry. "And my fucking mother even called me pretending to be sad about what happened. Bitch without...".
"Hey, calm down," Evergreen interrupted.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Freed snapped.
"I understand that you're in a bad mood, but we'll solve this too. The insurance will pay the damages and we'll write the article about your..."
"The insurance will not cover all damages!" Freed snapped. "Probably the police will think they were just vandals, my father's name will not come out and even if I rebuilt everything, he'll come back to piss me off, "he growled.
"Okay, I think you need to go home now. There's nothing else to do here," Evergreen said. Freed put his hands to his temples and took deep breaths trying to calm down. "I'm going in," the girl said and then went back into the bar.
Freed sat down you on the ground on the steps in front of the bar and Laxus followed suit.
"I'm sorry. Are you sure it was your father?" he asked a little uncertainly.
"Of course," Freed snarled. "If they were just thieves, they would've stolen the money and left. Those bastards destroyed everything," he snapped. He stopped short. "Sorry, I'm unbearable and it's not your fault," he murmured.
"Don't worry," Laxus replied. "I'd be so pissed off too," he then added and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Look, I know you're angry and tired, but Ever's right, you can fix it. And even if you can't prove he was your father, you can definitely pick out that article from years ago," he said. Freed sighed deeply.
"Of course, I'll fix it," he said. "Just... it's stressful," he snapped.
"You're not alone," Laxus said passing his arm around the boy's shoulders, hoping it wasn't too intimate a gesture, but the boy seemed to calm down.
"Thank you and excuse me. Shit time," Freed said.
"Don't apologize. If I were you, I would've punched someone already," Laxus replied trying to lighten the situation as much as he could. Freed smiled slightly.
"Maybe I will," he replied, before the phone started ringing again. Freed took it. "Anyway... I'm a bit busy today, see you in the next few days, okay?" he asked. Laxus nodded and stood up, greeting him and giving him a light kiss on the lips after making sure no one was around.
"Quiet, I understand," he replied. Freed blushed slightly and Laxus was glad to have distracted him for at least a moment, before saying goodbye and getting back on his bike. He should have waited to go out with Freed, but he didn't care, he just thought he was a little unlucky.
It had been two weeks since the thieves had destroyed the bar. Laxus had only heard Freed on the phone, telling him some news, but luckily, he seemed calmer with each passing day. They were also chatting right now as Laxus came home after a day's work.
"Listen, would you like to go out one of these nights?" Freed asked suddenly and Laxus was surprised to hear him.
"I… yeah, I thought you didn't have time," he said.
"No, um... well, I was just afraid to be intractable, but actually I'd love to see you," Freed said. "Actually, I'm sorry I waited so long before asking you."
"Calm. Are you free tonight?" Laxus asked as he climbed the stairs to his apartment. Honestly, he hadn't expected anything else.
"Yes, did you already have an idea of what to do?" Freed asked.
"Actually, yes. I'll pick you up in an hour, okay?" he asked, inserting the keys in the door. There was a moment of silence.
"Did you already organize something?" he asked and Laxus smiled to hear his tone happily surprised and even a little guilty.
"Yup. Don't expect fancy dinners, but consider it a date." Laxus smiled. "Oh, and send me the location of your house, or I'll get lost on the way, "he added.
"Of course," Freed replied and Laxus knew he was smiling in amusement. They said goodbye and closed the call, thrilled by the date. As soon as he was inside his apartment he dived into the shower, calmly getting ready. He smoothed his hair with the gel hoping the helmet wouldn't ruin it too much and then got dressed. He checked himself in the mirror a couple of times before getting out of there. He got on the bike and went to Freed's apartment, hoping that the boy would've fun and that he could get distracted from the latest events.
As soon as he was under his apartment, he rang the bell and waited for Freed to get out. The boy came out of the door with a smile and Laxus paused for a moment to look at him. He had pulled his hair up in a high ponytail and was wearing dark jeans and the usual burgundy leather jacket.
"Hey, do I have to take my bike?" Freed asked as he approached. Laxus shook his head.
"Nah, I'll take you, so at least you can drink," he said.
"I'm not Cana, I can do without alcohol for once" Freed smiled.
"Yes, but you're nicer when you drink," Laxus replied. Freed raised an eyebrow and frowned slightly, then a smirk appeared on his face.
"Well, considering how the evening ended last time, I understand why you want to make sure I drink," he said. Laxus blushed slightly, but he laughed.
"You can't blame me," he retorted. "Come on, take your helmet," he said. Freed didn't reply and went to get the helmet, then climb up behind him.
Laxus left and walked the streets of the city until he left Magnolia. When he was out, he started driving the country roads, hoping that Freed would enjoy both the ride and the scenery. It took them half an hour to get where he wanted, in a small village built on a hill. He walked up the streets until he reached the place where he wanted to dine. Freed got off the motorbike with a smile and handed the helmet to Laxus, who put it inside the trunk of the bike, and then indicated the place to Freed.
"Have you ever been here?" he asked him.
"No," Freed replied. "I don't ride outside Magnolia much."
"Bad, you should," Laxus replied. "Well, they make the best ham here. Hope you like it," he said. Freed just smiled as the two boys entered the place. Laxus knew the owner, and asked for a seat on the terrace. So, the two boys sat on a small table from which they had a beautiful view of the countryside, with the vineyards and fields illuminated by the sun.
"You really know some nice little places," Freed commented and Laxus smiled slightly, glad he'd at least like it, even though it was a rustic restaurant with no pretensions.
"I told you. I often went around with my grandfather" he replied shrugging and opening the menu. Actually, he didn't take much to choose, he already knew what to take, but he waited for Freed to decide too. When the boy was ready to order, Laxus also asked for a plate of ham and cheese as an appetizer, so that Freed could taste it.
"This would be the best ham in the area, huh?" Freed asked.
"I'd say about the world, but yes, you came close," Laxus joked. Freed laughed and took some eating it with breadsticks. Laxus smiled to see that Freed really liked it, and he was also pleased to see that the boy looked really relaxed, despite what was happening at the track. The blond hadn't hoped for too much, knowing full well from Lucy, Evergreen and Bickslow that Freed had had some busy days. He had feared that the boy would be distant and that he would've to make an effort to distract him, but Freed was really enjoying the evening.
He told him about a few trips he had taken with Evergreen and Bickslow, even though they had toured other areas and tended to go to the beach more, as the girl preferred to spend time in Hargeon. The two boys chatted all evening without even realizing it, until the sun went down in front of them and it got dark. Small lights were turned on on the terrace and for a moment the two found themselves smiling at each other in silence.
"Do you want dessert?" Laxus asked.
"I don't know if I could eat it," Freed admitted.
"It's a shame, they make delicious cakes" Laxus commented. "If you don't mind, I'll take a slice."
"Go ahead," Freed smiled. "I'll get something to drink." Laxus raised his eyebrows at him curiously. The two had ordered some wine still for starters, but while the blond had limited himself to having a glass knowing that he'd drive, Freed had drunk the rest.
"You really take advantage of it," he observed.
"Well, for once I'm not driving," Freed smiled. Laxus chuckled and let him do it. They ordered the waitress and remained silent for a while, enjoying the pleasant evening until the woman returned with their orders. At that point Laxus pushed the saucer towards Freed to make him taste it and the boy thanked him by taking a curious bite. "It's really good," he admitted.
"Indeed, it is. Their cakes are made with the fruit they grow here, not with those tasteless crap you buy in the store," Laxus replied. Freed laughed.
"Do they also make liquor with the fruit they have here?" he asked curiously as he drank and Laxus nodded.
"Yup. You know, my grandfather also makes liquor at home. Well, he drinks a lot," Laxus said.
"And you've learned?".
"More or less," Laxus said. "I'd rather learn how to make beer honestly," he added with a shrug. Freed guessed it. Once they even finished eating the dessert, with Freed taking a few bites from time to time, the two boys went to pay. Laxus immediately saw that Freed was taking his wallet and put his hand on his wrist.
"I brought you here, I pay for it," he said.
"But…".
"No arguments," Laxus insisted louder. Freed glanced at the woman at the counter and then gave up.
"Thank you".
Fortunately, it hadn't been difficult to convince him. Freed left the club waiting for Laxus to pay and the blond did so willingly. But when he came out, he noticed that the boy was thoughtful and was looking at the motorbike with a bitter expression. For a moment he worried that he wasn't enjoying, but he quickly realized how stupid that idea was. Obviously Freed had enjoyed it, he had shown it all evening. Maybe he'd gotten a work message, or maybe he'd been thinking about his problems again.
"Everything good?" Laxus asked. Freed looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes, it's nothing".
"Sure?". Freed started to nod again, but stopped and his expression turned guilty.
"It's just… I'm sorry I didn't do anything for you. I haven't even thought of arranging a date for you, while you've obviously been thinking about it for a while. And it was nice but…"
"Hey," Laxus interrupted, passing a hand on the boy's back. "You've your thoughts, it's normal, especially with what happened."
"Yes but…".
"Shut up," Laxus said and leaned over him to leave him a quick kiss on his lips, which made them both blush. "If you like, you'll organize the next one for me, otherwise it's fine. I'll take you to another nice place and I'll show you all the places I've been through". Freed smiled softly.
"It's a good idea, but I'd rather take you to dinner next time."
"Okay," Laxus smiled. He saw Freed approaching and followed his lead by lowering himself and closing his eyes. The kiss was slower than before, and they moved their lips gently against each other, getting closer and hugging each other. In a short time, however, the kiss became more intense, as Laxus pushed Freed against a nearby wall. He hadn't planned it, but he found himself wandering with his hands on the boy's hips and when they broke away, they were both panting.
They were closer than he had thought, with Freed practically squashed against him and their crotches pressed against each other. That wasn't okay, because he was getting more aroused than expected. He stared at Freed with his heart in his mouth, feeling high. They had already had sex, true, but this was still their first date. Yet Laxus had a mad desire to throw himself on that body and take off his clothes, enjoying again as he had already done more than two weeks ago.
They remained silent for a while, just looking at each other, while Laxus tried to hold back his instincts, despite the fact that he didn't intend to move from his position. He didn't want to move his hands from Freed's body, or part with the heat of his body.
"Let's go to my apartment?" Freed suggested. Laxus swallowed hard and nodded. He was about to break away but saw that Freed was again reaching for him, running his hands through his hair. And Laxus wasn't about to let him down. They started kissing again. The pressure between their bodies, especially in the lower parts, made them both aroused and the two boys moaned in the kiss as they hugged each other. Only when they heard the door of the room open, did they realize that they were still in public and broke away, albeit reluctantly.
"Damn," Laxus murmured running a hand through his hair trying to recover. At least he wasn't the only stunned, Freed was in his own state.
"Yeah," he said with a half-smile. "Let's go?" he asked pointing to the bike. Laxus nodded and the two set off to get on it. Laxus took the two helmets and passed Freed's to the boy when a stupid idea came to mind.
"You know, although a motorcycle isn't comparable to a car, the car definitely has an advantage," he commented, without even thinking. Freed looked at him puzzled not understanding and the blond smiled crookedly. "If we had a car, we wouldn't have to wait to get home," he admitted in a half laugh. Freed looked at him for a stunned moment and then smiled mischievously, pushing towards him and reaching out to his chest, taking Laxus' breath away.
"Maybe you're right, but you know, there's a thrill to do it even outdoors," he said mischievously.
"Oh shit".
The two looked at each other for a moment, both extremely excited, probably evaluating the situation.
"Sure, you know some place nearby that's a bit isolated," Freed continued.
Oh shit.
"Get on the bike," Laxus ordered hoarsely, not intending to wait a minute longer. Freed didn't have it repeated and the blond left immediately. Five minutes later they were both in an isolated corner of the countryside, surrounded by trees, one on top of the other.
The track had reopened, but Freed was still not in the best of spirits. There were still some things to fix at the bar, but all in all the business had resumed, not without some difficulties, both because of the article by Freed's father and because of the robbery. Despite this, the boy tried hard not to make all his bad mood weigh on the others. The only good moments were those he spent with Laxus, which to tell the truth were not few.
Indeed, Laxus was fantastic, the two had had many dates, all of which went just fine. By now they spent at least two evenings of the week in company, either at the bar, or at the home of one of the two. They still hadn't said anything to anyone else, just because they hadn't made anything official yet. It was something Freed had been thinking about for a while, but he still hadn't told Laxus about it.
The phone vibrated and noticed that it was yet another call from his mother. He silenced the call and ignored it. She had been calling him a lot lately, but Freed kept avoiding talking to her. After what they had done in his track, he had no intention of having anything to do with them. He just hoped they were done bothering him.
Someone knocked on the office door and shortly after Lucy's head came out.
"Hey, me Natsu and Laxus are going for a ride to Hargeon, are you coming with us?" she asked. Freed looked down at the table and sighed.
"Maybe another time".
"You said that yesterday too," the blonde pointed out.
"Yes, well...".
"And then you've to tell me what's between you and Laxus".
"What?" Freed asked, looking up. Lucy smiled slyly.
"I saw Brandish the other day, and she told me that she and Dimaria can no longer come to your house, because the tub is occupied by you and a certain well-dressed blonde," she said in an amused tone. Freed shook his head in resignation. He had to imagine that his cousin was talking nonsense.
"Fine, but not this afternoon," he clarified.
"Well, if you don't come with us, I'll have to ask Laxus…" Lucy said.
"I get it," Freed snapped as he stood up, not quite as annoyed as he showed. The girl smiled with satisfaction. "I hate you," he muttered.
"No, that's not true" Lucy retorted with a smile "And now, let's go!" she exclaimed taking him by the arm and dragging him out of the study. "So, how long have you been dating?" she asked in a low voice so as not to be heard by the others. At least she was discreet, not like her boyfriend.
"Lucy... I said I'm not going to talk about it in the afternoon."
"Would you prefer me to ask with Laxus there?" she asked with a laugh. Freed stiffened at the thought.
"I swear I'll tell you everything, but not now," he said at that point. Lucy was pleased with it and soon they joined the other two boys.
The four left and walked calmly towards Hargeon.
Freed ended up standing in front of everyone, still with the thoughts of a father in his mind. Usually when he drove, he could concentrate on driving and have fun, but right now he was just thinking about all the calls he had ignored. That was the reason why he noticed too late the car that was overtaking on the other side, occupying his lane. He realized the danger, but his body acted too late. He tried to swerve to avoid the impact, but it was useless. The car crashed into him and he felt himself flying out of the vehicle, violently banging his head on the ground. The last thing he saw was the asphalt, before he lost consciousness.
