For the first time in years Freed was letting himself experience life as it was in that present moment. His entire family surrounded him with smiles, laughter, and an overabundance of love. There was no hidden resentment that Freed could spot. They either had all become good actors during their time away or they were all genuinely happy to see him.
"I can't believe that you're an S-Class wizard. Never would have pegged you for the forceful type, but after that battle with Black Snake I'm not so sure anymore." Cana declared into her freshly poured beer, "Got to say that was a pretty impressive stunt that you pulled."
Mirajane swatted Cana upside the head with a frown on her lips, "Would it kill you for some subtlety for once?" She turned to Freed who hid his own smile behind a sip of his drink.
The card reader grumbled something she thought only the other women could hear as she stroked the top of her head, "What? I think we should know just what the hell happened, aren't you a little bit curious?"
Freed cleared his throat, "She is right, but as my competitors, I will have to keep some information secret. I wouldn't want you guys using that information against us."
"We're your family Freed, how are you not going to tell us?" Evergreen huffed.
Laxus like the ever presented shadow that he had become since Freed showed up, moved closer to his Captain, "He's right though, about not wanting to give too much away. I'm going to be honest, I'll use any information I can to beat Lamia Scale. We came here to show everyone that Fairy Tail is number one. I don't think we should forget that."
"Thank you Laxus, but now I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you. Who knows what you have up your sleeve." Freed turned to look over his shoulder with a small smile on his mouth.
There was nowhere else Laxus could look at beside Freed's eyes and his tantalizing lips. He inched closer, making the gap between a little smaller, "It could be worse. I mean, I can have Jura breathing down my neck. You're a much nicer alternative."
Freed laughed which forced a soft puff of air to escape his parted lips. They were back to their usual banter. Back to usually charged and comforting energy that always sparked between them. Both men forgot just how nice it was to be in the other's presence.
"Gross, both of you get a room," Evergreen called over with a shit-eating grin.
That had both men going a hilarious shade of red that the entire guild took the responsibility to point out. Underneath the tables, Cana began to gather her bets, little pieces of paper torn from napkins. Her pen that she always kept on her for such occasions floated among the crowd.
The gamble… How long will it take before Laxus Dreyar and Freed Justine admit their feelings?
"Enough talking about the games! Let us drink and have a party, we earned it!" Cana called out the moment her pockets were filled with all the bets. She raised her cup above her head in cheers, "To Fairy Tail!"
"TO FAIRY TAIL!"
From there music floated through the air and the booze flowed steadily.
Natsu and Erza were absent from the entire affair. Lucy had told Freed that they had both things to see to before tomorrow. He asked her to send them his regards if he didn't have the chance to see either of them before leaving.
Between the Thunder Legion, all of them were too immersed in conversation. They were catching up with everything that happened in the last seven years.
"Have you all trained? There is much you all need to catch up on if you think to stand a chance against any of us in the games." Freed warned. His brows were drawn together and his team could feel the worry in his tone.
Evergreen reached over and covered his hand, "Don't worry, we got three months of training in before coming to the games. We've worked hard and I think me and the boys are on an even playing field."
"She's right," Bickslow smiled widely, "We made sure to work every day to grow our powers."
Laxus leaned back on his chair and he stretched out his arm to drape it on the back of Freed's. The Rune made hadn't noticed while he sat close to the table. Laxus watched on as his team tried to reassure their Captain. He settled more comfortably against Freed's side and it must have been his shift in weight because before he knew it Freed leaned against him. To make matters even worse, he rested his hand right above Laxus' knee.
"We really are happy that you came around to visit. We were worried that we wouldn't be able to get to see you before the game," Bickslow threw a glance at Laxus for a second before going back to look at Freed, "What possessed you to come to see us anyway?"
Evergreen finished her drink before interrupting, "He does have a point, you seemed like you wanted nothing to do with us…" Her words carried the ring of betrayal and hurt from her Captain's actions.
Freed squeezed Laxus' knee a little tighter, "Early on in the game I had come to believe that you guys wanted nothing to do with me. After leaving Fairy Tail the way I did it only made sense to me that you guys would not forgive my betrayal."
Silence fell over the table, all eyes glued to Freed's grim face.
"Why did you leave Freed?" Laxus asked desperately.
Freed sighed, the sound tired and worn as it escaped Freed's body, "We were told that you had all died. It didn't process in any of our minds for a few weeks afterward. I was stunned, in disbelief and every morning I woke up thinking that it had all been a nightmare. Then it became reality. I started to ask questions, gather any information that I could. All we knew was that the island had vanished, sunk into the depth of the ocean. I spent every moment I could in the guild's library. I wouldn't eat or sleep. I obsessed with the thought of you all." He moved his hand from Laxus' thigh leaving a hot brand behind, "Wakaba at this point was predicting the disbandment of Fairy Tail. He also was predicting my death."
Evergreen's eyes grew glassy behind her glasses, "Freed, we had no idea…"
He looked up through his bangs with a sad smile, "How would you have known, you were as good as dead. A year passed and on the anniversary of your disappearance I left Fairy Tail, my guild mark was removed and I began to wander."
"How did you end up in Lamia Scale?" Bickslow asked.
Freed smiled fondly at that, "Lyon and the rest of my team found me after I had defeated a dark guild. I was in no mood to rejoin a group, not with your memories still so fresh in my mind. So I left without giving them a response, but Lamia Scale is persistent. Lyon tracked me down, took him days, but I finally caved."
"What made you change your mind?" Laxus questioned, his hand going around to rest on Freed's shoulder.
Freed turned to look at him with an unreadable expression, "He told me to live my life for myself, not for ghosts or gods."
