Dragon Instinct

Chapter Nine

"Do you think you can teach me the lightning dragon roar?" Eliana asked excitedly.

Freed turned watching Eliana with Wendy as a smile crossed his face. The two had formed a close bond in the two weeks since Eliana had joined the guild. Wendy had seemed to take it as her responsibility to try and train Eliana as a dragon slayer. Freed wasn't going to tell her that Laxus spent most of his spare time trying to teach his daughter. Not that Laxus had much free time in the last couple weeks. He spent the majority of his days trying to help his grandfather find out the name of the guild that had attacked Eliana's home town.

"I can try," Wendy said with a smile. "You're still really young, but you're pretty strong."

"That's 'cause my papa is really strong!"

Freed covered a laugh. Eliana had an intense sense of pride in her father's strength. It was kind of sweet how much she'd come to adore Laxus in their short time living together. He didn't see it changing as she got older. The girl was certainly always going to be a daddy's girl. Freed supposed there were worse things for her to turn out as.

"Yes, your dad is one of the strongest wizards in the guild," Wendy said with a smile.

"Do you mean there are other wizards as strong as him?"

"Oh yes, in fact, Gildarts is stronger than him!"

"Gildarts?"

"He's Cana's dad. He's been in Fairy Tail for years!"

"Wow!" Eliana said, her eyes going wide. "So, if I train well I could be stronger than Papa?"

"You could be, but that could take years."

"Oh..." Eliana said quietly.

"But that's okay! Most wizards train their whole lives."

"Freed?"

Freed jumped turning to look up slowly seeing Levy standing beside him.

"Levy, everything okay?" he asked standing up.

"Actually, I was needing your help."

"Sure, what with?"

"I just got these new books in the mail and I'm wanting to decipher them," she said smiling. "I figured it would go faster with two people."

"Now?"

"If you can? The rest of the team is on a job, so I need something to occupy my time."

"Sure, just let me talk to Mirajane. I don't want to leave Eliana here without anyone to keep an eye on her."

"Of course."

Freed smiled at her before walking up to the bar. Mira looked up seeing him approach and smiled at him.

"Can I help you Freed?"

"Do you think you could keep an eye out on Eliana for me while I help Levy with some research?"

"I'd be happy to Freed. You know she's safe at the guild. We'll all keep an eye on her."

"I know...I just wanted to be sure. Thank you," he said beginning to walk away before turning back. "Oh, if Laxus asks, tell him I'm at the library with Levy."

The smile Mira gave him told Freed he and Laxus were probably not as subtle as they could be if they wanted to keep their relationship a secret for the time being.

"I will. See you later Freed."

Freed walked off quietly going to tell Eliana goodbye before following Levy to the library. Part of him felt bad for leaving Eliana behind at the guild but she seemed happy enough to stay behind with Wendy.

Freed followed her quietly, sitting at a table in the middle of the large library. Levy sat down across from him pulling out a stack of books from her back. He shook his head with a smirk. He should have known she had more than one book on her. If he had he would have offered to carry them for her. Hopefully he would find some sort of distraction in these books that would keep him from focusing on self doubt thoughts that had been clouding his mind. He pulled a book towards him slowly, opening it and beginning to decode it.

It was a slow moving process, especially with the limited amount of resources they had at their disposal. Levy seemed more bothered by it than he was.

"I miss the Fairy Tail library!" She cried out collapsing on a open book.

"As do I."

"It's not fair that the guild lost everything while we were gone!"

"They didn't lose everything," he said with a small smile. "They managed to stay together."

"I suppose that's true." she muttered. "I still miss our library."

Freed laughed softly picking up another one of the texts beginning to look through it.

"How are things with you and Gajeel?" He tried to ask casually. He'd been meaning to ask her for awhile. He was wondering how she was handling her sudden and very obvious feeling for him.

"W...what?!"

Freed turned to look at her and fought to hide an amused smile at the brilliant shade of red she turned. He could imagine that was the color his face usually turned when people confronted him about his feelings for Laxus.

"It just seemed as if you two were getting close on Tenroujima, and it must be confusing after what he did to you before he joined the guild." He said softly. "I just wanted to check on you, see how you were handling it. "

"He's different now."

"Yea, I know he is. Gajeel wouldn't dream of hurting you now," Freed told her softly. "In fact, it seems he's named himself your bodyguard. I think it's sweet."

"Well isn't that what you did for Laxus?" She asked laughing softly.

"I...I suppose it is."

"Speaking of...is it true you climbed in his lap and kissed him one night when you were drunk?"

"I...they said I climbed in his lap?"

"Cana does."

"Oh lord." Freed said flushing brightly. He could only see it too well in his head. "I suppose it's true then. I knew I kissed him but...I didn't know I climbed in his lap."

"Are things still okay with you two?" She asked.

"To be honest, I'm not sure."

"He's not angry about the kiss is he?"

"Which one?"

Levy's jaw dropped and Freed sighed looking over at her. Laxus was going to be pissed at him for talking to her about this, but he felt like he was going insane. He needed to talk to someone. He was tired of keeping it bottled up.

"This can't go anywhere okay?"

"Of course."

"Laxus and I...we're dating...I think. After I apparently mauled him in the guildhall, we had a few awkward encounters," Freed said quietly. "I even told him I would force myself to go on dates with other men to get over him."

"What'd he say?"

"He kissed me."

Levy's eyes widened closing her book to give Freed her full attention.

"Then what?"

"Uh, the night we brought Eliana home he said he had feelings for me," Freed said flushing. "And then after we found out Eliana was his daughter he asked if I'd date him despite him having a kid."

"And of course you said yes, right? You did say yes?"

"Of course I said yes Levy."

"Wait..." Levy said turning thoughtful. "You've been dating almost a month?!"

Levy covered her mouth flushing at how loud she got, and Freed glanced around to make sure no one was staring at them. When he was sure everyone forgot about them he turned back to her.

"That's the problem. It doesn't feel like dating. It feels like being friends who kiss sometimes. At first, it was great, but Laxus has been really distant for a couple weeks," he said softly. "Maybe I'm expecting too much. Or maybe I've had Laxus on this pedestal so long that real life doesn't compare. I'm just scared."

"Scared of what?"

"That he's only with me now because he feels sorry for me. He could ignore my feelings for me as long as I didn't say anything, but once I kissed him he had to make a decision. What if he chose to date because he pitied me?"

"Oh Freed, even I know Laxus better than that. He doesn't pity anyone. Maybe he's just scared?"

"Of what?"

"You're his best friend Freed. Maybe he's scared if you guys don't work out, you'll leave the team. Or maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Gajeel mentioned to me before that Dragonslayers have mates."

"Mates?"

"People they're supposed to be with. I don't understand it really, but it sounds really romantic." She said leaning back in her seat. "He said they're connected by this bond, and feel pulled toward each other. Metallicana even told him they can sense when the other is hurt."

"Why would Gajeel tell you that?"

"O...oh It's not what you think. He just made a comment about Natsu and who he thought his mate was."

"Lucy?"

"Not exactly. Anyway, maybe Laxus is worried about hurting you because of the mate issue." She said softly. "Maybe he's scared he'll find his mate and have to leave you."

"Why would he start a relationship with me if he can't stay with me?"

"Because he wants to be with you?"

Freed looked over at her slowly picking up another book. If she was right, and Laxus had a mate out there then it was only a matter of time before he lost Laxus for good. He really needed to talk to the Dragonslayer. But what would he say? Did he want to stay with Laxus despite knowing it was only temporary? Was it worth the eventual pain of losing Laxus to someone he had no chance of competing against? He sighed forcing himself to get back to the research. He'd save the questions for later.