Sorry for the long wait for this one, guys. A couple weeks ago I literally had the worst week of my life. Things didn't turn out as bad as we thought they would but I was still given the scare of my life. I'm sorry if it seems choppy but I've just been slowly trying to chip away at this one for you guys.

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy!

The trip home was lazy. Gajeel chewed on peppermint leaves while they were on the train and rested his head on Laxus's lap, his feet propped up against the window. Laxus didn't have as much of an issue with motion sickness as the other Slayers, his mostly manifesting if it was an especially rocky ride, and Gajeel seemed just content to lay with eyes half open for the two-hour train ride back to Magnolia. For Gajeel's sake, they mostly sat in silence so he could focus on keeping his stomach from knotting too violently with the jostling of the train car. As the train station loomed in the distance, Laxus felt a pang of melancholy that truly their little retreat was finally over and secretly worried that, despite Gajeel's reassurances, their amorous spell would be broken as soon as they stepped foot back at home.

To his surprise, it was actually Gajeel who initiated their touch as they exited the train, dipping his hand down to brush Laxus's palm and intertwine their fingers. He pulled the blonde behind him, hasty to get off the train and onto solid ground. He didn't release him even as they made their way through the train station, down the cobblestone streets, and home to drop off their things. Laxus glanced at himself once more in the mirror as he changed into a familiar collared shirt and grabbed his long, furred coat. Two large marks marred his neck and there was no way he was going to be hiding them. He supposed he couldn't complain too much, though, because he noticed how many hickeys he'd left on Gajeel's neck and chest as he changed into his long black tunic and Laxus smirked. They'd been rough with each other over the weekend. His grin vanished when he realized he was never going to hear the end of it from Mira.

And Gramps…

"So… are we going to tell Gramps today?" Laxus leaned on the doorframe to Gajeel's room, watching him as he pulled his boots on, "It's a little obvious we slept together."

Gajeel looked over at him as he tied his laces, the look on his face telling Laxus just how uncomfortable he was with the thought, "Now's as good a time as any, I s'pose."

"We can try to avoid him for a couple weeks if you want but I'm sure news will get around," Laxus sighed, scratching at the back of his head, "I'd rather be the one to tell him before he finds out from Mira or Erza or Cana."

"I get that," Gajeel huffed, glancing at himself in his own mirror, "Think I should dress a little nicer, then?"

Laxus smirked, "And why in the hell would ya do that?"

"Maybe he won't get pissed at me if I don't look like some sorta thug,"

Laxus snickered, "He won't be pissed with you… if anything he'd be pissed with me."

"Eh? And why's that?" Gajeel quirked a studded brow at him as he stood and headed for the stairs.

"He wants to see great-grandkids someday,"

"Ah… yeah… that probably won't happen," Gajeel muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets, a slight smile coming to his face, "But I don't think the world could handle another miniature Laxus running around anyway."

Laxus rolled his eyes, still in good humor, "I think a small Gajeel would be worse."

Gajeel put a hand to his chest as he walked past the blonde, feigning contempt as he tromped out the door, "What? I was an angelgrowing up. Just ask my dad."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure a dragon-raised feral child would be just perfect," Laxus jabbed at him, "Maybe we can just find another one of those to raise."

Gajeel snorted, "I wasn't feral."

"Raised by a dragon with no human contact since you were a child? Pretty sure that's the definition of a feral child."

"Eh… I was older… and I knew about humans before Metalicana found me."

"Older?" Laxus prompted, finally dropping his teasing and listened seriously. Gajeel had rarely talked openly about his dad before. He felt sort of privileged to hear, "How old?"

Gajeel stopped walking at that and focused his gaze in the distance, "Well… I'm not sure… I'd been livin' on the streets for a while," he scratched the side of his head as he thought and mumbled a little bit as he tried to do the math, "I think he left when I was twelve? So nine… probably."

Laxus furrowed his brow, "How old are you, exactly?"

Gajeel grinned, "Twenty-five."

Laxus blinked, "No… you're not."

Gajeel gave him a quizzical look, "I may not know my birthday, but I know how many summers I've been alive. I'm twenty-five,"

Laxus huffed, "There's no way you're older than me."

Gajeel's eyes lit up at that, "What?"

"Here it goes…"

"How old are you, Laxus," Gajeel grinned up at him, crossing his arms with a haughty look on his face.

Laxus sighed, "Twenty-three."

Gajeel's grin almost stretched completely across his face and he eyed Laxus slyly, obviously full of himself, "I'm… your senpai?"

"Fucking hell," Laxus growled, suddenly taken to glaring at the sidewalk.

Gajeel elbowed him playfully, "Say it."

"Say what?"

"Say I'm your senpai."

"Absolutely not."

"C'mon, I believe in you! Tell me I'm your senpai."

"Would you lower your fucking voice?" Laxus hissed as heat crept up his neck from the stares Gajeel was attracting.

"Not until you. Call.Me. Senpai." His voice got louder at the last three words and Laxus finally broke.

"Fine!" he gripped Gajeel's wrist and pulled him close, through his gritted teeth he forced out the words in a barely audible snarl, "Are you happy now? Senpai?"

Gajeel's face suddenly turned red, "You… you actually said it."

"What? Didn't like it, senpai?"

"No… stop… that's weird."

Now it was Laxus's turn to grin, albeit much more maliciously than Gajeel had, "But I thought you wanted me to call you senpai?"

Gajeel shoved him away, "Stop saying that! I take it back!"

Laxus couldn't help it. Seeing Gajeel's face red like that got his engine revving. He ruffled his tangled hair, smiling at the way Gajeel's shoulders stiffened as he glared up at him indignantly. "Cute…" he murmured, to which the raven somehow turned a deeper shade of red. He stepped up, leaning on his toes to be eye-level with Laxus and shoving him again, a little more roughly.

"I ain't cute," he huffed, though he lacked some vigor, and turned towards the guildhall, "Fucking fairy."

Laxus smiled easily as he walked after him, "How can I help it when you look like that?"

"Yeah, yeah," Laxus could still see the scarlet on the tips of his ears as he pushed open the doors to the hall. He followed after Gajeel quietly, trying not to mind the stares as they walked in. His eyes fell on Mira as she waved at them from the bar and quickly followed was the sound of snickering from a table near to her. Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen sat hunched together, eyes glued to the pair as they walked in. Laxus gritted his teeth, already not prepared for the ambush waiting for them as they approached.

"Hey Laxus," Evergreen called, smiling slyly as they got closer, "How was your weekend?"

Bickslow's totems flittered around Gajeel, pushing him closer to the table as he attempted to walk past. Bickslow gripped onto his hand and pulled him into the seat next to him. Gajeel bristled, obviously uncomfortable.

"We have a bet going on, you gotta let us know who won," he hummed, cunning eyes glistening as he eyed Laxus's neck. Gajeel clenched his jaw and pushed his arm away, an annoyed grimace quickly overcoming his face.

"A bet?" Laxus cocked a brow and glanced up at Mira who was leaning over the bar, arms crossed with a sweet smile on her features, "Do I want to know?"

"Freed?" Laxus prompted him but his cheeks just turned a heated scarlet and he clutched at his sword.

"First, I would like to say that this was not my idea and I tried to discourage their outrageous behavior but they wouldn't listen…"

Mira rested her cheek in her palm, "We bet on who would be the top," she eyed Laxus, "I said you."

Laxus tried to keep a cool look but the heat that suddenly flooded his body told him he was blushing furiously and there was no way he'd be hiding it. Gajeel also turned a deep shade of red and he clicked his teeth, "Yer all fuckin' nosey bastards…"

"I…" hi coughed and scratched at the side of his neck, immediately noticing the impish stares from his friends as the rest of them noticed Gajeel's marks, "I got somethin' to take care of real quick."

Gajeel's eyes widened as he stepped away, "Oi! Don't you fuckin' dare-!"

Laxus shot him a toothy smile as he sidestepped away from them and strode quickly for the stairs, heading for Gramps' office. He almost felt bad for leaving Gajeel with his rowdy bunch but at the same time it had been a good reason to make him stay downstairs while he broke the news to Gramps. It wasn't that didn't think it would be good to have Gajeel there. His worry was that the conversation wouldn't go well and inflict some sort of blow to his pride… and if it went too bad, Laxus wasn't sure how he'd handle it himself.

Only the sounds of his heavy footsteps greeted him as he lumbered down the short hall that led to his door. Damn, he was nervous, probably more nervous than he really needed to be. Gramp's door was shut and for a minute he just stood in front of it and stared, taking a deep breath to settle the rolling edginess in his stomach that was threatening to eat him. He knocked on the door and waited, then once more when there was no response.

"Come in," a weary sigh came through the wood and he slowly opened the door. The smallish man was sitting in a large chair behind a desk covered in paperwork. Laxus immediately recognized the familiar invoices outlining property damage and medical fees. He had a large feathered quill in his hand as he jotted down numbers. This was the more demanding side of being Guild Master, a side most of the members downstairs rarely saw or recognized except for Mira who balanced their books. Laxus could remember weekends where Gramps would bring these stacks of papers home and comb through numbers, muttering about Gildarts, and then Mira, Erza, and finally Natsu. Things were simpler between them back then; back before his dad was banished from the guild, before his resentment towards his grandfather had become quite so excessive, before he'd attacked Fairy Tail. Things seemed harder between them now and as he got older and simmered down from his high pride, he learned more and more that he really had no one to blame but himself.

"Hey old man," Laxus stopped quite some ways away from him and crossed his arms, his nerves still getting the better of him, "Looks like you're havin' some fun."

Makarov rubbed his forehead, obviously drained already, and glanced up from the statement he was charting. His mustache twitched as he smiled wearily, "Well then… what can I help youwith? You don't usually visit me in my study. It must be something important… not another bill, I hope?"

"Nah, nothing like that…" he looked to the side and scratched at his neck nervously, "It's… personal."

He blinked for a minute and set down his quill, giving his grandson his full attention, "Need to shut the door?"

Laxus set his jaw and complied. When he turned back to his grandfather the small man was perched on the edge of his desk, legs crossed while he lit his pipe and puffed a few rings of smoke as the tobacco started to smolder.

"Is everything alright?" his dark eyes pierced into Laxus's chest and he was suddenly even more nervous than he had been in the hall. This was honestly something he thought he'd never talk to his Gamps about. He gritted his teeth. There wasn't really any turning back now unless he could think of an elaborate lie on the spot and his insides weren't allowing his mind the ability to think clearly enough for that at the moment.

"Yeah, it's nothing like that. I just thought I should say something before Mira or someone did," Laxus muttered and noticed the way he quirked a snowy brow and glanced at his neck.

"New girlfriend?" he smirked.

"That's sort of it…" he let out a tense sigh.

"Something tells me you're not here to tell me you're finally going to propose to Mirajane," he chuckled, twisting the side of his mustache between his finger and thumb.

"Not even close, Pops," his heart beat a little harder.

Makarov's smile finally vanished then and his brows furrowed, "What's wrong, Laxus? It's not like you to be so unsure of yourself."

"I feel like I've heard that before," his lip tugged up in a wry grin, "I just… ah fuck… I guess I just wanted to know how you'd feel if you found out I was dating a man."

Laxus could almost see his grandfather's brain short circuit. As Laxus's words sank in his eyes slowly widened and he broke eye contact with him, suddenly extremely interested in his pipe.

"Well… that's certainly better than another bill," he muttered, "I don't understand… you dated Mira for so long…"

Laxus swallowed, suddenly realizing his throat was dry, "You can like guys andgirls, Gramps. It's not unheard of."

He laughed nervously, "Of course, of course… when did you find out?"

"I've sort of known for a while… ever since I started being interested in thatkind of thing, anyway," he shrugged, itching at his neck again.

"And I'm guessing the person who gave you that unsightly thing was your boyfriend, then?" he arched a brow yet again, not hiding his disdain, "Honestly, Laxus… you know people around town watch you…."

"I know, Gramps, I know," despite himself, Laxus laughed, finally breaking through his own nervous tension, "It's a little old-fashioned of you to be so worried about hickeys, though, old man."

"Be that as it may, the younger ones look up to you. You shouldn't be walking around looking like that," he scolded Laxus with arms crossed, but the sentiment never really made it to his eyes. They were silent for a minute after that, Laxus not believing how well the conversation was going and Makarov not sure exactly what to say next. The two just avoided each other's eyes, pretending to be in their own thoughts. Finally, Makarov broke the silence, "So… when do you plan on bringing this guy around? Don't think the guild will scare him off?"

Laxus grinned, "Definitely not."

"Don't tell me it's someone here?" his eyes widened even more and Laxus just smiled, "Well… there goes my hope you'd find someone to settle you down."

"You knew that wasn't gonna happen anyway,"

"An old man can dream, Laxus!" he huffed, blowing a few more rings of smoke, "Who is it?"

"Gajeel."

"Gajeel? Gajeel Redfox?" he seemed incredulous and he chewed on the end of his pipe, "I didn't think he… but I suppose I also didn't realize you…"

"You don't have to know everything about everyone, Gramps, then what would we have Mirajane here for?"

Makarov sighed and fell silent once again, seeming thoughtful and very serious, "He's a rough one, Laxus, and he's been through a lot."

"Trust me, Gramps, I know," he put his hands into his pockets at he watched his grandfather wrestle with his own concern.

"But he makes you happy, right?" he met Laxus's eyes finally, a somber look on his face.

"Yeah… yeah, he does… and I like to think I make him happy, too."

After a moment a wide, easy smile spread across Makarov's face and Laxus thought his heart might hammer out of his chest at the sight, "Well, you're a man, Laxus, and you have been for a while. You don't need me doting over you anymore. I can't say I understand everything, but I can understand finding someone that makes you happy. If this is the path you choose then you have my support."

Shit… why did a lump suddenly form in his throat?

"Thanks, Gramps… I really appreciate that…"

He hopped off the desk and walked up to him, a gentle look on his features, "Of course, my son… I know we've had our problems, some worse than others, but I hope you know and understand that I love you, Laxus. I don't think of you as just my grandson. I consider you my own son… and all I really want is that you find happiness and peace."

Laxus knelt down and let him wrap his arms around his chest, the smell of tobacco stinging his nose, "Yeah, Gramps… I know."

"There's nothing you can do that will change that… haven't I proven that already?" he muttered, pulling back with a wide smile.

"Of course…"

They broke their hug, each of them pretending not to be as worked up over the whole thing as they really were. Laxus turned and put his hand on the door before Makarov's voice drove him to a halt once more.

"Just promise me one thing, Laxus?"

"Eh? What is it?"

"If you two get into a fight, you won't do it here… I have enough repair bills to deal with. That kind of carnage would probably be the end of me," he laughed nervously and Laxus smiled at him.

"No promises there," Laxus smiled cheekily before slipping out the door and shutting it tightly behind him. He leaned against it for a few beats and waited for his heart and nerves to finally settle. He seemed lighter and his mind was in a buzz over how easy the conversation had been. Gramps had taken that well… much better than he'd thought. It was a relief aside from being just one less thing to worry about.

Laxus didn't realize his was still smiling to himself until he was halfway down the hall.

When Laxus came back down the stairs he was shocked to see that Gajeel was gone. He eyed Mira for a minute who just waved at him as if she had no idea what had happened. He turned his attention to Freed who was hissing something to Bickslow, the latter, of course, not particularly caring about whatever his emerald-haired friend had to say. Evergreen crossed her arms and leaned back, straightening her glasses.

"I don't understand what he was so upset about. We were just curious…" she pouted, flipping her hair to the side.

"Guy needs to lighten up," Bickslow eyed the door and his babies issued little chirps in agreement.

"Please don't tell me you guys actually managed to scare him away," Laxus growled and all eyes turned to him, startled.

"L-Laxus!" Freed stood suddenly, "I'll take full responsibility for what our comrades did-"

"Freed," Mira's sing-song voice piped from where she was cleaning glasses, "You were asking questions too."

"But I… I meant no harm!" he objected, thumbing the hilt of his blade, "And I certainly didn't know he'd get so angry he'd leave!"

Laxus ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated, "Did he go home?"

"Yes!" Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen all called in unison.

"What am I going to do with you guys?" he sighed, "I had hoped you all would get along."

The three of them glanced at each other nervously and even Bickslow scratched the back of his head.

"Why don't you all go on a mission together?" Mirajane called, pulling her binder out from under the bar.

To Laxus's surprise, Bickslow was the first to respond, "That might not be a bad idea."

"I think he just doesn't like us," Evergreen bit back, refusing to budge, "And bringing him with us will just end badly."

"I'm happy to give it a shot for Laxus's sake!" Freed rushed over to Mira, helping to search through recent postings.

"Of course you are," Bickslow smirked, also rising to meet him at the bar. Evergreen just huffed, not moving, but also refusing to meet Laxus's gaze.

"Are you worried he's going to break up the Raijinshu?" Laxus raised an eyebrow at her and she started, "Or are you just being petty?"

"I'm not being petty," she flipped her hair at him and turned to look away, "But if he doesn't like us he's just going to make the trip unbearable."

"He doesn't like his privacy being invaded. You should understand that more than anyone," he muttered, walking past her. She refused to make a comment at that but he could tell her posture had softened just slightly, "Go help the guys pick out a mission. It's been a while since we all went. If Gajeel acts like he won't want to go, I'm not going to make him come with us."

She tapped her foot lightly and her voice had less of an edge, "Well fine. At least I can make sure it's short."

Laxus shrugged, "Do what you think is best."

"Well of course. I'm the only one of us with sound judgement, after all."

He rolled his eyes and left, bracing himself against the bite of the autumn air as the sun started to dip closer to the horizon. He wasn't sure what he'd expected. He supposed if the roles were reversed, he'd done the same thing. He shoved his hands into his pockets. Gajeel was going to be pissed when he got home, no doubt. He was just starting to think that maybe he should stop and buy some beer as an apology when he turned down his block and noticed something strange by their house.

He stopped in his tracks for a minute, a shock of cold racing through his veins. Sitting on the street was a large cart with walls bearing the symbol of the Magic Council and surrounding it were four Rune Knights with staffs at the ready, bearing the insignia of the Custody Enforcement Division. Laxus clenched his fists, remember the night that Gajeel had been sitting at the cliff, ready to jump.

"He wants Kurogane locked up because I'm a menace to everyone around me…"

He hurried down the street, trying to contain the anger suddenly bubbling up in his chest.

"Hey! Stop!" one of the four posted reached out as he approached, pointing his staff at him, "There's an investigation under way."

"This is my house," he growled, walking past him without so much as a glance in his direction, "And you're not getting in my way."

"W-wait! Sir!"

He stormed up the steps and slammed open the door. His anger dissipated slightly.

Gajeel was sitting in a recliner, leaned back with a cigarette in his hand and his ankle crossed over his knee. His eyes darted over at Laxus immediately and he could see the hard look hiding in his ruby irises. Laxus was instantly on the defensive, turning to the three other men garbed in white and blue. Two of them were standing on either side of the third with staffs in hand, obviously just soldiers. The one sitting on their couch, however, wasn't wearing the same standard robes as the others. He must have been an officer, because he wore long white pants and held a book and pen in his hands. He straightened his glasses and glared over at Laxus as if the intrusion was unwarranted and Laxus had just interrupted something important.

"I thought I told the guards not to let anyone else inside," he muttered, flipping his page. One of the other soldiers stepped forward and Laxus released a bit of his magic, allowing his electricity to snap in his direction. A warning.

"This is my house," he growled, clenching his fists, "You have no right to keep me out."

The councilman's eyes widened slightly and he glanced over at Gajeel, "I thought you said this was your house?"

"I never said how many people lived here," he said tersely, eyeing Laxus, "Calm down, man, they're just here to ask questions."

Man?

"Three bachelors living under the same roof? I'm sure you get into a lot of fights," the Councilman jabbed and Laxus could see the way Gajeel clenched his jaw.

"You're not here to ask me about my living situation," he took another drag from his cigarette but didn't hold it in like he usually did. He was extremely nervous, something the others in the room probably didn't recognize but Laxus saw immediately.

"What's going on?" Laxus demanded, "And who in the hell are you?"

"My name is Davian Bishop, Second Lieutenant in the Custody Enforcement Third Division, and as Mr. Redfox just explained, we're here to ask questions regarding the Ulrich case," he leaned back slightly, "And unless you're trying to impede my investigation, I'd suggest you leave."

Laxus clenched his teeth. He could recognize a threat when he heard one, even as veiled as this was. He crossed his arms and took on a strong stance, daring the two soldiers to try and move him. "I have a hard time seeing how this is just an interrogation since you already have a transport outside."

"Laxus," Gajeel growled, "Stop."

Davian grinned, a sly gesture that made Laxus think of a snake, "See? He's cooperating. You should too, Mr.?"

"Dreyar," Laxus snapped, "Laxus Dreyar."

His grinned vanished then and Laxus surged forward, deciding to take post by Gajeel's side. He noticed the two guards exchanging looks, more than likely realizing exactly who he was and what it meant if he was there.

"You always seem to make friends with the right people, Mr. Redfox," Davian muttered, jotting something down.

"Just lucky I s'pose," he replied coolly, "Must be my magnetic personality."

"Must be," he smiled again, folding his hands and looking directly at Gajeel, "So… how long were you with Ms. Ulrich?"

"Ms. Ulrich?" Laxus glanced down at Gajeel.

"Bianca Ulrich," he replied simply and Laxus felt his stomach turn. So that was what this was all about, "And I wasn't with her. She was holding me captive."

"Answer the question, please,"

"Nine days."

"And how was it that you got free?"

Gajeel glanced over at Laxus, "Some of my guildmates realized I'd been missing for too long. They sent one into my cell and I had him short out the electric lock."

"And who was the person that was put into your cell?"

Gajeel hesitated and Laxus felt his chest tighten.

"It was me," Laxus snarled, meeting a surprised look from Davian.

"It was… you?" he flipped through a few sheets, "I suppose it was…" he turned his eyes back to Gajeel, "And you were with her, why?"

"She kidnappedme because she wanted to use my Dragon Slayer Magic to make a potion," he breathed more acrid smoke into the air and Laxus noticed the vein on the side of his neck jumping as he clenched and unclenched his jaw.

"Right, right… and you with her how long?"

"Nine days."

"And she was trying to make a potion?"

"Yes."

"What for?"

"She was running a human trafficking operation. Whatever it was, it was supposed to mess with the kids."

"The kids?"

"She kidnapped kids."

"When you say kids, how old do you mean?"

Laxus swallowed, furious. Why was he asking all this? Shouldn't all of this have been taken down in Gajeel's original statement? And he hadn't even remembered that Laxus was there?

"The youngest while I was there was thirteen," Laxus noticed the way Gajeel was staring at Davian, as if he were throwing the words like darts, trying to make him flinch. Davian didn't seem fazed, "He was sold before I'd been there a couple of days. The guys investigating into the human trafficking ring still haven't found him. The oldest was seventeen."

"And how many kids were there?"

"I don't know how many there were the entire time. When I got free there were twenty-three."

"Were all of them sold?"

"I don't know."

"You mean you didn't see them all sold?"

"I mean they had pigs in and out of that place and sometimes the kids would disappear and other times they came back. Sometimes the kids came back sick and then their friends would talk about them like they were dead."

"How do you know? Were you in the same cell with them?"

"I could hear through the walls," Gajeel's voice dropped as he spoke those words and he glared daggers into Davian, "I have amazing hearing. A perk to bein' a Slayer."

Davian met his eyes then but his face betrayed nothing, "Were you ever in the same cell with one of them?"

"Yes."

Laxus's stopped breathing. What?!

"And when was this?"

"About seven days in."

"Did you lay your hands on him?"

"What makes you think it was a him?"

Suddenly the room was silent. Davian's lip quirked up slightly, "An assumption. Was it a boy?"

"They were all boys," Gajeel bit back, "If you'd done your homework, you would have known that."

"I can assure you, Mr. Redfox, I do allof my homework," Davian smiled wider and Laxus's heart started jumping to a faster pace. He closed his notepad and leaned it against his knees, crossing his arms and relaxing as if he were in a room with friends instead of the middle of an interrogation, "January fourth of year 780, you were seen outside a warehouse in the middle of the Shade district in the city of Zinnia. The next day Razor "The Wind" Wess was found dead and surveillance tapes had been pulled. Where were you that night?"

"I was with Juvia Lockser in the Amethyst district. We'd taken a mission to help rebuild a church that had been burned down. They paid for us to stay in the local Motel run by a couple from the church for our efforts. The receipts were given to Custody Enforcement and Juvia was also interviewed. Both of us were cleared as suspects from that case."

"And why was that?" Davian smirked.

"Because there would be no way for us to make it to the Shade district and back again without the couple seeing or hearing us leave. I think time was also an issue."

"But for a mage known for his stealth as you are, it probably wouldn't be hard for you to sneak out of the inn and back again without being seen?"

"I'm pretty sure the decision made by your superiors was based off of fact, not speculation," Gajeel leaned forward a little before he spoke, his voice taking a razor-like edge. Laxus shivered. What was that? Had he heard Gajeel speak like that before?

"What happened to the boy that was put into your cell?"

"I don't know."

"Let me rephrase; what happened to him while he was in the cell with you?"

"Are you asking me if I assaulted him?" Gajeel's words were forced and Laxus could hear the rage he was barely keeping restrained, "No, I didn't. They left him in there with me for three hours. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish but I didn't touch him."

"February of year 780, a string of assassinations took place killing three brothers that led drug rings just inside of Acacia. Each one was killed in different ways, but the footage was pulled of those nights from the cameras and a black feather was found at one of the scenes. Where were you each of those nights?"

"Phantom Lord. I didn't take any missions in Acacia that February. Several witnesses from the guild testified on my behalf, including Master Jose. I think there was a guy imprisoned for those crimes. Someone from the Southern Wolves."

"You have a flawless memory, Mr. Redfox," Davian wasn't smiling anymore, instead he was staring into Gajeel intensely. Laxus could feel the tension building. It was palpable and filled the room like bile rolling dangerously in his stomach, "Do you remember a gentleman by the name of Francis Grey? You may have known him better as- "

"Eclipse," Gajeel spat out the name as if it were rancid, "Yes, I remember him."

"He had a good memory too, you know," Davian tipped his head back as he spoke so he had to look down his nose at Gajeel. The action infuriated Laxus and he was biting at the bit to say something, anything, to shut this farce of an interrogation down. What was this even about? He didn't even seem interested in what had happened with Bianca, "Did you know he's in the Ember Island Maximum Security Prison now? Have you ever been there, Mr. Redfox?"

"Can't say I have…" the words rumbled in Gajeel's chest as he spoke. He took a final hit from his cigarette and flicked the ashes onto the ground before putting it out against the rubber of his boot. He finally tore his gaze from Davian and even though he seemed calm Laxus could feel the iron energy in the air. It made the tip of his tongue taste like blood and his own lightning was echoing inside his stomach like thunder. It felt like a fight about to break loose.

"You've lived on the edge of loopholes for years, haven't you? Because no one could prove anything and you kept going free. That's not very fair to your friends who are locked up, is it?" Davian prodded, taking his glasses from his face and glancing up over at Laxus for the second time during their conversation. Laxus was suddenly aware that he had bright desert-orange eyes that were slitted like a lizard's. Laxus clenched his jaw. He knew those eyes.

"I didn't have any friends in Phantom Lord," Gajeel replied coldly, crossing his arms as he spoke.

"You didn't have anyfriends?" Laxus felt like the ground beneath them was glass and Davian was slowly chipping away at the floor, breaking little fractures beneath them, trying to make them fall through. That devilish grin was slowly crawling back across his face and Laxus felt dread start to broil along with his lightning deep in his gut, "What about Hajime Kaiyu?"

"What about Hajime?" Gajeel's voice was a blade slicing through the room, clattering to the glass floor and filling it with fissures.

"Sources say you've been in touch… a known informant from Phantom Lord,"

"Hajime was forced into retirement over six years ago," Gajeel bit through every word as if they were pieces of steel and it made Laxus want to shiver.

"By you?"

"By Jose Porla… or Aria… or whoever the fuck ye want ta blame," he raged, gripping the armrests so tightly Laxus could hear the leather groan, "He left tha guild an' started a clean life. He has a wife an' a kid an' he's been clean since the day he left."

"That didn't stop him from giving information to different members of the guild… after all, managing a bar sure does keep one in the company of interesting characters…" he mused, enjoying the ire he'd caused, "I wonder what I could dig up on him if I went through some old cold cases?"

"What is it that you want?" forcing his voice through his throat felt like fire. Laxus's neck was so tight he thought he might choke, "And don't tell me it's about the Ulrich case, since that's definitely a lie."

Davian drew in a deep, easy breath and chuckled as they'd just been talking about the weather or petty gossip around the guild, "Mr. Dreyar, I assure you I'm just doing my job. Everyone on the other side of the interrogation table always paints me out to be the villain but in reality, I'm here to stopthe bad guys, Mr. Dreyar. And you must understand, when dealing with someone with such a long history of delinquency there are questions you have to ask… to prove validity."

"That's interesting," Laxus countered in turn, trying to maintain a level head under the circumstances, "Because I was also there and I was only interviewed once."

His smile faltered slightly, "Interesting indeed… but you're also not a known criminal."

"I thought Gajeel had never been convicted of a crime?"

"…He hasn't…"

"Then in the eyes of the law, you can't treat him as a criminal, can you?" Laxus growled and Davian's smile fell away; instead there settled a look of near annoyance, as if he'd been caught, "I'll ask again, Davian Bishop: What is it that you want? If you can't tell me, I think you'll have to wait to ask any more questions until you have a warrant."

Davian stared at him for a moment, those reptilian eyes expanding and contracting as he watched Laxus, before he finally turned eyes back to Gajeel with words agitated and terse, "I have a source telling me you've been in contact with Mr. Kaiyu. Given the sensitivity of this case and the allegationsthat are being brought up against you, I'm here to find out why."

"What allegations?" Laxus growled but Gajeel spoke over him.

"I took a short vacation to Edelweiss over the weekend. I ran into him on the street and he asked me to come in and catch up. I ate breakfast, I helped him unload his supply cart, and I left."

"That's all?"

"Yessir."

"And the night before?" Davian spat at him, his agitation making him lose his composure.

"He was with me," Laxus snarled, derailing everyone in the room. He was sick of this charade. It pissed him off that Gajeel hadn't mentioned he'd been there. He had an idea that it was to protect him, but they'd done nothing wrong. They had nothing to hide and he certainly wasn't going to allow Gajeel to fight his battles on his own any longer.

"He was… he was with you?" Davian glanced Laxus's way and he watched Gajeel clench his jaw tightly, "And the night after?"

"He was with me then too," Laxus put his hands on his hips and straightened his spine, tired of feeling like a victim and ready to take charge, "All night."

"And there was no time either night he could have left? Not even when you were asleep?" Davian prodded, smirking slightly, obviously feeling that he'd found a nick in his armor.

"Doubt it. We were wrapped around each other all night."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Davian hissed through gritted teeth, finally angry.

Laxus leaned forward as he spoke, even as Gajeel whispered his name in harsh warning, "Do I need to spell it out for you, Mr. Bishop?"

His eyes widened and he coughed, suddenly cooler than he was before, "Be that as it may, that doesn't rule out-"

"We're done here. Get out." Laxus growled, taking a step forward.

"I'll be the one to say when my interrogation is done!" Davian stood, instantly infuriated once again. Laxus slipped, his magical energy finally discharging after being pent up for so long. There was a bright flash that filled the entire room and a crack of thunder so strong it shook the house. There was a clatter as pots and pans fell off of the shelf in the kitchen and a couple portraits that had been hung on the wall shattered on the ground. Davian fell back into his seat and recoiled, eyes wide on Laxus as he clasped his binder.

Laxus swallowed but never moved his gaze from the slimy man, "This interrogationhas gone from a mild nuisance to straight out harassment. You have no warrant. You have no basis for your accusations. You have no reason to be here. I'm only saying this one more time: Get out of my house."

Davian didn't move, just sat and glared up at the blonde.

"Or do I need to get my grandfather involved?"

Davian ground his teeth and stood, his eyes filled with fire as he gathered his cloak around him, "We'll be in touch."

"I don't doubt it," Laxus spat, never moving his gaze from the three as they left. Neither Laxus nor Gajeel spoke or moved as they listened to the carriage get loaded up and wheel away.

"You didn't need to do that."

Laxus didn't answer. His mind was spinning, an angry itch at the back of his mind slowly eating at him. Hajime… when they'd spoken to Hajime…

"Gajeel…" Laxus breathed, not turning to look back at him.

"Yeah?"

"When we met Hajime… he said that he remembered you talking about being with your partner up at the hotel."

Gajeel didn't respond.

"But… you didn't mention anything about us being there when he saw us on the street… did you?"

Finally, he turned to glance over at Gajeel. The raven met his eyes but he was guarded. His lips were drawn in a tight line. He'd been caught.

"Why did we go to Edelweiss, Gajeel?"

"You know… to get away for a while…" there was no conviction in his voice as he spoke and Laxus suddenly felt sick.

"Is that the only reason?" he prompted tensely, clenching his fists. Gajeel fell silent again and this time tore his eyes from Laxus's to stare down at his hands. Laxus let out a breath, trying to keep calm, "What were the allegations he was talking about?"

"Laxus… I don't want to get you involved in this…"

"What are the allegations, Gajeel?" he pressed, his voice getting tighter.

"Murder."

"Of Bianca?"

"And all the guys working for her,"

Laxus swallowed hard, "Have you gotten a lawyer?"

He snorted, "A lawyer isn't going to help me."

"They would if you'd get your head outta your ass long enough to ask for help," Laxus growled, stepping towards him. He didn't know what he was going to do. He felt stressed, angry, and hurt. Why didn't he tell him anything about this?

"It doesn't matter if I do or don't." Gajeel retorted back, eyes flashing.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because someone is after me, Laxus," he hissed, taking Laxus off guard, "Someone is after me and I don't know who it is."

"Listen to you, Gajeel. The only person after you is some dumbass on the Enforcement Division who can't let go of the past."

He stood, then, so quickly he almost knocked the recliner over. He never moved his voice from a low murmur and it startled Laxus. He was absolutely serious, "Someonemissed that bitch after she died, Laxus, and they want me to pay for her murder. I don't know who it is; a client, a relative, someone on the Magic Council, I don't know. But someonewants me behind bars or worse."

"And what makes you so sure?" Laxus back-pedaled, furrowing his brow as he spoke, trying to understand. That type of thing didn't really happen, did it? Not that far up the chain?

"Because they've lost everything, Laxus," he dropped the words like lead and Laxus suddenly lost all of his fire from before, "It was all misplaced or mislabeled or lost, Laxus. And when they went back to gather evidence? Everything was clean. All they have left are the kids' statements and do you know, heh, do you know what they FUCKING said?"

He shook his head slowly, finding it hard to watch his partner breaking down in his own frustration and helplessness.

"They can't rely on the words of seven delinquentkids. They would say anything to keep out of trouble. They threw them out, Laxus, they won't even consider them… the victims."

Laxus felt like his mind had just stopped working, "We need to talk to Gramps."

"What? No! Absolutely not!"

"He's the guildmaster and a Wizard Saint, Gajeel. He can say something, get to someone who can actually fix this…"

"No. Makarov has done enough to keep me out of trouble. I'm not dragging his name through the mud any more. Laxus, don'ttell Makarov about this… I'll fix it myself."

"Fix it yourself?" Laxus sneered, "And how will you do that from prison?"

"I ain't goin' ta prison yet," he snapped, "Why do ya think I reached out ta Hajime? He has connections, he can talk ta people…"

"Why don't you let me help you? Aren't we a couple? Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Help you?"

"I. Don't. Want. Yer. Help."

"And why the hell not? Do you think I'm going to abandon you, Gajeel? Do you honestly think I'd do something like that?!"

Gajeel lashed out and Laxus flinched, certain he was going to hit him. Instead, he gripped onto Laxus's arms and pulled him close. For a moment they just stayed like that, Laxus not knowing what to do and Gajeel clutching him so tightly he was shaking. He could feel his warm breath ghost against his ear and taste his spice and the tang of iron.

"I don't know who these people are, Laxus, or what they're capable of and it scares the hell outta me…"

"Gajeel…"

"I don't know how far they're willing to go to get to me. I didn't want them to know we were a couple because I don't fucking know what I'd do if you got dragged inta this…"

Laxus hugged him back, let his chin rest on his shoulder, "I'm not your little girlfriend that ya gotta keep safe, Gajeel. I'm a fucking S-Class Wizard."

"I used to think I was tough shit too until they stripped me down to nothing and left me helpless," he breathed into his ear and with each word his voice shook. Laxus finally sobered, his rage and fear dissipating, "If it happened to me again I know somehow I'd live through it. But fucking hell if they did it to you… because of some stupid fucking mistake I made…"

"It's not gonna happen, Gajeel," he muttered, although the words felt like mud in his mouth. Gajeel drew back then and looked Laxus in his eyes, red eyes swimming with just a touch of despair, and Laxus felt like his soul was being ripped apart.

"Tell me if you were in my shoes you wouldn't feel the same."

Laxus didn't even try. They were too similar that way. If something like this were happening to Laxus he knew he'd want to keep everyone he cared for out of harm's way even if that meant shouldering the burden on his own.

"How close are you to finding out who they are?" Laxus mumbled, still finding it hard to respond to him.

"I don't know."

"As soon as you do, tell me. Promiseme, if this is something you can't handle, you'll tell me… and we'll get Gramps involved."

"I can't promise that."

Laxus gritted his teeth, his heart racing, "Then fucking lie and tell me you will."

"I… I promise…"

"And please promise that whatever it is, it's not illegal."

To that Gajeel just broke into a smirk, although it didn't quite meet his eyes, "There ain't nothin' illegal about snooping around."

"Keep it that way."

"Of course," was all he had time to whisper before Laxus was kissing him, pulling him as close as possible and consuming his breath. He felt like he couldn't be close enough to Gajeel in that moment. He needed to be closer, tethered together, so that he couldn't just suddenly drift away. He was too stressed out and it was a shock to feel that way. But he knew that the more he kissed Gajeel, the more it melted away and he could pretend the very large, angry problem in front of them was just a little farther away than it really was.

Gajeel pulled away from him first, breathless and binding his fists into the fabric of Laxus's shirt, "Damn… does fucked up shit get yer engine running er somethin'?"

"Sorry… This whole thing stressed me out and I need to let out some energy…" he breathed, not moving his gaze from Gajeel's ruby eyes, "I can go… do something else…"

"Mmnh…" Gajeel leaned up and hummed against his lips, stealing another kiss, "T's fine… I can burn some energy too…"

"Good… because I really need to be a part of you right now…" Laxus purred, trying to keep himself still as Gajeel widened his eyes in surprise at his words, "I know, it's weird."

"Yer really possessive, ain't ya Sparky?" he muttered, retreating towards the stairs.

"Does it bother you?"

"Nah… I'm pretty possessive too."

They fell back together as soon as they made it to Laxus's room. Laxus kicked the door shut, his hands too busy tugging the hem of Gajeel's shirt up and over his shoulders. He didn't even take care to hang up his favorite jacket but instead tossed it to the floor as if it were nothing to him. Gajeel was working on his shirt, his hands slipping far too masterfully down the soft fabric and undoing each button with ease until he was at Laxus's pants, making short work of his barrier there.

"I wonder if I can pick you up," he muttered, gaining a questioning look from the raven. Without asking for permission, he gripped Gajeel's thighs and lifted him, turning and pushing him against the wall for some more support.

"What the hell, Laxus!"

Laxus just grinned, "This would be easier if you weren't so heavy."

"If you drop me I swear to Earthland…!"

"I'm not gonna drop you," he smirked and slid his lover down so their hips were aligned, grinding against him as he leaned up to run his tongue up his neck, "B'sides… you're finally taller than me."

"Y'know… I don't really care."

"Fine…" he slid him down to the floor easily. Gajeel let out an easy sigh once his feet were on the ground and he slid his hand into Laxus's and pulled him towards the bed. They took care of their last few bits of clothing before Laxus pushed Gajeel towards the bed, running his hands from his shoulders down the length of his back and listening to the way the raven's breathing caught in his throat as he made his way down. He wasted no time in getting him ready and easing his way against the Iron Mage's opening to sheath himself deeply inside.

Gajeel sighed as Laxus gripped his thighs to position his hips the way he wanted. He worked his partner's shaft as he waited for him to relax and placed hot kisses down his shoulder blade. He teased at his head as he glided back onto his heels and thrusted. Gajeel rocked forward onto his forearms and buried his face into the sheets. Laxus was just starting to get lost when he felt a shiver go down Gajeel's spine.

"Is something wrong?" he managed huskily and slowed his thrusts. Gajeel hesitated a moment before he responded.

"I… I don't want to do it this way…" he forced out, pushing himself back up slightly, "I want to see you… and hold your hand."

"Fuck… yeah… of course…" he quickly obliged, sort of kicking himself for not doing that in the first place. They were both stressed out and he was particularly nervous… he really should have known…

He was over Gajeel in a heartbeat. He was already ready for him so he plunged back into his heat, intertwining their fingers together and kissing him deeply. He tried to be everything Gajeel could see, feel, hear, and taste. He moaned his name softly into his ear and nibbled at his neck. He forged as deeply into him as possible, all the while never releasing the grip he had on his hand. It was a quick romp, but it was just as passionate as if they'd decided to make love. When Laxus came he was running his tongue against Gajeel's teeth, stealing the breath from his mouth before he could utter a moan in response.

They ended up sleeping in the same bed and Laxus kept thinking there was something he was supposed to tell him but he was too tired and too content to spend any more time worrying about what it could possibly be.