Chapter 56:

Thirty-two days.

It had been thirty-two long, silent days before he'd heard anything.

Thirty-two days of waiting. Of checking for mail.

Thirty-two days of going to the guild just to drink and pretend everything was alright.

Thirty-two days of stares and whispers and Gramps asking if he'd heard anything yet.

Thirty-two days and all he got was a single-page letter.

Now he was here, standing inside of Ember Island Maximum Security Prison, forced to wait until visiting hours. He'd been frisked, stripped of his jacket and shoes, lectured on how much space had to be kept between him and the glass, and told that if there was even a slightviolation he'd be made to leave. They'd forced him to drink something that suppressed his magic and it caused his movements to be heavy and sluggish. He sat arms crossed with muted thunder rolling in his stomach, a storm he couldn't unleash, waiting, in front of a pane of four-inch-thick glass surrounded by runes and nullifying magic.

An alarm sounded, there was the groan of a heavy door being lifted and slammed shut, and then the clinking of chains. Laxus saw the guard first then the man he escorted with him and for the first time in thirty-twogoddamn tortuous days, he felt he could finally breathe. Gajeel fell bodily into the metal chair. His hair had been chopped to his shoulders and what remained of a black eye had his brow and cheek turning from green to yellow. A black circlet was tight around his throat and a red light blinked on it. His hands were shackled together, his feet were shackled together, and a long chain kept his hands and feet attached so he couldn't lift his arms above his shoulders. It was tense and quiet while the guard locked him to the chair that was no doubt bolted to the floor and he left with one last derisive look to his prisoner.

"You have one hour."

The door slammed. There was a black and white clock on the wall and Laxus could have sworn it was louder than a freight train.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

"You look like shit,"

"Eh? Don't like my hair?"

"I hate it."

"And here I was goin' ta keep it short."

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

"What in the hell happened to your face?"

Red eyes flickered to the door.

"I didn't get inta a fight if that's what yer askin'."

"Then what didhappen?"

"I tripped down the stairs. What the hell do ya think?"

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

"I didn't have a choice, Sparky."

"Yes, you did."

"And what was that? Resist arrest?" Laxus could feel his sarcasm through the glass, "I'm sure that would have worked great."

"If you didn't have your head so far up yer own ass and had asked for helpmaybe you wouldn't be in jail right now!"

"I was framed,Laxus."

"I know that!"

"And you're stupid enough to think it would have mattered if I got help?" he snapped and Laxus fell silent, dragging his eyes away from him.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Laxus heard the rattling of chains as he shifted, leaning forward so he'd have to look up at the blonde. His hair settled just at his shoulders, seemingly frizzier and more weightless now that it was less than half its former length. His wild spikes were tamed, the tangles smooth and almost greasy. He hated it. He hated the bruise ringing Gajeel's eye. He hated the sound of chains and the orange jumpsuit and the palms that weren't covered by black fingerless gloves. He hated the partial of his own reflection he could see in the glass that was between them, the glare of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. And, damn, did he hate the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"I really hate your hair."

"Same," his lip tugged in the slightest, mild grin, "but it'll grow back."

"Thank the gods for little miracles," Laxus forced out the jab and let his anger settle, "Did they make you?"

"Yeah."

"I'd been waiting to hear from you… What took so long?"

Gajeel's eyes flashed to the door again and he brought up his hands to scratch at the black band at his throat, "This thing drains my magic energy. I guess the typical adjustment time is a week or two… it took… longer…"

Laxus felt his throat tighten, "I see…" he nodded to his eye, "How long have you had that?"

"About a week…"

Laxus's eyes widened.

"Yeah… iron helps me heal and… well…" he sighed and Laxus understood. They wouldn't let him eat. He wondered what that did to his body, to have his magic ripped away and the main thing that kept him satiated denied. For the first time in his life he'd been completely reduced to a normal man. He was staring at his hands, "It's not so bad in here, Sparky. Honestly, it's more boring than anything."

It was a blatant lie, "Yeah?"

"Yeah… we're not really supposed ta talk to each other. Don't want us tryin' to break out. Only a hand full of us are allowed in one room at time. Between the gym, the mess, and the labor, there ain't a helluvah lot ta do except sit in yer cell…"

He never looked up from his hands as he spoke.

"We get open communication after forty-five days on good behavior, though," his voiced sounded brighter but Laxus didn't quite find it in him to be light-hearted, "So… just a couple more weeks an' I can call ya whenever I like."

"I'll have to get a receiver," he muttered, "You allowed to buy your own or is it whatever they give you?"

"There's a shop but it ain't exactly got the best selection…"

"Figures… and I bet it's all under surveillance?"

Gajeel chuckled softly but it was more sordid than Laxus was used to, bitter, "It ain't just murderers in here. These guys are for real."

"More real than murder?"

"Can't say I've ever tried to destroy Fiore, Laxus."

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

"Makes destroying the guildhall seem like shit, doesn't it?" he chanced a smile and just a tad bit of light touched Gajeel's eyes.

"Yeah… don't worry, I'll aim for bigger next time," Gajeel grinned and it was almost genuine, "Fuck Fairy Tail, next time I'm goin' straight for the Capital. I'll need some muscle though. Wanna join me?"

"Oh? And what's in it for me?"

"I'll let you be my concubine… do a good enough job maybe you'll end up a prince one day."

"Ahh… but what is being a prince to a god?" Laxus hummed and Gajeel clenched his teeth, a bit of a fire in his eyes before suddenly the light on his collar flashed and he winced, reaching for it.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" he gasped, rubbing at his neck, "Yer not allowed ta do that. Don't do that."

Laxus jumped, "What… what happened?"

"It just… hah… it reacts when my magic spikes…"

Laxus grinned wickedly, "Ohh…? Did I get you riled up?"

"Laxus!" he hissed, "Stop it!"

"It was the god comment, wasn't it?" he leaned forward slightly as he talked and Gajeel shot him a stern look.

"It hurts," Gajeel stressed and the good humor in Laxus faded again.

He sighed, "Sorry."

"T's fine…" he breathed and the light blinked off again, returning to its usual intermittent flicker. The vein on the side of his neck stood out, had turned dark, and Laxus was going to apologize again but Gajeel had finally glanced up to look him in the eyes, "I miss you."

His heart fell. He reached a hand forward only to have his fingers shocked by an invisible barrier, blue nullifying magic ricocheting off his fingers and skittering around where he'd bumped into it. His hand tingled from it and Gajeel's lips pressed into a hard line. He couldn't even touch the glass that separated them. He felt the divide between them grow larger.

"I miss you too," he bit the words out through a closed throat, "I'm going to get you out of here."

"I don't see how, Sparky," he murmured, looking down at his hands again, "It kind of has my name written on it… well, except for how he was killed. That's not… really… how I would have done things."

He eyed the door and this time Laxus realized he was worried about who was on the other side.

"Why do you say that?" he dropped his voice and Gajeel leaned back a little in his seat. He must have moved his feet because Laxus could hear his chains sliding against each other.

"First thing they teach hired help is not to use your magic," his eyes never left the door, "and besides, Davian said he was stabbed through the chest. When I'd restrained him, I'd forced my iron through the wall. Even if I'd made it sharp, which I didn't, they would have had to rip the whole thing out to kill him…"

Laxus furrowed his brow and listened as Gajeel muttered, more to himself than really to him.

"An' my iron is stronger than normal iron…" he breathed, scratching at his collar, "…they'd have to tear it and force it into his chest…"

"Someone strong, then," Laxus growled and Gajeel nodded his head slowly, thoughtful.

"Very…" Gajeel drew his eyes back to him and they were cool and calculating, "I don't think this is it, Laxus."

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious I've been framed… an' maybe Davian has somethin' ta do with it but even someone dirty would have a hard to convincing the entire Magic Council this was me."

"What are they going to do when you're in prison, Gajeel?" Laxus snapped.

"Listen, I get that ya don't believe me. I sound paranoid, I know it," Gajeel snarled at him and Laxus stilled, grinding his teeth, "But I told ya someone was tryin' ta get me locked up and I was right. This was sloppy, Laxus, if they wanted me locked up fer good they would have done a better job of it."

Laxus hated it but Gajeel wasn't wrong. The job was sloppy. A good lawyer, or even just a decent one, could argue that the case should be thrown out. All they really had was that Gajeel had restrained him and was probably the last to see him alive. But there were so many men with the Phantom Risers running around after the Rune Knights had done their sting that, honestly, it could have been anyone.

"It is strange that Custody Enforcement was doing a raid the same night we were there…" Laxus conceded.

"And guess who the battalion commander was," Gajeel's eyes pierced into him and Laxus sucked in a breath.

"Davian."

"Nowdo you believe me?"

A helpless groan worked its way through Laxus's throat, "Well dammit, Gajeel, what do you want me to do about it? It's not like I can prove anything."

"Fifteen minutes," the voice disrupted them both and Gajeel actually bared his teeth at it, his eyes back to the door.

"Did ya ever talk to Hajime about gettin' money for rent?" he growled, stating each word almost as if they were each their own sentence.

"Gajeel you know I don't need money."

His eyes flashed to him, "That don't mean ya don't need help."

"You have bigger things to worry about than-"

"Do it, Laxus," his words were abrasive and Laxus snapped his mouth shut, "and make sure ya take Juvia with you."

When he finally spoke again he chose his words carefully, "What should I say?"

"Tell him the truth. We need help," he leaned forward again and his cropped locks slipped around to frame his face. He dropped his voice to no more than a hiss, "And Mavis's sakes, tell him to make sure it's not illegal."

Laxus's eyes widened and despite everything a wicked smile touched his face, "Are you turning me into a criminal?"

"Absolutely not," Gajeel wrinkled his nose slightly as if maybe he was going to smile but decided not to, "Orange looks like shit on blondes."

"It doesn't look so bad on you though," Laxus purred, lifting his eyebrows exaggeratedly and Gajeel finally laughed genuinely, enough that his teeth showed and his eyes lit up, and Laxus felt lighter.

"I'll just ask to keep the jumpsuit when ya get me out, then," he grinned, "I'm sure they won't mind."

He leaned forward and rested his chin on his knuckles, "As long as yer hair is long again. Otherwise I'm makin' ya go to the salon."

"And what? Get extensions?"

"It's either that or a paper bag, your choice."

"You really hate the short hair, huh?"

"Absolutely."

Gajeel smiled at him affectionately and for a moment Laxus let himself believe everything was going to be ok. He'd find a way to prove Gajeel's innocence before whatever fate had in the works happened. He could do this. He was an S-Cass Mage, after all.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sparky," his voice was quiet but strong, "Buy that receiver. I'll get a hold of ya in a few days."

Laxus huffed, "I'm just supposed to wait for you? Is this what we are now?"

"Straight outta a romance novel," he grinned for just a moment before it faded, "you don't have to, though. I won't stop ya from leaving…"

"Shaddup," Laxus scoffed, "Don't do that shit. You know I won't abandon you."

"I'm not gonna hold you back," he said steadily, presenting his palms and his restraints, "just because I'm tied down doesn't mean you have to be."

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Laxus clicked his teeth and stood, "I'll be waiting for your call."

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks… and if ya keep me waiting again I'll think about it."

"Aye, sir."

He left before the guard had come to escort Gajeel away. To be honest he wasn't sure he could handle watching it. His chest felt tight and he already wasn't looking forward to the ferry and subsequent train ride back home. Maybe next time he'd take Mirajane with him. At least then he'd have some company.

The thought of coming back to the prison made his feet feel like lead, or maybe it was the suppressant still working in his system. Hopelessness was suddenly fresh and Laxus hated the feeling. Maybe he could Freed to help him. He was the smartest person he know, after all… well, him and Levy. Actually, she might know something too. The woman was always studying something, seemed to know a little bit about everything. Freed had more specialized knowledge when you compared the too. He enjoyed the mastery of a few topics while Levy spread herself broad. He wasn't sure if that made one more useful than the other.

He huffed and watched his breath in the air. The prison was on an island and so sea air made the grounds feel ten degrees cooler. There seemed to be a thin layer of ice over everything; bushes, trees, grass, even the sidewalks seemed to be made of glass. He pulled his jacket a little tighter around his shoulders as a gust of wind bit at his skin. It was bitterly cold, a lot colder than he'd ever remembered winter being, or maybe that was just because he felt more alone than he'd felt in a long time… since he'd been kicked out of the guild, actually.

He pulled his headphones over his ears but never actually switched on any music.

He wondered what kind of shit he was about to get into. Talk to Hajime? Ask for help? How was the old ex-mercenary supposed to help? He remembered how the man had pulled him close when they'd met.

"We take care of ours,"

Davian had said he was a known informant to Phantom Lord members even after he'd been forced from the guild. He knew a lot of people, talked to a lot of people. And Juvia… why did he have to bring her? They'd never worked together before and her magic and his were probably even lesscompatible than his and Gajeel's. If she accidentally hit him he could fry himself. He rolled his eyes.

This was going to be difficult, wasn't it? He hatedwaiting. He hated having to move slowly. He was so used to just walking into a room and getting what he wanted. He was unrivalled in a fight. Weak mages scattered when they even looked at him. Being stagnant, being careful, being cautious, it was infuriating.

He ran into something.

"Shit…"

He stumbled to the side, a little dazed. He hadn't been sodeep in his own thoughts that he wouldn't see someone, had he? A clatter on the ground told him otherwise and papers splayed out on the ground. He didn't make a move as the figure garbed in dark robes and a white cape kneeled to snatch up the documents that now littered the ground. An officer, Laxus noticed immediately, and highly decorated. His veins suddenly turned to ice.

"How frustrating," Davian flicked snow off of the papers, rubbed gloved fingers over an edge that had curled from the damp, "I'll have to redo these."

"Lieutenant Bishop," Laxus suppressed a growl.

"It's Major now, Mr. Dreyar," his voice held no conviction as he spoke and his cape whipped around him with a fresh gust of wind. As Laxus watched him he seemed… different. Maybe it was that the wind had tousled free too many strands of long black hair from its tight, traditional bun or maybe it was the way his movements seemed mechanical, as if he had to put a lot of thought into making them, but he seemed like a puppet, as if this were some marionette in front of Laxus instead of the real man. His eyes fixed on Laxus for the first time and they weren't gold as he remembered them, not reptilian, but they held a completely different hue that Laxus remembered vividly.

Kaleidoscopes; a million iridescent shades of blue and green stabbing like daggers into him… just like Bianca's before she turned into a monster.

A gloved hand touched his arm, "Are you well?"

His body was tense and he wrenched from Davian's touch, taking a step back as he snapped from his reverie, "Don't touch me."

Davian studied him with those eyes that didn't seem to settle on a specific color. He flicked his wrist and the action hiked up his sleeve enough to expose his watch. He glanced at it and then at Laxus.

"The ferry will be arriving in twenty minutes. Perhaps I should escort you," he said sternly, tucking his binder under his arm.

"Thanks, but I'm fine," the words were harsh but Davian didn't seem perturbed.

"Accompany you, then," he replied tersely, taking a step in the direction Laxus had been headed, "I, too, need to go to the mainland."

Laxus narrowed his eyes but reluctantly followed. Despite the frigid cold the air between them seemed as stale as a tomb. Only the sound of crunching snow and ice was heard as they walked to the ferry. Whenever a squad would pass they'd stop and salute and Laxus didn't miss how Davian would run his eyes over each cadet in search for gaps in their armor. He never once told them to be at ease and he walked with the kind of authority men envied. He was in his element despite the disheveled air about him.

"So formal," Laxus had muttered it more to himself than to Davian but the man answered him all the same.

"This is the military, Mr. Dreyar, not some ragtag group of vigilantes sitting in a bar," despite what he'd said his words didn't sound sharp or curt but rather as if it were a simple fact and nothing more.

"Guilds have done more for this country than Custody Enforcement," Laxus bit back at him, "Half the time we're doin' your job for you."

"Yes… and with half the tact and twice the destruction," he sounded distant as he spoke and his eyes were focused somewhere ahead although it wasn't the street or the sky, "Often times we have to clean up your lot's mess."

"Maybe if you focused more on catching villains than putting innocent men behind bars you'd be better off."

He chuckled and it sounded light, unguarded, and Laxus watched him closely as he spoke, "I'm not sure what sort of wool Gajeel Redfox has managed to pull over your eyes but that man is far from innocent, Mr. Dreyar. His list of crimes has seemingly no end, all of them without sufficient evidence to prove his immorality but they are his crimes nonetheless."

"You mean when he was with Phantom Lord," Laxus stated it calmly, feeling his magic beginning to spike as the medication wore off, "He's had a completely clean slate since he's been with Fairy Tail."

"It matters little. A bad man is still a bad man, Mr. Dreyar."

"You honestly believe that?" Laxus felt floored, "That he can't be a victim of his circumstances? That he can't be conditioned to think a certain way because he thinks he has no other options?"

"There are always choices, whether or not we choose to acknowledge them is what determines our faults."

"Maybe youcan see the choices, Major Bishop, but a boy on the street with no home or family to turn to doesn't."

"Is that what you think he is? Some misguided street urchin?" that time his voice was clipped and cold and his shifting eyes turned to him, centered on him, and his glasses dipped just slightly on his nose so he looked up at him contemptuously, "Mr. Dreyar, have you ever heard of Kurogane of Phantom Lord? The man was a menace. His ledger alone is enough to make a strong man pale. Forty-eight confirmedkills, another four dozen he was paid for because it looked good. Call them what they were: assassinations. Something the Magic Council will disband a guild for if they find out one of their members were to do such a thing."

"He was never convicted for those, Major," Laxus was deadpan but his heart clenched. He really had Gajeel pegged as a criminal.

"Yes, yes, because bank notes and coded messages weren't enough to indict him," he snapped, "and let's not forget Jose Porla was always quick to clean up in some way. There always seemed someone in the area more convenient, just the right amount of evidence lacking to bring about justice."

"Interesting, then, that there'd be so much evidence when Unaven was killed."

Davian stopped walking. Laxus stopped walking.

They stood in the middle of the walk, side by side, Laxus staring right into Davian and Davian staring equally into him. Slowly, Davian removed his glasses and closed his eyes, letting out a tight breath that filled the space between them with a large cloud of mist. When they opened again they were flushed with yellow and his pupils were slivers in the middle of his irises.

"Be frank with me, Mr. Dreyar," he said candidly.

"I would think it's pretty obvious, Major Bishop. Gajeel was framed."

A slight smile tugged at his lips, "Is that what you think?"

"You said it yourself, Major: he was never caught when he was with Phantom because he never left behind enough evidence. He was very good at his job."

"It has been quite some time since he's been up to no good. Men get rusty and out of practice… cocky when they'd never previously been caught."

"Is that so? Is that really all it takes to get a warrant for a man's arrest?"

"And evidence," Davian's brow pulled upward as he said this and it made Laxus's blood boil.

"Fabricated evidence," Laxus persisted, unwavering, and when he continued he said it with a purposeful disinterest in his voice, "And I wonder what happens to your promotion when people start figuring that out?"

Davian smiled coolly and Laxus felt it was the same type of smile a cat would make as it tried to assure an unsuspecting mouse it meant no harm, "As I wasn't the one to make the discovery it wouldn't be on my head, but I applaud you for thinking of my wellbeing, Mr. Dreyar."

"Wow…" Laxus whistled and he tucked his hands into his pockets and leaned down slightly so he could be sure to look directly at Davian's face as he lowered his voice in the most threatening way he could muster, "…I'm impressed, Davian. You really are a snake."

All hint of humor fled from Davian's expression but it wasn't replaced by anger or even horror at Laxus's knowing. Instead, his gaze shifted to the side and he took in a breath that vibrated his chest almost like a hiss. He spoke softly and steadily and showed not even the slightest hint of emotion.

"Unless you're aiming to get yourself killed, I would suggest you refrain from speaking of things you know nothing of."

"Is that a threat, Major Bishop?"

"That is a warning," he reached forward and straightened Laxus's jacket, an action that baffled him as much as made him uncomfortable, "You wouldn't understand, I'm sure. Upstanding gentleman of human society such as yourself don't have dark family lineages or watchful eyes ensuring you hold yourself to some obscene standard of perfection and obedience…"

As he spoke Laxus noticed minute things about him changing. His teeth became just a little sharper, eyes the slightest bit slanted, and long black hair suddenly seemed to have a navy hue.

"…there were several reasons why I had to interrogate your object of desire, Mr. Dreyar. The hopes of tricking him into a confession was of course one but far from the only and it may interest you to know that your dearly beloved had asked a daunting task of an acquaintance, Mr. Kaiyu…"

"Hajime," Laxus breathed and Davian smirked.

"Yes, Hajime… you see, he was asked to start looking into Bianca Ulrich's family and find out who would be seeking revenge on him – I'm not entirely sure how the man even figured out something was going on though I have my suspicions – and, you see, Mr. Dreyar, people have a tendency to go missingwhen questions are asked that have no business being answered…"

Laxus felt his chest becoming tighter.

"…I know my family well, Mr. Dreyar, and I know what would have been asked of me should our friend Mr. Kaiyu continue to bring to light things which wish to be left in the dark. Unfortunately, men with so many ties cannot vanish without some scrutiny but ruthless beasts don't very much care so long as they're sending a message. So, Mr. Dreyar, when confronted with a man who cannot easily go missing it wouldn't be Mr. Kaiyu who would have to disappear but his legacy."

Golden eyes were shuddering and passionate as he spoke and Laxus clenched his jaw.

"I do enjoy catching bad men but I do not enjoy burying innocent ones, Mr. Dreyar. Do not make similar mistakes."

He withdrew his hands and regarded his work. As he settled, so too did his features. He was human and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to hide golden eyes once more. He stepped forward again and Laxus stepped with him, forcing down whatever anger or dismay that was trying to bubble in his stomach.

"You'd kill a child, Davian?" he pressed softly, refusing to look at him.

"I would try to avoid it."

"And you think you're better than the people you put in jail? Better than Kurogane?" he rumbled quietly, focused on the approaching shoreline, to the dock that was just coming into view on the far side of the barracks.

"I don't like your insinuation, Mr. Dreyar."

"That you're just as much a criminal as everyone in that prison behind us? I bet you wouldn't."

"There are things expected of me that I simply cannot ignore. My hands are tied."

"You always have a choice, Major. Whether you choose to acknowledge it is what determines your faults."

"Using my own words against me, Mr. Dreyar? How absolutely droll."

Laxus felt like he was ramming himself into a wall… no, that wasn't it. He was sticking his hand through a net and trying to get something just out of reach. It was right there. If he could just press a little harder, if the strings could bow just a little more, he was sure he could reach something… something human, something that could understand and see reason, something that wasn't cold and heartless and stone. But the docks were fast approaching and Laxus knew as soon as they stepped on the ferry this conversation would end. He needed to think of something quickly… damn, he'd never been good with words.

"Family is a rough thing to fight against, Davian. Growin' up I used to think mine was a curse but the older I get the more I realize I'm sort of lucky to have had one, even though it's pretty fucked up. Gramps had to kick my dad out… he owns a dark guild now."

Davian glanced over at him, "I'm not sure it's wise to divulge that to an officer."

"You can pick him up if ya want. I don't miss the bastard," Laxus sighed, "Your family doesn't sound like much of a cakewalk either."

"I'm not close with most of them," he hesitated, opened his mouth to speak again, and then promptly closed it. Laxus didn't want to press his luck so he pretended he didn't notice.

"They sound… manipulative."

"The intention is rooted in good," the words sounded practiced and Laxus had the suspicion he'd uttered them to himself before, "it just wants to ensure we survive."

"What happens if you're wrong?"

Davian didn't hesitate in his answer, "I'm quite sure that's not the case."

"So… you'd kill for your family without question? Even if you're not sure it's for the right reasons? Because your hands are tied?" Laxus pressed and Davian let out an exasperated noise. So close, Laxus knew he was so close, "What if they made you hurt someone dear to you?"

Davian halted and Laxus felt like the air was suddenly far colder than it had been just moments before, "I don't know what you mean."

Was this it? Was this a nerve he'd just hit?

"I'm going to tell you a story, Davian, are you willing to listen?"

Davian glanced over at him and there was something quiet there, something Laxus couldn't decipher, but it made him determined.

"There was a boy who was abandoned in the woods. After hours of searching for his parents he finally stumbled into a nearby town and the town had a guild. So the boy thinks if he goes to the guild he can get help and find his father who had left him, except they don't help him. They tell him he's trash and if he wants to eat he has to work. Three years later he's told if he doesn't do what the guild tells him he's back to the streets, to being alone, to starving. So he does whatever it is that the guildmaster tells him to do for the next two years," he paused, gathered his thoughts, remembering hushed conversations and things murmured at midnight, and thought, wretchedly, of Gajeel, "He grows up and he becomes a man. He's told he can't show weakness or emotion or be anything aside from cold and cruel or else he's out on the streets. And then he's asked to kill for his guild, for his family."

"And he kills."

"Of course, because his hands are tied and it's for the good of the family," Laxus said this quietly and watched a strange emotion dance in Davian's eyes, "And he thinks he doesn't have any connections, he doesn't have anything that can be held against him, so if one day there was a line he didn't want crossed he could leave whenever he wanted. And then, one day he's told he has to kill someone he never thought he would have to… his mentor. The man who took him in when no one else would. A man who had given his life to the guild before him."

"And he does," Davian growled.

"And he doesn't," Laxus took a step forward as he spoke and Davian had to tip his head backwards to keep his gaze, "he settled for blinding him and telling his master that was good enough. His master didn't agree and as punishment he forced him to do something that he didn't see coming and still hates himself for."

"And what is that?"

"You'll have to ask him that."

Davian's reply was breathy and quiet and dry, "Was there a point to all of that or are you just trying to agitate me?"

"Men have their breaking points, Davian. When you look at Gajeel you see a man who's cold and ruthless and a killer. I see a man who's been forced to break over and over again and was told it was his fault."

Davian's jaw clenched.

"If you really are a better man than those bastards in prison, Davian, you'll figure out what the truth is before you're broken, too."

They were silent for a while with Laxus studying Davian and Davian studying him in return, before Davian finally spoke again and broke the silence as if it were some spell that was binding them in place.

"I'm not sure what you were trying to accomplish, Mr. Dreyar, but I'm afraid it didn't work."

"Shame," Laxus sighed, crossing his arms, "Guess that means I'll have to try harder."

They were walking again and Laxus could see the ferry pulling up to the docks.

"It's a shame our conversation had to end… talking to you was… interesting… despite your brutish tendencies."

"That so?" Laxus quirked a brow at him.

"Quite," Davian's eyes were distant once again and he spoke as if in his mind he were some place far away, "Under different circumstances, I think, I may have liked your company."

"Don't think I would've like yours," Laxus growled, crossing his arms, "You're too formal."

"Yes… it would be off-putting for someone like you, I suppose."

"Someone like me?"

"You're a common thug, Mr. Dreyar."

Laxus chuckled and Davian jumped as if he were surprised to get that reaction, "I'm not common thug, Major Bishop. I'm a Fairy Tail Mage."

"And I suppose that's supposed to mean something?"

"It means I don't quit. I'll be back here, Davian, and next time I'm not leaving empty handed."

Davian smirked, "I'll anxiously await your return then, Mr. Dreyar."

Author's Note:

TWO CHAPTERS IN TWO DAYS?! NOT IN MY GOOD CHRISTIAN SUBURBS!

Well that was A LOT of dialogue. Like SO MUCH dialogue. And it was while writing ALL OF THE DIALOGUE that I realized why rewriting chapters 2 and 3 times is detrimental to my cause... I keep forgetting what I ended up keeping and what I scratched. So if you find anything confusing, please let me know.

Also, Davian, dude, you're a major hypocrite honey. Face it.

Anyway, I'm going to try and pump out a 3rd chapter... let's see how this goes, shall we?

Edit: You may have noticed a change to the description. This is because I'm on AO3 now (FINALLY!) and decided it was high time I updated it. When I started this shindig over 2 years ago (2 YEARS AGO GUYS, THIS THING IS GONNA KILL ME) it was going to be waaaaaay different and waaaaay shorter. So I decided to finally update it. My name on AO3 is still StevMarie. Also, also I'm on Tumblr by the same name although don't expect me to be posting anything interesting over there lol I mostly just reblog random things I think are cool. Anywho, it was great talking to you guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)