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Catch the Thunder	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 17785 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Chapter 20
A Very Merry Christmas
Laxus, Freed, and Llewellyn walked through halls until they reached an elevator. Laxus thought it was bizarre, having a house so big you needed an elevator. They entered, Llewellyn pulled out a key, and he used it in a slot just below the number pad. Then he pushed for 2B, the second basement.
Laxus' eyes narrowed as he did this. 2B, and a key. This was familiar. He stared hard at Llewellyn, but the man never gave away any hint about his intentions. He stared straight ahead, the sort of stance people took in crowded corporate elevators, listening to the dings as they passed floors.
At last, there was a final ding, and the door slid open. Llewellyn stepped out into a well-lit but plain hallway.
"Here we are," he called out cheerfully.
Laxus stepped out into a hallway that was all too familiar. "Oh God." He looked around, but there was no doubt about it. The lighting, the wallpaper, a stain on the carpet: it was all the same. "Wait." He came to a dead stop, shaking his head warily. "Woah, woah, woah. Wait!"
Freed paused and looked around at him. "What? Where are we?" He glanced around. No windows, no sunlight, just a hallway lit up by overhead lighting. "Are we underground? This doesn't look like either of the basements."
Laxus glared at Llewellyn and growled in a barely-polite warning, "Sir."
"It's all right," he assured both of them. The businessman placed a hand on his son's shoulders. "Freed, you've never been down here. The elevator takes a key to active this floor."
It took Freed a moment to register what his father was saying. This was like something out of a spy movie. "Wow, we've got a secret floor?"
"Pretty much," he said with a smile, glancing at the vaulted hall and all of its locked doors. "Lots of old family secrets down here." He kept walking to a certain door. "This is where I want to take you two."
Laxus sneered. "Sir, no!"
Llewellyn raised a hand in peace. "It's all right—"
"No!"
Llewellyn came up to a door and pulled out another key. Twisting it in the lock, he opened the door and motioned for the two to enter. "Go on in, both of you."
Laxus firmly stood his ground, arms folded, eyes almost sparking with anger. "I don't think so, sir."
Freed glanced between his father's calm visage and Laxus' angry glare. What was this odd exchange between them?
Between … them…
Suddenly, it dawned on him. He looked into the room as his father flipped a light on. He had seen rooms like this at the fetish club where Laxus now worked. It was a BDSM dungeon! When his eyes shot over in shock to his father, Llewellyn's face was down-turned in shame. Then Freed looked sharply over to Laxus, who was glaring hard at the older gentleman. He was being faced with his old lifestyle and stuck right between a former submissive and his boyfriend. Freed placed a hand on the wall as he felt dizzy.
"Oh God, is this the playroom?"
Neither of them answered him, but it was obvious. The room where his father … and Laxus … where they…
"Father! No!" He took a step in front of Laxus, standing his ground and laying claim. He was not about to give up Laxus or share him, not even with his own father. He would rather be disowned than do that.
"No, I'm not coming in with you." Llewellyn handed his keyring to Freed. "This is the key to the elevator. Put the key in, turn it, hit the bottom floor, and it'll take you one level below the bottom." He glanced around the hallway with a mournful expression. "I'm not coming down here again."
There was such a mournful tone of finality in his voice, it made Freed worry for a moment. "Father…"
Llewellyn spoke quicker to get it over with. "When you want to come back upstairs, any of the buttons will do. When you want to come down here, have some time alone, you use the key."
Freed realized precisely what this was. Inheritance was something he learned about, being the eldest son of a wealthy man. Handing over property, a business, estate and heirlooms: these were all part of generational wealth. This time, his father was bequeathing to him something far more precious. He was completely giving up on Laxus, even this room that held all of the memories between them.
"Father," he whispered, unsure what to say.
Llewellyn smiled and nodded with determination. From father to son, things were never meant to remain in one person's possession. In this case, he might have known the pleasures of this godlike blond sadist first, but he had to give him up to his son. This was ensuring his son's future happiness in a way money and land never could.
His eyes shifted over to the blond, who was witnessing this exchange with wariness. "Consider it my Christmas present to you, Thor. Uh … Laxus."
With a gentleman's smile, he shoved his hand out to shake. Laxus glanced at those fingers, hands that for years had been off-limits. The one and only time those hands had touching him, it had been unwanted. This time, Laxus had to accept touching Llewellyn of his own free will. Hesitantly, he took the offered hand and shook it, sealing the deal of exchange.
"Thank you for everything," Llewellyn said, firmly squeezing the hand that had once pleasured him. "You kept my marriage together for four years. Might have been hell, but I'm thankful. I'm glad my children could grow up with a mother and a father. So you have my thanks." He let go of the hand but still stared up into that firm face. "Take care of my boy."
Laxus gave a nod. "I plan to, sir."
Llewellyn squared his shoulders, turned sharply, and strode back to the elevator. They watched until he stepped inside and the door slid closed. Then Laxus let out a sigh as his shoulders unclenched. He really had dreaded the worst for a moment.
"I need a drink," he whispered gruffly, and he rushed into the opened room. It had a bar stocked, since the Justines knew Laxus liked to drink when he worked. He grabbed some brandy and poured out an extra splash, gulping it down as his nerves tingled from being on edge all night.
Cautiously, Freed went past the threshold and looked around. The walls were black with red highlights. A massive bed with red satin sheets sat against one wall that could be curtained off, blocking the view of the kinks around the room, such as a sex swing, stocks, Saint Andrew's Cross, suspension bars of many types, a whipping bench, a spanking horse, and a worship seat. On the walls were an array of whips, floggers, crops, canes, and rods. There were numerous types of handcuffs and restraints, from leather cuffs to iron chains, spreader bars, and fist mitts. There was a low table, and on it were an assortment of collars, from classic leather collars, deep rubber collars, posture collars, spiked, slotted, metal, a collar with fetters attached, and one that went along with a head harness.
Freed gulped hard as he saw all of this, right here, in his own house, buried deep within the bowels of a home where he had played as a child.
"Well, so … uh … this is … this is the room, huh?" Freed looked around again, daring to take a few steps in.
"Don't worry, it's been cleaned, I'm sure."
"Yeah," he muttered, not liking the idea that this room had ever been in use. "Still … still, it's weird. This is the room where you and … my father…"
His words died out. He tried to picture it: his father, strapped to that Saint Andrew's Cross, chained to the X-shaped boards, wearing nothing but a collar and a cockring, or maybe a chastity belt. Yes, probably that, a demand from Liberty to make sure her husband did not get too naughty. She would supervise, probably sitting in a corner—yes, he saw the chair now, a simple but elegant chair, where she would sit, watching her husband getting his thrills. Freed knew the feeling. He sat and watched Laxus whip and paddle others. Sometimes it was exciting, and sometimes it was painful to know he could not please his lover that way.
However, as much as he could imagine a husband's submissive posture and his wife's cold acceptance of this carnal need that she could not supply, his brain completely refused to picture that married couple as his parents, let alone add Laxus into that scene.
It had been Laxus wielding those paddles.
It was Laxus who swung that riding crop.
It was Laxus who made his father cry out in painful ecstasy.
He knew this deep in his mind, but still he could not picture it. Not here. Not with his father!
Laxus saw the anxiousness in Freed's face and slowly set down his drink. "I take it you don't want to make out down here?"
Freed yanked himself out of those disturbing images and tried to laugh it off like he would at any family party, yet he knew he could not brush off issues so easily with Laxus. Those blue eyes could seek out the truth. His head dropped to the side, but he saw the bed. He could not bring himself to look at it yet. He knew Laxus insisted that he never fucked clients, and Liberty had always been in this room to make sure the no-touching rule remained in place, but still…
Still…
He forced himself to smile anyway. "I guess it's a nice retreat to get away from the crowd."
There was no tricking Laxus. With a plaintive sigh, he pulled out another glass, poured some brandy into it, and handed it over to Freed. The green-haired man walked over to the small bar and took the drink. The alcoholic burn calmed him and took away the shiver of dread. Then Laxus' large hand began to rub Freed's back, soothing him.
"A-Are you all right?" Freed stuttered. If this was bad on him, it must be worse for Laxus.
"Yeah," he replied, surprised by how easily he could accept and ignore what this room had been for. That was in the past. It was over. This was no long that room. "Your dad's not bad." He was not so uncouth as to not realize what Llewellyn's passing of the key meant. He had given up his last hold on Laxus and fully supported their relationship. It was better than either of them had hoped for. "Your mom's skittish as hell," he added. He looked down to how Freed's hands clutched the brandy glass. "You take after her."
Freed had heard that all of his life, and he smiled reluctantly that even Laxus thought he and his mother were a lot alike. "I guess I take after both, huh?"
Laxus chuckled softly but said nothing. Definitely, Freed had qualities of both of his parents. "Are you okay with your folks?"
Freed took another sip of alcohol and shrugged lightly. "Father and I talked. It seems we … well, came to an understanding, at least." He looked around at the room. "I might have even gotten his blessing." Definitely, this room was Llewellyn's way of saying he was okay with them and what he knew they did in private. "What about you and my mom?" Freed asked, taking another sip of brandy.
Laxus sighed and shrugged. "She doesn't want me to marry you."
Freed sputtered out the drink, choking and pounding his chest as he gagged in shock. "W-Wait, what?"
Laughing, Laxus patted his back to help him cough up the drink. "Nah, I was joking with her."
"O-oh…" Freed calmed down, but now he felt a slight sting. Only joking? Of course he was just joking. Something like that, it was ridiculous, crazy … too good to be true.
Laxus cautiously eyed the disappointment. "Maybe," he whispered.
Freed's head jolted up, and their eyes met, one wide and stunned, the other calculating and thoughtful. Then Laxus laughed and ruffled up Freed's hair.
"Hey, down the road, kid. Down the road." No matter how he looked at it, it was too early for them to be seriously considering this. Freed was still in college.
"Right," Freed said awkwardly, dropping his gaze. It was way too soon, but still … still… "Um, I guess down here we can at least kiss. Can't quite do that at a party."
"I could kiss you," he teased. "Grab you—" He yanked Freed up against him by the hips. "—dance with you, show these rich fuckers what a real dance is like, bend you over—" He dipped Freed back slightly, holding him in his arms and leaning over him possessively. "—thrust my tongue right down your throat…"
"Don't!" Freed whined, putting his hands forward to push away from Laxus' temptations. He took a step back, looking ashamed.
Laxus glanced down at the bulge pressing against the dressy slacks. "What, did just that get you aroused?" He chuckled deviously as Freed looked uncomfortable and fought the urge to reach down. "You horny little bastard."
Freed spun around and walked away to hide his shame. "When I get embarrassed, I get like this."
Laxus licked his lip hungrily. He came up behind Freed, leaned into his ear, and whispered, "I bet if I were to do that, you'd cum in your pants right in front of everybody."
"Nngh … Laxus!" He walked away from that hot breath and the sibilant, sweet threats. Maybe it was due to all the stress of that night, fearing the possibility of being forced to pick between his family and his lover, but now he was painfully aroused. Twisting his hands together, he muttered, "If we were to do something in this room, would that make it our room and no longer the room … that my father had?"
Laxus smiled at the hesitant yet obvious desire. "He gave you the key. It's your room."
"Oh. Right." That was how things worked with inheritance. Hand over the car keys, and the new car was his. Hand over the key to a vault, and the bank account was his. Hand over the keys to this hidden floor, and the playroom was now his.
"Come on." Gently, Laxus tugged on Freed's hand. "Come over here, on the bed."
Slowly, Freed sat down, like approaching a trigger pad that would set off an explosion. The bed was firm, the sheets slithery, nothing strange about it except the thought deep in his head that this was the bed where it all happened.
"I've never actually sat on this bed," Laxus admitted, feeling the firmness of the mattress.
Freed looked over in shock. "You haven't?"
"Nah. This was the bed your parents used."
Freed bolted right up. "Oh God!" he groaned. Here was where playtime ended and his parents … eww! Just eww!
"No, it's all right." Laxus laughed, finding Freed's reaction so typical for a child suddenly forced to think about their parents having sex together. "It's okay. It was their room, their bed. I just happened to have walked in for a few minutes. Come on, lie down." He pulled Freed back onto the mattress and grabbed him up into his arms, holding him on his chest while squeezing him possessively. "Just like this," he sighed, happy to be holding him again.
Freed realized, as a child he had climbed into his parents' bed during storms or after having a nightmare. Before his father's need came about, that had been the bed they used. He had most likely been conceived on that bed, and he never thought anything of it.
Not like a seven-year-old thought about his parents having sex.
So in a sense, this was no different. It was his parents' bed. Just a bed. It was clean, there was no smell. Actually, the entire room seemed a little too sterile.
They laid together, each quietly gazing around at the black and red interior with its assorted supplies. Freed eventually glanced around, really taking it in finally. Laxus also gazed around. Sure, he had been coming to this room once a month for four years, but he rarely really looked at one of his clients' playrooms. After a while, they all looked the same.
"This is surreal," Freed muttered.
"Tell me about it!" scoffed Laxus.
Laxus knew right away, if this was going to be their playroom, these items all had to go. He would never reuse a sex toy on someone else, which was precisely why he insisted his submissives all brought their own items. The collection was impressive, sure, but … this was not the sort of legacy a father should give to his son. This was the sort of collection they would have to build for themselves, buying what worked for them, getting their own custom-made items, maybe designing the room differently to be less opposing and more…
More what? Freed was such a romantic. How would he want his playroom? Laxus wanted to create a little slice of heaven for his green angel.
"It's quiet," Freed whispered.
"Damn quiet," Laxus agreed. "Damn, too quiet. You really can't hear anything in here. My ears are ringing."
Freed nuzzled into Laxus' armpit, smelling the scent of his body. It was more than the soap and deodorant that he used to clean himself up for the part. It was the manly musk, that scent that was faint now with all the cleaning, but that really came out when Laxus was sweaty. He rolled toward that scent.
Laxus glanced down as Freed curled in closer. "What, you wanna cuddle?"
"Maybe," he whispered, feeling secure in those arms.
Too cute, dammit! "Come here." He pulled Freed up onto his chest and hugged him tightly. They shifted around until both were comfortable. "This is good." He loved hugging Freed and how his long hair fell around him. Even though he had pulled his hair back and tried to keep it tamed for tonight, those long strands were everywhere.
"Are you really okay?" Freed asked, glancing down at Laxus.
His blue eyes focused on the mirror above the bed. Kinky, Llewellyn! Real kinky! "Family gatherings are going to be hell for a while." Then he smiled at Freed and brushed back a long strand of green hair that had slipped loose. "But I think we're good."
He smiled to hear Laxus feeling at ease, something he had deeply worried about for weeks. "Yeah," he said, settling back down into that broad chest. All of his fears were gone. His parents had accepted them. More than that, his father gave them this room. He really had welcomed Laxus into the family already.
"Hey." Laxus took Freed's cheek and pulled it over. "I wanna do this."
He grabbed the back of Freed's scalp and pulled him down for a domineering kiss. Freed moaned at the erotic hair-pulling. Then a tongue came, filling his mouth, the taste of brandy still coating it. Freed's tongue met his, twirling, sliding over those chapped lips, and his lips sucked on that tongue until Laxus groaned. His strong fingers loosened, letting Freed go, and he smiled up at the turquoise eyes that gazed down at him, lowered with dizzy lust. Laxus did not want to push him, though. Today must have been hell on Freed, and he just wanted his boyfriend to know that he would still be here for him, no matter what happened with family, friends, or society in general. Fuck all that! So long as he had this man, that was enough for him.
Freed saw the gentle gaze that Laxus so rarely showed. He loved that look, craved that protection, and wanted … more. Just more! He dived down, taking control for once, and thrust his tongue passed those firm lips.
Laxus grunted in surprise. Freed was holding him down, kissing aggressively, while the heady flavor of his tongue danced a tango through his mouth.
"Freed?" he muttered, but more kisses rained down on him. "Mmh, not that I mind," he added. He liked to feel just how much Freed truly loved him.
Another kiss silenced him, and the tongue invaded again. He licked back, twirling his tongue around. Freed suddenly rolled over, straddling Laxus. His fingers clenched onto the broad shoulders as he kissed firmer, pressing Laxus' head down into the pillow.
"Damn, you're aggressive tonight," he mumbled between kisses.
"I can't help it," Freed moaned, kissing harder, wanting more. He slowly pulled back and gazed at his lover. "My father gave you up," he said, feeling only a little guilty for robbing his father of someone who had been special to him. However, that was also Laxus' choice. He willingly chose Freed over Llewellyn. "So, it's my turn to claim you," he said with a sly smile.
Laxus chuckled deep in his chest. "Oh?" he asked in amusement. Claiming, eh? He leaned up and smirked right into Freed's face. "How do you plan to do that?"
Freed sat back with his finger pressed to his chin in mock consideration, humming as he glanced around. Then a devious gleam twinkled in his eyes and a devilish smile possessed his lips as he stated, "Like this."
In a flash, his swift hands grabbed Laxus' right wrist, another hand reached to the post on the headboard, and he pulled forth handcuffs already attached. With deft fingers, he clasped the cuff around Laxus' wrist. While Laxus laid stunned in confusion, he was wide open for Freed to snatch the other hand.
"Shit! Ah! H-hey!" yelled Laxus.
Before his body had a chance to fight back, cold steel surrounded his wrist, chaining him to the opposite bedpost. Then Freed sat straight up, a posture of confidence, like a jockey sitting atop his race horse. Laxus yanked on the cuffs, but they were completely secure. In astonishment, he gawked up at Freed, who had a smug look on his aristocratic face.
That … little … bitch! Laxus was not sure whether to be mad that he was caught so easily, or proud that it was his slave who had bested him. In either case, he was trapped, and Freed looked arrogant.
"Oooh, you did it this time, you bastard," he chuckled, glaring with a smile and a shake of his head.
"What?" Freed asked with feigned innocence. "I noticed the handcuffs on the bed." He leaned in close and whispered down at Laxus, "Why not use them?"
Laxus growled, yanked on the cuffs, but fell back. He laid there, captured, and he began to laugh. "Okay, you got me," he conceded. "So, what are you gonna do with me?"
Freed stroked his chin and glanced over the large body. "Maybe … down here."
Freed slithered over the rippled muscles, slowly slid down the zipper to the tailor-made pants, reached in, and eased out the erection that was twitching to be released. It was already firming up, and two strokes were all it took to bring it fully to attention.
Laxus flinched from a pulse throbbing in his groin as blood rushed down there. He knew Freed sensed the change, the sudden stiffness, when he glanced back down at the member he was cradling in his fingers, and one eyebrow arched up in surprise and pleasure. Damn him, but he stroked even harder just to feel how he had affected Laxus.
"I did like licking you," whispered Freed. He gave a tiny cat-like lick to the tip of the head.
Laxus yanked on the handcuffs at just that small lick. Being out of control was against his nature. It made his heart race, but there was a thrill to it. This was not someone there to hurt him like in his childhood, but his lover who had trapped him with promises of pleasure.
Freed tilted his head in amusement. "For someone who's a sadist, just getting a little tied up makes you so hard." He stroked down the arousal.
"Shut up! You know it's you that makes me hard, not anything I do."
That answer seemed to please Freed.
Laxus knew it was not the handcuffs, nor Freed's hands, that made him stiffen. True, his hands were incredible, lithe and dexterous, able to hold firmly but handle delicately, talents he must have learned as a swordsman.
No, it wasn't the hands. It was his eyes!
When those turquoise eyes glanced from his groin up to his face, with those long lashes framing them and the tongue out ready to taste, that was when Laxus knew he had been defeated.
Freed dragged his tongue from the zipper to the tip, swirled around the head, and then back down the other side. He kissed the erection reverently before using his whole mouth to take in his dessert.
Laxus stiffened and pulled on the handcuffs again. He wanted to stroke through that green hair, caress Freed as he did this, just touch him. He was used to getting what he wanted. Just sitting there, with nothing else to do but lie back and enjoy the pleasure, made it too intense. Shit, if this kept up, he was not going to last long at all!
Freed pulled off looking satisfied at the moans he was eliciting out of Laxus. He only lightly caressed the erection, rubbing his saliva around it, as he rested atop the barrel chest and gazed down at his lover.
"So," he said, rubbing lazy strokes up and down Laxus' length, "how about some role-reversal in this room? In the hotel, it's you dominating over me. In my dorm room, it's all tender and loving. But down here?"
Freed gave a sly chuckle. His fingers firmed just a little tighter, enough to make Laxus groan his name.
"I'm the master here," he said sternly, gazing down with eyes tattling that, although he was a masochist, he had been born as the son of a tycoon, trained to be savvy in business, and raised to take a leadership role in the capitalist world.
"Little bastard," Laxus growled in defiance.
"Come on. I wanna hear you say it this time."
"Hell no!"
"Come on," he grinned, biting his lip with salacious anticipation. "Like a butler."
Laxus turned his face away defiantly.
"Come ooooon," Freed goaded playfully. "You know I'm used to having servants call me Master Freed. I may be your slave, but you could be my butler when I'm here." He laughed softly, trying to coax over Laxus' face.
Those electric blue eyes glared up. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Mm-hmm," Freed nodded, trying to hold back a laugh.
Seriously, he was way too sexy for his own good. Fine! He could rumor his little slave in his game. "So," he said, as haughty as he could with a fake accent, "what shall I do to serve you, Master Freed?"
Freed blinked, shocked he did it. Laxus … calling him master! He cock burned, and he backed off, gasping and grabbing himself. He croaked out a noise of desperation as he felt a surging sensation already tingling him.
"Hey, no coming in your pants, I'm serious," Laxus warned.
"R-Right." He climbed off the bed and turned away, trying to calm himself. A few breaths did it, but he cringed slightly. "I think I need to change out of my underwear."
"You came?"
"No … but it's dripping." He sounded mortified, and that shame clicked something on in Laxus' brain.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he ordered, "Get out of those clothes."
"Right," Freed said with a nod.
He quickly took off the pants before the pre-cum soaked through and showed. His underwear was not so fortunate. As he peeled off his briefs, he saw a moist spot darkening the fabric. He put the underwear aside so the pre-cum would not get on his suit pants. When he turned around wearing just his shirt, Laxus looked down and saw the arousal with a trickle leaking from the head down the shaft.
"Oh God, you are dripping." He gulped hard at the sight of it. He was ready to drip as well just seeing Freed messing himself. "So, what do you want me to do about it?"
Freed bit his lip, not in desire this time, but out of uncertainty. He had not planned this at all. "Um … m-maybe … uh…"
"Come on!"
Freed tensed up at the snapped order. Slowly, he took off the rest of his clothes and laid them over a chair so they would not get wrinkled. Then he walked naked back to the bed and climbed on. Chained up, all Laxus could do was watch as those thin, graceful limbs crawled over the satin sheets. Freed looked over the bed, calculating what he could do. Timidly, he crawled closer to Laxus' face. Then he twisted and straddled over his face while leaning down toward Laxus' groin.
"Like … this?"
Laxus got a glorious face full of Freed's ass, balls, with that cock near his mouth. "You little freak."
"Is that okay?"
"Sixty-nine? Yeah!" He tried to reach his lips up, but the cock was pointing the wrong way. "Come on, I can't grab your hips when I'm like this." Sensually, he ordered, "Slide it into my mouth."
Freed took hold of himself and guided his erection over to those lips.
"You better suck me off good," Laxus demanded just before that deliciously dripping cock filled his mouth and forced him into silence.
With Laxus' lips around him and his mouth already working, Freed leaned over his groin. He widened his mouth and bore down onto him. Laxus had a little pre-cum that intensified his taste, and Freed groaned at the flavor. He pressed all the way down, then wrapped one hand around what his mouth could not reach. His hand and mouth worked together. As he stroked, his other hand fiddled with the belt, unthreading it, unsnapping the button, and he spent a couple of seconds to shove the pants down, just in case he drooled or dripped. That would protect the fabric from getting messy. Laxus' hips lifted to help him shove the trousers down his thighs, and then Freed's hands were all over him again, stroking while he sucked eagerly.
Laxus lost hold of the cock in his mouth. He wanted it back, but he could not grasp it and guide it toward him.
"You know, being tied up is annoying."
Freed kept right on sucking. "Mm-hmm," he hummed, as if to say Told you so!
"I can't touch you."
"Mmh," Freed agreed, slurping up him.
Laxus flinched at how good it felt. "I wanna touch you."
"Nngh-nh," Freed hummed in denial. He reached around to himself and angled his cock back toward that argumentative mouth.
"Bastard," Laxus whispered just before being gagged again into silence.
They licked, sucked, and Laxus began to pant as Freed's mouth and hand pleasured him. Soft groans, heady hums, and the moist sounds of hungry pleasure filled the room. Laxus finally had to pull back and catch his breath. He was drooling and ready to choke on the amount of pre-cum dripping from Freed's cock. Seriously, this guy had a lot built up in him.
Just as he was about to ask Freed to help him again with pulling the erection into such an awkward angle, Freed instead leaned forward more, lifting his body away from Laxus' face so he could move lower and go deep-throat.
The blond cried out in pleasure from that tight space and the small bobs Freed gave to him before pulling back and catching his breath.
"Do you like that?" Freed asked, glancing around his shoulder and seeing the blush on Laxus' face. He took the hand that had been stroking Laxus, now drenched in saliva and pre-cum, and dragged it down his perineum. "Do you like me touching … inside you?" He slid a finger in.
Laxus yanked hard on the handcuffs as his whole body arched from the intrusion. Freed grinned mischievously to see that chiseled face flush.
"No fair," Laxus panted.
"What?" Freed chuckled as he carefully fingered him.
He huffed through the strange feeling that was not quite pain, but not yet fully pleasure yet. "I wanna touch you."
"Aww, but you always get to touch me," Freed teased. "How often do I get to touch you?" His finger purposely pressed deeper until he felt the small lump inside.
Laxus jolted and struggled to hold back a moan. "Freed … come on!"
Instead, Freed reached back, took hold of himself, and nudged the flared head up against Laxus' mouth. "Suck it," he ordered with a smirk.
Laxus glared at him. Stupid slave, getting too full of himself, acting all arrogant! He would show him! "Fuck you." Laxus slammed his face up, taking that erection and vigorously sucking on it.
Freed shivered out a moan of hedonistic pleasure. "Y-yeah, like that!" He dived down, sucking Laxus, while his finger kept moving. His mouth, his hand, and that finger inside all sought out to pleasure his thunder god. That was what a master did, after all. He took care of servants … especially butlers.
Laxus' mouth was full. He could barely talk, but he felt himself ready to come. "Freed," he began to warn. As if sensing it and wanting everything, Freed's finger found the prostate again and rubbed it. Laxus cried out and yanked hard on the handcuffs. He tried to fight it, struggling to hold back, but he was trapped, a prisoner to the pleasure, unable even to shout a proper warning with the cock in his mouth nearly choking him. "Freed!"
He gushed out into that mouth, and Freed whined at the surge. He forcefully gulped down the salty dessert just to keep from choking on it all. He could feel the tenseness in Laxus' ass, his thighs, and the convulsing muscles in his stomach, where Freed laid sprawled across. He gulped as more poured out, and more. It had been a while since they last made love, and Laxus had a reservoir built up that Freed was more than happy to swallow.
Finally, Laxus sank under him, and Freed pulled back with a soft cough from the thickness. He pulled his finger out, wiped it on the sheet, and cradled the softening cock so it would not get on Laxus' dress shirt. He tenderly licked an oozing drip as it shrank. Then, happy to pleasure him, he gave the obedient cock a kiss and turned around.
Laxus was flushed and sweaty. That scent Freed had noticed earlier was more potent, utterly intoxicating! Yet that look of surrender and exhaustion, sprawled out, chained up, giving in to the pleasure, made Freed giggle naughtily.
"Once again, you came before me," he pointed out, feeling proud at holding himself back.
Laxus panted and slowly opened his eyes. "Damn you … for being this good."
Freed just smiled proudly.
"Now seriously, unhandcuff me."
"Mmm … nope," he decided flippantly. Freed turned around and showed the curved erection that still rose to meet the thunder god. "Because you're not done." He stroked his fingers through Laxus' hair. "This way now."
Laxus groaned, tired but not wanting his naughty vixen of a slave to be denied.
"Come on, sit up," he encouraged. He stuck a pillow under Laxus' head until he was at a good angle.
Laxus scooted his hips up to a half-sitting recline. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Freed leaned over and kissed him. "I will soon," he said with a erotic smirk.
Laxus swore he saw that slightly dominating—or maybe just aristocratic—gleam in his eyes again. He loved how meek and needy Freed could be, but he felt a spike of pride knowing that his precious slave was so confident that his master would be able to pleasure him, no matter how much this naughty slave tried to wear him out first … and Laxus had to admit, Freed was damn good at overwhelming him to exhaustion.
"Lemme suck on that," Laxus snarled hungrily.
Freed stroked a finger down his nose. "Say please master."
"Fuck you."
"Say it."
Laxus leered at him. Their eyes battled, a harsh glare used to ordering others, versus an arrogant smile, spoiled and used to getting his way. It was a contest of dominance. Who was truly in charge: the dominant sadist or the young master and heir to this whole damn mansion?
Laxus knew that socially and economically, Freed was way above him, a destined leader currently straddled atop the lowest scum of society, someone who prostituted himself for money. He had grown up under the shadow of hilltop mansions like this, scurrying under the rule of people like the Justines, men who ran businesses, who could hire and fire at the slightest whim, men like Jellal Fernandes, except that bastard just ran some sleazy club. Freed was destined to rule an empire of corporations, a young prince of blue blood. Someone like Laxus should have felt privileged to change the light bulbs in this man's bathroom, let alone stand by their side at some posh party.
Still, he would not dare admit defeat. His eyes hardened, and he ordered simply, "Gimme!"
Freed broke into laughs. "You can't say it, can you?"
"No," he said sharply. However, it was more than just the bourgeoisie rising against the aristocracy. This went much deeper. It was a matter of pride, being a sadist, not wanting to be tamed, not in this sort of way. "Don't make me," he requested softly.
Freed saw the heartfelt request, the pride in his blue eyes, and he bowed his head, surrendering to his sweet but stubborn thunder god. "Okay," he said, and he leaned over, letting his lips hover right by Laxus' lips. "Master," he breathed.
Laxus let out a groan. Normally, being addressed by that title was empowering, but now, seeing Freed give up that imbued pride, not coming to him already a slave, but choosing to lower himself from his golden pedestal, all for Laxus' sake … somehow, that made hearing Freed call him that title of ultimate domination even more intense.
Freed pressed forward, pushing his mouth against those tense lips. Laxus kissed back. He pulled forward against the handcuffs, wanting to grab Freed and cling to him possessively, yet he was still at the mercy of his naughty angel.
Freed leaned back, and although he had surrendered, he still looked coldly calculating, knowing that he was in control for a little longer. Laxus' eyes turned from him, down to the arousal, and back up to Freed's face, silently letting him know what he wanted.
"Please, master," Freed begged. "Suck on me."
He crawled closer, resting his hands against the headboard as he brought his hips up to Laxus' face. Laxus licked the stiff erection, tasting that leakage, swirling his tongue around, and when he had his fun, he opened wide to let Freed slide in.
Freed had received blow jobs before, but this was different. Instead of Laxus bobbing down onto him, he had to thrust into that mouth, being in control, setting the pace, fucking his lover's mouth. He glanced down and watched himself humping into Laxus' lips.
He suddenly gasped and pulled back. He just realized that he had chained Laxus up without permission. How greedy and demanding could he get! Was he forcing this? Was it unwanted? Laxus looked up, worried about why Freed had backed away, and he saw the look of intimidation and dread.
"It's all right," Laxus whispered, trying to smile in a way to show that this was something he wanted. Freed was not forcing him against his will. "Trust me, if I didn't want this, I'd break these handcuffs and stop you."
Somehow, Freed felt that if anyone could break handcuffs, Laxus could. He nodded timidly and leaned forward again. To show him that he wanted to do this, Laxus lurched forward and took that cock, even though it meant pulling tautly against the metal chains.
"I'm totally ready to come, though," Freed warned him.
"Yeah?" Laxus lapped up the thick vein and sucked on just the head. "I'm thirsty," he growled. He sucked harder on the cock until Freed cried out from the roughness. "That food up there's crap." Laxus looked up, his lips swollen and drool running down his chin to his throat. He grinned, and Freed gulped hard at the carnivorous look in his face. "I want you to feed me."
"Nnngh!" Freed whined. He suddenly grabbed Laxus' head and slammed in hard, taking the pleasure his master was willing to provide.
This was incredible! Laxus was used to giving pain, but to give pleasure like this, to feel Freed's lust, his desperation, and take care of his little slave in everything he wanted…
"Oh, yes," he moaned, loving the feel of Freed's fingers tensing and his hips speeding up.
"Nngh … L-Laxus!" He began to shake, losing himself, unable to feel or hear anything as his heart pounded, blood rushed through his ears, and everything concentrated inside of him to one point, a nexus of pleasure growing, surging. He slammed in harder, faster, needing more.
Laxus' eyes widened at the pain of that cock crashing into the back of his throat. He choked as his tonsils were assaulted over and over, rapidly and without mercy. He tried to talk around the penis in his mouth, warning Freed, "Unf … back … off!"
Only garbled noises got out between thrusts. It was beginning to seriously hurt, and Freed's fingers were ripping out hairs. Just before making true of his promise to break the handcuffs, Freed cried out, his hips stiffened to a halt, and his whole body shuddered.
Laxus was blasted with cum, so suddenly and so hard, he coughed and thought he felt some blow up his nose. He yanked on the chains, thrashing around that cock, not cruel enough to bite Freed just to warn him to pull back, but he could no longer breathe. The cock was pressed all the way back, blocking his air pipe. All he could do was look up through teary eyes and see that expression of bliss.
Oh fuck! He could drown in jizz for all he cared. Freed was breathtaking!
A few seconds later, the moment of glory was over, and his angel sank back to earth. Freed's hearing finally returned, muffled at first, but then he finally heard the gagging. He yanked back, and Laxus coughed with force, expelling saliva and cum.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" he cried out in dread. He grabbed a corner of the sheet and quickly wiped Laxus' face. He was an utter mess, but the moistness at least had not gotten onto his dress shirt.
Laxus coughed harder. "Damn, you've got some hips!" he exclaimed in a hoarse voice before more coughing wracked his body. Death by cum-drowning was probably not the best way to go. It would be hell to explain to the coroner, anyway.
"Are you okay?"
"I think my—cough—uvula's bruised."
"I'm so sorry." He looked around in a panic. "Let me uncuff you. Here." He clicked an emergency release latch on the handcuffs and pulled them off.
Laxus immediately leaned over and pounded his chest, coughing more. Freed handed him the sheet, and Laxus expatiated some cum out into it. Then, with a moan of pain, he rubbed out his wrists. They had pink lines on them, but nothing that would not fade with a little rest. Freed lightly touched the bruising.
"Sorry," he cringed.
"No, it's fine." He gulped hard, but he still had to cough from the pain in his throat. Finally, he glanced up and saw Freed looking fretful. It just made Laxus laugh. "Damn, you're aggressive!" he said playfully.
Freed dropped his head, trying to come up with something better than 'I'm sorry.' Laxus reached forward and cupped his face to raise his chin.
"The master of the house shouldn't bow his head like that."
"The master of the house wouldn't treat his butler so roughly," Freed countered, still looking upset.
"You're a noob. You're still learning." He gave a sigh and gazed up. Master of the house, huh? Master of his heart, at the very least. "I love you."
He suddenly grabbed Freed and kissed him. The young man grunted at the taste in that mouth, but Laxus' tongue thrust in anyway, giving a rough and needy kiss while his hands clutched tightly, crushing that thin body to make up for denying him. He rubbed up and down Freed's spine, around his rump, over his shoulders, and clung to him in desperation. Suddenly, he flipped Freed, slamming him down onto the bed, and pulled the back of his hair, yanking his head up to expose his throat. He wanted to claim this man, so hard and so violently that the bruise would stay with him until the New Year. A quick shake of Freed's head reminded him, there was still a party going on upstairs. His mouth pulled back with sneering teeth.
"No," Laxus whispered defiantly. "You're getting marked!"
"Laxus, no!"
Instead of the throat, Laxus yanked himself down the bed, glared up at him from just above Freed's firm belly, and then leaned over to bite deeply into Freed's hip. Freed cried out from the pain and the pleasure of realizing Laxus was accommodating him so as to not make a social embarrassment. He shuddered as those lips sucked on the bite, pulling up a painful bruise, so painful he tried to pull away. Laxus clawed at those hips to hold him down until he had a hickey that would ache all night long. Finally, with a loud pop of his lips, he raised back up and stared at his slave in satisfaction.
"That'll do it." He caressed the purple bruise, and Freed flinched in pain. "I like to see you like that, how your brow tenses up, that whine you get in the back of your throat. Fuck, if I wasn't ready to fall asleep in exhaustion, I'd fuck you all over again, rough and brutal, until you scream for me to stop."
"Laxus," he sighed, and he looked up in apology. "Too tired."
"I know," he said, and he flopped down beside him on the bed. "Me, too."
Freed curled up in his chest and kissed the rough, sharp jawline.
"Tell you what," Laxus said with utter arrogance. "When you're master of this house, we'll have one day a month: role reversal." He grinned and stroked through the green hair. "I'll be your butler. I'll call you master. Hell, I'll let you fuck me."
Freed's eyes went more massive than Laxus had ever seen them. "Wh-What!" he cried out, and his voice cracked from the shock.
"But…" Laxus laid a finger on Freed's nose to calm him down like a bad pet. "…not until you're master of this house. You're still a little brat." He chuckled and scratched the top of his head. "Which means you need an adult…" He yanked Freed in even closer, until their bodies were pressed together. "…to take care of you." He kissed him on the nose, chuckled at the cute blushing, and then let both of them lie back. Laxus sighed as his muscles loosened. He really could fall asleep down here.
Freed watched him with yearning eyes. "Laxus?"
He grunted sleepily.
He bit his lip, but boldly blurted out, "I always want you to take care of me."
Laxus looked at the ceiling. Always was a long time. Still…
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I wouldn't mind." He smiled to himself. Thoughtfully, he repeated, "I really wouldn't mind."
Seriously, what had happened to him over these past few months? He was not the same man as before, thinking love was elusive, lust was immature, forced to believe that he would never find someone who could interest him, let alone arouse him. Now, this green-haired gay man had turned someone who thought love was a myth and made him want something … always!
How arrogant could he get, thinking that! He hardly even belonged in this house, let alone as a permanent fixture in Freed's life. Laxus shook his head, wanting to shove aside that desire, that little daydream of lifelong bliss, but it kept coming back to him, sweet and heavenly. He hesitantly glanced over. There was something he wanted to say, but he couldn't. Not yet. It was too soon, way too soon.
"We should head up," he said, crushing down that dream for the moment. "People might start questioning. Wouldn't wanna have these elitists start badmouthing you. It's bad enough that you brought someone like me."
"I think that with Evergreen and her boyfriend around, you don't stand out quite so much. That guy is huge."
"He's a nice guy, that Elfman. If she decides to marry him, we'll be good brothers-in-law."
Freed cringed at the idea of his sister and that brute together, and what their children might look like. "That's a disturbing thought."
Laxus sighed silently. He thought that was one hell of a hint, mentioning being brothers-in-law, but maybe it was too subtle. He rolled over and looked straight into Freed's face over the pillows. He wanted this man … so much it burned his heart. Words failed. Actions only lasted briefly. What more was there?
Cupping Freed's cheek, hoping the emotions got through, he whispered, "Aishiteru."
Freed's mouth dropped as he blushed. "Wh-what?"
"You heard me."
Freed averted his eyes. "You know, you shouldn't say that."
Laxus' brow furrowed. "Why the hell not? Am I saying it wrong? I know it looks like 'I shitty roo' but I watched a YouTube video to hear precisely how you say it."
"No, you're pronouncing it right." Freed could hardly help but laugh. I shitty roo? And did he really go so far as to look up a video to get the pronunciation correct? That was rather sweet. "It's just, in Japanese, there are different ways to say you love someone. Normally, you should say suki desu."
"That sounds weirder than I shitty roo."
"Aishiteru … it's … it's something people normally don't say," Freed explained bashfully. "It's a really strong I love you. It's not something you say lightly."
"I never say any romantic shit lightly."
"Yeah, but…"
"Don't you think I already knew that?"
Freed jolted up. "Knew … that?"
"You're repeating me again," he scolded. Laxus looked away with a flush on his cheeks. "When I knew I wanted to tell you that I loved you, I thought to myself, love is fucked up."
"Huh?"
"Like, English has totally fucked up the word love. It's just like with fuck. In our grandparents' days, it was called 'The F-bomb.' It was something you never said unless you were pissed as hell. Now, people say fuck so much, it's more like 'The F-firecracker.' Who fucking cares if you say fuck? Same with love. I love pizza, I love horror movies, I love fast cars, you might say 'I love you' to your parents, or to old friends, or to a whole room of people when you're drunk. Love isn't strong enough. I wanted something stronger than what I say to a goddamn bartender after my tenth drink. So I looked up how to say it in French and Japanese, since you like those languages. I thought, if I said it that way, it's different, it means more. Then I read about how Japanese has two ways to say it. Well hell!" he said in frustration. "I didn't want to remember two foreign phrases. Suki desu sounded easier to say, less likely to fuck it up, but … but then I read about why there are two, that the other phrase is something stronger, deeper, something you don't say to just anyone, something you might not even say to your spouse. I thought, 'That's it! That's what English needs! Something stronger than plain old I love you.' So although it was hard as hell to remember how to say it right, I knew that was the word I wanted, because what I feel for you, Freed…" He furrowed his brow and kept his eyes down as he tried to find the right words. "…it's stronger than anything I've ever felt in my life. I've dated girls before, but I never felt like this with them. This … it's different. So, I don't think I'm wrong when I tell you…" He finally looked Freed in the eyes, and his voice dropped to a low, sensual, ardent whisper as he told him with all of his heart, "…aishiteru."
A single tear dripped down Freed's cheek as he heard Laxus' bumbling but honest words. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something back. What? I love you, too? Laxus was right. Love—the word love—was so overused, it had lost its power and impact.
Laxus smiled with understanding as he saw the hesitation and confusion on Freed's face. "I'm not good with words. For me, actions speak louder. If you can't say it the right way, show me." He reached forward and cupped Freed's cheek. "Show me, Freed."
"That's the problem," Freed whispered. "I don't think I could ever show you how much you mean to me. Sex? Kinks? BDSM? None of it is enough. I can't get enough, and can't give enough with just my body. Words, actions, gifts … nothing is enough!"
"Maybe not all at once," Laxus said with a smile. Going out on a limb, he hesitantly asked, "So how about a long-term payment?"
Freed blushed brightly. "Long … term?"
Those blue eyes gleamed at him. Laxus' hand slipped over those thin fingers and held his hand with tenderness. "Freed—"
Just then, Freed's cellphone rang. They both jumped at the tune playing.
"That's Bas' ring!" Freed exclaimed. "He rarely calls me. Oh God, don't tell me Bickslow sent one of his sex dolls flying around on helium again."
He scrambled to his pants to pull out his cellphone. Laxus put a fist to his mouth to hold back a growl of frustration.
"Bas, what is it? Huh? Oh! Um … yes, we can be up there."
Laxus was frustrated, and seeing Freed flopped sideways across the bed, lying on his stomach and talking on the phone, gave him a perfect chance to punish Freed for interrupting what he had to say. He suddenly spanked Freed hard, and the crack of his hand hitting soft flesh rang through the air. A split second later—
"Ahhhhhhh!" Freed cried out. "Dammit, Laxus! No, Bas, I … I'm f-fine." He cursed under his breath as Laxus rubbed out the sting, yet it only made the burning worse. "W-we'll be there. Yes. Yes, tell Father I'll—nnngh—I'll be right up soon. Th-thank you." He hung up the phone and spun around in anger. "What the hell was that for?"
"For choosing a phone call over me," Laxus muttered. "The butler?"
"Yes." He rubbed out tension in his forehead and calmed himself. Laxus was just punishing him, and he should be thankful it was in private, not in the middle of the party. "Dinner is ready. We should head up."
Laxus climbed off of the bed and yanked on his pants. "Good. I'm starving."
Freed slowly got dressed, but he kept wondering about what Laxus had said. A long-term payment? He watched Laxus struggle back into his suit. Freed opened his mouth to ask about it, but he figured that now was a bad time. The mood had pretty much been ruined. In the end, he kept quiet.
"Hurry up," Laxus ordered.
Freed shoved down his curiosity. If Laxus wanted to talk about it, he would when he was ready. That was just the way he was.
"Can you get dressed?"
Freed fumbled through the clothes he had peeled off so quickly. "I think I need to leave my underwear here."
"Mmm, commando, huh?" He chuckled naughtily. "I like that idea."
"Uh … I was thinking of calling Bas and having him—"
"No, like this. It'd be humiliating." His eyes hardened, and he ordered sharply, "Do it."
His breath caught in his throat. "Yes, master." He pulled his slacks on without anything underneath, slowly zipped up the pants, and tightened his belt. Freed felt the rub of the fabric right against his scrotum, and the friction made him blush.
A sadistic grin slid onto Laxus' mouth. "Good boy."
They left the room and went back up the elevator, saying nothing. Upstairs, the crowd was still milling into a massive dining hall. There were round tables for the guests, but the family sat together at a rectangular table in the center. As they entered, a maid showed them over to their seats.
Liberty was chatting with Llewellyn when they came forward. "Oh! There you two are. The main course is about to be served. Um…" She looked at Laxus with trepidation. She was no fool, she knew where Llewellyn had taken them, and especially considering how long the two were away from the party, she could guess what they must have been up to. Freed at least looked fine, although a little flushed. He was not walking weird or had any visible marks. The motherly woman laughed nervously, pushing aside her worries. "Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Ma'am … Liberty."
She smiled awkwardly and took her seat.
Freed leaned over to whisper into Laxus' ear. "Since when do you call her by her first name?"
"She wants me to call her Liberty. Anything wrong with that?"
"N-No," he muttered. "I just thought calling her ma'am sounded kind of … nice and formal."
"Well, she doesn't want it." He smirked as Freed began to sip a glass of water. "I offered to call her Mom."
Freed choked again on liquid. "Laxus!" All he got was a hearty laugh and bemused smile. In front of all these guests, Freed had to hide his cough with a napkin. "So, that's what you meant earlier about marriage."
"Yeah, I teased her about that. She didn't too much like the sound of it."
Freed glanced to where his mother was giving some directions to the waiters. "Oh," he said sadly. So, his father gave them his blessing, but his mother was not completely accepting of this, at least not to that degree.
"Like I give a fuc- … ngh, care…" he said louder, trying to choke back the profanity. "Oh fucking hell, if I wanna fucking cuss, I'll fucking cuss."
Elfman overheard his grumbles and declared, "Manly!"
Laxus grinned up at the hulking man. "Go to hell."
Elfman just laughed raucously, glad someone else around here was not all stuck up about social appearances.
"You and Elfman are getting along," Freed noted, and Laxus just shrugged. "So, um…" He leaned over close and whispered while glancing across the table to his sister and her massive boyfriend. "Have you noticed?"
"Huh?"
"About Elfman."
"What?"
Freed looked left and right, then cupped both hands to make sure no one heard him. "He used to go to the club."
Laxus' eyes widened, he pulled back, and he barely refrained from bellowing, "What?"
"Yeah, I think he was a guy in the club. His name … well, what I called him was 'Beast Man' but … that's him."
Laxus gawked over at Evergreen and Elfman. "Oh God, your sister is dating a gay man."
"Well, he might be bisexual."
"Probably is." Just like him, huh? Then something horrible dawned on Laxus. "Oh shit, does he recognize me?"
"You're probably going to go through life wondering that, aren't you?"
"Yeah, probably." It would be a curse, wondering if he would meet up with any club members or, even worse, more clients. "I don't think he remembers," he decided. "Maybe he was watching someone else." Laxus gave a slight shrug. "Maybe he just wanted to be a dancer."
Freed turned quickly at him in horror. "Okay, that's even more disturbing."
Laxus cringed. "Yeah, okay, we're not gonna think that."
"Nope."
"All right … ugh, he's staring at me." Elfman gave Laxus a tip of his glass in salute, and the thunder god awkwardly nodded back. "Oh God, he's gonna remember me, isn't he?"
Elfman's face twisted up in thought. "Hey, do I know you?"
Laxus inwardly groaned, but he casually replied for everyone else, "I'm an electrician. Maybe I worked on your … lights, or something."
"Ah, okay." Elfman turned back to a conversation down the table.
Laxus let out a quiet sigh. "He's an idiot, that's good."
Elfman suddenly choked on his drink and cried out. While Evergreen patted his back, cooing like he was an overgrown child, Elfman gazed up in horror at Laxus. His scarred face dropped many shades.
Freed rubbed out his forehead. "And he just figured it out," he whispered to himself.
"You—!"
Laxus' eyes narrowed. The two large men gazed at one another, a whole world of secrets passing between them. Silently, they understood one another. They had their secret kinks, but they also had their personal lives.
"Manly," Elfman said cautiously.
Laxus gave him an affirmative nod. "Ditto."
Elfman looked aside as he repeated, "Manly." Then both he and Laxus grabbed for their wineglasses at the same time, as if to toast the secret both hid.
"Oh God," Freed groaned. "Okay, this is just way too bizarre—"
"BABIES!"
"And there goes Bickslow…"
"The babies are flying!" he cried out, staring around the room.
Laxus laughed at the good break in tension. "That must be a hell of an acid trip."
Although between sitting next to a stripper, sitting across from a guy dating his sister but also moonlighting at a gay bar, and his little brother doped on something strong might have made this the worst Christmas ever, Freed could only laugh.
"Oh God, I've got the most screwed up family."
Laxus reached over to place his hand on Freed's leg, worried about the chaos, but instead he saw his angelic green lover smiling as if this was the best Christmas party ever.
"You know, between everything else, you and I … we're not that weird in this family."
Laxus scoffed at that. "What? Just because we're gay? I think your brother is the weird one."
They both watched as the butler stabbed a syringe into Bickslow. Slowly, he stopped insisting that tiki dolls were flying around, and the tiki dolls were his babies. Instead, he stared off into space silently.
"My brother needs some serious detox," Freed muttered, knowing it was back into rehab for his wild brother.
Once Bickslow's maniacal laughter had stopped and he appeared to be sedated enough, the staff hurried forward with food and wine. A platter was set in front of Laxus with ham, green beans, and roasted potatoes. On smaller plates were a dinner roll and some brown lump he did not recognize, but it smelled like nutmeg and raisins.
"Well, the food looks normal … mostly." He frowned at the nutmeg lump. Seriously, what the hell was that? Why did it have a plate all to itself? That seemed dubious to Laxus.
"It's a Christmas dinner. What'd you expect?"
"How the fuck should I know?" He cringed as Liberty glared at him for cursing. "Hell … dammit … How should I know?" Under his breath, he grumbled, "Shit." He really could not hold back his mouth sometimes.
"Shall we all say grace?" Liberty asked as if she had heard nothing from him.
Everyone else bowed their heads, so Laxus did too, noticing that Elfman looked equally confused about this formality.
Llewellyn said a prayer over the food, blessing it and all who ate it. Meanwhile, Laxus poked the mysterious blob and sucked on his finger, wondering what it was. It was sweet, and he thought he tasted rum, so it had to be good. Freed elbowed him, and Laxus saw his eyes partly open, glaring over and shaking his head. Laxus pouted and sulked through the prayer that lasted way too long for his likes.
Like that man had any right to pray to a god that forbade adultery! Still, it was nice to see a glimpse into Freed's upbringing. Family dinners, saying grace: no wonder he was such a good kid.
"Amen!" the gathering said, and Laxus jolted that finally it had ended. Then came clattering silverware and the sounds of eating. Laxus kept looking down at his plate, but he did not touch anything.
Freed looked over in worry. "Are you going to eat?"
Laxus gazed back and forth around his place-setting. "Which fork do I use?" he asked quietly with determination not to shame himself anymore.
Freed laughed at such a simple problem. "Pick one. Like anyone cares."
"No, there's like a way you do this, right? I've seen this in movies. You start on the inside and work out, or the outside and work in. Something like that."
Freed reached over and picked up a utensil. "Try this one."
"Okay, cool. What's that called?"
"It's called a fork."
Laxus slid a glare over at him and whispered, "Fuck you."
Freed laughed and reached under the table to squeeze Laxus' thigh. "It doesn't matter. Maybe if we were entertaining the President, yeah, but for a family dinner, no one cares."
"What?" Laxus gawked. "You guys have dined with the President?"
"No, I'm just saying."
"Oh God, don't scare me like that." It was bad enough knowing he was dining with some of the richest men in the region. Laxus took his fork and poked the brown lump. "Seriously, what the hell is this?"
Freed looked over in confusion. "Christmas pudding."
"Okay, but what's in it?"
He chuckled softly. "You've never had Christmas pudding?"
Laxus glared over. "I'm Jewish."
Freed's eyes widened. "Oh shoot! Do we need to get you something other than ham? Bas! Turkey over here instead of ham!"
"No, it's fine. I'm not that Jewish."
"No, it's not a problem. Trust me, there are lots Jews at parties like this. I just forgot to warn Mom."
Liberty perked up. "Something the matter, dear?"
Freed clasped his hands together to apologize. "I forgot to mention that Laxus is Jewish."
"Oh dear!" she exclaimed quietly. "The ham. I'm so sorry."
Laxus cringed. "Really, it's not that big of a deal."
Bas came forward with a plate made almost exactly the same way, but with turkey instead of ham. He swiftly took away the offending plate.
"That food had better not go to waste," Laxus grumbled with a glare at the retreating servant.
"Don't worry," Liberty assured him. "We give all extra food to the shelter. That meal will go to a needy child."
"Oh. Okay," he said awkwardly. "I guess that's good." He looked down at the plate. "So again, what the hell is this pudding?"
"Raisins, suet, treacle, rum, bunch of spices. It's really good."
Laxus took a bite and tested it. "Yeah, not bad."
"Honestly," Freed confessed softly, "it's the only thing my mom made herself. She insists upon it every year. It's an old tradition going back generations. All of us kids help, too. We each take turns stirring, and we make a wish as we stir. It's silly, I know, but it's tradition."
"You helped out? But you haven't been back home in months."
Freed nodded down to the pudding. "That was made six months ago."
Laxus coughed and almost vomited into his napkin.
"No, seriously, it's fine," Freed chuckled, passing him some water. "That's how it's made. It has so much alcohol in it, the pudding can last up to a year."
"That's sick!"
"It's good. It's like cheese or wine; it has to age."
"I'm not eating it," he sneered in disgust.
"…Oh." Freed frowned and looked down at his plate.
Laxus saw the sadness. He had hurt Freed's feelings. "You … you helped, huh?" he muttered.
Freed muttered, "I just tossed in some raisins and stirred."
"While making a wish?"
Quietly, Freed nodded.
"What'd you wish for?"
He glanced up, and under the table, his foot rubbed against Laxus' ankle. "That I would find someone to love."
Laxus' mouth opened slightly, stunned at the wish. Six months ago, Freed was still a bashful audience member hiding in the shadows of a strip club, watching but too nervous to speak. Now, here they were, sharing the holidays together.
Hesitantly, Laxus tried another bite. "It's really good."
Freed blushed with joy. "That's great. Although, you're eating it with the dinner fork and not the dessert spoon."
Laxus set the fork down. "Oh for fuck's sake!"
"No, it's fine."
"Seriously, which one do I use for this?"
"Small spoon on the top."
"Sheesh, there's silverware everywhere: left side, right side, top of the plate. This is screwed up."
"It's not a big deal."
"It is! I don't want to look like an idiot here." He grumbled under his breath. "I feel intimidated as hell, just so you know."
"Relax. It's just Christmas dinner with the family."
Laxus paused and looked around. Llewellyn was smiling to Liberty, wearing the mask of a perfectly loving husband. Liberty took dainty bites of the ham and graciously accepted any compliments, as if she had been the one who prepared the entire feast. Evergreen was apparently also explaining utensils to Elfman, and the poor guy looked like he might accidentally bend the dessert spoon. Bickslow was licking the raisin and nutmeg mush off of his spoon.
"With the family," Laxus repeated softly, glancing around as he realized he had just been accepted into the Justine family. "Heh," he laughed, blinking his eyes before tears gathered. "Crazy."
Freed squeezed his knee again. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He smiled down to Freed. "Your family is pretty cool."
Freed looked around at his parents and siblings. "Yeah. I guess I got lucky."
Laxus kept looking at Freed. A family! One day, Freed would be master of this mansion. One day, it would be him saying grace. An hour ago, Laxus felt like there was no way in the world that he could live this sort of life.
Now … maybe he could.
Maybe it would be nice to host a party, chat with Freed's coworkers, and stir the Christmas pudding together six months ahead of time. It would be nice to exchange gifts, Hanukkah and Christmas together, take strolls through the snow, and sit by the fire while watching old black-and-white Christmas movies.
Hell … it would be nice to be part of a real family again.
"Laxus?"
He jolted at Liberty's voice and looked to the head of the table, worried that maybe he grabbed the wrong fork again, or dabbed his napkin to his lips improperly, or held his wineglass without his pinkie raised, or who knows what sorts of issues it could be. Instead, she had a gentle smile.
"Are you enjoying your time here?"
He glanced around the room, then down at Freed, who was in a conversation about French politics with Evergreen, sounding as sophisticated as a gentleman should. Maybe he was not born into this lifestyle, but Laxus wanted to be part of this family.
"Yes, ma'am," he smiled back at Liberty. "I'm enjoying it. You have a lovely home and a great family."
She smiled genteelly and told him, "You're welcome to come back any time, but only if you call me Liberty and not ma'am." She grinned sweetly at him.
Maybe it was just standard politeness, but those words struck deeply into Laxus' heart. Here was a home where he was welcomed. "Thank you." He had to blink his eyes dry again. "Thank you very much."
She lifted her glass to him. "Happy holidays."
Laxus tipped his wineglass and replied, "And a prosperous New Year!"
He smiled reflectively as he remembered his own mother and how she would toast at special dinners. Now here was a woman who—maybe—could be a second mother to him. Laxus clinked his glass against hers, then with Llewellyn, and finally with Freed. Those turquoise eyes turned up to his and twinkled, as if Freed fully understood what this all meant. The family had accepted Laxus.
"Merry Christmas, Laxus," he said joyfully.
He reached over and boldly laid his hand over those thin fingers. "I'm glad I can spend it with you."
Freed blushed and dropped his gaze.
Laxus leaned into his ear. "You have no idea how tempted I am to kiss you."
Freed coyly glanced up. "You have no idea how tempted I am to accept it."
Laxus laughed quietly and squeezed Freed's hand. What an incredible end to the year!
Next Chapter: "Passing Storm"
A/N: There is a voice recording of this chapter: chirb.it/P4ADFz (Bonus points to anyone who can name Bas' cellphone ringtone.)
Suki desu – I like you. (The most common form of expressing love in Japanese.)

Aishiteru – I love you. (Soul mate to-death-do-we-part way of saying it, very rare.)
Christmas pudding – I found it hilarious when my Jewish husband first saw Christmas pudding, or plum pudding as it's called in the some regions (although plums are never used...ask a Brit why they call it that). It's especially funny when people find out it was made a month, six months, or even a year in advance. Christmas pudding has to age, soak in the alcohol, and gets sweeter as it sets.
Jews and ham – I was stunned when someone asked me what's wrong with Laxus eating ham. I guess Jewish customs are not well known in other countries (lots of Jews in this part of America, so we're used to the idea of kosher food). In Jewish dietary laws, it is forbidden to eat pork, hare, reptiles, insects, amphibians, or shellfish (lobsters, oysters, shrimp, octopus, clams, crabs, etc.) as well as many other forbidden foods, or ways food is prepared. Whole books exist detailing kosher eating. Despite this, not all Jews eat kosher. I was stunned as hell when my Jewish in-laws baked a ham. My mother-in-law just laughed and said, "We're not that Jewish." So the idea that Laxus, who is Jewish by birth but not really religious, would be generally okay with eating ham is pretty normal in my experience, but so is hosting a large party with a special kosher meal aimed specifically for Jewish friends.
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