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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
- 20
- 21
- 22
Chapter 21
Passing Storm
It was a gentle Spring day, flowered and breezy. Gone were the snows and cold rain, yet students looked graver in the sunshine as finals and graduation approached. Freed had gone grocery shopping, and he picked up an apartment rental magazine from the store. As he walked, instead of reading Nietzsche or Machiavelli, he browsed for a place to live once he was done with school.
He could always move back into his old home, but his mother had moved to Paris shortly after announcing their divorce to the rest of the family, and his father … Freed could not be around his father for long anymore. It was too awkward. Besides, he wanted more independence before taking over that large house and the family business. He had insisted that he would start working after graduation in a junior level, the same as anyone else. He needed the rest of the company to know that he was worthy when one day the business landed in his hands.
So he looked at apartments close to the company's headquarters. He had discussed this with Laxus, of course. Freed finally did go over to Laxus' apartment, and he demanded that he get out of that tenement as soon as possible. Maybe he was a little forceful, even whiny and sounded scared just to be there. He was not used to a place that looked dirty and felt dangerous, with graffiti outside and rats inside. He was getting used to it after he realized that, despite the building's poor condition, Laxus lived in a clean room and was respected by his neighbors. Still, they had talked about it and decided to move in together whenever Freed found a place to live that suited them both.
He crossed a few streets, walked into Laxus' dingy tenement, up a flight of stairs with flickering neon lights, and pulled out a spare key to Laxus' place. Freed felt the hallways were too narrow, the walls were bare cement, and the water pressure was weak. It was home to Laxus though, and he thought it was an improvement. If this was a step up from his last apartment, Freed dreaded to know just how bad that one had been.
He walked into the room and grinned at the blond hunched over the dining table big enough for only two.
"Hey!" he cried out. "Happy Passover, or whatever you're supposed to say," he chuckled. "I got potatoes for that kugel recipe I found online. I thought we could make that for the holiday."
"Passover was yesterday," Laxus muttered.
"It's not an eight-day thing like Hanukkah? Oh. Well, the meal yesterday was pretty weird. Traditional foods, I get it," he quickly added, not wanting to seem rude and culturally derisive, "but I really don't think I like horseradish. It didn't agree with my stomach. What was that meal called again?" He set the grocery bags down and looked over when Laxus said nothing nor got up to help him like he normally did. "Hello? Helloooo! Earth calling Laxus," he teased, but still no response. "Do you have your headphones on again? You'll go deaf, y'know."
Freed walked over to the dining table. Laxus had a glass out and a bottle of Blue Label half empty. His headphones were off, cast aside haphazardly, as if thrown in anger. Freed's brow furrowed at the tense silence.
"Hey," he tried again, softer and starting to worry. "Are you okay?"
All he got was a grunt.
Freed left the groceries on the counter and sat next to Laxus. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Something at work?" He glared jealously. "Did some jerk hit on you again?"
"N-no," Laxus muttered. He stared solemnly at the glass and its amber liquid.
Freed placed a hand on his back. "Come on, Laxus. What happened?"
After a long and heavy silence, Laxus gulped the scotch and set the glass aside. "Freed, you know I love you, right?"
"Yeah…" he said hesitantly. "Uh, w-why?"
He waited nervously for more, for bad news, some horrible thing that was about to happen. Instead, after a long and worrisome silence, Laxus suddenly looked up and smiled as if nothing was wrong.
"How about we go out tonight?"
"Out?"
"Yeah, like out to dinner. It'll make up for the whole Passover seder. You obviously weren't too thrilled with the food," he laughed tensely.
"O-okay," he muttered. "Laxus…"
The blond stood and stormed off. "I've gotta get ready," he said brusquely.
"Lax-…" In a flash, he was gone. Freed's heart sank. Something horrible was up, and he wanted to know just how bad it would be. "Laxus," he whispered, shaking as he feared that maybe…
Maybe this was it.
It was a nice restaurant, chandeliers in a vaulted ceiling, candles on the tables, waiters in tuxedos, a prodigy cello player accompanied by a man on a grand piano, the sort of place that had a menu just for the wines. Laxus wore the same suit he donned at Christmas, the only truly formal clothes he owned. Freed did not really dress up, but his usual outfit was good enough for this place. He gazed around, taking in the ambiance and idle chatter of society's well-off.
"Nice place," he said. "A rather big step up from our usual." Laxus' idea of fine dining was a Denny's, or a really fancy restaurant for him was when they ate at whatever local Italian restaurant had a coupon. It was the first time they had come to a place like this. Laxus usually scoffed at these sorts of restaurants.
"I figured I could treat you once in a while," Laxus said casually. "This is more of the type of restaurant you were used to growing up, right? Good family, good food." He sliced into the filet mignon he had ordered and ate a forkful.
Freed looked down at his salmon and rice pilaf, then up to Laxus. He had kept quiet and nervous all through deciding the food, appetizers, the first courses, and now the main meal. He could barely stomach anything with his insides all in knots. Freed set his fork down and look up with firm, turquoise eyes.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked sternly.
Laxus looked up. Once in a while, the aristocrat came out, and Freed showed he was a man you did not want to mess with. Laxus chewed slowly, swallowed, sipped down some wine—a little too much to be proper—and braced himself for the inevitable conversation. Just as he began to open his mouth, something changed and he bit his lip in anguish. Suddenly, he laughed to himself.
"Y'know … Christmas … I told your mom something. I was … t-teasing her," he said, and his words stumbled. His Adam's apple suddenly jolted as he swallowed back emotions and blinked his eyes rapidly. "Goddammit!" he hissed as the emotions deluged him.
Freed reached across the table and laid his hands over shaking fingers. "Laxus," he whispered.
"I … n-no…" He yanked his hand away, wiped an eye, and continued with a more steady voice. "I was teasing her. I said I could call her mom. I assured her I was just yankin' her chain." He laughed awkwardly. His eyes saddened, and thoughtfully he went on. "I … I told her … you deserved better. Better than me." He smiled in anguish and shook his head as he thought about the ridiculousness of it all. Why was he even here, in a restaurant like this, with a man whose family made more money in one month than Laxus would make in his lifetime? "God, Freed! You're an heir to a fortune. You could hook up with anyone."
"But I'm not…"
"I don't mean marry some chick," he assured quickly. "I mean, seriously! There's gotta be some rich guy who would want you. Someone good. Someone kind." He dropped his head and a tear slipped out. Almost too quiet to hear, he muttered, "Not me."
"Laxus!" Freed exclaimed, barely holding back from shouting. "Laxus, don't say that."
Those electric blue eyes gazed up mournfully. "I told her you deserve someone better, and you really do."
Tears dripped down Freed's face, yet when he spoke, his voice was somehow firm, demanding an honest answer. "Are you breaking up with me?"
Laxus held his gaze and replied quietly, "That depends."
"On what?" Freed yelled, but he quickly dropped his voice. "Just tell me. Is this some test? Do I have to do something? Pick my family or you?"
"No! No, I would never make you pick like that."
"Then tell me. Just … just tell me." His voice faded in frailness. "How do I keep you?"
Laxus firmed up. "It'll be your call."
Freed's brow crunched. "What do you mean?"
"I'm leaving," he explained curtly. Horror filled Freed's gaze, so Laxus quickly corrected himself. "I'm not leaving you." His fist tensed up as he pursed his lips. "Look, Freed…" A long pause followed, with only the cello music and clamor of silverware on plates. Darkly, Laxus told him the truth. "They found my dad."
The tears stopped, his heart seemed to freeze for a few seconds, and Freed felt a bone-aching chill. The words "Oh my God" slipped out while a shiver tingled down his spine.
"He's in Greece. I'm heading out there. I got a call from INTERPOL of all places, telling me … don't! They know I've been independently hunting after him. The guy on the phone said not to go, don't make it worse, don't get involved, it's not my fight. But I'm going out there. I don't care what I have to do, fake passport or what, but I'm going." His teeth clenched. "I need to find that bastard before anyone else does. I'm close to him. Real close! My P.I. knows the exact hotel he's staying in." His eyes sparked with rage. "I wanna get there first."
Freed listened, but it felt like a horrific dream. He knew Laxus was still funding a private investigator. He rarely truly thought about it, what this obsessive years-long manhunt meant. Now he understood.
"You're going to kill him," he whispered, just a wisp of fear that never reached anyone but Laxus.
The blond gave a slow nod. "You can't be my boyfriend when I do that." He snuffed up emotions. "You can't be…" His fist tensed again, and his throat tightened until veins stood out. "You can't be tied to me in any way. Not when I do that."
Freed felt his world spinning. He suddenly understood how Laxus felt on transportation, sick and dizzy and wanting it all to end. But this was not ending. It was just beginning.
"You might not get caught," he said desperately. "You could make it back. No one would know. No one but me."
Laxus' lips quivered as he looked up with bloodshot eyes. "Would you want me back, knowing what I did?"
Freed smiled and reached over again to squeeze that shaking fist. "I knew from the beginning that you wanted to do this. I'll admit, it kept me up some nights, especially at the beginning, wondering if … if you did this … could I still love you?" He let out a sadly emotional laugh and shrugged. "That's a hell of a question," he confessed. "Still, you told me from the very start what your plans were, and … and I fell for you anyway."
He pulled back, took his napkin, and dabbed his eyes. Laxus watched in silence, waiting for Freed's decision. He may be the master, but anything he did was only at the consent of his beloved slave. Even this, he wanted to know what Freed's opinion was. Laxus knew for some time now, the next step in their relationship, getting through this inevitable moment, was in part up to Freed.
Like a switch, the aristocrat was back, and Freed raised his head firmly. His eyes were red, his face blotched from wiping aside tears, but those eyes held determination.
"Go do what you have to do," he stated, his voice still trembling, but no hesitancy in his demeanor. "Promise me this, though. If anyone comes, and they're about to catch you, get the hell out of there! Don't be stubborn about it. Don't let them catch you. Don't … d-don't…"
The strength of that emotional dam broke. For a second, all the ugly pain showed on his face before he covered it with the napkin. His sobs brought over some attention, but people only looked briefly before politely turning away.
Laxus ached to hear the sobs. He reached over and squeezed Freed's shoulder while whispering his name. He wished there was some other way, but he had been waiting for this opportunity half of his life.
"Don't … let them … catch you … in the act," Freed said through the napkin. "Come back to me. I know you have this deep desire … r-revenge … on your father," Freed sobbed out. He yanked the cloth away and glared up. "But if you get there and you don't have time for all the … the torture you have planned for him," he struggled, "you do what you have to do, and get the hell out of there. Okay?"
"Yeah," Laxus promised seriously.
"Promise me!"
"I promise. If things get bad, I'll end it."
Freed nodded, knowing Laxus was a man who kept his promises. He would come back. He was sure of it. "How long will you be gone?"
"That depends on him."
Laxus' words were cryptic at first, but Freed quickly realized what he meant. It depended on how long Ivan Dreyar could survive Laxus' slow torture. Freed shivered at the mental image haunting his brain, a faceless man, someone he had never personally met, tied up, bloody, with Laxus covered in splattered blood, rage in his eyes. It all came down to how long Ivan could last, and how slowly Laxus tortured him.
Emotionlessly, Laxus said, "My estimate: two months. If I'm really good at it: a year. I won't do it for more than a year," he promised. "Is that okay?"
This was like any torture scene between them. Laxus said what he wanted to do, but he always asked Freed, "Is that okay?" And just like always, Freed braced himself for the pain and nodded in consent.
"Yeah. That's okay."
Laxus nodded firmly. It was a pact between them now. "Tell everyone you know that we broke up. Everyone! Your roommate, all of your friends, your parents, anyone who knew you and I were together. Tell them all."
"But—"
"This is just in case," Laxus said sternly. "Just in case … if the worst happens, I don't want you tied to me. You can't be. It'd ruin your whole family."
"I understand," Freed said calmly. He knew too well, someone in his position had to think about social standing. If it became known that the son of a powerful business magnate was the gay lover to a patricidal murderer, it would destroy their corporation.
"This is just temporary," Laxus insisted. "If you want me back…" Laxus sneered as his throat clenched again. Dammit, he hated the burning in his eyes! "I don't want to leave you, really, but I've gotta do this. I've been waiting my whole life."
"No, I get it," Freed said. He gave Laxus a nod, then picked up his fork and ate a bite of salmon.
Laxus gazed down at his beef, but he felt too sickened to eat. "Dammit," he growled softly. He picked up the bottle of wine, poured more, and drank the whole glass.
"Laxus," Freed said softly. Stern eyes blazed up, and in that voice that held command, he laid down one stipulation. "Don't change!"
Laxus was confused. "Huh?"
"When you do that, and when you come back, don't be a different person. That's what scares me the most. Up until now, it's just been planning what you want. Just plans! When you carry it out … they say something like that—killing a man—can change a person."
He took a calming breath as the fears rippled through him. It really was his biggest fear. Laxus was a sadist, but up until now he had never been cruel. He did only what other people wanted. This would be different. When he faced Ivan, there would be no safewords, no asking if he was okay, no sympathy at all. Just murderous hatred.
Freed had to brace himself to say more. "So, when you come back, don't be different. Don't let it change you. If you think it's changing you … stop it! Just stop. Don't take it too far. Don't turn into something you're not." His voice quieted, but his smile was hopeful. "I want my master, not a monster."
Laxus held those strong but lithe fingers in his massive, rough hands. "I promise that, and I promise I'll come back to you as soon as this is over."
Freed squeezed his hand back with happiness chasing away the fears. "Okay," he nodded.
"I might miss your graduation."
"I … I know." He had been hoping Laxus could be there, but if he was going to be gone even just two months, the Spring semester would be over.
"Keep looking for a place to live," Laxus went on. "Make sure it's big enough for two people."
Freed smiled sadly. "I … was going to tell you. I found a place."
"Already? But you've been looking at those renter magazines every day."
"I didn't want you to know yet. I wanted to surprise you, so I pretended like I was still searching. It's near my dad's company, it has a hot tub in the apartment, a balcony, the walls are thick—I made sure to ask, and the manager said they're nearly soundproof—they even allow pets in case you want to get a cat someday. I signed it, and I move in on the first."
"Before graduation?" he asked in concern.
"To be honest, I can't study with Loke bringing girls over every weekend. I need my own place away from him. I'll be all moved in by the time you come back." He sniffled sadly. "I'll make sure I have a spare key waiting for you."
He had wanted to move in first and surprise Laxus. He wanted to spend his first night in that apartment with Laxus making love to him. Now, the place would be empty. He would live by himself. Freed had never lived alone in his life, and the thought of it was scary. That large apartment, all alone, always thinking about him … it would be so lonely.
"Laxus," he whispered in tears, but he did not know what to say. He could not ask him to give up a lifelong pursuit that he had worked awful jobs and endured old men groping him to pay for the investigator, all for this moment, to beat INTERPOL and nab his father first, to get his revenge and release years of hatred onto that man who used his own son as a science experiment. Freed knew he could not ask Laxus not to go…
Because if he did, Laxus would stay, and then Freed would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
Laxus saw the loneliness and knew what Freed must be thinking. However, like with BDSM, he waited for the safeword. This time, the words to say to make it all stop were simple: Don't go!
And Freed never said it. Laxus waited, but Freed knew he could endure the pain. He could let go so long as he knew Laxus would come back.
"Let's finish eating," Laxus said quietly. "Then I'm going to take you home. I'm going to show you how much I love you," he whispered ardently, quiet enough so no one else could hear. "Nothing kinky this time. Just you and me."
Nothing kinky. They would make love like normal people, gently and filled with tenderness. The tears spilled over Freed's eyelids, but he nodded happily. Before leaving, he wanted to show Laxus just how much he loved him, an intensity so vast, kinks and words and actions could never encompass it all … but it could come close.
Kisses lingered, electrifying and moist, while hands touched so tenderly that he had to hold himself back from begging for more. He knew more would not come. Roughness was forbidden. Laxus had insisted upon that much.
Instead, his body was caressed as if those hands were mapping out every detail, and the tongue that sometimes slid into his mouth savored the tastes with low hums.
"Laxus," Freed moaned. A kiss fell softly upon his lips. "You've never been this gentle."
"Of course I have," he said, kissing Freed's mouth from every angle.
"No you haven't," he insisted with a chuckle. Laxus had the same dominant voice as always despite the tenderness.
"Sure I have," Laxus said between kisses. "Our first time."
Freed hummed in pleasure. "Not like this."
Laxus smirked as he kissed him some more. "Shut up, Greenie."
Freed chuckled at the old nickname and wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders. If Laxus was going to touch him everywhere, he wanted to touch back.
They clung to one another, just kissing and touching, nothing wild or urgent. They were savoring every second. One of the kisses lasted longer, a sense of shared emotional pain that usurped any physical pain of the past. Minutes lingered with just their lips pressed together, no tongue, no groping, just a simple kiss that never wanted to stop. When finally Laxus pulled up, he looked stunned. He honestly had never kissed a person that long before. Freed also looked surprised. Laxus had never kissed him quite like that. It took his breath away.
"Freed?" He wanted to speak, but his throat was dry. Even after gulping, he felt his words stick. "You're incredible," Laxus sighed, and he dived down, a rougher kiss now with a moist tongue, as if giving Freed the liquid to speak again.
Instead, the green-haired man only moaned.
"I want to make love to you now," Laxus whispered passionately. "I wanna do it like normal people."
Freed scoffed softly. "Who says I want to be normal?"
"Shut up and let me do it how I want," Laxus snapped. "Before it all goes to hell, I … I just wanna try normal."
Freed understood the unspoken words. Before he became a killer, Laxus wanted a taste of what his life might have been like if he had never set on this path.
"Okay," he agreed, willing to give up kinks for a night if that was what Laxus wanted.
Laxus kissed him with a thankful smile, pulled up, and yanked off his shirt.
"C-can I ask something?" Freed questioned nervously as he fumbled with his shirt buttons.
"Sure," Laxus said, undoing his belt and pulling down the zipper on his pants.
Freed watched. No strip show. No wild ripping off each other's clothes. Just casually getting naked. Was this how normal people did it?
"Well?"
Freed jolted before speaking. "I know that, up to this point, you've been using BDSM mostly to train yourself. Consensual torture to prepare yourself for real torture," he muttered. "For … revenge."
Laxus stood to pull off his pants and looked down with wary eyes. Freed's hands had forgotten about the clothes and were twisting together nervously.
"Will you still … um … want stuff like that?"
Want BDSM? At the moment, he told himself that of course he wanted it. A part of him wanted to hogtie Freed to his bed and ravage him until he screamed so loud, he got evicted from the tenement and maybe someone would call the cops on him. One last huzzah before leaving this dump. However, Freed asked a good question.
"I don't know," he answered truthfully.
Freed lowered his head. "Oh," he whispered.
"I've been like this for so long, but I don't know if I'll necessarily still need it. I'm not even sure if, after it's over … maybe I won't even want it."
Freed jolted and looked up. Not want it? Then again, after going to that extreme, there was the possibility that Laxus would not be able to stand the sound of someone screaming in pain.
"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "After I deal with him, I may not ever want to touch a whip again. Or it might be, after it's over, I can enjoy it more. I can finally stop thinking 'How would I do this to my dad?' Maybe I won't need it as much, or maybe I'll crave it more than ever before. I honestly have no idea how this is going to affect me."
"I understand. I mean, I guess this is pretty serious."
Laxus looked down sternly. "Do you have any idea what I'm about to do?"
"You're about to kill a man. I know that," he cringed. "I'm not saying I like it, but I know you need to. For your own sanity, you need to get over this. It's eaten away at you for too long. This revenge, it's what you've lived for all these years. It's what's kept you alive, kept you going forward. It's the most important thing for you, and I get that."
Laxus gave him a soulful gaze of sadness. The most important thing? He wanted to protest that, except…
… except, he was leaving Freed to chase after that bastard, breaking his boyfriend's heart, all for his desire for revenge. He wanted to tell himself that Freed was the most important thing, yet all it took was one email. He had not even questioned whether or not he would fly off to Greece and do this. He knew, and nothing, not even Freed begging and crying for him to stay, would have stopped him in the end.
Laxus dropped his gaze soberly. "Yeah," he muttered, feeling awful deep inside.
He wished he was a better man than this, but … he wasn't! The fact that he had bought a plane ticket before even telling Freed showed that he wasn't worthy of calling Freed the most important thing in his life. Not yet. Not until the years of anger finally left his heart and set free his soul from all the anguish. It was the only way Freed could fully own his heart.
"Undress," he commanded softly.
He continued with pulling down his boxers. He was not erect yet. Would he even be able to get hard? He had not thought about that, but up until now it was only hearing Freed crying out in lusty need and in pain that made him rise to attention. Could he even make love normally? He wanted to think that some part of him did not have to rely on delivering pain all the time. Some part of him had to be gentle, tender, and not sadistic.
He watched as Freed pulled off his shirt. Laxus reached down and rubbed his biceps, feeling the sinewy muscles move as Freed continued with his pants and underwear. When he tugged off his socks as well, Freed gazed up. He was stiff, ready to go. Knowing him, he had probably been erect from the first kiss. Laxus wondered if he would find pleasure that easily after this was over.
"Lie back," he ordered. Freed dropped backwards onto the pillows, and Laxus slowly followed him down. "I just want to touch you for now," he said, and he reached down, stroking that eager length. Freed seemed to brace himself for more, but the hand on him stroked slowly. "Just like this," Laxus whispered. "Just gentle."
Freed looked up into those deep blue eyes, seeing such intensity in them, as if Laxus could peer into his thoughts and read every desire. He felt more than naked under those electric eyes. Suddenly, he shivered.
"What?" Laxus teased. "Do you actually like it gentle?"
Freed blushed. "M-maybe sometimes."
Laxus chuckled deviously. "Maybe you just like me touching you no matter what I do."
Freed moaned as the fingers stroked down. "Can't deny that." Laxus' hand squeezed just a little tighter, but that subtle change made Freed groan.
"Going slow like this, I can figure out exactly what you like." He stroked up and gave a faint twist right as the foreskin covered the head. Freed whimpered and his fists gripped the sheets. "Like that," Laxus chuckled slyly. "I'll have to remember that maneuver." He did it again, a firm stroke down, then pulling up with a twist at the end.
Freed felt heat pooling deep inside him, but Laxus went so slowly, it just built, more and more, hotter and deeper, sinking into him. He whimpered Laxus' name over and over, and each time the blond caught his breath a little.
"Laxus … La- … ahhh … -axus! Laxus!"
"Quiet," he ordered in a low voice. "Say my name gently."
Freed opened his eyes in confusion, but he realized that he had been vocally tensing up. He let out a sigh and gazed straight into those pale eyes. Warmly and with all the love he could convey, he spoke two syllables: "Laxus."
That hardened face looked like it could melt. "Freed," he murmured. Laxus leaned over and kissed the beauty mark on Freed's cheek. "I don't want to go." His other hand stroked over Freed's cheek in anguish. "I really don't want to leave you."
Freed gave an understanding smile. "But you need to," he replied.
"Yeah," Laxus whispered brusquely. "I've gotta do this."
He needed to. He had waited his whole life for this day. He had chased that bastard for so long. But now…
Now…
He used to look at his future and thought no further than getting revenge and doling out pain to that bastard who donated half of his DNA to bring him to life, a man unworthy of being called a father. He figured he could spend years slowly slicing and whipping and just watching him suffer the same torment Laxus had endured as a child.
Now when Laxus looked at his future, he saw these eyes under him gazing back, a smile, the green hair that always fell over one eye, a home together, happiness. These were things he never thought he could have. Just a few months ago, Laxus lived for training himself to be the perfect torturer. Now, he wanted to learn how to be a perfect lover.
Emotions swelled. His scar tensed as his face strained to hold back tears. He used to never cry. Never! This green-haired angel changed him so much.
"I love you!" he declared hastily as he forced his lips down, kissing Freed roughly, desperately, craving all he could get before his life changed again.
Freed groaned as his lips were bitten, sucked, and bruised with fierce passion that could no longer be kept at bay. Like a storm, it all broke and poured out. Those muscular hips thrust up against him, and he could feel Laxus beginning to get harder.
"Love you so much!" Laxus growled. His hands went up, clawing into Freed's chest, claiming him with scratches right over the nipples.
Freed moaned in pain, then suddenly cried out as Laxus' fingertips pinched, tugged, and teased his nipples. "N-no … ahhhn … L-Laxus!"
That cry was what he needed. It hit his groin with a spark of pleasure. Laxus ached. He needed this man. He needed to show him how precious he was, how rare and wonderful and utterly perfect. So many emotions clambered in his heart, and Laxus needed to express them somehow.
"Need you! Now!" he sneered.
Laxus snatched a bottle of lube and slathered it onto his length. Freed saw and eagerly spread his legs. He had prepped himself beforehand in the bathroom, and he was ready. Laxus gripped himself and looked down into Freed's face. His blue eyes silently asked, and Freed gave a nod.
Laxus pressed, and Freed whimpered without restraint. He was used to it now, but it still felt incredible to be filled up, spread in a way that was pleasurable and painful at the same time. He felt that shaft slide slowly, just a little, and Laxus paused. Freed panted with flushed cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Laxus asked tenderly.
He nodded tensely until he could swallow and regain his voice. "More. Keep going."
Laxus leaned over and kissed Freed until he moaned. Slowly, his hips slid forward. Each centimeter made Freed groan a little louder and louder, until his mouth was wide open and his neck arched back. Deprived of lips, Laxus dipped down and kissed along Freed's neck, not too gently either, until tiny pink marks dotted that aristocratic throat.
Once he was fully in, Laxus paused. He gazed down again, committing every gasp and facial expression to memory. Finally, Freed looked up.
"Please," he begged. He needed more. Just sitting there was not enough.
Laxus chuckled softly with a smirk curling the corner of his lips. He eased back, then slowly slid forward again, listening to the shuddering moan. Each stroke went so slowly, so tenderly, while he watched Freed's body react.
"Wait," Freed flinched.
"Did it hurt?" Laxus asked in concern.
"W-what? No! Hell no. Just … this isn't like you at all," he pouted.
Laxus realized he was right. "What, would you rather have me spank you a few times, slap you around a bit, bite you and pull your hair?"
Freed laughed as he realized that was how they normally did it. "No, this is okay," he assured. "Just … you have such a sad look in your eyes."
"Of course I do!" he snapped. "I'm missing the hell out of you already." Never had sex been so bittersweet, knowing it was their last night to share in this. "I want to savor this," he explained, stroking his fingers down Freed's torso and gazing at the pale gleam of his skin in the moonlight. "I want to enjoy it so that even if it takes me a year, I'll remember it. And I want you to enjoy it."
His hand trailed down to the erection, and he caressed just his fingertips over the inflamed skin.
"Every night when you stroke off, I want it to be me you're imagining, my hands touching you. I want you to remember these hands and how they feel." He gripped Freed's cock and gave him a firm stroke. "Remember these fingers, got it!" His eyes drooped sadly again. "Don't go to strip clubs and start imagining other men. Only me, understood. Remember my body!"
Freed looked up with yearning at hearing the desperate edge in that tense voice. "Laxus," he whispered wistfully.
"Be true to me for one year," Laxus demanded sternly. "If I'm not back by then, maybe the bastard got loose and got revenge on me, or maybe INTERPOL showed up and … and shot me in the head or something."
Freed cried out, "Don't say that!"
"Shh," Laxus hushed, pressing him down and stroking through his hair. "I'm just sayin'. Be loyal to me for one year. We can't be dating, I can't be connected to you … but don't you dare cheat," he said angrily.
Freed gasped, shocked and a little hurt that he would even think that. "No, of course not."
"Even if you're lonely—"
"No!" He grabbed one of Laxus' palms and squeezed it with both of his hands. "Just you," he promised. He pulled the large hand toward him and reverently kissed Laxus' knuckles. "Only you," he swore.
The fidelity in those words overwhelmed Laxus again. "God, I love you!"
He dived down, kissing him hard, and suddenly his hips thrust in with a powerful drive. When Freed's mouth opened to moan, Laxus forced his tongue in, attacking that mouth, claiming it, just as he was claiming this body. He felt Freed's hands clutching, clawing, leaving scratches in his skin, and Laxus groaned at the possessiveness in those hands.
Their bodies moved together, a gentle rhythmic pulsing punctuated with soft, deep grunts and Freed's higher, breathy, whimpering moans. They whispered to each other.
"I love you so much. I need you. Don't forget me. Be loyal. Remember me every night! I love you! Always. Always!"
Ardent expressions of love, fidelity, sadness, hope, expressed through bodies, words, silent gazes, and a blending of spirits unwilling to be torn asunder. Over and over, Laxus told him.
"I love you. Love you so much. Want you so much!"
Freed began to pant faster, crying out Laxus' name with quivering desperation building inside. Laxus grabbed him possessively, sat up, and placed Freed on his lap, piercing up into him. Needing more, Freed used his thighs, bouncing up and down while Laxus' hands caressed everywhere, through his hair, down his spine, over shoulders, chest, legs, ass.
He suddenly pulled Freed's hair until he cried out, head forced up. Laxus snarled as he nipped hard on Freed's throat.
"L-Laxus! Oh God!"
Laxus suddenly yanked Freed off completely and sat him back down on the mattress. The green-haired man looked up in wide-eyed surprise and carnal desperation.
"Not yet," Laxus whispered. "I want this night to last."
The desperate need to be fulfilled slowly subsided, and Freed gradually smiled, remembered something from the past. "Until sunrise," he requested.
Laxus laughed, and his cheeks tinted a faint pink. "You remember that?"
"Yeah," Freed said with a light grin. Their first night together! "You kept me going until sunrise. I didn't think I could."
Laxus picked him up again, sat Freed on his lap, but this time their cocks only rubbed gently against one another. "Let's do it again," he decided. "Until sunrise."
In happiness, Freed softly kissed Laxus and gazed deeply into his eyes. Then he hungrily lurched forward, frotting up against Laxus as they urgently kissed one another. Freed's hand reached down and began to stroke both of them together, but Laxus pulled it away.
"Gently," he warned. "I want us to last."
"Yeah." He bashfully laughed at how eager he was. Slowly, Laxus began to lean him backwards onto the pillows. Freed hummed as that warmth followed him down. Breathlessly, he sighed, "Until sunrise."
Slowly, Freed opened his eyes. Blankets were pulled up to his chin, and a large arm draped over him. Against his bare back, he felt the slow rise and fall of a chest.
"Laxus?" he murmured.
A sleepy hum answered.
Freed lifted his head only enough to see a clock. "It's almost noon."
He got only a grunt in response.
When Freed began to pull away, Laxus let him go. Slowly, he sat up in bed and stretched out his limbs. Maybe they made love gently this time, but it still left him stiff. As he stretched his leg, a thigh muscle cramped up, and Freed hissed in pain.
"Y'okay?" Laxus asked, finally rousing himself.
"Stiff," he muttered, rubbing out the leg. "Doing it for that long, it's not surprising that every muscle in my body aches."
Laxus gave a soft chortle. "You were the one who said until sunrise," he shrugged as if to claim innocence.
He had, and they did. Slowly, sometimes making their bodies one, sometimes pulling apart and only kissing, but in one way or another they did not stop touching, moaning, whispering, and loving until the sun turned the sky pink. Then it was over, a messy and needed conclusion, still tender and filled with words of love, but Freed could have gone without it if it meant they could keep going and never stop.
"I … I didn't want it to end," he admitted.
Laxus sat up and shifted over to sit beside him. "Sex always has to end at some point, but love doesn't have to. I can make love to you until sunrise, but I'll keep loving you long after. Sex is corporeal. Love can be eternal."
Freed looked over in surprise. When the hell had Laxus become poetic? "Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?"
"Fuck you!" laughed Laxus.
He pinched Freed's arm in punishment for ruining the moment. Playfully, Freed slapped his hand away and aimed a tickling finger to Laxus' ribs. He grabbed the hand before it could reach its destination, and for just a few seconds they wrestled, one muscular and strong, the other lean and quick. They both laughed and leaned into one another, wrapped up in each other's arms and resting their noses together. Outside, the clouds hid the midday sun, and the day looked like it would be wet again: April showers that brought May flowers.
"When did we become such lovesick idiots?" Laxus asked, gazing into Freed's eyes.
"Maybe we always were, in one way or another."
"Not like this." He nuzzled against Freed's nose. "This is new."
"I like it."
"Yeah … yeah, somehow … this is good, too."
Plain, normal sex, love, fidelity … things he never thought he would find!
"I'll keep loving you," he swore softly. "After this day is over, and until I get back. Just you!" He gently stroked his fingers through Freed's hair. "When I get back, we'll do this again. I'll make love to you all night, until we watch the sunrise together." A tear dripped down, and Laxus reached up, stunned by the wetness. When had his eyes begun to water?
Freed saw those emotions he tried to suppress and control now leaking out. They were so powerful, even this dominant sadist could not hold back a few tears. As for Freed, that one tear burst his emotions apart. His lips began to quiver, and his eyes went watery and bloodshot.
"Laxus," he whimpered, snuffling as his heart ached already.
"I know!" Laxus grabbed Freed into his arms, letting him crying into his chest and kissing his hair over and over. "I don't want to go," he sneered.
"You have to," Freed shouted. "You … you need this. I know that."
This level of understanding and acceptance was something Laxus felt he did not deserve. "You have every right to be mad at me," he muttered.
"I'm … not. I'm sad, but … but I'm not angry. Deep down, I know. This is your goal, your life's pursuit. You need to do this." He nodded to himself and wiped the tears. "You go. I'll wait." He looked up firmly into Laxus' eyes. "I'll keep waiting for you. When you come home, I'll have a place for you to live. We'll live together."
"Heh! Yeah." Laxus loved that such a sweet dream was about to come true, although there was a slight darkness to his dream of happiness. "You'll take care of things here, right? I already hired movers. They'll get the junk out."
"You told me. I'll be here to let them in."
"I'm leaving the key to the storage room with you. It's on your keyring already. Everything gets donated, dumped, or tossed into storage. I don't care about the clothes."
"I'll handle it," Freed assured. "Just think, you won't have to live here anymore."
He glanced around at the torn wallpaper and stained carpet. "Gonna miss the old dump," he admitted. "Well, I entrust you with my life's fortune, penurious as it is." Laxus nervously tapped his hand on his thigh. "One last thing."
He got up, walked over to a sock drawer, dug down to the bottom, and slowly pulled out a small box. He cupped the box in his hand and gazed down nervously at it. Hiding it from view, he hesitantly walked back to the bed and sat down.
"I want you to have this. It isn't much, but … well, you can take it as a sorry for running off gift."
He pulled the box forth and opened it. Freed's mouth instantly dropped when he saw a silver ring inside. He looked up into Laxus' face utterly speechless.
"It's not an engagement ring!" Laxus said quickly, realizing he was too nervous for something this simple, and Freed might get the wrong idea. "It's a promise ring. It means you won't date or have sex with anyone else. For this, what I'm about to do, we need to be broken up. Legally! I could seriously fuck up my life, and I don't want you to be brought down with me."
"I know," he assured. He understood just how serious this was.
"Still, I want you to stay loyal. Maybe that's greedy, but I don't fucking care!" Laxus snapped. "There is no way in hell I'm giving you up for that bastard, and all this—us breaking up—it's just a legal thing, an alibi for you. That's all."
"I'm not mad, really. I get it," Freed assured him.
Laxus took the ring out of its padded slot. "I want you to wear this and promise. Promise that you'll wait for me." He looked down at the ring, and as he felt a tear escape unwillingly, he looked into Freed's eyes with worry. "Is that asking too much?"
"No!" Freed exclaimed. "Of course not."
Freed took the ring and looked at it. It was simple, just a plain silver band, but as he turned it in his hand, he realized there was one decoration to it, a lightning bolt of gold etched into the band. He looked down at that golden design and laughed moistly through tears. His thunder god! Then he saw inside the band were words etched into the silver: ONLY YOU, and GREENIE.
"I'll wear it all the time," he declared, clutching the ring to his chest.
Laxus felt his heart leap in a jolt, as if Freed's happiness was the lightning to his thunder, the flash of brilliance that made his whole body rumble and roar. "I … uh…" He swallowed hard so he could speak through a throat that kept tightening as he tried to keep from crying. "I have … um … this." He went back to the same dresser and pulled out another box. That ring was also silver, but instead of a gold thunderbolt, it had etched in its band a rapier sword. The inside read ONLY YOU also, but then the word THOR.
"Matching rings!" Freed cried out. It was so cutely cliché, but it also made him incredibly happy.
Laxus wanted to protest. They weren't matching! He picked those etched designs himself, as well as the engraved words (they were a free option when you bought two rings). However, he blushed and looked away to hide his embarrassment.
"Y-yeah," he muttered. "I wanted you to know, when I'm gone, when I'm out there in Greece, I'm not going to be disloyal to you. This ring is my promise," he said, slipping the silver band onto his right hand. "I promise that I'll come back to you."
Freed sniffled and let the tears flow down his cheeks. He nodded with lonely pain already building in his heart. "I promise, too."
That oath made Laxus sigh in relief. He took the ring, picked up Freed's right hand, and slipped the silver band over his knuckles.
"It's a little tight," Freed frowned as the ring made a snug fit.
"I always thought your fingers were so small," Laxus admitted. "Is it okay?"
"Yeah, it fits," he assured, flexing his fingers to make certain. "I'm not sure I can take it off again without vasoline."
"Good! I hope it's a little painful, just a little snug … like your cock ring," he smirked.
The comparison made Freed instantly blush. Now he would never be able to think about his promise ring being tight without remembering that.
"Even when I come back, I want to keep on wearing these." Laxus placed his hand over Freed's so that their rings clinked together in a metallic chime. "Or … maybe something else," he muttered.
Freed jolted and looked up. Something else? Something more?
"Maybe," Laxus stressed.
Still, that possibility made Freed grin and hide a laugh of joy. More! More than this. Different rings! Rings that held a deeper meaning.
Laxus saw that happiness, and he impulsively began to speak. "Will y-…?" However, the question clenched in his throat. He couldn't ask! Not now. Not when he had to leave. It was not fair to Freed.
"What?" the green-haired man asked when Laxus said nothing more.
"Nothing," he grumbled. "Something for another time. For now—" He picked up Freed's hand and kissed his knuckles right over the silver band. "—wear my ring, and don't you dare forget me."
"Never!" Freed declared, squeezing those massive hands that had given him intense pain and tingling pleasure. "I could never forget you." He leaned over and kissed Laxus' rough hand over the promise ring. "I'll wait for you, for as long as it takes. I'll be here, and I'll be waiting."
Another tear broke free and slipped down Laxus' cheek. "Dammit, I really don't deserve someone like you."
"Too bad," Freed grinned brashly. "You're stuck with me now. I really won't be able to get this ring off, so you're trapped. Your fault for getting a ring that's too small."
"Bitch," Laxus chuckled, ruffling up the green hair. "Now, lie down again. Close your eyes. I don't want this goodbye to be more awkward than it already is, so … obey me this one last time and pretend you're asleep."
"Wha-…? No!" Freed cried out. "We can have breakfast together, I'll drive you to the airport, I can—"
"Freed," he said sternly, and the young man's words dried up. "It needs to be like this."
Sadly, he realized this was just like their first night together. Laxus had simply slipped away while Freed wasn't looking.
"It'll be okay," he smiled confidently. "Just pretend you're asleep. When you open your eyes, I won't be here, but my heart … it'll always be here with yours."
Freed took comfort in that and braced himself. He stiffly laid down, struggling to stay brave and keep his emotions under control.
"All right. Close your eyes."
Freed did. He heard Laxus rummaging around, pulling on clothes, peeing in the toilet, and dragging out a suitcase he had already packed.
The last thing Laxus grabbed were his plane tickets. He looked down at the information detailing a flight from Magnolia to New York City, and then on to Athens, with a final destination in Kalamata. It was under another name; his ID, passport, and Visa were all under a fake name. If he got caught…
He gazed back down to Freed. This was the sort of trip he would have loved to take as a vacation with Freed, explore the old Grecian ruins, taste the savory foods, cruise around the archipelago, maybe climb a mountain just for the hell of it, and kiss on a Mediterranean beach at sunset. Instead, he was leaving, and he had no clue what sort of man he would be when he returned.
He walked over to the bed, leaned over, and softly kissed Freed's cheek. "Good night," he whispered. "See ya around, Greenie." Then he grabbed his bags and left his old tenement, knowing he would never step foot in that building again.
Freed heard the door shut. Still he waited, listening to the footsteps fading down the corridor. Sobs began to shake him, but he wanted to hold back. Tears moistened the pillow under him, but he wanted to obey Laxus' last order, to pretend he was asleep.
Despite his pride, he began to sob. He grabbed Laxus' pillow and buried his face into it. He inhaled the musky scent, felt that familiar warmth in the blankets, and the ache in his body, so many marks where Laxus had claimed him, reminded him of last night.
It was disappearing. Like those footsteps, the smell and warmth and ache were all fading away.
He sobbed harder, hiding his head with the pillow as he began to wail. It was over. Laxus would be gone, months, maybe a year. He had to tell everyone that they broke up. At the same time, he had to watch over clearing out this old tenement and storing everything that belonged to the man he loved.
"Laxus!" he cried out.
He already wanted him back. He wanted his help, his direction, to be ordered around, punished, teased, humiliated, loved, cuddled, kissed with passion that lasted for ages. He cried his name over and over as he shuddered with sobs.
He was gone.
The thunder faded.
The storm had passed.
Next Chapter: "The Lonely Angel"
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