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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
- 63
- 64
- 65
Chapter 64
As Angry As a Bear
Finally, they exited the forest and the massive cabin came into sight. Laxus went in and immediately headed to the bathroom, just to play along with his lie that he wanted to return to take a dump. Freed went about putting the camping gear away. All that preparation, and they hardly used it.
"Sooooo…"
Freed rolled his eyes as soon as he heard Bickslow's voice. Glaring over, he saw his brother in the doorway to the kitchen with Lisanna right behind him.
"Are you okay? Your ass sore? Or is that why Laxus ran to the bathroom so fast? Damn, Freed, ya gotta be more gentle with your boy toys."
"Bickslow!" Lisanna scolded with a titter.
"None of your business. I don't ask you about Lisanna."
"Well, if ya wanna know…"
Lisanna gasped. "No!"
"Not interested," Freed shouted, clapping his hands over his ears.
"Hey!" Evergreen yelled from the kitchen. "If we have two more mouths to feed, how about one of you help me with this stove."
Lisanna immediately bounded back. "Oh, I'll help. I love to cook."
Bickslow came up to Freed and lowered his voice. "But seriously, is everything okay? Laxus looked a little weird."
"Weird?" Freed asked in concern. "How?"
"Paler than usual. Maybe … angry? Scared? It's hard to tell on that guy. His resting face is a solid 'piss off, I'm drinking.'"
"Maybe he ate something bad," Freed mused. If he was pale and wanted to race to the house, it could be intestinal. "I wonder if it was the s'mores."
"Maybe you two can go out again later this week." He jabbed Freed in the ribs. "I hope you at least got in a little fun while you were out there, all alone, just the stars and the animals to watch you."
Freed smirked and walked past him before he had a chance to blush. "Again, none of your business."
Still, the night before played through his mind, along with things Laxus had said. It was obvious he was plotting something. What? Freed wanted to know, and he also wanted to be thrilled by the surprise. He decided to leave it to Laxus. As a dom, he took great pleasure in planning scenes for Freed to enjoy. Freed just hoped it was something on the same level as his weekend as a pet. He still shivered inside whenever he thought about that.
He shoved those fantasies aside as he entered the kitchen and saw Lisanna and Evergreen at the stove, the petite girl obviously at ease with cooking while his sister looked ready to flee the kitchen altogether.
"Take a rest, Ever," he said. "Since I'm the one who came back without warning, I'll do the cooking."
Evergreen bolted away from the stove and collapsed into a chair. Although she looked flustered by her inability to cook, yet determination to not look foolish, she also had no problem leaving the work to others.
"Why are you back?" she asked.
Freed shrugged. "Laxus said he wasn't feeling well."
"It wasn't my food," she insisted.
He laughed as he tried to rescue some hash browns she had started up. "No, probably too many marshmallows. I just hope he didn't drink any of the stream water. The last thing we'd need is a Legionnaire's Disease breakout."
A few minutes later, Laxus came out. The family said nothing about his stomach or what happened. Breakfast was done, they all sat at the table, and Freed and Lisanna catered to everyone.
"Ya know," said Bickslow, "I really do like that Mother and Father aren't here. Just us kids and our dates, it's way better."
Evergreen hummed in agreement as she ate. "We should make this a yearly thing."
"I like that idea," said Freed. "Next time, bring Elfman."
"Yes," said Laxus. "I like that guy."
Lisanna perked up. "If we do that, can I bring Mira? Then it's all of you siblings and all of us Strauss kids."
"With Laxus tossed in," Bickslow chuckled. "Of course, he may be family sooner than we think."
"Bickslow!" Freed scolded, and he felt his cheeks blush.
"We really should plan to do that," Evergreen said with enthusiasm. "The cabin is technically yours now, Bickslow. You should set this up."
"Huh? Mine? Oooh, right. I get the cabin. It's still weird to think about that, owning a house and all."
Evergreen gulped down eggs and nodded. "I still haven't visited the cottage. I should next time my university has a break. Freed's got it worse. The whole house! I'm both jealous and relieved I don't have to deal with that."
"I'll take over when the time comes," Freed said, really not wanting to talk about that issue again. He liked his independence and was not ready to live in the Justine mansion. He just wanted things to be simple, him and Laxus, all alone, at least for now.
Bickslow gulped down hash browns. "Of course, we can use each other's homes. If you and Laxus," he said to Freed, "want to come up here for a weekend of skiing this winter, just let me know."
"Same," Freed said, dabbing his napkin to his mouth. "If you need to stay in the house while your schools are on break, let me know. And we'll use it for holidays, of course."
Evergreen chuckled. "I can't wait to see how you plan Christmas."
"Oh God, don't even bring that up," Freed groaned. "I can't do that on my own. Even Mother couldn't do it by herself."
"We'll all help," Lisanna said immediately. "It's not just you three all alone. Turn to your friends as well."
Bickslow grinned proudly at her and gave her a kiss. Freed smiled to see his brother in such good—and sober—spirits. Lisanna really was a good influence on him, and he hoped she continued to keep Bickslow clean and optimistic.
"So, what are the plans for today?" asked Freed.
"I just want to sit here and read," Evergreen admitted. "I need to finish a book for class and write a report on it. Even on my vacations, I have classwork to do."
"Lisanna and I wanted to go canoing," said Bickslow. "However, I tried to get the canoe out yesterday and it's way too heavy."
"I'll get it," Laxus offered. Then he thought about those bear prints he saw around the camp. That animal was still out there, and it was a little more than a mile to reach the river. He forced his voice to sound causal as he offered, "I can carry it to the river for you guys."
Lisanna wrapped her arms around his bicep and leaned in. "Aww, thank you, Laxus." She paused and felt up and down his arm in astonishment. "My goodness, you've got huge muscles."
Freed politely reached over and pulled her hands away. "Look, don't touch, dear," he said with a smile while his eyes gleamed in silent warning.
After the meal, Laxus hefted a sturdy wood canoe out of storage and easily hoisted it onto his shoulders. Freed explained to Lisanna, since he knew Bickslow never listened, that they could travel with the canoe down to a landing, where an old settler would put the canoe in his truck and give them a ride back up the mountain for a few dollars, with a stern warning not to go past the bend in the river or else they would hit rapids. Then the two headed over a forest trail with Laxus following.
"Oh hey, Freed," Laxus called back. "Don't leave the house until I get back."
He chuckled and waved as they left. Then he went back in to wash up the breakfast dishes. Evergreen followed him in.
"Well, that was rude of him."
Freed hummed as he scrubbed bacon grease out of a pan. "It wasn't rude. Laxus volunteered to carry the canoe. It is quite heavy. Remember, it took all three of us to carry it last time we went out on the river."
"I mean what Laxus said, demanding you not leave. Who does he think he is, stifling you in your own home!"
"Bickslow's home now," he pointed out.
"You're not his slave."
Freed almost choked, and he was glad he could focus down at the sink where she could not see his face. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. He probably feels awkward, he doesn't want to come home and there's just you to hang out with."
Still, Evergreen looked frustrated that some lowly man like Laxus would dare give an order to the eldest son of a business tycoon. Almost like a protest, she declared, "I want to pick berries."
Freed was stunned by the sudden loud voice. "Berries? What about your book report?"
"I'll write better after some fresh air." She twirled away, and Freed shrugged, focusing back on the dishes. A few minutes later, Evergreen returned with a sunbonnet and wicker basket. "You should come with me."
"You're a big girl," he said banally.
"What if I meet up with a wild animal?"
"Oh please, the only wild animal we've ever had a problem with was that time Bickslow spooked a skunk."
"We could walk down to the river. The ripest berries grow along there anyway, and if you and Laxus happen to slip away into the berry bushes and vanish for a few hours, I certainly won't complain to have the house to myself."
He sighed and looked down at the empty sink. Laxus told him to stay inside, but that was being a little too bossy. Laxus did not know this mountain like he did, and he was just being overly protective again. Plus the idea of picking berries with Laxus, or slipping away for more time alone with him, was a nice thought.
"Fine," he decided. "But if Laxus asks, you begged me to come with you."
Evergreen looked smug at getting him to take action. She loved Freed, but he could be such a pushover sometimes. However, as he took a basket and followed her out, Evergreen realized that in the end, he was still being pushed around by her.
Of course, that was allowed, since she was his sister.
Laxus, Bickslow, and Lisanna reached the river after what felt like the slowest walk ever, with the heavy canoe on his shoulder and watching these two people whom he barely knew being lovey-dovey, stopping at every bird and butterfly so Lisanna could take pictures. What should have been less than fifteen minutes took almost half an hour. At this rate, Freed might get worried about him taking so long and disobey him, leaving the safety of the house, and with that bear around.
He wondered if he should have just told Freed what he found. He did not want to ruin this rare family gathering, but he knew he was going to be freaking out every time anyone went outside. He was determined to protect Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow at any cost, but there was only so much he could do.
Even this, after agreeing to carry the canoe so Bickslow and Lisanna would not be on the trail alone and vulnerable, Laxus realized that he was unarmed. If he met a bear on the path, what was he supposed to do: wrestle it? Also, bears could swim. He just had to hope that a bear lumbering around in the river would be slower than Bickslow's canoe, and at the very least the two of them could paddle away to safety.
Laxus set the canoe down and stretched out his shoulder. What the hell was that thing even made out of? He had gone canoing with his grandfather as a kid, but either their boat weighed less or his tiny grandfather was a hell of a lot stronger than he appeared.
"Thank you so much," Lisanna said. She put away her camera and loaded a picnic basket into the canoe. "You should take Freed out in this."
"Yeah, might be nice," he said.
He imagined that Freed would look breathtaking rowing a canoe, although, knowing him, Laxus would end up getting motion sick and ruining the whole experience.
He stayed around to help them push off and saw the two floating down the river, talking excitedly about a picnic in a meadow Bickslow knew a little ways downstream. Seeing those two made Laxus smile and wonder if he and Freed were as adorable as them. Probably not, and he realized he would scowl at anyone who dared to call him adorable.
Laxus turned to go, but a splash in the river caused him to freeze. Slowly, he looked upstream. It was a distance away still, but he saw a lumbering brown shape just starting to waddle into the river.
A bear. A goddamn actual bear!
"Shit," he whispered, and Laxus retreated a few steps. "Shit, shit, shit."
He looked downstream again. Bickslow and Lisanna were blissfully unaware of the danger behind them. Laxus kept backing away as silently as possible. The bear was coming his way, but apparently it had not spotted him yet. It splashed playfully in the water and caught a fish.
On the previous day, Laxus had seen another trail further down the river. He had seen it on a map, going south before looping to the main road. He figured that would be better than the river trail that went north and closer to the bear before heading to the house. Still watching the bear cautiously, Laxus retreated, then turned onto the southern trail. Once he figured he was out of danger, he broke into a run.
He had to get back to Freed. Screw ruining their vacation with a bear sighting; this was a serious danger now.
Before he even reached the main road, the thin mountain air made his lungs burn. He was never really one for running anyway, and now he faced heading up the hill to the mansion at the top. Two miles, he estimated. Swallowing back fatigue, he took off, jogging up the steep, winding hill.
It was like being in a nightmare. He ran, but he felt his legs slowing down. The hill made it seem like he was not making much progress at all. Just how far south did that trail actually go? He thought only a couple of miles, but it felt like ages as his feet pounded concrete. He huffed as the thin air made him lightheaded. He knew he was expending many precious breaths cussing vividly.
Finally, he saw the gate to the mansion. He ran up to a security intercom, took a moment to catch his breath, then smashed his finger into the buzzer. "Freed, open up the gate." He waited, but there was no response. He hit the buzzer again. "Freed, it's Laxus, open the damn gate." Still, no reply. "Fuck." He pulled out his phone and called up Freed. "Goddammit, if you're taking a shit…" The phone kept ringing, then went to voicemail. "Freed, it's Laxus. There is a fucking bear out here. Now let me through the security gate, dammit!"
Laxus hung up, but he figured Freed would not get that message for a while. Did he leave his phone in the bedroom again? He grew frustrated and looked at the gate.
"Fuck this shit."
He backed up a bit, judged the height, and took a run at the gate. He leaped, grabbed the top, and hoisted himself up and over the iron spires, landing hard on his feet and twisting an ankle. He screamed a cuss and rose up with his teeth gritted. He hobbled onward, part of him pissed, part scared.
"Freed," he shouted to the house. "Hey, get out here."
He made it all the way to the door without anyone coming to meet him. He banged the door open and looked around as he walked over the entryway rug. All the lights had been turned off.
"Freed?" he hollered, but his voice echoed in the large house. "Evergreen?"
Terror began to overtake him. He ran to the bathroom, but it was empty. He looked in their bedroom, but no one was there.
"Freed!" he bellowed, turning around in circles. "No, no, no. Fuck!"
He ran outside as fast as his pained ankle could go and looked around. No one was visible. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "FREED!"
It had taken him a long time to come back. What if Freed went looking for him?
"That would take him to the river," he realized aloud. "Oh fuck, no."
He wanted to bolt, but he remembered thinking earlier, what was he going to do if he met with a bear? With his ankle swelling up, he realized he would not even be able to run away. Laxus went back into the house first with a grim look on his face.
Freed saw the river up ahead. Despite taking their time and gathering many berries along the way, he and Evergreen had not met with Laxus on the trail. Had he stayed by the water to think? That didn't really sound like something Laxus would do.
"The berries are ripest right where the trees end and the sun reaches the bushes," said Evergreen.
"We've been out here for a while," Freed muttered. Where could Laxus have gone? Was he lost? "I hope he didn't take a wrong turn in the woods."
"The path only goes one way," Evergreen said, walking up to the water to enjoy the view. "Maybe he got sick to his stomach again, and we passed him while he was hiding behind bushes to relieve nature."
Freed hummed, figuring that must be it. "In that case, we should head back."
"But these are the best berries. I just want a few."
Freed sighed, not really in the mood to pick berries anymore. Laxus was probably back at the house by now, and he would be pissed to show up and no one was there. Freed let his mind wander, curious if Laxus would punish him for disobeying. The thought made him smile mischievously.
"Try this berry, Freed." Evergreen practically smashed a blackberry into his mouth. "Good, right? We should make a dessert out of these."
"By we, you mean me," he muttered, although he had to admit, the berries really were sweet. He wondered if Laxus liked pies.
She went back to a cluster of bushes. "I'll just pick a few. Then we can go and you can tell your boyfriend not to boss you around all the time."
Freed shook his head that she was still upset about that. "He just asked me to stay there until he returned. That's not a big thing to request."
"He didn't request. He demanded it rather than asked you. 'Freed, would you mind staying home? Oh no, of course not, dear, I'll stay right here.' See, that's a request." Then her voice deepened into an impression of Laxus. "'Freed, don't leave the house until I get back.' That's a demand, and it's rude of him to simply tell you what to do without knowing if it's okay with you."
Freed sighed and looked aside. "It's just the way he is, and I'm okay with it."
She scoffed and shook her head. "I don't even want to know what your personal life is like with him. I swear, if it involves having you bark like a dog or using you like a piece of furniture, I'm going to set that man straight."
"He's anything but straight, Ever."
"You know what I mean!"
Freed chuckled, but just then he heard something like a snort. Was someone else laughing? No, that sounded like an animal. He glanced around, wondering if maybe it was a badger or raccoon, but he shrugged it off. Then he heard a splash coming from the river. He looked over, and not even a hundred feet away he saw a massive furry lump in the water.
Freed held perfectly still. A lesson from summer camp came to mind: never startle a bear. Rarely do they want to attack, but a scared animal will defend itself. Talk quietly in a low voice so they hear you, let them know you're human and not prey, and whatever you do, don't scream, don't growl, and don't run.
Was it grizzlies or black bears that you play dead? He couldn't remember anymore.
"Evergreen," he said in a forcefully calm voice. "Whatever you do, don't yell?"
"Oh God, don't tell me there's a spider," she said, spinning around sharply. Her fast movement alerted the bear to their location, and it raised its head.
"Do … not … yell," Freed said firmly but quietly. "Don't move at all. There are two of us. If we're not a threat, it won't attack."
She dropped her berry basket and began to tremble. "Freed … it's … it's a…"
"It'll be all right," he said, partly to her, partly to the bear who was now slowly slogging through the river in their direction. "It's okay. Bears don't attack predators, so as long as we don't act like we're prey—"
"He's coming," she said in a high-pitch panic. "He's looking right at me."
"Stay calm," he warned, wishing she would not raise her voice higher. A summer camp lesson played through his mind: predators have low voices, prey have high voices. If you want to survive a bear encounter, act like a predator. Be big, be fearless, and keep your voice deep and calm.
The bear let out a growl and stood on its hind legs. Freed flinched back in surprise, and Evergreen screamed. She turned and immediately began to run up the trail.
"Ever, no!" Freed yelled, but it was too late. Seeing possible prey fleeing, the bear naturally pursued. Freed waved his arms. "Hey, over here," he yelled, hoping to distract it, although he had no means of fighting off something so huge. However, the bear was not interested in him. It had heard the scream of scared prey, and so it ran after her. Freed realized it was useless. The bear was now in chase mode. "No!"
Evergreen was a fast runner when she wanted to be, but the bear galloped at a shockingly fast speed considering its size. Freed chased after it, not even sure what to do. There were never any lessons in summer camp on how to fight back if a bear actually did attack. He just knew that he could not allow his sister to face the wild animal alone.
Although Evergreen had a head start, Freed saw that the bear was quickly catching up. He grabbed up a thick branch lying on the side of the trail and continued to run after them.
"Hey, hey, bear, this way," he shouted. At the very least, he could beat the bear back while Evergreen made it home safely. So long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.
The bear roared again, and he heard Evergreen scream. Freed cursed. She was doing everything wrong, and he honestly had no idea what to do.
Where was Laxus? Freed desperately wished he was there.
"Freed!" Evergreen screamed.
"Don't stop running," he shouted. If they could make it to the house … but then what? Even if Evergreen reached the house and got inside, she would have to slam the door instantly, leaving Freed outside with an enraged bear. How far could bears run? It was so fast!
The bear was right at Evergreen now, and its roar echoed through the entire mountainside. A huge paw swiped hard at her, and she was bashed off her feet, tossed to the side of the road, where she rolled to a stop.
"No!" Freed screamed.
An explosion made his ears ring. The bear yelped, then roared in rage, turning to its new opponent.
Laxus stood in the middle of the forest path with the rifle from the attic in his hands. His eyes glared hard at the bear.
"Leave," he ordered in the most terrifyingly cold-blooded voice Freed had ever heard in his life.
The bear raised on its hind legs and growled. Laxus fired the rifle again, not shooting it, but the noise made the bear drop back down. It huffed and turned, lumbering back toward the river.
Laxus kept a wary eye until the bear was lost in the shadows of the trees. Then he sank slightly, and the rifle went down. He walked over to Evergreen and knelt beside her.
"Are you hurt?"
Freed stood in shocked numbness. He watched absently as Laxus looked at Evergreen's torn clothes but realized the claws had not broken her skin. Her glasses had snapped in half, she had a few bruises, a red cheek where she hit the ground, and a few small cuts to her arm from being thrown to the side, but otherwise she was okay, just severely shaken.
Laxus helped her to stand, but when her legs would not stop trembling, he set the rifle down and picked her up, carrying her to the house. Freed still stood on the path, blank as he could hardly believe he just lived through a bear attack, and Laxus had come to his rescue.
"Hurry up," Laxus shouted back.
Freed snapped out of it and looked around. He picked up Evergreen's sunbonnet that had flown off in the attack, and odiously he picked up the rifle. He followed a few steps behind Laxus, staring at his back, still unable to focus. He did not even realize how much Laxus was limping on one leg.
They returned to the house, and Laxus set Evergreen down on a couch. He got an ice pack for her bruised cheek and warned her to clean out the cuts on her arm as soon as she could stand. Finally, he looked straight at Freed, who stood in the entryway with the floppy hat drooping from his hand and the rifle held awkwardly. Laxus wordlessly marched over and yanked the rifle away.
Their eyes met, Freed's filled with worry, Laxus' cold and emotionless. Then Laxus turned and limped to the attic to put the rifle back on wall where Llewellyn stored it.
"Freed?" Evergreen called out miserably.
He jumped again and walked over to her. "What do you need?"
"Something for pain, and a brandy for my nerves."
He looked at her arm with blood crusting around the cuts. "Let's get that cleaned before it gets infected. Can you stand?"
"If I can hold on to you."
Freed eased her up and kept a close hold as he brought her to the bathroom sink. She hissed when he ran water over the cuts, but Freed managed to gain focus by tending to the wounds. He disinfected them, put some medicine on, and as he was wrapping a sterile bandage around her arm, they heard the front door slam shut. Freed jumped and looked anguished.
Laxus only slammed doors like that when he was pissed. Freed honestly did not blame him for being mad.
A pat on his hand from Evergreen pulled him out of tense emotions. Her eyes were reassuring, silently letting him know it would all be okay. While he had the house's first aid kit nearby, Freed gave her some medication for the pain, put arnica on the bruises, and used some tape to fix Evergreen's broken glasses.
"You'll have to get a new pair before school starts," he told her.
"I was thinking about getting some really cute Versace frames anyway."
He helped her back to the couch, got her some herbal tea to help calm her, and fetched her the book she was supposed to be reading. Then Freed pulled out his phone. He saw there was a missed call from Laxus. He had been so far out, his phone must have been out of service range. He clicked on the voicemail.
"Freed, it's Laxus. There is a fucking bear out here. Now let me through the security gate, dammit!"
He cringed. Laxus must have met with the bear at the river. Why would he be at the security gate, unless he was chased off the main path, returning home to find it empty. How that must have terrified him!
He called up the local park rangers. The bear sighting and attack had to be reported. His voice was unnaturally calm as he made the report, and the rangers said they would patrol the area. After he hung up, Freed sighed as he realized he had to face Laxus.
He had not felt this nervous seeking him out since he was a patron of the South Pole Club, watching the golden-lit dancer named Thor dominate the stage.
He stepped out into the sun, and he heard loud thunks of someone chopping wood. Freed stepped silently over to the wood shed, with a chopping block set near it. In all of his life, no one from his family actually chopped wood. It had always been some local man they would hire. When he was younger, Freed would hide behind a nearby oak tree to watch the woodsman at work. As a horny teen, the lumberjack look had strongly appealed to him.
Now he hid again behind the tree, watching Laxus swing a heavy ax over and over, splitting logs. He appeared to be working off anger, so Freed held back. Facing off with a bear may have looked bad-ass, but obviously it jolted Laxus.
With a muttered curse, Laxus undid his plaid shirt, tied it around his torso, and picked up the ax again, quartering a few more logs. Now Freed could watch the movement of his taut muscles, the strong shoulders, the corded back, the perfectly sculpted abs, and those tight pecs with the dark tattoo glistening with sweat. Any other moment, this sight would have had Freed achingly aroused. Now, it served to remind Freed of how precious Laxus was to him.
He just stood up against a bear to rescue Freed. Things could have turned ugly, Laxus could have been attacked, the bear could have killed him…
Freed slammed his eyes shut. Everything about the past half hour could have gone so much worse.
He finally stepped forward. Laxus risked his life to protect him and his family. At the very least, he deserved gratitude. He walked close enough so he knew Laxus must see that he was there, but still stayed out of the way of flying wood splinters as the ax swung again and again.
"Thank you," Freed said, sounding timid even to himself. There was another chop of the ax. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Ever and I owe you our lives."
"You owe me nothing," he grunted, slicing the air with the ax before sending two quarters of a log flying.
Freed hugged his arms. He still felt in shock. He had actually chased a bear with a lame stick, not even thinking except to rescue Evergreen.
"You know, the sound of that rifle keeps playing in my ears. I always hated that thing, knowing what it did, knowing it killed my grandfather."
"It's not the gun's fault," Laxus muttered. "It's the person who uses it. Your grandma wanted to snuff her husband. She could have used poison just as easily. If she had done that, would you despise the wineglass he drank, never drink alcohol again?"
Freed knew he had a point. "I just … I grew up hating that rifle. Every time we'd go into the attic to play, that was a forbidden area, The Dark Side, like Luke Skywalker and the cave on Dagobah."
"You're a nerd," Laxus mumbled.
"Now," he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief, "that gun saved our lives." He stopped and smiled to himself. "No, like you said: it's not the gun, it's the person who uses it. You saved our lives." Freed flinched as the scene of the bear swiping at Evergreen and sending her crashing into the side of the road replayed in his mind on a traumatic loop. "I don't even know how to show that sort of gratitude. I don't know strong enough words. Sorry," he muttered breathlessly.
Laxus stopped his ax and looked over. Freed was visibly shaken. Laxus simply hid his own emotions better, but he also shivered deep inside. He had heard Freed's shouts, heard the growl of the bear, and despite his ankle throbbing, he ran through the forest on an uneven trail, only to see Evergreen racing for her life with the bear just behind her. Their eyes had met, she looked relieved for a second, thinking a hero had arrived in the nick of time, only to have the bear's claw slap her and send her sprawling. It was only after the bear stopped, ready to attack her, that Laxus saw Freed running behind them with a tree branch in his hands.
"Why did you leave the house?" he whispered, simmering with intense, clashing emotions.
"Evergreen wanted to go berry picking."
"I told you to stay inside," he growled.
Freed stiffened at the sound of anger. "The bedroom is one thing, but when I'm with my family, you do not have permission to order me around. I thought that limit was clear between us."
Laxus gripped the ax handle tighter as his hands began to shake. "Didn't you think I had a reason for telling you that?"
Freed looked confused and suspicious. "Reason? Did you hear a bear roar earlier?"
"I saw paw prints."
Freed's mouth dropped, and he shouted, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I didn't want to worry you." As he spoke, his voice slowly got louder with anger driven by fear. "I figured I could leave you for a fuckin' half hour without you getting into danger. Obviously, you can't keep a promise to stay and wait for me. You have to go out, flaunt the fact that you're master of the house, that promises to me mean nothing."
Freed gasped. "Laxus! That's unfair."
"Why did you go out?" he yelled. "And why the fuck were you running after the bear?"
"Because it was chasing Evergreen."
"What were you planning to do? Hit it with a stick? This isn't like your little attic games of Cowboys and Indians. It would have killed you!"
"What was I supposed to do?" he yelled back. "Nothing at all? Let it attack Evergreen? Run to safety while she gets mauled? I won't do that!" he shouted. "I won't leave my family to save myself. Even if I get hurt, even if I'm killed, if there's any chance I could save her, then that's what I have to do."
"And leave me?" Laxus bellowed. "Fuck! Never do that again."
"I won't abandon family." He paused and slammed his eyes shut. All the fear and adrenaline was channeling into anger. This wasn't fair to him nor to Laxus. Freed tried to shove aside his fiery emotions. "Look, it doesn't matter, because you came. Thank you. You saved Ever's life … and mine."
Laxus sneered that Freed could calm down so easily while he still shook inside. "It was a fucking stupid thing to do," he grumbled.
"It's what I had to do," Freed said calmly. "It's what being family is all about."
Laxus clenched the ax handle and hunched over. The scene went through his mind, seeing Evergreen being chased by the bear, her eyes filled with relief at seeing him, only to be knocked to the side like a toy, and just as Laxus raised the rifle to shoot, seeing Freed just behind the bear, hesitating in a moment of dread, yet still pulling the trigger.
If he had missed the shot...
He had moved on instinct, but for a moment, he realized that if he missed, he could hit Freed. Although he saved Evergreen, and somehow none of them were severely injured, Laxus still shook inside, knowing he had realized for a moment that he could shoot Freed, and still he took the shot.
If he had missed...
That what if ran over and over in his head. If he had missed, he could have shot Freed. He could have killed the man he loved. Still, he took the shot. Why? It was human instinct, someone in danger so you rescue them, and sometimes that means another person gets hurt.
Still … what if…
"Fuck," he seethed.
Laxus slammed the ax into the chopping block and grabbed Freed's arm, yanking him around the wood shed to the far side. Freed cried out as he felt fierce strength in Laxus' gripping fingers. Then he was thrown against the pile of wood, and before he could cry out, Laxus slammed his hand into Freed's chest, pinning him there, while his other hand ripped at Freed's belt and zipper.
"What do you think I was feeling, huh?" Laxus growled. He reached into Freed's boxers and relentlessly began to fondle him.
Freed gasped at the attack. "Laxus, no!"
"Fearing that you might leave me … forever … in the worst way possible!"
Those fingers were demanding in their touch. Freed realized that if someone came up the forest trail now, they would be in clear view. He grabbed the wrist of the hand pinning him to the wood pile, but Laxus would not release him.
"Seeing you running after a god-fucking bear. What were you even thinking?"
"Laxus, stop," Freed pleaded as he felt his body reacting to the stroking hand.
"And having to shoot a rifle … at you. Dammit, Freed, do you even understand what that was like for me, what went through my head as I pulled the trigger? I could've kill you, and your blood would be on my hands. Fuck that. The only thing I want on my hands is your cum."
"No," he whimpered. "Evergreen…"
"… Is in the house, where I ordered you to stay," he shouted. "You promised, and you disobeyed."
"I didn't … nngh … didn't promise."
"Shut up! She instigated it, I know she did. You would rather obey her than me."
"Nngh … please, don't…" he whined as he felt precum dripping along his shaft, moistening the rough touch.
"Don't you ever give me shit about her and your stupid incest issues again. No one important in your life even cares about that anymore."
Freed still shook his head and tried to pry Laxus' hand off his chest. He felt like his ribs were being crushed, and the pain mixed with the pleasure of Laxus' hand. They were behind the shed, but still in the open. If anyone pulled up into the driveway now, they would see them. If Evergreen walked out of the house, she would hear the sinful moans bubbling up in his throat.
"Stop," he hissed in pleasure.
"You disobeyed a direct order."
"No … only in the bedroom," Freed managed to choke out as he felt his body succumbing to Laxus' skilled fingers.
"I don't fucking care," Laxus sneered. "I just had the worst scare of my life, all because you couldn't follow a simple order."
Freed's whole body began to tremble and his knees felt weak. "Laxus, no. No!"
"Don't you No me! I just faced off with a fucking bear to save your life, so if I wanna touch you or fuck you, I deserve that much. I deserve to use you in any way I want now, understand?"
The hand stroked faster, and Freed gasped as he felt his stomach already coiling so quickly.
"I'm … nngh … gonna come," he warned.
"Then come," Laxus growled. "This is for scaring the shit out of me. This is for disobeying me, for scaring me and making me think I might lose you. I have half a mind to bareback you raw purely as punishment, make damn well sure you don't leave the house for the rest of this week."
"Laxus!" he howled.
Freed blamed the adrenalin, or the dirty talk, or the taboo thrill of doing this outdoors and near the house, but he gasped as he suddenly came into Laxus' hand. With that release, he could finally look at Laxus and truly see the clashing emotions in his eyes. Anger, fear, love, anguish, all brewing in those stormy blue eyes.
Laxus huffed heavy breaths as he looked at the flush on Freed's face and felt the wetness on his hand. He released Freed's chest, and the smaller man slumped against the wood pile. Laxus' voice was low and fragile as he said, "If I wanna touch you … I deserve that much … because I almost lost you." His hands pulled away and his head collapsed into Freed's chest. "I almost lost you," he whispered with a shiver to his voice. "Dammit, I can't lose you."
Freed felt Laxus' body shaking, and his nose snuffled as he cussed under his breath. Laxus had looked like such a god-sent hero in that moment, yet Freed realized how horrifying it must have been. Laxus had known there was a bear around, he had been armed which meant he already feared the worst, then to hear Freed's shouts and come across that sight… to see the bear attack Evergreen with Freed running at it with nothing but a tree branch in his hands…
Laxus pulled back and roughly turned aside, trying to regain his composure. He pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped his hand off. He paused and looked down at the cum glistening on his fingers.
"Sorry," he whispered, struggling to regain control. "You said no, and I didn't stop. I…" Fuck, I just molested him! Laxus sighed in resentment at himself, and he muttered miserably, "I'm so sorry."
Freed began to reach forward, but his hand pulled back, unsure what he could say. His own mind was still in a state of shock, and now the man who was normally his stoic anchor was just as shattered.
This was one of those times when they needed each other.
Freed readjusted his pants, then he stepped up and wrapped his arms around Laxus, hugging him from behind. He felt that brawny body trembling with lingering fear, but Freed said nothing to try to assuage him. He merely let Laxus know he was there, he was okay, and he still loved him.
"I keep fucking things up," Laxus whispered in anguish.
"I didn't use a safeword," Freed told him.
"You still said no."
"I know how to say ecriture. If I truly hated it, I would have used a safeword. I … I kinda like when you're forceful like that."
That made Laxus smile through his misery. How the hell were they always so perfectly compatible? He was privately glad Freed did not try to come around and see his tear-streaked face. He might have fled in shame. Instead, knowing Freed was simply there was enough.
Freed kept his voice calm and low, just like those lessons on how to deal with a bear. "Don't ever say my promises to you mean nothing. To be accurate, I never said yes when you told me to stay home."
"It was implied."
"I never promised. Also, don't make demands like that in front of my family. Request! That's what pissed off Evergreen, and why she begged me to go berry picking with her. To be honest, it's why I agreed to go with her. I know in private I like when you command me to do things, but we're a little sensitive about that sort of thing in this family."
"I'll keep that in mind," grumbled Laxus, not liking the idea but realizing he had to respect their family's boundaries just as much as he had to respect Freed's personal boundaries.
"And I don't think you deserve to use me."
"Yeah, that was too much," he admitted.
"Because I would let you use me anyway. You deserve much more than just my body."
"Fuckin' shut up." Laxus shivered and shook his head despondently. "I don't deserve anything. There you were, doing something noble, chasing a goddamn bear through the forest, and my choice to fire that gun was pure instinct."
"Do you honestly think chasing a bear wasn't instinct?"
Laxus had to smirk at that. It definitely was crazy, now he could stop and think about it. Freed was nuts to be chasing an angry bear, yet Laxus knew if the tables were turned, if a bear was chasing Freed, Laxus would have ran after it as well, probably wrestled it with his bare hands, anything to save him.
"No, I don't think that was instinct," Laxus said. "It was a choice. Maybe you don't think you had a choice, but you did. You said it's what being family is all about. I barely even know what that means. I never had to rescue my family. Still, you were chasing it for, what, a couple of minutes? You had time to think, time to stop if you wanted to. You continued anyway, and that wasn't instinct. That was love." He took Freed's hands on his chest and felt around the promise ring. "Me shooting that gun, that wasn't love, it wasn't even heroic. That was a fucking huge risk, and it's a sheer miracle it worked. I mean, I'm glad Ever is fine, but … dammit, if I had time to think about it, I really don't think I would've taken the shot," he confessed.
Freed shook his head in confusion. "She could've been killed."
Laxus knew that was a possibility. He focused down on Freed's hand and how the gold ring gleamed in the sunlight. "I wouldn't have let her die, but I honestly do think, if I had time to make a choice, I would've risked her getting bit if it meant keeping you out of that sort of danger. Wanna know what was going through my head? Split second decision: shoot or let Ever get mauled, and in that split second, I thought … What if I miss? What if I shoot Evergreen, and you come to hate me with all of your heart? What if I shoot you? What if the bullet missed the bear and struck you? I almost didn't shoot because of that alone.
"And still," Laxus muttered miserably, "…still, I took that shot, knowing I could miss and kill you. I put your life at risk. Hell, it's been years since I fired a gun. I had no idea how accurate that rifle was, I didn't even know if it still worked, and I fired it with both you and Evergreen downrange. If I had time to think, I would've waited until I was close enough to be certain I'd hit the bear, or I would've shouted at you to get the hell out of the way. I wouldn't have fired with you right behind the bear.
"It's one of those decisions in life you just know you're going to hate yourself about for the rest of time. I don't think I hit the bear, which means that bullet whizzed right past you. If you had swerved a few inches to the right … I could've shot you … and I don't think I'll ever get over that. In that split second, I thought to myself, 'Goddammit, don't fuck this up or Freed's dead.' And I still took that chance," he muttered, his voice fading out. "And I hate myself for it."
Freed squeezed around him tighter. "It was an intense moment," he reasoned. "I was scared, too. I mean, what if I did catch up with that bear? I honestly had no idea what I could do. The whole time running after it, I was thinking 'I wish Laxus was here, Laxus would know how to save us.' I know I'm weak…"
"You are not weak," Laxus cut in.
"Well, I couldn't fight a bear. I think you could."
Laxus burst out an awkward laugh, and Freed smiled to hear it. He gripped Laxus' hands, rubbed a thumb over the promise ring in return, and rested his cheek on the broad, bare back.
"Every fiber in my body was thinking, 'I gotta protect her.' And yet … yet my heart was going, 'Oh damn, I hope I don't die … because I don't want to leave Laxus behind.'" His voice faltered as tears finally came to his eyes.
"Freed," he whispered.
"And I really … I was hoping…" He swallowed back tears and calmed his voice. "I just wanted you to be there. And then you showed up just as I thought, 'Crap, we're really going to die out here.' I'm not even religious, but it was like God answered my prayers. You appeared out of nowhere … like a crack of thunder," he said, laughing tensely. "My thunder god," he whispered in adoration. As he trembled, Laxus squeezed his hands in return. "You saved us."
Laxus finally turned around and saw eternally deep gratitude in Freed's eyes.
"You saved us," Freed whispered with ardor. "Thank you."
He leaned forward and gave Laxus a heartfelt kiss. Laxus tried to remain impassive, but the warmth of Freed's lips crumbled his defenses. He kissed him back, and Freed wrapped his arms around him. Laxus pressed him back up against the wood shed, kiss him with need, realizing that he could have lost this warmth and never again felt Freed's soft fingers tracing down his back.
Then Freed grabbed him by the hips and pulled him in even closer. Laxus was shocked at the assertive move, but he took advantage of it, deepening their kiss, tasting everything in Freed's mouth, especially the tang of blackberries he had snacked on earlier. Laxus ground up against Freed's stomach and heard him breath hitch.
'No, not out here.' Freed had a thing against that, and he had already pushed their limits earlier. He began to pull back, but Freed suddenly grabbed him. With shocking agility, he spun them around, and Laxus found himself thrown against the pile of logs, the wood pressing dangerous up against his bare skin.
"Freed!"
Those turquoise eyes held authority in them, a silent order not to protest, and it made Laxus gulp hard. 'Shit, that's hot!' Freed looked like a demon when he glared like that, and it seriously turned Laxus on. When Freed dropped to his knees, Laxus thought for sure he just might come in his pants right away.
"Freed, out here?" he whispered in astonishment.
Those eyes turned up again as if accusing him. How dare he question his decision! Without a word, Freed lowered Laxus' zipper and eased his cock out. Laxus slapped a hand over his mouth as he found himself ready to moan at just the sight of Freed holding him, gazing at the arousal like a connoisseur admiring a work of art. When he felt Freed's mouth around him and felt himself sinking into that wet heat, Laxus could not hold back a grunt.
The sight below him was almost more shocking than seeing Freed chase a bear. Here they were, a mountain mansion owned by the Justine family, with pines and elm trees all around, and he had the eldest son on his knees, sucking him in the open, with the sun gleaming in that emerald green hair. The sight of his lips stretched around his cock, while Freed's hands stroked the rest of the length and fondled his balls, was overwhelming. Then Freed opened his eyes and looked up, hazy with lust-blown pupil. He pulled back and sat on his heels.
"No … not quite right." He reached back, pulled out the hair he had tied in a pony tail that morning, and placed the mane into Laxus' hands. "Hold that."
"Oh right, keep it out of the mud," he mumbled, realizing that with hair that long, Freed had to be careful about the mud.
A soft chuckle shook Freed's chest and his cheeks flushed. "Just hold it, but don't pull too tight."
Laxus took the soft hair, hoping he could properly keep it out of Freed's way, but as soon as that mouth was back around him, it took a lot of effort not to pull it.
"Shit," Laxus hissed.
Commanding eyes locked onto his, demanding all attention be placed on him, and him alone. Not the house, not the forest, not the fact that there was a sister who could probably see this wood shed from the kitchen window. Just him and what he was doing.
Freed found a steady rhythm, but Laxus realized it was faster than his usual pace. After all, there was an injured person who might need their help. With that urgency, Laxus did not even bother to hold himself back. He rested his hand on Freed's head and thrust his hips in, liking the small gagging sounds from Freed and the hums that vibrated his shaft and tingled up his spine. He did not pull on Freed's hair, but he liked to think it was a leash, and he was holding Freed there like a slave.
Could that be why Freed asked him to hold the hair? Did he miss his collar already?
"Stupid bear cost me morning sex in the forest," he grumbled.
Freed pulled back with a wet pop and caught his breath while continuing to stroke. "Is that why you were in such a hurry to pack up the tent and leave?"
"Hell yeah. Bear prints everywhere. Scared the shit out of me. Now, don't pull off again until I'm done. The air is fuckin' freezing up here."
Freed gladly took the cock back into his mouth, and they said nothing else. Laxus could feel heat starting to pool in his abdomen and knew he would not last much longer. Freed circled his tongue each time his mouth descended on Laxus' cock and hummed again when he felt the muscular thighs tensing up. Although Laxus was beginning to pull harder on his hair, at that point Freed could forgive him.
"Now," Laxus warned curtly, gritting his teeth as he felt the coiling tension snap.
Freed felt all of Laxus' muscles constrict and the shaft pulse in throbs as cum splattered over his tongue and slid down his throat. Laxus was surprisingly good at keeping quiet, although his heels had dug deeply into the mud, and his hand was pulling just a little too much on the ponytail.
"Fuck, I needed that," Laxus groaned. His whole body sank as the tension that he had been under for what felt like hours finally sagged away, leaving him pliant and exhausted.
Freed pulled back, wiped his lips, and eased his hair out of Laxus' hand. Then he rose onto his feet and primly tucked Laxus back away.
"I thought you didn't want sex around family," Laxus finally said.
Freed zipped up the jeans. "I don't. That was against my will."
"Wha-…? The hell it was!" Laxus yelled, almost angry at the accusation.
"Wasn't it?" Freed said smugly. "You had me held by the hair. I couldn't do anything to stop you."
Laxus' mouth dropped. What … what was he … huh?
Freed chuckled and patted him on the cheek. "I am the future master of the Justine family. I can't very well allow myself to be taken like that in the open so scandalously. You had me by the hair. What a brute!" he purred, nicking Laxus under the chin.
Laxus gawked with his mouth dropped open. "Wait, that was all psychological?"
Freed shrugged and made sure his clothes were on straight.
"Bitch, you should've told me. I would've liked to act like I was forcing you."
"You had your fun earlier doing that. This was all for my pleasure."
"Your … pleasure … being forced … wait, what?"
Freed strode away. "Come along, dear. I should check on Evergreen."
Laxus stood there looking confused. He knew Freed was a masochist, but could he really like rape play as well? Was that even what this was? They were just starting out experimenting with things, ever since the time he wanted to chase Freed around like a pet. Laxus had worried that this was stretching their limits, but if Freed liked it too … oh hell, they were going to have a ton of fun exploring this avenue of play!
When they entered the house, it was to see Evergreen on the phone.
"Yes, a ticket for tonight. I don't care what sort of plane, I just want to be flying out of Denver Airport and landing somewhere without bears!" She punched her finger into the phone to end the call. "I've had it. Bickslow can have this cabin, I don't even care. I never want to be on a mountain for the rest of my life."
"So much for summer camping trips," Freed muttered. "I take it you're leaving early."
"I would drive to Denver right now, except we all took cabs here, and apparently no one in these parts has ever heard of Uber." She huffed as if this was the lowest in civilization. "Lisanna has to fly out tonight anyway; she has to work in the morning. I'll ride with her and just hang out in the terminal. At least there are no wild animals in there. Worse comes to worse, I'll stay at the Hilton and fly out in the morning, but I am not spending another night here."
Freed was disappointed that she was leaving, but he did not blame her. He saw the way Evergreen kept holding her injured arm and the harrowed look in her eyes. Of all of them, she was certainly the most traumatized by all this. After all, it was her life that was actually in imminent danger.
Freed helped Evergreen to pack her things while Laxus put ice on his ankle and raided the kitchen to pour himself a glass of brandy. It was not something he normally drank, but right then he needed anything that would take the edge off his nerves.
The afternoon was oppressively quiet. Evergreen seemed to pour herself into whatever this book report was about, finding focus in schoolwork. Freed tended to Laxus' sprained ankle, and still feeling indebted, he utterly spoiled him, fetching him food, letting him drink as much as he wanted, even massaging his feet. He also wrapped the ankle so Laxus would not injure it more.
It was after lunch when an old truck chugged into the driveway, and Bickslow and Lisanna thanked a fisherman for giving them a lift up the mountain. They called for Laxus to put the canoe away, but Freed refused to let him get up, lest he injury the ankle with the weight of the canoe. Bickslow and Freed worked together to hoist the thing up in the garage.
As the story of the bear attack was retold, Laxus left to the bathroom, hobbling on his ankle, not really wanting to hear about it again. Still, he overheard their voices. Both Freed and Evergreen sounded in awe that Laxus arrived at just the right time, growling at the bear to leave, and the wild animal backing down at his overwhelming fierceness. Laxus rolled his eyes. He was lucky, that's all. The bear just as likely could have turned on him and charged.
After a discussion and a phone call from Evergreen's personal assistant, Bickslow decided he did not want to stay around with Freed and Laxus and end up being a third wheel. Although Freed tried to convince him to stay, that they could have a male bonding camping trip—Laxus had to try really hard not to roll his eyes at that—he was personally relieved when Bickslow packed his bags as well, securing a flight with Evergreen on a small private plane to return to Magnolia.
At sunset, Freed and Laxus stood on the steps of the house, waving as a cab took the three back down the hill on their way to civilization.
"Don't blame 'em," Laxus muttered.
"Evergreen will need therapy," Freed realized. "She's strong, she hides it, but that seriously traumatized her."
"Her and you both. I saw how you were earlier. Like your brain fried out."
Freed looked up to him. "And you? Do you still see your therapist?"
Laxus gave a casual shrug. "Once a week. It's sort of annoying at times. I ain't one for talking about feelings and shit."
Freed had to chuckle at the image of Laxus reclined on a couch while a therapist with a clipboard wrote down what he had to say.
"And you?" Laxus asked. "What you did was pretty damn heroic, chasing a bear to save your sister, but it shook ya bad."
Freed wrapped his hands around Laxus' arm and gazed out at the setting sun. "I think your therapy snapped me out of it. I feel much better."
"Oh?" Laxus chuckled lowly. "Well, ya let me know if you need more of that sort of therapy."
"I'm sure I'll need frequent sessions," he said with a lascivious smirk. "And now we have the cabin all to ourselves."
"Which means I can grab your ass any time I want."
Freed playfully bopped him on the nose. "Hopefully you do a lot more to my ass than just grabbing it." Then he strode back into the house with an enticing sway to his hips.
Laxus shook his head. Wearing those tight jeans with a plaid shirt and his ponytail swishing behind him, Freed was irresistible.
Next Chapter: "The Words We Can't Yet Say"
A/N: This extra chapter is my apology for the long hiatus. I've explained this on my other fanfics, but I had a bit of a personal crisis, and it took a few months to find new housing, move to another state, settle in on a farm, a bunch of drama as we squeeze our lives in amidst other people living here, and slowly get my head back in order after all the stress and depression. Thank you for your patience. For the people who donated on GoFundMe or Ko-fi to help me out, I bow to you in thanks. Everyone's support, even just "thoughts and prayers" or simply knowing people still want more of this story, kept my spirits up.
Because of the awkward housing situation I'm in now, I don't think I can do audio recordings for a while. If I ever happen to be the only person in the house, I'll splurge and record a bunch of chapters, but acting out gay BDSM sex scenes will probably get me kicked out, haha!
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