Thunder Rolls

Anniversary

Fraxus Week 2015, Bonus Day: Anniversary

"How long have we been married?"

The question asked at breakfast surprised Freed. They were still not really a couple, not in that way. However, Laxus stopped dating women, and Freed stayed loyal. They were pretty much exclusive. They only kissed, but that was fine with Freed.

Sometimes Laxus pulled Freed to bed with him, and they slept together, just cuddling. Then they woke up to morning kisses, sometimes making out in bed, but always Laxus pulled back before it led to more. Freed wasn't sure what to make of it, but it was still a nice arrangement. He lived with Laxus, they sometimes slept together, and they kissed. A lot!

It was not really being married, but when they were alone Laxus sometimes called Freed wife, and whenever he did that, Freed called him husband in return. It was more like roleplay.

"I suppose it's been a year," Freed guessed. Yes, it was July again, and outside there was a summer storm. Warm rain beat on the windows, and sometimes they heard rolls of thunder, nothing threatening, just a normal summer rainstorm.

"A whole year," Laxus mused. "That's a shame."

Freed looked up from his waffles. Shame? Was there something wrong between them?

"It's pretty shitty of me, keeping you stuck in a relationship like this, not one thing or another. You can't truly be happy, living in limbo like this."

Freed felt his heart stop. He wanted to protest, to scream, to yell that this had been the happiest year of his life, but everything within him froze. All he could do was look on in dread.

Laxus shook his head. "Maybe it seems sudden, but I've been thinking about it for a while now." He looked up sternly, and lightning flashed, making his eyes appear in bright and dark contrasts. "This has got to stop."

"No!" Freed screamed, and he instantly covered his mouth. As the thunder rumbled outside and the rain splattered on the window, Freed felt his whole body shivering.

'No way! This isn't happening! No! Please, no!'

Laxus raised a surprised eyebrow. "What's wrong? You're not happy with our arrangement, right?"

"I am happy," he protested passionately. "I'm wildly happy."

"You don't really mean that. You don't want things to stay like this for the rest of your life."

"Yes! I do!"

Laxus' eyes saddened. "No you don't. I've seen how you look at times. Gajeel starts to make out with Levy in public and you're a total romantic mess. Loke brags about another girl he's fucking, and you glance over at me with those puppy eyes when you think I don't realize it. Alzack plays with Asuka and you're practically cooing. You want the sort of happiness they have, something I haven't given to you, not even once, and some things ... well, between two guys, we can't ever have kids of our own. At least, not without some seriously fucked up magic."

"I don't care," Freed cried. "I don't care if we don't have kids, or don't make love, or don't tell anyone about our relationship. This is what I want. It's all I've ever wanted, Laxus. Please," he sobbed, "please don't change things."

Laxus reached across the table and rested his fingers atop of Freed's trembling hand. "Don't you want more out of your life?"

"I want you," he insisted.

"Exactly. Don't you want more of me?"

Freed stopped his shaking and tears. What? Wait ... what?

Laxus scratched his head. "Shit, I'm saying this bad. You're getting the wrong idea. It sounded good in my head, but I always fuck up my words. What I mean is ... we need to stop holding back with each other. I've been trying real hard to be good after that one time when you confessed you were a virgin. Virgins as old as you are want to save it for marriage and shit, so I've been really holding back. I can't anymore. You have no idea how many times I almost molested you in your sleep because I want you so badly."

The chill in Freed's veins instantly turned to liquid fire. He had thought Laxus was simply against having sex with a man. Freed had given up on the idea of sexual intimacy, not wanting to push him into something he did not feel comfortable doing. He honestly had no clue that Laxus kept pulling away like that for his sake.

"I ... um ... fuck, hold on." Laxus reached into a pocket and pulled out a tiny box. He opened it and showed Freed an engagement ring, a thick titanium band with a tiny embedded diamond. "It's been fun having you as my wife, but now I want to have you as my husband. How 'bout it?"

Freed sniffled, and tears of joy beaded on his eyelashes. "Idiot," he sputtered with a wet laugh. "How 'bout it? Come on! Ask properly."

"Shut up. It's embarrassing."

Freed looked aside with his nose up in the air in flippant dismissal. "I'm not agreeing until you ask me properly."

"Bitch," he grumbled. "Fine."

Laxus snapped shut the jewelry box. For two whole seconds, Freed panicked that he was changing his mind. Before he could scream his protests, Laxus stood, walked around the table, knelt in front of Freed, and brought forth the engagement ring box again.

"You are quite literally the only man I have ever loved. You changed me, made me better, and I love you for that. I want you with me until we're old geezers, and I want you to keep watching over me, as I like to protect you. Freed Justine, will you marry me?"

Freed stared slack-jawed and silently nodded.

"Now you're the one screwing up. Answer me properly!"

He gulped thickly and suddenly sprang forward. "Yes!" He leaped into Laxus' arms and held him as he collapsed, unable to stay up with how much emotion was running through him. He just grasped onto Laxus' shoulders and sobbed in joy. "Yes, I accept. Yes! Laxus, I ... I'm so..." He sobbed and clung tighter.

"I know," Laxus whispered, gently stroking his soft hair. "Sorry if I said it all wrong, and I know this isn't the most romantic setting, but I remember that it was during breakfast when I asked you to be my wife, so I wanted to ask this during breakfast as well."

"It's fine, it's perfect," he cried.

Laxus eased him back, picked up Freed's trembling hand, and slipped on the ring.

"There." He smiled in satisfaction. "Fits good, too." He brought up Freed's fingers and kissed his knuckles just above the titanium band.

"Are you sure about this?" Freed asked, feeling in a daze.

"Heh!" Laxus leaned forward and kissed him. "That's just how I roll."

Freed smiled back at him.

That was just the way the ... thunder rolls.

The End