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Freed didn’t break eye contact with his opponent as he ducked beneath a wild swing, stepping in close as the man left himself wide open, reversing his own sword at the last moment so that he could crack the hilt across the man’s temple. There was a loud crack, and then the man was falling, weapon falling from limp hands and Freed was already moving, a rune shield flaring up to protect his back, as a blast of fire roared towards him. He didn’t get a chance to deal with the cowardly attack though, because Bickslow was there, his usual grin nowhere to be seen as his dolls blasted the man clear across the street. Narrowly missing Evergreen who spared them a glare, before turning back to her own fight, her opponents caught by her stone eyes, trapped mid-lunge.
“Laxus?” Freed called to Bickslow, just as thunder rumbled overhead and lightning blasted down a couple of streets over. “Never mind,” he muttered, already moving in that direction as Bickslow whirled to deal with another mage appearing from the alley. They shared a brief look, a quick assessment for wounds – nothing serious despite being outnumbered and temporarily separated, and a promise to be careful, and then Freed was gone, heading towards the Dragon-slayer and the heaviest fighting.
Fairy Tail was going to get the blame for this mess, he thought, as he emerged into the town centre and the scene of destruction, recognising the damage caused by Laxus’ lightning amongst the rest. But he knew that the guild they were fighting wouldn’t get the blame, and he grimaced, even as he slid into the midst of the fight. The first two mages he caught by surprise, runes binding them, and forcing them to the ground almost before they knew that he was there. Unfortunately, their shouts had alerted the others, and he was surrounded. Lips drawn back into a snarl as he fell into a defensive stance, sword level, and utterly calm. In the distance he could see Laxus, lightning illuminating the Dragon-slayer as several bodies were tossed skywards.
Laxus is fine. Bickslow and Ever are fine.
He let that knowledge settle, the worry that was never far from the surface during fights even if he knew that they could all handle themselves settling to stillness, and there was a devilish light in his eyes as he eyed the men and women around him. I can fight properly now, he thought, and it was like shaking off a leash, his magic crackling around him, darkness curling at his feet, and he knew that his eye had changed as he heard the whispers and saw the uneasy shifting. His growl as he lunged forward, not giving them a chance to regroup was a little less than human, the Demon allowed out to play, a rush beneath his skin, as his first blow landed. His target crumpled and then straightened, trying to bring the gun – enchanted with ice – to bear on him, but Freed’s other hand was already there, shadowed claws formed with half a thought, raking the trembling hand and sending the weapon crashing to the ground. “Try again,” he snarled, slicing the hand open in passing as he reached up and caught the man by the neck, tossing him into the others, two of them falling like skittles, and he was on them in a flash of purple and shadow.
There was a freedom to fighting like that, without the rules that he clung to so rigorously most of the time. He felt at ease in his own skin for once, and something dark purred in satisfaction as one by one, they fell beneath him. It wasn’t that they were unskilled, although he doubted many of them were close to even his or the rest of the Raijinshuu’s level, let alone Laxus’, but for all their confidence and element of surprise, they couldn’t match his ferocity. As he parried a blow, sliding his sword under their guard, lashing out towards their eyes to force them into its path, he idly wondered what they would do if he truly let loose. Because, as dangerous as he was now, one foot firmly in the Demon’s world, he was still in control. Still human, and careful not to cross the line that he walked so often, and part of him itched and ached to take that step, to lose control and truly let loose. It was always there, a hunger that couldn’t be satiated. A voice that whispered in tangent with his. The Demon on his shoulder. He could hear it now, singing for blood and violence, and freedom, darkness spreading across his skin as his control wavered for a moment as the sword bit deep, drawing blood.
No, he reigned it in, slid free and backed up breathing heavily. That was a line he couldn’t cross, not now, not without justification and this was a nuisance, not a threat, not worthy of the full weight of the Demon. Denial clawed at his throat, a howl flooding the back of his mind, and he stumbled back. Too close, it had been too close, and the Demon wasn’t going to retreat without a fight. Not here, he thought, sword clattering to the ground as he started to draw runes in the air with trembling hands, a shield, a cage, not to keep the guild members away, but to trap himself until he was entirely in control.
They were pressing in on him though, sensing blood in the water, his momentary weakness and distraction clear to the world, but he couldn’t stop. He didn’t dare. If he lost control now, this would go beyond a pile of complaints on Makarov’s desk.
Something slid through the runes, obliterating a line of them in a flash of purple, and Freed felt the cage shake and splinter, even as pain lanced through his side, warmth gushing down his side. It hurt, burning with sickening fire, and his focus slipped, fractured, and as he pressed a trembling hand to the wound, the Demon roared in triumph with his voice.
Darkness rushing forward, consuming, devouring and sweeping him up in its wake.
**
Laxus heard the roar even over the crackle of his lightning, and the thunder rumbling above him almost loud enough to drown out the shouts and cries of his opponents as he blasted them away from him. He had already forgotten them, as he turned trying to trace the source of the roar, heart in his mouth as on the far side of the square he saw Freed spring into the air, purple wings blazing at his back. No…not Freed. Laxus had only seen Freed in this form half a dozen times, as his partner keeping a firm handle on his demonic side, the rules he kept for himself far harsher than those he imposed on the world around him. It never failed to make his breath catch, because Freed was beautiful in both forms, but there was something awe-inspiring and terrifying, and hauntingly enchanting about his demonic form.
A wildness that he half envied.
But not now.
Because, he had learned to tell the difference between Freed choosing this form, maintaining some control over it, and Freed having lost control. The Rune Mage had made sure that both Laxus and the rest of the Raijinshuu learn the difference between the two, terrified that one day he would lose control and hurt them, Laxus had learned but thought that he would never need to use that knowledge. Now, he was glad for it, because as he saw Freed headed not for the leftover guildmembers, but civilians drawn to the sound of conflict he moved, forgetting all about the fight, as he used his magic to propel himself forward and into his partner’s path.
Freed, or rather the Demon holding the reins did not appreciate his interference, and Laxus felt claws rake across his shoulder and down his chest, as he used his momentum and size to force the Demon down to the ground. He hissed in pain, but refused to retreat, lightning crackling around them, blasting against the ground, keeping the Demon from fleeing and distracting him as Laxus breathed through the pain, and tried to remember what Freed had told him.
It wouldn’t hold him for long, but hopefully just long enough for Laxus to get Freed back.
“Laxus…?” His breath caught at the quiet voice, the hesitance in the question. It sounded so much like his Freed, the one who had grumbled and pleaded to stay in bed a little longer that morning, who had told him not to wreck the town seconds before everything had gone to hell. But he knew even before he lifted his head and saw that the dark scales had disappeared, the Rune Mage physically reverting to his human form that it wasn’t Freed, and it was confirmed when he met dark eyes, and he lifted an eyebrow at the Demon.
“You forgot about the eyes,” he informed it, staring into purplish-black eyes as the Demon cursed and snarled, lashing out against the rune barrier and bouncing off it again seemingly without damaging it. Still, to even to Laxus’ inexperienced eyes, it looked as though the runes had flickered for a second. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice?” He asked, stepping forward, trying to keep the Demon distracted as he worked.
“Not really,” the Demon replied with a careless shrug, grinning at him. “In fact, I was counting on it.” There was mischief in his voice now, as he lifted his hands towards his eyes, the fingertips darkening and curling into claws once more and despite himself, Laxus tensed. The reaction didn’t go unnoticed, and the Demon chuckled, but there was anger beneath the mirth now. “You’re rather fond of these eyes aren’t you…” He whispered, claws passing far too close to Freed’s eyes, and for a moment, the darkness disappeared, and Laxus was staring into the turquoise eyes that he loved. It was a trick, an illusion and Laxus gritted his teeth and kept working, trying not to focus on the emptiness in those eyes. The Demon had copied the colour perfectly, but it couldn’t replicate the spark that was Freed. The intelligence and fierce determination. “Perhaps, I should get rid of them…”
“And injure your own body?” Laxus asked, only just preventing himself from lunging forward as the claws swept too close once more, the words like bile in his mouth. It’s Freed’s body, not his, but this wasn’t his first time dealing with the Demon, and he knew that he had to make it about the Demon and not Freed right now. All he needed was a few more seconds, his hands trembling, as it seemed for a moment the Demon wouldn’t stop. At the last minute, the claws turned aside, drawing a bloody line across Freed’s cheek instead.
“I suppose it would be a shame,” it admitted, lifting the bloodied claw to study the flash of red against black scales, turning it this way and that before focusing on the Dragon-slayer once more. “Although it would have been interesting to see your reaction.”
“I’m sure it would have been,” Laxus agreed, as his trap slid into place, the runes that Freed had painstakingly taught him how to blend with his lightning snapping into position around them. A cage for the Demon. A one-time weapon, Freed had warned him, because the Demon would be prepared a second time. As it was, there was a pause as it felt the magic forming, and then dark eyes locked on him, and all traces of humour disappeared.
“This won’t bring him back to you,” the Demon snarled as it lashed out at the walls of the cage, testing it, and Laxus held his breath for a moment not entirely sure it would hold. It flickered, nowhere as strong as what Freed could conjure, his partner able to build layers upon layers into his enchantments in the time that it took Laxus to write the most basic runes. But Freed had been a good teacher, and the quiet desperation when he had asked Laxus to learn this, had been enough to make sure the Dragon-slayer had focused on learning it by heart, and it paid off now as it held under the assault.
“You’re not keeping him.”
“But, Laxus…” The Dragon-slayer shivered as the Demon slipped into the soft voice that Freed used when they were alone, and the smile this time was malicious. “He’s already mine. He’s always been mine. He just needed to be reminded of that fact.” There was a possessiveness to the words, and it hadn’t escaped Laxus’ notice that despite its anger, it wasn’t making any attempt to get closer to him, either to trick or to attack and his eyes narrowed. Mine. It had been hissed, with the simplicity of a child that didn’t know how to share, or rather refused to, and realisation dawned.
“You’re jealous,” He said after a pause, half incredulous and half triumphant, knowing that he had hit the nail on the head when the Demon hissed at him, and now he moved, moving forward slow and steady. “Because he doesn’t belong to you anymore.” It had taken him far too long to ask Freed about his demonic side, and hearing Freed talk about his life as a child. Shunned for this dark magic, for the Demon that simmered beneath the surface and having to turn that same Demon for company, for protection had been painful to hear. Worse, because Freed had been so calm as he talked about it, as though it was nothing, although the way he had curled into Laxus that night and woken more than once from a nightmare, had proven it ran deeper. “Or, rather he’s not just yours anymore. He belongs to the guild, to the Raijinshuu… and you have to share him with me.” Freed had started to work on his control the moment he had been invited to the guild and had clamped down on it, wrapping himself in rules and control after Makarov had asked him to watch over Laxus, refusing to be the threat he needed to guard against.
“I don’t have to share him with anyone,” the Demon snarled. “He’s mine. I’m the one that protected him, that shaped him. I was the one that was there when you left.” Darkness crackled around him now, filling the space within the rune cage with a pressure that had the hairs on Laxus’ arms standing on end, but he didn’t falter, even as that last bit cut deeper than he’d expected. That was behind them, and he wasn’t naïve enough to think the time spent apart during his exile hadn’t left a mark on Freed, but did it go this deep? Had Freed been forced to turn inwards, to the Demon, while he was gone? He hadn’t asked he realised, hands clenching into fists at his time. He had been welcomed back with open arms, and then Tenroujima had happened and seven years had passed in the blink of an eye, and the fact that they had survived, that they were coming home together had been the push they needed to become something more…and he had seized the chance, and let those long months apart slip away into memory.
“You were,” he admitted quietly, moving closer a step at a time, the soft acceptance seeming to derail the Demon for a moment. Triumph glittering in the dark eyes as it realised what Laxus had said, distracted for a second, and the Dragon-slayer used the opportunity to close the last of the space between them. “You were there when I wasn’t, and we know that you will always be there…” He knew that Freed had searched for a way to lock the Demon away permanently, had talked to Mira about it too. There had been no answers, only concerns, and in the end, Laxus had pleaded with him to let it go, preferring to deal with moments like this when they had to, than risk losing Freed or risk Freed losing part of himself that he would never get back.
“LAXUS! FREED!” The shouts from beyond the cage, and the sight of Bickslow and Evergreen both a little worse for wear distracted him for a second, and the Demon lunged. Not for the cage as Laxus had expected, but at him, and there was no trace of Freed in his expression then, just fury and hunger and a terrible determination to make sure that Freed was his and his alone.
“STAY BACK!” He roared, trusting them to listen as he met the attack, immediately on the defensive. He had fought the Demon before, could and would fight him now if he had to, but he couldn’t forget that this was also Freed. That it was his partner’s body that would take the damage, that it was Freed who would have to endure the aftermath of anything he did, and so he flung his arms up just in time to take the first blow, feeling claws tear through his skin as the Demon’s weight and momentum sent them both to the ground.
They grappled, rolling across the ground until they collided with the runes and were forced back. Laxus and Freed had long since made a habit of sparring with one another, and when it came to hand to hand, they were remarkably well-matched, Laxus’ strength and extra reach, countered by Freed’s speed and skill, and their tally from the training only had single digits between them. Today, Laxus was at a disadvantage, holding himself back, while the Demon had no such restraint, and was trying to find an opening to finish this.
As claws raked across his chest, a little too close to his throat for comfort, Laxus had to react, and he curled his knees up, managing to get them between them, before jerking his legs out and flinging the Demon off him. The Demon howled its fury, twisting Freed’s face into an expression that didn’t belong there. “He doesn’t need you,” it hissed, venom dripping from each word.
“No, he doesn’t,” Laxus admitted, more breathlessly than he’d intended as he scrambled to his feet just as the Demon launched at him again, darkness gathering into a sphere between its hands. He let the attack come, the Demon slamming into him once more, pressing the darkness into his chest as it snarled at him.
“Then disappear…Darkness Flare Bomb.”
The blast flung Laxus back into the cage wall, and the runes flickered, several of them fading from existence. Not enough to render the walls useless just yet, but it wouldn’t be long. However, the Demon had apparently lost all interest in escaping to make the most of its freedom. More focused on getting rid of the threat to its possessiveness of Freed because as Laxus stumbled forward and hit one knee, it was on him again. Snarling, as dark runes appeared across Laxus’ body, followed split seconds by agony that would have torn his body apart if he had been most people, as it was he couldn’t stop the shout of pain that was wrenched from his lips before he bit down, hard enough to draw blood. Fighting to stay upright and ride out the pain, he was caught by surprise when the Demon was on him, forcing him onto his back, leaving several bloody furrows before going for his throat, clawed fingers curling around it.
“Just, as he doesn’t need you as much as he once did,” Laxus said, looking up into dark eyes, searching for some sign that Freed was in there, that his partner was fighting to come back to him, but there was nothing. Had the Demon got stronger? Or was it just so caught up in this taste of freedom, this power over Freed and the chance to remove Laxus, that it was managing to keep Freed buried? He didn’t know, and that unsettled him, but he knew that Freed would come back from this, and instead, he focused on the dark eyes, on the Demon who had stiffened at his words, fingers tightening, and Laxus couldn’t stop himself from instinctively trying to push it off.
He’d meant what he’d said, both about Freed not needing him, or the Demon, because Freed was strong. Too many people failed to realise that, usually to their detriment, and he knew that to some extent Freed cultivated that misunderstanding, using it as a weapon when needed. But he had never hidden it around Laxus or the Raijinshuu. He was the Captain of the Raijinshuu, he was Laxus’ partner in everything.
He was Freed the Dark, just as he was Freed Justine, and just Freed.
“But, you’re part of him. Part of what has made him, and he knows that” Laxus continued, forcing the words past the intensifying chokehold, knowing that as much Freed tried to contain this part of himself, he still acknowledged the Demon as part of his strength. He stopped trying to push the Demon off, and instead reached up to lightly grasp its wrists as he added more softly. “And so do I.” Confusion and something akin to fear flickered in the dark eyes, and the bruising grip loosened just a little, letting Laxus breathe a bit more easily.
“You…?”
“Haven’t you noticed that I’ve never tried to force you out?” Laxus demanded. “I accepted you as part of Freed a long time ago, and that isn’t going to change.” Those words weren’t just for the Demon, they were for Freed too if his partner could hear them right now because he knew that was a fear that lingered despite all the reassurances Laxus had given him over the year. A whispering doubt that one day Laxus would walk away because of this darker side of him, even after Freed had stood by the Dragon-slayer through his darkest moments. And maybe they were different, this Demon a far cry from his rage, but for Laxus it was one of the many threads that bound them together.
There was a flicker in Freed’s left eye, a brief flash of turquoise against the blackness.
“Why?” If the Demon had felt it, it didn’t show, its attention riveted on the Dragon-slayer laying pliant now beneath it, grip loose now so that the clawed fingers were resting against bloodied skin. It sounded more like Freed this time, the lost voice reminding Laxus painfully of the first time he had pulled Freed out of this darkness, holding his partner close, whispering that he loved him, that he would always find a way to bring him back. Only for Freed to look up at him, shaken and lost, and ask ‘why?’ As though he had expected that to be a breaking point, and for the Dragon-slayer to change his mind about him.
Laxus lifted one hand, releasing the Demon’s wrist and instead reaching up to cup the cheek that the Demon had cut earlier. It felt like Freed, like the hundreds of times he had done this before pulling Freed into a gentle kiss. He didn’t kiss him now, and it wasn’t Freed he was looking up at right now, but the Demon, holding the dark gaze as he brushed his fingers over the bloodied cheek. “Because I love him, and I love you as part of him.” It was still Freed, a part of him. A dark part, a dangerous part, but still part of him. Another flicker and the turquoise remained this time, a glimpse of Freed peeking out, and Laxus leaned up, ignoring the half-hearted snarl and pressure at his throat as he kissed him.
Kissed them both.
Long and slow, lingering, a promise that his words weren’t going to change. That his feelings weren’t going to change. It took a while, the Demon still reluctant to release its grip on Freed, but gradually Laxus felt the claws fading, the threatening grip turning softer, fingers brushing against torn skin. The pressure that had filled the air around them receding, and then Freed was pulling away, an apology whispered against his lips, and Laxus found himself looking up into familiar turquoise eyes. Eyes that were alive with everything that made Freed who he was, and shadowed with guilt.
“Freed…” Laxus curled his fingers against his partner’s cheek but Freed jerked back, away from the tender touch. Stumbling to his feet as he released the Dragon-slayer and backed away on unsteady feet, only to stumble and fall to one knee, pressing a hand to his side where Laxus now saw the tear in the material, the blood welling between Freed’s fingers. “Freed!” He was on his feet at once, blasting the runes around them with lightning, not willing to take the time to dismantle them, barely aware of Evergreen and Bickslow rushing towards them as he reached Freed’s side, and dropped down beside him. Reaching for him again, not letting Feed flinch out of reach as he grasped his arms. “I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Let me see.”
“Laxus…” There was no trace of the Demon in the whisper this time, it was beautifully, wonderfully Freed and Laxus closed his eyes at the pain, at the fear in that single word.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, knowing that Freed wasn’t worried about his own injuries even though he was leaning into Laxus’ arms, barely holding himself upright and trembling with exhaustion. He could see it in the way that Freed’s eyes were roving across his injuries, committing each cut and bruise, each claw mark to memory. “I told you that I would always bring you back,” Laxus said, moving to support Freed with an arm around his shoulders, absorbing the tremors, as he reached up to cup his cheek once more. “This…” he tilted his head at his own injuries, refusing to wince as the movement and supporting Freed tugged on them, knowing that Freed would focus on that rather than his words. “Is nothing, as long as I have you back.”
“But…”
“I love you Freed Justine,” Laxus cut him off, voice low but firm. “All of you,” he added, holding Freed’s gaze just as he had held the Demon’s, letting him see the truth of his words, the sincerity. It wasn’t as easy this time. The Demon had been caught off guard by his words, by his acceptance, but this was Freed who questioned everything, and one moment because two as they just stared at once another. Laxus was vaguely aware of their teammates hovering nearby, just far enough away to give the illusion of privacy, while being close enough to protect them or help if necessary.
Finally, Freed nodded, just the barest of movements. Conditional acceptance, because Laxus knew that this was a discussion they needed to have again when they were safe, and their injuries had been taken care of, and Freed had rested because the doubt and fear lingered. A shadow in his eyes that couldn’t be chased away so easily, but despite that Freed was leaning into him, and Laxus moved his hand, letting Freed rest his head against his shoulder as they both took a shuddery breath and clung to one another.
Freed was back, and it was over for now.