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Disclaimer: Plot is mine. Characters are borrowed.
Author’s note: I think stress has a lot to do with this but…it is what it is. Laxus breaks things off with abruptly with Freed leaving the rune mage heartbroken. Bixlow and Evergreen struggle with the aftermath and try to handle Freed. The question remains as to whether or not there is a happy ending to be found. Warnings involve angst, a lot of angst, Fraxus, and the Rajinshuu as a whole.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Silence. Utter silence. He wasn’t sure if it was just that he couldn’t hear over the blood pounding or if the guild had really just gone still and quiet and perhaps it didn’t matter. Blue eyes fill with raw hurt, pain and an anguish that cuts soul-deep.
But those emotions would quickly be masked as a shaking chin would be raised defiantly. As all the remaining strength he can muster is used to keep the tears from spilling. Striving for dignity even when it feels like he’s about to come apart, there is a level whisper of, “If that is your will then,” before a measured retreat would be made without allowing for a response without allowing for anything more to be spoken between them.
And Freed is quite glad of the door closing behind him as he gets outside his skin hot from embarrassment and anger as those damn tears form again. Swiftly, he makes for his apartment as a valid attempt is made to not break down in the midst of the street where onlookers could see. Each step though is harder than the last sapping what little control he was retaining but somehow, somehow he manages to get into his sanctuary and slump against the door before everything seems to come unwound and he falls apart.
His face pressed into his knees muffles the choked sounds of a heart breaking even as the material dampens from the tears and shaking arms tug until he’s as tightly pulled into himself as he can get, until he’s in as small of a ball as he could get. All the while questions he couldn’t answer just make him hurt worse and give no quarter.
*~*~*~*
“What the hell was that?” The words as seethed in a sharp, harsh tone as fingers curve into fists with the desire to plant themselves into the others face.
“None of your business.” Brusque. Careless. The shrug that accompanies it making it so much worse as it showed a galling lack of sympathy and questioned whether or not he was bothered by the previous scene.
“None of my…Are ya serious?!”
“You heard me, Bixlow. I won’t repeat myself.” Now there was emotion; a tone that warned off further demands. Except that the Seith Mage had no intention of obeying him in this.
“What I heard is ya hurtin’ someone who, despite the fact that ya have a low ability to show anything of the human condition at all, loves ya more’n anythin’ in this world. So ya damn well gonna explain to me why after all of this ya just crushed him into pieces!”
Fingers would twist gripping the material and clasp of his cloak before he’d be yanked forward. “I don’t answer to you, Soul-Stealer, I thought you understood that. I told you it was none of your goddamn business and I meant it.”
Behind the visor, red eyes widen and this choked sound escapes. “N-not…my business! How do you figure this?!”
“Bixlow.” The growled tone had that edge of finality that the three of them knew not to push further than that. Of course this situation lent itself to Bixlow ignoring such a thing if not for the fact that after the utterance, the blond releases him stalks out of the guild hall slamming the door in his wake.
It leaves the tall, lanky male staring at the closed door wondering how in the world this whole situation had happened and how, if there was a way, to fix it. “Bixlow?” Mira’s voice draws his attention back to her.
“Yeah, baby?” comes his quiet question in response.
“Perhaps the best thing to do if he’s not going to explain is…”
His hand comes up interrupting what he knew was coming. “I’ve got ‘im. Doesn’t even need suggestin’, baby.” Now it was just the question of how he was supposed to do that in a productive way. A soft, resigned sigh escapes him as he turns and makes his own way to the door. He had an apartment to get to and a rune mage to try and hold together until things blew over. And he could only hope that they did.
*~*~*~*~*
He was sure the brief look into Freed’s emotions was going to haunt him in his sleep and it elicits a low sigh as a hand is brought to his face rubbing slowly. Damn it all, this is not what he wanted to do. It wasn’t. Because he had been so close to the happiness he’d been striving for. And what had it been for? Almost nothing. His footsteps echo; the loneliness condemning him with each step.
Pulling his coat closer, he tries to ignore the words flung at him and to push the images out of his head. It probably wouldn’t help but at the moment it wasn’t surprising. Getting the ticket, he finds an empty car and slumps onto it. Orange eyes glance out of the window before a rueful sigh escapes him. “Sorry, Freed,” he says to the air, “I can’t have ya followin’ me this time. If all goes well, I’ll make it up to ya. But if it doesn’t…” He takes a slow, steadying breath, “You’re safe from repercussions this way. And that’s how…it has to be.”
Sliding his hand into the pocket that seemed a lead weight, his fingers brush the band he’d reclaimed from the other. Curling the digits around it, he quietly vows that he’d see this to the bitter conclusion and if fate was willing that he’d be able to return it to the hand it belonged to; the only hand he’d ever want to put a ring on.
But fate hadn’t seemed kind up until now so he didn’t have much hope for this to end well. But, it would end. Laxus would have it no other way at this point. The man was a blight and a danger to those he cared for most. He didn’t know how he got out, didn’t care about that stupid detail. All he cared about was the threat given that he wasn’t letting go unanswered. He’d find the bastard himself and make sure he stopped breathing.
He didn’t care that they shared the same bloodline.
*~*~*~
Freed would spend three days refusing to come out of the apartment caught between cutting hurt and seething anger. Bixlow stays with him as much as he can lending what support he could even though the Seith Mage knew it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough for what the other seemed to have lost. There were no words he could use that helped and he finally had just stopped speaking altogether and just made sure to make him eat and held him when he cried.
It was tearing him apart to watch the other suffer like this.
Necessity is what would have him leaving the apartment and he’d leave Pappa to look after Freed as he takes a job. There wasn’t a reason to fail to take care of themselves. Evergreen joins him at the station. “How is he?”
“Broken,” he answers quietly, “I just…I want to find the other and punch him in the face.”
“He…Bix, I think he had to have a reason to do this.”
Fingers tighten into fists. “I don’t care what his reason is! He’s not the one who has to pick up the goddamn pieces again!”
A soft sigh escapes her before she’d murmur, “I can’t see him just changing his mind after all this time. He proposed to him, Bix. In front of the guild. Who does that and just takes it back?”
“If it’s all the same, I’d like not to talk about him, Ever. I have enough issues at the moment that I don’t want to remotely feel bad for that idiot. Freed’s in a right state so I’m content loathing Laxus.”
“Okay,” she finally agrees but there’s that tone that clearly states she still stands by her words. Bixlow just choose to ignore it. There was a job to be done and his portion would go between the two households. Looking after Evergreen and Freed came second-nature to him when they were in trouble. Now was no different.
Of course this job allows him to let off some steam and perhaps he’s a little rougher on the bandits than necessary but there is no biting guilt for it. They were scum and he was angry. Evergreen merely tsks at him but says nothing more as they head back to the inn, and he doesn’t bother defending his actions. Once there, he leaves her in the main room and heads for the bathroom needing space.
*~*~*~*
Once there is the sound of water running, the other sighs sliding her glasses off a moment to rub her face. Honestly, this really was a mess of epic proportions and she just wanted something to throw. Freed was a mess, Bixlow was snarky, and Laxus was who knew where for whatever reason. Bringing a hand to the bridge of her nose, she breathes slowly, deeply. There were too many signs and occurrences that she’d witnessed for this to be a simple case of changing his mind. There was something more. She’d seen the way he looked at Freed, the way he lit up when the other was there. The way his eyes followed when the other walked away. He was smitten.
And that proposal…No, there was no doubt in her mind that a man that willing to subjugate himself in such a way wasn’t going to one day just break things off and take back his ring. Something had to be going on.
Mostly because the alternative could very well cost her a brother she adored and that was an unbearable thought. She slips the glasses back on before sliding her boots off and resting back on the bed. Laxus, she thinks, Laxus, don’t be stupid enough to walk away from the one person who has always loved you. Please don’t do that…
Because if Laxus and Freed couldn’t make it then what chance did she and Elfman have?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The apartment was too quiet for his liking but the thought of leaving didn’t suit him either. Eyes sore from this bout of crying and ranting, he slumps onto the couch feeling worse than ever. Blue eyes would gaze listlessly at the book on the table before he’d reach out and slowly tug it closer so that he could open it. And it’s not three pages of photographs later that he regrets it as a wave of anguish and anger fills him. How dare he? After all of this was it so simple for him to just decide it wasn’t what he wanted?!
Fingers tighten as he stares at a picture that obviously Bixlow had gotten because he and Laxus were curled up asleep on the couch; the blond’s arms curled around him protectively as he was tucked under his chin. “You could protect me from everything…except you apparently,” comes the choked whisper, “L-Laxus, what…what did I do?”
‘I don’t believe that is something you need to be torturing yourself emotionally over,’ comes Pappa’s voice.
“I…I had to have done something. He wouldn’t have just taken back his ring. Wouldn’t have said those things if I hadn’t.” Those damned words that he couldn’t get out of his head. I made a mistake. I don’t love you anymore. It’s over. It was tearing him apart.
‘Freed,’ she sighs softly disliking how much the other was hurting, ‘Freed, you can’t…’
“Just leave it alone. Bixlow meddles enough.”
The change in tone from hurt to clipped told her that he was at the end of what he could handle and she merely murmurs, ‘As you wish. But perhaps some fresh air would do you some good. You’re almost out of tea. Why don’t we make a trip to the store?’ The mention of tea gets his attention as she thought it would and it’s not long before she’s floating a distance away to watch over him. She’d promised Bixlow not to let anything happen to the other and she’d keep that promise.
Pappa was right about the fresh air; it felt good against hot skin though he was sure that he was getting sympathetic looks and wondered how far word had traveled or if it was just over his haggard appearance. Either way, he avoids contact fearing that it would initiate questions that he did not know how to handle or if he could handle. Thankfully, it’s a tactic that seems to work and he gets what he set out for plus a few extra things and returns to the apartment. Putting up the items, he finally has to put on a music lacryma because he can’t handle the silence.
He could only hope that Evergreen and Bixlow would not be too long on their job. And as much of a trial he was at this point, he was grateful that they put up with him. Bixlow especially since the other seemed intent on coming into the apartment even when threatened with runes. The man was incorrigible and he thanked every deity he knew for that.
Settling himself on the couch, he tugs the blankets onto his lap. The bed he shared with Laxus was far too unbearable at the moment. Soon, he’d bring a hand up and it wouldn’t be long until he was curled up with Pappa held close to him. Before falling asleep, he sends up yet another silent prayer to whoever was listening to look after Laxus and keep him safe. And maybe, just maybe to change his mind and bring him home to the man who loved him. And would probably go to his death loving him.
TBC