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“Freed.”
‘Huh? Is that Laxus?’
“Freed?”
‘It is, it’s him. What does he want?’
“I hope you can hear me, I need you to.”
‘I can hear you. I can hear you Laxus! What is it?’
Something wet fell onto his face, ran down his cheek and stayed at his collarbone. It happened again, and again, and again, before the wet splashes on his cheek came quicker, all running down Freed’s cheek and beginning to pool below his neck.
‘Laxus… you’re crying?’
“You probably can’t hear me at all, and I’m probably being as stupid as Natsu-”
“Hey I heard that Laxus!”
“Tch, idiot.” Natsu’s voice had been farther away than Laxus’, so Freed supposed that was just Natsu’s Dragon Slayer senses. He wanted to open his eyes and see the look he knew would be on Laxus’ face, shaking his head with his eyes closed, a small smirk on his face because he was so fond of his guildmates.
But his eyes wouldn’t open.
“But… Freed, you need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.”
‘Do what? Laxus, do what? Why can’t I open my eyes?’
“I should have helped you; I was the one who dragged you on that stupid job, I should have helped you.” Laxus was getting louder, and he was choking up, what was so bad?
Why couldn’t Freed open his eyes?
“This is my fault.” He barely heard him, Laxus was only whispering now.
‘What’s your fault? Laxus! Laxus!’
There was hand on the side of his face, and Laxus was trying to brush away the tears on Freed’s skin with his thumb, only succeeding in making his face wetter.
‘I can’t wake up. Laxus…’
*/*\*
Laxus used his arm to wipe away the tears still in his eyes and dry the tracks down his face, his eyes feeling sore and his throat seeming tighter.
He needed to get away for a while, on a job, on a freaking holiday, just… away. Seeing Freed like this, because of a hit he’d taken for Laxus on their last mission, was painful, and everyone had a limit. This was his.
He leaned over, with a hand supporting him on Freed’s hospital bed, to press his lips to his partner’s forehead softly.
“Goodbye Freed.”