headcanons for my favorite fairy tail rarepairs <3
if anyone is interested in a possible part two, please leave ship suggestions. As long as it's safe, sane, and consensual + there are no uncomfortable age gaps, I pretty much like any ship a person can think of :)
rufus is the only person on the entire planet who actually likes orga's singing voice and is constantly encouraging his random bursts of song. sting and rogue are not amused.
lisanna loves how clingy juvia is and is always welcoming her back hugs when she's been talking to someone else for "too long." They have slept in til noon because neither wanted to stop cuddling.
freed often falls asleep reading or writing at his desk; he always wakes up in bed with his glasses properly put away, his place marked, hair braided/put out of the way, and bickslow spooning him.
evergreen likes to pick out erza's outfits for their dates and erza is just happy to indulge evergreen. she always looks fantastic but will spend the whole night complimenting evergreen rather than appreciate her own appearance.
laxus carries earbuds in his pockets in case gajeel gets too overwhelmed by the loudness of the guild hall and they'll sneak off to a more secluded area to share and listen to music together.
gray has returned to magnolia with lyon's clothes rather than his own purely because neither of them have gotten a hang of their stripping habits and are always getting their clothes mixed up. yeah... only that reason.
lucy and yukino exchange letters like they live countries apart rather than a train ride. the letters are always super long on both ends because they talk about every single detail of their day; lucy likes to decorate her letters with stickers and stamps while yukino will doodle constellations in the margins.
jellal and cobra will share cloaks on cold nights but always get super flustered when the rest of crime sorciere catch them, so they tend to wake up really early (watching the sunrise together is just a bonus).
kagura will wear cringey couple t-shirts with milliana and will stab anyone who makes fun of them for it. her wardrobe is 50% of some variation of "i love my girlfriend" with milliana's picture printed on.
If it isnt too much trouble, can i ask for bickslow/freed hcs?
You sure can!
You can't think of a more opposites attract couple. Nope, none. Refined, dignified and proper Freed Justine dating weird, freaky-deaky, off-putting, tattoos-and-mohawks, black-magic-practicing dark knight who curses casually and makes completely unfiltered remarks.
Bickslow, who has a devious smirk on his face at virtually all times, looks forward to the times when Freed also possesses one as seen in the above picture--i.e. when he's about to destroy someone.
Bickslow will flirt with anything and everything. Freed doesn't mind, because he knows it's not serious--Bix's heart, body and soul, belong to him.
Freed has a wider knowledge of dark magic than half the dark guilds in existence. Bickslow has an intense curiosity about the same, but thankfully, Freed has wisdom from experience, and frequently prevents Bickslow's investigations into dark magic from going wrong.
Bickslow is the one who plays powerhouse when they fight together, not because Freed isn't capable of laying a beatdown, but because he dislikes using his stronger magics due to...bad experiences.
They swapped clothing styles once. It actually worked really well, and Freed rocked the knight look while Bickslow cleaned up surprisingly well in fancy regalia.
Bickslow is the more emotional of the two by far--shocker, I know. However, this also translates to longer sour moods and deeper depressions when he does get upset about things. Freed quickly sought ways to make Bickslow feel better and it turns out that Bickslow responds amazingly well to animals, hence a short period with a therapy kitty.
Once when they sparred, Bickslow caught Freed's rapier with his teeth. Freed felt a stirring that day that he denied for a long time.
(Bickslow made abundant sword-swallowing innuendos after this as well).
Bickslow loves being a bad influence on Freed--getting him angry, making him indulge his emotions (and bother to actually feel and address them), and forcing Freed to actually be a human with flaws and issues on occasion. Likewise, Freed enjoys being a good influence on Bickslow and helping him think past the short-term.
When Bickslow is mad at Freed, his babies will copy everything Freed says in a sing-sock, mocking manner.
NS/FW:
For reasons that will be explained later, Freed will not indulge eye contact between himself and Bickslow. Not even in sexytimes. On the other hand, this hang-up has resulted in Bickslow being gifted a large number of eye masks, such as this dashing one:
Or this absolutely pimpin' one:
Bickslow cranks up the kinky when he's with Freed biblically (or demonically, as it were). There's no gentleness or caution, because Bix refuses to patronize Freed by acting like he's fragile or can't speak up. Freed keeps up remarkably well.
There is a lot of roleplay. Freed has always had a thing for Bickslow being the aggressive demon to his stately prince, and it's a role Bickslow loves playing, as long as Freed doesn't overcomplicate things. Somethings the demon seduces the prince away from a lover, sometimes he's captive and held in b*ndage, and sometimes the demon swoops down on the sleeping prince to s*domize him.
Happy Holidays everyone!!! This fic is a Secret Santa gift for the very lovely, @the-disaster-tiefling !!! I hope you enjoy!!
[[MORE]]
The sparks started to fly when Bickslow was just twelve years old. He saw a boy in the corner of the guild, literal walls of ancient text boxing him in while he silently read. Though when he saw the rather annoyed look on his face, as he watched the chaos that was the Fairy Tail guild hall, Bickslow could tell he wasn’t boxed in. He shut everyone else out.
That just made him want to find out more about this mysterious kid, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. Closed tight books were always the most fun to read.
“Hey! Hey you!” He called out, banging on the wall of runes. He pressed his face to the wall, a tingling buzz spreading throughout his body. This was such an interesting form of magic. Bickslow has only ever seen Magic Counsel soldiers use rune magic, but this boy’s way of using it felt different. It already felt raw, like there was more lurking beneath the surface.
He was surprised when the boy actually closed his book to give him a glance. “You know, when someone is closed off like this, it means they generally want to be left alone.” The boy said. His way of talking was so eloquent. Words poured from his mouth like every single one was important. Bickslow just grinned wider at him.
“Hey, closed books are the most interesting to read.” He stared, sitting down, as if he were getting comfortable. He wasn’t planning on moving for a while. “So are you gonna tell me your name, or am I gonna have to go to Makarov for your life story?” He teased. “The name’s Bickslow!”
The boy sighed, as if he already knew he wasn’t getting out of this. “Freed. Freed Justine. No need to be so chummy. I don’t plan on making friends here. This is a place for me to earn money. Nothing more.” Freed said, already opening up his book. He seemed surprised when Bickslow rest his back against the runes.
“Well it’s too bad for you! This spot is pretty comfy. I might just stay here for a while!” He teased. Freed made no effort to move the Seith mage, deciding he wasn’t being too much of a bother.
————
The sparks fanned into flames as the two aged into their teen years. It took a bit of worming in on Bickslow’s part, but there came a point where Bickslow could call Freed one of his closest companions. They went on jobs all the time together, and even decided to share a room at the men’s dormitory to save money. Sure they had their spats, but they seemed inseparable, even after Evergreen joined their very small circle.
“I have an announcement.” Freed said softly to the two of them after coming home late from a job.
“Ugh, it’s not another boring job is it? Come on Freed, you gotta start picking some exciting work!”
“It’s nothing like that.” He said, trying not to seem offended that Evergreen apparently disliked the jobs they were working on. “I spoke with Makarov recently.” He admitted.
“Oh? What’d the old geezer say? We ain’t in trouble are we?” Bickslow asked, pouting. They had already gotten a stern talking to recently for supposedly “going too far” on a bunch of thugs.
“No, it’s not that either. He brought up Laxus. He...asked me to keep an eye out for him. Keep him safe. I think we should make a more formal team, to aid him.” Freed states, seeming oddly apprehensive.
One would think of it as Freed seeming nervous for such a large task. But Bickslow knew better. Those were nerves from Freed’s crush on Laxus. He remembered prying the information from Freed late one night, hoping Freed’s recent distractedness was because of him.
Bickslow feels the flame start to grow dim.
————
The flame is drenched in water the night Laxus leaves the guild.
They all took it hard, Bickslow had thought. He had been angry that Makarov chose to only banish Laxus and not all four of them for their treachery. Evergreen had cried as their friend and idol left.
Freed seemed unmoved. Saying only “we’ll see him again one day”. He seemed oddly optimistic for someone who considered himself so close to Laxus.
The three of them decided to forgo attending the Fantasia parade, deciding it would probably look pretty bad on Makarov’s part if the three mages who participated in a mutiny were also in the parade.
Evergreen had locked herself in her room. Bickslow has visited a bar outside of town. Freed...didn’t say where he was going to be. And that worried Bickslow. He knew Freed was independent but the fact that he seemed so unaffected by Laxus leaving seemed off.
He decided to pay the other a visit, rapping his hand against the door to Freed’s room. They had long since switched to single dorm rooms, since they started making more money attending S-Class missions with Laxus.
“Yo. Yo Freed, you in there?” He asked. He peeked up when he heard a faint buzzing coming from Freed’s room. He placed his hand on the doorknob, and twisted. The room was unlocked.
Bickslow let himself in, the buzzing growing louder, and the door to Freed’s personal bathroom slightly ajar.
Long locks of bright green hair lay on the floor of the bathroom, so long they fell outside the room. Freed leaned against the bathroom counter, eyes red and raw from previous tears. A buzz cutter lay on the counter.
Freed slowly turned to face Bickslow who now realized Freed was taking Laxus’ banishment much harder than he let on. He was never good at expressing his emotions or helping others out with theirs. None of them were really. But his body seemed to move on it’s own as he walked into the bathroom, and pulled Freed into an embrace. He could feel the pangs in his heart as Freed seemed to hold on for dear life, shoulders wracking with each soft sob.
Now that Bickslow thought about it, he had never seen Freed cry before.
————
The sparks start to flicker again, as they all rediscover themselves. Freed starts smiling again and has become less closed off. He’s apprehensive about making new friends, but has found some in Levy, Lucy and even Mirajane. Lucy even uses one of her spirits to restore his hair once he’s moved on.
Bickslow knew Freed might never move on. The pain still hurts, and he and Evergreen are also still trying to find out the best way to approach their new selves in the guild. But Freed seems happier. They all do.
Freed jokes with him more, and they stay up late together again. It feels just like when they were kids.
Bickslow is elated when Freed asks him to help carry him to S-Class status, knowing for sure no one else can match up to Freed.
After all, Freed is cunning, decisive, unafraid, so charming and—
Bickslow stops that train of thought before it can get rolling. Before the fire consumes him and it can’t be put out.
————
The flame starts to die because they’re both at the brink of death.
Acnologia appeared out of nowhere before all of them, and they threw their all at him. Fought tooth and nail. And none of it was enough.
Freed and Levy frantically decided their best bet was to try and make a magic circle to protect them all. Bickslow has never seen Freed so afraid in his life.
Natsu has the bright idea for them all to hold hands to help make their friends stronger. Lucy takes Natsu’s hand, Exceed’s taking each other’s hands.
Freed stands next to him, frantically working on his spell.
Bickslow takes hand and squeezes it tight. He feels a tear slip down his cheek when he feels Freed squeeze his hand back in a vice-like grip.
Bickslow hates that this is the moment he realizes he could never live without Freed.
All Bickslow can do is try to smile through his tears, and try to help Freed see that everything’s going to be okay.
The flame stays quiet and stagnant for seven long years
————
The flame only seems to grow stronger. It’s also harder for Bickslow to try and snuff out.
So much had already happened since they came back to the land of the living, and the Grand Magic Games had been a whirlwind of adventure and meeting new people.
Dressed in horrid clothes given to them by the kingdom, Bickslow mingled with other mages at the gala. He was less closed off than Freed and even Evergreen, so it was easy to become the life of the party.
When the band started to play music, Bickslow rested against the wall, watching the other mages dance. Some were way better than others, like Erza and Kagura. Others could have practice a little as he snickered while watching Elfman and Evergreen struggle to even make eye contact while dancing.
“I’m surprised you’re not out there with them.” He heard. He turned and saw Freed offering him a glass of champagne. He thought that only Freed could make these ugly clothes still look good, his long hair pulled back for once in a low ponytail.
“Eh, this formal dancing isn’t my style. I’m surprised you’re not out there either. Thought this stuff was more your speed?” He asked, taking the glass from Freed and taking a sip. Maybe a bit of alcohol would keep his mind off of how good Freed looked tonight.
“I thought about it. Though my last offer for a dance was rejected. I thought I might sit this song out.” He stated. A smile was on Freed’s lips but it felt fake. He seemed disappointed.
Bickslow would blame his extra bout of boldness on the tiny sip of alcohol he consumed and offered his hand out to Freed’s.
“Well, I don’t know who was rude enough to deny you a dance. But I’ll dance with you if you want.” Bickslow offered. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt so nervous. It was just Freed. It should be fine.
The more natural smile that melted onto Freed’s face was pure magic. As Freed slowly his hand into Bickslow’s, he gave the taller mage’s hand a soft squeeze.
There was no way Bickslow could dose the flame now.
————
The flame is almost impossible to control now.
Too many close calls must be a sign to Bickslow that he needs to say something before it’s too late. Tempester almost kills their team and Laxus, making them all so sick they can hardly move. He would have confessed how he felt to Freed in his deathbed, if he even had the strength to talk. He could barely even turn his head to look at the other. Freed had beared the brunt of the attack right after Laxus, using the last of his strength to save all their sorry asses.
He can hear Freed struggling to breathe in the bed beside him. He promises himself if they survive this, he’ll tell Freed how he feels.
———
Bickslow chickened out, and a few months later, the four of them are in Blue Pegasus.
Being in Blue Pegasus is different. It’s not bad, it’s not good. Just different.
It’s nice to see Evergreen making friends with other women, and her defensive nature falling to the wayside. It’s amusing to watch Laxus try to be smooth with men and women alike when he knows all the blonde wants to do is just punch someone again like the good ol’ days.
And Freed meshes pretty decently into their new guild. He also looks too good in his new suit for the guild. Bickslow has stopped beating himself up over admiring how Freed looks. If he could only just get the guts to do something about it.
Freed smiles to him from across the guild and Bickslow gives a weak wave back.
The fire hasn’t died yet, but is in fear of being doused at any moment.
———
The Fairy Tail reunion brings many things. It brings tears, joy, and a sense of camaraderie back into their lives. It also brings many more near death experiences.
This time, Freed has taken the least of the damage, still able to walk despite the bandages on his arms and torso. Evergreen is passed out at the moment, and Bickslow’s injuries keep him awake, unfortunately.
He sees Freed take a chair to move closer to Bickslow’s bedside, a worried expression marring his features.
“Concern’s not a good look for you, Freed. We’re all gonna be fine.” He wheezes out, covering his mouth from a coughing fit.
Freed offers a weak smile. “I apologize. I just wish I could have done more to help. Perhaps we wouldn’t have sustained so many injuries otherwise.” He mused, eyes narrowed in thought.
“Freed, you held a barrier spell over the whole town and for like what, half an hour? And not to mention you and Ichiya did take down that weird robot. You did much more than what anyone could ask if you.” He reassured. He wished Freed wouldn’t put so much pressure on his own shoulders.
Freed’s eyebrows unfurrowed, seeming as if he were trying to calm down a little. “I suppose you’re right. Thank you.” He said. Bickslow was happy to sit in comfortable silence with Freed while they both rested.
It was comfortable until he felt Freed take both of his hands, making his heart race more than it should.
“Freed what are you—“ he started to say.
And was silenced with the soft press of Freed’s lips against his. If a kiss could heal wounds, Freed’s kiss was almost life saving. If he paid attention to anything else, he might have been able to feel the quiet tears that fell down Freed’s cheeks onto his own.
It felt like ages had passed when Freed pulled away, worry, sadness but also, a tinge if hope graced his features.
“I had to. At least once. Just in case…” he said softly. The rest of those words didn’t need to be spoken. Neither wanted to finish that sentence. With the way this war was raging, things seemed bleak.
All Bickslow could do was tug Freed closer, scooting over weakly in the tiny infirmary bed so they could share. To his surprise, and delight, Freed too upon the offer and lay next to Bickslow. Their hands intertwined in the soft comfort that they both needed. Bickslow felt exhaustion sleeping into his bones as his eyes slipped shut.
“Rest for now. I’ll keep watch.” Was the last thing he heard ever vigilant Freed say, before sleep took him.
The fire had consumed the both of them, and there was no putting it out.
————
Bickslow is close to falling asleep on the couch. It’s Christmas Eve, and the fireplace is blazing while soft Christmas ballads play in the background and snow softly tumbled down outside. In the crook of his arm, is Freed reading in comfortable silence.
A smile was graced upon Freed’s lips, nestled in Bickslow’s embrace. Bickslow ran his fingers through those long, silky strands of hair, feeling the tired slowly wash over him as if the repetitive motion was lulling him to sleep.
Before he let sleep take him, he pressed a tender kiss to Freed’s cheek, earning a soft chuckle.
And he swore he could feel the spark catch on his lips. A spark that would never fade.
Freed knew that meeting Bickslow’s family would be difficult, but he was certainly not expecting this.
“Is that a knuckle-duster?” He hissed into his boyfriends ear. Bickslow didn’t even raise his head from his phone.
“On Gajeel? Probably.”
His brother was sat staring at Freed, not moving and barely blinking; his sister, Juvia, was the opposite. She filed her nails into sharp points, eyes trying to force Freed to meet them. They were both so intense, and odd. He had expected as much, seeing as Bickslow was also both of those things. Freed took a deep breath. Bickslow was the youngest of the three siblings, and had already warned Freed that the other two may try and intimidate him. It was a test. He could get through this. He had to.
Freed took a swig of his gin and tonic.
“Here.” Bickslow was grinning, taking Freed’s hand under the table and pressing a deft kiss to his cheek. Freed had never been a fan of public displays of affection, and he felt his entire face and neck ignite with a severe blush. There was a snap of a camera, and Freed turned to face Bickslow’s siblings with a horrible mixture of embarrassment and confusion. Juvia held a polaroid camera and was aiming it at the couple.
“What?” Freed stammered, glaring at Bickslow as he stifled a laugh.
“It’s tradition to get a photo when we first meet our sibling’s partner.”
Gajeel nodded solemnly, as though they were discussing a blood pact and not a strange familial custom, and Juvia almost managed a smile.
“Great.” Freed huffed, and Bickslow rubbed his thumb across Freed’s hand.
“Sorry, baby.”
The petname did nothing to lessen the redness of Freed’s cheeks, and he averted his gaze to the isle of the restaurant.
“You’re annoying.”
“But you love me.”
“Sometimes.”
His siblings were one thing, but Bickslow’s parents would be arriving soon. Freed eyed up his drink, wondering if it was too early to order another one but knowing that he would need it anyway. It was going to be a long lunch, and he sighed internally at the lengths people go to for love.
Gray slammed the door behind him, throwing his gear on the floor and pacing across the room.
Lyon opened the door more carefully and put his gear down. “Dude, chill. There was nothing you could have done,” he ran his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture. “You heard the Coach, Bix is gonna be fine. Besides, you don’t even know if it’s true, doing something would only have put you at risk.”
Gray turned towards his roommate, glaring at him in a way that made Lyon take a step back and raise his hands up in a placating gesture. “For fuck’s sake, I’m just trying to help here.”
“You don’t get it.”
“You’re right, I don’t, so explain it to me.”
“That could have been me.”
Ever since school had started, Gray hadn’t really had a lot of time to make any friends. There was weight training in the morning, courses during the day, and team practice at night, followed by hours of homework. His teammates were pretty much his entire social life outside of talking to Natsu on Discord a couple of times a week.
There were four other freshmen on the hockey team: Lyon, Hibiki, Loke, and Bickslow, and they all got along reasonably well. They ate their meals together, and if they had any free time, they usually spent it playing online games while chatting on their Discord server.
“You wouldn’t have done something that stupid, “ Lyon protested, still trying to calm his friend down.
“Don’t you get it? Neither did Bix, Invel was just being an asshole cause Bix didn’t stop that goal in the second period.”
Lyon seemed to think that over as Gray continued, “Bix has a scholarship too, he can’t afford this shit.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re reacting this way,” Lyon’s brows were furrowed as he tried to follow what Gray was getting at.
“Just forget about it,” Gray threw himself on his bed covering his face with his hand. He felt like shit, and he was worried. They had taken Bickslow away in an ambulance, and despite their coach’s assurances, in his heart, Gray knew this wasn’t over.
No, it was just getting started.
He heard a beeping noise coming from his desk and got up to check it out. He had the beginnings of a smile as he saw it was a call from Natsu, although it quickly turned into a frown when he saw there were notifications for 5 missed calls.
He plopped on his chair and answered, happy to hear from his boyfriend right when he was so upset and needed to talk to someone who would understand. He knew Lyon was trying his best, but he saw the world differently.
Natsu’s face came into focus, and Gray studied it for a moment. It looked like something was bothering him, his expression fragile, like a sheet of glass that could shatter at any moment. But Gray’s face must have shown something of what he was feeling because in the blink of an eye Natsu’s face molded into a smile, making Gray wonder if what he’d seen had been nothing more than a trick of the light.
Natsu’s smile was dimmer than what Gray was used to, but for once, he decided not to question it as Natsu immediately began asking him what was wrong.
“Am I glad to see you!” Gray sighed dramatically, “You have no idea the day I’ve had.”
“Are you okay?” Natsu leaned forward in his chair, “You look really upset.”
“Today was our first game, and it didn’t go so well,” Gray began to explain, “We lost 3-2.”
“That sucks, but it’s not like you to be that upset about a loss. Did you make a mistake or something?”
Gray snorted, “My freshman ass never even made it onto the ice, we might have won if I had.”
Natsu rolled his eyes, “Nice to see your confidence hasn’t suffered.”
“Anyway, the coach was pissed, and he made us run drills for an hour after the game,” Gray started to tense up again, “We were all in the locker room when all of a sudden this junior accused my friend Bix of checking him out when he was changing, and when Bix denied it all hell broke loose. They took Bix off to the hospital in an ambulance.”
“Oh, crap,” Natsu commiserated, peering closer “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. I didn’t do anything, Natsu. I just stood there frozen,” Gray slammed his fist on his desk making Natsu jump, ” I should have said something at least, but when I saw the way some of the guys reacted I just panicked.”
“Is he gay?”
“I have no idea, but that’s not the point.”
“I know,” Natsu closed his eyes briefly, opening them a few minutes later to stare at Gray intently, “I take it they don’t know you’re gay?”
“Only Lyon knows, I haven’t told anyone else. They do know I have someone back home, “Gray hurried to add, not wanting Natsu to think that he had denied him or something.
Natsu blushed slightly, “You didn’t have to tell them anything, I would have understood.”
“Yeah, I did,” Gray said with determination, “You’re important to me, and I don’t want anything to come in the way of our relationship.”
“Were you worried about your scholarship? Is that why you didn’t say anything?”
“I don’t know, I just saw the way the guys were reacting to Bix when they just thought he might be gay and it brought back a bunch of memories.”
“I don’t get it, Babe, it wasn’t exactly a secret at school, no one ever messed with you,” Natsu puzzled.
“That wasn’t the first school I went to, I came in as a transfer student sophomore year,” Gray reminded him, “Plus we were openly in a relationship for the last two years, so no one felt threatened.”
“You were a year ahead of me, I guess I assumed you’d always been there.”
“I don’t like to remember it,” Gray sighed, “Something like that happened to me, except I was doing what they said. I was fourteen, I didn’t think he’d notice. They made my life a living hell after that until I transferred out.”
“And now you feel bad cause you didn’t stand up for your friend?”
“Yeah, I should have done something, but now I’m also worried because I can’t afford to lose my scholarship.”
“I don’t get it. Why would you lose it?”
“Because people like that don’t ever let up. They tease, and they taunt and pretend it’s all in good fun while they tear you apart in front of everyone, until you finally snap and fight back. If I got kicked off the team, I’d lose my scholarship.”
“If you feel that badly, why don’t you just go to the hospital and check on your friend? If he is gay, he might appreciate having a friend who understands what he’s going through, and if you guys have other supportive friends, maybe you can band together. People don’t have to be gay to be a friend, there are plenty of allies out there. At least that’s what Lucy tells me.”
Gray thought it odd for Natsu to say that, but he wasn’t thinking about his boyfriend at the moment, only his earlier words.
“I’m sorry, Gray,” Gray’s thoughts were interrupted by Lyon, “I’m sorry I didn’t get what this could mean for Bix. Natsu’s right, and you can count on me to side with you guys.”
Natsu smiled at Lyon, who waved at him, a little embarrassed to admit he’d been listening in on their conversation.
“It’s fine,” Gray shrugged it off.
“No, I shouldn’t have just looked at it from my perspective, I’ll go to the hospital with you if you want. It’s still early.”
“Yeah, okay,” he replied, “Just give me a few minutes.”
Lyon took the hint and told him he’d wait outside.
“Thank you for listening,” Gray placed his hand on his screen, something he no longer minded and smiled when Natsu did the same.
“No problem, I know you do better when you have a plan of action,” Natsu smiled, and even though this one rang a bit truer, it was still a far cry from his usual smile.
“Did you want to talk to me about something?” Gray asked, “I saw there were a bunch of missed calls.”
“Nah, it’s not important, I just wanted to see you,” Natsu looked down at something on his desk, “You should go to the hospital while the buses are still running.”
“God, what did I ever do to deserve you?” Gray wondered, wishing he could hug him. “I love you so much, I’ll call you when I get back, okay?”
Natsu nodded, “I love you too. Good luck!”
They said their goodbyes and hung up, but Gray couldn’t help but feel like he’d missed something important. He went outside to meet Lyon, and they headed out to the bus stop.
O-o
Lyon and Gray approached the information desk, and after being told what room Bickslow was in, they barged in. It’s what they were used to, and they never considered acting any differently.
Which is why they walked in on Bickslow kissing a man with very long green hair, which was tied back in a low ponytail.
“Sorry!” Lyon spluttered before looking away uncomfortably.
“If you’re here to start something I’ll have you know I’m an A-rated Fencer,” the green-haired man threatened as he turned to look at them. He glared, his arm reaching for something to his side, his expression switching to surprise when he came up empty.
Bickslow started to laugh, although it seemed to pain him to do so, “Seriously Freed, that wouldn’t intimidate a schoolgirl. No one knows what the hell fencing ratings mean. Relax, these guys are my buddies.”
Bickslow’s expression remained outwardly friendly, but his eyes watched them warily, especially as they got closer to Freed.
Gray immediately recognized the look, he was sure he’d worn it many times himself. It screamed you can fuck with me all you want, but if you try to hurt him, you will discover what real pain is.
“Hey, man, how bad is it?” Gray greeted, not sure what to make of Bickslow’s welcome.
“I’ll live, I just wish I’d gotten that asshole harder,” Bickslow cracked his knuckles earning him a disapproving stare from his boyfriend.
“Oh right, this is my boyfriend Freed Justine, he goes to MU too.”
Freed gave them a shy wave.
“These are my teammates Gray Fullbuster and Lyon Vastia, they’re two of the guys I’ve been telling you about.”
“Hey,” Gray smiled at Freed as he shook his hand, “I wish I could say Bix had told us about you, but he’s a jerk.”
Freed gave him a tentative smile, still not sure what to make of him given the night’s events.
Lyon waved and managed a “Nice to meet you” from the corner where he was trying to collect himself from his earlier embarrassment.
“For God’s sake Lyon, it was just a kiss,” Gray remarked, “Stop acting like you walked in on your parents fucking. What are you gonna do when Natsu comes to visit? We kiss a lot. Like, I can’t keep my hands off him,” Gray teased his roommate, enjoying riling him up.
“Him?” Bickslow raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his lips.
Gray nodded, getting his phone out and looking for a picture of him and Natsu. Finding one he liked, he handed his phone over to Bix.
“I’m sorry, Bix, I should have done something,” Gray hung his head in shame, “Especially when I know exactly how you feel.”
“Nah, man, it’s cool. I get it,” Bickslow shrugged it off, “You didn’t have to come down here and confess your sins. Although your boy is quite cute,” he said, showing the picture to Freed who nodded in agreement. “Been together long?”
“A little over two years, he’s got a year of high school left, we’re hoping he can come here next year.”
Bickslow handed Gray his phone back and looked over at Lyon. “So Gray is fine with this, how about you?”
“I’m on your side, man. Just tell me what you need.”
Bickslow smiled widely, “Thanks, guys. I feel a little better, knowing I won’t have to deal with this alone.”
“What happened anyway? I know you weren’t doing what he said,” Gray asked curiously.
“Invel saw us at the mall last weekend, I should have known he was up to something when he didn’t say anything right away. Homophobic dick.”
“We’ve got your back, Bix. From now on, he’ll have to deal with the three of us,” Lyon assured him, “Loke and Hibiki are cool too, I bet they’ll be on your side.”
“Maybe,” Bickslow agreed, but he didn’t look convinced, and Gray understood just how he felt. Once the whole gay thing came out, it could be difficult to tell who your real friends were and who just didn’t want to appear homophobic.
All three of their phones went off, and they looked down to read a text from their coach, calling a mandatory meeting for the whole team the following morning to discuss what had happened. He sounded pissed.
Bix groaned, “I won’t be able to make it, they’re not letting me out until sometime tomorrow afternoon.”
“You might want to text him, he sounds like he’s on a rampage,” Gray suggested, “We’ll let you know what happens.”
They said their goodbyes, and as they opened the door, Bickslow called out, “Hey Gray, thanks for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone.”
Gray nodded and waved, walking out with Lyon and catching the last bus back to campus. Now that he felt a little better, he started to think about Natsu, wondering what it was he’d wanted to talk to him about.
He tried calling him from the bus, but the call went straight to voice mail. He left a message and hung up. He had a nagging feeling that he should have pushed harder earlier.
When they got back to his room he checked Natsu’s Discord status, and as it showed him online he tried video calling him but once again received no answer, so he figured Natsu must have fallen asleep and forgotten to log out.
He got a PM from Bickslow asking if he and Natsu would like to go on a double date with him and Freed sometime since Freed had a car. Gray told him he'd have to ask Natsu when he talked to him, but he was excited about the possibility of being able to see his boyfriend soon. He thought it might be just what they both needed.
Unsure of what else he could do, he decided to check if Natsu had published anything new. And that’s when he saw it. Some jerk had left a comment as a guest reviewer, not insulting the story but Natsu himself. It was full of malice, calling him all sorts of nasty slurs for pairing the characters in his stories and telling him he should do everyone a favor and go kill himself.
He looked through Natsu’s other stories and saw that the same Guest had left variations of the same message on all of them. He quickly realized that must have been why Natsu was calling him.
Gray was consumed with rage, but he didn’t know what to do with it besides lash out at the person, and although he was tempted, he couldn’t be sure the person would ever read it. All it would accomplish would be to upset Natsu further.
Damn it! He really should have pushed harder, instead of letting Natsu take care of him. Gray did the only thing he could that he knew would reach Natsu this night. He read all of Natsu’s stories he’d missed and made sure to leave long gushing comments to every single one, trying to fight the hatred with his love.
