#thunder legion rare pairs week

[thunderandlightningstriketwice]

Such a cute piece of dancing, and, indeed, art is a process!

Art Is A Process

[bluessom1]

Thunder Legion Rarepairs Week 2022 : Dance

Bickslow x Freed - Dirty Dancing AU !

In the summer of 1963, Freed "Baby" Justine is vacationing with his family at Dreyar’s. He’ll fall in love with the camp’s dancer instructor, Bickslow.

Note : Day 5 of the Thunder Legion Rarepairs Week 2022, hosted by @thunderandlightningstriketwice !

Here we go, I’ m officially late for this challenge, ooops

Dirty Dancing AU is something I had in mind for a while, and I finally have the occasion to draw it ! (The fact that Freed’s nickname is « Baby » fit perfectly for a ship with Bix, right ?)

Also, I tried something different for the colors, as I was running out of time I wanted do something quick, and finally I’ m quite satisfied of how it turns out o_o

[niuttuc]

My Favorite Cards of 2024: Outlaws of Thunder Junction

The year is pretty close to over, so let's go back over the sets released this year (with new cards at least), and go through a few of my favorite cards from that release. I'll group together stuff released together, in this case it'll be Outlaws of Thunder Junction, its commander cards, and the Big Score. I'll probably go through one set a day for the next week, though I might skip some days for personal reasons.

Let's start with these! The Spree mechanic offered us plenty of versatile cards to play with, and I enjoy having options in my game of magic. I'll single out these three because they're solid and can fit in more decks than one would think!

Lavaspur Boots are Boots number 3! Better than Swiftfoot for haste, worse for protection, but much better by being tutorable via Urza's Saga. If you want things (like Karnstructs) to attack or activate immediately, grab a pair of boots!

Seeing more stack interaction in White is nice, and Aven Interrupter being able to completely blank enemy counterspells is even nicer. The card isn't too oppressive, but it's very solid and I like it!

Any black deck with enough creatures to cast Hollow Marauder for even 3 or 4 mana in commander should consider it. It's just a big flying body that often draws two or three cards while making the opponents go down some precious resources. Basically a better mulldrifter that sticks around!

Plenty of powerful artifacts in the Big Score, but Legion Extruder is I think the most underrated of them. 2 Damage immediately removes a utility thing, but the ability to sac any artifact, including tokens, at instant speed to get a 3/3 blocker, or to replace a chump blocker, or to sac ITS OWN TOKENS to have "unkillable" blockers, or.... Just a lot of utility in this one.

Criming is easy. Ramping for free for every crime is incredibly good, and Freestrider Lookout has shown up in plenty of environments already. Just double check whether your deck (or just your commander) can commit crimes trivially!

Didn't end up as big a player in the long run than Yuta Takahashi's, but Nathan Steuer's World Championship card is still nice and worth a mention. This is an incredibly cool prize for Worlds and I want to see it keep going for many years.

Commanders that do something entirely new in relatively little text are incredibly rare these days, and Obeka's new card executes on it very very cleanly. And Obeka herself is neat!

Knight of the White Orchid is the best white card to ramp in Commander, and Sand Scout is toeing its spot. Somehow, people underrate it enough you can still grab copies for about 20 cents. You do not need to be a Desert deck to run this card, just about any white non-green deck probably should... And some green white decks if they expect lands in graveyard.

The typical play pattern is a 2 mana 2/2 that searches up a bounceland, Arid Archway, ramping you while maintaining your land count the same. This is extremely important in white because this means it's catch-up ramp that breaks the symmetry, and keeps your other catch-up ramp enabled by itself. With that said, in a pinch it can fetch a ping desert for mana fixing or a Scavenger Grounds for graveyard hate, and that's extra utility that's nice on an already powerful ramp card. Furthermore, if you're playing fetchlands, you'll randomly get some extra 1/1s for no effort.

I wouldn't fill a manabase with deserts for this, it's already an excellent card with three of them in the entire deck. If you blink it three times already or get enough lands on the field that it turns off because you're out of deserts, you probably have enough lands it's not ramping anyway and it's late in the game.

Is Simulacrum Synthesizer a good design? The jury is still out on that. But it's certainly an impressive one! The larger the format and the more affinity cards in it, the stupider it becomes, but it's still an incredibly flashy card and it hasn't broken anything yet.

Taii Wakeen is a really nice top down design of a sniper, in an area that hasn't been explored much in the game. I wish the activated ability wasn't so open as to make that first part almost irrelevant in commander, since they just end up being a way to cheese face damage instead of something that takes down creatures precisely.

Another artifact from the Big Score I enjoy the design of, Collector's Cage has had moments of fame since it was released... But for the most part it's still sleeping and waiting for its time. Instant-speed +1/+1 counters on anything are easy to underestimate, but threat of activation on that makes blocking the Collector's Cage player VERY annoying... And then they might even have any spells hidden away down there!

Finally, Slickshot Show-Off technically shouldn't be on this list, but I wanted to add it because it's one of very few cards released this year that actively made me enjoy magic less, an anti-favorite if you will. They just pushed it slightly too far, we've already seen half decent Kiln Fiend decks in the past WITHOUT evasion AND without Haste. Adding BOTH plus a way to cast it with all your mana open for spells just ends up in cheesy wins that are deeply unsatisfying, and forces everyone involved in matches with these to constantly be sitting on instant speed removal the entire game or praying they don't just die out of nowhere.

You could have removed any one ability from this (except the pump) and still had a good card. But everything together makes for an obnoxious package.

[ftguildevents]

Was there a Laxus rarepair week planned this year?

Not that we're aware of!

We hosted Rare Pair Week earlier this year, which consisted of all Rare Pairs in general. There is also a Thunder Legion Rare Pairs Week that is hosted by @thunderandlightningstriketwice, which was held around New Years this past winter.

As of right now, we don't know of any other Laxus Rare Pair events going on. If anyone else knows of any others we may have missed, please send it our way! <3

[jemmahazelnut]

(Not) Just a dream

Summary: Laxus dreamed that the Raijinshuu are very close to Team Natsu. But of course it’s impossible, isn’t it? [Freed/Gray, Bickslow/Lucy, Evergreen/Erza]

Link: AO3

Notes: This was written as part of the Thunder Legion Rare Pairs Week 2021. Prompt: secret. Hope you like it!

(Not) Just a dream

Laxus had made a dream.

Or rather, a nightmare.

If he thought about it again, he felt chills in his arms. He had dreamed of spending a whole week with Team Natsu. He had dreamed the chaos, the continuous insistence of Natsu to fight, the chaotic Star spirits of Lucy, the quarrels of Natsu and Gray, the wrath of Erza, more chaos, and other quarrels. It had been honestly terrible, but the most frightening thing had been to see the Raijinshuu get along with that herd of crazy. He had dreamed Bickslow and Lucy making out in a corner, Freed and Gray flirting openly, and Erza and Evergreen making a stupid challenge with the only goal of flirting competitively.

All that led to a problem: Natsu who ruined his life.

Laxus didn’t know why he had done that nightmare, the Raijinshuu weren’t close to Team Natsu, there was no way they would date. It didn’t matter how Freed drooled behind Gray’s muscles, Freed was just a man -and Laxus didn’t blame him. It didn’t even matter that Evergreen had a certain rivalry with Erza that could lead to a flirt, no, because Evergreen didn’t admire Erza, she hated her, or at least, Laxus hoped it. It didn’t even matter that Bickslow continued to flirt with Lucy, Bickslow flirted with everyone, maybe he had never concentrated so much about a person but Laxus knew him enough, Bickslow certainly wouldn’t fall in love with blondie. And Lucy wouldn’t be interested in him.

It was just a dream. A nightmare. A terrible nightmare that had no real value. Yes, he told himself, and calming filled the cup of milk, while Freed sat down in front of him with the second morning coffee in his hand.

“Something wrong? You’re thoughtful.”

Laxus shrugged. “I just did a strange dream”.

“Did you dream of Santa’s elves?” Bickslow asked opening the fridge looking for something to eat, while Evergreen put a teaspoon of sugar in tea.

“Nah, I just dreamed that you were engaged to Natsu’s team,” Laxus explained briefly taking the cereal box. For a moment the silence fell into the kitchen, and Laxus looked up on the three friends. Freed was staring at him with an indecipherable look, Evergreen had a teaspoon in mid-air and Bickslow had stopped halfway by discarding a snack.

“Absurd” Freed commented after a few seconds, before Laxus could even start thinking about how that silence was strange.

“Yes, really absurd. And then with whom should I be engaged to that crazy team?” Evergreen asked by mixing the sugar in tea.

“You were with Erza,” Laxus explained “Bicks with Lucy and Freed with Gray” he continued and seemed to be losing something.

“I and Erza?” Evergreen was skeptical “Ridiculous”.

“It really is” Freed said.

“Well, at least Freed and Gray make sense, as Freed continually drools when Gray undresses” Bickslow chuckled and Freed almost chocked with coffee.

“Everyone does it” he gruntled in his defense.

“I don’t” Evergreen said. “And anyway, Bickslow and Lucy? She can date someone better.”

“Thank you,” Bickslow answered with irony. Evergreen arched an eyebrow but the Seith wizard didn’t insist. Laxus continued to think that there was something that escaped him. But he didn’t understand what and... no, his friends weren’t lying at him. Simply no. So, he decided to have breakfast without thinking about it. That dream would never come true, it was too absurd.

***

“I was wondering... if I buy you a Christmas hat, would you take it off?” Freed asked Gray, who shrugged.

“I never had hats,” he replied “But I think they’re annoying, so probably yes” he answered. Freed nodded and continued to walk along the road, overcoming a heap of snow. The two boys were looking for Christmas gifts for their friends and since they dated for a while, they had decided to look at them together. Furthermore, Freed also wanted to understand what Gray might like to receive as a gift, which is why he had proposed going to the shops together. In that way he would have better understood the tastes of the ice wizard.

They hadn’t dated in a long time, and Freed still wasn’t sure if Gray would like a gift. He didn’t want to put him in an embarrassing situation if the dark-haired guy wouldn’t give him anything. Maybe he just had to tell him about it, but he was afraid that Gray would feel compelled to do something later. As usual he was thinking too much, if Bickslow and Evergreen had been there they would have told him not to get so much mental paranoia.

Freed sighed, if only he hadn’t had a secret relationship, he would have asked their advice. However, since he and Gray had been dating for a short time, they had decided together not to talk about it with anyone, at least for the first period.

Their relationship started by chance after the two went on a mission together. They had approached after Gray had noticed the looks Freed gave him, and after having slept in the same bed at an inn they had decided to try to get out. Incredibly it was working. Freed was a little surprised, but the relationship with Gray was going really well and he hoped it wasn’t just the attraction of the first period.

“You know, Laxus said this morning he dreamed of us,” he said suddenly. Gray whirled towards him.

“What? Did he find out?” he asked surprised. Freed shrugged.

“I’ve no idea, at first I thought he had said it because he had some doubts and wanted me to talk, but then he said that he also dreamed that Ever and Erza were together, and Bicks and Lucy. He probably just had a weird dream,” Freed reasoned. It was probably really just a weird coincidence, because neither Evergreen nor Bickslow were engaged. Who knows what strange reasoning Laxus’ head had made to dream of something like that.

“Oh,” Gray said a little surprised. Then he shrugged. “Well, if he found out it’s not like it bothers me,” he added. Freed glanced at him wondering if that was a way of saying they could tell their friends about it. He decided to ask him directly and Gray grimaced at the question.

“Look, it’s not for you, it’s just... Erza would fill me with questions, Lucy would be meddlesome so... I prefer to keep things calm at least for a while,” he explained.

“No problem,” Freed said immediately. “To tell the truth, I don’t want to spend a lot of time with your chaotic team, you’re enough” he added with an amused smile, clearly in a joking tone. Gray raised an eyebrow.

“Would I be chaotic?” he asked skeptically. “Maybe you’re forgetting about Natsu.”

“I actually remember Natsu well, and the battles between you two too,” Freed specified. Gray snorted.

“It’s not my fault if he instigates me,” he retorted and Freed chuckled softly.

“I guess it’s not your fault even if you’re that easy to instigate,” he teased and Gray snorted, was about to retort when he looked at himself in a shop window and his eyes widened.

“Why didn’t you tell me I took off my shirt?” he asked a little embarrassed. Freed looked at him in surprise for a few seconds and then smiled slightly.

“You left the house like that,” he reminded him. “And then” he continued with a mischievous smile “I was enjoying the show” he teased him a bit making Gray blush, who scratched his head slightly embarrassed.

Freed continued to giggle, only Gray could walk around in December without realizing he was shirtless. If before starting to go out with him, Freed had been bothered by that side of him -it seemed that Gray was tempting him on purpose and Freed had had a lot of difficulty in looking at him discreetly- now he was almost happy, even if he never had a way to undress him himself.

At least they wasted no time. And at least he could always have something to look at, like at that moment when Gray had even taken off his pants and tossed them into the snow. How had Gray not noticed it? Freed would have collected them but his eyes were more focused on Gray’s ass, which in those boxers was really tempting. Maybe he wasn’t all that happy with Gray’s bad habit, unless they took advantage of the situation and shut themselves up in a bar bathroom.

Lost in thought Freed bumped into a post, smacked his nose and cursed. Gray turned to him, looked at the boy, and then burst into a loud laugh, making Freed blush.

“Enjoy the show” the dark-haired man teased him, while Freed rubbed his nose a little embarrassed.

“You don’t have pants,” he grunted a little annoyed, hoping that the ice wizard would be as embarrassed as he was. But Gray continued to laugh, probably too used to walking around half naked. Freed snorted. No, he didn’t like that bad habit of Gray that much.

***

Evergreen was a little worried. She had done everything to keep her relationship with Erza a secret and it had worked for three months. It had been beautiful, she hadn’t had any teasing from her friends, any kind of expectations, no arguments or reunion with Team Natsu, nothing at all. It was just her and Erza, with no kind of hindrance or other people snooping into their love life.

She knew that sooner or later she would have to talk to her friends about them, and to tell the truth Evergreen felt a little guilty for not having done so yet, but being able to simply enjoy Erza was fantastic. She also knew that sooner or later she would have to tell Erza’s team, the redhead had no problem disclosing their relationship, but she had never forced her to say anything and Evergreen was grateful. Nonetheless, she figured Erza would be happy to share that happiness with her team. So, she would have to do it sooner or later.

Only, Evergreen didn’t want to do it right now. She didn’t understand if Laxus had found out about their relationship or not, but she hadn’t dared to ask because she didn’t really want to explain to her friends that she had been dating Erza for... quite a few months.

Evergreen snorted a little worried, maybe it was Laxus’ way to get her and Freed to talk. Evergreen knew that Freed was dating Gray, the two were obvious, anyone would have noticed. They watched each other continuously and walked away -casually- from the guild at the same times. By chance they also started to carry out multiple missions together. It was obvious that Laxus had noticed it too. God, that fool Natsu had probably noticed it too.

But she and Erza were careful. Especially Evergreen was careful, so there was no way Laxus had found out. Probably the Dragon Slayer had just had a strange dream, noticing the flirt between Freed and Gray, and then had accidentally combined her with Erza and Bickslow with Lucy. It was probably just a coincidence, or at least she hoped so. For a moment she had even thought that there was something between Lucy and Bickslow but she highly doubted it.

“Are you ready?” Erza’s voice roused her from her thoughts and Evergreen looked up. Shocked she looked at her girlfriend and for a few seconds she couldn’t say anything.

“What are you wearing?” she asked after a while. “You know we’re going to a restaurant, right? We won’t fight anyone,” Evergreen reminded her.

“This is the armor to withstand the coldest temperatures,” Erza explained. Evergreen continued to frown at her. To her it looked more like an armor that made her look like a polar bear. Evergreen wondered briefly if hers was bad luck, why did she have to be surrounded by people who didn’t have a sense of style? She really loved her friends, but between Freed who wore clothes that belonged to the previous century, Bickslow who looked like a punk jester, and Laxus who luckily had just started not wearing those leopard shirts anymore, she didn’t know who was worse. Now even Erza seemed to repeat their bad habit.

“It’s not that cold,” Evergreen retorted but she decided not to insist and took her coat. If Erza wanted to dress like a teddy bear then Evergreen would let her do it. She just hoped that underneath all those layers Erza had something decent, in the restaurant it certainly wouldn’t have been so cold.

“Maybe, but you’ll freeze in that dress,” Erza pointed out. “And how do you plan to walk in those heels in the snow?”

“I won’t freeze, and I could walk in heels anywhere. Let you know that I’ve climbed an entire mountain with a pair of similar boots, don’t underestimate me,” Evergreen replied as she left the house. Erza laughed lightly and followed her.

“I don’t doubt it,” she giggled, then walked over to the brunette and took her arm. “That’s ok?” she asked in a softer tone and Evergreen smiled.

“Sure”.

None of their guildmates were there, and Evergreen highly doubted that they would cross any familiar faces. Also, even if anyone saw them, Evergreen doubted anyone would recognize the great Titania, given how she looked. She glanced at Erza, wrapped in a heavy scarf and wearing a hat that had gone out of fashion six months earlier, and Evergreen couldn’t help but smile.

“Only you can be pretty even dressed like this,” she chuckled, making Erza blush slightly. The redhead wasn’t really used to those compliments, especially if they came from Evergreen, who rarely had good words for other people.

“Well, you’re always so elegant” she muttered a little embarrassed.

“Of course I am,” Evergreen said, hiding the blush of her cheeks under the scarf, unaware that Erza had already seen it. “Let’s move,” she added, quickening her pace, shivering from the cold. Maybe Erza had been right, this season wasn’t ideal for going out in a dress. Erza smiled in amusement.

“Are you cold?” she teased her.

“Shut up,” Evergreen growled but Erza’s smirk wasn’t falling off.

“If you slip, I’ll laugh a lot” her girlfriend continued noting that Evergreen was having a bit of difficulty in advancing among the snowdrifts. Evergreen gave her a dirty look.

“I’ve never slipped on heels,” she clarified. And it certainly wasn’t going to happen that day.

***

After pouring the hot chocolate into the two mugs Bickslow placed them on the tray with cookies and carried it into the living room. Lucy was lying on the floor in front of the fireplace and was writing on some paper. Bickslow paused for a moment in the middle of the room just to watch her. Looking at her better, he noticed that the girl was scribbling on the side of a piece of paper, a sign that she was having difficulty writing. Even the small grimace on his face made him understand that by now the inspiration had passed.

Realizing that he wouldn’t disturb her, Bickslow sat down next to her, handing a cup to Lucy and looking at the papers, curious about what she had written. But Lucy quickly turned them over and slipped them into a folder, slightly blushing.

“What’s up? Are you writing a dirty story?” he teased her and Lucy blushed even more.

“No, you idiot!” she exclaimed sitting up.

“You don’t have to be ashamed, and just to let you know, I’m more than willing to give you inspiration if you miss it,” Bickslow smiled mischievously, with the clear intention of teasing her. Lucy gave him a small punch in his shoulder.

“Stupid,” she smiled and shook her head in resignation. “I just don’t like having others read my writings before they are finished,” she explained. Bickslow giggled, he still had a lot of jokes in mind but decided to keep them to himself at least tonight and glanced at the window.

“Strange that Natsu isn’t here, did you kick him out to have some time alone with me?” he asked.

“No, she’s with Lisanna somewhere,” Lucy replied, warming her hands with the hot chocolate. Bickslow nodded glad to hear that news. At least he would have had some time to spend alone with Lucy. Not that he didn’t like Natsu, but sometimes the Dragon Slayer didn’t understand that he was too much. But Bickslow was already quite surprised that Natsu had managed to keep his mouth shut on their relationship.

It wasn’t really that they didn’t want to tell others, they only started keeping it a secret because it started very quickly and they both feared it was just one night. Then the relationship became more serious and eventually they just got a taste for it. Having a secret relationship was thrilling for both of them, hiding from others, the thrill of getting caught, teasing each other in public without anyone understanding... It was fun for Bickslow, and apparently for Lucy too.

Too bad that now Laxus had discovered everything. Well, almost. Bickslow still wasn’t convinced that Laxus knew, he had looked honestly surprised that morning and Laxus couldn’t lie that well.

“I think Laxus found out about us,” Bickslow said.

“Really?” Lucy asked surprised, and Bickslow told her what his friend had dreamed of.

“So, he found out all your friends’ relationships,” Lucy said with a frown.

“I don’t know,” Bickslow said thoughtfully. “At first I thought that he had discovered everything and that it was a way for us to talk, but he seemed really honest. I mean, he really seemed to have no idea that the three of us were in a relationship. I can’t explain it, it’s a bit strange,” Bickslow said. But Lucy understood. Laxus was convinced that he had really only had a dream, and he hadn’t understood that he had guessed their relationships. To tell the truth, she had a little laugh at the idea, and the same happened to Bickslow.

In short, that Freed and Gray were having a relationship was really obvious, the two believed they were discreet but they weren’t at all. Not with the looks they exchanged. Evergreen and Erza kept their relationship well hidden, probably no one knew about them. Except for Bickslow, who knew his friend well and had happened to see the girl in a sword shop a few months earlier. Then he had sent Pappa to follow her and he understood. Finally, he and Lucy weren’t all that discreet, but for some reason no one suspected them.

Bickslow put an arm around Lucy’s shoulders and she rested her head on the boy’s shoulder, watching the fire ahead.

“I mean, it’s a bit of a strange coincidence that he has dreamed all three of us but hasn’t yet understood it,” Bickslow said thoughtfully.

“Do you want to know what I think?” Lucy asked, raising her head slightly and showing an amused smile. One of those that Bickslow had begun to adore, that blonde had a brilliant mind -and even more perverse than he had thought. He nodded and she widened her smile. “In my opinion, his nose understood, but his brain refuses to accept it.”

Bickslow was stunned for a moment, wondering why Laxus shouldn’t have accepted it. The blond might be grumpy, but Bickslow was sure Laxus would be happy if he found out that all three of them were happily engaged. Lucy noticed Bickslow’s puzzled look and laughed.

“I mean, he’s afraid of having to spend time with our team. You know he doesn’t like chaos, and probably the idea of spending so much time with Natsu puts his brain in crisis” she explained more clearly. “Do you have any idea what lunches would be like with our teams together? Absolute chaos”.

At that point Bickslow understood and burst out laughing.

“I think you’re right,” he chuckled. “I almost wanna blurt out Freed and Ever’s relationships and ours, just to annoy Laxus,” he admitted with a sadistic smile. Lucy laughed slightly.

“Have mercy on him,” she retorted. “Besides, I thought you enjoyed keeping the relationship secret,” she added with some malice. Bickslow couldn’t argue.

“You’re right, and about that,” he began removing the now empty cup from the girl’s hands and placing it on the ground. “Since Natsu isn’t there, we could take advantage of it” he proposed. Lucy smiled and turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting him kiss her lips briefly.

“On one condition,” she said. Bickslow raised an eyebrow waiting to hear more. “Your tikies are leaving”.

Bickslow chuckled and made the girl lie beneath him as the tikies fluttered toward the kitchen.

***

Laxus would have preferred not to know. He had hoped until the last that it was just a strange and absurd dream but obviously, after the reaction of his friends that morning he couldn’t help but check personally. He had thus seen Freed and Gray walking together and flirting in the middle of the street -as Laxus hadn’t noticed before he had no idea. Then he’d seen Evergreen and Erza in a restaurant outside of Magnolia, and then he’d walked past Lucy’s house and overheard her conversation with Bickslow.

The blondie had understood everything, Laxus’ nose had noticed it for some time but he had preferred not to think about it, hoping that it was all a coincidence, that it was only his imagination and that it wasn’t possible. Obviously, he was wrong. He had made that dream because inside he had known for a long time that the three friends were engaged.

And Laxus was really happy that his three friends were happy. They deserved it, he most of all wished the three as much joy as possible. Just, he would have preferred their happiness not incorporated into Team Natsu.

Laxus sighed wearily as he crawled under the covers. He still didn’t understand why the three friends were keeping their relationships secret, but he didn’t really care that much. He just hoped they would keep those secrets as long as possible, so as to postpone the moment when they would ask to have a lunch with the entire Team Natsu.

[eryiss]

Summary: In a quiet moment, Gajeel and Freed see each other in a way they'd never considered before. Attraction hits them with sudden fury, and both men don't know what to do. So, what else can be done but going to their friends? And, their friends' unexpected partners, apparently.

Notes: Here's the final submission for @thunderandlightningstriketwice's Thunder Legion Rare Pair week. It's been such a fun event to write for, and if it goes ahead again I'll definitely write for it (hopefully on time). For the final piece, I've given Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow a rare pair. I hope you all enjoy it.

Links: FFN, Ao3, Other Event Fics

Dealing With Something New

Under the shining lights of the Magnolia New Years fireworks display, Gajeel and Freed finally saw each other.

Surrounded by the beautiful explosions made to look like an array of mythical creatures, they happened to look towards one another. They were two men who had no real connections other than their guild, where they'd shared a few missions over the past year, and so it simply should have been a moment that went unnoticed. But it didn't go unnoticed, nor was it forgotten. Because the world seemed to freeze around them both.

Gajeel had felt his breath catch in his throat. The light that bounced off of Freed's pale skin made him look otherworldly, and the quietly contented expression was something he'd never seen on the man before. He'd always looked so… wound up. Like the world relied on him keeping stern and in charge.

But in that moment, he was relaxed. He was beautiful.

He couldn't look away from Freed; it was like he was trapped in the man. He knew he was gaping but he didn't care. Freed's face, which Gajeel had seen hundreds of times, had suddenly become him. His very essence was painted across his features, and it was undeniably beautiful.

Freed was no better. He glanced up to see why Gajeel was looking at him and, if he were prone to exaggeration, he might say his heart had skipped a beat. It became suddenly obvious that he'd never actually looked at Gajeel before. Not really.

His eyes were magnificent, a shade of red that should look completely unnatural on a persons face and yet Freed couldn't think of anything that would suit him more. His hair, which had been pulled into a high ponytail for the event, had fought loose of it's bounds and framed his face in small, wiry strands. The studs of metal that decorated his face reflected the light of the fireworks and they were so utterly right on him that Freed found himself at a loss for words. He hadn't been like that in a long time.

Gajeel was exactly how he should be. Jagged, roughened up, harsh around the edges. He embraced himself, allowed himself to be obvious, and was proud of his hardships. He wore his life on his sleeve, and was magnificent while doing so.

For a moment, the only thing the two men could do was gape, before they both looked away quickly.

Immediately, they both began to panic.

——

"Nerd, help me," Gajeel said as he stormed into Levy's room in the guild hall dormitories. "Because I'm freaking the fuck out right now."

Gajeel was lucky that his spiral into emotional hell coincided with the building's landlady being out of town, because it had been easy to storm into the room he knew Levy stayed in - he'd had to take her back here on more than one occasion when she'd overexerted herself during their training - and walk right in without any trouble. He would have to tell her to lock her damn door sometime, but at least in that moment her oversight was useful.

Levy seemed shaken at Gajeel's sudden appearance and her cheeks were a flaring red, which was understandable but annoying. It wasn't like he had walked in on her doing something weird! She was in bed, reading a book. Hardly anything to be embarrassed by.

Anyway, not important, because Gajeel was spiralling.

"You know about the Knight, right," Gajeel was speaking again before Levy could complain. "Freed, the rune guy, yeah. He's a dick, right? You gotta tell me that he's a dick right now. A real dick. Like, killing animals for fun. Goes to museums and throws oil on the paintings just to fuck them up. That kinda dick-ness. I need you to tell me that right now."

"No," Levy exclaimed, placing her book down on the covers with frustration. "Get out of my bedroom!"

"But he might be, right?" Gajeel insisted. "He might be a jackass, right? I mean, he tried to take over the guild once, that's kinda dickish."

"So did you," Levy deadpanned. "Get out of my room, Gajeel."

"I didn't try and take it over, I was part of a- it doesn't fucking matter," Gajeel groaned in frustation, pacing around the room. He noticed Levy tense a little as he neared the door to her private bathroom, but didn't pay any mind to it. He had bigger problems. "I've listened to your crap for hours, help me with mine. Tell me that Freed Justine is an irredeemable monster that I shouldn't go near him again."

"I'm not going to lie about my friend," Levy stated. Fuck, they were friends? That meant he was at least tolerable.

"Then don't lie, tell me all the things he does that pisses you off," Gajeel demanded.

This was good, Levy had never held back about all the things about him that made her angry, now it was time for her to do it about her friendship with Freed. That would give him a nice long list of reasons why he should forget that momentary blip where he thought Freed was the most important and perfect man that he'd ever set eyes on. Once he knew one bad thing about that man - that Gajeel wasn't guilty of himself - then he could fuel a hatred and that moment could be buried and forgotten. Then, everything would be good and this weird feeling in his stomach could go away.

Fine, it was a shitty plan. But it was all he had right now so fuck it!

"Fine," Levy sighed. "He's rude. Ill mannered. Constantly disregarding my wishes," Gajeel nodded. This was all good; unexpected, but good. "Has no sense of personal boundaries, I often want to kill him. Oh, wait. Of course. That's you I'm thinking about."

That wasn't helpful.

"That's not helpful," Gajeel claimed.

"Get out of my room!" She yelled.

"Why should I, what am I stopping you from doing? Reading the same book for the millionth time," Gajeel crossed his arms, noticed that Levy's eyes flickered to the bathroom door again, but he was too amped up to care. "Don't know why the hell you read anything more than once. Words don't change each time."

"You see more of what the author was telling you," Levy exclaimed, annoyed. "Which, by the way, is something Freed will no doubt do with his own books. There, something about him you won't like. Now, you can go."

Images of Freed reading in his own bed, which was probably luxurious and ladened with pillows, hit Gajeel. What would it be like to curl up next to him, rest his head on his shoulder and listen to him reading some old novel that was originally written in a language that was long dead now. No. No! God dammit!

"Just fucking help me nerd!" Gajeel ordered, pacing again.

"Help you with what?" Levy demanded, equally frustrated. "And why are you so interested in Freed suddenly?"

"Something happened with him and I don't know what the hell to do about it," Gajeel yelled back, veins on fire. Why couldn't she figure things out faster, dammit.

"Something happened with you and Freed," She seemed joyful, and Gajeel scowled. "Did you kiss him? Did he kiss you?"

"No," Gajeel scoffed. "Nobody got kissed."

"Did you do something… other than kissing," She frowned. "Because I don't really want to think about that."

"Nothing fucking happened. Not like that," Gajeel growled, before averting his gaze and going a little red. "We just kinda, I dunno, looked at each other. When the fireworks were going off. Felt weird. Want it to stop."

"You want what to stop?" Levy asked.

"The weird fucking feeling, obviiously," Gajeel explained. Gods, he thought she was smart!

"Sorry sorry, let me just catch up," Levy made a weird gesture with her hands, and Gajeel rolled his eyes. Couldn't she just hurry the hell up. "So you and Freed looked at each other during the fireworks display and you felt 'weird.' You've been feeling weird since then, which was four days ago. And you've come here asking me to tell you every bad thing I can think of about him because you think that somehow that will stop you from feeling weird."

"Congratulations, you've figured it out," Gajeel drolled, and a pillow was thrown at him, which he caught. "So, tell me all the fucked up shit about him so I can sleep again."

"You're losing sleep over this?" Levy seemed amused. Gajeel glared. "I think I can help you with this, but not in a way that you're going to like. Is that okay?" Gajeel continued to glare. "I think you need to know what the weird feeling is, so you can decide what to do about it. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"If you're gonna drip feed me shit so I come to my own conclusion, I'm gonna break your glasses for wasting my time," Gajeel threatened, nodding to the glasses on the bedside table.

Since when did she have non-magical glasses?

"Fine, if you want me to rip the bandaid off, I'll do it," Levy seemed way too smug. Her glasses were definitely getting broken if she didn't hurry the hell up. "Sounds an awful lot like love at first sight to me."

No. No it didn't.

"Well yer fucking wrong, aint ya," He yelled before he could even consider the claim. "Because I don't fall in love with people, and it ain't the first time I've seen him."

"The gentleman doth protest too much methinks," Levy laughed.

"Who the fuck even speaks like that?" Gajeel demanded.

At that Levy's eyes flickered to the bathroom door yet again, and Gajeel felt his patience snap. He was going through something and his best friend - fuck, what an annoying term - was distracted by whatever was on the other side of the door. He was meant to be her priority right now, and he was going to make sure that stayed true. He walked to the door and yanked it open, blinking at the sight that befell him.

Evergreen was crouching, with a glass pressed to her ear. No doubt, had he not opened the door, the glass would have been pushed up against it. She was wearing the most gaudy, flowery nightgown Gajeel had ever been forced to look at. Her hair was untied and she looked ready to sleep. She looked weird without her glasses… glasses which were on the bedside table.

A lot of things clicked into place. Ew.

"You're screwing Levy?" He demanded, and Evergreen stood up straight. She seemed ready for a challenge.

"We're seeing each other. It's uncouth to say it's just physical," She said, without an ounce of shame. Gajeel supposed she didn't have any reason to be shameful. "I know that me being with your friend won't cause a problem. Not when you consider what you want to do with my friend."

"You heard that?" Gajeel growled.

"No, I had the glass to my ear because it's a form of Yoga," Evergreen snarked, pushing Gajeel to the side so she could walk to the bed. She climbed under the covers and nestled into Levy's side. Levy smiled, wrapping her left arm around Evergreen's right. How cozy they looked… "So, now that you know I'm here, I'll be able to offer insight. You're grossly, madly in love with my best friend. What other issues do you have?"

"I am not in love with him," Gajeel argued.

"You're losing sleep over how much you love him," Evergreen supplied, almost joyously.

"You thought the best way to deal with the issue was to storm in here and demand his flaws," Levy continued.

"And I saw you when you looked at him," Evergreen laughed. "It was like a puppy seeing an open meadow for the first time. So obvious."

"Are you fucking ganging up on me right now?" Gajeel demanded. Levy shook her head no, while Evergreen gladly nodded. "Fucks sake, are you gonna help me or not. How do I stop feeling like this?"

"Talk to him," Levy stated, sympathetically. "You're probably only feeling weird because there's a lot of unknowns right now, mainly that you don't know if he returns your feelings or not," Gajeel wanted to state that there weren't any feelings to return, but Levy kept talking. And she was looking at Evergreen as if she hung the moon. "That was how I was feeling before I spoke to you."

"Oh Tulip," Evergreen said, in a voice all loved up and unbefitting her personality. Gajeel wanted to vomit. "I'm so sorry for putting you through that. A thousand roses wouldn't make you understand my guilt."

"Maybe not," Levy smiled. "But every moment I get to share with you makes it all better."

"Then I'll make sure that I make every moment shared with you-"

"Hey!" Gajeel cut through their stupid exchange of annoyingness with a sharp word and two snaps of his fingers. The adoring expression on Evergreen's face fell into one of shock and anger, then settled onto a glare.

"Did you just click your fingers at me?" She demanded, voice belying her offence.

"Wouldn't have had to if you'd pay attention," Gajeel shrugged. "Came here for help, not to see you two focusing on unimportant shit."

"We're the ones focusing on unimportant shit?" Evergreen huffed out an incredulous laugh. "Fine, I'll help you then, I'll make this situation very easy. I forbid you from talking to Freed or ever starting anything with him."

"You forbid me?" Gajeel scoffed.

"I do. As Freed's best friend, it's my duty to keep him away from rude brutes, which you are," She crossed her arms, and caught his gaze in a challenging glare. "Though I don't think I'd even need to. You're clearly too much of a coward to talk to him about this whether you have my permission to or not. I doubt that'll change."

"Ain't a coward," Gajeel argued, crossing his arms.

"Then why are you here?" Evergreen asked. Gajeel spluttered for an answer, but Levy spoke first.

"You did ask me to tell you that he ruins priceless artwork for fun, just so you wouldn't be attracted to him anymore," She said, a little sheepishly. "That's not exactly the actions of someone who's brave enough to deal with a problem head on."

"I can deal with my problems head on, dammit," Gajeel argued. It wasn't a great argument.

"Then why are you here and not talking to Freed right now?" Evergreen asked, voice annoyingly self righteous. "Doesn't seem like you'll do anything other than whine about this entire situation. Pitiful really."

Gajeel scrambled for an argument against her claim, and when he couldn't come up with one, he turned around and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He growled when he heard Evergreen say 'Hm, men', but stormed onwards. He was determined now.

Freed had been in many situations before, a lot of them he would consider unusual. This was the most unusual situation he'd ever been in.

He was sitting at Bickslow's kitchen table, nursing a mug of tea, having just confessed that he had a sudden and overwhelming attraction to Gajeel Redfox. An attraction that was both romantic and physical, and had hit him out of nowhere. He rarely allowed himself to be so vulnerable, so speaking about his emotions was a struggle enough already, but the third person in the room made everything so much more unusual.

Gildarts Clive was there. Gildarts, who was apparently Bickslow's boyfriend. That was something Freed still didn't know how to process, and as such he'd decided to just accept it and hope the older man had some wisdom hidden behind his carefree, slightly perverse facade.

Honestly; Bickslow and Gildarts? How had that happened?

When he'd arrived at Bickslow's apartment in the evening, he had expected the man to be alone. So when Gildarts answered the door and welcomed him in, Freed had been more than a little shocked. Yes, Bickslow had stated multiple times that he and the older man had been 'doing it like bunnies' for a month now, but Freed had dismissed the claim as another one of Bickslow's exaggerations of a situation. Apparently he hadn't given his friend enough credit, because apparently they were not only sleeping together, but dating. Or maybe Gildarts just cooked a near gourmet looking, candle lit steak dinner for all the people he had hooked up with. It was so cosz looking Freed had found himself apologising for the interruption.

The fact that they'd both dismissed the statement immediately, claimed the more the merrier, and immediately started making him up a plate suggested maybe they did have some values in common. Freed was trying not to judge, but he really wanted to know how the hell this had happened.

"You know what those feelings mean, don't ya baby?" Bickslow asked once Freed had told them both everything. "You like him."

"That seems to be the most obvious answer," Freed nodded, grinding his teeth a little. "I don't wish to deny the evidence, but the force with which these emotions came to me seem very overwhelming. I don't know how much I can trust them."

"Doesn't mean they're wrong though," Gildarts shrugged. "You're a mage, you run off your instincts. If you were on a mission, approaching a creature that you had to kill, and something in your gut screamed at you that you couldn't do this alone, what would you do? Follow the feeling and employ another mage because your gut instinct is telling you something important, or risk fighting the thing alone because you haven't got enough evidence to say that your gut is leading you right."

"I'd follow my gut," Freed stated. Following your gut was something every mage did.

"Then do that," Gildarts shrugged. "Listen to what your instincts are saying."

"But this is a different situation to a mission," Freed tried to argue. "I'm familiar with danger, and as such my instinct would be making an informed decision. When it comes to random bouts of attraction, I'll be swinging in the dark no matter what. That's never a good idea."

"You think this is random?" Bickslow asked, and Freed frowned.

"What else would it be?"

"You've been doing missions with him all year," Bickslow shrugged. "After that first one you had to do together, you kept going back to each other. Before this year, you basically only did missions with the team, so obviously there's something about him that you liked from the start. Might have seemed platonic, but that doesn't mean something more hasn't been bubbling under the surface all this time," Bickslow looked at him with a patient smile. "You're not exactly known for being in tune with your feelings, Freed. Maybe everything you've not noticed just kinda… exploded all at once.

"That's a possibility," Freed nodded.

He and Gajeel had gotten remarkably close to each other over the past year. They had personalities that on the surface conflicted, but in reality complimented each other well. On the surface, their differences were noticeable, but they shared values and experiences and could offer support in ways nobody else could. Those were attributes that Freed found important in a man.

And Freed had never denied that Gajeel was good looking. Only an idiot would deny he was sexy, and he was more than handsome in his own way. Honestly, how Gajeel had never entered the Wizards I'd Like To Date list was a puzzle Freed couldn't figure out. It just made sense for him to be wanted by the masses.

Ah… Maybe these feelings weren't so sudden after all.

"Hey, I've never actually seen an 'oh' moment before," Bickslow laughed, and Freed snapped a look to him. Both he and Gildarts were looking at him, amused. "So, what are ya gonna do? Kiss him, right? Only makes sense."

"Of course not," Freed exclaimed. "I don't know if he is interested in men, let alone me in particular."

"He likes you," Bickslow said, and the words were so sure Freed quirked up a brow at him. Bickslow blushed a little before speaking again. "I maybe clocked how you were looking at each other when the fireworks were happening. Kinda had Peppe follow him around for the past few days. Apparently he can't stop grumbling about that 'fuckin pretty boy' when he's alone," Bickslow grinned. "He thinks you're pretty and can't keep you off his mind. That means he's crushing hard on you."

"That's a gross invasion of his privacy," Freed scolded.

"Already defending his honour?" GIldarts laughed. "Young love."

"I do not love him," Freed argued, and both men grinned at him. He hoped they both got food poisoning. "Attraction and love are worlds apart."

"But not for you~" Bickslow laughed.

"I do not love him," Freed tried to argue again, but the other men just kept grinning. "Let's say we both have an attraction to each other. What then? It's not like we can start dating. We're guildmates, if we were to split up then it would be uncomfortable for everyone. Even if we didn't, we hardly make sense as a couple. Not to people who don't know us well."

"Who cares?" Gildarts scoffed. "You think the two of us make sense to most people? Course not, we know that. But we also know we're a kickass couple so far, and we click damn well."

"The two of you are very different to me," Freed stated.

"Doesn't mean we don't feel the same way you do," Gildarts claimed. "You think I didn't have a 'fireworks moment' with Bix? I did. Maybe not as romantic, and maybe not as innocent as yours, but I had one," He looked to Bickslow, smiling. "The morning after the third time we hooked up, I woke up first and looked at you and I just… understood you. I knew who you were deep in my core. It felt like your identity belonged to me suddenly. Hadn't felt like that in a hell of a long time. And that's when I knew you were special to me."

"Then you cooked for me for the first time," Bickslow looked at Gildarts with an expression Freed had never seen before. It was filled with unfiltered affection. "And we spent the rest of the day in the bed, just talking about whatever shit came to mind. I never had a talk with a guy like that before. It was special."

"Yeah, it was," Gildarts grinned, leant over and kissed Bickslow for a slow moment. Freed felt a yearning hit of jealousy in his stomach.

"That's a very touching story," Freed admitted, because in a way, it was.

"Yeah, it is," Gildarts agreed. "And I only get to tell that story - and the only reason I'm here now - is because I grew some balls and decided I wasn't gonna run away from that gut instinct. I made a choice to stick around until the morning and try to make something more out of what we had. I knew it could get messy, but I knew it could be really good. That's what you gotta do. Make a choice if you wanna risk it."

"And you better make the right choice," Bickslow said, smiling. "Because you really looked like you loved him that night. And I wanna see you looking like that again some time. You deserve to look like that."

"I-" Freed began, a little overwhelmed. "I think you're right."

"You gonna talk to him then?" Bickslow asked, and Freed nodded, standing up. When Bickslow spoke again, he sounded giddy. "You gonna do it now?"

"I think so," Freed said. "Thank you both for the advice."

"You can thank us by letting us give the best man speech at the wedding," Bickslow grinned, before letting his smile become more genuine. "Go get him, tiger."

Freed smiled an equally honest smile, before leaving the apartment to find Gajeel.

——

They found each other by accident. Both of them were too high on their adrenaline to realise they didn't know where the other lived, meaning that the best chance they had of meeting was at the guildhall. It was hardly the best place to have a private conversation, but both men were determined now, so they would do what they needed to.

But, it seemed like it wasn't necessary.

Approaching the guildhall, both men had cut through a small park in Magnolia's shopping district. Just as Gajeel was walking over one of the scenic bridges, he saw Freed approaching under the lamplight. He almost didn't believe it was him, until Freed looked up, and Gajeel was hit by the very same shot of unfamiliar feelings that he'd felt during the fireworks. Before the adrenaline left him and he ran away from the situation, he jogged to catch Freed's attention. Freed picked up his walking pace, and they met in the middle of the bridge, looking at each other for a moment.

"Hey," Gajeel said, wanting to cut through the silence.

"Hello," Freed greeted, everything he had wanted to say leaving his mind.

They were both quiet for another beat, before speaking again, talking over one another.

"I think we need to talk-"

"I wanted to speak with you-"

They both stopped talking again. They were both red in the cheeks, a little from embarrassment and a little from the fact that they both wanted the same thing. They both wanted the same thing, and they both felt a glimmer of hope rising inside of them that what they wanted to talk about would be the same thing too. The entire situation seemed too perfect; it was almost as if it were fated to happen.

Unfortunately, neither man could speak. Gajeel had never been good with words, particularly when it mattered. His mind was swarming with the things he should say, but couldn't put into words. Freed, just as he had during the fireworks, found himself stumbling for words that couldn't come to him.

But, they suddenly both realised, words weren't needed.

They were mages: Fairy Tail maged. Actions always spoke louder than words.

Gajeel did what he's known he needed to do since the fireworks. Freed finally listened to what his instincts had been telling him to do for far too long. They stepped into each other's space. Gajeel placed a hand on the small of Freed's back, while Freed grabbed Gajeel by the back of his neck. They pulled into each other without words, and brought their lips together in a kiss.

There were no fireworks this time, but in their minds, hearts and souls, there was an explosion.

It was a fire that burned deep inside of them. It was a fire without origin, but both men knew that it would burn bright, strong, and wasn't going to die out.

[thunderandlightningstriketwice]

This is absolutely adorable! Your creativity is wonderful!

a Mirafreed SpyxFamily AU I commissioned from the wonderful @bluessom1 ! and it may not exactly suit one of the prompts, but happy Thunder Legion Rare Pair Week, @thunderandlightningstriketwice ! ☺️

[bluessom1]

Thunder Legion Rarepairs Week 2022 : Moonlight

Laxus x Mystogan

Definitely, Laxus couldn't handle this guy. Arrogant, mysterious, unable to say a word, good for him he was a strong mage…Each time he came to the guild he made everyone felt asleep. Everyone, except Laxus. The thunder god wondering if it was on purpose or if he was just too strong for Mystogan's powers. He couldn't deny that he was intrigued by him.

He started trying to trapped the mysterious man the rare times he came to the guild. He stuck him in some corridors or in the exteriors of the building, trying to extort him some informations, or at least see his face.

There most of the time, Mystogan ended up getting angry, and they almost came to fight…Laxus had to admit that was even better. Finally that was almost like a game between them, and he had noticed that the other mage seems to kinda appreciate it too.

Yeah, definitively, Laxus couldn't handle Mystogan, but he was also terribly attracted to him…

Note : First day of the Thunder Legion Rarepairs Week 2022, hosted by @thunderandlightningstriketwice ! Laxus and Mystogan are definitively my fav rare pair now :3

It's my first participation to this event, I'll try to post for each prompts, but...I can't promise ;)

Also...I try again to give some context with a really short story, but I think I'll never be able to do a better fanfic ^^'

[rosetheshapeshifter]

i found out there's going to be a thunder legion rare pairs week and now im squealing

Oh yay!

I don’t keep up with those events, so every once in a while I hear about them lmao. 

I love Thunder Legion content tho. Def a favorite. Dragon slayer (All gens, except for the ones in 100 years quest cuz they’re dumb), Thunder Legion, and og Fairy Tail (aka before Lucy) are some of my favorite groups.

[thunderandlightningstriketwice]

🥂🥂 Happy Thunder Legion Rarepairs Week 2022! We can't wait to see what you create! Tag us in your posts, and use the #thunder legion rarepairs week 2022 🥂🥂

🥂🥂It’s Almost That Time Of Year Again!🥂🥂

Just over a month away, we can’t wait to see what all of the incredibly talented and unique members of our community come up with this year! Once again, we will be bringing in the new year with this event! Just as we did last year, we’re celebrating everything about the unique and rarer sides of our favourite, strongest fairies – and those they love. From simply rare lovely het ships to exciting and beautiful LGBTQIA+ ships, we can’t wait to see what the talented artists, writers, and general content creators make for this week!

Want to participate or simply see the work of the Fairy Tail Community’s talented creators for these incredible fairies? All you have to do is share! From December the 26th to January the 1st, we will be here, and we will be ready!

Also, while not limited to these, prompts for the week are as follows!

Day 1: Moonlight

Day 2: Paint

Day 3: Keys

Day 4: Tragedy

Day 5: Dance

Day 6: Masquerade

Day 7: Water

Pick any of the prompts or anything that strikes your fancy, create content, and tag us, and/or use the #thunder legion rarepairs week !

December the 26th – January the 1st

Remember: we’re going to bring in the new year with our favourite fairies, and those they love, however they love them!

@fairytailevents @ftguildevents @fairytail-rarepairs @dragonshost @bearandbirdfan @fairytail-whathesays  @ft-raijinshuulover @fairytail-incorrectquotes @freedjustineappreciation @thundolegion​ @shosho-lovesmanga​ @ljf613 @ft-reboost

[fallen029]

Blue Eyes

"I really love your eyes."

Mirajane made a face at the man seated across from her. It was hardly the first time, after all, that a man had said this to her (and she ventured it would be far from the last), but it was certainly odd timing.

"That's more of a pickup line, Lax," she remarked as her bright blues drifted away from the man and back down to her meager breakfast. "Kind of wasted here, no?"

He only continued to stare at her though, the man did, quite heavily in fact. Shaking his head slightly, he replied back simply, "No."

Summertime had finally faded completely from the area only the previous week and though a crispness had entered the air, it hardly constituted for heaters or fireplaces. Still, in the early morning hours, such as the two S-Class wizards found themselves then, it could be downright freezing at times. Mirajane felt a particular chill run through her body about then, which was hardly a concern, as she only shrugged on Laxus' fuzzy coat from where it rested on the back of her chair.

Snuggling into it, she raised her eyes to meet the slayer's once more, though this time it was with slight confusion.

"No?" she repeated to which he merely shook his head again.

"I'm not telling you because I want to sleep with you," he said. "I'm telling you because it's the truth."

"And you're just such a truthful person, huh?"

"I'm not a liar," he told her honestly and, nodding some, Mira had to agree.

Still mostly pushing her toast around the plate, Mirajane wanted to find something for them to talk about that morning. Anything. It was why Laxus woke up so early. It was her who had to open the guild each morning which required getting down to the hall before sunrise. Usually, when she slept over, it meant leaving the snoozing dragon behind.

But he was going to be heading out on a rather lengthy S-Class in the morning, which probably meant he should get some extra winks where he could yet there he was, seated across from her, trying hard to squeeze in any together time they were allowed.

Mirajane made him the biggest breakfast she could, but Laxus seemed to hardly touch his own as well, poking at his eggs and continually cutting his pancakes smaller and smaller. That is, he was before his statement over her eyes. It was the first thing either of them said in a couple of minutes and though Mirajane found it a bit odd, it made her smile at least, give the idle conversation.

"It's the color," Laxus was going on then with a bit of a shrug. "They're so bright and blue and… I just… When I think of you, I mean, I think of a lot of things, I guess, but the first picture that comes to my mind is your eyes."

"Really?" Cocking her head to the side then, she questioned, "It's not my hair? I think it's probably more unique than my eyes."

"Not the way I see it."

It made her jump some, at first, when he shifted forwards in his seat to brush a few fingers over her cheek. Her pale skin had a slight blush to it and even though she was currently wearing the same scanty nightwear she'd gone to bed in, it was his coat dangling from her shoulders paired with her coy smile that brought a grin to his own lips.

Staring deeply into her eyes, he stayed suspended for a moment, leaning over the table, as he told her, "It reminds me of the sky. Not on a clear, sunny day or anything, but that kind of dark blue sky you get, before the sun comes up. And the stars are kinda fading and twinkling, I guess. I'm up a lot then, when I'm out on jobs. When I'm campin' and all. When I stare up at it, I just… I'll miss you. Demon. While I'm gone."

Words were lost from the woman for a moment as her boyfriend reclaimed his sit and she shifted in her own then, though it was further back, away from him, to study his face. She expected to find a trace of embarrassment or perhaps even some residuals from his beers the prior night, but he only stared right back at her, sober and unapologetic towards her very open proclamation.

It was so hard sometimes. Everything. About their relationship. The man was just so hard to get close to. Laxus had a better disposition in those days, rare to find anger towards his guild mates and much more likely to assist in the frequent mishaps that befell Fairy Tail, but that hardly meant that he was a friendly fellow. He was reserved and truly only considered the Thunder Legion as friends, and even then, at times it felt like he kept them at arms length.

But there was glimpses. Always. For Mirajane. Of what he could be, who he really was, and she always expected it to shine through eventually. The man she knew he was. He could be. When he didn't feel like he was forcing himself to lower his prowess down a few pegs, to benefit those around him.

Still, a rarer time existed where the intimacy she could expect wasn't just a soft grin or a sudden nuzzle of the head late at night. Sometimes he would just be honest with her. Open. Rather than silent. Just letting her fill the dead air with her admitted senseless ramblings.

Sometimes, he liked to tell her about his mother. How she'd sing him to sleep each night, when he was a boy, and he could hardly remember the tunes now, not the words or the tone, but the feeling it brought him… Following her passing, he'd never experienced that feeling again.

Or about his adventures. Out in the world she'd rejected for the Fairy Tail guildhall walls. Not the bastardized versions he liked to boast about, when he was drunk and dunking on all the other lowlies at the hall. No. He told her about the first time he'd left Fiore when he was sixteen or how miserable it was, being stuck on a pirate ship, trying to stop a mutiny. He spoke highly of the wines on the other end of the coast and the cigars in Veronica. Sometimes he lamented being gone so much, missing out on developing deeper connections and instead spending so much time alone. Others it was all he could brag, the solitude and deeper introspection this provided.

But on the rarest of occasions, like she'd just experienced, it seemed as if something would just come over him and he'd have to make sure, of all the things they were so certain and comfortable with in their long stretches of silences. He wanted Mirajane to know it, without any doubt, that no matter how far he traveled or what might stand between them, the past two years with her had meant the world to him.

Even if it was difficult to accurately verbalize.

Smiling softly in the early morning haze, Mirajane finally lifted her toast to her mouth. Though, before she took a bit, she nodded her head and smiled brightly at the slayer, who seemed only slightly confused by her response.

"Yeah, dragon," she said, enjoying the final moments her shoulders would be warmed by his fluffy coat, before it accompanied him far, far from home. "I love you too."

[zhihua-sasori]

Quarantine Failed

The halls of Castrum Aquilonis were rarely quiet. Footsteps echoing down metal floors, the subtle whir of electrical lighting, and the hum of heat generators set a constant ambient industrial din at all hours. It drove Zhi mad the first few weeks she was stationed there, and even after all this time she wasn’t entirely used to it.

Clock in, check notes, check blood supply…

The lights flickered, prompting Zhi to lift her head. The reflection caught against silken strands; a few threads of webbing hung from the air vents. More signs of the spreading infestation she’d report to sanitation and engineering. The medicus pursed her lips.

Why couldn’t it have been diremites? At least their silk is useful for bandages… Maybe kir Dominis was- no, doesn’t matter.

Zhi paused at the vent she’d spooked Iulius at some days prior. A shadow crept along the wall and caught her gaze with the next flicker of lights. Another spider, this one as long as her palm from head to abdomen, skittered down to the floor. She crushed it underfoot before moving on.

We still know nothing. Nothing of their venom. Nothing of their species. Nothing!

The sickening crunch continued with her steps, little bits of spider leaving a trail behind her. The gumming sensation was the worst part, the unerring sticky feel against the metal floor. The medicus looked for the nearest rail to scrape the mass of chitin and arachnid guts off of the sole of her boot. Kick after kick, the corpse continued to clutch her foot. The rattling of steel reverberated down the hall, eventually shaking down to the next vent. More webbing idly drifted from the exhaust port. Zhi’s eyes narrowed.

This wasn’t here an hour ago…

She unsheathed her tantō from beneath her coat and pried the stubborn exoskeleton off her shoe with an audible pop. Rapid, muffled clicking accompanied a gentle gust issuing from the vent. Zhi’s grip on her blade hilt tightened. A tickle caressed her cheek as she eyed the undulating strands of silk. She froze.

How many are there? How far have they gone!?

But when Zhi lifted her hand to brush it away she found only her own hair. She forced a nervous little huff of breath. A pathetic excuse for even the most half-hearted of laughs. Nerves. She had to control them. Zhi steadied her breathing and listened to the vent. She hadn’t imagined the clicking, but it had slowed. The cadence matched her heartbeat. A steady tick… tick… thud.

Thud?

She turned from the vent and scuffed her boot against the floor as she walked, trying in vain to remove the last of the viscous ichor. She turned down the hall, barely taking heed of the distant, slow clicking growing-

…Louder?

A deafening crash: metal grinding against metal, the whine of torsion, a cacophony of screams in the distance. The linkpearl hanging from Zhi’s earring rang out in a clear chime against the rising storm of sounds. The panicked voice of one of the older women in the cohort called through the static:

“Th-This is temporary barracks two, reporting infestatio— Leave him and run!“

Barracks two isn’t far…

She ran, blade in hand. There was no other choice. No other option. The woman’s voice came through again, a response for report.

"This is jen Cred— Bloody shite! Ah-ah, we’re evacuating the barracks! Three M.I.A. presumed K.I.A. R-Running for main barracks, report clear?”

They need a medicus.

“Which direction is your evacuation?”

Is that one of the Shadows?

“Western, on app-“

The reporting jen’s voice was cut, drowned out by a scream before her linkpearl fell unceremoniously silent with a click. Zhi’s heart skipped a beat; another click.

Come back online.

A chill crept down the medicus’ spine as the clicking reverberated in all the halls surrounding her and the ceiling above. She ran faster. Her boots could no longer be heard slamming against the cold metal of the castrum floor. Not over the crack of cemet, not over the screams in the distance.

“This is oen Gregor. We’re fully evacuating, all accounted for. Bypassing main barracks to reinforce hospital.”

Reinforce… oh shit. Were they overrun? Was she running into- no, keep moving.

Zhi careened around the hallway. The clicking had subsided and she leaned against the wall rail to pause for breath. She needed a plan of action, to decide which way out, whether to give in to fight or flight. But first she’d have to center herself. Calm that rapid heart-beat. Focus on the sounds of the castrum, even the unpleasant ones. The hum of the heat generators, the whir of electricity, the constant pace of…

Where are the footsteps? What happened to the shouting?

She stepped forward and a tacky sensation tugged at her palm as it left the rail. The medicus raised her white gloved hand, now stained the color of rust. The woman’s dark gaze trailed to the wall to affirm the thoughts already running through her head. There was enough blood and ichor to paint a mural, but there was no telling how long it had been since the artist left its mark. Zhi brushed her hand off on the side of her boot and continued in the direction of the silenced screams. It was the fastest way past the barracks, and to the hospital ward to join the reinforcements.

Maybe they can get me out of here.

Another ring on the linkpearl. This time a voice all too familiar. Uncle Zheng-

No. Zheng rem Diremite.

“Full Evacuation is in effect, retreat to the docks.”

She didn’t need to hear it twice. The voices relaying information in her ear became little more than a drone. White noise against the uncharacteristic quiet of the castrum. All she needed was to pass a few more maintenance halls, cross the bridge over some generators, and she’d be reach the nearest air dock. Her head was clear, the quiet had given her time to route her escape.

Then why is my heart still racing?

Zhi stopped mid-gait. The woman’s grip on the tanto in her right hand tightened. She crouched, a slow and fluid motion, until the fingertips of her bloodstained glove caressed the familiar metal of one of the kunai strapped to her thigh.

What would Zhao do?

The medicus, the apprentice Shadow, drew the projectile. The kunai flew from her grasp at the arc of the spin on the balls of her feet. She remained low, muscles tensed and ready to dash into a sprint. Zhi breathed a silent prayer that the steel would strike steel. That she was just paranoid.

It didn’t.

She heard the sickening crunch and squelch before her eyes focused on the horde of beady orbs staring back at her. The dim light shone on the blade imbedded now into the raised abdomen of the central spider, a beast roughly the size of a large hound. Its tentative steps were silent, jerking with the stop-motion of a macabre marionette. The rest froze. The prey had caught its predators, and the intervening seconds would decide who now was the hunter and the hunted. The buzzing of the linkshell could wait, everything else around her had to wait.

I can’t die here.

The mudra she had practiced so many times over, the element that had been carved into her own aether with every lesson. Zhi’s rapid hand-signs wove together and a torrential wave washed over the woman’s body and crashed into the arachnid legion. The mass of limbs and chitinous cascaded down the bloodstained hall. She ran, gasping for breath, collecting the energy for the next strike if they followed.

When they follow.

Zhi tuned back into the linkpearl frequency as she ran. She could hear them coming for her. No longer were the spiders engaging in stealth, the halls merely echoed a cacophony of clicking mandibles, skittering legs, and the sloshing waves of her summoned suiton. Another voice through the chaos, one that the young Diremite was more annoyed than relieved to hear:

“Our heroes have reached the transport.”

Can you be serious for once, Chocobozuka!?

Without thought, without hesitation, Zhi kept her tanto raised in front of her. Smaller spiders creeping the wall in the periphery of her vision were bisected as while she ran.  The drenched spiders were gaining pace. No preamble, no feints. These were beasts, not men. Zhi drew another kunai from beneath her jacket and tossed it behind her in her sprint. She skid on her heel once she made it to the bridge, another mudra. Another torrential wave doused into the mass of spiders, but this time it was no better than an annoying spritz as the arachnoid mass careened up the walls and clambered across the ceiling before their drop. Only the ones on par with a housecat in stature were washed away.

They can learn. Fuck.

With grit teeth Zhi brought her hands together once again. The glint of light from both of her thrown weapons prompted the ghost of a smile on the woman’s lips. Blood had stained the walls, and blood had washed into the bristles covering their bodies. A crude conductor of aether, but a conductor all the same.  Another mudra, and a crack of levin was drawn to the makeshift lightning rods formed by the kunai.

Focus.

The summoned raiton arced between the kunai on the largest pair of spiders, prompting a combustion of ichor. Drawn by the gore and pushed by Zhi’s aetherical manipulation, the lightning crashed through the arachnid legion. Those closest to the impact exploded utterly, while the peripheral spiders that had been drenched by the earlier suiton blackened from the shock and heat.

"Maintain defenses. Everyone else, report,” a man’s voice called through the linkshell.

Zhi couldn’t recognize it, couldn’t entirely comprehend what was being asked. Her senses were overwhelmed in the blast. The crack of thunder and the parboiling of invertebrate ichor sang in tandem with the high pitched squeal of steam erupting from chitin carapace and hissing death throes. The stench of electrified gore and ozone inundated the hallway, now burning with a smoky haze. Her entire body trembled from the eruption of power, the high of survival.

Keep moving.

She had three kunai left, her wakizashi and tanto, her conjury wand, and a survival knife in her boot. Zhi silently vowed to slap the next person who criticized her for always traveling armed to the teeth. She heard only the vaguest of clicks behind her, the dying rattles of a few twitching spiders and others in retreat. It was only a short jog to the bridge, she still had the strength to escape.

Do they know I’m still alive?

She fiddled with the device on her ear, leaning on the rail of the overhang for support. Don’t take any chances. A few more breaths, a moment to collect herself. She clicked on the linkpearl:

“Zhi jen Diremite, repor—“

Her body was thrown to the floor concussive force. Another crack, the twist and grind of metal, and the ground was falling beneath her. Zhi’s body was sliding, as was that of whatever had landed on her. She clung to the rail, her tanto falling from her hands as she scrambled to grip for her life. Her eyes followed it clattering down the shattered bridge, setting her eye to eye with another spider. A spider much, much larger than she was.

Oh fuck…

She let go, landing on the spider’s back with a thud. The steely bristles pierced through her jacket, some bending under her weight while others sank into her flesh like barbed needles. She clutched onto the spider’s thick segmentation, pulling and clambering to get a better grasp. If the bridge would fall, better she land on it than vice versa.

I’m going to die. I failed. I’m going to die.

The floor collapsed and they both fell into the chasm of the Castrum’s lower floors. She lost her grasp and the monstrous spider descended faster than she did. The bridge and spider demolished through the paths crisscrossing the lower floors. Pain. Pain was all that registered as her body flopped against one after another, failing to purchase a proper grip to climb back up one of the bridge paths.

She awoke in darkness. Every muscle, every bone in her body ached. How much time had passed? She struggled to pull herself to her knees. There was no more energy left to panic. Zhi was tired, so hurt and tired. She crawled. Desperate to find a corner. Desperate to find somewhere she could make a call for help. The urge to cough burned her lungs, every stretch of her limbs felt like a marathon.

Don’t make a sound-

A heavy weight on her back. A sting. Sharp, piercing, red hot pain in her side. The warmth of her blood, the sensation of injection.

Not a sting.

She clutched at her chest, where her conjury wand was beneath the jacket lining. A pulse of aether… maybe the venom wouldn’t spread.

I can’t feel my legs.

Breathing. It was already a labor. A vague pressure of silken twine. The metal floor was cold against her face as she was dragged.

I failed.

She couldn’t feel her fingers, but her grip remained tight at her coat all the same.

I can’t die here.

[ao3feed-gratsu-brotp]

Two Types Of Nightlife

by Eryiss

Bickslow and Natsu are the kind of men who thrive in a nightclub, so of course they gravitate towards each other. Without words they’re dancing, flirting, and maybe something more.

Gray and Freed do not belong in a nightclub, but they can make the best of a bad situation. Lamenting over bad friends and a bottle of champagne, maybe the night might not be so bad after all.

Words: 2700, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Thunder Legion Rare Pair

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bickslow (Fairy Tail), Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Freed Justine

Relationships: Bickslow/Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster/Freed Justine, Bickslow & Freed Justine, Natsu Dragneel & Gray Fullbuster

Additional Tags: Thunder Legion Rare Pair Week, writing event, One Shot, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Nightclub, Gymnast Bickslow, YouTuber Natsu, Cameraman Gray, Publisher Freed, Flirting, Dancing, Sexual Tension, Drinking, First Kiss, First Meeting

Source: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36102622

[thunderandlightningstriketwice]

This is adorable!

DAY 1: MOONLIGHT (WIP)

Levy x Freed

I worry I might not be able to finish it today, so here is the sketch I got so far!

My shoulder started cramping and I still have a whole other event to draw for!

It's all good though, these are always really fun to do, so hopefully I'll be able to get them both out today...

...even if it does end up being 11 PM...

Well, my fault for staying up all night and waking up late!

[jemmahazelnut]

Zodiac compatibility

Summary: Lucy is having fun calculating zodiac compatibility between different people in the guild. What will happen when Freed discovers that he has only 40% compatibility with the guy he’s in love with? [Bickslow/Freed]

Link: AO3

Notes: This is my second fic for Thunder Legion Rare Pairs Week 2021 hosted by @thunderandlightningstriketwice Prompt: Zodiac. Hope you like it!

Zodiac compatibility

“Evergreen and Elfman,” Bickslow asked. Lucy obeyed as Evergreen rolled her eyes in annoyance. Elfman blushed slightly and, while Bickslow told Lucy when and what time her friend was born, Mirajane did the same with her brother. Lucy checked the constellations and ascendants to calculate zodiac compatibility. It was just a silly game, but she was enjoying, and apparently Mirajane and Bickslow too, as the two were asking her to calculate the compatibility of anyone in the guild.

“95 percent compatibility,” Lucy said. Mirajane lit up her face and turned to her brother. Freed smiled slightly and shook his head in resignation as Evergreen began to say that there was no way they were so compatible, and that surely there was some mistake.

“You’re soul mates,” Bickslow chuckled.

“We’re not,” Evergreen grunted irritably and slightly embarrassed. “And these tests have no meaning anyway, right, Freed?”.

The rune mage looked up from the book. Normally he would have agreed with her, if the time of day he was born had to tell him who he would be with, Freed would have thought it ridiculous. The idea of making fun of his friend, however, was tempting, very tempting. Evergreen, realizing what was going through Freed’s mind, immediately changed the subject.

“Calculate Freed and Bickslow,” she told Lucy, who immediately got to work. When Bickslow was born, she already knew, as the Seith wizard had enjoyed calculating his compatibility with most people -80 percent with Mirajane, 60 percent with Gray and 20 percent with Juvia.

“Freed, I need to know when you were born,” Lucy said. Freed snorted lightly, not very convinced he wanted to be dragged into the game, but unfortunately it was Bickslow who answered the star mage. Freed was a bit surprised to find that his friend remembered the time he was born but decided not to care. After all, Bickslow also remembered Evergreen’s birth time.

“40 percent compatibility,” Lucy said. Freed glanced at Bickslow, who smiled broadly from under the helmet.

“What bad luck baby, we’re not compatible,” he joked.

“What a surprise,” Freed said wryly but a certain bitterness filled his stomach. He ignored it and looked down at the book, telling himself that those calculations were of no value anyway. Of course, some couples had really come out with a high percentage of success, like Elfman and Evergreen, Alzack and Visca, and Gajeel and Levy. It was probably just a coincidence anyway. There was no way that stupid test had any value. So, he resumed reading, although he couldn’t swallow an annoying lump in his throat.

***

Freed wasn’t thinking about that stupid compatibility test. Of course, he wasn’t doing it. He was just wondering how it was possible that Bickslow and Mirajane had so much compatibility. Even Bickslow and Gray had more compatibility than the two of them, which was absurd. Freed didn’t consider himself a jealous man -even because he had no reason to be jealous since he wasn’t dating with Bickslow- nor did he consider himself a gullible person. But that test had stuck in his mind and, damn it, it bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

It bothered him even more since at that moment he, Ever and Bickslow were lying outdoors looking at the stars before going to sleep after a demanding mission. Laxus was already snoring inside a tent, and Evergreen was yawning loudly, a sign that within seconds she would be asleep.

On the contrary, Bickslow kept asking him questions about the stars and if Freed would normally have answered in a good mood -usually he liked to talk about constellations- at that moment he felt nervous because he couldn’t help but think about that stupid, very stupid compatibility test.

“Ever fell asleep,” Bickslow said at one point. Freed turned and noticed that the girl between them was really asleep. “I’ll take her to the tent, or tomorrow she’ll complain about the cold and the leaves in her hair,” the Seith wizard decided, standing up and taking her in his arms, being careful not to wake her up. At the scene Freed smiled warmly, thinking that Bickslow was certainly the most affectionate of the three.

He didn’t know if that was why he had fallen in love with him, or if it was because of Freed’s blind faith in him, or maybe because of his cheerful soul and his optimism. Well, there were a lot of things Freed liked about Bickslow. He liked it when his friend dragged him away from work when Freed forgot the rest of his life, he liked it when Bickslow made him have fun doing things he would never do on his own, he liked workouts with Bickslow, he even liked it when Bickslow made fun of him.

“So baby, where were we left with the story of the constellation of the dragon?” Bickslow asked as he came out of the tent. Freed felt his cheeks warm slightly at the nickname. He knew that that was simply Bickslow’s way of speaking, he called everyone ‘baby’. To Freed, however, it almost seemed that he reserved a more affectionate tone for him. It was probably just a wishful thinking.

“I’m a little tired to be honest,” Freed admitted. It wasn’t really true, he just didn’t want to talk about constellations. Not when they reminded him that his compatibility with Bickslow was low. Of course, they were just stupid constellations but still it bothered him, especially if he thought that his friend had never shown a great interest in him. Even because Bickslow wasn’t usually that discreet when he was interested in someone.

“Really?” the friend asked skeptical, lying down next to him. “I don’t believe you, you always fall asleep in the early hours of dawn”.

“That’s not true,” Freed grunted, wondering how he could lie to someone who knew him so well.

“Come on, there’s something wrong. You’ve been more grumpy than usual for the past few days,” Bickslow said. Freed raised an eyebrow and turned to his friend, who was looking at him with genuine concern in his eyes.

“So, I’m normally grumpy?” Freed asked trying to divert the conversation. Bickslow giggled softly so as not to wake the two friends.

“Sure,” he said quietly. “So? What happens?”

“Nothing,” Freed said quickly, turning his head again to look at the sky rather than his friend’s eyes. It was getting hard not to fidget in his presence lately, something Freed hated. He hated it even more as Bickslow knew him like the back of his hand and most likely had noticed. He noticed the smallest things when it concerned him, Evergreen or Laxus.

“Baby? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” the wizard asked. Freed sighed slightly and didn’t answer, knowing that lying would be pointless. Unless he came up with something that might be half the truth. Too bad there was nothing else that was bothering him at that moment. “Okay, you’re making me worry,” Bickslow said seriously.

“It’s nothing tragic,” Freed said before his friend was really worried.

“Then tell me about it,” Bickslow insisted.

“Really, forget it, it’s just ridiculous. Nothing special” Freed replied, hoping that his friend would understand to let it go.

“Well, then I’ll make fun of you and then I’ll help you, like I always do,” Bickslow said jokingly. Instead of waiting for Freed to speak, however, he sat up. “If it’s really nothing to worry about, I’ll go to sleep.” Freed glanced at him, thanking the fact that he didn’t insist. He watched Bickslow as he yawned and stood up, stretching his arms. He started to speak, probably to say goodnight, but Freed anticipated him.

“Remember the compatibility test?”. Damn, why did he have to say that? Bickslow looked at him confused for a few moments.

“You mean the one of zodiac compatibility?” he asked, frowning. Freed nodded.

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. I was just wondering if it might have some sort of valence. In short, it’s not that fate can be determined from the moment you were born, but it’s still true that there are coincidences. Also, the stars have always had an influence on our life, well, plus the moon but the concept is the same. Did you know that the full moon actually increases the power of demons? And that under certain constellations Lucy’s spirits have more power? For example, if he calls out Loke when the constellation of Leo is high in the sky…” Freed started talking, hoping both to confuse Bickslow and not make him understand what really worried him, and to change the subject.

“Hey babe, you’re going too fast for my brain,” Bickslow joked as he interrupted his monologue. Freed frowned, he hadn’t said anything complicated.

But then Bickslow dropped to his knees beside him and looked into his eyes. Freed couldn’t help but blush under the thoughtful gaze of his friend. The gaze he had when he tried to understand something. Freed opened his mouth to say more, maybe to talk about those damn constellations again, or maybe just to say goodnight. In that moment, however, he found Bickslow’s warm lips pressed against his and all that Freed managed to achieve to do was to widen the eyes remaining out of breath.

Bickslow pulled away from him too quickly, and when Freed looked at him, he noticed the slight blush on his cheeks.

“Er… well babe, hope I didn’t get it wrong,” Bickslow murmured in a hoarse voice.

“No,” Freed said quickly. Even though he had no idea what his friend had understood from his rant. Freed probably should have said something, but he still felt his heart pounding in his chest, and the feel of Bickslow’s warm lips on his own.

“So, are you worried that our zodiac compatibility is low?” Bickslow asked. Freed wondered how he’d figured it out and put his arm over his eyes, mentally calling himself stupid.

“If it were?” he asked embarrassed.

Bickslow smiled. “Well babe, I’m known to be the one who defies fate,” he explained as Freed removed his arm from his face, noticing that his friend was getting lower and lower, so much so that his tuft of hair was tickling Freed’s forehead. “And I know from experience that we can win against any enemy, even if they are stupid constellations.”

Freed smiled slightly and ran his fingers through his friend’s hair.

“Then I suppose I don’t have to worry,” he murmured, finding some dignity again. Bickslow smiled in response and ducked as Freed raised his head. The second kiss was much more passionate, their lips moving slowly and their noses colliding with each touch.

“But if you think I’m not going to make fun of you after you believe that bullshit, you’re wrong,” Bickslow smiled. Freed blushed slightly and ran a hand behind Bickslow’s neck.

“Oh, shut up” he muttered then pushing his friend against him, to kiss him a third time.

[eryiss]

Summary: Professional footballers Natsu and Freed have been dating in secret for months. When they win the championship match, Natsu is filled with an overwhelming energy and desire to kiss his boyfriend in front of the camera, the crowd, and and world. And he's not exactly known for impulse control, is he?

Notes: Hey. Hope you all enjoy this one, it was a little difficult to come up with an idea but I’m happy with how it turned out. As always, it’s a submission for Thunder Legion Rare Pair week by @thunderandlightningstriketwice.

Links: FFN, Ao3, Other Event Fics

A Public Celebration

This was the moment. The difference between winning and losing.

Natsu hated that he was on the sidelines, but that was how a penalty shootout worked. All that was left between Natsu's team and the championship trophy was the opposing team's main striker. Natsu had to wait, watching on the sides as the striker looked at the goal. Natsu wanted to yell at him to kick the damn ball and put them all out of their misery, but he couldn't. The only thing he could do is put his faith in their goal keeper, Freed.

He trusted the man entirely; he hadn't let a single goal in all match, after all. But he couldn't help but worry. It was just what happened when your boyfriend was in the goal of a life changing game. Natsu couldn't help it.

Freed would handle it. Freed always handled it.

The striker was moving before Natsu had a chance to realise it. The ball flew through the air with speed, and Natsu couldn't move his head fast enough to see it. One moment there had been a tense silence, where thousands of people were watching with bated breath, the next moment there was a carcorphany of yelling and cheering. Natsu looked to the goal to see Freed, on his knees, the ball in his hands.

They had won. They had won. They had fucking won!

A feeling of pure, unbridled euphoria filled Natsu within an instant. He felt like he could climb the highest mountain, run a mile faster than anyone ever had before, and take on any challenge that might occur. Everyone on the Fairy Tail team was a god at that moment, and none more than Freed.

Everyone pounced on him within a moment, pulling him into a group hug of jumping and cheering and an overwhelming smell of sweat that nobody gave a damn about. The sound of the crowds cheering was all drowned out by the teams private celebration, because the had all been working for this for so long and they'd done so much and it had all paid off because they were world champions! They were the best in the damn world.

A blur of things happened next, and they all seemed to rush by. They indulged in their celebrations on the pitch, then went back to the locker room to shower and change into their official track suits. It was a rowdy affair of cheering, champagne being poured over people, and the occasional towel snapping; they were all kids at heart, really.

And in a quiet moment, Natsu had cornered Freed and told him just how goddamn amazing he was. He wanted to kiss his boyfriend, but was pulled away, because the trophy needed to be given to them.

Back on the pitch, the sporting press of the world were all looking toward them. The crowd cheered them as they approached the stage where the trophy was placed, and everyone on the team waved to them, with certain members like Loke and Bickslow playing to them by giving air kisses. It was a moment of pure joy for everyone involved, and Natsu was filled with an unhindered energy that he couldn't push down no matter what. He just wanted to burn through it somehow.

They were all on the stage a moment later. Natsu and Freed were at the front; Natsu because he was team captain, Freed because he had been a kickass master at keeping balls out of the goal. Cameras started to flash, people continued to cheer, and Natsu couldn't think of anything better.

Well, maybe one thing. He still hadn't kissed Freed yet.

An onslaught of questions began, most of them professional. About tactics, how they felt about winning, what they were going to be doing next. All boring. Natsu wished they would go away. Who cared about the press? But it was part of his job, so he didn't complain when one of the tabloid reporters walked up, a sneery smile on his face.

"So, Natsu, Freed," He began, and his voice was creepy. Slimey. "Two single men, on the high of a win like this, you're gonna be having women falling at your feet. Is there a point in asking how you'll be celebrating tonight?"

The journalist chuckled, and Natsu felt a little grossed out. He wondered why Evergreen - their PR rep - had allowed him in. By the look of anger on her face, it seemed like she hadn't known that was the question he would ask. Before she could storm over, which she would, her husband and the player liaison, Hibiki, placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Well," Freed began. He was better at dealing with things like that. "I expect both of us won't be sleeping a lot tonight, that's all I can say."

Some of the crowd - the more 'boys will be boys' side - laughed. Natsu took the opportunity to reach his arm around Freed's back and give his ass a pinch, just to let him know that he was right. They wouldn't be sleeping.

He still needed to kiss Freed.

"We'll take two more questions," Evergreen said, getting the attention of the reporters. "And then we'll let the boys enjoy their victory."

Just as the next reporter walked up to ask his question - another tabloid, so probably something as equally weird as the previous one - Natsu felt an adrenaline rush hit him out of nowhere. It coupled with the buzzing energy that had already been fizzing inside of him, and pushed him to do something that maybe he'd regret later.

"I've got something to add to the last question," Natsu said, leaning into the microphone. "First of all, come on man. Acting like the only thing we're capable of doing is screwing someone after a win like this. Second, you're not even right about us being single. Neither of us are."

The team, who knew what him and Freed were, all looked at Natsu. He ignored them, because Freed had placed a hand on his back. A comforting hand, giving him permission to go on.

"You boys got some girls hidden away from us?" The reporter taunted, ignoring Natsu's criticism of him.

"Hell no."

Without taking a moment to think, Natsu turned towards Freed, grabbed him by the middle of his shirt, pulled him forward and kissed the hell out of him with the world's press watching. Cameras flashed and questions were shouted, but Natsu didn't care

Freed kissed him back, and Natsu felt true euphoria. That was what was really important.

——

Of course, Natsu couldn't just leave it there.

Evergreen had told them both, once they got in the locker room again, to talk to nobody about it without her saying something first. There would be a media storm already - not only were they the first openly gay male footballers, but they were dating each other too - and as such she needed to be in control of the narrative so they could be protected. They had both promised to turn off their phones, go to Natsu's mansion, and just enjoy each other's company while she decided how she would handle things.

Natsu had done that. He had. But, you know, the thing about turning your phone off was that you could just turn it back on again. Which he had. Almost immediately.

In his defence, he hadn't answered any of the hundreds of calls, emails and texts that were begging for answers and insight and what the story was. The only thing he did was open his camera as he climbed into bed, where Freed was sleeping happily. He leant down and gave his boyfriend a little kiss on the forehead, before snuggling into his chest. He took a quick selfie of them both together, and quickly uploaded it to his Instagram.

'Two Kings. Two Champions. Thanks for the support. I'll probably make an official statement later, but I've got a man to wake up. Any suggestions? :P'

Almost the moment he uploaded it, his phone exploded with notifications, but he didn't care. He looked up at Freed's face, to see Freed was awake again, looking down at him with amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"You're a menace," He chuckled. "Evergreen is going to murder you, you know that."

"I can take her," Natsu grinned, leaning up and hovering over Freed with glee. "And like you don't want me waking you up like that."

"I certainly didn't say that," Freed stated, and Natsu cackled when he was grabbed around the waist and pulled down so he was resting against Freed's body. "I don't think I'll ever complain about that."

"But no cameras this time?"

"No cameras this time," Freed nodded. "Not with what I've been planning to do to you."

Natsu cackled, reached for the light, and dragged his champion under the covers. Now, with his boyfriend naked and in his bed, it was time for the real celebration to begin.