Freed agrees to meet their parents for dinner, but insists on coffee alone with their mother first.

a/n: all of gray and freed's dialogue in italics is them speaking french

tw for misgendering and transphobia

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"I don't know what to do."

Freed sighed as Gray looked over at them, sprawled on the couch of the Pride Center, tablet resting on their stomach. They felt miserable. Gray stood up from the table where he was working, stretched, then moved to sit on the couch next to Freed.

"You mean about your parents?" Freed covered their face with their hands and grumbled something unintelligible. Gray sighed, nudging Freed until their head was resting in his lap. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Mmf." Freed turned, snuggling into Gray's stomach and pulling their baggy hoodie tighter around them. Gray tugged at the sweater.

"Bad today?"

"... yeah." Freed hummed as Gray ran a hand over their hair. "I was... I thought I was fine, and then I just..."

They shivered, trying not to think about the awful feeling that they had woken up in a body that wasn't theirs. Baggy sweaters had been a staple of their teenage wardrobe, but they'd been so much more comfortable with their appearance over the past few years. Ever since the incident with their mother last week, though, looking in a mirror had been... difficult.

"Did you talk to Ryos? When's he getting here?" Gray settled himself deeper into the couch.

"He said he'd be here in half an hour with coffee, remember?" Gray blinked in confusion and Freed rolled their eyes at him. "You stayed up and called Natsu last night, didn't you? You look exhausted." Gray's cheeks flushed pink.

"Well, I..." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, yawning. "Yeah, I did." He sighed. "I really miss him. And I worry about him." His voice was soft and sad.

"I know," Freed said sympathetically, thinking of the news segment he and Laxus had watched last night about the fire. Over a thousand homes had been destroyed, and nearly eighty thousand people evacuated. People in smaller communities were being airlifted by the RCMP to Magnolia, and the flames were growing big enough to create firestorms. Gray had every reason to be concerned. "He's back on Friday though, right? Only five more days?" Gray hummed in agreement, eyes closing as he tipped his head back.

"Then they'll send him back out again next week," he said quietly, rubbing his temple with one hand. "It could take... months to get this under control." Freed squeezed Gray's arm sympathetically.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" they asked.

"...some?" Gray replied, opening one eye and glancing down at Freed. They frowned at him and he groaned. "Okay, two hours, I think? But once Ryos gets here with the coffee, I'll be..." He was caught off guard by an enormous yawn that brought tears to the corners of his eyes. "...fine," he finished lamely.

"Go to sleep," Freed said, laughing and pushing Gray back into the cushions. It was only six-thirty, and the Center didn't open until ten on Sundays. They had come early to work on camp materials, but it wasn't particularly time sensitive – July was still four months away.

"You too," Gray mumbled, hovering his arm over Freed's stomach and waiting for a nod before wrapping an arm around Freed. Freed shuffled a bit until they were comfortable, tucking one arm behind Gray and the other under their head. "You look like hell."

Gray wasn't wrong. Freed hadn't been sleeping well since last Thursday, and they could feel exhaustion deep in their body. They considered protesting but they just couldn't keep their eyes open when Gray was so warm and comfortable next to them.

"Fine, but only for half an hour," they murmured, snuggling up next to Gray. Sleep took them almost instantly.

~

Ryos woke them up at nine-thirty.

"You two are adorable, and I would leave you alone, but we've got that sex ed workshop in half an hour and if you stay like that, you're gonna get hit with dildos."

Gray blinked up at Ryos, rubbing his eyes and then running his hands through his messy hair. Freed yawned. Ryos handed Gray a cup of coffee and he made an appreciative sound.

"How'd you-"

"I drank your first one and went back to Starbucks," Ryos replied, looking down at Freed. They grumbled, burying their face into Gray's shirt.

"You're my favorite person," Gray said earnestly, squeezing Ryos' arm. "Wake up, sleepyhead," he said to Freed, jiggling a knee underneath them. They groaned. "Don't wanna get hit by a dildo." Freed snorted.

"Depends on where," they grumbled, rolling off the couch into a sitting position between Gray's legs. "Do my hair?" Gray hummed, handing his coffee to Freed who began to drink from it. Gray started to untangle Freed's hair, combing his fingers through it and separating it into strands to braid.

"Thank you, Ryos," Freed said softly as the younger boy crouched down on the floor and set Freed's coffee on the table.

Freed looked at Ryos and was jealous, for a moment, of his ability to look effortlessly masculine. Freed tried to keep those feelings under wraps – Ryos hadn't had an easy journey, after all – but today something angry and insatiable clawed at their insides.

"Bad day?" Ryos asked sympathetically, tugging on the sleeve of Freed's hoodie.

"Yeah. Maybe. I dunno." Freed rubbed their face, trying to shake off the uneasiness that had been plaguing them for the past few days. Their phone was weighing heavy in their pocket, their mother's number saved in a note for if or when they decided to call.

"Want a hug?"

"Mmm." Freed leaned into Ryos' embrace, trying not to disturb Gray's braiding as they buried their face in Ryos' shoulder. Ryos boy moved until he was sitting on the floor next to Freed and kept his arm around them.

"I dunno if this is helpful," Ryos said gently, "but I want you to know how much I look up to you."

Freed felt their throat tighten and they dropped their head in embarrassment. Gray's hands were gentle as they nudged him to sit back up so he could finish braiding.

"I remember when I was just coming out, and you two were the first people I told besides Gajeel," Ryos added. Freed half-smiled, remembering how soft-spoken and shy Ryos had been. "I've always admired how you handle everything in your life with such grace" Ryos leaned his head against Freed's. "Whatever you decide to do, we're all behind you."

"Thank you," Freed whispered, wishing they felt graceful in this situation. They didn't want to be graceful. They wanted to be angry and full of fire. Freed sighed, feeling Gray tying off the end of the braid with an elastic. They tipped their head back up at him and smiled. "And thank you."

"Always happy to be of service," Gray grinned, kissing Freed's forehead and taking his coffee back from them. He downed it in one long swallow, making a face at the bitter taste. "Alright. Caffeine has been ingested. Ready to teach some teenagers about sex?"

"Actually..." Freed hesitated for a second. "I need a minute. I'll be outside, okay?"

Ryos and Gray both gave Freed sympathetic looks, and Ryos stood to help Freed to their feet.

"Come get us if you need us," Gray said, moving to the supply cupboard and taking out the box of equipment they used for the class.

"I will," Freed said, giving what they hoped was a reassuring smile before they ducked out the back door and into the alleyway.

There was a cement ledge just under a cherry tree on the far side of the road, and they clambered up and balanced their coffee precariously next to them before pulling out their phone.

They'd been obsessing over this for days. Were their parents even still here in Magnolia? Their mother had said, 'a few days.' Maybe they'd gone back to Wisconsin and this wouldn't even be an issue. Before Freed could think too hard about it, they'd pressed 'call' and were listening to the ringtone.

"Hello?" Freed was immediately sixteen again, curled up in the library chair, hearing their mother's voice for the first time in three weeks and hoping desperately that she wanted to see them again. "Ama-" There was a cough. "Freed. Is that you?"

Holy shit, she used the right name.

"Yes." Freed swallowed, trying to keep their voice level. Their hands were trembling, and they started drumming on their leg to keep their fingers occupied. "I've thought about what you asked."

"And?" Karen sounded hopeful but wary. Freed licked their lips.

"How long are you in town for?" There was a long silence.

"We're leaving on Tuesday evening," Karen replied eventually. "Will you have dinner with us?"

"I want to have coffee with you first," Freed said, breathing deeply to calm their pounding heart. "Just you, not dad or Gabriel."

"Ama- Freed, don't be silly. Your father wants to see you as well."

"It's that or nothing." Is this what having a heart attack felt like? Part of Freed wanted to cave, wanted to follow their mom's wishes because that's what they'd always done until they ran away. But this was important, and they refused to back down. "Coffee, just you and me, when I'm off work today. I'll text you the address."

Karen sighed, and Freed could imagine her pinching the bridge her nose.

"If it goes well, Laxus and I will be happy to meet all three of you for dinner."

There was no way Freed was going to meet their family without someone to back them up. They'd considered asking Gray or Bix to come instead so they could keep Laxus out of their ridiculous family drama, but Laxus had insisted on coming. However, Bix had agreed to come to the coffee shop this afternoon, just to keep a figurative eye on Freed and be an out if they needed one.

"Alright." Karen's voice seemed to soften, and that tiny change in her tone made Freed want to forgive her for every slight. There was an awkward pause, then Karen added, "I'm happy you called." Freed wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"I'll text you the address," they said. "Four o'clock."

"Four o'clock," their mother repeated. "I'll see you then." There was a moment's hesitation, then the line went dead and Freed was left staring at their phone, heart still pounding and breaths coming in short, sharp pants.

Why was this so hard?

They shook themselves off, taking a few sips of their latte and then closing their eyes, breathing in the sweet scent of the cherry blossoms. After several minutes, they hopped down from the wall, dusting themself off and heading back inside.

~

Freed had started frequenting Dark Side café when they moved in with Bix, since it was next to the library and they made amazing cinnamon buns. Natsu had worked here for a couple years, and for a while their group of friends had made it their meeting place. It was a geek cafe that provided board games and D&D nights, and various pieces of Star Wars paraphernalia hung on the walls. Freed spotted their mother almost instantly – the one person who definitely didn't look like she belonged here.

"What would you like?" Freed asked, gesturing for her to follow them toward the lineup. They had changed before coming here, borrowing Gray's more fitted Tempête pullover instead of their enormous college sweater, but they still felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Oh, just... a chai, I suppose?" Karen said, looking over the menu. Freed gestured for her to go take a seat while they ordered, picking out two cinnamon buns in addition to their drinks. When they returned to the table Karen was on her phone, and she set it face up on the table.

"These are baked in-store," Freed explained, pushing one of the buns toward their mother. "My friend used to work here and he got to bring home the leftovers. They're really good."

Karen nodded, taking a tentative bite and raising her eyebrows appreciatively.

A flash of blue caught Freed's eye and they saw Bix making his way into the café. Freed sighed in relief and quickly typed out a text to him – we're here at your ten o'clock. I'll text you if I need anything. Thank you. They could hear Siri reading the message to Bix from where they were sitting, but Karen didn't seem to notice.

"So." Karen fidgeted in her seat, playing with the handle of her coffee mug uncertainly. "What do you... do? For work? I guess I have lots... to catch up on." She sounded guilty, but Freed couldn't tell if it was sincere.

"Oh." Freed hadn't thought far enough ahead to consider what they would actually talk about. They sighed internally – everything in their life was probably going to be a contentious topic, so they dove in headfirst. "Well, I work at the Pride Center full time. I have a masters in linguistics so I could do research but prefer what I'm doing. I like my job. I'm organizing a summer camp right now."

"For people... like you?" Karen said uncertainly.

"Some of them," Freed said, taking a sip of their latte. "It's for youth who identify as... well, basically not-straight. Or cisgender."

"What's a cisgender?" Karen asked, wrinkling her nose.

"It's the opposite of transgender," Freed explained, trying to be patient. They knew that their mother was completely ignorant about this world, and it wouldn't do any good to get frustrated, even if it was difficult. "So, you, for example. You were born and the doctor said 'it's a girl', and you grew up feeling you were a girl."

"But you... don't." Her voice was curious but carried a hint of anger. Freed swallowed.

"That's right, but I prefer the term non-binary or genderqueer. I don't feel like I'm a girl or a boy." Their mother frowned, taking a bite of her cinnamon bun and chewing it thoughtfully.

"But don't you have to pick?" She sounded genuinely confused.

"Well, I don't have to do anything," Freed said simply. "I'm somewhere in the middle, and I tell people that, and they respect it." They emphasized the last part, and seeing Karen flinch a bit gave them a tiny bit of satisfaction, even if they immediately felt guilty about it afterward. "If people make mistakes, I correct them, and they usually listen. I'm the same as everybody else, but I use 'they' and 'them' as pronouns instead of 'she' or 'him'. "

"They..." Karen looked confused.

"Yes. As in, I ran into Freed today, and they looked wonderful. I hope their coffee date with their mother goes well." Karen blinked a few times, clearly upset by something but not certain where to start.

"And your friends... know this?"

"Of course. They're all very supportive." Freed picked a few raisins off the cinnamon bun and ate them separately. "One of my coworkers is transgender, and several of my friends are queer." Karen flinched at the word.

"Those two... you were with?" Freed tried not to sigh. They hated this kind of probing into their personal life – what did it matter to Karen if Gray and Ryos were gay? – but she wasn't being hostile and he'd already got their permission to talk about them.

"Yes. Gray is bisexual – I was the 'best person' at his wedding, and his husband is also one of my friends." Freed didn't miss the slight wrinkle of their mother's nose at the word 'bisexual,' but they kept going. "Ryos is transgender."

"So... he's actually a girl?" Karen's voice was incredulous, and Freed winced. They'd warned Ryos that this might happen, but he'd said that if it helped Karen understand Freed, he was fine with it.

"No, mom," Freed corrected gently. "He's a boy. He happened to be born in the wrong body, but he's definitely a boy."

"That's unnatural," Karen insisted, setting her coffee down and pressing her hands on her thighs. "If someone's born a certain way, that's how God wants them to be. She's perverting that by-"

"Stop." Freed's voice was firm, and he glanced over to Bix's table. It was close enough that Bix could overhear their conversation, and Bix looked like he was ready to get up and come over at any moment. "You asked about my friends and I told you. I don't want a lecture. You can believe what you want but keep your judgements to yourself, and use the right pronouns for my friends."

"But... you know that this isn't what God wants, don't you?"

Fuck. They had hoped not to have this conversation with their mother, although in hindsight Freed supposed that was naïve. They took a deep breath.

"Mom, I don't believe in God anymore."

The silence that followed was painful, and Freed's cheeks burned. It felt as if everyone in the café was looking at them, even though nobody was paying attention to the conversation except the two of them and Bix. Karen's brow was furrowed, and Freed could see tension evident in her jaw.

"That's..." Karen exhaled, putting a hand to her forehead. "I don't even know what to say."

"I can't believe in something that calls me an abomination," Freed said quietly, tracing the rim of their coffee cup. "When I was younger, in Sunday school, they talked about how God loved everyone, but as I got older, it was about how God only loves specific kinds of people, and I wasn't – I'm not – one of those people." Karen looked uncomfortable. "Mom, do you seriously believe that God hates me and is going to send me to hell, just because I look like this?" They gestured at themself.

"Ama-" Karen caught herself. "No. I don't..." She sighed, taking off her glasses and rubbing her face. "This lifestyle is just... I don't understand it." Looking at Freed, she shook her head. "You were always such a sweet littl-"

"Don't." Freed's voice was soft and pleading. "Please, don't. It's difficult for me to hear you say those things because that's not who I am. I'm not a child anymore. I'm twenty-six, mom!" They took a deep breath, closing their eyes for a moment. "You need to understand that I'm not something you can control anymore. You have no say or input into my life and my choices. Plus, I'm still angry about how you and dad treated me, and I'm pissed off about the last ten years where you didn't care where I was. I could have been dead!"

"Oh, sweetie." Karen's voice softened and immediately Freed was six again, curled up in their mom's lap crying because of a scraped knee. They shook their head vigorously. "We just didn't know how to deal with your... outburst."

"Outburst?" Freed demanded, trying to keep their voice to a reasonable volume. "Dad hit me, you did nothing, and then you threatened to send me to a camp where they torture and beat kids to make them straight."

"Don't be so dramatic," Karen said, frowning. "It's just prayer and meditations."

"Have you read the reports that come out of those places, mom?" Freed felt their hands shaking and tried to keep them clasped around their coffee mug. "They hurt people. And you would have been willing to send me there."

"I was just following your father's orders," Karen said quietly, and for a moment all Freed could see was a confused, frightened woman. She disappeared almost immediately under a veneer of calm and indifference. "And he feels terrible about hurting you. He wants to see you to apologize."

Freed groaned, setting down their coffee cup and brushing their bangs out of their face. Part of them wanted to tell Karen to forget it, but a tiny, miniscule, nearly insignificant part of them missed their dad. Wanted to see him. Hoped he would apologize and hug them and tell them he loved them and call them his sunflower again.

"Fine." Karen looked up, surprised. "Laxus and I will meet you for dinner. Tomorrow night, you choose the place and text me the address."

"Laxus is your... boyfriend, right?" Karen asked, giving Freed a small smile. They nodded. "So, if you're... is he... a homosexual, too?" Freed sighed, trying not to roll their eyes.

"Laxus' sexuality is his own business," they said, draining the last of their coffee and setting the mug on the table. They grabbed their phone and sent a quick text to Bix. Done. "All you need to know is that he's my partner, and we're happy together. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Of course not," Karen said immediately. "I'll tell your father to pick somewhere nice to eat. Gabriel will be happy to see you." Freed wasn't sure about that.

"Freed? Am I interrupting?" Freed looked up to see Bix standing next to them. Baby was sitting on the ground next to Bix, giving Freed a look that asked if she was going to be getting pets or not.

"Not at all! Mom, this is my roommate, Bix." Bix held out his hand toward the table, and Karen gave him a puzzled look before putting two and two together and reaching out to shake it. "Bix, this is my mom, Karen." Baby cocked her head and Freed laughed. "And that's Baby, Bix's service dog. No, I'm not petting you, you know the rules."

"It's... nice to meet you," Karen said quietly, looking much more uncomfortable than she had moments ago. "Do you two... work together?"

"Nope," Bix replied, smile wide and friendly. "We met when Freed moved here." Karen's eyes widened and she glanced over at Freed, who sat with their arms crossed over their chest, watching the interaction passively. "They were having a really rough time and didn't have a place to stay, so they came to live with me."

Freed considered interrupting Bix and letting their mother get out of the awkwardness of this conversation, but a tiny part of them enjoyed watching her squirm. Plus, nothing Bix was saying was untrue.

"I'm..." Karen swallowed, reaching for her phone on the table.

"Freed is family to me," Bix continued, voice getting quieter. He was still smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I love them and don't want to see them get hurt again. It would deeply, deeply upset me." His hand came down to rest on the back of Freed's chair.

"Yes, of course," Karen said quickly.

"Glad we got that out of the way," Bix said, his smile returning in full force. Baby's tail began to thump against the floor. "Anyway, we've got plans this evening. It was nice to meet you!" He turned to Freed. "Ready to rock?"

"Yes," said Freed, trying not to smile in amusement at Bix's (successful) attempt at intimidating their mother. They turned to her and sighed. It was like looking at two people at the same time – their mom who had kissed their forehead and sang them to sleep, and their mother who was practically a stranger. "It was nice to see you," Freed added, unsure if that was a lie or not. "You'll text me?"

"Y-yes," Karen replied, tucking her phone into her purse and standing up. "Thank you for the chai. I'll talk to your father tonight." She fidgeted with her cardigan sleeves, then stepped away from the table. "Okay. See you." Then she turned and darted out of the café.

~

"Babe, it's fine, I promise." Laxus sat on the edge of the bed in his boxers, holding his hands out placatingly at Freed, who was pacing back and forth in front of the dresser.

"But what if they're awful?" Freed's hands found their way into their hair and they began to pull at it, groaning. "They're going to be awful. What if they-"

"Then they're awful," Laxus replied, reaching out and tugging Freed towards him. He gently disentangled their hands from their hair and kissed their knuckles. "And then we leave and never see them again, if that's what you want."

"But my dad will..." Freed trailed off, making a frustrated sound and dropping their head down to rest on Laxus' shoulder.

"Will what?" Laxus rumbled, running his hands up and down their back. "Be mad?" Freed nodded and Laxus sighed. "He might be, but you're twenty-six years old and there's nothing he can do about it."

"I knowwww," Freed whined, wriggling until they were sitting on Laxus' leg. He wrapped both arms around them and kissed them on the forehead. "It's just scary."

Laxus sighed, leaning back until he was lying on the bed, and rolled over to bring Freed with him. They both shuffled until they were facing each other, foreheads and knees touching.

"You're brave," Laxus said gently, brushing Freed's bangs away from their face. "And you can change your mind anytime. You're in control." Freed inhaled, then blew all the air out slowly.

"I know." They tipped their head up and pressed a lazy kiss to Laxus' lips, bringing a hand up to stroke his side. Laxus made a soft sound and moved closer to them. "You're the best for putting up with this madness. Let's not talk about it anymore tonight."

"Mmm," Laxus agreed, resting a hand in the small of Freed's back and pulling them tighter. "Good idea. Less talking, more kissing." Freed laughed, running their tongue along his lower lip.

"What do you want to do?" They asked, drifting their fingers down his thigh and back up again. Laxus hummed softly, shifting his hips toward Freed's hand.

"I wouldn't mind bottoming if you're in the mood for the strap-on," Laxus murmured, gasping as Freed moved their hand again and pressed against the forming bulge in his boxers. "If not, we-"

"Yes," Freed said, feeling heat pool between their legs as they thought about taking Laxus. They briefly recalled their first time together and how awkward it had been, navigating a sexual relationship with the body Freed had been given. Laxus hadn't even been able to say the words 'strap on' without turning bright red for months, and now it was second nature.

Laxus dragged them out of their memories by kissing them again, hot and hard, and they moaned against his lips, pressing their bodies together. Laxus slipped his hand under Freed's shirt, stopping at the edge of their binder.

"On or off?" He asked, playing with the hem.

"On," Freed replied quietly. Laxus raised an eyebrow and they shook their head. "I took a break this afternoon at work. I'll take it off after, promise."

"'kay." Laxus kissed their forehead, sliding his hands down over their stomach instead, dipping into the waistband of their sweatpants and drifting downward through their soft, blonde curls. "Here okay?" Freed made a soft noise and nodded, shifting their hips so Laxus' fingers brushed over their clit.

"Mmnnn, Laxus," they whimpered as he increased the pressure slightly and returned to kissing them. They panted into his mouth, spreading their legs slightly and feeling his fingers skim across their vulva. "Out only." Laxus made a sound of assent, then pushed his hips forward, rubbing himself against Freed's thigh.

Freed thumbed the band of Laxus' boxers and tugged at them, impressed when Laxus managed to shuffle them off while maintaining his gentle touch. Freed leaned forward, pressing soft kisses to Laxus' jaw while running their fingers teasingly along his thigh, not quite touching him where he wanted. Laxus growled, increasing the pressure with his fingers and dragging his other hand through Freed's hair, tugging them back up into a deep kiss.

"Lie back," Freed whispered, sliding down Laxus' body and pressing soft kisses to his chest and stomach. Laxus made soft noises as Freed's lips drifted closer and closer to where he wanted them, and when Freed finally drew their tongue up the underside of his cock, he let out a loud gasp. Freed grinned, leaning over to the drawer under the bed and grabbing the lube and the strap on, tossing them on the bed next to Laxus.

"Your mouth is s-aah-sinful," Laxus groaned as Freed returned to his cock, taking him as deep as they could and enjoying the way their boyfriend's hips twitched. They loved this – undoing Laxus beneath them, feeling the way that his body responded to their touch. Freed dragged their tongue piercing around the head of Laxus' cock and he growled in appreciation.

Freed nudged Laxus' thigh, encouraging him to spread his legs and raise his knees slightly before dropping their mouth lower, pressing kisses along his sac and licking gently behind it. Laxus swore as Freed's tongue came closer to his entrance and then swiped across it, wet and hot. Young Laxus would have never admitted to enjoying rimming, but the noises he was making now let Freed know it was certainly something he liked.

They continued to tease his entrance with their tongue while they grabbed the lube, slicking their fingers with it and then introducing one finger slowly inside him. Fuck, he was tight. It had been a while since Freed had taken him, and they marveled at the heat and the muscles contracting around their finger.

"Good?" They asked, continuing to thrust gently with their finger while returning their mouth to Laxus' cock. They looked up at Laxus to see him with his head thrown back, one arm over his face, other hand bunched in the duvet. Slowly adding a second finger made Laxus cry out and arch his back, tensing and then immediately relaxing as he moaned.

"F-fuck, yes, F-freed..." Laxus squirmed on the bed as Freed's lips closed over his cock again, dipping down and then returning up to swirl around the head. "So f-fuckin g-good." Freed hummed, continuing to work Laxus with their fingers and mouth until he was a panting wreck underneath them.

"Gimme a sec," they whispered, withdrawing their fingers and wiping their hand on the duvet. Slipping the strap on over their legs was still a strange feeling, even after all these years, but once it was on, Freed felt a sense of rightness. This was definitely what they needed today.

"C'mon, get over here," Laxus groaned, reaching up for Freed and pulling them down for a kiss. They tugged off their shirt, leaving on the binder, and reached for the lube again, slicking up the silicone cock before pressing it against Laxus' entrance.

"Ready?" they asked breathlessly. Laxus growled, wrapping one leg around Freed and encouraging them to push into him. He exhaled, groaning as Freed entered him until their hips were touching the back of Laxus' thighs. "Feel good?"

"You know it does," Laxus breathed, reaching down and flicking on the tiny vibrator that sat directly over Freed's clit. They gasped at the intense sensation, thrusting their hips forward instinctively. Laxus grinned, moving his hand back to Freed's hip. "That's right, baby. Fuck me."

Freed complied instantly, pulling back and then thrusting into Laxus again, moaning as the vibrating sensation intensified. They panted, resting their hands on either side of Laxus' face and leaning down to kiss him as they pressed into him over and over.

"Flip," they said after a minute, withdrawing slowly and encouraging Laxus to roll onto his stomach and then get up onto his knees. Freed groaned at the sight of Laxus spread out for them, and they couldn't help leaning down and running their tongue across his entrance. Laxus shivered, hips jerking instinctively. Freed nipped gently at his lower back, then sat up and moved forward, thrusting into Laxus again.

As the room filled with moans and pants and the sound of skin hitting skin, Freed let themselves go to the sensations sparking through their body. Their hands grasping Laxus' hips; the sight of Laxus' face as he pressed it into the pillow, brow furrowed and mouth open; the sound of the breathy moans escaping his boyfriend's lips; the vibrating sensation between their legs...

And then it was too much and they were crying out, thrusting harder into Laxus and shuddering through the waves of intense feeling radiating through them. Laxus reached down to touch himself but Freed pulled out of him, pushing Laxus' hip to flip him over and then leaning down to take his cock into their mouth again. Laxus cried out, gripping Freed's shoulders as he bucked his hips up, coming hard and shuddering through the aftershocks as Freed swallowed him down.

After a moment they both collapsed, breathing heavily, and Freed leaned over to press a kiss to Laxus' jaw.

"Love you," they whispered, smiling as he tipped his head down to catch their kiss. "Be right back." They stood up shakily, undoing the strap-on and taking it to the washroom to clean. After washing their hands, they looked at their reflection in the mirror, running a hand through their hair. Then they grabbed the bottom of their binder and tugged it over their head, letting out a soft sound as the pressure was relieved.

And there it was again. Even in their post-orgasmic haze, they immediately hated their reflection – hated the curve at their hips, their breasts, their feminine features. They growled, slamming their hands down on the counter and scowling at themself in the mirror.

"You okay?" Laxus' voice came from the bedroom and Freed made a sound of affirmation.

"Fine. I need a minute." Laxus would know what that meant, but Freed locked the door anyway, leaning back against it and sinking down to sit on the floor. They wrapped their arms around their chest, feeling tears running down their cheeks. What was wrong with them?

They felt guilty for crying alone when Laxus was right there to hold them, but this felt too private for him to witness. Freed muffled their quiet sobs by biting their arm, trying to hold themself together but failing miserably.

I hate this, they thought as their shoulders shook. I just want to like who I am. They wiped their face with the back of their hand. How am I ever going to explain this to my parents when I don't even understand it myself?