Freed gets an unexpected visit at the Pride Center. Laxus and Freed go for dinner with Freed's parents.

tw for misgendering, homophobia, transphobia, shitty family dynamics, mentions of child abuse, and serious injuries

-----

Freed woke to the sound of their phone going off several times in a row.

"You're popular this morning," Laxus commented as he came out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel and brushing his teeth. Freed hummed and sat up, tugging Laxus over to them and kissing his stomach. Laxus ran a hand affectionately through Freed's morning hair, then headed back to the bathroom to spit out his toothpaste.

Yawning, Freed rolled over and grabbed their phone from the nightstand, thumbing through the messages.

Gray
J'espère que tout s'est bien passé avec ta mère. Je t'aime. [I hope everything went well with your mom. I love you.]

Natsu
hey, gray told me ur mom came by and was kind of a bitch. Im sorry, family is shit somtimes but u always have us. see u on friday and good luck.

Ryos
Thinking of you. I'm sending Sting in tomorrow, he needs to relax so I told him help with the envelopes. 3

Ever
That sex better have been fantastic cause Bix and I could hear you over our movie you pervs. Hope it helped you feel better.

Freed rolled their eyes at Ever's text – it was sweet, in a strange way – then responded to the rest of them quickly. The sun was shining through the window, warming the exposed patch of Freed's back where their shirt had ridden up. They made a satisfied sound, burrowing back into the duvet.

"You working today?" Laxus toweled off his hair, heading to the dresser to grab his clothes. Freed dropped the phone and caught Laxus halfway, wrapping their arms around his waist and pressing a kiss just below his bellybutton. Laxus made a soft noise, dropping a hand to rest on Freed's shoulder.

"Not for a couple hours," Freed said coyly, kissing Laxus' hipbone. He tasted like water with a hint of Old Spice, and Freed dragged their tongue lower. "Ever complained about us being loud last night."

"Did she?" Laxus breathed, hips jerking forward as Freed kissed lower down, into the crease of his thigh. "W-what are we gonna do about that?" Freed grinned, running a hand around Laxus' back and over his ass.

"You're going to practice being quiet," Freed breathed, pressing kisses back up Laxus' side and sitting up so they could catch his nipple between their teeth. The silver barbells there made the area more sensitive, and Freed circled their tongue around the nub, feeling Laxus moan and twitch under their hands.

"Freed..." Laxus brought a hand to the back of Freed's neck and digging his fingers into their hair. Freed hummed, shimmying until they were kneeling on the bed, putting them face to face with Laxus. "C'mere, you," Laxus murmured, tugging Freed into a lazy kiss. Freed made a soft noise into his mouth, bringing their hand up to rub a thumb over Laxus' nipple. "You know I... aah... gotta get going."

"I know," Freed murmured, nudging Laxus and moving their lips to his neck. Laxus shivered at the feel of teeth on his freshly-shaven jaw, dampness still clinging to his skin. "How much time do we have?" Freed nipped at Laxus' ear. "I'll bring you breakfast when I go to work."

"That's... mmm... not really... aah... on your w-way," Laxus stuttered, leaning forward and pushing Freed back onto the bed. He straddled them, leaning over to kiss them while he ran a hand up their side. They were still wearing their baggy shirt that they'd slept in, and they looked up at Laxus contemplatively.

Fighting against the feeling of uncertainty in their stomach, Freed reached down and tugged the shirt off, throwing it to the floor and leaving themself completely naked. They took a shaky breath, forcing themself to look up at Laxus.

"Fuck, you're amazing," Laxus breathed, leaning forward to kiss Freed's collarbone. His hand remained on their side, thumb rubbing circles on their stomach. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Freed murmured, voice trailing off into a moan as Laxus ran his tongue over the hollow of their throat. He moved downwards a bit, pressing a kiss to the space just above their breasts.

"Can I?" Laxus asked, sitting up slightly and forcing Freed to make eye contact with him. "It's okay if you don-"

"Yes," Freed said, taking Laxus' free hand and bringing it up to rest just under their breast. Laxus lifted his thumb up and ran it over Freed's nipple, and they shivered. They did this so rarely – Freed usually either wore a shirt or their binder when they had sex.

"Okay?" Laxus asked, leaning down and taking one of Freed's nipples into his mouth, sucking lightly and making Freed buck up underneath him.

"Ffff," Freed mumbled, dazed by the feeling of sharp teeth and Laxus' warm tongue. "I need... mnnn, I need to be... okay... just like this."

Laxus stopped what he was doing and looked Freed in the eyes, pressing their foreheads together. Freed tipped their head up and kissed him gently.

"I need to feel at home in my body," they murmured against his lips.

"I think I can help with that," Laxus said, wrapping his arms around Freed and pulling them into him. "But we might make Ever mad again."

They both ended up being late for work.

~

When Freed pushed open the door to the Pride Center, he was greeted by a young man with bleached blonde hair and a pierced eyebrow sitting at the desk.

"Sting! I haven't seen you in forever." Freed pulled him into a hug which Sting returned enthusiastically. "How are you?"

"Okay," Sting said, taking a step back and fiddling with the beaded bracelet on his left wrist. He had told Freed once that they were mala beads that he used to help him meditate. "Ryos told me I had to come do filing to 'sort out my brain.'" He made quotation marks in the air. "Hope that's okay."

"That's more than okay," Freed said, smiling and hanging up their jacket. It was one of those days where they needed a jacket in the morning, but by the afternoon they were going to wish they had worn shorts. "I'm glad we get to catch up. How's school?"

"It's hard right now," Sting admitted, tugging at the hem of his faded t-shirt. Freed nodded, giving him a sympathetic look. "I, um, I had a- a seizure during my exam yesterday." His face flushed bright red. "Apparently anxiety triggers them now, so that's... yeah."

"Oh, Sting, I'm so sorry." Freed squeezed Sting's shoulder gently, guiding him to the table at the back of the room. "Are you okay?" Sting shrugged, sitting down and rubbing his face.

"Physically? Okay, just a bruise or two." He gestured to his forearm where a purple mark was spreading across his skin. "Emotionally? ...ugh." He groaned. "It's just embarrassing. The teacher knew about it and even read my bracelet and still called an ambulance." Freed made a sympathetic noise.

"Sometimes the professors can be... insensitive," they said. "Did you have to talk with disability services again?"

"Mmm," Sting replied, pulling a box of envelopes and a stack of labels toward him. He started sorting them with impressive efficiency. "I'll probably be able to take the rest of my exams in a private room. They have these therapy dogs at the school that they can bring out, for students with anxiety, so I guess the upside of all this is that I get to cuddle with puppies?"

Freed smiled, settling themself down across from Sting and pulling the laptop toward them. They needed to send out packages to the campers today with all the consent forms and information for their parents to sign. They had almost fifty teens attending this year, and Freed was glad that they had been able to rope most of their friends into volunteering. Wrangling this many kids was going to be quite the challenge.

"Baby is always up for cuddles when she's not working," Freed offered. "Why don't you and Ryos come over for dinner this weekend?" Sting smiled and nodded. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"I like this," Sting said, peeling the labels from the page and sticking them to each envelope. "It's relaxing. And quiet. Helps me keep my mind off things. Natsu's gone so my work with him is on hold, and I really... don't have much to do except study. Which apparently is bad for my brain. Hence Ryos sending me here."

Freed nodded. Sting apprenticed under Natsu at the garage, taking both university courses and technical classes at the same time. No wonder he was stressed.

"How did it go with your parents?" Sting asked, running the beads on his bracelet through his fingers one by one.

"Laxus and I are meeting them for dinner tonight," Freed said, tapping at the keyboard. "I'm trying not to be optimistic." Sting made a face.

"Sounds like they're..." he trailed off, clearly not sure how he could describe them without insulting Freed. "...difficult?"

"Prejudiced," Freed added, rubbing the bridge of their nose. "Stuck in their ways. I really don't think that time has changed them. They're the same people now that they were when I was sixteen."

Sting nodded in understanding, and they lapsed into comfortable silence for nearly half an hour while they sorted and typed. Freed was almost finished with their spreadsheet when the windchime sounded again. They looked up to see a young man standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, can I help you?" Freed stood up and moved over to the man, who eyed him hesitantly. "Were you looking for something specific? Or did you need to speak with our counsellor?"

"No, I, um... I'm looking for someone," the man stammered. He held his jacket in front of him as if protecting himself and glanced out the door nervously. "Is F-freed here?"

"That's me," Freed replied slowly, gesturing for the boy to come further into the room. "Are you in trouble? What's your name?"

"It's, um... Freed, it's me. Gabriel."

~

"So... he lied." Freed sat on the couch next to their brother, holding their coffee between their hands and picking at the rim angrily. "Or mom did, anyway." Gabriel sighed.

"I'm really sorry," he said softly. "I didn't... I really thought they were trying to make up. If I'd known he just wanted you to come home..."

"Well he's out of luck on that front," Freed growled, standing up and sighing. "There's no way I'm going back to Wisconsin." They ran a hand through their hair, pushing it back over their shoulder. "Did he seriously think..."

Freed looked down at Gabriel, who was sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees, looking dejected. He was so different than the fourteen-year-old brother that Freed remembered – he had grown a beard and cut his hair short, and he was a man now, not a little boy.

"It's not your fault," Freed said gently. "I'm sorry. I'm just..." They sighed. "I had hoped. Naïve of me, I suppose."

"Hope isn't naïve," Gabriel replied, and Freed gave him a half-smile. "And I just... Ama- Freed, I don't understand this life, and I won't pretend to approve of it." Freed felt their smile faltering. Clearly Gabriel was wrong – hope was bringing Freed nothing but disappointment lately. "But I still love you. You're my sister, and I won't... I won't call you by your old name if it hurts you."

A part of Freed wanted to cling to this as a kindness, a redemption of their little brother. He was willing to respect their name, and that should be enough, right? Another part was angry and wanted to scream that humoring them wasn't the same as respect, and Gabriel shouldn't get praise for being the bare minimum of a decent human being. Freed sighed. At least Gabriel had come and warned them about what they were walking into tonight.

"Thank you," they said eventually, standing up and shooting a glance at Sting. He had retreated back to the table to work on filing but was within earshot of the conversation. "Listen, I have work to do. I appreciate the heads up, but I think you should go." Gabriel frowned and was about to object but Freed gestured around them. "You're in a queer youth center. If you don't 'approve' of us or the people we serve, then you don't belong here."

Gabriel's face hardened a bit and he stood, tugging on his jacket. Freed's hands shook as they resisted the urge to apologize. Instead they stood awkwardly, not making eye contact with their brother.

"I'll show myself out," Gabriel said shortly, brushing past Freed and making his way to the door. He turned around when he was halfway out, chewing his lip uncertainly. "I really do care about you." When Freed didn't respond he sighed, then said, "see you tonight," then let the door blow shut behind him.

~

They met at a fancy-looking sushi restaurant near the beach. Freed had spent nearly two hours throwing clothes around the room, and had finally let Ever dress them in a pair of dark jeans and a blue button-down. They felt good on the drive to the restaurant, and the feeling continued right up until they walked in the front doors and nearly ran into their father.

"D-dad..." They swallowed, backing up a step into Laxus' chest. The dark look in Robert's eyes dragged Freed back to their sixteen-year-old self, sitting at the kitchen table and crying as he backhanded them. A spike of fear ran through them, tempered by an affection for their father that even violence hadn't been able to destroy.

"Amanda?" Robert looked puzzled and Freed realized how different they must look. "Your mother said you dressed like a ma-"

"Robert." Karen's voice was sharp as she rounded the corner, likely returning from the washroom. Robert grumbled, making a face, and stepped aside to reveal that Gabriel was sitting in the waiting area nearby. He refused to make eye contact with Freed. "Freed, I'm so happy you agreed to have dinner. Laxus, it's nice to see you again."

"Mm." Laxus merely grunted in return, giving Karen an unimpressed look. Freed gave her a wan smile, letting her grasp their arm.

"Robert, for five?" A young woman appeared with a stack of menus and gestured for them to follow her to a large table in the back of the restaurant. Everyone settled into their seats in silence, and Freed tried to breathe deeply without being obvious. An awkward silence descended over everyone, eventually broken by Karen.

"So, Laxus, what do you do for work?" Freed rested their hand on Laxus' knee under the table, twining their fingers together.

"I'm an electrician," Laxus replied shortly. He didn't elaborate.

"How did you two... meet?" Robert asked gruffly. He unfolded the napkin and set it on his lap, then looked around for the waitress and tapped his glass impatiently.

"A queer youth group," Freed said, keeping a straight face as their father's cheeks turned red. They rolled their eyes and turned to their brother. "Gabriel, where did you meet Sarah?"

"At, uh, the college," Gabriel replied, looking at Freed nervously. "She's studying to become a veterinarian." He hesitated. "It would be nice if you could meet her."

"Maybe one day," Freed said softly, shaking his head. Gabriel nodded, accepting the silent communication that Freed would not be coming to the wedding. Unfortunately, Robert also noticed.

"What do you mean, someday?" Robert's eyes were hard. "You're going to come to your brother's wedding, surely." It wasn't a question.

"No, I'm not coming," Freed replied calmly. "I have other commitments, and I'm not interested in returning to Wisconsin." They looked at their father directly, feeling their heartrate increasing. "You know as well as I do that I don't fit in there."

The conversation was interrupted by the waitress taking drink orders, then dinner orders. They made awkward small talk until the food arrive, and then everyone ate in silence. Freed took some solace in the fact that at least the food was good. They hooked their foot under Laxus' ankle under the table.

"Your father has a new position," Karen said finally, once the plates had been cleared and they were waiting for dessert. Her words were careful, and Freed sighed internally. Here we go.

"That's wonderful, congratulations, dad." They kept their voice carefully neutral, avoiding Robert's gaze. The sushi they'd eaten threatened to make a reappearance.

"It would be better without the... issues," Robert said gruffly. Freed refrained from rolling their eyes, just looked at him curiously. "Look, Amanda, there's a cer-"

"Freed." Laxus' voice was firm, and Robert gaped at him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Freed. Their name is Freed." Laxus said it as casually as he would ask Freed what they liked for dinner, but there was a threatening undercurrent to it that was clearly making Robert uncomfortable. Laxus was at least six inches taller than Robert, and much wider than him as well.

"Don't you presume to tell me what my daughter's name is," Robert sputtered, putting both hands on the table. Freed thought they heard Laxus growl. "I have her birth certif-"

"Actually, you don't." Freed interrupted, leaning forward. "I do. I took it with me when I left, and now I have a new one. My legal name is Freed Justine. Amanda doesn't exist anymore, and if you'd listened to me when I was younger, this might not be coming as such a shock to you."

"You can't speak to m-"

"I can speak to you however I want to," Freed snapped. Their hands were trembling so badly that they clasped them in their lap. "I'm an adult, and you haven't acted like my father in a long time."

"Let's all take a breath," Karen said quickly as Robert began to rise from his chair, face purpling in anger. Freed was starting to suspect that if they hadn't left when they did, they would have seen a lot more of the back of their father's hand. "Freed, your father is just trying to... smooth some things over."

"What kinds of things?" Freed demanded, losing their façade of calm. "The fact that you have a renegade queer kid that ran away?" Laxus squeezed their hand and Freed tried to keep their voice down. "Am I an embarrassment to you? A stain on your reputation?"

"Of course not," Karen began, at the exact same time that Robert said, "Of course I'm embarrassed!" They both looked at each other, Karen with a pleading expression on her face, Robert with an angry set to his jaw.

"Robert," she said cautiously, placing a hand on his forearm. "We're not here to fight."

"I'm also not here to watch my daughter dress like a man and then have the audacity to ask if I'm embarrassed by her behavior!" Robert's voice was low and angry.

"How dare you," Laxus hissed, but Freed squeezed his hand. They were curious what their father had to say.

"No, go ahead, Robert," Freed said, leaning back in their seat. "Tell me how my clothing is worse for your reputation than you hitting me." Gabriel's eyes went side and he stared at Freed, brow furrowed. Freed felt a sudden pang of guilt – they'd never considered that their father's outburst against them might have continued against their siblings.

"Father, you raised your hand..." Gabriel trailed off at Robert's irate expression.

"I will not be lectured on morality by... by..."

"Someone like me?" Freed guessed. Their body flooded with anger, heat settling deeply in their chest, and each word sparked and hissed with venom. "What did you think would happen? Did you seriously think I'd just give up my life and come back to Wisconsin to pretend like nothing happened? Get married to one of your friend's kids and have some babies?" They crushed the wrapper from the chopsticks between their fingers. "Pretend that you didn't abandon me for ten years?"

"You were the one that left!" Robert blustered, slamming his hand down on the table. Several other restaurant patrons looked over but Freed ignored them.

"I was sixteen," Freed snapped. "And I left because you hit me, humiliated me, and made it clear that you didn't care about me." They swallowed, turning their gaze to Karen. "And when I tried to contact you... I was told not to call again."

Karen's face turned white and she put her hand up to her mouth, shaking her head.

"Darling, I'm so sorry, I was just-"

"Honestly, mom? I don't want to hear it." Freed rubbed at their temples and sighed. "Look, I'm not coming back and I'm not changing. If you're so concerned about what everyone thinks, tell them I'm dead."

Robert looked horrified. "We couldn't... possibly..."

"I would rather they think than I'm dead than come back with you." Freed's voice held a tone of finality, and their chest tightened. Ever since Gabriel's visit that morning, they had been uncertain about how the night would end. They hadn't wanted to think about it, but the most likely outcome had been severing ties with their parents completely.

Freed grasped Laxus' hand tightly under the table, marveling at Laxus' ability to take the pain without wincing. They felt bad that he had to be here to see this train wreck. Gabriel looked awkward as well, glancing around at the waitstaff as if he hoped they weren't listening.

Suddenly, Freed felt their phone vibrating in their pocket. Hoping it was an excuse to get away from the table, they pulled it out, frowning when they saw it was Gray.

"I need to take this," they said, gesturing to their phone, and before their parents could object, they stood from the table and dashed toward the washrooms. They felt guilty for leaving Laxus behind but were concerned that Gray was calling them. He wasn't much for talking on the phone, generally preferring to text.

"Allo? Ça va?" There was silence on the other end of the line and Freed felt a spike of fear. "Gray? Are you okay?"

"N-no," came the muffled exhalation a moment later. "Can... are you..."

"What's wrong?" Freed silently thanked a secular non-deity for the gender-neutral family washroom as they slipped inside, locking it behind them. "Do you need me to come get you? Are you hurt?"

"No, I... it's Natsu."

Oh, no. He was supposed to be up north for another few days.

"What happened?"

"He's... I'm on my w-way to the hospital," Gray sniffed, and Freed realized he was driving. "Th-they called me and said he... got h-hurt... in one of the h-houses he was evacuating."

"Oh, Gray." Freed's stomach clenched and they leaned against the wall, running a hand through their hair.

"They airlifted him back here," Gray explained, his voice thick with emotion. "H-he's in surgery, they d-didn't say for what... I just..."

"Laxus and I are on our way," Freed said. "Should we meet you in emergency?"

"N-no, you d-don't..." Gray exhaled wetly and Freed could hear him turn on his signal. "You're at dinner with your f-family, I d-don't-"

"They're not my family," Freed interrupted firmly. "You are." They heard a soft sob break from Gray's throat. "They're strangers, and horrible ones at that. We'll be there in half an hour. Can we bring you anything?" The idea of leaving this restaurant – and their parents – was a relief.

"I, um... I don't have any Kleenex," Gray said, half-laughing through his tears. "I think I'm gonna need it."

"We have some in the car. I'm gonna go tell my parents off, and we'll be there as quickly as we can. Text me if you need to, okay?" Gray made a sound of affirmation. "He's gonna be okay. We'll see you soon."

"Thank you." The line disconnected and Freed stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths. If they'd airlifted Natsu back here instead of treating him somewhere closer, it meant that he was badly hurt. The thought made Freed sick to their stomach and they leaned over the sink, trying to calm their racing heart.

When they finally returned to the table, their parents were sitting in stony silence while Laxus glared at them. Freed tapped Laxus' shoulder and he looked up.

"It was Gray, Natsu's hurt." Laxus' eyes widened and he stood up immediately, grabbing his jacket. Freed turned to their parents and pulled their wallet from their pocket. "My friend's husband is in the hospital and I need to go take care of him. Here's our half for supper." They dropped a handful of bills on the table.

"What... you can't... you can't just leave," Robert sputtered. "We are not done talking about this!"

"Actually, we are," Freed replied. "I said no, and if you can't accept that, it's your problem. We're leaving." They turned to Gabriel, giving him a sad half-smile. "I hope your wedding is wonderful. If you feel like talking you know where to find me."

Gabriel gave Freed a look that was half awe, half apprehension, but didn't say anything.

"Ama-"

"I swear to all that is holy, if you misgender Freed one more fucking time I'm going to put a hole in this table," Laxus growled dangerously, stepping towards Robert. Freed put a hand on his arm, touched by the gesture but not wanting to start a fight.

"We are your family," Robert hissed, and Freed laughed.

"You haven't been my family in a long time," they said sadly. "My family is right here." They squeezed Laxus' arm. "My family is waiting for me at the hospital while his husband is in surgery. My family are the people who love me, not who they think I should be."

There was an ache in Freed's chest, a heavy pain that made it clear that this was final. They knew that they were making the right choice, but it hurt all the same. The indecision that had been following them around all day was starting to fade, and all Freed could think about was Robert's cruel words.

"You can't..." Karen started to protest, but Freed shook their head.

"We're done," they said quietly, feeling the eyes of the other restaurant patrons on them. "And I mean for good." Oh gods, that hurt. "Unless you can change and be willing to accept me like I am, I'm not interested in speaking to you again."

Karen's face paled and she looked like she was going to interject, but Freed ignored her.

"You don't have the right to tell me who to be," They continued. Freed's hands were shaking, and their voice wasn't as strong as they would have liked, but they kept going regardless, feeling Laxus' hand resting gently in the small of their back. "Stay away from my work and my friends. I hope one day you realize how wrong you are, but until then..."

They swallowed against the lump in their throat, trying to push back the tears that were slipping slowly down their cheeks. Laxus wrapped an arm around them, pulling them to his side tightly.

"But we love you," Robert protested in a last-ditch effort. Laxus tensed and Freed laughed sadly.

"No, you loved Amanda," Freed said. "And she's been gone for a very long time. Goodbye."

Before they could change their mind, Freed turned and strode out of the restaurant, tugging Laxus after them. A loud ringing filled their ears that didn't dissipate until they were in the car and were halfway to the hospital.

"What did I do?" Freed whispered, covering their face with their hands. Tears still streamed down their cheeks. "Did I do the right thing?"

"You know there's no good answer to that," Laxus replied, reaching over the console and grabbing Freed's hand. Freed clung to it like a lifeline, twining their fingers together as their hands shook. "You were so brave. I'm really proud of you."

"Fuck," Freed cursed, drawing out the word and exhaling sharply. "I don't feel brave. I feel terrified and angry and really, really sad." They rubbed their face, closing their eyes and trying to figure out if they were relieved or not.

"Why don't we stop for coffee and cinnamon buns?" Laxus suggested, putting on his blinker and indicating their favorite café out the window. "I think you and Gray could both use them." Freed leaned over and pressed their head to Laxus' shoulder.

"You're a sweetheart," they said softly, kissing his cheek. They watched a small smile appear on Laxus' lips, and marveled again at how lucky they were to have him. He might have been an ass to start out, but he'd made up for it in so many ways over the years.

"I hope Natsu's okay," Freed said as they got out of the car. They hadn't really had time to think about what had happened. Gray had said an explosion, which likely meant burns and possible internal injuries. Freed's heart ached.

"Whatever happens, we just have to be there for Gray," Laxus replied, holding the door to the café open. Freed's phone buzzed and they pulled it out of their pocket as Laxus got in line.

Gray
Doctor talked to me, he should be out of surgery in a couple hours. He's got bad burns and pulmonary injuries (not sure what that means). I'm so scared.

Freed's heart twisted – it sounded worse than they'd thought. They covered their mouth with one hand, breathing slowly before replying.

Freed
We'll be there right away. Be strong, I love you.

~

They found Gray in the corner of the emergency waiting room, staring blankly at his phone. His face was red and drawn, and his hair was rumpled from running his hands through it. Freed crouched down in front of him.

"Hey," they said softly. Gray looked up and immediately started crying again, bringing his hands up to his face. Freed grasped his wrist gently. "It's okay, we're here now. Have you eaten? We brought cinnamon buns and coffee."

Freed pulled Gray forward into a hug and felt him relax against their shoulder. Laxus sat down next to Gray and wrapped an arm around him.

"I love you guys," Gray whispered shakily, sitting up and rubbing at his face.

"We love you, too," Freed said, slipping into the seat on Gray's other side. Gray took his coffee from Laxus gratefully, then took a deep breath.

"The doctor came out, he's st-still in surgery," Gray said, his voice shaky. "They... there were some families that refused to evacuate, and th-the fire, it... it was spreading too f-fast. Natsu was helping get one f-family out..." Gray squeezed his eyes shut, making a pained sound. "He s-saved their daughter, but part of the w-wall collapsed on him. His gear w-as damaged... he broke his arm and has s-second and third-degree burns, and inhaled th-the smoke..." His shoulders shook as he curled in on himself, covering his face with his hands.

"Gray, I'm so sorry," Freed whispered, tucking their legs up underneath them in the chair. They reached out and took one of Gray's hands in theirs, lacing their fingers together and squeezing reassuringly.

"I'm so done with hospitals," Gray mumbled, and Laxus hmphed in agreement. Freed had to admit that the situation was eerily similar to two years ago, when Natsu had relapsed into a deep depression and ended up being hospitalized for nearly a week. Freed had moved in with Gray temporarily so they could help him out and keep him company while he visited Natsu every day.

"I just... we always knew it was risky..." Gray swallowed, playing with the rim of his coffee cup. "But... he might d-die." Gray made a soft, sad sound and dropped his head. "He might d-die and I can't, I c-can't live without him."

"I know you're hurting," Freed said softly, rubbing their thumb over Gray's knuckles and trying to ignore the sick, twisting feeling in their stomach. "But we don't know what's going to happen. Did they say how long he would be in surgery?"

"At... at least a couple more hours," Gray said, rubbing his eyes. "Th-they had to do skin grafts on his c-chest and s-stomach and k-keep him on oxygen."

"Did you talk to Ultear?" Laxus asked. Gray nodded.

"They were skiing in Whistler, they had to pack up the kids. She'll be here soon." Gray looked like he was thinking about sitting up, but he gave up and relaxed completely against Laxus.

"Thank you," he said softly, looking up at Freed. "You guys didn't have to come, you were with your-"

"I told you, they're not my family," Freed said, voice sharper than they'd intended, feeling the uncomfortable sensation returning to their stomach. "I, um... I told them to leave." Gray's eyes widened and he squeezed Freed's hand. "I would always, always choose you over them. You're my best friend."

"Freed..." Gray's voice was gentle and he looked both sad and proud. Freed swallowed and looked at the floor. "How do you feel?"

"I don't... really want to talk about it," Freed admitted, picturing their parents and brother sitting in the restaurant, stunned at their outburst. Had they left? Had they made a scene? And what would they do now? Would Freed really never... oh gods. Would they really never see their parents ever again?

"C'mere," Gray said softly, tugging at Freed's hand until they were leaning on Gray, and Gray was leaning against Laxus. Freed sighed, curling up against Gray and hoping that, when they opened their eyes again, everything wasn't a nightmare.