Natsu remains in the hospital after his surgery. Gray asks about Freed's family while they wait for Natsu to wake up.

tw for descriptions of burn injuries

-----

"Grayson? Grayson Dubois-Tremblay?" Freed sat up and nudged Gray, who had fallen asleep against Laxus. Gray blinked blearily and rubbed his eyes. A woman in brightly-colored scrubs with a clipboard in her hand stood in front of them.

"Yes? It's, uh, it's Gray," Gray corrected sleepily. "I mean, that's... is Natsu okay?"

"He's out of surgery," the nurse replied, voice gentle. "We have him in the ICU right now. He's still asleep, and the doctor needs to talk to you about a few things. You can all come with me."

After making their way through various corridors and up an elevator, they found themselves outside the Intensive Care Unit. They were shown to a small meeting area and took their seats.

"My name is Doctor Carter." A man in his mid-forties entered the room and held out his hand, and they all shook it cautiously. Gray rubbed his eyes again, and Freed reached over and put a hand on his knee. "Gray, I'm going to be keeping tabs on your husband while he's here – I was the one overseeing the surgery."

"Is he okay?" Gray's voice shook, and the doctor sat down on the edge of the table.

"He's alive," he replied carefully, "and the skin grafts seem successful. He had severe third-degree burns down the left half of his chest and his left arm, and second-degree burns on his neck and face." Gray's hand came up to his mouth and Freed squeezed his leg, wishing they could provide more comfort. "He also has inhalation injuries from the smoke, which means he can't breathe on his own right now and is on a ventilator. He should be able to come off that in a couple of days, depending on how he's doing."

"That's good," Freed said quickly, feeling Gray grab their hand and squeeze it. He was clearly not in any place to ask questions right now. Freed rubbed their thumb over Gray's knuckles.

"How long will he have to stay in the hospital?" Laxus asked.

"If he's recovering well, maybe two weeks," the doctor replied, scratching his beard. "We need to make sure the grafts take well and that there's no infection, and that he's breathing okay on his own. He won't spend all of that time in the ICU, we'll move him to the burn unit on the fourth floor once he's stabilized and off the ventilator. That could be either tomorrow or the day after."

"Can I see him?" Gray whispered. Freed saw Laxus place his hand on Gray's back, rubbing gentle circles between Gray's shoulder blades. "Please?"

"You can," Doctor Carter said gently. "But I need to warn you that it looks a lot worse than it is. The burns on his face can't be bandaged so they look quite severe, and seeing someone on a ventilator can be distressing. You can bring one person in with you, but we limit it to two visitors at a time. And it's after hours, so it'll only be for a few minutes."

"You two go," Laxus said immediately. "Gray, I'll go to your place and pack up some clothes so you can come stay with us for tonight." Gray nodded slowly. His eyes were slightly unfocused, and Freed's heart ached for him. Laxus leaned over and tugged Gray into a tight hug, whispering something in his ear before pulling back and standing to leave. He kissed Freed on the cheek before leaving the room.

"Alright, come with me," Doctor Carter said, gesturing for them to follow him out of the room. They stopped at a station with a large sink, and he indicated for them to wash their hands. "You'll need to limit your touch with him – his non-injured hand, legs and hair are fine, but avoid any bandaged areas and his face." Gray and Freed both nodded, then followed Doctor Carter through a curtain and into one of the small rooms.

"Oh my god," Gray whispered, knees buckling as he saw Natsu on the bed. Freed caught him around the waist and gently guided him to a chair. "Natsu, sweetheart..."

Freed truly hoped that Natsu was doing better than he looked, because he looked awful. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of hospital-issued pants, and his entire left side of his chest was covered with bandages, some of which were stained with blood. His left arm was bandaged as well, and a patch of awful looking red-and-black blisters covered the side of his neck and part of his left cheek. The ventilator rested on the other side of his face, tube coming out of his open mouth, which was ringed by black, peeling skin. An IV was in his hand, trailing to a machine that seemed to be supplying him with several different medications.

"Remember, it looks worse than it is," Freed said softly as Gray began to cry. Gray reached out and touched Natsu's hair, running his fingers through it gently. "He's alive, and he's going to get better." Gray sniffed, tentatively touching Natsu's right hand and sliding their fingers together.

"Soit fort, mon coeur," He whispered as Freed's hand joined his over Natsu's. "T'es têtu, ça ira."

Gray's words were shaky, but he smiled fondly at Natsu as he said them. Freed wasn't sure what else to say, and they stood in silence behind Gray for a few minutes, rubbing gentle circles on his back.

"I'm very sorry, but that's all the time I can give you," Doctor Carter said from the doorway. "You can come back tomorrow between nine and five, but remember it's only two people, and only for an hour at a time. He needs time to sleep and heal."

"Thank you," said Freed, wrapping an arm around Gray's shoulder and hugging him tight. "Come on, love. Let's let him sleep." Gray nodded listlessly, biting his lip as he struggled against his tears. He ran his thumb over Natsu's palm, then stroked Natsu's hair again and stood slowly.

"Je t'aime," Gray murmured, exhaling slowly. "See you tomorrow, sweetheart."

~

Gray fell asleep in the car on the way home, head nestled into the crook of Freed's shoulder. Freed stroked Gray's hair, feeling his soft breaths against their collarbone. The streetlights on the road blurred together as Freed rubbed their eyes and leaned their head back, listening to the quiet music that Laxus had turned on in the front seat.

"You okay, babe?" Laxus glanced in the rearview mirror and Freed gave him a soft smile. They sighed, resting their head on Gray's.

"My problems feel insignificant after seeing Natsu," they admitted, trying to get the image of charred flesh and blisters out of their mind. "I wish we could do more."

"Your pain isn't insignificant," Laxus said softly, flicking on the windshield wipers. An early April rain was beginning to patter down, trailing patterns across the window. "What happened at the restaurant..."

"Honestly, I can't..." Freed felt a heavy pain in their chest and they closed their eyes, snuggling closer to Gray. He shifted in his sleep and made a soft, grumbling noise. "I can't talk about it. It hurts."

Now that the crisis with Natsu was somewhat under control, the image of Freed's father kept filling their mind, angry and hard and disappointed. Why did they care about disappointing him? Why did they care what he thought? They hadn't seen him in ten years, why-

"Hey." Gray blinked awake and Freed realized that they'd been tightening their fingers on his arm. Gray sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and then wrapping his arm around them, pulling them into a hug. "I'm sorry," he murmured as Freed desperately tried to push back their tears.

"Don't be," Freed insisted, wiping at their face. "Don't... it's..."

"Today sucks," Laxus rumbled from the front seat. Freed nodded sadly, yawning as fatigue suddenly hit them. "You two go to sleep. I'll wake you up when we get home."

~

Volunteer firefighter injured, called hero after saving young girl

Twenty-three-year-old Natsu Dubois-Tremblay, a volunteer firefighter from Magnolia, was badly injured when helping evacuate Fort McKay on Monday morning. He was airlifted to the Magnolia hospital with life-threatening burns but is now in stable condition.

Natsu is being called a hero by the city of Magnolia, as his injuries were caused after he saved the lives of Ella Stelby, six, and Erik Kobura, a fellow firefighter. Both escaped the blaze with minor injuries.

Freed swiped at the article that had made the rounds with their friends, glad to see that Natsu's condition had been upgraded from "critical" to "stable". They tucked their phone into their back pocket, washing their hands at the ICU entrance, then making their way down the hallway to where Natsu was staying. As they approached the door, they heard a soft voice.

They peeked around the corner to see Gray, sitting on the chair next to the bed and holding Natsu's hand, brushing his hair back and singing softly to him. Freed smiled, recognizing the words from their wedding song.

Not wanting to embarrass Gray, Freed waited until he finished the song before knocking gently on the door. Gray's neck still flushed red, but Freed pretended they didn't see it.

"How's he doing?" they asked gently, settling into the chair next to Gray. They glanced up at the clock – ten more minutes and then they had to leave the ICU for a while. Natsu had been here two days now and was coming off the ventilator this afternoon. The burns on his face were looking slightly better, although the skin around his nose and lips was still peeling away.

"Hard to tell," Gray said quietly, sliding up so he kept stroking Natsu's hair but let Freed take Natsu's hand. Gray looked better today – eyes brighter, smile easier. "I hope he knows we're here. The doctor says the grafts are already looking good." He made a face. "They kicked me out when they changed the bandages, which was probably a good idea, because... bleh." He looked around them, sighing. "Fuck, I hate this place."

"Oh my god, I am the worst friend," Freed said suddenly, feeling like an idiot. "You were here after..."

"After Lyon shot me, yeah." Gray reached up and rubbed his shoulder. "It's the last place I ever wanted to see Natsu." Freed made a sympathetic noise and shuffled closer to Gray.

They sat in silence for the remainder of their time with Natsu, with Gray occasionally humming bits of songs to him. Eventually the nurses came in and gave them the look that sent them out of the room.

"I keep thinking about my mom," Freed said suddenly as they walked down the corridors to the front doors. They hadn't talked about this yet, but the emotions that were growing from the restaurant incident had Freed feeling like they were cracking everywhere, leaking bits of regret and grief wherever they went.

"In a good way?" Gray asked, grabbing the door and holding it open for Freed. It was a gorgeous day – bright sun, blue sky, pink cherry blossoms littering the ground beneath their feet. They had two hours to kill before Natsu was moved to the burn unit, and Gray had suggested a walk to the nearby coffee shop where Ryos worked part-time.

"I keep... remembering things. Little memories of her." Freed played with the bracelet wrapped around their left wrist that Sylvie had made for them. "Mom used to make pancakes on Saturday mornings, and she would let us sneak chocolate chips in when dad wasn't looking." They felt themself smiling. "She... she taught me how to read. Every night before bed we'd read 'Little Women'."

Freed swallowed, pinching the inside of their wrist to keep from crying. The word 'hope' was tattooed there, chosen when they were eighteen, in a simple dark script.

"Do you think you're... missing her?" Gray asked, stopping their walk and leaning against a low brick wall, encouraging Freed to join him. "I mean, like you're mourning who she was."

Freed considered Gray's words. They'd never thought of it like that. The woman who'd showed up in their life last week certainly wasn't the mom they remembered from their childhood. Or maybe she was, and back then Freed had been too young and naïve to realize it.

"Maybe," they admitted. "I'm just tired of being angry." The sweet scent of cherry blossoms filled their nose and they tipped their head up, watching the sunlight filter through the flowers above them. "I keep thinking I'm over it, and then it just..." They sighed.

"I struggle with that, too," Gray said carefully. "I tried... I mean, I forgave Lyon, I sent him that letter, I told him I didn't want him in my life." He bumped his shoulder against Freed's. "But I still miss him. Like, I miss back when he was my brother. And he's not my brother anymore." Gray rubbed absently at the snowflake tattoos on his wrist. "I miss how it used to be. Sounds like it's the same with your mom."

"Gods, I feel like an idiot today," Freed said, shaking their head. "I didn't even think about you and Lyon."

"Mmm," Gray said quietly. He tapped his fingers against his palm. "Being there, in the ICU... it brings it back up again. Just when you think you're over something..."

"I don't think we ever get over this kind of stuff," Freed replied. The sun was warming the tops of their feet and they were glad they'd worn flip-flops today. "We just have to learn to live with it."

"You sound like Mira," Gray said, laughing. "She always had inspirational quotes like that. Sometime about life not being easier, but us getting stronger?" He snorted. "Pretty sure she found that on Pinterest."

"Doesn't mean it's not true," Freed argued, pushing off the wall and stretching. They looked at Gray contemplatively. He was dressed in one of Natsu's old faded t-shirts and a pair of skinny jeans, and a hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His hair was cut much shorter now than when they'd met – the sides were cropped and the top was long and choppy, with bangs that fell in his face. He'd almost entirely stopped wearing contacts and instead wore dark-rimmed glasses that he was constantly adjusting on his nose.

"What?" Gray frowned at Freed, who shook their head, smiling.

"Nothing." They sighed. "Actually. I'm not... I don't want to be insensitive, so I'm sorry if-"

"I won't be offended, I promise," Gray said, poking at Freed's toes with his shoe.

"Do you ever regret telling Lyon that you didn't want to see him again?"

"Yes," Gray answered immediately. He looked sad, and Freed almost wished they hadn't brought it up. "There's times where I think I might want him in my life. Like, I imagine him leaving prison and being a decent human being again, and things going back to how they were." He brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Or at the wedding. I wished he was there. But he's... a stranger now." Gray tipped his head up to gaze at Freed. "And I can change my mind anytime."

"You... what?" Freed hadn't considered that.

"Well, it's up to me now, right? He can't just send me letters when he feels like it, because our interactions are on my terms." Gray poked at Freed again. "It's the same with your family. It's not like you're banned from speaking to them ever again – it was your choice, and you can change your mind if you want."

"Oh." Freed frowned. "I never thought about that."

"Cutting it off with them might be what's healthiest for you now," Gray added, digging his shoe into the ground and drawing circles in the dirt. "But maybe later you'll change your mind. Or maybe you won't. But you have the power now, and for me... that was important."

"Y-yeah," Freed said quietly, feeling slightly off-kilter. The last couple of days had been spent obsessing about how final the decision had been, when perhaps that wasn't the case at all.

"You okay?" Gray stood up and touched Freed's elbow gently, and they blinked out of their reverie.

"Fine, just..." They made a vague gesture and Gray nodded to indicate that he knew exactly what they were talking about. Wordlessly, Gray nudged Freed back onto the path, and they both headed through the sunny afternoon towards the coffee shop.

~

"Natsu." Gray's face broke into a smile as they stepped into the new room on the burn unit to see Natsu with his eyes open, being helped into a sitting position by a nurse. The bandages on his chest and arm were still there but had recently been changed, and a small bruise colored the right side of his mouth where the ventilator had been sitting.

"H-hey Snowflake," Natsu said, voice raspy and hoarse. The nurse stepped out of the way and Gray immediately moved forward, gently touching Natsu's cheek with his fingertips.

"Oh my god, you're awake. How're you feeling?" Natsu frowned, looking around and then down at his torso. The nurse gestured to Freed that she was stepping out momentarily, and Freed took her place near the head of the bed.

"Ugh, like hell," Natsu replied, coughing and reaching up to touch the oxygen cannula in his nose. Gray grabbed his wrist to keep his hands away from the open wounds. "What's-" Natsu made a face and winced at the pull on his burns. "What did..."

"You almost died," Gray said, voice shaky. He squeezed Natsu's hand then took a step back, exhaling sharply. Freed put out a hand to steady him.

"Well I don't feel dead," Natsu joked, wincing as he shuffled up on the bed.

"But you WERE almost dead," Gray said, voice becoming angry. Freed could see that the stress of the last few days was taking a toll on him. He ran his hands through his hair, eyes wide. "Holy shit, you almost died and I would have been alone again, and I have lost enough fucking people in my life, I am NOT losing my husband too!"

Freed reached out for him but he brushed their hand away, pacing to the end of the bed.

"And... holy fucking hell I am so SICK of this goddamn osti de l'hôpital, câlice de shit de tabarnak. T'es une idiote, tu fais toujours des stupidités, tu m'as fait tellement peur, tu es trop téméraire!" He took a deep breath, running a hand over his face. Natsu looked over at Freed, a half-smile on his face.

"Are you impressed that I understood most of that?" Freed gave him an exasperated look before Gray started up again.

"Prend ça au sérieux! T'as failli mourir!" Gray's face crumpled and he burst into tears, arms crossing over his stomach. Natsu's grin disappeared immediately and he made a sad sound, reaching out for Gray and wincing at the pull on his bandages.

"Hey, don't cry," he said softly, tugging Gray to sit down beside him on the bed. "Snowflake. I'm here, I'm okay." Freed made as if to leave the room but Natsu shook his head.

"But you almost weren't," Gray mumbled, sniffling. "I can't... I can't lose you. I'm so tired of losing people."

"I know," Natsu said gently, pushing Gray's bangs out of his face. "I'm sorry, Snowflake. I just... I couldn't..." Gray sighed, leaning forward and kissing Natsu's forehead gently.

"You might be a reckless idiot, but you're also incredibly brave," Gray murmured, looking fondly at Natsu. "You were on the news, y'know. They used that stupid picture of you from the picnic that you hate." Natsu groaned, then looked up at Gray, concerned.

"Is the girl... is she okay?" he asked, brow creasing. "And Erik? Did..."

"Everyone's fine," Freed reassured him from their spot next to the bed. "The girl had minor smoke inhalation injuries and Erik broke his leg, but you got the worst of it."

Natsu sighed in relief, then doubled over, coughing horribly. Gray rested a gentle hand on his back, helping him relax once the fit had passed.

"You were on a ventilator for a couple days," Gray explained as Natsu sucked in a few ragged breaths. Freed reached up and helped him adjust the oxygen cannula until he could breathe properly again. "You need to take it easy."

"Ugh," Natsu wheezed, leaning his head back against the pillow. "I can get behind that." He looked down at his arm and chest again and an uncomfortable expression flitted across his face.

"We'll get through this," Gray murmured softly, squeezing Natsu's fingertips.

"It's... is it bad?" Natsu asked quietly. He wouldn't meet Freed or Gray's eyes. "It's gonna look...it'll be obvious. The scars, I mean." Freed could see tears starting to pool at the corner of Natsu's eyes, so they settled down on the bed next to him.

"Yes," they said honestly, knowing Gray wouldn't be able to answer. "They did skin grafts on your arm and chest, you were very badly burned." Natsu swallowed heavily, reaching up a hand to his face. Gray grabbed his wrist again, shaking his head.

"There's open burns on your face, sweetheart," Gray explained, voice thick. "You can't touch them." A few tears slipped from Natsu's eyes and Freed's heart ached.

"I need..." Natsu sniffled, wincing. "Fuck, this is..." He exhaled shakily. "I'm so tired." Gray nodded, standing up and moving over to the other side of the bed. He kicked off his shoes and slid up next to Natsu, pulling him so that Natsu's head was tucked gently into the crook of his neck. Freed maneuvered until they were sitting where Natsu had been and took his hand gently in theirs.

"Go to sleep," Gray whispered, and Freed could see that his own eyes were closing. "It'll be okay. We're not going anywhere."

~

"Uncle Natsu!" Sylvie threw herself into the room and charged over to the hospital bed where Natsu smiled at her broadly.

"Be care-"

"I know, Uncle Gray," Sylvie said, rolling her eyes and skidding to a stop. She peered at the burn on Natsu's face with fascination. "Was that from the fire?" Natsu nodded, but before he could say anything she kept going, hopping up on the bed next to him. "Did it hurt? Maman said they took some of your other skin and put it over the yucky skin. Did that hurt? She said you couldn't breathe and they had to put a tube in your throat and breathe for you like Darth Vader." She bounced on the bed a little while she talked. "Can I see what it looks like when they take off the bandaids? I wanna be a doctor."

"Sure you can, sunshine," Natsu said, letting her lean in to peer at the blackened skin around his mouth and nose. "It's pretty gross though. You gonna puke?" Sylvie gave him a withering look.

"I have a strong stomach," she announced. Natsu laughed at her while Gray rolled his eyes affectionately. "Renaud doesn't like blood though so he was crying but I'm brave."

"You are brave," Natsu said solemnly. Ultear moved over to Gray and pulled him into a hug, and he slumped against her.

"And you're brave too because you saved a girl like me," Sylvie added. She looked serious for a moment and leaned over, hugging Natsu as gently as possible. He exhaled, pressing a kiss to her hair. Freed could see Gray tearing up and they stepped closer to him and Ultear. "I told my class that you were like Captain America 'cause you were in the news and you save people and Alix said I was wrong and you were like the Human Torch which is dumb 'cause you got lit on fire not on purpose, so I punched him in the nose." Natsu snorted.

"And we discussed that we don't punch people because we disagree with them," Ultear said gently. Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Although we're all very proud of you, Natsu. I'm so happy to see that you're alright."

"Yeah, I'll just have some sweet scars to match Gray," Natsu joked. Gray gave him an exasperated look, reaching down and grasping Freed's hand. Freed knew that Gray was worried about Natsu's scars – they were going to be extensive. The burn on his arm extended down to the back of his hand, and his chest was bandaged from shoulder to hip. His nose, mouth, cheek and neck were also going to scar, and it was going to be obvious.

"Can you come home now?" Sylvie asked, lying down on Natsu's right side and cuddling up against him. "I miss you." He laughed, wrapping his uninjured arm around her.

"Not yet, sunshine," he replied, and she pouted sadly. "They haven't even let me get out of bed yet." He shifted uncomfortably and Freed moved forward, adjusting the pillow behind him. He looked up and smiled at them gratefully.

A set of hands on Freed's hips made them jump, and they twisted to the side to see Laxus standing behind them, smiling. Laxus leaned down and kissed Freed's cheek.

"Hey, little mouse," Laxus said, waving at Sylvie. She grinned at him, showing off her missing front tooth. "You're looking significantly less dead." The last comment was directed at Natsu, who flipped Laxus off subtly behind Sylvie's back, giving him a wide smile.

"Laxus!" Freed hissed, slapping his thigh, but Natsu shook his head. Freed was always amazed by how Natsu and Laxus could insult each other and call it friendship.

"Come with me," Laxus whispered in Freed's ear, nipping gently at their earlobe. They sighed, melting back into him before remembering they were in a hospital room. "I've got a surprise for you."

Freed glanced over at Gray, who gave them a smile and nodded toward the door.

"Get outta here," he said, still wrapped in Ultear's arms. "Get some sunshine or something. We'll be okay." He glanced over to Natsu, who was now being regaled by Sylvie's description of the latest 'Percy Jackson' book. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Freed said gently, smiling at the family in front of them. "Text me if you need anything. I'll come back tomorrow." Gray nodded, reaching over and squeezing Freed's hand.

Freed sighed as they left the hospital, looking up and letting the sun warm their face. Laxus' hand was heavy in theirs, fingers twined together, and they bumped against him gently as they made their way down the path.

"I'm glad he's okay," Laxus said quietly, squeezing Freed's hand. "He still looks..." He trailed off.

"Yeah." Freed sighed, rubbing their eyes. "But he's alive." Laxus hummed in agreement. "Where are we going?" Freed asked, changing the subject. Laxus smiled, looking almost shy. They had arrived at his motorcycle and he gestured for Freed to put on their helmet and hop on the bike.

"Surprise," was all he said, kicking up the stand and revving the engine to life. The familiar rumbling was calming to Freed, and they wrapped their arms around Laxus' waist, snuggling up against his back. Coasting out of the parking lot, Laxus made his way down the main freeway and through several roads, until Freed realized they were heading for the beach.

The wind whipped through the sleeves of their leather jacket and tickled the hairs on their neck as the bike rumbled beneath them. The closer they got to the ocean, the stronger the scent of salt water became. Gulls screamed overhead, picking up remnants of hot dogs and ice cream cones, and the sound of the surf started to break through the noise of the motorcycle.

Laxus parked near the market, which was in full swing today. The stalls around them sold anything from fridge magnets to handmade jewelry, and on the weekends, it included a farmer's market with fresh fruits, fish and cheeses. Freed hadn't been here in years.

Freed hopped off the bike and pulled off their helmet, shoving it into the compartment and tugging their fingers through their hair. Laxus' hands moved theirs out of the way and he began to comb it gently, then plaited it into a simple braid. Freed felt a swell of affection for Laxus as he reached the end of Freed's hair and tied it off with one of the elastics he kept on his wrist, just for Freed.

"Now." Laxus looked at Freed and then glanced over at the end of the market where an ice cream stall stood, claiming to have over two hundred flavors. Freed blinked as they suddenly realized that this was the place they'd first met. "I believe we had a date, a long time ago, to get some ice cream. And then some asshat ruined it." Freed laughed, feeling happy tears pricking their eyes.

"Yeah, he was a real jerk," Freed said softly, smiling at Laxus.

"Well, he doesn't deserve a gorgeous person like you," Laxus murmured, taking Freed's hand and pulling them toward him. "So how about you go get ice cream with me instead?"

"I think that can be arranged," Freed murmured, leaning in for a kiss. Laxus made a soft noise into Freed's mouth, then bit their lip gently, pulling back and tugging Freed along after him toward the ice cream shop.

Twenty minutes later they found themselves in the driftwood cove, sitting on the same patch of sand and leaning against the same log they'd been against all those years ago. Laxus stole bites of Freed's mint-chocolate-chip cone, while Freed made faces at Laxus' pineapple sorbet.

"I love you," Laxus said softly, once the ice cream was finished and the sun was beginning to set. He turned to Freed and touched their chin gently, brushing a strand of hair from their face. They blushed at his intense gaze, looking at the sand. "You know that I'm always on your side, right?"

"Laxus..." Freed leaned forward into Laxus' touch, kissing his palm and smiling. "Of course. You've been incredible with... everything."

"No, it's you that's incredible," Laxus murmured. His fingertips were rough against Freed's skin. "And this stuff with Natsu- I just- if I lost you..." Freed exhaled shakily. They had been thinking the exact same thing. "I know you're not into the whole marriage thing, and I'm not either, but I just want... I wanted to say it officially."

"Say..." Freed glanced up at Laxus, frowning. "Say what?"

"That I love you. Completely and unconditionally." Laxus took Freed's hands in his and gazed at them seriously. "I promise to take care of you, and to support you while you take care of yourself." Freed's heart stuttered as they realized what Laxus was doing. "I promise to listen to you and respect who you are, even when you're not sure yourself."

"Laxus," Freed breathed, tears streaming down their face. "You..."

"I'll make you samosas whenever you want them," Laxus continued, "and never forget to order your Starbucks drinks with light ice." Freed giggled, burying their face in their hands. "I'll always let you eat the croutons from my salad, and I'll always let you be the big spoon."

"You are ridiculous," Freed said, laughing as tears streamed down their cheeks.

"And I'm madly in love with you," Laxus said, grinning. "I swear I'll be with you forever, or until you decide that's not what you want anymore."

Freed sighed happily and leaned forward, capturing Laxus' lips and letting out an undignified sound as he hoisted them into his lap. He kissed them back passionately, fingers threading through their hair and wrecking their braid, lips pressing against theirs insistently.

"Maybe... ahhh... that guy wasn't such an asshole after all," Freed gasped between kisses, running their hands through Laxus' hair and down to his hips. Their thumbs slipped under his shirt, dancing patterns across his back.

"Mmm, I think he realized what he was gonna lose," Laxus rumbled. His fingers drifted down Freed's back, playing with the hem of their jeans.

"We really shouldn't make out in a public park," Freed admonished, not at all attempting to stop Laxus' wandering hands. Laxus hummed, pressing kisses against Freed's neck.

"Then let's go home," he suggested, but Freed shook their head, moving their hands back up to cup Laxus' face.

"I wanna watch the sunset with you first," they whispered, squirming in Laxus' lap until they were curled up against his chest, facing the ocean. He wrapped his arms around them and hummed in satisfaction. "We've got all the time in the world, right?"

"Right," Laxus said, pressing a kiss to the top of their head. "Because I promised you forever."

-----

French Translations

Soit fort, mon coeur = be strong, sweetheart
T'es têtu, ça ira = you're stubborn, it'll be okay
...osti de l'hôpital! Criss d'idiot, tu fais toujours des stupidités, tu m'as fait tellement peur, tu es trop téméraire! = fucking hospital! Fucking idiot, you always do such stupid things, you scared me so badly, you're too reckless!
Prend ça au sérieux! T'as failli mourir! = Take this seriously! You almost died!