Souls Intertwined (Fraxus)

Chapter 16

The Pocky game incident was pretty much the end of the party, for me and Laxus that is. Whilst the guild continued to get drunk and party the night away, Laxus spent some time with Master Makarov, and I decided to get some fresh air at the back of the guild hall. I sat down on one of the benches and looked up at the starry night sky, with no clouds to cover the bright twinkling lights.

I heard the wooden door open and shut and turned around to see who it was, Evergreen came out, obviously wondering where I had got to.

"What's up?" Evergreen asks as she sits next to me.

"Nothing, just turned out to be a rubbish evening." I comment with a sigh of discontent.

"You know that's not true, Laxus was over the moon with his present, you guys danced on that dance floor having so much fun-"

"Yeah, and then I ruined it by playing that stupid Pocky game, things were going in the right direction until that point." I say with frustration.

"Laxus wasn't angry with you, it was obvious that he felt something since he got a little flustered." Evergreen explains.

"Then why has he ignored me all evening? He thinks I'm weird." I say sadly as I cup my face in my hands.

"Freed, Laxus reacted pretty much the same way that you did. I personally think that he is a little bit confused about how he felt, like you did." Evergreen says reassuringly as she rubs my back for comfort.

"Are you sure?" I ask as I lift my head up.

"I'm pretty certain. I don't quite know what Laxus' orientation is, but when it's love, what can you do about it." Evergreen ponders.

"I guess you're right, even so, I can't just blurt out the question 'are you gay?' to Laxus." I reply.

"You don't need to, just continue to spend time with him and see what grows, you two have been close friends for so long, it's gonna be a bit tricky figuring out when to move to the next stage, just be patient." Evergreen recommends.

"Thanks." I reply as I hug Evergreen.

"No worries, just go back in there and try to talk to Laxus, otherwise you'll be stuck in an awkward cycle." Evergreen suggests.

"Okay." I respond.

I wander back into the guild hall and see passed out guild members scattered around. I look to the bar and see Laxus sat by himself. I stroll towards him and sit down next to him.

"So... have you tried your new headphones yet?" I ask shyly, trying to break the rock hard ice that has formed a barrier between me and Laxus.

As I wait for a response, I hear a squeak from the bar stool being pushed against the wooden floor and footsteps getting quieter. I turn my head and see Laxus leaving the guild hall in silence. My heart drops to the floor and my stomach twists and turns, causing me to feel sick. I rest my head on the bar table as tears roll down my face and form small pools. What should I do?

The next day arrives and I lay on my back in my bed, eyes wide open. I couldn't sleep, not whilst knowing that Laxus flat out ignored me. However, Evergreen's speech came flooding back to me, maybe she's right, maybe Laxus is still trying to deal with his feelings and had to create some space for himself. I decide that I can't just let this slide, I need to talk to Laxus, whatever it takes.

I get ready swiftly and briskly walk to Laxus' house. I press the doorbell and wait at the door anxiously, waiting to greet Laxus and resolve the awkward incident. The door opens and my smile drops, Ivan was stood in the doorway and looked at me with an unwelcoming face. There's no way I can tell him what's going on.