Chapter 30 is here! ^^ Thank you for reading this fanfic, I hope you've enjoyed reading it! I still don't have really any idea what I want there would happen in this story, but I guess that's okay. Let's just see what will happen when I throw enough stuff together x'D I really enjoy writing this story so I think it will continue for a long time still ^^ Who knows.
Anyway, thank you for all the comments, votes and reading this story! ^^
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The morning came with bright sun and it woke up Freed. The curtains of the bed were open so the sunlight got in and instantly triggered the alarm clock inside the rune mage and made sure he wasn't feeling sleepy anymore. Not enough so he would just go back to sleep.
It would have been really nice, just keep sleeping with Rufus in this huge luxurious bed with silk sheets and all. Freed smiled, keeping his eyes closed and he caressed the blond strands as Rufus' head was resting against his chest. The memory mage's arms were wrapped around him and were holding him tight, even though the man himself was still sleeping.
As the hand kept stroking his hair, he was bound to wake up eventually since he was a light sleeper.
"Good morning", he murmured still sleepily, but he kissed the pale skin that had few marks he had left there yesterday. Freed chuckled as Rufus kissed his way up his collarbone, his neck, jawline and finally his lips.
"Good morning", Freed said and he took a hold of the sleep mask Rufus had, gently pulling it off. Dark green emerald eyes opened and looked at him.
"As always, you look stunning from the first moment in the morning", he chuckled and Freed laughed.
"And as always, you're such a sweet talker from the first moment in the morning", he said. "We should get up already, the breakfast is ready soon and we both need a shower."
"Shower together with me, my love", Rufus hummed kissing the rune mage again.
"No sex", Freed said and Rufus almost collapsed because of disappointment. "We don't have time for that", Freed said to the pouting man. "It would be rude not to appear in time after the staff has seen all that trouble to make us breakfast."
"I guess you're right", Rufus sighed. "But I still want a shower together with you", he smiled. "I want to caress my sweet fiancé, wash your hair and back and -"
"No sex", Freed said with a frown. He knew that tone in Rufus' voice all too well! It meant Rufus would do whatever he could to seduce him and they would end up having sex after all. This sly fox would really lure him to do anything if he wasn't careful!
Rufus was utterly disappointed. He had wanted to have a moment together in the morning before they would leave the room and tell others they were engaged. But he would respect Freed's choice and he did agree it would be rude not to be in time for breakfast.
So they got up and took a shower together. After that they dressed up and just in time, since the door was knocked and Gunther stepped in after getting a permission to do so.
"Good morning, master, sir", he said with a bow. "The breakfast is ready."
"Thank you, Gunther. We will be right there", Rufus nodded.
"Has Laxus, Bickslow and Evergreen gotten up?" Freed asked as he tied his tie.
"Yes, sir. They have been informed too."
With a slight bow Gunther left.
"Well then, should we go?" Rufus asked and Freed nodded.
They went right in the dining room and Evergreen was already sitting there, enjoying her meal. She really did look like a princess, enjoying how she was pampered by servants.
"Good morning, Ever", Freed said and he was amused. After they would leave, they would have to listen to Ever's complaints for weeks, that was sure.
"Good morning you two", Evergreen smiled happily. "Rufus, I have to say I love your house. My bedroom is gorgeous! And the bathroom? It's amazing", she giggled.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself", Rufus smiled as they sat down with Freed.
"But don't get too used to it", Freed mentioned. "We are leaving today back to Magnolia."
Evergreen looked devastated, like her whole world had just came crashing down.
"You're kidding?" she said.
"No, that was decided yesterday since we have no other things to do here -"
"I changed my mind", Rufus smiled and Freed snapped his turquoise eyes towards him. Why the sudden change of mind? They had already agreed there was no need to stay longer. "Today we're going to the city and do some shopping", Rufus chuckled as the servants brought them their plates.
"Yes!" Evergreen cheered.
"Why do we need to go out shopping?" Freed questioned.
"Why, my darling", Rufus smirked taking Freed's left hand and kissed the ring finger gently. "I'm going to buy you the absolutely perfect engagement ring I can find", he chuckled and Freed blinked. He hadn't even thought about the rings.
Evergreen's eyes widened.
"Wait... So you two...?" she asked and Rufus nodded with a smile.
"He said yes", the memory mage nodded, Freed blushed and Evergreen screamed loudly hopping up from her seat.
She grabbed both men in tight hug and she was about to explode because of excitement.
"I'm so happy for you two!" she exclaimed.
"What's with all the yelling?"
They looked at Bickslow and Laxus who stepped in.
"Our Freed is getting married!" Evergreen screamed, hugging Freed tightly and almost choking him because of it. "He and Rufus are engaged! He will marry a duke and become a nobleman and rich and everything!"
"Ever..." Freed wheezed, trying to gasp air.
"Oh wow!" Bickslow cackled and Laxus was stunned. "Congratulations!"
Rufus looked at Laxus who didn't seem to know what to say. It was like the Thunder God was fighting internally if he should be happy for them or what. Finally, he seemed to give up and just smiled.
"That's good news", he said and Rufus was genuinely surprised. So Laxus was supporting them at least at some level and not against them? It was actually a bit of a relief, Rufus had been worried if Freed would decide they shouldn't get married in case if Laxus was against them, whatever the reason for that was.
It seemed like Freed was totally oblivious of the situation and that was fine, as he was talking with Evergreen and Bickslow.
"You hurt him and I'll kick your ass", Laxus growled with low voice so only Rufus heard him and the memory mage chuckled.
"I would never even imagine doing something like that", he said. "I meant it when I said I want to share everything with him and I will love him forever."
Laxus grunted and he took a cup of coffee, looking at how Evergreen was already talking about the wedding. Freed didn't seem that excited to rush but there was no stopping the brunette once she started planning everything.
The lightning dragon slayer huffed, leaning against his hand. Did he like Freed? He simply couldn't tell. It was a mystery to him as well and he doubted he would ever find the answer to that. And Rufus wasn't really that bad, though he had his own quirks. At least he genuinely cared about Freed and wasn't just playing around. They knew Freed could take care of himself when fighting and he was smart, but when it came to relationships... He was a total fool. Naturally they wanted to help him and make sure no one would hurt him.
But Laxus did think getting engaged like this was a bit too fast. Yet if Freed wanted it, what could they do to stop him? He knew Freed wasn't anyone to do hasty things without giving it a good thought first.
They all continued their breakfasts, planning out what to do today.
When Rufus said he would find the best engagement ring in the whole city, Freed didn't think it would mean them visiting every single jeweler in town. But apparently that was exactly what Rufus had thought and it was already long past noon and they still hadn't found what they were looking for. Not that Freed was really looking for anyway, it was Rufus who wanted something extraordinary or stunning.
He would have been just fine with simple rings. He was secretly terrified if the blond haired mage might buy something with a huge rock, but thankfully he knew that wouldn't happen. Things like that weren't Freed's style, they just didn't fit him and Rufus knew it very well. He was trying to find something elegant, modest yet unique and beautiful.
Laxus and Bickslow had left them hours ago, going to their own way and look around he city. Evergreen stuck with Freed and Rufus, going through the rings with the memory mage and Freed mostly stayed aside and looked around.
God he wanted to sit down.
"It wouldn't kill you to be just a little bit more interested about choosing the rings", Evergreen snapped with a whisper to him, nudging his side.
"I have looked around and I have told my opinions to every single option", Freed reminded calmly. "It's Rufus who can't seem to decide."
"That's because he wants the ring to be something that fits you perfectly."
"Well, he sure is seeing an awful lot of trouble to fulfill that mission", Freed said slightly amused.
"You haven't suggested yet any ring for Rufus", Evergreen pointed out and Freed blinked.
"They won't be just the same both of them?" he asked and the brunette groaned with a mental facepalm.
"I knew something was wrong!" she hissed annoyed. "How can you be so smart when you're still so utterly stupid sometimes!"
"Even I can't know everything", Freed said with a little bit hurt in his voice.
"Engagement rings doesn't need to look same", Evergreen explained. "Sometimes they do, but it's not a rule. You should find a ring that looks perfect on Rufus, ask him if he wants it to be golden or silver, if there should be one or two jewels or something like that."
"I thought engagement rings wouldn't have jewels", Freed murmured with a frown. So apparently he had missed some information.
"Of course they can have jewels! Just make sure it looks good on Rufus", Evergreen said. "Look around more. God, even Rufus can start feeling uneasy if you don't show at least this much interest towards him."
That made Freed's eyes snap towards the fairy mage like someone hit him with a crop and he looked surprised.
"He's feeling uneasy?" he asked slightly worried.
"No, he hasn't said anything", Evergreen huffed crossing her arms. "But you know, he's definitely the one who shows it a lot more that he loves you. You are always so restricted with everything, won't even spontaneously take his hand when we're walking around or something", she scolded and she could see how Freed had not even realized it before. He looked a bit ashamed.
Evergreen smiled patting his shoulder.
"Don't think too much of it", she said.
"You can't say something like that, when you first accuse me of being a horrible boyfriend", Freed muttered.
"You are not horrible", Evergreen sighed rolling her eyes. "Just... You want to make him happy, right?"
"Of course."
"So think what all you can do to make him happy. It doesn't need to be anything big", Evergreen smiled. "Give him a little kiss on the cheek out of nowhere, take his hand when walking together, suggest going to some place together, show more affection. Simple little things, those are the best. I know you're not someone who shows affection easily, but you should try it. It's not that hard."
With that, Evergreen left to talk with Rufus who had been going through the rings with the jeweler. Freed huffed, thinking about it and he looked at the showcases. Had he really given an image like he wasn't interested at all? It was true that he didn't really know how to show his affection. Of course he had read all kinds of romantic literature but to actually do those things? He felt a bit bashful when he even thought about suddenly kissing Rufus in the middle of a street or something...
Rufus noticed how Freed had turned silent suddenly, looking at the rings but he didn't seem like he was seeing them at all. He stepped beside the green haired man and touched his arm gently.
"Are you feeling tired?" he smiled and Freed slightly jolted, looking at him. "We have been going around quite some time already.
"Ah, no", Freed said quickly. "I'm fine. Have you found anything interesting?" he asked and almost bit his tongue. That sounded like he thought nothing Rufus had found had been interesting.
The masked mage looked at his fiancé for a while, noticing that something was off.
"We can take a little break", he smiled. "Maybe we should go to a coffee house nearby and have tea and some little snacks?" he suggested.
"Oh", Freed said. "No, I'm alright."
"I insist", Rufus smiled grabbing Freed's hand and the rune mage was confused. Why did it come so easily for Rufus to just take his hand? "Evergreen, are you going to continue looking around?" Rufus asked from the brunette.
"I'm going to see that shop with fans I saw earlier", she said with a smile. It was obvious Rufus wanted to have time alone with Freed so this was a good time to go see other shops.
"We will see you later then", Rufus nodded and they parted their ways.
The coffee shop Rufus mentioned was only few stores away. They went inside, found a table where to sit and ordered some tea and sandwiches.
"Is something bothering you?" Rufus finally asked when they could settle down and talk about the issue. "You know you can talk to me about everything", he smiled taking Freed's hand, his thump gently caressing the back of his hand.
Freed looked at the elegant hand that had a hold of his own. Why was it so easy for Rufus, just extend his hand like that and took a hold of his own? Did Freed really not care about Rufus as much as he did care about him? Thinking something like that, it made cold shivers run down his spine and he felt a bit ill.
"This is not about rings, is it?" Rufus guessed after looking at Freed's troubled face for a moment. "This is something else. Do you regret your decision?"
"No!" Freed almost shouted and even he was shocked of how loud he said it, trying not to care how some of the customers nearby looked at them confused. "It's not about that, I do not regret anything", Freed said after calming himself. "If I would regret, I would say it."
"I know", Rufus smiled. "You are a very honest man after all and if you would hide your true feelings, it would only make things complicated. You like keeping things simple", he said and chuckled. "Though, sometimes it might seem complicated to others."
"I have heard it that not everyone always understands me and how I'm doing things", Freed said with a smile.
"Don't feel bad about it. We are all different in our own ways."
Freed nodded and took a sip of his tea. They were all different... Rufus was naturally charming, social and he knew how to talk. He was sharp and he knew how to read people's facial expressions and body language, Freed was somewhat lacking that skill. After all, he had not even realized Rufus was in love with him before the memory mage himself told him about his feelings.
Rufus smiled taking a bite of his sandwich, looking at Freed.
"So what is it that is bothering you?" he asked. "You are honest, but you don't like to burden other people with your worries. But I want to carry half of that burden and help you to find answers if possible."
"You are a really kind man", Freed smiled. He sighed and tried to think how he should phrase his thoughts so he could explain hem to Rufus the best way. "Ever mentioned something to me."
"Oh?" Rufus said and he narrowed his eyes slightly. What did Ever say to make Freed this uneasy?
"You have... Shown it a lot more how much you love me, while I can barely do a thing to show my love towards you", Freed tried to explain. "Even something as trivial as holding hands. I do love you, very much. I just don't know how to show it."
"I see", Rufus murmured. He was surprised that Freed was thinking something like that. "I'm really happy to hear you love me that much", he smiled. "But why is this troubling you so much?"
"You're making me feel good and precious all the time, I feel like I can't do the same to you."
"Why are you thinking something like that? I always feel good and precious when around you", Rufus chuckled and Freed looked at him. "We are very different in that way, Freed. I know you're not someone who expresses his feelings easily. I know it and I love it. When you do show me them, they feel even more special."
"You don't... Feel like I don't love you as much as you love me?"
"Not at all. How is something like that measured anyway?"
"That... I don't even know", Freed said and he had to laugh, making Rufus smile. The swordsman huffed and shook his head. "I sometimes tend to overthink things."
"I know, dear", Rufus chuckled. "I have noticed it long time ago. I love that too, it makes you cute", he smirked and Freed blushed slightly. "I just hope you will talk to me if you're thinking something that's making you feel uneasy."
"I'll keep that in mind", Freed promised.
"Good. So do you still want t continue looking for rings?"
"Absolutely. I'll try to pay more attention this time."
"Don't push yourself", Rufus smiled. "You don't care about things like rings, I understand why you don't find it as interesting as others might. But it doesn't mean you don't value our engagement. Rings are just things after all."
"You know me well", Freed chuckled.
"Of course I do, darling", Rufus smiled, kissing Freed and this time the rune mage didn't give a damn if people might be staring.