Catch the Thunder

Can't Be Caught

Once again, Freed was in the South Pole Club on a Saturday night. Even after he and Laxus began to date, he returned here again and again, maybe more frequently than before, when he came only to be teased and aroused. Now he watched the show.

Or at least, he watched one man.

"Thor is on second again," Bob told him before he even had to ask.

Second. Always, he was after the club's darling prince. Yet Freed realized, that was fine. Laxus was not a stripper at heart. This was a job, not an enjoyment. He was good because he had to be to get what he wanted: clients to beat so he could get out his sadistic tendencies.

"I saw your fencing match last week. Was that Thor in the crowd?"

Freed said nothing and only sipped his chartreuse. Laxus had come to the fencing tournament, and it was just bad luck that the camera had shown a closeup of his face, watching the match with those intense blue eyes and the unique scar running down his face. Luckily, despite the fact that Bob had played it on the club's television screens, no one yet had mentioned it. He doubted if anyone was even in the club at that time of the day. Only Bob. Bob seemed to always be there, and he liked to watch his regular customer on the television.

"I won't tell," Bob said quietly. "Still, if you two are together in public ... Jellal is strict about these things."

"Jellal can go to hell," Freed grumbled.

Bob sighed as he watched Freed's gaze. "You requested Thor again. I don't think you really need to do that."

"I like to," Freed said. "It's nice, having him dance for me."

"Doesn't he dance for you in private?"

Freed again said nothing. He knew the club had rules about how close the dancers could get with their customers.

"Every time you come here now, you're requesting him."

"It's managing to keep his job," Freed pointed out.

"True, but you're practically his exclusive client."

Exclusive! Freed liked the sound of that.

"And now you're out with him in public. If Jellal gets a hint that Thor is becoming exclusive to a customer, he'll fire Thor."

"Thor will keep dancing; it doesn't matter which club."

"Isn't that ... troubling for you? Seeing him with other men?"

Freed said nothing and took another silent sip. He knew it was Laxus' job, he knew those men meant nothing to Laxus, but still...

Sometimes...

Bob glanced around to make sure no one could hear, and he dropped his voice to a confidential whisper. "Now, I like that guy, he's talented, but ... why don't you tell him to leave all of this behind and stay with you? You've got money. You could support him."

"Support Thor?" Freed had to laugh at the idea. "A man like him would never agree to someone else supporting him." Freed knew that was just the way Laxus was: stubborn, independent, determined to make it through life by his own strength.

"Most of these dancers aren't in relationships. You and Thor are. You're even going out on dates. You should hold onto him, now that you've caught him."

Freed shook his head with a passive smile. "You can't catch someone like him. Perhaps by chance he'll strike in front of you, land in your lap, but no one can hold onto him forever. In a flash, he's gone, and all that's left is the sound of that electrical presence. A crackle. A rumble. The ominous and fading roll of thunder." He smiled up to Bob with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "You can't catch the thunder."