I know it's been quite a while since I posted the first chap to see how you guys liked the AU but I finally got around to writing up a second chap! My motivation and energy after work is horrible so I barely get to write anything anymore but I'll try to work on it because I really miss writing and posting stuff a little more often!

So I hope some of you are still interested in this AU, even if it might be a long time since the next update, and enjoy this! ;w; This chap will have mentioned Jerza.

"You're turning human. It's his fault."

Evergreen's words rang in Freed's mind all night long, and the morning after. At times like these he was thankful that he didn't need any real sleep. It was bad enough that his mind was a mess; he hated it. And he'd babysit ten babies rather than admit that Ever had managed to actually make him worry with her words after all and that was saying something.

Children… really weren't his thing. Perhaps because he just didn't quite know how to deal with them. Weakness, insecurity, he hated it all.

The devil stepped out of the shower after wrapping a towel around his waist, his long hair sticking to his skin and an unreadable mien on his face. As he began to dry his green strands he looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze briefly swerving to the spot on his shoulder that had been hit by a bullet when he, once again, joined Laxus on a job without his permission. He had lost blood… and that wasn't normal, he was well aware of this fact.

He'd never lost blood before. There was no sign of any wound or even a scratch or anything visible anymore; the spot had healed almost immediately after just like his wounds tended to do but usually he did not lose blood. Nothing.

This time he had but he was still convincing himself that it wouldn't happen again. It was impossible after all."Nonsense…," Freed muttered to himself once he had finished drying his hair. He walked over to his bedroom which was large but not as large as his luxury living room and it wasn't long until he was dressed in a black suit again.

His apartment was located one floor above his club. It was convenient, and as he stalked down the stairs he was debating on whether to go visit the police officer or not. Theoretically he had promised him not to intrude with his work case today but one part of him could almost say for sure that Laxus probably almost already expected him to show up anyway.

Now though, and maybe it was because of the inner debate he was having, Freed actually considered just staying at his work place today. Not that he had to try but perhaps it would soothe Evergreen a little as well.

"Good morning." The man's voice was less of a mutter and more of his usual clear tone when he greeted his demon friend who was already standing behind the bar and drinking a whiskey. Freed knew that she only did this kind of thing when she was really pissed or worried, but the latter hardly ever occurred in comparison to the former.

So Freed was quite surprised as he wasn't able to figure out if it was still lingering anger from the evening before or actual concern when she answered him.

"Morning. You're here already?"

"Apparently I am." He didn't want to sound so dry but couldn't help it. The reply had come naturally, as had the raised eyebrow, and he could see Ever briefly narrowing her eyes at this retort of his.

There was silence for a few moments. It was tension filled, for both of them to notice, but whilst other people would feel uncomfortable the two of them just ignored it.

Evergreen took another sip of her whiskey, her gaze never leaving Freed, though. The devil reached for the newspaper that was put on the counter and read the first headline before skipping to the next pages. The action wasn't driven by real interest. But perhaps there would be any news related to any of Laxus' cases?

Oh, he was thinking of him again.

Eyebrows knitting heavily the devil put the newspaper back. Neither of them said a word and he could still feel Ever's gaze on him what was the reason for him heaving a heavy sigh in the end.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Freed looked up now, expression hard and unwavering. "Because if not, then I've just decided that I'm going to visit somebody."

Judging by the look the demon was giving him he had reached just what he had wanted to; make her believe that he was talking about Laxus again. Perhaps it wasn't the best move but he was exasperated and didn't want to hear any more of her lectures, not right now.

Even if there might be some truth to them.

"Do what you must," she replied with a flicker in her brown eyes before she put her now empty glass away.

Freed hadn't expected any less than having her reply in such a tone. "I always do, you know me." After fixing his sleeves he turned his back on her, ready to leave. His plan of staying at the club all day long had been canceled. It wasn't like it had been a realistic plan anyway. "I'll possibly be back in a few hours."

"Sure, boss."

"Evergreen." The devil had stopped in his tracks, glaring at her and his tone quietly menacing. Ever stood her ground, her gaze challenging. At least for a moment.

Because there was another flicker of emotion in her eyes and then she averted her gaze. Mindlessly, she turned around and began to adjust a few half-full bottles of alcohol on the shelf, only stopping in her movements when she spoke in a calm tone. "Just think about my words, please."

Freed's eyes narrowed but the surprise about Evergreen giving in, and the fact that he had been able to make out actual concern in her voice for real, succeeded in burning this request into the back of his mind when he left the huge building, entering the busy world.

xxx

Among the crowd of people filling the streets he was just a simple human being. He looked like one, he acted like one. Well, most of the time at least. And even if he was sincere about his actual origin and identity then people wouldn't believe him. Such strange yet interesting creatures.

Except for the children. Children were only strange, and annoying.

Freed grimaced remembering his last encounter with one. Fortunately there weren't many children out in the crowded streets at this hour as most of them went to some form of educational center. He honestly wondered how anyone could want to work at such a place, being around these brats the entire time, but that was none of his business. He sure as hell wasn't going to set foot in such a building if he wasn't required to.

If Laxus was good with children? The devil didn't think he'd ever seen him with one. Not that he wanted to.

Apart from the usual looks he received, from women mostly, even when he was just casually walking down the streets, be it because of his natural charm or his elegant appearance, he could make his way down to his destination without anyone disturbing him. Freed wasn't quite certain why he had decided to pay her a visit again as he didn't fully believe in what she did.

Fortune telling.

Fortune wasn't something he really believed in anyway but for some reason this woman had managed to capture his attention, and not only because they had found out that they got along rather well despite their personalities clashing the first time they met.

She knew about his true identity as well. For whatever reason it hadn't taken much persuading for her to believe him. Most people simply brushed it off as him being a little crazy or messing with them, what could be quite amusing.

Her small shop, which was connected to her apartment, was located at the end of an almost always empty street. It was a darker, closed off part of the town so it wasn't surprising that she usually didn't have many visitors.

Freed stood in front of the entrance, forehead in soft wrinkles. As he fixed his sleeves more out of habit than anything else he almost reconsidered his decision. What was he trying to find out here? If there was more truth to Ever's words than he wanted to see? That he was hopelessly in love with the handsome cop he spent so much time with?

Shaking his head with a click of his tongue the devil straightened his posture again before walking in. He had to pass a small but high enough tent-like area at first before he set foot in the actual shop.

Inside, the light was dimmed. Candles were placed everywhere and he crinkled his nose as one particular scent stung in his nose. Vanilla. He hated vanilla.

There were questionable and fascinatingly decorated objects everywhere; on the shelves, on the walls. Some he knew, some he didn't know where to place and at times he had wondered if, perhaps, the fortune teller was from a yet different world than his and the humans' world as well but that was hardly possible.

"To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Freed was hardly able to make out her shape in one of the darkest corners but he could very well hear the grin that must have been on her face this very moment. "Hello Cana."

"Hello Freed, Lord of Hell."

The devil growled softly though began to walk into the direction her voice was coming from. It was when she heard his foot steps echo softly that she decided to turn on a small lamp, the light of it illuminating the area of her 'work' table and the quite cozy couch she was sitting on.

As usual she was wearing a long skirt with softly shimmering pallets and a cropped top that matched the skirt perfectly in color and design. Her thick and slightly curly brown her fell over her shoulders and just like he had guessed there was a bright grin on her face, one he had learned was quite characteristic for the fortune teller.

"I see you're very busy," he noted dryly once he came to stand in front of her table and taking on the sarcasm in his voice Cana raised a brow but dismissed his comment otherwise.

"I doubt ya came here because ya missed me. Just need somebody to talk? Something to do with our popular cop?"

Freed huffed but the sound was giving him away. Of course she would know why he came here and it somehow exasperated him just a little. "Perhaps." He wasn't going to confess that he was confused about his own feelings and that apparently he was endangering his own immortal life by, maybe, being in love with a human.

But he didn't need to confess anything. Cana didn't tend to ask many questions; maybe because of her fortune telling and great knowledge of human nature in general.

When the brunette didn't say anything, Freed took the seat across from her and rested his arms on the surface, hands folded. "Where do you know him from anyway?"

"Other than being the best cop in town?" Cana laughed, though then sat up straight on her couch and leaned in towards him with a new small grin. "He's one of my occasional drinking buddies. Got to know him at a bar after he'd finished a case."

The devil frowned. "Drinking buddies?"

"Drinking buddies." Clicking her tongue, somehow amused by Freed's short response, she leaned in a bit closer over the table. "Nothing more. Guy has always been pretty uninterested in women although he gets flirted with pretty often when he's out. Doesn't really keep up conversations, let alone go home with one of his admirers. At least, that's what I've seen with my own eyes."

"What about guys?" The question had left his lips so quick, he hadn't been able to suppress it. But when Cana just gave him a knowing look, the devil grumbled. "What, it's not like you haven't already been well aware about my own preference, and my interest in Laxus Dreyar, right?" Might as well play with open cards. Literally.

"Right, I've just never heard it out of your mouth like that. Now there's no going back, you've said it. But no, no guys either."

"I'm only talking about interest, nothing like-"

"Love?"

"That, yes."

"But that's why you're here, isn't it? You wanna know what's going on in your little devil heart."

Freed's upper lip curled slightly, and almost into a tiny snarl. He wasn't sure why he was having such troubles admitting that love had become a subject for him, and one he was currently confused about. It was strange. Laxus was making him feel alive in a way nobody else had ever before. Every day, every night he spent with him got burned into his memory.

After just looking at each other, both unwavering, the devil finally relaxed his shoulders and facial features again. Perhaps he was just still upset about the argument with Evergreen as well, or the fact that he had really lost blood during that one incident. But either way, he was now leaning back with his arms folded and gave Cana a small nod. "Fine, what can you tell me?"

"The one thing you need to know." And with a grin, the card of the lovers in her grip, she looked over at her crystal ball.

xxx xxx

What Cana told him had been pretty clear. It had been such a direct statement that it almost brought his fear to the surface again, the fear driven by his own confusion and the fact that somebody else apart from himself could influence his living situation to such an extent.

Freed had left the fortune teller's shop after a brief talk after she had revealed the allegedly most important thing he needed to know. He had headed to his favorite bar aside from his own, consumed one or two glasses of wine and pondered on the words he had heard.

He had come to the human world to live a life with more freedom, to be the one creating the rules. And yet here he was, apparently in the grip of somebody else yet again.

At first his father and now… Laxus.

It was too soon for the devil to give up a little of his pride and admit that Evergreen had been correct all along. So it was a good thing that he planned to avoid returning to his club and apartment located above it.

Instead, when late evening had broken in, Freed found himself standing in front of the blond cop's door. "What am I even doing here?" He snorted and raised his hand to knock only to stop in the movement before any sound could be made. He had promised Laxus not to bother him at work. Surely, it would be fine for him to bother him at home right? This thought of his was half serious and half sarcastic, which is why he was hesitating. But in the end he knocked.

Nothing happened at first. Freed listened closely to figure out if somebody was home. He had learned that Laxus shared a two-story house with his grandfather. At least one of them had to be home.

"Huh…" The devil frowned when suddenly there was a high-pitched laughter and the sound of something dropping to the floor. The sounds were followed by an all too familiar voice shouting a 'come here!' before another voice followed. A female voice. A woman?

Freed's frown deepened. He knocked again, this time a little harder. Perhaps Laxus was busy with somebody else after all, and Cana had been wrong in her observations all along. Perhaps-

But then the door flung open and Laxus stood before him. They both blinked one time as they looked at each other and it was the smaller human being appearing beside the tall man that got Freed's attention.

Was that… Was that a kid?

"Why are you here?" Laxus sounded caught off guard and although his question came off as a little rude, there was more awkwardness in his deep voice than anything else.

And Freed couldn't help but grimace as he looked at the small human tugging at Laxus' sleeve desperately seeking his attention, apparently. "I'm suddenly wondering that, too," he commented dryly and crinkled his nose. He didn't realize how Laxus raised a brow and thus just rolled his shoulders, trying to ignore the little girl as he looked up again. "Am I bothering?"

"Uh, well… Actually…-"

"Laxus, who's there? Rosie, let's take you to bed- Oh." The scarlet-haired woman stopped and blinked when she spotted Freed. Her brown, seemingly strict eyes scanned the green-haired man from head to toe.

"Good evening," Freed greeted politely despite all the questions that were floating in his mind, and the woman's brown gaze became softer.

"Good evening." She stepped up next to Laxus and settled her hands on the small girl's shoulders. "Laxus, is this a friend of yours?"

"Uh, he-"

Freed cut him off, earning a small grumpy pout from the cop. "My name is Freed Justine. Laxus and I have been spending some time together on his cases lately. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss-?"

"Erza, Erza Scarlet." She gave a small confident smile. "So you two are work mates?"

"Well, not exactly. I'm just offering him my assistance every now and then."

"And intruding without permission as well," Laxus grumbled but got ignored by both of them.

"I see." Erza nodded but then she looked down and ruffled the small girl's hair. "I would love to chat for a bit but I have to put my daughter to bed."

"But mommy-"

"No protest, sweetie. It was nice to meet you, Freed. I'll leave you two alone." With that she shooed her daughter, who had the same hair color as her, up the stairs. She was definitely younger than both Freed and Laxus and she gave off the vibe of a woman who could be as strict as she could be loving.

Awkward silence lingered for a moment. Laxus had crossed his arms and looked at Freed as though he was waiting for him to say something first. And so he did.

"Don't you want to invite me in?"

"I could also send you back home," the blond grumbled but then sighed in defeat and opened the door as far as possible, the sign for the devil to step inside.

"Why thank you."

Freed closed the door behind him and glanced around the room. He'd only been here one time, and Laxus had been alone then. He noticed that the blond was still in his working clothes what must mean that he'd returned home not all too long ago.

"Who is she?"

Laxus had expected this question. He just gave a light shrug and leaned against the wall of the small, cozy living room. "Ya could say that she's my adoptive sister. Gramps has always had a big heart, the old geezer. Has always been the father figure for her, kind of."

Suddenly it all made far more sense than before again and Freed, putting one and one together, gestured towards the stairs Erza and Rosie had disappeared on. "And the little… thing. It's hers?"

Laxus snorted. "Rosie. Her little girl, yea."

"Oh good, good." What a relief! For one dangerous moment he had truly thought that there was something he didn't know about Laxus. Something like, an actual child. Perhaps it was karma. After all, he'd wondered how good or bad Laxus was at handling children earlier this day.

"Ya don't really like children, huh?" The cop had his arms crossed still and a small smirk had grown on his lips. Seeing Freed pull another grimace amused him.

"You could put it that way." They were annoying to him. They were annoying to him because he wasn't sure how to handle them, and the insecure caused by it bothered him the most. "Anyway, I suppose I just wanted to see you. Is your grandfather not at home? Were you able to solve your case?"

"Gramps is visiting one of his old friends and Erza, her husband and their daughter have spontaneously decided to visit us over the weekend." Laxus began to undo his padded vest while he replied, finally dropping his work clothing. "It's almost solved."

"Do you need my help?"

The blond looked aside. Freed was grinning smugly and seeing this face of his had him huff. Smug bastard. "I'll solve it on my own. I'm the cop here."

"I'm just saying that it's no disadvantage to have the devil on your side, now is it?"

"Whatever." There he was blabbering about this confusing devil stuff again. Laxus was wondering if he'd ever find out what this was about. Perhaps Freed was just a little crazy; he was different anyway, he'd noticed this since the beginning.

Yet still, not different in a negative way. If it was negative then he wouldn't be feeling good in his presence, enjoy to spend time with him despite his sly smugness let alone become intimate with him.

"Actually," Freed began again. "I wanted to ask you something-"

But he didn't get around to voice his question. Just when Laxus had dropped his vest there was a heavy knock at the door. The sounds were frantic and loud and after a series of them had appeared they died down completely.

Laxus furrowed his thick brows, while Freed crossed his arms. "Another late visitor? You aren't expecting anyone, are you?"

"We are, but…" The cop's words trailed off. Something didn't feel right. It was as if he was sensing something bad to happen although he hoped that it was just his annoyance and the exhaustion of the day speaking.

After throwing another look at Freed, Laxus walked over to the door. Something was definitely off.

And when he opened the door there was a man lying before his feet, his body slumped completely and a heavily bleeding wound on his left side.

Laxus' eyes widened and when he didn't move for a moment, Freed inched closer to look what was happening. But before he could ask what was going on, before Laxus acted to haul the wounded man inside even there was a pained, scared scream behind them coming from Erza, her eyes wide with horror.

"JELLAL!"

As always, thank you for your patience and I hope y'all are doing well! ;w;