No One's POV

November 20th X792

First Day Of The Grand Magic Games

The first time he saw her, he was walking through an old abandoned park in the outskirts of Crocus.

He usually came here to clear his thoughts when his day was rough, no one knew about this place, or so he had thought. But there she was, swinging on one of the rusted swings.

Her blonde hair blew back and forth as she swung up and down, her head tilted back, eyes closed and a small smile graced her face. She was stunning. It was cold tonight, snow had just started to fall in the city. She wore a fluffy pink jacket with a pink scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, light blue skinny jean clad legs swung back and forth and her black winter boots touched the ground ever so lightly.

He was cautious as he walked up to the second swing, he didn't want to ruin what looked to be a peaceful moment, he had to wonder why she was out so late though, it was almost two in the morning.

The swing made a creaking noise as he sat, and he knew he had ruined her blissful moment as her black boots scraped along the ground, pulling her to stop.

She sighed once as she looked at him and then back at the sky, the snow was falling heavier now.

'It's peaceful here, isn't it' she said, her voice was delicate, as if it would crack at any moment, she looked to him again and he nodded his response, he hadn't expected her to talk to him, no, she should've run away from him.

'I'm not scared of you, if that's what your thinking' this time her voice held amusement, her eyes sparkled briefly before returning to the dull shade of brown he'd seen before.

'And why's that' he asked curiously, usually everyone went to great lengths to avoid him.

She smiled softly and started to kick her legs back and forth again as he sat waiting for a reply, she threw her head back and closed her eyes again, he started doubting that he would get his answer.

'You would've hurt me already if you were going to, and plus, I'm used to getting hurt' she said softly, her voice going back to a fragile softness, he felt as if the girl would break at any moment, and yet when he looked at her face, there was a small smile adorning it.

The girl in front of him seemed so broken, and yet she still smiled, he wondered what she meant by 'she's used to getting hurt' she seemed so kind, and when he had seen her with her guild mates she was always laughing, so what had happened?

'Your right, I won't hurt you' he decided to say back to her response, she chuckled lightly before dragging her feet along the ground again and pulling to a stop, she stood up from the swing, snowflakes were piling in her blonde hair as she stepped across to him, her feet crunching the snow accumulated underfoot.

She grabbed onto the chains he was currently holding onto, he looked up to meet her golden brown eyes, confusion clearly showing on his face, what was this girl doing?

'My name's Lucy, in case you didn't know' she smiled again, God, her smile was dazzling, he looked into her eyes as they sparkled briefly in happiness, before dulling yet again to the lifeless ones from before.

He smirked at her and stood up, there were only inches between them, if she leaned up just the slightest bit, their lips would touch, but as it was, she stepped back some, giving them room as she looked up to him, waiting for his response.

Lucy, yes, he knew of her, she was in Fairy Tail, friends with the Salamander, Stripper and the Titania, the one Minerva had tortured just last year, guilt ate at him as he remembered what his guild had done to her, and it only worsened as he looked into her lifeless eyes, the fake smile she was wearing, he knew what she was truly feeling, so why would she hide it, more importantly, why was she feeling so alone, helpless and scared?

'My name's Sting Eucliffe, in case you've forgotten' he said, he Sting was sure he saw amusement dance in her eyes for the briefest of moments at his words and he wanted to smile for bringing that look to her eyes.

'So, Sting, what brings you out here so late' she asked as she danced around him and back to her swing where she started moving back and forth, but never taking her feet of the ground.

'Shouldn't I be asking you that' he asked the other blonde, she raised an eyebrow, she shook her head, smiling she brought her forefinger to her lips, 'secret' she whispered, if he wasn't paying close attention to her he would've missed it.

'Okay then' he shrugged not wanting to pry into something she so obviously didn't want to talk about. 'I always come here when I need to think' he said she smiled and nodded her head, he was thankful she wasn't trying to pry into his life.

Sting sat back down on the swing next to her, the snow was coming in what seemed to be buckets, at least two inches had accumulated since he had arrived, he could barely see in front of him anymore, the snow was so thick, he wondered how they would find their way back to their individual hotels.

'Life is full of strange things, isn't it Sting' Lucy said suddenly, he looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering what possessed her to say that.

'Yeah, it is' he said, unsure of what else to say to her question. She looked so sad, so lost, he desperately wanted to know what happened to her but decided not to pry, as it might be a very sensitive topic for her and he didn't want to see her cry.

It was four in the morning now, they had been here for two hours together, he hadn't the slightest idea of when Lucy had actually arrived though so he couldn't be sure how long she had been out. Sting decided it might be best if he started heading back towards the city, but he couldn't leave the blonde girl by herself in this storm.

'We should get back, it's almost dawn' he told her, she looked up to him and smiled sadly and nodded her head, he stood up and offered her a hand which she hesitantly accepted, he was sure he could get them back to the city in this storm, even with the low visibility. Sting held onto her hand tightly, silently daring her to try and shake him off, but she never did, she gladly held onto his hand, but the way she held on had him questioning things.

It felt as if she was sinking into herself, and he was a life preserver that kept her afloat, he didn't mind though, but still he kept having to shut his mouth as he wanted to ask her so many questions, but he knew it wouldn't be appropriate for whatever relationship the two currently shared.

They walked in silence, the only sound was of breathing and the crunching of snow underfoot.

Until Lucy suddenly started humming, Sting stopped momentarily at the sudden noise but soon started walking forward again, Lucy's hand squeezing his own as she hummed what sounded like a sad tune, he wasn't sure but he felt as if he'd heard it somewhere before, but decided not to ask.

It brought about sad memories of his own, memories he held deep within his mind, no one really knew about his past and he liked it that way, they were his own secret, his own insecurities, but he made no move to stop her from humming the sad tune.

'Why do people hurt other's' Lucy suddenly asked, he stopped walking again, they were so close to town he could see the lights and hear the first sounds of the morning commute, but he stayed silent and didn't dare to move an inch.

'Does it make them feel good to see others pain' she asked again, he wasn't entirely sure if she wanted a response, but when he looked at her he knew she was waiting for just that.

'I think people hurt other's because of their own insecurities, because of their own jealousy, I don't think people truly hate others I just think they want what the other has so badly they become blinded' he said to the blonde, he wondered why she was even asking questions like these.

She seemed to accept his response and smiled up at him, suddenly feeling the urge to hug the girl, he did just that, he wrapped his arms around her small frame and she slid her arms around his waist, as if he would protect her from the outside world and it's many negative feelings, but one couldn't truly protect someone from these things, negative emotions and wrong doings would come her way regardless of how hard he hugged her.

When they finally pulled away from each other he found himself missing her warmth, but pushed the feeling aside, he smiled at her again and continued walking towards town.

Ten minutes later they were standing in front of the hotel called 'HoneyBone' where the Fairy Tail team was staying, neither had let go of the others hand yet, but they both knew it was inevitable, whatever happened tonight between the two would become nothing more then a far away memory, and the thought made both mages feel a pang of sadness fill their hearts.

They reluctantly released each other's hand and stepped apart after one last hug. Sting stared at the blonde celestial mage and saw the flicker of sadness leave her eyes and replaced by one of...hope?

'I hope to see you again Sting Eucliffe' she said with a small bow and a smile, Sting chuckled at her actions and smiled down at her.

'And I you, Lucy' he laughed again in amusement, pulling her in for another hug,she kissed his cheek lightly before turning and disappearing behind the hotel doors.

Sting stood for a moment, rubbing his cheek where she had kissed, it was a feather kiss, barely touching him, but still the warmth of her small touch lingered there and he felt giddy, for on the first time in years he felt truly happy, even if it was happiness towards a fairy.

As he walked to his hotel he found himself desperately hoping he would see her again, that this one night wouldn't be the end to something that he was sure would turn into something grand.