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Betrayal is the key to hatred
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She failed her.
She failed Juvia.
She was obviously fighting a losing game.
Having to face two units of Sabertooth, the most respected police force in Fiore, had shoved her chances of winning down the cliff. As Sting hovered over her bruised body, she fought the urge to cry, stifling the first sob which had been trying to escape her lips the moment she collapsed from exhaustion.
Rogue scrutinized her state.
Her knees were bloodied from the deep gashes she'd ignored. The edge of her lips was beginning to turn into a terrible shade of purple.
There was no energy left for her to defy law.
It astonished him how the fight didn't last long. Usually, a battle against Black Widow would result into a tiring chase, explosives, several corpses here and there, casualties leading to Sabertooth's bankruptcy, and lastly, officers with empty hands.
He noticed a few things as well during their match. Black Widow's movements were very odd. Her attacks didn't seem too flamboyant and fluid, whereas in their latest face off, her motions were stiff and simple, yet dangerous if came into contact. Sting's swollen arm proved the point.
Rogue stared at the crippled criminal, pulling her up by the cloak and staring at her masked face. "We have faced Black Widow countless of times to safely conclude that you are not her," he said in a bored tone. He raised her chin for inspection, looking through his own reflection on the lustrous rubies.
"Your fighting style is different compared to an assassin. A previous soldier, perhaps? Your bullets aren't coated with poison either."
Before she could even blink, her hood was already down. Soft golden locks fell smoothly on her shoulders. She clenched her teeth upon seeing him reach for the last thing concealing her identity. It was hopeless.
Fighting was hopeless, she figured.
The tips of his fingers kept on inching closer to her mask.
Then, it happened.
The sound of a motor engine came, followed by someone jumping off the vehicle and smashing a gigantic sword on the spot where Rogue stood. The floor shattered from the powerful impact, blinding their line of sight with the immense dust from the demolished ground.
Lucy felt herself being lifted up. She gazed at the woman who placed her gently on the motorcycle.
A skeleton mask?
Kagura.
"Don't worry… Jellal has Arachnid." Kagura said this while she threw three consecutive smokescreens at the police in preparation for the vanishment of the dust clouds.
They didn't have the time to play tag with the cops.
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Urgh… Juvia's head hurts…
"Is she going to be alright?"
She tried opening her eyes but failed in doing so. Her leg felt like jelly, and it was damn painful to let her drift back to sleep. What made her condition worse was her numb limbs.
She can't move a freaking muscle.
Eyelids fluttered open, revealing the cerulean orbs hiding behind them. Mavis! The lights blinded her without missing a second. Her grumble caught the attention of both males as they towered over her form. The first one, she did not recognize. His silver hair defied gravity—if she was to describe him. His eyes were sharp, peering at her own with this calculating look.
Over all... he's cute.
Juvia had to blink twice to push the startling thought away. Honestly, she would have slapped herself if she could move her upper body; it was a pity she couldn't.
The second man, to her relief, she recognized immediately. Jellal sat by her feet, hands gripping the white sheet under his palms. Those familiar blue strands sticking out of his cloak were unmistakable, and even with the mask on, she was able to discern the slightly visible scar.
"You lost a huge amount of blood. It surprised me how you recovered… in three hours." He arched a brow. Her healing rate was abnormal compared to any ordinary humans. There wasn't even a single trace of wound on her skin where she got shot.
"For Jellal-san to take me here… you must be an ally. What's your name?"
He shook his head. "I'm a random doctor who your friend stumbled upon. The name is Lyon. Lyon Vastia."
Her mouth dropped open while she gawked between Jellal and Lyon. Oh, gosh… they didn't just drag an innocent person into their unlawful affairs, did they? "No. No. No. No." She slammed the back of her head on the bed repeatedly. She was supposed to return safely with Lucy— Right! Lucy!
"Where's Lucy?"
"According to Kagura, she's receiving proper treatment inside the headquarters. I didn't take you there because of your state. I remembered passing by this clinic, so I took you here instead since it was closer. I hope you don't mind."
Juvia, with all her willpower, forced herself to sit up straight and face Lyon. There noses were nearly touching as she glared at the dumbfounded doctor. They remained still for awhile, but when he batted an eye, a tint of pink started blooming on her cheeks.
She pushed him far enough to gain her personal space. "W-What the… w-what will happen to him n-now?" Curse Mavis for letting her stutter! The other bluenette scratched his chin in thought. "I'm not sure…"
The albino smiled warmly at his patient before poking her cheek in a playful manner. This earned him a charming pout from the offended girl.
"I promise I won't tell a soul. You can kill me if I do," he said nonchalantly.
Curiosity sparked.
She studied him from top to bottom, wondering how a normal stranger like him could remain calm in his current situation.
"Juvia guesses it's settled then. You'll be her personal doctor."
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She wasn't home.
Throughout the year he had known her, it was his first time sneaking into her room, only to be greeted by darkness and silence. When he twisted the door knob, he felt something akin to dread crawl down his spine. It wasn't locked.
He did not know why, but his conscience was telling him to trespass and invade her privacy. Everything around him seemed disturbing, especially when he—a slave to the law—agreed to do what a police like him shouldn't be doing.
Without taking much further thoughts, Sting stepped inside the dull place.
Woah… He never imagined her to be this messy, since the last time he came here, her things were really organize. The moonlight glimmered down through the window, giving him enough light to be able to see his surroundings. Walking cautiously, his feet led him towards the center of the room.
"Geez… we lost both Phantoms. Now, I don't have someone to complain to. Can't this night get any worse?" He sighed in disappointment. She was usually his comfort zone each time he failed a mission, and she would never disagree to whatever he says. That part of her made him love her company enough for him to seek her presence during his horrible days.
He was just about to leave when her study table caught his eyes. There was an open drawer.
He scanned the documents inside with boredom until he noticed something strange in their content. There were pictures, details, descriptions, and information which a simple girl like her shouldn't bother about. People he knew fully well had their pictures glued on the upper right corner of the paper. Some photos were crossed out with a thick black marker, and it just didn't help how the crossed out images happened to be those who had died by the hands of Phantom Lord.
What's the meaning of this? He scanned each page with the feeling of anxiety flowing through his veins. Heck! Even the Sabertooth members had their personal information printed on it! There must be a valid reason why these were inside her drawer.
Why does she have this?
He surveyed the small area until something struck him. He dashed to her cabinet and slammed it open, and what he saw petrified him.
"Who gave Sting-kun the permission to enter Juvia's room?"
He could imagine her standing by the door, leaning on its frame with her arms folded under her breast. Everything in the world appeared to be child's play in her perspective; however, this had reached the limit. She had passed the boundaries.
"Juvia," he called, turning his head slowly to look behind his shoulder. "Explain to me… tell me what this is." He grabbed an object out of her cabinet.
"It is what he thinks it… is?" Her words faltered once she realized what he was holding so tightly. She swore her heart just dropped to her stomach.
Her lungs lost all air.
One of her ribcage must have gotten broken due to the pain she was currently experiencing. A pain from extreme humiliation.
The flustered female covered her lips with her palms.
In his bear hug was the body pillow he gave her during her first April Fool's Day in the apartment building. An image of a very naked Sting was printed on the smooth surface. He lain proudly on a cozy, sexy, red bed while he wore this cocky—but drop-dead gorgeous— smirk on his face.
"You kept it all along?" Tears began pouring down his cheeks in an exaggerated manner. His wail resounded throughout the apartment building, and she was sure she heard grumbles and complains coming from both upper and lower floors.
Her eyes disappeared under the shadow of her bangs as he continued to cry his sockets out. In one swift motion, Juvia pulled the pillow away from him and used it to pummel him for 15 minutes.
"Ouch! Stop it! I'm sorry!" He hunched and raised his hands in a poor attempt to protect himself from the young lady's assaults.
I guess I'm a selfish coward.
Another hit on the side.
"Stupid Sting-kun!"
I don't want to ruin the relationship we have.
A smack on the leg.
Because I'm scared.
Juvia's palm halted midway to his face when he suddenly grasped her shoulders, pushing her backwards until her body met the cold wall. "Sting-kun?" She gazed at him curiously through her long lashes.
He didn't respond.
Instead, he closed his eyes and placed a hungry kiss on her pinkish lips.
I'm afraid… afraid to lose the little chance I have.
He bit and licked like there was no tomorrow, seeking for the entrance he had desired too much for his sanity to take, and when she finally parted them, he hastily dove in. The wet sound of their dancing tongue conquered the deafening silence. That night, he realized, his tainted goddess can make the most wonderful music he would ever hear if he touched the right places.
I don't want to start over.
"Sting-kun," she whispered low in his ears.
He didn't know why, but his neck throbbed out of nowhere. His vision went blurry as his limbs trembled from the lack of energy. Although in a limp state, he managed to see her broken look before darkness took over him.
"This is just a dream."
Because it's the same with waking up from a dream that will never come true.
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It's two in the morning. Sorry for the grammatical errors! Thank you for those who continuously leave reviews. I highly appreciate them. I have no idea if I'm doing a pretty good job with this, since the fanfic has little number of favs, follows, and reviews. Perhaps, it's the summary? Can someone give me a better summary? I'll give you credits, of course!
Anyway, next chapter has Gruvia written all over it! I laughed so hard, TheLittleKittyMeows! It does look like a Gruvingon fanfic. I like the term.
Please review!
