Review Replies!
Aquos35: good question ;) will be revealed soon! dont worry :)
AngelXReaper: hehehe thank you, im really glad you think so :) i liked that part as well ;)
MissAMira: hmm well i'll have to think about a Lyon chapter... not sure yet. :x but i'll consider it ;)
SimplyIsabelleS: THE BALL IS HERE! VOILA! *sweeps arms in dramatic gesture* huehuehue
FairyTailWolf6: yes yes she is ;) thank you thank you i will :')
puckingrainbows: KYAAA YES STING IS CUTE HEHEHE HE'S ALWAYS CUTE :3 Lyon's feelings are... well... soon to be revealed maybe. i still cant decide on whether i should make a Lyon chappie.
Write-A-Rainbow: i missed your reviews :( RoNa is otw hehehe i kinda ship them here, they're like so scheming huehue. :)
ViviChenny1: im sorry if the sex scene wasnt very good, my lemon skills are limited heh :c if it helps... there's another one coming soon. i wont reveal who's in it, but it would help if you reviewed it as well :) im glad you think this is a good story though :) thanks for the review!
HERE'S THE NEW CHAPTER! IM SORRY I HAVENT POSTED IT SOON ENOUGH, I'VE BEEN SO BUSY. :(
enjoy! ^^
Chapter 10: The Ball
Lucy stood in front of her mirror, smoothing her dress and checking her reflection.
Her hair was done up in a simple elegant knot, pinned to perfection by Cancer. Dripped on her ears were delicate emerald teardrops for earrings, a past reward from a mission. Her feet were decked in her six inch white satin heels, covered with lace embroidery. She smelled faintly of mango and musk and a faintly sweet daisy scent, a unique perfume Loke had gotten her.
Meanwhile, Natsu was sitting on her bed, chatting animatedly with Happy. The fire-breather was meeting Lisanna at the Ball itself later, so he had nothing to worry about. His slim body was decked in a fairly simple red suit, with a pink dress shirt inside and his ever present scarf around his neck. Lucy personally thought the scarf topped the outfit very nicely, having chosen the ensemble for her best friend.
Erza was sitting at Lucy's dining table, eating strawberry cake before the ball. She looked as stunning as always, dressed in a long silver body-tight gown, drooped in a deep V between her nearly exposed breasts, dangerously slit at her side, revealing a side view of her long battle-toned legs.
Gray was pacing up and down in her living room, distressed a little. He had asked Lucy the previous day to be his dance partner for the ball, only to be told that Lyon had beaten him to it… more shocked or annoyed, he couldn't figure which was more accurate to his feelings. It seemed so ironic that out of all people, Lyon had gotten to the one girl he was possibly going to ask to the ball. The best person to do damage to both his pride and heart. He had hurriedly backed off once he had found out, as he didn't want to show Lucy his disappointment; she had explained her circumstances to him quite woefully, stating that she had already said yes to Lyon, and that she would've gone with him if he had asked earlier.
"Why don't you go with Juvia instead? I'm sure she'd be very happy." was the response she had given him. He didn't want to explain to her that she was the only girl he would ever look to for a romantic experience like this, so he had merely shrugged it off and said that he wouldn't mind going alone. He had carelessly dressed for the night, not giving it much thought, but nevertheless looking dashing in an expertly cut navy suit with a pale blue cotton scarf wrapped around his neck for a decorative touch, chosen kindly by Lucy.
The pain of knowing that he would never get Lucy to himself was eating its way to the bottom of his heart.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Ding-dong!
"Shit, that must be Lyon! Is it seven already?" came Lucy's voice running from her bedroom to the hall where everyone else was waiting.
Gray gaped at the sight of her. She looked stunning, even in her hurried state. He tried not to feel disappointed that he didn't get to take her as his for the night. After all, they were only team mates…
He followed everyone else to the door, where Lucy was greeting Lyon.
"Lucy, you look as beautiful as always." Gray came to a scene of a blushing red Lucy and the ever-gallant Lyon taking her hand in his and kissing it lightly.
"And you're ever the gentleman, Lyon." chuckled Lucy. She took Lyon's offered arm firmly and they set off to the stated ballroom venue along with a cheerful Erza, and overexcited Natsu and Happy and a rather doleful Gray.
Gray was sinking into a slow depression as he watched Lucy and Lyon engage in a lively conversation.
Why couldn't he be the one there instead of Lyon?
He had forgotten completely of how Lucy looked at Sting a mere few days ago.
The night was going to be a complicated one.
Lucy gasped in sight of the distinguished-looking building which was the supposed venue for the Magnolia Ball, the Mavis Vermillion Monumental Hall, built in dedication and gratitude to the first master of Fairy Tail by the town council.
When everyone had told her it was prestigious, she had merely shrugged it off, thinking how good could it be? Well, it looks like the building in front of her matched up to their descriptions very well.
It was large, constructed purely of white stone, and it had a completely white marbled roof, giving off a classic Roman-Ionic look. Four similarly built pillars conjoined the entire building, and the walls were covered by a mass stretch of ivy and honeysuckle climbing up the stone walls, clearly giving a lovely view from the outside.
Outside, a long red carpet stretched from the pavement to the inside of the building. The sides of the carpet were lined prettily with stretching rows of summer flowers. The carpet was cut off by long red ropes at the sides, and thousands of commoners had gathered to witness their favourite mages at this prestigious ball.
Lucy felt like a celebrity as she walked onto the fiery red carpet, a similar shade to Erza's hair, arm in arm with Lyon, who looked as handsome as ever in a charming navy suit, with a cute turquoise-and-yellow-pineapple dress shirt, unbuttoned slightly at the top. Seeing it made Lucy shiver all over again in memory of that energetic yet oh-so-sinful night in bed with him, followed by a slight pang of guilt for keeping such a secret from everyone.
The citizens cheered loudly at the sight of the beautiful celestial spirit mage arm in arm with one of the most respected ice mages in Fiore. They cheered even louder when they saw the handsome Gray, who unfortunately was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice the vibrant air of the crowd tonight. His face was emotionless and he looked like a robot crossing the carpet, his stride quick and soundless.
The inside was even more dazzling than the outside. Walking down a grand white marble staircase that was positioned at the entrance, Lucy gasped as she slowly took in the grand scene.
Covering the ceiling was a giant chandelier making the entire ballroom glow with a soft golden light. Along the walls were magical floating lacrimas, giving the white walls a rosy glow. The dance floor was a burnished mahogany, polished as smooth and shining as it could be.
Golden silk-draped tables for dining were placed around the dance floor, giving the dancers centre stage. Many well-known mages were already there, chatting lively or helping themselves to food from the banquet table. Classical music, mellow to the ears, was playing from the orchestra that was hired specially for the occasion.
"Wow." murmured Lucy. She made a mental note never to miss out on mages-only balls ever again. It sure was extravagant, even compared to the parties her father used to host in the mansion when she was younger.
Spotting the food, Natsu and Happy lost themselves and started eating straight from the banquet table. Erza was striking up a sarcastic conversation with a very snivelling looking Bacchus. Gray was sullenly standing at one side, watching Lucy and pointedly ignoring Juvia's stares.
Lyon looked at Lucy, who simply shrugged when he said:
"Well, what the heck. Shall we be the first real dancers on this floor?"
Sting was still in his room, adjusting his bow-tie as Rogue moaned for him to hurry up, complaining that they were going to be late. Sting wanted all the eyes on him, so it was natural that they couldn't arrive too early. They had to arrive after everyone else had arrived, so that everyone could get a glimpse of the marvelling view his looks so displayed.
Finally, he readjusted his bow-tie for the last time and let a relieved Rogue drag him to the nearby transport wagon that they had arranged for a faster trip to Magnolia.
"Do you think everything will go well?" he yelled at Rogue, his voice dim above the roar of the magic wheels spinning on their way to Magnolia. They weren't half-dead with motion sickness as they had both taken medication before the ride.
"Only time will tell for sure. Just don't screw up." Rogue had muttered, his thin voice somehow audible over the roar.
Easier said than done, thought Sting grudgingly as he recalled the entire plan again in his head. So much depended on his timing, so he couldn't afford to mess up.
No, he couldn't afford to screw anything up.
He was the Great White Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth, Sting Eucliffe for god's sake. He wasn't known for mistakes. He would simply have to deliver a perfect kill to win Lucy back. His pride depended on this. And so did his love.
The travel vehicle stopped, and Sting and Rogue stepped down from the wagon, waving and smiling (just Sting, actually) at the overenthusiastic crowd, who cheered even louder at the presence of the dashing Sting and the mysterious Rogue.
Rogue rolled his eyes at Sting, who was basking fully at the glory and attention he was receiving from his beloved fans. As much as he was a good friend, Sting had an ego as powerful as the punches he packed. He had very much enjoyed Sting's attitude when Lucy was with him, mellowing his ego down by a massive scale. He hoped that the night would turn out good, for his friend's sake and his own.
Cana met them both at the entrance, looking absolutely delicious in a glittery pale blue mermaid gown. In her hand was a glass of lemon juice and vodka, already half finished.
"I hope that won't affect your performance in the plan later." Rogue stared at the glass of alcohol disapprovingly.
Cana simply glared at him, and said sharply:
"I think you can count on me, it was my plan after all."
Sting chuckled slightly at the tension between the two. There was obviously some kind of unspoken spark between the two. His chuckles faltered as Cana turned to him, her gaze like a hawk's.
"I take it you know what to do?" she asked him sharply. Sting nodded and resisted the urge to salute her and yell 'sir, yes sir!' like a soldier would.
"Yeah, I do." he just muttered.
"Good." Cana said before taking his arm firmly and linking it through her's, searching for the blonde girl together. Rogue just walked behind them quietly.
They searched, and they searched. Where was the blonde girl?
Finally, Sting spotted her dancing amicably with Lyon. Her delicate twirls were blending in well with Lyon's firm dance movements. They swirled in sync to the rhythm of the music. People were watching them in admiration.
Sting growled, annoyed.
"Patience, Sting." smirked Cana. "It's a virtue."
Holding a suddenly renewed glass of red wine in her hand, Cana sloshed her way over to Lucy and Lyon, pretending to be drunk silly, Sting latched onto her arm. He tried his best to look like he was enjoying himself.
Lucy had frowned at the sight of Cana and Sting together. What was her best friend doing… with her ex-boyfriend?
"Hello, darling. Hey, Lyon." sloshed Cana, grinning in fake drunkenness at Lyon, who smiled at her.
"Hey Cana…hi Sting." Lucy smiled at Sting, the familiar warmth in her heart returning a little before she fought it off again. Just a friend, Lucy reminded herself.
Mixed emotions swirled into her.
Annoyance was one, for interrupting her dance with Lyon, which she had been enjoying durably.
Unrequited jealousy was another, for she was astounded and enraged that of all the men Cana could've had for the night, she had simply had to choose Sting Eucliffe.
Secret adoration and admiration for how Sting looked tonight, was another. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him look so incredibly sexy. Decked in his white tuxedo and grey bow-tie ensemble, complete with the dashing sapphire earring, she wouldn't have been surprised if he told her he was an angel come down to earth from heaven to woo her away. She would've gladly followed him.
Sting was also not-so-secretly dumbstruck at how Lucy looked. No wonder men everywhere were stealing perverted glances at her. Women were giving her purely envious glances, wondering where on earth she had gotten that dress.
Her gown was snow white in colour, and had short satin sleeves. The shape was just a simple one that was hugging to her waist and then flowed freely to the ground (think Kate Middleton's wedding dress, with a few alterations by yours truly).
It was absolutely covered in every inch with intricate floral embroidery; perhaps that was what made it so magnificent, or the fact that the back was nothing but appliqués and lace, except for the figure-hugging skirt which was a full train of pale white silk. His ex-girlfriend resembled a real princess. Her back had come out looking extremely turning on and sexy, the lace and appliqués ending directly above her ass. Sting felt the blood rush to his nose.
He felt the bulge in his pants harden at the sight of her.
Oh god, this is humiliating, he groaned, hoping nobody noticed.
He tried focusing on the plan instead, which brought him back to the genius of a Cana.
Splosh!
That was the sound of Cana not-so-accidentally spilling her drink on Lyon's white suit jacket, getting the maroon alcohol everywhere. Lyon gasped. Cana winked at Sting, who tried not to smirk in response, as Cana's plan on making Lucy partner-less for the night was working well.
Lucy dearly resisted the urge to strangle Cana for ruining her night so early by splashing wine drunkenly on her date. Lyon would be so mad at her. Now she was stuck alone, for sure.
How was she going to apologize to Lyon? And she had planned on having such a great night with him… she groaned inwardly.
Or at least, that was what she thought at first.
An apologetic (or so it seemed) Cana had dragged Lyon away before he could pardon her gentlemanly, insisting that she should get him clean and bring him back. Rogue had quietly followed them both.
This left a smirking Sting.
With a very suddenly hot and bothered Lucy.
"Well." Sting said, grinning slightly at his incredible luck. He made a mental note to thank Cana personally for her generous contribution.
"Well." muttered Lucy. From Lyon Vastia to Sting Eucliffe, her night had gone way differently than she had expected.
"How have you been?" Sting tried to cook up conversation with the clearly flustered girl.
"I've been good, thank you. How- how about you?" mumbled Lucy.
Keep your composure, keep it, you can't lose out to someone like him, Lucy reminded herself frantically, hearing her heart beat erratically. No way was she going to let Sting Eucliffe get the better of her.
"Oh, I've had better days. Say, were you two together?" Sting not-so-casually-but-still-casually mentioned her and Lyon. Lucy shook her head glumly. And I bet you like it that way don't you? She thought bitterly.
"Oh, I see. Just friends eh?" Sting pointed out casually, not knowing that Lucy had gone past that route with Lyon when she'd fucked him senseless in the inn that night.
Lucy completely forgot about composure at a point like this drawn out in front of her. Blushing red as a beetroot, she wondered if he knew something.
"Y-yes." She mumbled, wishing there was a hole she could crawl into.
Not knowing why Lucy was so red, thinking she was just uncomfortable, Sting wondered how he could break the tension and bring them back into a happy casual conversation, where they could slowly go back to the way they used to be.
"Would you like to go for a walk in the garden out back?" he offered kindly. He remembered how much Lucy liked flowers.
Lucy seemed even more flustered than before at this. Taking the arm that he offered, they both walked rather awkwardly to the garden that lay at the back of the ballroom.
The garden was vast and green, filled with many tropical plants brought in from outer countries. The faint tart scent of greenery filled the air as the breathtaking scene of nature unfolded in front of them. The air was crisp and fresh and inviting to the lungs, as they strolled through the garden path, Sting trying his best to strike up conversation.
Lucy broke the ice quickly by tripping over a stray pebble in the path, causing her to nearly fall face first if it hadn't been for Sting, who with his lightning-quick reflexes caught her immediately, startled.
Lucy stared at Sting weakly, as he carefully propped her back up like she was a valuable china vase. She dusted her white skirt off and mumbled a thank you. Her face was flaming red. She was beyond herself in nervousness.
Sting felt her aura of a nervous wreck and sighed in slight relief. No doubt that her nerves were just getting the better of her and she was just getting tongue-tied. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him after all. The great Sting Eucliffe would have to take charge and fix this.
Sting pretended to trip as well, and made sure to fall into her arms so that Lucy somehow caught him too.
Lucy peered down at him suspiciously, holding him in her arms firmly so he didn't fall.
"Did you do that on purpose?"
"You're being silly Lucy. Why would I fall on purpose?"
Lucy just snorted and propped him back on his feet.
Sting just pretended he had really fallen down by accident and looked at her innocently. If he was going to play his cards, he would have to play them right.
"Silly Lucy." he chuckled and ruffled her hair. She swatted his hand away, afraid that he would mess up her carefully knotted bun for the night.
'Don't call me that." She grumbled. Sting just chuckled at her. He messed up his blonde hair and made a face, causing her to giggle.
"Now we're both silly." he grinned at her, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh at his childish but undeniably cute antics.
"How was your mission with Gray the last time I saw you?" Sting grinned down at his pretty companion. Maybe the night would turn out well after all.
"It was alright. The roses were back to normal after awhile." smiled Lucy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a normal conversation. For some reason, her heart was fluttering pleasantly at the sound of his voice.
Letting her barriers down for the night, she opened up to him, not caring for once all that had happened between them; or after them…
They laughed and they joked as their hearts were at peace with the security of the conversation unfolding in front of them. Both mages felt something between them ignite again, and this time they weren't pushing away the undeniable feelings that had erupted between them.
They found a bench in the middle of a small clearing, underneath a cherry blossom tree, pink flowers surrounding them on the dirt ground everywhere.
"After you, Lucy." Sting waited for her to sit before he sat as well, next to her. Both mages were gazing at the ground, filled with unresolved happiness and an urge to keep the spark ignited, for fear that it would die out soon, which was something both mages didn't want to confront if it happened.
"You look amazing tonight. If you told me you were an angel, I would've believed you."
Lucy chuckled at that. Sting was always a charmer when it came to how she looked.
Sting felt a familiar swoop of warmth in his heart as he watched Lucy's face light up.
"Oh Sting. It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."
Lucy's quiet voice rang in his ears like a loudspeaker, and his amplified dragon slayer hearing certainly didn't help that.
"Really?" he murmured softly. They were alone, with nothing but the trees whispering in their ears and the wind blowing between their faces. Crickets were singing in the bushes, as if they knew about Sting and Lucy and were teasing them amicably. The night was peaceful.
"Yeah." She turned to face him, her face filled with longing. She wanted to forget about their complications, forget about Lyon who was probably waiting for her, the opposing guilds, the secrets she'd been keeping from her friends, everything.
Sting watched her expression, his heartbeat uneven and ragged in his chest. He wanted to kiss her right there and then, but he remembered Cana's advice that she had meant well:
"Patience, Sting. It's a virtue."
He remembered that the plan was not yet fully carried out. He had something better than a mere kiss in store for his beautiful love tonight.
He gave her a warm smile, filled with joy.
Standing up and holding out one hand to her, he said:
"C'mon. Let's go inside. I have a surprise for you."
Lucy was at a loss for words. Surprise? What surprise? She hadn't even expected him to be here.
"What surprise?" she asked, in mock suspicion.
Sting just laughed. Ah, how beautiful she looked under the moonlight. He resisted the urge to press his lips against her's, knowing there was something better in store for the night if he was patient.
"Follow me, and I'll show you."
Careful to keep his gaze on Lucy, making sure she didn't slip on the cobblestone path in her six-inch heels again. Her fingers were unconsciously intertwined around his, their shoulders touching slightly. She leaned against him, their bodies in tune with each other. There was just something so magical about the way they conjoined with one another, something not even words could describe.
"Come on!" he glanced at the big clock tower nearby.
It was time…
Lucy was confused as heck. Wasn't he about to kiss her?
And sure, they were complicated, but she wasn't one to complain when Sting Eucliffe tried to kiss you.
Sting lead her hurriedly but gently back inside the hall.
He dragged her to the middle of the dance floor, ignoring the looks they were getting from all the mages of the other guilds, including Fairy Tail and Sabertooth.
Erza was glaring at Sting, and Natsu had accidentally lit a tablecloth on fire without realising. Gray was simply watching them with distinct interest, as he already knew what was going on. Minerva was giving Lucy a silent death stare, and Orga and Rufus were simply watching in slight amusement, sneers on their faces as they watched their team mate dance with a fellow rival.
Other mages, even though slightly distracted by the odd sight of a Fairy Tail mage and Sabertooth mage in the middle of the dance floor together, returned to their own business soon enough. The dance floor was soon packed with couples again, as the slow song of the night came on.
Erza dragged a spluttering Natsu onto the dance floor, simply stating that she needed to 'keep an eye' on Lucy. Minerva dragged Rufus into the dance floor with the same intentions, suspicious.
Not caring about the weird developments going on around him, Sting slipped his hands into Lucy's. The music started to play, and a certain band replaced the orchestra on the stage.
Lucy was wide-eyed, unsure of what to think.
She was very aware that everyone was watching her and Sting, evidently surprised with their close interaction.
She was aware that her friends were watching her curiously, and that Sting's comrades were deciding whether to raise the issue by starting a fight, but for now, her attention was focused on the dashing blonde boy in front of her.
Her arms slipped around his neck as they began to slow dance. Lucy's eyes widened as she heard the familiar guitar chords and drum beats as they swayed to the song.
"Sting…" she breathed out, shocked. How had he planned this?
Sting smirked, grinning down at Lucy.
"Our first date, remember?"
I asked her to stay but she wouldn't listen
And she left before I had the chance to say
The words that would mend the things that were broken
But now it's far too late she's gone away
Lucy felt her heart swell in happiness as the memory of her and Sting's first date came into her head.
They swayed slowly, her head on his chest and his head resting on her shoulder, forgetting about the rest of the world for a dear moment.
"Lucy."
"Hm?"
"I was thinking…"
"About?"
"Us."
She felt her heart stop.
"What about us?" she whispered, her eyes shining in question at the boy who stood before her.
The lead singer jumped into a certain touching verse for the both of them.
Of all the things I've felt I've never really showed
Perhaps the worst is that I never let you go
I should not ever let you go
"I'm sorry I let you go, Lucy. I…" Sting, paused, hesitant. Was he doing the right thing here?
Lucy's hands tightened their grip around his neck. She didn't want to push him away anymore. Let the feelings go, let the moment, the night all disappear. She didn't want that anymore. All she really wanted… was to be with him.
"Keep talking Sting."
Sting laughed softly at that. She had never been a patient one.
"I shouldn't have let you go. I... I don't want to see you with anyone else Lucy. I just want you back in my life, my arms. I don't care if the whole world is against us… I will find a way to be with you. Right now, not having you in my life… its pure torture, physically and mentally. I just… I can't live with the fact that I let you get away so easily."
Sting looked down at the petite girl who had gone silent at his words, praying that he hadn't said the wrong thing.
"Lucy?" he said, alarmed that tears were leaking from her eyes.
"Oh Sting…" she threw herself at him and held him tight.
She wanted to tell him yes, yes she would be with him, yes they could have their old lives back, even if it meant conflict between them and everyone else.
But did she deserve him like this, so pure and innocent, unknowing of what she had done?
Something was nagging at the back of her mind.
Like karma had come for her, an image of a topless Lyon Vastia and that one sinful night came pushing into her mind.
She felt remorse. Should she tell him?
She could keep quiet. She could just accept Sting back, and they would be very happy.
But she wasn't that kind of person. She couldn't keep anything from Sting if they were going to be together again. She would just… have to tell him.
She took a deep breath. The weight of the words weighed down on her tremendously.
"I miss you too. I really can't stand the thought of you with someone else. But I need to tell you something…"
Natsu frowned at what he was hearing. His dragon hearing had enabled him to get a nice slice of Lucy and Sting's private conversation, and he didn't understand what Sting was implying. It was almost like… they had been together before?
He conveyed all he had heard to Erza, who was all the more confused.
Rufus was silent, listening in on the conversation, and then conveying everything to Minerva, who was sneering at every word he told her.
"So it seems like my suspicions were correct after all. He really was dating the celestial girl after all. And all those times we nearly caught him…" Minerva muttered to Rufus, her eyes narrowed.
"Lets just leave them be, for now. Master isn't here… and we have no reason to betray him like that." Rufus said quietly.
Minerva snorted. "And what happens if he betrays us first? My father would have all of us banished, regardless of the situation."
Rufus frowned. "That would be most unlike Sting."
Minerva just sighed. "Fine. But we're going to keep close watch on him, right?"
Rufus just nodded, preoccupied with listening in on Sting and Lucy.
"What do you mean?" Sting was cold.
The previous warmth he had been feeling with her was extinguished, like a candle that had been blown out cruelly.
He felt nothing but coldness now.
"I… I'm sorry… Sting…" Lucy mumbled. Her tears of regret were dripping onto the cold floor. She felt nothing but sorrow for telling him. She almost wished she didn't, but she couldn't bear the thought of keeping something from him…
"Sting…" she tried pulling him close to her again, but he pushed her away. His mind was swirling with too many assumptions and thoughts.
"Why did you do it? Why, Lucy? Tell me!" he threw his yells at her, his face clearly filled with anguish.
They were aware that everyone was staring at them now, aware that everyone was bewildered, confused on why the certain pair were talking over such a certain subject in such a certain tone.
But Sting felt too anguished to care, and Lucy felt too filled with remorse to stop his rage.
Lucy had told him her secret that she had told no one: she had had sex with Lyon.
Cana stumbled back into the hall with Rogue in tow, shocked at the unexpected twist of events. They certainly hadn't bargained for this…
"What are they fighting about? It looks like Lucy did something wrong…" Rogue muttered.
Cana was at a loss for words. Not only had her brilliant plan failed, the situation was far worse than before.
Just what exactly had Lucy told Sting?
Sting looked torn between rage and sorrow, not knowing whether to forgive Lucy or further push her guilt deeper into her heart.
"How… how could you Lucy…" mumbled Sting, not knowing what to say. Cana hadn't mentioned anything about a one-night stand with another man… had she been in on this cruel joke?
God forbid he had done lots of horrible things, but if this was some sort of punishment from the heavens, he couldn't handle it.
"Forgive me, Sting… Please… I'm so sorry…" Lucy whispered tearfully. Her face was streaked with tears.
Watching this scene unfold, Gray was visited by a sudden urge to pull Lucy away from Sting, lest something happened and they wouldn't be able to stop him from releasing his anger.
Sting's expression was purely unreadable, emotionless.
He spoke in a low monotone.
"And there I was, thinking I could win you back… its clear your affections lie somewhere else." He paused, half-smiling at the dear pain he felt swelling.
"I'm sorry; I thought maybe we still had a chance... I don't even know why I'm here." Sting said softly, there was a kind of vulnerability in his voice that made Lucy all the more filled with remorse.
He gave her a crooked half-smile. A single teardrop rolled down his cheek, and he just let it drop onto the floor. As helpless as me now, aren't you? He thought to the teardrop. Falling down, without anything to help you up, he chuckled bitterly.
So this was how it felt, losing something that wasn't even yours to begin with.
He traced his thumb down the trail of a teardrop stain on Lucy's face, staring at her porcelain features, streaked with tears. How he had ached for those features to look at him like this… but he was too late.
Someone had gotten there first, claimed his golden star in the sky, so he had no star to light up his midnight sky anymore. The only thing that was left was the darkness.
If the previous days had hurt, it was nothing compared to what he felt now. His mere being was completely shattered, and in that moment, he lost his ability to feel true emotion again.
He had lost the one thing that had lit up his life so brightly.
Really, truly lost her…
Is this punishment? He wanted to yell at the heavens.
Well, I can't feel whatever they're inflicting on me anymore, he sneered up at the sky. Their loss, he laughed inwards.
He had never imagined; never even thought for a moment, that she would consider loving someone else.
He knew now, truly felt the pain and the hurt, of having your pride broken down so raw and so bare in front of you, and being completely helpless to stop it.
He realised slowly and perhaps too late: she had been his one true pride.
He smiled a now broken smile.
"Goodbye Lucy." he turned to leave.
DUN DUN DUN.
okay. who cried. i cried a little writing this chapter. my heart broke at Sting. :c
next chap is coming soon!
what happens after this? what do Cana and Rogue do about this unexpected twist? and what are Lucy's teammates going to do? and how about the Sabertooth mages, how will they react?
and most importantly, how is Sting? *sobs hysterically* HE IS SO SAD, THE POOR THING.
i have to inject some happiness into this story. seriously. gah.
stay tuned!
Love, Jelisse.