Hi guys, chapter 10 is here! Thank you guys again for all the support. So a lot of Stinglu in this one XD Sting has never sounded less like Sting :I I tried my best to make him sound like himself, but I'm not sure if he does. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 10 (Impossible)
Normal pov,
Sting looked around the guild and sighed. It was nearing midnight and he was the last to leave the guild other than Minerva. Rogue had already left with Frosch and Lector so he was really alone now.
Usually that didn't bother the White Dragon Slayer but he couldn't help but feel like he wasn't really alone at all. And it wasn't Minerva. The Dragon Slayer frowned as shrugged his coat on and looked around the guild hall one more time.
He growled, this was seriously annoying him, he hated ever feeling anything but powerful. In fact anything resembling weakness irritated him to no end. This was no exception, so he decided to check all the rooms before leaving.
He checked the guild hall first, under the tables, behind shelves. But even while he was looking and smelling. He still didn't know what the hell was bothering him. He just knew something was and that irritate him even more.
He stormed through out the guild until he reached Jiemma's-Lucy's office. Lucy. He couldn't help but feel admiration for the Chaos Dragon Slayer. He was powerful himself but even he couldn't stand up to Jiemma. And she did herself and she didn't even do it for herself. She did it for a bunch of people she didn't even know.
And Sting had to give her credit for that. But even though he knew he admired Lucy for what she had done for his guild and her power, he couldn't understand why thinking about her gave him a burst of energy. Or why it made his heart beat faster and made him feel like he was burning up.
He excused most of them as admiration but sometimes he wondered if he was going crazy. Maybe he was sick. He didn't get sick easily just because he was a Dragon Slayer. But even the great Sting had been taken by the flu at least once or twice.
It had started a few days ago, a little while after she had defeated Jiemma. Ever since then, every time he saw her he couldn't help but feel... Different. Speechless even. He didn't like it and hoped it would go away on it's own. But as time went on, he began to get use to it. And learnt to accept it.
But as he neared the office the scents of the guild's wooden floors around him began to become heavily accented by her smell. Like white jasmine. He couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable. Her scent had always made the feeling... Stronger if you will. And right now her smell was everywhere.
Sting tried desperately to ignore the scent and move on. It was her office after all, of course it would smell like her. But curiosity got the better of him, besides, he was never good at resisting anyway.
He turned the doorknob quickly and burst into the room.
As soon as he walked into the room the smell slammed into him, making him shiver. She was here alright, in. This. Room. His heart was beating rapidly now, he could practically hear it.
It didn't take him long to find her slumped in large chair behind the main desk in the room. He stared at her and couldn't hold back the slight surprise. He had just, like every other man done his fair share of ogling and Lucy was no exception. But thinking about those other men made him feel a rush of anger.
What are you angry about? It's not like they can't stare at her. She's just some girl.
But he didn't realise how vulnerable and... Fragile she looked when she was asleep. Any other man's hands all over her was unimaginable.
Lucy seemed to be having a good dream at the moment cause she was smiling ever so slightly. Sting could feel the blood pump it's way to his ears. He was feeling hot again and his breath came to him in short bursts.
What the hell? What the hell is happening?! Sting thought frantically as he tried desperately to tear his gaze away from the sleeping girl. But he couldn't, he was cemented in place.
Walk away Sting, this is getting stupid. Do you actually have some little crush on her?
But even as he yelled at himself he knew he was lying. He made it sound like it was impossible, but it wasn't. He had no idea what these feelings were but he wasn't stupid. The feelings were close enough to the one of the many things he's dragon had taught him.
A feeling he never thought he would even need to know about.
A feeling he couldn't have for this girl, he didn't know why. He didn't know how, but he could feel it in the back of his head, a deep resentment that kept him from releasing everything he didn't even know he had on her.
But if he didn't have feelings for her then what were the heartbeats? The warmth? The energy?
Suddenly as if to prove to himself that he didn't have any kind of feeling for this girl he dragged himself over to her sleeping figure.
He was going to kiss her, and not like it.
He was certain he wouldn't like it anyway. No he knew he wouldn't like it. But as he leaned closer to her face, he hesitated. Did he really want this? Was he ready to accept that he was in love with this girl in the chance he actually liked the kiss?
He growled. No way was he going to admit to that. Ignoring any kind of gentleness or patience he had left, he pressed his lips roughly to her soft ones.
To his surprise Lucy began to kiss back so it was nothing like kissing stone, as he thought. It made if harder and harder for him to resist. Her lips slowly coaxed his closer, closer and closer.
Sting couldn't help but grin inwardly.
Even if he ended up hating this, at least he knew Lucy would have liked him back. Wait, why would that make him happy?
Lucy unconsciously wound her finger around Sting's neck, pulling him closer to her so Sting wasn't just leaning down on her now. Sting was getting hotter and hotter now, his heart beating faster and faster. His hands were gently holding her cheek now.
Stop. Stop, STOP.
Suddenly he broke away and backed off. Leaving a still-sleeping Lucy groaning in her sleep about how he should go back to the way they were. But there was only one problem. She was saying someone else's name. And this name was painfully familiar to Sting.
Natsu.
Lucy's pov,
I walked out of Jiemma's old office yawning. I was still bone tired even though it was already ten in the morning. I glanced at my stomach quickly as it growled, realising that I haven't had breakfast yet.
I sighed and closed the door behind me and walked to the guild's bathroom to wash my face. As I walked, my mind left my body on auto-pilot and drifted off to whatever happened last night.
'Luce, I love you...'
I stiffened as my mind registered my dream last night with a jolt. I couldn't help but flinch slightly as a warm feeling began to coil in my stomach. That nickname, that voice. There was no mistaking it. It was too familiar anyway.
Last night's dream was about Natsu.
A cold sweat ran down my back as I pictured the salmon haired Dragon Slayer.
Keep it together Lucy. It was just a dream.
My mind yelped in panic. I shivered as I delved deeper into my dream memories, the confession, the kiss, the panic... It may have been a dream but it had felt ominously real.
Almost like someone was there the whole time...
I couldn't help but shiver, it wasn't just a dream, it was more than that. I just know, that kiss meant more than a dream to someone out there. I just didn't know who.
I scowled at my reflection in the mirror and grabbed my toothbrush roughly. Squirting some toothpastes onto it , I brushed my teeth fiercely, as if my furious brushing could brush away the dream. It didn't work of course but it was enough to make me forget about it while I finished brushing my teeth.
Until of course I was reminded of it.
Over,
Over and over again.
For the rest of the day I had worked on the paperwork that Jiemma had left behind. Never leaving the office except for the occasional toilet break and food break. I didn't even visit Minerva just because I thought she needed some time to think and partially cause I was seeing Natsu everywhere.
It had started as soon as I had walked back from the toilet towards the office. No one ever walked up stairs unless I had asked them too or they were looking for me so I was alone. But as I was nearing the office a hand grabbed my shoulder. At first I thought it could have been Minerva or some other guild member looking for me.
But the grip tightened as I didn't turn around. "Luce, I know you can see me." The voice uttered. I had to hold back a scream as soon as I heard his voice but when I turned around there was no one there.
No evidence of anyone being there at all.
The rest of day was followed with multiple other run-ins just like that one. And they were only getting worse. Sometimes I didn't just hear him and felt him. I could see him, smell him. His presence was deafening.
And it was all because of a dream.
It was already around six now and the sun had just set. I was going downstairs to the guild hall to have dinner when I bumped into Sting.
"Watch where your going, Blondie." Sting hissed as my shoulder brushed his. I looked up getting ready to snap at him back when I noticed that he didn't just look angry, he looked tired.
"Whats wrong with you?" I asked glancing at the bags underneath his eyes. "None of your business." Sting snapped as he pushed past me. I looked at his quickly retreating back and frowned. I guess I'm not the only one having a bad day.
"It's not your fault, he's been like that the whole day now." I turned around to see Rogue. I dragged a hand through my messy hair and nodded. "Do you know what's up?" I asked as I sat down at a nearby table.
He shrugged. I sighed at Rogue's indifference. "Where's Lector?" I asked as I noticed that the little vest wearing exceed wasn't following Sting around today either. "Frosch went with him to pick something up." I smiled at Rogue, knowing well enough that he cared about the little Exceed more than anything else in the world.
He was lucky, he still had something he cared this much about. I wish I still had mine.
You still do, you just don't know it.
"I'm going to get dinner, want some?" I asked as I got up from my seat. Rogue shook his head. "No thanks. I'm going home to wait for Frosch and Lector. " I smiled. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."
As I was walking away Rogue spoke again, "You don't have to worry about him you know, I've been friends with him for years, he'll be the same Sting in the morning." I turned around so I could see Rogue's face. He was smiling.
I grinned. "You should smile more, it makes you look better." Rogue rolled his eyes but a pale pink blush was spreading across his cheeks. "That's what everyone says." He muttered still smiling.
Later that night,
I stared at the toothbrush I was getting ready to put away in the bag next to me. Yukino, the girl who had been the first person to want me as Master that day after I had defeated Jiemma, had asked if I wanted to live with her for a few months or until I got my own place.
Of course I had said yes.
I smiled at the thought. It was nice to know that I had friends who I could count on, after so much time without any. I dropped the toothbrush in my bag and zipped it close.
Suddenly a knock on my door made me look up. I glanced at the door and smiled again. That was probably Yukino.
I walked over to the door and quickly opened it. "Hey Yukino I'm sorry I couldn't pack fas-... Sting." I felt my eyes widened as my mind slowly registered that the person who had knocked on my door did not resemble my white haired friend.
"Hi Lucy." I held back the surprise I felt when I realised that Sting was actually calling me by my real name this time. My grip on the door handle tightened, he was being serious.
I sighed. "Sting, what is it? Did something happen?" He shook his head. I leaned against the doorframe of the door and glanced at the clock. "It's already ten, I'm leaving with Yukino soon, so you better have a good reason being here."
He nodded and sighed. "I... I'm sorry for what happened before..." I stiffened as I remembered the incident before. "It's... It's ok. We both had a rough day." He smirked. "Rough day? Mine can hardly be called a rough day. It was a living hell." I stared. "What happened? I asked Rogue but he said he didn't know either."
Sting stiffened. "It's... Nothing." He said brushing it off. I frowned at the way it sounded so forced. "Sting, seriously. What's wrong?" He was silent. I sighed. "Sting-" "Lucy-san!" Yukino's voice yelled from downstairs.
We both glanced at the stairs. "Sting I-" Sting nodded. "You shouldn't have other people wait on you, it's rude, Blondie." I sighed and nodded. "Goodbye to you too Sting." But as I turned around to meet his eyes, I was met with only emptiness. I sighed and slung my bag over my back.
I couldn't help but feel guilty as I stared at the empty hallway. I knew why I cared so much about him, it wasn't because of who he was at all, sure he was my friend but there was something else.
It was because he reminded me of my old partner.
Normal pov,
Sting walked quietly into the apartment generally hoping that his best friend was already asleep with their two Exceeds. But like always luck wasn't on his side.
"Your late. What kept you?" Rogue asked as he walked towards his friend who was just coming from his own room. Sting looked around and realised that neither of the two Exceeds were to be seen. "Where's Lector?" Rogue glanced at the couch. Sting followed his gaze and realised both Exceeds were already asleep.
Sting glanced at the clock nearby and wasn't surprised to find that it was close to midnight too. "I saw what happened between you and Lucy." Sting stiffened, panicked. Thinking that the Shadow Dragon Slayer had meant what happened last night.
"It was unnecessary Sting." Rogue added. Sting couldn't help but breath out a sigh in relief. So he wasn't talking about the kiss. Sting chuckled. "I already apologised, so get off my back." Rogue sighed. "What's wrong you look tired." Sting sighed. "Is everyone asking me that everyday?"
Rogue smirked. "I'm your room mate, I think I deserve to know whatever dark secret you have." Sting rolled his eyes. "You learnt how to smirk! I'm so proud of you." Rogue punched Sting in the arm. Sting glared at his friend. "What the hell?"
Rogue smirked again. "I also learnt how to deal with people like you." Sting rubbed his arm softly and sighed. "The reason I was so tired today was cause..." Rogue raised an eyebrow as Sting drifted off. "Cause?"
"Cause... Urgh, cause... I think... I guess... Maybe I..." Rogue sighed. "You think she's the one, don't you?" Sting stared at his friend in shock. "How did you..." Rogue grinned and leaned against the kitchen countertop. "It's not hard to see Sting. The way you look at her. The way you act around her."
Sting groaned. "This is a problem you know." Rogue raised an eyebrow sarcastically at his friend. "What? Is the great Sting actually scared that a girl wouldn't like him." Sting glared at his friend. "Shut up."
Rogue looked up to meet Sting's eyes. "So what is, if it's not your pride." Sting turned away. "You sensed it too didn't you? His smell is all around her. He's already made his move on her."
Rogue stared at the back of Sting's head in shock. "I thought it was just residual smell, you can't mean..." Sting sighed. "Yeah, maybe." "Sting, this is serious... These things aren't something to joke about."
Sting turned around and scowled. "I know ok?!" He snapped, slamming the glass of water in his hand down on the countertop. "I know... I just... I just wish it wasn't Natsu-san." Rogue grinned tightly. "So it is Natsu-san, is it?" Sting shrugged.
"I wouldn't mistake his smell in a million years. I'm just surprised Lucy didn't see it coming." "Didn't Weisslogia teach you anything about this?" Rogue asked sarcastically. "Haha, funny. " Rogue sighed again. "This has to be a mistake, if Natsu has already claimed her then why would you have that... Need?"
Sting shrugged. "I don't know. I just... Do." Rogue glanced at his friend then at the clock. "It's late. Go to bed. We'll talk about it in the morning." Sting sighed and nodded, slowly walking to his bedroom for the night.
I'm always dead nervous when I write about these two XD Just cause I'm not as familiar with their characters as I am with the others. I hope you like it anyway XD Read and review :33