A/n: Please tell me what you think. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Disclaimer: FT doesn't belong to me!

Drip. Drip.

Erik could hear the sound of water splashing against cement as he rounded the corner hastily. Even in the darkness of the night, everything was too bright. The air was too crisp. The sky was too far away.

He didn't think he would ever get used to the outside world again after being trapped in prison for such a long time.

He was painfully aware of the scrutinizing gazes that bore into his back as he headed for the front entrance. To think that he, Cobra of the Oracion Seis, would ever dare show his face in public was once nothing more than a faraway dream. But now that he was free, he could do as he pleased, and he wanted to keep it that way. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice a reporter ran towards him with her trusted microphone in hand until it was too late. Of course, when it came to a concert that was as publicized as Kinana's, there was bound to be reporters everywhere. How could he forget?

"Excise me sir, you're Cobra, aren't you?" she asked rapidly, not giving him time to respond before continuing on. "What are you doing at Kina-chan's concert?" Kina-chan was the singer's pet name, dubbed fondly by her fans. Erik thought it was quite silly, but who was he to judge her when his own code name was Cobra? (Well, Brain had suggested it, but still.)

"Can't I appreciate a little music like everyone else?" He said, swerving around to avoid her.

"Could it be that you have your eyes set on Kina-chan?" the reporter asked suddenly, her eyes shining. The ridiculousness of the question almost made him double over.

"Don't be stupid," Erik snorted, but she merely giggled.

"Men all act this way, you know. But I know how you really feel, Cobra! Oho! Isn't this an interesting development, everyone? Cobra is coming to kidnap Kina-chan for himself! Kina-chan, you'd better be careful, or he could steal your heart~!"

Erik growled in annoyance. Reporters could twist his words and make the most stupid claims. He didn't have time for them. At last, she seemed satisfied with her questions and left him alone.

He was aware of the security guards lingering around him, eyeing him warily but not being able to make a move unless he acted first. To him, it was exhilarating. He didn't mind this new freedom, he thought. And it was all thanks to her.

"What are you doing here, Cobra?" a guard asked suspiciously, spitting out his name as though it was an insult. No doubt security was especially tight tonight, considering the girl's predicament. Well, at least the police wasn't completely useless, Erik gave them that much.

Erik pulled out the ticket that the girl had given him. A little voice in his mind told him that he didn't deserve her kindness, but he pushed the thought away. "I'm here for the girl's concert," he drawled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He didn't want to explain himself if he didn't have to, but he wasn't in the mood for unnecessary confrontations tonight, either. He had another job to do…and too late, he realized that he had accepted to help her for free, whereas the old Cobra would have charged no doubt over 100,000 Jewels for a job this good. Ah, well, a catch like her was totally worth it.

He laughed at the irony of the situation. I'm getting soft.

"What's so funny?" the guard glared at him, reluctantly tearing off one end of the ticket and thrusting it back at him. Erik tucked the ripped half into the pocket of his shirt for safekeeping. The ticket's design was decorated with a perfect shot of Kinana's beaming face, and to him, that was precious.

The guard couldn't do anything to him because he actually had a ticket, and Erik could sense the guard's frustration rolling off of him in waves - he had a knack for reading people's emotions. He knew the police would do anything to catch him again, but he wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. He liked this freedom too much.

"Nothing, nothing," Erik dismissed the guard with a lazy wave of his hand. He passed through security with no further problems (the guard looked even more annoyed at that), and then he melted into the crowd of excited fans chattering excitedly to each other.

Erik scanned the crowds with his good eye. He didn't recognize anyone except for a few more members of the damned police force. Even Erza - who'd almost beat him in their fight back when he was in Oracion Seis - was here tonight, and that was definitely saying something. They really must be taking this case seriously, and that was good, even if it meant more trouble for his end. Ah, well, as long as she was safe. That was all that mattered.

He continued to walk, following the hanging signs that directed him to his seat while dodging the occasional fans who almost bumped into him in the cramped hallways. The packed venue would certainly be advantageous for the culprit, he mused as he walked. They were pretty smart, whoever they were. But he still couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd met them before.

His phone suddenly started buzzing in his pocket. He glanced at the caller's ID. It was intentionally left blank, which could only mean one thing...

"Well, well, if it isn't Hoteye," he drawled. "Missed me?"

"Cobra," Hoteye's familiar, light-hearted yet dangerous (how he managed that, Erik had no idea) voice spoke from the other end. They hadn't spoken to each other since his arrest, but Erik didn't really missed his gang mates. It just reminded him of the past that he wanted desperately to forget. "Last time I checked, you've just been released from prison. So what are you doing, picking up girls at Fiore's most popularized concert? Though I have to say, Kina-chan is a real catch, isn't she?"

So the press had released his earlier interview already. It meant that the culprit may have seen the news, too, and has been alerted of his presence. He had to be careful. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm good. I'm on a mission tonight, so it'd nice if you didn't interrupt me."

"Ooh, defensive, aren't you? A mission to find love, yes?" Hoteye teased.

Why was everyone against him tonight? Erik clenched his hand into a fist, not that Hoteye could see him. Oh, how he wanted to punch the guy right now. "No! I don't need that in my life right now." he snorted. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. He may have some use for Hoteye after all. "Hey, there's a note I want you to check out. Locate the source for me."

"If it's in the name of love, yes." He could almost imagine Hoteye's idiotic grin. "But as your friend, I'll give you a friendly warning, Cobra. If you think protecting Kina-chan is your path to redemption, just be careful not to hurt her feelings. Sometimes you give mixed signals."

"You didn't have to say 'friend' twice to spite me, you know," Erik complained, his cheeks flushing. "And I don't give mixed signals! Besides, what do you know about it?"

Hoteye chuckled merrily. "Oh, just what I've heard from your ex. Or should I say exes?"

"Hey, that was one night! Not to mention you were the one who dragged me into it...And anyway, don't remind me of that now. Didn't I say I'm busy?" Erik had an urge to fling his phone across the room. "Anyway, I'm sending you that message now. Call me back when you find something." He snapped his phone shut and glared at it before forwarding the threat message to Hoteye. While Hoteye was especially annoying sometimes, he was still pretty useful. Maybe he could help tonight.

Now that Erik had sorted that out, he let out a sigh of relief and checked his ticket again. He didn't realize until he double-checked it that his seat was, in fact, in the VIP room. He hadn't expected that sort of treatment from her, but maybe this was her way of thanking him. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he recalled their first meeting.

Following the hanging displays, he skirted another crowd of teenage girls before finally settling down in his seat. The guests around him, whom he presumed to be Kinana's closest friends, gave him strange looks. He sighed..

"You…you're Cobra, aren't you?" a girlish voice spoke up curiously from next to him. He turned his head to see a blond girl with a particularly busty chest approach him. She was dressed in a low cut tank top and skirts that other men would no doubt call sexy, but he wasn't interested. Or at least, she might have been the type of girl he would have taken out for a night in his past. Tonight, though, he was taken. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that the way people greet each other nowadays?" he drawled, purposely avoiding her question to annoy her.

"You're pretty famous, you know," she said, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned toward him. "And I've been following your story. I'm learning to become a reporter, you know," she added proudly. Another reporter, huh? Erik grimaced. What was it with him and reporters? Kinana really needed to better prioritize her friends. Well, his own taste in 'friends' was pretty questionable, so he couldn't really judge her own that.

He held up his hands innocently. "Hey, relax. If you think I killed someone to get in - " at this, she stiffened, " - you've got the wrong idea. The girl gave me a ticket herself."

He was irritated that he had to explain everything to her like she was a little girl, but he didn't fancy getting caught by the police either.

"The girl?" she asked.

"Kinana," he explained. He decided he liked the way her name sounded from his lips. "I ran into her earlier. I'm helping her with her case tonight, so she let me in…" he trailed off as he noticed a flash of movement from the front stage. Was it his imagination, or had someone just jumped down and ran past the front row?

He squinted, but he couldn't see properly from this high up. He blinked, and they were gone.

So much for keeping your promise, he growled.

"Sorry, lady, but I'll have to excuse myself for a bit. Save my seat for me, won't ya?" He winked at her, then checked his watch as he stood up. It was 8:05 pm. Her concert should have started five minutes ago, so what was with the hold up? She hadn't called him yet, so everything should be fine. He hoped.

Maybe that figure had been a part of his imagination. He was rather edgy tonight, after all… No. He couldn't think like that. She had entrusted him with her case, and he was going to get it right.

But before he could get very far, he felt someone grab his arm tightly. He spun around, finding himself face to face with a very familiar Natsu Dragneel. Speak of the devil. "You," he growled.

"You're coming with us, Cobra," Natsu said through gritted teeth. The girl next to them sucked in a breath as she watched the scene enfold in front of her.

"I haven't done anything," Erik protested, trying to pull his arm away. "Tell him that, blondy, won't you?"

The blond girl blinked when she realized that he was addressing her, then nodded. "I've been following his profile - I'm a reporter, you know - and I really don't think he's the type of guy who would act without an explanation. Especially if Kinana-chan trusts him."

Natsu's eyes narrowed as he leaned in close to the girl and whispered something to her. She gasped, her eyes widening as she covered her mouth with her hands. Erik couldn't hear them, but he could tell from the change in atmosphere that something was wrong. Kinana...nothing had happened to her, right?

Natsu then pulled out a handcuff and snapped one end around Erik's wrist before turning and stalking away, leaving him with no choice but to half run, half walk after him.

A crowd was starting to gather from their commotion. Erik had to admit that he was grateful that they were leaving, though there was still a foul taste in his mouth because it was Dragneel who was taking him away.

"What's going on?" Erik demanded after a few moments of silence. He was getting tired of being ignored, and when Erik wanted something, he was going to get it. He purposefully slowed down and yanked at the handcuff, pulling Dragneel back toward him. "This doesn't have anything to do with Kinana's threat message, does it?"

Natsu stopped abruptly. "So you do know about it," he accused. "Gildarts was right. Unless you're the culprit, there's no way you would know."

"What the hell do you mean that I'm the culprit?" Erik glowered. "She told me about it, of course I would know. Just go ask her!"

Natsu shook his head. "I can't," he said. "She...I don't think she can perform tonight."

"What?" Erik breathed, eye widening in shock. When he had left her, she had looked perfectly fine. What had happened in the short moments after their separation?The policeman's words echoed in his mind. She won't be able to perform tonight. "She can't be dead, can she? Tell me!" He flung his hands out and grabbed Dragneel's shoulders in desperation.

The pink-haired policeman stared at Erik with an equally puzzled expression. "You…you really don't know?"

"Know what?" Erik repeated irritably. He hated being kept in the dark, especially when they were accusing him for doing something he had no idea he did. And if anything had happened to Kinana..."If you think I'm acting clueless on purpose, you can cut that out. I'm not. Tell me if she's okay!"

Natsu sighed and muttered something that sounded a lot like "I'm so gonna get fired for this" before clearing his throat and saying in a louder voice, "Kinana's best friend has just been found dead. We think that whoever did it must have been the one who sent her the message."

Erik slumped back in relief, though concern was still evident in his expression. Something as terrible as losing your best friend...he didn't want her to go through that. "Let me speak to her," he ordered, his voice filled with venom. Whoever dared to hurt her was going to pay.

Natsu was surprised at the dangerous gleam in Cobra's eyes. He had never acted so deadly during the entire time Natsu had known him - not that they had had a good relationship or anything - and for him to become so worked up just because of Kinana's friend's death…that really wasn't something he expected from the ex gang leader. "Because Kinana's my friend, and I want to help, I'll just tell you one thing," he said gruffly. "Right now, you're our main suspect."

Erik nodded grimly. He didn't say anything else, instead gesturing at Natsu to continue to their destination. They walked on, pushing past the crowds of reporters that had flocked toward them. A man with shoulder-lengthed long hair stopped the two as soon as they arrived at the make-shift interrogation room. "You're here," he said briskly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Erik spotted Kinana sitting on a couch, her shoulders shaking with uncontrollable sobs. Erza stood next to her, bending over so she could talk to her in low tones, but Kinana wasn't listening to her at all. She looked so lonely and frail that Erik suddenly wanted to hug her. But of course he couldn't.

"I brought him, Gildarts," Natsu reported.

At the mention of Erik, Kinana lifted her head, the first time she had moved from her spot since the incident had taken place. Her tear-streaked eyes grew round in recognition. "Wait!" she protested, running towards him. "Don't arrest him!"

"Don't worry, Kinana. We're just going to question him," the man called Gildarts said gently.

"I know you think he killed Laki!" Kinana snapped, jumping to his defense. Her sudden action surprised Erik. He didn't expect her to be the type of girl who would argue with the police for his innocence, especially in her current condition. He had to admit that he was impressed. And for her to defend him when he knew he didn't deserve it...he knew he owed her his life.

She wiped her eyes again and let out a sob before she continued. "And...and...I may be upset now, but I'm not stupid, Detective Clive! He didn't kill her, I know he didn't!"

Gildarts stared at her, equally stunned by her outburst. "How do you know that?"

"I spoke to him during...that time. I can prove his alibi," she sniffed. "There are security cameras in the parking lot, aren't there? You can confirm that I talked to him at the time of Laki's..." Her friend was gone. She still couldn't believe it.

"That doesn't mean anything. He could have had an accomplice for all we know, " Gildarts began.

"Wait," Erik interrupted when he noticed that Kinana had opened her mouth to speak. There was no way Gildarts was going to listen to her when she was so hysterical; Erik knew that much from his past encounters with the police. He couldn't afford to make matters any worse, especially because the damn police were now beginning to suspect her as well. "I think you should still go out and sing, Kinana."

She shook her head. "H-How could I? Laki's gone, Erik! There's no way I can sing when she's...she's..."

"Then sing in her honor," he argued. "She's your friend, isn't she? She must have been looking forward to this. I know I would be; I'd give anything to hear a voice as beautiful as yours," he added with a wink. The way her cheeks turned pink because of him was adorable. "So, you should go and finish what you started. Don't let everything you've done go to waste."

"He's right, you know. As much as I hate to agree with this bastard, everyone is still waiting for you," Natsu put in helpfully.

"Likewise," Erik grunted, glaring at him. Owing Dragneel a favor was the last thing he wanted, but when Kinana was in the picture, he wanted to do anything for her. She reminded him of someone from his past, a little girl with a big, cheery smile. She deserved to be happy, not sitting hopelessly, locked up in a room like this. His gaze softened as he turned back to her. "Go on, Kinana. I'll handle things here. It's not like I haven't had a run in with the police before," he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

She shook her head in amazement. Even in his position, Erik had still somehow managed to take control and bring matters into his own hands. This reminded her that he had been a gang leader before, but just thinking about his past made her heart ache. Still... she felt uncertain as she glanced between Gildarts and him. There was no doubt that they would do terrible things to him as soon as she left the room. Even so, she knew he was right in that Laki would still want her to perform no matter what had happened. That was the type of person Laki was, and she loved her dearly. Oh, Laki...

Finally, she took a deep breath as she made her decision. "I...you're right. Laki wouldn't want me to be sad," she mumbled, suddenly having a strange urge to hug him. You're an idiot, Kina, she scolded herself in her mind. They had just met, for goodness sake! What would he think if she randomly hugged him out of nowhere? Besides, it was usually the guy who made the first move (not that she had much experience when it came to this field)! But even so, she felt as though she understood him. They were both lost and alone in their own worlds...now that she thought about it, there was something familiar about him, too. They hadn't met somewhere before, had they?

A sudden image from the childhood she'd longed to forget flashed in her mind. A little purple-haired girl ran, half-laughing, half-crying as she chased after an older boy. She was crying because she had just dropped her ice cream. But she was also laughing because he'd offered to buy her a new one if she could catch him. What had been that boy's name? ...Eri?

No, Kina, this isn't the time to think about that! Are you going to man up or not?

Erik watched her with an amused expression on his face. The way she was contemplating to herself was endearing. Her face, scrunched up in concentration, looked especially cute. Damnit. Too late, he had promised himself not to fall for her, but it might have been too late already...

He caught himself in time and quickly shook his head. You don't deserve someone like her, idiot. Don't let Hoteye get to you.

Kinana stood up and took a few wavering steps towards him. Now that her mind was made up, she ran the rest of the way and flung her arms around him. Her embrace sent him toppling backwards - that wasn't exactly what he had been suspecting her to be thinking about - but he quickly caught himself in time and pulled her close to him. "Thank you for believing in me, Kinana," he whispered, lowering his voice so that only she could hear him. His words sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. She was glad she had made the right decision.

She smiled through her tears. Resting her head against his chest, she could hear his heart beating. It reassured her, and she felt safe for the first time since she had received that message. She wished she could just stay like this forever. "Thank you for believing in me, Erik," she said back. "I only wish you could to hear me sing, too."

"Oh, I'm sure I will someday," he teased lightly, giving her a final squeeze before pulling away. Kinana wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she was almost certain she felt something warm brush against the top of her head before his warmth disappeared.

She gave him one last, longing gaze as she allowed her makeup artist to guide her back to her prep room. He gave her a thumbs up and did his best to smile despite how grim the situation was, though he thought his smile looked more like a grimace than an actual smile. She waved to him as she finally disappeared from his sight, leaving him alone to face the police.

He had barely noticed them during his moment with Kinana, but now that he looked at them, their reactions were almost comical. They were gaping at him with stunned expressions, clearly not being able to believe that she had just hugged him. He still couldn't quite believe it, either.

But she had, and he was never going to forget that.

A/n: Sorry the second chapter took longer! (I kept re-editing it because I wanted to make it perfect, hehe)

leave a review if you liked it? :) Special thanks to Julius Night, Vilandel and Guest for reviewing the first chapter!