Chapter15

Natsumi took a deep breath through her mouth as she let it out slowly. She winced in pain as she laid down her body on the ground breathing heavily. The girl was very sick. Her face looked really pale and white. Her lips were white and dry and her body was sweating all over. She brought her head to the back and grabbed her shirt tightly as she let go of carbon dioxide. She was alone in a cave and had no one around her to help out.

Yeah, she left in a mission by herself to stay away from people but suddenly, she needs them. She tried to stay away from people especially the blonde who whenever she sees, she gets sad. She wanted to stay away from her friends who were blaming her for her change but they didn't know that she was originally like that and her old character was only a pretending. And now, she is dying because of what she is doing to herself.

The pink haired girl felt really cold and couldn't use her magic to warm herself out. Her body was really numb and couldn't move a finger without wincing in pain. And if anyone touches her would burn himself. And that's how it looks like when the fire dragon slayer gets sick. Also, just an hour ago, she fell off a valley and got badly hurt.

She moved her head slowly to look out of the cave to realize that the rain was falling really hard on the ground. This day was really unlucky for her. She felt like dying, she is dying with a lot of regrets and goals she couldn't achieve. The first tear fell down on her cheek as she stared at the rain she hated the most. In a whim, she felt so weak and helpless to do a thing. She couldn't find Igneel she had searched for such a long time. She couldn't live a perfect love story with the one she loves. She couldn't live her life the way she had always wished and now, she is dying without even living a life. Her tears kept pouring like a rain she hated so much.

She took a deep breath through her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut and conceal the groan inside of her. Is this really the last of her life? She doesn't want to die. She had lived in pain and never was happy from the bottom of her heart. She was so tired and so sleepy, she thought if she slept now she might not get to wake up. But sleeping was so strong trying to defeat her. She moved her eyes slowly as they started closing with itself. Before it closes, she saw a flash of long blonde hair coming to her.

"Lu…cas…"

'I'm imaging… I pushed him away from me and… he will never think to come back again.'

The pink haired girl opened her eyes full wide to meet a white ceiling. Wait what? How come? Was her becoming sick or falling off the valley was a dream? She was actually feeling a little better now but she couldn't move her body at all. She realized that both of her leg and arm was wrapped in bandage and gypsum and they were really heavy. The only thing she wants to know now that where she is and who brought her here. She snapped her head towards the door's direction when she heard its click.

The blonde Sting came into the room and smiled when he saw her awake.

"Natsumi-san."

She was sure that when she saw a flash of blonde hair was Lucas's, did she mistook Lucas's for Sting's?

"You really made me so worried, you horrible girl!"

"What… happened?" her voice was still weak and didn't want to come out. Sting sat down on a chair besides her as he took a deep breath through his mouth as he let it out with a sigh and stared at her.

"You don't know what happened? You pushed your body to a limit that it couldn't bear it that's why you are here." She actually didn't understand what he was saying but what she got from what he said that she did a very dangerous thing to her body. "The doctor said that if we were a little late, you could have died already." That's a horrible way to tell a story but, it's the truth and she has to face it no matter what she thinks of.

Natsumi moved her head as she looked down thinking of the blonde haired guy leaving the other blonde talks by himself and not focusing in what he was saying.

"Natsumi-san!" she suddenly snapped her head to look at him with wide eyes. Apparently now, she is ignoring him and that really annoyed him. "You also don't focus on what I'm saying, Natsumi-san you're the worst!"

"I'm sorry, Sting. I'm a little tired." She apologized and prepared herself to sleep once again but he stopped her.

"You don't want to know who brought you here."

She was actually surprised to hear that. He didn't bring her here? Then who did? She stared at him and didn't anything waiting for him to continue his talk.

"Wasn't it you?" she said with a very weak low voice.

"No, it wasn't."

"Then… who?" and that time, she didn't see anyone in her head except for Lucas, the other blonde.

"I guess you're getting excited, aren't you?" he smirked but then realized that her face didn't change at all. Was it a lame joke or she hated him so much and didn't even want to show him her teeth?

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you."

"Sting-san…"

Before he could say the name of the mystery person, someone called his name. Natsumi's eyes widened as she heard that voice. He was actually the blonde, she wasn't imagining!

"Talking about the devil, he was really worried about you these past three days."

"I slept for three days?!"

Lucas walked in and realized that Natsumi was talking to the blonde Sting. He didn't flinch and kept staring at the both. She moved her head to look at him while he was staring at her with no reaction on his face. Not to mention, and the bandage he wrapped around his hands was the first thing that she realized while looking at him. Did he fight someone?

"Lucas-san, Natsumi-san is awake." Lucas walked slowly to where the bed was and kept staring at her. Natsumi was feeling a little weird because of what he was doing. Sting was saying that he was sick worried about her but, he is not showing any emotions right now. What's wrong with him?

"Good to see you awake." He said as he kept staring at her. Then, Lucas walked to where her bag was and bent down to get her wallet that he had put above of her bag. Lucas grabbed it and walked to where she was handing it to her. She grabbed the wallet from him and stared at it.

"You left it in the hotel, thanks to it… I followed you." She moved her head to look at his face but she realized that his eyes weren't even looking at her face. She didn't know what was wrong with him and why he acted like that.

The blonde took a deep breath through his nose and looked at the blonde. "I have met Yukino in my way here and she said that she needs you in something."

"Really, I'm wondering already." He stood up and waved his hand to the sick lady and decided to leave. Lucas watched him leaving the place as he didn't move an inch and the pink haired girl didn't move her eyes from him too as well. He took a deep breath and let it go slowly and silently. Seconds later he decided to talk.

"I… didn't lie to him about Yukino calling him but, I was lucky because I needed to talk to you." Natsumi was staring at his back not understanding what was going on. She didn't have the chance for thanking him about saving her life even though she just fought with him days ago. She heard him taking a deep breath as he turned his body to her direction. He looked into her eyes and kept silent. Seconds later, he decided to speak.

"I…" he started as he looked down on the ground. "I finally understand that I have to give up."

"… give up? On what?"

He moved his head to look at her. "On you…"

She didn't speak anything as she kept staring at him helplessly. He was giving up on her. Was he really speaking the truth? When did he even fight for her and decided to give up so suddenly?

"I know I never fought for our love but,… I've loved you from the bottom of my heart."

"…"

"I loved you more than anything in my life. I loved you so much, and I… I was ready to fight." The blonde stated as he looked into her eyes. "You never let me fight for you." She was actually hearing strange things from a strange person. She wanted to talk back to him but, she suddenly felt like she was mute.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you so much but all what happened wasn't what I really wanted to do."

"You… are really strange." Natsumi's long pause finally ended with this sentence as she kept looking at his eyes that never met hers.

"I really never wanted to hurt your feelings or your pride. I never planned though since that day."

"I…"

"I wanted to hold you since that day and wanted to not believe anything but,…"

"But what?"

"… I was helpless."

Natsumi looked at him with meaningful eyes unable to say anything back. He was finally giving up on her love but it didn't make her feel better. Maybe because deep down inside of her she loves him so much that she can't imagine her life without him.

"Actually I, I wanted to stand here and ask your forgiveness and ask for another chance but,… I hurt you so much that I can't even do this." One tear escaped his eyes as she kept staring at him helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Natsumi."