You guys waited long enough! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for! I know I didn't really do much of a good job on the previous one but this one's a not-so-crappy chapter, I'm sure of it! You don't know how much time I wasted staring into space because of this. After jumping over the pole vault of writer's block, I finally made this, though it took longer than expected.
Janis: That sneak peek is really disturbing...
CG: Deal with it. You'll have more things to worry about once this chapter's underway. Disclaimer!
Janis: Cry Girly does not own Fairy Tail or its characters.
CG: Good, behave and Mr. Pebble won't get you. *evil smirk*
Janis: *pouts*
Chapter 5
"I'm home!"
Janis flung the doors open, reflexes acting up as she ducked instantly. Apparently, the guild was in one of its frenzies again as she was almost hit by a barrel of alcohol. On one side, Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, even Erza were brawling for who knows when with a love-struck Juvia cheering for her "Gray-sama". On another corner, Wakaba, Macao and Cana were busy… drinking. On the bar, Lucy let her head rest on counter while Levy chatted with her, Jet and Droy clearly behind the bookworm. Mirajane, Lisanna and Kinana served drinks. The Raijin Tribe was about to join the fight because a chair flew and hit Laxus but was stopped by the thunder dragon slayer, relaxing at his chair unfazed.
The Exceeds were eating along with Wendy, Romeo, Alzack, Bisca and Asuka. Nab was still focused on the request board, looking at the jobs. Reedus was painting in a corner where the brawl or its random projectiles won't reach him. Max, Warren and Vijeeter tried their best not to get involved in the fight, dodging and mildly scolding them. This was exactly her guild, the guild she missed going back home to. This was her family.
'Some things never change.' The fairy inwardly sighed.
"Zephyr!"
A flash of light made the weapon appear in her hands. She had summoned a silver sword that had angel wings decorating the silver hilt. Between the wings, there was a small blue sapphire embedded. The blade was like any other sword, except for the blue curly patterns on the bottom of the blade. The pattern reached at least one-fourth of the length of the sword. Apparently, she got this sword as a reward in her "Bounty Hunter 10-year quest" and it suited her magic.
"Moon Flurry!" A white magic circle appeared as she swung her sword. Slash-like projectiles shot out of it and flew to random directions. Fortunately, no person, cat, object or facility was damaged by this act, but it was enough to separate the brawling mages and to catch the attention of everyone from the guild. All eyes were on the figure at the door, rather shocked at the action. By the looks on their faces, they immediately recognized that girl.
Compared to when she was a kid, Janis now wore a white, ruffled blouse with a blue ribbon below her neck. A blue sapphire with a gold border was also engraved on the said ribbon. She wore a white, ruffled skirt that extends from her waist down to a 1-inch distance above her knee. Over her blouse was a white cardigan with ¾ sleeves, having the same blue curly patterns from her sword at the end of her sleeves. Her white boots with yellow outlines completed her wardrobe. She still had her laid-back, blonde hair that reached the middle of her back with a red ribbon tied to it. Her azure blue eyes were still as innocent as ever.
"Man, you guys are a handful, you know?" The blonde said as she put her hands in her waist, making her sword disappear out of thin air.
"JANIS!" Everybody practically jumped as they shouted with unison, with the exception of Gajeel and Laxus who only muttered her name, the former grunted while the latter snickered.
Happy flew to the blonde and hugged her. He was followed by Natsu who ran up to her and greeted her.
"Janis, I really missed you. And why is your left hand bandaged?" The Exceed said as he touched the bandages with his hand.
"Hey, it's only been one year Happy." She patted the crying cat's head. "Oh, and that's primarily because on my way here, I petted a cat and it bit my hand. I bandaged it up since I didn't want to waste my powers on healing the minor injury. It's nothing to worry about." She smiled as she noticed Natsu who was… 'Shaking?' It's true. The fire mage was shaking while looking at the ground. Sniffs can be heard from his nose as he clenched his fists.
"Janis… I real—"
"Ahh, my child, you have returned! How did your job go?"
Fairy Tail's third and sixth master came out of nowhere, now standing at the counter Lucy was previously resting on. The fairy's eyes sparkled after seeing her master but looked back at Natsu who wore a worried look.
"I'm sorry Natsu. I promise we'll talk later after this." She raised her hand in front of the teen, probably making a promise as she made her way outside. She came back after a short while carrying a brown briefcase with a jolly look on her face. She proceeded towards the master to report.
"It went great! I accomplished my job ahead of time. The villagers send their regards to Fairy Tail. This is a token of gratitude in addition to my reward. I couldn't say no as they insisted I take it to my master as a "thank you gift" so I accepted and brought it here as promised."
She rested the case in front of the old man and opened it. Makarov's serious eyes widened and his expression was quickly replaced by amusement and sparkles as the case revealed 3 million jewels. Everyone's jaw dropped at the amount it contained, except for Natsu who stared longingly for the blonde.
Everything pretty much went back to normal after Janis returned. Makarov was in his office celebrating. Lucy, Levy, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Lily, Mirajane and Kinana listened to Janis' stories of her job whilst they shared their own stories about the guild when she was temporarily absent.
"Hey Natsu, aren't you going to join them?" Happy asked the pinkette who was spacing out, looking at a wall.
"Nah, she said she'd talk to me after this. I'll let them have their sweet time with her. Then, she's all mine after that." Natsu produced an excited grin as his right fist lit up with flames.
"The way you worded it sounds a bit… how do I put it…" The blue Exceed scratched his head. Natsu, who could only wait for Happy's reply, stared at him with a big question mark.
"Affectionately possessive?"
The teen blinked many times, trying to process what his partner just said. 'Affectionately possessive? That means I like her all to myself in a loving manner? I don't understand!' His mind came to a stop when he heard Happy giggling uncontrollably as he covered his mouth.
"You liiiiiiiiiiike her." The "i" being awfully extended, Natsu blushed furiously at this comment. "Oh, it seems that Janis had already left." Before the fire mage could even comment, he noticed that Happy was right. He looked around to find no Janis in sight.
"Man, I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow." Natsu muttered as he buried his face on the table.
"What a beautiful day for a walk!"
The Fairy Princess was currently walking on a riverside, just like Lucy's path home. A cool and gentle breeze swept through her skin. Her footsteps were like music to her ears as she tried to relax herself. She made sure to grasp the serene atmosphere around her and employ it to herself. It was pretty much a smooth walk, until it happened.
Something made its presence. The horrendous creature she dreaded the most stood before her. It gave off its intimidating aura that left her frozen as her eyes befell the horrifying creature. Its mere presence brought a chill to her spine then to every nerve in her whole body system, rendering her unable to move. Her mind was telling her to run away from that blood-curdling creature. Terrifying eyes met with hers, making her cower in fear and gulp. The beast let out a creepy sound that made her cry in fear. Her worst nightmare…
There stood a cute little Shih Tzu with brown spots wagging its tail, barking while its tongue stuck out.
Janis turned around and was supposed to run as fast as she could, if she didn't bump into someone. Both collapsing to the ground, she held and rubbed her head in pain.
"Owww… Hey, are you okay?"
There stood a blonde male, extending his hand to the girl who was still recovering from the impact. He wore a blue vest with golden outer edges and inner edges covered trimmings of gray fur over a short, cream top, leaving his lean abdominals exposed. His arm was covered by dark blue gloves extending to his mid-bicep. He wore cream colored pants that were held up by suspenders. His dark blue footwear was very peculiar as it reached up to his thigh and the upper edge of his waist. Said footwear has very distinctive gold soles to complete his look.
The blonde girl was pretty much preoccupied by the fact that the 'most-horrendous-creature-that's-going-to-eat-her-alive-with-her-innards-and-bones' was still present. Instinctively and on impulse, she quickly hid behind the male, shivering while clutching his vest as tightly as she can with her eyes closed, almost to the point of crying. The blonde male stood there, shocked by the actions of the other.
The 'presence-not-to-be-reckoned-with' barked, earning a yelp from the girl as she started to cry out of fear. The wetness of her tears was felt by the male, thinking that he should do something. He then walked forward, leaving a shaking and terrified Janis, bent down and petted the canine. This scene left a stunned girl. The 'source-of-all-malice' seemed to be satisfied and ran away, getting out of their line of vision. The blonde male came back to the girl.
"Are you okay now?" He, again, extended his hand, only to see the girl hiding behind a nearby lamp post. He sighed. 'Her fear of dogs even goes to that extent.' He proceeded to the river, dipped his hands in it and washed it, hoping to please the cowering girl.
"There. Now are you okay?" For the third time, he extended his "washed" hands to the girl. At first, Janis hesitated to grab it, but made up her mind as she slowly grasped the other's gesture. The male teen produced a grin that was all too familiar to the Fairy Princess, causing a dust of pink to appear on her cheeks and, of course, instinctively looked away.
*bark*
At that instant, Janis hid behind a near alleyway at the speed of light, completely scared and shaking like a kid. It was preceded by the hysterical laughter of the other teen. He was holding his stomach to support himself for laughing. Apparently, he was the source of the dreaded noise.
"Man, I hate you already!" She managed to shout, still hiding in the alleyway.
"Hey, is that what you say to someone who just saved you from that dog? But still, your reaction really was funny!" He then proceeded to laugh uncontrollably again. The blonde girl could only pout.
"Hey, tell you what? I'll treat you to something as an apology." The blonde male wiped his tears from laughing as he approached the alley. Janis stuck her head out and nodded faintly, suspicious of the man's actions. Then, the 'lightning of reality' struck her as she caught a glimpse on a mark that rested on his left shoulder.
'Isn't that Sabertooth's mark? So he belongs to that guild. He seems familiar but I can't put my finger on it' She thought as they started walking to their destination.
"Here you go."
A chocolate parfait was presented in front of Janis while a vanilla latté was presented to the blonde male. They were currently seated near the glass panel window of Marigold Café. The restaurant has a home-y ambiance with its tone brown colour palette. Pictures in wooden frames hung on the walls beside lamps that gave a golden brown shine. The wallpaper was designed like a wooden wall while the tiles have white flower patterns on the brown marble. The chairs were comfortable. The table shone as light reached it. The waitresses were in their brown maid uniforms, wearing a smile on their faces.
The waitress giggled when the boy winked at her. Janis sighed at the scene. 'Well, what normal girl wouldn't after experiencing that?' Her mind flashed to the event before.
Flashback
As they were seated, the waitress came to them and gave them the menus. Janis' eyes immediately fell on the chocolate parfait drawn on the second page. The other blonde, on the other hand, couldn't choose and looked up at the waitress.
"What do you recommend?" The waitress was blushing, but not enough for the two of them to notice. She quickly pointed on something on the menu, her breasts intentionally bumping the teen's arm.
"We recommend the vanilla latté! It's currently our best seller, master! You can also order it to go." She returned to standing.
"Okay, then. Can I order you, so I can take you out?"
This statement caught the drooling blonde's attention. 'Really though, I thought for a second that this guy wanted to kill that maid. Me and my sadistic mind.' She hummed to herself. 'But still, his flirting skills are in a league of their own.' The maid could only giggle as the man took her recommendation and ordered the vanilla latté.
"And for you, miss?" Her overly-cute face was replaced by a mild disgusted and irritated look. It didn't slip Janis' eye though. She ignored it but scowled at the back of her mind.
"Chocolate parfait please!" The blonde smiled brightly, but running in her mind right now is the corpse of this maid while she bathes in her own blood. 'I'd like to stab you three times please!' Her sadistic mind chirped. However, her smile now was currently masking that intent.
End of Flashback
Reality struck her again as she eyed her parfait. Just by looking at it made her eyes twinkle. Its chocolate-y texture, the different brown hues that filled the glass, the wafer stick sitting on top of it, it was so delectable.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Sting Eucliffe. It's nice to meet you!" He smiled.
The 'lightning of reality' struck her again. 'Sting Eucliffe!? The current guild master of Sabertooth? You've got to be kidding me! I can't believe this! So that's why he seemed too familiar to me. He was in last year's Grand Magic Games. The guild master of Sabertooth knows my embarrassing weakness! What do I do!?' She was mentally in an outburst. This could severely affect Fairy Tail's reputation if this news goes out, or worse, her mental condition. Even her job performance could be downgraded if her enemies knew.
'But wait,' she rebutted herself. 'he doesn't know that I'm the Fairy Princess. Heck, he doesn't even know I'm a Fairy Tail mage and I'm Janis Miki. My insignia is hidden by the bandages. I have to hide that identity, even my magic powers must be hidden from him.'
"I-I'm Remia H-Hikari. Likew-wise." She muttered nervously, looking outside the window. Her embarrassment level was way over the top now. 'And wow, what kind of idiot comes up with that name?'
"That's a nice name!" Sting beamed out. 'Apparently, him.' The blonde girl mentally facepalmed herself at her stupidity as she took a spoonful of the parfait in her mouth. All her worries temporarily vanished as she cherished the taste of chocolate.
"By the way, is your left hand injured?" He reached for Janis' left hand, caressing it with his fingers.
"I petted a cat a while ago and got bitten." She wasn't lying, but the way she said it doesn't sound very convincing. Sting eyed her suspiciously but decided to drop the subject after seeing her satisfied face while smothering herself in chocolate paradise.
The two light mages chatted casually. Janis pretended not to know anything about Sting except for the fact that he's a member of Sabertooth because of his guild mark. They chatted about last year's Grand Magic Games, how he wasn't able to beat Natsu, about how Fairy Tail saved Lector, about how the guild has changed ever since then, it was a very lively conversation for the both of them. They talked until it was already sunset.
"Hey Remia, how about you stay with me at the hotel for the night?" Sting joyfully asked.
"Eh?" Was the most intelligent answer she could muster up at the moment. Her processors were currently having technical problems and could not process what he just said. When everything was fixed and everything registered to her, her second "Eh?" was heard.
"You know, stay for the night at my hotel room, if that's okay with you." The white dragon scratched his head in embarrassment. The blonde girl stared at the boy, dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Her mind suddenly clicked, something registered in her mind.
"Umm… Sting-san, I—"
"Is that Natsu-san over there?"
'Really want to kill myself right now!'
He pointed his finger outside the window. It's true. The fire dragon slayer was walking with a blue cat flying around him. 'Of all the routes you have to take, you have to take this one!' Janis panicked again. 'What will Natsu do if he finds Sting with me in a café? He'd tell the other guys, that's what, and I can't bear that embarrassment. I just hope he doesn't notice us and come here.'
"Come on, I got to introduce you to Natsu-san!"
'I stand corrected.' She was pulled by the wrists towards the exit. 'The flame brain didn't come to us, but this light-headed idiot thought it would be fun to meet him. Is this what they call "meeting halfway"? It's certainly not what I need right now!' She thought of ways to escape, but led to none. She was currently hoping for a miracle, an excuse to escape his tight grip. Her prayer was answered… somehow. A lady carrying a Chihuahua appeared at the front door, blocking the exit. Before Sting could even look at the lady properly, he was holding onto air. The fairy was gone in a flash.
'Well, I guess I have to make Natsu-san wait for a while.' He inwardly sighed as he began to search for the blonde girl inside the café.
Janis panted tiredly as she rested her back on the door. "Even though that got me out of trouble, I still hate them." She monologued in-between breaths. The blonde girl was startled by a knock on the door. 'Well, might as well vacate the bathroom since the crisis was averted.' She opened the door and was greeted by the familiar blonde teen that was dragging her earlier.
"I knew you hid yourself in the girls' bathroom." A victory smirk was apparent in his face.
"Unless you want me to hide in the boys' bathroom, that's okay with me." She said sarcastically. This earned a laugh from the white dragon slayer. "Oh, and about your offer earlier… I thought about it, so sure, why not?" She smiled which was reciprocated by the male.
Usual hotel procedures aside, the two blondes entered the room. It had brown flooring donned with a red carpet with gold linings. The bed had a dark brown wooden frame with white blankets, cushion and pillows. A black wooden dresser stood beside the bed with a lamp on it. A vanity table was set in the right side of the room. The wooden closet stood tall at the left side. The bathroom door was beside the closet. The hanging lights with four pieces of light bulb enclosed in a dome-shaped glass topped the room.
"Oi, Sting-kun, you're back! Who's the chick?" A red cat ran up to the dragon slayer as he entered the room.
"Oh yeah, Lector, this is Remia Hikari. Remia, this is Lector, my partner." He gestured to 'Miss Hikari' then to the cat named Lector.
"It's nice to meet you, Remia-san!" Lector raised his hand the way Happy introduced himself.
"Likewise, Lector!" The blonde girl smiled as she grabbed Lector and began to pet him. The red Exceed was enjoying the touch.
"She'll be staying here for the night, so you should behave, okay Lector?"
"Okay!" The cat replied, giggling. Janis didn't mind as she continued to pet him.
The night was pretty normal: conversation, dinner, bath, more talking until it was time to sleep. Janis slipped in a pink night dress that reached exactly on her knees. It was provided in the closet as part of the hotel's service. The fairy proceeded to sit on the bed, eyeing the Exceed who was already asleep. 'He's so cute when he's asleep.' She thought, smiling.
A door creaking disrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Sting with nothing but a towel on his waist emerge from the bathroom, exposing his upper body quite clearly. Sting noticed this and looked at her with confusion. The blonde girl snapped back to reality as she realized she was staring on the other's body.
"Put some clothes on, idiot!" Was all she managed to say as she turned around to avert her gaze on the male. She was beet red.
"Why should I? I usually sleep with only my boxers on." Now she was nearing the chance of having a stroke. All the blood was rushing to her head. Her face was immensely flushed. As the blonde male finished drying his whole body and putting his boxers on, he slipped in the covers, eyeing 'Remia' for behaving weirdly.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" He asked while keeping his gaze on the girl.
"Alright, I'll turn off the lights."
All the lights were off. They were all alone in the room with the exception of an Exceed. Janis was looking at the direction where no Sting would be present. She couldn't forget that moment. That image played back in her mind as she covered her embarrassed face in her arms. Out of the blue, she found herself looking at the male's sleeping figure. She stared at him as his chest rose and fell at every breath.
'He's so cute when he's asleep.' She thought, not even commenting on why she thought that. 'That serene look on his face, that fair cream skin, that toned chest, his rock-hard abs, his well-shaped biceps…' Her mind suddenly came to a stop. For the third time today, she was struck by the 'lightning of reality'. 'I was oogling over the guild master of Sabertooth who knew my fear of those!?' Her mind returned to normal as she began to question her actions, something her mind was already used to.
"Can't sleep, my puppy Remia?"
"Kyaaaaaa!"
No, that was not a fangirl scream. It was Janis, startled, who fell from her bed. She, apparently, caught the word "puppy" to have more emphasis than the other four. Sting, being the cause of her fall, went to check the girl's condition.
"Hey, are you okay?" He extended his hand to help the frightened girl up, but fell because of his own carelessness at the edge of the bed. It led them to an awkward position.
The white dragon slayer was on top of the girl, using his arms for support. He was blushing furiously as he continued to look at those azure eyes, who now showed no fear from earlier. In his lower regions, an unexpected visitor was making himself known, making a bulge against the only piece of fabric he's wearing.
The fairy didn't notice the protruding guest below. She was fixated on the sapphire eyes looking at her. Blood was surging in her head, making her face beet red. She didn't know what to do, or she can't do anything in this situation.
The boy proceeded to inch closer, completely not listening to his rational mind. He leaned more, hoping to make contact.
The girl noticed the action. She tried resisting, but this position didn't let her.
Three inches left…
She stared at the teen that was advancing toward her. Longingness and passion was apparent in his expression as his dragon instincts took over him. He can't wait any longer. He wanted her now!
Two inches left…
'Well, letting my feelings take over once in a while wouldn't hurt.' She thought, closing her eyes.
One inch left…
And it happened. They made contact. Not exactly the contact you'd expect. Janis' body refused to listen to her as her reflexes acted up, smacking Sting on the face to send him flying to the other side, making him land face-first. Janis opened her eyes, blinked a few times, only to realize the situation. She quickly stood up and came to Sting's aid.
"Sting-san, I'm so sorry!" The blonde female helped him up as he scowled in pain.
"You sure smack pretty hard." He laughed, earning a jolt of pain in his cheek.
"Let's just sleep normally, okay?" Sting said as he went back to his side of the bed and pulled the covers.
"I'm so sorry, Sting-san." Janis also went back to her side of the bed, this time with the intent of sleeping.
Thus ending their meeting, the night of passion. Little did they know that a magic recipe is being brewed up behind the scenes…
I'm truly sorry to those disappointed with the 'almost-kiss' scene. :P Only 1 person reviews (and I love you for that Bronzeapollo708!) so I don't really know what you guys like. If you review, I might take some of your advices and make interesting turns in the story. *hinthintwinkwinknudgenudge*
Sting: Hey now, that was fun!
Janis: S-Shut up, idiot!
CG: *barks*
Janis: *hides*
CG: Next chapter might be my longest one. I don't know what my inspiration would come up though. Let's just hope for the best!~ Reviews, follows, favorites and anything else inspiring (SPARKLES!~) are appreciated!
~~ Cry Girly ~~
