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Chapter 14

Apologies and Recovery

Sting's POV

Suddenly I regretted every bad thing I've done, just looking at Yukino. The day she left was the day I somehow just...turned. Everything happened so fast and then the next thing I knew I made an enemy out of Fairy Tail.

"Yu...Yukino," I breathed out her name for the first time in what seemed like forever. She stepped out of the crowd and came crashing into me into a hug.

"I missed you," I whispered, breathing in her cool tropical scent. I missed her so much. More than I will ever admit (because of my pride).

"Me too," she whimpered. "I'm sorry I left like that."

"At least you're back."

Lucy had also stepped out and stood beside Natsu. "Don't you dare ruin this moment," she said warningly.

"I wasn't planning to," Natsu put his hands up defensively. "I want to see how this turns out."

Everyone around us was silent, not wanting to ruin the moment. Although, some girls squealed quietly at this cute reunion. Usually I would care very much, in fact, I would've turned away and acted like it was nothing but now...psh, I could care less right now.

"I'm sorry," I said into her hair, feeling the guilt of everything that I did wash over me. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh," Yukino soothed. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. You just...were under the wrong influence."

"But I know you never wanted me to be like that. Some bad guy. But I was."

"Exactly. You were. Now, you're not. That's all that matters." Yukino lifted her head to meet my eyes. "I'm glad you're back. I heard you became cold. But I know you're still fun and a softie inside." She teased a little with the last statement making my face grow warm. I turned away, pouting a bit. "Hmph, whatever."

Yukino giggled and pecked me lightly on the lips.

I will always look back on this day and curse myself for just standing there and looking like an idiot. "Uhhh…" I smartly reacted.

"You're cute."

I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed. "Whatever."

"EEEPPP!" a deafening squeal cut through the silence. "STIYU HAS BEEN BORN!"

I knew right away that was Mira, Fairy Tail's Demon Matchmaker. Should I still be scared even though we don't even go to the same school?...I think I should still watch out.

I guess it's time I do something that I should, with my pride already almost broken.

I turned to Natsu and Lucy, who were both smiling at me and Yukino. How can they still be smiling at me after all I've done?

"Hey, uh, I'm sorry...for all I did," I got out. This was harder than I thought. "I know I've gone overboard with a lot of things. I'm sorry I tripped you during the game, Natsu. And I'm sorry I...did that to you, Lucy."

Lucy smiled brightly, "It's okay. I figured you weren't entirely aware of what you were doing."

Natsu scowled, "She may forgive you easily but I'm not that nice."

I nodded understandingly. "I know. You don't have to forgive me."

His stern face suddenly turned into a sly one, smirking. "But you can make it up by giving me a good fight."

I was stunned, "That's your condition? Seriously?"

"Yep!"

I shook my head to get over the shock. Well, this was Natsu Dragneel we were talking about after all. I smirked back, but this time it was friendlier. "Alright. If that's what you want. Come at me."

Natsu's POV

"Ow! Ow! Ow! OW!" I cried out. "Would you be more gentle?!"

That evening, I went home from school with multiple bruises, cuts, and maybe even a fractured rib. Well, Sting wasn't in any better condition either. So Lucy dragged me all the way back to my house. I was sitting up on my bed while she tended to my wounds. Luce grumbled the whole time, muttering something about me being an idiot.

"Would you stop squirming?!"

"I'm the injured one here!"

"And I'm the one who's fixing you up! Now stay still or I'll hurt you more!" Lucy proved her point by adding more pressure than needed to the wound, causing me to cry out in pain. Satisfied, Luce returned to carefully treating my wounds like nothing happened.

She can be so evil sometimes. "You're just getting back at me because of that prank," I muttered.

"Psh, heck yeah," she said. "Don't think I'll forget about that."

"I'm already taking you shopping this weekend," I whined. "Be nicer."

"Hey, you owe me double now since I'm treating your injuries." She rolled a bandage wrap around my forearm. She scowled, "You two took it too far."

"Hey, it was either all in or not."

"You forgot why you were fighting him in the first place!" She screamed but there was no playfulness in her voice.

"No I didn't!" I retorted. She sounded a little angry and I didn't know why. "I was beating him up because of what he did to you. Along the way I saw that he was a good fighter so I enjoyed it more. I haven't had a good fight in a while."

I'll admit it, Sting Eucliffe wasn't so bad. He put up with me well, keeping up well with my stamina and endurance. Unfortunately, we couldn't finish the entire fight before Lucy and Yukino just had to intervene and stop us. But, I was pretty satisfied with the formal apology. I was mostly just fighting to get back at what he did to Lucy. Hell, he bit her neck!

I looked at the small bruise on her neck. It was disappearing because it wasn't hard or legit or anything, but it still made my stomach twist. To think some guy almost marked her.

"Just because we made up now, don't think that I'll totally forgive him for what he's done to you," I said seriously. In the end, I never saw this coming but we actually became friends, shaking each other's hands.

Officially, the hard tension between Sabertooth and Fairy Tail was over. We were now just friendly, still highly competitive, rivals.

Lucy's expression softened. "So," she said slowly, busying herself with the bandage. "You fought to protect me?"

I grunted, "That shouldn't even be a question. It goes without saying."

Lucy shrugged, "I know you want to protect your friends. But sometimes I think you just get into fights just for the heck of it." She eyed my injuries sadly. "And you get really hurt in the process."

When she finished, she still didn't look at me. I grabbed her arm gently, "Hey, I'm not letting anybody get away with hurting my friends. Especially you." I pulled her in closer so that our foreheads were resting against each other. Her breath hitched. "Sure I like fighting but that's just a bonus. I do it to protect my friends. Know that."

She smiled one of her grateful and sincere ones, which made me happy that she understands me. "I already knew that." She pulled away. I watched as she put away the first aid supplies, and then she snuggled into my bed beside me.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. "Come here." Lucy moved around to sit on my lap, straddling it. Now that she's facing me, I can see the faint bruise on her neck. I pushed her hair away and put my hand on her neck, stroking it. "You know," I said, "if Yukino didn't come, Sting probably would be in the hospital by now."

Luce laughed lightly, "Then I'm glad she came and this whole thing got sorted out. Besides, you probably would be in jail by now if that did happen."

"Hey, he would've deserved it...Also, how come you never told me about him?"

Lucy sighed, resting her head down on my chest. "I didn't think you care."

"Well, I do now."

She was quiet and didn't answer for a while. I'm not stupid, I can guess why. I've known her practically all my life. But there's this one gap of time that we practically didn't know each other. It was during middle school, fifth to seventh grade. It was only about in eighth grade that our friends decided to hang out with each other forcing us to see each other again. Then slowly the arch enemy thing lightened up a bit and we tolerated each other only to point where we would see each other to fight all the time.

Anyway, during that three year gap of avoiding each other was probably when this Sting situation started.

Lucy finally answered. She explained how she met him at the beginning of fifth grade. They talked and hung out and then just started dating for only about a few weeks before they broke up. They didn't kiss which I found weird considering it was a relationship (technically) but kinda relieved. I was her first kiss after all.

"So let me get this straight," I said. "You guys dated even though there wasn't that much of a...romantic feeling, let's say. Sooo why?"

I felt Lucy tense up. The whole time she didn't look at me and she still didn't. "Just to get my mind off things." And that's all the talking that was done before we just sat there in silence.

I hate serious silence. It makes everything tense and awkward. It doesn't work for me. "Well, instead of glooming around, you can look forward to this weekend," I grinned. My comment lightened up the mood and she finally looked up at me with a smile. "Thanks. And maybe I'll be nice and won't want expensive things, since you're paying," she winked.

Now there's the fun Lucy I know. "Please do. I have my own stuff to buy too."

"Well," she smiled teasingly, "it depends on how well you behave until then."

"Whatever, princess." Lucy smacked my chest, laughing, before laying down on me again. I wrapped my arms around her waist, one hand lazily drawing circles on her back. Now it was a comfortable silence, which I don't mind. I think better like this. And I can tell she was doing the same.

To get her mind off things, she said. I knew Lucy, she wouldn't sink down so low that she would go to another guy to get her mind off "things". That's why there wasn't kissing or any of that stuff.

Like I said, I'm not stupid. I know. Because I had the same "things" to get my mind off of. It was tough, not talking to her for three years hurt. But I wouldn't let myself feel the same way again. The pain stopped when we started talking again, even if it was just arguing, although it is fun to tease her.

But then things just...got more intense. Every since...Levy's party.

I mentally scolded myself. No. I can't let that feeling back into me. I can't.

Lucy's POV

After telling Natsu about Sting, I felt a huge burden off my chest. But then another feeling came in to replace it. It was a feeling that has been brought up ever since Levy's party. But with that feeling comes another one...pain. The pain of remembering what happened in the past. We never talk about it. No one else knows. And no one needs to know. I just want things to go on normally. But how can it?

That feeling keeps tearing at me. But I can't let it back into my heart. I can't.

(A/N)- Drama~ What is this feeling they're talking about?

That's the end of another arc! Next chapter is the start of another!

And in the next arc, you will get some much wanted answers~

'Till next time, everyone!