Good Meets Bad
Chapter 33 – Wide-Awake
WARNING: This chapter was not beta read. I only proofread this.
Genre: Romance, Humor, Friendship, Hurt and Comfort, Drama, Action
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.
When she felt the world spinning around her, the first thing she did was breathe. She sucked in deep breaths and released them just as heavily, her chest heaving up and down as she did. Then she tried moving her limbs and realized that she couldn't, so she focused on smaller things, like her fingers for example. She lifted her index finger a centimeter off the bed and tried her other digits, finding herself completely amazed at how stiff her body was. Then, after that, she strained her ears, listening for anything and suddenly heard someone crying.
At that very moment, her eyes shot open. Light blinded her eyes and she winced, squinting them to see well. She found people crowding over her, blurred and cloudy. She couldn't tell who was who and what was happening. She picked up sniffs and sobs all around her, along with whispers and cries of words she could not make out. When she tried to speak, nothing came out and ended up closing her mouth after, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
Then she felt warmth, so much warmth. She didn't notice that she was sitting upright, and now that she did, she could feel something wet near her shoulders. And then the feeling of someone's arms around her struck her like a whip, sending her back to reality. She distinguished a mob of blue hair and another person with the same characteristics standing in front of her. After a while, she raised her arms, shakily wrapping them around the man's shoulders and felt him tense, then relaxed into her embrace.
She stared blankly into nothing, her vision still unclear and her head hazy. She tried to recall what happened but her head was throbbing too much, so she gave up. She swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke in a rough, scratchy voice. "W-Where am I?"
The man she was hugging released her and leaned back, his face unmistakable as her vision started to clear. She held her breath as his face broke out into a smile, "You're at the hospital."
Her eyes widened. "W-What? Why?"
"You don't remember?" Someone said, stepping up behind the bluenette to grasp his shoulder. "You took a bullet for Jellal."
She fell speechless and stared at her lap, processing the information. That's right… she thought and released a breath she didn't know she held, Jellal… he… he almost got killed.
"What happened to me… after that?" she asked hesitantly, watching as Jellal's eyes saddened. When he opened his mouth to speak, someone cut in, chuckling.
"I think we should leave the two alone."
"Agreed."
And one by one, they fled out of the room until they were the only ones left. There was an ongoing silence in the room as they were left alone, but somehow, they didn't feel uncomfortable. The heavy tranquility was comforting, not completely, but partly.
Jellal steadied his breathing and inhaled softly. "You went into coma for so long that I…" his breath hitched and he choked, blinking back his tears. "I missed you so much."
Lucy's heart ached and she leaned her forehead against his, listening to his whimpers, filling herself in his voice. She could feel the love emanating from him, and despite of the chill that settled in the room, she didn't feel cold at all. Smiling weakly, she stared into his hazel eyes and whispered lowly, "I missed you too…"
She leaned back to have a full view of her beloved when she caught sights of bandages all over his body, and grasped that he was wearing a hospital gown just like her. His pale face, which used to be flawless, was covered in scratches and bruises. Even though it caused her pain just to move her hands, she held his wrists and brought them to her, the wounds coming into view. Jellal looked away helplessly and felt Lucy's hands tremble, bringing his wrists to her lips to be softly kissed.
"What happened to you?" She asked, her voice shaky and hoarse like before.
The bluenette sighed and gently pulled back his arms, but she simply tugged them back to her. His shoulders slumped in defeat and he smiled grimly. "I was… caught by Minerva's gang and was tortured. They were asking for something, an item, I think. After that, your gang saved me and we defeated her."
Lucy's lips quivered. "She did that?" Her eyes grew wide and she released his wrists to clutch her head, gasping uncontrollably. "Because of me… you… you got hurt and…" she gulped, "You don't deserve this!"
Jellal went still at her outburst and hugged her instead, smiling. "It's alright. I did this for you. Don't worry, she's already dead."
She asked quietly, "Who killed her?" The man remained silent for a while before chuckling.
"I did."
Lucy drew back, holding him at arm's length. "What?"
He grinned, cocking his head to the side. "I killed her. We were supposed to do it all together, but then I got captured and whatnot." His grin faded into a small distant smile. "I asked Analee to train me before we went on with our plan though."
The blonde frowned. "Why didn't someone else do it? Why not Analee? Or Gajeel? Or—"
"Lucy."
She looked up to find Jellal staring at her with firm eyes, a gentle smile on his face. "I love you and I'd do anything for you, even if it means risking my life."
Her lips trembled once more. "B-But—"
"No buts," he mumbled, leaning forward until their faces were merely inches apart. "Besides, I'm here with you, harmed but breathing, and you're here, awake and alive." He then closed the distance between them.
"And that's all that matters."
Erza hesitantly gripped the doorknob, unsure whether she should enter or not. With a heavy exhale, she turned it and pushed the door open. A cold breeze greeted her and she shuddered, approaching the man lying on the bed. She sat on a chair that was put beside it and held his hand.
As she watched his peaceful face, she recalled how she tried to save him as he tipped back from the railing. The events frightened her still, and she was thankful he had landed in a bush. Although the effects were minimized, his injuries were still horrible. There was a gash on his head and he had passed out as soon as she reached him. The doctor informed her that he had broken a few ribs and his left arm, accompanying his leg, but other than that, he was alright.
At the thought of his heart stopping completely, she felt terrified. It was true that they haven't been in contact with their friends for a while now, and it was time they did. But with things taking the wrong turn, she wasn't even certain if she wanted to face them. Perhaps with Gray almost committing suicide due to his guilt and regret, they would forgive him. Although it didn't change the fact that it was his fault why Lucy was harmed, it was worth the try.
The redhead sighed sadly. She knew he wouldn't be receiving any visitors apart from her—she didn't have the time to tell anyone about his actions, and she was sure no one would care to listen anyway. They ran away from everyone, trying to find their reason to continue on living. She had mentioned the word 'suicide' to him once, but she never thought he'd take it too seriously. She never wanted him to do it, nor did she to herself, but perhaps he was merely out of options and ended up with the worse selection.
She had to tell someone about Gray though; despite of the hate they felt for him. No one knew about her guilt, so maybe she had a chance. She didn't have any strength in her to stand up and make a call, for she wanted to be by his side. He had gone through so much, and it was his fault primarily, but he was just blind with everything. Jealousy was indeed manipulative—she knew that much.
"If only we had come up with another way," she whispered regretfully, tears streaming down her cheeks silently. She had always thought they shared the same amount of pain, but it was clear that that was incorrect. He bore a heavy weight on his shoulders, one he might never be rid of, and decided it would be best to end his life. It was tragic, but for his part it was his only escape from reality.
"I'm sorry." She wanted to sound like she wasn't pitying him or anything, but she couldn't stop herself from doing so. She, too, felt sympathy for herself. It was ridiculous.
As the heart monitor continued beeping, she brushed his bangs away from his face. Some of the strands were sticking together with his blood and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. His skin was deathly pale, now that she looked at him carefully, and his lips were cracked and dry.
A tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it away, hiccupping. Her chest squeezed painfully in shame, watching as Gray's chest heaved up and down evenly. He was alive, but his eyes were closed. She wanted to see those blue orbs and hug him tightly. She wanted to hear his laughter ringing, and was desperate for his reckless jokes. But he had barely survived, and his heart had given a final beat. It was a miracle itself for him to be in front of her. He was supposed to be dead. He had ceased breathing.
But he lived, and was in front of her. The heart monitor beeped, reminding her of that fact, and she sobbed helplessly. For being unable to help him, the guilt reached her. She missed him so much, the Gray who never gave up. She wanted him back. She needed him to stay by her side. They were friends, and they understood each other until the end. Yes, they were wrong, but who were they to blame? Why didn't they realize that they too were in pain?
She sucked in a deep shuddering breath and blinked her eyes rapidly. She pushed back her tears, telling herself that she had to move on. The worse was over and it was time to fix what they had done wrong.
"Gray," she whispered weakly, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I-I'm going to talk to our friends, okay? I promise I'll be back."
He remained unmoving, and she sniffed. Her voice trembled as she said, "When I return, greet me with a big smile, okay?"
She stood up and began to leave the room. And as she shut the door close, his breathing hitched and his eyes flew open.
A/N: OMG 600 REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME.
Ohhh, I feel bad for the short chapter! But worry not! The next chapter, hopefully, will be interesting. I know you guys expected Lucy to react badly, but she was still weak to scream and whatnot. I hope you guys you liked it, please leave a review and know that I love you all very much! Stay with me until the end, guys :) This story is almost reaching its last breath. If you also like Fragile, then please check it out for I have updated it :D If you guys are interested in another JeLu story, which is about Demons and whatnot, then check out my new story, The Devil and the Assassin!
Leave a review guys! :D
NOTICE: I am in need of a beta reader. If possible, someone who knows the "Review" in MSWord where you use track changes to edit some things. If there's someone who doesn't know that, well, we'll see.
"I had embraced the shadows, but the light pulled me back and before I knew it, I was enveloped by it."
Byee! -Anne :D
- Please support/read my other stories: Celebrity Issues, Forgotten Memories, Fragile, The Devil and the Assassin, Life's Challenges, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever and Going Against The Current.