Hello there!

I'm back for another chapter!

As some of you may know, this website was down last Friday and for most of Saturday. Due to that it, it was impossible for me to post the chapter. But alas, I am here, and if the website does not fail me, I will post again this Friday. These last few days have been... stressful, but I don't want to bore you with details of my personal life. Allow me to be a writer who simply brings yet another novice chapter to you.

Dommie, calm down you gahddamn drama queen.

Giggly, thank you for the advice! In my gastronomy, we don't really deep-fry anything (I believe that's an American thing), but I will keep in mind the heavy carbs.

I hope you like it :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fairy Tail. I do, however, own the rights to this story and OC characters that might appear in the future.

Chapter XII: My Breathing Heart

X—X

Ivy opened her eyes. She was facing a white ceiling in a well-lit up room that smelled like flowers and disinfectant. For a moment, she believed to be in the place she had called home for a short period of time in her life. The little backroom of the small hospital at the edge of Fiore, where she was allowed to stay while she worked as a machine operator.

She sat up on the bed, feeling her muscles sore and her throat dry. She looked at her bandaged hands and gulped. She would be lying if she said her heart was still inside her chest. No, her heart had been ripped out and buried beneath all that rubble, rubble from which he never emerged, like she had been expecting him to.

She had hoped to see him, banged up but grinning, probably hanging off Bob's shoulder. She would have run to him, supported him, and walked him back to his friends. And after he had embraced Rogue, high-fived Natsu, and shaken Makarov's hand, he would pull her into his arms again. And then, she would hope he would kiss her.

But the hole in her chest only grew. Because she never saw him step out from under the wreckage.

"You're awake."

She turned to see Rogue walk inside her room, carrying a tray with food. He walked to her, placed it on the bedside table, and sat at the edge of the bed. She tried smiling at him like she always did. But then she remembered she no longer had a heart, so she no longer had joy. She let the tears fall silently, for her hole had also taken her ability to cry.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Empty, she wanted to say. But instead, she replied. "Sore."

"As expected."

"I want to see it." She declared and did not understand why Rogue looked so confused for a moment.

"…okay." He nodded. "But first, you need to eat. I will only take you to him if you do."

"I'm not hungry." And she was not.

"You either eat by your own hand, or I'll have Yukino and Minerva force-feed you." He stood up.

"Yukino and-?" she frowned. "How long have I been out for?"

"Three days. Apparently, redirecting all those sound waves towards the barrier while having Levy and Fried magnifying and multiplying their power and quantities while inside you is not good for you." He eyed her with cynicism. "Go figure."

"Yeah…" she looked away. "Go figure."

"Eat. I'll be back soon, okay?"

When she was done eating, she called for Rogue, who came accompanied by Yukino. The Celestial mage had gasped and pulled her into for a hug, that Ivy was not sure how long it lasted. After Yukino helped her put on some clothes – the infirmary gown was, in Yukino's opinion, ghastly. They left the room and Ivy was immediately greeted by a crying Levy and Lucy.

"You're alive!" Levy gasped. "We were so worried when you suddenly collapsed, I thought Fried or I had done something wrong!"

Not something wrong, just something missing. But instead, she replied. "I'm fine."

"I'm glad."

"Natsu?" Ivy noticed his cast leg. "What happened?"

"Got too close, it hit me. Wendy says she won't heal it. My punishment for being so stupid." He grinned.

They had lost him, but they were all smiling. But instead, she replied. "Serves you right."

Rogue tugged her across the hall, up a set of stairs, and pulled her to the last door on the right. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, fingers trembling on the handle. She stepped into the room and gasped. She wasn't aware she had any heart left to break. Oh, but she was wrong.

He was lying on the bed, face turned to the window. His hair was matted down by the pillow, his skin pale, too pale, and a sheet pushed up to his hips. He had no shirt on, but he was covered by bandages. The only skin she could see was his left hand, right shoulder and collarbone, and his neck. She suffocated a gasp and hid her face against Rogue's chest.

She regretted everything that led him to that state. Their fight, their misunderstandings, her lack of courage to make a move, and his decision to go help the masters. She knew she was staining Rogue's shirt, but now was not just a hole in her chest. It was a hole in her soul. Why had she chosen to heed that damned dream? Why had she immediately fallen for his smile when she first saw him in that dream?!

"Sylvia."

Her breath got caught in her throat. That was not Rogue's voice. Slowly, she pulled away from the shadow dragon slayer and turned to look at the occupant on the bed. His chest rose and fell with his breathing, his right arm moved to try and reach them, and his deep, beautiful blue eyes were opened, looking at her. And when he gave her a smile, a small but encouraging grin, Ivy's body moved on instinct.

She found herself in his arms, sitting on the bed, as she cried on his chest. Her sobs were violent, her body shaking as she found her cry once more. She felt his embrace, tight and sure, and she hid her face against his neck, calling his name in whimpers. He was there, he was holding her, he was breathing, he was calling her name, he was alive. She gasped when his hands moved, pushing her away so he could look into her eyes.

"Ivy."

"I thought I lost you." She whispered, sniffing. "I didn't see you step out from the rubble. I thought I lost you."

"I'm here. I'm right here, Ivy." He cupped her face and wiped her tears away. "It's gonna take a lot more than a building collapsing on my head to take me away from you."

She huffed out a surprised laugh and shoved his good shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Hey, careful! I just had a building falling on my ass!" but he was smiling.

"Sting…" she sighed, looking into his eyes.

"Ivy." He bit his lip as his hand moved to cradle the back of her head.

Ivy let herself be pulled down to him, offering no resistance and even letting her eyes flutter shut. His skin was so warm, so gentle against hers, and when she felt the exhale of his hot breath against her mouth, she let her lips part.

The first touch was soft, feather-like. As if he was testing the waters, checking if she wanted the same as him. It lasted a second, with Ivy pulling away to gasp. But then, he gulped, she fisted the sheet, he gripped the back of her head, and she closed the space between them.

The second touch made him feel sparks. Her scent enveloped him, so sweet and fresh. Her mouth against his, clearly unexperienced, but trying to copy his gentle caresses. He didn't know why her lack of experience made him feel so good, but if the chant of the dragon inside him 'mine, mine, mine' was anything to go by, he had a pretty good idea. Ivy opened her mouth when he pulled away to tilt her head, a whimper escaping her.

"Hum," Rogue cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go now."

It was as if a bucket of water was poured over them. They jumped apart – well, Ivy did. She turned red, scrambling to a sitting position, as Sting fell on the bed, sighing. He turned to look at his best friend, who was blushing and nodded.

"Thanks, Rogue." He gulped, and the blushing dragon slayer left the room.

Ivy groaned, hiding her face behind her hands. "Oh, dear."

"What? What is it?"

"Rogue… saw us kissing!" she screamed into her hands. "Oh, I'm never gonna hear the end of this."

"Well, it's not like it wasn't bound to happen eventually." Sting took a deep breath. "Come here."

He opened his arms and Ivy laid down next to him, careful not to hurt him too much. Her forehead rested against the crook of his neck, her arm around his chest. She took a deep breath as he combed her loose hair back, feeling as her heart slowly but surely pieced itself back together.

"I thought I lost you." She whispered. "When Makarov said you were still in there, the only thought in my mind was getting you out. I never stopped to even think whether or not you were alive. You had to be."

"Rogue told me what happened. How you realized what it was. How you and Erza put together a plan. How you exhausted every single magic reserve you ever had to break it, so much that you almost killed your own voice. How you almost got yourself killed to help us. And how you fainted when it was all over."

"I didn't see you." She gulped. "Everything that was holding me upright shattered when I didn't see you."

"Natsu, Gajeel, and Rogue had to dig me out." He motioned to himself. "Hence this."

"Why did you push everyone out? Why did you stay back?"

"What kind of master would I be if I had saved myself first?" he frowned. "Plus… I felt like I deserved it. Being left behind. You were so angry at me, so I deserved that punishment."

"You're an idiot."

He chuckled. "I know. I made you mad at me, and instead of begging for your forgiveness, I… I ran away."

"Why?"

"I didn't know how to deal with it. Ivy, you were so mad at me that you refused to say my name. You… you're so warm and so gentle, and that night, I had to actively remind myself that I was talking to you. My sweet, kind, warm Ivy. Not someone cold, consumed by anger."

She blushed. "I wasn't angry. I was hurt, Sting. I didn't understand why you were ignoring me."

"I promise I have an explanation." He gulped. "And I will give it to you. Just… not now."

"Okay." She nodded. "By the way, I told Natsu you'd explain to him what 'marking a mate' is."

"Oh, so that was you?" he grabbed her hand and nipped the pad of her index finger. "Most awkward conversation of my life!"

"Sorry." She giggled. "He looked so desperate that I had to offer help."

"So you offered me?!"

"I offered your expertise." She rolled her eyes and booped him on the nose. "Not you."

"Ugh, I'd rather do paperwork for a month than go through that again." He groaned. "Speaking of which, that should be pilling up as we speak."

"I'll help you with it if you want." She offered.

"You're the best, Ivy."

A/N: angst romance is a hill i will gladly die on.

Also, FIRST KIIIIIIIIIIIIIISS!

I had so much fun dwelling into the hurt of this chapter.

Let me know your thoughts on this new story!

Lots of love from this weirdo,

LoneeWolf :)