A Shadow's Light

Love is dangerous

" Rogue, Stop it! This isn't you! " Sting pleaded. He immediately pushed himself backwards against the pathway, merely avoiding Rogue's knife, as it stabbed between his legs. " Lector.. Lector! " He remembered the silence of his friend. 

Sting looked to the side, staring in absolute shock as Lector fell to his knees, coughing up blood. A knife plunged straight through his body, right smack in the middle. " Lector! Lector answer me! " He commanded, but to no avail. Lector collapsed on the ground, allowing his body to be surrounded in his red liquid.

He looked back up at Rogue, whom had finally managed to pull the dagger free from the concrete, as Frosch walked up behind him. He shook his head violently, supporting his body off the path into a sitting position with one hand and waving at Rogue with the other.

" Stop this! Get your act together! " Rogue simply laughed darkly at his attempt. " Don't tell me you actually thought you could win this game, through me?! " He sneered. The care and affection has been totally distinguished from his voice, leaving nothing but emptiness and isolation. " You fool. "

" Rogue! " Sting shrieked, as Rogue flipped his dagger into a new position, slicing viciously at Sting's arms and legs. Rogue's grin widened as Sting's blood slipped out of his wounds. Sting felt the tears going down his cheeks, the pain was unbearable.

He felt it. All of it. The blade of the dagger slicing at his arms and legs, in every direction possible. But the worse pain of all, was the betrayal of his friend. His childhood memory. His lover.

" What did you just say? " A voice broke his depressed thoughts. Sting looked up to see Rogue's dagger stopped at a place on his body, where his shirt was torn. " W-What do you mean? " Sting stuttered. His eyes were full of fear. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

" Did you mean it? What you said? " Rogue whispered. It was.. desperate? No, that's not the word. Could it be.. curious? " I.. I didn't say anything. " Rogue hissed. In anger. Rage. Fury. He removed the dagger from his lower body and held it against Sting's throat.

" Don't you dare lie to me, Sting. " Rogue growled with authority. " About being your lover. " Sting's eyes widened, replacing his fear for a second with shock. " H-how did you..? " Sting stopped for a minute, as it his breathing hitched. " .. Yes. Yes I did. " He replied with a bit more confidence.

Rogue glared at him for a few minutes, as if he were trying to figure out whether he was lying or not. At the last moment, when Sting had thought he was gonna give up and go for the kill, he retracted the dagger.

As Rogue turned around and walked off, undoubtably followed by Frosch, but not before whispering harshly. " I will let you go this one time, but remember. You've finished the first verse. Can you survive? "

A cloak of shadow engulfed the two, dissipating as the black smoke finally cleared. It took Sting a while to realize what he meant, until it hit him. Hard. Where the sun does not shine. Down there.

Where it hurts.

" St-Sting-kun.. " A familiar voice whispered rasply, cutting through Sting's mental scold session. He looked over to see Lector slowly bring himself up, managing a smile, before collapsing lifelessly. 

Sting did what his instincts told him to. He rushed to Lector's side, scooping him up into his arms, feeling his wounds open and the pain pulsing through his body like an electric shock. But he ignored it, tears streaming down his cheeks, as Lector failed to open his eyes. 

He fell to the ground, arching over Lector's motionless body, screaming out his name in so many mixed emotions. So many mixed feelings. " LECTOR! " 

I'll win this. For you, for us. For OUR Rogue.. and OUR Frosch. He thought deeply, retracing back to Rogue's words. Second verse..? Oh god no.. not after everything we've been through..

.. Now thy game has just begun.