The black-haired female glares at the mirror, before turning around and pulling up her shirt to reveal the seal on her back.
It doesn't look any different than before, so why...?
"What are you doing, Aki?"
She glanced over to see Sting and quickly pulled down her shirt, causing him to chuckle.
She said, "It's nothing, just checking something..."
"Like what?" he asks.
Akiko repeated, "Nothing that you should worry about."
He frowned, not liking that she wasn't telling him, before a smirk came to his face as an evil thought came to his mind.
He asks in a mischievous tone, "You sure?"
"Yeah...?" She said, though sounded more like a question as she noticed the look on his face.
What the heck is he planning?
A minute later...
Laughter could be heard throughout the apartment. Desperate cries of help escaping any chance that the voice got to call out.
"St..." more laughter was heard. "Ing! St... Hahahah... Op!"
Sting grinned, saying, "Nope! Not until you tell me what you were checking!"
Akiko was laughing so hard that tears were in the corner of her eyes.
"Ok ok ok! I'll... Hahaha... Tell you but... Hahaha... You've got to st... Hahaha... Op!"
Some time later...
The poor god slayer was breathing heavily, laying on the bed with Sting underneath her.
She murmured breathlessly, "Ass.... Hole..." she placed her cheek on his, catching her breath. "Were you trying to kill me?"
The dragon slayer smiled, stroking her hair.
"No, but I did win the battle," he stated. "So, what were you trying to do?"
She lifted up her head to look at him in the eye, before sitting up on his stomach.
She answered, "Nothing much. I was just checking my seal," he raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" He asks.
"Do I need a reason why to check it?" she countered.
He sighs, sits up and turns her around. She blinks, but doesn't protest as he lifts up the back of her shirt. He looks at her white, snake seal on her back, analysing it. It looked perfectly fine, that was, until he noticed something that was almost invisible unless you looked at it closely. Just at the tail of the coiled snake, a small part of it was the colour of darkness, covering at least half a centimetre.
He frowned, before trailing his fingers over the seal, causing her to shiver slightly from the touch. After some time, he traced his finger over the darkened part of the seal. At that moment, he regretted it. In an instant after he touched it, darkness engulfed him like a snake was about to eat him. He quickly pulled away his finger from it, his mind back into reality as he breathed heavily, sweat trailing down his face.
"Is something wrong, Sting?" Akiko asks, noticing his ragged breaths.
Is that... Is that the darkness she has to live with? He glanced over to Akiko, looking into her curious, slightly concerned eyes. The monster that she constantly fears in her sleep? A small yelp escaped her lips as she was pulled into a hug after being turned around in a quick motion.
"Sting?"
He said in a serious tone, "I'll erase that darkness inside you. I promise," she was shocked, but it only took a few seconds for her to realise what he was talking about.
"You saw it, didn't you?" she said. "The seal's breaking, isn't it?"
He doesn't say anything, only holding her tightly.
He asks, "Is that why you were talking about leaving Sabertooth and... Me?"
"More or less," she replied, meaning a yes.
He breaths in a shaky breath. "I'm not letting you leave, you hear me?"
"But..."
"No buts about it!" he stated firmly. "You're staying and that's final! I don't care that you have a monster in there, I'll defeat it! I'll win and you won't have to worry about it anymore!"
Akiko just froze, his words replaying in her head. She lifted up her hands, and hesitantly wrapped them around Sting.
"Thank you."
Thank you, Sting. I mean it.
There's just one problem. You can't defeat it. No one can.
Only I can be the one, but I know you'll be there by my side to support me.
She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck.
"I am so lucky to have you here," she said as Sting stroked her hair.
"I know," he joked, trying to lighten up the mood.
She huffed and headbutted him playfully.
He chuckled. "Let's go on a job together."
"Huh?"
YOU ARE READING
Inner Demons || Sting Eucliffe Love Story (Book 2)
FanfictionA year has passed and so much has happened. Fairy Tail has disbanded but now they're back together again, and now things are as peaceful as before. However, a dark guild, one that supposedly knows Akiko and Shiro's past very well, has begun to make...
