feral | sting eucliffe

LXIII | GN

Episode 63: Goodbye Nikos!

—

HER HEART CRACKED, seeing her best friend get forlornly buried into the ground. If she knew that he'd have such limited time with him, she would've reminded him of her love for him every single day. However, she didn't. She wasted her time by cursing him and calling him names. Punching him, yelling at him, name it and she probably did it.

The funeral was in Fairy Tail, his body adding to their sacred cemetery. Originally, it was supposed to be held in Stella, but a disagreement popped up abruptly when Galena claimed that he'd refuse to have such a grand funeral. She wasn't wrong. So, here they were, on a rainy Saturday evening, a shroud of black crowded around a black casket.

His eyes were closed and he was dressed nicely, a result of the burial services. His usual slightly dirty overalls were gone, probably discarded somewhere else. It hurt even more to know that it was raining and feeling the pitter-patter of the water on their umbrellas and on the muddy ground. Nikos always loved the rain.

Chest clenching at the thought, she threw a look towards a cloaked Chase. His hood was pulled over his head, black cloak tightly clenched onto his frame as his body racked with each sob. He leaned onto Erza for comfort, the female ringing an arm around his shoulders as he cried. Galena was far to Y/n's left, holding onto her sister with a tight grip.

Akane was alone, Wendy and Carla at her side, but the latter found it obvious that the girl didn't seek any comfort whatsoever. It made sense. Akane had been raised by him for the most part, after all. Her purple sweater was tainted with rain and she gave up on searching for pity a while ago, merely looking on with a depressed and dead gaze.

She was the last one to throw in the rose, her shoes squelching loudly on the mud beneath them. It was clear that she was hiding her emotions as she threw in the rose lifelessly, muttering under her breath. "Bury him; I can't stand to see his damn face anymore," Akane said, but no one spoke a word. Some stared at her in shock, but others knew better and kept silent.

Makarov looked sadly towards her before nodding, the casket slowly descending six feet into the grave. Y/n could feel Sting's arm around her shoulders, an attempt of warmth and comfort, but it utterly failed. Lector sat on Sting's shoulder—the one wrapped around her—and held up a black umbrella for the three, keeping them away from the rain.

The funeral service workers began taking bouts of dirt, stacking it on top of the dark casket. Y/n's head hung low and slowly everyone slunk back into the guild or to their homes. Sting waited until Y/n was done, watching her approach the grave one last time and kiss a rose before tossing it in. She returned to his side, his grip on her returning.

Chase watched on some more before disappearing, shooting a chain elsewhere and flying off with no words whatsoever. Akane dragged her feet through the dirt, following after Kagura as the older girl held her tight as well, not saying a word. Galena held Sonya's hand, the two heading into their white carriage as the horses trotted off.

"We can start moving in tomorrow," Sting mumbled. He had been pretty adamant about Y/n moving in with him. Though the couple wasn't exactly 'official' and still considered hot talk of the town, they hadn't responded to the rumors. It's not like Yukino was a bad roommate either, but Sting felt that it was safer and better if Y/n was to stay with him rather than her.

Of course, the white-haired celestial mage was far from hurt over that statement, supporting her friend and wishing her all the best. Rogue—who had been previously living with Sting—was now residing in a flat of his own, using an excuse of how Sting was a terrible person to live with. In reality, he just knew that the couple needed a space of their own.

Especially due to the given state.

She shook her head, burying her head in his bicep slightly. "No, I need something to do." He nodded, kissing the top of her head before trudging onward. The two didn't feel like taking the train, joining Minerva and the others a bit farther from the Fairy Tail guild hall. "We can go now, but can you drop Y/n and me off at my place?" Minerva nodded, a flash popping up.

In an instant, they were transported to Sting's apartment. Y/n's stuff lied around in boxes, Rogue's things already transferred to his new apartment. "Thank you," Y/n mumbled quietly before Minerva opened her arms for a hug, smiling at the girl. "Take care of yourself, okay?" The girl nodded in response, but Minerva knew it was a promise she couldn't keep.

Orga merely patted her shoulder wordlessly while Rufus offered a solemn bow, mentioning how Nikos was a loss that was never meant to transpire. Yukino had burst into tears, crying for both her friend's pain as well as her own. She made sure to avoid the topic of Y/n's best friend, quickly saying it was a tragedy before moving on. "I'm going to miss having you as a roommate."

"It was just for a short time," Y/n smiled, tilting her head.

"I know," Yukino bounced on her heels with a small grin. "But it was nice."

They nodded at each other once more, exchanging goodbyes before another flash popped up and they were gone. Sting turned to her, seeing the tears hidden behind her glassy e/c eyes. Lector watched as well, hopping off of Sting's shoulder and onto the coffee table. The blond wordlessly opened his arms, Y/n breaking down in his grasp.

She sobbed, tears staining his black suit as he held her tightly. He was coddling her like she was a baby, knowing that whatever he did would never bring such a loss back. "I know, I know," He mumbled, rocking her like a child as he kissed the top of her head. Lector had shown his affection as well, wrapping his little paws around her left ankle.

Sting let out a breath, his lips pressed against the top of her head. "I'm sorry."