#Just like. placing him next to Zeref. Making him a little bit of a bitch to let the audience you're supposed to hate him. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sassyhazelowl · 7 years

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A few more of our favorite characters make an appearance or get a mention. It could probably use a better edit than I gave it, so tell me if anything is confusing or problematic! Onto the next part of the mini series~

@mags-duranb @everybodys-chains @the-archangel-of-zeref @raijindork

Secrets Underneath

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

"The hospital?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Too long. And Sorano settled for a motion stuck between grinding her teeth and nibbling her lip. It was a petty little habit she'd had forever but she'd kicked it to save on the dentist. And now it was back. Lovely. How many fucking other bad habits had come BACK with Angel? Hopefully not THAT one too.

Juvia's voice came back through with fake cheer, too high-pitched and rushed to be relaxed and happy. Sorano bit down, hissing as she punctured skin on accident, and narrowed her dark eyes threateningly. Juvia had been in perfectly good health when she rushed out of the department store with... HIM... and now she was in the hospital? Awfully hard coincidence to swallow.

"Uggh," a shudder went through the woman as she stepped through the automatic doors, immediately being hit with noise and smells. It wasn't just that it ruined her aesthetics to be here. The last time she'd been in a hospital, it was as a patient, and after ninety days of JELLO and SOUP, the bile choked up. "Yukino, think of Yukino." She counseled herself, trying to look cool and collected about it, not green and ready to puke on the nearest screaming brat. "And Juvia. I swear if that bastard did anything..."

When had the little... Sorano stopped dead then sighed. She'd truly become soft if she'd taken in a flighty airhead like that woman. Erik kept telling her she'd changed and she'd punched him for it, but maybe... maybe there was too much Sorano and not enough Angel left. And that worried her in a bad way because if it came down to it she needed to be sure and ready. Hesitation had no place in Angel's world or HIS.

"Sorano!" Juvia scrambled up, red in the face and eyes puffy with tears, but she looked up with distress, "Juvia heard you were fired."

Goddamn blabbermouths. That hadn't taken long at all, and if Juvia knew, then so did Yukino. She was going to catch fucking hell for this. Little put terror in her soul like hearing about her fuck-ups from Yukino's sweet mouth.

"It happens," was her flippant answer. "Were you?"

"Ah... no... Juvia explained about the hospital."

"Well good," Sorano said and Juvia flinched before blinking with surprise. Did she really think she was going to be hated on for keeping her job? It's not like she stole it from Sorano or some shit. Her fingers curled at her side, wanting to ruffle Juvia's hair, just a little bit, like she would when Yukino was upset and crying. Stifling the urge viciously, she gave a smirk, "I'd have to give them hell if they fired you; you're one of the best workers they've got considering the shitty pay and crappy customers and bossy bitch managers."

Within moments, she had her arms full of a sobbing woman, wishing she'd worn something that covered the skin of her chest. It was getting slimed and if snot went into her cleavage...

"Juvia is so glad you're here." Okay, well, throwing her off might make an unwanted scene. Tentatively, she patted the woman on the shoulder a few times, which prompted a fresh wave of wails and sniffles. "When Jellal came..."

Whatever she'd said after that was lost to Sorano. Stiffening, she roughly pushed Juvia back, hands no longer patting but now grasping, eliciting a painful yip as the fingers dug in.

"Jellal? How do you know Jellal?"

"Soran-- ouch, stop, oww, Sorano let go, that hurtsssss!"

Stumbling back, Juvia stared before she motioned for Sorano to follow without a word. Sorano had expected tears or a slap or something for her assault, and several people were staring already and Sorano knew the nurse's hand was hovering on the small security button beneath the desk, but Juvia's eyes were liquid molten steel. There was no fear in them and more than a little promise for the next time Sorano crossed that line.

Juvia... who was Juvia.

Sorano had half a mind to shake her again just to find out, which was a really, really stupid idea. She knew that look; Juvia was one of THEM. Of course, it was impossible to know which gang she belonged to without finding her tattoo or asking, but of which were terrible ideas. It occurred to her thing that HE was exactly who she thought HE was, if she was one of them.

This was a trap, she knew it.

Taunt as a wire, she hesitated at a rather unassuming door, senses straining and hair raising along her arms. Juvia'd vanished inside without a second's pause, her pretty sundress swishing behind her. Only the beeps of machines and the pounding of blood in her ears reached her as a sweat broke out on her palms.

This was a hospital. It was safe. If it hadn't been, Erik never would have let her go alone. There were witnesses everywhere. Nurses and doctors and security staff. Hell, the fucking police station was just a block over. Nothing could possibly happen here, could it?

Her mind raced frantically through every scenario, trying to see it.

A small scream sent her crashing in, wishing she'd brought her gun; she hadn't because she thought the hospital might have screened for concealed firearms and didn't want to get into that clusterfuck. Of course it was legal and all... she might have misplaced the permit... yes, yes, look it's okay... she was a fantastic liar but it was so much work and took too much time.

"GRAY!"

"Woah, Juvia, careful, I'm on duty," a tall man laughed roughly, straightening his uniform and steadying her with a firm hand. His gaze traveled up toward Sorano and he froze.

Oh for FUCKS SAKE, did Juvia know every single person who had it out for Angel? This was getting hazardous for her sanity. And don’t think she didn’t notice the man’s partner standing unobtrusively in the corner, golden eyed and with long purple-black hair falling down to her waist. Something about the policewoman made Sorano bristle but her eyes were watching the patient solemnly not the new arrivals.

"Officer Fullbuster," she managed wryly, leaning against the doorframe, trying to fight the blush on her face. He straightened, smile fading, "Miss Aguaria."

Flinging her hands up sassily, she couldn't help it, "So happy to see me. And is that anyway to treat me after what you did last time we met?"

Juvia stared at him questioningly and a flush spread up his neck. Clearing his throat, he adjusted his belt and scrubbed his hair nervously, making her smile grow. Oh ho, so she had made an impression on him.

He frowned and she cut him off, "I'm legal. Ask Mest Gryder; he's my parole officer." Oh son of a bitch, she'd forgotten. He was going to chew her ass about the job too. Couldn't she catch a break? With all these nannies, it was amazing she could take a piss by herself.

Sighing with relief, he nodded, "Great. I, er, we're actually here for official business... um, Lucy will be by later though. She's kinda busy with the wedding stuff."

"You proposed?" Juvia squealed with excitement making Sorano clap her hands over her ears with a wince. She also winced at the thought of Lucy marrying that idiot, not that they were on good terms or anything either, but... dammit, Sorano made enemies the way other people made friends it seemed. At least Lucy wasn't here too. "Oh, is Juvia invited? Juvia wants to come! Juvia wants to bring Erza and dress up!"

"Well, I'm ruining the surprise, and Lucy'll have my head for it, but she was going to make both of you bridesmaids," the officer beamed proudly, his handsome face lighting up sickeningly. As if on cue, both of them turned their head towards the patient in the hospital bed, and Juvia crept over, "Did Erza hear? Gray and Lucy are getting married! So you need to wake up and be a bridesmaid soon."

Gray cleared his throat, "I was actually hoping she'd woken up. I have some questions for her... about... y'know..." A very unpleasant and unwelcome look was shot her way. "No luck."

Juvia hummed a bit, "Juvia knows Erza is stronger than this. Erza is just resting a bit..."

"I hope so," Gray replied softly, reaching over Juvia’s shoulder and gently brushing a lock of bright red hair out of the comatose woman’s face, "She's my friend too you know."

Great.

Wasn't this so touchy-feeling?

Sorano would rather be watching porn than this crap. Time to bail. There was definitely no place for her in this room right now. She didn't even know this Erza chick, and clearly everyone else did. Well, maybe not the other police officer, because her serious and angry expression hadn’t flickered at the news of her partner’s wedding.

Yup, definitely time to bail. Sorano’d had her fill with dealing with people who had chips on their shoulder. They tended to be unpredictable. Dangerous. And she had enough of that just getting to the bottom of the Jellal mystery.

Backing away slowly, she felt someone solid and warm hit her back. Whirling, she turned to either say excuse me or rip them a new one for sneaking up on her, she wasn’t sure which, but both curdled on her tongue. Jellal seemed not to notice, or at least pretended he didn’t, and gave her a moment to catch herself. Which she did, by flinging herself away nearly into the wall, glad she was in a hospital.

Given the number of near-heart attacks she’d had in the last ten minutes.

“Careful there, Lingerie Girl,” he cautioned reaching forward, “The tiles are slick.”

Her skin burned where he’d touched it and every noise she tried to make strangled in her throat. Instinct kicked in then, her arms jerking up to flail, knocking him square in the nose. Wincing, he stumbled back, more surprised than hurt. Flinching and cowing down, she expected a smack for her insolence.

Frozen, they were locked like that in the hall, when a new voice floated out from the room, “Tell me where Jellal Fernadez is, Miss Lockser, or be taken into custody for your obstruction of our investigation.”

#mine #secrets underneath #sorano #jellal fernadez #juvia lockser

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