EP.66|Music Note

Another week had passed and now Hunter wouldn't even leave Operetta’s side. His face was stubbly, his hair slightly greasy, and the bags under his eyes were getting bigger and bigger by the day.

“Hunter…” Mal says as she put her hand on his shoulder. She was just recently been allowed to walk around and stretch her legs and the first people she wanted to see were Operetta, Jasper, and Zeref since she had already talked to CJ.

Hunter grunted in response, his eyes glued to the red haired girl on the hospital bed, her heart beat stronger than it was before but still slightly irregular.

“Maybe you should go back to the dorms and sleep for a little bit. I know you care for Operetta and you’re worried, we all are, but you need to sleep.” Mal says quietly as she looks down at the demon, hoping that he would get up and take a break for a little bit.

She wasn’t sure when the last time he has eaten was, but she was sure it wasn’t recently. “No…” Hunter says gruffly. “I wanna be here when she wakes up, and I wanna hear her heartbeat...it’s the only way I know everything’s okay.” Hunter says quietly, his voice cracking just slightly.

Mal usually would have giggled at the demon for being so sensitive but she was just as worried for the red head.

“Hunter, you need to eat, there’s no way you can keep an eye on her if you pass out from exhaustion and malnourishment. Freddie’s downstairs helping behind the bar, I’ve missed helping out anyways. How about I get here to watch Operetta for the time being. With the Takamaki and all she can see her heartbeat from miles away too and she’ll let us know if anything happens.”

“I don't know Mal...you shouldn’t be working anyways, how would Ben feel about that?” Hunter asked quietly, hoping that his question would get her off his back and leave him to wait for Operetta to wake.

Mal smiles quietly at the demon. “Does it look like I care? Plus, I told him I wanted to get up and moving again. And Hunter, how would Operetta feel if you were doing this to yourself, you know that she wouldn't want you doing this to yourself over her.”

“Go home. Take a shower, sleep for a while. When you come back Operetta is gonna be here, still perfectly fine.” Mal promised with a smile, hoping that she finally convinced the hard-headed demon.

“You call me if anything. Anything, happens. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” Hunter gruffly says as he stands up from his chair, cracking his back loudly.

“And please...make sure she’s safe…” Hunter says almost inaudibly as he bends down to kiss Operetta’s forehead, staring down at her peaceful face for a second before walking out and closing the door softly.

“I will, promise.” Mal says with a sad smile as she sits down in the stiff chair.

~B~

Around 3 hours had passed and the sun had finally gone down. The cafe was now empty with the exception of Mal, Ben, Jasper, Zeref, Operetta, Freddie, and Evie.

CJ had finally decided to go home with the help of Carlos, much to his pleasure. Mal sat in Ben’s lap half asleep.

“I told you not to work yourself too hard.” Ben reminded her.

“I didn’t he work that hard, it’s just late.” Mal mumbled into his chest.

“You went from being in a hospital bed to working around for 3 straight hours. For now, I count that as working hard.” Ben says matter a factually.

“Mmm..it depends on when Hunter comes back,” Mal says with a smile, knowing that Ben wasn't happy with her answer.

“He doesn't want Operetta alone and he's only trusting me and Freddie for the most part,” Mal says as she turns to look over at Freddie, who was currently grabbing some food before she had to go back upstairs.

“I know I know but still. Don't work yourself too hard, okay” Ben says quieter than usual, a bit of worry behind his voice.

Mal smiles softly, leaning in close to his ear. “I won't...I promise…” she whispers as she feels his tense muscles relax.

After a while, the cafe had completely slowed down. Mal had fallen asleep in Ben’s lap and Freddie was asleep next to Operetta and Zeref.

A scream echoed through the guild causing Ben to shoot up from his seat, having to hold Mal around her waist so that she didn't fall.

“What the fuck?” Ben growls as he looks around the cafe.

“MAL!” Freddie screams the top of her lungs, dragging the half asleep girl out of her daze before she sprinted up the stairs to see why Freddie was screaming for her.

Operetta shot up out of her bed in a daze, her head aching, and the cuts on her body pulling. Her eyes quickly shot to the IV in her arm, she pulled it out roughly, screaming at the top of her lungs as she did.

All she wanted to do was go home and right now all the could think of was Milton touching them as they begged him not to, shoving IV's in their arms and painfully draining their power for hours upon hours.

Operetta was brought out of her daze by the screaming voice of Freddie who was frozen by her side before she quickly got up and began to work on her arm.

Operetta began to pull away roughly not recognizing who was touching her. Blood began pooling on the floor from her new wound as Freddie tried her best to keep her still so that she could heal her.

Mal burst through the doors with Ben close behind as their eyes latched onto the scene in front of them.

“Operetta..?” Mal whispers, shocked to see the small girl awake, let alone to see her fighting against Freddie.

Operetta’s head snapped up at the familiar voice though she was still trying to pull away from Freddie.

“Operetta honey…” Mal says as she stepped up to the side of the bed, kneeling down slowly beside her.

“You gotta calm down hun...you're gonna hurt yourself.” She says calmly as she slowly grabs her arm to hold it still. Mal turns her head around to Ben for a second.

“Call Hunter,” she says quietly, hoping that he would be able to calm her better than the rest of them were able to.

Ben nods before quickly teleporting out of the room, lightning crashing around the room.

“Hunter?” Operetta asked quietly, her thrashing slowing down as she looked up into Mal’s eyes. Mal frowned when she noticed that Operetta's usually bright honey eyes were now dull and cloudy, filled with sadness.

“Yeah Operetta..he's gonna be here soon,” Mal says quietly, still scared of startling the girl as she motions for Freddie to continue healing her arm.

Operetta looks around slowly at the faces in the room before tears begin to stream down her face, the familiar faces of Freddie and Mal calming her slightly.

“We're in the Heart Cafe?...and everyone's okay?...” Operetta asks through her increasing sobs.

“Yeah Operetta,” Freddie says quietly. “You're home. You're actually one of the last ones to wake up, though Zeref and Jasper is still in an induced coma so that they could heal.”

Not more than a minute later Ben and a disheveled Hunter appeared in the room, obviously just having woken up.

“MAL WHAT THE FUCK H…” Hunter gets cut off when Ben forcibly turns his head to look at a sobbing Operetta, his eyes quickly shot to the pool of blood on the floor. “how the hell…” Hunter mumbles as his eyes widen at the immense amount of blood on the floor.

“How the hell...?” mumbles as his eyes clouded with threatening tears.

“Come here...” Mal whispers. “She needs you.”

Hunter walks numbly to Operetta’s side, still unable to comprehend that she was awake. He kneels down to her side as he lets the tears stream down his face.

“Hey, Music Note…” Hunter whispers, causing Operetta to look down at him quickly with shock. His crimson eyes staring into her glazed over her emerald ones.

“Music...Hunter?” Operetta says excitedly as her eyes widen with disbelief.

“Yeah Music Note it's me…” He says quietly before grabbing her hand and squeezing it slightly. Slowly Ben and Mal leave the room, motioning for Freddie to do the same once the finished healing Operetta’s arm.

“Y..you're okay?” Operetta asked quietly, squeezing his hand tightly as if he was going to disappear on her.

Hunter chuckles quietly. “You're worried about me? Of course, I'm okay Operetta, I'm more worried about you,” Hunter says as he reaches up and wipes the remaining tears on her cheeks off with his rough thumb.

“I'm so sorry I wasn't there earlier...I should have been there earlier to keep you safe... this should have never happened. I mean I promised that I would never l-” Hunter was cut off by a kiss, not one of their normally rough ones.

This one was slow and passionate, filled with love as they released all of the worry that they had in their minds.

“You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Operetta...I wouldn't be the person I am now without you. I hurt you the most and you were still the first person to forgive me. You've always been by my side and I'll be damned if I lose you now.”

“Music Note? Hello? You’ve been staring at me for about a minute now and not saying a thing.” Hunter snapped his fingers in his face. More tears began to stream down Operetta’s face before she yawned quietly, drawing a chuckle out of Hunter.

“You should go to sleep Music Note,” Hunter says as he reached up and ruffled her hair slightly.

“You just lost a lot of blood from thrashing around and you’ve got a concussion.” Hunter said as he eases her back down into the bed, adjusting the pillows before pulling up the sheets.

Operetta looked down at the pool of blood at Hunter’s feet. “Holy shit…” She mumbles under her breath.

“I think that you’re taking after me a little too much Music Note,” Hunter laughed before kissing her forehead. “I’ll cleans it up, don't worry about it,” Hunter says with a smile.

Operetta smiles slightly before grabbing his arm. “Stay here till I fall asleep?” Operetta asked hopefully as her eyes begin to close slightly.

Hunter smiled before pulling up the stiff chair and sitting next to Operetta, resting his head on her lap. “Of course Music Note.”

Operetta slowly falls asleep as she runs her small hands in his spiky ebony locks. “I love you Hunter.” Operetta mumbled in what had to be the cutest sleepy voice that Hunter ever head.

Hunter smiled, hearing those words escape her lips.

But she was delirious,

But what if she wasn’t?

Could Operetta truly love Hunter?