Gusion writhed in so much pain. He seemed to be drowning, dying from excruciating agony that he couldn't bear.
He remembered grunting, screaming so loudly as his head felt like it was being split in half.
He tried to open his eyes, but there was only darkness.
He screamed even louder, hoping for someone to hear, wishing for the pain to stop.
Scenes flashed through his mind, all switching to another before he could register what they were.
But he kept getting glances of a particular person; a lady with chestnut hair, her gaze always fading away before he could get a vivid view or the color of her eyes.
He remembered feeling warm every time she appeared in the images of his brain, then overtime he went melancholic, then hurt, the one that could make a person want to die.
He cried. He didn't know why but he knew he was crying. He could feel the warm liquid running down his face.
"Gusion?" A voice called.
It was distant. But it made his heart skip a beat.
"It's alright. You're alright." Her voice sounded so soothing that he literally felt the pain subside.
Then he felt something touch his face. Something warm and comforting. And that warmth wrapped around him, gradually making the pain fade away...until he was calm.
Calm enough to listen to the sound of the heart beat.
He wondered if it was his. Or this someone.
"You're safe now." The voice said again.
And it sounded so reassuring that Gusion hadn't resist diving into unconsciousness again.
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Gusion stood at the top of the tower, trying to find satisfaction at the ruins around it.
It had been a week since he woke up from that nightmare.
It had been a week that he was living without Guinevere, and he wondered how he could ever go on like this.
Without her, living wasn't really living at all.
It was like merely existing without a purpose.
How could one exist without a purpose, he wondered.
The only thing making him going was Alucard and the others.
It was them who forced him out of his room everyday, reminding him of the revenge he had to take, reminding him of a score he had to settle.
And with those encouragements they had made progress of what they had started; taking every means Baker could use to tyrannize the city even more.
The building he was in was yet another of his property that was about to go down, but he couldn't help but be angry.
They destroyed every building they discovered was his, but as soon as they get to the last brick there was still no Baker to find.
The fact that Alice seemed to have a part on this made him furious. It was her. She certainly had a connection with Baker.
It was her all this time.
And Gusion was impatient to get his blades on her throat and finally get the satisfaction he craved.
"Gusion." Alucard called, cutting his chain of violent thoughts. "Let's do this."
He merely looked at him.
He was tired. Tired of getting disappointed right after every attack, tired of getting even madder everytime Baker escaped, tired of bearing this heavy painful loathing that had been burning in his heart.
"For Guinevere." Alucard reminded.
And that was enough to ignite his desperation for revenge.
"Right." He answered. "Let's go."
They sneaked inside, planting timed-bombs on every floor they get into, Alucard making sure no one they met would live to warn the others.
They had done it so many times now that it took them little to no effort anymore.
And about five minutes later, they were out of the building, just in time for the bombs to detonate right at their wake.
Gusion found a bit of satisfaction at every explosion he heard.
Maybe it was because he had been to his darkest self before, and he might have taken control over his own self once again but he felt like a part of that darkness remained in the surface. And it was that part of him that gets pleased the sight of a burning building, knowing it was Baker's.
"Ugh. I can't believe I'm missing all the fun." Claude complained when he came in a bubblecar.
"You're easily-distracted." Alucard explained, climbing into the passenger seat of the car.
"And thinks he's entitled to make his own rules." Gusion added as he climbed at the back and the car flew off.
"Well, don't you?" Claude asked Gusion. "I heard you were pretty stubborn back then as well."
"That was before he had someone to fight for." Alucard said.
Gusion could only look away as he caught both of their gazes through the rearview mirror.
He chose to look out the window, where ruins stood at some parts that had been buildings just a few days ago.
He couldn't wait to finish their goal in this city. He couldn't wait to get out of this damn place.
"Hey, Chou and the others agreed to go to the club tonight."
Alucard sighed. "That's all you ever think of!"
"What? This is the last chance we get before the girls come back!" Claude insisted. "What about you? Aren't you craving for some freedom right now? You can't tell me you're afraid of Miya, are you?"
"Of course I'm not!" Alucard denied.
Gusion kept his mouth shut, but he could've sworn he felt Alucard lying.
"Your voice trembled!" Claude laughed.
"No, it didn't!"
"It definitely did! HAHA!"
"Just drive!" Alucard snapped.
But it didn't stop Claude from teasing him all the way to Saber HQ.
"Hey boys!!!" Claude called over the balcony of the HQ.
Chou peered from inside, looking neatly dressed.
"Let's go!" Claude yelled and kicked the gas pedal again.
"Wait, where are we going?" Alucard asked.
"I told you, we're going clubbing! We should celebrate our progress!"
"I didn't agree to this!" Gusion snapped as he came leaning against Claude's back rest.
"Oh come on! Surely you'll find someone better than Guin—!" Claude knew better than to continue what he was saying because Gusion's temper rose up to danger point and his vision started to go black. "Nothing! I said nothing! But it's too late to stop so you guys just come along and head back once we arrive."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Alucard muttered.
They did reached the club.
Right before Alucard and Gusion could escape, Granger placed a shoulder around Gusion and led him inside despite his protest.
Alucard did no better with Johnson being the one pushing him inside.
Loud music filled their ears, and there was that enchanted smoke again.
Gusion's heart clenched upon smelling something familiar then again; Guinevere's scent.
It was so strong that his mind almost believed she was around, and no matter how hard he convinced himself she wasn't there, he couldn't help subconsciously glancing around and looking for a familiar chestnut length of hair.
It brought back too many memories, some of them he couldn't almost handle.
He remembered that first night he met her at that hut, both of them so determined to get away from their families as far as possible.
He remembered that first night he almost kissed her, in that enchanted fairygarden of the Azyria Forest.
He remembered being alone with her underground of the Barren Lands, and how her presence was enough to make him fearless.
He remembered that time she took a lethal attack from Dyrroth for him, and how she had to be in bed for a month to recover.
His heart clenched so tight that he gasped for air.
How could she do that again?
Was she that fearless?
How could she hurt him this much?
His thought was interrupted by Claude who nudged him on the side. "Watch this." He said and reached out for someone.
He watched as Claude's hand touched a girl's bare thighs, and immediately pulled his hand away just as the girl looked over her shoulder.
Gusion didn't know what to do, but Claude pointed at Chou instead and laughed.
The girl looked at Chou and then smiled.
Chou looked confused and rattled, but the girl curled her arm around his and pulled him away, leaving Claude laughing as Chou mouthed some threats at him.
Gusion rolled his eyes and shook his head, then he ascended upstairs.
He retreated towards one of the VIP lounges then, and he just slouched there and hoped someone would shut the power off so everything going on would stop.
Instead, he closed his eyes and hoped for sleep to come.
He missed Guinevere so much.
Lately she had been appearing in his dreams.
And in his dreams she was so gentle, her eyes ever so loving that Gusion didn't want to ever wake up again.
Maybe tonight he'd meet her again there.
He longed for her so much that it hurts.
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"Gusion!"
Gusion sat bolt upright and saw Alucard throw himself at the lounge next to him. "Have you been sleeping all this time?"
"Yes, damn it!"
Alucard sighed. He looked drained and tired. "I want to go back to HQ but Miya would probably kill me once she smells the scent that had stuck on my clothes."
Gusion frowned. "Where exactly have you been?"
Alucard stared at him then looked away guiltily.
"Forget it, I don't want to know." Gusion said. "But what do you mean Miya's going to kill you? She and the girls wouldn't be back until tomorrow."
"Nah." Alucard shook his head. "They have arrived."
"What?!"
"They're already at HQ."
"Where's Alucard?" They heard a familiar voice.
"Oh no. I'm dead." Alucard muttered.
The VIP room opened and Miya burst in, followed by Hanabi, then Angela, then Lunox whom Claude had sent with them to see the other parts of the Land, then Karin and Aurora.
Gusion stared longer at the door, anticipating someone to come in.
"Ha! It's good to see you having fun, really." Miya said to Alucard who looked like a cornered mice.
"Miya, I swear, I was forced into this."
The couple went arguing, but Gusion couldn't take his eyes of the door until Hanabi sat next to him.
"Hey. How did your missions go?" She asked.
"Good. It went good." He answered, tearing his gaze off the door. "What about you?"
"It was fine. Having the girls visit my home town was fun."
He smiled. "I'm glad you girls had a great time there."
She nodded. "You're looking for Guinevere." She stated.
Only then did he realize he still kept glancing at the door.
"I-I'm not."
"She didn't come with us."
"What?" Gusion asked, fear and disappointment rising up the surface of his emotions.
"No, I mean here. She didn't come with us here. She's in the HQ."
"Oh." Was all Gusion could say, but deep inside butterflies were fluttering in his stomach.
He hadn't seen her since she took that arrow for him, and all these time he had been longing for her.
But now that she was finally within his reach, he started getting nervous as hell.
All his system was pushing him to go to her and it was taking him a lot of effort to act naturally right in front of Hanabi.
"Thank you for bringing her there. I really thought I lost her forever."
Hanabi smiled. "I knew you wouldn't be able to live if she did die."
"Thank you, Hanabi." He said sincerely.
"It was Miya's idea to bring her to the Moon Elf King to heal."
"I owe you girls a favor." He said and stood up. "I don't know if I could ever repay you."
He placed a hand over Miya's shoulder, making her stop arguing with Alucard.
"If there's someone you need to torture, it's Claude and the others." He told her and walked out of the room.
He spotted Claude drinking at the bar counter and snatched the key of the bubblecar from Dexter, who was now trying to stop him from drinking himself to death.
Then he rushed out of the club and loaded into the bubblecar, instantly taking off to the HQ.
His heart was drumming loudly inside his chest, making his breathing rapid.
He had been so worried about her. Every night he thought of the worst case scenario; the Moon Elf King not being able to heal Guinevere's fatal wound.
Him having to live the rest of his life without really living.
Because if Guinevere dies, how would he intend to live?
What was the point of living without loving? Would it even be called living at all?
So his gut did s somersault over and over again, overjoyed and overwhelmed at the knowledge of him seeing her again.
She made it.
She came back alive.
And he'll never let her out of his sight again.
********* ************ *********
HELLO, babies!
Here I am asking for your votes again, and PLLLLEEEEAAASSE, do comment! I'm bored. 😂😆
Votes please, nothing pleases me more than Gugu stories surpassing the "other" pairing when it comes to 'Gusion Paxley' tags ranking 😊
Do so on other Gugu stories, too! Let's make Gugu stories rise up in ranking 😁
And hope you enjoyed this short chap, lovessss! 😘