Chance Encounter

Summary: Following a job in the outskirts of Crocus, Sting Eucliffe finds Lucy Heartfilia half-drowning and drunk in the middle of a hotspring

Pairing: Sting/Lucy

Genre: Romance / Drama

Rating: M

Disclaimer: The anime/manga Fairy Tail and its characters belong rightfully to Hiro Mashima

Note: My first Fairy Tail fanfic! Hope you guys enjoy this fic featuring my OTP StingLu/StiCy. This story is set after the Tartaros Arc, during the 1-year time-skip, a few weeks before Natsu and Lucy's reunion. My take on what could have happened during that 1-year gap. I more or less already have this whole story planned out. I'm anticipating around 4-6 chapters for this fanfic. I realized that I've left a lot of my stories incomplete but I'm determined to finish this one. Please read and review! This fanfic is not beta'ed.

-X-

Chapter One

-X-

A year has passed since the last Grand Magic Games Sabertooth had entered. It was also the same games that ended Sabertooth's winning streak, much to the guild's disappointment. The chance for redemption was well on its way with this year's tournament approaching. However, after news of Fairy Tail's disbandment reached him, Sting felt a twinge of disappointment, as he knew that there wouldn't be any real competition in the games. Although the presence of Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel and even Blue Pegasus made a strong impression on the crowd last year, Sting had a sneaking suspicion that they would not make an appearance in the tournament this year either for the same reason as Sabertooth.

Not that it mattered, Sting mused. He would not be allowed to participate in the tournament if they were to enter due to his promotion. Ever since the death of Jiemma, he had taken over as the new guild master of Sabertooth. Despite his protests, everyone had encouraged him to fill the shoes of the guild's new master. Even Minerva, who initially nominated Sting without good intentions, had shown him her full support of the role. Needless to say, Sting had found his hands full pretty quickly.

He had heard rumours of Fairy Tail's destructive tendencies and initially scoffed at their carelessness. Only after becoming a master made him realise that Sabertooth was just as bad as the infamous fairies. Orga and Minerva in particular were the main source behind his migraines, as he had to draft letters after letters of apology to the magic council.

Being the leader of the pack also meant he wasn't given many opportunities to take on jobs with Rogue, Lector and Frosch. So when the news of a dark guild, by the name of Red Dusk, terrorising a nearby village south of Crocus reached his ears, Sting didn't think twice before accepting the job himself. To his dismay, Rogue, Yukino and Frosch had already left on a mission and Lector had fallen ill, therefore were unable to join him on this job. Thus, he set out alone.

Taking care of the dark guild wasn't anything Sting couldn't handle himself. With Red Dusk detained and out of commission, the villagers rejoiced and showered him with extreme hospitality. Despite the job not posing much of a challenge, Sting still relished in the idea of being out on duty, rather than being stuck in the guild office, but alas, all good things must come to and end. Sting bid his goodbyes to the villagers and proceeded to head back to Crocus, where Sabertooth was based at. Luckily for the dragon slayer, it was a walking distance, which meant he didn't have to suffer from the side effects of transportation.

"Hello there, young traveller."

Sting stopped in his path and turned towards the feminine voice. An old lady holding a walking stick with hair as grey as ash was the source of the greeting. She gave Sting a smile.

"Hello." Sting nodded politely.

"You look a bit worn out, I must say," she remarked with concern. "Are you okay, young man?"

Sting glanced down at his attire. Although the job he had wasn't anything of a difficult level, a couple of the dark mages managed to catch him by surprise with their attacks, hence why he looked slightly scuffed.

"I'm fine."

The old lady pursed her lips. "You look like you just got out of a fight. You must be a mage, aren't you?"

Sting nodded in response. "I am."

"That explains everything then." The woman chuckled lightly, to which Sting tilted his head in confusion. She smiled at him before continuing. "There's an onsen on the outskirts of Crocus Forest. The water runs directly from Crocus Mountain and is known for its healing properties. I see many mages such as yourself venture there to relax and rejuvenate. You look like you could benefit from something like that."

Sting's eyes lit up. "Ohh, an onsen? Sounds like a good idea," he exclaimed.

"Indeed." The woman nodded with a smile. She pointed towards the narrow path leading into the forest. "If you follow that path and take a right turn at the second intersection, continue on that path and you'll reach the place."

"Alright, thank you for that ma'am." Sting bowed politely before heading off in the direction of the onsen.

The old woman chuckled. Youth these days, she mused.

-X-

It took Sting a total of twelve minutes to arrive at the said location. Sting observed the area. Deep in the middle of the forest surrounded by thick condensation of trees laid an old, run down inn made completely of wood. A sign with the words Yama Ryoukan and Onsen hung above the front door. Walking through the door, Sting was greeted by a middle-aged lady adorned in an elegant purple yukata. She bowed at the dragon slayer. "Welcome."

Sting walked towards the lady. Kimiko, her nametag read. "I've been told about the hot springs here. How much is it?"

Kimiko chuckled. "Dear, our onsen is free of charge with a bottle of our complimentary sake," she stated. Sting raised his eyebrows. Free of charge? How does her business even survive? "Of course, if you like to stay here overnight, it'll cost 6000 J per night."

"6000 J?!" Sting's eyes widened. 'What an expensive stay,' he thought.

Kimiko nodded her head. "Would you like me to book you in?"

Sting shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'm just here to experience the hot spring."

"Very well." The innkeeper gestured towards the entrance on her left, which had a blue cloth hanging overhead. "If you head through that entrance, there will be a set of clothes for you and a locker for you to use. Would you like some sake to go with your experience?"

"Yes, please."

Kimiko smiled at his request and retrieved a bottle of sake from behind the counter and passed it to him, along with a small cup. "Enjoy."

Sting accepted the items from her and headed towards the entrance. Using his free hand to brush the blue overhanging cloth out of the way, he entered the changing room, taking note of the fresh set of yukata, towel and geta laid out in an organised fashion. Putting the sake down, Sting proceeded to strip out of his jacket, pants and boots, throwing them into the basket provided and shoving them into a nearby locker. 'Doesn't look like anyone else is around,' Sting mused, as he wrapped the towel around his lower half. Grabbing the sake and cup, he proceeded towards the entrance of the onsen.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, observing the sight before him. The onsen was huge, stretching towards the mountain, almost as if it was a lake. It was dark out with stars filling up the sky. The moon and stars reflected off the steamy water, illuminating the area. Sting glanced around, not seeing a single soul in sight. Perfect, he mused before laying the sake down and throwing off his towel. The water was scorching, but not uncomfortable, as he slowly dipped his feet in. Sting sighed in contentment after sinking himself fully into the water.

"Ahh… this is the life." Sting grinned. Pouring himself a cup of sake, which he downed in one go, he leaned back against the rocky edge of the onsen and gazed up at the starry sky. If only Rogue, Lector and Frosch were here, he mused. "Their loss."

It wasn't long before Sting felt his eyes drift shut as the warmth of the water worked its magic in his muscles.

Sting didn't know how long he slept for before a splashing sound captured his full attention. "What the hell was that?" he muttered, standing up fully in the water, exposing his lower half completely. The blond dragon slayer didn't care much about modesty, though. The sound occurred to his right. His view was obstructed by rocks, so Sting had no choice but to approach them source. Cautiously he wadded through the water and peeked over the rocks. The sight before him left his eyes wide open.

There on the other side of the rocky structure laid Lucy Heartfilia half-drowning in the steaming water. "L-Lucy-san?!" Sting exclaimed in surprise.

The said blonde did not respond nor move causing Sting to panic. Without thinking further, Sting leaped over the rocky structure, separating the males' onsen from the female side and wadded towards the drowning celestial mage. Grabbing a hold of the female's shoulders, Sting positioned her upright and gave her a slight shake. "Hey, snap out of it!" he said firmly.

Lucy coughed violently, bringing up a copious amount of spring water, before her eyes fluttered open. Her brown eyes looked around disorientated before landing on the male who had her in his grasp. "W-who are you?" she slurred.

Sting could smell the scent of sake on her breath. He raised an eyebrow at her drunken state. "It's Sting," he stated. "From Sabertooth. Don't tell me you've forgotten me already."

Lucy looked confused for a second before letting off a silly grin. "Oooohh, Sting~" She giggled. "L-long time –hiccup- no see!"

"Yes, long time indeed, Lucy-san," Sting commented dryly. "Now do you mind telling me what happened to you?"

"Just had –hiccup- a little too much to drink, is all." Lucy laughed, swaying back and forth. Without warning, the celestial mage lost her footing and tumbled straight into Sting's chest.

"H-hey! W-w-what are you doing?!" Sting yelled in embarrassment as her bare breasts rubbed against his naked chest. It only just occurred to him now that she was stark naked like him as previously he was too concerned about her state of mind to notice such detail.

Lucy giggled. "Sorry~" She looked up at him with her chocolate eyes. Sting blushed at their proximity but took heavy note of her reddened eyes. Had she been crying, Sting wondered.

"Hey… Sting?" Her breath fanned on his face.

"W-what is it?" Sting stammered, feeling hot from the closeness of the Fairy Tail mage.

"Can you stay –hiccup- with me? –hiccup- Just for a bit?" Lucy asked drunkenly. As she pressed closer to him, the dragon slayer willed himself not to color the onsen water red with the massive nosebleed that was threatening to emerge. He felt himself sweat and he had a sneaking suspicion it had nothing to do with the heat.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea, Lucy-san. I should go!" Sting stuttered. He released the female, who immediately dropped into a sitting position in the water. To his relief, the steamy water once again concealed her endowed bosom. "Goodbye, Lucy-san!" he blurted out, and proceeded to make a dash. Her next words however froze him in his tracks.

"Why does everyone keep leaving me…?" Lucy murmured, voice thick with emotion. "Even you…"

Sting turned back towards the Heartfilia girl, whose eyes started to glisten with unshed tears. "Why…"

Sting didn't know what to do nor say. He just stood there staring at Lucy, who hugged her legs towards her chest and started to sob silently. After a moment of hesitation, he started to walk towards the female and after a few seconds of hesitation he plopped himself down next to the celestial mage. Slowly, he raised a hand and placed it on top of her head, giving her a small, reassuring pat. "Alright, I'll stay for a bit," he said awkwardly. "I'm here, Lucy-san. Please don't cry." He did not know what compelled him to stay but seeing Lucy like that sent an unpleasant feeling through his chest.

"Thank you…" Sting heard her murmur before her head fell against his shoulder. He glanced at the blonde only to find that she had fallen asleep. Sighing, Sting scratched his head in frustration. "What in the world am I going to do with you?" he muttered. Lucy snored lightly in response.

Knowing that he would have to get her out of the water and dressed before she caught a cold, Sting cursed under his breath and lifted Lucy up, bridal-style. Ignoring the feel of her naked skin against his bare chest, Sting brought them both out of the water and proceeded towards the female changing room. Good thing no one else was around, Sting thought scowling. He would never live it down if someone saw him stark naked, carrying an attractive looking female, who was also in her birthday suit, in his arms. If word got out, he would be the laughing stock of Sabertooth.

Setting Lucy down on the wooden bench chair, Sting glanced around to locate her clothing. He retrieved the basket filled with her clothing. Digging through the basket, Sting came across a piece of what was probably the most scandalous looking piece of underwear he had ever seen. "What the hell…" Sting pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt his face heat up. Letting out a growl, he shoved the offending piece of fabric into the bottom of the basket and set the basket of clothing down. "Ahh forget it!"

Instead he retrieved one of the inn's yukata from the cabinet and, with much difficulty, wrapped it around the curveous blonde. Sting made sure to advert his eyes whilst dressing her. He felt his face heat up every time his hand made contact with her soft bare skin.

"Stupid girl…" he grumbled under his breath, face still red from embarrassment. On the contrary to what most people think, Sting was an absolute prude when it comes to the female body. Having to dress Lucy Heartfilia, a girl with, in his opinion, one of the best bodies he had ever seen, was absolute torture for him.

A lone tear fell from Lucy's closed eye and before Sting could stop himself, he reached out to wipe it away. He sighed before the corner of his lips twitched up ever so slightly.

"You owe me big time, Blondie."

-X-

"Nnng," Lucy groaned as the ray of sunlight from the window shone on her face. "Oww…" She sat up, hand nursing her pounding head. "Where am I…?" Brown eyes observed the surroundings. Lucy noted that she was in a small traditional-styled bedroom, with the bare minimum of furnishing. The blonde got on her feet shakily, one hand holding the side of her head as she grimaced. "My head…" she moaned. "How much did I drink…?" She glanced around the room, only to land on a piece of paper lying on top of a low oak table. Lucy blinked in confusion before approaching the object. Her eyebrows rose as she read the contents.

You owe me one – Sting Eucliffe

All of a sudden, last nights events came rushing through her head. "Oh, God…" Lucy groaned in embarrassment. She never would have imagined that Sting Eucliffe of all people would find her in her pitiful state. She hissed as a sudden sharp pain shot through her head. Hangovers were the worst, she thought with much regret.

It wasn't very often that Lucy would find herself drinking. She was never a big drinker to begin with and had always wondered how Cana could go through so many barrels a day without losing her liver. Natsu had made it quite clear to her that she was an absolute terror to take care of when drunk. Natsu… Lucy's eyes watered slightly.

Yesterday marked the 307th day of Fairy Tail's disbandment and also the last time she saw the salmon-haired dragon slayer. Lucy kept count of each day that had passed, despite recalling the events of that fateful day as if it only happened the day before. Everyone had gone his or her separate ways since the defeat of Tartaros. Natsu and Happy were the first to disappear, followed by Master Makarov, Gray, Juvia, Erza… and even Wendy and Charle. Before she knew it, Fairy Tail was nothing more than the name of the strongest guild in Fiore. A name, however, without its members, meant nothing. Fairy Tail's disbandment hit Lucy hard. Lucy had struggled through a depressive phase for three months following that day.

Jason from Sorcerer Magazine found her sulking in the streets of Magnolia one day and, after he discovered her talent for writing, he hired her as his assistant. From that day, she put her past behind her, left Magnolia and followed the enthusiastic reporter to the city of Crocus. With the money from her new job, she was able to afford a nice apartment in central Crocus. Of course, being in the capital of Fiore meant that rent was not exactly cheap. Despite having to pay 85,000 J a month, Lucy could not have asked for a better start to her life.

However, there were times like yesterday where Lucy would find herself, once again, falling into the pits of despair. The mark of the Fairy Tail guild was well recognised amongst even common folk. Despite the disbandment of the guild, Lucy still wore her guild mark on her right hand as a reminder of the past. What she did not expect was that the children of Crocus would recognise the meaning behind the mark.

She remembered walking home from a long day of work, only to be stopped by two young boys no older than the age of eight. The way their eyes lit up when they saw her guild mark and asked her if Fairy Tail was going to compete in the Grand Magic Games again this year had almost turned Lucy into a sobbing mess. The only response that Lucy could grace them with was a strained smile and pat on their heads and whispering, "you'll just have find out." She let off a shaky grin at their excited faces, yet felt her heart being crushed. She did not have the heart to tell these innocent children that their precious Salamander wasn't going to make an appearance nor the fact that the guild that they wanted to join was no more.

With that encounter behind her, Lucy felt as if a dark cloud had yet again formed over her head. Her feet were on autopilot, bringing her further and further away from the city of Crocus. Lost in her thoughts, she did not even notice that she had made it to the outskirts of the city. The skies were painted a warm combination of orange, red and yellow, signalling the approach of nightfall.

She was approached a minute later by an old woman, who asked if she needed help getting home as she appeared 'lost.' Being the kind-hearted stranger that she was, she suggested for Lucy to take a break and relax at the nearby onsen.

"A soak in the springs can do wonders for your troubled heart, child," the lady suggested. The wrinkles on her face grew more prominent with her smile.

Without much thought, Lucy agreed and thus found herself drowning away her sorrows with alcohol. No one was around, which Lucy was grateful for. The blonde could only remember crying her heart out, drinking, screaming at the heavens, drinking… and then all went black.

"What was Sting doing there though?" Lucy questioned herself quietly. "How did I even get here?"

A soft knock on the shoji screen caught her attention. "Miss, are you awake?"

"A-ah, yes, come in!" Lucy answered back, hands clasping the front of her yukata. When did she even get changed, she wondered.

The door slid open to reveal a middle-aged woman dressed in an elegant yukata. Her nametag identified her as Kimiko. "Ahh, you're awake. How are you feeling, Miss…?" Kimiko trailed off.

"Lucy." The blonde bowed. "I'm okay, thank you."

The woman softly giggled behind her hand. "I must say, I had quite a shock when I saw that blond boy carry you out of the onsen last night, but he seemed pretty sensible."

What is she talking about, Lucy wondered with a puzzled expression on her face. The innkeeper's words suddenly dawned on her. Carried you out of the onsen… sensible… blond boy… Lucy's face turned cherry red and she quickly turned around, hands cupping her hot cheeks. Her eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Kimiko tilted her head, slightly confused at her actions. "Was he someone that you knew, Miss Lucy?"

"K-kinda…"

Oh, Lucy definitely knew him. Sting Eucliffe – one of the Twin Dragons of the Sabertooth guild, Fairy Tail's biggest rival during the Grand Magic Games. Despite the dragon slayer duo's help during the Face activation project by Tartaros, Lucy's impression of them was not a good one. While Yukino proved to be a great friend, Rogue and Minerva had left Lucy with quite huge scars, both physically and mentally. Hearing the name Sabertooth still sometimes put Lucy on edge, despite knowing very well that the guild has changed for the better. Despite all this, she did not know what to think of the White Dragon, Sting. Her first impression of the blond was that he was the most arrogant person she had ever come across. She remembered feeling her blood boil as he openly mocked her dragon slayer teammate on the streets of Crocus and the way he boasted about killing his dragon. A guy like Sting was definitely trouble. Lucy groaned, dreading what was there to come.

"Um, Miss Lucy? Are you okay?" The voice of the innkeeper snapped Lucy out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yes, I am!" A thought suddenly struck Lucy. "Oh! I have to pay for my stay!" she exclaimed as her hands roam her body trying to locate her wallet. 'Dammit, I don't even have money on me!' she cried inwardly, remember that she left her wallet at her apartment yesterday morning.

"Pay? Oh, don't worry about it. The gentleman from last night already footed the bill." Kimiko smiled.

Lucy froze. "He did what?!" she gapped. "How much was it?"

"We charge 6000 J per night, Miss."

'6000 J?!' Lucy inwardly shrieked.

"He also asked me to wash your clothes for you. They just dried this morning." Kimiko held up a pile of folded clothing for the celestial mage, who accepted the clothes, still in a state of shock.

"Did he say where he was going?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

"No…"

A surge of disappointment ran though her. "Oh…" Lucy looked down and fisted the clothes in her hands tightly. First he takes care of her while she was drunk, pays for her not-so-cheap stay and asks for her clothes to be washed. She had to find a way to thank him. The blonde mage pursed her lips.

Maybe Sting wasn't as bad as she thought.

-X-

Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed this. Writing is most definitely not my forte so I'm sorry if some of the scenes felt a bit awkward, haha. Sorry if the characters felt a bit OOC. I only realized how hard it is to write Sting after completing this chapter... But anyway, please leave a review and let me know what you think :)

-X-

-Setsuna