And here we are, folks… the final installment of the Rewritten series of one-shots. This last piece ended up far longer than I'd anticipated – actually, the whole thing did! It's been fun, and I hope you enjoy this conclusion.
(That being said, I might do a spinoff or multi-chapter sequel someday.)
Thank you, everyone, for your brilliant and amazing support while I wrote this piece. Although emotionally difficult at times, I loved every second of it.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.
The darkness, for the first time in Rogue's life, felt wrong.
It was too… empty.
Stars, he decided, after a moment of thought. It needed starlight.
Despite that revelation, something else was wrong. Something wasn't right. But what?
Now that he thought about it, wasn't there supposed to be golden grass, and a bright, azure sky? He could have sworn he'd heard the hush of stalks rustling against each other in a gentle breeze, the scent of crushed grass wafting through the air only seconds before the dark. The kind touch of the air current carrying the smells and sounds of the open plain to his body in repose.
Wasn't there supposed to be a hand, grasped tightly in his own?
Rogue pushed and pulled against the darkness. This wasn't where he was supposed to be. The hand. He needed to find that hand, extended in friendship and… and… He didn't know what else, but he intended to find out.
No, wait. Pressure against his hand was still present. He couldn't see it, though. Was it the same limb he was looking for? With pale skin, dainty fingers, small scars adding to perfection instead of detracting from it, and a pink emblem emblazoned upon the back? This hand that he remembered clearly – where was it?
Desperate to find out, he concentrated on that feeling – of holding onto something. Slowly, he felt himself being pulled forward, out of the starless dark.
Pain lanced through his skull and chest, and the searing agony kept his eyes squeezed shut and Rogue locked inside the lonesome dark. But the guiding weight on his limb urged him beyond those sensations, and forced his eyes to open.
Rogue rapidly blinked back tears as the bright light stung his sensitive orbs. As his eyes adjusted to what turned out to be dim light, his other senses started to relay information back to him. The first thing he noticed was the heavy ache that had settled into every muscle in his body, and the white-fire pain on the left side of his chest. Next was scent, but the myriad overlapping smells in the room confused the Shadow Dragon Slayer and in his still unfocused state he couldn't glean much information from it. He could smell other people in the room, however. Two of these lingering odors he was familiar with – Sting and Frosch. The third niggled at the back of his memory but he couldn't immediately place it. His ears brought back clips of sound, muffled and distorted by an obstacle of some sort. Along with this, he heard the steady inhalations and exhalations of three other persons, along with four distinct heartbeats in the room.
It took him a few moments longer to realize that the pressure on his hand was still there – along with a soft weight against his uninjured side. Blinking back the last of the bleariness in his eyes, he shifted his head to the side to regard the source of the sensation.
His breathing stilled as he stared at the long blonde hair fanning out on the pillow beside him. Now recognizing the scent as that belonging to the girl, he didn't make a single move or say anything at all. He just continued to regard her in silence, his eyes tracing the contours of her face which was angled downwards and almost but not quite touching his chin. Her cheeks were puffy, and her eyelids swollen. The tang of salty tears clung to her skin from crying.
She was clutching his right hand in hers, and hugging his arm with her free one. Rogue had to fight down his embarrassment when he realized that her soft breasts were firmly pressed into the limb (or was it the other way around?).
Frosch was curled up in the narrow space between the crook of the woman's neck and his own, the little pink suit the Exceed wore brushing against them both. From the deep breathing and steady heartbeats, Rogue could tell that both were very much asleep.
If he'd thought she was beautiful before, while her tears slipped down her cheeks and the golden light surrounded her – well, it had nothing on her now.
Despite the truth that she was a virtual stranger, Rogue had no qualms about allowing Lucy Heartfilia to stay exactly where she was for as long as she cared to be there. Forever – if that was what she desired – was perfectly acceptable to him.
The Shadow Dragon Slayer itched to touch her face as he had before, to wipe away any lingering droplets on her skin. But she held his right arm tightly, and he was loathe to move it and risk awakening her. An exploratory twitch of his left arm almost made Rogue gasp in agony as pain flared through the muscles on the left side of his chest.
A throat clearing on Rogue's other side interrupted his reverie. Annoyed, Rogue turned his head to see the individual.
Sting, sitting in a chair beside the bed, raised a hand in greeting. "Yo," he said quietly, so as not to disturb the other blonde's slumber. "How are you feeling?"
Mouth completely devoid of moisture, Rogue rasped out, "Poorly."
"I would imagine not, after…" Sting gulped, and then continued, "Well, after what you did."
Rogue winced as he recalled the reason he was in so much pain. "The dragons… what happened with…"
"Gone back to their own timeline."
Sighing, Rogue closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Good."
"No, not good!" Sting snapped at his friend. Once Rogue was looking at him again, he went on. "That was a stupid move, Rogue. We could have found another way to defeat the Future Rogue and the dragons." Before Rogue could respond, Sting suddenly sighed. His shoulders dropping, Sting looked exhausted. "Just promise me you won't try something like that again, man. Frosch… you should have seen Frosch. Do you have any idea the position you put me in? Having to explain to… having to explain to Frosch just why you were injured? And who hurt you so badly? That we weren't sure if you were going to make it? Just what was I supposed to tell the little guy? Huh? And then there was the fact that I wasn't fully comprehending just what my best friend had done to himself."
Rogue stayed quiet while Sting tried to compose himself. The blonde Sabertooth Mage seemed close to tears – which never happened when the situation didn't involve Lector.
"I just don't… I just don't get it, Rogue."
"…I wanted to save the future," Rogue stated, blunt. "I couldn't be the reason why everyone was fighting. I couldn't allow myself to be the reason my friends' lives ended."
Sting exhaled through his nose, putting his head in his hands for a moment. Pushing his hair back, he looked up at Rogue again. "I understand that, a bit. But still, you nearly died, you know?"
"Yes," Rogue replied tersely. "I am aware of that."
"Yeah… don't do that again. In fact, live forever. Or die last. Whichever." Sting stretched and then stood up. "I don't ever want to hear Blondie scream like that again, Rogue. It was… horrible. It was just like when I thought I lost Lector." The blonde man glanced away briefly, counted to five to bring his emotions to heel, and then met Rogue's gaze. "She didn't even scream like that when Minerva tortured her. I'm not even going to pretend that I understand what's going on between you two, but I do know that she helped save your life so I owe her."
Rogue groaned. "Speaking of, how am I still alive? I thought I was… thorough, with what I did."
Muscles in Sting's jaw clenched at the statement, but he kept his temper in check. "You did die. Several times. But they managed to bring you back every time. Don't even think of asking me how because I didn't understand a single word of it. Something about electricity and shocks or something. Anyway, the Fairies pulled out all the stops to keep you kicking. Blondie, especially." Sting glanced at the girl sleeping beside Rogue. "It's been over a week, Rogue. She never left your side, except to get changed or take a quick shower. And even then, it was only because the princess herself ordered her to. Blondie's even been eating in here and sleeping in that damned uncomfortable chair." Gesturing towards the piece of furniture he'd just vacated, Sting continued, "Quite frankly her friends are worried about her."
Although he didn't turn his head to look at her, Rogue tightened his grip on Lucy's hand. It molded to his own with a perfection that astounded him.
Returning his focus back to his friend, Rogue asked, "The dragons and my future self… how are they gone if I'm alive?" As an afterthought, he added, "And why is she…?"
"In bed with you?" Sting smirked. "When I came in earlier she was asleep in the chair again. So I thought I'd be a nice guy and move her to one of the other infirmary beds. But she was clutching your hand so tightly I couldn't do it. So I just stuck her in with you. The scary Dragon Lady said it would be fine." The smirk widened. "She snuggled right up against you, like you were damned stuffed toy. And you let her. Unconscious and injured or not, I had expected you to throw a fit! You don't like anyone in your personal bubble but Blondie has a free pass!" He snickered as Rogue's eyes narrowed at him. "Even now, you're okay with it!"
"I can't move, Sting," Rogue pointed out validly.
"Right," Sting said, raising an eyebrow. "You just keep telling yourself that. You do realize that I've been here since before you woke up, right? So I saw you gazing soulfully at Blondie for several minutes."
Rogue bit back a growl, not wanting to wake the woman up. "And you do realize where I can hit you with a Shadow Dragon's Roar from this angle, right?"
Sting flapped a hand at him in dismissal. "You won't. Pretty sure the princess wouldn't appreciate you blowing out the castle infirmary's wall, besides."
He had a point. An annoying one, but a point nonetheless. "And the dragons, Sting?" Rogue prompted, deciding to ignore Sting's goading for now.
"Not a clue!" Sting sang. "Ask Blondie when she wakes up!"
The irritation bubbling up inside of Rogue only served to amuse Sting further. Then, abruptly, the blonde man's face fell. "Seriously, though, Rogue. I'm… pretty sure it's because you died. Again, you should talk to Blondie about it. And apologize to both her and Frosch while you're at it. Frosch, I know loves you, and I suspect Blondie cares a great deal more than she should. They deserve an apology, even if you're not sorry about what you did." He held up a hand to forestall any comments from Rogue. "You don't need to apologize to me or try to explain it any further. I get it. I don't agree with it, but I get it. And that's pretty much all I'm going to say on the matter."
A smirk spread across Sting's face, and a spark of mischievousness danced in his cerulean eyes. "I'm going to leave the serious lecture to Blondie. Wouldn't want to deprive her of her chance to chew you out. She's been preparing a damn good speech for days." Sting turned to leave, striding beyond Rogue's field of vision. "On that note, I think she's waking up and I'm not going to be anywhere in the near vicinity when she goes overprotective-dragon-mode on you. Dealt with enough of that this past week. Side effect of being a Dragon Slayer's partner, I think. Either way, I'm clearing out of the blast zone. I'll let the Dragon Lady and Wendy-san know you're awake."
Rogue heard a door open, and Sting's footsteps pause at the threshold. "Oh, before I forget I have a question for you. Do you think it negates my initially good intentions if I take blackmail photos of you two?"
Gritting his teeth and glaring balefully at the ceiling since Sting was conveniently out of range, Rogue growled, "Yes. Yes it does."
"…Ah. Well, it's too late now! You two should seriously consider becoming a couple – I mean, the entertainment value alone…."
"Sting."
"Yeah, Rogue?"
"Go away. Before I figure out how to kill you from this position." He'd already come up with and discarded five plans. It was only a matter of time until he found one that would work.
"That eager to get some alone time with the shiny Fairy, are you? We Dragon Slayers do like shiny, sparkly things, after all. Just don't do anything that will have her friends trying to set me on fire, or freeze me, or chop me into tiny pieces, alright? I've discovered that I don't like that much."
"Go the fuck away."
"Got it. Alone time. I'm interfering."
"Get out!"
"Later!"
As the door shut behind the fleeing Dragon Slayer, Rogue heaved a sigh. Shutting his eyes, he wished he could rub his forehead to ease the blossoming headache there.
A soft exhalation from the awakening woman beside him caught his attention. Reopening his eyes, he turned his head to see her. Then he closed his eyelids once more, as it occurred to him that staring at her while she awoke might not go over well. So he pretended to still be asleep and forced his breathing into an even pattern (although there was nothing he could do about his heart, which had inexplicably picked up speed and hurt like nothing else because of it).
He felt her shift on the mattress. Keeping his muscles relaxed, he forced all expression from his face as she drew their interlinked hands up to her face and placed them against her cheek. Careful not to disturb Frosch, she unwound her other arm from his.
The next thing he knew, her fingertips were tracing the contours of Rogue's jaw line. It was a struggle to remain impassive for the Dragon Slayer as her feather-light, wandering touch trailed over his flesh. She paused at his nose, tracing a straight line across the cartilage.
Rogue wondered if there was a scar there.
Next she gently brushed aside his bangs, pushing them towards his ear. Satisfied, she let her hand return to hold his along with the other. And then, to Rogue's great surprise, she flung one leg over his, and wiggled the other until it was beneath his right leg. Nestling closer to him and Frosch, she let out a contented sigh.
The Sabertooth Mage would have assumed that would be the end of it, but then she started to speak to him.
"I know I've said this many times before, Rogue. But please, please wake up. We miss you. Frosch has been waiting so patiently for you. Yukino was beside herself when she heard what happened. Sting, too, although he has a strange way of showing it. Those three have been telling me stories about you, and no matter how much I hear about you I want to know more. I want to talk to you, and have you reply. I want to hear your voice and for you to tell me you're okay. I need you to be okay."
Why do you care so much? Rogue wanted to ask, but he kept his silence.
"I know what you're thinking," she murmured. "Why do I care?"
…Slightly scary, that.
"I haven't told you this one, yet, have I? You see…" she gulped down what smelled like a fresh bout of tears.
Rogue longed to move to brush them away, as he had previously, but he squelched the desire and waited for her to continue.
"There was another time traveler, who helped us to escape the palace dungeons. She came from a time much closer than the future version of you. She died before we made it to freedom. He killed her, in front of us. It was me. Future me died there." Those threatened tears escaped their prison, and wet his hand that she still held to her cheek.
No, he thought, despair creeping into his already wounded heart. Where do the sins of my future self end? Where do mine end? Rogue couldn't even imagine hurting her. Not this woman.
"But don't blame yourself. He wasn't you. You proved it, when you spoke to the dragon. I heard you, and listened in. I was just… curious, I guess. I wanted to know who you were. You convinced me, when you told the dragon how you didn't want to hurt your friends. I believed you. I still believe in you. You didn't have to do a thing more to convince me to give you a chance."
Lucy inhaled shakily. "And then you… the way you looked at me. I don't even know what to call it. Like I was the only person in the world. Even if I had still wanted to before that, I wouldn't have been able to abandon you after. Why?" she whispered. "Why did you look at me like that? I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out, but I can't. So why, Rogue? Why did you care about a Fairy like me?"
"Because you cried."
She gasped at hearing his voice at long last.
Before she could say anything, he went further and admitted, "No one has ever cried for me like that except for Frosch. No one has ever tried to protect me from harm aside from him. And I thought you were beautiful." It was odd for him to say such a phrase out loud, but he meant every word.
"A lot of people cried for you, Rogue. Not just me. Sting, Lector, Frosch, Yukino… even Orga and Rufus. Your whole guild."
Withdrawing his hand from hers, he slipped his arm under her head. Winding his limb around her, he rested his hand on her waist. The action served to draw her closer to his body, eliminating the little space that had existed prior. With her head pillowed on his arm and Frosch snugly ensconced between them, he buried his nose in her hair. He wasn't sure he could identify the scent there, even if pressed. But he knew it smelt like home.
"Go back to sleep," he murmured into her hair. "I'm tired. We will talk more later." Indeed, he was exhausted. Talking to Sting and Lucy had worn out what little energy he possessed.
"Okay," she whispered, drawing her left hand up between them to rest upon his side. Then she positioned her right arm so her right hand covered his on her waist. Threading her fingers through his, she finally allowed herself to fully relax.
Both drifted off to sleep again in mere moments.
When Rogue awoke again, Lucy was no longer there. Her depression in the mattress was still warm, however, and he heard the sound of flowing water behind a closed door. He stopped his thoughts right there, not yet comfortable with acknowledging more than a platonic interest in and an aesthetic appreciation for the blonde Fairy. It wouldn't do to spook her and send her running for the hills. He wasn't sure he could take it if she left.
Instead, he redirected his attention to the small weight on his chest. At some point, Frosch had decided to curl up there, carefully avoiding the tender area around his injury. Rogue lifted his right arm to pet the Exceed in long, gentle strokes.
Despite his care, the ministrations were enough to stir the Exceed. Frosch leaned into Rogue's hand and started to purr. The sound brought a smile to Rogue's lips. The expression soon disappeared as he realized that he never found out exactly what Sting had told his little partner about what had happened to the Shadow Dragon Slayer.
Rogue waited for Frosch to finish awakening. The Exceed stretched and stood before running up to Rogue's face. "Rogue!" Frosch cried, unable to contain his joy at seeing his partner awake. Hugging the Dragon Slayer's jaw, the cosplaying cat sobbed. "Fro was so worried!"
Guilt tore through Rogue. "I'm sorry, Frosch." While his partner wept, Rogue continued to pet the Exceed. "What did Sting tell you, about why I'm hurt?" he asked. This was going to be an uncomfortable conversation, he knew, but it needed to be done.
Frosch shook his head against Rogue, not lifting his face up. "Fro asked why Rogue was hurt, but all Sting told Fro was that Rogue was trying to defeat the bad guy. That Rogue made a reckless move and had gotten hurt. Then Sting said he didn't understand, either."
Rogue winced at the explanation. Trying to defeat the bad guy, huh? Technically and painfully true.
"Then," Frosch continued, "Fro heard the pretty Dragon Lady say Rogue's wounds were 'self-inflicted'. What does that mean, Rogue?"
He flinched. This just got more complicated. And who in Earthland was this 'Dragon Lady' that Sting and Frosch talked about? Rogue remained quiet for a minute longer, until Frosch had pried himself away from Rogue's jaw. "Frosch. Self-inflicted…" He heaved a tired sigh and wondered if he was doing the right thing to inform Frosch of the truth. Would it really be so bad to leave the Exceed in the dark?
But Rogue knew what it was like to be in the starless dark. So he would discuss this topic with Frosch. "It means that I… hurt myself. Now," he began as Frosch's eyes began to fill with tears once more, "I need you to think back to my fight with Gajeel. Do you remember?" At the Exceed's nod, Rogue pressed on, "You jumped in front of Gajeel to protect me from him. Were you scared?" Frosch nodded. "Did you care if you got hurt, or died?" Frosch shook his head. "It was similar to that. Only…" Rogue trailed off, gathering up the words he needed to express this complicated concept to his dearest friend.
"The bad guy was inside of Rogue," Frosch finished for him. "The mean shadow."
Rogue blinked at the apt answer. "Yes. Something like that." He'd forgotten that Frosch had seen the shadow once before, when it had possessed him. "I had to protect you and everyone else from it."
Finished wiping his tears away, Frosch said, "Fro understands."
"I don't," a voice whispered beyond the closed door. Wrapped up in his conversation, Rogue hadn't noticed the water turn off.
Another door outside of Rogue's eyesight opened, several footsteps entering the room.
"Yo! How are you doing, Rogue?!" an obnoxious voice yelled, making Rogue wince at the volume. The lights in the room flared to an intensity painful for him.
A smack resounded in the room. "Shut up, Flame-Brain! What if he's asleep?"
"Like you're any better, Frozen Freak!"
"Both of you! Silence!" a stern, female voice ordered before Rogue heard the distinctive cracking sound of two skulls colliding with considerable force.
"We're sorry, Erza…" the two males whispered.
Rogue could feel the hard stare she was giving her teammates. "That's not silence."
"Meep!"
"Aye!"
Deciding to announce his presence, Rogue stated, "I'm awake."
Small footsteps rushed to his side. "Hello, Rogue-san!" a tiny bluenette said, holding out her hands. "I'm Wendy Marvell. I'm one of your healers. Do you mind?"
Now recognizing the Sky Dragon Slayer, Rogue nodded. He couldn't help sighing in relief as the pain abated somewhat under the blue magical glow coming from the girl. "Thank you, Wendy-san."
"Do you think you can sit up? Would you like some help?"
At his acceptance, the Titania strode into his field of vision. She gently lifted his upper half with no discernible difficulty whatsoever while Wendy propped a number of pillows behind him in support. "My thanks, again," Rogue politely told them.
Erza nodded at the Dragon Slayer. "It's nice to finally speak with a Dragon Slayer other than Wendy that possesses manners. Now, where might I find Lucy?"
"She's in the bathroom."
The scarlet-haired woman nodded curtly at him again, before pivoting on her heels and marching towards the closed door. Yanking it open with a crunching noise, Erza strode straight in.
"Ah!" Lucy shrieked from inside. "Erza! Did you just break the lock?! Shut the door, shut the door! I'm not done changing!"
"I need to speak to you about some pictures I saw, Lucy."
"Okay! Just shut the door!"
Once the obstacle was back in place, Rogue blinked. He'd seen more than was probably appropriate at this stage. And so had every other male in the room, if their hanging jaws were any indication. He couldn't stop a growl from rising in his throat. "Did you need something?"
Natsu recovered first, shaking his head vigorously to dislodge whatever image had embedded itself in there. "Nah, just came to say hello!"
"Um… yeah," Gray also said, tearing his eyes away from the closed bathroom door. "What Charcoal Breath said."
"What's that, Ice Princess?!"
The pair slammed their foreheads together. "You heard me, Fiery Piss!"
As they continued to hurl insults at each other unhindered due to Erza's current absence, Rogue glanced at the Sky Dragon Slayer. "Do they do this all the time?"
"Pretty much," she replied.
"Where's my team?" Rogue asked the girl.
Wendy looked sheepish. "Well… um… most everyone else was sent home. You couldn't be moved, so Granny Porly and I had to stay, and since Lucy-san was staying, too, Natsu-san, Gray-san and Erza-san remained behind as well. The only person from your guild that's here is your Guild Master, Sting. Oh! But I guess the Exceeds are here too – Carla, Happy, Lector, and Frosch. They're eating with the princess right, now. Um… except for Frosch, of course. Frosch is right here."
Rogue nodded. "Yes, that makes sense." Then he paused as the full meaning of what she'd said sank in. "Wait. Sting is…"
"The new Guild Master of Sabertooth, yes."
This news was a little hard to swallow. Had everyone in Sabertooth lost their bloody minds, putting that guy in charge…?
Said blonde nuisance with now way too much political power backing him, chose that instant to make a grand entrance. "Hey, Rogue! Wendy-san, I brought the scary Dragon Lady, as requested!"
A broom reached through the open doorway and smacked Sting in the head. "How many times do I have to hit you before you figure out that you need to address me by my name?!" an older female voice lectured. The owner of the voice followed Sting into the infirmary, hefting the cleaning utensil in her wizened hand like a lethal weapon.
"Yeowch!" Sting yelped, rubbing the back of his head where the business end of the broom had met with his thick skull. "I dunno – how many times has it been now?"
The old, pink-haired woman set the broom aside, before glaring at the young upstart. "I stopped counting three days ago at seventy-eight."
"Yeah I don't think it's going to happen," Sting replied candidly.
She sighed, before rolling her eyes and turning her attention to Rogue. "Well, at least he's self-aware," she muttered.
Wendy giggled. The girl leaned in towards Rogue, and confided in a conspiratorial whisper, "She says that, but I think Granny Porly likes Sting. She doesn't hit him nearly as hard as Natsu-san."
"Hey!" Natsu said, the sound coming out distorted since Gray was pulling one cheek farther than one should normally stretch.
"You're all brats!" the old woman snapped, stepping up to Rogue. "I'm Porlyusica, one of Fairy Tail's on-call healers," she introduced herself. "I hear you're more polite than the other idiotic members of your race?"
"Hey!" Sting and Natsu chorused.
"It's not that hard to do," Rogue admitted. "I'm Rogue Cheney. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Porlyusica-san." Rogue understood why Sting and Frosch called her Dragon Lady. She did smell a bit like one, he supposed.
The elderly healer snorted. "I'm well aware of who you are, brat. But yes… you are more polite." She turned to her diminutive companion. "Wendy, tell me what you think we should do now that he's awake."
"Um… well, the flesh around Rogue-san's wound is mostly closed. However," the girl's voice picked up confidence as she continued, "I would recommend no strenuous activity for at least another month, and strict bed rest for two more weeks at the minimum. I don't think he should travel at all, given the stress induced by motion sickness he would be certain to endure as a Dragon Slayer. The repairs to his heart tissue are still too fragile. Otherwise, he should be okay for light duty after that one month though I would also recommend that he receive weekly visits from either you or myself over the course of the next three months, and check-ups ever other day until he's off of bed rest."
Porlyusica nodded, before looking at Rogue. "I agree with her. Do you understand what is required of you?"
"I do."
"Good." The healer reached into her cloak and pulled out a small brown bag. "These contain your medicine. Take two of the capsules with every meal. I will be heading back to my home to prepare more." This last statement was addressed to her apprentice. "I take it you can handle him, in the meantime?"
Wendy nodded. "Yes, Granny Porly!"
"That's a good girl," the woman gruffly praised the girl. Grumbling, she took her leave. "I will be on my way, then. Be glad to be rid of you stinking humans for a while."
"Bye, pretty Dragon Lady!" Frosch called, waving his arm in farewell.
Porlyusica grunted once and disappeared down the hallway.
"Bye, scary Dragon Lady!" Sting mockingly yelled. The broom, that Rogue hadn't seen Porlyusica take with her, flew through the open door to smack the White Dragon Slayer in the face.
"Keep it as a souvenir!" Rogue heard the woman yell.
Lucy and Erza stepped out of the bathroom, the pair's faces the same shade as the redhead's hair. Which made Rogue wonder a bit about what they had been discussing while everyone else had been making a ruckus in the room.
He let a half-smile appear on his face when she visibly brightened upon seeing him sitting up. Rogue felt mildly disappointed, though, when she sat in the chair beside the bed rather than on it, next to him.
"Boys!" Erza barked. "Are you getting along?!"
"Yes, we're best friends!" Gray reflexively said, swinging an arm around Natsu's shoulders. "The best of buddies, right, Natsu?!"
"Aye!" Sweat should not be pouring down a Fire Dragon Slayer's face, in Rogue's opinion. Just how afraid was Natsu of the redhead?
"It's always so great to see you two getting along."
Was that… did that really look like 'getting along' to the Titania? Because it didn't to Rogue.
Lucy shook her head at her boys. "Natsu, didn't you have something to tell Rogue?" she prompted. Only to receive a blank stare from her partner. "You forgot, didn't you." It was a statement, not a question.
Natsu pondered the question hard, trying to pull up whatever his best friend was trying to get him to say. "Oh! That's right!" Smacking the palm of his hand with a fist, the Dragon Slayer grinned at Rogue. "It's about the Future Rogue! Sort of."
Rogue's stomach dropped.
Facepalming, Lucy groaned. "Do you think you could have said that any more cheerfully, Natsu?"
Confused, Natsu nodded. "I could, but wouldn't that be rude?"
It was Rogue's turn to facepalm. Whatever it was Natsu had to say, it was best to get it over with before the inanity drove him insane. "Just spit it out."
Natsu nodded. "Okay. Well, Future Rogue said a couple of things to me that I thought you should hear. First of all, apparently Acnologia takes over the world. So we should probably prepare for that. Sooner, rather than later. Future Rogue didn't specify the when but I assume it must be close given his timing."
Everyone in the room stared at Natsu.
"What?" he asked.
Lucy was the first to respond. "You sat on this information for over a week, Natsu? Despite saying that it's that important?"
The Fire Dragon Slayer looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course not! I told Gramps. And he told Sting."
"Er… Actually, he hadn't told me yet," Sting replied.
The Fairy Tail Mage looked surprised. "Oh. He might've been drunk when I told him – maybe that's why."
"The world is doomed," Lucy muttered.
"Of course it's not!" Natsu protested. "We're here to save it! Right, Luce?"
Lucy put her face in her hands and sobbed. "Why is it always up to us? Why can't… I dunno… Vijeeter save the world for once? I need a break…"
"There are no breaks when there is adventure to be had," Erza scolded her teammate, clapping her on the back.
Wendy sighed. "I'm with Lucy-san on this one."
"What was the other thing you wanted to tell me, Natsu-san?" Rogue interrupted.
The Fire Dragon Slayer thought about it for a second. "It's about Frosch. In about a year, you need to do everything you can to protect him."
Rogue peered at him curiously. "I already do.
"Fro thinks so, too!"
Natsu shook his head. "No, man… you really have to protect Frosch. In his timeline, Frosch dies in one year."
Lucy shot a glare at Natsu for the blithe statement.
Choking, Rogue snarled at Natsu. "You couldn't have told me this in private?!" He threw a worried glance at his Exceed.
But the cat was still smiling like he normally did. "Fro knows Rogue will protect Fro! Rogue always protects Fro!"
Rogue relaxed at Frosch's assertion. "Yes."
Natsu nodded. "But just in case – Future Rogue. He said that he was so distraught over losing his friend, that let the shadows take over him. I don't think he meant it literally. He wasn't possessed, I don't think. Just… lost. You can't ever let that happen to you, Rogue. Under any circumstance."
He nodded with grave understanding. "I understand. I will take care of the problem should it ever happen."
That was when Lucy snapped. Abruptly, she stood from the chair and stomped up to Rogue. Leaning over and grabbing the man's robe, she pulled him close to her. The look on her face was thunderous, her aura as dangerous as a star about to go supernova.
Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Wendy all took surreptitious steps backward to avoid the blast radius. Sting followed suit and snatched Frosch away from the bed, having seen this a couple times over the past week or so.
"Scary Lucy's about to show up," Natsu whispered to Gray. This was one of the few times the two were more than willing to call a truce to their constant bickering.
"We should've brought popcorn!" Gray replied. "This is better and more terrifying than a horror movie lacrima!"
Wendy sobbed quietly. "Scary Lucy-san scares me…"
"Quiet!" Erza hissed at them. "The movie is about to start!"
Sting remained silent, unwilling to draw the very real predator's attention to himself. And by predator, he meant Lucy. He was glad Lector was down in the kitchens with the two other Exceeds. Last time, Lucy had made him cry.
Rogue blinked up at Lucy's darkened countenance, unaware as to just what he'd done to piss her off.
"How dare you suggest that!" Lucy growled in his face, fit for any Dragon Slayer. "Don't you even think about throwing away your life again, Rogue!" She leaned in even closer, and tightened her grip on the injured man. "Your life isn't just yours to live, Rogue. Our lives don't just belong to us – but to our friends as well. We live for them. We share our hopes, our dreams, our very souls with them so you're not allowed to just… just leave us behind! We're here to share your burdens; it's in the job description. We love you and you can't just abandon us! Not even to protect us, because that's a bunch of bullshit. All you would be doing is running away. Take it from someone who has done her fair share of running away – it solves nothing. Our problems are far more fleet of foot than we are. They will catch up. They'll catch up even faster if you're dead."
She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Frosch was miserable. You can't do that to him again. Even if Frosch were to die, that isn't what Frosch would want. It's not what any of us want. We waited, Rogue! We waited for you to wake up so don't dismiss our pain, too! We don't want a world without you in it, don't you get it? I DON'T WANT A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!"
Rogue was floored by the words of the blonde in his personal space. So stunned was he, that he didn't even react when she drew her head back.
At least, not until she slammed her forehead into his with far more force than he'd believed her capable of.
"FUCKING MORON!" she yelled as Rogue's eyes spun.
"Waaaaah!" Wendy cried. "Lucy-san! Don't headbutt a patient!"
"I approve!" Erza shouted, proud of the girl using her signature move.
Sting and Gray just stared, as stunned as Rogue.
Natsu, on the other hand, started running at top speed around the room like a chicken with it's head cut off. A fire-breathing chicken, as he was spouting fire everywhere in his panic. "OH MAVIS! IT'S EDO-LUCY! LUCY HAS TURNED INTO EDO-LUCY! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! QUICK! BEFORE SHE TRIES THE WRESTLING MOVES ON US! RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVEEEESSSSS!"
In the ensuing chaos as the other people in the room attempted to put out Natsu and the curtains he'd lit up, no one was paying attention to Lucy and Rogue anymore.
Rogue wasn't paying attention to much of anything, honestly. He was extremely confused and his head was spinning from the blow to it. It felt like Gajeel had just brained him with a steel pipe. The constant movement of the room was making him a little nauseous, on top of that.
Then there was a soft, insistent and forceful pressure on his lips. By the time his brain was able to focus enough for him to realize that he was being kissed, and by Lucy, no less, it was already over and she was withdrawing.
While he stared at her, his discombobulated brain trying to make sense of what had just happened, Lucy headbutted him again.
"Fucking moron," she muttered.
Groaning, he held his swimming, smarting skull in his hands. Trying to will the pain and dizziness to subside.
He… still wasn't entirely sure what had just happened to him.
Did Lucy really just kiss him?
By the time his thoughts and eyesight settled into one place again, Erza had knocked Natsu out. The fires were swiftly squelched, only to reveal that the room was in complete shambles.
The princess was not going to be pleased when she saw the destruction her personal guests had caused to the infirmary.
Rogue looked over at Lucy critically, who had decided she would rather sit on the bed next to Rogue than in the chair. Sensing his gaze, she glanced at him briefly. Grabbing his right hand, she clenched it securely in her left and returned to watching her teammates.
"…You have a really, really hard head."
That was enough for Lucy to look at Rogue again. A smile played around her lips. "Armor-plated Erza bosom hugs," she explained.
"And what do my loving embraces have to do with anything?" Erza asked, dead serious.
Lucy smiled benevolently at her friend. "You toughen me up with your love, Erza."
Unable to find anything amiss in the statement, Erza nodded and bashed the already unconscious Natsu's skull against her armor. "Yes, love should be strengthening."
Sting eyed his former idol. "I kind of feel bad for Natsu-san…"
Clapping a hand on Sting's shoulder, Gray shook his head. "You really shouldn't." Then Sting's stomach grumbled. "Dude, didn't you just eat?"
"I'm a Dragon Slayer," Sting pointed out. "We eat more than regular people."
"Actually, I could go for some strawberry cake right now," Erza declared, dragging Natsu with her out the door. "Come along everyone. It's time for an afternoon snack! Rogue, Lucy, we'll bring you something back."
"Thanks, Erza!" the Celestial Mage called out as the others vacated the premises upon the fearsome Titania's direct order.
Once the door clicked shut, Lucy turned to face the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "So," she said, "Have you learned your lesson?"
Rogue stared at her for a moment, before responding. "It might have gotten lost somewhere in the assault."
She pursed her lips and gave him a hard stare. "Never treat your life so lightly, Rogue. Life isn't a game of chess. There are no disposable pieces, there are no disposable people. Do you understand?"
He nodded slowly. "I think I do."
Lucy smiled at him. "Good."
They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Rogue asked, "So now that I'm awake, are you heading back to your guild?"
Biting her lip, Lucy looked conflicted. "I should. I mean… rent's due pretty soon and I would have to take a mission to get the Jewels."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "But…?"
She sighed. "I don't want to leave you yet." Hesitating, she added, "I don't know when or if I'll ever want to."
"Then don't leave."
Lucy snapped her eyes to his, searching for something within the crimson orbs. Likewise, Rogue studied her chocolate ones.
"Are you sure?" she whispered, afraid of being rejected.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't want you here with me," Rogue replied, firmly.
This time, when she kissed him, he was more than able to reciprocate.
And so they began to write their own future, together.
The End.