Skiadrum was a very down to earth dragon, he knew what was right and what was wrong, he knew the world was filled with whites, blacks, and greys, but one thing he did not understand was how his 'son', much beloved by many, was still without a mate. Skiadrum thought he had done something wrong while raising Rogue, maybe he had messed up. Sting was poking through the pool of eligible human females (What did you call those anyway?) and had probably already chosen a mate, but Rogue remained without a partner in the game of love.
The shadow dragon sighed. He was sure that his son had been attracted to someone or the other in his life yet. After all, humans were known for their rather strange hormones, but how could his son become so introverted and impassive. Is it possible that the mage was into... men? He was raised as a dragon was raised, so he should have picked up mating, so what was it?
Skiadrum did not want his son involved with men, not because of prejudice or anything of that sort, but merely because the lack of reproductive compatibility between the one gender. Skiadrum wanted grandhatchlings, millions of them (at least that idea was in his head). A secret he would never admit, he loved adorable babies, and in Skiadrum's mind his key to a human offspring within close reach was his ward Rogue. Not to say he was merely using Rogue, he loved his son so much, but the thought of cooing infants that were technically related him sent a warm hum throughout the dragon. This the ache of a grandparent, and he wanted to make sure that the ache was rested.
Skaidrum looked over to his dear friend Weisslogia. There was no doubt, not the slightest question of Sting's sexuality. They were both pretty positive that Sting had found a mate and mated already, and Metalicana, Grandine, and Igneel's children had already found their mates as well. All their children had to do was the deed itself, but, with Rogue, one simply had to question when he would find someone he cherished and protected because there wasn't life without them.
Rogue had remained chaste since the dragons went, came, and lived.
Skiadrum faced his opposite, Weisslogia, and watched the interaction between him and Sting. The Light Dragon Slayer was bold and daring, but Rogue was calm and submissive. He didn't stand up for himself, yet he did back down. Rogue was calmly seated at Skiadrum's chest, listening to Sting's version of the GMGs and how it was 'pure luck' that the other two dragon slayers won. Rogue neither interjected nor denied, but listened. Rogue's sense of understanding and self esteem was immeasurable, but no one seemed to notice. Rogue had never really gotten close to a member of the opposite sex, although Skiadrum knew Rogue had his fancies with certain women, but he never built on his feelings. In Skiadrum's mind, this got in the way of babies.
Still, The Shadow Dragon understood why his son wouldn't speak of the battles that week in July, when all the dragons had come out of the eclipse gate. Four hundred years back, Skaidrum had been controlled by the shadows and drove to kill the humans due to immense greed and lust for blood, but the shadows know when they're getting nothing from a human.
This was another reason that the dragon wanted his son to find a mate. The love him and his mate share will conquer and the demons will move on to another unsuspecting human. If his son finds love, as his father did in the beautiful Celestial Dragon ..., then he will stop being tormented, his future will become brighter, and he will smile. Then, he will have beautiful babies that Skaidrum will kidnap. But he didn't plan on telling his son that, and he would bring the children back. Possibly.
After Sting's 'believable' story, Skiadrum signal to Weisslogia that he was to speak, and continued to do so to his son.
"Rogue?" the shadow dragon asked.
His turned to look up at him with his red eyes, watching his movements with his snake pupils.
"Yes?" He answered.
Skiadrum looked at his son's face. "Won't you elaborate on the mages from Fairy Tail? That Celestial Spirit one who is so close to Igneel's son?"
Sting smirked and Rogue's face had a flash of uncertainty. "Um, L-Lucy H-Heartfillia?" Rogue questioned.
Skiadrum nodded.
Rogue scratched his head. "Well, she's from Fairy Tail, and, um, a girl?" He answered.
"No duh!" Sting yelled out.
Rogue gave him a glare, then looked back Skiadrum. "W-Why do you ask?"
Weisslogia chuckled. "He has his reasons...and suspicions".
All was quiet for a moment, then it felt as though the ground shook.
A deep rumbling was heard, as well as the flapping wings of the fire, sky, and iron dragons. Their children were not in sight, and they landed gracefully next to the other two dragons, despite their size.
Of course the dragons with their superb abilities had heard the entire conversation.
"You weren't told? Did the Celestial Mage, my son, and Grandeeny's daughter tell anybody?" asked Igneel.
The other dragons and the twin dragon slayers give him questioning looks.
Igneel sighed. "Guess not. Remember Eclipse?"
The others flinched. It had not been time yet for the dragons to appear during said battle, and they felt bad about not being able to. The dragon slayers had felt bad about not slaying a dragon, and Rogue, felt bad knowing that it was his future self's fault.
Igneel continued. "There wasn't only a future Rogue. The Celestial Spirit Mage, Lucy Heartfilia, had traveled back in time to save her friends from the dragons. When Lucy, her future self, my son, and Grandeeny's daughter had run into Future Rogue, he attempted to kill her present self because she would close the gate, as she did. But last second her future self jumped in front of her and ended up dying." He sighed. "Natsu had mentioned not telling their guild, but you deserve to know. That was their most traumatizing part of the whole thing.
"My son tried to destroy the world" Skiadrum said, unamused. "Why can't he have that confidence NOW?"
Rogue, still amazed at how the other dragons had come out of nowhere, looked away as his cheeks reddened.
"Sting, go back to Sabertooth", Weisslogia said in a no-nonsense voice, commanding his son. Sting growled, but protested no more. The Light Dragon Slayer stalked off.
Skiadrum turned to his son, "I've got you now."
Rogue nervously made a noise, being cornered by five dragons was not on the bucket list.
Grandine cleared her throat and accidentally knocked over tree. "We have come to the realization that one of the dragon children remains chaste and single. You Rogue are the only one left, and we must tie up you as a loose end ".
Rogue turned red. He got cornered by five dragons to stop him from being single?
Rogue backed up against Skiadrum's chest and looked up with wide eyes. If one of these other dragons wanted to eat he'd be a goner.
Only Skiadrum would watch out for him.
Skiadrum, however, would have none of this and pushed Rogue away with his nose, sending him Grandine's way. The wind dragon moved her feathered head to Rogue's height and eyed him intensely. "You brought this on yourself, young man".
"Do not chastise me when I've done nothing wrong", Rogue shouted, a boost of courage surging through himself.
He was quickly crushed by Metalicana's growl.
"You can't grow up to become a crazy cat man lady."
"Well maybe I can ", Rogue shouted back.
"Wrong thing to say ", Igneel said, tail slapping the ground and throwing Rogue off his feet.
"I want to steal your babies", Skiadrum whispered.
"What?"
"Nothing".
Weisslogia shook his own head as if removing dust and yawned with his massive jaw.
"I don't see what's the problem with getting laid", he bellowed.
Rogue look up at the light dragon. "Sting's dad all right".
The three dragons of Fairy Tail chuffed, while the remaining Sabertooth dragon smiled.
"Said the dragon who enjoyed being a virgin", Skiadrum told his friend.
"OH MY GOD EAR PORN. MAKE IT STOP." Rogue shouted, reverting to his inner child in the presence of overbearing parents..
Igneel laughed. "Oh really Skiadrum? You only got laid because you got drunk ".
"STOP THE EAR PORN!" Rogue whined
Skaidrum blinked at his friend several times, then raised his left eyebrow (do dragons even have eyebrows?).
"We're dragons, Weiss. We can't drink alcohol. Have you seriously forgotten these 14 years?"
"I - eeh - umm, wasn't this about your son and his lack of mating?" Weisslogia cursed under his breath on how obvious he can be sometimes.
The Fairy Tail dragon slayer's parents laughed heartily at the Light Dragon's answer, and Skaidrum rolled his eyes. Although, his fellow dragon did have a point.
And, frankly, an unhealthy lack of sperm, but that's not the point.
The shadow dragon looked back down to his son and narrowed his eyes. He was going to his grandchildren one way or another, even if he had to destroy Fiore to find a woman of the worthiness.
Rogue shifted uncomfortably in the dragon's gaze. Rogue just didn't understand. None of the women he had ever met had wanted anything other than power, social status, sex, money, or just to brag that they've met him. It sickened him, and he had slowly made it nearly impossible for a woman to ever really know him. Now, don't get him wrong, he was attracted to them sexually, but he wasn't willing to waste his time on a relationship that wouldn't either last or hurt when it ended.
Basically, Rogue didn't have a mate yet because he's never met a woman who would ever truly and deeply fall in love with him.
Skiadrum finally got to the point.
"Don't fall in love with a man".
"-And then they told me about the lack of reproductive compatibility. Trust me Frosch, you don't want to come with me next time I visit Skiadrum", Rogue ranted to his froggy exceed. The cat quaked at the thought of where mini humans came from.
"Come on Rogue-Kun, it would be nice if you had a mate. How does that even work with dragon slayers?" Frosch asked.
Rogue huffed and got off the Magnolia park bench where he was sitting. He began to briskly walk towards the end of the park grounds, Frosch following like a grateful puppy.
Rogue held his head down and stared at his moving feet, but he should have held his head up, because he did he happen to run into?
"Watch it!" said a certain Celestial Spirit Mage.
Lucy's day had been utterly exhausting. Perhaps the most exhausting she's ever had in her life.
She had been woken up by the loud snoring of the Fire Dragon Slayer at only three o'clock in the morning. And, he was, of course, sleeping in HER bed. When she attempted to Lucy Kick him off of the bed, he grabbed her foot in his sleep, pulled her in, then punched her across the room.
Then, when she tried to fall asleep on the couch, she failed to do so.
So, she decided to take a stroll around Magnolia. On her stroll, she ran into multiple bandits who attempted to kidnap her. It was easy enough to fight them off, however, her favorite pair of pajamas had gained multiple stains, rips, and an abundance of pebbles in it. While she's not exactly sure, nevertheless, she walked to her house in a terrible mood. When she arrived home, she went to cook herself breakfast (there was no way should be sleeping now), to find that her dragon slayer partner had eaten everything she had the night before.
At that point, she was desperate. So, like any (in)sane person, she broke into her guild, cooked herself eggs for breakfast, at it, then fell asleep on one of the benches.
When she woke up, she found most of the guild members already there. And staring at her. But, being in her sleepy state, she only waved hello at them, and went up to the bar to order a milkshake. Even when Mirajane had commented on her attire, and why she was at the guild before herself, Lucy didn't realize what was being asked and replied with talking about a book she had read recently.
Ten minutes later, when she finally realized the situation, she had grabbed a mission from the request board and rushed out, to her apartment, to the train station, and went to the client's house.
The mission itself had been simple. She had to be a waitress for until sunset. Easy enough. However, the outfit she had to wear was rather provocative, and she often got stares from perverted men or glares from jealous girlfriends.
All in all, at the end of the day, all she wanted to do was walk to the train station and fall into a deep, deep, deep, deep sleep, but some jerk had to walk right into her.
"Watch it!" Shouted the Celestial Spirit Mage.
He simply nods his head back at her. He wasn't a man of many words.
Lucy straightens out her clothes. The outfit she had changed into earlier had been an orange tank top and a jean skirt. Not the best clothes to wear when you fall on someone.
Rogue is uncertain. On one hand, he should apologize about Future Rogue, but on the other, this situation was way too awkward for his liking. These are the situations he avoids. Apparently, he needs to do a better job.
Lucy, herself, is quite uncertain. This is a different version of the man who had killed her future self. He wasn't THE man, but still... Besides, she had never spoken to him before. Or any Sabertooth mage other than Yukino for that matter.
Then, a wave of fatigue hits her, and she remembers what she needed to do.
She looks at the shadow dragon slayer in front of her, sighs, and speaks.
"I've had the worst day, ever. If you had a reason for knocking into me, please tell. If not, bye."
She waits a minute. When she gets no reply, she walks away from the man who has rather uncharacteristically not entirely grasped the situation.
...
Rogue was just left looking after her as she walked away, full of estrogen and sass.
He wanted to make any attempt, ANY attempt, at a conversation. He hadn't ever spoken to this rival Mage, but she seemed to have an idea of who he was and a copy of the book How to Avoid Bad News.
But Rogue, being the silent follower did nothing. He turned the other way and left, although his head was screaming follow her.
He made it fifteen feet, then he turned around and silently followed the blonde girl's scent.
Lucy lived in this big apartment building with a riverfront view, and it awed Rogue. He shared a meager house with Sting, mostly out of pity because if Sting was on his own he'd be drunk and homeless.
Rogue looked up at the apartment building and had the urge to knock.
Rogue looked up at the door, and...
Was greeted with the face of a certain Fire Dragon Slay-
Wait... what?
Were Lucy and Natsu-san together? Did they live together? He could've sworn he had heard Igneel say something a few weeks ago about a 'Lisanna' being his mate, so...
What?
Natsu sent a confused look to the other dragon slayer. Why was this man at Lucy's apartment? Unless he thought it was silly book club. Her house could definitely pass off as a silly book club. It was creepy.
"Hey, Rogue! Sorry, but this isn't some book club. This is Lucy's house."
What? Rogue didn't know whether to facepalm at this man's stupidity, or be glad he wasn't caught. So he did what anyone would.
Rogue coughed awkwardly. What is with him and awkward conversations today?
Rogue looked at the flame Mage. He had to think of something quick!
"Lucy bumped into me and dropped her wallet ", Rogue answered, spur of the moment.
Dear Skiadrum, how was he holding Lucy's wallet?!
Natsu looked at the shadow dragon slayer, as if searching the depths of his soul. Then, he shrugged and went out the door, mumbling something about, "Lisanna" and "make out".
Rogue questioned everything about that hot head.
Rogue climbed the staircase and came to the door of Lucy's apartment, and he hesitated not to knock.
"Natsu, I told you to-"
Lucy looked into the burgundy eyes of the shadow. He held out her wallet, and mumbled something that sounded like 'dropped.'
Lucy sighed, feeling sorry for the dragon slayer to come all that way to see her in her pajamas. Wait, she hadn't finished putting on her pajamas...
She was standing in front of a man with an unbuttoned pajama top with her certain womanly features barely covered.
"Kyaa!"
Rogue blinked. What?
He had a habit of asking that question when it involved this woman, it seemed.
He looked at her arms. Oh. She... she isn't completely dressed. How does one forget to get completely dressed? This woman was different.
But don't think he means that in a bad way! If he hadn't had self restraint, he, sadly, probably would have laughed at her. Several times. In one day. It took Sting three months to get anything that wasn't a Shadow Dragon Slayer attack out of him.
So saying that he nearly laughed after only, actually less than, a day was a very prestigious feat.
Wait... he started staring didn't he? At her arms, which happened to barely cover her b-
"LUCY KICK!"
Rogue is thrown out the window, and lands face first on the solid concrete, with his butt raised unceremoniously into the air. He uses his arms to slowly position himself into a sitting position.
He looks back towards her house to see a shirtless Ice Make Mage obscuring his vision with a hand reached out. He hesitantly takes it, and the man pulls him to his feet.
"Congrats, Rogue. Your first Lucy Kick. But why were you in Luce's house anyway?"
Rogue brings a hand up and drags it down his face. Gray hadn't had an ounce of sarcasm in his voice. And congratulated Rogue for getting kicked. Something was wrong with every Fairy Tail Mage, apparently.
"She dropped her wallet. I handed it back.
Rogue stood up to his full height and put his hands in his pockets. "And actually, that was my second Lucy kick".
"Second kick?" Gray asked, with a hint of awe. "I've only gotten to one and half , I guess being nudged with her foot while being passed out on the floor counts".
Rogue looked at the well-known ice-make-now-devil-slayer-stripper, then gave him two feet of space. He was NOT going to catch whatever it was that this crazy mage had.
"That is good?" he asked.
Gray stretched his barely clothed self. "It means she somewhat like you. If she can beat you up, she now feels that at least she's got something to her name."
Gray looked into the distance. "I've got to lose Juvia", he remarked, then simply trotted off.
Rogue blinked, then went on on his way, trying desperately to get Lucy's intoxicating scent out of his heightened nose, even though he really like the smell of rainbows.
The shadow dragon slayer walked on along the waterfront, enjoying the view and nursing his 'wounded' (did he have any?) pride.
"Oi, Rogue, look in your pocket!"
Rogue staggered and tripped on the uneven flooring. He looked up then opened his pocket. "Skiadrum,how are you in my pocket?"
"Shadow-mode, Rogue. We've got to work on that!"