Sting, despite himself, couldn't get that damn Fairy Tail mage out of his head. He'd been avoiding Rogue most of the morning, irritated that the prick could see through his not-so-convincing poker face.
Okay, maybe he didn't have Rogue's ability to look bored all the time but damn, he thought he was at least decent at hiding his emotions. All the years he'd spent by Rogue's side should've taught him something.
Then again, Rogue knew him just as long and he literally never acted like Sting.
Letting blondie go last night weighed on his mind. She was clearly drunk, her staggering steps and mild hiccups more than enough of a hint. Yet she hadn't mentioned the weird gash on her leg or the bite mark on her neck much after his little explanation.
He resisted the urge to face palm. How could Natsu overlook the topic of mating? Most of Fiore had to think those two were together by now with the way they acted the last couple weeks. He should've at least told his friends about the mating signs, if for no other reason than to keep him from doing something stupid like this.
Oh well, he hadn't marked her properly last night. Her scent didn't change, and Sting didn't notice any scales popping up on her either. She had been holding her stomach like she was in pain, but he decided to play that off as effects of drinking too much…
Speaking of which, maybe he shouldn't be one to talk. It was barely ten and already he was sitting at the bar chugging a beer. He didn't intend to get smashed like Fairy Tail did last night, but anything to take the edge off would help.
Marking. He scoffed. Why would Natsu even bother at a time like this? Fairy Tail was coming off their high of winning, couldn't he at least savor the moment. Then again, maybe he was right all along and he just wanted to score with the blonde last night…
Sting felt a headache coming on. He was thinking way too much about that pathetic girl and damn, did he need another drink.
Still, he'd only heard rumors about dragon slayers failing to mark a mate. Typically the bite was only placed if the slayer truly believed they could partner with this person forever. Flings were one thing, and Sting was careful to not leave any lasting marks on the girls he slept with. Doing so could result in a mark, and if their feelings intensified with the bite still there it would strengthen their connection, forming an unbreakable. He'd never met anyone he was willing to so fully commit himself to, and he didn't really want to start now.
Maybe Natsu didn't properly mark the girl because he wasn't certain he could see a future with her.
He groaned when Yukino sat down in front of him, her silver hair shining in the daylight. She smiled widely, resting her hands beneath her jaw as she studied him. "So Sting?"
"Aw hell, now what?"
She laughed, pausing momentarily to cover her mouth at the sound. "Well, I was just wondering, what exactly did you and Lucy do last night, Stingy?"
He eyebrow twitched before he slammed his drink down on the counter, ignoring Yukino's bemused expression. "Rouge!"
"She wanted to know," the shadow slayer replied, coming up to Sting's other side. "We weren't drunk last night. Even Yukino could hear parts of your conversation through the wall."
"Poor Lucy must have such a handover this morning," she mused, eyes fixated away from the pair. "She had to be seriously drunk to be giving you nicknames."
"It's not a nickname."
Yukino smiled, eyes closing as she faced him fully again. "Well, Frosch thought it was. I do have to say though, Lector thought it was kind of demeaning."
"No one's ever calling me that again," Sting snapped, glaring at her. "The fairy is gone by now, we won't be seeing her again before they head back to Magnolia. Anyway, we won't be here after tomorrow. It's time we get back to the guild hall. There are a lot of changes we need to make."
She nodded, glancing over towards the back of the room. Minerva took residence at one of the back booths in the place, looking deeply into whatever drink she'd decided on. No one would dare go up to her right now, even Sting. She seemed completely lost with the way things had gone.
At least she didn't want to challenge him for the title of guild master or something. Sting loved to fight, but he was slightly afraid of what milady might do.
"Hopefully whatever argument she is having with Natsu will be resolved soon," Yukino continued, smiling softly. "Rogue said she sounded pretty lost last night."
"I didn't say that," Rogue muttered, his gaze fixed on the bottles on the back of the bar wall. "I said she asked Sting a question."
His eyebrows shot up again. "And you took that as she's lost? Look, she just wanted to know about the damn mating mark."
Yukino's expression softened, glancing down at the tabletop. "Yes, that part I got. I hope they resolve the issue quickly. Why didn't you tell her Natsu might feel like he has to mark her now that he failed once?"
"Are you kidding me? Blondie's outspoken, she'll get the point across. And if not, she can call out that tiger spirit of hers again."
Immediately she straightened up, smacking him directly in the side of the head. Master or not, there were some things Sting needed smacked into his head. "Leo the Lion is the leader of the zodiacs! How could you disrespect him by calling him a tiger?"
Sting blanched, looking to Rogue for help. Apparently the shadow slayer knew when to bow out, and he unfortunately found his bar stool vacated.
What a damn coward.
Facing the raging celestial mage again, he held up his hands. "Look Yukino, I didn't mean to offend-"
"Of course you offended! I specifically told you just the other day that the leader of the zodiacs is a lion named Leo who sometimes goes by Loke! How could you not remember that? You wouldn't stop making fun of all the 'L'-names…"
Sting groaned, leaning down into the bar. If this was how the rest of his day was doomed to go, he almost wished blondie would come back. At least she was fun to pick on.
"Where did you get off to last night?" Levy asked, sitting beside Lucy at a table. The girl looked pretty good despite trying to chug with Cana last night, but several sections of her blue hair were sticking out at odd ends. "I thought you and Natsu ran off at some point screaming about a park… but you came back alone."
Lucy tried looking away from Levy, knowing she was going to dig around for answers. She'd already drawn attention when she showed up downstairs with a bandage around her calf, telling Wendy she really didn't need to waste the energy to heal it. Apparently more people than she realized noticed her little disappearing act with Natsu last night. Levy was the third person to confront her, right after Mirajane and Cana.
She had wrongly assumed all her guild mates had passed out at the late hour, or were simply too wasted to notice her lonesome arrival. Unfortunately Cana and Bacchus were still wide awake and drinking, albeit making a huge mess as they did so. Both of them saw her arrive late, as did Gajeel and Master Mavis. Of course people gossiped, and now she was getting plenty of looks.
At least she had long enough hair to conceal the mark on her neck for now. Getting it healed was the best option, but she couldn't do it in front of the entire guild without a bunch of questions popping up. And the absolute last thing she wanted to do was answer them.
"Oh, we just went running in the streets. We found a park and crashed there for a while," she replied, trying to brush off the question. The entire place saw her leave with Natsu, so there was no denying that they were out together.
"Mhmm," Levy replied, looking unconvinced. "And your leg?"
She blushed a little, not having to completely lie here. "I brought that bottle I was drinking with me and stuffed it in the grass. We were running around and I tripped over it, making it break. A little bit stuck in my leg."
Well, it was sort of the truth. She didn't include that the bottle actually got crushed when Natsu jumped her, and the only time they ran was when she darted away from him.
The Dragon Slayer in question had yet to appear this morning. Lucy thought he would pop in all smiley like normal, but so far nothing. Maybe she hurt his feelings when she ran off, but it couldn't be helped. After talking to Sting about all this so-called mating bullshit, she didn't want to feel all that bad about denying him.
Mating. That was way more of a commitment than she was willing to give anytime soon.
Pausing briefly, she thought of the White Dragon Slayer she met last night. His entire persona was different from what she experienced during the games, and she was surprised he could show even a smidge of compassion. After all, he wasn't duty bound to tell her what Natsu almost did.
Maybe this was better. She wouldn't run into Sting again for a while, and his basic explanation more than drove the point home. Having to ask Gajeel or Wendy about Natsu's strange behavior would be even more awkward. At least she wouldn't have to face the man who bluntly told her Natsu wanted to mate with her anytime soon.
Levy stopped trying to eat, leaning a little bit across the table. "And what about Sting?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
Blanching, Lucy gave her a wide eyed stare. "H-how did you know he was here?"
"Gajeel could hear you two talking outside," she replied, shrugging. "Why did he save you, and from what?"
"He didn't actually save me," she muttered, resting her head on her hand. Great, just great. What else could make this conversation uncomfortable? "He just happened to show up out of the blue… and he kind of gave me a lecture."
"Kind of?"
She blushed, unsure how to keep talking without giving away the fight she had with Natsu last night. "Yeah, just dragon stuff. You know, the usual."
Levy didn't seem deterred, huffing before she continued. "Then where was Natsu? I always thought he was the one you would ask about dragon business. Did you ditch him?"
"Not exactly."
"What then?"
Lucy forced herself to not flinch, trying to reason with herself that no one knew what Natsu almost did last night, so long as she skated around the topic during conversation no one would know. It was way too embarrassing and uncomfortable to bring up.
Glancing around the guild, she really wondered if she could corner Gajeel for an explanation. She didn't know how to face Natsu right now without getting in his face and being upset over what he tried to do. It's not like he ever bothered to mention it to her before, even in conversation. Didn't he think this was an important topic to breech if he intended on doing… that to her at some point?
Her eyebrows drew together, thinking about Sting again. She didn't want him to be right about something. Natsu was caring and sweet in his own way and so far as she could tell he'd never taken a physical interest in her before, despite the amount of times he'd caught her naked. If he wanted something from her, it had to be more than sex.
Right?
Finding Sting again would be impossible, not before they set out back to Magnolia. She wasn't familiar where Sabertooth's guild hall was, but she assumed it wasn't anywhere near her home.
Asking him would be embarrassing anyway. Last night she was drunk and at least had an excuse for her behavior, but now she was sober and he'd poke way too much fun at her if he found out she still couldn't get her guild mates to tell her the truth.
Gajeel seemed like the best option here since Wendy didn't even seem interested in boys yet, and Natsu was the problem. Still, how would she casually ask the question?
"Uh, Lu?"
Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she'd left Levy hanging. She should've given her something to work with, but so far she didn't know how to answer her friend's thoughts.
Leaning closer to her friend, she hoped all those times they bonded over books really meant something. "Can you keep a secret?"
Levy's eyes sparkled, leaning in closer as well as she pushed the book away. "Of course! I knew something happened between you and Natsu last night, no wonder you wanted to slip away! Come on, tell me the details!"
Fighting the urge to correct Levy she quietly launched into her story, keeping her voice down enough so the groggy guild members around her wouldn't notice. By the time she finished Levy looked completely floored, her eyes glancing towards Gajeel the entire time.
"He… he really never told you about the mating ritual?" she asked awkwardly, rubbing her head. Her cheeks were a faint pink, highlighting her embarrassment.
"No! You would think this would've come up at some point some time. Aside from Igneel, there are very few things Natsu won't talk about now that Lisanna's back. Is it typical to just not ever mention this until you jump your friends? I want to ask Gajeel, maybe he'll be able to shed some light for me. Do you think he knows?"
Levy's blush deepened, her eyes looking anywhere but Lucy's face. The blonde felt her jaw drop, staring at her friend with wide eyes.
"He already told you about it, didn't he?"
"He's infuriating!" Levy hissed, keeping her voice low. Despite her sudden anger her eyes were sparkling, like she found this challenge enjoyable. "He kept asking me all these riddles about dragon slayers to remind me of all the things I didn't know. One day I did some research of my own and I sort've found the mating signs in there… talk about an awkward conversation."
Lucy bristled, eyes widening. "So you know about these? Why didn't anyone tell me!"
"Shh, Lu, keep your voice down," Levy warned, glancing around. "Look, you don't have to talk to Gajeel or Natsu… or Sting. I think I can help explain it a little."
"Fine, enlighten me. Why wouldn't Natsu tell me about it?"
"All dragon slayers know the rules for mating," she advised, rubbing her head. "But just because they know doesn't mean they act on it. Natsu… you've seen how he is. He hardly responds to women most of the time. Gajeel is at least aware of the affects he has on people, and I'm sure Sting is even more so. Once they reach an age where they tap into sexuality they look for a mate that will be by their side for the remainder of their lives. It can only be done with one person."
"So… they can only sleep with one person?" Lucy asked, blanching. That seemed like a huge commitment, especially if they somehow chose the wrong person and ended up in a loveless union.
"No… that's not quite it. Look, I don't understand everything because I'm not a slayer. They inherit their instincts directly from dragons, and thus they have the same primal need to protect and claim the person they love above anyone else. Gajeel said unless a dragon slayer displays these actions in front of you and you feel a connection… you're not mates. So long as they don't leave a mating mark on your neck or try to claim you, they can sleep with other people. But Gajeel said they have a limited time to find their mate. As they get older, the desire to find one grows stronger. If a slayer cannot find someone to remain by their side throughout life, sometimes they can die from the lack of companionship. Dragons were always solitaire creatures, save for their mates. As they age, they need the connection."
Lucy blinked, trying to process what Levy said. What Natsu did last night didn't exactly add up to what she was saying. He didn't try to claim her, and even when he did bite her she didn't suddenly feel different. Nothing changed actually, except the fact that she was bleeding.
There was no way to deny the pair had a connection, but over the years Lucy came to realize it was more of a sibling relationship than anything. At one point she thought she fancied Natsu, but there were simply too many differences between them and too many things about his habits that irked her. He might be one of her best friends, but she didn't feel connected to him.
They'd never even had a proper kiss. Even last night when he tried claiming her, she didn't get tingles of joy over his predatory gaze or his sudden interest. He didn't even come after her when she ran, and Natsu always came to find her when she was sad or hurt. Usually he wasn't the reason for that, but part of her told her if they were meant to be mates he would feel a desire to come find her.
Lucy laid her head down on the table, unable to look at Levy anymore. It was too much information to absorb, and she didn't know how to exactly compare it to his actions.
Closing her eyes, her mind drifted back to the infuriating slayer she spoke with yesterday. No matter how annoying he was, he proved to be a better source of information than Natsu at any point. Speaking to any slayer right now seemed daunting, but her mind was a muddled mess.
What was she supposed to do now?
Before leaving Crocus Levy begged Lucy to go with her one final time to the biggest book store in the city. Really, this place was an absolute treasure and Lucy didn't mind going with at all.
Besides, Natsu didn't show his face even by early afternoon at the hotel and she was tired of waiting around for him to show up. Waiting only made the nerves in her stomach clench, and staying so tense until he decided to arrive from wherever wasn't good for her health. Following Levy seemed like a lot more fun, and hopefully she'd be able to distract herself for a while.
Gray was no help this morning while she waited, sitting down at the table she shared with Levy and demanding to know where exactly she ran off to. Juvia was somewhere off behind him, partially scowling as her beloved asked all about Lucy's night. She managed to dodge the questions pretty well, not quite ready to announce to the entire guild that she not only ran into Sting but actually had a civil talk with him.
And really, she needed to have a face to face talk with Natsu before rumors started. The whole idea caused her stomach to twist into knots, but it couldn't be helped. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.
Erza was not around this morning, the only small blessing she had in a morning full of questions. She had a sneaking suspicion her scarlet haired friend snuck off to say goodbye to Jellal before he disappeared again, and Lucy couldn't really blame her.
Searching the bookstore now, she tried to focus on books that had anything to do with astronomy or celestial spirits. After all, she was always looking to improve and better her team.
"Lucy!" someone cried, causing the blonde to jump and turn. Yukino was running up to her, a couple books of her own pressed into her chest. Smiling Lucy turned and embraced the other celestial mage, thankful she got to meet another who was so skilled in her craft.
"Oh, Yukino! Good to see you," she beamed, studying the other female. Behind the mage she could see the Twin Dragon Slayers meandering around the store, Rogue actually looking at some of the books and Sting attempting to flirt with the busty cashier up front.
How typical.
"With our old master gone, Sting's allowing everyone a week break before we converge back at Sabertooth," she explained, setting her books aside. The blond man in question wasn't paying them any mind, busy grinning at the cashier up front who was practically eating him up. "Since he's the new guild master-"
"What?" she shrieked, momentarily distracted. Sting had his good marks last night, but he was still a massive jerk. The other wizards in the store briefly glanced at her, wondering what suddenly got her so upset. "I-I mean… how?"
"Well, he defeated Master Jiemma and he let me rejoin the guild," Yukino replied, grinning widely. "Jiemma didn't believe in breaks, so this is a real treat. If you want my opinion I think he's still scrambling to figure out how to actually lead a guild."
"I can hear you Yukino!" Sting snapped, spinning around at the front. He pushed off the counter, marching up to the two celestials. "And that isn't true! I'm well aware of how to basically run a guild. You know, jobs and such. It's just the… details I need to look into."
"Like how to repay whole towns when team members destroy the place?" Lucy asked, winking at her counterpart. Sting sputtered, clearing annoyed that the pair was ganging up on him.
"We're not nearly as destructive as you fairies are," he snapped, crossing his arms. An evil smirk danced across his features, his bright blue eyes shifting to the blonde. "How's Natsu by the way?"
Lucy stiffened, noting how interested Yukino suddenly seemed. For someone who didn't even see her last night, she sure was attentive to the conversation. "I don't really think that's any of your business?"
He smirked, tilting his head a little as he looked at the covered skin of her neck. "Seen any scales yet?"
"O-okay," Yukino said awkwardly, slipping out from between the two. "I-I'm just going to see if Rogue needs anything. Oh, Rogue!"
She slipped between the bookcases, leaving the two blonds alone. From where they were standing Lucy couldn't see her bluenette friend, but she had to be nearby eavesdropping. Obviously Yukino intended to do the same with Rogue. Even without enhanced hearing she could catch faint whispers here and there.
Sting, who could hear a whole lot better, rolled his eyes. "Yukino, you should plan ahead next time. I know you're listening."
"Just pretend we're not here!" Yukino called from behind the books, smacking something. Lucy guessed it was probably Rogue, but the books wouldn't let her confirm this.
Shaking his head Sting turned back to her, smirking once more. He leaned against the nearest shelf, watching the uneasiness in her eyes. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Don't play stupid, it doesn't suit you. The scales. Did you see any scales on your neck?"
Subconsciously Lucy reached up, ghosting her fingers over the skin there. It was smooth aside from the small puncture wounds Natsu made with his teeth. When she checked this morning the skin didn't appear any different. "No?"
"Well, Natsu really botched the job then. Guess you are in the clear, for now." His grin widened, eyes raking across her neck. "Until he tries again, of course."
"Why would he want to?" she snapped, glaring at him. "I don't think he wanted to in the first place?"
Sting frowned. "No, he had to want you. You don't just get the urge to bite someone for no god damn reason, especially if you're intending to mark them. Whether he intended it to go that far or not isn't the point. He tried, and I'm sure he'll try again soon enough."
Lucy scowled, dropping her hand from her neck. "Well, you shouldn't care anyway! What Natsu and I do is none of your business."
"Never said it was, fairy," he replied grinning. He turned from her, throwing up one arm behind him to wave. "You ever get tired of not getting answers, come find me in Sabertooth beautiful."
She gaped, watching a somewhat surprised Yukino and a stoic Rogue appear from behind the shelves as he disappeared out the door. The pair only hesitated a moment before following, Yukino sending Lucy a confused glance as they left. Evidently she didn't understand Sting's actions any more than the blonde did.
Standing there in the bookshop, she felt her blood boil. He couldn't just talk to her like that! And Natsu couldn't just ignore her without an explanation. Stuffing her books up on a shelf she left the store, ignoring Levy's questioning tone as she departed.
Lucy didn't stop. She had to find Natsu, right now. One way or another he was going to explain.
A/n: Let me know your thoughts.
