BANG.
"Who the hell-" Natsu rubbed his eyes, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing slowly, peering around him. His teammates were all asleep and snoring softly, but he could have sworn he heard a -
BANG. BANG.
Natsu glanced outside where he could see the enormous steam clock – it read 3:27am. Who would be at their door at -
"NATSU!" The shout sounded familiar, and Natsu shuffled out of bed and headed for the door. "Natsu, please help." He swung the door open and was shocked to see Sting kneeling on the front steps, an unconscious Rogue in his arms. Sting had clearly been crying and when he looked up at Natsu, a look of relief crossed his face. Lector and Frosche were huddled behind him.
"Sting, what-"
"Please help him," Sting interrupted, gesturing at the unconscious boy in his arms. "He won't wake up and he won't stop bleeding." A strangled sob escaped his throat and he tried to muffle it with his sleeve.
"GRAY! GET YOUR FROZEN ASS OUT OF BED!" Natsu shouted into the sleeping area, eliciting a, "fuck off, flame-brain", and several grumbles from his other teammates. "IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" Then he knelt down next to Sting and tried to take Rogue from his arms. Sting gripped his friend tightly, and Natsu laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Let me take him. You're exhausted." Sting sniffled, then nodded his head, releasing his death-grip on Rogue.
Gray appeared around the corner, dressed only in a set of boxers, and gave Sting a surprised look. Happy stumbled out of the room behind Gray, then made his way toward Frosche and Lector.
"Get Wendy," Natsu ordered, and Sting was amazed to see Gray agree without argument. Nastu lifted Rogue with ease, then motioned for Sting to follow him into the inn's sleeping quarters. Everyone was in various stages of awakening, but Natsu ignored them and headed straight for his own bed, laying Rogue down gently and pushing a pillow under his head.
"Sting!" Wendy placed a gentle hand on Sting's arm and he jumped, backing up against the wall and looking at her without recognition. Natsu frowned.
"Wendy, Rogue is hurt." He directed her toward the bed and heard her cry out in dismay. "Sting, what happened?" He turned to the blonde boy who was pressed against the wall, breathing shakily. Natsu leaned down to look into Sting's eyes, which were fixed on his friend. "Did someone attack you?"
Sting nodded, then shook his head, then growled in frustration and placed his head in his hands.
"What is going on?" Erza was out of bed now, red hair pulled back in a ponytail, Frosche in one arm and Lector in the other. Both of the Exceeds appeared to have fallen asleep.
"Sting? What happened?" Lucy approached the bed where Rogue lay, concern all over her face. Natsu looked back at Sting and could see the dragon slayer trembling in...fear? Natsu could smell it all over him – fear, anger, frustration. He turned to his friends and gave them all a serious look.
"Go," he said softly. "Get Porlyusica. And Gramps, maybe, if he's up." Erza nodded. Lucy looked like she was about to argue, but the redhead grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. Gray gave Natsu a questioning look and nodded to the door, then followed the two girls.
"Sting, come sit." The boy didn't move, and Natsu sighed. "Can I touch you?"
Sting looked up at him, surprise and disbelief on his face. Natsu was holding out a hand toward his arm but not quite touching him, waiting for an answer with a sad half-smile on his face. Sting's first instinct was to slap the hand away, but he was just so tired. He nodded meekly and Natsu took his arm and gently pulled him towards another bed. Sting collapsed onto it, letting out a deep breath. Natsu pulled himself up next to Sting, close but not quite touching, and looked over at Wendy.
"How is he?" Wendy let another wave of healing magic wash over Rogue, then turned to Natsu.
"He was very badly hurt," she replied softly. "I can't heal everything. I took most of the pain, and he's breathing better now." It was true, Rogue's breathe wasn't coming out in ragged gasps anymore, but he was still pale and bloody.
"He was t-trying to p-p-protect me." Sting burst into tears again, breathing in heaving gasps and desperately wiping his eyes. Natsu reached out a tentative hand and laid it on Sting's back, and while he tensed for a second, he allowed the touch and Natsu gently tugged Sting toward him until they were face to face.
"What happened?" He asked again, softer this time, trying to look into Sting's eyes. "Who did this to him? And you?" He realized with surprise that Sting was also injured, although not as badly as Rogue. Deep bruises were blooming on his chest and face, and Natsu was fairy certain they weren't from his fight in the arena. Sting shook his head roughly, wiping his eyes and taking a deep, shuddering breath.
"I can't," he whispered, finally making eye contact with Natsu. "I d-did s-something - I think I – I did – I thought Rogue was d-d-dead and I just -" Sting trailed off, looking over to his friend again.
"It's okay," Natsu said, then started, looking at Sting's shoulder. "What happened to your -" Sting's head whipped downward to see that his guild emblem, usually stark white, was fading slowly away. "Those are perman-" Natsu's eyes widened as he put the pieces together. "Jiemma did this, didn't he?" His words were cold and hard as he stood abruptly, clenching his fists. "That bastard did this to you, didn't he?" Flames flickered around his hands and Sting took a deep breath.
"He's dead, Natsu." Sting's voice was flat and hard, and Natsu turned to him, surprise written all over his features. "I killed him."
