He hadn't heard from Sting in weeks. Rogue was beginning to worry that Sting had taken his declaration to heart one evening, lying on his mattress and drawing circles on his stomach with his finger, when Lucy burst into the house.
"I'd tell you to knock," Rogue told him, "But you had no way of knowing Natsu wasn't here."
"He isn't," Lucy said. "He's in the hospital. Come with me. Hurry."
Rogue couldn't exactly scramble to his feet, but he got up as fast as he could. It was still slow enough that Frosch had ample warning to roll off of him and right herself.
Mindful of her burdened and stubby legged followers, Lucy didn't full out sprint towards the hospital, instead keeping a brisk pace and explaining to Rogue along the way. "Sting's there too," she started off with, and from that point on she had Rogue's undivided attention. "It didn't look like anything major, but Wendy was gone and Porlyusica refused to look at them, and the master was worried about broken bones."
"On one of them, or both?"
"Both. Sting was having trouble putting his weight on one leg. Natsu might have cracked a few ribs. Things got out of hand at the guild."
Rogue dug his heels in, realization of what happened coming to him. "The guild?" He asked. "They were injured at the guild?"
"Well… Sting came looking for you," Lucy explained. "Natsu wanted to know what happened when you two were in Joya, but Sting ignored him. It escalated fast."
"They got injured fighting over my screw up," Rogue sighed. "I… should I really go see them?"
"Of course!" Lucy cried. "Natsu will be heart broken if you don't make sure he's…" she stopped. "Well… he might be hurt. Maybe. He could also wonder why you worried. And anyway, from what Frosch said it sounded like Sting was the one who messed everything up."
He might wonder why Rogue had worried... Or he could worry that Rogue didn't really care because he was more interested in Sting. Because he seemed a lot more sensitive to what Rogue did. Had it been that way the first few months? Rogue couldn't remember. It had certainly been bad since he had asked to go to Joya.
"No. This is all my fault. Natsu said there was no pressure for dating him. If I'd just ended things when Sting first came back… or if I'd just pushed Sting away when he returned… he was right. I am playing them," Rogue moaned. "I just make them dance around trying to be the perfect guy and judge their every move."
"That's not—"
"Yes it is," Rogue insisted.
How he'd known how her sentence would end, Lucy didn't care. She grabbed his arm and tugged him forward. "Okay, you're messing with the feelings of two guys. You're going to hurt their feelings a lot more if you stand here and whine rather than go see if they're okay."
Rogue glared at Lucy, wishing with all his might that he could drop kick her just then. But she was right. He should at least whine while he walked.
Anticipation started to grow as the hospital came into view. They were going to ask him who he visited first. They'd compare times, try to brag about it as a sign of which he cared about more. Even if he went by who was closest, it would end up being "he doesn't like you enough to go out of his way." Did he have to pick someone to see first? Natsu was his boyfriend, but then he ought to do something to let Sting know he wasn't hated. Or would it be aggravating things further if he did that? Maybe he shouldn't even visit Sting… if he wanted to crush him. He couldn't do that. Of course Sting would be upset that Rogue had slept with Natsu. Had he overreacted? Sting could have kept that to himself during their trip, but he didn't deserve complete rejection now.
Rogue's head was spinning from trying to figure out a proper solution by the time he reached the hospital door. He stopped their and wouldn't budge, despite Lucy's insistence he go in. Eventually she and Frosch left without him, one to see Natsu and the other to check on Rogue. Who did he see first? Pick the wrong answer and he might end up waiting outside the hospital fretting about it in a few weeks?
Alex squirmed, reminding Rogue that if they fought in a few weeks, it would probably be outside his delivery room. Joy. At least Sting's brat had finally flipped over. His last doctor's appointment had included a celebration from the staff when the discovered that they didn't have to deliver a child feet first on top of having to deliver for a pregnant male, so that would be one fewer complications when Sting and Natsu tried to murder each other arguing over who got to be with him when he gave birth.
Rogue was deeply engaged with reassuring himself that if they did get that carried away there would be plenty of medical staff on hand to resuscitate them when Lucy gave up and went inside without them.
At some point it occurred to him that he was standing in a hospital doorway, so he moved to the side and rested against a wall as he continued pondering who to visit first. Whoever he went to, it would probably be best if he got inside before visiting hours ended.
Still lost in thought, Rogue didn't notice that he'd gotten his own visitors until a hand clapped the back of his shoulder. He jumped and spun to face whoever had dared sneak up on him, only to be greeted by a grinning Natsu. "Lucy said you had some panic attack and couldn't come in."
"I… yeah." Rogue blushed. "You're not hurt?"
"Just bruised." Natsu lifted back his vest to show off his bandages.
"That's a relief." Unsure what else to do, Rogue smiled for Natsu and pretended he didn't see Sting doing his best to look small in the background.
Too bad Natsu wasn't going to let that happen. "Well, come on. Frosch told me you finally came to your senses and told this ass to beat it." He gestured to Sting. "Let him know you meant it."
Rogue turned to face Sting, who couldn't meet his eyes despite holding his Frosch like she was a baby. Why should he? Chasing down a boat and leaping to get on, only to be told in front of the crowd you drew that you weren't wanted around. Rogue was impressed that Sting had still come. "I did say I didn't want you to come back…"
Sting flinched. "I—"
"So we're even," Rogue decided, "For when you kicked me out, although I didn't make you wait as long as I had to. You still need to make it up to me for what happened in Joya."
"What? No!" Natsu yelled. "Why are you—what happened in—Rogue, what are you doing?"
"Letting Sting know I don't hate him."
"He thought you cheated on him!"
The words 'I cheated on you' rose in Rogue's throat, but he managed to swallow them back before he could vomit them up onto Natsu. "He did," Rogue said instead. "I can't fault him for being suspicious."
"Fro can't either," Frosch muttered, getting more closely nuzzled into Sting's arms.
"What? Because you didn't explain how you got pregnant? He could have asked!" Natsu pointed out.
Huh. That was true…
Rogue shook his head. "I'm not turning Sting away."
Natsu turned to Sting and said through clenched teeth, "You going to gloat about this one?"
Sting shook his head too. "I'm still trying not to say or do anything to make him get on a boat to escape me again."
"That didn't even work," Rogue grumbled.
For all intents and purposes it did, but Sting just shrugged and let it drop. "If I'm allowed to speak to you again, how's Alex?" He asked, ignoring Natsu's glare.
"Good. The doctor says I probably won't need a C-section, but they still won't tell me where Alex isn't coming out."
"No!" Natsu cried. "You can't just… Rogue! You finally told him to beat it. We were finally going back to being a normal couple without an extra guy hanging out and taking you on vacations. We haven't been that since… since… since before you looked pregnant."
Rogue bit his lip, remembering the issue at hand. "I'm sorry, Natsu. I'm sorry but I just… I can't… I…" He took a deep breath. "I feel so awful… going with one of you then the other and comparing the two of you and…"
"I suppose the next step up would be to take us both on a date at once," Natsu muttered. "Maybe we can have a threesome too."
"Don't be gross," Rogue told him.
Natsu scowled. "My boyfriend just backtracked on telling his ex to get out of his life. I've been putting up with your… your… being with him for half a year now, and I thought it was done. I'm allowed to be mad."
Rogue had no response for that one. He looked away.
"Rogue."
"I don't like it either," Rogue said. "Being this way… treating the two of you the way I do… I'm sorry. I really… I really just don't know and…"
"Does Rogue have to date two people at once?" Frosch asked. "Fro doesn't want to keep track of that many boyfriends."
"It's only two," Natsu told him.
"Three," Sting corrected. "Rogue's a boyfriend too. I got chewed out for that one in Joya."
Natsu growled, almost lunging for Sting before Rogue yanked him back by his scarf.
"We're right outside a hospital, but let's still not do anything that requires medical attention," Rogue said. "Natsu, I'm not ditching Sting, I've known him for way longer. Sting—dating Natsu."
"I noticed," Sting felt the need to say. He would have appreciated a justification for why Natsu got dating priority, but at least things hadn't degraded to the point that they were going on a three person date. Clearly, none of them had wanted that.
-o-
"How did this happen?" Rogue moaned.
Sting and Natsu shrugged before turning back to the ticket booth. "Two please," Natsu said. He paid for the tickets and stepped aside, giving Sting a smug look and daring him to buy his own ticket for the demolition derby.
Sting ordered, then turned around and asked Rogue, "Why is it okay for Natsu to buy your ticket?"
"Because I don't want to be here," Rogue explained. "If he didn't buy it, I wouldn't get one."
"Ah." They'd picked a dud for their three person date.
Natsu, either oblivious to this or practicing his being less concerned about pleasing Rogue constantly, said, "This'll be great. Gajeel is out of town today, so he should miss his chance to buy tickets. Okay, what do couples do at a derby?"
"Watch the event," Rogue told him.
"No… no not like that. I'll have to get you a non-alcoholic drink, maybe a soda, and a snack, and I'll bring a coat so I can put it over you and say 'here, I don't want you getting cold.'" Natsu mused.
Rogue sighed. "I don't see how any of the qualities I'm having trouble with when it comes to the two of you could come out at a race where you're supposed to crash cars."
"Fro doesn't either," Fro muttered.
"Frosch, come back over here," Rogue ordered.
Reluctantly, Frosch climbed out of Sting's arms and flew over to Rogue.
"Where's Lector?" Natsu demanded suddenly. Why did Sting have to get Frosch to cozy up to him?
"Harassing Orga. Apparently I'm too large for a sneak attack. I was left to myself, so I figured I'd come to see if Rogue really wanted me gone, to answer your question from earlier. Turns out it was a good move on my part."
What question? Something that Natsu got testy about at the guild? Rogue could only sigh and shake his head. It was like Sting wanted everything to end in a heated battle.
Natsu handed Rogue his ticket and patted his back before giving his stomach a loving rub. He wasn't the father, Sting was, but he'd become appropriately attached. And showing that he could put a hand on Rogue's stomach had gotten Sting to shut up and resort to glaring like there was no tomorrow. He wished he'd known that would work earlier. Finally, a comeback for when Sting started to barb him about not being enough for Rogue.
When his hand lingered too long, Rogue squirmed. It was like waiting outside the hospital again. Would moving away upset Natsu? Please Sting? Or would it do the opposite if he tolerated the touch for longer? He needed to do something to make it stop before trying not to send any signal for them to jump on drove him mad.
-x-
STA: Hey look, that derby thing that's come up a few times now. *cricket chirps* …What? It has. I made sure to mention it's a thing, and to mention Natsu being a little interested in it.
Looking forward to the next chappy. Well, the end of it, anyway. I'm a little nervous for the beginning and middle parts.