Flowers/Scars/Heat

Characters: Sting/Rogue

Genre: Romance, T

Note: Written for Stingue Weekend on Tumblr.

I. A Spy in the Yard (Flowers)

The truth was that Rogue was the worst at taking care of living things – with Frosch being the only exception because Frosch would eat at the guild and so not die right away from starvation. The man insisted on having plants and goldfishes in his house, but somehow was too reckless for anything to last more than a week, despite what popular belief would say about his attentive and caring personality.

Yet, he couldn't see the fault was actually his, and not because the weather was too dry or the fish was already sick.

After a long series of dead things – including a hamster that Frosch absolutely adored and cried over for days –, the Shadow Dragon Slayer finally burst, then went right away into deep depression, then finally made a resolution.

He bought a sunflower and stated that, if it didn't last at least a month, he wasn't worthy of being a Sabertooth mage, which was an absurd thing to say, but his resolve was clear and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Well, the sunflower did, in fact, last for a long time. Rogue was pleased with himself, Frosch was pleased with being able to eat some of its petals without Rogue finding out and everyone at Sabertooth was happy to have one of his strongest mages in a good mood.

In the meantime, nobody noticed Sting sneaking in Rogue's backyard to water the plant, provide enough light for it with his magic and replace it for a new one every time the flower was about to wither.

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II. The Weight Upon One's Shoulders (Scars)

Sting tossed and turned between the sheets, but the nightmares haunting him weren't stopping, so he sat restlessly on his bed and covered his pale face adorned with dark cycles under his eyes with both of his hands and took a deep breath.

"Hey." From the spot next to his, Rogue called in a voice hoarse with sleep. "You need to try getting some rest."

"It's just…" Sting's shoulders fell and he rubbed his face with anger. "everyone's lives are my responsibility, you know? If something happened with anyone of them, I-"

"I know." Rogue reached one arm towards Sting and prompted the light mage to lie down beside him on the bed. Sting's head fell above his shoulder and he kissed the scar on Sting's right eyebrow. "I know."

The rest of the night went dreamless and the war in the following day was crimson.

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III. Suddenly, Slivers (Heat)

That pinching feeling on his earlobe again. Rogue ignored it and focused on the bundle of job requests ahead of him instead.

He needed a mission and he needed it asap. One of the reasons was that Frosch's birthday was coming and he wanted to buy the Exceed a nice present.

Another one of the reasons was that he couldn't bare Sting biting his ear any second longer.

"Stop it!" Rogue hissed between his teeth as he felt another pinch, but the blond mage only grinned where he stood behind Rogue's back and slid the tip of his nose down Rogue's nape, provoking a shiver to run down the Shadow Dragon Slayer's spine. "We are in public."

Sting only shrugged at him.

"So…?" The light mage mocked with an amusing smile, brushing his body against his deliberately.

"People are getting embarrassed!" Rogue shot a quick glance at Yukino, who was trying really hard to be interested in the wooden table's slivers.

Actually, he was the one embarrassed. Sting's teasing made him feel funny things on his crotch and he didn't want other people to notice how happy he was with it.

"Fine, then." The blond Dragon Slayer finally took a step back much to Rogue's relief – and dismay –, but as soon as he dared to let out a sigh, Sting spoke with a strong intonation so he could be heard by everyone else in the hall. "Mister Rogue Cheney, you are required at the Master's office for a private audience."

Rogue closed his eyes in anger as the light mage calmly walked towards the stairs and wondered for the twentieth time that day why the hell he had to fall in love with an idiot.