Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Your reviews fuel my passion for completing this story. Here's another chapter for you guys. Just another reminder that this story is not beta'ed so I'm sorry if there are any grammatical errors. English is not my first language, haha. Enjoy!
-X-
Chapter Two
-X-
The sound of a pen scratching against paper resounded through the bedroom, where Lucy sat in front of a small oak desk. Her article for this week's Weekly Sorcerer magazine was due soon, however Lucy had yet to make progress. The blonde paused in her writing.
It had been three days since her encounter with Sting at the onsen and Lucy still hadn't thought of a way to thank the White Dragon Slayer. She twirled the pen with her fingers whilst resting her chin in the palm of her left hand. Even if she did come up with an idea, Lucy doubted that she would get the chance to see Sting again in the near future. Despite the Sabertooth guild being located in Crocus, the very city that she currently resides in, the idea of going into the guild herself to demand an audience with the master was something she'd rather avoid.
Lucy sighed, setting her pen down. This was getting nowhere. Her stomach let off a low growl, signalling hunger. Lucy placed a hand on her flat stomach with a frown. Brown eyes glanced at the clock hung on the pale green wall of her bedroom. 12.34pm it read. Lucy stretched her arms and got up from her chair and ventured towards her kitchen. Taking note of the almost empty fridge, Lucy made the decision to do a bit of grocery shopping. A breath of fresh air may be what she needed to help her finish her article.
After having a quick brunch and taking a quick shower, Lucy changed out of her pyjamas and into a semi-tight white and lilac diagonally stripped tank top and a simple navy skirt, held up by a white belt. She pulled her long hair into a side ponytail and secured it in place with a purple ribbon. Pulling on a pair of knee length black boots, Lucy walked out of her apartment, locking the door behind her.
The blonde breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh autumn air, before making her way towards the markets. There weren't many people around this area in Crocus, which was what she preferred. The location was convenient too, situated only a seven-minute walk from the markets.
"Good morning, Amie-san," Lucy greeted the middle-aged lady behind the vegetable stand as she arrived at her destination.
"Ahh, good to see you again, Lucy!" Amie exclaimed. "I've just received a fresh supply of veges in the order today. Please help yourself."
Lucy nodded with a smile before taking what she needed and paying the woman. After picking up a couple more items, Lucy made her way back to her apartment. On her way, she passed by a small plaza, the very same place where she first met the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth.
"Lucy-sama!" a feminine voice called from behind.
Lucy turned to see a girl standing a few feet away. She had short pale blue hair adorned with a blue flower on the side. She waved at Lucy with a large smile. Lucy's eyes lit up upon seeing her and waved back.
"Yukino! Long time no see!" the blonde exclaimed, running up to give the fellow celestial mage a hug. Yukino returned her embrace before stepping back to give them both space.
"What are you doing here, Lucy-sama?" Yukino asked.
"I'm working for Weekly Sorcerer as a reporter. Most of my jobs are based in Crocus so I've moved here now," Lucy said, holding up her bag of groceries. "My fridge was running on empty so was just stocking up. What about you? What brings you here?"
"Well, our guild is based in Crocus." Yukino giggled. "But I'm actually here with Sting-sama and Rogue-sama because Frosch-sama got lost again."
Lucy gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. "Oh, that's terrible."
"It happens quite often but Rogue-sama is frantic as ever." Yukino sighed.
"Maybe I should give you a hand," Lucy suggested. If Sting was also here, this might also give Lucy a chance to speak to him.
"Are you sure, Lucy-sama? I mean, you don't have anything else to do?" Yukino questioned, tilting her head.
"I don't have anything on at the moment so I have time," Lucy reassured with a smile. "I'll just quickly drop the groceries off at my place first."
-X-
"Frosch! Where are you?!"
The White Dragon Slayer sighed for the third time in one day, watching his best friend cry over his lost Exceed. "Come on, man. Pull yourself together," Sting told the raven-haired male.
"I can't believe that I left you in the hands of Lector… Please forgive me Frosch!" Rogue sobbed.
Sting's eye twitched. "Hey, don't go blaming Lector. It's not his fault," he exclaimed, defending his Exceed, who hung his head looking ever so guilty.
Rogue glared at Sting and immediately butt his head with the blond. "If Lector hadn't kept an eye on him while they were out shopping, then none of this would have happened!" he snarled.
"Yeah, well what's done is done! Blaming Lector isn't going to help us find Frosch!" Sting growled back.
Lector watched the two dragon slayers nervously, sensing an upcoming clash. "Sting-kun… Rogue-kun…"
"Hey you two! This is no time to be fighting!" Yukino cried, running up towards the dragon slayer duo. The two males stopped glaring at one another and turned towards their approaching teammate. Sting's eyebrow rose at the second figure behind Yukino – Lucy Heartfilia.
"I brought some help, guys," Yukino said. "Now let's not waste anymore time and find Frosch-sama."
"Hi guys." Lucy waved at the two dragon slayers with a slightly nervous expression on her face, which Sting couldn't help but find cute.
"Looks like we meet again, Lucy-san," Sting remarked with a grin. "How are you feeling now?"
"Better, thanks." Lucy smiled back. Sting could see the previous tension in her body slowly disappearing.
"Lucy-sama said that she's going to help us find Frosch-sama," Yukino brought up.
Sting raised his eyebrows at this. "Are you sure? I mean, it's not that big of a deal."
Rogue glared at Sting for his comment. "It IS a big deal," he seethed. "Frosch has no sense of directions!"
Sting twitched with annoyance. "Calm down, man. It's not like this hasn't happened before. We'll definitely find him," he said firmly.
"Perhaps we would cover more ground if we split up?" Lucy suggested.
"Good idea, Lucy-sama!" Yukino exclaimed. "Rogue-sama, maybe we should have a look at Crocus Gardens. Frosch does love flowers." She ran off in that direction, expecting the Shadow Dragon Slayer to follow.
"I'm coming Frosch. Please be okay," Rogue muttered under his breath and took off in the direction of the gardens.
"Um… Is Rogue okay?" Lucy questioned.
Sting rubbed his head and sighed. "He gets like this every time Frosch goes missing. Don't mind him." He turned towards Lucy. "I guess I'll head in the direction of the markets." Without waiting for her response, he headed off.
"Wait!"
Sting stopped in his tracks and turned back towards the blonde. "What is it, Lucy-san?" he asked curiously.
Lucy looked away with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I, uh, wanted to thank you for that night," she muttered. "I'm sorry that you had to see me in such a pathetic state." The blonde hung her head in shame.
"Yeah, you were pretty pathetic alright," came the dragon slayer's haughty tone. Lucy whipped her head up, eyes widened. "Wha–!"
"I know I'm irresistible but you really gotta learn not to throw yourself at every attractive male that you see." Sting smirked lightly. He watched her closely for her reaction, to which she did not disappoint. Lucy's face turned bright red.
"HUH?!" "What do you mean?! What did I do?!" the celestial mage stuttered out, taking a step back.
Sting tapped a finger on his chin and looked away in thought. "You did a lot of things to me, Lucy-san. Did you perhaps forget?"
"W-what kind of things?" Lucy gasped out in horror.
Sting's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Hmm… perhaps this will trigger your memory then," he stated. Taking a step forward, Sting got right up into her face. Lucy flushed and tried taking a step back but a hand on her back held her in place. A smirk made its way onto the Sabertooth master's face as he descended closer and closer to the blushing blonde.
"W-what are you…" Lucy stuttered out. She closed her eyes tight and turned her face to the side. Sting's breath was hot on her face and her legs grew weak. A second later, she heard a chuckle, which then turned into full-blown laughter.
"Hahahahaha, you should've seen your face." Sting laughed, clutching his exposed abdominals.
Lucy blinked. "Wha…?"
Wiping a tear away from his eye, Sting straightened up and gave her a grin. "Relax, Lucy-san. Nothing happened. You drank too much, rubbed yourself against me–" Lucy squeaked. "–fainted, then I had to carry you out of the onsen and get you dressed. That's all."
"I-I'm sorry for all the trouble," Lucy said embarrassed.
"Yeah, it was pretty troublesome alright…" Sting said offhandedly, to which Lucy hung her head in response. Sting gave off a chuckle. "I'm just kidding, Lucy-san. No damage was done," he reassured her.
"You left out one detail though."
Sting blinked.
Lucy looked up to meet his gaze. "You paid for my overnight stay… and it wasn't cheap either," she remarked. "Please let me make it up to you."
Sting frowned and crossed his arms. "Normally I would just let it slide since I'm such a gentleman… but that has indeed put a huge dent in my wallet," he remarked. "I'll take you up on that offer then. What do you have in mind?"
Lucy thought for a second. "Hm… there's a really nice restaurant in Western Crocus called Marina Bay. I'll treat you for dinner?" she said weakly.
"Sounds good." Sting grinned.
"So… tonight at seven?"
"It's a date then." Sting winked playfully.
-X-
"A date he says…" Lucy mumbled in front of the mirror. In her hands held two different outfits. One was an A-line, sleeveless, maroon dress, which swept the floor with its length. It was backless and paired with a small white belt with silver glitter. The other dress was a baby-blue tube dress that stopped at mid-thigh. The dress was tight-fitted with a tiny white ribbon tied in the middle. "Which one should I pick…?"
Setting both of them down on her bed, Lucy tapped her chin in thought. "I do prefer the blue one…"
"P-puun puuu," Plue commented shakily.
Lucy smiled and picked up the spirit. "Oh, you're just the cutest lil' doggie," she cooed, giving Plue a tight hug.
"P-puuun…"
"So which one do you think I should wear, Plue?" Lucy asked kindly.
Plue looked up at her shakily. "Puuun?"
"The blue one, huh?" Lucy set Plue down and grabbed the blue dress. Holding it up against her body in front of the mirror, she nodded in acceptance. "This one it is."
After getting changed, Lucy checked herself out in the mirror and nodded. "Looking good, Lucy," Lucy stated vainly whilst performing a variety of poses. "Now… how should I do my hair…" A second later, she froze. "Wait, what am I doing?!" she screeched.
"Puuun!"
Lucy blushed furiously. What on Earthland had gotten into her? Even though Sting said that it was a date, it did notmean it was an actual date. Lucy shook her head frantically. "It's just a dinner. Nothing more, nothing less," the blonde muttered underneath her breath.
She took a glance at the time. 6.35pm, it read. Sting was going to be here any minute. The dragon slayer had asked for her address and stated that he would be there to pick her up, despite the restaurant being a mere 10 minute walk from her apartment. Lucy quickly pulled her blonde locks into a messy bun, leaving strands free to frame her heart-shaped face. Around her neck was a simple crystal necklace, which stopped just above the valley of her breasts.
"I wonder what Sting will think…" Lucy mused before slapping her cheeks with both hands. "Argghh! No Lucy, no! Why does that even matter?!" she screeched hysterically.
"Hm, I think you look great, Lucy-san."
The said girl froze at the sound of the voice coming from her window. 'Don't tell me…' Lucy turned towards the direction of the voice.
"Hey!" Sting grinned from his position on the windowsill.
Lucy's eyes threatened to jump out of their sockets. "W-what are you doing here?!" she stammered, backing away from him.
Sting blinked before jumping off from his perched position into her room. The wooden floorboards squeaked at the impact. "I'm here to pick you up," he said casually.
Lucy puffed up her cheeks. "There is a thing called a door, you know?" she retorted.
"Oh, really? I didn't know that," Sting said innocently, putting his hands behind his head. Lucy rolled her eyes before letting them roam briefly over Sting's form. He was wearing a dark blue jacket with gold trimming over a simple black T-shirt. Light-grey pants were held up with a black and gold belt and the ends were tucked into his back combat boots. Pretty much, what he usually wore, except he decided to cover his abdominals this time around.
Lucy instantly felt over-dressed. She walked over to her wardrobe to retrieve a khaki trench coat to go over her dress. Shrugging the coat on, Lucy turned towards the dragon slayer, who was looking towards to the side.
Lucy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before following his gaze. Her heart sank when she noticed what had caught his attention. Sting was staring at the notes pinned on her wall.
Notes on the whereabouts of all the Fairy Tail members.
Lucy bit her lip and looked away. Ever since Fairy Tail's disbandment, Lucy had kept track of everyone's whereabouts. It wasn't intentional information gathering at first, as the hot topic of the guild's breakup had been the talk of Crocus during the first few months. Every little piece of information Lucy heard was recorded down and soon, Lucy found her wall filled with information. However, she had no idea what she was going to do with all this information. At one point, she had thought about contacting her friends, but held herself back each time. What if they had already moved on and did not want to be reminded of the guild? What if they had forgotten about her already? She had even heard rumours of some members joining other guilds, which left a bitter taste in her mouth but she slowly accepted all these facts. After all, Fairy Tail was no more. That however, did not stop her from doing her own investigations.
"Lucy-san?"
Lucy snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at the dragon slayer who looked at her with concern. Inwardly shaking her head, the blonde gave him a strained smile. "Shall we go?"
Sting pursed his lips slightly before nodding.
-X-
The walk to Marina Bay Restaurant was filled with silence. Normally Sting wouldn't mind the silence but now he felt on edge. Everything today was good up until the point where he appeared in Lucy's room.
He was surprised and a bit impressed when he saw all the notes detailing the locations of the members of her guild. Immediately, he felt a sense of pity for the girl before him. During Jiemma's reign as Sabertooth's master he was taught that there were no such things as comrades and family in a guild. It was all about survival of the fittest. Now, however, things have changed. Sting had learnt the importance of treasuring the members of his guild and treating everyone as equals and like family. It was the very lesson that he learnt from Fairy Tail. The irony, however, was that Fairy Tail was now gone, leaving behind one of its broken members in the form of Lucy Heartfilia.
"We're here," the soft voice of the celestial mage spoke.
Sting looked up to see a white building with the sign Marina Bay hanging over the double-glass door. There were tables outside, sheltered by colourful umbrellas. They were mostly occupied by young couples.
"Do you want to sit inside?" Lucy asked quietly.
"Yeah," Sting responded, observing the couples that were not so embarrassed about public display of affection. "Inside would be best."
Lucy led the way in and to Sting's relief the occupants of the restaurant inside were either large groups people socialising normally or older couples. He took note of the interior. The lighting was bright with a blue-ish tone. Upon entering the restaurant, he could see the main reception, where a young waitress greeted them with a bow. "Welcome."
"Table for two, please," Lucy said.
The waitress nodded and gestured towards her right. "Follow me please."
Sting trailed behind the two ladies. He took note of the aquarium-themed pillars arranged in an ordered fashion around the building, where fish occupied. 'Lector would love it here,' the blond thought.
The waitress brought them to a table at the far end of the restaurant. Being the gentleman that he was, Sting pulled the chair out for Lucy. Strangely enough, she did not react to his actions.
"Can I get you some drinks?" the waitress asked.
"Just coke thanks," Sting said, after taking his seat. His eyes never left the form of his blonde companion.
"I'll just have some water," Lucy responded quietly.
"And for the main course?"
"Lucy-san? What would you like?" Sting questioned, after having a flick through the menu in front of him.
"Anything is fine," Lucy simply said, flicking blindly through the menu.
Sting frowned at her actions. This wasn't going well. Closing his menu, he handed it to the waitress. Lucy did the same. "We'll just get two of the specials, please," he said curtly.
"Alright, sir." The waitress jotted down their orders and bowed before taking off.
Once the waitress was out of earshot, Sting threw in the question. "Are you alright, Lucy-san?" he questioned with concern laced in his tone.
Lucy looked up, slightly startled that he asked. "Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Lucy laughed nervously.
"You've been acting strange for a while. It's not like you," Sting remarked with a frown.
"I'm fine. Don't worry." The celestial mage waved her hands in denial.
Sting did not look convinced. "Right."
Lucy looked away sadly, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Sting fidgeted in his seat, unsure about what to say. He was never good with words. Even Rogue, being his anti-social self, was better at this than him. However, seeing the blonde so dispirited before him made him want to speak up.
"Hey, uhh, look. I'm not really good with words so, uhh…" Sting started awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his head with his head. "What I'm trying to say is that if you ever need someone to talk to then I'm willing to listen." To his annoyance, he felt his ears heat up at his words.
Lucy looked up surprised at his words. For a second, Sting thought that his words had no effect and that the blonde would return to her glum self, but when a genuine smile slowly etched onto her face, he knew that he had achieved his goal.
"Okay." Lucy responded softly. The smile never left her face.
Sting grinned at her. "Good to see you smiling again. It suits you," he said amiably. His grin widened when he noticed a blush bloom on her cheeks. He chuckled lightly when she looked away, embarrassed. 'Cute.'
"Oh, wow. I just noticed it's like an aquarium in here," Lucy exclaimed when she noticed the pillars. Her eyes lit up with life.
"Yeah, it's a great pick for our date, Lucy-san," Sting remarked, inwardly smirking at the way her face turned red at the word 'date'.
"Here are your drinks," the waitress from before said, returning with Sting's coke and Lucy's water.
"Thank you," they both replied.
"Your meals will be served soon." The waitress bowed and left once more.
"I'm surprised you're not drinking, being the alcoholic that you are," Sting remarked amusedly, taking a sip of his coke.
Lucy puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms over her well-endowed bosom. "I'm not an alcoholic, Sting," she retorted.
"Can't say I believe you. After seeing you on that day." Sting laughed. "Man, you were wasted."
Lucy groaned. "You're not going to let me live that down, are you?" she questioned dryly.
Sting just gave her a toothy grin as a response. "So what brought you to the onsen that day?" he asked curiously.
"Well, I heard it was free… and good. So thought I'd try it out."
"Do you get drunk every time you hop into steaming water? That's pretty reckless of you I must say." Sting raised an eyebrow at her. Lucy visibly tensed at his statement, to which Sting did not miss. 'Shit, did I say something wrong?' he thought panicking.
"…It was just a one off occasion," the blonde female muttered.
Curiosity had always been one of Sting's bad points. "And that would be?"
Lucy fidgeted slightly before answering with a sigh. "…It's been over 10 months since Fairy Tail has disbanded," she stated quietly.
"…I'm sorry, Lucy-san." Sting did not know what to say except apologise. He immediately cursed himself. 'Way to go, man.' He scowled inwardly. Now they were back to square one.
Lucy shrugged lightly. "It's alright."
'No, it's not,' Sting thought frowning but continued to listen.
"It's already been 10 months. I thought I had already moved on but it looks like I haven't," Lucy said, smiling sadly. "It's okay, though. I should just learn to accept things as it is."
Sting furrowed his eyebrows. "Lucy-san, I–"
"Thank you for waiting." The waitress with her impeccable timing appeared. Sting didn't know whether he was grateful or annoyed at the interruption. "Please enjoy our special for today, the Seafood Marinara with handmade fettuccine coupled with calamari, prawns, clam, tomatoes and parmesan cheese." She placed the two identical dishes down. With a final bow, she left.
They two ate in silence, which Sting appreciated. He scowled inwardly. He really needed to learn to think before he spoke.
"So, how's Sabertooth lately?" Lucy spoke up offhandedly.
"We've been well. Our guild has been flooded with jobs these last few months," Sting commented, twirling the last bit of pasta on his plate with his fork before taking a bite. "Mm, that was pretty good!"
Lucy nodded in agreement. "So is Sabertooth going to enter this year's Grand Magic Games?"
Sting paused. "Maybe not," he answered eventually.
The celestial mage raised a slender eyebrow at this. "Why's that?"
"I don't think there will be much point in competing if our rival guild won't be making an appearance."
"Rival guild…?" Lucy's eyes widened with realization before looking down. "Oh…"
Sting surveyed the blonde before him before setting down his fork with a sigh. "I'm sorry about what happened to Fairy Tail, Lucy-san."
Lucy shook her head lightly. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault," she spoke softly. She flashed him a pained smile. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom for a bit." Without waiting for a response, Lucy got up and made a dash towards to the bathroom.
The White Dragon Slayer watched the girl's retreat with a sombre expression. 'Natsu-san… just look at what you and your guild has done.'
-X-
The sound of flowing water hitting the bottom of the marble white basin echoed through the ladies room. Lucy braced her hands against edge of the basin and breathed in deeply. "What are you doing, Lucy," she muttered.
Looking up into the frameless mirror that stretched across the wall, Lucy found herself staring into the image of a girl with a broken expression. Brown eyes were brimmed with red, however Lucy's eyes felt dry. She did not feel sad, only hollow. It was the same feeling that she felt when news of her father's death had reached her ears. There was a sense of empty bitterness in her heart, one that was looking to be filled.
Lucy shook her head lightly before chuckling lightly. She was truly pathetic. Even after all this time, the mere thought of her beloved guild would send her into a cycle of depression. But not today, she thought. It was bad enough that she had to owe Sting a favour, but another for him to see her in this state not once, but twice. Lucy was never one to accept another person's pity.
Turning the handle of the tap shut, Lucy tucked the strand of hair that fell from her messy bun behind her ear. Giving herself a quick nod in approval, she exited the bathroom. She spotted Sting still in the same spot he was in before she left. He was looking out the window with his head laid lazily on the palm of his right hand. His other hand rested lightly across his lap, fingers twiddling slightly.
Instead of making her way back to their table, the celestial mage headed straight for the reception.
"Bill for table seven please," Lucy requested the cashier.
The cashier looked up in confusion. "That young man has already paid for you, Miss," he said.
Brown eyes widened. "What?" she gapped. "He did?"
The cashier gave her a smile and merely nodded.
Lucy bit her lips and scrunched her face up in annoyance before heading towards the dragon slayer. Her heavy footsteps caught his attention and he turned to face her, slightly startled.
"Sting, I was supposed to pay!" Lucy exclaimed, stopping in front of him.
"It's fine, Lucy-san. What kind of gentleman would I be if I made you pay for me?" Sting said. He got up from his seat.
"B-but…" Lucy stammered.
"Your company is more than what I can ask for." Sting graced her with a smile, eyes softening. Lucy felt her heart skip a beat at the sight. "Come. I'll walk you home." He brushed passed her, heading towards the entrance of the restaurant.
Lucy ran after him. "You don't have to, Sting! You've already paid for our meal. I don't want to trouble you anymore," she complained.
"It's not trouble when I'm volunteering." Sting gave a light chuckle. "Besides, it's getting late. I wouldn't want a pretty lady such as yourself walking home defenceless."
Lucy puffed up her cheeks. 'Defenceless he says.' She scowled. "I've got my spirits with me," she retorted, crossing her arms across her chest.
"What if they take your keys?"
"Then I have my Fleuve d'ètoiles."
"You don't have that one you now, though."
Lucy blinked. 'Oh, yeah…' She let out a long sigh. "Alright, you win."
"It was never a contest to begin with." Sting graced her with a toothy grin to which Lucy puffed up her cheeks in response.
The walk back to Lucy's apartment was filled with small talk and laughter. They arrived at her apartment, stopping just outside the red-bricked stairs leading up to her door.
The celestial mage turned to face sting with a smile. "Thanks for tonight, Sting."
"Thank you for the company, Lucy-san," Sting replied back with a grin.
Lucy shook her head. "You can just call me Lucy, Sting."
The Sabertooth master blinked in surprised before smiling. "Alright, Lucy." Silence filled the air for a couple of seconds before he continued. "You know, we should hang out more. I enjoyed our time together."
Lucy could not help but agree. "Yeah, we should…" she murmured. Sting had indeed managed to lighten up her mood.
"I'll see you later then." Without warning, Sting grabbed a hold of her left hand in his right one and brought it towards his lips. Lucy's eyes widened as she felt his lips brush against her knuckles. Her hand was released a second later. "Goodnight, Lucy," Sting murmured, before turning around to take his leave.
Lucy stood in silence, stunned at what had happened. Her fingers traced the knuckles where Sting kissed and she felt her face heat up. Brown eyes stared at his retreating back.
"Goodnight, Sting…" she whispered silently as the night closed on both of them.
-X-
Author's Note: And that's another chapter done. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you guys think about this story so far! :) See you in the next chapter.
-X-
-Setsuna