Previously…

A few seconds later, my eyes instantly widened in shock when I saw a flash of blond fly by the stairs and hit the floor, hard.

"Damn, that hurt…" he muttered as he rubbed his head. "I told you I don't want to make friends!"

"Just go meet him, if anyone could help you, it's him!" I heard A.C. say. I saw her come down, and behind her was the raven-haired follower of the blonde idiot, always as stoic as ever, I see.

"Anyway, Pen, allow me to introduce you to my husband and his friend!" she said as she circled her arms around the blonde's muscular one. "Meet Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney~!" I sat there, blinking from the vision I see. Sting and Rogue are at my classmate's house? Okay…

"What…!" …Not.

Chapter 13:

A Secret Agreement

.~ … ~.

MY P.O.V.

I blinked out my confusion for a bit as I examined the scene in front of me. Rogue was sitting beside me, staring at space as without a care in the world. Sting was trying to get away from A.C.'s power hug by shoving her down with all the strength he can muster. Then, to my surprise, by tickling the sides of his stomach, A.C. managed to get Sting to laugh. As in, laugh like he was actually happy. He was twitching violently as the nimble fingers lightly scratched and grazed his skin.

"Sto-stop it!" he shouted in-between his laughs. But as stubborn as she was, A.C. didn't listen and continued tickling him.

"No way," she exclaimed. "This is your punishment for being rude! Now take it like the man you are!" She continued tickling him as he violently tried to shake her off, but he was practically sliding his hands on her as his strength faded and turned to mush.

All his force diminished as he slumped on the sofa panting with a weary smile, faint blush on his face, and A.C. hugging the hell out of him. He doesn't really care now, poor thing. I shook my head in pity. If this ever happened to me, I'd have killed myself. So, upon the will of my pity, I faked a cough to catch A.C.'s attention.

"Uh, hello…?" I called out. She stopped hugging him and looked at me weirdly.

"What?" she asked.

"I thought I was going to, uh, meet them or something…" I said. "How long have they been here, anyway?"

"About three weeks," the ever silent Rogue spoke. "She hasn't let us out since…"

"Really?" I asked, turning back to A.C. "You mean they've never been outside?" She nodded at this. "How did your mom and dad react when they found out?"

"What?" she asked. "I'm good at hiding them! I've hidden them upstairs all this time!"

"Really…" I said. "Then were they scared of the ghosts?"

"Heck no!" she exclaimed. "Rogue and my brave, handsome Sting wouldn't be afraid of stupid floating girls in white dresses!"

"I guess that's true…" I nodded. Then, after a while in his daze, Sting finally awoke with a startled gasp and pushed A.C. off of him. I chuckled a little when my classmate smacked his head like he was her pet. I couldn't possibly believe that someone as strong as Sting would subject to a mere high school girl, but then again, I've seen weirder things. After successfully catching A.C. by the wrists, the blonde Dragon Slayer looked at me and raised a brow before turning to A.C. again.

"Well, he looks worthless…" he sneered. "What the hell's so important that we have to meet him? Surely, someone as strong as me doesn't need trash like that?" At that, my eye twitched and I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. But what he said next made me snap.

"Besides, he looks as weak as Natsu-san d-" He stopped mid-sentence when a pen darted to his direction, barely missing his face and pinning itself on the sofa. He smirked and looked at me glaring down at him with a serious face.

"What? Fan of Natsu-san?" he asked me. I glared harder at him, and if it was anime, I'd be enveloped in a dark, swirling aura. He just insulted Natsu; the Natsu that beat him and Rogue to a pulp and even asked for a rematch some other time. He is not getting away with this. But just then, Rogue laid a hand on my shoulder, causing me to lose sight on my goal of beating Sting to a bloody heap, -if that was possible-, and turn to him with a shrugging response.

"What?" I asked. The black-haired man was looking at me intently for a few seconds, before starting to lean down. Panicking at the quickly made-up conclusions my stupid brain made, I tried to back away from him. He jolted a little, before chuckling lightly at me.

"Listen," he said. I tilted my head in confusion before cautiously leaning forward. He had a sympathetic look, but I don't know for whom.

"Accept my apologies for Sting's action," he whispered to me. "I know he can be arrogant, and constantly looks down on Natsu-san and Gajeel-san, and even that little Dragon Slayer. But that's just how he is…" He looked at Sting, who was currently defending himself from another A.C. hug attack.

"I still don't like it, though…" I said with a huff. Rogue chuckled again, and patted me on the head.

"He's just venting," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Venting," he repeated. "He was really upset when Natsu-san and the others disappeared for 7 years. They didn't become a part of our childhood. And Sting and I really wanted to join Fairy Tail back then… But Sting wanted power as well. The reason we joined Sabertooth was because it was the most powerful guild then."

"So he's acting like an egotistic jerk because he was lonely for those 7 years?" I asked.

"No, not really…" Rogue answered. But before I could ask him to explain any further, the arrogant topic called him out.

"Hey, Rogue!" he yelled. "Will you get this brat off me?!" My eye twitched at the slight insult he gave A.C., and I heard Rogue sigh before he stood up and walked over to them. With little effort, he grabbed A.C. by the back of her shirt and yanked her upwards.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"That's enough, A.C.-san," Rogue said calmly yet firmly. "You still need to explain to your friend how we got here and-"

"There's no need for that," I quickly answered. "I already know." Just then, I heard Sting laugh, probably at my answer. I swear, no matter how long my patience is, this guy isn't going to last an hour with me!

"As if someone as dimwitted as you could ever hope to figure-"

"You were travelling somewhere," I cut him off with cold disinterest lacing my words. "Probably from or to a mission, then you met an old lady that was saying weird things. You don't care about her and went along, but then you felt your magic draining. You black out, and wake up here…"

"A.C. probably explained to you about the computer, since that's where you first got out, right? Or is there something I'm missing, Mr. Arrogance?" I asked with a smirk on my face. The look on his face was priceless! All wide-eyed and speechless, literally! He was opening and closing his mouth, like he was about to say something, but then gritted his teeth and glared at me so hard, I almost laughed! Making Sting mad is one of the best things any person can do.

"How did you know that?" Rogue asked. "All of it. How can you explain those things like…"

"…I've experienced them all?" I continued his question. He nodded once, confirming my suspicion, and I sighed.

"It's simple really," I said. "I have Fairy Tail's strongest team living in my house…" After I muttered those words, awkward silence filled the air. Sting and Rogue were both staring at me with wide eyes now, and A.C. was just smirking to herself. A few moments later, I got tired of the silence and would have said something if it wasn't for the sudden hand gripping my neck and pinning me to the sofa. I stared wide-eyed afterwards when I found Sting practically glaring at me for who-knows-what reason. Upon reaction, I clung to his arm and tried to get it off me, I mean seriously! It's not nice strangling someone on your first meeting.

"Are you lying?" he asked me. At that, I stopped my almost-thrashing and tilted a brow.

"The hell are you talking about?" I asked through gritted teeth. His grip on my neck tightened, and it caused both Rogue and A.C. to spring into action; Rogue grabbing Sting and A.C. pulling his arm away from me. Once all the tension settled down, Sting was looking calmer, but was still glaring at me with the intent to kill.

"A-anyway," I coughed, trying to get the sensation of someone ringing my neck to go away. "What are you talking about Sting? So you're telling me AMALAYER(I'm a liar)?" I asked him.

"Depends on what your answer is…" he states, causing me to raise a brow. "Natsu-san's team is in your house? Get real…" At that, my brow twitched and I was a minute away from doing what he did to me, but then I thought of something else that would prove myself instead of starting an all-out war with a Dragon Slayer. He may be arrogant, but he has power. I can't match him; probably outwit him, but never in a match of strength.

I heaved a weary sigh, before turning to A.C., who was currently turning on her computer.

"A.C., can I borrow your phone?" I asked. Without looking, she pulled the contraption from a desk and threw it at me. I caught it just in time and dialed a couple of numbers. When I heard it ringing, I put it on speaker before anyone could answer. Everyone looked at me confusedly at first, but I told to keep quiet when someone picked up.

"Hello?" the voice of the white-haired Fairy bartender echoed.

"Uh, hello, Mira-san? Yeah, this is Pen-san." I said as I read the shocked expressions of both Sting and Rogue.

"Oh, Pen-san!" she exclaimed. "What a surprise! What made you call?"

"I just have a question…" I said.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked sweetly. At this, I smirked to myself and gestured the three to listen carefully.

"Can you make a list of who lives in whose house and the members of each household?" I asked. "I know it's a bit confusing, but-"

"Not at all!" she said, cutting me off. "I'd be delighted to. Should I start now?"

"By all means," I said. I heard her clear her throat before she started listing down the names of everyone in accordance. Michael's name was followed by the Strauss Siblings', Wendy, Lily, and Charles. Dani's name was followed by Crime Sorcière, Gajeel, -much to Rogue's surprise and slight excitement-, and Levy. And lastly, my name was followed by team Natsu along with Juvia. Sting was utterly speechless when Mira confirmed everything and even explained in detail how they got there.

"Is that all, Pen-san?" she asked me when she was finished with naming the lists.

"Yes, Mira-san, thanks a lot!" I exclaimed. "Anyway, can you ask the others to come by my house later? I have a special surprise for all of you~!"

"A surprise?!" she exclaimed happily. "Sure! I'll tell everyone right away! Bye~!" At that, she hung up and I threw the phone back at A.C., who caught it without looking at it again. I swear this girl could be psychic! Side-tracking to look at the two Dragon Slayers, I noticed they were calm again. They must be taking this maturely. I mean, that should be expected from these two, at least.

"So," the blonde said. "Natsu-san is really here?" He asked me. I raised a brow in slight confusion before nodding my head. I got a little crept out when he smirked at that.

"Good," he muttered. Now I was confused. What was so good about having Natsu in my house? He eats everything edible and barely does any work unless asked. Okay, maybe when he feels obligated to do it, he'll do it, but most of the time, he just slacks off and sleep all day! I couldn't tell from his smirk whether he was happy or excited, or both, but I can tell nothing good will come out of it.

"What are you thinking about…?" I asked cautiously with suspicion. Sting blinked once then looked at me, before smirking again, that stupid little arrogant idiot.

"What ever do you mean?" he asked innocently, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. If he thinks I'm buying his act, he's got another thing coming.

"Innocence doesn't suit you, bastard." I said coldly. "I know you're up to something, and you need to tell me if you want me to help you."

"Isn't insulting someone on your first meeting rather rude?" he asked, ignoring my friendly advice. A vein popped in my forehead and I pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You were the one that insulted me first!" I exclaimed. "Or is that big, egotistic head of yours full of hot-air? Can't even remember the last few minutes of your life, huh, Sting?" I asked disdainfully. He smirked at me again and ignored my comment, making me madder. He's insane, and that's final.

"Rogue," he called, purposely ignoring me. "We're finding Natsu-san and Gajeel-san, and fight them again. How's that sound?" My jaw dropped and my eyes went wide. That's what he was thinking about? Fighting Natsu and Gajeel again? And getting their butts handed to them, again? As much as I want to see Sting get beaten to a pulp, there's simply no place here in town that they could fight without any authority figures noticing. If they're ever found out, who knows what those government bastards will do to them for their own personal gain! I would've have protested against Sting's plans, a finger already raised ready for protest, but then Rogue spoke ahead of me.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" the raven-haired Shadow Dragon said. "It's not safe getting out in the open with so many things foreign to us." I nodded my head at his words. At least someone's smart enough to avoid violence.

"That's why we have him," he said, nodding over to me. "We could get him to take us somewhere safe and-!" He was cut off when my shoe hit him in the head spot-on.

"Sure, notice me when you need something, bastard…" I rolled my eyes as I said the words sarcastically. I can't stand him! He's too ignorant, egotistic, self-centered, and downright irritating! I couldn't imagine how A.C. managed to live with him for the past 3 weeks, but I guess since he's her love interest, she could take it better than I could. This guy was getting on my nerves, just as much as A.C. gets riled up every time she sees a picture or a story pairing Sting and Lucy up. She really doesn't like it when people pair the two or anyone else with Lucy other than Natsu. She keeps saying that if people keep pairing Lucy up with different people, she'll end up looking like a blonde bimbo that gets under every guy's pants. I guess it's either respect or utter love of NaLu that she said that, but I do understand.

But as keep that train of thought, my mind flashed back to when Natsu admitted his feelings for Lisanna. It annoyed the hell out of me, and I want to get back at him, hard and prove that NaLu will prevail! Maybe I could use some help? But I couldn't think of anyone that could keep an act together with Lucy. Gray is out of the question, since he's gotten Juvia already. Loke? Nah, he'll be over-exuberant and might blow the whole thing off if he gets too jealous. I need someone who can play the part of provoking Natsu perfectly, while at the same time having the same oozing sex-drive like Natsu and Lucy. Of course, chemistry is also important, but I can't think of anyone!

"Hey!" I snapped out of my thoughts when someone called me. I blinked a few times before my vision adjusted to Sting, who was snapping his fingers in front of my eyes.

"What?" I asked as I pushed his hand away. He was looking irritated, but I couldn't care less.

"You're going to take us to where Natsu-san and the others are, got it?" he asked, but it was really more of a demand than a request. I planned on retorting again, but as I draw my mind back from my previous thoughts, a sudden smirk graced my lips.

"So," I said in an innocent tone. "You want to get back at Natsu?" Sting nodded. I smirked again, this was too easy.

"Then I have plan that could benefit the both of us…"

.~ … ~.

LUCY's P.O.V.

I was currently reading the novel that Erza was reading before as I sat by the living room sofa. Nothing fun is happening today, so it's pretty much slow. Erza was just polishing her armor, looking utterly bored while doing so. Still, she's as refined as ever, even when at the verge of boredom. Gray was far less interesting when he's bored. He just sleeps inside the room, and when he's awake, he tires himself up until he falls asleep again. But I have to say I did notice that his stripping habits still carry on even in his sleep. Juvia, well, she's Juvia, I guess. She just likes to stare at Gray when he sleeps, but was usually cuddled beside him. Natsu and Happy had been the most active among us for the past few hours now; scavenging through Pen-san's closets and even his little brother's cabinets. These two and their curiosity; I wish had the same enthusiasm. But I don't think I'll ever have what it takes to match these two. They find fun in everything, so I guess it's just up to them if they're bored or not.

When we all woke up earlier, Natsu and Happy were making a mess in the kitchen. At least that required us to move our bodies. That was practically the most interesting thing that's happened today. Still, I couldn't help but notice how he avoided me every time we were close to coming into contact with each other. It's as if I'm a stranger to him now, and he's a stranger to me. I have absolutely no clue why he was doing this, but I have a pretty vague idea. Maybe because he's found his true love, Lisanna, that his avoiding me so I wouldn't notice. Yeah, that must be it. It's still vague, though.

Still, I can't help but feel hurt over the fact that he's been avoiding me for these past few hours. And that's just hours! I wouldn't imagine myself being okay when he's avoiding me for days or even months! He's my teammate; he's my partner, my best friend… My first love…

It's hurting me pretty bad, but I can't go telling that to anyone, especially when Pen-san's on the prowl for hunting a new couple to snatch. I have a feeling that Levy's his next victim, but I'm not quite sure. I don't have a clue when it comes to him. He's tactful, witty, and can even draw out the slightest moments of romance in any time we've spent together with our teammates. Still, he can be trusted, so I guess he's safe. If he was anything like Natsu, he would have driven us insane by now!

There it goes again. My thoughts keep coming back to Natsu, and I can't finish the stinkin' novel because of it! I get all fluttery and giddy, but then go completely depressed at the fact that he's avoiding me. Stupid feelings, why can't they just go away?

A knock from outside resounded inside the house, breaking my train of thought. I jolted a little, and before anyone could volunteer, I stood up abruptly and placed the book by the desk.

"I-I'll get it." I said. Erza, who was about to stand, nodded and resumed her position polishing her armor. I glanced at Natsu, who was still busy with some scheme or game that those two were playing. He didn't even notice me. Sighing, I made my way down the stairs and to the door. From the sliding glass-door, I can already tell who it was. And since I can also see people from outside and they can't see me, we're perfectly safe from any passersby. I pushed the sliding door aside and opened the white metal gate to be greeted by my blue-haired best friend, Levy.

"Lu-chan!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around me. I reciprocated the action and let go a few seconds later, a smile gracing my lips.

"Levy-chan!" I exclaimed back. Looking behind her I can see everyone else, even Jellal, Meredy and Ultear. "What are you all doing here?"

"Mira-san told us that Pen-san wanted us to come here, so…" Meredy trailed off a bit before smiling gently. I see, so Pen-san invited them.

"Oh, okay then…" I said as I stepped aside. "Come on in, guys." At that, everyone started to come in, but Levy still stayed beside me. Gajeel was the last to enter, so he closed both doors before stomping upstairs. He's still as grouchy as ever, but I bet he'll flip a switch when he sees Lily again.

"Lu-chan," Levy called me snapping me out again from my thoughts. I blinked with a start before looking at her.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "I can tell, you know. I'm your best friend." At that, my eyes almost widened. Good thing I kept them in check so she didn't notice. Was there a problem? Of course not, but…

"W-what are you talking about…?" I laughed nervously. "T-there's nothing wrong, silly…" I wanted to pat her on the head like Gajeel always does, but she only lets Gajeel do it. Even I'm off-limits to that sort of action. Her eyes narrowed and her face inched closer to mine, her eyes examining my face for any sort of lie. I held my breath and tried to look at her with a straight face, but I couldn't hold it for long.

Finally, she broke away from my personal space, and we both sighed at the same time. We looked at each other in confusion, before laughing out loud.

"Okay, let's go upstairs…" I said. She nodded, still laughing, and we both headed up the stairs. Just then, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Was there trouble? I don't know, but there better not be.

.~ … ~.

MY P.O.V.

"Hell no!" A.C. exclaimed as she tried to drag Sting back inside her house. "You can't go, Sting! Especially when you're going to follow that plan! It's… It's not right!"

"Come on, A.C.," I said comfortingly. "It'll be over before you know it. Besides, it's his choice. As much as I hate it, I have to spend some time with them, too…" I pointed to the two Dragon Slayers. "No offense, Rogue."

"None taken," he said. "I don't particularly like you either, so let's just get this over with…" With that, I sighed and looked at A.C. again.

"Come on," I said. "Please? I promise he'll be good. I'll feed him thrice a day and have Erza bathe him every other day!"

"I can bathe myself, freak!" the blonde shouted. "Now let go, would you? I appreciate the hospitality, but we need to go! I need to fight Natsu-san!"

"Ooh, it seems like he's going for choice 2…" I said mischievously. At that, he's face visibly blushed. I can tell that his body stiffened, too. He was stuttering a little.

"I-I'm not!" he said. "It's choice 1! Screw the other choices!" I couldn't help but chuckle a little at this. Seeing Sting blushing is a little off-character, but hey, I guess this proves that you'll never truly know someone until you've known them for a little while and threatened their sexuality. Our conversation earlier must've stuck to his head.

~. … ~.

"What's this plan that you were talking about?" Sting asked me as he sat on the sofa. He was looking rather serious, but he won't be for long once I'm done talking.

"It's like this…" I started. "Natsu's… sort of maturing into a new person…"

"Maturing?" he repeated. "Natsu-san? That's hard to believe."

"Believe me, he is." I said. "He's developed feelings for a certain girl… And I don't particularly agree with that union…"

"So?" he asked again. "What's this have to do with fighting Natsu-san…?"

"Ah, I was waiting for you to ask that." I said with a smirk. "You, Sting Eucliffe, will get to fight Natsu only if you abide by one of three choices that I'm about to give you…"

"Okay…" he said cautiously. I smirked further and his eye twitched a little.

"One," I raised a finger. "You will purposely make Natsu jealous by pretending to claim the one he truly loves…"

"What?"

"Two," I ignored his question. "You will fight Natsu the moment we arrive at my house…"

"I'll choose-"

"Eph…" I cut him off as I brought another finger up. "You will fight him, yes… But when you lose, you have to say that you've fallen in love with him and let him dominate you."

"Ew~!" A.C. exclaimed, her arms crossing her chest and a crept out face present. "Yaoi! Sword battles! Yuck! Gross! I'd prefer Yuri any day!"

"I'm not gay, you perverted bastard!" Sting growled. Ooh, I love twisting and manipulating anime characters. Maybe that's why I became a fanfiction artist.

"I prefer the term, 'open-minded individual'." I said. "And the last choice, you have to ride a speeding bullet-train 15 times non-stop!" I chuckled when I saw his face turn green from just the thought of riding transportation. And he hasn't heard of it yet, too. I'm guessing he'll go for the first choice, because there was really no choice in the matter. I'd have forced him to pick the first either way. I just wanted to see how he'll react to these different situations. I absolutely despise seeing that calm and arrogant expression he carries around every day and every episode he's ever been on.

"Fine," he said. "I'll go by your stupid rules. I'll go for one. At least I get to bang a chick."

"Who's the pervert now?" I asked as I wiggled my brows. He scoffed a little and looked away, but I can tell he was slightly blushing.

"Anyway," he said. "Who is this girl that Natsu-san truly loves?" I slumped visibly from the sofa as my eyebrow rose when he said that.

"You seriously don't know…?" I asked. He nodded, stupid air-head. "It's Lucy! Lucy Heartfilia. You know…!"

"Oh," he said. "That blonde chick? Yeah, she's pretty hot. I guess I could handle that." Just as I was about to outstretch my hand to Sting to signal a start of a friendly non-friendly agreement, something cracked. Literally. Like the wooden table separating us. I looked down to see A.C.'s fist connected to the scattered wood. I gulped a little when I saw her eyes turned red. I honestly didn't know it was possible in the real world until I saw this.

"Pen," she muttered; her words now covered with solid ice. "Now what did I say about pairing Sting up with that bimbo bitch?" I sweat dropped as I stared at her looming figure with wide and terrified eyes.

"T-that it'll never happen and, and…" She cut me off when she jabbed her hand on the table again, breaking it in half.

"And it's not right!" she exclaimed. "You know damn well that NaLu is the right choice, right? So don't you even think about pairing Sting up with Lucy or I swear I'll tear you limb from l-"

"I'm going," Sting interrupted her. A.C.'s anger defused, -much to my relief-, and she looked at Sting with surprisingly wide and teary eyes.

"What?" she asked as she sniffed, thinking it'll add to some cuteness score.

"I'm going." He repeated. "If it's a way to fight Natsu-san, I'll do it. Besides, you're going to have a hard time explaining that to your parents when they get home." He pointed at the scattered pieces of wood, and A.C. visibly paled at this. Sting laughed, which was cruel, before signaling Rogue to stand and follow him again.

I sighed, before standing up, packing my gear and patted A.C. on the shoulder. She rolled her eyes at me, still angry about the whole StiCy thing, but she'll get over it, probably.

.~ … ~.

And the whole thing brings us back here, with me travelling back home with two Dragon Slayers in tow. I wonder if this'll be as fun as the other times. I hope so, then maybe I could make a documentary out of this.

"This is hell, I'm sure of it…" Sting muttered, but then smirked again. "At least I'll be fighting Natsu-san once he gets jealous enough…"

"Just try not to fall in love yourself, Sting…" Rogue warned. With a casual shrug, Sting acknowledged his warning. But that was useful, and interesting. Will Sting fall for Lucy as time passes? Or will he just follow the plan? I can't wait to find out!

A/N:

Muahahahahahahahahaha! XD I updated! The "Angono Giant Festival" is officially over! And since the festivities are done, more school. -3- So I updated just for you guys! How'd you think? Was it good? Sorry again if it's too short and no fan fics still… Don't worry, one will come up soon. It'll be a secret! XD

As for the "AMALAYER" joke, it's a Philippine trend. XD I'm just being trendy today, so to those who aren't from the Philippines and know this, good! XD

As for A.C.'s behavior towards Lucy, yeah, she's like that. I don't know why, but she hates Lucy. Everything about Lucy actually… Her magic, her being paired up with other people… Basically it's just her magic, but still, I don't quite get it. Hoho! I better be careful~! XD

Anyway, for my contestants… You only have about, um… 5 DAYS? Before I close the submission deadline. I won't be extending it again so you do your best, okay? I'll be rooting for all of you! Best of luck and see you next chapter~!

Ja Ne~