So this is what I came up with for Natsu and Rogue. I understand that Gray x Sting is more popular but I think the story makes up here. As far as I'm aware, I don't think anything like this has been done before. Read on for many surprises. Contains references...

And yeah, it's really long. It just sorta started writing itself. Damn you story, my hands hurt like hell!

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- Rogue x Natsu -

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- #1 -

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- This is one of those AU things..? -

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Fairy Tail...

Yes, as Sting was fleeing from a vengeful Lucy, let's just say that the other characters in this story were much more relaxed. Well, as relaxed as one can be when one is expecting the presence of a certain demon.

Natsu had tried insisting that he and Rogue really did not wish to participate in her stupid shounen ai stuff but she had ways of persuasion, ones which were very unorthodox and consisted mostly of blackmail. You see, Mirajane knew... secrets about people and their relationships and there were things that Natsu really did not want people to know about him and Rogue.

So we now find Natsu attempting to drag Rogue through the guildhall doors.

"Rogue! Come on let's just get whatever she has planned over and done with..." Natsu tried persuasion tactics such as puppy eyes on his boyfriend but for the first time he was miserably failing.

Rogue eventually ripped his arm away from Natsu's iron grip. "No, I've only known her for a few weeks but she's scary as hell..."

"Who's scary as hell?" said an innocently inquisitive yet intensely terrifying voice. Rogue did not wish to meet the new presence with his eyes so he took to staring at the floor. Natsu put his arm around his shoulder encouragingly until Rogue had the courage to look up and speak.

"N-no one..." he trembled slightly.

Wow. Image change. Mirajane stood before him, smiling brightly but gone was the purple dress and in its place was a white fur coat. Mirajane was also wearing a short black dress underneath it and the image was complete with black high-heels, shades and an expensive looking bag. Her hair also looked different but Rogue couldn't really tell what she'd done to it. He wasn't very familiar with the woman and he couldn't care less about fashion and stuff anyway.

Natsu also took in the image change. This wasn't the old "demon" Mirajane who would simply beat up anyone who annoyed her. No, this one was a new demon, one who would always get her way no matter the cost. This one would rule Fairy Tail from the shadows.

"So, Mira-chan how's the magazine going?" Natsu asked weakly.

"I'm glad you asked, Natsu." She paused and lowered her shades to look at him revealing her bright blue eyes while the sun highlighted her flawless complexion. "I already have half of Magnolia's female population on the subscription list and I've had so much paparazzi that I had to go clothes shopping. In fact, you two really ought to dress better with all the publicity you're now getting..." she carried on like this for a while, Natsu and Rogue weren't really listening but the next part really caught their attention.

"Anyway, enough of that, I need you two to try out my next experiment..."

The two Dragon slayers turned to each other, worry very evident in their eyes.

"Oh, don't look like that, I'm sure that you'll enjoy it very much..."

Later...

Natsu stared at the strange purple lacrima that Mirajane had set out on the table before him.

"What is this thing?" Rogue asked.

"It's something that one of my sponsors sent me. They said it's a new invention called an 'Auto-Act Lacrima'... I don't quite understand how it works but I've heard that the results are very good!" Mirajane beamed.

"Hey! Don't just go testing weird experiments on us!" Natsu protested.

"But... but I thought it would be fun.." Mirajane bawled.

"Hey, don't cry..." Natsu tried to comfort her. Damn manipulative woman, Rogue thought. "We'll try it out!" He said this with determination. No, Natsu. Someone has to stand up to her!

All traces of tears were gone from Mirajanes's face. "Okay... hmm let's see." She looked at the instruction manual. "Ah! I just need to feed it a plot; here's some fanfiction about you two..." She grabbed a pile of papers from nearby and placed them near the lacrima. The lacrima grew a mouth and gobbled up said papers. Mirajane then swiped the device and the three were enveloped in a blinding violet light.

They all passed out.

Unknown Location...

Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep.

Natsu groaned and bashed the alarm clock causing the flimsy thing to be crushed. The alarm noise warbled and then failed.

Where am I?

Natsu realised there was a faint light coming from the closed curtains. He used this light to navigate to the wardrobe. He was surprised when he saw a black cardigan hanging up with the Fairy Tail emblem and the inscription: 'Fairy Academy' written underneath. There were also several white shirts and slate-grey trousers. For some reason he found his arms moving of their own free will as they dressed him in the strange attire.

He then checked himself out in the mirror. Yep, looking good as always. He brushed back his messy pink locks but noticed something was off. Since when was I this short? He was now beginning to get worried but couldn't do anything when his legs began moving themselves over to another door.

A kitchen, he noted. Good, I was getting hungry. He opened a cupboard to retrieve a box of cereal. He poured himself a bowl and began eating it. He'd rather go to the guild to get some proper food but desperate times call for desparate measures.

After he'd finished, he located his glasses and put them on as well as his scarf. Wait. What?

Why do I have glasses?

Natsu decided not to dwell on it because they actually improved his vision so he reached into his pocket to check the time on his phone. This is new too. What the hell is it?

The time indicated 8:55 am. Ah I'm going to be late for school! I've only got five minutes! Argh, go away weird thoughts! Since when do I go to school?

Nevertheless Natsu dashed out of the door, only to come back in to fill up Happy's food bowl. I really don't understand, why do does Happy have a food bowl? He once again headed out, this time grabbing his bike from outside his apartment and pedalling as fast as he could towards wherever his mind was taking him.

Later...

Natsu burst through the double doors of the Fairy Academy building. He was already late and panting from the exertion of the long bike ride. He slowed down his pace to walk through the corridors. You weren't allowed to run in the corridors.

He turned a corner to see... Rogue? Yes it definitely was Rogue, and he too was wearing the weird school uniform. On closer inspection he also seemed to be at least a head taller than himself. Since when? Natsu really wanted to run over to Rogue and ask him what the hell was going on but found himself unable to do so.

Suddenly, a monologue started playing in his head. He had no control over this.

Rogue-senpai is so amazing! He's so quiet and mysterious but is actually the school's best athlete after Racer. I've always watched him from afar, I just wish someday he'd notice me. Maybe someday I'll confess that I'm actually in love with him...

Rogue then turned to Natsu and locked eyes with him. Natsu's heart caught in his throat before beating uncontrollably. His face turned crimson. Why am I unable to control my stupid feelings, I should just suppress them... that way I won't get hurt.

It was then that Natsu noticed HER. A girl with long black, braided hair and a black fur scarf. She linked arms with Rogue and took his gaze away from Natsu. This time it was Rogue who blushed. The girl began walking past Natsu with her arm still linked with Rogue. As she passed him, she gave him a venomous glare.

Minerva. The hell is she doing here?

Natsu then collapsed to his shaking knees and tried to stop the tears from falling. Of course someone as popular as Rogue would never notice me. I'm just the school nerd, there's no way he'd ever even like me as a friend. He's already dating Minerva anyway. There's no way I can compete with her.

Finally the thoughts faded away as the real Natsu regained control of his mind.

Rogue would be nothing but ashes if Natsu found out he was cheating on him...

Class 11B...

Natsu finally found his class – which he discovered had had a room change – ten minutes late.

Mrs Evergreen was not pleased.

"Natsu this is the third time you've been late this week!" she scolded but then used a bored tone of voice, "but I guess your grades are through the roof so I'll let you off just this once."

Everyone in the class gave a collective groan and Natsu could hear whispers such as:

"You always let him off though!",

and jeers of:

"Teacher's pet!"

Natsu ignored them as he took his usual seat, straightening out his glasses as he did so.

He heard a mutter behind him, "you know, I've heard he can get away with anything because he lives on his own!" It sounded like Gray.

Then he heard another voice respond – Loke said, "heh, he also gets free money from the government. People like him should just stop being lazy and get a job! I wish I could get money for nothing..."

Natsu heard a third person – Lucy snicker at this.

Natsu did not understand what was going on but he didn't like it one bit. Why were Gray, Loke and Lucy being so bitter? Sure, Gray made fun of him all the time but he would never say something like that. Then again nothing was right in this weird world so Natsu took to drowning out the taunts and staring out of the window.

He then saw HIM. Rogue elegantly cleared the last hurdle and finished the race in obvious first place. So like him. Sting followed shortly after and Natsu could see the two get into a heated argument.

He unknowingly let out a sigh as he stared at the object of his affection punch the annoying blonde's face in.

"What the fuck are you day dreaming about?" He turned to see a the face of a scowling black haired teen. Gajeel.

Natsu drifted off as he looked out of the window once again. There was no point in engaging with the people in this world since his alternate self would control his actions.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Smack.

Gajeel had just been hit on the head with a book. "Gajeel, stop picking on Natsu," Levy complained. To Natsu's surprise Gajeel did not take it further.

Mrs Evergreen began handing out practice papers for the Chemistry exam which Natsu found exceedingly easy. He finished the paper a whole twenty minutes before the class was over so the teacher just said he could go.

Pretty sweet.

He decided to use this time to go and watch the rest of Rogue's athletics class.

When he got there and sat down on the grassy embankment he saw that they had moved on to javelin practice. Natsu was so caught up in admiring the way that Rogue's sculpted body elegantly moved when throwing that thing that he didn't realise the bell had gone off and Rogue and his classmates were walking towards him.

He quickly scrambled out of sight. He didn't want Rogue to know he was watching him. Real Natsu did want Rogue to know this but he was locked up in some kind of mind prison with no escape.

Lockers...

Eventually he made his way to his locker in order to take out the necessary books for his next lesson. He turned around to leave but his path was blocked by two towering figures. Laxus. And Jellal.

Fairy Academy's two most notorious bullies.

He tried to pass by them but Laxus dragged him back by the collar and shoved him against the metal lockers with a loud crash. The air was taken straight out of him as Laxus delivered a powerful punch to his stomach. Natsu coughed up spit and hunched down in pain.

"That's what you get for sucking up to Mrs Evergreen!" Jellal spat.

"Now here's the deal, you do all of our homework from now on or we'll take your lunch money. Every. Single. Day." Laxus snatched Natsu's glasses and tossed them aside.

Oh, how he wanted to unleash his most powerful 'Karyū no Tekken' yet on this bastard. But he couldn't. And it annoyed him to no end.

Natsu cowered before the terrifying blonde teen and just as he was about to yield, someone came to his aid, punching Laxus in the face and following up with a sidekick that was hard enough to bring Laxus to the floor. Jellal gasped at how easily Laxus was defeated.

He caught a flash of jet black hair. "R... Ro... Rogue-senpai!" Natsu stuttered. Rogue stopped scowling at the floored Laxus and turned to Natsu with the most dazzling smile ever. He gave a hand to help Natsu off the floor and it was gladly accepted.

"Natsu-kun!" Rogue brought him into a hug. "I'm here now, you don't have to worry about him, I'll protect you." Real Natsu scoffed at this, I don't need protecting Rogue.

Unfortunately, AU Natsu betrayed this attitude and whimpered into Rogue's shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered. Rogue bent down to pick up Natsu's glasses and returned them to their owner.

"Aren't you forgetting about someone?" Jellal asked.

"Oh yeah, Erza!" Rogue called out. All Natsu could see was a red blur and before he knew what happened, Erza—the captain of the school's kendo club - had kneed Jellal in the gut and backhanded his cheek.

"You better not hurt Natsu or you'll be going to prom tomorrow on your own!" she threatened. Despite being embarrassed at being weak and crying, real Natsu was glad that that situation had been sorted out.

Rogue ignored the bickering couple. "Hey, Natsu-kun, what say we ditch the rest of school and hang out?"

What? Rogue-senpai wants to hang out with me? The school nerd? Natsu couldn't help the warm tingly feeling invading his senses as he and Rogue headed outside. Real Natsu was fuming at his AU's uncontrollable and in his opinion 'girly' emotions.

Later...

"So where do you want to go?" Rogue asked, the two students now walking leisurely by Magnolia's river, far away from the cliff-top Fairy Academy where any teachers might get them in trouble for skiving.

The answer to Rogue's question was already programmed in Natsu's mind. "Mira-chan's cake shop of course!"

Natsu and Rogue soon entered said cake shop. Rogue noticed that the sign literally read 'Mira-chan's Cake Shop'.

As they sat down they were greeted by a very lively white haired manager/owner who was wearing a pink frilly apron. "Oh hello, Natsu-chan!" Mirajane then turned to the black haired teen who was sitting opposite the pink haired. "And who's this you've brought with you?" she asked.

"Rogue Cheney," Rogue introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Mirajane but everyone addresses me as Mira-chan. It's strange that Natsu would bring someone else here. Natsu-chan has had difficulty making friends ever since my little sister Lisanna went on a foreign exchange to Edolas two years ago."

"Mira-chaaan!" Natsu was embarrassed that Mirajane had just just told Rogue that he didn't have any friends.

"Is that so..?" Rogue took Natsu's hand, "well you have me now, Natsu-kun. I'll be your friend." He gave a genuine smile.

"Th-thank you Rogue-senpai..." Real Natsu wanted to wrangle his AU persona. I am not this nervous and pathetic!

Natsu and Rogue both really enjoyed eating at Mira's cake shop. Afterwards Rogue had insisted that Natsu come over his house where they played video-games and started watching a movie. They were enjoying themselves so much that they didn't really notice when it exactly it became dark outside.

Natsu was about to head back to his house so that he could cook himself dinner but Rogue stopped him before he could say goodbye.

"You live by yourself don't you?" he asked.

Natsu gulped before answering "y-yeah. My adoptive father left me seven years ago and since then I've been living off of Government aid. B-but I'm not lazy or anything, I have to get really high grades or they'll cut off my funds..."

"I don't think you're lazy, I've always admired how clever you are. I mean, I'm good at athletics and all but when it comes to anything like maths and science I just can't do it," Rogue admitted.

"You, you admire me?" Natsu was in disbelief. Well yeah, who doesn't? Real Natsu thought.

"Yeah..."

"I can help you if you want."

"I'd like that. Do you want me to walk you home? It must be dangerous walking around when you look that cute," Rogue teased.

"You think I look cute?" Natsu blurted out. It's not that surprising, gosh. Real Natsu thought.

Rogue covered his mouth in shock, "oops, slip of the tongue," he excused.

Natsu accepted the offer of being walked home. Most of the walk was spent in comfortable silence but just when Natsu could see his apartment, Rogue decided to break this silence.

"You know, my adoptive mother also left me seven years ago."

"Really?" Natsu was shocked to find out that the calm, confident and popular student was under such similar circumstances to his own.

"Yeah, all she left me was was a black crystal called a 'dragon lacrima' which was actually worth enough for me to buy out the house and I had to get a job at Sabertooth shopping centre to pay the rest." Rogue didn't continue with his story as Natsu came to a stop outside his apartment building.

"Err, this is my house, so I guess this is good night..."

"Wait, Natsu-kun. Do you have a date for the prom?"

Natsu laughed him off, "what? Me? Of course not. Why?"

"Um, I was wondering if you maybe, sorta wanted to go with me?"

No, I really don't want to go to some stupid prom. Real Natsu was once again betrayed by his AU self, "Wh-what? Why me? I mean we've only just met today."

Rogue looked to the floor in embarrassment as he answered, "that may be true but I always used to do stupid stuff like checking out all the books in the school library which you'd borrowed. I thought it would help me get closer to you even if I couldn't speak to you."

Rogue? Couldn't speak to me? I never would have guessed that. Natsu swallowed his pride as he too had a confession. "I always skip my other classes to watch you in sports class." Argh! Why did I have to say it out loud, now he's going to think I'm a stalker.

Oh just shut up you damn wimp! Real Natsu thought.

To AU's surprise however, Rogue's eyes brightened at this. "So you'll do it? You'll go to the prom with me?"

"I thought you were going to go with Minerva-san..."

"Oh..." Rogue gaze drifted to the floor again, "I broke up with her this morning. I found out that yesterday she almost murdered Sting's cat when it ripped her prom dress. I sided with Sting so we ended up going our separate ways."

"In that case... I'd love to go with you."

Rogue gained an uncharacteristically large grin as he leaned down and tilted Natsu's chin up to capture his lips with his own.

Natsu was surprised at first but started kissing back with just as much passion. The kiss was sweet but full of longing which had built up for so long that the result was explosive, with electricity tingling through both teens' bodies and Natsu's mind went foggy as he could focus on nothing but Rogue's lips and his mysterious red eyes.

After a long while, the need for air became apparent and the two broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Was that your first kiss?" Rogue smirked.

No, I've kissed you hundreds of times. And some more, Real Natsu answered in his head. AU on the other hand... "Yes, I'm glad that it could be with you..."

"Well, I'd better get going, see you tomorrow evening I guess."

"Goodnight." Natsu waved Rogue goodbye as he unlocked his front door. Natsu quickly slammed the door and slid down the other side. Today was exhausting. Not physically but mentally. Real Natsu longed for his magic back, he felt so very cold. For him, going without fighting for a day was really a stretch and the frustration was building ever since he was unable to do anything when he was attacked by Laxus.

AU Natsu on the other hand could not contain his excitement but he was also incredibly nervous.

The Next Evening...

"Ready?" Rogue turned to his new pink haired boyfriend who looked to be in a state of panic as he stood outside the doors of the fancy hotel the school had rented out for the prom. "It's okay Natsu just stick close to me and you'll be fine."

Natsu stopped shaking slightly as he took Rogue's hand in his own as the doorman let them inside.

Silence.

Almost every single person in the room turned their gaze upon the new couple.

Natsu heard the murmurs and giggles gradually rise in volume from the crowd. Let me out so I can kick their asses! I'm all fired up! Real Natsu did not appreciate being humiliated like this. Rogue pulled Natsu into a tight possessive hug with which there was no escape.

One person pushed her way through the front of the crowd. The girl with black braids was fuming.

"Rogue, you can't be serious?" She grit her teeth. "I didn't think you were really breaking up with me."

"Hey!" Her new date - Rustyrose realised he was just a replacement.

Minerva just batted him to the side. "Silence you."

"Minerva, what you did was inexcusable. I'm not going to stay with you and lose my best friend." He looked towards Sting, who against all odds had taken Gray as his prom date. Juvia was not pleased at all as she sat on the sides resisting all of Lyon's advances. Sting flashed a friendly smile at him.

"Unbelievable. Why of all people did you take this weak little nerd?"

Real Natsu tugged on the mental chains preventing him from going on a rampage and roasting everyone in here alive.

This statement by Minerva seemed to be the cue for everyone to start taunting Natsu. The first one to step forward was Loke. "So Lisanna runs away from you to some far away country so you start dating random guys." Lucy once again giggled in support.

Talking about Natsu's childhood friend clearly struck a nerve, and Loke loved it.

Rogue pulled him closer—if that was possible – to try and reassure that everything was okay.

"All he's good at doing is being a teacher's pet and a crybaby since his father abandoned him," sneered Rufus. Rogue clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood from where his nails dug into his palms.

One smirk was all it did to undo Rogue's resolve and the stuck up guy was knocked out. Everyone was stunned into silence at the violent outburst.

"Don't you any of you fucking dare say something like that again. Come on, let's go Natsu-kun." Rogue's usual calm composure was completely gone.

The doorman could only gawk as he watched the black haired teen drag out his crying boyfriend.

Rogue carried on leading Natsu through the moon-lit Magnolia streets until he stopped at the plaza in front of Kaldia Cathedral.

Natsu sniffed up the last of his tears as Rogue wiped them away with his thumb and gently caressed the younger boy's cheek. A smile slowly pulled its way through upon Natsu's face.

"I'm sorry, I was completely wrong. I had no idea you had it this bad..."

"How can you be so strong Rogue-senpai? You went through exactly the same thing as I did..." Natsu snuffled.

"I don't think I was abandoned really. Skiadrum always told me she loved me so who am I not to believe her? I believe the police are really trying to their best to find her so when they do I want to show her that I've remained strong."

Natsu's black eyes stared into the deadly serious red ones to find no hint of doubt. "I guess, you're right. Igneel too always told me he loved me." Natsu stood up straight. "From now on I'll be strong as well."

"That's excellent, Natsu-kun. I promise that I'll beat the living daylight out of anyone who ever makes fun of you again."

"Silly Rogue-senpai, I'm going to become strong of my own accord now." As much as Rogue wanted to stay Natsu's knight in shining armour for the rest of his days he knew that this was what Natsu needed. He was proud of him, and he hoped that someday Natsu's father would be too.

Real Natsu had actually been stunned into (mental) silence throughout the last scene. He was strangely glad for his AU persona who he somehow felt strangely responsible for the creation of. He actually wanted to see what happened next. However...

CHAPTER ENDS. TO BE CONTINUED... ACTUALLY ON PERMANENT HIATUS...

Back At Fairy Tail...

The same violet flash that brought the three mages into the strange alternate universe resurfaced. Groggily, Natsu stood up at the same time as Rogue and Mirajane, who was rubbing away a headache.

"What happened?" Rogue groaned.

"I have no idea," Natsu replied.

"Why did I only get like two lines?" Mirajane complained.

"You're finally back," Natsu and Mirajane turned to the distinctly sweet and soft voice.

"Mavis?" Natsu could never get used to the first guild master's random appearances. This time, the girl was staring at a blank lacrima screen. Mirajane used a marker pen to draw the fairy tail emblem on Rogue's hand in order that he could see the ghost.

"Why did the story have to end there?" she cried.

"I'll tell you why!"

"ZEREF!?"

"That work was surely my poorest..."

"YOU WROTE THAT!?" They exclaimed in unison.

"Yes. I didn't just write one book. But anyway... I mean there's at least two glaringly obvious mistakes: Natsu refers to Rogue with the 'senpai' honorific which means that he is older. Yet they were both going to the same prom. It makes no sense. The other mistake: how was Rogue old enough to get a job seven years ago?"

"That's what you were worried about?" Rogue sweatdropped.

"Yes, immensely so. I was thinking of pushing the story forward ten years whereby Natsu Dragneel has just transferred from his old publishing company to Fairy Tail publishing. Assigned to the shoujo manga division, he crosses paths with the person he'd least expected to meet. Ryos is the editor-in-chief of the division Natsu's been assigned to, and the two seem get off on the wrong foot right from the very start when Ryos unexpectedly kisses him. However, there is more to than what meets the eye: Ryos is actually Rogue, Natsu's senpai and high school love, whom Natsu had thought to have played him for a fool by taking his affections for granted when he confessed and summarily dumped him..."

"..."

"Zeref sweety, you'll get sued," Mirajane cooed.

...

- End of Chapter 2 -

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Bonus points if you actually got the references! Tell me in a review if you did. If not well...

Anyway, well tell me what you think of this concept. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Tell me what you honestly think, or if I should do another one like this. Also, Zeref is now going to be a recurring character in this fic.

Is it Raios or Ryos? I've been using wiki spellings for everything but since Rogue's alternate personality has yet to appear in the anime I can't write it phonetically. Does anyone know what it is in katakana? That would help.

If you could, answer any or all of these questions:

1) What am I doing right/what do you like?

2) What am I doing wrong/what needs improving? I can actually be far more descriptive and thorough if you've ever read my other stories. This comes at the cost of update times and spontaneity.

3) Should I continue this way of parodying fanfiction clichés? I have a few more ideas floating around.

4) Sting x Gray or Natsu x Rogue?

5) Do you agree that StingRay is the best shipping name in existence?

6) Should I change the summary?

7) Any suggestions?

These questions will help me with the direction of the next chapters.