Hello there!
I'm back for another chapter!
Life, people. And a trip walked on grippy socks xD (this is a joke.)
I hope you like it :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fairy Tail. I do, however, own the rights to this story and OC characters that might appear in the future.
Chapter XXIV: The Sabertooth Life
X—X
"Hey, everyone!"
Sting walked past the guild doors, Lector perched on his shoulder and grinned. Most heads raised to greet him, either with a cheer or with a wave. He moved to the counter, where Minerva awaited him with a saccharine smile on her face. He sat down, Lector moved to the seat next to him.
"Hey, Minerva."
"Good morning Sting."
"Jeez, which cat pissed on your pillow?"
"I am being perfectly polite."
"Exactly." he raised an eyebrow.
"... I lost a bet," she grumbled. "Your dearest is quite wicked when she wants to."
"Oh that she is." he smirked "What happened?"
"She bet she could win in a game of Pai-sho." Minerva groaned. "I had no idea she even knew how to play!"
"Yeah, her grandma taught her," he smirked. "I've seen her play against Makarov, she's wild."
"And I said if I won, she'd have to do something. And she said if she won, I'd have to be a kind, sweet, caring, and loving person for a week!"
"When did you lose?"
"...yesterday," she muttered and Sting laughed. "Please save me! Use your mate or your dragon or your Master powers and get me out of this!"
"Ah!" he chuckled. "My mate powers do nothing for me, and my Master powers only get me under her."
"Can't you control your woman?"
"Sure... when she wants me to," he smirked. "Other than that, why else would I want to? I love her, bossy and all."
"I am miserable, Sting!" She slammed the glass down on the counter.
"Nobody told you to bet against my mate." he shrugged.
"Can't you ask her to at least let me be sarcastic?"
"Can you keep it refined?"
"Yes."
"I'll see what I can do." he took a sip of his drink.
"Thank you."
"I make no promises, Ver."
"I know."
"Oh, hi, darling!"
Sting turned his head and smiled.
Ivy walked out of the library and immediately spotted him at the bar. He took a moment to take her in, rounder hips and hair up in a messy high ponytail. She wore a navy blue crossed-strap halter neck crop top, a white-waisted circle skirt, and a pair of brown over-the-knee boots with a short heel.
She skipped up to him and jumped into his waiting arms, snuggling against the crook of his neck. Sting wrapped his arms around her and pulled the young woman close. She took a deep breath and squeezed him one last time before pulling away to meet his eyes.
"Hey, Sting."
"Ivy." he smiled. "Missed me?"
"Terribly." she fake-pouted "Rogue is not as fun to mess with as you are. What is wrong with his humor anyway? Is it broken?"
"You've been in Sabertooth for a year, and only now are you realizing that?" he raised an eyebrow.
She looked away before blushing. "You've never been gone long enough for me to have to resort to him."
"What did you do?"
"I wanted to train! Not my fault Orga can't handle me." she crossed her arms. "And Rogue got mad when I charmed him! He said he wanted me to fight him like an enemy, and when I do, he gets mad at me!"
"What did you do?"
"What makes you think I did anything?!"
"Ivy."
"Okay, fine, maybe I did cross a teeny little line, but he kept bitching I was going easy on him!" she glared. "I'm not tall, I'm not physically strong like you guys are! What does a tiny person like myself do when facing off a larger opponent? She uses what she has to her advantage! That's basic animal behavior, Sting!"
"What did you do?"
"...I may have made him believe one of his attacks hit a suddenly appearing Yukino?" she tried.
"Ivy!"
"It wasn't like I made him have a vision!" she immediately defended herself. "It was just an echo manipulation to sound like Yuki-chan screaming! Not my fault that he fell for it!"
Sting raised an eyebrow. "Yuki-chan wasn't mad. She actually thanked me, for some reason? I don't know, I just know she looked like a cat that just ate the canary afterward."
–X–
She wiggled her eyebrows when she opened the door to his room. He relaxed his ankles as he stretched his arms. She closed the door behind herself and leaned against him, taking him in as he raised himself up towards the metal bar once more. Sting did a few more pull-ups before smirking at her blown pupils.
His pale skin, glistening with sweat, stretched over the bare taunt muscles. His biceps flexed with each pull-up, and he crossed his ankles behind his knees. His blond hair fell to his forehead in a damp mess, and the golden hairs led to the hem of his pants, hanging low on his hips.
"Enjoying the view?"
"Thoroughly." She bit her lip. "Need more weight?"
"Not unless you want to be as sore as me tomorrow." He raised himself again.
"I'd be willing to take a chance."
"You'd be willing to ride it?"
"Do you want me to?" she pushed herself off the door and walked to him.
"I wanna put that smart mouth to good use first." He let himself land and rolled his shoulders. "What do you think?"
"I think I want you sweaty by my hand." She smirked. "You stink. Shower."
He chuckled. "Your nose is getting sharper, little phoenix."
"My tongue is also getting sharper. Wanna try it?"
"If I ever say no to that question..." he stepped into her personal space and grabbed her chin. "You have my permission to kill me."
She giggled. "Dully noted. Shower, now."
"Join me." he tugged her to him.
"...okay."
After a steamy shower, pun intended, the two lounged on Sting's bed. Ivy had borrowed one of his shirts and Sting was down to his boxers, combing Ivy's damp hair with his fingers. She rested over his chest, one leg swung over his hips. Lector had come in the room after they had finished the... shower fun, and napped at the foot of the bed.
"Can you go easy on Ver?"
"It was a bet, honey."
"I know, and I realize a bet is something sacred."
"It is."
"But it's Ver we're talking here. Let her be sarcastic at least?"
"Can she keep it refined?"
"Yes."
"Then fine."
"Thank you. What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Getting ready for a mission." she smiled.
"Aw, I thought we could spend the day together!"
"Orga is coming back from that S-class mission tomorrow, and I've seen the pile of paperwork at your desk." she propped herself up on her elbow. "You can't spend the day with me tomorrow."
He grumbled. "Which mission are you taking?"
"The Bosco one."
"Ivy, that's a-!"
"Yeah, I know, a dangerous mission." she rolled her eyes. "Heard it from Yukino already."
"You're not going."
She giggled. "Oh, that's cute."
"It's not cute, I'm serious."
"You're adorable."
"Why am I adorable?"
"Because you actually believe you can stop me." she pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "So cute."
"Ivy..." he growled.
"If you can give me one plausible reason as to why I should not go other than your possessiveness, your worry for the danger of the mission, you wanting to be with me or you wanting to go with me and you can't, I won't go." she licked her lips. "I'm waiting."
Sting looked into her shiny periwinkle eyes, trying to find a way to solve the situation without making her angry at him. The truth was, she ticked all the boxes with all the arguments he could use. She knew him well. The dragon in him purred at that but also frustrated him that he could not find a way to trick her into staying.
"...because you love me and I'm asking nicely?"
"I love you too, and you didn't ask, you demanded," she smirked. "Try again."
"...please?"
"Nope." she giggled. "Is that all you've got?"
"I don't want you to go, Ivy. I have a bad feeling about it." he raised his hand to cradle the back of her head. "Please skip this one."
"People need help, Sting." she bit her lip. "I have to go."
"Take Lector with you."
"Sting..."
"If you really have to go, and you won't let me go with you, take Lector." he gulped. "Please."
Ivy sighed. "Lector?"
"Hai, Ivy?"
"Do you want to come with me on my mission?"
"I would love to accompany you." he peered at Sting. "I know that at least will make that stick pull out a bit."
She giggled and Lector grinned. "Hey, I'm not that stuck-up!"
Both the Exceed and the sound mage looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
"I hate the both of you."
A/N: Hope you like it!
I'll get to shit soon, I pinky promise.
Let me know your thoughts on this new story!
Lots of love from this weirdo,
LoneeWolf :)
