#shadowlightweek2021

He noticed an empty bench and hurried to sit down, closing his eyes and hoping that sitting still would make his nausea recede faster. He could hear music playing nearby, along with the sound of people playing carnival type games while vendors advertised their wares to anyone who walked past. It all sounded like a lot of fun, and he longed to join in.

The warm sea breeze caressed his skin, easing away the remnants of his motion sickness. He opened his eyes, mouth already stretched out into a wide grin of anticipation. He had a little time to kill before he was supposed to meet Rogue at The Spice Grill for dinner and he wouldn’t mind checking out some of those games before then.

He was about to get up to explore when he noticed a familiar smell coming from the bench itself. He sniffed the wood to make sure.

Natsu? What would Natsu be doing here?

There was another scent mixed in with Natsu’s that seemed vaguely familiar, but he dismissed it as unimportant. Thoughts of a rematch filled his head, and he already imagined himself winning it too, but he pushed that fantasy right back to where it had come from.

Nope, not today. You're on a date, Sting. Gotta keep your head in the right game.

Sting stood up, straightening out his clothes and pouting at the added weight of the long-sleeved shirt he’d chosen to wear for the occasion. The saleslady had assured him that not only was it extremely comfortable, it also looked great on him. And one of those had been a big fat lie because it pulled on his arms whenever he moved them, and it felt like his now covered midriff was gasping for air. He already hated it and estimated the chances of wearing it again after tonight at zero.

He did look great, though, and the admiring glances he got from the people he passed as he wandered the boardwalk reinforced that nicely. They boosted his confidence, adding a swing to his hips and a spring to his step. A few people recognized him, calling out his name and showering him with praise.

Tonight was going to go great. Sting could just feel it in his bones. Still, he felt like he was attracting a little too much attention, and decided it might be best to just head straight to the restaurant, even if he was a little early.

He reached the hotel where the restaurant was situated, delighted to discover that this was where the music he'd heard earlier was coming from. Some street musicians were playing in front of the hotel, entertaining the long line of people waiting to get inside. Well, that certainly explained why he had to make a reservation so early in advance. He'd known the place was popular, but damn, this went beyond anything he'd imagined.

Of course, having that reservation meant he could skip the massive line, but the music was really good‐ perfectly fitting the summery vibes of the beach, and cheerful as he was, he couldn’t stop himself from dancing along. Besides, when would he get another chance to enjoy live music?

That's right, at the guild, except with Orga being as good as tone deaf, there would hardly be any enjoyment...

Once the song finished, Sting wished the musicians a good evening, tossed a few hundred Jewels of change into the already generously filled guitar case, and finally made his way inside.

“Welcome to The Spice Grill,” the hostess greeted when he reached the restaurant's entrance and the podium she was occupying. “We currently have a two-hour wait. How many people are in your party?”

Two hours?! What kind of lunatic waited two hours to get seated to eat? Not him, that’s for sure.

Sting flashed her his best smile. "Hi! Actually, I have a reservation for two under the name Eucliffe."

“I’ll be happy to look that up for you!” She repeated his name softly while checking against what seemed to be a very long list in her reservation book.

The process was taking long enough for Sting to become concerned that maybe he’d made a mistake when she finally looked up with a smile. “I found it! Your reservation isn’t for another fifteen minutes. Is the other member of your party here?”

“No, he’s not here yet.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’m sure he’ll be here any minute. Unfortunately, it’s our policy to not sit parties until all members are present. Just let me know as soon as he arrives and we’ll get to you right away!”

She’d already moved to greet the couple standing behind him, so he had no choice but to get out of the way and find a spot to wait. He tried to remember what job Rogue had taken that day, wondering if it could have turned out to be more complicated than expected. Or maybe his train was just delayed. Wouldn't be the first time.

He saw a display of brochures and grabbed one, thinking it was as good a way of killing time as any, and soon became immersed in its contents.

Is that Sting Eucliffe?

He’s so dreamy!

Do you think he’d give us his autograph if we asked?

Sting heard the murmuring, but paid it no mind. He was used to it. More often than not, they were too afraid to approach him. Sabertooth mages hadn’t always had the best reputations, after all. That’s why it surprised him to feel a persistent tugging on his shirtsleeve.

He turned to see who was responsible for it and found a young boy staring up at him curiously.

“Hey Mister, is it true you’re one of those dragon slayers?”

“Yep, I’m the White Dragon Slayer,” Sting said, giving a mock bow and going back to his brochure, thinking that was all.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, kid. Knock yourself out.”

"Are dragons real? My dad said they're not, that they only exist in fairy tales."

"Oh?" Sting looked around in search of the boy's father, knowing he'd found his guy when he noticed a man nearby keeping a close eye on both him and the child. “Well, my dad said they are real, and I believe him because…” He paused here for dramatic effect, “He was a dragon.”

“Whoa! Your dad was a dragon? For real?!”

Sting was bored, and that was a dangerous thing for him to be when he was unsupervised. Rogue was the one to talk him out of his worst ideas, but he hadn’t arrived yet and so there was no one to remind him that entering dragon force in the middle of a crowded hotel lobby just to show a kid dragons were real was a terrible idea.

When he called on his magic, two things happened. An aura of blinding light surrounded him as white scales appeared on his skin, covering parts of his body and the sides of his face. That was the good part. The bad part was that the initial force of that particular spell caused the entire display of brochures to fly around him in a whirlwind of color.

Sting was quite pleased with the outcome and the people waiting for their tables collectively lost their shit. There was cheering and squeals of delight, all of which egged him on.

It was glorious, if he did say so himself. That was, of course, until all those brochures floated down onto the floor around him, on the podium, and atop the heads of some of the guests. Still, he shrugged that away because the kid was practically beaming and the dad's mouth was hanging wide open, and that alone made it worth it.

He had but one complaint.

Stupid shirt covers most of my beautiful scales…

But all dumb ideas and lack of self restraint aside, even he knew enough not to take it off in a public place, so he made up for it by kneeling down in front of the boy.

“You see these?” he said, rolling up his sleeves and showing off his arms. “That’s what dragon scales look like.”

The boy extended his hand as if to touch, but stopped himself, tilting his head in silent question.

“You can touch them, as long as it’s okay with your dad,” Sting assured him, attempting to be responsible. He was a guild master now, after all.

He practically preened at the awe on the boy’s face. Unfortunately, some people decided that him giving the boy permission to touch him meant he was okay with anyone doing so. Strangers instantly mobbed him, all intent on touching him, some more aggressively than others. He managed to stand up before they could topple him to the ground. His magic flared, but before he could cast a defensive spell, he heard the hostess shouting his name.

"MR. EUCLIFFE!"

That seemed to cause people to stand back and let him approach the podium. Had Rogue arrived? He peered around eagerly but didn’t see him, and couldn't pick up his scent either.

“Yes?”

“Please follow Tina inside.”

“I thought you couldn’t sit parties until all the members were present.”

“Yes, well-” the hostess eyed him from head to toe- “we’re going to make an exception this one time.”

“Okay,” he shrugged without much interest.

His hand moved to his pocket, wanting to reassure himself that the small box he intended to offer Rogue as a gift was still there. Satisfied that no one had grabbed it, he dispelled his dragon force and followed the server inside.

“I’m going to show you to our lounge,” Tina announced with a smile. “It’s not as noisy as our main bar, and you can still enjoy a drink while you wait for your friend.”

“Date. He’s my date actually,” Sting clarified, not wanting to give her the wrong idea.

Tina laughed, “First date?”

Sting nodded.

“Well, no wonder you were so energetic! Not to worry, this place is a great date spot. I’m sure you’ll both have a great time.”

They reached a dimly lit area, with soft music playing on the lacrimas. He supposed this was what people called ambiance, but it didn’t seem all that exciting to him. So far, this place wasn’t living up to the hype and now that he was inside, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

“Stupid Ice Princess.”

Sting perked up when he heard a voice he immediately recognized as Natsu's. And sure enough, he found him sitting at the bar, staring out the large windows and grumbling to himself.

“Oh wow, this is wild! I thought I smelled you earlier.” Sting hopped onto the bar stool next to him, disregarding that it carried the same scent as the one he'd picked up on the bench at the station.

“Hey, man! I haven’t seen you since that ball thing.” Natsu flashed him a smile, “Didn’t think we’d bump into anyone we knew here.”

Sting was curious to know who Natsu’s date was, but he’d see them soon enough. “Small world, huh? Hey, get this, you’re not gonna believe the nerve of this guy outside.”

He told Natsu what had happened, his arms flying around wildly as he recreated the events for him, only barely keeping in his laughter when he saw the outrage on Natsu's face when he mentioned the dad who thought dragons weren't real. But in the end, both of them were laughing when he mimicked the look on the hostess' face, and he'd forgotten all about his nerves for a moment.

“What’s so funny?”

Sting turned to see who that vaguely familiar voice belonged to, surprised to see the guy who trounced Rufus during the final battle of the Grand Magic Games.

Greg Boomboxer. No, wait, that's not it. Graham Roomduster? Ugh, something like that…

“Oh, hey, you’re back,” Natsu said with a smile. “Sting told me a joke.”

So he's Natsu's date, huh? Man, he looks cranky.

Sting waved weakly, still trying to figure out what the damn guy's name was. The last thing he wanted was to insult his idol's date.

“Well, it was nice of you to stop by to say hello but don’t let us keep you,” the guy said, keeping his eyes on Sting.

“Me? Nah, I’ve got time to spare. Our table isn’t ready either.” Sting leaned on the bar, hoping the wait would be over soon. Oh well, at least he had some good company now. Surely they wouldn't mind.

“I’m surprised to see you guys here.”

“Our table?” The guy looked around the lounge like he'd lost something. “I don’t see anyone else here. Did you get stood up?”

“Of course not! He’s just late,” Sting defended. There was no way Rogue would stand him up. He'd said he'd come, and he was a man of his word.

Still, Sting's nerves were making a grand comeback. He couldn't keep his legs from bouncing, or his eyes from peering into the hallway, hoping he'd see Tessa bringing Rogue in right at that moment.

No. Tina. I think her name was Tina…

“Stood up? So you’re on a date? I thought maybe Rogue would join you,” Natsu said, looking disappointed, and Sting really hoped he wouldn't suggest they fight again because… how was he supposed to resist that?

“Uhm... Rogue is my date,” he clarified quickly.

Much to his surprise and horror, Natsu started laughing.

“Good one! But seriously, is it anyone we know?”

“Why wouldn’t it be Rogue? I mean, you and uhm-” Sting looked at Natsu's date, snapping his fingers and trying his best to remember his name.

Fuck it, I have no clue.

“- Him don’t strike me as dating either, but here you are.”

“Well, but aren’t you the Twin Dragons? I thought you guys were brothers.”

Brothers?!

Even guy-whose-name-Sting-forgot looked at Natsu like he was an idiot, which, for the record, he totally was.

“That’s just our team name, stupid. Do you really think I’d date my brother?” Sting repressed a shudder at the thought.

“Do you really think Gray would ask me out on a date?”

Yes! Gray! That was it! Thank fuck!

Sting was relieved to finally re-learn Gray's name, and he repeated it in his head to make sure it would stick this time. Meanwhile, Natsu had started laughing- a chuckle that soon grew into full-blown wheezing.

“Why wouldn’t he? And I mean, look at this place.” Sting gestured around them at the lounge's fancy decor. It was one of the reasons he'd picked this restaurant in the first place, wanting to show how sincere he was about his feelings. “It doesn’t exactly scream just friends, does it?”

Natsu shrugged, still smiling as he came down from his fit of laughter. "Nope, that’s not what happened here. I just overheard Gray talking about having a reservation at an all you can eat restaurant as part of a job reward and invited myself along."

“You got a reservation as a reward? Man, I wish I’d seen that job. I had to make one 3 weeks in advance!”

Sting thought back to how disappointed he’d been when he made the reservation and learned he'd have to wait that long. It turned out to be a good thing, though, as it had bought him plenty of extra time to prepare himself, and, you know, actually find the balls to ask Rogue out.

But now he was second guessing everything. Yes, the place looked fancy, but it was also busy as shit, and judging from the smells that were wafting into the lounge, the food was pretty damn spicy. None of these were things Rogue particularly cared for.

“Do you think Rogue will like it? It's our first date, so I wanted to impress him.” Sting looked around the lounge, searching for any redeeming qualities that might keep his flaring insecurities at bay.

“Um... sure. It has an awesome view of the beach and, you know, there’s food.”

Yes, the windows were nice. They offered the most fantastic view of the ocean, but as it was steadily getting darker, they might not get to enjoy much of it.

“You’ve just described every restaurant in Akane,” Gray pointed out.

Natsu shrugged. “Where are our appetizers and drinks, anyway? Shouldn’t they be here by now?”

Crap, should he have ordered something in advance as well? Or would that have been rude? Sting's doubts were piling up rapidly. The truth was, he had zero dating experience to go on, so he'd taken inspiration from some lacrima movie he'd watched with Yukino out of pure boredom.

The glaring issue with that was that Sting wasn't trying to woo some young, hopelessly romantic woman. He was trying to win the heart of a dragon slayer.

“What about me? Do I look okay?” He got up and turned around, giving them a good view from every angle. At least he still looked nice, right?

“There’s something different about you. What is it?” Natsu muttered, tapping his chin with his finger as he studied him.

“Well, for one, he’s wearing an actual shirt.” Gray sighed. “You look fine, dude. Might have overdone it a bit on the cologne, though.”

“He’s not the only one.” Natsu scrunched up his nose. “You both smell like one of the Trimens.”

Nooo! Those are the weird guys from Blue Pegasus, right? I don't want to smell like them!

Sting grabbed a napkin from the bar and scrubbed his neck. “Fuck, I knew it was too much. Does this help any? It doesn't, does it? I should clean it off.”

He followed the concierge’s directions to the restaurant, a place called The Spice Grill that Rogue desperately hoped did not live up to its name. Spicy food was not a particular favorite. The line in front of the entrance was even longer than the one for the hotel's reception had been, but Sting had made them a reservation so thankfully, that wasn't his problem.

Now that he thought about it, it was pretty unusual for Sting to plan stuff ahead, rather than winging it at the last minute. It was nice to see him be so responsible for once. He approached the podium and asked about their reservation.

0-0

Sting studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror anxiously, relaxing when he realized he looked just fine. Just a few hairs out of place here and there, nothing that couldn’t easily be fixed. He’d gotten all worked up for no reason.

It's gonna go great! Just stick to the plan. Give him the gift, take his cape, do the thing with the chair- oh! And don't forget to shower him with compliments.

Actually, no showering. He'll hate that. Just a few should do it.

Now all he had to do was dab some of the excess cologne off so he didn’t repulse Rogue, like Gray had done to Natsu, and return to the lounge. And who knew, maybe Rogue would be there by then. That thought cheered him up immensely.

He looked around for paper towels and found a stack of white ones a few feet away. Grabbing the top one, it surprised him to find it had a soft texture, almost like cloth, unlike what he was used to seeing at the guild or even other restaurants he’d visited. He became incredibly curious as to how it would compare in taste. There was no one else in there with him, so he wouldn't even have to worry about getting weird looks...

No. You did not come to an expensive restaurant to chow down on their paper towels, no matter how fancy they look.

Sting reached out to open the tap, frowning when it didn’t turn as expected. He twisted harder, to no avail. The other sinks beckoned to him, but he refused to be defeated by something as silly as a faucet. It was probably just stuck; it happened at the guild pretty regularly. Good thing for him, he was a dragon slayer. He wouldn't have any trouble twisting it open if he pulled a bit harder.

And pull harder he did. So hard, in fact, that the faucet came loose. Sting yelped and jumped back, but the damage was already done. He gaped at his reflection in horror. His hair was flat and dripping, his shirt see through, and the faucet still sat in his hand while water continued to rain all over the place.

Oh, God, I broke the bathroom! It was an honest accident, but would they kick me out for that?

He couldn’t risk it. If Rogue found out that he’d destroyed the bathroom, not only would he spend the rest of the night scolding him, but he might never agree to go out with him again.

Sting had to get rid of the evidence, and fast. Try as he might, he couldn’t reattach the faucet so he just hid it behind the stack of paper towels, but that did nothing to hide that he still looked guilty as charged, soaked as he was.

He looked around the bathroom and saw a hand dryer hanging on the wall. Perfect! All he had to do was get under there and let the thing work its magic.

Easier said than done. The angle was so awkward, making him feel like he was doing a combination of limbo dancing and dry humping the wall. Maybe if he could twist a little and…

Whatever move he'd tried to make turned out to be a huge mistake. Some of the water from the still spraying tap had made its way to the floor, turning it slippery. Sting felt his foot slide, and he flailed his arms out, grabbing on to the hand dryer in a desperate attempt to regain his footing.

He did not regain his footing.

What he did gain was a pain in his backside, and the hand dryer, which he’d ripped off the wall.

No. Nonononono please, this can't be happening…

Well fuck, what was he supposed to do now? He scrambled back to his feet, pacing back and forth with the dryer in his hands, wondering where the fuck he was going to put it. He eyed the towel stack.

No, that doesn't fit.

But what was the point? It wasn't like no one would be able to tell that the bathroom was in shambles, even if he found a place to hide the thing, so he just went ahead and put it there anyway. He still had other things to worry about. He had to get out of there, and he couldn't go out looking like this.

There was only one thing he hadn’t tried yet.. magic. Surely he must know a spell that could fix this.

He remembered how entering dragon force earlier had sent all those brochures flying, which had to mean that there was air movement involved. And any type of drying device used moving air too, right?

Yes, this would definitely work.

He focused on his magic, first activating white drive for that little extra boost, and then following up with dragon force. The amount of energy it produced was a tad excessive for such a small space, but there was definitely a lot of air. None of it was warm though, so it did little to dry his clothes and hair.

Naturally, there were no flying brochures this time, but there was toilet paper. Rolls and rolls of the stuff coming in through the slamming stall doors and billowing in the air all around him.

He promptly dispelled his magic before his list of 'things I destroyed today' expanded, ending the toilet paper's momentum. It flurried down onto the wet floor, and something about that visual felt remarkably relatable to Sting.

Even he knew by this point that anything else he tried was only going to make things worse, and given that his next idea included asking Natsu for help, maybe it was time to cut his losses.

He sighed and took one last look in the mirror to straighten out his shirt and fluff up his hair somewhat, and then snuck out of the bathroom, silently praying for the poor soul who would find the devastation he left behind.

Maybe Rogue wouldn’t notice.

0-0

Rogue followed a server to the lounge, where Sting was waiting for him. He was glad they hadn’t left him to wait outside, well aware of his partner’s penchant for getting into trouble when bored.

He didn’t smell him yet, but that didn’t surprise him much, considering how many people were there, plus the added scents of food that was most definitely spicy. He didn't see him either, but he noticed someone else he was familiar with. Natsu Dragneel was sitting on one of the bar stools, his shoulders slumped in a way that was a far cry from the boisterous Natsu Rogue had come to know during the Grand Magic Games.

He figured he might as well check up on him. It wasn't like he had anything better to do until Sting showed up, anyway.

"Hey, Natsu," Rogue greeted as he approached the bar. "It's been a while, hasn't it? How are you doing?"

He sat down next to the other dragon slayer, on a bar stool that smelled like Sting. If he’d crashed into a perfume shop, that is. Come to think of it, there was another scent signature that was just as strong.

No wonder Natsu seems so off. The poor guy must be fighting off a headache.

Although on closer inspection… was that a cup he was hugging to his chest?

“Natsu?” Rogue leaned towards his friend and spoke softly. “Is everything alright?”

“It tasted like Igneel’s fire,” Natsu mumbled, showing Rogue the cup before cradling it once again.

“The drink did?”

Natsu nodded, “You put some of your magic into it and the drink takes on the flavor of your magic.”

Oh crap! He needed to make sure Sting didn’t order one of those. What if he already had? It sure sounded like something he'd want to try. Was that why he wasn't in the lounge? He wanted to ask Natsu, but it felt sort of callous to do so.

“I just miss him, you know?” Natsu said, still peering into his cup.

“Of course you do,” Rogue nodded in sympathy, wondering if he should offer him a hug or something. He decided it would be awkward. It wasn't like they knew each other all that well.

He was about to give him a shoulder pat when he saw someone stomping over to them from the corners of his eyes. Rogue recognized the man as Gray Fullbuster, Fairy Tail's Ice Make wizard. Gray held a cup that looked identical to the one Natsu was clinging onto, except his was filled with what looked like plain water.

“You’re in my seat,” Gray said, sounding a little agitated and looking at Rogue like he'd committed a heinous crime.

Was he always this passionate about his seats?

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.” Rogue got up and moved to Natsu's other side, deciding to remain standing so he had a better overview of the lounge.

“Here you go.” Gray offered Natsu the cup, and the dragon slayer placed the one he’d been holding onto on the counter before accepting it.

At first, he did nothing beyond staring at it with awe, but soon Rogue watched with more than just a little curiosity as Natsu cupped his hands around it and infused it with the barest flicker of magic. The liquid moved and changed color from clear to bright red, and a plume of smoke rose from the surface.

“Are you okay?” Gray asked Natsu, and Rogue couldn’t help but notice a gentleness to his behavior that he’d never noticed before.

“Yeah, I just don’t want to waste any of it.”

Rogue figured he should just leave Natsu to his drink and scanned the lounge. He'd never been to a restaurant that had a lounge in the first place, let alone one as fancy as this. The price tag on a dinner at this joint had to be higher than what he paid for rent.

Guess Sting wasn't joking when he said it was time for splurging. He felt more out of his element than ever.

“You’re looking for Sting, right? He’s in the bathroom,” Gray informed him when he caught him searching. “Come to think of it, he’s been in there a while.”

Rogue looked heavenward and sighed. “Great. I hope he's not munching on the paper towels again.”

“Seriously? That’s disgusting!” Gray pursed his lips in distaste.

“Meh, he’s eaten worse things.” Rogue shrugged and sat down, feeling more comfortable now that he knew Sting hadn't gotten himself into God knows what. But that comfort was short-lived as he noticed Gray was studying him intently.

“Is something wrong? Was this your seat too?”

“Huh? Oh, no. I’m just surprised. The way Sting was talking earlier I thought you’d be more into this,” Gray said, turning his attention back to Natsu, who seemed to have calmed down.

“This? This what? You mean the restaurant?”

“He means Sting,” Natsu said, surprising Rogue by joining the conversation.

“What about Sting?”

“If you don't like him, just tell him. He's your friend. You should be honest with him about how you feel.”

Rogue flinched so hard he almost slid off his seat. Not like Sting? What gave him that idea?

“I- What? What the hell are you talking about?”

Just what had he and Sting been talking about? Did Sting say something? Is he mad because I'm late?

“Rogue! You made it!”

Rogue, Gray, and Natsu all turned towards Sting’s voice, which could somehow be heard over all the other noise. He walked toward them in quick steps and Rogue could only stare in horror. Did the paper towels fight back?

Sting’s shirt- wait, since when does he own a real shirt?- was covered in wet spots, and his hair made Rogue wonder if the bathrooms were fancy enough to include showers. A long piece of toilet paper floated behind him, attached to one of his shoes.

None of this seemed to bother him, though. He approached them, flashing one of his beaming smiles. Rogue wrinkled his nose as the overwhelming scent of Sting’s cologne assaulted him.

“Here, for you.” Sting said, grabbing Rogue's hand and placing something in it.

Rogue blinked, tearing his gaze away from Sting to look down at the object he was holding: a small box with an elastic ribbon around it, tied neatly into a bow at the top.

A gift?

He was beginning to suspect he was missing out on something important.

“What’s this for?”

“Open it.”

Rogue slowly slid the elastic bow off and opened the box. Nestled inside it was a necklace with a crystal pendant that looked eerily similar to Sting’s earring. He jerked his head back toward Sting, eyes wide open, and his gaze landed on the earring. There was no doubt about it: They were exactly the same.

A snippet of a conversation from years earlier came to mind. He’d asked Sting why he only ever wore one earring, fully expecting to hear he’d lost the other one. Instead, Sting’s response had surprised him.

I’m saving the other one to give to someone special.

“Oh.”

“Do you like it?” Sting stared at Rogue with a hope that was frankly more than he knew what to do with.

Did he like it? Yes, of course he did. It was beautiful. But now that he understood the meaning behind the question, he wasn’t sure how to answer it. It didn’t help that he could feel Natsu and Gray watching him, awaiting his response just as much as Sting was.

“I-I uh,” Rogue stuttered, looking back and forth rapidly between Sting, Gray, Natsu, and the lounge. “Give me a minute...”

“You know, I‘m thinking Rogue didn’t know this was a date.” Natsu said in what may have passed as a whisper for him, but which was unfortunately still loud enough for the whole lounge to hear. Or at least that’s what it felt like to Rogue.

“You think?” Gray hissed back.

“Yeah, I do. I kinda feel bad now. Maybe we should have told him.”

“Is that true?” Sting’s shoulders slumped, all that hope vanishing and turning into disappointment upon hearing the less than subtle conversation between them. “But I asked you and everything.”

“Yes, I realize that now,” Rogue huffed, wanting to smack himself in the face for being this dense. An invitation to dinner for two, pre-planned and at a place like Akane Beach? How could he have been stupid enough to not attribute any importance to it?

He could keep brooding about it all he wanted, but what's done was done. He'd made a mistake, and now he had no choice but to fix it, preferably away from the well-intentioned but no less prying eyes of their Fairy Tail friends.

“Come-” he grabbed Sting’s hand and led him to a sofa that had just opened up, still wrapping his head around everything and trying to figure out what to say.

They sat down, staring at each other for a moment, before Rogue finally got the courage to speak.

"Look, Sting, I-"

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything," Sting said, looking utterly dejected. "I understand."

“No, you don't. It's not what you think.” Rogue struggled to explain things he only barely understood himself.

It’s not like he’d never thought about Sting as a potential romantic partner. Why wouldn’t he? He trusted him more than anyone else, they’d been through hell and back together. And now they were trying to build Sabertooth into a guild they were proud of, where friendship was considered a strength and people were free to be who they were without fear of judgment or reprisals. It was certainly paying off, but it was a ton of work, and he'd been using it as an excuse to not have to unpack all the feelings he'd kept hidden for so long just yet.

You should be honest with him about how you feel.

Natsu's surprisingly sage words echoed through his head and he decided to heed them. Now was as good a time as any, even if his nerves threatened to run away with him.

“It’s, uh... true that... I didn’t realize you were asking me out on a date.” Rogue cringed at how he stumbled through the words, but he soldiered on anyway because it was important. “To be honest, that still feels kind of surreal. I mean, even a month ago, that would have been unthinkable."

"So yeah, it’s not the first thing that popped into my head when you asked-" he fiddled with the box in his hand- "…But that doesn’t mean my answer would have been no.”

“It wouldn’t?” Sting’s smile was still tentative, but some of his previous hope was seeping back in.

“Maybe you should ask me again and find out,” he teased, not expecting Sting to do any such thing. But Sting got off the sofa and, oh shit, Rogue had seen that impish grin enough times to know it meant trouble. What had he gotten himself into?!

“Is that so?” Sting pulled the toilet paper off his shoe and conspicuously fixed his hair and shirt, which made absolutely no difference. “Well then, I suppose I should make sure there can be no misunderstanding this time.”

The grin never left his face as he mock-bowed and went down on one knee in front of Rogue. A young woman one sofa down gasped and aww'ed, and conversations around them fell silent in favor of watching the scene unfold.

The only sound Rogue could make out was that of Natsu’s laughter, which probably worked against him as it would only serve to egg Sting on. He was beginning to regret his life choices when Sting gestured at the box he was still holding in his hand.

Rogue shook his head, knowing exactly what that would look like.

“You want me to do this properly, don’t you?” Sting peered at him in the most ridiculous attempt at feigning innocence Rogue had ever witnessed, but he caved anyway. He didn’t understand how anyone could manage to look dashing while also being a poster boy for a disaster event, but the fucker was able to pull it off somehow.

He handed him the box, and Sting offered it back to him, “Rogue Cheney, would you do me the honor of being my dinner date this evening?”

Thankfully, the sound of someone having a loud coughing fit took some of the attention off them, because he thought that one lady was about one second away from swooning.

Rogue rolled his eyes. “Are you done?”

Although he had to admit as embarrassed as he was at being thrust in the spotlight, it was kind of nice to be able to experience this without having to worry about word getting back to Jiemma. They really were free now, and it felt good.

“Is that a yes?”

He sighed at Sting’s puppy eyes, making a mental note to build more resistance to it, for it was sure to become his downfall in the future. “Yes, just put the damn necklace on me before I change my mind.”

“Gladly!” Sting opened the clasp and secured the necklace around Rogue’s neck, his unsteady hands betraying that despite his antics, he had been a little nervous.

“It’s beautiful,” Rogue was quick to express how much he liked it, remembering how eagerly Sting had asked earlier.

Sting’s beaming smile was response enough. Rogue smiled too, remembering the thought that had flickered through his mind while they’d fought off the dragons.

As long as he’s with me, I'll be alright.

He still felt that way, and by offering him the pendant, it felt like Sting was promising to do just that. He held it in his hand, examining it closely and marveling at the warmth he already felt from wearing it. Now that he understood Sting’s intentions, Rogue couldn’t help but feel excited by the idea that they'd only grow closer from here.

The murmurs soon died off as people lost interest in them and returned to their own conversations, freeing them to walk back to the bar unnoticed. The bartender was talking to Gray, and Sting took advantage of that to order them what Rogue hoped would be appetizers. He'd take even the spicy ones at this point.

“Hey there! Can I get two of the Magic Something drinks?”

Shit, he’d forgotten to warn Sting about the drinks! He shook his head, waving at the bartender in the hopes of getting her attention, but she didn't seem to notice. Well, he’d just have to sabotage them once they arrived. He was sure to think of something.

“Yes, of course,” she assured Sting, before turning to Gray. “I believe your table should be ready any minute. Would you like anything else?”

“No, thank you. We actually won’t be needing that reservation after all.”

“Alright then, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“You’re leaving?” Rogue asked. “But you haven’t even eaten yet.”

“We passed a ton of food stalls on the way here,” Natsu said, already sounding excited by the prospect. “Besides, the food they serve here is too spicy for the Ice Princess.”

Gray glared, “Oy! That shrimp was the spiciest appetizer they had.”

Rogue rolled his eyes at the exchange, “You two sound like a married couple.”

"Well, you kinda look like one," Natsu laughed, pointing at Rogue's necklace. Or, more accurately, the pendant that matched Sting's earring.

"Oh, shut up," Rogue huffed, feeling his cheeks burn as he clutched the piece of jewelry to his chest.

“I’m glad things worked out,” Gray said politely.

The sound of people screaming in panic interrupted their conversation. Rogue could only shake his head as he watched Natsu attempting to dry off Sting’s clothing with his fire. They seriously did not have a single brain cell between them.

"Me too," he agreed, keeping a close eye on the two in case the situation escalated. "Sorry you got dragged into that."

“Yeah, it was… something.”

“He means well.” He smiled at Gray apologetically. "Oh. That reminds me, can you thank Natsu for me? He was right."

“Now there’s something you don’t hear every day.”

Rogue snorted into his hand. "Alright. Get Natsu out of here before-"

A new fit of screaming drowned out his words, followed by the loud hiss of a fire extinguisher. Rogue winced, knowing full well what would come next given Sting’s penchant for eating white things.

All Rogue and Gray could do was watch as chaos erupted all around them. Guests scattered as the bartender attempted to put out Natsu’s flames with the fire extinguisher. And just as he’d expected, Sting inhaled the massive gust of white powder while Natsu cheered him on loudly.

"... Just get him out of here."

“Good plan.”

Gray hurried over to the two dragon slayers and grabbed Natsu by the arm, pulling him back towards their seats so he could pay for their tab.

Rogue heard the bartender yell at Gray that their tab was on the house and urge them to leave, and immediately got a bad feeling. Natsu had at least looked presentable after their little stunt.

Sting, however, was another matter altogether. The guests that remained in the lounge were giving him a wide berth, and Rogue couldn’t blame them.

Although Natsu’s fire had indeed dried all of his clothing, a generous sprinkling of the chemicals from the fire extinguisher that he hadn’t consumed now covered his clothes, hair and face.

A cleaning crew had appeared to deal with the rest of the chemicals. The bartender and a man who Rogue could only assume was the restaurant manager were having a heated exchange as another employee- Rogue thought it might be the hostess- pointed at Sting. He knew it would only be a few minutes before they'd be asked to leave.

They would leave alright, but Sting had put a lot of effort into planning a special evening for them and Rogue wasn’t about to let them ruin that for him. So he grabbed Sting by the arm and pulled him away from the lounge and toward the restaurant exit.

“We need to get you cleaned up.”

“We can do that later. I ordered some of those magic drinks!” Sting protested.

Oh God, those drinks! At least we dodged a bullet there.

How Sting thought they’d still be served after that fiasco was beyond him, but Rogue tried his best to coax him away. “You’re covered in chemicals, dummy. I booked a room earlier. We can order room service while you take a shower. And then maybe we can explore the beach after?”

“That does sound good,” Sting mused, flashing Rogue an enthusiastic smile. “There is just one teensy tiny thing I need to do first, though.”

Rogue raised an eyebrow as Sting took out his money pouch and counted out a rather sizeable amount of jewels. He watched Sting walk towards a server and hand her the money.

"Here, for the uhm... bathroom…" He whispered, but Rogue heard him anyway.

The server frowned in confusion. "What's wrong with the bathroom?"

"Have a good evening, Toni!" Sting waved cheerfully and made his way back to Rogue, grabbing his hand and hurrying out of the restaurant.

“Sting, what’s wrong with the bathroom?”

Sting's silence was as unusual as it was terrifying, especially when paired with that particular grin on his face.

Rogue really hoped Gajeel didn’t like spicy food because he had the distinct impression that after tonight, dragon slayers would no longer be welcomed at The Spice Grill.

He decided it wasn’t important. Whatever had happened, Sting had already taken responsibility for it. Besides, they were on a date in one of the most fun places in Fiore. Who knew what the rest of the evening would bring?