𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙁𝙏 // 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙭 𝙤𝙘

ＴＷＥＮＴＹ－ＴＷＯ．

Sting and Fuyumi pulled apart at the sudden shout, heads both snapping towards the source of the noise.

Rue was there, eyes wide.

"Rue! I-I can explain," Fuyumi said quickly.
"What the heck?!" she shrieked. Fuyumi rushed forwards and snatched her from the air, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Shush!" the Dragon Slayer exclaimed. Rue nodded and she slowly removed her hand.
"Hey Rue," Sting said, albeit a bit awkwardly. The Exceed's brow furrowed as she looked from Sting to Fuyumi.

"But... I thought..." she stammered out, "what?!"
"It's... it's a long story," Fuyumi shrugged helplessly.

"You two... you don't like him! Or, I thought..." Rue stuttered, "and you... but..."
"I-I think it's time we just—" Sting raised his hands, but paused when both Fuyumi and Rue shot him a glare.

"Ladies, ladies," he tried again, slowly stepping forwards, "maybe, we... just need to go with the flow?"
"You would say that, after that total beatdown! Ohh!" Rue said.
"Rue!" Fuyumi hissed, "be nice, please."
"I thought we didn't like Sting! I thought we- we hated him!" the red-furred Exceed replied.

"No, Rue, we... not anymore," Fuyumi sighed.
"This is all so confusing," Rue said.
"I know..." Fuyumi agreed.

Sting cleared his throat, "I, uh. Should head back to the inn, make sure Rogue and Lector are alright."
"Oh, yes. Of course," Fuyumi nodded.
"I'll see you around, I guess," the blond said. The Ice Dragon Slayer nodded again, and then he left.

"Rue, I promise, I'll explain everything later," she said.
"If you say so..."

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Fuyumi celebrated at the inn for a while with the rest of her guildmates, though it didn't feel like a complete win — not to her, at least. She had gone over everything with Rue and, even though she had been a bit angry and skeptical considering she wasn't told sooner, she understood and was even slightly excited to have Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch back in her life.

Whilst everybody else drank and sang, Fuyumi couldn't help but halfheartedly sip on a beer while thinking about the immense punishment Sting and Rogue would face that night. A loss this big was incredible, considering it had places Fairy Tail one point above Sabertooth, making them first place.

She remembered all the days she would meet Sting in their youth, and the blond would show up blackened and bruised and simply... shrug it off. And she had tried to tell him that he didn't have to see her if it was at the expense of his own body. But he didn't seem to mind.

And she thought back to all those times, and all of the delicious cakes and pastries he'd buy for her, and when they would play and nap and train and he would steal bouquets of flowers for her upon occasion — she remembered it all and realised how stupid she had been back then. How blind she had been, to not realise that he had returned her affections all that time.

The amount of times she would stand in front of her mirror and practice confessing to him in a way that couldn't possibly ruin the bond they already had, not knowing he had felt the exact same from the moment he saw her, and how he had sent Rogue to watch her — just watch her — weeks, maybe months before they officially met. In that sense, Sting truly was a mastermind. He was much smarter than he ever let on.

And now, she realised he was on her mind all the time. Not just sometimes. He was always there, whether it be looking forward to seeing him after a long day of battles, or worrying for him during an event.