The Prince and the Pauper: Stingue

Another Lie

-Sting-

How did he notice, notice so easily?

For once... Since... Since so long...

I thought my mask hid me well. Yet effortlessly did he see how my true self was veiled by a pretence that I was...

Fine.

I began to reorder my mental state and bring it back into a pitiful semblance of positivity.

I hadn't known Rogue long. Yet I felt like I knew him from somewhere. My mind seemed to be blocking out a simple piece of information that I couldn't quite grasp.

'Sting-chan'.

He kept calling me that. Annoying as it was, someone else once called me that. Other than all those annoying 'fake aunts' from my childhood- I remembered them trying to be friends with me so they could buy themselves into my family later- no, it was someone who changed me for the better. Someone who healed me, even if it was the tiniest amount.

Ryos

The name flashed through my mind instantaneously.

Who was Ryos?

****

Freed flew through the air, slicing anything in his path with his two trusty kitchen knives. Those weird noises that were failed imitations of ninjas escaped his lips. He landed on the counter, with a plate of perfectly cut sushi in his hand.

It all happened so quickly. The second I opened my apartment door, I saw Freed doing his usual routine of 'flying'.

"Yo, Freed, whatcha doing?" I said impersonating Isabella. (A/N: Hope you get the reference).

"Well hello there, Cupcake. It's good to see you again. I haven't seen you in..." He tapped his chin with his index finger as he clambered down from the counter. "A few hours." He said finally.

"So who's the sushi-" I was stopped immediately as I looked towards the kitchen door to see Laxus walking in. My hand clasped my mouth as I made unsuccessful attempts to hide my giggles. So unmanly. "Of course. How didn't I guess straight away."

The two flushed red.

"It's... It's n-not... W-what y-you... T-Think... Th-this is... F-For...."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'll leave you two love birds to enjoy your.... 'Date'" I put emphasis on the last word causing the two fools to be rendered utterly speechless.

I walked towards my room, to find my door open slightly. I always closed my door. Never left it open. So it spooked me out when the door was just swinging, slightly ajar.

I walked in to find Lucy, sitting at the edge of my bed.

So the sushi was for her, not Laxus. And here I was hoping my OTP was having moments ;-;

"Lu-Lucy?" I stuttered as I walked in. Her eyes glazed over to my direction and she beamed up at me.

"Hello Sting. Sorry for intruding. Freed let me in. He told me you'd be home soon and I really wanted to visit you. I should of told you I was coming. Sorry, again."