A year has passed since the Grand Magic Games and the relationship with Sting has grown. Things were rough for a while as you two figured out how to handle the long distance and Sting's new Guild Master duties, but now its as stable as ever. 

Sting made his way into the Fairy Tail guild hall, as confident as ever, much unlike the time he visited for your first real date.

Flashback

"You can do this Sting. Just walk right in." Sting says to himself, staring at the large front doors of the Fairy Tail guild hall. "Everyone does it, right? Just walk right in and the rest will come naturally."

"You should listen to yourself." Erza says, walking up besides him and sending a reassuring smile. "Follow me. We can enter together."

"This is embarrassing." Sting grumbles. "Thanks Erza."

The two head in and are greeted by the usual commotion. Lively people everywhere are drinking, eating, and of course, fighting. 

"ERZA!" Lucy yelled out, rushing towards the front door. "I can't take their bickering anymore!"

"Oh come on, Lucy! The stripper started it!" Natsu responds, walking up now. "STING! What are you doing here?"

"I- uh-" he looks visibly nervous as he tries responding. Before he can manage to gain enough confidence to answer, he's interrupted.

"What are you doing here?" a deep voice bellows from the staircase. "Don't tell me you're stupid enough to come for my sister." 

"Leave him alone Laxus. He promised her a date." Mira intervenes, walking out with her always present welcoming smile. 

"I don't care, Mira." Laxus growled back at her instantly.

"Well your sister does. She's excited. Don't be a jerk for once."

That was all he needed to hear to get his usual confidence flowing throughout him again. "Yeah, don't be a jerk, jerk." Sting replied with a smirk.

Just then, you run into the room, realizing who was at the center of all the ruckus. "Sting!" you yell, rushing over to embrace him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I managed to successfully sneak out of the guild for once, so I think it's time I cash in on that date you promised me."

"Are you sure you want to go on a date with that loser?" Laxus asked quite serious from the look on his face.

"Yes Laxus." you muttered, annoyed by his persistently bad attitude towards Sting.

"What about his quiet friend instead?" He ask, looking just as serious.

"Laxus!" everyone in the guild hall yells in sync.

End Flashback

Sting begins catching up with Natsu and Gray while Erza went to tell you Sting had arrived. Laxus notices the visitor and makes his way down to him, pulling him away from the group. Pushing him into a corner, he begins scolding your boyfriend. "I know what this month is. Don't get cocky and try something sneaky." he says holding onto Sting's collar.

Sting waits to reply until he's released from Laxus' grasp. He laughs under his breath and replies, "I never planned on being sneaky. I'm going to mark your sister."

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" Laxus yells back stepping forward towards Sting.

"You're lucky that's all I plan on doing." Sting smirked. "Is she effected? I've never seen a female dragon slayer during mating season. Who knows? Maybe it's me you should be protecting."

"In your dreams." Laxus growled while sparking up, only to be interrupted by your yelling.

"LAXUS DREYAR! DON'T YOU DARE FRY MY BOYFRIEND RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME!" you yell from the stairs, hurrying your way over to the 2 boys. Sting begins chuckling to himself so you start on him, "AND YOU STING EUCLIFFE, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING TO PROVOKE MY BROTHER, STOP IT THIS INSTANT!" you say as you finally reach him and grab his collar. "I'm not in the mood to babysit you two today. We have plans and if you get fried to a crisp before I get my date day, I will put you in the infirmary myself." you growl releasing him. Now it's Laxus' turn to smirk.

"Yeah, I definitely don't need to worry about her. You're getting nowhere." Laxus chuckles under his breath as he walks away, heading back up to his table on the S Class floor.

Heading out for your long awaited day with Sting, you two walk into town. Being such a nice spring day, the town is alive with people and things to do. Sting first takes you to brunch in a little restaurant located in the center of town. After that he takes you shopping, remembering that you said in a letter recently you needed to get a few more outfits appropriate for going out on jobs. Once you've picked out three sets, you two decide to get some ice cream and relax for a little bit near the lake.

"Sting, why are you looking at me like that?" You blush, looking away.

"Do you know what's happening right now? Like with the dragon slayers?" he asked, staring at you intrigued.

"I don't think so?" You answer back sounding more like a question. "Something to be concerned about?"

"Not necessarily. It's dragon mating seas-" he begins but you cut him off.

"I am not mating, Sting." You bluntly state.

"I DIDNT ASK YOU TO!" He yells with a blood red face. "I wasn't getting at that. Now who's the cocky one?"

"Ok, ok. So what about it then?" You ask eating some more of your ice cream.

"The dragon senses in us.. they like to have one mate forever." he says looking off into the forest now.

"Reasonable request of them, don't you think?" you say with slight attitude, not seeing why that wouldn't be a natural idea.

"I do." Sting begins, now losing a little bit of his naturally radiating confidence, "I may not be asking you to you know, mate or whatever, but I do want to ask you to be my mate.." he trailed off, making eye contact with everything but you.

Your eyes widen in shock at this confession. Eating some more of your ice cream you ponder on what that could mean. A future with Sting? Well you clearly considered that an option when you became his girlfriend. It actually sounds perfect, almost like a dream."So what does that mean? Like a promise?" You ask, slightly confused on why he would need to ask such an obvious thing.

"Sort of, but a little deeper. Anddd.. a little more physical." He was finally looking back at you while speaking.

"You'll need to elaborate here for me Sting. I'm not quite sure what you're asking me to do." You say, a slight blush on your face. You were beginning to feel really dumb when it came to all of this, and that's not a feeling you're used to. You felt vulnerable for once.

"Dragons, dragon slayers, can mark their mates. It symbolizes that they intend to be each other's mate. It tells other dragon slayers, animals, everything with those natural senses, that you're already taken. Normal people can see it too, and if they're knowledgeable on this stuff then they understand it too. If I'm told correctly you would gain a few small scales tainted with my magic."

"So you want to mark me..?" you ask lowly, as if you were asking yourself. "Would I have to do this to you as well?"

"I'm not really sure to be honest." he said furrowing his brows. "You're the first female dragon slayer I have really met. I mean, there's Wendy but I don't know her all that well. Plus I don't think she knows about this kind of stuff."

"Should I ask my Gramps?"

"WHA- UHH, I DONT KNOW?!" Sting says clearly a little frantic. "Wouldn't that be weird to ask your grandpa stuff like this?"

"I mean, a little, yeah. We need to know though. I only have him and Laxus though, and I'm not asking him!" you say getting a little frantic yourself at that thought. "WAIT! I could see if Levy knows. She's really smart. She probably has read a book or could find one on it."

"That's not a bad idea. Not as awkward as asking your Grandpa." Sting says. "Either way though, I would like to mark you, if you're OK with it?"

"I don't see an issue with that. It's not going to harm me at all right? Does it hurt?" you ask, done with your ice cream and now leaning forward on the bench with your hands tucked under your thighs, looking down.

"It won't harm you. I've heard it can hurt a little at the moment though. It breaks the skin slightly. I haven't marked anyone, or seen someone marked though, so I'm not sure how bad it can get, if i'm being honest here." he said, looking at you with a soft smile.

"Do it, Sting." you say, blushing slightly, looking him dead in the eye with a smirk.