Stingue Week 2019
Prompts: Heroic, Betrayal, Guilt, Reminisce, Union, Gratitude

Chapter 21:

Natsu was running on empty, but he kept himself aloft, determined to make it home. He'd used most of his magic to heal as many of Gray's injuries as he could.

That's not the only thing you used it for...

Natsu ignored the thought, not wanting to dwell on his actions. He wasn't proud of the choice he'd made, but after what had happened, it had been the right thing to do. He firmly believed that. No matter how much it hurt him to have Gray forget, or what it would mean to the rest of their lives.

Casting the memory spell on top of using so many high-level healing spells had left him with barely any strength. Every thrust of his wings felt like his last, but Natsu was nothing if not stubborn. He continued flying on willpower alone, the world around him blurring until he blinked to clear it. The blood continued to gush out of his body in worrying amounts, but he had a promise to keep, and he was honor-bound to do so.

I need to get home.

"Natsu?" He heard a familiar voice and startled, not sure whether it was real or a figment of his imagination. He had sensed no other dragons nearby.

Too bad they didn't show up earlier.

He shook that thought away too, knowing in his heart it wouldn't have made much of a difference. It would have only made matters worse, and Talos would have been destroyed.

No. He was in this situation because of his own selfishness. For having put his love for Gray ahead of what was expected of him.

He'd joined the war to protect his father, but he could never have imagined that it would cause him to be perceived as the next King of the dragons. It wasn't something he'd ever asked for or even wanted. He'd always had a vague understanding that someday, far in the future, he would replace his father as the leader of the red dragons, and he'd sort of accepted that. But this was different.

Belserion had explained it to him before they had dispersed. The dragons expected him to go after Acnologia and destroy him so he could lead them to their new home, Drak Aast. A place where they could live out the rest of their days in peace and harmony, increasing their numbers until, eventually, the humans that had been at the core of their conflict would forget they'd ever existed.

It was a good plan, but unfortunately, there was no room for Gray in it, and Natsu had no intention of giving up his mate without a fight. During his time in the war, all he'd thought about, all that had kept him fighting, was his promise to Gray that he would return, and they would spend the rest of their days together.

Natsu had given his all to every task. He'd injured Acnologia and killed Deliora. As far as he was concerned, he'd done enough.

So after waiting for three months for Atlas to perfect an illusion spell that concealed his scales, Natsu had begged his uncle to cast the spell on him. It lived on his right shoulder disguised as a tattoo, draining a small but constant amount of his magic to maintain the illusion.

Natsu had made his choice. He would live his life as a human with Gray for as long as they could manage it. Igneel and Atlas had both given him their blessing with the understanding that he would return to fulfill his duty once that part of his life was over.

As soon as he'd smelled Gray getting close to Talos, he'd grabbed his bag and readied to meet him, still not entirely sure what to tell him. He'd latched on to his mate and never looked back.

For the first time in his life, he'd put his wants first, and he refused to regret it, despite what had just happened. For six months, he'd been blissfully happy, living the life he'd dreamed of for so long.

But he should have realized he'd been living on borrowed time. That there was no way that Acnologia would just disappear and leave him alone. Natsu had no one to blame but himself for bringing terror to the man he loved and the village they had both sworn to protect.

"Natsu?!" The voice sounded closer now, its tone more urgent, and when Natsu turned his head to the side, he could see Atlas flying next to him. That minor effort was enough to make him lose his concentration, and he felt himself fall.

0-0

When Natsu came to, he immediately recognized the familiar smell of his room and of Happy, who was whimpering in a corner. He could hear the loud voices of his father and uncle arguing in the main room.

"What the hell happened?" his father yelled.

"I already told you, I don't know. He was on his last wings when I found him."

"Did you get a look at those wounds?" Igneel roared.

"He's going to be fine. We both know he's survived worse."

"I don't understand any of this. Why would Natsu have transformed in the first place?"

"That's an interesting question. It probably has something to do with why the village is on fire."

"You went to the village?" Natsu could hear the irritation in his father's voice. "I've told you to stay away from there."

"I didn't go to the village. The fire was enormous. I could see it in the distance."

Natsu grew tired of listening to them. He attempted to push himself up, but he was too weak. That wasn't good. That meant that they wanted him to be awake when Atlas healed him.

Fuck, that was going to hurt.

Could this day possibly get any worse?

It had gone from being the happiest day of his life to his worst nightmare in one scant hour. He honestly didn't even care about his injuries, they were the least of his worries. His heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces, and that hurt more than any purely physical pain could.

Natsu heard his father approaching and couldn't keep a whimper from escaping his throat.

"Natsu, are you awake?" Igneel's usually gruff voice was gentle.

Natsu grunted as Igneel entered his bedroom. Happy flew up to his perch, wanting to give them some privacy but not wanting to leave Natsu's side.

Igneel moved slowly, still recovering from the injuries he'd received during the war. He made his way directly over to his son and fussed over him, nuzzling his face tenderly with his snout and whining at the extent of his injuries.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Igneel asked, his voice the softest Natsu had ever heard it.

"Acnologia," Natsu spat out the name and felt the temperature in the room quickly rise to almost uncomfortable levels. Even for him.

"Acnologia did this?"

Natsu nodded, trying not to move the rest of his body.

"Start from the beginning."

"We'd almost reached Talos when he flew past us... I- I had to change." Natsu couldn't mask the grief he felt, and he could see from the pity reflected in his father's eyes that he knew precisely what choice he'd been forced to make.

"Atlas was right. Once I transformed, I felt something snap inside me. I can't turn back," Natsu moved his head down to his claws and lay there feeling miserable.

"Did you kill him?" Igneel asked, and Natsu could hear the hope in his voice.

"No," Natsu closed his eyes in shame, "We fought and I injured him, but he went after Gray, I-I had to save him."

Igneel closed his eyes, trying to control his rage at the renegade's actions. He had a good idea Acnologia had singled out Gray because Natsu's scent was all over him.

"You did the best you could. Your mate was in danger, and you protected him. None of us would have done any different."

"How did Gray react?" Igneel waited for an answer, but when Natsu only shook his head in response, he wrapped his wings around his son protectively.

"Had he already accepted your token?" Igneel asked, hoping that Natsu hadn't gone through with the mating yet, but knowing in his heart he had.

"Yeah," Natsu tried to keep the sorrow he felt out of his voice, but he kept seeing Gray's face, and it still hurt.

"I'm so sorry."

Natsu avoided his father's gaze as he answered defensively, "It's fine, I should have known it would never work out."

"You don't know that," Igneel protested but backed off, realizing this was not the time for pep talks. He understood the pain Natsu was experiencing, and he knew there was nothing he could say that would ease it. So instead, he tried to get him thinking about the future, "What are you going to do?"

Natsu shrugged. There was nothing he could do. Gray would never accept being mated to a dragon. What kind of life would that be for him, anyway? Igneel was right, he shouldn't have gone ahead with this. His transformation to his dragon self had probably been inevitable. He was a fool to think it could have worked out.

"Maybe he'll change his mind..."

"I'm a dragon, he's a human. It's over. He deserves better than a half-life. I... I set him free."

"What does that mean?" Igneel waited as patiently as he could for Natsu to explain himself, but when the minutes extended and he remained silent, Igneel pressed. "Natsu, what did you do?"

Igneel narrowed his eyes to slits and roared. "Tell me you didn't do something stupid."

"It doesn't matter what I did, he'll have a chance to be happy."

"Of all the stupid... Do you really think he'll find happiness without you?" Igneel boomed his displeasure at him, then suddenly became quiet. After a few minutes, he asked calmly, "What about you?"

"What about me? This is what I am now. It's what I'll always be." Natsu wrapped his wings around himself.

"This is a reunion! Why is everyone so gloomy in here?" Igneel and Natsu both flinched as the overly loud voice of Atlas filled the room, but Happy jumped down from his perch, his tail almost wagging at Atlas' entrance.

"Can't leave you alone for a minute," Atlas walked over to where Natsu was lying, rolling his eyes at the state he was in. "Let's look at you, kid. You bled all over me. Again."

Atlas' claws glowed as he worked on healing Natsu's injuries. Natsu's screams echoed in the cave as he felt his body speed through the healing process. Atlas, the sadistic bastard, grinned at his discomfort and as much as Natsu hated to admit it, feeling his uncle working away at his injuries as he'd done since Natsu was a child soothed him just as much as Igneel's wing hugs.

"Why the fuck couldn't you do that while I was unconscious?" Natsu complained.

"If you don't like the way I do things, then why didn't you do it yourself?" Atlas groused. He growled when he saw Natsu's discomfort at the question. "You used up all your healing magic on him, didn't you?"

Natsu looked away and grumbled something under his breath.

"That's what I thought."

"Leave him be Atlas, he did what the bond demanded of him." Igneel interrupted, "The instinct to protect is not something you can ignore, certainly not to help yourself."

Atlas opened his mouth to say something, but in a display of self-control no one thought him capable of, he thought better of it. Instead, he looked to his brother, and although neither one said a word, Igneel nodded his approval.

"Tell you what kid, you need a distraction, and I'm going to need some help. Now that we know Acnologia's back, we're going to need to move the more vulnerable dragon groups to Drak Aast as soon as possible. Why don't you come with me?"

Natsu thought over his uncle's words. Getting away for a while was the smartest thing he could do. Even though the mere thought of it caused him tremendous anxiety. If Acnologia returned...

No, he'd wounded him, Acnologia would probably lie low for the time being. Talos should be safe for a few months. He knew he was right, but his instincts still balked at the idea of putting that much distance between himself and Gray. It was even more reason for him to go.

"When do we leave?"

0-0

Rogue lay on a blanket on the floor of the cave that had been their home for the last month or so, eyes wide open in the dark. This was but the latest in a series of caves they'd inhabited as they slowly made their way towards the island Natsu and Belserion had discovered.

Weisslogia couldn't fly for very long periods, and whenever they moved from one place to another, he had to push himself so hard it took him months to recover and build up enough stamina to attempt the next move.

Rogue's breathing came in shallow pants as he tried to distance himself from the vivid dream he'd just woken up from. It didn't help that both his legs had throbbed in agony. A flashback to the acid that had burned through parts of his body during his last battle. The phantom pain to his legs pulsated stronger than it had in several months.

He did everything he could to keep himself quiet, but the discomfort was more than he could bear. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and upon noticing Sting sleeping restlessly nearby, he made a decision. Rogue shifted into his shadow form and swiftly moved towards the cave entrance.

He traveled up the mountain until he reached a flat area wide enough to not be dangerous. Releasing his magic, he sat on the edge, watching the stars in peaceful solitude. It had been a long time since he'd had some time alone, and he soon relaxed as the dream lost its hold on him, and the pain ebbed from his consciousness.

Everything had changed so much in the last nine months. One decision made in the heat of battle had reshaped his life forever, and although he wished things had gone differently, he couldn't find it in his heart to regret it. It had been the right thing to do.

Deliora was dead, the war was officially over. Everything else was secondary. Rogue used his arms to push himself back from the edge, wincing as a sharp rock scratched at his legs, which now ended slightly below his knees.

He heard movement below him and sighed, already knowing who it was. Looking up to the sky once more, he enjoyed the peace while he still could.

Some minutes later, he saw Sting's hands appear on the ledge and waited for the lecture that was sure to follow.

"What are you doing out here?" Sting demanded, "I looked everywhere for you." Although his face was full of concern, Rogue could feel Sting's fear flooding the bond, and it irritated him.

"Where did you think I was going to go?" Rogue heard the bitterness in his voice and backed down quickly. The last thing he wanted was yet another argument.

"Everything's fine Sting, I just needed some fresh air."

"You had another one of those dreams, didn't you?"

Rogue shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to give it any importance. "It's a beautiful night."

"Don't change the subject, you can't just take off like that!" Sting chastised, "What if you get into a situation, and I'm not around to help?"

The again was implied, but Rogue heard it just as loudly as if it had been yelled, and he could feel the rage building inside him.

"I may need help to do some things, but I'm not an invalid," he growled, "I got myself up this mountain on my own, and I still have my magic. I can take care of myself just fine. The only one who seems to think I'm helpless is you."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" Rogue snapped, "You hover over me constantly, do everything for me before I've even tried on my own."

"And you're too stubborn to ask for help!" Sting accused, running his fingers through his hair in frustration, "Even when it's obvious you need it."

Rogue's eyes flashed, but Sting sat down next to him before he could retort.

"You're not the only one who has nightmares, you know," Sting sounded resigned, and Rogue's anger deflated instantly. It made him realize that Sting was still frightened he might lose him at any moment.

"Sting—"

"You almost died, Rogue. Did you ever think of what that did to me?" Sting's eyes had grown so large Rogue felt like he could swim in their depths.

And he felt bad because the truth was he'd given no thought to anything but the fact that Deliora was in front of them, and if they got him, they could go home. And Rogue had wanted to go home desperately.

He missed their friends, their nice warm bed, and his favorite bakery, but mostly, he missed the way things had been between them before they had gotten caught up in the fights of others. And now they were involved in one that was all their own.

"He promised me, Rogue."

And there it was. The reason for their never-ending fight. Sting blamed Natsu for what had happened to him, and that pissed Rogue off. Not only was it unfair, but it completely undermined his role in what had happened.

"When are you going to accept that I was the one who decided to fight that dragon on my own? Natsu was against it from the start. I was the one who convinced him to go after Deliora. I was the one that thought I could handle it. And it was the right decision, regardless of the consequences. Deliora is dead."

"I trusted him. He promised me he wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"And if he hadn't healed me when he did or gotten me to help, that acid would have killed me. Natsu saved me, Sting, and you sent Acnologia after him, knowing full well he intends to kill him. Last time they fought, Natsu barely survived."

"What was I supposed to have done when he showed up here?" Sting yelled, but once again, the bond gave him away. Rogue could feel his guilt, and that at least made him feel a little better. "None of us was a match for him. It was the only thing I could do to keep us alive."

"We should have fought him or died trying." Rogue remarked matter-of-factly, "It's what Natsu would have done for us. It was our turn to be heroic, but we cowered instead."

Rogue wondered if Sting had yet realized the enormity of what he'd done by giving Acnologia Natsu's location. He hadn't just led Acnologia to Atlas, Igneel, and Natsu, he'd also sent him after Erza, Gray, Lyon, Anna and everyone else who lived in Talos. Sting had pointed that abomination straight to the one place they had spent most of their lives protecting.

"I had to protect you, I couldn't fail again," tears were hiding in the corner of Sting's eyes, and it was then that Rogue felt the honesty in Sting's words.

All this time, he'd thought that Sting had been punishing Natsu, but that had never been it. Yes, Sting was angry at Natsu, and he blamed him for Rogue's injuries, but in the end, it had come down to the fact that his mate had been in danger. He'd had no choice but to protect him, even at the cost of betraying his best friend.

"Do you think he's already gotten there?" Rogue worried, wishing they had been able to warn their friends of what was coming.

"Probably," Sting's voice broke, and Rogue let go of the resentment he'd been harboring. There was nothing to be done, and even if he hadn't been the one to give Acnologia the information, he hadn't stopped Sting either. They were both complicit.

They sat in uneasy silence, and Rogue couldn't help but remember all the times they'd sat like this when they were younger. Climbing out of their beds in the orphanage and sneaking outside, just so they could gaze at the stars, and talk excitedly about the places they would go and the people they would meet when they were older.

Not having any idea that a little boy would soon enter their lives and change everything they knew. That they would come to love that little boy almost as much as they loved each other, or that he would come to give them a home.

A home they could no longer return to. Even if by some miracle Talos remained unscathed from Acnologia's attack, once word got out of what they'd done, they would no longer be welcome there.

Rogue put his arm around his mate, pulling him close, letting Sting shed his tears on his shoulder. He knew there was more to what Sting was feeling than what he'd said, but there was no point in pushing now. He could only hope that the red dragons could put an end to Acnologia before he could destroy Talos, and that Natsu somehow lived through it once again. If only so they could try to earn his forgiveness.

0-0

In the following days, things between them improved slowly. Sting hovered less, Rogue asked for help more. They met each other halfway, and although they were still far from where they had once been, it helped ease Rogue's worries. He'd even caught himself smiling at Sting a few times, though he couldn't recall having seen Sting smile since Acnologia had come into their cave.

Weiss was feeling stronger. And with any luck, they'd be able to make it to Drak Aast soon. They sat in a circle, planning the next leg of their journey, when Skia tensed up. Sting and Rogue regarded him in confusion until Weiss explained.

"Atlas and Natsu are near, and they're moving slower than usual," Weiss looked over at Sting to see how his son was reacting to the news, but Rogue didn't have to. He could feel it.

The surge of emotions that Sting was feeling was overwhelming, and for a moment, they became his. Rogue grabbed Sting's hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing firmly.

Sting turned to him, looking paler than Rogue had ever seen him. For the first time since they'd met, Sting looked like he wanted to run from something, and it was very disconcerting. Rogue squeezed Sting's hand again and offered him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

They waited silently as Skiadrum went out to meet the red dragons. The minutes dragged on until they heard the sounds they'd been dreading. Three pairs of large wings getting ever closer. Skiadrum entered first, followed by Atlas Flame and then Natsu.

Atlas looked agitated, although it was clear from Skiadrum's countenance that he hadn't told them anything. Rogue studied Natsu curiously. He hadn't really seen him much since he'd tried to heal him after the dragon attack.

The best word he could think of to describe the dragon was downcast. He vaguely wondered why Natsu would choose to be in his dragon form when he no longer needed to, but Sting's reaction distracted him.

Where before Sting had looked nervous, now he was holding back tears, and all Rogue could feel from him was great sorrow. He looked between Sting and Natsu, trying to figure out what was going on.

Weiss broke the uncomfortable silence, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"It's probably nothing for you to worry about, but Acnologia popped up in Talos a few days ago. Now that we know he's active again, we want to move you to Drak Aast. It's not safe for you here on your own anymore."

Atlas was his usual boisterous self, but for once, it sounded forced, and they all knew him well enough not to be fooled.

Skia and Weiss exchanged a nervous glance. Atlas was putting on a performance, but it wasn't for their benefit. Rogue couldn't help but notice that Natsu hadn't looked at any of them since he'd entered, nor had he spoken a word. In fact, his entire demeanor was very unlike him, and Rogue got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

What had happened?

Before he could say anything, Sting blurted out, "I'm sorry."

Natsu turned toward him, looking puzzled by Sting's outburst, "The thing with Rogue? You had every right to be upset. I broke my promise."

Atlas looked confused as well, but he headed over to Rogue, "How are you feeling? Skia mentioned you'd been getting some pains. Want me to take a look?"

Rogue didn't really respond, too caught up in what was happening between Sting and Natsu, and Atlas took that as an affirmative. He felt a soothing warmth envelop his legs, starting at his stumps and moving upward, and he grunted in appreciation.

"No," Rogue could almost hear Sting swallowing, trying to build up the courage to say the next words, "Acnologia was already here."

Rogue saw Natsu's eyes widen in concern at Sting's words, his eyes darting to check on each of them, and it was almost too much for him to bear. His guilt had somehow gained physical form, manifesting into a large lump in his throat.

"I don't understand. If Acnologia was here, how are you all fine?" Natsu looked them over again, checking to see if he'd missed something the first time.

"I told him what he wanted to know," Sting explained, still not able to voice the words he knew he needed to say, and Rogue immediately understood why.

Once those words came out, his friendship with Natsu, something that had always been very important to him, would be over.

Natsu mouthed the word "oh" before once again falling into silence.

"Natsu, I'm sorry, I—"

Sting tried to say more, but Natsu waved him off, adding, "If it had been Gray, I would have done the same thing."

There was something about the way he said Gray's name that worried Rogue, and he wanted to ask, to say anything, but Natsu was the one to speak.

"I'm glad you're alright." And with that, Natsu turned around and left the cave, flying off.

Sting ran after him, having to stop at the entrance, "NATSU PLEASE, I'M SORRY!" he yelled through his tears, but there was no response.

"Settle down," Atlas advised as he sat comfortably between Skiadrum and Weisslogia.

"Aren't you going after him?" Rogue asked, surprised by how calm Atlas was acting.

"Do you really think there is anything I could say that would help?" Atlas challenged, and when Rogue had no response, he snorted. "He needs to sort this out on his own. Get your stuff ready, we move out tomorrow."

"What happened?" Sting demanded.

"Let it go," Atlas growled. His previous calm disappearing in an instant. This Atlas was angry, so much so, in fact, that Skia and Weiss were glancing at him nervously.

Sting knelt in front of Atlas, "Please, I need to know."

"You don't need me to tell you anything, Sting. You already know what happened." Atlas wouldn't elaborate further, but that seemed to be enough for Sting to crumble.

He left the cave without saying a word to anyone, and Rogue could only stare after him in confused shock. Then everything clicked into place.

"I'm gonna go check on him," Rogue announced before morphing into his shadow form and traveling back up the mountain to the spot where he knew he'd find Sting. There wasn't really anywhere else he would have gone.

He could hear loud grunts and squelching thuds the higher up he got, and winced internally, worried about what he would find. Rogue reached the shelf only to see Sting pummeling the bare rock of the mountain face with his fists, the gloves he liked to wear already stained with his blood.

"Stop it!" Rogue yelled, materializing as close to Sting as he dared. He leaned against the rock, not daring to sit on the edge at the moment as it was windy.

Sting stopped for a moment but thought better of it, continuing to pelt the rock as hard as he could.

"I said, stop it! You aren't helping anything by doing this," Rogue called out once again, and when Sting still didn't listen, he took a risk. He shifted into his shadow form once again. Only this time, he grabbed on to Sting before materializing again. He hoped Sting didn't fight him because he was in no condition to go up against him.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Sting snapped, but he stopped what he was doing. His breathing was irregular, and his hair was dripping with sweat, but he let Rogue restrain him, probably realizing he would only hurt him if he struggled.

Rogue loosened his hold, and Sting maneuvered him to his front, sitting both of them down. He wrapped his arms around Rogue and pulled him into his chest, which was the most intimate contact they'd shared in a long time.

Rogue removed Sting's gloves to examine his hands and hissed, "I think you broke one."

Sting's only response was to laugh bitterly, "Yeah, I probably did. I deserve it, too."

"Please tell me what's going on, I know you've been keeping something from me, I just didn't realize it had to do with Natsu."

Sting remained silent for a few minutes before sighing, "To think I gave Gray the whole if you hurt him, I will end you speech. What a joke. I was the one who hurt them in the end."

"Sting?"

"Can I just hold you for a bit? I promise I'll tell you everything I know."

"You can always hold me, dork. I'm your mate. I'm not going anywhere." Rogue reassured him, raising his hand to touch Sting's face, even though he couldn't see it. He could feel Sting's body relax behind him at his words, and he tried to burrow deeper into Sting's warmth.

He wished they could go back inside, but he had a feeling if he suggested it, it would break this peace. Instead, he waited impatiently for Sting to speak.

"Natsu's dragon side had been trying to take control of his body, it's why we noticed all those changes at first. After he killed that wood dragon, we found out there was a possibility he might have trouble changing back into his human form. The longer he stayed in his dragon form, the worse it would be. He didn't want you guys to worry, so he made me promise to keep it a secret."

Rogue shook with rage. That fucking idiot! How dare he keep something so important from them? Then again, he supposed it shouldn't surprise him. Natsu had been forced to keep secrets for most of his life.

"After the fight with Acnologia, it only got worse. Natsu had a tough time changing from one form to the other, and red scales covered everywhere Grandine and Atlas healed him. Natsu said it was like the magic was resisting him."

"Before he killed Deliora, Atlas had told him his dragon self had asserted itself to the point he didn't think Natsu had many transformations left in him. So Natsu waited until he went home to change into his human form. He had no intention of changing back until Gray had passed."

"Oh."

"He's a dragon, Rogue. Now and forever. I did that, I ruined his life. Now he can't ever go back to Gray. I took away the only thing he'd ever wanted."

"Sting—"

"No! Don't tell me I did my best, or that I couldn't have known. That's bullshit, I knew. I fucking knew, but I did it anyway."

"I wasn't going to," Rogue lied. He couldn't believe that all of this had been happening under his very nose and he hadn't realized it. He was ashamed to realize he'd been so caught up in all their issues he hadn't spared a thought to Natsu. And it wasn't like he could even get mad at Sting for not telling him, not when he'd done the same.

Natsu had once been just like them. Just a lonely little boy who'd wanted a family as desperately as they had. He'd withheld so many things from them over the years because Natsu's love had always been about loyalty and protection. He'd watched over all of them, like the dragon he was, but refused to worry them with his own problems.

Rogue thought of Gray, the way he'd always looked at Natsu when he thought no one was watching. It had been so endearing, especially given how gruff he acted most of the time. It filled Rogue with pity that his friend would never experience what he and Sting had. Even worse, given the fact they were soulmates, Gray would never find anyone to replace what Natsu meant to him. It was a cruel fate for two beings who were so in love.

It made him appreciate something he and Sting had both lost sight of some time ago. Even though it often felt like nothing had gone right for them since they'd left Talos, they were alive, and they still had each other. And for that, he was eternally grateful.

He nudged Sting's arm, "Can you turn me around?"

Sting lifted him with little effort, turning Rogue to face him until he found a comfortable position for both of them. Rogue wrapped his arms around Sting's neck for support. He wanted to see Sting's face when he told him what he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone," Rogue declared earnestly, "and I wish you had trusted me to keep your secret. But I understand."

"Nothing that's happened changes anything between us. I love you, just as I always have," Rogue tried to smile through his sadness, nuzzling Sting's forehead with his, "And I know you feel this is all your fault, but it's not. I was right there with you. Like I always am, and I'll always be."

Sting cupped Rogue's face in his bloodied hands, "I don't deserve you."

Rogue chuckled, "Nope, but here we are anyway."

"Thank you."

Rogue leaned forward, brushing his lips against his mate's gently. More than anything, it was a promise on his part to work on their problems and move forward together. When he felt Sting respond in kind, it awakened feelings that had lain dormant inside him for too long.

Sting broke away first, pulling Rogue into an embrace before whispering in his ear, "I love you so much."

"I know," Rogue replied simply, squeezing Sting tightly against him. They continued to hold the embrace until they were both shivering with cold.

"We should probably head back down, Weiss and Skia are going to worry soon, and you should really have Atlas look at your hands."

Sting groaned, "Might as well give the sadistic bastard the satisfaction."

Rogue snorted, "He's worked on me before, he's not so bad."

"Yeah that's cause he likes you, I rather think I'm at the bottom of his list at the moment."

Rogue had no response to that, so he remained silent.

"How am I ever going to make up for this?"

"I don't think either of us can, all we can do is to be there for them if they let us, and try to accept that they might not."

Sting frowned as he thought about Rogue's words, "I guess you're right." He peered at his mate shyly, "Together?"

"Together," Rogue agreed, and holding on to Sting carefully, he shifted them, uniting them in his shadows. He sped down the mountain, welcoming the rush of being able to move on his own. He snorted as Sting complained.

"This is not what I had in mind."

A/N: I can't believe we've hit the 100K mark! This explains a little of why Natsu left the way he did, and a little more of what happened at the field.