(Stingsu) If Sabertooth Had Won

Choice

The sky was starting to fade to a dusky pink, the sun was setting at a flying rate; casting a dark blue shadow of the Sabertooth guild right over the short figure of Natsu, who had just made it back.

Not that it had taken the salamander ages to walk back, since the café he went to was in the same city as the guild... just that the pink haired man was hesitating to go in. Mainly down to the fact that Sting had changed so drastically over the course of one day. Beforehand, Natsu honestly felt comfortable around the Sabertooth Master, he had gained his trust quickly and showed that he truly sympathised with the latter dragon slayer. Heck; the pinkette even started to develop a small crush on the guy.

Natsu's foot shifted on the pavement with unease... he wasn't used to falling so quickly for someone, let alone a man. Sure, he had a crush on Lisanna when he was a kid, but that took months to manifest.

With the white dragon slayer it took less than three days.

But now, Sting was starting to loose his trust, and Natsu opened his eyes to an entirely different perspective of the blonde. He seemed so forceful, dominating, and basically the opposite of what the latter had thought of him beforehand. But, that didn't waver how he felt towards the guild master.

He even forcefully kissed the fire mage. Something the fiery mage would never admit to being flustered by; however it wasn't the way he wanted their first kiss to go.

Igneel had always taught Natsu that the one person he'd come to love would treat him with passion and affection, but the kiss he 'shared' with Sting lacked all of that. It seemed more like a way of showing dominance.

Natsu's eyebrows knitted together as he stared intensely at the doors to the building.

He let out a short breath, before walking up, and clanking one of the great doors open. At the same time; making a note to himself to avoid the blonde as much as possible...

Which was immediately proven hard, as the first person to great him in was Sting Eucliffe.

Other than the two of them, the guild was empty.

Natsu frowned, shutting the door behind him. Sting was standing staring at him, and it looked as though he was holding something that was wrapped in a black bag, waiting for the pinkette to go up to him.

But Natsu walked straight past Sting, towards the dorm rooms.

Honestly, the fire mage hadn't seen what facial expression the latter was holding, but since he wasn't chasing after him or cornering him, he assumed it was one of regret.

"Natsu...''

Green eyes dilated, as said salamander stopped in his tracks, in the middle of the empty, dimly lit hall.

He didn't need to turn around to know that the blonde had started to walk up to him from behind. Without hesitating, the shorter mage shifted into a defensive stance.

Sting noticed this, and stopped walking, a mere fraction away from the fire mage. He sighed.

"Please forgive me.'' He stated, in an almost pleading tone, looking down at his feet as he did so. "I don't... my intention is never to belittle you or hurt you in any way Natsu...'' Guilt laced each of the Sabertooth Master's words; which obviously went unnoticed by the man he was apologizing to, as when Sting looked up, he was still facing the other way.

"Then what is your intention Sting?'' The blonde flinched biting his lip. Natsu's voice contrasted the other's, taking Sting off guard. To his surprise he continued. "You obviously adore controlling my life, moving me from one place to another, controlling how I feel like some sort of toy.'' The blonde widened his eyes, furrowing his brows in confusion at the emphases on 'toy'. How could Natsu think that? The blonde new he cared for the other dragon slayer immensely.

Sting became enraged quickly by these false accusations, as he grabbed the shorter mages shoulder aggressively tugging him back. "Why the HECK would you think that?! Ever since you came to Sabertooth I haven't treated you anything other then an equal. Why wont you do the same for me?'' Aggression and confusion was folded into his voice, which was responded with Natsu slapping his hand away, which made the blonde instantly regret what he had said once he saw his face.

Natsu was crying because of him.

"You think I don't treat you like an equal? You know I have a crush on you Sting, so stop pretending I'm the one who doesn't care here!'' The pinkette sobbed, as his eyes slowly became puffy and red with tears pricking at them.

The blonde stood up straight backing away from Natsu, as his eyes widened with realisation. "You have a crush on me?'' He mumbled faintly, not believing that the words were even coming out of his mouth.

The crying state of Natsu Dragneel wiped his eyes with his sleeve, nodding faintly. "Don't act surprised... you already knew right?'' He inquired, quivering.

"I didn't think you were serious...'' Sting insisted, clutching the black bag in his hand as his heart broke at the sight in front of him.

"You don't even take me seriously?''

Without even hesitating the taller man wrapped his arms around the now infuriated sobbing wizard, who started screaming and hitting the blonde's torso.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU BASTARD!'' ''STOP PLAYING WITH MY FEELINGS!'' Sting shut out Natsu's sobbing voice, hugging the protesting fire mage tighter to his chest.

"I want to give you a choice, Natsu.''

The screaming man became silent, and continued to sob into the latter's chest as he dropped his arms down to his sides.

"In the black bag I'm holding is a suit I bought for your guild mark ceremony. Everyone else in Sabertooth has gone out to buy clothes too.''

The boy Sting was holding in his arms listened closely to what he was saying, still staining the guild masters crop top with muffled tears.

"If you take the bag and get dressed, then we will continue to do the ceremony tonight, and I will make sure that I never do anything to hurt you again, and give you the best life I can...'' The pinkette let out another heartfelt sob into his chest, quivering in the man who was talking with sincerity's strong grip.

"And if you don't take it, you can walk out of this door and go back to Fairy Tail.

Natsu blinked.

His eyes widened.

The tears stopped instantly.

The blonde man teared up instead, hugging the pinkette even tighter. "I care about you enough to let you go, and I've told you countless times; I never want to see you cry.''

Natsu's eyes slanted back down, as tears started to form in them again. He brought his arms up to hug back, but something in him made the latter instead push the other away feebly.

Natsu was looking down, and Sting was looking at the mop of pink hair he had grown to admire in fear, holding out the black bag in front of him.

But Natsu didn't take it.

He walked out of the guild.