afterglow | natsu x reader

Chapter 28: Number One

They're not moving and I see all of Fairy Tail with tears in their eyes. Is Sting stronger than both of them combined? Tears start gathering in my eyes. I set Bonnie aside and lean over the booth and cup my hands over my mouth.

"Gajeel! Natsu! It's not over yet!! I know you two can beat him, so hurry up and do it already!!" I yell and place my hand out. Sticking my thumb and index finger out. Slowly, everyone else starts doing the same. Sting has a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Sorry..." Natsu then says and both slowly, stand up. Sting looks at both with wide eyes. Fairy Tail starts to cheer for them. "I can't lose, Sting."

Both stand up and start stretching, cracking their backs. "You're better than I thought." Natsu compliments. "Y/N, she knows white dragon slayer magic and lemme tell you, her attacks are much more powerful than yours."

"W-what?!" Sting exclaims.

"I also memorised all your habits. Attack timing, posture, and the rhythm of your breathing." Natsu tells Sting.

Sting in denial, "I used dragon force?! How can you stand up?!"

Natsu smirks, "My body aches all over."

Rogue said, "He's bluffing. Don't listen to him, Sting."

Gajeel laughs, "Bluffing? You think Salamander can pull off a trick that requires brain?"

"Shut up—!" Natsu spats at Gajeel, "For example, when you attack, your pivot foot faces 11:00."

"No, it faces 10:00." Gajeel says.

"It's 11:00!" Natsu yells back.

"I'd let you slide with 10:30, but not 11:00!" Gajeel gets in Natsu's face. The whole guild sighs as the two brawl over something so small, like the direction of Sting's foot.

"10:45..." Bonnie says and I ask what. She smiles over her shoulder and says, "...his foot was facing 10:45."

The crowd starts laughing as Gajeel and Natsu fight. Suddenly Natsu pushes into a mine cart.

"Wha—!" Before Gajeel could get out, Natsu pushes a lever and Gajeel goes out of sight. Natsu smiles to himself as Gajeel leaves.

"Why did you do that?!" Rogue asked. Natsu smirks at the two dragon slayers.

"I'm getting payback all by myself for laughing at us." He held his fingers out and in fire he spells, COME ON.

He smirk grew, "I can take on the both of you. So attack me at the same time." His whole body became engulfed in flames.

"I have no business with you. I want to fight Gajeel." Rogue tells Natsu.

"You can fight Gajeel later, but you have to get through me first." Both dragon slayers are shocked and go back into dragon force mode. Natsu then connects his fist with Sting's face and sends him flying. Rogue goes behind Natsu and does his Shadow Dragon Roar.

Natsu does his breath attack and both attacks collide. Easily, Natsu's attack overpowers Rogue's. "All you got?!" Natsu eggs them on.

"Sting!" Rogue yells.

"Yeah!" Sting yells back and together they start combining their magic. Yajima explains that's it's a unison raid and that it takes some years to master it. Sometimes it's impossible to master.

"Is he going to be okay?!" Bonnie yells. I smile and nod, "He's just having fun with them."

Rogue and Sting release their power, "HOLY SHADOW DRAGON FANG FLASH!"

I believe in you... Natsu.

"He's not moving!" Bonnie yells.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Edge!" And that overpowers their attack. When the smoke clears to see if the dragon slayers are done, it's revealed that Rogue has fallen. Sting wobbles a bit, but eventually he falls too.

"The last one standing is Natsu Dragneel! And Fairy Tail now leaps to first place!" It's silent for a while before the arena burst into cheers. I feel tears threatening to fall. And Fairy Tail does take the lead. By one point.

Natsu smiled brightly at them, "Let's do it again sometime!" I keep my eyes on the lacrima screen. Sting has his fist clenched and I do feel bad for him.

-

"You plan on joining a guild?" I ask Sting as we have lunch.

"I'm way too good for a guild," He brags. I chuckle. He adds, "but there is something I want to do."

"And what's that?" I ask him.

"There's a Salamander in your guild... the fire dragon slayer. I want to show Lector how strong I am, by beating him in a battle. I promised him I'd beat Natsu." Sting answers as he pats Lector's head.

"Well I can take you to him and I'm sure he'd love to battle." I say.

-

I stand up from my seat and run to meet Natsu in the tunnels. As tired and sore as I was, I ran up to him and hugged him. He hugged back and tried his best not to squeeze me.

"You did it!" I whisper and squeeze him a bit. I pull away and we just stare into each other's eyes. However things don't go my way and another moment is ruined by Happy and Bonnie running and yelling, "Yay! Natsu!"

I pull away from the hug as Happy then hugs Natsu.

"Maybe if you used that sort of power against me, you'd be able to beat me." I lightly punch his shoulder.

"Nah. I admit, Y/N, I don't think with a 100 years of training I'd be able to beaf you." Natsu responds. "Oh and Y/N."

"Hm?"

"Have you met that Sting kid before the games?" Natsu asks and I nod, "He's an old friend." I look back and see Sting and Rogue coming out from underground. Sting drags his feet to his tunnel.

"And do you have feelings for him?" Natsu says.

"What?!" I exclaim, "N-no! O-of course not!"

a/n: should your character have feelings for sting?