˗ˏˋ ꒰𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰꒱ ˎˊ˗

✧ ೃ𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐒 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧*ੈ✩

"Y/N, you fought well." Natsu's voice got me to open my eyes, and I managed to crack a grin with my fiery friend who held me close as my healing abilities came back to me. My entire body felt like it was on fire, though I don't doubt that Minerva isn't suffering with a serious concussion right now. I turn to look at her, and my assumptions are correct when I see Sabertooth run over to a bleeding Minerva, glares pointed at me.. except for two dragon slayers, who only look at me with adoration and worry. Minerva rolls over and sends a glare at me, but I simply flip her off, a smirk plastered on my tired face as I become dead weight in Natsu's arms. 

"Get the hell off of her." Rogue seethed, snatching me out of my friends arms as he clung to me. Natsu and him stared each other off, and I groaned as I was in the middle of it. I knew this was bound to happen, me rejecting the mating bond and all and having an awful lot of male friends.. 

"Oh? Another member of this love triangle, a love SQUARE?" 

Natsu looked about ready to tear Rogue into two, so I lifted up a hand and stopped him.

"I'll be fine Natsu, he's my friend, he wouldn't hurt me." I lay my head against his chest, my body releasing any tension as I relax into the arms of my mate, the word that I refused to acknowledge.. until now. Natsu stood down, with Erza and Gray at his sides, and he nodded. Rogue made sure to tighten his grip on me, taking off his cloak and gently covering my bare body, glowering and growling at Sting for good measure. Sting sent a look that could've killed right at Rogue as we began to walk away, and my shadow dragon slayer didn't bother hiding the shove he sent to Minerva's shoulder as Sting helped her up, and he walked me to the medical bay.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

"You didn't have to do that, ya know?" I smiled at Rogue as he lay me in bed, Porlyusica standing off to the side as he made sure I was as comfortable as humanely possible.

"I'd bend myself backward for you, mates or not." He wiped away any water that remained on my face, and I sighed at the comforting feeling of him clearing away the liquid. 

"You sure you don't want your cloak back?" I shifted my eyes down to the dark thing I've seen him wear for so long, and he shakes his head as he sets the towel to the side. 

"No worries, I know it's in good hands. Once your better, I'll come pick it up." He smiles at me, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on my head, one that sends a shiver down my spine. He seems to have felt it as well, his eyes full of love as he steps back, "Me and Sting have this feeling, that we'll be able to fight Natsu and Gajeel today." He gently intertwined our hands, staring into my eyes with determination burning brightly, "Watch me, I'll prove to you that I'm the better slayer."

And with that, he left. And my grin remained even as I was sure he was long gone, Porlyusica scoffing at my love sick gaze, and successfully snapping me out of it. 

"What? You got a problem?" I huffed at her, turning to my side and snuggling further into the comforting scent of his cloak and the bed I lay in, and she snorts at me. 

"Young mates, haven't seen that in a while, and you've got the nerve to reject the bond when you're so obviously in love with him." She sighs, and I huff further at her attitude. Of course I love Rogue.. but I've been through this hundreds of times on my own, there's no going anywhere with Rogue until I've settled my feelings with Sting.

Mating bond or not, there's nobody who decides who I be with unless it's myself, and Rogue.. god bless him, because he respects that. Sting.. he just might blow a fuse. I sighed at how conflicted I remained, and Porlyusica only shrugs. My team ends up making their way down to me, along with team B and master Makarov. They begin to pick and choose whose going to be on the joined fairy tail team, and I defended my honor quickly when they tried to boot me out.