𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂 // 𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙧

// 2nd P.O.V //

After finding Kuschel had apparently remained at the inn all day, you walked back to the spot you had seen Rogue the previous night. You had entrusted Kuschel to Erza, who you knew would take care of her while you went to see if Rogue was there again.

You arrived at the same time you had the previous day and waited around for little over twenty minutes before giving up.

"Wait!"

You turned around and saw Rogue there.
"There you are!" you said. "I was wondering if you'd show up. What took ya so long?"

"It was Master Jiemma... again." he said. "when Sting lost to Gajeel and Natsu during the chariot event, Master let him off. But then, when we lost to them today, he... tried to make us erase our guild marks."

Your eyes widened.
"What? You're not in Sabertooth anymore?!" you gasped.
"I said tried. Jiemma... it's a long story. Jiemma tried to kill Lector, Sting's Exceed, but at the last minute Milady— Minerva - saved him." he spoke. "And Sting put a hole through Jiemma. He killed the Master."

"What?" you exclaimed. "Is Frosch okay?"
"Frosch is fine." the shadow mage replied. "he's sleeping."

"Good." you said. "so... you're alright, then?"
"I'm fine. I was only thrown into a wall." his words made your worry only grow. "twice."

"Jeez! You're fine? Are you sure you don't need healing or anything?" you cried out, clutching his forearm with both of your hands. "I can take you to Wendy, she can—"

"It's fine. I'm not sure I'd be welcome there, anyway." Rogue cut you off.
"Sorry. I was going on. I got a but carried away, haha!" you said with a sheepish grin. He nodded and then looked up at me.

"Why... do you care so much?" he asked quietly. "all Sabertooth has done is mock your guild. You and Natsu, you were so angry about what Minerva had done to Lucy, and Gray was so destroyed about losing to Rufus... why do you care so much?"

You sighed.
"The truth is that I don't." you said, earning a surprised look from the Shadow Dragon Slayer, laced with confusion. "I don't care about Sabertooth at all. In fact, I want barely anything to do with your guild. I only wanna surpass them in the Games... a-and I care for you. I've decided that I do."

He seemed very taken aback.
"I do. I've decided that I care for you, and for Frosch, and I hate that the look on your face tells me that not many people do." you said, folding your arms. "but don't go tellin' anyone I said that! Gajeel and Laxus'll have my ass if they find out, and Natsu'll have yours."

He stayed silent for a few painfully slow heartbeats.
"Thank you, [Y/N]." he said finally.

"It's nothing." you said.
"So... what do you say? Friends?" one of his hands slipped out of his cloak and he held it out in front of him.
"Well, I assumed we already were." your face broke into a wide grin, before you took his hand and yanked him in for a side hug. He froze before putting his outstretched arm around my shoulders.

"I'm glad you're okay after today's battle." you said. "just... d'you have some kind of creepy obsession with Gajeel? Oh! Is it this BL that Juvia told me about?!"

He pulled back and said, "n-no! It's just mere interest towards a fellow Dragon Slayer."

"Well, I'm interested in you, fellow Dragon Slayer!" you smiled. "go on, tell me about yourself! Any dramatic backstory I should know about?"