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Smitten.
Yukino Agria let out a long, loooooong tired sigh as she flopped backwards onto her comfortable bed in the Sabertooth female dormitory. Her light blue hair fanned out like a halo against the pillow, and the tension in her shoulders finally started to ease away after what felt like an eternity.
She and Lucy Heartfilia, her dear friend and fellow Celestial Spirit mage from Fairy Tail, had just returned from a week-long mission in the town of Drasil. It had seemed like the job had been specifically tailored for mages like them, requiring intricate celestial magic to seal away a rogue spirit that had gone berserk and threatened the local population. While it had been a grueling week of constant summoning, magic incantations and sleepless nights under the stars, in the end they’d done it (very successfully, in fact).
Not only was the mission a perfect fit for both of them, but the reward money had been pretty hefty as well. They had celebrated on the train ride home, laughing about how, for once, they’d managed to keep the property damage under control, which also meant that Lucy wouldn't have to worry about the rent money for the five, almost six months (and lord, did just about everyone know about Fairy Tail’s resident Celestial Mage and her persistent rent problems).
The clock on her nightstand ticked quietly. Yukino rolled over onto the other side and closed her eyes, more than ready to fall asleep and get some well-deserved rest…
However, a loud, familiar voice suddenly boomed from the other side of the door.
‘’Yukino! You’re back!’’
Yukino’s eyes flew open immediately. She sat up abruptly, recognizing the voice instantly.
Sting-sama?
She jumped to her feet, smoothing down her top and adjusting her skirt before opening the door and bowing deeply as Sabertooth’s guild master appeared in the doorway. Sting Eucliffe casually leaned against the doorframe, his usual confident (but not arrogant) grin plastered across his face. His beloved Exceed Lector was perched on his shoulder like a parrot, his tail excitedly up in the air.
‘’How did the job go?’’, Sting asked, his blue eyes glistening with curiosity.
‘’Really good actually!’’, Yukino straightened up, clasping her hands in front of him. ‘’I split the reward money fifty-fifty with Lucy-sama and we managed to complete the job without any property damage.’’
Sting chuckled, his grin widening. ‘’Heh, sounds like you both did Sabertooth and Fairy Tail proud.’’
Yukino’s cheeks blushed at Sting’s words, with her nodding shyly. ‘’T-Thank you, Sting-sama.’’
‘’That’s more like it.’’, he said, tilting his head with a playful smirk. ‘’And hey, tonight we’re throwing a little celebration. Nothing fancy, just a party to celebrate your successful mission and you coming home in one piece.’’
Yukino blinked in surprise, then smiled. ‘’A party? For me?’’
‘’For us.’’, Sting corrected with a wink. ‘’You’re a part of the guild, remember? And a damn important one at that.’’
Her heart started thumping against her ribcage, her cheeks flushing even more now. ‘’Thank you, Sting-sama. I’ll definitely come.’’
As she closed the door and hurried to get ready for the party, Yukino wouldn't stop smiling. Being a part of Sabertooth, this version of Sabertooth, filled her with warmth. The guild had definitely changed for the better since the days of Jiemma’s near-tyrannical leadership and dark days of arrogance and cruelty. It had become a true family, and she knew that was thanks, in large part, to the man now leading it.
Sting Eucliffe.
And maybe, just maybe, what she felt for the Sabertooth’s guild master was beginning to turn into something much, much more than just a silly little crush and an admiration for his strength and leadership.
The party held later that evening in Sabertooth’s guildhall was lively and loud, just like their typical gatherings (though they still weren’t as crazy as Fairy Tail’s). Laughter and chatter could be heard all over the spacious place, mugs clinked together and some mages even went to the dancefloor to bust a couple of moves or so. Orga was already challenging Minerva to an eating contest while Rufus gracefully entertained a small crowd near the bar.
Yukino arrived a bit later at the party, dressed casually but neatly. She could now see Orga laying on the floor and passed out from eating copious amounts of food and presumably losing an eating contest to Minerva, who was now sitting at the bar and talking to Rogue, but neither Sting nor the two Exceeds could be seen, so the Celestial Mage decided to go outside instead.
She stepped out on the enormous balcony overlooking the city. From up here, she could see the city lights of Gazania twinkling in the distance. Contrary to the noisy atmosphere coming from the inside, the night air was actually calming and refreshing.
And that was when she heard it.
‘’Yukino?’’
She turned around to find the White Dragon Slayer leaning against the balcony railing, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
‘’How come you’re not inside with the rest of us?’’, he inquired.
‘’I guess I could ask you the same?’’, she retorted, smiling shyly. ‘’Just wanted some fresh air, that’s all. It’s…nice out here.’’
Sting nodded, taking a step closer towards her. For a moment, they just stood there in blissful silence, leaning against the railing and gazing at the starry sky above them.
‘’You know…’’, he started, in a tone that was uncharacteristically quiet for him. ‘’I haven’t really had the chance to tell you this before, even though I probably should’ve already.’’
‘’Tell me what?’’
‘’I’m sorry.’’, Sting began. ‘’I’m sorry for how I treated you during the Grand Magic Games, and how I just stood idly by when you were treated like shit by Jiemma.’’
Her breath caught in her throat.
‘’I was an arrogant, inconsiderate douchebag back then.’’, he continued, keeping his voice low. ‘’I thought strength was everything. I let the old Sabertooth’s way of thinking cloud my judgment. I bashed you alongside everyone else when you didn’t deserve it. You were strong, dedicated, and you always believed in your spirits. I definitely should’ve respected that way more.’’
Yukino’s throat tightened as his words sank in. She’d long forgiven her guildmates for them doing basically jackshit when she’d gotten excommunicated from the guild by Jiemma (she’d sympathized with them in that regard and understood why they couldn’t have reacted differently), but hearing that from Sting, the man who had turned everything around, struck a particularly deep chord in her heart.
‘’Sting-sama…’’, she murmured.
He smiled, though his tone was nothing else but sincere. ‘’Yukino, I’ve told you many times that you don’t have to be so formal with me anymore. Sure, I’m Sabertooth’s guild master, but I’m also your teammate and friend. Drop the whole ‘sama’ thing, okay? Just call me Sting.’’
She hesitated, her cheeks warming. ‘’O-okay, Sting-sa—’’
He chuckled. ‘’No ‘sama’.’’
‘’Riiight…’’, she giggled. ‘’Sting.’’, she corrected herself with a shy smile.
Yukino’s eyes followed the stars scattered across the inky sky. One by one, they twinkled in a quiet rhythm, almost as if her spirits themselves were watching. Sting stood right beside her, also leaning against the railing, though his eyes were more fixated on her rather than the stars.
‘’You know…’’, he began. ‘’I used to think leadership was all about being the strongest, the loudest, the guy everyone fears...’’
Yukino tilted her head towards him. ‘’And now?’’
He huffed a small laugh. ‘’Now I think it’s about being the one people can count on. The one who listens, the one who believes in them, no matter what...’’
Her lips curved into a small smile. ‘’That’s the Sting I know.’’
He chuckled under his breath, but there was a trace of shyness in it, which was a rare thing for him. ‘’Guess I owe a lot of that to you, y’know? You made me realize what kind of guild master I wanted to be. What kind of man, too.’’
Yukino’s mouth dropped a bit at Sting’s admission. Her heart gave an involuntary flutter. ‘’M-Me?’’
‘’Yeah.’’, he confirmed as he turned to face her fully. ‘’You always put your spirits first, not yourself. You believed in people when they didn't deserve it one bit, me included. You’ve got this quiet strength that… I can’t help but admire it.’’
Her face grew warm, and for once, she didn’t know what to say. Compliments weren't an unfamiliar concept to Yukino, but coming from him, with that truthful look in his eyes, was more than enough to make her feel weak in the knees.
‘’Sting…’’, she murmured. ‘’You’ve changed so much since the Grand Magic Games and Sabertooth has changed because of you. You gave everyone here a place to belong again.’’
He smirked. ‘’Guess we both did a little saving, didn’t we?’’
Her smile widened. ‘’Yeah, we did.’’
The gentle breeze swept a strand of Yukino’s hair across her face. Sting’s hand moved before he even thought about it, his fingers tucking the loose strand of hair right behind her ear. His touch lingered for just a second too long—warm, calloused, trembling slightly from how careful he was trying to be.
‘’Sorry.’’, he laughed. ‘’Couldn’t help it.’’
‘’N-no, it's okay.’’, she whispered. Her voice was barely audible, her pulse fluttering wildly.
‘’I’ve never been good at this kind of thing.’’, the blonde admitted, his voice lower now, honest and unguarded. ‘’Talking like this, feeling like this…’’
Yukino’s lips parted. ‘’Feeling like what?’’
Sting’s eyes searched hers, bright and uncertain, but full of something raw. ‘’Like, I can’t stop thinking about you. Everytime I see you smile or talk, I forget whatever I was worrying about two seconds ago.’’
‘’Sting…’’
‘’And when you're gone on missions, I catch myself looking around for you and waiting for you to come back. Lector teases me about it, but hell, he ain’t wrong. Rogue does that too, though not as much as my cat.’’
She didn’t know whether it was bravery or instinct that made her take a step closer, but when she did, their bodies were only inches apart.
‘’Sting…’’, she said again, this time softer, more tender.
‘’Yeah, well…’’, he replied with a sheepish grin. ‘’I guess I like having you around.’’
Their eyes met, and that was all it took.
The world seemed to stop just for the two of them when Sting finally leaned in and, with the gentlest tilt of his head, kissed her.
It was hesitant at first, an almost questioning press of lips against lips, tender and searching. Sting, obviously being the more experienced of the two, could tell that Yukino was totally new to all of this, so he didn’t want to rush things. She tentatively lifted her hands and cupped his cheek with one hand, while the fingers of her free hand brushed against the fabric of his vest, and she leaned into him more, the initial hesitation simply melting away.
The kiss deepened just a little, still soft and slow, but full of emotion that neither of them had dared to put into words before now (especially Sting).
When they finally broke apart, Sting traced his thumb along her jaw, his grin small but very much genuine. ‘’Guess that was long overdue, huh?’’
Yukino’s cheeks flushed, but her smile was radiant.
The blonde chuckled and pressed his forehead against hers. ‘’You're amazing, Yukino.’’
She shook her head, still smiling. ‘’We both are.’’
For the first time that night, Yukino realized something simple but profound.
Home wasn't just the guild she’d found.
It was the people she’d found within it.
It was him.
And as for Sting, if there was one thing he wasn’t ashamed to admit anymore, it was the fact that he’d been completely, utterly and hopelessly smitten with Yukino Agria ever since the day she first walked into Sabertooth, trembling yet determined, ready to start anew.
And honestly? He wouldn’t have it any other way.