Sting was alone. He has been for months now. When the virus hit and took everyone's lives, he was the only one left. He assumed that anyways. He never bothered to go outside of Crocus to search for people, he was still hurting over the loss of his best friends. When the virus had gotten to Lector, he held the little red cat in his arms while he cooed soft words to him until he took his last breath. Lector was his first friend, so it had been nothing but pain for him. Then, to make things even worse, Rogue had gotten it a day after Lector had passed and died as well. Sting didn't hold him, but he stayed by his side until he soon followed Lector. Many more of the people in Crocus had died from this strange virus, and he heard that it was happening all over Fiore and soon all over the world. Before he knew it, he was alone.

It had been years since Sting had been alone. Sure, before he got Lector he was always alone. People shunned him and were frightened by him, calling him a 'Child of the Devil'. But when he got Lector, he felt like he was actually worth something. Then he met Rogue and Frosch, who had almost instantly befriended him. The four of them were as close as could be, and they meant the world to Sting. So it had been the worst time of his life when they all passed. He didn't know what kind of demon was watching over him but he wanted it to go away.

What had he done to deserve all of this? He atoned for his sins, didn't he? He became a nicer person after the Games, he made Sabertooth a better guild and helped out Fairy Tail more time than he could count. But apparently it wasn't enough. He wanted to go and look for people to see if he wasn't actually the last person, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Sometime he'd wake up screaming and wished it was all just a horrible dream. But it wasn't. it was all real. The blood that Lector coughed up staining his white jacket that he wore all of the time, the blood that was on his hands as he tried to keep Rogue alive. Sometimes he wanted to end it all, to be with his friends again. But he couldn't. He made a promise to both Lector and Rogue that he would live on. And he never broke a promise. Because his word was his bond.

Sting gave a heavy sigh as he sat up in his bed. He glanced out of his window and saw nothing but empty streets and darkened houses. He supposed that today would be the day that he would go and look for survivors. No matter how alone he felt, he still believed that there was someone else out there that was alive. He stood from his bed and put on a black muscle shirt with his white jacket that had a small amount of faded blood on it. He put on his everyday baggy pants and boots before heading out the door. He decided to stop by his guild one last time before he left Crocus.

When he arrived at the guild, he pushed open the doors and saw nothing. It was dark and dusty, like every time he entered. "Hey everyone," He muttered and walked over to his throne. He took a seat and stared into the empty hall. Everyday he would go there and just sit, remembering the good times when everyone was still alive and well. Flashes of memories flooded his mind as he imagined everyone talking and drinking. Tears came to his eyes when he glanced at the bar and saw Rogue talking to Yukino with Lector and Frosch. He couldn't help the sob that slipped past his lips at the sight.

His heart clenched when all four of them turned and gave him a bright smile. "R-Rogue, Lector.." He stood up and ran to them. But as soon as he reached out to hug them, they vanished. Sting stared at the empty space as the tears slipped down his cheeks. He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his waist as he wept. "Please come back."

After Sting had calmed his shaky breathing, he set off in search of life. He hadn't seen any monsters of animals either, so he assumed that the virus had gotten them as well. He decided not to pack anything for his trip, not wanting reminders of Crocus after he left. There were plenty of stores he could stop by if he ever got hungry or thirsty, considering he didn't have to pay anymore. He had set off with one place in mind that he wanted to check first. The one place where he had other friends outside of Crocus. Fairy Tail. He hoped that if he found someone else that was alive, it would be someone he knew. He didn't like making new friends, it was why he had such a hard time agreeing to ally with Fairy Tail in the first place.

When he was younger, he always thought that he should only care about himself and no one else. Then he got Lector and decided that the cat was the only other thing he would ever care for. Then Rogue came along, and Sting's mind changed again. It was from that moment on that he told himself that he didn't need anyone else except for them. But then his mind changed again, and he had helped the other guilds defeat the dragons after the Games and had become friends with them. Even more so when the guilds helped him. Fairy Tail taught him that anyone can be your ally if you trust them. Sting had trust issues, so it wasn't easy.

He wouldn't mind meeting someone he didn't know now, just seeing a living face was all he needed. But he preferred someone he knew, if he was being honest.

And so, Sting made his way though town after town without seeing any life. He started to grow frustrated and was about to quit his journey before he even reach his destination. But he kept going. His body wanted to give up so bad but his mind didn't let him. He was desperate. He wanted proof that he wasn't the only one left alive in the world.

Finally he had reached Magnolia. It had taken him days of walking and crying to reach this place. As he strolled though the city, he made sure to listen carefully for anyone. His nose was stuffed from crying a little while ago when he remembered the times he and Rogue would walk all the way to Magnolia, so his sense of smell was out.

He stood in front of the large guild and took a deep breath. This was it, the moment of truth. He couldn't get his hopes too high since it was a very small chance that someone was in there. But he had to try. He took another deep breath before pushing open the doors.

The place was bustling, people fighting and drinking and shouting. It was like a mad house. He stood there, not knowing what to do. Was he dreaming? This was impossible, he had to be imagining things. Then Natsu and Lucy walked up to him with huge smiles on there faces. "Sting!" Lucy laughed and waved. He was speechless. But just like before, when he went to hug them, they vanished.

His head was spinning. It all seemed too real. But it wasn't. He hated it. He hated everything. He just wanted things to end. He glared into the empty building and rushed in, kicking a table and throwing chairs. "Dammit! This isn't fair!" He yelled before throwing an empty bottle that was left on a table. "Why? Why! What did I do?!" He grabbed a mug at threw it at the bar, watching as bottles shattered. He was panting by the time he fell to his knees and covered his face. "Why..."

"Sting?"

His eyes shot open and his breath stalled and the soft voice. No, he wouldn't be fooled again. It wasn't real. He turned his head and glared at the figure standing in the doorway. "Fuck you! Y-You're not real! Stop playing with my emotions like this!" He was now standing, his fists clenched as tears streamed down his face. He was ready to strike the illusion as it approached him. He roughly wiped away his tears, his vision coming back and focusing on the blonde woman in front of him who also had tears in her eyes. "Y-You're not real." He pulled his fist back, light consuming it and was about to strike when she squeaked and ducked out of the way just as he thrust his fist forward. He was about to strike again when her leg scooped under his and knocked him on his back.

He stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. This was real. He wasn't imagining her. It was just impossible for an illusion to do physical harm. He glanced over and stared into glistening brown eyes. "Dumbass." She smiled as a small sob escaped her lips.

He shot up and ran at her, and this time, she didn't disappear when he hugged her. "Y-You're real. You're alive. I-I'm not alone." He whimpered and buried his nose in her hair. "I-I thought I was the only one left. But here you are." He didn't know Lucy well, but he knew her enough to call her a friend.

She hugged him back tightly, making sure what she was holding was real. "I thought the same thing. But here you are. I was about to leave Magnolia to search for people but decided to stop by here before leaving town. Then I saw you breaking everything, at first I thought it wasn't real, but then you shouted at me saying I wasn't real and I knew you were alive."

"I still can't believe it, you're not an illusion." He pulled away and smiled at her. "I've been seeing things all week so I didn't know. Sorry for almost killing you." He gave a small chuckle and sat down at one of the still standing tables, watching her as she sat beside him. "God, it feels so good to be talking to someone again. I'm so glad that another person is alive, and it turned out to be someone I knew."

Her smile soon turned sad as she glanced down at her hands in her lap. "Does... that mean that Rogue is gone?" When she looked up and saw his smile fall, she grabbed his hand. "Sorry, I know what it's like to lose someone that's close to you. I did lose Natsu after all."

Sting gave a shaky sigh and tightened his hold on her hands. "Yes, he is. And sorry to hear about Natsu, he was a good guy."

"He was. After he died, everyone in the guild went their separate ways to try and get away from the virus. I have no idea who is and isn't alive." She sighed. "Enough about this sad crap though, what made you decide to come here?" She tilted her head and pulled her hands back.

He crossed his arms and leaned back on the bench and rested his back against the table. "This was the first place I wanted to check out. At first, I didn't want to leave Crocus. I couldn't. But when I finally mustered up the courage to do so, I came here. Obviously I checked the towns I passed through but I wanted to come straight to Fairy Tail since this is where my only other friends are outside of Sabertooth."

She smiles warmly at him. "I see. I guess that make sense." She gave a sigh and stood up. "How about I take you to my place? You're probably really tired. I can take you to a lake nearby to clean yourself up tomorrow. It's where I go since there's no running water." She extended her hand, her smile widening slightly when he took it and stood up.

"Thank you, Lucy." He smiles back.

The next day Sting's eyes shot open when he heard a loud scream. He shot up from the couch he was sleeping on and ran into Lucy's room. "Lucy!" He places his hands on her cheeks as she thrashes around in her sleep. "Hey, it's okay. Please wake up." He whispers and places his forehead against hers, smiling when she calmed down. Her eyes opened and he saw the pain and fright in their depths. "Are you okay?"

She blushes lightly at how close his face was to hers and nods. "J-Just remembering losing Natsu."

He leans back and takes a seat on the edge of her bed. "I know how that feels. I always have nightmares about losing Lector and Rogue." He sighs.

"S-Sorry."

"Don't be." He smiles gently at her. "What we went through is something that nobody should have to go through. So it's understandable that you'd have nightmares. Just like I do. I've also woke up screaming so you don't have to be embarrassed."

She gives a small nod and grabs his hand. She didn't know why, but it made her feel much more safe when she held his hand. Probably because he was all she had now. She was just now realizing that he was wearing nothing more than his pants, causing her to blush and look away. Usually she slept in nothing more than her silk bra and pantie set, but now that someone was in her home, she wore shorts and a tank top. "H-How about some breakfast."

Sting tilted his head in confusion when she blushed but nodded anyways. "Sounds good to me. Then we can head down to that lake and get cleaned up." He stood from the bed and offered her his hand. She accepted and he pulled her to stand.

After having their breakfast -which consisted of canned fruits-, Lucy led Sting to a lake that was in the East Forest. Lucy let out a sigh and placed their towels and soap on the ground. When she turned around, she blushed when she saw Sting pull his pants down, getting ready to remove his boxers as well. "W-Wait!" She waves her hands in front of her.

Sting stops and raises an eyebrow at the flushed woman. "What?"

"W-Well don't you think you should wait until I leave to start getting n-naked?"

"Why? I thought we were bathing together. It's just the two of us after all."

"Th-That's true but.."

Sting then smirks and crosses his arms. "What, never seen a naked man before?" He chuckles and makes his way over to her. He places his hand on her head with a small smile. "I won't judge, I just thought that since, y'know, it's just us that you wouldn't mind. It not a big deal to me but if it is for you then we can bathe separately."

"No.. You have a point.." She whispers and shakily removes her shirt.

"I won't look, but I won't be mad if you look at me." He winks and takes off his boxers before hopping into the water. He sighs and takes a seat on one of the rocks under water, the water reaching his waist.

Lucy watched him to make sure he didn't look at her as she removed the rest of her clothes. She quickly got into the water while covering her chest, a bar of soap in one hand. She took a seat on one of the rocks further in the water so it was covering her chest. "This is embarrassing."

Sting chuckles and swims over to her, reveling in the way her blush deepened in color and took a seat beside her. "You don't have to be, I won't try anything and I won't judge. If anything, I'll compliment how beautiful you look."

"Th-Thank you,"

"But seriously, have you never seen a naked man?" He tilts his head.

Lucy bites her lip as she stares into his deep blue eyes. "Not counting Gray?" When he chuckles and nods, she giggles. "And I supposed not counting the times guys were stripped in front of me by accident."

"I'm not even gonna ask."

"Um, If you're talking about how many guys I've been with, I've been with three." She whispers. She had no idea why she was telling him all of this, but she supposed it was because he was the only one she could talk to. And if she was being honest, she felt somewhat comfortable with him.

"Oh? And who might that be?"

"Why would I tell you?" She glares at him.

He chuckles and places his hands behind his head. "If you tell me, I'll tell you who I've been with."

"That list will be way too long." She leans her head back to get her hair wet.

Sting secretly watched her chest when she leaned back as her large chest peeked from the water. "I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that. For your information, I've been with five women."

"Seriously?" Her eyes widen. She laughs when he glares at her but she then decided to answer him. "Fine. The guy who took my virginity was Freed."

"Wow, I didn't expect him to have the honor." He shuts his eyes. "Not gonna lie, I thought he was gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Lucy bites her lip to hold in the laugh that wanted to leave her throat. "So did everyone else, he was always talking about Laxus that he just seemed like he had the hots for him. Speaking of Laxus, after Freed and I broke up, I slept with him. I was pretty upset about my breakup with Freed so Laxus came to comfort me and it kinda just happened. No one else knew until now."

"And the third?"

"Um.." Lucy looks away from the relaxed man and whispers, "Rogue."

Sting chokes on his spit and he stares at the red faced blonde. "Are you kidding? Rouge? No way!" He then glances in front of him as he let out a puff of air. "Go Rogue."

Lucy looks back at Sting. "More than once.." She mumbles.

"What! He never told me!" Sting stares at her in shock. "I didn't even smell you on him."

"He wanted to keep our relationship a secret since he doesn't like attention. After about two months, I didn't like the whole secret relationship so I broke up with him."

"Wow, never thought Rogue would have it in him." He crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "He usually tells me everything."

Lucy giggles and shifts closer to him so she can nudge him with her shoulder. She smiles when he opens his eyes and stares down at her. "It's your turn."

Sting thinks for a while before letting out a laugh. "I don't remember their names."

"Liar!"

"I'm not lying. I seriously don't remember their names. They were all one night stands." He chuckles when she punches him.

"You ass. That's not fair." She pouts and crosses her arms under her chest while turning her head to the side, not noticing that it pushed her breasts up so they peeked out of the water. "So you've never had a girlfriend then?"

"Nope. I've been single my entire life." Sting's eyes wander down to her chest.

"Have you even had a crush or anything like that?" She bites her bottom lip.

"No." He looks away when she turns her head to him.

"Seriously?"

"Yes I'm serious. Now, how about we clean up? That's why we came here in the first place." He chuckles and grabs the forgotten bar of soap from her hand.

Lucy blushes slightly. "Oh, right. I forgot about that." She jumps with a squeak when Sting moves behind her and starts to rub the soap on her back. "Wh-What are you doing?"

He laughs and starts to massage her back with one hand while he glides the bar over her shoulders and back with the other. "Washing you?"

"I-I can wash myself!" She tries to take a step away but blushes brighter when the hand that was massaging her wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. "S-Sting! Th-This is inappropriate!"

Sting leans his head down and buries his nose in her hair. "Maybe so, but I can't help myself. You're just so sexy and you smell amazing."

Lucy bites her lip to hold in a moan when she felt his hardening member brush against her backside. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," He turns her around and pulls her chest tightly against his, "I want you."

"B-But we barely know each other."

"True, but we're friends aren't we?" His hands slide up and down her sides.

"Of course we are, b-but this is really intimate. Can't we get to know each other first?"

"What else is there to know? I've heard a lot about you."

"Like what?" She tilts her head.

"Lucy Heartfilia, Celestial Mage, twenty-five, but if you go by your looks then eighteen, both of your parents have passed, Natsu brought you to Fairy Tail, your first boyfriend was Freed, you have eleven golden keys after Yukino passed, the twelfth you had to give up to save everyone when Tartoros attacked. Does that sound about right?" He smirks.

Lucy blushes and stares into his eyes. "How do you know so much?"

"I have my ways." His hands slide down to cup her rear.

Lucy gasps and places her hands on his chest. "Sting Eucliffe, White Dragon Slayer, son of Weisslogia, twenty, you've been single your whole life, you had to kill Weisslogia when you were younger but he turned out to be alive the whole time, you have Rogue's power after you ate his shadows. does that sound right?" She smirks back.

He groans and was about to lean in to kiss her when she placed her fingers over her lips, his own making contact with the digits instead of her lips. "Lucy?"

"Not yet." She whispers and takes a step away from him.

"Yet?"

She giggles at the spark of interest that lit up in his eyes. "Yeah, Dork. Now let's finish cleaning up and we can head back to my place."