Natsu awoke to the feeling of arms wrapped around his torso. He looked to his right and saw the sleeping form of Sting cuddling against his side. 'Oh, great he's back to normal.' He thought relieved that he's no longer a dragon. He moved to try and get up but before he got far he heard a pleading growl from the sleeping slayer. "You're ridiculous..." he sighed. Rogue walked into the room and chuckled softly.

"This is why I didn't want to let him cuddle me," he laughed. "I should get a photo Lacrima for Mira, she'd faint!"

"W-what, why?!" He asked a little too loudly causing Sting to hug him tighter and growl softly.

"You know how Mira is, she's got a whole harbor of ships waiting to sail" he said with a wink.

"Huh?" He asked, "I didn't know Mira owned any boats..."

"I- never mind..." The shadow dragon slayer sighed, "I'm gonna go to the guild, enjoy being stuck there until he wakes up." He said with an evil smirk before leaving the cottage. Natsu tried to process what just happened but came up blank.

'What do boats have to do with this...', he looked back to the blond who was snuggling him and decided to wake him, "Sting... Sting, wake up already". In response the white dragon slayer hugged even tighter, knocking the air out of Natsu's lungs. 'Now I see how you almost suffocated Rogue! Fine, if you weren't so cute I- WAIT CUTE???!!!' He looked down at the sleeping form, 'I mean kinda-'. He turned over slowly to not disturb him and looked at his face. "Yeah, he's definitely cute" he thought aloud. Sting stirred a bit from the hot breath on his face.

"W-what? Can you say that again?" He mumbled with his eyes closed. He felt too tired to move even his eyelids.

"What? N-nothing!" He said quickly, hoping that he didn't hear what he said.

"Nothing? I'm pretty sure you just said something but okay..." he yawned. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Oh, sure." He tried to stand but couldn't thanks to two restricting arms around his torso. "Sting... your arms."

"Huh? Yeah, and?" He asked. Before Natsu could answer Sting started coughing. "Can I cuddle you, I'm cold...". Natsu felt his head and gasped at the heat, or lack thereof.

"You idiot, you're sick..." he panicked, then sighed when he realized what it might be, "I think it's just a case of MDS so it's not contagious. Probably drained all your magic overnight, being so tiny and adorable." Natsu giggled a bit at the memory.

"Well then I need warmth, so cuddles!" He pouted. 'Sadly' his cuddles actually would be necessary if he was already freezing cold.

"Fine... Happy, Lector!" He called.

"Whut...?" Happy said sitting up from his and the Exceeds hammock. As they were all cats they didn't think cuddling with each other at night was weird.

"Can you get some water bottles, the hot water ones that you're meant to hug? Stings freezing and I don't want to lie here all day" He said while beginning to pull the covers up over the two while Sting pressed against his side.

"Is he sick or something?" Lector asked from his side of the hammock.

"Yeah he used all his magic last night, he probably just needs to rest for a bit and he'll be good as new!" " He said trying to reassure the red exceed. Happy sighed before flying over to the other side of Sting. "Happy the pillo-" He stopped when the blue cat started pulling a few from between the wall and bed, "You've got to be kidding me!" he laughed.

"Dont judge me, they're so nice and warm, perfect when i'm trying to sleep. Now shut up and let me do just that. I'm so tired..." He whined while tightening his grip on Natsu.

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu sighed as he laid back and slowly increased his body temperature. Sting cooed at the increase in warmth. "Goodnight..." He sighed as the blond made himself more comfortable. It wasn't long till the blond was snoring, thankfully, quietly.

"Natsu! We got the bottles ready!" Lector exclaimed while he flew into the room carrying three bottles.

"Aye!" Happy followed close behind with another four, "These should last so you'll be able to get up. We can look after him so you'll be able to go to the guildhall." Natsu raised an eyebrow surprised that neither wanted to go and charm Carla.

"Carla's on a mission with Wendy and Juvia" Lector sighed in defeat. Natsu giggled a bit when he responded to an unasked question. Natsu waited for the cats to wedge the pillows between him and Sting until he pried his hands off.

"Shoot" He winced when Sting scratched his abdomen. He finally sat up and stretched his arms before getting off the bed. "I'm gonna go get changed and head to the guild, that fine you two?" He asked as he walked towards his bedroom, but turned to listen for their answer.

"Yep"

"Aye!" They yelled their approvals so Natsu changed before slipping out the door. The walk to the guildhall was boring and uneventful. When he arrived he kicked down the door and yelled his good mornings.

"Where's Sting?" Rogue asked from his seat, Erza was away on a job with Gray and Gajeel locating some rare mineral in the mountains so Rogue was peacefully reading something.

"He's sick, the cats are taking care of him now. That idiot used up all his magic being stuck in that form all night." He sighed as he sat down at the bar next to Rogue. He ordered his usual, which not surprisingly, was a bit of everything. "Ahh, that was tasty! Now I think we should go back and check on Sting and then go out to train some more." He said to Rogue.

"Sure, no point sitting around here. Can't go on a job either." He replied, then turned and stood up before heading to the door.Natsu slammed the jewel for his breakfast on the counter before running after him.

"Wait up!" He yelled.

"Oh, sorry." Rogue replied without turning around. The walk was mostly quiet as it always was. Rogue was the quiet type and only spoke when he had to. Natsu disliked it as it was always boring when it was just the two of them. Only nice thing is it feels like time passes by faster so they were back at the cottage in no time. The scene inside was interesting to say the least. Happy was curled up in a fetal position rocking himself back on the floor, while Lector's red tail poked out from under a pot on the other side of the room.

"What happened... I was only gone an hour and a half!" Natsu laughed.

"Sting. Cuddles. Terrifying." The pot said rather ominously.

"Aye-" Happy continued rocking himself on the floor. "This is your problem, I'm leaving before I die!". He yelled dramatically before opening the door and flying away.

"I'm leaving too!" The pot exclaimed as it scurried across the floor and out the door before running down the path. Natsu and Rogue watched the two run away.

"Wait, where's Frosch?" Natsu asked. Before the shadow dragon slayer could pounce and murder him Frosch called out.

"Over here!" They looked to Sting to see the green exceed being squeezed like a stuffed animal. Rogue gasped before rushing over trying to figure out how to get his friend out of the vice grip. Natsu sighed before sitting down on the bed.

"Here he'll go to whatevers warmer, I'm guessing, so he'll grab me. Can't believe he's this needy!" Natsu groaned. Surely enough after he reached his hand over next to Sting, he let go of the green exceed and started to hug his arm. Natsu lied on his side with his back facing away from Sting. "There problem solved. Now i'm stuck here." He gasped lightly when Sting wrapped his arms around his torso again. "And I just escaped too..."

"Well I'd get used to it if i were you. It'll be at least a couple days before he recovers." Rogue chuckled, a bit darkly too. "I'll go find those two and see if there's any jobs in town we could do."

"What!? No, don't leave me!" Natsu cried.

"I'm not gonna deal with... this." He gestures to the two of them. "Just fall asleep or something, you're good at that." He opened the door, "Cya". He slipped out and closed it. Natsu huffed before turning himself onto his right side. Being forced to look at Sting, which wasn't all that bad but he wouldn't admit, or even know he thought that. He pulled the covers up to cover them, and as it was intended for one only managed to cover Sting and only half of himself.

"Can't believe i'm forced to babysit..." he let out an exhale of breath causing the white dragon slayer to move his face a bit. Natsu began drifting off to sleep but for some reason he kissed Sting's forehead before completely passing out. Sting subconsciously smiled even while being completely oblivious to what's going on in the waking world. Natsu noticed this and smiled back before resting his head on the pillow and completely fading from consciousness.