CONTROL - Ver. 2

XXXII

Rin, Sting, and the exceeds packed up their belongings and departed from the city of Gazania for a leisurely expedition to their job. The female had chosen a simple mission; retrieving a stolen artifact and returning it to the owner. How hard could it be? They were to head to Balsam Village where their client awaited their arrival.

Since the two Dragon Slayers agreed not to travel on any sort of vehicle, it was decided that they'd walk to the destination since it wasn't incredibly far and they were in no rush. The couple walked hand in hand, clad in comfortable clothes as they didn't suspect any fighting to be going down during their travels.

Leese perched on top of Rin's head while Lector trotted beside Sting's feet, the little group resembling that of a family; parents and their kids. The brunette bit her lip at the thought. One day, that fantasy would come to pass as long as they stayed together. And seeing how smitten they already were, it was inevitable.

A smile graced her lips at the thought. She imagined a tiny blonde boy running around and clinging to her legs. A carbon copy of her mate. The idea made her heart swell. Look at Bisca and Alzack. Watching little Asuka grow up had been exciting in their small guild these last few years and she loved having days off of work to babysit the kid. Maybe starting a family wouldn't be so bad after all.

"You seem happy." Sting's voice cut her out of her thoughts. Her violet eyes met his which gleamed with delight. Rin shrugged slightly, squeezing his hand. The blonde had decided not to wear his gloves on his trip so that he could hold her hand properly. It seemed like the right thing to do and he liked it better, anyway.

"How could I not be?" She offered him a smile, her cheeks heating up ever so slightly.

"'Cause you get to spend time with me," he replied smugly. Rin rolled her eyes and giggled, not denying his tease.

"You guys are so gross," Leese mumbled from above Rin.

The group conversed for hours on their walk until the sun began to set. Rin had sent Leese to scout the area and find a safe spot for them to rest for the night.

"Didn't think you were the type to camp." The brunette looked back at her mate who followed her and her best friend to a small opening in the brush.

"It's a habit, I guess." She scratched the back of her head, only now realizing that most people probably didn't do this. "When I was younger, Natsu and Lucy would take me on jobs with them and we'd usually just camp instead of worrying about hotels and stuff."

"You hunt, too?" Rin nodded.

"I don't need to anymore since I can store food with my requip now, though." Sting nodded, setting down his bags beside hers and stepping away from the area to gather firewood. Leese and Lector worked to dig out a small pit for the fire while Rin used her little amounts of magic to take out food and sleeping bags. Leese side-eyed her for using her magic but ignored it since they didn't really have much of a choice. It was becoming clear to her that Rin really didn't know what to do or how to act without her magic.

Sting returned shortly after and neatly arranged the wood to be lit for a fire. The only problem he was having was how to light it. Rin watched from her seat on the ground as he stared at the pit, seemingly hoping to burn holes into the logs. It wasn't until he grew a pout that she began to laugh and moved to sit beside him. "Watch and learn, pretty boy."

Rin pulled out a flask of alcohol and carefully poured it over the wood. Of course, she has alcohol on her... Then, Leese flew above the logs at a safe height and struck a match, dropping it into the pit and watching as the flames blew up into the air in one fell swoop.

"Save any of that liquor for me?" Rin chuckled and shook her head as she took her seat beside her mate once more. Lector had perched on the opposite side of him, resting against his thigh. Leese dropped down from the sky and plopped directly into Rin's lap, curling up and preparing for sleep.

"It's not alcohol I keep around for drinking. I save it for occasions like this when I don't have a fire mage with me."

"You travel with a lot of fire mages?" Sting's smirk grew, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Not in over seven years." She leaned closer to him and stopped just short of their noses touching. "I think white mages are my new go-to." He wasted no time in ducking down to press his lips to hers. It was soft and short, but it was perfect, just like all of their kisses. Rin scooted closer to him and leaned into his side, getting comfortable. For once in her life, she felt at ease. She was content and stable and nothing could ruin this moment for them. Nothing.

竜

Sting's eyes fluttered open to the sound of chirping birds above their heads. He slowly sat up, realizing that Rin was no longer attached to his side and that the fire had been put out. He didn't remember when they'd fallen asleep, but he definitely felt well-rested.

His blue eyes scanned the clearance, locking onto the sight of his mate in meditation. Her body floated about two feet off the ground and her legs were crossed. Her hands were positioned in dhyana mudra and her eyes were shut. Her entire body looked relaxed, almost as if she were sleeping. However, she peaked an eye open at the sound of Sting waking and exhaled deeply before setting her feet back on the ground.

"Shouldn't you be saving your magic in case of an emergency?" Rin shrugged, walking over to give him a "good morning" kiss. He smiled at her approach, leaning forward to meet her only to be thrown for a loop. Before he knew it, her back was pressed to his chest and his body was being thrown over her shoulder. He landed with a thud, wincing at the pressure he felt on his back and shoulders.

"I don't need magic to defend myself," she teased. However, Sting wasn't just gonna let that slide. He rose from the ground and charged her, attempting and failing to land a palm strike to her back. She dodged and spun to face him, now running at him with the intent to win this fight that she had started.

The two were now full-on sparring, leaving the two exceeds to watch by the firepit. They watched back and forth as blows were exchanged, although none with any intent to do any damage. Finally, Rin got the upper hand with her speed and slipped her foot behind his, pushing his opposite shoulder back until he tumbled to the ground. The brunette pinned him down, hovering over him to signal the end of the fight.

Sting stared up at her, noting her serious expression. He was breathless and his body lay slack underneath hers. He felt like prey under her gaze, colder than the soft and bubbly personality she'd had the day before. And then it changed. Golden flecks danced in her irises as she smiled down at him, her cheeks rosy and glowing with a bit of sweat. "Good morning."

Rin leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before pulling herself off of him, though reluctantly. "I had to make you work for it." She offered a hand to him and pulled him up to stand with her. When she pulled a bit too hard, he almost came crashing into her had it not been for her palms meeting his waist and steadying him. His hands instinctively found her hips, holding her close to him.

"There are other ways I could've done that," he flirted. She tilted her head up for another kiss but got interrupted by the sound of gagging by the firepit. Leese was keeled over in mock disgust while Lector frowned at the two.

"Not while we're around," he pleaded. The two adults laughed before moving back to their belongings and beginning to pack up. Their destination was still a few hours away so it was best they leave early and make it to their client for the run down while saving enough time to get settled into a hotel and begin their investigation.

The group continued their trek, the couple interlocking their fingers once again. It was a beautiful day which meant that this trip couldn't have started any better. They had doubts that any bad fortune was in their future but they might just be in for a treat.

"When we get back to your guild, can we spar some more?"

"Sure."