Chapter Text
Sting and the other Sabertooth members were Hanging out in the Swimming pool located in their Guild hall, Sting was Constantly Throwing a beach ball back and fourth between him and Yukino.
Everyone was cheerful and happy as they hung out together, When Rogue happened to walk along the side of the pool.
Sting saw him as he caught the beach ball back from Yukino and he smirked, tossing the ball at full force towards Him.
Rogue didn't even look towards him, but he caught the ball in his hand and glared over at Sting intensely, and everyone in the water stopped and stared at Rogue, silence filling the room.
Rogue lowered his arm down and released his grip on the ball, letting it roll away behind him "....Be Quiet!" Rogue Hissed as he walked away from them all, rubbing his head with his fingers, Frosch hurriedly ran behind Rogue as to keep up.
Sting looked a little Aggravated By Rogue at the Same as shocked, Yukino looked a little concerned.
"Is Rogue okay..?" She Questioned. "I don't know... Usually he just throws it back, and then we quarrel a bit, But.." Sting said, starting to swim to the edge of the pool. "...I'll go check on him."
Rogue was standing in a farther back section of The guild, leaning against the wall as Sting approached him, his eyes closed loosely.
"Rogue." Sting said, Rogue held his eyes closed Tighter, "Don't try and ignore me, Why are you acting so Glum?" Sting said.
Rogue didn't reply, So Frosch Walked in front of Rogue and Looked up at Sting. "Rogue is not feeling well, So Don't get mad at him for acting Gloomy!" Frosch insisted.
Sting Bent down to Frosch and Pat his back. "I'm not mad. Just Curious." Sting said, smiling slightly at Frosch, Frosch looked uncomfortable from what he was doing.
"...Frosch Doesn't like that." Rogue looked down at them with one eye opened. "He hates his back to be patted, it makes him feel uncomfortable."
Sting looked up at Rogue and put his hand by his side. "Really?" Sting asked, Rogue nodded. "Lector usually Liked it, So I thought maybe Frosch would to." Sting said.
Sting rubbed Frosch's head and Frosch let out a little 'Pur' sound. "That's better, eh?" Sting looked back to Rogue. "Now what's this he says about you not feeling well? You sick?"
Rogue Stood in silence for a bit as he watched Sting "Nothing like that, My head is just-- ...It's just a Headache.. I overreacted, really." Rogue crossed his arms over each other. "I was a little more effected by it at the moment, but it's calmed down some more now.." Rogue said.
"I see... So then it's gone?" Sting asked, Rogue shook his head, "Not even close. It's been like this since yesterday, it keeps getting better for a while, and then it's almost unbearable.. It was a little in-between earlier."
"Did you try getting some rest?" Sting suggested. "Rogue Refuses to sleep!" Frosch said as he looked up at Sting.
"If I could, I would. But I haven't been able to get to sleep." Rogue said.
"You should just go lay down and Listen to one of Rufus's Poems, never fails to put me to sleep." Sting cackled. "I dozed off a time or two in the middle of some of them."
"Rufus read those to the whole Guild... you were the only one of us all to fall asleep." Rogue said, Frosch nodded in agreement. "Lector had to pull you out of the room so your snoring didn't outlast Rufus's talking." Frosch said.
"How did...?" Sting started to ponder, When the little sound of little fuzzy paws came running across the hard floors of the guild.
"Sting-Kun!!" Lector Called in the distance as he ran up towards them,"Ah, Speak of the Devil!" Sting turned towards Lector with a smirk.
a sharp pain Struck Through Rogue's head when he heard Lector shout, he Grunted, turned and gripped his hands on his head.
"Rogue!?" Sting and Frosch said in Unison, both leaning forward towards him. Lector looked confused as he approached them.
"I'm fine.. I'm alright." Rogue said, Rubbing his temples and gritting his teeth. "It just caught me off guard, that's all.. I'm a little sensitive to loud voices right now, though." Rogue said.
"Rogue..." Frosch said, Rogue tried to force out a small smile down at Frosch. "I'm fine." He repeated.
Sting bent down to Lector. "What is it Lector?" Sting asked, Patting his back.
"Sting-Kun, Please don't do that... It's uncomfortable!" Lector said, Sting Chuckled. "Don't pretend you don't like it!"
"Sting-Kun..." Lector pushed Sting's hand out from behind him, much to His surprise. "...I have a message from Fairy Tail."
Both Rogue and Sting seemed surprised by this. "Fairy Tail you say? Are they here?" Sting wondered.
"No, But they're using Warren's telepathy to contact us! Sting-Kun and Rogue-Kun are here now, Natsu-San! Go on and tell them everything you told me." Lector said with a smile.
"Ay! Sting, Rogue! Long-Time-No-See!!" Natsu said Cheerfully, "Natsu-San!" Sting said. Rogue Clenched his head again and Grunted.
Sting looked at Rogue. "Oh.. That's right. Natsu-San, whatever it is, do you think you could leave Rogue out of it for now? I'll explain it to him later." Sting said.
"Oi? Okay, I guess.. I'll have Warren disconnect him for now.." Natsu said.
Rogue stood up straight. "No, Don't bother with it.. Just go ahead and tell us both." Rogue said.
"Is.. something wrong with Rogue-San?" Wendy asked.
Sting looked over at Rogue and he shook his head. "....No. He's just tired from not sleeping, I was just going to let him rest a bit but he seems to be fine." Sting Lied.
"Pretty Weak-Sauce if you can't stand a little drowsiness, Raios." Gajeel remarked.
"It's Rogue now. R-O-G-U-E, Rogue." Rogue said.
"I don't know why you're so offended by Raios Now." Gajeel said. "He probably ain't offended by the name, just offended by You saying it." Natsu said.
"Don't Butt in, Salamander!" Gajeel said. "And how about you Butt out!" Natsu retorted.
"Gajeel, Natsu-San.." Sting said.
"Huh? What is it?" Natsu asked. "Didn't you say you had something to tell us.. or did you just call us up to fight again?" Sting replied.
"Oh, that's right! We can continue this later." Natsu glared at Gajeel. "When I came into the guild this morning, Gramps called me back to the counter-top, along with Gajeel and Wendy. He showed us a flyer that was previously posted on the job board, and read us what it said." Natsu started.
"...The job was set up Strictly for The first and third generation Dragon slayers, They requested a guild alliance job." Wendy continued for Natsu. "We don't know much about it, The information was pretty limited." Gajeel finished.
"A guild alliance Job..?" Sting repeated. "That sounds interesting, It's been a while since we all worked together. We'll come with." Rogue said, Sting looked at Rogue as if to post an argument, but Rogue cut him off by putting his hand to his own mouth as to tell him to be quiet.
The look in his eyes read 'Don't you make me look Weak in front of Gajeel, I'm going. whether I feel good or not.'
"You Guys better. This job's Been Looked over by the Council, They Demanded that we go out on it." Natsu said.
"Hey, Raios, I expect to get a good fight in once this job is done!" Gajeel said.
"Rogue. And I won't hold back." Rogue said.
"Hey! If Scrap Metal's getting to fight with him, then I'm expecting to fight you, Sting!" Natsu said.
"Hah. Count on it. I was just going to start the fight along the way, but This works to." Sting said with a big grin spread across his face. "Happy, go get our stuff ready at our place. And pack lots of food!" Natsu said.
"Aye Sir!" Happy said as he saluted Natsu.
"Happy-San!" Lector greeted the cat over the Telepathy. "Lector?" Happy asked. "That's right! I didn't know You were there, It's been awhile." Lector said.
"Fro thinks so, to!" Frosch said, agreeing with Lector.
"Aye, I'm Natsu's Accompaniment on the job." Happy said.
"You get to help with the jobs, to?" Lector said. "Of course! Natsu wouldn't even be alive now if it weren't for me saving his behind!" Happy said with a very confident smile.
"Hey, Let's not get Carried away, Happy.." Natsu said, pushing the little cat's head down. "All of the Exceeds come on the jobs to help, don't you guys get to come?"
Lector and Frosch both turned to Sting and Rogue. "Sting-Kun, I want to help you with the job, Not sit behind and cheer you on... I want to help, like Happy-San!" Lector said.
"Fro wants to go, too!" Frosch said.
"If you want to help, I'm not gonna stop you." Sting smiled at Lector. "Couldn't leave without my partner."
Rogue looked down at Frosch. "No doubt it'll be dangerous..." Rogue said.
"Fro knows... I don't care, Fro wants to be strong like Rogue, too.." Frosch said, fiddling with his paws.
Rogue smiled at Frosch. "You'll have to stay by my side the whole time." Rogue said, Frosch nodded and smiled at Rogue.
"Geez, How often is it that you baby Him like that?" Gajeel said with a fold of his arms. "The exceeds aren't little kids, they're extremely capable creatures."
"Frosch is a little different, though..." Sting Whispered.
Rogue was bending down and petting Frosch's head at the time.
"...But besides that, when do we set off on the job?" Sting asked.
"We discussed with Gramps, he thinks we should set off for it tomorrow morning. It's two days by Carriage, but the Job itself shouldn't take more then a day." Natsu said.
"Two days... by.. Carriage...?" Sting said, putting his hands to his mouth at the thought of it, Natsu did the same.
"We're... going by Carriage?" Rogue said.
"Don't worry, I'm going to use my Troia so none of you will have to worry about your Motion Sickness." Wendy Smiled.
"That's right.. That was The plan, wasn't it?" Natsu said, Wendy nodded. "alright, so then that means we take off tomorrow morning." Wendy said.
Rogue thought about what they said for a moment. "Hold on, we can't go tomorrow, Sting." Rogue said. "Eh, Why not?" Sting asked.
Lector then remembered something Sting had said a few days ago. "He's right, You're supposed to be meeting with an S Class wizard of another guild, remember? They sent you that letter a while back saying they had some business to discuss with you." Lector added.
"Oh. I forgot about that..." Sting said, starting to space out in thought. "Then how about we just go the day after that, we've got nothing to do then, right?"
"Right." Yukino said as she approached the two of them. "There's nothing planned for it. But I'll help watch over the guild while you're gone. just say Hi to Lucy for me while you're there!"
"Ah, Thanks, Yukino." Sting Greeted Yukino with a smile, and she smiled back.
"Two days then?" Sting asked. "Sounds good to me." Natsu replied. "Yeah. sure.. I got nothing I need to be doin' then." Gajeel said. "Sure." Wendy said.
"Then it's been resettled. we'll meet in Two days." Lector Said. "Aye, We'll drop by your guild then and we can take off together from there. see you then!" Natsu said, and with that, Warren's Telepathy ended.
Sting looked at Rogue, and for a few minutes it was quiet..
"...You just lied to Them, of all people.. you lied to your friends." Sting broke the Silence. "..If I would of told them then I would've never heard the end of it. Wendy would've insisted I'd stayed, and Natsu and Gajeel after her. This job's something we have to do, if the council insisted on it.. I owe it to them as they're friend." Rogue said, turning to walk away from Sting.
Sting grabbed his arm. "If they're your friends, then they wouldn't have you do something like that.. we're all Dragon Slayers, Practically family.. If even one part of that family is harmed, the others respond. but how can one respond if they're hurting, to?" Sting's grip on Rogue tightened. "Think about that, then decide if you really want to go or not.." Sting loosened his grip as he slipped passed Rogue.
"Rogue.." Yukino said. But was Silenced when Rogue put his hand up. "...Sting's wrong... Wrong to be worried about something so small. it's pathetic to go that far over something like this." Rogue said.
"...I know." Yukino said.