#lector the exceed

[bumblebeehug]

I can make polls on my phone so here we go😋

[love---mandy]

So this month I’m participating in Goretober on my Instagram so that leaves litterally no time for new art, which stinks cause I’d like to draw some more NaLu, however I’m determined to complete Goretober this year, in the meantime I forgot to post my Exceed drawings here

[celestialrayna]

Let's go Rogue!

Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney in their teens. It seems that Sting wants to show something to Rogue. So Sting takes his hand and leads him there. Rogue looks a bit surprise but... also happy. :D

Also the exceeds looks happy. Oh wait... Frosch is following the butterfly...

[firapolemos05]

Fairy Tail Exceeds as actual cats

Requested by @nashnathan

Happy - Korat (blue)

Carla - Persian

Pantherlily - Norwegian Forest (tuxedo)

Lector - Abyssian

Frosch - that one cat in Bulgaria that took a nap on a pile of powdered green paint

[phoenix-before-the-flame]

Slayers and their exceeds relationship (or how i see em anyways)

Natsu and Happy- Absolute best friends. Attached at the hip always but skewed a lil bit towards caring big bro and bratty lil bro who roasts the hell out of his big bro but always runs to him regardless and talks a lot of shit because he knows his brother's always gonna have him back so he can get away with anything.

Wendy and Carla- Sisters around the same age or close enough, but one takes it upon herself to be the bigger, responsible one and the other just humours her because she knows its coming from a place of genuine care and thats how she expresses love.

Gajeel and Pantherlily- Battle partners. Partners on equal footing with rough pasts but in different directions learning from and teaching each other. Very stoic from the outside but rag on each other in lil ways. But also Pantherlily likes to exert his old man privileges and push Gajeel's buttons to get him all extra riled up for funsies.

Rogue and Frosch- That's his blorbo. His skrunkly. His emotional support friend. His meow meow. Very protective of his lil comrade. Frosch enjoys the protection and the babying because sometimes they do need the extra love like that and they know that Rogue needs someone to baby sometimes too.

Sting and Lector- This is just the same person copy and pasted in a cat font.

[ohtobearandomftblog]

Any specific headcanons for the twin dragons of sabertooth?

i have two separate vibes/aus that change the headcanons for them but you dont get the family au that im still workin on bc im nowhere near sabertooth just yet so take this in whatever format happens as i write

birthdays literally 6 months apart to the DAY but ONLY on the years that have that extra day. leap year? they dont remember what its called

because of that and the "twin" in their duo name they just decided that fuck it that one day every like four years is their birthday. regardless that its a day after stings and six months (minus a day) before rogues

they genuinely dont remember whos older. its gotta be someone. they have no damn clue. one of them either looks older than they are or looks younger than they are and the people who bother commenting on it flip flop between em every time

yknow that dumbass "one room for opposite twins with one half all bright and bubbly and the other all dark and emo" trend? yeah thats their apartment

sting is the only one rogue cant really see much of with his shadows no matter how close or far he is. its cause o how fuckin bright he is.

rogue is the only one sting can hear without the hearing lacrima. sure its not crystal clear like his sight but he can sure understand what hes sayin eventually. he genuinely has no clue why

weisslogia and skiadrum lived really close to one another compared to all the other dragons and their slayers. whenever one loses sight of their slayer they just go to the other dragon and boom the kids are playin together in the forest

sting cant handle sleeping in pure darkness unless he sleeps next to rogue. rogue also cant handle sleeping in the light unless its right next to sting. theres a night light in their room on sting's side and rogue just pulls a hand towel over his face to block it out.

in a universe closer to canon, after jiemma nearly killed lector and sting killed jiemma, rogue tried to convince sting that maybe they should just join fairy tail at the soonest opportunity. minerva was just like jiemma and the only person who really showed they cared was yukino, who had been exiled earlier that fuckin week. sting was close to doing that after he got lector back, but then he became master instead of minerva, and suddenly they were too busy to think about joining fairy tail

after sting became master rufus and orga tried to be all buddy-buddy but rogue shot them down real fucking fast. it took many months before rufus and orga could earn the actual trust and respect of the dragon slayers and not just the "yeah i know them they joined same time as me. fuckin pompous pricks is what they are" that they always thought of them as

sting actually found frosch's egg and rogue found lector's. they were raised together but once the exceeds were able to start going on quests and were allowed out of the little hammock they slept in they had to swap primary parents. frosch was only comfortable in the dark and needed that pink frog onesie otherwise and lector was only comfortable in the light or hed get so anxious and have insomnia

sting and rogue have opposite personalities

everyone who never met them and had that as their only warning figured that oh the white dragon slayer was all bubbly and optimistic and the shadow dragon slayer was all emo and pessimistic

no

no no no no no its the EXACT opposite

sting is the one that talks about the macabre and is all "we're gonna die" 100% seriously about every little thing in a light voice and assumes the worst of everyone all the time

rogue is the one thats into shit like harajuku fashion and hello kitty and always says "of fun" to stings death talks in a serious voice and assumes the best of everyone all the time

lector. people assume hes either 100% sting or 100% rogue personality wise. no. he likes the macabre and dresses all jock n shit like sting but assumes the best of everyone like rogue

frosch is the opposite of lector. dresses all bright and bubbly but will say the most depressing shit youve ever heard

all four of them are siblings. they will beat the shit out of anyone who thinks sting and rogue are boyfriends

sting is like a toned down juvia but to natsu

rogue is like a toned down juvia but to gajeel

sting will say the most hypersexual shit to natsu half as a joke half seriously and natsu either doesnt realize it or is like "oh thats SO something i should say to lucy to make her pissed off". sting has accepted his position as the forever pining side character and he finds it hilarious

rogue will do everything he can to not speak to gajeel unless theyre both in a fight. not even to ask for a fuckin pen or somethin. the few times gajeel spoke to him (even to ask for a fuckin pen) short circuited him and he either stumbled his way to an answer or sting answered for him. hes also accepted his position as the forever pining side character but hes sad about it

after sting became master they kicked out so many assholes in sabertooth the guild was less than half of what it was in the gmg when they were done

honestly all of the new members still think rogue's the master. even when rogue specifically refers to sting as "master" so they can get in the habit of doing the same they still think people saying "master" means rogue and not sting.

sting makes fun of him for having ducklings

rogue makes fun of him for making him have ducklings since sting was the one that assigned him the position of "showing newbies around"

sting just laughs

[girlbossminerva]

It started with a conversation on the Decisions™ that were made in regards to FT and it ended up with Shay enabling me into making Exceed gijinkas in the sims. So enjoy my creations

Middle aged ex knight Pantherlily and the household's caretaker

Troublemaker of the household Happy

Responsible girl of the household Charles (Gender Neutral) AKA Carla

Cutest beby in the world Frosch

She/Her Lector

[the-writing-trash-panda]

A Job for Dragon Slayers

It was a strange request and Sting couldn’t figure out if he should put it on the board or not. In the end, he decided he would take the job and bring (drag) Rogue with him. Sting called out to Rogue as he ran to where his companion sat. Shoving the paper in Rogue’s face Sting explained how they were going to go on the job together and how it was going to be awesome. Rogue took a look at the request to get some information but found that there was very little.

“Sting, I don't know if this is such a good idea. Maybe we shouldn’t do this, or at least get someone else’s opinion.” Rogue said thinking that Sting would go to Yukino or Minerva to get their opinion on the job, but no he decided to go all the way to Magnolia to ask Natsu. Rogue got the two exceeds and followed Sting in hopes of stopping the idiot. Upon arriving at the Fairy Tail guild hall the Sabertooth members were greeted by Natsu and Gajeel fighting while Wendy tried to stop them.

“This is perfect, you two want to come on this job with us?” Sting asked, gaining the attention of the other three dragon slayers. “I guess Wendy can come too if she wants.”

“Heh, it’s like a job for dragon slayers. Laxus you want to come,” Wendy said.

“Not interested”

Rogue stared in disbelief as the others started making a plan. He had just wanted to take a few simple jobs in the town and relax for the rest of the day but now he had to go on a job with three idiots and a child.

As expected the train ride was miserable for all of them and if it weren’t for Panterlily they might have never gotten off. As the team walked through the small village they noticed that most of the buildings looked abandoned and only a few people were there.

“I’m starting to regret this,” Wendy said as she tightened her hold on Carla. “It’s a little creepy here.” The others agreed with her, though not out loud as to protect their pride. After meeting with the person that sent out the request and learning that they had to find and fight a monster the team started their search, the first place being the church.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Carla said right before the ground collapsed leaving the dragon slayers and exceeds in what looked like an old graveyard.

“Hey Sting, you don’t think that the monster is actually a bunch of ghosts hunting this place do you?” Lector asked, holding onto Frosch’s hand so that they didn’t wander off and get lost. Without another word, Sting ran further into the cave/graveyard with Natsu following shortly after. The others, not sure what to do anymore, followed the two hoping to find a way out that didn’t involve flying past a bunch of broken wood.

As they walked through the graveyard it started to get more and more creepy and Wendy was certain she had seen and heard a few ghosts. Carla had told her it was just her imagination but if she was being honest she had the same worries. Things seemed to be relatively fine, and then Natsu had to go and touch one of the many offerings and everything turned to chaos. Things started flying all around, the cave started shaking, and everyone was screaming.

Gajeel picked up Wendy and Carla and begin running back to the hole with Lily flying behind him. It didn’t take long for the others to do the same and without another thought, they flew out of the cave and left the village not caring that they didn’t finish the job.

[lokis-scribbles]

(via Lector and Frosch as humans Sticker by Lokis-Scribbles) I have all the dragon slayers exceeds as humans up on my Redbubble. Here's a link to Frosch and Lector.

[minyboy]

Bring on the fishies.

[happilychee]

fairy tail dragon slayer headcanons pt. 1

♡ what the first gen and second gen dragon slayers eat is pretty self-explanatory. all of their elements are... somewhat tangible. sting and rogue though? they're still figuring it out. rogue wonders if he can eat someone else's shadow, and sting immediately volunteers himself. "for science!" he says. the result is that sting almost passes out. oops. he insists they try on their friends, much to rogue's displeasure. the results are that sting is the most susceptible, then yukino, rufus, orga, and minerva is the least susceptible to magic drainage. sting insists rogue tries to eat an inanimate object's shadow, and nothing happens to it, so they decide that's the way to go.

♡ when wendy eats air, the oxygen levels thin. she has to be careful or she'll cause her allies and enemies alike to pass out. when sting eats light, the area gets darker and darker. this is great for rogue, who starts eating the shadows, and they manage to balance each other out.

♡ sting insists that different types of light taste differently. his favorite is light from golden hour, right when the sun is dipping below the horizon. moonlight will do in a pinch, but it's so diluted that it takes way more of it to recover sting's magic. he also gets sick if he eats too much moonlight.

♡ pantherlily already has transformation magic and enhanced strength, and carla learns to transform so she can help wendy fight. the other three exceeds feel... a little left out. happy learns how to fly faster and for longer (though he still complains about lucy being heavy). lector goes to porlyusica and wendy to learn some stamina regeneration spells for sting. everyone is surprised when frosch, completely on their own, manages to learn an adorable light spell that creates floating pink bubbles. rogue can consume the shadows from them without worrying about draining frosch's magic, and he spends the entire afternoon crying about it.

♡ dragon slayers are a bit like crows. their way of bonding with someone is through gifting trinkets. natsu will bring lucy, erza, and even gray pretty rocks or seashells that he's found on jobs. wendy picks up a new craft or hobby every week, so the members of fairy tail are constantly recieving handmade accessories from her (gajeel helps during the metalsmithing phase). gajeel does not buy cute things for people. he is like a dad in the fact that, when juvia mentions she wants watermelon, he buys her 20 watermelons. walking math problem fr.

♡ laxus has mixed feelings about his more draconic features and habits. he's never loved his magic because of the way he got it, and the memory of his father basically torturing him as he inserted the lacrima will stay with him forever. he tends to suppress dragon instincts more than anyone else in the group, and they all scold him for it. on a rare occasion, laxus will give in and buy something shiny (like a hairclip) for wendy. she has a little jewelry box for them that she guards fiercely.

♡ cobra considers himself more of a flying snake than a dragon. he once drew a picture that sent everyone into a laughing fit. he prefers to stick with the old oración seis crew, but the guild dragon slayers are always happy to see him when he stops by with crime sorcière.

♡ sting, because of his heightened senses and his affinity for light, prefers nighttime. the day can often be overwhelming, and overexposure to bright settings and lots of people leaves his skin buzzing. he likes to sit in the dim guild hall, leaning against the cool stone wall, as the chatter of the crowd quiets down with the setting sun.

♡ dragon slayers all have the Bite instinct. some exercise a degree of control about it, and others go crazy with it. wendy will very gently nibble on erza or mira's arm when she's in the mood, and sometimes she does it absentmindedly. natsu, on the other hand, is an absolute menace. multiple of erza's armor sets have natsu-shaped bite marks on them. he tends to go after her the most because he knows he won't hurt her with the armor. when natsu's more calmed down, he will chomp on lucy's shoulder. gajaeel copes by eating all of fairy tail's silverware (mira starts buying ceramic spoons), but when levy offers her wrist to him he can't help it.

♡ rogue is another one who doesn't really bite people. he, very rarely, nips at frosch's ears, which causes the exceed to giggle. sting is a Biter like natsu, but with slightly more decorum. he really wants to go at it but will restrain himself because most people aren't willing to be treated like a chew toy. luckily for him, gray and cana aren't most people! because they both wear pretty exposing clothing, gray and cana have no qualms about showing off sting's bite marks on their skin. sting always turns bright red when they tease him about it.

♡ laxus and cobra don't really feel the Bite instinct due to being second gen, but cobra is a little shit and bites people for the fun of it. laxus is completely unbothered when natsu clings to him like a koala and gnaws at him.

[celestialrayna]

It's Meow Night!

It's Halloween night... or Meow night?! This time it's Sting and Rogue again in costumes of their exceeds with a cat pumpkin?!

Happy Halloween!

[velvetydream]

꒰ :🌹 [ Motion sickness of a Dragon Slayer ] ”♡ᵎ꒱ˀˀ ↷ ⋯

Summary : It was already the second day of the grand magic games and you seriously didn't understand why they let Sting compete in the race. So now you had a sick Dragon Slayer on your hands, who was way to stubborn to admit it was a stupid idea to not let Orga or Yukino go.

Pairing : Sting x Gn! Reader

Word count : 625

Genre : Fluff

➵ Warnings ;

a/n : I can barely find Fairy Tail content, so now I've made it my resposibility to write fors this awesome show, starting with my all time favorite boy.. Sting! <3

I also just finished the grand magic games arc, so perfect to write for Sting!

┌───────────────────────── ·  ·  ·  · ♡

Why did he have to be so stubborn? It would have been much smarter to let one of the others compete.. But no that dumb ass with the adorable smile had to go up against Fairy Tails Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox. You understood that he wants to beat Natsu, the one he looked up to for years.. But did it really have to be in a race on moving carts?! Jiemma was so mad, Sting and the whole team couldn't allow themselves another slip up, or the whole guild would feel his rage.

“Sting it's me, I'm coming in.” Entering his room in the inn the guild was staying at, he was laying on his side, clutching his stomach. Beside his bed a little bucket just in case. Well at least it was good to know Sting and Rogue weren't the only Dragon Slayer with this issue. “Lectors out with Rogue and Frosch, they'll pick up some soup for you.” Upon the mentioning of food, the blonde poorly clutched his mouth, letting out a low groan, warning to not mention food again.

Setting the bowl of water you were carrying onto the nightstand, you take a seat at his side. Stings eyes averted. Of course. Ashamed is what he felt when he stood in front of Jiemma, of front of the whole guild.. And he still feels like this. Taking the rug from the water, you carefully wring out the excess water, before rubbing it softly over his face. A content sigh could be heard, as Sting turns onto his back, so you had better acess to his face. Poor boy, he looked completely out of it.

“Feeling better a bit?” Looking at him now, he nods. Eyes closed. For once he had a soft look on his face, no scowl, no sadistic smirk. Deep down he was a hurt little boy wanting to prove himself to whoever. It's sad what this guild made out of him.

“Sting! You're awake!” A cry could be heard, as the little red exceed jumped onto the bed, followed by Rogue and Frosch. “You should really think a little more before jumping straight into the games.” Rogue had a little annoyed look on his face, as he sets the bag with the soup on the table, the green cat letting out a little – Fro thinks so too. The two exceed seriously were the most adorable little beings ever. “Sorry you had to take care of him for being careless.” Words now directed to you, making you let out a little laugh. “Oh it's fine, at least I get to spend some time with my favorite Dragon Slayer.” Ruffling Stings hair now slightly, Lector letting out a surprised scream – at how someone could just touch Sting like that. The later now wearing his usual scowl on his face, with a little twist – he was blushing madly, averting his gaze to the other side and away from you.

Now that Sting was finally feeling better, it was time for the battles of the day. Following them back to the arena, Lector comfortably in your arms. Even if he didn't want to admit it, Lector liked you a lot. The battles were interesting to say the least, especially Mirajane against Jenny. What a show truly. So lastly now Yukino. Of course you were cheering for the white haired stellar magician. You two were quit close. Just like you were with Sting and Rogue. But at the end, she fell. Laying on her back and staring at the sky, tears streaming down her soft features. This was bad. Jiemma will not like this.

The evening and night to come.. were definitely something no one would have expected to happen.

[moongirlcleo]

Hiiii! I am good, thanks for being patient with me while my week has been so busy! Here are your HC’s as requested <3

When Sting meets his future s/o -

* When Sting first notices future s/o was during the Grand Magic Games X791. She was on Fairy Tail team A. She was really gorgeous, to which Lector teased him about staring for too long, but Sting of course denied that.

* The next round of matches found this mystery girl paired up with Minerva. Sting settled back into his chair, content to watch Minerva wipe the floor with this girl to help erase her from his mind.

* Imagine Sting and the rest of Sabertooth’s surprise when future s/o unleashes Dragon Force and proceeds to beat Minerva’s spatial magic without breaking a sweat.

* Jaws. To. The. Floor. Sting and Lector couldn’t help but stare as future s/o grinned directly up at the Sabertooth booth. Sting wasn’t sure what to make of it, apart from the fact he was instantly curious about this girl.

* Sting Rogue and the exceeds went for a walk later that evening to escape the wrath that Jiemma was going to unleash on Minerva. They wandered through Crocus just enjoying the weather and sights, when Sting spotted future s/o in a shop, talking with an elderly woman. He pulled his friend into the shop, pretending as if he was suddenly craving a pastry.

* “That’s a really funny way of saying you wanted to talk to her, Sting,” Rogue calls him out on his shit because he finds it hilarious.

* Throughout the rest of the games, Sting tries to find any and every chance to talk to future s/o, or be within five feet of her to try to get a read on her, but she tries to pay him no mind, thinking he was trying to distract her.

* After Fairy Tail wins the games, he corners her during the celebratory party and asks her on a date finally. To which she smiles and says “maybe.”

[kiliinstinct]

Snowflakes on Shadows - Stingue Secret Santa Gift

[A03]

A late Secret Santa gift for @ostensiblyfunctional for @theguildawards Server Secret Santa! I'm sorry this is so late, like I said on the A03, my internet dying really threw me off. This is my First Stingue, but I hope you enjoy it!

Sting was late.

Again. 

This wasn't the largest of surprises. Rogue wasn't too startled by the fact his shared quarters remained still and quiet into the night. In fact, he relished in his time alone while Frosch played with Lector. However, he couldn't ignore it when both Exceed's returned from the chilly outdoors, eyes swollen from exhaustion, as they crawled into their respective beds. It was late.

Far too late.

Rogue set aside the book he was reading and tucked Frosch into his bed with a click of his tongue, urging his small friend to sleep. His brows were knitted when he turned to the other, sitting forlornly across the hall on an empty mattress, head bobbing as he struggled to stay awake.

”Where’s Sting?” He asked, dreading the answer. 

“Not here.” Lector snipped, his fur bristling. Usually, he would be the first to sing praises of the Sabertooth Master, but today, distaste and disappointment darkened his expression, “Again. He said he'd come home tonight…“

”Do you want to go get him?“ Rogue asked, thinking back towards the already fast asleep, frog-loving exceed back in his room. Frosch could sleep the whole night through and not notice they were left alone for a short time. 

As if reading his thoughts, Lector shook his head, ”Nah, that might scare Frosch and it's my job to look out for them, y'know? But uh-“ and he wrangled his little paws together, voice rising with the plea, ”You could get him?“

In the end, despite the silence that fell between them, the Shadowslayer already knew what his answer would be as he nodded and walked briskly to the main room. Lector would keep an eye out on Frosch and once Sting was home, the mood would be far less somber. Or so he hoped.

Though he eyed the book he'd left behind mournfully, already half way through it. There'd be less time to enjoy the silence once Sting was home.  Shrugging, he grabbed his boots and listened to the wind howl outside the window. The glass panes were rattling and he could practically taste the chill in the air. By the time he left for the Guild, it would be snowing.

Grabbing his coat for good measure, and an extra one with a scarf for Sting, he steeled himself for the cold night air and left their apartment behind. 

Honestly, he should have done this hours ago, but the recent Guild Master's meet-up left him socially exhausted. In the past, they would meet together on neutral ground not run by any one master in Clover, but a new initiative for 'better guild unity' flipped the whole thing on its head. Now the Guildmasters drew lots and the so-called winners would be the next host. He recalled the day Sting had drawn the winning lot, smiling as he boasted their meeting would be the best experience in the home of Sabertooth.

A sense of dread hit him that very night, but Rogue kept his doubts to himself. Being the youngest Guild Master spurred the White Dragonslayer to prove himself, leaving no detail out of his plans for a Grand Meeting; demanding Rogue and the others work together to decorate, the Shadowslayer had bit back his words of disdain at every turn. Something hadn't set right with him about it, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Until recently. Five days after the meeting and he felt as if his own brain had oozed out from his ears and Sting... turning his attention to the fresh flurries beginning to cross his view, Rogue pushed the thoughts from his mind. He'd deal with his partner when he got there and not a moment sooner.

Gazania was gorgeous in winter, even with the chill and towering mountains that shadowed the city. His trek to the Guild was met with peaceful silence as the denizens of the City were locking their shutters and doors for the night, well-prepared for the coming cold. It filled Rogue with a homely comfort. 

Unfortunately that comfort dropped the instant he stepped into the Guild. New friendships forged and new strength was found amidst his fellow guild members, but a strange, tense air overwhelmed the hall as he entered. Either due to the silence of stragglers sleepily sitting at their tables or the hollow emptiness of the room so late at night, he couldn't be sure, but he mourned the loss of the crisp air and snow that had begun to cling to his thick hair and lashes. 

But he could only step so far into the hall before a few of his comrades perked up, eyeing him with forlorn expressions misted over by ale and frustration.

“Where have you been?” Dobengal asked through a tired yawn, “everyone's tried to drag Sting out of the office and nothing worked. Even Yukino's given up.”

A nudge of his head signaled Rogue to peer towards the nearby bar, where Sabertooth’s resident Celestial Mage dozed across the counter, fingers lightly grasping what looked to be a plate of cookies. Recognizing the white confections instantly, he raised a brow.

“...he wouldn't come down for the Float cookies?” He rhetorically asked. 

The echoing groans of assent from those remaining followed his steps as he moved along, draping Yukino's coat over her shoulders to keep her warm as he passed. At the same time, he grabbed the plate of cookies and continued up, considering his options as he went. 

Reflexively, he stopped from nibbling on one of the cookies, not wanting to deal with a loss of gravity as he headed for his goal. The further up he went, the more muted the great hall became and the more he could hear tired yawns and snarls of aggravation down the hall. Sting’s snarls.

With the sounds came the scent of his partner and Rogue sighed, already feeling a headache bubbling behind his eyes. This would go one of two ways and he quietly hoped the easier path would come out on top. Willing himself to meld in with the shadows of the hall, he whisked himself towards the door, sliding beneath it with nary a sound. It was easier that way, and gave him a better chance to assess Sting's mood before attempting conversation.

He didn’t regret the decision upon merging with the shadows on the floor, following stacks of paperwork and law books that sent his head spinning when he'd attempted perusing them months ago. Sting must have attempted reading through Guild and Counsel law for days if the multitude of open books littering the floor covered in dog-eared pages were the judge.

The rumpled pages of unfinished documents and rewritten proposals, thank you letters and the like, were another hint to the pressure Sting was under. He sat hunched over his desk, furiously scrawling words to paper that could barely be seen as the ink had long gone dry, he was simply too tired to notice until the paper tore from the sharp jabs of the pen. With a frustrated snarl, he tossed the document aside and rubbed his temples, eyes lacking their usual energy as he grimly looked at his covered desk.

The young Guild Master was exhausted. Rogue saw it in the grit of his jaw, the fluctuating, weakened magic that hummed under his skin, at the way his hair drooped from dragging his fingers through the blond locks far too many times. But the stubborn set of his brows spoke of a man refusing to give in despite his body's need to rest as he robotically reached for another paper to begin his writing anew.

Rogue didn't give him the chance. 

He struck as fast as his namesake, hand emerging from the shadows on Sting's Desk to grasp Sting's wrist tightly while the rest of his torso followed. Shadows kept him immersed in the hardwood while his red eyes glared into the blue of Sting's, expression neutral as he stared the other down.

Sting, despite the exhaustion, was quick to react, body jolting as he stood up, knocking his chair over in the process while a yelp echoed off the walls, “Holy shit, Rogue, what the hell do you think you're doing scaring me like that?!”

“The better question," Rogue said, grip tightening to steel as he set the extra coat and cookies aside before pushing the unused parchment out of Sting's reach, “Is why didn't you sense me?”

“Tch,” Sting twitched at the accusation, baring his fangs in distaste, “Asks the guy hiding in the shadows like a-”

Rogue tugged his hand, “Are you admitting I'm better than you at something?”

“What? Don't twist my words like that, you know I'm not that-”

“Exactly,” He wasn't going to let Sting get a word in if he was to get his point across, “We're partners for a reason and you are off your game. That's a problem.”

He grabbed the cookies then, brandishing the plate beneath Sting's nose.

“Yukino is still downstairs,” He said, then added, ”Sleeping now, but these were clearly made for you to relax. Did you know?“

Crossing his eyes to look at the plate before him, Sting had the grace to look guilty, ”...I ah... didn't unlock the door when she knocked.“

“You ignored her.”

He balked at the accusation, ”No! I knew she knocked, I just asked her to leave me alone so I could finish, that's all.“

When Rogue's only reply was to tighten his hold to almost bruising levels, Sting hissed in anger and yanked his arm back, almost spilling the cookies in the process.

”What's it to you anyway?“ He griped, rubbing his aching flesh, ”shouldn't you be at home, relaxing with a book?“

Rogue rolled his eyes so hard he felt they might get stuck in his skull, “Lector is upset.”

He didn't have to say anything further, watching as Sting deflated, head bowing to hide his expression behind his bangs. Cursing under his breath, he looked at the tossed aside letters and grimaced, ”shit, he begged me to come home tonight too.“

”And you haven't because...?” Rogue drawled, setting the cookies down to fully re-emerge from the shadows, effectively seating himself on the desk before the guilt-ridden Guild Master. 

When Sting refused to answer, teeth gritting so tight Rogue could hear the grinding of his jaw, the Shadowslayer realized he'd have to do more of the talking. Conversation wasn't his strong suit, no matter how much he tried, but relying on their well-tuned abilities to read the other was out of the question.

Not when the White Dragonslayer looked close to breaking down, shoulders quivering as exhaustion and frustration warred inside him.

”You're not going to prove anything to the other Guild Masters by overworking yourself.“ He pointed out, watching as Sting flinched at the call-out, ”didn't Master Bob tell you not to let the others get to you?”

A swell of emotions lit Sting's eyes, but his jaw clenched and served as the dam to hold each wave of thought back as it struck against him. Eyes shifted away in guilt and the slayer clicked his tongue, irritated. 

“You make...” He sighed, screwing his eyes shut, “It's not that simple. He makes it sound easy, but-”

He waved a hand to the stack of papers he'd been rifling through: stacks on stacks of documents to sign, correspondence with the counsel as well as future clients, but most notably were the letters sealed by a multitude of guild masters; the responses to their last meeting. All the envelopes were torn open, some uneven and others obliterated in a stress fueled rage. Rogue didn't have to look long to recognize the handwriting of a few and he could guess the content of most of them.

“... they didn't like meeting here, did they?” He surmised, waiting for Sting to fill in the blanks.

The coaxing was enough and the tired Master of Sabertooth exploded in desperate fury, throwing his hands into the air, “I can't please any of them! Either the meeting here was too non-professional, or too stuffy. They just have complaints upon complaints. One even claimed Jiemma would do better and I—!“

That name alone was enough to leave a foul taste in the shadow slayer’s mouth and he wasted no time in covering the envelopes with an entirely different stack of documents, hastily blocking Sting's view. It was enough. He deflated, voice dropping to a whisper as he resettled in his chair and dropped his face against the desk by Rogue's leg.

His voice whispered, muffled by the hardwood, but punctuated in exhaustion and a childish whine. ”Sometimes, I really HATE being the Master. Things were simpler when I was a regular member.“

Rogue wanted to respond, but the words jarred in his throat. Words of agreement or comfort tangled themselves and slipped away, leaving him to stare at his partner with a knitted brow and aching heart. It wasn't right to see the light to his shadows so dimmed and while he wanted to brighten it, strengthen that glow Sting was known for, he didn't know where to start. 

What he did know for certain, was that Sting was looking at this entirely wrong. His gaze shifted back to the hidden stack of letters, lips thinning into a deep set frown as a rumble of displeasure ran through him.

”You'll never be Jiemma.“ He said, voice firm as he untangled the string of words burning the tip of his tongue, ”Isn't that the point?”

Sting tilted his head, one eye peering through the fringe of his blond hair at the other, ”What do you mean?“

Rogue's frown deepened, ”Maybe this wasn't the job you had in mind. Maybe you'd be just as happy with someone else running our Guild, but can you honestly say you'd want it to run the way it was before?“

Sting's answering growl was all the encouragement Rogue needed to continue. ”Those who claim otherwise don't understand what he did to us. How he turned us into soldiers who couldn't trust our own members. They're the old Masters, stuck in their ways, who will be replaced sooner than others.“

And, thinking back towards the bit of return addresses he'd seen, Rogue added, ”... and they weren't all bad, were they?“

”Hmm?“ Sting mumbled, already a bit of shine was returning to his eyes, a sight that chased away his ill at ease feelings.

”Master Bob's letter thanked us for hosting,“ He replied, voice lowering to match Sting's tone, holding their voices just between them and away from the office's open air, “And you can't tell me Makarov of Fairy Tail had anything negative to say. Not with how his Guild is run after all.”

Sting snorted, lips giving the slightest curl of a grin, “He asked what brewery we get our drinks from.”

“Of course he did,” he deadpanned. His expression must have changed as the sight sprung a laugh from Sting, giving just a little more light to the room. 

But there was still doubt, the shadow slayer could sense it and when Sting's amused grin turned down again, he acted fast. Cutting him off with a finger to Sting's lips, Rogue leaned down to brush strands of hair from the other's face, quietly talking into his ear as he did.

”Those outside of us,“ He murmured, ignoring the way Sting shivered as his breath ghosted across his skin, ”- outside of our Guild, will never fully understand the changes you wish to implement. Not yet. But we know. All of us. And we support it. What matters more, the opinions of those old coots or our Guild?“

”Why are you asking obvious questions?“ Sting snapped, though there was little bite in his words. Rogue hummed and allowed instinct to guide his actions, nipping the tip of Sting's ear in gentle reprimand before he leaned back, just in time to see Sting's wide eyes and pink cheeks as he snatched Rogue's hand in his.

”A bit forward for you, isn't it?“ He drawled, grip tight as he rubbed his smarting ear.

“Obvious questions for an idiot stuck in the opinions of those who don't matter,” He said matter of factly. Temptation pulled at his senses, to tease and meld back into the shadows and out of Sting's grip, but now was not the time for that sort of play. He smirked, “And a bite for the stupid question.”

“You're really asking for it, you know that-”

“Later.” He interrupted, eyes hardening. “For now, we should head home. Lector's waiting.”

“But-” And while Rogue could see the confliction on Sting's face, a want to avenge himself warring with duty, he could see the way his eyes slowly slid back to the mountain of papers before him. There was a lot of it. Too much for one person. 

“Sting,” Rogue said, his voice a simple demand for his fellow slayer to turn his attention back to him. “You are what this Guild needs. Just Sting Eucliffe. No one else. If I offer to help tomorrow, will you please come to bed?”

A plea. His last ditch effort for results, but it did the job he intended. Sting's shoulders sagged and relief flooded through his body like a wave as he finally allowed a yawn to pass through sharp fangs, blinking wearily at the ceiling.

“I hate when you're right,” He grumbled, jumping back to his feet with no further coaxing. “Leave the float cookies: I can have them tomorrow.”

“And Yukino?” Rogue pressed, not missing Sting's subtle nod to his hand, offering to tug him off his perch. He accepted with ease and followed the White Slayer back around and towards the doors. He only paused to grab the spare coat off the table, unceremoniously draping it over the Master's shoulders and as the scarf dragged against the floor. The snickers heard beneath the coat as Sting struggled to put it on, set the world back into place and he nodded to Rogue's question the moment his head was free and clear once more.

”Yeah, yeah, I'll apologize to her, too,“ he griped. ”You're awfully naggy tonight, aren't you?“

”I'm not against throwing you into the first snow pile I see,“ he threatened, but the heat of their fingers together warmed him from inside out and finally, the light he counted on to chase his shadows away, illuminated his every step.

There was no need to sink back into the dark magic now. He'd rather bask in the heat of Sting's rays as they finally left the guild to give Sabertooth’s young Master the sleep he desperately needed. 

When they made it through the door of their shared apartment, with snowflakes dusting their hair and the cold chill of the night painting their skin, Lector had joined Frosch in sleep, curled side by side as they patiently waited in Rogue’s bed. But there was no time to wake them or give apologies, as Sting's stubborn determination finally gave way to exhaustion and he stumbled over his own feet. 

Rogue was fast to maneuver him to his own bed and he sighed when his back sank into the mattress. As Rogue finished tucking him in, stuffing bits of blankets onto either side of him, he was already out cold, gentle snores escaping with every breath. His fingers, however, were still entangled with Rogue’s, refusing to let go.

Rogue thought back to the book he'd been reading, left alone in the other room, out of reach, and shrugged. It would be a simple matter to unhook their hands and grab his book, returning to a night of quiet, but one look into Sting’s face told him all he needed to know. He held tight to  Sting's hand and accepted his new plans. Falling atop the thick blankets of Sting's bed, He curled up beside the other, listening to the rise and fall of his partner’s breathing to lull him to sleep.

Everything else could wait.