Hey, everyone.

Once again, I decided to try something different. I don't even know where this came from or why, it came to me, but I thought it was worth posting.

After all, ther are still many ships which deserve my attention that I haven't written about. Sting x Rogue is one of them. (Fraxus too, but I see a story involving them in the near future)

Hope you enjoy!

He was losing his mind. Between the pleads of the dragon which somehow knew exactly who he was and the strange shadow that had begun haunting him that day, it was impossible to think straight.

The words they were saying made no sense in his confused, jumbled mind, and he had trouble believing it. He couldn't, because it just wasn't possible.

I am the darkness that always follows you. It hurt to think that this wasn't as unbelievable as it should be. For even if Rogue had always tried to fight it, he knew there was a darkness inside of him.

Whether it derived from his tragic past- which he remembered only enough to know it hadn't been easy- or from the use of shadow dragon slaying magic, he didn't know. Then again, it didn't really matter where the darkness had come from. What mattered is that it had always been there, haunting him.

You're the only human who'll survive this out slaughter. Hearing this was worse. Much worse.

The thought of being alone, a sole survivor in a world taken by darkness and death, killed him. He couldn't bear it; not right after he had finally found a reason to keep going.

Friends. The one thing he hadn't thought he needed, but knew deep inside would only make his life better. He saw it in Fairy Tail during the Grand Magic Games and he had longed for it. Had wished to find friendships as close and intense as theirs.

It wasn't until Gajeel had pointed out during their battle earlier that Rogue had realized that he already had it. In Frosh, his closest companion, and Sting.

He had never thought of himself and Sting as friends. They had been more like allies, just as the rest of Sabertooth.

Sure, they had become closer than any other member of said guild. However, he hadn't taken it to mean that there was an actual friendship there.

As he thought about it now, it was clear as day that Sting was his best friend. His partner, his closest ally, the person he trusted most in this world.

Rogue knew now that he'd be willing to share anything with him; from his deepest fears to his darkest secrets. Not that he had any, that is. He might be reserved and quiet, but that didn't mean he was hiding things.

If he had been, Sting would know it. They knew each other better than anyone else and could always tell so many things. They always knew when the other was lying, when they were feeling down and when their smiles were fake.

Rogue had somehow been able to tell every time his friend pretended not to be bothered by things; such as the time they heard whispers of a dragon in a town near Sabertooth's base and decided to check it out; only to find disappointment.

He had seen Sting's face once they searched the whole place and found no trace. Even though he'd tried to fake it off with a smile while they walked back to Sabertooth, he had known that Sting was feeling sad.

Unexpectedly, Rogue had found himself comforting him by giving him a hug. He'd seen people do it many times- outside of Sabertooth of course- and had chosen to ignore Master Jiemma's words and just try to make Sting feel better.

Because they were friends, even if he hadn't realized it at the time.

Even more surprising than his hug had been Sting's reaction. Instead of pushing him away like he would've done to anyone else, the white dragon slayer had broken down completely; showing a vulnerability that Rogue had never seen before.

He couldn't deny; it had felt good to know that he was the only one who got to see this Sting. It was like they had a special bond, something that went beyond being the most powerful members of Sabertooth and the Twin Dragons.

As the unfamiliar voices continued to torment him, Rogue came to a realization that made a smile come upon his face. It was only reaffirmed when Sting called his name, giving him a bright smile.

"We're the Twin Dragons, right? So let's kick their asses!" There was a word implied there, which Rogue didn't miss. Together. Let's do this together, like we always do.

Every battle they had won, every fight, it had been because of their perfect synchrony. They worked together better than anyone else and were the only duo besides Gray and Juvia who had been able to successfully perform an Unison Raid.

Could that be because their bond was as strong as the water and ice mages? Could there be something else between them, something neither had noticed before?

There were many things he hadn't noticed, but now wasn't the time to think about them. He needed to finish this battle before his mind was lost.

"Let's go!" He replied to Sting's comment before they stood back to back. Two partners covering for each other. They would not lose.

The blonde was still smirking, even giving him an encouraging wink, and it was all the reassurance he needed. If Rogue was destined to be tainted by evil, at least he would have his light nearby to strike him down.

So, thoughts? Did you like my view on their relationship? Honestly, this was supposed to be more shippy, but in the end I decided to focus more on the friendship between Sting and Rogue. They have such a beautiful bond, after all.

Perhaps I'll write more for them in the future. Fingers crossed.