Hashing out a plan was easier than Vera thought it would be. Usually it took a lot of arguing between Gajeel to get a plan on the way, but Rogue was very reasonable for the most part. He took in her considerations and offered some of his own. This job wouldn't as bad as she initially thought, he was calmer than his counterpart. Plus he hasn't insulted her over every possible thing and seemed impressed with the knowledge that she had.

Soon they had a plan under way and were munching on some take-out that they ordered thirty minutes ago. Vera laughed at a story Rogue was telling her, surprising herself by enjoying his company. "He did what?" She giggled, humor dancing in her eyes, "that's not something I thought Sting would do." Blackmail was a bitch, and she was getting plenty of it from Rogue.

Rogue chuckled as well, a grin on his face that hasn't left since he started telling his story. "Yeah, he was really embarrassed by it too. Tried apologizing to Yukino a hundred times and Yukino's been giving him the cold shoulder, though I think she's secretly enjoying the attention the idiots been giving her…" He rolled his eyes at that, though the smile on his face contradicted the annoyance he was trying to portray.

"Yukino seems like a sweetheart," Vera commented as she forked a bite full of noodles and shoving the bite into her mouth, savoring the taste. Not nearly as good as Mira's, but nothing would ever compare. At least in her eyes, and mouth.

The Dragon Slayer pursed his lips before nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, she is. She brings something out in Sting that I've never seen before. Though I'm not sure how long she'll last in the guild…" He trailed off with a wince and Vera paused her movements for a second, glancing up at him in intrigue and concern. Seeing the underlying question in her eyes, the Shadow Dragon Slayer sighed, shaking his head. "Our guild is different from the others. It's mostly about power, and she's a Celestial Spirit Mage. Holder mages aren't known for their powers much. Sure they can be strong, but it's more about wit for them and our Master is more about strength."

Vera's eyes widened at that. A Celestial Spirit Mage? The only one she's known of was Lucy, and that was because they were so rare. From conversations with the blonde, it took a lot of magical energy to even summon a silver key, let alone a gold key that was more for fighting. It took a lot to get used to it, and Lucy was powerful in her own right. "Don't underestimate her, Rogue," she scolded, causing the Dragon Slayer's eyes to go wide. "We had a Celestial Spirit Mage in our guild, and she was powerful. I don't think the guild realized how powerful she was, or still don't quite understand. Lucy could hold her own in a fight; hell, I've seen it myself first-hand. Though you might want to train with her a bit to build up her magical strength, as it does take a lot of magic to open up gate keys."

Rogue had a thoughtful look on his face as he processed what he was told before nodding his head. "We'll work with her. I'm sure Sting wouldn't object, seeing as the fool is falling for her already…" A smirk made its way on his face, causing Vera's heart to flutter a bit. No, she scolded the feeling, forcing it down, you cannot fall for him. Or get any type of feelings for him. She had a small crush on Gajeel but it didn't go anywhere. She knew Levy had feelings for him, and she wouldn't do that to the blue-haired bookworm. Besides, he was now the brother she never wanted. She didn't want to ruin the friendship that they had created, one that she worked hard to get.

A sad feeling washed over her at the thought of never seeing her friends again. She really hoped that they would be found, but the chances are slim. They haven't even caught a sight of the Island that they were on, and it's already been a year since they're disappearance. She would like to stay optimistic, but it was hard with no luck of finding them.

"Vera? Are you alright?" She glanced up to see Rogue looking at her with a look of concern. Fancy that, the Dragon Slayer was concerned for her. It was heartwarming, seeing as they have only been talking for a couple of hours. This was their first real conversation and he was already caring for her. Maybe not in that way, but it still felt nice.

Taking a deep breath, Vera nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was just thinking…" He wouldn't understand. His guild worked differently then theirs did. They were about love and happiness, not strength. They accepted everyone with open arms, whether they were strong or not.

With a raised eyebrow, Rogue sat back in his chair; already done with his food. "Thinking about what?" He asked, curiosity shimmering in his red eyes. Like Gajeel's, she realized, though Rogue was nothing like the man. The complete opposite, in fact.

Realizing she was starring she blushed faintly, shaking her head and willing the blush to go away. "My friends. I miss them," she responded truthfully, sighing.

His eyes softened in understanding, showing sympathy in them. "I heard they went missing. Still no luck, I assume?" He inquired, already getting the answer he was seeking from the look in her eyes. "I'm truly sorry for your loss. I know how Fairy Tail favors family above all else. I hope you find them soon." There was another meaning underneath those words, but Vera chose to ignore them.

"Normally I would be here with my team. It feels weird being on a job without them," she sighed again, it felt nice to talk about this with someone. Even if he was from Sabertooth. It felt weird talking about it with the others, as they were grieving as well. It wasn't fair to them to spout out whatever came to her mind.

"And who is your team?" He wondered, seeming to be genuinely curious.

Vera pursed her lips, not knowing whether she should tell him, but decides to anyway. "Gajeel Redfox and Wendy Marvel. Of course we had their Exceeds on the team as well, Carla and PantherLily. We made up Team Trigon Force and were the third strongest team in the guild. We worked really well together, despite Gajeel's tendencies to go off whatever plans Wendy and I had come up with…" Vera chuckled. Something flashed in Rogue's eyes at the mention of Gajeel, and she raised an eyebrow in question. "What's wrong?" She wondered, watching as he pursed his lips in thought.

"It's nothing…." He mumbled underneath his breath, standing up and tucking a sleeping Frosch into his cape. "We'll start the job bright and early tomorrow. I expect you to be up before Dawn," he stated nonchalantly, striding out of her room and leaving a confused Plant Mage in his wake.

AN: Word count – 1202

Oof, they were getting along so well too. I don't know when Yukino exactly joined, but this is a fanfic so… yeah… I'm gonna say she joined now, kay? Kay.

If you have any ideas on crack-ships you want, let me know. I am a crack-shipper at heart; though I adore StiKino and GaLe so those two will be a thing, but as for the rest they are all up for keeps, though I have some ideas for ships that I want to do…

As always, leave a comment down below! They are the heart of every writer and we love hearing from you! Vera appreciates it as well! Until next time,

~Ren