AN: To be honest when I originally planned on writing a FT fanfic, I always saw myself starting with a NaLu story, however, I recently read some Mystwalker written by Daniel Monteray (if you haven't checked out his work, you definitely should) and couldn't help but write this idea out. There is nothing special about it, just had it come to mind. This has a bit of deviation from the exact occurrences in the Edolas Arc.
Disclaimer: No rights to FT.
Glaring into the steady gaze of the man she had once thought of as a traitor, and now regarded as her King, Erza did her best to put the conversation that was on a near constant loop out of her mind. The fight between her and the Earthland version of herself, had given her plenty to think about. Despite wanting to forget about the existence of her emotionally driven doppelganger, Knightwalker couldn't help but allow some of their exchange sink in. The Fairy lover had called her out on being like her, even if only at the basest, and most unacknowledged level. Just the idea that somewhere inside her was a woman that she was unfamiliar with, set her on edge. Erza had always known exactly who she was. She was the dauntless Captain of the Royal Army, and she had never cared for anyone or anything, except her king and country. Being enthralled by weapons, tactics and seeking out Fairy Tail, she was never like typical women. When people heard her name, they bowed in respect or shuffled away in fear, and she was completely okay with that. What she wasn't okay with was being told that her alter loved the alter of the deserter, Jellal. Oh sure, Scarlet hadn't out and out said that, but what she had admitted was enough for them both to know without a doubt where she stood. For some unknown reason that her sent her mind to reeling, this fact stunned her more than she cared to admit.
Just the knowledge that any version of her could be attracted to him was enough to goad her into anger. She had always harbored a special hatred for the cerulean haired son of Faust, vowing that when she found him, she would savor every second of light leaving his eyes. His eyes, which up until recently she had believed to be a nearly coffee color. With all of the frequent and close contact they had had she now noted them to be a darkened green, almost olive, but deeper.
After the fall of Faust, she was surprised when Jellal took her as his own Captain, seemingly forgetting the bad blood she had held towards him. Knowing that he wasn't a fool, Erza suffered no illusions that he hadn't known about her grudge towards him. However, she spent far too much time focusing on why he had kept her by his side. She had spent weeks studying him to see what made him tick, all the while wondering what had driven the other red head to care for the Earthland version of him. In time, she saw that there were noble traits about him; he seemed to genuinely care about the well being of their people, and was one hundred percent committed to showing everyone that life was more than sustainable without the magic they had grown to depend on. Even though she wanted nothing more than to continue to despise him, and to know exactly where she stood with him, she didn't.
On more than one occasion of late, King Jellal had sought her counsel specifically. For some reason he seemed to value her opinion more than that of his official advisors. Each time, she found herself distracted by the way his lips formed words, and the earthy smell of him. She wondered briefly if Earthland Erza's downfall had begun with such innocuous moments, and if the same thing was destined to happen to her. Was there was an invisible string attached to the two of them that would inevitably lead her to feel the same way for her king as her counterpart? Or even worse, were these little meetings a product of his regard for Scarlet? Even he had to know that just because the two of them were identical in appearance didn't mean they were the same person. Was that the logic behind not banishing her from Edolas along with Faust? Could he possibly believe that she was a suitable replacement and not realize that she was a vastly different woman?
With these questions and doubts about her own attachment to the man, she began taking more remote tasks in an attempt to distance herself from the situation. This worked for around six months before he caught on to her withdrawal, and started issuing assignments that continuously kept her close. Just his nearness was driving her insane, it was like he was going out of his way to find legitimate excuses to keep her by his side. The most recent being the hardest to cope with; sparring. The King had taken it upon himself to ensure that he was prepared at all times for an attack. Having a combative nature and plenty of pent up frustration, this type of activity would have typically released some of that tension she had been shouldering, that is had it not meant being touched repeatedly at times by the man. To play off the proximity between them, she was often rough with him, but even that had backfired as during this one fight in particular, she realized how it affected the both of them.
Thrusting her sword towards his right side, the sound of metal harshly meeting metal rang out in the air as he made a counter swipe. As her already loose pants began to sag haphazardly, she noted that he was improving and that she would have to adjust her style accordingly. In the moment she had taken to have this thought, he had grabbed the hilt of her sword, preventing her from any offensive attacks, before wrapping a thickly muscled arm around her throat. With the arm that he had believed to be defenseless, she used his weight to her advantage by drawing him further into her personal space. She had learned at a young age that the best way to disengage an opponent was to be as close to them as possible, leaving them with fewer options. She heard a husky chuckle from behind her, as he thought he had her where he wanted her. His warm breath against her neck was almost enough to concede the fight to him for all the sense it left her with, but she was built to withstand more than that. Pulling both of their limbs back and upwards into his solar plexus, she smirked as her elbow knocked the wind out of him. Taking the opportunity while he was disabled, she flipped him using the same arm that stubbornly hung onto the base of her weapon. Unfortunately, he must not have been as incapacitated as she initially believed because as his feet landed from her pitch, he stepped back onto her foot, entangling them both into a mess unsteady limbs. As her body hit the ground, she all but snarled when his weight also fell on her to support.
Her initial reaction was to push him off, continue fighting and pretend their tumble hadn't occurred, however when she met his heated gaze, she found all previous thoughts quickly dissipating. Unconsciously, her eyes were drawn to the tattoo that she observed was the same color as her hair, and she found herself wondering about it's origin. His azure bangs hung shaggily in his face, and she had to resist the overwhelming desire to move them to better see his expression. They had been laying there awkwardly on top of each other for far longer than she had ever been close to any person. The feel of his heart thudding was as noticeable as her own harsh pulse. Jellal's eyes searched her features, as if looking for something specifically in them. Apparently he found whatever he was searching for because his head dipped minutely and his lips brushed softly against hers. Sucking in a breath before his mouth claimed hers fully, the ever famous Fairy Hunter closed her eyes as she was overrun by new sensations. He began tracing her bottom lip with his tongue, and his breath was hot on her face. Feeling his teeth lightly graze her lower lip, she sighed into his mouth as she moved her hand up his sweat sheened arm muscles. They explored each other with an unhurried sense of time, and she was completely lost to the weight of his body and the salty taste of mouth. His tongue moving against hers caused a tingle to build low within her, making her eyes snap open at the realization. Brusquely, she pushed him from her, catching him off guard. Wiping her mouth firmly, she slid out from underneath him. She stood abruptly, and despite him calling after her, all but ran from the man.
When she got to her quarters, she shut and locked the door before sinking down it's hard wooden surface. What the HELL had just happened? Jellal had kissed her. Her KING had kissed her, and she had allowed it. She was trembling...her, Erza Knightwalker, was completely undone by the physical closeness of a man she had always despised. If she was honest with herself, her reaction wasn't due to only his looks, but also because of the man that she now believed him to be. However, no matter what she may be coming to terms with, he was still her king and even if he wasn't she wouldn't be a replacement for anyone. She had never been an emotionally driven woman, but she had a sinking suspicion that any attraction Jellal felt for her was nothing but the afterglow from his lingering feelings for Erza Scarlet, and that chafed her pride. Moving to stand, Erza walked to the single full length mirror to examine herself. Crimson hair that fell to her shoulders now was well mussed and her lips were mildly swollen from their heated exchange. Touching her fingertips to them, she recalled his wounded look when she eradicated his taste from her mouth. Blue brows had furrowed in pain at her gesture, and she had nearly felt guilty, nearly.
After replaying the incident in her mind a couple times, she had debated confronting him about it before deciding that the best action was no action in this case. Perhaps he was just seeking female companionship, or was missing her alter, either way she was sure he would probably dismiss it as well. Changing into her usual attire, she glanced at her reflection in the glass once more and headed out to regroup with her men.
As she approached the main hall, she noted despondently that of course Jellal was included in the gathering near the opening. Not wanting for it to appear that she had been affected by their encounter, she tipped her chin upward and steeled her expression. She was a woman who had fought men many times his superior, she would not allow herself to be cowed by any imagined insecurity. Out of the two of them, he was the one who should have reason to second guess themselves. He had kissed her, and even if she had returned the contact, she still hadn't initiated it. She felt herself flush just at the memory of his mouth on hers, and she hoped that he hadn't caught her momentary fluster. Calling on every ounce of control she had, she schooled her face into a bored scowl.
When she joined the group she began to ask for updates without preamble. Giving orders to the guards, she performed her duties as if he wasn't standing there. Running down a list of things that needed taken care of, Erza checked items off in her mind while considering if she had missed anything. The last of the men had dispersed to attend to their tasks, leaving just the two of them. Both stood awkwardly, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other waiting for him to say something; he didn't, though he stared openly at her as if he wanted to. Finally the silence stretched out and became uncomfortable, so she turned to leave. His hand shot out and prohibited her from exiting, and she raised a fiery brow to her ruler questioningly.
"Erza, I- I never meant to-" Unwilling to hear his apology for forgetting that she was not Scarlet, she immediately cut him off. With him she had gotten lucky, for had she interrupted Faust while he was speaking, he would have had her mouth sewn shut for such an impertinence. If anything, this was further proof that he indeed had a soft spot for the Fairy lover.
"Your Majesty, there is no need for words, I have already disregarded the matter. Let's just move forward and pretend it never happened, I think that will be for the best of both of our interests." All she wanted was to be out of his presence, for some reason his nearness made her uneasy, like she couldn't trust herself where he was concerned.
"Sure, of course. That is exactly what I was thinking." Feeling her face fall at his casual demeanor and acceptance, she felt something foreign and unexpected sweep through her; the necessity to cry. Hot, stinging tears pricked at her mahogany eyes. She had to leave, she needed space to get her shit together. She refused to be weak.
"If that's all, I'll be heading out to help with the training of the new troops." Not waiting for a reply, she briskly headed away from the nonchalant man who had reduced her to a sniveling school girl.
Turning a corner, she checked to make sure it was abandoned before slamming her fist into the cool stone of the wall in an attempt to regain her composure. Thankfully, the action brought a strange comfort to her and she was able to focus on the physical pain rather than the unfamiliar pinch of emotional turmoil. Erza had never let anyone get to her, and she would be damned if she would begin to now. Seeing blood begin to bloom on her knuckles, she drug in an unsteady breath and shoved the useless thoughts away. She was stronger than this, and she was better than her counterpart. A concept began to form as she repeated that last sentence in her mind. She was better than Erza Scarlet, and she was going to prove it.
AN: Well, there it is, my very first FT fanfic...whether or not I continue this in a multi chapter is completely up to you guys! Please review!
