Jerza Week day 3 - Diamonds
A/N: Hey all, I couldn't think of anything good to write about for Jerza Week's Sunset prompt (other than that really obvious scene with the two of them, but I felt that working within the parameters of the show was too much like my fic Fate?, so I stayed away), but hopefully something will come to me eventually even if it's a bit late - I could try and ignore the prompts I know, but I like to play around with them :)
So for this fic I figured most submissions would be engagement-ring/jewelry based with a prompt like diamonds, but I wanted to try something a little different. Child labor in the diamond mining industry is a serious issue in India and a few African nations. Fun fact: red diamonds are the rarest and most expensive coloured diamond!
Another day in this hellhole… Erza thought scathingly as she woke up in darkness, changing from her sleeping clothes to her working clothes - the only two outfits she had. She'd always wondered what it would be like to have beautiful, clean clothing and lots of it like she saw the models wearing in magazines that the workers sometimes managed to smuggle in and pass around their community. There really wasn't much reading material in this place, especially as most of the occupants couldn't read, but the magazines were full of pretty picture of the outside world, and Erza often found herself looking at them wistfully, wondering what life was like for those beautiful ladies with elegant clothing.
She exited her room to the girls' dormitory. She'd been here since she was six - now she was fifthteen - originally contracted to work to survive after the orphanage kicked her out from over capacity. Since then, the workers' wages had been cut completely due to "not enough profits" coming from diamonds, which sounded strange to her when she'd heard tales of how they were considered by the outside to be a coveted rarity. They certainly don't feel rare in here. Now she was essentially working for food and a place to sleep. She supposed that she could have left a few years ago, but she really had no where else to go. They were in the middle of a desert, inside a deep crevice that took days to climb up out of. She'd surely die of starvation or thirst since the owners never gave those who wished to leave any materials. They also stated that once a worker stopped working for them, they had to pay them back for everything they'd given them - essentially meaning they'd have to work for however long to earn back what they owed without any means of living themselves. This made it toughest for those who had been there longer to leave. The only people she'd seen go were those who had only stayed a short period.
Besides, she had grown a family here - something she'd never had in the outside world. She approached one of its members now. Millianna was just a few years younger than her, and the two of them had grown very close since she first came here and Erza took her under her wing. "Hey Erzy-werzy!" she said, hopping up from the breakfast table and giving her a hug. Millianna's positive attitude always brightened her day. Erza smiled back at her. "Good morning Millianna" she replied with a smile.
The two ate their small portion of food and headed off to the main area of the mine, where they would work the rest of the day trying to dig out that glimmering stone.
Just like every day. Rocks, rocks...and more rocks. Erza thought bitterly. When lunchtime finally came, Erza was more than ready to chow down with her friends. When she arrived at the eating area, she saw Sho, Simon, Millianna, and Wally already eating. She smiled, taking a seat with them. The were talking about the weather, how the heat seemed to be growing and contemplating whether that would have any effects on the mineral deposits in the mine. "Anyone know where Jellal is?" she asked. Simon rolled his eyes at her question and Sho just shrugged. "He hasn't come for food yet I guess." "Sucks for him! I'll eat his share for him!" cackled Wally. Erza frowned at him and made sure to set some food aside to save for Jellal.
They all returned to their work, wading through rocks and rubble to find that precious gem. Erza pretty much hated diamonds at this point - their glimmering sparkles seemed to laugh at their hardship. But she could never truly regret coming here. Not after meeting all her friends. Not after meeting...him.
By him, she meant Jellal. He was the leader of their pack. He was always kind, and gentle, and caring. He always made her feel hopeful of days to come. He always made her feel truly loved, even if he'd never said any such thing to her - it was the way he always seemed to keep her in mind, no matter what hectic calamities were going on around them. Thinking about Jellal while she worked somehow made the tasks easier.
When her work day was done, she still hadn't seen Jellal around anywhere. Their friends were getting worried - accidents were common here, and more often than not cost workers' lives. If only there was a way to know where he was. But the mine was now so large (and growing) that looking for Jellal would be as futile as looking for a block of painite in a...mine. I wish I knew more about the world outside of this place she thought.
She ended up having dinner and heading back to her room in the girls' quarters without having seen Jellal once that day. That night, she couldn't sleep a wink, consumed with worry for him.
I really hope he's alright...I don't know what I'll do if he's died. He...he means so very much to me. He's the only one that really gives me hope that life will get better. He's the one that lifts me up when I'm feeling down. Whenever he touches me, I feel both elated and excited at once. I don't know how I'd manage if he...if he were dead. She felt tears stinging her eyes, breaching the surface and trickling down her face. Oh Jellal...why didn't I tell you how I felt sooner? I wish now more than anything that I'd told you yesterday...last week...years ago how much you mean to me. She stifled a wail with her scratchy pillow. How am I supposed to go on knowing that I never worked up the courage to tell him how much I care for him...how much I love him? Her heart felt like it was being torn apart. That's it. If I ever see him again, I promise to tell him the truth about how I feel.
Just then, she heard her door creak and went silent. Scared, she looked over towards the noise to see an intruder making their way towards her. It looked male, but that wasn't possible in the girls' quarters. I wonder who it could be…
Erza's nerves grew and grew as the figure made its way towards her bed slowly. Though she tried to lay still, thinking of a way to escape, it felt like her legs had turned to jello in fear and she lost all capability of making a break for it.
The figure poked her then, and she squirmed. "Erza" came a hushed whisper. Erza sat upright. I know that voice!
"Jellal?" she asked, blinking away the tears in her eyes. Jellal lit up his lamp and sat down on her bed, grinning at her. He was absolutely covered in dust. "What happened? Why haven't you been around all day? Are you okay?" she asked in a rush. Jellal just smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I thought I was dead for sure for awhile there...but I managed to be okay."
"What happened?" she asked him. "Well, I was doing some excavation near the southern rim of the mine, when the area in front and below me collapsed. I was passed out for a few hours. When I came to, I was sure there was no way that I could get through all the rocks that blocked me from the surface; I don't think I've ever been that scared in my entire life!" He grinned then. "But it was totally worth it."
He reached into his pocket and drew out a large gemstone, roughly the size of her palm. It was bright red, and its reflection from the light danced against the walls in a magically. Erza gasped. "That's - that's a coloured diamond! And a red one at that! You need to turn that in to the higher-ups!" Coloured diamonds were a rarity, and red ones were the rarest of the rare - Erza had yet to see one in her eight years meant that the diamond mining company could charge the highest prices for it, and that anyone found to have withheld one would be in big trouble.
Jellal scoffed. "I don't need to turn it in and I won't! I found this while afraid for my life in that mine shaft - none of the higher ups would have helped me out of there...unless they'd known that I'd found this. Which they're not going to know - ever. No one was there when I got out. I wouldn't have been the first worker to die here without them giving a damn. I don't think they deserve this gem…" he trailed off, blushing slightly. "It...it reminded me of you, Erza. It's scarlet, like your hair. Seeing that little piece of sparkling scarlet...it made me think of you, of all the things I still want to share with you. That's what gave me the strength to keep going in there, to not give up. I made it out" he looked into her eyes "because of you." Erza smiled at him, feeling her heart warm and speed up at his explanation.
"Therefore, I see it as fitting that you get the stone." he said. She froze for a moment, dumbstruck. "Eh? Me?" Erza was beyond surprised. "Yes. I would have died today if it wasn't for your light guiding me. I feel like it's the only thing I can do to express my...my…" his face flushed further and he deflated, looking away. "...gratitude" he ended awkwardly.
"Oh Jellal!" Erza cried, flinging her arms around him and holding him tightly. "I was so worried that you had died. I didn't know what to do with myself. So few workers show up again after disappearing." She was crying again, this time from relief. "I...I promised myself that if I ever saw you again, I'd tell you" she sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling. "Tell me?" he asked. She took his chin in her fingers, facing him to her properly. "That I love you"
Jellal sat there stunned for a few moments before putting his hands on either side of her face and kissing her. She kissed him back passionately, feeling her heart swell as they embraced.
When they finally broke apart for air, they smiled at one another and rested their foreheads together. "I love you too, Erza" Jellal said, an expression of bliss taking over his features.
Erza looked at the red diamond in her hand. She wondered what it meant to the people outside of this mine. "I wonder how much this is worth outside of this place" she murmured. "A lot" Jellal replied, reaching into his pocket and picking out more, smaller red diamonds. "Good thing I found a bunch - now we can finally get out of this hellhole!" he said with a grin. Erza froze, shocked. "You...you mean…?" "I mean that if we use one of these to pay off one of the truck drivers doing shipments, we can escape with everyone - the whole gang! And we should have money to spare if we sell another in a city or something. It will be dangerous, but I think it's worth it"
Erza felt like she was going to cry. We're finally going to get out of this place.
The two spent the rest of the night kissing and making plans for what they would do when they left the mine. "So how did you know which room to come to?" Erza asked him. Jellal blushed. "I may or may not have heard Millianna describing the layout of the dormitory to Wally one time...and memorized where you would be…" She smiled at him. "Well I'm glad that you did - but you need to go before morning comes"
"I know, but we've got hours before then" he said with a wink. The two cuddled up and kissed some more.
"Y'know" Jellal said as they broke apart. "Back in my village, we'd be at an age to marry. I was wondering if...if maybe that stone could mean a promise of some sort…" he trailed off, flushing red yet again. Erza blushed as well. "I think I'd like that. It could be one of those plans for when we get out of here" Jellal grinned.
The two stayed up the rest of the night. They knew they could stay awake the next day with the idea of escaping in mind. All they had to do was talk to the others and bribe a driver. We have a real future ahead of us now...maybe I'll get a nice outfit to go with this diamond.