She wonders briefly if their heartbeats were once on synchrony. Or if they are.
She shudders at the warmth he gives her ice cold body upon his touch. They are on the Tower of Heaven. Hugging, and about to die.
She tries to hear his heartbeat, but throughout the mess around them, she can only hear the rhythmic and fast 'thump thump thump' her own heart makes when his hold around her slightly tightens.
She forgets about it, because they aren't dead. And he has betrayed her. Again.
She feels as if her heart isn't there anymore.
.
.
.
It starts to beat again upon the knowledge that she lives for her friends. And that she isn't supposed to die. Not today anyways.
.
.
.
She can't believe that her heart (still, so fragile) starts its majestic dance upon seeing his face again.
He looks at her, and she feels giddy and like a child- one so happy about seeing her beloved childhood friend again. She wants to run to him, hug him and tell him how much she misses him and that she wants to forgive him.
But the man in front of her claims that he isn't him, and vanishes away in a mist.
It gets to its usual, monotonous pace again.
.
.
.
She knows she simply won't bear seeing him die so miserably, sacrificing himself to stop Nirvana with that darn expression of his.
Her heart beats faster, but with more desperation than ever. She runs towards him, and, with surprising eloquence, tells words that she knows will make him want to live in order to redeem himself.
.
.
.
It's a slow, torturous 'thump thump' that takes over when she agrees to give him to the authorities.
She feels as if she can't breath, as if Fairy Tail isn't enough to make her happy anymore. Her fists clench, she grits her teeth, and she is unbelievingly angry of thinking that way. Her nakama are the only ones she has now, and they have made her life worthwhile.
When Jellal turns around, and tells her that tiny yet important fact about her name, her heart skips a beat. And she can't believe how stupid she is.
.
.
.
She hears her name being called, by him.
As if by some miracle, the heart that seemingly was slowing its pace second by second, starts again crazily.
And she stands up. To fight.
To fight for the people that care for her, the people that she cares for.
And to fight so that she can get the opportunity (more like the hopes) of seeing him again.
.
.
.
Her mind must be playing tricks on her. He's right there, in front of her. She's too shocked to move.
She finally gathers some courage, keeps the perfect façade of no nonsense she's an expert at, and manages to talk. She notices how he watches her, that guilty twinge on his eyes.
Her heart clenches at the sight. And somehow they end up getting a moment alone.
.
.
.
She's angry at him, allows that anger to take over her, and slaps him in the face.
"Being alive is a sign of strength! You're not the same Jellal as before! The one who STRUGGLED to live!" She shouts at him. His unresponsive expression only serves to further make her take action; she grabs his jacket's collar and decides to shake some darn sense into him.
But she trips, and they fall off the little cliff they are on, with Erza still holding to his collar, and both of them rolling one over another.
They end up on quite the promising position. Him on top of her, shock written on their faces, Erza still holding the collar of his jacket.
"You're always right." He finally states, looking at the chocolate colored depths of her eyes.
"No, that's not true…"
"I tried to stay alive no matter how clumsy I was. That's all…" She does not notice that he is leaning in slowly and hears him whisper her name.
"I-I didn't think I would be able to see you again"…" It's a helpless try to make her heart stay safe from any danger. But she hopes that it'll work. A tear betrays her as it slowly falls from her face and she covers her eyes with her arm, wishing that he did not have to see her like this.
She doesn't notice when his brows furrow, when he courageously starts to lean closer.
Only when he's a few inches away she actually acknowledges how close he actually is. She finally looks at him through teary eyes, touches his face, and mutters his name.
He starts to lean in again, and Erza can feel her heart trot crazily.
When his lips finally touch hers, she feels as if her world is finally complete.
Somehow, she notices that her heart isn't alone on the rhythmic pace that it orchestrates.
His heart beats with hers. She inwardly smiles. Happiness filling every inch of her.
But to her surprise, he pulls away.
"I-I can't… I have a fiancée..." Shock (grief and sadness, strangely, aren't present) is all that Erza can feel at the moment.
She stutters, says an apology at the same time he does, and feels utterly dumb.
"Oh! I see… Then, congrats!… I-I had no idea… Right… It's been seven years…" She blushes like an embarrassed teenager and chastises herself for thinking he was going to wait for her, after so long.
But then she sees him shaking. And she understands.
He's scared, just like her.
She slowly smiles and says: "She must be very important to you, right? "
"Ah… yeah…"
"So… she's you reason for living…"
Even though he isn't looking at her, he smiles. "I think so…"
.
.
.
At the end of the day, Jellal, Ultear and Meredy bid their farewells. A sidelong glance along with a smile is Jellal's momentary farewell, and Erza returns it.
When they are almost out of view, she lets out a shaky breath.
A fiancée huh… Jellal, you clumsy liar… The scarlet haired beauty chuckles heartily at the thought of Jellal lying to her so badly.
"Erza, look!" Happy, Natsu's ever faithful feline companion, says.
Erza, begrudgingly, glances at what the blue cat is drawing on the sand: a broken heart.
She kicks the obnoxious cat. Somewhere far. Far, far away.
But on the contrary of what has been drawn, her heart is as intact as she knows it should be.
It also beats, the characteristic 'thump thump' accompanying the fact that she is alive.
After all, nothing is certain. She can still wait for him when he's ready (when she's ready).
She wishes that, even after all the time that tranverses until they meet again, their hearts will always have a peacefully synchronized tempo.
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.
.
They do.