a/n: hi there sani here. I dun own fairy tail and this is my first one-shot, well, technically not one-shot, but sort of one-shot-ish kind of thing unless requested, I'll turn it into a three chapter thing or whatever that is called.

Oh if you do have please read my other story : Sleeping Lucy, it's in my profile, first completed fic. Whatever you call it.

This was half-assedly proofread so pardon the mistakes.

Read and Review

ONWARDS!

MELT

He stood and stared at her from faraway. A fairy that made her own legend, bathe onto the light, showered by love and affection of all- a fairy he couldn't dare touch for fear of tainting her brilliance. In the dark, his love, hidden along with the shadows of his past could tower even from his pride. Yes, with this he can continue loving that fairy without the fear that he'll consume her with a past she shouldn't be troubling herself from.

He smiled as he saw her smile from the distance. A quiet observer of the person he treasures the most. She was happy with where she is. Everybody in Fairy Tail will keep on protecting her. He knows this fact. He even drowned his own heart to convince himself that he was not needed. He knows that she loves him but he was too afraid that she'll welcome him with open arms, accept his past and wash all his sorrows away. He just couldn't allow himself to be forgiven that easily. He has sinned. He did a lot of bad things to her. Even in those seven years that she was gone, those sins didn't erase themselves from his mind. Instead they lurked deeper into him consuming him making him think that he could've have saved them. If only he stayed close.

He blamed himself for almost everything. He knew it was too much and that she probably won't even accuse him of anything but then he just couldn't get it all off his mind.

He was about to turn back, fading to the darkness. He would protect her from the sidelines – only in the sidelines, for she was too stubborn to ask for help even when she knows she needed it. He had always been stuck to this part. Always, always about to turn back but he never did. He just remained longer, yearning for her presence, wanting her near.

How many times had it been since he contradicted himself? How many times had he misled her of his indecisiveness? How many times does she have to feel pained?

Maybe he really should've looked away before things got deeper. Maybe he should have not returned and introduced himself back. Maybe then, he could still be able to turn his back to the lady of the light.

He knew he was lying to himself. She had been so intoxicating ever since they met. Her scarlet hair made her shine like the light she was. He was never able to get back to his usual self. He was afraid that everything will just melt away – his hard earned distance from her, his wall and his sins.

He was obsessed with the fact that he needed to pay for all of what he did though no one even asked him to. It was a voluntary effort. It was what he needed to be able to allow himself to be by her side – an illusory dream that he had made to make himself want to strive for the better.

The communication lacrima that he brought with him started making noises so he hoisted it high enough for the person who wanted to talk to him be able to see his face. "Ultear." He mouthed with a sigh of relief. "Whom do you want it to be, huh Jellal? Your princess?" Ultear bade with all sarcasm meant. "Why did you call?" he replied with a poker face printed across his face. "Nothing. I was just wondering what took you so long to get the water. Looks like you got hindered again." She teased.

"I'm going back, don't worry."

"Oh- really? Why isn't your background moving then?"

"I'm in the dark, you wouldn't see."

"Oh, so is your hair as stationary as it is when you're walking?"

"Yes, it might be."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Why?" he could imagine Ultear massaging her temples and cursing him for his lack of honesty.

"Don't go back. We don't even need the water anymore. Go stalk yourself out." She finalized as the lacrima suddenly turned itself off.

Jellal was about to hide the lacrima when the light of a certain event that was going on not too far away reflected itself, redirected some of the light for a split second, taking the attention of the people in the guild that he was watching.

A flash of red was what he was able to see as he shielded himself from a punch. "Jellal?" his name pronounced in an interrogative tone but instead of hopping away trees as a response he just stood there and returned her gaze. "Erza." His chest tightened at the sound of his voice uttering her name.

"What were you doing here?" she asked with a voice that sounded a bit weak. This was the reason he didn't want to be near her. She would always sound like this – vulnerable, and he hated it. He hated how guilty he feels when he was near her. He hated how much she could take his heart whilst just saying his name.

"Did you want to stop by the guild?" she asked looking away out of embarrassment from what she did out of impulse. "Ultear asked me to get water." He replied only to be retorted upon by the sudden switching on of the lacrima he was supposed to return to his pockets, "I told you that the water was no longer needed and you are by far not yet needed for any missions so please, Erza – I heard your voice so yeah… I know you're there, please take that tensed idiot away from us for a while. Ultear out. Oh and don't, I repeat don't you dare go against me this time Jellal. We both know you need this, now more than ever." The lacrima crackled, cracked, and deteriorated as if aged by a hundred years. Jellal was sure this time Ultear meant it. 'This is what I get for taking time in getting her water' he thought as he mentally slapped himself. This was another reason why he needed to stop this love. It was consuming him so much he never minded anything else.

"What does she mean by – " Erza started to say but was cut off with Jellal telling her that Ultear was just bored and was teasing him for entertainment's sake.

He had already decided. This would be the last day he will do this. She was too bright like a candle flame to an insect – beautiful but without a doubt forbidden to his touch.

He faced the opposite way and with this, he was satisfied. He was satisfied that his last glimpse of the ever so famous Titania was up close and personal. It wasn't like their past meetings where he left her hanging, left her misunderstanding, yet he knew he never really left.

He was about to jump off the roof – about to jump back to the darkness and stay away forever, but she held his hand before he could be able to. "I really need to go." he mustered up all his courage but his voice still didn't sound like how he wanted it to be. He wanted Erza to hold his hand longer, contradicting his contradictions, to drag him onto that light but then he doesn't want that too. It was hell in his mind. He didn't know what he wanted anymore.

"You're a coward." She half-shouted as she clenched her fists to her side and shot up her head to meet his gaze. "Jellal, why do you keep on protecting yourself?"

"I'm not."

"You are! You say you deserve to be punished over and over and over again but in reality you just don't want to get near me! You don't want to be near me because you feel guilty! Stop that Jellal! No one's blaming you! Just stop…" He looked at her as her voice trailed off.

She was right. He can't believe she was right. He built his walls high, protected himself from those that could remind him of his past mistakes and walked away from the person he'd wounded the most. Erza.

"Be a man and face me for real! Be a man and take responsibility!"

"I don't know how…" he knew he was unqualified to make her happy which was the contrary to Erza; for she could only be happy if it's him and only him.

"Y-you've made me miserable in the past, right? You said that, right?"

He couldn't understand where bringing this up will lead to but he nodded.

"Then now and forever, make me happy." She said with as much conviction he ever heard her have.

He was about to interject once more – about to correct her, but she stopped him by laying her finger on his lips. "I'm not actually accepting any retorts about that. This should have been your punishment long ago. You'll have to put up with me for longer." She gave a kind smile one he didn't need because he was already basking too much from her light but he really wasn't able to hide his giddiness and returned her smile. He didn't even know how he melted her heart when he does that. "I don't really mind." He replied, making her blush in the process.

"You should listen to Ultear more."

"I'll only listen to you now though. But if that's an order in any way maybe I could make time for it."

"That's it I'm breaking your walls. You're joining Fairy Tail."

"Melted."

"What?"

"You mean melted not break. Since, you melt my walls whenever I see you." He sincerely smiled