First Meeting and First Smile
We were so young, so small back then, and innocent. That much I do remember. My eyes were instantly drawn to that head full of beautiful, scarlet hair. We had maybe only been 8 or 9 years old. Still pups, still fresh on the road. The torture terrified us, the disappearing children made us fear for our lives to the point we did our best to make no mistakes, lest death claim us. Our small bodies marked with scars old and new too early in our lives.
We struggled and labored for ones so small, but we did our best. I stayed optimistic for the sake of everyone around me. My friends who would tremble and weep with fear and longing for home. I told them I'd protect them. Then one day, she arrived. She wasn't with our group, but I sometimes ran into her while working. Every time I saw her, I wondered what her name was and where she came from. I could never seen a trace of a smile on her face.
All I saw was a quivering frown and fear in those large, chocolate colored eyes. Her appendages were covered with dirt, cuts and bruises. Her small hands littered with blisters, and my heart ached. I wasn't sure why, but it did. She was always in a different cell from us, with another group of children slaves, until one day... all of them but her disappeared and she was tossed in with us. Her hands with bleeding, broken open blisters amongst new ones were forming. I couldn't have that. I approached the girl who was crouching down in the corner now, her body shaking from head to toe. As I got closer, I noticed tears were rolling down her dirty face, leaving streaks of clean skin and my heart did that aching thing again. I wanted to comfort her.
"Hey," I said gently to her, lowering myself so I could be face to face with her. "You're bleeding. Let me see your hands." That red haired girl swallowed hard and looked back into my eyes with fear. "You can trust me," I told her softly. "I won't hurt you." I looked back over at my shoulder. "Grandpa Rob! Can you please grab me one of those shirts from that pile over there?" I pointed back toward a small pile of dirty, torn shirts that the guards had provided for us over the months. An older man had stood now and was gathering one up walking over to myself and the little redhead in front of me. "She hurt her hands pretty bad. I just want to help her wrap them up," I explained as he looked quizically at me.
"I understand," Grandpa Rob responded with a smile and handed me the dirty, tattered shirt. "You're such a kind boy, Jellal," I heard him murmur as he walked back over to where a group of my friends sat with him. I turned back to the redhead who was still crying. She was clenching her teeth and keeping her lips clamped down over them, as though doing her best not to burst into to tears loudly. I knew that feeling all too well and if the guards and slive drivers caught her, I knew all too well what would happen to her. "Don't let them see you cry," I whispered to her as I took the old shirt and ripped began ripping it.
The girl looked at me again, her expressions were certainly confused. Had nobody ever shown her any kindness here? "W-why are you being so nice to me?" she spoke in barely above a whisper, her small frame was still quivering and the first time I heard her speak, I could hear the tears in her tone, and that painful feeling in my chest came back. I realized then that I didn't want to see her cry anymore. I took one of her hands tenderly in my own and began wrapping it.
"I'm just helping a friend who's in need," I responded smiling. "Plus, I really don't like to see you so sad and frightened. I don't like to see you cry." The girl in front of me grew quiet as I worked. I wrapped both of her hands as well as the fresh cuts on her arms and legs, using the old shirt as a makeshift bandage. I noticed she had not once taken her eyes off of me. "I would love to see you smile. I'll bet you look really pretty when you smile."
The girl in front of me blushed, hard and I stood up on my feet and held my hand out for her bandaged one. "Come with me. I'll introduce you to Grandpa Rob and my friends." She slowly reached out and took my hand. Careful not to hurt her wounds, I took it gently and pulled her to feet. Her eyes were dried now, but I could see the tear tracks on her face where they had washed the dirt clean. Her cheeks were glowing a rosy pink color, and I smiled brightly at her. "I promise you, I will take care of you. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you anymore." I didn't know why, but I felt very protective of this girl. More so than anyone.
And finally. Her eyes widened and those lips that had been turned down into a frown just minutes ago, had been quivering with fear, turned up at the corners. I saw her smile. For the first time, and I remember that my own heart began pounding in my chest. I remember seeing her smile was like the entire room had lit up around me, and I wanted nothing more than to see all her tears and all her fears washed away. I always wanted to see her face light up and smile like that. To me, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Like the sun at the break of day. It was striking.
"That's the spirit!" I told her, giving her my own smile and tugging her gently toward my group of friends. Later, we all found out that her name was Erza, and I found I still couldn't stop thinking about that beautiful, red hair of hers. I was saddened to know she didn't have a last name, and so I gave her one of her own. And I remember, when I said we should call her Scarlet, how her eyes brightened and her face lit up in the most spectacular way, and she smiled that smile. Just for me.
And it was then that I knew, from our first meeting and that first smile, I was in love with her. Completely taken by this mysterious little girl with her beautiful red hair. Nothing has changed, even now. I have always been in love with her. To this very day, when I see her smile, it washes away the darkness that attempts to creep back into my world. Every time I see her smile, it's like seeing it for the first time all over again. It's like the sunrise all over again, and I fall for her, all over again.