Author's Note: Jerza is my second favourite pairing, right after Nalu, so of course I had to participate in Jerza Week! I'm am very happy with how this turned out- my darlings need a child! Please leave a review, and enjoy~
Summary: Erza has always been his light, accomplishing incredible things and continuously amazing him every day, but Jellal thinks one of her greatest feats is when she brings another little light into the world.
It was a quiet, calm afternoon when it happened. She was standing in the kitchen, stirring a bowl of cake batter with a whisk, her frilly pink apron tied around her round belly and her scarlet hair caught up in a messy bun, humming a tune to herself as she read over the recipe. The soft sounds of the outdoors were carried in by a gentle breeze through the open window, and the house was peaceful and serene.
She was turning the page of the recipe book when she felt it- a warm, thick liquid seeped onto her panties, dripping down her bare thigh. She froze, focusing on the gelatinous fluid as it made its way steadily over her smooth skin. All at once, she knew what was happening, and her eyes widened at the realization.
"Jellal!" She cried out, panic making itself clear in her voice as it rang out through the house, shattering the tranquility. Her breathing increased rapidly, and she dropped the whisk, gripping the edge of the counter to support herself. "Jellal!" She yelled again, her voice cracking.
Footsteps raced down the stairs. "Erza?" He called, worry lacing his voice as he made his way to where she was. "Are you okay?" He ran into the kitchen, dark green eyes zeroing in on her shaky form. He rushed to her, gathering her in his arms and holding her close. "Erza, honey? What's the matter?" He murmured softly into her hair, rocking her gently.
"It's the… my water…" she managed to get out between hiccupping gasps. "The baby… he's… he's coming!"
Jellal froze, his eyes widening. "Now?" He questioned, pulling away enough to peer down at her. Erza nodded, staring up at him with wide, panicked eyes, her lower lip wobbling slightly. "O-okay," he breathed, blinking, trying to reign in his shock. This was to expected- nearly nine months into the pregnancy, Erza was bound to give birth any day now. He had known that, but nothing, not the doctor's instructions, not the books he read, could really prepare him for it.
Jellal took a moment to organize his thoughts. "Okay, Erza," he soothed, sounding a lot more sure than a minute ago. "We need to get you to the hospital. Can you walk?"
Erza stared up at him, her chocolate orbs full of fear and shock. "I don't… I'm afraid to move my legs," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. Her breathing grew heavier and more erratic, and Jellal tightened his arms around her.
"It's okay, Erza. It's okay," he told her, trying to calm her, one hand stroking her hair reassuringly. "I'm going to pick you up, is that okay?" He asked, not wanting to push her frayed nerves further by shocking her with sudden movement. She nodded shakily, closing her eyes, tears squeezing out onto her cheeks. Jellal crouched and picked her up gently, and once she wrapped her arms around his neck securely, he began walking briskly to the front door. Erza wasn't as light as she used to be, considering she had another human being in her belly, but Jellal still managed to hold her with one arm and grab his car keys and wallet and slip into a pair of worn navy flip flops. Then he was out the door, hurrying to his car and unlocking it with the button on the keys, pulling open the front seat door and carefully lowering Erza into it. He shut the door and rushed around the car, yanking the driver's seat door and hopping into his seat, starting the engine. He waited as Erza fumbled for her seatbelt, clicking it into place, but he ignored his as he backed out of the driveway and onto the street. Once he straightened out the car, he pressed down the gas pedal and they were off, speeding down the roads.
Erza's hand found his as he drove, and he grasped it tightly, his thumb stroking soothing circled on the back of her hand. His other hand gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he maneuvered the car through the roads, weaving around the other cars with expertise. They raced through the streets, Erza's heavy breathing filling the air and crunching Jellal's brows with worry. He glanced at her every once in awhile, his lips pressed in a tight line at her pained noises. Once they hit the highway, Jellal floored it, and they shot to the hospital.
Ten minutes later, Jellal drove into Magnolia Hospital's parking lot, swerving into a parking spot before cutting the engine and jumping out of the car. He lifted Erza out of the car and jogged to the front doors, clutching her close to his chest. He shoved the glass doors open with his shoulder, hurrying up to the front desk and the lady behind it that looked up, startled by his sudden arrival. "Can I help you?" She asked uncertainly, frowning slightly as she took in Erza's curled up form.
"Yes, please," Jellal replied instantly, his voice holding a tinge of desperation. "She's in labour, and-"
"No need to say anymore, sir," the lady declared firmly, cutting him off as she understood the situation. "I'm going to call a doctor to ready a room for her, okay?" At his rapid nodding, she picked up one of the large black desk phones on her desk and dialed a number, holding it up to her ear. "Yes, Doctor Strauss? We have a woman in labour with her husband-" She paused as the person on the other end replied. "Alright. What is the room number? Number three-seven-two, got it. Thank you." With that, she set down the phone and turned back to Jellal. "Okay, so Doctor Lisanna is preparing a room for you right now, and it should be done within a few minutes. While we are waiting, could you please state your names so we can access your hospital records and any beforehand choices you may have made about the birth procedure?" She was calm and collected, but Jellal's own controlled facade was slowly slipping. His muscles were twitching, tensing and relaxing as he tapped his toes impatiently.
Nonetheless, he answered, "I'm Jellal Fernandes, and this is my wife Erza Scarlet Fernandes. We were here two weeks ago, for a pregnancy check up," he informed her.
The lady nodded, typing their names into her computer, pulling up their records and reviewing them. "Alright. So it says here that Mrs. Fernandes is close to exactly nine months into the pregnancy, is that correct?" She questioned. Jellal nodded, his eyes glancing to the clock that hung on the wall behind her desk. "Okay, so the baby isn't premature, then. The birth should go well, if the records of past check-ups are correct. But, if anything were to happen, the doctors will have to have her hooked up to an IV, and use a vacuum and forceps to help the birth along."
"That's okay," he replied, his brow furrowing further when a pained whimper left Erza's lips.
The secretary looked at Erza with sympathy. "Can she walk? We can have a stretcher brought down if you want," she offered.
Jellal shook his head, deep blue locks falling into his eyes at the movement. "No, that won't be necessary; I can carry her," he told her.
She pressed her lips together in uncertainty and opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, one of the phones' lights began blinking insistently. The woman picked up the phone and brought it to her ear, listening as a voice spoke from the other end, nodding and setting it down again.
"Your room is ready, sir. It's number three-"
"Three-seven-two, got it." He cut her off, having already memorized the number when she said it earlier. "What floor?"
The lady blinked, taken aback, but answered his question. "Floor three, sir. Go up the stairs at the end of the hall, take two lefts, and it should be the fourth door on the right."
Jellal nodded and turned away, heading to the staircase that she directed him to. He rushed up the steps two at a time, dodging other patients and doctors that stared at him as he passed. He followed the secretary's instructions, jogging around corners and counting down the room numbers until he came to the one that was for them. He reached out to knock on the door, but to his surprise, it flew open before his knuckles hit the metal and he came face to face with a woman. Her brilliant blue eyes widened, but when she glanced down at Erza she realized who they were. "Mr. Fernandes, please bring her in," she ordered, moving back to let him into the room. Jellal swept past her, glancing around the sterile room and the various machines and instruments that filled it. A bed was in the middle of the room, and two nurses wearing pristine white coats and hospital masks waited next to it. At the woman's instruction, he laid Erza down gently on the bed, and the two doctors instantly got to work removing her apron and clothes, replacing them with a hospital gown. Erza tried her best to help, but she couldn't do much, the building pain in her back stopping her. The nurses worked with efficiency, pulling the gown away to reveal her swollen belly and placing two circular sensory pads on it which were connected to a monitor. Jellal watched them intently, worry and apprehension tightening his features. He dimly realized that the device was an electronic fetal monitor, and the little piece of knowledge made him feel a bit calmer.
Erza's face was screwed up in pain as the first of her contractions hit her, and Jellal's heart clenched at the fact that there was no way he could help her. The lady, Jellal determined that she was the Doctor Lisanna Strauss that the secretary spoke of, watched over the nurses, instructing them and checking the monitor and Erza's progress.
Dr. Strauss came up to Jellal where he hovered out of the nurses' way, smiling at him. "Please, Mr. Fernandes, take a seat," she told him, and Jellal sat reluctantly in one of the plastic chairs along the wall. "She is alright, do not fret. Mrs. Fernandes has progressed surprisingly fast, but it isn't shocking, considering that all her past records have shown that the baby has grown quickly and healthily. She is a strong woman as it is, so I suspect that her labour time is going to be incrementally shorter than the average woman's." Jellal nodded along with her words, fully aware of just how powerful and strong his wife was. "Still, it will take a while, as this is her first pregnancy. You are of course free to stay, but you can leave at anytime. The bathrooms are down the hall, and there is a vending machine a little ways past it, if you get hungry."
Jellal tried for a smile, but it did nothing to cover the apprehension that swam in his eyes as they glanced towards Erza again and again. "Thank you," he responded, watching Erza as she lay in the bed, her beautiful features twisted in pain.
Dr. Strauss smiled at him reassuringly and stood, patting his shoulder as she got back to work.
They had been at the hospital for seven hours now, and Jellal had taken to watching over the nurses' shoulders, Erza's whimpers of pain filled the air, cutting into him with every noise. The birth had progressed greatly, and Erza's contractions had gotten more forceful as her body pushed at baby out. Her breathing was heavy, and tears slipped out of her tightly shut eyes and into her scarlet hair. Jellal made a sound of anguish at her pain, and Dr. Strauss glanced up at him from where she was examining the baby's progress. She gave him a sympathetic smile, and sat up, brushing her short white hair behind her ear with her wrist. "You know, Mr. Fernandes, if you stay out of the nurses' way, you can stay next to your wife," she informed him kindly, and Jellal instantly brightened.
"Really?" He asked, happiness coating his voice. Dr. Strauss nodded, and the nurses made room for him next to the bed. Jellal pulled out the little stool from under the bed, and sat in it, gazing at Erza tenderly. He brushed her hair away from where it stuck to her glistening forehead and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. Erza opened her eyes at his gentle touches and when they found his, she managed a smile. Jellal returned her smile with one of his own, his hand coming down to cup her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. Erza's hand shakily raised touch his face, her creamy skin a shade lighter than his.
Suddenly, her face crumpled in pain, and a moan spilled from her lips as a contraction wracked her body. Her breathing increased and tears trailed down her cheeks. Her hand dropped from his cheek, falling to his chest, and Jellal took it in his, holding it firmly as whimpers left her lips. Erza clutched his hand tightly, bordering on painful, but Jellal didn't complain, squeezing her back.
Doctor Strauss looked up then. "The baby is coming!" she declared, and the nurses rushed to prepare for it's arrival. Jellal's eyes widened slightly in excitement, and he squeezed Erza's hand again.
"You hear that, Erza?" He whispered softly. "Our baby is on it's way." She didn't reply, but a tightening of her hand told him that she heard. Another contraction hit her and she cried out, and Jellal stroked her hair soothingly. Her legs opened further as her body started expelling the baby from her womb. The doctor's voice ordering nurses around and the clattering of their movements as they moved equipment filled the air, but Jellal tuned it all out as he focused solely on Erza. The contractions came faster and harder, and her whimpers escalating to cries of agony.
Erza's upper body lifted as her body strained to push the baby into the world. Her breathing was erratic and tears fell faster, and her hold on Jellal's hand was crushing. The muscles of her womb contracted again and again, working furiously to release the baby. "The baby's head is coming," the doctor announced, and she and the nurses hovered at the end of the bed, hands outstretched to help the baby once it made its appearance.
Erza contracted again, and Jellal watched in fascinated awe as the baby's head was forced out of her body, slowly. At first, only a tuft of hair, matted down by the fluids of Erza's womb, could be seen, but with every contraction, more and more of the baby's head was revealed. The moment it's head was fully out, the baby opened its mouth, and a shrill, high-pitched wailing filled the air.
Erza's contractions became faster and faster still, her body eager to end the strain that was so evident in her features. Jella could only watch as more and more of the baby was revealed, it's wet, pink body being supported by the gloved hands of the nurses. With one final heave and a cry so loud it was nearly a scream, Erza fully dispelled the baby from her womb. She let herself drop back onto the pillows, utterly drained from the immense pain and strain her body endured. Before her head even hit the pillows, the nurses picked up the baby and held it gently, clamping the slimy umbilical cord with a rather dangerous-looking instrument. Doctor Lisanna inspected the baby quickly. "It's a boy," she affirmed, and with that statement, the she and the nurses took the baby to another room that branched off the one they were currently in. Confusion and panic swept over Jellal as his eye tracked them, before he relaxed, remembering that they need to give the baby a bath and vaccines, as well as do a proper inspection to ensure its- his, health.
Erza cracked an eye open and stared at the nurses' retreating forms quizzically. He could see the alarm building up in the dark depths as she realized that they were taking her baby away from her. Jellal brushed her hair off her forehead soothingly, his thumb on his other hand rubbing over her knuckles. "It's alright, Erza," he reassured her gently, and she turned her confused gaze onto him. "They are only making sure he's okay. We read about this, remember?" Slowly, the panic left her eyes and she relaxed, sinking back into the cushions. Gradually, her breathing slowed from its fast pace, and her muscles lost some of their tension. Jellal let her rest, knowing full well that she needed it. He watched her quietly, his thumb never halting its path as it traced her smooth skin, the pad of his thumb following the ridges of her knuckles.
Jellal reach down and pulled the thin blanket over her exposed body, tucking it around her gently, his other hand still joined with her's. He gently untangled the scrunchy from her hair, the bun long since lost its form and shape, the elastic just barely holding the very ends of it together. He stretched it over his wrist and began combing through the scarlet locks gently. Erza sighed and tilted her head into his touch, and Jellal caressing her cheekbone. "You are amazing, Erza," he whispered softly, lifting their clasped hands to his mouth. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand in a long, loving kiss, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, she was smiling up at him, reaching up to brush her fingers across his cheekbone. They stayed like that for a while, gazing at each other with love and affection.
They looked up as Doctor Lisanna and the nurses entered the room, a bundle in the doctor's arms. Jellal watched as she walk over to them, eyes fixed on the blue wad sitting in the crook of her arm. Erza's eyes were bright with excitement and she untangled her hand from hi, and Jellal helped her sit, propping her up against the pillows. Erza outstretched her arms, and the doctor placed the swaddle of blanket in them gently, positioning Erza's arms so they properly supported it. She stepped back with the nurses, murmuring something about giving them some privacy.
Jellal knew exactly what was in the blanket, but nonetheless, his breath was taken away at the sight of the baby. It's skin was slightly pink and flushed, the colour made all the more prominent by the soft blue blanket that he was wrapped in. His eyes were sealed shut, and ointment was spread over his lids. A tuft of crimson hair sat atop his head, a mere shade darker than Erza's, the darkness of Jellal's hair altering the brilliant colour. Below his right eye and above his brow were the red markings that Jellal too sported, the curving and twisting lines spreading over his chubby cheek.
Small, short breaths puffed from his little pink lips- a precious symbol of new life.
Tears welled up in Jellal's eyes as he drank in the sight of the baby, and he wiped them away quickly, not wanting them to blur his view. He was hesitant to touch the baby, fearful that a single touch would break the fragile life. But his desire to touch him won out, and Jellal marveled the soft, warm skin under the cool pads of his fingers. The baby's nose crinkled slightly at the temperature of Jellal's fingers against his heated skin, and Jellal thought his heart just might burst with love and affection and wonder.
Jellal turned his gaze onto his wife. She was smiling down at the baby- no, their baby. Their baby, the one they created together, a mix of both of them and something all of it's own. Their baby, a precious new life, just introduced to this world. Their baby, one that they have only known for a mere minute but love more than anything else, except each other.
And their baby would be in existence if it wasn't for Erza.
She was holding their baby like it was the most precious thing in the world, her slender arms holding their little gem of life. Her big, soulful eyes were filled with awe and love, emotion swimming in the chocolate depths. Silver lined her eyes and tears slipped down her flushed cheeks, her long lashes catching some of the drops, but she didn't pay any attention to the wet trails they left. Her hair was messy, the scarlet locks spilling over her shoulders and brushing the blanket. Her skin was flushed from the strains of birth, the pinkness of her cheeks a soft contrast to her pale, creamy skin. Her pink lips were parted as she gaze down at their baby in wonderment, and Jellal felt the sudden urge to kiss her.
He pulled his hand from his baby, and brought it to her face, cupping her face and lifting it to look at him. She raised her eyes to him, and he took a moment to just look at her, to take in all her familiar features with love and adoration and awe and respect and hundred of other feelings.
She meant so much to him. She was his childhood friend, his lover, his wife. His confident, his partner, his equal. She saved him both emotionally and physically on so many occasions throughout their lives, and she was the one who made him feel safe and secure. She was his rock, the one who kept him grounded and sane when he felt like falling apart. She cared for him, gifting him with her love each and everyday. She was smart and resourceful, the one her went to with his problems. She was the one who he went to for advice when he was unsure, the one he always asked her opinion for. She was the one who helped him when he was younger, struggling with the influence of others and slowly lowering into darkness. She was the light that dispelled that darkness, the shining beacon that led him out of the grasp of the shadows that had twisted his mind.
She was his light, forever shining brighter than the stars, her radiance strong enough to burn shadows, and soft enough to bring him comfort.
And now she did one of the most awe-inspiring things ever, something that will forever amaze Jellal; she brought another life into the world, after she protected and nurtured it for months. She created that life in her womb, adapting her entire body to it. She shielded it from the world, feeding it and keeping it safe until it was strong enough to come out. Then, she spent hours bringing it into the world, pushing herself incredibly. She gave them a child, she made them a full family. She added another light of life to the world.
Jellal leaned down and Erza tilted her head to meet his lips as he kissed her. It wasn't a passionate his, or a feverous one; it was soft and sweet, a gentle show of affection that expressed all the overwhelming emotions in a simple touch. Jellal pulled away and rested his forehead on her's, their eyes opening to gaze at each other in silent love. His other hand came up to hold her at the base of the back of her head, his fingers threading through her hair while his other dropped from her face to cradle the baby's head gently. He looked at his family- his beautiful, loving, amazing wife, and his tiny, innocent baby- and felt waves of love swell in his heart. They stayed there like that for a while; the scarlet light with a glass life in her arms, and a redeemed spirit holding them together tenderly.