Series: Fairy Tail.
Pairing: Jerza.
Mentioned: Lyredy.
Rating: T+
A/N (forgottenwhispers): This is part one of a collab with my Sunshine: snogfairy. Philine and I wanted to write something canon that was intimate and meaningful without stepping into the 'smut' territory this time. I'm having a difficult time writing and, I'm not going to lie, this isn't my best work. Not by a long shot. But it's all I can manage right now.
Jerza Love Fest Day 4: Caught In The Act.
;She had loved him all this time, a love so delicate and fragile it terrified her.
Erza fingered the lingerie spread on Lucy's bed gingerly. The dull thump of her heart beating made her head spin and her vision blur as though heat waves danced along her eyelids. Lucy knitted her fingers together as she watched Erza eye the lingerie she'd picked out for this special occasion. The material felt so soft beneath her fingertips that Erza couldn't fathom ever wearing the fabric on her body. It was so delicate, like a bubble floating through the sky, waiting to be popped by careless hands. It seemed a shame to wear it, really. And the lace, Erza had never seen anything like it. She'd ventured into Lucy's drawers before but this was something else entirely.
"You said to grab something cute," Lucy gestured to the assortment of undergarments spread across the bed, "These are cute. I bought a variety so you could pick something suitable, you know? Juvia helped a little before she passed out."
Their eyes shifted to the unconscious woman in the corner of the room with her legs curled around a pillow. Erza didn't dare imagine where Juvia's mind had wandered to drive her into that state.
"Do you wear… do you wear this kind of thing every day, Lucy?"
"Hm? You mean lingerie like this?" she paused. "Of course."
"How bold!"
Lucy's interest inlingerie didn't match Erza's anxiety one bit. She wanted to wow Jellal, but the chance of him seeing her undergarments was slim at best. After all, their past attempts at dating had been cut short each time. They were but two threads on an intricate web that touched for a brief time, only to be severed by a storm. Just making it on their date without interruption would make Erza happy…
"Hey, Erza… what are you going to wear?"
Erza glanced at the armour hugging her torso and rapped her knuckles against the surface. The colour drained from Lucy's cheeks. Two hands were against Erza's shoulders in a heartbeat, thrashing the redhead around with a great deal of panic.
"What is it? Did you want a fight, Lucy?"
Lucy stiffened. "N-no! A dress! You have to wear a dress!"
"A dress? But my armour is quite efficient, what if—"
"No! No, no, no! And your hair! We need to do your hair! Cancer, I'll call Cancer. He'll fix this. And Virgo. Virgo can—"
"Lucy," Erza breathed a sigh and set a hand on the blonde's arm, "Thank you, but I'm fine. Really."
After a good twenty minutes of coercion, Erza found herself clad in an elegant dress that gave true meaning to the name Titania. It flowed to her ankles, snug against her voluptuous figure. The shade was beautiful, a deep scarlet red that matched the hair hanging over her shoulders. The woman in the mirror looked tense. Vulnerable. Erza clasped a fist at her side and studied her complexion. Beads of sweat rolled off her temples, memorising the curve of her jaw before dripping onto the carpet below.
"I can't do this," she whispered, "I can't do this, Lucy."
"Of course you can," Lucy grinned, resting a hand on Erza's shoulder, "You're Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail. You an do anything you put your mind to."
Setting a hand over Lucy's, Erza took a moment to catch her breath and still the rapid beating of her heart. She could do this. She had to.
"Thank you, Lucy."
"Besides," Lucy lifted the dress to Erza's knees and gave a mischievous smile, "He has easy access to the underwear you picked out while you wear th—"
"That's quite enough! I've changed my mind! Come, if we stop by the guild we can be off on a mission before noon! I'll have the Master inform Jellal of my absence."
Erza didn't make it far before Juvia was at her feet and Lucy at her back. Restrained by her comrades, Erza gave a sigh of defeat. The reason she didn't fight them was obvious —
She wanted to see Jellal.
Streamers of sunlight poked through the trees shadowing Magnolia Park. The breeze upset the leaves, making them shudder and rustle as she passed beneath them. Erza tread the path cautiously, wary of where her heels touched the ground. She tried to picture the faces of her comrades as they pushed her out the door, tried to picture their confident smiles. She'd rather face an entire dark guild than deal with these antsy emotions of hers.
Or maybe not.
In the distance, clad in attire that covered his face, Jellal approached with his head down and his hands folded neatly across his chest. Erza came to a steady halt to give herself time to breathe. She knew it was him. She knew by the way his presence flooded the entire park, a deep flame in a dense forest; it overwhelmed her. The attraction swelled inside her, swirling like hot vapour.
He closed the distance before she could find a steady breath, his hand extended towards her. She eyed it for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. And then he laughed and took her hand into his own, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. So far so good. She glanced about the park, searching for distractions, interruptions. When she found none, Erza took another glance just to be sure. Today would go well, she could feel it in the soft lace wrapped around her waist.
"Erza," his voice pulled her in, "It's good to see you."
She couldn't swallow past the lump in her throat. Everything blurred around them. He was pulled into focus so suddenly she didn't have time to catch her breath. All this talk of love and that with Lucy made Erza's mind wander. She didn't want to sneak around with him. She'd pass up cake if it meant spending time with him. She thought about how his lips would taste. And then she thought about how his lips would taste with cake on them. Her cheeks flushed. The question that slipped from her lips derailed her train of thought, if only for a moment.
"How is Meredy doing?"
He grimaced. "She's fine."
Erza knew that look. It was his paternal 'she's growing up too fast' look. It seared through Erza's soul, making her physically shudder. Perhaps, someday, she and Jellal could have a family of their own. She tried to picture it, to picture miniature Jellal's roaming around calling her 'Mother'. If not, they could always adopt Meredy. That thought curled her lips into a smile. She tried not to think about it too much, tried not to think about babies. Or the process in which babies are made.
"Well, we should be going," she could stand and stare at him all day, but the absurdity of her feelings prevented her from slipping into a dazed, lovey-dovey state. She didn't like the nausea those feelings brought. "Before something goes wrong."
Jellal shook his head and his eyes grew distant. He was thinking back to their failed attempts in the past. "You're right."
His eyes roamed every curve of her body before he pulled his hand away. Had he noticed her dress? Did she look terrible? Why wasn't he saying anything? His mouth moved but no words came out. Panic drained the warmth from Erza's cheeks. Clutching at the folds of her borrowed dress, she leaned forward apprehensively and waited for his comment. An eternity seemed to pass before he opened his mouth to speak again.
"I hope you saved room for cake, Erza."
Disappointment stole at her features. "Of course."
As they walked through the park, Erza's eyes followed the hand closest to her. Watched it sway and move aimlessly through the space between them. She wanted to take it. Wanted him to squeeze her fingers as he had before. But she wouldn't permit herself to move. Her hand stayed at her side, rigid, her muscles tense. She wished to don her armour once more, to tap her knuckles against the firm steel.
When they left the park, Erza caught the occasional glance following Jellal from the corner of her eye. They recognised him from the Grand Magic Games, at least, she prayed that was the reason for their curious stares. Either way, having eyes follow them erected bumps on her skin. A cold chill spread along her spine. What if they recognised him? What if something interrupted their date again? She had to tell him. She had to tell him how she felt, to hold his hand and—
She felt her heel give way long before Jellal's arm swept around her waist. Her ankle throbbed as she tumbled back, pain pulsing through her leg. Heaving a deep breath, Erza squeezed her eyes shut as he raised her back to her feet. Clutching at his back, she tested the heel beneath her, relieved to find it still intact. She could feel the shape of his palm pressing against the small of her back, feel the heat of it through the thin material of her dress.
"Erza… are you alright?"
She raised her head to look at him, surprised at the proximity of their faces. She'd have focused on his lips, were they not hidden away from her. She cursed their need to move discreetly, cursed their unfortunate circumstances. She was reminded of the incident before, of the time he'd pushed her away from him. They'd almost kissed back then.
Oh how she wished they had.
"I don't think your Fiancée would like this," she breathed, a small smile on her lips, "Or did you forget?"
A flicker of guilt touched his eyes and he withdrew from their sudden embrace, giving a squeeze to her shoulders before turning away from her. Erza walked a few slow, cautious steps, testing the stability of her heel before assuming her rightful place beside him. She wished their relationship could be normal. She longed to be near him without violating any laws. White hot need spread through her each time she stole a glance at his face. She wanted to date him openly, to hold his hand in public, to kiss him goodnight and wake in his arms the next morning. She'd read more than her fair share of erotic novels to fantasise about an intimate relationship with Jellal. To think about his hands roaming every curve of her body, to picture his lips grazing her lips. But fantasy wasn't enough anymore. She didn't want to hide. He shouldn't need to disguise himself, and she shouldn't feel embarrassed by the unwelcome eyes that followed them down the street. She had loved him all this time, a love so delicate and fragile it terrified her. And yet she would be nothing without it.
"Listen, Erza, about that time…"
"Don't say anything more. It's in the past."
He pulled at the scarf around his neck and sighed. "Erza, I—"
Coming to a halt outside one of the smaller stores scattered throughout Magnolia, Erza latched onto Jella's wrist and hoisted him around to face the window. The force was enough to drive him into the glass and he groaned from the impact. Erza then pushed against the back of his head and pressed her nose to the cold glass. The surface fogged beneath her hot breath.
"I have an idea."