(Hello friends! Here is another Jerza one-shot for you! This was SUPPOSED to be all cute and fluffy, but... We all know Jellal and Erza are far from cute and fluffy, right? ;-) So... It's Jerza fluff! Also, this is technically an add-on to my previous Jerza scene posted earlier this week if you want to heck that one out first, however, it can certainly be read on its own! I hope you like it!)

An Unexpected Turn

By: xSteleAliniax

Erza lay trembling in her bed, unable to shake the events of her earlier battle. It wasn't like her to be so shook up over a battle, but this one had resulted in the loss of a friend, and that was harder on her than she wanted to admit.

She just kept picturing the look of betrayal on Lucy's face when the master told them that the arrow Erza shot at the Phoenix had also killed anyone with the creature's blood in their system. She had killed Eclair... And she had killed another piece of Lucy's heart.

She sobbed into her pillow, feeling weak and vulnerable for the first time in awhile. She didn't know how to handle all these emotions that were battling it out inside of her. She couldn't seem to pinpoint a single one, they all blurred together.

Something alerted her to another presence only seconds before she felt him slide into bed beside her. His familiar scent washed over her, and his strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her against his chest.

"Jellal-" She whispered, voice cracking a bit. She shook in his arms as she desperately tried to stop the sobs that wracked her body. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you calling to me, Erza." He whispered into her neck. His voice sent shivers up her spine. "I could feel your pain, calling out to me through the darkness."

"You did?" She whispered. How was he always able to do that? He always knew when she was hurting or in trouble; he was always there to lend her his strength.

But he had never been in her room before, in her bed...

"It's okay to show sadness, Erza." His warm breath tickled the back of her neck, making the little hairs there stand on end. "It's okay to be less than perfect... In front of me."

"Jellal..." More tears sprung to her eyes and she shuddered. "I don't want to be weak in front of you." She admitted.

"Erza," he turned her body to face him so he could look her in the eyes. "You are not weak. Allowing yourself to express your sorrow and pain doesn't make you weak. It makes you strong." She sucked in a breath at the words, at his eyes which held such sincerity.

"It was all my fault." Her words barely audible. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest. "I killed her..."

"We all do terrible things to protect the ones we love... No one blames you, Erza. You saved the world from plunging into chaos and destruction, once again." He held her close as she cried, whispering words of reassurance in her ear. She clung to his back, soaking his shirt with her tears. She allowed herself this one moment to be vulnerable in front of him...

Jellal stroked her hair as she calmed down. She had cried out most of her tears by then. She could only cry for so long for someone she had only known a short while. Still... She felt the pain for Lucy most of all. Eclair had been a good friend for her, and the celestial wizard had taken her death harder than anyone else.

"You're going to be okay, Erza." Jellal said once she had finally stopped crying. "You are much stronger than you believe. You give me strength all the time."

She snorted. "Me? I don't think that's true... You are the one who gives me strength." She remembered the time on Tenrou Island when she had been all but dead. She had given up all hope of survival, knowing that she couldn't possibly go on another moment. And then she heard HIS voice, speaking to her through the space of time, giving her that last push she needed to get up and fight. If it hadn't been for Jellal... She didn't know if she would have ever survived that day.

"Maybe," he allowed. He was drawing circles on her arm, watching as goose bumps rose under his fingertips. Her face shone with the tears she'd shed, and her scarlet hair fell around her like a red halo. "Your beauty is unbearable." He said after several moments of silence. She laughed.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment, Jellal?" She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. His eyes sparkled in the faint light from the moon. She reached out a hand and traced the tattoo just under his eye, then down his cheek, his jawline, across his lips... They parted under her touch, and she felt a release of warm breath against her fingertips. "I want to kiss you..." She said, staring at those full lips. He gasped.

"Erza-"

She silenced his protests with a kiss, crushing her lips against his. He responded immediately, much to her relief. They hadn't kissed since that first night they shared together, and knowing Jellal he would be hesitant to ever touch her again. But, no. He seemed just as desperate for her as she was for him.

Erza pulled him on top of her, wanting to feel every bit of his warmth against her body... He deepened the kiss, causing a moan of pleasure to vibrate through her body. He tangled a hand in her hair while the other skimmed across her bare thigh, up, down, up... She clung to his back, nails practically digging in through his t-shirt. She tried pulling it over his head but he stopped her halfway, leaning back and breaking their passionate kiss.

"What are you doing?" She asked, tugging at the shirt again.

"Erza, I'm not sleeping with you again."

She stopped pulling at the shirt, her whole body freezing in place as pain and rejection took over her entire being. She let her arms fall loosely at her sides and averted her gaze, putting on a steely air.

"I wasn't implying anything, Jellal." She said curtly. He sighed heavily and placed a gentle hand on her face, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were cold, but her heart still raced inside of her chest, her breath coming out in short gasps, betraying the longing she still felt inside.

"Erza," he said, in that tone that always sent shivers up her spine. "I can't sleep with you again... Not yet." She frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean 'not yet?'" She asked him carefully. He seemed nervous for a moment, eyes flicking away from hers, staring at anything but her... "Jellal?"

"I mean..." He took a deep breath and then found her gaze again. This time his eyes were determined, sure. "Not until we're married." She gaped, unable to come up with a coherent response. Was Jellal... Asking her to marry him? And he just had to do it so... Jellal, she thought, rolling her eyes inwardly.

"That's... very presumptuous of you, Jellal." She said, voice neutral, though inside she was dying from happiness. His expression fell just the tiniest bit.

"I don't mean to assume..." He said carefully. "But..."

"Say it, Jellal." She urged him. "Tell me what you want. Don't be afraid to show your emotions." She added, smirking a bit.

"Throwing my own words back in my face..." He shook his head, smiling. "Okay, Erza." He pulled back from her and rose from the bed. Erza just lay there a moment, terrified that she had somehow made him upset. She sat up quickly, mouth open, about to speak, to say anything to keep him there... But then he knelt at her bedside.

She went perfectly still, eyes wide, ears listening intently. He took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. His love for her poured through them and into her like she'd never seen before. It was almost overwhelming, that intense love.

"Erza Scarlet, Titania," he waited a beat. A smile turned up his lips. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my bride?"

"You really are an idiot..." She whispered, shaking slightly. His smile widened, and he waited expectantly. Erza felt her face flush bright red and hoped the darkness concealed it from him.

"Do you want me to beg?" He asked, voice pitching an octive lower, almost a growl. His eyes smoldered. For once, he didn't seem the least bit concerned that she would refuse his offer. She wondered what it was that made him feel so sure in that moment.

"Definitely not."

"No?"

"YES."

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow, eyes sparkling in the dimly lit room.

"Do I have to say it again?" She asked, feigning exasperation.

"I think I must have misheard you, Titania..." A smirk settled onto his face, not so typical of Jellal, at least not these days. She gaped.

"You can't be serious..."

He shrugged, waiting expectatly. She sighed audibly and rolled her eyes.

"Jellal..." She kept her voice firm, strong, like always, but she couldn't keep the huge grin from splitting her face as she said, "Of course I'll marry you. Took you long enough to ask..." She added. He laughed and then tackled her onto the bed, planting a kiss on her waiting lips.

"Terribly sorry for the inconvenience... Erza Fernandez." She shuddered at the sound of the name flowing from his lips. It sounded... Right, somehow. Jellal lay back on her bed, pulling her head onto his chest.

"Jellal...?" She said, voice hesitant.

"Hmm?"

"You still haven't removed your shirt..."

He laughed and she bit back an embarrassed smile. He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I'll remove mine... when you remove yours..." A challenge...

"Fine." She requipped without so much as moving a muscle. Her shirt disappeared, as did her shorts. She lay there in nothing but her bra and panties. "You're turn." She grinned evilly from where she still lay against his chest. His heart had started beating exponentially faster.

"You're making it very difficult to stay away from you..." He said, voice low. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

Erza leaned away from him and fixed him with a challenging stare. "Do I have to help you out of it?"

He laughed, but she felt a small tremor run up his body. "Fine." He sat up and pulled off his shirt, tossing it onto the floor. Their faces were inches apart now, and she couldn't help staring hungrily at his lips. He leaned close... She closed her eyes, parting her lips...

"Now we can sleep." He lay back down, arms behind his head. Erza's eyes popped open and her jaw dropped. She looked down at him, his closed eyes, relaxed body.

"Sleep?" She asked, thinking she must have misheard him.

"Sleep." He repeated.

"That's... All?" Seriously?

He grinned, eyes still closed, and patted his chest. "Sleep with me, Erza."

She scowled. "The way you say that suggests something else..." She muttered dryly, but lay down anyway. She snuggled into his warm chest, breathing in his Jellal scent. He put an arm around her and held her tight.

"Be patient," he whispered.

"Never."

He smiled into the darkness. "That's my girl."

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading this story! I hope you all enjoyed this one-shot as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! If you like it, I would greatly appreciate a review! I hope you all have a great day!