The darkness of night had enveloped the kingdom of Magnolia. No doubt that in this late hour of the night, almost all of its residents would be comfortably tucked away in their beds under the warmth of covers, and letting their minds wander off into the depths of their dreams whilst weary bodies rest. But for one such person, that small vacation into the blissful escape would come to an end as she stirs in her sleep and turns to her side, realizing she was sleeping alone in their two-person tent.
"Jellal…?" calls out Meredy in a low and groggy tone. Her right arm reaches up and down the empty half of their sheets, seeking for the man in question. One eye slowly opens and adjusts to the dim environment which is illuminated solely by the natural light bouncing off the crescent moon. Jellal Fernandes, the runaway fugitive and head of the independent guild, Crime Sorciere, was nowhere in sight.
Realizing this, the pinkette slowly sits up in her bed, revealing her nightgown that easily matched the color of her hair. "Now where did he go?" she asks herself before pulling off the bed sheets and swiftly slipping her feet into her brown boots. She grabs the blue coat that represents their guild and wraps it around her to cover herself from the coldness of the night as well as conceal her rather sultry sleep wear.
Not far from the campsite, the man in question is seen sitting on the ground with both arms and legs crossed and eyes focused on the night sky. He was still wearing his new attire, though the white jacket is seen neatly placed at his side. He welcomed the cool air that gently breezes past his loose, blue locks from time to time. All the while, there is a clear view of the stars this evening as though the heavens were decorated in diamonds as far as the eyes could see. Jellal had always enjoyed nights like these. They helped him focus when things were heavy on his mind.
"There you are," whispers Meredy in relief as she kneels down behind Jellal and wraps her arms over his shoulders and held him so affectionately whilst she rests her chin upon his left clavicle and presses her soft chest against his strong back.
"My apologies," replies the heavenly mage as he shifts his sight from the stars to now gaze upon the emerald colors of the young woman's eyes, "I didn't mean to wake you." A gentle smile curls the man's lips to reflect his sincerity as well as show his joy in her presence.
"Mm-mm," hums Meredy as she shakes her head, "you didn't wake me. I was having a nice dream but it ended and you weren't there so I was worried and came looking."
"I see. I didn't mean to worry you. I just couldn't sleep."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Jellaaaaal…" Meredy's tone quickly shifts, showing that she knew him better than that.
Jellal could only chuckle quietly. "It's about tomorrow. Thanks to Sorano, we know the Alvarez Empire is going to invade with all they have. The war against Zeref will finally begin." In the midst of his explanation, Jellal lifts his eyes back at the stars above. His arm come undone with one now resting upon his leg and the other lifting onto Meredy's grasp to lightly caress her soft skin with the palm of his hand. "I worry about the casualties of this war. Many will be injured. Some may die. I'd never forgive myself if either of those things came upon you or the others."
"Jellal…" The girl's eyes reflect the sympathy she feels. She, too, worries about the outcome of this war and who could end up on death's door during the event. "We've done all that we can. We've trained ourselves to the bone in preparation for this very fight. All we can do now is give it our all and have faith that we'll make it together."
Her words consoled the man. "I know," he replies, "and you're absolutely right. I just can't shake this feeling…"
"Listen to me," she quickly interrupts as she pulls Jellal face towards her own. Their foreheads now press against one another as her eyes fiercely gaze into his, "we will be OK. Have faith in us! We are stronger because of your leadership. We'll all come out of this alive. I can promise you that. So you can't stress yourself over this now. You need to rest, too. You'll need your strength tomorrow. So tonight…"
Meredy shifts from behind the man to now sit at his side. Her hands release the affectionate embrace and cup both of Jellal's cheeks to softly caress them with her thumbs. "Tonight, let's just enjoy this fleeting moment of peace. Let's just make it about us. Alright?"
Words escape the bluenette as he stares in awe for a few moments. They say that behind every great man is a great woman and this was exactly what he needed right now. Jellal yields to her suggestion with a nod and a smile. A hand reaches up to gently hold one of hers. "Alright."
Meredy breathes a sigh of relief knowing her words have reached him. "I love you, you know that? You big idiot~" she says happily in a soft voice.
Jellal didn't say a word. Instead he reaches to his side to grab the white coat he had folded next to him and wraps it over Meredy's shoulders to further shield her from the cold. After doing so, the tips of his fingers start to glow with the heavenly golden color of his magic and he proceeds to make hand gestures.
This catches Meredy's attention, causing her to look over at his hand. "What are you—" she suddenly gasps, bringing her question to a quick pause upon realizing what it was Jellal was doing. Those diamonds that had decorated the night sky were moving! Some would easily describe the phenomenon as the stars were dancing, swirling about in such fluid motion. Meredy watches on eyes brightly lit in surprise and amazement. Jellal's magic was truly a wonder to behold.
When the stars finally ceased, the shape of a large heart now decorated the heavens. "I love you, too," whispers Jellal into Meredy's ear softly, causing her cheeks to instantly flush red and snap out of her hypnotized state.
"That's so dirty and you know it! It can never do something that amazing for you!" The sensory mage quickly crossed her arms and looks away, trying her best to hide the crimson colors of her cheeks as they puffed up. She would be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit flattered. In fact, her heart may have skipped a few beats.
"Oh? On the contrary, I think you do something much more amazing than that and it puts my little light show to shame," replies the male as he wraps one arm over her shoulders to hold her closer. His free hand reaches across to lightly hold her chin and pull her face towards his slowly. Once their eyes meet, Meredy's breathing quickly grew short upon realization of how close they were. Lips were mere inches from one another. Her gaze keeps shifting from his brown orbs down to his welcoming lips and back up again.
"And… what's that? Pray tell," inquires Meredy.
"Through the good and the bad, you've always been with me. I'd trade my magic away in a heartbeat to keep that true forevermore."
Jellal brings his lips onto Meredy's and their lips melt together in a passionate exchange. Meredy instantly melts in his arms and closes her eyes, returning the kiss with as much love for him as he had for her. 'Dammit, why is he so damn good with words?' she asks herself as the taste of his warm lips took over her thoughts.
After several moments pass, Meredy slowly breaks the kiss and stands up, taking Jellal by the hand. "Come with me."
"Where are we going?" asks Jellal.
"Back to the tent, obviously," replies Meredy. "You might be able to move the heavens themselves for me, but I know how to rock your world~" She winks at him seductively.
This time it would be Jellal whose cheeks would suddenly glow within a crimson hue upon realization of what she means before being lead back to their campsite and into the privacy of their tent.
Though tomorrow would bring about the commencement of war, tonight the atmosphere will be filled with the love and peace between these two soul mates.