+So this was the first pairing I fell in love with. I don't know why, but I just did. Then came Gale and Nalu. Gruvia freaks me out a little, but Lyvia seems pretty cool. If I can't have Jerza, Grayza works too.

Slightly inspired from Sekesakura's dark, yet surprisingly delicious fanfic 'Jerza: The Art of breaking'. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do. This story takes place seven years later, when Jellal has been walking "in the light" and disguises himself as Mystogen. OVA 5 timeline w/ adult themes. Will eventually be very, very limey...bordering on lemons. May be OOC.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail does not belong to me, it belongs to the shockingly handsome and young looking Hiro Mashima. Damn those genes!

Italics = FLASH BACK

Grow Together, Fall Together: Desire

By lightning-storm

Erza grunted as she dragged Jellal back to her room. Now don't get the wrong idea, she wasn't drunk or anything, nor did she have any plans to seduce him. Erza looked at the handsome blue haired man, and smiled mischievously, well not really...but she couldn't say she was TOTALLY opposed. Erza shook her head at the turn her thoughts were taking. She was NOT a pervert! She wasn't she swore, but still as she took in the full view of this handsome, muscular, broad shouldered man who seemed to have chained her heart for life; Erza couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to touch him, to taste, to feel as he lie beside her, lips leaving trails of kisses down his well sculpted chest and abdomen.

"Ahh!" Erza fairly screamed, dropping the man as her thoughts started doing wild things to her hormones. This was not happening, this was not happening she thought in a panic. She was NOT having lust filled thoughts of her dear friend. She was NOT! She had just started getting over him, or so she thought, but then the secret meeting came, the kiss, then the Grand Magic Games, and don't even get her started on today.

"Gah," Erza stated in frustration, placing her hands in her hair.

When they all went to Ryuuzetsu Island, she had no idea it would result in her current predicament. Incidentally, while talking to her dearest Jellal, Ichiya, the little creeper, just had to go flying towards them, causing Jellal to push her out of the way. This results in, the blue haired man blindly groping her breasts. On top of that Natsu comes tumbling down on the broken love love slide sign, and somehow knocks them on the slide together. To make matters worst her legendary swimsuit starts to shred in Jellal's arms, leaving him ahem...shall we say EXTREMELY vulnerable to her 'feminine wiles.'

Even now, almost an hour after their little 'incident', she could still feel her entire body heat up in sheer shock and embarrassment as she thought of her team's destructiveness, which just happened to send them all flying. It effectively left her and her companion in the very unscrupulous position of he passed out on the ground with her sitting on his face. For this reason, and this reason alone she was now lugging the much taller and heavier man back to the closest lodging room she could think of, HERS.

As if finally realizing she had just dropped her said object of attraction on the floor, Erza panicked and fell to her knees, fearfully wondering if she had woken him. Checking all about his form, her chest tightened as she inspected the damage, or lack thereof... Erza breathed a sigh of relief. Her beloved friend was still out like a light. Carefully, so as not to disturb him anymore, she bent over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, then walked to the nearest cushioned piece of furniture

"There we go," she said, shaking her head and dropping the tall man on her bed. Erza smiled as she observed his strong features, the mask that hid his identity from the world long dispersed. Hesitantly, she raised her hand and rubbed her thumb along his chin. "Jellal," she whispered softly, "Are our paths truly fated to be away from one another ?"

Just as she was about to touch her lips to his forehead, the handsome man groaned and lifted his arm, effectively trapping her in his grasp. Shifting her form so they were facing one another, Erza turned as red as her hair as she attempted to wiggle away from his chest. Alas it was not to be, for each time she succeeded even just a little, he would pull her towards him again.

For being unconscious, Jellal was surprisingly strong.

Noticing as his brows furled in distress, Erza looked at him inquisitively as a few words tumbled from his lips. "Erza...T...Heaven...so...rry, love me? You..."

Erza's eyes widened slightly as she heard his mumbling. She didn't notice when his distressed expression turned to a scowl and a dark look entered his sleeping face. Jellal gripped her tighter..."Mine." he growled, causing Erza to flinch momentarily before he brushed his hand down the length of her back, stopping just as he hit her waistline, kinder now, "Forever mine."

With those words, Erza's heart warmed, a small smile played on her lips as she shut her eyes and repeated his phrase in her mind. Forever yours...yes, she thought quietly, I'd like that. She lie there just a moment not expecting anything, when she felt a slight peck of soft, warm lips on her earlobe. Erza sighed in contentment before he placed another peck on her slender neck. Eyes slightly open, Erza turned to see his expression soften as he placed another kiss near her ear, " Admit it..." he spoke quietly, deafeningly, then after a bit "So stubborn..."

Erza groaned in response. It felt so, it felt so... "Say it," she heard the voice beside her hiss as his firm fingers dug into her side. Erza's eyes snapped open. What the hell? She thought silently, as an ominous feeling crept in her heart. Trying to shift a little ways away so she could think clearer, Erza felt a bit lightheaded as she received a strange sense of deja vu. The woman flinched as a dark flash entered her mind, and eyes that were so like Jellal's, but so not, glinted with barely concealed lust and power,"Say it." he whispered seductively as he breathed in her ear and left a quick nip at the junction where her neck and shoulder met. Erza gasped as she felt his tongue dart against her skin. "Say what you need."

Erza shuddered briefly as the foggy words drifted into her mind, almost as in an old forgotten dream. "Where had that come from?" She murmured. Glancing at her beloved, her confusion faded to naught as he groaned lazily and opened his sleepy eyes.

Jellal blinked slightly before roaming his surroundings. He then returned his attention to her, eyes wide as he dropped his arms from about her waist as if he had been scalded. "Erza!" he cried, then scrambling away from the bed in a panic before he tripped over the corner of the sheet, only to land on top of her again.

Erza blushed a bright red as she was reminded of a day not so long ago, when they tumbled down a hill and he landed on top off her. God must really hate her she thought to herself. Or maybe it was him, she wasn't quite sure. However, if they too many more incident's like this, she might just lose it. Erza felt herself freeze as another sensation of giving up because of Jellal racked her body. "Did you really think you could escape me?...Sweet Erza?"

What was that? Shaking her head she sighed in defeat.

"Jellal," she barely managed to speak, ignoring the strange heartbeat in her chest, her eyes glazed over as a distant look came into her eyes, "clumsy as always I see."

Jellal:

The blue haired man felt all his blood rush to his face, and the temperature around him rise at least 10 degrees. "Ah, sorry!" he said quickly getting on his knees. Realizing the dire situation he found himself in, Jellal quickly made a beeline for the door. However, he couldn't get far before a soft hand grabbed the top of his shorts and snaked around his forearm.

"Stay," Erza's usual strong voice wavered slightly, causing him to halt his retreat and turn just enough to see her watery eyes. Leaning towards him, one knee on the bed , while the rest of her reached out for him, Jellal gulped nervously at the crystal clear view of what she hid beneath her nightgown. Suppressing the groan in his throat as he felt the tightness stir beneath his trunks, Jellal closed his eyes. This had been something he had wanted to avoid.

It was a cool and dark night and his servants had managed to successfully incapacitate his deadly beauty and throw her towards the floor of his sleeping quarters, per his command. Smiling darkly, he carefully lowered himself to her level and grabbed her chin, so she could look into the eyes of her captor. The shocked and angry look in her eyes when she realized who he was made his black heart stir just a bit.

"Jellal!" she managed to growl once her shock was over, and he smirked before raising his other hand and gently running it down the side of her face.

"Erza," he said smoothly, and the woman's eyes widened as he twirled her locks around his hand and brought her closer to his body,"What a pleasure it is to see you again." he whispered, emphasis on the word pleasure, before he bent down and kissed her earlobe. Her heart raced momentarily before she shook her head and glared at him harshly. Jellal let out a slight chuckle at the expression on her lovely features. This was almost too easy.

Nonetheless his triumph was short lived as she pulled away slightly and spit in his face. Startled by her attempted insolence, Jellal pushed her face towards the floor."You really shouldn't have done that love." he whispered before pulling her to feet and pushing her on his bed. Straddling her body so she couldn't move, he quickly grabbed the steel chains attached to his banister and wound them around her wrists.

"Now my dear" he purred, tracing her flesh with the sharp object he had hidden in his jacket prior. Pausing at the edge of her top, Jellal quirked his eyebrow. With a glower, he sliced through her covering, taking in a sharp breath as it exposed the flesh beneath. Grinning in approval, he ran the edge of his blade along her neck,"Apologize," he breathed in her ear, "Apologize properly."

Jellal shook his head of the memory, directing his attention to the pleading look of the striking woman before him. The bitter and vile taste of his past actions knocking against his chest and refusing to let him rest. He had other reason's to avoid her, he had skeletons that haunted him more than any thing she realized.

"Erza, " he said in attempt to protest, but the grip on his forearm tightened as she pulled him towards her body.

"Stay...please." She whispered weakly, and Jellal shivered as he felt his heart pound. Seeing his strong, confident and beautiful Erza appear so vulnerable and lost before him did horrible things to his self-control. Jellal grimaced, since when had he become so weak.

Moments later he returned to her side, automatically placing in his arms in their prior position. The lovely woman smiled as she curled against him, a small mewl of approval escaping as he surrounded her. Jellal felt a small glimmer of joy prick his heart at her reaction.

When he saw her at the beach just over a week and a half ago it only took about 30 seconds to realize he still cared for the woman, 20 seconds to realize she was still very beautiful in his eyes, and 15 seconds to discover he had and would continue to always love and desire her. From the time they were children, to now she had always been very precious to him.

Even in his darkness he had kept his eye on her, tracking her growth and actions as she stumbled through her 'transient freedom,' as he so eloquently put it. After all, he had every intention of taking her back at that time, sacrifice or not. Watching from the shadows, he would support her guild, smile when she had fought, laugh when she'd win, and frown when she lost. He had become obsessed with her, admiring her spirit, hating her light, thirsting for her strength and passion. Only she was good enough, only she would do as his sacrifice, only she would do as his queen.

No matter how much he tried to distract him self, no matter how many times he took of a woman's pleasuring whence he came of age, she was always in the back of his mind, always in his heart, for in his own twisted way, he truly did love her. Sometimes at night, when everyone was asleep and the tower was quiet he would cause his thought projection to enter her rooming quarters and stand before her, aching as he took a lock or two of her scarlet hair and twirled it around his fingers.

"Beautiful." he would whisper in her ear, watching in amusement as her tense look changed into one of relaxation. Giving her the briefest of kisses, he would smile slightly as her face lit up, before stopping momentarily to bask in her soothing light. Then just as a thief in the night he would go back the way he came, tiptoeing ever so slightly as he slipped out under his cover of darkness.

At this moment, as she lie within his arms so willingly, he was almost able to forget the ultimate crime he committed and bask in the light that she offered, but he knew it couldn't last for long. For if she knew, if she found out his secret, surely she would not forgive him so easily.

"Why are you doing this to me!?" She cried, eyes flashing with barely concealed anger as the man that had once been her closest friend stared at her with his cold and calculating eyes. The man smiled darkly before lifting his cloak over his head and leaning towards her prone form.

"Do you really want to know?" his crooned innocently. Before she could even think to react Jellal smiled and placed a passionate kiss on her lips. He nearly laughed as he saw the stunned expression on her face, her flawless skin pink from his contact.

"I-"

With her single syllable, he placed his finger over her lips, much like he had at the council that day. Erza leaned into his touch, and he smiled bemusedly. This will be interesting, he thought to himself. Raking his eyes over her curvaceous body, a lecherous look burst forth in his cold, dark eyes. Very interesting indeed. With that he left the room, leaving her in the shadows as he returned to his twisted game.

"All in due time my dear Erza, all in due time."

His memory was interrupted as Erza's soft hand brought his chin up to her face, a concerned look in her eyes. "Jellal?" she asked quietly, her eyes full of unanswered questions, "Is something wrong?"

Not wanting to worry her he smiled slightly before removing her hand from his chin and leaving the briefest of kisses on her knuckles.

"Iie," he responded in his soothing voice, and Erza's pulse jumped before she snuggled into his chest. Unable to resist, he pulled her into a light embrace. "Erza." he whispered after a few moments, basking in the light she had cast upon his tainted soul, "How can you be so good to me, considering everything I've done?"

Without flinching in the slightest, she placed her palms on his hands and smiled slowly, "Because," she paused momentarily, "Because...despite everything you've done, you are still Jellal, the same kind man who loved me and supported me when we were young...before...before." she struggled to speak the the words that haunted them both.

"Before I ruined your life, Simon, Milliana, everyone...before I-"

"Iie!" she shouted, "Before you lost yourself to your despair and allowed darkness to control you...and even then, even then," she barely managed to stutter out, barely concealing the tears within her eyes. "You were still here," pointing to her heart, "Right here...and I love you. I will always love you. I will always be beside you...if you let me." placing her hand on his chest, "Do you love me too?"

"Erza... I can't, fian-"

"I don't want to hear that lie again!" she cried, not wanting to hear any lame reason's or excuses about why he is unworthy, why she should find someone else, or what not, "Before I thought you just didn't want me or something, " she whispered calmly, "After all, it has been seven years." Erza smiled slightly, "But...after today, I started to wonder."

Jellal took a sharp intake of breath, yes seven years, seven painstaking years of not knowing whether his beloved knight was alive or dead. Seven years of atonement. He was thrilled to find that they had returned unscathed, but still.

"Erza." he gulped nervously, taking a fist full of the covering below them. "I-"

"Shh." she whispered, covering his lips with her finger, "Just give me a moment."

Draping his arms about her shoulders, Jellal nodded slightly before she leaned into his chest. How could he tell her the truth?

To Be Continued: Despair

There you have it, part one of my first and probably last ode to Jerza. After all based on the chapter in which Ultear disappears, it seems we may have a new ship, Jellal x Meredy. Without Ultear, Meredy needs someone's strength, and Jellal had indeed pushed Erza away. That means Erza has no one special for her self. And dammit, that's just too sad! Strong or not, Erza needs love too!