A Union of Souls
By: xSteleAliniax
Erza paced in front of the building for ten minutes, trying to convince herself to be brave and just go inside. She had fought endless battles in her time, and had almost died in many of them, but she couldn't seem to manage to force her feet to move any closer to the door!
"Be strong, Erza," She told herself. "Don't be such a coward." With a deep breath, she forced her feet to move forward, one step at a time. Her heart was hammering inside her chest so hard she thought she might pass out. Her hand shook as she reached out to knock on the door. She beat the door loudly, harder than she normally would because she was a mess of nerves. Erza Scarlet was never afraid, but right now she was terrified of what was about to happen.
The door finally opened, and Jellal stood before her, looking understandably surprised. He wasn't the only one, though. Erza was momentarily baffled as well.
"I..." Her wide eyes ran over the bare chest that looked back at her, unable to form a coherent thought. Her mind was consumed by the muscles on Jellal's chest, the way they curved just so at the edge of his pants...
"Erza," his soft voice inturrupted her indecent thoughts of running her hands over his bare skin...
"Eh," she shook her head firmly. This wasn't going how she had thought it would. When she had pictured this meeting in her head, Jellal had had a shirt on. This was more distracting than she'd anticipated. "Is this a bad time?"
Jellal smiled warmly at her and held the door open. "It's never a bad time for you, Erza."
Erza stepped inside and walked over to a small bookshelf, examining a few of the spines. Some of them were exquisite, with leather bound covers and golden script, though others had clearly been pulled out many times, edges frayed from use. A few even looked to be pretty valuable.
"I didn't know you liked poetry," Erza remarked, standing up from her crouch. She froze when she felt Jellal's breath tickling the back of her neck. When had he gotten so close?
"I suppose I do dabble in the classics... and a few others." He reached around her, making her skin prickle as it came in contact with his, and picked up a book at random. He quoated a passage in a low, sexy voice that brought a blush to her cheeks. "'The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is anew, so we must think and act anew.'" He closed the book. "Abraham Lincoln."
"That quote is about change," Erza observed with some sadness.
"It's fitting." he put the book back and then gave her a sad smile. "Erza, what are you doing here?"
She winced, taken aback by the question.
"Th-that's not what I meant," he said hastily. "It's just... when I saw you pacing in front of my door all evening-" Oh, God, he was watching me?! "It looked liked you were anxious about something."
"I wasn't-" She turned her back on him, embarrassment turning her cheeks even redder.
"Erza,"
God... Why did he have to say her name like that?
"You listen here, Jellal," she turned on him, pointing an accusing finger at him. His eyebrows rose in surprise at her sudden change in manner. "You and I both know that we can't be friends any longer." His eyes turned panicked.
"What are you talking about?" He asked her carefully, mind spinning. He knew this day would come, the day Erza would reject him for all that he'd done to her. He would never deserve her, nevery be worthy of her friendship, or her love...
"We can't be... JUST friends... anymore." She kept her gaze level with his, even as her cheeks grew even redder. She watched as bemusement turned to understanding and then shock and then something like relief.
"Erza-" he tried. She held up a hand.
"And we're starting now." Her voice was strong and determined. She was tired of waiting on Jellal to take the upper hand. She would take charge.
"Start... what?" Hesitation laced his tone, but his eyes were amused.
She gave a small smile, and then requipped her standard white blouse and blue skirt for something a bit more fitting to the occasion.
Jellal sucked in a breath at the sight of her. That dress... It was the very thing that both haunted his memories, and also made them burn in his dreams like a flame, pulling him out of the darkness.
It had been so long since he had seen her in that beautiful violet gown. He could remember every detail of that evening. The way the sunset turned her into some ethereal creature right before his eyes; the way she spoke right into his soul, and made him feel like a man again; the way her eyes burned into his with such intense focus; the way she held his face between her delicate hands... and most of all, he remembered how close he had come to kissing her. Their lips had been a hair width apart when he had ruined everything with a stupid lie.
"I have a fiance..." He mentally cursed himself for being so stupid. He never forgot the look on her face when he pushed her away.
Erza watched the emotions warring behind his eyes. She knew what this dress must mean to him. She remembered that day, the day Jellal pushed her away, figuritively and literally. He never forgave himself for what he had done while under Ultear's control, even if it had been under the guise of the Black Wizard, Zeref. She could see the way he looked at her whenever they were in the same vicinity, that guilt was evident, no matter how hard he tried to hide it from her.
Jellal sighed heavily, and Erza could see in his expression and demeanor that he was about to push her away again. She glared daggers and pointed a stern finger at him again.
"Don't even think about giving me crap about you not being worthy, or not being good enough, or some other nonsense," she said. Jellal blinked, mouth slightly agape as if he had been about to say that very thing. He closed it and waited. "I told you before, Jellal, I've forgiven you for your past transgressions. I don't think there's any point in punishing yourself any longer. What's done is done. Move on."
The words themselves were cold, but her eyes told him a different story. There was complete trust in them, not so much as a flicker of doubt. He stared into those eyes as if they held all the answers in the world.
Erza Scarlet... What are you doing to me? He wondered.
"Okay, Erza," he said at last. She blinked in surprise. She had expected more of a fight from him.
"Right..." She thought for a moment, trying to remember what she was doing there when all she could do was think about that damned bare chest... She cleared her throat and pointed in the direction of a hallway behind Jellal that she assumed was where his bedroom was, swallowing a bit at the thought of his bed... "You, go change into something more... Decent. We're going out."
"Out?" He asked in surprise, scratching his blue hair in thought.
"Of course." Erza held her head high, though she couldn't quite bring herself to look him in the eyes. "We're going on a date."
"I really don't think this is such a good idea..." Jellal murmured to her as they walked down a busy street. Shops and restaurants lined either side, and people were walking around chatting with one another. At least they were until they noticed Erza, one of Fairy Tail's best warriors, with the infamous Jellal at her side. "Everyone is staring at us."
Erza snorted a laugh and kept walking, keeping a firm grip on Jellal's hand. She could feel him trying to pull his hand away every time someone so much as blinked in their direction. His hand shook slightly in hers. He was nervous... Somehow this just made things even more enjoyable for her. It reminded her briefly of their time together in the Tower of Heaven, when they were still just naive children.
"No one is looking at you, Jellal." Erza assured him, though she wasn't so oblivious to the stares, either. It wasn't like Jellal simply walked around town like this on a daily basis. Or so she thought. She hardly ever saw him leave his home, even after he'd been sort of forgiven by the Council. At least they were leaving him alone for the time being. No one really wanted to lock Jellal up anymore. Still, he remained wary, just in case they changed their minds, she supposed.
"Erza,"
"Stop being a baby or I'll kiss you in front of all these people and give them a real reason to stare." Her words were bold, but they were also a farse. She wouldn't push any unnecessary attention on him. But her words did make him straighten just slightly. He took a deep breath beside her, and walked on with feigned confidence. It made her smile. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.
Erza led Jellal to a small shop with few customers. It was brightly lit and had tons of cakes in the display cases. Jellal couldn't help it, he laughed.
"A bakery?" He asked in disbelief, turning to give her an amused smile. "You made me dress up to come to a bakery?" As it was, Jellal was clad in a black suit jacket over a white dress shirt with a scarlet tie. Black dress pants and simple black shoes completed the look.
"This is a very fine establishment." She said defensively. Really, she didn't want to waste time on dinner. Not after she'd already seen him half naked... "Besides," she turned a grin his way. "This place makes the best strawberry cake in Magnolia."
Jellal smiled at her and began to feel more at ease. So, she liked strawberry cake, did she... He would have to remember that for the future. She certainly didn't seem the type to get so excited about dessert. Jellal thought it was cute the way she ran over to the display case and began peering in at the different cakes, cupcakes, and frosted cookies there. She wasn't a terrifying warrior in that moment, she was just an ordinary girl. Erza, in her stunning violet dress, scarlet hair falling down her back, fingertips resting on the glass, eyes hungry. She looked so beautiful, and an image flashed into his mind of Erza licking cream from his finger.
He gasped at the thought, face going red as he tried to blink the image away. Erza looked back at the sound and frowned at him. He gave her a pitiful smile that she just rolled her eyes at.
"Come here," she beckoned him forward once she was done ordering. He obliged, coming to her side at once. She grasped his hand in hers and pulled him to a slightly secluded table, near the back of the shop. Besides them, there was one other couple sitting by the front window, leaning over a magazine and giggling over whatever they read there, and an elderly woman with what looked like her young grandson. The boy was chattering on about something, while simultaneously stuffing bites of cake into his mouth, and the old woman was nodding, face alight with fond amusement.
And then there was her... Erza's eyes were locked on his face, even as he studied their surroundings. Her gaze shot straight through to his soul. Even in a pastry shop, Erza Scarlet had a way of getting to him.
"You're not playing fair," he said after a minute.
"I'm not playing at anything." She said, though a spark glinted in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes, studying her. "I'm enjoying your company, Jellal. That's all. It's nothing so sinister."
"Here's your cake, Erza!" A chirpy blonde waitress set a slice in front of each of them and then gave Erza a not-so-inconspicuous wink. "Enjoy!" Erza went red in the face and stared down at her cake. She began shoveling bites into her mouth, not caring what Jellal thought she looked like at that moment.
"You really love cake," he remarked, watching her fondly.
She peeked up at him and grinned, feeling only slightly embarrassed. "It's really good cake. Here, try some."
Erza swiped her finger into the cream on her cake and then leaned over and stuck it right into Jellal's surprised mouth. His lips closed around her finger, his eyes wide and unblinking. He had no idea Erza had a side to her like this... She continued to surprise him.
Jellal ran his tongue over the cream on her finger, and then in a bold move lightly bit the tip. Erza sucked in a surprised gasp.
"Do that again." She commanded in a shaky whisper.
"Hey, Grandma! Look at that boy over there! He's trying to eat that poor lady's finger!"
Erza and Jellal jumped apart as the boy across the room pointed a finger at Jellal accusingly.
"He needs to go to time-out, right Grandma? 'Cause biting isn't nice!" He waggled his finger at Jellal's stunned face. "Hey, mister, biting girls is very mean! You shouldn't do that! You better say sorry right now!"
"Alright, Jeffrey," sighed the old woman, patting the boy on the head as she rose. "I'm sure his mother will take care that he learns his lesson."
"Maybe WE should teach him a lesson!" Jeffrey yelled in their direction as his grandmother dragged him out the door.
"Hush, boy." She chastised softly. "It is not our place to interfere."
"Let's get out of here," Jellal said when the boy was finally out the door.
Erza nodded her agreement. They left some cash on the table an then headed back to Jellal's place by unspoken agreement. Jellal reached for Erza's hand as soon as they were outside and held it tight the whole way home. They walked in silence back to his house, just enjoying the feel of each other's presence. Jellal thought a lot about this strange day. He was on a date with Erza Scarlet. He could hardly believe it.
He remembered back to that day once more, the first time he saw her in that dress. He liked the dress and all, it curved around her body just so and shimmered in the orange glow of the sunset that day. But it wasn't the dress that had made that memory stick in his head so deeply.
Your hair is the single most magnificent thing I've ever seen... He recalled. Even now, that beautiful scarlet hair swayed as she walked beside him. He wanted to feel those soft locks between his fingers...
"What are you smiling about?" Erza asked, suspicion lacing her tone.
"I was just thinking about your hair," he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, the look of surprise on her face. She absentmindedly twirled a strand of that fiery hair between her fingers.
"It was the color of your hair..." He had said those very words to her the day the council took him prisoner. She heard those words repeated back to her many times since that day. She didn't know what was so special about her hair, but it always seemed to bring her and Jellal together.
They reached his door and he dropped her hand to hold it open for her. She stepped inside and then waited for the sound of the door clicking into place. She spun on her heel so fast Jellal started. Her breathing was ragged, her eyes a dark abyss.
"Erza-" He choked a bit on her name, seeing the intentions in her eyes.
"Don't," she held up a warning finger. She walked toward him with slow, careful steps, keeping her eyes on his. Her hands nervously picked at the fabric of her dress as she drew nearer to him.
You are brave. She reminded herself.
Jellal watched her agonizingly slow progress. His eyes darted between hers, breath growing heavy. She seemed to move in slow motion, each step lasting a thousand years. Finally, she stood in front of him. She placed a hesitant hand on his chest, and then another. He was frozen, parayzed by her touch, by her very proximity.
"Jellal..."
That tone... It sent a shiver down his spine.
Erza slid her hands up his chest, his neck, into his hair. She gently pulled, willing him to comply. To her relief, he did. He broke free of the trance he was in and lowered his face to hers, capturing her mouth with his in a crushing kiss. Erza let out a faint moan as Jellal's lips touched hers. His hands went around her waist and back, pulling her against him as he deepened the kiss.
The universe itself seemed to fade away into the night. Nothing existed but that kiss, nothing mattered but Erza's soft lips on his, and her fingers laced in his hair, the way she sighed his name into his mouth...
Erza's universe was exploding in a shower of colors. This kiss was unlike any she had imagined, and she had imagined plenty. It was intense and alive and full of emotion. She could sense his hidden pain, and his longing, and most of all she could feel his love.
She slid the suit jacket from his shoulders and loosened the tie, letting them fall to the floor. She traced her fingertips over his jawline, down his neck, his chest, down to the hem of his shirt. She boldly slid her hands underneath, feeling the muscles of his taut stomach. A soft growl emitted from deep in his throat, and he broke the kiss only long enough to allow her to pull his shirt over his head, and then his lips were back on hers.
He cupped her beautiful face in his hands, her skin soft. He slid his fingers, finally, into that scarlet hair, the strands like silk as he combed his fingers throughout. Erza clutched at his bare back, pulling herself closer to him, or him to her, he wasn't sure. Her nails raked across his skin, leaving fiery trails in their wake.
Erza broke the kiss and stared into his eyes, her own full of desire. Jellal's were too, but she could still sense a bit of uneasiness from within him. She placed her hands on either side of his face, a delicate touch.
He stared at her in wonder. She was a beautiful creature, and he most certainly did not deserve her, yet, here she stood before him, heart and soul singing out to him.
"It's okay..." She whispered. "I know you're a good man, Jellal. You give me strength when I have none, you give me hope when I feel lost, and you make me feel things that I've never felt before, good things."
Her words... Could they possibly be true? Did she really think so highly of him?
"You are an amazing woman, Erza Scarlet," Jellal pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I do not deserve such forgiveness."
"Don't be an idiot," she whispered. "Everyone deserves forgiveness. Even you." She stepped away from him and then started shimmying out of her dress. Jellal's eye's widened. She stood before him in nothing but a lacy red bra and panties. He smiled.
"Scarlet... Very fitting."
Erza blushed a deep red that nearly matched her underwear. "Well..."
"I'm taking you to my room." He suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms, carrying her effortlessly. Erza was too shocked to do anything but let him carry her. They went down the hall that Erza had seen him disappear into earlier, and then into a dark room lit only by the moonlight from a nearby window.
Jellal laid her down on the bed and then crawled on top of her, sealing her lips in another passionate kiss. He ran a hand over her, feeling every curve of her glorious body. Her heart was beating frantically against his chest, more so the further down his hand traveled. She thought it might burst from her chest when his hand curved around her thigh, hiking it up and around his back.
A shiver ran up her body as his deft hands made circles on her skin, so dangerously close to her very core... She writhed beneath his touch, her whole body all but coming apart in his hands. She ground her hips against his and he groaned into her parted lips.
"Erza..." He breathed. His lips trailed down to her neck. He kissed her there, using his free hand to tilt her head back so he could access more of her skin. With his other hand, he slowly slid his fingertips up her thigh, barely touching the skin.
"Don't. Stop." She gasped out. He smiled into her neck, and slid his hand into her scarlet underwear, gently pushing them down her thighs. Too slow for her. She kicked them off the rest of the way, feeling a blush color her cheeks at the bold move. Jellal chuckled.
"What's your hurry?" He breathed against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.
"You're driving me insane..." She groaned, grinding her hips into his again. "Stop making me wait. I've waited long enough..."
He chuckled again and raised his head to look her in the eyes. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment, but her eyes were intense and hungry. She raised her hands to his face and held it softly.
Jellal froze under that touch, the action bringing back the memory of that day...
"You're right," he finally said, his voice full of emotion, desire... and sorrow. She was right, she had waited long enough.
Sensing his resolve, Erza pulled his face to hers and whispered into his ear.
"Now's the time to make it up to me..." He shuddered, sensing the full meaning of those words.
"I will never be able to do that," he said, voice sad but determined. "But I promise you, Erza Scarlet, that I will do everything in my power to try. I will never stop trying to make it up to you. I won't ever hurt you again."
She shivered at the words, a smile coming to her lips.
"Good." She shoved him, and he fell onto his back beside her. She straddled him, hands resting against his bare chest. His eyes were wide as they stared into hers. Erza held his gaze as she moved down to pull off his pants. Jellal remained still, waiting for her to make the first move. She climbed back over him, shaking like a leaf... And then wrapped a hand around his erection.
He gasped, eyes turning to saucers. She positioned him just inside of her... Then slowly moved her body down. She closed her eyes and rested her hands back on his chest, a moan escaping through clenched teeth.
Jellal sucked in a breath. This woman... She was everything. Her hands slid across his chest as her body moved. She leaned down, her breasts pressed against his chest, and kissed him, her scarlet hair creating a curtain around their faces, plunging them into darkness.
Jellal traced his hands over her body, feeling her bare skin under his fingers. He reached her bra and unclasped it, pulling it out of the way so he could feel all of her. He felt her breasts with his hands, making her moan and shiver with pleasure. Her movements increased as passion burned within her.
Hands and lips were everywhere. It was dizzying and electric and full of unbridled passion. They held nothing back. Their emotions poured into each other with every breath, every movement, every touch... It burned through them like the hottest flame.
When they were done they lay wrapped in each other's arms under the warm blankets. Erza sighed contentedly, tracing a finger across his chest and watching the way his chest rose and fell with each breath.
"We waited too long to do this," She said, voice thoughtful.
"You're right, as always." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer, holding her tight. "I won't ever let you go now." He whispered against her hair. She smiled and snuggled into him, falling asleep like that, wrapped in his strong arms.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this Jerza one-shot! These two characters are actually pretty complicated, and much more difficult to write for than Nalu! But... I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you guys thought! And I'd love any suggestions for more scenes! Let me know what you want to read!
As always, I greatly appreciate every comment and favorite! Thank you for reading!