The day was hot and muggy, and Jellal sighed as he made his way down the abandoned road. Abandoned with good reason. Who in the hell would be out in this heat anyway? With a relieved sigh, he opened the door to the small flat he shared with his girlfriend. Though, was girlfriend the right word for it? Maybe soulmate? No. If he ever mentioned that to Erza, she'd probably get nervous and accidentally punch him through a wall.

Sighing, Jellal fingered the small box in his pocket that he had picked up after getting the reward from this last mission. He really wanted to move their relationship along, but was nervous about it as well. There really was no way to predict how Erza would react. So far, they had proceeded in a rather irregular pattern of hills and plateaus. There would be days when she acted as if they were the most natural thing in the world, and other days when she got flustered at the slightest peck on the cheek.

Just moving in together had been an interesting process. One day, she just turned to him and said straight out that she wanted to move in with him, but then, come moving day, she was so shy and embarrassed that she could barely move.

Jellal chuckled ruefully as he collapsed on the couch, tossing his head back to stare at the ceiling. He'd probably be better off if he actually asked soon. Knowing the famous Titania as he did, she would need some time to blush, stammer, think about it, and then come to terms with her decision, and the sooner he instigated this process, the sooner the anxiety that hung over him would dissipate-for better or worse.

Now it just came down to planning the event;

First step: Get Erza Alone.

Second: Set the Mood Somehow.

Third: Pop the Question.

Fourth: Wait.

Well, getting some alone time with Erza should be easy enough. As far as setting the mood, he had a few vague ideas. Erza was amazing, for one. She was strong, capable, could, and had kicked his ass on occasion, took down incredibly strong foes on a regular basis and could rarely be seen without her standard armor. Granted, she seemed to have a little bit of a thing for cosplay (he was morbidly curious as to how that had come about), but even in those instances she tended to intimidate people. If he wanted to do this thing properly, he had to figure out a way that would appeal to all sides of her...including the one she refused to show.

Beneath her armor, her swords, even her cosplay, Erza wanted to feel soft, but it was as though, growing up, she never had time to indulge in those wishes so she never really learned how to feel comfortable with them. He winced slightly, never able to shake the guilt that it was his fault she felt the need to always appear strong. After the whole Tartarus incident, she had opened up a little, but the glimpses of her inner heart were still few and far between.

Jellal really wanted to find a time and place that would allow her to relax and be comfortable with each and every aspect of her personality. Strong, Independent, Thoughtful, Caring, Warm. Each trait he had come to associate with the woman he loved. Decisions, decisions.

Erza frowned and held her chin as she examined the jewelry table before her. The clerk looked decidedly nervous as he eyed the large monster's claw that rested on her cart behind her, but the prospect of making a sale seemed to keep him stammering on. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, all were presented before her eyes. Most of them had initially seemed a bit too flashy for her tastes, but something about the traditional style of Stellan goldworking managed to catch her eye.

Sighing, she was just about to give up and turn away when a chance sunbeam caught on a small piece in the corner. Interested, Erza leaned forward, ignoring the bumbling of the stall keeper and picked up the small ring.

Two twin bands of gold bordered intricate designs of alien swirls and lines. Her eyes widened marginally as she carefully rotated the ring between her fingers. Light danced and jumped in hues of red and gold.

Suddenly, Erza closed her fist around the ring. "This one, I'll take it,"

The shopkeeper seemed a little disappointed that he couldn't interest her in one of his more elaborate (and more expensive) wares, but casting another look at the monster trophy on her cart, he resigned himself to the sale.

Walking away, Erza couldn't stop the soft smile that suffused her features. Now, she just had to wait the week it would take to get home and ask the question, but how would she go about it? Best to make a list;

Step One: Drag Jellal Away from Everyone Else

Step Two: Make things Romantic

Step Three: Declare her Intentions

Step Four: Wait for him to Appreciate her Hard Work and Accept

For sure, her plan was foolproof. Erza just wished the train from Stella to Fiore could go faster than it did.

HEY THERE! So, this was my contribution to the second day of the 2014 Jerza Love Fest on tumblr. Sorry it's a bit short. My muse was going strong and then it just sorta decided to take a random ass vacation in the middle of the story. I'm hoping to come back and finish it one day, but if I don't, I'm apologizing now while i can.

Thank ye to my dear Lily, without whom I would never find the motivation to actually finish any of my stories and who also contributes to my almost unhealthy obsession with this show. Lily, if you ever read this, yes, about 90% of it is your fault. Blame yourself.

Anywho! Have a great day and hope you enjoyed it!