Erza's POV

"Lucy? Luuuucy?" I whisper as I shake the sleeping blonde lightly on the shoulder. She groans and slightly opens her eyes.

"Whaa?" she murmurs and I resist the urge to chuckle. She's so cute.

Not now, Erza, focus.

"Shhh, we don't want to wake the guys."

There's a disaster I don't want on my hands. God knows they'd start a fight and wake up the whole hotel. These Grand Magic Games living conditions were doable but they sure weren't comfortable.

"Oh… right." Whispers Lucy, who seems to finally be coming to her senses. I can see the moment her eyes adjust to the light and she quietly gasps.

"Oh Erza…" she says and lifts a hand up to brush over my cheek and the tears that are silently trailing down them. I close my eyes and lean into the hand, trying my best not to sob out loud and stay quiet.

She removes her hand and I almost whimper at the lost contact.

Almost.

I'm about to retreat back to my own bed with a heavy heart brought by both the nightmare and the rejection of comfort I assume I just received. Of course she can't right now, she's tired and has had a rough day and has a big day tomorrow and-

"Erza?"

I hear and turn around slowly. I see Lucy looking at me with curious and worried eyes. I also noticed that she had moved over to one side of the bed instead of the middle and is now holding the blanket up. My eyes widen. Wait.

"Are you coming?" she says and my heart lurches. Only a little though, of course. I nod and walk over, silently slipping in and laying down on my back stiffly. I can feel Lucy studying me for a bit before she sighs. I tense up even more. Have I done something wrong already? The bed shifts beside me and I close my eyes, ready to be kicked out of the warm covers.

However, they shoot open again as I feel Lucy move closer, wrap an arm around my waist and lay her head on my shoulder, snuggling into my side. I blush furiously and am very thankful for the blanket of darkness in the room to hide it.

"Nightmare?" she whispers.

"How did you know?" I ask as my body slowly begins to relax and my mind stops spinning.

"You were sleeping then came to my bed crying, Erza. It was kind of obvious." She chuckles and I crack a small smile.

"Then why'd you ask?"

"To get you started talking." She says and I inhale sharply but soon calm down as she quickly adds "You don't have to if you want, it's just if you do I thought you'd need a little help."

It becomes silent for five minutes and I think Lucy thought that I fell asleep as she jolts slightly when I say "It's just hard to see his face."

She doesn't need to ask who. I told the team about Mystogan's identity and why he's here earlier today. I don't love Jellal anymore. I don't know how I possibly could after what happened at the tower even though he's changed. It was recently that I figured that out and completely lost all infatuation I had with him. I just can't look at him without feeling the terror that I had all those years ago in my heart.

As I'm thinking this, I feel tears start to roll down my cheeks once again.

Lucy hasn't said anything and I feel anxiety pull at me as I worry about showing this much weakness in front of one of my closest friends but it seems that tonight Lucy is a mind reader.

"Do you love him?" she asks without a hint of judgement in her voice.

"No." I say confidently. For some reason I can't stand the thought of Lucy thinking I'm in love with him. Before I can analyze that thought Lucy asks a question that makes my heart skip a beat.

"Are you afraid of him?" I'm about to rapidly reply no because there's no way that Erza Scarlet, Titania, Queen of the Fairies is scared of anyone but I realize, this is Lucy. The same Lucy who's made me laugh so many times. The same Lucy who's had me over for dinner and then insisted I stay the night because she didn't want me to walk home alone in the dark. The same Lucy who I held all those nights and who brought hope and joy, not just to me, but to the guild. I take in a shaky breath and as quietly as I can whisper it I say

"Yes."

Immediately, Lucy pulls me closer and I wrap my arm around her and bury my face into her neck as I quietly sob, letting out my fear and frustration into the dark.

I don't know how long we stay like that but she doesn't let me go, even when I've stopped crying. We just lay there and hold each other.

Finally, I feel myself peacefully drifting off to sleep and just as I'm about to fall unconscious, I hear Lucy whisper in my ear.

"You don't have to be scared, Erza. I will protect you."

And then we both fall asleep but not before I can murmur back,

"I know."