Set sometime in the future.
….I tried.
Growing Pains
Initially, Erza didn't mean for Jellal to move in with her. After so many years of battle and bloodshed they all found themselves limping home triumphant but exhausted, carrying scars that not even time would fully heal. She invited him for the night, stay and get some rest, recuperate, regain some strength, and the night turned into a few days which turned into weeks until finally after two full months she'd forgotten the place was hers to begin with.
His transition into her life and space was not so much seamless as it was unexceptional; they squabbled about the little things like Jesus Erza how can you move around with all this armor on the floor and Jellal I swear if you leave that seat up one more time….
She thought nothing of it until Lucy asked ever so innocuously "So how's living with Jellal going? I give you credit for taking such a big step, even though Natsu sleeps over all the time I'm not sure I could commit to officially sharing my apartment with him."
Not noticing the strange shade of red Erza's face began to turn, Lucy continued on, "I guess I still need a little space separate from my boyfriend, you guys are just a little more mature than us."
Distracted by Levy calling her name, Lucy flashed Erza a quick smile before joining her friend at a table across the room, leaving Erza speechless alone at the bar.
Big step...officially sharing space...boyfriend?! She could barely form a coherent thought, much less process everything Lucy had just said. Is that what they were? Is that what they doing? Did he know? How the hell had they taken these supposed big steps and she had no idea?
By the time he came home later (does he think this is home?) she worked herself up so much the first words out of her mouth were "Why didn't you tell me we were dating?!" as soon as he closed to door. He froze, hand still on the knob, and his lack of instantaneous response only propelled her on.
"I didn't know we were taking all these big steps by living together! I just thought you needed a place to stay considering you didn't actually live anywhere and I didn't mind having you here and it seemed like you didn't mind living here and then I kinda just forgot you didn't always live here and I got used to consistently getting laid and what does this all mean-"
"-how am I supposed to know?!" He fired back, finding his voice and looking equally as distraught as his brain began the same process she had a few hours earlier.
"I've been an outcast for almost 30 years! I don't know how these things work! To be honest I felt bad being a mooch but I guess it was nice living with you and yeah the sex part is pretty awesome too and I thought this was just what life was like living as normal guy and not menace to society!"
They were both flushed and out of breath and wholly incoherent and after a few minutes of awkward silence it's Erza who breaks it, logical side finally winning over her rampant emotions.
"So…have we accidentally been in a relationship this whole time and didn't realize it?"
"Maybe…?" He trailed off, brain again taking the same route as hers and looking thoughtful, "I mean, we live in the same space. We eat most of our meals together, we sleep in the same bed, half the time you don't even close the door when you go to the bathroom-"
"-and the other day I got mad at you for not washing your dishes. Oh my god," She stared at him open mouthed for a moment. "I think we're dating."
He moved behind her to sit on the couch (their couch?) and frowns.
"You don't mind that I'm almost thirty and you're still technically in your early twenties?"
"Jellal...you were possessed by an evil spirit for half your life and I almost murdered you. I think we're past the age difference thing here."
"Ok fair…you don't mind that you pay almost all of the rent and grocery money because I spent most of my adult life as a vagabond searching for redemption?"
She paused for a moment to consider the implications and shook her head, "Not really. I like being a bread winner."
He grinned and she couldn't help but smile back.
In retrospect, if they could go through all the crazy, messed up shit they did as kids and she could come to forgive him and he could find redemption, and then rebuild their friendship from the ground up and organically end up where they are now, together and happy, having "the talk" wasn't that significant. No matter what they were or other people thought they were, whatever they may be, she knew he'd always be her guy.
"So," his grin turns sly and he pulls her down on top of him, running a hand up her thigh, lips dangerously close to her ear, "If I'm your boyfriend does that mean I get to eat from your not so secret stash of sweets that you keep under the floorboard next to your side of the bed now?"
She smiled sweetly and kissed him on the cheek.
"Oh if you do that, then there will be absolutely no confusion about our relationship status."
"Broken up?"
"Yup."
"Understood."
Do you see why I stick to angst people. I am not funny. I hate dialogue. UHGGGG
But writing these two is addicting. They're such dorks around each other.
Also I know Erza doesn't live in an apartment but for the sake of this little hot mess she does.