A/N: So this went up last night on Tumblr in time for Valentine's Day (and by that, I mean I posed it about 20 minutes before the day was done), and because of the close call, I didn't have time to post it on here. Hopefully that doesn't take away from the story! Please keep in mind I haven't looked it over for any spelling or grammar mistakes, either.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Fire in My Blood

"He forgot about his sins, his redemption, his need to move on. Erza was all there was. She was the past, present, and future. His past, his present, and his future. Their future, if the gods were willing."

The stars were bright.

Jellal trudged through the undergrowth, hands frostbitten and cloak crusted in ice. Under his breath he cursed his guild, the cold, and the circumstances that had led to the unfortunate venture down into Magnolia. Time and time again, he pleaded with both Cobra and Meredy not to interfere with his personal affairs, and time and time again the conniving duo disregarded his words as if he wasn't the tentative leader of their ragtag group of misfits. As a direct consequence of their pigheadedness, he was now on his way to Erza, miserable and all the more anxious.

They had sent the redheaded mage a letter in his name, feigning a grievous injury in the fallout of their most recent mission. He was fine, of course, but her reply had come quick and demanded he come see her immediately, and let her assess the damage herself. Rather than allowing him to clear the air through another letter, his guild was forcing him to go and tell her, in person, that he was fine. The entire goal of the mission? Get him to her for Valentine's Day. And now here he was, their valiant efforts having paid off. On his way out of the makeshift camp they had set up along the northwest borders of Magnolia's farthest paths, he'd considered clubbing Cobra across the head, but thought the best of it and left in a flurry of curses and grumbles.

There was a good chance she may not even be home, he reasoned with himself. Though his heart jolted at the prospect of missing the opportunity to see her face again after such a long period of time, he knew it would be for the best. How would she react to finding out he was unscathed? Bearing such…romantic gifts, nonetheless?

The snow falling sparkled, appearing as tiny flecks of glitter dusting the cobblestone paths. It was a merry scene, of yellowed lamplight and happy couples. Houses decorated with bright lights of every colour. A community, living and breathing in peace and harmony. Another pang echoed in his heart, this time for his guildmates. He could never give them this.

With a small shake of his head, he trudged forward, the box of chocolates and roses clutched tightly between his fingers. Somehow, Meredy had managed to acquire both, between missions here and there. He had to hand it to her; the young woman's methods were eerily effective.

Soon the pathways he walked upon began to widen, opening up to the greenery that he knew lined the path to Fairy Hills. With that, his heartbeat proceeded to quicken yet again, a feverish beat that resonated throughout his body. Goddamn, he was nervous.

As slowly as he could manage, he inched towards the door, hood up to keep others from recognizing him and to keep the cold out, and knocked on the heavy door. When no one answered after a full minute, both relief and disappointment shot through him, the latter outweighing the other. Was no one home? Well, most of them are in love with certain people and so the ladies are probably out with said people, he mused to himself. A lick of regret burned through his heart, at the thought of Erza, home alone.

With that, his resolved turned to steel.

With little to no hesitance, he pushed the door open, only slightly surprised to find it unlocked. He'd have to pester Erza about that; even though he knew everyone that slept in the building was more than capable of defending themselves, it would keep him awake at night.

Despite the fact he'd only been here a few times, and many of those occasions as a hologram, he had the layout of the building and her room number memorized. Moving swiftly through the shadows, he climbed the short flights of stairs before pulling to a stop in front of Room 264.

Taking a deep breath, Jellal Fernandes knocked on the door.

One beat passed. His heart picked up its prior beat, and he worried she would hear it.

Two beats passed. His pulse racing, he wondered if she wasn't actually-

"Come in!"

With a tirade of emotions bursting free in his chest, he twisted the handle and walked into the room, closing the door shut behind him. And his jaw dropped at the sight that awaited him.

Erza clearly thought he was one of the girls, for she wore nothing but a see-through robe over an…elaborate set of black lingerie. She'd been combing her hair, with her back turned towards him, but their eyes locked in the mirror. The smile of greeting she had on her face slipped off, only to be replaced by a look of shock that was coupled with a rosy blush that spread across her cheeks and down her neck.

"J-Jellal?"

He offered her a tentative grin, but when her eyes filled with tears his expression turned alarmed. "Erza? What-"

Without fanfare, she shot out of the chair and raced over the room, throwing herself into his arms and winding her arms around his neck tightly. The roses and the box of chocolates he had in his hands fell to the floor in his surprise, and almost as if it was second nature, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close against his front.

He felt like he was home.

All his self-doubt flew out the window as he instinctively held her in his embrace, the warmth of her body wrapped around him in a warm haze. His blood sung in his veins, the world seemed brighter somehow, everything,everything, was okay.

She trembled, hands somehow reaching up for his hair and sliding into the tousled looks with familiarity. This was Jellal, her Jellal, here in the flesh. Her state of appearance and the gifts on the floor were forgotten as she pulled away far enough to be able to look at his face.

He seemed peaceful, a lazy smile gracing his lips as he gazed down at her with a subtle sense of affection. No, something much deeper than affection, but she wouldn't dare decipher the emotions in the eyes of her childhood friend.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered the question, afraid that if she spoke too loud the perfect illusion would shatter, and she would be left standing alone in the candlelight.

At that, he blinked, suddenly uncertain. "You asked me to come prove that I wasn't injured in your last letter?"

A flicker of amusement lit up her eyes. "I got a response back saying you wouldn't be able to make it due to activity in the east."

Silently, for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening, he cursed both Meredy and Cobra to hell. Outwardly, though, he sighed through his nose, offering the redhead an apologetic smile.

"That would've been a letter forged by Meredy and Cobra," he explained, tone sheepish. "Apologies, Erza, I didn't mean to intrude-"

"Nonsense," she interrupted him, leaning further back in his arms. Slowly she began to move through entwined bodies further into the room, undoing Jellal's heavy cloak with gentle fingers. "You're always welcome here, and you know that."

He smiled widely at her, hoping he didn't look like a love-struck fool. Finding themselves in the middle of the room, the duo simply stood there, holding each other and basking in the tranquility of the moment. It was a picturesque moment, both of them bathed in the bright yellow light emitting from the multiple candles burning throughout the room. Erza suddenly leaned forward, resting her head against his chest. He lifted a hand off his waist to brush stray locks of her hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear.

"Are the roses and chocolates for me?" She asked, her voice warm. He could hear the teasing lilt, under the surprise and happiness, and it lit his cheeks on fire.

"Well, Meredy and Cobra thought it would be a good idea to set-"

She leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss against his cheek, lips lingering on his skin with a ghostly touch before she pulled away completely to look at him, eyes a burnt amber.

"Thank you, they're lovely," she murmured, voice sincere. His explanation died in his throat; all he could offer her was a single nod, eyes searching her face forsomething.

"Are you well?" He found himself asking, instinctively swaying their bodies from side to side. She complied, hands lightly gripping the sleeves of his shirt as she considered the question.

"I was upset earlier this evening," Erza found herself admitting. Almost immediately she regretted the confession, as Jellal stiffened and stared down at her in worry. "No, no, over something rather…trivial. You being here fixed it, believe me."

"What was it?" He asked, curious. What could she have possibly been upset over that he had fixed? She squirmed in his hold, and he got the impression that she was suddenly extremely…timid over whatever it had been.

"It's just, well…the others, they all had someone to be with today, and I…" She trailed off, shaking her head vigorously before looking up at him with a small smile of apology. "Like I said, it was trivial."

He understood what she meant. She had been alone, on Valentine's Day. His original worries confirmed, he couldn't help but frown at her, guilt churning in his gut. Though they often left the matter unspoken, their hearts connected through the small, simple gestures, he couldn't help but feel as if she deservedmore than that.

Yes, Erza knew he loved her. He never allowed himself to speak the three words, fearful of the perfect ruin they would bring, but she knew. Just like how he knew she loved him, unconditionally and with all her heart. He knew she was adamant in his understanding of that, her actions always communicating what she felt. Her gentle caresses, the loving smiles, the passionate words…she deserved to know. Know how she was the fire in his blood, the light of his soul, the reason he fought so hard.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he found Erza watching him worriedly, and without a second thought he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her lips.

She gasped, undeniably shocked at the sudden gesture, but after a moment she melted in his arms and returned the action, lips moving slow against his own. The kiss…for years to come, he would never be able to describe the kiss and do it justice. It wasn't desperate, or agonizingly slow, it was…it was them. It was the culmination of years of silent love, of letting each other go. It was their wounds, their pain, and their sins. Of walking parallel paths, of light and of dark, it was their love story in a single gesture. It was them.

After an eternity of bliss, they broke apart, each needing air. He stared down at her, trying to gauge her immediate reaction, but all he found was a blinding smile coupled with her tearful eyes.

"About time," she couldn't help but laugh, the sound a strange mix of a chuckle and a sob. With a small smile, he carefully wove a hand through her hair, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss on her forehead. She reached up for his hair, too, and for a moment they did nothing but hold each other tightly. That same feeling of being home settled into his bones, and for a moment Jellal forgot the world that existed beyond her door. He forgot about fugitives, councils, and dark guilds. He forgot about his sins, his redemption, his need to move on. Erza was all there was. She was the past, present, and future. His past, his present, and his future. Their future, if the gods were willing.

The silence was shattered by the distant gong of Magnolia's clock-tower, echoing through the city for a full twelve beats. He drew back, his fingers running down her back tenderly. She suppressed a yawn, having been worn out by her emotions earlier that night, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the way her nose scrunched up due to her efforts.

"To bed with you," he grinned, pulling her in the direction of her giant bed. She protested, but he managed to get her down under the covers before tossing his shirt off and joining her.

Without a second thought, Erza crawled up and onto his chest, pressing her voice into the junction between Jellal's neck and shoulder. He wrapped their bodies up in the multiple blankets strewn across the mattress, before hoisting himself up to lean against the headboard.

"You'll have to leave come morning light, won't you?" She looked up from where she had been tracing indescribable patterns across the tanned flesh of his chest. He closed his eyes, as if in pain, before giving her a short nod. She had known, of course, from the moment he had stepped into her room. But after all that had transpired, the misery of the knowledge only amplified.

"You know I must," subconsciously, he tightened his hold on her, the guilt returning tenfold at the saddened look on her face. "If I could stay, you know I would-"

"I know," she interrupted him, pressing a kiss against his collarbone. "I know."

They stayed like that, that night. Laying in each other's arms, bare skin pressed up against bare skin, talking about everything and nothing simultaneously. That kiss…it hadn't proven anything they didn't already know. He loved her, and she loved him back, so fiercely that their hearts were all but one. But it had opened up a world of possibilities, and had created a bright path towards a future they could walk for together. Jellal smiled.

He would have to thank his persistent guildmates.

A/N: I've been having some trouble and frustrations lately regarding my writing, specifically my ability to properly characterize our favourite couple (mostly because I'm grown accustomed to twkp-verse!jerza, and they're different on so many levels). I would love some honest feedback about what you thought of the fic! On that note, if it garners enough attention and if enough people want it, I'll consider throwing together a part two! Thanks for reading!