Day 4 - Dream

"I'm very happy for both you and Erza that you have finally found the happiness you deserve." Ultear held Jellal's hands tightly between her palmes; her eyes looked like they were glistening with tears. She wore a white sundress Jella didn't remember seeing before, and smiled in the most carefree way he had ever seen from her.

Jellal slowly opened his eyes, and wondered "Where's Ultear?" while he was still in his only half-wakening state. He tried to focus on and process his surroundings, despite the heaviness he felt from his head. The room was dim, being illuminated only by a few of sun rays that had successfully slipped through the gap between the light-shielding curtains. Its walls were all decorated with ribbons and balloons of different colours and, somehow, he knew without the need to look that on the wall above the bed's headboard hanged a banner read "Congratulations to the Newly-wed!"

He turned his head to his right side, and found Erza sleeping soundly beside him. Her red tresses had formed a shield that blocked half of her face from his view, while she hid the other half of her face in the pillow.

Without thinking too much if he would accidentally wake her up, Jellal lifted up the curtain of tresses and placed them down over Erza's right shoulder, and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. She felt soft and warm. Real. When he withdrew his hand, his gaze landed on the silver ring on his left ring finger. He stroke the band with his thumb. Despite the asterisk pattern that had been carved onto its' surface, it still felt smooth against his fingertip.

"It really did happen." Jellal whispered to himself, before turning his gaze to Erza once again and recalling some of the memorable happenings on their wedding day.

It was their utmost honour to have Queen Hisui officiating their wedding ceremony held at the Fairy Tail's guild hall. When he said his wedding vow, the smile Erza gave him was the brightness, the prettiest one he had even seen, which filled his heart with unspeakable joyfulness.

He felt very grateful for the many blessings and congratulations received from their friends - mostly Erza's, for the kindness and also acceptance they showed him, and didn't feel he had said enough thank yous to them. Watching happy and grateful tears fell from Erza's eyes when she made her speech of thanks at the beginning of the lunch reception had made his eyes swell with tears too and his heart swell with emotions.

The evening party was relax but boisterous, being filled with light music, cheerful laughters and amiable chattings. Their first dance wasn't perfect without any missteps from Erza's part despite the countless practice they had previously. But he was too happy about marrying her and couldn't care less about the little pain she inflicted on his toes.

It was amazing how Erza could still make his heart race with anticipation even they had already seen and felt each other's bodies many times before, when she still looked at him with a bashful expression when he undressed her from the wedding dress. His new identity as Erza's husband - not merely a lover but a family to her - had filled his heart with a new contentment as he gave her all of him and more.

A part of him still felt that the wedding was such a surreal experience. Watching Erza sleeping at his side breathing steadily, Jellal placed his palm over his chest, and felt his heart beating a little quicker than usual. The blissfulness came from marrying Erza was such a solid and satisfactory feeling that had lodged in his heart; and it wasn't anything like the hollowness he usually felt after waking up from a dream. He knew Queen Hisui pronouncing them man and wife wasn't something happened in one of his dreams anymore, but was a dream-come-true.

The corners of his lips curved upward, and Jellal pressed a kiss on Erza's forehead.

"Jellal…" Erza stirred in her sleep.

Jellal couldn't help smiling hearing his name slipping from Erza's lips. He wondered what she was dreaming about him, while drinking in her nature beauty in her most peaceful and innocent state. The sight of her was something he could never get tired of seeing.

Erza blinked her eyes open after a few minutes. She yawned before her eyes found their focus on Jellal.

"Hey." She spoke softly with a timid smile, and cradled Jellal's cheek in her right palm.

"Hey. Good morning." Jellal held Erza's hand in his own - the one that had the new ring on the ring finger.

"Good morning. Hmm. You are real." Erza looked at Jellal with adoration and also relief, before the ring Jellal wore drew her attention away. She raised her left hand from under the blanket and looked at the identical ring she wore, before her eyes found Jellal's again. "And we have really married to each other. It's not something happened only in my dream, is it?"

Jellal grinned. "I know us getting married feels dreamy, but it's not a dream. Not anymore. You are now Mrs Fernandes for real, Erza."

"Good." Erza beamed in the same way - bright to his eyes and warm to his heart - that Jellal found had never failed to make his heart skip a beat. "I really like this new last name you give me, you know."

When Erza pulled his face towards hers, Jellal closed his eyes and felt their lips met in an affectionate kiss.