A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter Three – Choose A Label
"And then I punched him. Repeatedly," I said and watched Mira's mouth fall open.
"And then what?" There was a little bit of lag so her mouth moved on the webcam before we heard what she said over the speakers.
"I've been ignoring him. If he isn't interested in me that way, then fine, but at least tell me properly. I'm a big girl. I can take it."
"So, it's been what? Three days?"
"And he is still acting like he doesn't know why she's mad. Can you believe it?" Cana leaned over my shoulder so Mira would know who was talking. "He keeps writing stupid little notes like 'Is it this?' Baka!"
"I always thought you and Jellal would make a cute couple," Mira pouted.
"It's okay, senpai, not all of your love predictions can come true. I mean two out of three isn't bad. You were spot on for Lucy and Levy," I said.
"Ah!" Mira clapped her hands together. "I have the perfect idea. On Saturday night all of you should come visit me!"
"At your college? Seriously senpai? That'd be so awesome!"
"We're throwing a cross-dorm pool party. There will be music and dancing and food and beer and guys! College guys! Trust me. The gap between a high school boy and a college guy is immense. I'll hook you both up with somebody."
"I can't. My father is supposedly coming home on Friday. We need to do some father-daughter bonding shit. And Erza is still a virgin. She doesn't hook up."
"I could if I wanted to!" I said, feeling my face flame. "It's not like there's any point saving myself anymore."
There was a brief silence. "Shit, Erza. I'm sorry. I didn't think before I said that," Cana finally said. "Were you really waiting for him…?"
"It doesn't matter now, does it?" I turned back to the webcam, "I'm so in. Find me a decent guy, Mira."
"Hmmm. Actually, I think I've just had a better idea. This is what we're going to do…"
"Are you and Erza going to be alright tonight?"
Elfman's eyes found mine in the rear-view mirror. We were on our way to pick up the girls from Lucy's apartment and he was driving. Lisanna had shotgun, a load of presents for Mira on her lap, a case of beer at her feet. Gajeel, Natsu and I sat in the back. The girls would have to sit on our laps. Not strictly legal and we'd be toast if we got in an accident, but with insurance prices what they were hardly any of us had our own cars. I shrugged. "She'll ignore me and I'll try to stay out of her way. It will be fine." I didn't feel nearly as nonchalant as I sounded. The last week had been hell. I still had no clue what I'd done to make Erza hate me so much. Why couldn't girls just tell a guy what he fucked up? All this guessing was doing my head in. I was thinking about it, about her, constantly. I missed her. Badly. I knew we usually spent a lot of time together but I had no idea how much it would hurt not to have her around. It was like having a knife in my stomach and every time she ignored me she twisted the ice cold blade a little deeper. I really wanted us to be friends again but that was seeming less and less likely. Lost in my thoughts I couldn't follow the conversation. The next thing I knew the car had stopped and Elfman was tooting the horn.
First out the door was Levy. She looked cute in those wedge sandal things and a pale green sundress. Next was Lucy. Flip flops, a short blue skirt and that strapless pink top. I'd seen her wear the outfit before I think. Last was Erza and I was out the car before I even realised what I was doing. I grabbed her wrist and hauled her back inside the foyer of Lucy's apartment block. We were halfway up the stairs before she jerked me to a stop on the landing.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"What am I doing? What the fuck are you wearing?"
She'd painted her toenails, alternating red, white and blue. I knew because she had on these cute black ankle boots with the cut-outs so you could see her toes. From her ankles it was just one long, uninterrupted line of her legs until the tiniest pair of denim shorts I'd ever seen in my life. I pulled her towards me so she was flush against my chest and had a look over her shoulder. Sure enough I could see the curve of her ass hanging out. She pushed away from me and I didn't even know where to look. Paired with the shorts she had her red bikini top on. Barely covering that was this flimsy excuse of a top. It was virtually see-through and ended above her belly button.
Now. I've known Erza for a long time. I've put my hands all over her in our sparring matches at the dojo. We've been swimming together before. I know what the hell she looks like. But I'd never seen her look like this. There was nothing left to the imagination. Nothing. She might as well have been going to the party naked. No, what she had on was quite possibly worse than naked. It was sexy as hell. Those college guys would eat her up.
"You can't go in that."
"Why the hell not? It's a pool party. I'm in my bikini."
"Erza, just no, okay. Any guy will take one look at you in this and want way more than you can give."
I could see it in his eyes. He wanted me. All this time he'd been looking at me but now, only now, did he finally see. And he loved it. Didn't want anyone else to see me like this. I felt a rush of power. I could do this. Just like Mira had said, I could bring him to his knees. Make him beg if I wanted to. The cards were down and I'd won the first hand but everyone knew it was best of three that mattered. Time for part two.
"Don't act like you know me. I can give whatever I want to whoever I want." I watched his expression harden and his grip on my wrist tightened.
"No, Erza. I do know you and you can't. Believe me you can't," He looked around and realised we were putting on a show for Lucy, her landlady and anyone else within a mile radius. "Lucy, throw me your keys. We'll be just a minute."
As per the plan Lucy didn't even bat an eye and sent her keys sailing up. He caught them easily and pulled me back up to the apartment. He dragged me inside, then backed me up against the door. His hands landed either side of my face, pining me where I was. For a passing moment I wondered if he would kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me.
He didn't.
"Why are you doing this? You must know what will happen if you go to a party dressed like that." He dropped his voice and leaned closer to me. "You're still a virgin right?" His eyes on mine were so intense I nearly gave in but Mira-senpai had told me exactly what do, the exact lines to say.
"For now, but maybe I don't want to be one any more," I watched the shock reverberate through him. Yeah that's right I thought, if you don't want it someone else will take it.
"You're too damn innocent Erza. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"I'm seventeen Jellal! Last time I checked if I felt like having sex I didn't need your or anyone's permission."
It was like she'd slapped me in the face. She was right though. How was it any of my business who she lost her virginity to? I hadn't asked her permission when I lost mine. But, the very idea of some guy looking at her in these clothes or god forbid getting her out of them infuriated me. Even worse, I had no idea why. The reaction had come from some primal part of me I hadn't even known existed.
Forget the 'why' I needed to deal with the main issue right now. I slammed my palm against the door, "I said no. Now change your damn clothes."
She didn't so much as flinch. "Jellal, there are only three people I will accept telling me how to dress and even then within certain limits. My father, my brother and my boyfriend. Now unless you're willing to choose one of those labels you need to step back because you've got nothing on me."
I obviously wasn't her father. I couldn't claim to be a brother because when I'd said 'any guy will take one look at you in this and want way more than you can give' I'd been including myself. I wanted, I…, Zeref help me there weren't even words for how I felt about what she was wearing. It definitely wasn't brotherly though. That left boyfriend but I wasn't that either. I'd never felt that way about Erza. Thinking about it, she'd always been in this weird no man's land. She was closer than a friend but not a girlfriend. I'd never thought of her as a sister either. She'd always just been my best friend. We had an easy familiarity with each other that made people think we were lovers when really it came down to us having spent an inordinate amount of time together. I couldn't put a label on what I was to her. To even try would be impossible. So I took the only option left. I stepped back.
I hadn't realised I'd been holding my breath until he stepped away from me. Disappointment slammed into me in time to the air rushing out of my lungs into the new found space between us. He hadn't taken the bait. Mira-senpai had said he probably wouldn't but it still hurt like hell. I looked down at my feet. My freshly painted toes were making an appearance in the peep-toe boots I'd dragged out of the dark recess of Cana's closet back when the idea of seducing Jellal had been novel and fun. There was some line I was supposed to say now but the words got caught around the lump in my throat. Why didn't he want me?
"Here," he said and I felt a sudden warmth. He was pushing his varsity jacket into my arms. "I'm not your father, your brother or your boyfriend but I care about you as much as any of them ever will. So please wear this and think seriously about what it is you really want."
I slipped the jacket on. It was so big on me that it covered my whole outfit. Anybody who saw me would without a doubt think I was wearing my boyfriend's jacket. It was the sweetest, nicest thing ever. My disappointment melted away and the words in my confession letter came back to me, this time minus the familiar twinge of pain. Jellal cared about me. Even if it wasn't the exact emotion I wanted from him, it had to mean something.
"Let's go," he said. All I could do was nod. Part two, not as fantastic as part one, but an adequate result. I hoped Jellal was prepared because I'd already seriously thought about what I wanted and part three would make sure I got it.
