By the time Erza returned to the shack, the sun was already beginning to dip below the horizon. She crossed the threshold, carrying a rather large plastic bag chock-full of food in one hand.
A smile played along her lips when she caught sight of Jellal, who was still fast asleep on the couch. It was a simple yet remarkable sight to behold— for the first time since their reunion, he looked to be truly at peace. There was no trace upon his features of the pain or burden of his past sins which haunted him in his waking hours.
Erza couldn't suppress the blush that spread across her cheeks. He's so handsome. Oh no, had she actually just thought that? She covered her face in embarrassment with her free hand. Hoping to distract herself from the entirely-too-attractive man before her, she walked over to the fridge in the far corner of the room and started putting her groceries away.
The crown jewel in her bag was, of course, a whole strawberry cake. She didn't know how much of a sweet tooth Jellal was, but she'd figured some cake to celebrate his release from imprisonment couldn't hurt. It had taken all of her willpower just to restrain herself from sneaking a slice on the way here, though. Now she was beside herself with craving for her favorite food. Hurriedly putting the rest of the groceries away, she grabbed a plate and a fork from some cupboards, materialized a knife, and cut herself a generous slice of the sweet cake. She brought her prize back to the table by the couch and dug in.
It was hard not to glance at the sleeping bluenette as she ate; she was seated right beside him, after all. She hadn't thought it was possible for her attention to be split between strawberry cake and something else, but every second spent in such close proximity to him proved her wrong. Perplexed to the point of mild frustration, she eventually relinquished her plate and climbed onto the couch, perching on the armrest next to Jellal's head.
What was it about this man? No matter how many times she saw him, he remained an unsolved enigma in her mind. She studied his tranquil expression and wondered what he could possibly be dreaming about. Maybe she could better understand him if she…if she just…
Her hand came to rest in his messy blue locks. She gasped when he stirred slightly, but thankfully he didn't wake up. Slowly and tenderly, she ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the matted tresses parting at her touch.
She didn't know what had gotten into her when her lips parted and quiet words poured out into the still air. "You know, Jellal…earlier, I didn't tell you the main reason I won't allow you to die. The truth is…I care too much about you to let you die."
In his sleep, Jellal smiled in contentment. Erza's chocolate eyes mirrored the warmth in her heart upon seeing his lips curve upwards. She yawned— night had fallen outside. "Good night, Jellal," she murmured, getting off of the couch and sitting back down on the floor next to him. She closed her eyes and nodded off to sleep with her back against the couch.
When Jellal finally awoke the next morning after the best sleep he'd had in his life, Titania was gone, although he could still feel the ghost of her fingers tangled in his hair. On the table was a piece of strawberry cake and a neatly-written note. He picked up the small scrap of paper.
Find your true freedom. –Erza
He smiled to himself and took a bite of cake.
