Hey there guys! I know it's a little late, but between a busy schedule and not many reviews coming in to help motivate me, the Valentine's Special took me a little longer than usual to write. While a few of you sent in some fun ideas for some one-shots, I really wanted to do a continuation of last year's Valentine's Special. So, without further ado, please enjoy Sweet Surprises!

[Note: This story is a sequel to last year's Valentine's Special, Candy Hearts and Chocolate Kisses. If you have not read that chapter, I would suggest doing so before reading this one.]

The Valentine's Day party was already in full swing when Laxus lead Lucy through the doors to the guild. A band was playing upbeat, lively music while couples danced on the floor. Gray appeared to be leading a swooning Juvia in a kind of modified tango, and had somehow lost his shirt without missing a beat. Gajeel and Levy were dancing beside them, attempting to copy their dance steps, but both were laughing so hard that they couldn't keep up. Happy was, once again, trying to offer Carla a fish as a present, which the white exceed turned her nose up at. Erza sat on a stool by the bar, chatting happily with MiraJane. Wendy and Romeo sat by the snack table, telling each other jokes and eating their fill of heart-shaped cookies. Laxus raised an eyebrow as he looked down at Lucy, who was grinning at the sight.

"Looks a whole lot like all the other Valentine's Day parties, doesn't it?" he asked. Lucy shrugged and laughed.

"Oh, you know how Fairy Tail is. Some things just never change!" she exclaimed happily, taking his hand. "Come on, let's go dance with the others!" Laxus laughed, allowing himself to be pulled through the crowd to the dance floor.

Several hours later the two collapsed into chairs next to a table, both out of breath but grinning from ear to ear.

"I haven't had that much fun in forever!" Lucy exclaimed, leaning back in her chair. Laxus laughed, leaning back himself.

"You're quite the dancer; I think you could give Gray a run for his money," he joked. The blonde rolled her eyes and shoved him lightly.

"Oh, stop," she giggled. "You're not too bad yourself." Laxus ruffed her hair.

"Hey, I'm going to go get some punch. You want some?" he asked, standing up and stretching.

"Yes please! Oh, and piece of cake too, please!" Lucy exclaimed. The man laughed and leaned down to kiss her cheek playfully.

"Anything for you, my queen of hearts," he teased, heading off towards the snack table. Lucy turned her gaze to the dance floor, where Levy and Gajeel were still dancing, though the music had started to slow down a little. A sly grin grew on her lips as she watched them.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Laxus' voice startled her as he sat down across from her, placing a plate of cake and a cup of punch in front of her before digging into his own piece of cake. Lucy giggled and leaned forward, and Laxus leaned in to get closer.

"Okay, don't tell anyone... but I'm helping Gajeel plan an awesome surprise for Levy," she whispered. Laxus grinned at her.

"Ooooh, a surprise? Can you tell me about it?" he asked hopefully. Lucy shook her head, making him frown grumpily.

"No way! You could spoil it! Besides, you'll find out soon enough. Gajeel's supposed to give me the cue any moment now!" Laxus rolled his eyes and shrugged, laughing as he went back to his cake.

"Alright, alright, I'll let you keep your little secret for now," he said through a mouthful. When he was finished with his cake, Laxus shifted his chair around to sit side-by-side with Lucy, and she leaned thankfully against his shoulder, suddenly feeling very tired. He put his arm around her and absentmindedly rubbed her arm.

"I love you," he whispered to her. She nuzzled his shoulder.

"I love you, too."

"Hard to believe it's been four years since our first Valentine's Day party together, huh?" Laxus mused softly. Lucy looked up at him happily.

"It's been a great four years, though. And it's so nice seeing everyone finding their matches, too," she commented. Laxus nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm glad Gray finally gave in about Juvia. Sometimes watching the tension between those two was almost too much to bear," the man laughed. Lucy was about to reply when she noticed that Gajeel and Levy were leaving the dance floor and heading towards the hallway that lead to the lawn behind the guild.

"Oh! I think our plan is about to go into action!" Lucy squealed softly. Laxus grinned at her, finding her excitement contagious. As Gajeel followed Levy through the doorway, he turned back to Lucy and gave her a subtle nod. Once the couple had gone out of sight, Lucy sprang up and went to the doorway, listening for the outside door to close. Once she heard it, she turned back to the guild and raised her voice.

"Alright everybody, I'm going to need your help setting something up!"

Gajeel led Levy to a bench outside, sitting down beside her. She immediately cuddled up against him in the cold, and he wrapped her arms around her, blocking out the breeze that was blowing through the lawn. The two stayed silent for a long while, simply enjoying each other's presence and admiring the clear night sky. Despite the tranquility of the scene, Gajeel couldn't help but feel a little nervous about what he was planning. Levy glanced up at him, a worried look in her eyes.

"Gajeel? Are you alright?" she asked, her voice concern. He smiled down at her and ruffled her hair, making the woman frown.

"I'm just fine, shrimp. Don't you worry," he chuckled. Levy's brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Gajeel," she huffed, "You know I don't like it when you call me that!" Gajeel laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"I know, I know. But it's just so fun to ruffle yer feathers a bit," he replied, which made Levy roll her eyes as she leaned against him again.

"You're mean," she grumped, crossing her arms across her chest. Gajeel just chuckled.

"Gihihi, I know," he shot back with a grin. Levy stuck her tongue out at him, which just made him laugh harder. He glanced at the door back into the guild. He wondered if they were done setting up her surprise. He decided to give them a few more minutes.

"The... um... the stars are kinda pretty tonight," the dragon slayer said, scratching the back of his neck. Levy gave him a confused look.

"Um... yeah, I guess they are...?" Her voice was hesitant. "Are you sure you're okay?" Gajeel huffed in annoyance. Buying time for something like this was definitely not his forte.

"Yeah, but, um... Well, I got a surprise for ya," he said, hoping he wasn't giving too much away. Levy's eyes widened in curiosity.

"Really? Where?" she asked, looking around as if she expected to be able to find it out in the lawn. Gajeel laughed, shaking his head.

"I'll take ya to it, but ya gotta put this on, first," he instructed, removing his headband and tying it over Levy's eyes like a blindfold.

"But now I can't see!" she protested, waving her hands around in front of her. Gajeel chuckled and laughed, standing up to lead her back to the guild. Hopefully they were ready for them.

"That's the point. C'mon, I'll guide ya there," he said gently, taking her hands and pulling her towards the building.

"Gajeel, where are we going?" Levy squeaked as she bumped lightly into the door frame the dragon slayer was attempting to lead her through. Her head swiveled from side to side, as if trying to see her surroundings through the thick blindfold. The man chuckled and tugged her arm gently, still guiding her through the halls of the guild. It wasn't that far of a walk from the back lawn behind the guild to the main hall, but Levy kept bumping into things while she attempted to try to see where she was going, so the venture had been slow going.

"I told ya, shrimp. It's a surprise," he laughed, pushing a chair out of the way with his foot so he wouldn't have to try to guide Levy around it. The script mage's cheeks puffed in indignation, and Gajeel knew she was trying her best to glare at him. Unfortunately for her, the blindfold was doing a wonderful job of blocking her glare.

"I told you I don't like it when you call me that!" she grumped. Gajeel just chuckled again, making her frown deepen. He patted her head, marveling to himself how she could be so adorable when she was angry.

"Hey, I'm workin' on it, 'kay?" he said. Levy just stuck her tongue out at him, which made him laugh again. "Now come on, yer surprise is waitin' for ya." With a sigh of resignation, Levy followed, bumping into a few more things on the way.

Finally the pair made it to the main hall, where the band was still playing a soft melody and people were chatting around the room. Levy noted that it was unusually quiet for a Fairy Tail party, but it was getting fairly late, so perhaps people were just tired. The soft perfume of roses tickled her nose, and she inhaled deeply, taking in the scent. Gajeel, with his stronger dragon senses, was on the verge of a sneezing fit, and was beginning to wonder why he picked this out of all his possible plans. Still, it would be worth it if Levy liked her surprise.

"Gajeel? Are we here? Can I take off my blindfold yet?" The girl whispered, noticing that the noise around the hall had quieted even more, and she could feel the eyes of the rest of the guild on her. Gajeel glanced around the hall, nodding to himself with satisfaction.

"Hold on, I'll get it for ya," he grunted, shifting Levy slightly to put her in the perfect position, then stepped behind her and untied her blindfold. As the fabric slid from her face, the tiny woman let out a gasp.

Hundreds of thousands of scarlet red rose petals were scattered about the floor in an enormous heart. Inside the heart, bright pink rose petals spelled out five words: "Levy, will you marry me?"

"Gajeel!" she exclaimed, whirling around to face the dragon slayer. He'd dropped to one knee, holding up a small velvet box containing an intricately carved ring, set with sparkling sapphires. Levy's hands flew up to cover her mouth as her eyes widened in surprise. Gajeel grinned up at her, one eyebrow quirking upwards.

"Well? What do you say?" He asked. Though his face and posture were relaxed, the man's heart was racing faster with each second Levy hesitated. His casual grin grew into a full smile as the woman began to nod, wiping at her eyes to try to push away her happy tears.

"Yes! Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Gajeel's neck and tangling her fingers in his thick hair. He laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist as he stood and twirled her around. Around them, the guild members let out a cheer, which quickly turned to whoops and hollers as the dragon slayer dipped his new fiance down for a deep kiss. He then pulled Levy back on her feet, grinning at the deep red blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Hey shorty, you should probably put the ring on before I lose it," he teased lightly. Her blush grew deeper as she glanced at the box he was still holding.

"Oh, yeah, um..." she mumbled, looking down at the floor. Gajeel smiled and took her hand gently, sliding the ring on her finger. She smiled down shyly at it, admiring how it glimmered in the light.

"Oh Gajeel, it fits perfectly," she sighed, pulling him into a hug.

"Well it should. I made it just for you," he replied, holding her tightly. She snuggled against his chest.

"I love you, Gajeel."

"I love you, too, Levy."

Erza leaned against the bar, looking on with a gentle smile as the couple celebrated their new engagement. She heard a sigh from behind her and glanced over her shoulder at MiraJane, who had propped her chin on both hands as she leaned on the counter, a sappy smile plastered on her face.

"Aren't they just the cutest?" she sighed, looking to Erza for her input. Erza smiled and nodded.

"They really are pretty cute. I'm impressed with Gajeel for actually coming up with a romantic way to ask her, actually. I wasn't sure he had it in him," she agreed. Mira flashed her a grin.

"Oh, I think he's a lot more caring than you'd think at first glance," she commented, her grin turning sly. "However, he did have a little help from a couple of experts in romance." Erza rolled her eyes.

"I should've known you were involved," she laughed. "And I'm assuming Lucy helped with the planning too?" Mira nodded, glancing over at Lucy, who was cuddling into Laxus' shoulder across the room.

"She did. Gajeel gave us his ideas, and we told him which ones were the best and how he could improve them, and eventually we figured out the best plan of action. Getting all those rose petals sure was a pain, though," she commented, rolling her eyes. Erza laughed appreciatively, then stood up straight and stretched.

"Well Mira, I think I'm going to head home," the red-head commented. MiraJane smiled gently at her friend. She'd learned in the past few years that Erza always left the Valentine's Day party early, and that she never brought a date. While Mira wondered why, she figured that it was best to leave the topic alone. She felt comfortable playing matchmaker for most of her guildmates, but she always felt there was probably a reason Erza never had a date with her, and she didn't want to open any old wounds. So instead, she wished Erza well as the woman wandered out of the guild into the night, swiping a piece of cake as she passed the dessert table. Mira shook her head. Some things never changed.

Erza shoved her hands into her coat pockets more firmly as she walked home, a chilly breeze whipping her hair around. She knew she should probably stay at the party longer and celebrate with her friends, but she'd come to expect a very important package on the night of Valentine's Day, and she wanted to get to it as soon as she could. She sprang up the steps to her house, scanning the porch for any sign of her package. Oddly enough, the space was bare, save for the porch swing that was swaying in the breeze. Erza's heart fell as she rummaged for her keys, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

Immediately, she went to her bedroom, pulling out a small box hidden under her bedframe. She carried this back to her living room, plopping down on the couch and opening it up. Dozens of pieces of paper filled the container- scraps of newspaper, flyers for stores in far-away towns, and - Erza's favorite - one wanted poster with Natsu's face plastered on it, calling him a "scoundrel that must be caught at all costs". On the back of each paper was a note, always written in a sharp, jagged scrawl that Erza had come to love seeing. As she pulled one of her favorite notes out of the box, someone knocked on her door, startling her. With a sigh, she put back the note and replaced the lid, carefully setting the box on a side table before getting up to get the door. She opened it to find a man standing on her porch, a small package wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine in his hands. Erza's eyes flicked immediately to the tattoo she could just barely make out around his eye, difficult to see in the dark and partially covered by the dark blue hair that fell across his forehead.

"Jellal..." she breathed, almost afraid to say it out loud in case it was all a dream and she might wake herself up if she spoke too loudly. The man cast her a shy smile.

"Surprised to see me?" he asked, searching her face earnestly. A smile began to form on Erza's lips.

"Well yes, but..." Her smile faded. "Aren't you still on the run? Isn't it dangerous to be here?"

Jellal's smile turned sad as he nodded towards the house, silently indicating that they should move their conversation inside. Erza stepped aside, allowing him to enter and shutting the door behind him.

"I am still on the run, it's true, and I can't stay here for very long. But I was near Magnolia, and... I just had to come see you, no matter the cost," he explained, looking down at his hands. He laughed a little, giving a small shrug and holding out the package to her. "At least I didn't have to try to find a messenger boy who would deliver a package for me without knowing my name. Distrustful little things, messenger boys are."

Erza took the package and set it next to her other box on the table. She turned to speak to Jellal again, only to find he'd followed her to the table and was picking up the box of notes, his brow furrowed.

"Have you... gotten a present from someone else as well?" he asked, looking at it sadly. Erza blushed.

"What? Oh, no, that's not..." she trailed off as he lifted the lid and glanced inside, seeing the notes. Curious, he pulled one out, scanning its contents.

"These... These are from me," he commented, pulling out another note and reading it as well, then simply sifting through the rest of the papers. Erza could feel her blush darkening.

"Well... yes," she mumbled. A small smile tugged at Jellal's lips.

"You kept them," he sighed, putting the papers back in the box and turning to Erza. She looked away, embarrassed.

"They were all I had of you," she replied simply. She let out a small gasp as Jellal's arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a close hug. After a moment, she returned it, listening to the beating of their hearts as they stood in silence for a long moment.

"Well," Jellal finally spoke, his voice soft and thick with emotion, "For now, at least, you have all of me." Erza nodded silently, holding him close. The silence returned again, until Jellal turned to whisper into her hair.

"I love you Erza. So, so much..."

The woman sighed, leaning against him and letting a small, sad smile grace her lips. Maybe it wouldn't be forever, but at least for tonight, Jellal was here, and finally she could give him the reply she was so used to whispering into a dark, empty bedroom.

"I love you too, Jellal."

Thank you so much for reading! Please, please, please review- your feedback is what keeps me writing! I will try to get to some of the other suggestions soon!