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11 ; twelve
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"H-Happy birthday," she pants, peering at him through the gap in the fence. "I'm sorry I had to miss your party."
"It's alright," he stares back at her, eyes wide and curious with his token soft smile. "Here." He pushes a grubby hand through the space, a moist napkin-wrapped parcel resting in his palm. "It's strawberry jam sponge. I saved a piece for you."
When her eyes light up and she gasps with joy, he beams back, confident and pleased.
Today, Erza is okay. She's okay with going home to that house and that man; she's okay with the shouting of last night, the bruises on her wrists and her tender palms when she couldn't keep the anger in either. She's okay with it all, because the boy down the street (her friend, her friend) saved a piece of his birthday cake for her for no other reason than he wanted to.
She glances apprehensively around her, as if the windows of her house are open and staring at her instead of grimy with drawn curtains a five minute walk away. Then she unwraps it, gentler than she needs to be, and admires the cake — for all of four seconds before she opens her mouth wide and takes a rich, happy bite.
When she groans from the pleasure in her singing tastebuds, he grins. "Good, right?"
She just nods vehemently, chomping down for another taste. It's the best thing I've ever tasted, Erza swears to herself. It really is.
There's a small drop of wax on the white icing, bright blue, unmissable, and Jellal laughs ruefully when she daintily picks it off.
"Did you make a wish?"
He puffs out his chest, suddenly acting his age instead of his appearance, twelve and undaunted (because he shot up last year and Erza's still not used to craning her neck to look him in the eye). "Of course."
"Am I allowed to ask what for?" Erza mumbles around a mouthful of sweetness.
He stares at her for a moment, eyes too bright, before shaking his head slowly. "...D-Definitely not."
She raises an eyebrow over the fold of the napkin. The tastiest thing in the world, she re-affirms, and finishes the last of her slice with an appreciative bite.