Authors' Note – Hello Readers of Knightwalker x Dragneel! I'm back again today with the tenth Chapter 'Old Flame'. I hope you all enjoy it!
Natsu woke to the feeling of a boot being kicked into his side.
"*Groan* What's going on?" Natsu asks to no one in particular as he wakes up still tired.
The owner of the boot, Erza Knightwalker, says, "It's nearly seven o'clock, if we don't leave soon we won't make the train so the both of you need to get up" and with that Knightwalker walks away.
"The both of us?" Natsu asks himself out loud. He looks to his right and sees a sleeping Erza Scarlet beside him… naked. That is also when Natsu realised the he too was naked.
"Hmm… what's going on?" Erza mumbles as she gets up from sleep.
Then she seemed to realise she was naked, "Why am I…" she begins to say until she looks to her left and sees Natsu, clearly not wearing any clothes as well with a shocked look upon his face.
Erza pulls the blankets to her chest, "Natsu… what happened last night?" Erza asks sternly, glaring at the Dragonslayer who gulps.
"My guess is… we… did it?" Natsu says before he is forced to go back to sleep when an angry Erza bumps him on the head. She wasn't angry that It happened… she was angry that she didn't remember much of it… she supposed they lost eachother to the other persons' passion.
"My first time…" Erza mumbles vaguely as she gets up to dress.
"Can you at least cover yourself up?" Knightwalker asks as she comes over with a plate of breakfast for Erza who gratefully takes it.
"Thank you and… what's the problem our bodies are exactly the same" Erza says.
Knightwalker laughs, "Think again Scarlet… while you were sleeping I decided to take out a tape measure… your bust is a 36FF while mine is a 38FF… so I beat you" she finishes with a grin.
"Wow the difference will change the world" Erza replies sarcastically.
Knightwalker grins as she starts to wake him up, and when he does he sits bolt upright and screams, "Please don't hurt me Erza!"
Erza laughs, "I'm not going to hit you Natsu".
Natsu looks at her puzzled, "You're not mad at me for last night?"
"No… I was angry because I couldn't remember… It was my first time".
Natsu stands and walks over to Erza.
"Erza I have no regrets about last night… even If I don't remember it… I love you" Natsu says as he embraces Erza and finishes off with a short but passionate kiss.
"Thank you Natsu" Erza mumbles diving deep within his arms.
"Excuse me… feeling left out here" Knightwalker says, grabbing Natsu's attention.
"How could I forget you Knightwalker?" Natsu jokingly asks the Knight as he pulls her into an embrace and kisses her.
Once the two were apart, Erza speaks up, "We need to resolve this you know" she says.
Knightwalker nods, "But not now… how does tonight at mine sound for dinner… seven o'clock?"
Natsu and Erza nod, knowing that tonight everything would be resolved.
The three break up camp and make their way to the train station to return to Magnolia.
…
Scarlet POV
Erza Scarlet walked out the entrance of the Magnolia Train Station four hours later.
"It's always good to be back home" Erza says as she looks back to see Knightwalker supporting a still motion-sick Natsu. She smiles at how the Dragonslayer could look so pitiful sometimes.
"I'm going to go on ahead to unpack, I'll see you two at seven" Erza says to Knightwalker who nods.
Erza took the road that led straight to Fairy Hills all the while dragging her luggage behind her.
Tonight we may find out who Natsu will choose… Knightwalker or myself.
Erza was so busy thinking over how tonight might go, that she didn't notice a pair of hooded figures approach her from Fairy Hills.
"Erza?" one of the hooded figures questions when he sees her.
Erza looks up at the hooded figure, "Do I know you?" she asks tiredly.
The figures pull back their hoods to reveal… Jellal and Meredy.
"Jellal!?" Erza exclaims.
Jellal laughs, "It's been a while Erza… how've you been?"
"I've been well… why are you here? Isn't it risky, the council is still after you?" Erza questions him.
Jellal smiles slightly, "Well you see… about that…" Jellal seemed unable to finish, but Meredy did it for him.
"We were excused for our past indiscretions Erza!" Meredy says happily.
Erza looks at Jellal, "So you're a free man?"
Jellal nods, "My first act was going to visit you".
Erza suddenly felt a conflict of emotions. She knew that she loved Natsu… but once upon a time… she loved Jellal as well.
"Listen Erza… I was thinking… would you like to have dinner tonight?" Jellal asks her.
Erza stares at Jellal blankly. She loved Natsu, but she hadn't seen Jellal in a long time and there was reason to celebrate; he was now a free man. She hoped Natsu would forgive her for tonight.
"Very well… how does seven o'clock sound and we'll meet at the town square".
Jellal smiles, "Very well then… I'll see you then" and with that Jellal and Meredy moved off to the town of Magnolia.
Erza sighs, I don't love Jellal anymore… but will Natsu realise that?
….
Natsu looked up at the clock hanging up above Knightwalkers' fireplace; It read half past seven.
"Erza is late" Natsu says while Knightwalker serves him a plate.
"I'm sure she has her reasons" Knightwalker says, "She wouldn't want our food to get cold on account of her though would she".
Natsu sighs and picks up his knife and fork, come on Erza… we need to talk so what are you doing that is more important.
….
Scarlet POV
Erza did not know what she expected when Jellal asked her out for dinner; a fancy restaurant, a home-cooked meal perhaps? But what she got was totally different.
"This is really good… how do you know where to get the best burger in Magnolia?" Erza asks the man now dressed more casual through a mouthful of meat and bread.
Jellal laughs, "While I was on the move I used to come to Magnolia every now and then to make sure you well… I needed a meal more than once so here you are" he says indicating the burgers.
Erza smiles; It was good to have her old friend back.
The pair finished their burgers and got up from the park bench they were sitting on to walk around the park.
"Thank you for agreeing to this Erza" Jellal thanks Erza, smiling at her.
"Well it has been a while, and I thought we should celebrate at least a little… you're a free man now after all".
Jellal continues to smile at Erza, "Now that I am free… things can be different… there is something I should tell you".
Erza looks at him, suspecting what e was going to say and now afraid of hurting him.
"Do you remember when I said I had a fiancé and that was the reason why I couldn't be with you?" Jellal asks her.
"I remember you telling me… I also remember not believing you" Erza answers.
"WHAT!? Why didn't you believe me!?" Jellal demanded, raising his voice in shock.
Erza laughs, "You were never a really good liar Jellal".
Jellal sighs, "Well yeah… it was lie… but now that I am free…" Jellal stops and touches Erza's shoulder so she would face him, "… now that I'm free, all I want to do is this…" Jellal continues as he places his hand on her cheek and leans in.
Erza did not know what to do. Did she kiss him and satisfy his need? Or turn him down? Then she remembered Natsu, and her heart tore.
….
"I've had enough… I'm going to look for Erza" Natsu says to Knightwalker after they'd finished their meal.
Knightwalker sighs and says, "Fine then… look for her but come straight back once you find her… we all still need to talk".
Natsu nods and heads out. He decides to head over to Fairy Hills, where Erza lived in case she decided to sleep and overslept.
Natsu had been walking for ten minutes, when while walking through a park, he saw something strange.
He saw Jellal with a red haired woman and he was talking too softly for him to hear. Who was he with?
Then the girl turned her head and he saw that It was Erza.
"Erza?" Natsu whispers to himself. What was Erza doing with Jellal?
Then he saw Jellal hold Erza's cheek and lean in and… kiss her.
The two kissed for a few seconds before breaking apart, but by then Natsu was already gone.
….
Erza broke away from the kiss with as much force as she could muster and looks into Jellal's eyes… and slaps him.
Jellal holds his reddening cheek with a look of shock across his face and turns angrily toward Erza, "What was that for Erza!?"
"For being a pig… you never asked If I wanted you to do that" Erza says through tears.
"But Erza… I thought… I thought you loved me just as I love you" Jellal protests.
Erza glares at the man before her, "Once upon a time I loved a man named Jellal Fernandez… but those days are done… I'm in love with Natsu Dragneel now Jellal" Erza says to him angrily and turns away to head over to Knightwalkers' house.
Jellal however did not move from that spot for many hours, not understanding what had happened.
….
Erza knocks at the door of Knightwalkers' home. After two minutes Knightwalker opens the door.
"What do you want?" Knightwalker glares at Erza.
"I'm sorry I'm late, I'll explain to Natsu-" Erza begins to say as she tries to get in but Knightwalker stops her with an arm.
"Natsu doesn't want to see you" Knightwalker says softly.
Erza begins to seethe, "As I was saying I am going to explain to Natsu why I am so late".
"There's no need" Knightwalker says through her glare.
"What do you mean?" Erza asks, confused.
"Natsu was worried about you, wanted to know why you weren't here… so he went to look for you… and he found you".
Erza looks at Knightwalker, panic beginning to whelm up inside her. Don't tell me he saw…
"Natsu saw you with Jellal Fernandez, the man who is my Kings' counterpart here in Earthland… and he saw you kissing him… care to explain Erza?"
Erza was at a loss for words, "Did… did Natsu see what happened afterward?" she asks her.
"What happened afterward, did you go to his house?" Knightwalker scoff at her so-called counterpart.
"I slapped him and told him I loved Natsu and not him anymore" Erza growls at the infuriating woman before her who laughs.
"Yes I'm sure that's what happened Scarlet… but Natsu is inside right now and his heart is broken!" Knightwalker begins to raise her voice in anger, "And I'll be damned If I'm going to let you get away with it… Re-Quip Inferno Spear!" Knightwalker calls out as she produces her spear.
Erza Scarlet reacted the only way she knew how… which was to attack back, "Re-Quip Flame Empress Armor!" Erza calls out as she re-quips into her Flame Empress armor. So with that the two Scarlet Haired Knights began to clash.
"STOP!" a rough voice calls out.
The two knights stop to see a pink haired teenage with bloodshot eyes from crying standing in the doorway of Knightwalkers' home.
Knightwalker complies and walks back in, leaving both Erza and Natsu alone.
"Natsu you have to believe me, Jellal is only an Old Flame, I would never choose him over you!" Erza begins to say in panic as she re-quip back into her normal clothes.
Natsu looks at Erza with dead eyes, "So why did you kiss him?"
"He kissed me Natsu… please you have to believe-" she begins to explain but is halted as Natsu puts up his hand.
"I saw you with him, I saw you kiss him… just go Erza… just leave me alone" and with that Natsu closes the door to a heart-broken Erza.
What have I done? Erza asks herself through her panic. She knew the answer all too well, and all she could do was weep.
Authors' Note – Well I wonder how you all like that turn-of-events… anyway I might release another Chapter later on tonight (Australia) I'm not sure so we'll see. I enjoyed writing this Chapter because It changes a lot of things. Look out for Chapter Eleven 'Broken Hearts Mended' and don't forget to cast your vote for any pairings in Fairy Tail that you would like me to do a one-shot of after I finish this story. Just two Chapters to go! (Or so I think, could be more *Shrugs*)