Yo. I know, I know, its been forever since I last updated, and I know this chapter is only short, and yes I have been sitting on my hands for the past few months, but in my defence I did try to write it three times... about a month apart... anyways I hope you like it... On that note I'm not sure how many more chapters I will be adding to this story, let me know if you think I should end it here or add another chapter or two. Also, I re-uploaded chapter 9 - i think someone said something about the beginning being off, so yeah I changed it a bit, though if anyone hates the change tell me. Thanks.

*Ahem* after much deliberation i have decided that after 9000+ views that this story can be safely finished. I will, however, continue writing little one-shots, sort of like a sequel to this story, continuing off from this point - i just think adding any more chapters may ruin the cutesy feel this last chapter has. The "sequel" is titled "After That", so yeah, if you liked this story feel free to translate that interest over.


"You are the best thing that has ever been mine." She whispered her silent confession into the sleeping girl's ear.

Erza smiled as said girl's face scrunched up in her sleep, some part of her subconscious processing the words that had been spoken with such care. Idly she wondered if her princess would remember them when she awoke.

Sighing she pressed her lips against the other girl's forehead in an attempt to smooth the lines that had formed there. As if responding to her touch, the young celestial wizard also sighed in her sleep, her hand clutching ever tighter to the fabric that covered her back.

Lucy had murmured into her ear as she drifted off, "Stay."

So she had stayed.

That had been several hours ago, yet even now she found it difficult to sleep, fear clutching at her heart that if she dared to close her eyes, dared to sleep, then when she woke she would find that all that had transpired between them would have been a dream.

If it is a dream, then I pray to any gods who will listen, please, never let me wake…

It was a cruel thought to have, to continually doubt the love that Lucy felt for her, but still, even now, she struggled to believe that it was the same sort of love that she herself felt for the blonde mage she now held in her arms.

"I love you, so much. So please…" Erza closed her eyes, desperation beginning to colour her voice, drawing her goddess closer, "never leave me alone."

"Okay."

Jerking back in surprise, Erza felt herself flush under the amused gaze of the celestial mage.

A smile crinkled the face of the younger girl, her petite frame gently wracked by her soft laugh. Erza blushed even harder as the sensation was not all that unpleasant…

"How long have you…?" Unable to finish her own thought, she turned away in embarrassment. She was the Titania for god's sake! The strongest woman in Fairy Tail! And yet here she was too scared to even confess her feelings to the girl in her arms while she was awake!

Giving the blushing knight a gentle squeeze in response, the blonde mage nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

"A while." Was all she offered in response to Erza's unfinished question, doing nothing at all to alleviate the other girl's embarrassment.

"Why didn't you say something?" The Titania huffed, trying, and failing, to be intimidating.

"'Cus you were being just too cute." She murmured into the flustered knight's ear.

"Hmph."

Pulling back slightly, the spirit mage raised an eyebrow at the woman in her arms, "Are you sulking?"

Erza turned further away from her blonde goddess, trying desperately to control her expression, but the redness of her cheeks refused to fade, and she could feel herself pouting.

Oh what are you, a tiny child? She mentally chastised herself, ashamed of her own childish reaction. She knows you better than you think - admit it, you would never have said that to her if you knew she was awake.

Unable to argue with herself the usually stoic knight sighed in defeat, choosing instead to bury her head in the nook of the young celestial mage's neck in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Yeah, well…" Her response was slightly muffled by the other girl's hair, "You cheated."

"Mmmm…" The other girl agreed, gently stroking the silky red tresses that covered her pillow.

The gentle ministrations of the other girl somehow managed to soothe the raging heart, and mind, of the red haired knight, allowing her to slowly drift off. The last thing she heard as sleep finally claimed her, was the soft breathing of the girl in her arms, and a faint whisper,

"Soba ni iru, owarimade."*


* I'll stay by your side until the very end.