Disclaimer: Always give 100% at work: 12% Monday, 23% Tuesday, 40% Wednesday, 20% Thursday, 5% Friday

DATE : July 18
THEME : Romance
SETTING : Forest/River
CHARACTERS : YOUR CHOICE / YOUR OC (There's no OC in this one)
PROMPT : River
~JellalxErza
~AU

"Erza! Wait up!" Erza doesn't turn around, keeping her head high in the air and back rigid with anger as she walks. Jellal trails behind, barely able to follow her down the path. He lost sight of her a few minutes ago, but still pursues her. "Come on! Slow down! I said I was sorry!"

That was the wrong thing to say.

Erza swings around, crossing her arms and waiting for Jellal, who continues to yell for her since he can't see her yet. She assumes a position most would liken to a murderous Amazon Queen as he gets closer.

At first, Jellal grins and waves, figuring she's finally forgiven him. Then he sees her posture and gulps. 'I am so screwed.' He debates running away, but that would leave her rage to fester until the next time he saw her. That was even worse. The last and only time he let her simmer, his PS2 ended up in a tree.

So the dead man continues his walk of doom, head bowed to try and still her anger.

Jellal stops in front of her, waiting. There was no use saying anything yet with her. He's not sure of her level of anger. Depending on it, he'll act accordingly. The sooner she forgives him, the better.

"You think sorry will cut it?" Erza demands finally. Her strong voice echoes around the forest, bouncing off the trees to make it seem even bigger.

To his credit, Jellal doesn't flinch. He's grown used to it over the years they've been friends and knows there's no way out of this. He has to fight back. "I don't see why it shouldn't," he says, looking up to meet her gaze.

Erza looks away, slight red tinting her cheeks as she touches her lips. "But you…I didn't…" She stops to think, letting the quietness of the forest wash over her. Leaves fall around them, barely louder than a breath. The river babbles on close by, smoothly moving. "Why did you do it?"

Jellal gives her a blank stare. "I kiss you and you want to know why?"

Erza goes redder at the word kiss."Y-yeah!"

He can't help it. Erza's flushed face, her stuttering, her deer-in-a-headlight attitude. Jellal bursts out laughing, scaring all the wildlife that was close by. Erza jumps and tries to summon anger, but she's still flustered, making her expression even more comical.

"It's…I thought it was obvious!" Jellal wheezes. "I've…I've liked you…for a year!" He tries to shove the laughter down with his hand by throwing it over his mouth, but it does little to stifle the sound.

Erza backs up as he reaches for her, still on emotional over drive. Excuse her for being a little confused after her best friend for ten years suddenly kisses her in the middle of the forest!

"Ah!"

Jellal's not really sure what happened. One minute he was trying to get support before he falls on the ground in laughter, and the next Erza's gone, water flying up. He blinks stupidly at the space she was, a few chuckles still escaping him. Then he looks down and loses it all over again.

Erza looks like a drowned rat. Her crimson hair is sticking all over her face, half of the now tangled mess covering her eye. Fabric sticks out at odd places, clinging around her waist togive her an odd shape. At least she wasn't wearing a skirt today.

"Are…are you…" Jellal can't even get the words out from his doubled-over state. Today has really been very interesting. For the handful of times since he's known her, Jellal's seeing Erza really be herself. Not cool and confident, but insecure.

His laughter irks Erza. She glares at him, really to grab a pebble at the bottom of the small river and throw it at him, but then she gets a better idea. Before he can process what she's doing, Erza dashes forward and grabs his shirt, pulling him in with her.

Jellal gasps as the cold water surrounds him, all sound replaced with the light whooshing of the flow of water as it moves around him. He breaks the surface as fast as he can, the sounds replaced with Erza's laugh. It takes a good-natured moment, but he stars to laugh with her.

The sound echoes around the forest, mixing with the sounds of the river. Jellal slyly moves closer to her as they laugh, Erza clueless as she leans against the side of the river, panting for breath.

Gradually, her laugh falls into pants for breath. Erza rests her head down, closing her eyes as she breaths deeply, wrinkling her nose when dirt flies up in her face.. Still unaware of Jellal, her eyes flutter open in surprise when his hand touches her check.

Jellal kisses her slowly, just testing the waters (no pun intended). Erza blinks. She doesn't move away. Really doesn't do much of anything. The deer in the headlights expression is back.

"So," Jellal asks, pulling away. "Want to go out sometime? We could go swimming?"

Erza can only laugh.

Thank you to those who review!