Rating: T

Highschool AU

Erza couldn't take her eyes off him. She found herself staring enraptured as he balanced the pole as he ran, her breath hitched the moment he lowered it and planted it in the ground and used the momentum to soar. Erza was all tense nerves as the pole bent and then gracefully straightened back up, taking Jellal with it as he pushed himself up and over the pole and twisted his body over the bar. This was the moment she lived for. The moment he cleared the bar, he always smiled radiantly. It was huge and uninhibited, much different from his serious face as he ran and aimed for the best spot for success. Erza was sure she was the only one to notice his expression change.

"You know you can breathe now, right Erza?" a hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present. The scarlet haired Junior blinked slowly before turning to her companions and smiling sheepishly.

"It always makes me nervous but watching him fly is…" She struggled to come up for the right word but just relaxed when Levy giggled from Lucy's right. They understood.

"breath-taking?" Levy finished while standing up and slinging her orange backpack over her shoulder and heading down the bleachers. "We know, it's written all over your expression, anyway it's almost time for Gajeel's throw and I told him I'd be there cheering him on!"

"Juvia and I are moving closer for Natsu and Gray's 4 by 4 relay," Lucy finished and smiled as Erza looked back at the field, "We'll see you after the meet." Erza heard her Sophomore friends disperse, going to cheer on their respective best friends but her eyes were constantly scanning for her blue-haired Icarus. She spotted him conversing with his coach, pleased with his new personal best but obviously hungry for higher.

Erza never missed one of his practices or his meets, he'd noticed. It made him nervous at first when he'd spotted her in the bleachers. Now it made him want to fly even higher to see the look on her face; not that he did everything for her, but she was a huge motivator. She was the reason he always pushed himself, he wanted to continue to see the amazed smile and hear her cheer him on. Jellal felt confident, he had just completed a new personal record and wanted to go even higher.

Leaning against his pole while watching the feet steadily rise after each opponent, Jellal couldn't help the excited flutter in his stomach. 14.5 feet was his personal best but once his turn came back up, he could feel himself vibrating from the expectations he placed on himself; the last run of the meet was his and was set for 15.7 feet. If he could clear this it would be his win and he was determined.

Jellal positioned himself at the start, focused only on the bar. He took a deep breath, gripped his pole on the taped intervals, lifted it and took off. One foot in front of the other, he ran, eyes never leaving the high obstacle in front of him. The blue haired vaulter completely forgetting the audience around him in favor of achieving the high of a difficult win. The second he set his pole down and jumped, pushing off the ground and feeling the pole bow he new he had it. His arms burning a bit as he used the momentum of the pole and his own strength was exhilarating and then came time to let go.

He pushed away from the pole, holding his breath as he barely made it over the bar, and twisted. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him as everything around him slowed down and he was weightless. His hair floating around him and the clear blue sky above him had him reaching out and smiling. Then all too soon his back connected with the mat and all he could hear was cheering. The bar swayed above him but stayed in place. He didn't realize how hard he was breathing.

Getting up he found himself looking for his scarlet love. Erza smiling so wide he thought her face had to hurt and he couldn't help but smile back. He laughed when she blushed and quickly flashed him a sign that meant she'd seen him. Jellal never had to doubt that, she loved watching him vault as much as he loved to do it. He brought his attention back to the bar; he never wanted that weightless feeling to end, nothing but endless sky around him. It was the burn of his muscles and the inability to breath from nerves as he cleared the bar that did it for him. He wanted to fly forever with Erza there to witness.

Since he cleared his personal best and then some Jellal thought it was time to finally honor the promise he gave to Erza. For three long years since entering high school he worked hard, and she did nothing but support him, to make this dream a reality:

"When I qualify for State, I'll be worthy of you and ask you to be my girlfriend."

"I'll be waiting."