She paused at his choice of words; a rapid gust of remorse brought some life to her sleeping embittered feelings. But she wouldn't let them come back. She'd already forgiven him long ago, so why was she tempted so easily? How drastic their dialogue escalated in such a short amount of time was questionable. Those words reminded her of the other side of Jellal. The darker side.

Was that what he wanted?

"That wasn't you." The woman hissed, "You were being manipulated and forced into a warped sense of mentality."

He bit back only poisonously as she would've, "I am still the one who carried out those actions, and I was conscious while doing so."

"Just let it go Jellal."

"Let it go?" His dark eyebrows rose in astonishment, "I wish it was that simple. Death is not something one could erase by the will of the mind. Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you understand that I killed Simon? Do you remember how I seared his skin with my destructive spell, all for the sake of protecting his beloved? How I tossed out our dear friends from the tower and—"

"You really think I could just let go of the past like that? You think I'm trying to forget what you've done to me?" Her voice rose quite loudly and her chocolate eyes were stammering. She forcefully pressed her hands down on his shoulders in a state of frenzy. "I will never forget what happened. But what is temporary is the grudge I could hold against you, Jellal. And I've thought about this more often than you think. I've already decided to let go, so please, there's no need to torment yourself on the trivial past."

"Punishment is the only virtue of life that I deserve, and the more I hurt myself the better it will be."

"Oh come on Jellal. You can't really believe damaging yourself will atone for all the evil acts committed in the past? It doesn't work that way, so just stop!"

"You're right. Maybe I should just die."

Enough was enough.

There was a piercing slap in the dusk air and there was a lengthy silence was growing stronger by the second. She growled and shook off the pain vibrating in her numb hand, and caught herself in the process before giving him another lesson of who gets to be the superior one here. There was the slap he always wanted. But the act of punishment wasn't intended for his past self, but the brooding, pitiful, and irritating man slouching before her.

He simply glared into the direction his face was forced to turn, a burning redness had been etched onto his cheek. Promptly Jellal returned his attention to the furious Erza, her heartbeat striving for a moments of rest.

It was surprising, really, how he could push to her utmost limits, and now provoking any strikes to be used on him. She began wondering if Jellal secretly wanted her to punish him for his mistakes, because he thought that's what he deserved. But that was wrong thinking on his part, and she wouldn't punish him because he's already repented for his sins. She was only there to keep him inline and that's all the mattered.

Before she continued, he glanced to the same side he'd been giving his unyielding attention to, his scarlet tattoo shaded by the poor lighting in the dense thicket of trees. He completely ignored her words, tossing them aside like a false truth. How often does she have to repeat herself before he got the message? Was he that dense? Erza seethed as he shrugged her support off like nothing, and proceeded to spew out a scorching trail of words, dripping off her tongue with passionate anger. "We all make mistakes, Jellal. We all make them like the humans we are. We all learn to move on even if these so called actions weren't under our control. I've already let go, so why is it difficult for you?"

"You don't understand what I've done. What evil acts I've committed… the torture I've caused. No one would understand. And that's why I have to live this way—so no one could ever be held responsible for such atrocities." His eyebrows furrowed, and his charming face glanced back to Erza, taken aback by his change of expression. The emotion, the passion seeping out of him was all witnessed through the eyes of Erza's shrouded vision of Jellal. It was…different. "I'm part of a guild so that I may rid myself of such a past, but I feel that it's never going to happen. You don't know how hard I've tried to atone for my sins, but this stain… It's never going away. "

She felt her heart swell at his words, knowing how much he actually hated himself for what he had done. He had even gone as far as to end his own life with self-destruction magic. Suicide was a coward's answer to the hardships of life, so she never allowed him to take the easy way out. Not ever.

"How could I not understand after everything I've gone through with you?" She seethed in frustration, and pitiful sorrow. "Why can't you understand that I've already forgiven you? Why do you always have to be this way? Why can you enjoy life as it is!?"

"I don't deserve anyone's forgiveness and especially not yours for all that I'm worth."

"How could you say that? Everyone has worth. Do you understand how painful it is to know that you have such low regard for your own life? I… I want to see your face every day again, I want to talk with you, and…"

Erza paused, realizing she had been saying possibly too much for Jellal to comprehend.

Erza was desperately trying to wipe her rampant tears from her cheek, and she made it urgent that she faced away from Jellal, who'd been glaring with full notice as he had never seen her cry before. The inner emotions were spilling out like an overly filled cup, anymore instigation and she would entirely break down. She couldn't let him see her in such a pathetic state, teary-eyed like sensitive and sheltered little girl who couldn't cope with reality.

It's not that he was shocked, he was just unfamiliar with the sight unfolding right before him, and it was amazing. His mouth was slightly open, his eyebrows were raised, his pulse was rampant, and the way she so ardently responded to him felt more intoxicating than he had back at the dreadful tower of heaven.

"Look at me. Erza." Their positions reversed and it been Erza portraying the soft one now. How ironic. His voice unrelenting in all its delicacy, and his once withdrawn fingers bitingly gripped her wrist and turned her body to face him. "Is this the face you want to envision when you think about a positive future? The face that caused the death of a loved one?"

It was true that he'd killed Simon. But it had been no use in mulling over the past. What's done is done. She wanted to say she loved him, but felt the pull on her flesh was just too strong. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled through the mouth to maintain her composure.

"You're a good person, Erza. I don't want you to sympathize for me, this is my choice. And I need you to respect it."

Within seconds, she enveloped his body with indispensible bodily contact, as she was prepared to never let him go. She couldn't lose him too. She couldn't assume the burden of the loss of life, on her hands once again. Tightly she gripped around his firm shoulders and gently pressed her face against his chest.

"Er—" The man breathed part of her name in a swaying voice.

His life wasn't in any real danger, of course he hadn't been. But Erza believed since she had been the cause of Simon's death, anything drastic that could befall Jellal would be at her fault as well. The redness creeped upon her features, knowing she would never do this to anyone in any way—it made her seem delicate and it certainly felt embarrassing, but the warm sensation of a reunion was overwhelming for the steadfast knight. "Please, I can't lose you too! Do you know how painful it would be knowing you died trying to protect me too?"

Jellal hesitated before committing to any more movement, since what she had done undeniably threw him off guard—a magical power of hers that had existed for years now. A smirk was growing on that devilish face of his, unknown to her, and continued to shine with malice. His fingers stroked her beautiful scarlet hair, and his other held her waist close. "Well a death like that would be the one last, good stroke of luck in my life." An unrelenting smile danced on his lips.

"I-" She stopped herself. She could see a dark, crimson pattern sharply contrasting his cheek in a detailed perspective. It took the woman moments to realize what nonsensical actions she had committed herself to, and emerged to the clarity of her senses. Erza forced herself away from the embarrassing moment, and tried to pull from his arms once again surprising the man with her impulsive actions. "I-I'm sorry." She stuttered with an innocent face, matching his harmless one.

His firm body wasn't letting her go this time. His grip felt like a bear trap.

"Erza…" Her head lifted up slightly to get a better look at him, his olive eyes were glowing, and the way he looked at her was gentle enough to make her cheeks burn on the surface. There it was. She was almost sired to him. Just a little more. Just a little nudge in the right direction and she was all his. "From the moment I heard that you and your entire guild went missing… led me to… an epiphany. And here I thought, 'Am I really never going to see her again? Am I really never going to lay my eyes upon her face for the remainder of my life?'"

Erza held her breath at the sudden returning onslaught of affection, as she didn't expect such a truth to fall off his tongue. His piercing eyes positioned towards her flustered character, his deep green chasms solemn and glowing with beauty. Firm fingers burning at the touch, lightly cupped her cheek to occupy the woman's attention. Finally, he revealed another tiny portion of his thoughts to the woman, as his silver voice continued the narration. Somehow it released the dense pressure between them.

"But here she was, standing before my very eyes like an angel, gracing me with her presence, her mercy, and most importantly: her forgiveness."

His silver words slowly goaded the poor red-haired heroine into a deeper trap, and the further she was encased, the less of a chance there would be to escape. Those words burned into her heart and it branded already permanent feelings into a scar of passion. Many hints were leading the woman to the idea that he was going to kiss her, she could feel it coming very soon and it encouraged her heart beat to quicken just a little bit more. She murmured with her sweet voice, and let her red locks drape over her eyes, so that he couldn't see her tear again.

"Je-…Jellal" She gasped, she was almost speechless as she had been given a rare ticket to a train of his inner thoughts. She knew it was coming, yet still didn't expect it. A shy emotion had a vice grip on her senses, her mind spinning, and a red hue splashed over her glossy cheeks. It was difficult to process this situation, with his finger curling under her chin, holding her face up so that he could place his lips upon hers. Erza followed up on the kiss, knowing nothing could wrench her from him at that moment. Her fingers bit deep into his cloak and ruffled the cloth in the heart of his back, finding nothing else to grab onto.

She was falling for it like the gullible woman she was. He smiled while examining her countenance, the brown of her eyes mixed well with the luminous light from up above, creating a rich orange-red like color to glow back at him, the bright sun glistened against her lovely and plump cheeks as droplets of sweat would form slowly over time. Their lips had been only inches apart.

She could even feel the body heat emanating from his body from such a distance. And he closed in for those lovely pink lips, waiting to be taken from a worthy champion. Rough and alienated lips crashed upon hers in a possessive manner. On another aspect, a kiss was something he had not been expecting from Erza—raw and innocent in all her motives. The outcome was more like something along the lines of a slap, or even a punch to the face as compensation for his past expenditures. Moments pass, and Jellal finally cut the rope of intimacy.

A long finger was placed on his upturning lips as the two visibly shy creatures paced apart in unison. Jellal stood patiently, glaring at her with astute eyes while he waited for her to compose herself. Air hungrily came and went in and out of her body followed by a stray hand lightly brushing her now utilized lips. She was coated in scarlet—her hair, her cheeks, her nose, her lips, and her nose as she tilted her head back.

This was something he should've done long ago, and certainly regretted not doing it at the tower of heaven. His mind digressed to the idea of lavishing her on the peak of his stronghold. What would have happened? What would the dragon slayer have done if he had seen him on top of his beloved Erza?

He smiled at the idea.

But that was enough for now. He couldn't spoil himself with too many sweets so soon, he had to treat himself with delicious confectionaries, and then devour the main course, as he had long ago learned to repress such hidden emotions. She brought the memories back so easily. It took six damned years to finally break away from this mental lockdown she had on him. Years of experience of refining and perfecting his composure had almost gone to complete waste; as if the woman's secular existence was to undo his, and the daring man had no choice but to involve her in his scheme of obsessions. She was a perfect, porcelain doll with flaming, silky red hair. Such a perfect counterpart to his being this woman was, and her having the flaws that she had, made this woman so perfect for him. Their long history added so much depth to their rollercoaster of a storyline that the thought of this courageous and daring Erza made him want her all the more.

The woman cleared her throat, the agony suffocating her nervous thoughts. "It's getting quite late. I think we should head back to the town before it gets too dark." Her mind was spinning. The inner Erza howled enthusiastically for her to attack him again. Certainly, it wasn't the right course of action and dismissed it.

"Yes… yes of course." The bluenette agreed wholly, a smile still plastered on his face.

They sauntered through the dark forests, quietly, diligently, and revealed no trace of their existence. For a moment Jellal thought that whatever he did to Erza… no one would ever find out. No one would come close for miles. An unbroken number of scenarios, as immoral as can be, were spinning in his head as often as he would offer a single glance to the woman beside him.

They were alone.

These lethal words repeated in his head, over and over like a broken record. He clenched his fists, holding back his deadly wrath.

"Jellal?" Broke in the woman, his chain of thoughts interrupted by her inquisitive voice.

"Hmm?" He hummed as they reached the outskirts of Magnolia once again. Their sentimental adventure had unfortunately come to a close now.

"You know." Her lovely voice declared, and jokingly continued in the way only Titania would. "This is the first time we've ever done anything like this together. For once we're not enemies…we're not at each other's throats with our swords and magic!"

"Yes… I myself am glad to not have my sword at your throat."

He could feel her tense up around him as the sudden uncomfortable words fell off his tongue. A few words and that's all it took to change a person's demeanor, and he took note of that. His eyes ghosted sideward, deadliness flickering in the opposing pleasant green in his eyes, to the woman he so desperately desired. He observed her carefully, and thoughtfully planned his movements in advance.

She cleared her throat again once her view met with the flushing red and violet hues in the darkening sky, surrounding the skyline of an esteemed town.

Maybe he could steal her away in this very moment.

No one could know.

He could do it.

He could do it right now, if he—

"Jellal?"

He ripped his attention back to Erza, her expression gratifying and enjoyable to observe.

"You know... I'm glad things are the way they are now" said the scarlet knight, relief setting upon her countenance. A lovely smile grew upon her thin lined features, and patted him on the shoulders. Erza gladly reiterated as a goodbye message, hoping that Jellal wasn't still moping about his past. "You really shouldn't trouble yourself anymore."

He protruded an aesthetic smile right back at the believing woman. "I appreciate that you responded to my letter Erza. Thank you."

Erza nodded in accordance, that triumphant smile shining brighter than any star in the sky. "See you at the tournament, then?"

He knew wouldn't see her there.

He returned her previous action and nodded nonchalantly this time, and the hood never failing to conceal most of his contriving features.

"See you then."

Following their goodbyes, his dark green eyes predatorily watched every step the woman took as she sauntered back into the peripheries of Magnolia.

The man stood there, engrossed in his thoughts.