Chapter three

I do not own Fairy Tail.

Enjoy!

They spent the rest of Lucy's holiday together. As a matter of fact, neither left the house much.

They walked along the beach, went sailing with Erza's boat and even dived for one evening. Erza had found an oyster. She opened it with a stone and discovered the beautiful piece inside.

She smiled, her hair waving in the wind and her hand around Lucy's.

"Here. You can have it." She said warmly.

"Wh-what? Are you sure? You found it, it's yours." Lucy protested. She gave the pearl back to Erza.

The latter only smiled more. "I want you to have it. When you get home, you'll think of me."

Lucy felt it slide in her pocket again. She put her arms around Erza's neck and kissed her long and deep.

"You're the best."

Erza said nothing, but kissed her again and they fell on the beach.

The week was filled with such moments. Lucy was happier than ever, but the guild still crept around somewhere in the back. When she was with Erza, it disappeared like snow in the summer, but in the few moments she was alone, she knew it wasn't right.

Then, the moment to part came.

"Do you have to go?"

"I do. I can't afford to take another week, I have to write and publish." Lucy said with a heavy heart.

"Alright, then I'll come with you."

"You can't. You need to man your shop."

"I can close it for a while."

"You've already closed it the entire week."

"I don't care."

"But I do."

"You don't want me to come."

"I'd love you to come. But we'll see each other soon, as soon as I can find a gap in my schedule. Or you, for that matter."

"Alright. This wasn't for some holiday love, right? I'm serious about this." It was plain adorable how Erza looked. Her voice, her lips, her eyes, they made Lucy go weak in the knees.

"Of course not. How could you think so? I'll call you as soon as I land."

"Okay. I'll see you soon?" she asked for the last time.

"I promise." Lucy said, and she meant it. "I love you."

It was out before she knew. But she felt that, how unreasonable it was, it was also true. People told her you can't love someone before three years passed, but Lucy had spent one week with Erza and she was the most amazing person. She knew her, could tell what she thought and what she wouldn't ever think. She did love Erza.

Or that was what she hoped. Part of her believed she only thought so, because she wanted to make up for the lie. The one that started their relationship. That piece of doubt was what convinced her, in the end, that it wasn't true. It was what convinced her it couldn't be. Real love didn't doubt. Real love trusted and was honest.

Deep in her heart, she still fought that battle. Because what other feeling could it be when Erza hugged her, kissed her on the cheek and whispered, "I love you too.", what other feeling could it be than love?

Lucy smiled and stepped into her car.

The journey home was exhausting. She kept thinking and doubting, deciding what she ought to do and returning on her steps. She weighed the question over and over, but couldn't find a solution. Was she making too much of this? So far from Erza, it all seemed like a wonderful dream.

She finally reached her apartment. Opening the door and closing it again, she noticed the letter still on the table. She'd read it one more time before finally leaving, full of hope and joy. She grabbed it and put it in a forgotten drawer.

Erza called later in the afternoon.

"Hi, Lucy." She said.

Was it possible that she missed her that much, just half a day away from her? It was unfair.

"Hey, Erza. How are you doing?"

"Bad."

"What's wrong?" Lucy was immediately worried.

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too. I want to see you, but I checked my agenda and can't manage a free spot before a month."

"A whole month?! I can't survive that!" There was real despair in her voice and Lucy's feeling mirrored hers.

"That's it", her lover continued. "I'm coming to you in a week, okay? I can't stand the distance."

"Really? I would love that! But what about your shop?"

Erza sighed. "Wait! I can get someone, I think." She said excited.

"That'd be awesome, but I have to go now, Levy could be here any second."

"Your crazy friend? I thought she would leave you to me for a while." Erza was pouting, she was sure of it.

"Yeah, I know. Bu I'll call you back later, honestly."

"Okay. I'll wait for it."

"Bye."

"Bye."

…

"Erza, you should hang up."

"I know, but I don't want to… oh, wait, Mira's knocking on my door, she probably wants to know all about you."

"What are you going to say?"

"That you're amazing and really good in bed." She reacted in a matter-of-factly way.

"Don't say that!" Lucy screeched.

"But it's true! Am I supposed to say you're a bad kisser?"

"Stop it! Don't tell her about that kind of thing!"

"I got it, I got it. I really have to go, she'll break in if I don't open. See you later."

"In a while."

The beep announced the end of their conversation. It was too short and too little to make up for a face-to-face talk, but it was all they had for now.

Erza let Mira in.

"Hi, Erza? did I interrupt something?"

"Not really. So, what brings you here?"

"Well, a blonde woman named Lucy, of course."

"Oh, well, she's really great." Erza was silent after that, thinking about Lucy and getting lost in thought.

"Have you told her about Jellal?"

Silence. Erza fidgeted a bit under Mira's severe gaze.

"I did." she finally said, stoically.

"Have you told her the whole truth?" Her white-haired friend cocked an eyebrow.

When Erza didn't immediately react, Mira shook her head.

"You don't want secrets between you, right?" she frowned. Her blue eyes pierced through Erza.

"I do. But where to start? I can't tell her I still love someone who died two years ago. I loved him." Her voice broke.

"I know, but he's gone and in the past. Lucy is there now, and I know you know that. So, for your own good, tell her everything."

"I'll tell her." Erza said, still pale.

"Will you?" Mira raised an eyebrow.

"I will. The next time I see her. I don't want secrets. I'm done with them. Lucy doesn't keep things from me, so I won't keep things from her."

"That's my girl. Oh, and you can go to her in a week, I asked Elfman to man the store, and as soon as I said 'man' he was in." she said cheerfully.

Erza laughed. But she felt a sting in her heart. How was Lucy going to take this?

The answer came a week later, and would be the beginning of a quite nasty period for the both of them.

Erza had flown over to Lucy's place and took a whole day to get used to the busy pace, to the ignorance, to the clocks and watches everywhere. She only felt at rest at Lucy's apartment, where everything seemed to slow down, even more so when she was together with Lucy. She finally summoned the courage in the evening, when the sun had set and they were enjoying a glass of wine, but especially each other's company.

"Lucy, there's something I want to tell you." Erza said. It seemed like a good opening, not alarming, not aggressive, not superficial either.

Her girlfriend seemed to take it another way. She shot up, barely held onto her glass and looked half-panicked at her.

"Oh my Hiro, I knew it. You're pregnant. Or you like reggae. I knew you were too good to be true!"

"What?", Erza said confused. "No, I'm not pregnant. Why would you even say that? And I hate reggae, it's the worst genre ever."

"Thank Hiro. So, what else is there I should be worried about?" she sank back into Erza's arms, content.

"Well, I think it's time I tell you the whole truth about Jellal. He wasn't just my fiancé…"

Lucy put the glass down and grabbed one of Erza's hands. She looked serious now and listened to every detail.

"You needed to know this, if this is going to be a serious thing." She ended her tale, leaving Lucy dumbfounded.

Erza had told her a stunningly accurate story of how the difficult and complicated love between her and Jellal slowly grew and flourished, was lost and found again, how he was the one for Erza. She realized, just now, what his loss meant for the redhead. How much it had hurt her. It seemed unreal that Erza, beautiful Erza, had gone through such a thing and survived to be stronger, wiser, kinder.

The guilt that weighed on her heart became a little more heavy.

"So that's why I said I might not get over him. I loved him, but now I love you. I want to take this seriously, if it is going to work. Which is why…"

Erza looked at Lucy, more serious than ever, and smiled the slightest bit. "I would like you to move with me."

It didn't occur to Lucy that they were moving too fast, that they should be able to take distance, because they were ready for this.

The problem was, who was going to move to who?

""I can't leave my job, my friends, my family, my entire life behind." Lucy said, cupping Erza's hand so she would look in her eyes. "I've built my home. Why don't you come here? You can start a shop and continue your hobbies here as well."

Before she had finished, Erza shook her head. "A life in the big city is nothing for me. I've been here a day and I know that this isn't my cup of tea. It's too busy, too heartless, too much business. The competition would kill me for sure. You can find work anywhere. You're a writer, you've published and sold tons of books. You can come with me, to my town. You said you loved it there, the calm and the quiet."

"For a few days, yes, but not forever."

"Lucy, am I really supposed to come here? I don't want it."

"Maybe you don't want me then. If you'd really feel something, you'd easily live here."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I need some fresh air."

"Wait! It's dark outside!"

Lucy turned on her steps. "I've lived here for over five years. I think I know to watch my steps." She hissed, took her jacket and left.

Erza sat back on the couch and sighed. She buried her head in her hands, but she knew she had to go after Lucy. She was about to grab her coat when she noticed something strange in the pocket of Lucy's summer jacket, the one she'd worn when she first visited his village. That symbol on top…

No. It couldn't be. She took out the paper and unfolded it carefully.

It was a copy of her letter to Jellal, but it wasn't the same. It was printed on newspaper.

There was absolutely no way.

Had Lucy lied to her all that time? She'd known about it, she'd lied and cheated her. The betrayal was unbelievable. Lucy had spilled out her deepest inner feelings to the whole world. Lucy had known and looked for her after…

How could she have done that?

Almost calmly, Erza took off her coat and sat on the couch once again. She only had to wait for Lucy to come home.

Boom! Sh*t's about to go down.

Oh, and I would love it, would you review. Let me know what you think.