Author's Note:

A "what if" short story that is sweet, and a little sad, and a little hopeful.

Prompt: What if the meeting between Jellal and Erza at the Grand Magic Games had gone differently?

**As of the time of writing, I have just finished watching most of the GMG arc. So this is all new to me. Just before posting this story, I came across the story "Under the Bridge" by jellalsexual here on the FF site. Not surprisingly, I discovered that the concept/scenario of Jellal and Erza meeting under the bridge has been explored before. The stories themselves have similarities but are clearly different (for which I am grateful, because it would be embarrassing otherwise). Nevertheless, it would be remiss of me not to mention the first "Under the Bridge" story.

~Impracticaldemon

Just a Dream Under the Bridge

They met late in the evening of that first, bitterly disappointing day of the Grand Magic Games. Erza, dressed in a form-fitting turtle-neck and a short, pleated skirt, looked wholesome and casual; Jellal looked far more exotic in Mystogan's cloak, wide trousers, and muffling hat and scarf. Of the two of them, Jellal seemed the more uncertain, Erza the more calm.

Their eyes met and Jellal suddenly couldn't bear to hide his face, not from her. He dragged the cap off his head, trusting to the deep shadows under the bridge to conceal him enough for the purposes of this short meeting. He couldn't help but notice the rounded curves of Erza's breasts and hips, nor the elegance of her long, toned legs, encased as they were in soft tights and visible almost to the limits of decency beneath the skirt. He had seen her only briefly since her return from Tenrou Island and a seven year absence. He'd managed not to kiss her, but it had been such a near thing.

Erza waited patiently for him to begin the conversation—to tell her whether his small group, Crime Sorcière, had once again sensed the strange magic that they'd noticed before and was the whole reason for their presence here at the games. When he said nothing, and she was unable to read his expression, she smiled and simply asked.

"Did you detect it again—the odd magic from last year and the years before?"

Jellal started slightly, and then shook his head.

"No. But that could simply mean that the user isn't here yet, or doesn't need to use it yet. We'll keep waiting."

"Of course. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No, just keep your eyes open and… let us know if you notice anything odd."

"Other than Wendy and Charle being attacked and Raven Tail Guild cheating against Lucy and possibly Gray?"

Jellal looked down uncomfortably. He cared about Lucy and Gray—more than he ever would have expected, given that he didn't actually know them at all well—but something about Wendy always tugged at his heart, even though he knew that her original attachment had been to his Edolas counterpart, Mystogan. It was as if he felt compelled to honour the younger Mystogan's attempt to look after and protect the girl; she was a pure, bright light in his eyes, and somebody to be cherished. Ah, but so was Erza…

Jellal's attention kept drifting back to the same thoughts, the all-too-recent memories of literally falling on Erza—by accident, he believed and hoped. The difficulty was that it was as if he could still feel her beneath him, whenever his mind escaped from his rigid control: her legs tangled in his, her incredible breasts pressed against his chest, her breath warm on his cheek and against his lips. She would have kissed him, he knew, and he had come so close to abandoning his principles at that moment, perhaps the closest he'd ever been. Until now, said a warning voice in his head.

"Jellal! What is it?" Erza's voice brought him back to the present, and when his eyes focussed on her—the living, breathing Erza—he almost forgot himself completely and simply gave up resisting the magnetic attraction that she held for him.

"I beg your pardon? I mean—nothing is wrong, I'm just distracted."

"Of course." Erza smiled sweetly at him. "Were you thinking about your fiancée?"

"What? Who?" The swift thrust breached his armour, as was intended, and he blinked owlishly at his gentle attacker. And then it dawned on him fully: she didn't believe him; she had probably never believed him. In the past, she had always seen through his lies.

"Your fiancée," replied Erza, patiently. "You said that you were distracted. But maybe you were thinking about something else? Are you worried about being attacked?"

"Should I be worried about an attack?" Jellal asked in return, trying to deflect the question.

Somehow he was standing closer to Erza now, even though he'd intended to keep—and had been keeping—a noticeable distance between them. The realization that Erza didn't believe him to be involved with another woman had somehow removed an important layer of protection from his mental and emotional barriers. He'd never been sure that she did believe him, but it had helped. Now he had to face again the fact that she didn't believe that there was any impediment between them. She had never perceived how his darkness, his crimes, separated them—it made it difficult to stay aloof. His body betrayed his will by yearning to touch her skin in the most intimate way.

Jellal was glad that he had insisted that Meredy remove the magical linked "bracelets" they had worn earlier. His reasoning had been simple: while the bracelets afforded a measure of protection, by allowing Meredy to track him, they also drained her energy and violated his privacy; since in this case his privacy was arguably Erza's privacy as well, Meredy had reluctantly yielded. Ultear had given him a hard look and told him to stay out of trouble, but she had also seemed somewhat… sympathetic?

"I will protect you if we're attacked," Erza was saying firmly, as Jellal emerged again from his roiling thoughts. "I know that you can't be too obvious while you're here." Now that Jellal was closer, she laid a hand on his arm.

Jellal swallowed and felt his cheeks flush. He hoped the darkness concealed his expression.

"I should really go now," he said reluctantly, knowing immediately that his voice betrayed him. It seemed to have become slightly rougher and a little deeper.

Erza's hand tightened and he knew that she had definitely heard him wavering in his determination to steer clear of her, other than as… friendly colleagues. He was no longer sure that losing the link to Meredy was such a good thing; he was losing his resolve to keep his distance. He stepped forward, and Erza tried to step back, but couldn't go far because of the tunnel wall. She looked up at him, unafraid, eyes slightly questioning.

"Jellal?" She was trying to keep her tone neutral, he could tell, but the underlying hope was still audible.

Maybe in a different world his determination had held. Or maybe he had still been linked to Meredy. In this world, that tiny note of longing in Erza's voice caused him to take the last half-step forward and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Madness. His free hand briefly stroked the red hair and then cupped the back of her head, so that when he kissed her he could press his lips to hers as tightly as possible.

They stood like that for what could have been minutes or hours. Their first kiss was passionate and yet innocent, the next less so as lips parted and tongues met and explored. The space under the bridge became their whole world and they ignored even that as their bodies clung together, sharing past need and present arousal.

Just a kiss—or many, many kisses—but no farther. There was a second turning point, and this time, Jellal drew back, eyes closed while he fought to master his breathing and slow the frantic rush of blood. Even though his heart and body had betrayed him—had put it beyond doubt how he felt in every way—that was no excuse not to stop if he could.

"Erza. I can't. This was… just a dream." He dropped his hands and tried to force himself to step back.

Erza bowed her head. "Don't go," she whispered.

"Nothing has changed. My debts are still monstrous. I can't walk in the light with you and it would hurt me if you—"

"As you say, then, nothing has changed," Erza interrupted quietly. Her hands fell completely away from him.

Jellal dragged himself together and walked slowly to the place where the moonlit night met the dark shadows under the bridge. He heard Erza exhale behind him.

"If you ever want to dream again, tell me," she said calmly, as he replaced his muffling cap and scarf.

He felt the memory of their kisses wash over him and shivered. It wouldn't be easy to resist.

Who knew where the dream might take them in the future?

[END]

A/Note: Thank you for reading and please review if you have a moment! Also, a note that the next Jerza story will be under the "Scarlet and Sapphire (M)" title as the request was specifically for an M-rated story. Should be interesting! ^^