~Chapter 4~

Erza and Jellal

Sickness Bites

Erza

Waking up at six o'clock in the afternoon was never an enjoyable thing to do. It always could manage to send your sleep schedule a curveball. Regretfully, that's what Erza's had been sent. She laid awake and restless staring at her clock, which only read seven thirty. Luckily enough, Erza's fever was down and she'd be resuming school tomorrow morning as usual. It's not that staring at the ceiling wasn't plenty entertaining, but the high schooler sighed and threw her feet over the edge of the bed and made her way down the stairs, into the foyer. Obaa-sama's house was pleasant and spacious. The walls were painted in light to dark neutral colors, and the furniture in the rooms matched the warm theme. Proceeding through the hall to the kitchen and living room, the redhead made for the morning room that was situated by the sliding glass door to the patio in between. Hopping up on the chair next to Lucy, Erza accepted a glass of water from her best friend.

"Ohiyo, Erza-chan!" the blonde teased.

"Et toi, aussi, madame." Erza grumbled adding a third language to the conversation.

"Are you feeling much better?" barked Obaa from the kitchen. Erza knew how her gruff tone could easily be mistaken as angry, but was confident that she was just overly concerned for her well being.

"Hai, just fine ma'am." Erza barked back in a similar tone, and the kids at school wondered where she got it.

"Natsu, Gray and the gang were all worried about you." began the brown eyed girl with concern. "Also, an interesting boy. He said his name was Jellal. I've never seen him hanging around with the others?" she continued, almost with a question. Erza shrugged, leaving the blonde even more absorbed.

"What's even more noteworthy, was the reaction of the dynamic duo to his inquiry." she added, trying to persuade rather than pry.

"Ah Fernandes!" said the elderly woman as she set down a hearty plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes before the two girls, it was a rare treat, usually the girls had chicken or a fish of some kind for dinner. "It's been awhile since he's been over! How's he been Eru?"

"Just fine." Erza replied, cheeks stained red.

"Why the flush? Still not feeling well?" asked the elderly woman, genuinely surprised. Lucy however raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't talked much with him, other than yesterday, since early freshman year.

"Could that have been when he went out with that tramp... Ultear?" asked Obaa.

"Ultear's not a tramp!" interjected Erza, "At least not any more..." she said.

"Jelly cleaned up her act, eh?" presumed Obaa.

"Eh, more like she moved in with Ul." Erza began, "Jellal didn't last for her. She stood him up on their second date. Rumor is, it's because he wouldn't kiss her." Erza chuckled a bit.

"Eru! I'm lost." Lucy sighed in defeat. Sometimes, when the two really got going at a conversation, Lucy would just give up. Erza and her foster grandmother got along very well.

"Jellal is such a sweet young man." said Obaa to Lucy, "I hope Eru could introduce you to him sometime soon.

"Actually, he'll meet up with the gang this weekend." said Erza nonchalantly.

"Eh?" Lucy grunted. About to further question her friend, Lucy was daunted by a loud greeting from two unruly males.

"Luuuuuuuucyyyyyyyyy!" Natsu yelled as he burst in the front door. "Ouch, what was that about Ice Princess?!" he retorted after a thwack could be heard from the foyer.

"Shut up you baka! You're being utterly disrespectful!"

"What ruckus!" cried Obaa, who whacked both of them on the head when they entered the area.

"Sorry ma'am!" the shouted in unison.

Erza sighed and left the two to Lucy.

"I'm tired still, I'm going to bed." she shouted.

"Is she okay?" inquired Gray to Obaa.

"She's fine." the woman replied, glad that Erza had someone, or rather people, looking after her.

"Eh!" Lucy squeaked again, now her cheeks were crimson.

"You had something on your cheek." Natsu murmured, also flushed. His fingers still lingered on her cheek and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Erza ran up and jumped on her bed. She wasn't sick, but she was a little weary. Honestly she had enough banter for the day and decided to sit up in her room until eight so that she could sleep through the night. She sat down at her desk and fished her phone from her pocket. Connecting the iPhone, that she had worked for an entire year to earn the money for, to its charger on the wall by her desk. Beginning to work on something she'd been preparing for stuco for the last two weeks, she was interrupted when her phone buzzed.

Jelly: You okay Er, you left early today?

She quickly unlocked her phone and typed a reply: Yeah, just a fever. I'll be back tomorrow. :)

Jelly: Are you sure? Don't just act tough so as not to worry people! Gah, Scarlet you're a worrisome one aren't you! ;P

She chuckled and sighed, she missed her blue haired idiot.

Er: Stop patronizing me mother! I can get by on my own, thanks very much!

Jelly: Oh Er-chan! I'm so hurt baby! XP Seriously though, you have certainly gotten by without me...

Er: Yeah, I've missed talking to you... Let's have the complicated conversations in person though! How've you been?

Jelly: A bit lonely, but good. I went to Berlin to visit Sieg over the summer.

Er: Oh, and how was that? Exciting? I've never been across the sea. It'd be cool to go.

Jelly: Oh you have no idea! It was so different. I liked it though. The food was amazing!

Er: Lmao, you hold true to the statement, "the way to a man's heart, is through his stomach", still, ne?

Jelly: :3 Why wouldn't I!?

Er: Bad judgement?

Jelly: -_- You're no fun anymore Er! :P Besides, you ma'am must get ten hours of sleep for your body to repair itself.

Er: Yes mother.

Jelly: Good! Would you like me to read you a bed time story?

Erza scoffed and typed a simple goodnight in reply.

"What a dork." she chuckled in delighted affection. She decided to just finish up her work and go to bed. Jellal was right, that doesn't mean she was going straight to bed at the drop of a hat though. She was glad to see him again, and unbeknownst to her, the glint of amusement in her eyes was bright as it had been when she was a young child.

Jellal

The young teen smirked. Erza was like his second half. Tweedle Dee to Tweedle Dum, Thing 1 to Thing 2, his Nala to his Simba. They had been joined at the hip when they were younger, and he let them drift apart. All because of what? A girl who had stood him up! Although neither of them had said it, he knew that's why they stopped talking. He remembered the hurt in her eyes when he had been unable to go with her to see a Fourth of July festival that they'd gone to together as long as either could remember, all because of a date. On top of that, he had been stood up. It wasn't like Ultear was his "Princess" or anything. In fact, he only went out with her because Zeref had bet him that he couldn't get a girl to go out with him. Ultear and he had discussed that bet after. She'd been able to tell his lack of enthusiasm. That was why they split. Jellal had no love to offer and she only was trying to convince her father that she wasn't just a hoodlum. Ultear ended up shipped off to her mother and Jellal ended up alone. He felt truly bad for hurting Erza like that. What irritated Erza most, and Jellal could tell, was the fact that he hadn't even enjoyed himself. With a blow to her pride like that, the redhead had begun to shut him out.

Luckily enough for Jellal, she was letting him back into her life. He didn't know why, but he'd been miserable alone, and would do whatever it took to make up for the lost time.

"Jel!" he heard the shout from downstairs. Although he'd never admit it, he jumped at the sound of his brother's voice.

"Coming Myst!" he shouted. Mystogan, his elder brother, had graduated two years ago, but kept an eye on Jellal for their mother, who was sick in the hospital. Four years ago, when Jellal was an eighth grader, his mother was diagnosed with a rare tissue cancer. Ever since she has been fighting the monster. Now frail and week, the doctors weren't optimistic about her. That and the strain of the death of his father, who had been oversees with the Marine Corps, weighed down on the teen's shoulders. Mystogan was a huge help with keeping the house maintained. Usually his mother was home, but regrettably, she hadn't reacted to her last chemotherapy treatment and the doctors decided to keep her a few days for observation. Now, with one brother overseas, one in and out, no father, and an ill mother, Jellal was feeling truly alone in his rather large house. Erza had always been there, through the death of his father and early stages of his mother's cancer. Erza even had continued to keep an eye on his mother's condition since they'd stopped talking. Jellal knew she had when her mother spoke of receiving a card and flowers on her birthday from an unknown benefactor. Gladly, Siegrain and he were getting along again. They had fought a year ago when he had a chance to come home from his post abroad and chose not to. Jellal had been furious, as that's how they lost their father, to that field of work. After months of not speaking to him, his elder brother invited him over and sat him down and worked through it with him. Now, he was getting Erza back hopefully. On a light note he raced down the stairs to join his brother for movie night just like they'd always have when he was home.

Well hello there! I'm not dead after all! (neither is this story) ;P Sorry it took so long. I'll try and get on a regular schedule, no promises, but summer is here now!