Hey guys! Long time, no see (so to speak) Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but here's one. Thank you for those who still follow this and hello to any new readers that somehow found this story of mine.

Note: Italics are the character's thoughts

….

A group of people sat in a circle around a table and some wore apprehensive looks on their faces. They were all called upon this fateful night to hear a tale of terror and madness one of which none had ever heard before. It was a true story, a nightmarish story. The light suddenly flickered unsteadily, as if warning the people in the room to run away if they ever want to sleep again. A wicked cackle rose from the depths of hell and deafened the ears of its poor victims. It continued for another second until it was interrupted…

"Hughes…Get on with it." Erza said in a bored tone. "And stop playing with the lights."

"Erza! I was setting up the mood." Hughes cleared his throat and attempted to resume his story.

"Can we leave? I need some sleep." Meldy chimed in before he can start. Ultear sat next to her and laughed quietly.

"Hey! You said you would listen, Pinky." The young Captain exclaimed. Meldy resisted the urged to roll her eyes. "I would but you're boring, Captain NOT Amazing." She baited him and just like any good bait, he was hooked. "Now listen here, young lady." Sugar Boy raised his hands to prevent from any bickering to occur. "Now, as amusing as I find this lover's quarrel, I would really like to water my plants. Will this be over soon?"

Hughes's face shrunk. "Why didn't you water them before, Sugar Boy?"

"Hmmm? Because they only want to be watered at night." Sugar Boy explained.

More discussions about plants and other things came up and soon, the ghost story that Hughes wanted to exaggerate upon was no longer the main topic.

Knightwalker sighed as she crossed her arms. I'll give them a minute. She glanced to her right. The King was surprisingly quietly throughout this whole ordeal. He seemed somewhat distracted and it appears as though he wasn't breathing at all. She placed a warm hand on his shoulder and he jumped at the slight touch. Erza whispered an apology for startling him. "Is everything well, King?" Jellal loosened his collar and nodded quickly. "All is well." He muttered weakly and coughed a bit, as if to rid an obstruction that clogged his throat.

Perplexed at his reticent mien, she gazed at his stiff posture and attempted to console him but Hughes's obnoxious yelling reminded her that they were not alone. Perhaps later then…

"Okay, okay! I'll dive right into the story. Yeeesh…"Hughes returned to his seat after dimming the lights to the room even more. "So this was two days ago. A friend of mine and I were—"

"Your boyfriend?" Meldy popped in unexpectedly. He gave her a mocking smile.

"Anyways, this friend and I were patrolling in the Kras district. We were told that there were some strange happenings in one of the abandoned residences home. During the night, the lights of the house would brightly turn on—"

"Squatters perhaps?" This time, Sugar Boy voiced his opinion. The side comment was ignored as Hughes held one finger up and continued…

"—And static would sometimes be heard if one closes in on the house. Worried for the residents nearby, I called it my duty to investigate this curious phenomenon. So this friend of mine, let's call him Jun, and I bravely traversed into the abyss and stepped inside the mouth of this horrid house. The floorboards creaked with every step, protesting, nay, warning its visitors to flee." He stopped for a dramatic pause.

Usually, Erza would pay no attention to her colleague's trivial stories but this seemed somewhat interesting. Somewhat…She checked on her King and he was even paler than before. Is he really frightened by this? No, it must be something else. His hands were clenched into a fist so hard that one would think he's holding on to dear life. Since the room was underlit, and his hands were under the table, she placed her hand on top of his. The redheaded Captain could feel his hand relax.

Hughes spoke in a more sinister tone than before. "So we were inside. It was dark and gloomy. The shadows played tricks with our minds and danced around at our feet. We searched for any signs of human presence but none were found. We were about to exit the house until static began to disorientate us. We scrambled about, trying to find the source of this overwhelming noise. Our eyes were blurred with the sudden tears that struck us, but even then, we saw a figure. It was a tall, thin man wearing a black suit and tie. His face. The horrors, he had no face. It was white…empty. Long, black shadows encompassed his backside. It stood there. Waiting. Frightened for our lives we ran for the door and never looked back. Sometimes, I feel it around me. He could be in this…." Hughes slammed his hands on the table, causing everybody but Knightwalker to jump from their seats. "room…" He smiled wickedly. " Well, that is the end of my tale. Believe it or don't."

Meldy scowled. "You're so dumb Hughes." Despite her supposed nonchalant attitude, her voice was a bit shaky.

Jellal rose to his feet and cleared his throat. "That was a very good story, Hughes. Well if you don't mind I will be retiring for the night. Good night everyone." He said hastily. Erza stared at his back. He's hiding it well but she could tell that Hughes's story had affected him. After the King left, Erza excused herself as well.

….

That wasn't real, Jellal. A tall, thin man with no face? No such thing. It's fake. Fake…fake…The King jumped at the mere rustle of the window curtains. The window was open and the tame wind simply let itself in, cooling anybody it met. Just the wind. Calm down. It was eerily empty in the hallways of his castle. His heart slowed down as he took a deep breath. He despised stories like the one that Hughes's told. It sounded farfetched but it still rattled him to no end. When he was a child, Patherlily, his valiant friend, used to narrate such stories like that. He shuddered at the thought. He smiled though. It's been awhile since he thought of his friend. I wonder how he is.

Side tracked by old memories, Jellal didn't hear the incoming footsteps coming his way. A hand met with his back unexpectedly and he wasn't able to bite down the shriek of panic. He balled his hands and covered his eyes. "Jellal?" The same hand that startled him tried to pry his hands away from his eyes. "It's me. Erza."

"Er—Erza?" He repeated. His eyes were slightly watery and his face began to redden. "Did you just "kyaahh?"" The embarrassed monarch lightly pushed her aside and began walking at an ungodly speed. Baffled as she was, she chased after him. "Your Majesty!" She couldn't hold back the smile at his reaction.

Erza caught up in no time but he wouldn't look at her. "Jellal? Hey…can you stop for a second?" Shockingly, he did and he turned to her. "Sorry for scaring you." The King coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. "I wasn't frightened. I was startled." The pair eyed each other for a minute or so. "You will never let me live this down, will you." Jellal spoke first. "Were you truly afraid of Hughes's story? You do realize that none of that exists. He just has an overtly high imagination." Erza noticed his cheeks still had a tint of red in it. Unable to restrain her actions, she pinched his cheeks. "Who knew His Majesty could be so cute." The smile she hid most of the time was present on her lips.

"Nothing about me is cute." He pouted.

"Do you want me to escort you to your room? I will drive away every evil ghost that would harm you." Jellal declined her offer. "I'll be fine, Erza. Goodnight." Again, he was walking away from her. This was the first time he had actually pushed her away. Most of the times, it was the other way around. She chuckled. If there was one thing she had learned from him, that is how to be persistent.

It didn't take long to match his strides and this time, the Captain made sure to hold his hand. He didn't cry out in fear when her hand linked with his. "I was spooked too if its any consolation." The King scoffed in disbelief. "Sure you did." He glanced down at their hands. "You know, I might be unable to sleep tonight." He pulled her closer to his side. "Do you want me to sleep with you?" Jellal choked in his own saliva. He expected that response but hearing it from her is another thing.

Observing his response, she clarified, "I don't mean it that way." He weakly smiled. Jellal knew what she meant but the way she said it…"I know."

They walked in silence, hands still intertwined. To his chagrin, the couple had arrived in front of his chambers. "Good night then, Erza. And Thank you." He leaned in and gently pecked her cheek. As he stepped into his room, she followed closely behind him. "Erza? What are you…?"

"You said you wouldn't be able to sleep. I'll help you." He blinked furiously. This forward attitude of hers is welcoming but he was not used to it. The King nodded.

"I'll make sure nothing visits you tonight, Jellal." He grinned brightly.

"Thank you."