*A/N- So at this point, I should probably mention that I'm going to make all of these connected, and probably in chronological order. The first happened pre-GMG and this one is during the year time skip. So these all happen in the same universe, and they will reference each other. I'm also going to re-order some of the prompts to suit this collection better, sorry!

Day 2: Sunset

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"I'm sorry," Erza said quietly, "I had no idea. The spell was called Past Ages?" Jellal nodded. He had just finished telling her about what Ultear had done during the battle with the dragons after the Grand Magic Games. "That must have been hard on you."

"I've lost people before," he said sadly, "I'm used to it."

Erza gazed sadly at him. he was, of course, speaking of all of their friends who had yet to forgive him for what he had done, not to mention Simon, whom he had killed with his own two hands. Erza leaned over, placing her head on his shoulder. They were sitting side by side on the beach, watching the sunset. Jellal didn't move, he just continued to stare out across the water with his knees pulled to his chest, sadness etched into his features.

"You should allow yourself to grieve him, holding all of your sadness in isn't healthy." Erza knew that Jellal had never allowed himself to grieve Simon properly, out of guilt. He probably thought he didn't deserve to, or something ridiculous like that.

"I don't deserve to grieve for him, I'm the one who killed him," Erza allowed herself a moment of triumphant silence before responding.

"He would understand, you knew him as well as I did, had he known that you were being manipulated I know that he would have forgiven you. You know that."

"Perhaps, but we'll never know. I didn't give him the chance." Erza growled loudly and sat up, turning so that she knelt facing Jellal.

"That's enough," she said sternly, and Jellal looked at her, shocked. "Enough of your pity-party. You've had seven years to heal and move on, and you haven't yet. It's not your fault, stop blaming yourself, stop punishing yourself, and stop letting yourself drown in guilt. You're going to let yourself be happy, or I'm going to make you!" She finished fiercely. Jellal couldn't help smiling at the last statement.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" He asked.

"I know how much you love animals, I'll take you to an animal shelter and lock you in a cage with a bunch of puppies, or I'll dump a box of kittens on you, and I'll make you eat lots of strawberry cake."

"That doesn't sound so bad, but what animal shelter would let me through the door? I'm a fugitive."

"I'm not," she said, "I'll just demand use of the facilities and sneak you in through the back door." Jellal snorted. "Oh animals love you and you know it, I could stick you in the middle of the street and the strays would flock to you."

"You can't possibly know that," Jellal said, laughing now, "you've never seen an animal flock to me in our lives."

"Well I know it would happen."

"Maybe if I carried a can of open sardines," he said.

"Well it wouldn't hurt." Jellal laughed again, looking over at her incredulously. Where did she get all of her energy from? Erza settled back down on the sand so that she was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Jellal again. "You're a good person, Jellal, I know it. It's time that you got that through your thick head as well."

"You really believe that?" He asked.

"Of course I do, you're the same boy who stole extra rations for me when I was sick in the Tower, and you're the same man who took the time scorching our secret symbol into a bunch of trees that way I would find that strawberry patch if I ever walked down that road."

"You found them then?" He asked, turning to look her in the eyes. It suddenly struck him how close he and Erza were. They hadn't been this close since before the Grand Magic Games, and then they had, oh goodness, he thought. He swallowed his now thundering heart as Erza nodded.

"They were delicious, thank you. A person who is bad at heart wouldn't have taken the time to do that for a friend."

"I think," Jellal said, moving unconsciously closer to Erza, "that with you believing in me, I can become good, and atone for all that I've done."

"You are already good, haven't you been listening?" She murmured. Jellal finished closing the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. Erza sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, and Jellal wrapped his arms around her waist. He didn't push her away this time, he pulled her closer. He allowed himself to hold her. He was never letting her go again. After a few minutes they broke apart, but remained in each other's arms, watching the scarlet sunset until night fell.