Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to the thrid chapter of The ABCs of Natsu and Erza, C as in Cheat!

I'm just saying now, this is the first chapter in a trilogy, so expect two more chapters that go with it. But they won't be the next two chapters, as awesome as that would be.

I wasn't going to post this until I had written the third part, but I had a two-parter in mind, and both projects' final chapters will be literally right next to each other, so I figure I can wait on them and get on with the rest of the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. I do own Faye Dragneel. Do not use her without my permission.

Erza woke up to find her head aching and her ears pounding, two of the classic signs of a hangover. She was a social drinker but almost never got drunk. But apparently, last night she did.

Not that she minded. Cana and Lucy had drunken sex at least twice a month, and she had to admit, it had spiced things up between her and Natsu quite a bit. Though for some reason, he wasn't as wild last night as he usually was. She turned her head to the side and started to admire those blue locks…

Wait, blue? Did Natsu dye his hair last night? She couldn't recall.

"Natsu?" Erza whispered tentatively. "Natsu" rolled over just enough for her to see a very familiar tattoo.

And then it all came back to her.

A few days ago, the Magic Council had decided, after years of careful observation, that Jellal Fernandes was not, in fact, responsible for his actions concerning the Tower of Heaven incident, and had released him into the custody of the Fairy Tail Guild on a probationary period. Last night, Erza took him out to dinner to celebrate his release.

After her third glass of wine, Erza had playfully flirted with Jellal, to which he didn't know how to respond. One more glass, and everything after that was a blur.

Yeah, she, Erza Dragneel, the famed Titania of Fairy Tail, was a lightweight.

Erza took the moment to look around the room, and much to her horror, this was hers and Natsu's bedroom, not Jellal's.

Oh God. She had slept with Jellal.

She had cheated on Natsu!

In their house!

In their bed!

Natsu trusted her, and she betrayed him!

It was enough to make Erza cry. And so she did. Unfortunately, the sound of her crying woke Jellal up.

"Er…za…?" he said groggily.

Erza screamed, startling Jellal into full awareness.

"GET OUT!" she shrieked. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU BASTARD!" Jellal didn't even have time to put on his clothes, instead opting to gather them as quickly as he could.

Erza watched as her childhood friend rushed out of the room. She didn't even have the willpower to chase after him. All she could do was collapse into her pillow and sob uncontrollably.

An hour and a half later, Erza had fed the baby and taken a long shower at the hottest temperature she could withstand, and was now considering her options. Of course, she said she was considering her options, but really, there was only one choice her conscience would allow. And that was nothing short of telling Natsu the truth. From there, she would let everything else unfold.

Her biggest fear was that Natsu would want a divorce. She was, of course, prepared for that scenario, if only mentally. She had nowhere else to go, and she would certainly not move in with Jellal. Being with him was everything she had dreamed about as a little girl, but the knowledge that she was being unfaithful to her husband tainted the experience. If she had the choice between a relationship with Jellal and a life of celibacy, she would take the latter in a heartbeat.

But one question still remained in her mind. Would Natsu allow her to see Faye again? Would she be raised to have no knowledge of her mother? Would she be told she was a whore?

Would one of them have to leave Fairy Tail?

That thought was just as unbearable to her as having committed adultery or losing her husband and daughter. She looked at Faye as she was playing with her rattle. She would do anything to see her little girl grow up to be a strong mage of Fairy Tail.

Erza picked up Faye and kissed her on the forehead, tears in her eyes. "Faye…" she whispered. "I love you so much, sweetheart. I can't bear the thought of losing you to my own selfish desires… But I promise you, I'm going to do right by you, sweetheart! You and your daddy! I'm going to fix this! I swear it!"

Her resolve now steeled, all Erza could do was wait. It was Natsu's turn to take a job, and thankfully, he had brought Happy with him, so she was home alone. They were scheduled to return mid-afternoon.

She would tell him then.

Natsu was walking down the streets of Magnolia in a typically happy mood. Another dark guild was ancient history thanks to him, and he was on his way home to his two girls, Erza and Faye.

One of his only problems with marrying Erza was the fear of how Lisanna would react. After all, the two had incubated Happy's egg together, and even talked about marriage just before her disappearance. But when he told her about his plans to propose, Lisanna just smiled brightly and told him Erza was a perfect match for him.

Natsu smiled at the memory. Lisanna was truly one of the most thoughtful, understanding people in Fairy Tail, or even Fiore. From then on, life was good.

As he got home, he swung open the door with the passing thought that Erza usually kept the door locked. Still, he boisterously called out Erza's name. He leaned in to kiss her, but Erza pulled away for some reason.

"What's wrong?" asked Natsu. "You sick or something?" Tears welled up in Erza's eyes, and that's when he knew something was wrong.

"Natsu… last night… I…" Erza burst into tears as she spoke. "I slept with Jellal!"

Whatever Natsu was expecting to hear, it sure as hell wasn't this. He felt hurt that his wife betrayed him, but even stronger was the rage that built up at the knowledge that, yet again, Jellal had made Erza cry.

Erza's voice cut through the fog. "I'll be gone by tomorrow morning," she said. She didn't say it like she was leaving him for another man, but rather like he expected her to walk out of his life.

Unacceptable.

"NO!" he thundered. He stepped dangerously close to Erza and growled out, "I refuse to let you go!"

"You have to!" said Erza, still crying. "I can't be your wife anymore! Not after how I hurt you!"

"Where the FUCK did you ever get that idea?" Natsu screamed. Erza struggled to find the right words, but none came out.

Natsu took a deep calming breath – just the way Wendy had taught him – and continued speaking. "Don't think I'm not mad about this. I'm PISSED! My wife cheated on me! And you're right! I have every right to tell you to get the hell out of my life!

"But I won't. I CAN'T! And do you know why? Because when we got married, we stood up before God and our nakama and vowed to take each other as husband and wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, TILL DEATH DO US PART. Well, guess what? This is for worse! Do you have any idea how many marriages fall apart just because they can't handle the 'for worse?' Well, I refuse to be one of those marriages, especially not if it means losing you!" Now Natsu was starting to tear up.

"We CAN get through this, Erza," said Natsu. "But only if you still love me. Do you still love me, Erza?"

Erza opened her mouth to speak, but some part of her realized that this was not a question to answer hastily. She took into consideration her night with Jellal. She had been in control throughout the whole thing; he was afraid to do any work. It was pure lust for her, merely fulfilling a childhood fantasy.

Sex with Natsu, however, almost couldn't even be called sex. Every single time she and Natsu had gotten intimate, it was wild and uninhibited, a pure competition to see who could give who their release first. Yet at the same time, their touches were loving and tender, almost as if they were afraid to hurt each other in the midst of their competition of love. She felt their shared memories in each touch, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was loved by him.

"Yes," whispered Erza. "I still love you, Natsu."

Natsu smiled. "I love you, too, Erza. Even if you had said no, I would still love you. I can't imagine life without you. I WON'T!" he said, exclaiming the last two words.

The next thing Natsu knew, his wife had buried her head in his chest and was sobbing out apologies by the second. All at once, Natsu's rage towards Jellal had dissipated. True, Erza was still crying, but these were tears of joy, and that was all right by him.

As for Jellal, Natsu decided he would talk to him in the morning. For now, he would bask in his wife's love and bathe her with his own.

Eh, not nearly as angsty as I would've liked. But you know how it is. You have a plan, you get ideas that interfere with that plan, and the story ends up writing itself just as much as you end up writing it. I'm sorry if it's not as angsty or dramatic as you would expect the prompt "Cheat" to be, but the drama is in Erza's guilt at committing adultery and her intense desire to make it right.

But that's enough from me, I'm on grocery duty. So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt!