A/N: Here's to hopin' you haven't forgotten this story LOL. I'm so sorry and I hope this one makes up for everything. Let's just say, Jellal confuses Erza in this chap with being bipolar. :D

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Poetry In Motion
the final downpour of metaphors

Chapter Six: It Starts With The Little Things

Normally, it's the dreams that wake her up. Sometimes, the alarm of her smart phone she set up beforehand, or in the rarest of occasions, like that one morning, it was the pleasant scent of mint. Erza's shut lids scrunched in the process, her eyes fluttering slowly as the morning light seeped into the slits of her eyes. She lifted her head, groaning at the sudden numbness and pain that poked through the side of her neck. She wondered what kind of position she was in to have had woken up with a soreness on her neck. The redhead didn't really have a chance to lift her head for a hearty stretch when a certain weight pressed down firmly to keep her head sandwiched between two foreign objects.

Her eyes widened when the drowsiness that dulled her senses dissipated and she finally reached a conclusion. One, her cheek was resting on a broad and hard surface, pinned further down by a soft and silky mop of tendrils. Two they weren't objects.

This was a man's shoulder, and that force keeping her head in check was another head.

She gulped audibly, cold sweat running down her skin as she recalled last night's events. To her horror, she found her arm wrapped around a strong figure, the other, thankfully, was resting gently on her lap. Erza made no sudden movements as the ultramarine was still sleeping soundly, breaths coming out evenly with a soft sound. Slowly and gently, the redhead lifted her arm away as though the process itself was burning her skin. She winced when Jellal shuffled in sleep and made an attempt to secure her in place. Unfortunately for her, the reflexes she had always counted on betrayed her this time, the ultramarine's strong arm landing on her waist as he pulled her in closer.

Erza didn't know why she couldn't just shove him away. It was easier when he was awake and when he tried to pull the moves on her, but maybe it was because he was asleep and he was not deliberately doing it that she didn't want to react in a way that would be unfair to him. She tried withdrawing once more, carefully retracting the fingers that clutched on her hip. Erza let out a small squeak when Jellal's head dipped into her neck, nuzzling the exposed skin there.

"Wow, that's a great way to start the day." Erza whipped her head to find a grinning Lucy who was rubbing her eyes.

"Quit it." the redhead snapped turning her attention back on the man who had now brought his leg to lock her in place.

"You guys look adorable." the blonde giggled and that only earned her a hushed string of sinister complaints from her struggling friend.

"You're in a worse position than I am." Erza seethed, making a small gesture of nodding to stress out her point.

Lucy shrieked when a hand snaked its way inside her top, the fingers lightly tracing on the mounds of her chest.

"Natsu!" she gave him a hard shove, sending the slumbering teenager on the floor. Natsu was still snoring even after all the hostility.

"Good, now help me out here."

"Um, actually I don't think my help's needed." Erza heard a deep amused voice before she had seen Lucy's finger pointing to the supposedly asleep ultramarine.

"Good morning Ginger." he sing-sang, planting a kiss on the clavicle of a gaping woman.

It was a fist comparable to a meteor that hit him before succumbing to dreamland again.

Erza was far from recovering from the traumatic experience. The woman in front of her watched in horror as the redhead punched the cash register—literally—thinking twice if she should wait for her change or leave it be with the brooding employee.

"You're awfully grumpy today aren't you?" commented a rather amused voice.

"Gildarts," Erza breathed out, her face frowning in the process. "I'm sorry I haven't been myself for days."

"I'm betting you haven't been yourself for a week."

She let out a weary sigh, frustration surfacing on her face in the form of wrinkles and frowns.

"It was the night during you know, when I asked for the weekend off." she confessed, running a hand through long scarlet locks. Why was she even opening this up? And to her manager of all people? If this was the case, well she was certainly desperate right now.

"What happened?"

"There's this guy, an awful guy really and—"

"And the two of you?" Gildarts trailed off, purposely giving her the chance to finish his statement.

Erza's face scrunched up in disgust.

"No we didn't. If that's what you're implying. It's just that I've let my guard down for a moment and then the morning I woke up, I found myself cuddling—could you imagine me cuddling anyone?"

The man shook his head with a laugh following the rude gesture. Erza had expected this kind of reaction but she still couldn't seem to remain calm and composed.

"And that wasn't the worst part isn't it?" Erza knew her manager was good at finding out the truth, but she didn't expect him to be this good. It was like Gildarts has a woman's intuition, and that kind of thing made her sort of jealous because as far as she's concerned, her own was something that didn't even exist.

"He cuddled back; he was awake." Erza grumbled. "And he was grinning like a moron who got laid during his first days in high school."

"So, where's the damage done then?"

Erza rolled her eyes.

"Oh, right the ego." his smirk was playful as he raised a brow at her. "And you keep saying that only men had that."

"He's the worst kind of guy I've encountered." she flatly stated, daring more to elaborate further. "And I've avoided him since then, like going home when I was sure he's asleep then leave early in the morning when he's still snoring in bed."

"Wait, he snores?"

"I don't know! That was just expression. I mean, all men do it right?" Erza scowled. She was ranting again, and talking things out with her manager certainly didn't help either.

"Yo Pops!" Cana walked in, wearing a tank top and jeans. She was accompanied by Levi who was busy talking to someone on the phone.

"Yo sweetheart, anything you need?" Cana turned to Erza with a sly grin.

"Actually there is someone I've been dying to talk to for the last couple of weeks but she's been avoiding me because I plan on extracting every detail I need out of her."

The brunette pulled Levi's arm for support. Erza knew the game of hide and seek was coming to an end, and of all days, her friend had to pick this and decide to do this now.

"She's working Cana." the old man stated and that eventually made the redhead sigh in relief.

But Cana was not going to back down even if her father had already discouraged her. No, she came here prepared and she would use all means necessary to get the redhead to talk.

"I can wait. What do you say Erza? Dinner at eight. Levi's treat."

"M-My treat? You didn't mention about something like this Cana." the blue-haired lady whined in protest.

"I'm working until ten today Cana."

"What? Pops!" she turned to her father, eyes demanding and requesting for approval. Gildarts merely sighed as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Alright, alright. Erza, you're free from seven onwards. Don't worry about the hours you're going to miss, I'm still going to pay you in full by reducing Cana's allowance."

"Hey!" the brunette whined in protest and her father just shrugged.

"That's not the point here." Erza complained, her mouth hanging open. Since when did people start making the decisions for her? First it was Jellal, then Lucy, then Cana and now even her manager Gildarts?

"You want somebody to talk to right? Well it's definitely not this old man here. Teenage drama isn't for me."

"Great! Well it's settled then." Cana clapped her hands together and grinned. "Levi go ring Lucy. We'll be needing her just in case Miss Scarlet here refuses to spill everything." Erza just shook her head in disbelief. So Lucy was in this mayhem too. Now if she could wipe that victorious expression off of their faces then maybe she would at least feel a bit better.

There was nothing she could do. Her manager wouldn't accept her pleas and protests of working her hours off and she had no other way of spending a Saturday night. Going back to the dormitory was not an option since there's a high possibility of Jellal being there; so she chose to settle things with Cana once and for all. She figured she'd have to do this sooner or later instead of stalling which was tiring. Erza thought it was troublesome and unnecessary to bring the topic up since there was really nothing going on between her and the blue-haired demon. If there even was, it was her hatred towards his arrogant and cocky attitude.

"I'm so sorry Erza." Lucy bit her lip, trying her best to comfort the brooding woman.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this." she replied, her arms across her chest.

"So, what will you guys have?" the blonde asked, clearing her throat to help lighten up the mood.

"Your treat Lucy?" Cana nudged Lucy who smiled and nodded like it was the normal thing to do. The brunette pumped a fist in the air and dove right in for the menu.

"I'll have roast beef and mashed potatoes. Ooh, and a couple of beers too."

Lucy nodded and turned to Levi who was taking her time.

"Something light for me. A salad would do."

The blonde looked next to the woman opposite her. A silent question was left hanging in the air.

"Tea." Erza curtly said, her eyes boring into space. It was as if she was bored and uninterested.

"What else?"

A slight pause and then another clipped answer.

"Just tea."

"Alright." They turned their order in and were told that food would be served in fifteen minutes. Erza thought she was going to have the longest fifteen minutes of her life.

"Okay, where should we start?" Cana squealed in delight.

"Let's make this short." Erza took in a huge gulp of air. "We're living in the same room because apparently there were no more rooms available for the girls section. I told the concierge, Mira, that I'd be more than willing to share rooms with a guy. I unpacked, showered and there was a knock on the door."

Cana bit her fingernails to keep her excitement down.

"Oh my God, you did not just answer the door with only a towel."

The waitress came back with tea and the redhead thanked her, taking a sip before continuing.

"I had my bathrobe on."

"Were you wearing anything underneath?" Levi asked in horror.

"Funny, you both have the same hair color, and you both think alike. Although he clearly stated, "You're not wearing anything underneath that right?" And I was like, of course I am. I mean who the hell would respond by saying "Oh yes, would you like to see so we can couple in bed?" You can imagine what happened next."

Cana banged her fist on the table and surprised both of her female friends who were seated beside her.

"Correction it's would you like to have sex with me? Seriously, you're choosing the wrong words. What are you sixty years old or something? And you are not leaving it to our imagination, so keep talking sweetheart."

Erza grunted, feeling like she's backed up to a corner. If she wanted this to end quickly, she's going to have to tell them everything now in the vaguest possible way.

"We talked. We flirted because I couldn't take his innuendos and I kind of handed it to him. He took an ice cube from my mouth and—"

"Oh my God! That was so hot! Was there tongue? There was definitely tongue involved right?" Cana was enthused at hearing the details fly right out of her friend's mouth and she was thankful that that ranting of hers was coming handy.

"Ssh, Cana someone will hear you!" Levi glanced around nervously.

"And don't forget to mention that you slept with him." Lucy blurted out before she could stop herself.

The two remaining girls and Erza gasped. Cana was grinning, a goofy smile plastered on her face while Levi's hands went up to cover her mouth in an attempt to reduce the shock.

"Let me rephrase that." Erza snapped. "I slept ON him, not WITH him. That was during the movie marathon at Lucy's and then I woke up and I was cuddling him and he was grinning like a total idiot and right now, I am still emotionally damaged and I can't face him because I'm such an imbecile for letting my guard down."

"Oh you're being dramatic." Cana chimed, digging eventually into her potatoes when the waitress came back with their food.

"Me? Dramatic? We all know I don't do dramatic. Lucy perhaps."

"Hey!"

"But not me. Look guys, what I'm trying to say here is that, there's no US." she finished and was glad that it was finally over.

"But the two of you would make a pretty good couple." Levi teased.

"Okay I'm done with my business here and I have to get going." Erza pulled some bills out and stood up.

"I thought she had the night off?" Lucy asked the brunette who was inhaling her food like there was no tomorrow.

"Sit down Ginger, we're not done yet."

Erza didn't know if it was the way they're being persistent or the pet name that irked her, because the last thing she heard before leaving the restaurant was something about "giving it a shot" and her "failed romance escapade".

Japanese rush hour killed her chances of going back to work, so instead of heading to the convenience store, she figured she'd go home and rest. It was a good idea and by now, her devil of a roommate should be snoring his sorry ass away.

She checked her watch before turning the knob.

22:30

She came home later than expected and she was only one step through the entrance when she bumped onto someone. Erza barely noticed that the lights were still on because her mind was preoccupied with things—things that mainly concerned the man standing before her.

She was all ready to snap at him, tell him to go away or anything at all just to cover up from the shame she still had to recover from. But there was something that made her mind stop working.

Perhaps it was the way he was dressed, all ready to head out instead of sleep. Or maybe it was the concerned and relieved look on his face when he saw her.

"What—"

She never did finish her statement when he suddenly hugged her. The dreamy moment was over when Jellal withdrew, the expression on his face was something Erza couldn't quite make out.

"You're back." he softly stated. She was taken aback by this for she had expected an innuendo or another snarky comment, yet here he was who welcomed her home like she mattered.

"I am." her reply came out more like a question than a statement.

"Rest easy, I'm going out for a bit." he planted a soft kiss on the top of her head when Erza remained frozen in place. He was just about to go outside when her voice stopped him.

"Who are you and what have you done with Jellal?"