Watercolour

Pairing: Mystogan X Knightwalker

Theme: Seasons

Half of my heart's got a grip on the situation, half of my heart takes time. ~ Half of My Heart (John Mayer)

It was during the annual summer ball when he had cornered her in an empty hallway, far from prying eyes. The party was in full swing downstairs in the grand hall but the silence was deafening as he asked her to marry him for the very first time.

Erza stood there unmoving and he did the same, fists clenching and unclenching in anxiety. She gave a small burst of laughter, humourless, almost mocking because he should have known better. Still, the redhead looked into his eyes, a sympathetic smile tugging at the corner of her lips, and said no in a soft voice. He hadn't chased after her or tried to convince her otherwise. Instead, he had nodded politely in understanding and watched wordlessly as she swept past him and headed back to her room.

She closed the door behind her quickly, her heart pounding furiously against her chest. Her face was running a fever and she rested her cheek against the cool surface, trying to stop the world from spinning.

She wasn't trying to lead him on. She didn't want to do this to him. She knew that he loved her more than life and was more than ready to commit himself completely to her. But the problem wasn't him. She just wasn't ready to start this new chapter in her life. She wasn't ready for him and it hurt her to know that he was utterly crushed by her rejection.

Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you that I can't keep loving you with half of my heart.

The next time Jellal asked her the same question was two years later.

She wandered across the training grounds to the lake after a routine training session with her squadron. The crisp leaves fell down around her as the trees shed their robes of orange and red, rendering the grassy banks a multi-coloured carpet. The sunlight reflected off the rippling waters, glistening brightly.

Jellal stepped through the clearing quietly. She did not notice his presence and he approached her nervously. As she turned to face him, he shuffled around anxiously and asked her to marry him for the second time. Erza did not reply but instead extended a hand and proceeded to shove him into the lake casually, almost as if it was part of her daily routine. By the time Jellal resurfaced, gasping for air, she was long gone.

Erza ran back to the palace. Deep down, she knew that she loved him but there was still something holding her back, something that prevented her from admitting the truth, something that stopped her from loving him with her whole heart. She had no idea what it was but it made her feel insecure.

Half of my heart's got a real good imagination, half of my heart's got you.

Jellal asked her to marry him in the winter two years later just as the snow had settled. He was set to lead the troops out against an invading army the next day and had decided to ask before the battle in case something went horribly wrong. She buried her face in her arms, hiding the tears streaming down her face, but still, she could not say yes. The man hugged her once and whispered a promise to return safely before he left swiftly, never looking back.

Erza later heard that Jellal had single handedly destroyed the enemy troops as he went on a mad rampage. Laxus had never seen his friend so angry before.

It was then that she realized what was holding her back. It was the fear that she wasn't good enough for him. He was kind and caring but she was cold and cruel. He preferred peace but she lusted for violence. They were complete opposites of one another, so why did he love her as much as he did? Why did he persist even though she tried time after time to push him away?

Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you that half of my heart won't do.

Spring came and the sakura trees came into full bloom. Pink petals drifted with the wind and fell down upon the grass where he sat. Jellal shifted from his position so that he was on one knee facing her, and he asked her for one last time.

This time, she said yes.

Because he loved her and…

"To love was not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." Jellal said.

"Dad, that has got to be the cheesiest story I've ever heard in my life," Sieg muttered, a look of disgust on his face.

Jellal ruffled his son's hair fondly. "But every word is true."

A loud bang sounded as someone hit him over the head with a large book and the king turned around, eyes watering. "What was that?" He asked.

Erza scoffed loudly. "That's a load of crap. Nothing of that sort happened."

Sieg looked at his mother with wide eyes. "So what really happened?"

As Erza launched into her own version of Jellal's proposal, as opposed to his 'completely-made-up-versions-of-proposals', Jellal smiled to himself.

Because he knew that every word that he had said was true.

This is 3/8 of today's update! For a longer explanation, go read the author's note in chapter 17 of Retribution.

Inspired by Philyra's fic