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20 ; first, please, finally
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Be subtle about it, Gray had said. Don't be needy or desperate but sneakily make him aware that you have... needs. Keep your cool. Stay in control.
Right.
Needs.
Erza sneaks a glance at her boyfriend on the sofa beside her. He looks plenty engrossed in the movie they're watching right now, some sci-fi sequence with aliens and giant sea monsters — or, if Erza's not mistaken, they're the same thing? — and Jellal seems quite content with continuing the rest of the night this way.
Like hell Erza's gonna settle for that.
She gently shifts so that she's leaning against his arm, and almost immediately he lifts it so that she can snuggle into his side and lowers it to drape around her waist, hugging her to him. All without moving his eyes from the screen.
Okay. Great. That worked.
Be clever about it, Lucy had said. Go about it in such a way that by the end of it, he's thanking the universe that you were down for it. Make him want you. Like a puppet on a string. Let him do all the work.
"Jellal, honey," Erza tries, "don't you think this film is a little... boring?"
He glances at her, blinks, hums in agreement, and goes back to watching.
"Jellal," she repeats, "I'm feeling a little tense..."
"Do you wanna go lie down?" he offers with mild concern, engrossed in watching the giant robot beat up the giant sea alien.
Do you wanna come with me? Erza almost snaps. Instead, she makes a show of stretching out her neck, lifting her arms so that her t-shirt rises to reveal a hint of hipbone and being sure to let out an appreciative moan as she does.
She glances back hopefully. Surely that got the message across.
What she's met with is a boyfriend who is still very much watching a CGI action sequence and not his sexy, very present, and very willing girlfriend.
She narrows her eyes. Seriously?
Be honest about it, Natsu had said. Take off your top, straddle him, and spell out 'let's fuck' in hickeys on his neck. That's sure to get the message across.
"Jellal," Erza eventually says, "let's stop watching the movie."
"Hmm?" He finally looks away from the screen. "You don't like it? I'd have thought you'd love the action in it, it's renowned for it..."
Well, not that the fighting sequences aren't wonderfully choreographed, but Erza's kinda hoping for a different kind of action right now. She bites her lip and shakes her head, all but blinking up at him through her eyelashes.
Jellal doesn't seem to notice, but he does at least mute the TV. "Well," he says politely, "what do you want to do?"
That's when he finally looks at her properly; he sees the half-lidded gaze, the smirk hidden behind a bitten lip, the suggestive curve of her body leaning into his. His eyes widen, and he stutters for a second.
Finally, the boy gets it. She slowly rises to her knees, his eyes locked with hers the whole time as she settles down against across his lap. His hands flutter to a rest on her hips, his eyes flicking down to her lips before catching her gaze again.
"I can think of a few things," she whispers, suddenly feeling a little shy. Of all the times...
But this is Jellal, and Jellal is as terrible at communication as she is, but Jellal is also brave. "Finally—" he laughs brokenly, leaning forward and catching a surprised Erza in a heated kiss. He murmurs against her lips, "You can't imagine how long I've been waiting for this."
She chokes on a quiet giggle and brings her hands up to card her fingers through his hair. "Oh, trust me, baby. I can."