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Hope you enjoy... (insert smirk here)

It had not stayed with 'something'. It was more of a 'some things', though even that was an understatement.

Erza had brought her luggage cart to transport everything back to the house. It was still a habit, but she wanted to start thinking of it as their house. Because it was.

The hallway was warm of shower steam. It did not smell as sweetly as her own shampoo but then again, he could literally use anything or nothing and she still had the urge to shove her nose down his nape. She was glad that she did not have to get mad at him for being careless, now that he was healed – she did not want to be angry.

Since it was not exactly easy to see over all that she was clutching in her arms, Erza somewhat tripped into the bedroom. She huffed, dropping all of her endless sheets and duvets and pillows onto the bed. It was a mountain now. She smiled smugly at it.

"I see one blanket wasn't enough to hoard at night," Jellal surprised her from behind, his voice muffled due to the toothbrush he had pushed into one cheek.

"I thought maybe you'd like one, too," she joined his game. Her heart melted with the playful eyeroll he gave. She nudged his arm, watching him leave for the bathroom.

"How generous," he threw over his shoulder, perhaps hoping she would not hear anymore. She smiled though. It was going well – at least so much better than before. They could do this. Just being a normal couple in a normal relationship.

Erza wandered into the kitchen, noting everything to be cleaned and tidy. The dishes and the pan were stacked in the sink and she spotted a piece of paper next to the used towel. The last points of the list were newly added, she noticed, reading 'dishrack' and 'kitchen towels'.

When the bathroom door opened, Erza switched places with Jellal. She heard him sigh with amusement as he faced the load of pillows and blankets, then shuffling. Giggling to herself, Erza requipped into a short nightgown, getting ready for bed.

Not much later, she entered the bedroom. The curtains were already drawn but the light was still on. And he was still shuffling with the sheets.

He had sorted them, folding the remaining blankets that were not on one of the stacks yet.

"There's just no end to them…" he mumbled, conjuring a smile onto her face.

"And I didn't even bring the spare ones," she said as nonchalantly as possible, receiving the exact 'for real' expression she had wanted to trigger. He shook his head, dropping the duvet he had been folding onto a pile. It jiggled.

"How do you even find the space for yourself?" He asked rhetorically. She stepped over to help him, steadying the blankets that threatened to fall over. Giving a shrug, she took the ends of the next sheet.

"Habit, I suppose," she waited until he would grab the other side, but he was already on the next one. She supressed a sigh – pancakes did not solve everything, apparently. "I like to reward myself with them after a long mission; when there was only one thin blanket in the tent or the inn." She went on as if him not having gotten the hint of teamwork was not hurting her. "It's… strange to sleep completely alone afterwards, so I just…"

"Hoard blankets," he supplied and she nodded.

"Yeah,"

"Maybe that's why you always clutch it in your sleep," he said, finishing the pile.

"Could be…" she put hers onto it, too, supressing another sigh. There were several stacks lined up on the end of the bed now: thick blankets, thin blankets and pillows. Every category taking at least two piles as not to fall over.

Erza picked out her two favourite duvets and pillows – two each – and spread them over their current sheets.

"I'm sorry about today," Jellal's voice was quiet. The kind of quiet that meant him to be unhappy with himself – the kind she did not like.

"About what?" She tried not to sound irritated. It was really exhausting to talk the goodness into him, especially for this long a time. Was that why they had never tried dating before? Had he assumed her to get tired of him in his self-loathing state?

She was – tired of the self-loathing, that was. But there was no way in hell she would stop helping in every way she could. Any at all.

"That you had to drag her here for a few scratches," he explained, "and with the bleak hall; that must have been unpleasant,"

"Oh, no, not at all;" she waved it off, "it was lovely having her over, carpet or wood or concrete doesn't make a difference." She went to turn off the lights as he climbed into bed. "We'll deal with it whenever we have the time," she tried to sound upbeat but he did not seem convinced. She sighed under her breath, lying down on her side of the bed. She scooted over to the middle, closer to him until her hip bumped with his. He had drawn himself to the very edge, probably assuming her to sleep on her own again. She could not stand that for a single night longer.

"It's fine, really," she soothed. She sat up slightly, turning to lean over his face. Her eyes were adjusted to the dark by now so she lowered herself, pecking his lips for reassurance. Upon retreating however, Erza found herself to be blocked from flopping back down. His arms winced, unconsciously having kept her from leaving by coming up to her sides as if on their way to hold her. Now they hovered, indecisive, unsure.

She stared at him with wide eyes, making him pull his hands away, looking panicked. He had no idea just how good his doing was and how she wanted to stay. She would have to teach him. As always, she would have to be the brave one, taking the next step, keeping them moving forward.

Right now, she was more than willing.

Erza went for it, leaning down for another kiss. And another. She hardly lifted her lips off before they moved again, enclosed his again, claimed him again. He was tense but with every kiss, she could feel him relax. He was torn between sinking down and heaving himself up to meet her. He was responding and she could not help but smile against his lips.

She would not leave this time.

Allowing herself to finally apply weight on his torso, Erza shuffled beneath the duvet, crawling onto him with one leg between his. She settled on his chest with her own, fingers straddling his hair. Though he should have grasped for air, Jellal sighed and it tickled her cheek.

His tongue traced her lower lip, humbly requesting inlet and she complied without question. She groaned lowly when their tongues started dancing lightly, slowly but consistently turning into a wrestle for dominance. She gave him more fuel, moaning to encourage his actions. It worked like magic.

Now more confident, Jellal finally dared to rest his hands on her sides. She stroked down his neck to his chest with her own, lips following shortly. She took her time, capturing every centimetre of his firm skin, marking it with kisses. She sucked on his throat where she found the soft spot she had discovered once. Leisurely, she dragged her teeth across it, teasing it with her tongue, then tagging it with another lovebite.

Jellal's breath was coming short. He had his eyes closed, head tilted backwards, perhaps merely out of instinct. He sighed her name and it made sparks flicker through her head, firing up the flame she fed with passion and lust. Stealthily, she ran her hands downwards, sneaking their way beneath his shirt. She lifted it, fingers nimbly tracing the ridges of his newly healed abdomen. She could not wait to follow that path with her lips.

She did exactly that, mouth and hands working as she raised the heat of his torso even more. Jellal was panting by now. She felt her stomach leap when his fists had gripped the fabric of her nightgown, causing it to be pulled up as she moved down.

She kissed his chest, cupping his hands in hers on her sides, trying to get them to relax. They did and she used the chance to raise back up, dragging her now revealed stomach across his, placing his hands back on her exposed back. They burnt, even hotter than her own skin and she gave a hitching moan at his touch. She dragged her knee higher, brushing the fabric of his trousers.

Erza yelped when her wrists were captured and she suddenly landed on her back. She stared at him with huge eyes. He was clenching his teeth, swallowing before being able to collect his voice. It pulled her back to that night on the beach. She trembled suddenly. She would not let this end like back then.

"Erza…" he breathed huskily. He was still panting. So was she. She waited for more but he seemed to be out of words. She freed her hands from his grasp easily – he had not held her captive, only put her to a halt.

"It's okay," she said in her softest tones. He shook his head, still boiling with blush.

"Tell me to stop," he said and it was her turn to shake her head. "When…" he wheezed and she held her breath, lungs screaming at her but she could not miss another of his words, "When to stop…" he managed. She clasped his face in her hands, smashing her lips onto his, nearly making him collapse onto her.

"And you tell me," she said in between kisses, flaring up on the inside.

"I don't think I will," he croaked, biting her bottom lip, enticing a deep moan. She licked his in response, granting him entrance once more before removing his shirt completely. Her legs hooked onto his hips and she gasped of anticipation when his hands finally crept along her calves, tracing gently up to her thighs, to her hips, to her waist, further, higher. She was shaking, clawing into his hair.

"Good…"

Jellal awoke when the sun was already beaming a warm streak of morning light across the bed. He was sore, though this time, he did not mind having slept on his back.

Her chest rose and fell against his, half of her torso gently rocking with his every breath. Both of her hands were on his chest, her calm pulse transferring through the tips of her fingers. He still had his arm around her, holding her close, feeling so much closer than ever before. The smile from before falling asleep was still plastered across her lips.

His head was still spinning. He could not quite believe it yet. And it made him feel so… happy. Waking up now – the morning after – was almost better than the night itself. She was there. She was still there, peaceful and blithe and calm. Even while asleep, Erza radiated reassurance at him, her signs finally lining up so clearly, he absorbed the confidence like a sponge.

They had…

He sighed deeply. Then again. Closing his eyes, he could not fight a smile of his own to stretch across his face. They had done it. Everything, all the way. With all the touching and more kissing – so much kissing. He had thought it to be impossible to fall asleep, but it had happened almost immediately. Eagerly.

He had asked her whether to stop countless times. She had not. She had only given him looks of consent and encouragement – and looks that drove him wild. Quite literally. He felt a little bad, but a lot more content. That cursed remorse of his was nothing but an old bruise, so it seemed now, fading, almost the colour of his skin again.

"You're awake," Erza's voice was croaking, but her smile was audible. His own renewed. He felt his lips to still be swollen. He gave a positive hum. "But you were able to sleep?" She asked, slight concern ringing in her voice. He was really worrying her with his lack of a night's rest, he thought.

"It was not like I was given much of a choice." He grinned somewhat sheepishly.

"Well, if that's what it takes, then..." Erza trailed her voice, circling a finger over his chest. He gulped and she had to giggle. Her eyes shone with bliss when she met his, tilting her head back down to nuzzle it into his chest.

"Erza?"

"Hm," her voice was soft now, eyes shut.

"Did we…" he hesitated, "solve our dispute by-"

"Mhm," she interrupted shortly. He nodded to himself, awkwardly. She wrapped her arm around his chest, giggling again, drawing herself closer and he found himself relaxing when she pecked his sleep warm skin. He smiled lovingly, hugging her tightly with both arms.

And for the first time, he felt that he really was a part of this.