Thanks so much for the reviews, all of you! I wouldn't have included it, but there you have his reaction, as well; thanks for letting me know ;D
Hope you enjoy... the adorableness that is Jellal!
Jellal groaned. His abdomen cramped when receiving a hit. He gritted his teeth, dodging the next one, almost landing one himself, missing by a centimetre. Her leg came up, soaring towards his head. His breath hitched. He caught it in his hand, keeping her ankle captive. His chest was heaving, but his eyes glinted with eager delight. He leaned in ever so slightly, watching her eyebrow twitch.
He could still see her face from that morning in front of his inner eye.
"W-what?" He had stuttered after a minute of blankly staring at her. Fight?! They had only just stopped fighting – why ever would she want to start arguing again?
"Come on," her eyes had sparkled with ambition, just like when she would talk about a picnic or the theatre. He had hoped for any of the latter, but her goal was set. He had fallen backwards, but Erza had determinately crawled after him. In his mind, he could see the playful twitch of a cat's tail, would she have one like Millianna, as she purred on with her idea.
It had all been planned as a 'training session' – they had preferred to call it that instead of 'fight'. And it had started out as one. He had given her the opportunity to test her newest armour, but his trial attacks had not nearly been enough for her. She changed armours within seconds, striking with swords, spears and even shields.
Soon, their sparing had turned into a scuffle. She had sliced and dodged his magic, retreating to land surprise melee blows when he started to overpower her restricted training techniques. It was quite unfair – her changing into outfits that enhanced her speed or strength, while also having less of a reluctance to punch him square in the jaw than he had with her. That beautiful face of hers, now even more gorgeous with that flare of fervour.
Yet, he was not complaining. He was brimming over with mirth.
"I think," he said, leaning closer with his face until his nose brushed hers, "I feel like going out for lunch today." Her eyes sparked at him, the corner of her mouth tugging with an ambitious smirk as she detected an opening. She raked her leg down to throw him to the ground. Jellal reacted before she could crush her fists down. He ducked, stealing himself behind her. She turned.
Their forearms clashed, shaking as they pushed against the other. She lunged the other one. He sprung aside, catching her balled fist in his hand. The other met his stomach, and he winced, supressing a groan. He snatched it before she could pull back, and she pushed into his hands, trying to shove him away like she had when still brawling with Mirajane.
He dug his heels into the sand beneath.
She did the same, her feet glowing, then bare like his own. His eyes widened and he had to smile. His perhaps favourite armour – if one could call it that. He could not help a glance downwards, admiring her scarlet-red hakama and simple bandages around her chest. She pushed again but he would not budge. She huffed – the only thing that escaped her lips. She was entirely too focused to talk – taking this 'training' entirely too seriously, as well.
He gasped when she suddenly pulled instead. He dove forward, her smirk widening in that one split of a second. To her surprise, he caught his balance and used her move to slide a leg beneath hers. Erza staggered, breath getting stuck for an instant. She freed one hand, trying to get a grip on his shirt. Jellal kept her other wrist captive, enticing a growl.
He let her hit his arm, and again. It was annoying her so much that he did not let go, it was already amusing. He grinned, and she gave a frustrated yell at that, summoning a sword. Jellal widened his stance, strategizing. His mind was running wild, coming up with escapes, comebacks and tactics. He would move around her – then he only had to get a hold of her other hand and-
He froze when instead of the sword, Erza moved herself, squishing her chest against his, face so close he felt her panting against his chin. It was midday; they had chosen lunchtime on purpose for the people of Magnolia to be inside and not at the shore where they trained. Still – and after everything between them – it was still breath-taking to have her ravishing face right there in front of him.
Jellal puffed, his back hitting the ground. Her weight landed on him, causing another groan. He stared at the in the sun glinting sword. The tip nipped at his throat, her knees forcing his upper arms into the sand as she pinned him down. Her eyes were narrow, their sharp edge unforgiving, decisive.
Erza's features softened and she removed the blade, having it disappear. She relaxed above him, shoulders hunching. She sighed deeply.
"That's a good idea," she said in an easy-going way, as if she had not interrupted their conversation – or rather his – to beat him repeatedly, "I don't think I trust myself in the kitchen today," she nodded, lifting her legs off to kneel next to him. Only the sweat on her skin and the heaving of her chest indicated their battle, her voice light and carefree. She stood, extending a hand towards him.
"I know I don't," he grinned as he sat up and she threw him a look, giving a playful kick instead of letting him take her hand, toppling him back into the sand. He laughed, being helped up when her pout was almost gone.
"What about that new place that just opened?" She stretched her neck and he mirrored her, cracking his in both directions.
"Don't you think there'll be a lot of people then?"
"Hmm..." she requipped into a sundress, running a hand through her now freed hair.
"We could try the small place next to the hatter; the one we came across the other day,"
"They serve lunch?"
"I think so," he said, brushing sand off his clothes, "if it's not too late by now." He wandered over to where he had left his coat and boots, feet subsiding in the hot sand. She followed, stopping next to him. Her eyes flashed up to the top of the hill. He followed them, only now noticing that they had an audience. How long had they been there, he wondered with slight discomfort, scanning the awed onlookers, mostly Fairy Tail Wizards.
"Oh, grand…" she muttered and he found a shard of his own confidence in her shrinking.
"Well, then," he rose a brow at her, "have fun in the guild tomorrow," he smirked, earning himself a punch on his already sore arm.
"Wow, thanks," she scowled at him. They turned to leave, trying to ignore the chattering and whooping from above.
Neither spoke as they hurried along the first few streets, only breaking their silence after a quick shower, during a late lunch. She told him about her mission, how she estimated to be done by the evening. They discussed the house, the flooring in the hall and the counters that had been taken out. On the way back, a comfortable quiet engulfed them.
"Erza!" They stopped in their tracks. Turning around – unconsciously moving a step away from one another – they stared down the street. Her eyes widened in recognition and he knew he had seen that green hair somewhere before.
"Bisca," Erza greeted when her guildmate had caught up to her. She hunched over her knees for a moment, then straightened, smiling at them.
"I'm glad I found you – you left so quickly,"
"My apologies," Erza said, "I was told you were looking for me," she bypassed the part of running and hiding in a restaurant so smoothly, he felt his shoulders relax. Glancing away from her, Jellal noticed how Bisca was watching him, rather than the one addressing her.
"No worries," the green-haired women nodded. "I came to ask you a favour," she said, still not turning to her guildmate, "or rather, to ask you for it," she smiled at him and he blinked in confusion. Erza was as dumbfounded as him, searching her friend's glance for a hint of joke, but there was none.
"Me?" Jellal asked, sounding more clueless than he had hoped to admit. Bisca nodded.
"Alzack and I have an important mission today and I'm afraid Asuka won't accept us to just leave her at home. She might try to follow," she explained and he waited, not quite adding up what it had to do with him. "I was hoping you could watch her while we're gone," she rushed when his eyes widened, "only for a few hours! She was so taken with you the other day at the guild, it's all she talks about," she went on.
"Is there no one else?" Jellal frowned. He felt Erza's gaze from the side, unsure whether it would be smart to meet it. To see what she was thinking. She gave a thoughtful hum, as if leaving him a hint, already coming up with an excuse for him should he need backup. He could not put into words how grateful he was for such a small gesture.
"I would've asked Natsu and Lucy again but they're out on a job." Bisca let her chin drop into her hand. "I guess I could ask around; I don't want to pressure you… I'll have to see with the train tickets – we've already missed the last one and I don't know-"
"Alright." Jellal interrupted. Both women winced, staring at him.
"Really?" Bisca beamed. "Thank you!" She took his hand to shake it, "I'll get her right now!" She hardly had the time to sigh in relief, though it was written all over her face. She sprinted down the road, calling her husband's name and Jellal assumed that both of them had been searching. Why ever.
"Are you sure?" Erza asked, regarding him without turning her head. He gave a shrug, gazing down the street instead of meeting her curious eyes.
"I was going to stay home, anyway," he said as nonchalantly as possible. They waited for a few minutes, watching the water flow through the channel, the sun reflecting and glistening on its everchanging surface.
Jellal straightened his back when he saw them returning. He wanted to do something for the guild – for Fairy Tail – however small. He had to make up for what he had done to them in the past somehow; all the misery he had caused. And because they were Erza's family. It would be an honour and he felt a touch of fear cling to him, praying to be able to fulfil this request properly.
The sun had just gone down, the sky darkening from pale blue to black. Erza felt her muscles ache by the time she was making her way back home. She knew it was not due to her job, but because of their 'training'. A splendid idea. She always had such great ideas; she should come up with more, she thought.
Her mind travelled ahead of her, into the house.
Jellal had been most awkward when being entrusted with Asuka, by far more uneasy than her parents, even. They had left them then, and Erza had walked the newly appointed babysitter until the front door. He had been shy, still awkward, giving the overjoyed girl too serious and grown-up answers. He was stiff and clumsy, perhaps not wanting to lose his cool in front of her and make a fool of himself.
He always had such a hard furrow to plough when among people, she thought as she unlocked the front door. It was almost pitiful to watch. She froze shortly, harking. Erza snuck in on silent feet when she heard loud voices, peeking into the bedroom. She took everything back.
"…never defeat me!" Asuka was yelling. She was standing at the head of the bed, her stance wide, brows knitted tightly and with a wall of pillows built around her. She pointed her toy gun at him. "Bang, bang!" She imitated shots. Jellal gave two overdramatic grunts of pain. He was as if exchanged.
He had crawled up the end of the bed, now pretending to lose his grip and fall back. Asuka opened her mouth for another remark, gasping instead when he climbed back up. He was growling, lowly nearing her fort like some kind of mindless monster.
"No!" She yelled, firing again, her voice getting louder and higher. He only winced this time. Asuka started to hop nervously, shouting at him when he reached out for a pillow, attempting to break through her shield. "You can't do that!" Her eyes flashed around and she scrambled away, slapping him repeatedly with a pillow.
"Give me…" Jellal's voice was low and scratchy on purpose, "the haaat," he snarled, poorly imitating a roar, stretching his hand out towards her. Asuka yelped, both hands pulling down the sides of her hat to keep it on. She fished for one of the many pictures they had drawn and left on the ground.
"Never!" She screeched at him, holding out the drawing where lines of different colours burst from the middle to the outsides like an explosion. "Jupiter!" She cried at the top of her lungs, firing and swishing sounds following as she imitated the giant cannon.
Jellal howled in feigned pain. He cramped his hand that had almost reached her. She frowned fiercely, firmly thrusting the piece of paper into his face, hiding behind it. He hissed and groaned, shrinking back, his body tense, arm shaking. Finally, he collapsed, his body slackening, face down into the sheets. Asuka sucked in her breath, eyes huge as she watched him go silent.
"For Fairy Tail!" She exclaimed victoriously, stepping onto her fallen opponent with one foot, raising her hand with the guild's pose, finger pointing into the air.
She laughed, flopping down on his back, kicking his sides with her heels.
"Come on, run horsey!" She ordered, giggling of exhilaration.
"I can't – I'm dead." Jellal's voice came, muffled from being buried in blankets.
"No, you're defeated," Asuka corrected strictly, rocking back and forth to animate him. "Or we can-" she searched the room with her eyes, spotting Erza in the door.
"Erza!" She called happily. Jellal winced, remaining exactly where he was. Erza could not keep from chuckling anymore. She entered the mess that was their bedroom, being greeted by an excitedly bouncing child. "I beat Acnologia!" The youngest member of Fairy Tail reported triumphantly, holding out her arms. Erza hesitated, then did as she was expected to, picking the girl up. "And I painted the wall and all of those," Asuka rambled on, motioning towards the scattered drawings.
"That must have been quite tiring," Erza said softly.
"Not at all!" Asuka grinned widely. She seemed to be anything but tired, but Bisca and Alzack would have to deal with that. Titania's gaze wandered over to the bed, seeing that one of them definitely could use a night's rest. She mentally noted it down on her things-that-get-him-to-sleep list.
"Do you want to show them to your parents?" She asked, receiving hefty nodding. Asuka jumped down, collecting all of her masterpieces. Erza crawled onto the bed with one knee, putting a hand on Jellal's back. He only exhaled more deeply. Smiling, she leaned down until her lips hovered above his ear. "Do you want me to take her home?" She asked and he hummed into the mattress. Chuckling, Erza pecked his nape, leaving with a thrilled Asuka in tow.