With all of your reviews, how is there even the possibility of having a bad day… there certainly isn't for me!
CheesyDelphox, thanks so much for the review! And for letting me know that the 'dirty' isn't overdone by now and that you still enjoy it! Very glad to hear! And wow, thank you so much for such a wonderful complement! That really hit home – I'm so happy to know that you find my grammar good! Thanks!
Mitzy123, of course you do! What I enjoy most next to fangirling about chapter's content (and praises of course, I'm a sucker for those, naturally) is being inspired by you! Yeh, it's still in the house ':D Thank you also for letting me know to like the last part; I'm really glad to hear it! Thaanks for reviewing! Love to read it!
Wendy Marvel, admirable? You're so sweet, honestly, I swooned with such kindness you address me with and how polite you are – thank you so much! And highlight of your day? Well, hearing (reading) that from you was the highlight of my day! And just aww, you're really so nice! I was all better that day already, thanks (even doing another review for that!)!
Mikasa-Chan, I reeeally love your enthusiasm, thank you so much! Hehe, don't worry, we're getting there eventually (even if my brain doesn't want to help on coming up with a wedding at all yet…). And thanks so much for requesting action; saved me my tiny block for a following chapter! Idea-factory is in the works and liking so far what it is developing. Hope you'll like it, too! Have a good day, too, you polite person you!
Somnolent Sushi Roll… (deep inhale…) Thaaaaank youuu! I was so excited with your review, I stopped in the middle of work to grin like an idiot at my screen. And then I later showed it to mum, just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and wiggling and her eyes got bigger and bigger at how immensely long that review was. Thank you so much! You kidding me, I love your lil reactions! Makes me want to go all ohmaghad, too :D I know, right? I think that if Mashima really will make any more content than the 100YQ, it should be a 'Times of Crime Sorcière' one. Ah, so many things you mentioned, makes me soo happy! More Meredy-and-Jellal-back-in-the-day recollections are already planned 😉
And aww, you're so sweet, too; how are you all so sweet?! I laughed at the 'osum' :D again, taking the time to write another review, thank you so much!
Isanien, even though the updates are three chaps up ahead, you're still taking all the time and making all the effort for such detailed reviews of every single chapter; you're amazing, thank you so much! Makes me very very happy! So many things you mentioned, it's so good to hear what you liked, I'm really very honoured with so much attention and praise, thank you! Love how you just adapt the emotions into brackets as well (winking face- oh wait, I can do that 😉 xD)!
foxydame, so sweet of you, too, wishing me recovery – honestly you guys are just the best! Thank you so much for your review! You're always so sharp, mentioning things from so long ago; I feel very appreciated with the work put into past chapters, thank you so much for that! And also for letting me know to like the teases. There's more where that came from ;D
I'm only just noticing how dense it was of me to use weekdays now (not concerning the names, that was important for worldbuilding aspects) but to even put up the choice if that's okay. I mean… I've been counting in weeks of seven days since chapter one ':D
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy!
"Huge nose or toes all grown together?"
"Toes – makes me a faster swimmer," he said, not for the first time puzzled at how she came up with such ridiculous notions. "Silver or gold?"
"Silver. Never again shower or never again bathe?"
"Oof, that's a touch one..." Jellal frowned. The hand on his nape distracted him – not in a bad way, naturally. "Anything as long as you still join me," he decided, earning himself a smile. "Long missions or short missions?"
"Ehm... short missions," she ran her hand up to his hair, mellowly scratching his scalp. "Middle of the desert or middle of the ocean?"
"Ocean,"
"Why?"
"I'm not one for warm climates," Jellal shrugged. There was a hint of light coming through the curtain, telling him that it was already late in the morning. Not that he minded.
"Wouldn't you worry about the millions of creatures beneath you in the deep dark?" Erza asked, seemingly fascinated by her own question. And she was by far better at finding interesting ones than him, he admitted. "Also you could freeze to death,"
"Muscles will stay warm if you keep moving,"
"But you'd have to keep moving the entire time – in the desert, you don't have to move to stay alive,"
"You'll dry out or burn even if you don't,"
"Not at night,"
"Also you can float on water," he argued back. She was contagious with her ever-changing moods, completely absorbed in the topic. Just like she was with games.
"In the middle of a raging ocean?"
"Hm..." he gave a hum, never ceasing to draw shapeless lines along the small of her back. He had already caressed the now faded line of where her bra had been the last night, now reaching her lacy waistband, finding it back in place. Erza smiled at his actions, a light shiver of pleasure rippling up her back from where he touched her supple skin. "Cat or dog?"
"Cat – dogs don't purr," she replied as if prepared for the question. Perhaps she was, he pondered, finding himself rather predictable. Then again, she gave the most random things a thought or ten too many so this might just be one of those tiny obsessions of hers.
"Dogs play fetch,"
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Erza scolded and he chuckled at her pout. He nudged the tip of her nose with his, then kissed away the pout of her lower lip, nipping at it playfully. "Mmh," Erza sighed, parting her lips to give him better access, suckling lightly on his in response. Her smile was wide and her eyes shone lovingly when he met them again. "Breakfast here or breakfast in town?" She asked next. He gave her side a teasing poke and she yelped, only to find herself having jumped closer to him. Not being something to pass him by, the chance was used immediately in the form of his arm wrapping around her more tightly.
"Hmm, that depends on A: what you're craving, B: whether we can afford it and C: which of those first two options will win," he grinned. Erza scowled, wiggling in his embrace, though not out. Of course not out. She pushed her lower lip out again but he knew it was more of a temptation for him to fall for. So he restrained himself, unable to suppress a grin when she growled in annoyance at his lack of attention.
She overtook the task from him and Jellal nearly choked on his attitude when she stole his breath alongside a heated kiss.
"I think we still have plenty in the fridge," she finally decided, leaving him slightly dazed. She giggled at that, giving her leg a little extra pressure when climbing over him and her hips a little extra swing as she sauntered into the bathroom. She did not close the door, not even when the shower's water began to run.
Rubbing his face, Jellal granted himself a long in- and exhale. He pushed himself out of bed, about to follow when something caught his attention. He stood still, harking. It was still there. Continuous and further off but still audible. Almost like... the curring of a pigeon.
Frowning, Jellal made his way to the bedroom door. The noise stopped once he opened the door, then continued after a moment of silence. Was his messenger from the Council still in the house? Cringing – mostly on his own behalf – when he imagined how he would have to face his superiors or basically anyone at work with where the bird had vanished off to, he made his way down the hall. It seemed to be listening to him as much as he was to its quiet cooing as he tried to locate its hiding spot.
After a while, he only needed to trace down the dirt the pigeon had left for him to clean up down the hall. It sat atop a cornice and Jellal wondered whether it had been upstairs the entire time, whether it had… heard… did pigeons have good hearing? He scratched the idea. Holding out an arm – coming to think that was rather the approach to a bird of prey – he gently asked it to come down. To his surprise, it did.
A little hectic but somewhat glad from what he could tell, the pigeon landed on his arm, then flapped its wings, hitting his face a couple of times until settling on his shoulder. He was not sure what it was but something about him made it calm down even without soothing words. He just had that about him – animals tended to like him rather easily.
Opening the window, he released the accidental prisoner and it took off immediately, right into the direction of the Council. Perhaps he would not have to explain anything, Jellal thought, sighing to himself in relief. Making his way to the kitchen, he peeked into the fridge, discovering that Erza had infected him with an appetite for sweetness in the morning, proceeding to prepare banana bread.
"No, nothing special,"
"Which is probably why you work into the night,"
"Stop that," Jellal grumbled. Meredy giggled through the communication lacrima.
"It'd be easier for all of us if you wouldn't try to hide things – you know we know anyway. Erza and I, that is," she said, amusement still ringing in her voice. He propped the lacrima between his shoulder and ear, needing his left hand to hold the paper still. The diary, to be precise.
Since he now knew which date it was, Jellal had decided to make a diary. Not for himself, of course, but for keepsakes of their most fond memories and funny moments and awkward encounters. Anything to bring a smile to her lips when she would read it in the future. A textualisation of their journey together.
Perhaps it would make a good wedding gift – or rather anniversary. Sometime when the events were further away and sparked up those long-ago feelings all the same.
With a sigh, he finished his entry about the admission to the Council. After the weekend, he would use either his break or maybe stretch his working hours a little to continue with their time together in the huge mansion. He did not want to tempt her to peek by writing at home, planning the reveal it as a surprise.
"Laxus asked for you,"
"Oh? Did he say why?" Jellal kept the lacrima up with is shoulder, closing the diary by winding a string of leather around the plain green hardcover. He would have to craft a nicer exterior sometime, but that could wait.
"No, and he didn't ask again but I think he still looked a little seeking,"
"Seeking?"
"You don't remember drinking with him the night of our joining, do you?"
"No…" Jellal admitted. Sliding the book into his coat's inner pocket, he finally took the lacrima into his hand again. He rolled his head around in a circle to get rid of the stiffness.
"Neither do I…" Meredy sheepishly supplied. "But my guess would be that something happened there,"
"Like an agreement?"
"Maybe be just likes ya," she speculated. He gave a look to no one in particular but she could hear it in his tone.
"Right,"
"In any case, you're both dearly missed,"
"How's the house?"
"In one piece,"
"Good,"
"Oh, and Bisca asked if you could babysit sometime – they're thinking about a real good job. When are you coming back?"
"I don't know yet," Jellal sighed under his breath. He carefully snuck into the bedroom, finding it completely clad in darkness, a lump in the sheets telling him that she had not waited up. Probably asleep. He stole himself into the bathroom, closing the door and lowering his voice. "Might be another week or so,"
"Roger that. I'll hold the fort here,"
"Thank you, Meredy,"
"No prob," there was a smile in her voice.
"You haven't told me how you are yet," he noted, putting a tiny blob of toothpaste onto his toothbrush. It was still all so wonderful – having a proper bathroom, running water both warm and cold whenever needed, toothpaste, a toilet, a shower, a fridge. He could never get tired of it all. He still sometimes called it luxury and maybe that label would never quite change in his head.
"Fine, nothing out of the ordinary." Meredy said before he could ask any further. "I already went on missions with Juvia twice and the second time, we invited Gray so I could have a bit of fun with teasing him," she giggled.
"The poor man,"
"Well, now that you're mostly grown up – and currently unavailable,"
"That's never kept you from taking it out on me…"
"I need to get my entertainment from somewhere." She pointed out while ignoring the rustling he created by brushing his teeth next to the speaker. "Jason was here again – the Sorcerer Weekly guy – he wanted to do another feature on you,"
"Don't tell him where we are,"
"I won't…" she trailed, fading out. He could practically see her gaze avert and her hands clasp behind her back.
"You already did, didn't you?" He sighed, accidentally slobbering a bit of foam. He went to rinse out his mouth, washing his face and the running a hand through his hair. He almost missed the tiny ponytail Erza sometimes forced onto him, propping the lacrima back on his shoulder to gather up a few strands in the back, regarding it in the mirror.
"Not me, but yeah, someone blabbed and so you miiight encounter him sometime if he actually went to Era,"
"Brilliant," he rolled his eyes. Not that it was not nice how Meredy protected her now fellow guildmates by not peaching against them. She was perfectly suited in Fairy Tail, he found, giving him a good conscience for staying away for so long.
"But you'll be at work, anyway. How is it? Think they'll make you chairman or something soon?" She asked excitedly, chewing on something he presumed to be a late dinner.
"Ha, I doubt it," Jellal laughed shortly. "But I wouldn't want to, anyway. I'm rather satisfied with my current occupation – it's really exciting sometimes,"
"Paper work?"
"The cases. Some really bizarre people walk Earthland…"
"Ooh, do you have scandals and affairs, too? Or just murders and robberies?"
"A slice of all of that,"
"But you don't have to defend them, do you?" Her snack was crunchy and he crossed his fingers, hoping she was not eating them on the bed.
"No, I only prepare them – see what sentence would be most applicable for the Council to decide on," he explained. "What is in favour or against the accused, what the Council needs to expect in terms of defence," he illuminated. Only missing his sleeping shirt, otherwise ready, Jellal yawned as to unsuspiciously indicate to be wanting to sleep. Meredy giggled, seeing right through him again, commenting on it to lure out a reluctant blush.
She complied, however, unsuccessfully hiding a genuine yawn of her own.
With heavy lids and a long sigh, Jellal finally fell into bed. He snuggled up closely to Erza who gave a small moan in her almost undisturbed slumber. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself mentally for a weekend full of city tours, hikes and restaurant visits. Fortunately for him, there was no reporter to interrupt them.
Sometimes, she was a mystery to him. As he walked into the kitchen, Jellal watched with amusement how Erza stuck her tongue out in concentration. She was scrawling something onto a piece of paper and he assumed it to be another list of groceries, even if they still had enough to last them a day or two. Not that he would not be grateful for her overtaking the shopping when he was out all day and tired after work.
Shrugging on the jacket of his suit, Jellal jerked his shoulders until everything fell into place. He left the buttons open when noticing not to have done is tie yet. It was not his favourite part about the job at the Council – the fancy way of dressing – but he did appreciate to be given a guideline on what to wear, saving him a lot of insecure and self-conscious decision making. So he gladly went along with it.
Every member, so it seemed, had their own interpretation of 'proper', some coming in traditional clothes like Jura while others found capes to be in order. Settling with a simple dark anthracite suit was the best solution, Jellal found, and with the weekend over a little too soon, his comfortable clothes went back to Erza.
"You're certainly awake," he commented, glancing at the clock. For once, he was the one more tired and less active in the morning. The gods knew where she got the energy from.
"Mhm," Erza nodded, tongue pressed up to her lip as she scribbled on. Grabbing his briefcase – a gift from his beloved that she had acquired during her shopping trip on Friday – Jellal threw a glance over her shoulder. His eyes widened slightly and he was not sure whether so laugh or run.
'Erza Fernandes' it read in an attempt at swirled letters. Below, there were a few more versions, 'Jellal Scarlet' somewhere in the mix, too. He felt his cheeks heat up.
"W-what are you doing?" He cursed at his stupid stutter and his stupid question. It was plainly obvious what she was doing.
"I'm practising," Erza nodded to herself in that adorably complacent way of hers. He swallowed, for once not able to enjoy her cuteness.
"You don't have to do that, we're not even married yet," he said, stumbling backwards when she jumped up from her seat.
"Yet?!" Erza exclaimed. He tried to swallow again, his mouth dried out. Well, this was not going as planned, he thought to himself, seeking an easy escape. Not that he did not want to talk about that – he did want to ask her to marry him, only…
"Say, Jellal…" she was not staring at him anymore, her head lowered, knees wagging together. There was a blush on her face and he felt his heart leap into his throat. Shit, he clenched his jaw. She was not supposed to ask him! That would be his job! It had to be perfect; not some random morning in a kitchen that was not even their own. And besides, he wanted to be the one to do it. When he was ready… when everything was ready. There was a plan this had to accord with.
"Have you…" she hesitated and his mind was ablaze with seeking for ways out without hurting her feelings. "Have you ever… thought about having… uh… children? Sometime," she added hastily, nervously. Jellal now felt his heart crush his ribcage.
"I thought we were just talking about marriage; how did that escalate so quickly?" He gave a short laugh, focusing his attention on his tie again, poorly pretending to be nonchalant. His brain was on fire, his face flaming with blush.
"Oh, just, you know," Erza tapped her fingers together awkwardly, "because that's what normally follows and all… in most cases, I mean…"
"Well, we've never quite followed any status quo, have we?" He said quickly, his panic seeping through his pores in the form of hot sweat, pooling at his nape. It was a rhetorical question and he was glad she did not try to answer. "And we're not exactly the most normal case, either," he laughed again, a forced staccato laughter and she must have known, her eyes staying glued to her feet at how incredibly unconvincing he was. At how uncomfortable they both were.
Feeling as if having stabbed her right in the chest – not even back – Jellal heard his demons of guilt scream even louder than the rushing of blood in his ears and the drumming of his heart against his ribcage. He used meteor to reach the Council's building, drying off his skin before the sweat could drench his clothes, saving himself any more that would be caused by the usually long hike up the mountain.
His skin was burning from the cold, feeling as if shaved off with a razor-sharp blade but his face was still too flushed to come from the weather alone.
Nodding to the guards, he entered where the front doors were held open for him. His pace was swift, his steps echoing down the long corridors until he finally reached his office. Hanging his coat and scarf with slightly shaking hands, Jellal all but flopped down into his chair, giving a long groan.
Why did she have to choose such a topic that early in the morning?