I uploaded this almost a week ago, got the mail and everything... I tried taking it off, replacing it; I wrote to FanFiction, nothing helps… this is the idea I have… sorry for the troubles...
I really don't know how I deserve you guys but you're amazing! It was really hard but so worth waiting to read the reviews as motivation to get writing(I'm so far behind...)! I've never written for such a great community and I'm truly honoured by all of the effort you put into your reviews!
Also thank you guys for all of the congrats on the 100th chapter - it wasn't anything too special but I'm glad you liked it! This is probably the fastest I've ever written this much content and to be frank, it's mostly thanks to you!
Mikasa-Chan, thank you so much for your review! I'm happy to have finally included the mission and I'm even more happy that you are content with it! Also, I love both Mira and Meredy plus her/their teasing to bits, you're more than welcome for that :D Don't you forget to stay safe and healthy, too! Thank you so much for all of your support!
Guest, thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a review! I'm happy to know that you enjoyed the chapter and which parts in particular!
Somnolent Sushi Roll, thank you so much for the review, even though the new chapter was out! Glad to know you like the teasing, is noted, will be kept up ;D haha, Jellal the mom. I like that even better than dad xD Expiration dates are only guidelines and don't mean food is automatically spoiled - very important! Always test/sniff/try food before deeming it garbage! (My inner environmentalist just piped up there...) Author-San thanks you manyfold for your wonderful support!
Mitzy123, I love how when there's a 3 in the review, it's meant to be a heart FanFiction doesn't show; thank youu! 'Nosebleed internally' xD
Camila cabello/Wendy Marvel, thank you for your interest! And thanks also for leaving me a review!
CheesyDelphox, thank you so much for your review! You're right, I've only ever mentioned Gajeel but I do have him planned at least once in the near future. Maybe only once... I dunno, is there something involving him you'd deem fitting the story? (Ah, wait, twice, but the other thing's in the further future) Hahaha, naahw I'm sorry but I did have a great laugh at your 'proposal at chapter 420' xDxD Sooner than that, I promise ;) Thank you so much for your compliments on Gray and Natsu; I'm so glad they're coming along well cause they've never been my main focus so I'm happy to hear they're alright :D
foxydame, I cannot tell you enough how happy I am to have saved up your review for motivation because it rocks. Thank you so so much! I'm tempted to quote the entire thing xD I'm so glad you find my writing consistent! Thanks so much for mentioning the beginning of the chapter - that was something I hadn't tried before so I'm even more happy to know you liked it! Sob story xD Love it. I am still waiting on the official Unison Raid of them but damn, I just had to include it. 'post-mission make out session' xDxD I can't get enough of this. Thank you so much!
pilikali, thank you so much for your review! As said, I'd really love a Mashima-made Grand Chariot of the two but this'll have to do for now :D
You guys are sooo kind and patient! T_T Thank you so much for your patience with me and your enthusiasm!
Erza let out a long sigh when finally reaching the front door. Tugging on her glove, she removed it with her teeth to find the key in her pocket, unlocking the door. Only then noticing that she could have unequipped it instead. How quickly habits changed, she noticed with a smile, Jellal's constant attention to taking her coat or scarf most likely responsible.
Using magic then, she shed her winter clothes in trade for a more comfortable, yet still warm array. Shopping really was tiring and she guessed correctly that her beloved had been out for a shorter time than her by the sweet smell emitting from the kitchen. She could not help her excitement tough, happily awaiting Christmas, thoughts constantly focused on gifts and celebrations and time spent with family.
"Erza," Jellal greeted her with a charming smile, the partially unbuttoned shirt making her wonder whether he would not get too cold. She smiled back, already on her way to find what he had come up with to treat her. Nothing, it seemed, the counters and oven empty. "In the bedroom," he leaned against the doorframe, waiting for her to pass him to check. She frowned, amused by his smirk, finding a plate of chocolates to be, in fact, waiting on the nightstand. There were fresh roses in a vase and candles lining up all around, flickering with warmth, making it hard to see the dark sweets against the wooden nightstand.
So she turned on the light, unaware of his face pulling into a grimace behind her.
"Isn't it impractical to keep them here?" She commented. "I'll only ruin the sheets," she made her way over to the plate.
"That's okay," Jellal brought out, trying to let his shoulders sink and his smirk return.
"These are really lovely" Erza stopped next to the bed, admiring the flowers when a faint rustling at her feet caught her attention. "Oh, you dropped some," she bent down to what appeared to be too many petals for a single bouquet of flowers, finding more on the bed, brushing them onto the pile on the ground for cleaning.
"Don't pick them up," his voice was dropping, slightly pressed between clenched jaws. Turning, Erza put her hands on her hips. He frowned a little disappointedly, glancing down at her but she would hear no protests.
"I know you don't mind being the housewife of us but I want to help you, too," she tapped his chin upwards in a gentle lecture. Popping a chocolate into her mouth, she held up her hand to see the coating to have melted already. His own came to wind around her arm, tracing up to her palm, enclosing it sensually while his tongue worked on licking the chocolate remains off, eyes never straying from hers, narrowing slightly. She had to laugh.
"Are you trying to seduce me?"
"Maybe…?" He trailed lowly and she just laughed again, pulling away to pick up the plate behind her.
"They'll melt," she reminded as she nonchalantly strolled back out, blaming the candles which she found rather impractical to begin with. Upon that, a deep groan escaped him and he threw his hands up in defeat. She blinked at his crestfallen expression in puzzlement. "What?"
"Nothing…" he grumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"What did I say?" She persisted.
"You… no, never mind," he sighed, practically deflating with discouragement.
"Jellal," Erza pressed but he turned away.
"Forget it,"
"Forget what? What did I do?" She put the plate back down. "Did you want to eat them here?" Her frown increased, dissolving when it finally hit her with her toes in the petals and the curtains closed that early, his half-opened shirt and candle armada. "Hold on," she gasped, "you were trying to seduce me!" Her eyes bulged as she stared at his back.
"Forget it," he only repeated, not turning to face her.
"No, Jellal," she grasped his sleeve to stop him from leaving, "I'm sorry, try again," she offered a smile.
"No." His lower lip pushed out into a pout. She let out a breath.
"Why not?" Erza switched strategies, lowering her lids. "Wouldn't want all of this to go to waste," she trailed a finger along the firm muscles of his exposed chest but he shrugged her off.
"Don't you seduce me; this was supposed to be my turn," he nagged, the pout thickly dripping off his tone.
"Sorry, sorry, I'll stop," her frown returned into a desperate one when she wanted anything but retreat. "Just-"
"No,"
"Jellal,"
"No, I'll go now," he lifted his chin with what almost sounded like a defiantly childish sniffle.
"Don't-"
"I need to repolish my broken ego with something manly," he announced. "I'll start on ironing my new apron," he nodded to himself, disappearing in the bathroom. She was about to roll her eyes when his words set in. New apron. That was right, she had already bought him one! So much for that present idea but she had another ace up her sleeve.
"Jellal," Erza huffed, pursuing him, concentrating on the task at hand. He had already unfolded the ironing board, rummaging through the washing machine where he found one of her blouses. She put her hands on her hips. "Come back and seduce me," she ordered. His pout returned.
"No."
"Jellal,"
"Na-ah," he did not look up, spreading out the white fabric.
"Please?" She resorted to begging but he decidedly shook his head.
"Not happening today."
Their lips moved relentlessly. Against each other, open-mouthed, hungrily. Erza shoved her hand up the back of his head, drawing him closer, practically inhaling him. His own were travelling to her lower back, enticing a shiver as they went and creating goose bumps on their way back up beneath her shirt. He had long lost their wrestle of tongues, so he attacked along her jawline, down her throat to her collarbones.
Erza threw her head back when he trailed hot kisses down her sternum over her ribs and past her navel. He took his time, swollen lips dragging over silky skin, finally reaching the lacy hem of her knickers. He skipped them. Erza gave a noise of complaint.
"Jellal…" she scolded between heavy breathing, staring at him over her heaving chest.
"Patience," he merely purred, wandering up with more caresses of his lips from her ankle to her calf. She opened her mouth in protest, turning into an unintended mewl when he gently suckled on the insides of her thighs, going up further, higher. Her toes curled, hands gripping the rim where she leaned against. Or laid on half way.
With a prurient flick of his tongue and another sucking to leave his mark at the very top of the inside of her thigh, Jellal finally headed for her desired area. He pecked the in fabric covered skin briefly, then rose to meet her face with a friendlily dorky smile.
"Good?" He asked and she growled. Taking his face, she smashed that stupidly content grin of off his lips, biting his lower one until nearly drawing blood. He gave a muffled moan. Erza wiped all teasing off his agenda, gripping his arms, piercing them with her nails to gain the upper hand. He swore under his breath when her tongue took the tour to where his neck dipped into his shoulder. It drove her as mad as her sounds drove him feral.
It all escalated into a battle of who could get the other to moan louder, as well as who would be the last to tease until neither could hold back anymore.
The washing machine jolted though not due to washing. The laundry was scattered all over the floor, old and new.
Jellal later collected everything, deciding which would still count as clean while throwing everything else back into the laundry drum. It was hardly enough, so Erza went and stripped the mattress, blankets and pillows off their sheets. Then it was way too much.
They washed twice and she hung the newly dripping clothes and covers while he ironed her blouses.
"You know this doesn't count as my seduction," he pointedly commented after a while. Sighing, Erza leaned onto the sink, propping her head up in her palm.
"Then I have something else to look forward to," she smirked, narrowing her eyes at him. He ignored it, though his cheeks adapted their pink tint anew. "We still have to shower, anyway…" she hinted but the anticipated rejection came.
"I told you before-"
"It's not that risky! I mean if I can slay one hundred monsters, I can keep standing in the shower,"
"It'll be a disaster – at least one of us will fall,"
"You can't know that until we've tried,"
"I'm fairly sure without the experience," he said, plucking on the flounce of her blouse, keeping it out of the way of his iron.
"Just think," she sidled up to him, raising to her toes to purr into his ear, "otherwise you'll never know…" she lowered her voice, "it'll haunt you forever,"
"You will,"
"You will forever be unable to fall asleep with the thought 'why didn't we do it in the shower?' keeping you awake,"
"Erza!" Jellal spun to give her a look and she fleetly ducked beneath his arm to steal herself between him and the ironing board. She laughed at his upset face, at his deepening blush and the returning pout he tried to supress a chuckle with. "You're such a child sometimes,"
"I don't think this would be an appropriate action for children,"
"We're not doing that,"
"Why not?" She whined. Her finger drew circles over his still bare chest and it took him every ounce of will not to give in to the shiver she caused. "We have a bath mat,"
"Erza, you're burning your shirt," he said with a deadpan expression.
"Right," she nodded in a played serious way. "You can distract, Mister, but I will get what I-" she choked on the reek of smoke. Turning, her eyes widened at the sight of the iron pressing through her blouse, already blackened and perforated. She grimaced. Then summoned a sword.
"Wait, wait," Jellal grabbed her wrist, the other hand reaching for the iron. Turning it off and taking it away he revealed the now completely ruined piece of clothing. What a good thing that she had multiple, Erza thought to herself. "What did you get that for?" He asked, lifting their arms.
Erza tilted her head at her blade, letting it disappear again.
"Habit?"
The giant Christmas tree in front of Kardia Cathedral was already standing, lights blinking high and low, stringing warmly through the streets of Magnolia. The Fairy Tail guild hall was no exception. In- and outside hung an abundance of twinkling, yellowish lights of all shapes and sizes, a wild bunch that was yet somehow very compatible. As if there could have been a better representation of the guild.
The morning was still young, the entire city in an excited hustle for the upcoming evening. Erza had promised him not to get drunk this time, so they had compromised on celebrating with the guild once all the preparations were done and then return home by themselves. And Meredy, should she want to.
"Sting! Rogue!" Natsu yelled across half the guildhall. "And Lector and Frosch," he grinned widely while his friends came over. The Exceeds came to greet Happy who proudly showed them around.
Jellal sighed under his breath where he had sat down at the bar with nothing to do after helping with paperwork. Erza was still out with the girls to get more supplies, groceries and sake for the late hours and he felt bad for just leaving. Everyone was in such a good mood, it was almost reaching him.
Watching from the side, he was more than glad that it was Sabertooth and not Mermaid Heel who had come to visit. He was not too keen on another encounter with Kagura, though it had not been as bad to meet her again as he would have thought.
"Jellal!" Sorano waved, skipping over to her former guildmate.
"Sorano," he stood, "it's good to see you," he said and she smiled back. She was as flashy as ever, her feathery outfit adapted to the cold season and she even had a bundle of jiggling bells attached to her headband.
"Where's Meredy?" She asked immediately.
"Should be back soon," he informed and she pursed her lips. He waited for protests she appeared to be holding in. He blinked at her expectantly. "What?"
"She's out and you're not on her heels?" She sounded suspicious, slightly unbelieving. He kept from rolling his eyes, putting even more effort into keeping his face relaxed and most importantly, not flushed.
"Of course," he nonchalantly replied – at least so he hoped. She raised a brow. It was hard to read whether she was upset with his overprotectiveness as usual or whether she actually disapproved of him not acting that way right now. Perhaps she could not quite decide yet either.
"Hey," Sting came over, "you're Jellal, right?" He asked so directly, Jellal all but nodded. He remembered the blond to be from Sabertooth, a Dragon Slayer if he was not mistaken. That was about all. He was not inattentive, he merely filtered what was important to him. He recalled the rivalries between the guilds, the clashing of Gajeel and Natsu with the two – that's right, it hit him, they were a duo – Dragon Slayers and he caught on quickly that they had put the past aside and become friends.
Why he was being addressed, however, was a mystery to him.
"Remember me? I'm Sting, the Master of Sabertooth," Sting introduced himself at the puzzled expression he received. Not that that had been the issue.
"You took in Sorano," Jellal gratefully noted and she cleared her throat meaningfully.
"No, I went there because I wanted to and no one could stop me," she lifted her chin and Sting gave a short chuckle, then a look she interpreted correctly as her cue to leave. Jellal frowned.
"You're with Fairy Tail now, right?" Sting asked. "Natsu told me when I met him on a job," he disclosed, making the question unnecessary. Not that Jellal was able to keep up. He sank back down onto his stool when Sting sat down on the one next to him. "I heard you work for the Council now; that's quite the achievement since you're in a guild – congrats," he grinned.
"Uh, thanks," Jellal managed an uneasy smile, slowly relaxing again. Why did people have to be interested in him?
"So I wanted to ask – I hope that's not rude," Sting went on, delighted to see Mira place a big mug of hot cocoa in front of him, offering a shot of amaretto which he promptly accepted. He turned back to Jellal. "I wanted to ask if you could convince the Council to lower the registration fees," he said. Jellal stared at him, not knowing what to say.
"I… don't think-"
"It's not like we can't pay them or anything, but we've been inviting a lot of new members lately and it's so much paperwork and the costs aren't exactly cheap so I thought maybe – for all the guilds' benefit, of course – that you could ask them." He grinned. Jellal felt himself pale. He could not just go to the Council and demand a law to be changed! It was hard enough to keep excusing his own wishes and the fact that Erza marched in and out as she liked. Still, Sting was a friend of the guild and he did have a point, if a small one.
"I'm not sure…" Jellal glanced elsewhere, thinking hard how to turn him down while also not turning him down. Maybe it was not too big of a deal, he tried to convince himself; maybe he just did not know enough and it was such a tiny detail, no one would mind. But it still meant he would have to go to his superiors and beg for discounts.
"They must be swimming in Jewels with all of those fees and the support from the Queen," Sting tried again. "It's not like they desperately need it,"
"He ain't doin' no favours," a deep voice cut in, the bar shaking with the fist that clashed down on it. Sting frowned, turning to come face to face with Laxus. He raised a brow, taking a casual gulp of his hot cocoa laced with alcohol.
"It's not a big deal, I was just hoping that since he-"
"If Fairy Tail doesn't get favours, you kitty-cats don't either," Laxus growled. Sting's eyes narrowed above the rim of his beverage.
"What do you mean if Fairy Tail doesn't?" He swallowed, his mug clanking as it hit the counter. "Think you're better, huh?"
"We won the games, didn't we?" Laxus' expression was unchanging.
"And that makes you the better guild?"
"I meant – for your information – that if Fairy Tail doesn't ask of their own comrade to go grovel at the Council, don't come thinking you can use him like that,"
"It was just a question…" Sting grumbled. Huffing, he emptied his drink in one gulp, shoving it back over to Mira, glaring at the Lightning Dragon Slayer as he stood. His mood seemed to lighten quickly, however, the moment he joined his guildmates and friends bringing the smile back to his lips.
With an even stronger huff, Laxus planted himself down on the now empty stool.
"Stupid," his elbow came to rest on the counter.
"Thank you," Jellal said, receiving a shrug.
"You okay there?" He asked without so much as glancing at him. A long sigh then escaped Jellal and he sank a little into himself.
"No, that was horrible," he honestly admitted. His hand came up, propping up his face for a moment. He would have screwed up completely would he have been on his own, both by agreeing as well as refusing. Or so it felt, a defeat in any case. Not that having to be defended was not a defeat, too.
Laxus watched him from the side, then lifted two fingers to Mira. Promptly, two steaming-hot mulled wines slid over.
"No, thank you." Jellal declined, waving off.
"You don't have to feel guilty – he was being insolent," Laxus said, his voice lowered slightly. He took his own drink, stirring the stick of cinnamon into the glassy-red liquid.
"Still, it feels wrong to be working on both fronts so calculatingly – I want to do him that favour and I already know I'll look into it back at work but…"
"Yeah, don't do that," Laxus shoved the drink closer.
"I don't want it, thanks," Jellal repeated while at the same time taking it. It was warm in his hands and it smelled delicious. He prodded the cinnamon stick where it poked out. He did do Fairy Tail those favours, but he did not ask his opinion to be acted upon. They did not ask him to do it. And he would have utilised the same strategy now – dropped the topic for the Council to decide, but he knew that would have felt both greedy and hypocritical. Like a favour unfulfilled.
Lifting the glass to his lips, he hesitated, then tasted a sip.
"You don't owe them shit, you know," Laxus sipped his own, a bigger gulp by far. Usually piercing eyes still watched him from the side but Jellal did not feel like meeting them. He had found out why Sting had been so interested in him. Laxus was still an enigma, though a more pleasant one.
"I still feel like I do." He said under the pressure of replying. "Like I owe the entire world," he lowered his voice.
"That's crap, no one does. Now stop moping, it's pathetic to watch," Laxus gave a puff; a good-humoured one, as far as one could tell. At least by the wide smile on Mira's face. She was not even trying to pretend not to be listening, friendlily drying the same mug for roughly five minutes.
"Get used to it," Jellal retorted, touching his lips to the rim of his glass again. His brows furrowed into a frown and he caught himself, placing the alcoholic beverage down. "Bad habit," he said, more to himself, shoving the drink away a little. Laxus snorted with short laughter.
"Is that your own or your Mistress' opinion?" He grinned and Jellal shot him a look from the side, eyes narrowed, though not with enough energy to be truly irritated. He had no idea how Erza managed the entire ballyhoo without tiring. These people were so… open and there were so many of them.
"I have own opinions, believe it or not," he finally gave back, a tad pointedly.
"When she says 'sit', you sit, right?" Laxus raised a brow and when there was no answer, sighed deeply. "You know you don't owe her anything either," he waited longer this time, his other brow lifting as well when there was no reply for another moment to pass.
"Too much to make up for, I'm afraid…" Jellal suppressed a sigh of his own, staring at the invitingly smelling mulled wine in front of him.
"Here we go," Laxus rolled his eyes and Jellal pouted to himself. His finger drew random lines on the wooden surface when he felt as if he was not being taken too seriously, also not wanting to talk to anyone about that. Perhaps Meredy but that would entail a whole swarm of giddily celebrating girls right now.
Laxus finished his beverage, notifying Mira with a wink of his hand.
"And when you just offset that with the things she tortured you with…?" He faded for Jellal to fill in the gaps. He shook his head.
"She never did anything to hurt me; she's an angel," Jellal decidedly stated. Laxus choked on his next drink with laughter while a tiny squeal escaped Mirajane.
"Erza? An angel?" He laughed again, a roaring, hoarse laughter. "Then I guess we're all saints," he wiped the spilled drink from his chin with his sleeve. "Got any idea of what she's called around here? Where the name 'Titania' came from? She's a monster,"
"Then you don't know her like I do," Jellal almost pushed out his lower lip, pursing it instead.
"That I believe," Laxus grinned teasingly. Jellal muttered something unintelligible in return, more to himself, torn between defending her and not needing to. They had only just established that he did not owe anyone anything – though it had been Laxus' observation, not Jellal's feeling.
He did not notice Mira to be slipping away. The She-Devil intercepted Erza on her way to the bar, whispering into her ear. Laxus narrowed his eyes, not commenting on how she stomped off into the direction of their visitors, assembling all of Sabertooth's present members for a lecture. It was the perfect proof for his words but he kept it to himself – secretly glad not to be one of the scolded ones, not that he would ever admit that, but she could be intimidating at times.
Jellal became alert the second his beloved's voice boomed over the rest of the commotion but Laxus waved it off, pushing the drink closer again. Still slightly crestfallen, Jellal sipped it.
With a furiously sharp exhale, the Queen of the Fairies announced herself at the bar a minute later. Both Mira and Laxus braced themselves, however the second she arrived by Jellal's side, she softened, as if exchanged, caringly putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Did you wait long?" She avoided the topic, her eyes and voice gentle, kindly reassuring him without having to address anything. His insecurities melted off him like pearls of hot wax on an oiled surface. The two at the bar remaining S-Class Mages stared in disbelief, snickering after another heartbeat of stunned silence.