Goku275, thank you so so much for your review! I think I already answered you but I can't stop thanking you for your support! I am definitely feeling appreciated ;)
just3because3, thank you so much for leaving me a review! I'm guessing you were the one cheering for a baby boy quite a while ago; I haven't forgotten, cause I finally made up my mind about the baby/babies gender, name and looks. Dunno if you want spoilers, otherwise time will tell :D
pilikali, there's no reason to apologise; I'm just more than happy to read your review! Haha, yeah it was confusing, and I imagine computer translation makes it all more complicated to understand ':D I used to make dreams in italics, why did I stop that...? Anyway, Jellal and Erza are going to talk about the length of the pregnancy below. Thank you for the review and sticking with the story even though it's so difficult to understand with the language barrier.
Hope you enjoy!
With dreams as odd as her last one, Jellal had blamed the bed.
"Maybe it holds a grudge after all the love making…" she had pondered aloud. In order to test their ridiculous theory, Jellal had proposed to sleep under the stars that night. Within Erza's giant two-people sleeping bag, she had drifted off peacefully to the sound of his voice where he had recounted how to find constellations and their meanings.
The following day, Jellal set out to find the ingredients for Erza's newest four-in-the-morning craving: jelly. The red one, she had sternly explained, then snuggled back into bed. A superfluous hint as it turned out, when Caelum did not seem to sell gelatine. At least not in their small village.
Unable to decide between making her angry by taking too long while riding a train back and forth, and coming back empty-handed, Jellal made use of his since days untouched magic powers, dashing all the way to the next biggest city with Meteor, returning the same way.
Panting slightly, he unlocked the front door. The sun was already nearing its peak. He prayed Erza had slept until now – at least that she would not be angry again. He knew it was hormone-infused behaviour, but with her generally cute yet frightening changes from bingo-enthusiast to murderous table-thrower, he was keen on basking in her favour.
The bed was empty. To his surprise however, the sheets were not crumpled, but neatly spread out. Almost as if there had been room service. Noises from the kitchen drew his attention to the ajar door. Leaving his boots behind, Jellal did not need to take off any jacket – something he had regretted when the wind had icily whipped against his skin while using Meteor. Groceries in hand, he peeked into the kitchen.
"Welcome back," Erza greeted without turning around. Donning an apron, she was stirring in a pot with a wooden spoon. A savoury smell reached him. So much for jelly.
Entering nonetheless, Jellal dropped his ingredients on the counter next to the fridge.
"I see you've been busy," he glanced into the pot when she went to set the table. Cabbage, he guessed, or perhaps spinach? Judging by the smell, it might have been savoy. Whatever had gotten into her, he had to frown with amusement. Going to help her with the plates and cutlery, he glanced at her face from below. One could never be too careful. Perhaps she was mad about him having taken so long?
"I thought I'd make us lunch," was all she replied. No ire, no annoyance… but was that a pout?
"Thank you," Jellal tried to catch her eyes. His amusement only grew when her gaze merely grazed his, fleetly turning away to stir in their lunch. "I was prepared to make us dessert for breakfast," he reminded gently. The stirring quickened ever so slightly.
"Since you're not too big a fan of that and it's already late …" she drawled. When he approached her, she spun to face him. Eyes big, she stared up. "Is that okay?" He tilted his head.
"Of course, love," he kissed her forehead. "It smells lovely," he reassured. She dropped her head against his chest.
"I want to be a good wife, too," she muttered into his shirt. Jellal exhaled strongly, a soothing smile on his lips.
"You are," he wound his arms around her. She copied him immediately. "The best there is,"
"I even made something healthy," she slowly mirrored his smile. "And I made the bed and washed without mingling white and red," she hastily added. He did not ask whether she had remembered to turn the clothes inside out, not wanting to pop her bubble. They could lament her Heart Kreuz printed shirts later.
"I saw the bed – it looked as if made by a professional," he praised. Her smile broadened against him. "The savoy is a good idea, too – I was thinking we should make you more healthy snacks; you and someone else," he rubbed her back. It was strange not to be able to squeeze her to him, feeling like a fairly heavy volleyball was preventing them from properly being in each other arms. "What did you add to it?" He released her enough to glance into the pot again.
"You add something to it?" Erza blinked up at him. Then she broke out into a broad grin. "Don't worry, I watched you enough to know that you don't just slap cabbage into a pot," she chuckled. His momentarily stunned expression softened, and he joined her chuckle. "I cooked potatoes and then…" they glanced down at the simmering goo. Potatoes visible: zero. Though the colour was lighter than a pure cabbage stew. That, and there was more substance than shrunk leaves would have left them with. "They're in there somewhere," she defended herself.
"We'll see about that," he grinned teasingly. Dodging a punch, he filled their glasses. Erza brought the pot over, and they sat down to eat.
"What's better for Mister Hog, potatoes or savoy?" Erza asked, scooping each of them a huge helping onto their plates.
"Well, you can survive on nothing but potatoes, but leafy greens are recommended during pregnancy," Jellal briefly bowed in thanks before the meal – or rather its creator. Erza looked every bit as smug as a three-star chef would have. Completely overlooking how there was no side dish or protein element whatsoever.
"Hear that, potato junior?" Erza grinned, patting her stomach lightly.
"Actually, he's – wait, what month are we in?"
"Five, I think," Erza pursed her lips thoughtfully, "five and a half?"
"Then he's already the size of a dragon fruit," he retold. Erza beamed, hand stroking down approvingly with every further fact she asked him to recite. "And he can hear you by now," Jellal explained. "He'll like your voice best, of course, and maybe mine, too," he smiled to himself, lowering his eyes to his food.
Sighing in content and in unison, they dug their forks into the leafy stew.
"What else?"
"Hm…" Jellal pondered, halting the first bite in front of his lips. With his mind trained on the contents of the books he had read before their departure, Erza's horrendous soup creation slipped his mind entirely. "Growing hair and nails," he recalled, "developing teeth," he took the first bite. Then froze.
It was not unsavoury, perhaps on the tasteless side – thank goodness for her lack of salt this time, but when he chewed there was…
"Did you wash the savoy before cooking?" He cautiously glanced up at her, inwardly cursing. He should have started with a compliment! Panicking slightly, Jellal raked his brain for one he had not already made before trying the food.
"I did," Erza slowly said. Watching her carefully, he again failed to detect any malice. She let her fork sink onto the plate, drawing her hand back. "I rinsed it," she then admitted. He mirrored her, leaning back. His stomach gave a growl, but he could not convince his mouth to shovel any more crunching sand between his teeth.
Settling with sandwiches – and not without a pun or two in regard to their previous failed meal – the two used their day to stroll through town. Erza found an ancient tome Levy was sure to like, and another, brand-new book that was the latest bestseller in Caelum – perfect for Lucy.
While taking her time to search for a gift for Wendy – now on the calmly bustling outdoor market – Erza noticed her husband to have stopped at a food stall. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously when she saw him pay for almonds and other nuts with those 'unsaturated fats' he had told her about. Damnit, she thought, he was serious about those healthy snacks! He would probably even refuse caramelising them.
"Poor Willow Catkin will get a whole diet," she muttered, rubbing over her belly. "I don't think he'll stop with me," she pitied herself, just when the jelly returned to the front of her mind. Travel provisions for the coming day, fine, but jelly required a kitchen. So she had every right to demand it that evening. And demand, she did.
Jellal scowled when Erza's smile twisted into a bewilderedly amused one.
"They didn't have what I was looking for," he defended himself as he presented her dessert to her. "I explained what it did, and they gave me something similar, but it's a lot harder to handle with all the temperature changes," he started to fade out. The plate clanked onto the table, and he slumped into the opposite chair with a voiceless huff.
Red, yes, but it was… slimy. Not at all stiff like jelly. Worse than her lunch, at least appearance-wise. She prodded it with her spoon. It made a most squelching smacking sound, conjuring the smile back onto her lips. She poked it again.
"Stop that," Jellal unhappily crossed his arms over his chest, "it sounds disgusting," he frowned upon his creation. She furled her lips inwards as not to laugh. Smack, smack, smack, smack, she lightly spanked the jelly repeatedly. "Erza," Jellal warned, the corners of his mouth quivering to stay serious, "stop."
She held his gaze. His brow furrowed deeper, overshadowing his eyes. She struggled not to swallow, not to vibrate with the laughter that begged to be released. Then, slowly, very slowly, she advanced her spoon again. He glared at her, and she never broke eye contact for even a second.
Smack! she quickly slapped it again.
"That's it," Jellal slammed his hands on the table. The legs of their chairs scraped over the floor, one hastier than the other. Erza ran. Unable to hold it in anymore, already breathless, a smile too wide for her face stretched across her lips. She sprinted out the kitchen. Throwing the door shut to buy some time, her thoughts wavered between the bedsheets and terrace door for the split of a second. She took the latter.
Shrieking when Jellal already emerged from the kitchen, steps booming threateningly, she slid the glass door open with a forceful swing. Dashing outside, her bare feet hit the terrace. Then the sand, the shallow water. There was no time to think of where to turn when a hand brushed her back. Squeaking in between fitful laughter, she spun in defence, but he was faster.
With a loud splash, both submerged in the lake.
Erza's head broke through the surface first, gasping for air. She paddled to flee but to no avail. Jellal's arms trapped her, dragging her out and above the water, waddling further inside, only to drop backwards and suck them back in. Her mouth filled with water, laughter muffled but chest rocking in staccato where it would not stop.
When they came up the next time, both panted. Erza only gradually caught her breath. She hardly noticed the way he embraced her, held her up and to him where her hair and face dripped in filaments onto his. Her eyes opened to find his shining with adoration, softening her own smile.
Trading enamoured gazes, she trailed a finger along his shoulder. She could feel his breath against her own lips, already tasting them where they were on the verge of kissing.
"Mmh, that's a good look for you," she flicked at his collar, the sole thing not completely see-through about his shirt. He copied her smirk at once. He was not the only one wearing white.
"I could say the same about you, my dear. This is a fairly bold look – now I can see something…" he trailed, eyes wandering downwards.
"Oh?" She missed the spark in his eyes, returning sultrily lowered lids. It was always thrilling to have him look at her – at all of her – but outdoors, in the middle of a lake and where people could see them would there have been any was on a different level.
"At least I could if these exorbitantly huge orbs weren't in the way," he deadpanned, nudging her breasts with his nose and a bored expression. Erza gasped.
"Hey!" She shoved him off so powerfully, it sent both into the water and grasping for purchase with their feet in the sand below. Hugging her chest to herself, she lifted her chin with a tut. "Will you stop picking on my cup size in such an oddly mean and admiring way!" Her venting drowned in her own laughter. She frowned when he had yet to resurface. "Jellal?" She glanced at the ripples where she had last seen him.
Swimming a little further, she looked around. Growing insecure, she called his name more quietly.
A finger ran up the underside of her foot. Erza yelped at the top of her lungs, kicking hard out of reflex. When her laughter subsided, she could focus on the body that had come up, floating rather than swimming, hands over his groin.
"You could have just told me you didn't want another one," Jellal croaked, features distorted in pain. "Use your words, Erza," he breathed as if barely alive. Now that really made her laugh, and it took him a whole minute until he could throw her a look.
"I thought it was a snake; it's just that it was so unproportionally-"
"Don't you dare start this with me!" Jellal interrupted, cheeks flaming. "I'll stop, but please don't pay me in kind – I don't have your confidence; I'm too self-conscious, even if you mean it as a compliment," he begged, flustered. She raised a single brow.
"Whoever said I was going to say 'big'?" She could not keep the mischievous smirk from erupting. It tensed when he let go of himself to pursue her. Erza shrieked when he attacked with tickles, unable to fend him of while having to laugh madly.
"You brought this on yourself, Erza Scarlet," Jellal nagged, a bright grin on his face. "You and your ginormous-"
"These are my source of magic power after all," she exclaimed, fighting herself free. It earned herself a chuckle. Both bent over in the shallow water, wheezing.
Thunder spooked them momentarily, rolling overhead where they must have missed the foreshadowing lightning.
"Does that mean that when you're nursing, the baby is going to fuel some sort of liquid Ethernano-infused milk that'll- oh wait, scratch the liquid, of course it's liquid-" he choked on the last word when she knocked him over in a hug. His ears rung with her squeal.
"Nursing!" Erza practically yelled right next to him. "Can you imagine!" She almost lifted him out of the water now.
"Not really," he patted his own flat chest, triggering laughter. Watching fondly as she rambled on, he tried picturing it. With her, not him, of course.
The first drops of rain dappled the lake. A neighbour had come around the corner to check whether no one had been murdered with all the screeching going on, and Erza, staying true to the reputation they had just earned themselves, yelled over that everything was fine.
"Fiorens sure are noisy…" the old man nodded to himself as he trekked back to his own hut.
Thunder rolled. The rain increased, starting to pour. Not that they were not already wet. A cold wind glued their soaking clothes to them, causing a shiver.
"Let's go inside," Erza proposed, picking up the sun hat she had left on the lounge on the terrace. Jellal draped her towel around her, and she smiled appreciatively over her shoulder. Taking the tips to pull it closer around her, she lost grip on the hat. "Oh-" she gasped, the wind taking it into the water. Then again when Jellal picked her up.
"Come on," he carried her underneath the awning, shoving the lounges up to her to be protected from the rain.
"Wait, it'll get washed-"
"I know," he soothed where she had to watch her hat get licked off the shore by the strengthening waves. More and more rain pelted down, frilling the water. "I have priorities," he announced. Tugging on the towel to have it fit tighter around her, he popped a drink into her one hand, and the remaining cupcake from after lunch into her other. (Of course, she had demanded dessert for both lunch and dinner.)
Jellal gave a satisfied nod before he turned on the heel. Jogging down the sand and diving back in, he swam the crawl with strong strokes, all the way towards the hat in the far distance. Erza had to laugh at his enthusiasm of the tiny rescue mission.
Rain turned into hail, so she called across the water for him to come back. Her smile settled back into place when she saw him wave the retrieved item triumphantly, merely the faceless shape of her husband distinguishable.
Knowing him to dislike her coming out into the rain, Erza prepared his towel instead. Returning the favour, hurriedly draping it over him once he arrived, they hustled inside, cupcakes and all. Drying off, they hopped into a warm shower, and Erza tenderly traced his newly acquired field of miniature bruises where the hail had rained down on his head and upper back.
She still laughed when they finally dropped into bed, drifting off within minutes. He still shivered.
It was dark, as appropriate for the middle of the night, the starry night sky overcast with specks of clouds. Despite the light breeze, it was warm. Why was it warm?
Jellal looked around. He was inside a room, that was why. So why was he inside a room? Had they not been out in the woods near the border? There had been bandits, no, dark mages, an illegal alliance something or other. His eyes drifted, finding the open curtains to be swaying in the gentle wind from outside.
Perhaps Meredy had insisted on finding a room to stay the night. Perhaps Solano had overslept once again and they had to drag her out of said room. Macbeth would still be sleeping for sure. Not that it was any news to them.
He looked around, finding a huge bed against the wall. A silhouette arose from the blanket. The silhouette. Her silhouette.
Jellal's mind switched to autopilot as he neared her. His sixth sense must have kicked in, finding her, mercilessly steering him to her without asking for consent. As if that had ever even been up for debate.
He halted at the side of the bed. The sheet was paper-thin. It drew along her curves, narrowly framed her beautiful body in its pure white softness as it flowed off her with the loosened tension of an all-veiling burial shroud. He held his breath. Her side rose and fell steadily. So he watched it rock with its leisure serenity. His eyes trailed along that splendid dip from her ribs into her waist and up to line her hip. Up and down and back up again did he observe, until the streak lost itself in a plethora of a deep red, scarlet tresses tumbling down her shoulders and pouring over her back across the snow-white sheet.
He reached out a hand, but the autopilot lost to shame, owed to sin. He hesitated. Frozen, he stared at the perfection in front of him. Right there, not an arm's length away and so very real. Cursing his sins, having lost count long ago, he dropped the current one onto the pile. His hand wandered further, stretching, reaching, until touching the very tip of that fine shoulder under the wisp of fabric.
It collapsed. As if in a strong exhale, the silhouette slumped in on itself. There was no scarlet splendour, no peaceful breathing. Lumps of blanket remained, as if to remind that she had in fact been there but left.
It was then that he realised nothing to be real. Because there was no pain. She did not just leave and end in smoke. He would always be the one to go, to watch her as he went and to be haunted by that pained expression of loss and longing, hurting him in return. No, whenever their ways parted it was because of him.
Jellal opened his eyes. It was still warm. There was a ceiling above him, and a wobbly mattress beneath. He closed his eyes again.
A dream or a memory, he did not know. But he knew it; had seen it a good dozen times before. Maybe it had once been a dream, repeating itself over and over again with the longing never gone and the wish to find her always remaining. Or maybe it was one of his countless daydreams; the scenarios he had come up with in his head, reviewed so many times that it had become like a dream, possibly even snuck its way into his slumber.
He turned his head to the side. His back remained flat against the bed, but his eyes opened again. His ears had perked, and although he now knew where he was – both the place as well as in time – he could not help but check. His heart skipped a beat. The same beat it would skip in his dreams or memories or fantasies, whichever it was.
Any of which Eric hated his guts for.
There she was. Right there, not an arm's length away and so very real. No, not very. Actually real. Just real. By his side, calmly asleep with a hand in front of her relaxed face and the blanket slackly draped over her beautiful body. He had to admire it. The eye-magnetising splendour of scarlet, feathery lashes, soft lips, delicate fingers – one of which donned the ring he had chosen himself. Her shoulder – rising and falling with every breath – blended into her waist where there was an entirely different mound catching his attention than that of her hip.
Jellal sighed to himself. The longing jerking of his hand ceased where his eyes overtook the tour. She was marvellous. And she was not alone anymore.
Warmth overwhelmed him suddenly. His heart had sped up and he felt his entire body to be shivering once in what he named unadulterated adoration.
She really was there. She was there because she wanted to, and because she wanted to be there with him. She wanted him. And he wanted her. He had her. She was his and he hers. None of which he had not yet known but everything going down and coiling in a spiral of surging heat, of desperate love that was already fulfilled.
And then there was another one she wanted. Someone he had yet to meet – both did – but without a single doubt someone he wanted to meet at any cost. To get to know and to find out if they, in turn, wanted him, too.
Jellal got up. His every pore was pooling with sweat, with warmth, sizzling tinglingly beneath his glowing skin. He started to pace. In his hastened steps, he wished for the bit of air that streaked his body as he walked to cool him down, to dry out the excitement that made his pulse rise, his hands twitch and his legs wobbly. He halted, throwing a glance over his shoulder.
She was still there, gorgeous like before, oblivious in her undisturbed slumber. He grasped his face, rubbing it to get rid of the new eruption of heat. She was almost too much to take in.
Unable to stay away nonetheless, Jellal grabbed a towel. Spreading it on his side of the bed, he laid down. Watching her. Marvelling at her.
Time passed. He did not know how much. But he was still boiling and brimming with affection. It coursed his body like tidal waves with no ebb. The towel was starting to feel moist, and he removed his shirt where sweat had seeped in below his arms and down his back.
Erza moved when he made the mattress wobble lightly for the second time. His heartbeat leapt, raced, his eyes fixing on her until he was glad for breathing to be an automatic process – otherwise he would have died of suffocation long ago. Her fingers curled first. The rising sun was in her back, so the creasing of her brow at disturbing light never came. She arched her back, then bent it the other way, legs stretching while a tiny squeak escaped her throat.
With a sigh of content, Erza curled up again. Once comfortable, the hand in front of her face moved. Wandering southwards, it found her rounded belly with a gentle stroke. It stayed there.
Minutes ticked by as she dozed off again. Oh, she was the cutest thing in existence, Jellal thought to himself. It was hard to believe how the baby might possibly surpass her. Perhaps in another way. He had no doubts about anyone ever posing competition to her. With the sheer overwhelming amount of love he felt for her – still making him sweat profusely and now even slightly dizzy – there would be more than enough to give to their child. The word 'share' did not cross his mind once.
When she opened her eyes, his were still shining as much as when he had awoken. A tender smile graced her lips.
"I thought you would be stalking me again," Erza raised a teasing brow. Again, his heart changed its rhythm to an even unhealthier one. Being this ravishing and then flirting first thing in the morning. He could die happy now.
"You're beautiful," was all he managed, tone laced with mesmerised honesty. Her smile widened, and she tilted her head into the pillow. A frown settled. Reaching out a hand, she put the backs of her fingers to his forehead. "Jellal," Erza alternated to cup his forehead with her palm, "you're burning up," she assessed. She touched his cheek, his neck, all things that made the dizziness before his eyes increase. Of course he was hot, he was facing her!
"You were in my dream," he said despite her concern. "You vanished," he retold. Her frown changed into pity, hand staying on his neck. She scooted closer, listening patiently. "I'm not actually sure if it was a dream. It could have also been one of those fantasies I always had – they always starred you," he grinned sheepishly. Dorkily. Lovingly.
"Then it must have been a fantasy," Erza assessed. "Your subconscious would know that I'd never leave you," she declared. He smiled back, humming in agreement. His dreams might have always been unforgiving and brutal, merely through reminders of his sins, but she was never the one who left. He was. Just like in reality.
Being snuggled into, Jellal felt more warmth to be spreading through his body, as if his heart bled out and poured hot liquid into his every muscle. She snuck her face against the hollow of his neck, head beneath his chin as she liked to do. He had no mind yet for the fever she suspected, not concluding her prudence of avoiding a kiss as not to catch it.
Never even considering his love-dazedness to originate in it.
"You know," she started in that way they often did, "you're not the only one with dreams and fantasies," she muttered softly against his radiating skin. "My scenarios are all silly and idealistic, but the dreams were… well, there was this one which I don't remember much of.
"There was something important to be done; some mission to be fulfilled or riddle to be solved – my brain comes up with the craziest things at night. I don't know who I was with, but I do remember that much was expected of me, and I was keen on getting it done.
"Somewhere along the way, I met you. You offered to help me or maybe I asked you, but we walked along together," Erza recounted. Jellal smiled without pause, wrapping his arms around her. "And then, even though the mission wasn't close to being done, I ran.
"I grabbed your hand and just ran," she smiled fondly into the crook of his neck. "You let me, not asking what was going on, just knowing. We ran away together, and we were both content with that," her own arms snaked their way around his torso. "It wasn't even during the time of Fairy Tail's disbandment – it was before. When I woke up, I felt confused and strange but without regrets. I was envious of my dream-self, and I feel like I am until today. Well, until recently," she corrected. A kiss landed on his throat.
"I love you so much," Jellal rasped. Through her smile, Erza frowned.
"And I think you caught a fever in that storm," she moved to kiss his forehead, lingering there for a moment, feeling the unnatural temperature with her lips. "I'll call Jura to let him know we will be late," she announced, grabbing her lacrima, "and then book us a new ship back to Fiore."
Ever tried using the plant-based alternative for gelatine? Cause I have and failed more than Jellal xD