Hello! Thank you so much for the reviews, you motivate me so much, I've already written the next chapter following this :D
Hope you enjoy!
The beast roared. Erza narrowed her eyes to slits, tightening the grip on her sword. She braced herself.
Flailing its tail, the dragon like snake dashed forward, striking down at her like lightning. She leapt. Her sword pierced the creature's neck. It screeched, making her ears ring. For a moment, she neither heard anything nor saw, her vision having gone white. She thrust her blade forward and it sliced through the by curses rotten flesh as a hot knife would through butter.
The outcries pitched into shriek, then a squawk, thinning out. Erza landed on a rock beside the swamp. The beast fell from the sky, numbly, its head following shortly. Water splashed high as a house, coming in waves to the shore, licking at her bare feet. She let out a sigh.
Requipping into her usual armour and skirt, she turned away. Her sword disappeared back into its dimension as she walked. And she walked with her head held up high, with dignity and without the slightest hint of the stinging pain of her back where the creature had left its mark.
Soon enough, she reached the giant mansion of her client. One of the wealthiest of the wealthiest in Magnolia, probably even in all of Fiore. The several hundred metres from the swamp across an orchard and through the prized flower garden were only a fraction of the man's lands.
She reached the back of the mansion. She could see figures behind the windows from the corner of her eye. Servants rushed outside to meet her in front winter garden, handing her hot towels and refreshments. Despite a dry throat, Erza declined it all, meeting the master of the house inside one of the countless parlours.
He kept a straight face while sipping his tea, but she had caught a glimpse of his expression on her way back. He was practically leaking with awe from all pores. She received two envelopes with payment, a single one not being able to hold the amount she was rewarded with.
On her way out, Erza focused even more on keeping it together. Adrenaline was long gone now and moving the open gash along the fabric of her shirt – not to mention the armour – made her want wince with every step.
"Yes, the Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail's Erza Scarlet!" She overheard the clients voice the second she was out the door. "… in my garden; you should have seen it!" He was boasting, throwing in a pretentious laughter, trying to make whomever he was talking to green with envy.
For a second, Erza wondered whether it had been a set up in order to have a powerful wizard display their strength for rich people to show off with. Then again, he paid solid rent and she was not one to complain about an easy job well done. It had almost been too easy, had she not gotten distracted…
Closing her eyes briefly, Erza fell back into her previous thoughts. At first, she had suspected everyone and everything to be a hint, some sort of clue to tell her where to go to find Jellal. He could not truly be living in Magnolia. Or any town near. It had to be some secret hiding place or maybe a temporary Inn's room.
Erza's head steamed with sudden blush. An Inn's room. A rendezvous in an unfamiliar room for the night…
She tripped, almost falling. Exhaling sharply, she shook her head. This was exactly the way she had gotten injured – stupid fantasies eating away at her usually unparalleled focus. The same thing had happened all day in the guild. She had started to become flustered with Mira giving her the personal request, having thought it to be Jellal and his address. She had nearly grabbed the sheet of paper and run away with it.
In her rooms in Fairy Hills, Erza took extra care to get rid of every stain of dried out mud in her hair and on her skin. She washed her hair with that special shampoo, once again contemplating about the use of perfume and once again not doing so. She would have to test it on a less special occasion first, she decided.
Unsuccessfully, she tried to suppress a groan of pain as she bandaged her back. The gash went down from her ribs, around her waist and across her lower back. Luckily not a spot to be seen in everyday attire.
That was something that did not leave her either. Clothes. Never had she thought about what to wear as seriously as now. Or her hair.
Freeing her hair from its towel, Erza sat down on her bed. She opened the envelopes, counting the bank notes and sorting them onto stacks. It did not keep her mind off Jellal. But she had to stop hoping. He would not come back – even if he did, she would throw him out. She would have to.
All she could do was be patient and-
What was that? Eyes widening, she watched the tiny piece of paper slip out from between the bills. In a rush, she fetched it out of the air, all of the money raining down beside her on the floor. Ignoring the hard impact, she stared at the sheet with sparkling eyes.
There was an address. A street name – and it was in Magnolia! With a racing heart, Erza crawled to her feet, pacing the room. She knew where the place was – it was a shortcut to her favourite cake shop.
She requipped out of her towel and into her casual skirt and blouse. Then into her armour. Into a dress. Back into the armour. She was panting by the time she had decided to leave it with the blouse.
She walked stiffy through the empty streets of town. The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon and no one had any reason to be out on a midweek's night. Not that she was complaining. It was the way towards the cake shop but it was closed now. She had no explanation ready should she encounter someone she knew. Worst of all, someone from the guild.
As she was getting closer, her heart raced faster and faster. Finally, she stood in front of a timber-framed house. The streets were dark and the street light lacrimas too far to see if there was any name sign at the door. For the first time, it occurred to her that this might not at all have come from Jellal. That it could be anyone's house, a random address accidentally slipping between her payment.
Heck, it could be an assassin's residence and her new mission. Or a set up.
Putting her hands to her temples, Erza squished them against her head. What was she doing here? Was she this distracted not to further investigate and blindly run into town in the middle of the night? Was she this desperate?
She sighed for perhaps the tenth time that day. Yes. Yes, she was. If anything, the last nights were proof of her now full on obsession and she would not be able to rest until she acted upon it. Whatever that meant…
She looked closely at the door. Neither a name sign, nor a bell. She lifted her hand. Could she just knock on some strange house's door? What if someone opened whom she did not know? Would she be able to come up with some excuse? She was too well known to just run…
Her hand fell. It twitched, but she kept from lifting it again. Her pulse had shot up minutes ago. She could feel the blush creep up her neck, legs feeling as reliable as thoroughly cooked noodles. Because what if it was his house. Did she have any words to say to him then?
She lifted her hand. Then let it drop, turning on the heal. She could not do this. She could wait, right? There had to be clearer signs, something to be prepared for.
"Erza," she jumped when hearing his voice, "I'm sorry, did you have to wait long?" Jellal asked, giving a smile. He was across from her, coming down the street, a box held up in his hands.
Her legs almost gave in in shock. Why was this so immensely hard? She had seen him for days – or nights – now, three in a row. She had spent time with him before that, they had downed a waterslide with nothing but bits of fraying pieces of fabric separating their bodies for heaven's sake! This was nothing. At least it should be nothing.
Erza inhaled as inaudibly as she could manage. She could be cool about this. She was meeting a friend, nothing more, nothing less.
"You're burning up, is everything okay?" Jellal's gentle voice interrupted her.
"I ran here." She blurted out, mentally slapping herself across the face. "It… was cold, so I figured I'd hurry…" she tried to correct herself, willing her voice to steady.
"I was worried you had caught a fever in that swamp." He said, ever smoothly. She could not understand how he managed. For a second, the thought of him not liking her the way she liked him shot through her like a lance, leaving a throbbing ache in her chest. She pushed it aside.
Lifting her head, Erza watched Jellal shift the package to one hand, rummaging the pocket of his trousers for the key. He opened the door, flicking on a light, gesturing her to enter before him. Hesitatingly, she did.
The light was warm and inviting, though the air inside almost as cold as outside. The entrance was in the shape of an L, doors at each short end and one directly in front of the entrance. There were no decorations, not even curtains in front of the window next to the door. It smelled of musty carpets and bare, concrete walls.
"It's nothing to be proud of yet; I'm still paying it off so I haven't gotten around to doing anything…" Jellal sheepishly pulled her back into the present. Erza turned to him.
"You bought this?" She asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. She took the package from his hands when she saw him balance it as he untied his boots with one hand.
"I thought it would be nicer than living in a cave," he grinned up at her. Blood flooded her cheeks with a pink glow. She turned back to the hall to hide her face. "Besides, I've really missed a proper bathroom," he said with amusement. She giggled, a genuine smile finally dragging her out of her insecurities. At least a little.
"Where do you want this to go?" She asked, holding up the box. On second glance – or first, as she had not yet had the time to focus on anything properly – it looked just like a cake box. And it smelled like one, too. Just like… strawberry. She frowned. She knew that the season was long over and even Magnolia's renowned confectionary to have run out of her favourite treat.
"The kitchen – this way," Jellal lead the way along the hall. Erza quickly unequipped her boots, following him. The kitchen was small and bleak, too, though furnished sufficiently. There was a window onto the street to the left, both walls lined with counters, a stove and a fridge.
Jellal opened a drawer, finding a fork. She tilted her head, blinking at him in question.
"Open it." He said. Setting it down on the counter next to her, Erza unwrapped the package. Her eyes sparkled immediately. Strawberry cake. Three slices of it! She almost dove in head first.
"But… they did not have any; the season is over." She protested disbelievingly.
"So I heard." Jellal handed her the fork which she promptly took, making him chuckle. "I found only these three remaining pieces in Clover."
"Clover? That's hours away," Erza stared at him. He shrugged with an easy smile. Then he nodded at her, gesturing towards the cake. She opened her mouth in question, but he was faster.
"I ate on the way back," he said, leaning against the counter, crossing his arms. He did not have to say it twice.
Erza felt the sweetness melt on her tongue, eyes closing of their own accord. She felt her senses soar with bliss. Only after a few bites did she return to reality, though it did not make her stop eating.
Jellal was watching her with a loving smile, waiting patiently.
"How did you sneak that note into the envelope?" She asked between bites, straightening. He shrugged again, looking out the window into utter darkness.
"It was not too hard, though I'm glad you found it and took it as a clue."
"I almost suspected it to be an assassin's trap," she grinned awkwardly, making both laugh.
"I feared initials would be too obvious…" he said. She knew what he meant. He was not hiding anymore but together, they were. To think that she had almost blown that cover completely in Fairy Hills gave her a light shudder.
"I was already expecting an inn,"
"Well," he still did not meet her eyes, "I figured it would be nice to get settled, at least try. I'm still getting used to moving around freely and I was hoping this would help." He explained, the faintest shade of pink tinting his cheeks. Not that she looked. She was drowning in her own blush. Get settled. The words were circling through her mind relentlessly.
"You could come to Fairy Tail; I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you." Erza managed at last. He smiled, eyes cast down. She was inviting him, he knew. And not only to a visit. She kept quiet, enduring the silence. Waiting. He sighed under his breath, arms still folded in front of his chest.
"I guess it's only a few minutes away now." Jellal said. He evaded her question but she did not persist. She would be ready when he was, and even if he would not join, she would always wait for him.
He did have his own guild, still. Perhaps he felt better as a member of Crime Sorcière, all of them sharing similar pasts.
Erza munched on the second slice now, finishing it before long. She then went over to the sink to wash the fork, being met with protest. She turned to him, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Remember I don't need time to change," she said, visibly stunning him for a moment. His mouth twitched into something between an amused smirk and an insecure grin. Nodding, he left her in the kitchen, a more prominent blush now radiating across his face.
Erza felt her own pulse rise once more, taking deep breaths as she washed up and wrapped the remaining piece of cake back up, placing it in the refrigerator. She hesitated. Slowly, she exited the kitchen and went into what she correctly guessed to be the bedroom, requipping into something more comfortable.