I read your reviews second thing in the morning and damnit, who needs lenses? Who cares about getting dressed? Let's write!
People! You are too nice! Always so polite and kind and cheery and yaay! Thank you so so much for your lovely reviews!
Riketsia: (always afraid I'll mess up your pen-name) I had to laugh a lot at your 'RIP' xD Thank you for leaving me a review!
Somnolent Sushi Roll: sooo long! I looove long reviews, I cannot thank you enough! And so detailed and ah, bliss. Author-San is a very happy person thanks to you.
felly16: thank you so much for reviewing and letting me know what you liked (in particular)! I appreciate it a lot! Thanks!
Isanien: I can always count on you, thank you so much for writing me a review and pointing out what you liked most! I love how you and others just already guess how screwed he is; amuses me loads to read :D and more to update.
Finally, thank you to all the guests who also take the time to write me a review! I used the proposed idea about something she reveals to him, thank you so much for that! And all the fangirling - looove it!
Alright, shutting my howling screamer now...
Hope you enjoy!
Jellal felt the sweat drops pool at his nape when Erza skipped into the kitchen to pack them a snack. A picnic! She kept saying it that strange, overly-passionate way and usually, he would have had to smile adoringly, but he was too panicked. A walk of all things.
Cursing inwardly, Jellal threw his feet over the side of the bed. The one the bed was blocking from view from the door. His ankle did not look too bad, he thought, he had had worse. In comparison to the other one, however, it appeared rather nasty, nearly twice the size and occasionally, he could see the pulsing that he felt, even without moving.
Carefully, he put both down, then applied weight. Then sat back. It was still as bad as when Meredy had brought him home. For a second, he thought how it would have been better should she have seen Erza and told her right away. Or if he would have told her right away. Now it was really too late – she was making them a picnic.
She was… Jellal's eyes widened. She was hopefully not cooking anything. He had to stop her somehow. At least offer to take over in her stead. He stood, his entire body flinching with pain that shot up his leg like lightning bolts coursing through him. She could not possibly ruin a picnic, he tried to soothe himself. What could go wrong with apples and sandwiches?
Then again, how did someone salt a soup with what tasted like kilos of sand?
Putting on a neutral face, Jellal forced himself to walk down the hall to the kitchen. He halted next to his coat when he remembered something, sticking his hand into one pocket and keeping the small object in his closed fist.
"Do we even have a basket?" He asked as he leaned against the doorframe. With her back still turned – busy with collecting about every second item from the fridge – Erza summoned a huge, perfectly equipped picnic basket from her storage dimension in front of him. He caught it, supressing a hiss when having to move quickly to do so.
"Should we take the rice cooker? I feel like we should…" she muttered to the second head of lettuce she put on the counter. Grimacing, he came over to lend a hand. And stop the madness he knew he would have to carry.
"How about we only take a snack and go out for dinner afterwards," he proposed, phrasing it as question-unlike as possible. To his relief, she smiled, nodding.
"Perfect. I'll just get my lacrima," she announced, skipping back out of the kitchen. He frowned with amusement and relief, then proceeded to tidy up the mess she had just spread all over the kitchen. "Actually, I don't think I'll need it, right?" Her voice travelled down the hall and he agreed over his shoulder. He put extra effort into seeming casual and definitely not in pain, fearing she might watch when she came back around the corner.
He had the sense of foreboding that he would have to keep that up for the rest of the day.
"Ah, I almost forgot," Jellal said when they reached the outskirts of Magnolia, "here," he fetched the object from his pocket, having stuffed it back to clean up. And save his stomach.
"What is-" Erza stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widening when he opened his hand to free the souvenir. It fell, dangling and bouncing from the delicate chain he had strung around his fingers. Like a pocket watch that could be opened by pressing down a tiny latch, the compass opened when he put his thumb onto the lock. It gave a click, the swirled ornaments of shiny silver on the front cover bowing down to reveal the artistically engraved cardinal directions inside.
Erza reached for it. It sank into her palm and her eyes sparkled even more when she lightly tilted it to watch the fine needle spin. It was shaped like a sword, minute crystals of red and white adorning its handle. He had to smile at her reaction, her expression and the way she cautiously closed it.
"It's…" she opened it again, too taken in for a moment to continue to speak.
"We were on a black market to investigate and I couldn't resist," he grinned. She looked up, insecurity sneaking its way into the shimmer of awe. Jellal felt it reach his heart with a faint sting. He should have thought about that.
"On a black market?" She began, closing the compass, almost backing away, "You can't-" she stopped once more, staring at it when she could not resist to click down the latch. She was visibly torn between overjoyed with awe and her strong sense of justice. He wanted to kick himself for not having remembered. He wanted to follow with a punch when his second thought was the wish of never having told her in the first place. He was still too comfortable with lies – it was just a habit of self-protection.
"I can take it back, of course," he pulled it up into his palm but she grasped it firmly. Then loosened her grip, indecisive.
"No, no, that would be," she frowned, taking it, "suspicious…" she deceived herself. Jellal's expression softened with pity. She would have loved any gift he would have made, but naturally, he thought it unworthy if it was not the fairest, most beautiful one. And did not mind illegal business.
She attached it to the belt of her armour – yes, she took a stroll in armour – unable not to smile at it. As a wordless thank you, she pecked his cheek and Jellal tensed from head to toe in order not to give himself away when she leaned against him to reach his face.
"You still haven't told me how your day was," Jellal reminded as they walked on. He was proud of the way he had adjusted to stand the numbing pain of his ankle, finding he did not limb at all. Still, he grimaced to himself when she led the way into the woods, over fallen trees and creeks where one had to leap in order not to get soaked boots.
"Oh, nothing special," Erza picked out the thickest undergrowth instead of a regular path, "sleeping in is not half the fun without you,"
"Sorry,"
"Don't be," she smiled over her shoulder and he put some extra effort into an easy step. It hurt as if getting caught in a fox trap that snapped closed with iron teeth. They crossed a small, rotting bridge, being the last thing of civilisation he would see in a while. "Mira said you have a lovely handwriting," she retold.
"She knows I helped you?" He asked, slightly uneasy. Another inward slap awaited him when she hummed positive, a hint of pointedness edging her tone. She did not mind someone knowing that he was there, that they were together and probably not even that they lived together. What she did mind, however, was that he could just not grow out of his embarrassment. That he would probably rather keep it a secret forever. That he said that he approved to reveal it and then squirmed and hid.
And that he squirmed and hid without revealing things to her.
His ankle pulsed but he followed her regardless. By now, nausea of pain had settled within him, something that reminded him constantly of his own stupidity. Most of the sweat that dripped down his nape and back came not from the hike, but the inevitable fear when she would find out. Why, he asked himself, did he always have to make everything so much worse than he had already managed in the first place. What did it take for him to finally learn and grow, like she did?
Would she have to teach him the hard way? Consequent and harsh and probably doing the right thing, leaving him?
"Jellal?" Erza pulled him back into reality. He looked up, seeing that she had climbed a steep hill which offered no trees or plants to grab onto. Only stemming one's feet into the rocky dirt would do. He gritted his teeth. He would have to.
Inhaling deeply under his breath, he lifted his injured foot to ram it into the slope, bracing for anguish. He froze when the tip of a blade nipped at his forehead before he had the chance to put down his foot. Eyes wide, he stared up.
"You idiot," Erza shook her head. Her hand tightened around the handle of her sword, then she let it disappear. She skidded down to stand next to him but it still felt as if she was towering him, eyes narrow and chin lifted. Glowering. "Just when were you going to tell me that you were injured?" She enquired, furrowing her brow threateningly.
Jellal bit his tongue. He really was an idiot to believe that she would not notice.
"I was hoping you'd have the decency to tell me before I dragged you all the way here," she passed him, swallowed by the thicket. He hurried to keep up.
"I'm sorry-"
"I gave you the opportunity to come clean and instead, you agreed to a walk," she exhaled sharply, "a walk, Jellal." She ignored his repeated apologies. "How much more obvious could I have made it? Next time, I'll propose rope skipping and you would probably still lie to me…"
"I didn't lie," he said, realising too late how lethal that had been. Erza spun around, nearly knocking him off his feet when she closed in, disregarding the shaking of his leg completely.
"I know you think 'not telling' equals 'honest' but it doesn't," she growled and he felt his heart hammer against his ribcage with more pain than his ankle throbbed in his boot. "Don't ever comfort me with a lie, Jellal, I'd rather die from hearing the truth," her voice was so quiet and strident, it constricted around his chest. "Am I this terrible?" She snarled, the edge of her tone vibrating into hurt that hit him even harder. "Would you rather suffer for hours of physical pain instead of letting me know?"
"I didn't want to worry you," he croaked, staring at his feet.
"Worry me about what, Jellal? That you sprained an ankle?" She stressed every single word, spitting them out, compelling her voice to steady. "Is it that unbearable when I take care of you? Or are you afraid I'd get Wendy to heal you? Because whatever it is, you're so afraid of, just tell me!" She screeched, raking her arms down through the air, snapping thin branches around her.
Both winced when thunder rolled. Their heads tilted back, only now noticing the pitch-black clouds that had formed above. Lightning parted the sky and another rumble of thunder boomed. Rain started dripping, then pouring. It swished between the trees, filling the air entirely with its pelting.
Erza's shoulders sank. She looked defeated, shrinking into herself. Jellal felt his heart give a pang, guilt eating away at it, hungrily tearing and shredding it apart.
"I'm sorry, Erza," he managed, blinking away the water that already streamed down his face, weighing down his lashes, sticking his hair to his skin, "I wasn't thinking,"
"I know that," she pulled her arm away when he reached for it. He glanced unhappily at her back which she turned on him. "Let's just get home," she muttered, sighing.
"I'm really sorry," he repeated as he followed through the wet covert, "and about the compass, too. I shouldn't have bought one there," he went on, being ignored. "And I really don't think it's-" he stopped when she halted. He waited for another moment, watching how she scanned the trees around them. Her hair was already drenched down her back, skirt heavy with rain.
She turned, giving a reserved look.
"We should find shelter," she decided and he nodded, "I can't distinguish in this weather…" she added, more to herself. He raised his brows with concern. The look in her eyes told him that she honestly had no idea where they were.
They were soaked to the skin when finally coming across an old, abandoned shrine. It had tall boulders for walls and ceiling and the back was provided by a huge tree. The wind occasionally whipped in droplets of rain but it was better than nothing.
Erza requipped into something dry, regretting it instantly when she sat down in the moist grass. He offered the stone she had insisted for him to sit on again, but she discounted it, resuming to pace in front of the stone arch instead. He felt her eyes pierce him from the side when he removed his boots.
"Is it that bad?" She asked, watching intently.
"No, it really isn't," he tried to placate, glad to be allowed to speak as she expected him to answer.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Okay, maybe it was not the preferred option after all. She put her hands on her hips.
"It's not… I'm sorry, I know, I was being stupid," he said but she cut in.
"No, think, Jellal," Erza leaned down, meeting his eyes with fire, "why didn't you tell me?" He held the gaze, puzzled. His forehead wrinkled into a frown, hands moving as slowly as his mind worked as he took off his damp socks.
"I…" he exhaled helplessly, "it's nothing big, it's not important, I didn't want-"
"There. That's it – not important." She interrupted again. He blankly stared, unable to grasp what she was getting at. Straightening, she gave an exasperated exhale. "You don't think that is unimportant," she pointed at his foot, "but that you are," her brows knitted together with a pity he had not expected. And could not quite take.
Erza knelt down in front of him, knees and shins wet and muddy from the earth beneath. He blinked at her, still taken aback, especially when she softened her voice.
"You're very important, Jellal, you're everything to me," she frowned sorrowfully, taking his foot. The touch of her hands was so tender, he wondered if it was in fact still the same day she had yelled at him for being an idiot. They brushed up to free his ankle from the sodden leg of his trousers, revealing the bruised clod. "It's useless if I keep telling you, you have to understand for yourself,"
"I do understand," he breathed. Her fingers sent shivers up his leg, the tips stroking so gently he forgot it had ever hurt, "I just… don't agree," he sighed, also because he felt the stiffness of his muscles lift. She was a goddess.
"Let me help you; tell me how I can make it easier for you,"
"I wouldn't know…" he tilted his head back, glimpsing past the shelter's roof. The rain was still falling but the thunderstorm had travelled, leaving the droplets to patter less strongly. "Come here," he moved to the side, making space for her where it was at least half dry. Erza glanced at the spot, then at him, and it felt like eternity to him until she finally decided.
Grabbing his feet, she took them with her as she ducked beneath the stone, turning him to face the other side. He let whatever she had in mind happen, relaxing when she planted her back against his chest, sitting down in front of him.
Moments passed, turning into minutes, nearing half an hour. The rain let up. Remains of it ran down the bark of the tree, seeping into the fabric of his shirt where his armed leaned against it.
"I think Ultear is still alive," Jellal quietly said, breaking the silence.
"Really?" Erza sounded surprised, while at the same time seeming calm and collected. Not as if she had expected him to say it but already in terms with their current situation. She could really shift her moods in the blink of an eye and he was glad that it worked just as quickly from negative to positive as vice versa. "How do you know?"
"I don't," he confessed, "it's just a feeling. I don't know how to talk about it with Meredy, but somehow, I think it wouldn't be a good idea to begin with,"
"She'd look for her,"
"Relentlessly," he agreed. There was still a taste of insecurity about her tantrum left, but he could not help but continue their newest tradition. It felt nice; unburdening. He only had two people he really talked to and since it was a topic he could not discuss with Meredy, it was all the more pleasant to be able to get it off his chest at all.
"Hm…" Erza hummed thoughtfully. It was not something to be debated, it was simply a relief to get out. Jellal felt his trampled heart weld back together a little when her arms reached behind her back, collecting his in order to be held. He complied gladly, wrapping them around her stomach where she kept them in place with her own.
"Your turn," he said, not wanting her to cudgel her brains over his theory.
"My mother was a dragon," Erza nodded to herself. Jellal choked. She smiled at that, but he was too busy with coughing, frowning and throwing bewildered stares at the back of her head.
"I thought she was…"
"That woman." She finished his sentence. "She was. But she could turn into a dragon," she explained, "she was pregnant with me for about 400 years," she went on, setting his wit aflame.
"I…" he stuttered, blinking in confusion. A dragon. A dragon and a person, like Acnologia. Why had she been human then? Why not stay a dragon and be invincible? And pregnant for how long? He did not know a lot about pregnancy – fairly little to tell the truth – but that could not be right.
And did that mean that Erza was roughly 420 years old…?
"I don't… know how to answer to that," he honestly said and she had to giggle. Her hands stoked along his arms and he knew they were fine again. He was home again.
Erza gasped lightly when her gaze had wandered upwards.
"Oh, I never told you," she said excitedly and he curiously followed her eyes up to the clearing sky. "I used Grand Chariot!"
"You did?" He exclaimed, just as keen as her now.
"Mhm, against some swan-rabbit-leg-lady on a lake," she retold, eyes glistening up at the stars. He blinked twice.
"Sometimes," Jellal put his chin onto her shoulder, chuckling, "I wonder if we speak the same language…"
Just out of interest, what do you think, where does Jellal's mark on his face come from? Is it a tattoo? A birthmark? The influence of magic or a curse etc?
Thanks for reading (and reviewing)! Author-San signing off! Have a great week!