If I wouldn't be so lazy, I'd be skipping in circles all the time! Sooo many reviews! Yay!

Isanien, such a long review, thaank you! And thank you so so much for the compliment; makes me so happy to hear that you like my writing style (insert some blushing, swooning idiot emoji of happiness)!

Guest, thank you so much for the fangirling! Love to have pointed out what you guys liked!

Frangellica, you always put so much thought into your reviews, thank you so much! It's always a pleasure to read them! Thank you also for confirming to me again that the Gruvia is also a good part of the story and not too distracting or something! And Laxus and Jellal will be coming up, no worries ;D

Frangellica guest (or not logged in?), thank you for appreciating the detail of the cracked wall! Glad it contributes to the reading experience! And I love how you keep on with the Jellal 'almost murder', always defending our precious Jelly Bean (heart).

Mitzy, yeah, I'm happy you were happy with the long chapter! Didn't know at first whether to make the last one long or this one but the way it is now, there's fluff in all of them xD Thank you so much for your review!

Mikasa-Chan, that's a really good point you've got concerning the council! I will keep it in mind for the future. And thank you so much for such a kind review! And the compliment, love to read it again and again (also, are you god, inserting the heart sign with the arrow thingy?)!

Somnolent Sushi Roll (just imagine a pile of hearts every time you see me type your name), I feel so honoured and appreciated whenever I scroll through your generous reviews! I really appreciate you taking the time to go into so much detail about the chapter! Thank you! (You're no sycophant, you're a fangirl! We stick together - also because other humans shun us for obvious reasons xD)

Now then, ready for some more baking fluff? Cause there's more where that came from...

Enjoy!

Jellal harked when the bathroom door reopened. It closed again, then steps carefully pattered down the hall.

"Good morning," he said as not to make anyone feel out of place. The steps entered the kitchen and the tiny adoring squeal told him that it was Lucy.

"How is she still asleep…?" She wondered out loud. He could feel her eyes in his back, though mostly directed at her guildmate. Erza dangled with her head and arms over his shoulders as she liked to when especially lazy, having drifted back off to sleep shortly after him getting up. She had not moved, obviously. It was a miracle he had been able to dress, but he was getting the knack of it.

Her legs hung down the counter she was sitting on, his hands working behind her back on already wonderfully smelling breakfast. He could not see, but Lucy's eyes trailed the countless yellowing bruises along what her guildmate exposed of her neck and even on the insides of her upper arms and thighs.

"She's often tired lately," he said over his occupied shoulder.

"I think rather she's exploiting the situation," Lucy frowned, but fondly.

"Would you like something to drink?" He offered, pointing at the fridge, then a cupboard overhead. "We have tea, water, hot chocolate, milk…" he enumerated but Lucy declined.

"Good morning," Wendy piped up from the doorframe, rubbing one eye, then regarding her sleeping friend with the same smile as Lucy.

"We really don't want to intrude – I feel as if she'd already behead us for this," Lucy laughed uncomfortably.

"But I made more on purpose," Jellal bargained, wanting to tap the oven door with his foot but not being able to without shifting his beloved in his arms. She gave a sleepy grumble at his aborted attempt, followed by a warm breath down his neck. Allured by the sweet smell, the two girls crouched in front of the oven, watching the piped dough rise.

"What are you making?" Wendy asked, straightening again.

"Éclairs,"

"Where do you even get the motivation at this hour?" Lucy frowned, watching his smile from the side. "Or at all…"

"It's currently snoring into my shoulder," he simply said and they all listened for a moment. Quiet snoring indeed came from her mouth and Erza gave another small moan at the never-ending noise around her. "Here, watch," he whispered. Then he lifted a single tiny raspberry to where her head hung. Grumbling, her brows twitched, followed by her eyelids but they refused to open. She sniffed, then stretched her neck, biting his finger, finding the treat on second attempt and chewing with a smile.

"Mmh… Jellal?" Erza cawed. Her hands searched the air, one coming to find his hair, seemingly giving herself a reassuring stroke down the back of his head, then slackening again.

"Hm?"

"Jellal…" she merely sighed, pushing her face back into the side of his neck. Her shoulders dropped, muscles relaxing once more and she ceased to stretch her legs, letting them dangle again. He frowned his lips in amusement.

"Erza," he poked her side and she gave an uncomfortable groan. "Sweetheart, don't fall back asleep," he poked again and nyeh-ed in response, voice still croaking and quiet.

"I'm not…" she lied, eyes not opening for a second. "What's for breakfast…?" She innocently asked, sniffing the air.

"I was thinking raspberry pistachio éclairs,"

"Hmm," Erza hummed vocally, rubbing her head to his to find back a cosier spot to rest it on. "Have you ever considered thinking about chocolate éclairs?" She drew circles with her fingertip on his shoulder blade. Jellal laughed. He felt the unbelieving stares from behind when he wrapped his chosen ingredients back up to rummage for chocolate instead. Erza smiled complacently to herself, cheeks puffy with adorable triumph.

"How about getting up?" He suggested, enticing a deep, vocal sigh. She considered his words, and before he could mention their guests she was obviously quite unaware of, she answered.

"We're up," she argued.

"I am," he gave back. With another deep sigh as if carrying a heavy, exasperating burden, Erza briefly lifted her hands and feet before clinging back to him.

"I don't see any way out of here," she nodded into him and he snorted softly in laughter. Then he stepped back from the counter. Her legs hectically tightened around his hips and she conveniently hung there for another moment to pass, refusing his invitation to release him.

"Nothing to be done there," he shrugged.

"You see?" She supressed a giggle of her own, shrieking into his ear when he gave her side another nudge. "Hey…" she nagged, the playful smile never leaving her face. Jellal shook his head to himself, placing her back on the counter and she relaxed after a heartbeat of cautiously testing his movements. When they remained to be located on the counter, her smile grew and she nuzzled into his neck again, kissing it once.

"I've missed you," she murmured, avoiding the sun on her closed eyes by hiding behind his head.

"I was only gone for about five hours,"

"Six," she lamented, "and twelve minutes…" she drawled, "then I stopped counting,"

"Uhuh,"

"Next time, how about you see my friends at daytime?" She teased but he smirked in response.

"I am," he replied to her surprise. "In fact, you could, too, if only you'd open your eyes," he informed. Her breathing stopped for a moment. Slowly, Erza peeked one eye open. The other followed suit immediately and she almost winced.

"Hey, Erza," Lucy waved her hand awkwardly while Wendy wished a good morning. Charle had pretended to be watching the street out the window the entire time, perhaps wanting to be keeping her own opinion to the lovey-dovey exchange to herself – hoping not to be consulted on the matter, having to ruin the mood or perhaps even admit to having been wrong with her disapproval. Still, her narrowed eyes burnt into Jellal occasionally, but since he had nearly forgotten about not being alone with his beloved, it hardly bothered him.

It caused a breath-taking lightheadedness to be this blithe, he found.

"Mh, morning," Erza managed, her face radiating at his skin. His smile broadened, and he was glad that his own blush had been hidden from view almost all the time.

"Sorry to catch you napping like this – literally…" Lucy mumbled the rest and Wendy giggled.

"No, no," Erza stretched again, as if finally deciding to get to her feet, but before Jellal could aid her, she was back where she felt most comfortable, head propped up on his shoulder and wrists meeting behind his nape. "I hope I didn't stall you,"

"Not at all," Wendy kindly said, smiling brightly.

It took her another minute to adapt to the situation, but soon enough, Erza was chatting happily with her friends over his shoulder. She eventually let him go to make everyone tea, and since there were only two chairs cramped into the corner by the window, they moved breakfast to the attic. With all of her furniture there, it really functioned as dining, guest and conference room.

Erza made Lucy and Wendy order hot chocolate from Jellal, since she always melted with it, showing off with every additional of his nibbles she came up with. And every time she beamed with pride, his heart swelled happily, making up for the embarrassment of the compliments he did not cope well with receiving.

"It's so strange to go to the guild this late and already having had breakfast," Wendy said as they made their way through the bustling streets of Magnolia.

"Oh, I could get used to it," Lucy swooned and Erza smiled broadly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she nodded in agreement. She was more than used to it by now and not complaining. Jellal noticed how she had not chosen her daily armour like she did to when going to the guild, worrying about her injuries to still be hurting her more than she admitted.

He pondered on whether to bring up honesty. Then he saw his life in danger at the thought alone, scratching the idea. He would just have to take care in her stead. Perhaps overprotectiveness was in order, he decided.

The not-too-unusual-anymore group strolled into the guildhall, greetings coming from all sides. Discomfort spread through his every vein and Jellal cursed at himself inwardly for the urge he had to turn right back out the door.

He stayed behind Erza who easily talked and exchanged news with her friends to all sides. It was not long until he was spotted, however, and Jellal nearly jumped when someone suddenly latched onto his leg.

"Jellal!" Asuka grinned widely from beneath the rim of her hat. His features softened and he did not even notice to be relaxing a little. "Let's go capture bandits!" She proposed excitedly. He lifted his leg up straight and she clung to his trousers, giggling giddily when he carefully waved it up and down.

"I'd love to, but I first have to check on my friend," he explained. She pouted.

"Who?"

"Meredy," he said. He pointed a finger to the upstairs where he knew the infirmary to be.

"With the big pink hair?" Asuka asked, wanting to demonstrate a curl but fiercely grabbed back onto his leg when threatening to fall. He put her down gently. "She can play with us!" She happily announced, climbing onto the nearby table to meet his eyes more easily.

"I'm afraid she's not in the condition to play," he said with a sigh. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he turned to see Erza having listened. He gave her a small smile of gratefulness that did not reach his eyes.

"Jellal," she said, looking at him intently, "Mira says she's awake,"

"Meredy!" Jellal stumbled over a chair as he hurried to his guildmate's bed. The pink-haired mage gave a grumbling hum, blinking her eyes opened. Her head fell to the side, regarding him a little exhaustedly but without a sign of dire pain.

"You have a leaf between your teeth," was the first thing she said. Staring unbelievably for a moment, Jellal finally exhaled in sharp relief. His tongue wandered over his teeth beneath his lips in search for the peppermint remains. "Ooh, what have we here?" Her hand weakly but determinately came up to tug on his collar a little, smirking teasingly at the lovebites that trailed down his throat.

He pulled away with a blush and annoyed mumbling and Erza giggled, picking up the chair to offer it to her beloved.

"Meredy," he scolded and she grinned.

"What? I'm just enjoying that flustered red face of yours," she patted his cheek like one would with a child while pushing out her lips in a pretend pouty voice to imitate his sour expression. He swatted her away, sitting down with a huff but also a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Erza asked, placing her hand back on his shoulder where she leaned onto.

"Like crap…" Meredy grinned sheepishly with a thumbs up. "Well, more like good crap, like, ehm…" her hand sank, replaced by a frown, "as if run over by a train but without the pain," she finalised.

"You do look rather awful," Jellal pulled a face.

"Well, excuse me, but I just-" she defensively started, then noticed his poorly hidden cheeky grin and proceeded to hit him again. "This happens to be my normal face and it's drop," she slapped his lower arm, "dead," and with the other hand, "gorgeous!" She kept on smacking with both outstretched palms until her own smile crept so far unto her face, it was impossible to pretend to be upset.

Puffing, she collapsed back into the sheets. The door opened and Mira peeked in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting – Erza," she turned to her guildmate with one of her usual smiles, "you might want to come; they're at it again," she informed. Erza sighed, restraining from rolling her eyes. She patted his shoulder she had been resting her hand on, then glanced at Meredy.

"Are you strong enough to handle him yet?" She asked, receiving giggling and protesting respectively. Then she calmly went out the door after Mirajane, her voice booming over the deafening commotion the second the door had fallen shut.

"Everyone's so lively here; how do you stand it?" Meredy grinned at him and his expression softened. She was just as cheerful as always, easing his aching heart greatly.

"You mean because I look like a corpse?"

"A little," she tilted her head friendlily with a spark of tease in her eyes. Jellal sighed. His arms sank onto the side of the bed and he let his head drop down onto them. He was more than glad to know her to be alright, feeling as if that lingering burden he had dragged with him was finally lifting completely with both her and Erza safe. Then the letter from the Council came back to him, tensing his sore muscles anew.

"So, what did I miss?" Meredy brought him back to the present. He shoved the letter back where it had come from, to the part of his brain that was constantly on fire. The biggest part, though decreasing, he noted.

"Well, for a start, the baker around the corner just had a son, a brick down the street is coming lose and the women's clothes shop has extended its opening times by an hour-"

"Jellal," she gave him a look.

"One of the many places I can't show my face again…" he muttered under his breath, perking her interest.

"Why? Please tell me she made you wear fancy dresses?" Meredy grinned gleefully and he shook his head.

"No, she," he hesitated, then went on with a sigh, "likes to show off in white…" he admitted. He listened closely for no steps to be nearing the infirmary, but with the brawling still going on out there, it would be hard to hear anything besides shouting anyway.

"Do you think she might be thinking about…?" Meredy raved and he briefly closed his eyes.

"More? Oh, she only slaps it into my face every now and then,"

"Really?" She asked, excited. Perhaps because she did not even have to scheme every word out of him, he thought, continuing despite the darkening tint across his cheeks. All that schmoosing with the Fairy Tail members had really loosened him up, and it unfortunately made him yearn for something really heartfelt to finally get off his chest.

Not so unfortunately for Meredy, he saw in her shining eyes.

"She gives subtle hints like saying 'I'd marry you' or for us to remember an anniversary,"

"And have you thought about it, too?"

"Perpetually,"

"Then what's keeping you?" She prompted enthusiastically. Maybe that was another reason – another person to take his uncertainties by pushing and rushing and euphemising.

"…fear?" He honestly suggested.

"Of?" Meredy frowned with a hint of sympathy. "You know she won't say 'no',"

"If I do it right," he corrected, readjusting his head to avoid eye contact. "What if I blow it completely?" He asked but she shook her head into the pillow.

"I'm pretty sure that wouldn't keep her away from you," she patted the top of his head and he tilted it back to offer an unconvinced yet thankful smile.

The door opened again and Mira brought a tray with water and a flask containing a vibrant green liquid. She smiled sweetly at the two, then, on the way out, turned back once, still eyeing them with her never changing merriment.

"Jellal," she called and he sat up to twist his body around and face her. "Just on a side note," she said, eyes shortly flashing from him to his guildmate and back, "hurt Erza and I'll kill you," she smiled just as innocently as before, then left with the lock clicking in the door. Sweat started to drastically pool down his nape.

"Don't worry, she's not serious," Meredy waved it off, trying to sit up. For the split of a frightful second, he did not dare to help her. Just in case Mira returned.

"You'd think, that, wouldn't you…" he muttered and she laughed. He took her pillow as she leaned forward, propping it up to make the headboard comfortable.

"I'll protect you," she offered, retrieving the flask from him. "Will give you a headstart of about two minutes," she joked, uncorking the oddly smelling potion. She downed it in one shuddering gulp, then wagged her hands for him to give her the glass of water.

"Someone seems awfully confident in themselves," he said and she shrugged, knowing him to be right. There was hardly a match for the She-Devil.

"Oh, I can distract at least," she supplied. "Besides wedding prop-"

"Shh," he hushed and she giggled.

"Besides hints and death threats," she revised, "anything I should know before venturing back out into the world?"

"Whoever said you'd venture?"

"Jellal," she gave him a look and he back-paddled, if only a little.

"I mean, in your condition,"

"Right."

"Well, there's one more thing," he scratched the back of his neck, setting off a gasp and excited staring.

"Please tell me it involves Erza," she prayed with her hands clasped together, gazing at the ceiling.

"In a way," Jellal confirmed. Meredy cheered silently, then cleared her throat, blinking at him apologetically and friendlily. What could she be expecting when they had already talked about marriage, he wondered.

Jellal sighed. Then he lifted his head to look her in the eyes, collecting himself.

"I have decided to join Fairy Tail," she gasped. "Under one condition." He said and she frowned. His features softened. "You join, too," he proposed and she stared at him for a few heartbeats of silence – apart from the riot in the guild hall. She mirrored his expression and a sly smile curved her lips not a moment after.

"And I would've thought you'd go for Erza," she teased again and it relived him visibly.

"That's the other half," he admitted, returning a bashful smile.

"Aw," she tilted her head, "but where's yours?" Meredy put her hands on her hips. "You gotta do it for yourself, too!" She scolded.

"That would also be Erza's half," his smile broadened into a grin. He took the anticipated slap, glad to hear her laugh after too long a time of worrying for her mere survival. "Want to go home?" He offered. Meredy shook her head.

"I think the pink lady will be angry if I leave now," she said regretfully.

"You're a pink lady," he pointed out and she missed his arm when he pulled away to save himself another hit.

"And you're a jellybean,"

"I see you're faring just fine," Erza re-entered the infirmary, a fond smile adorning her lips. Jellal felt the nervous sweating return to his back when seeing the devious smirk flash across his guildmate's face.

"Jellal told me how you went shopping," she innocuously retold. He felt his pulse speed up in panic. "And that he didn't want to tell you, but he was really disappointed that you didn't prolongate and gave him anything to wear," she fluttered her eyelids at him when Erza instantly bought the trick and dove into an anecdote of the dashing male attires she had spotted for winter.

Jellal murderously glared at Meredy who smiled just as charmingly as Mira could while waving them goodbye and watching him get dragged out in what would become a several hourlong shopping spree.