I just found an earlier note saying 'Epilogue?' after he had joined the guild... lucky us my brain had other ideas xD
Mitzy123, haha 'here goes', love it :D Thank you so much for your review! Going through the entire chapter and commenting; you're too kind to me, I so love reading your review, thank you! And I'm glad you like the name - making OCs for such a world is never easy. You mentioned to many things, I can hardly keep up but concerning the last point, here goes... ;D
CheesyDelphox, thank you so much for your review and that complement! I know how that feels, running low on ideas so you just gotta suck everything you can out of your fingers and into a documents, a phone, a notebook, anything. It'll get you back into the flow to read about the ideas (or do it like my brain, and randomly come up with witty conversations while driving or in the shower where you can least write 'em down...). But anyway, thanks for letting me know about all of those things! I wish I could draw it, too but we're in the same boat there :D Drawing humans... nah. Ambrose is in fact my own creation. Thank you so much for your support!
Somnolent Sushi Roll, ah how you quote and react makes my heart leap with giddiness - thank you so much! And such a beautifully long review! I'm always impressed how much you guys can comment on one chapter, it's like a shower of reviews for every couple of paragraphs and I couldn't be happier! And yeah, the life of a fangirl, so much agonising joy... ':D
pilikali, thank you so much for your review! How do you even review so perfectly when having to use google translate for the chapters? You're so diligent (don't become a workaholic Jellal though, not healthy :D).
Jellal sighed as he leaned against the front door, the lock clicking shut in his back. His feet dragged from tiredness, though also from when Kagura had 'accidentally' – totally on purpose, he knew – stepped on his toes during the dance. But it had all been worth it in the end, spinning officials and all, because the sight of Erza's smile when he held her in his arms, gently swaying and twirling in time with the music was a sight he had not known to have needed in his life.
She gave a small moan in her sleep where she hung in his arms, forming his smile once again. He somehow wiggled out of his shoes, leaving them in the entrance, sauntering down the hall. He threw a glance full of foreboding into the kitchen. One round eye stared back at him in the dark, then another, then the first again. He walked over to the counter where the bird had obviously taken liking in the oats he had left for it.
"Want to come?" He asked in a hushed voice. It stared at him for a moment longer, always tilting its head this way and that, backing away the closer he stepped. Carefully, he lowered Erza down a little, enticing another hum to escape her slightly parted lips. Taking the invitation then, the pigeon hopped up unto the curve of her stomach and he marched all three of them upstairs.
Leaving the bathroom door open and the sink sealed for a bit of drinking water to stay, Jellal finally crawled beneath the covers where Erza was already curled up under. He nudged her and she gave a groan.
"Erza, love," he whispered, stirring her even more. But she refused to do any more than hum another time, now awake, if only a little. "Change," he reminded, not having the slightest clue of where his own sleeping clothes had disappeared to. She got the notion, not opening her eyes while the overwhelmingly stunning dress glowed, then traded for a set of comfortable trousers and shirt, hair falling loose over the pillows. Ah, he nodded. There they were.
With a kiss to her forehead, Jellal closed his eyes, drifting off almost immediately with her clinging to him, sharing her warmth. It would be dawn too soon but he hardly cared. He had made it through the party. They had. Magnolia awaited them.
Jellal rasped a groan, moving in his fading sleep when she prodded him again, not wanting to wake up just yet. There was still no trace of the sun but Erza could not wait. She threw a leg over his stomach, making up for the blanket she had tossed aside. With the cold bringing a shiver down his body, his eyes reluctantly peeled opened.
She blinked at him expectantly. His brows rose to give her a look through his tired haze.
"Really?" He glanced towards the still dark window. Above hunched a shadow, the pigeon still fast asleep on the cornice. "Now?" He asked and she understood what he was suspecting. She shook her head, leaning down slightly, hair falling over her shoulders. Her eyes were big with excitement.
"Let's go home," Erza smiled. He reacted only a moment later, his muscles sinking into the mattress. A smile of his own crept onto his lips.
"How late is it?" He croaked.
"Just past five – the first train leaves at half to six; we can still make it," she explained, hardly able to keep from wiggling. They were going home. Going back to the guild, to their house, preparing for Christmas. Putting up decoration, baking gingerbread, laughing and drinking with their friends.
Jellal pressed a sigh, his eyes falling shut again. She let her own soften. He must have been more exhausted than her with those social anxieties of his, having worked the entire week and never letting it hinder him from being there for her any remaining hour of the day. And it was not Christmas yet, she told herself; a few days must surely be enough to prepare and see everyone again.
Her thoughts dissolved when his hands landed on her hips, shoving her off. Her shoulders sank but she inwardly scolded herself for it.
"Shouldn't we get going if we want to catch that first train?" Jellal sleepily grinned up at her, the veil over his eyes thinning into the same pleasant anticipation that shone in hers. Instead of getting up, Erza plunged back down in a fierce hug, smothering his face with hers, then pressing her lips to his. "The train," Jellal managed to mutter into her with their mouths squished together and she promptly released him. In a thrilled hurry, Erza skipped off the bed, storming the bathroom to collect their toiletries, stuffing everything into his travel bag. Unaware of his fond gaze in her back, she crammed everything in, shortly debating with herself as to whether she should dare taking the mansion's bathrobes and slippers, too.
Deciding against it, she scurried through the bedroom next, raking open the curtains, spooking the pigeon above to death.
"Do we have enough suitcases for these?" She pointed into the cupboard where his suits hung.
"We bought them here so I didn't bring-" Jellal started but she acted before he was done, sending everything into her equipment's dimension.
"Check every room when I'm done, please," she called over her shoulder, quickly scanning all the other guest rooms and parlours in a haste, handling the groceries and leftovers next. He took more time than her, probably taking care of that oddly attached messenger bird but his steps echoed down the hall not soon after she had packed their breakfast on top of everything else.
"Anything?" She asked, briskly turning, a drop of sweat on her temple but a bright smile crowning her lips. His own twitched up into a smirk, a light blush tinting his cheeks.
"Nothing but this," he held up a hand, twirling a pair of lacy knickers around his finger.
"Oh," Erza snatched it away, jamming it in somewhere between the unopened flour and milk. They turned to the closed window when the pigeon knocked on it from the outside – he must have let it out upstairs –, and she could see on her beloved's face that he had a hard time with just leaving it there but it was no use. They had to run to get to the station of Era in time.
With Magnolia being the last stop on the west to east tracks of Fiore, the two napped away most of the morning ride. Snuggled up on their bench, Jellal had his feet on a suitcase as not to dirty the seat, Erza closely huddled into his chest, one arm falling off the side. For needing sleep, the distance was too short, but when imagining his travelling time of having to go back and forth between the two cities every day, it was unbearably long. She would have to address the topic of moving again – and if to someplace in the middle.
It must have been her excited chattering having given them away, because before they had found and inserted the key to their house, the door opened.
"Welcome home!" Meredy smiled sweetly, the couple's smiles stretching in return. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and she was holding a cup of hot cocoa, a blanket hanging from her shoulders, being dragged across the floor as she led the way back inside. It was almost as freezing as outdoors, they noticed with shock. Well about time to find out whether they had heating, Erza thought.
She unequipped her boots, waiting for her beloved to have dropped their luggage in the bedroom.
"I was hoping you'd be coming back soon; everyone's been asking non-stop," Meredy retold as she sank back into a chair in the kitchen. She got up quickly again, filling the kettle to get the water to boil for some tea. "These are so lovely, by the way, thank you so much," she beamed at Jellal who blinked in slight confusion. Her finger was gently letting the bud of one of the countless gorgeously arranged flowers on the table bob.
A special edition of the Sorcerer Weekly featuring Titania's spectacle at the Magic Council's gala shone at them with her on the front cover.
"You know that wasn't necessary; I would've watched the house anyway," Meredy said, though her gaze told of a different truth. She loved them and she felt honoured with the appreciation, so honoured in fact, Erza nudged her beloved's side to keep him quiet.
She had caught up quickly with his speechlessness, concluding the enormous bouquet to have originally been meant for her to return to.
"I can't wait to put these in my new apartment," Meredy beamed. "My new apartment? My apartment," she varied, a delightedly thoughtful frown crowning her forehead. "Isn't that exciting?" She grinned at them and Erza smiled at his softening eyes. "My own apartment. An apartment! Not some evilly floating operation base or musty hut I have to share with six people – mine," she hardly heard the kettle to whistle, but Jellal overtook the task.
She kept on ranting until they made it to the guild, so full of energy it almost made Erza forget about how she should have still been tired herself. Not about the ache in her legs, though, the constantly present pull of strained muscles all over her body but particularly strong in her legs reminding her of the time spent in Era.
"Oh, and us girls are going to do a spa weekend, so your timing is on point," Meredy grinned. "We've booked the onsen for two days," she informed.
"That sounds lovely," Erza had to admit. It really did sound perfect – a hot bath to share with her friends she had missed over the past weeks during the cold month. It sounded like heaven. She exchanged a glance with Jellal before deciding, though, and he nodded kindly, almost urgently had she tried to decline. "I'd love to join," she affirmed.
"Great!" Meredy smiled from ear to ear.
The entire guild gave an uproar – at least those already awake – upon seeing them. The couple was stormed by her team, though half the guild clustered around as well, listening to the events and missions and most interestedly the Christmas ball of the Council.
Erza blushed a little when Jellal mentioned the 'proper dancing skills' she had taught to the guests, making the others laugh, well-meaning nudges coming from all sides. Lucy commented on how there were still traces of make-up detectable on the Queen of the Fairies, something that apparently made more than just one pair of eyes sparkle.
"Ah, what a week," Erza stretched her arms above her head after finally having been released from the hoard of happily greeting guild members. "I'm exhausted," she sighed, though with content.
"You certainly look the part," Laxus' deep voice caught her attention from where he somewhat seemed to have waited, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. She cleared her throat at the accusation. All of the others were too sleepy or too infected with the holiday spirit to notice.
"Well, it was emotionally very straining," she defended herself at the rising of his brow.
"Emotionally?" He almost sneered, mockingly returning the irritated spark of her eyes. She fought her rising blush, at least more successfully than her beloved when the next observation came. "That why you walk with a rolling gait, I guess?" He smirked drily and her face changed colour faster than her thoughts could keep up. Luckily, hardly anyone was listening.
Feeling self-conscious, Erza closed her legs a little more, the ache more present now.
"That- yes. Right," she stammered, "where's Master?" She digressed, seeing clearly that he knew.
"In his office. Where else should he be?"
"Right. Yes. Of course," she turned on the heel, ignoring the amused huff from the S-Class Mage. Trying to act normal a tad too hard, her pace was stiff and her movements everything but natural as she crossed to the door. Jellal followed, and she frowned when overhearing his conversation, not daring to turn, however, knowing to be watched.
"She's exhausted?" Meredy was whispering to him. "Sounds to me like you've had lots of spaghetti,"
"Meredy!"
The guildhall was emptying after lunch and they had not yet exited the Master's office completely when being addressed again.
"Pack your bags, Fernandes, we're going on a job," Laxus nonchalantly said in passing them. Nonchalantly and commanding. Jellal blinked in confusion at the shove he received on his shoulder. Erza thought she had not heard right but Meredy was faster.
"Aw, you made a friend," she leaned into Jellal and he prodded her side to make her back away with a tiny shriek.
"Shaddup," Laxus growled at the comment.
"Don't say that to Meredy," Jellal shot back instead of the original scold she would have received. Being overprotective as usual.
"Then she shouldn't butt in – like you do with her business," Laxus retorted. He was perhaps the only one in the guild not as taken with her. Everyone else pretty much seemed to have fallen for her quirky charms or was still shielding her a little like Jellal did a lot.
"Yeah," Meredy put her hands on her hips, "I can tell him off myself,"
"Shouldn't you be telling me then and not him?" Laxus looked so very unimpressed, she gave a huff.
"Exactly," Jellal joined that side at her suddenly being upset – she always was, yet he could never get used to how she somehow did not want him to take care of her. "Don't go against me; I'm the one on your side," he extended their argument, Laxus almost blanked out when the two started bickering again. They were almost like a gentler version of Grey and Natsu, though clashing for actual reasons, if always the same.
"Honestly," Macao whispered to Wakaba, "I can't tell who's on who's side anymore…" he said, his friend shrugging. Completely forgetting about what had started the argument in the first place. Erza had not.
"Excuse me?" She planted herself in front of the now slightly annoyed Lightning Dragon Slayer. "It's finally weekend, give that poor man a break," she returned to the actual topic of a mission. Laxus did not so much as raise one brow.
"You're out all weekend with the girls anyway," he plainly stated. Well in the picture as usual and she was rather sure who was to blame for that, keeping from shooting Mira a look. She would have plenty of time for that in the onsen.
"What does that have to do with Jellal not being allowed to relax at home?" She lifted her chin, not only because he was a lot taller.
Meredy and Jellal had fallen silent by now, watching the S-Class Mages growl at one another from a respectful distance.
"You sound like his mother – let him make his own decisions," Laxus gave back, receiving a sharp exhale.
"You're not his mother, either, you can't just take him,"
"Why do you care when you're not there anyway?"
"What do you mean 'why' do I care?" She raged, stiffening at the affectionate hand on her shoulder.
"Erza," Jellal tried in a soft voice. She spun to frown at him, her glare turning into a plead.
"Don't let him get to you. You don't have to do anything," she reminded emphatically. He gave her his signature 'don't worry' but she had none of it. She took the hand from her shoulder, holding it, having the gesture returned when he enclosed her tense one in both of his. "You've worked so much all week," she urged, not noticing how clingy she became, leaning into his chest with her other hand.
"I think it might actually do me good to get out and blow off some steam," Jellal smiled reassuringly.
"We could have gone-"
"No, I'm happy you're going to relax with the girls at the spa," he shook his head, gaze so loving she melted a little. His head bent down, lips tenderly pressing to her knuckles he was still holding on to. "I'm glad to know you're safe,"
"You be safe, too," she sighed in defeat. Laxus could not help but raise an impressed brow from where he observed.
"I will," Jellal brushed another kiss to the crown of her head, all those left in the guildhall holding their breaths alongside Erza. "I promise," he murmured. Her shoulders sank and she lifted her gaze to lovingly return his smile.
The air was biting cold and the wind hardly bearable, even with a scarf as thick as Jellal's. He had spent so many winters with less protective clothing and yet, one could never get used to it. Still, he was not one to complain, the inward shiver unnoticeable, merely the pulled-up shoulders giving it away. It almost made him miss the quiet but at least warmer train ride before their hike.
"So," Laxus raised his voice for the first time, "how's working at the Council treatin' ya?" He asked. He sounded so much less as if trying hard to make conversation or tick off polite pleasantries; he seemed genuinely curious, perhaps a tad dubious. Jellal shrugged. Neither exchanged glances while walking ahead.
"Fine, it's good work," his reply came muffled through the scarf. It was Erza's. Feeling guilty for letting him go despite his reassurances, she had wound her scarf around his neck upon his departure, now gracing him with that lovely scent of hers right in front of his nose. He had to smile into it constantly.
"Aren't you some kinda secretary?" Laxus pressed on. His steps were heavier than Jellal's, leaving deep imprints in the frosted-over snow along the beaten track. It led them into a dense forest.
"Something of that sort," Jellal said with ease, not feeling offended in the least. He liked his job; he didn't mind anyone degrading it.
"Is it as much work as she preaches it to be?" Laxus rose a brow, darting him a look from the corner of his eye.
"It's… well, I don't think I give myself as much credit as Erza does but it's not always easy," he explained honestly. And it felt surprisingly good to do so. He was skilled in what he did, though he would never use that word to attribute it to himself.
Laxus continued through a narrower undergrowth, waiting until they fell into step again to speak.
"And they're still just fine with you being one of us?" The wording struck Jellal, making him smile a small smile to himself. It did not go unnoticed. "It's a fact," the Lightning Dragon Slayer said while avoiding eye contact, trying to be cool about something somewhat sentimental.
Jellal – remembering Jura – repaid in kind by not harping on about it.
"Oh, I just give them a reason here and there to let some charges slide," he disclosed with a hint of mischief. Laxus looked impressed, a little surprised at the already bold loyalty of the newest member of their guild.
"Playing the double front,"
"Not really," Jellal calmly explained. "I just share a subjective insight of what was at stake and what was gained for them to consider,"
"And they buy that?"
"I remind them nearly every time that they don't have to take my opinion into account," he retold, seeing the suspicious, yet already reluctantly agreeing faces of the Council in front of his inner eye, the sentence in Fairy Tail's favour practically on their lips. It was good work, indeed.
"And they still do," Laxus almost had to laugh, giving a devilishly amused exhale instead.
"I think they either forgot that I once made them fire Etherion or they're too embarrassed about the second arrest incident," he had to grin, his heart somehow light with freedom. He could hardly wait to tell Erza how relaxed and confident he was chatting with someone barely known to him. It felt empowering.
"With that frog guy?" Laxus frowned, finally coming to a halt to look around for clues of their target Jellal had yet to be informed about.
"Uhuh," he said, finding something blue and white to be shimmering through the trees in the distance.
"They should be," Laxus referred to the Council's potential embarrassment, giving a stern look, finally meeting his eyes. He really was serious about him belonging to Fairy Tail, apparently of the opinion that Jellal had already redeemed himself and been condemned unjustly. Maybe he felt so strongly about it due to his own background of hurting his friends and being forgiven, Jellal pondered.
"What are we here for?" He asked then, distracted by what appeared to be metal and higher than the trees of the forest. Laxus stretched a smirk.
"To help out an old friend of mine," he stepped into a clearing, giving a view of four human silhouettes of which Jellal immediately recognised the shortest one.