#jerza request

Title: Akane

Summary:  She lives on, in their daughter. 

Note: combined Jerza request by jellal-okaku25 and jerzafangirl. Hope you guys like it. (and you never gave me specifics, so I came up with my own topic. So don’t kill me, please.)

Rating: T for angst

She is eight months into her pregnancy when the worst happens.

Sitting at the table, after the dinner dishes have been cleared, with Jellal, her husband and love, she muses about her life so far, and thanks the gods for giving her such a perfect man to be the father of their unborn child. Her eyes rove over his handsome features while he reads the Magnolia Tribune, locking onto the dark blue of his hair and the contrasting red of his tattoo. He so handsome, despite the dark circles under his eyes from countless sleepless nights due to her pregnancy. Still, despite her waking him up every hour or so with relentless back pains and late night cravings, he still manages to look like a son of the gods.

She looks at his blue hair, watching as it tickles the back of his neck. It should be cut soon, but she likes the long hair on him, and vaguely wonders how he’d look in a ponytail. If any man can pull it off, he could.

He shifts, and she watches the powerful muscles of his chest and shoulders roll as he moves. The strength he possesses is enough to pose a threat to any guild, but he is gentle around her, and with her. She’s spent countless nights nestled in those strong arms, protected against his warm chest. She is safe with him.

She clears his throat. “Jellal,” she says, pulling his attention away from the news. He looks up, a frown decorating his handsome face as he drops the paper and takes on of her hands. He looks at her with such doting concern that, in Erza’s hormonal state, she feels tears at the corners of her eyes.

“Are you okay, love?” he asks her, his voice gruff with care as he leans forward, rubbing her knuckles with his calloused fingers. She closes her eyes in content as he massages her hands. “Is it the-”

“I was thinking about names for our baby, for her,” she whispers. He freezes, but before he can voice his opinion she cuts him off. “I know you wanted to wait, Jellal. Up until this point, I was completely fine with having her be nameless until her birth, but now I just don’t feel comfortable. She’s living inside me, Jellal, and in a month she’ll be in our arms. I want know her name, to say her name, when I can finally hold her in my arms.”

She fought with decision for several months, dedicating several sleepless nights to dwell on it. But at last her decision was final, and now she wants to name her daughter, so she can properly greet her when she is brought into the world.

Jellal looks deep into her eyes, studying her thoughtfully. Erza knows that this must be hard for him. He’d originally wanted to see his daughter properly before giving her a name, much like how he’d done the same for Erza. But at the same time, he is conscientious of her needs and is willing to do anything for her.

He sighs. “Okay,” he whispers. “I understand.”

She smiles and leans forward, meaning to kiss his lips, when a burning pain scorches her abdomen, making her shut her eyes and hiss in a startled gasp. Jellal is immediately alert, out of his chair and at her side in a heartbeat, kneeling down and anxiously putting a soft hand to her belly, which she clenches, and realizes is the source of her pain.

“Erza, love, what’s wrong?” he asks her desperately, letting her clench his hand and moan while the pain continues to wrack her body. She is quiet despite the agony, only emitting the slightest of moans, her strength as Titania shining through. And Jellal is ever so patient- as well as anxious- with her, holding her hand and rubbing her back soothingly. One eye is glued to her fragile form, the other glued to the lacrima phone sitting on the kitchen counter several feet away. Porlyuscia gave it to the young couple when Erza entered her fifth month in case something went wrong. He always prayed that he’d never have to use it, but now, he fears.

The pain passes- not quite, she notices. It’s still there, as it’s fading, like a shadow of itself moments ago. She figures it’s the baby, since she’s getting restless and cooped up inside Erza’s confined body. No doubt the baby wants to be out, with a spirit like that. She has her mama’s spirit and her papa’s fire, that is explicitly clear.

“It’s fine,” Erza croaks, cautiously letting go of Jellal’s hand. “The baby has some pretty powerful kicks nowadays. I’m fine.” She shoos him away, but he lingers for a moment, his concerned gaze locked on her trembling form. He seems convinced that it’s something more, but Erza has endured worse pain than this, and she does not want Jellal to stress.

“Are you sure?” he asks, but she waves him off, giving him a smile.

“I’m fine. The pain is gone now. I really should be used to this by now.”

“Are you sure?” he asks for the second time. “I could fetch Porly-”

“I want to name our baby something to do with light,” she whispers, changing the subject, knowing it’ll make him focus. And it does. He stops talking, his eyes burning with concern before he sits down, keeping his eyes traced on her form.

“Light?” he whispers. “That’s an interesting topic to choose. What brought this on?”

“You once told me that my words were your reason that you found your courage. And that my words were the light that would lead you to to the right path again. You were in a dark place when you uttered those words to me, Jellal. But now I know that you’ve found that path, Jellal. Our relationship was always built on trust and light. So I want our daughter to be a testament of our love.”

He freezes, his eyes filling with memories. He remembers Nirvana clearly, despite having amnesia back then. Seeing the pain on Erza’s face had nearly ripped his heart out. But he remembers her, confronting Midnight despite the vast differences in their power, full of her own internal light. Seeing her like that made him realize how precious she was to his redemption.

It is still hard for him to believe that she married him, despite what happened to them in the past. After all they had gone through- hell, after what she had gone through, dealing with his darkness and his depravity- she’d still stayed by his side. He tried to kill her, to sacrifice her to Zeref, but here she is today, married to him. He still can’t believe that She is carrying his child, his beautiful baby girl. He thanks the heavens above everyday for blessing him with this angel who gave him his life back. She is his salvation, and a reminder of that every day.

“What do you have in mind?” he asks her softly, tears forming in his eyes, warmed that she still believes in him. “There are hundreds of names that deal with light.”

“I was thinking maybe-”

She breaks off suddenly, closing her eyes and hissing in pain. It’s the same pain as before, except it’s much more painful; harsh and wrenching, like it’s tearing her in half. She tries to hold it in, but the tears flowing out of her eyes say otherwise. She grits her teeth as she is rent in two by the pain, and cannot hold out. She screams out, slipping off the chair as Jellal dives for her, shouting her name. She collapses into his arms, her hair pooling around her like a puddle of blood.

She feels a warm wetness pooling around her legs, dripping down the inside of her thigh. She frowns, and looks up into Jellal’s eyes as he looks at her lower half. He reaches for her thigh, and she feels him press his fingers to her skin before bringing them to his face.Her eyesight is getting bleary from the pain, her mind fuzzy and overwhelmed, and she focuses as Jellal’s eyes widen in horror. Because his fingers are drenched in blood.

Her blood.

He turns back to her, his eyes full of pain and fear. He calls her name, but she doesn’t hear it. She is fading in and out of consciousness and she barely makes out his mouth, whispering her name one more time. Then it is replaced with another wave of pain rips her in half and she succumbs into the welcoming darkness that surrounds her like a warm blanket.

______________________________________________________________

She wakes up blearily, the pain actually wrenching her out of her subconscious dreams. Immediately, she tries to scream, but she is too weak to utter a single noise. She can’t focus; it seems like her eyesight is fading, but she can make out bright, white light. There is a beeping sound in the background, like white noise. Blurry shapes surround her, and she can vaguely make out the familiar look of doctor scrubs.

There are too many voices, too many drowning noises. In her bleary state, inundated with pain, she can only make out a few, intelligible words.

“.....She’s flatlining.”

“Heart rate is rapidly slowing!”

“Oxygen levels below normal!”

“The baby is losing oxygen....the mother can not sustain vital nutrients to it,”

“Get her to the OR now!”

“Erza!!”

She hears the familiar scream of Jellal and struggles to stay awake, to tell him that she’s here, that she’s alive. That she is ok, and that she needs him. She moves her head slightly as the cot below her moves, and she can barely make out Jellal struggling in the entrance of a doorway, his front covered in smears of blood. There is a panicked look in his eyes, and he is reaching out desperately towards her while a man in a white coat holds him back.

“Erza!” he screams as he’s pushed back. “I love you! Hang in there, love, please!”

“This baby has to come out now, otherwise it’s going to kill itself and the mother,” an elderly female voice says, closeby, as Jellal is shoved through the doors and disappears. “And then that blue haired freak is going to go ballistic.”

The baby is dying inside of her.

She struggles to keep her eyes open, but another wave of pain washes over her and pulls her back down into the dark. She cries out for help, but no one comes to help her. Not even Jellal. She is alone.

It is then, that she thinks of the name of her daughter.

______________________________________________________________

If seeing Erza lying in a puddle of blood didn’t kill him, than the wait surely will. He’s sitting in the hospital waiting room, anxiously tapping the floor with his heels, his eyes glued onto the doors they wheeled Erza through. She looked so deathly still, lying there, helpless and vulnerable, but he wasn’t allowed in the operation room, much to his dismay. A nurse gave him a quick rundown: the placenta connecting baby to mother somehow wrapped around the fetus, cutting off oxygen and nutrients to the baby as well as causing a blood clot in Erza. Of course, that only made Jellal even more desperate to get to his wife, but a doctor roughly pushed him out, making it very clear that Jellal wasn’t welcome in the OR. The last sight he’d seen of his beautiful wife was her lying in the cot, pale and sickly looking, her vibrant hair splayed around her head like a halo.

The news had spread, and several of the other Fairy Tail members had rushed over to the hospital: Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Mira, and Laxus. They happened across Meredy, who was in town for a visit, and she’d raced to the hosptial as well. They were all currently seated behind Jellal, their eyes glued onto his tense and still form as he stands guard at the door.

No one had tried to pull him away from his sentry post. It is all too clear in his eyes: he’ll stay there until Erza comes out of those doors, healthy and alive. He is a protective father and lover, and everyone knows that. No one will question him.

“It’s going to be okay, Jellal,” Meredy had whispered to him softly, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She’s stronger than she looks. You and I know that.”

But if she had seen how deathly pale Erza had looked on the hospital gurney, she’d be choking down her words.

He closes his eyes. He can’t lose her, he can’t lose the baby. Not now, not ever. After everything that’s happened, losing her will be the last straw.

He can’t think this way. He has to believe she will be alright. That he will be able to see her bright, lively smile again, feel her small hand fit into his like a puzzle piece. That he will be able to hear her jovial, melodic voice, feel her luscious hair wind through his fingertips. She is his drug, his wine, his life and soul, and losing her will be losing everything about him.

A doctor comes out of the doors, and Jellal is immediately alert, as well as the others who have joined him, only to wilt as the doctor approaches a woman and informs her that her husband is alive and well, and that he suffered a minor heart attack but will suffer no consequences.

Erza will be alright, she will be alright. He has to believe that she’ll pull through. She is Titania. She will be alright.

“Can I get you anything?” Laxus says, jolting Jellal out of his vigil. He nods his head down the hall, where Jellal remembers a vending machine sits promising junky but addicting food. Laxus’ eyes mirror the concern in Jellal’s, and the marked mage realizes that Laxus is equally worried for Erza’s welfare. They all are.

Jellal shakes his head. “No thank you,” he murmurs. He turns his head back towards the door. He refuses to eat, drink or sleep until he finds out if Erza is alright. She is suffering through so much pain right now, so he can wait. Nourishment doesn’t mean a thing right now to him, not while Erza is beyond his reach and beyond his help.

There is nothing he can do but wait. And it is the worst feeling in the world. She is alone, and no doubt scared, and he is forced to wait outside while she goes through this process by herself. Damnit, he should be there with her! She shouldn’t have to suffer through this alone!

Another fifteen minutes go by. Then a half hour. An hour. Two hours. The time drags on, but Jellal stays by the door, unmoving, like a statue. The others have long since fallen asleep, laying on each other like a pile of rocks. Lucy uses Natsu as her pillow, resting against his slumped over form, while Laxus and Mira lean against each other, their arms and legs intertwined. Gray stretches out across three chairs, and Meredy is stretched out across from him, using his back as a prop for her feet. They all tried to vigilantly stay awake, but one by one, had succumbed to fatigue as the hours passed.

And then, finally, at three in the morning, a doctor in bloody scrubs walks through the doors. His eyes find Jellal’s and he strides towards the blue haired mage like the bringer of grave news.

Jellal stands frozen, holding his breath, as the doctor shakes his hand and introduces himself as Doctor Lates, a distant cousin to Hibiki Lates of Blue Pegasus. Then the doctor walks Jellal through the process of what happened over the last several hours. They had to perform a caesarean section on the baby, which caused massive internal bleeding inside Erza’s body.

“Unfortunately, your wife lost an extreme amount of blood...”

No, it isn’t possible. It can’t be true. Erza is a fighter. She is strong. It couldn’t possibly be true-

“We tried to save her, sir, but....”

No.

“She lost too much blood, and most of her organs had already failed...”

No.

“I am very sorry for your loss, Mr. Fernandes.”

He lets out a wrenching cry and dropped to his knees, tears pouring out of his eyes. Bellowing in pain and frustration, he cries his sorrows out to the heavens above as consoling hands try their best  to assure him. But he is too far gone. Screaming and crying, he pushed for the doors, intending to find Erza, to bring her back.

“No, Erza,” he gasped, his hands reaching out as familiar hands pulled him back. “Love, please,”

This isn’t supposed to happen.

People are saying incoherent words to him now, but he can’t focus. There is a tunnel of white light around him, sucking him into the vortex. Warmth surrounds him, and he breathes in the warm smell of strawberries as he closes his eyes.

______________________________________________________________

“Jellal.”

His eyes open blearily, focusing on a patch of golden light surrounding him. He blinks, unsure of what is going on, until he hears her voice.

“Jellal, look at me.”

He shoots upward into a sitting position, blinking. He is surrounded by a golden glow, and seems to be suspended in the middle of it. And standing in front of him in a glowing white dress is his beloved Erza.

She is unblemished, her skin and body flawless. No blood mars her features, and she is smiling with a bitter sadness as he shakily stands and approaches her. Her hair is spiraling around her body like a scarlet cape, and her eyes shine with love and sorrow.

“Erza, love,” Jellal croaks out, reaching out a hand. “This can’t be...you... are you real?”

She takes his hand, and he pulls her close, silent tears racing down his face as he breathes in her familiar scent. He crushes her body to his, imprinting her in his flesh, so that he may never forget the map of her body under his hands. Because deep down, despite the denial, he knows.

“I’m sorry, Jellal,” she whispers in his neck. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”

“Erza,” he sobs, holding her close. “I-I can’t lose you. Please, come back to me.”

She pulls away from him so she can stare into his tear filled eyes. “I’ll always love you,” she says sadly. “Remember that alway.”

“Erza-” he begins, but she leans up and presses a chaste kiss to his mouth, interrupting his sentence. Her hands tangle in his hair, and he winds up wrapping his arms around her slim waist, deepening the kiss until he is drowning himself in her.

The taste of her goodbye is evident in her kiss, her lips, her tongue. She kisses him passionately, wrapping herself around him until neither of them can breathe. Only then does she break free, gasping against his mouth, pressing her forehead against his.

“Erza,” he whispers, tears leaking out of his eyes. She smiles gently and wipes them off his cheeks.

“It’s time for you to go now, Jellal. This is no place for the living.”

“No,” he murmurs, but as she leans up to whisper her final farewell in his ear, his sight fades and he sinks into the black abyss.

____________________________________________________________

He is told it’s only been moments that he blacked out, but it feels like days. He is silent and brooding, salty tears making tracks down his face. He sits stoically while the doctors speak nonsense about bills, until Makarov arrives to relieve him. Only then, is he led to his wife’s prone form, laying under a crisp white sheet in an empty hospital room.

The nurse leaves him alone, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. Jellal’s mouth goes dry as he approaches the gurney, seeing the familiar blazing locks splayed out underneath the blanket.

Mavis help him, how can he do this? How can anyone do this?

He braces himself and pulls back the sheet, flinching upon seeing Erza’s peaceful face.

She is beautiful, even in death. Her face is peaceful, calm; it almost seems like she is asleep. But he knows she is gone, can see it in the lack of life in her body. Even her hair seems less vibrant.

He kneels over her form, keening softly as his tears soak into the blanket. His head presses against her still chest, inhaling the fading scent of strawberries and vanilla. He clutches her head, kisses her lips, and holds her lose as his tears fall like glass upon her face.

He is damned. He was damned from the moment he was born. Everything he cherished, everything he loved, was taken from him as a child, and now Erza, the only person he will truly every love, is gone too. Fate has decreed that Jellal Fernandes must eternally suffer for his past sins.

But why couldn’t he have been taken instead? A flawed and sinful man like he should not be living. She should be here, alive and well, and he should be in her place. Out of all the people in the world, she is the last person who should be dead.

He sets her head down and looks at her still form. “Erza Fernandes,” he whispers. “Erza Scarlet. It doesn’t matter what name you have, either way, you will always be my love, my wife, my soulmate. You were my life, love, and I don’t want to lose you. I love you, Erza, and I will forever. I just wish we could have shared that forever together.

“As a boy, I always watched out for you. I promised myself that I’d be there to protect you, to be your guardian angel. But then I cast you out because I succumbed to the pleasures of darkness. I tried to kill you, kill your friends, and manipulated Millia, Sho, Simon, into believing you were evil, when in reality, it was me who was truly evil.

“”Your words gave me courage; the light that would bring me back onto the right path again,.” WIth those words, you once again became the reason why I lived. I wanted to protect you from further harm, but it was also the moment I realized that I was wholly, devastatingly, drastically in love with you.”

His voice cracks and the tears threaten to overwhelm him, but he grits his teeth and cups her white cheek with a bloodied hand (he never washed away her blood, it was dried on his skin, his clothes). “I protected you through the Grand Magic Games, but was unable to protect you when Tartaros attacked. But you were so strong, pushing through the pain because you are the light that eradicates darkness. You know the weakness of man all too well, so you rose above it instead of succumbing to it.”

He bends down and presses a kiss to her cheek. “Losing you is losing my life,” he whispers against her rapidly cooling skin. “I can’t breathe; there’s a heavy weight on my chest that is suffocating me. This burning pain in my heart will never fade, just as my love for you will always continue to burn brightly.”

He kisses her lips one final time, running his hands through her hair, her cheeks, her eyelashes. “I love you, Erza Scarlet Fernandes.”

With a final look at his beautiful, comatose wife, he bids a last farewell and draws the sheet over her face.

______________________________________________________________

When he enters the hall, the nurse is waiting patiently for him outside the door. She greets him quietly, pointing him down the hall to another room. "There's someone waiting for you," she whispers, and Jellal nods numbly, the tears still pouring down his face. With jerky, shaking steps, he follows her down to the doorway, entering when she opens it and stepping into the quiet room beyond.

"She is quite fine," says the nurse as she leads him to the bundled lump lying in a basket. "Healthy and beautiful, if not a tad small. But she is quite the strong baby. She'll pull through with a little TLC."

Jellal approaches the bundle, his eyes widening as he takes in the little redhead sleeping soundly in a swath of blankets. She is beautiful, all porcelain skin and chubby cheeks. Tiny hands balled in fists grip the blanket, and her mouth is puckered in a puzzled frown, curious in sleep,

"Meet your daughter, Mr. Fernandes," the nurse says gently. She gives him a tiny pat on the shoulder before backing away, going to stand by the door to give him his well-deserved privacy.

"Hello," he whispers, reaching down to pick up his daughter. She stirs, blinking open forest eyes that swim with confusion. Jellal takes in the beautiful eyes and her crimson hair. He sees Erza in her, everywhere. The beauty, the hair, the lips. But her eyes are his.

He hugs the baby close to him, pressing his cheek against her warm head. She gurgles and coos, one fist latching onto a strand of Jellal's hair. Jellal inhales her scent, smelling strawberries, and let's the tears flow.

"I will take good care of you," he whispers in her tiny ear, despite the fact that she can't understand what he is saying. "No matter what happens, papa will always be here to protect you."

And as he lets the tears flow, he whispers in her ear the last word Erza murmured to him before she was gone forever.

"Akane."

Sense: A Jerza fanfic

She longs to see his eyes even though he'll never see hers.

They've been neighbors for well over a year now, and Erza has come to realize that she not only cherishes seeing his face every day, but she cherishes every moment spent with him. But he will never see the smile on her face when she sees him sitting on his porch, never see her eyes shine when he eats her cake that she bakes daily, never see how her breath hitches whenever he touches her.

He is blind, a fact that Erza discovered when she saw him on his porch that momentous occasion. Unable to tame her curious spirit about her new neighbor, she walked over to his house a year ago with a cake in one hand and a welcoming bottle of merlot in the other. When she saw him, however, she knew something was off.

His initial appearance took Erza’s breath away. He had long, shaggy cerulean hair, soft and silky to the touch (as she would later find out). Light skin, high cheekbones, a strong and angular jaw. Full lips, so rare on men that it was a beautiful and welcoming sight.

But she couldn’t see his eyes. That was due mainly from the wide black blindfold that covered them, also partially hiding an elaborate red tattoo that ran down his right cheek.

But Erza was a polite woman. She did not pry into the blindfold, but instead offered the cake and wine, to which he graciously accepted. His name was Jellal, and he had moved to Magnolia from Crocus. She never expected to really talk to him again, but over the months after he moved in, she found herself gravitating over to his house again and again, bringing more snacks and drinks over until he finally gave her a key to come in whenever she liked.

She never brought up his blindness, until one day he did. “I’m blind,” he’d said, making her look up from her slice of cake. He was sitting in his usual place on the porch, his face turned slightly in her direction. “I was born like this.”

“I’m sorry,” she had replied, unable to find a response. He hadn’t responded, but continued to keep his head pointed at her while she ate. She looked at him, staring at the spots where his eyes were, and for the first time, wonders what color they are, and how she wished she could see them.

That very thought would continue to plague her mind for the rest of their friendship.

The memory finds its way back into Erza’s thoughts. She’s sitting on the loveseat next to him, curled into his chest while one of his arms is wrapped around her shoulder. He is absentmindedly playing with her hair, twisting the ends of her red locks through his fingers.

“Scarlet,” he murmurs, rousing her attention. “It suits you.”

She frowns. “How could you tell if you can’t see?” His blindness isn’t an awkward subject around them anymore, so she doesn’t worry about offending him. After all, as he once so put it, they can’t “ignore the elephant in the room”.

He shrugs. “I don’t know, exactly,” he replies sheepishly, turning his head towards her voice. “There’s just something about it that’s fitting. ‘Erza Scarlet.’ I can’t forget a name like that.”

She blushes, and is once again saddened how he’ll never see her face redden because of him.

“You know,” he says, making her look up at him again. “Just because I can’t see you blush doesn’t mean I don’t know you are.”

She wonders suddenly if he can read her mind, but before she can voice her thoughts he interrupts her. “I can feel your heartbeat. When it races, it means I’ve said something you like to hear. When your breath hitches, it means I’ve done something that pleases you. And when you are silent and huffing, I know I’ve angered you. Just because I’m blind does not mean I do not know how things work. And it took me a year to figure you out, Erza Scarlet, but I think I’ve got you pretty well.”

She’s silent, and bites her lips. Then, once she takes a breath, does she speak. “You never told me you knew this before,” she says quietly.

His arm tightens. “You never brought it up.”

“I was unhappy, I suppose,” she replies, feeling him tense underneath her. “I was sad that you’d never truly be able to see me, and see what you do to me.”

He laughs, a beautiful baritone chuckle that sends Erza’s heart racing. “Erza,” he says, chuckling. “I don’t need sight to know how beautiful you are. Sight can’t help someone feel a racing heart, or sense  the heat on one’s face. Sight doesn’t help me feel your smooth skin, smell your perfume of strawberries and vanilla. It doesn’t help me feel the silkiness of your hair, or hear the joyous way you laugh.

“Sight is an asset to plenty of things,” he continues, his head turned in her direction. “But it is not the reason why I fell in love with you.”

Her breath hitches in her throat at his words. She’s been in love with him for months, but she has no inkling that he’d felt the same way for her. Her eyes trace the blindfold covering his eyes, and she gulps.

“Jellal,” she whispers, and then moves, straddling his hips and settling down on his lap. He grunts in surprise, but places his hands on her hips while she cups his face, running her thumbs over his smooth cheeks, tracing his mark.

“May I look at your eyes?”

He stiffens. His mouth opens, but Erza cuts him off. “Please,” she whispers. “I just want to see you completely. I need to do this, if you’ll let me.” Before I lose my courage.

He’s quiet for a moment, and Erza is quite sure that he’s going to reject her request. But then the tension in his shoulders loosen and he nods slight. “Okay,” he whispers, and Erza hears the trust in his words. He has never show his eyes to anyone before- Erza knows this- so she understands his fear.

Holding her breath, she reaches behind his head, finding the knot in the blindfold. Deftly, she unties it, holding it into place as it loosens. She returns her gaze to his face as she gently lowers the cloth, expecting to see-

Green. Vivid green eyes, unfocused and cloudy, but breathtaking. She gasps, dropping the blindfold. She is mesmerized by his beautiful eyes, which also have hints of brown muddling the green, making his eyes appear to reflect a forest.

They blink and look off to Erza’s right. Jellal’s chest is heaving under her, so she cups his cheeks again. Her touch calms him, and he heaves a breath.

“Jellal,” she say. “Look at me.”

He does, focusing on a spot just above her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “My eyes-”

“Are beautiful,” she interrupts, leaning down. “I love them.”

She kisses his mouth gently, clasping his cheeks while tears of happiness race down her face. She can feel his eyelashes against her face, hear the breath leaving his lungs, taste the cake on his lips, and see the tears pooling in his blind eyes.

She pulls away, watching as he blinks in wonders. His mouth is slack, and his hands tighten around her waist, pulling her close. She smiles, taking one hand and bringing it to her mouth so he can feel the smile on her lips.

“I love you, Jellal,” she whispers, before sealing her lips over his once more.

Because love doesn’t always have to come from sight.

Summary:  She trusts him even though they’ve only just met. Jerza request.

Note: Also another WIP Threeshot. Part 3 has yet to be written and uploaded

Part 1/ Part 2

The train ride is long. However, Jellal busies himself with studying the woman who, despite her fragile appearance, is capable of taking down a full grown man in less than two minutes. Although he'd probably won their little spar from before, Jellal has no doubt that if she was being serious, he wouldn't have had a chance.

No one beats Erza Scarlet, codenamed Titania.

He's heard of her before. Who hasn't? She's considered to be a prodigy and legend in the FIA (Fiore Intelligence Association). She rose to fame at a young age, twenty, by taking down a ruthless slave trader named Bora. The FIA had been chasing that madman for ten years prior, but when Erza Scarlet was assigned the job, she captured him in less than three months. Her extraction team had found her in an interrogation room with him tied up and gagged, with her holding him at gunpoint and a sultry smile on her face as she turned him in.

No one ever said that Agent Scarlet wasn't ruthless.

She's sitting opposite him, legs crossed professionally in a black dress. Her eyes really fixated on a point outside the window, but he's quite confident that she is well aware of what is going on inside the train car.

He's also extremely sure she knows he's watching her.

Red hair, tied up high in a ponytail, falls gently across her shoulders, draping down her back. Several loose strands fall in front of her face and caress her cheeks. Dark eyes empty of emotion stare at their surroundings.

She's beautiful, he notices absently. Beautiful and deadly.

"We should probably go over the plan," she says, startling him from his reverie. He jolts, and watches as she uncrosses her slim legs. She reaches into her coat, which is laying beside her on the seat, and pulls out a piece of paper, creased along the edges as she unfolds it. His eyes narrow as the paper is revealed to be a map of a large mansion.

"What's that?" He asks, leaning forward so he could see the layout of the building more clearly. She hands it to him, and he gratefully accepts.

"That would be the headquarters of Phantom Lord, a ruthless gang that rules the underworld of Magnolia," she says, watching him carefully as he studies the map. "Our mission is to infiltrate the building and steal some files. And if we can, get close to Jose, the leader, and take him out."

Jellal looks up from the paper with a raised brow. "Really?" He says. "Seems like an awful amount of stuff for us to keep track of."

She grins and slips a hand up her leg, rucking up her dress to reveal a handgun attached to a garter on her thigh. "Oh don't worry," she purrs. "You can deal with the files. I've got Jose."

Jellal's mouth goes dry. He finds it hard to suppress his growing physical attraction to her, especially after seeing her creamy thighs and hearing her seductive whisper. He suppresses a groan. How the hell is he supposed to complete a mission feeling this way? At this rate, he'd have a more pressing matter to deal with rather than worrying about some files.

They didn't tell him he'd be dealing with a hard situation.

"So," he says through gritted teeth, carefully maneuvering himself so she couldn't see anything below his stomach. He is grateful for deciding to bring a coat, and now he wordlessly throws it over his lap, to create a barrier between her and, well, it.

She frowns, and leans forward, pointing on the map. "This is the main entrance," she begins. "We're supposed to be reps from another gang, called Eisenwald. They're like the dogs of the underground, and they follow all of Phantom's orders. Other spies have already intercepted the real Eisenwald representatives, so we're taking their place."

"Will it just be us?" Jellal asks, his eyes roving over the map for any side entrances- or in their case, once the infiltration is over, an escape- or any hidden tunnels to be aware of.

She shakes her head. "There are going to be some other gangs joining us," she explains. "Other agents have been dispatched to replace some of them as backup for us. But you and I are mostly on our own."

Jellal nodded. He's done solo missions before; this one will be no different... unless-

His eyes betray him once more and land on the hollow of her throat, watching the pulse on her neck as it beats. He's entranced, noticing the way her skin shines in the light.

"We have another hour," she says to him, once again pulling him from his fantasies. "I suggest you prepare yourself."

                                                       ~0~

He's officially uncomfortable. And Agent Jellal Fernandes, otherwise known by the alias "Mystogan," is never uncomfortable. He's stoic, cold, and unwavering from his job. No one ever knows what goes through uie mind, hence his code name. He was an enigma to all. However, a current red haired beauty has changed his famed reputation forever.

He sighs as her arm squeezes his, and has to look away as she presses her body against his. It's a terribly difficult situation, and he is so incredibly grateful for the loose, baggy pants he has to wear.

She's dressed in tight, black cargo pants, ripped all up the legs to expose a considerable amount of her smooth skin. Tall combat boots. A black crop top, revealing cleavage (too much for Jellal's taste, but it's all part of the job). Heavy leather jacket. Hair pulled up into a messy bun. Thick makeup. Other men ogle her; she looks badass, like she can rip men apart with her bare hands.

Jellal resists the urge to chuckle. Ahh, the irony of it all.

He's wearing black cargo pants tucked into heavy boots; a loose flannel with the top half unbuttoned, and fake tattoos decorating his neck and chest. He'd protested about the tattoo at first, but one glare from Titania and he all but threw himself into the bathroom to stick them to his body.

They walk into the main room of the Phantom Lord HQ, their eyes searching their surroundings. The room is large, but not overly so, and packed with mean-looking men and fewer women. Jellal notices the hungry looks in their gazes, and bites back the urge to whip out his gun, which is safe to say that that would not be a good idea. Still, his fingers itch to grab his gun, which is hidden in the waistband of his pants.

They're supposed to be the reps of Eisenwald. Well, actually, Jellal is supposed to be the rep, Erza is supposed to be playing, well, his callgirl. Jellal's not usually against this protocol (and its not because he has a perverted mind) but he doesn't like that Erza has to act like this. She is too good to be lowered like that.

He hears several catcalls- directed at Erza, how could they not be- and grits his teeth. She can tell he's tense and squeezes his arm. "Go with it," she breathes quietly. No one else can hear her except for him, like it should be. It's all a part of their training in the FIA.

There's movement to Jellal's left, so quick and flighty that he almost misses it. But his hand shoots out, quickly snatching the arm that is reaching greedily towards Erza, and yanks hard.

He hears a startled yelp as the offender is thrown to the ground. He hears Erza's intake of breath, but he doesn't listen, and kneels down to the ground, jabbing his elbow into the other man, who gags and retches.

"Listen to me you sorry piece of shit," Jellal hisses. "You lay one fucking hand on her and I'll rip you a new one. You got that?"

Okay, so maybe he isn't that vulgar in real life, but the gangs down here are used to some pretty foul expletives. If he wants to seem like he belongs, he has to bring out the trucker's mouth.

Erza smiles and giggles, running a comforting hand down his arm. To anyone else, she may have come off as promiscuous and as flirty as any other easy girl, but Jellal knows better. A cover up for her is as simple as breathing.

Suddenly, while Jellal still has the poor sap pinned to the ground, a booming voice interrupts the little situation. "What the hell is going on here," he hears a gruff voice say.

Shit's hit the fan, Jellal thinks. And that wasn't the inner gangster in him speaking. Because as he turns around and looks up, he finds him face to face with the one and only Jose Porla.

Part two of Fuse has now been uploaded

Summary:  Is their bond strong enough to overcome this challenge? Or will they too, succumb to the power of the Black Wizard himself? Jerza request.

Note: This is a WIP threeshot.  Part 3 has yet to be written. It will be uploaded later

Part 1/ Part 2

There was a plethora of words to describe Jellal Fernandes. However, the one that kept popping up in Erza’s mind seemed to fit him most accurately in this specific situation: stubborn.

It happened so quickly. Her fight with Zeref wasn’t exactly going well, but this was Titania. She wasn’t about to give up. So even though his claw-like hand (enhanced with magic) was clenching her throat and making it terribly difficult to breathe, she wasn’t about to die like he kept muttering under his breath.

And then, when the pressure on her neck was just about overwhelming, it was gone. She felt someone grab her and pull her to safety, away from Zeref’s reaching hands. Her eyesight was blurry from her lack of air, but she was able to see the golden glow emanating from the user’s magic. There was only one person with that kind of magic.

They landed in a heap, and she rested her head wearily on his shoulder, catching her breath. “Thank you,” she mumbled, inhaling the familiar musk of Jellal as she leaned against him.

He watched her carefully as her wounds bled, before staring back at the man who nearly killed her. She winced as Zeref approached, dark waves of magic pouring off his skin.

Jellal got hastily to his feet, and Erza couldn’t help but notice that, even with the wounds marring his skin and the blood staining his clothes, he was ruggedly beautiful and handsome. The fierce light of protective rage in his eyes warmed her heartstrings, and the way he placed his body in front of hers sent a surge of gratitude through her.

She pulled herself up, allowing Jellal to support her. Her legs shook from fatigue, but she would not give in to exhaustion. This was a fight she could not back down from.

“Can you fight?” she heard Jellal breathe, and she nodded.

“I can,” she said, proud that her voice did not shake and reveal her torpor. Although her hands shook from her nearly exhausted magic reserves, she summoned the last of her strength and summoned Benizakura, a sword that never once failed her. It appeared to her now, wicked curved blade glinting in the red light of battle.

The summoning of her most powerful blade drained her, but she gritted her teeth and stood up straight. This battle may very well be her last, judging from her lack of magic, but she’d make sure it would be a battle that Zeref would never forget.

“Death to all,” Zeref said, walking towards the two of them. Next to her, Jellal suddenly tensed, and she had a split second warning to steady herself before he took off, away from her side, with a “keep out of this!”

Stubborn.

The cawing of a raven echoed in the background as Erza watched with horrified eyes the fight between Jellal and Zeref.

How dare he take off? She knew that he wanted to protect her, but at the same time, she was not a damsel in distress that needed a knight in shining armor. She couldn’t stand by while Jellal, who was already exhausted and severely wounded, fight this battle by himself.

But her legs....they just would not move. She felt herself collapse, Benizakura disappearing from her hand as her strength failed. Slumping to the ground, she wondered if this was to be her torture: watching her beloved fight to the death with the darkest mage in history.

Jellal cried out in pure agony when one of Zeref’s clawed hands slashed down his chest, renting a large tear in his torso. The stellar mage collapsed in a pile of blood and ragged cloth. He landed not too far from her, a limp body a mere twenty feet away while the Black Wizard towered above.

“No!!!” Erza screamed, reaching out towards him. Tears pooled in her eyes and blinded her vision, but somehow she found the strength to throw herself on top of him, shielding him from Zeref.

She looked up, her eyes watering as she stared Death in the eyes. Around her, she could hear the dying screams of her companions as Zeref’s demons devastated the city.

Is this the end? she wondered, her hands clenching on Jellal’s blood soaked clothes. He was still underneath her, but she could feel his chest rise and fall, however slight it was. His heartbeat fluttered under her fingers, weakening with every beat.

“E-Erza,” she heard him exhale, a whisper of a breath leaving his lips. “Get out of here.”

“No,” she whispered, as Zeref raised a bloody hand, black magic forming in his palm. “I’m not leaving you to die.”

“Please,” he whispered. A green eye opened, filled with love and anguish. “Don’t sacrifice yourself for me.”

But you would sacrifice yourself for me.

Suddenly, she is filled with a white hot rage. Anger towards herself, for being so weak. Time and time again, she is saved by the people she loves, yet she can’t protect them. Natsu saved her during the Tower of Heaven incident, Wendy healing her when the Nirvana situation rose. Lisanna and Natsu saving her from Yakidoriga and the Minerva helping her to defeat Kyouka.

And now Jellal, risking his life so she could live. Well, she was done being protected and watching others sacrificing themselves for her sake.

She looked back up at the monster before her as the hand fell. Behind her, she heard Jellal heave a gasp, but she rose, requipping a shield and slamming it as hard as she could into Zeref’s body. She felt the impact and silent whoosh as air left the dark mage’s body.

He was flung several feet away, and Erza sagged, panting as she gasped for breath. Her body screaming, she turned back to Jellal as he pushed himself weakly to his elbows.

“I love you,” she whispered.

His eyes softened. “I know,” he breathed.

She reached out and took his hand. He gasped in pain, but hoisted himself up, blood dripping out of the wound that raced diagonally down his chest. He sagged against her weight his head resting heavily on her shoulder.

Zeref was already struggling up, a furious look on his face. As he stood, magic formed in his palms once more, and a seething glare was sent in their direction.

“I don’t have much left,” Erza whispered.

Jellal weakly nodded. “Neither do I.”

So let’s make this last one memorable.

Jerza request on FF.net asking for fluff. Here ya go!

Summary:  Time and time again, she saves him. And he realizes she is his home and he never really understood that until now.

link

She had to hand it to the Rune Knights: they could be quick when they wanted to.

Yet this was not the time to be appreciative of the Rune Knights. In fact, it was anything but.

It's hard to appreciate the people who are the guardians of the magic world when they're currently trying to arrest the love of one's life.

They're beating him, throwing him to the ground, cuffing him, hurting him. Erza's not one to turn away from a shocking scene, and she doesn't disappoint. She'd rather die than see Jellal hurt.

She races forward, knocking other knights out of her way, cursing and screaming as they gang up on Jellal. He's wincing and coughing up blood as they pound him into the earth. He's already been restrained, his arms behind his back, and they're still kicking him while he's down.

They say when it rains, it pours. And Erza Scarlet was a storm.

She smashes into several rune knights holding him down, requipping her swords. "Fly," she hisses, and the blades take off, mowing down knight after knight. She can see the others in the distance: Natsu, Lucy, Meredy from Crime Sorcière, Wendy, and  Gray, but she pays them no mind. This is her fight.

With a wild roar, she stands, magic power flowing off her body. She releases the anger that has built up inside of her in one powerful rush, and allows her clothes to melt off, only to be replaced with armor more majestic than anything.

"Nakagami armor!!"

Behind her, Jellal winces, blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth. He smiles upon seeing her, clad in the brilliant green and gold armor that only she can wear. She is breathtaking; curves and beauty, rugged fierceness and majestic grace. There is no one else in the world like and, and there never will be.

She wields a giant spear and brandishes it, forcing the waves of Rune Knights away from them. They quiver before her, timid sheep among the wolf.

"Stay back, all of you," she snarls angrily. A cold light of fury boils in her brown eyes, a fire of emotion swirling in those deep brown orbs. The look in those eyes is enough to make even the strongest man waver, just as the Rune Knights do.

Jellal sees Team Natsu and Meredy come to a stop behind the circle of Rune Knights. Lucy steps protectively in front of Meredy, shielding her from the knights, since she is technically a criminal. The way Lucy Heartfilia protects his comrade sends a warm rush of gratitude through Jellal's body.

Erza looks back at him. "Please tell me you're alright," she whispers as she continues to hold the Knights back.

He nods, holding her gaze with his. "Yes," he  murmurs.

She turns away from him, back to focus on the knights. Once again, anger burns in the depth of her glare as she focus on what seems to be the captain.

"You there," she barks, and he jumps in fright. She beckons him closers to her, and he takes a cautious step forward.

"Who sent you?" Erza snarls, her spear pointed right at the man. His lip quivers and he trembles in fear, but the stubborn look in Titania's eyes demands an answer.

"The Magic Council has been after that man for years," he begins timidly. "As well as that sensory link girl."

Jellal would rather they left Meredy out of this; she is only a teenager, for Mavis' sake.

Erza's eyes narrow to icy brown slits. "You tell the Magic Council that if they ever try to lay a finger on him again, I will personally flay their hides and feed their guts to pigs."

Jellal can't help but wince in sympathy for the Council. No doubt she'd follow up on her threat if they ever acted against her wishes. But why did she have to make it sound so.....morbid?

Well, that is Erza Scarlet for you.

The Knight looks like he is about to protest, but the look in Erza's eyes makes him quickly change his mind. He whispers a few words to his companions, and they all back away from the duo, sheathing their swords and walking away. Team Natsu cautiously lets them pass; Lucy making sure that Meredy stay behind her.

Once the Knights had all left the scene, Erza drops down next to Jellal. "Thank Mavis," she whispers, tugging him to her chest. "I wasn't about to lose you again."

He wants to focus on her words, he really does, but it is hard to concentrate on anything when his face is pressed into something- somethings- squishy and unbelievably soft....

Bad Jellal!!! He can't think such perverse thoughts when she'd just freaking saved his life.

She lets him go when the others raced up. He blushes and ducks his head, trying his best to not stare at her scantily clad body. Oh dear Mavis...

He hisses when he feels the cold ice of Gray's magic freezing his wrists, but then the cuffs on his hands crack and freeze, making it easy for him to break them off. Wringing his hands, he utters a word of thanks before turning to Erza.

"Thank you," he says, reaching a hand to her. "You didn't have to though. I was more than ready to surrend-"

"Not another word," she replies, suddenly glaring at him. "Not another word, Jellal Fernandes. If I have to hear another word about you willing to surrender and go to jail, I believe I will kill you."

His eyes widen. "What-"

She stands up, smoothing out her armor. "You are a complete idiot, you know that? Did it ever occur to you that maybe there are people who don't want you out of their life? That maybe, just maybe, someone wants you to be with them?"

He hears the plea in her words, and suddenly, his world explodes in hues of red. No, scarlet, is a better word for it.

He stands and reaches for her, not caring that the rest of Team Natsu and Meredy are watching. He knows that this probably isn't right (for him, at least, since he's sure he hasn't atoned for all of his sins yet) but consequences be damned.

Her eyes widen as he nears. "What are you-" she begins to say, but then his mouth Is on hers and she can't comprehend what she wanted to say because he is kissing her and it feels good. It feels right.

She closes her eyes, basking in this moment with him, and winds her hands in his hair. She can hear the quiet gasps of shock from the others, but pays it no mind.

He pulls away from her and rests his forehead against hers. "You're right," he says, his eyes closed. "You're always right."

She smiles. "That's not true," she whispers. "But in this situation, I am."

His eyes open, and he stares at her like a blind man seeing the sunset for the first time. "Erza," he whispers. "Time and time again, you save me."

She smiles. "You once told me that I was to be the light that dispels your darkness. Well, here I am, ridding you of your dark past one bit at a time."

"This isn't going to be easy," he warns. "The Magic Council isn't going to appreciate you openly defying them."

Her hands tighten in his hair. "I don't care about the Magic Council." She replies. "I know what I am doing is right. I can deal with them later. Right now, all I want to do is get you and Meredy back to the guild and clean you two up."

"Thank god," Natsu says from somewhere behind them, and is quickly chastised by a scolding Lucy.

"Are you sure about this?"Jellal asks.

Erza nods, giving him another kiss on his lips. "Yes," she whispers. "Let's go home."

Another oneshot, this one finished for sure :)

Summary:  It never occurred to her that the little green monster would take it's hold over her so strongly. Obviously, she was wrong. Jerza request. Fluff.

link

I am not jealous. I am jealous.

No matter how many times Erza thinks this to herself, it doesn't seem to work. She can almost see herself turning into the green monster known as Envy.

Seriously, she hated it. There she was, sitting around the fire with Crime Sorcière, watching Jellal interact with Ultear, and Erza is burning with jealousy.

Honestly, she doesn't know how she met up with them, but here she is now, enjoying a quiet evening with them. Meredy, who is dozing off, is laying with her head on Ultear's knee. The other woman in question is laughing with Jellal, occasionally resting her hand on his shoulder.

He is sitting cross-legged, his armor off, revealing a black shirt, well muscled arms, and a toned stomach the shirt doesn't do a justice in hiding.  And he is laughing right along with Erza's black haired nemesis of that moment. Sheesh, she doesn't even feel this jealous when she sees someone else eating her favorite strawberry cake, but watching Ultear and Jellal makes Erza want to burn bridges.

She shakes her head. For the love of Mavis, she thinks angrily. I'm turning green.

She checks herself quickly, just to make sure her thought isn't literal. That is how jealous she really is. Really, she can't take any chances.

"So, what do you think, Erza?" Jellal's voice cuts through her thoughts, jolting her back into reality. She turns to look at him. His face is red from all the laughing, but from her jealousy-induced mind, she can't help but think it's because of Ultear.

She gets up abruptly. I can't do this, she thinks angrily. I have to get out of here.

Without looking at Jellal or his "friend," she turns and runs away from the campsite, sprinting as fast as she can to get away from the sight of the man she loves enjoying the company of another woman.

She doesn't know how long she runs, but she thinks it's far enough away. Sniveling and cursing, she pumps her arms, still trying to get away from the site, and get the image out of her head.

Suddenly, an iron grip latches itself on her flailing wrist. She turns, meeting the confused gaze of Jellal. He'd chased her, this entire time. She tries to pull away, but he stops, making her halt.

It warms her heart that he did come after her. But the next words out of his mouth send her spiraling down in her misery once more.

"Ultear and I got worried."

She yanks her wrist out of his grasp. "I'm fine," she spits out. She gestures back in the direction in which they had come. "So you can go to your girlfriend and tell her. Or wait, is she the fiancé?"

His eyes widen, and she drops her eyes, her face burning. Sweet Mavis, I did not just say that, she thinks, mortified. If a deep hole opened up in front of her now in this very moment, she would gladly jump in and never come out. Oh, what he must think of me.

He's quiet, and Erza takes this as a bad sign. She raises her eyes slightly, preparing for him to scoff at her, or think her stupid, but instead, he's holding in a laugh, his eyes glittering with amusement.

She immediately pouts, pulling away from him. "What?" She snarls. "Stop laughing at me!"

He chuckles. "I'm sorry," he says, stepping forward and pulling her into a tight embrace before she can step away. Her eyes widen as he crushes her to his chest, her face buried in the soft material of his shirt.

"You were jealous," he says against her hair. She blushes, but latches her hands into his shirt.

"Maybe a little," she whispers, and this makes Jellal laugh again.

"Oh Erza," he says, pulling back so he could stare at her. His eyes are warm and full of mirth. "You don't have to be jealous of Ultear. She has nothing over you."

She looks to the side. She feels like such a fool. "I'm sorry..."

He chuckles, then bends down and kisses her. It's such a surprise, she stares wide eyed at him as his lips move over hers. Then realization kicks in, and she closes her eyes and breathes in his sweetness.

They stay like that for a few moments, until he pulls away slightly and smiles at her. She starts to smile, but then something dawns on her and makes her pause.

She looks at him, another glare forming. He frowns, unsure why she suddenly looks so mad again, even after that delightful kiss they shared only a few seconds ago. Was he that bad?

A sly look is sent his way. "So," she says cooly. "Whatever happened to that  so-called "fiancé" of yours?"