#lyerza

Next month?!

Erza knew she had no right to be upset. Jellal was chasing after a dangerous guild. He was doing a good thing, but she couldn’t help but feel like it was an excuse, that he was avoiding her.

After the war had ended, Queen Hisui had pardoned the members of Crime Sorciere of all their crimes. They had been free to join the light guilds for months. To establish a base somewhere in Fiore, rather than continue to act as fugitives. Erza had hoped that Jellal would finally settle down somewhere, that they could begin to explore the feelings that, while unspoken, had always existed between them.

But did they really? Could it be that all this time she’d only seen what she’d wanted to see?

No, she didn’t think that was it, but she also didn’t understand what the problem was. All around her, people were pairing up, getting married and starting families. All things she'd always dreamed of for herself. But she and Jellal were still standing still.

There had been so many excuses over the years - the fake fiancée, his status as a fugitive, their childhood friends hating him for lying and enslaving them for the better part of ten years. The list went on and on, but Erza had never given up on him. Not even when he’d tried to sacrifice her to the Tower. So why was he giving up on them just when all their obstacles had been removed?

She sighed, separating the note from the flowers it had come with- a bouquet of red roses similar to the ones she'd received last time. And the time before that. She put them in a vase on her vanity table and requipped into her usual outfit.

The dress she'd bought after hearing the news about the pardon lay on her bed, price tag still attached to the label in the nape, and once again, it ended up back in the closet, next to the others.

Usually when this happened, she’d go to the guild and vent her frustration on a training dummy or a willing Natsu, but this time she was more sad than anything else. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was ending, which was ridiculous considering it had never started in the first place.

She decided to head to the guild anyway, knowing that moping by herself would only make her feel worse. Once again, her thoughts strayed to Cana’s prediction, and she snorted.

Lucky day indeed. What a joke that turned out to be.

Erza made her way through the streets of Magnolia, stopping now and then to peer at shop windows. And despite the chilly weather, it wasn’t long before she found herself at the outdoor market, enticed by the sound of street performers and the cheerful displays. There were all kinds of things for sale, from clothing to weapons, and she flitted from stall to stall, looking for something to add to her collection.

She’d just begun haggling for a kanzashi when she heard someone call out to her.

“Hello Erza.”

She turned her head, recognizing the voice but not placing it right away, and was surprised to find Lyon Vastia standing beside her.

“Lyon?” She summoned up the best smile she could. “What brings you here?”

“I was planning on dropping in on Gray.” He picked up a sword from the vendor's table, examining its blade before setting it back down.

“Oh, Gray left on a job with the rest of the team. They’re not expected back for a few more days.”

“That's too bad. I’m surprised you didn’t go with them. Don’t they get into more trouble without you around to act as impulse control?”

Erza knew he was right, but when they had brought up the job, she’d already made plans with Jellal, optimistic that this time he wouldn’t cancel.

“They’re not that bad.” She protested, but even she had to admit it didn’t sound very convincing.

“As someone who has seen what they’re capable of, I respectfully disagree.” Lyon chuckled. “Did you have plans for today?”

“I did, but they didn’t quite work out.” Erza turned her attention back to the kanzashi, not wanting Lyon to notice her disappointment. “Is there something I can help you with, or was it just a visit?”

“There is, actually,” Lyon said after a brief pause. Erza looked up to find him studying her. “A friend of mine is having a baby and since I’m here, I may as well try to find her a gift. Trouble is, I know absolutely nothing about babies.”

“You were going to ask Gray for help with that?” Erza asked in horrified disbelief.

Lyon chuckled. “Not at all. I suspect he might be even more clueless than me. But maybe you could help me with that?”

“Is it for anyone I know?”

“Yes, you remember Sherry, don’t you?”

“She’s having a baby? But she’s younger than I am…” Erza said before remembering that while she’d been under the effects of Fairy Sphere for nearly seven years, everyone else had continued to age.

“Oh… right. She was.”

“So, what do you say?” Lyon squeezed her shoulder briefly, but didn’t let his arm rest there. “Are you willing to help an old friend out? I’ll even throw in some lunch for your trouble.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’d be happy to help.”

“Nonsense, it’s no trouble.” He dismissed her protests with a dramatic wave of his hand. "Were you going to buy those, uhm… what are those?"

Erza smiled at the confused expression on his face. “These are kanzashi. They’re a self-defense weapon that doubles as a hairpin.”

Lyon picked one of them up, turning it around in his hands before sticking it in his hair at a jaunty angle. “What do you think? Does it suit me?”

“I think,” Erza said, getting ready to scold him for his behavior when he flashed her a mischievous grin. Until now, she'd only ever seen Lyon during a fight or when he was bickering with Gray. They'd never gotten close enough for her to see this playful side of him before. It suited him.

“You’ve come a long way from your Cold Emperor days.” Erza blurted, wincing as she realized that might not have been the best thing to say, especially when he looked away from her, removing the kanzashi and placing it back on the merchant’s table.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“I’m glad you think so,” Lyon interrupted her apology, turning back to her with a smile. “I can’t say I’m proud of who I was back then, but I like to think I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

He was right, of course, but it was so different from what she was used to that she didn’t even know how to respond. It was so refreshing to hear him not only own up to his past mistakes, but to see how he’d grown past them. And even though she knew it wasn’t a fair comparison, she wished Jellal could adopt some of his attitude.

“Shall we get going?”

“Hmm? Oh yes,” Erza blinked, bringing her thoughts back to the present, “I think there’s a shop a few blocks from here that sells what you’re looking for.”

Lyon straightened his cape and offered her his arm. “Lead the way.”

Erza linked her arm with his, though she felt slightly awkward doing so. She wasn’t used to being treated this way, although she also couldn’t say she minded it. Most men she met fell into one of two categories. They were either intimidated by her or were incredibly forward with their attentions. Lyon’s chivalry was a pleasant change of pace.

It didn’t take them long to find the store nestled in between a bookstore and a jeweler. Its windows displayed mannequins clad in fashionable maternity outfits and colorful baby clothes, along with stuffed animals and other small toys. Lyon let go of her arm to open the door and she hurried inside, eager to examine everything. There were so many things to look at, she didn’t know where to start.

“Good morning!” The shopkeeper looked up from the checkout counter. “Look around and please let me know if you need any help finding anything.”

There were tables full of bibs, onesies, and booties, and Erza soon lost herself in the allure of fabrics and bright colors. She helped Lyon pick out outfits and toys for the baby, setting some aside into a pile until she realized what she was doing.

There was no reason for her to buy them. None of her friends were expecting, and she certainly wouldn’t be needing them anytime soon. She picked a couple of outfits and one toy to gift Sherry and put the rest away.

Lyon had selected some maternity dresses, holding them up in front of Erza’s body to get a feel for the sizing.

“Maybe I should get Sherry some clothes, too. What do you think of this one?”

“Is this your first baby?” The shopkeeper interrupted, approaching them with a smile of delight.

“We’re shopping for a friend, but yes, it’s her first baby.”

“Wonderful!” The woman practically beamed at them. “How far along is she?”

Lyon extended his hand away from his stomach to show Sherry’s size.

“She means months!”

“Oh.” Lyon looked sheepish as he put his hand down. “The baby is due in May.”

“Those might be too small, then. Why don’t I show you some dresses that might fit her better?”

She led Lyon to a different rack, and Erza continued to explore the store’s offerings.

There were cribs, mobiles, pillows, books, and many gadgets she’d never even considered. She was admiring a crib when Lyon joined her, showing her the dresses he’d picked out.

“I think those are lovely. Sherry is sure to love them.”

She watched as Lyon continued to add items to his pile. Books, stuffed animals, clothing, and now he’d shifted his attention to the cribs.

“I thought I liked to shop,” she couldn’t help but tease, although secretly she thought it was rather sweet.

“Is it too much?” Lyon asked, looking down at the items worriedly.

“Not at all. I’m just surprised to see you get so into this. Any time I take Gray out shopping, he does nothing but complain and ask if I'm done yet.”

“I’m not usually a fan, either,” Lyon confided, “but Sherry’s always believed in me. I want her and her baby to have the best of everything.”

Hearing Lyon talk about Sherry with such devotion warmed her heart. It reminded her that, even though some things were still missing in her life, she could always count on the love and support of her friends.

“Well, she’s lucky to have a friend like you.” She said, squeezing his arm.

Lyon looked away, but Erza caught a reddish tint to his ears and grinned, realizing that just like Gray, he didn’t like to be fussed over. He walked over to the counter to pay for his purchases, writing the address where the crib was to be delivered on a piece of paper.

Erza knew that not all guilds were like Fairy Tail. Learning of how Master Jiemma had treated the members of Sabertooth had certainly opened her eyes to some of the things that went on behind closed doors. Things that their current master, Sting Eucliffe, had worked very hard to fix. And although she didn’t know much about Lamia Scale, she was incredibly grateful that they had taken Wendy in and treated her like family during Fairy Tail's time of disbandment.

She was glad Lyon had followed Gray’s advice to join a guild so long ago, and that Lamia Scale had proven to be such a good fit. He had changed so much since they had first met, and she couldn’t help but be proud of the man he’d become.

“Shall we go have lunch?” Lyon said once she had paid for her items. He maneuvered their many shopping bags around until he had a free arm to offer her again, and she gladly accepted it.

“Yes, I’d be delighted.” And she meant it too. The day might have taken an unexpected turn, but Erza couldn’t help but feel it had been a lucky one.

0-0

Lunch with Lyon had been fun. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself so much. They’d chatted about the new Magic Council, their guilds, and even swapped stories about Gray as a kid. She was sure wherever he was, his ears must have been ringing. Through it all, she hadn’t once thought of Jellal or her earlier disappointment.

But all that had changed the moment she returned to her room at Fairy Hills and set eyes on the red roses on her vanity table, a reminder of why she’d gone into town in the first place.

And for the first time, a thought struck her. What if the reason Jellal sent her red roses was not because they represented his feelings for her, but because they reminded him of her hair color, which he’d always liked?

I remember now; it was the color of your hair…

She could still remember the way she’d felt when Jellal had said those words as the Rune Knights took him into custody. The hope that had bloomed in her heart, even when it had seemed she might never see him again.

After she’d learned Ultear and Meredy had broken him out of prison, Erza had done everything in her power to show him she’d forgiven him for the things he’d done during his time at the Tower of Heaven. She’d supported his decisions even when she didn’t agree with them and aided him any way she could. Every awkward moment they’d shared over the years had built up her hope that if she only waited long enough, everything would work itself out.

But that day had come and gone, and he’d made no effort to seek her out. There wasn’t much left she could do, save force her feelings on him to get her way, and that was the one thing she was determined never to do. She’d watched Juvia make that mistake over and over, and seen the results firsthand.

So where did that leave her?

More than anything, she wanted Jellal to find peace. To finally get to a point where he could not only accept forgiveness for his past actions, but grant it to himself as well. It had been almost ten years since the Tower of Heaven had collapsed, but it didn’t feel like he’d made much progress in that regard. He stubbornly held on to his guilt, firmly believing he could never truly make up for his sins. No matter how much good he’d done since.

And as she got ready for bed, she couldn’t help but wonder. Did that apply to her too? When Jellal looked at her, was it possible he still saw her as the little girl he’d once hurt so badly? Did being with her cause him pain?

That thought gave her pause. She didn’t like it, but she also couldn’t discount it. She grabbed the note and climbed into bed, reading it again and hugging it to her chest.

Wherever you are… Please be careful.

0-0

Erza stepped off the train as soon as it arrived at Magnolia Station. She'd taken a few simple jobs over the past few days, both to keep herself busy while she waited and to take her mind off the doubts that had crept in after her day out with Lyon.

“She doesn’t look any different to me.”

“I heard it happened during the war. How romantic!”

“She’s got that glow, you know?”

She heard many comments like these on her way to the guild, but Erza didn’t pay them any mind. They didn’t sound like they had anything to do with her and frankly; she had bigger things to worry about. Her team was scheduled to return, and she was eager to hear how their job had gone. This was the first big mission they’d taken since the war had ended, and despite the assurances she’d given Lyon on Sunday, she’d definitely been worried. With all that pent up energy, there was no telling what might have happened.

She noticed that people seemed to pay her more attention than usual, turning their heads as she passed and whispering behind her back, but she shrugged the thought away as soon as the guild doors came into view.

They opened, and Mirajane came out. She noticed Erza and hurried over with her usual smile. “Hey! Did you just get back?”

“Yeah, I took the early train home. Skipped breakfast, though.”

“Oh, you must be starving! I’ll be back in a few minutes to make you something. I just want to run out and get the new—”

“Sorcerer’s Weekly?” Erza finished for her with a laugh. “You never change. Are you in this one?”

Mira giggled. “Nope, but it’s always fun to see who is. I’ll be back soon. Oh, and Natsu and the others are back.”

“Did they get into any trouble?”

“I’ll be back soon!” Mira repeated, evading her question and setting off with a quick wave.

It was hard for Erza to be annoyed at her, seeing as the fool was practically skipping in her excitement to get at the new gossip. She shook her head with a fond smile, knowing she’d have her answer soon enough. It took her less than a minute to arrive at the guild doors and enter.

“You’re back!”

Her teammates greeted her with varying degrees of excitement, causing her to take a step back and peer at each one intently.

“So, how did the job go?”

Her eyes narrowed as she noticed Gray evading her gaze. Suspicious for sure. Wendy smiled at her, while Lucy looked like she was trying to decide whether she wanted to say something. Natsu didn’t pay her much attention after his initial greeting, too busy inhaling the ridiculous amounts of food that was piled on his plate as Happy cheered him on.

“It was fine.” Wendy moved closer to Lucy to make room for Erza.

“I wouldn’t call that fine,” Lucy muttered.

Erza raised her eyebrow in response. “Oh? Did something happen?”

“I’ll say something happened.” Lucy complained, shooting Gray an irritated glare that amused Erza. “Gray got himself arrested for public indecency again. And don’t get me started on Natsu.”

“Me?” Natsu said, tuning in to the conversation upon hearing his name, “What did I do?”

“You ate all of your money, so I had to bail your boyfriend out.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is.” Natsu shrugged. “It happens all the time. And he paid you back, didn’t he?”

Erza shook her head and chuckled as her two friends continued to bicker, soon joined by Gray, with Wendy trying to diffuse. Carla crossed her arms and expressed her disdain. Nothing had changed.

Relieved to hear they hadn’t tarnished Fairy Tail’s good name, Erza let Gray off with only a mild scolding. “Be sure to keep your clothes on next time.”

“It’s not like I can help it,” Gray muttered.

“What was that?” Erza put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Natsu snickered, and Gray retaliated by stealing some food from his plate, setting off another round of bickering.

She ignored them, sitting down next to Wendy and wishing for Mirajane’s return. She really was hungry.

“So, Erza,” Lucy turned to her with a glint in her eye that Erza didn’t like, “What did you do this weekend?”

Natsu sniffed the air, and whatever he smelled caused him to quickly tap Gray on the shoulder.

"Incoming." He gestured toward the guild doors. Gray only nodded, but his entire demeanor changed, tension visibly settling in his muscles.

Erza had barely had time to consider the odd behavior when the door opened to reveal Juvia’s arrival. The water mage stood in the foyer, scanning the tables intently. It wasn’t long before she found the one person she was looking for.

“Gray-sama, you’re back!”

In the time it took Juvia to reach them, the boys had moved until the only available space to sit at their table was next to Natsu. Erza watched as Juvia stood next to Gray, wringing her hands and staring at him with heart filled eyes as she always did.

“Can Gray-sama make room for Juvia?”

“I’m fine where I am, but there’s room next to Natsu if you want to sit with us.”

Juvia continued to stand where she was, staring down at Gray hopefully, but when he didn’t move, she pouted and sat next to Natsu.

It had been months since Natsu and Gray had announced they were in a relationship. The news had surprised everyone, including Erza, but after everything they had gone through during the war, she could only be happy for them. Unfortunately, the same wasn’t true of Juvia and Lucy. They’d had a much harder time accepting the unexpected turn of events.

To her credit, Lucy had attempted to handle it with grace, although Erza knew she wasn’t exactly okay with it. She didn’t think Natsu had ever been aware of Lucy’s feelings for him, and though Lucy did her best to act happy for them, there were occasional cracks in her defenses. It was one of the many reasons Erza had been nervous about having them go on that job without her.

Juvia hadn’t been as subtle. Which is to say, she outright refused to believe that Gray's heart belonged to someone who wasn't her. They had all tried to talk to her at different times to get her to see reason, but not much had changed. She was still as determined as ever to win Gray over.

Erza had hoped that spending a few days away from the boys would give Juvia some time to come to terms with her disappointment. But as they all sat in awkward silence, watching Natsu continue to eat while pointedly ignoring Juvia, it was clear she’d been too optimistic.

“What is taking Mira so long?!” Erza complained as her stomach rumbled in protest.

The guild doors swung open and Erza perked up. Speak of the devil! But when she turned her head, she saw Sting and Rogue entering the guild hall instead.

Well, that should certainly make the guild lively.

"Morning!" Sting greeted, loud and cheerful as always. He had a copy of Sorcerer clutched under one arm, while the other was linked with Rogue’s. Rogue saluted them with a tall coffee cup, and Lector and Frosch floated just behind them.

“Sting, Rogue,” Erza greeted politely. She smiled as Wendy got up and hurried to meet them.

Rogue gave her a hug, and Frosch and Lector greeted her warmly, but Sting seemed to only have eyes for Erza, and he looked entirely too amused for her liking.

Natsu called them to the table, and they made their way over, waving to the other guild members as they walked past. And still, Sting remained eerily focused on her. It made no sense.

“Erza!” Sting grinned, giving her a once over that would have given her pause, had she not known any better. “So it’s true what they say. You are most definitely glowing!” Glowing? Why would she be glowing? She had half a mind to ignore him, but the comment reminded her of some of the things she’d heard the villagers say on her way to the guild.

“Glowing?” Natsu peered at her and then turned to Sting with a frown. “What are you going on about? She looks the same as always to me.”

Gray grunted his agreement, looking mostly like he wished he was anywhere else, whereas Lucy’s eyes had moved to the copy of Sorcerer’s Weekly Sting held.

“Is that the new Sorcerer?”

“It is.” Sting wiggled his eyebrows.

“Let me see that!” Lucy got up, making an unsuccessful lunge at the magazine. “Did they get pictures of her date with Jellal? Jason mentioned he was going to be around over the weekend.”

“Oh, it definitely features Erza with someone, but it’s not Jellal.”

Erza most certainly did not like the sound of that, and suddenly she had a nagging suspicion she knew exactly what was in those pictures.

“Ooh! Who was it with?” Cana joined them, holding her morning keg of beer. “Did they get any good shots?”

Suggestions poured from all corners of the guild. Some suggested Bacchus, others Eve. Each suggestion was more ridiculous than the next. And when someone was stupid enough to suggest Ichiya, Erza was about ready to reach for her sword.

“You guys are all way off.”

“It was—” Sting drawled, but before he could finish, the guild doors opened again and quickly slammed shut. Someone stood against them, panting, but Erza couldn’t make out who it was, as everyone was still mobbing her.

Natsu sniffed the air, wrinkling his nose at whatever he smelled. “Is that—”

“Lyon?” Gray completed Natsu’s sentence as he recognized his brother.

“Ding ding ding! We have a winner!” Sting made a dramatic gesture towards the door.

Gray ignored him, rushing to check on Lyon. “What happened?”

No, no, no! What’s Lyon doing here?!

Her fingers moved of their own volition, adjusting her skirt and smoothing her hair, even as she peered at the ice mage with concern. He looked out of sorts, his clothes were in disarray, and his hair, which was usually perfectly styled, stuck to his forehead in sweaty tendrils.

“I didn’t realize Sherry had so many fans in Magnolia,” Lyon said, grabbing on to Gray’s shoulder as he gasped for breath. “Ever since I got off the train, people kept asking me about her and the baby. They swarmed me. It was nuts.”

“Are you alright?” Wendy moved away from Rogue to check on Lyon with her magic.

“You needn’t worry, Wendy. I’m fine, just a little winded.”

“You’re not making any sense.” Gray puzzled. “Why would random strangers ask you about Sherry’s baby?”

“I have no idea.” Lyon said, sounding increasingly bewildered. He removed the satchel that was slung across his body, placing it on the ground while he adjusted his clothes. “It was strange, too. It almost felt like they thought it was my kid.”

“Yeah, about that...” Rogue grimaced, rubbing his neck. "You might wanna sit down, maybe get a glass of wine."

“Huh?” Gray and Lyon chorused, moving away from the door just in time for it to burst open again.

“Erza Scarlet!” Mira stomped inside. “I am so mad at you right now! How dare you not tell me you were dating Lyon Vastia?! I thought we were friends.” The angry pout she gave Erza faltered when she spotted their visitor. “Oh, hi, Lyon. When did you get here?”

“Dating?” Lyon blinked, his eyes searching through the crowd, and Erza could only imagine he was looking for her.

"Congratulations, Daddy!" Sting laughed, holding up the magazine for everyone to see its cover, which had a picture of her and Lyon at that baby store. And to make matters worse, he read the headline aloud. “Jellal is out of the picture! The Fairy Queen and her Ice Prince are expecting their first child!”

The guild erupted in chaos. Natsu joined Sting in laughter, while the girls made high-pitched noises Erza couldn't distinguish from actual words. Lyon's eyes went wide as he exchanged glances with a shocked Gray and Rogue, who just nodded regretfully.

Erza felt her blood pressure rising. She’d tried to be a good sport about the teasing, but it felt like everyone had suddenly lost their minds.

This nonsense had gone far enough.

“Give me that!” She got up and snatched the magazine out of Sting’s hands, no longer in any mood to be polite.

She looked at the picture on the cover. Okay, that wasn’t too bad. They’d been buying things for Sherry. That was easy enough to explain away. She opened the magazine, looking for the article it promised and feeling a little more confident that this would all blow over soon.

Lucy, Mira, and Cana pressed in close, as they too tried to get a glimpse of the article.

“Don’t you already have a copy?” Erza complained to Mira.

“No! It’s sold out everywhere. I only know about it because that seems to be the only thing people are talking about in town.”

Erza filed that news away for later. She flipped through the pages until she found the article. Jason had dedicated a two page spread to the story. Her eyes froze on the first picture and she immediately realized it was so much worse than she’d expected.

Not only were there several more pictures of them at the store. One of Lyon holding the maternity dresses up against her body, another of them picking out baby clothes together, and one of a moment she didn’t even remember, but they were standing very close to each other.

They’d also gotten pictures of them around town, walking arm in arm, standing at the canal bridge, and laughing together at lunch. She couldn’t argue that with the pictures presented this way, it very much looked like they’d been out on a date. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks, a combination of the anger and embarrassment that flowed through her veins.

Erza didn’t know what to do with her eyes, and she hated that Lyon was not only in the middle of this mess but also there to see her reaction. She did a mental inventory of her armors, trying to decide which one she would wear when she paid Jason a brief visit later.

Purgatory armor came to mind…

She heard the sound of Gray, Wendy, and Lyon’s footsteps approaching her and she wanted nothing more than to run away, but her friends had her pinned and she didn’t want to make an even bigger scene.

“May I?”

Erza didn’t immediately respond to Lyon’s request, but Cana and Lucy moved out of the way to give him room to examine the magazine. Cana headed over to discuss the situation with Gray, and Erza could only hope that Loke didn’t pop in for one of his impromptu visits. She was in no mood for any of his inappropriate commentary. Mira, however, remained glued to her side, and her squeals as she read whatever drivel Jason had concocted were not helping Erza’s state of mind in the slightest.

“Surely, it can’t be as bad as all that?” Lyon’s voice was kind, and as much as she didn’t want to, Erza knew she had to look at him.

She looked up finally, their eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds. Long enough for her heart to skip a beat, and to recognize his amusement at the situation, or maybe at her reaction.

“Why don’t we sit down?” He suggested, “Maybe have some of that wine like Rogue suggested. Mira, do you think you could do that for us?”

“Are you sure wine is good for her in her cond—” Sting started, but the rest of that sentence died out, muffled by Rogue’s hand.

Lyon fixed him with a glare that, for once, put Gray to shame.

“Oh, yes, of course, right away,” Mira responded, finally tuning in to Erza’s mood. “You mentioned you were hungry earlier. I’ll whip you up something too.”

“Thank you,” Erza said, although it was mostly directed at Lyon for getting Mira to go away for a while.

They sat back down at the table and Erza laid out the magazine so they could both look at it. Gray, Natsu, Lucy, Juvia and Wendy squeezed in around them, with Sting and Rogue hovering behind them, but they all remained silent for the moment.

Erza tried to read, but her eyes remained on the damning pictures. She could feel her friends’ eyes on her, and it only added to her discomfort.

“So, why are you here, anyway?” Gray asked Lyon. “Were you looking for me?”

“Well, this is a bit awkward now.” Lyon said, running his hand through his hair in a futile attempt to put it back to rights. “I actually came here to see Erza. Sherry loved everything we got for her and I wanted to thank Erza for all her help, so I, uhm…”

“You know what?” He gripped the strap of his bag tightly against his chest. “Nevermind.”

“What’cha got there?” Natsu peered at him with interest, his gaze focused on the bag as if trying to decipher what secrets it held.

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re forgetting, there are four dragon slayers here at the moment.” Natsu sniffed the air, and it didn’t take long for a teasing smile to appear on his face. “Are those flowers?”

“Kindly keep your nose away from my things, you nosy dragon,” Lyon snapped. “Those were supposed to be a thank you gift!”

Lyon opened his bag and removed a bouquet of brightly colored flowers. Yellow daffodils mixed with blue and white snowbells, and some other flowers Erza didn't know the name of, but there wasn't a single red one among them. They were beautiful.

He handed it to her with a shy smile. “For you.”

“Y-You got me flowers?” Erza stammered, feeling her cheeks light up again as she admired the bouquet. “They’re lovely, but you didn’t have to do that. You’d already bought me lunch.”

Wendy smiled widely at Lyon. “That’s so thoughtful!”

"He loooooves you!" Happy bleated, and Erza would have loved nothing more than to punt him again for it.

"Fro thinks so too!"

She could forgive Frosch, though. They were adorable.

Lyon ignored the teasing, choosing to read the article quietly instead.

“When will someone buy flowers for Juvia?” Juvia sighed, looking at Gray with her best puppy eyes. When Gray ignored her, she turned to Lyon, giving him the same look.

"Don't look at me. You made it very clear that you weren't interested in me, and I'm respecting that," Lyon deflected, only glancing up from the magazine briefly.

"More people should try that," Sting muttered.

“You don't need some man to buy you flowers, beautiful. We can treat ourselves to some right now,” Cana said, breaking the awkward silence that followed. “Why don’t we go to the flower shop and see what they have?” She grabbed Juvia by the hand and tugged, leading her out of the guild despite her protests.

“Ugh, I don’t wanna watch this sappy crap,” Natsu complained. “Let’s go outside and spar or something.”

“Spar? Hell yeah, I’m up for that.” Sting cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

“Save it for later. Miss Anna and Gajeel are waiting for us,” Rogue reminded him.

“Oh, right.”

“Well, we might as well get going then.” Natsu stood up from the table. He raised his arms up over his head, joining his hands before pulling them up in a noisy stretch. Bringing his arms down, he wrapped them around Gray’s neck and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“See you later, Ice Princess.”

"Have fun, Flame Brain."

Natsu headed towards the guild door followed by Rogue, who dragged Sting along as he struggled against his boyfriend's grip and complained over his shoulder.

"Careful with my magazine!"

“I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk more,” Wendy told Lyon, hugging him tightly.

“That’s alright, I’m sure I’ll see you at Lamia soon.” Lyon said, resting his head on Wendy’s shoulder briefly as he returned her hug. “Chelia always enjoys your visits.”

Wendy brightened at the mention of her friend. “Then Carla and I will make sure to visit her soon!”

“Sounds good.”

After one last wave, Wendy joined the rest of the dragon slayers and they took off with their Exceeds, leaving only Lucy and Gray at the table. While there didn’t seem to be any hostility, Erza could almost touch the tension between them.

"I'm going to dip into the library," Lucy said after a few seconds of silence. "I really want to make some progress on the research for my novel."

She got up, offering a tight smile before heading to the basement, where the guild library was situated.

“It doesn't seem like your situation has improved much since the last time we talked.” Lyon commented, staring after Lucy thoughtfully.

“No, not really, but I’m sure she’ll come around eventually.” Gray shrugged. “Anyway, I’ve got an idiot free day, and you two have a lot to talk about, so I’m gonna bounce.”

With Gray gone, Erza found herself suddenly alone with Lyon, and despite all the things they had to discuss, she couldn’t think of a word to say. Thankfully, she needn’t have worried as he was quick to speak up.

“I’m so sorry about all this,” Lyon said, pointing at the magazine. “When I asked you for help, I had no idea something like this would come of it.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Mira arrived, holding a tray filled with two plates of food and two glasses of chilled white wine.

“Still, I’d be happy to clear things up with Jellal. I wouldn’t want to get in between you two,” Lyon offered.

“Oh, no. You don’t have to do that! We, uhm... There’s nothing—” Erza struggled to explain her situation, or lack of a situation with Jellal. She felt even more flustered because she knew Mira was listening to every word.

Finally, she just blurted out. “It’s not like that!”

She didn’t have time to see Lyon’s reaction, as just at that moment there was a loud gasp and a resounding crash. Mira had dropped her tray and all its contents all over the table, Erza and the floor.

“Oh, god, I’m such a klutz! Let me help you clean up!” She said, trying to dab at Erza’s skirt and armor with a tea towel.

“I-It’s fine!” Erza waved it off, getting up from her seat to assess the damage. The components of a chicken sandwich rolled off her lap and wine dripped down her breastplate, joining the stains on her skirt and running down her legs. She knew she could easily requip into another outfit, but at this point she welcomed the idea of having a few minutes to herself.

“I’m going to freshen up.”

As she hurried to the women's restroom, she heard Lyon offering to help Mira clean up and resisted the urge to look back. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a full minute with her eyes closed.

Once she’d calmed down, she walked over to one of the sinks and grabbed a paper towel, wetting it so she could wipe the wine off her legs.

“There was no need to get all flustered,” she told her reflection in the mirror. “He’s just being polite.”

“You’ll discuss what to do about this stupid magazine article, and that will be the end of that.”

Somehow, that didn’t make her feel as relieved as she thought it would.

She cleaned herself off as best she could before requipping, debating on a few different outfits before opting for a casual one: a black turtleneck with a short checkered skirt and a pair of tights.

When she returned to the table, she found Mira had already replaced their food and drink and, thankfully, made herself scarce. Lyon sat sipping his wine while looking at the magazine, but he looked up at her approach and offered her a welcoming smile.

“I have to hand it to Jason. Some of these pictures are quite nice. This one here is my favorite, though.” Sporting that same mischievous grin he’d had at the market, he pointed at the picture of the two of them standing on the canal bridge, looking out at the water.

“You have a beautiful smile.”

Erza was happy that he’d chosen not to mention her earlier outburst, but did he have to say such embarrassing things?!

What was she supposed to say to that? It had been less than five minutes since her return and already she was back to feeling flustered. The only thing she could think of to do to escape his scrutiny was to eat her sandwich, but her eyes kept straying back to peek at him.

Was he flirting with her?

Did she want him to?

“What does the article say?” Erza asked in between bites, wanting to change the conversation back to safer topics.

“Oh, you know, the usual Sorcerer’s Weekly fare. We shared a steamy night at Hargeon, and now we’re madly in love and expecting our first child. Very romantic, I approve.”

“How can you say that? Shouldn’t you take this more seriously?”

“How can I?” Lyon teased, laughing at her outrage. “It says here I’m leaving Lamia Scale to join Fairy Tail because I can’t stand being apart from you.”

All of a sudden, his smile withered.

“What’s the matter? Is there something worse?” Erza grabbed the magazine, determined to read the article for herself.

“Yes, I just realized he might be right about that last part. Sherry and Chelia get together every week to look at this thing. I can never go back there.”

“Idiot! You scared me!” She wanted to scold him, but she couldn’t contain her smile at his overdramatic expression.

“There it is again…”

Oh…

He was definitely flirting with her, and the fluttering Erza felt in her stomach in response had nothing to do with her still present hunger. She was used to men complimenting her for lots of different things, but her smile had never been one of them. And it was more than just the words. It was also the way Lyon looked at her when he said them that made her feel like she was floating on air.

She couldn't stop smiling, felt her smile growing wider even, until she was sure she looked like an idiot. And not knowing how to respond, she shifted her focus back on the magazine.

She skimmed the text briefly, needing to read only a couple of sentences to know that it was all exaggerated and completely out of context. But the pictures were very real, and they helped remind her of how much fun they’d had together.

“Hey, Erza?”

She felt his hand gently resting on top of hers and looked up from the magazine, surprised by the gesture.

“Yes?”

"I know this is sudden, and Gray will probably kill me for even asking, but... I had a really great time with you and I'd love to do it again."

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Well, yeah. If you’d like to, that is.” Lyon said, looking nervous for the first time since he’d arrived. “Perfectly fine if you don’t.”

“I-”

Erza felt conflicted. While she couldn’t deny that she’d love to spend more time with Lyon, what about Jellal? Her eyes drifted to the bouquet of colorful flowers Lyon had personally delivered and it brought back Juvia’s earlier words.

When is someone going to buy Juvia flowers?

Juvia had caught Lyon’s eye once, but she’d been so consumed by her obsession with Gray she’d never given him a second look. And that was a shame. What had it gotten her? Gray had found love elsewhere, and Lyon had long since moved on, while Juvia remained stuck in place.

Erza didn't want to make the same mistake. She’d already been standing still for such a long time, planning and dreaming for the future she wanted to have. Buying dresses she hoped to wear on dates that more often than not were canceled without warning. If she continued to do nothing but wait for her life to start, one day she’d wake to find it had passed her by, and that’s not something she wanted.

Lyon was a handsome, smart, charming, and thoughtful man. He saw her as she was, never once acting intimidated by her, even though she knew from experience he respected her abilities. He was someone she genuinely liked and found attractive, and he’d now made it clear he was interested in her.

Cana had been right all along. Sunday had been her lucky day. It had opened her eyes to what her life could be like if she just opened her heart to others. All she had to do was reach out and take a chance on someone new.

And she wanted to do that very much.

“I’d love to.” Erza said, placing her other hand on top of Lyon’s and squeezing gently before reaching for her wine glass and taking a sip.

“You would?”

Erza nodded, laughing at the relief on his face.

“Alright, how about this coming Saturday? I’d love to show you around Margaret Town.”

“I thought you were leaving Lamia Scale.” Erza teased.

“Well, now that you’ve agreed to go out with me, I might be able to show my face again.” Lyon drawled, his confidence returning now that he had his answer.

“It’s a date, then.” She managed to appear calm, despite feeling giddy at the prospect of going on her first real date. “Now that we’ve sorted that out, what are we going to do about this magazine thing?”

“Meh, just leave it alone.” Lyon shrugged. “I’ve grown rather fond of it now. Besides, I’m sure we’ll be in there again soon enough.”

“You think so?”

“Who knows what trouble we’ll get into in Margaret Town?” Lyon winked and laughed at her horrified expression.

She had no idea if he was messing with her or not, but she couldn’t wait to find out.

Just a few days ago, she’d had a feeling that something important was ending, and maybe it was, but that was nothing to be sad about. She had lots of good memories that would always be a part of her.

But there was something she hadn’t considered. For every ending, there was a new beginning, and Erza couldn’t wait to see where this particular one would take her.

One thing was for sure: she already had a dress picked out for the occasion.

A/N: This was the first time we got to center a story on Erza and Lyon and it was really fun to play with them and throw them in the middle of chaos. This ship is one that grew, not out of a dislike of Jellal, but a love of Erza and a desire for her to find happiness in the traditional way that she hints at wanting throughout canon. Jellal and Lyon are very different characters, but they do have some similarities. They both started out as villains, with strong connections to Team Natsu members, but they achieved their redemptions in very different ways. This story doesn't try to say which of them is "better", just which we think is better for Erza.