Both I and Impractialdemon hope this second chapter blows your minds ~ after her impeccable editing, I found it hard to know which parts I wrote - she really lifted my usual style. Don't be afraid to PM her and/or direct reviews from this story directly to her. Show her some love and support and increase our productivity. ;) French translations at the end of the page ~ Please be aware, there be mature contents here.

Chapter 2: Pay-Out

[V] - A Night to Remember

Erza looked so mouth-watering gorgeous that Jellal surreptitiously checked for drool. The gondolier had pushed his boat three blocks at high speed away from the guildhall before slowing and using what had to be a prepared speech, talking about the romantic points of interest and giving anecdotal stories of the history of Magnolia.

As the gondola slowed, Erza judged it safe to sit up from her sprawled position on top of Jellal, gingerly pushing off his chest to lever herself upright. "S-s-sorry!"

Jellal grinned, his alcohol-influenced flush not as off-putting to Erza as it might have been, since his eyes sparkled like they held the secrets of the heavens. Without conscious volition, Jellal snaked his arms around Erza's waist before she could scoot further away. "Wass you goin'?"

"Are you ill? Who did this? I'll carve them to pieces!" Her chest heaved with the fervour of her words; nobody but nobody should ever take advantage of Jellal.

"I'm gooooood," Jellal drawled, more relaxed than he'd ever been when given the chance to look up close and personal at Erza's incredible breasts. "So goooood." He laughed and lost his train of thought—though it was more like it ran off the rails and burst into a giant flaming pile of twisted metal. He was only a mere mortal, and he could smell the enticing lotion she wore as well as see the expanse of sublime bosom before him.

"We must get you out of sight; the fewer people that see you under the weather, the better." Erza waved peremptorily at the hapless gondolier. "Faster!"

"Slower!" Jellal countermanded Erza's order. "Tell me more about the wonders of Magnolia."

"Look buddy, there ain't much more to say, this is a small town, and -"

Both Jellal and Erza full-on glared at the boatman, who recognized Fairy Tail's Titania and suddenly remembered Gray's warning about Jellal.

He gulped, his face first whitening with fear and then flushing red with blood as adrenaline kicked in. "This calls for a song!" He managed a thin-lipped smile that was more of a rictus, then inhaled and began singing.

Reinvigorated by the excitement, Jellal closed his eyes and hummed along. He picked up the melody and gradually added his own words, louder and louder. Singing with enthusiasm and a surprising amount of skill, Jellal was eventually belting out an impressive love song to his Scarlet Warrior. Erza was wide-eyed with astonishment and embarrassed delight, although a part of her knew that Jellal would never do such a thing were he not drugged or drunk or whatever he was now.

The boat scraped to a halt next to a weathered pier, the gondolier frantic to moor and unload his customers. He'd seen both sweet couples too scared to do more than hold hands and lovers who had probably been arrested for public nudity more than once. This couple fell into a new demographic - a crazy mix of shy and lusty, so hesitant to express their mutual attraction that he was afraid he'd soon scream at them to 'bone it out'—not a good idea if you lived on tips.

Never more solicitous than when assisting the person Jellal admired more than he enjoyed his own life, the leader of Crime Sorcière guided Erza out of the boat and then handed her the pink bag of dessert. She held it tenderly in her arms as Jellal scrambled out of the vessel, stumbling only three times, catching his foot on the support under the wooden seat and just narrowly avoiding making the gondola capsize.

The gondolier jetted away from shore, looking back at two figures standing close under the lone light source, the pink bag sandwiched between them. The blue-haired man gently brought his fingertips in to caress the beautiful woman's cheek. Even as far away as he was, the boat driver could see her lips tremble. He let his vessel coast, openly staring now.

The couple drifted closer and closer to each other, all the yearning a beautiful and yet frustrating thing to witness. Just a lip's-breadth apart, a giant explosion from the Fairy Tail guildhall lit up the night. Billows of scarlet, yellow and brilliant orange danced in the sky, the colours reflected on the water and in the night clouds.

"Well shit, no sense going back to see if any of those other mages want rides in the moonlight." Despite the ruined expectations of further fares, the gondolier began to whistle as he sent his boat homeward. "If my wife is sleeping, I'll just have to wake her up."

Erza let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She and Jellal had almost kissed under the light on the quay. If her troublesome guild mates hadn't blown up/destroyed/ruined everything… then instead of scurrying inside this rather nice hotel, she'd be tongue deep in Jellal's tonsils. La Maison d'Os (which locals called "Bone House", usually with a snicker), was located rather far away from the guild and Fairy Hills but still in the middle of Magnolia.

As soon as they entered, the clerk coughed and like a well-trained puppy Jellal came to a complete stop. Lifting one supercilious eyebrow, the hotel worker tapped his gloved finger on the marble concierge desk. "I gathaire zat you are ze principal registered to ze suite?" He had a highly suspicious French accent.

"Yes?" Jellal sidled a bit to the side in order to try to cover the beauty that was Erza from the man's possibly lustful eyes. No longer a worried puppy but a protective hound, he added: "Et j'ai l'impression que mon français est meilleur que le tien, connard.(1) I have pre-paid and hold a key card for that suite. Is there some sort of problem?"

"Oh no sir, not a problem." Having been exposed as a pretentious faux-French speaker, the night-duty clerk dropped his accent. "Your friends, and I use that term loosely, have renegotiated to procure extra lodgings for you and your"—he looked at Jellal with malicious eyes— "shall we say, fille de joie? Perhaps they procured her as well?"

About to give the tiny-chinned man some of her fist, Erza stomped forward. Jellal blocked her, not because he thought she was too weak, but because the man was only trying to wring some amusement from doing his petty little job—and didn't deserve the honour of being taken down by Fairy Tail's finest, loveliest Queen. "My companion need not concern you—although I will seriously inconvenience you if you persist with your vulgar insinuations."

The man's eyes dropped immediately.

"Very good, sir. If you'll sign this paper I can issue you a new key."

Jellal took note of the man's name tag. "Merci beaucoup, Bertrand." He gave Erza what he hoped was a reassuring smile—but the alcohol and the anticipation of the evening was twisting him all up inside. It must have been not too lustful or weird; Erza was pressed against his side, her arm wound tight about his and the pink bag of confectionery in her other hand.

All the necessary signing of documents over, Bertrand (better known as Bert) pushed the new card key towards the couple. The gorgeous woman snatched it up as if she were afraid it was going to disappear. Huh—the guys who'd arranged the room upgrade had not been lying about either her sexiness or how uptight this Jellal guy was. "Top floor, room 669."

"What?" Jellal wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly. He knew what he'd been thinking about, so it was more than weird to hear the desk jockey echo some of his thoughts. "Excuse me?"

"Sir, the new room is on the sixth floor, room 669." Bert fought to hide his amusement; he'd tried to tell management that putting the honeymoon suite in that room was just asking for trouble, but they never listened. Management had their heads up their asses for the most part, leaving the regular grunts to bear the brunt of the stupid ideas formed by them. "Please enjoy your stay."

Jellal nodded, loath to talk further with Bertrand, which was only delaying getting into the room and getting naked—that is, relaxing with Erza.

For her part, Erza felt just fine pulling Jellal away from the front desk. He was under the demon spell of alcohol or worse, and he needed to be taken care of. She lifted her chin and practically sailed toward the bank of elevators, Jellal caught in her orbit like her own personal star—or even better, as her own personal heavenly body (and what a mouth-watering body it was).

Inside the bridal suite, Jellal felt his jaw drop. The dark red walls were papered with real silk, the four poster bed was big enough for his whole guild to rest without touching and there was an ice bucket of champagne resting next to a giant arrangement of flowers and candy.

Erza dropped her pink bag and ran to the tray of petit-fours. Grinning she popped one in her mouth and selected another, feeding it to Jellal. "This is fabulous."

Jellal couldn't stop himself from trapping the tip of Erza's finger as she fed him, giving it the merest lick. He followed up that insanity with more. "Je t'aime."(2)

How could such beauty become even more precious? Jellal stared into her deep brown eyes, watching incisive intelligence become fuzzy with desire.

"Would you like to sample some of the dessert I brought with me?" Erza bolted over to where she'd dropped her pink luggage, threw the zip open and dove into the collection of cardboard boxes. Flourishing two promising packages, Erza padded back to where Jellal was still quietly standing. "Any strawberry cake is mine alone, but I must insist on sharing everything else."

"Merci, ma belle."(3) Jellal noticed and adored the jump in Erza's pulse as he used French. He was not one to take undue advantage, but tonight was a slice of happiness he wasn't about to throw away un-sampled. In such circumstances, no one could fault him trying his hardest, taking his best shot to savour the joys and delights Erza promised. "Ma reine, mon désir, mon tout-en-tout."(4)

Suddenly nervous, sensing the passion under the foreign words, Erza set the containers down next to the flowers. "Did you want me to leave?"

"What makes you ask that?" Jellal was completely mystified. He hadn't always played by the rules, but he knew, dammit he knew Erza would never leave him if she thought he needed her help. "No, I don't want you to leave." If she only knew how long he'd wanted to be by her side—free to walk with her in the light, to be her companion for the good times, the bad, any time at all. If she had any inkling of the depth of his adoration and love, she'd never ask such a thing.

"Well," Erza looked down and then glanced back at Jellal. "I don't want to leave either. I was struck by the sudden thought that there might be another woman, or, or person—that is, somebody who had a better right to inquire as to your personal happiness."

"Huh?" Normally more perspicacious than that, Jellal couldn't force any cleverer words out of his mouth. He hadn't imbibed any further alcohol, so it was unlikely that he was truly drunk—all those drinks had been ages ago. "You are the only one I aspire to happiness with."

"You mean that?" Erza swept a burgeoning tear from her eye. "You want to be happy with me?"

Jellal extended his hand to Erza and waited in silence for her to take it. Once she placed her dainty fingers in his grip, he led her over to a couch sized perfectly for two. Like the gentleman he was, he helped her to sit down, offering to fetch her a cushion or as many as she wanted. She declined and Jellal sat, turning to face her with his usual customary solemn look.

"We tend to take life very seriously, don't we? But right here, right now, I'm with you and it's as if every dream is coming true. Forgive me… but I don't think I can resist, this time. Yes, I want to be happy with you. I'd give anything to be with you. You are my greatest desire."

Erza was at once overwhelmed and delighted. Suddenly needing to look away, she used searching her bag as an excuse to cast her eyes down. She uttered an exclamation of pleasure when she found the chocolates that had been made especially for her… and Jellal. Instead of responding directly to Jellal's statements, she pressed a chocolate to his mouth and bit into one herself. They were incredible. Hers tasted of a heady blend of raspberry and bittersweet cocoa.

Jellal, pleased that Erza was finding excuses to feed him instead of running away from his declarations, was impressed to find his chocolate wonderfully rich but not too sweet (as he'd secretly feared it would be). He ate the whole thing, and licked at Erza's fingers for good measure. There was a glow of want in him now that surprised him. He thought he had conquered his lust better than this. In an effort to distract himself, he ate the second chocolate that Erza held out to him. The tug of desire grew stronger and even less manageable.

Jellal grinned; these chocolates covered in vibrant red and blue fondant were incredible. He licked the corner of his lips, intent on chasing a stray bit of chocolate; these were so delicious that it would truly be a crime to waste any.

Erza shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling very, very warm. It was not as if the silk dress she wore was heavy and making her sweat, but she was definitely overheating. And the way Jellal was staring at her, specifically her lips, was cranking up her furnace.

Mesmerized by his so-seldom happy face, Erza didn't move away as his hand gently reached out towards hers. Closer and closer—then she could read his intentions shift even if she didn't know exactly what he was going to do, and Jellal captured her chin with one hand while the other dove into her hair, cupping the back of her head.

A blush rose on Erza's cheeks. Heart hammering a frantic beat, she stared at the man who she trusted more than anyone else she'd ever known. She parted her lips to speak, and in that instant Jellal swooped in. Her eyes widened in shock and then fluttered shut, and Jellal closed his too. He licked the smudge of chocolate from the corner of her mouth. When she gasped, Jellal couldn't repress a moan, his lips shifting to caress hers, his tongue boldly roving inside and tasting.

It was if the world had stopped spinning—and then jammed on the gas to speed back up, wobbling off its axis, bouncing erratically through space and time. Having spent a fair amount of the evening imagining letting Erza's hair down, Jellal plucked several pins from the shining red lengths, tossing them to lie scattered on the floor. A red silk river flowed down her back and Jellal wanted to bury his face in it, inhaling the sweet scent of living fire.

He kept kissing Erza, both hands cradling her skull. Maybe he hadn't intended to let things go so far, but here they were, and there was no way short of an earthquake that he would stop now. Years of want, years of denial had crumbled in the span of minutes. Jellal realized that Erza had somehow climbed onto his lap and was pressing her generous breasts against his chest, wriggling her ample hips and making the most adorable keening sound in the back of her throat.

Diving under his fine suit, Erza splayed one hand over Jellal's pectorals. His heart thudded with the same wild beat as hers, crying out for more touches, more flesh against flesh and sweet completion. Tonight was theirs, and not knowing if tomorrow held the same chance meant doing everything she'd ever dreamed of now.

"Take me to bed," Jellal said. "Take me and let me take you."

First instinct: scream 'yes!' Second: just scream. Third: sigh 'I'm yours.' But Erza couldn't force any words from her frozen throat. Instead, she set her hands over his, which now rested on her shoulders. Pressing firmly, Erza moved his hands to where they could do the most good—to where she wanted them. His large, capable hands flexed, his smile became a look of wonderment. Years of imagining Erza's glorious breasts hadn't prepared him for the reality: soft, warm and immense.

Hands full of luscious flesh, Jellal followed his instinct, squeezing, savouring the sensation, trying to imprint it on his memories. He gasped as Erza landed a kiss on his ear and then licked a path down his neck. She nipped her way back up and breathed heavily into his ear. "I like where I am."

"I find myself enjoying our location as well—but it seems a shame to not enjoy the lavish bed."

"You make a cogent point." Erza slid off Jellal's tented lap.

Jellal scrambled to his feet (although other parts of him were already up), inclined a slight bow to his lover and then swept her off her feet. Her yelp and subsequent giggles were balm to his soul. Jellal knew he wanted Erza—and it seemed that Erza was in favour of the very same thing.

Over to the giant bed Jellal strode, arms full of gorgeous woman - heart full with love. Unable to resist, he kissed Erza again, letting her slide down his torso as she regained her footing. "First and foremost I am a gentleman—my crimes notwithstanding." Jellal had the grace to look shamefaced as he spoke. "Do you freely consent?"

Erza nodded, frantic. She'd dreamed of this moment repeatedly—and had envisioned everything they might do, over and over.

Jellal stood motionless, unable to accept a non-verbal agreement.

"Ah!" Erza flushed a deeper pink. Must use words! "I-I consent." She bit the corner of her lips, eyes gleaming under her fringe of lashes, directly into Jellal's. Swaying a bit forward, she inhaled deeply, pressing her chest against Jellal. "Have I your consent?"

Bemused, Jellal nodded just like Erza had and then amended his actions, forcing his voice into action. "You have my everything." He edged forward, Erza stepping backward until her legs hit the edge of the bed.

She smiled, holding his gaze like the queen she was. Never looking away, she pulled the zip of her dress down and let the silk slide to her feet.

Jellal felt like he couldn't breathe. Nude from the waist up, Erza stood proud, toe-to-toe with him. Half a minute into his wide-eyed perusal of her incredible form, he realized he was wearing too many clothes. Working with indecorous haste he stripped. Dress shirt, tie and jacket discarded like they harboured a plague, belt and pants forced open and skimmed down suddenly trembling legs, kicked off to the side and promptly forgotten.

Still smiling, Erza touched Jellal on his cheek and let her finger trail down his neck, across his shoulder, down his arm and come to a rest with her thumb over the inside of his wrist—his pulse easily felt—and her fingers curled in a secure hold. "It's rude to keep a lady waiting."

"My most sincere apologies." It was intoxicating just to stand here like this—poised on the threshold of a new adventure. "My lady, words are cheap—let me prove with deeds my love." Jellal reached out and brushed Erza's cheek with the back of his hand. "Words do pale in comparison to your beauty." He moved closer. "But please accept them."

Even wrapped in magical, buzzed warmth, Erza felt a slight unease. She wanted, but was still afraid of failure—maybe she would disappoint her lover. Maybe he'd find her lacking in seduction skills. Maybe—

Jellal had seen that concentrated thinking face before—it never heralded good news. Each and every time that confused and worried face showed up, it ruined his plans to listen to his base desires—just this once! Seeing Erza uncertain made him even more protective of her and made all the old objections come flooding back.

Time for a surprise move. "If you don't want me—if you aren't sure—then I suppose I should drown my sorrows by eating strawberry cake? At least it will remind me of you."

"YOU WOULDN'T!"

Ah, his adored, feisty Erza was back. "Distract me from that purpose, then." For good measure he winked. Bait taken: Erza sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled him on top of herself. Tumbling together, they rolled towards the middle, coming to rest with Erza pinning Jellal to the bed.

Her glorious hair flowed down her back and puddled in a scarlet lake on Jellal's chest. He looked at her hair and back into her eyes. Content to remain silent, Jellal waited for Erza to make her choice.

Pressing his hands into the soft mattress, Erza leaned forward and mashed her mouth against Jellal's. Earlier they'd kissed soft and sweet, learning the subtle give and take of passion—now Erza needed to brand herself on his body. She needed to lay waste to his sensibilities, pull every trick she could manage—if possible merge her soul with his.

Jellal wanted to free his hands and run them over those amazing breasts—capture one of those enticing peaks in his mouth and suckle before switching to the other, caressing every inch he could. Lying here, even with Erza kissing him, was a form of torture. Without being able to touch her as he pleased, it was almost unbearable.

Of course, kissing was fantastic, but Erza was forgetting that some of the very best action possible between lovers—hands to body contact. At that moment, the gorgeous red-head lowered her hips and ground herself against him—ah, this was wonderful! Still, not quite enough. Jellal bucked up and Erza felt the hard ridge of his arousal.

Erza felt a pulse of lust low in her belly. Abandoning Jellal's wrists, she dove her fingers into his hair, locking them in and yanking lightly. She pressed another open mouthed kiss to his lips and yelped as he flipped them over, with an impressive display of agility and a reminder of his strength.

This was heaven. Jellal hovered on top of his dream girl—panting and then diving in for another kiss—finally in control. Erza tasted of chocolate, now to discover how she felt. Jellal sent a hand down along Erza's collarbone, pausing at her shoulder—which way to explore? He snorted. There was no other real choice—he cupped a breast and watched, fascinated, as her nipple puckered.

Hesitant, he lowered his mouth to that straining peak—let his tongue reach out and make contact—making Erza moan. Encouraged, he suckled. Erza tossed her head back and forth, her voice breathy and wailing in turns. Switching to the neglected breast, Jellal took his time nibbling all around the nipple before taking it into his mouth in turn.

Erza clutched handfuls of bedspread, all in an attempt to keep her soul from leaving the earthly realm. This was amazing! Jellal was amazing! Was this real? Had she died? Was this the afterlife? Or a dream? She thrust her chest up and looked down to watch Jellal capture her turgid nipple between his teeth—to look her in the eyes, grin and bite down.

"Fuck!" Far gone into her lustful dreams, she was not the slightest bit embarrassed or ashamed; Erza wanted her lover to know how good he was making her feel. She had plans of her own to force, ah—encourage—Jellal into becoming vocal. Erza clenched her legs, the ache between them growing into a sort of burning need. As fine as his hands felt roaming her breasts, she wanted them discovering more of her body. "L-lower!"

With a wet 'pop', Jellal released her nipple. He arched one eyebrow and gave the merest nod before withdrawing down Erza's body, tracing a filigreed path on her skin with two fingers aided by the flat of his tongue. Stomach quivering, Erza panted as Jellal whispered his lewd desires, praises for his fairy Queen and promises of heavenly pleasure into her navel.

Petting the tops of her thighs, he shifted a little, the better to see her reactions. "No matter what, you can always change your mind."

"Do you want to stop?" Erza cried. Aghast at the notion, she began to struggle upright, only subsiding once Jellal shook his head emphatically. Relaxing, she lay back and grabbed his hand. "More."

A wide grin swept over his handsome face. "More? I'm going to need you to be far more specific."

She screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "More... lower." She released his hand.

"I can do that." Jellal smirked and kissed Erza's knee-cap.

Her eyes flew open. "Higher!"

Jellal, on hands and knees levered himself upright. "Where?"

Turning the evasive answers back on Jellal, Erza asked her own question. "Where would you like to touch me?"

Declining to answer in words, Erza's lover made good on his promises—petting his Queen into a state of delirious lust. He stroked her to an aching climax, rousing her again with lips and tongue past the endurance of her voice; Erza soundlessly screamed her joy.

Jellal simmered with satisfaction. Pleasing Erza was a sublime experience—and now it was time to assuage his own ache. He pressed a kiss to Erza's forehead, patting her tenderly and yet also possessively. "Are you ready for more?"

With a tender grasp she sandwiched Jellal's face with her hands, stared into his eyes and just smiled. Fast as a wink, she twisted her body and flipped their positions. "What do you think?"

Erza pressed down on Jellal's torso, letting her fingers trail in the same manner that his had on her body. "Higher or lower?"

"All over." He groaned at the first touch of her tongue. Erza scraped her teeth over his nicely muscled pectoral, leaving tiny bites here and there at her whim. The tendons in his arms stood out as he clutched the bed sheets. Still wanting to be a gentleman, Jellal vowed to allow Erza the freedom to explore without any coercion.

Her nails raked through the light dusting of hair on his calves—Jellal moaned —it defied logic, but that had felt amazing. Her lips made brief contact with his upper thigh, skipped to the crook of an elbow, next to his wrist and back to his stomach. Erza's smile was confident. Her practical knowledge was catching up to her book learning.

Cheeks glowing brightly, Erza palmed and began to caress the contents of his boxer briefs. The way that Jellal gulped and swallowed air made Erza feel powerful. She must be doing this right if his panting was any indication—that, and the way he was biting his lip. Now, what would he do if she slipped her hand under the material?

His breathing became even more ragged - the blanket in his clutches was never going to be the same. He sucked air into his lungs, doing his best to keep from arching up into Erza's hand.

She marvelled at the complexity of textures; soft skin over turgid hardness, and wiry curls that must surely match… Careful, she watched his reaction to her every gesture, needing to know how best to please him. Her fingers grew bolder and she gripped tighter—everything in his response told her as surely as if he were speaking in words to her that he loved her actions.

His moans, the almost-words he muttered, the way he quivered under her nervous touch; these things all inspired Erza to jump to the next stage of their mutual seduction. Climbing over his body, she kissed Jellal with single-minded intent. Erza locked him tight with lips, limbs and love.

"I want you, all of you … "

"Yes …"

More frantic kissing, wriggling out of underwear and then Erza paused—undone by doubts. She pulled back from his hot and possessive kiss, her face unnaturally pale. "I hope I please you."

It was as if he'd been hit (by Erza of course) in the solar plexus. A geyser of fear and self-loathing bubbled up inside of Jellal. He had to say and do the right things or else she'd suffer much like he had in the years after the tower of Heaven fiasco, worrying about how he felt. "Always," Jellal told her, lying quite still, "always I feel that self-same trepidation. Pleasing you has become my sole mission—not just tonight, but always."

Erza let out a shuddering breath. Jellal's words were true, sincerity shone from his eyes. "Let's work this mission together then." She smiled, her obvious joy and excitement dazzling her lover, making him respond with his own boyish smile.

Her hands and his removed his final garment, tossing it aside like so much trash. Back astride Jellal, Erza stroked his arousal. Soft squeezes, tighter grip, tickling fingers—she tried many of the things mentioned in the porn, uh, more explicit literature she loved to read. It wasn't just getting to touch him, it was seeing his faces of pleasure as she learned his body. Every gasp he made, the way his muscles tensed; his stomach rippled like a river when she tweaked one pert nipple. Erza did her best to remember it all. If tonight was all she could have, then she would imprint herself on his body; death wouldn't be enough to tear these memories from either of them.

She descended her lips to the part of him that wept. No time to play shy maiden, she kissed the veriest tip of his phallus. He moaned and she was encouraged. It was … not unpleasant… but neither like licking a lollipop nor like playing a flute as some of her books had suggested. The sounds he made, though—those were heavenly. Gaining confidence, Erza sucked and tongued his erection in turns.

"Fuck!"

Her lips let go of his dick with a wet pop. "We're getting there."

"Oh no, we're there now." Jellal rolled on top of Erza, aware that if she desired to remain ascendant, then the move would have failed. "Are you ready for more?" He knelt, placed her legs on either side of his hips and gave her a lustful look.

Erza shivered, not from cold—rather, it was a visceral reaction to the honest desire emanating from Jellal. His confident posture, the fire in his eyes, his sexy smirk—all these things assured Erza that her mind and heart had made the best possible choice.

Jellal bent forward and captured Erza's lips in a kiss that promised he'd give her everything she needed and all she'd ever wanted—his love. Jellal took possession of one of Erza's hands and pressed it over his wildly thudding heart. He wanted to tell her 'all I am and have is yours', 'you are my sunshine' or 'never leave me.' Words weren't enough.

Erza slung her arm around his neck, clinging to Jellal. "Now my love."

Jellal gripped his cock and pushed half an inch into heaven. He pulled back and pressed forward a little more, slow and steady, until his Queen wriggled insistently and wrapped her sinful legs around his waist, digging her heels against the small of his back and whimpering. Hot hard length now painted with her slick fluid, he gained a measure of speed, all the while urged faster by her uneven panting and grasping hands.

This was amazing; Erza felt as if heaven was giving her a special preview of what awaited her at the end of her days. This intimacy, being joined in spirit and flesh—it was all she'd hoped and more.

Another breath-stealing kiss and Jellal rocked in and out of Erza faster, careful to leverage his weight on his elbows to avoid crushing her. He panted loudly, tracing the shell of her ear with his tongue. "Je t'aime."

"Jellal!"

"Ma reine, mon désir, mon tout-en-tout." Trembling with the effort to restrain himself, Jellal angled his hips and slowed his frantic thrusting—only for Erza to clasp his ass in her hands and squeeze.

"I'm not some breakable doll!" Erza dug her fingers into his taut buttocks. "I want—" She tossed her head left and then right. "—I want—" The knot low in her belly tightened, flexed and demanded release. "—You!"

Erza's scream pushed Jellal into the embrace of wild insanity. The fluttering grip on his cock was unbearably good, his vision began to gray around the edges. His orgasm was imminent: the base of his spine tingled; sounds were muted; but the scarlet of his warrior's hair was still vibrant. Her honeyed cleft tightened. Tremors made her limbs shake as together they surfed a giant wave of satisfaction.

[VI] - Morning Glory

Jellal awoke to the first, faint light of pre-dawn. He had obviously fallen asleep, which wasn't surprising considering… everything. His head ached a little—he assumed from the alcohol, although he had also suspicions about the treats that Erza had been given. Not that he could blame those who cared about them for wanting him and Erza to finally give in and—what was the expression he had heard? —"bone it out".

He didn't dare do more than turn his head, looking first at the gray February sky, and then back at Erza, sleeping quietly tucked up against his body. It was more than he'd dreamed of—well, no, it was exactly what he'd dreamed of. Both now and last night. And there was no going back. No telling her to forget and let him go. Aside from what he wanted, he couldn't—shouldn't—make love to her, take everything she had to give, and then tell her they could never be together again.

Or maybe that was still just desperate rationalizing? He forced himself stare back out at the sky and concluded that maybe it wasn't. How could he, in all decency, hurt her by leaving her now? The balance had changed. The hurt he would inflict by staying away was no longer so obviously minor compared to saving her from his past darkness and his unforgivable crimes. Leaving Erza after being with her like this would be a crime in itself. Even if they couldn't see each other often, they needed to work something out, unless Erza herself wanted nothing to do with him now.

Only years of discipline prevented him from swearing aloud in frustration. The best—the absolute best—night he had ever spent, the night he would never forget, the night that all his dreams had come true, would likely prevent him from protecting Erza in the future. If she woke up and claimed a future with him, he couldn't in good conscience deny her, could he?

There was a whisper of motion, and suddenly Erza was upright beside him, her hand pressing heavily against his chest, her eyes a little wild. Her bright hair cascaded around her.

"What?! But—what?!" Her breathing steadied as she took in the room, Jellal, the pink bag (now empty) and Jellal again. Her face flushed, and she curled an arm protectively over her breasts.

Jellal stayed silent, waiting for her to process things. He found himself on edge—a criminal waiting to know if, perhaps, an early parole were possible. He kept his hands carefully at his sides, although they longed to touch her.

"You're lying there regretting things, aren't you?" Erza demanded abruptly. "Wondering whether you can just let me go again."

The question—and the anger—was born out of past experience, Jellal knew. He found himself answering before he knew what he was doing.

"I'm lying here wanting to touch you again," he said, frankly. "You are absolutely the most incredible woman in the world and I want to be with you in every possible way."

Erza blinked, shocked, trying to understand what had happened and what had changed.

"You'll—you—Jellal, you won't just leave me this time? No more unnecessary grief over being unfit for my company?"

"I will never be fit for your company. But you want my company and I'm going to have to try it your way now. Besides, I completely admit that your way is infinitely more pleasurable than mine."

Erza stared down at him, and he saw that the brightness in her eyes was currently from unshed tears.

"You mean it? I don't have to be lonely for you any longer? It's really over?"

"We'll have to decide how we want to manage things, but I will depend on you to decide what we can and can't do. Also, we each need to honour any other commitments we might have. In terms of my decision not to get involved with you, and to stay away from you—I don't think I can do that anymore, unless it's what you want."

Erza shook her head almost violently in denial. She stretched out again on the bed, reached out and tangled her fingers in Jellal's blue hair, kissing him hard. When she felt that she had conveyed her answer, she relaxed slightly and curled up against his body.

"Do you suppose that we need to get up now?" she asked tentatively.

"You mean, should we go and see what our guild-mates have done to the hall and Magnolia and each other?" Jellal laughed softly and brushed a red hair out of Erza's face. Then he allowed his fingers to trace her collarbone before alighting on one of her incredible breasts. "What do you think?" His other hand found the back of her neck so that he could pull her mouth back against his. He threw a leg over hers, so that he had her partially trapped underneath him, thrilling to the feeling of their bodies together after so long. Just for the morning, at least, to hell with any of the rest of the world.

Erza felt desire well up again in her lower abdomen, even less controllable now that her body knew how good it could feel. She wondered, very briefly, what on earth had happened at the guild after they had been dumped so unceremoniously into that canal boat. Then sensation took over, and her moderate-at-best curiosity disappeared completely as Jellal's hands caressed and teased her into panting arousal.

[EPILOGUE]

It was very late the morning after the party, and the guildhall was almost deserted.

At the bar, Cana tipped the last of her drink down her throat and slammed down her empty mug. "Mira, you sure know how to manage a party."

"Thank you, you were an excellent accomplice, I mean, assistant." The barmaid giggled. "It was a stroke of genius to give Evergreen those leftover enchanted bon bons."

"I've never seen her molest anyone in public before—and I hope to never see so much of your brother's body again." Cana shuddered and tacked on: "No offence."

"None taken." Mira trilled. "So you mean to say you've seen her molest people in private?" She shook her head and pursed her lips in a moue of disgust at that thought. "Did you see poor Lyon after Erza and Jellal appropriated his gondola?"

"Oh, Meredy gave him something to think about while Juvia and Gray danced." Cana smirked. "I fed her one of the extra chocolates." The glint in her eye was just as maniacal as the demon match-maker's. "I was wondering if you'd eaten some too - I saw you dancing with Freed and Laxus at the same time. Talk about playing with fire—or rather, lightning."

"Don't be silly, it wasn't just dancing." Mira's smile took on a Sitri edge. "And I don't need that kind of help."

"Just like the double pairs of Sabretooth twins."

Honestly puzzled, Mira leaned on the bar and looked at Cana with a 'tell me more' expression.

"Every dance they danced together— all of them—all together." Cana emphasized 'all together' with air quotes. "I can't believe you didn't notice them making one big happy. Not like I care, but I couldn't tell who was with whom."

"Oooooh." Mira giggled, swiping her bar rag over the counter. "A giant Happy! Of course, that's happened before."

Upstairs from the two women, Happy was smiling in his sleep.

The night before he had hung out with Romeo, Chelia, Wendy and (of course) Charle. He had brought them drinks and snacks, and Charle had told him that he was "surprisingly useful". She had also let him sit beside her all night, or at least until Wendy had gone to bed. Under one paw rested the remains of a large, blue-topped chocolate, now melting away in the heat of the napping Exceed. Cana had given it to him and told him to share it with Charle the next time they were alone.

In a different sitting room, Juvia opened one eye to survey her surroundings. She knew every lump and bump of her mattress—and what she was lying on was very much not her bed, nor even a bed at all. She stretched out her legs and encountered what could only be the arm of a couch.

She lifted her head, and discovered she wasn't using a pillow—this was a lap. Not just any lap! Gray-sama! Oh what had she done? Scrambling to sit upright, Juvia accidently pushed Gray onto the floor.

"What the hell?!"

Juvia wished for invisibility. Or a hole to disappear into—or a fairy godmother who would wave her wand and fix this embarrassing mess.

"How do you figure this is embarrassing?" Gray enquired. "I'm fully dressed … for once." He chuckled and extended his hand to Juvia. "Help me up?"

"Juvia did not realize she was speaking aloud." Hesitant, she reached out took Gray's hand. "Juvia must apologize!"

With a slight groan, Gray gained his feet with Juvia's help. "I suppose I should be glad you didn't turn to water and leave."

"..."

Gray scratched the back of his neck and colour rose on his cheeks. "I asked you to stay last night." He winced and hurried to continue his explanation. "We had a really good time last night, I just wanted to keep talking - then it got super late and we were both too drunk to walk you home."

"Juvia understands. Gray is always considerate of his friends, even Juvia who is -"

"Lemme stop you there. I don't think you do understand." Gray sat on the couch right next to the water mage and turned his head to look her straight in the eyes. "I want to have a relationship with you. I think we should bone it out."

The unfamiliar line half-woke Juvia from her deep slumber, but she snuggled down quickly under her soft blue comforter. This was her favourite dream, and the good part was coming up.

"Yes! Juvia wants to make love with Gray-sama!"

Gray hauled Juvia onto his lap and pressed a flurry of kisses to her face and neck all the while murmuring his love and admiration. It was even more wonderful than usual…

Back in the main room of the guildhall, Lucy and Levy were busy with clean-up.

"Uh, Lucy, do you see what I see?" Levy scrunched her eyebrows and turned to look at her blonde friend.

"What is it, Levy?"

"... That's—did you notice the initials?"

Lucy paused in her folding of her half of the Valentine's Day Community Relationship And Bonding Soiree banner, taking the large, brightly-painted first letter of each word. She felt her face flush, looked at Levy, and saw the same colour and expression on the other woman's face. It was no use trying to keep it together—they both burst out laughing and looked over at the bar. Mirajane gave them each a gentle, innocent smile, and went back to her conversation with Cana.

[END]

A/N: We hope this made you laugh and squee just like we both did as we wrote this.

French translations:
(1) Et j'ai l'impression que mon français est meilleur que le tien, connard. = And I suspect my French is better than yours, asshole.
(2) Je t'aime. = I love you.
(3) Merci, ma belle. = Thank you, beautiful. (lit "my beautiful one")
(4) Ma reine, mon désir, mon tout-en-tout. = My queen, my desire, my everything. (lit "my all-in-all")