Hello! If you're new, welcome to my Universe - I'm Nausika.

So this is my first Fairy Tail Fanfic and also my absolute favourite couple of the Manga/Anime series: Jerza!

It takes place after the final arc with the defeat of Zeref and Acnologia and after Jellal and gang have been pardoned - whether before or after Lucy's award, I don't know, but definitely before the 100 Year Quest.

Anyway, enough of me, hope you enjoy!

Night had long descended upon Magnolia, however he could not sleep. He had not in a while.

News of Fairy Tail returning from a mission had plunged the guild's town into celebration. A completed job. A new victory for the all-powerful protectors of the lake-sited town. A sense of security and gratitude engulfing the hearts of the people.

But not his. Jellal felt glad for sure, more relieved than happy, though. And even more concerned. To the people of Magnolia, Fairy Tail Team A's actions resulted in wealth and safety, just as much as it did within the guild itself. However, it brought more with it than just that.

Risks. Injuries. Lives at stake, whether during a battle or its aftermath.

Using his transportation power meteor, Jellal avoided to climb the hill and risk being seen. He knew he was not allowed to be there, nor did he want to be confronted with his own thoughts of confliction. He pressed on regardless. If there was one thing stronger than his immense sense of guilt, it was his care for the one he loved.

He opened the window with ease, even from the outside. Looking down, he watched the automatic light lacrimas at the main entrance turn off again, veiling him in the same darkness as the room he entered a second later. The curtains softly blew in the evening breeze he invited with his arrival.

Having closed the window loosely, Jellal peered into the darkness. His eyes adjusted, scanning his surroundings. Immediately, he found his target.

She had not awoken by his break-in. With the curtains stuck between the lightly closed window – drawn aside – weak moonlight filtered towards the bed. The bandages seemed to light up, absorbing what little illumination they were given. There was hardly a millimetre of her back that was not covered in them.

Jellal sighed through his nose. His legs moved of their own accord, willing him to the side of her bed. Erza was almost fiercely cuddling her blanket. With both arms – one bandaged partly, the other completely – she pressed it to her torso. Leaning over, casting a shadow over them, Jellal noticed her eyebrows to be twitching in her sleep. Her breath came in fits, sometimes hoarsely, sometimes like small, mute hiccups. Her side rose and fell with the same unsteadiness, pain visibly hindering continuous movement.

He frowned. He had already imagined her in whatever state she would be in. Injured, mauled. He had seen worse and even her in worse conditions than now but the reality of it crushed him beneath an airless gravity. He knew there was nothing he could do, nothing he had ever done or would ever be able to do to help her. To ease her pain. To keep her from harm.

Jellal held his breath as hers seemed to stop. Suddenly, there was a flash. The chill of a blade nipped at the hot flesh of his throat, about to part if pressure was added. With wide eyes, he stared into even huger ones. Her shock turned into puzzlement and, if he allowed himself the realisation, relief. Content.

Erza let the sword dissolve into the same dimension she had summoned it from. Her hand took another moment or two to stir, collapsing with the fleeting adrenaline. Jellal's hands darted forward, catching her delicate one before it could hit the bedside. He seemed not to be able to take his eyes off of hers, and neither was she.

"Jellal…" her voice was but a whisper, hardly audible and hoarse from unsteady sleep. Slowly, his shoulders sank, relaxing despite the racing of his heart. He let her hand sink, releasing it above her stomach. He opened his mouth, but she was faster. Before he could straighten up, her hand had grabbed the front of his shirt, a momentary tremble making his words get stuck in his throat.

"Erza,"

"Stay…" she urged without the usual strength in her tone. It was ruled by the same confusing mixture of insecurity and gladness her eyes shone with. Jellal enclosed her hand with both of his, feeling it tense immediately, as if afraid of being detached. "Please…" she added, her torso sinking back into the mattress out of exhaustion.

Pleading for her not to feel his heartbeat, knowing very well that she could, Jellal tested her grip on his shirt. He prepared himself for perhaps a few soothing words, a fleet escape from her grasp and a swift movement of his cape, concealing his leave and, with a little luck, disguising it as a part of her dream or an apparition.

Erza had other plans.

With her fist clutching onto the fabric of his shirt, she pulled on him, not allowing his gentle way of brushing it off. She pulled him further, her other hand rising towards him when there was hardly any more space between their faces. Jellal felt his mouth dry out, breath hitching in his throat, nearly choking him.

"Stay," she whispered once more, tingling the skin of his cheeks with her words, "Jellal…". His stomach gave a twist at the sound of his name on her tongue, involuntarily falling under her spell once again, just like he always had. A in gauze wrapped palm found his face, softly cupping his jaw with slim fingers.

It was unlike her to beg, yet she was. She was imploring him while at the same time not allowing her hold on him to falter, forcing the answer she had in mind. It was a rare side of her, hardly known, even to her closest friends. He knew it, though. He did not have to have experienced it before, he simply knew her through the least simple ways. Through horrors and atrocities, betrayals, lies and at the same time victories, moments of peace and the everlasting, flickering affection that seemed to connect them past it all.

He also knew that Titania always got what she wanted. And had she not physically and verbally demanded his presence, making it impossible for him to interpret otherwise, he would have claimed to be useless to her wellbeing.

Erza's eyes fell close. He was not sure whether out of exhaustion or the same helpless awkwardness he felt with their noses nearly touching. Sighing under his breath, trying desperately not to let her feel it, Jellal straightened his back. At least as far as he could.

Her mouth opened in protest, but he placed a reassuring hand over the one that dragged on him. Neither willingly, nor against his will, he toed off his boots. With his free hand, he unhooked the button of his cape, leaving it on the floor.

Hesitatingly, and not without another attempt to calm himself with a long exhale, he lifted one leg. Since Erza was busy with trapping him in her grip, she did not dare moving over. As carefully as possible, Jellal climbed over her legs and torso, never touching her in the slightest.

Arriving on the other side, his crush erased all hopes of an escape, tugging so heftily on him, he collapsed onto his side. His heart was racing into his throat by then, causing his head to spin. The hand on his shirt relaxed ever so slightly. Erza drew herself close, a light but obvious fever radiating from her forehead as it found the crook of his neck. He swallowed, stiffly submitting to her snuggle.

Erza gave a long sigh, shoulders sinking as she relaxed. With her torso almost squeezing into his, she shuffled herself as close as she could, her upper arm snaking beneath his onto his back to keep him just where he was.

Jellal could feel her heart, battering against her ribcage like his own, seemingly racing each other as much as the heat of their faces glowed in unison.

"Thank you…" Erza muttered into him, a smile forming against his collarbone. Jellal swallowed, not for the last time, forcing his pressed breathing to even.

It took minutes – moments that felt like an eternity – until he finally moved. More carefully than he had ever acted, Jellal dared lifting his arm, reaching it behind her. First, and only after being sure about her having fallen asleep, he pulled on the blanket, draping it over her to cover that pale, with injuries cluttered back of hers. Then, he dared to leave his arm where it was and after a moment, tenderly hugged her close to him, closing his eyes as well.

Btw, English is not my native language, so feel free to let me know about mistakes or typos. Or if you have further ideas, requests, feedback of any sort, I'd love to hear it!

Have a lovely day/night!