A/N: hi everyone...it's been quite some time, hasn't it. Lol. Umm well, I was very busy with college apps and stuff, so there's my excuse. I know I've probably lost a lot of readers/followers, and I'm sure many of you will have to read the past few chapters to refresh your memory (I know I did LOL). So I'm really sorry for the late update!

However, I'm free now! I'm a second semester senior, so essentially I'm done with school and all the work it entails. So if you guys are really interested in continuing to read this, please please please let me know in a review. I'll have the time to write it, but I need to know if people want me to continue. Anyway, happy new year, and I hope you enjoy the chapter c:

"Put her on speaker, Lucy," the president commanded.

Oh dear, that's his serious face. "Yes, of course…" the blond quickly scrambled to tap on her smartphone.

"Ultear? It's me, Jellal."

"Jellal, I was just calling to remind you that I'm holding some serious blackmail material over your head — and I don't respond well to idiots who ignore me. Unless you want your whole school to find out about your shenanigans with Fiore's gang scene, you better listen to wh—"

"Sorry, Ultear, but I don't respond well to idiots who threaten me. Release that information. I don't care. If you think I rule over a student body that doesn't believe in me or can't see how I've changed and become a suitable president for Fiore High, then you really must think I've had my head in my ass these past few years. Don't contact me again."

He promptly left the room to find Erza, remembering their earlier encounter (or rather, lack thereof) while Lucy stood there, dumbfounded — nay, flabbergasted. She was so shocked by Jellal's sudden assertion of dominance that her iPhone 6 Plus fell to the floor as Ultear kept shouting "HELLO?!" on the other line.

The doppelgänger pair confidently walked down the halls together as Knightwalker smirked at her plan unfolding. She never did properly thank teenage girls for their simply astounding ability to transmit information faster than they transmitted mono.

"Erza Knightwalker, do you really think this is going to work? Don't you think its a little…um…childish? We're in high school, you know? Not grade school. You don't actually bank on Scarlet believing this extremely transparent scheme, do you?"

Erza Knightwalker… He had called her by her full name. For the second time (in forever) he had addressed her in the way that meant the most to her. The first time he did so was diminished by the completely sarcastic manner in which he questioned her identity after she used the p-word (please), so it didn't hold much meaning.

But this time, this time was different. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it just felt different.

To him, she was Erza Knightwalker. To him, she wasn't Erza, the name of his insignificant crush, the name of his idyllic princess and sweet, precious beauty. To him, she wasn't Knightwalker, the name often associated with "that whore Knightwalker," the name used by people who despised her. To him, she wasn't just "you," the unadressed pronoun because of all of his initial disgust at her presence. To him, she was Erza Knightwalker: the comrade, the friend — the person.

And that meant the world to her; she just didn't know it yet.

"…Hello? Are you listening to me? Serious déjà vu right now." His words echoed in her mind as Erza's pulse accelerated and face reddened.

"What? Yeah, it'll work. You just have to trust me."

He scoffed and grinned widely, in an incredibly goofy but adorkable way. "Erza Knightwalker, trust is the last thing I have in you."

Again. He did it again. "Well if you don't shut up right now, you're also going to have your face in my six inch heels. Don't want a punctured eye now, right?"

Forget all of that earlier mushy gushy feelings crap. She was probably just feverish and exhausted. The meddling and plotting were wearing her out, that's all. She'd rather have a stomach virus than a crush on Mystogan.

Jellal scanned the crowds of murmuring and staring students, looking for a particular redhead. A the sound of the first bell for first period, he sighed and momentarily gave up on his search for Erza. She couldn't have been that mad, right? He just needed to finish some business that should've been dealt with a long time ago. Erza would understand, right? She's a totally reasonable person…right?

No, Jellal, not right…You better find her before P.E. Another tragic ambulance visit after a freak dodgeball "accident" would not do wonders for Fiore's reputation.

Oh god, this was way more important than first hour. The fate of his school, the future of hundreds of students, relied on his finding Erza before she erupted and ruined innocent body parts of strangers.

What did she have first hour again? Screw it, he'll call her to the office through the PA system. That's an out-of-your-way romantic-ish gesture, yeah? Chicks are supposed to dig that stuff.

Erza Scarlet can you please come to the student council office, immediately. Thank you.

All at once, "oooh"s and "ahhh"s and "wekfhbsvhwougihh"s burst out after the announcement in Erza's homeroom. "Maybe he's going to break up with her now," some speculated. Others whispered "maybe he wants her back because that whore Knightwalker screwed him over." Either way, the unwanted attention further infuriated Erza, and she stormed out of the room to her destination.

She slammed open the door of the student council room and shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Interrupting my class, making me the focus of petty gossip and drawing unnecessary attention to me? What's wrong with you?!"

"What? Erza, no. I called you in here so you could tell me whatever it was that you wanted to say this morning. I just had to tie up some loose ends so I'm sorry I walked out on our conversation. And I felt bad for suddenly leaving you there like that, so I wanted to apologize and hear you out. Did something happen?"

She felt the blush slowly creep up on her cheeks in embarrassment and looked at the floor.

"Oh, it's nothing. I think I just misunderstood. Thanks for the apology, but it was unnecessary. Jellal, you didn't do anything wrong. I was just being a stupid, insecure, immature, child. No worries. I should probably get back to class, but we're still on for lunch, right?"

Jellal sighed in relief and smiled. "Yes, of course." He walked up to her and put both his hands on her shoulders, firmly, and slowly traced them down to her waist, taking in all of her beauty and imperfections, all of her wit and humor, insecurities and awkwardness, everything. At that moment, he felt so thankful for having her in his life, by his side. They had been through so much together, through all sorts of complications from the past and people standing in their way, it was truly a miracle that they were still together. From crazy gang fights to the magnified drama of high school rumors and mentally unstable psychos like Knightwalker and Ultear, Erza had helped him through it all. And it was finally his turn to show his gratitude.

Jellal was determined to aid Erza's mission to bring down Knightwalker. He would do everything and more to protect her. As he brought her smaller and seemingly fragile frame into a warm embrace, Jellal threaded his hands through her thick, scarlet hair, bringing them back up to her cheeks, and leaned his forehead against hers so that they were just barely touching. His breath hot on her face, he whispered softly.

"That whore Knightwalker? She better watch out, because Fiore's two most powerful badasses are coming after her. Right?"

As if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest (that weren't her boobs), Erza laughed lightly and left a quick, chaste kiss on his nose, reveling in the sweet moments she was so grateful to share with him.

"Right."

Hearing the bell for lunch ring, Erza grew increasingly excited for her meeting with Jellal. It might've been the promise of meddling or the sudden display of affection. It could've been the lack of time they've spent together recently because of college applications and petty rumors. Hell, it was probably the glass(es) of champagne she downed (courtesy of Mira) after Jellal ignored her this morning, but Erza hadn't been this turned on since...well, ever.

In fact, she had been so preoccupied by her more feral cravings (for lack of a better term), Erza had forgotten that earlier she had invited Natsu and Gray to lunch so that they could plan their next move against Erza Knightwalker. So, unfortunately, the redhead had to settle for the very subtle and occasional shoulder brush and slight nudging of thighs as she sat next to Jellal. And Natsu. And Gray.

Needless to say, she was distracted during their stupid strategic meet. And fuck, all she had was salad for lunch.

A/N: thanks for reading and for those of you who plan on sticking with this story, thank you so much! You guys really do inspire me to write more, so review away c:

PS I think I'm going to make the setting senior year because prom and grad bash are really fun events to incorporate into this world (if, that is, you want more)

-Hikari