Swing

"Jellal!"

The man extended a hand in greeting and Jellal grasped it, shaking it warmly, a look of joyful surprise crossing his face. "Lily! Good to see you!"

Lily gave him a swift pat on the shoulder and guided him to the side of the room. "I didn't expect to see you here, even if it is the year's largest fundraising gala."

Jellal gave an exasperated chuckle. "Sadly, none of the other directors were able to make it tonight and so I had to step up." He took a flute of champagne from a server as Lily did the same. "But you know me too well. These kinds of events make me uncomfortable. They're not really to my taste." He raised his glass, head inclined in acknowledgement. "And you? Are you here alone?"

"Faust isn't here, if that's what you're asking," Lily grinned at the relieved expression on his friend's face. "How long has it been since you two last spoke or saw each other?"

"Not since I left the company 8 years ago." Jellal looked down at his feet. "You here alone?"

Lily took a sip from his glass, allowing the liquid to roll over his tongue. He let out a purr of satisfaction. "Mm, no. A colleague of mine is here with me. I believe you know her." He pointed to someone behind the man.

"Oh really?" Jellal turned around and after a moment of searching, he promptly choked on his drink. He lurched forwards, the alcohol dribbling down his chin, narrowly missing his tuxedo by inches as it dripped onto the floor. He brushed away the stray droplets, face still flushed with embarrassment at his undignified display.

"Wait, is that…Erza?"

"Yes."

"As in Erza Knightwalker? Gareth Knightwalker's daughter?"

"The one and only," Lily replied.

"Oh wow."

Jellal wasn't too familiar with the female, having only seen her a handful of times when her father had brought her along to the company on rare occasions. He had left the company before she had joined but he had heard rumors concerning her meteoric rise within the ranks floating around within the industry for many years.

Erza was no longer the scrawny girl she had been all those years ago. She had traded in her baggy jeans and loose T-shirt for an elegant black dress, one which fit her form perfectly, showing off her curves, creamy skin peeking out between the slit extending to her thighs on the side. A simple silver bracelet adorned her wrist and when her hand went up to brush away the red locks from her face, the light reflected off of the jewelry and to him, she had never looked more beautiful before.

He didn't think that she had seen him though as she was currently engaged in a slow dance with Councilman Doranbolt, who had approached her moments earlier.

"She's our Head of Operations, the youngest department head in the company's history."

"What are the chances of getting her to jump ship?" Jellal asked with a faint grin.

Lily snorted. "Zero. Erza's loyalty to Edolas is too strong."

"Like father, like daughter," Jellal mused quietly as he watched the female dance.

He cast a critical eye over the two dancers. She had been taught well, each move placed at exactly the correct position with impeccable timing, confidence shining through with each step. To the untrained eye, it would have been a spectacle to behold. But to him, he could see the stiffness in her posture clearly. Her hand was placed lightly on her partner's shoulder, his on her waist. They swayed gently to the music, their bodies close yet still maintaining a strictly sociable distance between them. There was an air of coolness around her. There was no feeling behind her actions. There was no enjoyment, no passion, no spark. She was dancing for the sake of keeping up with the pretense of socializing.

It was a shame, really. But then again, it needn't be.

Jellal placed down his glass.

No. It needn't be at all.

8 years.

It had been 8 years since she had last seen the man but she could still recognize him, with his unmistakable face tattoo and shocking blue hair, which was now much longer and slicked back away from his forehead. He had lost the chubbiness of his baby fat, the lean muscles on his arms vaguely visible under his black tuxedo, the satin peaked lapel shimmering under the dim lights. Despite the layers he was wearing underneath his jacket, with his charcoal gray vest and pressed, crisp white shirt, she could still make out the chiseled form of his torso.

She watched as Jellal surveyed the crowd, almost as if he were searching for someone. He raised the glass to his lips, the sleeves of his jacket pulled up by the motion, and she frowned as his silver cufflinks, in the shape of Fairy Tail's crest, caught her eye.

That symbol brought back unpleasant memories.

Erza understood that Jellal was in no way bound to stay at his father's company but she had always felt that as the son of the company's founder, he had an obligation, a duty, to stay, at least during the transition period when the company was at its lowest point. To leave at such a crucial time almost seemed like a betrayal on his part.

Her eyes narrowed with disdain.

This was not a man to be trusted. Not at all.

She maneuvered her way across the crowded dance floor, brushing past men in tuxedos and women in designer dresses. Everybody who was anybody was here tonight. This was the most prestigious function of the year and the city's richest and elite were all gathered here.

It was an odd place to be however. Whoever was in charge of choosing the location had chosen this establishment, which was decorated to resemble a 1950's jazz club. A live jazz band, polished wooden floorboards, dim lights softened even further by the hazy smoke wafting through the air while the smell of cigars and alcohol lingered in the air. Not the usual ballroom or gallery but it still retained some class.

She glanced around. At least people seemed to be enjoying themselves.

She turned around as she felt a sharp tap on her shoulder.

"Councilman Gryder, I was unaware you were here as well."

Doranbolt inclined his head with a good-natured smile. "The Council wanted to send a representative so here I am." He shrugged nonchalantly and extended a hand, palm facing upwards. "Would you care to dance?"

Erza accepted with a gracious nod.

As they moved to the music slowly, she ran through all of the steps in her head, measuring the distance between her and her partner.

Left step.

Left step.

Front step, turn.

Left step.

Back step.

Front step.

She saw Jellal out of the corner of her eye as the she turned in his direction. He was still talking to Lily but their eyes met as he looked up briefly. She continued turning as her partner led her on the dance floor so that her back was facing him. Still, she could feel his gaze burning into her back and she stiffened instinctively.

It was not that she was unaccustomed to the attention other men gave her. Erza knew that she was beautiful and she was no stranger to people staring at her. But something about the fact that it was Jellal staring made her very self-conscious.

"Mind if I cut in?"

The slight rumble in his smooth, baritone voice sent shivers down her spine. She barely registered the chaste kiss Doranbolt placed on the back of her hand, her eyes fixated on the newcomer.

When she didn't answer, Jellal let out a low chuckle, uncertain as to the reason behind her lack of response.

"May I?" He asked once more.

"It would be my pleasure," she murmured.

They danced in silence, with him obviously much more comfortable with their current engagement.

He took her through all of the steps, clearly impressed with her skills. She was an exquisite creature but Jellal had never met anyone with such an incredibly tight rein on their emotions. She was almost…cold, for lack of better word. Every move was calculated to the utmost precision, almost as if each individual action was part of a daily routine.

After a moment's observation, he spoke softly.

"I take it you don't really enjoy dancing."

She threw him a skeptical look. "What makes you say that?"

"Your technique is impeccable. Each step is perfectly placed," he leaned in slightly, trying to gauge her reaction, "but you lack the passion. You don't feel the dance. You don't feel the rhythm of the music. You're not feeling anything."

"You…"

He cut off her indignant cry with a sudden question. "Do you love anyone?"

Her cheeks flamed up, eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"This is beyond inappropriate, Mr…"

"Call me Jellal, please," he said with a cheeky grin and twirled her in a full circle. As she turned back to face him, Jellal pulled her closer to his chest. "Well then, do you like anyone? It doesn't matter who really as long as you know the feeling that I'm talking about."

His fingers rested on her waist. "Now think about him, or her," his smirk grew more prominent at the murderous look blossoming on her face, "and dance. Dance for him."

Dance for me.

"I don't think this is really necessary."

Her words came out harsher than she had intended but she hoped fervently that he would catch the underlying meaning to her words and back off.

Clearly she had underestimated his persistence as Jellal looked up at the ceiling with a self-assured smirk and shook his head wistfully. When he turned his gaze back towards her, she could see the seriousness on his face.

"Let me show you then."

His whisper was soft but the words rang clear in her ears. All of her senses seemed to heighten at that point and she could see, feel things she couldn't before.

Erza could see the fire in those beautiful hazel eyes, burning with such an intensity as if to tell her that his love for her was consuming him whole. She could feel the soft caresses his fingers bestowed upon her ever so lovingly, showering her with promises to treat her with all the respect, gentleness and love that he could give her, that she deserved, and nothing less. She could feel his love, flowing throughout his body and manifesting itself through his fluid motions in the form of a small flick of his wrist, a tilt of his head, a jerk of his knee, professing to her that he would give her the world and more.

Dear lord, was this really the boy from back then?

"Erza…"

His breathy plea was hot against her skin and she was inadvertently drawn towards him, almost as if some invisible attraction was pulling her closer.

"Show me," his hands slid down her sides and for a moment, she couldn't breathe. "Show me that you know the meaning of love." A little tug of his jacket here, a slight bend of the knee there accompanied by a roll of his hips. "Show me how you love."

He wore his heart on his sleeve, every single emotion radiating from the very core of his being. He was telling her so many things at the same time, the feelings so raw, so pure, so sincere that it almost hurt.

She wanted to reciprocate but she couldn't, because to do that, she would have to lower her guard and that was just an invitation to heartache. She had experienced it once before. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Jellal felt her stiffen within his grasp, eyes hardening into a charcoal onyx. He quirked an eyebrow, unsure as to her reaction. She was pulling away from him. But despite her attempts to hide her feelings, he could read the worry in her eyes and he understood, he could see it in the tension in her body.

It was confusion as to why she was feeling this way.

It was fear that she would have to experience the pain and hurt all over again.

"No," he murmured in her ear, "relax your body." His fingers danced along her spine, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. "Feel it with your heart, feel it in your soul. It's not just a set of movements, my dear, it's what you feel."

His voice was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic. His hands were now on her hips, moving them in time with the music. She couldn't breathe. It seemed like her entire body was on fire.

"Erza, let it all go."

Her name fell from his lips easily and the sultry tone caused her heart to skip a beat.

Gods, what was he doing to her?

Erza leaned into his embrace, too tired to fight back any longer. He guided her and she responded to the slightest of touches.

"Beautiful," he murmured to himself.

He could hear her sharp inhalation of breath, as if he were the oxygen she so desperately needed, the thing she couldn't live without. He could feel her hand stroking his shoulder, pleading with him to stay, to never let her go. He could see the memories stirring in her brown eyes, the sudden transformation shining through her posture. It was as if he were watching a completely different person dancing.

Yes.

Erza Knightwalker was in love, it was clear as day.

Jellal smiled as the song finally came to an end and the two stepped back from each other. He had shown her the way to express herself, to bring her emotions to the surface. But he couldn't help but wonder who could invoke such feelings within her.

"Thank you for the dance, Erza. It was a pleasure dancing with you." He bowed slightly. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

She returned the favor, eyes lingering on his form as he retreated from the dance floor.

The man turned back towards her briefly.

"Whoever's holding your heart is very lucky indeed," he said. "I hope he's worthy of everything you're giving him. You deserve nothing but the best."

With a final wave, Jellal disappeared amongst the crowds, leaving the redhead staring after him.

"He is," she whispered to herself. "I just wish I knew how to tell him."

A/N: I got this idea when I was watching the MV for Justin Timberlake's Suit and Tie. That guy is really classy and I'm going to make a lot of assumptions here but he seems like he knows how to treat a girl right. For the guys who are reading this, take note, treat your girls the way JT would. Give her the world because she deserves that and so much more.

No disrespect, I don't mean no harm ~ (Justin Timberlake)

Let me show you a few things about love ~ (Justin Timberlake)