Just InCommunityForumMoreFairy Love by Dr Yandere Anime » Fairy Tail Rated: M, English, Romance & Drama, [Erza S., Natsu D., Mirajane S.], Words: 119k+, Favs: 317, Follows: 324, Published: Aug 8, 2020 Updated: Jun 14, 2022214Chapter 7: Frozen
I was quite surprised by the reviews I got after I released the last chapter. And I don't want to refute any of it to salvage my pride (because it's pointless). You were right, the fact that I uploaded this story meant that somewhere deep down, I felt like this was worthy enough to be read by others. I actually read constructive criticisms, which is a blessing in of itself because I expected more toxic comments. Thanks for that
But the part about Natsu, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I really can't keep an open mind when it comes to that. I mean, I get that it's extremely annoying when I rant about all the things I hated about him and how I'm so one track minded when it comes to that, but I'll just do a better job of keeping it to myself then. I respect that you see things that way, just as a lot of others do, but I belong to the minority who doesn't see those things as a good thing (again, you'll see that I just repeated some of the things I said if you search in Reddit and Amino). I'm not trying to shut you down or anything (because as I said, I respect even the conflicting opinion of others), I just wanted to let it be clear that this is how I see things, and that you might need to prepare yourself for more rants like these in the future. If you get offended in any way and decide to drop this story, that's fine and I'm sorry.
It's just that I believe that an anime is kept together by the MC. Fairy Tail had endless potential to be great, but because of the things I ranted about, it was such a waste that it got dropped and shitted on by a lot of people because of all the flaws that were never corrected. It was the first anime I watched, so it really stuck to me despite all the things (almost everything) I hated about it. I know there's something wrong with me, but I can't let go. Writing my ideal story and taking it through until the end, I'm hoping I can finally achieve closure with FT and move on to better things.
I also think that writers and mangakas purposefully don't give the people everything they want so that the people would be invested in their works even after finishing it. Hell, it worked in my case (since I'm a dolt). I mean, if everything was perfect, the readers or the audience will be less compelled to keep thinking about a work after it's done because nothing is weighing on their minds. By making those imperfections, the readers/audience have more difficulty achieving closure with what could have been. Lol, I slapped myself, ashamed that I just realized that now after all these years of lounging around and doing nothing.
Anyway, I understood myself a little better there after the most recent batch of reviews, so thanks. I'm more motivated than ever to see this through 'til the end. As always, please do try to enjoy
Chapter 7: Frozen
BOOM!
An explosion startled the nearby creatures in the forest.
"RAAAAHHHH!" The monster growled out. It was a very big humanoid beast with horns. It's body looked buff, and it had the face of a demon. It bore a striking resemblance to the deceased demon from the books of Zeref, Deliora.
It was swinging its fists around, trying to hit the flash of light going around it.
"Keep distracting it, Jellal! I'll cut its feet off." Erza commanded, running towards the creature with her Flight Armor.
Underestimating the intelligence of the monster, it was able to hear and understand their plan clearly. Punching the ground, it caused a shockwave, causing the surrounding area around it to be reduced to bits of rubble.
Luckily for Erza, Jellal was able to swipe her away just in time.
"That attack just now seemed like it was aiming for me. Is it capable of understanding us?" Erza asked the blue-haired mage.
"It seems so. I initially suspected it to be the case, but its attacks were too erratic earlier for me to come to a conclusion." Jellal answered.
They were both fighting the SS-ranked monster for the 10-Year Quest they took together. Having faced their fair share of stronger opponents, they were having a harder time than they thought subduing the colossus.
Jellal stepped forward from his spot beside Erza and tried to reason with the beast.
"Can you understand us?" He shouted out to grab its attention. He wanted to settle this as peacefully as possible. The titanic beast in front of them seemed powerful, and there might be a reason why they incurred its wrath. It was best to settle this out without confronting it head-on as much as possible, was the feeling he was getting the longer he was in the presence of this monster.
"…" Since it stopped its movements, it looks like the monster was contemplating on listening to what the human has to say, or maybe he was just curious about Jellal's actions.
"It stopped walking towards us… So it possesses intelligence after all?" Erza commented from behind him.
"Why are you terrorizing this area? Are you protecting something?" Jellal continued to prod further, trying to get an answer out of it. Jellal's questions suddenly made Erza realize that possibility.
They were fighting an S-ranked monster who was terrorizing the forest around it. The forest was a dangerous and mythical place known as the "Den of Beasts". It was famous for the countless disappearances and stories of its inhabitants.
The duo took on a 10-Year Quest. Their client was a former soldier 30 years ago who witnessed his comrades' deaths at the hands of the monsters here, one of which was his brother. Being the sole survivor, he lived the rest of his days traumatized by the events of that day. To put his mind to rest, he vowed to have those beasts exterminated, no matter how long it takes.
For 18 years, a lot of mages took on his request and not once has anyone succeeded. The accursed forest and its monsters continued to claim the lives of people, mages and passersby alike.
The client was thinking of putting his request down, having lost hope and not wanting any more deaths on his account. However, a few days ago, two Fairy Tail mages took on his selfish request. Knowing of Fairy Tail's reputation as the best guild on the continent, he placed his hope on them, one last time.
Even among the other monsters of the forest that helped spread the legend of this forest, the titan they were fighting was stronger than the rest. Speaking of which, they expected to encounter more monsters when they arrived at the forest, but they only encountered a few so far. Perhaps this monster already killed off the others?
Back to the present, the beast was ready to launch a powerful torrent of beam from its mouth.
Erza and Jellal paled. The beast didn't stop to listen to Jellal… it stopped because it was charging itself up for an attack.
The air around them got heavier, as if they were under the influence of Gravity Magic. The skies got darker, and an ominous aura clouded the forest. Even though the two of them couldn't see the other creatures, they could sense them quickly scurrying away, judging by the decreasing magical signature in the area. The murky, thick air made them feel sick. It was as if they were inhaling miasma.
They suddenly thought that it was impossible for their client to have encountered this creature 30 years ago, because there's no way he would've survived. This monster was powerful. It actually reminded them of Acnologia a little bit. The feeling of losing control over your limbs, a certain fear washed over their bodies. Did the monster have some kind of power to mess with their minds? Why couldn't they move?
The purple air got thicker and thicker, which made the monster look bigger and the beam of light from its mouth look more menacing. How were they feeling so powerless? They both had strength that rivaled, and could even surpass the wizard saints, so why were they overwhelmed by a simple S-ranked monster? Perhaps they underestimated it, and it was actually a legendary monster that evaded the historical records. After all, a large part of the world was still left unexplored by humans. Maybe there were even creatures still roaming Earthland that rivaled the power of the mighty dragons.
They strived to move away from its path, but their limbs wouldn't let them. Just what was this thing?
Fully charged up, the beast released its rage on the two humans who dared to disturb its slumber.
Despite all this, Jellal was able to muster the strength to move Erza out of the way, "Jellal!" Erza shouted worriedly. How could a mission they were perfectly confident of handling together, turn out so bad?
The beam was closing in on him. However, just as he steeled himself by putting his arms in front of him-
A massive light enveloped the area.
Jellal opened his eyes… and saw that he was unharmed. Immediately turning to his partner, his fear was squashed away when he saw her perfectly fine as well.
When he turned his head on the monster in front of him, he saw that it had been vaporized. The only remnants of its body that remained were its feet, the rest gone and in its place was smoke.
"What just happened?" He asked out loud.
"Someone came to our rescue." Erza knowingly responded. When Jellal heard her answer, he looked at her to confirm it. Erza looked behind him with a smile on her face. Following her eyes, he saw none other than Natsu Dragneel, the strongest dragon slayer in Fairy Tail. Hovering beside him was Happy.
Jellal smiled at their savior, "Natsu!"
"Yo!" Natsu smiled back, raising a hand to greet them.
"Thanks for the save. In fact, what brings you two here?" Erza asked.
"We were looking for a new place to fish. We heard that this place has a lot of special creatures, so we thought that there would be some kind of special fish around here."
"Really? What a coincidence you were brought here."
"We know, right? Anyway, it looks like that monster totally whipped your butts ~ " Natsu smiled at them teasingly.
"Yeah, if you weren't here, we might have been goners." Jellal said.
"Still though, it felt different than any other monster I've encountered before. It was as if it paralyzed us with its presence alone." Erza was wondering what the monster they just faced was. Jellal, her too, the two of them has become so much stronger compared to the time they met again at the Tower of heaven, but she found it hard to believe that a simple S-ranked monster was able to overwhelm them to that point.
In the first place, they didn't know anything about that monster. They just assumed it was S-class based off of the power it possessed. But Natsu was still able to beat it in one move. He's really gotten strong. Actually, she was confident to say he was probably capable of beating Gildarts now.
"Well, it's not like standing around here thinking about it will do us any good at this point. Shall we head back?" Jellal suggested. Since they scoured the whole forest for 5 days now, they were certain that the monster Natsu defeated was the strongest creature inhabiting the place, and that the other inhabitants of the forest didn't pose as much of a threat anymore (since they were either killed by the monster or ran away a long time ago to escape it). With this, their mission to exterminate the monsters in the Den of Beasts was complete.
"You guys are already done with your mission? Didn't you guys take a 10-Year Quest? You guys are awesome!" Natsu was impressed that they were able to complete a mission that couldn't be completed for 10 years or longer, within a week.
'But you were the one who finished the mission for us.' They both thought in unison, sweatdropping. Did he already forget that he was the one who defeated the monster just now?
"Natsu, let's go already! I wanna find that giant fish!" Happy whined.
Seeing that Happy was getting impatient, Natsu decided to part ways with them. He wasn't really bothered that they were alone together since he already moved on from Erza a long time ago. His heart and mind was already filled with thoughts of Mira. He was just happy now that Erza finally found someone who she can open her heart to.
"Well, we'll see you guys later at the guild. Have a safe trip back!" Natsu said with a smile. He was more considerate now. Whenever Team Natsu does a job together every once in a while, Erza would notice Natsu say things like "Be careful!" or "Are you okay?" It looks like he's growing up now, both in mind and body. Erza smiled at him.
"Yeah, you two as well!" Erza shouted back, Natsu and Happy already had their backs to them, walking away while Natsu was waving. She looked at Natsu's back longingly, as if she had something to say to him. Jellal didn't fail to notice this and held her hand to bring her back to reality.
She was broken out of her thought of Natsu when she felt something grip her hand.
"Well then, shall we go now?" Jellal told her, holding her hands.
The two of them walked back to their client to claim their reward, holding hands with one another.
…
When they got back to the guild, they were congratulated for finishing their quest.
"Good job on completing the mission, you guys! In less than a week, no less." Gidarts congratulated two of his best mages on a job well done. The only person he knew who completed S-rank missions or higher in such a short amount of time, was himself and Laxus's Raijinshuu.
"Thank you, Master. But it was actually Natsu who finished the mission for us." Jellal confessed.
"Natsu? What was he doing with you guys?" Didn't Natsu say he was gonna be on a fishing trip with Happy?
Erza explained how Natsu saved the two of them from the monster, and how they met Natsu and Happy on their way to find a new fishing spot.
After Erza finished her story, Gray suddenly placed his arm around Jellal's shoulder, saying "Don't worry about the details. You still did a good job, guys!" Jellal was taken off-guard because he didn't recall being this friendly with Gray. Maybe they speak to each other from time to time, but there was usually someone like Natsu, Erza, Juvia, or Mira with them. It struck him as weird that Gray was getting so friendly with him as if they've been friends for a long time. Erza was also bewildered at his out-of-place actions, but she just chalked it up to him having a good day.
"Thanks, Gray." Feeling that it was the most appropriate way to respond, he said a simple thank you. After Gray dislodged himself from Jellal, he went around the guild spreading his joy.
Gray was unusually skippy today. No one seemed to know but a certain water mage, who had a smile of her own.
…
The night before, Gray had an unexpected visitor at his home.
"Juvia?! What are you doing here?" Gray was surprised to see his girlfriend visit him late at night. It's not that it was unnatural for a girl to visit her boyfriend, it was the fact that with Juvia's personality, she was being rather bold. It's true that when they started dating, the invisible boundary between them were broken, but they didn't go as far as to visit each other's houses yet.
Yes, their relationship was in its early stages, just like Natsu and Mira were before. At most, they only went as far as cuddling and light kissing. Their reservedness was unusual considering how obsessed Juvia was with Gray. One would expect her to jump on him every chance she gets now that they were together, but that wasn't the case.
Maybe she was starting to outgrow her stalking phase, and is growing to like this normal relationship between them.
Actually, it was Gray who wanted to take their relationship forward. He knew Juvia's abnormal affection for him even way back then, but he was embarrassed to admit out loud that the reason why he turned down her advances was because he was shy, and wanted her to act normally around him. It was hard to deal with her when she acted like a love-crazed maniac. He wanted her to treat him like his friends do, and eventually they can take it from there.
When he finally accepted her, he quickly dismissed all of that and found out it wasn't so bad to be with her. Unknowingly, she was also helping herself by holding herself back from being too aggressive in her advances now that they were already together.
Thinking back on all the times Juvia's been loyally by his side, he felt a new kind of warmth for the first time in his life (ironic because he's an ice mage). It wasn't the feeling when Ul found him and became his foster mother figure. It was different from when he was in the guild with everyone. It was foreign to him, and he couldn't quite place his hands on what was making him feel this way.
Remembering the despair he felt when Juvia sacrificed herself for him during their war with Zeref (when they fought Invel), he realized what it was immediately. His love for her wasn't as shallow as simply returning her feelings after all this time. He couldn't bear to live without her anymore. For that reason, he bought a ring already and was just looking for the perfect chance to propose to her. He wanted to make her feel as loved as she did for him. He wanted to be the selfless lover now. She no longer had to force herself to be forceful with him just to show him how much she loves him, how much she wanted to be with him, how much she wanted to keep him all to herself.
He felt ashamed of himself when he thought about it like this. That's why, this time, he'll be the one taking the initiative to take their love to another level. He'll make her understand how much he's grown to treasure her.
"Juvia just wanted to give you something, Gray-sama." Juvia held out a box in front of him.
Gray looked at the box and wondered what its contents were "What's this?" He asked when Juvia handed it to him.
Opening it, he saw it filled to the brim with heart-shaped cookies with his face drawn in the middle.
Knowing what he was about to ask next by the look on his face, she answered first "Juvia made a little too much earlier today while I was practicing how to bake."
"A little? This is actually too much already…" Gray blankly commented.
"R-really? Juvia's sorry for making Gray-sama worry about finishing that much! Juvia'll just take it back." Juvia seemed to have misunderstood the meaning behind Gray's words, stretching her hands out to get it from him.
He put the basket out of her reach and told her "No! I mean… it's okay, I'll eat it." He looked at the side embarrassingly after his shout just now. Seeing Juvia's startled expression at his reaction, he quickly composed himself again. He really was an awkward guy at times.
"What made you make this much, anyway?" He asked curiously. He knew some of her old habits still remained with her, but taking the effort to make this many cookies and personally delivering it to his house at this time of night, it seems she was still insecure about keeping him all to herself. However, her response took his breath away.
"Well, you see… Since Gray-sama's birthday is close, I wanted to give something that would show my endless love. Then I realized what better way to do that, than to make something with my own hands." Juvia sincerely smiled at him after saying this.
Gray was at a loss for words. Even though he's heard this from her countless times over the time they've been with each other, this time felt different. It was because he was just thinking of her before she showed up at his door, and now she was saying something like this.
Hearing her response made him think that this girl-no, his woman, always thought of him no matter what time it is. She loved him unconditionally, always having him in her mind no matter what he did to her, no matter how many times he rejected or ignored her, no matter how many times someone like Lyon was showing her that there was another man for her to love out there. But no, she chose him. It couldn't be anyone else but him. For Juvia, Gray was her world.
Unlike him who only thought of the good things about her. He couldn't even man up and have the guts to accept her abnormal signs of affection for him. And yet, despite all that, she still loved him. His good side, his bad side, his flaws… she accepted them all.
Realizing he was such an idiot all this time for not understanding this sooner, he came to a conclusion.
"I don't want to keep you waiting anymore…" Gray muttered with his bangs shadowing his eyes.
"Gray-sama?" Hearing what he said and observing the expression on his face, she couldn't help but worry.
Gray suddenly hugged her, dropping the basket on the floor and holding her in his embrace.
"I love you, Juvia!" He shouted. She was startled a bit because he didn't usually say this to her. True, they were officially together now, but rarely did Gray ever take the initiative to tell her he loves her as well.
"J-Juvia knows, Gray-sama. Juvia's happy that you're holding her like this, but could you let Juvia go for a little bit to pick up the basket on the floor." Juvia was blushing as she said this. She could never get used to doing these things with Gray. It was a miracle for her that Gray even chose to be with her. She thought that he just found her a nuisance after all this time, but she was ecstatic to find out that wasn't the case when Gray asked her to be his girlfriend.
"I'll never let go of you!" Juvia blushed madly now, not knowing what she did to deserve this affection from her beloved. Maybe he really liked to eat her cookies? But what he said just now sounds like it meant something else. She melted under Gray's embrace.
After Gray a few seconds of holding her like that, Gray let go of her, earning him a whimper-just when Juvia was enjoying the moment. But what he did next was even better.
Gray ran to his bedroom telling her to wait for him "Wait here!"
Juvia was wondering what this is all about. He was acting strange.
When Gray got back, he told her to close her eyes. When she opened them again, she was surprised to see her beloved Gray-sama propped on one knee. The most shocking thing wasn't that though. Gray had a genuine smile on his face, something she's never seen him do before. What caught her attention the most was the box in his hand with a ring inside.
Juvia was panicking internally. Was this what she hoped it was? She's fantasized about this moment in her daydreams and dreams ever since she first met Gray, is this really happening?
Pinching her cheeks, she got a chuckle from Gray. She was so easy to read right now.
"It's not a dream, Juvia." He read her mind! But wait, more importantly, she steeled herself for what was to come next.
"Juvia, I know I don't say it enough, but I do love you…" Gray began. Juvia was feeling lightheaded, but at the same time, she forced herself to listen to Gray's love speech. She didn't want to ruin this moment.
"You've always been by my side, no matter what. Even though I pushed you away, you never gave up. I guess that's how I knew you really did love me. I'm sorry for all those times I did that, I'm an idiot."
"No-" Just as Juvia was about to interrupt him, he continued. He didn't want her to stop him from proposing to her. He didn't want to keep her waiting any longer. She just had to stand and listen to him for now.
"But now, I won't let you think otherwise anymore!" He shouted to make her listen, making her flinch.
"Juvia, I really do love you, and nothing would make me happier than to have you by my side forever..." Juvia started to cry. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Gray would utter such kind words towards her. Never did she think Gray would do this so soon. She thought she needed to work harder to thaw the ice in his heart, but she didn't see that his heart has already been melted by her love.
"…Will you please marry me?" Gray looked at her gently to convey how sincere and genuine he was right now.
"Of course, yes! Nothing would make Juvia happier, Gray-sama!" Juvia pounced on Gray and hugged him as tightly as he did earlier.
"You don't need to call me Gray-sama anymore, I'm not your master, you know? I'm your fiance. Just Gray is fine." Gray confirmed his proposal to her, slipping on the ring on her finger. Certainly, it would be odd to see his own wife address him in such a way.
"No… because to me, YOU are the master of my heart." Juvia stopped referring to them in the third person.
Gray looked at her with a surprised expression when he realized what she just said, and decided to tease his fiancée.
"You sound better when you talk normally like that… But I also don't mind the way you speak now, I wouldn't change you for the world." Gray said from her shoulder.
Juvia just blushed, making Gray chuckle at her cute behavior.
…
The guild's light suddenly dimmed out.
"Hey! Who turned off the lights?"
"What's going on?"
"I can't see!"
And then, the spotlight shone on the stage, revealing the culprit none other than Gray. The others all turned their heads to him to see what was going on.
"Everyone, I have a very special announcement!" Gray then motioned for Juvia to come beside him. Once she was beside him, he continued, getting the attention of everyone in the guild now.
"Last night, I asked Juvia to marry me, and she said yes!" He said with a huge smile on his face.
The guild was silent for a few seconds, and then the guild erupted in cheer.
"I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later!" Mira said, putting her hands together with her eyes closed because of the huge smile on her face.
"You're the man!" Elfman shouted.
After Gray and Juvia got down from the stage, they were personally congratulated by their close friends.
"It took you guys long enough." Erza said.
"I know… That's why I decided to finally do it last night." Gray answered.
"Congratulations Gray! You're finally becoming a real man." Gildarts chuckled.
"Shut up, old man!" Gray responded teasingly as well.
"So, when's the wedding?" Lucy asked, excited about things like this.
"On my birthday!" Gray smiled, getting cheers of praise from them.
"How romantic! Now there's another reason for you to celebrate your birthday." Wendy commented.
"To celebrate Gray finally growing some balls and becoming a man, let's party!" Gildarts announced in a carefree manner, Gray's shout of "I said shut it, you old fart!" heard in the background.
Everyone erupted in celebration once more. Gray and Juvia had on their best smiles while talking to the others who personally came to congratulate them.
"Congratulations, Gray. May the two of you find happiness forever," Jellal politely said with Erza beside him, stunning the couple for a second, before recovering and responding in gratitude.
"Thanks!" Gray casually said.
"Thank you!" Juvia politely replied.
In the Den of Beasts, Natsu and Happy caught two fishes intertwined with one another "Huh, that's weird. Why are they stuck together?" Natsu wondered.
Happy looked at Natsu excitedly "Natsu, that's the special fish!"
"How do you know?"
"What else could it be?" Happy smartly responded.
Looking at it, he said "Maybe you're right. Going here wasn't such a waste, after all." Natsu said with a big smile, cooking the fish.
Looking at the double-bodied fish, Natsu thought of Mira.
…
A month later, Gray and Juvia got married on his birthday.
"Congratulations!" The guests said.
While Gray and Juvia was busy mingling with their guests, two lone figures were taking in the night outside in the balcony of the palace. For the reception room, Gray and Juvia decided to rent a palace to accommodate the large number of guests they had.
Erza and Jellal were talking with each other about the lovely ceremony their two friends just had.
"That was a wonderful wedding, wasn't it?" Jellal said, facing himself towards the direction of the balcony doors with his head turned towards Erza.
"Yeah, it was. I'm happy for them. I'm just hoping the next one would be us…" Erza smiled playfully.
"Yeah, I hope so." Jellal awkwardly responded. Erza let a small frown show on her face.
She knew how hesitant Jellal was about getting married to her back when he confessed his love back then. Granted, he already decided to finally be with her, but he wasn't ready to tie her down with someone like him yet. He believed that while his past sins have been forgiven, it could not be forgotten, which was true in his case. He wasn't ready for Erza to spend her life with a man like him yet.
Marriage was no joke, and tying her down to someone like him for the rest of her life didn't sit well with his heart. He wanted to stop being this mess of a man, a repentant sinner who couldn't realize that everyone has already moved on from the past but himself, and he wanted to become more confident in facing the future onwards. He didn't want to shackle Erza with someone who still had lingering regrets, and was still struggling to let go and move forward. All he wanted was the best for her, and so thinking like this led him to conclude that he would be ready to seal his love with Erza forever once he was already the best version of himself.
It was times like this that he really envied Natsu. The charming and lovable goofball who always did his best to share the warmth and love he received from his foster family, to everyone else, be it friend or foe. He seemed incapable of bearing grudges (maybe because he forgets so easily), and he never let anything drag him down and always trudged on forward no matter what obstacle he faced. He had the strength to guide others to find the light amidst their darkened pasts. Natsu was a ray of hope and compassion to those who were blessed enough to encounter a bright soul like him.
This was a sentiment shared by Erza.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm always saying this, but I promise you that one day, I will take that step forward for the two of us. Would you stay please stay with me until then?" Noticing Erza's sad expression, Jellal was quick to console her.
"…!"
"No, it's fine. I love you just the way you are, even now." Erza was embarrassed that she let such an expression show on her face. She couldn't stop her true feelings from coming out and it cause him discomfort.
Seeing that he still had the bothered look on his face, she repeated it again to ease his worries "It's fine…" She smiled at him gently in the same way a loving mother does to her child. Jellal perked up, his spirits lifted again. He could really be difficult sometimes, but Erza didn't seem to be bothered by it.
Noticing the emptiness of their glasses, Jellal came up with an idea to relieve them of the tense atmosphere from earlier "I'll get us something to drink. Can you wait here and reserve my spot?" Jellal said playfully. It looks like he really is back to normal. He may seem cold and distant at first, but he was actually nice to be with once you get to know him better.
"Sure, don't keep me waiting." Erza responded in the same way.
The reason why Jellal felt the need to leave right now was because he knew marriage was a sensitive topic for Erza. He knew how much Erza wanted it, and it pained him that he couldn't give her what she desired the most right now.
Also, he felt uneasy and needed to give himself some alone time to think.
Erza didn't explicitly say it to him, but he knew she harbored strong affections for her salmon-haired friend. It baffled him why she would enter a relationship with him if she also liked someone else. He knew how much Erza favored him, even way back then, but sometime during his repentant phase when he pushed himself away from Erza for her own good, it looked like she found someone else. And that someone was none other than Natsu Dragneel.
It's not like he could blame her, really. At first, he wanted her to move on from him. However, when he was pardoned and no longer became a fugitive of law, he didn't waste any time trying to win her back. He didn't outright make their relationship exclusive yet, but he became closer to her (since it took him until the end of the 100 Years Quest to confess to her).
But then, when he finally confessed his feelings to her, Erza didn't seem as happy as he expected. Not to sound arrogant or conceited, but during the various interactions they had even back when he was still a fugitive, he knew she liked him just as much as he liked her. The icing on the cake was when she tried to kiss him back then at the beach, and all the special moments they shared together whenever they met (the water park OVA-oh, who am I kidding, pretty much the entire anime/manga, even the sequel).
At first, he just had a hunch that was the case… that she liked someone else, but he wasn't 100% certain yet. But now that he is around her pretty much all the time since they started dating, he started to notice some things.
Whenever he would tag along on a mission with Erza's team (still feels incorrect to call it Team Natsu because Erza is supposed to be the leader, based off of her S-rank status and overall character. Natsu's ability to motivate them is cute, but it doesn't hold nearly as much weight as Erza's credibility to be the leader), he was slightly bugged at how much attention she was giving Natsu. Maybe it was because they were already dating, but he's become more wary of losing Erza, a luxury he didn't have back when he was still hiding from the authorities. So, gave them the benefit of the doubt and chalked it up to his paranoia.
But then, he started noticing it more. Even though Erza was happy when she was with him, she had a different energy whenever Natsu was around. She became livelier when responding to his (Jellal) otherwise mature personality. She joked around more, and she participated in Natsu's childish games and banter sometimes. And perhaps she was unconsciously doing it, but her eyes often landed on the fire dragon slayer. As soon as she notices him (Jellal) looking at her, she would quickly come up with a topic to talk about in an effort to distract him.
He called her out on his thoughts one night, and Erza wasn't afraid to confess that she did have lingering affections for Natsu, but she also said that she was his (Jellal) now, and he didn't need to worry about Natsu. She said that since he already noticed it, there was no use hiding the fact that besides dating him because she wanted to, she was also ashamed of herself for using him to get over Natsu. Of course, being the passive man that he is, he told her that it was okay and that he would do everything in his power to help her with that so they can have no more doubts about their relationship.
That's why Jellal was jealous of Natsu. As one of the majority who didn't know Natsu's relationship with Mira yet, he was scared that Erza might grow tired of his weakness and indecisiveness one day, and pursue her relationship with Natsu, despite what she said. To him, it was weird that she didn't choose Natsu if she had lingering feelings for him. While Natsu didn't possess the traditional qualities that girls liked in a man, he had a unique charm and charisma that attracted others to him. That's why even if Natsu wasn't always stronger than him, even when he wasn't as mature or as intelligent as him, even if Natsu didn't possess Jellal's refined qualities, Jellal still admired Natsu.
He felt insecure whenever Natsu was around him and Erza. He felt horrible for wanting to keep those two friends apart in fear of losing his girlfriend, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes, he would wonder if Natsu ever felt the same way under his perfect, carefree demeanor. It's not that Jellal thought Natsu was incapable of thinking that deep, but he wondered if Natsu ever felt as helpless and jealous as him.
That's why whenever Erza told him loving words, he always felt that a part of her was forcing herself and the other part wanted to say it to someone else.
Back with Erza, she was more or less thinking what Jellal was. She knew they had their whole lives ahead of them to get married, so she didn't really see Jellal's unwillingness to move forward an issue for now.
But how she wished that it was her next on the altar surrounded by the ones she loved. The first in their generation to get hitched together was Bisca and Alzack. After the two of them and before Gray and Juvia came Gajeel and Levy after news of Levy's pregnancy spread around. Speaking of which, she already gave birth to her baby around 2-3 months ago. In fact, she brought her baby to Gray and Juvia's wedding. Surprisingly, Gajeel was the one who's been taking care of their baby's needs all this time, and some who witnessed his skills as a father said he was amazing. From being once their enemy, he was one of the first guys in their generation to settle down and completely turn over a new leaf. Gajeel admitted that it was because of Natsu who defeated him back then that his new life started, something he was adamant about saying out loud at first. But once he saw their child for the first time, he was overwhelmed with happiness and thought to himself what if Natsu didn't defeat him back then? What if Natsu didn't help him get accepted in the guild? He wouldn't have such a wonderful life now if it weren't for his "rival" (something he shares with Gray regarding Natsu).
Thinking about Natsu, Erza flinched when she felt a familiar presence going up to her. It wasn't Jellal, it was Natsu. Speak of the devil, and he shall come.
"What're you doing out here, Erz?" Natsu casually asked. From time to time, he removed the last letter of her name when calling her, the nickname he apparently had for her. It was odd… she never knew someone calling her by a nickname would make her feel so special.
"I'm just taking in the view. You?"
"I came to get some fresh air." Erza looked at him with a surprised expression.
"What is it?" Natsu asked.
"I just didn't think you were the type of guy to do something like that." Erza said sincerely.
"Hey! What am I, some sort of idiot? I can enjoy the finer things in life from time to time" He smiled smugly as if he was boasting about himself.
"But you are an idiot." Seeing how cute he was acting, Erza couldn't help but tease him.
"Hey!" Erza smiled. Even though Natsu's grown so much, he was still so fun to tease. This is probably one of the reasons Erza felt attached to Natsu, apart from her previous realizations.
"Anyway, where's Jelly-man? Isn't he with you?" Natsu had come up with a weird nickname for jellal.
"Jellal? He's just getting us drinks."
"I see."
Sensing that they had nothing else to talk about, they just simply admired the view.
Natsu was looking at the view of the night with a serious expression. Erza was drawn to the expression he was making right now and by the time she knew it, she was already staring at the side of his face.
Natsu noticed her easily out of the corner of his eye.
"What is it again? Sheesh, you keep looking at me weirdly." Natsu grumbled.
Erza quickly composed herself "Sorry about that. You looked so serious I thought you were someone else" She teased again.
"Hey! Are you making fun of me again?" Natsu pouted. Erza chuckled at his reaction. He was just so cute.
She really did feel more alive whenever she was with Natsu. Jellal made her feel loved, and she reciprocated it. But being with Natsu pushed away all her worries. He was just that fun to be with.
"So what do you think of the ceremony?" Erza asked.
"Hm? Oh, you mean Gray and Juvia? Well, I personally thought it was about time." Natsu put his hands on his chin in a thinking pose.
"That's what everyone said." Erza blankly said.
"But it's true, isn't it? I'm happy that Juvia was finally able to get Gray to accept her. Watching her was painful" Natsu said.
"Painful?"
"Yeah. You know how Gray was such a jerk back then and kept ignoring her? Well now, I'm just glad that Juvia was finally able to get him to look at her. Considering all she did for him, the least he could've done was stop being a jackass…"
Erza was astounded. Natsu's been thinking about that all this time? Even if Juvia wasn't one of his close friends, she was reminded that Natsu cared about everyone. This guy, he's really one of a kind.
"Now that they finally tied the knot, Gray can spend his whole life making it up to her."
Caught up by his words, Erza said something without thinking.
"How about you? Do you have anyone you want to spend the rest of your life with? And don't even think about saying everyone in the guild, I'll punch you." Erza came off a bit aggressive, but she was too caught up in the moment to notice.
Not wanting to make her angry, and seeing that she was serious about punching him (when was she not serious?), he answered genuinely "Well, maybe I have someone in mind…" He scratched his cheeks when he said this. He remembered that they were still keeping it secret after all.
Erza knew who he was talking about, but she didn't have the courage to make him say it out loud. Instead-
"Then, have you ever thought about marrying that person?" When Erza didn't question him who that someone was, he released a mental sigh of relief. Thinking that his answer didn't surprise her because she was more focused on the topic of marriage, he didn't wonder why she didn't ask him who his special someone is. Back when they helped Éclair out (in the Phoenix Priestess movie), Wendy already told them how she saw Erza purchasing a wedding dress. He knew it was only natural for her to want to find that unbreakable relationship because of the scars of her past, so he didn't call her out on it, and luckily the others were sensitive enough not to as well.
"To be honest, I do. I want to be with her all the time." Natsu blurted out. Hearing her answer, Erza stayed quiet.
"It may sound weird to bring it up now, but do you remember our promise 9 years ago?" Natsu's eyes widened. This came all of a sudden. Maybe Erza was just feeling lonely without Jellal beside her, so Natsu decided to entertain her until he comes back. By the way, did it really take that long to get two drinks? Then again, knowing how much the Fairy Tail members monopolized the drinks (especially Cana), maybe Jellal was having a hard time finding glasses that are not empty.
"Yeah. Listen, about that… I don't really mind that you're with Jellal now. I'm happy for you guys" Natsu smiled genuinely.
Seeing that Natsu was purposefully cutting her off from asking more, she said "Oh, I see" in a glum manner.
"What's the matter? I said I was happy for you guys. Don't worry about me. Honest" Thinking that Erza was sad because she thought he was forcing himself, Natsu comforted her worries.
"That's because you already found someone else." Erza gritted her teeth. Natsu was wondering why she was so upset. What was this really about?
"Huh? I said, maybe though?" Natsu tried to keep misleading her. Unfortunately for him (and Mira), she already knew.
"Stop bullshitting me! I know about you and Mira!" Erza shouted.
"Eh?" Natsu was frozen on the spot, the chilly evening wind blowing towards them.
What shocked him more was the fact that Erza was crying.
If anyone here has anything they want to talk to me about, don't hesitate to PM me.
Just included another pairing here, and yes I know it was corny and cliche. Did I forget to mention that I'll be inserting scenes of other members of the guild falling in love? I don't want to just talk about Natsu's love life here every second of every chapter. I prefer seeing the whole guild as the main characters of Fairy Tail.
By the way, my inspiration for making this fic is TimStormX6's "Choices we make" and insanemonkeyboy's "Be My Valentine". You should seriously check this fics out if you're into the NaZa scene, and also their other stories because they write great Natsu crack-ship stories. If NaZa's your OTP (like me), check out TimStormX6's profile-his stories are criminally underrated.
And also, I'm not fond of harem endings because it makes their love seem less special if the guy can't even settle on one girl he wants to be with more than anyone else, so Natsu will end up with only one girl. The girl he doesn't end up with in this fic will have her own story later on where I'll make her end up with Natsu this time. As I've said, I don't like how Fairy Tail turned out, and I'm attached to it in the sense that it's good for writing fanfictions . Countless potential and possibilities can still be explored, you know?
I'll see you around!
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