Dawn of Adventure {Book One of The Paths We've Traveled}

Chapter Forty-Seven: To All the Time We Missed

Wendy blinked, not quite comprehending what happened. One minute Erza was in front of her, leading them down the stairs, and the next she vanished. "Uh, Erza?"

"What happened?" Gray asked from behind her, the other four wondering the same.

Wendy shrugged, stepping forward slightly so she was no longer being pushed forward by her friends. "I dunno. She just stopped randomly and I couldn't stop myself in time. That's the second time she's done that today."

Natsu's expression dropped in horror. "Shit, you don't think she... she didn't fall down the steps right?"

Everyone stared at the Dragon Slayer in terror. "I don't wanna know," Happy whimpered.

They crowded in the door frame, peering down into the stairwell. "Why did she stop earlier?" Lucy whispered.

"It's funny, we were at a shop and she thought she saw-" Wendy cut off abruptly, squinting as she got a better look at the scene on the landing. Then she broke into a grin. "Jellal," she called happily, his familiar scent invading her senses.

Down below, the pair had barely moved. His hand remained against the side of her face, cupping her smooth skin and keeping her brown eyes locked on his. Her hair fell on either side of them, a screen of scarlet separating them from the rest of the world. Her lips parted slightly in shock, something he found his eyes kept drifting to. They just couldn't look away from one another, not after two years and four months of separation.

"What are you doing here?" She murmured, breath brushing his cheeks.

"Looking for you," he whispered back, thumb just barely sweeping across her cheekbone. She leaned into his gentle touch, eyes sparkling as she remembered a time many years ago when they'd been in a similar situation. She wanted to kiss him just as much then as she did now.

"Yo, what's Jellal doing here?"

"Erza? Are you okay?"

"You guys comfy down there?"

The voices of her friends called her back to the present. Erza's cheeks flushed a violent shade of red as she realized the position they'd landed in. She shifted slightly, struggling to push herself up into a seated position. Jellal moved fluidly with her, propping himself up with one hand while his other remained slung across her bare waist. Her flush deepened, one arm sliding around his neck automatically to catch herself. Jellal stared at her a second longer before his own blush formed. She practically lay draped across his lap, her skirt tangled around his legs and other hand pressed against his chest. He pulled his arm from her hips, missing the feeling of her on him as she pushed herself up to her feet.

He took her offered hand and used it to stand, taking the chance to take in those still standing in the doorway. Natsu grinned down at them, Wendy and Lucy smiled with happy eyes, and Gray smirked. That's right, I have to remember to give him that letter tonight. The two Exceeds hovered behind their friends, laughing together at the beet-red faces of the couple on the landing. Even though he was flustered and sweating, he couldn't fight the small smile. Here they all were again. After searching and waiting for so long, they'd finally found each other again. It actually hadn't been as hard as he thought. But he would do it all over again if it meant that he would be able to still stand at Erza's side right here and now.

"It's great you're here," Lucy said, slipping her hand into Natsu's. "But why are you here?"

Jellal rubbed the back of his neck, face still heated and growing even hotter. "Er, I'm looking for you all. And here you are."

Wendy beamed. "That's great! Wow, I never thought we'd see you here, and after all this time."

"That, that's kinda the point." He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "Everyone's been worried. And when the reward shows up without the people who earned it, well, some people start to assume the worst."