Titania's Trauma

Chapter 12

Jellal stared at the pair of them. There was a new kind of intimacy in the way Gray held Erza. It was definitely not the brotherly affection that had always been there.

Jellal's heart gave a loud thump. This couldn't be happening. They were not in love, were they? Jellal refused to think it was true.

He knew he came here to give up on Erza. To tell her his final goodbye. But now, looking at the two of them standing there, hugging each other like no one else in the world existed, Jellal's resolution faltered. He felt like ripping Gray Fullbuster off of his Erza and to cut him in two.

He cursed himself. All those years trying to redeem himself, taking out dark guilds, being with Ultear and Meredy, and he still thought of murder. He wondered if he had been truly under Zeref's influence when he had done all those evil things. Because right now, he felt equally as evil.

You're not evil, he told himself. This is just stupid jealousy because you're in love. Everyone feels that way at some point.

But he still doubted himself just like always. He never thought he was good, always waiting for the evil side to show up again and destroy everything he loved. He doubted he could ever be as good and brave as Erza. How could he be when he had killed and hurt everyone he had ever loved?

"Hey, Gray..." he said. He needed to talk to Erza alone and to do that he needed to get rid of Gray.

"Jellal," Gray nodded, hugging Erza still tighter.

"Erza?" Jellal said. "We need to talk."

"Then talk," replied Gray.

Erza said nothing. She wasn't even looking at him, her face buried in Gray's shoulder.

"I'm talking to Erza, if you don't mind," Jellal said. He didn't want to be rude. He had given up on everything he had ever wanted when he had been resurrected by Wendy. Since then he had only helped people, been nice to them, smiled at everyone no matter what he felt inside. But this jealousy was ruining it all for him.

"I do mind actually," retorted Gray.

"I want to talk to Erza alone," Jellal pressed on. "I don't see what's wrong with that.

"Whatever you want to talk to her about," said Gray, "you can say it infront of me, if not the rest of the guild."

"This is none of your business, Gray."

"I don't see how you are still failing to realize this, but if its Erza's business, its mine too."

Gray gave him a square look. What did he mean by that? It surely couldn't be that. No no no. He just means like they are family. Because he wants to protect his sister. Jellal's heart was now beating faster than ever. He couldn't think straight. Erza couldn't be dating Gray. Didn't she say that every guy in the guild was a brother to her. Moreover, Gray was younger than her. There was no way Erza would go for him.

"Erza, please..." This time he addressed Erza directly, realizing only Erza could stop Gray from interfering. "Is there something wrong with you? Are you ill? Why aren't you talking, Erza? Why won't you look at me?"

At these words, Erza finally moved. She let go of Gray, nodding at him once to say she was fine and then turned to look at Jellal.

Jellal's heart skipped a beat. Erza looked more beautiful than he ever remembered. She looked absolutley radiant. Her cheeks were rosy and her sleek red hair fell like a waterfall of blood behind her shoulders. Jellal swallowed hard.

"I am not ill," Erza stated, "and I don't want to talk to you, Jellal."

It felt like Jellal's whole world was falling. She had said his name with so much hatred infused in it that he could barely believe that Erza was capable of such hatred. It broke his heart and shattered his soul.

"Erza!"

It was Ultear. She was standing at the door, her face horror-struck.

"Ultear," Jellal said, his voice calm even though every nerve in his body was on fire. "Its okay. You don't know what's going on."

"I know enough to say that no one should talk to you like that," Ultear retorted. "Especially not after you have done and suffered so much for them."

Erza now looked on the verge of tears. Her whole body was shaking and Gray was standing way too close to her, which made something inside Jellal to thrash and burn.

"I said its okay, Ultear," he said, his voice betraying his emotions. "Erza, please. I really need to talk to you."

"I know what you have to say, Jellal," Erza cried. "And I don't want to hear it. So you can go and never come back here!"

Ultear gasped. Gray put his arm around Erza, his face etched with concern. It almost seemed like he didn't want Erza to say these things, like he didn't want to get rid of Jellal.

Jellal would have felt angry, but at the moment, he felt nothing but numb. He could feel the tears building up and a lump in his throat. Erza's words felt like daggers cutting into his skin, ripping his soul apart.

"Very well then." He didn't know how he managed to say it, but he did and left the guild.

"How could you say that to him?" Ultear gasped. Her body was shaking with rage. She had always liked Erza and never would have imagined her to say such harsh words.

"Ultear," said Gray. "Don't talk to Erza like that!"

"What's wrong with you, Gray?" Ultear asked, astonished. "Didn't you hear what she said to Jellal?"

"I know she shouldn't have lashed out like that, but...."

"But what?" said Ultear, outraged. "Jellal loves her. You should know how much it hurts to lose someone you love and he's already going through so much..."

Ultear broke off. She couldn't say anymore. Because saying it was like admitting it was true. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she saw Gray looking at her with a worried expression. Erza stood there like she was a doll, not even moving a muscle, unable to believe anything that was happening.

A pair of arms wrapped around Ultear and she looked down to see Meredy, her eyes swollen and brimmming with tears.

"You shouldn't have said those things to Jellal, Erza-san," she said. "Maybe you had your reasons to say them, but you still shouldn't have. Not when Jellal has so less time left with us."

"What do mean by that, Meredy?" Erza asked in a whisper. Her face had gone white with horror as comprehension dawned. She finally realized why Ultear was so angry and crying. She finally really realized what Jellal had wanted to tell her.

"Jellal's dying, Erza."

A/N-
Bet you didn't see that one coming!!

I know Jellal was totally OOC, but I really couldn't write him in any other way. And I don't know, maybe its a good thing that he's OOC. People change when they know they are going to die, right? Right?

Also, I wanted to tell you that when Jellal thinks that Erza looked more beautiful than normal, he meant it. I like to believe that people glow more when they are in love because its a magical thing and Erza's been hiding it so now that they are in the open, she looks radiant. XD

Oh and sorry for the wait. Vote and comment, my loves. <3<3<3