Arrangement chapter 4
Series: Arrangement
Title: Unnecessary Warnings
Pairing: Mystogan/EdoErza
Rating: T
Word count: 1340
Summary: Jellal has a talk with Hughes and Sugarboy regarding Erza, though it's far from what he imagined it to be and he and Erza have a moment.
Notes: This one wasn't planned to be in but I realized I have been rather neglecting other canon characters. And then it derailed completely from the humour into the romance.
Disclaimer: This is Mirime-chan playing with Hiro Mashima's characters. No money goes to Mirime-chan, only a satisfaction from spreading the love for her favourite pairing.
Unnecessary Warnings
There had been a steady stream of congratulators ever since the engagement between Jellal and Erza had been announced. Most people merely wished him luck with generic words, though Jellal could see they were quite happy with this development. Coco was ecstatic, expecially after Jellal put her in charge of the wedding preparations. She might have been young but she knew a lot more about the happenings in the castle than anyone else.
The visit that stuck out more than any other, though, was that of the former Commanders of the Magical Forces Units Three and Four - Hughes and Sugarboy. The MFU had been disbanded almost immediately after Jellal had suceeded the throne, given the disappearance of magic, and the Commanders had been reassigned. Erza had become the Chief of Staff and then had immediately sent out Hughes to Louen and Sugarboy to the borders with Sengar - two of the more rebellious areas. They had been recalled after the engagement, since Erza wanted to confer with them about the choosing of her successor. And now, they stood in Jellal's office, having already spoken their congratulations but lingering behind, as if they wanted to say more but didn't quite know how.
"Was there anything else?" Jellal asked, bemused by their fidgety behaviour.
"Well," Hughes started before looking at Sugarboy.
"The thing is, erm..."
"It's about Erza," Hughes finally blurted out. "We have known her for a while and she's a great woman. Awesome, even."
"Yeah," Sugarboy seconded. "She's great. And it's great she's going to marry you and all but we wouldn't feel right if we didn't talk to you."
"Oh," Jellal finally understood. This was the dreaded talk between the family of the bride and her intended. Hughes and Sugarboy might not have been Erza's blood family but they apparently cared enough for her to talk even to their King about treating her properly. Not that he wouldn't do so regardless.
"Yeah, someone must warn you about her, though it's kinda late for that, since you asked her already."
Jellal blinked. Warn him about Erza? That didn't make any sense.
"What?"
"She has a temper like you wouldn't believe," Hughes gesticulated wildly. "Piss her off and whoa! You are a dead man walking."
"True, true," Sugarboy nodded before adding," And when it's her time of the month, you better go into hiding. One stupid comment and she's at your throat immediately. A year ago Hughes said something to her and it took me and Panther Lily both to pry her off of him."
"Erza isn't that bad," Jellal tried to defend his fianceé. Sure, he had witnessed her temper several times but the way those two were carrying on made her sound like a demon.
Hughes and Sugarboy shook their heads sadly.
"You haven't known her for long enough. And besides, you were her King, she would control herself. But once you get married, she'll be your equal and then you're gonna get it for sure."
"You are exaggerating," Jellal stated clearly. "I knew what I was getting into when I asked her and I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Well, we hope so, too," Sugarboy said.
"We are glad you're marrying her, Your Majesty. It's awesome. But even so you should know all the facts about her. It's only fair."
What could he have said to that other than,
"Thank you for your consideration."
"You're welcome, Your Majesty," both of the Captains replied cheerfully. They left after that, leaving the confused and flabbergasted Jellal behind. What the hell had that been about? A knock on the door let him know of another visitor and so he called them in, hoping they would get his mind off the previous strange visit. No such luck as it was Erza herself who only took one look at his face and glared back into the corridor.
"What did they tell you?"
"Who?"
"Hughes and Sugarboy. You look like someone who has been treated to their particular dose of idiocy."
"You don't want to know. You really don't," Jellal emphasised upon seeing her unconvinced look. "It was nothing of importance, anyway."
"Well, if you're sure," she relented before tossing him a folder with several documents. "Updated information on the North-East region and the border with Othrori, there's also my status report on the army along with a list of possible candidates to take over my position once we get married."
Jellal flipped through the papers quickly, coming to a stop at the list she had mentioned. He was passingly familiar with all of those names but he wasn't sure about their abilities. Erza knew better than him.
"I already said I was leaving it to your judgment. You don't have to report everything to me."
"It's going to take some time to get used to it," Erza mentioned off-handedly as she sat down and waited for any questions he might have had.
"Get used to what?" Jellal barely raised his head from the documents.
"No longer being your subordinate."
Jellal paused in his work.
"I never considered you my subordinate."
"You didn't?" her voice had a disbelieving tone to it.
"Of course not. Out of everyone on the council you came the closest to being my friend."
"We argued - we still argue - half of the time," Erza pointed out and Jellal smiled.
"That's the point. You are the only one who doesn't beat around the bush just because I'm the King and tell me outright if I'm about to mess up. You keep me in check so the power doesn't go to my head. You have no idea how important that has been to me since I have taken the throne."
Erza looked away at the praise and Jellal stood up, coming around the table to kneel in front of her, forcing her to look at him.
"You are an amazing woman, Erza and I trust you unconditionally."
She stared back at him for several long moments before she shook her head with a sigh.
"You are so damn sappy right now."
"And you are so damn uncomfortable," he parried before he took her hand into his, entwining their fingers. "And there will be other times when I'm going to be sappy and you will sigh and shake your head in annoyance before smacking me, hopefully only verbally, and then we will argue a bit more but in the end..." he trailed off.
"In the end," she prompted him as he continued to stare at her and then, to her surprise he started blushing a bit. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Nevermind," he began pulling away but Erza tugged him back down.
"I do mind. Now finish what you were going to say."
"In the end we kiss and make up," he mumbled quickly, hoping she wouldn't catch his words. She did, though and to her extreme annoyance, she could feel her cheeks warming up as well.
"Well, we are going to be married in several months," she started, trying to be rational. "And then we'll be doing a lot more than kissing, anyway."
"Yeah, I guess so."
The silence was awkward, something that rarely happened with them. Jellal remained kneeling in front of her, her right hand and his left still intertwined and resting on her knee. But before either of them could make a move - though what the move would be was uncertain - the door banged open and Coco ran in, stopping in her tracks at the scene in front of her.
"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
But they were already pulling away from each other, Jellal taking his seat and Erza striding towards the door.
"I'll see you in the meeting," she said over her shoulder in lieu of a goodbye and then she was gone, the door closing behind her. Coco looked at Jellal sadly.
"Did I do anything wrong?"
"No," Jellal reassured the petite girl. "We were done, anyway." For now, he added to himself before focusing on his work again.
Title: Unnecessary Warnings
Pairing: Mystogan/EdoErza
Rating: T
Word count: 1340
Summary: Jellal has a talk with Hughes and Sugarboy regarding Erza, though it's far from what he imagined it to be and he and Erza have a moment.
Notes: This one wasn't planned to be in but I realized I have been rather neglecting other canon characters. And then it derailed completely from the humour into the romance.
Disclaimer: This is Mirime-chan playing with Hiro Mashima's characters. No money goes to Mirime-chan, only a satisfaction from spreading the love for her favourite pairing.
Unnecessary Warnings
There had been a steady stream of congratulators ever since the engagement between Jellal and Erza had been announced. Most people merely wished him luck with generic words, though Jellal could see they were quite happy with this development. Coco was ecstatic, expecially after Jellal put her in charge of the wedding preparations. She might have been young but she knew a lot more about the happenings in the castle than anyone else.
The visit that stuck out more than any other, though, was that of the former Commanders of the Magical Forces Units Three and Four - Hughes and Sugarboy. The MFU had been disbanded almost immediately after Jellal had suceeded the throne, given the disappearance of magic, and the Commanders had been reassigned. Erza had become the Chief of Staff and then had immediately sent out Hughes to Louen and Sugarboy to the borders with Sengar - two of the more rebellious areas. They had been recalled after the engagement, since Erza wanted to confer with them about the choosing of her successor. And now, they stood in Jellal's office, having already spoken their congratulations but lingering behind, as if they wanted to say more but didn't quite know how.
"Was there anything else?" Jellal asked, bemused by their fidgety behaviour.
"Well," Hughes started before looking at Sugarboy.
"The thing is, erm..."
"It's about Erza," Hughes finally blurted out. "We have known her for a while and she's a great woman. Awesome, even."
"Yeah," Sugarboy seconded. "She's great. And it's great she's going to marry you and all but we wouldn't feel right if we didn't talk to you."
"Oh," Jellal finally understood. This was the dreaded talk between the family of the bride and her intended. Hughes and Sugarboy might not have been Erza's blood family but they apparently cared enough for her to talk even to their King about treating her properly. Not that he wouldn't do so regardless.
"Yeah, someone must warn you about her, though it's kinda late for that, since you asked her already."
Jellal blinked. Warn him about Erza? That didn't make any sense.
"What?"
"She has a temper like you wouldn't believe," Hughes gesticulated wildly. "Piss her off and whoa! You are a dead man walking."
"True, true," Sugarboy nodded before adding," And when it's her time of the month, you better go into hiding. One stupid comment and she's at your throat immediately. A year ago Hughes said something to her and it took me and Panther Lily both to pry her off of him."
"Erza isn't that bad," Jellal tried to defend his fianceé. Sure, he had witnessed her temper several times but the way those two were carrying on made her sound like a demon.
Hughes and Sugarboy shook their heads sadly.
"You haven't known her for long enough. And besides, you were her King, she would control herself. But once you get married, she'll be your equal and then you're gonna get it for sure."
"You are exaggerating," Jellal stated clearly. "I knew what I was getting into when I asked her and I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Well, we hope so, too," Sugarboy said.
"We are glad you're marrying her, Your Majesty. It's awesome. But even so you should know all the facts about her. It's only fair."
What could he have said to that other than,
"Thank you for your consideration."
"You're welcome, Your Majesty," both of the Captains replied cheerfully. They left after that, leaving the confused and flabbergasted Jellal behind. What the hell had that been about? A knock on the door let him know of another visitor and so he called them in, hoping they would get his mind off the previous strange visit. No such luck as it was Erza herself who only took one look at his face and glared back into the corridor.
"What did they tell you?"
"Who?"
"Hughes and Sugarboy. You look like someone who has been treated to their particular dose of idiocy."
"You don't want to know. You really don't," Jellal emphasised upon seeing her unconvinced look. "It was nothing of importance, anyway."
"Well, if you're sure," she relented before tossing him a folder with several documents. "Updated information on the North-East region and the border with Othrori, there's also my status report on the army along with a list of possible candidates to take over my position once we get married."
Jellal flipped through the papers quickly, coming to a stop at the list she had mentioned. He was passingly familiar with all of those names but he wasn't sure about their abilities. Erza knew better than him.
"I already said I was leaving it to your judgment. You don't have to report everything to me."
"It's going to take some time to get used to it," Erza mentioned off-handedly as she sat down and waited for any questions he might have had.
"Get used to what?" Jellal barely raised his head from the documents.
"No longer being your subordinate."
Jellal paused in his work.
"I never considered you my subordinate."
"You didn't?" her voice had a disbelieving tone to it.
"Of course not. Out of everyone on the council you came the closest to being my friend."
"We argued - we still argue - half of the time," Erza pointed out and Jellal smiled.
"That's the point. You are the only one who doesn't beat around the bush just because I'm the King and tell me outright if I'm about to mess up. You keep me in check so the power doesn't go to my head. You have no idea how important that has been to me since I have taken the throne."
Erza looked away at the praise and Jellal stood up, coming around the table to kneel in front of her, forcing her to look at him.
"You are an amazing woman, Erza and I trust you unconditionally."
She stared back at him for several long moments before she shook her head with a sigh.
"You are so damn sappy right now."
"And you are so damn uncomfortable," he parried before he took her hand into his, entwining their fingers. "And there will be other times when I'm going to be sappy and you will sigh and shake your head in annoyance before smacking me, hopefully only verbally, and then we will argue a bit more but in the end..." he trailed off.
"In the end," she prompted him as he continued to stare at her and then, to her surprise he started blushing a bit. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Nevermind," he began pulling away but Erza tugged him back down.
"I do mind. Now finish what you were going to say."
"In the end we kiss and make up," he mumbled quickly, hoping she wouldn't catch his words. She did, though and to her extreme annoyance, she could feel her cheeks warming up as well.
"Well, we are going to be married in several months," she started, trying to be rational. "And then we'll be doing a lot more than kissing, anyway."
"Yeah, I guess so."
The silence was awkward, something that rarely happened with them. Jellal remained kneeling in front of her, her right hand and his left still intertwined and resting on her knee. But before either of them could make a move - though what the move would be was uncertain - the door banged open and Coco ran in, stopping in her tracks at the scene in front of her.
"Ahh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
But they were already pulling away from each other, Jellal taking his seat and Erza striding towards the door.
"I'll see you in the meeting," she said over her shoulder in lieu of a goodbye and then she was gone, the door closing behind her. Coco looked at Jellal sadly.
"Did I do anything wrong?"
"No," Jellal reassured the petite girl. "We were done, anyway." For now, he added to himself before focusing on his work again.