Erza Scarlet...
Her crimson hair fell in sleek waves, the color of old blood and unspoken promises. It framed a face too striking to be simply beautiful — there was an edge to her features, like a sword honed not just for battle, but for judgment. Her eyes, scarlet as her name, held both heat and restraint — embers that knew how not to burn unless they meant it.
She moved like discipline made flesh. Each footfall was calculated, a balance of grace and power that made the floorboards beneath her seem honored just to be touched. The clink of her armor was more than sound — it was a statement, a rhythm, a lover's heartbeat heard through steel.
Yet for all her formality, there was something else — barely perceptible, but there. A pressure beneath the surface, like silk drawn taut over a blade. A hunger perhaps, unspoken and controlled, but there all the same. It shimmered behind her eyes, hinted in the subtle shift of her jaw when she caught Jaxon's gaze.
Jaxon straightened at the counter, his usual calm smile playing at his lips.
"Now there's a woman who wears her strength like a second skin," he murmured under his breath.
...
The night air was cool, brushing over Erza's skin like a whispered memory. She stood on the balcony, far from the chaos of the guild, wrapped in a silken robe instead of armor, her scarlet hair loose and trailing in the breeze. The stars above blinked in quiet witness as the moonlight pooled at her feet, soft and silver.
She closed her eyes.
Jellal.
Erza sighed, opening her eyes. The longing hadn't dulled with time. It had grown more complicated, more dangerous.
Still, she stayed on that balcony a while longer. Because under the moonlight, with nothing but the breeze for company, it was easier to pretend he might come back.
And harder to forget how much of her still waited for him.
...
After a while, Erza finally snapped out of her melancholic state and went down the balcony. She decided to shake the sadness off and talk a long walk to clear her head.
The cobblestone streets shimmered faintly under the moon's silver gaze, quiet save for the rhythmic tap of Erza's footsteps. The city had settled into its nocturnal hush—windows shuttered, candles extinguished, taverns stilled. She walked without armor, without destination, guided only by the soft ache in her chest and the need to breathe air untouched by memories.
Her long red hair fell freely around her shoulders, catching the breeze like a flame dancing in slow motion. The cool night wrapped around her skin, brushing along the curve of her neck, her collarbone, the line of her back—inviting her to feel, not fight. The silence was not empty tonight; it was full of questions.
That's when she saw it.
A small structure stood at the end of an otherwise empty street, lit from within by a warm, golden glow. Its windows flickered gently, like lanterns beckoning her closer. The sign above the door read only: The All Purpose Shop.
Everything else was closed. This was the only door still open to her.
She hesitated at the threshold, her hand resting lightly on the frame. The wood beneath her palm was warm, almost pulsing. The shop exhaled the faint scent of tea, parchment, and something softer—like forgotten dreams or the hush between heartbeats.
As the only open shop at this time curiosity stirred within her.
She stepped inside.
The bell over the door chimed not like a ring, but like a whisper—low and melodic, as if recognizing her presence. The air was warmer here, cocooning her instantly, brushing against her bare shoulders with a softness that made her breath catch. Shelves lined the room, filled with curiosities that shimmered in and out of focus. Potions, weapons, memories in bottles. The furniture shifted subtly in the corner of her eye, adjusting themselves as if eager to please.
Then she saw him—behind the counter.
A tall man with calm eyes and a slow, understanding smile.
"Welcome," he said gently, as if he'd been expecting her all along. "You're just in time, I was just about to close the shop."
Jaxon stepped lightly from behind the counter, the soft soles of his boots making no sound on the wooden floor. The space responded to her presence — the fire in the hearth crackled a little brighter, and the scent in the air shifted to something warmer, spiced with sandalwood and something faintly floral, as though the shop itself were trying to guess what would comfort her.
He extended his hand, not to shake, but in quiet greeting. "Jaxon," he said again, his voice threaded with calm familiarity. "And you… you've walked through more than streets tonight, haven't you?"
Erza studied him. There was something timeless in the way he spoke, the way he stood, like a man carved from dusk and starlight. She didn't take his hand, but nodded instead — respectful, guarded.
"This shop," she said, her voice low and curious, "I've walked this town dozens of times. I've never seen it before. When was it built?"
Jaxon's smile deepened, not quite evasive — more like someone savoring a secret too precious to simply give away.
"That depends," he said, his fingers brushing lightly over a row of old tomes that hadn't been there a moment ago. "It's been here for years. Or days. Or maybe only since you started needing it."
Erza's brow furrowed. "That doesn't make sense."
"Doesn't it?" he replied, and there was something almost playful in his tone — but beneath it, a kind of solemnity, like the stillness between lightning and thunder. "Some places appear when they're meant to. When the heart is heavy enough to see doors it used to walk past."
She glanced around again. The shop pulsed with quiet life — not alive in the usual way, but aware. Furniture moved in slow, polite shifts, displays blinked in and out like they couldn't decide what might please her most. The warmth of the space wrapped around her like the memory of an embrace.
"And what exactly do you sell here?" she asked finally.
Jaxon looked at her for a long moment, then simply said with a smile, "What you need... and looking at you right now, I know what you exactly need."
_________
Hello, the full NSFW scene with Erza is already done in my p@treon.
You can read in advance here:
Patreon(.)com/Sp1ced
I'm still choosing for the next target vote