Jaxon tilted his head slightly, eyes studying her with that peculiar, patient stillness. The quiet in the shop deepened, as though the world outside had slipped even further away.
"You carry it heavily," he said softly.
Erza turned toward him, her expression unreadable. "Carry what?"
He gestured loosely—not at her heart, but near it. "Longing. That ache that tucks itself just behind your ribs. You mask it well, but it flickers in your eyes like candlelight in a storm."
She didn't answer, but she didn't deny it either.
Jaxon walked slowly to one of the shelves, running a hand across several curious items until his fingers stopped on a sleek, dark case. He opened it gently and withdrew a delicate blindfold, its fabric shimmering like midnight silk, threaded with silver runes that pulsed faintly as if remembering a heartbeat.
He returned to her, holding it with reverence in both hands. "This is for those haunted by what they've lost… or what they wish they could touch again."
Erza narrowed her eyes slightly. "A blindfold?"
"A magical one," he said, with a flicker of that sly, knowing smile. "Not to blind you… but to show you. Whoever it is—whoever lives at the root of that ache—I can let you see them. Feel them. For a time."
He stepped just a little closer, offering it palm-up. "You wear this, and the world around you bends to your desire. It won't change what is, but it may help you understand what still lingers."
Erza looked at the blindfold, then back at him. She hesitated only for a breath before slipping the blindfold over her eyes. The fabric was soft, impossibly smooth, and the moment it touched her skin, the shop fell utterly silent.
Yet… her vision wasn't blocked.
She opened her eyes beneath the blindfold to find herself standing alone in a vast, shadowed space. The All Purpose Shop had vanished, replaced by a dark room that felt more like a memory than a place. There were no walls, no ceiling—only an endless dusk, warm and still.
Then came the light.
A single beam from nowhere, gentle and golden, illuminating her like moonlight on water. She stood in the center of the glow, her robe rustling faintly around her legs, her breathing quiet but sharp.
Across the dark, someone stepped into view.
At first, it was Jaxon. His calm presence lingered in the way he carried himself—the tilt of his shoulders, the quiet surety in his movements. But as he neared, the shadows shifted over him like water, reshaping Jaxon's form into someone extremely familiar.
Blue hair. That smile. Those tattoed eyes.
Jellal.
Her breath caught. The air around her trembled. It wasn't him… and yet, the illusion was perfect. More than illusion. It was a memory brought to life by longing—her longing, sharpened by pain, softened by time.
"Erza," the figure said, his voice warm and rough with old emotion.
She didn't move. She wasn't sure she could.
From the darkness beyond, the world waited. But in that moment, it was only her… and the echo of the one she could never quite stop loving.
Jaxon transformed as Jellal, touched her cheek with a tenderness she hadn't felt in years. The fabric of the blindfold grew warm, the silver runes pulsing in time with the sudden racing of her heart. Her skin tingled where his thumb brushed lightly, a phantom whisper of a touch she had once known so intimately. Erza closed her eyes, leaning into the memory, the warmth spreading through her like a gentle embrace.
She slowly lost herself in the moment.
Guiding her by the elbow, he led her to a chair that hadn't been in the room a moment ago.
"Close your eyes," he said as Jellal, his voice a gentle command.
As Erza complied, she felt the weight of his hands on her shoulders, the warmth of his breath on her neck, and the tender caress of his lips. His touch was feather-light, but it sent shockwaves of sensation through her, reawakening a hunger that had long since gone dormant. She could feel the heat of him, his presence enveloping her like a second skin, as he moved behind her. The world outside the blindfold had ceased to exist, and in its place was a memory so vivid, so real, it could only be magic.
His hands began to move in gentle, soothing circles over her taut muscles, kneading away the tension that had made its home there. The sensation was like a balm to her soul, a promise of peace amidst the tumult.
"You've fought so hard, Erza. But even the strongest need to rest."
Her eyes remained shut, the warmth of his touch seeping into her. She hadn't realized how much she missed this—his care, his voice, the way he knew exactly how to ease her pain. It was as though he could see the invisible scars that marred her soul, the ones she had tried so hard to hide from everyone else. The room was suffused with the scent of him, a scent that she hadn't allowed herself to remember for fear that it would consume her.
"Jellal," she murmured, his name a prayer on her lips.
He leaned over, his breath a warm caress on her neck, and whispered, "I missed you, Erza."
The words hit her like a tidal wave, crashing into the fortress she had built around her heart. The dam she had so carefully constructed began to crack, and she felt the floodgates open. Erza's chest tightened with a mix of joy and anguish. It was a sweet torment, this touch of a ghost from her past, this voice that echoed through the halls of her most cherished memories.
As if reading her mind, the figure leaned closer, his teeth grazed her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. He bit gently, a playful nip that made her gasp. Then, his warm tongue traced the delicate line of her neck, the sensation making her pulse quicken. She could feel the phantom touch, a whisper of sensation that seemed to dance on her skin. Her body responded instinctively, leaning back into the embrace she had longed for, craving the comfort she thought she had lost.
The room grew warmer, the air thick with anticipation. Erza felt the fabric of the blindfold tighten around her eyes, the silver runes pulsing with a more urgent rhythm. She didn't question the magic. All she knew was that she was lost in it—lost in him.
Jellal's touch grew more deliberate, his hands moving down her arms and across her body, leaving a trail of heat.
Her closed eyes amplified the feeling his sensual touches.
Erza's breath grew shallow, and she felt herself sinking into the chair, the reality of the shop forgotten. Her heart hammered beneath her ribs, echoing in the vast emptiness around them. The only sounds were their breaths and the distant whispers of a long-forgotten melody that seemed to resonate through the air. Each caress was a ghostly echo of what she had once known, a gentle reminder of the love that had shaped her.
The phantom touch grew bolder, and she felt a tremble run through her body as his hands found their way to the tie of her robe. Her eyes remained closed, her mind a whirlwind of sensation and memory. The darkness was a cocoon, a sanctuary where she could let go of the world and revel in this illusion of closeness.
_________
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