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Jellal always made an effort to wake before the rest of the guild. He felt a sense of responsibility as the appointed guild master, so tried as best as he could to provide food and warmth even under the most trying of circumstances.
It had gotten easier since he had been with Erik. Jellal didn’t know what label fit them best; as fugitives they certainly couldn’t date , but he knew in his heart that it was more than just sex. ‘Boyfriends’ sounded childish and ‘partners’ too serious. He hated how complicated everything had to be. Was it not enough to simply exist in the arms of the person you cared about? Jellal thought it was. All he could do now was hope that Erik felt the same.
He dressed slowly, careful not to cause a commotion in the tent, much too small for two people. Any noise would disturb the others, and that would make the entire process futile. With an irritated sigh Jellal tried to locate his shirt, and Erik handed it to him with a smirk, being the reason that it was on the floor and not on his body in the first place. Jellal snatched it back, heat spreading across his cheeks, and tugged it over his head. The mornings were milder now, so he didn’t bother adding many more layers before zipping open the tent and stepping into the blinking sunlight of spring.
Erik followed moments later, stretching out his limbs, his one good eye closing as he yawned. His shirt was mostly unbuttoned, hair messy, and Jellal couldn’t help but stare. Beauty was not a quality he had ever seen in a man until he met Erik, and Jellal saw it again then, shining as clear as the sun overhead. Jellal wanted to kiss him, was already leaning in to do so, when laughter forced them apart.
“So you’re sharing a tent now too?” Sorano grinned, emerging from the bushes with Meredy in tow. Jellal was about to question their own integrity when he spotted the firewood they clutched to their chests and kept his mouth shut. He expected Erik to do the same, but the other man threw his arm over Jellal’s shoulders as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
“So what if we are?”
Jellal felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. They hadn’t spoken to the rest of the guild about the nature of their relationship yet - mostly because Jellal himself didn’t even know what it was - but all of his fears dissipated in that moment. His hand found Erik’s and he squeezed gently before moving away to start on the fire.
He heard Erik and Sorano bicker behind him, but that wasn’t anything unusual for them, so he tuned it out. Meredy dropped the fire wood by his feet, eyes wide and playful, and mouthed ‘later’. Jellal nodded sheepishly. He regretted not telling Meredy sooner, but the confirmation from Erik made Jellal more confident in where their relationship was headed, and that was enough to carry him through the morning until the rest of the guild stirred and Meredy dragged him away, demanding answers he now felt secure enough to give.