{ERZA'S POV}
Being on the student council is a lot of work. All the meetings and planning school events and paperwork. Lots of paperwork.

"Let me help." Jellal offers.

"Tempting, but no. This is my job so I have to be the one to do it." That's the responsibility that comes with the reward of being selected as the head of the prestigious student council.

"You're going to get carpal tunnel." He watches me sign paper after paper, skimming each one to see exactly what they need my signature for. "You're working yourself too hard."

True, it's been a day since I last ate, and even longer since I've slept. At this rate, it might negatively affect my schoolwork.

I set down my pen and massage my hand. It's beginning to cramp.

Jellal eyes me worriedly. "You should go see the school nurse. Porlyusica may be a grouch but she's good at her job."

Perhaps Jellal is right. I might even be able to take a short nap on one of the beds in the health office. I stand and immediately feel woozy.

I tilt to the side and Jellal is there, supporting me. I lean heavily on him, feeling lightheaded.

Jellal puts a hand on each of our heads and compares our temperatures. "You're burning up!"

Without another word, Jellal sweeps me off of my feet and carrries me princess style to Porlyusica's office. Students gape at us in the halls. My face feels hot, not because of the fever.

Jellal is typically pretty laid back, but there's no doubt that he becomes strong and assertive when he needs to be.

Porlyusica scolds me after doing her checkup. "Why would you not come sooner? Why would you come to school at all in this condition?"

"There's a student council meeting—"

"I'll go in your place." Jellal offers. Despite Porlyusica giving him the stink eye, he insisted on staying during my checkup.

I think about protesting, but it's two against one. I sigh reluctantly and allow them to push me into one of the empty beds.

I hand off all my papers to Jellal, telling him what I had planned to do.

"I got it. I know." He tries to stop me from worrying, but I can't help it. I have trust issues when leaving my work to someone else. I always feel better when I do it myself, and then I have nobody else to blame when things go wrong.

"Sleep." Porlyusica orders, then draws the curtains shut. I lie back and try to close my eyes.

When I open them again, sunlight is streaming from a strange direction through the window. The sun is too low in the sky.

The hour hand on the wall clock is pointing at the six. I gasp and sit straight up. I admit to pulling a few all-nighters, but I didn't think I was this tired!

I had all of homework done, but I groan when I think of the mountain of paperwork that awaits me in the student council office.

Our school values all our clubs and extracurricular activities so we have over 110. Unfortunately, that means answering all the club requests and balancing the budget is a nightmare.

I burst into the student council office and stop short. Jellal is sitting at the desk, reading glasses in place. My usually chaotic desk is all neat and tidy. There's a neatly printed copy of today's meeting minutes so I don't miss anything.

It seems he did more than what I thought he would. In fact, it looks like Jellal caught up on all the things I was behind on.

I feel a swell of gratitude.

Jellal notices me and runs to see if I'm better now. "You were sleeping hard. Porlyusica told me just to leave you be."

"Thanks to you, my schedule is a lot freer now. Want to sneak into the school kitchen and grab some cereal?" I ask.

Jellal laughs. "Aren't you supposed to be a role model for the student body?"

My stomach growls. "Food is more important. I'll just be a role model in what not to do."

"Touché." He concedes.

It's true, being on the student council is a lot of work. But it's not so bad when you have company.