Amplified

Summary: For forty-eight hours, Gray is able to hear Juvia's thoughts, no thanks to a scheming, conniving, dubious witch.

Gray should have seen something like this coming. Okay, maybe he wouldn't have been able to see it coming, but he should have known better than to actually trust a stranger's words, especially those of a creepy, dubious witch he met in a deserted hut tucked in the corner of a forest while on a job.

He should never have drunk that potion as an added "reward" for his job. It could have been poison for all he knew.

"Gray-sama, what do you think of Juvia's new dress?"

"It's nothing compared to your beauty, Juvia. You're so gorgeous; I can't hold my feelings in any longer. Let's get married!"

Gray blanched. Maybe it would have been better if the potion actually was poison. It'd be better than listening to this for the next… forty-seven hours.

Of course, it'd be easier if the water mage would stop following him around and stay outside a radius of one kilometer around him just for a day. If she could manage that, then he wouldn't have to put up with this until the effects of the potion wore off.

"Gray-sama! Juvia has something to show you!" The ice mage feigned ignorance and focused his eyes on the glass of ice he had in his hands. His grip on it tightened when he felt two gentle fingers lightly tap his shoulder. He tried to ignore it, but then she tapped him again, this time with more urgency.

Stiffly, he turned around to see the water mage beaming at him.

"What is it?"

"J-Juvia was just wondering, what do you think of her new dress?" she asked, twirling to let him see the flowing sky blue summer dress that she was wearing. It was sleeveless, and had ruffles at the ends of the dress that fell at her mid-thigh, showing off a good amount of creamy, soft skin that he appreciated.

But that appreciation was quickly returned with a mental slap.

"It's not… bad," he said after a while, looking away.

The woman squealed, making him cringe and resist the urge to cover his ears. "You really think so? You think Juvia looks good in it?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Juvia is so happy!" She suddenly threw her arms around his neck, making him shriek in alarm when he found his face being smothered by her formidable assets. "With this, Juvia is one step closer to getting Gray-sama to fall in love with her, and then soon we'll be getting married!"

The man's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. Things escalated way too quickly in her fantastical world. He was about to push her away when she abruptly let go of him and bounded towards Erza who was sitting at a table with Lucy, much to his relief.

"You were right! Gray-sama said this dress looks nice on Juvia!" she exclaimed loudly, throwing her arms around Erza and Lucy at the same time in glee.

He sighed wearily, taking another gulp of iced water. But despite himself, he couldn't help but chuckle at her flushed face. Somehow, the littlest things could make her so happy. In that white dress, flashing that gorgeous, heavenly smile, she almost resembled an angel... An angel without wings, at that.

He quickly jerked himself out of his thoughts. What was he thinking?

"What should Juvia do to make Gray-sama fall in love with her? Maybe we should go on another job again? Hmm… Maybe if we fight together, Juvia can take off her shirt like Gray-sama does, but then Juvia will have to wear something sexier… Perhaps Lucy-san would have something to lend me…"

Honestly, Gray didn't know if he could really handle this for another forty-seven hours. Having Juvia constantly clinging to him was one thing, being able to hear every single thought she had of him was disturbing on a whole other level.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her coming towards him with stardust in her eyes and a grin hanging on her face.

In a flash, Gray was out of his seat and making a mad dash out of the guild.

Sleep. All he needed was some sleep so this nightmare would come to a quick end.

A cold shower was in order too; he needed to put a stop to his lewd imaginations of a topless Juvia now.

The next morning, Gray arrived in the guild with heavy bags under his eyes.

"What happened to you, Panda Eyes?" Natsu asked with a raised brow. "You look like you haven't slept a wink the whole night."

"Don't bother me," the ice mage replied gruffly. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, especially not Natsu. All he wanted to do was to punch a wall or find a secret place in the middle of a forest and get some sleep there, with no Juvia bothering him.

He had sorely underestimated the extent of Juvia's obsession with him. After hearing her rather… creative thoughts for the whole of last night, he had deduced that hanging outside his house from time to time had become a little hobby of hers for a while.

Gray tried to suppress the goose bumps threatening to appear on his forearms as his thoughts began to drift towards the previous night's events. Slapping himself on the cheek, he decided that a cold drink would help clear his head a little. Mirajane handed him a glass of ice, which he promptly poured over his head.

As the ice cubes rolled down his head and back, a relieving sensation filled him. Sighing, he placed the glass down on the table and looked up only to find Mirajane staring at him in bewilderment. "Is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

He waved it off. "It's nothing. I'll get over it."

"Alright then. Would you like another glass of that?"

"No thanks. I'm good."

Gray was about to get up and maybe look for a job or just take a walk when the hauntingly sweet voice appeared in his mind again.

"I wonder if Gray-sama is free to go with me today to visit them..?"

The dark-haired male froze, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He drew in deep breaths, determined not to let panic get the best of him. Juvia wasn't anywhere in sight, which meant she was probably on her way to the guild, so all he needed to do was leave before she came and saw him. He quickly bolted to the entrance of the guild, but just as he threw the double doors open, he barely stopped himself in time from knocking straight into Juvia.

The water mage stared at him in shock with wide, ocean blue eyes. "Gray-sama? Where are you going?"

"I uh, I have some things to do. See ya," he muttered before attempting to side step her and leave, but to his surprise, she held out her arm to stop him. "J-Juvia has something to ask Gray-sama…" she said softly as she stared at the ground, avoiding his gaze.

Gray raised his brow. Something was amiss with Juvia. Usually when she wanted to ask him out, she would come after him in big leaps and then cling onto his leg or arm to drag him outside and "look at the flowers" with her or "eat the cake Juvia baked" for him, not sound so… hesitant and unsure of herself.

"What's wrong?" he asked, furrowing his brows in concern. He didn't like seeing that pout on her lips and those downcast eyes that were supposed to be brimming with sunshine and warmth. It didn't suit her one bit.

"I-It's… um…" He watched as she chewed on her lip nervously. "J-Juvia is wondering if… Gray could come with her…"

"To do what?" Was this an invitation to some weird ball or party again? She had acted like this the last time she wanted to ask him out on a date, and it hadn't gone very well—he just wasn't the type to hang around at parties.

"N-Never mind, please forget what Juvia just said. Have a good day, Gray-sama!" She turned around quickly and headed back down the path. "Juvia shouldn't bother Gray-sama with such matters…"

"Juvia, wait." He reached out to grab her arm. "Is something wrong?"

"O-Oh, no, Juvia feels fine. Everything is wonderful," she responded with a smile plastered on her face, which did nothing to convince Gray otherwise.

He simply stared at her, hoping his silence would make her open up. However, she avoided his eyes and brushed his hand off. "Juvia doesn't want to let Gray-sama worry over a trivial thing. Juvia can handle it on her own."

"…Is that what you really feel?"

"Yes, yes it is. Juvia needs to go now. She will see you later."

Gray stared after her petite figure in concern. This wasn't like her at all. Straightforward Juvia could be annoying at times, yes, but when she was hesitant like that, it probably meant something big was happening. He stepped forward again, but stopped himself just as he was about to call out to her.

He let out a sigh as he watched her figure gradually diminish in size as she walked away. He couldn't get close to Juvia like that.

He just couldn't.

So many people had asked him if he had plans to bring their relationship one step closer, but something was just holding him back. It wasn't as if he didn't like her. Physically, she was certainly the most beautiful out of all the girls in Fairy Tail in his opinion. She was shy and modest with her dressing compared to the rest, which made her even more attractive to him.

And in terms of qualities, she was probably the fairest. Juvia was an innocent girl, quick to stand up for her friends when they were in trouble, even if it meant sacrificing herself. She always put others first, especially him. She was always quick to defend him, never faltering in her faith in him. Even if the whole world turned against him, she would still stay by his side. Heck, even if he became a villain who decided to betray Fairy Tail, she would still be there for him, and never stop believing in him. It was like she could only see the good in others, even in someone as messed up as him.

Maybe that was why he felt that he wasn't good enough for her. Juvia was too kind, too sweet to a fault, while he was a messed up asshole who got his loved ones killed over and over again. The people whom he came to love and cherish all somehow ended up vanishing before his eyes one way or another eventually, and he would never want that to happen to Juvia. The mere thought could send his heart plummeting and make him feel sick.

Perhaps a part of him was scared that he wouldn't be able to protect her when it really counted. That was why sometimes, he felt that Lyon could be a better match for her. Lyon was strong and brave, and he was very reliable when things got serious.

But then, every time he imagined the two of them living a happy life together, his fingers would curl into a tight fist and he would need to find the nearest thing to punch. He would never be able to accept it.

But then after that he would sober up and leave, because it wasn't his place to care anyway.

So that was exactly what he did: walk away from it all, like the coward he was.

'Just three more hours,' Gray thought idly to himself, as he stared into space with a glass of cold ice in his hands. He had just finished a long job—one long enough for him to not go to the guild in case he ran into Juvia. Fortunately, she wasn't around, and she didn't seem to be anywhere nearby.

While mostly relieved, a small part of him was slightly disappointed? It was probably because he was so used to Juvia's "home-coming" habits. According to Mirajane, she would usually be at the entrance of the guild on the day he was due to return, waiting for him with a gift in hand. And the moment she spotted him from afar, she would run all the way down to wherever he was just to give him a big hug that he would usually protest against, but end up accepting with secret joy. Occasionally, she would cry as if she hadn't seen him in ages if his job took a few more days than usual.

And with her greeting, no matter how tired he was after a job, he would feel re-energized immediately with her infectious laughter and radiant smiles.

'Her smile, huh…' He hadn't seen it today at all.

Was that why he was feeling emptier than usual? As if he was staying there just in case she showed up before the day ended?

The man let out a sigh. There was no point in thinking about all of that. It was impossible.

Deciding that it was time to leave, Gray placed his glass down and stood up.

Just then, Mirajane called him. "Gray?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen Juvia since you got back?" she asked, brows furrowed in concern.

He frowned. "No, I haven't. Why? Did something happen to her?"

"I'm just worried… Last evening she came to me asking me where you were, and I told her that you were away on a job. She looked pretty upset, so I asked her what happened, and she said that it would be her parents' death anniversary today. She wanted to give them sunflowers, but the florist in town was out of stock, so she asked me for help. I told her she could come by in the morning because I happen to have some at home, but it's already dark and she hasn't come by since."

Her parents? Juvia had never mentioned anything about her parents before. "I'll go look for her." Gray stood and was about to head off when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Please, take care of her Gray," Mirajane said. "She needs you most now."

The man looked her squarely in the eye, and then nodded. "I swear it."

Gray had gone to Fairy Hills, Magnolia Park, and had even gone back to his house to try his luck, but nothing. No sign of Juvia at all.

"Damn it, where are you, Juvia?" Gray pounded his fist against a wall, vexed that he had yet to find her. It had been two hours since he left the guild and yet there hadn't been a sign of her. What if something had happened to her? What if she had been attacked by a group of bandits? No, Juvia was a strong wizard. A bunch of bandits would never be able to take her down so easily.

Or maybe she had somehow landed herself in an empty well or in a pit trap? Or worse, what if she had been knocked unconscious by a ninja assassin and had been taken hostage-

'Get a hold of yourself, you idiot!' Gray raked his fingers through his hair, racking his brains to try thinking of someplace else Juvia might have gone. She wouldn't have gone to Lyon's; if anything she would have gone to his place first, but she hadn't been there.

"Where are you Juvia?" As the seconds ticked by, Gray could feel himself getting more and more frustrated with worry. He had to know if Juvia was safe.

If she wasn't… no, he didn't want to think about it. He wouldn't think about it. Juvia had to be okay.

"Gray-sama…"

Gray froze in his tracks. "Juvia? Juvia!" He shouted. No reply. That must have been her thoughts, then. Which also meant, she wasn't that far away.

For once in those forty-eight hours, Gray was immensely grateful for that potion. Immediately, he was off, following the heartbroken voice till he finally sighted a mop of blue hair by the river. Heaving a sigh of relief, he quickly made his way over. Thank goodness she was safe.

"Juvia, where have you been…" His voice died in his throat as he noticed that the girl was curled up and sobbing. So that was why she had sounded so upset in his head.

"Gray-sama…"

He balled his fists and he paused a few meters behind her. Should he go? Would he be of any help? What if she was crying because of him? Would he only make things worse? Besides, he was the last person anyone would want to turn to for comfort. He was terrible at it. He couldn't even comfort a kid who had just dropped his ice cream cone on the floor, let alone a sensitive woman like Juvia.

He turned back, ready to leave and run away once more, just like he always did.

But then he heard it: "If only you were here…"

"She needs you most now." Mirajane's voice rang clear in his head.

With a deep breath, Gray decided to shove all his hesitation and wariness aside. Juvia needed him, and he was right there. How could he be so selfish as to leave her alone right then? So slowly, he made his way to the water mage's side as quietly as he could and sat down next to her.

Sensing someone next to her, Juvia looked up, and upon noticing him, quickly turned her face away in shock. "W-Wasn't G-Gray-sama away on a job?"

"I finished it," he replied simply, struggling to find other words to say in this situation. "So… what about you? Where have you been all day?"

"Oh… Juvia was just walking around…"

A moment of silence passed, before Gray tried another tactic. "You, uh, you look good today in this dress. Did Lucy get it for you?"

"This is the dress Juvia always wears," she responded just as dully, but this time with the corners of her lips turned upwards. "Thank you."

"Um… No problem." No crazy grin or attempt to hug him? Not even any weird thoughts? Juvia was going through something serious.

They spent a bit of time in silence, both just staring straight ahead at the river and simply enjoying the serenity of their surroundings. Though it had been unnerving at first, with Gray trying his best to come up with better conversation starters that all ended up being rejected before he could say them, he noticed that Juvia seemed alright with the silence and so settled for just being there to accompany her.

The river was still, giving little help to provide some noise. The moon hung overhead, though the stars were nowhere in sight that night. The pearlescent glow of the moon illuminated Juvia's face only a little, and though he couldn't see much, he couldn't help but think that the glow on her face was ethereal, as if she were a supernatural being from above, untouchable, powerful, mighty, and yet at the same time, delicate, shielded, and maybe even lonely.

She gave a little sigh then, turning her head towards him. "Gray-sama? Shouldn't you go to rest? It's very late now."

"I could say the same about you," he replied. "You shouldn't be out so late."

She gave him a tiny smile in response. "Juvia was just enjoying the quiet night. It's beautiful out here, when there's no one around."

"Do you come here alone often when you're upset?"

"Juvia comes here often when she has nothing much to do."

"But, weren't you supposed to be visiting your parents?"

Stunned, Juvia jerked her head towards him. "H-How did…"

"Mirajane told me about it. And you've been acting pretty weird lately, so I got worried about you. We got worried about you," he corrected with a light cough.

"Juvia… Juvia is fine…" she muttered, just as her eyes began to glisten with tears once more.

"You can't possibly expect me to believe that when you were crying. Here." He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket.

Juvia stared at him, confused. "But Juvia will dirty Gray-sama's handker-"

Gray shushed her by leaning in and carefully drying her tears with it. With vague interest, he noted that her nose looked especially cute when it was red, and her eyes, though swollen, were practically glistening, like leaves with dew in the morning. He only realized that he had been staring when a small blush appeared on the woman's face and when she quietly thanked him.

"So, why were you crying?" he asked.

"Mom and Dad… they would be disappointed with me. I didn't dare to go," she replied with a shaky voice. "I'm such a coward."

"I can't bear to break our promise…"

"What promise?" Gray questioned, and immediately realized that he had said something off when Juvia's eyes widened in shock.

"Promise? H-How did you know?"

"Uh… let's just say… it's a guy's intuition," he fibbed, hoping she would believe him.

Thankfully, she did. "So… what kind of promise did you make with them?"

She looked uncertain, so he quickly added, "It's okay if it's too personal to share."

"No, Juvia has wanted to tell you for a while," she said, shaking her head. "It may sound silly to you, but Juvia and her parents made a promise, that when Juvia turns eighteen, she must bring the man she will spend the rest of her life with back home to see them."

The ice mage stared at her in surprise. "E-Eighteen? Isn't that a little young to know who you'll be spending the rest of your life with?"

"Juvia made that promise when she was five years old."

"Oh…" Then, why was she still taking it so seriously? But then again, this was Juvia he was talking about.

"And… J-Juvia wanted to bring… G-Gray-sama to see them…"

Stunned, Gray took a while to respond. "Juvia…"

"Juvia knows that… Gray-sama doesn't love her the way she loves him, that's why Juvia didn't dare to ask…"

Damn it, why couldn't he just tell her that it wasn't true? That he loved her, but didn't dare to? Then he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but was scared to? Juvia wasn't the coward, he was. And he would be damned if he didn't fix it today.

Juvia stared at him questioningly as he got to his feet. "Come on," he gestured for her to go with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, scrambling to her feet to follow after him.

"We're going to get those sunflowers."

Gray stared at the two headstones in silence while Juvia laid the flowers in front of them.

"Sorry Juvia took so long to see you. Juvia was afraid. But now, Juvia is not afraid anymore. And she had brought her… her friend, to see you. His name is Gray, and he is very special to Juvia, that's why she brought him to see you."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Lockser. I'm Gray, Gray Fullbuster," he greeted with a bow. "I'm Juvia's… friend." How strange that sounded. Their relationship certainly wasn't just at the level of a friend's, but it also wasn't anywhere close to being a couple.

It was simply… complicated.

"You know, Juvia, you never really told me much about them."

"It's been so long," she replied. "But Juvia was orphaned when she was ten, and then she was taken in by Lord Jose. They were killed by mountain bandits that day, which would never have happened if Juvia hadn't asked and pleaded for them to buy her a new toy. They would never have left if Juvia had just kept quiet and been content with the family she already had. If only… If only Juvia had…"

As she buried her face into her hands, Gray's heart sank all the way into the depths of the abyss that Juvia was probably in. Without hesitation he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly so she could cry against his chest. "I know… It's hard to forget when you feel like you're the cause of your loved one's death." He knew it all too well.

"But Juvia, this has nothing to do with you. The bandits are to blame, not you."

"But if Juvia hadn't-"

"If you hadn't asked for the toy, and if your parents hadn't gone out, those bandits would have killed someone else's parents. You were just the unlucky one."

"But-"

"They loved you, and they would want you to be happy. I want you to be happy. So just cry for now, and then move forward."

And that was just what Juvia did. She poured her emotions out into her beloved's arms under the covers of night, a small part of her also wishing that time would stop right there together with them.

"Sorry for making your shirt wet," the water mage said while sniveling.

Gray glanced down at the massive wet patch on the front of his shirt. No; his entire shirt was drenched. That was a first for him. Well, it figured, considering she was practically made of water.

"Feel better?"

"Yes, Juvia feels much better. Thank you for today, Gray-sama."

"No worries. Anyway, it's late. We should get you home to rest. It's been a long day for you."

He stood up to leave, but Juvia tugged on his sleeve to sit him down again. "What is it?"

"Juvia wants to know."

"Know? About what?"

"You sound like you have a lot of things on your mind as well. Why don't you talk to Juvia about it? Maybe Juvia can help?"

What was he supposed to tell her? That he had caused so many people around him to drop dead like flies? That he practically killed anything he touched? That he was too afraid to love her? That he wanted more than anything else in the world for her to be safe and for him to be with her?

Not a conversation for the day.

"G-Gray-sama, what do you mean by that?"

The man looked to her, puzzled by her shocked expression. "What?"

"Juvia heard it. All of it."

"Heard what?"

"Gray-sama's thoughts."

"…You what?"

"It was not on purpose!"

"Why can you hear my thoughts?!" Oh, this could not be happening to him.

"On my way to the river, Juvia met an old lady who gave me a potion. Juvia only drank it after she stopped crying because she was thirsty."

"Oh fu-" Stopping just before he could curse out loud in front of her, he let out a defeated sigh and lay down. "Well then, what do you want to know?"

"Juvia wants to know… Does… Does Gray-sama l-love… Juvia?"

"It's complicated."

"No, it isn't. Gray-sama is simply bothered by the same things he told her. Gray-sama isn't responsible for the deaths of Ul-san, Ultear-san or your parents. You're responsible for nothing, only for wrongfully blaming yourself all this time."

He could only scoff in response. "They all died because of me. Somehow, no matter what I do, I only hurt the people I care about. I lose them all. Don't try to convince me that it's not my fault. I failed them."

"Juvia thinks Gray-sama is wrong." The sudden fierceness in her tone caught Gray's attention, but before he could react to anything, Juvia was suddenly straddling him and pinning him down to the floor. "Gray-sama is hurting, when all they have tried to do is to protect you. They wouldn't want you to feel this way; they would want to be happy, to live a wonderful life. That's why they made that sacrifice. It's because they love you."

"Then maybe it's better if they don't, because then they'd be alive."

"…Do you think the same way about Juvia too?" A tear fell onto his cheek and he stared up into the wondrously sky blue eyes of the woman's. She was actually… crying for him? "Does Gray-sama think that Juvia shouldn't love you?"

"…Yes. So stop trying, Juvia. I wouldn't be able to take it if something ever happens to you because of me."

"And now something is happening to you, which I can't bear to see any longer."

Her words began to fill up a void that had somehow formed in his heart, and he felt tears begin to gather in the back of his eyes. "Juvia. Please don't do this."

"No, Juvia must. Juvia cannot stand to see Gray suffering any longer."

"You don't get it, do you?" His voice rose by a few decibels, stunning the woman into silence. "All I've ever done, is watch the people around me die, one by one, and I couldn't do anything about it. Sometimes I wish I were the one dying instead. Maybe then I wouldn't have to go through all of this."

Smack.

Gray's eyes widened at the burning sting on his left cheek. "If Gray-sama ever dies, Juvia will die too!" With hands of both of his cheeks, Juvia yanked his head towards her. "Juvia loves Gray-sama, and Juvia would die to-"

"Don't you ever say that again," he growled, clamping a hand over her mouth as he sat up abruptly.

"Then don't ever say that you would rather die than live. All of them died, so that you could live. If you die, whatever they did would be for nothing. All of it. And Juvia would never be able to take it." Finally unable to hold it in, she pulled Gray into a tight hug as she sobbed, as if afraid that he would disappear at any moment.

"You don't understand…" Gray murmured with trembling lips. "I just want to protect you…"

"We will both protect each other, Gray-sama, because Juvia loves you."

That was all he needed to hear for the first tear to fall.

Gray and Juvia woke up when the first rays of the morning sun hit them. They had slept next to each other, hand in hand, both exhausted by the previous night's emotional tirade.

"Good morning, Gray-sama," the woman grinned widely, lightly squeezing his hands. It was obvious she was trying hard to hold back a loud squeal, and he chuckled at the efforts she made.

Her hair was slightly messy, and her face was puffy from all the crying the night before. But despite all that, she could somehow still manage to transfix him with her beauty. Subconsciously, he reached a hand over to cup her face, almost as if he didn't believe that this was real.

"Good morning to you too, Juvia," he smiled, noticing her blush as she leaned into his palm. Then, her eyes darted towards the sunrise in front of them. "The sunrise is so beautiful!" she gushed, sitting up in a flash.

Gray couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness. It's just the sunrise, Juvia."

"It's not just a sunrise," she protested. "It's the first sunrise we're seeing together!"

He winced as her high-pitched squeal nearly shattered his eardrums, but he chuckled at the sight of her face that was glowing in the sun's rays. Or perhaps it was the sun that was glowing in hers.

With a sudden wave of boldness, Gray leaned in to give her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Juvia," he whispered in her ear.

Dramatically, she shied away from him with her eyes as wide as saucers and her face as red as a tomato. "G-G-G-G-Gray-sama! C-C-C-C-C-Could you say that again?"

Gray grinned. "I love you-"

Juvia tackled him to the floor before he could even finish his sentence, grinning so widely Gray wondered if her face would cramp up from it. "Juvia loves you very much too!" she chanted over and over, squeezing him as hard as she possibly could.

"Yeah, okay, I get it, Juvia. Now let go."

"Ah! Juvia is sorry!" She loosened her hold on him, but remained just as elated.

"Just don't expect me to do romantic stunts and whatever it is you dream about-"

"It's okay, Juvia loves Gray-sama no matter what!"

Gray chuckled, propping himself up on his elbows and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Maybe eighteen was too young for them to know if they would stay together for life… but it was a good place to start this journey together.

And looking back now, he had to admit, he had to thank that scheming, conniving and dubious witch after all.

"What are you doing in that get-up, Mira?" Laxus asked with his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Nothing much," she smirked. "I just thought it would be fun to play dress-up for a while."

"Something more attractive would have been nice," he muttered. "Why an old hag?"

"It was actually just an experiment to see if I could project how I would look if I were the same age as the Master. As it turns out, it's also a nifty way to get people to trust me," she grinned devilishly.

Laxus kept silent for a moment. There were only two things that could make Mirajane this happy: one, was if Elfman was finally dating Evergreen, which wasn't the case… which meant it had to be that she had finally managed to successfully match-make yet another couple in the guild.

Maybe that would explain why Juvia and Gray had come into the guild that morning with their hands interlocked, talking about some potion that an old hag had given them started all of it.

"…You are one hell of a demon, Mirajane."

A/N: Gotta love Mirajane and her little sneaky tricks. Really happy to have finally published this. I had this little idea in my head since February, but just didn't know how I could go about this. Hope this was decent, though I didn't plan for this one-shot to be so long lol.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!