A/N:- My first fanfic, please be kind, reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy~~
Disclaimer:- I don't own Fairy Tail.
The familiar buzz of chatter filled the ears of a blue haired water mage as she walked through the great wooden doors to the famous guild of Magnolia, known throughout the country of Fiore: Fairy Tail. As she made her way across the packed hall to the counter, passing by the busy tables, filled with her guild mates, who were talking happily, drinking, laughing, being their usual noisy and wild selves.
As always, her eyes wandered through the entire guild looking for a certain black haired man, looking past the bar where Cana, Macao and Wakaba were drinking, past the request board where Nab and Laki were standing discussing , past the guild stores where Max was chatting animatedly with two pretty guild members, sadly not finding him, she reached the counter and took a seat nearest to the where the beautiful guild member/barmaid Mirajane was wiping a glass humming softly.
Juvia sighed as she took off her usual dark blue colored hat and placed it on the counter before bending over and covering her face with her arms, catching the attention of the white haired barmaid.
"Is something bothering you Juvia?" Mirajane asked in her soft and soothing voice. Juvia looked up into the beautiful pools of blue of Mirajane's eyes as she voiced her thoughts.
"Did Gray-sama ever fall for you Mirajane-san?"
Mirajane paused, clearly taken aback by her sudden and rather strange question, soon understanding filled her warm eyes, and she gave the blue haired mage a knowing smile.
"No Juvia, he never did". Juvia did not seem fazed by the answer, why would she? she wasn't expecting a 'yes', if Gray had a thing for beautiful women, he would have fallen for Mirajane a long time ago, and if he couldn't, no, WOULDN'T fall for Mirajane, what pitifully small chance did she herself have of making the drop-dead-gorgeous ice mage fall in love with her?
Once again, Juvia sighed, before burrowing her face in her arms again, feeling the familiar gentle sting of tears at the corner of her eyes. Mirajane smiled sadly knowing exactly what was troubling the young mage, and how hopelessly futile all her efforts had been to get the attention of the young ice mage. She put down the glass and the rag she was wiping it with and was about to offer some kind words of consolation and encouragement, when a familiar yell grabbed the attention of both young women. Mirajane looked in the direction of the voice while Juvia slowly lifted her head off her arms, her eyes now red and watery.
Walking towards them with her usual bright-as-sunshine smile was Lucy Heartphillia, and holding her hand walking beside her was her equally happy blunette best friend Levy McGarden, both made their way across the hall, dodging past the bustling people till they reached the counter.
"Mira, Juvia how are you today?" asked Lucy with a big smile taking a seat beside Juvia while Levy took the one on Juvia's other side.
"I'm well thank you for asking' smiled Mirajane, whereas Juvia gave yet another sad sigh before going back to sulking again, causing both Lucy and Levy to look at Mirajane in confusion, until she gave them a sad smile that meant 'you-know-whats-troubling-her' and both the girls understood.
Slowly a smile crept on Lucy's face as she looked at Juvia, causing Mirajane to look at her puzzled, as she opened her mouth to ask Lucy about why she was smiling when their friend was so down, when Levy took her hand. Mirajane looked at the blunette in surprise, and saw her mouth the words 'watch' with a huge smile. Curious Mirajane returned her gaze to the blonde girl as she slipped her hand in her purse and put the other gently on the blue mage's shoulder.
"Juvia, I have something for you" she smiled. The addressed girl lifted her head off her arms, looking with her tearful eyes at the beautiful blonde in wonder.
What could her love-rival possibly have for her?
"Ju-Juvia's love-rival bought her something?" asked Juvia, causing Lucy to animatedly sweatdrop at her response, while Mirajane and Levy giggled.
"J-Juvia, for the thousandth time, I'm not your love-rival" laughed Lucy nervously "Anyway, this is for you" she finished with flourish, pulling out something small and long from her purse and gently pushing it in Juvia's hand. Curious, Juvia looked quickly at the 'gift' from her blonde friend.
It was a small cylindrical bottle of a very pretty color of pink, with a print on the front saying, 'Miss Magnolia Lipgloss'. Juvia looked up at Lucy with a slightly open mouth, "Well?" asked Lucy with a broad smile, "Do you like it?". Juvia was speechless.
"Juvia, do you not like the color?" asked Mirajane looking worriedly at the blunettes face. Juvia looked at her with wide eyes, and frantically shook her head before turning look at Lucy, with her cheeks flushed.
"L-Lucy-san, Juvia feels very grateful, and really likes the gift Lucy-san bought her" she said breathlessly, before Lucy could open her mouth Juvia interrupted her, "but Juvia is still not giving up Gray-sama for this gift."
Lucy's jaw dropped open in shock, as Levy and Mirajane burst out giggling at the very 'Juvia-ish' statement.
"J-Juvia, it wasn't to get Gray at all, didn't I tell you before? I don't love him" Lucy spluttered indignantly, while Juvia remaining unconvinced still looked at Lucy with the fiery eyes full of burning spirit to win her love.
"Lucy-san might be really pretty, but Juvia will not give up, Juvia shall make herself beautiful too, more than Lucy-san so that Gray-sama will fall in love with her" she proclaimed childishly, to which Mirajane and Levy giggled even more, and Lucy sweat-dropped yet again.
"Well do you best Juvia, I'm sure Gray will really like that gloss on you" said Lucy, "I have to go now, Natsu is waiting for me." With that Lucy hurried away waving to her three friends. After the blonde's retreating back was no longer visible, Mirajane and Levy quickly turned to look at Juvia with huge smiles plastered on their faces. Juvia jumped alarmed, clutching the bottle of lip gloss to her chest protectively, as if they'd snatch it away from her.
"So when is our young love-struck lady going to try her newest card at winning the heart of the amazing Gray-san" said Levy with wink. Juvia looked at the bottle in her hand, and back to her friends. "Do you think it will work? Will Gray-sama like Juvia's new look?" asked the young mage now wondering what would be the possible outcome of her, as Levy put it 'Newest card at winning Gray-san's heart'. Mirajane gently patted the troubled mage's shoulder and smiled "I don't see how it won't work, you already have a beautiful face, I'm sure you'll look like and angel with that on".
Feeling more confident Juvia smiled, "Thank you Mirajane-san, Levy-san". Levy grinned "Go get him girl". Juvia nodded and turned around and took off happily, eyes already searching frantically through the jovial crowd of Fairy Tail for her beloved. Levy turned to Mirajane with a small smile "Do you really think it'll work?", Mirajane replied with an equally glum smile "I don't know, Gray really is missing something amazing, if he could just see how much he means to her". Levy looked back to see the blunette now at the guild gates looking outside, probably having had spotted her beloved ice mage.
"Let's keep our fingers crossed." said Levy, her heart going out to the poor love-struck mage.
Juvia felt as if a hundred snakes were writing in her stomach, her heartbeat racing at an inhumane pace, and her breath coming in short gasps, her whole face heating up, as she gazed upon the lovingly familiar form of the man she was so in love with. The pleasantly warm feeling deepened as she saw him turn around and walk towards the guild talking to someone Juvia neither knew nor cared to know.
As he turned him attention away from the person, and now towards the guild, Juvia squealed before springing back into the hall, her heart thumping wildly. It was now or never. She hurriedly made her way, into one of the store rooms in one corner of the guild, and wondered for a split second why she wasn't in the women's washroom, before something caught her eye, and was convinced that a restroom wasn't necessary as she already found what she was looking for.
A small, broken and dirty but nevertheless, a mirror, hung on the grimy wooden wall of the small room filled with loads of sacks containing something or the other. The tiny room was bathed in the weak golden light cast around by a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling. As she closed the door behind her, the loud buzz of chatter from outside the room was muffled.
She hurried up to the mirror, and tentatively pulled out the small bottle of pink treasure from her dress pocket, that would decide the fate of her love today. Slowly, as if the slightest mistake might break the bottle, she unscrewed the cap, and pulled out the long white handle with a sponge like brush on the end, sticking to which was a sweet smelling goo of the most lovely shade of pink Juvia had ever seen .It was pale, but not enough to look transparent on the lips, and had a very glossy tint, and the most wonderful strawberry-like scent. Juvia closed her eyes inhaling the sweet smell of the pink goodness.
A loud, but muffled yell from the outside snapped her back to reality, and she looked back at the sweet goo sitting on the end of the brush just waiting to touch her lips. Juvia took a deep breath and looked into the mirror. "Please let this work, please like me with this Gray-sama!".
Very, very slowly and carefully Juvia touched the end of the brush and felt the cool semi-liquid stick to her lips, as a warm feeling of anxiety spread through her body. With her tensed and slightly trembling fingers she spread the gloss evenly over her lips, getting the whiff of the sweet smell, and getting yet another shot of adrenalin spreading through her body. Slowly, very slowly she spread and spread the gloss, until every bit of her small pouty lips were covered in the sweet smelling treasure. And almost for a second Juvia thought her heart might stop.
She had a beautiful face, everyone knew that, but she didn't. She never thought about how pretty she might be, or how she would look with make up on, as she had so many times seen women around her, woo-ing men with their gorgeous looks, faces emblazoned with make-up, enhancing their beauty. She always knew it, always saw it, but never once did she think of how she herself might look with one of those breathtakingly hot lipsticks on her own lips. Not until now.
Juvia was stunned, never had she known that she herself could look so different, so beautiful, with just a bit of lip gloss. She never knew, why didn't she try it before? How high would her chances to grab the attention of her beloved Gray-sama have been? She would know now.
She stepped back from the small mirror to admire her from a distance, and once again liked what she saw. Her uniquely colored hair and almond shaped eyes whose color almost seemed to be made to go with that of her hair, suddenly stood out on her very pale face in contrast to the very shiny and delicate rosy hue of her lips. Yes, the lip gloss suited her face perfectly. For the first time, after a long while, she felt very confident about herself and her abilities, she felt that no matter what, Gray would never look past this new face of Juvia Loxer.
She smiled happily to her reflection before turning around to go out of the door to her beloved Gray-sama who was just waiting to fall in love with her. When the door to the store room opened and she found herself face-to-face with….
"G-G-G-Gray-sama!" Juvia almost shrieked, he heart thumping so hard, it threatened to burst out of her ribcage. What was he doing here? This was already going wrong, she wasn't ready.
"Oh hi Juvia" said Gray walking past her and dumping the huge sack that he had bought in carrying on his shoulder, without turning around to face her he said "What are you doing here?".
Taken aback, and clearly terrified of passing this chance, or worse ruining it, Juvia struggled to look for the right words. "J-Juvia was just-just, looking around" she finished lamely.
Gray turned around to face her with a frown on his face "Looking around? In a store room?". The look of ridicule on his face almost made her heart stop, until he shrugged and turned around.
"Weird" he muttred "Well enjoy yourself...looking around" with a snicker he turned to go out when Juvia out of total panic and desperation sprang forward and grabbed his wrist.
Gray turned around to look at her alarmed. "What?" he demanded.
What indeed? Why did she grab him like that so suddenly? What had she in mind? She herself did not know. The only thing she did know. She was not going to give up this chance.
"G-Gray-sama" Juvia spoke softly, tilting her face slightly upwards to that her face came in clear view of his vision, and he got a good look at her face. Every inch of it. "Gray-sama, will you help Juvia with a quest?" said Juvia her blush deepening, and heart thumping soundly, looking at his handsome face, and falling head-over-heels in love with him for the nth time, slowly moving a little closer she could feel the heat emanating from his body, and felt her own body temprature rise. As she saw his onyx eyes move slowly from her deep blue ones, and slowly down to her lips, she heart skipped a beat, he noticed.
Indeed he noticed the change, he didn't say anything. Juvia could feel cold sweat on her neck, her ears heated up, but she wouldn't give up and run away, she clutched the small bottle in her hand tightly, as if it could give her some moral support. The very thing responsible for her being in this very situation. Waiting, just waiting for him speak and decide her fate.
Gray opened his mouth slightly, his eyes still on her lips. Juvia took a sharp intake of breath, her heart beating irregularly now, her hand gripping the bottle so tight it could have cracked.
"Pffffftttt" Gray turned around and snorted with laughter. Juvia froze, clearly in a brain-lock. What the hell happen to make him laugh?
Gray turned back to her still snickering, "W-What?" mumbled Juvia, embarrassed. The bottle in her hand gaining a few tiny cracks.
"It's okay Juvia, if you like something, you don't have to pretend" he smiled amusement dancing in his eyes. Now Juvia was completely confused. "What do you mean Gray-sama?" she squeaked.
"You don't have to act all womanly and cute even if you have a wild side you know" he said. "What wild side?" Juvia croaked.
"The side of you that loves to eat oily food" he said with an evil smirk. Juvia's jaw nearly hit the floor. Oily food? Is that what he made of the shiny, pink and cute lips?
"Well see you later" said Gray turning away and heading back to the door leaving a stunned Juvia. And as the door closed behind him, the bottle in her hand shattered along with her heart.