"Juvia, please help me, I can't decide on which colour and Cana's not helping whatsoever."
"Just a second. Juvia's still getting changed," she replied as she studied herself in the full length mirror. She huffed, unsatisfied by her reflection. Juvia hated bikini shopping, seeing as she would rather cover up than strip down, and the outfits she tried on only made her look pale and washed out.
"You should wear this one!" Cana cheered.
There was a rustling sound before Juvia heard Lucy shout, "That's entirely inappropriate!"
"Live a little! What's the harm in showing a bit of skin?"
"I would never wear something like that! And where's the bottom half?"
"Right here!"
"That's the bottom?!"
"You would totally rock this bathing suit!"
"Juvia!" Lucy whined.
"You're right, Lucy!" Cana squealed, "Juvia would look good in this, too!"
"No!" Juvia shouted instantly as she covered her body, despite the curtain shielding her from the prying eyes of the brunette waiting on the opposite side.
"Don't listen to her, Juvia; Lucy's taste is a bit modest compared to mine. You'll rock this bikini."
Juvia laughed uneasily as she unfastened the string behind her back, "Cana-san's seen what Juvia wears and still considers Lucy's clothing modest?"
"I think you just insulted me…" Lucy mumbled.
"It's the slit along your long skirts that make your outfits more risqué," Cana continued. "It's why boys trail you at parties, Juvia. You've got this whole… nice, innocent teacher thing going on that guys love. You'd be the kind of teach who'd do anything for her students but would totally blow the principle under his desk during a conference."
Juvia almost passed out in the dressing rom. "Wh-wha-what? Oh… I—what?!"
She could hear Lucy scolding Cana behind the curtains, but the brunette's voice overruled the blondes. "I'm totally not the only person who thinks it either. Erza came up with that analogy."
Juvia's face paled and she peeked through the curtains, holding her clothes to her chest in case Cana decided to barge in. "Erza-san? She thought of that?"
The brunette chuckled wholeheartedly as she leaned forward, propping her hands on her knees while her cheeky grin only widened at seeing Lucy's look of disapproval. "You know what she's like. Erza's story was very explicit."
Juvia's jaw slackened. Juvia knew all too well what made Erza's mind tick – both girls had a mutual love for erotic novels. To Juvia it was a shared a secret she'd carry to her grave, unlike Erza, who would freely discuss erotic novels during the course of dinner. Many times Erza would randomly message Juvia her own exotic fantasies, public teasing and teacher fantasies included, so it came to no surprise Erza would expand on the idea.
"Do Juvia's clothes really give off that impression?"
"Of course not—" Lucy began but was cut off.
"Levy said she could totally see it," Cana snickered mischievously, "Evergreen and Bixslow, too. Freed blushed and cursed at us, so he thinks so as well."
Juvia was unable to speak, completely flushed and flabbergasted by these provocative theories her friends, and people she looked up to, put forward. Well, at least theycould see her partaking in something so promiscuously scandalous, unlike somebody else she knew.
At least you still have sex appeal,she thought to herself, that's got to be something?
"Leave her alone," Lucy scolded. "I don't think Juvia can handle so much."
"This wouldn't be so bad if Juvia wasn't studying to be a teacher," Juvia sighed, "Who would employ somebody who gives that impression?"
"You're totally looking at this the wrong way," she waved a hand and leaned against the wall. "You're biggest problem won't be landing a job; it's choosing which school you want to work at. Wear one of those skirts and principles will beg you to teach at their school."
All the blood rushed to Juvia's face and she pulled the curtains shut, "J-Juvia would n-never do something like that!"
"I don't see the harm."
"Juvia wants to be hired because of her skills!" She protested.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Cana snickered, but it was a second later Juvia understood why the brunette was cackling uncontrollably.
"Oh – no, Cana has a dirty mind! Juvia meant – oh forget it – Lucy! This isn't funny!"
"S-Sorry!" Lucy snorted.
Juvia was unimpressed by Lucy's apology – and Cana in general – when she showed no signs of regaining her composure but Juvia didn't blame her. The situation was slightly amusing but she would neveradmit it.
Juvia studied herself in the mirror. She never put too much thought into her clothing. She wore what she liked and she liked to be covered. Juvia didn't think the slit would be seen as anything sensual, she just preferred having room for her legs to move rather than be confined. That was probably why finding a bikini she felt comfortable in was so hard.
"Can we get back to finding something to wear?" Juvia asked as she picked up another swimsuit – one Lucy suggested she try on.
It was nice. It was another two piece bathing suit; the main colour was navy blue with a cream white strip along the top of the breasts and the top hem of the bottom piece. Juvia's eyes widened when she noticed the suit not only tied behind her back, but also at her front, meaning if the string came loose… well,everyone but Juvia would find it hilarious.
"You still haven't helped me pick a colour, Juvia," Lucy whined.
"I'm right here, I can help," Cana reminded her, offended.
"You've been completely useless this whole time, I need Juvia's help."
"You wound me."
"Juvia really liked that deep red bikini Lucy picked out," Juvia shouted as she pulled the bikini bottoms up her thighs.
"But you haven't seen me wear it," Lucy replied, unsure.
"Juvia saw you holding the swimsuit and the colour looked nice against your skin tone, and I think that material and shape will accentuate your figure," Juvia explained as she tied a bunny knot that sat between her breasts. She studied her reflection and, after a few spins and readjusting, her lips curved into a satisfied smile, thankful she found the perfect swimsuit after two hours of searching.
"I think you're right, Juvia!" She heard Lucy exclaim from the adjacent room. "And to think I was about to choose the yellow..."
"Let me see!"
"Don't just barge in here!"
Cana let out a low whistle and Juvia laughed to herself. "Damn, look at Betsy and Rhonda! They look even bigger!"
"Let go of me!"
"Juvia, what about you?" Cana called.
She reached behind her neck to untie the bow before asking, "What about Juvia?"
It was silent and Juvia spun around, facing the curtains with a frown.
"Cana-san?"
A shadow slowly crept into the space between the curtain's hem and the floor, inching closer and closer. Damn Cana. Alert, Juvia outstretched her arms to either side of the wall with the edges of the curtains between the wall and her palms, barricading herself inside the dressing room and away from the intruder.
"Juvia…" Cana sung her name in a teasing melody but she was having none of it. "Please let Cana-san in."
"No."
"But—"
"Cana-san doesn't know the meaning of 'no', so Juvia is using her teaching skills to teach Cana-san the definition. Visualisation is an easier method of learning to some people."
"You should at least let me peek; I haven't seen you try on anything," she moped.
"Juvia found a swimsuit, but because of the poor behaviour displayed today, Cana-san is going to wait and see like everybody else," Juvia disciplined, smirking to herself.
"You know, you don't have to go full teacher mode on us," Cana murmured as Juvia let go of the curtain and began undressing. "Are you trying to prove you're more than just a hot piece of ass?"
Juvia ignored Cana. Once she was completely dressed she quickly checked her phone.
3 Missed Calls From: Gray-sama~
7 Messages From: Gray-sama~
Juvia's heart came to a sudden stop. With wide eyes she hurriedly unlocked her phone, silently praying he wasn't hurt or in a life threatening situation. Why did she put her phone on silent in the first place?!
Here.
?
Hello?
" Oh no… ." It all came rushing back. Yesterday she asked if he could pick them up after shopping, however she was almost an hours late. Not only did she ask him to do her a favour, but she had completely forgotten about it! " No, no, no…"
Oi?
You better answer soon! I'm stuck with Natsu and he wants us to go inside. I can't go inside or else I'll look like a creep! Juvia!
Okay, we're getting coffee across the road because you KEPT ME UP ALL NIGHT BEGGING ME TO PICK YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS UP SO YOU BETTER ANSWER BEFORE WE'RE FINISHED OR ELSE
JUVIA! WTF
How could she be so late?! Gray was absolutely furious through text when he's usually a boring messenger. Juvia silently groaned. She'd just have to find a way to make it up to him, but first she'll apologise for so long he'll beg her to shut up. It usually worked when she was in the wrong, anyway.
She grabbed her belongings, including the bikini she wanted to purchase, and ran outside of the changing room, completely startling Cana. "We're late," was all she managed to say before she ran past her and into the middle of the store, moving frantically before she found the counter.
She paid for the swimsuit, wincing at the price, and rushed outside, finding Gray's car a few shops down. She ran so fast her stomach almost took out the side-view mirror. "Dangit," she cursed and leaned against the vehicle to regain her breath. How long had it been since she last went to the gym?After a moment she began to search for the coffee shop but jumped when someone shouted her name.
"Juvia! About time!"
It was Natsu. She spun around and smiled apologetically, but frowned when she found him alone. "Where's Gray-sama?"
Natsu folded his arms, glancing inside the shop before pointing behind him. "He forgot to get a house warming present," he answered, "Is Luce still inside?"
"They should be out in a second," she replied, "Juvia is sorry for taking such a long time."
He just shrugged her off. "I didn't mind waitin'. I got a free coffee out of it."
She hoped Gray would be as forgiving, but that was nearly impossible. Gray loved Natsu like a brother, but he couldn't spend mass amounts of time with him alone without going crazy. Juvia knows, since Gray has spent hours venting about him in the past. He also can't stand drunk people on busses and his cousin Lyon.
Natsu chuckled, "Start thinking of a good apology because he's pissed."
"I wouldn't worry about it; Gray's always pissed when Natsu's with him." Juvia jumped when Cana's voice came from behind, her eyes glued to her phone despite being engaged in conversation. "Oh… so it was you guys who kept texting me."
His smirk fell into a scowl. "Yeah. Don't you ever check your phone?"
"Your texts kept restarting my game so I had to put it on airplane mode." Natsu's jaw slackened. "What? Why're you so mad at me? You forgave Juvia in two seconds."
"She actually apologised!"
"Juvia, you didn't take your bags from the checkout!" Lucy shouted as she exited the shop, her voice immediately catching Natsu's attention. "The lady saw us come in together so she let me give them to you."
Juvia looked down to her hands and just noticed how empty they were since; she had her phone and wallet in one hand and no swimsuit in the other. "Thank you, Lucy!" She said when Lucy handed the bag over. I almost wasted $50… that was lucky.
"Lucy, why didn't you check your phone?" Natsu whined like a child. "I sent you like fifty texts."
"I know, that's why I ignored you, and put my phone on vibrate. You know I do that when you spam me," She answered while searching her surroundings, frowning before glancing at Natsu. "Where's Gray?"
"Buying a house warming present," Natsu replied.
Cana huffed and slung her arm around Lucy's shoulder, "He sure is taking his sweet time. How much longer do we have to wait for him?"
"Cana..."The three of them said in unison.
"Alright, I get it, we'll wait."
"What didyou get them?" Lucy asked Natsu. He grinned sheepishly while scratching a particular spot behind his ear, looking everywhere but at her. "You forgot as well…" she hardly sounded surprised.
"I was in the middle of picking something out until I saw Juvia," he confessed. "I did find these cool Mr and Mrs shot glasses, so I was just going to get those."
"I still can't believe Laxus had the guts to propose," Lucy commented.
"I can't believe Mira wants to be with that guy forever," Natsu shuddered. "I'd rather drink expired milk."
Juvia laughed and Lucy slapped his shoulder. Juvia's eyes drifted as their usual banter went into full swing, but she continued to seek out Gray. She didn't know how much time passed when she spotted him exiting a small shop, scowling, with a plastic bag in his hand as he stomped toward the group.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia sang as she pushed past the group. His brows narrowed and he came to a stop when she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, taking a silent vow to not release him until he forgave her. "Juvia is so sorry! Juvia had her phone on silent and completely forgot!
"I was waitin' for an hour!" Gray shouted while using his free hand to push her away. She tightened her grip. "I called you a thousand times! How can you not check your phone for that long?! You're always on it!"
"Juvia knows and is so sorry! Please forgive Juvia!"
"Maybe she's only on it when you're around because you're the most boring person to have ever walked this earth," Natsu suggested with a simple shrug, "But that's just a hunch."
Juvia gasped and Gray stormed toward the pink haired man. She dug her heels into the ground, using all her strength to pull him back or at least keep him in place. "You want a fight?" Gray snapped.
"I wouldn't mind a challenge. You better let him go, Juvia, so he can drive us to Laxus' new place. If he's not too busy with his party maybehe'll fight me."
"What are you sayin'? That I'm not a challenge?"
"I thought it was pretty self-explanatory. If you have to ask it kind of proves my point, doesn't it?
It turned out Juvia wasn't as strong as she thought since Gray was now towing her along the sidewalk. She clung onto him like an unwilling child would their parents their first day of school, despite her best efforts to keep him in one spot. Lucy, in an attempt to cease the quarrel, heaved Natsu in the opposite direction with all her might, but it wasn't until Cana announced she were on the phone with Erza that everyone stopped moving.
"Be quiet," she hissed before bringing her mobile to her ear.
Everyone froze in their places and something in the store window moved, catching Juvia's eye. There was a woman standing behind one of the mannequins, eyes wide and alert as she surveyed the situation. Juvia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
The workers eyes met Juvia's and they both jumped.
"Oi, you're squeezing me too hard!" Gray whispered angrily.
"There's someone watching through the window," she whispered back, "And she caught Juvia staring! That was so embarrassing."
His shoulders shook in her hold and she almost let him go . Realization dawned on her when his hands went to cover his mouth to prevent a laugh from escaping his lips.
She gasped and pinched his stomach. "Are you laughing at Juvia?"
He pinched her back and glanced at her over his shoulder, a ghost of a smile on his face. Juvia's cheeks were warm. "Of course she could see you staring. What? Did you think you were invisible?"
"Don't tease Juvia!" She tried to give him her dirtiest look but her lips couldn't tell the difference between a frown and a smile. She admitted defeat when his lips curved into a smile, igniting one of her own, and she hid her face in his shirt. He laughed a second time, louder. "Shut up, Gray-sama."
"We've got to go, now," Cana warned after hanging up the phone.
"Which is what I've been saying for the past hour," Gray commented while prying Juvia's arms from his waist. She let him. A smile was enough to deem herself forgiven.
"Everyone's already there," Cana added, "Erza isn't happy."
"She's probably lonely," Lucy suggested.
"Not our problem!" Natsu verified as they all made their way over to Gray's car. He looked to Gray. "We were on time."
"Yeah, yeah," Cana muttered.
Juvia climbed in the front seat, making sure she had her bag, wallet and phone on her person. "Did Gray-sama remember to get the bag on Juvia's bed?" she asked when he sat in the driver's seat.
"Everything's in the trunk," he answered while handing her a plastic bag. "Can you hold that while I drive?"
"Is this Gray-sama's gift?" She didn't wait for him to reply before rummaging through the bag; the item inside was a small, gift-wrapped box. Juvia would safely bet he paid someone else to gift-wrap the present since usually he'd opt for a gift bag, given he was hopeless with tape and a pair of scissors.
"It's pretty last minute but I found these cool shot glasses with Mr and Mrs on it," he explained with a proud grin. Juvia's face paled before glancing in the rear-view mirror, thankful Natsu was too focused riling up Lucy to be paying attention to their conversation.
"Um… Juvia would insist on giving the present in private," she warned him. He gave her a questioning glance but asked no more.
"Erza texted me, she wants to make sure Juvia remembered her sunscreen," Cana said from the backseat.
Juvia glanced over her shoulder at the brunette, her brows pulled together, "Of course…" she said slowly. "Juvia doesn't stand a chance against the suns harmful rays."
"Wouldn't hurt for you to get a tan," Cana advised while placing her soft, warm hands on Juvia's shoulders, slowly inching down her arms as she continued. "Not that I mind your skin tone. You could pull off any look, eh Gray?"
Without taking his eyes off the road he said, "No groping in my car."
Cana groaned and reluctantly let go of Juvia, slumping in her seat while muttering 'prude' under her breath.
"Can you put in their address for me?" He asked, handing over his phone to her. She hummed, receiving the device and admiring his lock screen; it was a picture of him, dressed completely in snow gear, standing proudly atop a snow covered mountain alongside his cousins with a snowboard in one hand and his other draped over Ultear's shoulders.
Knowing his passcode, she unlocked the device and paused upon seeing his home display; it was a picture from his birthday last month, held at one of the biggest ice rinks in the city thanks to Juvia and Erza's weeks of relentless planning. There were plenty of pictures taken that day, seeing as Juvia wanted to document every moment, but she wasn't expecting Gray to actually make keepthese pictures.
The picture was the two of them standing in the middle of the ice rink; her arms wrapped snugly around his middle while one of his were draped casually over her shoulders, similar to how he was holding onto Ultear. Juvia loved this picture. Whenever Gray was photographed he'd usually glare or seem uninterested, but this time Juvia could detect the smallest hint of a smile, which meant a lot , however it was almost ruined by Natsu and Loke photo-bombing in the background.
Smiling at the memory, she moved on to typing the address of Laxus and Mirajane's new house into the GPS.
They arrived ten minutes later, following Mirajane's instructions by going through the sidewalk that led them directly into their huge backyard. They had a beautiful garden that went alongside the fence, containing various flowers like white and scarlet roses, white asters, Siberian iris', peonies, and more flowers that escaped Juvia's limited flora knowledge.
Fairy lights hung from the back patio; to the far left was the pool and hot tub area, with long white and navy stripped poolside chairs, and an outside bar. Everyone who already arrived was dressed in their swimsuits, despite only five people sitting inside the pool area, and yet there was still room for at least thirty more people. And there were at least twenty five guests present. Just how much money do they have?!
"Oh my… this place… is so…" Juvia was at loss for words, and this was only the backyard. She made a mental note to not touch anything inside.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Lucy agreed.
Gray let out a low whistle, "Must really pay off being an infamous boxer."
"This makes your place look like a dump," Natsu remarked however he was in a daze. Juvia assumed Gray was as well, since he didn't retort in any way.
"I'm never leaving this place," Cana cheered as she pushed past them all, heading straight over to Mirajane, who was talking with Erza, and proudly interrupted their conversation. Erza was about to pull Cana off but her eyes trailed to the group, her face lighting up at their arrival. She ran over, punched both boys' arm in greeting, and pulled the girls back to Mira.
"Yay! You're all here!" Mira cheered happily, her cheeks rosy. "I'm so glad you guys could come!"
"Mira, this place is so…" Lucy fumbled over her words but Mira only smile in return.
"Thank you, Lucy. Laxus was the one who picked it out."
"Laxus?!" Juvia and Lucy said in unison. Mira giggled at the girls' reaction.
"The big man always had expensive taste," Cana laughed while folding her arms, "And he did a pretty good job. This place is fucking awesome. Andhuge."
"Yeah, well, we wanted a house big enough for when we have kids."
"Kids?!" Lucy and Juvia looked as though they were about to faint and Mira blushed in return, her eyes cast to the ground.
"So Laxus is pretty serious about starting a family?" Erza asked with an unreadable expression.
"He's always wanted us to have kids," she smiled to herself, "He wants to start trying right after we get married but I convinced him to wait a couple of years; I want us to really enjoy the first few years of our marriage just ourselves before starting a family."
"Wow… I never would've thought Laxus wanted to be a dad," Lucy said, bewilderment etched upon her features. "I didn't think he'd want the whole… domestic lifestyle, thing. It's pleasantly surprising."
"I didn't think so either but there are a lot of things he keeps to himself. It took me a long time to find out his little secrets," she beamed. "He's really adorable sometimes."
Erza and Cana wasted no time in spurring questions regarding Laxus' hidden secrets, demanding to know them all regardless how big or small, but just as quickly as she lost herself, Erza regained composure and slapped the back of Cana's head. "I think we got a bit excited there. I apologise."
She smiled and waved them off. "You're fine. Anyway, you girls probably want to get changed. Behind the bar is a small outside bathroom. You can get dressed in there."
"You have an outside bathroom?!" Lucy shouted, eyes wide with shock. Juvia, too. She couldn't believe how much money Laxus and Mirajane had between them. Juvia was barely scraping through with college and rent, she barely had money to spend leisurely.
"C'mon, I'll show you," said Mira.
She led the girls to the bathroom and Juvia marvelled at the sight. "This is much bigger than Juvia's bathroom," she whispered to Lucy.
"At least you have your own bathroom. I'd gladly live in here than at the girls' dormitory," Lucy confessed.
"You girls get changed in here and I'll meet you by the pool."
Juvia walked into one of the changing rooms and dressed into her bikini, and threw on a see-through over shirt she packed in her bag. She preferred to start the day covered in something light before walking around in just her swimsuit.
She walked out and her jaw dropped at seeing Lucy's body. "Lucy… Lucy looks..."
"Juvia, I think you have a gift," Cana remarked, tearing her eyes from Lucy to Juvia. "I think you should give up the teaching gig and—"
Juvia blinked when Cana went silent, which was a rarity in its own, and waved a hand before her eyes. She remained unmoving. "Cana-san?"
"Juvia…" it was Lucy who spoke. "You look amazing! Take off that shirt so we can really see!"
Juvia's cheeks were warm as she fingered the hem of her shirt, her eyes focused somewhere on the ground, suddenly too embarrassed to look into the eyes of her friends. "Ah… Juvia wants to wait—"
"I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want. If you'd like to keep it on, do so," Lucy said, but Juvia braced herself for the rest to come. "However—" there it is "—the second we step outside and Erza sees you, she won't stop harassing you until that shirt is off."
Juvia's face paled.
"She's right," Cana added, her confidence returned.
Juvia sighed, knowing they were right, and pulled the shirt over her head and folded it back into her bag. "Happy?"
Lucy grinned. "Let's go."
They strolled back to the pool and said their greetings to the other Strauss siblings, immediately falling into conversation regarding their majors and whatever else that came to mind. Cana left to the mini bar and when she returned, she had a small Levy tucked under her shoulder, both with colourful drinks in their hands.
"Look who I found emptying Mira's bar," Cana cheered proudly. Levy's cheeks turned rosy as she looked away guiltily.
"Levy-chan! How did I not see you? How long have you been here?" Lucy asked.
She giggled and scratched the back of her head. "I actually helped Mira set everything up. After everything was done she made me a really pretty drink and told me to help myself."
"And she has been since then," Mira added as she tilted her head to the bar. "Good thing, too, I think Bixslow's getting the shots ready."
"I've always liked Bixslow," Cana commented. "He truly is a hero."
"Don't say that too loudly or he'll hear you," Lisanna muttered while sipping her fruity cocktail. "His ego doesn't need it."
Juvia sat down beside Lisanna and noticed Levy had been sucking on her straw this entire time. Her tall glass was almost completely empty. "Levy-san, how drunk are you?" Juvia asked.
"I-I… um…"
Cana let go of Levy, causing the petite girl to stumble, and stood before Juvia, offering her a pink drink. She was sure whatever was inside that glass would have her on the floor if she had too many, since that's how Cana usually liked her drinks. "I think the real question isn't 'how drunk is Levy', but 'how can we catch up'." Juvia inched away from Cana but her efforts deemed futile when she sat down beside her. "C'mon, it's not going to hurt."
"Juvia doesn't think it's wise to drink and swim."
"But you're an excellent swimmer."
"Not when Juvia's been drinking," she pushed her hand away, "Maybe after the food is ready."
Cana sighed, "Suite yourself," she said before bringing the glass to her lips and swallowing the contents.
"Juvia!" She was surprised to hear Gray shouting her name from inside the pool. She turned and saw him waist deep in the water, his onyx eyes set with determination while he glared at Natsu. "Get in here! I need you to jump on my shoulders!"
"Luce! You too!" Natsu yelled. "Jump in!"
"Guys, I just want to relax," Lucy sulked. Juvia, however, was a mess by the mere sight of a shirtless and soaked Gray. The tips of his hair were wet, clinging to the nape of his neck, and Juvia wanted nothing more than to—
"Lucy…" Natsu whined, pulling her out of her daydream. He swam to the side of the pool but the second he set eyes on her, he look away. His neck and ears were bright red and his eyes were wide, almost scared, his confidence vanishing into thin air.
"C'mon, Lu-chan, this'll be fun!" Levy giggled.
"Be a man and play!"
"Shut up!" Evergreen shouted from beside him.
"Why not make it interesting?" Erza declared as she strode into the pool area with her chin held high and a devilish twinkle in her eye. This caught both boys' attention.
"What are we talkin'?" Gray asked as an evil grin spread across his face. Juvia's eyes lit up. Her and Gray worked well as a team; she was confident, despite how well Lucy and Natsu worked together, that they would win.
"Whoever wins must do one thing the other person tells them to. And their word is absolute."
Natsu eyes lit up and he almost jumped out of the pool from excitement. "You mean when I win I can make Gray do whatever I want?"
"What do you mean 'when'?" Lucy frowned.
"That would be too good. I don't want you guys to trash this place, so we'll switch it up. Let's say, for example, Juvia and Gray win—" Gray barked with laughter and Natsu slapped a wave of water in his direction "—Juvia would be in control of Natsu, and Gray, Lucy."
Mirajane sighed in relief.
"I like the sound of that, although I'd much rather boss Gray around, but I'm sure she'll work fine. You ready to be my slave, Juvia?" Natsu chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I slept on my neck weird and a massage would really help that.
"Juvia loves it when the opponent really thinks they're going to win against Juvia and Gray-sama... it's adorable." She smirked, sending a confident smirk to her partner who was grinning back at her. She would happily bet some money on this game; when they worked together, they were unstoppable. "Juvia will not lose."
"And I always thought it was Gray who's all cocky and confident," Natsu's head titled back, his lips curving into a smug grin, challenging her. "Bring it on."
Juvia strode toward the side of the pool and slowly slid into the warm water. She swam beside her partner to find him still smirking at her.
"C'mon Luce!"
"Who said I'm playing?" she shouted from outside the pool, still sitting on her towel. "I just want to relax."
"Why can't you be into this like Juvia?!" He shouted at her. "It's time to wipe those cocky grins off their stupid faces with our man power!"
"Get someone else!"
When Natsu faced Juvia and Gray, she knew he was growing irritated with Lucy's response, so Juvia wasn't surprised to see him pull himself out of the pool, pick up an unwilling Lucy, and toss her into the pool mercilessly. He jumped in after her and smirked when her head popped out from the water, her eyes lit with rage.
He chuckled. "Great! Now channel that anger towards them!"
"I'm going to kill you!" She screamed, pouncing in his direction and dunking his head beneath the water.
Juvia giggled and sunk lower into the pool, the cool water enveloping her in the best way possible after sitting in the blistering sun. "How long are they going to take?" She asked Gray.
He shrugged and stretched his arms over his head. Juvia watched the flex of his muscles, the beads of water dripping down his body and splashing into the pool. When he glanced at her over his shoulder she averting her eyes, knowing her face was beat red.
"Did you put on sunscreen?" He asked, turning to face her. "Your face looks like a tomato."
She frowned, glaring up at him. "A tomato?"
"You know what I mean." He stared at her for a bit longer before swimming closer, his eyes glued to something on her face. He was so close Juvia could see the small freckles dusting the bridge of his nose and although she were submerged in cool water, she felt as though she was going to melt. "Your cheeks look like they're burning."
He was so close.
"M-Maybe Juvia… should put on some sunscreen," she mumbled, unable to look away from him.
"Or you should see what you look like with a tan," he smirked, "then maybe you won't blend into our walls."
Juvia gasped, completely caught off-guard by his comment that her only thought of retaliation was to splash water into his eyes.
"Oi! Keep it for the competition!" He exclaimed, ready to splash her, but something caught Juvia's eye.
"Wait, Gray-sama, look behind you…"
He hardly had time to check before Lucy, who had found time to stop attacking Natsu and be seated his shoulders, tipped a bucket of water over his head. Juvia gasped when she saw small ice cubes floating in the pool, the water around her chilling remarkably.
"Good one, Luce!" Natsu cheered triumphantly. "You soaked him!"
"He was already wet," Lisanna pointed from the sidelines. Levy's face went red from her continuous laughter.
Natsu crossed his arms over his chest with Lucy's feet caught under his biceps. His grin widened when Gray slowly spun around. "You put fuckingice in there," he seethed, "That's it. Juvia, get on my shoulders, we're not letting them live this down."
"Sure thing, Gray-sama," she cheered, swimming over to him as he descended under water. She took a shaky breath before sitting over his shoulders, her hands instinctively clutching his hair, tugging, as he rose. She struggled at first to find an even balance, not used to the overwhelming height, and Gray placed his palms securely over her thighs, standing at his tallest. "Woah, okay, Juvia is…" she couldn't find the right words to describe how she felt at this moment, so she said the only thing that came close, "tall. Is this what it's like to be Bixslow-kun?"
"Every day," He shouted. She was surprised he heard her from the bar.
"C'mon, Juvia, focus," Gray said from under her. "You know the plan."
"Yes, Gray-sama!"
"Alright, I don't want a good, clean match. I demand blood, sweat, and tears from all four of you before anyone gives up. Men, protect your women, and girls, start fighting. Go!"
Juvia tightened her grip in Gray's hair, finding inner balance before he jumped back when Natsu charged forward. Lucy, like Natsu, advanced forward but with no one in front to support her weight, she started losing balance. Juvia nudged Gray's ribs with her foot and he stepped forward, close enough for Juvia to reach Lucy's outstretched arms and pull her forward.
Lucy belly flopped into the pool and everyone winced at the sound. The sound was so painful it made Juvia's toes curled. She almost felt guilty.
"Did Lu-chan really belly flop into the pool? Did I imagine that or was that real?" Levy asked while holding onto Cana for support.
"She's taking it like a man," Elfman commented.
Evergreen rolled her eyes and shifted away from the body builder. "That doesn't make sense, you big oaf! She hasn't even come up yet."
"Oh no…" Juvia murmured. She remembered the first time she did her first belly flop. She was eight at the time and playing truth or dare with her brother, Gajeel, who challenged her to do the infamous bellyflop; Juvia had no idea what she was getting herself into. She gratefully took the chance to do an easy dare – "You mean all Juvia has to do is jump into the pool on her tummy? Gajeel-kun is just handing out the points now."
She was a fool to think Gajeel was going easy on her.
Two minutes later she ran into the house crying with an equally tearful Gajeel chasing after her, apologizing refusely and begging her not to tell their father it was his idea, but she dobbed him in anyway. It was the first time she heard someone describe Gajeel as a sadist but it certainly wasn't the last.
"Good shot, Juvia," Gray praised. She let out a shaky breath when his hands rested on her, his warm skin on enough to make her lightheaded. A pleasant shiver went up her spine when both his hands squeezed her, but he wasn't reacting at all like Juvia.
Didn't he feel anything she did?
Gray waited for Lucy's head to pop up before he began cackling menacingly – Juvia would also describe Gray as a sadist – and if Juvia knew anything about facial expressions, Natsu was listing all the different ways he'd like to kill them.
"My tummy…" Lucy sulked, her face scrunched in discomfort as she cradled her stomach. "That has got to be cheating."
"I would expect that kind of retort from Natsu, but not from you, Lucy." Gray chuckled, unfazed by her accusation.
"You totally cheated!" Natsu snarled.
"How did we cheat?"
"You ran away! You're meant to fight!"
"I'm with Natsu and Lucy. That wasn't manly at all," Elfman commented from the sidelines.
"Me too," Levy agreed.
"We didn't cheat," Gray informed them, "It's something called 'having a strategy'."
Juvia nodded, a feeling similar to pride swelling in her chest. Her lips curved into a smirk and she lifted a delicate hand over her lips, a giggle escaping past her lips, "Juvia used to be on the swim team in High School, so Juvia has some experience in pool activities.
"They're not wrong," Bickslow chipped in while making his way beside Erza, "No rules were broken here, they just thought ahead. What do you think, Erza?"
"The point goes to Juvia and Gray," she concluded. Natsu booed the same time Gray and Juvia cheered.
"Good decision, Erza," Levy cheered.
"I thought you were on our side…" Lucy murmured to herself. "And what kind people devise a plan for this kind of game anyway?"
Natsu scoffed swore revenge against his opponents. They resumed starting positions and the second round began.
Both teams went straight for it, neither Lucy nor Juvia holding back as they fought with brows pulled in concentration. Juvia was so focused on not letting Lucy get the upper hand she drowned out all noise around her, concentrating on her opponent and trusting Gray to do his best with Natsu.
She could feel Gray making sharp movements and, at times, not use his hands to hold her down. She tried calling for his attention but he continued shoving Natsu, ignoring her and she wasn't sure whether or not it was on purpose. She called his name again and froze when Natsu's eyes locked with hers. There was a dangerous twinkle in them that made her regret looking down, and the next time Gray let her go to shove the pink haired man, she helplessly watched Natsu grab her by the ankle, lift her legs, and push her backwards into the water.
No, no, no!
When she came up for air Gray was already shouting at Erza. "That was cheating! You're not meant to touch the girls!"
"Since when has that been a rule?" Natsu ruled in defence. "I've never heard of it before! Not once!"
Erza stood silent alongside Bixslow who seemed equally uncertain. "As the judge advocate for this match I have decided to leave this decision to my second in command, Bixslow," Erza announced with an aura of fake confidence. Bixslow stared at her with uncertainty.
"What did you say?!" Gray and Natsu shouted in unison.
"She doesn't know the rules," Lucy guessed. Erza lips curved into a guilty grin.
"I say Natsu and Lucy get the point," Bixslow declared. Natsu and Lucy cheered the same time Gray cursed Bixslow out. He held his hands up in defence and grinned, "Don't get angry at me. Focus on the next round; it's neck and neck, so whoever loses has to face the punishment."
"Alright, screw it; we'll get them this time." said Gray.
A second time she climbed atop his shoulders, and although she were used to the overwhelming height, her heart still hammered hard as she thought about where his hands were. His skin is so warm.
"Go!"
Juvia fought, despite the tingling sensations swirling inside her body, the only thing pushing her forward was knowing once they win, she would get to see Gray's cheerful face because of her. Andshe disliked the idea of non-swimmers beating her in her element. That would truly be an embarrassment.
Juvia grinned at seeing Lucy's disgruntled face but her jabs were sharper and pensive as time went on. One of Lucy's hands pushed her shoulder as the other aimed closer to her stomach, each jab inching higher as Juvia continued swatting her hands away.
Gray's continued fighting Natsu beneath her but his steps were uneven and every now and then he would stagger, causing her to lose her centre. She just had to fight harder.
Juvia gave up on defence and used all her body weight to push Lucy into the water; however, it seemed Lucy had the same idea. Juvia almost completely lost her balance when Lucy shoved her, her hands caught between the valleys of her breasts, but she clung onto her opponent's arms, quickly regaining composure.
Something tickled Juvia's stomach and Lucy froze, her eyes glued to Juvia's chest, unblinking. Juvia didn't waste a second and used enough strength to shove Lucy off Natsu's shoulders. She heard a squeal before a loud splash, concluding their win. Gray cheered for their victory and Juvia could hear Bixslow wolf-whistle and hoot form the sidelines so she beamed at him, but Erza shoved him into the pool.
Cana ran up beside Erza, unblinking, her eyes transfixed on something near her stomach. "Fuck yeah, Juvia!" Cana cheered loud enough for the people next door to hear. Levy ran up beside her in a fit of giggles with cheeks redder than the frosted Bloody Mary in her hand. "Everybody, take notes. That's how you win!"
Juvia was slightly confused, seeing as she didn't do anything rather extravagant.
"Juvia's a real man!"
A particularly cold gust of wind sent shivers down her spine and she folded her arms over her chest. She could feel her hardened nipples against her forearm and she froze. The bathing suit surely couldn't be that thin? She spent a good fifty dollars on it! The thing should come with a cape at that price.
Something tickled her stomach again and she aimlessly caught it between her fingers.
It was the string of her bathing suit.
No…
She glanced down and her heart stopped. It wasthe string of her bathing suit. The tie had come undone sometime during their battle, and now her breasts were on display for everyone to see. Without a second thought Juvia covered herself the best she could while flailing – thrashing – around, losing whatever dignity she had left.
She needed to get off Gray's shoulders.
Juvia almost growled when Gray's grip tightened around her thighs in an attempt to keep her still. "What are you doing? I'll just let you down, stop moving around. You're hurting me! Ow!"
"This is so humiliating!Stop looking, Cana – Juvia needs to get off!" Juvia continued to struggle on his shoulders. Gray was clueless. And persistent.
"Gray, let her go—" Lucy began "—her bikini came undone!"
He stilled beneath her. "Wait, what?"
His hands loosened around her thighs and she threw herself back into the pool, her entire body submerged in water. She used the time to retie her suit but remained under; despite being immersed in water she was sure her face was redder than Levy's by now.
So embarrassing…
She remained under water until her lungs were on fire. Checking one last time nothing was going to fall out and her knot was secure, she slowly rose to the top, coming to a halt when her eyes and nose were her only features people could see. Juvia was surprised to see everyone not laughing and poking fun at her, but instead smiling and cheering for her.
"That was some strategy you came up with," Erza complimented her. "I will make sure to remember that."
Juvia blinked.
"The element of surprise truly works," Lisanna said to her brother and Evergreen nudged Fried with an elbow.
"If we really work hard I think this could help with Laxus' next match."
"How did you come up with that?" Natsu asked her and she slowly rose from the pool, subconsciously touching her bikini top to make sure it was still there before standing at her full height. So everyone thought she did it to win the match? Juvia was competitive, but she wouldn't go to such extremes since she hated showing off her body, but obviously they didn't know that.
"Uh… someone did the same thing to Juvia in high school… so… Juvia thought she should try it out," she lied sheepishly, but everyone seemed to believe her tale. Well, almost everyone.
Gray swam to her side. His lips curved into a smirk wide enough she almost mistook the gesture for the kind of smile he saves for his family. Her stomach did summersaults; the water around her wasn't enough to cool down her heated skin. "That wasn't on purpose, was it?"
"It came loose when Lucy pulled it," she explained. His laugh was raspy and low and she was almost glad for her bikini malfunction. Almost. "Not funny, Gray-sama. That was humiliating. Juvia will never live this down."
Gray jerked his head towards their friends. "Those idiots have no idea it was an accident. No need to be embarrassed about it now; everyone just thinks you'll do anything to win."
Her smile played tug-of-war with her emotions, but how could she be sad when Gray was looking at her so happily, especially with it being this time of year. She gave in, a small laugh escaping her lips. "They're not wrong, Juvia is a force to be reckoned with," she reminded him. "If anything, they should be scared for upcoming pool contest, Juvia's already shown everyone her breasts so there's nothing else left to lose, right, Gray-sama?"
Something caught in his throat when she looked up at Gray, an unreadable expression on his face, but it resulted in flushed cheeks and the beginning of a coughing fit. "Uh – yeah, right. I think it's time to start drinking. Definitely."
"Okay, Gray-sama," she smiled.