While I am a Gruvia shipper, I wrote this one-shot for Mrs. HopeEstheim's NEW Fairy Tail Writing Challenge. :-) Enjoy, and don't forget to R&R plz!
NOTE: This story is quite crappy. Read at your own risk. :P
It had happened while she was following Gray on another one of Team Natsu's jobs.
Hugging her knees in the thick of the bushes, Juvia Lockser sighed contently seeing the half-naked ice mage walk around and set the tents. Her heart set a flutter with every single step he took, and her eyes just couldn't stop shamelessly staring at his muscular chest.
Erza walked in for a moment to say something to Gray. Her stomach tightened for a moment, but after seeing Erza walk away, she knew that it was just mindless chatting between team mates.
Lucy snuggled around inside of Horologium, burying herself around in fuzzy blankets. Natsu was gathering firewood, and yelled at Lucy for not helping.
Juvia's heart panged a little, wishing that she and Gray were like that. Oh, how she would love to be shouted at by Gray-sama…
Time flew by as Juvia continued to enjoy Gray's exposed chest, and soon enough, Gray and Erza were the remaining two up to watch over the camp, with Natsu and Lucy both sleeping.
Juvia remained alert in the bushes, wanting to make sure that Erza didn't pull anything on Gray. No matter how much respect Juvia had for her, Erza was still another rival in the battle for Gray's heart.
Juvia saw Erza and Gray begin a conversation, and her breath quickened. The flames of the fire danced around, illuminating Erza's porcelain face and her scarlet hair. Her eyes sparkled as she laughed while listening to what Gray was saying.
Gray's back was to Juvia, but she could see that all of his attention was focused on Erza. His voice was lively, and his hands were jumping all over the place. He laughed along with her.
Juvia felt sick.
After laughing, there was a silence in which they stared into each other's eyes. Juvia was on her knees, scared. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
And when she saw the back of Gray's neck flush red, and watched the two lean in closer, with Erza closing her eyes, and Gray whispering huskily, "You know, Erza, I've always-"
"No!" Juvia burst, jumping out from within the shrubbery. She covered her mouth, realizing what she had done.
The two looked at her, shocked and guilty. Erza glanced at Gray before dashing off into the dark forest, leaving Juvia alone with the last man she wanted to be with.
Juvia shuffled her feet around and looked down at the ground. She knew she had messed up big time. But how could she allow her Gray-sama to be alone with another girl? Even if it was Erza?
Gray stood up. Before he could say anything, Juvia wailed, "Punish Juvia, Gray-sama!"
Gray sighed before placing both of his hands on her shoulders. Juvia blushed as he looked her straight in the eye.
"Juvia, I know that you like me, more as a friend. I've known that for a long time. I thought that you would just get over the crush after a while, but you didn't. I never liked you. I always liked Erza, and you-" Gray shook her slightly. "-just barge in and completely ruin my confession!" Gray ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly, and Juvia backed away slowly as if he were a monster.
"You-you never…liked Juvia?" Juvia choked out.
"No!" Gray shouted. "You're just a friend. It was always Erza!"
Juvia gasped, and felt as if her heart had been torn from her chest, flung to the ground, and kicked across the room. She had heard of being friend-zoned, but she never thought it would hurt this much.
A torrential rain began as Juvia ran away, sprinting through the leafy trees, finally stopping when she tripped over a log and fell, her face landing in the mud.
Juvia groaned as she forced her eyes open. Wind banged against the closed window, and she could hear the monsoon like rain thundering down.
As her vision stabilized, she realized that she wasn't in her room. Jumping out of the bed, she ran out of the unknown room.
But, right when she was about to open the door, someone else opened it into her face.
"Ouch!" Juvia exclaimed, her nose throbbing from bumping into the door.
"Are you okay?" the person asked, frantically searching his pockets for anything to help her. Giving up, he just held her in his arms, pulling her closer.
Juvia gasped, looking up at the person.
"Lyon-sama?"
"We found you in the mud, not far from Gray's camp on a job. They didn't know what you were doing there though," Lyon explained, leaning back in his chair and sipping his drink. "Do you remember anything?"
"Oh…yes, Juvia was…lost." Juvia's lie flew off her tongue before she could stop it. "Juvia had just finished a job, and was coming back from it. It was around the area of their job."
Lyon raised an eyebrow. "I'll take your word for it then."
Juvia began to feel uncomfortable. Standing up, she asked, "May Juvia leave now? Juvia has to get back to Magnolia soon."
Lyon, looking a little disheartened, Juvia observed, showed her out the door of Lamia Scale with an umbrella and waved good bye.
The incident between Juvia and Gray was now four months ago.
Juvia had been going on non-stop jobs, back to back, just to avoid seeing Gray at the guild. The remaining time she spent in her room at Fairy Hills, staring out the window with no thoughts or expressions, just watching the continuous monsoon rain that had been plaguing Magnolia.
"Drip, drip, drop."
Of course she knew she was the cause of the rain. And, now, no matter how much good feelings her other guild mates had toward her; she was now starting to get evil eyes.
They wanted sunshine. She could understand. She wanted it too.
But, how could she get it? The only one able to bring it out of her before was…Gray.
Just thinking the name made Juvia tremble. That name, which she used to hold so much respect for, was now like a curse to her.
Continuing to stare at the window, Juvia sighed. That's when she noticed a man sitting on one of the benches outside her window. His white hair had become floppy like a mop from all of the water, but he didn't seem to be too bothered by being outside in a hurricane.
Fascinated, Juvia leaned a little closer, her nose squishing against the window.
The man looked up, and Juvia thought she saw a ghost of a smile. Releasing something from his hands, he walked away.
Juvia opened her window in an attempt to see it, drenching herself in the process. The object flew up to her and into the palm of her hand.
It was a small ice sparrow, chirping and waggling its head around in her hand.
Bursting out of her room in Fairy Hills, Juvia thumped down the stairs, trying to get outside as fast as she could.
"Juvia, is that you?" Wendy asked, but Juvia whizzed past her and out the doors, getting soaked to the bone as soon as she set foot outside.
With no time to waste, Juvia continued to sprint. Her bare feet sloshed in all the puddles, and her hair stuck to her face. But she didn't care.
She just needed to get to him.
"LYON!" she screamed, her voice going into a shrill pitch it never had before.
She knew he had heard her. She was positive.
And when she caught up to him, panting as he blushed, looking at her now-transparent nightgown, she knew in her heart that this was the right thing.
"Juvia?" Lyon asked, already knowing the answer.
"Lyon-sama…" Juvia began. "…Thank you." Opening the palm of her hands, the ice sparrow fluttered its wings, coming to rest on Lyon's shoulder.
Lyon let out a slight smile. "What's there to thank me for?"
Juvia looked up at him, straight into his coal black eyes. "You were always there for Juvia. From the start, you always loved Juvia, even if Juvia was after Gray. And you never stopped trying. You just continued loving Juvia all the same, no matter how much she didn't return your feelings."
"And…after…Gray," Juvia forced his name out, still hating it. "Even after that, you just helped Juvia up and continued right on. You've always loved Juvia. For what Juvia was."
Lyon flushed red, turning his head away. The ice sparrow flew off his shoulder, and started flying in a shape around them.
"What's it doing?" Juvia wondered. Lyon nodded, still embarrassed.
The sparrow gracefully dived, came back up, and in a sort of cloud shape, somewhat resembling an m, on top.
"It's a...heart!" Juvia gasped, realizing the shape. Lyon chuckled.
Turning back to Lyon, she stepped closer, the gap between them disappearing. "And, now, Juvia thinks she loves you too."
Tears brimming in her eyes, Juvia tackled Lyon in a hug, tripping Lyon. They ended up on the muddy ground, Juvia bawling into his shirt while Lyon caressed her hair.
"Juvia has been so bad, not noticing you all this time…how you loved me…Juvia will never be able to make it up…"
With a simple kiss on her forehead, she stopped.
Later on, when all of Fairy Tail came out to frolic in the long-missed, bright sunshine, they noticed the two sleeping on the ground, tangled up in each other. Giggling to themselves and wishing them happiness, they trotted away, leaving the new couple in the bliss they had yearned for so very much.