Gray shot an ice mallet at an oncoming monster, and turned just in time to see Juvia swooning over Lyon, who was laughing charmingly. Ugh.
He was about to complain when the water mage turned to Gray and smiled sweetly. His face colored, and he looked away, not meeting Juvia's dark eyes. He waited another five minutes before glancing at her again. She was still watching him, smiling dumbly. He saw a monster sprint past her, and he speared it with his ice.
"Be careful," he breathed seductively, "watch out for monsters." He stared pointedly at Lyon, and Juvia blushed.
"Lyon-san is a gentleman, Gray-sama." She replied pleasantly. She shouted, and a neat beam of water shot towards a nearby assailant.
"Juvia," Gray said, turning towards the focused water mage, "it's not very serious, but can I talk to you?"
Juvia was boiling. "Y-yes, Gray-sama."
A confession of love! Juvia's mind screamed, exploding with exuberance. She drifted into a reverie and swooned, her face burning.
"Juvia!" a loving voice called. It called again and again, and as Juvia was being forced back into the bleak world of reality, she heard it become gruffer and more annoyed.
"Sorry, Gray-sama!" the water mage called, turning back to the battle.
"Juvia-chan!" a familiar voice shouted, grabbing the fighting mage's attention.
"Yes, Lyon-san?" Juvia responded, glancing at the alabaster-haired mage.
"After this," he gestured to the battle, "is over, would you like to go out for lunch?"
Juvia shot fleeting glances at 'Gray-sama' before replying cautiously, "Well, Lyon-san, Juvia is probably going to be busy with missions for the guild..." her eyes begged Gray for some kind of intervention, but the ice-mage stubbornly refused to comply.
"Yes..." Lyon said impatiently, grinning broadly at Gray.
"Juvia will make some time for you, Lyon-san." Juvia finished reluctantly, pouting at Gray's mask of peace.
Gray scowled at Lyon's grinning face before scooping Juvia closer to him and muttering almost inaudibly, "Stay here, Juvia."
Juvia flushed heavily before reply bashfully, "Y-yes, Gray-sa-"
"And don't add a suffix." Gray interrupted.
"Yes, Gray-sa... Gray." Juvia stuttered.
"Just... thanks, Juvia." Gray smiled appreciatively before returning to slice 'n dicing monsters.
"Juvia is thankful for Gray," Juvia smiled softly, her cheeks flushing a pretty peony.
"I-it's no problem helping one of my nakama, right?" Gray chuckled.
"Yeah... back in Phantom, there was only hatred. Juvia and the others all hated each other, and with the exception of the Elemental Four, none of Juvia's guildmates were friends with her." Juvia frowned. "But Aria-san, Monsieur Sol, Totomaru-san and Gajeel-kun were all nice to Juvia."
"Why'd ya join a crummy guild like Phantom, then?" Gray snorted.
"Juvia had nowhere else to go. She was 'the rain woman', and no other guild would like Juvia's rain to fall on their parades. Phantom was fine with her rain, though." Juvia remembered.
"But... how come Fairy Tail doesn't rain?" Gray asked, confused.
"Because, Gray-sama, you took the rain away." Juvia smiled happily before sighing. "You and Juvia should probably get back to work."
"Say, Juvia?" Gray asked absentmindedly.
"Yes, Gray-sama?" the water mage responded.
"I hope the sun keeps shining on you. It's nice to see you sparkle in the sunlight." Gray grinned at the stammering girl. "You should say I more often, Ju-vi-a." He elongated her name, stressing each syllable.
"Juvia is, Juvia means... I am apologetic, Gray-sama. As the saying goes: 'A compliment from Gray-sama a day keeps the psychiatrist away.' Juvia would... I would like it if Gray-sama and Juvia could remain friends for a long time." Juvia smiled serenely.
"Uh-um... yup!" Gray stumbled over his words, blushing as the tables were turned. He had plucked up just enough courage to try (pathetically, as Natsu would snort later) to flirt with Juvia, and with one line, one screwed-up-but-cute saying, she knocked the resolve right outta him. What was up with this girl? Gray had no issue flirting with Cana, or Mira, or Lisanna, or Lucy (although Natsu usually sparred with him over that one). But Juvia, the one girl who was in to him? Nope, sorry. Nada. Zilch.
"Gray?" an annoying voice snapped the dreaming ice-mage out of his thoughts.
"Yes, Lyon?" Gray responded angelically, feeling Juvia's dark pools boring a hole into his logic.
Lyon eyed him warily before saying something that almost shocked Gray out of his boots: "Y'know, little 'bro', I've gotta hand it to ya. Juvia's an awesome chick, and it's too bad she's goin' onna date with me, 'cause you guys'd be a great match."
"WHAT?!" Gray thundered, causing Juvia to wince.
"Yes," Lyon murmured, shocked. "You didn't hear our previous exchange?"
"Gray-sama, Juvia shall not wait forever for you! You are obviously not interested in Juvia romantically, and she understands! Lyon-san is a good way of moving on! He likes Juvia, you know? Juvia is in love with you, Gray-sama, but she-" Juvia was cut off by hands pulling her towards a surprisingly warm person, and the feel of lips on hers.
Gray held the water mage, and watched her tangle her slender fingers in his raven locks.
"A-ah!" Juvia gasped for breath, and the expression on her face was a mix of passion, confusion, and shame.
"S-so what? People other than Lyon like you." Gray muttered crossly.
Lyon, who had been watching the exchange, knew he ought to have been depressed, but was feeling many other emotions.
"I can't help it!" Lyon burst out laughing. "Gray, you're such a tsundere!"
