Disclaimer: FT belongs to Hiro Mashima because if it did belong to me, Gruvia, Nalu, Jerza and Gajevy would have been canon by now.
A/N: This is just a drabble about 338. Kinda a take of that chapter but with revisions.
A few days after the grand magic games and the chaos the dragons brought, the mages of Fiore were all invited to the castle to celebrate.
Everyone was dressed in their best formal suits and dresses. A lively atmosphere was everywhere. Some were chatting, others were drinking and there were those who were crowding around the tables where food was served.
Juvia was, as always, near Gray. While he was busy stuffing his face with food, she was fawning over him, just the normal. When Gray was finally alone, Juvia approached him. "Gray-sama," she called, making her presence known. With his normal tsundere face, he turned to her, one hand still holding his meal.
"Gray-sama, I've been upgraded to Juvia version 2.0," she informed him cheerfully.
He sweatdropped, "Since when were you some kind of machine..." He asked trailing off.
Unaffected with his lack of enthusiasm in his response, she continued as a light blush painted her cheeks, "From this point forward, Juvia's going to enter a new age!" Seeing an opening, she jumped at Gray and grabbed the opportunity to confess, "I love you, Gray-sama!"
However, as her arms should have had embraced him, she found herself falling. Due to his reflexes, Gray was able to move out of the way before he was glomped by the over enthusiastic water mage.
His back turned to her, a hand rubbing his neck as if saying, "what a drag", he answered" her. "I don't," then he looked at her tearing up. "I'm entering a new age too. I'm going to honestly say no to the stuff I don't like from now on."
A sudden rush of pain jolted through Juvia's system. It hurts. Juvia was always brushed off so lightly by Gray-sama but why does this feel different than the other times? The way he said it, it was like Juvia didn't matter even one bit. She had wanted to cry right there and then but she bit her lower lip to choke out a sob that was threatening to come.
Gray saw a flash of hurt cross Juvia's face but it was gone millisecond after that he thought he was just imagining things. Quick to adjust her bearings, Juvia put on her fangirl facade and comically brushed of the rejection with, "I love it when you toy with Juvia's feelings, Gray-sama!"
"Damn, this new version is even crazier!" was all Gray could say oblivious to the fact that it hurt Juvia even more. Her facade was beginning to crack.
"Don't say that, Gray." A voice scolded. It was Lyon. Juvia was glad for the distraction. "Lyon," Gray acknowledged.
Of course, Lyon knew. He knew that what Gray said had hurt Juvia and that she was on the edge of breaking so he decided to intervene.
"I've finally realized today... that Juvia's heart doesn't have a room for me in it, " Lyon admitted. Juvia winced and faced Lyon. Their eyes locked and a sad smile grazed Lyon's handsome features. At that moment, Juvia felt Lyon's pain. She let her eyes do the talking. Thank you, Lyon-sama and I'm sorry.
"Took you long enough," Lyon's two other guildmates remarked. Gray couldn't agree more.
If only it was Lyon-sama that Juvia fell in love with, this pain will not be present right now. But still, that rejection is just too much. Juvia needs to excuse herself or she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears.
Lyon nodded to Juvia, as if to say "I'll keep this idiot occupied." Thankful, she sent him a smile but it was kind of bitter, one that did not reach her eyes. Without a word, Juvia went away to somewhere secluded. Facing the wall, had her arms extended against it, she looked down. Her body shook as she tried hard to fight over her emotions but to no avail. The sobs she was trying so hard to suppress finally let out and tears began falling. She pulled her hat lower, concealing her eyes. Who was she kidding, of course he doesn't and will never feel the same. She was a fool for even raising her hopes up that somehow their relationship had progressed during the time they had in the GMG.
"I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't," those two words kept replaying inside her head and each time, she died a little inside.
