The Next day:
Lucy walked into the guild and sat down at the counter. "What can I get you today?" Mira asked Lucy.
"I am not that hungry Mira I will just take some water" Lucy responded sounding a little downcast.
"So, Lucy what happened yesterday with you and Natsu?" Mira asked getting closer to Lucy's face.
"W-what are you talking about n-nothing happened yesterday" Lucy stammered avoiding eye contact.
"Come on Lucy please I will not tell anyone else it would just be between you and me" Mira pleaded.
*Sigh* "Then I guess I have no choice in the matter" Lucy said her cheeks turning a light color of pink. She looked right and left to see if anyone was close enough to hear what she was about to say. "What happened yesterday was that Natsu took me to the east forest and there was a picnic lunch there…" Lucy started but trailed off her cheeks getting even redder.
"Oh Lucy why are your cheeks getting so red what happened come on come on?" Mira said getting more excited.
"Well, h-he made the p-picnic himself and it was delicious I have to admit then he yelled t-that h-he l-l-loves m-me" Lucy finally said as her cheeks went bright red and she hid face in her hands so no one would see her red cheeks and ask her why she was blushing so hard. But unknown to Mira and Lucy someone had heard what Lucy just said and he did not like it. Gray had been standing in the shadows next to the counter. He was going to ask Lucy she wanted to go on a job with him, Erza, Juvia, and Natsu. He was surprised the he actually told her how he felt when Gray was sure that Natsu still didn't recognize his feeling for Lucy. He was also angry that he told her how he felt before Gray could. He knew that Juvia loves him but she is just not Lucy, he loves her also and wanted to tell her but he would need to let this blow over before he could. He also wanted to hear her answer to it so he stayed hidden in the shadows and kept listening to their conversation neither one of them are saying anything. Mira is just starring in shock and Lucy is covering her face with her arms.
"Finally he understands his own feelings" Mira burst out finally cutting the silence she reached out and put a hand on Lucy's arm. "So what was your answer to that?"
"At first I was so shocked I couldn't say anything then he must have seen something in my face because he then got up and ran away before I could answer. I don't know how to face him now" Lucy said lifting up her face. The red in her cheeks faded to a light pink. "I don't know my own feeling for him and I like someone else…" Lucy trailed off looking at the ground with sad eyes. "I just don't want to make him sad." She whispered to herself. In the shadows where Gray was quietly listening found hope in her answer. She likes someone else? Could that person be me? Gray thought he didn't want to stay there any longer for fear of getting discovered eavesdropping so he backed away from them slowly without making a noise, he then approached them again like he was just walking up to them.
"Hey, Lucy do you want to go on a job with Erza, Juvia, Natsu, and I?" Gray asked her. Please say yes please Gray thought as she pondered it.
"I guess I do I need the money for my rent this month anyway." Lucy replied with a shrug. Man she is strong for wanting to go on a job with the person she doesn't know how to face anymore Gray thought. This is why he loves her. "Alright lets go then they are waiting" Gray said as he started to walk away.
"Alright I will be there in a minute." Lucy said as she turned back to Mira and told her goodbye. A few minutes later the 6 friends were walking to the train station. That afternoon the group came back from the job very pleased with themselves. "Aw, I feel much better now that I have done some work. But the money I got from this job is not enough for my rent this month." Lucy stated as they walked along.
"If you want Lucy we can go on another short job tomorrow" Erza told her "If you are worried about not having enough for this month's rent I would go with you."
"Thank you for the offer Erza but I want to go on a job by myself tomorrow" Lucy replied to Erza. Besides I don't want to be with Natsu for another day until I get my feelings straight Lucy thought to herself. Besides she wanted to go on a job alone she hasn't done that in a while.
"But Lucy do you think you should go on a job by yourself?" Natsu asked her.
"Natsu I will be fine I'm not a helpless little girl you know" Lucy told him.
"I know but still you are a little weak when it comes to battles." He said back at her.
"I have gotten better at fighting will be an easy job so don't worry, it will take a day or two though." Lucy told Natsu as they walked through the forest by Magnolia.
"Well if you say so then I can't really stop you then. But you better be extra careful" Natsu told Lucy looking at her with concerned eyes
"Come on Natsu she will be fine. She is strong she can do it." Erza told him. "I have faith in you Lucy." Erza said turning to Lucy
"Good luck on your job for tomorrow Lucy and if you don't come back we will come and rescue you if you need us too we are a team after all" Gray said to Lucy. "Please be safe. Or else I could never forgive myself." He whispered to himself but Lucy heard it.
"What was that Gray?" Lucy asked. Aw crap she heard that!
"Oh, nothing just for you to be safe on your job. It's not that hard of a job right?" Gray told her quickly. It wasn't a total lie right?
"Ok Gray thanks I guess…" Lucy said looking down at her shoes. Gray noticed a little hint of pink on her cheeks. Why is she getting embarrassed? He thought. Then it hit him that the other person that she might also like other than Natsu was him, maybe though just maybe he could not be sure but he wanted to find out. "Alright well I will see you all in a couple of days." Lucy said cutting into Grey's thoughts as she walked off waving to everyone.
"Gray-sama is Juvia's not yours Lucy! Juvia will forever be your love rival! And Juvia will not lose to the likes of you! " Juvia said coming up behind Lucy and whispered in her ear.
"Oh Juvia, He was just wishing me luck on the solo job I'm going to do tomorrow" Lucy told her turning around with a big smile on her face. "Of course I won't try to take him from you." Lucy soothed to no affect it probably inflamed the situation.
"Why are you always trying to go after my Gray? Juvia just wants Gray to be hers and no one else's but you are always in the way." Juvia ranted to Lucy.
"Hey Juvia calm down already she wasn't doing any harm." Gray told Juvia. Who had walked after Lucy. "She is right I was only wishing her good luck on her solo mission tomorrow!"
"But Juvia doesn't like it when you go and talk to other people especially girls!" Juvia exploded to Gray. Then she ran off to who knows where.
"I will go find her and bring her back!" Gray called to everyone as he headed after Juvia. Gray looked back over his shoulder and saw Lucy standing looking after him. She looked like she was sad that he was going or about something that Juvia said to her. Why did she say that she wasn't going to try and take him away then go and look at him like that? He thought as he called for Juvia. He finally found her next to a creek crying. "Juvia what are you doing everyone is worried about you come back with me." Gray told her sitting down next to her.
"No, Juvia doesn't want to go back the atmosphere over there it's too suffocating." Juvia sobbed burying her head deeper in her arms.
"Come on we have to go back the guild at least" Gray told her once again trying to calm her down
"Why? So I can see you look with love in your eyes at Lucy and not at Juvia?" Juvia said looking up at him with tears in her eyes. At this Gray just looked down at the ground and did not respond.
"I'm sorry but it's complicated right now." Gray told Juvia as he stood up. "I am going to head back with the others. With that Gray left and Juvia found herself alone. Why is it that Gray only likes Juvia as a friend and then when Juvia tries to convey her feeling Gray doesn't even acknowledge her in the slightest? What is it that Lucy has that Juvia doesn't? Juvia thought angrily as she sat by the river but the water near her was making angry waves as it passed her. She heard a bush rustle near her and she called out "who's there?" there was no answer so she got up and went to investigate.
A little before that, "wipe out Fairy Tail was it? It should be an easy task for you. Oh sure it would be if I knew where they were!" A strange man exclaimed as he wandered through the woods next to Fior. This man's name is Vidaldus Taka. He has the appearance of a rock band member with long black hair that goes to his knees. "If only I could find a little Fairy that is not in the middle of the guild so I have been wandering these woods hoping for a little fairy to grab. Why does Rufus even want one of the Fairy's anyway?" Vidaldus said to himself. Then he heard a "Who's there?" He peered through the bushes and saw the girl he had brainwashed when he worked for Jellal. This is perfect I will get revenge on that brat and her friends for messing up the plan I am way stronger than I was back then he thought as he thought of the best way to attack her. She got up and was walking towards him. I guess heads on will work the best.
"Gray is that you?" Juvia asked into the undergrowth. "I kind of don't want to talk to you anymore." Just then Vidaldus stepped out of the bushes and confronted Juvia.
"Hey little Fairy do you remember me?" He asked he while he rocked a few cords on his guitar.
"No, wait you were from the tower of heaven weren't you?" Juvia said with a spark of recognition in her eyes.
"Bingo and I took over your body that time you remember that also?" He asked her. "My brainwashing abilities have grown stronger and are less likely to be broken now. Why don't I show you what I mean?" He strummed a little on his guitar.
"I don't have time for this 'water slicer'" Juvia yelled and water shot at Vidaldus. But he absorbed it with his hair.
"You also should remember that I can absorb any liquid with my hair but please not alcohol or oils." Vidaldus said to Juvia. Juvia tried to use 'water lock' but he absorbed that also.
"Now for the finale of this little show 'rock of Succubus'!" Vidaldus shouted as he played a loud tune in his guitar.
"AHHHHH what are you doing to me!" Juvia yelled as she was brainwashed by the guitar's tune.
"You will now help me annihilate the pesky Fairy's would you agree?" Vidaldus asked Juvia.
"Those pesky Fairies can go to hell" Juvia yelled. She was now more like a rock band member, her clothes were more reveling plus her attitude had changed dramatically. With this they both walked off into the woods together laughing at the demise of the Fairies that they imagined in their minds.
At Lucy's apartment, "Bye Lucy" Everyone yelled at the same time. By the time Lucy got home to her apartment she was super tired so she took a bath skipped working on her novel for that day and went right to bed. She turned off the lights and got into bed. She rolled over and saw Natsu's face an inch away from hers she screamed and fell out of the bed trying to get away, she got up and turned on the light. "W-what are you doing here!" Lucy yelled to Natsu who also got out of her bed.
"I wanted to wish you good night Lucy." He said getting a little closer.
"Well then come to my door and knock like a normal person." Lucy said backing up.
"But you weren't home when I got here." He said still getting closer to Lucy.
"Then wait outside for me to come home don't just enter someone else's home just because they aren't there you could go to jail for that!" Lucy said as she bumped into a wall. Still Natsu walked closer to Lucy.
"But I love to see your surprised face when you walk in and see that I am here already" Natsu admitted.
"Your reactions are the best." Lucy blushed a little when Natsu said that and he finally closed the gap between him and Lucy since she was up against a wall she couldn't get away. Natsu put his hand next to her head and bent his head so they were eye level. "Lucy can I have a truthful answer to this question?" He asked her
"Uh, sure" Lucy responded. That's great now I can finally get an answer Natsu thought bracing him-self to say it.
"Can I have an answer to my confession?" Natsu asked after a moment of silence.
"Uh well about that I actually don't know my true feelings for you I'm sorry Natsu this is probably not the answer you were looking for." Lucy mumbled avoiding eye contact with Natsu.
"Thank you Lucy that is all I wanted to hear" Natsu said hugging Lucy so she didn't see the single tear that came from his eyes.
"Natsu, could you let go I can't breathe." Lucy choked out. Natsu loosened his grip on her but did not let go until he wiped the tear from his eye. He stood back and looked at Lucy with a forced goofy smile on his face.
"Alright I believe you, I just wanted to say a final goodbye before you leave because the guild is going to be boring while you are gone" Natsu told Lucy.
"Don't worry I will be back before you know it." Lucy reassured him. "Just don't fight with Gray and make Erza mad at you ok? Now I have to get some sleep if I am going to do my job for tomorrow" Lucy said as she walked over to her bed and got in.
"Alright Lucy I will be taking my leave. Just answer one question what kind of job is it?" Natsu asked as he stopped at her door.
"I have to protect this person from anything that might try to bring her harm." Lucy said tiredly as she lay back down and tried to fall asleep. "It is going to pretty easy I think." Lucy said drowsily as Natsu shut the door.