This is part 2 of 2 for A Wingman for Christmas. Thanks to my two lovely reviewers and story followers; you guys rock!. - K. Chandler
Somewhere between the third batch of spice cookie dough and the fourth, Lyon and Juvia had turned to idle conversation.
"Lyon says that, but Juvia knows better."
Lyon coughed awkwardly, grasping for another topic for conversation.
"Something the matter?" asked Juvia, almost too innocently.
"Of course not," said Lyon harshly. He quickly changed the topic. "Say, Juvia. Have you always been like this?"
"Been like what? Juvia's always been incredibly perceptive, yes," she said, holding her pointer finger up in the air. The girl looked far too satisfied with herself.
Lyon rolled his eyes. "When did you start calling yourself Juvia?" he clarified, eyeing his measuring cup before he leveled it off.
Juvia's eyebrows drew together as she frowned, her arm hovering mid-scoop.
"Was that too forward?" he asked. "Forgive me."
"No, Juvia's just thinking. Juvia doesn't remember when…" she trailed off. Her eyes grew wide. "It must have been back when she was part of the Element Four. Back then, Gajee was her best—maybe her only friend."
"Is that…Black Steel Gajeel?" asked Lyon.
"That's right. Gajee and Juvia have been friends since our Phantom Lord days. So Juvia would ask him for his opinion. Gajee said he thought the way she talked was cute. Does Lyon-sama think it's strange?"
Lyon chuckled. "I don't know about strange, that makes me sound like a samurai."
"That's the whole point," said Juvia cheerfully.
"Well, I can't say I disagree with him," mused Lyon. He began adding all of his measured ingredients to a clean mixing bowl. "But Juvia. Is Gajeel the one you're trying to impress?" he asked slowly.
Juvia blinked, startled. "…No. Juvia only has eyes for Gray-sama."
"Please don't make that idiot a samurai. Not here." Lyon set his mixing bowl aside, his ingredients already formed into a pliable dough.
Juvia giggled. "Juvia's beloved Gray is the only one for her."
"Then shouldn't you be trying to figure out how to impress him instead?"
"Juvia's been trying to impress him. But it seems she must try harder."
There was a small smile playing at Juvia's lips. Her eyes glimmered with hope.
Lyon sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Gray didn't know how good he had it.
Part of him considered holding his tongue. It should have been enough that he was helping Juvia with this little project of hers. It should have been more than enough. There was no need to go any further. Not when it would assuredly make things worse for him.
But couldn't help it. If a little more effort on his part could keep this sunny expression on her face, he really didn't have a choice.
"Juvia…do you really think that trying harder will help things with Gray?" he asked. He got a clean bowl to start on a batch of frosting.
Juvia blinked. "What do you mean? What else would Juvia do?"
"Smothering him isn't going to help matters."
"Gajee said that a girl who knows her mind is attractive."
"Yes," said Lyon, slowly. "But so is a girl who shows restraint."
Restraint was something that Lyon was quite familiar with. After all, he would have liked nothing more than to grab Juvia and declare his undying love for her again. But he didn't.
And he wouldn't.
Certainly, he had learned his lesson after his little display when she and Gray had returned from Tenrou Island. He'd looked like a fool that day. But that wasn't why he was choosing to hold back.
Lyon had committed himself to helping Juvia get Gray's attention. And that was what he planned to do. That and nothing else.
"Juvia's all done here. Should Juvia start scooping this dough out as well?"
"Hm?"
Oh, the cookies. right.
Lyon shook his head. "Ur never scooped her spice cookies. She'd roll the dough first."
Lyon sprinkled a fistful of flour on the table, spreading it with his palm. Then he plopped the lump of dough on the table, pressing it with his hand before flattening it with a rolling pin.
"When Gray and I were training with Master Ur, we would make spice cookies every year. Hers were sandwich cookies," he reminisced. "She would roll the dough out really thin and they'd bake up nice and crispy. Then Gray and I used to have these races to see who could assemble the most cookies. We'd put icing in the middle and decorate the tops with crushed pecans."
"It seems everything is a competition with you two," said Juvia.
"Of course," said Lyon with a grin. "I always won. Obviously. Gray would always sneak some cookies when Ur's back was turned. He'd always end up decorating fewer cookies, because he'd eat them instead."
A smile tugged at Lyon's lips. Sometimes he missed those days.
But now wasn't one of those times.
Juvia was laughing, her eyes crinkling in mirth. She was probably imagining a miniature Gray stuffing his face. That's the sort of thing she would find adorable.
He cleared his throat, turning to Juvia. "So. We have to cut these into squares."
"Juvia can do that. Juvia's Water Whip should make it easy."
Juvia's magic easily sliced the dough into perfect squares. Lyon let out the breath that he didn't realize he had been holding.
With both batches of cookies in the oven, there was nothing left to do but wait. Leaving the dirty dishes in the sink, Lyon showed Juvia to the living room.
"Lyon, do you think Juvia should stop calling herself Juvia?" She was perched on the edge of the sofa, her hands on her knees.
Lyon started. "Did I say that?"
"No. But…" Juvia shrugged. "Juvia just wonders if Gray would notice her if she did…"
Lyon scowled.
"Lyon?"
"Juvia, don't you ever change who you are for someone else. Never." Lyon shook his head. "Especially not for a man. If he can't accept you for who you are, then he's not worth your time," he added darkly, his eyes narrowing.
"But…when Juvia first met her beloved Gray, he helped her to…he was the only one who's ever been able to…" Juvia fumbled.
"You don't have to say it." Lyon cut her off gently. "It sounds like something personal. But that—whatever that is—it's not important."
"It's not?"
"No. The past doesn't matter." This, too, Lyon was more than familiar with. "Even though Phantom Lord was your first home, you didn't stay with them, did you? You joined Fairy Tail."
Juvia nodded.
"Why did you join Fairy Tail?" pressed Lyon.
"Because Gray…"
"Because Fairy Tail accepts you for who you are today," interrupted Lyon. "It has nothing to do with Gray."
"Fairy Tail accepts Juvia for who she wants to become," Juvia corrected.
Lyon nodded. "Just so. The same goes for men. If he can't accept you for you, if he can't see what you can become, then don't waste your time."
"Then what should Juvia do?"
"I can't answer that for you."
The room had slowly filled with the sweet scent of warm spices.
When the oven timer sounded, Lyon pulled the cookies out of the oven. He cooled them with a blast of ice before putting them on the table.
"What would you do if you were Juvia?" she persisted, following him back to the kitchen.
Lyon paused to consider. If Gray could see Juvia the way he did, then all of her problems would be solved. Granted, that would cause Lyon a world of heartache, but that was another matter entirely.
"You have to let him see you. Really see you," said Lyon. He added a glob of frosting to a cookie before pressing a second one down on it.
"What does that mean?" asked Juvia. She picked up a pair of cookies too, mimicking Lyon's technique.
"Make sure that Gray sees Juvia. Not Juvia's strange habits or hobbies. Not Juvia's clinginess. Not Juvia's…."
"Not Juvia's collection of Gray plushies?" she suggested with a giggle.
"Please tell me you're joking."
"Maybe…" said Juvia. Then she smiled.
Lyon breathed a sigh of relief.
"I have thirty-seven of them," said Juvia.
"You weren't joking, were you? Too much information, Juvia!" said Lyon.
"Don't worry. Juvia will never let her beloved Gray know. It'll be Juvia and Lyon's secret," she whispered in false seriousness.
"Great."
Juvia's lips curved into a teasing grin as she giggled again. "Juvia's sorry. Lyon is just so much fun to tease!" she laughed.
Lyon shook his head fondly.
"When you said not to smother Gray-darling, what did you mean?" asked Juvia slowly. "You used the word 'clingy' too. Is Juvia clingy?"
Well, this was a minefield.
Lyon frowned. "…You're passionate," he said, finally. "And that's not a bad thing. But sometimes that's all people can see. And we decided we don't want that, remember? We want them to see you."
"That means that when Juvia gives Gray his present, she shouldn't try to hug him?"
"Better not. Don't hug him. Don't invite yourself to his place. Don't even assume he's happy to see you."
"Why wouldn't he be happy to see Juvia?"
"I didn't say he wouldn't be," said Lyon hastily. "I said don't assume. It forces him to decide that himself. Keep him guessing. Make him want to get to know you better."
Juvia nodded. "Juvia thinks she understands," she said. But then she shook her head. "I think I understand," she corrected herself.
"You're still stuck on the third-person thing?" asked Lyon.
"Lyon said that Juvia should be less distracting so Gray can see Juvia. Me. Does Lyon dislike it?"
Lyon shrugged. It didn't bother him one way or the other. "That's up to you," he said. "It's part of who you are, so I'd say keep it. It doesn't bother me, personally. But if you think it might be distracting, it wouldn't hurt to try talking the other way. Like I said, it's really your call."
"I will think about it," she said. "After all, Gajee isn't the one I'm trying to impress."
Lyon was startled to hear his own words parroted back at him. He hadn't thought she'd been listening.
Once all the cookies were frosted and packed away, it was time for Juvia to head back to Fairy Tail.
Juvia peeked out the window.
"It looks like we're in for snow tonight."
"Then we'll have a white Christmas this year," said Lyon, helping her into her coat.
Juvia smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Snow makes everything so pretty. And ice. Ice is pretty, too."
"It certainly is." Idly, Lyon wondered if Juvia realized how pretty she was, looking at him with those wide blue eyes. "Will you be all right heading back to Magnolia on your own?" he asked.
"Of course," said Juvia. "The station isn't far and it's only a couple of stops."
"Maybe I should accompany you."
"Juvia couldn't let Lyon do that."
"To the station, at least."
"Juvia will be fine," she insisted. "Juvia has been enough trouble to Lyon for one day."
"It was no trouble at all," he said. "I rather enjoyed it." More than he would care to admit…
"Lyon?" Juvia turned suddenly. "Juvia wanted to say thank you… No. I wanted to thank you."
"Hmm? For what?"
"For this." Juvia gestured vaguely. "It really is kind of Lyon to let Juvia come over. And for showing her how to bake the spice cookies of your childhood."
"It's really no big deal. You and Gray deserve a chance, even if he is an idiot."
"But for Juvia it is," she insisted.
"You're a lovely girl, Juvia. Gray just needs the chance to see that."
Lyon couldn't think of two people who deserved happiness more than these two. Juvia seemed to have seen her share of loneliness. And Gray had certainly experienced more misfortune than any person should.
If they could find happiness in each other, it would only be right. And if Lyon could help them get there, he would be satisfied.
"You have so much faith in me," she sighed.
"Let me know how it goes," said Lyon. "Call me tonight," he said, surprising himself when the words slipped out of his mouth before he could think twice.
What was he doing?
"Is that all right?" asked Juvia, suddenly shy again. "What if Gray finds out?"
Lyon's eyes widened. This could work to their advantage, couldn't it?
"Let him find out," said Lyon carelessly. "If he knows you've been talking to me, it would really rile him up." He smirked.
"Lyon!" laughed Juvia. "Why is it always a competition with the two of you?"
"He probably won't declare me his Love Rival, but maybe we can get some kind of reaction from him," Lyon mused.
"All right," said Juvia. "Later then," she promised.
Lyon nodded.
He watched the pretty Water Mage disappear down the street.
Lyon sank onto his sofa, lounging with his hands behind his head. At some point, he had kitchenware to wash and put away. Maybe tomorrow.
He suspected that he'd spend the rest of the evening waiting by the lacrima for a certain someone to call.
Lyon snorted. Gray was such an idiot.
And maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. After all, Gray's stupidity had afforded him the opportunity to spend the afternoon with the lovely Miss Juvie.
Ah, Lyon... :)
If you want to see Juvia give Gray the cookies (and try to put Lyon's advice into practice), check out the companion piece Schemes, Dreams, and Festive Treats.
For more Gruvia vs Lyvia, stay tuned for the Mazeverse take of a certain "anniversary." That's coming up in a few weeks, so if you're interested, be sure to follow me: Karine of R011ingThunder.
For those who are wondering what Lyon is like when left to his own devices, you're in luck! Our next piece fleshes out the Mazeverse universe by taking a look at Lyon and the Lamia Scale team, as well as Sherry's relationship with Ren. To read about the ordeal that ended up being, check my profile on Friday for [Mazeverse] A Promise.
