... Hey, guys :D Missed me?
OKAY I KNOW YOU DIDN'T (or maybe you did idk) *sobs* I AM OH SO SORRY FOR FORGETTING TO UPDATE FOR THE PAST YEAR + MONTHS D: But fret not, I have not given up on this fanfic! (as you can see from this update lol)
Reasons for my absence was because of school, which isn't that much of a surprise because it's really always the reason I get distracted from updating... Anyway, I graduated a year ago and got into university taking Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy :) I have entered the world of college- the real world! I got through my 1st year of hell, which was not easy omg I almost died of exhaustion and sleep deprivation, okay? I'm now in my 2nd year, though, and I hope to take this semester better than the last two. I was just very shocked with the college system and that fucked me up :( Please pray for me!
Fortunately, it's summer-time here in the Philippines and I got inspired to continue This Means War! Thank God I had the time. I have all the time in the world right now, really ahahaha But here I am, continuing to laze around all day in my room on Tumblr (follow me) :(
Anyway, here are the results of the votes so far:
Gruvia: 12
Lyvia: 5
TwizzleBaby945: Why didn't you look for me over the year + months I didn't update? :( *sobs* lol But I have now updated! And thank you, I'm glad you liked those scenes/parts of TMW :)
Medaka-chan, Professor Nebilim, , & Duchess K: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked my little twists and turns for TMW :)
Guest, Guest & Guest: Thank you! We shall see if TMW does end with Lyvia ahahaha
Hikaru kitsune: Aw, don't worry, love! Lyon will get his chance at love soon, hopefully :)
mgaa: It wouldn't be a Gruvia fic without the "caramade frank's" scene! ahahaha
SkyDragonSlayer: Hello, my fellow kababayan! ahahaha (I suck at this please forgive me lol) And thank you for liking the "heart attack" part ahahaha I had fun writing that :)
zerefluv: It actually it :) I mentioned it on the notes in the previous chapter.
TheLittleKittyMeows: Hello, thank you, and a super late welcome to ffn, Kitty! :)
Guest: Thank you!
NollyLvn, IndigoHailstorm,Guest, & Dream of Fairies: Your vote has been counted! ahahaha And thank you!
Gronkhlover XD:OH MY GOD IT IS SURGEON SIMULATOR YES! Thank you ahahaha And a super duper late Happy New Year to you, too! ^^
NudgeThePyro: Yes, thank you for that.
Lexi-nee: Don't be mad now! I've updated now, okay? :(
Dedicated To: Lexi-nee, for being the first one to review this 2015 and for reminding me to update! You rock, girl :)
Disclaimer: I doughnut own Fairy Tail. If I did, Gray would have properly apologized to Juvia for leaving her for 6 months without an explanation.
This Means War
A Gentleman's Agreement
Just like any other normal day at the office, everyone was busy. HQ was like a hive with all the agents from different departments buzzing like bees, running around and about their cases. But today was not a normal day for HQ. Why?
Erza Scarlet was humming.
She hummed her way out of the parking lot. She hummed her way to the elevator. She hummed in the elevator. She hummed on the walk to her office. She hummed in her office.
It was a very peculiar sight to her subordinates, who were not used to her palatable nature. Gossip around the office started spreading like wildfire, with everyone's theories and reasons going around from, "Boss must've drunken some poison!" to "I think she finally rolled in the hay last night."
But what could have caused this? What happened to Erza Scarlet for something this bizarre, so they say, to have occurred?
"A date?!"
"Shh!" Erza shushed her two best friends and looked around the room in case anyone else had heard. Only the three of them were inside her office, but the walls had ears and you could never be too sure. "Would you two keep it down?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm just as surprised as Natsu is." Gray laughed at the pinkette rolling on the floor.
The red-head put both her hands on her hips and cocked a brow at her friend. "Oh, really? And what's so surprising about me going on a date?"
"Erza on a date?!" Natsu continued to laugh, clutching his stomach as it was starting to hurt. "I can't believe it! I just can't!"
"Well, start believing it." Erza said through gritted teeth just as she punched Natsu on the head.
"Ow! Okay, okay! I believe you now." Natsu said as he reached for the bump forming on his head. "Ow."
"Besides, what's so unbelievable about me going on a date?" Erza asked.
"Well, for one, we thought you were off the market." Gray answered.
"Why would I be off the market? I'm completely available!"
"Because you're a slave-driver and a man-eater." Natsu said, and before Erza could hit him again because of what he said, he added, "and you weren't into relationships and going out."
"I could say the same about you, then, Natsu." Erza crossed her arms. "It's not like you're seeing anyone."
"That's because I'm focused on the job." Natsu replied. "And besides, I don't want to date anyone because no one has caught my eye yet."
Gray pretended to be shocked. "You mean you have standards? I didn't know you had it in you, flame brain!"
"Can it, ice-freak, before I give you a knuckle sandwich." Natsu lifted his fist up, ready for a brawl.
But before anything could start, Erza grabbed the collar of their shirts and leaned on them dangerously close, giving off an aura that sent both of her friends' shivering down their spines. "Are you sure you want to fight inside my office?"
"N-No, Ma'am!"
"Good." Erza pushed them away from each other and leaned on her desk.
"But speaking of standards, who has caught the Titania's eye for her to agree on a date?" Gray asked.
Erza's face was as red as her hair when she stammered, "W-Well, it's… none of your business! Now, forget I told you two anything!"
"That's not fair, Erza." Natsu smirked, determined to get an answer out of the red-head. (1) "You don't just tell someone something and back out. I know you hate that."
Erza groaned before complying. "Alright, I'll tell you. But don't tell anyone, okay?"
The two men nodded and each took a step closer just to hear Erza whisper, "Jellal Fernandes."
"Jellal Fer- oomf!"
"Shh!" Erza clamped Natsu's mouth shut. "I told you to keep it down, didn't I?"
"Jellal, as in your childhood friend, Jellal?" Gray stated. "Also the Jellal from the Crime Department, Jellal?"
"Yes, now shush!" Erza was flutered. It was one thing to tell her friends that she was asked out on a date, but to tell who asked her was a different story. "Now, leave. Get back to work. This is none of your business, anyway."
"Then why bother telling us?" Natsu whispered to Gray, who nodded, and crossed his arms. "But yeah, I've got to go soon. The Hearfilias are expecting me in two hours."
"Heartfilias?" Gray turned to Erza. "You assigned him to look after their daughter?"
"It was a request made by her personally." Erza said, smiling. "It seems that Natsu here has made a friend."
"Oi, baka, haven't you heard of rule number 3?" Gray said. "Be professional. Don't get too close to the client."
(2) "Well, then, I guess you haven't heard of rule 3.5." Natsu said. "Being close to the client is professional. Besides, ice princess, it's not my fault you end up killing all yours."
Gray glared at Natsu, who just shrugged and left the room.
"This is why you're grounded, Gray." Erza said in a stern voice.
"Hey, I'll get "professional" with my clients when you assign me to protect them, not investigate them for their crimes and eventually assassinate them in their sleep." Gray replied nonchalantly.
"Get out of here."
And so he did.
After that hearty talk with Erza and Natsu, Gray decided to go to his shared office with Lyon before checking in on Jet and Droy on new leads about the Porla case. Even though he was grounded, he liked to be updated.
When he finally reached the premises of his office, he saw his brother typing away on his laptop. Probably about the case, too., he thought. He sat on his chair, turned on his laptop, and did a little more research on the case- the Juvia case, that is.
Of course, he did this occasionally to some of the other girls he's gone out with, but Juvia was different. She was the first one he's hit on who didn't throw herself at him the minute they met. She actually ran away from him, and, yes, the following events threw him off in surprise, but after that, when he got to know her more over caramade franks, he knew. She's different, and I love different. So maybe it was time for him to be different, too.
After about ten minutes of just keyboards being tapped on and the occasional squeaking of their office chairs being the only sounds heard, Gray glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye and found it odd that he was so engrossed in his work. He's pissed off about Erza grounding us, too, isn't he? But how come… This can't be about Porla. It can't. And so he asked, "What are you doing there on the computer? Porn?"
Lyon chuckled and tore his eyes off of the laptop screen. "Actually, I'm just checking on my girl. You know, the one I went out with last Saturday?"
"I was doing the same thing! I was just doing a background check on my girl."
Lyon leaned back on his seat, not surprised that his brother met a girl, but asked about it anyway. "You met a girl?"
Gray nodded. "I met her at the bookstore last Saturday, too, when I was helping you out."
"Well, I don't know if that's creepy or romantic." Lyon said, referring to the background check.
"Well, you're doing the same thing." Gray countered. "It's (3) cromantic."
Lyon shook his head. "I never thought you actually cared about who you sleep with."
"For your information, Lyon, and to everyone's surprise, I have standards." Gray said. "I actually give a shit about the girls I sleep with, thank you very much."
Lyon rolled his eyes at his brother. "Sure, Gray. Whatever you say."
Gray grinned. "Do you want to see her?"
Lyon grinned as well. "Do you want to see her?"
"Alright," Gray clasped his hands together. "let the games begin."
"I bet yours has antlers and a nose with that of Shrek's." Lyon commented.
"She does, but incredibly attractive, so." Gray shrugged, feeling confident. "She's a ten."
"On three."
"One. Two. Three!" And they both turned their laptops…
… just to see the same woman on each of their screens.
They also did a double-check to see if they were just hallucinating, but no, nothing's changed.
The two exchanged an awkward silence, staring at each other's eyes, looking for answers.
It was Lyon who snapped out of it first. He ran a hand on his face and asked, "I-Is that J-Juvia. Juvia…?"
"Juvia Lockser." Gray stated.
"Lockser." Lyon nodded. "Th-That's the girl from the bookstore?"
"That's right across from Barney's." Gray groaned. "Oh, wow. I, um- I had no idea."
"Of course you didn't." Lyon said. "How could you know that, err, her- how could you?"
Another awkward silence passed.
What the hell is going on?, Gray thought.
"Did she, um, say that she wanted to go on a date with you, though?" Lyon asked.
Gray raised his hands in defeat, not wanting to make a scene nd create an issue with his brother. "You know what, I'm gonna make this easy for both of us. I'm gonna back off. You date her."
"No, answer me, Gray." Lyon persisted. "Did she say that she wanted to date- to go out with you?"
Gray sighed. He's making this more complicated than it already is. "Look, Lyon, it doesn't matter. I love you. You're my brother. You date her." he said that last part with a bit of hesitation. "Besides, if I got to date her," Which I already did., he added in thought. "the picture wouldn't be fair."
Lyon cocked a brow at his brother. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Gray let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his face. I can't believe he still needs an explanation.
"What does it mean, Gray?" Lyon repeated. He wasn't entirely sure where his brother was getting at, but he had a hunch, and it was not going to be nice.
"Well," Gray scratched the back of his head and tried to sound discreet. "you're not as out much in the dating pool than I am, so you would, uh, have to require more practice, because practice, um, makes perf-"
"Perfect?" Lyon crossed his arms. "So you're saying you're perfect?"
"No! No, Lyon, come on. I'm not perfect, but," Gray sighed. "damn, I'm close…"
Lyon nodded. "Wow."
Gray raised his eyebrows. "Wow…"
Lyon thought that Gray was probably right, but that doesn't mean he was going to be forever. It was time for a change- a transformation. He decided that it was time to prove his brother wrong and show him that he could handle things on his own, that he could get a girl, too.
It was time for Gray's reign of cockiness to end.
"You know, you don't have to back off because of me."
"I don't." Gray sounded surprised and a little relieved at the same time. He did not expect Lyon to say that at all.
"Yeah, 'cause I'm certain she's not gonna fall in love with you, buddy."
It was Gray's turn to cock a brow at his brother. "Oh, well, how very nice of you, Lyon."
"You're welcome." Lyon shrugged. "So do your thing, whatever that is, and we'll just let her decide."
Gray scoffed. "Sure."
"Right." Lyon looked back at his laptop screen and saw his Juvia-chan's pretty, innocent face. There's no way in hell I'm letting Gray win- not this time, no., he thought. His brother had always won every match or game they had, but Lyon was pretty determined to win this one. He wasn't going to let Gray get away with this.
Lyon tapped his keyboard rather harshly before shutting it down and turning back to Gray, who was just staring at him incredulously. "And while we're at it, why don't we make some rules?"
"Ground rules."
"Rule number one, I don't think we should tell her we know each other." Lyon said.
"I don't think we should." Gray agreed. "Rule number two, we stay out of each other's way. You want to play this game, Lyon? Let's play it fair."
"And number three, Gray."
"What?"
Lyon squinted his eyes. "No frickle frackle."
"Frickle frackle?" Gray choked. "Damn, you really haven't dated in a long time, have you?"
"Sh-Shut up!" Lyon did his best to hide his embarrassment. "And if this ever affects with our friendship-"
"Which it won't." Gray interjected.
"Which it won't," Lyon agreed, thankful that his brother still valued their relationship more than this dispute they were having. "we stop this nonsense and walk away."
Gray closed the case. "Done."
"So then we have, uh… what do we have?"
"A Gentleman's Agreement." Gray stated.
"A Gentleman's Agreement, yeah."
"We do." Gray finally relaxed on his chair. "May the best man win."
"For her." Lyon said, pointing at Juvia's picture on his brother's laptop screen.
"For Juvia." Gray added.
Lyon glared. Let the games begin, brother.
Short-ish chapter, but I hope you liked it- as well as the little Jerza I implied there :)
Also, I'm a little rusty since I haven't written a story seriously for the past year. Sorry, guys. Constructive criticism is welcome.
(1) I absolutely hate it when people do this -.- It's just like saying, "Hey, Sandy! I have a crush." "Who is it?" "It's a secret." LIKE WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY WOULD YOU EVEN TELL ME IF YOU WON'T GOD
(2) A little something implying to a quest in Hollywood U lol Anyone else here play that game, too?
(3) Creepy + Romantic = Cromantic.
Thoughts? Leave a review!