A/N: Hi minnnaaa! I know it has been a very long time since I updated! Aka-chan is very sorry! But still, thank you for your loveable reviews and never-ending support! Sorry for the long wait! `Ja, on to the next chappy! Enjoy~ ヽ(^o^)ノ

Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

Chapter 10

"Wow, this place is so beautiful."

"Wait 'til it's night time, Juvia." She smiled at her, "This place is famous for its view at night. I really wish I could bring everyone from Fairy Tail though… it's just that, the rate is very expensive, especially if you include overnight. A lot of people can only afford the rates during the daytime, we're very lucky my uncle gave us two days and one night passes."

"Lucy doesn't need to worry. Juvia is sure they know the situation…" the latter sat on the sand.

"You're right. So…" the blonde sat beside her, "J-Juvia, about the mission I lately accepted… to be honest I didn't know Gray would follo—err, I mean, I didn't know Erza would make Gray follow me. Actually, the reason why I took the job was because I wanted to visit my uncle and hope that he'd give me free passes to this place so we can go with Plan B."

"So that's why Lucy didn't want anyone to join her… But Lucy doesn't need to explain. Juvia knows Lucy didn't expect that and Juvia is not mad. In fact, Juvia heard everything when Erza came back. Erza wanted Master Gray and Natsu to look over Lucy, but… but Natsu wasn't in the guild that day so Master Gray said that he could handle it alone."

Seeing her friend somehow sad, "Well, maybe Gray doesn't want to be with Natsu anyway that's why he wanted to go alone?" She laughed forcefully.

She convincingly smiled, "Maybe…"

"Ne, Juvia?" she was slightly uncertain if she would bring the matter up, "D-do you want to know what happened when Gray and I were… were together? It's just that, you're not asking me anything about it…" Should I tell her about what Gray told me? Should I tell her that I think Gray actually likes me?

"Juvia is not asking Lucy anything because Juvia trusts Lucy. Juvia knows that if there is anything worth mentioning, Lucy would tell it to Juvia."

That's it. This isn't the right time to tell her. "Yes… but, but it seems like there's something troubling you. Normally, you would get excited and ask me about what Gray and I talked about or did he want to talk about you or are there any information I got from talking to him… but now, you look like you're not you. Is there a problem?"

The bluenette sighed, "Does Lucy think there's any progress? Because Juvia thinks that until now, Master Gray sees Juvia only as a nakama, not a—"

"Don't say that, Juvia!" she looked at her with sincerity, "I am trying my best to act as the bridge, so please, please don't lose hope! This story is supposed to be about you and Gray. Remember what you told me before? The feeling of being in love? Please remember it, Juvia. Even if I have to act foolish and all, I don't care. I know it looks very hard but please, believe in me. Believe that we can do this!"

"Even though Juvia is losing hope, Lucy still wants to continue? Why is Lucy doing all this? Master Gray is right when he called Juvia selfish. This thing would not bring any benefit to Lucy. The reason why Juvia agreed to this is for Juvia's happiness. Juvia is sorry. Juvia is a bad friend…"

"No." She stood up, "I'm doing this because I promised that I would do my best to make your wish come true. You didn't agree before, I volunteered. I do this because I want you as a friend, and now you are." She smiled and reached for her hand, "Now, let's go and enjoy this place!"

She nodded with a smile, "Lucy is a very nice friend."

.

.

It was past noon time and the fairies are still having fun. They swam, ate, relaxed, played games, and yet they still have a lot of energy left in them. Natsu kept on insisting they play the watermelon-smashing game, but Lucy kept on rejecting it because she said they might overdo it and destroy things. If that happens, she thought, she would've to take five or more s-class missions just to pay for the damage and she wouldn't want that.

Originally, she planned to make her comrades play spin the bottle. There, she would write stuff that would surely provide skin ship for Juvia and Gray, but then she thought that there would be a 50-50 percent chance for that to happen, and worse, the bottle might even stop pointing at her and Gray. And as much as possible, she's avoiding things like that to happen since somehow, she feels like the guy actually likes her.

Her Plan B was to push Juvia and Gray to have no choice but to be with each other. It's not like Plan A. Her first plan was all about making time for Gray and Juvia and getting them to become comfortable with each other. She wasn't expecting any kind of sweetness or whatsoever from that plan. But now, she is.

How can she possibly make time for them and leave them with no choice but to stick together? And just as she was thinking of possible ways to do that, a sound of a police car's siren was what brought her a very, very silly idea.

"Gray! Juvia!" she ran to them. "Can you guys do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

She took out a handcuff, "People in this village say that this is a magical handcuff. Once there was a couple who lived beside the seashore. They loved, no, they were obsessed with seashells that they actually searched and hid hundreds of them beneath their house. Their obsession grew and grew into much more and they started getting not only seashells, but also other treasures of the sea. Later on, the cops found out what they were doing and arrested them for it."

"And then?"

"People say that the couple stayed together in a cell but when midnight came, the police saw nothing left in the couple's chamber but this handcuff unlocked and five different kinds of seashells. Until now, their whereabouts remain unknown."

"Is that true? Then there might be a chance that the couple might still be alive right now! Juvia is scared!"

"I don't get it. What's so magical about that?"

"Well apparently, they say that this handcuff automatically unlocks once you 'offer' it five different kinds of seashells. I wanna see if it's true, but there should be subjects, a girl and a boy."

"D-don't tell me—?"

The blonde nodded, "Please Gray? Can you do it with Juvia? I really wanna see if it's true, please?"

"Just find someone else. How about Erza and Natsu?"

She puckered, "Do you think Erza and Natsu would agree? So please do me a favour. If it's not true, then there's no harm done. I have the key with me so I can unlock it if I already found five different kinds of seashells and still, nothing happened."

He sighed, "Seriously, do you think that story is true? What's even the relationship between the handcuff and the shells?"

"Well," she looked down, "according to people, the couple's love for shells was so strong that it was able to create a magic strong enough to unlock this. But, don't you think it's kinda weird? Instead of breaking the handcuff, it's just unlocked. I asked people about it and they said that it's because love isn't supposed to 'break'. It's supposed to unlock – it's supposed to be the key. So if what the commoners are saying is true, then I guess that 'magic' still lives on. After all, love is that powerful, right? It's eternal. So please, can you—"

He observed her brown orbs, almost saying something that's beyond her understanding. "Fine," he let his left hand be cuffed, "but don't forget to acquire what you need before sun down. This is so troublesome."

The story was something she just made up. Of course it wasn't true, and she knows that Gray knows it too. That's why even though the story was a lie, she wonders, why did he agree to do this? Is it because he's okay with it? Or maybe because he's also curious to see if it would work? Or maybe because he was moved by her story? But that's not it. Those are all going against her theory of him knowing that she just made the story up. And then later she thought, maybe it's because he can't say no to her.

But essentially, that wasn't it. Gray let her handcuff him with Juvia because he wanted to prove something to the blonde – something that she will find out just as soon as the sun sets.

To be continued…

A/N: So how was it? I hope it was okay! I'm sorry too if you see mistakes! We're almost reaching the climax! Tehee~ please feel free to review, suggest, etc.! \(◦'')/