A/N: I'm back bitches! (I've always wanted to say that)
But seriously, I'm still alive.
I unfortunately went through a long period where I lost all motivation to write. Thankfully it finally returned about a week ago.
I've been working on drafts for other fics as well this past week (no, apparently I can't focus on just one fic at a time, I need to make my life difficult) so keep an eye out for those.
Also, I'll be starting a one shot collection in the near future (probably early November?) featuring all the pairings you see in this fic. I'm hoping the one shots will help me keep my motivation to write. They'll be AU and non-AU and I'll be taking suggestions from readers as well.
That's about it for my general life update... here's chapter 14!
The next morning Lucy sat in the guild hall stirring her coffee furiously. It had been several days since she'd heard from Natsu and she was beginning to worry for their friendship. They'd never gone this long without speaking before. In fact, this had to be their first real fight.
"Yikes, what did that coffee ever do to you?"
The celestial mage looked up to see Cana smirking at her before looking back down at her drink. Half the contents had spilled all over the table and one side of the mug had a crack.
"I see you're just as destructive as your fire breathing boyfriend," The brunette snickered.
Lucy bristled at the remark, "Natsu is not my boyfriend!"
"Yet." Cana winked before sauntering back to her barrel.
Lucy let out an irritated huff. Why must everyone tease her about Natsu? It's not like it would ever happen. The guy was absolutely clueless when it came to women.
Yet she couldn't help but wonder if maybe she had a shot now that the dragon slayer was… realizing things.
Just as quickly as the thought entered her mind, she shooed it out again with a shake of her head.
No, just because he has possibly hit puberty doesn't mean he's automatically going to be attracted to me. That's not how it works. He has to choose the girl he wants to be with.
Lucy couldn't help herself as her eyes wandered across the guildhall to where the youngest Strauss sibling sat across from Bixlow chatting happily. Lisanna and Natsu had a whole childhood together and still remained good friends. So it made sense for the two of them to end up together someday.
However, the way Lisanna was looking at the seith mage across from her told a different story.
"Well even if Natsu is interested in her, it looks like her interest lies elsewhere," The blonde muttered to herself, trying to ignore the relief that flooded through her.
"What kind of weirdo sits alone at a table talking to herself?"
Lucy jumped at the familiar voice, turning around just to come face to face with the boy who had been plaguing her thoughts for the past week.
"Natsu?!"
"The one and only," He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked anywhere but at her.
"So… are we speaking again?" Lucy asked slowly, trying to gage his reaction.
Natsu's eyes widened a fraction at the question before he recovered, "Y-yeah… or at least I'd like to…"
The blonde let out a sigh of relief, "I'd like that too Natsu."
The dragon slayer returned the smile with another nervous chuckle, "I'm sorry for being such a jerk Lucy."
"I'm sorry too, Natsu. I'm glad we're still friends."
This time Natsu's jaw nearly unhinged, "Oi, why wouldn't we still be friends?!"
Lucy smiled. Of course Natsu hadn't been taking the fight as seriously as she had.
"I don't know," She giggled at the outraged expression on his face. "I guess that was a pretty crazy thought."
"Damn right it was!"
The celestial mage giggled again. For the first time in days, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She and Natsu were as good as ever. There had been nothing to worry about all along.
Or so she thought.
The dragon slayer slowly sat down across from her looking incredibly uncomfortable all of the sudden.
She raised an eyebrow as he continued to shift around in his seat, looking towards the back of the guild hall every few seconds. "Uh, Natsu? Are you okay?"
He whipped around to face her again, "Y-yeah, totally… just hungry."
"Ah, well in that case I'll go order you something to eat." The celestial mage shot him a conspiratorial grin before standing up, only to be yanked back into her seat a moment later. She frowned at the dragon slayer, "Natsu, what are you doing?"
"Can we talk?" He looked uncharacteristically nervous as he spoke. "Please?"
Lucy frowned. Was Natsu in some kind of trouble? She had never seen him act this way before.
"Natsu, is there something you're not telling me?"
Clearly that had been the wrong way to approach the situation. The dragon slayer tensed up, meeting her gaze with his distressed one.
"N-no, why w-would–"
"Salamander!"
Lucy looked away from her friend to see Gajeel and Jellal sit down on either side of him. While Jellal's expression seemed sunny enough, Gajeel looked as grim as Natsu did.
Before Lucy could greet her classmates, Natsu let out a low growl, "Get lost you bastards."
"You need us." Gajeel growled back.
"Do not."
"Do too."
"It's good to see you Lucy." Jellal spoke directly to the blonde, ignoring the two dragon slayers completely. "How have you been?"
"Good, thank you," She smiled despite her confusion. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Natsu. Whatever it was; Gajeel and Jellal seemed to be heavily involved. "How about you?"
"I'm good, thanks for asking." Jellal returned the smile, resting a hand over top of hers. While the gesture didn't come across as flirtatious in the slightest, it was still rather odd. Before Lucy could question it though, Jellal was sent flying into the nearest table.
"Natsu!" She turned to the dragon slayer with a scowl. "Why did you punch him?"
The pink haired boy didn't even spare her a look, keeping his fiery gaze on the meteor mage who was already on his feet again. "He knows why."
Just as she thought she couldn't be any more confused, Gajeel began laughing.
"You should be thanking him Salamander. He just got us our answer."
"What answer?" Lucy couldn't help butting into the conversation. She was totally lost. "What is going on here?"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Jellal reappeared at their table, a little bruised but overall fine. He turned to the two other boys, "Shall we go then?"
"Hey– I–" Natsu's protests were cut off when Gajeel grabbed him by the collar and began to drag him towards the door.
"Oi, wait, I ain't done talking to Lucy yet!"
"You'll get your chance after we've had our little talk." Gajeel snickered.
The fire mage put up quite the fight but Gajeel was determined. He dragged Natsu back through the entrance of the guild and before the celestial mage could get another word in, the door slammed behind them.
Lucy sat there, stunned.
"What the hell just happened?"
Gray stood by the entrance of the guild hall waiting for the water mage. Despite the shining sun and clear blue skies, the crisp November air kept the citizens of Magnolia bundled up.
The ice mage stood out in the crowds of people, wearing a singlet and shorts. He remained unbothered by the odd looks he received. When one has a stripping habit, one gets used to receiving odd looks. He was just grateful he'd managed to keep all articles of clothing on so far.
"Gray?"
The ice mage had been so busy staring off into space he hadn't noticed the blunette appear next to him.
"Juvia!" He greeted, turning to face the water mage. "How are you?"
"Juvia is good, thank you," She smiled brightly, causing his stomach to do a little flip. He hadn't seen her once in the last three weeks and her smile was like sunshine to him.
"Juvia I–"
"Do you mind if I go first, actually?" She cut him off almost immediately. "I'm sorry; I just really need to say this."
Gray swallowed, preparing himself for the worst. "Sure, go ahead."
The water mage took a deep breath and met his gaze.
"Juv– I like you, a lot. You know that. But Juvia doesn't know how to go about this romance stuff. I get obsessive and anxious. I get jealous," She paused, looking guilty. "Juvia called Lucy 'love rival' once… well, maybe twice." The blunette twiddled her thumbs together, no longer looking at Gray. "So Juvia has needed this time to find herself, and figure out what other things make her happy besides Gray. It's been going very well and I've been feeling better than ever for the first time in years." She managed a small smile, looking back up at the ice mage, who was smiling fondly back at her. Her heart sped up in her chest. She wanted to curse herself for being so affected by him, but she didn't. She was more in control now than ever. She was ready for the next step.
"Juvia has a proposition…" She began, watching him for any signs of discomfort. But he simply nodded. "Could we start over? As friends?"
Gray's serene expression morphed into a puzzled one. "Weren't we always friends…?"
Juvia shook her head, "No. I mean, yes! But for now, I'd like to put all the romantic stuff aside completely and forget about it. Instead, we could get to know each other better as friends and… oh Juvia's idea is ridiculous isn't it?" She wailed, covering her face with her small hands.
"No no no," Gray panicked, waving his hands in front of him. He realized his confusion was probably giving her the wrong idea. "No, it's a great idea Juvia. I was just a little confused at first. That's all."
"Really?" The water mage looked up with a hopeful expression. "You like the idea?"
"Yeah, I do. I think a fresh start is just what we need." He grinned. "And if we ever decide we… y'know, want to be more than… y'know. We could y'know… do that." The ice mage turned away to hide the blush spreading across his face, but Juvia caught a glimpse of it.
Gray's words had her heart hammering and her cheeks as red as his. The blunette had woken up today expecting the worst but as usual, Gray was full of surprises. He was trying to keep his cool demeanor intact but she saw right through it.
"Thank you Gray," She smiled softly at him, reveling in the blush that reappeared on his face once more.
"N-no problem," He looked away, scratching the back of his neck.
Before they could say anything more, loud voices sounded from inside the guild and suddenly Gajeel came bursting out the door with a death grip on Natsu's jacket while Jellal strolled calmly beside them.
"Juvia. Stripper." The iron dragon slayer greeted, never slowing down. Natsu continued to shout his protests until he noticed Gray and Juvia standing there.
"Oi Gray, help me!"
The ice mage sighed, "Sorry flame brain, you're on your own bud."
"Leave them alone Natsu, they've got some talking to do," Jellal said calmly, keeping pace with the larger dragon slayer. "And so do we."
Once the odd trio disappeared around a corner out of sight, Gray turned to the water mage.
"Yo Juvia," He said, bringing her attention back to him. "Want to celebrate our fresh start with some lunch at the guild?"
Juvia smiled, "I'd like that."
"So it looks like Gray and Juvia are speaking again."
Mira looked up from the mug she was cleaning to see the two mages at a table near the door, chatting happily.
"I'm so glad," She beamed, setting the mug on the drying rack behind her. "I've been rooting for those two for a while."
"You'll root for anyone," Cana rolled her eyes, downing the last of her beer. She slid it across the bar top towards Mira, indicating she wanted a refill. The takeover mage obliged, filling it once more and sliding it back towards the brunette.
"That's not true; I'm very selective with my pairings."
Cana raised an eyebrow, "Jenny and Laxus?!"
Mira frowned, "What's wrong with them?"
"Oh c'mon Mira you can't be serious," Cana groaned. "Laxus is one of your closest and oldest friends and Jenny is your rival. You don't even like her that much!"
"I think everyone deserves a second chance and I think Laxus would be a good match for Jenny." The takeover mage shrugged.
"How so?"
"Well…" Mira tapped her chin as she tried to come up with something. After a minute of silence, she realized that perhaps Cana was right. "Okay, so maybe they're not the best match…"
"Of course they're not. Jenny likes guys she can manipulate and wrap around her finger. Laxus doesn't put up with any of that bullshit." Cana said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Well if you're such an expert, who do you think Laxus should be with?" Mira asked exasperatedly, placing her hands on her hips.
The look Cana gave her made her uneasy. It was Cana's classic mischievous smile and nothing good ever came from it.
"Isn't it obvious?" The brunette's eyes gleamed, "You."
Mira couldn't stop her jaw from dropping while Cana, who looked much like a predator circling its prey, was watching her, her lips curled up in an impish grin.
Mira managed a nervous chuckle, "Don't be silly Cana. I've known Laxus since we were kids. We're just friends."
"But you don't have to be. C'mon Mira, would it be so bad to have a guy like Laxus?" Cana finished her drink and slid her mug back to Mira for a refill but the barmaid ignored it, focusing on the question she'd just been asked.
"Well no… but I do have Laxus! As a friend!"
Cana groaned, "You know what I mean Mira."
Mira smiled, "You don't need to set me up Cana. I'm quite happy with where I'm at. Besides, I have a lot of fun pairing up my guildmates. I don't need to involve myself in that."
"Yeah but it's not like you need to do any pairing up anymore. Half the people in our guild are in relationships or well on their way to one." Cana argued, giving her mug a small shove in Mira's direction hoping she'd take the hint.
Instead Mira leaned on her elbows on the bar, resting her face in her hands. "I guess that's true."
"Of course it's true. What are you going to do, stay single until every last person in this guild is matched up?"
"I guess not…"
"Exactly!" Cana slammed her hands down on the bar in excitement. "So at least consider Laxus. I mean, think about it Mira, you guys are perfect for each other."
Mira giggled, "Laxus and I? Perfect? I don't think so."
Cana snorted, "Okay, maybe perfect isn't the right word. But you guys balance each other out with his tough guy act and your motherly personality. You both treat your guild like your family and would do anything to protect it. Makarov is officially his grandpa but he's basically yours too. The two of you know each other better than anyone because you grew up together in Fairy Tail. I guess the only thing in question is your chemistry. The rest of us see it but do you feel it?"
"Chemistry?" Mira's lips twisted into a frown. "I've never even thought about this before so I don't know."
"Well next time you're around Laxus, look for it. Does your heart speed up? When he touches you do you get that tingly feeling?"
"I'm sure I won't," Mira smiled at the card mage. "Laxus is a dear friend and guildmate. That's it."
"Fine, don't listen to me," Cana grumbled. "But if I'm right and you two get married, you owe me an open bar at the wedding."
"Deal," Mira giggled. "Now I better go call Jenny and cancel that date."
"Woah woah woah," Cana grabbed the takeover mage by the arm. "Why would you do that?"
"Um, because you told me Jenny isn't a good match for Laxus?"
"So? You can't just take away my entertainment like that!"
Mira giggled again, "Oh Cana, you're so silly. I'm not sure that's fair to Laxus though."
"Trust me Mira, he needs this date. Even if it's Jenny, he needs all the dating practice he can get. He's a big boy, he can handle himself."
Mira sighed, "Okay fine but if he gets angry at me like last time I'll be sending him your way."
"Oh don't worry," Cana rose from her seat with a sly grin. "This will be nothing like last time."
"Can I open my eyes yet?" Erza asked for the third time since she'd entered Jellal's apartment. He had told her he had a surprise for her and her curiosity was growing by the second.
"We're almost there," Jellal chuckled, guiding her into the kitchen. He arranged a few items on the counter and placed a small vase with roses on the windowsill before walking over to his girlfriend. "Okay, you can open your eyes."
The requip mage opened her eyes and looked around the room in confusion. She had been expecting a picnic or romantic meal of some sort but instead there were pots, pans, utensils and various ingredients strewn across the counter.
Jellal chuckled, "Don't worry; the surprise isn't a messy kitchen."
Erza turned to him with a puzzled expression, "Then what is it?"
"Erza Scarlet, today I'm going to teach you how to cook."
A/N: The Jerza scene will be continued in the next chapter. I'm tired and just want to get this chapter up since it's already SO late haha.
I personally don't like how I've written Gruvia so far, so by writing this scene for them it somewhat allows me to start over a bit with them and give them a better story. So I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone waiting for a big confession from Gray but I think this is a way better route to go. You'll just have to trust me.
Next chapter will feature other couples that haven't had much time so far. It'll probably be longer so I can fit everyone in.
Thanks for reading :) Pleeeease review, I love them oh so much!