I'M NOT AFRAID
_Chapter 1_
I don't own Fairy Tail, I just enjoy writing about it. Hey guys!
So, this is one of my
Years had passed and- even then- she was so stunned thinking about how many friends she had made and how much she had changed. Her friends made her understand what being in a guild really meant and thanks to the guild she found love. That same love that was crushing her world down depriving her of sleep.
She was there, in her bed tossing and turning trying to catch some sleep. Earlier that day, she saw Gray talking really close to Erza, she had never seen Erza like a love rival honestly but then again why wouldn't she?
Juvia took a deep breath and got up to take a bath, the third bath of the day actually.
She disappeared in the hot water of her bathtub thinking about her relationship with Gray, he was always so cold with her but recently she felt closer to him. That was probably her impression though.
She started to think that she auto-convinced herself that Gray loved her just because she really wanted to be with him.
Juvia let the water comfort her, when she was sad her element was always her best friend. She closed her eyes and basked in the heath of the water, she inhaled the sweet scent of her shower gel and started to bathe sliding her hands on her pale skin.
The day had been so long and she really hoped that- after the third bath- she could sleep in peace.
She rinsed and put on a clean set of pyjamas laying back on her bed.
The sun filtered through the window, Juvia groaned in annoyance. It was definitely too early since she didn't have a lot of sleep.
The water mage covered her face with her pillow and groaned in frustration thinking that she couldn't skip work. She breathed out and got up of bed rushing to the bathroom to get dressed.
She made herself breakfast even though she wasn't really hungry and sipped on her coffee. After the third one she felt ready to start her day.
The sun was shining bright in the sky, she had to take off her coat while walking to the guild.
"Good morning Juvia-chan" said Lisanna when she walked into the guild.
"Good morning" Juvia answered.
"The weather's really good today, isn't it?" Lisanna asked with a smile on her face.
Mirajane came into view smiling widely "It's the perfect weather for a day at the beach". Lisanna sighed, her smile fading "Yeah. Too bad we have to work".
Juvia giggled, amused by the scene in front of her. She would have liked to go to the beach but Lisanna was right.
Juvia went to the notice board and searched for some good job to take.
The job offers were really plain that day, Juvia thought that the best ones had been already taken by the early birds while she tried to remember why she had to wake up and live that day. Surely, Gray and his team were already on their way to a great mission that would have turned them into heroes once more.
Juvia let out a breath and looked around to search for Gajeel. He wasn't there either.
Cana sat at one of the tables and couldn't help but notice the lost expression on her friend's face. "I will regret this" she muttered to herself standing up and walking to Juvia's direction.
"Hello Cana-chan" Juvia chirped.
"Hey!" Cana smiled at her "Would you like to go on a job together?" she asked.
Juvia's face instantly lit up in pure joy, she had never been on a mission with Cana and was really excited to do so "Juvia would love to" she answered.
Cana grinned happily, she was proud of herself for making her friend happy "Let's see what we have there" she said looking across the notice board.
"Look at this one, it seems a good one. What do you think?" Cana asked giving Juvia one of the offers.
The offer recited: Big reward for anyone that manages to beat up a group of thieves in South Magnolia.
Cana let out a low whistle "Seems like a piece of cake" she said smugly.
"The reward isn't specified though" Juvia retorted.
"What do you care? Can't you read? It says it is a lot of money!" Cana said, an excited look on her beautiful face. Juvia laughed at Cana's antics but she had to admit that she didn't really care how much money they'd give them. She just wanted to distract herself in order to think of other things that weren't Gray.
"You won't be talking about Gray during all the trip right?" Cana asked rising an eyebrow. Juvia rolled her eyes and shook her head firmly "Juvia won't and if she does Cana can beat her up. She has permission".
"Sounds good to me" the cards mage said with a smirk.
After getting in the train station the two girls managed to get the last train for their destination.
"Thank Kami we made it" Cana said with bated breath.
Juvia let herself fall on her seat breathing heavily and rested her head on the backrest "Juvia thought we wouldn't have made it in time" she breathed out.
"Don't tell me" Cana agreed taking her place.
The train left the station soon after, Juvia was sitting next to the window and couldn't help but admire the landscape that was changing rapidly in front of her.
The girl soon found herself mesmerized by the beauty of the immense flower fields and forests all around the view.
The sky was of a beautiful blue and the sun shone bright creating an enjoyable warmth on her creamy skin.
"We really are lucky, the weather is really nice today" Cana said.
Juvia looked at her while she was sipping at her sake "Cana-chan you should stop drinking, do you want to arrive drunk?".
"Do you think it takes this little bit of sake to make me drunk?" Cana asked with a smirk on her face. Juvia just smiled at her and rolled her eyes in a playful way.
"Okay, I know what I said before but... What's up with Gray?" Cana asked after a while.
Juvia took a deep breath and looked down at her feet, she leaned on her friend's shoulder and spoke "Juvia would like to have an answer to that question".
"You're not going anywhere, huh?". The water mage shook her head with a sad expression on her face.
"Have you ever thought that maybe Gray doesn't want to be with you?" the cards mage asked. Cana's words were difficult to accept but Juvia had to admit she had thought about that option multiple times.
"Juvia has taken that option in consideration" she said.
"Sorry, I didn't want to make you upset" Cana said in a rush. Juvia shook her head and smiled at her friend "No, Cana-chan is right, Juvia has to open her eyes".
"Maybe I'm wrong" Cana suggested.
Cana would have liked for Juvia to accept the reality but she felt sorry for her friend. Juvia without her cheery personality simply wasn't Juvia.
It was weird seeing her like this when- usually- she had a lot of determination.
"Juvia doesn't really know what to think" Juvia said "Sometimes he is so sweet and seems to be interested in Juvia but then-"
Cana nodded her head motioning for her to continue her speech. "Sometimes it seems like he doesn't care at all" Juvia finished.
"Do you know what I think?" Cana asked putting a hand on Juvia's knee "I think that you should stop tormenting yourself with this situation".
"Eh?" the water mage asked, her voice barely audible "How could Juvia do that?".
"I wish I could tell you sweetie" was Cana's reply. There it was, the look that Juvia didn't want to receive from her friends: pity. The water mage that once was feared as a member of the Element Four, ex mage of S-Class, Juvia couldn't recognize herself anymore.
She loved her new personality, she liked having feelings and she deeply loved her friends but- sometimes- she wished to be stronger.
Juvia knew that Cana would never tell her but she realized it must have been torture listening to her speaking about Gray all the time, Juvia was aware of how much time she spent talking about him but her feelings were too deep to be hidden.
Sometimes she felt so much love she feared her heart would explode.
"Juvia just wishes to understand Gray-sama's feelings" the water mage breathed out.
"Have you ever thought of giving him more space?" Cana suggested "Let him be for a while".
Juvia raised an eyebrow tilting her head to the side. "Y'know, sometimes you are a bit too-" Cana stopped herself to think of a nice way to say it, but then again honesty was the way to go "Clingy".
"C-clingy?" Juvia repeated with wide eyes. Cana hummed in response "Yeah. Juvia I don't want to be mean or anything but you need to give Gray some space. It's okay to be determinate but you push him too much".
The water mage absorbed every single word her friend had said, it was the first time that someone that wasn't Gajeel was so sincere with her. Usually the others just looked at her with pity or tried to cheer her up telling her not to give up. Cana was straightforward and was telling her the truth, a truth that Juvia was too weak to see but she knew that Cana was right.
"Juvia thinks you're right" Juvia said, her voice barely a whisper.
"Hey, don't take it like that. I'll help you out okay?" Cana smiled at her in a friendly way and gave her a half hug.
"Thank you Cana-chan" Juvia said.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Cana said with a wide grin on her face. Juvia was always surprised when someone called her a "friend", apart from Gajeel and Gray she really hadn't been friends with the other guild members but it wasn't because she didn't want to, it was simply because Gray occupied most of her mind.
She decided that that would be a new start, with Cana's help and support she would have learned to be more patient and she would have tried to spend more time with her nakamas.
Juvia wasn't alone anymore and that touched her in many ways, the fact that someone was so willing to help her made her feel loved and special.
Suddenly the idea of making it didn't seem so impossible. She would have forgotten her crush for Gray.
"Y'know what? We have another hour, I'll sleep a little bit. Is that okay with ya?" Cana asked.
"Juvia will wake you up when we arrive".
The village wasn't very big, the houses were entirely made of wood and were all very close to each other. Every house had a little garden and the streets were made of cobblestones, in between the houses there were some shops or cafes.
"What a nice place" Cana said, irony all over her voice.
Juvia rolled her eyes and looked around "Juvia doesn't see the client though".
The two mages stood there trying to orientate themselves and started to walk down the street.
"This village's dead" Cana commented while sipping on her sake.
"There is someone" Juvia said pointing at a little square at the end of the main street.
At the centre of the square there was a fountain made of three blocks of marble, at every side of the fountain there was a bench in white wood and people were sitting there talking among themselves.
When the two girls came into view one of the citizens stood up with his arms wide in a clear sign of welcoming.
He was a middle-aged man with long blonde hair and hazel eyes.
"Are you mages of Fairy Tail?" he asked with a deep voice.
"Yes" the two replied in unison.
Juvia was a bit intimidated by that man but when she realized that Cana was relaxed she calmed down as well.
"Can you explain the situation to us?" Cana asked.
"Of course! But first, my name is Edward and I own the houses that you see. Recently some bastards took them without paying".
Juvia stared at him with wide eyes and let out a loud gasp "They stole the houses?".
The man nodded his head adjusting his hair.
"Shit" Cana hissed.
"The thing is that many citizens have to live in the inn" he explained.
"Don't worry, we'll take it from here" Cana assured with a smile. Juvia nodded firmly with a determined look on her face.
As expected the mission was a success, Juvia and Cana managed to beat the thieves and received a great reward in exchange.
The trip back home was a peaceful one and the two of them talked to one another constantly.
When they got back to the guild they couldn't help but notice that a lot of their friends were back from their own missions, team Natsu was there as well.
Juvia's eyes were instantly on Gray and she made a move to run towards him but Cana took her by the arm and pulled her over a nearby table were Gajeel was sitting.
"What's the matter?" Gajeel asked.
"She can't be near Gray" Cana said with a smirk on her face. Gajeel hummed in response and waved goodbye to Cana forcing Juvia to sit with him, Juvia let out a deep breath and rested her head on the table.
"You'll make it Ameonna, and if it doesn't work we can always pay you visit in jail when you'll get arrested for stalking" he said.
Juvia laughed hard "Gajeel-kun is exaggerating, Juvia isn't that clingy".
"You're not?" Gajeel retorted with a smirk on his face.
Panther Lily was with them short after.
"Where the hell were you all day?" Gajeel asked.
"Training. I want to maintain my battle form for a longer time" was the Exceed's reply "Hello Juvia" he added. Juvia smiled at him "Hello Lily-san".
Gajeel let out a growl of approval "Good. Tomorrow morning I'll train with you".
"Can Juvia come?" the water mage asked with hope in her eyes.
"Why not? The more the merrier" Lily said with a smile. Gajeel winked at Juvia and put on a smug face "If you think you can keep up with me".
"Tsk, Gajeel-kun will have to beg Juvia to slow down" she replied with an arrogant smirk on her face.
"We'll see Ameonna, we'll see".
Juvia immediately felt thankful, she had really good friends such as Gajeel, Cana and Lily. With their help she could surely forget Gray.
Actually, things could take two ways: she could forget about him or she would manage to be with him. She hoped for the second option but- as long as it was the right thing- she was okay with everything.
Yes, she would be fine because her friends were there with her all the way.