"Hmph."
"You tried to kill me."
"But I didn't, didn't I?"
Because Evergreen and Erza using transformation magic to turn into owls and perching themselves outside of Juvia's window wasn't enough. No, they were being pursued by a giant snake. And Erza tried to throw Evergreen at the thing as a decoy.
What they didn't know was that it was a bored Mirajane. I guess the She-Devil can never really go away, she thought.
The bet, which turned from Makarov betting both Erza and Mirajane that Laxus and Juvia wouldn't last a first date had made Mirajane 3,000 jewel richer (Erza declined out of respect for the master) was over. Now, there was a new bet to be made: who can get the duo to actually fall in love. And instead of Makarov, Evergreen was in the mix. And the stakes were higher: 5,000 jewel.
The most overzealous of the bunch were Evergreen and Erza, both overly competitive for their own good. While they might have started with good intentions-both sympathizing with Juvia and wanting Laxus to stop being such a stuck-in-the-mud-it sadly turned into a who-is-better competition. As does many things Fairy Tail members do.
Mirajane wasn't worried at all because she-technically and actually-was the reason why they were even paired in the first place. So, even if they did fall in love, she would win regardless. Erza and Evergreen were more worried about pushing them towards each other. Which helped Mirajane's cause greatly.
It's not that she didn't like Gray. No, he was like another brother to her. But he needed a shake up to make him understand his feelings for Juvia. She knew he was fond of her. Though, his actions may state differently.
And while Juvia was, for the most part, aggressive (for lack of better word), she still deserved to be treated better. And also, she needed someone that could handle her. And who else better than Laxus, the King of Indifference. Who also, if she might add, needed someone to get him out of his comfort zone. And who else besides the overly zealous, but also overly sweet Juvia? It was a match made.
The first week of being paired was awkward. It was. Neither Juvia or Laxus would lie about that. The arrangement was so random-and out of place. They hadn't talked much before. If you count the Grand Magic Games, then that was the most they ever interacted with each other. Ever.
He was a quiet, emotionally closed-off man. She wore her heart on her sleeve. She thought, they would never mesh well. And even if so, how would they even do it? What would they even talk about?
The whole issue of going out on dates showed how difficult this pairing would be. Juvia is old fashioned. She had expected him to pick the places for their dates. But what did he choose each and every time? Training. And it annoyed her. He doesn't have any romantic bone in his body, Juvia once remarked.
She had assumed that their very first meeting post-assignment would also be their first date. She was all dressed up for a nice date. She took the first initiative and planned a picnic. She thought that, maybe, if he saw her outfit, he would change his mind and then they could actually try this dating 'thing.' Nothing too big-just a light lunch and a walk in the park. Like in the movies. However, that was not the case.
Laxus took one look at her. Juvia was dressed in a white sundress and her hair was pulled back in a baby blue-and-white polka dot headband. He snorted, "That's some nice armor you got there. I don't think that'll work for training though."
Her face reddened, "You can't be serious. Aren't we supposed to go on a date?"
He smirked, "Did you really think this was a date? I have to gauge your abilities before I can take you on a mission."
"You've got to be kidding me?" She said.
"I can't just take anyone to S-Class missions. Now, show me all your progress you've been making." He was serious. His stance was ready. But she wasn't. She could feel herself shake, erupting with anger.
Laxus is a powerful mage. And while she might have held her own against some tough villains, demons here-and-there, she hadn't fought someone like Laxus. And didn't want to. Not because she was afraid he'd kill her, but because she knew that his expectations were beyond what she could comprehend. Fighting on a date is not romantic.
"I'd say relax, but I won't be taking it easy on you." His smirk never left his lips.
His signature jacket was off. It showed his tattoo that sprawled over his biceps through his sleeveless shirt. Juvia won't lie, he had nice definition. Though, not as impressive as Gray. And I bet Gray would never try to fight me on the first date (though we did fight when we met, but that's another story), she thought to herself. No, she couldn't think those things. It was going to be a date, whether he liked it or not.
Juvia dropped her bag and then got into her combative stance. She was going to show him what she was made of.
Three hours later, she was exhausted. Almost all of her magical energy was spent. Laxus had worked her harder than Gajeel ever did. With no breaks. As Juvia laid on the grass, her white dress stained with blood and dirt, Laxus laughs. It seemed as if he can do this all day.
"C-Can we,' Juvia tries to catch her breath, 'Can we, please, break now?" Looking at her desperate face, Laxus finally agrees. He figured that he worked her enough already.
All the energy that Juvia thought was gone reappeared in a moment's notice once she began preparing for the picnic. She pulls out a blue blanket from her bag and sets it on the ground so the both of them can sit. She handed Laxus his own lunchbox. When he opened his lunch box, he was met with surprise. And not the good kind. The creepy kind.
Laxus was eye-to-eye with himself. Well, himselfs. Foods that looked like him. Even the rice looked like him, which made his skin crawl. He had heard of the rumors, of Juvia making Gray lunch boxes with foods that looked like him, but now seeing it in the flesh made it all so surreal.
"No way. I am not eating that!" He protested.
Juvia looked at him, studying his facial features and then shrugged. She was quite used to the response. She didn't care anymore. She shrugs, "Want some of mine?" She opens her box and reveals to him her own lunch with her face in them. All that did was make him find her even creepier.
"That is so creepy." He stated. His annoyance was apparent.
"It's just a hobby I do." Juvia replies. "Erza likes it when I do hers. So does Gajeel and Lily. And Natsu and Happy. And a lot of other people at the guild." They actually request her to make them lunches and they pay (even though Juvia would refuse to charge them).
"Hm." And all this did was confirm his belief that they were all weirdos.
"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I can make you a new one, if you'd like." Her eyes were sad. She always got a bit excited when she was tasked with making new friends.
He could tell that she meant well, and knowing how emotional she could be, Laxus relented and took a bite. It was actually pretty good. It probably rivaled Freed's cooking, but he didn't say anything further.
"Do you like it?" Juvia asks shyly.
"Yeah." He mumbles.
"At first, I was worried at first that you wouldn't like it. Now that I know that you do, maybe I can, you know, pack you a lunch every day." Her shyness continued, her face turned a slight pink. Suddenly, Laxus felt bad for treating their first date as a training session.
"As long as it isn't my face." Juvia game him a warm smile.
"Will do." She responded in a cheerful manner.
After that day, he agreed to go on an official first date. And then a couple more. Juvia choose where to go because it was something he just did not like doing. They became fast acquaintances. Soon, he started visiting her over at Fairy Hills and even allowing her to visit him (often times uninvited) at his place-somewhere very few people even went. But that was only for the food. Her cooking made her behavior tolerable, he said.
Having dinner and breakfast (if he came early) and getting his lunch packed felt nice. She wasn't as bad as he thought. She began to integrate seamlessly into his life. She was even, slowly but surely, breaking her obsessive habits. She got along well with the Thunder Legion and even invited them regularly to dinner. Freed became one of her good friends. They would sometimes hang out, going shopping and trying different restaurants. Juvia had become a regular presence in his life.
The morning of the festival was a hectic one. Juvia couldn't even meet with Laxus because Erza had pulled her out of bed (along with the other girls) to help get ready earlier than expected. Everyone had their own assigned duties. Juvia was on baking duty. At 5 in the morning.
Originally, she and Laxus were supposed to be on baking duty together. Laxus was supposed to help her but he refused once he realized that he had to bake in the guild kitchen and wear an apron. With a reputation as tough as his, the other members would never let him live it down. It's bad enough they were gawking at him regularly whenever he and Juvia walked in together. He couldn't give them another thing to talk about. So, he went outside to help with construction. The other girls helped her instead.
They were baking the infamous Gray buns (or Juvia buns, since people used those phrases interchangeably anyways) with cookies to match. Mirajane had personally asked Juvia to make them since her confections were well-received around the guild. Because, you know, Gray would refuse to eat them or give the rest away.
Her task was to recreate the buns, but this time with every member's face on each. The cookies were different; they were supposed to have the Fairy Tail insignia on them. Max planned to sell them alongside other souvenirs at the guild's gift shop stand at the festival. Juvia agreed to do it. She loved when people enjoyed her cooking. Also, 20% of sales would go to her. She had to negotiate that part.
Three hours later and exhausted was not the word to describe them. Every once in a while, Juvia had to drip cold water on poor Wendy's face because she was that tired. Apparently, Romeo had snuck out and taken her to a movie. Young love, Juvia smiles to herself. It's always so nice to see it flourishing.
It was 8 am and by then, they had made buns for half of the guild. The girls were beyond tired. Juvia yawned, she needed to get at least an hour in of sleep before she will lose functioning.
Cana came from behind her with a slight grin, "Why so tired, Juvia?" She took a swig of her beer as she wiped from flour from her cheek.
"Erza grabbed us all out of bed." Juvia replied. She wasn't sure why someone who hated mornings like Cana did was so cheery.
"But don't you usually sleep early? It's as if a certain blond visitor kept you company again." Cana's grin widened.
Suddenly the sleep-deprived became awake at the sound of gossip. All eyes were on Juvia now.
Wendy's gasped, her small hands covering her mouth, "I knew that there were rumors of Laxus visiting, but I didn't know they were actually true."
Juvia grew embarrassed. "Uh, it's not what you guys are thinking."
"Oh, so I didn't see Laxus leaving your room late last night?" Cana pressed on. She was definitely having fun at her friend's expense.
Juvia turned back to Cana, eyes widened in horror, "But-But I thought you were sleeping?"
"Heh, I was. But then I wasn't. My bad." Cana said as she touched both of her cheeks in faux shame. She knew Gray was over there as well. She just wanted the two to have their alone time. But she didn't factor that Laxus would be in the mix that night.
"You-"
"So it's true then." Lucy interrupted. Juvia looked over at her and then to the others. "What are you? What are you talking about?" She was baffled. She knew what they were implying.
"She's saying that you've been getting awfully close with Laxus." Cana blurted out.
Wrapping her arm around the other woman's shoulder, Cana brought herself closer to Juvia. "It looks like water and lightning mix after all."
Juvia shook her head furiously. "I-It's not what you think."
"And that is?" Erza appeared from behind them with a clipboard resting on one hip. Erza was supposed to help, but being that she was a walking disaster in the kitchen, the other girls rather she micromanages them instead.
"That our girl Juvia here has been making thunderstorms with Laxus." Cana teased.
Juvia's eye widened. "N-No, it's not like that. It's just that-"
"Well you two have been close. Probably closer than anyone would have thought." Erza stated. Her tone was informational, but
"Laxus is a good friend." Juvia defended.
"Mhmm, I'm sure he is." Erza said with a slick smile. Juvia's face rivaled Erza's hair in color. Cana smirked at how flustered she was.
"C'mon guys, I'm sure nothing happened last night. Right, Juvia?" Levy defended.
Juvia nodded furiously. "Yes-Yes! Nothing happened. We just talked and then Gray came-"
"So Gray came, huh? Interesting." Cana said mischievously.
"Geez, that must've been awkward." Wendy said aloud.
"Enough about Gray! What I want to know is how is Laxus like?" Cana cooed. Juvia turned to face her again, "What do you mean by that?"
Cana released a small chuckle, "I mean, is he as tough as he makes himself out to be or is he just a big ol' teddy bear?" Juvia smiled, "He's both." The other girls were hanging onto her every word at that moment. They peered in closer, eyes communicating with Juvia to go on further.
Juvia continued, "He's actually kinda sweet, kind of." She resumed kneading the dough that she rested her fingers temporarily in.
"What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked. Laxus wasn't the hardened jerk that he was when she first met him. However, reformation aside, he still was not someone she could imagine being described as "sweet."
Juvia smiled absently, "He can be sweet when he wants to. That's all I'm going to say."
"Hello everyone! I'm sure that everyone is excited for our first Valentine's Day Festival to start." Mirajane started.
The crowd cheered in excitement. Festivals were always anticipated in Magnolia, by citizens and non-citizens alike. The town was known nationally for their extravagant events, hosted by none other than its rowdy resident guild, Fairy Tail. There was the Cherry Blossom Festival and there was the Harvest Festival. And now, there's the new Valentine's Day Festival.
"We at Fairy Tail just want to thank you for coming. We hope our fellow citizens of Magnolia, as well as our visitors from other towns feel welcome and enjoy today's event!" Mirajane exclaimed. The crowd's cheers turned into roars. The festival was officially opened.
As ordered, each couple had their own booths. Alzack and Bisca had their shooting range, Levy and Gajeel had the water dunking booth, and Evergreen and Elfman had their own arm-wrestling booth. Meanwhile, Fairy Tail's most unlikely couple were working the one of the concession stands selling bread and cookies.
A long sigh escaped from Laxus' mouth. "Ugh, are we really stuck selling this stuff?" Juvia placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "C'mon, Laxus. It won't be so bad. Plus, you didn't even help me this morning!"
Laxus shook his head. "Not in there. Not with all those people." He didn't mind helping her in a private kitchen. But the guild kitchen was off limits. Besides, he didn't want any of the girls staring at him. Kind of like what they've been doing now.
Making eye contact with giggling Wendy, he turned to Juvia, mouth pressed in a line. "What'd you say about me anyways? They've been staring at me since I came here." He stated. It was odd. The looks were much different from the ones they got regularly. It was as if something amused them.
Juvia's eyes briefly widened and she turned away, making eye contact with a customer. It was a woman, probably in her mid-20s with a small baby boy on her hip.
She lowered herself so she was face-to-face with the baby, "And what would you like?" She asked with a smile on her face. She loved kids, babies especially.
The boy's mother chuckled as the boy tried to tug on one of Juvia's locks. "Haru, stop it." The mother scolded calmly. She looked up at Juvia and smiled, "I'm sorry. He loves long hair. He usually tugs on mine so I usually tie it back."
Juvia shook her head. "Oh, it's no problem. He's just adorable."
Laxus watched the whole exchange. It seemed as if both women forgot that he was there. He smirked inwardly. What a big softie, he thought. She was quite harmless when she wanted to be. And cute. The whole exchange was very cute. She would make a great mother one day.
"Thank you! Bye Haru!" Juvia beamed. The mother and son left with a Fairy Tail cookie and a Juvia character bread each.
"Not bad." Laxus remarked, causing Juvia to turn to him. "It's our first sale." She said with a smile.
The next hour proved them busy. Their stand was quite popular, Juvia's character breads being the most popular. Every Fairy Tail fan boy and girl ran to buy snacks with their favorite members on it. And, as predicted by Mirajane, the most popular sales came from the female mages. Which makes sense. They were the ones featured most on Sorcerer Weekly. However, breads with Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and even Laxus continued to sell out. Exposure from the Grand Magic Games helped a lot. Even the mighty mages of Fairy Tail came around to buy one.
"I want...a Laxus one-NO-TWO Laxus ones and a Gray!" Natsu exclaimed.
Laxus rolled his eyes. Natsu grinned. "What's the matter Laxus?" He taunted, "You seem scared. Scared that I'll devour you?!" He was in a fit of laughter.
"And what about you, Lucy?" Juvia smiled, "How about a Lucy bread?"
"OH and a Natsu bread!" Natsu interrupted. Lucy looked at him in irritation and then shook her head, turning to Juvia, "No thanks!" She exclaimed. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Natsu trying to pick a fight.
"Uh-c'mon, Natsu! We have to...go set up!" Lucy dragged him out of the booth.
"Still annoying as ever." Laxus stated. Juvia looked at him and giggled, "I'll devour you!" She impersonated Natsu.
"Heh, very funny." He said dryly.
Juvia stuck out her tongue and laughed, "Because it is." A comedian this one is, eh? He thought.
Throughout their time in the booth, Juvia was the one doing most of the work, serving and handling payments. All Laxus did was stand and watch. The only time he ever did anything was to ward off the numerous perverted men that kept on hitting on an oblivious Juvia as they purchased bread. All he really had to do was flash them a glare and they would scurry away (with their breads, of course!).
Laxus admitted it, she was attractive. Certainly one of the better-looking female mages in the guild. But even so, it irked him at how much other men, especially members from certain guilds, would attempt to hit on her. They would buy Juvia breads and then make lewd remarks about eating her. It didn't bother Juvia for the most part because sometimes she would not even register the jokes due to many of it being from regional slang. But he knew. And he didn't find it amusing at all.
Though, what he didn't know was that Juvia knew and understood everything but chose to pretend not to know because of the sales. After all, 20% of the profits were hers. Occasionally, however, she would blush at the comments but would try to act innocent.
"Seems like Juvia has become a hot commodity!" Cana approached the stand.
Juvia looked up from counting money to smile and wave at her friend. When she glanced over as to whom she was with Gray, who looked like he could be anywhere but there.
"What are you two up to?" Juvia asked.
"I could say the same thing about you. Looks like the Juvia breads are a hit!" Cana exclaimed. She moved closer to Juvia and stated lowly (even though she knew Laxus was an earshot away), "I'm sure many men enjoyed eating you." She winked. Juvia immediately blushed.
Laxus rolled his eyes. There goes Cana and her sexual humor again. He looked over at Juvia and then to Cana and then to Gray who he noticed wasn't saying much. He would alternate in looking at Juvia and looking away. Anything to avoid Laxus.
"I'm sure Laxus wants a piece of your buns." Cana teased. Laxus refused to take the bait and looked away, an air of indifference never shed. Cana pouted in response to her lack of response.
"If not Laxus, then Gray. I'm sure he's had enough of yours, right?" Cana teased again. Gray felt himself turning red.
Juvia felt herself getting hot. This was way more to deal with than the perverted guests. Cana chuckled, "Relax, just messing with you!" Juvia smiled tightly in response.
"You're beginning to even develop Laxus' lack of sense of humor." She stated.
Laxus looked over at her, "Don't you have a kissing booth to run?" Cana smiled once more.
"Not when I can have a taste of my Juvia's buns." Cana was having way too much fun.
"One order of Juvia buns coming your way!" Juvia handed the woman a bread and hurriedly waved, "Thank you for coming!"
Cana took a swig from her flask, "I see you're trying to get rid of me. Fine, I'll go then. Bye Juvia! Bye Laxus!"
Though Cana had left, Gray stood there for a moment before turning towards Laxus. "Hey Laxus, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Laxus smirked. It's about time. "Heh, sure."