Laxus sighed. He was so glad that this mission was over. It had to be the most annoying mission that he's been on. The task? To defeat some low-level guild that took over a town. For an S-Class mission, it sure didn't feel like it. He was sure someone like Romeo could've easily defeated those clowns. How annoying, he sighed, I could've taken on something better. Not that he didn't enjoy the easy money, but lately, there seems to be less and less challenging missions to go on.

He decided to leave the other Thunder Tribe members with the other villagers. They're more used to that stuff: being fawned over. Laxus preferred to get the job done and go. For him, having all that attention on him made him uncomfortable. In their early days as a team, they drew an agreement: Laxus would take a step back and they would handle the public relations. So while they were being wined and dined by politicians and village leaders, he was left to his own devices, exploring the place before it was time to leave. His favorite place was the local bazaars. He can walk around and maybe buy a thing or two, but the best part was getting back his time to himself.

As he strolled through the marketplace, he saw something in the corner of his eye. When he turned in its direction, he saw it: a white porcelain teapot with intricate gold trimmings and water-colored blue hibiscus flowers. He picked it up, tracing his fingers on its delicate grooves.

"You like it?" An older merchant with gapped teeth asked. He had been observing the other man inspect the teapot in silence.

"Yeah."

"For a female friend, I presume." Laxus ignored the comment and continued to study it.

"You know, if there's anything the Hibiscus Village is known for, it's the tea. We have tourists from all over come and try our rich collection. Even royalty has the finest teas exported from here."

Laxus paused. Juvia might like this one. It's been a while since she last spoke to him. While she had been busy fluffing up her own social calendar, he had been going on missions nonstop. Every time he spoke to her, she had another activity that she was either planning or attending.

"You know, we can still have one last hurrah before we officially separate. There's a sign on the board for a mission in Jasmine City. I know that you like the tea from there." Laxus said before taking a sip of tea from his cup. They headed to Fairy Hills where Juvia had planned a private going away party. She was always one for dramatics.

He looked at the woman. She had a pensive look on her face since leaving the event. "No, that's fine. I think-No, I am...going on a little break." His eyebrow raised.

"A break?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to take my own advice and spend this time trying to get to know myself."

Laxus smirked, "Good choice. Will you be Juvia 5.0 when you come back?"

"No, this time I'll just be Juvia, that's it." She smiled before attacking him with a bear hug (one of today's many).

He was almost knocked over by the sheer force. She had been doing that a lot-not that he didn't mind anyways. He grew accustomed to her over-the-top displays of affection. This time, he actually-albeit awkwardly-returned the hug.

"Thank you!" She said as she buried herself into his chest.

He smirked as he held up the teapot. The idiot will love it. "I'll take it." The old man smiled, "I can also tell you where to find the best teas."

"You have my interest, old man."

"What is that?" Freed pointed to the delicately wrapped box.

"None of your business." Laxus grunted, clutching the box tighter. He could feel his stomach doing cartwheels. He always hated the train rides back. He usually takes a sleeping potion for the duration of the ride.

Evergreen adjusted her glasses, "Oh? Is it a present for someone?" Laxus rolled his eyes. He regretted not taking the sleeping potion with him. "Perhaps, maybe for a certain water mage?" She teased.

"Oh...you mean...Juu-via?" Bickslow continued the teasing while his babies echoed "Ju-Ju-Juu-via!"

"Shut up!" Laxus said sharply. If his stomach wasn't killing him, he would've zapped him already.

"Guys, stop teasing Laxus, okay?" Freed's tone was indignant...until a slight smirk threatened to ruin his expression. "I'm sure she would love to show it off at tonight's book club." His lips broke into a wide smile. Laxus threw him a death glare. Not you too, he internally signed.

"Isn't tonight book club? You know, I'm sure she would love to share some of her new tea with the group. She is making scones, you know." Evergreen winked.

"Ah, yes! Book club! You know, I can give them to her if you'd like." Freed flashed him the same wink that Evergreen had.

"Shut. Up." Laxus replied with gritted teeth. He clutched the box tighter and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep through the rest of the ride.

"And that concludes this week's book club! Let's discuss the new book, same time next week!" Lucy exclaimed.

Everyone gathered around the decorated common area of Fairy Hills. Discussion has ceased and now it's time for the real reason they were there. Food and gossip, gossip and food. And there were plenty of both to go around. Juvia had made mini sandwiches, quiche, and cookies. The hottest topic for the past month was Juvia-her journeys, her events, and of course, her love life. Every week, the girls (and Freed) go around and intrusively prod her with questions.

"Lyon and I are just friends."

"Who also go on dates regularly?" Cana said as she took a sip of wine.

Juvia shook her head, "We're just...taking it slow. I don't want to get wrapped up in a guy again."

"Well, you must like him! You seem to be spending a lot of time together." Lucy said as she adjusted herself onto the couch.

Juvia smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "He's a really nice guy. I enjoy going out with him." Indeed he was. Lyon was different from the cocky narcissist that she had originally thought he was. He was very thoughtful, very patient.

Before they went on a date, she made sure to tell him that she was not ready to enter any relationship at the moment but she did want to get to know him. To her surprise, he was understanding and agreed to go slow. And he's kept his promise since. He never tried to overstep his boundaries, always polite and respectful.

When she shows discomfort, he always steps back. He constantly checks up on her. He calls her, asks her about her day and what she's up to. She's never really had a man take such interest in her. And of course, it would be at the time that she would be on a break from all of that.

Ever the romantic, Lyon continued to show romantic interest in her, constantly bringing her flowers and treats and always planning unique dates. He was willing to get to know her as a person, including her boundaries. She couldn't lie to herself, she was starting to like him more. He was what she liked in a guy, romantic, sensitive, strong. He made her laugh. He related to her and her past more than she realized.

Before he joined Lamia Scale, instead of jumping right into guild life, he went on a journey much longer than her current month-long hiatus. For months, he would travel around Fiore to figure out his next steps.

"It was much easier for me to do so than you did. I didn't have any bonds to tie me down." Lyon continued. This was their second date. He had listened to her intently as she discussed her current plans with him.

Juvia leaned in, "Weren't you scared?" While she did want to embark on this journey alone, she didn't think being away from her loved ones would do much for her. She wanted to learn to coexist with them while learning about herself in the process.

"No, I've been alone since I was a child. It's all I knew." She felt that.

"For me, it's what I needed. I needed to live for me, truly, without any expectations. Ur took me in when my parents died. Afterwards, when she died, I vowed to train to defeat Deleora. I would defeat one of Zeref's demons so that I could make her proud." He chuckled a bit, "Honestly, it was very misguided but I was harboring a lot of pain and...as strange as this sounds...I needed the closure."

Juvia smirked, "So you try to revive the demon that killed your master?" Lyon returned the smile, "We all make mistakes." Juvia smirked wider, "Of course. Ours just included a criminal record." Lyon released a lighthearted chuckle.

"And what did you do during your break?"

"Me? I read. I read a lot. I visited a lot of libraries. I visited sacred worship sites. I did odd jobs and met a lot of people. I even visited Galuna Island again and apologized to everyone. I couldn't right my wrongs but I could show that I was remorseful for my actions. For months, I just existed as a regular human being instead of pretending to be an all-powerful wizard. I eventually learned to laugh again."

He reached out to touch her left hand before continuing, "So, as I was saying, this would be a good time for you to do it. There's a lot of stuff that you haven't addressed internally. Take some time off. It's not like you need the money now anyways."

Stroking her hand, he leaned in closer, "I'll always be here." Her hand lightly squeezed his, "Thanks."

"And Rogue?" Wendy asked as she stuffed a sandwich in her mouth.

"We're just friends." That was true.

Juvia and Rogue got along well. For years, he had an elementary crush on her that he was still nursing from the Phantom Lord days. Meanwhile, she saw him as a little brother. The date was fun but both mages agreed to remain as friends.

"And what about Laxus?" Erza asked. Juvia raised her eyebrow. Everyone asks that question every week. Erza continued, "After that display at the festival, I would think that something was going on between you two."

"Oh-me and Laxus? No! We're just friends."

"Could've fooled me." Lucy teased.

"Very few people are allowed to touch Laxus. He hates any personal touching. And yet, he still allows you to touch him." Mirajane replied.

"I don't know. It seems that someone likes you." Erza teased.

"Me? Please, Laxus does not like me! We're just friends."

"Closer friends than you were with Gr-?" A sudden slap to the head made Cana's head jerk. She snapped her head to see who hit her. It was Erza, glaring at her with a look of a thousand swords. She was mentally communicating to her not to say his name.

It was an unspoken rule of the book club. Never to discuss Gray's name. It's not that they didn't like him. He was still their friend. It was just that they figured that the sabbatical was because of him.

Juvia sighed, "You can say his name, you know." Her smile was a bit wistful, "I'm not avoiding him. I still see him every once in a while."

Both Erza and Mirajane's faces softened. They immediately looked at each other, exchanging knowing looks.

After that surprise that Juvia and Laxus did, both Erza and Mirajane needed a drink. Wine glasses in hand, they were heading towards the backyard when they saw the unexpected: Gray and Juvia face-to-face in what looks to be deep in conversation.

They both stopped in their tracks and took a step back behind the door, head-on-head. The women looked at each other and exchanged looks of bewilderment before turning back their attention towards the pair. Suddenly, Juvia moved closer to Gray. She placed her hand on his cheek. Gray did not even flinch. They blinked furiously at what they were seeing. Were they going to kiss?

They continued to watch intently as they saw her eyes well up in tears. It looked like she was going to break down in tears. Maybe this time he finally told her his feelings and he let her down. However, the next part was something they just could not believe. He hugged her. He reached out to hug her. They couldn't make out what they were saying but whatever that conversation was about, it must have been something serious.

The day after the festival, Juvia announced her break. Since then, she's been all over the place, working hard at any new project that came her way.

Perhaps this new journey was her way of making peace with being rejected. Whatever it was, they were glad that she was out-and-about and not letting that conversation with Gray bring her down.

Laxus swung his door open, "You're a busy woman, you know that?"

"So I've heard." Juvia replied sarcastically.

"What took you so long?" He asked. They agreed to avoid any prying eyes by meeting at his place. It was fine with her since book club left her in the uncomfortable-but-ever-familiar hot seat.

"Book club lasted longer than usual." She shrugged. There was a smile that threatened to ruin his stoic demeanor. When did she become so casual? It's hard to believe this was the same overly polite woman that would apologize for any-and-everything.

She ran to hug him before he abruptly placed a box in between them. "What's this?" She asked.

"Open it and find out."

She carefully unwrapped the expertly-wrapped box, carefully placing the wrap on her right, and lifted the lid. A porcelain teapot with a set of four cups and four trays. Her eyes widened in excitement. She loved tea sets. She had been collecting them since she was a child, regularly hosting tea parties for her dolls. Juvia squealed in excitement which made Laxus smile.

"This...is...beautiful!" Looking up at him, she smiled, "Thank you, Laxus!"

Laxus gave a slight nod, "Look what's underneath." Her excitement increased. Carefully setting the set on the coffee table, she saw the other surprise: an assorted set of teas from the Hibiscus Village. She had heard of their famous teas. It was actually on her list of places to visit when she had some off time. She couldn't believe that Laxus would actually get her teas from there.

She looked backed up at him, "They must've cost a fortune-" Laxus interrupted her, "It was nothing. I had some extra money from a lame mission."

"I couldn't believe you thought of me." She said with a smile.

"Well, I figured...you're on a break. Might as well, you know, drink some tea." Laxus hated explaining himself.

Jumped up and hugged him, this time actually giving him one of her infamous bear hugs, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Laxus!"

Laxus felt himself blush. "It's nothing. Just something I picked up, that's all."

Juvia smiled, "I might be on break, but do you want to accompany me to the village tomorrow? There's just some errands that-"

"Don't ruin the moment."

"Fine."

Laxus did not catch all of Juvia and Gray's exchange. He saw the last few moments between them from afar. He didn't mean to, it was just something he stumbled upon.

The whole exchange irritated him. He wished he didn't have hypersensitive hearing as he could hear the whole conversation. It was so intimate. It was as if he was eavesdropping on something he wasn't supposed to hear. Like old lovers saying goodbye. He had to admit, despite being upset with how the other man handled the situation, he couldn't deny that the chemistry between the two was real. He had no doubt in his mind that Gray cared for her.

He also had no doubt about it that he did too.

Juvia placed a tea cup in front of Laxus. Since he got her the set as a gift, she wanted to make sure that he was the first person to try it. It had been an hour and they were catching up on their lives. It's been a while since they had time to talk. Lately, one would be out the door while the other was coming in.

Laxus took a sip, "So how long are you gonna continue this journey of yours?"

"I don't know." Juvia paused for a moment before continuing, "The first month went well. I realized that I like a lot of things."

"What do you like?"

Juvia smiled, pulling out her baby blue notepad from her pocket. Laxus smiled. She would have a list. I shouldn't even be surprised.

She took a breath before starting, "Likes: cooking, baking, sweet treats, gardening…' She looked up at him with a smile, '...tea. I forgot to add that one." She looked back down and started furiously writing it in.

"And what do you dislike?"

"Rude, impatient people...So,' She looked into his eyes, 'you." She said with a smile. He frowned, "Heh, keep adding to the list, idiot."

Juvia smiled, "You know...I might do another month." Laxus raised his eyebrow, "Another month?"

"Yes, lately, there's been so many opportunities. I might try some things before I start going on missions again."

"By the time you get back, you might not be on the same level."

"I wouldn't be so sure, I have been getting stronger." Juvia was right. She had been training with Gajeel in the mornings and at night, by herself. It was a therapeutic source for her, training her magic. She liked taking walks at night by the river to think and practice.

Laxus sat back and crossed his arms, "Heh, I wanna see this." Juvia stood, "You'd be smart to heed my warning. I'm not the same Juvia I was a month ago." You could see the devilishness in her eyes. It's clear that she wanted to spar. Laxus stood as well, "I'd like to see that."

Juvia smirked, "Ready when you are."

"Fight me, Juvia!" Natsu screamed.

"Not now, Natsu! I'm on break!" She was annoyed. He had been following Juvia throughout the marketplace.

"C'mon! Show all the moves that you used on Laxus." Juvia sighed. Ever since the festival ended, he had been under the impression that she was somehow privy to Laxus' training secrets and was at his power level since they trained together. Natsu had always been a dummy, but she didn't expect him to be that dumb.

"No, Natsu! I told you-I'm on a break! I'm not gonna battle with you. I have other things to tend to."

"Just one fight!" He begged.

"No."

"Please!" Natsu got on his knees and begged her in front of everyone. He was making quite the scene.

She looked around before murmuring, "Get. Up."

"Not until you fight me." He pouted.

She relented a bit but then accepted his plea, "Fine, but I must warn you. Just because I haven't been on a mission, doesn't mean I haven't been training."

"Awesome! Now I'm all fired up!"

Both prepared their defensive stance. Suddenly, the sky became grey, rain began to fall.

"Drip, drip, drop." She said monotonously before continuing, "I was called Juvia of the Great Sea for a reason."

She raised her hands midway, palms turned upright and fingers slightly curved. Behind her was a conjured 50ft sea creature from behind that growled at Natsu. He gulped. He had no clue Juvia was capable of this.

Natsu decided to go ahead and attack. He wasn't a chicken. He launched at her, "Fire Dragon Claw!" Juvia analyzed his movements. If he was starting with fire, then she could use his fire as a smoke screen to land an attack.

With a weakened water shield, Natsu punched it, causing smoke to start. Juvia activated her water body, allowing him to punch her stomach directly while striking him with a water slicer. Once the smoke was gone, Natsu was face-to-face with her, surprised and feeling a slice in his chest.

"H-How did you hit me? I didn't even see it." In a blink of the eye she jumped back.

"Your punches cannot affect me. I am made of water." She said with a smirk.

Juvia and Natsu began punching and kicking each other. Always the long-ranged attacker, her time with Laxus expanded her knowledge of various martial arts techniques. While she wasn't a pro by any standards, she could hold her own in a battle. With enough training, she was quick, flexible, and agile.

A water lock would've ended the battle too quickly. That wasn't what Laxus taught her. She could hear his words, "You have to enjoy the fight. Don't fight as if you want it to end as quickly as possible or else it will...for you." She was going to make him proud even if he was not there.

Natsu's moves were erratic and sometimes so hard to predict. However, it didn't matter to her. Juvia was enjoying the fight. She wasn't fighting for friendship like she usually would. She was fighting for herself. To prove herself. And he was impressed.

Juvia smiled. She found his opening, moving her arms, she called, "Water bridge!"

A horizontal water smacked him in the chest, forcefully throwing him against a tree.

"Water lock!" She had him where she wanted him, with him struggling to get out. Laxus was right, she enjoyed the fight. However, she had a lot of stuff to do and this was cutting into her time.

"Release!" She called.

Natsu laid down in defeat. The force from the attack knocked him out. Juvia smiled.

"Not bad. You've definitely improved." Laxus complimented. He couldn't lie. She had been improving her technique. If she practiced a bit more, she might have given him a little trouble. He could see Juvia puffing her chest. All of the morning training with Gajeel was paying off.

Laxus smirked before continuing, "However...you need to focus more on your short-range attacks. You have the ability of controlling water. You already have excellent defense and offensive capabilities but you need to be more versatile, quicker, more alert." He could see her slightly deflate.

"You may be on break now, but what if someone comes up to you like this." Within a second, he was in front of her and trying to strike her but before he could land a hit, his fist was blocked with her hand.

Both mages stood in front of the other, breath almost touching.

"I told you I've been practicing." Juvia said with a smug smile. Laxus returned the smile. Not bad.