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Juvia finally managed to step back into the guild, it's already night time, Juvia can hear the active nocturnal animals run about. Along with the glass of wine that Juvia is drinking, it helps Juvia calm down. Juvia still hasn't gotten over Gray-sama, it's been three days since then. The guild lights casted long shadows of Juvia, the amber coat of the guild isn't something Juvia is used to, she never would spend so much time at the guild. Afterall…Gray-sama would always leave before eleven, so Juvia would follow him. Who could blame him? There aren't much people to hang with at this time, save the old men with problems at home.
"Juvia-san, I think you should stop drinking so much." Out of the corner of Juvia's eye, she could see several white locks of hair dangling close with Juvia's messy blue ones.
"Mira-san, can you please leave me be? Juvia wants to be alone with her wine."
"You know I can't do that, as your friend." Mira-san sat down next to Juvia and brought out a wine glass. "Would you let me hear your troubles?"
"Mira-san…" Mira-san took Juvia's bottle of wine and poured some into her own glass then topped off Juiva's.
"You shouldn't keep things bottled up for too long, it's bad for your looks."
"Does it matter anymore? Gray-sama left me for lo—Lucy-san, why should Juvia keep up her looks?"
"You never know, someone might catch your eye."
"That won't happen, no one likes a gloomy woman, so Juvia won't look for one."
"But you're not?"
"How so?"
"When I was teaching you how to bake, those moments of happiness weren't bound to Gray or anyone else, you enjoyed cooking from the bottom of your heart, anyone that can smile like that isn't a gloomy person at all." Mira-san smiled gently and took a sip of her drink.
"Thank you." Silence claimed the guild for a few seconds and allowed Juvia to take in what Mira-san said. "About the cake, Juvia is sorry for wasting Mira-san's time and efforts."
"It wasn't wasted. Spending time with your family is never a waste of time, in fact, I believe we should cherish those moments. I learned that after Lisanna left us for a while." Mira-san has a complicated face, she was happy and sad at the same time. "Now that Lisanna came back, we've been spending time together more often."
"Then why doesn't Gray-sama want to spend time with Juvia? Does Gray-sama hate Juvia?" Juvia took a big gulp from her glass, the warmth spreading to Juvia's cheeks and the pounding of her heart was just what Juvia needed. Mira-san topped off Juvia's glass before she spoke.
"It's not that Gray hates you, it more than he doesn't see you as a lover, but a part of his family."
"Why not Lucy-san too!?"
"That's a bit more complicated. I think it's that Juvia-san has been too aggressive with your approach and has turned Gray off. Perhaps you didn't show enough of your good side?" Mira-san place a finger on her chin. "Aha, meanwhile Lucy wasn't really like that. Her approach must have charmed Gray in a way that you couldn't"
"So Juvia is no good?"
"Where did you get that? Mira is saying that Juvia-san used the wrong method."
"Don't copy Juvia!" How could she steal Juvia's trademark? And with such a cute face too!
"My bad, my bad." Mira-san now has a playful smile. "Anyway, I think that you should let your feelings simmer for a while, see if they have changed in any way."
"What if they do?"
"If you don't love Gray anymore, that great isn't it? If you still do, then you should give it another go."
"Thank you, Mira-san! Juvia will try her bes—ah...to be honest, Juvia doesn't know anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"When Juvia saw Gray-sama with L—Lucy-san, Gray-sama was so happy, Juvia has never seen Gray-sama look so happy. So maybe, Juvia can't provide what Gray-sama wants?"
"Then what will you do?"
"Juvia thinks that she should give up."
"Is that from your instincts? Or is that from your kindness?"
"Juvia doesn't know…" After drinking a few more glasses, Juvia feels sluggish.
"You don't want to fight with Lucy, but you don't want to lose Gray. At the same time, you feel like you're not good enough, is that right?"
"That's right…but, something feels off…"
"If it's from your instincts, you should follow it, after all, a woman's intuition can't be wrong right?" We sat in silence for a while. The occasional grumbling of drunk men kept us company.
"Perhaps…Mira-san is right…Juvia should…follow her instincts…" Juvia feels heavy, Juvia wants to sleep. Juvia heard a door opening, it was really echo-y.
"Mira…I'm finally back from…quest…it really was…" Who is that? I can't hear.
"Aye…"
"Natsu? Perfect…carry Juvia-san…Hills…she's a bit…from the drinking." Mira-san? Natsu is here? At this time?
"Why…you do it?"
"Because I'm…with…so you do it."
"Alright fine!" Someone is coming…who…is it? Juvia can't see anything.
Juvia woke up to a full moon and countless stars dancing in the sky, they were bouncing up and down rhythmically, like someone's footsteps.
"Where is Juvia?" Someone is carrying Juvia. This person's back is warm, Juvia couldn't resist driving her cheeks closer
"You woke?"
"N—Natsu-san!?" That voice, the pink hair, it's Natsu-san, there is no doubt about that. But why?
"Shhhh..." Natsu-san warned quietly. "Happy is sleeping."
"Eh?" Juvia looked around and sure enough, a ball of blue fur was on Natsu-san's head. "Umm…Natsu-san you can put me down now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Natsu-san stopped and let Juvia off. Juvia's legs feels wobbly and weak. Upon taking two steps, Juvia's legs gave away and sent Juvia down to the dirt path. But Juvia didn't hit the ground.
"I think that's enough proof for me to carry you back." Natsu-san chuckled. Juvia fell on top of Natsu-san's back. He kneeled down and waited for Juvia to get on.
"W—wait, Juvia can still—"
"I have to get back home too, don't be so stubborn."
"R—right." Juvia climbed onto Natsu-san, which was hard with a dress.
"Are you steady?"
"Y—yes." Juvia's body felt lighter for a split second, her vision got elevated and soon, Juvia saw a green field illuminated with white, soft light from the moon and stars. Countless, faint pillars of light shone down from the stars, fireflies added their own green and yellow glow. A dirt path stretched out to the beyond, over that hill should be Juvia's home.
"So, why were you up so late?"
"Juvia was drinking away her feelings for Gray-san..."
"Gray again huh? Well, don't work yourself up, you need to rest too."
"Thank you for worrying about Juvia, Natsu-san. But, Juvia can take care of herself."
"But your throat still hasn't recovered yet right? And you're not at home resting"
"Y—yes." He noticed? Natsu-san isn't as dumb as Juvia as she thought he is.
"You really shouldn't speak so much for the next few days."
"Juvia has no one to talk to anyway, so Natsu-san has nothing to worried about."
"Again with that kind of talk? I told that you have your family the turn back to. We will always help you." Juvia can't see it. However, Natsu-san is probably smiling right now. Juvia has no idea why, but she pressed closer to Natsu-san. His warmth travelled up from Juvia's chest to her head, then made its way down to Juvia's legs. Juvia wonders why…Juvia feels calm with Natsu-san. He didn't mean to but, Natsu-san's ups and downs rocked Juvia gently like a baby.
"Hey Natsu-san?"
"What is it?"
"Can Juvia rely on you to get over Gray-sama?"
"Do you really need to ask? Friends is always there for each other."
"That's right…Juvia was being silly wasn't she?"
"Oh yeah, about what happened at the lake, do you want to come back there next week to fish? Or do you want to go earlier?"
"Let's see…well, Juvia is trying to get Gray-sama off her mind right now, so maybe tomorrow?
"I'm always ready, it just depends on you."
"Then tomorrow it is."
"Have you ever fished before?"
"No. Juvia didn't have anyone teach her."
"It's easy, you just have to hook a bait and go 'splash' and you'll have a fish in no time."
"What's that supposed to mean? Juvia thinks she should just ask Happy-san instead."
"I taught Happy, so it should be fine right?"
"I takes an idiot to teach an idiot huh?" Juvia muttered under her breath.
"What was that!?"
"You heard that!? S—sorry."
"You're on my back, anyone can hear you when you are this close." Natsu-san suddenly stopped moving. "Well, here we are." Juvia tilted her head sideways and saw the familiar mansion-like building. Standing at the doorway was Erza-san.
"Juvia, we were worried about you." Erza-san said.
"See Juvia? You'll always have someone to lean against," Natsu-san looked at Juvia with a smile. "whether its Erza, me, Mira, or even gramps, as long you're a Fairy Tail member, you can't be alone."
"Natsu, thanks for taking Juvia back here. However, you didn't do anything to her right?" Erza-san asked Natsu-san menacingly, her brown eye bore right into the dragon slayer like daggers.
"O—of course not! W—who do you think I am?" Erza-san's terrifying visage disappeared instantly. Replacing it was a smile that contradicts her previous expression. Natsu-san let me down and made sure Erza-san got a good grip on Juvia before separating. "Well, see ya!" Natsu-san ran off as he waved back to us.
"Goodnight." "Take care." Erza-san guided Juvia back into her room. To which generated a frown from the knight.
"Hey Juvia, should you really keep your 'tributes' up the way they are." Erza pointed to the paintings and dolls of Gray-sama, after setting Juvia on her bed. To be honest, Juvia wasn't sure, Juvia has gotten used to the decorations, and taking them down would make the room look weird. Then again, Juvia is trying to take her mind off Gray-sama. Besides since the day at the lake, those pictures caused Juvia nothing but grief not love…
"Erza-san makes a great point, Juvia will take them down tomorrow, but, Juvia is tired. Juvia will do it later." Erza-san walked up a full-portrait of Gray-sama and, tore it down! She didn't even do it delicately, Gray-sama's face was now broken in half.
"W—W—what is Erza-san doing?"
"Helping you of course, might as well do it now." Erza-san made her way to the next piece of art and tore it down too, then the next, and the one after that, until, there wasn't a single complete Gray-sama in the room. Juvia must admit that she felt slightly uncomfortable from seeing her love being rendered to trash. At the time, Juvia felt relieved, like she is on her first step to moving on from Gray-sama—or is it Gray-san? Gray-kun? Just Gray? Juvia will figure it out once her feelings are settled. Erza-san changed her clothes to a cleaning lady's uniform; produced a bag out of nowhere along with other cleaning equipment; finally, then tidied up the mess she made in a storm of red and white.
"Well then Juvia, goodnight."
"Ah…goodnight. Also, thank you for helping me."
"Don't worry about."
"If you like, Juvia can bake you a strawberry cake for you."
"Is t—that so, w—well I don't really need it."
"Juvia understands. Then, goodnight." Erza-san's face turned from stoic, to reluctant, to regret in a span of less than a second. "Juvia is joking, don't worry, Juvia will bake a cake for you, Erza-san really likes cake."
"Really!?" Relief was brimming from her face. Juvia couldn't help but laugh at the sudden changes.
"Erza-san really likes cake don't you?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No."
"Juvia, just don't overwork yourself, my cake is less important than your health."
"Juvia has got it all under control, goodnight."
"Goodnight." Juvia's room fell into darkest with the door closing. Juvia wrapped herself with a blue quilt she made herself and dosed off to dreamland.
It's not as warm.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm glad that some people are interested in this story and I was really surprised that someone already followed this story, thank you very much; I'll try my best to meet your expectations.
This time, I want to know if there is too much dialogue and not enough description to let you guys imagine the scene out. Also, sorry for not describing what the characters look like, I thought that people will get the idea of what they look like via the mange/anime so I got a bit lazy. If you want me to write about these things, let me know!(I will write about clothes if I deem it to be important)
About the story itself, let me know if the way the characters talk seems like the same person, I try to make a clear distinction between Natsu and Juvia but the others might be a bit more muddled. If you think this happened(I'm biased), let me know and I'll do something about it.
Until then, thank you for reading, hope you can give me some great feedback!
