DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL.

An Axe To Grind

This ranked high on the list of the worst days of Gray Fullbuster's life. Considering that his eighteen –technically twenty-seven –years included watching his family die, watching his second family die, having the island he was on blown up by a dragon, actually dying himself, and having his dick get caught in his zipper as he was stripping it off, that really was saying something.

"Juvia-chan, this curry is the best thing I've ever tasted. If I could have this curry everyday for the rest of my life, I'd die a happy man," Lyon declared.

It was a mystery how he said in a manner so over-the-top and yet at the same time genuine, but the more important thing was that it made Juvia blush, and thus made Gray homicidal. When Lyon really tried, he could make stones blush. The bastard was charming.

Today, the two ice mages found out they'd accidentally been assigned the same mission, and were forced to split the reward. Despite their near flawless teamwork, Lyon's bossiness drove Gray crazy. He hated how the older mage acted as though Gray was an idiot who was incapable of getting anything done by himself.

It progressively got worse when they finished late, and Lyon missed the last train to his hometown. After deciding that none of the nearby inns were worth throwing cash at, he invited himself over to Gray's house, which was a twenty-minute walk from the station. During the journey home, he proceeded to criticize Gray's life decisions, his fashion sense, and hygiene. None of those compared to the shitstorm Gray had to endure when Juvia opened the door.

Ah, sweet Juvia. She'd misinterpreted this 'sleepover' in the worst way possible, offering to stay at an inn so that the boys could have their 'privacy.' His eye still twitched at the memory.

Now he had another problem to add to his growing list. Lyon was sitting much too close to Juvia, and was leaning across with his elbows propped up on the table (what horrible manners) with his chin resting on his folded hands, staring dreamily at the water mage as she gave him the recipe. Gray stabbed his chicken with his fork, successfully poking four neat holes through the bone.

"So how was your mission today?" Juvia asked conversationally.

"It turned out pretty well," Lyon replied right away, beating Gray before he could open his mouth. "There was a mix up when the job request was sent. The guy was panicking a little when the two of us showed up, but we sorted it out in no time."

"It's a good thing it turned out to be you, Lyon-sama. That mistake happens quite often. A lot of mages from big guilds bully freelancers out of jobs so they don't have to split the reward."

"Have you ever encountered people like that, Juvia-chan?"

"A few times, but Juvia doesn't let them have their way. It helps, of course, when they catch sight of this," she said, twisting a little so that the mark on her upper leg was exposed by her skirt's slit. Gray highly did not approve of that, because that meant Juvia was constantly flashing other people when they weren't taking jobs together, and was currently giving Lyon a generous heaping of her creamy thigh. He hated his life. He continued to eat, as he was clearly being excluded from this conversation.

"Still, though, freelancing seems tough," Lyon frowned. "Most job requests are sent to private guilds rather than to the council, am I right?"

Juvia shrugged her shoulders before nodding in response. "Luckily, though, freelancing is not very popular. Most mages choose to join a guild. It's relatively easy to join one –well, depending on the guild."

"It does seem a lot easier…" Suddenly, Lyon's eyes lit up in the visual representation of a light bulb being switched on in his brain. "Why don't you join Lamia Scale?"

Gray, having cleaned out both his plate and the serving dish, choked on his own spit.

"What?" Juvia squeaked. "Juvia…join Lamia Scale?"

"Why not?" Lyon said excitedly. "Steadier income, you have access to more missions, and you'd gain a family who supports you."

"Juvia thinks –but what about Gray-sama?" she said, turning suddenly to the raven-haired man beside her. He glared at both of them as if to say, Yes, I'm still here.

"Of course he can come too, if he wants," Lyon said dismissively, but Gray replied with a harsh 'No' faster than he could finish his sentence. Juvia turned to him, but Gray missed whatever expression was on her face, for he was staring determinedly at the wall, feigning disinterest as though his life depended on it. In effect, he also missed the hurt look that crossed her features.

"Still, though, Juvia –"

"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. Wendy's a part of Lamia Scale now. She came to us a few days after the guild disbanded." Lyon looked at her with his dark, intense eyes, and said; "I know we could never replace Fairy Tail in your heart, so I'm not going to even try. But maybe you'd find a new kind of love, something different, but just as great."

Here was something Gray deeply envied of Lyon; the man could talk his face off. He always sounded like he meant what he said, and yet at the same time, worded it so poetically and convincingly, it was hard not to be affected. Gray, on the other hand, was as eloquent as a sponge. Juvia was biting her bottom lip, a gesture he'd come to understand as confusion, and he hoped it wasn't a signal of her giving in.

"Thank you for the offer, Lyon-sama, but Juvia doesn't –" Yet again, Lyon interrupted her, and Gray's urge to strangle him only got stronger.

"Please just think about it, Juvia-chan. Don't tell me your answer until I leave tomorrow morning. I really think you'd be happy in Lamia Scale. If you were anything less than happy everyday, I promise, I'd pay for your rent and take you anywhere you want as long as you smile." He gave her his best, most butter-melting smile, and all Juvia could do was smile back in fond resignation.

FUCK THIS SMOOTH-TALKING MOTHERFUCKER.

Juvia then sealed the inevitably of Gray's unease for the rest of the night with her following words: "Juvia will think about it."

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Gray was frustratingly wide-awake. It wasn't just because he was on the couch while Lyon slept in his bed (although he was sure it was a great contributing factor). He couldn't stop thinking about the offer. Truth be told, Lyon was right. It was, in every practical respect, a better option. She'd get Guild Insurance, which would cover medical expenses and property damage. The jobs sent to private guilds paid more, and she wouldn't have to keep funneling her paychecks into the tattered hut's upkeep.

It wasn't just financially more convenient, either. As much as he had no doubt that she loved him, it was impossible that she didn't yearn for the company of other people. Juvia wasn't an extrovert, but she deeply cherished the bonds she made over time. And of course, Wendy was there already. He was actually glad to hear that Wendy had joined. She was too young to be on her own; Charle would have a tough time handling a growing Dragonslayer by herself, no matter how mature Wendy might be. Juvia would be able to help her. It took an entire guild to raise Natsu, after all.

Juvia would bloom in Lamia Scale. As far as being homesick, it wasn't any worse than their current situation. She'd always have a job, security, and friends. She'd never be lonely if she joined. His stays at the Avatar barracks became longer, as well as more frequent. He left her waiting for weeks at a time, with no explanation for where he'd been. It visibly hurt her, and they'd even had a few spats about it. She shouldn't have to wait for him anymore.

So why didn't he want her to go?

Oh yeah, because he was a selfish asshole. He tried suffocating himself with his pillow.

Still deeply perturbed by his thoughts, Gray swung his legs to the floor and got up for a glass of water. He tried to relax himself by freezing and melting the water in his cup, just to give his mind something to focus on. It began to work, as his eyes began to droop, but just as he decided he was ready to go to sleep, the glass shattered at the rapidly shifting temperature, causing a deep gash on his hand. He cursed loudly, hitting his back against the wall as he stepped away from his mess.

He cursed again, with less volume but more poison. Since he couldn't get to sleep, his awful yesterday had bled into the dark morning of today. Cleaning up broken glass at two in the morning was just what he needed. And he was barefoot to boot; it would be a near impossible obstacle course to get to the lights without stepping on any shards.

One of the bedroom doors creaked open and the light flickered on. This would be the topper, looking like a complete idiot in front of the girl he –

Oh, it was Lyon. That made it ten times worse.

"What are you doing?" the silver-haired mage said, rubbing at his eyes.

"Just go back to bed," Gray said. He tried gesturing to shoo his adoptive older brother away, but then struck the chair. With his wound already in place, the ache was white hot. He hissed in pain. Lyon raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"Dumbass. Sit down. Where's your first aid kit?"

"I don't know where Juvia put it," Gray said, but before he could offer any possible suggestions so as not to look completely helpless, Lyon pulled it out from one of the drawers. He set it down on the table before taking the broom out of the corner and sweeping away Gray's mess.

"See, this is why Ur told us to wear slippers."

"Yeah, but coming from a woman who walked around naked half of the time, it lost a little credibility," Gray replied, causing Lyon to snicker in agreement. They were quiet as Lyon cleaned up. The glass pieces chimed against each other as they were thrown in the trash, signaling for Gray to look up as Lyon pulled up the chair beside him.

"Give me your hand." He was met with a very offended look. "If you want to die of tetanus, be my guest."

Grumbling, Gray laid his hand, palm facing upward, on the table. Lyon created a pair of tweezers with Ice Make and began pulling out the tiny bits that had wedged themselves under Gray's skin. Gray squirmed childishly with each fractal removed. "You're making it hurt on purpose," he whined.

Lyon rolled his eyes. "Quit being such a baby. I'm almost done." A minute later, the last, largest piece was finally out. The first aid kit was open, and a roll of bandage and a bottle of rubbing alcohol were taken out.

Upon seeing the devious look on the other mage's face, Gray paled instantly. "Don't you fucking dare –HOLY SHIT," he screamed, as Lyon mercilessly poured the alcohol on the still open wound. "YOU ASSFACED DEMON, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU."

"Be quiet, you dick. You're going to wake Juvia-chan," Lyon scolded, dabbing at the cut with a cotton bud.

"Nah, she wouldn't wake up even if she were in the middle of the battlefield, once she gets her eyes shut. Falls asleep fast and hard."

"Sort of the same way she falls in love, then," Lyon observed in amusement.

The corner of Gray's mouth quirked up. "Guess you're right."

"You, on the other hand," Lyon continued, "take forever to fall asleep. Seriously, when we were younger, I remember even getting you to lie still for five minutes was a lost cause if you weren't tired yet. Once you were, though, you completely knock out. You'd sleep through Etherion bombs falling from the sky."

"Bad joke, man."

"Fair enough," Lyon conceded. He made a final turn before knotting the bandage around Gray's hand securely. "Still true, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but what's your point?" Gray retorted, flexing his fingers. Lyon did a pretty decent job.

The older mage made no further comment. Instead, his eyebrows shot up and a devious smile twisted his lips. A crease formed atop the bridge of Gray's nose as he narrowed his eyes. He was a dead man; Lyon knew. Was he really that transparent? And he'd spent years practicing how to conceal his emotions, too. All that hard work went right down the drain because of his damn nosy friends.

"Don't you fucking dare tell her, or imply it, or even speak of this moment again," Gray snarled, and this only spurred Lyon to chuckle with pure, gut-wrenching mirth.

"Oh my god, no wonder you've gone fifteen years without figuring out how to keep your clothes on; it took you almost a decade to realize you love –" Lyon was silenced by the hand clasped over his mouth.

"Don't say it out loud," he hissed, but the look of pleading on his face caused Lyon to double over with laughter.

"A seven year old has a better understanding of their emotions than you," he said, shaking his head.

"When did you figure it out?"

"The minute I walked in and saw her. Or, more accurately, saw you looking at her."

"So why did you still make that offer?" Gray asked through gritted teeth.

"Because it's true. You know it is. And I want both of you to come with me. Look at you," Lyon said, motioning to Gray's bandaged hand. "Juvia-chan's doing a really good job making sure you're still in one piece, but that in itself is a gargantuan task she shouldn't have to deal with alone."

Gray looked away, eyes trailing once more to Juvia's door. "I can't go. There's something I'm working on, something big I'm investigating. I can't tell you what it is yet, but I need to get it done. Juvia's helping me, but I can't tell her everything either. I don't know if it will hurt her, so there is no way in hell I'm going to risk it."

"There's also no way in hell she's going to come with me if you're staying."

"Yeah," Gray snorted, "god knows why, it's not like she has any serious obligation to." Lyon cut him off.

"You don't have to pretend, Gray. You know why." With this, the younger mage fell sober. "You're afraid that she'll get hurt, but I don't see you actively pushing her out of harms way. You let her stay here, with you. This isn't how you usually are, but I don't think that's a bad thing."

"You said it yourself. She's the reason I'm still in one piece."

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The two were woken by a high-pitched squeal, for Juvia had entered a transport of delight at the sight of them. As a result of staying up all night, the brothers ended up falling asleep sitting at the table, with Lyon's arm slung over Gray's shoulder. Disgusted, Lyon pushed Gray away, causing his chair to fall over. Gray, in return, tackled his older brother to the ground. As they wrestled, Juvia continued to misconstrue the context.

After a quick breakfast, the three of them hurried to the station to get Lyon on the first train to Margaret Town. Lyon lured Juvia into a friendly embrace before sneaking a peck on her cheek, causing Gray to glare daggers at him up to the moment he boarded.

"Juvia-chan, thank you so much for your hospitality, the food was excellent," Lyon gushed. When he turned to Gray, his tone changed, though it was no less fond. "Remember what I said, Gray." And with that, he was gone.

They waved until his train disappeared into the country horizon, with a sun that was still beginning its ascent. As they lowered their hands, Gray reluctantly turned to Juvia to get out what had been swarming his conscious since the night before.

"Juvia."

"Yes, Gray-sama –what happened to your hand?" she cried, and began her frantic inspection. Gray caught her shoulders and held her to a still. The moment his hands rested on her, she froze. After a glance at her stunned expression, he almost did too.

"Listen for just a sec, okay? I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to stay with me, because you feel guilty over what happened with my dad, or because of…because of your feelings. Frankly, there's not much here for you, and the moment you want to take Lyon up on his offer, I want you to go ahead."

Juvia furrowed her brows, and her parted lips converged into a thin line. For what was probably the first time in a long time, she looked truly upset with him. "That's not why Juvia is here. Juvia doesn't stay because she feels guilty or because she loves you, even though she does feel those things. Juvia stays because she wants to defeat Zeref. Juvia stays because she wants to fight for a world where her friends are safe, where Gray-sama doesn't have to get hurt and carry his pain alone. Juvia stays because being with you keeps her sane. Juvia stays for Juvia."

Taken aback, Gray let his arms drop to his sides,. He ducked his head. "You're right. I was out of line. I'm sorry."

Her palm cupped his cheek, and his bandaged hand found its way over hers. "There's nothing to forgive. Let's go home."

A/N: HURRAY FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK! HURRAY I FINALLY HAVE A TUMBLR AGAIN! HURRAY BECAUSE THERE IS NO DOUBT LEFT THAT THIS SHIP IS GOING TO BE CANON. Thanks for taking the time to read, I'd love to hear what you thought through a review!