Summary: "Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do. What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option I'd even have the idiocy to consider."

After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia Lockser took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy. It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so. Somehow, there's a way for everything.

Genre: Drama/Friendship.

Disclaimer: To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.

/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.

… In which Natsu Dragneel tracks Juvia Lockser and Sting Eucliffe down to bond with the Water Mage over fishing (and laugh his head off with both mates about their prank-tryst in Lucy's apartment.).

… In which Gray Fullbuster finally grows some balls to talk to the blue-haired naiad and seeks her out with Lucy and Erza... only to find her soaked and wearing a rather odd and familiar jacket that certainly didn't belong to her.

… In which drama finally hits home and brings chaos.

Chapter Five: Clarity For You (Part One)

A clear sky. The sun shining, just rising and particularly hot in Magnolia. No sign of a thundercloud or any cloud a mile away. Natsu Dragneel grinned widely as he clutched his fishing rod and bait, his dark green eyes glinting joyously. Perfect. A perfect day for a fishing day with the only Water Mage who could give him a hand in catching tons of fish in no time – that is, if her Dragon Slayer of a mate was willing to agree with spending some time with the Salamander and share Juvia's attention. Natsu may not know Sting Eucliffe that much but if there was something he knew about Dragon mating, it was a Dragon Slayer's possessiveness over his mate; the salmon-haired Mage was almost certain to encounter some difficulty to get his other fellow Dragon Slayer to accept his request, but he had waited long enough. Whether Sting agreed or not, liked it or not, he was going to take Juvia fishing with him and Happy – the young guild master, his Exceed and his partner would follow them, anyway.

So the Salamander had basically tracked the bluenette down, from her place to where she would be right now; it hadn't been that hard to pick up her scent, since it was mixed with Sting Eucliffe's – the White Dragon Slayer had been in Magnolia for a few days now, certainly enjoying his time with his Water Mage and not giving a damn about who could hear the sounds of their lovemaking. Although the young master of Sabertooth had covered his tracks in the town pretty well and had seemingly disappeared from the civilisation, Natsu's sense of smell wouldn't be bested that easily. And his stubbornness had led him and Happy in front of Magnolia Hotel, where he could smell the two lovebirds' scents – Rogue and Frosch were here as well, that he could tell. Wherever Sting was, his dark twin would be found near him as well. The salmon-haired Dragon Slayer grinned. Good, the more, the merrier. Maybe he could tease the dark-haired young man about Dragon mating?

Natsu took a huge gulp of air, throwing his head backward. This was going to make some damn noise around. But –

"STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! ROOOOOOOOOOGUE!" he yelled before the entrance of Magnolia Hotel, uncaring of the enraged scoldings he would receive due to his screaming. The blue Exceed didn't even flinch as he continuously stuck his tongue out to lick his paws, as if licking what was left of his fish.

– everyone should know by now that Natsu Dragneel didn't care if he was being loud. He. Just. Didn't. His dark green eyes focused on the window on the left side of the second floor and he waited patiently for the expected reaction.

"What the fuck?!" Slap! "Ow! Siren, what gives?!"

"Would you mind your language, Sting?" Natsu heard Juvia's sweet voice chastise her blond mate. He snickered in amusement as his keen ears didn't miss the annoyed groan of his fellow Dragon Slayer and the approaching, angry footsteps.

The curtains were brutally pulled apart, the window opened and a blonde head popped out, followed by a lot of steam (what the hell? Did Sting make Juvia boil a little too hot?). His golden locks were dishevelled, his face was flushed and his skin showed some hickeys around his neck. On top of it, he wasn't wearing a shirt and the irate, murderous look he was drilling Natsu with was enough to make the scariest monsters cower back to their lair, their tail between their legs. But the Fire Dragon Slayer was somehow immune as he just kept snickering at the blonde, who looked like he was two seconds away from jumping out of the window to beat him to death.

Sting snarled, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "Natsu-san, what the hell is wrong with you people? First that whining, annoying blonde cheerleader of yours who dares to interrupt us and now you?" He seemed close to burst. And that twitch on his right eye just showed how irritated he truly was. "I didn't know you were such a damn cockblocker as well!"

"What?" Natsu exclaimed, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

Another voice, deeper and calmer, joined in. "He's still upset about your partner almost catching them in the act the other day." The Shadow Dragon Slayer had also popped his head out from the next window, catching Natsu's attention as he snapped his eyes at his red ones, inquiring. Rogue sighed, propping his elbows on the windowsill. "Sting had been ranting about Lucy Heartfilia for at least fifteen minutes and how she just wouldn't leave until she got her sugar for her cake – I left out the rude words for the sole purpose of maintaining Frosch's sanity and innocence intact, I don't want Sting's brash attitude to rub off on him and –"

"You're aware I can hear you just fine, right?" Sting snapped at his twin, scowling darkly.

" – it seems like he won't forgive you for interrupting him and Juvia once again," Rogue finished, as if the blonde hadn't talked at all. "I sincerely feel sorry for Juvia, being his mate for the rest of her life."

The master of Sabertooth snorted, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "Yeah? So what if I don't like being interrupted? Besides, you have yet to find your own life partner and I'd like to see you how you'd appreciate interruptions when you'll want to mate. I'm sure you'll find it especially comforting."

Natsu just blinked, dumbfounded as he watched the Twin Dragon Slayers bicker like two brothers – or an old couple. How did a simple yell manage to heat up an argument between Sting and Rogue? He just wanted to get Juvia so she could help him catch his stock of fish and that was it; he and Happy were out of fish and since there was someone in their guild who could just snag a lot of fish in one go, Natsu didn't want to waste any time and energy in waiting patiently for landing fishies. And what did Lucy have to do with anything in this predicament? When Rogue mentionned that Sting had been enraged when his blonde friend had almost caught him and Juvia in the act, was he –

Oh no, she didn't. The salmon-haired Mage practically balked, grasping the meaning of Rogue's words and understanding Sting's fury. Lucy, in her stupid mission of hers that consisted on spying on Juvia Lockser and her 'secret relationship' with Laxus, had interrupted a moment between a Dragon Slayer and his mate – an intimate moment, he should add with a wince. And as Igneel had told him how mad a Dragon Slayer or his mate could get if he were to be interrupted in the middle of mating, Sting's anger was very well justified. Natsu groaned as he scratched his pink hair, frustrated. He might have to find a way to hold Lucy up whenever she seemed to think about something that may concern the Water Mage – like going to her place just for some sugar while there was a storm kicking.

At least he hasn't gone after her to blast her apartment, Natsu thought with a sweat-drop as he stared at the blonde guild master, who was ready to throw himself at Rogue with a snarl. It could have ended pretty badly.

The dark-haired Mage was about to retort something when Juvia's soothing voice stopped the bickering. "Alright, let's calm down a little," she said as she appeared besides Sting, sporting a deep blue blouse. One slender hand rested on her mate's chest, caressing the muscles ever subtly, and the gesture was enough to calm him down instantly; his features relaxed completely, his eyes stopped flashing and returned to their original colour as he sighed, seemingly melting under Juvia's touch. He threw her a heated, softened look and she returned it with a smile before turning her eyes toward Natsu, leaning down toward him. "Natsu-san, what brings you at Magnolia Hotel... at seven in the morning? You know that everyone is still asleep, right? You even woke Lector up," she whispered, still a bit surprised and shocked due to his outburst. No, she was even shocked to see him here since nobody else should know about this escapade – how had he known?

Maybe having Natsu Dragneel in the secrecy of her relationship with Sting Eucliffe wasn't such a good idea; while he may be a very good friend in terms of helping and always being there when you needed him, Juvia sometimes feared that the salmon-haired Mage might accidentally spill the beans to Lucy once and for all – the bluenette was bubbly and so was Natsu. There was a good chance that his usual bubbly, loud behaviour would fail him, that he would say something about her hanging out with a rival or worse, that he would let words about a certain blonde from a rival guild that had previously taken pleasure in torturing one of their friends – that she was sleeping with Sting Eucliffe and, on top of all the bullshit her friends would learn about this, his mate. Juvia could already see the disgusted sneers some would send her way, since she knew that deep down, deep down, there were some that still hadn't forgiven Sabertooth for bringing pain to Lucy.

Would they accept Sting? Because even though Natsu and Gajeel had accepted him and Rogue as both fellow Dragon Slayers and friends, that certainly didn't mean that the others woud see them as such; Juvia knew that Erza and Mirajane would be reserved, if not a little conflicted about her situation. Cana might brush it off at first under the influence of alcohol but, once she was sober, she would yell at the bluenette and tell her that she was joking about getting with the blonde Dragon Slayer from Sabertooth (she may also be thrilled that Juvia had finally gotten laid, even though it hadn't been Gray. "What's with all the secrets, Juv? You snagged the White Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth and you didn't even think about telling your big sister Cana, I'm hurt. So... how is he in the sack? Who was on top? Did you –" Damn it.). And the others? Those who hadn't been caught in the seven-year slumber on Tenrou Island after Acnologia's blast and had seen Sabertooth's victories during the previous Grand Magic Games over the years? They might not accept that relationship as much as they might not accept the fact that a fairy got with a tiger without them noticing a damn thing, Juvia had been really careful about this. Rogue, albeit having been quite surprised to find out that his partner's mate hailed from Fairy Tail but other than that, he seemed willing to know her (a little bit reserved but willing to give her a chance since she was Gajeel's best friend). Oh, and there was also that freaking reporter from Sorcerer's Weekly who wouldn't waste time in publishing the shots he would take from Juvia and Sting if they were to go from private to public about their relationship; the article that would talk about them would be epic and bring jealousy to every fan-girl that fantasized about her mate – and the bluenette could already feel her possessiveness burn from the bottom of her being.

But again, Juvia found herself surprised to see a gigantic, excited smile grace Natsu's lips and illuminate his face. "We're going to the lake today," he announced. "Fishing."

Juvia blinked. "Oh yes, Lucy told me that you and Happy liked fishing..." Then her cute, confused face returned. "...but why did you come all the way to Magnolia Hotel to tell us this?"

"And you're coming with us!"

Dark, blue eyes widened in confusion, then blinked. "Huh?"

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed, raising his paw. "Come with us, Juvia! It'll be easier to catch a lot of fish if you help us with your powers, you see?"

This time, both Sting and Rogue looked surprised, while the blue-haired Mage just kept blinking at them with doe eyes. That was it? Natsu was screaming at seven in the morning, bothering the whole town with his vocals and uncaring if he woke up everyone in the process, because he wanted to fish? Juvia couldn't believe it but again, this was something she didn't know about Natsu Dragneel; since she hadn't really interacted with him a lot ever since she had joined Fairy Tail (if anything, she had only talked to him when she absolutely had to. How rude for someone she considered as a friend.), the things she knew about the resident Fire Dragon Slayer were next to zero. A small smile graced her lips as she considered the idea. Fishing with a guild mate so they could bond even more. That's not a bad idea, she thought as her smile grew. Maybe I could bond with Natsu-san?

"OK!" she found herself saying in a cheerful manner at the same time as Lector, whose face showed excitement and hunger and didn't look sleepy anymore.

As her mate Sting was halfway through refusing to let her go with another male – even though this was Natsu Dragneel, the blonde was still going to be extremely territorial over his blue-haired siren and protective of her –, thoroughly against the idea of Juvia spending time with someone else this early in the morning but when he saw her beaming face, the young guild master remembered something she had told him before after one heated tryst.

Juvia lay on her stomach, stark naked under the sheets that only covered her frame from her backside and her head stuck in a pillow as she gazed peacefully at a sleeping Lector next to her; the red Exceed had come back a little earlier after shopping with Frosch and Rogue in Crocus, feeling rather sleepy and beat. Sting and Juvia, despite being keen on mating during a whole day after days spent apart, had both agreed on taking a small break to give the cute kitty hours of nap. She smiled softly, reaching out to stroke his head. Lector gave a deep purr in his sleep, feeling the feminine touch, and the Water Mage stifled a laugh.

The warm, welcoming feeling of lips kissing the skin of her backside made her remember of the presence of her Dragon Slayer and Juvia shivered in pleasure, biting her own lips to prevent a moan to come out. "I knew you'd like him," her blonde lover whispered against her. She could feel his smile. "And he seems to like you as well, Siren," he purred wickedly, biting her skin higher now on the curve of her back. "Who can resist you, my little vixen?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Juvia breathed, her body arching slowly under his ministrations. "I was afraid that Lector might resent me for spending so much time with his idol, I know how much he adores you." This was said with a caring, loving smile.

Sting chuckled, his hands sliding along her hips to play with her generous breasts. His fingers twirled the little buds expertly as his hard, hot body pressed against hers. "The feeling is mutual, Siren." His hot breath tickled the left side of her neck, where he had created her mating mark, and he licked the skin. Very slowly. The blonde smirked in satisfaction as Juvia whimpered and shivered even more. "I told Lector about us the first night we slept together, so he had known from the beginning," he revealed, rolling his hips against her. "And since I couldn't be still without you around me, I just had to attract you here. To Sabertooth." Where you'd be mine and with me every second of our life. "Good thing your mission brought you nearby, or else I would have kidnapped you from Magnolia right away."

Juvia chortled softly, stroking his golden locks tenderly and making him purr in delight. "Now that I would have loved to see. But then again, I would have come to you myself; this... pull between you and me drives me crazy when you're not by my side, Sting." She arched against him once again as his tongue trailed up the nape of her neck, his fingers pulling her cerulean hair on one side. "I-I just want... I want you with me all the time. Now, in two minutes, in ten, tomorrow, the following day – every day of my life. It's so painful not to be by your side." Her features were somehow strained, as if she was remembering the times when she had felt so lonely and miserable without him by her side. She didn't understand why she constantly needed and craved his presence, because she wouldn't know how to explain it; it didn't have anything to do with Gray Fullbuster and the fact that she hadn't thought about him that much during the times she had been with Sting Eucliffe was alarming. Very alarming.

"I know, Darling. Believe me, I know," Sting growled this sentence before sucking hard on her mating mark, reddening the skin even more than it was. His blue eyes were swirling with an emotion he had never dealt before because it made his heartbeat go wild and erratic in a way that not even lust could do; this blue-haired woman from Fairy Tail made him feel so... unique. The way she looked at him with those heated, wonderful eyes of hers that looked so similar to his made his heart swell in soaring joy because he was the center of her attention.

And he knew it will remain that way because of their status as mates.

"Mmmh... I'm curious," Juvia whispered as he turned her to face him. Her wondering eyes met his inquiring orbs and she circled his neck with her arms as he settled between her thighs to make himself comfortable. "I've never noticed it before but since you and I..." She blushed and shyly averted her gaze, causing Sting to chuckle at her. The bluenette puffed out her cheeks, embarrassed. "Don't laugh, Sting! It's serious."

Gods, she was just too cute and enthralling when she was shy. And to think she was a minx and a vixen in bed... "Alright, alright, I won't laugh," he said between two snickers, ignoring Juvia's dirty look. It took him about thirty seconds to calm down and he gazed at her longingly, pressing himself against her slightly. The smile never left his face. "Tell me, Siren," he whispered back, pushing a stray blue lock off her face.

She blinked, dazed. Then blinked rapidly to steady herself – damn those reactions and emotions whenever her mate went from sexily intimate to absolute tender. "Ever since I started sleeping with you after the Grand Magic Games, I just found myself wanting to... interact more with my guild mates. I don't know if it's another effect of the pull but the way I want to truly become friends with them is also growing stronger..."

Sting mulled it over, furrowing his brows. Was it because she had never known friendship in her younger years before befriending Gajeel Redfox once in Phantom Lord? Juvia had told him how lonely she was as child back then and how people would get away from her because of the rain, always spoiling the sunny weather for the others around her. Friendship had always been a concept she had failed to grasp because she couldn't approach or be approached by anyone; young Juvia Lockser had earned her title as the Rain woman – a nickname she had grown to despise so much that whenever she heard it from someone who would make fun of, she'd fly off the handle and hurt. Really, really hurt.

Her sudden craving for friendship truly might be an effect from their connection as mates. She hadn't had many friends in her life after all, and Fairy Tail had become her ultimate chance to make some. Nevertheless, Sting felt the strong burning of possessiveness raging in his chest as soon as he processed the thought of his mate being approached by males. He did his best not to snarl but a sneer still managed to appear on his face. He didn't like it one. Fucking. Bit.

"Hn. I understand that you want to interact more but I don't like it," he grumbled unhappily. "They might be your guild mates and friends but remember that, Juvia: I will instantly get jealous and territorial over you if you were to be approached by another male than me." His hold instinctively tightened around her and she closed her eyes, stroking his blonde locks and the nape of his neck in a caring, affectionate way. Sting fought back the urge to purr in delight because her touch felt amazing, still intent on stating his point. "But I understand this need of yours: besides having Gajeel as your only and best friend for a long time – you have to tell me how you two became so close, because that's one point we'll have to discuss, I'm inclined to know if there hasn't been anything more between you and him –, you didn't have the chance to taste friendship in its full glory." He groaned as he nuzzled his face in her ample chest, burying it in her bosoms. "What is ticking me off is the fact that I won't be there to keep all those bastards in check and away from you."

The blonde didn't even react when his blue-haired naiad lightly punched his shoulder. "Careful there, my white dragon," she chastised in a soft voice. But then she sighed, relieved and happy that he understood her predicament because he could have downright refused. "My friends will only remain friends, you know. And you... you seem to be so much more to me, Sting. So, so much more." He could hear her smile as she whispered the last words, but the confusion was still there. "Will you explain to me why I feel so right in your arms, when you and I sleep together? That's kind of... confusing. But I can't tell you why I love it, it's just that I love it all."

Hearing her say that never ceased to make him feel so much better. Hearing Juvia Lockser admit that she truly liked being around him never ceased to make his heart swell with barely concealable joy. Understanding that she couldn't even think about another man while being him with him made him so proud and unique in her eyes, because that was what he should be to her.

Smiling, Sting pressed a kiss on her skin, his fingers drawing patterns on her right hip. "Patience, Siren. Everything will become clear in due time."

Of course. He knew that Juvia had been trying her best to interact more with her guild mates since they last talked about it and even though he still didn't like it, the blonde couldn't really forbid her this. He sighed as he scratched his golden locks, averting his eyes from her beaming, hopeful smile. If he looked at her, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from ravishing his blue-haired siren on the spot and damn Natsu Dragneel for interrupting them.

"Fine," Sting relented, making her squeal in delight. He chuckled as he eagerly welcomed her hug, caressing the bare, smooth skin of her backside. However, he pressed his lips to her ear to whisper a warning. "But I'm coming with you. No freaking way I'm gonna leave you alone with another male, even if it's Natsu-san." Then he nipped her ear, leaving Juvia breathless and flushed. He smirked in amusement before giving Lector a high-five. "Let's go now!"

"Yeah, then Juvia-fairy can cook the fish after that!" the red Exceed exclaimed with a smile, his eyes sparkling at the thought of grilled fish with eggs. He had tasted Juvia's cooking once and had absolutely loved it, to the point he had told Sting he would sneak out to eat her cooking at her apartment in Magnolia if he wanted to.

This seemed to awaken both Frosch's and Happy's own hunger and interest. "Juvia, you can do that?" Happy asked excitedly.

The green Exceed turned toward the Water Mage, drool leaking from its smiling mouth. "Fro wants fish too!" he claimed, raising his paws in the air. The dark-haired Dragon Slayer sighed once again, but there was a tiny smile on his face as he looked at his best friend. No wonder why Lector wouldn't shut up about Juvia Lockser, she must be one hell of a great cook to have the red Exceed's approval.

At this rate, they'd wake up the whole hotel and the area as well. So Juvia raised her hands in surrender, giggling nervously. "Alright, alright, I'll do it," she assured in a hushed whisper, making everyone else quiet. "But would you mind quiet down a little bit? You're being loud." She puffed her cheeks, glaring playfully at the Exceeds for a second before retreating back into the room to grab her sandals. "Well, shall we go?" she asked as she put them on. Her blue eyes wandered to Sting, whose look was openly ogling her long, slender legs, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Stop staring, my White Dragon, or you won't get any. I mean it."

And Sting didn't bother questioning her, as he rushed past her to get dressed. Damn it, she knew how to work her way as well!

"Juvia-san, how did you know you were Sting's mate?" Rogue asked her when he finally got the chance to talk to her once his overprotective blonde partner was away, chatting with Natsu. He sat next to the blue-haired woman, who had splayed a blanket over the grass and brought a basket with snacks and drinks, his eyes following Frosch's movements as his ever distracted companion strolled with Lector to help Happy with the rod. "Did he tell you?"

It must be the first time that he and Juvia got to talk together – without Sting looming over them like a jealous, territorial mate. The last time he did that, Rogue had almost been blown away by a white beam from his partner. Period. And while Juvia had been worried, had yelled at the blonde for doing this (thus starting an argument between the two mates that had ended by the beautiful blue-haired Mage stating that they wouldn't have sex for three days, to Sting's utter horror.), the Shadow Dragon Slayer had discovered a caring side from her that had quickly made him think about the possibility of them becoming friends. Aside from Sting Eucliffe, Lector, Frosch and Yukino, he wasn't the best at warming up to others.

Juvia huffed, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "He didn't," she said. "He didn't say and I was left in the dark. Gajeel told me everything about Dragon mating, because he had known about us. If I were to be a little bit paranoid, I'd say he had known from the beginning." Then she frowned, grumbling under her breath. "... I can't believe he didn't tell me right away, I would have understood."

"I warned him about that," he sighed, shaking his head. "I warned him that Gajeel might know that something was off with you but Sting didn't listen. That stupid, blonde knucklehead – my apologies," he quickly offered when Juvia snapped her head in his way to shoot him a warning stare, daring him to continue that sentence. Rogue lightly chuckled. "But that's how he usually is; brash and always quick on getting really excited. Though I'm actually kind of impressed and curious about the way you seem to handle all this, Juvia-san."

"How so?" Juvia inquired, her frown decreasing just a little.

His red eyes glanced at her. "Weren't you... infatuated with the Ice Mage from your guild? Now that you've accepted your status as a Dragon Slayer's mate, surely you must have gone through something horrible to make Sting unstable; he was agitated and feral, it took us hours to restrain him from storming to you. But in the end he calmed down, as if whatever crisis he had been going through had finally died out. What happened to you that day, Juvia-san?"

Oh. He had noticed as well. Juvia gazed at him silently, her frown now gone from her face as she assessed his question. She should have known that her previous breakdown would have the similar effect on Sting, prompting him to feel the urge to be by her side – the bluenette had needed both her best friend and the White Dragon with her that day, she had to admit it. The thoughts that had raced in her head had awoken the fear of being seen as a slut by everyone she cared deeply about because she had slept with someone else than the man she profusely claimed to love, so she had first seen it as a sort of betrayal. Loyalty was one of her best qualities and though she had wanted to remain loyal to Gray Fullbuster, the pull between her and Sting had been stronger; Juvia had felt the need, this painful need to be close to the Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth, to touch him and never leave his side ever since their very first contact. She hadn't missed the way her heart had suddenly picked up the pace whenever his hand brushed hers, she hadn't missed the way he had looked at her whenever she had seemed to lose herself in his eyes because no one had ever looked at her this way, she hadn't missed how he stuck so close to her after they had snuck away from the ball with Lector in tow, she hadn't missed how much she had loved it when Sting had kissed her senseless because that had been at that moment that she had lost it to surrender herself to the pull – she hadn't missed anything because deep down, deep down, Juvia had wanted it, still wanted it and will want it forever now. The guilt had clung to her weeks later, heart wrenching and painful, when she had realized that the feelings and emotions she felt toward Gray Fullbuster just couldn't compare to those she was now feeling toward Sting Eucliffe: the blonde had elicited more, far more than just pleasure from being taken so roughly and that was what Juvia Lockser had felt so guilty about.

She had loved it. And she desired him more than anything. Realization had struck home so she had cried, cried and cried hard for hours, creating a storm that rivalled her sorrow of having to move on; clinging to unrequited feelings toward someone who had constantly brushed her off was unhealthy, ruining. While her mind, soul, body and heart were now craving another man since they had first slept together on that fateful night after the Grand Magic Games, Juvia had first been horrified to find out that she couldn't feel for Gray Fullbuster anymore – all this love and all this affection for him were gone, erased from her heart. Even looking at the Gray-dolls had started to repulse her, so she had gotten rid of these. Everything that screamed her 'love' for the Ice Mage from Fairy Tail had had to disappear since Juvia couldn't find the strength or the will to harbour feelings for him – Sting Eucliffe was now the recipient of all this.

She brought her knees close to her chest, circled them with her arms as she gazed at the lake. The sun beams reflected onto the surface of the clear water, creating a vivid, beautiful aura to this zone. "I had a breakdown – an emotional breakdown," she revealed. "Gray Fullbuster was the man I used to love for a very long time before my path crossed Sting's. As you must have guessed, it was an unrequited love but I was so determined to get his attention that I had thought I should remain loyal to him; loyalty is one of my best qualities... but also a default, now that I think about it." She blinked, smiling ruefully. "My love for Gray could have – would have ruined me now that I've realized that fact. I still didn't know about Dragon mating but I could feel the changes around me and in my behaviour; all my thoughts and focus would go to Sting, because I craved his presence. I wanted him by my side."

Her eyes found her mate and her smile turned a bit more cheerful and – Rogue couldn't help but be stunned at the sight of it – loving. Watching Sting trying to take the rod off Natsu's hands while the salmon-haired Dragon Slayer had a hand on his face to push him back made her giggle in amusement, because the sight was just too funny.

"I felt so guilty to think that I had been disloyal to Gray that I broke down," she continued in a solemn tone. "You see, Rogue-san, I'm a person who treasures friendship above everything else and while he may not have viewed me as a potential lover or something close to that, Gray had still remained dear to me. Well, this... changed, somehow. Those feelings I had for him had to vanish because, at the same time, there were those emotions and feelings I've begun to feel toward Sting and they were so much stronger that it just felt... right. As if I had found my place in his arms, around him – by his side."

"You decided to move on and give in to your actual status as a Dragon Slayer's mate, even though you still didn't know at that time," the dark-haired Dragon Slayer said, humming. When she nodded, his red eyes drifted toward his blonde partner. "Hn. Maybe he unconsciously knew what he was doing when he didn't tell you about Dragon mating: maybe Sting had a hunch that you might have wanted to sort out your feelings first before entering a relationship with him, because you're right. Moving on is hard to do when you've loved someone for so long and maybe he had sensed that you would have needed to cry first before accepting your status as his mate."

They both gazed at the blonde, thoughtful. Had he really thought about that too?

Juvia giggled once more, smiling widely and eyes gleaming. "Yes, maybe he did!" she chirped. "Maybe he unconsciously thought that I might have needed to move on on my own before accepting him fully." She added, in a whisper she thought Sting could hear with his heigthened senses. "That I needed clarity before accepting what Fate had brought me."

Rogue didn't look that convinced. "It's still incredible to think that he's been this patient to wait until you gave yourself to him willingly," he retorted sarcastically with a snort. "Kidnapping you would have been his ultimate move, should you have decided not to be his mate. I can see him doing something like that."

"Ah, Sting did say he would have done that one day!"

Rogue and Juvia looked at each other for a second – one looked incredulous and the other was thoroughly amused. Then they both burst out laughing, relaxed and amused – so sudden that it drew both Sting's and Natsu's attention, who turned toward them with wide, surprised eyes. The blonde was more stunned, because it truly was a rare sight to see his partner laugh openly with someone – Rogue was always so serious and reserved that making him smile or laugh willingly looked like the hardest thing to do and, if Sting were to be honest, seeing him so relaxed around his mate kind of made him feel a little bit jealous. The urge to go there, wrap his arms protectively around Juvia's waist to draw her against him and snarl at Rogue was burning in his chest, so he did just that: before he knew it, he was sitting behind his lovely blue-haired mate, his legs on each side of her and his arms wrapped around her body to pin her against his hard chest. Sting nuzzled her neck, inhaling her insanely good scent. Lavender and water lilies, he guessed with a small smirk as he listened to her giggling. She leaned in his embrace, her hands caressing his arms.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked innocently – as innocently as he could. "Tell me so I can join you in the fun as well."

Juvia chortled, her grin widening in mischief. "Remember when you said that you'd kidnap me if I didn't go to you willingly?" she asked, turning toward him to kiss his jaw. The blonde hummed his positive answer, still nuzzling her neck in an affectionate way. "I find it strangely romantic, you know."

Rogue snorted again, trying his best to stifle his laughter. Sting snapped his head at him, baring his fangs and daring him to snort again. The dark-haired Dragon Slayer merely grinned slyly as he took some soda from the basket Juvia had brought with them, unclasped the canteen and took a gulp.

However, Natsu's laugh came in. "By the way, Sting," he piped in, his smirk becoming teasing and quite mischevious. That got the blonde's attention. "Was it you who had the idea to do the deed in Lucy's apartment? Because it reeked of your and Juvia's scents!"

And this got the expected reaction Natsu Dragneel wanted: Rogue sputtered, spitting all the soda he'd been drinking due to his shock, Juvia's face suddenly heated up because of all the sudden attention and the incredulous stares of Happy and Lector snapping at her – Frosch was thankfully too ensnared in his concern over Rogue's coughing fit to actually care about the real commotion –, making her hands fly to her burning cheeks and Sting, being the only one who wouldn't really be that affected by such statement since he had known he would be caught by Natsu, just grinned widely in cockiness toward the salmon-haired Mage.

The blonde rested his chin on Juvia's shoulder. "You bet it was me!" he boasted. "Siren here was opposed to it but I managed to convince her that it was worth it; Blondie was being way too nosy for my liking."

Natsu burst out laughing, throwing his head back in newfound mirth. Rogue finally found his tongue. "You could have just let it go!" he exclaimed hoarsely, his visible eye bulging. "Why in the hell would you deprave someone else's house just because you were interrupted during your mating? That's just..." He seemed to shudder in apprehension, revulsed in the idea of someone doing this to his own place. Rogue would have pummeled the culprit to death should something like that happen to him – Frosch will remain innocent as ever, no matter what.

Sting lightly frowned, drawing patterns on Juvia's bare thighs to ease her embarrassment. "She would have discovered our relationship, Rogue," he said as a matter-of-fact. "And though I don't know her, Blondie would have had the guild informed before the end of the day. You imagine all the fuss? The prying?" He groaned, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "We like our privacy for the moment, thank you very much."

"But... in her bedroom?!" Rogue was mortified. "What are you, a sex-pranker?!"

The blonde snickered, eliciting his blue-haired maiden's mumbles of deepest apology. "Oh, I remember now: you wanted me to shut up because you were too prude and overprotective of Frosch's well-preserved innocence. But," he drawled as he gave his partner a crooked smirk, blue eyes glinting. "when did you actually hear me say we only did it in her bedroom, huh?"

Lector chose this moment to praise his best friend's awesomness. "Oh yeah, you told me about it! It must have been awesome, Sting!" he said with a proud grin, his arms crossed over his chest. "I knew you had it in you! But wasn't it a bit too much to do it in every room of her apartment?"

Even Happy couldn't restrain his shock. "Whoa...!" the blue Exceed exclaimed, his obsidian eyes wide.

The salmon-haired Dragon Slayer barked another uncontrolled laugh as Juvia squeaked at the same time, steam evaporating from her body because of the mentions to her and Sting's tryst at Lucy's apartment – this had to be the most sinful, yet most exciting things she had done in her life, besides all the secrecy over her relationship with the master of Sabertooth. He had been right: she had wanted it as well and even though she knew that her blonde friend would have some problems with her nearby neighbours because of the loud moans and screams that must have reverberated well enough to be heard, Juvia couldn't help but feel sorry for having done that.

In said apartment, said blonde hadn't been able to stop the annoying sneezing fit that had woken her up; she sat in her bed, crumpled tissues all over the ground.

What the hell? She thought with a scowl right after sneezing once more. Who's talking about me that much to wake me up at seven in the freaking morning?

"You are gonna come with me, whether you like it or not," Gray said confidently. The Ice Mage was still, luckily, wearing his clothes on and had a determined stare on his stony face as he declared the next words. "I need someone to make sure I won't totally fuck up and since you're the best monitor here and a very good friend who can't refuse another friend's request, you are going with me. Besides, you're finally Juvia's friend. And you also want to help me, despite Natsu's warning. Isn't that right, Lucy?" The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes at the pretty lady before him.

How right he was. The blonde Celestial Mage stared at Gray, her cheeks puffed out in indignation. Her afternoon really couldn't be better than this; while she truly was glad to be Juvia's friend, the idea of prying into her business sounded way too rude – even though she was trying, with the help of Mirajane, Cana and Erza, to uncover her secret over the 'relationship' she seemed to have with Laxus. The risk of endangering a newly built friendship with the Water Mage was just too high for Lucy but, at the same time, Gray was now holding her to her promise to help him fix his damaged friendship with Juvia – damn her for being so kind-hearted and quick to do something idiotic. Erza will give her an earful about this.

"And what makes you think I will stay in the shadows to watch if you make any progress with Juvia?" Lucy countered, putting her hands on her hips. She defiantly stared up at Gray, intent on making her point across. "You don't need a real monitor, you just have to be careful with your words or you would make her cry. Does this sound that hard to you?"

He frowned at her. "It is when you don't know how unpredictable Juvia is. It's more than likely that she'll act strangely and do whatever it takes to drive me away from her or actually run away."

Lucy mulled it over for a few seconds. Then sighed. "Point. Considering the fact that you haven't talked to each other in weeks, it's possible. But still, you have to try. I'm sick of seeing you miserable over the fact that Juvia doesn't give you the time of day anymore."

"Shut up!" he exclaimed, turning his head so that the blonde wouldn't see the faint, yet present blush on his face. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Yeah, yeah," she assured, feeling a little bit exasperated. Natsu is going to berate me for doing this. Then her brown drifted over the dorm of Fairy Hills, where Gray had dragged her to 'back him up' should he fuck this up. Lucy didn't know if Juvia was in her apartment today but if she was, then she might not have to stay hidden and could be able to reach Erza's place to fill her in. What she had heard on Sunday afternoon would forever be fixed in her mind – Juvia being sexed in a mind-shattering way. Hell. How did the Water Mage manage to find herself a man that could drive her to a pitch without anyone else noticing a damn thing? The Celestial Mage would have to ask her for some tips.

Just as Gray was about to enter the dorm, the door opened on its own and revealed a surprised, scarlet-haired woman who looked at them both.

"Gray? Lucy? What are you doing –" Erza stopped herself, blinking in wonder. Then she gave the Ice Mage a knowing smile who had stiffened upon seeing her. "Are you going to see Juvia today? So you've finally heeded my advice. That's good to know."

The Ice Mage shook himself, giving the older woman a nervous stare. "Err... yeah, well... I first want to talk to her so we could, at the very least, rekindle our friendship where it seemed to have met an unwilling end," Gray revealed, averting his gaze to the ground.

"Oh." The knight sounded almost... disappointed. But she quickly covered it with a smile as she crossed her arms under her chest. "It's good to hear you've decided to talk to her but unfortunately for you, Juvia isn't in her apartment at the moment," Erza told her friends, sending an apologetic wince to Gray as he scowled and groaned in annoyance. "And I don't know where she might be right now. Maybe with Gajeel?"

This caused Gray's scowl to deepen. "As. If!" he hissed. "Like hell I'm going near Iron Head, he'll just end up pissing me off for nothing before I got to talk to Juvia. He's the one who's been preventing me from talking to her most of the times I tried to approach her and you want me to ask him where his best friend is? No. Just hell no."

Maybe he should have attacked Gajeel with his ice for trying to interfere, maybe he should have imprisoned him in ice so he could freely go talk to the blue-haired woman who had been avoiding him for the past few weeks following the end of the Grand Magic Games, maybe he should have –

"I should have gone straight to her apartment on Sunday afternoon," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mira told me she was off the hook for a moment but I should have gone to her so we –"

Lucy's brown eyes widened in slight panic as she processed what he was saying: had he finally decided to go to Juvia's place, he would have discovered – "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, you shouldn't have!" the blonde Celestial Mage quickly cut him off with a nervous laugh, waving her hands in front of her with a sheepish expression on her face, which got the other two's surprise looks. But Erza's gaze almost immediately turned to a suspicious one when she felt nervosity emanating from Lucy like a cloud over her head. "She was tired, Gray. And she truly wanted to sleep."

Gray raised an eyebrow. "So? You did see her, right?" She nodded, still smiling nervously, and he frowned again in suspicion. "Now what, Lucy? What are you hiding that you didn't tell me?"

"Gray," Erza said calmly, yet sternly. She put a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place. "Calm down, will you? You shouldn't get so worked up, that could have bad repercussions on your future talk with Juvia. Don't blow up on Lucy, she didn't do anything." She emphasized her words by throwing a sharp glance at the brown-eyed woman that said 'We'll talk later. You're not getting away with this.' and the blonde firmly nodded, eyes shining in relief.

Yes. Yes, Erza was right. Why was he so on edge? Just the mere thought of the blue-haired woman who had been on his mind for a few days involved in something as crazy as a 'secret relationship' with Laxus Dreyar was enough to make him want to punch the older blonde bastard for touching Juvia in an intimate way – again, this possessive side of his when it concerned her was becoming a problem. He didn't harbour romantic feelings for Juvia Lockser, that he was sure about. However, Gray still felt that she had become too important for him to lose her friendship over a man who couldn't deserve everything that made the Water Mage; her selfless personality, her incredible kindness that made her one of the most beautiful women in Fairy Tail. And her friendship itself was a rare treasure Gray Fullbuster would like to keep for himself (he didn't care if he sounded selfish, because he was; if he needed Juvia's friendship, then he'll get it back. No matter what.). Snapping at Lucy wouldn't solve his predicament, only serve at worsening things with Juvia should he be pissed off when he'd got to talk to her.

Calm down. The dark-haired man exhaled and sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes. Keep your head. "Right," he muttered. Then he repeated, louder. "Right. Sorry, Luce. Guess I was a bit out of line." Gray offered her a slight, strained smile he thought that truly looked apologetic.

The Celestial Mage shook her head, understanding. "No problem. You're stressed, so I can only sympathize with you." I just hope he won't flip out when he finds out what Juvia's been up to. "Actually, I envy you," she said as her mood soured and she scowled. "My housekeeper has been ranting to me for something I didn't do for two whole days now!"

"Oh?" Erza raised her brows quizzically, intrigued. "What could she be upset about, now? I thought you were in good terms with her."

Before the blonde could voice her frustration and complete incomprehension of the situation she was now thrown into for something she didn't do on Monday, a loud rumbling could be heard in the whole area, startling the three Mages and the people around them. The earth beneath them started to shake a little, making Lucy squeak in fright as she instinctively clutched Gray's arm. What now? It sounded as if a volcano was about to erupt.

"W-what's going on? An earthquake?!" she shrieked, her eyes going wild.

"Stop screaming, will ya!" Gray shouted back. "I don't want to be deaf because of your banshee-like shrieks!"

Erza was the first to regain her composure as she stepped forward in a battle stance, already looking for the source of this 'earthquake'. But before she could head in one specific direction, there was a large, gigantic waterspout that appeared out of nowhere and nearly reached the sky not far from the position of the three Fairy Tail Mages, who could only look at the phenomenom in silent awe. That giant waterfall turned out to be some kind of geyser – a very powerful one if it could make the earth shake that much.

"Mama, Mama! Look!" a little boy exclaimed to his mother, pointing at the sky with a beaming, awestruck smile. "Something is falling from the sky!"

"What?" someone inquired, looking up as well.

"Hey, is that –"

Yes, it was. And really? Did the weather announce this for today as a surprise?

And there were so many of them! Erza didn't think twice as she ducked the first projectile – living projectile, she might add – and ran to find shelter in the dorm's roof, taking Gray and Lucy by the arm with her (the blonde wasn't lucky or quick enough, as she received one projectile on the head, making her cry and curse in disgust because of the sticky substance. Gray would have laughed heartily, had he not almost stumbled forward because of his own projectile that hit him in the back of his head.). The red-haired woman watched the weird phenomenom from a nearby window with a startled expression, mouth agape. It was pretty common to witness strange events in Magnolia that was linked with magic, so she shouldn't be that surprised but...

"What's going on?" Lucy asked once again in irritation, brushing her blonde hair frenetically to rid herself from the sticky substance.

"What... the hell?" Gray muttered, scowling at the sight of this circus. "Has the weather announced this? A rain of fish and a waterspout?!"

While some people were laughing at this particular event, others were kind of put off as they claimed that it would smell like fish for a long while – and others were complaining because they've been hit by living fish, thus also getting wet by the water raining on them. Erza narrowed her brown eyes toward the way the giant waterspout had appeared; it hadn't been a natural one, because she had felt a powerful surge of magic that came from someone she knew very well. And since this someone was the only Water Mage powerful enough to do something like that, that could only mean –

"Let's go!" the red-haired knight claimed, getting out of their improvised shelter to run toward the source of this watery phenomenom. "I have a pretty good idea who did that!"

Gray and Lucy followed her, the latter still growling in annoyance because she would be soaking wet. "I'm ready to bet my next pay rent that Natsu is involved in this," the blonde groaned, her eyes flashing dangerously and teeth grinding together as she seethed.

When the three of them neared the area where they could feel the magical source, they heard a chorus of laughter reverberating around. Some were easily recognizable as Natsu's and Happy's, but the others sounded alien. Erza, Lucy and Gray looked at each other, confused and curious as well, and decided to push past the vegetation to find out (and avoid the still raining fishies. Just how many of them were they?). The scene they discovered wasn't... what they really expected to see.

Not what Gray really, really expected to see.

One, two, three cats – no, Exceeds. One was blue, another was red and the last one was green and wearing a pink frog suit. Then, one, two, three, four people. Four mages. One had familiar salmon hair, another one had cerulean hair that reminded everyone of the bright sky, another one had golden locks as bright as the sun and the last one had hair as dark as night. All of them were drenched, drenched to the bone. But they were all laughing joyously, laughing so hard that they were practically on their knees and had tears in their eyes. The source of their laughter? That giant heap of fish gathered before them and the surprise they must have given to everyone in Magnolia. Lucy and Erza were blinking hard, trying to understand the whole predicament here, and the third person was staring intently at the only two people embracing one another. In fact, Gray was staring with incredulous, confused eyes at the only woman of the group that was being embraced by the blonde man in an – he couldn't bring himself to actually believe what his eyes were seeing. No, absolutely not. – intimate way.

There were many women with blue hair, that he was sure of it. But no other woman had legs that wonderful and beautiful to ogle at; they were shapely and slender, toned and long. The kind of thighs that would drive a lustful man just plain crazy just by feeling them wrapped around his hips. Since they all were soaked, the water served to enhance the creamy white skin Juvia was always so reluctant to show around and now, Gray knew why; her white blouse also showed a tiny sample of the ample bosoms she'd been gifted and since she wasn't wearing shorts, her lacy underwear was visible – this vision, something that would have embarrassed him to no end because Juvia would usually go out of line to make herself 'irresistible' before him, instantly made his blood rush to his groin. He almost gawked, stunned of the effect that sinful sight provoked on him, and even he couldn't prevent his mind from showing him the dirty images that flashed at great speed.

But what – who the hell was the man with his arms wrapped around her and his chin on her shoulder as if they were lovers? From what he could tell, he realized with eyes wide in complete disbelief, from what he could tell...

This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This isn't Laxus. This. Isn't. Laxus, his mind kept chanting to him. However, even if the blonde man right here with Juvia wasn't Laxus Dreyar, he couldn't surrender to great relief as his jaw grew slack when he recognized him.

"Why... why is Juvia in Sting Eucliffe's arms?" Lucy wondered slowly, her tone loud enough for her two friends to hear her. She was as confused as Gray was, if not more. Her brows were knitted together as she stared up at the blue-haired woman and the young guild master of Sabertooth in total failure to grasp the logic of said sight, whose hands had started to massage her hips beneath the drenched blouse.

"I... don't know?" Erza uncharastically stammered, just as lost as the others, when Juvia started to squeal and laugh once again in Sting's embrace – something that made her and Lucy widen their eyes in disbelief as they watched their blue-haired friend squirm in the grinning blonde's arms. Erza blinked again, then more repeatedly because the whole scene was both surreal and confusing; why was Juvia in Sting Eucliffe's arms, laughing and smiling this cheerfully? What was Sting Eucliffe doing here?

"Ah! S-stop that, Sting!" Juvia managed to exclaim between her peals of laughter, still squirming and attempting to escape his tickling fingers.

But the blonde held her pinned against his chest, snickering in mirth. "Then stop me, Siren," he just said, diving in to nip her neck. This elicited a stifled sound that both Erza and Lucy would never have thought that could come out from Juvia. And that made them gawk, their jaws falling.

She moaned.

Their eyes flew over to Gray, whose face had suddenly gone blank. It was shadowed by his bangs and though Erza couldn't see his eyes, she could feel a dark look being thrown at Juvia and Sting. Even his hands had tightened to curled, trembling fists. The red-haired knight winced slightly as she recognized that emotion from the Ice Mage – his possessive side was surfacing and, since Gray was quick to lose his temper when Juvia was the subject of the conversation, the fact that he was about to snap would certainly ensure lots of drama – the presence of the Twin Dragons and their Exceeds with Natsu and Juvia was weird enough but seeing both Sting and the Water Mage this close as if they were lovers was stranger.

Natsu finally chose this moment to calm down. "Nice, Juvia!" he exclaimed, grinning widely. "Now we've got plenty of fish for at least two months! Great job with that waterspout, I bet everyone in town must be shocked to see fish raining down the sky." He barked another laugh, slapping his knee.

"Aye! And she can cook it now!" Happy said, flying in the air, grinning in glee and anticipated hunger. He turned toward the Water Mage. "Juvia, can you do it now?"

"Fro wants grilled fish too!" Frosch was beaming at the blue-haired naiad, his obsidian eyes sparkling.

It took time for Juvia to sober up but Sting eventually stopped tickling her and held her, her body flushed against his; she was panting, her face just as flushed as and tears of laughter shining in her blue eyes, but she was smiling cheerfully. "Alright, then!" she sang, giggling as she wound her arms around Sting's neck, who grinned cheekily at her and slid his hands toward her ass to pull her closer to him. When Gray saw her looking up at him with those infinitely soft eyes he grounded his teeth together, failing to understand what was that burning sensation in his chest. Was that... jealousy? Actual jealousy?

"Feeling like waiting a little longer?" she asked him sweetly, pressing herself against him – Erza and Lucy openly gawked at this, stunned – and actually not freaking out at the blonde Dragon Slayer. It looked like she was enjoying being touched by him; her smile looked sweet and sincere and her eyes...

Juvia used to look at Gray like this, she did. With those enamoured, heated eyes. Juvia Lockser used to look at her 'Gray-sama' as if he was the best thing in the world and at this moment, it would seem that Sting Eucliffe was the best thing in the world in her eyes.

"If I get to have you later, then yes," he said, shrugging his jacket off to put it around Juvia's shoulders in such a way that Lucy herself felt a tad envious. The blue-haired woman accepted it without complaining, then threw her arms around Sting's neck once again, smiling gratefully. "Besides," he continued, smirking as he put his forehead against hers to make sure he had her attention. "I think it's high time to confront those three spies behind us: Frosty's been ogling you for five minutes now and I fucking don't like it." he finished with a snarl as he snapped his head toward Erza, Lucy and Gray, breaking his embrace and stepping protectively in front of Juvia.

As soon as he spat those words, everyone else around them sobered and turned around to discover the three intruders. Suddenly remembering that she wasn't in an appropriate clothing she quickly protected herself with Sting's jacket, blushing hard and hiding behind the blonde. The Ice Mage, who had had enough of this utter nonsense, stepped into the clearing and his eyes narrowed darkly at the White Dragon Slayer. Erza and Lucy followed suit, the latter more hesitantly as she eyed all the people near that heap of fish but eventually focused more on Sting, whose blue eyes had lost their playful and heated glint toward the Water Mage and now looked scorching. Almost murderous. And that stance; Sting was standing before the blue-haired woman, his frame shielding her from prying eyes and his knees slightly bent. His gaze was locked dead on Gray, who looked ready to jump at his throat if not for Erza's tight grip on his shoulder to prevent him from doing so. The Sabertooth guild master didn't seem fazed by the change in the atmosphere as he never relaxed his stance. It was as if he was doing it on purpose, acting like a possessive animal. As if he was protecting something – someone.

Juvia? Lucy realized with a startled gasp.

"Erza? Lucy? Gray?" Natsu called, walking toward them. His eyes surveyed them and then entirely focused on his rival, whose gaze didn't even drift toward him as he kept glaring at his fellow Dragon Slayer. The salmon-haired inwardly cursed as he quickly grasped the situation here, so he put on a facade and smiled his signature grin. "So, whatcha up to?" He needed to calm things down here, he needed to calm things down here quickly before they got out of line. And Gray certainly is about to snap really bad.

"Natsu, what's going on here?" Erza inquired – or rather demanded. Her brown eyes had surveyed the zone rapidly, seen the fish and had concluded this: Juvia had created the waterspout and made all those fish fly everywhere. As big as it was, Natsu must have spurred or encouraged her to do so. Because it truly looked like it was his own idea. "Do you know how many of those fish have –"

"That's not the fucking point right now. What the fuck is going on here? What the fuck are they doing here?" Gray all but brutally cut her off, his voice gaining an angry edge Juvia had never heard before, which made her stiffen in surprise behind her hiding spot. Why does he sound so... angry? She peeked over Sting's shoulder to look at her former love interest with wondering eyes, unconsciously putting her hands around the bare flesh of his hips and squeezing. Juvia felt him relax ever so slightly, but she could tell he didn't let his guard down.

When her eyes locked with Gray's, she suddenly felt cold. So cold. As if her blood had completely run cold in her veins. As if her body was shivering from the cold – which wasn't normal, since the sun was pretty hot today. The dark look in Gray's eyes was frightening.

But it didn't shock her as much as his next words did.

"Really? Aren't you supposed to be in a relationship with Laxus? Does he know that his woman is whoring around with another man?"

Could she say that he didn't mean it? Could she even defend his words and say that it was just out of anger?

Even Juvia Lockser had her limits when it concerned Gray Fullbuster.

Author's Note 1: Bloody hell. Usually I don't use cliffhangers because it only serves to awaken your hungry side to know what's going to happen next (J'peux déjà vous entendre: 'UPDAAAAAAATE!' 'NOOOOOOO, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!' Haha.), but since this chapter is split into two parts, you'll have your surprises. So I think the next omake has to wait a little – I already have an idea, since those who voted chose Natsu Dragneel as the character you want me to cast in. Oh, and I hope your Christmas was good and you had plenty of food - my tummy still remembers all the food I got it. Haha, that was crazy.

Author's Note 2: Qui veut que le prochain Arc de Fairy Tail – à savoir, Tartaros – commence après le chapitre six? (MOI, JE VEUX!) Et aussi... fêtez bien le Nouvel An!

Next Chapter: Clarity For You (Part Two)