"Whoa, Juvia! Where did you get all those flowers from?" Levy looked around her room.

It was true she had a lot of them – they were occupying all her shelves and tables, and some even stood on the floor. "Gray-sama gave them to Juvia for maintenance," she answered. "It seemed that he wouldn't be able to take care of them."

"For maintenance?" Levy shot her a doubtful look.

"Yes," Juvia nodded decisively. What would it be for otherwise? "Here, Levy-san, Juvia found that book she had borrowed."

"Why would he keep so many flowers?" Levy frowned, taking The Coming Wave from her. "And what about this?" She touched a bracelet Juvia was wearing – a string of little butterflies made from shiny ice.

"Oh, this? Juvia found it somewhere."

Levy looked unconvinced. "But... It's made from Gray's magic, I can tell..."

"Ah, well," Juvia shrugged, picking up her bag. "Gray-sama must have dropped it. It seems to Juvia that he is dropping a lot of things lately." She gestured the other girl to the door. "Are you going to the guild, Levy-san?"

She did. Which wasn't very fortunate, since she was giving Juvia a lot of weird looks on the road, and Juvia didn't know how to respond.

It was just another problem on top of her recurring hallucinations. Even though Porlyusica-san said everything was all right with her head, every day Juvia was falling deeper into her daydreams, and, pleasant as they were, they've also created a rift between her and Gray-sama. More and more of her conversations with him blurred into her imagination, and she started to miss the times they were able to talk for real. She stopped even asking him for repeating his words, it was so pointless; she would simply smile and say "yes" instead, and most of times it didn't get her into trouble.

He was already in the guild when they got there, standing in front of the request board, and the wave of joy rushed through her; it was still so good to see him, even if speaking with him was hard. She smiled to him despite all the nervousness she felt around him lately.

"Gray-sama, look what Juvia found," she said, producing his necklace from her pocket and giving it back to him. "Gray-sama should be careful not to lose it again."

His face got longer for a moment. "Erm, Juvia," he said quietly. "I gave it to you as a... Token of my feelings, you know..."

There it was again. "Yes," she said, smiling, and hoping it was a good answer to whatever he just said.

He sighed, putting his necklace back on. "Are you going on a job today?" he asked.

"Juvia is. What about Gray-sama?"

"Can I go with you?"

She blinked. He never asked this before, so probably it was it again. "Yes," she answered with a smile.

"Good," he said, looking at her so attentively it was getting uncomfortable. "Pick whatever you like."

She picked a job and went to register it with Mira – Gray-sama came with her, too, and said something to Mira, then followed her.

"Gray-sama is going on a job, too?" she asked politely.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

They were walking together as far as the train station, and then it turned out he's even boarding the same train.

"Is Gray-sama's job in the same direction as Juvia's?" she asked.

"Juvia, I'm going on a job with you," he said.

"Ah, yes," she smiled.

He hesitated, glancing briefly through the window. "Your... Your eyes shine like diamonds, you know."

"Yes." There it was, the wall between them, impermeable.

"Are you saying 'Yes' every time you're not sure what I said?"

She frowned at him, then lowered her head. "It's true..." she admitted. "Juvia is still having this glitch..."

He sighed. "Yeah, me too. Don't worry about that," he said, and it seemed to her as if he took her hand.

The job wasn't complicated, but tiresome – she needed to get rid of a swarm of goblins around a long abandoned mansion – and took her most of the day. The sun was already setting when she drove out the last of them, and there was no way she could get back to Magnolia before the night. The nearest town had a little hotel, though, so she just went straight there and booked a room.

"You're taking only one room for us?" Gray-sama asked.

Juvia glared at him and shrugged – why would she bother taking another room for a hallucination? And also, couldn't he understand she didn't want him to talk to her in public? She wouldn't want anyone to see her talking to herself.

"Well, okay," he shrugged, too. "If you're fine with it."

Because he had to be a hallucination, she knew ever since she noticed he's following her everywhere. He was also exceptionally polite, and he seemed to flatter her on every occasion – things that the real Gray-sama would rarely do; and of course it wasn't so unusual that she would imagine him by her side, especially on those solitary jobs.

It was only strange that he seemed so vivid – she could touch him, and he didn't disappear for a moment, even when she was fighting. It also looked to her as if he defeated some of the goblins, which was definitely weird. It worried her that she would see something so real, and she wondered briefly if Porlyusica-san was right about her health. Maybe she should consult another doctor? But certainly not today; today, it was too late, and she was too tired, and she wanted a nice, warm shower.

And if the hallucination was already there, and Juvia could do nothing about it, she could as well have some fun with it, right? Just as the things she imagined every day before the sleep, only little more real. No one would ever know, and she deserved it after a job well done – something warm and thrilling to wrap up the day.

So she stepped into the room with a contented sigh, threw her boots into the corner, her cap onto the cupboard, and unclasped the collar of her dress.

"Uhh, sure, don't mind me," Gray-sama said, standing by the window and sipping a soda, his cheeks plainly pinker than before.

"Juvia won't," she smiled, stepping closer and hugging him; he stiffened a bit at first, but quickly relaxed. "Juvia is really tired," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. He was so warm, and his smell instantly made her feel safe and tranquil.

"Yeah, me too." He embraced her gently, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. It wasn't real, she knew, but she wanted it to be. "But are you okay? You seemed little out of it today and – "

"Maybe Juvia was a bit out," she pulled away a bit to look at his face. "But it doesn't matter now, does it."

"Really? You were ignoring me all the day, and I thought..." he hesitated, averting his eyes.

"Surely you know why Juvia did it, Gray-sama," she yawned, picking up her bag and a towel. "Juvia will be back in a minute."

Humming happily, she took a very satisfying shower. She tried imagining Gray-sama beside her, water splashing on his toned chest, his hair getting wet, the steam covering them, but not really – and how embarrassed would she be, if he saw her like that.

But it didn't really work. No matter how she tried, it wasn't as vivid as the visions she had earlier today, not as tangible as the phantom she left in her room. One part of her desperately hoped he would still be there, and another wanted him to disappear and give her peace of mind; he made her think constantly about the real Gray-sama, and she missed him a lot, even if she wouldn't do to him half the things she dared with the hallucination.

Sighing, she put on her soft, light purple gown – her favorite one, very delicate and light – and went back into the room. Her heart skipped a beat - he was still there, leaning against the window sill, and as soon as he glanced at her, his eyes grew wide and he started to choke. She heard a rustle as his jacket landed softly on the floor.

"Uh, Gray-sama," she said, jumping to his side to hit his back - even if he was not real, it would be painful to see him hurt.

"Whoa," he gasped, catching his breath, his face tainted a deep shade of red. "You're really not minding me, are you."

"Juvia... " she glanced aside, her skin prickling as she felt his eyes on her – but it was only in her head, so she fought her need to hide. "Juvia tries not to be irrational, that's all."

"Irrational," he echoed, turning to the window again.

She nodded. "Juvia thinks she should have control over this situation," she said, "Not let it intimidate her."

"I... I wouldn't like to... intimidate you, but – " He massaged his shoulder. "It's just a bit surprising, I guess. Not that I... Not that I mind..."

"Surprising," she frowned, tugging at the rim of her nightgown. Maybe she could play a bit with him? "Does Gray-sama not like it, then?" Gathering her courage, she turned a bit left and right, so he could take a better look.

"Uh..." he pressed his forehead to the window pane, averting his gaze.

Seconds passed, he stayed silent, and she got a little worried. Normally in her daydream he would say something like Oh yes, I like it very much, or Of course, Juvia, you know how I love your body, and she would blush like mad, and then he would take her in his arms and kiss her and –

"I... um..." he stammered, glancing sideways at her. "Why, you... I thought..."

Weariness washed over her. "If you don't like it, it's okay, too," she said, sitting on the bed - maybe she should just go to sleep instead. "It's enough that Juvia does."

Something flickered in his dark eyes. "No, I – " He came closer and sat on the floor beside the bed, swallowing audibly as his gaze slid down and up her body, causing her to wince. "I like it very much," he said, his voice stifled.

"Really?" she tilted her head. "What do you like so much about it, Gray-sama?"

"It's... It's pretty, and..." His face twisted as if he ate something sour. "You, you're pretty in it..." He threw his shirt towards the door in a lazy curve. "I mean, you're pretty in everything, but..."

Juvia's head suddenly felt light and dizzy – perhaps the day was not lost yet. "It's such a sweet thing for Gray-sama you to say," she whispered, crawling to the edge of the bed on all fours.

"You heard what I've just said?" His eyes fixed on hers. "And you're... Um..."

Juvia reached her hand and twirled his necklace around her wrist; then she pulled him up to his knees and closer to her – so close that heir lips almost touched. "Oh, Juvia hears everything," she whispered, tip of her tongue brushing his mouth.

Gray-sama shuddered. "Really," he said softly. "Then why..."

Juvia pulled the necklace closer, closing the gap between them.

Their lips touched only briefly, but she could swear that when they met, she heard the beat of his heart, one, two, three. She trembled when his hands slided around her waist, frail fabric of her nightgown hardly creating any barrier. His touch seemed so warm on her skin, she could as well just melt.

But not yet. She pulled away and let the necklace go.

"You were saying something, Gray-sama?" she asked, licking her lips.

His eyes glimmered in the faint light. "I... You said you heard everything," he said quietly. "You mean, like really everything?" His cheeks turned into deeper shade of red and his gaze flew sideways. "I... I mean, you know, some of those things were – "

"It doesn't matter so much," she said.

"But then, if you heard everything, why did you..." he frowned at her. "You know, those things you – "

Juvia shook her head. What was the point of this? She just wanted him to be near. "Just come here, Gray-sama," she said, moving backwards to make more place for him.

He blinked a few times, but finally sat cautiously at the very edge of the bed.

"Juvia meant here." She caught his arm and pulled him closer, and he simply followed her movement. Juvia sighed. He seemed rather stunned, even though normally he would have swept her in his arms long ago.

"But, I don't understand..." he said, even as she pressed her forehead to his and ran her fingers through his hair. "Are you sure you haven't hit your head when we were fighting with those goblins, or – "

"Juvia is sure." She looked him straight in the eyes. "Although Gray-sama does seem a little weird today," she said, leaning down to kiss his neck.

"I seem weird? Ah, Juvia, wait, what are you doing?" He pushed her gently away from him – how frustrating, and just when she started to think how much she liked the taste of his skin.

Juvia sat up and looked at him with disapproval. "See, that's what Juvia meant," she said. "Gray-sama is weird. Juvia just wants to have some fun. What is Gray-sama's problem with it?"

"...Fun?" He raised a brow.

"Yes!"

He stared at her, motionless, and she stared back.

"Fun," he repeated finally, his fingers clenching on the bedsheets. "Yeah, okay." He crawled over to her and kissed her.

He was very gentle at first, but Juvia pulled him closer and licked his lower lip, deepening the kiss. Gray-sama gave out a little muffled sound and pushed her flat to the bed, finally kissing her for real – just as passionately as usual. It was different than usual though, as she could feel his smell, dizzying, and she could taste him, too, as much as she wanted. He was so warm, she thought, and so much more substantial – his weight pressed her into the bed as he leaned lower onto her – and she had never imagined before that he would lick her tongue like that, but all of it served only to excite her more.

"Mmh," she sighed, as he finally pulled away, panting slightly. "Juvia loves Gray-sama so much..."

He tensed in her arms, his face confused again.

"I..." he breathed, his eyes sliding sideways. "I... kind of – "

Why was he hesitating? "You should tell Juvia you love her too, Gray-sama," she instructed.

His face went from red to pale to red again. "I... I, I..." He sighed, hiding his face in her shoulder. "I can't. Sorry..."

Juvia slowly stroke his back. He always told her that he loved her in her reveries, so why he couldn't now? She wanted to hear it, she felt so alone; the more this silly daydream stayed beside her, the more she couldn't prevent herself to think how the real Gray-sama wasn't.

"Could you at least..." She felt her cheeks getting warmer – some words were hard for her to say, too. "Could you lick Juvia once more like that..."

Gray-sama smiled weakly and embraced her tighter. "Mhn," she sighed, as he kissed her deeply and her body arched on its own volition. "Juvia really likes it..." she whispered, making mess of his hair, which somehow didn't want to stay in perfect order this time. Something flickered in his darkened eyes and he licked her more, grinding against her.

"Aw!" she gasped, pushing him away when her hipbone thrust against the buckle of his belt. "Now that hurt."

"Um, sorry, Juvia," he rolled a bit to the side and massaged his nape, catching his breath. "Sorry."

"It's all right," she said, looking deep into his concerned eyes. But why would she imagine something painful like that? And all those other weird things... "It's just... You seem so real today, Gray-sama."

"Real?" he frowned at her. "Like on other days I wasn't?"

Juvia nodded.

"Yeah, okay," he said after a while of bewildered glares. "I have no idea what are you talking about, but I am real, you know."

Juvia shook her head. "Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama, but you're not," she said softly. "You're just Juvia's imagination."

"A-ha. Sure. If it excites you, or something," he said. "But you do know that, like really really, I am real, right?"

"Stop it, Gray-sama," she smiled. "You're not, but it doesn't matter now. Can we get back to – "

"We can't," Gray-sama sat up. "Not until we get this straight. I am real, Juvia. Why can't you understand..." He pressed a hand to his forehead.

Something in his face – desperation in his eyes, and something like yearning, she thought – made her body stiffen.

"No," she said. "No, this cannot be."

He shook his head. "Sorry..." he whispered, touching her, and a layer of bright ice spread along her arm, little cool needles pricking her skin.

"Aw!" she squealed, surprised. It was real – the pain was real, the ice was real, and he, he was –

"I'm sorry," he said, waving his hand and causing the ice to disappear. "I just couldn't think about any other way to convince you."

"But... But Gray-sama just kissed Juvia!" she protested, sitting up and pulling the rim of her nightgown down to cover her thighs, then the straps up to cover her cleavage. "Many times!"

"Yeah, listen – "

"And he... And she!" Her stomach tied itself in a knot and she covered her mouth in horror. "She..!"

"Ju – "

Juvia squealed, shoved his arm aside and jumped to the floor with a loud thud.

" -via..."

And even when the forgiving darkness covered her, she could still hear his voice.

"...Did you just hide under the bed?"

Thanks everyone for your reviews! You're all so kind and make me happy ^^ But if you don't like where it went, still tell me - it's always interesting to hear your opinions :)

Sorry that it took me so long! There's one part more, but I don't know if I'll manage to finish it next week. We'll see ^^