THIS. IS. THE. CONTINUATION. OF. THE. FIC. COZ. I'M. STILL. INTO. THEM.

I could find a man and not a boy

You'll see what you're missing

Yes, I'm fine now, thanks for asking

Here's to the fakers

Here's to the heartbreakers.

~Here's to the Heartbreakers by Katy McAllister

Pleasant Distractions

By Divinecriticizer

It never rained. In contrast, the sun was shining like it had some kind of competition. The morning raised its flags and the wrecked water mage was sitting on her sheets, her eyes bulging out, but her smile intact. She slowly got up from her bed, and certain preparations were made to officially start her day. A day that she promised not to ruin, and followed by the upcoming days her life will allow her to live on; days by living for herself and the guild, alone.

"Ah! There she is!" Levy called out, waving her small hands to elevate her presence. The water mage immediately spotted that small hand of hers, and made her way to that small, fragile hand. She smiled Levy immediately realized that those were just presentations. But to help her, she just smile back and said nothing about it.

"Where are we going, Levy-san?"

"EH?! Do you know what you're talking about?!" Levy practically shrieked, despite her small frame, she managed to let out such pitch.

"Did something happen?" she asked, half curious of as to why she had been like a kid all the while.

"It's Juvia's birthday! Birthday!" The script mage emphasized, patting her friend's back as she mentioned those words.

"My… birthday?" she asked, barely having the grasp on the statement her friend had letting on loose.

"Yep! Your birthday. Happy Birthday Juvia!" Levy grinned, nudging Gajeel on the process who as soon as he had felt the gentle contact, had forced a smile as well. "Here, take it," the script mage offered a small, rectangular pink box, adorned with faint yellow lace. Juvia was sobbing the moment she saw the box; just a huge step to a day that she always wanted to remember, because her past celebrations didn't look like celebrations before. "J-Juvia… thanks you for this. Levy-san, Gajeel. How should Juvia repay your kindness?"

"Oi Juvia, stop being a baby. It's your day no?" The dragon slayer wore his famous smirk, inviting a small curve into his longtime friend even during their Phantom days. "Ah Juvia, wear your best clothes tonight, we will have a celebration for you at the guild! Be sure to come okay!" Levy chirped.

"Are you an idiot, shrimp? Of course she will, it's her birthday after all!" Gajeel butted in; only to receive a pout from the shrimp he adored the most.

"A-ah… Juvia will." Juvia cannot show such ungratefulness infront of them. She averted her eyes, and back to them, she showed them a reassuring smile, only that inside her wasn't that motivated to come.

If only that she can bury herself in those white sheets of her all day, she would've. The pain for her was too much, but what can she do? After such failure to remain true to her resolve, she even manage let herself lose to such feelings that she wanted to bury the most. And by that, she was rejected, again and she cannot let this happen ever again.

Because he thinks, she's such a bother.

After returning from breakfast with Levy and Gajeel, she returned to Fairy Hills, trying to mix and match pieces of clothing that appears to be either conservative or provoking. Decided that she needs a new outfit, she decided to visit the shops in Magnolia that were recommended by her friends in the guild. The city seems new to her; she noticed different shops here and there, that she thought never existed. She run from here and there, only to find out she doesn't know where to go.

And as much as she hated to admit it, even a mage can get lost too.

She wandered off for hours and after such long walking, her feet hurts, and blisters started to appear in her feet. Such pain can make someone unaware of their surroundings, even mages. And she doesn't know that someone would be looking at her, from far away.

Prii Prii Priiiiii!

Beep.

Unknown caller.

"Uh… Hello?" She answered that device that allows her to communicate through the lacrima in it.

(A/N: In the twenty first century, they call it cellphone. But I can't call it a cellie here. :D)

"Oh, thank goodness Juvia, you answered." A man's voice in another line.

"Uh, sorry if Juvia made you worried, but who can this be?" she replied, trying to figure out whoever this caller might be.

" Ah, Lyon, Lyon Vastia. Where are you?" he asked, but obviously knowing where exactly she is, what is she doing and how painful those blisters can be.

"Ah… Sorry, Lyon-sama. But, Juvia doesn't know where she is." She shyly admitted, though he knew perfectly that she is lost.

"Oh, that can be very unlucky indeed. Can you see any remarkable signs or anything?" he began to ask.

"Now that you mentioned it…" she looked around, looking for a sign that stands out, "there's this blue shop that sells dresses… um," her eyes narrowed, as she tried to read it, "It says Deep Blue Boutique." She was looking at it, as he too is looking at the same shop her eyes set upon.

After all, he accidentally saw her, and began to play such games of following her until they make it through the guild where the party will be held a few hours from now.

Gruuu. Gruuuuu.

"Did you hear something weird?" he asks, though he perfectly knows what that sound is, he proceeded to play dumb just a bit,though he chuckled lightly. A grudge of any women would be too scary.

"U-um… Juvia didn't. Anyway, do you know where might Juvia be?" she tried to ease her grumbling stomach, but again…

Gruuuu. Gruuuuuu.

"Ah! I know! When you walk past a little to that boutique and then to your right, you might see something. I just can't remember what that is…" He smirked, only that it cannot be heard in the calling device that links them. And so she did, and he followed, without being traced in such a crowd.

Lyon was invited by Lucy and Erza for Juvia's birthday, though Gray was secretly disagreeing to that gesture and was grumpy all that time, he didn't mind; if it's Juvia, he will go whatever the circumstances are.

And this is the current circumstance.

"U-um…" the lost female gulped, feeling her hunger becomes intense by any second, as she smelled something appealing to any hungry stomach: food.

"Are you already there? What do you see?" he asked, pretending he wasn't looking at her the moment he saw her wandering the listless shops from here and there. If only a smile can be heard over that very device, he was sure it will be easy for her to figure him out.

"Juvia sees… a fancy pizza resto."

"Oh, I remember. It's actually famous for its unusual pizza combinations. But people say it's really delicious. Even I want to taste it." He said over the communicating device, entering the after a minute Juvia entered the resto. He took the seat at the far back on Juvia, with the purpose as to not let her see him, following her.

She ate to suffice her hunger, ordering the recommended pizza the attending waitress offered her. (A/N: since the author doesn't know what pizza Juvia would like, and at the same time, the author is not even an avid fan of pizzas, please imagine the best pizza you wanna taste, or you ever tasted.) After such meal, the call never ended, and she continued to talk to him, telling him how good the pizza was.

"Miss, this is on the house, for a very special lady like you." The attendant served a sweet course, as she smiled sincerely to the lady in front of her. (Please use your imagination as to what dessert would you like to eat.) She returned the smile, and muttered a small thank you and continued talking to the person who had been guiding her for the rest of her adventure.

"They even gave me free dessert Lyon-sama! They said it's for.." she smiled, nearly teary, as she appreciated the still lingering melody of the attendant's voice inside her head. "For… special lady like me." She said in a whisper, a proud and a happy whisper, that also put Lyon on the tower of happiness itself.

He heard the attendant mutter that she already gave the sweet to the blue-haired lady, as he also exchanged her a small word of thanks. That was it, he made her smile, and he made her feel special. This is something that he wanted to give to her, but he already knows that his chances are small, almost non-existent, but he should try until the end, no matter how biter or sweet it might be.

And the talking continued and continued; she asking and conforming where to go, and him guiding and directing her where the places he thinks might make her happy, and special. He was hidden, but it doesn't matter to him, as long as he knows that the smile she was making was given by him, and that those were sincere, then it was all he can wish for at the moment.

Juvia Lockser was having the best birthday she ever celebrated. She felt as if she wasn't some kind of an oddball or a bad luck, but a person who also deserves to celebrate such occasion as normal people would. And she admitted that aside from Levy and Gajeel and the others that will be there for such rare occasion, Lyon almost made her feel complete. She wished he had made her complete. But there is this little hope tingling in her insides that maybe, just maybe, that the guy she wishes might be there giving her the best wish she would hope for.

It's too late.

She had given her a decent space he always wanted: Distance, and she must continually give it to him, as much as she can, because it's her vanishing in his life as someone who infiltrates and pesters him will give him what he needed. She's scared that loving someone too much leaves her with nothing, and she cannot bear to be in that position again where she will put up together of whatever was there, that is, if there is anything left. She's family, and that's that. Nothing more.

And they were a few steps away.

"Juvia."

"Yes, Lyon-sama?"

"Turn around, I want to show you something."

"What is it, Lyon-sama?"

"Just turn around, and walk. You'll see."

Please, look at me.

A little more.

Walk further.

A bit.

In this direction.

Please.

"Oi, what do you think are you doing here?"

"G-Gray-san!"

"Come on! I'll walk you home."

"…"

My chances are small; almost non-existent. I know she'll choose him, but I didn't know it would hurt this much.

And he was left there, watching her getting swayed by the other Ice mage, as well as his chance of giving that butterfly pin he kept as soon as he realized how much she means to him.

I would just hope it would suffice your waiting to this fic. My gasss. I'm almost, ALMOST! graduating, and I hope I would. (But I know I would.:D Braggy much?)

SO YEA! COOKIES AND DIET COKE TO EVERYONE!