Chapter 11
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail does not belong to me
"Gray-samaaaaa. You're my heerooooo," Juvia coos.
He rolls his eyes and drops her in the dust. "Whatever. Just don't get lost again. You're wasting my time."
"Okay," she says, happier than she should be considering she was just scolded...
"C'mon," he says motioning for her to get up and go closer to him. "We have to get going or else we won't make it to our Job rendezvous. We already made a stop in Hargeon and I want to make it to Crocus before nightfall. I guess we'll have to take a bullet train," he says sighing.
She trots over to him and falls in line as they head towards the Train Station.
"And this is where Lamia Scale holds their Thanksgiving Party. This is the Magaret Garden," Skye says as she sculls the water with her rowing oar. "And now, we are at our last stop, back at the house. Thank you for cruising with 'Gondola Rides,' (haha, what a creative name- I still think we should've gone with Skye's Light Gondalas and decorated them less rustically and more contemporary, but of course dad said no. What does that ole geezer know anyways...) Please ride with us again!" Skye says adding her own tweeny flair to the tour.
Lyon leads Rin down the almost empty, dimly lit street and she touches the now withering blue orchid and she plucks it from behind her ear. "It was so beautiful, what a shame to see it dying like this," she murmurs and as she tosses it to the wind, Lyon catches it.
"Did you know that blue orchids symbolize beauty, charm, elegance, strength and peace? The color blue is also the easiest to percieve in the dark- when placed next to other colors it recedes and gives a more 'in-depth' impression," he says cupping his hands over it.
"Where did you learn all of that?" she inquires humourously. "I've never quite pictured you as the scholarly type."
"Sherry insisted on teaching me a few terms from the Victorian Flower language, don't ask me why though, because I'm not quite sure," he shrugs as his hands give off a pale sea foam green glow.
He hands Rin her orchid back, encased in a crystal like ice shell. "Um, thanks. But won't the ice melt?"
"Not unless I die. Or unless you fall in love with me, not unless your heart melts," he says with a wickedly devious smile on his face.
Rin flushes, "Then I guess that it won't melt til you die," she replies stubbornly as she clutches it into her hand.
Very slowly, as if there were very tiny, invisible blades scraping off tiny shavings of ice, Rin iced flower begins to melt- along with her own heart too.
"You mean that there is only one room?" Gray asks with quiet anger hidden behind his calm tone.
"Um, yes, sir. I am very sorry," the hotel worker says, his eyes widening in fear.
Gray clenches his fist and bangs it down on the desk in front of him. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. Stupid train- breaking down."
"Gray-sama, we can always just share a room," Juvia suggests, peering over his shoulder and clicking her heels nervously.
"Absolutely not," he tells her firmly, accepting the hotel key with one hand and walking up the stairs, "I don't think I could stand knowing that you might jump me any moment."
"So it's true," Juvia says, her lip trembling. "You DO hate me. Are you in love with Rin? Do you have a sister complex?"
Gray stares at her blankly. And stares. And stares. "Did you really just ask me if I have a sister complex?"
"Mmhm. You just never pay any attention to Juvia. All I want is for you to like me back and not hate me."
Gray pushes the door to the hotel room open. "I never said that I hate you," he sighs and massages his temples. "Here, I'll see if I can sleep at Lyon's place tonight or something."
"You don't hate me?" Juvia asks perking up, gaining a new light in her eyes. "So then Gray-sama's heart isn't lost to Juvia yet. You do like Juvia?"
"Is that really the conclusion that you came to?" he asks, facepalming and pulling his face down. "Think it over again, see you now," he says heading back down the stairs.
"Wait," Juvia says grabbing his wrist and twirling him around in one swift motion, then she pecks him on the cheek. "Juvia will never give up. Remember that Juvia truly loves you," she says before shutting the door behind her and flopping on her bed.
Gray blushes. "What was that?" he mumbles.
Gray knocks on the door of Lyon's house. "Lyon? You there?"
The lights are on and he can here voices from inside so he pushes the heavy wooden door open and enters to see Lyon sitting on the couch with a sleeping Rin propped up against him.
Lyon panics. "It's not what you think Gray."