My first almost-lemon chappie only got two reviews? I think I might have to trash my laptop and rethink my passion as a writer. T.T *sob*
Rated M.
M is for MATURE people.
If I can pretend to be, then you can too.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob* However sometimes I wonder if Mashima-sama used to follow me around and take character ideas from me and my friends.
At least let a girl dream!
Chapter 15
Spa Day!
"You want us all to do what now?" Lucy raised her brow. She sat next to Levy in the guild that morning, Mirajane stood at the other side of their table smiling.
Levy sighed, "I think it would be great, don't get me wrong—but I have a task to do today... and if it doesn't get done," her face melted to dangling tears, "Lulu will penalize me horribly, I just know it!"
"That's right I will..." Lucy leaned back in her chair smugly.
"Juvia thinks she can help Levy with her goal. Juvia knows Gajeel-kun well, he can be baited easily." Juvia came and sat on the other side of Levy, pointedly ignoring Lucy.
"Well good morning Juvia! Would you like some coffee?" Mirajane smiled.
"Yes please Mirajane, Juvia would like cream and sugar to go with it." Juvia sat in her chair with the perfect posture of a princess.
"Could you really Juvia? That would be so great! I would owe you big time!" Levy hugged Juvia's arm.
Juvia merely looked off into the distance and lifted her other hand into a fist, "Of course I will. Any other course of action could leave Love Rival to victory, and Juvia will not allow her another until Gray-sama is back in Juvia's arms!" The rain woman had started her comment with inspiring resolve, but by the end she was a teary eyed mess, flooding the guild.
"Okay okay Juvia!" Levy nervously patted her guildmate. "I'll gladly accept your help! Thank you!"
The Celestial mage next to her sweatdropped, and opted for silence. She had tried to apologize to Juvia before they'd entered to guild, but between Gajeel's snide comments and Juvia's refusal to look at her—she'd found the conversation very one sided.
"Juvia believes it would be a simple task. Juvia thinks it would be about time to get Juvia's date to repay the favor he owes."
Lucy looked over in Juvia's direction, suddenly looking quite perturbed, "Wouldja stop calling him your date?! You don't own anyone!"
The rain woman giggled at the sudden power Lucy gave her and feigned a blush with her hands on her cheeks, "Such an honorable man, to never forget such things! Juvia feels so honored to carry a boon from Natsu-kun!"
Lucy buried her head in the table, regretting her outburst in more ways than one. Everyone was staring at her. She just couldn't help it... spending time with Natsu under the moonlight last night had been—enlightening.
Mirajane returned and placed Juvia's mug in front of her and looked to Lucy with a foxfaced grin, "Trouble in the ice-make wizard's paradise Lucy?"
"I haven't even seen his lousy face since the festival," Lucy groaned with her head still in her arms. "You'd think he'd at least try to talk to me."
Juvia smiled to herself, and sipped her coffee contentedly, recalling a rather intense conversation he had forced on her after Erza had released them from their captivity.
-FLASHBACK-
Makarov had left the room with Natsu and the girls, abandoning the ice wizard and rain woman to nurse their tape inflamed faces.
Gray rubbed an ice coated hand on his cheek, his jacket already flung to the chair he'd been so carelessly attached to a moment ago, "What did Erza mean when she said you attacked someone while their back was turned Juvia? I thought you were past those low blows."
Again, Juvia hung her head down, nothing about this silly Ball was right. If only Master had of waited before sending her on that mission, things would have been different. She decided to bow in apology, "Juvia is so sorry... Juvia got carried away, and Juvia is so grateful that she was apprehended before she caused pain on her guildmate." She dared a glance at him, upon seeing his frown she quickly looked away again.
She could hear Gray sigh after a moment, and possibly rearrange his stance—she couldn't tell. But she listened to every word he said with a very attentive ear:
"I can't say that I'm not flattered that Lucy asked me to go with her okay? But she made it clear at the time that she wanted it to stay as friends. I know that if I were to pursue her," His voice increased in speed and volume, "-which I'm not-" then his voice resumed at his normal pace. Gray's cool, musical droll of a voice, "it would never work out. Everyone here sees that Lucy's completely head over heels for that Flamehead except for the two of them. I'm not gonna come between that, we may fight a lot but he's like a brother to me."
Her blue hair hung down both sides of her face, it reminded her of the drip drip drop. Without moving from her docile position she finally dared to ask, "Why is Gray-sama telling Juvia this?"
She heard him sigh again and listened to his footsteps. His boots came into her line of sight and she felt his hands on her shoulders, urging her to stand up straight. Juvia complied a tad nervously, and when she wouldn't lift her eyes to his, Gray tilted her chin up enough so that there was no where else to look.
"Juvia. Are you looking at me now?"
"...Yes." Juvia answered his odd question awkwardly.
"Why do you think I'm telling you this?"
Juvia had no response. She was using all her concentration to keep the rainclouds at bay.
Gray sighed again, "I not a lovey dovey kinda guy okay? You drive me nuts with that. You're exhausting." Every word pierced her soul. The rainclouds were gathering, she was sure of it. "But you are also strong, caring, and unwavering. I can always tell a lot about you when we combine our powers, and those three qualities are what make you stand above the rest."
Juvia's clouded eyes cleared just a little, looking to Gray more closely. She had started to glaze over him in her internal fight to keep the rain away. "Fairytail is what taught Juvia to be caring. Caring is not something that has helped Juvia in the past."
Gray smirked, "But it does now?"
"...Juvia has not decided." was her hesitated response.
"Look." Gray swung a hand through his hair. "Ever since Mira's little meeting, I'd been keeping clear of the guild. But I couldn't skip the festival, Master was counting on me. I thought I'd be safe from anyone asking me since Cana and Lucy were the only single girls I was around. But then Lucy went and pulled a typical Lucy move by dodging her feelings and asking me."
The rain woman started to lower her head again, but Gray would have none of it and straightened her gaze back to him. The ice-make wizard frowned at having to make her look at him again, "Would ya stop that already?" He sighed and let her go, putting his hands in his pockets, "I knew you would make me go with you as soon as you got back alright?"
Juvia looked confused, of course she did. What was he getting at?
Gray's frowned deepened and this time he looked away, Juvia thought she saw a splash of red on his cheeks, "I was... kinda countin' on it."
Juvia's heart started beating so fast she thought it would jump right out of her chest. She couldn't help herself, she latched onto Gray in a close embrace and the skies were clear. "Gray-sama WANTED Juvia to ask him? Oh Gray-sama!"
The one true love of her life put an awkward arm around her, "Like I said... kinda."
-END FLASHBACK-
After a most refreshing sip of Mirajane's perfectly prepared coffee, a smug Juvia set her mug down and spoke with her eyes closed, "Juvia will meet Mirajane and the others after Juvia helps Levy beat Gajeel. Tomorrow is the Ball, spending today at the spa is just what Juvia needs."
Mirajane clasped her hands together happily. "That's so wonderful! I'll tell Master that I'm going out with the girls." She scurried away, happy as a clam.
"So what should we do first Juvia?" Levy leaned in towards her.
"Juvia thinks it would be best to find the fire dragon."
Lucy sighed, "Good luck with that. He's off hunting Erza trying to get his scarf back."
Levy laughed out loud, "She got it huh?"
The celestial mage chuckled, "Yea she did!"
^.^
Gajeel knew nothing good was gonna come from that smirk on Laxus' face as he approached the guild. Cana walked next to him and they both stopped in front of the iron dragonslayer.
Lightning dragon laughed at iron dragon, "What are you still doin out here? Can't you go somewhere else to pout? I'm getting a little sick of your face."
"You got a problem pretty boy?"
Laxus got a confident smile on his face and took Cana's wrist and held it up for Gajeel to see their matching runes sparkling in the sun. "Nope, I'm all good and taken care of, heh."
Cana nudged him, "Wouldja stop showing that off already Sparky? It means I own you, not the other way around."
"Hah," Laxus' eyes were still on Gajeel, with a menacing grin, "whatever Cana. You have my mark on you, and that mean's your mine."
Cana rolled her eyes as Laxus flung an arm around her shoulders and continued strolling into the guild. As an after thought, Laxus said, "I caught Jet going into the flower shop today... I wonder if he was buyin' flowers for a certain someone in there."
Gajeel growled and Laxus laughed, entering the guild and leaving Gajeel to brood.
^.^
Natsu was pissed. More than pissed. He was a good hunter, damnit, yet he couldn't find a trace of Erza anywhere. He'd been searching the forest, lakeside and town since daybreak and there was nothing! It was nearly lunchtime and he was getting hungry—he needed his scarf back! Damnit Lucy! Always a pain in my ass.
He was tired of trudging through Magnolia with no results. The fire wizard sat on a barrel crisscrossed and brooded. He closed his eyes to take another smell and still there was nothing. However the smell of baked bread made his mouth water.
"Naaaaaatsuuuu!"
A head of pink hair looked up to see Happy flying towards him. He nodded to him, "What's up Happy?"
"Juvia asked me to find you. She says she wants you to pay back her favor."
"DAMNIT!" Natsu groaned. "She's gotta bud in while I'm busy doesn't she? Ugh!" He knew he couldn't just ignore it. He did owe her, and getting rid of that debt would be handy. So he stood up and nodded to Happy. "Alright. Let's go." One more time... Lucy's a pain in my ass. Try as he might, he loved it.
The flame tamer approached the guild with his hands cupped behind his head as Happy swooped into the guild. He curiously and innocently watched Gajeel as he passed him, not a word spoken. That guy is so weird.
When he came in, Levy waved him over to her table. Juvia, Levy and Lucy all sat on one side, and Cana sat across from Lucy crisscrossed, smirking and poking the Celestial mage's down turned head. He quirked an eyebrow at that, What's got her down in the dumps? Natsu sat in front of Juvia and leaned back. "So what is it?"
Lucy peeked above her arms when she heard his voice. He noticed immediately and turned to look at her too, but she quickly buried her head in her arms again. Natsu's eyebrow twitched, everyone is being so weird today...
Juvia cleared her throat, trying to pull his attention back to her. When it didn't work, she did it louder. The rain woman frowned and Levy yelled, "Natsu!"
He turned to them with his eyebrows raised in the most innocent expression imaginable. "Whaaat?"
Levy sighed, Natsu was exasperating, but Juvia kept her cool demeanor. She felt as if she had won an inner peace that could never waver. "Natsu-kun. Our friend Levy-chan has a challenge she must complete before we can go to the spa this afternoon."
"Yea..." Natsu wasn't sure why that mattered. Why did they want to go to a dumb spa?
Mirajane walked up to them holding a few bags. "Lucy? Cana?" She smiled, "are you ready?"
Natsu perked up, "Mira? Where are you goin?" He bounced up out of his chair, "I'm huuungry!"
"Oh Natsu!" Mira chuckled. "Kinana and Lisanna are holding down the fort. You'll have to order from them."
Natsu frowned. Mirajane's cooking was way better than theirs.
"Geez Pinky," Cana teased, "don't look too sad or they'll cook it bad on purpose!"
Natsu harrumphed.
"Come on Lucy, let's get outta here." Cana grinned at her.
Natsu watched as Lucy stood up and walked around the table. She sneaked another glance at him, and he grinned widely and gave her a peace sign. Lucy smiled back at him, whatever reservations she had about not wanting to look at him just a second ago dissipating. The girls started to head out and Cana elbowed Lucy, "Nice Lucy! He handled that pretty well. Laxus threw a fit when I told him I was going out for the rest of the day."
Natsu glanced over at Laxus when he heard his growl. He was sitting at the Thunder God Tribe's table with only Freed for company. Freed looked pretty dumb waving to Mirajane with that big blush all over his face. Whatever. Looks like I'm gonna check out a spa later.
^.^
The iron dragonslayer had grown tired of his guildmate's comings and goings. Punks kept trying to talk to him. A little after Laxus' load of horse shit with him showin off his girl, Gajeel had jumped up to the roof to wait. Now he had two things to watch for thanks to that stupid Static head. Watch for Levy... and watch for Jet.
The next thing he saw come out of the guild was a pathetic fluff of pink hair. He could smell Salamander's stink from a mile away. He watched as Natsu turned around to look right at him. "HEY RUST BUCKET! GET DOWN HERE!"
Gajeel stood up and folded his arms, "You ain't the boss of me Salamander. I'm fine up here. Go away."
Natsu grinned wickedly. "If you won't come down, then I'll just have to come up!" He leapt up and crested his fall to pummel Gajeel right in the face. Alas, Gajeel stepped to the side and Natsu went crashing through the roof, right back into the guild. He could hear Makarov curse at Salamander as he got back up to look through the hole at Gajeel. "You IDIOT! You're supposed to block me! Not let me crash through the guild!"
Gajeel barked back at him from the roof, "What the hell do I care about how you think I should fight? You're the dumbass who crashed into the roof!"
"WHO YOU CALLIN DUMBASS YA COWBELL?" Natsu leapt back up through the hole to deliver a flaming side punch to the face.
Gajeel did block this one, grinned, and countered with extending an iron arm out and pushing Natsu over and off the roof again. The hot head landed on the ground in a crouch and growled at him. "Fool me once Ding Dong," and the fire dragonslayer jumped to meet his rival again.
Inside the guild...
Juvia and Levy were sweating. The plan had been for Natsu to tick Gajeel off and make the dragonslayer stalk up to Natsu, only to slip on some well placed water and have the current sweep him into the guild. They had no idea Gajeel had moved to the roof! Makarov was steaming about the huge hole in his roof, and Lisanna was placing an ice pack on his head nervously.
"Juvia! What do we do? They're gonna kill each other out there." Levy bit her nails.
The rain woman folded her arms and sighed, "Levy and Juvia released a dragon to catch a dragon... Juvia didn't consider a contingency plan..."
Levy jumped when Natsu fell through the roof again, making another hole right beside her. She looked up through the hole to see Gajeel looking down into the room.
"Damnit Gajeel!" the solid-script mage shook her fist at him, "get off the roof! You're gonna bring the whole place down,"
Gajeel flashed a grin at her, "It ain't my fault Salamander's so stupid! He's the one makin' holes!"
"RRRAAUGH!" Natsu roared, blowing Levy's hair and skirt, "STOP CALLING ME THAT!" He jumped back up and continued the brawl.
Juvia walked to stand by Levy and looked up past the second hole. "Drip drip drop."
Levy smiled when she saw rainclouds crowd the sky. Kinana yelped and started gathering buckets to catch the rain, and Lisanna put a fresh ice pack on the master's head as he whimpered.
Curses and bangs and crashes were heard above them as thunder rolled and the downpour began. Levy stepped back from the rain but Juvia walked into it, staring up into the sky as she was one with the rain. "Drip drip drop..."
Back on the roof...
Gajeel wiped his mouth and gritted his teeth. "You got a real problem here Salamander. With this rain goin' like this, you ain't got no fire. Maybe you should beat it, with your tail between your legs."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Natsu yelled, offended that Gajeel thought that's all he needed to win, "I'M ALL FIRED UP!" He leapt to attack him again. Gajeel lifted his arms to block him, but as soon as Natsu made contact with his makeshift shield, he used his magic to heat it up. However, heating up Gajeel's iron was only a split second distraction to throw him for a loop when Nastu swung his foot around the raven haired dragonslayer's ankle. Natsu smirked under a shadow of pink hair as he pushed against Gajeel's shield, giving him the leverage he needed to tug his foot—and inevitably Gajeel's ankle—back over to him. Gajeel grunted as his footing was stolen out from under him, the slick roof not allowing his remaining foot to stay steady as he fell on his back to the hard roof. Natsu hopped over him, grinning triumphantly and kicked his opponent's head to make him slide right down hole number one.
Gajeel grunted when he tumbled all the way to the guild floor, spilling and crushing many of the buckets Kinana had painstakingly placed there. Gajeel sat up and rubbed his head as the rain receded. He looked around his surroundings and ground his teeth, "DAMNIT SALAMANDER!"
Levy skipped over to him and squatted down beside him, her arms hugging her knees. Her sweet smile smelling of victory. "Gajeel Redfox. I think it'd be great if you'd come with me to the Gypsies and Thieves Ball! I've got a great idea for your costume!"
Gajeel laid back down on the floor and slammed a hand to his forehead as the rune appeared on his and Levy's wrists. "I'm gonna kill him."
Levy stood up, oh so cheerful, "Alright Gajeel! Juvia and I are gonna take off! I'll see you tomorrow! I'll be sure to drop off your costume!"
Gajeel sat back up and glared at her, "Where the hell you goin?"
Juvia walked up to Levy and down at her partner, "That isn't anything Gajeel needs to worry about. Come Levy, Juvia wants to go." She started walking away and Levy waved to her dragonslayer and took off with Juvia.
Gajeel jumped to his feet and barked at their backs, "So you're just gonna trap me and leave huh?"
The girls just raised their hands in another wave of goodbye and left the guild.
Iron dragonslayer was not happy as he watched the doors close behind them. He stared at those doors like they were enemy number one before he turned and pointed to Freed, speaking in his loud, angry voice, "You and me ain't done Fruitcake!" Freed jumped, and Laxus laughed.
Gajeel jumped back to the roof, ready to rain a whole lot of hurt Natsu's way-
But Natsu was already long gone.
^.^
Mirajane sat in a chair, contentedly getting her nails and toes done, Lucy sat in a bath filled with diluted creams while her face was covered with similar creams with cucumbers covering her eyes, and Cana made long contented purrs under the hands of a talented masseuse. Mirajane had pulled out all the stops. The entire spa was Fairytail's today. The far wall to the back opened to a delightful hot spring, where the girls would go after the spa treatment was finished. What a perfect way to spend a day away from the busy life in a guild. Wendy had arrived next and sat next to Mirajane for her first manicure. After a while, Juvia and Levy arrived and all the other girls started asking questions.
Mirajane sympathized with Gajeel—as if she really felt sorry for him! Cana had a legendary laughing fit, and Lucy couldn't help but wonder what Master would do to those two for putting huge holes in the roof. Wendy commented on how happy Levy looked, which caused her to blush furiously. Erza showed up next draped in her towel, and joined Lucy in the tub of creams.
"So I saw that you made it out with Natsu's scarf!" Lucy said to her friend, wiping her face from the creams and cucumbers.
"That I did. As long as I have faith, there will never be a challenge I cannot overcome."
Levy laid on her stomach near Cana, receiving a soothing massage, "What did you do with it?"
"The challenge was that I merely borrow it, so I shall return it sometime tomorrow."
Juvia groaned, also getting her nails and feet done. "Please please! Return Natsu's scarf AFTER the Ball, Juvia cannot stand the thought of him wearing it with whatever costume the man has concocted."
"Oh Juvia," Mira giggled, "Natsu's costume is going to be wonderful!" She winked at her, "You might have the most handsome man on your arm!"
Juvia closed her eyes sadly, biting her lip, "Juvia knows for certain that that will not be the case."
Lucy climbed out of the tub and wrapped the towel around her. "I think I'll go to the hot springs now. Rinse off all these creams the old fashion way."
Levy rolled out from underneath her masseuse' hands, "Wait Lulu! I'll go with you!"
Lucy smiled to her dear friend, and they stepped out to the hot springs together.
^.^
Natsu was relieved he when saw Wendy leave first. Romeo had walked right in and got her. He called it, 'picking her up,' whatever the hell that meant. If she had smelled him here, he was sure he'd be in a whole world of trouble. He just wanted to see Lucy again. What was the harm in that? He was leaning back in a tree facing the spa's backyard munching on his third bag of grapes, content to wait til Lucy started to head home. He'd drop down and talk to her; Mira and Juvia's so called 'plan' was null and void since she'd come to see him last night anyway... right?
He frowned and silently groaned to himself when he smelled that he had company. Natsu sat up and looked to the side of the building. Sure as fire burns, he heard the loud mouth's ugly voice call up at him.
"There you are Salamander!" Gajeel growled from below. "Days of sitting around outside that guild all wasted cuz a you!"
"Don't be dumb Sir Rusts-a-lot. They would have gotten you in the guild one way or another." The fire wizard smirked and leaned back against the tree, "Hell, you probably saved face by them makin' me do their dirty work."
It must have really bugged Gajeel to be looking up at the lounging flame tamer since he jumped up to a tree and then to the spa's roof to look at him at eye level. "What're you talkin about, 'dirty work'?"
Natsu sighed, wishing the conversation would hurry up and be over already. "Juvia and Levy had some sort of master plan to get you in the guild. I owed Juvia a favor, so when she asked me to go piss you off—I had to." Natsu opened his eyes and snarled a grin at his fellow dragonslayer, "and fuck if I didn't do a damn good job!"
Gajeel frowned at him and opened his mouth to argue some more, but suddenly both Natsu and he got the same curious, blinking eyes when they heard a door slide open and heard two voices they knew well chatting back and forth. They both turned their heads to see two lovely ladies walking past the small patio to the fairly large hot spring, dressed in nothing but small white towels.
And both of dragonslayers froze.
"I can't believe you put a KNIFE on him! That's so crazy! Was he scared? I'll bet he was shaking in his boots!" Lucy giggled and did an awful, just... awful, Gajeel impression, puffing out her chest and stomping primitively, "Big Strong Dragonslayer Raaaaaaa!" Then she feigned over dramatic fear, "Oh Levy don't hurt me!"
Natsu snickered, his Lucy was makin' fun of Bolt for brains! How awesome was that?! Gajeel heard him and growled at him under his breath.
"No, no Lulu! I had wanted to scare him..." Levy looked embarrassed, "but that's not what happened."
The two of them tested the water with a toe first. Levy sighed with pleasure and sunk herself the rest of the way in, sitting comfortably with her back facing the two accidental peeping tom-dragons. She looked to Lucy curiously, "What's wrong Lucy? It feels great!"
"Mmm... the water Natsu warms up is much warmer than this."
"Heh..." Natsu's eyes twinkled. This was fun!
"Oh Lulu," Levy sighed, "we can't all have temperature perfect boyfriends at our beck and call."
Lucy sighed and stepped in, spitting her tongue out at her friend, "He's not my boyfriend."
"Geheh," Gajeel chuckled. Natsu frowned at him.
Lucy sprawled her arms out around the rim of the rocks, laying her head back to look at the sky diagonal from Levy. "The sunset looks so pretty!"
"It does.." Levy replied.
Natsu peeled his eyes from Lucy's chest to appreciate the sunset with her.
"Soooo..." Lucy lifted her head and eyed her mage-friend, "If putting a blade up to the guy's neck didn't scare him, then what in the world happened?"
It was easy to hear the shyness in Levy's voice, "Well... call me crazy, but I think my threatening to kill him... kinda... excited him."
Lucy gasped, "You're crazy!"
Levy sat up urgently and looked to Lucy, nodding her head, "It had to of! Before I knew it, he'd made me drop my dagger and was kissing me!"
Lucy squeaked, "No WAY!"
Natsu looked over at Gajeel with an eyebrow raised, "You kissed Levy last night?"
Gajeel's smirk grew, not looking away from his blue haired prey, "Geheh... twice."
The fire wizard frowned. Gajeel got a kiss? Two? From a girl that was ready to chop his head off? What the hell was this world coming to? I knew I should of went and saved Levy from this jerk last night. He didn't quite understand why this information irritated him so much. It's not like he wanted to kiss Levy. Girls were weird.
The door was heard opening again. Juvia and Cana walked out. Cana jogged up to the springs and stopped, "How's the water ladies?"
"It's perfect Cana!"
"Could be warmer.."
Cana quirked an eyebrow and shrugged, "Suppose I'll have to be my own judge." She then stripped off her towel and slid into the water.
Both Natsu and Gajeel turned around as quickly as they could at the sudden raise in ratings. However this did not keep their ears from burning:
Cana: Damn Lucy! Have you gotten bigger?
Lucy: Hey! Cana back off, don't touch those!
Cana: But they're so squishy!
Lucy: Eeee! How the hell are your hands so cold?!
Juvia: This water feels so soothing. More sake Cana-chan?
Cana: Hell yea! Hey Levy! Looks like you may have gotten bigger too!
SPLASH!
Levy: Cana! Careful with those fingers wouldja? AGG! Your hands ARE cold!
Cana: *snicker* Alright, alright. Hope you girls don't act so timid when your man tries to touch'em tomorrow!
Levy and Lucy: Canaaa!
The two dragonslayers jumped down from where they'd been perched and parted ways. It was time to go home...
*Grinning like a mad woman*
I KNOW RIGHT! Hot spring scene! There are just not enough of them! Pleeeeeze share with me your opinions. Take care my lovelies,I hope you enjoyed.
Stay naughty
enjoy a bath
Seri, aka *Lick*