HEY! So, I'm back with a treat ;) Here's a longer chapter than usual! I have some ideas for the next chapters and I was wondering two things: how long do you guys want this to be and long or short chapters? Just PM anytime! And reviews! I ADORE THEM :D You guys are so sweet, keep it up! They make me feel more inspired ;)

-The Demon ^_^

Friend, Please

Four: Chats and Chatter

Gajeel stood by the window of his dorm, watching as Gray Fullbuster distanced himself from the building, glancing back every now and then to make sure Juvia was still asleep. Once Gray was nothing but a dot in the horizon, Gajeel turned and went to make himself some coffee.

The confrontation with the other man had drained what little energy he had left and he was beyond exhausted. His head pounded with a morning-after headache. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in his warm, comfortable bed and sleep forever. With a glance back at the sleeping bluenette on the couch, he realized that wouldn't be possible.

At least, not until the two of them had a conversation.

He crumpled the little blue piece of stationery in his hand. The stupid bit of paper had felt like a arrow straight to his heart, a constant pain that served as a reminder of his incompetence. He had thought that he had been there for Juvia. That he had been enough. But it seemed like the only thing he was good at doing was failing.

He had failed again. It seemed that was all he ever did.

He rubbed his eyes roughly with the back of his hand. The pierced man was not one to cry, but between his hangover and the crushing pain of failure, he felt like he was about to break into pieces. His insides felt as if they had been ripped out of his body only to be crudely stitched back in. His heart was shattered and his head seemed to throb with every beat of his torn heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Juvia make the slightest movement. Realizing she was slowly coming to, he covered up his emotions. He had to be strong for her.

"Gray?" she mumbled, stretching her arms and legs like a small kitten. Gajeel flinched ever so slightly at the sound of the rival man's name but said nothing. He gave her a few moments to wake up completely and realize the man she had fallen asleep with had been replaced by the one she should have slept next to.

"Gajeel?" she asked, confused. Pushing up on her elbows, she came to a full sitting position. The blue-haired girl smiled at her best friend, but her eyes said more. They wondered why this black-haired man was in front of her instead of the other one.

"We need to talk Juvia." Gajeel said roughly. He attempted to smile, but his feelings got the better of him. His face fell, a give away of his internal turmoil. He was hurt and wanted to know why. Juvia, sensing her friend's discomfort, immediately became more alert.

"What's wrong, Ji-Ji?" she asked, leaning forward to reach out to him. Gajeel softened at her nickname for him. He realized that he was being a bit harsh and let her touch him, instead of distancing himself from her further. He crashed down on the couch next to her, hugging her from the side. He wasn't a big fan of touching and this made Juvia worry even more. Something must have been seriously wrong.

Without another word, Gajeel reached into his pocket, revealing the little crumpled piece of sky blue paper. The girl's eyes widened in recognition. She slowly pulled the bit of stationary from his hand. Slowly, the pieces of the morning's puzzle came together in her head.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his shoulder as she pulled him into a tight embrace. "I just wanted someone who didn't know."

"But I would've have been there for you. I'm always here. Why?" he questioned, his words thick with emotions.

"It's nice to not be seen as a victim by everyone," was her quiet response. Gajeel felt a pang in his heart for her. Suddenly, it all made sense to him. Who was he to hold her back from making more friends? She needed to break out of her shell, as it was slowly crushing her.

The darkness in her had become a permanent fixture it seemed, but in those few short seconds Gajeel had seen her snuggled up with Fullbuster, it had seemed that she was whole once more, that she wasn't struggling in the constant battle with her demons. And anyone who could do this to his Juvia was a miracle worker. He felt the heavy weight of guilt in his gut.

And he had just thrown that miracle worker out.

If Gray didn't come back to Juvia, Gajeel wasn't sure what he would do with himself. Once more, he had managed to ruin Juvia's life. And no friend should ever be such a horrible influence.

The two stayed like that, wrapped in each other's tight embrace, for what seemed like hours. It was Gajeel's job to protect his best friend and he had made a solemn vow.

On his life, he would never fail her again.

Gray Fullbuster trudged through the fresh snow, slowly but surely making his way back to his dorm complex. He passed some friends on the way, waving but not stopping. This was one of the rare times when the raven-haired man needed his best friend's help.

Passing by the café, he grabbed a drink and handed Mira Laxus' jacket. With a quick adieu, he made his way up the stairs back to his dorm. Luckily, this time around, he heard no giggling and knocked before entering. With a quick "come in", he pushed open the door.

Inside, Lucy stood in the kitchen, making what appeared to be french toast, while Natsu did his best to distract her. She managed to ignore him and make delicious breakfast at the same time. In moments like that, Gray wondered what Lucy was doing with someone like Natsu.

The three of them, along with Lucy's roommate, Erza, had known each other for their entire lives. Having grown up on the same street, the four had been best friends for all of eternity. Natsu and Lucy had been the stereotypical love story. Best childhood friends that had realized their love for each other and become more. Although, regardless of the fact that the two were in a relationship, they never chose each other over Gray and Erza. Even in the darkest times, Gray knew he could depend on his best friends. Even after Ur's death, when Gray had felt empty and useless, his friends and Fairy Tail had managed to drag him back from the darkness of the abyss within himself. When everything in his world had felt gray, his friends had made him relive the golden days and because of them, he had been saved.

He hoped with his whole heart that Juvia would be the same.

Something about the blue-haired girl intrigued him. He was so accustomed to the craziness of Fairy Tail that her reservedness was like a breath of fresh air. Everything about her was perfect to him. The soft waves in her hair, the pale pink of her lips, the way she blushed when she smiled. But, even after knowing her for a day, Gray could tell that there were demons hidden deep inside of her. He, having had a personal experience with darkness, knew that the only way to fix it was for her to fix it herself. But, that didn't mean she needed to do it alone. He wanted to be there for her, to support her.

Gray was well aware of how crazy he sounded, considering he barely knew the girl, but something about her made him want to stay. Every part of him wanted to see her again. Not even Gajeel, the buffed-up boxer he was, could hold him back. Now, don't get him wrong. Gray had a healthy fear of the man, but he knew that Juvia was worth any pain the pierced man would inflict upon him.

"Do you guys know a bluenette named Juvia?" he asked suddenly, pulling the two lovebirds out of their trance. They looked up at him, Natsu confused while Lucy was curious.

"A bit," Lucy started, mixing the french toast batter. "Isn't she that Phantom girl?"

"Wait a sec," Natsu looked up, snapping out of his confusion. "Are you talking about Juvia Lockser, Metal Head's friend?"

Gray held back a remark about Natsu's stupidity and simply nodded, wanting to hear what he had to say about her.

"I heard she was loopy," Natsu explained indelicately. Lucy hit him with the spatula as he continued. "She used to be a stellar student at Phantom but then she had, like, a breakdown or something and then, after the school got shut down, she switched to here. But that's 'bout all I know. Metal Head is super protective of her, though. Not sure why."

"Yeah, I think I heard something like that as well." Lucy finished. Noticing the drop in Gray's expression after learning of the girl's past, she added slowly. "But it's just chatter. It's not necessarily true. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing important. I just met her in passing yesterday and I was wondering if you guys knew her," he brushed it off. As he noted before, his friends' were the meddling kind and there were certain things that he just didn't like sharing with him, no matter how much he loved them. This was one of those things.

Gray sat down at the counter as he watched his friends mess around. Lucy and Natsu, all things aside, seemed to be a match made in heaven. The two complimented each other so perfectly, it seemed that they were made for each other. She brought him down to Earth while he kept her dreaming in the clouds. The raven haired man smiled softly at his closest companions. He hoped to find what they had one day.

But, then again, love always seemed to appear in the strangest and least convenient places.