"Gray, I'll finally prove that i'm the only one who can love Juvia!" shouted a young, handsome wizard with short, spiky white hair.
"You're really annoying Lyon, you know that?" Gray replied, scratching the back of his neck.
Some members of the Fairy Tail guild had crowded outside to see the exciting battle that was about to begin.
"Who wins this fight today will get...a date with the sweet Juvia!" Lyon announced triumphantly.
Among the onlookers watching the scene, Juvia jumped in surprise.
"H-hey, Juvia didn't give permission to any of this!" She said offended.
"Normally I would have refused for something so stupid like this but if it's enough to teach you a good lesson, I'll gladly accept." The other replied.
"W-wait!"
One moment Juvia. If Gray wins, you'll have a date with him.
"COME ON GRAY! GIVE IT ALL! JUVIA BELIEVES IN YOU!" The sorceress screamed at the top of her lungs, shaking her fists like a cheerleader.
"What's going on?" A wizard with short, unruly pink hair asked, looking curiously at the two wizards who were scowling at each other.
"Nothing Natsu, the usual ice wizard bickering. Whoever wins the fight will get a date with Juvia." A wizard next to him answered.
A malicious smile appeared on Natsu's face.
"ICE MAK-" "Hey guys, can i join the fight?" The two ice wizards looked at Natsu and burst into mocking laughter.
"Perfect then! I'll make you cry first and then this idiot of Lamia Scale!" Gray said bursting with excitement.
"Uhmf, don't put on too much air. I'll deal with you first and then my exhibitionist damned rival!"
How did it end like this?!
Juvia thought reluctantly, walking desolated next to Natsu who whistled happily through the streets of Magnolia.
"So, what did you have in mind for this date?" He asked her excitedly.
"W-well actually it's something the two of them arranged, it wasn't Juvia's fault."
"Oh." He seemed surprised by her response.
"They could have at least asked if you were okay with it."
This time it was Juvia who was surprised.
"EXACTLY, THAT'S WHAT JUVIA WAS THINKING! Juvia loves her Gray but really, he should have understood right away that it was just a stupid provocation. Would Juvia have been happy to go out with him? Yes, of course! It would have been better if he had asked directly to Juvia without doing that stupid challenge! Bet on Juvia...A date today! Today Juvia was free but if she had to go on a mission, what would have happened?!"
She covered her mouth embarrassed.
"Sorry Natsu, Juvia really wanted to vent and she let herself go a little too much."
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Don't worry, after all people do this too on a date, right?"
She rolled her eyes and caught a glimpse of bruises on the wizard's arms.
Why did he intervene? Maybe he simply wanted to make those two understand that they were wrong?
Juvia and Natsu are just friends, maybe he was worried about Juvia? He always helps everyone in the guild...
"Does it still hurt?" She asked worriedly, pointing to those bruises but he, with his usual carefree attitude, smiled.
"They didn't do anything to me! This is just a scratch from this morning. Happy and I were fighting over breakfast."
"You're a really bad liar, you shouldn't lie on a date!" She admonished him offended, playing with a lock of her blue hair.
"I wasn't lying! He can be a tiger when you touch his fishes..."
The girl imagined Happy's cute little face trying to ferociously bite a terrified Natsu.
She was already almost doubled over with exuberant laughter.
"S-sorry it's just...AHAHAHAHAHA!"
She could barely catch breath to answer.
At least Juvia will be in good company today.
Since it was almost lunch, they decided to go into a restaurant overlooking the beautiful river that ran through the city.
They were sitting facing each other near a nice round wooden table.
It would have been such a romantic scene if the cool Gray was there...
Juvia shook her head quickly at that thought.
What are you thinking, Juvia? There is a friend who wants to spend his free time with you, it would be unfair to ignore him while thinking of someone else!
"Well, do you often frequent this place?" Juvia asked as she drank a glass of water.
"Oh yes, I often come here with some of the guild. I once brought Cana here too but that day she was very clumsy, she kept stepping on my toes under the table. Funny, isn't it?"
Juvia spat out the water she was drinking.
HOW DID HE NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS HER WAY OF FLIRTING?!
"Eheh yes, Cana is always like this..."
Now that I think about it, Natsu is often surrounded by many girls.
Well he may not be as handsome as the charming Gray but Juvia can't deny that he is cute.
No Juvia, calm down, he's just a friend!
"Hey, do you want to try it?" a voice called her.
Natsu held a small piece of the spicy meat he had ordered on a fork.
"Uhm..."
Wait…wouldn't this be some kind of indirect kiss?
On the other hand that food doesn't look so bad...
"Tell me, do you often let a friend taste what you order?" Juvia asked defensively.
"Perhaps." He replied with a playful smile, still with his fork raised.
It would be rude if Juvia refused, right?
She nodded and opened her mouth, narrowing her eyes.
She had the impression that Natsu had stopped for a moment to look at her white lips before feeding her.
Wait, won't we look like a real couple? Oh god, Juvia should have just refused and...
An explosion of flavors overwhelmed Juvia's mouth, bringing her back to reality.
"He's not bad! Maybe just a little too spicy for my tastes."
She took a forkful of her mashed potatoes and offered it to the wizard in front of her.
"Taste mine!"
"You didn't have to pay for Juvia."
She confessed a little embarrassed to him after they left the restaurant.
"It seems appropriate to offer on the first date." He replied promptly, not wanting to make her feel guilty in the slightest.
"Juvia bets you always pay for Lucy too." She says with a hint of mischief.
"Actually the first time we met, she was the one who paid for all for me hahaha..." he admitted, scratching his head.
"Poor Lucy!" She scolded him, giving a light, playful shove on the shoulder.
She noticed that today all the boutiques and shops in the streets were open.
"Lyon had thought of everything."
Natsu looked confused.
"He had arranged everything in such a way that if he had won today, he would have a good impression on Juvia by taking her to the most expensive shops."
She turned to the pink-haired wizard and gently touched him on the nose with her index finger.
"And you ruined his whole 'elaborate' day to win over Juvia."
He raised his hands guiltily but looked at her with a more serious smile, a smile full of warm affection.
"I care that I didn't ruin your day."
A light and unexpected blush hit her cheeks and she smiled mischievously.
"It all depends on what you do now." She challenged him affectionately.
"It's gorgeous."
They were sitting next to each other on a bench, enjoying the moment.
"There was a time when I could never have seen such a clear sky." She said melancholy, trying to forget that part of her life.
"Are you talking about sad pasts? My father was a dragon, he tried to eat me! I should have seen it coming, he bathed me in barbecue sauce and put me to bed with an apple in my mouth."
Juvia's eyes widened at that shocking revelation.
"You're joking, right?" She turned to see Natsu sticking his tongue out.
"Obviously!"
She rolled her eyes but smiled amused.
"I appreciate your goofy attempt to put me in a good mood, thanks."
She rested her head casually on his shoulder, as if it was a comfortable pillow.
"N-no p-problem ahaha..." he stammered.
They were walking around, taking a look at some windows full of sumptuous clothes, Natsu had gone away for a moment to get some ice cream.
Juvia had a very developed ear, for hearing Gray approaching and the risk of potential love rivals.
In that case, however, she heard something that wasn't about her crush.
They were two attractive girls gossiping.
"Is that...the famous Salamander? He's even cooler in reality!"
"I heard he's still single!"
Juvia shouldn't be bothered at all by those comments, he's not her boyfriend! She's not jealous at all!
"Do you think we can ask him for an autograph?"
"I hope he gives me his address!" She joked.
As soon as Natsu returned with two ice creams, Juvia took one and placed her free arm in the crook of his right one, squeezing her chest tightly against him.
"Did something h-happen?" He asked worriedly and with a light shade of red on his face.
"Nothing. Let's walk, I don't want to stay here." She lied, starting to eat the ice cream.
"Juvia was wondering but doesn't Happy mind when they selling merch of him?"
The two were in front of a street stall with the usual magician's games in order to win a prize.
Natsu shrugged.
"It's okay, after all they also sell merchs from other people in the guild, like Gray's plushies."
Juvia giggled.
"Don't tell me about it, I have a closet full of them."
MAYBE JUVIA SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT, NOW JUVIA WILL LOOK EVEN MORE CRAZY!
"You need to lend me one, so I can take it out on him whenever I want." Natsu suggested, lights a fire in the palm of his hand.
"Oooh, I didn't know you were jealous." She teased him.
"Me, jealous?! Of that idiot?!"
Juvia was sure she saw smoke coming out of his nostrils and he was venting his pent-up anger towards the target shooting game.
He scored enough points to win a medium-sized version of Happy's plush.
"It's yours now, I have the original at home." He joked, giving it to Juvia.
"It was a wonderful 'date', thank you."
She confessed, leaning in front of the walls of the Fairy Hill dormitory, prolonging their intimate moment.
She casually and nervously squeezed the stuffed animal in her left hand.
"Juvia...Juvia wanted to thank you because she knows why you did all this."
The wizard in front of him began to sweat profusely.
"R-really?"
"Yes. You wanted to teach them a lesson and defend a friend."
Natsu's face turned stony and he looked really sad.
"I mean, there's no other reason why you participated in that stupid challenge...right?"
Natsu began to slowly advance towards her, his right forearm above Juvia's head and resting on the wall behind her.
"I did it because I wanted to have a date with you."
Juvia remained still, just a few centimeters apart. She could feel the heat of his breath on her cold skin.
WHAT IS GOING ON JUVIA?!CALM CALM CALM CALM CALM CALM CALM CALM CALM...
"W-what?" She hated that her voice sounded more like a squeak.
"I've always wanted to tell you. I love the way you laugh, I love the passion you put into everything you do, from missions to follow a guildmate."
Don't say it like that or I'll sound creepy.
"Just being with you makes my world more magical. I would like it to always be like this...i m-mean, if you wanna it too."
He admitted in a whisper, tucking a lock of her blue hair with his left hand.
She hated that he was telling her all those wonderful words, words that felt she didn't deserve.
She hated more than anything that now she couldn't control the tears streaming down her face.
"I-if I was so important to you, why didn't you tell me before?!" She blurted out trembling.
Natsu lowered his head, his gaze filled with guilt.
"I…forgive me. I knew about your love for Gray and your confusing feelings for Lyon and…" he swallowed hard.
"Were you afraid of not being up to them?"
There were some seconds of painful silence.
"Yes, I thought I didn't deserve you like them. Above all, I was afraid that if I had confessed my feelings, our relationship would have broken, that we would have drifted apart and...and I didn't want to lose you."
"...I'm really pathetic, aren't I?"
Juvia lifted his chin with her right hand and looked into his hazel eyes, as watery as hers.
"You're not pathetic, you're just in love."
She giggled and Natsu's nerves relaxed temporarily.
"You know, I don't think you should feel inferior to them, after all you have an advantage that they don't."
Natsu's implicit question was interrupted by Juvia herself who closed the distance between them, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.
When she pulled away from him, Natsu's face was redder than his flames.
"See? I'm still here."
Natsu wanted to say something but what came out of his mouth were rambling words, making her giggle even more.
"See you tomorrow, Natsu." Waving goodbye and hurrying into the dorm, the plush clutched in her hand like a treasure.
Juvia was in front of the mission board, undecided on the next mission to take.
"Hey."
Natsu stood behind her, looking at her with a sly smile on his face, absentmindedly fixing a lock of his stray hair.
Has he always been this cute?
Juvia smiled back.
"Hey. Are you start to talk again?"
"Y-yeah." He replied, obviously taken aback by that question.
He gave a small cough and composed himself, also staring at the numerous requests posted on the board.
"Are you looking for something in particular?"
"Perhaps." the sorceress replied, knowing that this time he would be the one to take the initiative.
"How about this?"
He took a request and gave it to her.
"Hunting beasts nearby village's crops? Requires a maximum of two wizards." Juvia read, immediately understanding his intentions.
"Would you like to go with me?"
Juvia brightened.
"Juvia would love that."
"NATSU!" A shout drew the attention of the two towards the entrance door.
It was Gray and Lyon, still wearing their pinstripes from yesterday's fight.
"We want a rematch!" Gray said vengefully.
"Yesterday you caught us unprepared but this time I will be the one to win a romantic date with Juvia." Lyon added furiously.
The blue haired girl sighed tiredly but Natsu reassured her with a malevolent smile.
"I'll be there in few seconds, wait for me!" He reassured her, quickly kissing her cheek.
He ran out for the fight as Juvia caressed the spot where his lips had grazed her.
Today Juvia will be in good company again.