Juvia was never one to ramble about something. But on this particular day, she had to get it off her chest. She had to let someone know what had happened on the job. And who's the better person than her two closest friends. So, on a warm afternoon, they are sitting at a round table in an outdoor cafe. All three of them are finally healed enough to rid themselves of the bandages— with Gajeel being the most happy about that. Due to his body being mostly physical, and unable to withstand physical hits like his two friends can, his injuries lasted the longest.
Despite this, he was in a bitter mood. Not because of being free from bandages, but for his growing hunger.
"When's the waitress coming? I've been waiting for thirty minutes!" Gajeel's complaints cut off Juvia mid-rant, and received a few annoyed glares from the customers nearby.
F/n propped her head on her hand and turned to look at the man through thick lashes, "Gajeel, sweetheart, the waitress did come by, but you were late (as always) and missed her,"
Gajeel clicked his tongue and leaned back into his chair, and folded his arms behind his head. He moved his unrelenting gaze to the rain woman, and gave her a slight nod.
Juvia sighed and wiggled slightly in her chair, "I was so caught up in my own fantasy that I missed the culprit and he ran right past me…" She let her head fall onto the table with an embarrassed man.
"I don't ever want to go back…"
Gajeel took another one of the breadsticks, "Well at least you're done, rain woman. You got the culprit anyways so it's not that big of a deal— meanwhile I got my ass beat by that lightning fuck 3 times in row with a bat with my name on it,"
F/n, wearing a large floppy hat turned to look at him. Her lips curled up into a small smile, and her eyes squinted slightly, "You've mentioned it 5 times dearest, we know,"
"Yeah but no one seemingly cares or asks me to tell my story!" He barked back.
She rolled her eyes as though he was just a minor inconvenience, and turned to look back at Juvia, "Anything else you'd like to add before we move on?" She asked pleasantly.
"See!" Gajeel shouted, and pointed an accusing finger at the woman, who only chuckled at his antics, "You don't give two shits about me! I saw God himself coming down from the heavens to tell me I got beaten like a bitch!" His maniacal screaming garnered the attention from the rest of the cafe.
Gajeel, however, as keen as he is, did not notice the judgemental gazes, "Come on Phantom! Spook 'em! Give him a scare! Get death himself to kill him! Avenge me!"
Instead of abiding by his wishes, or supporting his screaming, she pressed a finger to his lips, and leaned over slightly so she encroached in his space, "Shhh!" She moved away and got comfortable in her seat again, and made sure to wipe her finger on a napkin.
Gajeel huffed and leaned back into his chair once more, averting his glare to the poor plant that was minding its business. He cursed the plant as if it was the reason why Metalicana left him. His mindless screaming did enlighten the mood just a little. With his overly sharp hearing, he heard a small chuckle from her. It was light and sounded oddly sweet, and it made the tips of his ears grow warmer.
Usually, laughter or small chuckles was the sign of arrogance, or a sign that she's about to say something offensive.
Like the time she chuckled at Gray's naked appearance. No words needed to be said. That alone made Gray put on some pants. It was the kind of move that he never thought would work, and frankly, it inspired him to do something like that. But he later decided against it when he realised that would mean he'd have to look at them.
Juvia sat up once more and thought about the woman's question, "Yes… there was one thing…"
Before she could utter what was the detail she left out, a woman wearing an apron, buttoned up shirt, and a long skirt sauntered to the table with a silver tray. She smiled warmly at the trio and plucked a glass plate with a pair of sandwiches. Following that was a new bowl of breadsticks, and a tall glass of lemonade with a straw.
Juvia smiled at the woman and muttered a thanks.
Meanwhile, Gajeel salivated at the sight and smell of the sandwich, "I'll have what she's having," He quickly piped up before the waitress could leave.
"Now," Juvia started with a whisper, "Where was I- oh, yes! I saw a lot of butterflies surrounding a… bloody body, it was, oddly, the strangest thing I've seen throughout the whole mission,"
F/n visibly lit up at the detail, and she wiggled slightly in her seat. A smile crept up on her lips, and she sat up straighter. The light in her eyes already told a story before she could open her mouth.3
"Well, butterflies are naturally drawn to blood," The fact alone made Juvia's eyes widened. Her brows knitted together in confusion, and her lips parted in surprise. That confusion morphed into slight disgust.
"Don't worry too much about it, they're not mosquitoes. Think of it this way: It's like how demons are naturally drawn to souls,"
Her voice was softer than her tone when in the guild. It was so sickeningly sweet that Gajeel nearly forgot who exactly was talking. Her honeyed voice could make anyone melt, and the way her words rolled off her tongue like honey made something in his stomach erupt. It left him feeling lighter and made his chest ache. The way her eyes would squint when she shared the fact about butterflies made her look like she was genuinely happy to speak on it. It was rare times like these that Gajeel gets to see a softer side of her.
And it's even better when she will sing his name whenever she addresses him.
When he first arrived, the first thing she said to him was, "It's not polite of you to be late, Gajeel," Those words were so light, so fluffy and overall genuine that he had to take a moment to process it. She sang his name and smiled through her words, and he heard the warmth and utter adoration in her voice. It made his stomach do flips.
He quickly moved his gaze when she turned her head to look at him, as though she sensed it.
"Demons however, are sometimes given the orders from someone in a higher position than them. They are sent to either collect the soul, or lure it out. In rare times, they choose to entice another soul with an offering of 'pure' soul. Maybe even trade,"
She blinked, and colour suffused into her cheeks, "Oh— excuse my rambling dear Juvia, this topic in general interests me… and I got off topic…"
She swallowed thickly, "Butterflies drink blood if offered to them, since they need the minerals found in it. You would often see them around bodies if blood is spilt…"
She smiled warmly at the water maiden that took a bite from her sandwich, "Because of this, butterflies are often associated with death himself— and is often rumoured that death takes the form of a butterfly,"
It was strange to see her so happy and relaxed. The way her skin seemingly glows under the coold shade made her look rather… angelic? Not that she is an angel. But she wore a more comfortable outfit for this outing, and even wore black bell sleeves instead of her usual gloves. The two can clearly see the darker gradients on her arms, and her sharp nails. They can see the dull blue of runes on her arms whenever the sleeves fall back.
"I'd never think a butterfly of all things would be considered a bad omen…" Juvia muttered.
"Only in some cultures, other cultures sees butterflies as good omens because of their beauty and vibrant colours,"
"What if I smack the shit outta one?" Gajeel's sudden gruff voice broke the serenity that seemingly surrounds them, but it's not like they themselves are bothered by his voice.
She nodded at his question, and her smile only seemed to widen. He can see the contrast of the rings with the natural colours of her eye, and it only became more evident as time ticked by. She hummed softly at this question and let her eyes wander to the cutlery and the pole of the umbrella that stands on their table.
"In some cultures, killing the first butterfly you see is bad luck until the end of the year,"
Gajeel was hoping for a more wordy answer. Like maybe an essay long. He wanted to hear her own excitement and joy in those words, and her utter interest. He wants to hear her input her own opinion whether it's relevant or not— just for the sake of talking. He wanted to see her fiddle with her locket that she sometimes would, or she would tip her floppy hat down whenever the wind blew through her hair. He wants to see her cheeks grow a slight shade of red when she catches herself in the act of rambling. He wants to see the side that only people like him and Juvia could see.
"What if I just hurt it just a bit? But it gets killed by something else?" Hopefully, his question can fulfil his strange desire.
The woman squinted her eyes slightly, "Then I suppose you won't get bad luck…?"
Gajeel nodded as if he would ever need this type of information, "How about—"
"Your order, sir," The same waitress from before returned with a silver tray. She plucked the sandwiches, and the tall glass of lemonade, and placed it before the grinning man.
"Thanks," Gajeel said with a grin. He reached into the bowl of Breadsticks and took a handful, and plopped it on his plate. Like an animal, he ripped into his sandwich with razor sharp teeth, and proceeded to demolish it. Bits of the sandwich flew everywhere as though the man just discovered what eating was.
"Gajeel," The woman chuckled lightly, "Juvia is here and I don't want her getting disgusted by your barbaric ways of consuming a sandwich, you disgusting pig," She spoke to him in the kindest and softest way she can muster.
Gajeel promptly glared at her, there was amusement camouflaged by softened eyes and a smile.
Juvia chuckled awkwardly at the rather soft-spoken insult the woman spouted at the man. Instead of letting the woman add another soft spoken insult, she instead chose to push her open hand out, and blast the man with water.
Gajeel was unmoved, but his eyes grew wide when his head and shoulders were the main target for a continuous blast of water. And while Juvia's water never bothered him, what did bother him was that he only managed to finish one sandwich, and he can't possibly eat the other while in water. He turned to her with invisible knitted brows, and barked her nickname, followed by a threat.
Juvia continued, and shot the rest of the people in the cafe with an awkward smile— as though apologising for her friend's behaviour so far. She whipped her head back around and leaned slightly over the table, with her arm still pushed out.
"Gajeel people are watching," She hissed.
"Well—"The man forgot he was submerged in water, and in a forlorn attempt to speak, ended up swallowing a bucket worth of water. The sudden gurgled choke made Juvia's heart fall into her stomach.
She reeled her hand back quickly, and watched as the man scarily swallowed 3 times, and held his chest. She slowly rested her arm on the table and stared wide eyed at the man as though he may pull a gun on her. Instead, it was like the water calmed him down.
Granted it did hurt. His throat is burning and his eyes are beginning to get irritated, but hey, that's more than 8 cups of water? He's hydrated for the rest of the week. The plant however is not so lucky. Not that he cared for the plant.
He coughed one last time, "Well of course they'd be watching rain woman! You shot me!"
She shook her head, "Oh Gajeel… can't you just be slightly normal for once?"
Gajeel took offence to Juvia's desperate pleas. His lips parted slightly, and his imaginary brows furrowed. He crossed a leg over the other, but was so pissed off that he uncrossed them.
"I sat here for a good 20 minutes listening to you talk about— in vivid detail, your fantasy involving the stripper. Remember how you spent a good hour at 4 in the fucking morning telling me the dream you had where you fucked both Edolas and Earthland Gray while wearing a skimpy outfit? You never even met the Edolas version of him! Between you and I, I'm the most normal here,"
Juvia's face flared red at the mention, and her eyes darted to both Gajeel and the woman who sat next to her. She raised a hand to shield her face from whoever may look her way, and the flitting of her eyes did not cease. Sweat trickled down her face, and her face only got brighter when she heard F/n chuckled at that.
"How naughty Juvia," The woman chimed.
Juvia bit the inside of her cheek, "That was meant to stay between you and I!" She hissed hastily.
"I didn't even wanna know! You called me and just started rambling before I had the time to hang up!"
F/n propped her head on her hand, "This lunch was nice, we should do this more often,"
Gajeel chuckled at her words and leaned over the table, resting an arm on it. Meanwhile Juvia decided the best course of action was to rest her head on the table to hide her utter embarrassment and shame.
"Alright, let me tell how that lightning bastard—"
Suddenly, the doors that connect the dining tables to the inside of the cafe bursted open. A man, known for his speed in running, panted and heaved for air. His eyes moved around until his gaze fell upon the trio sitting at a round table near the railings that overlooked the green foliage of bushes and tall trees down below.
"Hey—" The sweaty man sauntered over to their table, and Gajeel's nose scrunched up.
"Guild—" He heaved, "Meeting— hurry—" He coughed.
Gajeel started, dumbfounded, "But my story—"
Juvia suddenly stood up, pulled a pouch of jewels from her pocket and placed it onto the table. She picked up her hat she left on the table, and set it on her head. "We should hurry, it must be serious,"
F/n nodded and fixed the coat around her shoulders. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she clicked her tongue, "I don't think I can handle being surrounded by sweaty wizards including that fire one— it's clear he doesn't know what deodorant is,"
"My story—"
"Who cares! Master says it's important!" Jet cuts in, and ushers them away from their table— leaving behind Gajeel's last sandwich.
The sandwich, toasted and full, sat on the glass plate, alone. It was put together by two rough trembling hands. Fresh lettuce and tomatoes gathered from the garden, rinsed under cool water, and assembled between two white bread— all for nothing. Time ticked by before it can satisfy the customer— as if the gods mocked its existence. What is it now, but an abandoned meal that could've been fed to a hungry animal? It won't be long until the woman in a long dress finds it and throws it in a bin where the unwanted is discarded.
Nevermind, Gajeel went back for it.
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Gajeel is thoroughly passed off and for a good reason. Not only was he unable to share the most embarrassing moment of his life to his two friends— who have been there since Phantom Lord, but he was also surrounded by smelly people. The perfume Erza wears only makes it harder to breathe, while he can smell Natsu's body odour from the other side of the guild.
But what angered him the most was that now that 'Soft side' is long gone. Now, as she stands next to him, she looks rather annoyed. Her arms crossed over her chest, and her coat covered her body. The black lace collar she was excited to wear for an outing with friends was now irritating her— for she kept tugging at it.
"Quit tugging on it, you'll hurt yourself," Gajeel muttered, elbowing her lightly.
She resisted the urge to elbow him back, and instead, reluctantly moved her hand to hold onto the frills of her dress. If she had the time, she would've changed to something more comfortable for a small space packed with sweaty smelly people.
The old man sauntered onto the mini stage with a relaxed look. He smiled warmly at the people gathered around him, and decided to dump the shortest yet impactful announcement to the guild.
"I decided to retire,"
'About time, ancient bastard,'
Despite their shocked expressions, he only chuckled at it. Surely, they would understand soon enough that what he's doing is beneficial for him- and for the rest of the guild. Surely, the next announcement would be so great that they would forget about his retirement.
"The next Guild Master would be Gildarts Clive!"
He was met with an almost comical silence that drowned out his 'impactful' announcement. He stood there, like a fool, awaiting the man to walk onto stage, perhaps sobering up. Instead, the only person that did walk up to him was the bartender, with a rather kind smile.
She pushed her arm out, and presented an envelope she's holding between her fingers. She stated bluntly who it's from, and handed it to the shorter man with an unchanging facial expression. Once the man opened the envelope, she stepped down from the stage to instead watch like the rest of the guild.
"'Dear Makarov, and the rest of the guild. I'm sorry, but I'm not cut out to be a guild master,'"
Makarov's expression slowly began to morph into confusion, all the while his grip tightened.
"'Well, I will take the opportunity to give two orders as the fifth Guild Master,'" The next line seems to be a baffling one, for the old man could not comprehend what he was reading. He resisted the urge to scream out, and instead, swallowed it down and continued reading the sloppy handwriting.
"'The first: Accept Laxus back into the Fairy Tail Guild,'"
This should be a moment Laxus should appreciate. The love and welcomes thrown at him by his three closest friends reminded him why he loved this very guild so much. The fuzzy memories of himself running through a town that he had thought was too big for him made him feel the warmth he craves. And the sheer excitement sprawling over the rest of the guild's faceat the news should make his chest tighten. Oh no, that was not what made him appreciate this moment.
It was the utter dumbfounded look that took over the Phantom's face when Makarov uttered those words. It was the furrowing of her brows, the frown of her lips, and the glare in her eyes, that lit up his day. It was her relaxed hands forming a fist, and her shoulders tensing that made him appreciate this announcement. He couldn't help that smile pulling into a smirk, and his eyes narrowing.
He won, and she knows that.
Makarov grumbled underneath his breath, "If that's the fifth master's orders, we have no choice but to obliged,"
Laxus couldn't help but to think: "How's it like to lose?"
Rubbing salt in the wound left behind by the sword of vengeance, Laxus bathed in the praise and welcomes, all the while basking in the woman's downfall. Those grey eyes twinkled like a child who got a gift on Christmas, but he couldn't help but to agree with Freed that he would definitely 'spend more time at the guild'. Oh, if only she would walk around, walk to him, and perhaps shoot him an insult or two. Maybe, if she's feeling bold, jab a finger against his chest. It would be fun.
"'The second one: I appoint Makarov Dreyar as the sixth Fairy Tail Guild Master,'"
It was like death put out the candle that kept the old man going for so long. His face retired, and the wrinkles were straightened when he widened his eyes and let his mouth hang.
"But I just retired!" The old man cried.
"'I'll travel for a while, I'll come back when I'm in the mood,'"
And that was the end of the letter. The contents of the letter beat the joy out of the old man in a matter of seconds, and ripped his very soul out of his body. It was like Death came down from the clouds in a chariot pulled by black horses, and gave the old man a kiss on the head— for Makarov slumped into a chair and remained still.
"So in short: We came here for nothing,"
Gajeel nudged the woman a little, and sideglanced her, "Lighten up, would ya? The guild ain't half bad, you just gotta warm up to them,"
Before she could combat that with a remark, the childish voice of another stopped her. Following that boyish voice was the sound of shoes hitting against a wooden table. A boy with purple smiled at the guild with sparkling eyes ready to tell a story of some kind. But that sparkle was the kind the older members despised.
"There's a fast way to get to the top!" He exclaimed.
Immediately, a storm of complaints and disagreements hurled at him before he had the time to say what it was. The screaming and shouting all came from the older members of the guild, insisting that they 'weren't going to do that again'. All the while they were shouting, the boy's own father tried to get him off the table.
But the boy was persistent, and shouted "We need to participate in this year's Grand Magic Games!"
Gajeel tilted his head slightly, "The what?" He whispered.
F/n nodded slowly and turned to look at him, "I read of this in the magazine. It's a yearly tournament hosted for guild's to compete for the spot of Number 1— quite barbaric,"
However
"I believe the boy may be right on this one,"
It was the sudden voice of a usually taciturn woman that broke the verbal fight. To hear that confidence rolling off her tongue gave them the impression that she does know what she's doing. She walked through the crowd and stopped at the table where the boy looked down at her with wide eyes. He was prepared for everything, but not this.
"While I agree it's risky to suddenly join a tournament that has been reducing Fairy Tail's popularity, it's the only way to get an image," She said.
"You all are scrambling for coins at the feet of higher-ups, and it's quite embarrassing. To see somewhat tolerable people now reducing their own worth to stay in this—"
"Okay so it's decided!" Natsu piped up with a flaming fist. He leaped over the crowd, and threw his sweaty, smelly, bulky, unwashed, bacteria infested arm over her shoulders the moment he got by her side. He didn't notice her snarl, and her hand was trying to push him away.
"We're gonna participate and get Number 1!"
________________
"I don't understand why you're wasting your time, isn't it obvious who that old man is going to pick to represent Fairy Tail?" F/n asked, reluctantly throwing clothes in a travelling bag. She side-glanced the man and didn't bother to mask her annoyance with him.
Gajeel stood at her door and leaned against the doorframe. With an arm turned into a metal club, he lifted it and pointed it at her, "I don't care, pack faster,"
She clicked her tongue at him, "Gajeel, I have no reason to go myself. I figured the old man would pick the same group as before and we can move on with our lives. Perhaps go on a job together,"
"Who knows, maybe he'll pick differently this time,"
"I highly doubt that,"
Gajeel couldn't help but to roll his eyes at her, and watch as she closed her bag. He tapped his boot against the floor and waited for her, but her movements told him that she's still reluctant.
"Come on! It'll be fun— and besides, Pantherlily is coming with us. You like him, right?"
She ignored his question and walked to her nightstand where a purple candle stood. She snatched it off the table and gripped it tightly with one hand. It crumbled into brown sand in her grip, and some of it fell onto her hardwood floor. But it soon disappeared when the woman opened her hand once more.
"Gajeel, this is stupid,"
"I don't care if the sky goes black, we're going to train and you'll like it,"
She threw the bag over her shoulders and huffed. She ignored Gajeel's sarcastic praise, and pushed past him and exited her room. Though a time with a friend is always a good one, she doesn't see herself enjoying the outdoors and physical activities that may involve close proximity. She reached her hand out once she walked down her stairs, and grasped the cool metal handle of her bat. She hurried to the door, and swung it open, and her grip tightened.
Natsu, who was about to knock, beamed at her, "Wanna—"
"No," Gajeel pushed him aside as though he was just trash, and made room for the woman to step out. He closed the door behind them, and followed her down the steps. The sun peeked behind the clouds and kissed his skin with the sunlight, and refreshed him with the cool breeze.
"Listen, Salamander, we're partners, we train together," The man turned around and waved his hand in a 'shoo' motion.
"She doesn't want you. Now run along to your own friends, weirdo,"
Natsu's eye twitched, and he rushed forward before the man could turn his back on him. He clamped his hand on his shoulder and forced him back around, and encroached on his personal space. His onyx eyes lit up with the flames of determination. But Gajeel's cold glare threatened to snuff out that flame.
"Listen, metalhead! I'm just asking if she—"
"No," The woman cut in, adjusting her bag over her shoulders.
Natsu's flame died, and his shoulders relaxed. His hand slid off Gajeel's shoulder, and he turned to look at the woman who turned his back on him. He tilted his head slightly, and his brows knitted together. That confusion melted into disappointment a second later, and he resisted the urge to whine.
"Why not?!" He exclaimed.
The woman sighed a breath of annoyance, but did not turn to look at him. It was like she just wanted him to leave as fast and as soon as possible. But she spared him a reason for her decision.
"If I had to choose between you and Gajeel, it'll be Gajeel, Fire one,"
It made him visibly deflate, and he kicked a pebble at her feet in hopes of getting her to look at him. He reached a hand to his scaly scarf, and gave it a slight tug and pulled it over the bottom of his face.
"Natsu," He corrected in a mumble. His voice was muffled slightly by the scarf, but she heard it despite the blockage.
All the while Gajeel couldn't stop the grin surfacing on his face. Butterflies erupted in his chest, fluttering all around and passed that sensation to his head. Warmth emanated over his body, and his cheeks were slightly suffused with colour, perhaps from the sun? He couldn't help but to cast his gaze to his shadow, and tug on his bag repeatedly.
"I don't care, Fire one. Go back to your partner and I'll stay with mines." She shrugged and shot him a glance.
"I don't know why you'll want me to come anyways. I don't fit in with your friends, nor do I like you,"
Natsu looked confused by her words. From what he knows, they got along pretty well in their interactions here and there—ignoring the time where she held a bat against him. It was like he was searching the planes of his brain to find a memory where they didn't get along. She helped him up when he was thrown by Gray across the guild. She loaned him money when he was hungry, and she didn't even ask for the change. She gave him good advice when he was in a depressive episode, and went out of her way to protect a few of the members on Tenrou.
He thought they were good friends. Bestfriends, even.
Natsu, as frivolous as he is, said, "You know, I think you just have favourites,"
It shut down everything she just said. It was like her words were just a weak gust of wind that caused a bit of disturbance to his hair. Something was very wrong with this man. Nothing seemed to scare him anymore. The tiredness in her eyes did not alert him to her annoyance, nor the knitting of her brows. Her lips curling into a frown only enticed him to make her feel better, unaware that the person causing that frown was him. Her words gave him a different impression.
"I mean— you talk to Gajeel all the time! And you're okay with the Snowman! They're your favourites, I get that. I won't bother you,"
Her head lifted, and she turned around. Her frown grew smaller, and her eyes darted around his face to spot any kind of negative emotion on his face. Her frustration grew when she didn't find any, instead, he looked rather relaxed, happy even.
And she realised something a little too late. His growing smile, the fire lighting up in his eyes, it was directed at her for looking at him fully. Her whole body was turned around to face him, and that confusion morphed into a slight glare.
"I'll talk to you when we all get back, k? Bye, see ya later!" He shot her a grin before running past her in an almost gleeful manner.
Gajeel stareed, baffled as the man ran down the street and took a sharp turn. He slowly turned to look at her equally baffled expression, with somewhat wide eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Something lit up within him, it started as a spark at first, then blossomed.
"I see what you mean now,"
He sauntered to her side, and seemingly forgot about it as he threw his arm over her shoulder. He pulled her roughly into his side, and managed to bring out a smile on her face despite his rough actions.
"Now, let me tell you how that lightning bastard beat me with a bat— and I want you to avenge me,"
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5,262 Words. (Not my best chapter, honestly)
Not gonna let Gajeel finish
Gonna post this before I have second thoughts
Yeah we're already jumping into GMG
Not gonna write the whole Clock arc since it's just filler, and because I'm planning something different for Macbeth and One-eyed willy
Trust me though I really did want Macbeth
Aside from that, I'm comfortable in the pace I'm moving since I won't end up having 20 chapters before getting to GMG
That is all.
Bye my lovelies!