CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

RELATIONSHIP DISCUSSIONS

As late as she had stayed up the night before, Evergreen found herself fully awake and ready to start the day at an early hour she usually refused to even acknowledge existed.

The sun was still burning away the last remnants of dew as she sipped her coffee, studying her closet. Something fun...with a hint of blue...that's what she wanted. She finally decided on a modified princess dress with a short skirt that swirled and belled as she moved and a low back. On a whim, she left her hair down and free, enjoying the soft of the strands over her bare skin. Surely Gray's fingers would follow the same paths later today. She smiled in memory and anticipation.

Finishing her second cup of coffee, she shrugged into a coat with an ivy pattern that was just short enough to show a sliver of her lower back between its hem and the line of her dress. Satisfied, she headed for the guild, her steps quicker than usual. She didn't question the eagerness...though she did slow as soon as the guild hall came into sight. Maybe she should have suggested a different meeting place? The Thunder Legion were going to be very eager to know what happened last night...and very interested in getting a say about whether she had made a good choice or not.

It had never occurred to her to discuss with Gray how they wanted to let people know?

She paused in front of the doors. Should she go in and tell them before he got here or should she wait and make sure she had back up...or a distraction if Erza wanted details.

"I thought you didn't like to get up early." Gray's voice came from right behind her just before his arms slid around her waist and he kissed her ear.

She tilted her head, an invitation for him to nuzzle through her hair to her sensitive neck. "And I thought you needed sleep...shouldn't you still be at home snoring?"

His snickering breath fanned through her hair to her skin, speeding up the pulse less than an inch from his lips. "Went right to sleep but when I woke up, I was more interested in breakfast than more sleep."

She turned toward him, raising an eyebrow bordering on outrage. "Just breakfast, hmmm?"

His arms adjusted and tightened, conveniently pinning her arms to her sides as he smirked down at her. "You know that's not the real reason."

Her struggles ended in a low laugh. "I wanted to see you too."

He breathed in the last wisps of her laughter as he pressed his lips to her, his arms loosening as his hands slid over her back, long artistic fingers teasing at the skin of her lower back, above the line of her dress and below the edge of her jacket...just as she had planned. It felt as good as she had hoped and she sighed with pleasure as his lips met hers, both of them completely forgetting they were standing in the entrance of the guild.

Evergreen didn't even hear the door open so the low, loud clearing of the throat that accompanied the, "Excuse me, if I could just slip by," from Max surprised her.

Warmth flooded her cheeks as she glanced to the side to see the sand wizard nervously trying to edge around them.

A soft growl of annoyance rumbled in Gray's throat but she doubted anyone else could hear it. Still, he released her waist but slid his hand into hers as they moved slightly to the side, allowing Max to exit with a worried glance behind him.

She sighed, "Well, I guess with that interruption…."

Gray nodded, "We should tell our teams so we can get the congratulations and lectures over." He rolled his eyes as he tugged her hand, leading her inside. "I'm not sure which will be worse, Erza or Lucy."

She smiled up at him, "Yes, but I have to deal with Bickslow."

Gray stroked her hair back from her face, "Still have breakfast with me...with whatever company that invites itself."

"Of course," She leaned up and nibbled on his lower lip.

He murmured in appreciation of the movement, "If you're that hungry, we'll need to hurry."

She tapped him affectionately with her fan, "That's a good plan."

New relationships, apparently, made one stupid. Evergreen realized that five steps after she and Gray parted which was right when she came face to face with a furious Juvia.

Steam rose from the water woman's cheeks as she stalked up to Ever.

They really should have planned on how to deal with breaking the news to this particular guildmate but they hadn't - too involved in their own happiness.

"You said you did not take Gray from Juvia." Her voice was low, tense.

Evergreen forced herself to focus on the other woman rather than search for an escape route. "I said Gray could not be taken because he is a person not an object and, at that time, he had not decided to be with anyone."

"Liar, you kissed Gray. You are trying to take him."

Ever shot Juvia a glare back, "I am not-". Evergreen took a deep breath, forcing her anger down. "Last night, Gray and I agreed to be together, Juvia...I'm sorry this hurts you but, please accept it."

"Liar! You tricked him. A potion, a spell. You found it when I couldn't. But, you can't make him happy. Gray is mine!" Her rising scream ensured they had the attention of the entire guild.

However, Ever didn't dare look away from the enraged water wizard to check if help was on the way. This was already out of hand and needed to be stopped. Evergreen reached for her glasses.

Unfortunately, Juvia beat her.

The last thing she heard before being enveloped in a sphere of water was Juvia's scream, "Water lock."

Water filled her nose even as she clamped her hands over her mouth and nose. Her mind raced how to get out before her lungs turned traitor and forced her to take in more water. Through the sides of her watery prison, she saw electricity dancing along Juvia's body, piercing through the water shield she threw between her and Laxus. Still, her concentration on Ever's prison did not waver.

Ever flashed through the spells she knew, but nothing would produce enough solid force to push the water back and if Laxus' lightning couldn't break Juvia's concentration, what chance did her fairy machine gun have.

Freed appeared briefly in her line of sight, etching runes across the surface of the water but a jet of water knocked his legs out from under him. He was pushing upwards and Ever desperately reached out to him when arms wrapped around her from behind.

A wrist bearing a leather band studded in silver and diamonds slashed through her view as Gray wrapped himself around her, pulling her tight into the spoon of his body. The water grew cold and then they were surrounded by ice. She pushed back into Gray for the limited warmth he provided, reminding her terrified oxygen deprived brain that he was not going to let her suffocate in the ice tomb growing around her.

Cracks ran through the ice before the tomb shattered, throwing ice outwards, freeing Gray and Ever from the water sphere turned ice tomb. She dropped to the floor, gasping for air which led to coughing as her body tried to expel the, thankfully, little water that had made it's way into her lungs. Gray released her but remained kneeling beside her, hand rubbing over her back, and Freed was beside her on her other side, massaging her neck, telling her it would be ok.

Gray's voice was a low growl and was directed at Freed, "Watch her." She felt Gray's lips skim over her cheek and then he was gone.

Looking up, she could see Juvia between Bixslow's and Laxus' bodies as they stood in front of her. Lightning flared over Laxus, arcing out at Juvia whose lower form had lost the solidity of legs and her water body grew, flowing over the floor, pushing forward.

Gray didn't pause but shoved his way between the two larger men, feet apart, he declared, "Ice make: bind." The edges of the water flowing out from Juvia solidified then crystallized, then spread towards her, racing over the floor and up her water base to her waist.

Juvia stared down at her solidifying body in astonished fear which, Ever was certain, was reflected in her own face. Even Laxus' lightning had subsided.

Gray stopped when Juvia was ice from the shoulders down before yelling, "I tried to be nice. I tried to be your friend but you wouldn't listen. Not to me. Not to anyone."

"Gray, I love-"

He viciously cut off her words. "Don't you dare say the word love around me. This isn't love. It's something sick that I want no part of."

Ever fancied she could hear Juvia's heart break and almost felt sorry for water wizard until another cough shook her body, forcing her to dab at her mouth with the wet handkerchief Freed had provided.

"Gray-" Juvia's voice was a despairing rising plea but Gray wasn't listening.

"I tried to be your friend, your guildmate but you selfishly stuck to your stupid fantasy. And now, you've attacked the person most precious to me. I won't forgive you for that, Juvia. Never."

"I-"

He still would not let Juvia speak. "Stay away from Ever and me or I will make sure you regret having met me for the rest of your life."

"But…" The soft plea trailed away as Gray turned and pushed back through Bickslow and Laxus, releasing Juvia from the ice.

Ever's view of Juvia's reaction or departure was blocked as Gray knelt in front of her, pushing Ever's hair back from her face, eyes searching, dark. "I'm so sorry, Ever...I should have-"

Ever clumsily covered his mouth and pulled herself up into a more upright position. "We both should have but-"

"You should have gotten that worked out a long time ago." Laxus glared down at Gray, hands across his chest.

Ever opened her mouth to defend him but was too slow...again.

"Hey, Gray's a nice guy." Lucy, hands on hips, strode up to the tall dragon slayer then poked him in the chest, even though she had to reach up to do it. "Would you rather Evergreen date a jerk? Huh?"

"Yeah, I mean Gray's an idiot and a pervert," Natsu chimed in helpfully, "But, she could do a lot worse."

"Hey," Bickslow frowned, "It doesn't matter if she could do worst. What matters is if he's good enough for her."

His totems reinforced his argument. "Good enough! Good enough!"

Natsu whirled on the totems, "Are you saying she's too good for him?"

Bickslow stepped up and glared down at the pink haired dragon slayer, "I'm saying we're being nice and giving him a chance to prove it."

"Prove it?" Lucy whirled on the seidh mage. "Why you-Who beat Rufus, huh? I don't remember you and your dolls out there during the games."

"The Thunder Legion," Intoned Freed, straightening his cuffs, "was well represented by Laxus. Adding any of the rest of us would have been overkill. It was kindness to let the rest of the guilds think they had a chance."

Erza straightened her gauntlets. "Enough of this arguing," She turned a wide smile at Ever and Gray. Pulling them to their feet, she wrapped her arms around their shoulders, "So, when did you get together? Who said what? I want to hear all about it."

Evergreen shot a questioning glance at Gray but he was already telling Erza about the previous night while meekly letting Erza steer them toward a corner of the guild. A crash of wood on stone and the sound of shattering dishes announced the rest of their teams were still discussing the relative merits of the new relationship.