"Piece of Peace"

"Does Gray think Lucy will like the gift Juvia got her?" Juvia held the neatly wrapped gift in her hands, butterflies fluttering like mad inside her stomach. Her eyes sought out her friend and crush, and she couldn't help but smile when she finally spotted her, sitting at the bar chatting happily with Mirajane and Erza. Her hair shone like gold, and her eyes, a soulful, deep brown, were glowing with joy. Just looking at Lucy made her feel like her poor heart was going to beat out of her chest.

"Of course she'll like it. It's a gift from the heart," Gray quickly reassured her, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze. Juvia flashed him a grateful smile, willing her nerves to calm themselves down. She appreciated the comfort he freely offered her. She was glad that she let go of her one-sided crush on him. Whenever her thoughts strayed to how she acted when she thought she was in love with him, she'd cringe, nearly drowning in the waves of embarrassment that'd wash over her.

Gray, thankfully didn't hold any of it against her, and the two of them quickly grew closer as friends as she got to know the real Gray Fullbuster, not the one she'd fantasized and idolized inside her head. And she knew it was better this way, them being friends.

"Juvia knows, but what if she doesn't like it? What if she hates it?" Juvia couldn't help but ask, worry hanging heavily in her voice. She'd been so unnecessarily mean to Lucy at times, and how Lucy didn't hold it against her baffled Juvia sometimes. She called her a "Love Rival" when it was nothing like that, and when she let go of her feelings for Gray, Lucy was one of the first people she told and apologized for how she behaved to.

It was like the saying went: love could make you do crazy things.

"Juvia, she'll love it because it's a thoughtful gift and because you're the one giving it to her. I keep telling you that Lucy's crushing on you, but you refuse to believe me." Juvia's cheeks felt almost impossibly warm, she was blushing so damn hard.

"Lucy doesn't have a crush on Juvia!" Gray's smile turned smug as he looked at her, dark blue eyes narrowed playfully.

"Yeah, she does. Everyone knows she's bisexual, and she said she's more or less equally attracted to men and women, so there's no need to worry if she's straight. You're bisexual as well, so that's another thing you both have in common. Plus, she talks about you to me almost all the time. She goes on and on about how pretty you are, how much she likes, and stuff like that, so it's safe to say she's crushing on you as hard as you are on her."

Flustered, Juvia opened her mouth to deny this, because surely this was too good to be true, but Gray gently pressed his hand over her mouth.

"Seriously, Juvia, don't worry so much. You're a gem of a girl; you're sweet, kind, passionate, and quirky. I know you've had a rough past, I know you've had a rough time with love, but you don't need to be so hard on yourself. You deserve to love and be loved, so go take a chance at happiness. And, if it doesn't work out, even though I'm telling that it will, I'll be here for you, okay?" Juvia could only nod her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of happiness.

He sounded so honest and sincere, and she knew all he wanted was for her to be happy. He was always encouraging her to be herself and enjoy life, and she was so thankful she had such a wonderful friend like him by her side. He moved his hand off her mouth and instead held her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze as he smiled at her, tucking a strand of her wavy blue hair behind her ear.

"Okay, Gray. Juvia will muster up all the courage she has and give Lucy this gift from her heart." She allowed him to tug her into his arms, hugging her and cocooning her in his warmth. The steady beats of his heart soothed her on frantically beating her, and she found her nervousness evaporating. Only when he felt like she was calm did Gray stop hugging her.

Juvia took several deep breaths and slowly stood up. Glancing quickly at Gray, who mouthed "Good luck" to her, she steeled herself and walked over to the bar. She was thankful she wore a different outfit today, ditching her stuffy coat for a pretty yellow sundress and white sandals. Thankfully, Lucy was sitting by herself, which would make things easier for her. She took the empty seat beside her and gently cleared her throat.

Gorgeous brown eyes stared at her, and an equally gorgeous face was now sporting a dazzling smile. Her cheeks, Juvia noticed, were a light pink. Was she… was she blushing?! Juvia could feel herself blushing from the mere thought that the girl who now held her heart was just affected by this lovebug as she was.

"Hi, Juvia! You look really pretty, by the way. I love your dress, and your sandals are cute!" Lucy complimented her, her voice sincere and expression kind. Juvia flushed from such kind words.

"T-Thank you, Lucy. You look pretty as well." And Juvia meant it. Lucy was wearing a cute pink tank top with silver hearts on it and white shorts. "Um, Juvia got something for Lucy. Juvia hopes Lucy likes it." She shyly handed over her gift, watching as Lucy took it. Her fingers gently traced over the green gift wrap, trying to figure out what it could possibly be.

Soon, she was unwrapping it, and when she saw what it was, a look of surprise crossed her face. It was a journal; its cover was black with stars scattered across the front, side, and back. Shoot For the Stars was neatly written in gold in the center.

"Juvia saw this and thought of Lucy, so she got it because she thought Lucy might like it. Juvia knows how much Lucy loves to write too, so Juvia figures Lucy would love to have another journal for writing," Juvia quietly explained, and she was pleased to see that Lucy was now smiling, staring at the journal on her lap like it was a treasure.

"Thank you so much for such a thoughtful gift, Juvia. I really do love it, and I'll definitely be putting it to use as soon as I get the chance," Lucy promised, her hand reaching to hold hers. "If you're not doing anything later, you can stop by my apartment if you want. I'd love to share some ideas I've had for some stories I've been meaning to write."

Juvia was pretty good at reading between the lines, and if she was reading this right, Lucy was essentially asking her out on a date. She couldn't help but blush, a goofy grin on her face as she nodded her head.

"Juvia would love that." Lucy leaned closer, her lips brushing against her cheek in a sweet kiss that nearly made Juvia's heart stop beating.

"Lucy would love that as well," the celestial mage teased, drinking in her flushed face and blushing cheeks. They sat and talked for a few minutes longer before going their separate ways, Juvia promising to swing by her apartment at seven. When she sat back down at the table she shared with Gray, she could hardly bring herself to look at him, she was so happy and flustered.

Gray, already knowing the cause of her elated mood, merely patted her on the back and said, "I told you it would work out." And Juvia was glad it worked out. After all, she basically scored a date with the girl she was crushing on who was crushing on her too. How could she not be happy about that?