To Any Cost

Chapter 7: Out at Dinner...

Hey all, sorry if this is shorter than normal, but I really need to actually do homework... as you can tell, I'm a procrastinator... ;) anyways... hope you like it!

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The guild was unrecognizable. Instead of dust and cobwebs, there were streamers and balloons. The cool draft that swept through the entire hall when the wind blew had been patched up and replaced by the warmth of candles and light.

   "Juvia thinks," Juvia whispered in a hushed tone, gazing at the site before her eyes, "Juvia thinks it's beautiful!"

   Gray smiled ever so slightly, "I didn't think that it would actually work!"

   "Hey, Natsu!" Lucy laughed, "Quit fooling around and look!"

   "Huh? Wha-" his jaw dropped as he gave a good look at the guild hall, "We did all this?"

   "Yup!" Wendy giggled, gazing at their work too.

   "And now I know how to tie balloons!" Romeo replied cheerfully.

   "Oi! Shrimp!" Gajeel patted Levy's head, grinning.

   "Shut up, Gajeel, I'm reading!" she mumbled though her wind-reader glasses.

   "Fine, don't look at the guild," he said, put off.

   "Why would I-Oh!" she gasped as she looked up from her book, "We actually made the guild look nice for once?"

   "Gihi," he laughed, patting her head once more.

   The doors to the kitchen flew open revealing as frazled looking Erza, and a beaming Mira.

   "Good work, everyone!" Mira grinned.

   "Yeah..." Erza grumbled trying to free chunks of flour from her scarlet hair.

   "What exactly did you do to help, though," Gray asked, eye brows rose.

   "Yeah! We did all the hard work and all you did was pick on us!" Natsu pointed out.

   "Like lighting candles was difficult, flame-brain," Gray rolled his eyes.

   "Hey, who ya callin' names, ice princess!"

   "Uh, excuse me, hypocrite!"

   "I aint no hippo-whatever-that-word-you-just-said-acrite!"

   "I said-"

   "SHUT UP!" Erza slammed their heads together, leaving them to groan on the floor. "Now," she continued as if nothing had happened, "We made you all dinner, along with most of the food for the party."

   "YAY FOOD!" Natsu bounced up and down, drooling fire like the idiot he was.

   "Well, I am out of food at my place, becuase someone," Lucy glared at certain pink haired someone, "Ate it all."

   "Now Juvia doesn't have to go out for dinner!" the water mage replied happily. 'And Juvia can eat dinner with Gray-sama and-' her train of thought was soon cut off by Gray-sama speaking.

   "I'm not all that hungry and I have food at my place anyways," Gray said, turning towards the door.

   "YOU ARE NOT LEAVING HERE WITHOUT EATING SOMETHING!" Mira appeared in front of him, blocking the doorway with her 'Satan Soul' transformation.

   "U-uh..." Gray sweat dropped, "Sure, Mira, whatever you say..."

   "I could go for some food," Gajeel crakced his knuckles, still grinning.

   "Just... let me finish this chapter..." Levy mumbled.

   "Good!" Mira returned back to her normal state and was all smiles as she said, "Now follow me this way..."

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   "No way..." Lucy groaned, "You chose who we sit with?"

   "Mmhmm!" Mira then took out a list and dropped it on the table, "Here are your seating arrangments!" and she ran off with a smile on her face.

   "Seriously?" Lucy, Levy, and Juvia shouted as they read down the list.

   "What does the list say?" Gray asked as Juvia handed it to him.

Mira's List:

Table 1- The Exceeds

Table 2- Romeo, Wendy, Natsu, and Lucy

Table 3- Levy and Gajeel

Table 4- Juvia and Gray

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   'This normally would be a dream come true for Juvia,' Juvia sighed unhappily, 'But the longer Juvia is next to Gray-sama, the harder it is for Juvia to act like she doesn't care!' she pressed her hands to her cheeks with a distraught look on her face, 'If Juvia doesn't keep up with the act, Gray-sama will never lo-'

   "Hey, Juvia," Gray asked with a worried look on his face, "Are you all right?"

   "Oh... uh..." Juvia swallowed, "Juvia is quite all right, Gray-sa-" she caught herself again, "Gray."

   "Oh, ok," he looked a little crestfallen.

   She poked at the peas on her plate, "So... anything new, Gray-s-Gray?"

   "Oh, um..." he looked down at his plate, 'Well actually you're the one acting different and it's getting on my nerves...' he want ed to say, but decided against it, "No, not really.

   "Oh," was all she said afterwards. Nothing could have been more awkward than that very evening.

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   "This isn't going as planned, is it," Erza sighed, looking at Mira.

   "No!" Mira seemed furious, "It's way too awkward! Why is it so awkward?"

   "Um... Do you expect me to answer that question?"

   Mira frowned in thought... what if... no... wait! "I know!" she suddenly burst out excitedly, "I know just how to break the ice!"

   'Here we go again...' Erza sighed, "What's your idea?"

   Mira smiled mischeviously, "A game of truth or dare!"

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Short, I know... but I hope it was ok!!! ;)