Hello boys and girls. I'd like to tell a story.
I actually had this story written on Tumblr for a while and really had no intention of posting this here. However, I decided to do it if only to make an announcement.
If you haven't heard, there is going to be a fanmade Gruviazine featuring artists' works from all corners of the Gruvia fandom. On top of that, there are going to be Gruvia fanfictions as well. I have the honor and the privilege to announce that I was chosen to write for the Gruviazine along with several others including my good friend BonneyQ. I'm currently working on that fic right now and it will only be available to those who buy the zine. I've seen some of the art and let me tell you that it's awesome. This fanzine was sent to Mashima himself so if you are looking to for awesome arts and never before published fanfics, this is for you.
But enough about that. Let's go on to the fic.
The Scream
Gray Fullbuster isn't one to act rashly in his own estimation. Leave that to his hot-headed rival slash frenemy, Natsu. But when a piercing scream abruptly jolts him out of a fading sleep, the ice mage is quick to assess the situation.
First, he is in his queen size bed and tangled up in his sheets. Second, the clock by his bed reads 7:14, 46 minutes before his internal clock would wake him up. Third, the other occupant of his bed is nowhere to be found. Fourth, he could hear faint sobbing a short distance away.
With those facts in hand, Gray got out bed, thankful that he was at least wearing shorts. He had no problem being in the buff. However, until he got a handle on the situation, it would be wise to hope for the best and expect the worst.
Slowly but surely, Gray moved towards the sound of sobbing, not fully knowing what to expect. It led him to the master bathroom. He put his hand on the knob and tested it to see if there was any hindrances. There were none. So he opened the door.
Almost immediately, he noticed a mop of blue hair attached to a powder blue terry cloth robe. This was the source of the sobbing, his wife of eleven years, Juvia, crouched down with her head between her knees. A sudden rush of protective feelings washed over him. Even so many years later, he felt a tight squeezing of his heart at the sight of her tears.
"Juvia, what's wrong? " He asked, ternatively placing a steady hand on her shoulder.
She didn't answer. Instead, she balled up again and started crying.
A host of terrible scenarios went through his head to explain why she was crying. So to comfort her, he took a seat on the bathroom floor.
"I can't help you if you don't say anything to me." He ventured.
Juvia lifted her head. Gray could see unshed tears about to fall. With a pitiful whimper, she tugged on a strand of hair and presented it tp her husband.
"Your hair?" He didn't really understand what was so wrong with her hair that she would scream and cry.
"Does Gray not see it?" She whimpered almost pathetically. "It's turning white."
Gray squinted to see what was making his wife lose it. Even focusing on the hair, he could barely see the discoloration of her hair. "So you're hair is getting whiter. So what? You are getting older."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Gray regretted saying it because Juvia sobbed even harder.
"Mom, dad, what's going on? I heard screaming." A voice behind them asked.
Their daughter, Uriel Niji Fullbuster, was now ten years old. The black hair she inherited from her father was currently sporting a pixie cut. In her arms was three year old Argent, drinking out of his sippy cup. It warmed his heart how quickly she took up the big sister role. He could always depend on her to watch out for her little brother.
"Your mother is being a bit dramatic." Gray sighed. "Can you please get Argent dressed? I'll deal with your mother."
Uriel gave one more look at her mother and walked out of the bathroom. Gray, meanwhile, sat cross-legged next to his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"What is this really about?" Gray asked.
Juvia looked her husband in the eyes for the first time this morning. Those obsidian eyes she could drown in the first time she met him have not lost its breathtaking power in the slightest. "Juvia is getting older." She admitted.
"So? I'm getting older too." He said, holding her close. "So what?"
"Soon, Juvia won't be as attractive as she was when we first met."
And now, the problem reveals itself. She's worried about him not being attractive to her. Gray ran his hand through her beautiful blue hair. "Juvia, it wasn't just your looks that attracted me to you." He fought the urge to blush for saying such things. "You are already an amazing person. You've shared in my good times. You comforted me in my bad times. You've had my back in our fights. Hell, you nearly died for me." He frowned at the memory. "You are not allowed to do that again."
Juvia's lips upturned. She remembered Invel, the ice chain, and sacrificing her life to save the man she loved. She would do it again in a heartbeat. But she wouldn't tell him that.
"We have a wonderful life together." He continued. "You've given me the family I've always been so scared to have. I plan on having a long and silly life with you. So if you're going to be an old, shrunken, wrinkled, white haired woman, then I guess that means I'm going to be an old, shrunken, wrinkled, white haired man along with you."
Juvia began to tear up. "Promise?"
"Absolutely."
Gray helped Juvia onto her feet and pulled her into a hug. His calloused fingers brushed her cheek gently as he leaned down and kissed her. Growing old won't be so bad as long as you have someone to grow old with, like her. Juvia once said Gray had saved her from the rain and shown her the clear blue sky. Gray had to admit that he was the same. He didn't begin to live until after she came into his life. He used to be afraid because he believed that those he loved died and left him behind. Not her. For the last fifteen or so years, Juvia has been Gray's constant, his anchor. He could never stop loving her.
"Juvia should go and make breakfast." She said, pulling away from his embrace with a smile and a slight breathless feeling in her stomach.
"I'll be right down." He replied.
Juvia walked out of their bathroom with a slight skip in her step. Gray smiled. After hearing his wife speaking with their children, Gray opened up the medicine cabinet and dug around. In a nondescript box, he found a hair dye applicator. Unbeknownst to Juvia, Gray had found a white hair on his head first. It made him panic a bit. He wondered if Juvia would find him less attractive with white hair. Now it just seemed silly to worry about it.
"Gray." Juvia called from the kitchen.
"Coming." He yelled back. He threw the dye in the garbage.
Here's to going white together.
And that's the end of that story.
Liked it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time,
A. Angel
