A/N: To celebrate Gruvia week, I thought I'd make a little Gruvia story! This is for the day 2 prompt, misunderstanding. I know I'm a day late, but yesterday I had some pop-up engagements I had to attend to and couldn't post. Sorry! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Gray walked into the guild that day nervous.
Yes, nervous. The great Gray Fullbuster whom has defeated dozens of monsters, who has taken on incredibly hard jobs, was nervous.
Of course, he wouldn't admit that to anybody.
He made his hands into fists. DAMN!
Why was it so hard? To tell her. He knew she liked him. She had made it pretty obvious. But still...
A line of worry creased his face. What if...No..stop it. What if's could go on forever. They stray to far from the truth.
To be honest, Gray should have realized he was in love with her from the beginning. But he was incredibly stubborn, and no one would argue with him there.
It was during their battle with Invel that he was forced to open his eyes to the fact that he loved her.
He would gladly give up his life for Natsu, Lucy, Ezra or any other guild mate, but her?
Her he had to give up his life for because a life without her...was a life not worth living.
It was like she was the moon and he was the tide, drawn towards her. Without her, his life would be thrown out of balance. More then he could handle.
Juvia...had saved him in so many ways.
He needed her.
He loved her.
But then why was it so hard to work up the courage to tell her?
'UGH!", Gray yelled, his hands clutching his head.
"What's up with you, Ice Princess?", Natsu taunted him.
Gray didn't think that kid could get more annoying, but he had been proven wrong during their 100-year quest.
Gray ignored him and walked to the table where Juvia was sitting.
She was knitting an ice white scarf. Gray wondered if that scarf was meant for him.
Her face was full of concentration, but Gray still was in awe at her beauty.
He face shone like the moon, her eyes sparkled like the stars and her hair fell down at her shoulders like waves.
"Oh! Gray-sama! Juvia was in such concentration she didn't see you there! Juvia apologizes.", she said.
She was like an angel. Gray felt his tongue getting tied.
"Uh..J-Juvia! C-Cool scarf!", he said lamely. He felt Lucy's brown eyes staring at him stutter and fidget with his fingers.
"Thank you, Gray-sama! Juvia is making it for Lyon...Juvia thinks he's lonely.", she said, her eyes looking sad.
Juvia was so compassionate. Gray felt tendrils of jealously crawl through him. He felt ashamed and looked down.
Juvia's eyes widened when she saw this. "Oh no, Gray-sama! Juvia's heart only belongs to you! No one else! Juvia loves you!", she said anxiously.
How could she say it so easily? How was it so easy for her, but so impossible for him. He got tongue-tied every time he saw her.
"N-No, that's not it. There's nothing wrong. I've got to go..er..um-observe the clouds.", Gray said stupidly. Juvia's face told him that she didn't buy his act.
He saw Natsu at that moment and decided to use him as a distraction. "Hey, ash brains!", he shouted before disappearing into the crowd of the guild.
He needed help...but who could he ask?
Natsu? No way, that moron would make things worse.
Erza? He shuddered. She would go crazy and start planning there wedding. That ruled out Mira who would have had the same reaction.
Happy? Why had he even thought of a cat.
Lucy? Actually...she might help.
He walked over to where she was sitting and plopped down in the seat next to her. He found she was already waiting for him.
"What the hell was that!", she exclaimed in his face.
"What, it wasn't that bad...", Gray's shoulders drooped.
She smirked at him. "Yeah, ''I've got to go..er..um-observe the clouds.'' is not that bad.", she mocked him.
Gray sighed. "Just help me.".
"Okay fine, you can practice on me.".
"Just come outside first, if Natsu sees me practicing on you, he'll probably enter dragon force.", he said smirking as her face took on the color of Natsu's flames.
"That's enough from you, lover boy.", she said.
When they were outside, Lucy looked up at him.
"Go on start.".
He looked at her and took a deep breath. "So, I know you've felt this way abou-ARGH! I can't do it!", Gray said.
"Why? We know you love her. So, why can't you.".
"I can't tell it to you because you're not her! You're eyes are brown, but hers are a unique glimmering ocean. You're just not her!".
"Gee thanks Gray. That was so kind.", she said sarcastically. He knew she was just teasing him, she wasn't really mad.
"Let's try something else. Pretend she's here right now I want you to describe her to me. What she reminds you of, what you feel when you're around her, that sort of stuff.".
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He recalled his earlier thoughts about her.
"Juvia, I've been blind to the love I've felt for you. Since our fight with Invel, when I finally realized my true feelings for you...I always get tongue tied when I try to tell you. I can't believe I didn't realize it until it smacked me in the face. Your beauty astounds me. But the compassion and kindness in your heart, even more. I love you more than you can imagine, and I-", he stopped as he heard a sob.
His eyes flashed opened and he turned to see his favorite water mage with tears coming out of her face.
He locked his eyes with hers and she ran off sprinting. She had only heard the last part.
"Juvia!", he called out. "It's a misunderstanding...Wait! Juvia!". But the blue-haired girl did not stop. She sprinted as fast as she could, with tears pouring down her face.
"Go after her!", Lucy urged him, but he had already took of after her.
She smiled. She knew everything would go all right. She thought of his words when he was thinking of Juvia. She wondered if love would smack her in the face.
She stood up and was about to reenter the guild when a maniac went flying towards her, pushing her to the floor.
"That looked painful.", Mira commented nonchalantly. Nostalgia flooded through Lucy's veins and she recognized her attacker.
Instantly, her thoughts dissolved and her loud voice screamed in anger. "NATSU!".
"Juvia, wait!", he called to her, running to her.
"Juvia will not wait. Juvia is very happy for you and Lucy. Juvia shall go now.", she said tears running down her cheek.
But before she could run out of sight, Gray extended his hand and a block of ice froze her to the ground.
Juvia used her water to melt it, but before she could escape, Gray had caught up to her and grabbed her arm.
"Juvia won't! She won't!", Juvia said while writhing, trying to squirm her way out of Gray's hand.
"Juvia, you will listen!", Gray said sternly and under his fierce stare, she stopped squirming.
"I have lost to a love-rival.", Juvia whispered softly.
"Juvia, for the last time, Lucy is not a love-rival. There will be no more love-rivals. I found someone. I get tongue-tied every time I look at her, so I practiced with Lucy. I love someone.", he said to her in a soft tone.
Juvia looked up at him. "If not Lucy, then who?", she continued in her whispering voice.
Gray's ears turned pink. "Well, they haven't exactly said yes, but...".
"Who?".
"Well, she spun my whole world around. I was a fool not to realize it earlier. Her eyes sparkle like the moon, her hair like waves softly crashing against the shore. Like an angel, her kindness and compassion glow along side her outward beauty. I could go on and on describing her, but I could never do her justice. I'm so lucky to find such a person. Of course, I have to ask them.", he said, mumbling the last bit.
Juvia felt a surge of jealously surge through her.
"Who?", she asked, trying to be happy that the love of her life had found somebody. Even if that someone was not her.
"You.".
For her, the whole world stopped spinning. All that was there was her and her beloved Gray.
"W-What?", she asked shocked.
He smiled at her. "Juvia...I love you.", the words rolled of his lips like it had done earlier for her.
Confusion filled Juvia's mind, but was immediately replaced by elation. And love.
"Gray-sama...Juvia has always loved you, and always will.".
"I guess, I was scared to tell you earlier, because I was afraid you'd decline.".
"What on earth made you think Juvia'd decline? Juvia is obsessed with you!", she asked confused, but elation filled her body.
"I guess...up until now, you've always...well you've always done the chasing. I was afraid that you were in love with the chasing and not me. I was afraid. I guess-", he was cut off by Juvia's lips colliding with his.
After eternity, she pulled back. "Does that answer your question?", a blushing Juvia asked him.
He shrugged, grinning.
"Maybe one more will answer my question.".
And he leaned in and there lips collided once more, the second time of many.