The answer fic for Stay and When You Were Young~ I don't want to leave readers hanging.

Besides, I think P!nk's "Please Don't Leave Me" fits Gruvia. You should listen to it because it's great.

disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail


They both thought that everything was better this way. It wasn't, really.

Gray and Juvia never mentioned anything about the whole incident. He told her that he was drunk and did things he didn't mean. Juvia could only nod, saddened by the thought that everything—including his drunk confession—wasn't real and just a lie. What did she expect? He's drunk and a drunk person do things they don't mean and those things are taken as a joke or accident.

But Gray-sama's voice was very sincere back then, she thought one time, sitting in the guild with Lisanna and Cana.

She watched as Gray started a brawl again with Natsu. She thought that if she came back, she could finally have a resolve of her feelings towards the ice mage. It turned out that she was very wrong and she should have just gone back to her vacation after all. Nothing was even happening and she's the only one disturbed because of it.

"Juvia, lighten up! You've been brooding since the last five days," Cana told her, slumping an arm around her shoulder.

Then, the brunette handed her a glass of the alcoholic drink. It was the usual blue one that she drinks whenever she wanted to lighten up about her miserable feelings. Juvia eyed it skeptically. She could see a little bit of her reflection on it and she wanted to avert her gaze. She was seeing another woman full of sadness and worry with lifeless eyes and paler lips. She was horrified at the sight that she dropped the glass with a loud shattering sound. Everybody paused from their actions to turn their heads towards her.

"S-Sorry!" Juvia apologized and reached towards the broken pieces of the glass.

Cana was about to stop her but she was too late. Juvia had already grasped the broken pieces, leaving open cuts on her hand. Then, she stopped. The water mage gripped on the glass tighter, more blood trickling down. Her head hung low and blue eyes glazed with threatening tears, she mumbled, "I'm sorry."

Before anyone could speak, Juvia ran out of the guild. Everyone was bewildered. Juvia had just spoken in first person instead of her usual third person speech. Her voice earlier was even faltering.

"What's wrong with her?" Natsu wondered, rubbing his head.

Gray just shrugged. On the other hand, Gajeel bit on the iron hard and made his way towards the ice mage. He grabbed him by the collar, shocking the other members.

"Okay, talk," he commanded, his red eyes glaring at him.

Gray scowled. "I didn't do anything! I don't even know why she's acting like that."

Gajeel only shook him furiously. "You should be able to. You're the only one she has been with five days ago and that sprinkler is down ever since."

"So? It has nothing to do with me!" Gray claimed, struggling from his grip.

"Fine, stripper." Gajeel dropped him unceremoniously on the floor.

Deep inside, Gray wondered if he has anything to do with her pain. He thought that they had already fixed everything. They had already talked about it and everything was fine... right?

Wrong, idiot! You haven't even made a move to face your feelings for her.

Gray mentally frowned. He didn't like the bitterness that etched with the voice in his head but it was true. All they had agreed was all Gray did when he's drunk was nothing—even the mini confession. He had already clarified things with her so why was she brooding these past five days? Isn't it a relief that she didn't need to worry about those?

It's a worry, fool! You go confessing in your sleep and then tell her that isn't true. Aren't you hurting her with your lies?

And he realized that he needed to confirm some things to the bluenette.


The next day, Juvia opened her door to see a frowning and blushing Gray at her doorstep. She quickly let him in. The last thing they both wanted to happen was Erza chasing for his head and he was disgusted at that. Once he got in, he immediately apologized about the other day. She suddenly stiffened but nonetheless waved a dismissive hand at him.

"It's nothing, Gray-sama. Like you said, you were drunk and didn't mean to do those things," Juvia told him then reached out a can of beer to him. "Here, Gray-sama. You should probably drink."

Gray pushed the can towards her. "No need. I only came here to talk about things."

Juvia shook her head, furiously wanting him to take the can. "Nonsense! Gray-sama should drink—"

"I told you that I don't need it!" he lashed out, pushing the can away.

Gray's eyes widened at his action. Juvia only stood there, her eyes following the rolling can on the floor until it stopped at Gray's foot. There was an awkward silence and Gray was afraid to break it. He might only worsen everything.

Juvia laughed, her voice cracking. "Gray-sama should really drink the beer."

He got annoyed at that. "Juvia, I told you—"

"If Gray-sama drinks the beer, he will get drunk and he'll love Juvia again," she continued, picking up the beer.

His eyes narrowed and his hand took hold of her wrist, pulling her towards him so that he could see her face. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing."

"It's not! Just tell me what's wrong already!"

Juvia suddenly yanked her away. "It's Gray-sama! Y-You're so cruel... telling Juvia to forget everything even if she can't."

Gray gritted his teeth. So it was the reason. "I told you that it doesn't mean anything."

"For Juvia, it does!" she practically screamed her head off. "That is why she wanted Gray-sama to drink. Because Gray-sama only loves Juvia when he's drunk. He says nice things to her when he's not himself."

He scowled. She only loves him when he's drunk. "Well, I'm sorry for not being that person."

She sighed, "Juvia knows. It was very wrong of her to expect something."

The moment she turned around to go to her bedroom, she felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders. Her back was pressed to a hard chest and she blushed, feeling his hot breath on her neck. She gulped hard.

"Does Gray-sama need anything?" she asked, refusing to meet his gaze.

He leaned on her ear. This time, he has to swallow his pride. "I need you, Juvia," he whispered, "and I'm sorry."

She placed her hands over his arms. "Does Gray-sama mean it?"

His hold tightened, afraid that she might go. "I mean it, I promise."

Since then, they never left each other's sides.


I hope this would suffice everyone. Thank you for reading the Stay trilogy (wth is this title?! XD)