I swirled the cup in my hands, the coffee had been cold for quite some time and I simply watched the bubbles hug the rim as I thought. Another birthday and my only accomplishment was becoming guild master, which although I never thought would happen, seems bittersweet. 35 seems old, I guess for a mage it was old, not all of us would make it to retirement. Still, I feel like I am wasting my life; not the mage part because the lives I have saved and the things I have experienced are great, but the other part? Seems like most of the people my age in the guild have settled down; some got married, had kids, most have at least slowed down the adventuring to be in a relationship but damn if it doesn't make me wonder.
Looking at Bixlow and Lisanna being engaged, Evergreen getting married to Elfman last year, hell, even Freed is seeing someone although he thinks we don't all know. I haven't been on a date in years now, even my last fling was ages ago, when…or why did I stop? I guess the excitement of the guild, the time skip, the war with Alvarez and all that chaos just kept me busy. I started to notice the loneliness when the team started moving on in their personal lives and now my life has grown stale and feels simply unbalanced.
"Laxus?" a soft voice draws my attention from my reflections, "I didn't mean to interrupt but are you alright?" She peered toward my table, I hadn't expected to run into anyone from home at this tiny place on the outskirts of clover.
"Hey Juvia, I'm fine," I gestured to the table, "sit, what brings you out and about in the middle of nowhere? I wasn't aware of any jobs in town." She moved around to the empty chair and slowly sat, looking distant.
"I was just taking some time to myself," she answered, both of us were looking at her hands as they twisted the napkin in her hands "away from Fairy Tail."
"My turn to ask," the laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it, "everything okay?"
The smile she put on her face was meek and obviously troubled, "Just making a decision, and well…distance was necessary." Did her lip quiver? Why does she keep looking away? I don't like this.
"Juvia-" I pressed, leaning forward, "tell me."
"I, um, I'm leaving the guild. I mean, I haven't told anyone yet but I plan to soon"
I feel myself tense, this is so unlike her, "did something happen?"
"No," she gave a soft chuckle, "that's the issue, I think I need to move on to the other part of what I wanted to accomplish in life…a family." I notice the wetness threatening to spill from her eyes as she blinks to control it, "I wasted time on someone that didn't reciprocate my feelings for so long, and then once he did-."
What happened to Gray was tragic but unfortunately an occupational hazard. He had finally openly started dating Juvia and within a week he died protecting a client. I remember watching Juvia cautiously when the team returned back, Natsu was badly injured, Lucy and Erza stoic, and then when they said Gray died and his body was being transported back we waited for her rain. I expected a full-on typhoon but no; it didn't rain a single drop in Magnolia until the day of his funeral, almost a week later. That day as the graveside service wrapped up the lightest drizzle hit, almost a mist in the air but you could feel the heavy pain of heartache in every droplet. "Juvia, you shouldn't leave," I wasn't great at this emotional stuff, but I felt the need to continue, "you were dedicated to someone you cared about, believe me, that is hard to find. Your friends, your guild, hell I would be sad to lose you."
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she smiled a genuine smile, "Oh Laxus, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I just don't think I find someone that can give me what I want there."
"and what is that?" her eyes met mine, "what do you want?"
"I know it seems silly, but I had always had this idea of having a partner that wouldn't give up on me, even with my rain. Someone that wanted a family, and well, would commit to making things work no matter what." She wiped the tears from her face with her napkin and her expression was dreamy and forlorn all tangled together, a perfect representation of Juvia as a whole.
"I know how you feel, but I can't exactly leave to find a person." Suddenly I felt my thoughts escaping and I was unable to stop them, "I signed on to be guild master and this little day off is about all the vacation I have taken since. I guess I need to hope that someone that can tolerate mage life, and now running a guild, and endure my temper, will just stumble in the door. At this point I have kind of given up hope." Shit, where did all that come from? I can't exactly undo it now.
The silence between us was tense, Juvia reached out and gripped my hands giving a soft squeeze and a sympathetic smile graced her lips.
A spark shot between us, was that me? She didn't move her hands but we both stared as the moment passed.
The waitress approached the table, "Go away, now." I snapped, Juvia is looking at me like I am nuts, but I can't let anyone interrupt right now, everything is coming together in my head, "Thank you!" I called out, not that her feelings were any of my concern right now.
"What .." shit man, don't chicken out, "what if I could give you all of those things? Could you support me as I lead the guild and just be there? If I could give you what you need could you do that for me?"
Juvia's eyes were growing, clearly shocked I could see the wheels turning in her head, I couldn't believe my mouth right now but it seemed to make sense, we were just about the only ones in the guild that were unattached and I didn't believe she wanted to leave on her own, so this was something….right?
"Juvia, marry me, let's just elope and work on the relationship later. We can learn to love each other, people use to do this all the time decades ago." I felt my hope declining as she still didn't speak. "Say yes, Juvia, I can give you what you want."
"Laxus, what can I possibly offer you? Am I really a good choice?" she finally asked, her confusion was obvious, but I suppose questions is better than her running back to tell everyone how depressed their new master was.
"You're perfect, you are dedicated, strong, and frankly you're more beautiful today than when you first joined the guild. You have shown your ability to go the long-haul for something you believe in and you are resilient like no other. I think I would be lucky if you said yes, you're everything I could ever ask for in a wife and you were right in front of my face." Wife? Am I seriously doing this?
She spoke softly, "and I would stay at the guild instead of leaving my friends behind to find someone…" she trailed off before looking directly in my eyes, "But Laxus, I can't lie, I want – no, I need affection, and a family, and to care for someone that can reciprocate."
I felt a tug in my chest, "I promise you, I can do that for you, I want to take time to get to know you better and I have this gut feeling that we can grow to actually love each other. I think if anyone could do this with me, it's you."
…
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant announced to our empty ceremony room, "congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Dreyar." Juvia had been staring into my eyes for the entire ceremony, I pulled her close and pressed my lips to hers, another spark shot between us as she lifted her arms and ran her fingers through my hair. Damn, this girl definitely had passion brewing, no one looking at us right now would guess that we had made this decision in a café a few hours prior.
I pulled back and admired the new Mrs. Dreyar, she had thrown together quite the wedding look while I rented a tux, her floor length dress hugged curves I wasn't aware she had and her hair was beautiful and I had no clue how she had gotten it so perfect in our inn's restroom. We turned and the photographer snapped a few pictures and I was suddenly glad the chapel offered the service, I actually looked forward to showing these off to the guild, they were gonna need proof.
Juvia spoke with the photographer briefly before I managed to pull her out the door of the chapel and back to the inn. I stepped to the counter and waited for the attendant, "May I help you sir?"
"Dreyar, we're in room 10 but I am upgrading, give me the best you got available." Maybe the excitement of the night was taking over but I had the idea to upgrade the room and heard a laugh from Juvia.
"Great, here's the key to the suite, top floor." The woman smiled and I snagged Juvia by the hand once more, throwing her over my shoulder.
Standing outside the suite I gently placed Juvia next to me and shook my head as she tried to calm her excited giggles. I unlocked the door, shoving the key back in my pocked I turned and swooped Juvia into my arms, "It's tradition to carry the bride over the threshold, is it not?" she gave a radiant smile as I threw in a joke and wiggled by eyebrows, "probably to keep them from bolting for help."
"Mrs, Dreyar," I said as I tossed her onto the fluffy down comforter, I had been unsure I'd ever say that to anyone just hours earlier…it was crazy to think this had all transpired.
Juvia wiggled and gave a nervous glance m way before flicking her eyes away and reddening over her face and chest, "Laxus, do you…want to?" I could barely hear her even with my excellent hearing, she was nervous but there was something else there, I just couldn't put my finger on it.
"Sweetheart," I said sounding a little more cocky than I had intended, "we don't have to do anything, but the way you look in that dress makes me definitely want to see what you keep under it."
Leaning forward she grabbed my tie and tugged me toward her, damn, she got her message across. As I grazed my teeth across her collarbone she shuddered and whispered in my ear, "but you should know, I haven't done this before."
In a flash my body moved, and my brain struggled to keep up, by the time everything synched back up my mouth was on hers and the kiss was deepening, I made a conscious attempt to funnel my cravings and desire into the kiss so I could be as gentle and slow as my new bride needed me to be in that moment. "Soft and slow," I said, locking eyes with her, "I promise."
Peeling my eyes open I examined the room, damn it was fancy, oh yeah it was the honeymoon suite. I got married, lifting my head I glanced at the beautiful woman I somehow coerced to elope with me. Heh. No one at the guild was ever going to believe this. My eyes homed in on the bare skin emerging from the covers and my brain reminded me of the consummation the night before, I definitely hadn't expected that. First, she wanted to have sex and that shocked me, but then hearing she had remained a virgin all that time was unbelievable, I suddenly questioned how Gray had turned her down time after time when she had all but thrown herself into his bed.
Shifting, Juvia woke and looked around. I suddenly felt nervous, what if she regretted her decision? Shit. "Morning darling," she said in a sing-song voice and placed her lips to mine, I could feel the relief rushing through my veins.
"What do you want to do today? I have two more days before they expect me back at the guild so we can do whatever you want." I had done my best to make time, needless to say there had been questions to why my day off turned into a vacation and Macao reluctantly agreed to stand-in for me.
"Hmmmm." She moaned softly, "maybe recover and eat? Then maybe a shower? I really just want to stay in bed and bask in the insane decisions that led us here," she laughed and retreated under the blankets.
"Breakfast in bed it is," I decided, "I'll get that room service going." I stood and walked across the room, not bothering to cover myself, and noticed her head pop back out of the blanket and a devious smile across her lips as she stared at me, "wipe the smile off your face woman or we'll never get food."
Just a little disclaimer on this one: It will be written exclusively from the point of view of Laxus. We find out right away in this that Gray is deceased, and I am widowed and I find it a bit too hard to write some of the scenes as Juvia, although I love this story and where it goes.