Disclaimer : I don't own Fairy Tail, they belong to Mashima Hiro's work
A/N : I'm quite a newcomer to Gruvia, but reallly ships them a lot when I started watching Fairy Tail. Anyway, this stories are just bunch of fluff and short stories about the couple, I hope you'd enjoy it.
Summary : As much as he closed his heart, he unknowingly let her slipped inside.
Because you're in love
She saw it..
Right before her eyes..
Him getting shot right on his chest, going straight to his heart. Before his body fell on the ground, some other shots went straight through his body.
Then the last shot went through his head..
Before his body touched the ground.
Everything happened in a flash.. but the scene that happened right in front of her kept repeating itself, reminding her that it really happened. That the man she loves with all her heart was shot for numerous of times, because he protected her. He protected someone like her..
She reached out her hand, trying to touch the body laying on the ground, no signs of him moving at all, there wasn't even any voice of breathing. Once her fingers brushed against his, she realised just how cold his hands was. His hands were cold, she knew it from the very first start, but this cold wasn't his. This cold.. his stiff body, his non-beating pulse, it was like he was...
"Gray..!" even Lyon's usual dominating voice sounded so desperate.
"No.." and Meredy's cheerful voice became soft sobs.
It couldn't be..
He was just there.. wanted to talk to Juvia about something.
Gray was just there..
He just saved her and Meredy..
"NOOO!" she screamed, tears streaming fast down her pale cheeks.
She refused to believe it, that Gray just.. risked his life to protect her, after so many times he had done the same thing, and scolding her for her beaming-self at him. But he didn't scold her this time, he didn't flick her forehead, he didn't groan at her, he didn't roll his eyes, he was just.. there.. on the ground.
Gray sighed, having his arms tied in a new bandage by Juvia, but the girl was too quite that night, after the battle with fucking dragons, which fortunately won somehow. Gray studied her from the corner of his eyes, refusing to let her know that he was staring at her. Juvia had some bruises and small injuries herself, a bandage tape was on her cheeks, covering some of the usual rosy cheeks of hers, her blue wavy hair was in a mess, her arms were also bandaged, and her clothes were covered in dirt and.. blood.
It wasn't a rare sight to see his comrades hurt, Juvia included. But he always found himself keeping her away from any slight injuries, and he did the best he could do, but sometimes, they really had to fight side by side, resulting her receiving some injuries herself, but he made sure it wasn't serious. He always did, and she would be flustered, all happy but worried at the same time. And this girl today.. was too quite.
"Are you okay?" he asked when Juvia finished tying the bandage on his left arm.
Juvia nodded, gathering the bandages and stuffed them inside the aid kit box.
Too quiet!
"Hey.." Gray caught her arm before she ran off of the tent. Murmuring that she was going to help others with their injuries. Anticipating her to turn around with her sparkling eyes to him because her Gray-sama just initiated a touch on her, but Gray didn't see any sparkling eyes or high-pitched chiming voice of hers. Just her blue wavy with her back facing him. "Juvia.." he turned her around but she turned her head to the side, refusing to see him in the eye.
"Oi!" he started to get impatient. Patience was never his friend anyway. He heard a small whimper escaped from her lips as he had tightened his grip on her injured arm. Gray pulled his hand back to his side, "Sorry.."
"Am I talking with a stone?" Gray asked, after he waited for 5 minutes and she didn't seem to show any kind of wanting to talk to him, or at least look at him. "Juvia!" he cupped her face, lifting her face up and met her teary eyes.
"Wha.. is your arm hurting? Shit, I'm sorry! Should I go get Wendy? No, I'll get her..!" Gray started to panic.
"No.." she shook her head, "It's not that.." she wiped her tears.
Gray sighed in relief, staring at her as she continued to rub her eyes, though it seemed her tears refused to stop flowing out. "What happened?" he asked.
"Gray-sama.." Juvia sobbed, hands still rubbing the tears off of her face. "Gray-sama almost died.. because of Juvia.."
"I am pretty much alive.." he shrugged, "And we don't even know the hell was that! To see myself dead?"
"But it felt real for Juvia.." her body was shaking, "Juvia saw it.. that you died because you protected her, and.. your body was cold and stiff.. and.. you.."
"Juvia.." Gray sighed. "I am alive.. I am moving my hands here.." Gray waved his hand, trying to make a joke, but too bad Juvia wasn't looking at him.
"But.. Gray-sama always protected Juvia! Gray-sama got hurt a lot because of Juvia!" she was still crying. "Juvia didn't want that! Juvia would've been better dead rather than being protected!"
Gray twitched his brows, dead? Seeing another important people of his dead? Again?
Juvia flinched as she felt his cold hands touched hers, lacing his fingers with hers, "I am alive.. you can touch me, see?" he smiled, placing the back of her hand to his beating heart, while their fingers intertwined. "And I will always be.. I'm damn strong, protecting you would be easy as hell.."
"But to protect Juvia... is.." Gray could finally see her dark navy eyes looking at him, with tears over flowing, streaming down through her pale cheeks, "Juvia doesn't want you to protect her! Juvia doesn't want to see Gray-sama getting hurt!"
"I'll protect anyone I want.." he scoffed. "Besides.." he brushed her damp cheek with his thumb, then pulling her into his chest, "I refuse to see another important person die before me.."
"Important.." Juvia blushed.
"I mean.." Gray pushed her away, turning his head away with his flushed face. "You are one of my guild members!"
Juvia frowned, making the cute little pout that he silently liked. "Gray-sama spoiled the mood!"
"What mood? There isn't any mood to begin with!" he growled.
"But.. please.." Gray felt a pair of gentle arms wrapped his waist and a warm gentle body pressed against his back. "Please don't die.."
"I won't!" Gray said, trying hard not to sound all flustered.
"Please.." he felt her body tremble against his back. "Don't leave Juvia alone.."
"I get it!" He took off her hands of him, turning to her and grabbed her shoulder. "I won't die, so don't cry anymore!"
Juvia nodded, rubbing a final tear from her eyes. "Uhn!" she smiled.
And Gray could hear his crazy thumping heart, feeling all fluttered seeing the sight before his eyes. Juvia with her remaining tears, smiling at him, so sweet, so loving, so.. beautiful. Even when in her state of mess, with dirt all over her, messy hair, bruises everywhere colouring her pale skin, and she was just.. beautiful. Prettier than any woman he had seen with their pretty dresses or make ups or hair dos, and Juvia was more than captivating with her simple smile. She was prettier than Lucy with her new hair dos or new clothes, prettier than Erza with her crazy wedding dress as her new equipment, prettier than Mira after her photoshoot, prettier than any woman on earth he had ever seen.
Gray covered his face with his palm, hiding the fact that his cheeks was turning red with Juvia's smile. JUVIA.
"Juvia.." Gray's brows twitched hearing that annoying voice coming from front tent.
"Lyon-sama!" Juvia turned, walking towards the silver haired mage. "Do you need Juvia's help to treat your wounds?"
Gray glared sharply at Lyon, threatening him with his eyes. He wouldn't let Juvia touched any other men, even if it was for a healing sake or any other fucking sake, he didn't give a damn! Juvia shouldn't touch them with her tender hands, with her pretty fingers, with her gentle touch on their skin, showing her cleavage under her revealing tank top she was wearing when she had to bend down, what was she thinking wearing such clothes when she always wore her winter coat?!
"Chelia treated me already.." Lyon smiled at the blue haired girl and he could see her tensed shoulder began to relax and smiled at him. "But your friend Meredy was looking for you outside.."
"Okay.. Thank you, Lyon-sama!" Juvia smiled as she went out from the tent.
Gray was about to follow her but Lyon stopped him. "What was that?" he asked. "We just saw you dead, and we're suddenly back to a minute before that!"
"Beats me.." Gray shrugged, eyeing a certain water mage outside the tent, running to Meredy.
Lyon turned to the younger, finding him busy spying over Juvia outside the tent with a pair of hunter's eyes. He smirked, "So you threw your life away for her?"
"Huh?" Gray blinked, turning to the silver haired mage.
"You would die for her sake.." Lyon smirked.
"I'd die for my guild mates.." Gray said, trying hard not to show any hints of pink blush on his cheek.
"Yes, you would.." Lyon nodded, agreeing. "I just kind of thought you would use your ice shield rather than jumping in front of her.."
"Ice shield wouldn't make it in time!" Gray snarled.
"It will, like how you protected your friends before.." Lyon shrugged. "But when it comes to Juvia, you didn't think of anything and just threw yourself as her shield.."
"I shoved her away!" Gray protested.
"Yes you did.." Lyon was still smirking like he was a genius or something and Gray was the dumbest kid, "You should've realised it Gray.. the very moment you're willing to die for her, is the very moment you know she's not just your comrade.."
"What the.."
"Admit it.." Lyon chuckled, "Your mind went blank, and all you think was preventing her from any harm.."
Gray opened his mouth to curse him and explained that he was doing it for the sake of his fellow comrades, nothing more, and how Lyon was fucking.. right. The moment he saw Juvia was getting shot, he couldn't think of anything but to shove her away, and he was actually prepared if he got shot instead of her. Lyon was right..
Gray could faintly remember, how everything happened in a blink of an eye, and before he realised it, he was on the ground, unable to move, unable to even feel the pain he was supposed to go through, after being shot for 6 times. But he could hear Juvia's screaming his name, alongside with Lyon's desperate voice, and Meredy's sobs. He could see Juvia cried, tears streaming down from her beautiful eyes, her small shoulders trembling and her cries ached his heart. He sacrificed himself for her, yet she looked incredibly hurt, and it was never his intention to hurt her, never. He wanted to move his hand, to touch her, to soothe her, to hug her trembling shoulders and told her.. that he deeply cares for her.
"Did I hit the right nerve?" Lyon smirked to see Gray's face turning red, and the younger threw him a death glare.
The very next days, Gray couldn't bring himself to look at her in the eye. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks whenever she beamed at him, sprinting those gorgeous legs of her to him, wrapped her delicate arms around his and brought his arm closer to her soft breast, and let him smelled her alluring scent. And the ball held at the castle was even worse, Juvia was stunning, he swore he held his breath when he first saw her with her blue dress showing a little view of her wonderful cleavage, eyes sparkling to see him. She didn't do anything with her hair, unlike Erza and Lucy who did almost everything to themselves and Gray didn't feel a thing looking at them.
But Juvia..
She was supposed to be Juvia, a weird girl who was obsessed with him. But she found her way to entertain him, more than the others could, she found her way to make him smile all day long, to make him secretly looking forward to go to the guild, to see her beaming-self at him, and started spouting nonsense that made him smile, to start fawning over him and that made him blushed.
She was Juvia..
"Gray-sama!" Juvia chirped, and Gray tried hard not to show her the pink blushes on his cheeks. "Juvia has evolved!"
"Huh?"
She started talking about 'evolving' from her gloomy self when she was still in phantom, to her cheerful self when she first joined fairy tail with her short hair that looked refreshing, but Gray preferred her hair now, not that he didn't like the previous ones.. okay dude, snap out of it! Back to Juvia's 'evolving'; then when she found out about Edo-Gray's love towards Edo-Juvia (Gray wouldn't even want to remember his Edo-self) she decided to return her look to one when she first met Gray, and it was nostalgic, really. To think that the girl who didn't believe in love, would fight for love, maybe that triggered the weird feelings he had for her since then. And then, she evolved again to her current-self, which looked more.. mature and strong. She was still Juvia, the silly 'Gray-sama' Juvia, and that never changed at all during her 'evolving'.
She was indeed funny, and Gray had to secretly smiled at her Juvia's evolving theory, which, he also realised that each time she revolved, they got even more closer. Gray could feel her presence becoming more important in his life, and he couldn't stop himself to look around, searching for a blue water mage when she was not by his side. Loke teased him about it, when Gray was asking for Juvia during the S-class exam, and he did search for her a couple of times again.
God! He just did not admit it!
"Gray-sama..?" Juvia blinked, looking up to him.
"I'm also entering a new age, so I will honestly say things I don't like from now on.." he turned his back and walked away, only to mentally kicking himself. He glanced over his shoulder, aware of his hurtful words to her, but instead of her pained expression, she was beaming at him, eyes in the shape of heart. Well, Juvia was Juvia, and that was why he found himself attracted to her. Okay, not attracted, funny, yeah..
After Natsu and his 'glorious' appearance during the ball, Gray was enjoying the feast, it's certainly not everyday a commoner like him could enjoy such fancy feast, right? He found his eyes wandering around the hall, searching for a certain blue haired girl, and he found Levy was dancing with a flustered Gajeel, now that was a sight! But not the one he was looking for. Not.. looking, just.. looking around the hall, and his dark eyes spotted the water mage was shaking her head at Lyon, seemed to be another rejection for poor Lyon and Gray smirked at that.
But then he raised a brow when Erza whispered something to the girl, and she looked at her, hesitantly, then she accepted Lyon's hand and walked their way to join the dance.
What. the. fuck?
"Have you danced with Gray?" Lyon asked, gently placing his hand on her waist and another one holding her hand, moving along the music.
"Juvia did.." she smiled brightly, brighter than the sun if Lyon must added. "We danced a song after Juvia forced him to.."
"Doesn't look like you use that much force on him.." Lyon chuckled.
"But Gray-sama was frowning during the dance.. maybe he really hates it.." Juvia smiled, eyes looking sad.
"I don't think so, to be able to dance with a beauty like you is a man's joy.." Lyon smiled too, she didn't have the slightest idea about Gray's feelings to her, did she?
"Lyon-sama..." she rolled her eyes, but couldn't help to curve a smile.
"You're quite the dancer here.." Lyon praised, honestly. When Cheria literally dragged him to dance, he groaned in pain for numerous of times when her pointy heels stepped over his feet.
"Juvia knows how to dance a little.. She was taught when she was a child." Juvia smiled proudly. "And Lyon-sama too.. You're good at this.."
"Obaba-sama made us pratice before, to not put a shame on the guild's name.. but Cheria didn't seem to master it yet.."
"Our guild doesn't even know about this dance.."
"That's why you should probably come into Lamia Scale instead.."
"No way! Juvia loves Fairy Tail!" Juvia exclaimed.
"Figures.." Lyon laughed, as the music stopped, he had to let her go, to put a stop on their short-moment of intimacy. After all, her heart would never be his, and he had his moment with her, enjoying every second of her warmth, her smiles at him, her deep blue eyes looking at him, even when it wasn't the way he wished for, her soft fingers against his, and her sweet lilac scent lingering on him. As hard as it was, he had to let her go from his arms.
"Thank you for the wonderful dance, Lyon-sama.." Juvia smiled.
"Thank you yourself.. Unless you would want another dance?" Lyon chuckled as Juvia shook her head, "Have a wonderful night, Juvia.."
"You too, Lyon-sama.."
Lyon watched her back as the blue haired girl walked away, returning to Erza and Lucy as the two girls seemed to be teasing her as she blushed. Then he smirked when another ice mage was marching his way to the girls, to a certain water mage to be exact.
"You seemed to be a masochist, you know?"
Lyon turned to the familiar voice, "You're.." beside him, was a pink haired girl, "Me.. Meredy, isn't it?" The girl didn't respond as she was munching a plate-full of meal on her hands, "How did you get here? The guards.."
"A simple trick.." Meredy smirked. "Have you seen Ultear?"
"How can a lady eat with such improper manner! And stop talking while you're eating!" Lyon growled.
"Oh, shut up! Why do you sound like my mother! Even Ultear doesn't nag me about this!"
"How was the dance?" Erza asked when Juvia was close enough to them.
"The dance was.. good.." she said, blushing at the way Erza and Lucy looking at her. She pretty much knew that look. Now she could understand how Gray felt when the guild gave him 'that' look because of Juvia.
"I see.." Lucy smiled. And Juvia somehow lost her strength to intimidate her, like she usually did for her love rival, despite how many times the blonde had denied that.
"What was that?" A moody looking Gray caught the ladies' attention, Erza and Lucy stared at each other, grinning widely as they silently walked away, and before Juvia could realise, she was left with Gray. He brushed his fingers through his dark locks and Juvia learnt that gesture meant he was pissed. "What were you doing with Lyon?"
"Dance?" Juvia blinked. What else?
Yeah, I know, I can see that! Gray sighed, "Why did you dance with him? Didn't you hate him?"
"Juvia never said anything about hating him.." Juvia said, quite displeased, she knew how important Lyon was to Gray, more like a brother to him, and Juvia would never hate him, despite being constantly disturbed during her moments with Gray, she actually considered him as a friend.
"So you like him?" Gray raised a brow and Juvia blinked in confusion.
"As a friend.." she answered, without any hesitation in her dark blue eyes.
"A friend?" Gray scoffed and Juvia became even more confused. "Clearly, after you know he's after you.."
"Juvia and Gray-sama are friends too, even when you knew about Juvia's feelings.." Juvia said, and Gray noticed the pain she held in her eyes, and he felt it too, the annoying clench on his gut. And what the hell was he doing?! Why was he interrogating her about Lyon?
"Sorry.." he coughed, "Just, forget I asked.."
"Gray-sama is acting weird.." she said, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah.." he shrugged. "Did you.. uhm.. enjoy the dance?"
"Yes! Lyon-sama is good at dancing.." Juvia smiled, "But Gray-sama is the best!"
"I stepped on your feet twice, and just honestly said that I suck at it, okay?" he grumbled, finding his anger building up knowing that Lyon was a better dance partner than he was. Not that it was a problem, Gray Fullbuster don't dance! He doesn't do sissy things like Lyon or the rest of Blue Pegasus do.
"But Gray-sama made me happier than any other dance could.." Juvia smiled, with a slight rosy blush on her cheeks. God, she was adorable.
Gray rubbed the back of his neck, before pulling on her wrist to dance again, much to the Juvia's delight.
It was love..
he heard it in his heart, telling his stubborn head to just give in and admit it already.
All the weird things he found himself doing, the over-protection act he had for her, the way he found himself always searching for her presence, the way he felt content when she was by his side, the anger he felt when Lyon approached her, the happiness he felt when she simply smiled, and how.. he needed her.
He needed her to remind himself, that she was always there for him, pouring him with all her love, and made him feel more than glad to be alive.
All those had a simple explanation that he actually got it.
You are in love.