Title: Of Spilt Coffees and Stolen Innocence.
Summary: "And he painfully watched, as the smile slipped from her face, the light in her eyes fading like the last breath of someone dying, as once again, the world stole another innocence of a girl who was precious." [Gruvia] [Coffee-shop AU]
Note: The characters and the world of Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I am only one of his beloved fans who decided to expand upon his idea and twist the characters and the plotline into something new. Thus, this still belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Enjoy!
"While they all fall in love with her smile, she waits for the one who will fall in love with her scars." —The Dreamer.
The first time Gray sees her, he ended up spilling coffee on himself.
He was working his shift as a barista that day, taking the customer's orders and swiftly typing them away on the register. The sleeves of his uniform was rolled up to his forearms, and a small cap sat crookedly upon his raven-haired locks. An apron was tied around his waist with large golden letters, The Fairy Eatery, engraved upon it. The Fairy Eatery, Gray couldn't help but scoff when he had first heard of the small café tucked away in the corner of a busy street. What a ridiculous name—who would have come up with something so bizarre?
"Hey, Droopy Eyes!" His irritating colleague, Natsu Dragneel, interrupted his thoughts with a pair of fingers snapping obnoxiously in front of Gray's face. A scowl tugged at the corners of Gray's mouth as he shoved those vexing fingers away from him. "Stop slouching around," Natsu snapped, his jet-black eyes narrowing into tiny slits, "and get back to work!"
"Eh?" Gray glared. "What the hell did you just call me?"
A smirk curled upon Natsu's lips. "Droopy. Eyes." His grin grew even wider, if that was even possible. "You got a problem with that?"
"Why, you—"
"Are you guys arguing?" Erza's calm and composed voice appeared from behind Gray and Natsu. They both whirled around to see their coworker, Erza Scarlet, glaring at the two of them with her hands fixed sternly upon her hips. Her crimson hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, the fallen strands framing the sides of her features. She didn't look too happy. The moment she had opened her mouth, Natsu placed his arm around Gray and Gray pretended to plant a wide smile upon his typically frowning face as if everything was alright between the two of them.
"Of course not, E—Erza!" Natsu laughed it off, his smile too bright and too big.
"Yeah!" Gray commented nervously. "We were just, uh, discussing about the essay that Professor Makarov had assigned us. You know how he likes to assign us impossible amount of homework before the weekend, yeah?"
Erza stared at the two of them in silence. Her lips were tugged downwards to form a disapproving frown, and for a moment, Gray thought that they really were going to get a beating from their intimidating coworker. But then a small smile broke out upon her soft features, and Gray's shoulders slumped with relief. "I'm glad," Erza says brightly, "you know how I don't like it when you guys argue. Now get back to work! We have tons of customers coming in, and I don't want to see you guys slouching. You understand?"
"Y—Yes!" Natsu and Gray chimed in together simultaneously.
Erza nodded in satisfaction and turned around, leaving the two boys behind. They watched the red-headed woman walk to the other side of the café before Natsu finally removed his arms from Gray. "God, that was a close one," Natsu muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as they both watched Erza disappear into the back kitchen. They could hear Gajeel and Levy's bickering voices drifting from within the back doors, and the expression that adorned Erza's face was anything but happy.
"Tell me about it," Gray agreed, mentally wishing Gajeel and Levy good luck. "Honestly, how does Jellal handle her?"
"He's one tough guy," Natsu remarked, shuddering.
Afraid that Erza might come out and catch him lazing around once more, Gray turned around, eager to get back to work as soon as possible. He really did not want to be on the opposite end of Erza's receiving wrath. He trudged back to the register where a throng of line was only just beginning to form. He let an exasperated sigh escape through his lips as he greeted his next customer, knowing that tonight was going to be a long and busy night here at The Fairy Eatery.
. . .
As Gray placed the lid on a cup full of caramel macchiato, he glanced at the clock, a grin threatening to tug at his lips. Finally. His shift was about to end within ten minutes, and to say that Gray wasn't relieved would be an understatement. It had been an extremely hard-pressed evening here at The Fairy Eatery—far more than what Gray had anticipated. He and Natsu continuously worked their asses off, taking orders and making cappuccinos and expressos as fast as their hands would allow them to. Erza helped in the back—where she yelled at Gajeel and Levy for a good solid five minutes for bickering and not doing enough baking. After Erza's intimidating lecture, Gray didn't hear a single word out of the two for the rest of the night. Gray winced, feeling extremely pitiful for his grumpy friend and his sharp-witted girlfriend.
Turned around, Gray walked towards the counter and called out the name he had messily scrawled upon the container of the cup, "Wendy!"
A young girl with midnight blue hair bounded towards him, a shy smile crossing over her lips. Gray smiled down at her, ready to hand her the cup when the bell above the front doors of the café jingled, making Gray tear his gaze away from the young child towards the doors. A woman—about his age—ambled into the small coffee shop, adorning a bright smile on her serene features. Her cerulean locks bounced, glinting brightly in the dimly-lit café. She tucked a strand of azure lock behind her ears, her cobalt eyes—framed with long, dark eyelashes—glowing with excitement and joy. Her cheeks were flushed from the bitter cold, and flecks of snow dotted her alluring hair.
She was irrevocably beautiful.
The woman pivoted her head slightly to the right, and she caught him staring at her. Gray's cheeks reddened as her gaze settled upon him. Feeling suddenly flustered and awkward, his fingers fumbled, and just as Wendy, the young girl, reached out to grab it, he dropped the cup filled with steaming caramel macchiato... on himself.
Shit.
Gray shouted, jumping backwards in surprise. The front of his shirt was soaked in the golden substance, and he could feel the hotness of the drink seeping into his shirt and onto his skin. He hissed in pain, and Wendy's eyes widened with horror. "Oh my goodness—sir, are you okay?"
Gray could hear Natsu laughing in the background, and as he glanced upwards, cursing inwardly at himself and wishing he could just merely crawl into a hole and stay there forever, he caught sight of the cerulean-haired woman across the small coffee-shop. Her eyes were wide and she had one of her hands placed over her small mouth, her shoulders shaking with bouts of laughter.
Oh, god, she was laughing.
Though he should've been embarrassed, Gray grinned despite the pain.
. . .
The next time he sees her, thankfully he doesn't spill any coffee on himself. She walks into the small café once more, that familiar smile of hers appearing on her face. This time, her cerulean curls were pulled up into a messy bun, with strands of azure framing her heart-shaped features. She was donning a blue dress that stopped right above her knees, showing off that white pearly skin of hers. With bracelets adorning her wrists and a bow tied around her waist, Gray couldn't help but think that she looked like a princess.
After he handed a customer their drink, Gray bounded over to the register once more where the bluenette stood, her eyes skimming the menu above his head.
Instead of greeting the woman with a smile like any sane man in his position would've done, he blurted out, "You laughed at me the other day."
Gray cursed himself almost right away. Really—was that the best thing he could say to a beautiful woman like her? The woman didn't seem to notice, though. Her eyes flitted towards his, and a playful smile lingered on the edges of her lips. "Juvia did." The woman says, her melodious and dulcet voice soothing Gray's ears. She was soft-spoken and bashful, Gray noticed after a moment. The woman tucked a strand of azure lock shyly behind her ear, her eyes flitting away from Gray's intense gaze and back to the menu. Her eyebrows knitted together in concentration and Gray's eyes fell upon her hands, which were continuously fidgeting and tugging at a loose thread in her sleeves.
"That's not nice," Gray teased, diverting his attention away from her hands and back to her captivating features. For some reason, he felt at ease when he talked to her, and he found that he enjoyed the conversation that they were currently having.
"Juvia apologizes," The bluenette laughed, her smile widening.
Gray's lips slightly tugged upwards. He wasn't sure why the woman was talking to him in third person, but he found out quickly that he really didn't mind at all. Just another strange quirk that he seemed to enjoy about this alluring woman. "Apology accepted." Gray said lightly. "So," he drawls out smoothly, "what would you like to have today?"
"Peppermint Mocha, please!" Juvia chimed excitedly, her hands clasping together in earnest.
Immediately Gray's fingers flew towards the register's keyboards and he typed away. "Is that all?"
Juvia nodded. "Mhm!"
After she had paid him the right amount, Gray set to work, making the drink that she had asked for. It was fairly easy, nothing too difficult. As he poured the tea into the cup, he could feel her curious gaze burning a hole into his neck. He wanted to look, to see if she was truly staring at him, but he didn't want to get caught like last time. Lord knows he regretted that decision ten-fold. After placing a lid on the plastic cup, Gray turned around and handed Juvia her drink. He flashed a smile at her. "Have a great day!"
"You too!" Juvia paused slightly, her fingers wrapped around the cup of her warm drink. She hesitated. "Do you mind if I call you Gray-sama?" she asked shyly, her eyes averting his the moment those words left her mouth.
He blinked, taken back by her question. For a moment, all he did was stare at her. Juvia fidgeted under his concentrated gaze, uncertainty flitting across her serene features before Gray replied, a grin now sporting his face, "I would love that."
. . .
Three days passed before he saw her again. Just as he smiled and was about to wave at the bluenette, a tall man entered the café right behind her, slinging his arms over her shoulders. He murmured something into Juvia's ears, and Juvia threw her head back and laughed, her face lit up with amusement. The smile slipped from Gray's face almost right away as he watched the two of them approach him. The man that was with her had shockingly purple hair, curled up into sharp tufts that fell over his forehead. A small insignia was etched upon his right upper brow, and a malicious smirk sat upon his lips.
"Good afternoon, Gray-sama," Juvia chirped as she and the man reached him.
Gray smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes. "Hello, Juvia," he responded back smoothly, his eyes flitting towards the purple-haired man. The man had an eyebrow arched, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He pulled Juvia closer to him, tightening his hold on her, and Gray resisted the urge to punch him. Gray merely glanced coolly at the man, an indifference expression crossing over his features. He wasn't going to let this man anger him so easily—Gray was better than that. "Who's your... friend?"
"This is Bora-sama!" the bluenette chimed in, smiling widely.
"Nice to meet you." Bora nodded to Gray. "I'm Juvia's boyfriend." He stressed the word aloud, his eyes glinting mischievously as they regarded Gray from head to toe. He smirked smugly at the raven-haired barista.
Gray smiled, flashing his teeth. "Wish I could say the same to you." Bora's eyes flashed in warning. Gray turned towards Juvia, who had her eyes trained solely on the menu above his head. "What would you like today, Juvia?" he asked kindly.
"Peppermint Mocha!" she says excitedly, tearing her gaze away from the menu and back towards Gray.
Gray chuckled as he began typing away on the register. "That seems to be your favorite nowadays—hm?"
"It's the best!" Juvia agrees wholeheartedly. She turned towards Bora, her eyes twinkling. "What would you like to order, Bora-sama?"
Bora was quietly watching the exchange between Juvia and Gray. His eyes slowly flitted to hers, his mouth set in a tight line. "I'm not really hungry," he muttered.
Juvia frowned, and this time, it was Gray's turn to revel with a smug smile. "Is Bora-sama sure?"
Bora nodded mutely. Juvia shrugged, and the moment she turned away from Bora, he glowered at Gray. Gray ignored him. "Is that all?" Gray asked lightly, his attention focused solely on Juvia.
Juvia hummed in response. "That would be all, Gray-sama."
After Gray had prepared her Peppermint Mocha, he handed her the hot drink and she thanked him in excitement. "Have a nice day, Gray-sama!" she called over her shoulder as Bora pretty much dragged the dainty bluenette from the small café and out into the street. Gray watched their retreating backs, his heart heavy as lead.
"Someone's jealous!" a voice sang out from behind Gray, and Gray couldn't help but roll his eyes at his coworker's childish antics.
"Shut up, Tabasco Idiot." Gray scowled.
"Eh? What the hell did you just call me, Shaved Ice Princess?"
Gray sighed. Today was going to be one hell of a long day.
. . .
Nine days. The next time he saw her, nine days had passed by. This time, when she walked into The Fairy Eatery, something seemed different about her. Gray frowned, his eyebrows knitting together as he took her in. The usual smile that she had sported before had dwindled down to merely a feeble smile. The light in her eyes had stopped shining brightly, and her azure curls hung limply down her shoulders, as if she had stopping taking much care for them. This time, instead of donning a simple dress like she always wore whenever he saw her, she was clothed in a long-sleeved t-shirt and black skinny jeans. No bracelets adorned her wrists, and there was no excitement that was normally engraved upon her features. Only sadness.
"Hello, Juvia," Gray greeted her. "What would you like today?"
The woman weakly smiled. "Black coffee, please."
Gray stared at her for a moment, concern flitting over his features. Finally, he nodded without questioning her, typing her order in. After Juvia had paid the rightful amount for the black coffee, Gray set to work. He easily poured the boiling water into the cafe's signature cup, before he mixed the coffee grounds into the water, watching as the contents slowly turned black. After setting the lid upon the cup, he turned around, walking all the way to the corner of the counter and handed Juvia her cup.
"How's your boyfriend?" Gray lightly asked, watching her expression carefully.
Juvia winced. "He's—uh, fine. Thank you so much for the coffee, Gray-sama."
Gray quietly watched as Juvia left the small café. Something was tugging insistently at his heartstrings, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line.
Something was wrong; definitely wrong.
. . .
He didn't think he'd see her again.
The last time he saw her, Christmas was simply around the corner and the citizens of Magnolia were all getting ready for the festivities. The excitement and the merriment was thick in the air. It was snowing the last time he had seen her, white and flurry flakes drifting from the skies above and blanketing the ground below. Now, any signs of the winter that had come had dissipated completely. Bright, colorful flowers bloomed just outside of The Fairy Eatery, and the sun was shining brightly in the blue sky. It was warm, incredibly warm, and mid-term finals were merely a few weeks away. Gray was wiping the counters clean as light music drifted from the speakers tucked away in the corner of the café. His shift was ending in two minutes, and Gray was more than ready to go home.
"Yo, Ice Princess!"
Gray straightened up, an annoyed look crossing over his features. "Why the hell do you keep calling me Ice Princess?" He snapped, whirling around to face Natsu. His frustrating co-worker had the decency to be sitting upon one of the counters that Gray had just finished wiping down. A muscle feathered in Gray's jaw. He wondered was it worth facing Erza's wrath if he threw a punch at the pink-haired bastard. Probably not, he decided evenly. Erza would murder him.
"What? It suits you." Natsu grinned smugly.
"You're infuriating." Gray decided.
"And you're not?" Natsu tilted his head to the side, a mischievous glint sparkling in his jet-black eyes.
"Of course not," The raven-haired man scoffed, walking towards the back of the counter. "I'm amazing." He could hear Natsu snort from behind him, but he decided to ignore his obnoxious coworker. He tossed the rag down and reached over to grab his phone which sat right next to the register. He pocketed his phone and turned around, a devilish smirk curling at his mouth. "Have fun dealing with Erza for the rest of the evening."
Natsu frowned grumpily. "I hate you."
"The feeling is mutual," Gray reassured him, patting Natsu on the back as he made his way towards the door. Natsu stuck his tongue out childishly at Gray's back, and Gray chuckled, knowing that he had won this round. The bells above chimed as he pushed the door open, and just as a breeze of spring air whispered passed him and entered the café, he nearly bumped into Juvia.
"Oh, hey, Juvia!" Gray smiled, pausing mid-step. He closed the door of the café behind him and stepped out into the sun. "Long time no see, huh?"
Juvia smiled shyly. "It has been quite a while, Gray-sama." She said softly. She was standing right in front of The Fairy Eatery, and Gray couldn't help but wonder how long she was standing there for. It had been almost four months since he had last seen her, and she didn't change much since then. All the excitement and the joy that he recalled fondly still hadn't returned to her heart-shaped features. Juvia's hair was tugged up into a messy bun, and there was a bit of concealer applied upon the ridges of her left cheek. Gray looked closely, realizing that it was badly applied and a very light hue of purple—where she had missed applying—dotted her cheek.
"Hey—what happened to your cheek?" Gray pointed out, confusion lining his tone.
Juvia's eyes widened, and her hands flew to where Gray was staring at. Her cheeks reddened under his gaze, and her eyes flitted away from his in an instant. "Oh, it's, uh, nothing!" she squeaked, fidgeting nervously in front of him.
Gray blinked. For a moment, he stared at the woman, bewilderment written clearly upon his face. Before Gray realized what he was doing, he took a small step towards the bluenette, raising his hand up to lightly brush against her bruised cheek when Juvia flinched.
Gray halted, his hands frozen in mid-air. "What's wrong?" he asked, feeling hurt. Immediately, he felt like an idiot. What in the world was he doing—trying to touch someone else's girlfriend? Gray may not harbor any strong feelings for Bora, but that doesn't mean he was going to make a move on his girlfriend. Gray was better than that. But, as he glanced at Juvia's features and the bruise that sported her cheek, all the missing puzzle pieces seemed to come together at once. The way she had changed instantaneously, the smile in her face dying and the light in her eyes diminishing—God, he felt like an idiot. The biggest idiot the world has ever come to known, Gray decided. Not only that, but the bruise that Juvia was trying her best to hide and the fact that she flinched away from him—pure anger boiled in Gray's blood. When he get his hands on that good-for-nothing bastard, he will—
"It's not what you think, Gray-sama," Juvia tried to reassure him, seeing the fury evident upon his features, but it was too late.
"It's not what I think?" Gray asked, his voice dangerously low. Juvia couldn't see his eyes; they were half-covered by his raven-haired locks. "So, you're telling me that that bastard did not lay a hand on you?"
Juvia was quiet. "W—Well—"
"Are you telling me that he didn't hurt you, physically and mentally? Juvia, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm not blind." Gray said, his eyes narrowing. "Why haven't you left him yet?"
"J—Juvia—" she started weakly, her tone on the verge of hesitation. She paused, her eyes flitting towards the ground. Nervously, she tugged at her sleeves of her t-shirt, her cheeks burning up. "I—It's not that easy, Gray-sama. Juvia believes that Bora-sama can change." When she looks up at the raven-haired man from beneath her long eyelashes, there were determination and persistence whirling in her azure eyes. "She can change him."
Gray blinked, taken aback by Juvia's answer. Seeing how dedicated she was to fix her boyfriend—his heart ached in his chest. Not for the fact that she was still in a relationship with an abusive man, but his heart ached for the childlike quality that emanated from deep within the bluenette—for it wasn't going to thrive, not in the harsh environment that they lived in today. He smiled sadly down at her, hating himself for what he was going to say next. "You can't change everyone, Juvia."
And he painfully watched, as the smile slipped from her face, the light in her eyes fading like the last breath of someone dying, as once again, the world stole another innocence of a girl who was precious.
"She's got the eyes of innocence; the face of an angel. A personality of a dreamer and a smile that hides more pain than you can ever imagine." —Unknown.
A/N: Okay, I have no idea what in the world I just conjured up. I swear this was supposed to be a cute, short drabble of a romance blooming between a barista and a kind-hearted girl, but this—I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS. *waves hands around in utter frustration* Honestly, I'm just confused right now because I had this all planned out, but my mind was like, "nope, not today."
As always, please review and let me know what you think of this. To tell y'all the truth, your reviews encourage me to write more and to upload them as fast as I can on this site. So, please review/favorite/follow! It would really really mean a lot to me!
Ooh, also—Happy Thanksgiving!
Stay beautiful,
—Esha Ali