I belong with you
When they let us choose
I will say I do
Juvia sighed and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in the stiff pillow. Ten hours, and everything would be over.
Once upon a time, Juvia had dreamt of a giant wedding with hundreds of people there to watch her marry the man of her dreams, but now? With how crazy the past week has been, she's ready to just run down the aisle into her darling popsicle prince's arms and get everything done so she can start her honeymoon.
Natsu, as much as Juvia valued him as a friend, was driving her up the wall and she was almost constantly needing to put out little fires he accidentally started in his excitement about the wedding. He said he would be bothering her husband-to-be "as per his best man duties," but Natsu wasn't sure where he was (and that was what really worried Juvia, but she knew he'd never leave her. She just knew).
Lucy was chasing Natsu around in an attempt to keep him under control, which resulted in a large amount of shouting on the celestial mage's part, and a headache on Juvia's.
Gajeel, a man who may as well be Juvia's own brother, was often caught muttering by her about her groom not being good enough, or threats about what he'll do if the ice mage doesn't show up, or does anything to upset Juvia in the slightest (as much as she enjoyed talking about their love, she didn't enjoy having to constantly reassure the iron dragon slayer that everything was fine and she was going to be okay and to just stop worrying about it and go sit down and keep his twins from messing with the decorations).
Levy, bless her heart, was doing her damndest to keep her family in line - something Juvia was beyond grateful for.
Cana was drinking the bar dry, and Juvia was glad she made sure there would be extra alcohol to accommodate her and everyone else.
Lyon was finally over Juvia (thank the gods), but was now flirting with Meredy every chance he got when the pink haired mage would try to do her job as maid of honor (even though Juvia could tell Meredy was actually liking it).
Erza was…
Juvia sighed.
Erza was playing the role of doting, obsessive mother, and Juvia wouldn't mind if it weren't constant. She'd barely even gotten away with enough time to drag herself to her room before midnight just for some sleep before she needed to wake up and get ready for the wedding (Erza demanded she be escorted just in case she tried to sneak into Gray's room, but Juvia was just too tired to do even that).
Now, though, she couldn't sleep. She was getting married in ten hours to Gray Fullbuster. The thought made her smile brightly into her pillow. In ten hours, everything would be over and she would be Mrs. Juvia Fullbuster, wife of Gray Fullbuster.
Juvia Fullbuster.
Gray and Juvia Fullbuster.
Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster.
Juvia giggled and kicked her legs against the bed in giddy excitement as her heart leapt in her chest.
A creaking sound near the window of her room had Juvia sitting upright, sending a wave of water towards the sound. No way was she going to deal with any sort of danger on her wedding day.
"Shit! Hey, it's only me!" Juvia gasped and saw her now drenched fiancé in the open window, wiping water from his face.
"Gray! Juvia's so sorry, she didn't know!" Gray shook his head, whipping his hair to fling out some of the water, before smiling at her - a smile that made Juvia's heart stop. It was so genuine and happy and full of love. Tears filled her eyes as she was hit again with just how much she loved that man.
"Don't worry about it. Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Juvia let out a tearful laugh as she wiped at her eyes.
"Juvia should be, but… can't. Shouldn't Gray not be climbing into random women's hotel rooms in the middle of the night?"
"Not random if it's my wife's room." Her heart stopped for a second time that night. My wife. It took all she had not to launch herself into his arms and send them both flying out the window.
"Juvia isn't your wife yet, Gray." The man shrugged, then was silent for a moment.
"Say, Juvs, wanna get out of here?" Juvia blinked.
"Wha-? But Gray, it's our wedding day!"
"Shh, if Erza finds out I'm here, she'll kill me." He gave her another warm smile. "Put one of those sundresses of yours on and meet me out here."
Juvia nodded, but Gray was already gone. She dragged herself out of bed, her limbs protesting, but she was far too excited to be with her love to worry about it. After swapping out the clothes she had been wearing all day for one of the white and blue beach sundresses she had packed, she went to the window and descended the ladder. Upon reaching solid ground, she flushed and swatted at Gray's arm when she saw the grin on his face after the view he so clearly just received.
"What? You look great," he said with a wink, then took her hand in his own. He led her away from the hotel and down to the beach, both watching the sand at their bare feet as to make sure they wouldn't step on any wandering creatures.
Light caught Juvia's eye and she looked up and found themselves walking towards two aisles of candles that led to a white arch laced with lights and flowers. With a gasp, she looked to Gray, who was smiling at her, eyes warm.
"I know this week has been hell for you, and if Erza's driving you as crazy as she's driving me, then I know you need a break. So what do you say we stop all this stressing and worrying? Right now." Juvia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. He saw her eyes shimmer with tears in the moonlight. Gray smiled.
"Wanna marry me?"
"Juvia already said yes once before," Juvia said when she found her voice, though it still sounded a little shaky.
"I'm never gonna get tired of asking you to marry me, Juvs," he said with a shrug, and Juvia let out a watery laugh, nodding.
"Yes, Juvia wants to marry you. Right now," she said. Gray held out his arm and Juvia looped her own through it and the two made their way down the small, candle-lit aisle towards the arch, beneath which a man stood.
"Who is this man?" Juvia whispered. Once again, Gray shrugged and leaned in to reply.
"Not sure. I said I needed a man who could officiate marriages quickly, and I found him. He's cool, don't worry. Name's Peter." Juvia laughed softly, realizing they weren't exactly listening to what the man - Peter - was saying. Not that they really cared - they would hear the more official version later on today.
"Do you take this man to be your husband?" Peter asked, and Juvia could hardly find her voice, smiling so brightly her cheeks began to hurt.
"I do," she said, nodding quickly. Gray squeezed her hand softly. This was it. She was getting married.
Her mind began to race and she was almost swept up in one of her fantasies when she was kept grounded by Gray's hand clasping over her own. Juvia looked up at him and smiled warmly, silently thanking him for being her rock.
"And do you take this woman to be your wife?"
"You bet I do," Gray said, giving the water mage a wink. Juvia nearly swooned - her darling Gray was just too much sometimes. He lift her hand to place a kiss at her finger where, later today, a ring would be placed.
Whatever words Peter had been saying were completely ignored as Juvia leapt into Gray's arms and he held her close, crashing their lips together in their first kiss as husband and wife.
If I could be honest, here at the altar
I refuse to grow older unless it's with you
I fell in love and made you a promise
Though I'd never noticed how much it meant to you
When the time came for the public wedding, Gray found that he wasn't quite as relaxed as he thought he would be. Truth be told, even last night, as he was walking down the beach with his then bride-to-be, he was doing his best to keep the nerves at bay. The whole reasoning behind his actions was to ease the tension that wedding planning and Fairy Tail was causing the couple, and yet here he was, wiping his palms on his dress pants. Gods, he hoped he would keep his clothes on.
When he saw Juvia at the end of the aisle, however, he knew it had not been for naught. She was radiant, smiling at him brightly in an expensive dress and her hair done up with too many pins to count. She looked relaxed and happy and so damn beautiful that Gray couldn't have kept the tears from his eyes even if he wanted to.
She looked ready to run down the aisle, but remained at Gajeel's side, clutching at his arm that hers was looped through. Even so, he hoped she would rush it along because they were moving so slow - what is taking them so long? Are they even moving?
And then Gajeel was giving her away to him and her small, warm hand was in his own and everything he had been feeling seemed to dissipate into the air - everything suddenly felt so calm and right. Juvia - his wife - was with him, as she always was, and as she would be for the rest of their lives.
Soft fingers brushed over his cheek, bringing his blurred gaze to her.
"Gray… you're crying," she said, and gods, her voice was so beautiful. Had it always sounded like that?
The ice mage offered a soft smile, leaning into her touch. "Can you blame me?"
"Gray," Juvia whispered, her lower lip quivering as tears pooled in her eyes. At their side, Makarov cleared his throat.
"You kids about ready yet? I'm not getting any younger," he said with a smile, offering a wink at Juvia when they turned to look at him. The water mage then turned to Gray and nodded.
"Yeah - ready as we'll ever be," Gray said, squeezing his wife's hands softly.
Yes, they can hear us, but they misunderstand
There is more behind these words that we have spoken
I know they see us, but only at a glance
Only you know the man that I am beyond the surface
As the vows were said and the rings were slipped onto their respective fingers, Gray found the tears blurring his vision once more.
The vows were made.
The I do's were spoken.
The rings were placed.
Despite Juvia already being his wife, to see the ring around her finger was… he wasn't sure. He hadn't the words.
Warm hands rest on his cheeks and Gray was pulled from his thoughts and found his gaze on those too blue eyes of his wife's. With her soft smile, he pulled Juvia to him, hand moving to her jaw as he angled her for a kiss, going so far as to dip her down and earning a soft squeak from the water mage. Sound of cheers and clapping and whistling erupted around them, but he paid it no mind. To him, there was only Juvia.
When he straightened Juvia and broke the kiss, she was beaming up at him, but the mischievous glint in her eyes was far from the innocence she was trying to pull off.
Ah, yes. It was honeymoon time - something he knew Juvia had been waiting for since, well, the moment she met him. But he wouldn't lie - he was rather excited for it, as well.
He was excited to spend the rest of his life with the woman who had been at his side almost since their first encounter; who sacrificed herself so that he may live on; who defended him when others had lost their faith in him; who taught him to open his heart and love once more.
Truly, excited was an understatement.
Tomorrow I'll open my eyes
And I will whisper to my wife
"I belong to you"
And I will wait to hear you say
As a tear rolls down your face
"I belong to you"