Disclaimer: Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me. I just write fics because I like Gray and Juvia.
First fic I wrote for the Fairy Tail series. I blame this ship.
EDIT: I read it over again and I realized that there were some mixing line-breaks, so I added them in and tried to fix the wording a little. Otherwise, the story is mostly the same.
As always, whenever Natsu and the others were in the guild home of Fairy Tail it was lively. Natsu was busy picking on fights with Gray, Elfman would join given that "it is manly", Gajeel would join in because he enjoys fights, while Erza would scold everyone for being immature.
Wendy and Charle sat at a distance from the ruckus. Charle would sigh, amused at the pattern of activity she had learned to adjust to after being with the guild for so long. Wendy however was focused on something else.
She was more focused on Juvia who was cheering for Gray at the sides, her love for him as obvious her blue hair. Wendy had joined Fairy Tail later than Juvia so all she knew was that Juvia had belonged to a previous guild and decided to join after she was defeated.
"Go for it Gray-sama! Juvia will always be at your side!" Juvia yelled.
Gray didn't give her a moment's noticed as he punched Natsu to the other side of the room.
Wendy tilted her head. "I wonder why Gray-san never thanks her for the support."
Charle shook her head. "I pity that woman sometimes. I don't know what she sees in that stripping pervert. Sure, he may be a powerful Ice Mage but he doesn't seem to care about her feelings for him."
Wendy turned to her furry friend. "You think so? Gray-san is a nice guy and I don't think he would be so cruel to deny her feelings."
"What are you talking about? He's doing that now!" she scoffed. "And this woman chases after him anyway. She may be a powerful mage, but she's giving up her heart to the wrong guy."
The female Dragon Slayer pouted. "I don't think we have the right to judge on who should love who."
Charle placed her hands around her chest. She knew Wendy was a stubborn girl, so she didn't want to argue further. "Fine. We are entitled to our own opinion, but I think Juvia deserves someone who would at least give her a moment of appreciation."
Wendy also had the same opinion, but she couldn't believe that anyone would just keep fighting on for a relationship that was hopeless. She decided then that she was going to do some investigating.
Wendy waited quietly outside the guild, hiding behind one of the trees nearby. If she remembered correctly Gray usually would leave around ten in the evening. It was two minutes to ten.
After a minute, the doors to Fairy Tail opened and lo and behold Gray was out the door. Without a shirt on you could see some of the beatings he took from his fight, but otherwise he was stable.
He took a few steps forward and then stopped. He looked around to see if anyone was there. This made Wendy nervous. She had hoped that he hadn't sensed her presence. She covered her mouth with both hands to prevent her from breathing too loud.
"I know you're there. You can come out."
Wendy panicked. What was she going to say to him? Granted she had nothing to hide but it would sound so silly if she told him what her intentions were.
As she continued to weigh her options someone else appeared by Gray's side. To her surprise, it was Juvia.
She smiled at him. "Are you going home, Gray-sama?"
"Yeah." He grunted a bit as he held the bruise on his right side. "Damn that Natsu really knows how to pack a punch."
"No need to worry Gray-sama. Juvia can take care of that. Do you need any help getting home, Gray-sama?"
He chuckled. "You know I've been through worse. Dinner?"
"If Gray-sama wishes." Juvia replied.
"Psh, what do you mean if I wish? Come on let's go home. Am hungry." He took her hand and pulled her away.
Wendy was sure she heard right: Gray had said the word "home", not "his place" or "her place". From this Wendy concluded that it was possible that the two had been living together. Or at least, Juvia was familiar enough with Gray that she knew where he lived, and he was okay with that.
She was surprised at how quickly this investigation was turning out. She quietly snuck out of her hiding place and followed them to Gray's home.
As she followed them along, she was feeling uneasy for this little adventure had become surprisingly easy. She wasn't sure if it was due to all the crazy adventures she had with Natsu and the gang, or the two were just dense to her presence. Both of them didn't have Natsu's powerful sense of smell but by now she had thought they would feel that they were being followed.
"Aren't they worried that someone from the guild might see them?" Wendy thought, as she hid behind back-alleys and whatever barrel or box she could stay behind on.
Both seem to be unaware as they continued on their conversation.
"Juvia, is it true that you're going on a quest that will take about a week?" Gray asked.
"Gray-sama is correct. The job said it will take around that time." Juvia replied.
He groaned. "Couldn't you find anything else that would take around three days?"
"Juvia could have, but she needs to have enough cash to pay rent for her place at Fairy Hills. This job pays more than enough. Sorry."
Gray shook his head. "No I understand. Plus I know you. You'll probably finish it before then."
Juvia smiled. "If Gray-sama wills it, then Juvia will do everything to come back to Gray-sama. However I think Gray-sama accepted a difficult job as well?"
"Yeah. I don't understand why Natsu tends to take jobs that require transportation. With his motion sickness it's going to be a very long trip."
"There are not many jobs that in Magnolia that are interesting to him." Juvia pointed out. "The best ones are always far away."
"Guess we won't be seeing each other for a while." Gray muttered.
Wendy was sure she saw a sly smile on Juvia's face. "Juvia and Gray-sama will just have to make the most of the night then."
There was a slight increase in speed as they both walked towards their destination now. Wendy paused for a bit as she tried to let the context of their conversation. When it hit her, she felt her cheeks turn pink.
"Oh my…are they…Juvia-san and Gray-san…" she whispered.
"So there you are…" a voice called out. The tone of the voice was very familiar, and it sent chills down Wendy's spine.
She slowly turned to face Erza. Given she was standing it looked like she was towering over Wendy, and the look on her face made Wendy very nervous.
"Umm…Erza-san…"
She remembered that look for whenever Erza was about to scold Natsu or Gray and she never imagined she would be seeing that now.
"Umm…let me explain…" Wendy began.
Erza took one look towards Gray and Juvia who were out of earshot. She softened her facial expression and smiled at Wendy. "I think I understand. Let's go back to Fairy Hills. I think you have some questions that I can answer."
Erza served Wendy a cup of tea and a slice of strawberry cheesecake in her dining table. She sat down across from Wendy and took a bite of her own cake before speaking.
"So you were spying on the two because you wanted to know their relationship correct?" Erza asked.
Wendy nodded, although she felt ashamed that she was discovered of doing such a thing. Erza smiled.
"It's alright. It's a normal feeling to be curious. After all, their relationship isn't exactly normal."
"So you have known?" Wendy asked.
"For a long time. Gray isn't known to have any interest in other women, but he made an exception for Juvia." Erza felt proud for a moment. "I have known him since we were kids, so I suppose I know him better more than others."
A sweat drop formed at the back of Wendy's head. "I see…so, they're together…but in secret?"
"They never announced it, but everyone in the guild knows they've been seeing each other secretly." Erza smirked. "I was lucky once to spot them on a date one night…"
"So…basically you were doing the same thing I did in the past…" Wendy thought. If everyone in the guild knew, then she was surprised Charle didn't spot this early on.
She couldn't help but ask though "So what do you know?"
Erza paused. "What is this I'm feeling…is this…is this the feeling of two gossiping girls talking about other people….I've never done this before…wait…we must do this properly. Ex-quip!"
In a flash her usual uniform was changed to her in pink pajamas. Out of nowhere she handed Wendy a large t-shirt with the Fairy Tail mark on it. "Wendy, you must wear this. I have decided we will have a sleepover while we gossip about the relationships of the people of Fairy Tail."
Wendy couldn't help but feel this was a bit too much, but she couldn't say no to the sparkle in Erza's eyes. She quietly took the shirt and went to change. When she came back the dining table was gone and replaced with pillows and blankets on the floor. Erza sat in the center of it all, looking satisfied.
"I think we got everything complete." She said to herself.
"EH!? THAT WAS QUICK!" Wendy exclaimed.
Back at Gray's apartment, Juvia served dinner.
"Juvia wonders who that person following us was." Juvia said.
Gray didn't look concerned. "Whoever it was, they didn't seem to want any harm from us. I don't think we should worry about it. Come on, let's eat."
Juvia sat across from Gray as she joined him for dinner. She had cooked both of them some ramen, as she felt it was something to give him given he was technically "sick" with his injuries.
Gray dug in without saying much. Being both a mage and a fighter, Gray always had a big appetite when eating. He was always subtle about it among his guild mates, but when he was alone he would dig in on anything in front of him. Juvia learned this early on, and it never bothered her. She knew that he had a one-track mind and focuses on one thing at a time. She would wait for him to start the conversation.
"Hey Juvia…" Gray began, after he slurped some of his ramen noodles. "It's been how months since then?"
Juvia tilted her head, unsure of the context. "Months since what…?"
"Well…you know…" He looked away, feeling embarrassed. "Since we started….seeing each other…"
Juvia could see his cheeks were a tad pink and she couldn't help but giggle. This action just made him turn red.
"Gray-sama doesn't have to be embarrassed. The only people in the room are Gray-sama and Juvia. To answer Gray-sama's question, Juvia and Gray-sama have been seeing each other for about 4 months now."
"I see. It's been that long huh…" he smiled to himself. "I can't help but feel it was only yesterday since we went out to dinner."
Juvia nodded. "It was raining then. Gray-sama wasn't wearing a shirt as usual and Juvia was worried Gray-sama would catch a cold."
Gray rolled his eyes. "Juvia probably forgot that Gray has gone through worse conditions that rain to get a cold so easily." He said, mimicking her way of speaking. A smirk formed on his face.
Juvia shrugged. "Juvia couldn't be too sure. Juvia just so happened to be leaving as well and she was wondering if Gray-sama wanted to share am umbrella with her."
"But Gray remembered that Juvia lived in a different direction from Gray, so he didn't find it necessary." Gray replied. "Gray remembered Juvia being very persistent though, so he had no choice."
The water mage did not flinch at the ice mage's mockery. "Juvia didn't mind the walk. Also Juvia thought of having dinner at a restaurant on the way back from Gray-sama's apartment. So as they said, it was two birds with one stone."
She ate some of her dinner as she went along. "If Juvia recalls correctly, Gray-sama enjoyed the food there."
After a slice of cheese cake Erza began her story.
"I remember spotting the two as I was on my way back to Fairy Hills once the rain had stopped. They both had just come out from this restaurant which I know has one of the best desserts in Magnolia. I wanted to greet them but they looked very pleasant around each other. They were both…laughing…"
"What were we laughing about?" Gray asked.
"Hmm…Juvia thinks it was something about how Happy and Natsu always argue." Juvia replied.
He chuckled. "Yeah they can go on and on about something sometimes."
Juvia grinned and nodded. It always surprised Gray that when they were alone she was more composed. When they were in the guild she would go nuts if any other woman (especially Lucy) would so much as touch him. Or she would do any little thing to get his attention in public.
The only other Gray saw this side of Juvia when they were in a tough spot and they needed to fight.
When they go home together at night or when they were alone like this, she hardly raised her voice to a higher pitch or became clingy with him. Gray figured that during these times she had nobody to compete with, and nobody else to worry about.
"So let's see…if I recall correctly we were on our way back…"
"I couldn't help but see where it was going. They had reached the point where they should have separated, because Fairy Hills was in another direction…but Gray-took her hand and they went towards where he lived." Erza continued.
Wendy gasped. "Did Erza-san follow them to his apartment?"
Erza nodded solemnly. "I was curious at this predicament, so I snuck and followed. He definitely took her to his apartment. What happened after…well, it's not in my business to what those two do, but Juvia was more persistent with her feelings for Gray after that night."
"Juvia was supposed to go back to Fairy Hills, but then Gray-sama asked her if she wanted to visit his place." She said her face in a slight shade of pink.
Gray felt sheepish at the thought. "Well, I had to admit…I had a great time…and…I didn't want to stop talking to you then…"
This was the first time Gray had confided in her about his feelings during that event.
"Juvia wanted to talk more with Gray-sama too. She didn't expect that kiss."
Gray remembered that clearly. It was actually bound to happen either way given how they were hitting off but it was something about that night that made him want to kiss her. When he had asked her to come to his apartment he was prepared to dodge her in case she jumped on him in glee but she seemed unsure and reluctantly went with him. When they had arrived in the apartment, something had just come over him and he kissed her right there at the entrance.
"You know, I thought you'd me screaming in joy when I asked you to come home with me." Gray said.
Juvia looked away for a bit, a frown forming on her face. "Juvia was very happy, but…she was scared then."
"What? Why?"
"Juvia was scared that Gray-sama would not like her. Juvia wasn't prepared. What if Juvia did something that would not please Gray-sama…what if…"
She had gone on and on but he had heard enough. He couldn't believe he made one of the most powerful mages he knew insecure about herself…all because she had fallen for him.
"Ah…but I didn't, did I?"
"So you know they've been dating, so why are they still acting like nothing is going on with them?" Wendy asked.
"I think it's because of Gray. He's not the kind of person to open up to just anyone and I think that he's not ready to be public with Juvia." Erza replied. "However, if you look closely you'll notice that he slightly acknowledges her."
"Oh?"
Erza enumerated this one by one. "First of all, Gray has never denied any of Juvia's advances. No matter how many times Juvia has been persistent he had never told her to stay away or to leave him be. Second, when Gray needed something from Juvia he was never uncomfortable asking it from her despite knowing he would be indebted to her. Third, Juvia has probably been the only woman to have ever been into Gray's apartment, if not the first."
Wendy was impressed that Erza had been taking note of all of this. In the guild she would always keep to herself as if she was strategizing something. Wendy had never thought that Erza might have been observing everyone. She was definitely not just an S-rank mage for her powers.
There was a knock on the door and Levy entered. "Erza! I have some help with-"
She noticed Wendy was also in the room. "Wendy! Charle has been looking all over for you! You've been here all this time!"
Wendy had forgotten about her roommate. "Eh?! Oh no!"
"Don't worry I'll contact her for you. What were you doing here anyway?" Levy asked.
"We were simply gossiping about Juvia and Gray." Erza said bluntly.
There were sparkles in Levy's eyes. "Ooh!" She shut the door and sat down on one of the pillows so she was facing the other girls. "Those two are totally getting it on."
"G-getting it…" Wendy stuttered, suddenly red in the face.
Levy recalled that Wendy was still a minor and may not be informed on those matters so she took it back. "Um, anyway…if you need more gossip all you had to do was ask."
Erza raised an eyebrow. "More sources? How interesting. As they say, the more the merrier. What else do you know?"
"Why did Gray-sama suddenly want to reminisce on this?" Juvia asked. She was almost done with her meal and drinking a cup of tea.
"I just thought…that maybe it's about time I started telling everyone…about us. In the beginning I wasn't sure it would work out. But we've reached that point when we seem comfortable with each other, and I think the guild has a right to know."
This surprised Juvia. "Is Gray-sama sure?"
"Well…I…I know I try to keep a reputation for being tough but…I think I have been unfair for you for too long. You've always been open about your love for me while I…I can't."
"If it makes Gray-sama feel uncomfortable, then Juvia doesn't want Gray-sama to do anything." Juvia said, placing her hand on top of his.
"But…"
Juvia shook her head. "Does Gray-sama love Juvia?"
He was surprised at her direct question, but his eye contact with her did not waver. "I do."
"Then we have nothing to discuss. Gray-sama can tell people of Fairy Tail when he is ready." Juvia replied and finished the rest of her meal.
"Are…are you okay with all that? Don't you feel weird that I give you the cold shoulder in the guild? I think some people think you're crazy." Gray asked.
"Juvia doesn't care what other people think of her. Juvia only cares for Gray-sama."
It was what she said right there that always gave Gray a pang of guilt but also caused his heart to swell.
Gray sighed. "Juvia…"
Juvia got up to clean the dishes. Gray stood up. "Wait, let me do that. Come on we discussed this before; Whoever cooks doesn't have to clean."
"Gray-sama may be a wonderful man but Gray-sama doesn't know how to wash dishes." Juvia said curtly as she carried the bowls to the sink.
"Oi!" Gray called out.
"Juvia won't take long." She said before transforming her right hand into water so she could clean properly.
Gray sighed. He hated that she was so persistent on doing the household work for him. There was only one way to get her distracted, and he honestly didn't mind having to do it.
With one swift move he pulled off the clothes on his back, leaving him in nothing but his birthday suit.
"Juvia…" he called, his voice sounding needy as he walked closer to her.
Juvia picked up his voice immediately and turned around. She dropped the bowl as she stared from head to toe at her boyfriend.
"Please don't do the dishes tonight. You can do something else." He pleaded.
"I…I..Gray-sama…"
Her face was red and she lost focus. This was the Juvia that everyone else saw, Gray thought.
He scooped her off her feet. "Gray-sama!" she squealed.
He calmed her down with a kiss, and took her to the bedroom.
He planned to tire her out until she could forget about the dishes.
"They think they can hide it, but if you made a little time to watch them it's so obvious they're dating." Levy said.
Wendy had mixed feelings at that moment. Clearly she was in the right guild, given her actions are no different from her other guild mates. At the same time, she wasn't sure if this was a good thing.
Charle was already in the room, and she just nodded. "I can't believe I didn't notice this."
Levy smiled. "Aww Charle, I don't think you would waste your time with such gossip."
The Exceed nodded. "Good point."
Erza scoffed. "They would walk together every other night I think. During the first few weeks they tried to be secretive about it. Sometimes even in the guild I could catch Gray glancing at her."
Levy nodded eagerly. "Gray thinks he can hide it, but I see the way he gets insecure. You should notice it when Lyon is around. Gray always says it's because he's annoying but it's obvious he's possessive of her."
Wendy nodded. "It's good though that they are together. Charle pities Juvia because she thinks that Juvia is wasting her love on someone who doesn't care about her."
"I think Juvia does whatever she wants and doesn't let anyone stop her." Erza checked the time. "Wow. Did we really talk for that long? We didn't even have a pillow fight?"
"A pillow fight?"
Levy looked nervous. "With Erza?"
"Yes. It's part of the whole sleepover experience, is it not?" Erza pulled a nearby pillow and stood up. "Are you ready?"
Levy and Wendy looked nervous and searched for cover as Erza threw the pillow as if she had thrown a lance. Charle flew away before she got caught in the crossfire.
"HIDE!" Levy screamed.
It was 3 in the morning when they finished. Gray dropped to Juvia's side, catching his breath. They were both naked under the sheets. Their clothes were sprawled on the bedroom floor.
"….That…should keep me going…until I get back." Gray said as he panted.
Juvia whispered "Juvia is pleased."
She then rested her head on his chest. "Gray-sama…"
"Hmm?"
"Juvia is tired. Gray-sama will have to make breakfast later."
Gray chuckled. "Alright"
"Juvia has to leave early tomorrow." She whispered. "Gray-sama has to wake up a little earlier than usual."
Gray nodded. "I know. Say, you're the only one going right?"
"Gray-sama is correct."
"Would you finish faster if you had some help with you?"
The next day was nothing special for the guild. Wendy woke up later than usual and had arrived late. Natsu and Happy were the first people she bumped into.
"Oi Wendy!" Natsu called out.
Wendy yawned. "Good morning Natsu-san, Happy-san."
Happy floated in the air next to him. "Are you okay Wendy? You look tired."
"Ah…well I stayed up late talking to Erza-san and Levy-san so…"
Charle was floating in the air by her side, looking annoyed. "Honestly, I didn't bother sleeping in that room with such noise and ruckus. The whole room is covered in feathers now."
Wendy gave a sheepish smile. "Erza will have to do a lot of cleaning…and then buy a new set of pillows."
Lucy smiled. "Are you up for a job? We need one more person and Gray backed out on us."
Wendy blinked. "Eh? Where did Gray-san go?"
Natsu shrugged and crossed his arms. "He said he took another team job. He said it would take him three days so he decided to join that instead. That idiot!"
"Ah let it be Natsu!" Cana slurred as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Her breath reeked of alcohol. "Let him go on his date. It's a stepping stone from all those months of hiding.
"Date?" Wendy asked.
Gray leaned his head by the window as he watched the train he was on leave Magnolia to the next town. It was nice to finally go on a trip without having to deal about Natsu's motion sickness. He sighed in relief and eased into his seat.
"Gray-sama…"
The voice was coming from his left. Juvia was sitting next to him, her hands placed lightly on her lap.
"Gray-sama should get some rest. It will be a long ride to the destination."
"I am resting. This is one of the few trips I had where I could actually relax. Most of the time I have to watch Natsu and make sure he doesn't puke on me."
"Juvia is still surprised that Gray-sama decided to join her. Gray-sama always goes with his friends for jobs."
"Girlfriend takes priority on this one." He said casually.
This was the first time in months that Gray ever acknowledged her like that, even when they were alone. Juvia blushed and snuggled next to him. "Gray-sama…" she cooed.
Their conversation was interrupted when the train halted suddenly. Everyone gasped and held on to their seats. Gray instinctively held Juvia close to him to keep her from falling.
"What the-"
Juvia sensed that there was foul play going on. "Gray-sama…"
Three people in black suits that amplified their posteriors appeared. They stood with their butts facing the people in the train, Gray and Juvia included.
The man in the middle looked to be their leader. "Hahaha! We are the Jiggly Butt Gang! We are here to take your possessions! Resist and you will deal with our Jiggly Butt Art!"
The two other men who looked to be his lackeys were impressed and had tears in their eyes. "Oniisama! You're so cool!"
"Jiggly Butt Gang?" Juvia asked, a little taken back at the audacity of a name.
Gray scoffed. "I think Wendy mentioned about them once." He got up from his seat and stood to face them on the aisle of the train.
"Oi. What's your problem?"
The leader looked him over and felt that Gray was harmless. Juvia got up and stood beside him.
The leader laughed and pointed to him. "Didn't you hear me? We are hijacking this train and if you threaten us…" He showed off his unusually large butt. "We will use our Jiggly Butt Powers! You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of your girlfriend."
"As expected of Oniisama!" One of the lackeys yelled out.
Gray cocked his head. "Well you got the girlfriend thing right. However…" In one swift move, he removed his top. "I am usually more motivated to win when she's here."
Juvia smiled. "Gray-sama, you don't think I'm just going to let you fight by yourself?"
"Of course not. You and I work best when we're together." He smirked.
Juvia grinned at him then glared at the Jiggly Butt Gang. Her aura shifted immediately, and the three felt they could see black flames emanating from her.
"Did you just threaten Gray-sama?" her tone was lower and the Jiggly Butt gang cowered in fear.
"Oniisama…"
The ice mage smiled at his partner. He never told her, but this was the side of her that he may have liked the most: the days of her in her old guild.
He looked over at his opponents- who were currently stunned in fear- and was about to conjure something with his ice powers.
"Well then, shall we?"
