AN: Yeap, I did say I was going to update this next week, but I finished and thought: Why not? I hope you like it!
WARNING: There will be sexy times in this chapter; nothing too graphic, but be warned. If you don't think you can handle, please, don't read it.
#
Back to the Future
Part II
#
Gray decided that having a girlfriend was nice, especially one that was more than eager to have him in her arms all the time. Their making out sessions were frequent and some were really heated (one of them always stopped the other before things went 'too far' – they weren't ready) and the subtle changes in the relationship were very nice, in Gray's opinion.
Instead of untangle herself from his arms in the morning – after he actually bring her closer to him before falling asleep –, Juvia would try to stay the longer she could and before getting up, she would kiss his cheek tenderly. Gray would still nap after, but when it was finally time to get up, he would and then find her, where she would tip toe and kiss his lips (she was always the one to kiss him in the mornings, not that he didn't think it was nice). During the day each had their own chores, but when the day was over, they took their time with kissing and touching.
They spent almost two months that way, until they couldn't anymore – their kisses grew more and more passionate as time passed and it got into a point where it was inevitable to take the next step.
It happened after the Village's Festival. Mirak told both of them that they needed to go and mingle (Gray started to make a few friends and so did Juvia); and since they were too far away from the town to talk to people, the opportunity was good for them to socialize.
Both had more fun that they thought it was possible – even when they were apart: Gray drinking with the men and Juvia talking to the women – there was nice food and when the band started to play and the Water Mage was shoved into Gray's arms and they were forced to dance the upbeat tune, both laughed while trying to keep up with the other excited couples. They danced for a long time before the rain started to pour.
Mirak offered them a room in his home, but they declined the offer, choosing to run home. They didn't have much light, but the moon was full and wasn't covered by clouds yet, so it was easy enough not to trip during their run.
"I can't believe it rained!" Gray laughed, closing the door as Juvia laughed with him, thankfully the fire hadn't extinguished during the hours they spent at the Festival. "Couldn't you have stopped it?"
"It was natural rain, Gray-sama. Juvia can't mess with it." The blunette chuckled and she felt him wrap his arms around her waist from behind and kiss her cheek in a sweet way. "Summon it is easy, but stop real rain is bad."
"Whatever you say. We need to take these wet clothes, though, or we'll get sick." Gray released her and was about to step away when Juvia grabbed his hand, preventing him from going too far from her. "What is it?" He frowned in confusion.
"Could you help Juvia?" She took her hair away off the way and looked over her shoulder. "Please?"
Gray swallowed hard, knowing very well that she didn't need his help to take her dress off, so… maybe it was her way to tell him… she was ready? He was ready, more than ready.
"Yeah." He cleared his throat and stepped close to her, but didn't move to help her. "Sure. I can. Yep."
The blunette giggled when he didn't make a move to undo the buttons. "Then do it."
Blushing, the Ice Mage reached for the first button with his breath caught on his throat – sure, he have touched Juvia's bare skin during their multiple make out sessions and it felt nice, but in the back of his mind, he always knew they were not going further than a few feathered touches.
With each button, more silky and fair skin appeared in front of his eyes and he could feel his groin reacting to it – yes, he'd seen her naked a few times (by accident and by choice) but nothing compared to be the one undressing her and to be able to gently run his fingers on her back.
When the last button was undone – just above her bum, Gray noticed with an internal groan –, she turned around and they locked their eyes with each other's. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, all he could do was wait to see what would be her next move. They always gave each other the opportunity to say 'no' and that pause was it. But Gray wasn't saying it. Not that night. Not when they were both ready.
As if in response to his unspoken question, she reached for his tugged shirt and pulled up – he offered no resistant as he raised his arms to help her out. After the Ice Mage was shirtless, Juvia started to push her own light blue dress down her shoulder, letting it fall to the ground; Juvia was completely naked in front of him.
There wasn't too much light in their cottage but the fire on the fireplace, but Gray could see Juvia's brown eyes darkening, and the way her cheeks flushed and fast breathing; he imagined that he wasn't much better.
Juvia stepped closer to him and put one hand on his chest and he wondered for a second if she could feel its rapid beating. She probably could, since his heart seemed like a damn tambourine.
She tip toed and kissed his lips, and it was all he needed to move his own body. He pulled her close to him and kissed her more and more heatedly now that their upper bodies had no clothing to prevent their skins to touch, and it felt marvelous.
"Isn't it too fast?" Gray whispered between kisses on her neck, but didn't slow down a bit even after the question.
"We've known each other for years now: Juvia thinks it's too slow." Her answer was followed by a moan and a kiss on her lips as he raised her enough so she wrapped her legs around his waist and he took her to their bed.
#
As it turned out, neither had experience with sex with other people, but both had very imaginative minds and instinct on their side; they knew what to do to make the other feel good in theory; reality was much more overwhelming.
They kissed, sucked and bit each other's skin, following the other's reactions as guide. Somehow Gray lost his pants along the way – Juvia barely remember pushing it down – and the feel of him on top of her, with his erection pressing on her stomach sent a rush of adrenalin over her body. She wanted him so bad it hurts.
Juvia had no idea that she said those words out loud until Gray answered. "I know." He said breathless. "Me too."
His hand found her core wet and ready for him and the feeling of his fingers inside her eased the neediness a bit – he touched her clit with clumsiness but his eagerness compensated for it –, but it wasn't what she needed; she needed him and nothing else would do.
"Please, Gray-sama." She pulled him away from kissing her chest so she could look him in the eyes. "Please." The Ice Mage nodded and Juvia knew he couldn't hold it any longer as well.
When he finally positioned himself to enter her, their breaths were caught on their throats with the sensations when he slid inside, breaking her barrier, Juvia hissed, with the small burning that it was to lose her virginity. She sank her nails on his shoulders to ground herself and Gray became still after being inside of her (the blunette thanked him mentally, it was probably hard for him not to give in and just pound into her), giving her the time to get used with the new sensation. It didn't hurt all that much and by some stories she heard, she was one of the lucky ones.
"Oh, god, Juvia." Gray whispered on her ear. "You feel so good." He nuzzled on her neck, sucking the pulsating point there. "Hot and… oh, tight." The Ice Mage let out a strangled noise. "I… I have to…"
She dragged her nails down and shuddered when he moaned; her own burning pain between her legs lessened a bit. Moving her hips a bit, Juvia heard him make a sound she never heard before. "Yes… you can." Gray found her lips and kissed her passionately and started to move his hips, slipping in and out of her.
#
In the morning Juvia straddled him and moved lazily, perfect for the soundtrack of rain still fallen outside – they were in their own world and nothing else matter beside their sighs, moans and skin against skin. Gray grabbed her hips to help her find their rhythm.
"Faster, Juvia. Come on" he moaned when she moves faster. "Yes. Yes, like that… Oh, fuck." She would have to search for marks on her hips later; Gray was too overwhelmed to think about it at the moment. He looked away from her face and his eyes roamed over her body until he found himself looking down to where their bodies met and the sight excited him even more, so he asked her, begged her to go faster. "Fu-Fuck, Juvia. Just… Please."
If anything, Juvia appeared to be more than happy with his response during love making. She loved his groans in both pleasure and frustration, she loved the way his eyes were wild and how he touched her everywhere.
The woman followed her instinct and leaned forwards so her bundle of nerves could rub against him, making it all much more pleasurable for her (not that their first time hasn't been good – but she didn't get there), and the way she moaned only seemed to increase his want.
"Gray. Gray. Gray." It was all she could say between rapid breaths and moans. It was all she needed to say while she kept moving on top of him in such tempting way, the friction almost too much for them.
Gray felt his own release coming and he tried his best to hold on, to think of less sexy and pleasurable things; he had to think about monster's goo and Master Makarov in his bathing suit to keep himself from focusing on the way their hips met, how perfectly she surrounded his shaft and how her high pitched moans seemed to be the best things he ever heard, so he raised his upper body and slid a hand between their bodies, knowing full well that if she was going to have any pleasure off it, he would have to hold on and not just lay there.
"Juvia." Gray kissed her chest at the same he pinched her clit and she clung onto him, sobbing for him to just let her get there. The Ice Mage felt her start to contract around him and took all of his will not to give in. "Come for me, Juvia. Come on." What else could she do but to follow his instruction?
Her body arched as she let out a embarrassingly loud moan as pleasure coursed through her veins, and right after she felt Gray's release inside her while he called her name and both fell back on the bed's mattress.
After their breaths returned to normal, Gray let out a laugh and brought the woman closer to him. "Now, that's the best way I've woken up. Ever."
Juvia chuckled, still a little breathless. "Me too."
"Are you hurt?" He didn't have the opportunity to ask her before they fell asleep in each other's arms the night before. "From yesterday and… well, two minutes ago."
"A little sore, that's all." Juvia kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.
"Sure?" His hands caressed her side slowly.
"Yes." She reassured him. "Juvia has been dreaming about this day for a long time."
Gray rolled his eyes, mostly for knowing it was true, so he decided to ask: "Did I live up to your dreams?"
"Nope." She smiled when she saw his indignant face. "For once reality's much better."
#
With their new found intimacy, the couple went through a very physical phase of their relationship (as most do) where they couldn't keep their hands off each other, trying to know exactly what kind of touch made the other sigh in happiness, or moan in pleasure, and even groan in frustration.
They slowed down once they figure out that there was no ticking clock – no countdown – for them to stop. The passion was still there, but at least they had conversations that didn't include fast breathing while they took each other's clothes.
As much fun as that phase was, Juvia liked their slow love making and their talks after much better (not that their most passionate nights were amazing too, of course – sometimes slow just didn't cut it, after all). It seemed like they were indeed a young married couple – it was just enough to make her fantasies work harder – and not just… whatever they were.
So, they slowed down a little bit (which meant they weren't doing it by the river, into the woods, on the floor. Anymore. Well, not too often anyways.).
On the one year anniversary of their arrival (Juvia had been keeping count), they lay with his arms around her small frame, her head tucked on the crook of his neck, both naked after a very emotional love making.
"Do…" Juvia asked in a voice not much louder than a whisper. "Do you think we would be like this if we were in our time?"
"Like 'this'?" Gray frowned.
The Water Mage hesitated, unsure if he saw them in the same she did, even if she knew she meant something to him. "You know… together."
"Oh." He thought about her question for a moment. "Yes."
She raised her head from above his chest with confusion. "Really?"
"Yeah." Gray shrugged. "Are you surprised I thought we would end up like this?" He waved his hand between them, pointing to their lack of clothing. "I knew we would end up together, Juvia. How could I not?"
"What do you mean?" She frowned and pulled the covers over them with a blush on her face (Gray still didn't mind being naked at all) and she lied down on her side and staring at him.
"We were always doing things together." Gray looked to her side to stare at her. "Sure, most of the time it was you" he gave her a pointed look in which she responded by grinning at him "but with the important stuff? Meredy and then Ultear? Lyon falling in love with you?" He rolled his eyes at the end. "You and me performing the Unison Raid? Then that… dream of me saving you from those little dragons? My… Silver?" Gray chose to just say the man's name. "You were always there; it was almost as if there was something pulling us together. So, yeah… I knew we would end up like this. I was just delaying the inevitable."
"Why?" The woman asked.
"I thought we established that I was an idiot." Gray heard her giggle. "I can't believe we've been here for a whole year. Where did time go?" Juvia hummed a sound of agreement. "What do you miss the most from our time? Fairy Tail doesn't count." He informed her softly.
"Chocolate." Her answer was immediate.
"Chocolate?"
"Oh, yes." She sighed. "Juvia tried to find some, but when she asked about it, the woman said they didn't sell posh fruit." Gray laughed and she followed.
"When we arrive back home I'll buy you some chocolate, then." He said and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you." She said, very pleased. "How about you: what do you miss?"
"Missions."
"Tell me about it." The Water Mage groaned in agreement. "It's been so long since Juvia punched people in the face."
"Me too." He sighed.
"Oh, I know!" Juvia said excitedly. "We could train with each other." He opened his mouth to argue, but she beat him into it. "Yes, we can't let them know about our power, but we know that the only people to visit us are Miranda, Natalie and Mirak and they do it once a week. We could fight each other the day after they come, so there's no way people will appear."
"I don't know…" Gray hesitated but the rush of have a real fight after so long… he wanted just one teeny tine battle, that was all. "It would leave marks on the house…"
"As if Juvia would let us fight even slightly close our house." She rolled her eyes. "Plus, Juvia has her beautiful flowers out there. No way." The Water Mage shook her head. "What we have, though, is a very large section of forest we can tear down if you want." She touched his chest.
"That we do." He agreed after a moment. "We'll talk about this later."
"Oh, what is this?" Juvia straddled him and Gray took a sharp breath with her closeness even if she didn't touch their groins. "Are you afraid of losing, Gray-sama?"
"Don't provoke me, Juvia." He said dangerously and felt her hips lowering into his, eyes turning wild. "You know I will win." His voice came out strangled. "I won against you before."
"But you don't even seem to want to fight." She whispered before nibbling his ear. "Do you forfeit?"
He changes positions with her so fast the blunette only had time to gasp before feeling her back hit the mattress and then his weight between her legs. "I never forfeit."
"Is that a yes on – oh, oh – on the fight ?" Juvia asked with a moan when he moved his hips just in the way he knew she loved.
"Yes." Gray did the movement again just to earn another moan from her. "But that's for tomorrow – tonight I'll teach you not to provoke me."
#
Thankfully to their little sessions of battles, Gray was feeling much better and the reminder of the adrenalin he felt during a fight reminded him of home and calmed him down (alongside with the sex, the sex worked wonders as well) and they spent months living in harmony – with a couple of domestic fights a few times because of Juvia's jealousy ("Who would walk shirtless around a town during the x-hundreds? The women looked! Some drooled and gave me the thumbs up."), sometimes because of Gray's he-didn't-call-it-jealousy ("Really, Juvia? Flirting? We would live without the extra cheese; you didn't have to… oh, stop giggling. Shut up.") and a couple of times because of a few chores, but they always worked it out.
Most mornings Juvia would wake up first and get up to start her day by fixing them something to eat and then going outside to take care of the chickens she acquired – Gray would wake up later those days, since his chores around the house were more heavy lifting than hers. During a few lazy mornings – when it was raining or colder –, the couple would stay tangled in each other arms not a bit interested in getting up until noon. Some other (rare) times, Gray would be the first to wake up, but he rarely got up; preferring to enjoy the warm naked body cuddling against him.
They fell into a routine and neither was too bothered by it.
That morning, though, almost two years after they were taken to the past, something was different.
Gray woke her up, after dressing himself, with a kiss on the cheek and caressing her hair. She moaned in displeasure for being interrupted – which the Ice Mage would find adorable if he wasn't so concerned. "It's been two weeks, Juvia. I think you should see the village's doctor." He informed her, kindly.
"Juvia is fine." She yawned and sat on the bed. "Just a little tired."
"You have been doing the same things as always and you always woke up before me and I caught you napping a lot… This is not normal for you." The Ice Mage watched the blunette wrap the sheet loosely around her naked form before getting up. "Please, Juvia. Let's not take any chances."
The woman stared at him and after a moment's hesitation, she agreed. They were in this together and it made sense that Gray was afraid something happened to her: she was his only link to their time and losing it would drive him mad in no time.
"We need to go get supplies, anyway." She told him before search for her clothes. Juvia wasn't entirely sure she needed to see a doctor – she just had been napping too much, but when she put her clothes on and noted they were a little bit too loose on her, the Water Mage decided that maybe Gray's concern wasn't too unfunded.
When the doctor, Marsha, heard of the Water Mage's symptoms from Gray (he insisted on being there while the examination) and after asking a few embarrassing (for him) questions to Juvia about her monthly cycles, the diagnose was pretty obvious to the older woman.
"Oh, you'll be getting a new family member in no time, it seems. And with you two as parents, it will be a looker, that's for sure." Marsha chuckled. "About time too. It's been what? Two years since you got married, right?"
"But…" Gray's mouth was gaping like a fish while his 'wife' stared at the woman, confused. "I thought she was supposed to be getting sick, right? Or at least shouldn't she be gaining weight, then?"
"Men." She scoffed. "Every new mother's body reacts in a way, boy." The old woman rolled her eyes. "Your wife is tired because it takes a lot of energy to keep the little one warm and protected. Her body is getting used to it, but in no time she'll be getting big and beautiful."
"How sure are you?" The Ice Mage asked after a moment.
"I have delivered a hundred babies, boy." The doctor stared at him with disdain.
"So… pretty sure?"
"Yes." Marsha frowned at their reactions, Gray walking in circles while Juvia stared at the ground with wide eyes and in shock. "Are you disappointed?" The old woman asked, gently. "I thought youngsters like you would like to have loads of children."
"It's not that…" Gray stopped his pacing. "We thought we would have more" he tried to get a suitable thing to say "alone time before having a baby."
"Juvia…" The blunette managed to whisper. "Juvia has been taking the tea." She started taking s tea Marsha gave to her to prevent pregnancy and she had been taking the right way, she was sure.
"Oh, my darling." Laughing lightly, Marsha grabbed one of the younger woman's hands. "Only not being intimate with someone is guarantee that you won't be with child." Juvia nodded lightly before the doctor continued to talk. "You can do some of your chores, but you also need to rest and let your husband here do the heavy lifting for a while." Marsha stared at Gray, who nodded in understanding even during his shocked mind. "And you need to start to eat more so you and the little one can be healthy."
"Thank you, doctor." Gray touched Juvia's shoulder gently and the woman got up, thanking Marsha – who asked them to return if Juvia felt anything out of the ordinary and for a checkup in a couple of weeks.
During their journey back home, the couple was silent; the only sounds were from the horse and the carriage and as soon as they arrived, Juvia ran inside their house while Gray took care of things – truthfully he took a little longer than necessary, to both give her time and to thing about their predicament on his own.
They were already in trouble – they were back six hundred years back in time, for god sakes! – and now to add into their list of things to deal with (alongside with their friendship, love life and sex life), they had a baby on the way.
Dragons were his first concern, of course. Then there was the fact that their child would most likely be a mage and magic was not nicely seen by others. Plus, there were diseases people haven't found the cure to yet, the not so good medical care and all the stuff that could happen to either Juvia or the baby during her pregnancy.
He put the horse on its modest stable and caressed the brown fur.
If it was a boy, Gray was sure that it would like him but with Juvia's hair color – dark hair ran into his family, and it was time for a change, anyway, it was almost like a curse. If it was a girl, though, he knew she would look like Juvia. He just knew, and the thought made him smile.
The idea of a blue haired toddler giggling while Gray and Juvia watched him (or her) running between the grass and around their house made the Ice Mage smile. Even with all the trouble they might encounter along the way, a child with Juvia would be more like a blessing than anything else.
When he entered their home, though, it was clear that his companion had some real trouble with the news; she was curled on their bed, sobbing.
"Juvia?" Gray was surprised to see her that way; he thought she would be delighted to have his child.
"I'm sorry." He heard in between her sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Gray-sama." The man lost no time in wrap his arms around her in a hug while she kept asking for his forgiveness.
"There's nothing to be sorry about." Gray petted her hair.
"Juvia swears she took the tea the right way." The Water Mage told him while her face was buried on his chest. "This is not… this is not some ruse to… to keep…"
Oh, Gray understood then. The stupid woman thought he would think it was some kind of plot to keep him by her side (it had been known that some women would do it to get married). Sighing, he waited for her to calm down after sobbing for a couple of minutes.
"This is good news, Juvia." The Ice Mage told her. "A child is always good news."
"But… but…" She looked up to him with confused eyes. "But…"
"Are you happy?" Gray asked and she nodded without hesitation. "I am happy too. You told me that we needed to have a life here and not just wait to return home to keep going." He hesitated for a moment before putting a hand over her stomach. "This is us moving forward, that's all."
"You really don't think that…" She left the rest of the sentence in the air.
"No. I know you and as crazy as you got in the past, you have no need of acting that way again." He chuckled. "To be honest, now that I think about it, the way we have been together for the past year and a half, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. I mean… we spent a long time… training baby making."
The Water Mage chuckled. "So… are you okay with this?" Juvia dried her tears.
"I will freak out later when I have time to realize I have no idea of how to even carry a baby, but right now I am okay with it." The Ice Mage kissed her forehead
#
"What are you doing?" Gray asked from the bed while watching Juvia knit something with blue wool, she cut her hair to a shoulder's length once again after letting it grow during their time there, her arms resting on her bulging stomach. Marsha estimated she was about six months along during the last time they saw the doctor a week before.
"Juvia is trying to knit socks." She informed him without taking her eyes from the task in hand. "The women of the Village are knitting some baby clothes too as gifts for the baby, but Juvia wants to do at least one thing and she can sew, but knitting it more complicated than that."
"Why blue?" He wondered. "We could be having a girl."
"The women said that Juvia's stomach is low, which means is a boy." The Water Mage sighed. "But then there was another woman who said that Juvia's belly was too round instead of pointy, so it is a girl." She rolled her eyes. "At the end we will have to wait either way. Plus, what's wrong with girls wearing blue?" She narrowed her brown eyes in his direction and by then Gray was used to pregnancy hormones. "Juvia likes blue very much."
"No, nothing wrong." He shrugged. "If it is a girl, she'll look very pretty with her blue socks."
"What if it is a boy?"
"He'll look very manly." Gray grinned and Juvia chuckled. "Boys and their socks, that's what I say."
Juvia threw a second ball of wool in his direction; he grabbed it and saw as she rubbed her stomach before return to her knitting. Gray couldn't help but wonder what Ur would say if she saw him in the year x158 with a 'wife' and a baby on the way. She probably would pamper Juvia as much as she was able and then give Gray an earful about his responsibilities that came with a new life.
He could almost hear his old teacher's voice telling him that having a child was something that would change him forever, like it did to her.
Being brought back in time, finally have the guts to kiss Juvia, pursue a relationship, see Juvia's stomach grow as time passed, feel their baby move when he touched her belly and talk to her about names… He was already changed.
"What do you think they will say when we arrive back to our time, older and with a baby?" Gray asked and Juvia chuckled.
"Juvia thinks they will be in a little bit of a shock at first, but since this won't be the first time most of us saw this – a couple have a child in little time, like it happened with Viska and Alzack, they will probably just shrug it off and be happy."
Gray thought about it and agreed. "Yeah, I think that it will be pretty much it."
"Oh, I believe there's a poll going on too." Juvia smiled and the Ice Mage frowned. "About how long some couples would take to 'hook up'? I don't know how they will settle that."
"Why?"
"For us, it was three months after we arrived, for them, it will be two weeks." She shrugged.
"I am not getting involved in that mess." The man snorted.
"Juvia would like to give birth in our own time, though." The blunette sighed.
"I know. I would like that too."
#
Gray hated childbirth.
Hated. It.
He really hated to hear Juvia's groans of pain while he stayed with the men, feasting at the bar. They tried to ease him, but the Ice Mage couldn't stop but to walk around in circles.
"We all get a little worried with our first, boy." Mirak slapped Gray's back. "But don't worry; women have all the right equipment to deal with it." As if on cue, Juvia let out a loud groan from the upside room, where earlier that day he brought her to see Marsha. "See? Everything is like it's supposed to be."
"How is that normal?" Gray asked, accepting and drinking a large amount of beer. "I've seen her handling… stuff, nasty stuff and she didn't give a peep! Now she's screaming in pain."
"Be glad it's not men who give birth." Mirak shuddered. "In some things, women are better suited for the job."
"I hate this. What if something goes wrong?" The Ice Mage asked the older man, who shook his head.
"Nothing will go wrong, your wife is strong and so will be your child. Now, let's drink and celebrate." Mirak yelled to the other men at the bar. "Let's drink!" which was followed by screams of agreement while Gray groaned in frustration. It would be a long day.
Four hours later most men were literally under the bar's table after partying, but Gray didn't drink all that much, of course. He tried to get inside the room, but Marsha blocked him. ("Men are hopeless with childbirth, young man. They only get in the way.")
After hours of hearing Juvia groan and yell in pain upstairs, there was a very loud groan, followed by silence. Gray could feel it was a different kind of silence, so his heart beat faster, waiting for the sound he instinctively knew it was coming.
The cry. A loud and beautiful cry of a newborn.
His newborn.
Gray felt Mirak's slaps of congratulation on his back, but all he wanted was to go upstairs and meet the child he made with Juvia. He didn't even know if he had a son or a daughter, which didn't matter, of course – he would love either way.
So, he walked up the stairs and waited about ten minutes before the door was opened (Marsha told him a few weeks ago that after the baby, there was the afterbirth to be delivered and it would take him a few minutes to be allowed inside). When the older woman opened the door, she smiled at him.
"Your Juvia was a very strong girl today." She opened the door further to allow him in. "They are both fine."
"Thank you, Marsha." Gray entered the room and located the Water Mage resting on the bed – she looked like a mess: hair undone, sweaty and with bags under her eyes, but he never saw her more beautiful in his mind. She noticed, of course, that she was holding a bundle covered with white blankets. "Hi." His voice was hoarse.
"Hi." Her smile was big and bright.
Gray approached the bed slowly, unsure of what to do. "I wanted to stay with you, but they didn't let me in…"
"I know." Juvia said kindly. "Now… would you like to hold our son?"
His breath got caught in his throat and he gasped. Of course he knew there were only two possibilities: boy or girl, but finally knowing, finally having his son born and within his reach…
"I…" He cleared his throat and blinked fast to prevent tears from falling. "I would love to hold our son, yes."
#
She stared at their son running after a butterfly, his tiny legs trying its best to catch up and do what his brain wanted him to. Urian was ten months old and just learned how to walk, so his parents needed to keep an extra eye on him. "What if we can't take him?"
Gray stared down at the blunette in his arms. "What?"
"What if Nhoj says we can't take him with us?" Juvia didn't take her eyes off Urian.
"Why would he do that?" The Ice Mage frowned, wondering what was in Juvia's mind.
"To us, this is the past." Juvia finally looks up at Gray with concerned eyes. "To him, this is his time. He was conceived and born here. What if he can't go to the future? What will we do then?" Her voice trembled with fear and the only thing Gray could do to ease her heart, was hug her tight.
"This is not going to happen." He whispered.
"But…"
"Not. Going. To. Happen." Gray said with certainty this time and Juvia nodded in agreement. The man thought for a moment and decided that they didn't know much about Nhoj and his methods: as far as he knew, Juvia's theory could be right. He looked the way Urian was giggling, his blue soft curls bouncing as he ran around – his chest tightened with the thought of losing his son. That was never going to happen. Gray would miss Fairy Tail forever, of course, but the pain of leaving Urian behind? That would never be an option. He knew what to do if there were no options left. "But if it does, we'll stay."
"Stay?" The blunette looked up to him.
"Of course." Gray tightened his grip on her. "Our friends would understand that we had to stay with our son instead of going back, Juvia. They would be glad we have a child and I am sure they would want us with him."
"So, if it comes to it, we'll stay." The Water Mage asked.
"We'll stay with Urian, Juvia. No matter what."
#
Gray was visiting the village to get the supplies for the week after trading for a deer he caught the day before when he saw a tall blonde man in a weird suit talking to Alice, the woman who handled the fruits. The Ice Mage frowned, trying to figure it out from where he knew that face, when it hit him.
"Nhoj?" Gray whispered to himself before jogging to meet the man. "Nhoj?"
The Time Mage turned around and stared at Gray with a big smile. "Hello there."
The Ice Mage's heart was beating fast with anticipation. "I can't believe you're here! It means that we can go home!"
"I'm sorry?" The blonde was confused.
"Oh, right. You haven't met us yet. Listen, about five years ago, you brought me and my… well, she's pretty much my wife now, I guess; you pulled us from a fight when we were about to die back in the year x792 and brought us here… something about a fixed point in time?" Gray explained quickly.
Nhoj nodded. "That sounds like me, yeah."
"You told us that we needed to be here and that we needed to return exactly two weeks after we left." Gray informed.
"I love it when I am mysterious." The Time Mage laughed. "And to think that I just came here because I have a sudden urge to eat apples; my life is so exciting."
"Will you take us home?" Gray asked, hopeful. "Will you take us to our own time?"
"Sure." Nhoj nodded. "Just let me find an apple, okay? I have been craving one juicy red bastard."
"By the way… we have a child." The Ice Mage feared the other mage's reaction.
"Oh, that's marvelous. I love children. Probably have a few of my own running around in between five hundred years ago and a few hundred years ahead. Time travelling stuff, don't worry about it." The blonde finally found apples and bought one.
"Juvia…"
"That's your wife, right?" Nhoj interrupted before taking a bite of his red apple.
"Yes. Juvia and I were concerned that we wouldn't be able to take him with us." Gray decided to tell him straight.
"Why is that?" Nhoj put a hand over his chest, utterly surprised and terrified of the thought.
"She said that this is his time, he was born here and all that, maybe you could only take people back, not forwards." The Ice Mage shared his worries.
"I'm looking forward to meeting your wife, Gray. She seems to be after my heart: this theory is very nice. Incorrect, but nice." Nhoj chuckled.
"We're married: hands off." Not entirely true: they have been living together for five years, they had a child together and couldn't spend more than a few days apart from each other without feeling bad. They didn't have papers, but the essence of marriage was there. "Wait, 'incorrect'? Does this mean we can take him?"
"Of course you can! As if I would just be such an ass and separate a child from his parents." He scoffed. "The little one can come, sure."
Gray dragged the Time Mage around the town so he could inform Mirak about his family's derpature of the village. He explained the best he could about his situation ("I'm sorry, Mirak. But Juvia and I… it's time we need to return home. I can never thank you enough for everything you did for us. I know Miranda's getting married in a couple of months… The cottage will be a nice place for her to begin her life… Again, Mirak… Thank you.")
During the walk to the cottage, Nhoj told Gray about some weird travels he made, but all the Ice Mage could think was how he and his family could return back to their time, to be with their friends again.
When they saw the cottage, Gray ran towards the house, but when he found it empty he immediately thought of the river, where Juvia would entertain their son, who seemed to like water much better than ice (he would have to live with the fact that his first born was most likely to be a Water Mage and his mind would shush the part of him telling that they would have more children for him to train as Ice Mages).
"Juvia?" Gray yelled when he was by the shore and quickly located his son playing with the water on his ankles. The Ice Mage caught the boy and raised him up above his head, in which the blue haired boy laughed.
"Gray-sama, Juvia is looking where he is going, don't worry." Juvia said with a roll of her eyes – honestly, she was taking care of him, he didn't need to worry.
"No, you don't understand…" Gray smile and was about to talk about whom he found in the village, but said man beat him to it by appearing.
"Hello." The blonde waved.
"Nhoj?" Juvia gasped. "Oh my god… Does this mean that…?"
"We are going home." Gray grabbed her hand. "And I talked with him, Urian can come with us." Juvia threw her arms around him and the Ice Mage put their son down so he could hug her better.
"Oh…" Nhoj kneeled in front of Urian and smiled. "I see now. Hello, there." The blonde man touched the boy's cheek with affection.
"What do you see?" Juvia frowned to Gray and then stared down to the Time Mage.
"I see why I brought you here. Because of him." Nhoj used some kind of magic and a few sparks came out of his hand, which made the boy laugh and clap. "I explained that I am a Time Mage, right? That I can see the fluidity of time? The thing is: there are some points and people in time and space that are always there – they are fixed, never changing. Little Urian here is one of those people. It's fixed: you two always come here and you two always have him."
Juvia picked her son up – instinctively trying to protect him – and kissed his cheek. "Why is he… fixed?"
"I think that this little lad here will be part of one a big event in the future; something also fixed." Nhoj got up from the ground. "In your friends' chronological timeline, he has to be born and one year in a half after two weeks after you disappear, but I guess that you are not together two weeks before that; not even close to baby making, right?" The couple nodded. "There we go."
"That's why Gray-sama and Juvia need to be here…" Juvia nodded in understanding "so he's conceived, born and of age in two weeks, as unlikely as it seems."
Nhoj stepped closer to the woman and winked. "Are you sure I can't tempt you on a date?"
"Sorry." The Water Mage giggled while Gray rolled his eyes.
"So, this is all so we can have him?" The Ice Mage went to stand by Juvia's side. "Why didn't we do that in our own chronological time line?"
"This is your chronological time line. You are still twenty four; it doesn't matter when you are. Plus… fixed point in time and space, remember? It doesn't matter which universe you are, this will always happen." The blonde man shrugged.
"Complicated." Gray massaged his left temple.
"Timey wimey stuff." The Time Mage waved a hand in dismissal. "It doesn't matter. You changed from friends to a happy couple, got busy a few times to make our little Urian here, who will be very important in some time. Job complete! I'm such a cupid." Nhoj put his arms around Gray and Juvia, squishing poor Urian. "I am amazing."
"Ready to go home?" Juvia asked Gray once Nhoj released them.
"Yes." The Ice Mage agreed.
#
Nhoj let them pack a few things to bring with them (Urian's first clothing, Urian's favorite toys, Urian's blanket, Urian's pillow – so, it was mostly the boy's bag), and in a blink of an eye the blonde man transported them back to x793.
They were back to their time and surrounded by their friends. Apparently, Nhoj brought them directly inside the building of Fairy Tail.
Mirajane squealed with the sudden appearance of their missing friends. "Gray? Juvia?"
The couple was still trying to situate themselves, Gray had wrapped his arms around the Water Mage and their son and slowly. "Hey, guys."
"It was true, then? When we arrived after the fight there was a note, saying that you would be here in two weeks. You look… older, though." Makarov's eyes traveled to the small boy in Juvia's arms. "And… who's this?"
"We will explain everything, but for now…" Gray smiled and picked the boy from Juvia's arms. "This is our son, Urian." There were gasps from their friends. The boy looked up with his dark eyes much like Gray's to stare at his father when he heard his name. The Ice Mage smile became softer when looking to the boy. "Uri, this is the rest of your family."
#
AN: And this is what happens when a fanfiction writer is in love with Fairy Tail and Doctor Who at the same time and in insane levels.
And Nhoj's is "John" backwards. The Doctor uses John Smith as his name when he has to and… Yeah. Still blaming the Whothon. Don't judge me – I don't reign over my fangirl side; it reigns over me.
Thanks to: MrsGooglyBear, majinbuu00, otaku03, Mrs Murasaki-sama, P. FullbusterBelieve, xScarletxMoonx0, Esthellar, PandaGirl, PandaGirl, raimy, imafangirlsowhat1, Sabakyou, xgasai-yunox, BrigitteoO, superduperizee, Darkhope(I have the feeling that you'll like Urian LOL), Guest, HaruVega, NollyLvn, babypapaya and QueenAthena88, plus everyone who favorite and followed. Thank you for the support!
01/22/14 ~ BonneyQ