AN: Woohoo! Two done!
Summary: Juvia is desperate to find her beloved. (Moves around a bit. Takes place during the timeskip, during Avatar, and right after Avatar. Naturally, *spoilers ahead*)
Genre(s): Romance/Angst (more angst tbh)
Rating: T
Pairings: Gruvia
Words: 1,262
~Day two-Eyes~


Juvia woke up that day like she had every other morning for the past four months. Get up, get dressed, and search. She practically ran out of the door after putting on her boots, nearly forgetting her hat.

Did Juvia forget to eat today? She thought to herself as she ran through the puddles. She had already combed the abandoned village for her beloved, many times. She would find him one day, even though it seemed like no matter how hard she tried, it was all for naught.

When was the last time she spoke to a person? A month ago? Two? When was the last time she ate, was it yesterday, or the day before?

Juvia will find you Gray-sama, please stay safe. She continued running, past the village and the forest, past the clearing where they used to train, and right into a person.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you alright?" Juvia looked up to see a man with unkempt, light hair holding his hand out to her.

"J-Juvia's fine." Her voice sounded odd, after all, she hadn't been using it very much as of late.

"You sound sick, do you want to come to my cabin and rest? It's very close by. I'm Jerome." Juvia took the man's hand and stood up.

"Juvia doesn't wish to intrude, Jerome-san." She wiped the dirt off of her long, dark skirt.

"Nonsense, it'll be fine. I do have some friends coming over later and they are…less pleasant, but you seem kind enough not to make them mad." Juvia decided to go along with the man, he seemed kind and if anything happened, Juvia surmised that she could take him out.

XXX

Gray and Briar walked into the cottage, hidden in the forest in a dark clearing. The trees grew taller over here, so less sunlight could get through. The moment they stepped into the door, Briar began to speak.

"Jerome, the last village was no-"

"Maybe we shouldn't quite talk about this here, I have a guest." Jerome interrupted, motioning to the sleeping figure on his couch. Gray looked at the girl, he knew that back, he knew that long blue hair, he knew her.

"Who's that?" Briar's voice broke him out of his trance.

"A girl I found in the woods, she seemed really sick. It's been raining since."

It's definitely her. Gray thought, despite praying that it wasn't.

"Why did you bring her here?"

"Who knows?" He laughed a bit and the body stirred.

"Jerome-san?" She sat up groggily and rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes

"Ah, you're awake. These are my friends I was talking about earlier." Her eyes shifted to see the two people. Gray looked directly at her and their eyes met.

Empty, was the first thing he thought of. Her eyes were so lifeless, like when she was in Phantom Lord, but there was still some fight left in them, some goal she was determined to reach. He noticed that her eyes lingered on him and went wide for a moment, but it was too instantaneous to stand out to the others in the room.

"Juvia is sorry Jerome-san, she must get going. She still has something to do." Her eyes flickered over to Gray as she walked briskly out of the cabin.

XXX

Juvia felt the first tear leave her eye the moment she stepped out of the cottage. She was still sleepy, but that man looked too much like her beloved Gray for her to stay in a room with him.

He left you.

Why would Gray-sama do that after six months with Juvia?

He met someone better. That girl who was with him. She was pretty, confident, and not afraid to show off what she has, unlike you. He left you because you are weak, shy, and you are always covering up everything.

Leave Juvia alone.

How can I do that? I am you. I can't leave you alone.

Juvia tried to shake her internal conflict out of her mind, but a voice inside of her kept tugging at her insecurities.

"He looked so much like Gray-sama…" Juvia frowned and more tears slipped loose, but she never went near the cottage again.

XXX

After making his undercover mission go up in smoke, and being an overall pain in the ass, Natsu just had to keep mentioning Gray's biggest regret-leaving Juvia behind.

Every few minutes he would pipe up with another "you know, asshole, she cried when she saw us. And fainted, that too." Or something else that made Gray feel like the shittiest person alive.

"Natsu, he already feels sorry, look at him."

"Oh, come on Lucy, I thought you were on my side."

"Don't get me wrong, I think he needs to pay as well, but shouldn't we let Juvia decide his punishment?" Gray shivered at the mischievous glint in Lucy's eye.

"Please, don't give her any ideas."

"I won't." Lucy tried to keep the smile off of her face, to no avail.

XXX

"You filthy, two-timing, undercover mole!" Gray continued to fling ice at the woman, unfazed by her insults.

Briar used her clone magic, but the four forms didn't stay for long.

"So, that would make her a love rival?"

Anger, an emotion, and a strong one at that.

With rage-filled eyes, the blue haired girl took out one of the clones. After Gray froze the other three, the water mage threw her arms around his waist.

Her eyes had softened, now holding a look of love as she hugged him.

"I'm sorry, I'll explain everything in detail later, right now…"

"Juvia knows."

He took one last look in her eyes, they were nothing like they had been a few months prior.

XXX

"Juvia, I-"

"Gray-sama doesn't have to keep apologizing. You did it for Juvia's sake she knows that."

"Juvia, I know you're holding something back."

"Here's your necklace." She said in a small voice while she held the silver chain out to him. She continued to put things in bags with her right hand, not looking up at Gray.

"Please look at me." She huffed and turned around, meeting his eyes directly. "What's wrong, Juvia? Please tell me." He grabbed her hands with his own.

"Juvia just wants to finish packing up." She said hesitantly, as if she were trying to convince herself as well.

"I lived with you long enough to know when you're lying Juvia, like when you knocked over that vase baking a cake." The girl laughed, remembering the incident.

"Juvia thought you were goung to be so mad, so she just swept the broken glass under the couch."

"Do you remember how I was fine with it?" Juvia's smile fell.

"Yes, Juvia does."

"Please, tell me what's wrong. Please."

"Juvia was just so worried about Gray-sama." Her tears wasted no time as she began to sob into the man's chest. "She was so scared that you had died! You didn't leave a note or anything! Why didn't you just break Juvia's heart? She would have rathered knowing that you were okay, but you hated her, than not knowing anything! Even after she saw you she wasn't sure if you were okay, or if it was even you! She was so scared."

Gray wrapped his hands around her shaking figure.

"I'm ok Juvia, I promise I will never leave you again." The water mage reciprocated the hug, still crying.

"Gray-sama?"

"Hm?" He pulled away a bit to see her, and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Juvia loves you." The girl said, with a brilliant smile and shining eyes.