A/N: I'm back with another chapter! I think I'm a little late on this update, but I'm seriously trying to keep to updating at least once a week. Anyway, there some major GruVia fluff this chapter. I know some of you have been waiting awhile for this chapter to happen. I want to thank everyone for the reviews and follows/favorites! It makes my day to know that people enjoy what I write. :) Anyway, on to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tale.

Oh, Those Sweet Words

Gray had followed Jack through the doorway beyond the bar and they came out into a storage area. Jack waved for him to follow down a small hallway to a doorway at the end. As they proceeded, it seemed to get a little darker. Gray frowned a little, wondering what was up. He continued to follow the bar owner, but had his guard up, ready to respond to anything that came at him. After entering the doorway, Gray saw that it was just another storage room. Jack went over to a pile of boxes and pulled one off the stack and headed toward a shelf.

"I've got some things to put away, but I'll answer your questions best I can while I work. So what is it you want to know, stranger?" Jack said earnestly, looking to the ice mage. Gray furrowed his brow and frowned a little.

"Well I wanna know what's going on in this damn town. I could tell there were some kind of glamour spells in place. I've seen them used at casinos and resorts to draw people in, but why would they be used in a place like this?" he asked, looking back at Jack.

Jack chuckled and then smiled a bit, shaking his head. "Well son, that would be the work of our fine mayor. You must have a pretty keen eye to notice it. Most folks don't know the difference. Most of the townsfolk aren't even aware of it. The glamours are simply to try to draw new folks to our little town. It's an agricultural settlement, after all. We need more people for it to flourish and grow. The mayor hopes to gain a larger population by using those tired ol' spit and shine spells. No more or less than that. But I refuse to have it cast on my place. This is a neutral zone."

Gray nodded. Jack's explanation had only confirmed what he had already deduced on his own, and it did make sense. He had noticed that Jack's pub didn't have the same feel as other places in town. It was more raw, more organic without that layer of magic sheen over it. That had to be why Gray felt more comfortable there than he had anywhere else in town. But he was still suspicious of this place.

"Now what about this Ojo guy? Who is he?" Gray asked, getting straight to the point.

Jack stopped and looked at Gray, his expression growing serious. The old timer frowned and shook his head. "Now Ojo is a good man. No need to bring him into this."

Gray's eyes narrowed and his mouth set into a deep scowl. "Yeah well he's been gettin' awfully cozy with someone I care about, so I'm curious about what kind of guy he is. And he had no problem getting into my business, you know."

"Well, he's the mayor's nephew. Farmer by trade, and does work for the mayor on occasion. Ojo grew up here in this town, raised by his Mama. Lord, she was the salt of the earth. Sweetest woman these parts have ever known! But she done come down with an awful sickness and passed on shortly after, leaving the boy on his own." Jack said sadly, hanging his head a little. "I'm sure he didn't mean any harm, just seems he's come to fancy that friend of yours. I wouldn't worry about him, though. He's harmless as a fly."

They went to talk for awhile longer, Gray asking various questions and Jack answering them to the best of his ability. But there seemed to be something that he was holding back with. It was almost as though he wanted to tell Gray something more, but he couldn't. The ice wizard couldn't help but notice that there was a certain level of restraint in his answers. He tried rephrasing the questions to see if he got different information, but still Jack seemed to dance around the subject.

Gray did find out that the town's founder had been a wizard and had settled his family here nearly a hundred years prior. They had survived on pumping water from the aqueduct down below by means of magic, and now they were blocked and unable to be used. The whole point of having Juvia there was to try and find a way to fix the blockages and get water pumping through their well system again. Currently the town was living off a limited water supply. The job sounded simple enough and without any sort of suspicious details. But because the bar owner seemed to be holding back, Gray didn't trust everything he said. After a fourth attempt at a certain question, he was growing tired of the song and dance. He glanced at the clock on the far wall. 1:54. He needed to get going so that he could meet Juvia at the inn. He thanked Jack for the talk and excused himself from the back room and made his way out of the bar. As he walked up the street toward the inn, he smiled to himself a bit. Despite his suspicions about this town, he was looking forward to his afternoon with Juvia.

A short distance away, a familiar broad shouldered figure could be seen watching the ice mage as he traveled through town. Unlike Gray, he was definitely not smiling.

.xxx.

Juvia looked into the bathroom mirror one more time. She had already changed her outfit twice and debated several times over as to how she should fix her hair. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was almost time for her to meet Gray downstairs. Did she look alright? Would he like her outfit? She was just so nervous! They were about to have a rather big talk, after all. She wasn't sure what was going to come of it, but she did have hopes that it would turn out well.

She studied her own face for a moment, frowning a little. She never did like the way her nose upturned. And her cheeks always seemed a little too full.. A pout came to her lips as she scrutinized herself further. Why was she being so critical of herself? Gray-sama would just be glad to have her as she is.. Or at least she hoped so. She had never been quite sure on how he felt about her looks, other than acknowledging she had a body that men would be prone to look at and 'get the wrong idea', as he put it. And she knew that he didn't like other men seeing her body. He had made that abundantly clear a long time ago. Though she wouldn't mind showing Gray-sama more of her body… Her cheeks flushed at the thought and she suddenly felt warm thinking of the shirtless ice wizard…

"Goodness! No time for that now Juvia!" she squeaked, scolding herself out loud, her hands pressed to her now pink cheeks. "I must get a hold of myself! I have to meet Gray-sama in a few minutes!"

She fussed over her hair for another minute before deciding to leave it be and leave the bathroom. Smoothing out her dress and taking a deep breath, she glanced over at the bureau mirror and gave herself a firm nod. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. 1:57. Just a few minutes to go! It was now or never… Juvia grabbed the door handle, turned and exited the room, her heart pounding in her ears.

"Oh I'm so nervous!" she murmured to herself as she descended to the first floor, her hand on her chest as she tried to breathe evenly. But it was no use. She was just a bundle of nerves!

When she arrived at the first floor, she saw Gray standing there in the lobby, waiting patiently for her. He greeted her with a smile and a little wave as she approached.

"Hey Juvia. You ready?" he asked. She nodded and smiled at him. "And...um.. You look really nice." The ice mage offered his arm in a very gentlemanly way, taking Juvia by surprise with both the gesture and the compliment. She was beaming from ear to ear as she took his arm.

"Why yes, I am Gray-sama. Where are we off to?" she asked curiously. He smiled at her and gave her a wink.

"Well I thought we'd take a little walk first, so we could find some privacy to talk," he said easily, guiding her out of the inn. She nodded and smiled, agreeing with his decision.

"Yes that would be fine, I would like that," she said as they walked down the sidewalk, passing several buildings as they went. There were a few passersby that eyed them curiously.

As they walked through town, they talked about casual things like the weather and the surrounding atmosphere. They were both wrought with anxiety about the coming discussion. Neither of them knew exactly what the other would have to say. They continued to walk for some time, the town having thinned out to only a few sparse houses along the deserted country road. Gray seemed to have an idea of where they were headed, so she simply followed his lead. After a while they came to a clearing near a large tree, and she noticed that there was a bench beneath it. He led them to it, taking her hand and carefully making sure that she reached the bench safely. Once she was seated, he lowered himself down onto the bench next to her.

"Oh Gray-sama, what a lovely place! How did you know this was here?" she asked incredulously, looking around at the various flowers that bordered the small clearing. It was rather odd to see such a green and lush spot in an otherwise barren landscape.

"I came across it when I was walking yesterday after… well, after, you know," he said awkwardly, his voice dropping off as their eyes met. She gazed at him and saw the upset and worry in his eyes as he stared at her. She could feel it emanating off of him as he leaned closer to her. It was silent for a few minutes and she felt her body tense in response.

"Juvia… I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry, okay?" he blurted out, the words falling out of his mouth. "I get that you're probably really pissed at me for just showing up like this and ruining your job. I just couldn't deal with the idea of you going off like that for so long, you know? I literally couldn't sleep all night because I was so worried about you. I know I've been a real jerk and have kind of been stringing you along for awhile, and you don't deserve that.. You deserve someone who's gonna be straight up with you no matter what and isn't afraid to act when things get serious. And I have never been that guy," he rambled out.

She looked at him, frowning a little. What was he trying to say? She was about to speak when he started again.

"But, I want to be that guy. I want to be everything you need, Juvia. I realized that all this time, I've been pushing you away because I was afraid of hurting you, but all I'm doing is hurting you even more. I've been afraid because every time I care about someone, they disappear, and it's always my fault somehow. And then I thought about during the war, when I thought you were dead…" His voice got quiet for a moment and there was a small hitch in his breath as he went to speak again, surprising her again by grabbing her hand, lacing his fingers between hers.

"When I thought you were dead, everything went black, Juvia. Nothing mattered anymore. They had taken away the one thing that mattered to me most in the world. I didn't care about anything but destroying the people who took you away from me," he said, his voice cracking now, and a tear trickled down his cheek. She gaped at him, completely taken about by his confession and display of emotion. She knew this must be very difficult for him.

"Oh Gray-sama! But I'm fine now! Juvia is right here...with you…" she said urgently, then reaching to gently caress her thumb over his pale cheek, brushing away the tear. "That is all Juvia has ever wanted Gray-sama… to be with you." He smiled at her a little, gently leaning into her touch, her palm now cupping his cheek.

"Juvia has struggled with all of this for a very long time. I have always had faith that one day, we would be together… but then in time, I realized, perhaps you would never want me in that way. Perhaps it would never be, and I needed to accept that. My heart broke at the very notion of this, and I could not stand it any longer. So I took this job in hopes of distancing myself from all of the pain I have been feeling, a way to escape. I am sorry that I worried you, and I do understand that you only came out of concerns. I will not pressure you to make major decisions, Gray-sama. I would merely like to know where we stand" she confessed, frowning a little.

"All you've ever done was love me, and I never appreciated it. I tried to deny it even, but I've known for awhile that there's no way I can deny how I feel about you, Juvia.." he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

She stared back at him, her heart pounding as a thin layer of perspiration sprinkled across her forehead. He drew in closer to her, their eyes fixed upon one another. She stared into the darkness of his ebony eyes, lost in this very moment. Was this it? What was he going to say? Could it be…? She felt like she was going to combust at any second.

"I love you, Juvia," he said in nearly a whisper, his arms circling around her waist, no sparing a moment as he pulled her in close to him.

Her chest was pressed close to his, her arms falling around his shoulders, her head instinctively tilting just a bit to the side as he drew closer to her. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her soft, waiting lips, her heart now pounding in her ears. And then it happened.

His lips crashed down upon hers, delving her deep into a state of absolute bliss. She returned his hungry kiss with great fervor and enthusiasm. Several moments passed before either of them came up for air, all of their love and emotion being poured into those kisses. The young lovers were caught in a world of their own, everything and anyone else now part of a silent, distant void. They eventually parted, both nearly gasping to catch their breath.

"I love you, Gray-sama," Juvia said, her voice barely above a whisper, and he kissed her again, but more gently this time. Their lips exchanged soft, breathy caresses, evoking a wealth of emotion in her.

She couldn't believe that he had said it… and she had really heard it this time! It wasn't a dream or fantasy… Gray-sama had said he loved her! And they shared an amazing, enrapturing first kiss. Juvia had dreamed of this moment over and over again in her head, hoping and praying that one day it would come true. Never had she imagined that it would be so amazing as this. Nothing she had ever dreamed up could compare to the real thing… and that was the best part. It was REAL! So very real… Oh if there were a dream, she did not want to ever wake up. She would sleep for a thousand years if it meant that this would be the reality she lived in from that day forward.

But fortunately for them, it was most certainly real, and he meant every word of it. She loved him so very much, and now she would finally have a chance to show him that. Who knows what their future could hold!

"But one thing Juves… can you drop the sama crap? I don't mean to sound harsh or anything, but it feels so formal, you know? I mean, if you're gonna be my girl, I don't want you addressing me so stiff and ridged like," he said uncomfortably. She just smiled a little and nodded.

"I promise to work on that. But it may take me a little while to get used to. But Juvia promises, Gray-sa- I mean, Gray," she said with a shy smile. He grinned back at her and then leaned in to kiss her chastely on the lips.

"You're awesome," he said, reaching up and caressing her cheek with his thumb, and she giggled a little. She couldn't help it. It was so new and different for Gray to be so affectionate toward her. While it wasn't the first time she had seen a softer side of the ice wizard, he had never been so open and willing with it. And then it clicked-

"Wait.. did you just say something about being your girl?" she asked, her eyes widening. He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well you know, if you want to be and all," he said hurriedly, shifting his eyes down and away, but then peeking back at her. "So… do you want to be my girl, Juvia?"

The water mage squealed in delight, feeling her heart nearly explode in her chest. He had just asked her out! He really asked her out! And not just for a date…. But to be his GIRL! She couldn't believe it! This was….amazing. What a day!

"Juvia?"

She looked at him, alarmed, blinking several times. And then she realized that she had yet to answer him in actual words. Thus far her response had only been unintelligible squeals and squeaks.

"Oh yes! Yes I would love to be your girl!" she said, flinging her arms around him and throwing herself at him, nearly toppling both of them over. "My darling Gray!"

He chuckled heartily, grabbing a hold of her the best he could, still trying to maintain his balance. She kissed him again gently, but excitedly. In this last short while… her dreams of Gray-sama had finally come true. He loved her… he wanted her. He was finally facing his fears and giving them a real chance.

They embraced fully and stood there for a long time, just holding one another. It was a comfortable, gentle silence, and they were reveling in the moment. This had been a long time coming and for the first time in her life, Juvia felt free. Not just because Gray had confessed his love or that they were exchanging affections.. It was because, finally after all this time, someone fought for her. Usually it was her fighting for everyone else… but this time, he sought her out, proved himself to her. And now they were officially together.

When they finally pulled apart, Gray's expression turned serious as he looked at her. A little confused, Juvia looked at him searchingly. He hated to put a damper on the moment, but there were other things they needed to talk about before they headed back into town. He was still concerned about this job she had taken on. And he wanted to share everything he had learned about the town.

"Gray-sa- um, Gray? What's wrong darling?" she asked, her eyes shining with concern. He smiled a little, trying to ease her worry a little.

"Nothing, just, I want to talk to you about some stuff before we head back, that's all," he explained, guiding them back to the bench to sit down. She nodded and looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Well, first of all, have you noticed anything weird about this place? How everything seems to be so perfect and accommodating? Well they use something called glamour spells to trick people into thinking things are way better than they actually are."

Juvia thought about it for a moment and realized that she had noticed little things that seemed awfully coincidental and almost ridiculously perfect. She also remembered the unexplained and overwhelming feeling of comfort that she felt while she was here. And then she thought about the strange feelings that had come over her the other night… the pulling sensation. Her eyes widened..

"Oh my goodness! Gray-sama! I felt it after we argued and I was feeling vexed about the whole situation… I kept wavering between anger and upset, I felt myself being pulled at… it was the strangest sensation.. Could that have been the magic you're talking about?" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock.

The ice wizard nodded grimly, clearing his throat nervously after her example.

"Uh yeah, that was probably it. Anyway, so this place is already trying to fool you from the get-go. I was talking to Jack, he runs the pub here in town.. And he was telling me that it's just the mayor trying to attract newcomers, but there's something he's not telling me. I dunno Juvia.. I don't like this place. It gives me the creeps," he said firmly hands on his hips.

Juvia considered everything for a moment. The mayor did seem like a questionable fellow… though it was understandable that he would want to attract new people to their settlement. However, it seemed a bit dishonest to use hidden magic in order to do so. She had even been duped by it. Well no more. Now that she was aware of it, she would be able to approach the situation with a much clearer head. When she thought about it, she had done a number of things that were out of character and really rather odd.

"Ojo…" she said suddenly. It dawned on her. The way she had behaved with Ojo had been very strange indeed. She had not been able to explain the way she felt around him at times, and it never quite made sense, as she barely knew him at all. But now she felt a bit hurt that he had led her under false pretenses. In the very least, they could have notified her about the magic being used on the town at large.

"Yeah, him. What about him?" he asked coolly, looking a little annoyed at the mention of the other man's name. She tried not to smile at the hint of jealousy in his voice. Her darling should know better than that…

"Oh, I was just remembering that- oh! Oh goodness, Gray! There's something I need to show you! It had to do with my job and I need your help!" she suddenly exclaimed, remember what she had found in the library earlier that day. "Could we go back to the inn so I can show you?"

He smiled at her, nodding. "Of course we can. Let's go check this out." They smiled at one another, lacing their fingers together and heading back into town.

Once they reached the inn, they went straight upstairs together, bypassing a very curious innkeeper and her smiling daughter. Once they entered Juvia's room, she went for the book that she had checked out in the library. She turned to the pages that she had put in a marker for and pointed it out to Gray before reading the description aloud.

"This! This sounds like exactly what we encountered in the mines the other day! Have you heard of them before? It says in the book that they are best known in the area close to where you are originally from, if my memory serves me correctly," she said quickly, looking at him.

"Yeah, I've heard of them, but no one has ever actually seen one. I mean, look at the book Juves- Mythical Beasts and Legendary Creatures- meaning not real, right?" he said, shaking his head as he looked at the book.

"I realize that, but this is all I have to go on right now. Whatever it is fits this description almost exactly. And besides, the creatures in this book aren't all completely mythical. At one point people though the great white wyvern was a myth, but it wasn't not was it? I think perhaps I will have to go back down into the mines to research this further," she said, looking back to the book. Gray stiffened.

"I don't like you going down there alone, especially if there's something weird down there. I know you can handle yourself, but it sounds pretty dangerous," he said, the tension in his voice evident.

She turned to him and stepped closer, resting her hands on his chest and looking up into his eyes, trying with all her might to assuage any fears he might have. His eyes were filled concerned as he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Oh Gray, I'll be fine, I promise. And well, since you're here, perhaps you could go down there with me. I'm sure the mayor would be happy to have another Fairy Tail wizard on the job!" she said cheerfully, smiling brightly at him. Gray's expression lightened at her suggestion, giving way to a small smile.

"Oh hey, yeah I'll do that. I have no problem going down there with you. Maybe I can help you deal with whatever is "haunting" the mines" he said, nodding enthusiastically. "And maybe we should meet with this mayor guy again, give me a chance to size him up."

They agreed that they would go to see the mayor early the next day before arranging for another venture down into the mines. Juvia was almost certain that this would involve Ojo at some point, as he had consistently been present throughout most of the job thus far. She hoped that there would be no uncomfortable tension between the men. Gray was already wary of Ojo, though he had proved to be nothing but a kind, helpful man. Regardless, she hoped that they could make some progress the next day and get on their way to solving this mystery.

The newfound couple decided to spend the evening together with a quiet dinner and time to talk. It would be their first official evening as a couple and Juvia felt happier than she had ever been. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her beloved Gray, her smiling beaming brighter than a thousand suns. What the couple didn't know was that there were prying eyes upon them once more, waiting and watching. They were right when they believed that more was going on beneath the surface than they had originally been made aware.

Things were about to get interesting in the quiet farming community of Montil.

Gray and Juvia fluffs galore! They FINALLY got together! And the kiss! Omg- was that a long time coming or what?! I hope it wasn't TOO fluffy, but still fluffy enough. Please let me know what you think! And someone is still watching them...what's going on this is whacked out town? More to come next time!

And now the responses to reviews:

Grace Buckley: No problem! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story! I'll try to keep up with doing frequent updates.

Martygruvialover: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and feel satisfied with the progress. I'm trying to keep things going at a steady pace. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Gruvia101: Thank you so much! I really appreciate your continued support. :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too.

Darkhope: Thank you! I've been trying hard to keep things on pace and in character. Really glad that you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think of the next one!