Hello, people. So, we're almost reaching the end of this first part of the story. I'd say we can divide Connections in Two Parts: Pre-Gruvia and Post-Gruvia. Don't think that just because those two are getting together very soon that the drama is over, there's a LOT more to come.
I haven't received any reviews regarding the other couples and I can't tell if you just don't care what happens to them. I'll continue to add scenes with them because it's important to develop all the main characters, not just Gray and Juvia. I want everyone to have a chance to shine in this story.
Beginning with the next chapter, this story will stop following the anime episodes correctly. I will be choosing a few that I like, but we're not going to be using any story arcs for a while. I want Gruvia to have a few mostly happy and tranquil chapters before everything goes down.
Now, for the shoutouts:
light is in the dark: So am I! It's way past time for them to get together. For this first time, I'm not stressing myself at all. Since I'm already two chapters ahead in this story, I'm not worrying too much. And it's so much fun to write it, all the time I just want to see a new chapter finished.
Yes, their friendship is something I wish we could have seen more in the anime. Here I plan on developing it and also Gray and Silver's relationship will be reestablished soon.
Ichya? Now that's a desperate attempt. Nope, that guy won't even appear in the story.
Martygruvialover: Yes, very soon. It's just how Gray's like, I think on the anime he thought the same and that's why he rejected Juvia in the Grand Banquet episode, he was scared of losing her.
Good, those two are like the second main couple here besides Jerza.
Yes. This story is all about the connections between people, hence the title. So you'll be seeing connections between Juvia and many characters.
It's not Ur, she won't appear yet. Nice try, though.
Guest: Thank you :) Worry not, the moment is close.
Wow. This chapter turned out way longer than I had planned. Good luck reading it!
Back To December-Taylor Swift
Because the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind
You gave me roses and I left them there to die
So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you saying I'm sorry for that night
And I go back to December all the time
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right
I go back to December all the time
1 week later..
After the battle against the dragons who came through the Eclipse Gate was over, the guild wizards remained in town to aid in its reconstruction. So many houses had been destroyed by the dragons or wizards who fought them, so they easily agreed to help. Fairy Tail members worked specially hard since most of the destruction was because of them.
Now, 1 week after the events, a ball was held at the castle as a way for the king to thank all the brave mages who defended the city. All of the guild members were invited and they were happily drinking, eating and dancing at the palace. Most were happy that the Games were over and so was the danger, but one was not. Gray Fullbuster stood by the food's table, a look of longing in his eyes as he stared at Juvia Lockser. She was currently sitting on a table between Cana and Lisanna, who talked excitedly while she merely watched, seeming uninterested.
"You should talk to her." He turned to his right only to find Lucy had approached him. She wore a pink gown that matched her guild mark on her hand.
"Hey, Lucy. Are you enjoying the party?" He completely ignored her words and she raised an eyebrow.
"Don't avoid the subject. I don't know exactly what's going on between you two, but I can clearly see you're both unhappy. So, go talk to her." He sighed deeply.
"I can't." She seemed taken aback. "We're not on speaking terms right now." He tried, but she looked unconvinced.
"I honestly can't gather why. Is it because of Lyon?" They glanced towards the table where Lamia Scale was staying and were surprised by Lyon's absence. Gray guessed he must not be in a celebrating mood considering it had only been a week since he had decided to move on from Juvia.
"No, there's nothing going on between him and Juvia." Gray looked back at her and Lucy seemed happy.
"So why aren't you with her right now?" She asked curiously. "You two kissed during the last day, quite an amazing kiss if you ask me, and then you've been avoiding her. You can't keep acting like this, Gray, I know you have feeling for her." He once again avoided her eyes. Of course, to his friends, it looked like they should be happily together by then. But they didn't know what had happened during the dragon's attack, weren't aware of the sacrifice Gray had made and the consequences of it.
"It doesn't matter. I have to stay away from her, it's better this way." Before Lucy could question him, a new voice was heard.
"There you are, Luce. I've been looking all over for you." Natsu cheerfully said as he approached the duo. He was dressed in a fancy suit, like most Fairy Tail male members were. Even Gray was fully clothed so far, he wore a blue and white suit that made him look like a prince.
"Hey there, Natsu." He greeted his old friend and Natsu gave him a bright smile.
"Hey there, ice princess. Glad to see you're keeping your clothes on tonight." Lucy glared at her boyfriend.
"Are you already trying to start a fight?" He gulped under her intense gaze and shook his head.
"No, of course not." Her glare didn't falter, so he laughed nervously before extending his hand. "Would you like to dance, milady?" He asked sweetly while giving her a charming smile and Lucy couldn't help but to smile as well.
"I would love to." She then turned to Gray, who watched them with a tight smile. "You, don't go running off, ok? This conversation isn't over." Natsu stared between the two of them curiously.
"I just need a break from this party. I'll take a walk around the palace." He told them before walking away. He soon found himself opening a door to a long corridor. As soon as he was alone, he sighed. Staying away from Juvia was harder than he had imagined and it didn't help that their friends kept trying to get them together. He would need to think of a better plan if he wished to keep this up.
"Hey." Gajeel said as he spotted Levy at a table, writing. He had been looking for her ever since the party had began, concerned that she hadn't showed up yet. He wasn't too surprised to spot her sitting on a table, writing.
"Hey, Gajeel." She let go of the feather and looked back with a bright smile.
"So, skipping the party to do a little writing, huh?" He asked, smirking. She blushed a bit before responding.
"Yeah. Nerdy, right?" She questioned and he shrugged.
"Nah. You're just a rebel." She knew that when it came to him, that was the closest thing to a compliment, so she smiled.
"I guess I am." He approached her until he was right in front of her and she stood up.
"Is everything okay, Levy? I get the feeling you've been avoiding me." It was true. Ever since the dragons had been defeated and everyone had been reunited, Levy had been finding distractions to keep her occupied and they had barely spend any time together. Gajeel was confused since he didn't have a clue to anything he might have done to upset her.
"I've been busy, that's all." She answered and he raised eyebrows. She wasn't exactly the greatest liar.
"That's not true. Come on, why are you mad at me?" He asked in frustration and turned her back on him, choosing to stare out the window instead.
"I'm not mad at you. I just… I was so scared." She admitted and he looked confused.
"Scared of what?" He could hear her sniffling and Gajeel internally groaned. Oh, how he hated dealing with crying women.
"Back with the dragons…You took one of them all by yourself." Her voice shook as she tried to control her tears. "I was terrified that you weren't going to make it." Damn it. She was crying. Because of him. There was no way he could just ignore that, his heart wasn't made of stone.
"Hey, look at me." He touched her shoulder and she stiffened, but didn't move. With a sigh, Gajeel used a bit of force to turn her around. Seeing her big brown eyes brimming with tears made him feel like a jerk, even if it wasn't necessarily his fault.
"I'm right here, aren't I? I handled that dragon just fine, don't know why you thought I couldn't take it." He felt a bit offended that she would worry about him, he was tough, he could handle it. Besides, he wasn't exactly used to people worrying about him. Except for Juvia, she had the bad habit of being too paranoid when it came to his well being.
"I know you could take anything, but it was a dragon. They're dangerous and I didn't… I didn't want to lose you." She admitted with a sigh and Gajeel looked away from her in order to hide the smile on his face. Her words brought a warmth, a happiness he was only getting used to.
"You shouldn't worry about me, it's a waste of time and annoying too." He replied grumpily and Levy looked at him more seriously than ever.
"Sorry to break it to you, but that's no longer an option." She firmly told him and he was surprised.
"Well, I guess I'll just have to live with it then." They shared smiles and before he knew what was happening, she had wrapped her arms around his torso in a tight hug. He considered pulling away, but decided against it. Although he would never admit it, Gajeel had been worried sick about her and was relieved that she was safe.
"Promise me you won't do something like this again." She whispered after he had wrapped his own arms around her awkwardly.
"I can't promise you that." His tone wasn't harsh, but somehow she started crying again. "I'm sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He started panicking and Levy pulled apart, a hand drying her tears.
"It's okay, I'm just so tired. And worried." She sobbed and in the back of his mind he tried to think of Juvia and what she would do in this situation. She was good at comforting people.
"Well, the worst is over now, so how about we go to that party?" He extended a hand and she took it, both smiling at each other. It was in that moment that Gray Fullbuster showed up.
"What are you doing here, stripper?" Gajeel quickly retracted his hand while looking over Levy's shoulder and the bluenette turned around.
"I was just taking a walk." Gray replied simply, looking upset.
"Is everything okay?" Levy asked him gently and he forced a smile, arms crossed over his chest.
"Fine." He answered and Gajeel laughed, crossing his own arms.
"Don't give me that shit! You look like you haven't slept in days." Levy cast him a firm look, but he ignored her.
"Do you have a problem with me or something?" Gray asked him while raising an eyebrow.
"You can bet I do! Look, I don't know what the hell you're doing, but if you don't fix things with Juvia tonight, I won't be held responsible for my actions." He threatened and Gray looked broken at the simple mention of her name.
"We're not talking right now, so we won't be fixing anything." He told Gajeel, voice shaking a bit. Levy looked even more worried at his clear distress while the dragon slayer was getting angrier.
"You have to fix it!" He yelled in Gray's face. "She has been miserable, but she refused to talk to me. And I know you're the reason she's hurting." The ice mage looked hurt, but didn't say anything.
"You've been avoiding her, but I don't understand why. I thought things had improved between you two." Levy told him, curiously. She knew it wasn't really her business, but Juvia and Gray were both good friends and she hated seeing them miserable.
"They haven't." Gray answered simply and turned to walk away, but Gajeel grabbed his arm.
"Look, only 10 days ago you told me that you loved her. And now she's suffering and you're not willing to do anything about it? What the hell happened, Gray?" It was the first time since they had known each other that Gajeel called him by his name. An awkward silence followed before Gray broke it.
"I had a change of heart." Gray didn't turn back so that they wouldn't see how much it hurt him to say those lies.
"Bullshit!" The dragon slayer saw right through it, he knew something was off. And since Juvia refused to talk about it, perhaps Gray could put some light into the situation.
"I have to agree with Gajeel. I doubt your feelings would change so suddenly." Levy commented and Gray finally looked at them. They were surprised by how broken he seemed. He sure had been doing a great job at hiding it for the past few days.
"Would you please spot bothering me?! This is already hard enough, the last thing I need is to hear how much Juvia's suffering or to have you two meddling in our relationship." Gray screamed and there was so much pain in his tone. Levy was taken aback, but Gajeel only looked more determined.
"Okay, that's it!" He said before he grabbed Gray his collar and pressed him agains the wall.
"Gajeel!" Levy yelled in warning and he ignored her.
"You are going to talk to Juvia, right now. I don't care if it's hard for you or if your feelings have changed, you two will be talking." Gray looked a bit scared and Gajeel sighed before letting him go. "She has been having nightmares, hasn't been eating and she's barely talked to me or anyone. She needs you and if you're too much of a jerk to let her suffer, then I won't hold back anymore from kicking your sorry ass!"
"Fine." Gray sighed. "I'll talk to her." He finally agreed. He knew that the moment he saw her, the moment he was close enough to touch her, he would wish for nothing more than to hold her in his arms. He knew it was a mistake, he wouldn't be strong enough to resist her and would fail to keep her safe. But she needed him and there was no way in hell Gray would let her continue to suffer. He would make things right, without revealing his feelings. Unknown to either of them, his true feelings would indeed be revealed and everything would change that night.
"So, what was this about with Gray?" Natsu asked as he and Lucy were dancing to the slow tune.
"I was trying to get him to talk to Juvia, seems like things really have gone south with these two." She replied before sighing in frustration.
"Yeah, I noticed he's been avoiding her." Natsu commented as he spun her around and they glanced towards the table where Juvia was. She looked just as unhappy as Gray. Her hands were folded on her lap and she was barely paying attention to the conversation between Cana, Mira and Lisanna.
"She looks so unhappy, which doesn't make sense since last I heard she was in a happy relationship with Lyon." Lucy said and Natsu shook his head.
"I don't think they're together, he would be here if they were." Natsu added and they looked towards the table where Lyon's friends were. He was still absent from the party, which was weird.
"His absence doesn't make sense." Lucy said before she let herself fall to the side, Natsu's arm holding her in place. When she was back on her feet, both arms wrapped around his neck, she frowned.
"What is it?" He asked and she explained her theory.
"I think you might be right, Gray told me that nothing going on between them."
"So I guess the question is why isn't he with her, if she's available and Erza told us he's in love with her as well." Natsu completed her thought and she nodded.
"As I said, doesn't make sense." She said and he smirked.
"When does anything about Gray makes sense?" He replied, hoping to change the subject.
"This is just so frustrating, why can't they just get together already?!" She frowned deeply and he sighed.
"I don't know, Lucy. I ain't no expert in this romantic stuff." He replied and she smiled at him.
"Well, I have to admit that you're doing very well for a rookie." She told him and he smirked before pulling her closer so that they could kiss. By then it had been 10 days since their friends had found out that they were together and though they had overwhelmed the young couple at first, they quickly understood that Natsu and Lucy preferred to be left alone. So things hadn't changed as much as they had expected since the reveal that they were dating and they were glad for that.
"Thank you." Lucy told him after they pulled apart and he raised an eyebrow.
"For what?" He questioned and she smiled, a hand gently cupping his cheek.
"For trying to cheer me up." He smiled sweetly at her.
"Anything for you. Luce." She leaned in so that they could kiss again and this time, when they pulled apart, a smile was back on her face. However, once her eyes found Juvia, who said had stood up and said something to Cana before leaving the room, it fell.
"What is it?" Natsu asked before his gaze followed hers. "She's leaving already?" He muttered.
"That's not a good sign. We need to find Gray." Lucy told him and he shook his head.
"No, we shouldn't be meddling so much." He attempted to reason with her, but Lucy was determined.
"You heard what future me said. We can't let things end that way." She turned to him with concerned eyes and Natsu sighed.
"There's one more thing I would like to mention." Future Lucy had said after she had explained the situation with the dragons and the eclipse.
"What is it?" Lucy had asked her curiously and she had sighed.
"I came here to change the past. And there is one thing I feel is too important to be left forgotten despite the dragons' attack being the imminent threat." Everyone had stared at her in confusion.
"Okay. So what else do you want to change?" Mira had asked her and future Lucy had bit her lip, looking unsure.
"I don't know if I should, it's really not my place." Seeing her indecision, Natsu had stepped closer to her and put a comforting arm on her shoulder.
"Come on, Lucy. Don't worry, whatever you say can stay a secret if you want." He encouraged and she smiled.
"Okay." She had agreed. "It's about Gray." This had sparkled the curiosity of all members and even Happy and Carla, who had been whispering to one another, stopped to look at her expectantly.
"What about him?" Lucy had felt her heart beating faster with worry. According to what they knew about the future, many people had died.
"He was an idiot, if you ask me. I clearly recall how he found out he loved Juvia, but never did anything about it." This had Natsu and Lucy rolling their eyes.
"I'm not surprised." The fire dragon slayer had scoffed and Mira had spoken next.
"Is this what you wish to change? Do you want us to encourage him to go after Juvia?" She had already done that and it hadn't worked so well. Not when Juvia was dating Lyon.
"I thought you and Erza already told him to go after Juvia, but it didn't work." Natsu commented and Mira nodded.
"She's dating Lyon." She had explained to future Lucy, who stared at them with wide eyes.
"Really? So it's exactly like last time." She had muttered and the look in her eyes did nothing to calm their racing hearts.
"What happened with them, Lucy?" Wendy had voiced the question in their minds.
"It was horrible. So many lives were lost in this battle, but with them it was much worse." She had sighed deeply as they waited for her to continue. "They stayed together during the battle, since they had fought together that day. I didn't see what happened, but Gray told me about it later. They were attacked by the dragons and Lyon lost his life trying to protect Juvia. She was heartbroken, so she got distracted and wasn't unable to stop an attack coming her way. Gray told me he tried to save her, but wasn't able to reach her in time. She was killed right before his eyes." There was only silence at the end of her tale.
"This is…" Wendy said and Mira completed.
"Horrible." They both were nearly crying.
"So he lost her." Lucy muttered, her heart tying in a knot. She could only imagine how much pain Gray must have felt losing her like that.
"And he never told her that he loved her. That's what I want to change most." Future Lucy told them and Natsu nodded.
"Don't worry, if we survive this, we'll make sure that Gray does tell her." She smiled at him, but Lucy remembered the elephant in the room.
"What about Lyon? She's dating him, remember?" She reminded them and Mira sighed.
"Even so, she deserves to know Gray's true feelings." They had agreed then, to make sure Gray and Juvia at least got to talking so that he could confess. It hadn't worked so far, not with him avoiding her and Juvia keeping her distance as well.
"I don't know what else we can do, Lucy. We already tried to get him to talk to her and it didn't work. There's only so much we can do in this situation." Natsu replied and both sighed. That was when, as if summoned, Gray Fullbuster approached them, followed closely by Gajeel and Levy.
"Do you know where she is?" He asked them quickly and the couple was stunned.
"She is…" Lucy turned to the table where Juvia had been sitting before she remembered. "She left a few minutes ago."
"Great. Guess we're gonna have to do this later." Gray said and turned to walk away, but Gajeel glared at him darkly so he froze.
"Not so fast, stripper." He glanced at the couple. "Do you know where she went?" Natsu and Lucy shook their heads.
"No, but we're dragon slayers. Finding her should be easy." Natsu replied with a shrug and Gajeel smirked.
"That's right. Go on, Fullbuster." He pushed Gray a bit and the ice mage almost fell, but managed to stay up. Natsu and Lucy, curious about where this was going, decided to follow them outside.
"So, how did you manage to persuade him to go talk to her?" Lucy asked Levy quietly while walking with her best friend on one side and Natsu on the other.
"Gajeel has his ways." Levy replied simply and they understood.
"How are things between you two, by the way? Have you talked?" Lucy asked pointedly and Levy nodded.
"Things are okay." She gave another simple answer. Before Lucy could question her further, they heard a familiar voice.
"What are you guys doing here?" Erza asked while staring at them with raised eyebrows.
"We're looking for Juvia." Lucy answered and Erza's face broke out into a knowing smile as she looked at Gray.
"That's great. She went towards the palace gardens." She pointed and the group followed in that direction, Erza happily joining them. Gray was looking more uncomfortable by the seconds as they reached her, probably because of the number of people who would be witnessing his conversation with Juvia.
"Can't you guys go back to the party? There's no need for you to stay and watch." He told them and Gajeel was quick to shake his head.
"No, I don't trust you. I want to make sure you are going to talk to her and tell her everything." There was a threatening glint in his eyes and Gray gulped.
"Fine." He let out a sigh just as they reached a great oak tree where there were two people having an argument.
"I swear to Mavis, if you even think about mentioning to Mira about this…" It was Evergreen, scolding a very uncomfortable looking Elfman.
"What are you two doing here?" Erza asked with a knowing smirk and they looked at the group with widened eyes.
"I could ask the same." Evergreen replied angrily, she was clearly unhappy about something. They took quick notice of her messy hair and Elfman's discarded blazer not far from where they were.
"We came to find Juvia." Gray whispered, knowing she was close and not wanting her to hear them. This was going to be awkward enough without her knowing that their friends would be there too.
"She's over there. Walked past us a few minutes ago, I think she's waiting for someone." Elfman told them while pointing at the tree, letting them know she was on the other side. Thankfully, there was a lot of loose foliage, so they would be able to spot what happened without being seen. The group quickly circled the tree and placed themselves on a good watching spot.
"There she is. Go, stripper." Gajeel said after they spotted the bluenette with her back to them. She wore a light blue gown and her hair was let down. Even if her back was turned, Gray knew she looked beautiful.
The iron dragon slayer gave Gray a light push and the ice mage looked around unsurely. However, before he could get out of their hiding spot and go to Juvia, she spoke.
"Thank you for coming." They looked at each other in confusion, eyes widening, before realizing there was someone else there, who appeared to be the person she had been waiting for.
"Of course." It was Lyon. Gray could see he was a little disheveled, hair messy and shirt not properly buttoned.
"I needed to talk to someone and you're the only one I can discuss this with." Lyon sighed after hearing her words.
"So I guess it's related to what happened during the dragons invasion." The bluenette confirmed with a nod.
"I know we agreed never to talk about it, as Gray requested. I understand that he didn't want our friends to worry or make a bigger deal out of it, but I can't stop thinking about it." Lyon gave her a sympathetic smile. The others cast Gray confused looks that he ignored as he cursed under his breath. Bringing them here was a terrible idea, now he wouldn't be able to avoid talking about his death. Gray was barely aware that he had removed his blazer and started unbuttoning his shirt.
"I understand, Juvia. It hasn't left my mind as well." Lyon replied and Gray was surprised he had been thinking about it. Never would he have assumed that his death would affect the older ice mage as much as it clearly did.
"I know it wasn't just a vision, that he was really gone…" She paused and took a deep breath. "I can't forgive myself." Erza looked at Gray with widened eyes and he sighed. He knew Juvia would keep blaming herself for his death, he had wanted to convince her not to do so but he couldn't approach her.
"Will you stop stripping for once?" Natsu whispered angrily and Gray realized his shirt had fallen by the dragon slayer's feet. The ice mage blushed a bit, but remained silent, focused on the ongoing conversation.
"It wasn't your fault." Lyon told Juvia gently, but she shook her head. By now she had turned around so they could see her face and the pain in her eyes made Gray's heart break even more.
"It was. I was paralyzed. If I had moved out of the way or used my magic to cancel it, he wouldn't need to sacrifice himself." Her last words left everyone staring at Gray wide-eyed. No one said anything, though, knowing it wasn't the right time.
"You know Gray, Juvia. He would have done it anyways." Lyon laughed bitterly and Juvia shook her head.
"No, he wouldn't. He's not that stupid to sacrifice himself for no reason." Lyon looked at her in shock. Gray continued ignoring the disbelieving looks he was getting from his friends.
"For no reason? Are you kidding me?" Juvia was startled by Lyon's sudden change of attitude. "Juvia, do you seriously not see it?" He added after calming himself down a bit.
"See what?" She asked, clearly confused. Gray's heart was beating wildly as he considered what Lyon was saying. Did the older ice mage know about his true feelings?
"He loves you." Lyon said so simply and Juvia stared at him open mouthed while Erza, Lucy and Natsu were smirking.
"Well, someone's said it."The red head muttered and Gray blushed, avoiding all the stares he was getting from his friends. His hands nervously began finding with his belt, but Gajeel's glare made him stop. He knew that stripping anymore wouldn't do him any good.
"That's not true." Juvia's reply surprised them greatly. They would assume she would be thrilled to hear these words, not skeptical as she seemed.
"Of course it's true. I don't know why you don't seem to want to believe it. " Lyon's reply had her avoiding his gaze while biting her lip. Gray was left immensely confused as well, he hadn't thought that pretending not to love her would work out so well. Juvia was usually so insistent when it came to their feelings that he was surprised she had so quickly assumed he couldn't love her. What he was unaware of is that Juvia did notice how his feelings for her seemed to have deepened, but she chose to ignore it.
"He can't." She said after a few moments of silence and he raised an eyebrow.
"Juvia, I've known Gray for years. When I say that he's in love with you, I am sure of it." The older ice mage said firmly and she shook her head.
"Even if he is, doesn't matter. I have to stay away from him." She looked back at him and Lyon seemed taken aback. Gray noticed Gajeel looked more confused than ever, as did Erza. He was sure everyone must be wondering why Juvia had decided to stay away from him, it was so uncharacteristic of her.
"Why? I'm confused. I thought you'd be happy to hear it, but you look as if you've just learned someone died." The ice mage inquired and Juvia looked broken, her voice was hoarse when she answered and tears were brimming at her eyes.
"He died. Because of me." Before Lyon could protest, she continued. "Don't tell me it's not my fault, I know it is. And he wasn't the first one." Those words left everyone holding their breaths in anticipation.
"You mean…" Lyon said after gulping and Juvia started fidgeting with the hem of her dress, avoiding his eyes.
"My mother was the first. I was very sick, almost dying, and she did everything she could to save me. In the end, she needed to do a blood transfusion, but since she was pregnant then, it weakened her too much. She died a few days later after giving birth to my brother." There was only silence as they tried to comprehend her words. Unknown to anyone, that was only the first bomb shell that would be dropped that night.
"Did you know about this?" Levy whispered to Gajeel, who didn't look as surprised as the others.
"Yeah, she told me about it a while ago." He replied and Gray felt jealous that she didn't confide in him about her mother's death. But he couldn't blame her, he had never given her any reason to confide in him about anything.
"I am so sorry, Juvia." Lyon finally recovered from the shock and he attempted to hug her, but she shook her head.
"I don't need comfort, it's been a long time, so I've moved on. I only brought it up so you'd understand why I need to stay away from Gray." She stared at him with determined eyes and Gray almost felt like laughing at the irony of the situation.
"I see. So you think what happened with the dragons was a sign that he'll get hurt if you two get too close." Lyon said and Juvia stared at him in shock.
"How did you figure it out so quickly?" She asked and he laughed humorlessly.
"Because I know that's what Gray is thinking right now. You two are so similar it's uncanny. You've both decided to stay away from each other since you think it's the only way to keep each other safe." She looked at him with uncertainty, disbelieving his words.
"Looks like you're not the only one who's an idiot." Gajeel whispered to the younger ice mage and Gray ignored him. He also ignored Erza's smirk.
"Give him a break, he was trying to keep her safe." Lucy said while giving Gray a sympathetic smile.
"Yeah, but he chose the stupidest way to do it. I know I would never stay away from you." Natsu butted in, giving Lucy a charming smile that she returned before they kissed. The others ignored the happy couple.
"You have to talk to her, Gray." Erza spoke firmly while also quietly so Juvia and Lyon wouldn't hear them. Gajeel remained silent, but the look he gave the ice mage said enough.
"I can't." Was Gray's simple reply and Evergreen tsked.
"Iron man is right, you're being idiotic. A man who wants to protect his love should never let her out of his sight." Gray was immensely surprised that even someone who barely knew him was lecturing him.
"Yes, you need to be a real man and go get your woman!" Elfman added.
"Will you stop pushing me? I'm not going after her!" Gray protested, but they were having none of it. Before he could understand what was happening, he had been pushed by Gajeel and fell on his butt. Right in front of Lyon.
"Gray? What are you doing here?" The older man looked at him in suspicion and surprise.
"Nothing." Gray replied quickly before pulling himself up. His gaze met Juvia's and he was overwhelmed by the pain in her eyes. "Juvia, I need to talk to you." He would keep his vow to stay away from her, but right now she needed him. She needed his comfort and reassurance that it wasn't her fault. He couldn't let her keep blaming herself for his death, specially when he saw how much it had hurt her.
"Can't you see I'm busy now?" Her icy response surprised him. "But since you are here, could you deliver this to Gajeel?" Her eyes softened and he watched in shock as she placed her hands inside her low-cut dress and pulled out a blue envelope.
"What is this?" He questioned, attempting to avoid gazing towards the spot where her hands had been. Lyon seemed to be doing the same, a light blush coloring his cheeks.
"A letter. It should explain my whereabouts for the next few days so he won't worry." Juvia replied, seeming unaware of their attempt not to stare at her chest. Gray's eyes widened as her words sank in.
"Wait, you're leaving?" There was an unsettling feeling in his stomach as he considered the possibility of her leaving. It would certainly make avoiding her easier, but Gray didn't want her to go.
"Yes. I need to have some quiet time. Alone." She firmly said before extending her hand with the letter. He didn't take it.
"I can understand that. Where are you going?" He questioned curiously. Lyon stared between the two of them silently.
"Home." Juvia replied simply and they were both confused. She had grown up in an orphanage, from what she had told her friends, so where would she go? Back to Oak Town?
"Okay. Have a nice trip, then." Gray decided against questioning it. That would show interest and he needed to make her believe that he had no interest in her. He needed her to give up on him so that avoiding her would be an easier task. And if she went away he would be able to recompose himself and suppress those stupid feelings that didn't leave him alone. Why did he have to fall in love with her?
"Okay, I can't take anymore of this!" Their attention was brought to Lyon as he snapped.
"What do you mean?" Juvia asked in confusion as the older ice mage glared at the both of them.
"You two are being so stupid I can't even…" He shook his head firmly before taking a deep breath. "Look, this isn't easy for me. Even though I have started to move on, I'm still in love with Juvia, so seeing her suffering because of you is hard. But she is suffering and I know you are too, Gray."
"Lyon, I…" Juvia tried, but he interrupted her. Gray remained silent, having known Lyon for years he understood the older man needed to get it out of his system before they could talk.
"No, listen to me. I understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. But staying away will only make you suffer more. And I don't want that. I want you to be happy, both of you. So stop being so stubborn and just get together already!" His words left Gray and Juvia stunned. Never in a million years they would have expected Lyon to tell them that. It was the most unlikely possibility.
"Did you hear that too?" Gray asked Juvia, who remained silent. The letter fell from her hands, unnoticed by either of them.
"Now that's a surprising turn of events." Lucy muttered from his spot in the shadows and Erza and Gajeel nodded. They certainly hadn't been expecting this.
"Do you really mean it?" The water mage asked Lyon after a few moments of silence and he smiled.
"Of course I do. As much of a pain as he is, Gray's like my younger brother. I want him to be happy." He gave a pointed look in Gray's direction and the young ice mage couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.
"Thanks, Lyon. I really appreciate it." His smile then fell. "But I can't do it. Not now. It's only been 7 days, I need more time to… overcome it." He added and Juvia nodded.
"I feel the same. It will take a while before I can sleep without seeing you dying." She swallowed hard and Gray looked at her sadly.
"I'm sorry about that. But you really need to stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault." He said firmly and Juvia gave him a small smile.
"Thank you. I really needed to hear you say that." He returned her smile before taking a few steps towards her. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him almost immediately and buried her head on his chest while Lyon watched them with a bittersweet smile.
"I know how it feels, to blame yourself for someone's death." Gray said after a few moments of silence. He had completely forgotten that their friends were hiding behind the great oak tree and that they were listening to every word.
"You do?" Juvia pulled her head away from his chest and looked at him curiously.
"Yes. I never told you this, but my master, Ur, she sacrificed herself to save me." Gray didn't know why he was talking about it, but he felt like it was long overdue. She deserved to know the truth about his past, it could help her understand him better.
"Ultear's mother." Juvia's eyes were widened as she replied and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. How did she know it? "I remember when we were in Tenrou Island, Meredy mentioned how she blamed you for the death of Ultear's mother. She later mentioned the woman's name was Ur. I didn't talk to you about it because there was so much going on back them I ended up forgetting."
"Well, she was right to blame me. It was because of my own stupidity that Ur was forced to give up her life." Gray told her sincerely and Lyon butted in.
"That's not entirely true. You weren't the only one hoping to get revenge on Deliora." He reminded the younger man, voice strained. The subject of Ur and Deliora was a tough one, but that needed to be discussed. Some wounds hadn't been closed yet and there were things that needed to be said.
"But I was the one who went after him even though I knew I was no where near strong enough to defeat him." Gray shot back, getting it out of his chest. The guilt over Ur's death had never left him. He doubted it ever truly would. He had learned to live with it, instead of trying to erase it.
Both men were so concentrated on their conversation that they didn't notice how Juvia's eyes widened when the demon's name was said or how her face paled as they continued their argument.
"You made a mistake, Gray. You were only a child back then and I'm sorry I spent so many years blaming you for her death as well." Lyon apologized sincerely and Gray's response was cut off by a gasp coming from the bluenette who was now a few steps away from them, hugging herself as if she was feeling cold despite it being July.
"Stop it!" They were concerned by how pale she was and the fact that she appeared to be shaking. From behind the bushes, Gajeel looked ready to leave his hideout and go towards her, but Erza's hand on his arm prevented him from doing so.
"What's wrong?" Gray asked the water mage before taking a step in her direction.
"You…You knew… How?" She stumbled upon her words as she tried to recompose herself. Her arms were now crossed over her chest.
"What did I know?" Gray asked and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
"Deliora. How did you know him?" Her question completely threw him off guard.
"Wait, did you know Deliora?" Gray stared at her in shock. Her reaction to the demon's name showed pure terror. It was something someone would only feel if they had encountered the object of their fear. People who had heard of Deliora were scared, but not as much as Juvia clearly was.
"You never answered my question." Juvia's voice was shaking and so were her legs. She looked like she could barely keep herself up.
"Deliora was responsible for the destruction of Gray's home. Mine too." Lyon answered before Gray could.
"I had forgotten that you lived there. It's been a while since I've thought of Antartica." He commented before looking seriously at Juvia. Something was wrong, he could feel it. "But what about you? How do you know Deliora?"
Juvia's legs gave in and she fell to her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she covered her mouth and she began mumbling something they couldn't understand, only the dragon slayers could hear it. Gajeel didn't show any signs of surprise, but Natsu's eyes widened and the group hidden behind the tree looked at him in curiosity. What was Juvia saying? What could possible make the great Natsu Dragneel completely lose his composure and almost fall down if Lucy's hand wasn't holding his arm?
"Natsu, are you okay?" She asked him worriedly.
"I don't believe it. No way!" He screamed while staring at Juvia in shock. It was impossible. Unbelievable. Could it really be true?
Barely did he know, there was more to Juvia's past than just the secret she would reveal to them soon.
So, thoughts?
GaLe fans, are you happy? It won't be long before these two get together as well.
Did you enjoy GrayXGajeel brOTP?
What about the NaLu talk about Gruvia and the flashbacks? I love showing how the other characters worry about them since they're both idiots.
What did you think of the scenes with everyone spying on Juvia and Lyon? I love writing this kind of thing, it's always amusing. Specially the part with Elfman and Evergreen being caught.
Hope you liked Juvia and Lyon's friendship in this chapter. That's all there'll be to them from now on, although Lyon's feelings won't go away so quickly.
What are your thoughts on the ending? What did Juvia whisper? What's the deal with Deliora? (surprised no one figured out he was the one I was talking about. I guess my hints aren't as great as I had assumed)
Coming next Tuesday: THE CHAPTER. The moment you've all been waiting for. No more needs to be said.
Think we can make it to 4 reviews?