Quick note: This was written for the lovely and amazing Navia queen Dark Gothic Lolita and is my first attempt at a Navia story. Hoping to update weekly.

Juvia Lockser believed in happily ever after, it may have seemed silly or naive but ever since she was a child, she longed to find the one person who was meant for her. Up until recently she had thought that person was Gray Fullbuster, but as time passed, she couldn't look past the flaws in her reasoning. It really began when she and Gray finally started seeing each other, she had thought it would have made her the happiest person in the world but instead she began to feel trapped. It was as if she had set herself up for this comfortable transition to being a couple but instead, she felt doubt start to creep in. Nothing had prepared her for the incessant doubt and sinking feeling when something with Gray would fall so far short of her expectations that she could only laugh. She had begun to hesitate when he touched her, instinctively pulling away from his cold embrace. She realized she didn't love Gray, she loved the clear sky and freedom from the rain he had given her.

Even Gajeel had said she was making a mistake by leaving, he had called her dramatic and told her to calm down and think. He tried to appeal to her sense of rationale by pointing out that his own relationship was not easy, it was hard for him sometimes too. But Juvia's doubts remained.

She could still picture the confusion in Gray's eyes when she had told him she was done. She hadn't felt good about pulling the rug out from under him, especially after she had worked so hard to be with him in the first place.

It had been months since she had broken things off with Gray, and she had somehow managed to get though the days without too much pressing or prying from the guild, but she knew they wanted to know what she had been thinking. Some days she wanted to confide in someone, really let things out, but in the end, she always decided to keep it inside and try to move forward alone. There was a certain comfort in the people who didn't look for answers, the ones who never changed how they acted around her through it all. One of those steady, stable people was Natsu. Through her relationship with Gray and the breakup Natsu had always remained his usual friendly self, never making her feel like she owed him an explanation even once. Maybe that's why she had begun to hang around him more often, it was hard to do without having the rest of team Natsu around, but she had found the early evening hours were the best time to find him alone, usually fishing near her favorite spot at the river. She would happily sit with him as he fished, chatting about whatever came to mind and sharing meals she would prepare for them.

Juvia checked the time and realized it was nearly time for her to join Natsu at the river. It wasn't a set plan, sometimes he would be there, other times not but she liked to take the chance since it was so comforting to have these evenings to relax with him. She gathered up her bento and packed her red checkered picnic blanket in her bag before heading out the door.

The walk from her place didn't take long, she followed her usual route through town leading down to the park where she caught a glimpse of familiar pink hair near the river. Juvia practically skipped through the small thicket of trees to the path that would take her to his side. Juvia stopped dead in her tracks as she realized just how excited she was to spend time with Natsu. How had she not noticed before the flutter in her heart and butterflies in her stomach, she didn't know how to take her feelings. She pushed down her excitement and gathered her thoughts, she told herself that she had simply grown attached to the dragon slayer and that she could easily continue her friendship without needing anything more, but uncertainty had begun to creep in.

Can you? A voice sewed doubt in her thinking. Shaking her head she ignored the thought and continued on toward Natsu. Of course, they were just friends, she reminded herself as she approached his side.

"Juves! You made it, I started to think you weren't coming." he grinned as he grabbed bait for his line, "I was just getting ready to cast again and I need some of the good luck you always bring me."

Her cheeks glowed with heat as a smile spread across her face, she loved the feeling of someone wanting her around and Natsu always made her feel so welcome. "I was just running a little behind today, but I brought dinner."

"That's what I like to hear!" he said casting his line into the river, "Maybe I'll catch something now that you're here."

"It's still fun either way," she spread the picnic blanket on the shoreline, "Juvia just likes being here, it's so beautiful."

"The fireflies will be out soon," he said sitting on the edge of the blanket, "then it'll be really cool looking."

Juvia looked out across the water, it was really nice, not to warm and a slight breeze tickled her skin. Natsu picked up a bento and opened it, looking pleased with the contents he eagerly dug in. It only took Juvia a moment to follow suit, she couldn't resist thinking about how natural it felt to share a meal with him.

Juvia nibbled her food listening to the crickets beginning to chirp, they usually stayed out well past dark so the sounds were familiar to their evenings. "Any good jobs lately? He asked, sticking his rod and reel in the nook of a nearby sapling.

"No, nothing has really caught my eye," she admitted, "but I will need to find something soon or I won't have the jewel for rent."

"You're starting to sound like Lucy," he joked, "but I get it. I hope you find something soon that is a good fit."

Juvia felt the words hit. She needed to find something that fit in so many ways. Jobs were important, of course, but she couldn't help but let her mind jump to companionship. Things had been lonely since her split with Gray, she may not have been completely happy with him but she missed having someone around that would keep her company between jobs. With Gajeel and Levy getting more serious she had been spending more and more time alone and it was starting to get to her. That was part of the reason she had started hanging out with Natsu, she would walk past his fishing most evenings and finally one night decided to stop. Natsu always seemed to be happy even when he was alone, and honestly Juvia envied him. She wished to have that sort of peace in her life, but instead she found herself longing for something more than what she had...and all she had was herself.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She debated a moment before answering vaguely, "just thinking about how things have been lately."

Natsu shifted his weight and looked into her eyes, "lonely?"

Juvia gasped, "how did you know?"

"Anyone with eyes could see it, Juves." his gaze never wavering, "that's why I'm glad you come spend time with me, I don't want you to be alone."

Juvia knitted her fingers together nervously, "you don't have to...if you don't want to."

Natsu laughed, "I didn't say I didn't' want to, I do. I'm just happy you come, that's all." There was a silence growing between them, Natsu cleared his throat before asking, "so how have you been, really?"

Juvia thought on how she could answer him, it would be easy enough to lie and say things were fine, but she would feel badly if she did. "I used to think I knew exactly what I wanted from life. I thought I had it all figured out, and yet here I am doubting everything I ever thought. What if I was wrong? What if nothing will ever be better than it was before I left?"

Natsu picked up a rock and chucked it gently into the river, "I think you were right to leave." He turned back to her, his eyes piercing her soul, "You weren't happy and you deserve to be happy and loved."

"What if I don't know what love really is?" she blurted.

"Then someone will have to show you," he shrugged. "I don't pretend to know everything, but I think we know love when we feel it."

Juvia chewed her lip thinking about what he had said, she hadn't expected Natsu to say something so profound yet here she was contemplating if someone could show her true love.

The fishing pole bowed and Juvia shouted, "Natsu, you've got a bite!"

He quickly snagged his pole and began to fight to reel in the fish on the other end of the line. Juvia hopped up to get a closer look as he brought the fish closer to shore, when it was finally within reach she grabbed the net and captured the fish. Natsu took the hook from it's mouth before surprising her by letting it go.

"Didn't you want to keep the fish?" she was confused.

"Nah, I've just been coming out here so much to spend time with you, it wasn't about the fish," he answered. Just like that you could have knocked Juvia over with a feather.

"But we've been coming out here for weeks," she was flummoxed.

"Well, I was really fishing at first, but when you started to come more and more, I just kept coming so I could see you. I knew you needed someone, and I was happy being that person." His smile was so genuine as he picked his dinner up once more.

Juvia didn't know how to process what he had just told her, all this time he was just here to spend time with her? How had she not noticed? Oddly she didn't feel duped, she was appreciative of the company, and she knew he did it for good reasons. "Thank you, Natsu," she said placing her hand on his knee, "really."

"You're welcome, Juves."