Summary: Gray Fullbuster is a player both in love and in life. He plays Professional Basketball and is being groomed to be in line with Basketball Legends Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. There's just one problem, Gray Fullbuster is a play-ah. His life is a giant mess of crazy parties, waking up with random women and waking up in random women's apartments. Just living the life.

The opinion of the public on him is waning. To save the million-dollar endorsements in the verge of disappearing, Gray needs to change his image. Therefore, Gray Fullbuster, Fiore Knight's Team Captain and Most Valuable Player, will be in the next season of "My Star Can Dance".

There's another problem: it seems like his star isn't that bright since his partner, one of Fiore's prominent ballerinas, doesn't know him? His billboard is hanging in front of her dancing school! And it was a good billboard since all he was wearing was his six-pack and an Aztec bandana. How come she didn't notice?

*Warning: Sensitive Language and Content

She's In Your Court 13 What to Pack on Your First Romantic Get-Away and Possibly Your First Night

So I love when you call unexpected
'Cause I hate when the moment's expected
So I'mma care for you
'Cause girl you're perfect
You're always worth it

Earned It, The Weeknd

…

Juvia was a little bit worried. She nibbled on her nails, anxious. Leon Vista, their dance coach, just showed her the choreography which required Gray to lift her up, put on her the table prop and well, she needed to wrap her sexy little legs around Gray and, how did the coach put it? Grind against him?

Juvia was firmly against it. She tried to talk her way out of that routine but the dance coach wasn't backing down.

"This is the story we are going to tell. We. Need. A. Story." He said, emphasizing the last four words with four hits on his open palm, as if Juvia was stupid.

She wasn't. The ballerina fully understood what he meant. Every dance told a story. Sometimes, it retold history. It spoke culture. Dance was art; another form of medium to bring out a message into the world, whatever that message may be.

"But do we really need that kind of story?"

"Excuse me," Leon didn't even bother to hide taking offense at Juvia's apparent challenge, "but are you a tango instructor?"

Juvia shook her head in response; the sarcasm wasn't lost in her. The irritable dance coach was probably feeling the pressure because she was unfairly lashing out at the ballerina. Well, that wasn't true. Leon was lashing out at anything in the way, except Gray. He was probably afraid of Hoopster.

"Hey, c'mon." Gray stepped in between Juvia and the barking dance instructor.

He had his back at Leon as he reached out to Juvia, taking both her hands in his. The squeeze was gentle and so was his look, as opposed to the sudden hardening of his jaw. She could tell that her boyfriend was trying his hardest not to punch the guy. Gray wasn't the kind that lost his cool easily. He was a normally level-headed guy. But every time Hoopster threw the querulous coach his icy looks, Juvia believed Gray wouldn't hesitate to throw him punches. Despite his rising agitation, Hoopster tried to comfort Juvia.

"It'll be over before you even know it." His smile was reassuring but his eyes were ready to attack a certain dance coach.

"We are six seconds in just for the intro, people. We still have three minutes more to go." Leon stamped one foot on the wooden floor in obvious irritation. "Are we gonna do this or what?"

Juvia saw Gray throw the dance coach a glare and it wasn't the cute jealous kind. It was more like those glares thugs throw their enemies before they exchanged blows. That's not something Juvia wanted to happen inside her studio. And not when the cameras are rolling. So, before Gray and Leon engaged in an ugly scuffle for the world to see, Juvia needed to appease her man.

"It's okay Gray. He's just pressured, I guess."

Juvia knew Leon Vista was just doing his job but that didn't mean she couldn't hate the guy. Right now, Juvia's hate for him was at capacity.

"Let's start from the beginning. Chop, chop!"

Leon started to count so that Gray and Juvia could execute the choreography. He tilted his head from side to side, whitish-blue hair stuck together by his cheap-smelling wax, as the beginning beats of the tune 'Earned It' by the Weeknd dropped through the Dolby speakers.

At cue, Gray strode towards Juvia, backing her up against the table prop, staying on beat. Juvia followed up by taking a few steps backwards until she felt her bum hit the hard wood. Juvia knew all that was going to happen but she still felt uneasy about the next step.

Juvia instinctively opened her legs to allow Gray in between them. Then, the Hoopster lifted her up and cautiously dropped her on the table prop with a low thud, not missing a single beat of the song. She was about to wrap her legs around his waist, as per instruction, when Gray pulled her by the waist and slammed her slender frame against his hard body, a little too hard in Juvia's opinion. The surprised ballerina fought that tingly sensation that reached her toes and fingertips as she felt Gray's hard chest against her softer one. Pent up desire pooled in between her legs and she could undeniably recognize that part against her part. The contact caused a fire that spread quickly to every fiber of her being.

Ms. Juvia Steele was open for business.

The ballerina could only bury her reddened face in the crook of Gray's.

"Juvia look at him!" Leon shouted over the stable tempo.

"Mmcant" Juvia shook her head without breaking away from her position, pressing her face harder against Gray's exposed skin. She was in sensory overload so she had to bite down on Gray's poor shirt.

"What's happening? Juvia, I said look at him!"

The music kept playing and Leon's voice was becoming irritatingly loud.

"Hey, Juvia. Look at me." Gray had to pull away to look at Juvia.

"I can't, Gray." Juvia lowered her head, staring at Gray's heaving chest. She could already feel the heat on her cheeks, her ears and her entire body.

The music kept on playing, revealing the lead singer's cool vocals.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked, peeking at Juvia who still had her head down.

"You'returningmeon." She answered in one breath.

"What?"

Juvia took a deep breath, gathered the cloth on Gray's chest in both fists and hesitantly whispered in his ears; voice strained.

"You're turning me on."

Then, she let him go, unclenching his grasp on him, allowing some air in between them. Juvia waited for Gray's usual words of comfort but his words did not do any comforting – not at all.

"You're not the only one." He whispered back.

Juvia was back at it again. At her mother's kitchen, threatening to suffocate her mother's poor plants.

"Something bothering you again?" Olivia appeared at the archway. The heels of her black stilettos hit the wooden floor as she made her way deeper into the kitchen.

"How can you tell?" Juvia asked, drawing imaginary circles in her cereal bowl.

"You lose your manners when you're bothered." Olivia pointed at Juvia who had her legs crossed in an Indian sitting position. "And that bothers me, too. A lot." Her sharply narrowed eyes, much like Juvia's, forced the younger Lockser to sit properly. The woman did not tolerate that kind of behavior.

Juvia was silent for a while, contemplating whether her dilemma was an appropriate 'mother-daughter' kitchen topic. The last time she sought her advice, Olivia Lockser talked about how dancing was like making love and it haunted the younger Lockser for days. But the advice turned out helpful. Look at where her relationship with the Hoopster took her.

"Mom, how long did you…" she studied the older woman before deciding not to go on, "never mind."

The feet of the chair lightly scratched on the wooden floor when Olivia pulled the seat next to Juvia.

"I know something's bothering you. So, are you gonna tell me or should I tickle it out of you?"

Juvia was too old for the tickle-threat but Olivia Lockser wasn't kidding around. She began attacking Juvia, sampling her with Olivia's oldest trick in the book to get the truth out of her. When she still refused and kept her silence, the older Lockser upped her game.

"Okay, okay." Juvia surrendered, catching her breath when her mother finally dropped her hands beside her. The anxious ballerina didn't have enough strength to fend off the tickle attack.

"It's just… it's about, you know."

"I'm not a mind-reader, Juvia."

Juvia sighed in exasperation. She and her mother might not have that mother-daughter mind link she thought they had.

"Fine. It's about Gray."

"What about your boyfriend?" Olivia teased as she poured herself her morning coffee. Two teaspoons of sugar made it to her cup.

"Well, yesterday," Just thinking about what happened, painted rose across her cheeks, "we were doing this really, really ahmmm…" Juvia tilted her head on the side. How was she going to describe the routine to her mother? "sensual? This really ahmmm…"

"I'm not a prude, honey. So, just say it."

Juvia decided to stop beating around the bush and just went for it.

"When did you know that you were ready for, you know? The thing."

"What thing?"

Juvia shifted in her seat. Her mother was really forcing her to say it out loud.

"You know, that thing that people do." It surprised Juvia that her vague explanation earned a confused look from her mother. "Fine. Sex."

There! She said it. She finally threw it out to the world.

Olivia just stared at Juvia, making her even more uncomfortable than she already was. Olivia's eyes were narrowed at her but she wasn't angry. Juvia could easily recognize it if her mother was angry. Instead, she was looking through her, appeared to be deep in thought, like she was remembering something that had nothing to do with Juvia.

Juvia averted her mother's strange look that made the hair at the base of her neck stand.

"W-w-why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, right." Olivia cleared her throat and gathered her thoughts. She fought the heat that visibly spread over her cheeks.

"Not my proudest moment but, well, you see…"

Like mother, like daughter.

"When your father and I, oh." The older Lockser erupted into little giggles like something funny was just said. But there was none. So, Juvia assumed she might be recollecting. "Why did I suddenly feel shy?" Olivia let out a heavy sigh then fanned herself with her own hand. "Okay, here it goes. When your father and I–"

Juvia grew worried that she might hear something that would haunt her forever.

"–do I really need to listen to this?"

Olivia raised a brow at the interruption. Now, that was the look of 'angry'.

"You asked me, didn't you?"

Juvia easily caved in, "Yes, please continue." She then readied herself for the worst.

"Well, when your father and I–"

"–There you are!"

Suddenly, the man of the house entered into the kitchen, which startled the two women.

"There's my lovely family."

Julian Lockser walked directly up to the basket of fruits laid on the counter. He picked a few pieces of green grapes and successively popped them in his mouth. The female members of household Lockser fell in silence as they watched their head pick a few more of the delicious fruit before walking up to where they were.

"What are you two girls chattering about?"

"Nothing!" Juvia quickly answered, interrupting her mother who opened her mouth and was about to say something. She knew Oliva would just tell her father the truth. That woman, without a doubt, would tell the Lockser patriarch that they were talking about sex.

Julian Lockser narrowed his eyes, more like squinting, at the defensive daughter who stuttered about trying to change the subject.

"S-s-so, y-y-you two look so dressed up. Going anywhere?"

Juvia visibly sighed when his father bit the bait.

"Well, your mother and I," he paused for a moment to snake his arms around Olivia's waist, pulling the slender woman against him. "we are going somewhere fancy." He brushed his lips against the woman wrapped in his muscular arms.

And like all other children witnessing their parents kiss, Juvia rolled her eyes at the unsolicited public display of affection.

"We're going to the Prime Minister's birthday bash." Julian turned to her daughter without letting go of his wife. "Do you want to come?"

"If you two will keep doing that, I'd rather stay home."

Olivia put a finger underneath her husband's chin and gently pulled his face around to face her. "Ignore her. She's a prude."

"I'm not a prude–oh will you two stop doing that in front of me? It's too early in the morning."

Olivia heeded her daughter's suggestion and pulled away from the kiss. She wiped the lipstick stain off her husband's mouth with her thumb.

"The prude is right."

Juvia rolled her eyes for the second time. She wasn't a prude! But it was useless to tell off the love birds. They would just band together to tease her so much that prude might just become her next nickname which was worse than 'love nugget'.

"We should go, honey."

The ballerina threw her arms and exclaimed, "finally!" But she was just teasing her parents back. She made sure the married couple knew that through her playful grin, which they returned almost immediately. Julian finally let go of his wife and settled on holding Olivia's hand.

"You're not funny." Julian amusingly pulled Juvia's nose with his free hand before turning a heel and walk.

"I'll be right behind you, honey." said Olivia as she pulled out her own hand from her husband's gentle grip to stay behind.

Julian didn't take offense from that, fully understanding his wife's intention.

"Don't take too long, okay?" Then, the Ambassador continued to the archway, fixing his tie and dark gray tuxedo on the way.

Olivia waited for her husband to disappear behind the rustic arch. Her appreciative look travelled from the stretch and pulls of the coat on her husband's broad shoulders and down to his bottom impeccably hugged by his tight-fitting trousers. Olivia bit her lower lip.

"Where are you looking?"

Then, Olivia let out a quick and guilty chuckle before she spun around to address her daughter still sitting at the kitchen table. The woman was forty-three and still checking out her own husband.

"Look, honey. If you can think of many reasons not to do it, then you're not ready."

The playful tilt of Juvia's mouth disappeared. And her grinning face turned serious.

"Don't rush into it, honey." Olivia held both of Juvia's hands in hers, eyes boring through Juvia's, hoping that what she was about to say would register in her daughter's head. "When the right time comes, it'll just happen naturally." Olivia sounded so sure that the worry in Juvia's blue eyes quickly disappeared.

What the wise woman said was true. Deep inside, Juvia knew the answer. Maybe, unconsciously, she needed the confirmation. And that confirmation just proved that Olivia Lockser was the wisest woman that ever walked the earth.

"Thank you, mom. That really helps a lot."

Juvia put her hands over her mother's and gave it a grateful squeeze. The worry in her eyes was replaced with gratitude.

"I have to go now. I shouldn't keep your father waiting." She retrieved her hands from Juvia. Then, placed a loving pat on top of Juvia's head.

The heel of Olivia's Christian Louboutin tapped on the kitchen tile as she walked the distance between the counter and the archway.

"You two kids have fun!" Juvia shouted after her.

Olivia paused on her track to turn to Juvia, "Oh, we will. Don't wait up." Then, before she gracefully exited the kitchen, Olivia winked at Juvia – one that the young Lockser knew how to read.

"Guess I'd have to sleep early tonight."

Juvia swallowed a spoonful of her cornflakes, pouting alone knowing what was coming. Her parents were in their forties but they were acting like hormonal teenagers.

"Like really, really early. Maybe around 6:00 p.m. I should be sleeping like a log."

Juvia jumped on her seat and almost spilled her cereal all over her. She would definitely hear an earful if she spilled milk over her mother's newly installed island. She checked the cause of her startle. Her ringing phone flashed Gray's photo and number on the screen. Juvia was mortified. All this thinking about Gray and that thing they should be doing as a couple actually made him call her. Call it psychic ability or whatever. Juvia believed in things like that. Performers were really superstitious people.

Juvia grabbed the phone on the table, unsure what to do. It shouldn't be too weird for her boyfriend to call her. Couples did that too. Juvia slid down her barstool and paced around the rustic island, heartbeat doubling every second.

"What should I do?" Juvia asked herself. The normal thing to do was not to overreact, like she was doing, and to just answer the phone, like she was not doing.

The call was dropped but not a second later 'BILLBOARD GUY' was calling her again. This time, Juvia decided to pick-up and mentally noted that she should really change his name in her contacts.

"H-h-hey!" The jitters spiked her pitch a range higher than usual.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

"Yeah!" Juvia cleared her throat noticing that her pitch landed on a higher note than the previous. "I was just doing something. So, what's up?" She tried to sound more casual this time, even leaning one side of her hip on the counter as if Gray could see her.

There was a moment of silence on the other line that Juvia had to recheck if her boyfriend was still on the line.

"Well, my birthday's coming up."

This wasn't how Juvia would usually react. If he told her his birthday was coming up months ago, when they just met and she hated his guts, Juvia would have been all cool and composed about his announcement. Now, her anxious mind was jumping to conclusions; Juvia thought she knew what Gray wanted for his birthday. He was going to ask her for it, that thing.

"Yeah?" she croaked. Now her perverted brain was playing that provocative choreography they did yesterday.

Not helping, brain.

"Are you sure you're okay? You sound…"

Then, her brain didn't stop from there. Now, hormones joined the party, reminding her about how it felt to feel his body against her own.

"Yup. I'm okay. Are you okay?"

"What?"

"What?"

She heard a chuckle on the other line rather than answer.

"Are you sure you are okay? You sound weird, girlfriend."

The affectionate nickname forced Juvia to fight that sensation that made her fingertips tingle and her toes curl.

"W-w-why did y-y-you call?"

"Oh, that. Like I said, my birthday's coming up and,"

Juvia heard a muffled rattle at the other end of the line. It sounded like Gray stirred in his position.

"And, I would like to invite you on a quick trip." he continued.

"A quick trip?"

'Quick trip' was a code for that thing, right? Juvia's inexperience was pushing her to imagine things, that thing. Where was Olivia Lockser when her daughter needed her?

"Well, yeah. I checked with Levy and she said we didn't have anything to shoot until next Monday. We have the weekend to ourselves."

The weekend. Wasn't that like the next step in a relationship? A romantic weekend getaway? Juvia knew that because she was researching the internet and stumbled upon such article and many others like: 'Popping Your Cherry: When Is The Right Time?', 'Will He Find It Awkward: Confessions of Women During Their First Time' and 'What to Wear on Your First Night'. It kind of scared her how she could recall each one of them. Which reminded Juvia, she should get a wax before this so called 'weekend getaway'.

"So, are you free this weekend?"

Juvia didn't even stop to check her calendar and quickly answered, "s-s-sure." She assumed Gray stepped away from the mouthpiece for a while. The line at the other end fell silent but Juvia heard the muffled yelp and triumphant 'yes' in Gray's side.

"That's a date then!"

She could feel his excitement transcend through the phone.

"Okay. W-where are we going?"

Juvia placed her right hand against over her chest, feeling her own erratic heartbeat against her palm as she waited his answer.

"My hometown."

When the phone call ended, Juvia believed that her fate was sealed. Juvia Lockser and Gray Fullbuster would cross out another 'first' in Hoopster's hometown.

And she really needed that wax a.s.a.p.

Juvia practiced meditation as she waited for her ride. Gray was picking her up as he promised. So, she was standing just outside the apartment complex, after receiving his text saying he was on the way. She followed the instructions through her earphones: breathe in, breathe out. She just gave up in the end. The meditation didn't help the tremble in her heart. She was so nervous she was sweating like a drug-carrier at some border.

Juvia checked her weekend bag for the nth time. She made sure everything was there as per the list she found in the article, 'What to Pack on Your First Romantic Get-Away and Possibly Your First Night'. She scoffed at the long and ridiculous title until she read the entire article and found it quite helpful in her situation. Beneath all the extra clothes and that sexy nightie she brought for the trip, were the protection she brought all the way from her hometown. The same protection she told her mother she didn't need.

The sharp beep of Gray's ghini startled Juvia that she almost cursed at her boyfriend. Lately, she became really jumpy.

The roof of his car was folded at the back, revealing a very handsome Gray Fullbuster waiving at her like a movie star.

"Good morning, girlfriend."

Juvia's stomach fluttered at the endearing name. It was cute; better than 'love nugget', and the highly possible 'prude'. The little flutters made their way up her ribcage when Gray climbed out of his car and walked up to her. Then, he cupped her face and placed a quick peck on her lips. That wasn't enough. Gray brushed his lips against hers and did that again until they both were satisfied. Good thing Juvia was wearing a hat that covered her face and Gray was hid behind his Wayfarer so that no one could make them out on the streets.

"Shall we go, girlfriend?"

Juvia nodded her answer. Gray then took Juvia's bags from her, placed them at the back of his car next to his own, and opened the door like the gentleman that he was.

"Thank you, boyfriend." said Juvia without breaking away from that loving gaze the two of them shared. She made herself comfortable at the passenger's seat as she watched her boyfriend rush to the driver's side and hop in.

"Here we go." said Gray as he turned on the ignition and the engine revved up to life.

A gleaming orange Mercedes crawled next to Gray's sports car; its roof was folded back just like the ghini's.

"Oi, Captain!" a man shouted over 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' blasted through his stereo.

Natsu, Gray's Vice Team Captain, was at the steering wheel with Loki, the self-proclaimed lady's man, beside him. The rest of Fiore Knights were squeezed at the backseat.

"Hi, Juvia!" They sang-greeted in unison which made Juvia fight a grin.

"Hello, boys." Juvia waved at them but Gray caught her hand and lowered it, placing it back on her lap.

"Get lost!" he teased his teammates.

"See you there!"

Juvia caught Fiore Knights, minus their Captain; sing along the chorus as they drove ahead of them. The men in front sang the part of Anne Hathaway and the players at the back answered with Jesse McCartney's part.

"Look at those sissies." scoffed Gray, eyes ahead, glued at the speeding S-Class Cabriolet with a special-made lava color and a customized plate that read 'FIRE'.

He turned to Juvia and asked, "Ready?"

"Ready."

They exchanged an affectionate smile – one that shared between couples who just started dating and annoyed the hell out of everybody. Gray grabbed her hand in his once again and Juvia noticed he wasn't letting go. She didn't mind. Her grip on her hand made her felt secured and she squeezed his too. She wasn't letting go either.

The trip was a three-hour drive. So, Juvia leaned back to her seat and closed her eyes to get some shut-eye. She didn't get any sleep last night surfing the internet for the articles. Discovering they weren't going to the town of Isvan alone, Juvia felt a little resentful. She followed all the advices in the articles religiously and did all of them down to a T. She even got herself waxed, which hurt like hell. But somehow the knowledge helped her relax – resentful but relaxed.

Writer's Corner: Okay, no one kill me yet, alright? It may not be what you were expecting but we are getting there. It really is weird because I have the chapter planned out in my mind but when it comes down to writing, the characters are just leading me somewhere else. But that's writing, isn't it? We let the characters take us wherever they want to go. Anyways, this was kinda fun writing. Such a tease, am I right? hehe

Also, don't forget that next week is Gruvia Week so please look forward for all my entries.

Drop me some lovin', my loves! :* #GruviaForever