Chapter 12: As the sun goes by

Gray flexed his muscles under the jet shower.

The holidays at Lucy's mansion were going much better than he thought. They played many games and Natsu lose a few times to Gray's delight. And besides her strange comportment the first day, he was able to talk to Juvia as usual, like his behavior at Lucy's party never happened.

She was clearly enjoying her stay at the beach, she swam for hours like she belonged to the ocean, and when she was not into the sea, she was collecting pebble, shell and even seaweed, or building sandcastles with Wendy as if it was her first time. She looked happy like a child.

A Japan Festival was hold that evening and fireworks were planned later, so they all rent traditional clothes and were now getting ready. Dressed in a simple dark yukata, Gray joined the guys downstairs. They chatted a bit while waiting for Lucy and the others.

"What are they doing?" Natsu whined losing patience just before they heard the girls' voices from the stairs.

Gray turned his head and his eyes widened slightly at the sight.

Lucy was leading the group. She was wearing a white kimono with blue morning glory patterns, and her hair was tied on the side. At her side, Levy was dressed in gradient orange with peonies at the base while Wendy was in pink and mauve. Behind them, Erza was in a purple kimono with a black obi and she had her hair in a long ponytail.

They were all very pretty, but that caught his breath was the last woman. Juvia worn a white kimono with some red flowers motif on the shoulders and her hair was in a delicate bun decorated with dark blue and white flowers.

His mouth felt dry.

"Gray-sama looks like a samurai!" She exclaimed as soon as she saw him, her hands cupping her cheeks and her eyes glinting. "You're so handsome!"

"Herm… Thanks." That was all he was capable of. Say something, dumbass! But he could not find a word to compliment her.

"Can we go now? I'm starving!" Natsu wailed as usual preventing Gray to say anything.

As soon as they arrived at the streets where the festival was taking place, Droy and Natsu took aim at every food stand, stuffing their mouth with Yakitori, Takoyaki and Taiyaki. To prevent his habit of stripping because of the crowd heat, Gray opted for crushed ice with syrup but had to share with Erza and Lucy who didn't wait for his offer and almost ate half of it. So, he paid for a second and allowed only Juvia to get a spoon of it when he learned she never taste it.
Then they looked for the games stands. Wendy tried to catch a yellow fish with paper scoop, while Gray and Natsu confront each other at a shooting stand. The pink haired was faster but Gray was more precise, and they both won a prize but that did not prevent them to exchange insults and argue about who was the best. Gray won a spinning top and offered it to Juvia and he earned the brightest smile he had seen for a silly gift. Natsu chose a Japanese fan that he gave to Lucy and she kissed his cheek turning his face into pinkish hue.

At another stand, they bought firecrackers for later and walked down the street to the main beach. "The fireworks will be fired from the yachts over there." Levy explained, a flyer in hand and pointing beyond the beach.

Many people were already sitting on the sand, but they finally found an empty spot enough for the nine of them. It was chillier than during the day, but Gray's yukata was mid-opened and Juvia could not help but to glance at his torso. The sun had tanned his skin and his muscles were even more defined with the games, the several swim and the workout he did every morning on the mansion deck, half naked (So yeah, she did watch him during his training session, but it was not stalking because he knew she was there reading or sending texts to Gajeel and he never complained, plus she wasn't the only one watching as women chose that exact time to pass near the house).

While waiting for the real show, they played with the firecrackers, Natsu trying to light four of them all together and almost getting Lucy's sleeve on fire. But the disaster was avoided as Erza had been clever enough to bring a bottle of water with her.

At midnight, the first rockets were fired and even Natsu shut his mouth to watch the show. Red, green, blue exploded into the vast sky while a slight sulphurous smell hovered in the night.

"It's so beautiful." Juvia murmured, the bliss to watch that spectacle with precious friends contributing to the magnificence.

Gray glanced at her; her big eyes were sparkling with childish joy and her mouth formed a perfect o when golden rain fell on the sea. She looked so innocent.
So why did he have an alarm bell screaming "danger" in his mind?

###

"Hey! Look Lucy! This one looks like a balloon! Oh! That one is funny too!"

Natsu was louder and more annoying than all the children in the Aquatic Museum. He was dragging Lucy to a fish tank to another, his squeals mixed with his leitmotiv "A shame that Happy isn't there!" at which the blonde answered each time less patient "Cats are not allowed, Natsu."

The rest of the group was leisurely trailing behind them, principally because Levy was reading all the explanatory panels.

It was a rainy day, the first since they were at the mansion, and they decided to visit the marine museum. Gray noticed that Juvia looked a bit down the morning, her eyes fixed on the raindrops, but as soon as he said the rain was welcome so it would refresh the weather and Lucy proposed the visit, her mood brightened.

Finally Natsu stopped in front of the giant aquarium with the shark, manta and other big fishes, allowing time for the others to reach the couple. But it didn't last long before Natsu focus was attract by another panel.

"Oh, there's pinguin!" He pointed to the door leading to another room. He rushed toward it, his friends sighing but following him in slower pace.

But Gray noticed Juvia's absence and looked around for her. He spotted her in a dim corner, in front of a high aquarium. With the light coming from the aquarium window, she was glowing blue from her hair, which never looked so sealike, to the skin of her hand resting against the glass. He took an instant to watch her blue glory.

She seemed in deep contemplation and did not remark Gray joining her side.

"What are you so absorbed into?" He asked and looked through the window. Bride veils were floating between long seaweed, tentacles swirling and spiraling in a hypnotic danse.

"Juvia finds jellyfishes mesmerizing. She can watch them for hours." She explained in a whisper.

"Hum, yeah, it's pretty with the light."

"It's not just because they're pretty. They're so fascinating! They're made of water at 98% and managed to survive every mass extinction; they have existed for 600 million years. And they're food source for many sea species. Even now, they're useful; their protein and collagen are used in medicine."

"Whoa. Didn't know that they were so useful. They look like bags of gelatin to me."

"Most people did not like jellyfish. Because of poison you know?" Juvia murmurs, sadness undertone. "Juvia doesn't mind it. She likes all the fishes. She wanted to be a marine scientist some years ago." She added with a smile.

"I thought your dream job was to be a baker or a rock singer?"

She laughed. "Yes. That too. Juvia often dreamed about her future when she was younger and she thought about many jobs. Like most of children. Have you always wanted to be an architect, Gray-sama?"

"Well… No." He admitted, his cheeks reddening a little as he rubbed his nape. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fireman."

"Really? Juvia would have never guessed."

"Yeah. But don't tell that to Natsu. If that ash brain learns that I liked fire by the past, I would never hear the end of it."

She chuckled. "Don't worry. Juvia's lips are sealed." She winked, and the weird but almost familiar feeling tickled his stomach and the intern alarm was triggered.

"We should go and find the others." He had to leave this place, the submarine aura and the blue-eyed girl were exerting a dangerous attraction on him, like a mermaid song. "If they had seals, Natsu is going to try to fight them."

###

It was the last evening, so they decided to celebrate with a big party. Gray and the guys went shopping for alcohol and food, and while the girls set the party up, they took a bath.

But they froze when they opened the door of the living room.

It was apocalypse.

Levy was rolling on the floor, laughing nonstop while Lucy was crawling, meowling like a cat. Wendy was lying aside, mumbling nonsense, with Juvia at her side, tears flowing on her cheeks. And upon that mess, the red-haired monster yelling contradictory orders.

"What the fuck happened?" Gray yelled and received a shoe on his forehead.

"Shut up Gray!" Erza shouted back. "There's a kid here! Bad language is prohibited! Now, get us more booze so we can have more fun!"

"You drank all that?" He asked, his gaze jumping to an empty bottle to another. "In so less time? What happened?"

"I think Erza get a call from Jellal earlier when we get back…" Jet said in a low voice. "It probably did not go well."

"Jet!" The said woman yelled.

"Yes ma'am!"

"I'm feeling hot! Get here and cool me off with that fan! Droy! Get me a pillow! Or I'll use you as one!"

"Ah ah ah, Erza looks like a queen!" Levy laughed as the two new slaves of the red monster flanked her and obeyed her every desire.

Gray and Natsu exchanged a glance. Should they help and stop the disaster or run for their life?

"Natsu!" Lucy purred as she snaked her arms around his neck from behind. "I want to see the stars!"

"Huh… Then, go outside."

"Carry me!"

"What? Fuck no! What are you taking me for? A horse?"

"Please, Natsu!" Lucy pleaded, her brown eyes glinting from the alcohol.

The pink haired man sighed before hosting the girl on his back and dashing out, Lucy's crystal laugh echoing into the corridor.

"Wendy-san is still underage! We're all going to jail!" Juvia cried harder while the young girl still mumbled unintelligible things.

Gray went to check on the kid. He had never seen Jellal getting mad, but if something happened to his little sister, even Erza would not calm him down. But aside for the mumbling thing, the girl seemed okay as she recognized him and was able to fix his forefinger.

"I'll take her to her room. Stop drinking and eat something or get water." He recommended as he lifted Wendy in his arms.

"Bridal style…" Juvia murmured with a hiccup.

Gray managed to make Wendy drink some water before slipping in her bed. A good night of sleep and Jellal would get his sister back safe and sound.

Then Gray went back to hell.
Erza was still tormenting Jet and Droy, Levy making fun of them. But Juvia was in a corner, silent tears flooding her cheeks, nursing a bottle that was definitely not water.

"I thought I said not to drink anymore." He chastised her as he kneeled before her and took the bottle from her grasp.

She raised sad eyes on him but didn't seem to focus.

"Gray-sama…." She whispered when her gaze finally fixed.

And then she wailed as if a kitten had been killed before her eyes.

"O…Oi!" He freaked out with the outburst. "Calm down! What's wrong?"

But all he gained was more whines as she grabbed his arm without noticing how her robe loosened on her chest. His panic increased and he directed his eyes on the ceiling, awkwardly patting her back. Her cry slowed down after some minutes.

"Thanks gods" He sighed. "The water gates are closing. So, tell me now. What's the matter?"
"Gray-sama never notices Juvia." She sobbed.

"How could I not notice you? We're friend, you know?"

"Juvia didn't mean like a friend." She whined. "She wants to spend more time with you, she wants to make you laugh, she wants you to say she's pretty."

"Huh… I…"
"Juvia…loves Gray-sama." She murmured before passing out on him.

It was as if she had punch him. He was stunned, frozen, his breath was blocked in his lungs and the only thing still moving was his heart, drumming wild against his chest. A part of him was glad she wasn't giving up on him. But another part, dominant, the one ringing the alarm bell, was completely terrified.

She did proclaim her love for him before, when she entered FT University, but he never took her confessions seriously. He preferred to think of it as a teenage girl loves an actor or a singer. A simple crush. He never really thought that her feelings were that deep. But this time, she had sound so… sincere. Truthful. Wholehearted.

She did love him. And the kind of love that led to marriage and kids and finally grief. The memory of his father after his mother's death was still vivid.

He didn't want that. Never. He couldn't return her feelings.

But wasn't it too late?

AN: Hope you're all doing fine.
Gray's and Juvia's outfits for the Japan festival refer to a fanart from years ago (I don't know the author sorry, but maybe you see which one) and I still like a lot (Juvia is so pretty in that picture), and the last part of the chapter is inspired by the OAV before the GMG obviously.
I'll try to keep updating this story as soon as I can, but no promise. Little warning : I might change into M-rated with the next chapter (Nothing too smutty, don't put your expectation too high, it's just to be safe).