Summary: Inspired by an episode of Fuller House. Gray can't find the words to propose to Juvia with…so he makes Lucy propose on his behalf.
Pairings: Gray/Juvia, implied Gray/Lucy, implied crack Lucy/Juvia, actual Gray/Lucy friendship, actual Lucy/Juvia friendship, and Natsu/Lucy friendship.
YouTube Prompt: A Natsu tribute to 'A Child of Babylon' by Whitesnake.
Lucy was giddy with excitement.
It was another party at the Fairy Tail guild building, what for Lucy wasn't entirely sure, and something super exciting was about to happen and only she knew it. Today, after months of hesitating, weeks of ring shopping, days of preparing a speech and making Lucy write it, Gray was finally going to propose to Juvia!
And then, once and for all, Juvia can never refer Lucy as a Love Rival as she would be dwelling in wedded bliss!
But until Gray actually proposed and then he and Juvia announced it, Lucy was to act oblivious and enjoy the party which was a little hard to do with Natsu being away. She regretted opting out on this latest job in hopes of getting some writing done, all she ended up doing was help Gray plan out his proposal, laze about, and miss Natsu. Nothing at all productive.
"Psst! Lucy!" Gray hissed behind the blonde girl in question. Lucy turned to find him crouched behind a table, half naked as always, and looking wildly desperate. "Help me!" he begged in a loud whisper.
Lucy quickly looked around her to see Juvia was busy gossiping with Lisanna, Cana was making a big scene about a drinking contest, half the guild were trying to prevent Gajeel from going on stage with his guitar, and everyone else was having too much a good time to notice Gray crouched on the floor like a creepy, crazy person. Lucy snatched her chance and hurried towards him before kneeling down to his level. "What?" she whispered worriedly. "What is it? What happened?"
Gray's eyes widened with a horrified innocence that made him look like a school boy. "I forgot my speech!" he squeaked.
"No," Lucy said firmly as she shook her head, "no you haven't, because we just spent the last three hours going over it. Three hours of how wonderful Juvia is and how much you love her," Lucy stressed impatiently. Three hours hearing the exact words, over and over and over again, delivered in a slightly different tone each time. "I know it by heart, you know it by heart, oh hell, my landlady knows it by heart!" Lucy's voice rose in frustration and exasperation. Gray stiffened and glanced round him wildly as Lucy rolled her eyes. "So just relax," she said as soothingly as possible as she reached out and squeeze Gray's (naked) shoulder comfortingly. "Don't panic," she advised him, "breathe, and it'll come to you."
These were apparently the words to ever say to Gray as his eyes widened in alarm.
"I can't do this!" he yelped as he pushed Lucy away. "I need one more practise." He gazed up at her pleadingly. "Please?"
Lucy tried to resist.
She really did.
After all, giving into a Fairy Tail mage's puppy eyes often ended up in disaster or destruction. It always did when she gave into Natsu's adorable pout and big, falsely innocent, eyes.
"Oh all right," Lucy sighed as she gave in within five seconds, "but just one more, got it?" she said sternly. "This is the last practise and then you're proposing to her or so help me God-!"
"Thanks Lucy!" Gray interrupted her as he hugged her tightly. "You're the best."
And so they ended up in the kitchen (where it was actually quiet) and settled sitting opposite each other on a couple stools. There was an awkward silence as Gray looked into Lucy's eyes and took her hand as he breathed in deeply.
"Juvia," he said quietly, "I know I didn't fall in love with you at first sight or quickly afterwards but after our rocky beginning I soon found myself realising how brave and loyal and kind and good you are and then I found myself noticing how beautiful and amazing you are." He paused for a moment and looked up hopefully at Lucy who nodded approvingly. So far he had recited the speech she written him perfectly. It actually sounded like something coming from Gray's heart rather than a monotone, memorised, speech. Gray lit up in delight and spoke up louder, much more confident now. "Slowly, day by day, you have stolen my heart away completely and I wish nothing more than to-"
"JUVIA KNEW IT!" Gray and Lucy fell out of their stools when the door banged open and a furious, distraught, Juvia hovered in the doorway like a gloomy shadow. "JUVIA KNEW YOU WERE STILL A LOVE RIVAL!"
"What?!" Lucy squawked as she scrambled onto her feet. "No!" she cried out desperately. "Juvia! It's not what it looks like!"
"Juvia isn't an idiot!" Juvia snapped as she crossed her arms. "She knows a love confession when she sees one and Juvia can see Gray-Sama confessing his love to Love Rival!" tears welled up in Juvia's big, blue, eyes, and Lucy felt bitterly sick at the sight of them. It pained her to see her friend so unnecessarily hurt. Goddamnit Gray! She thought furiously. Why couldn't you propose without another practise?! "Juvia's going home!" Juvia declared distraughtly. "And she doesn't want Gray-sama to come back at all!"
"Wait!" Gray croaked out. Juvia's announcement finally spurring him into action as he too scrambled onto his feet. "No!" he reached out for Juvia. "Juvia!"
Juvia snatched her wrist away as she whirled round and marched out into the main part of the guild building. Gray and Lucy followed after her hastily. "Go away Gray-sama!" Juvia yelled tearfully causing the entire guild to go quiet and turn to look at them. "Juvia never wants to see you again!"
Everyone gasped at that, Lucy couldn't blame them. The thought of Juvia never wanting to see Gray was pure blasphemy in the guild. It's like if Happy announced he never wanted to eat another bite of fish or Cana declaring to remain sober for the rest of her days.
Unnatural.
"Please Juvia it wasn't what it looked like!" Gray said wildly. "I was trying…I was trying to pro, I was trying to prop…Juvia I know I d-d-d- GAH!" Gray clutched at his head and screamed his frustration. "I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T GET THE WORDS OUT!" Lucy rolled her eyes. She should have known. Gray was so utterly useless when it came to talking about his emotions. "I'm useless at this sort of crap and you deserve the best, soppy, romantic crap you can get." Another eye roll, from most of the girls in the guild. Only a boy could refer to a romantic declaration and proposal as 'soppy, romantic, crap'. "Lucy!" Lucy jumped when Gray suddenly thrusted a black, velvet, box into her hands. "You do it!"
"Wait," Lucy blinked. "What?!"
"Please," Gray said softly, "you know the speech better than I do."
Lucy was on the verge of arguing and pointing out how fucking ridiculous Gray was being but two of her best friends' relationship hinged on Juvia understanding that Gray wasn't declaring his love to Lucy, and if that meant she had to propose to Juvia, then by God! She'll freaking propose to Juvia!
"Oh, all right," she gave in, "for you two."
She then went down on one knee and took Juvia's hand into hers which caused several loud gasps (mostly from Mira) and a few choked coughs as the likes of Macao and Wakaba suddenly choked on their whiskey.
"Juvia," Lucy said loudly and clearly, "I know I didn't fall in love with you at first sight or quickly afterwards but after our rocky beginning" unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu chose this exact moment to walk into the guild building. He halted to a stop with a confused expression on his face. "I soon found myself realising how brave and loyal and kind and good you are and then I found myself noticing how beautiful and amazing you are." Natsu's jaw dropped open disbelievingly. "Slowly, day by day, you have stolen my heart away completely and I wish nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you." Natsu shook his head rapidly and then clutched at his hair as he tried to figure out what the fuck was happening. Lucy, however, remained entirely oblivious to this as she opened the box up to reveal the sparkling, pretty, ring that Gray spent months choosing. "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
"YES!" Juvia screamed delightedly as she flung her arms round Lucy's neck. Lucy almost fell back on the floor but she was able to not only catch Juvia while remained on one knee but stand up and twirl Juvia in the air as they both laughed at the stupidity of the previous drama. YES!" Juvia repeated again as she and Lucy embraced tightly revelling the warmth of their friendship. "A THOUSAND TIMES YES!"
Gray slumped in relief at that and everyone began to congratulate them when-
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Natsu bellowed furiously. "HOW THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN?! I WAS ONLY GONE FOR A WEEK!"
"N-N-Natsu!" Lucy stammered. "It's not what it looks like!"
"Isn't it?!" Natsu shouted. "'cause it looks like to me, Luce that you just proposed to Juvia."
"Hey," Gray patted Lucy's arm, "let me be your proxy for this and explain it to him, after all you just proposed on my behalf," Lucy tried to protest but Gray swaggered up to Natsu before she could utter a word. "Natsu," he said in his best Lucy impression (which was awful! Lucy was not that squeaky!). "You know that I love you – urgh!"
Gray doubled over as Natsu's fist sank into his stomach and almost immediately the guild flew into an all-out brawl.
…well, it wouldn't be a Fairy Tail party without a few brawls.