Thank you for reviews and likes everyone! I really appreciate it! I hope you like this chapter. :)


Over a week had passed since the incident with the Cyclops and Wendy arriving at camp. Juvia spent her days healing up and setting her cabin a schedule of activities. Since she was the only person in her cabin, that meant that she had total control over all of her time. And since there were no campers to train with, she spent her days hopping from activity to activity with the other cabins.

Gray tried getting her to adopt his cabin's schedule, but she refused, saying she wanted to get to know everyone, not just him. He blushed at that and scowled, sending Juvia mixed messages and making her confused.

Juvia got to know a lot more campers over those days. She chose to take sword fighting classes with the Ares Cabin, quickly figuring out that it was a mistake when Erza, Elfman, and Jura completely destroyed her. At least she was learning, she thought to herself. She took Ancient Alvarez classes with Levy and the rest of the Athena cabin. Lucy and her sister Yukino took Juvia out at night to learn the constellations and the stories that accompanied them.

She took Archery lessons with the Apollo and Hades cabin. She learned that Bisca from Apollo was dating Alzack, the guy who she met on her first day of camp from the Hermes cabin. She also found out that the Apollo cabin and Hades cabin did most of their activities together. She thought it was strange until she saw the way twins Sting from the Apollo cabin and Rogue from the Hades cabin interacted. They were basically inseparable. So cute, she thought to herself as she watched Sting help Rogue with his archery form.

"Hey Puddles!"

Juvia turned from the plush doll she was making during arts and crafts to see Cana weaving her way toward Juvia. The drunk brunette was holding a mug and had a proud smile on her face.

"Hello, Cana," Juvia said, putting her materials away.

"Wassup?" Cana slurred.

Juvia laughed. "Nothing much, really. How many mugs have you drunk today?"

Cana laughed. "Don't worry, this is still from my first barrel."

Juvia blanched, not sure whether to believe her friend or not.

Cana went on, not noticing Juvia's look. "So Puddles, I need your support tonight, okay?"

"Support for what?"

Cana threw her a disbelieving look. "For my drinking contest against Bacchus! He's back from a quest, so we are having our traditional drinking contest. And this time I am going to WIN!" She threw her arm up in the air victoriously.

Juvia just stared at her. When she didn't say anything for a few minutes, Cana told her, "Tonight, Puddles. Midnight at the amphitheater." Without waiting for Juvia to say yes or no, Cana ambled back out of the arts and crafts cabin.

"Well," Juvia said to herself, "at least Cana gave me something to do tonight."


Midnight came faster than Juvia was expecting. Her afternoon activities and dinner seemed to pass by in a flash. She hadn't talked to Gray at all yet today, though, and she was really missing her first friend. She watched him across camp earlier laughing with Lucy and Natsu, challenging the son of Hephaestus to a race up the lava wall before she turned her head away to return to her sword lesson.

As she walked to the amphitheater in the dark, she wasn't watching where she was going and tripped over a small bump in the grass. Before she could hit her face on the ground, however, an arm snaked around her waist and caught her.

"Be careful," Gray said, smiling down at her.

Juvia blushed. "Thank you, Gray," she murmured.

"Why is it that whenever I come looking for you two, you're always in this position?"

Erza's voice rang out in the darkness, causing Juvia to startle in Gray's arms. She noticed his smirk at her reaction and had the urge to kick him. Gray pulled her back to her feet, but he didn't let go of her waist, instead keeping one arm threaded loosely around her.

"Are you on your way to the drinking contest," he asked Erza with a grin.

Erza sighed, blowing a strand of scarlet hair off her forehead. "Those idiots are going to get in trouble one of these days. I'm just going to keep them somewhat orderly."

Gray laughed, and said, "Nahh, Gramps doesn't give a shit. Besides, it's only a bit of fun."

Juvia looked at him in amazement. She hadn't seen him this carefree since before the Cyclops attack. He looked down at her and grinned, his smile setting her heart to pounding, before looking back toward the amphitheater.

"You ready to watch Cana lose?" he asked her as he started walking them toward the building.

Juvia almost lost her footing at his words. She had never seen anyone drink as much as Cana did.

Gray must have seen it on her face, because he chuckled and pulled on a strand of her hair playfully as he replied, "Trust me. You've never seen Bacchus in action."

Not sure what to say to that, she ambled down the path with him and Erza, seeing more people the closer they got. She was pleased when she recognized almost all of them, glad that this place was finally starting to feel like home instead of a camp filled with strangers. Inside the three of them met up with Lucy, Natsu, Gajeel, and Levy.

"Hey, Juvia!" Lucy called.

The blonde came in for a hug, and Juvia froze in shock. She had never had a girl friend before, and wasn't very used to the affection. Gray had peeled off her when they arrived, probably so he could argue better with the two boys already there. Sure enough, Juvia heard the sounds of their voices rising, until Erza cleared her throat.

They immediately stopped, although they each shot one another a dirty look. Lucy caught Juvia's eye and giggled, before dragging Natsu out of Erza's crossfire. Levy did the same with Gajeel, leaving Gray alone. He saw Juvia standing all by herself, Erza having gone off to find Jellal once the boys stopped fighting, and went to take her arm.

The smile she gave him when he grabbed her almost stopped his heart. He had no idea what to do with that emotion, so he shoved it down and ignored it. He pulled her closer to the table that was set up off to one side of the amphitheater. There were bottles of liquor and Cana and a guy Juvia didn't recognize were standing behind the table. He had black hair pulled back and tiny triangular tattoos underneath both of his eyes.

"Is that Bacchus?" Juvia asked Gray.

Gray nodded. "Yep. He isn't here very often, but when he is, Cana challenges him to a drinking contest. She hasn't won yet, and it pisses her off outrageously."

"Is this even okay?" Juvia said with a frown. "Them drinking alcohol, I mean."

"They're both 18," Gray laughed. "And Gramps doesn't care that much. Usually he will drink with Cana, funnily enough."

"Alright! Is everyone ready to watch this drinking contest between Cana and Bacchus?" Warren from the Morpheus cabin was acting as emcee for the night. "All betting should be in! Richard is taking care of all monetary bets, so get them to him in the next thirty seconds or you're outta luck."

Warren got a very interesting gift from his dad, Gray explained. Morpheus is the god of dreams, but Warren can transfer thoughts instead of pictures into people's minds. Richard was in the Hades cabin, and was very good at handling money. He physically wouldn't be able to steal it.

Juvia had met them both before tonight, but she hadn't known about their gifts. The thought of Warren's powers terrified her a little bit until Gray told her his voice in their heads would always sound like his own.

"Alright, folks, time to begin in Three… Two… One!"

Cana and Bacchus both picked up a bottle of alcohol and started chugging. Juvia watched with a sick fascination as they both downed first one, then two, then three whole bottles. She didn't know how anyone could drink that much without dying. She looked at Gray with a disgusted look on her face only to see that he was watching her reactions with a grin.

"How?" she whispered.

"Their dad is Dionysus, remember? God of wine and all things revelry. Makes them the perfect alcoholics. Thankfully, their livers won't ever give out on them." Gray shrugged.

Juvia giggled. "Well that's one plus side."

Cana was definitely slowing down, Juvia noticed. Bacchus was already done with his fourth bottle, while Cana was still working on her third. But the brunette was stubborn and refused to give up. She kept chugging, making it to her fourth bottle. Halfway through, she swayed. Macao from the Apollo cabin stepped closer to her, ready to catch her if she fell.

Juvia gasped and put her hands up to her mouth. Gray glanced down at her and grinned, thinking of how cute she looked like that. Then he realized what he just thought and looked away, blushing slightly. Juvia didn't notice anything, but kept watching with bated breath.

Cana finally tipped over, the alcohol falling out of her hands. Macao sighed and caught her to lay her on the ground. Bacchus pulled the bottle out of his mouth and lifted it high in the air. He gave a victorious cry and started laughing. His friends surrounded him and lifted him up into the air. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Bacchus leaned over the side and puked.

Juvia turned away and gagged lightly. Gray quickly started walking her out of the building.

"That's definitely our cue," he said with a forced chuckle. "Not like Cana will know we left early anyway."

Juvia couldn't help but agree. That whole competition was quite possibly the grossest thing she'd ever seen in her life, and she grew up on the streets.

Gray walked her back to her cabin, the stars twinkling merrily above them. Juvia got so distracted looking at the constellations she recently learned that she walked right into a bush. Gray, half laughing and half worried, had to help her out of the brambles. When he finally got her pulled out, her thin shirt was ruined and hanging off her shoulders. She blushed and covered her midsection with her hands.

Gray sighed and tugged his shirt over his head. "Here," he said, handing it to her.

"Thanks," Juvia said quietly, embarrassed.

Gray looked away while she pulled it on, trying not to think about her curves that were more visible than they should have been or her creamy skin that looked so soft. Unfortunately, he was a hormonal teenage boy, and that was easier said than done when the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen was half naked in front of him.

"Uh… you good?" he asked her finally.

"Yeah," she said.

Gray looked back at her and stared. She's worn his shirt before, of course, but he never really paid attention to how it clung to her frame. It hung like a dress over her black leggings, and her hands were balled up in fists under the too-long sleeves so he couldn't see them. It was adorable. Plus in the dark, by the light of the stars, she looked ethereal. He cleared his throat and looked away again.

"So, should we keep going?" he asked.

Juvia nodded, her blue curls swinging around her shoulders. She started walking, having the same problems Gray was having. She was finding it extremely hard to concentrate with Gray's half-naked muscular body so close to her in the darkness. She couldn't get the look in his eyes out of her head as he stared at her. They were so deep, and filled with an emotion she wasn't sure of. All she could do at the moment was wonder what it would feel like to kiss him. When she realized what she was thinking, she blushed and tried desperately to think of anything else.

The rest of the walk to the cabins was silent and awkward for both of them.

"Well, good night, Juves," Gray said when they finally got to her cabin.

"Yeah, night, Gray," she said before going through the open doorway and shutting herself inside.

She leaned against the door and slid to the ground, her head in her hands. She stayed there until she could no longer see Gray's face behind her closed eyelids, not knowing that Gray was doing the same thing on the other side.