Sorry this took so long, but I've been busy with video games, school and now job searching. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

With Fairy Tail considered the weakest guild in Fiore, the only way for them to get back on top was to win the Grand Magic Games, which were coming up in three months. Since their strongest members were in stasis for seven years, they had fallen behind as everyone else got significantly stronger. So everyone had to train extensively at different training camps. Fortunately, Zale was in the same group as Juvia, along with Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Levy, Jet and Droy. Though focusing on training would prove difficult since the location of their camp was a beach.

Zale was alone in a changing tent when he started to get into his blue-striped, black swim trunks.

(Flashback)

The day before the trip, Zale had told Callista all about the training camp.

"The beach? Perfect!" Callista said. "That's the perfect place to get over your insecurity. Plus, seeing your beloved in a bikini is sure to get your aroused. By the time you get back from your trip, I expect you to be walking around shirtless and-"

"SIS!" Flynn shouted. "Amber's here!"

(End Flashback)

Zale sighed and proceeded toward the entrance. Just as he reached it, he froze up and couldn't move while thoughts flowed through his head like raging rapids.

(Daydream)

Zale walked out of the tent in only his trunks.

"What a disappointment…" Levy said.

"Nowhere near Gray's level of sex appeal…" Erza muttered.

"Or even Natsu…" Lucy added.

Zale's jaw dropped in shock.

"I'm sorry, Zale." Juvia sobbed. "But I can't be with someone without muscles! Goodbye!"

Juvia ran off toward Gray.

(End Daydream)

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Zale screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Zale, my love, are you okay in there?" Juvia's voice asked from outside.

"I-I'm fine!" Zale panicked. "Just give me a few more seconds!"

"Then why were you screaming?"

"… I'll be out in a few more seconds."

Juvia waited patiently for Zale until he finally came outside, now with a thin white T-shirt covering his upper body.

"Zale… Why are you wearing that shirt at the beach?" Juvia inquired.

"I don't want anybody seeing me topless." Zale answered.

"What about the time we were heading to Tenrou Island?"

"That's because it was so insanely hot, I would have had a heat stroke."

"But Juvia has already seen you naked. There's no need to be shy."

Just as Juvia touched the bottom of his shirt, Zale flinched and slightly jumped away from her.

"Iiiiii should really get started on my training." He said. "We got a long road ahead of us."

As Zale ran off, Juvia looked on at him in disappointment, mostly in that she was hoping to see Zale without his shirt on again.

For the entire day, Zale had been training very extensively. He was not only practicing his magic, but he had been trying to improve his physical build.

*If I train my body as well as my magic, I can have a body I won't want to hide.* He thought as he tried to do pull-ups with a hanging palm tree.

Although, he wasn't able to do one proper pull-up, sit-up or push-up all day. While there was a very noticeable difference in his magic power, he didn't feel his body was any different.

At night, he was lying down on his back on the floor of the guys' room while everyone was in the bath.

*It's no use…* He thought. *If I had managed to do at least one, I'd feel more confident, but… I guess getting muscular was unrealistic for me…*

As the sliding doors opened, he saw Natsu, Gray, Jet and Droy all walk in like they all saw a ghost.

"What's wrong with you, guys?" Zale asked.

"Don't ask…" Jet mumbled as they walked off.

Now that he knew they were done, Zale decided to see if the bath was completely empty.

Zale soaked himself in the hot springs while sitting against a rock and gazing at the clear, starry night sky above. He took another glimpse at his bare figure. He wasn't muscular at all, but he wasn't skinny or fat either.

*How did Juvia become so infatuated with me?* He thought. *Or did she hope I was mostly muscle?*

He sighed and slumped back into the hot springs.

Late into the night, Juvia felt restless and couldn't fall asleep, so she went out for a walk on the beach. She walked along the shoreline in a purple tank top and black pants with her hair uncurled, taking in the beautiful night sky above her as it gave her a sense of serenity. However, her bliss was interrupted by the sound of large splashes further in the distance, behind a series of palm trees sitting next to the shore. She kept walking toward the sound until she could make out through the trees that Zale was throwing around waves of black water.

"Zale?"

Zale turned toward Juvia in surprise.

"Oh, Juvia, I'm sorry if my training woke you up." Zale said.

"That's not it. Juvia just couldn't sleep." Juvia shook her head.

"Same here."

"Is something bothering you, Zale? Was it something Callista said?"

"So you know she's trying to push me to get physical?"

"Juvia wants to be physical… but you don't need to if you feel you're not ready."

"Thanks, Juvia, but I wasn't really worried about that."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just training." Zale thrust his fist in the direction of the shore and shot a powerful surge of black water toward the ocean.

Juvia walked over to Zale and held onto his right arm. "You've been acting strange ever since we got here. Why did you scream in the changing tent? Why did you spend so much time away from us today? The guys even told Juvia how you went into the bath alone. Please, tell Juvia why you're so distant."

Zale sighed. "Juvia, what was it that attracted you to me?"

Juvia blushed. "W-well, you prefer not to fight if it can be avoided, you're smart, kind, romantic and you gave Juvia a reason to smile. If it weren't for you, Juvia would still be a depressing rainwoman."

"… You brought light into my life as well." Zale turned to Juvia looked straight into her eyes. "You're affectionate, caring and you've helped me better handle the rain. Not once have I blacked out and became that… thing… Juvia, do you really want to know what's bothering me?"

"Of course. Juvia only wants to help you."

"I feel… inferior to other men."

"Zale, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for!"

"It's not a matter of strength, it's a matter of… muscle. Whenever I see lists of the sexiest male wizards in Fiore and see how muscular or handsome they are… It makes me wonder if I'll ever hold onto a woman, no matter how much I spoil her or remain faithful. I'm not as muscular as Laxus. So I don't want to show anyone any part of my body. I tried to exercise, but that spectacularly blew up in my face. That's why I wore that shirt earlier, didn't go in the water and join the other guys in the hot springs. You're so beautiful, Juvia, and you deserve a better body than mine."

"Zale, remember when Juvia said you were the sexiest man in the world to her?"

"You were just trying to flatter me."

"No, Juvia meant it! Sure, there are many other men in the world who always draw women's attention, but Juvia would always choose you every time, Zale."

He could tell she was being one hundred percent honest just by looking at her eyes. Those words made him smile and almost tear up. Within moments, he moved his lips toward Juvia's and kissed her. Despite her surprise that Zale was now kissing her, Juvia was not hesitant in the least to reciprocate by kissing him back. As they continued kissing, Juvia wrapped her arms over Zale's shoulders and he embraced around her torso. Zale was starting to feel intense emotions welling within him and his instincts prompted him to start moving his tongue around her mouth. Again, Juvia was surprised, but quickly followed his lead and her tongue began to explore his mouth as well.

*Zale, you weren't kidding when you said you were a lover when we first met!* She thought.

In the middle of their make-out session, Zale felt an urge to take Juvia and give her what she wanted. He felt like he was finally ready to get physical... emotionally. Even though he felt ready, he knew that if they did it without proper preparations, she would get pregnant. However, this setback gave him plenty of ideas for a date tomorrow. Suddenly, but slowly, Juvia stopped kissing Zale to catch her breath.

"Zale, my love… Juvia wants to prove that she thinks you're the most attractive man in the world to her… Come to think of it, you never took a swim today, have you?"

"What are you getting at?"

Juvia held Zale's hand and guided him to a secluded area surrounded by cliffs, a fair distance away from the resort.

"Why'd you bring me all the way here if you want me to take a swim?" Zale asked. "My swimsuit's back in my room?"

"We're not going in swimsuits." Juvia turned to him with a bit of a blush on her face.

"So… in our underwear?"

"Juvia wants to help you feel comfortable with your body."

Zale was still nervous about showing her his body, but he wouldn't be able to get over it unless he actually tried it. Slowly, but surely, he was removing his shirt. Once he finally took it off and dropped it on the sand next to him, both he and Juvia were blushing. She walked up to him and started moving her hands along his chest, taking in every feature despite imperfections. To assure him of her thoughts, Juvia leaned toward Zale and kissed him on the lips.

"Now the pants." Juvia said with a pink face.

Zale gulped.

"No need to be shy around Juvia." She said in a soft, gentle tone.

After stroking his cheek with the back of her hand, Zale proceeded to remove his pants and now he was in his boxers.

"Zale… J-Juvia wishes to join you." She then took off her pants, revealing to Zale her blue panties.

He immediately blushed and covered his eyes.

"Heheh, it's okay, my love." Juvia chuckled. "Juvia doesn't mind."

Zale uncovered his eyes and couldn't help but look at Juvia's well-defined curves.

"A-are you ready to swim?" Zale asked to try to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"But… what about your underwear? You don't want it getting wet, do you?"

"Yes, but-"

Before Zale could finish, Juvia knelt down and pulled down his boxers. His face was as red as a tomato while Juvia stood up, her face equally red, and stripped down to her birthday suit.

"Juvia already saw you naked, so this makes us even… Do you like Juvia's body?"

Zale had a deadpan look on his face until he suddenly ran into the water.

"Of course I do!" Zale said. "You're the most beautiful woman I know, Juvia!"

Juvia smiled and chased after him. The two went skinny-dipping in that secluded area for about a half-hour before they snuck back to their respective rooms for the rest of the night.

The next morning, most of the Fairy Tail wizards had returned to the beach for another day of fun and training. Zale walked toward his friends and Juvia looked toward him.

"Hey, guys! Sorry I slept in!" Zale said.

Juvia's jaw practically dropped when she saw that Zale had a T-shirt on again, in addition to his trunks.

"It was hard getting to sleep last night." Zale continued.

Juvia quickly got in front of Zale and glared at him.

"Zale, Juvia thought you were no longer self-conscious!" She whispered.

"I'm not…" Zale replied. "Around you. Other people? … I'm still going to need work."

Juvia sighed in exasperation. "Juvia's got a long way to go…"

"Princess! Bad news!"

Zale and Juvia looked to the sound of the strange voice to see Virgo popping out of the ground and underneath Lucy's butt, with the Celestial Wizard practically sitting on her head.

"Where do you think you're popping up from?!" Lucy shrieked.

"This is punishment, isn't it?" Virgo asked.

A/N: For those of you who are thinking this is too lewd, I did try to tone it down a bit, but still keep it as racy as the manga. As for Zale still being insecure about his body, it doesn't happen overnight, but there's at least development with his character. And if you think Zale and Juvia will be hitting the bed soon, don't hold your breath. With the intensive second origin unlocking and the Grand Magic Games, it will be a while before things heat up again for the main couple. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time!