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MATTERS OF THE HEART

There was a draft of cold air caressing her body. Juvia's eyes shot open, and then she shivered. The comfort of being encased in strong (quite heavy) but warm arms disappeared completely from her senses. It had only been a week that her sleeping arrangement was altered, and yet her body craved for it like an addiction.

For the past week, she slept sandwiched between her son and the man she used to love. Still loved? But for some reason, during his last night of stay, Gray was nowhere to be found. Juvia sat up slowly, not wanting to wake up her son. She crossed her arms, hugging herself, as if trying to imitate the warmth Gray had provided. She looked around, checking if Gray could've transferred to her bed. He was nowhere in sight.

The clock indicated it was only past midnight.

Juvia shouldn't really care if he already left, but she knew the ice mage wouldn't go back on his word to his son. Gray had promised the little boy that he would stay with him, until the cast was taken off. Steel was scheduled to meet the doctor that day. Juvia was sure Gray wouldn't leave his son. Leaving the bed, she made her way to the living room to check if Gray was there.

And she was right. A shirtless Gray was sprawled on the futon, sleeping soundly. The blanket was thrown away at the far corner of the futon. Every night for the past week, Juvia laid out the futon for him. Gray was actually the one who requested it. He indicated that he'd stay inside the bedroom until Steel falls asleep.

Every morning for the past week, Juvia would wake up in Gray's embrace. She didn't confront him about it, and he kept sleeping beside Juvia.

Until tonight.

A melancholic aura hang above Gray's sleeping form. In Juvia's eyes, he appeared so alone. No matter how loud her mind was screaming at her to stay away, the blue-haired woman approached and knelt down beside him. Tears were threatening to fall just by staring at his face. Gray's forehead wrinkled, brows furrowed, as if he's having an unpleasant dream. Juvia reached out and brushed away the spiky bangs sticking to his face.

He never really changed the cut of his hair, she mused. Up until now, Juvia still memorized almost everything about Gray. She spent years knowing him from afar. Boldly, she rested her palm on his cheek. There's a chance he'd wake up from her cold touch, but she wanted — ached — to touch him. I want to know him from up close...

When she realized the alarming thoughts forming in her mind, Juvia retracted her hand. She must stay away and not give in to temptation. Just as she was about to leave his side, Gray turned to his side, his strong right arm hooking around Juvia's waist. The water mage lost her balance, and her head landed on his bare chest. She expected Gray to wake up in surprise, but he didn't. Instead, his grip tightened around her.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia squeaked out. She struggled to get out, but Gray moved again to the other side. His other arm snaked around her back, bringing Juvia closer to his chest. By this time, Juvia was fully trapped. And then, there was snoring coming from her captor.

Maybe... just for today? For the last time... A tiny voice in her mind pleaded. Juvia relented. All she could do was to wait for the opportunity that Gray's hold on her would loosen.

Gray opened one eye to see some light peeking through the window's drapery. He assumed it was just around dusk outside. He didn't know how long he slept since his last consciousness. A ghost of a smile crept on his face when a mop of blue hair entered his vision. Juvia was using his chest as her pillow. Strands of hair littered across his arm and shoulder. He could feel every expelled breath on his bare skin. Her scent felt so invigorating.

He was aware of his sneaky way a few hours ago. Gray felt Juvia going near him, touching his face. When she was about to leave, he took whatever opportunity to keep her close. He was willing to receive any anger later. But for the time being, he wanted her in his arms.

Except, there was something else he felt. Something wet and slimy? Also, a heavy load on top of his stomach? What the... Gray arched his head up to check the lower part of his body. He wanted to laugh out loud at the image he saw. There, on top of his bare stomach, was Steel's head! The boy crouched on his stomach, using Gray's belly as a pillow and drooling on it. It seemed like a very uncomfortable position, but the peaceful sleeping expression on the boy's face indicated otherwise. Gray felt a sting in his heart seeing his son's casted arm.

But a lightweight feeling expanded inside Gray's chest — that feeling he experienced from long time ago. Back when he spent training with his adoptive parent Ur. It was a similar sensation when he first cradled the newborn Steel in his arms. He reached out his right hand and gently placed it on the boy's back. As if he knew it was his father, Steel smiled in his sleep.

With Juvia on his left side, and Steel on his right, he felt complete.

Family — that one word that always eluded him. His own family. He would do anything in his power to keep this safe and protected.

"Hey Luce, we ran out of snacks here!" Natsu's loud voice reverberated inside the Dragneels' living room. He ate the last of the chicken fingers intended for their guest.

An equally loud voice answered him back, "Hold on! I'm making more."

Gray had to roll his eyes at the rambunctious couple, but part of him envied such exchange. "I'm surprised none of your neighbours had filed a noise complaint," he said sarcastically, intending full offense on the homeowner.

Said homeowner only snorted. "They did before, because of Lucy's moaning and groaning every night."

The blonde mage's head popped out of the kitchen, her red face glowering. "Shut up, Natsu. Not in front of the kids!" she chastised her husband.

"But in front of ice-stripper is okay," he puffed out.

Gray leaned forward with an extended reach to smack the back head of the pink-haired man. In retaliation, Natsu directly smashed Gray's face with the only thing he could reach, a dragon plushie.

The two dads were sprawled on the carpeted floor at Natsu and Lucy's place, while their two kids play a few feet away. Their bickering and bantering were still constant, but the physical brawl had dwindled, unless both were at the guild or just in a very foul mood.

"It's like he was never injured," Natsu chuckled after tearing his eyes away from the dark-haired toddler playing with his princess. "So, why you here?" asked Natsu as he settled his eyes on the bigger version of the toddler.

"Steel was bored," was the limited answer Gray supplied. It was the truth. Steel had suddenly asked for Effie, and Gray could only comply. "I'm not really supposed to have him for today, but something came up on Juvia's end." Usually, when it was Gray's turn to look after their son, he would plan many things for Steel. This last-minute request from Juvia threw him off course.

Natsu licked his fingers and nonchalantly said, "Well, Juvia deserves a break sometimes. She needs to spend some time with her boyfriend as well, right?"

"What boyfriend?"

"Huh?" Natsu looked at Gray, confused. "You know, that Hawthorne guy? If it wasn't for him, Juvia wouldn't be able to know what to do when Steel fell. "

This was all news to Gray. Just as he was about to inquire further, Lucy came rushing out of the kitchen, tongs in her hands. "Natsu!" she yelled at her husband, widening her eyes to tell him to shut his mouth. That was when Natsu realized that Gray was never informed. The blonde bent down to pull her husband's ear. "Come on, help me in the kitchen." Right away, the pink-haired husband scrambled to follow his wife to the kitchen.

"Tell me exactly what happened," ordered Gray, going after the couple. He didn't care if he sounded rude, even if he was the guest at their house. Both Lucy and Natsu glanced at each other with uncertainty. Gray noticed Lucy pinching Natsu's arm. "Don't treat me like a fool. Just tell me what happened!"

"Okay, okay..." pacified Lucy. She shot her husband an 'I'll-deal-with-you-later glare. "When Steel fell at the park, Juvia was talking to Slate Hawthorne. He's the third heir of the Hawthorne Enterprises."

"That really rich guy who owns the Hawthorne Hotel," Natsu interjected as if he was being helpful. Both Gray and Lucy ignored him.

"Anyway, Juvia was just standing still, unable to react quickly. Good thing, Lord Hawthorne was there. He was the one who carried Steel to the hospital, 'cause Juvia was still in shock. She kept sobbing and sobbing. When she contacted me, she was a nervous wreck," Lucy continued with the story.

"Honestly, man. That Slate-guy is awesome. He was very patient with Juvia, and did everything he can to console her," added Natsu much to Gray's dismay.

"So..." started Gray, trying to control his rage, "Juvia was flirting with her boyfriend when Steel fell?"

"Really, Gray? That's the only thing you absorbed from Lucy's story?" Natsu gave his friend a dubious look.

"Juvia is on a date with this stupid boyfriend of hers and brought Steel? She didn't even watch him carefully because she's too busy seducing that asshole. Is that right, Lucy?"

Natsu grabbed him by the collar. "Watch your tone, man. That's the mother of your child!" He was offended for Juvia, his wife's best friend. Even Lucy was angry at Gray's implication.

Lucy untangled her husband's grip on the ice mage's shirt. She eyed Gray. "Look Gray, Juvia wasn't flirting. She wasn't on a date. Lord Hawthorne just happened to see her and Steel at the park. She's already blaming herself enough for the accident. Don't you dare blame her too!" she berated, pointed an accusing finger at him.

Steel's father knew he was wrong to suspect Juvia of irresponsibility, but it didn't mean he wasn't allowed to get angry. "So Juvia's on a date with the douchebag right now?" he asked sarcastically. "No wonder she's too eager to leave Steel behind," he muttered under his breath, well aware that the celestial mage would soon be releasing fire from her mouth.

"You're still the bigger douche," Natsu replied with a challenging demeanour. "If you weren't such a jerk to her, you might be the one enjoying her home-cooked meal at her apartment right now."

"Natsu!" Lucy hit her husband on the shoulder.

"What? Ice-jerk here should know that there's a rich, handsome guy out there who's about to get more than a meal from Juvia. I bet those two are already locked in an embrace, enjoying each other without clothes right now!" Natsu knew the right words to draw out Gray's anger. Plus, the ice mage needed to hear what he lost. At least, that's Natsu's own perception.

The people in the guild — yes, including his wife — always saw Natsu as someone oblivious when it came to the matters of the heart. But, Natsu's observant ways made him see how Gray pined silently for Juvia. Heck, he even caught Gray following Juvia stealthily. Yes, the stalkee became the stalker! In Gray's defence, he wanted to be sure that Steel and Juvia were safe. During that time, there were a string of robberies occurring during night time at random places in Magnolia. Gray was really concerned, but didn't want to alarm Juvia.

Natsu folded his arms across his chest, giving Gray his most arrogant expression. "I'll be the first one to congratulate the couple when Juvia pops out Steel's half-sibling." As soon as the last words were said, Natsu staggered backwards from Gray's powerful punch. The fire dragon slayer didn't take kindly at the assault he received, so he retaliated with a punch as well. Soon, the two were brawling in the living room. Lucy screamed in frustration. The two men halted when Effie launched an ear-piercing wail. Steel, on the other hand, attacked Natsu's leg with his little fists.

"Stop! Stop!" Lucy yelled on top of her lungs, scooping the now-crying Steel. "Look at what you two are doing to the children," she knelt down in front of Effie and wrapped her arms around the two children.

Both Natsu and Gray wore a shameful grimace, but fists still clenched. Gray let go of his hold on Natsu's shirt with a strong push. He walked towards Lucy and took Steel from her.

"Where are you going, Gray?"

The ice mage picked up his backpack. "Steel needs his mom right now," was all he said before exiting the Dragneels' front door.

The Dragneel couple eyed each other with worry, both echoing each other's thoughts. This is not good at all.

The heavy silence between them was awkward. Juvia was beginning to think inviting Slate Hawthorne to her apartment was a bad idea, perhaps a little inappropriate.

However, the gentleman provided her the biggest help during Steel's accident. She was panicking like there was no tomorrow. Her hands shook terribly and she couldn't even touch her son. It was as if Slate was heaven sent that he was there to support her.

"Um, Juvia knows that this isn't enough to show my gratitude for what you did for Steel," she broke the silence, glancing at the smiling man seated in front of her. "Juvia's not the best cook, but hopefully Slate-san will like it."

"This is more than enough, Juvia. It was somewhat of a jest when I said to invite me to your place and cook me a meal," he admitted, embarrassed. His heart skipped a beat when Juvia's naturally pink lips formed a small "oh". "I'm flattered, really."

Juvia did prepare a very intricate meal. She had to consult Levy McGarden for books with sophisticated recipes. The water mage planned to treat Slate for dinner at some fancy restaurant, but the young Hawthorne requested for a home cooked meal. Juvia obliged.

The few times the two went out, Juvia noticed that Slate only ordered vegetables and seafood. A little bit shy to ask for his food preference, Juvia decided to prepare just that. She prepared for him grilled seafood medley with honey-garlic glace. She then roasted a variety of vegetables, making sure to keep their crispiness. Lastly, she cooked zucchini pasta with her tried-and-tested cream sauce. For dessert, Juvia baked an apple-cream cheese Bundt cake.

"Slate-san, please try it. Juvia hopes you'll find it to your taste," she invited Slate to start digging in.

The two ate in silence, until Slate complimented her. "It's really delicious. I love how the shrimp is very flavourful. The subtle crispiness of the asparagus is heavenly, as well. And the pasta? It's made of zucchini?"

Juvia shyly nodded. "Juvia noticed that Slate-san only eats veggies and seafood. Is it wrong to assume that you don't eat meat?"

Slate's rich laughter filled the air, gradually producing a comfortable atmosphere. "Very observant, my dear," he winked then took a huge spoonful of the pasta. "How's Steel doing?"

"The doctor took off his cast a week ago. One look at him and you'd never figure he was injured at one point. During the first day he was very peevish. He kept throwing tantrums and crying," Juvia related to him sadly. "He became energetic once his father arrived," she smiled, recalling the week Gray stayed with them. Steel exuded such exuberance, as if his casted arm was just for display.

"Oh... Steel stayed with his father?"

Juvia froze at the question. Should she confess to Slate that Gray actually stayed at the apartment? How come she felt guilty? Up until now, Juvia hadn't given Slate her answer. He asked her if she would do him the honour of being his girlfriend. The water mage couldn't provide her suitor a concrete response. Slate, being the wonderful man he is, understood the woman's predicament. It wasn't easy for a single mother to suddenly decide to divide her priority between her son and lover. He promised to wait until she was ready.

"Actually, G-Gray-sama stayed here," she decided to be honest.

"Gray-sama?" Slate arched a brow.

This was the first time that Juvia mentioned the name of the child's father. "Steel's father," she answered in a tiny voice. The guilty feeling was getting weighty by the minute. It's not like she did anything indecent when Gray was here. Well, she only slept in his arms for that whole week. Juvia thought back to Gray's last stay at the apartment. When she woke up, Gray's hand was practically inside her shirt. Her legs were tangled with his. She actually felt his hardness. If it wasn't for Steel's presence, god knows what would've transpired.

"Steel begged for him to stay with him."

"I see."

The heavy silence was quite deafening. A part of her knew she had to explain that nothing happened, while the other part argued she wasn't obliged to do so.

"What am I to you, Juvia?" Slate's voice snapped Juvia out of her thoughts. His tone was calm, and his expression remained gentle. But the question — it dug through Juvia's heart. How should she answer?

His presence was certainly welcoming and comforting. He made her blush multiple times. He's kissed her four times (yes, she's keeping tabs!), and they were sweet, soft kisses. Nothing too passionate yet, but Juvia thought it's a matter of time before she'd let him. Still, she couldn't quite put a label to what they have at the moment.

Definitely more than date buddies, but less than a lover. If she put him in her priority list (her Steel being the number one), where would Slate be?

"Slate-san," she started, not exactly knowing what to say. A loud and hard pounding on the door interrupted her. Juvia frowned but excused herself. The moment she opened the door, there stood her main priority and his bigger version — the one who shouldn't be her priority.

"Steel wants to see you," greeted Gray, carrying the toddler in his arms. He was smiling, but Juvia could tell it was forced. She could read the anger in his eyes. The two-year old boy had a big grin on his face and called out to Juvia. Gray, without waiting for the bluenette to react, opened the door widely and entered, gently shoving past her.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Like I said, our son wants to see you."

Gray strolled towards the living room, where the small dining table had been set up. He remained stoic upon seeing a tall man standing from his seat. "I see you have a guest. Sorry to barge in, but her son demands for his mom."

Slate straightened up and extended a hand. "I'm Slate Hawthorne," he introduced himself politely, albeit confused.

"Gray," he lightly shook this Slate-guy's hand, "Juvia's baby daddy."

With a horrified look, Juvia stood in between the two. She couldn't fathom Gray's blatant disrespect. "Please, Gray-sama," she pleaded, hoping she could communicate her message using her eyes only.

"Mom, dad BAM Uncwe Nashoo," exclaimed Steel, using his fist to punch the air.

Not exactly comprehending what her son was saying, Juvia just nodded, "That's nice." She refocused her attention to Gray. "Gray-sama, Juvia has a guest here. Can we please talk tomorrow instead?" she asked through gritted teeth. But the stubborn man didn't heed her subtle begging. Instead, Gray made his way towards the dinner table. He started picking on the seafood platter, and popped some in Steel's mouth.

"You like?" he asked his son who happily nodded.

The tension in the room was palpable. Juvia could feel Slate being on edge, though trying to control himself.

"Perhaps we should do this some other time?" he whispered to Juvia.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Gray could see Slate's hand travelled to Juvia's back. He placed Steel on the seat Slate vacated, giving him a zucchini noodle to chomp on. He faced the two, making sure to make them feel conscious of his stare. A smirk tugged on the corner of his lips when Juvia stepped away from Slate.

"You don't have to leave, you know," Gray said casually, folding his arms. "We can all have dinner together, right Juv?"

The water mage shot him a furious look. He's never called her that! "No, Gray-sama should just spend time with Steel at his apartment," she declared with a challenging voice to Gray. "You don't need to leave, Slate-san. Juvia prepared this dinner especially for you."

"Oh, I see. Juvia doesn't want her son around. Hear that Slate?" Gray laced his words with offence.

Anger flashed in Juvia's eyes. Like water boiling inside a pot that's lidded off closely, her Sierra state threatened to come out. When she heard Slate's voice, she calmed down a notch.

"Juvia, it's okay. I'm thankful for the gesture. Right now, your son wants to be around you. I don't mind." Slate grabbed his coat, and gave a curt nod to Gray.

"Nice to meet you, man," Gray articulated full of sarcasm.

Without facing him, Slate responded in a low voice, "Wish I can say the same thing." Gray had to snort at that. Perhaps a way of showing a semblance of provocation towards the dinner intruder, Slate leaned down and placed a peck on Juvia's soft lips. "You owe me a night out." With tinted cheeks, Juvia could only nod.

She accompanied Slate to the door, and Gray couldn't exactly hear what they were whispering about. He took a seat opposite Steel, who continued to slurp on strings of noodles. If only the kid knew that he had been the accomplice of a villain. He glanced at Juvia's half-eaten pasta, silently congratulating himself for ruining her date. Yet, he didn't exactly feel completely good about it.

Twirling the noodles around the fork, Gray took a huge mouthful. Annoyed that this delicious meal was prepared for the lucky bastard — whom Gray managed to shoo away — he continued munching on the dishes Juvia prepared.

It took some time for Juvia to approach them, even after Gray heard the front door closing. He pictured the woman resting her forehead on the door, trying to calm herself down.

"Where's Mom?" little Steel asked, reaching for yet another noodle.

Gray leaned forward and handed the boy an asparagus instead. There was no complaint, and the boy gladly munched on it. The father marveled at his son's ability to eat vegetables. Gray distinctly remembered himself being a little adverse to the 'green stuff' during his younger years.

"Dad, is Uncwe Nashoo crying?"

Gray arched a brow. "Did Uncle Natsu cry when I punched him?" he translated the baby talk to no one in particular, but the boy nodded. "Well, he's pretty tough. But your daddy's tougher, kiddo!" he winked at his son, who giggled, and proceeded to imitate his dad by punching the air again.

Steel's Bam! Bam! sound effects amused Gray. He laughed out loud, until he saw Juvia walking towards them. She didn't say anything to Gray. Taking a napkin, she wiped Steel's greasy hands. "Go to your room, baby. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy alone," she instructed. At the tender age of two, Steel could already tell if Mommy's in serious mode. Juvia helped him get down from the chair. With his short legs, he rushed towards the bedroom, no questions asked.

"This is good, Juvia," Gray remarked, reaching for a piece of oyster with a fork. He could sense the inner workings of Juvia's mind at the moment. The woman stood rigidly in front of the dinner table, not even looking at Gray. "Do you have more? Can I bring some home?" That seemed to be the trigger.

"Bring some home? Aren't you being thick-skinned, Gray-sama?" Gray was shocked she could still refer to him as such. "Why were you so impolite towards Slate-san?" Gray ignored her and continued eating, which further grated Juvia's nerves. "Slate-san carried Steel to the hospital when he got hurt. You should be grateful to him."

Gray slammed the fork on the table and stood up. "And you didn't even bother to tell me that? Why? You didn't want me to find out that you were flirting with the bastard, when you should be watching your son?"

Juvia's body shook in anger. He totally deserved a slap, but she controlled herself. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. The sound of thunder rolled outside. Such a beautiful evening and Juvia's emotions were changing it. She turned around to make her way outside, away from him. Gray grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Juvia yelped in pain.

"Where are you going?" his voice came out as a growl.

With a defiant stance, Juvia pulled her arm from his grip and hastened her steps. "Juvia's going after Slate-san to apologize," she lied. Just as she was about to reach the front door, a blur of white swooshed before her. Juvia froze in shock. The whole door was covered with a block of ice, trapping her from leaving. She turned to face Gray, rage evident on his face.

"W-what are you doing?" she yelled.

"You are not going anywhere!" Gray shouted in response. He grasped Juvia's wrist once again, and the water mage struggled to get away.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

The tiny voice of their son halted their actions. Steel looked up to his parents, unable to comprehend what was happening. "Look, mommy," he put up his petite hands. On his right hand, a blob of water appeared. His left hand then produced a small flame-shaped ice sculpture. His giggles echoed inside the apartment. It was the first time that Steel showcased any form of magic. His parents should have been celebrating, seemingly that Steel acquired both their abilities.

Gray loosened his grip and gently dropped Juvia's hand. He mumbled an 'I'm sorry' to her, ashamed of his behaviour. Juvia refused to look at him. She bent down and picked up Steel. With her back turned to Gray, she went inside the bedroom.

"Please leave, Gray-sama. Please remove the ice from the door." Her farewell words stabbed Gray straight to the heart. "Juvia doesn't want to see you any time soon." With that, Juvia closed her bedroom door. The click of a lock punched him on the gut. Gray could hear Steel questioning his mother if his father was leaving.

Gray dropped to his knees, in front of Juvia's bedroom. He wanted to apologize profusely, but words couldn't come out. He wanted to protect this family. That was his goal. And yet, everything he was carefully holding onto was collapsing slowly. If he lost Juvia and Steel, he would be left with nothing.

Except for a frozen door he needed to thaw.

A/N: Hello again everyone. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked writing it.

Made a minor change in one of the early chapters. nothing significant, and might've been missed by many. Basically, it's when Juvia gave birth to Steel. Lucy wasn't with Team Natsu during the mission, since she gave birth already. Thus, Effie is older than Steel.

Thank you for those reviewed/favourited the previous chapter. Please let me know how I'm doing, and what needs to be fixed.