Rating : T
Pairings : Gruvia, mentioned Gajevy, Jerza, hinted Nalu
Summary : Lucy noticed the changes in Gray through his actions towards a certain water mage
1 year
"How's the fever?" Lucy asked as she sprinted to the water mage.
"It's better than ever!" Juvia answered with a bright smile.
"You gave us a heart attack when Gray came back with you on his arms.." Lucy chuckled, smiling as she remembered how Gray was looking worried and scolding the girl on his arms while he walked to the group. Gray told them that Juvia almost fainted because of her fever and let Wendy healed her, while Gray stayed with her through the process, still not letting her go from his arms. Gray had changed a lot during the last year, and Lucy was sure it was partly Juvia's doing.
"Sorry.." Juvia mumbled, loud enough for the blonde mage to hear, but she waved if off, throwing her arms around the water mage to give her a hug.
"Did Gray explain everything?" Lucy asked.
"He did.." Juvia smiled, "And he apologised too.."
"I see.. Because if he didn't, me and Erza will be kicking his ass!" Lucy huffed.
"Juvia can't let you do that!" Juvia faked a pout, but then she followed the blonde's smile.
"Here's your clothes.." the girls turned to Gray who handed Juvia the clothes she took off during the fight. "Damn it, you still have that habit of mine!"
"You're not one to talk, Gray-sama.." Juvia giggled as she put on her clothes back.
Okay, the atmosphere between those two definitely had changed, but she couldn't really put her fingers where. They decided to return to Magnolia and gather the guild members back, Lucy decided to send letters to all the guild members, since she had tracked their addresses. And during the trip back, they camped in the woods to rest, it was Gray's suggestion and everyone knew he was worried about Juvia's fever.
After dinner from all the foods they could gather in the woods, and Juvia's help on catching the fishes -much to Happy's little heaven-, they sat around the fire made by Natsu, and talked about the trips, what they had been doing, how Gajeel could make it into the Council, and how Erza and Gray met, how Gray infiltrated Avatar -followed by Gray's apology again-.
During the talk, Gray was seated next to Juvia by himself, it wasn't a rare sight since Juvia usually seated herself anywhere near Gray, but it was different when Gray initiated to sit close to her. He sometimes stared at her affectionately, patted her head, pinching her nose when she started spouting nonsense, and he did it so naturally, like he was used to it.
"You should've seen his hair!" Lucy announced which brought Natsu and Happy laughters.
"Yeah, he's like.. 'Hey, I'm the evil guy around here'.. It's fucking hilarious!" Natsu mimicked a low dangerous voice and laughed madly.
"Not the hair talk, again! Fuck all of you!" Gray groaned.
"How was the hair?" Juvia asked with her sparkling eyes.
"Oh, you should show it Gray!" Lucy giggled.
"It was Erza's idea!" Gray growled.
"Well, he has to appear more.. villain-like, right?" Erza smiled proudly at her idea.
"Show us!" Levy clapped her hand lightly.
"Yeah, show us the evil stripper!" Gajeel smirked.
"Pleasee~ Gray-sama!" Juvia pleaded too.
"Oh fuck it.." Gray groaned, he brushed his hair and arranged it, and soon the evil Gray reappeared, making Natsu, Lucy, and Happy rolled back to the grass and laughed.
"That's.. pretty convincing.." Wendy smiled and Charla nodded in agreement.
"Ahh~~ Evil Gray-sama is so handsome!" Juvia sighed in bliss and Gray rolled his eyes.
In the midst of laughing tears, Lucy got back to sit and she could see Juvia rearranging Gray's hair back, giggling while Gray whispered something to her. He could see him bumping his forehead against hers lightly and Juvia looked around before she secretly pressed a soft kiss against his lips, and Gray responded the kiss.
And Lucy blushed.
Oh. My. God.
But after that, they pretended to act as usual, and laughed at Levy's story about Gajeel's piled of untouched paper works back in his office. It was getting late and Erza suggested to get some rest before they continued their trip to Magnolia. Natsu lent Lucy his clothes as her blanket, and Lucy shyly took it as she murmured her thanks, of course, Happy rolled his tongue saying, "She liiiikkesss him.." and Lucy snapped at the blue cat.
Before sleeping, she took a glance worriedly on Juvia (who was supposed to be sleeping next to her), since she still had a light fever and they had no blankets. But it seemed Lucy shouldn't have worried at all, Gray lent his coat to the water mage and slept close to her. Lucy smiled when Juvia seemed to tell him to get inside his coat too and the ice mage just complied willingly as he wrapped his arms around her.
Lucy could hear Gajeel and Levy whispering about their reports to the Council, Erza and Wendy whispering about Wendy's days during her stay in Lamia Scale, and Gray's and Juvia's sweet whispers. It wasn't that different, really, but after seeing that lovely sight of those two, everything the did seemed romantic.
"How's the fever?" Lucy heard Gray's voice.
"It's completely gone, Juvia thinks.." and now it was Juvia's and Lucy could picture her smiling as she answered.
"Good to hear that.." Lucy was sure Gray was smiling too.
"So how was the black mark? Did you really control it?"
"Hell yeah, it's completely under my control.."
"Gray-sama is so cool.."
Silence.
Lucy blinked, curiously she glanced over her shoulder and..
Gray was kissing Juvia! He supported his upper torso with a hand over Juvia as he pressed a kiss on the girl's lips.
"I miss you.." Lucy had never thought Gray Fullbuster could make such a needy voice. And it was to Juvia!
"Juvia misses you too.." Juvia replied as she leaned to him and kissed him.
Oh. My. Gosshhhhhhhhhh
They really went out!
"You fucking stripper! Don't even think of mating in here!" Gajeel was the first to break the mood. No, it was actually Gray and Juvia's mood to be exact. Anyways, Gajeel managed to get all eyes to stare at Gray and Juvia who pretended to be confused.
Nice act, Lucy praised. If it were her, she would be blushing madly and exploded.
"What the hell! You were kissing Levy too!" Natsu got up and pointed his finger at Gajeel.
"WHAT ARE YOU..!" the dragon slayer was blushing mad.
"Congratulations Gajeel-kun! Levy-san!" Juvia beamed.
"No, no! It's not.." Levy was beet red.
"And Gray! Get the fuck outta here if you want to get laid!" Natsu snarled at the ice mage.
"Oh, right. You're still a virgin.." Gray smirked and Natsu was officially pissed.
"YOU.. THAT'S WHY JUVIA HAS YOUR FUCKING SCENT ALL OVER HER!" Gajeel got up and marched his way to the couple.
"Gajeel!" Levy held him back.
"Yeah? You have Levy's scent all over you too, dumbass!" Natsu roared.
"SILENCE!" The Titania's stern voice brought all of them sitting on their knees. Wendy was holding Charla close to her while Lily was on Levy's lap. Happy hid himself behind Natsu as Erza got up. First, she glanced over Gray and Juvia with a scary black aura surrounding her, "I know you two lived together for 6 months.. But Gray had me convinced he did nothing, was he telling the truth, Juvia?"
"Y.. yes!" Juvia nodded fast.
"E.. Erza! Juvia said that Gray kicked her out of his bed whenever she crawled in.." Lucy helped.
"But there's only one bed in that house.." Charla asked, without any ill-intention.
"ONE BED..?" Erza turned to the ice mage.
"I slept on the couch!" Gray quickly explained.
"No, the bed had Gray's scent all over.." Natsu was the one who spoke next and Gray swore he would be freezing the salamder's 'little brother' to make him stay as a virgin forever.
"G.. Gray-sama took a nap on the bed when Juvia was awake!" Juvia thought of something.
"But Titania, you have that blue-haired wizard's scent all over you too.." Gajeel said and for the first time Gray felt grateful to the dragon slayer. Gray knew Erza was staying with Jelal before they met, but he never thought she was 'staying' with Jelal.
"Meredy was with us!" Erza quickly explained.
"Apparently, her scent was faint.." Charla said and Erza went pale.
"Well, well.. You can't judge us then, Erza.." Gray chuckled. "Now, please excuse us, we need a rest.." Gray said before he pushed Juvia down to the grass.
"You'd better not do anything to her, stripper bastard!" Gajeel threatened.
"Of course! I'm not into voyeur stuffs, so I'll do it when we get back.." Gray yawned.
"You fucking...!"
"Enough, Gajeel! I'm sleepy!" Levy huffed.
"What's this, since when did all of us have dated!" Natsu groaned as he laid back.
"Well.. don't tell me you didn't see it coming.." Lucy smiled.
"I did see Juvia coming to Gray, but nobody knew about Gajeel and Levy!"
"That's why boys are.." Lucy sighed with a smile.
"So.. you're still single, right?" Natsu asked as he turned his back against her.
"Thanks for the reminder.." Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Good.." he murmured, loud enough for her to hear. "Thanks.. for waiting me.."
"Ye.. yeah.." she mumbled before closing her eyes.
1 year.
And everything could change so much.