Hello again everyone. Yesterday I got an anon message asking me to write more NaLu for my challenge. Unfortunately, the rest of the prompts have already been decided (by my tumblr followers) and there won't be more NaLu in the last 7 :C I didn't realize until I got the message that this fic was tagged for Gruvia and Nalu. I change the second tag to ElfEver, since they do appear to have the second most fics in this compilation. I'M SORRY FOR THE LACK OF NALU I DO LOVE THEM. I will write some more for them when I am done with the challenge, but for now, enjoy the last week of my challenge.

Series: Fairy Tail

Pairing: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser

Title: Drops in the Bucket (Ch 1)

Prompt: Arguing

Rating: E for Everyone

Word Count:

AN: Heeeey! This one is actually a 2 shot, and tomorrow's fic will be the second half! I've been dying to write this one. Actually, it's why I wanted to start the challenge in the first place. So enjoy!

Gray was lying on the couch of Juvia's apartment. When he had arrived some two hours ago, and opened the door with the spare key she had given him, he found the young lady absent from her humble abode. He knew it was his fault for not trying to contact her first, but he had gone through such measures to convince the matron to allow him in; it would have been a waste to just leave.

So the young man sat bored on her couch, flipping through girly magazines the tenant owned, and skimming novels she had borrowed from Levy. He had half-considered rummaging through her bedroom for entertainment—Juvia swore up and down that she had nothing to hide form Gray—but he couldn't help feeling she might own a photo album full of half naked photos of him, taken without him knowing—or at least something of that sort—so Gray decided he was better off not knowing what was in her room.

Gray dropped a beauty magazine back onto his chest and sighed, his bored eyes traveling through the room. Was she ever coming home? What if she were out on a mission? Waiting was so painful.

The sound of a key in the doorknob caught Gray's attention, and he swung up into a sitting position just as Juvia stepped into the apartment.

"Wh—Gray!" She exclaimed, and dropped the small blue box she was holding to the ground. "Gray!" She called his name again, and ran over to the man, leaping towards him and knocking him back onto the couch again.

Gray laughed and tousled the young lady's hair as she doted over him. "It's nice to see you too, Juvia."

"Juvia had no idea Gray was here! Has Gray been waiting long?" She asked, leaning away from the man so he could sit back up again.

"Uh…" Gray averted his eyes, not wanting to make the girl feel guilty, "Just a little."

"Juvia is sorry. Juvia will cook Gray dinner to make up for it." She told him, and stood from the couch. She walked over to the open door and pushed it shut, before leaning down and picking up the parcel she had dropped.

"What's that?" Gray questioned.

Juvia turned her gaze from the box, over to Gray, and walked towards him. She opened the container to reveal a pair of blue crystal earrings, shaped like raindrops. "Aren't they pretty?" She asked, and returned to her seat next to him, "Lyon bought them for Juvia."

Gray could feel his eyebrow twitch at the mention of his long-time rival's name. "Why do you still hang out with him now that we're together?" Gray chided.

Juvia gave Gray a surprised expression, but it softened as she wrapped her hand around his. "Lyon is important to Gray. Even if Gray won't admit it; Juvia knows." The bluenette spoke with a smile, and leaned in towards her boyfriend, "And anyone important to Gray, is important to Juvia. So Juvia wants to keep her connections with Lyon."

She gave Gray a winning smile and he was done for—conversation over—he couldn't complete with her.

He sighed, and ran his hand through him hair. "Fair enough. Just be careful around him."

Juvia chuckled, and stood back up. She turned towards her kitchen, but kept her eyes on Gray. "Lyon would never hurt Juvia, because Juvia is important to Gray."

Gray rolled his eyes, but she just chuckled more.

"Now what would Gray like for dinner?"

And that was it. It was an innocent enough conversation, but neither of them knew where it could have lead them a few days later…

Juvia raced ahead of Gray in the market. The sun shone down on the two of them, and Gray had already lost anything he had worn on his top half that morning. He sighed, watching his girlfriend in her dark blue winter's dress, a light blue shawl over her shoulders, as she danced in the streets and flipped back and forth between shopping stalls, pointing at vegetables at some and clothing at others.

And from her ears dangled a pair of crystal rain drop earrings. His brow furrowed. She'd been wearing them every day since she received them. Didn't she own any other earrings?

"Gray! Buy Juvia these eggs! She needs them to make cake." The water mage called out for him.

"Yeah, yeah." Gray snickered, letting the jewelry thing go for now, and quickened his pace so he could join his girlfriend. She pointed out eggs and butter and sugar to him, and as he paid the merchant for the items the bluenette had requested, she twirled around and went running off to another stall.

They had both decided that Gray was better off handling the money when they were together, because Juvia could be a little impulsive sometimes, and would splurge on a dress or hat, before actually buying the groceries she was looking for.

Juvia's high pitched gasp caught Gray's attention, and turned his head to her direction to see her fussing over a jewelry stand a few feet away. The young man sighed, and walked towards her.

"What is it? We've got a little money left, maybe we can—"

His eyes fell upon the object that had gotten Juvia so excited: a long silver necklace with a blue crystal raindrop hanging from it. He grimaced.

"It matches Juvia's earrings perfectly!" She sang out, and turned a pair of sparkling blue eyes to Gray. "Gray, can we buy it?"

"No." Gray said flatly, and turned his back on the girl

Juvia's expression fell into a frown. "Whaaat? Why Gray? Gray said we had money, why can't Juvia have it?" She complained, and threw her arms around his neck from behind.

Gray let out an 'oof' as Juvia's weight fell upon him, but he kept up his protest. "Because it's a waste of money. Let's go home."

"Hmph!" Juvia snorted, and let go of Gray, falling back to her feet. She stood still with her fists clenched at her side, not satisfied with Gray's response. "Juvia wants it! Doesn't Gray care about Juvia?"

Gray turned around to her with a pout. "Juvia, don't be like that. You don't need—"

"Lyon would buy it for Juvia!" The young lady cut off the ice mage.

Silence fell between the two of them. Gray's stare upon her grew cold as his eyebrows turned down and he scowled at her words.

Juvia raised her hands to her lips, guilt rushing up her spine. "Juvia did not mean—"

"Why don't you just date him then?" Gray snapped at her. Juvia gasped. "If he'll buy you everything you need, why spend all your time with me? You're wasting both of our time."

Juvia felt tears gathering in her eyes. "Gray… Juvia only wants—"

"Only wants everything in the world." Gray turned his back on her again.

"No! That is not want Juvia was going to say!" The water mage bellowed, and ran towards the man, grabbing onto his arm.

Gray brushed her off with little concern. "Whatever. I'm out of here."

Juvia collapsed on the ground. Gray had rejected her before, but this was different. This wasn't Gray telling her no, it was Gray handing her everything she'd ever wished for, and then ripping it out of her hands again.

She listened to his footsteps until he walked out of earshot, and then she began to sob into the dirt road, her tears being absorbed by the earth. She shivered as she whimpered and wailed quietly, not knowing what she should do—or should have done.

"Juvia? Is that you?" She heard a familiar voice asked. Juvia turned her hear up to see Lucy standing over her. The blonde's face became shocked as she saw the tears rolling down Juvia's cheeks. "What's wrong? What happened? Are you alone?" She asked, searching the area for Gray, before kneeling down and rubbing a hand on her comrade's back.

"Lucyyyy…" Juvia sniveled, and threw her arms around the celestial mage's neck. "It's all Juvia's fault… Gray hates Juvia."

"What? That's ridiculous." Lucy let out an unsure laughed, and rubbed the bluenette's head. But she felt the young woman's arms tighten around her as she wept onto her shoulder. "Juvia…? What happened?"

To Be Continued…