AN: Sorry for the late chapter, but since chapter 291 I am hating FT. Yes, I am holding a grudge.

Anyway… Gray is so sweet in this one that I wish I could hold him. Period. (LOL)

Special thanks to Ulcaasi, who pretty much beta-ed this chapter by pointing out my mistakes!

Take The Pain Away

"Gray-sama, it's me, Juvia." Gray couldn't help but chuckle when he heard the voice mail from his cellphone. It wasn't like he was called 'Gray-sama' all the time. Or at all. "I need to reschedule the movie tonight, okay? It's not… a good time. Text me when you get home. Love you."

The dark haired man frowned, pressed the 'end' button and returned his attention back to the traffic, which was moving again. He was about to call Juvia and tell that he was going to be late to their date because of the rush hour when he noticed that he had a voicemail from her. She had called around two pm and he was so full of things to study that he forgot he had a phone.

What got Gray worried were two things. First: Juvia never, ever, ever canceled a date with him; to be more specific, if the world was ending and they had a date, she would appear at the date place. Or end the destruction of the world somehow so they could have their date. And no, Gray was not shitting around. She would end the freaking apocalypse if it would be in the way between her and a date with Gray.

And reason number two: her voice sounded so weak, like she had not much strength to even speak right. And he knew very well that Juvia was always so full of energy when talking to him that it made him anxious to see her. He didn't care that it wasn't… what did she call? Oh, yeah. 'A good time'. She just couldn't leave a message with a dying voice saying that they wouldn't go out because it wasn't a good time!

He was going there whether she liked or not.

Gray knocked on the door of the apartment 13B and stepped back so Juvia could see him through the magic eye, once he heard a faint 'One moment' coming from inside. He made sure to cross his arms in a threatening way. He had no idea what was Juvia's idea of 'not a good time', seeing the shit that she was into before they met. If she was saying that wasn't a good time, it meant that it was serious or dangerous business; either way it wasn't going to be fun, so he tried to make himself look bigger and threatening.

When the door was finally opened, Gray was about to ask her what the hell was going on, but the sight in front of him made him freeze on spot.

Juvia looked terrible; her hair was a mess, as if she just had scratched her head for half an hour; she was so pale, not her beautiful original glowing pale skin, instead she was sick pale. The only color that she had on her face, wasn't even her deep blue eyes that always sparkled whenever Gray was around, those were also pale; it was the dark bags under her eyes: in a purple tone that didn't suit her at all.

Gray saw surprise on her expression and he was sure that he was showing the same one; what the hell happened to her?

"Gray-sama? Didn't you get Juvia's message?" She asked in the same weak voice he heard on the voicemail. "Sorry, but today…"

"What is wrong with you?" He got closer to her, but the question came out a lot harsher than he intended it to be and she looked down.

"Sorry if it was sudden to cancel, but…" She said and Gray brushed off with a hand.

"Forget about that. I want to know what's wrong! Why do you look so pale? Do you have the flu?" He put a hand over her forehead and frowned. "You're not feverish."

"Gray-sama…" Juvia sighed and looked at him with the blue eyes that were so lifeless at that moment and when she was about to say something to him, her face contracted in one of pain and she groaned a little. Only then Gray noticed her posture. Her right hand rested above her lower stomach and her upper body was leaning forward a bit while her left hand grabbed his forearm with a little force.

"Juvia? What the…?" The man started to panic. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder to support her "I'm taking you to the hospital!"

"No." The blue haired woman shook her head in a negative way. "It's normal. Can you help Juvia get inside?"

"Normal? Normal?" Gray sounded horrified, but did what she asked anyway. He scooped her over the floor and carried her inside the house, kicking the door closed, while Juvia let her arm loose while the other still rested over her stomach. "I'm sorry, but you were in pain not two seconds ago: there's nothing normal about this." He didn't even wait for her to say where to put her and went straight to the small bedroom. "Hey, talk to me." He asked, entering the bedroom. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Sorry to make you come all the way here, Gray-sama." Juvia mumbled while Gray put her on the bed as gently as he could. "Juvia thought that you got the message."

"It's alright." Gray sat by her side and put a hand on her face. "But you have to tell me what's wrong, Juvia." He said calmly but Juvia could see that he was confused and somewhat scared. "Are you sure that you don't want to go to a hospital?"

"No hospital." She shook her head. "It'll go away soon."

"What will go away soon?" Gray was getting frustrated with the enigmatic responses he was getting from her. He didn't like to see her in pain and not even knew the reason for it!

"Cramps." She said ad Gray's frown got deeper.

"Cramps?" He asked and she nodded lightly.

'Okay, wait a moment.' Gray's mind yelled. Juvia looked like she was dying a minute before because of… cramps? Wasn't cramps a normal thing and women had them all the time? Gray heard that they were painful, but he pictured something like the small pain you get when someone presses a purple spot, or something. What Juvia's face showed when she had the… cramp-attack; it was like someone kicked her in the balls.

If she had balls, that is.

"Does it hurt that badly?" He felt dumb asking when a few moments before, he saw pain in her face and she nodded again.

"This month is worse than the others." The blue haired woman mumbled. "Usually it's not that bad. But since yesterday Juvia's been feeling real shitty." Wait, had she been kicked in her (figuratively) balls since the day before? "Juvia took some medicine, but it didn't make much different and Juvia thought that today it would be gone so we could go see that movie Gray-sama wants to go see so much." She said almost crying. "She's such a crappy girlfriend."

"You're not." He reassured her, rolling his eyes. "Do you think that I want to se a movie when you're feeling pain, baka?"

"But you wanted to see it so badly…" Juvia sniffed.

"Okay, I am not even starting this argument with you. Your well-being is far more important to me than some movie that exists and ever will exist, get it?" She nodded. "Good."

He was about to say something else when Juvia's face contracted again and so did her body. She curled up and Gray had no idea of what to do, so he just sat there, waiting for it to go away. Her breath was fast and there was a small sheet of sweat covering her forehead and Gray watched when she began to relax again and finally touched her arm with tenderness.

"How do we cure you?" He asked with a tone of agony of not knowing how to help her.

"There's no cure." She smiled a little and Gray recognized his girl; she was still there, despite the tiredness she was sure as hell showing. "There are only ways to make it less awful."

"Okay." Gray nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Could you get the first-aid kit in the bathroom?" She pointed to the door that leaded to her bathroom. "My stronger medicine is in there and I think that it's time for me to take it again."

'Ya think?' Gray thought, but went without complain to the bathroom he knew already. Gray and Juvia had been having sleepovers at each other's places for months, so he knew where the important things, including the first-aid kit that the man was positive that had every single drug ever made in it, were.

He quickly found it in the cabinet under the sink; it was big, white and had a red cross painted on it.

Once he returned to the bedroom with the first aid kit, Juvia was sitting on the bed, putting her longish hair in a ponytail that only left her bangs out. Gray sat beside her and once she finished, he put the kit on her lap. She offered him a smile and a peck on the cheek, before opening it.

"Why didn't you take earlier?" He asked, looking to the many types of medicine, before one of them caught his attention.

"I took one before sleeping yesterday. Didn't want to overdo, but now it's getting bad again." She responded, still searching.

Gray, who took one of the meds, the one that had 28 little pills, and the days of the week written on it, asked:

"What's this for?" He had a hunch, but needed her to say it anyway.

"It's my birth control pills." She said looking up for and then returning to her mission.

"And why are they all here?" Gray's eyes widened and he pointed at the pills. They were careful when having sex; they never had unprotected sex. Except the three times they did. But besides that, not one time! No, sir.

"Because women don't take them during the actual period, Gray-sama. Only when it finishes. The pills actually help to lessen the pain of cramps, you know?" Juvia said while still searching for the medicine to make her feel better. "The one you're holding is the one Juvia bought for next month."

"Oh." He sighed in relief. "I see." It was good to know that she was taking care of birth control as well as he was. He hoped to get married and wait about thirty years to start breeding.

"Damn." Juvia gave up looking towards her meds. "It's not here!"

"Are you sure?" Gray asked and Juvia nodded.

"Yes. Juvia took the last one last night." She sighed. "She didn't even notice it."

"I'll go and buy some more." Gray offered in a heart-beat. There was a big pharmacy two blocks away from her apartment and she was clearly in no condition to go anywhere.

"Juvia can't ask Gray-sama to do that." She shook her head and he rolled his eyes.

"I offered. Now, give me the name of it so I can go and buy" She opened her mouth to object, but Gray stopped her. "No excuses."

Juvia thought for a second and nodded. She really needed the medicine and Gray wanted to go there to buy it.

"Fine. Juvia will write the name down." She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you."

"Tch." He replied. What were boyfriends for, right?

Gray stood in the aisle 4, the one that had many femenine products and he had no idea of what the hell he was doing.

Juvia didn't ask him to buy any... Ladie's products, and he had no idea why he was standing Where-No-Man-Should-Go, but he thought that maybe he could get her one of those things? Maybe she needed it and forgot to ask? Maybe he should buy one and give it to her, even though Gray was sure that she would be prepared for that time of the month.

"Who sent you here, darling?" Gray looked to his left and a lady, that should have about forty-five years old, had a small estature and dark brown hair and eyes, asked. "Girlfriend?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah." He scratched his head. "She sent me here for some medicine for pain, but I couldn't help but thinking that she could need... You know... One of those." He waved his hand towards the products. "But I have no idea which one to pick."

The woman smiled kindly.

"You are a good boyfriend." She giggled. "My husband would die before getting a tampon for me." Gray blushed and looked down. She smiled. "You should get her this one." The woman grabbed a pink package and offered to the dark-haired man. "It's good. And you'll get some points with your girl." If she only knew that Gray already had all points he could get from Juvia and the extra ones too... But he could feel pretty good to do something nice to her; she always did things to make his life easier, so the least he could do was to be nice to her once in a while to remind her that he cared.

"Thanks." Gray took the package. "And for, you know... Cramps? Any advises?" Yes, he was well aware that he sounded like a girl, but fuck his posture: his girlfriend was in pain. Besides, no one he knew saw him there holding pads and talking about how to relief menstrual cramps. Man, Natsu would have a good joke about this one. "She has it pretty bad."

"Oh, my." The woman thought for a moment. "Massaging the abdomen and back helps a lot. And putting a hot pad over the stomach."

Gray nodded.

"Thanks." She nodded back and started to walk away.

"Good luck." The woman waved good-bye and Gray went to the cashier to pay for it.

He raised his head and walked with the pads in hands, looking up to everyone who dared to look down on him.

He was a man and these things were not meant for him and everyone knew it. Gray's cheeks were a little rosy, but he held it together. Juvia was in pain and she needed one of those... Things he got her, so, he could take the stares. Most of them were girls thinking he was cute anyways.

"Juvia?" Gray stepped inside the apartment and closed the door behind him, putting her apartment keys and his own at the counter that divided the living room and the kitchen, he had the package with medicine and the pads.

He walked straight to the bedroom and heard the water running inside the bathroom.

"Hey, Juvia, I'm back." He knocked on the door.

"Okay." She responded. "Juvia's almost done." Her voice was better, but she still wasn't herself. Any other day she would've opened the door and asked him with a seductive voice if he wanted to join her; which was a strategy that had 99% effectiveness, by the way.

"If you need anything, yell." Gray was afraid that his girlfriend had one of those cramp-attacks and injured herself by falling or something.

"Yeah." She said and Gray lied on Juvia's bed and checked his phone, noticing that he had a text from Lucy.

'Gray, are you and Juvia going to the movies, right? Afterwards, wanna meet us at the restaurant? We haven't meet in a while! Gajeel and Levy are coming as well.'

Gray sighed and started to text the blonde woman back.

'We can't go. Juvia's feeling down."

After a few seconds, a reply came.

'What? Is she alright? What does she have?'

Gray groaned and wrote back.

'Cramps. That's why we're not going to the movies. Let's do something next week or so.'

Lucy replied shortly after.

'Of course. I understand completely. Tell Juvia that I'll call tomorrow to check on her, alright? Bye. o/'

Gray didn't reply it and that's when he heard that the water stopped running at the bathroom. After about two minutes, Juvia opened the door and Gray sat on the bed.

Juvia was looking better; her hair was wet and loose while she dried it with a towel, she was wearing loose sweat pants and a big white t-shirt that she stole from Gray.

"Hey." He said to her. "I bought your stuff."

"Thanks." She smiled and caught the package and frowned when she saw what was inside. "Did Gray-sama buy Juvia... Pads?"

"Yeah." He blushed and coughed, looking to the opposit direction his girlfriend was. "I thought you could need it or something."

Gray had no idea of how to use a pad or tampons, what went where, but he knew women needed it.

Juvia's eyes watered a little (damn hormones); her Gray-sama was so sweet. They were together as a couple for almost six months now (about 172 days, to Juvia's count) and he showed her that he was sweet in many levels; and that action of buying her the lady products she might need was even sweeter because if she knew him, Gray would be so embarassed to do it. But he did.

For her.

"Thank you, Gray-sama." Juvia smiled.

"Whatever." Gray's blush became even redder. "Take the med already, baka. That's what I went out to buy."

"Yes." She sighed happily. Maybe this time the drug could take the whole pain away, not just make it less awful. It wasn't likely, but she could dream. "It will kick in in a few minutes after I take it."

Gray nodded, looking at her.

"Maybe if... You know." The dark haired man stuttered and coughed, clearing his throat. "If you want I should... Could... Help you out."

"Hm?" Juvia frowned.

"The lady at the pharmacy said that..." Cough. "...massage your...," Cough. "You know, your stomach... Maybe helps."

Juvia was surprised that he knew about the massage and the benefits of it. Even more that he offered to do.

"You don't have to, Gray-sama." She said sweetly. Juvia knew that he was pushed to a male limit that day with her.

"If it helps, yes I have to." He scoffed. "I don't wanna see you in pain." Gray rolled his eyes like Juvia was stupid for not knowing that.

Juvia walked towards him. Gray looked up to her and she kissed him lightly on the lips with a small smile.

"What?" Gray asked when she stared at him with a silly look in her face.

"Nothing." She passed her hand through his hair, making his body react on its own; his arms wrapped around her waist. Gray rested his head on her stomach. "Juvia is just happy that she has you to take her pain away."

She felt Gray's smile, but his voice came out very serious when he talked next:

"Yeah, and the medicine I bought. Go take it and come back."

Juvia nodded happily. It was crappy to have cramps, but she had Gray to be there for her if she needed it. That (and the nedicine) was what would always take any pain away from her.

AN: Cramps. Yeah, there are women that never had them and I am envious. It hurts so fuckin' bad! And I am very happy that mine were never as bad as the one Juvia had here in this chapter. But I just had to picture a desperate Gray, and he in a drugstore buying tampons. It's such a boyfriend-y thing to do!

I think that Gray behaved like we want our boyfriends to behave when we're in pain, right? :D

And when Gray compared the cramps with a kick in the balls, I know that for a man, a kick there is like death, but it was just Gray's way to compare, okay? Even though some women do have cramps as id they were being ripped apart.

So, any of you has formspring? I made one, but only my friend follows me and I feel so lonely. ;;' Anyway, it's bonneyq, if any of you have nothing to do, I usually don't have either, so… LOL

Thanks to: Uchiha Evangeline, Laki, fire fist storm, Seirin, Heroic Panda, angelbaby5643, Alpenrose , MissForgetfulMe, LittleLiar666 , SimplyBad,superduperizee, Ushiio, WindNinjaDW, ChibiWaruChan, Yukistar, Shikalein, Dandelion-85, YamixTeaLover, Sarapyon, FairyTailxoLove, chibified kitsunes, NekoMaji, PattyPatt and Armageddon Angel, who reviewed. Thank you very much!

PS: Mashima, you troll! Do you have any idea how hurt I was with the hints of Gray x Lucy in chapter 292 and the cover of 293? I know that will never going to happen and it's your job to drive us crazy, but do you have any idea how annoying GraLu fans got with that? I know because I am just as (or even more) annoying when there's Juvia, Gray x Juvia or Gray x Juviax Lyon in the chapter. LOL But I prefer to be the annoying one, thank you very much. Just saying. So, after (or during, I don't really care) making Sabertooth pay, please you better make Gray take Juvia like there's no tomorrow. (?)