Seven Days
Chapter 8- Friday
Gray took a deep breath, clutching the edge of the dock tightly. His toes brushed the water, creating soft ripples in the calm ocean. It was still drizzling, but Gray didn't notice. His eyes were trained on one thing.
Off in the distance, Juvia sat in a canoe with Gajeel. Gray could barely make out her form, but he was still happy just watching her silhouette. She was so beautiful, honestly. Just seeing her smile was enough to infinitely brighten his day, and every time she laughed he got butterflies in his stomach. And when she touched him- oh, those butterflies felt more like wasps.
"Ah, love is a wonderful thing, isn't it?"
Gray jerked at the voice, and looked up in time to see Lucy sit down beside him, grinning mischievously. "Shut up, it's not like that," he muttered, looking back at the ocean.
"You sure about that?" she answered, nudging him playfully.
"Where's Natsu?" Gray asked, trying to throw her off.
"Giving Happy a bath; he said that Happy smelled too fishy and needed some cleansing. I don't think Happy's enjoying it that much, but oh well," she responded, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "Now, you didn't answer my question. I could help, you know. And I won't tell her, I promise," she declared, winking.
Gray hesitated. He could use some help, he had never felt this way before and didn't know what to do… Sure, Lucy would tease him about it, but she was already teasing him anyway, so what harm could it do?
"Yeah, okay… You're right…" he grumbled, looking at his toes.
"I KNEW IT!" She squealed, kicking her feet excitedly, "Oh, you guys are so cute! Like seriously, you're on the same cuteness level as Gajeel and Levy. I mean, honestly-"
"Lucy! I get it! But seriously, I've got a problem!"
She looked at him confusedly, tilting her head ever so slightly.
"I like her a lot… What the hell am I supposed to do?!"
She laughed, leaving him bewildered. "Really? That's what your problem is?"
He nodded, nervously looking away.
"Well, I think you should tell her. She deserves to know, right? And honestly, I think there's a very good chance that she feels the same," she answered, suddenly serious. He looked up at her, to see she was watching the canoe, a knowing smile on her face. "Well, I should probably make sure that Natsu and Happy are still alive, so I'll leave you here to ponder that," she continued, and then got up and walked back to the cabin, leaving Gray to watch the canoe, his fingers nervously tapping the dock.
Tell her?
•••
Gray yawned, drowsily running his fingers through his hair. It had been a long day, but a good day. A good last day. He poured himself a glass of water, glancing at the clock. It read 1:37 AM. Sipping his water, he leaned against the counter. Natsu and Lucy were fast asleep in their room, leaving the cabin eerily quiet. Well, quiet until someone knocked on the door.
He plodded over to the door and slowly opened it, and suddenly he wasn't as tired anymore.
Juvia stood on the porch, her purple tank top and jeans a bit soaked from the pouring rain, but the bright grin on her face showed that she didn't really care. "Oh good, you're up!" She exclaimed, not seeming to notice the sleepy state of the cabin. "Do you want to come with me to the best bakery ever?"
She wants to go to a bakery? Now? Are there even any bakeries open right now? It's pretty late, I still have to pack for tomorrow- wait, what am I thinking? When have I ever made good decisions?
"Sure, just let me put on some jeans first."
•••
Gray smiled as the pair pulled up to the deserted boardwalk. The street was dark, all except for one dim sign that read 'TITANIA'S BAKED GOODS'. It was still pouring rain outside, but they didn't seem to mind. Juvia cheerfully strolled to the faded bakery, and Gray curiously followed.
She pushed open the door, and Gray was immediately hit with a wave of sweet aromas. The place looked like a cozy diner- a long counter at the front, and booths against the walls and windows. Dozens of delicious looking baked goods -cakes, cookies, muffins, etc- were on display around the shop, with more behind the counter. Juvia, looking like she was right at home, waltzed up to the empty counter. Gray followed, taking a great whiff of the sweet air.
"Erza! Jellal! Are you guys here?" Juvia asked, and she was answered by a (vaguely threatening) feminine voice. Moments later, a pretty woman with long scarlet hair and piercing chocolate eyes appeared from the kitchen door. She smiled upon seeing Juvia.
"Hey! I haven't seen you in a while; how have you been?" She asked, smiling warmly.
"Oh, I've been great! There's someone I want you to meet," Juvia answered, gesturing to Gray, who crept closer, "Erza, this is Gray. Gray, that's Erza. She and Jellal used to live in my neighborhood, before they moved here to start a bakery. Speaking of Jellal, where is he?"
"Oh, you just missed him. He's already headed home," Erza responded, and then turned to Gray. She smiled at him, but he could feel her eyes staring into his soul and picking out every wrongdoing he had ever committed. He shivered.
I bet she and Gajeel got along swimmingly…
"Gray?"
"Huh?" He asked, jerked out of his thoughts. Juvia giggled.
"A bit sleepy, are you? I asked, do you want anything?"
"Oh, uh… A slice of that strawberry cake would be nice, thanks," he quickly responded, picking the first thing he laid his eyes on. He couldn't help but notice Erza stiffen at the mention of strawberry cake.
"Why don't you two go sit down, and I'll bring you your stuff?" Erza offered, scribbling things down on her notepad. Juvia nodded and led Gray to one of the booths by the window. He waited until Erza disappeared back into the kitchen before turning to Juvia.
"You used to live with her?" He asked, nervously glancing at the kitchen door.
She nodded eagerly. "Yup! She and Jellal used to live in Phantom Lord with us. We're still in Phantom Lord now, but Gajeel got a job transfer so we're moving in a few weeks. I forget where to… What about you, where are you from?"
Gray opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Erza bringing the food. She smiled at them, gave a longing glance to Gray's cake, and walked away. Juvia stared expectantly at Gray, not touching her muffin.
"... What?"
"Try it!" She exclaimed, gesturing at the cake. He gave her a look, and then tentatively placed a forkful of cake in his mouth.
"Woah."
She smiled as his eyes widened, and he continued.
"This is just… woah. It's like a party… In my mouth… I love it…"
She laughed, taking a bite of her muffin. "Erza's really good at baking," she giggled, her eyes shining. "She especially loves strawberry cake."
That explains the weird looks…
"Just like Natsu loves hot wings?"
She laughed again. "Exactly like Natsu likes hot wings."
He smiled at her, basking in the warmth of her laugh. Just then, Erza came back to the table with a small plastic bag. "For you," she said, handing the bag to Juvia and grinning. "I'm closing up shop, you two just make sure you turn off the lights before you leave, okay?" With that said, Juvia nodded, and Erza went back to the kitchen.
"What's in it?" Gray asked, gesturing to the bag. She shrugged and opened it, and her face immediately lit up.
"Saltwater taffy!" She squealed, unwrapping a piece of candy and chewing it. Gray chuckled at the excitement on her face.
"I guess you really like saltwater taffy, huh?"
"Yeah!" She answered, her eyes bright. "Gajeel and I get some every time we come here. But lately, it's been harder to find. I wonder where Erza found this stuff?"
"Who knows…" he responded, finishing his cake. "Hey, I've got a joke for you."
She cocked her head.
"Why do seagulls fly over the sea?"
"Why?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Cause if they flew over the bay, they'd be called bagels."
She snorted, jerking forward. "That's so… stupid…" she wheezed in between laughter.
"If it's so stupid, why are you laughing?" he teased, wagging his fork.
"Cause it's weirdly funny!" She squealed, trying to pout but breaking into a laugh. He chuckled, his eyes warm.
She cheerily popped another piece of taffy, and then stood up. "I'm about done, you ready to go?"
He nodded and stood as she turned off the lights. They were alone in the dark now, and for a moment Gray stood frozen, just marvelling at her. He watched as she gazed out the window, her indigo eyes reflecting all the droplets of rain, her slender fingers wrapping around the bag of taffy. He simply watched, mesmerized by the way the soft moonlight traced her every curve, how her cerulean hair tumbled over her shoulders like the waves of the ocean…
I think you should tell her.
She glanced back at him, smiling. "If we hurry to the car, we shouldn't get too wet, right?" He simply nodded in agreement, afraid to speak. He held the door open for her and she smiled gratefully, and he proceeded to follow her out. The street was dark and empty, only lit up by the full moon. He walked behind her, his thoughts at war.
It was the last night he was here, after all.
I think there's a very good chance she feels the same.
Gray stopped.
Noticing that he was no longer walking, Juvia paused and turned around, her eyes confused. "Are you coming?"
"I… need to tell you something," he said softly, his hands tensing.
"Can it wait until we get into the car…?" She asked, smiling confusedly.
"No, I need to do this here. Now."
She took a step toward him, her eyes flickering with concern. "Are you alright?"
"Juvia, I…" His voice caught in his throat. Why was this so hard? It was just words….
She took another step closer. One more step, and she'd be close enough to touch him.
"I, uh…" Why was he doing this again? What was the point? He was leaving tomorrow anyway, it wasn't like they were gonna have a happy-ever-after….
"Gray…" she murmured, taking that final step. They were soaked by now, but neither of them seemed to notice. He could feel his cheeks burning, but he was so lost in her that it didn't even matter.
"I… I really like you… a lot…"
That was quite possibly the longest moment in Gray's life.
She stared up at him, her eyes first wide with surprise, and then she grinned so brightly that she lit up the entire street, her eyes glimmering with joy. The bag of taffy tumbled to the ground as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. For a moment he remained frozen in surprise, but then he pulled her close.
"I really like you a lot too," she whispered in his ear. He wondered if she could feel his heart throbbing.
"Would you say you love me?"
"I would."
"Then I can say the feeling is mutual."
He felt her dig her face into his neck in response, and his grip on her tightened. Suddenly she pulled back, resting her forehead on his. He could feel her breath fanning across his lip, and he gazed into her eyes for the longest time, lost in the depths of her indigo eyes.
"Does this mean I can…"
He didn't let her finish, instead answered by shifting his head forward a tiny bit and capturing her lips. In that moment, all time seemed to stop. He could feel her fingers tracing circles into the base of his neck, feel her smiling against his lips, and he pulled her closer, wondering if it was possible for a kiss to feel this good.
She tastes like saltwater taffy…
He moved his hand up to her hair, tangling his fingers in the calm blue locks. He could feel her leaning closer to him, and he responded by deepening the kiss, smiling at her little squeak of surprise. But, she didn't pull away.
For the longest time, the two simply stayed there in their own little universe, oblivious to the pouring rain or the empty street or the ticking clock. But, eventually, Juvia pulled away. Gray opened his silver eyes to see her gazing up at him, a mischievous grin on her face.
"You leave tomorrow, right?" she asked, her voice low. He nodded, breathless.
"Then let's go on a little adventure tonight."