When the day finally arrived, Juvia practically leapt out of bed. Her limbs ached from the day's work before but she shook it off without a second thought. There was nothing that was going to spoil her mood today. Dashing over to the window she threw open the curtains and was met with the brilliant gleam of sunshine as it crested over the cityscape. Taken aback by the sight, she marvelled at how the rays seemed to dance between the buildings and cast shadows that seemed somehow otherworldly.
She stood for a long while staring out over the city with a brilliant smile illuminating her features. She thought back to how her life had been only a few weeks ago when each day she woke up only to be met with thunderous rain and a grey world. So it had been for as long as she could remember, even as a child she could seldom remember a day when the sun shone through and truly lit up her life. How times had changed since she had met Gray and Natsu. They had turned her whole life upside down in an instant. The old Juvia could never have foreseen that such people could dance into her life and change it all so wonderfully.
Turning her back to the wonderful views, she practically danced through to her diminutive bathroom in a whirl of blue bed-hair. She sang as she showered; a high melodic folk song that her mother had once sung to her in a distant memory. It was hard for her to recall the words, yet as she teased the tangles from her cerulean locks they seemed to return to her mind like a distant echo of days long gone. It eased her mind and calmed her heart, bringing her back to her centre and better preparing her for the day ahead.
Towelling herself off, she made her way back through to her bedroom and picked out an outfit to suit the day. It was something a little lighter than the thick felt overcoats that she would normally have worn, but the day seemed too bright to wrap herself up and away from the sun. Instead she chose a light and loose blue shirt that danced about on the lightest of breezes and resembled waves crashing against the shore. With it she paired a simple set of shorts and a pair of boots. It was a functional outfit to fit the day, while also holding onto a touch of individuality that she hoped Gray might enjoy.
Contented with her outfit for the day, she made herself a quick breakfast of toast and carved herself up a grapefruit to accompany it. Once finished, she hastily tidied away the dishes and went about a final set of ablutions before heading towards the door. One last look in the mirror to tame away a few unruly locks of hair and smooth out creases in her clothes was all it took. Grasping her umbrella (it never hurts to be prepared after all), and she left the apartment and crossed the hallway to Gray and Natsu's apartment.
She had barely knocked when the door opened to reveal Gray stood in the doorway. He was dressed fairly simply in a pair of black jeans and a short-sleeved burgundy shirt. The ever present necklace was hung around his neck but otherwise there was no other form of ornamentation. She smiled warmly at him; it was a good look for him.
"You look really nice." He said to her, more than a little nervously.
"Thank you." She beamed, glad for his compliment. "Juvia likes Gray's outfit too."
"Well, I wasn't all that sure what to wear 'cause I didn't know what we were going to be doing today. I hope this is suitable."
"It will be fine. We aren't going anywhere like Gray took Juvia to, there's no real worry about getting our clothes too dirty if the sun stays up." She replied "Is Gray ready?"
He nodded, and quickly shouted a farewell to Natsu before closing the apartment door and locking it behind him. Looking at Juvia expectantly, he waited for her to take the lead and show the way. She set off at a leisurely pace, taking them down to the lobby and out of the apartment building onto the city's streets. They wound their way along a winding path down roads and through side streets under Juvia's unerring lead.
They chatted amicably the whole way, and Juvia found herself ever more enjoying his company as they did. When they had first set off, he seemed a little unsure of himself and struggled awkwardly through their conversations. His replied had been brief and it felt as though there was a cold distance between them. However, Juvia had continued on regardless, gently pushing their conversations forward and trying to coax him out of his shy state. Her efforts were rewarded when, as time passed between them he began to visibly relax into things. He began to take the lead in conversation instead of just being pulled along as an unwilling bystander.
Carefully, Juvia was able to tease out some select details of his life ranging from his work as a graphics designer for a local firm, through to some more details about his earlier life. Gray seemed all too happy to share the stories of his youth and the trouble that he and the others had gotten into at Fairy Tail. Such stories never failed to leave the two of them laughing.
"So, you still haven't told me." He said once they had been walking for quite some time. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
Though his voice was gruff, it only took Juvia a quick look into his eyes to know that it was said in jest. Playing along, she put on her most innocent and sweet smile.
"Sorry but Juvia wants Gray to be completely surprised. Gray will just have to wait and see when he gets there" She teased, stepping out ahead with a slight spring in her step. If Gray was frustrated by her answer, he didn't show it. With a light laugh, he set off at a light jog to try and catch her up, trying to coax an answer out of her the whole while.
Juvia kept her lips sealed save for her melodic laughter as Gray chased her through the city as she led them always onwards and towards their destination. The feeling in her heart was one of joy, she savoured the feeling of the sun's warmth on her pale skin and she enjoyed Gray's newfound playful side. It was a facet of his personality that had hitherto gone unseen by her. It felt as though she had made a breakthrough, and that Gray had let her in past his harder outer shell and into a world occupied by the 'real' Gray. That was something which filled her with a great deal of satisfaction.
Finally, almost a half hour after they had set off, the two of them reached their destination. The city streets gradually gave way to trees and the pavement transitioned to a narrow and winding path. Buildings and shopfronts became tiered flowerbeds and rockeries, and from beneath the city streets a little river flowed and made its way into the little haven. It was a delightful little oasis amidst a sea of concrete and brick.
She came to a stop at the beginning of the path and took in a deep breath, savouring the sweet scent of the flowers and the rich earthy smells from the riverbank. As she did, she felt the aches leave her limbs and the stress in her shoulders fade away. Beside her, Gray was stood slack-jawed. The surprise at finding this little slice of heaven so deep within the hustle and bustle of the city was clearly etched across his features. When at last he had taken in his surroundings, his surprise gave way to a warm smile. Peace seemed to find its way into his heart and his eyes notably softened. Juvia watched him with a look of relief, glad that he had reacted just as she had hoped he might.
"What is this place?" He asked incredulously.
"This is Imitatia Park, it is a place that the city council built to imitate the natural beauty that the city has since built over. Juvia used to come here a lot. Juvia would by the river bank whenever she felt sad. Juvia wanted to show Gray a place that was special to her since Gray showed her where he grew up."
A long moment of silence passed between them as Juvia awaited his response. This was the moment that she had been most concerned about. She wondered whether Gray would take the sentiment well and fervently hoped that he might appreciate the thought behind it. At the very least, she hoped that he would appreciate the natural beauty of the place as a backdrop for the two of them to spend a romantic day together in each other's company.
"You used to sit by the river here?" He asked softly, "Would you show me where?"
She audibly sighed with relief when he finally answered. The slight smile on his face helped to reassure her and settle her nerves once again. She nodded and reached out, almost on instinct, and gently grasped his hand. Gray flinched as their hands touched but he didn't pull away, instead standing there in shock. When she realised what she had done, Juvia's face lit up red and her cheeks felt as though they were alight.
"O-oh! Juvia is sorry. She didn't mean to make Gray uncomfortable… she just did it on instinct!" Juvia stammered in a frantic attempt to backpedal. Internally she berated herself for being so forward and tried to pull her hand back but found herself unable. Looking down, she found Gray's hand grasping her own.
"It's okay…" He replied slowly "I kinda like it. It feels right somehow."
As he spoke, she noted that he averted his gaze and a light tinge of red had bloomed across his cheeks. She regarded him with a degree of uncertainty before shrugging it off with a smile. This was a good thing after all, another step in the right direction for the relationship she was hoping to nurture and help grow.
Pulling him along by his hand, she led him down the pathway for a short distance. Then, after a quick sweeping glance to make sure that they weren't being watched by any of the groundskeepers, she turned off of the path and carefully wound her way through the immaculate flowerbeds. She stepped over and around the multi-coloured blooms with a level of ease only attained after having made the trip a countless number of times. A quick glance back told her that Gray was keeping pace without much difficulty, albeit lacking in any grace.
"We must be careful of the blooms, tread lightly. Once, Juvia got caught by the groundskeepers and had to help replant a whole section of the flowerbeds. Not that Juvia really minded of course."
They wound their way through the sea of vibrant petals and past a few light shrubs until the sound of running water began to come to the fore. It grew from a light babbling sound to a deeper roar until at last they emerged out onto a riverbank. Lush green grass ran right down to the water's edge, and just a short way away two neighbouring willow trees stood together. Their branches had reached out to one another and woven themselves together to form a living bridge between them.
Juvia looked around with an expression of familiarity. It was her place, unknown to the world and hidden in the depths of an oasis of life amidst a sea of hustle and bustle; a peaceful place where nature lived by its own rules, even if it did get a little help from the groundskeepers. She turned to Gray and studied his face, seeking any sign of reaction to their surroundings.
"This place… is incredible. It's odd to think that such a place exists in the middle of a city." He said after a minute's contemplation. Taking the lead, and with Juvia's hand still clasped gently in his own, he paced over towards the trees and ran his free hand along their interlaced branches, savouring the feel of the bark beneath his fingertips. Where the two had come together, they had formed a kind of natural bench covered over by the taller weeping branches.
"Juvia would come and sit right here on these branches and watch the water, sometimes for hours at a time. It always helped to calm Juvia down and help her relax whenever things got to be a bit too much to handle. Somehow it felt like the river washed away all of Juvia's worries until she could face the world again."
Gray listened intently as she spoke, his charcoal eyes softening at the tale. There seemed to be something different about them though. If she looked closely enough, Juvia could see something was different about him. There was something there that hadn't been when they had first met. It was a something which Juvia recognised in an instant. For the first time since she had come to know him, Juvia could see the faintest spark of hope smouldering in his eyes.
Pulling him closer to the trees, she sat upon the branches beside him and moved in closer to him. Leaning across, she rested her head upon his shoulder. She interlaced their fingers and tenderly caressed his hand with her thumb, and that was how they stayed. No words passed between them, nor did they need to. The two of them were simply content in each other's company, there in that secret haven away from the rest of the world.
In her chest, Juvia felt the warmth of happiness bloom in her heart. It swelled up within her to a point that she felt she might burst. In the back of her mind she felt the sharp stab of anxiety for the briefest of instants, anxiety at the fear of being hurt. Feeling so happy could only mean that she had further to fall if things began to crumble around her. Yet she rejected the idea, condemning her anxieties and banishing them to the most distant part of her mind. She knew that Gray wouldn't seek to hurt her; he simply wasn't that type of person.
"You don't have to feel sad anymore."
The words caught her off guard and pulled her from her thoughts in an instant. She looked up at him with a puzzled expression, only to be met with a warm and genuine smile in return. Not wanting to interrupt him, she waited for him to continue.
"You told me that you used to come here quite a lot, whenever you were feeling down. You don't have to feel sad anymore. This place should be a happier one for you and… well, you have Natsu, Lucy, Erza and I all there for you. I'd like this place to hold happier memories for you so… if it's okay with you, I'd like to come her again with you sometimes. We can just sit here and stare out at the water together, but it would be a happier time." He stammered. Once again, his cheeks began to burn a bright red in such a way that Juvia couldn't help but wonder if he was developing a fever.
At least, that might have been what she was wondering had she actually noticed it. Yet she didn't, she was too much in shock on account of what he had actually said to pay his growing blush any mind. The sentiment he had expressed struck her as being perhaps the sweetest thing that anyone had ever said to her. It served to prove just what Erza had said to be true; that under the hard shell that Gray had built about himself, there was a heart of the purest gold.
She looked up at him adoringly for a long moment before nodding emphatically.
"Of course! Juvia would love to come here with Gray again and again, but… well; it's already a happy place to Juvia, because she got to share it with Gray. Today is the happiest that Juvia has felt since Gray showed her around Fairy Tail and ki …kissed her." She stopped herself, hearing the words that were leaving her mouth and feeling the surge of embarrassment rising up within herself. Burying her face in his shoulder to hide the colour rapidly coming to her cheeks, she internally berated herself for letting her mouth run wild.
Gray didn't seem to mind though, he laughed softly to himself for a long while until slight tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.
"You know, that was the happiest day I had had in years too." He said at last, once his mirth had subsided somewhat. "Spending that day with you really did help lift me out of a rut I had been in for a long time and as for that kiss…"
He paused, reaching up with a finger he lifted her chin and guided her gaze up to meet with his own. Juvia felt her heartbeat quicken and the butterflies begin to flutter in the pit of her stomach. She waited with bated breath on his next words.
"Well, I guess you could say that I feel I could do better… would you mind if I had another try at it?" He asked with growing confidence, the spark in his eyes having grown to a fully-fledged flame.
Juvia said nothing in response, not trusting herself to form the words she so desperately wanted to say. Instead, she allowed her cerulean eyes to flutter closed and leaned in ever so slowly. The moment that their lips touched, it felt as though her every nerve came alive. Warmth spread through her whole body down to the very tips of her toes. Raising her free hand she cupped his cheek, even as his moved to rest on the small of her back.
Every moment felt like pure bliss to her, a heaven that until now had seemed out of reach. She felt the tensions disappear and deepened their kiss, moaning softly. Her cheeks were glowing red and her lungs were screaming out for air, yet neither of them made so much as the slightest move to pull apart.
When at last the very last scrap of the air in her lungs had been used up, Juvia finally pulled away although she kept her eyes closed. Resting her head on his shoulder again she savoured the warmth emanating from his body. Her lips still tingled and already she longed to return them to his. It had felt perfect, like they belonged there. It almost seemed too good to be true.
"Juvia… I think I might be falling for you and… well it scares me." He whispered haltingly.
"Why does it scare Gray?" She replied, trying to hold her voice steady and only partially succeeding.
"Because what if you don't catch me?"
Once again, she reached up and caressed his cheek, turning his head so that he was forced to look her dead in the eyes. She held him there for a long moment and carefully planned out her response.
"Juvia will be right there to catch you no matter what. Just promise Juvia that Gray will be there to catch her too. Because from the moment that Juvia first met Gray she has been falling."
He looked at her with an expression of pure adoration before leaning in and bringing their lips together again.
That night Juvia lay awake in her apartment with her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Although she felt tired and knew that she would need to be up for work the following morning she was loath to closing her eyes. She feared that if she dared to, that she would wake up to find the whole day had been nothing more than a dream. It was something that she simply couldn't have handled.
Not that she could have slept even if she had closed her eyes. The day's events had left her dazed and in a state of bliss that she still hadn't managed to shake. It still felt as though she were walking on clouds as Gray's words reverberated time and time again through her mind.
"Juvia… I think I might be falling for you…."
They were words that she had been hoping to hear with all her heart and yet somehow she still couldn't quite believe that he had said them at long last. It all seemed just that little bit too perfect to be true.
The date had passed by all too quickly following the kiss that she and Gray had shared. They had sat together in blissful ignorance of the world around them until the sun began to dip behind the cityscape and its light had all but left the world. After that, Gray had walked her home like a perfect gentleman, even if he was a rather nervous one.
They had parted only once he had seen her safely to the door of her apartment before ultimately bidding her a good night with a peck on the cheek, and returning to his own home across the hall. Such a small distance separated them and the knowledge of it was torturous. She wanted nothing more than to run across and throw herself back into his arms, the place where she felt she truly belonged. And yet she didn't.
Summoning her courage, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep with thoughts of her new and blossoming love fixed as firmly in her mind as the smile was fixed upon her lips. The day had been all that she could have possibly hoped for, a day of hope and new beginnings towards a far brighter future than would have seemed possible only a few months before.
Lucy watched her friend work with a pang of envy stabbing at her heart. Juvia had arrived that morning with a grin on her face from ear to ear, she had smiled all throughout the day and even now, as they worked to close up the café for the day, she still smiled just as brightly. It was clear that her joy was overflowing and the customers had responded all the more positively to the fact.
That wasn't to say that Lucy herself wasn't happy. Her business was booming, and her relationship with Natsu seemed to grow with every passing day. Often was the day that he would sweep by her apartment, usually with a bouquet or some kind of corny gift for her. Not that Lucy minded of course, it left her feeling like she was back in high school again with a bright blush on her features every time. Even on the days he couldn't come by because of work, she would still find herself messaging him whenever she got a spare moment. So much so, that it had become a running joke between them, that if a day went by wherein they didn't hear from each other, they would have to gather a search party. Yet still, she couldn't help but envy the pure happiness that Juvia seemed to radiate.
The blonde didn't have long to focus on the fact however. Following the evening she had spent with both Erza and Juvia, Lucy had kicked into high gear. She had set up meetings that weekend with the estate agents to go over a fine-tuned list of properties that she, Erza and Juvia had all agreed to be suitable. She had sent out a number of adverts to the local paper offering vacancies, and had drafted the paperwork to expand the business as planned. Now, it seemed, it was all a matter of time.
"So I take it that your date went well then Juvia?" Lucy asked with a slight mischievous smile.
"O-oh yes, it was great." Juvia replied, her cheeks colouring red.
"It was more than great I think. A 'great' date wouldn't have you smiling like that Juvia." The blonde laughed, sliding over and digging her slender fingers into Juvia's ribs. "Something happened, didn't it?"
"W-well, uh… Juvia… Gray… down in the park…" She stopped herself mid-reply and tried to get her thoughts in order before continuing on again "Juvia took Gray down to the little park in the city, she sat with Gray down by the river and talked and then… Gray confessed his feelings and then… Gray K-kissed Juvia."
Lucy stood and stared at her friend in stunned silence for a long minute until a wide grin spread across her face. Seizing Juvia's hands, she jumped up and down in excitement, thrilled to learn that things had really taken such a positive turn for the blue haired girl.
Having heard the commotion, Erza came through from the café's little store room to investigate. Upon hearing the news, she took was quickly swept away with the mood of excitement, eagerly demanding the full story in ever increasing levels of detail. The look in her eyes was one of child like glee.
By the time that Lucy finally stepped through her door and into the hallway of her home, she was exhausted. Close down had taken much longer than usual on account of them all being distracted by Juvia's recent date. When they had finally finished up for the day and locked up the café, Lucy's feet were crying out in protest with every step. She was craving a hot bath and a night with her feet up.
Shedding her coat and bags by the door, she collected up the day's mail and idly made her way through to the kitchen where she made herself a cup of coffee. One might have thought that working in a café and being surrounded by coffee grounds all day would put a person off of the substance, but Lucy still loved it. She kept a small amount of her custom blends at home, finding that they helped provide inspiration for when she found time to settle down and write for a while.
With coffee in hand, she trudged upstairs and set it down beside her bath. Opening the taps, she drew a bath for herself, smiling at the clouds of steam rising from the water's surface. Allowing it to cool momentarily, she stripped out of her works clothes and threw them into the laundry basket across the room. The blonde cringed at the sight of the mounting pile of laundry that overflowed from the basket and silently vowed to get on top of it soon.
Scooping up a fresh towel, she hung it over the bathroom radiator and gently settled herself into the bath. A gasp involuntarily passed her lips as she felt the heat of the bath radiate through her and begin to unwind the tensions from her body. Deciding to treat herself, she added a dash of lavender essence to the water and savoured the sweet scent that it added to the room. Closing her eyes, she laid back and allowed herself to relax completely, enjoying the warmth of the water and gentle aroma of lavender as they swept away all of her worldly concerns.
All of her worries about the business and the stresses of expanding drifted away and left her without a care in the world. Her thoughts instead drifted to Juvia and her most recent date with Gray, including their passionate kiss by the riverside. She drew the comparison to her own relationship with Natsu. She wondered whether they would share such an intimate time together, what it might be like to feel his lips against her own. She felt herself grow giddy at the idea, and her heart began to pound away in her chest.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, she tried to bring the blush on her cheeks back under control. Her relationship with Natsu was moving along at its own pace, and she knew that she was perhaps being a little silly in comparing her own life to Juvia's. She had no doubt that one day she would finally kiss Natsu; she just didn't want to push things along faster than either of them was ready for, just for the sake of her own curiosity.
Natsu seemed different to anyone that she had ever met before. Over the years, she had endured several flings with all types of guys, but none of them had ever seemed quite right. They had never left her feeling as Natsu did; where she felt that he liked her for who she was and not just the pretty smile, flowing golden hair and ample curves. He was someone that she enjoyed just spending time with, without ever growing bored.
Sighing happily, she drained the bath and dried herself off. Slipping into her pyjamas, she fixed herself a light meal for the evening and collapsed into the warm and soft embrace of her bed. She was practically asleep by the time her head hit the pillow, and she settled into a deep and dreamless sleep.
"You did what?!" Natsu asked, staring at his friend and flatmate with an expression of incredulity.
"I kissed her again. We were sat down by the river and the next thing I know I was kissing her she wrapped her arms around me and we must have stayed that way for ages 'cause we both ran out of breath."
Gray had been practically champing at the bit by the time that Natsu had come home from work. No sooner had Natsu hung up his jacket than Gray had come barrelling out to meet him, speaking at a million miles a minute with an excitable look in his eyes. It had taken Natsu a further ten minutes or so to finally calm Gray down enough to be able to draw the full story out of him, but once he had it seemed almost unbelievable.
"Really? Nice job Gray, always knew you had it in you!" He laughed, clapping him on the back before making his way through to the kitchen to grab himself a drink. Moving through to their apartment's living room he had Gray walk him through the day's events once more, cringing a little at the level of detail that Gray seemed all too happy to provide.
He was truly happy for his friend, glad that he was finally moving on after the Daphne incident; of that there was no doubt. Yet, internally he wondered whether or not he might want to do something similar with Lucy, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was true that he yearned to move things along with the blonde, but the more sensible part of him daren't for fear of leaving Lucy feeling pressured or rushed. Things between them were stronger than ever, and he was pretty certain that the romantic interest between them was at least mutual. As things stood, they were practically a couple in all but name. Yet what he wasn't certain of was just how she would react to the suggestion that they become an official item, and he felt that the time to find out would soon present itself.
And as promised there is the second chapter! Once again I do hope that you enjoyed it and look forward to reading any reviews that you may have for me. I do try and improve on my work using the feedback from all of you wonderful folks so please do keep leaving them for me. I hope to have the next chapter published before too long so watch this space. Please do favourite and follow if you haven't already so that you don't miss the updates on this piece.
I have been the FlagshipArkos and as always I shall see you all in the next chapter!