"Love is like a flower, you have to take care of it, let it grow, water it every day so it doesn't wilt."-(Anonymous) (Web)
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It had been a long time since Gray and Lyon, the two ice mages, Ur's pupils, had found themselves in an unpleasant and complicated love triangle, with Juvia, Fairy Tail's water mage, who had always been in love with Gray and whom Lyon was in love with.
Today, thankfully, that was all ancient history, where even Juvia and Lyon laughed at remembering and thinking about how much had happened since then.
Juvia finally managed to conquer Gray, who after having completed the one hundred year quest, had decided to make what was going on between them official and call out to the entire world that they were in love and that they were happy together.
Lyon had also found love, and with the most unexpected person. Eh, yeah, because Lyon was now together with Meredy, Juvia's best friend and ex-Grimoire Heart member, now member of Crime Sorciere.
The four of them had found equilibrium and finally were at peace with themselves and their lives.
Lyon and Gray had found themselves closer than ever, especially now that they had girlfriends, Juvia had insisted quite a lot to make them see each other more and get them closer, Meredy had also helped.
The two girls, in fact, had decided that at least once every three months, when everyone's compromises permitted, they had to have a double date and meet up and talk.
The guys couldn't help but accept this, although they didn't regret it, quite the opposite.
And so, now, the two ice mages and the two elite mages met on one of their double dates and talked about this and that.
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"Yes, it's a very long list!" Meredy said.
"You guys always make infinitely long lists," Gray said.
"That's not true, Gray-Sama, you two are the ones who always forget something or someone."
Gray and Lyon looked at each other, knowing that it was futile for them to speak or say something about it.
Juvia and Meredy were talking about their Christmas list, which was growing near.
"How will you two celebrate this year?" Lyon asked.
"At the guild, as usual," Gray responded.
"Yes, who knows what Mira-San's theme will be this year?" Juvia asked.
"Certainly something diabolic, like she's done for so many years."
"How mean, Gray-Sama! Mira-San does it so that everything will be more fun."
"Yeah yeah."
"This year, Jellal told me that we'll also spend it at Fairy Tail."
"How great, Meredy!"
"So, I suppose you'll be coming too, Lyon, eh?"
"Well, I would have made a courtesy visit either way, but yes, I'll come, even if…"
"You're afraid of Jellal!" Gray said, bursting out laughing.
"But Jellal-San is one of the most peaceful and calmest men around," Juvia said.
"Yeah, but he gets really upset with Lyon, so much so that I don't recognize him," Meredy said.
"He hates me!" Lyon said.
"He doesn't hate you!" Gray said, "He's just watching you, in case you hurt Meredy."
"Yes, Jellal-San is just worried."
"But how do I show him that I'm not bad? I did everything possible!"
"Trust me," Gray said, "he'll always have something to scold or tell you about, it's best-friend-turned-self-proclaimed-overprotective-big-brother syndrome."
"Gray-Sama, is that a hint towards Gajeel-Kun?"
"It's not a hint! I'm referring directly to him!"
"Well, you two are also on your way to become as such," Meredy said.
"Us?"
"Yes, Lyon you with Chelia."
"And you, Gray-Sama, with Wendy-San."
"Really?"
"Not exactly like Jellal and Gajeel, but similar."
"The difference is that we aren't ex-criminals, ex-dark mages, and ex-Council members," Gray said.
"Yeah, well, Cold Emperor wasn't important enough to be considered a criminal," Lyon said, in his theatrical manner, showing a little shame.
"Hey!" Gray said, receiving a smack on his arm from Juvia.
"Gajeel-Kun isn't an ex-dark mage nor an ex-criminal!"
"Phantom wasn't a dark guild, but Gajeel commit a few criminal acts."
"Fine… but in the past!"
"Exactly! I didn't say now!"
"Either way, Juvia, we still need to go shopping, there's so much to do," Meredy said.
"Yeeeeess"
"I saw a store while we were on our way here, very lovely, shall we go check it out?"
"Now?"
"Yes."
"Why not? We're here!"
"Let's go then."
"Let's go!"
The girls stood up and grabbed their purses and jackets, leaving their boyfriends mouth agape.
"Excuse me?"
"What's happening?"
"You really want to leave now?"
"Yes, we'll grab something and then we'll come back."
"It won't hurt you to be alone for a little while."
"We trust you guys, we know that you have matured and won't fight in public."
"Yes."
"We'll wait for you here?"
"Yes, one hour and we'll return."
"Oh good."
And so the two girls said goodbye to the boys with a sweet kiss on the lips and they left the bar to go buy some things that they needed at a nearby store.
"You know that it'll take forever?"
"Yeah."
The two sighed, because they were used to it.
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"Would you have thought, years ago, that we would be here, in a bar drinking coffee together and waiting for our respective girlfriends to return from shopping? Lyon asked.
"Never!"
They both let out a laugh.
"Me neither."
"But it's nice."
"Yes, Ur would be proud, I'm sure," Lyon said, with a melancholic smile.
"Did you think about how our lives would have been if Ur…?"
"Yes, I often think about that."
"And?"
"It had to be this way, Gray, it was no one's fault, our destiny was written."
"Surely we've avoided many slaps and scoldings."
"Yeah, probably if Ur were present, at a few particular moments, she would have given us an earful and also a lot of slaps."
"Uh, do you know how many?"
"I'm so happy that we were able to leave the past aside and now live in the present and the future as we should."
"Yes, I admit that I feel much better, especially since Zeref died, I finally feel at peace."
"The magical world is in a period of peace, of course there have been and always will be other enemies, but no one would represent to us what Zeref did."
"Yeah."
"We're all better, calmer and tranquil."
"Yes."
"Either way, hey! I realized those two are calmer and at least they leave us alone now and they stopped following us."
Gray laughed out loud and Lyon followed in suit.
Yes, because those poor guys, at the beginning of their relationships and their dates, had felt as though they were being followed and they found out that they really were.
In fact, Jellal and Gajeel had really followed them, which according to them, was because it was the duty of an older brother to do so!
"Remember when we found out about them and that they had those outfits? Gray said.
"How could I forget? I was about to laugh in their faces!"
Oh, yeah, because when Gray and Lyon discovered that Jellal and Gajeel were following them, they found them hiding behind a post, with trench coats and hats, a la private investigator style and were even pretending to read a newspaper!
"And when Laxus and Cobra came for them?"
"Oh my God! Please, Gray, let's promise we'll never be like that!"
"Absolutely! The girls are wrong, we're not like that."
The two burst out laughing remembering the scene. It happened once during a slightly more elegant date, where the restaurant also had rooms available. Jellal and Gajeel, scared at the possibility that the guys would take advantage of their "little sisters" stood guard and tried to make the rooms unavailable. They had tried to spoil the date and the night. Erza, Levy, and everyone else, who had expected as much from the two mages, had asked Laxus and Cobra to take care of them.
Either way, that night ended hilariously!
"And when they switched?" Lyon said.
"Don't remind me! It was a nightmare!"
Yes, because once, Juvia and Merdy had decided to play a game, to try, per an idea of Mirajane's, that is to say to switch Jellal and Gajeel, so Gajeel spent a day with Meredy, doing the things that Jellal did, more or less, and Jellal did the same with Juvia.
It was a day full of laughs for Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, and Crime Sorciere, and a day worth forgetting for Gray and Lyon.
"To think they also said that they wanted to try it again!"
"They better not!"
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Juvia and Meredy, after buying a few decorations at the store that Meredy had suggested, had decided to take a tour through the other stores too.
The two had wandered through all kinds of stores.
"I don't know what to give Cheria!" Meredy said.
"Mh, something to do with love?" Juvia said.
"Mh, the thing is she can't stand me!"
"At first she couldn't even stand Juvia, give it time."
"Do you think she's in love with Lyon?"
"Cheria-San?"
"Yes."
"No way! Why do you think so?"
"I don't know!"
"Listen to Juvia, give it time!"
"I will!"
"So you're going to the party at the guild?"
"Yes, after all Jellal and Erick have taken a permanent spot there."
The two laughed.
"Well, it makes sense that they want to spend time with their girlfriends."
"True! And I'm happy for them!"
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"Juvia has almost decided on gifts for everyone, but she doesn't know what to give Evergreen-San!"
"She's a tough one. What do you usually give her?"
"Evergreen-San loves a lot of things! Usually Juvia gives her something to do with flowers, because she loves them a lot, or perfumes or creams, but Juvia would like to give her something different this year."
"Mh, well we'll find something!"
"Yeah!"
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The two girls also entered a lingerie store.
"Juvinnnnnnnn!"
Juvia and Meredy were very embarrassed, they weren't used to this kind of store!
"Well, come on, come on, come on!" the pinkette said.
"Why did we come here?"
"You know why!"
The two rejected the store attendants' offers of help and decided to take care of things themselves.
"If only Cana-San or Mira-San were here, they'd know what to do! Juvia feels like a needle in a haystack!"
"You were the one who daydreamed and proposed the idea of lingerie!"
"Yes, but Juvia was dreaming!"
"As if Gray wouldn't like it!"
"Juvinnnnnnnnnn!"
"It's incredible, you're able to imagine and dream about anything, but then when things get serious you get too bashful and you blush like a little girl."
"Gray-Sama says the same thing!"
"How are things going with the two of you?"
"Good, Gray-Sama is very sweet! He is always taking care of Juvia and granting all her wishes!"
"Any downsides?"
"Unfortunately, Gray-Sama keeps scattering his clothes throughout the whole house, Juvia tried to make him understand that he had to fix this, but he's really disorganized!"
"And for you who loves order this must be chaos."
"Yes! But Juvia loves him either way!"
"I'm so happy for you!"
"How about you and Lyon-San?"
"Good, we're taking things slowly because I don't want to rush, but good."
"But…?"
"It's an important step, he hasn't said anything."
"He's waiting for you to be ready, Gray-Sama did the same…"
"I'm not sure if I'm ready."
"Juvia can't make you understand, but there comes a time when you feel ready and it happens."
Well, her first time with Gray, it hadn't been exactly how she had imagined it many times before, because she had been disastrously nervous and he had been too busy calming her down and terrified of possibly scaring or hurting her.
Even still, despite everything, it had been wonderful. Her Gray-Sama had been so sweet, attentive, and considerate, he always was. Always, even when they were rougher and savage, he always paid attention and always told her if she needed to stop, all she had to do was say so, even when he was in Devil Slayer mode, he always worried for her.
"Juvinnnnnnn!"
"You're back from dreamland!" Meredy said.
"I'm sorry!"
"Anyways, I would like to get some pieces of lingerie and surprise Lyon, not necessarily to end up in bed, rather to start with the foreplay, to understand a bit."
Yes, after all, he was much older than her and had a lot of experience, she didn't, but she was curious and wanted to try.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, do you think it would be a bad idea?"
"It's up to you, Juvia is sure that you will make the correct decision and if not, Lyon-San would know how to guide you."
"He's very sweet, you know?"
"Yes, they're ice mages but they're not made of ice."
Both of them laughed. "And I bet you'd say that your ice mage also has a certain fire during a few particular moments!"
"Meredy!"
"What?"
They both covered their mouths when they noticed an old woman was glaring at them.
"She's staring at us! She, at us!"
"Meredy!"
"From what pulpit?"
They laughed again.
Eventually, the both tried on and bought lingerie, Juvia decided to buy a red lace piece, while Meredy decided to buy a white two piece.
"They're gonna go crazy!"
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Gray and Lyon were on their third drink
"They're raiding all the stores."
"For sure."
"Anyways, tell me, how are you and Juvia-Chan doing?"
"We're doing well."
"I noticed that you've gotten used to public displays of affection."
"Mh."
"I'm glad for you two, you deserve it, both of you, it took a while but luckily it turned out well."
"Yes, I wasted a lot of time, but I was lucky."
"Only she could put up with someone like you."
"That's true!"
"So tell me, when's the wedding?"
Gray stayed silent and looked away, blushing.
"Wait! Don't tell me that you're going to propose!"
"Shut up! It's a secret!"
"And you think it's something to keep secret?"
"Yes!"
"So no one knows?"
"Gajeel knows, so I imagine that Levy and Lily know too and I think Erza is suspicious, which means that Jellal would probably know. I don't know. What's important is that Juvia doesn't suspect a thing. It should be a surprise!"
"Little brother, you've really grown up. I'm so proud of you!" He said, wiping a tear.
"I think we've waited long enough and, honestly, I can't wait to have her by my side forever. Sometimes I hate waking up in the morning without her."
"Sorry, but, why don't you just propose living together?"
"I've thought about it, but I really want to marry her, I want to be able to call her my wife, I want to make her Mrs. Fullbuster and I want…"
"Wait, do you want a kid?"
"Why not? Yeah, maybe, we're still young, but she wants a lot, so we need to start as soon as possible," he said, blushing.
"Come on! You're gonna make me cry of happiness!" Lyon said, embracing him.
Gray really wanted to marry Juvia, he wanted to make her his wife, Mrs. Fullbuster, live with her, sleep, and wake up with her. Start a family. He wanted kids, not the thirty that she dreamed about because that was way too many, but three, five, even ten, would be fine.
He wanted his Greige, he wanted to see Juvia happy, he wanted to make her happy and be happy with her.
"Have you chosen the witness?"
"Mh, no, not yet."
"Did you get a ring?"
"It's ready."
"What do you mean it's ready?" Lyon asked, not understanding.
"I made it, it's an ice ring. I found a spell through Devil Slayer magic that makes ice indestructible."
"Incredible!"
"Yeah."
"I'm happy, although, you know that I'm available to be your witness for the wedding and I want the kid to call me uncle."
"You have too many demands!"
"You and I are like brothers!"
"What does that have to do with this?"
"I deserve it!"
The two continued arguing for another five minutes, then Juvia and Meredy returned and they stopped.
"Were you two fighting?"
"No, we were exchanging viewpoints on ice magic."
"Oh, that's good."
"Can we go?"
"Yes, we've finished."
"Good, let's go."
And so the four of them got up and returned to their respective homes.
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It was incredible to think how things changed and for the better.
Now they were more tranquil, happier, and more serene. They were also in love and full of hope for the future that they had chosen to live together.
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Author's corner!
Hello everyone!
Here's the epilogue!
A great time skip!
I suppose that Gruvia and Lyredy have double dates every now and again!
It's like a kind of Headcanon!
Gray and Lyon share the nuisance of Gajeel and Jellal, who as Gray said, have overprotective-big-brother-syndrome.
One question, because I'm very confused. But, was Phantom Lord a legal guild or a dark guild? Because I've read so many fan fictions that describe Phantom as a dark guild and now I don't understand anything!
I read on the internet that it was legal, but, then why on Tumblr and on other fanfic sites do they write that it was a dark guild?
I really think that after Zeref, both Gray and Jellal and many others felt at peace, like a giant weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
About Jellal and Gajeel following Gruvia and Lyredy on dates, it was an idea that I had for a fanfiction, but it changed a bit because I couldn't write anything good for a complete fanfic. So I decided to mention the trauma here. The same with the exchange between Meredy and Juvia about Jellal and Gajeel.
I also mentioned my version of the first time and the intimacy of Gruvia, sincerely, I don't think that I'll be ready to write something like that about them or any couple yet, but there are a few mentions.
I'm of the opinion that Gray is ready for marriage and a life with Juvia and I also think that he wants to marry her first and then have their kids.
In my mind there are five or six!
Regarding Lyredy, I like to think that they take it slowly, remember that Lyon is a mature type and Meredy has never had a relationship before him (I suppose).
That said, I appreciate those who read, those who review and until next time.
Thanks to BotanG for translate it!
GruviaSilver.