Work Text:
Juvia"s excitement was over the roof when her beloved Gray suggested a dinner date in a famous restaurant. The moon was looking big the white light was emerging from it"s circle, the wind was blowing gently making her wave hairs flow nicely with it"s rhythm. she adored her dress today. it had a light yellow colour with a tiny ribbon tied around her waist, making a small bow from her back and added a classic white hat. Gray was no stranger from fashion as well, he wore a jean"s jacket, under it a black shirt that showed his neck with baggy jeans in addition to his usual chain necklace and earrings. oh Juvia knew it would be a spectacular day for them!
They"ve reached their respectful place and took a seat in the balcony, Juvia found herself in trance of the city lights that adorned the dark sky wit it"s sparkle.
" What a beautiful scenery!" Juvia exclaimed, Gray had turned around by then and was less enthusiastic over it but Juvia knew that he was impressed by it"s beauty, after all her Gray is not one to show his emotions with his expressions easily.
he nodded ""it is".
they made their order and brought to their table plates of high quality dishes, with cheese fillings and juicy meat. it was a great delicacy.
their chatting came to a stop when suddenly the waiter came to retrieve their empty plates, "anything else you need?" He asked, his smile radiating in his small face while he looked at Juvia. she declined politely and he left them with their glass of wine.
she turned to Gray to see an unexpected frown on his face, she was sure he was happy few seconds ago, did Juvia do something wrong?
he was twirling his red wine in his glass, glaring at the open space of the restaurant.
"are you.. alright Gray-sama?"Juvia reluctantly asked, she was a little nervous that she might have ruined their date today.
his mouth was upside down, Juvia might have found him adorable with that pout if it weren"t for the idea that she might have potentially ruined their relationship.
"nothing" he replied, his tone was not comforting at all, instead it added to her anxiety. "did Juvia do something wrong?" she asked, her hands clenched tightly on top of the table, her guilt was visible in her face.
she noticed how his harsh features soften a bit by her words, and he shook his head :" it"s not you Juvia, don"t worry yeah?" his attempt of reassurance did release the tight feeling in her chest.
so it wasn"t Juvia, that"s good. well if it wasn"t her than what made her darling"s mood change so suddenly? she wanted to ask him more.
"was it the wine darling? do you want me to call them for a change?" she persisted a bit, maybe the wine wasn"t to his taste.
"no, it"s fine Juvia" he replied, waving off her worry and looked at her with gentleness in his eyes that it made her heart skip a beat.
Juvia dropped the questioning, she was worried she might overstep her boundaries but if Gray said not to worry, although it"s a real lie, then she will try not to worry, a fruitless attempt for a person like Juvia.
After that, Gray"s mood turned back to it"s normal self thankfully and they kept their chat on going. Yet Juvia had a feeling that there is still something bugging her beloved with how much drinks he is having. Juvia is worried that he might get too tipsy.
"Gray-sama, is it okay for you to drink all that at once?" she asked with a worried tone. her hand on the table ready in case he pours himself another drink.
Gray downed the glass wine in one go and slammed in the table. Juvia cringed to herself due to the noise, she might have to drag him away from here before they make unnecessary ruckus, she can already feel eyes on them.
"don"t worry baby, I can handle myself" he replied, the words were a bit slow as he uttered them.
BABY?!! that"s something very unusual, how come her Gray-sama make a nickname in the spot after hanging out for two days? that"s romantic and also unbelievable. Juvia can feel the steam rising from her head.
the man in front of her was swaying slightly, ready to grab himself the bottle and fill in another glass however nothing came out of it, not one drip either.
Gray voiced out a cute groan, like a sleepy child that left her ready to faint, and glanced at her. red blush was on his cheeks, his eyes held a sense of adoration and love.
he shot her a smile, a genuine toothy smile that gave Juvia butterflies. "you are so beautiful today." he commented, leaning his head on his hand and he looks absolutely smitten with her.
*what is happening?!* was a question she repeated for herself constantly.
"uh-Ju-" all Juvia could do is stutter back, Gray was drunk, so very drunk and all what she can do is to drag him away before things gets embarrassing, not that her Gray-sama is embarrassing as a person, he is wonderful but this is a public space and Juvia is aware of how Fairytail Mages can make themselves .... apparent everywhere they go, especially drunk. and in this case Juvia never saw Gray drunk in her years with him, she just assumed he had great drinking tolerance.
but now, as she tried to grab his arm gently and drag him to the exist, she realised that he is a mess, a cute mess that is.
"come my love, it"s time we go home" she directed him as she put her efforts into lifting his weight using his arm around her shoulder, it is a common occurrence for them both but not in a romantic date.
she didn"t find Gray"s weight that heavy but he seems to lean on to her more than she thought. "why do we have to go home? i want more" Gray mumbled incoherently, but she made out the words alright.
"i am sorry Gray-sama, but-" she slowly made them walk to the receptionist, who looked concerned over the situation. "it"s a bit late"
she did want to stay more with him, their date ended too shortly for her preference, however the current situation is more important for their sake -and FairyTail"s reputation-.
Juvia was ready to hand in her purse while keeping Gray"s body steady with her shoulder, until Gray"s hand snatched it and troubled himself with searching in his pockets. Juvia on the other hand steadied him while complaining about him buying for their dinner, it is an expensive restaurant she could at least pitch in.
"I got enough money" he said, as he pulled the gems and slammed it on the country, visibly glaring at the workers behind it.
"darling-" Juvia rarely scolds Gray for his behaviour, but being unnecessarily rude to strangers in a high class restaurant is unreasonable.
"She"s my girlfriend, alright?" he heatedly said, his frown from before was back. Juvia was shocked beyond words, she finally was able to understand the weird situation. the waiter boy with the radiant smile was shivering behind the counter under Gray"s intense gaze. he was flirting with her and apparently Gray is jealous.
*Oh Gray-sama,* Juvia looked at Gray with love and adoration, *You are so adorable today that Juvia is barely holding herself up!*
She watched as Gray leaned in the counter still locking his grey eyes to the blue orbs of the scared boy and murmured :" she"s mine.. not yours" at that Juvia rushed to pull Gray away before the security comes and causes more commotion for FairyTail, if The master hears about this, he will chew their ears off and Erza ... Juvia felt Goosebumps in her skin as she imagined the scary warrior with her sharp sword.
"okay my love it"s time we go! thank you so much and I apologise" she bowed so low, her ponytail hair almost touched the marble floor.
then in a small amount of time they"ve finally left the restaurant. Juvia sighed a breath of relief as she steadied Gray besides her, who was still walking funny in his steps and mumbling incoherently.
Juvia chuckled as she gazed at his droopy eyes, she found the whole situation hilarious, she never thought to see Gray bothered by a person who had interest in her.
In a sudden movement, he turned to her closing the proximity between them, it almost made her fall backwards if it weren"t for Gray"s hand behind her waist to keep her in place.
their faces were so close to each other, Juvia could smell the wine coming from his mouth. the red blush was still in his cheeks. she can feel his hand pushing her close to him with each passing second.
but he is drunk, Juvia thought as she saw his eyes slowly glance at her lips, he won"t remember any of this. the pondering left her a bit depressed, she can"t steal her first kiss with her Gray-sama while he is barely aware, it"s inappropriate and unfair for both of them.
she gently pushed him away, her heart still thumping loudly in her chest. she caressed his cheek with her hand. his face turned hurt and disappointed that made her feel guilty for pushing him away.
"I am sorry my love, but not when you are drunk"
"but I am not drunk" the slurring was proof against his claim, Juvia felt joyed that deep down she knew that Gray had the desire of kissing her, but she also wanted to make it special and not just a fleeting moment under the influence of a liquor.
she found a park bench few feet away and tried to change the subject by pointing at the direction." how about we sit there Gray-sama? Juvia can tell how tired you are from walking" she suggested and pulled him with her as they crossed the road.
Juvia doesn"t know if he was hesitant or if it was the drunkenness that slowed his steps.
the idea of sitting on a wood bench was not unfamiliar to Juvia nor to Gray however, the position they were right now made her think twice. the ice mage had his head on her lap and his hand wrapped around hers on top of his chest. Juvia"s heart will explode and she will die here with a blissful presence of her darling.
she never thought that she will see the day where Gray is drunk to his wits and is very clingy to her.
the wind was making his beautiful dark hair move softly, it was irresistible to touch in Juvia"s case so she satisfied herself with brushing his hair, the fragrance of his shampoo reached her nose, it"s smell was strong and fresh, it reminded her of the rain and summer at the same time.
it was very silent at the moment, Gray"s soft breaths gave comfort to Juvia, with the feel of his heart pulse under his chest, it was quiet and beautiful. the moonlight reflected on his sharp features, Gray was always stunning to look at and Juvia is sure she won"t get tired of looking at him all night.
"Gray-sama is gorgeous" she whispered, and lightly traced his cheeks with her fingers. she stopped admiring him suddenly when she saw him open his eyes and gaze at her.
and there it was again, the soft twinkle of before filled with adoration as if he is looking at a sculpture of beauty.
"why do you love me?"
the question was ridiculous at first, Juvia made it pretty clear to him and everyone else why Gray is special and why he is the only man she could ever love. But looking down at his face, it was a genuine question that Gray desperately needed an answer from it.
"it"s because you gave Juvia a reason to live" she replied, the wind blow harder and made the trees around them dance, the green leaves falling around them.
she couldn"t read his face at the moment, his expression was blank and he didn"t make a move.
Juvia was fine with the silence, after all she lived with it when they were residing together in the same house. then she felt a soft brush on her palm, Gray was tracing her hand with his fingers looking at it with awe.
what was so special about her hand?
"you have soft hands" certainly, Juvia is a water mage she will end up with soft and cold hands, at least in her case. but the mention made Juvia"s face blush like a tomato. she couldn"t make up new words and ended up a stuttering mess.
he put his lips in each of her finger, on the front, on the back, on her knuckles as well.
"Gray-sama?!" she was questioning his sudden and wholesome gesture and she definitely is not complaining.
she could feel the brush of his lips on her skin and with each kiss left a trace of wind and a desire for more.
"me too" he murmured on her hand.
"I love you too"
Juvia felt her ears ringing and heart thumbing faster than before. He never said it before, even when he confessed his love for her, it was mostly him beating around the bush with words that held significant importance. and Juvia was fine with it, she didn"t ask for the word to be uttered or any romantic fantasies, she was just happy with their new beginning.
and now it was all so surreal for the mage.
Gray-sama is still drunk..
it was a disheartening thought but the truth, he was speaking under the influence it wasn"t all from his own consciousness.
but it still felt good to hear it. Juvia"s eyes teared up.
she saw his face change from softened features to a panicked one, he abruptly got up from her lap and closed in to her.
"Juvia? did I say something wrong?" he asked with unease and worry, it made Juvia"s heart melt thousands of times. the rushing guilt couldn"t keep her tears from falling and it made her hate herself for putting her beloved in this position.
"n-no...I am sorry my love, Juvia can"t stop the tears" she replied in a wobbly tone, she sniffed and tried to brush the tears from her eyes.
Juvia felt the caress of his fingers brushing her bangs away, "don"t apologise" he pat her head like he usually does when he wants to show his affection.
"nothing you ever do will make me angry, Juvia" the words made her slowly turn to him.
"Is Gray-sama still drunk?" she wanted to make sure of this affection, she wanted to see his words from his none drunk self, that his feelings aren"t swayed by some liquor, or it would seem forced.
Gray looked at her for a moment and said: "does it matter?"
"of course it does! Gray-sama is saying all this stuff because he isn"t conscious of his feelings! and it makes all these things seem-"
"Juvia" he interrupted her blabbering, his hand is still on her head. "nothing of this is forced"
Juvia was confused with his answer.
"drinking makes me say things that I rarely talk about, it makes me say things that I keep inside of me" he explained.
"but my feelings aren"t forced, not for you" he leaned his forehead to hers, the touch made her feel warm.
"I have always loved you, and I have always saw you beautiful, always" he confessed his words so easily, he was determined to get the words fully to her shattering heart.
"I always felt jealous, like that bastard blondie in the restaurant" Juvia let out a small chuckle at the mention of his jealousy.
"I always wanted you Juvia, even when I don"t say it" his gaze was filled with longing.
Juvia tried to keep herself from crying but it was too hard, it was too difficult with how he was looking at her, no one did for her whole life.
so she broke down sobbing again and Gray just anxiously looked around the empty park, hoping that passer-by"s won"t find it suspicious.
Gray just rubbed her back in hopes to disentangle the mess in her heart.
it took a bit for Juvia to quieten her sobs and ended up with sniffles, by then Gray found comfort on her shoulder and kept his head there, his hair tickling her bare neck.
she looked up at the moon, it shone upon them like theatre light. surrounded with stars to keep it company.
Maybe Juvia was scared with how much Gray was showing his adoration today, she always dreamed it and didn"t accept the reality of it because she found comfort in her imagination, where all the perfection that her inner child wished were formed and could swim in it all her life.
this relationship was new to her as it"s new to Gray.
maybe waiting for him was easy for her because she wasn"t exactly ready to indulge herself in this new love thing and wanted to just look behind the glass.
she looked down at her hand intertwined together with his, the size difference of their hands made her heart skip a beat but she brushed that thought quickly, she didn"t need to distract herself right now, she should just enjoy the moment.
clicking of several steps was heard from their distance and it reached them right when Juvia looked up at the source.
"oh my god! hey Juvia!" Lucy"s pleasant voice called out to her cheerfully, she seemed excited to see them together. their usual team was right behind them excluding Wendy and Carla, maybe they went home early.
Lucy"s cheerful face turned surprised as she saw the scene in front of her.
"is that ...Gray?" she asked while pointing at him.
"it seems that he was sleepy enough to rest his head on your shoulder, Juvia" Erza assumed while smiling, Juvia can sense the pride from her stance.
Juvia blushed and chuckled nervously :" it seems so haha"
Natsu was the one who got too close to their space, he was sniffing around them and Juvia jerked away with Gray under her arm.
"Natsu-san, please keep your nose away from Gray-sama" she asked him politely, but she had her face in a frowned expression. Who would let their beloved getting sniffed shamelessly by a dragon slayer?
"hey were you crying-" his words got interrupted as both Erza and Lucy beat his head with their fists. the double damage made him clench his head in pain.
"for God sake Natsu, read the room!" Lucy complained in a hissing tone, while Erza shook her head. it was a relief that both of them didn"t catch on the crying part, it would be embarrassing to explain it to them.
"oh but Gray does seem so happy in your shoulder, Juvia" Happy flew a bit closer to inspect his face, with a paw on his smiling cat face he said :" looks like he is in looooveee with youuu"
Juvia smiled slightly at that thought, her nervous and excited emotion came bubbling back again.
"are you on your way home?" she asked them, ignoring Happy"s flying circles around them.
"Yeah, we just came back from the bar actually, and you came back from your date?" Lucy questioned with a twinkling curiosity in her brown eyes.
"yes, we just sat here for a moment"
"well then don"t let us disturb you, unless you want us to help you with Gray back home?" Erza suggested, while Natsu was sulking behind her, muttering how unnecessary it was to have them both inflict him with so much pain.
Juvia shook her head and denied her offer gently, she can easily carry Gray bridal style but she still wants to have this peaceful moment.
Erza nodded at that and Lucy smiled warmly, she seems to enjoy the scenery before her. after that they both bid them a good night and saw their shadow leave the reflection of the moon light.
"Finally" Gray"s bass voice broke through the silence, it made Juvia shriek slightly. "they ask too many questions" he grumbled getting up from his slight nap.
"Juvia thinks they were kind enough to care, Gray-sama" Juvia reasoned, She appreciates how they care for Gray and for her as well, she forgot to thank Lucy for her help through her outfit, she needs to see her tomorrow for it.
"I just wanted you alone today" he wrapped his arm around her and laid his chin on her shoulder blade.
Juvia"s blush intensified, *Drunk Gray-sama is such a bless! thank you, universe!*
"Well, darling, if that"s what you will ask for then she will give you herself forever!" she replied with a load of enthusiasm and circled both her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.
there was a soft sound of laughter coming from him, it quickened the pace of her heart.
Maybe Gray won"t remember this for tomorrow, or maybe he will but won"t admit it to her, either way she will give him the satisfaction of bothering him, he likes it anyways.
in the end it is still a pace for her as well, and she will take it a step by step with Gray. it added a bit of comfort to her heart by the end.
"you can let go now"
"no! bring back drunk Gray-sama!"