- collection of all my Fairy Tail writings
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Prompts:
#54 - “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. That’s the problem.”
#61 - “I love you. I am completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married…”
#88 - “Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married…”
“You’ve done the unthinkable, you know. You’ve made me fall in love.”
#06 - “No touching, no kissing, nothing. I will do with you as I please.” Part ONE; Part TWO
Non-prompts:
1. Gray-sama, hide!
2. 4th of July
3. Wedding Blues (& it’s not even Juvia’s)
4. Gray’s Greatest Possession
5. He’s Not My Dad
6. It Won’t Hurt (PAINtball Series)
7. What is Love?
8. Jealous Gray & Juvia Doesn’t Know
9. Gruvia Day (09.10.20) I Kissed a Girl
10. Juvia Day (06.03.23) Hare Hare
11. All Treats, No Tricks - Gruvia Halloween *12/26/2023
Gruvia Week:
1. 2016: Day i. Memory; ii. Eyes; iii. Family; iv. Vacation; v. Sounds; vi. Fear 1/2; 2/2;
2. 2018: Day i. Home; ii. Alluring; iii. Perverse; iv. Sugar; v. Possessed; vi. Failure; vii. Euphoria
Multi-chapter:
1. She’s In Your Court (On-going) - All Chapters; For taglist
2. The Art of Falling (On-going) - All Chapters; For taglist
Non-prompts:
1. I’m Home Baby R18 - Parts: ONE; TWO; THREE
2. Sore Loser (PAINtball Series)
3. The Night of the Giving Head (Rated M)
4. On Top of Who?
5. Miraxus Day (11.08.20) Family is family.
Rare Pair Week
1. 2020:
i. Firsts (Erza x Juvia); ii. Distance (Mira x Erza); iii. Present (Lyon x Juvia); iv. Longing (Rogue x Minerva); v. Opposites (Natsu x Juvia); vi. Fantasy (Rogue x Minerva); vii. Future (Natsu x Juvia)
Others:
1. Navia Week Day 1 Promises (Natsu x Juvia)
2. Stand By Me - Be-Dazzled Series: The Huntress (Natsu x Juvia)
3. Anon Request - “Apparently all our friends have a bet...” (Freed x Laxus)
- will include the rest of my Armada
1. Kissing Prompt #11 when one stops the kiss to whisper...
2. A Thread-Thin Line (Canon Divergence)
Gojo Saturo x Iori Utahime
Rating: R18
December 31, 2023
AN: On the last day of 2023, I'm posting my first one-shot of my current obsession. This was originally a twitter thread. But it grew to a 6k word one-shot. lol. Here's to hoping to write more gojohime and gruvia in 2024!
MASTERLIST
...
Utahime wasn’t sure how she ended up in his room and her current state. All she remembered was that she was in Tokyo for some important meeting, she and Gojo had a fight – a serious one – not the usual Gojo-was-an-asshole banter. But he was, an asshole to her, that’s why they fought. She walked away from him, not wanting to shed a tear at his stupidity. Yet, the heavens had other plans; they decided to cry for her. She ran for cover but the sudden downpour had already drenched her to her skin. She found temporary refuge under the awning of a coffee shop she didn’t recognize. Utahime didn’t dare go inside. As she waited for the rain to go away, or at least die down to a drizzle, she kept thinking back to their fight. Alas, her mind must have been thinking too much of him that it had conjured the man she wasn’t sure she wanted to see. Yet, so relieved to have been found by him. He brought her back to his apartment and offered to wash and dry her uniform.
She remembered now. That was the reason she was waiting for him in his room, for him to come back with her dry clothes before she traveled back to Kyoto. The same reason she was down in just her underwear, scavenging his closet with something of his she could put on as they waited for her clothes to dry. Something he wouldn’t miss. She found some old, raggedly black T-shirt, three sizes bigger than her figure. It was worn out and definitely, had seen better days but still soft to the skin. And smelled like Gojo. Utahime couldn’t help but take a sniff off the sleeve. His scent always had a reassuring effect on her. A single whiff and Utahime felt calm… safe. Like no matter how bad the situation was, they’ll always make it safe. When it wasn’t enough, she forced what remained of his scent from the collar of the t-shirt into her nostrils. If Gojo were to walk in on her right now, he might be creeped out by the sight of his girlfriend smelling his old, drabby shirt like an addict looking for a fix.
She noticed the print on the front, some parts of it had peeled off, and recognized it as the now-defunct band he liked in High School. One he had pestered her into going to watch the concert. She had reluctantly agreed then even if his taste in music never rubbed off on her. One OK Rock. Utahime never understood his taste in music. She was classical, he was not.
She should take his T-shirt off and return it. He probably didn’t appreciate him going through his things like that. He wouldn’t be happy to see her wearing something important enough to be kept, a treasure tucked at the farthest back of the closet, instead of being thrown out like the other old, worn-out things. But his shirt felt so good to wear for some reason she couldn’t quite explain.
Maybe because they just had a fight.
Maybe because it smelt like him.
Maybe because they hadn’t seen each other for weeks and she quite missed him.
She climbed to his bed, crawling underneath the sheets, letting the soft fabric engulf her, and touch the skin that couldn’t be covered by his large shirt. His lingering scent on the bedding embraced her whole body.
That must be it. She missed him. Missed his scent. Missed his arms around her. Missed his touch on the plane of her body.
But all he gave her was a heated argument after long weeks of not seeing, not embracing, and not touching each other.
Utahime turned her head on his pillow, burying her face in the soft cotton, letting it catch her words meant for Gojo.
“You idiot.”
She jumped right up and whipped her head to the door, almost causing her a whiplash, when she heard it push open.
“It may take a while, Utahime.”
His hair was down, the bandage around his eyes long gone, and replaced by black tinted sunglasses. Suddenly warping Utahime back to their student days when he was an arrogant, bratty teenager. Years later, he still was arrogant and bratty although nothing about him screamed innocent and naïve. But when he took off his blindfold and let his hair down, Utahime was brought back to those days when he was just an annoying kohai and nothing more.
Gojo stopped in the middle of his tracks as he made his way to his bed, when his eyes, all covered by the dark lenses of his specs, landed on Utahime’s figure in the sea of his bed.
“Wh-what are you wearing?”
Utahime could not read his expression. The windows to his soul were still covered by the dark shades. But his tone was harsher than he intended as if Utahime had no right to it. As if her wearing his shirt was a capital offense.
“Oh, this.”
Utahime swung her feet over at the edge of his bed, letting the duvet fall off of her, and stood beside his bed, playing with her fingers a bit anxiously.
“I’m sorry I didn’t ask first.”
It only hit her now how much he must have hated it, Utahime going through his things and wearing what probably was one of his favorite shirts without his permission. He was the kind who hated to share, apparently. Even with her. Even if she badly needed it.
She thought he’d understand.
He walked in long, purposeful strides. When he stopped right in front of her, his sudden proximity forced Utahime to tip her chin and look up at him. He was just so damn tall. His shades fell a bit off the bridge of his nose, giving Utahime a glimpse of his blue eyes. But she still couldn’t read his expression. She could only assume that he was mad with what she did as she watched his brow furrow and his jaw clench.
“Take it off.”
Utahime couldn’t believe it at first and thought she just misheard him. But when she considered that Gojo might have said what she thought he said, despite herself, it made sense. It dawned on her that she must have exaggerated her importance to him. Because how could he not allow even this slightest generosity between them?
“I promise to give it back–”
“–take it off, Uta-hime.”
“I… I’m not… wearing a-an-anything underneath.” She confessed in a small voice hoping he would reconsider.
But he didn’t.
“Take it off…”
He wouldn’t.
“or I will.”
His expression had turned dark then and that’s something Utahime recognized.
Cautiously, and with obvious hesitance, Utahime crumpled the hem of Gojo’s black shirt in her fists. She found the act he asked of her too much – too intimate, too daring – too much. Just like him. He waited for her to do as he commanded, she could see it. In the way his breathing became shallow, in the quick rise and fall of his chest. Utahime should be proud that the simplest task of her removing the shirt had that kind of effect on Gojo Satoru, the Strongest Sorcerer of this generation. That she had the power to reduce him to something so simple and so primal – simply a man.
A funny thought crossed her mind. Not funny in a way that it was laughable but more on how it was ironic that in the years that he had teased poor Utahime, she could easily get him back now. She watched sharply as Gojo’s tongue wet his lips, anxiously waiting for a peek of what was hidden underneath the black fabric. Utahime felt like she had grown a foot or so, realizing she had the upper hand now.
So, slowly, as she watched Gojo’s face twitch, and the expensive sunglasses, that protected him from Utahime finding out about the hunger brewing in his blue eyes, sliding down the bridge of his nose, Utahime made a show out of taking his shirt off her.
It was her time to tease the proud sorcerer with how excruciatingly and painfully slow she pulled the shirt up her thighs, passing up her pelvis, teasing some red fabric.
Red and black. That was quite different from what he was used to.
She saw a glimpse of his hands, how they were trembling on either side of him. For a moment, she wished his hands were the ones taking his shirt off of her. But he refused to move and allowed himself to watch only and not touch.
The hem of his black tee now brushed up against her bare stomach. Utahime saw Gojo gasp at that, lips slightly parting to let out some of the tension brewing inside.
Oh, his mouth.
His glorious mouth quivered at the anticipation of seeing her fully naked. His want. His desire for her. To have her. To own her. At that sight, Utahime felt that familiar tugging at the lower part of her belly. By reflex, she tried to suppress it but her body refused. Her body wouldn’t allow her to suppress this delicious feeling. In an act of rebellion, her chest felt tighter and her breasts heavier. Sensitive. So much so that they ached when the soft fabric of the shirt grazed her nipples with the smallest movement.
This was bad. This was so bad for Utahime.
She was losing the game.
She paused at her navel, feeling too exposed now. If she wanted to put a stop to this, to what Gojo was planning with this ‘take-it-off’ nonsense, now’s the best time to do it. Weren’t they just fighting earlier? That was something they needed to settle first before anything. But Gojo wasn’t taking his eyes away from her body, on the skin revealed for him to feast his eyes on.
“Gojo…” she willed him.
His blue eyes flicked back at her brown ones when she paused. Even so, it didn’t break the spell that her movements had on Gojo. When neither of them moved, it became clear to Utahime that the Strongest sorcerer had no plans of putting a stop to this. By extension, she couldn’t either. But in her desire to not let Gojo win, Utahime swiftly pulled the shirt over her head and pressed a shielding arm over her breasts.
That part, at least, she was going to deprive him of as punishment for all the nonsense he put her through, starting from their argument this morning.
But Gojo Saturo was not to be punished.
It almost scared Utahime how the man turned feral. He tackled her to his bed, his sunglasses fell off the floor with a silent thud, and pushed her up to the middle of the mattress. His sunglasses might have cracked at impact but Gojo seemed to not care at all. In a fluid maneuver, Utahime found herself pressed beneath him on his bed, both arms pinned by the wrists, just above her head. She was fully exposed to him, to his eyes – bright, blue and raging – preying on every inch of her body. His blue orbs were absent of that gentleness they held when he made love to Utahime.
The muscles below her stomach contracted at the realization that Gojo wasn’t going to be her lover tonight. He was going to fuck her. Mess her up for what he thought was Utahime’s crime against him. She felt a sudden ache between her legs and tried to relieve it, trying to shut her legs close. She couldn’t. Not when she had a two-hundred-pound flesh of a man squeezed between them.
Utahime squirmed beneath him, willing all her strength to free herself from his hold. Biting down the moans threatened to tumble out of her lips. All caused by that delicious friction between her core brushing up against the rough fabric of his jeans.
“Gojo!” Her voice started strong and authoritative, brown eyes glaring at him, only to be negated wholly by the whimper that managed to escape her mouth. “Uhn.”
He laughed at that. At her.
But before she could scold him, Gojo crashed his lips against Utahime’s – a granite kiss against her velvet lips. All her complaints died in her throat, melted by the lewd noises that took place in their stead. It had been a while since the last time he was this rough on her. Just like the first time they finally gave in to the undeniable attraction between them.
His free hand roamed her body, sliding from her wrist down the length of her arms, the skin on it growing hot and sensitive – inch by inch. But when he reached the arch of her breast, his touch turned urgent. Squeezing her mound as his tongue explored the depths of her mouth. It was driving her crazy. The tension his rough hand kept building inside her had no way of escape. The spark that he had kept fanning with his rough touch and bites threatened to explode inside her unless she could find some way to allay it.
Maybe if he allowed her to touch him. Or if she removed his mouth on hers so she could plead with him.
Gojo was greedy and cruel and selfish.
He would push Utahime to the edge and swiftly retreat before she could dive freely into the depths of her orgasm. He sought the other parts of her body he knew he could ignite but refuse let flourish. Such a spoiled brat. A kid on Christmas, running about excitedly, unsure which gift to open first.
He was always like that, with every reunion – planned or not. Both of them actually, throwing themselves at each other, letting the months they spent apart and the lustful voracity it cultivated fumble their hands all over, desperately unwrapping each other. This time, however, Utahime was bereft of any control. The Utahime before his scrutinizing eyes was a fully unwrapped present, one Gojo could not wait to indulge himself with.
He removed his mouth from hers, too abruptly in her opinion, and freed her wrists from his grip. He gave Utahime a window to catch her breath, only the slightest generosity he allowed her. Then crawled backwards to position his mouth at her center. Leveled his lips over the red lace that hung low on her hips, which Gojo was ready to rip apart along with the most special reward that hid beneath it – his first meal of the day.
He licked and lapped and slurped, sucking with an open mouth over the fabric of her underwear. But he did it so slowly, so excruciatingly and painfully slow that all Utahime could do was cry and plead. He was a fucking contradiction, shifting from slow to harsh in a flick of a switch. The center of her red lace was so wet – with his saliva co-mingling with her arousal – that Utahime didn’t even realize she was still wearing underwear. Not until Gojo opened her folds and dragged the flat of his tongue over her very core – tasting Utahime’s bare nakedness. She jumped at the wet and hot feel of his tongue, reflexively jerking her hips up his face – as if begging for more.
She didn’t know exactly what it was about Gojo and his mouth and tongue that got her all crazy, all messed up that her mind just went dark after an initial shock, like how a circuit breaker shortens then bursts. And when the fog clears, when somehow Utahime managed to think again, she propped herself on her elbows and watched Gojo feast between her legs. It was such a fucking turn-on – Gojo finding use for that foul mouth of his other than tease and annoy her. And that was driving her off the edge.
But not quite. She wasn’t there yet – close, so close – but not yet. Utahime wanted more, needed more.
Gojo knew exactly how to push her over – so he drew circles on her clit with the pad of his thumb and slid his tongue into her cunt. It was a whole new fucking sensation.
And it made Utahime sing.
Sing her song of praises, of pleas, and finally of her orgasm. Utahime shook and trembled in Gojo’s hands as he pushed her things apart, spreading them wider so he could unobstructedly drink in her juices. The sound of him slurping echoed around his room, the tip of his nose prodding on her swollen clit. The dangerous combination had set off another orgasm. He was cleaning up but inadvertently made a mess of her a second time.
Then his talented mouth and tongue were on hers again, giving Utahime a taste of herself. She was used to her own taste just as she was accustomed to his. If they followed the usual order, Utahime would be on her knees now giving Gojo the same pleasure he just let her experience. Drive him crazy with her hand and mouth too. She motioned to push herself off the mattress and nudge her man on his back, but Gojo was going off script. He seemed to enjoy kissing her. He alternated between sucking on her bottom lip and darting his tongue into the cave of her mouth. His full weight on top of her, pressing her into the mattress again, both her hands now pinned back above Utahime.
He was firm about her punishment of not letting her touch him.
Gojo felt perfectly comfortable between Utahime’s legs. His mere build and size spread them apart. Without heeding Utahime’s requests, Gojo slid his tongue at the side of her neck, licking and sucking skin, leaving marks on areas he knew well couldn’t be covered by the collar of her kosode. Bite marks on places that would raise her students’ brows when they see her tomorrow in school. But that was Utahime’s problem. This was still part of her punishment for a crime she didn’t know she committed.
But Gojo deemed himself forgiving and generous. He wouldn’t torture Utahime without an accompanying pleasure. Pain and pleasure, they were always intertwined. So, as he continued his onslaught at the dip of her breasts, Gojo grinded his hips against her cunt, earning a loud moan from his prisoner. He did it again, rubbing his bulge against her naked cunt and grinding to his own beat. The fabric of his jeans abraded against her naked core, the sweet friction prodded Utahime towards the edge. A sudden urge knotted her stomach - a sudden need to be filled up by him. She was already at a point where Utahime was aware his mouth and tongue weren’t enough anymore. Not even his dexterous fingers could offer her the relief her body longed for. Utahime needed Gojo to fill her up.
Utahime squirmed under him and moved her hips to match his. It was her silent way of saying, she needed him inside her now.
“Sa-Sa-to…ru…”
But Gojo refused to listen.
“Sa-Sato…ru-mnm.”
And Gojo Saturo refused to let her speak. He had full dominion over her whole body. Utahime could only climb to her peak when he said she could. She would only climax if Gojo allowed. Gojo was done with her when he said he was done with her. Until then, he was going to give her a taste but not the full course.
Not yet, at least.
Utahime swore against his mouth, losing her mind at the sensation of something vibrating against her thigh.
It was his phone ringing in his pocket.
Utahime groaned in protest when his mouth left hers and his hips stopped moving. He fished out the phone in his pocket and tossed it on the side without even checking who it was that was disturbing them. It landed beside Utahime, giving her a glimpse of the caller ID. Ijichi was calling.
Gojo ignored the phone and returned to his onslaught of her neck, biting then sucking. His phone went to sleep and then vibrated back to life. Still Ijichi. The name and the implication of his persistent calling were enough to sober Utahime up, yanking her back to reality.
“Gojo, it’s Ijichi—ahh!”
Utahime’s senses may have returned but Gojo was still on high and her mentioning Ijichi’s name had Gojo bursting a blood vessel. He unceremoniously sank his teeth into her skin as punishment. Letting another man’s name slip out of her lips while he pleasured her was another capital offense in his book.
“Hey! Ugh.”
Utahime fought against the delicious mix of pain and pleasure, mustering enough strength to rip her hands free from his hold.
“Gojo!”
She might have been a bit harsh there, gripping the locks of Gojo’s hair in her fist and pulling him off from the hollow of her neck to get his attention. But true to Gojo fashion, he liked some little pain, letting out a groan of pleasure.
“It might be urgent.”
Utahime stared into his blue eyes, watching his dilated pupils slowly readjust to the situation. His face was still flushed, hair all messy from Utahime’s pulling, half his face covered in Utahime’s saliva or cum or both but his gaze was still so hungry.
Gojo rose to his knees, combed his hair with his fingers, and evened his breath as he did. When he could finally form words, Gojo ordered Utahime to stay where she was. The look on his blue eyes demanded her to not move even a muscle until his return. Then, Gojo fully detached himself from her.
He wasn’t in the room anymore. His absence allowed air to blow on Utahime’s damp cunt. The cold snapping her legs closed. Utahime was left alone in his room. Gojo’s heat and curse energy he brought with him as he went out to meet Ijichi at the main door, she assumed. Utahime climbed down the bed to look for his discarded t-shirt on the floor and pulled it over her head. She didn’t have to look at herself in the mirror to know how messy her hair was. She must have looked crazy.
Utahime sat down at the edge of the bed and waited, remembering Gojo’s stern order for her to stay right there. A muffled conversation traveled to where she was. Gojo might have let Ijichi inside his apartment as the exchange got a little louder. Straining her ears to hear more clearly, she realized it wasn’t an exchange. Only Gojo’s voice was loud – almost violent. Utahime could only imagine how scared Ijichi might be receiving the grunt of Gojo’s frustration.
Utahime expelled an exasperated breath. She ought to appease her man and save poor Ijichi from his misplaced fury. Only she could do that.
“Get lost!”
Gojo’s loud voice and rude behavior pulled her off the bed and towards the door when suddenly, his bedroom door swung open. Utahime didn’t get that far when Gojo stepped through the frame, and back into the bedroom. He frowned at her when she clearly disobeyed his instruction not to lift a finger off the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“Was that Ijichi?”
“What’s it to you?”
After all that went down on that bed, Utahime couldn’t believe he was still as unreasonable as he was this morning. Granting, all they did was for Utahime’s benefit and Gojo has yet to have his turn, that was his fault. Utahime offered to suck his dick but he pinned her down and dry-humped the life out of her.
“What’s gotten into you?”
Now she’s mad.
But Gojo only answered her by repeating his earlier question.
“I asked where you were going.”
She didn’t feel obligated to answer him but still she did because his eyes were seething in anger. Utahime knew she shouldn’t fight fire with fire or they’d both burn to ashes. And since, apparently, she’s the only adult in this relationship, because Gojo was being on a whole new level of brat, she expelled a breath to calm her nerves.
“You were screaming at Ijichi for no reason. I was coming to get you.”
Just a few strides with those long legs and Gojo was standing right in front of Utahime, affronting her again.
“In this?”
In his shirt that only reached above the knee? Without underwear? With her still fucking wet and leaking with her own juices? Gojo saw red.
“Are you out of your fucking mind, Utahime?”
Utahime shuddered. It was the first time she saw that kind of rage in Gojo. She took a step back, trying to put some safe distance between them but Gojo wasn’t having it. He matched her steps until the back of her knees hit the side of his bed.
“Gojo…” She coaxed him because Gojo looked ready to pounce at anything. She knew Gojo was never going to hit her. But with the way he clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, he looked like he was capable of doing so. She knew better not to poke the angry bear. “ss everything okay?”
Gojo didn’t respond and Utahime felt like melting under his heavy stare. But she willed herself to gulp down her apprehension because Gojo would never hurt her. Not without her permission, at least. She managed to take a step toward him. If she wanted to understand this stranger, if she wanted to tame this animal, she needed to show him that she wasn’t afraid. She reached out to him, gently placing a hand on his cheek. There was no need for a safe space between them.
“What’s wrong?”
“He’s still a man, Utahime.”
That’s it. That was the cause of their fight this morning. When some stranger was, in Gojo’s crazy eyes, being overly familiar with Utahime. When that punk opened the door for her at the restaurant, offered to lead her to their table for the meeting, and tried to place a hand on the small of her back which Utahime later shrugged off as nothing but just him being polite.
Gojo wasn’t a jealous man. They could freely flirt with his Utahime because she would never entertain them. Not when Gojo existed in her world. He was the center of it. No man could come close.
But he couldn’t help but feel like sticking his fist down the throats of any men who would try to touch her or even think about touching her. Any man.
But wasn’t it enough that he was the only one allowed to touch her? To see her naked? To fuck her senseless, drive her crazy, and mess her all up?
“He’s your friend.”
“A friend who would still think about fucking my girlfriend in my fucking shirt.” He spat.
“Gojo!”
It was ridiculous. Such a ridiculous notion that Utahime had to reprimand that type of behavior.
Gojo didn’t say anything. Didn’t try to give her further shit. He knew he was wrong. He knew he was being petty and ridiculous. But he was right. No man in their right mind would find Utahime in that shirt and not think about touching her. Because that’s all he could think about.
Utahime flinched when Gojo suddenly tugged at his t-shirt that she was wearing.
“Didn’t I tell you to take this off?”
Utahime ought to punish that nonsense. If he was going to act like a child, Utahime would treat him like a child. She should just march out of that room, get onto the next train and leave for Kyoto. That should teach him a lesson. Easy. So, she must have been really out of her mind when she told him…
“You do it then.”
She must be really out of her mind when she let him fuck her raw for the first time. Utahime must have gone completely mad when she lets him cum inside her twice.
...
Then morning came and Utahime was first to wake, not by choice. She grumbled at the urgency to rise and return to Kyoto. She retrieved her uniform from the drier, which Gojo completely forgot to turn off. Her clothes were a mess – shrunk and completely unwearable. Now she had to raid his closet again, look for something appropriate for the train ride back to Kyoto, and suffer the fuss he was going to make out of it. Since he made so much of a big deal about wearing his t-shirt yesterday. She was contemplating her choices as she scanned his hanged clothes and folded jeans when a pair of arms snaked around her waist, both palms resting comfortably below her belly. She caught a whiff of his scent when the owner of those arms peppered her exposed shoulders with light, lazy kisses.
“Up so early?”
Utahime could place her own smell on him too.
“I need to hurry or I’ll miss the train.”
At the reality of her leaving back for Kyoto, Gojo tightened her arms around her and pulled the distracted Utahime against him. His feather kisses made their way up to that special place where the neck met the shoulders.
“No need to rush. I’ll teleport you.”
Utahime was the one who broke the comfortable embrace they were in, turned around to face him.
“How convenient that you forgot to offer to teleport me yesterday.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. Her seriousness was undermined by the way she rose on her toes to wound her arms around his neck. Gojo threw his head back laughing. They both knew he wasn’t going to let her leave Tokyo without a good pounding. Nay, the best. He was going on a long mission after today and he wasn’t sure when he was going to be back. It was the news that Ijichi lamentably brought to him last night. So, of course, he was going to fuck her hard so she would have something to look back to when she felt the need for release and he was not yet around to give it to her. Same as for him. He needed that mental image of Utahime riding him, bouncing on his cock, and screaming for more as he slipped in and out of her locked in his memory for the nights that he could only touch himself. Now, he had a new one to add to the vault – Utahime holding onto him as Gojo rammed into her and begged him to cum inside her.
“Hime, are you sure it was okay for me to…”
Utahime distractedly hummed an answer as she was now the one placing feather kisses on his exposed neck, mirroring what Gojo was doing to her earlier.
“What if you got the dates wrong?”
It wasn’t a problem for him, actually. If it happened, they were both old enough to raise one. It’s going to be a big change but it didn’t scare Gojo. What terrified him for a second was Utahime’s answer.
“Then I’m going to be a single mom.”
Fear crossed his face until he saw a glint of humor in her brown eyes.
“As if I’ll ever let that happen!”
Nope. His pride and his clan’s honor would never let him knock Utahime up and leave her. Most especially, not his feelings.
He kissed Utahime on the mouth, this one had them both tumbling into his closet, knocking the tower of piled clothes and grabbing on the ones on the hanger. She was still wearing his t-shirt, the same one that caused all that commotion last night. Utahime moaned into his lips when Gojo lightly brushed his hand up her thighs and realized her red lace was still lying around somewhere on the floor of his bedroom.
Reading his intention, Utahime told him she was going to be late for her class. Gojo probably didn’t hear her or refused to heed as he hoisted her up around his waist, eager to get some second round of Utahime loving, or was it third or fourth? He lost count.
“Gojo!” She laughed without breaking the kiss as Gojo walked them both back to his bed.
She plopped on the mattress still chuckling when Gojo turned her over on all fours. He pushed the shirt off her in one swift maneuver. Apparently, he was used to it and was now an expert at taking clothing off of Utahime.
In that position and with his hard cock pushing its tip into her wet opening, Utahime was singing a different tune.
“Do you have a condom? It’s a bit risky today.”
The anticipation of Gojo pushing his full length into her, filling her to a halt, had Utahime breathless, shaking and trembling.
“What’s life without risk, Utahime?”
Gojo unceremoniously pummeled his full length into Utahime, so deep and so full. The tip of his cock kissed her womb. It felt so fucking good that Utahime took the lead even in that position. She pushed herself forward, Gojo’s hard dick sliding out of her vagina until the tip remained inside her, then pushed herself backward, sheathing him completely within her walls again. They kept at it until Utahime cried in ecstasy and Gojo sowed his seed into her. That’s three times now. Utahime let Gojo cum inside her three times before he finally teleported them to her bedroom in Kyoto. There, Utahime let him cum a fourth time.
Rude was a description that perfectly described Gojo. Never one to be polite. So, he didn’t wait for Utahime to finish showering when he followed her into her bathroom and pressed her against the wall. This time, he shot his cum on her back just for the fun of it, earning a slap on his arm. Whatever extra time they gained from teleporting they squandered with Utahime flat on her back, then her stomach, then, finally, all fours. It wasn’t until the Kyoto sensei only had a minute or so before the bell rang did Gojo agreed to teleport her to the school. She gave him one last peck on the lips before she started toward the building.
“Iori!” Gojo called after her.
Utahime turned around, one brow raised at him unusually calling her by her last name. Gojo never called her Iori.
“Enjoy it while you can.”
Gojo lived to torment her, that’s what Utahime thought the whole day. She couldn’t fully concentrate on her lessons because of what he said before he disappeared on his long mission – the little fucker! – leaving Utahime to deal with her overthinking.
What did he mean? Enjoy what? Being his girlfriend? Did that jerk plan to play around with other women while he was on that long-ass mission and get rid of her after he came back? She called him to clarify but she had more questions than answers after he hung up.
What the fuck was he playing at? Would he really break up with her after she let him fuck her raw? After he shot his load inside? The fuck.
Utahime went to bed seething. Half accepting that if the gods decided to fuck her life up, she’s gonna be a single mother. Even if their relationship was now common knowledge, she’s gonna say she slept with a rando and he split. Let people think she one-upped the Great Gojo Saturo. Half hoped he was just pulling her tails with his vague, stupid answers. When she decided she was ready to put this Gojo-issue to bed, she felt a breeze blow at her back, a familiar disturbance in the air caused by his teleportation. She wasn’t going to turn around to face him. She was mad at him. Even if he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him on the bed. She’s gonna stay mad at that crazy idiot of a boyfriend. Even if she felt a different warmth when he sneaked his hand inside her shirt and felt her belly for something that still wasn’t there. Even if that kind of answered all her questions and resolved all her doubts, she was still going to turn his back on him. Served him right for causing that kind of mental torture on poor Utahime.
The next morning, he didn’t wait for her to wake up. He probably left early before anyone from the mission noticed he was gone. But something was different in the air that morning which Utahime couldn’t put a finger on. She felt lighter but also heavier at the same time. When she passed by her dresser, she saw his note, which read:
SINCE YOU CAN’T WAIT
IMPATIENT SENPAI.
P.S. DON’T LOSE IT OR I’LL PUNISH YOU
Not even a signature on the note but she could tell by the childish handwriting. She flipped the piece of paper over to look for some explanation of what this thing was that she couldn’t lose.
That’s when she saw the silver ring on her finger and felt the weight of the band for the first time. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep the sobs from escaping.
So that’s what he meant. Iori. She should enjoy being called Iori-sensei as long as she could.
Because soon, she will be Gojo Utahime.
Her body felt so heavy that all Iori Utahime could do was let gravity pull her down on the floor and bawl her eyes out.
- collection of all my Fairy Tail writings
Also, please follow me through my other socials to be updated.
➘ AO3 | FFNET
Prompts:
#54 - “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. That’s the problem.”
#61 - “I love you. I am completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married…”
#88 - “Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married…”
“You’ve done the unthinkable, you know. You’ve made me fall in love.”
#06 - “No touching, no kissing, nothing. I will do with you as I please.” Part ONE; Part TWO
Non-prompts:
1. Gray-sama, hide!
2. 4th of July
3. Wedding Blues (& it’s not even Juvia’s)
4. Gray’s Greatest Possession
5. He’s Not My Dad
6. It Won’t Hurt (PAINtball Series)
7. What is Love?
8. Jealous Gray & Juvia Doesn’t Know
9. Gruvia Day (09.10.20) I Kissed a Girl
10. Juvia Day (06.03.23) Hare Hare
11. All Treats, No Tricks - Gruvia Halloween *12/26/2023
Gruvia Week:
1. 2016: Day i. Memory; ii. Eyes; iii. Family; iv. Vacation; v. Sounds; vi. Fear ½; 2/2;
2. 2018: Day i. Home; ii. Alluring; iii. Perverse; iv. Sugar; v. Possessed; vi. Failure; vii. Euphoria
Multi-chapter:
1. She’s In Your Court (On-going) - All Chapters; For taglist
2. The Art of Falling (On-going) - All Chapters; For taglist
Non-prompts:
1. I’m Home Baby R18 - Parts: ONE; TWO; THREE
2. Sore Loser (PAINtball Series)
3. The Night of the Giving Head (Rated M)
4. On Top of Who?
5. Miraxus Day (11.08.20) Family is family.
Rare Pair Week
1. 2020:
i. Firsts (Erza x Juvia); ii. Distance (Mira x Erza); iii. Present (Lyon x Juvia); iv. Longing (Rogue x Minerva); v. Opposites (Natsu x Juvia); vi. Fantasy (Rogue x Minerva); vii. Future (Natsu x Juvia)
Others:
1. Navia Week Day 1 Promises (Natsu x Juvia)
2. Stand By Me - Be-Dazzled Series: The Huntress (Natsu x Juvia)
3. Anon Request - “Apparently all our friends have a bet…” (Freed x Laxus)
- will include the rest of my Armada
1. Kissing Prompt #11 when one stops the kiss to whisper…
2. A Thread-Thin Line (Canon Divergence)
Writer’s Corner: Months too late but I think the timing worked for me. The ending sounds and feels more wintery/christmas-y, isn't it? I don't feel like this one's good enough as compared to my Juvia Day entry so your honest feedback is very much welcomed. Help me improve!
All rights reserve to Hiro Mashima, original creator.
Masterlist
...
The cold season rolled in and seeped throughout the grounds of Magnolia. Its silent breeze knocked puny, tree branches against locked windows. It howled through the night, prowling the silent grounds of sleeping citizens. For those who made the mistake of forgetting to lock their windows, the October breeze pried into their room and wreaked havoc on all that it could carry. Easily targeted all that weighed close to none. Especially ripping off the pages on the wall calendar and revealing today’s date – October 31, Halloween.
After the fiasco that was the Fairy Tail Horror House of X791, that type of event was forever banned in the town of Magnolia. In its wake a new tradition was born where families were invited to decorate their homes to win lovely prizes, even encouraging them to hand out candies to children going around house to house, mage guilds included.
Rather than eerily quiet, Halloween in Fairy Tail was fun and lively.
The troublemakers – Natsu and Happy – had a good idea of wearing costumes to scare off the children who, in the words of Natsu the Demon King, “dared to enter my house of terror,” punctuating it with a high-pitched maniacal laugh that did not, at all, scare a living soul. But he was enjoying chasing after children who somehow believed Demon Kings existed and that they were ridiculously funny. Erza, wearing the shortest (skimpiest but no one dared to say it) witch costume, took up her sword and pretended to battle the Demon King. She was acting, she claimed but Lucy, the only writer in the room argued that it was an inaccurate depiction and didn’t make any sense plot-wise. Why would a witch have a sword when she had magic powers? But who would take a Leopard Girl seriously? Donned in a tight-fitting onesie that hugged her body like a second skin and accentuated all her dips and curves, Lucy the Sexy Leopard lost all credibility.
A certain ice-make mage, on the other hand, found it all juvenile. Yet, Gray was pursuing kids around the guild, the end of his tape costume riding the wind as he did. He wasn’t a scary mummy, he deduced, since instead of screams of terrors, the guild was filled with children’s ecstatic cheers and giggles. Well, half giggles and half scandalous because the end of Gray’s mummy tape got stuck on some pillar and pulled, making him a half-naked, pervert who happened to wear pants made of strip linen.
Erza smacked him on the back of the head.
So inappropriate.
But not as inappropriate as the thing that he was about to witness.
Juvia, Fairy Tail’s resident water-mage, wasn’t too comfortable with her assigned costume so she kept herself hidden backstage. She watched in the shadows as her comrades showed off their costumes, parading around the Fairy Tail building, welcoming their guests with booze (for the adults), colorful drinks (for the kids) and some imaginative snacks. She wondered how come the only thing that connected her decorated brassiere and the underwear that covered her nether region was just strings snaked around her torso. She asked Erza about it but the only answer she got was the mesh material on her head, some sort of see-through veil, its length reaching her waist but covered nothing. Plus, the heavy and expensive accessories around her neck, arms and wrists made the look less racy than it actually was. They lent her some air of distinct. She did a once-over in front of the mirror, twirling around to inspect herself and couldn’t help but think she might be missing a piece on her costume. Maybe a skirt to cover her lower body? Because she swore her bottom was hanging out.
Erza said the long veil on top of her head covered it enough and that she should stop worrying about it.
She really should worry about it.
Even if Mira and the already drunk Cana assured her that she would be the envy of the room and would surely get Gray the Half-Naked Mummy’s attention. The latter was enough encouragement though, which emboldened Juvia to come out of her hiding. That and finding her self-declared love rival enjoying her time with Mummy Gray, her beloved. She charged towards the two, about to bring hell to the Leopard Girl, when a soft breeze touched her exposed skin and Juvia had another think coming. But it was too late. She was out in the open now and everyone was hollering and whistling at her ensemble. As she watched her comrades strut around in their own Halloween costumes though – the moon princess Mira-chan; vampire Lisanna; Elfman and Evergreen in a couple’s costume ala Adam and Eve; the Thunder Legion Tribe in what appeared to be some sort of forest creatures (were they supposed to be Pokémon and was someone supposed to collect ‘em all?); and archery goddess Wendy – Juvia felt like she pulled the short end of the stick.
Because what the hell was she wearing?
It was a fucked-up gypsy dancer costume if you asked Gray. Beautiful, he’d go as far as saying it was nose-bleed-inducing, but definitely fucked-up. He wasn’t too happy about that.
Even Cana was modestly covered in her own fucked-up priestess costume.
People – ugly men, irritating old geezers, boys that weren’t Gray-sama – started coming up to Juvia with Macao and Wakaba in the lead. She made it obvious she wasn’t comfortable with their attention but the crowd had already gathered around her. She searched for the black spiky hair in it but found her precious Gray-sama still standing beside Leopard Girl. Summoning all her magic power, Juvia immediately fell into her fighting stance, about to tsunami all those perverts out of the way when her vision turned pitch-black.
“Eh?”
She extended her arm to feel for anything, anything at all, that could explain why she was instantly blinded, only to feel strong fingers grab her wrist and whiz her away from the complaining crowd.
“Eh!”
“I guess this is safe for now.”
She didn’t need her eyes to know who it was. Juvia could recognize that voice anywhere, even when it was broken by huffs.
“Gray-sama…”
“Oh, that’s right.”
He swiftly released his grip on her hand and Juvia pouted at the loss of contact. A sudden chill replaced the warmth that encircled her wrist. She didn’t like it.
“Sorry about that.”
“No!” Juvia cleared up, in case he might take it the wrong way, “Gray-sama shouldn’t apologize.”
The water mage wasn’t sure where they went or how far they had come from the guild. But wherever Gray was, she was always safe with him.
“You saved Juvia from the commotion.”
A commotion caused by her inappropriate appearance, Gray ought to say but decided not to. Instead, he said a terse ‘It was nothing’.
Her ears might have deceived her but Juvia could place a grin on his voice. She could imagine that small curve of his lips, wanting to see it with her own eyes but something was still blocking her view. Something soft and rather silky, heavy on her crown too. It covered her from head to toe. She clutched the unidentified veil in her fist and realized it was the same fabric as the covering of the long table back at the guild. Juvia tried to pull on the cloth, trying to get rid of the covering when Gray started speaking again.
“…something like that.”
The covering muffled Gray’s words. As she was trying desperately to uncover herself, Juvia only caught the tail end of what he was saying. She stopped for a moment, tipped her head to the side, deciding whether to ask him to repeat what he said, which would give Gray the impression that she wasn’t listening to him, or just pretend as if she heard him.
Sensing her confusion despite the wall of fabric between them, Gray repeated his words, this time a bit louder and very much clearer than earlier.
“Don’t wear something like that.”
It took her a moment to realize but Juvia caught on to what the ice-make mage meant. It was her scant costume. Remembering how some cloth and some strings strategically covered those areas, Juvia internally agreed with Gray. She shouldn’t be wearing something like that again, nodding her head furiously that she might just break her own neck.
“In public.”
He added before clearing his throat and inviting Juvia to walk around the neighborhood, not giving her an opening to say anything back about his last comment. Juvia had the tendency to twist his words, or rather, which was always the case, point out what exactly he wanted to say but couldn’t.
Don’t wear something like that in public.
He meant only to wear it for him in private, right?
Gray started toward the direction of the crowd, where most people were scattered in small groups. He was saying something Juvia was not able to hear through that thick white covering hanging over her. She followed where she assumed Gray was headed, straining her ears to listen to his footsteps whilst she blindly soldiered on through the veil-made darkness. The water mage was starting to get frustrated with the covering she’d been trying to get out of since earlier. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t find the beginning or end of that long, thick fabric weighing down on her with a smooth but consistent fall, much like her magic – a curtain of water.
Ironic.
And why was Gray not helping her at all? It wasn’t like he was busy keeping quiet since he had all the time in the world to run his mouth about god knows what. His talking was like a soft buzz in Juvia’s ears – a distant noise that didn’t make sense.
Despite the cold breeze and the fact that she was practically naked inside, her body was starting to feel hot. A sheen of perspiration started to form over her skin. The heavy covering not only successfully blocked her view but also any air in and out of her fabric jail.
“G-Gray-sama…” She called out but the thick veil separating them blacked the words out, “…help Juvia~”
Gray hadn’t paid her any attention (deliberately ignoring her or unintentionally forgetting, Juvia wasn’t sure) until the poor water mage kicked on an uneven terrain and tripped. She braced herself for impact, throwing her hands in front of her as she was about to fall on the pavement, face-first. But the impact never came. Instead, Juvia’s body was pressed against something hard. Not as hard as she remembered pavement should be though. Curiosity spurred Juvia to explore this not-a-pavement surface, flattening her palms on what turned out to be Gray’s firm pecs, the slightest bump giving her the idea that she might just be… touching on Gray’s...
She rubbed them just to make sure.
“Uhn… Ju-Juvia…”
And kneaded for better measure.
“T-that’s… he-hey…”
She was definitely right.
Gods do exist!
Juvia could hear the strain in his voice. And something else. Something she wasn’t familiar with. But worry bumped curiosity off first place. Gray sounded like he might be in pain and the idea horrified Juvia that she might be the reason for it. He did break her fall and she was comfortably using her as a human cushion. So, she slid her open palms lower, eliciting more low and strange noises from the man beneath her. She ignored the noise in favor of resting her hands over what she assumed was Gray’s abdomen, intent on pushing herself off him to free her poor savior from his distress. She was a little bit sorry that she had to use his body to do so. Which, unbeknownst to Juvia, was stirring something in Gray that should not be stirred. Not when they were in public like this.
Oh, if Juvia could see the ice-make mage’s reaction now – gritting his teeth and clenching his jaw.
She successfully leaned away, readying to pull her knees so she could prop herself up and fully get off of poor Gray when a cold breeze whizzed past them, magically finding the end of the frustrating veil and blew the hem of the fabric covering her body. Gray was a hero the second time when he slapped that cloth back to its rightful place. Saving the water mage from the embarrassment of public indecent exposure.
“Eeep!”
But bumping her to another level of embarrassment.
Gray only realized where his hands were touching when Juvia’s body wiggled and twisted above him. The force of his ‘heroic act’ slammed Juvia flatly on top of him again.
“G-Gray-sama felt Ju-Ju-Juvia’s bottom!”
She muttered, fidgeting at the heat that spread over both cheeks, either because Gray’s hands were still cupping her ass or the mere force of his slap, or both.
“So, G-Gray-sama was into this kind of… s-s-stuff?” She whispered to herself.
But that wasn’t a whisper. It was more of a loud musing because that one Gray heard through the fabric barrier between them.
“No!” He strongly denied it. “That’s… I’m not… hey!”
For a good minute, they were a tangled mess – him trying to, but very much cautiously, push her off of him, slipping on the fabric when he tried to stand up with Juvia still on top of him, and her trying to pull herself away from him, which proved to be a struggle since Gray just couldn’t stay still. It didn’t help that the thick cloth separating them from each other was too silky and slippery to the touch.
Gray could only cry how that freaking veil was the devil. The devil! And he quickly regretted whisking the long mantle off the table to cover Juvia with, until they finally detached themselves from each other. Both were breathless from the endeavor.
Passersby threw them ugly looks, which made Gray realize that covering Juvia with the table mantle was not one of his brightest ideas. He tried to rearrange the cloth, so that Juvia was still fully covered (her fucked-up costume hidden), but made it so that her head was popping out of the makeshift ghost costume so at least she could see where they were going and avoid another mishap. The water mage, thank goodness, stood still and quiet, as Gray secured the long textile around her neck with a knot made of his mummy tape. He smirked at his creation, proud of his quick thinking. Then broke into cackles he tried to suppress but couldn’t, scrutinizing her attire – a Juvia floating head. Now, that’s a true Halloween costume.
“Gray-sama shouldn’t be laughing at Juvia.” She bemoaned. “Not when he’s looking like that.”
Gray followed her eyes down his lower body to realize he was stripped down to his G x J boxers, using up what remained of his mummy tape costume on Juvia.
“Whoa!”
It was Juvia’s turn to laugh at him. But Gray took no offense to it and joined in, the both of them laughing together and at each other in their poor state. They were so stuck in their own world that Gray belatedly noticed the scandalized glare thrown at both of them – mostly on him – especially by children who were often told to wear something in public.
Gray scooped Juvia off the ground (which was totally unnecessary by everyone’s account) and whisked the water mage, a second time, away from the crime scene.
Young couples are too bold nowadays.
It’s probably because of the full moon.
...
Gray hid them at some back alley. He surreptitiously peeked through the corner, with an unusually quiet water mage still carried in both arms. Only after making sure no one was following after them, not the police or an angry mob, that Gray could finally puff a relief. He settled Juvia on the ground as gently as he could. And wondered why she was running out of breath when Gray did all the running.
“Are you alright, Juvia?”
“Y-y-yes.”
She stuttered. Round blue eyes were spinning like wheels on the run.
“Erm… are you sure?”
She sure didn’t look okay.
Gray was so accustomed to Juvia that he could read her like a book. Every word and every sentence he could easily interpret. And this reaction from her was probably caused by him bolting her away. He should have thought of his actions thoroughly because who knows what Juvia’s creative imagination must have conjured of him holding her in a bridal carry.
Gray and Juvia’s wedding? Them on their honeymoon, crossing the threshold into their master bedroom? Probably, both.
He settled a hand on her shoulders. The thick eyebrows on his forehead were knitted – quite bothered by the possibility that she could still slip into her imaginary land when she had the real thing right in front of her now. Unlike before, Gray had become more receptive to her feelings. And unlike before, he made conscious actions to show that he returned those very feelings. Had he not made it clear to her?
“Juvia…”
His coaxing willed Juvia back to reality, to where she and Gray were in a back alley hiding.
“Juvia is okay, Gray-sama.”
Her blue eyes returned to normal and Gray could slip a sigh of relief. Without a need to worry now, Gray retrieved his hand and suggested they come back to the guild when Juvia’s made-shift cloak started to come undone. Her Halloween costume – the brassiere connected with some barely-there knots – peeked through the opening and threatened to reveal itself in its full glory. Which was bad for Gray for the following reasons: a) Juvia was still half-lying on the ground; b) they were in some dark, back-alley; and c) they were alone in that dark alley.
And d) he was still just wearing his boxers.
“Ju-Juvia!”
But it was Gray’s fingers that yanked the edges of the loosening drape and clasped them together against her chest. Another bad idea of Gray’s now that his fists were pressed down against her breasts. Soft and quite big. Not that it surprised him. He was very much familiar with how Juvia’s breasts felt to the touch. Not that he openly touched them either. Opportunities just happened to present themselves to him. Oh how tortured and conflicted he was. That stirring inside his stomach earlier was rapidly brewing into something that shouldn’t be brewing.
“Uhn…”
What a cute voice!
Damn, it was like the universe was trying to tell him something.
Gray yanked his evil hands and put them back to his side. Away from Juvia’s soft mounds.
“S-s-sorry.”
But that lecherous costume was taunting him again, the deep valley of her breasts peering through the slightest opening. He ordered himself to look away but his sinful eyes did not stray even just a little. So, he chose to just fight the rising heat that burned his cheeks. If she asked, he could blame that one on the weather.
Gray cleared his throat. Thinking that by doing so, Juvia might not notice him ogling. He reached out his hands and started to tighten the mummy tape again around her neck. There was a crisp silence between them, which Gray appreciated. Juvia’s focused gaze at his hands was reason enough for him to struggle to steady his fingers as he looped the tape. But in the end, he was able to fix it.
“All done.”
She thanked him with a lovely smile – the kind that always followed him in his dreams. The warm smile that kept him company when he was alone. The low howl of the October breeze made him aware that they were in a dark alley where people scarcely passed through. It had a wicked way of conjuring today’s moments that the courteous Gray would rather tuck safely into the back of his memory – when Juvia stepped out of hiding in her inappropriate costume; when he unintentionally spanked and cupped her butt-cheeks; when Juvia rubbed her palms over his breasts; and when he fastened the ends of the cloth and accidentally pressed on her soft mounds. These memories he’d rather bury in the depths of his consciousness and only unearth them when he was alone.
Right now, he wasn’t alone. He was with Juvia, the star of those evoking memories, in a place where there was little to no chance of anyone walking in on them if Gray allowed some of his dreams to come alive. Clandestine. He stopped that thought and suggested they walk back to the guild. He needed the exercise.
Juvia pointed out to him his current state and Gray miraculously found some cloak flapping with the wind, hanging outside somebody’s window. It was black, a total contrast to Juvia’s white ones. He figured no one was going to miss that drabby old cloak.
As they took the route to the guild, Gray considered walking Juvia to Fairy Hills instead. But remembered he was barred from showing even just his shadow there. His ban has yet to run its course so the guild – the very place they left earlier – was the sensible place to go, especially since he and Juvia were just wearing make-shift coverings that could unravel anytime. They had to avoid crowds.
Gray was deep in thought when a flash of blue caught his eyes. He snapped his head in its direction, eyes widening in awe at what his vision revealed.
“Look Juvia!” He pointed the all-smiling, happily distracted Juvia to a decorated house where three or four children were walking up to its stoop. “It’s you.”
Juvia followed the direction of Gray’s pointing and scanned the surroundings for anything that resembled herself or whatever it was that reminded her beloved of the water-mage. Surely, it must not have been the waving tube decoration, flapping around something that, when you squint your eyes at the right angle, resembled arms. Or the scary-looking life-sized doll made of blue hay, wearing what appeared to be a blow-up replica of Juvia’s hat. That must not be how he saw Juvia, right?
Without receiving an answer to these questions, Juvia was suddenly yanked against Gray’s side. One arm hung over her shoulder; the weight pulled them both down to a crouch like they were hiding. Their cheeks were close, sharing a border, but not touching, not yet at least. They were just close enough for Juvia to feel his breath on her now-flushed cheek when he covertly spoke to her.
“That one. She looks exactly like you.”
Juvia caught herself gawking at him, at Gray’s face which was fully and resolutely turned to the direction where he was pointing her to. She felt slightly guilty about that because one, that wasn’t even the first physical touch they’d shared just counting the ones they had tonight (not the most daring one either); and two, Gray was heartily showing her something. So, Juvia summoned her focus and followed his direction – towards the girl who was giddily jumping at receiving tons of candies into her basket, the kid version of Phantom Lord Juvia. She was donned in Juvia’s blue winter coat, a teru-teru bozu hanging by the clasp of her collar, and a cute Juvia hat merchandise sitting neatly atop her little head.
Juvia felt a pang in her heart. It was her in the rolled hairstyle the water mage got rid of to forget about that version of her. As the little girl skipped down back to the main road, Juvia felt sorry for the little girl. No child should model after her. Back then, she wasn’t her best self. She was strong yet lonely. Isolated by her own rain. Physically attractive yet gloomy that warmth and fun were foreign concepts to her. A smile, a true warm smile, had never even touched her lips. Simply, ugly. If she could only keep that image to herself and tuck it away where no one else could find it, she would have done so.
The Juvia of the present, the Juvia after joining Fairy Tail, after finally being accepted and loved for who she was and who she was not, was unquestionably the best version of herself yet.
But that twinge was pushed away by the slight curve of Gray’s lips. Warm. Affectionate. Proud. He was still looking at that little girl, at kid Phantom Lord Juvia, with eyes full of interest. Never left her figure as she turned around and hollered at the other two girls on the walkway. Her other two friends looked like shrunken versions of other Fairy Tail members, slowed down by their argument about who collected more candies between them.
“There’s Erza and Mira-chan too.” Gray chuckled. “Brings me back.”
Juvia forgot all about her own thinking, dumbfounded by the look on Gray’s face. Even when the curve on his lips was subtle it was also telling. Because Gray could picture so clearly how the actual Erza and Mira-chan, when they were at the same age as those kids, would squabble over the smallest and silliest things. Much like the kids rounding up their group of three with Juvia-chan. His mind flew to that rare moment when all the kids in the guild were huddled up together in an unusually peaceful group waiting out the night. Simply remembering pulled the corners of his mouth into a small smile – not wistful, not longing, just… content.
Before he even thought of it, Gray was already starting on his feet, with Juvia following closely behind and then, naturally, fell beside him. Stepping into the same stride, the same pace as his. Juvia had caught up to him again, naturally. It had been like that between them for years now. Words have become so moot and inadequate. It was as if they were operating on feelings alone. Like it was the only way they could clearly and completely convey their inner thoughts. And so, with no invitation required, Gray and Juvia explored the neighborhood, feasting their eyes at the sight of scattered children in all sorts, shapes and colors of costumes.
The children walked up to houses. Their eyes shone at the treats dropped inside their baskets. Some ran out screaming in terror, receiving childish and mean scares instead of sweet treats. Others gleefully skipped along the side of the road while peeking inside each other’s loots. The two Fairy Tail mages, however, glowed in pride at the insinuation that the kids put Fairy Tail in such high regard to dress up like them, as members of the strongest guild in the whole of Fiore.
Wasn’t it that imitation was the highest form of flattery?
Out of nowhere, Gray and Juvia started a contest of whoever could spot and recognize Fairy Tail look-alikes more. They discreetly point the children to each other – finding a little Lucy with a mermaid Aquarius who can walk on foot in this version, or the entire Lightning God Tribe whose version of Laxus put on some balloons in place of the original’s muscles.
They spotted another Juvia, this one much younger than the first one they saw earlier, around five or six years old maybe, donning polka-dotted leggings. She had a long-haired older boy in her tail, who she addressed as onii-san, carrying her basket for her. It was quite a picture for Gray, the little girl scolding the older kid, who both Gray and Juvia agreed resembled an Iron Dragon Slayer. At least, even in make-belief, Gray got to see Gajeel being ordered around.
They strolled deeper into the neighborhood and found out that the wizard costumes were not limited to Fairy Tail mages. Gray even flinched at a spitting image of a young but much more handsome (in Gray’s biased opinion) Lyon Vastia. But Juvia noted his mood became even livelier when they met the Lyon impersonator, despite Gray-sama’s act and words of displeasure. At that, Juvia hid a chuckle behind her hand, which Gray noticed.
They hadn't walked that far from where they met and were greeted by a polite version of the fire dragon slayer, when Juvia noticed Gray’s mood turn sullen, even if he tried to hide it with a small but dry grin. She ha dan inkling why. They must have seen ten or twenty versions of Natsu but not a single one of the ice-make mage.
Even Juvia wasn’t happy about that.
“Gray-sama…”
“You want to go back?” He jumped in, not liking the way she looked and sounded worried.
Gray already knew what she was about to say. But it seemed he’d rather not talk about it. Respecting his feelings, the water-mage simply returned his smile, hers understanding and much more genuine than his forced one.
“If Gray-sama prefers.”
“Alright then.”
They turned around, about to take the path back to where they started when something round and hard hit Gray right at the stomach.
“Sorry, Oji-san!”
A small boy bumped into him with a force enough to sway Gray but not to make him lose his balance. He first checked that his basket of candies was intact before the little boy with messy black hair beamed up at him, his smile was pulled so wide that his eyes were almost shut. Cheeks all puffed and flushed and chubby and cute.
He probably got away with anything armed with that smile.
“Greige?!”
But like the other kids his age, the boy quickly abandoned the stranger he bumped into and caught up with his friends.
“Wait for me!”
Gray quickly spun around. A seed of hope sprouted within him, urging his feet to move. He wanted to follow the kid and confirm his suspicion but his own logic stopped him, rooting him in his spot. That would have been impossible. How would Greige cross over Earthland? That boy might have been wearing a zipped-up coat with fluffy collar, the same one Gray remembered Greige of Edolas was wearing, but how could he cross over to their world? Impossible.
Hope had sprouted into longing.
“Greige?”
Juvia’s confusion and Gray’s sudden realization that Juvia was still completely unaware of their child’s existence in another world, pulled him out of his reverie.
“Um… I said ‘engage’.” He quickly lied, feeling warmth rise to his cheeks despite the cold October breeze blowing at them. “I thought he was an enemy or somethin’.” Yet even to him, he wasn’t that convincing.
But how was he supposed to tell Juvia he saw a kid who could pass as a doppelganger of the son they would have in the future but who was already existing as the child of Gray Surge and Juvia, a version of them who were already married and lived and breathed in Edolas?
If Juvia knew about their Edolas counterparts, she would sulk all week and demand that they too get married and make a baby. They weren’t at that point in their relationship yet. They haven’t even kissed! Through no fault of Juvia, of course. Even though she had given her consent to it in no limited terms, Gray just didn’t… he just wasn’t… confident enough.
“Let’s go back, Juvia.”
“Oh, okay.”
He wounded a firm arm around Juvia’s shoulder and secured her at his side to stop the water-mage from looking back at the boy who reminded Gray of his future son. He chanced a last glance at him though and decided his hair was too spiky and a shade lighter than the boy in his memory. He was too tall and too animated to be his prim and proper little Greige.
His mind was probably playing tricks on him.
“Greige.” Juvia tested the name on her tongue. She liked the sound of it, she told Gray, making the man sweat a little.
“H-h-hey Juvia, I told you that’s not what I said.”
“He looked a little bit like Gray-sama, didn’t he?”
Gray couldn’t seem to understand, or rather that he couldn’t believe how Juvia’s soft eyes, that loving gaze that seemed to be only directed at him, had always been a source of comfort. He couldn’t at all wrap his head around the phenomenon of her smile shining so bright to the point that it was blinding, yet he was incapable of looking away.
“You think so?”
She just made a sound, a cute little hmm, eyes now glistening with that gentle mix of pride and joy. Gray couldn’t even fathom how Juvia could grow even more beautiful each day.
Gray glanced back at the boy reuniting with his friends, looking for his own qualities in him. Maybe his dark, unruly hair could be attributed to the ice-mage but the little boy was wrapped in a winter coat, and Gray was known for unwrapping himself from any clothing.
No harm in imaging it though, that maybe the little stranger was copying Gray.
He wasn’t.
Gray wasn’t imagining it when the boy with unruly hair pulled his elbows back to form some sort of hand stance. He definitely did not need to humor himself when he heard the kid say “ice-make…” and pretended like magic power was coming out of his open palms and attacked his friends.
Maybe if Gray got over himself…
“Juvia… are you cold?”
“Hmm?”
And step out of that darkness that was holding him back.
send me a pairing and a number and i’ll write you a drabble
previous drabble sets (1) (2) (3)
151. “It doesn’t matter how many universes there are. There will always be a version of me standing by your side.”
152. “You can’t turn down my proposal just because you wanted to ask me first!”
153. “The truth is being with you scares me. But not being with you…terrifies me.”
154. “Sometimes I wish I’d never met you.”
155. “If we lose, then we lose. But at least we’ll lose together.”
156. “I never planned on falling for you.”
157. “I’m gonna make you regret that.”
158. “Stop pulling heroic shit when I’m not around to talk you out of it.”
159. “Of course you’re worth it.”
160. “First we survive this, then you can yell at me.”
161. “Well how was I supposed to know not to open the box?!”
162. “Next time I’m seducing the target and you can diffuse the bomb.”
163. “I’m asking if you love me too.”
164. “Kiss me or kill me. It’s your choice.”
165. “Remember how we talked about not doing the stupid thing?”
166. “Good news, we’re still alive. Bad news, we’re about 30 seconds away from that changing.”
167. “Where the hell did you learn to do that?!”
168. “If I have to fight you too, I will.”
169. “I won’t let you die for me.”
170. “It will make you forget me. When you wake, it’ll be like I never existed.”
171. “Forever means nothing to me if I don’t get to spend it with you.”
172. “I’m always flirting with you. Keep up.”
173. “Next time, warn me before you show up with a dead body.”
174. “I’m about 85% sure this is gonna work. Okay it’s more like 35% but I’m trying to be optimistic.”
175. “Yes, it is a real dragon, but I can explain everything…”
176. “I’d just like one day where everything isn’t life or death. Just one!”
177. “So is this a regular occurrence with you or am I just really special?”
178. “You couldn’t handle me.”
179. “We may have a slight problem…”
180. “We’re dead. But I have a plan.”
181. “If I tell you the truth you might never forgive me.”
182. “Just the thought of you dying makes me want to fall to my knees.”
183. “Promise you’ll come back to me. Swear it!”
184. “The only thing that makes sense to me anymore is us.”
185. “If the choice comes down to my life or yours, I’m always going to choose yours.”
186. “I need to say something…”
187. “Leave…before it’s too late.”
188. “I miss everything about you.”
189. “You made us enemies. I never wanted this.”
190. “You’re my best friend. Of course I’m with you.”
191. “The important thing to remember is that you love me and I promise you’ll laugh about this whole thing as soon as we get out of this.”
192. “Why do you assume it’s my fault we got sent back in time?!”
193. “Come on, this doesn’t even make it into the top 10 of stupid things I’ve done. You’re completely overreacting.”
194. “I wasn’t the one who walked away from us. You were.”
195. “We’re going to have to jump.”
196. “I can’t just go back to pretending you mean nothing to me.”
197. “I don’t want you to regret me.”
198. “Dying is a lot more painful than I thought it would be.”
199. “You’re the only home I need.”
200. Random quote
K, your last "Juvia day " fic was the most wholesome and adorable work I've read in such a long time! I just wanted to say that I love all your fics, but your depiction of Gruvia in this last oneshot was truly special. It's the exact kind of way I like them to be portrayed in fan content!!!! Keep up with the amazing work, I'll be here cherring for u 🎉🎉💙💙
OMG thank you soooo much! It was easy to picture in my head I guess I just missed them so much? And I hope it came across to you as I imagined it. Thank you sooo much I will keep writing for you guys!
send me a pairing and a number and i’ll write you a drabble
(Part one: 1-50)
51. “What the hell are you wearing?”
52. “Can I kiss you?”
53. “Who crawls through someone’s window at 4am to go for ice cream?!”
54. “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. That’s the problem.”
55. “Our first date is a picnic on a beach under the stars? Have you swallowed a romance novel? Do I need to call a doctor?”
56. “I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
57. “Teach me to fight.”
58. “I’d die for you. Of course, I’d haunt you in the afterlife but really, it’s the thought that counts.”
59. “Tell me to go and I will, but if you ask me to stay I’ll never leave you again.”
60. “Before you decide to murder me, let me explain…”
61. “I love you. I’m completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married.”
62. “It’s only one night, we’ll just share the bed.”
63. “Stop running from this. I know I’m not the only one who feels it.”
64. “Are you ticklish?”
65. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”
66. “The only thing I want is you.”
67. “Of all the people I could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you.”
68. “PILLOW FIGHT!”
69. “Why the hell are you bleeding!?”
70. “You’re so beautiful.”
71. “Kiss me, quick!”
72. “I will knock you on your ass if you even think about it.”
73. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
74. “Don’t let go.”
75. “I’m going for a swim. Do you wanna join me?”
76. “I need you to pretend we’re dating…”
77. “There was never a choice.”
78. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
79. “That’s the third time I’ve saved your life!”
80. “How can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?”
81. “I need you to leave.”
82. “This is all your fault! I can’t believe I listened to you!”
83. “It’s always been you.”
84. “I’m dying.”
85. “I will never apologize for saving your life, even if it costs me my own.”
86. “I guess dying with you isn’t the worse way to go.”
87. “You were never just my friend.”
88. “Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married…”
89. “I’m not leaving you!”
90. “I can’t do this anymore.”
91. “I remember everything.”
92. “What do you want me to say?”
93. “I tried, but I just can’t stay away from you anymore.”
94. “I bet I can make you scream my name.”
95. “There’s no going back if we do this.”
96. “I never thought you’d hurt me but I was wrong. You hurt me the most.”
97. “I want you and I know you want me too.”
98. “I can’t watch you with someone else. It’s tearing me apart.”
99. “We’re in an abandoned lodge in the middle of nowhere. Sure, you’re totally right, nothing bad could ever happen here.”
100. A quote of your choice.
- collection of all my Fairy Tail writings
Also, please follow me through my other socials to be updated.
➘ AO3 | FFNET
Prompts:
#54 - “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. That’s the problem.”
#61 - “I love you. I am completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married…”
#88 - “Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married…”
“You’ve done the unthinkable, you know. You’ve made me fall in love.”
#06 - “No touching, no kissing, nothing. I will do with you as I please.” Part ONE; Part TWO
Non-prompts:
1. Gray-sama, hide!
2. 4th of July
3. Wedding Blues (& it’s not even Juvia’s)
4. Gray’s Greatest Possession
5. He’s Not My Dad
6. It Won’t Hurt (PAINtball Series)
7. What is Love?
8. Jealous Gray & Juvia Doesn’t Know
9. Gruvia Day (09.10.20) I Kissed a Girl
10. Juvia Day (06.03.23) Hare Hare
Gruvia Week:
1. 2016: Day i. Memory; ii. Eyes; iii. Family; iv. Vacation; v. Sounds; vi. Fear ½; 2/2;
2. 2018: Day i. Home; ii. Alluring; iii. Perverse; iv. Sugar; v. Possessed; vi. Failure; vii. Euphoria
Multi-chapter:
1. She’s In Your Court (On-going) - All Chapters; For taglist
2. The Art of Falling (On-going) - All Chapters; For taglist
Non-prompts:
1. I’m Home Baby R18 - Parts: ONE; TWO; THREE
2. Sore Loser (PAINtball Series)
3. The Night of the Giving Head (Rated M)
4. On Top of Who?
5. Miraxus Day (11.08.20) Family is family.
Rare Pair Week
1. 2020:
i. Firsts (Erza x Juvia); ii. Distance (Mira x Erza); iii. Present (Lyon x Juvia); iv. Longing (Rogue x Minerva); v. Opposites (Natsu x Juvia); vi. Fantasy (Rogue x Minerva); vii. Future (Natsu x Juvia)
Others:
1. Navia Week Day 1 Promises (Natsu x Juvia)
2. Stand By Me - Be-Dazzled Series: The Huntress (Natsu x Juvia)
3. Anon Request - “Apparently all our friends have a bet…” (Freed x Laxus)
- will include the rest of my Armada
1. Kissing Prompt #11 when one stops the kiss to whisper…
2. A Thread-Thin Line (Canon Divergence)
Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser
June 3, 2023
Posted: June 30, 2023
Writer’s Corner: Before June ends, I'd like to share this something I came up with for Juvia Day. A little bit late but I heard we are experiencing some Gruvia drought, so here's me trying... Enjoy!
P.S. thank you for the correction regarding Keyes/Keith, @groovyah!!!
HAPPY JUVIA DAY!
All rights reserve to Hiro Mashima, original creator.
Masterlist
---
How long has it been since Gray had been dragging his feet along the rough road? He stopped caring two towns ago. All that thinking only made the road grow wider. So, he decided it was better to keep his mouth shut behind the redhead leading their journey. All Gray wanted was just a little bit of information about the next dragon god they are trying to seal away. Was that too much to ask? He’d really like to put some timeline into this journey because, if he was being honest, Gray was not getting any younger and there were some things he wanted to do after this quest. But if he was really, really, being honest, he kinda, sorta looking forward to seeing a certain someone.
“Oh, this looks familiar.” It was Lucy who first noticed.
How she kept that cheery spirit in her voice was beyond Gray.
But, true enough, Gray was greeted by a familiar intersection, marked by shabby and wooden signage. He’d seen it far too many times not to recognize the arrow pointing to home – Magnolia.
Magnolia.
Fairytail.
Home.
That’s how that thought always flowed. Fairytail has always been home. Lately, however, his thoughts ended on something else.
Fairytail.
Home.
Juvia.
He wasn’t sure when it started. When she became the end of that train of thought. All he knew was when he thought of home, the picture of her blue waves, sparkling eyes, welcoming smile, and soft voice that called out to him lovingly, started to stake a claim on his consciousness.
Gray-sama, welcome home.
“It’s been a while since the last time.”
The Requip mage suggested they regroup at the guild and return to their journey after gathering some intel. Besides, they all needed to recuperate and deserved to have fun after the draining fight at the Labyrinth.
“Alright!” Exclaimed the fire-dragon slayer. “Let’s meet everyone!”
The anticipation brought some energy back to the travel party. So much so that they all agreed on how they looked forward to seeing their guild members. In Gray’s case, there was one particular member whose picture slowly and clearly appeared in his mind.
Gray-sama!
He probably didn’t notice it himself but the thought of seeing Juvia had its wicked way to arc the line of Gray’s lips.
...
The guild was rowdy as ever but the chaos brought in by Team Natsu, with two other dragon-slayers in tow, was most welcomed. They greeted each other with the excitement of an unexpected reunion. Yet amidst that chaos, Gray was able to cut through the cacophony of crazy and made his way to where his thoughts had lain lately – Juvia Lockser. Before he could take a step further, the water-mage was already walking toward him.
“Oh! My! Gray! Samaaaaaa!” Her every step was accentuated by her sweet greeting.
Juvia tackled him to the ground with the sheer force of her embrace. Then she said something, something about thinking so much of Gray that she had physically turned into him.
“That makes no sense!” He barked without thinking.
They were always like this. She’d say something ridiculous and he’d react like Juvia’s thinking was outside the realm of logic. He was so used to the crazy that his responses had become automated. But it’s not that she always said something impossible. His consciousness would like to correct him, however, when he suddenly remembered the fight he had with Sai.
Love Bond
His tone quickly dropped as the memory hit him like an arrow.
I transmuted your “bond”…
“No… it was that…” Gray avoided Juvia’s expectant gaze, scratching the back of his head thinking it might somehow redirect her attention away from his face.
“Could it be that you took on Juvia’s form as well?”
with the woman you’re in love with.
He didn’t want Juvia to see him fight this sudden rush of heat. So, he played it cool, like always.
“Well, it’s just…”
While he was thinking of a way to properly formulate his answer, so that she wouldn’t twist it into something out of this world, the alchemist’s words kept repeating in his head, louder by the minute.
the woman you’re in love with
Cornered, Gray mustered enough courage to take a peep at the water-mage, who was beaming at him with the smile that seemed forever imprinted on Gray’s mind. She looked like she wasn’t really waiting for an answer, content in just making conversation. That gave Gray some space to breathe. He wasn’t really sure how to explain to Juvia what the love bond alchemy was without confessing–confusing! without confusing her. But come to think of it, Juvia’s theory about why she turned into Gray that day wasn’t too far from possible.
As if sensing his intention, Juvia quickly dropped the subject. He led Gray towards the table where Natsu was already starting some commotion. The ice-mage didn’t need an invitation to join that circus. He effortlessly merged into the chaos – an old habit. Juvia was more than happy to stay out of the riotous entanglement. Glad on simply hollering for him at the sidelines – her old and still most favorite hobby. It shouldn’t come as a surprise how easily they both fell into the usual.
Gray ought to laugh at himself though. He should have realized it by now; Juvia was so attuned to his feelings that he didn’t even have to say it. Juvia just knew. She already knew.
The snow fairy toys with the women sleeping in the depths of your heart.
Gray-sama…
...
The reunion at the guild wrapped up in a tangled mess of passed-out drunks and beaten-up sobers. Good thing Gray still had full control of his faculties, and so did Juvia. He had the mindfulness of being sober enough to walk Juvia home; finally getting some alone time with her.
The walk to Fairy Hills was, in fact, far but seemed too short to recount all of Gray’s stories of his travels. He wasn’t the talkative type. Actually, he’d much rather let his fists talk than his mouth. But they’ve spent so much time apart that there were a lot of funny and incredible moments worth sharing. As Gray retold his stories, Juvia filled all the spaces with small reactions, going through the entire spectrum of emotions. When he ran out of things to say, he’d notice the few changes his absence did to Juvia – like how her hair grew a bit longer. Her bangs started to level to her eyes and framed her face a bit differently than he remembered. There was something about her, something he couldn’t pinpoint exactly. In the way she walked or spoke, it felt as if she matured in his absence. Has she grown taller? Her clothes, he noticed, were becoming tight around some areas of her body – he scolded himself at the last one because it brought back the memory of Juvina-sama stripping naked in front of him.
“You don’t look all right, Gray-sama. Is something wrong?”
Gray had to push that memory to the farthest back of his mind. He knew, even if Juvina was a spitting image of Juvia, the water-mage would never forgive her for flashing Gray. She would hunt the poor celebrity down.
Imagining what Juvia would do to her, Gray actually felt bad for Juvina-sama.
“N-nothing.”
When they reached the front of the female dormitory, Gray felt a tug of disappointment. An anxious nag that he was leaving something important. It wasn’t too big a feeling but enough to recognize what it was. And with it came another, one that told him he couldn’t wait to see her again or made him wonder when the next time would be. Team Natsu was planning to travel to Gazania and visit Sabertooth’s comprehensive library for some information. It would take Erza one more day to gather all the essentials for the long trip. After that, he wasn’t too sure when would be able to see Juvia again. The thought pushed Gray to resolve his feelings and decide to see her again if her schedule would allow it.
“Juvia, are you free tomorrow?”
“Juvia will make herself free!”
Gray panicked at Juvia’s sudden change of demeanor. And here he was, feeling regretful that she had actually matured in his absence, that maybe she’d changed into someone he wouldn’t recognize. And while it wasn’t all too new and surprising, Gray still wasn’t okay with the fact that Juvia would abandon everything for his sake.
He didn’t deserve it.
“No, I only meant…” it wasn’t like he didn’t like it, “if you’re… coincidentally if you don’t have anything to do, y’know.” It just felt like he was asking too much from her if she had to rearrange her day to accommodate him.
“Juvia can get out of anything to spend time with Gray-sama.” Seeing how her enthusiasm put Gray in an awkward position, Juvia clarified, “Since, Gray-sama will be gone for a long time again.”
“That’s…” Guilt clawed at Gray and he would have let it gnaw at him if it wasn’t for Juvia’s gentle smile and understanding gaze. So, he expelled a sigh of complete resignation. He was allowed to be selfish sometimes, wasn’t he?
“Alright, then. Let’s go out tomorrow.”
“D-d-date?!”
Gray could easily predict what would happen – and that’s carrying Juvia into the dormitory, bridal style, and explaining to the agitated swordswoman why exactly was Juvia mumbling ‘gray-sama, juvia, first date’ in a trance.
...
Gray wasn’t particularly nervous about today. He had everything in order. He wasn't a planner. Gray was the kind that lived life day by day. Went with the flow. Sailed with the tides. Nevertheless, he had a general idea of how this day would go down. He already had the checklist in his head, mentally ticking off the boxes per accomplishment.
Ask Juvia on a dat-HANG OUT. Ask Juvia to hang out while he was still in town – mentally crossed off the list. Although he initially planned on picking her up at Fairy Hills, his indiscretion the night before led him to be banned from hanging around the all-girls dormitory. While his unconscious stripping was nothing new to the Fairy Tail girls, Erza still felt the need to discipline his public exhibition. Hence, the 2-year ban. So, the two agreed to meet each other at the guild.
Gray caught himself stripping midway to the guild. He quickly ran back to find his abandoned coat and slipped back into it.
“That was close!” He exclaimed. He, at least, wanted to meet Juvia on their date HANG OUT decent.
He couldn’t help it though; the sun was unusually bright today. He shielded his eyes and quickly regretted daring to stare directly up at the sun. But he was glad. The weather was fine. More than fine actually, suitable for today’s destination – the amusement park. News about a newly opened amusement park reached beyond the borders of Magnolia. He heard about the opening while traveling back and he was curious to see it since then. He could already imagine trying all the fun rides the park boasted, adding a small bounce on his steps.
He turned the corner and jumped back. He wasn’t expecting Juvia to be so early. He, at least, wanted to be the one waiting for her but the water mage was already standing under the shade of Bake Bake Shop's awning. What really surprised Gray, making his breath hitch in his throat, was that Juvia looked different. She wasn't wearing her usual clothes. Instead, Juvia opted for a flowy skirt shorter than the one she commonly used. She paired it up with a strapless top and some high boots and completed her look with a brown puffy bonnet atop her head. Juvia had never looked this casual and c-c-cute…
He wondered how long she had been standing there. And, how long has she been fending off those losers walking up to her and trying to strike up a conversation?
His astonished eyes quickly gloomed.
But Gray had nothing to worry about. He, himself, said it, Juvia was one of the strongest mages of Fairy Tail. She defeated Keith/Keyes, one of the Demon Gates. And there was no question Juvia could have ended Invel too, a Spriggan 12. The water mage was a force to be reckoned with. He didn’t need to worry for her safety, though he was allowed to, and let himself do so every now and then. He didn’t need to worry about other men hanging around the watermage; for Juvia only had eyes for her Gray-sama.
“Sorry. Juvia is waiting for her Gray-sama.”
Gray had only seen that void in Juvia’s eyes on a few occasions. When she was still a member of Phantom Lord. When she was still the rain woman, her eyes were filled with a pointed gloom of disinterest – in life and in other people’s business. It vanished when she became part of Fairytail and when he came into her life. Sometimes, he’d entertain the illusion that he was the one who brought those sparks into her lovely blue eyes. She claimed that he did but that was too grand an illusion. So, for now, he’d settle for being the center of those ocean eyes.
“Gray-sama!”
There! There it was the brightest glimmer in her round orbs. As sparkly as the ocean being kissed by the sun. They shone because and for Gray – only for him.
Gray met her half way, approaching Juvia who scampered towards him. He waited for the tackle, like she always did when they saw each other, and if he was being honest, he wouldn’t mind it. Only to show those losers why they shouldn’t be approaching the water mage. But she settled on just beaming at him in her cute ensemble; the short skirt swaying along as she moved.
“Where is Gray-sama taking Juvia?”
He answered her smile with his cool, pompous grin. Well, he wasn’t being cocky at Juvia. Gray just wanted to show those bastards.
“You’ll see.”
Oh, if only the bastards could see Gray now, his cool, cocky grin trembling at the sight of the sign plastered at the gate – CLOSED FOR RENOVATION.
"I-I… I should have ch-ch-checked yesterday." He lamented.
AMUSEMENT PARK DATE HANG OUT - X
Juvia, who was hiding an amused smile behind one hand, was not at all disappointed. She was just happy to be spending time with Gray, just the two of them. Juvia couldn’t ask for more.
"It's alright, Gray-sama." Juvia placed a consoling hand on Gray's shoulder. "Juvia doesn't mind just walking around."
Gray turned a heel, letting Juvia push him back to the road where they came from, as he kept mumbling a dejected 'no'. Now, he was the one in a daze. Because, what a major bullcrap that was; he was really looking forward to trying the rides all day.
Juvia started a conversation to keep him from sulking. He noticed, however, that she kept fidgeting beside him. She was playing with her fingers, unsure where to keep her hand between them. Gray didn't notice himself already staring at it, at Juvia's hand. Then, he started to become conscious of his own kept inside his pants pocket. There was something off about just keeping his hands in there, which he found strange because he never noticed anything wrong about it before. So, to redress this unsettling feeling, Gray pulled one hand out of his pocket and, as he was about to reach out and seek Juvia's, something swooped in between and knocked them apart.
Of course, he had to check first if Juvia was okay before he screamed at the bastard who slipped in between them.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Sorry, mister!"
It was a kid who looked no older than Greige from Edolas.
Greige.
A mental picture of his and Juvia’s child, his cute little face and aloof eyes, tugged a string in his heart.
"Storm-chan, please wait for onii-chan!"
A young man apologized to the two mages, bowing his head so desperately that Gray thought he was going to break his back. Then, grabbed the kid and went along. He seemed troubled by his little brother but now that he carried the child in his arms, onii-chan seemed unbothered by it. They laughed together as they went their way. That’s when Gray noticed the colorful donut floater the young man had circled around his arm.
The brothers were headed to the beach.
That seems like a good idea, Gray thought.
Hit with excitement knowing today may not be a waste after all, Gray grabbed Juvia’s hand, leading her in the race to the nearest beach in town. Juvia was more than happy to be dragged along by him. How could she not when Gray never let go of her hand the entire train ride? Even when he seemed to have finally noticed it because he turned his face away and spewed something about holding hands being a normal thing.
Finally, something right was happening.
or so they thought.
Now, Gray's mood wasn't the only thing dampened by the depressing turn of events, forcing the two to find shelter from the sudden downpour. They were both soaking wet.
Way to rain on Gray's parade, quite literally.
Gray scowled at the curtain of water holding them hostage under some makeshift shed. He pushed out his hand, his palm testing the stream spilling over the roof. By doing so, he’d be able to tell if the rain was about to stop and if they could still salvage whatever remained of their day. With the strength of the rainfall, it wasn’t anytime soon. He hissed.
"This isn't Juvia's doing."
Gray, surprised at the confession, turned to Juvia with a confused look. Of course, this gloomy weather wasn't because of Juvia. His face contorted into utter confusion. How could she even assume that idea ever crossed Gray's mind?
The old Gray, the one who didn't fully understand her, would have scolded her for even entertaining those thoughts. But that version of himself was long gone now. This new Gray understood Juvia at her very core.
"I know." Was all he said, offering the sulking water mage a soft smile, one that said he would never think that. Not in a hundred years.
Because Gray-sama was the one who stopped Juvia's rain.
"Know what, to hell with this." He grabbed Juvia by the hand and pulled her out into the pouring rain. "Who says we can't have fun, eh?"
Soaking wet, the two crazy teenagers, as the onlookers anointed them, sprinted to the beach, unafraid of the strong waves hitting the shore; the sheer force of it dragged Gray and Juvia as it pulled back. They played so carelessly, splashing each other or pushing one another into the water. Then they'd share childish giggles at how silly they might have seemed. They walked on the coastal lane too, feeling the wet sand on the flat of their feet, lumps sticking between the toes.
Gray would remember something stupid Natsu said or did, or an embarrassing episode happening to Lucy. He remembered that one time when he took the last stick of grilled squid, which was meant for Erza, and thought he was going to finally meet his end. Fear crossed Juvia’s face who was absorbed with the story. Knowing the Requip Mage, Gray’s apprehensions weren’t unfounded.
Juvia would recount a few of her own stories too; telling him she went on a job with Lisanna where they had to wear funny costumes. She was a tree and Lisanna was a mountain. Gray almost broke his back laughing.
When Gray's stomach started to protest, he had the bright idea of dining al fresco. Well, they really had no other choice. No restaurant owner in their right mind would let a drenched couple dine inside. So, they settled on a small coffee table and took a shed under its large umbrella. Gray had no problem ordering shaved ice despite that weather. As much as Juvia wanted to share with him, she wouldn't survive a combination of wet clothes, rainy weather, and cold dessert. A cup of hot cocoa was the far better choice.
Juvia took a sip, the hot sweet liquid sliding from her throat and down to her stomach, warming up her insides. The water mage let out a satisfied sigh as she watched Gray, who was sitting opposite her, gulp down ice. They sat in silence, calmed by the sound of rain pelting on top of the striped parasol. While she immensely did enjoy chatty Gray, Juvia equally loved moments like this when they could just be comfortable around each other's presence. It gave her time to take notice of a few changes in Gray. He seemed to have lost some weight. She asked if he was eating all right. He said he was but all the walking and fighting burned a few pounds off of him. Juvia promised to make him a bento when she sees him off tomorrow. She said it so casually as if preparing him lunch was expected of her. Gray smiled at that, just a sober slant of the lips, and told her he’d hold her to that promise. But quickly reminded her not to give it when Natsu’s around.
“I don’t want Flamebrain to steal it or somethin’.”
They fell in total but welcomed silence again, so they could listen to the faint sound of rain hitting the umbrella. It sounded like the rain was about to end soon. Lamentably, Gray and Juvia’s time might be ending soon too. Juvia let out another sigh, this time, a bit wistful.
“What’s wrong, Juvia?”
Gray’s face was contorted into worry.
“Nothing.” She pouted. “Juvia will just miss Gray-sama.”
Imagining the days she has to spend without the presence of Gray, Juvia couldn’t help but whine, slumping herself across the table at the sullen realization that Gray-sama will be so far away again. At the other end of the world even!
She snapped back up when warmth enclosed her hand. Her heart skipped a beat when she confirmed that it was Gray’s hand gently placed over hers. She stared at Gray, who returned the look with equal guilt and plea. His eyes, softened by his silent request, gave her an assurance that he wouldn’t be long. There was promise in them that whatever happens, he’ll find his way home – to her.
Juvia didn’t even have to hear him say it. She knew. She could see it in the way he softly looked into her eyes and gently squeezed her hand. Gray had conveyed his feelings through these simple gestures far better than his words ever could. And they reached Juvia, loud and clear.
I will be back.
Juvia will wait for you, Gray-sama.
Gray opened his mouth to say something but he quickly noticed the rain retreating. He withdrew from her gaze only to confirm this suspicion. Just like the way he tested the strength of the downpour earlier, Gray extended his free hand outside the roof of the umbrella. All the while, not loosening his hold on Juvia’s hand now enclosed in his.
Totally unnecessary but very much appreciated.
“Looks like it stopped raining.”
The realization widened both their eyes; a rapturous glimmer reflected in both. As if reading each other’s minds, Gray and Juvia cheered in unison, “Let’s try wave surfing!”
The hold on each other’s arm had become so permanent that wherever they went, none of them ever let go.
Even when the two of them were brought in at the police station for indecent exposure. Because Gray and Juvia were so excited to ride the waves, now that the sun had peaked through the clouds and the weather finally agreed with them, they both unconsciously stripped down and walked around in public in their intimates.
It didn’t come as a surprise for Gray since he’d been down the station on more than one occasion, all for the same reason. He was embarrassed though, for causing Juvia to spend the night in jail on their last night together.
“Juvia doesn’t mind, Gray-sama!”
The culprit for his current state – his face turning beet red – clung to him despite the warnings from the watch guard. The heat from, he wasn’t sure if it was because of getting in jail, their intimate position together inside the very small space, or maybe both, was making him nauseous.
What tipped the scale, though, was having Erza Scarlet march down the police station to bail them both out. And the Requip Mage did not look happy. In fact, she was so mad about having to wake up in the middle of her beauty rest and come down the station that she added another year to Gray’s ban from ever setting foot at Fairy Hills.
And for Juvia, to endure a year of curfew.
“As if it’s not punishment enough for Juvia not being able to see Gray-sama in the middle of the 100 year quest.” Juvia mumbled under her breath as she miserably followed Erza home.
“You were saying somethin’?”
Juvia was one of the strongest mages of one of the strongest guilds in Fiore. She was not afraid of anything, except for that murderous glint in Erza’s brown eyes that made her feel weak, small and breakable all at the same time.
“N-not-nothing, Erza-san.”
...
As promised, Juvia brought Gray a bento lunch she woke up so early to make. They met separately ahead of the others so that, as Gray requested, he could eat it in peace, away from the nosy fire dragon slayer who would have demanded a bite or two. They walked together to Team Natsu’s meeting point and Juvia wished them well on their journey to the Sabertooth guild. She sulked at Gray’s departure despite his assurances that he would be back, whatever it took. She suggested he give her a goodbye kiss so she wouldn’t miss him that much and aggravated the swordswoman for flirting too much in the open.
Juvia settled with just waving her beloved Gray goodbye, looking as their figures grew smaller and smaller by the distance. She didn’t know how long the quest would take her beloved away. But in those times that she missed him, in those hours that she’s alone and lonely, in those moments when her desire to see the ice-mage overwhelmed her, she had yesterday and today to think back to. This feeling today, the elated bliss lingering from having to spend the whole day with Gray, playing around and just having fun, without a care in the world.
In spite of the heavy rain.
Or maybe, because of it.
Gray not only took her rain away. Yesterday, he gave a whole different meaning to it.
#TAOF
Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser
Genre: Period Romance
Rating: T
Update: Monthly
Summary: Gray Fullbuster is a noble with a penchant for knowledge. One fateful encounter forces him to make a proposal to the last woman he expected to be engaged with - Juvia Lockser, a feisty, unconventional second daughter who refused a proposal of marriage from a man she barely knew and she considers the last person she’d ever wanted to be with, unwittingly challenging him to the quest of his life.
How can Lord Grayden Fullbuster make her fall in love with him?
Note: It bears noting that this fanfiction is the product of a request for a “Jane Austen” vibe.
TAGLIST: Comment or Reblog here
All Chapters:
I A Curious Beginning (JUNE 28, 2020)
II Love, an Abstract Concept (AUGUST 24, 2020)
III Consistency is Key (SEPTEMBER 29, 2020)
IV At the End of the Aisle (DECEMBER 24, 2020)
V A Woman Unlike Any Other (JUNE 11, 2023) *new
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Gajeel Redfox
Alternative Historical Universe
Genre: Old World Vibes, Period Romance
All Chapters: Click here | Taglist
Writer’s Corner: I AM RESURRECTED!
Masterlist
Juvia walked around the room, intentionally keeping herself at a good distance from the gentleman in the middle of it, intent on engaging in no conversation with him. In preference, she busied herself quietly reading titles as she passed them. She counted those she recognized, which was, by her account, not as many as she would have liked. Others were written in script foreign to her. Hence, Juvia found no benefit in picking up one and pretending to read it.
Gray kept repeating the one line he couldn’t seem to move past. Ever since Juvia entered the room, he could not keep his mind on the passage he was earnestly reading. All the while, throwing surreptitious glances at her moving figure. Juvia did the same, stealing curious glances at him.
All at once, it dawned on the lady how she never has paid the gentleman much attention. All she could afford him was stubborn inconsequence. Juvia looked but never did see. Believing his stern eyes were trained on his book, Juvia took the opportunity to really consider Mr. Fullbuster. She took inventory of his features: reserved eyes, tall nose, pronounced jawline – all seemed to make Mr. Fullbuster a figure of distinction. The noble air about him said so.
“You have a rare collection, do you not, Mr. Fullbuster?” She did not even allow him to answer when she continued, “my father would have collapsed at the sight of them.”
“Is he not with you?”
“No.” Finding no more interest in her walking about the room, Juvia turned to finally address the gentleman directly. “His presence is much more required in the field,” offered she. “My apologies.”
“None required.”
They fell in silence once again, that which seemed to have stretched on for too long but one that allowed Juvia a moment to reconsider the order of things. The gentleman had made his intention to ask her hand in marriage yet she refused on account of his misguided view of it. To Juvia’s mind, there was only one person deserving of much consequence – Eliana Lockser. Her sister’s predicament took precedence over all thoughts. Of what it would do to her sister’s renown once the news traveled over all of Magnolia. The repercussions would be immeasurable. Besides, had not the eldest Lockser taken a liking towards Mr. Fullbuster? She wondered, then, what it would take to persuade the gentleman to reconsider his feelings toward marrying Eliana instead. His unexpected words interrupted her thoughts but caught only the tail-end of his inquiry.
“Pardon?”
“Are you fond of books, Miss Juvia?”
“Not as much as my father.” Juvia quickly reconsidered her answer and belatedly realized it was not conveying her truth. “Actually, not at all.” A soft, almost inaudible, chuckle tumbled out her lips. “I would rather the outdoors. Be entertained by nature. They are more engaging than simply staring at letterings on parchment.” Therefore, she felt the need to correct herself much to her own surprise.
“I see.”
There was a contemplative silence again until Gray voiced a contention.
“But books can take you places. It may even allow you to see and experience another person’s life.”
“I’d rather live it than read of it.”
There was an archness in the manner she refuted. An impertinence in the curve of her smile. A teasing gleam in her round blue eyes that Gray found a bit so amusing that all the response he could muster was a gentle smile. There was a single thought that crossed the gentleman’s mind.
Miss Juvia was not like any other.
They reached an impasse and Juvia belatedly noticed how close she had gotten to him. She pulled herself away much too suddenly, bewildered by the sudden rush of self-awareness. She reproached herself for being callous. She must now be weary as she might find herself a bit too close the next time. Then, she berated her own for even entertaining the idea that there was another time. With caution, she kept him, or rather herself, at bay; and chose to change the subject. Juvia started to allude to her suggestion, that he redirect his affections to Miss Lockser, when something entirely else caught her attention.
“What are you reading?” asked she.
“I have been studying the ways of hunting as I have been told it is one of the many activities you find enjoyable.”
The illustration on the page interested Juvia much more than his response. She failed to notice how strange it was for Mr. Fullbuster to know about her preferences and why would he exert himself to know them.
“And you find a crossbow to be the best instrument for it?” Crossbows were an obsolete, and therefore rare, tool for hunting. “Since they discontinued production half a decade ago. Interesting.” She mused to herself.
“I have wanted to build one of my own and so, I’ve been studying–”
“–Have you any death wish?” By now Juvia had placed a hand on the back of the chair and leaned into the book that he was reading. Her utter shock at his foolish ambition had taken precedence above others, even her sister’s concern and all the more, her earlier resolution to stand as far away from him as was recommended.
“If you as much as commit any slightest error, this tool may break and only the good heavens can tell your future.”
Within this proximity, Gray sensed a faint floral scent from her, a detail that he mentally jotted down in his little journal. The task occupied him so that he missed the question imposed upon him by the lady.
“Are you listening, Mr. Fullbuster?” Her frown confirmed her displeasure and Gray had to apologize for his ill manner.
“How then do you propose I move forward?”
A sense of mischief pulled the corners of Juvia’s mouth. It made her rise behind the unknowing gentleman and stand in an exultant posture, with her palm flattened on the curve of her waist. It was the first time that Gray ever saw a Magnolian woman do so.
“This house is a century old, Mr. Fullbuster. I am certain it holds many a treasure long forgotten by time.”
For the short while that their paths crossed, this was the first that Gray was fully captivated by her blue eyes. Not only by its beauty but by the fire that was flamed to life, burning anew on her ocean orbs. For once, there was neither hostility nor dismissiveness they permanently held. There was, in its stead, one which his own mother’s beautiful eyes often lacked when there was a speak of adventure. Yet, no matter how much they intrigued him, it was out of Gray’s nature to seek even the slightest idea of danger.
“Miss Juvia, I do not believe that would be–“ Gray started so certain of himself. So confident in his judgment. Yet, before he could finish his sentence, he found the subject of his concern already awaiting him at the door, one foot outside of the frame, “–safe.”
“Come on, now, Mr. Fullbuster. Daylight is wasting.”
Thereafter, they found themselves standing in the large expanse of the mansion’s garden. To the left of which was an elaborate labyrinth that courted Juvia’s curiosity. She had not thought of exploring it much, as the task at hand required primacy. But she did pay it to mind, stemming from irritation, the fact that Gray had invited a staff of over ten to oversee their pursuit.
“Do you often require yourself with such a number of help, Mr. Fullbuster?”
To Juvia’s mind, an activity such as this required the presence of no more than two persons. She was not too fond of having that many eyes observing.
“I can send them away if that is more to your liking, Miss Juvia.”
One would have found it endearing, that a gentleman would consider a lady’s comfort over his own. To Juvia, however, it was irresponsible for Mr. Fullbuster to pass onto her a burden she, by no means, had any say. For what right did she have to dismiss Mr. Fullbuster’s employees whose presence was due to contractual obligation?
“I was merely making a conversation. Please do not mistake it as my being uncomfortable.”
She made an effort to keep the irritation out of her voice; for it was no place to lose one’s temper. She could already hear Mrs. Lockser’s ringing voice: Losing one’s temper is unbecoming of a proper lady.
Rather, she focused on beginning the experiment – a wiser choice than being irked by things so nonsensical. Juvia expelled a breath to regain some of her composure. At the sight of the decade-old crossbow, which Lord Silver Fullbuster assured them was of safe use, Juvia regained her sense; only for it to quickly dissipate with the gentleman’s lack of urgency. She found her patience was tested when, instead of aiming the tool toward a target, Mr. Fullbuster set it on the ground in favor of the book he brought with him.
Juvia wanted to relieve him of the hunting tool as it was meant to be used rather than be left lying uselessly on the ground. As the now impatient lady was about to do so, Gray picked it up again and studied the same as his eyes bounced between his book and the crossbow.
“I was often told, experience is the best teacher, Mr. Fullbuster.”
“I am only being cautious, Miss Juvia. This is not a tool we can simply toy with as–” his explanation was cut short as Gray felt the weight of the crossbow leaves his hand. “Miss Juvia!” cried he to no avail.
Juvia settled the stirrup on the flat of the ground and pulled the string with all her might until it latched on the catch with a securing click. She opened her palm towards the troubled Mr. Fullbuster, to receive the quarrel from him, whilst his words of caution were received with adamancy. The gentleman was left with no other choice but to surrender what she asked for.
Juvia expertly laid the shaft on its place, aimed its tip at the sky, and in a breath or two, pronounced, “Fire!” She pulled the trigger and then watched the tossed apple slump down the grassy ground; the tip of the quarrel stuck at dead center, as pronounced by the help.
Juvia exclaimed in triumph. She then turned to the gentleman whose widened eyes were struck in awe.
“I have to say, Mr. Fullbuster. I find it a surprise that a gentleman such as yourself would even consider holding a hunting tool, much more practicing it.”
“Since Miss Juvia is fond of hunting, I figured I ought to prepare myself if I wish to come and explore the woods with you one of these days.”
The confession had taken Juvia by surprise. She searched his dark eyes for humor or any telling that might suggest he was only trying to impress her without sincerity. Yet, that was all there was to it – Gray’s sincerity. Finally realizing the insinuation of his confession – that Mr. Fullbuster paid consequence to her interests – and without knowing it, his words stirred her stomach funny.
She recovered hastily, masking her surprise with a challenge. “Then, Mr. Fullbuster,” Juvia shoved the crossbow against his chest as gently as her whimsy allowed. “If you may, please indulge me with your crossbow prowess.”
It was in the way her eyes challenged him that a rush of want gripped his being. An urge to impress the lady despite his insufficient knowledge of operating a crossbow. As he struggled through the simple act of drawing the string and locking it in place, his sudden want gradually dispersed.
“Are you in need of some assistance?”
“No!” cried he, rather too rudely for his own taste. When he gathered himself and recovered from his ungenteel outburst, he apologized at once. “Your assistance is very much appreciated, Miss Juvia.”
Once Gray secured the drawstring, he continued, “I can manage even this simple tool.”
Finding it hilarious to toy with mortal feelings, as fate always does, the heavens withheld its concurrence with the earnest gentleman, with the drawstring snapping back to its original state.
Juvia had to fold her lips, restraining the giggles about to erupt. When she was sure she kept her laughs locked down, she ambled towards the struggling gentleman. Without warning, she placed her hand beneath his and the other around his shoulder. Juvia aided Gray in guiding the tip of the bow toward the sky, oblivious of the sudden intimacy between them. But Gray was made very much aware of the thin air separating them as her warm breath fanned directly at his exposed skin. There was a ringing in his ear when the lady spoke into his ear at a decibel above a whisper. Her voice was so tamed and so darling that his mind failed to comprehend the words they formed. As if that was not enough, Juvia moved even closer, her chest now pressed against the back of Gray’s shoulders. All the cells in his body concentrated on one sensation – panic at the inappropriate closeness between them. Gray unceremoniously flung the hunting tool on the ground; the arrow separated from the crossbow upon impact.
Mr. Fullbuster could not run away from the lady any faster.
“Have you not any concept of propriety between a man and a woman?”
The subject of his berating paid him no heed. His words fell on deaf ears whilst the lady picked the tools off the ground.
“How can I assist you properly when you are that far away?”
Keeping his composure was never an endeavor to Gray. Not once in his life did he had to feel out-governed by his own emotions. Yet, here he was, exerting himself from recovering from his shock. One that helped ease his bearing was to remind himself that Miss Juvia was a woman unlike any other. Her unintentional dismissal or utter disregard of societal norms was to her second nature. Cautiously, he approached the woman who offered him back the dropped device, still convinced that this unsanctioned civility between them was indecorous. This time, however, Miss Juvia kept her distance since, as she composed, he was very much afraid of her.
“I am not,” defended Gray. “I am not afraid of you.”
For some reason, be it societal expectations or basic instinct as pride, the need to recover from his earlier embarrassment was Gray’s utmost priority. Therefore, he mustered all focus to send an arrow into the sky and hit his target.
“Fire!” barked Gray as he pulled on the string with all his might, only for his arrow to fall short.
No one in that household dared to laugh. After an assurance from his teacher that the arrow will not grow feet to climb back up to his crossbow, Gray marched to pick it up. Despite the heat that took over his whole body, Gray reloaded the arrow into his crossbow, now desperate, more than ever, to pin the sweet apple on the ground.
He made a second command and the arrow did fly into the sky and went straight to the group of attendants that gathered in one corner. They dispersed immediately after a collective cry of surprise.
It was the second time Juvia had to suppress a laugh. At this point, she had to turn away to afford herself room for a chuckle. Juvia was not the only one having a splendid time. Up at the balcony, overlooking the green expanse, was Lord Silver Fullbuster joined by little Ur, overseeing the affair.
“I was not aware that Mrs. Lockser could go on and on about various kinds of ribbons.”
Lord Silver tore his eyes away from the interesting bout and addressed his wife.
“I should have been warned,” lamented she when their eyes met.
“Mrs. Lockser is an entertaining guest.”
Lady Mika distractedly agreed in silence for her attention was much more required at the alarming scene unfolding on her lawn.
“Isn’t that your Great Grandfather’s crossbow?”
Lord Silver Fullbuster purposely delayed his response, hoping that in doing so, her Ladyship would pass on the fact that her clueless son was trying to operate a dangerous and obsolete hunting contraption.
Yet Lady Fullbuster was not to be misdirected.
“Lord Silver?” asked she, voice laced with warning. She took Lord Silver’s continued silence as proof of her suspicion. “How can you even allow this unsupervised,” the Lady was livid so that her words and thinking had been all rambled, “experiment?”
The Lady had always been protective of her young heir. Despite their difference of opinion, Lord Silver Fullbuster acquiesced to the Lady’s free reign over his household, which not only included the management of the Mansion’s affairs but, principally, the rearing of their only child – his education and upbringing. Lady Mika saw to it that Gray was raised to be a proper gentleman, fitting of the stature of the heir to the Fullbuster Estate. Not a single person had made a more wonderful job than the Mistress of his household. Yet, worry came to visit his Lordship that his son might have been bounded in his world to actually live it.
“Rest your worries, my love.” Lord Fullbuster took his Lady’s hand to keep her from breaking the party below them. “Oftentimes, I find it rewarding to sail with the tide and make do of wherever life may take us.”
Lady Mika hummed in answer without paying much mind. Her guarded eyes were still trained on the figures in the middle of the clearing. Although the coaxing of Lord Fullbuster swayed her resolve a tad, the Lady of House Fullbuster was yet to be convinced of the woman teaching her son one of the most dangerous tools for hunting.
“I suppose so.”
His words seemed to have their weight on Lady Mika as she let her protest die in her throat. Above everyone else, the Lady of the house knew the rewards of this disposition, for without it she could have never afforded to stand next to her beloved.
I know it’s been ages! I wasn’t able to participate in Gruvia Week 2023 but hey, because I love and miss you all, I have a special entry for y’all! Stay tuned. be-dazzled is finally coming back! Hint: Temptation.
It was just something they did. When the guild was running slow and the redhead had just come back from a pretty long job, so she knew she wouln’t be leaving for a while. They would agree on a place, somewhere a bit sketchy but mostly hidden from curious but annoying sights, and meet up if the white-haired had managed to convince her fun-loving sister to cover for her.
If not, she would fit a disappoint call in her already very tight schedule, and the knight mage would only call it a night. Sometimes an armour-shining night, some other times a reading night with one of those books every girl in the dormitory knew she enjoyed.
But that night, someway, the demonic mage had managed to make it. And on time nonetheless, but not without a mysterious worrying frown on her face.
Even though Erza had immediadly caught that something was off, the turmoil in her stomach only got worse when the white-haired sat in front of her with three freshly-poured shots of tequila, and shot them down like rabbits before even glaring at her.
Nothing about this was good.
“Rough night ?” She tried a smile, sipping on her own glass and trying not to flinch under the clearly upset and murdering gaze of her friend.
“I think I may be pregnant.”
Oh shit.
There was a pause. A long silence that none of the two young women dared to break, only stared at each other. Like years of fighting and sparing hadn’t taught them never to expect yielding from the other. So, the redhead took it on her to be the first to talk.
“…How ?” She stuttered, very intelligent response indeed.
“Do I really need to explain the birds and bees to you ?” The white-haired barked back.
The redhead blushed, mostly from annoyance.
“I meant…” She put down her glass and glaired into the blue eyes that scanned her. “How do you know ?”
Mirajane got silent, just for a few seconds, but the knight mage caught the glimpse of anxiety in her pupils.
“I’m late.” She confessed.
She took a sip of orange juice this time, even if the redhead couldn’t tell when she had the time to order herself a drink.
“How late ?”
Silent again, like she was resisting it.
“About a… week…” She murmured, her voice shaking.
She sighed then, and took another sip, her hand shaking as her the liquid touched her lips.
“Well…” The redhead started, hesitation building up in her throat. “It’s not that bad.”
Silence again.
Erza took a very long sip of her almost empty cocktail, the one she only ordered on those special occasions. She wasn’t big about cocktails, but there was something about this one that was just the right amount of sweet and sour. But now, it felt a bit spoiled and inappropriate.
“I was once ten days late.” She finally responded, still not looking up.
The demon mage only raised an eyebrow. Erza wondered how she could be so unnerving sometimes, and so sweet at others, but she wasn’t going to give her the pleasure to continue.
“Really ?” Surprisingly, Mira spoke first. “Were you having sex ?”
Maybe she had deserved that one.
“I’m just saying…” She tried again, not really knowing why she kept going on. “You can be really late without having the slightest chance of being pregnant.”
“I’m on the pill.” She snapped. Blue orbs now shooting daggers. “I’m not supposed to be late.”
And silence once again, only covered by the usual ruckus of the bar.
“Just to be clear” The redhead started off once again, as she hadn’t been shot down enough, while the demon mage lifted her eyes to meet hers. “You thought you were pregnant, and your first reflex was to come here and drink ?”
She blushed and sighed, finishing her glass off for the fourth time that night.
“I don’t know…” She muttered. Not really sure what she wanted to say. “I’m probably not.” She sighed again. “But if I am, then it was my last chance before a little while…” She paused there. “And if I’m not… then I’m not.”
Erza finished her glass too before breaking the silence once again.
“Just to be more clear…” Mira rolled her eyes before sitting back, half grinning at her friend’s behaviour. “If you are pregnant… you’re a hundred percent sure it’s Laxus’ ?”
She seemed offended then.
“I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes again, but this time with that sarcastic tone of hers. “It could still be God’s.”
.
She knew it would be difficult. No matter how much she had prepared herself for the pain. She thought it would only take an hour. But instead the blood had been shedding in her bathroom through already severals. She took a tissue and proceeded to wipe the tears off her cheeks, before sobbing and flushing it down the toilet, along with the bloody water.
She thought she could handle it.
Only two months after her eighteenth birthday, and that was how her adult life was supposed to begin.
The pregnancy, she had only found out about ten days earlier. She had taken the appointment to get rid of it about a week after that.
She was in no position to have a baby, especially alone. Her salary was too slow. She loved working for the guild, she even helped the master these days. It was all so different from before, but so relaxing, so calm. She liked opening every day and greeting people as they arrived or left in search of some adventure. She felt useful. Like after all these years, she had finally found a place to stand still for a bit.
She couldn’t support a child though.
The master had warned her, that the guild could not afford to pay her even remotely close to her former S-class income. She hadn’t minded at the time. Her house was already paid in full, and her brother now made a decent living for himself, even combined with her small salary, it would be enough for the two of them. Now that they didn’t have a third to take care of.
Not that she wouldn’t have kept it that way if she could have.
She didn’t feel ready for a baby either. Too young, too emotionally unstable to handle the pressure. Not that she could ask the father for help.
She withered as another wave of cramps shot through her abdomen. She grabbed the bathtub for support this time, as the blood fell again below her. And as each time, she grasped a tissue to wipe her face with it. She hadn’t meant for it to happen like that. That wasn’t what she had signed up for. She had everything planned out, the appointment taken and some lame excuse to give the guild, as well as enough tissues for a fake flue.
It felt like shit.
She had been dating a guy for quite some time. He was nice. The kind to hold your hand until the very last steps to your front door. The kind to warm up your hands in the cold. She did like him. He was funny, and serious, and kind. Even the sex was nice.
After all, she was supposed to be nice too now.
But something felt off. Boring.
She hated that feeling.
She hated herself. Especially when she couldn’t help but call some other guy once she got home. Some sketchy guy. Messed up. Too unfaithful to even hope for some sort of commitment. Too unreliable to even tell the truth.
She felt awful.
She felt as awful as the day she had made the appointment. She knew she wanted kids, but not like that. Never like that. At least it was her choice. Or it was supposed to be, if nature hadn’t decided to be quicker and get rid of it before she could even get to her final appointment. At least it would be over soon.
Soon, she would go back to her life as if nothing happened, without telling anyone, she would stand alone in this. If only it could have been her choice to make.
She felt even more awful than when the test had turned positive, and she realized she had no idea which one to blame, or ask money to.
She hadn’t. She wouldn’t. She would do this alone.
If only she could stop crying as it happened.
.
She had grabbed two on her way home. Just after getting rid of Erza, who was making her way back to the dormitory as she thought. She had waltzed into one of those dubious little convenience stores that stayed open every hour of the night, grabbed two tests and delicately deposited them on the counter. Or smashed them. One or the other. But the one that had startled the half-sleeping clerk across it.
She tried not to fidget too much as he scanned them. To not betray her axiety and the slow realisation that this was really happening. And she really needed to calm herself. Or at least until she was out of sight because she was this close to traumatising the poor guy with her dishevelled hair and quite angry frown.
Maybe she should have transformed herself before entering the store. Maybe tomorrow, all the front lines of every gossip magazine would be covered with her last purchases, the news spread out in front of her brother, and her sister, and the master. Blatant for every guild member to see, for him to see.
The horror.
Her nerves were now aching from the urge to grab them and flee to the last possible place they could ever find her. To the end of the world, or maybe an illegal cock fight arena.
She didn’t run though.
It took all the remaining energy from her not to slam the door behind her as she entered her quiet house. Maybe she should wait, wait until she knew, wait until her mind was just a little bit clearer and rested. Until she knew what she wanted to do with it. What he wanted to do with it.
So she didn’t take it.
She went to work as usual. Well, a lot more hungover than usual. She braved the excruciating sun shining quite strongly for the beginning of February, and started running her errands as naturally as possible, only giving Erza some nervous looks and carefully avoiding her when she tried to spark up the conversation. Carefully avoiding anyone really. Which was not very difficult with the amount of paperwork she had accumulated over the past few weeks.
Until she fell asleep on the master’s desk.
He had woken her up. Only worried that she hadn’t shown up into the main hall for some hours already, joking about her incredible skills to be able to fall asleep in all the ruckus her guildmates caused. She only smiled, trying to recollect her thoughts, absentmindedly going through the papers and checking if she didn’t get some ink stain on her cheek. To which the master only laughed.
“Went a little too strong on the cocktails last time, did you ?”
She blushed and smiled a bit shyly, uncharacteristicly. He must have picked up on it because he only frowned with those eyebrows so genetically strong she had already come to terms with the fact, that if this baby really existed, then it was definitely going to come out with those.
She chuckled alone, as the master inspected her face for any more clues.
“Is everything alright with you, dear ?” He asked then. Amused and concerned with the woman’s unusual behavior.
That was what he called her. Because that was what she was. Very dear to him. Sometimes darling too. Sometimes also a child. Because she was. A dear darling child. As if he didn’t have enough of those.
She shaked her head. Mischieviously smiling and going right back to the paperwork she had left hanging. He didn’t let it go though, only sat in front of her (or wheeled there, as he didn’t go out of his chair much now), and went through some of the paperwork himself, without forgetting to send her some worried glances every now and then. It was annoying to say the least. But she knew better than being unsettled. Simply went back to her task, ignoring the ticking clock reminding her of how much time she had wasted with her nap, if she wanted to go home before two in the morning.
He didn’t seem to be bothered nonetheless, only sighed in desperation as he read the pile of complains and bills for reparations he had to answer. Clunching those eyebrows of his like he wanted them to form an alliance to help him cope, also taking large sips of his beer to help smooth the process. She wondered how many more of these quiet times she would get with him. He was old as they get after all, and with his alcohol and smoking and chronic heart disease, it was truly a miracle he wasn’t already deep down in his grave.
He probably wouldn’t even get to meet her own children if she had any. Except maybe the one she might be having right now. If she was. Truly. Pregnant.
And it just hit her.
Would he be angry at her ? Or happy ? Or disappointed ? Would he blame her ? Would he hold her responsible for trapping his only grandson, which was more like a son really, into an unplanned and very unexpected pregnancy and child ? It wasn’t like she could have done any more to prevent it. Let alone plan it to trap anyone, and even less Mr. Daddy Issues into this whole process. True, she was the one that had decided to go on birth control. True, she was the one that had insisted it was safe to drop the whole condom thing, since they were not supposed to sleep around each other anymore.
Oh Mavis, what if he really thought she had planned this ?
What if he blamed her for sleeping with his grandson for months and hiding the whole thing from anyone ? What if he thought she didn’t want anyone to know because she was ashamed of him, or thought she was being used by him and had to trap him to get some kind of commitment. What if he chose to leave her, and not only was the master going to think that she was trying to force him into a relationship, but also that she was so annoying he couldn’t find it in him to love her even with a baby on the way.
She glanced at him then, alarmed and clearly panicking, to which the master immediately frown, as if he hadn’t been waiting for her to utter a word since he joined her in the office. She looked down, almost as soon as her eyes had caught his, and she felt herself heating up, and getting all flustered by the weight of his stare on her red cheeks. What if he already knew about everything and she was only digging her grave deeper the more she made him wait for the truth.
That was it. She slammed the papers in front of her before standing up. She needed to walk. That or continue getting more and more paranoid the longer she stayed here.
She needed to stride. She needed to run after some drunk who forgot to pay his bill before leaving. Not that she ever thought she would say this, even in her mind, let alone mean it. It would clear her head from all the stress, and she would just take the damn test tonight and be done with this. Maybe she would even get her period on the way home. Hopefully.
If only she hadn’t come face to face with him as soon as she had opened the door.
Damn him and his habit of sneaking in on her every goddamn time she was expecting it the less.
She suddenly wished she hadn’t left her seat in such a hurry because she almost crashed into him and had to grab the door to avoid it as he watched her, looking startled with his goddamn eyebrows that followed her everywhere.
She blushed even harder, because she hated being taken by surprise, she hated being flustered and not in control of her face and breath. She hated being caught in a moment of anxiety, especially by him and his goddamn grandfather that stared at her, frowning even harder at her despair to the point that it was getting ridiculous.
She only muttered some kind of excuse, barely making any sound as she flashed right in front of him in the hope that it would erase the whole situation from her memory, pretending like she didn’t feel his gaze on her back while she almost ran down the stairs, probably wondering why she wouldn’t even look at him when he had been away for weeks. As if she hadn’t missed him at all.
She didn’t remember the rest much. She felt absent, taking care of the bar like a robot, smiling mechanically hoping no one would remark her state and ask questions, because her mind was way too full to come up with some clever lie right now. Contemplating how stupid she had been by not taking that test the night before, as if it was better to fidget in anxiety wondering if her life had finally taken that fondamental turn so early, and in such poor conditions.
She thought about taking it in the bathroom. She could take a quick break and be done with it. The test was in her bag, waiting for her in the barmaid changing room. Not that they changed a lot, but used it more to keep their things during the day. But what if someone caught her in the bathroom while she was waiting for the results, or worse, what if Lisanna had already found the test in her bag ? How idiotic did she have to be to think it would be a good idea to bring this thing here ?
She didn’t know if the stress could affect the baby so early in the pregnancy, but the self-flagellation certainly couldn’t help.
She needed to get out of here.
So she did, grabbed her bag and coat ignoring the protests and whines of her sister who expected to get the night off as she had already covered for her the night before, only sighing in resignation when her older sister muttered something about a terrible headache and probably a cold too, before heading out without waiting to get any response from her. She could be so annoying sometimes.
She had pratically run home. Slammed the door as hard as she had wanted too just a few hours before and ran up the stairs to lock herself in the bathroom. Her brother was training until nightfall and wouldn’t be back for a few more hours. He did that often when he wasn’t on a job, still hoping, with reason, to get a second chance at getting an S-class title soon. It was almost endearing, how hard he wanted it for himself, even if they didn’t have any money problems anymore.
But they would, if that test was positive, then the small salary she made as a waitress certainly wouldn’t be enough to raise a baby. Only if Laxus didn’t give her anything for it. But he would, right ? He would never leave her to raise his kid alone without at least supporting her a little, if only financially. If he decided to leave her and not raise it with her.
Maybe she would even have to take jobs again. She certainly couldn’t ask her brother for money to feed her child. Could you even take jobs while pregnant ? Lots of them involved some fighting, and that couldn’t be good. Could she even take some after having it ? Who was going to take care of it while she was away ? How old was old enough to give it to her sister, or worse to the Thunder legion ? Because they certainly would want to be involved.
She had to gather herself as she took the test out, and hasted to get her trembling hands to unfold the instructions, before scanning them rapidly and throwing them aside when it didn’t seem that much different from the last time she had to take one.
She waited one, two, five, maybe ten minutes, nervously turning it over like it burned her hands to even touch it. And once it was clear that no line was forming, only then, she allowed herself to take a deep breath and get up to wash her hands. She would have to take one again in the morning, just to make sure. And one again tomorrow, and the week after if her period still hadn’t decided to come by then. Maybe even a doctor’s appointment. Maybe she would have to change her pill, maybe it was disturbing everything inside her. Hopefully.
She didn’t know how much time had passed. She felt she had been laid down on her bed since forever. The sun was already down in the sky. Finishing its course behind the city.
He was probably waiting for her. After all, she always came by the night of his return, especially after a pretty long job. And he always waited for her. Never had any plans, even when the Thunder Legion insisted he joined them for a drink to celebrate (happened every time really). He always waited, sometimes hours. Sometimes at the bar, sometimes at home when he craved a shower and then passed out on his couch until she showed up. Sometimes very late, only when all her chores would be finished, sometimes even later if Lisanna or Elfman stayed with her and she had to wait some extra minutes to sneak out once at home.
She didn’t know what time it was. Couldn’t be that late in the night for this time of year. But then, if she waited some more, one of her sibling would come home and she would have to wait even more before being able to leave. But if she left right now, there was still a chance he would still be at the guild, probably even waiting for her to come back, and she would have to wait in his staircase. And she hated waiting in that staircase.
She still left, because she needed to see him. Maybe not tell him about the whole pregnancy scare thing, but feel him at least, to feel less alone. Braving the fear of making the return alone if he wasn’t there.
He did not say anything when he saw her. Rose his eyebrows because it was incredibly early for her to show up with the guild still open. Just set himself aside to let her into his flat, fresh from his shower, smelling even more incredible than usual, if that was even possible. He was frowning though. Like he knew something was up, sometimes she feared he could read through her mind just by meeting her eyes, and sometimes he was so dense, she feared she would break her head by banging her head too hard on the table if she tried.
She didn’t give him anytime to speak. No time for questions, no time for lies.
Maybe she would tell him later, when her heart would have stop beating so hard, when her guts stopped aching and turning over inside her like they did. She saw that he was about to ask, about to inquire about her weird attitude and looks. About the cold way she had glanced at him before disappearing, like she didn’t feel the need to squeeze him as hard as she could, like it didn’t tear her apart to think about him not returning.
She kissed him to shut him up, grabbed his wrists and savoured the sweet surprise instant that left him defenseless as his back loudly banged against the door. Tongue thrusting into his, slowly searching for some kind of support, and claws scratching against the wood as she heard him grunt in protest for the relief of the poor furniture.
It never lasted long. Not even a few seconds before he grabbed her and it was her turn to bite his tongue in pain as her head hit the wall and she had to grab his hair to keep their teeth from banging into each other, because that would kill the mood, before making him plunge forward again, slowlier this time as her legs locked him closely against her and he freed his hands to push her dress back and explore once again the skin beneath it.
He felt her shiver from inside as she tried to keep the moans locked inside her throat when he quit her tongue for her neck and collarbone. It wasn’t her favourite part, but it was close to it. The way he slowed his hands and pressed against her breasts to feel her squeeze and squeak when she felt his hot breath against the sentivity of her skin, practically destroying the tissue when he uncovered her chest.
She didn’t have a voice anymore, overwhelmed and constantly called over by some annoying squeeze somewhere on her body as she tried to pull his head over to bring his mouth to hers. He liked to be controlling, didn’t like to let her have her way with him, he liked to grab her from everywhere until she lost all control over her own body and moved without shame. So irritating, especially when he smirked over her mouth because he knew she would be damned before telling him to stop.
“That excited to see me ?” He tried, smirking as he grabbed her butt cheeks even harder, just to make her squeal.
So she didn’t. She didn’t say anything when her head hit another wall and she had to gasp for air as he attacked her neck again, scratching the light skin with his fangs, way too long in comparison with his other teeth that she would find them weird and savage if it wasn’t so goddamn hot. Almost as hot as the grunts she got out of him when she grabbed his t-shirt and slid her hands along his back before grabbing even lower, thanking whoever was listening that it wasn’t one of his shirts, because those were way too long to take off and he would probably smack her for destroying almost all his shirts in the past few months. Or making her sew the buttons back one by one.
“Just fuck me.” She only responded when he grinned at her, just a few seconds before going for the second side of her neck. “And for the love of God… Shut up.”
He pushed her back against the wall before going again into her mouth, this time letting her toes touch the ground as he managed to undo the lacets of her corset and losened them in a single pull as she gasped on his tongue. He was rough, almost biting her tongue as she managed to undo his pants, slightly wondering how he would take it if she one day decided to put his big black belt that he always wore to good use.
She felt him slow down a bit on her lips and skin, grunting in her ear when she reached into his jeans and fully grabbed him. His eyes were closed as she wondered just how far he would let her go, she didn’t get to wonder for long though, because she soon felt his hands gently grab her thighs before welcoming the sweet feeling of the matress against her head as he stood on his knees to pass the t-shirt over his head and laid back again to grab her closer.
“Now, is that a nice thing to say, little demon ?” He smirked.
There was a pause, after he kissed her, after he grabbed her hips once again to pull her closer against his and make her feel exactly what kind of effect she had on him. After he nuzzled against her forehead, and she heard herself laugh before taking back his tongue against his and gently playing with his hair as he went on with pushing back her dress to pull her panties out of the way.
She felt him grin against her lips, or maybe smirk, not that it mattered when it both made him so unbelievebly sexy.
It was nice. As diffilcult as it was to believe it as first, he was quite the romantic. Or maybe, it was just with her. She hoped. He liked pressing his forehead onto hers, just to make her blush and grin, or maybe reprimend him for taking too long. He liked kissing his way down on her, stopping on her scars and marks, just to hear her gasp and squeal, and moan in desperation and she didn’t have the motivation to stop those anymore. He liked her guild mark, which she could understand because the black one on his chest definitely did something to her lower gut too.
She definitely squealed in pleasure when he got back to her navel, the sheet was already stuck to the nape of her neck with her sweat and it annoyed her. Not as annoying as his breath on her lower body, breathing down belly and gut, not helping the shivers going their way up to her head. She tried to pulling on his head, playing with the blond strands, not too hard, just to make him understand how teased and wet she already was.
“Hmm… ?” He only grunted, still licking his way lower, just lightly brushing his fangs against the very thin skin inside her tighs.
She groaned. Sweaty, worn and defeated. Anything to get rid of that feeling.
He looked at her then. And it was probably the hotest sight she ever had. The blond’s head crawled between her legs with one glance piercing right through her, silently smirking, or grinning, or smiling in joy and satisfaction. She felt herself going even redder. Like she was going to explode. Until he broke the gaze. Making the cutest little squeal ever when his tongue made his way around her lips before going on her center, that was screaming for attention.
She knew she had completely lost control at that moment. Riding in rhythm with the waves of pleasure that he sent through her. Grabbing his hair to keep her damn sanity as he worked down there.
“Aah… !”
She moaned loudy this time, blushing even more when she felt him pause for a second, knowing he enjoyed every single one of the sounds she made. Her tighs were going redder from squeezing onto his head and she actually worried she was going too strong on his poor head, not that he seemed to mind. She was going delirious, only focusing on the dampness of his tongue right in that spot but also on the dampness behind her knees and on the sheets just below her butt.
She felt him add a finger, and then another, easily streching her as she was already so wet, quickly matching the rhythm of his strokes on her. She thought she was going to die, pushing on them and whining so loud for her own ears. And there, when she thought she was going mad, just on the moment she thought about begging him to never ever fucking stop, as she moaned so loud she didn’t hear it anymore, she felt the most intense wave just slammed into her.
She bit onto her lower lip hard. But it didn’t keep the loud cry in pleasure from escaping her lips as he continued to administrate his treatment on her, letting her ride the very last waves of pleasure that she could get as she held tightly on his head like it was only thing keeping from falling from the bed.
“Stop… stop…” She moaned very lightly the, red from her cheeks to her ears, but giving him the prettiest of smile, half giggling from his insistance
He pulled himself back to her level, as she was still trembling and shaking from her core, spreading her legs wide so he could fit between them. She welcomed him as he went directly from her mouth, after barely wiping his with the back of his hand. She didn’t mind it though, the taste of her still on his lips. She was still too hazy to care as she grabbed him everywhere she could encouraged by the grunts he let out.
It annoyed her, how he liked to make her wait, peacefully rubbed against her very sensitive spots, exhorting a few moans from her as she tried to concentrate on his tongue, and not on the delicious strokes and delirious moans coming out of her. She knew what he wanted out of her, of course, but there was no way he was getting it today. As if she hadn’t been saying that for years.
“Mira..” He whispered in her ear, and she had to bit hard on her lip to not let anything escape her lips, swearing off the day she told him how much she liked hearing it from his voice, and how she probably would let that husky tone and green eyes take her anywhere if he dared ask.
He didn’t ask that time, didn’t even waited until she begged her throat out. Probably grew tired of waiting so long while getting a teaser of the delicious release that awaited him if he gave up every time he pushed onto her. She was so wet, not that she could tell if it was the arousal or his results from before. So hot. She was so hot, feeling like there was a furnase inside her that just didn’t want to be put down.
He was sweaty too, less than her but still, tasting all salty and such, as she went down on his neck and grabbed his shoulder to nuzzle against his skin, taking a very long breath to get every ounce of his smell. Why on earth did he have to smell amazing ? It was ridiculous how even his soap smelled hot to her right now as if she wasn’t already deep down into that shit.
“Mira.. ” He whispered again. He sounded so serious.
She lifted her head then, looking back at him. “Hhm ? ” She murmured, trying not to pout that he was distracting her from her previous thoughts, trying to get as much smell as she could. He only nuzzled to her, when she met his gaze, pushed his forehead against hers, grabbing her thighs to get into the right position, plunging his tongue forward as he pressed into her, surprisingly sweet, he liked to be, always catching her by surprise.
He paused, just to feel her gasp and trembling of pleasure as she got used to his presence inside her again. He kissed her one more time as he started moving and she took refuge once more time onto his shoulder.
It was hot. Too hot. Too wet. She was too wet and good at rocking her hips against his as he rapidly found a rhythm, robbing those sweet whines out of her that she had given up on controlling. He tried to control himself, because she was being weird and dark, not mouthing what bothered her so much and she needed it, the sweetness. Not that she would let him.
She felt like she was going to explose, licking the sweet skin of his shoulder and barely biting on it as she bucked hard against him and followed religiously his rough pace as he streched her and reached those exact spots she liked. It was too much. He was too much, too good. They were already so sweaty and she moaned so hard, it was hard to tell which ones were real and which ones she was making up in her mind.
She picked up hard, and went even faster as he slammed into her, and she shivered at every caress he managed to get on her thighs, grabbing them hard muffling up growls. He didn’t like being loud. And for some reason, she relished on it, always bucked harder to get some muffled uncontrolled groan out of him. And she got plenty of those, always mischievously smiling when running her tongue in and out of his mouth to make him bite on it with a grunt.
“Aaah” She sighed again.
He smirked, she wasn’t going to last long. He consummed her too fast, slammed without missing her beat and sending thrills across her entire body as she abandoned herself into his smell once more. He felt her bite on his shoulder once again, all trembling and going out of rhythm, moaning and clawing at his back, crying in pleasure as she shattered against him and whined his name out as if to plead him.
She was tight, tortorously tight. But he wasn’t done with her, determined to get it out of her as he kissed her and she bit hard on his tongue, still shaking and moaning from her climax as he only slowed down but didn’t make signal to show he was getting close. She kissed him deeply, so hard he missed a beat and fell almost completely went out of rhythm. She stared at him then, pushed back into him as he tried to find the right beat and glared at her back, trying not to get too lost into those blue orbs of hers.
She smirked, not looking away from him. And it did everything to his insides. She went for his forehead and smiled even wider as he successfully picked up the pace again and they went back to fast but delicious slamming. She was moaning even harder than before, whining so deliciously he tried to kiss her just to feel it being swallowed onto his tongue.
“Ha…Harder..” She moaned in his ear, then. “Please…Lax…” She pushed her head back there as he swallowed another and desperately tried to slam even rougher, but it was getting nearly impossible in this position if he wanted to keep up the pace.
So, he stopped.
“Turn around.” He ordened in a grunt as he slipped out of her. She groaned against his mouth but she didn’t have the time to really complain as he tried to pull himself up. She executed herself but not without sending him a dark look as he lightly kissed her lips one more time before turning her back to him. She had the time to grab a pillow to lean on though, as she got on her knees and buried her face in the sheet.
She moaned again, shaking lightly as he pressed into her once again, completely burying himself into her, and grabbed her hips to force her into straightening up a bit, so he could get to biting her neck and leaving delicious kisses along her spine. He didn’t leave a long time for contemplation as he was already picking back the pace and slamming so hard and deep in her, she wondered for how many days she would feel it. She didn’t wish for him to stop though. Oh no. She couldn’t control the shaking and moaning from that angle, she was too wet, felt too good with his arms grabbing her breasts and pulling her close.
She wished she could see him now. It was always the downside when he put her like that. It made her hot from her insides and probably lose all control she hoped to have on her screams and trembles as he bucked her against his hips, slamming into her like his life depended on it.
God, if he stopped right now. She practically screamed as he grabbed her close.
She heard him moan too. He was so close and trying so hard to keep his shit together, bringing her face to his and kissing her deeply and she started to moan incontrollably and he responded in her very loud grunt. He bit her neck there, plunging his fangs right into her skin, grabbed her hair even harder and pushed into her, bringing his other hand to her clit and rubbing hard to hear her scream one more time.
So fucking hot. She heard herself think as she shattered again against his chest, grabbing his hair and everywhere she could on his skin in her back and desperately tried, without success, to keep the deep scream from escaping her mouth, feeling her entire body about to explose as he continued to rub and push hard against her. She heard him moan too, this time louder than all the times before. She felt him finish as she fell against the sheet and buried her face, still shaking and moaning hard as she felt his hands gently stroking her back and pulling her close, laughing quietly against her neck.
He was so cute, all puffy and red. Rolling them on their backs with his arm strongly locked against her chest, as she looked at him and smiled too at his satisfied proud face. So cute.
There was a silence then, as they both tried to catch their breath. She buried her face in his shoulder and observed him as his eyes remained closed. She wanted to kiss him. So she did. Planted a light kiss before he opened his eyes and grinned softly at her. He pulled her closer and kissed her head while she settled a bit with his arm still around her waist.
God, he still smelled great. That aftershave of his was really going to kill her.
She had to get up eventually. To go to the bathroom before she could finally pass out in his arms. But she so didn’t want to. She wanted to forget everything about the former week and bury her face in his chest forever. She probably should tell him. But, she so didn’t want to. She didn’t want to make him freak the hell out for something that was already done, if it were. Maybe she should take it to the grave, or tell him on his death bed. One or the other.
“So, what’s going on with you ?” He interrupted her thoughts, stroking the clear skin on her navel.
There was another pause, during which she pulled up to stare at him as he glanced right back into her eyes, waiting for his answer.
“What do you mean ?” She only grinned and giggled.
God, she hated lying to him like that.
He didn’t say anything back, only continued to glare at her before gently putting a kiss on her lips, only to keep glaring at her like it wasn’t such a pain that he could read into her like that.
She sighed and turned back around. She felt him getting tighter against her and she grabbed his hand, she took a deep breath, slightly playing with his fingers as he waited. Maybe it would be easier staring at the ceiling rather than his eyes.
“I thought I was pregnant.”
She felt him freeze. And she cursed herself for not trying harder. Feeling her eyes swell as she fought back the tears and grinned at him as he had turned his head to her.
“Are you fucking serious ?” He whispered, like he desperately wished she was fooling around with him.
“Do you honestly think I would joke about that ?” She heard her cold tone but he was pissing her off right now.
There was a silence again. As they glared into each other’s eye.
“Well…” He looked away then.
“I wouldn’t” She shut him up, not wishing to hear more.
He got silent, but not looking away as he stared at her again. And she gave up.
“I’m late.”
She thought her heart was going to drop.
“How late ?” He only responded, just as quiet as her.
“About… a week.” She continued to glare, wondering if he could hear her heart race right now as she was waiting on a reaction from him. “Maybe eight, nine days…”
He got silent again. So much she could hear her breath alone shaking.
“And that’s bad ?”
Well no, maybe not. But worrying to say the least. But she couldn’t tell him that, if she didn’t want him to have a heart attack, and finish on the ground. Because that was just what she needed right now, being pregnant and alone, and suspected for murder. She probably had DNA all over his appartment by now.
“I thought you told me you were on the pill ?” He asked, still half-whispering, as if they weren’t the only people in here.
“I am on the pill.” She wanted to reassure him, or herself.
“So, it’s bad.” He rolled his eyes and leaned back down in an anxious sigh.
“No.” She said, a bit too abruptly. She didn’t know what she was denying the most. The pregnancy, or that it was supposed to be a good thing. Because that’s what she always hoped a baby with him would be deep down, good.
His head jumped to glare at her.
“Well…” She lost her composure, feeling her cheeks redening as she tried to move up and cover her chest with the sheets she stole from him. “I don’t think so. I kind of already did a test.”
“And ?” God, if he could just stop staring at her for just one minute.
She shaked her head, blushing even harder if that was possible. “Nothing.”
“Okay.” He sighed and finally looked away to stare at the ceiling. “But, does that mean you’re not pregnant, or just that it can’t tell if you’re not, not pregnant ?”
“Not, not pregnant ?” She frowned.
“Well, you know.” She giggled at this one, relaxing as she saw his cheeks getting flushed while he still refused to look at her.
He glanced then, getting quite annoyed with her for laughing at his misery. “How are you not freaking out right now ?” He yelled, but still whispered, as she couldn’t contain her laughter.
She tried to calm herself hard. Almost getting drown on her hiccups while he got even more annoyed at her. “Well, it was negative.”
“Yeah, but still.”
“Well…” She blushed again. “I have another test to take tomorrow, so, there’s really no need to panick until then.” She definitely was trying to convince herself more than him.
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one the old man’s going to kill.” He sighed as he lit a cigarette from his stash. He tried not to smoke that much around her, but there was just no helping it tonight.
She laughed again. Could make for a good show. As if she hadn’t been mortified about the exact same thing just hours earlier.
“That’s your problem with this whole thing ?” She pushed her knees against her chest, studying his face for that light of sarcasm.
He only stared and rolled his eyes at her.
“Well… you’re not the one that’s been brought up on birth control.” He whispered, looking very intensely away from her.
“Seriously ?”
“This may come as a surprise to you. But Ivan hadn’t exactly planned to have a kid.” He sighed, taking a long puff between his two sentences. “The whole Guildarts thing didn’t help either.”
“I…” She blushed again. It wasn’t every day that he mentioned his father’s name. Let alone for such a personal subject. “I could have figured that one out.” She wanted to laugh, but she feared he would take it in a bad way. “But your mother… ?”
He grunted shrugged his shoulders. “Didn’t want it either.”
“Oh…”
He simply nodded. “Whole reason they ever got married.” He smoked again. “And it didn’t really end well.”
Silence just fell between them as he finished his cigarette and she took the opportunity to go the bathroom. Someway, the conversation had taken a very unexpected turn.
When she got back, she only leaned against him again as he absentmindedly stroke her skin.
“I was also not very planned, you know.”
He frowned, glaring at her.
“I thought you said your parents were like, madly in love or something ?”
“Oh, they were.” She blinked and turned around on her back. “My mother had to flee from home to marry my dad because it was so scandalous at the time.”
“Because she was like,² royalty ?” He meant that as a joke.
“Because he was so poor.”
Well, shit.
.
She felt weird as she woke up. He was already gone at the time. It was late, terribly late. Like eleven in the morning. Lisanna was going to kill her, especially since she had probably noticed she hadn’t slept home. She sometimes did. If she failed to wake up on time, or simply decided she wanted to spend more of the morning with him. She would usually cover for her, invent some lie for the guild and only ask for some evening free, which she would happily give her once Laxus was away again.
Because she knew. Even if she didn’t like to talk about it. She knew about him, she didn’t even have to tell her, she had known the whole time. Because she was her sister, and deep down she knew her better that most people.
She was going to be annoyed, the white-haired sighed as she tried to get accustomated to the light shining inside the (very) messy room. She didn’t know how he always managed to be so messy around his appartment when his drawers were more arranged like a military regiment. It was funny, the way she couldn’t count the number of t-shirts, shirts or sweat pants lying on the floor, but if she opened his closet, she would see the exact same shirts (because he always bought the same, just in different coclors, because apparently, not many stores made shirts his side) arranged by color.
She giggled, head buried in her pillow. Definitely stalling the time she would have to get up and actually try to come up with a lie for her sister, just to explain how she could go home for a horrendous headache (which was already difficult enough to explain since she was more the kind to work until passed out) and then, manage to end up into Laxus’ bed. She took a long breath, wondering how amazing it was that his pillow always kept the smell of his so perfectly.
Mavis, she was doomed.
She finally got up though, wandered around a little bit, made some coffee and sipped it while opening a few drawers she hadn’t snooped in just yet. There were very few indeed.
She froze then, plunging her hand deep in the drawer to retrieve what had captured her attention. It was a dog, a figure, a small red dog hidden in his sock drawer. She sighed and giggled a little bit before closing the drawer and observing it a bit more.
And sometimes, she’d found these. Because he knew that she snooped, he also knew that there was no way of stopping her, so he hid those, just to mess with her, and make her question the sanity of the man she was sleeping with. Sometimes it was a figurine, sometimes a receipt for the most stupid thing ever, that he hid into everyone of his drawers. Once, she had found some shop receipt for a whip and some costume ensemble, and freaked out for a whole week if he didn’t have some double life as a bdsm gay club owner. Before he came back, and laughed so hard he could have broken a rib out, before confessing he had asked Bickslow for his weirdest receipts, just to see her going paranoid.
She had hit him. With a pillow. But still. She had pouted for a whole night before he made up for it.
She still found weird stuff though, just not as weird. Childish figurines, sometimes her own underwear she panicked about, before realising it had been hers the whole time.
She hated him sometimes.
She gasped when she got out of the shower, not liking the coldness of his bathroom compared with the warmness of the water she had just experienced. She shivered as she tried to to get some underwear she had taken with her on. Her eyes fell on the second test she had lying around in her bag that she had brought to get her stuff. She was supposed to take it in her morning. They said it was more reliable.
She didn’t take it though, not until her sister called angrily (which would be, on a Lisanna’s scale, a worried annoyed pout that she could hear from the other side of the phone) to ask if she was supposed to cancel her plans for the entire day, or if they were already finished. She thought Laxus was still with her, probably not remembering he had a training session scheduled with the Thunder Legion.
She felt bad, just for a bit, even if she had a good reason to be absent. And secret. After all, it wasn’t every day you suspected being pregnant from the master’s grandson and a guildmate you had been going on and off for years. She hoped, at least.
It wasn’t until she heard her sister’s tone that she decided it was time to stop the laying around and take some kind of action. At least, to know what she was getting herself into. Even if she still ignored what she wanted to do if it came back positive. Laxus wouldn’t abandon her, would he ? He would at least send her money, even if she decided to keep it and he didn’t want to raise it. Would he want to ? Raise it with her ? As a family ? They hadn’t been together that long. Well, they had, just with very long breaks and fights in between. Would he find it in him to love her a bit earlier than expected ?
She was frozen again. Getting and making herself more anxious every minute.
It had to be a kink at that point.
So, she took it.
Almost retaining her breath as she couldn’t take her eyes off it, not for a single second. She was about to cry. Maybe she should have told him the truth. That she was dead scared of it and not chilling being all pragmatical. But there was just something. Something about being with him that made her like that. All calm and in control. Like the world could fall, and she would just carry on, just as long as she had him.
Very doomed indeed.
She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream her hate for not asking him to be there. Why did she have to be so stupid sometimes about doing everything alone ? Why couldn’t she accept help and support for once ?
“Mira ?” She got startled, but it sounded like his voice.
She glared at him, when he half-opened the door, just to glance inside after knocking and not receiving any response.
“Are you in there ?”
She didn’t say anything. Feeling a bit mute, fully clothed and seating on his toilet.
“Did you take it yet ?” He entered softly. “I said I needed to take a break, just to check on you.” He seemed uneasy, like he didn’t quite comprehend why she wasn’t replying. “Are you okay ?”
She found it in her to nod this time. Not taking her eyes off him. He only approached, staring at the test between her hands.
“Is that it ?”
Nod again.
He sighed. He was anxious. She could tell by the way he pianoted on the bathroom sink and bit on his lips.
“How long does it…take ?” He asked again. “If it’s longer, it’s fine I can just tell them I was shitting.”
She grinned at him. Still not answering.
“I’m warning you though, if you want a minivan you’ll be driving it yourself.” He sighed again, taking a cigarette out of his pocket, just to be ready for after. “Because I ain’t getting into that shit. I’m going to look stupid enough with a stroller.”
She giggled. Wondering how long he could keep talking out of anxiousness. It was the first time she was seeing him that nervous. It was endearing, cute, the way he blushed when he realised she was still staring at him.
She glanced at the test. Just to confirm the control line was fully formed. She glared at him again, feeling the weight of his stare now on her. She took a deep breath again. Still grinning, more embarrassed than amused. And for the first time since he entered, dared looking at the result.
“So ?” She could hear him ask as she inspected the blank space.
There was nothing, not a line, not a form, not a shadow.
Nothing.
She sighed again. And looked at him before shaking her head slightly and showing it to him. Like he was an expert at the inner workings of these kinds of things. He sighed too, but way more loudly, barely containing a wide grin that she knew was contagious when she felt her cheeks warm up.
“Well, I have to run.” He added as she followed him to his door. “Are you coming tonight ?”
She blushed. Not quite realising yet. As if everything was blurry.
“Well, yeah but I’m going to be late.” She started as he was on the verge of going. “Or, Lisanna is really going to kill me.”
“Like she can’t handle working for once?” She giggled.
He kissed her, took her by surprise and nuzzled so very fast she barely had the time to react. And just like that, he was gone. Slammed the door behind him to join his team, leaving her alone in his appartment, counting on her to lock the door when she left.
Maybe she would never know what they would have done if she realy had been pregnant. And maybe it was for the best. Maybe sometimes, it really was a timing issue. She would never know what the master would have said either. If he would have been disappointed his grandson had to leave the exact same situation that had known his father. Or how hard her brother would have tried to punch him for knocking his sister up.
Or if they could have stayed together in the long run even with these sorts of unplanned. Or how hard he would have loved it just because it came out of her.
She wouldn’t even know if it would have been a good or a bad thing in the end. Or if she would have even been able to carry it to term.
Maybe it was for the best.
Maybe it was for the best when she finally went to guild and fought quickly as her little sister tried to negociate an entire weekend to make up for her disappointments.
Maybe the master would have had a heart attack just from hearing the news.
Maybe it needed to go slow this time to work.
But not too slow. Maybe it was just the right amount of slow, when at midnight she had to call him to inform him the night was highly compromised by the fact that her period had come an hour ago. Maybe it was just the right time for him to tell her that she could still come, just to sleep, even if it was too late to watch a movie. And she gladly did.
It haunted him like a 90’s song on repeat. And her eyes. Blue like the deepest sea. With the deepest worry within them. If only he had answered. If only he hadn’t just stood there, gaping at the young woman like some idiot. Worry didn’t look right on her, not with so many bows and pink on her dress. It made her look even sadder.
It was ironic. If she had worn her dark clothes and boots, and the deep frown he knew her, she wouldn’t have looked just as sad. Just more emo. But she didn’t wear those anymore. She wore long dresses in so many colors it would be too long to list them all. Yellow, pink, some still black but the last time he had seen one was almost three months ago, just before the Grand Magic Games had ended and with them, the team they both belonged to.
Not that he cared that much about that team. He had his own, and, maybe they weren’t perfect with their stupid interests and fights, maybe they weren’t as strong and sometimes very aggravating, but they were his team. And he did kind of enjoyed having one, a real team, not just pretending bodyguards that followed him everywhere and did his every bidding.
Because that was tiring. And lonely.
They were still weird around him though, still hesitated a lot before being honest with him, before disagreeing with whatever he had said before. Apparently, that took some effort. Or maybe he hadn’t quite succeeded at making himself less scary, and inaccessible.
Because apparently that was his goal now. Being less arrogant, out of reach, maybe mean was the word. And more down to earth, approachable, friendly. And god was that hard.
People had more or less deemed him inapproachable since forever, since he had gotten that scar at least. And he could get that really. He wouldn’t come and spark up conversation with someone that looked like a hitman for the mob either. But he still tried.
“Do you even like me ?”
He didn’t know. He felt like he didn’t know her. Like she lived a million miles away, out of reach, out of perception. He didn’t know what to say to her.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
It was hard to like someone that felt like a stranger.
He thought she was beautiful.
Honestly.
She always had been beautiful. He had his reservations at first, with the whole pink and bow thing. It felt so very strange. Compared to the whole black skirt and thorn shit from before, it was so very strange. Not that she didn’t rock it. She looked good in anything. Probably one of the perks of true natural beauty. Or maybe it was just him, maybe she could look like a total disaster and he would still find her beautiful. Not that he would ever tell her that.
She was hot too. That he would tell. Like breathtakingly hot. There were days he wondered how anyone could go on with their day without getting their eyes glued up to her ass. And other places. It was so fucking hard. So many times he caught himself staring so hard he swore he could have carved holes into her body. But he always hid it. Didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, especially since she had seemed to change her mind and forget all about him.
Until she caught him. And he tried to own it, because getting caught was one thing, but chickening out was a totally different one. And honestly, he had never seen someone getting so red so fast. Which was weird, because he’d think that after trying to bone her ass so many times, she’d at least know that he had to be staring sometimes. But no, her cheeks fired up like a poppy until the demon kicked in and before he even knew it, he was caught in some hot flirty game that somehow ended in his bed. And his couch two weeks after. Until she had to leave because of her siblings still being up and worried.
And that was it. She avoided him now. Sometimes blushed a little when she caught him glancing. But never getting back in the game. Which was weird because she was the one that had invented it. He did try to talk to her but she would always be too busy, jumpy, and fled at his mere approach. Even after another job and a good week, she still wouldn’t talk to him. So, he stared. Tried to decipher what the hell could be going on in that pretty little head of hers. Tried to catch her eyes to read something in them.
They were quite expressive. Her eyes. He had always loved them. They were so blue. Fuck, that sounded stupid, but they did have that hypnotizing thing. Something about the color. And the emotions that seemed to turmoil inside. She always had been emotional. Even with her angry glare, it was still angry. Whether she cried, or screamed, or schemed, or tried to put him a facer. It was still raw. And passionate. And so very much like her. And he did like that.
Maybe that was the biggest change. Maybe the one thing that definitely wasn’t like her, was the happy poker face she always seemed to have on. Honestly he didn’t care about her pretending to be stupid to lure money in. She was an idealist, but she definitely wasn’t stupid, or genuinely coy. Maybe that was her own way of being less threatening, so people would forget she could destroy a table just by stepping on it. And it seemed to be working. Maybe he could learn from that.
Maybe he could learn how she managed to always seem interested in whatever bullshit people blathered at her. He listened to crumbs from time to time, with his headphones still on, so nobody would suspect him overhearing. They always seemed to forget he had a dragon slayer ear anyway. And god was it boring. One day he spent an entire evening wondering how long she could take about Macao’s accounting problems before throwing her own cash register at his head. But she only listened, didn’t even offer any kind of advice, just nodded, and smiled, and empathized like she was genuinely caught by the problem.
Maybe she was. He didn’t know anymore. He could have sworn the old Mira, if that was a decent way to call her, wouldn’t have cared two pennies about his bullshit story. And up until recently, he thought it was all just an act, that she was still the same inside, just terrified of being alone again. But now he didn’t know anymore.
He didn’t know her anymore.
And he didn’t know how to get to know her again. It wasn’t like he could repeat history. Lure her back into being his friend to receive her thoughts.
“I don’t know how you handle all that shit.” He tried one day. As she was the wiping the glass the last chatterbox had left behind. But she only frowned at him and shrugged.
“I like hearing people’s stories.” She simply answered as she put the glass down and proceeded to pour him the pint he ordered.
“How ?” He smirked, he might have been a little too arrogant on that one, because she frowned even deeper. Maybe he didn’t know what made her happy anymore, but he could still definitely tell when she was getting annoyed at him. “I mean, why ?”
She smiled a bit and shrugged again. “I guess I just find people interesting.”
“People, maybe.” It felt harder than it should to hear that coming from him, from the way she eyed him. “But not their groceries and accounting stories.” He tried to chuckle, but she wouldn’t let him. Just sighed and shrugged yet again, and he was the one getting annoyed at that.
“I don’t know.” Oh, but she knew. “I just feel like people get the most real about mundane things.”
And there she went, to wait on some random that had called out, and hear all about his life. So he gave up on it and went back upstairs with his beer. It’s not like she was going to wonder about him anyway.
She was too busy for that.
She always had been hardworking. Only Erza could compete with her on that front. Always so focused. Even as a broke thirteen-year-old. Especially as a broke thirteen-year-old with two other kids to look after. She used to train so hard he sometimes caught her walking home with broken ribs, actually had to make her visit Polyussica once or twice. It terrified him sometimes, how far she could get, and he wasn’t the last one to exceed his limits. After the second time though, he did have to rat her out to the old man to make sure she wouldn’t kill herself. But she would never stop.
Even now, in a much tranquiller life, she still refused to step down, took so few days off, she had to be forced so the old man wouldn’t be arrested for violating workers’ rights. Not that she would take any money for helping with the administrative work and even took care of him, which was also not on her paycheck. Not that the old man hadn’t offered her to put it there several times.
But no, she was simply unstoppable. Until he tried.
“What is it you’re thinking so hard about tonight ?” The old man had asked him that night, after he just came back from his job and somehow ended up having dinner with him in the house he had mostly grown up in. But he only shrugged to the question, he was annoying like that.
“Is it a girl ?”
He only received a death glare but that didn’t seem to destabilize him.
“Did you have a fight with one of them recently ?”
He didn’t answer but he could definitely the weight of his glare exploring the blonde’s face as it sighed from desperation.
“Or is there one in particular ?” He was definitely annoying too.
“I’m fine.”
He only slowed down not to finish his plate too fast, or he would be left with nothing else but to find a lie to tell.
“Well, I’m from the old school, as you’ve probably guessed.” Nothing ever stopped him either. “But I always find that flowers work wonders with women.”
He lifted an eyebrow, then.
“Except if she has pollen allergy.”
He scoffed and grunted, trying to mutter again that that wasn’t the problem but clearly wasn’t convincing enough.
“Except if she doesn’t like flowers either. Then, you should never, and I mean it, never get flowers for her then. It will only convince her that you don’t care about what she wants. And believe me, you don’t want that.”
Someone, make it stop.
“But if she does like them, then believe me, it doesn’t matter if it seems a bit too easy or cliché even for her, it’s worth a try. No matter why she’s mad at you…”
He did growl a bit, and sent him the most frightening glare he could get out, and planted his fork a little bit too hard into the plate, but a lot less than he had wanted to. Progress came with time.
“Alright, alright.” The old man exclaimed and went back to his own plate with a loud sigh. “Solve your own problems alone, if you’re such a grump.” Still didn’t flinch under the weight of his death glare though.
Like that was going to solve anything.
It’s not like he knew if she even liked flowers.
Surely, she did, right ?
He did go back though. To the guild. Even if it was so late. Especially because it was so late. He was growing sick of the silent treatment like he was the only one guilty there. If she had changed her mind about him, then the least thing she could do was informing him so. Because he had other things to do than wonder about her demonic ways. And he would tell her. Tonight. Maybe not as an ultimatum, but just some kind of clarification in case she was confusing him with some random she could string along to lick the ground behind her.
But the guild wasn’t empty. He thought it would be, but maybe that was the reason it wasn’t closed yet. There were still some people getting drunk and laughing way too loudfor his liking. So he didn’t jump on her immediately. Because the last thing he wanted was other people, guildmates, butting into his business and snitching to the old man about him. No, it was private matter. So, he simply settled again at the counter and ordered his evening drink. Whiskey. Stat.
She did kind of look taken aback at his view. Batted her eyes a little before fetching the bottle. Even if she already knew he was back in town.
“Weren’t you supposed to have dinner with the master tonight ?” She asked while filling the glass, just a little too much, must have picked up on his mood. He shrugged.
“Please tell me you two didn’t fight again.” She smirked a bit, still staring at him as she counted the register of the day. How she could multitask that way, that, he would never understand.
“No.”
He might have answered a bit too quickly. “He just tired me.”
“Oh.” She grinned. “So what ? You’re going to drink your sorrows here until the earth turns around and you two magically get along again ?”
Well, at least she was still a bully.
“Well, it did work for Erza and you.” She did still raise her eyebrows too. “I’m just hopeful.” He added as he emptied the glass and gave her the sign to fill it again.
“Well…” She put the bottle back down. “I think whiskey had a lot more to do with that than the earth turning back on its axis.”
He did chuckle at this one, or maybe he was just getting drunk. Maybe that could explain why she suddenly looked so damn hot again. Maybe he was doomed. Doomed to stare at her until his eyes fell out flat on the ground, or until she got sick of it and beat the hell out of him until he dug his way down there.
She only ignored it for now. And he wasn’t hiding it. They were practically alone anyway. Just some leftover drunks that called out to her to get a refill. He did take a sip but he should too definitely slow down on the booze if he didn’t want her to wipe his ass from the ground. It was her ass that desperately needed some attention.
He did like her smile too. When she greeted some of the people outside. Even if it wasn’t quite the same as before. He wondered if that one he knew was gone for good. If maybe, he should have imprinted it a bit more on his mind. The joyful, genuine grin she had between two very aggressive growls. Maybe if he had known it would become so rare. Or that he wouldn’t be invited anymore when it did get out.
Fuck, that sounded sad.
“All sorrows not drunk yet ?” She did take him out of his reverie. He didn’t even notice when he had stopped watching.
“Nope.” He did empty his glass again though. “But, maybe it could go faster if you drank them with me.” He almost forgot to send a look down the hall, to assure no one had heard his bold pathetic attempt at getting a date, because that would spread around like wildfire. But there were completely alone now. So he just glared back at her.
And there it was. Not the smile but the glance. The knowing glance. The only one that indeed confirmed he wasn’t completely delusional, and they were indeed something. Something more than just guildmates that occasionally joked around. And he didn’t know he needed that. The annoyed, playful, demonic glare that told him he was walking on damn thin ice.
Not that he indeed gave one damn.
Until she slammed another glass just before his face, and proceeded to install herself on the stool next to him. She called his bluff, fine.
He tried to gather himself. Because, alcohol or no alcohol, he was getting kind of nervous at this development. Even avoided her glare discreetly as she calmy sipped down her own glass of whiskey and waited for his confession.
It was time.
Time for the big talk, the not so ultimatum he had to give her so this whole charade would finally end. The time to tell her he wasn’t planning on following her around for the next two more years. The time to decide if they would ever be like that again. Alone. Personal. Intimate. And it was sad.
Because fuck, he didn’t want it to end.
“You know, I did think about it and I don’t think mundane stories are as boring as you make them out to be.”
Well, maybe it didn’t have to end today.
“And what’s so enthralling about tomatoes, huh ?” He took a sip without getting his eyes off her pensive frown. He liked when she got lost into thoughts, she always had that little pout that could be weirdly classified as cute. She seemed a bit more natural then. To his own standards. She had stopped with the ever-staying smile and high-pitched remarks. She looked more serious, deep in whatever reflection could be going on about leeks and potatoes.
“I just think you can’t ever know someone if you don’t know what their everyday looks like.”
He grunted in semi-approval, but he honestly hadn’t really thought about it that way. He definitely knew what her day-to-day could be going on, didn’t mean he had the slightest clue about who she was. Since he couldn’t even tell if she would try to make him swallow the flowers whole if he ever bought her some. Knowing at what time she was doing inventory didn’t change anything to it.
And even if she did like them, it didn’t mean she could like any type of flowers. Didn’t some women care about sorts, and colors, and meanings or stuff ? Because he didn’t know anything about it. Thank god he didn’t listen to the old man because that clearly sounded like some elaborate trap where you could get ghosted for getting pink roses instead of carnations, or whatever they were supposed to be called, or even the red roses. They were surely better ways to die.
Would she even kill him ? Metaphorically, nobody was talking about killing anybody here. But could she still get angry ? He felt like she could recently, during their recent intercalations, when she was drunk or particularly vexed about something. But she never felt mad. At least not like the fiery pit she used to. Maybe he was the one that wanted her to get furious. To shove him against a wall, try to get a knife below his throat, or just yell very loudly at him. And fuck, did he hate the yelling, hurt his ears like hell. But still, just to show she still cared. They were bound to fight anyway, and if he had to choose between her getting angry or cry. He knew which one he liked better.
It took him a while to notice she had stopped talking. Stared at him blankly, with worry spread all around her eyes that bore holes into his face. Fuck. He did mean to listen. Guess he just zoned out again. And she had noticed. Fuck, fuck. How stupid did he have to be ? It was only going to get harder to convince her to talk to him alone. Fuck. Stupid. Or maybe, she was going to pin it on his “fight” with his grandfather. Yes, that was his chance. He just had to make her believe he was a bit distraught about it and she would forget about his stupidness.
If only she didn’t stare at him like that, didn’t lift her eyebrows with that demonic glare clearly pissed off at his lack of consideration. Or maybe that was the hand on her thigh. Fuck, he hardly even noticed he had it there. Not that he took it off, chickening out and everything… It felt nice anyway. And she hadn’t said anything, so maybe she didn’t even notice either. Unlikely ? maybe. But she must not have been too bothered by it, or she would have said something, right ? Not that he wanted her to think he was only interested in one thing from her, because that was certainly not the case. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here making a fool of himself like that.
This whole shit was getting a bit too hard on his brain.
He saw her smirk. So maybe they were okay. She did take a breath to say something, but he didn’t let her.
“Do you like flowers ?”
He kind of blurted it out. He knew it because she widened her eyes so much, they seemed bigger that he ever though they could be. And she got red. Like instantly. Good thing to know he was still doing that too. And looked down with some semi-held back chuckle. It was still hot too.
“Wh-what…?”
He did see her teeth now, so he definitely took her by surprise.
“Flowers.” He tried again, never chickening out was his motto. “Do you particularly like them or not ?”
She was so red he thought she was going to explode.
“Well…” He saw her blink to get some answer out. “I do have a garden.”
He almost spit his drink out.
“A what now ?”
She blinked.
“You know, like a thing to grow plants in.” She was amusing him now. “I mean, it’s more like a vegetable garden, really, but I do have some flowers in it.”
“So, you like them ?”
She blushed again. “Well yeah… I mean, not every kind… but still.”
Huh, definitely a trap then. Or maybe he should go get a look at that garden just to make sure he wasn’t digging his own tomb.
“Lisanna does most of the watering too… since I don’t have much time and…”
She must have thought he zoned out again, because she suddenly stopped and looked down to her glass to swallow the rest in one hit as he stared again. And god, that skin of hers did feel nice on his hand. And she still didn’t seem to mind. Only gave him the glare. And fuck it was hot. But it would look even nicer on that counter if only he could gather the right timing to get her butt on it. And that back of hers. And she would stare at him with those eyes and it would just…
He had to stop. Or do something. One or the other. If only she could stop breathing so close because that was definitely wasn’t helping his hard-on to slow down. Or breathe closer, either way was good. Fuck, she smelled good too. Like jasmine, and vanilla, and sweat. He couldn’t explain it. But it wasn’t helping. And making him a bit crazy. Like turning her over that counter and make her taste the wood kind of crazy. She did like it rough. That he knew.
And why wasn’t he doing it again ?
Oh yeah, because he didn’t want her to think it was the only thing that drove him here. Maybe he should just stop thinking about it. Or stop thinking at all.
Yeah, maybe that was the best option.
Option she obviously didn’t consider.
He did feel her hand tremble a little when she grabbed his face to make him look straight back again to her. Even if the crash of her lips that followed didn’t at all. And he didn’t ask any more questions. Practically jumped on her to grip her all and finally get her on that counter that was this close to obsess him. And she probably expected it because she only threw her arms around his back to force him close and shove her tongue right into his mouth.
And the grabbing. Fuck he missed it. Hadn’t changed one bit. Even grew more aggressive and restless. She was less shy, didn’t hesitate before gripping his shirt to slide her hands under it. Almost bit him as he grunted, just a little. But he wasn’t going to let her have her way. Almost tear her dress apart when he tried to free her chest from what was to him a terrible prison. Heard her whimper as the grasp roughed even harder on her butt and felt just how warm and restless she must have felt all this time. Or maybe that was just him.
He didn’t think he had waited this long for this, but now he knew he had been this close to dying.
Fuck, even her breath was hot. And those moans. He could have killed himself right there just to get another one. Not that he needed too.
If only he could have gotten just one more before she pulled away when they were done.
She was breathing so roughly he worried for three seconds he had been too harsh. But then remembered he was pretty much in the same state and just collapsed on the stool back again to get the minimum clothes back on. Not that she cared.
She was actually even more gorgeous that way. All spread out on the counter with that long dress of hers hitched above her knees, barely even covering that her underwear was long gone with her bra that probably laid down somewhere behind the bar. Not that he minded, he always thought her breasts looked way better without any kind of incarceration. Because it was a crime at this state.
She was still panting when she looked back at him and blushed all over again at the staring. Cute, yes, but not only. With her bangs all stuck to her forehead by the sweat. And if biology wasn’t against him, he might have gotten another boner just from that view. She had that smile too. The one he liked better than any other kind.
He did walk her home that night. Would have walked her way farer if she hadn’t declined his invitation. Because she had to get up early and make breakfast in the morning for those dorky siblings that obviously couldn’t even manage to make their own breakfast alone. Maybe he should find a way to get Ever to make Elfman get a cooking class. Lisanna would surely follow just to make fun of them the whole time, but it was an almost flawless plan. Didn’t mean he couldn’t be a gentleman until he found a way to enforce it.
He was even motivated to hear about whatever story she wanted, but for some reason she had gotten quite silent since she had gotten her clothes back on.
“You’re okay ?” He found a way to ask a few blocks from the guild.
But she only had a sad smile when she nodded. And he didn’t like that. It got him nervous, even if he couldn’t think about one thing he could have done to upset her between their heated session on the counter and now. Maybe he should have offered to clean it before they took off, or maybe that was too stupid a question to be the problem at hand.
He tried to focus back on her but she still seemed determined to walk silently. And he wasn’t going to engage. They had a strict share of tasks, and he wasn’t the talker here. If only he had quit his idiotic thinking before they climbed the stairs to her doorway and she turned back to face him, still silent and back to trembling a little. And he knew he had to do something.
He wanted to kiss her. A lot. And grab her everywhere again. But for some reason he got afraid she might recoil at his touch. So, he settled for her cheek. Just one kiss, a bit too long to be friendly. She didn’t pull away but she did stare at him awkwardly before her cheeks got red and she turned back to unlock her door as he walked back down. But he could still feel her glance when he passed the small gate.
“Laxus ?” He turned back. A little bit too fast but she didn’t seem to notice.
She did look sad there. All alone in the night surrounded by the silence. Up the steps, glaring down, almost teary as their eyes met. Her voice was shaking, and it left him kind of astounded when she articulated the words that would have him spiraling for the next two weeks.
“Do you even like me ?”
Desperately.
“Do you even like me ?”
But fuck, was that hard.
“Do you even like me ?”
Because if she could ask that. Then maybe it was doomed. Maybe it wasn’t even worth trying.
