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justminawrites · 10 months

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Where The Stars Collide - Chapter 2: Cana

AO3

Summary: Cana makes a bet. tw: Implied/referenced alcohol abuse; also general creepy drunk man behaviour (nothing that didn't happen in the anime)

prologue | 1 | 2 | TBC

Cana Alberona needed a drink.

Something much much stronger than mead, and enough to really get her hammered. Cana had been drinking since noon– no she didn’t have a problem and it was just the lighter stuff really; that was until her dead friend returned and nearly sent her into the underworld with a bone-crushing embrace.

“Cana!” Lisanna had squealed before jumping her, “It’s been so long!”

Cana had never been closer to quitting alcohol in her whole life.

Visions were one thing but the friend she hadn’t seen in five years nearly choking her in a hug in front of the whole guild? Nope. She was never drinking mead, no— ale, rum, water– she was never drinking anything ever again.

Cana sighed and absentmindedly twirled the empty goblet in her hand round and round. She should be happy.

Natsu and the others rescued Lisanna from someplace called Edolas where magic was apparently non-existent, or something, Cana hadn’t been listening. She’d only managed to stomach about 3% of the reunion before putting aside her empty mead barrel, and hightailing it out of Fairy Tail.

The rain accompanied her as she aimlessly wandered from bar-to-bar, only to have the door shut in her face each time; although Cana had garnered a fearsome reputation as a Fairy Tail member, nearly every bartender within a five mile radius had other reasons to be distrustful of the dark-haired wizard – namely her alcohol not-problem.

She’d finally sought refuge in a homely inn just on the outskirts of the city– the old innkeeper took pity when she’d seen the wizard slicked with rain, shivering in cobblestone alleyway – and forked over whatever jewels she had on her for a bed and another unsatisfying drink, but Cana’s monstrous thirst was particularly unquenchable tonight.

Motioning for another refill, she stared into her sad reflection as the mead slowly rippled into the goblet; finally reaching the conclusion that her sour mood probably had more to do with what Gramps said that very morning.

The old man had pulled her aside to hand her a notice with the guild’s sigil stamped in the far right corner, and the unmistakable scrawl of Fairy Tail’s strongest wizard detailing his intent to return. Cana had dropped the paper in surprise.

Gildarts Clive was coming.

“I wanted you to be the first to know,” Makarov had said, giving the top of her head a kind pat as she’d scrambled to pick up the paper with one hand and hide her tears with the other. After seven long years, her father was coming home.

Cana spent the rest of the day in a daze, unable to read even her cards properly (though not for lack of trying) until she reverted to alcohol to take the edge off. But then Lisanna showed up and all the alcohol in the world couldn’t keep Cana’s world from falling apart around her.

Cana always thought she was good under pressure. Sure, she had her vices but who didn’t, right? She’d kept her worry for her guild mates during the Oracieon Seis debacle at bay, and even strong-armed her way through everything that happened with Laxus and the Thunder Palace. The only time she lost her cool was when–

“Wake up! Why don’t you admire your handiwork ya traitor! You’re patheti–“

Cana sucked her teeth guiltily, recalling Gray’s drooping shoulders, the hardness on his face as Daphne and her Dragonoid terrorised the city.

She should’ve trusted him, the boy she’d grown up with would never have betrayed his guild for any reason, but Magnolia had only just recovered from a certain lightning dragonslayer’s reckless threats weeks prior and Cana had been looking for someone, anyone, to blame. They’d never expected– she’d never expected to fight Laxus; Laxus was as much her family as Natsu and Erza. As Gray.

It was though the universe had quite literally flipped on its head; her family were becoming enemies at the drop of a hat, while their enemies were being treated like family – and though she would forever be indebted to Juvia for her willingness to fight with Fairy tail, Cana wondered what Gramps was thinking when he let Gajeel in– after all he did to Lucy, to Levy.

Suffice to say she’d been looking for an emotional punching bag to relieve her of all that betrayal, and Gray’s unwarranted alliance with Daphne was the icing on the whipped cream of crap that’d become her life. She’d tried to apologise, in her own way, but Gray just waved it off – somehow that hurt more than if he’d never forgiven her at all.

He had a right to be angry. After all, if anyone should’ve known better, if anyone should’ve trusted him irrationally, it should’ve been her. Especially after everything they’d been through.

Cana blinked to see her tumbler once again painfully empty, and the sour taste of mead coating the back of her throat. She sighed; dredging up the past wouldn’t do either of them any good now. And it certainly wouldn’t stop her father from returning.

“Why hello there, pretty lady.”

Ugh. Cana’s lips curled distastefully as a man pulled up a barstool beside her and the sickly sweet croon of flirting trickled into her ear. Normally, she would jump at the opportunity to stuff down her emotions with drunk sex but she was hardly drunk and with the sloppy smile her neighbour was giving her, she doubted he was any good at the latter.

“No thanks,” she grunted, shifting away from him imperceptibly, the creak of her wooden chain echoing into the empty bar.

“Now, hold on a minute,” He scooted closer, the sweaty musk of some undoubtedly cheap perfume-oil pinching at her nose, “Don’t tell me you intend to keep all that lovely mead to yourself.”

“Why not?” She retorted, clutching the barrel protectively, “I paid for it.”

“Haven’t you heard of the saying that a drink has never tasted sweeter than the one you share it with?”

Cana rolled her eyes and turned to face him. This was her first proper look at the intruding man, and if she were in any better mood she’d have to admit she’d have slept with him without a second thought. Broad-shouldered, well-muscled, dark-hair, significantly older than her; it was like checking off a list.

“I’m Bacchus,” he gave her another saccharine smile when he noticed her sizing him up, “Often compared to the god of wine in my hometown.”

Cana snorted.

“Is that right?”

“I assure you,” he moved closer and motioned to her mead barrel, “–no one’s been able to beat me at a drinking contest yet.”

Cana found that hard to believe- despite his reservations, the man looked like a lightweight if she’d ever seen one. All brawn and no brains; they were usually the quickest to fall.

“I’m a member of Quatro Cerberus,” Bacchus continued, “I take it you’ve heard of us.”

“Nope,” She retorted, shifting away again in the hopes that he would get the hint and just leaver her the hell alone.

“We seem to have got off on the wrong foot,” he refused to tale the hint, “–why don’t we make a bet?”

Cana had a pretty good idea where this was going.

“You want to try and out-drink me?”

The idea was so ludicrous she might’ve laughed in his face if she were any less wary.

Now there weren’t many things Cana was proud of, but her wild teenage years had blessed her with an ironclad liver and a tolerance so high she’d have to toe the line between alcohol poisoning and death to really have a good night out. She was the reason there was a law in Magnolia stating bartenders were required to cut-off Fairy Tail wizards after their fifth barrel.

“No,” Bacchus held out his hand for her to shake, “I want you to try to out-drink me.”

If it were any other night, she would’ve got up and left by now. Normally she had no patience for arrogant asses who seemed determined to make fools of themselves but the thought of going back to the guild hall and facing everyone, facing Lisanna – Lisanna who hadn’t been there for the last five years; who hadn’t seen just how much of her grief Cana had chosen to drink away; Lisanna who’d stayed the exact same, bright-eyed and beautiful while her own heart shrunk unto itself – seemed even more unbearable.

“Fine,” she held out her hand hesitantly, seeing the dark glint in Bacchus’ eyes, “–what’re we betting on?”

“Just each other’s company,” He grinned, squeezing it, “But there’s a catch.”

She raised an eyebrow as Bacchus reached into the folds of his shiny purple, beetle-esque armour to pull out two metal flasks of liquid and held one out to her. Cana looked at him quizzically.

“Lotus-wine,” He explained, uncorking one with the flick of his finger, “A specialty where I’m from. I find mead to be too light for my stomach.”

Cana knew her alarm bells should be going off right now but the smell of the lotus-wine was strangely intoxicating in its newness, and the restlessness she’d been feeling all night was momentarily satiated by the unfamiliarity.

“I hope you’re ready to lose.”

Bacchus only nodded, watching her hungrily. Fingers closing around the flask, Cana tipped her head back and swallowed.

She was floating.

The wine had a vaguely sweet, berry-like flavour but everytime she tried to narrow down the offending fruit, it slipped off the tip of her tongue and sent her careening into a memory she’d desperately been trying to avoid.

She scrabbled at her lucidity for purchase as her vision blurred and tilted, the amber glow of the bar lights and poignant purple of her partner’s armour bleeding into one another to create the reddish-brown hue of her father’s hair.

And suddenly, Cana was in a memory.

It was the winter of X778; she remembers it well because it was the day she’d decided to tell Gildarts the truth.

She was his daughter.

It was Cana’s most well-kept secret, something she hadn’t dared to say out loud even to herself (in case she might bring about a stray jinx), and not a soul at Fairy Tail suspected as much. The only two people who knew were the ones it was impossible to hide anything from, namely Gramps, and the one friend she’d chosen to tell in confidence, Gray Fullbuster.

(Natsu found out by accident but Cana managed to convince him that the reason she and Gildarts smelled alike was because they’d both been cursed by a pixie and he could at no point bring it up with his mentor or the curse would become permanent.)

Cana wore her best dress, and rehearsed her lines over and over: “Cornelia Alberona was my mother. She fell sick and told me to find you before she died. I came to Fairy Tail to find you, Dad.”

She’d even consulted the cards, and they guaranteed that today would be the most auspicious day to receive news about long-lost family. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Cana woke up bright and early, and waited in the guild hall at a quarter-past-ten: that was when Gildarts and Natsu usually returned from their training. (In hindsight, she was far more jealous of Natsu than she’d let on, after all, Gildarts may have been a great mentor but he was her father first).

Sure enough, the two burst in through a random wall, arm-in-arm, faces mirroring a devious grin, despite Natsu’s sporting a purple bruise that would disappear by lunchtime.

“Hello, there!” Gildarts greeted her the way he always did, one arm on her head to ruffle her hair, and a gentle smile. No more, no less. She often wondered wether it was wrong for her to ask for more.

“Uhm– I–“ Cana stumbled over her words, her mind suddenly blank as the most powerful wizard in Fairy Tail paused and looked back expectantly, waiting for to continue. The words Cornelia.. sick.. find.. Dad.. all tangled up in her throat and what came out instead was,

“I’m Dad– don’t become sick, you might find Cornelia too!”

Gildarts looked at her bemusedly, but before could open his mouth to ask what the heck she’d meant by that, Natsu tugged at his cape so hard, he ripped a piece right off and went flying into a wooden bench.

“Ow!” The pink-haired boy whined, rubbing his head before earning a sharp smack from Erza on the exact same spot and rushing to hide from the “Monster" behind his mentor. Gildarts picked him up, momentarily forgetting her blunder (forgetting her), and hoisted the little dragonslayer onto his shoulders, who for his part, spent the next ten minutes crowing about his newfound vantage point by taunting his redheaded adversary.

Cana sighed. Guess today wasn’t the right day after all.

“What’re you moping about,” a dark-haired boy interrupted her wistful mumbling, “I can see your sappiness from all they way over there.”

Cana felt her mood lighten as she looked up into equally dark eyes, now flickering with concern.

“And I can see your underwear,” She snickered, having the pleasure of seeing is face go from stoic to horrified in a matter of seconds. Once Gray had located his pants, and Cana had set up her impromptu fortune-telling booth on one of the bar tables, he joined her in keeping watch over the rest of the guild’s shenanigans.

The two of them had drifted together, against all odds, by being excluded from the rest of their guild since they were still children. They wouldn’t be invited to missions or after-parties and hence ended up around the guild-hall with nothing much to do. Cana hadn’t wanted to be friends at first, the clothes-stripping weirdo was the last person she’d seek out voluntarily, but over the years, found that she hadn’t minded his company. And it seemed to be mutual.

“So, did you tell him?” Gray asked, crossing his arms over his shiny, new guild-mark. Envy shone in Cana’s eyes but she tried her level best not to stare.

“How did you get Gramps to approve the guild-mark,” Cana said instead, “I thought you need to be at least 17 to be a licensed wizard in Magnolia.”

“Ah, this?” He puffed up his chest, pride shining out of every 12-year-old cell in his body, “He said I was ready to have mine.”

“You begged him didn’t you,” She suppressed a smile as Gray’s shoulders went taught.

“Did not,” He sniped, but watched quietly as she laid out the blue deck of oracle cards in front of her in neat lines.

“Did you steal the guild-stamp then?” Cana was only joking but when she saw Gray absentmindedly rubbing the silver cross necklace around his neck (a tell), she gasped, sending a few cards scattering over the wooden floorboards.

“You did!”

“Not on purpose! Natsu dared me to do it!”

“That IS on purpose, you idiot!” Cana groaned and put her head in her hands; when Gramps heard about this they’d all be in trouble. Natsu, Erza, even Lisanna! When one of them was in trouble, all of them were: Fairy Tail motto through and through. And Laxus would give ‘em all hell for it.

“Yeah, yeah, they’ll never know,” Gray shrugged off her nagging and bent over to pick up the fallen cards.

"Sure,” She rolled her eyes, “I bet you can’t keep your clothes on for more than 10 minutes!”

“My clothes ARE on!”

“For NOW!”

“What’s all this about clothes now?”

Cana only just kept herself from gasping out loud as Gildarts’ rumbling voice interrupted their tiff; the wizard then bent over to pick up the final card and lay it on top of the wooden bar table: The Emperor .

Even Gray fell quiet at the sight of the man, awestruck by the raw magical energy that seemed to fill the room with his presence even before he arrived. Gildarts knelt to be eye-level with the children and smiled.

“Now, I remember you trying to tell me something little-miss,” he said kindly, looking at Cana.

“Are you sure you have to leave so soon?” Master Makarov interrupted scurrying at Gildarts’ heels, before she could open her mouth.

“I’m afraid so, Master,” he replied, his face taking on a hardened edge Cana hadn’t seen before, “The beast is too cunning to be slain by normal means; only brute force will work.”

Master Makarov gave a deep sigh and squeezed his guild member’s shoulder.

“Remember what I said to you earlier,” Makarov’s voice took on an almost threatening tone, “–you will always have family here.”

Cana watched their back an forth in confusion, suddenly clapping her hands together as an idea came to her.

“I can read your fortune!” She said excitedly, reshuffling The Emperor card into the blue deck in front of her.

Makarov and Gildarts exchanged a look.

“I haven’t heard those words in a long time,” Gildarts said finally, turning back to her, “– tell me, little girl, was your mother a fortune-teller too?”

“Yes! Corn– uh– cornfields! She used to work in the cornfields in the countryside which is where she learned to read..”

Gray shook his head as if to say ‘smooth.’

“I- uh- I see,” Gildarts nodded awkwardly like what she’d said made perfect sense.

“Anyway,” Cana tried to move on from the hiccup, “Just give me a second.”

She closed her eyes and focused on the small, paper panels of the cards, the runes inscribed onto them and breathe in, breathe out, breath in...

Cana held in a grin as she heard Gray catching his breath at the new party trick she’d learnt specially to impress her father. The cards had begun to glow a faint blue, and float around her in gentle circular patterns with three main ones flipping over to tell the fortune.

She opened her eyes, pleased to find both Gildarts and Gramps clapping obediently, while Gray’s expression had already soured.

“What does it say?” Gildarts prompted.

“You’ll finish the mission very quickly and be back home in a jiffy!” Cana affirmed. The S-class wizard laughed then, gently ruffling her hair again, before taking his leave. A spark of what felt like panic seized her chest, all of a sudden.

“Let’s hope you’re right little–“

“Cana.”

“Hm?” He turned in confusion.

“My name’s Cana. Cana Alberona.” She said matter-of-factly, waiting to see a glimpse of recognition in Gildarts’s impenetrable gaze.

“Well, then,” He smiled knowingly, “Let’s hope you’re right Little Cana Alberona.”

And then her father was gone.

Cana felt herself drift back into the present reluctantly; that hadn’t been the entire memory, there was still more that happened after Gildarts left, but she found herself dipping in and out of the current like a leaf, until it completely swept her back onto shore, back into the ochre glow of the inn on the outskirts of Magnolia.

Cana found that though she’d regained consciousness, the lotus-wine had quite literally swept her off her feet; she was lying on the wooden floorboard, at the foot of her barstool, objectively and inexcusably drunk.

Her pride was more wounded than she was. This is what the great Cana Alberona had been reduced to? For shame.

The memory had left her feeling light-headed, so much so that she didn’t notice Bacchus leaning over her curled up frame in triumph, holding what looked like a turquoise-blue flag.

“Looks like I win,” he crooned, waving the flag in front of her eyes, “Guess I’ll be taking this as a trophy, pretty lady.”

Cana didn’t think much of it, the aftermath of the wine and memories demanded she sleep it off, even here, on the inn’s wooden floorboards; until she turned to fold unto herself and made the shocking revelation that her bra was missing.

Her.. Bra.. Was..

Oh that wasn’t a turquoise flag he was waving in her face, it was her–

Cana’s eyes flashed open, arms protectively clutching at her naked chest; just in time to see the door swing open and Bacchus’s big, broad-shouldered frame fly backwards and hit the wall with a sickening crack of broken bone.

Gray Fullbuster stood at the entrance, his dark eyes flashing with unbridled rage.

Next Chapter ->

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happilychee · 4 months

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how fairy tail takes care of you when you're sick

cw: descriptions of being sick

I have covid and I wanted to cheer myself up :(

♡ it's a normal day at the fairy tail guild. the job board is crowded with papers, drinks and food are flowing, someone's starting a fight (natsu), and the air is filled with lively chatter. there's only one thing off: you're not there.

♡ gray is the first one to notice. he's at a table with lucy, cana, and erza. he and erza just got back from a stealth mission that paid them well, and he's looking forward to relaxing. except... "where's [name]?" he asks. lucy furrows her brow. "they weren't in yesterday... should we check on them?" gray nods, and the four of them leave the guild hall.

♡ you feel like someone threw you through a wall. your nose is clogged, feeling stuffy and congested. your throat itches and every time you cough it feels like you're hacking away at your lungs. there's a building pressure in your head, a pulsing pain that signals the onset of a migraine. you think that you'd be able to handle the usual symptoms of a cold, except for the burning aches in your lower back. your coughs shake your entire body as your muscles scream in protest, and you curse whatever virus decided to infect you.

♡ you manage to get yourself out of bed and into your kitchen, hoping to make yourself some rice or hot tea with honey. instead, you start seeing black spots swim across your vision, and the world starts tilting like you're swaying on the prow of a ship. you lower yourself onto the cool tile floor, relishing in the soothing temperature against your burning skin. you're so out of it that you don't register the knocks at your door turning into insistent bangs.

♡ finding you half passed out on your kitchen floor was not on gray's to-do list for the day. his worried hands hover over your shivering form, unsure what to check first. erza settles the matter by scooping you into her arms, Requiping out of her armor as she carries you to the couch.

♡ gray takes charge of the kitchen, your favorite recipes coming to kind. he settles on a warm and hearty soup, sure to soothe your hunger and your aches. he starts chopping vegetables, turns on the stove, and soon enough, the kitchen is filled with a delicious and appetizing aroma.

♡ erza is the one who takes your temperature, gets you back to enough coherency to explain your symptoms, and then finds the right medicine for you. she props your back up with pillows, tucks a blanket around you, and feeds you the disgusting cold medicine that porlyusica and wendy swear by.

♡ cana would love to help you and take care of you, except lucy looks pale as a sheet and a little green. she helps the blonde sit at the kitchen table, patting her arm soothingly. lucy mumbles that her mom passed from an illness, and seeing you so sick makes bad memories come back. cana soothes her, reassuring her that you'll be fine. lucy only relents when your eyes crack open, and you direct a gooey smile at her.

♡ you fade in and out of consciousness, snippets of sound and touch registering in your brain. someone is petting your hair while singing, their soft hands braiding and unbraiding your locks. a hand trails over your back, warm and calloused fingers digging into the knots in your shoulders. you purr under the sensation, leaning into the comforting touch. a soft arm, usually covered in armor, wraps around you to sit you up as a chilly hand brings a spoonful of something warm and delicious to your chapped lips. cold bangles brush against your skin as someone lifts you up, carrying you to the land of dreams.

♡ when you regain consciousness, your friends don't let you lift a single finger. gray cooks every meal for you with cana as his sous chef, erza is on top of your medication, natsu distracts you by telling silly stories, and wendy casts pain-relieving spells to help you recover faster. lucy refuses to leave your side until you're fully healed, so she's always fluffing your pillows, bringing you hot tea with honey, and feeding you snacks. the only time she calms down is when you ask her to read for you. her calming voice lulls you in and out of sleep as you listen to her read about a fairy tale princess's adventure.

♡ levy drops off books at your place so you can occupy your mind. most are either your favorites or her recommendations, but gajeel manages to sneak in a spicy book or two, which has you laughing so hard you start coughing.

♡ mira cooks up a storm in the guild hall, partially out of a desire to help you and partially out of worry. there's enough soup to feed fairy tail ten times over, and she insists that half of it be sent to you. lisanna ans juvia also stop by with some homemade baked goods. juvia gives you a steaming hot loaf of banana bread, some cookies and muffins, and a bunch of pastry buns. "it's just a cold, you didn't have to do all this." you try to reason, but no one listens to you when you look nauseous and your shoulders are shaking.

♡ there's someone at your place every day while you're recovering. it could be natsu and happy raiding your pantry and making a mess, it could be lucy and gray cleaning up their mess while erza yells at them, it could be wendy with balms and salves and a story to tell you, it could be the strauss siblings with more food and cheer than you'd ever seen before, it could be juvia with gajeel, lily, and a basket of your favorite buns. point being, fairy tail doesn't take their eyes off you for a moment while you're under the weather.

♡ when you feel well enough to come to the guild hall, everyone starts cheering. laxus fires up the grill, mira pours drinks in a flurry, and cana drags you into some drinking game. the entire guild hall roars to life, partying the night away, because what better reason is there to celebrate than the return of a dear friend?

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gruviaa · 28 days

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marmaladeclown · 3 months

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could I interest you in some JuCana in the year 2024? 🧍‍♀️

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thatbirdrestaurant · 1 year

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Gray: *Sneaking out of Natsu’s room*

Cana: *Sneaking out of Lucy’s room*

Gray and Cana: *Freeze and stare at each other*

Gray: What are you doing?

Cana: What are YOU doing?

Gray: That’s Lucy’s room

Cana: That’s Natsu’s room

Juvia: *Sneaking out of Erza’s room and freezes when she sees Gray and Cana staring at her*

Gray, Cana, and Juvia: *All awkwardly staring at each other*

Gray: …You never saw me. I never saw you.

Cana and Juvia: Agreed.

#fairy tail #gray fullbuster #gratsu #cana alberona #luana #lucy x cana #juvia lockser #juza #ervia #incorrect quotes #fairy tail incorrect quotes

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whateveranimex · 2 years

Conversation

*the guild right before Natsu and Lucy's wedding*

Gray: Well, I have to go, I have a wedding to attend.

Cana: Wait... Oh! I have a wedding to attend too.

Erza: Oh, I have a wedding to attend as well.

Elfman: I THINK WE ALL HAVE WEDDINGS TO ATTEND.

Makarov, panicked: I THINK I HAVE A WEDDING TO OFFICIATE!

#anime #Anime / Manga #incorrect anime quotes #incorrect fairy tail quotes #natsu dragneel #natsu x lucy #fairy tail #gray fairy tail #fairy tail erza #Nalu #Lucy Heartphilia #lucy heartifilla #fairy tail lucy #gray fullbuster #Cana Alberona #erza titania #elfman strauss #Makarov Dreyar

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mabellazou01 · 1 year

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Gray loves Lucy. He was pretty straightforward when it comes to the girl he loves. He always protects Lucy from behind. For example, the time Lucy said there was a stalker, Gray followed her home making sure she was safe. the time Gemini copied Gray's mind and said Gray loved Lucy. He sometimes blushes around Lucy, always caring for Lucy, and answers Lucy's words - he is so relaxed when around Lucy and the two always joked around. While he was pretty much annoyed at Juvia's advances. Even calling Juvia gross and annoying at the celebration of Grand Magic Games and rejected her more than once. This isn't what a relationship is supposed to be like. Gray deserves true love, and Juvia, on the other hand, is a good match for Lyon, not Gray.

#graylu #gray x lucy #gray fullbuster #juvia lockser #lucy heartphilia #lucy heartifilla #fairy tail juvia #mirajane #natsu #cana alberona #erza scarlet

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secretkittywolf · 8 days

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Fairy Tail ships I ship

(I don't own any of the fanart used. Credit to the original creators)

Nalu

They're so cute!!!

I adore these two so much. I hope that they become cannon in the 100yr Quest (if they haven't already since I haven't read it)

Nali

Besties for life!

They have such a cute brother-sister relationship and Natsu was so happy when the Edolas Lisanna was his best friend. Such a cute platonic pairing.

Gruvia

I love them!!!

I love their relationship so much. At first, Gray couldn't stand Juvia but he soon realised how much she cared and how much he cared for her. The whole Juvia vs Gray fight in the finale made me cry, especially when they killed themselves because they didn't want to kill the other QwQ

Gajevy

They're ship is so cute and gradual and I love it.

Yes, Gajeel did hurt her and chain her to a tree when they first met, but he's shown and proven to her how much he's changed. Their love is beautiful and I love them.

LoLu

I have to admit, I did ship them at first, but it's more platonic than romantic now. Still a cute ship tho.

Romeo & Wendy

Another platonic pairing. It's cute but I don't ship them romantically.

Sky Sisters

They have such a cute friendship!

I adore the Sky Sisters friendship and I want to see more of them! I also heard that these two could be cannon, which I'd would love to know if it's true or not. So yeah, ship them platonically and romantically.

Elfgreen

I want more of these two!!!

I want to see more of Elfman and Evergreen so badly. The tsundere and the big strong guy is so cute and the scenes in GMG were so cute.

Miraxus

I'd love to see more of them since I ship them platonically at the moment.

Freeuxus

I love these two idiots.

Freed adores Laxus and the dragon slayer obviously has a soft spot for Freed.

Stingue

Light and dark. Sun and moon. Introvert and extrovert etc. I ship them so much!!!!!!

StingYu

He's the reason why she's still a part of Sabertooth!

Sting really cares for Yukino and they're so cute together. He even became guild master so Yukino could stay and it's so sweet!

Graylu

Another platonic pairing I love.

They're a couple of sillies and I need more of them being idiots.

Zavis

Their whole relationship is both cute and sad.

Mavis cursed herself accidentally and now they're immortal together. I love them

Cancer x Gray (Gracer??? Ig??)

Why is this the only image of these two together?!

I need more Gracer! (Sounds better than Cray doesn't it?) The whole danceoff was gay af and since I'm a multishipper, I ship them.

Bicksanna

The fandom made me ship them. The fandom made me realise just how cute these two are.

Mirerza

Rivals to best friends, I love them so much. I also ship them romantically on occasion as well.

Grerza

Both platonically and romantically, these two are cute.

Benefits of being a multishipper!

Bisca x Alzack

They're cute and they're cannon!!!

Seeing them in Edolas together was adorable and I'm glad in the cannon universe they also get together.

Ulter & Meredy

Sisters.

They have a sister relationship and I love it.

Meredy & Juvia

Adorable. They became such good friends and I want more of their friendship.

CanLu

I think these two are quite cute together.

I'd love to see more of their friendship.

ErLu

Read a fanfic once of these two and I love them together!

The princess and her knight in shining armour!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAA!!!! I ship them so much!!!!!!

Gratsu

They always make me laugh. I ship them both platonically and romantically.

Natsu & Erza

I adore the brother-sister relationship they have.

Erza is the big sister having to keep chaotic younger brother Natsu under control (even tho Natsu is older)

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everythingnerdyxoxo · 4 months

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That Text - Gruvia - Fairy Tail

Summary: It had been 8 years since they last spoke until out of the blue he contacts her. Modern AU

Pairing: Gruvia

Chapter Three

They went to one of the local pubs. It was a place they both attended regularly when back in college but never together. Juvia remembered watching Gray and Lucy from across the pub many a time when she would go out with Gajeel and Levy. They were always her biggest supporters.

It brought up some raw memories for her, but as she looked across the table at Gray who was looking back at her with a kind smile those memories ceased to affect her.

The alcohol continued to flow, they laughed and reminisced about old times. Gray spoke about his experiences in the army and Juvia spoke about her nurse training and about her job working with people with disabilities. Gray admired her for it.

They were mid flow with their conversation when their table was approached.

‘Look whose here! I wasn’t expecting to see the two of you together tonight!’ Cana and her boyfriend Bacchus had approached the table, Bacchus looking sheepishly as Cana drunkenly sat in the chair next to Juvia.

Juvia had fond memories of Cana; she was always lovely to her back in high school. She remembered her being a good friend of Lucy’s but a childhood friend of both Gray and Natsu. Bacchus however, she was unsure of. She knew of him, but she never really engaged with him back in school.

‘Cana! It’s been a while; I haven’t seen you since our last Christmas party.’ Gray trailed off his last sentence, trying to avoid eye contact with Juvia all of a sudden.

‘Oh yeah! Great party! Not such a good ending from what I can remember of it… But look at you Juvia!’ Cana wrapped an arm around Juvia pulling her close. ‘It’s been so long! You got hot! Look at the boobs on you now!’ Cana hiccupped between words as she spoke. Juvia blushed at the statement, the alcohol was heavily affecting her at that point, and she felt fuzzy with her thoughts.

‘I could say the same thing about you Cana! I haven’t seen you since the end of high school.’ She smiled kindly to her, gaining a smile back.

‘God high school! How long ago was that now! Can you believe were in our late 20s now! You remember Bacchus of course! He was in a different form to us, but you might have shared some classes together!’ Bacchus gave Juvia a wave, he was clearly intoxicated as well, a drunken blush to his cheeks.

‘What brings you guys together tonight? I didn’t even know you guys were still in contact from high school! The two of you were always the ones I thought were gonna be end game! Funny how things turn out eh?!’ Cana held Juvia steadfast in her grasp as she laughed.

Juvia looked bashfully at Gray, who wore a blush on his cheeks. ‘Were on a date.’ He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he spoke. Juvia felt like she was going to pass out from happiness as he said it out loud. The butterflies in her stomach, almost erupting from her in response.

‘A date!? Oh my gosh amazing! I always shipped you guys together; thought you were a much better match!’ Cana leant across the table, grabbing Gray’s arm in encouragement.

A deep blush showed on both Gray and Juvia’s cheeks as she said that.

‘Glad to hear it mate. Real shit what happened with Lucy and Natsu, couldn’t believe it when I found out! I was completely oblivious at the Christmas party.’ Bacchus put a reassuring hand on Gray’s shoulder. Gray’s eyes dropped to the ground, a serious and sad look on his features as he did so.

Juvia glanced at him, she had been cheated on previously, she knew the pain but never with someone she had been with that long. She hoped that she could perhaps heal him from that pain. But there was a niggling fear in her, what if her Gray-Sama wasn’t completely over Lucy, they had been together for so long, what if she was the rebound?

#that text #fanfiction #gray x juvia #gruvia #fairy tail #cana x bacchus #cana alberona #bacchus

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waynesdamians · 2 years

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fairy tail fic rec? i’m in my fairy tail phase for the 1000th time 😭.

#mimitalks #fairy tail #fairy tail x reader #erza scarlet #natsu dragneel #gray fullbuster #lucy heartfilia #wendy marvell #gajeel redfox #laxus dreyar #jellal fernandes #sting eucliffe #rogue cheney #lyon vastia #juvia lockser #mirajane strauss #cana alberona

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grayluforever · 4 months

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#gray x lucy #graylu #gray x cana #grayana #fairy tail #otp3

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justminawrites · 10 months

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Where The Stars Collide

AO3

Summary: When Team Natsu return from Edolas with Lisanna, the consequences set off a series of chain reactions across the Kingdom of Fiore, disturbing the long held peace between the wizard guilds and the Magic Council. Lucy Heartfilia is heartbroken to find that the celestial gate key of one of her oldest spirits, Aquarius, is missing, and with the help of Loke, her more-than-a-friend turned spirit, she sets off on a quest to recover it. Natsu Dragneel has had enough of waiting and joins Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvell, and a very, very reluctant Juvia Lockser on a mission to finally find the Dragons that left them all those years ago. At the same time, a mysterious prophecy is circulating around the town of Magnolia, tying two of Fairy Tail's strongest members and childhood sweethearts Gray Fullbuster and Cana Alberona into a tale of bitter and bloody revenge; and an ominous presence lurks on Tenrou Island, infecting the once-holy grounds. What will become of Fiore's fiercest protectors? What will happen to Fairy Tail?

prologue | 1 | 2 | TBC

1.1 : Mira

Mirajane Strauss knew better than to believe in miracles.

Magnolia was a metropolitan city soaked in more than its fair share of culture, marinating in so many different types of magic that even the most dedicated of archives couldn’t keep track of them all— celestial wizards, elemental mages, rune magic and healing spells, mimicry, puppeteering, requipping— but miracles were not one of them.

Of course there was an array of wish fulfilment and illusion magicks, tricks and trades that even the sleaziest castors knew to manipulate, but nothing could bring back someone from the dead. Nothing good anyway. Mira had long stopped peering into that part of her soul. So when she left with her brother to visit her little sister’s grave located in the cathedral church, one gloomy day, she didn’t expect to find a miracle waiting for her.

The door to the guild hall swung shut behind her and the scent of rain hesitantly kissed her nose, the smile on her face giving way to nothing. It had been 5 years since the incident. She could hear the guild members on the other side of the door recall the story in hushed tones. Lisanna would’ve turned 19 this summer. Her breath hitched and she swiped at her dry cheeks. Save your tears for the graveyard, a gentle voice in her head whispered, spring will be over soon.

A soft creaking noise and a large, warm hand on her left shoulder nudged her out of her reverie.

“Mira, we’re here.”

She blinked. The Kardia Cathedral loomed before them: located right in the heart of the town, a near fifteen minute walk from the guild hall, its four cylindrical pillars holding up the enormous green-domed building. It was one of Fiore’s more pretentious tourist traps, with billions of jewels being spent on the flattering archways, the high vaulted ceiling and the pristine marble floors, and little to nothing on its inhabitants. Any priests that survived the meagre wages never showed their faces, preferring to give sermons behind silk or wood screens to largely empty pews.

It was also where Laxus challenged Natsu and the others when he held his coupe.

“We’re here” she replied dully.

The creaking was coming from a tiny gate on the east side of the church, the path to the graveyard. Unlike her brother, Elfman, Mira wasn’t alarmed by her brief lapse of memory; she’d been forgetting more and more things lately. It always happens around this time of year, she noted, latching the gate into place.

Lisanna’s gravestone was one in a long row of similar grey, rounded tablets, inscribed with the Fairy Tail’s sigil, vertically apart from an empty stone coffin. Elfman opened a red umbrella just as a drop of rain plopped onto Mira’s head and they both stood quietly as it pattered around the two siblings, soaking their shoes and nearly all of Elfman’s hair.

Empty, because her sister disappeared right in her own two hands, she mused as she took the bouquet of lilies from her brother and placed it on the grave’s flat, shiny surface.

Empty, because there wasn’t even a body to bury or burn, there wasn’t a single pice of her sister she could hold on to, only the memories of her bruises and the blood. So much blood. There were days where she would wake up in cold sweat, fingers wrapped around torn sheets because she couldn’t remember her sister’s face, just blood and a high pitched wailing. How could you Mira. How could you.

She didn’t know why she kept coming back here; Lisanna never had any fondness for churches and although Mira knew about the second grave that Natsu had built for her sister in a hut in the East Forest, where they had spent their childhood, she could never bring herself to visit it. Two graves were not better than one.

Mirajane looked around at the rows of headstones that surrounded her and for the first time in five long years, wondered how many of them were as hollow as their visitors.

Then she crouched down and ran her thumb along the smooth edge of the stone and sighed, her cheeks wet only from the rain: every year she told herself that the tears would come this time, and every year they never did. Both the Strauss siblings shared this strange grief. It was almost as though they were afraid that if the tears returned, Lisanna wouldn’t. If they could hold on for a little longer then maybe—

Maybe what? She’d come back? The thought was red hot and stung, sharper than a slap. Mira absentmindedly touched her cheek to check for a mark.

The bell began to toll.

Grow up Mirajane, your sister is dead. This voice sounded like her own, bitter and resentful, warped with pain and something she couldn’t name, spinning round and round in her head in time with the tolling.

Your sister is dead and it’s your fault.

It’s your fault.

It’s-

“Mira!”

Mirajane shook her head and looked up at Elfman, who stared back at her bemusedly.

Did she imagine it?

“Big Brother Elf!"

There was no way.

She turned around to see a girl running towards them, unbothered by the rain— with short white hair like the siblings, and blue eyes sparkling with tears. Mira thought she saw the distinct frames of Natsu and Erza behind the girl. What was going on?

“Mira.. I think I might be hallucinating” Elfman whispered quietly, the umbrella slipping out of his hand; it fell to the ground with little protest.

“It can’t be-” she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself. Something vicious inside of her quieted.

Five years. Five long years of waiting and waiting.

“It can’t be.” She repeated. Mira tried to clench her palms to keep them from shaking.

“Lisanna?”

The girl seemed to glow when her name was said, taking a step, two steps forward before throwing herself into the sister she hadn’t seen in so long. Mirajane didn’t realise she was crying until she pressed her cheeks into the girl’s shoulder, dampening her warm skin- she was alive and she was warm and she was, she was-

home.

“Welcome home.”

In her twenty-two years on Earthland, that was the first miracle Mirajane Strauss had ever seen. Soon after, she would wish that it was the last.

1.2 : Lucy

Something was bothering Lucy Heartfilia.

It begun the moment they left Edolas, a persistent itch, like a stray eyelash, that prodded at her subconscious, demanding her attention. They were making their way back to the guild after Lisanna’s tearful reunion with her siblings and Lucy couldn’t shake the feeling that she was forgetting something important. Gray was the first one to notice.

“Everything okay, Lucy?” He asked as he watched her fiddle with the cloak Natsu had given her, looking mildly frustrated.

“Huh- yeah it’s probably nothing, I’m just a little shaky from the anima I guess” she shrugged, her hand immediately reaching for the pouch of keys safely tucked into her belt, and releasing a small breath of air as she confirmed their presence for the fifth time. No matter how quickly she seemed to lose her clothes each time she went on a mission, her keys seemed immune to this particular trait; a fact that Lucy was grateful for every time they fought a villain with any fondness for water. Her hair really couldn’t take more of this.

Gray nodded and ran a hand through his hair, a strange expression Lucy couldn’t pinpoint— sad? wistful? crossing his face.

“I know what you mean, Edolas was really something… different” Erza interrupted, placing an armoured hand on both of their shoulders as they neared the guild hall. She’d been quick to requip back into her usual attire when they’d landed, Lucy noted— the return back to their world seemed to have recharged most of their powers, but her emotional batteries were spent. And of course, there was that itching feeling.

Lucy was just about to unhook her pouch and start counting through all thirteen of her keys when Elfman flung open the doors and a collective gasp descended on Fairy Tail as Mirajane walked in, protectively clutching a girl they hadn’t seen in five years; a girl they all thought dead.

“There’s no way. . .”

An explosive welcome would be putting it lightly— the guild hall erupted with happiness, confusion, relief. Lisanna was alive? Lisanna was alive! How could Lisanna be alive?

Lucy was unfortunately thrust right into the flood of tears and hugs eclipsing the newly undead Edolas refugee right alongside Natsu, Erza, Gray and Wendy.

Gajeel hung back, seemingly content with whispering to his newly found Exceed instead. He caught her staring and glowered until she turned away, Lucy wondered if she’d ever figure that guy out.

Master Makarov’s face had gone pale and he muttered something under his breath; if Lucy didn’t know better she’d think it was a prayer. Lisanna extricated herself from the crowd and knelt in front of him, pulling the tiny, old man into a fierce hug. A hush fell on the room as the usually upbeat and cheerful guild master’s eyes flooded with tears, before the shouts of joy rang out louder and clearer this time.

“Lisanna’s home!”

“She’s home!”

“Natsu brought her back from the dead!”

“Not just Natsu— Erza too!”

“She’s alive!”

“My beloved Gray, you’ve finally returned! I was getting so worried!”

The last one was from Juvia Lockser. The tearful (was she crying this whole time?) water mage flung her arms around Gray much to his chagrin and the two nearly tumbled into Cana who was nursing her second barrel of mead that day.

“Watch it!” Cana snapped as she shifted the cask onto another table, sounding grumpier than usual, Lucy noticed. She’d have to make sure to ask Cana what was wrong later. But for now- Lucy managed to pull herself away from the crowd and dropped back long enough to catch her breath and watch curiously as Gray led Juvia right out the wooden doors from which they arrived.

Maybe his time in Edolas had changed the way he saw her, Lucy pondered, hands drifting to her pouch once more. It had certainly changed the way she’d seen Mystogan, the man with the face of the most wanted criminal in Earthland— and Edolas’ lost prince. Or maybe it hadn’t changed anything at all, she frowned, catching sight of a tired Wendy rubbing her red-rimmed eyes as her exceed, Carla, berated her for being un-ladylike. Maybe it had made things worse.

A flash of golden light interrupted Lucy before she could go over to comfort the girl, and she caught a glimpse of tawny gold hair before she was staring into the hazel eyes of her favourite (though she’d never admit it) Celestial Spirit. If it wasn’t for the out-of-the-blue appearance, Lucy would have realised that it was the first time she’d ever seen him without his blue-tinted sunglasses.

“Lucy!” She could instantly tell that something wasn’t right. Loke never showed up without some grand gesture accompanying him and he’d never showed up looking so distressed before.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s no time to explain,” he shook his head and clasped her palm in his own, motioning for her to follow as he led them both behind the bar counter. Her guild mates were too caught up in the festivities to pay any attention to them.

“You have your keys, right?” She nodded and unhooked the pouch from the belt at her waist, pulling out the ring of keys that were her most prized possession. Loke quickly let go of her hand and handed her one of the many half-filled wooden goblets that lined the counter.

“I need you to summon Aquarius right away”

“With.. mead?” Lucy winced as she recalled The Water Bearer’s infamous temper when she summoned her once using water from a fish bowl— and just her temper in general.

“Don’t you think we should use normal-“

“Lucy, please.”

Lucy blinked and looked up. Loke looked the most disheveled she’d ever seen him, his trademark red tie missing, his shirt collar askew; his usual charm and charisma overshadowed by something that bordered on desperation.

“She might smell like mead for a while but otherwise she’ll be unscathed” he insisted, holding out the cup.

His voice was hoarse, as though he’d been screaming for hours and the shadows under his eyes were bruised purple; Lucy had a strong feeling he hadn’t even slept since the Edolas fight— but his panic was infecting her now, the bad feeling she’d been having all evening suddenly pooling into dread in the pit of her stomach.

“Alright” her fingers tightened on the key ring.

Lucy knew she was fortunate enough to possess contracts with 9 out of twelve of the zodiac spirits at this point, with Aries, Scorpio and Gemini being the latest additions to the team, but Aquarius had been with her the longest.

Their relationship often reminded her of Wendy and Carla’s, Aquarius was always correcting her, prodding at her, pointing out all her mistakes, but when it came down to it, Lucy knew Aquarius would protect her in a heartbeat. It’s why she rarely called on her strongest spirit; Aquarius would protect her a little too well.

That, and it was hard to find many water bodies that she’d consider appealing.

“Aries, Sagittarius, Virgo.. wait that’s not right-” Lucy frowned and held the ring up closer to her face.

“Lucy?”

“Hold on- Virgo, Leo, Taurus.. no, no this can’t be happening!”

Loke’s face lost all colour. The goblet clattered to the floor, splashing both their feet with lukewarm amber liquid.

“The key.. it’s—“ her voice rose with panic.

gone.

“Loke!”

Lucy barely made it in time to catch him before his knees buckled, and he fainted in her arms.

1.3 : Juvia

Juvia Lockser was convinced that nothing in the world mattered more than love.

After all, it was love that had saved her from falling and shattering into a million little raindrops. It was love that helped her find a new home after her guild was destroyed. It was love that had showed her the sun for the first time.

And it was minor technicality really, that her love hadn’t admitted that he loved her back.. yet.

But Juvia had nothing if not faith. She’d read enough novels to know that enough crying and near-death situations (both of which were easy to find) could solve the romantic tension between any pair of lovebirds, no matter how unlikely they were: ‘the bad boy and the good girl’, ‘the socialite and the socially awkward’, ‘the billionaire and the.. wait didn’t she do this one already?’

Either way, the book would insist that the main couple always ended up together, even if it took a contrived turn of events to make it that way, and while Juvia lost all interest in it after they became an item, she too wanted that kind of heart-racing romance— and she’d cry the whole ocean if it meant she could have it.

That’s why she was caught completely off guard when her beloved Gray Fullbuster pulled her aside and told her that it’s over.

“W-What?” She must’ve been hearing things; there’s no way that he would-

“I don’t like you like that, and I feel like I’ve led you on by not making it clear enough,” Gray sighed running a hand through his already mussed black hair. It had barely been ten minutes into their arrival when he’d asked her to join him outside, a few steps away from the brightly lit guild hall, and Juvia should’ve known that something was off immediately.

Gray was missing a shirt (not new) and covered in budding bruises (also not new), but his shoulders were slouched and his eyes were glazed over, as though he was somewhere else entirely. From what Juvia could tell, they’d all just traveled back from some kind of magic-draining endeavour, she couldn’t remember much from that morning, had they taken a job?

“You’re not leading me on, darling I don’t—“

“See, that’s what I mean,” he said, irritation creeping into his voice, “can’t you just stop with all that darling crap? We’re not together.”

Juvia flinched as a raindrop struck her bare shoulder and trickled down her upper back. She didn’t understand where it had come from, the sky was clear just a moment ago.

Gray pulled her towards a nearby kiosk to shelter from the incoming downpour, and they settled onto two unopened barrels. Juvia’s breath came out in white puffs, she hadn’t realised how cold it had gotten, and Gray’s entire torso was streaked with rain. Although he must’ve been freezing, his expression hadn’t shifted at all; serious and stern, only the shadows under his eyes betraying his exhaustion.

“If you just gave me a chance,” she began, reaching out to touch his cheek, to close the distance between them and pretend his words didn’t hurt; all fated couples had arguments before they got together officially - this was probably just her moment to confess her undying love; she could still turn this around.. right?

“Juvia,” she blinked as he looked at her bemusedly, eyes unreadable as ever; holding her wrist an inch away from his face, “You don’t deserve this.”

“You deserve to be with someone who loves you back.”

Juvia felt as though she would faint with relief. Is that what this was all about?

Her beloved Gray didn’t hate her, he just felt unworthy of her love. She’d come across this trope so many times that she was almost disappointed in herself for not seeing it sooner. Of course he wasn’t rejecting her, he would never even think to do such a thing. Their love was too vast and too deep for him to simply cast aside with a few words. He was probably just embarrassed that he couldn’t be as forward about his affections as she was.

“Oh Gray,” she said, her voice softening as he quickly dropped her hand and crossed both his own over the black guild mark on his chest, “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Gray blinked.

“You know that I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait as long as it takes to make you love me back,” she gushed, “I can’t believe that all this time you were worried about me and my feelings, you wouldn’t do that if you didn’t care for me at least a little.”

“Uh-“ he opened his mouth to protest, but Juvia was on a roll.

“Oh I really did pick the perfect man didn’t I?” She squealed, completely oblivious to his growing discomfort, “You’re so sweet and attentive and tortured and cold—“

“I wouldn’t say tortured—“

“And you’re right we should definitely take it slow, I’ll hold off on the nicknames for now, after all we don’t want our future children to think we’re not cool enough to be their parents or some equally ridiculous notion.”

“Future children?!” Gray spluttered in disbelief.

“And you care so much about hurting my feelings because you think you can’t give me the love I deserve but it’s not true because no one else but you make me feel-“

“Juvia!” She winced as he took hold of her shoulders, his icy fingers digging into her pale skin, and met his frustrated look with one of total bewilderment. Had she done something wrong?

“Sorry,” he let go of her immediately, pulling away and putting his head in his hands instead. An uncomfortable silence saturated the conversation and Juvia thought she could hear the faint chirping of crickets in the distance. A few seconds passed and then—

“Have you ever thought about my feelings?” The words came out quiet and matter-of-fact, as though he had suppressed the urge to say it many times over.

The ground could have disappeared underneath her feet at that moment and Juvia wouldn’t have noticed. His feelings? He’d saved her, his sworn enemy, in their very first encounter hadn’t he? And he’d welcomed her into his guild— he wouldn’t have done the same for just anyone, would he?

“Gray, I’m sorry if I did something to make you dislike me,” Juvia said, her voice barely a whisper, almost lost in the plinkplinkplink of the rain spilling from the tiled roof onto the pavement.

“I can fix it. If you tell me what it is, I won’t do it again.”

The silence returned, thick enough that she could feel it bore into her skull and pound at her temples. Silence like soaked cotton filling her lungs; silence that clung to her skin, heavy enough to drown in.

“-if I love someone else..” he said finally.

Gray looked at her then and Juvia realised that she’d never heard such weariness in his voice before.

“What?”

“And if I love someone else? Will you fix that too?”

Juvia had only ever known what it was like to drown once. It happened when she was six years old and the orphanage had taken them on a trip to the community pool as a treat.

The children were warned to stay away from the deep end everyone duly obliged, until it begun to rain. She couldn’t remember if she’d slipped or if someone had pushed her but the water was suddenly everywhere. In her ears, in her nose, it was suffocating her, dragging her down down down into its icy depths, the pressure in her lungs building and building, until she woke up retching in a medical ward.

The doctors promised her that they were able to get to her in time, and there was no cause for worry but Juvia never quite stopped believing that every drop of water she swallowed would somehow drip drip drip its way into her chest and fill her up until there was no room for anything else. That she would die a true Rain Woman. That was, of course, up till now, up until Gray.

Until she realised that this wasn’t her love story after all.

“You know what, forget it.” he mumbled, dispelling both the echoes of her past and the damp stillness they’d been sitting in, with his defeated sigh.

“You’re.. in love with someone else?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Gray’s eyes were cloudy again, his gaze fixated on something behind her shoulder but when she turned around all she saw were a few displaced barrels and a deck of playing cards atop one of them. There was no one else here. It was just her and him and the rain falling down around them as witness.

“But- but I love you, Gray”

Juvia hated her voice then. She hated how it cracked and spilled onto the pavement, mixing with the rain and the remnants of her love. She hated how it made her sound petulant, like a spoiled child in a store and how it couldn’t stop the tears that streaked down her face - desperate, hot, shameful tears that wouldn’t cease.

“I’m sorry,” he said, absentmindedly running a thumb over the shiny silver cross at his neck.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I see,” she said dully, emotion draining from of her words, her eyes. A sharp ache began to gnaw at her ribcage.

For the first time since she’d met him, Juvia wondered if he was telling the truth. Gray didn’t meet her gaze as he stood up and walked back into the rainy streets of Magnolia City.

Away from the kiosk, away from the guild and away from her; leaving the rain woman alone with a heart she’d shattered all on her own.

Next Chapter ->

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