Archive of Our Own

Gray cleared his throat and hastily tucked her hair behind her ear. "I-it must be bothering you," he stuttered, internally groaning at the lame excuse he came up with at the spur of the moment.

Though a little surprised, Juvia seemed to accept it. "Thank you, Gray-sama," she said, a light blush blooming on her cheeks and a smile finding its way to her lips.

She picked up a hairpin decorated with heart charms and gave it to the seller. "Juvia would like to have this, please."

But before she could start rummaging through her bag for some jewels, Gray had already stretched his arm toward the storekeeper.

"Gray-sama doesn't have to pay for this!" Juvia said, grabbing his hand. But Gray did not budge.

The shopkeeper grinned and took the jewels from his hand despite Juvia's resistance. She wrapped the heart-shaped hairclip in a small pouch and gave it to the flustered girl.

"Dear, there's nothing wrong with your boyfriend spoiling you from time to time," the middle-aged lady said, making Juvia blush. Gray coughed a little and directed his gaze to the shiny caramel apples in the food stall beside them.

Juvia thanked the lady with a slight bow. Hooking her arm with Gray's, they continued strolling through the streets of Clover town.

The town was celebrating the annual Spring Bloom Festival, a week-long event featuring the flowers that bloom on this side of Earthland. Since both Gray and Juvia hadn't yet witnessed the festival before, they decided to take some time off from the guild to attend the last day.

Today was the actual Parade of Flowers, marking the finale of the famous festival. The water mage had been bristling with excitement and anticipation all day long.

"Gray-sama," he heard Juvia say, causing him to tilt his head towards her. "Thank you for buying this for Juvia." She dangled the small package in front of him, and Gray couldn't help but notice how long and slender her fingers were.

If those fingers would just slide down his palms and find their place between his fingers...

Juvia gasped as she felt Gray's cold hand reach out to her own, his mere touch sending electricity down her spine.

Gray was also surprised, realizing that he acted on instinct again rather than conscious thought. He was never big on any public display of affection, so he understood the stunned look on Juvia's face as he held her hand.

But today, he just couldn't keep his hands off of her. And he had a clue why as his previous conversation with the "experienced" fellows at the guild replayed in his mind.

"You're one lucky bastard, you know that?" Wakaba remarked after blowing his pipe. "If only my wife were as loving as Juvia —"

"She's not my wife," Gray quickly interjected, wondering and a little irritated at how he ended up at this guild table. One moment he was encasing the flame brain in ice, and the next moment he was sitting here in his boxers with Macao, Wakaba, Elfman, and Cana, drinking his third bottle of beer for no apparent reason.

"But she sure acts like one, pampering you and everything," Wakaba observed. "Man, what I would give to get my wife to be like that again."

"Drop it, that's never going to happen," Macao chimed in, grinning as if spiting his old friend. And then he turned to Gray.

"If you don't want her love to fade over time, stop being the frigid ice boy. You gotta give her something."

Gray snorted. "I'm sorry, did I ask for anyone's opinion?" Seriously, why are they talking about Juvia all of a sudden? He took a swig from his beer.

"Besides, we're doing great." We've never been happier, he wanted to add about his week-old relationship, but he wasn't nearly drunk enough to turn sappy.

"You're doing great now," Cana quipped, a bit of slur in her words, her cheeks already a berry shade. "Wait 'till she bumps her head and realizes she's doin' all the heavy lifting 'cause of your lazy ass."

Gray thought of all the things Juvia did for him. Aside from telling him how much she loved him in hundreds of creative ways, she would also cook for him (always with his face on a bread or a bento), sew him stuff (dolls, scarf —even a damn body pillow he would never admit he enjoyed unless Erza threatened him at knifepoint), wait for him to come back at the guild (regardless of whether it was a half-day or week-long mission), and attack him with hugs and kisses (he would scowl but never resist).

Just what exactly had he done for her?

Wait for her to finish her mission, like what he was doing now? So he could walk her home and she'd invite him for a nightcap? Perhaps cuddle and make out a little? Maybe do... more?

Blood almost rushed to his cheeks at the thought, if only he weren't feeling a little guilty. She'd be tired when she came back, yet he was thinking of tiring her out more.

Cana's right. He was an ass of a boyfriend.

The good thing was that he could still make things right.

He cleared his throat. "What should I do then?" he asked in his most nonchalant way to suppress the internal panic he was suddenly feeling.

Cana smirked as she leaned toward him, her drunken breath tickling his ear. "Finally realized you're screwing things up, eh?" Ugh, he couldn't get past the bullshit detector of that woman.

He downed his whole bottle before answering.

"I just wanna be a good man for her." There, he said it. He could hear Cana chuckling, but to hell with it.

"Spoken like a real man!" Elfman exclaimed, raising his beer mug and chugging it in one go. Well, if he got Elfman's approval, he must be on the right track towards "being a man," whatever that means.

"The rule's pretty simple: Happy wife, happy life," Wakaba said, though probably more to himself than to Gray. "Though, of course, that's easier said than done. Just don't annoy her when she's mad, and follow her every order, and do the household chores, and –"

"Or, you can just show her more of your feelings," Mirajane butted in as she placed new beer bottles on their table. "It doesn't take much to make a girl happy, Gray. Especially a girl like Juvia."

"Yes, being able to show your feelings without hesitation is manly!"

"Ooh, I can just imagine Juvia melting into a puddle when you kiss her in the middle of the whole guild," Cana teased.

Gray rolled his eyes and grabbed his fourth bottle of beer. All this talk about being showy in public... Yes, it wasn't his style, but if it would make Juvia happy, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

But with all the things Juvia's been doing for him... was that enough?

Mira's voice shook him from his thoughts. "Do you know about the five love languages, Gray?" He shook his head.

Mira nudged him to move as she squeezed herself into the space beside him, a knowing smile on her face.

"Every person has different ways to express their love. The first one is words of affirmation, which really isn't your strongest suit," she told him, and Gray agreed immediately. "The second is quality time, so maybe that's more your style?"

"Maybe I could ask her to go on a mission with me?" Gray pondered.

"Nah, missions are a lot of work," Macao chipped in. "Ask her on a date. Spend some nice, fun time together."

"That's more like it," Mira replied. "That's not so hard for you, right?"

"I guess I can do that," Gray shrugged.

"Sweet! I guess you can also do acts of service..."

"What's that?"

"Wash the dishes, clean the house, fix the pipes, wake up in the middle of the night to take care of the crying kid..." Wakaba enumerated with a tired look on his face.

"Just do stuff to make her life easier," Mirajane interrupted. "Know what she's going to need even before she says it, got it?" Gray nodded, prompting her to continue.

"The fourth love language is gifts. I think this is Juvia's expertise."

"I can never match all those homemade gifts she's given me." He remembered the scarf she made for him on their 413th anniversary... which made his mind wander to the body pillow he sometimes pulled out of his closet during lonely nights...

"And finally, you can show Juvia your love through touch," Mirajane concluded. Gray choked on his drink.

"Oi, what kind of touch are you thinking of giving Juvia-chan, Gray-sama?" Cana teased.

"Get lost, drunkard," Gray replied, taking another swig of his beer to hide his flaming cheeks.

And that was why today, all that talk about love languages got his brain into overdrive. If he couldn't show Juvia his love through words, there were many other ways to do so – spending time with her at the festival, being attentive to her needs, buying her gifts...

And apparently, touching her. A lot.

"Eh, Gray-sama?" Juvia's voice somehow broke into his consciousness. He immediately let go of her hand, taking the small package she was carrying.

"Uhh, I think you should let me carry this," he said as he placed it in his pocket. "To, you know, free up your hands."

Gray mentally cursed himself. Free up your hands? What kind of reason is that?!

After giving him a confused look, Juvia blushed and cradled her face with her hands. "Gray-sama wants to free up Juvia's hands so he can hold them! So sweet!" This made some heads turn towards the couple, making Gray redden as well.

He felt Juvia's hand interlace with his as they continued walking side by side. Though it wasn't the first time they held hands, he was keenly aware of how perfectly her hand fitted in his. He absentmindedly smiled at the thought.

After a while, a faint rumbling noise coming from his partner reached his ears. Fortunately, he knew that sound very well.

"You hungry?"

"Ah, Gray-sama heard that?" Juvia gave an embarrassed laugh.

"We should eat, then. You like takoyaki, right?" Gray asked, and she nodded. He gently pulled Juvia towards the nearest food stall. "I'm getting hungry, too."

So far, so good, Gray thought as he searched his brain for more ideas on how to be a good boyfriend.

He ordered two sets of takoyaki, not noticing a white-haired man eating at the same stand.

"If it isn't the lovely Juvia-chan!"

Gray's eyes twitched as he turned his attention to the owner of that familiar yet irritating voice. He watched in slow motion as his brother-slash-rival's face lit up at the sight of Juvia, how he extended his arms to embrace the girl even though it was clear as day that she was his.

For goodness' sake, Juvia's body was pressed against him, and they were even holding hands!

He stepped in front of Lyon just when he was about to hug his girl.

"Hey, Lyon."

"Gray! Didn't notice you there," Lyon greeted him haughtily, patting his back with a little too much gusto.

"Lyon-san!" Juvia exclaimed. "You're also here for the festival?"

Lyon side-stepped Gray to get closer to Juvia and grab her hand. "Yes! Actually, it was a last-minute decision on my part, but something in my gut told me that I must go. It must be fate seeing you here again, Juvia-chan."

Gray growled and reclaimed Juvia's hand from Lyon's grasp. "How can it be fate when Juvia is with her boyfriend?"

He watched in amusement as the weight of his words sank into Lyon's brain. Behind him, Juvia gasped and turned red as a tomato while muttering the words, "b-boyfriend..." and cradling her burning face with her hands.

"You're dating now?" The dynamic ice mage asked, doubt written all over his face.

Gray would've wanted to rub it in Lyon's annoying face, but it was Juvia who answered. "It's Gray-sama and Juvia's 15th day anniversary as a couple!" She turned to Gray with such a sweet smile that he couldn't help but smile back at her, momentarily forgetting the presence of his annoying frenemy.

When Lyon spoke again, Gray was surprised to hear a sense of genuine satisfaction in his voice.

"Is that so?" Lyon asked in a soft tone, a smile on his lips. "I'm happy for you, Juvia-chan." He then narrowed his eyes towards Gray and added, "I just hope this dense block of ice is treating you right."

Gray was about to pound his head with an ice hammer, but Juvia's words made him stop.

"Juvia is so lucky to have Gray-sama as her boyfriend. He never fails to make Juvia feel loved." She glanced at him, and the look in her eyes was so genuinely filled with love that he couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again.

He hated to admit it, but Lyon was miles better than him at being a boyfriend. He could show his love effortlessly and shower Juvia with words that could make her melt like ice cream on a hot summer day. He could see him giving her expensive and thoughtful gifts that she would surely cherish. Maybe he'd spend quality time with her on real dates instead of long-drawn-out missions...

But seeing her like this, looking at him with nothing but pure love in her eyes while ideal-boyfriend-Lyon was right in front of her... How could he not fall in love with her when she accepted him as her boyfriend wholeheartedly, in spite of all his flaws?

Gray reached out to her, wrapping his arm around her slender waist and pulling her close to him. He felt Juvia hug him back, prompting him to give Lyon a smug look.

Lyon just smiled back at him. "Juvia could do a lot better than you, you know," he said, finding satisfaction in the vein that suddenly popped on Gray's forehead. "But the heart wants what it wants. So you better take care of Juvia's heart."

"You don't even need to say it, dummy." Gray tightened his hold on Juvia.

Lyon decided to ignore him and instead turned his attention to the blushing girl. "Well, it's nice to see your beauty again, Juvia-chan." In one swift movement, he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it before running away from Gray's curses and quickly disappearing into the crowd.

"That damn bastard!" Gray cursed, but Juvia's sudden wailing caught his attention.

"Juvia's sorry, Gray-sama! She promises she won't ever let anyone other than Gray-sama kiss any part of her body!" she said while wiping the tears streaking down her face.

It took a couple of minutes for Gray to calm Juvia down and convince her it wasn't her fault. They finally got to eat their takoyaki in peace afterward, with Gray also getting Juvia a teddy bear-shaped cotton candy to satisfy her sweet tooth.

Finally, the thumping of loud drums and the blare of horns signaled the start of the parade.

Gray let Juvia pull him towards the thick crowd gathered on the streets. But with so many people, they couldn't get a clear view of what was happening.

Glancing at Juvia, who was already on tiptoes and craning her neck for a glimpse of the famous Parade of Flowers, Gray got an idea. He squatted right in front of her, saying, "Climb on my back."

He heard her gasp in surprise, then ask, "Is Gray-sama serious?"

Instead of answering, he grabbed her legs and hoisted them on his shoulders, earning him a shriek from the water mage. Gray slowly stood up, with Juvia doubled over and clutching his cheeks from above.

"Gray-sama! Put Juvia down!"

He tightened his hold on her legs in response. "Straighten up. Isn't the view better from up there?" He lifted his head to look at her, not at all prepared for the beautiful view that greeted him.

It was his Juvia, looking down at him, her panicked eyes gradually softening as they locked with his. The sun shone behind her, its rays casting an ethereal glow on the waves of her hair, like dawn's first rays kissing the still waters of the ocean.

He wondered, was this how she saw me when I stopped her rain the day we met? And at that moment, seeing nothing but Juvia, he understood how this amazing girl could love him so deeply. For he felt it in his heart, too.

And he would damn well do everything in his power to make her feel loved every single moment of her life, even if he sucked at it.

Only when someone accidentally bumped into them and made him wobble did he realize people were already dispersing. He immediately caught an astonished Juvia, maneuvering her smoothly so that she landed in his arms, carrying her bridal style.

"You okay?" Gray asked.

"Hmm-mmm."

"Did you enjoy the parade?"

"Honestly, Juvia didn't see a single float," she replied with a small laugh. "But she enjoyed her view very much," she added sweetly, her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers drawing lines on his nape, every touch sending shivers down his back.

Gray may not know a lot of things about being a boyfriend, but he knew what those lingering touches meant. His eyes traveled from her eyes to her nose and down to her inviting lips.

He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.