For a week Gray stayed at the ICU and Juvia, as his companion, refused to leave him for more than a quick visit to the Honey Bone Inn to take a shower and change her clothes. For the first couple of days he was under severe sedation and was only awake for a few hours, but Juvia always made sure to talk to him, to update him about the condition of their friends, but mostly she just held his hand.

Lyon visited every day and during those visits, it was when Juvia took the opportunity to go to the Inn and when she returned, they were talking about old memories and Gray was less grumpy, he was tired of being bedridden. Sometimes Natsu was the one to stay with Gray for a couple of hours while Juvia went to visit Lucy, knowing the blonde woman was in desperate need of female company.

Two days before he was transferred to Magnolia, Juvia had returned from the cafeteria after she had found something to eat and she noticed Lyon outside the room talking on his phone and he smiled at her before she got inside the room, Gray was watching something on the television. He looked in her direction and turned off the TV.

"You look like crap." Gray told her and Juvia stopped, surprised.

She blinked a few times before answer. "Wow. That's all a woman wants to hear from her boyfriend, thanks." She said, sarcastic and he snorted. It wasn't as if she was not aware of the dark circles under her eyes.

"Well, you have been sleeping on that crappy couch for the past six days." He said and she sat on the bed facing him. "Which means you have not been sleeping at all."

"It's not as bad as it seems." She took his hands on hers. "Besides, you'll being transferred to Magnolia in two days. I'll sleep then."

"I saw you wincing this morning; your back must be killing you." Gray twined their fingers together.

"You do that too." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but they give me something great to sleep." He pointed out. "You need to rest."

"I'm fine." Juvia smiled.

"Well, I am not." Gray winced when he tried to sit straighter; Juvia tried to help him, but he waved her off. "I want you to stay at the Inn tonight." Juvia opened her mouth to speak but Gray was faster. "No, listen. I don't mind you staying here, I like it, really, but it won't do yourself any good if you are exhausted."

She knew he had a point, but shrugged it off. "I don't want to leave you here on your own."

"He won't be on his own." Lyon's voice came from the doorway. Juvia looked over her shoulder and saw his standing there, his hands inside his pockets and watching the couple. "I'll stay with him tonight to ease your mind while you finally get a good night's sleep."

"No." She shook her head.

"Juvia." Gray sighed.

"No." The blunette looked back to Gray, afraid. "What if something happens and I'm not here?"

"It's been a week, Juvia." He told her, tightening his hand on hers. "If I were to kick the bucket I would've done it already. The doctor said I am stable."

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch." She said. "I am fine."

"Juvia." Gray sighed. "Please."

Their eyes locked and for a moment they had a private conversation, his eyes pleading her to say yes to his request, while all she wanted to do was to never leave his side again. "Gray-sama..." Juvia whispered, trying to change his mind.

"Tomorrow I'll say nothing if you want to stay all night long." Gray bargained. "Lyon will take you to the Inn and he'll come back to stay here, because I know you won't go otherwise."

"I even promised him to not hit on you. Or touch you for that matter." Lyon said.

"I didn't say that." Gray groaned in annoyance.

"But threated me if I did." Lyon's voice leaked amusement. "And I don't think it's a fair fight when my opponent is an invalid for a few weeks."

"Fuck you." Gray told his brother, who just chuckled.

"How on earth should I leave you two together knowing you'll be fighting?" Juvia asked, tired. "It's better if I stay." She decided.

Lyon stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry; we are kind of buddies when you are not around." Gray grunted and Lyon removed his hand, raising up. "Alrighty, me to touchie."

"Just go. Come back in the morning." Gray sighed, looking at his girlfriend. "We are not going to fight, I promise."

Juvia bit her lower lip and she felt her back aching, how sluggish she had felt in the past week and how much she needed a proper night of sleep. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Gray nodded. "Go. I can see you are tired."

She sighed and looked over her shoulder, to Lyon. "Will you look after him tonight?"

"Of course." The white haired man nodded. "We won't even fight, I promise you."

"Alright." Juvia finally conceded, getting up from the bed, leaning down so her lips touched Gray's gently. "Call me if you need anything. Any time." She whispered. "If you don't, I'll get angry with you."

"Got it." Gray agreed.

"Come on, Juvia-chan." Lyon called. "Can't wait to be alone with you." He said, teasingly and winking at her.

"Lyon..." Gray said in warning and his heart monitor spiked.

"I'm kidding." Lyon laughed. "I'll be back in twenty minutes and that's not enough time to do anything, so calm down."

Juvia gave Gray another look before they walked through the door, and the moment they passed the threshold, Gray yelled: "I'm counting!"

#

The moment Juvia lied down on the bed at the Honey Bone Inn after she had a long shower, she passed out until the next morning and when she arrived at the hospital, Lyon commended her for being brave enough to sleep there for six days. Juvia just thanked him for staying the night and sat by Gray's side.

His smirk was almost intolerable. "Can I say 'I told you so' now or later?"

"You were right; Juvia needed a good night of sleep." The blunette smiled and kissed his lips, careful not to mess with any of the medical wires. "Enjoy this feeling, because you'll probably not have another too soon."

Lyon snorted. "That's true, bro. The times men are right in a relationship are few and far between."

"Maybe Juvia should date Lyon-sama instead of you, Gray-sama." Juvia teased her boyfriend. "He seems to be already trained."

"And I accept this idea one thousand per cent." Lyon caught her joke and played with it.

"Ha ha ha, funny." Gray rolled his eyes. "Go away, Lyon."

"'Thank you, Lyon, for staying the night.' 'Well, you are welcome Gray. That's what brothers are for.'" Lyon mocked, Juvia chuckled and then gave Gray a look, clearly telling him to thank his brother.

"Thanks, Lyon. Now leave." Gray was suddenly grumpy.

"Fine, fine." The white haired man nodded. He stepped closer to his brother and offered his hand, it took Gray a moment to gather the strength to raise his arm, but he took the hand and shook it. Lyon turned to Juvia and kissed her cheek. "Always a pleasure to see you, Juvia-chan."

"Thank you, Lyon-sama."

"Anything for you." He winked and left the room.

Juvia's attention returned to Gray, she took his hand on hers and lifted it to kiss his fingers. "How did you spend the night?"

"Same thing." Gray told her. "They gave me something to sleep, I slept, Lyon snored. How about you?"

"I think I passed out." She smiled. "Juvia took a hot bath and the next thing she knew, it was morning."

"I'm glad you rested." Gray told her. "I can't believe we'll return to Magnolia tomorrow."

"Remember that you will be at the hospital for a while when we return there." She started to pass her fingers through his hair. "You were lucky, but you'll need a few sessions of physical therapy as well."

"I know." Gray always calmed down when she played with his hair. "But being back there will be much better."

"It will." She told him. "Lucy-san is getting discharged tomorrow as well. They will take the train, though."

"I hate to need an ambulance." He whined.

"I know." Juvia told him. "But it's just to be safe. When we get there things will get easier, alright?"

"Yeah." Gray nodded.

#

The transfer to Magnolia went without a hitch and after staying ten more days at the hospital, he was cleared to go back home and all Juvia did the way to his apartment was to fuss over him and tell the cab driver to slow down.

Once he was settled in his bed, Juvia took as her mission to make the apartment as spotless as she could, cleaning everything she could, only stopping when Gray got up and told her she needed to eat and sleep. Only then she realized she had been at it for three hours.

The nurse who they hired to change Gray's bandages was a nice young man called Robert, dark skin and hazel eyes and he chatted with Gray about his time on the army even after the bandages were clean, making Gray feel less hopeless. Juvia liked him instantly and so did Gray.

For two weeks Robert would go to the apartment and change the dressings until it was no longer necessary and it was sad seeing him go.

Juvia made her mission to take care of Gray, take him to his appointments with the doctor and the physical therapy. She was so busy trying to do everything for him that she didn't realize how frustrated Gray was with all of her hovering over him until Gajeel knocked on his door a few days later.

"Hey." The long haired man said as a greeting when Gray answered the door of his apartment, Snowball barking around him in excitement. "You are looking less crappy."

"Thanks." Gray rolled his eyes.

Gajeel took the dog from the floor and it started to lick his face. "Is Juvia here? She's not at her apartment."

"She's always here." Gray sighed and stepped away so Gajeel could get inside. "She's at the kitchen, come in."

"Trouble in paradise?" Gajeel snickered and Gray groaned.

"Is that Gajeel-kun that I hear?" Juvia came from the kitchen, smiling pleasantly at the sight of him with the fur ball that was her dog – the sight of a man like Gajeel with cute animals was amusing – and hugging her friend. "Juvia haven't seen you in a while."

"If you bothered to stay at the office for more than two hours a day, you would." Gajeel raised an eyebrow and petted Snowball before putting her back on the floor. "I've barely seen you these past few weeks."

The blunette shrugged. "Juvia has been busy." When Gray scoffed by her side, she threw him a confused look and then stared back at her friend. "So, Juvia doubts this is a social call."

"Yeah." Gajeel took his phone from his pocket and after a few moments, he gave it to her. "He was spotted, Gurian Huski." Juvia gasped when she looked down at the screen. The Huski she had known years before had been much younger and with dark hair. The man on the photograph, though, had light blonde hair but his hazel eyes were just as she remembered: cruel.

"Where? When?" She could see by the corner of her eye Gray step closer to her to look at the picture as well.

"Orchis, four hours ago. One of my contacts saw him." Gajeel told her, his whole body tense. Huski had been a human trafficking ring leader they had lost four years before; he had known about the operation and vanished. After that all the information about his whereabouts always came too late for anyone to do a thing about it.

"Who is he?" Gray asked.

"A piece of garbage who thinks it's alright for people to have sex slaves. And it's even more alright if some of those slaves are children." Gajeel said between gritted teeth and Juvia saw Gray clench his hands into fists. "Juvia and I lost him a few years ago but if we leave now we might be able to finally get the son of a bitch."

Juvia's first instinct was to grab her guns and leave to kick Huski's ass so much he won't be able to walk straight for a year, but she caught herself just before she agreed with Gajeel. "I... I can't." She offered the phone back to a very surprised Gajeel. "Not now. I can't leave."

"What?" Gajeel was clearly more than confused.

"Juvia, what the hell?" Gray asked her and she just shook her head.

"No." She cleared her throat. "Juvia needs to go check on the food." And without saying anything else, she left both men at the living room.

Juvia put her hands on the edge of the kitchen sink and took deep breaths; she had been waiting for Huski to slip so they could get him and when they finally had a solid lead, she couldn't leave Magnolia, not when Gray still needed her. Gajeel could do it on his own, he was skilled enough.

Oh, but she did want to at least break his nose one time for that one time they met and he had a hand on her ass. Maybe a kick on the balls would be alright as well.

"Juvia." Gray's voice came from a few feet behind her but she didn't turn around. "Why aren't you getting ready to go after this dirty bag?"

"I can't." She said in a low voice.

"Why?" He was exasperated.

"Because I can't leave you alone." Juvia turned around and watched the confusion in his expression turn to understanding and then to annoyance. "I don't want to leave you alone."

"I can take care of myself, Juvia." Gray almost hissed in anger but she didn't listen as she kept talking.

"Juvia needs to check on your wounds once in a while, you are in no shape to clean the apartment, your food is awful, there's the physical therapy, you have an appointment with the doctor in two days and-"

"Okay, stop it right there." Gray said a bit louder and harsher to finally get her attention and she looked at him in surprise: he hadn't been rude with her for a while now. "I wasn't going to say anything because you seemed to enjoy being busy or whatever but this is going too far." He pointed at her. "I can take care of myself for whatever time you need to go to a mission. I've been living alone for years, I know how to survive."

"But I-"

"You have been driving me crazy!" Gray told her and her eyes widened. "You don't let me do anything on my own; you all but feed me on the mouth and that makes me feel hopeless, it's even worse than I already feel. I can't go out on missions, I have to go to physical therapy which I absolute hate and for almost another month that's going to be my life. And you don't even let me get up from the fucking couch to get a glass of water on my own." He said. "I'm not useless, I am not going to drop dead if you don't watch me twenty-four seven."

Juvia was looking at him in surprise with his outburst. "I..." She tried. "I thought I was helping you." Her voice was just a little over a whisper.

Suddenly Gray's frustration vanished and his shoulders dropped. He took a few steps towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You did. I don't know what I would've done those first couple of weeks, but now... you are suffocating me. Hell, you've been sleeping so far away from me on the bed that I wonder if I'm sleeping on my own and you haven't kissed me properly for almost a month." She opened her mouth to say something but he beat her into it. "You give me peck on the lips and that's it."

"Gray-sama..."

"I'm entering a new age. I've got to clearly lay out the things that I don't like." Gray told her. "And I don't like you putting your life on hold for me, I don't like you treating me as if I can't do a thing alone and I definitely need a time away from you, please. Don't take me the wrong way." He added before she could overthink things. "In a normal situation I would've loved to be locked away in the apartment with you, but I can't do that for another few weeks." Gray added with a smirk and Juvia fought off a smile.

"Are you throwing me away from your apartment?"

"Yes." Gray nodded. "Go with Gajeel, stay out for a few days and shoot someone. Because I am this close of shooting you."

Juvia fought with herself inside her mind for a few moments; she knew he was telling the truth and she needed to get out of the apartment even if he couldn't.

"Will you take care of Snowball?" She asked with a sigh and Gray smiled.

"To tell you the truth she's the only one not getting into my nerves these days." Juvia slapped his upper arm playfully and he winced in fake pain. "Hey, I'm injured." She showed him her tongue he smirked. "Gajeel's in the living room, go with him to your place, pack a bag and go get that bastard."

"Fine." She raised her arms in defeat. "You are going to text me every day and if when Juvia comes back and you are not in your best shape..." She threatened and he nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He waved her off, and pulled her closer to kiss her and she kissed him back with a little more enthusiasm than she had showed in the past few weeks. "See? We haven't kissed like that in so long." He said when they stopped the kiss. When Gray tried to kiss her again, Juvia pushed him away.

"Sorry, gotta go to my place, pack a bag and get that bastard." She smiled and he groaned in annoyance. "We'll talk more about how much Juvia annoys you when she gets back."

"That's not a conversation I'll enjoy, I suppose." He sighed. "Now go. Kick him in the balls if you can."

"Juvia will make it happen." She chuckled. "In ten minutes turn the stove off." Juvia walked towards the living room where Gajeel was sitting on the couch while petting a sleepy Snowball and he looked up when she cleared her throat. "Well, apparently Gray-sama is fed up with me and needs me out of the apartment for a few days."

"Amen to that." Gray said from behind her and Gajeel laughed.

"I knew there was trouble at paradise."

"Now Juvia is feeling rather hurt about it and I think the best person to throw that frustration on, is Huski." The blunette told her friend. "Let's find him."

Gajeel grinned. "Glad to have you back."

Juvia could feel her heart start to beat faster because of the thought of chasing a bad guy, holding her gun one more time and she craved the thrill. She didn't say, but she was happy to be back.

#

They were inside a car in front of a shady hotel in Orchis, waiting for Huski to arrive so they could go in and take him in custody (after they accidentally beat the crap out of him) when Juvia got a text.

From: Gray-sama

19:17: Still alive and so is the dog. Physical therapy went ok, stop worrying and focus.

Feeling slightly better with the update, Juvia replies quickly telling him she'd be home in two days at the most. She put the phone away and when she looked to the driver's side, Gajeel was looking outside of his window. Tired of the silence, the blunette tried to chat.

"So... How are things with Levy-san?"

He looked out of the window for a moment before he turned to look at her a small smirk on his lips. "I've been clean for one year."

"Really?" Juvia smiled at him and reached for his hand. "That's great! I'm sorry I didn't remember."

"It's fine, Levy and I celebrated on our own." He shrugged.

"Oh." The blunette said. "What did you do?"

"Remember that we were not supposed to enter in relationships for a year while getting sober?" Gajeel asked and she nodded. "It has been a year."

"Oh." It took Juvia about five seconds to figure out what he meant and she all but shrieked in happiness. "Oh! Oh my god! Really? You two are finally officially together?" She knew that after the first kiss Levy gave him, he told her about his problems with drugs and the petit blunette agreed to not do that again until the year was over. They spent a lot of time together, but the physical stuff was definitely a line.

"I guess." He shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about it, but she could see he was happy and she hadn't notice before because of her own drama.

"I'm so happy for you." Her eyes watered. "God, you can't imagine how happy I am for you."

"Don't go crying on me, please." Gajeel groaned. "You know I can't deal with that shit."

"Not crying." She blinked the tears away. "How exactly did you ask her to be with you?"

He raised a pierced eyebrow and seemed to think for a moment. "Well, I realized it had been exactly one year, drove to her apartment and when she opened the door, I kissed her-"

"Aw, that's so-"

"-next thing I know we are at her bedroom and I am finally taking off her clothes-"

"Ew! No, no, no! Stop that!" Juvia put her hands over her ears and Gajeel laughed. "Why would you say that to me?

"Hey, you asked."

"How you asked her to be with you! Romantically!"

"Hey, it had been a long time for me. I'm kind of proud of myself." Gajeel snorted. "Besides, I was getting to that, it was after we-"

"Alright, I don't want to know." Juvia gave up. "You two are together that's all that matters."

He laughed and they stayed in silence for a while before he broke it. "What is going on with you and Fullbuster?"

Juvia sighed. "Apparently I am driving him crazy because I am fussing too much over him."

"I can see that." Gajeel hummed in agreement and Juvia gave him an outraged look. "Don't look at me like that. You mean well, but you kind of suffocate the people you love." Juvia frowned and allowed her friend to continue. "When I was in rehab, you went to see me every day there was visitation and even when I refused to see you, you didn't give up. It was nice to know someone cared enough for me, but it made me feel like crap when I said I didn't want to see you. You had planned for us to move to Magnolia, found us apartments and I am so glad we didn't end up living next to each other because I would've freaked. I accepted you coming over and cooking because I needed to gain weight and your food is great, but I put lines you couldn't cross from the start. Plus, I'm not your boyfriend so our rules are different. Right now I bet Gray is glad you were by his side when things were bad, but you are not adapting as he gets better.

"In your mind he's still that same guy who returned to his apartment in pain, needed his bandages changed, antibiotics and pain pills. He's not that way anymore: he can walk on his own, he goes to physical therapy, he doesn't seem to grunt in pain to reach for things. In your mind, he's still that guy bleeding on the ground while you waited for the ambulance." Gajeel finished and Juvia's eyes were wide.

He was right. God, he was so right. Gray had been able to do things on his own for a while and she had been treating him like he was the same way he was when they returned to Magnolia. Back then he had been grateful to have her to help, but of course he became annoyed when he could reach for his own glass of water but she got it first.

"I'm a fool." Juvia groaned.

"No arguments from me." She elbowed his ribs and he snorted. "Look, he has been on his own way long before he met you. He likes being pampered and fussed over, but this time it went a bit too long."

"How do you know he liked that?" She asked, confused.

Gajeel shrugged. "I like that, I suppose he does too. I mean, I could see the way he looked like a kicked puppy when he got back from a mission with a bruise and you made it sound as if he was on verge of death and just fussed over him. Levy does that too. It's nice, especially if you've been alone for a long time."

"Hey, Juvia fussed over you." The blunette pouted and the long haired man laughed.

"Not the same thing, trust me."

"I guess I'll try to remember he is getting better and he can do a lot on his own now."

"Good enough." Gajeel said and was about to add something else when there was movement in front of the motel and they finally saw Huski. "Look who came to the party."

Juvia was already checking her guns, her professional persona taking over. "Let's get this bastard."

#

Handing Huski to the feds had been a great feat and Juvia felt a lot lighter knowing that monster was no longer on the streets. The feds had promised to take all the information from Huski about the trafficking before putting him in a jail cell and throwing away the key.

Like she promised, two days later she was using her key to get inside Gray's apartment – the paperwork for the Bureau had been a nightmare – and she was welcomed by her barking white dog. Juvia put her bag on the floor and took the dog in her arms, kissing its soft fur.

"Hello, baby." She said. "Did your daddy treat you well?" Snowball licked her cheek and Juvia giggled. "Okay, I'll take that as a yes."

"Am I 'daddy'? Because I don't like that at all. She's a dog." Gray said from her left and Juvia smiled at him.

"You were with me when I got her, we've been together for almost as long as I have her, you are always at my apartment and she loves you more than me sometimes. If Juvia's her mommy, you are her daddy." She put the dog down and took a few steps in his direction. He immediately frowned when he took a better look at her face.

"What the hell happened?" Gray touched the purple bruise on her cheekbone. "You said you were fine on your texts."

"This is nothing." She put her arms around his shoulders gently. "You should see the other guy."

"I should." He said between gritted teeth. "I hope he's in jail."

"Oh yes. Alongside with his pals, don't worry. Even kicked him in the balls as you asked." Juvia put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down so their lips could touch and only then Gray's body relaxed; he put his arms around her waist and brought her closer.

They kissed for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. When air actually became an issue and they needed to stop kissing for a moment, Gray rested his forehead on hers, both with their breaths raggedy.

Gray cleared his throat. "Juvia. What I said the day you left-"

"Juvia understands." She cut him off. "Gajeel-kun opened my eyes about what Juvia was doing and how that was a bit too much. In my mind you were still needing my help. You don't need it anymore."

"It was a bit too much." His tone was apologetic and she nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Juvia sees that now." She touched his cheek. "I... I just wanted to make sure you were healing well that I forgot to adjust my behavior as you actually healed. I'll try not to suffocate you too much."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you. I hate feeling helpless and sometimes-"

"I made you feel that way and I am so sorry." She kissed him again. "It was never my intention to do that."

"I know. It's just who you are." He shrugged. "Just take down a notch and we'll be alright."

"Alright." She smiled at him. "Now, let me tell you about how we took Huski down while I take a shower. I stink."

#

After their talk, Juvia's behavior regarding what Gray could and couldn't do changed a lot, they talked about the things he still needed her help with and everything else he was going to deal with. She made it clear he knew he could ask assistance at any time he needed and he accepted.

She returned to her usual hours at FT and even took a few more jobs with Gajeel, trying to return to her usual routine and letting her old life mix with her new one. After two weeks, Gray's doctor cleared him to go to FT and have desk duty.

Gray absolutely hated desk duty under normal circumstances, but just to return to the FT building lifted up his spirits fast. With nothing else to do, he helped track some of their targets down from his computer and using his street contacts.

Finally things seemed to turn back to normal, until the doctor cleared Gray for duty again.

It had been two months and a half since the shooting and when Gray returned from his appointment with the all clear, Juvia had been truly happy for him, she knew how much he loved taking missions. Of course, she was afraid he'd get hurt again, but that was the job.

What really made Juvia freeze on her heels had been another thing entirely.

Gray and Juvia had been watching some awful movie on TV when he decided not to pretend anymore that he wanted to do something else entirely and just started to kiss her, and Juvia gladly kissed him back. A few minutes into kissing, Gray had her underneath him, his hips between her legs and she was enjoying the warmth of his body. She had missed him.

He started to kiss his way down her jaw and down to her neck while she worked on the buttons of his shirt quickly. She was touching his chest when she felt a small protuberance there.

A scar.

It was as if her whole body froze, if she had cold water in her veins.

Juvia pushed him away and Gray blinked at her not really understanding why she was stopping him. Her eyes were wide as she stared at his chest, the five scars scattered on his torso sending her memories of how exactly he got them.

"Juvia?" Gray called her, confused, and touched her face.

It was as if he had slapped her with how fast she had pushed him away and was on her feet, looking for her shoes and purse. "I need to go." She said without really look at him.

"Go?" Gray got up from the couch as well. "Go where? What is happening?"

Gray called her name but she didn't answer when she walked away from his apartment – she even took the stairs to just get away from there. Juvia didn't search for her phone inside her purse nor look up as she crossed the street to her apartment, knowing he was the one calling her and was probably watching as she crossed the street.

When she got inside her apartment, she didn't turn on the lights until she closed her curtains and she caught a glimpse of Gray looking from his apartment and her phone just didn't stop ringing. Then, the tune changed as she received a text.

From: Gray-sama

21:11: What is going on?

21:11: Did I do something?

21:11: What did I do?

21:12: Juvia, if you do not answer me I'll go to your apartment.

It was the last thing she needed at the moment, so she replied.

To: Gray-sama

21:13: I'm fine. Just need to be alone right now.

21:13: You didn't do anything, don't worry.

From: Gray-sama

21:14: You ran out like you saw the devil, of course I'll worry.

21:14: Did it trigger anything? I can help out if it did.

To: Gray-sama

21:15: I just need to be alone.

21:15: Please.

His answer took a while to arrive, but she was relieved once she read what he wrote.

From: Gray-sama

21:17: Fine.

21:17: Call me if you need anything.

In her dark apartment, Juvia's tears finally fell down.

#

The next day at work, Juvia clearly avoided him and he quickly caught on her intentions and didn't push her for more information about why she was acting that way, but she knew he'd seek answers once they were alone and she didn't know if she was ready to give them to him.

She left work early on purpose, trying to set her mind in order to tell him what was happening to her, but the moment he was inside her apartment, facing her, her arguments seemed to have flown out of the window.

They stared at each other for a while, Gray's face impassive and she was sure she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Do you want to tell me why you avoid me all day? And ran away last night?" When she didn't answer, Gray pressed a bit more. "Juvia. You need to give me a reason why you look as petrified as you are right now." He sighed. "Did I do anything?" He asked, serious. "I don't want to do again whatever made you run, but you need to tell me what it was."

Finally finding her voice, she said in almost a whisper. "It wasn't you. It was me."

Gray frowned. "Is this the break up talk, because it sure sounds like it."

Juvia's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No. Oh, god, no."

"Then tell me what this is about because I am lost." Gray was clearly confused. "We were making out and you just freaked out." She probably cringed because he narrowed her eyes. "So, the problem was the making out?" He stopped for a moment. "Or... was it what was going to happen if we kept going?" She bit her lower lip and he got his confirmation when she looked away from him. "Sex. The problem is sex?" He was clearly flabbergasted.

"In a way." She told him.

"I don't understand."

"I... don't think we should have sex yet." Juvia said.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "Okay? And why is that?"

"You were shot." It was her only explanation.

"I remember." He said, slowly stepping near her. "And the doctor cleared me for duty and everything else. I know, I asked if we could because I kind of miss it."

"What if..." Juvia bit her lower lip. "What if we do something and you get hurt?"

Gray was suddenly amused. "As great as sex with you is, really the best I've ever had, I hardly think it's going to kill me, Juvia."

"Don't joke about that." Juvia scolded him and Gray was confused again. "What if there's some stitch inside you not properly healed? What if it bursts and you bleed to death because of me?"

"What? Juvia, that's insane. The doctor wouldn't have let me return to work if there was something wrong with me!"

"It's too dangerous." She decided.

Gray blinked a few times before speaking. "Look, it's fine if you don't want to have sex, Juvia. I get it. We are not in that phase that we have to fuck each other senseless anymore; we are beyond that. Just say it you are uncomfortable. What I hate is you making crazy excuses."

Juvia gasped. "It's not an excuse. I want to, but what if-"

"It's been almost three months since I was shot." Gray told her. "Last night I thought you wanted me to keep going, otherwise I would've never..."

The blunette closed the distance between them, putting a hand on his chest. "I did. I do want you." She told him, their eyes meeting. "But last night..." She felt her eyes sting. "I touched your scars and I remembered why you had them."

"Juvia..."

"You have them because of me. You almost died because of me." She felt a tear fall from her eye. "And all that because I wasn't paying attention, I was being reckless and-"

"Wow, wow, wow, wait up." Gray frowned. "Juvia, you are not responsible for this. You didn't shoot me."

"No, but I was the one distracted." It seemed that all the shame and hopelessness she had been bottling up the past months were finally exploding from her. She had been trying so hard to be strong for him, but she just couldn't anymore. "If it weren't for me, you would have never been shot. You pushed me away." She sobbed and hid her face on his chest.

"Juvia." She felt his hand caressing her hair.

"I thought you were dead." She told him, grabbing his shirt and looking up to him. "When you fell on the ground, I thought you were dead and I... God, I never felt that much pain in my life. And during those awful seconds, I didn't know what I was going to do without you." She touched his cheek. "I was in shock and if Lyon-sama weren't there, you'd probably died. He was the one who told me to put pressure on the wound, he was the one to keep you alive, not me. I'm the one who almost killed you." It was both a curse and a blessing to finally had spoken the words out loud.

She hid her face on his shirt one more time and sobbed. Gray stayed in silence with her in his arms for a minute, letting her cry it out.

"You did keep me alive." Gray told her. "I didn't lose conscious right away, I think. There was pain and when I was drifting, I remember bits and pieces. I heard you telling Lyon you... you loved me. And I heard you asking me not to leave you." Gray gulped. "I remember thinking that I just couldn't leave you yet. We didn't have enough time." Juvia looked up to him, surprised to hear that. "In a way, you helped me decide not to die."

"Your heart stopped when we were in the ambulance." She whispered. "For a few seconds I lost you again."

Gray grabbed her left hand and placed it over his chest where she could feel his heart beating, their gazes met and at that moment, only they existed in the world. "I'm alive right now." He whispered as if they spoke louder, their bubble would burst. "No matter what happened, I'm right in front of you and I am not going anywhere."

"You can't promise that."

"For right now, I can."

Juvia tip toed and kissed him slowly, trying to show him all the love she had for him, all her fears and hope for them; to her surprise, he answered in kind, not rushing their kiss at all, just enjoying their proximity. That time, when she felt his scars from above his shirt, she closed her eyes harder and felt the heat coming from him, and how much faster his heart was beating.

"Bedroom." She breathed when their lips unlocked and Gray's eyes widened at her request.

"To... sleep?"

"No." Juvia smiled shyly.

Gray shook his head. "I don't mind waiting."

"I do." She kissed him again. "I need to feel you are alive."

He looked into her eyes for a long time before he nodded. "If you want to stop... Just tell me." Juvia twined their fingers and led him to her bedroom

#

Gray was lying on his back, Juvia was on top of him, kissing him with no hurry whatsoever, each knee on a side of his hips, but she wasn't putting any weight on him at all, still afraid of hurting him even though she knew her fears were unfunded.

"I'm going to be on top." She told him between kisses. "To make sure you won't overexert yourself."

"We haven't had sex in almost three months." Gray answered, putting his hands on her hips. "You are in the perfect position to ask me anything and I'd say yes." He moaned when Juvia decided to lower herself and their groins touched.

Juvia smiled on their kiss. "Good to know."

They kissed for a few more moments but she had to stop kissing him to take off her shirt and Gray's hand immediately found her naked skin and he started to kiss her cleavage, muttering words, but she didn't mind at the moment, not when she had to take off all of her clothes. She took off her bra and stepped away from him and Gray actually whined.

"Don't get up." She said, kicking her shoes off and working on her jeans and pulling it down alongside with her underwear. While she did that, Gray had took off his shirt and his pants with underwear in tow, they were on the middle of his thighs when she helped him pull it all the way and threw it somewhere next her own pants.

Gray reached for her hips and Juvia gladly returned to her position on top of him, each knee on one side of his hips. She kissed him, trying to show how much she missed touching him for ten weeks. Gray hissed when Juvia reached between them and curled her hand around his shaft, pumping it into full hardness.

"Oh, fuck." Gray breathed. "Stop." He said between gritted teeth. "Or this will be finished before it starts." Juvia smiled at that and kissed him again.

Feeling that he wanted to turn them around, Juvia put a hand on his chest and pushed him down to the bed, settling herself on top of his hips, his shaft touching her sex and then she leaned towards him. Her hand caressed his chest and when she touched one of the scars caused by the shooting, Juvia stopped.

"Juvia." Gray whispered, looking down at her and when she finally looks up, his eyes were as still dark as always but they were also soft. "It's not your fault."

She smiled softly. "I know." She lowered her mouth and kissed each scar she could find and started moving her hips, his hardness sliding on her wet sex and both of them moaned. She trailed a kiss from his chest to his neck and then to his lips. Gray's hands on her hips were making her go faster and she all but shrieked when it brushed her clit.

"God." Gray breathed. "Juvia, I want to- I need to-"

She knew exactly what he wanted and she hummed in agreement, kissing his lips, Juvia guided him inside her; she took him slowly, feeling his hands on her hips tighten almost painfully.

"Oh." Gray's eyes were shut and Juvia watched as he gritted his teeth until he was fully inside her. She was breathing hard and without moving, just feeling his heat. "I missed this."

"Me too." Juvia smiled just when Gray opened his eyes to look at her, they were glazed and he smiled as well; he removed one of his hands from her hips to touch her cheek and she grabbed it, kissing his palm and she hoped he could see how happy she was with them being together again. Gray pulled her to a hot kiss and she finally decided to move, Juvia started to raise her hips slowly, much to Gray's frustration, but he didn't complain, knowing that Juvia was worried about his injuries yet.

Stopping the kiss, Juvia righted her position, her hands resting on each side of his head, her hair falling over them, creating somewhat a cocoon. Gray's hands wandered and he was more than content to touch her breasts and pinch her nipples making Juvia almost slip out on the rhythm she had found for them; she'd raise herself making him almost slip out of her just to slide back down slowly.

"Juvia." Gray groaned, his mouth on her breast. "I'm not going to break."

"I know." She panted and their eyes met for a moment and in his dark eyes, Juvia saw he needed more than that, he did not want to feel hopeless and if she kept treating that way, he would be upset. She decided quickly to speed up her movements and she smiled when Gray fell on the mattress, eyes closed in sensation.

The blunette could feel his heartbeat under hear hand as soon as she straightened up her body, her thigh muscles burning pleasantly with her movements. Gray had opened his eyes and the way he looked at her, it made her feel her heart beat even faster. She grabbed his hand and put it on her left breast and Gray took the hint right away, palming it the way he knew she liked.

"You are so fucking beautiful." It was barely a whisper, but Juvia heard it and she rotate her hips a different way and it hit something inside her that made her gasp and her muscles to contract around Gray and he swore. "Shit, do that again." Gray told her and Juvia was more than happy to comply.

"Gray-sama." Juvia moaned, slipping a hand from her stomach down to where they met, touching her clit in unsynchronized movements, knowing he was close.

"Harder, Juvia." Gray told her and she noticed how his gaze was locked on where they were joined, seeming to be fascinated by it. Juvia, lost in her own desire, did what she was told, fucking him harder to the bed and his sounds plus his hands on her ass urging her faster were all the encouragement she needed. "Yes. Like that. Holy- yes, like that."

Feeling his release close, Juvia leaned to kiss on the lips, her breasts touching his chest, her fingers pulling his dark soft hair, her clit rubbing the bone of his hip she just needed to make him come first and she would follow him.

"Gray-sama." Juvia panted. "Open your eyes." She pleaded and Gray did as he was told, even if they were unfocused. Clenching her inner muscles round him, she told him: "I love you."

It was what brought him over the edge; two thrusts later Gray's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body arched and he was coming inside her, hitting that amazing spot and Juvia couldn't do anything else other than to follow him, letting pleasure explode behind her eyelids and each cell of her body.

She was still breathing hard when she realized she was lying on top of him and panicked about her weight on him. Juvia is about to come off him, but Gray's arms wrapped themselves around her frame. "Stay." He was panting as well. "For a while. Missed this."

Juvia just needed that little incentive to stay, she had missed that intimacy as well.

#

Minutes later when she finally slipped off of him and lied next to him on the bed, Gray pulled her close, her head resting on his chest tucked under his chin as one of his hands caressed her back gently. It was funny how much his mood had changed with just one round of sex. She giggled with the thought and when Gray asked what was so funny, she told him.

"Because you acted like I wasn't going to break." Gray told her. "And I missed this, you and me together."

After a moment of silence, Juvia looked up to him. "I'm still going to fret for a while if I see you doing something extreme, I'll want to be on top when we have sex and I'll get worried." She told him and his eyes softened. "I will worry about you and sometimes I'm going to step over some line like I clearly did last time, that's why I need you to tell me when you get bothered by it so I can take down a notch." She touched his cheek. "You have to talk to me."

"Yeah, if you talk to me." Gray told her and she shyly nodded. "This thing about you being on top for a while... We need to negotiate that." Juvia smiled. "You know I like being on top."

"You said I was in the position to ask you anything."

Gray groaned. "Is this what relationships are? Women hold out sex and men do whatever they ask to have it back?"

"Now you are understanding how this work." Juvia giggled and Gray smiled, lowering his head to kiss her lips. Both knew they had accomplished another milestone in their relationship and both knew they would be alright.

#