Chapter Text
A month passed and Gray was better. Not great, but better. The mage was up and walking, although he took frequent breaks or used a cane. He ate voraciously, and had put on some muscle and even a little bit of chub at the waist.
Today was the first day of autumn and Gray was outside. Seated in a wheelchair, he was waiting for Juvia to arrive. The mage had created a beautiful row of crystalline blue and violet roses of ice, practicing his maker magic to get back to his former self.
Gray hadn't shaved today, a thin line of stubble along his jaw making him look even more like his father. Messy black hair had been casually tousled to keep it out of the way; he needed a haircut badly.
Juvia hurriedly made her way to the hospital. Erza and Lucy had helped her move her things back into Fairy Hills as she was again part of the Fairy Tail family.
Today Juvia was bringing a treat in made by Mirajane, caramade franks. They were their favourite foods together.
Gray was waiting, until he saw the familiar blue hair of his unofficial girlfriend bobbing along the sidewalk. He sipped a cup of coffee, watching as Juvia came up the sidewalk.
Juvia was walking so fast she tripped over a bump in the sidewalk nearly dropping the paper bag of caramade franks. "Gray-sama!" She waved to him coming up the small hill that he sat on, after being told that he was outside when he wasn't in his room. Juvia kissed his cheek when she got to him. "Juvia brought us a snack." She smiled.
Gray smirked a bit, sitting in the middle of the ice roses, a large fairy tail symbol in ice on the hillside. "Morning, Juvia." He said, giving her a rare smile.
After looking around Juvia's smile grew wider. "Gray-sama, these are all beautiful!" She exclaimed. "Your magic has been coming back splendidly."
The roses glistened in the sunlight, standing firm against the warmth of the sun.
"I'm not back yet, I feel like a kid." He said, but the encouragement did help him feel a little better "Are those caramade franks I smell?" He asked.
Juvia was smiling from ear to ear. "No Gray-sama they are wonderful!" She encouraged him.
"Yes, made fresh this morning by Mirajane-san." Juvia explained, handing Gray one of the messy buns.
Gray kept the ice up for quite a while, before letting it disappear. "Awesome. I can't wait. Hospital food isn't that great, but it'll do." The ice mage practically unhinged his jaw to eat.
Juvia never did get the hang of eating the caramade franks in a way that she wouldn't get messy. She had a big string if caramel on her chin.
The raven smirked a bit, pink to his ears. He sat back in the chair, before standing up. He was a bit shaky but he stood anyway.
"Gray-sama be careful!" Juvia warned worried. She knew he had come a long way but he was still unstable and she didn't know if he should be walking.
"If I don't try, I'm not going to get any better." He said, using his maker magic to make a cane.
Truthfully, Gray had something in mind and he needed to walk and stand for it.
"True... " Juvia couldn't help but worry. What could Gray be up to anyway? Why did he need to get up?
"Let's take a walk." He replied, starting to walk. The progress he made was phenomenal, mostly due to his stubborn personality.
Juvia nodded, moving over to him and linking her arm through him to help stabilize him.
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Gray walked a little further each day. At first his progress seemed pathetic, but day to day he walked a little further.
By mid autumn, the ice mage was walking on his own. Gray was trying hard to train but the nurses threatened his coffee supply so he was content to walk, and had even begun to run.
At the moment Gray was on the hillside, shirtless as usual, doing push-ups with one arm. They couldn't see him from there, so he could get away with it.
"Gray-sama please don't push yourself too much." Juvia said, as she watched him, worried.
He sprang up from his position, muscle visible again. His six back was even starting to return, although he was still far from his previous physique. "I'm fine, don't worry." He said, walking over and putting his hands on her hips. He'd grown fond of being near her, touching her, and even chanced a quick kiss now and again.
"Juvia still worries. Juvia doesn't want Gray-sama to hurt himself and be without him again." She puffed out her cheeks "angry" that Gray never listened to her or the doctors.
"You're cute when you pout." He said, kissing her forehead lightly. "I should be able to go home soon. I know my apartment was emptied and my stuff is at Fairy Tail, and I'll be staying there until I'm ready for work again."
Juvia's pouting faded away with the kiss. "Juvia is happy Gray-sama gets to come home soon. Everyone missed him." Juvia hugged the man tight.
Gray wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. He was beyond ready to be somewhere else already. "We should go somewhere to eat. I'm tired of hospital food."
"But Gray-sama that's against the rules." Juvia looked up at him ready to scold him again. She sighed instead, burying her face in his chest.
"We're in Fairy Tail. Since when do we follow rules?" He grinned, up to his old tricks. Natsu had been a bad influence after all.
"okay, we can go." Said juvia still unsure. She didn't want Gray to collapse or strain himself by sneaking out of the hospital for food.
Gray was content, mostly because he was with Juvia. He'd been giving some things serious thought, and he'd concluded that he *had* to marry her. Juvia was the only person who he loved that didn't die, and although he'd nearly lost her, he wasn't going to make that mistake again.
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Juvia ordered a salad with just water to drink. She never ate much for lunch. They chit chatted as they ate, taking about an hour.
Gray paid, as he'd earned some jewel oddly enough from the hospital, creating ice that wouldn't melt for hours on end.
The pair departed the restaurant. The ice mage enjoyed getting to walk somewhere other than the hospital grounds, but there were several nurses standing in irritation at the gate.
"Uh oh." He said, stopping about a block from the hospital entrance.
Juvia sighed, she knew it. "Juvia told Gray-sama he'd get in trouble." Maybe there was a way to sneak him back in? “What do we do now Gray-sama?” Juvia asked.