Chapter Text
Three years. It’s been three years since Gray Fullbuster has been in a coma. Has it really only been that long? It feels like an eternity. Juvia thought as she rushed over to the hospital upon hearing the news. She had visited him every day as he slept. Wishing and hoping he’d wake up. She had almost given up hope. That is why… That is why she had turned to Lyon for comfort. At first it was just friends comforting each other but now it was clearly more. What was Juvia to tell Gray? How would Lyon take the news? She still very much loved Gray but she had also learned to love Lyon. Whatever was she too do?!
Gray was awake, sallow and frail, but alive. The ice mage had nearly died, saved only by Wendy and her healing magic. He could barely move, his eyes opening slowly. Gray had been drained of magic and battered so much that many of his bones had been broken. He won the battle, although being a mangled mess was hardly ‘winning’. His room was full of gifts and flowers, a massive fairy tail emblem on the wall with lots of pictures tacked everywhere. “Ju…via?” He croaked, moving a little to see the blurry visage of the bluenette.
“Gray-sama! Thank Mavis you are awake!” Juvia wailed as she threw herself on the man, crying. She had dreamed of this day. Now that it was here all she could do was cry. Because she was so happy her beloved was awake but also because she had betrayed him. The bluenette never dreamed that she would ever cheat on him. Was it really cheating though? Juvia really didn’t know, or how to tell Gray that she and Lyon were a couple. She would tell him later. Right now all Juvia wanted was to be near Gray. They had other things to talk about anyway.
Gray grunted, Juvia feeling heavy. He was gaunt, literally kept alive by a group of healing mages working on him every day. He’d long since been healed, but didn’t awaken for anything. “Hi…” He said, coughing a little.
She clung gently, not wanting to let him go for anything. “Juvia is so happy Gray-sama awake!”
“How long’s it been?” Gray asked. He could barely move and hated it, feeling imprisoned in his own body. The raven now sported a scar much like his father and a few days worth of scratchy stubble, along with a mop of way too shaggy hair. Gray offered Juvia a small smile, glad to see her after so long.
“Three years…. It’s been three years Gray-sama.“ Juvia choked up a sob as she looked at him. He need a lot of therapy to be able to move and walk again. But she already pledge to help him in any way.
“That long, huh? I probably missed a lot…” He said, staring at the ceiling. The raven was twitching, trying to move. All he could really do was move his head and talk, although he moved an arm to lightly lay his hand on hers.
Juvia explained that in the three years that Gray had been asleep there had been lots of marriages and children being born. Gajeel and Levy were married with twins. Elfman and Evergreen had married. Jellal now had a real fiance named Erza. They still have a long distance relationship but speak through a lacrama every day. Laxus and Freed had also come out to each other and we’re in a relationship. “Natsu-san and Lucy-san are engaged as well… Natsu has been waiting for Gray-sama to wake up though. He wants you at the wedding.” Juvia informed.
Gray chuckled at some of the news, ‘about time’ comments intermittently. He groaned, rolling his eyes about Natsu. “That charcoal for brains…” He couldn’t help but smirk. It took way too long for Natsu to get the hint from Lucy, didn’t it? “What about you?” Gray asked.
Lyon walked in, carrying a bouquet of blue flowers. The ice mage looked older, frown lines having increased since his position as guild master of Lamia Scale following Oba’s passing. “Ah, you’re awake Gray.” He said, walking to stand beside Juvia, his hand on her shoulder.
Juvia blushed with embarrassment, looked down and fidgeted with the hem of her short blue skirt. She wasn’t prepared for this yet. “J-juvia is… Lyon-san and Juvia are…” She trailed off. Lyon and Juvia had become a couple, in the midst of comforting each other due to Gray’s coma. Now that he was awake what was Juvia to do. She couldn’t just leave Lyon, she cared about him too much. But Gray was her true love. She was so torn she began to silently cry again.
“Hey Lyon.” Gray replied. Of all people, he actually glad to see his fellow ice mage, even if the other did drive him nuts in the past.
“Now, now my beloved Juvia, there’s no reason to cry.” Lyon said, leaning down to lightly kiss her temple.
Gray visibly jerked, anger filling his face. “What the hell is going on?!” He said, trying to sit up, and failing.
“You snooze, you lose, Gray.” Lyon replied, as sarcastic as ever.
“Lyon-san please don’t be mean to Gray-sama!” Juvia snapped a little looking up at him. “Juvia is sorry Gray-sama had to learn this way… Lyon-san and Juvia… You were sleeping and Lyon-san was there for Juvia…” The bluenette tried to explain looking back at Gray.
“Get out…. Just, get out!” Gray said, growling. Despite his condition, black streaked across his body, magic crackling dangerously.
“Let us go, Darling Juvia. It’s apparent Gray is displeased and is acting like a child. No surprise, really. Perhaps you should tell him our other news?” He said, giving Gray a stare.
Juvia looked down again beginning to sob. She couldn’t take this. Her dream of being Gray’s bride was so far away now. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him. “Juvia can’t.” She choked out.
Gray snarled, more like a beast than a man. He sat up shakily, the devil slayer magic causing the air to chill dangerously low.
Lyon continued to run his mouth, too far into his arrogance over his ‘brother’ to stop. “Well other than Juvia joined a real guild instead of that joke Fairy Tail, we’re engaged.” He puffed out chest proudly, adding insult to injury at this point. “And we might be expecting our first child.”
Juvia had indeed said yes to marrying Lyon. The thought of being in Fairy Tail without Gray around killed Juvia. So left and joined Lamia Scale to be closer to her fiance. However she wasn’t pregnant. Hadn’t even been intimate. Lyon was lying. “Juvia is not pregnant. Do not lie Lyon-san.” The bluenette said angrily.
Gray was irate, lost in his anger now. His thin body was quivering from the magic, out of control. “I loved you, confessed to you, and I get this?! Get out Juvia Lockser, or is it Vastia now? I don’t care, get out!” He yelled, the room shaking violently.
Lyon frowned, grabbing Juvia by the wrist.
“Juvia is so sorry Gray-sama! Please! She visited you everyday. Juvia still loves Gray-sama! But Lyon-san was there comfort Juvia. She never wanted this to happen!” She sobbed as she ran out of the room with Lyon. Juvia felt so guilty. She had hurt the one she loved most. But she didn’t want to hurt Lyon either.
Nurses swarmed the room, handcuffing Gray with magic blocking cuffs to stop him. However, the room was pretty trashed, walls crumbling and bowed.
“You should forget about him, my darling. Gray has always been second best.” Lyon said, putting his arm around her waist.
“How could you?! Lyon-san knows Gray-sama is sensitive! And he just woke up too! How could you!?” Juvia wailed outside the room. She could see the nurses try and Keep Gray down and calm him but it wasn't working.
Lyon shrugged lightly. “He’s not our problem, remember? He’s in Fairy Tail and we’re in Lamia Scale. Don’t forget you left him behind when you joined my guild.” He said, trying to get her out of the hospital.
“Juvia only joined Lamia Scale because she couldn’t stand to be in Fairy Tail without Gray-sama!” Juvia confessed as they walked outside the hospital.
“Well it’s too late now.” Lyon replied. Alarms were going off in the hospital. Ice devil slayer magic apparently wasn’t stopped by the cuffs.
“No! It can’t be! Juvia won’t let it!” She wretch out of Lyon’s grasp and ran back inside the hospital. She was the only one that could stop Gray. The halls were all covered in devil slayer ice and the air got colder and colder as she ran to Gray’s room.
“Juvia!” Lyon called, but didn’t follow her into the hospital. He could see violet ice creeping over everything, and decided not to get involved even if it was his fault.
Gray was roaring, restrained by regular chains and the magic limiting ones that sealed his regular maker magic.
“We have no choice, release the bane particle.” A masked doctor said, shielded by a sturdy magic wall. “Contact Fairy Tail also. Have them send someone who knows Fullbuster.’
Juvia ran passed nurses and doctors, pushing them out of the way. "Gray-sama stop! Please!” She shouted. “Please don’t hurt him! Not yet." Juvia begged doctors and Gray both. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt, and since this was all her fault she was going to try and stop it.
Gray was over half black, the magic thickening the ice. He turned his head as Juvia’s voice caught his attention. "What do you want? Come to rub salt in my wounds?” He growled, the nurses and attendants holding him down getting encased in ice slowly.
“No! Juvia would never! Juvia is so sorry! Juvia never meant for this to happen. Juvia came every day hoping Gray-sama would wake up. Juvia missed Gray-sama SO much. She couldn’t take being alone without you anymore. Juvia is sorry. Juvia was weak… Juvia gave in to Lyon-san only because she lost hope. Juvia is sorry!” The bluenette confessed to everything. How she came everyday hoping Gray would wake up. How eventually she left the guild and joined Lamia Scale because she gave in to Lyon’s advances and started dating him. She felt guilty, like she had cheated on Gray.
Gray’s black didn’t fade but the ice cracked and fell, disappearing. The nurses were freed, some of the them running away in fear. The raven was flat on his back, looking pitiful still. “So why are you here?” He asked.
“Because Juvia loves Gray-sama. She never stopped loving Gray-sama. And she’ll always love Gray-sama.” Juvia sobbed. “Please don’t hurt anyone. If you have to hurt someone hurt Juvia. It’s Juvia’s fault.”
"What? Then why… Why him?” Gray asked, the black retreating to just the mark on his arm.
Whispers filled the destroyed room. Was the bluenette his wife, a lover perhaps? She’d visited for hours every day without fail.
“Because Juvia is a fool. Lyon-san is the closest person to Gray-sama. Juvia was lonely and he was there for her. Juvia is so sorry.” She apologized again and again. She didn’t Know what else to do other than that. He was calming down, that was good.
“Well you made your choice. I guess I’ll have to live with it.” He said, turning to stare at the ceiling. “You probably shouldn’t see me anymore, since you’re engaged and expecting a child.” He said, turning his head then away from the bluenette.
Juvia shook her head vigorously. “No! Juvia is not pregnant! Juvia and Lyon-san have never….” She trailed off and blushed. The two had never even been intimate so she didn’t know why Lyon laid about that. “
Gray didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to think, but he trusted Juvia. "You still shouldn’t come see me alone.”
“But Juvia wants Gray-sama… ” The water mage couldn’t stop her water works, she was beginning to flood the room.
“Juvia, you’re flooding again.” He said, turning back to face her. “I’m not exactly the best man right now…” He said, gesturing lightly to his frame.
“Juvia doesn’t care. She loves Gray-sama no matter what! Juvia is sorry she cheated please give her another chance!” She kept on crying, water up to people’s waist now.
“Okay, just calm down Juvia! I’m going to float away!” He said, feeling the bed starting to move with the force of the water. The mage channeled his magic, violet ice crystallizing carefully around the room, preventing a worse flood and freezing his bed in place.
“Unbelievable! He shouldn’t be able to move, let alone use magic! Just what is he?!” A Doctor said, in disbelief.
“He’s a member of Fairy Tail.” Erza’s voice cutting the awkward silence. “Juvia, it’s wonderful to see you. How is Lamia Scale treating you?” The redhead asked, as a friend.
“Erza-san! It’s good to see you.” Juvia sniffled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She blushed a little. Having just professed her love to Gray all over again and being interrupted reminded her that she was engaged to another man. What was she to do?
Erza smiled warmly at the water mage until she saw the room. “What happened here…?”
“I got carried away, sorry.” Gray said, looking at the redhead and comically sweat dropping. Erza was scary when angered.
“It was Juvia’s fault.” She said quietly looking down.
“I see.” Erza said, crossing her arms. “In that case, you’ll both owe me my bodyweight in strawberry cake for paying this bill.” She said sternly.
A nurse came in quietly, tapping Juvia on the shoulder. “Miss Lockser? A message for you.” She said, handing her a small message lacrima.
It immediately turned on. Lyon’s face was the recording. “It appears we are simply not meant to be, my beloved Juvia. Follow your heart, but you shall always have mine.” Lyon said, the recording shutting off.
Juvia slumped to the floor. Now no one wanted her. What was she too do? Tears silently fell, she was in so much shock, so much happening at once.
Gray moved against the restraints, reaching for Juvia’s hand.
Erza frowned, kneeling in front of the sorrow stricken mage. “Fairy Tail would be glad to welcome our family back. Plus, I’m pretty sure there’s a certain somebody who’d be glad you’re back, once he’s out of the hospital.” Erza said with a wink, a mischievous expression on her face. She’d been kicking Gray for years to confess already!
“Juvia…” Gray said, feeling the restraints lifting thanks to Erza and a few nurses. He rolled onto his side with a lot of effort, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” He said.
“Juvia doesn’t deserve your kindness Erza-san or Gray-sama’s love.” She spoke softly.
“Nonsense! You’re always part of our family, Juvia. You have been since Gray spoke for you all those years ago.” Erza replied. “I’ll even put the guild mark back on you myself, or i can let Gray do it if you’d prefer?” She added, looking to the ice mage.
Gray had rolled onto his stomach, a thin arm around Juvia’s shoulders, fingers knitted lightly into her soft blue hair. He was muffled by his own arm, laying awkwardly. “I’m glad to have you, Juvia.”
Juvia just couldn’t stop crying that day. “Thank you Erza-san. Gray-sama. Thank you!” She was in a roller coaster of emotions. She was mad at herself, sad that she and Lyon broke up, but of all happy. Happy that her guild, Fairy Tail, would take her back and that Gray alive and awake. Juvia clung to Gray’s frail form not wanting to let him go.
“It’s about time.” Erza said. She excused herself to speak with the doctors, leaving the reunited should-be-married-already couple alone.
Gray still had strength in his arm despite its lacking of muscle. He clung to her, keeping her close to the bed, close to him.
“Juvia is…."she trailed off in a whisper not knowing what to say. She has so many things she wanted and needed to say but didn’t know how to bring them up.
"Juvia is… Content?” Gray mumbled, peeking one dark blue eye over his arm at her. “ 'cause i am.”
“Juvia is happy. Juvia just wants to go home with Gray-sama. Our home.” Her blue eyes sparkling, due to tears, at him. She was speaking of those wonderful six months they had spent together in that small village.
“It’s going to be a while…” He replied, reluctantly turning onto his side. Just that little effort winded the ice mage, it taking all he had to move just a little bit. “But that sounds great. Maybe spend the winter out there.” He added. The summer was waning, which only gave Gray a few months to recover.
Juvia nodded. “Juvia will help Gray-sama get better any way she can.” She smiled a little. They held each other until it was time for Juvia to leave. She kissed Gray’s cheek, whispering an “I love you” before promising to be back bright and early the next morning.