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

Pairing: Gruvia

Chapter Two

There was an awkward exchange of hellos between the two of them which was to be expected. She noticed how his voice had gotten a lot deeper since the two of them had last spoke.

They stood in silence not sure which of them would speak first, and unsure on what they should say.

Gray scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he motioned towards the door of the restaurant. Juvia smiled, remembering to herself that he had kept this awkward trait of his.

Juvia smiled at him in agreement and took the lead, allowing him to hold the door open for her. They were directed to their table by their waitress and Juvia noticed how beautiful the room was. The floor and walls were beautifully made from mahogany and the tables were all decorated with white linen and candles. Juvia had to stifle a gasp as she walked into the room. She had never been able to afford a meal at a place like this.

As they arrived at their table Gray pulled her chair out for her, showing to her that he was trying to be a gentleman. Juvia couldn’t help but notice that he raked his eyes down over her body as he did this. Making her feel very self-conscious.

Gray watched her sit and allowed himself to take in her appearance. She was beautiful. Gray had always had a bit of a crush on Juvia, they were best friends in high school. She followed him everywhere, gave him her own nickname. He was never sure if she ever liked him back though. If she wasn’t with him, she spent all of her time with her other friend, Gajeel. He was convinced she liked him until he found out otherwise, by that time he was already in a relationship with Lucy.

He took a seat opposite her, they locked eyes awkwardly, noticing the big smile on her face and blush on her cheeks. Her long blue hair framing her pale face. He smiled back at her.

They started with small talk, catching up on old times, talking about memories, making fun of each other. It was almost like they were back to who they used to be, comfortable with one another. The wine continued to flow; they’d gotten through nearly a whole bottle of prosecco before the food had even arrived.

 ‘I can’t believe you thought I had a thing for Gajeel!’ Juvia laughed, her cheeks rosy with alcohol and flirtation.

‘How was I supposed to know! You used to hang out with him all the time!’ Gray laughed back to her, the conversation flowing easily.

‘Yeah, and his girlfriend! Levy! It was so obvious I liked you the entire time! Even the teachers used to tease me about it!’ Juvia continued to laugh, sipping at her prosecco between mouthfuls.

‘I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend! I’ve always been a bit dense to be fair.’ He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. The more he thought about it the more foolish he felt.

‘They’ve just had twins actually; I was maid of honour at their wedding.’ She smiled softly at him, finishing her meal, and sipping the last of her prosecco.

‘That’s crazy, the fact that were all adults now.’ He smiled at her, reaching his hand absently across the table, brushing her fingers.

Juvia blushed, intertwining the tips of her fingers with his own, her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest.

‘Yeah, crazy. Thank you for inviting me out tonight, it’s been really nice seeing you again.’ There was an increasing anxiousness in her chest. Would he want to see her again?

‘It’s been great, did you… did you want to go for a drink after this? I’m not ready to say goodnight just yet. He scratched the back of his head again, averting his gaze from her own.

‘I would love that!’ Another beaming smile from the bluenette in front of him. He motioned for the waiter to pay the bill before they set off into the night.

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?

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

Pairing: Gruvia

Chapter Four

Cana and Bacchus stayed with them for the rest of the night. They continued drinking and reminiscing about old times. Cana had found it hysterical when she found out Gray had thought Juvia and Gajeel had been together, she was almost outraged that Gray had spoken to her about it before assuming. Cana had been in touch with Levy on and off since high school, they weren’t close, but she was glad to catch up with Juvia about them as well.

Juvia was having a really good time with them, Gray was completely relaxed now, he was exactly like the Gray she once knew. Laughing without a care and flashing her the smiles she had always loved. He was bashful, in front of his friends though, there hands were both on the table, mere centimetres away from each other, but neither of them would take the move to hold each other’s hands. She could see him glance at them now again though, like he wanted to but couldn’t, he had when they were alone, but with Cana and Bacchus here, he had gone shy.

It had felt like no time at all, but it was near closing time, Juvia was starting to get conscious that was due at work in the morning. She didn’t want the night to end, she didn’t want to be the one to end it either.

‘Well, I’m beat!’ Cana rested her head on Juvia’s shoulder, ‘I need to use the little girl’s room and then we should be off.’ She reached a drunken arm towards Bacchus who grinned back at her.

‘Juvia, wanna come with?’ Cana flashed her a look as Juvia nodded in agreement. They slipped out of the booth and headed up the stairs to the toilets, leaving the men behind at the table. Cana was drunk, but she could handle her alcohol a lot better than Juvia could, there were a few times where Juvia thought she might miss a step on the way up, but Cana supported her as they laughed together.

They stood at the sink with one another after, washing their hands in unison in a bit of an awkward silence.

‘Oh Juvia! You have no idea how happy I was to see you with Gray this evening!’ Cana threw her arms around the bluenette’s neck, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Juvia blushed, returning the hug with Cana. ‘Really? I wasn’t sure if you were just saying that earlier.’ Cana pulled away, noticing the bashful look on Juvia’s face.

‘Are you kidding? I meant what I said earlier, I really thought you guys were end game, I remember being so angry when I heard about him and Lucy, I nearly had a go at him. I wish I had now! Then I would have found out about the Gajeel thing! I mean how ridiculous!’ Cana put her arms on her hips in annoyance and Juvia could only laugh.

‘I never thought he liked me like that honestly, I always thought he had a bit of a thing for Lucy, so I wasn’t surprised.’ Juvia gave a sad smile, niggling doubt creeping back into her mind.

‘Oh, definitely not! She went after him actually, I’ve spoken to him about this since their breakup, he’s always regretted not going for you back in school. That’s why I told him to reach out to you! He hasn’t stopped talking about you since he saw you break up with your boyfriend.’ Cana leant back against the sink, a grin on her face.

Juvia blushed again, this just seemed too good to be true, she wasn’t sure if Cana was just saying all of this because she was drunk.

‘So, what do you think of him now, have you had fun tonight?’ Cana smiled coyly at her again.

Juvia felt the lump in her throat and her words stutter. ‘Of… Of course, I’ve always really liked Gray, I suppose… I suppose I’m just worried that he is using me as a rebound from Lucy.’ She smiled sadly at Cana whose shocked expression put her at ease.

‘Are you joking? Absolutely not! Christ if you had seen him at Christmas, he is well and truly over that slut.’ Cana’s words were laced with venom as she spoke about Lucy.

Juvia was shocked, ‘I thought you and Lucy were friends?’

Cana rolled her eyes, ‘Oh fuck no. We got on fine in high school, but I never liked her with Gray. Plus, I’m best friends with Lisanna, and when she fucked her and Gray over with Natsu, I can’t stand the girl. Gray and Natsu are like my brothers, and now they can’t stand each other, it’s a whole mess.’ Cana smoothed out her hair in the mirror as she spoke, she was getting more heated by the moment. She took a deep breath before focusing on Juvia again.

Juvia had forgotten that Natsu and Lisanna had been together, they’d been together since the start of high school, childhood sweethearts. It made what happened even worse.

‘Can I be honest with you Juvia?’ Cana looked at her seriously. Juvia swallowed nervously at the intensity of it.

‘Of course.’ Juvia played with her straw hat absently in her hands.

‘I think Lucy used Gray to get to Natsu. She always had a thing for him. Gray realised that at Christmas. It’s really affected his self-confidence, he may not show it, but it has. I really hope things work well with you and Gray, you’re not a rebound, trust me. I think you’ll be really good together.’

Juvia blushed deeply, she felt honoured that Cana thought so much of them. ‘Thank you, my feelings for him have come back twice fold, I hope he wants to see me again.’ She joined hands with Cana, both smiling with one another.

There was an excited smile on Cana’s face. ‘Amazing! I actually can’t wait! Trust me! I’ve seen the way he’s been looking at you when you’re not looking, he’s crazy about you! We should head back to them and find out what they’ve been talking about.’ Cana flashed her a coy smile. ‘Oh! Give me your number quickly as well so we can be in contact! I want to know all the details!’

They exchanged phone numbers, giggling with one another as they headed out to where Gray and Bacchus were waiting.

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

Pairing: Gruvia

Chapter One

It had been nearly a month since Bora had broken up with her and she had just about recovered from the relationship.

The relationship was good, and he was kind to her. The best relationship she had likely had but she knew the breakup had been coming. He was becoming more distant towards her. He was moving away and when the breakup came it only confirmed what she though.

'She was not good enough.' Not good enough for Bora to consider a long-distance relationship with her. He was not a bad guy to her, and the breakup was civil, but it damaged her confidence.

It had been a month since then. She had thrown herself into work and now felt that she was over the blue-haired man. She felt more at ease in herself but her she had yet to throw herself back into the dating world.

That is when she received the text. The text from him. Gray Fullbuster.

'Hey trouble! Long-time no speaks. How's things?!'

It had been a long time. 8 years.

They had been best friends in high school. He was her first love when she was 16 years old. She adored him but he never felt the same way about her. Eventually he got a girlfriend, a prettier, slimmer girl with blonde hair. Her name was Lucy. She put on a brave face and did her best to support him and be happy for him but eventually it became too much for her. They decided it would be best if they stopped talking for her to get over him. Gray and Lucy stayed together for 6 and a half years but he and Juvia never reconnected. Until now.

She stared at her phone for a long while thinking of the words she would respond back to him. She had never truly gotten over him, he held a special place in her heart.

'Hey! Yeah it has! Quite a few years! Things are good! What about you? Xxx' she sent the text. It seemed natural enough when she sent it. It has been so long she was not sure how to respond really.

It felt like hours but within no time he responded to her. 'Good! Yeah not to bad, had a rough couple of years, wanted to send you a message for a while but was always worried you would never respond.'

He had been thinking of her. Just that though make the butterflies in her stomach begin to stir. He was likely trying to be polite and they would not talk again for another few years, but she was still hopeful. Though perhaps she should not be. What if he hurt her again?

They exchanged several texts between them. He had joined the army and she was now a qualified nurse. The conversation seemed to flow naturally between them, much like it had in the past.

'Hey Juvia…I feel like I should have said something years ago and saved us all the effort and time of being messed about by others…would you like to go for some food and a drink sometime? Maybe next week before I go away?'

She stared at the text in front of her. They had been growing closer the last couple of days. Turns out Lucy had cheated on her with his best friend Natsu. She had been in several relationships since him and not all of them had been good. She had yet to fully confide in him about that.

She agreed to go on a date with him. They agreed that Wednesday would be the best day between her shifts. That was 3 days away. It would be the only time she would be able to see him now before he goes away on his next military trip to Cyprus. He would be gone for 8 months.

Perhaps if Wednesday went well, he would wait for her whilst they were out there. She was hopeful. Her feelings had been coming back in waves for him and now they had hit her like a full-blown tsunami. He had told her that he had been interested in her for a while now but never had the confidence to speak up about it.

Wednesday came far too quickly. She looked at herself in the mirror. After trying on multiple outfits, she had finally decided on the one she was wearing. She was wearing a black sundress with sunflowers on it. Her blue hair fell loose around her shoulders and she wore a straw sunhat with a yellow bow wrapped around it. She put on a pair of white sandals and grabbed her bag as she headed out the door.

Gray had booked a table at one of the best restaurants in Magnolia. Crescent Blue. She was nervous and her hands were sweaty. 8 years was a long time. What if he did not like the way she looked now, her hair was a lot longer and over the years she had become more developed. She was curvier, her breasts were bigger but so were her hips. What if he thought she was fat…?

All these worries flooded through her as she arrived at her destination. It appeared busy but there was still no sign of her Gray-Sama. She smiled to herself. Gray-Sama. It was a nickname she had given him back in high school. He had hated it before but now he had grown quite fond of it.

She looked ahead of her, seeing the impending figure walking towards her. It was him. He was a lot taller, must be around 6ft. He wore black cargo trousers and a black t-shirt. His jet-black hair was slicked back, and he appeared a lot more muscular to what he was back in high school.

She had not thought it was possible, but he had become more attractive. It looked like he was looking around for her, not yet seeing her in his path. But once he did their eyes met. His coal eyes into her blue ones. Her heart was thumping against her chest. She really hoped this would go well…