...

don't even bother with fact checking me; it's probably both geographically and historically inaccurate, but just roll with it. Magnolia and Lamia Scale are both kingdoms on the island of Crete in this, but Magnolia kinda doubles as the capitol.

...

Gray was already bored to death by the time Lucy tried on the second dress.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy for her—after all, she was his best friend—but the chore of having to sit and wait and criticize her on every little detail regarding the wedding was beginning to be burdensome. Today alone he had already helped decide the desert plans as well as flower types.

Both times he and Natsu started duking it out right there in the open, nearly making the kitchen explode and the garden freeze over. Both times Erza slammed their faces together while Lucy shook her head with an annoyed frown.

Although Gray appreciated all the effort Lucy was putting into the preparations, he wasn't sure why she was so adamant about having such a storybook wedding. Odds were something was going to burn down with Natsu being the groom anyway.

Still, he waited patiently, running his thumb and forefinger along the cool steel of his sword tethered to his belt, swirls of ice decorating the blade. After what felt like an eternity, Lucy stepped out from behind a curtain in a floor length toga gown that fell off of the shoulder with a gold sash wrapped around her middle.

Honestly, he couldn't even tell it apart from the first one she tried on other than that this time she had a crown of golden laurels set up on her blonde hair. "Looks good. Can I leave now?"

The smile on her face molded into one of mock annoyance. "If you didn't want to help me, then you shouldn't have offered to."

"I didn't offer to help you," Gray protested, leaning back in his seat. He groaned as he stretched his cramped back. "You're the one who volunteered me. I could probably even clump it with kidnapping."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I didn't kidnap you."

Gray cracked a grin. "Sure you didn't. But seriously," he sat up in the chair, "can I go now? I'm really antsy and need to punch someone in the face. Or stab someone."

"Why do I have the suspicion that both of the someones you mentioned are referring to my fiance?" Lucy plucked the laurels from her hair and dropped them on one of the cushioned seats.

"Well, I was talking about him when I said I wanted to punch someone," he conceded. "But I was actually talking about Gajeel with the stabbing thing."

"I guess that's a little bit better," Lucy mumbled. "Let me change real quick and then I'll walk with you to the training yard. Natsu's down there and I need to talk to him anyway."

Gray held his arm toward the curtain in mock gentlemanly fashion. "As you wish, Highness. I swear not to peak."

"Oh my gods, you're insufferable sometimes." Lucy swatted at Gray's head on her way past him, but he easily ducked out of her reach. Snubbing her nose at him, she disappeared behind the silk curtains for the fourth time that day.

Fortunately for Gray, she was much quicker changing back into her speckled toga than the wedding dresses. Before he could even voice a complaint, she was already by his side. "Shall we go?" Lucy sauntered ahead of him.

"Don't make me freeze your feet to the floor, Lucy." Gray jogged a few steps to catch up, and then matched her stride. Even without looking at her he could tell that Lucy was smiling. Ever since the engagement she hadn't been seen without a smile.

Suddenly, Lucy jumped in place as they walked, her hands clutched close to her face in excitement. "Holy Zeus, I can't believe that I'm getting married in eight days!"

Gray smirked, patting her on the head teasingly. "Down, girl. I know you're excited."

Lucy sighed dreamily, her barefeet slapping against the stone floor echoing throughout the corridor. "There's just so much to do still! It's kinda scary!"

"You'll do fine," he assured. "Juvia has been helping you with a lot of it anyway."

Lucy nodded curtly. "So has Lisanna and Mira."

"I still don't get why you needed me on flower and dress duty when you could have asked them to do it." Gray pushed the door open and held it until Lucy passed through and then let it close behind them.

Lucy shrugged, turning her face away from him. "Even though they're really amazing friends, you're my best friend and I wanted to ask you."

Gray grinned, leaning over so that he was nearly level with her. "What was that?" She shoved him away but he edged closer again. "I must be dreaming but I think I just heard a compliment?"

"You know what I said and I'm not repeating it."

Natsu was sparring with Gajeel when they entered they training yard. Lucy was still annoyed at him for teasing her, so Gray didn't follow her as she made her way toward Natsu. From the new angle, he could tell that she was walking differently and that her stomach seemed...different.

Shaking his head, Gray turned toward a dummy soldier designed for training. Whatever was going on between Lucy and Natsu was none of his business.

Stripping from his breastplate, Gray set to work hacking at the dummy with his own makeshift ice sword. He mostly preferred to use his ice weapons over that of man made ones for two reasons; one being that he might as well use the powers he was cursed with, and the second one being that the power he inherited from his mother, the goddess Khione, had to be more reliable than that of a mortal man's.

Every so often, he'd glance up to see if she was watching. Juvia worked in the castle as Lucy's aid and advisor. Originally Gray had found her as a war prisoner to the Phantom Lord city-state and he developed a friendship with her; once Phantom Lord had been annihilated through strenuous years of war, Gray had brought her back to Magnolia to meet Lucy.

Straightening his posture, Gray scanned the balconies overlooking the courtyard as discreetly as he could. When he finally spotted the blue haired girl leaning over the balcony, watching him intently, he immediately huffed and speared the training dummy in a fluid motion as easy as breathing.

He didn't dare glance at her again.

If he did that, then people might think that he was interested in her, which Gray was certainly not! He didn't look for her during his training sessions because he was trying to impress Juvia, but rather...he was just monitoring her whereabouts.

Panting softly, Gray dropped his sword to the ground. Immediately the weapon shattered into hundreds of small shards which melted away the second they fell into the grass.

"You were having quite the work-out," Lucy commented as Gray rejoined her, Natsu, and Gajeel near a rack of swords and armour. She held out a flask of water that matched the ones in the other two mens' hands. Gray took his from her.

Natsu scoffed, slinging his sword up on his shoulder effortlessly. "I could have taken him. What's so impressive about attacking a fake opponent?"

Gray growled at him, but before he could spit back an insult, Gajeel grinned, "Ah, stop harping him. He doesn't even need training much anymore. He only comes down here to put on a show for Juvia."

Gray nearly choked on his water. "Excuse me?" he demanded, eyes wide.

Natsu scrunched his eyes and made a stupid face which made Gray want to deck him. "Wait, wait, wait a second Ice Breath—you have a thing for Juvia?" He grinned condescendingly, showing off his fang-like teeth. "Since when?"

"Since never," Gray hissed, clenching his fist tightly. "She's just a friend, alright?"

"You guy would make a pretty cute couple, you know." Lucy's eyes suddenly got a shimmer in them that Gray didn't like; it was the same one she got when she would make him play dolls with her as children. "Oh my gods, what if we had a double wedding!"

"No way!" Natsu exclaimed at the same time Gray scoffed, "Not going to happen."

"No offense, Luce," Natsu wrapped a protective arm around her waist, "but I would probably set Gray on fire if we had to stand that close to each other during the ceremony."

"And I'd freeze Natsu's head."

Lucy pouted slightly. Gajeel snickered to himself, slapping Gray on the back roughly. "You guys sure make quality entertainment. At least I know I can always get some good wine and a good laugh whenever I visit this place."

"And your ugly mug always gives me something to laugh at when you're around so I guess we're even." Natsu grinned.

"Mind getting your arm off of me?" Gray grumbled when Gajeel put more weight on him. A sudden drop of Gray's body temperature and Gajeel jumped away in surprise.

"Hey, Gray?" Natsu looked more serious than he had a minute earlier which was a little unsettling. "What's your brother doing here?"

"What?" Gray turned, following Natsu's line of sight until his eyes fell on Lyon. His older brother had a grim expression and his best sword was strapped to his side. Something was wrong. "What's he doing here," he murmured.

"You mean you weren't expecting him?" Lucy straightened her posture and Gray didn't miss how her hands instinctively hugged her stomach.

"I hope there's some sort of invasion." The tips of Natsu's hair began to smolder slightly. "I need some action."

"Cool it, Salamander," Gajeel warned. "Don't go burning the place down."

Together, the four of them watched warily as Lyon approached. Every step closer his brother got the more uneasy Gray became. The only reason his brother, a top ranking official in their father's army, would be used as some sort of messenger would be if the news were urgent. Was someone attacking Lamia Scale?

It had been close to four years since the last time there was a threat large enough for Gray's assistance to be called in. He was eighteen then, back when Phantom Lord was threatening a series of kingdoms.

"Lyon," Gray greeted once his brother had made it within earshot.

"Greetings, brother." Lyon offered Gray a tight smile. "It's been a while."

"Yeah."

Lyon offered Lucy and Natsu a respectful bow, though he looked annoyed by it. Natsu tightened his hold on Lucy's waist. "Congratulations on the engagement, Princess. You'll make a lovely bride."

Lucy curtsied, smiling as brightly as she could despite the evident heaviness of the atmosphere. "Thank you, Lord Lyon."

Gray regarded his brother's face but he was having a hard time reading him; Gray was usually really skilled in determining motive through facial expressions, but Lyon was always a wild card. "Are you going to tell us why you're here or not?"

Instead of becoming upset or indignant the way Gray expected him to be, Lyon's features morphed into one of pain. "Gray," Lyon's voice cracked for the first time in his life and Gray felt his own pulse quicken. "Father became ill and Apollo was unable to save him."

This had to be a joke right? A terrible, awful joke but a joke nonetheless...right? Then why was his heart beating so fast? "You mean he's really…." Gray couldn't finish the sentence, but Lyon's cold eyes warned him that he was telling the truth.

Lyon nodded gravely. "Our father is dead."

…

It took a week to travel back home for the funeral.

The entire journey had been full of grief and sorrow. Gray, who had never been a drinker, had spent much of his time with Lyon and a bottle of wine. He had never felt especially close to his brother, but now that his father was gone he found his company more tolerable.

When Gray hadn't been drowning his pain in alcohol, he'd been mostly keeping to himself. He'd ride toward the back of the group, retire to his tent early at night, and answer questions with only a nod or shake of his head. The only person he had spoken to since they set out toward the kingdom of Lamia Scale was Lyon.

It was blatantly obvious that Lucy was worried for him the entire trip; she'd bring meals to him when he forgot to eat or give him a blanket when he would sit by himself in the dark away from the fire. Even Natsu had been more considerate, keeping his insults to himself and offering to talk if Gray wanted to. Gray felt bad to burden them, but he couldn't bring himself to be happy.

But now as he watched his father's body burn atop the funeral pyre, all Gray could think about was Lucy's black toga and Natsu's sullen expression.

Today was the day that they were supposed to be married; how ironic was it that the day that was supposed to be the happiest of their lives ended up being canceled for a day of sadness and mourning?

Off to his side, Gray could hear the cries of his sister Ultear as she knelt in the dirt while Lyon stood stiff as a board, but even he couldn't hide the tears that slid down the curves of his cheeks. It had been years since the three of them had been together and it pained him that it took the death of his father to finally unite them.

"Gray, dear," a small voice beside him said.

Gray turned slowly, unsurprised by Juvia standing beside him. Her blue tunic was traded for a black toga and she smelled like the fragrance of lamentation. She had made the seven day trip along with Lucy and her father, Jude, to pay respects to King Silver. Deep down, he knew that she was mostly there for him and that eased his heart.

"I'm sorry that this happened," Juvia whispered. Out of the corner of his eyes, Gray could see the reflection of the burning pyre in her big blue eyes. "Hades will judge him fairly; you'll meet him in Elysium one day."

When words wouldn't form, Gray whimpered softly. "Thank you," he said, slipping his hand into hers. Juvia gave his hand a squeeze.

He didn't know what his feelings for her were, but he was thankful to have her by his side.

…

Gray didn't bother to leave his room in the days following Ultear's coronation.

Mostly he was still depressed and the thought of seeing other people made him uneasy, but there was something about being in his childhood bedroom that relaxed him a small bit. He hadn't lived in his father's castle since he was nine and to see that nothing in his room had changed in the last thirteen years made him feel safe.

Perched at his window, Gray touched the stone column with the back of his hand. Swirls of ice decorated the cracks in the rock. He had such a beautiful, amazing power and yet he couldn't do anything to save his father. He hadn't even known his father had grown ill to begin with.

What kind of son did that make him?

A sudden knock on the door made him jump. The ice on the stone evaporated due to his loss of concentration. "I don't wish to see visitors, Lucy," he said harsher than he meant to.

When no one answered, Gray figured that Lucy had taken the hint but then a small voice called through the door, "Gray? It's Juvia."

"Juvia?" Gray repeated slowly. His mouth moved before his brain could think. "Come in."

The door eased open slowly and Juvia stepped in with a bowl of meat and vegetables. "I thought you would be hungry since you've missed the last few meals," she said, setting the bowl on a table near his bed.

Juvia turned to leave, but Gray grabbed her by the wrist. He wasn't sure what made him want her to stay, but something about her being near him made all of the craziness going on in his life a little more bearable. "Please don't go," he said, relieved when his voice didn't crack with emotion.

Juvia smiled softly, taking a seat beside him. Gray pretended not to notice how excited her eyes were when she looked at his hand which had yet to let go of her wrist. He didn't. "I'm not going to go anywhere, Gray dear."

Gray snorted, for once relieved at her words. "I'm just… I can't believe the king is gone, ya know? He had a lot going for him."

Juvia nodded slowly. "Your father...were you close?"

"Not really," he replied bitterly. "I'm the youngest and clearly not the favorite.I'm not even Ultear and Lyon's full brother. I was the result of a weakness Silver had when he met Khione—he got a little upset with Ur one day and there Khione was in her icy glory to take away the pain." He smiled wryly at the floor. "And I was just a constant reminder of his mistake. It hurt him even more after my mother died."

"Your mother? You mean Ur?" Her brows scrunched, making her crystal eyes crinkle.

"Yeah," Gray whispered, finally releasing Juvia's wrist. She placed both hands in her lap and began massaging her palm nervously. "She may not have been my real mother, but she might as well have been. She never felt resentment towards me and she always included me with her own children. If Lyon and I were acting out, she'd scold us. She'd read to us at night. It was really hard when she died."

"How old were you?"

"Holy Hades, how long has it been?" Gray murmured to himself for a minute while he tried to recall certain events as reference points. "Nine. Because right after she died, I went to live with Lucy and her father. I never lived in my father's palace again."

He looked at the finger paintings on the wall on the far side of the room; they were faded now after over a decade of abandonment, but Gray still recognized each of his and his siblings' handprints on the wall. "This is my old room, you know."

"This was your room?" Juvia glanced around, taking in the childlike furnishings for the first time. "I should have known," she smiled.

Gray shrugged, but didn't elaborate further. Together they sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the wavering light of the torch mounted to the wall. Eventually, Gray muttered,"This whole Ultear being queen had me thinking a lot."

"Do you not think she's cut out for it or something?" Juvia asked. For the first time in several days, Gray laughed—genuine, head thrown back and spleen splitting laughter. Juvia widened her eyes at him. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No!" he assured her quickly. "No." He took a minute to reclaim his breath. "It's just funny to me for Ultear to be queen. Most of my childhood consisted of her doing everything in her power to make mine and Lyon's life Hades."

Juvia grinned shyly. Gray quickly lowered the temperature of his hands to stop them from sweating, but even with his powers they still felt warm. "She couldn't have been that bad," she insisted.

Gray scoffed, fixing the blue haired girl with a teasing stare. "Imagine Erza when someone touches her strawberry bread."

Juvia gasped through her smile. "No way! Your sister is scarier than Erza?"

Gray bobbed his head side-to-side as if to say kinda. "Not scarier, per se. But definitely in the same discus field."

"Remind me not to get on her bad side."

"I'm sure you won't." He paused for a moment. "Have you noticed the small pink haired child exploring the castle since arriving here by any chance?"

Juvia nodded eagerly and Gray could tell she was withholding a squeal. "That child is beautiful! I've only seen her twice though, both times accompanied by the queen."

"Yeah, well, that's Ultear's daughter. About five I think. Her name's Meredy."

"So that's her name!" Juvia nodded to herself as if she were satisfied with this discovery. "Speaking of children," she started, and Gray was afraid that she was going to be creepy like when he first met her, but instead she said, "Lucy and Natsu's child will be due in a few months."

Gray nodded slowly, his earlier observations being confirmed. "I was wondering if that was why Lucy looked fat all of a sudden."

Juvia gave him a look that he had a hard time not laughing at. "She's not fat, Gray dear. It's normal and pregnancy is a beautiful miracle."

"Guess it's a good thing I didn't tell her about her fat ankles then, huh?" Juvia hit him on the arm. "Ow!" he complained, even though they were both aware that he wasn't injured.

"I heard that the queen and King Jude had a conference to discuss further peace between Lamia Scale and Magnolia today," Juvia commented, wringing her fingers. "King Jude will be leaving with Lucy and Natsu tomorrow as well."

"Will you be going with them?" he asked, keeping his eyes downcast.

He felt her shrug beside him. "Probably, though I did hear some talk of me staying behind for a time." Juvia shot him a playful smile. "Lucy said that someone had to keep an eye on you while she was away and she didn't trust Lyon to do it."

"Well, she's not wrong."

Gray shifted his eyes to Juvia who was still giggling. He still felt conflicted about his feelings for her; he saved her from an abusive land, then she became clingy, then he distanced himself, then they spent more time together, then she'd watch him practice in the courtyard and bring him food, and he'd keep his brother and other creeps away.

Their relationship was the most confusing thing he'd ever had to sort out in his heart, especially since everything else had been pretty clear-cut; Lucy was his best friend from childhood and even though he never liked her in a romantic way, he would sacrifice his life to save her. Natsu was his rival from day one and always would be, but even though Gray probably wouldn't give his life for him, there was a lot that Gray was willing to risk for him. Erza had always felt like a sister so that eliminated any chance of mixed feelings.

But Juvia made him feel weird. Sometimes he wanted to kiss her, sometimes he wanted her to shut up, and sometimes he wanted to kiss her to shut her up.

"Gray dear?" Juvia asked. Gray stupidly realized that he was staring at her like an idiot. "When...when were you going to return to Magnolia? Or…," she hesitated, "are you planning on remaining in Lamia Scale?"

"Of course I'll be back to Magnolia before long," he grinned coolly. "I can't miss Lucy's wedding, no matter how much of an idiot the groom is. And their baby is going to need their uncle Gray around."

Juvia smiled. "May Hera let it be so."

Gray kissed her before she could say another word.

…

Gray wished he was still sleeping when he arrived in his sister's throne room.

Jude, Lucy, and Natsu were already gone by the time he got up, but he was more upset about having to leave the blue haired girl sleeping in his room. Nothing had happened between them; they merely slept next to each other, but Gray was still reluctant to leave the warmth of sleeping beside her.

"Finally, Gray is here." Ultear waved him in from the head of a long table. Lyon sat adjacent to her; His sister looked the same as Gray remembered her from childhood with her long dark hair in crimps, challenging eyes, and a grey off the shoulder dress. The only difference now was the the crown that was perched up on her head. "Now we may begin."

"About time," Lyon grumbled into his hand.

Gray frowned, taking a seat across from Lyon. "What's this all about?" he asked, looking to Ultear. Lyon shifted so that his face was propped up on his palm, but he was still watching their sister expectantly.

Ultear folded her hands on the table. Something about her body language made Gray uneasy. "As you may know, Lamia Scale and Magnolia have had their...differences in the past."

Lyon chuckled darkly. "That's an understatement."

Gray rolled his eyes. "No offense, Ultear, but if you dragged me out of bed this morning for a history lesson about things I already know, I'm going to be pissed."

"Good nights rest then, huh?" Lyon deadpanned.

Gray ignored him. "If this is all we're going to be doing," he rose from his seat, "then I'm leaving."

"Sit down," Ultear barked. Gray's frown deepened but he sat back down, pointedly ignoring Lyon's small smirk. Ultear's stone smile returned. "Like I was saying, Lamia Scale and Magnolia have had some problems in the past regarding citizen disputes, specifically the clashes of patron gods."

"Magnolia's Athena and Lamia Scale's Poseidon," Lyon said.

"Right." Ultear nodded. "As you may have known, father and King Jude were able to establish peace between the two cities." She looked to Gray thoughtfully, but he just shrugged. "Well," her voice was slightly awkward now. "Father was able to establish peace by sending Gray to live in Magnolia with Jude and his family…"

It took a moment for it to register in Gray's mind that the reason he was sent away as a child was as a condition of peace. "You mean the reason I grew up in a different man's castle is because our people and Lucy's people couldn't get along?"

His voice sounded angry but it wasn't because he was forced to leave his family at a young age. He was in his twenties now; it didn't matter what happened over a decade ago, especially since he got to grow up with Lucy and learn to harness his powers with Makarov. As far as he was concerned, Lucy, Erza, Natsu, and the others were his family now.

But he was angry that he had never been told the reason why he was sent away, only to find out following his father's death. Gray loved his father, but his cowardice was shameful.

"Calm down, Gray," Ultear soothed, resting a hand on Gray's wrist. He tensed, but he didn't move it away.

"This is exactly the reason we went so long without telling you," Lyon mumbled. "We knew it would upset you and we prefered to spare you of that."

Gray clenched his fist around the table cloth and then released it. There was no point in getting angry over it now. All he had to do was sit through this meeting, and then he and Juvia were going to catch up with Lucy and the others. He should have known better than to stay with his family for an extra few weeks. "Why are you telling this to me now?" he asked sharply.

Lyon and Ultear shared a glance that Gray didn't like. "Now that the king is dead, forces are brewing between the kingdoms," Lyon said after some time.

"Wonderful." Gray kept his expression as uninterested as possible. "Now what does that have to do with me?"

"Jude's afraid that the rivalry between kingdoms will be too hard to quench if they stew too long without being restrained." Ultear rose from her chair. "Clearly," she stroked a strand of her hair as she began pacing behind her seat, "there needs to be a new truce made to unite the people again, no matter how loosely."

"So what you're saying is that my sacrifice of being ripped away from my family without any knowledge of why has run dry now, hmm?"

"Don't be like that, Gray," Lyon growled, curling his fingers against the table top like claws. "You served your kingdom and father a great service."

"Well, why didn't he send you then, huh?" Gray snarled back. "Because I was the constant reminder that I was his mistake? That I wasn't Ur's son?"

Lyon stood up so fast his chair fell backward. "Father loved you! And you need to know that! And Ur loved you too, so stop sulking!"

"Stop sulking?" Gray jumped to his feet as well. His whole body burned from confining his powers from turning the castle into a blast of eternal winter. "I'm not sulking. I'm just trying to fit the damn puzzle pieces together!"

"Father sent you away," Lyon looked him in the eyes, sending a chill down his spine, "because he knew you had no future here!"

"That's enough!" Ultear screamed.

Gray stopped short. For a minute, the urge to plunge the entire room into sub-zero temperatures became even more tempting, but then the confusion kicked in and the anger in the pit of his stomach was replaced with anxiousness. "What the Hades is that supposed to mean?"

Gray hadn't realized Lyon had been gripping the hilt of his sword until he released it with a huff. "You were the only one," Lyon whispered, "the only one in the castle who was born of a god. Father tried to find others, but Lamia Scale was mostly void of them."

Ultear's expression softened. "He found Lucy, though," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder but Gray ripped himself away from her. "And she was in Magnolia. He had to send a child away one way or the other and she was the only person that you allowed yourself to latch onto. He had to make a difficult choice, Gray."

When Gray didn't say anything, Lyon marched up to him and seized him by the collar roughly. For once, Gray didn't feel like punching his brother in the face. "How can you just stand here like this without saying a word?" Lyon shook him. "Ur died and then you were sent away! You think you had it rough but did you ever think about the rest of us? Of me and Ultear?" Gray pointed a finger at their sister who was standing to the side.

Her hands were at her sides, she wore a neutral expression, but her eyes…Gray had only seen Ultear's eyes like that twice before: when her mother died and when they were watching their father's body burn on the pyre.

"We lost our little brother!" Lyon released Gray's collar and began to tremble. "Me and Ultear watched you leave full of sadness and confusion. And when you returned to us, you were bitter and full of hatred toward us."

Gray's eyes widened as his brother began to sob in front of him. Lyon, his bright, war hero brother was reduced to tears because of him? Today really was a day for surprises. And then Gray did another surprising thing; he hugged his brother.

"I'm...sorry." Gray looked away. It made him uncomfortable to see his brother like this. "I'm sorry if I made things hard on you."

Lyon looked up through his tear stained cheeks. "That's why you need to be the one to marry her. And not me."

Gray blinked, suddenly ready to shove him away. "Come again?"

Ultear cleared her throat. "Do I really need to say it right now? You guys just bonded and-"

"Out with it, your majesty," Gray snapped.

"The new truce," Ultear said, "Jude and I agreed a marriage would be in order."

Gray held up both hands, giving her a hard look. "I'm not marrying Lucy, okay? She's my best friend and she's engaged already...to an idiot, but engaged nonetheless."

Ultear shook her head. "Of course it wouldn't be Lucy. We're talking about Juvia."

"Juvia?" Gray's jaw almost dropped.

"She's high profile in Jude's palace," Lyon asserted. Other than the flush of his cheeks, he had returned to his serious stature. "Her marriage to either of us would be respected by both Magnolia and Lamia Scale."

Gray felt his face heat up when he remembered that said girl was probably still up in his bedroom sleeping. It was kind of ironic how in the midst of his confusing feelings he was now being asked to marry her. "Why are you passing this opportunity up?" he asked curiously. "I thought you liked Juvia. Wouldn't this be the perfect thing for you?"

Lyon rolled his eyes as if the answer were obvious. "Of course it would be the best opportunity if I were a heartless bastard," he said. Gray resisted the urge to comment. "But it's because I do love her that I'm not going to take advantage of the situation. She loves you, Gray," he set a hand on Gray's shoulder, "and I know you love her too."

"I do not love Juvia," Gray retorted flatly. "She's…"

He wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't think it was love, but then what was his deal? He kissed her last night and she was currently sleeping in his childhood bedroom. Whatever feelings he had for her extended far beyond friendship or lust but he was afraid to put such a strong term on it such as love.

But when he stopped and thought about it, Gray would much rather marry Juvia himself over Lyon. And admitting it to himself, Gray had to admit that Juvia being his wife didn't sound...terrible.

Gray shuddered. Maybe Lucy would get her double wedding after all.

…

"I still can't believe I haven't set you on fire yet."

Gray ignored Natsu, instead focusing on his wife who was laughing as she danced with Lucy and Erza. All three of them wore cream colored dresses and golden laurels in their hair. "Who would have thought that your wedding would have become a triple wedding, eh?"

Natsu chuckled, swirling the sediments of his wine at the bottom of his glass. "Well, I guess I can deal with sharing a wedding with you guys. I mean, have you seen any of them look this happy before?"

Gray smiled again as Erza twirled Juvia with one hand while she twirled Lucy with the other; he noted that Lucy's stomach was showing a defined bump now. "This a special kind of happy," Jellal grinned.

"Speaking of," Gray turned to Natsu, "when's your rugrat supposed to be born, again?"

"Since we're all having a lovely time, I'm going to pretend you didn't just call my kid a rugrat." Natsu downed the rest of his wine. "It's due in April. We're in need for an offering to Artemis and Hera any day now, though."

"Not that this conversation isn't entertaining," Jellal nodded toward where Erza was waving for him to join her, "but duty calls. Thank you for attending my wedding." He winked.

"Thanks for coming to mine, man!" Natsu laughed after him.

Gray set his cup on the nearest table. "I'm going in."

Natsu gave a low whistle. "You think you're ready?"

"Guess I have to be." Gray walked through the crowd toward Juvia in what felt like slow motion; he didn't hear or see the people around him, but instead his vision was clouded by the beautiful girl with hair as blue as the Mediterranean Sea. "Mind if I cut in?" he teased, swinging an arm around Juvia's waist and twisting her so that she was facing him, a radiant smile on her face.

Lucy huffed. "Gray! We were in the mid—" She was cut off when Natsu jumped in front of her.

"Hey, Luce!" He greeted enthusiastically. "Wanna dance with me?"

Lucy laughed, throwing her arms around his neck as she kissed him.

Gray ignored his two friends, something he seemed to be doing a lot, as he placed a kiss on Juvia's forehead. "How have you been?"

Juvia smiled, resting her cheek against his chest. "Your sister came by to talk to me earlier. And not too long ago Lyon congratulated me through mild tears."

"Yep. That sounds like him," he scoffed.

"Ya know, it's kind of funny." Juvia beamed up at him. Gray raised an eyebrow. "We're getting married exactly two months after the day Lucy and Natsu were supposed to get married."

Gray groaned exasperatedly, making her laugh more. "It's always Lucy and Natsu this and Lucy and Natsu that."

"Maybe you should shut me up, then," she teased, blinking up at him.

Gray kissed her, burying his hands into her hair and laurels. It was kind of weird that only a few months ago he had been confused about his relationship with Juvia when it had been clear cut all along;

He loved her.

...

the end. this time it's actually finished guys...unless a new idea comes to mind i guess

1/22/17