Mashima owns Fairy Tail, Desna owns the Pradeshverse, and I have one very cuddly cat.

Cover art is by me with photos from Unsplash.

We'll call this M rated because I don't trust myself not to.

Reviews and PMs are always welcome and make me feel pretty. Enjoy.

Hinging at the hip, Juvia grinned, scrunching her nose and gently placing her index fingertip on the nose of her Gray-sama doll. He sat delicately placed on the center of her bed atop the pile of blue decorative pillows. She stood straight and placed her hands on her hips, surveying her tiny apartment. It was clean, tidy, and hers. She had moved out of Fairy Hills three months earlier. The dorms were more expensive than the little place she had rented too. Juvia was delighted with her new walk to the guildhall as well. The stroll through the park was just beautiful.

Locking her front door and going down the three flights of stairs, springing out of her building. She hummed tunelessly to herself as she bounced along the path that led her one block away from the hall. The cherry blossoms, she noted, were fading as she placed her soft fingertips of her left hand on the rough tree bark, relishing in the roughness on her skin. The morning sun was warm on her bare shoulders, assaulting her cream-colored skin, turning it slightly pink. Perhaps one day, she would brown even just the slightest bit, but until then, she would keep hoping her morning walks to the guild would strategically increase her chances.

Until then, she'd enjoy the warmth. The rain had left her so many years ago now that she couldn't help but feel like it wasn't real. Her life spent under gray clouds, her tears mixing with the precipitation. She knew it was her life, but it didn't feel like it anymore. She was a proud, S-Class as of last fall, Fairy Tail mage. Her dark days in Phantom Lord, the endless night spent crying alone, that just wasn't her life anymore. And she couldn't be more grateful or happy. She had friends for the first time in her life. She had a job she loved, helping people, and taking jobs in which she knew she could be useful. And she had her love.

He hadn't exactly told her that he loved her in return. Nor had he said that he didn't. And even he would admit from time to time that they made one hell of a team. Their unison raid was nothing to be underestimated. Well, any of them. And if Juvia knew anything, it was that her darling was hurt. He was always walking around in pain. The loss of his family. The loss of his teacher. The loss of his rival, though Lyon and Gray had rekindled their rivalry and friendship.

A smile spread across her face once more as she thought of Gray becoming happy once again. It was all she wanted; His happiness. And all of his babies. Roughly thirty babies that all looked like little versions of him.

Straightening her blue sundress that skimmed her ankles and flowed freely in the breeze, Juvia pushed the doors of the guildhall open and strode in, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd. 'But where is my darling Gray?' she thought, her smile fading into a small pout. Gajeel and Levy were ignoring each other, with Lily sitting between them trying to get them to speak as they both dug their heels in for the long haul. He had his work cut out for him.

The Thunder Legion sat at their usual table, Evergreen looking at Elfman over her fan and Freed with three open books in front of him along with a notebook he was furiously scribbling on. Laxus, eyes closed and SoundPods on, and Bickslow perking up as she entered, waving obnoxiously. The Seith mage was an odd man, but she enjoyed his company when her darling Gray-sama was off on missions. He was always good for a laugh and a joke, though most of the time, they were highly inappropriate, and she secretly found him hilarious.

"Juvia!" A voice from the bar belonging to one of her best friends sounded over the crowd murmur of her guildmates. Turning her midnight blue eyes to the bar, Juvia grinned to see Cana waving to her, holding a barrel with one arm. 'Her strength knows no bounds,' Juvia thought in slight awe of the brunette. She walked over to her friend and took the stool next to her. "Why the long face, Sugar Tits?" Cana asked, taking another swig from her barrel. "Juvia hoped that Gray-sama and his team would be back by now." Cana turned her brown eyes to the water mage.

"They're due back any minute. Why don't you have some breakfast? Team Wrecking Ball will be back soon." Cana was worried. Gray had promised Juvia answers after the Alvarez war, but he still hadn't talked to her in any meaningful way to the best of her knowledge. And Juvia was still carrying that very serious torch for the guy. "Erm, Juvy?" Cana looked uncomfortable, and she couldn't imagine why. Cana had just called her' Sugar Tits' in front of the whole guild! "Yes, Cana-chan?" Juvia asked, tilting her head to the side sweetly. "Have you and Gray actually… talked?" Juvia's smile dropped. It was this again.

A bubble of anger floated up in her chest. She was so sick of people asking if they had talked. First, it had been Gajeel, asking if the "ice princess" had had the balls to tell her how he felt yet. Then it was Mira, asking if Gray had said to her that he loved her in return. Now Cana, just plain asking. Her beloved told her that he would speak to her that he owed her answers. But he hadn't. And Juvia's frustrations, though currently directed at the further inquiries from yet another guildmate, weren't intended for Cana. She was frustrated in general, and though she hated to think it, at her darling Gray.

Cana drew the barrel to her lips again and began to drink. She was confident that she knew what the answer was. But someone had to ask. It was sad to watch Gray string Juvia along for years, promise her some kind of resolution, which Juvia was too smitten to expect would be anything less than a declaration of love and then not give it to her. It frustrated her to no end. Juvia was beautiful, smart, kind, loyal, fiercely protective of those she loved, and funny. If that wasn't enough for the Ice-Make mage, then she didn't know what would be. What more could he want from a partner?

Juvia's eyes lowered to the edge of the bar, and Cana sighed over the rim of her drink. Before she could get another word out, the guildhall shook from the force the doors were swung open. Even from their place in the back corner, the Thunder Legion paused, and through what Cana could only assume was music loud enough to drown out his guildmates, Laxus opened one eye, frowning. "Can no one ever open the doors like a fucking human?" he growled, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"What'd you just say, Spark Plug? Fight me!" Natsu flew across the hall, back all of twenty seconds before trying to pick a fight with the man in line to become the next guild master. Laxus sent a single bolt of lightning to intercept him, hitting his mark, and sending Natsu crumpling to the floor in a singed pile. Lucy shook her head as she and Erza entered the hall seconds later, seeing their teammate laid out already. "That's about right," the blonde deadpanned. The women stepped over a smoldering Natsu and made their way to their usual table.

Juvia's heart was pounding. They were back. Which meant the next person to walk through the open doors would be her beloved! She could barely contain her excitement as the raven-haired wizard appeared in the doorway. She gripped the edges of the stool she sat on, bouncing slightly in her seat until her knuckles were white. His shirt was missing, and the button on his black jeans was undone, though, for the time being, they were still low on his hips. Her midnight eyes slid over his bare chest. They landed on the scar that stretched from his mid-abdomen to wrap around his ribs on his left side.

Loosening her grip on the stool, Juvia pressed her small hand into her ribs, feeling the slightly raised skin of the scar from that day. They had chosen to die for each other rather than kill one another. And she'd nearly succeeded. Seeing his bare chest always reassured her that he did care for her. And most of the time, that was enough. When he surveyed the hall, and his dark eyes fell on her, her heart nearly stopped. She couldn't help but beam at him. His gaze felt like a gentle caress.

His eyes looked worried, and as he closed the distance between them, her smile fading a little more the closer he got. Something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones and see it written all over his face. "Juvia." His low tenor cut through her. Cana, still sitting next to her, stopped mid swig to watch him. "Walk with me," he finished, extending his hand to the bluenette. Her breath caught in her chest as she took his offered hand. Something was very wrong, but she wouldn't deny herself the chance to hold his hand ever.

Juvia felt the eyes on them as they walked out of the guildhall together, hand in hand. Was this it? Was this the conversation she had been waiting for for months? Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She found herself wrapped up in daydreams of his confession, holding her hand to his chest and smiling gently at her, telling her that he couldn't live without her love anymore.

They walked in silence, still holding hands.

Gray's thoughts were churning. He needed to tell her. She had to hear it from him. And more than anything, he wished that he could have avoided this all together. But her continued professions of love, her endless need to be in his space, had pushed him into a corner. And with his new situation, she couldn't continue as she had been for the last several years. He sighed, stopping suddenly, and pulled Juvia around to face him, taking her other hand in his. "Juvia. I need you to listen to me." Juvia stared at him raptly. He needed her attention, so he would have it undivided. "Of course, Gray-sama."

Gray sighed. He hated the title she had given him, then more than ever. "This isn't easy for me to say," he started trying to keep his voice gentle. "And I know that I've owed you this conversation for years." He drew a deep breath and looked into her eyes, causing Juvia's heart to hitch once again. "Juvia, we are not going to be together. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry just to come out and say it like that, but I didn't want there ever to be a chance that you'd think otherwise."

Tears sprang to Juvia's eyes, gray clouds forming above the pair standing in the street. "I wanted things to be different. And for a long time, I thought maybe they could be. But now I know for sure that things aren't going to change. They can't."

A single tear dropped from her eye and slid down her cheek. "But… but Juvia doesn't understand… why now?" She sniffled, trying to prevent more tears from falling as the first raindrop hit the ground, leaving a small dark spot on the cobblestone beneath their feet. Gray took and released another deep breath. He noticed the clouds overhead gathering, knowing that it was the physical manifestation of the water mage's heart breaking. "Natsu," he mumbled. "We… we uh… mated on our last mission." His voice was barely more than a whisper. He felt her heart breaking in front of him, and it was killing him. He knew he'd never get over the guilt of hurting her like this. He should have done it years before.

A few more raindrops blemished the cobblestone street as another tear fell from her eyes. "Oh," she breathed out. Her hands were still resting in his, and they started to tremble. Another tear slid down her face as the rain picked up to a light sprinkle. "There are no words for how sorry I am." He hung his head, breaking their eye contact. He couldn't bear to look her in the eye anymore. And above all, he knew he only had himself to blame.

Juvia slid her shaking hands out of his, making his heart break. He knew that he was responsible for her heartbreak. And it wasn't like he didn't care about her. He loved her dearly and had even believed that he loved her romantically for a time. Seeing a family member in the kind of pain that was etched into her face made him want to pull her to his chest and hold her until it stopped. But he knew that would only make things worse. He couldn't hold her in his arms. He couldn't try to make it better. He felt helpless. "All Juvia wants," she said before a sob broke her voice, "is for my Be- Gray to be happy. If Natsu makes Gray-sa-... Gray happy, then that is all that matters to Juvia."

Tears welled in his eyes, too. "You are incredible, Juvia," he whispered, fighting the urge to pull her to him again. "And I'm sorry that I did this." The rain picked up almost instantly. The light sprinkle that was catching them every so often turned into a torrential downpour in the span of a few breaths. He didn't move to get them out of the rain. She stood, her tears mixing with the rain. "Juvia is to blame," she said over the water. "Juvia loved you too much." She swiped the blue hair out of her face and pushed it back. "Be happy, Gray-sa- Gray." Juvia hung her head and began the walk home. She couldn't bear to return to the guild.

Cana heard the rain coming down in sheets against the wall of the guildhall and set her barrel down. "Shit," she muttered, looking over to Gajeel's table. He looked back at her and nodded. The Iron Dragon Slayer turned in his seat to wheel his little mate around. Cupping her face in his hand, he leaned his forehead to hers. "Shrimp, I love you. I can't do this right now, the rain woman needs me. But I love you, and I will see you at home." He gently pecked the tip of the bluenette's nose and stood, making for the door as quickly as he could.

Levy blinked at his back as Cana followed him out the door into the downpour.

Juvia walked through her front door, straight into her bathroom. She pulled the straps of the blue sundress of her shoulders, letting it pool around her ankles on the tiled floor. A shiver passed through her body as she lowered herself into her empty bathtub, wearing her soaked undergarments, and trying to breathe. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she needed to remind herself to inhale and exhale, but as Juvia sat, trying to keep her water body stable, she was making the conscious choice to breathe. A sob lurched out of her throat as she pulled her cream-colored legs into her body, hugging her knees to her chest. She felt hollow. Juvia wasn't sure how long she sat there when she heard her front door open.

Her lower legs had started to become translucent, her composure affecting her ability to maintain her body. She didn't bother to look up when she heard her front door close, and a voice call her name loudly from her living room. When the hulking form of Gajeel, followed by the curvy shape of Cana, appeared in the bathroom doorway, Juvia looked up at them. Her midnight sky eyes were lifeless, glazed over, and streaming tears. Cana choked back a sob seeing her best friend in such a state; her heart broke in that first look. Taking in Juvia's posture and noticing her lower legs turning into water, Cana took off her soaked clothes and sat in the tub with her friend opposite her.

Gajeel paid no attention to the current state of undress of the women as he took in the sad scene. He wanted to kill Gray. For the first time in a very long time, Gajeel found himself seething real malice. It had been years since he felt the urge to feel bone breaking under his palms. And it came flooding back to him watching the bluenette cry virtually silently. But instead of letting the itch in his hands to bring pain take over, Gajeel took a deep breath and kneeled on the floor outside of the bathtub. Resting one forearm on the edge of the basin, he gently touched the backs of his fingers to Juvia's bicep. When he felt them sink slightly into her arm, Gajeel sighed softly and looked to Cana. "Stop the drain," he ordered. Juvia was losing her control. She would be liquid sooner rather than later.

Cana blinked at him for a moment, his words not tracking. But when she saw the state of Juvia's legs, the translucent calves, ankles, and feet joined by her knees and half her thighs, she quickly blocked the drain, placing the stopper from the corner over her shoulder in the opening and double-checking its seal. The last thing they needed was to lose Juvia down the drain of her tub. Gajeel nodded once to acknowledge her actions. Another brush of his fingers against her bicep, and he felt more give. "Do what you need to do, Juv," his voice gravely with emotion but tender. His fingers brushed her arm continuously and he rested his chin on his elbow. "We'll be right here." Cana had nothing to add, fighting her own tears back. She was furious with Gray. She was heartbroken for Juvia. She was impressed with Gajeel and his tenderness, something she wasn't entirely sure he was capable of. But most of all, she felt helpless. There was nothing she could do but sit with Juvia, so that is what she planned to do.

Gajeel's eyes slid closed as he watched Juvia's control slip; She was liquid in a matter of seconds. And Cana was sitting in her. The realization hit the brunette all at once. "Is… is this ok?" she asked, gesturing to her position. Gajeel shrugged and placed his fingertips in the water that was Juvia. He figured it was like holding her hand.

Juvia woke, dry and solid in her bed. As she slowly blinked her eyes open, confusion set in. How did she get to her apartment? Why was she in her nightdress? Who was moving around in her living room? The memories from the day before hit her all at once. Gray told her that he didn't love her. He was mated to Natsu. She shut down and sat in her bathtub. Cana and Gajeel came to her and stayed, but everything after was fuzzy and nonsensical. Blinking a few more times, she listened to the person in her living room stop moving. "Take your time." The gruff voice of Gajeel rang into her bedroom, washing over her and making tears swell in her eyes again. Tears began dripping down her cheeks, dampening her pillow. A brief thought flitted through her mind. Would she ever stop crying? She wasn't sure that she would.

Blinking and rubbing her eyes, Juvia sat up in bed, peeling back the covers. She was dressed in a long nightgown, the hem brushing her mid-shin. A blush crossed her damp cheeks as she placed the balls of her feet onto the floor. She hoped it was Cana that changed her. Or did she? Cana seeing her naked felt just as embarrassing, if not more so. Gajeel was Levy's. He would have no interest in her bare form. Juvia's mind was racing, her tears still falling. What was she supposed to do now? Usually, she would get up, get ready for the day, and make her way to the guild with whatever she had baked for her Gray. 'Not my Gray-sama. Natsu's Gray,' she thought, her tears streaking down her face a little faster and the rain outside starting again.

She knew she should dress, but she couldn't be bothered. She wouldn't be going anywhere. How could she bring herself to leave when she had nothing to go to anymore? A small hiccup escaped her mouth, and she heard a soft knock on her door. "Juvy?" Cana's voice wafted through the wood of her bedroom door. Cana watched as the heavy rain battered the glass of the windows. Juvia wiped her cheeks. "I'm…" her voice trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to leave the room, let alone face anyone. "I'm going back to bed." She knew Gajeel would hear. And he did. Because just as Cana tapped lightly on the door and abruptly stopped. She listened to the gruff voice of her best friend.

"I'll be by tomorrow to check on you, Juvy."

Cana sighed and rested her fingertips against the door as Gajeel gathered their things and tidied Juvia's immaculate apartment back to perfection.

One Week Later…

Levy placed a plate on Juvia's bedside table. Her small hand reached out and brushed a tear tenderly off her friend's cheek. The rain pelted against the building. "Please eat, Juv. We're getting really worried about you." Midnight-blue eyes opened and looked up into gentle, hazel ones. Tears still leaked from her eyes as she blinked. "Thank you, Levy." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. Dishes clanked from beyond her bedroom door. "You don't have to do that," she said a little louder, her unused and raw throat causing a rasp. A grunt from the other room was the only response as she heard the clank continue as it had every day. She nibbled at the pork bun and steamed vegetables. The idea of eating still made her stomach turn, but she knew she needed to eat at least once a day.

Levy smiled softly, trying not to let any pity enter her expression. She honestly didn't know what to do. Gajeel kept coming every day, and Levy joined him on the fourth day. The clanging from the kitchen had stopped, Juvia had eaten a few bites, and Levy joined Gajeel in the kitchen. Taking the plate with more than half the food on it remaining, Gajeel sighed and scraped it so he could begin washing it, shaking his head.

One month after that…

Juvia ran her fingers through her long blue locks and sighed as the water fell onto her bare shoulders, rinsing the suds from her hair. Today she was going to the guildhall. For the first time in a month. Her thoughts turned to the day before as she ran her sponge over her legs. Gajeel came over like he had every day. Every single day, he would arrive, get her to eat, and just be there. There were plenty of days that they didn't speak a word to one another, but others, he ran his fingers through her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder, or he held her while she stared at nothing.

A small twitch in the corner of Juvia's mouth tried to be a smile but failed. She'd only managed a couple since Gray had returned, but Gajeel brought good news with him when he came the day before. Team Natsu was leaving on a 100 years quest. Juvia could go about Magnolia without the risk of seeing him. She could go back to the guildhall and not have to witness Natsu and Gray as a couple. She was relieved. So much so that the rain had stopped briefly. It had been five weeks since Magnolia had a sunny day.

Stepping out of the shower and toweling off, Juvia returned to her bedroom, pulling clothes out of her closet for the first time in weeks. Though she looked like her, a little lighter granted, she didn't feel like her. For years, her identity had been wrapped into Gray. Did he want Juvy-Buns? Did he love her? Did he want her? How close could she get to him before he noticed and flipped shit?

She knew she did this. She knew that she had an obsessive streak as wide as Crocus, but Juvia let herself fall into it so hard that she confused it with love. Did she love Gray? Yes, of that she was sure. But she knew now that he never loved her in return. She wasted years chasing after a man that was never going to return her feelings. She didn't love realizing that. Nor did she know that she would need to be careful in the future. Obsessively making dolls for years was one thing. Obsessing over another person was an excellent way to lose herself again. And she was just starting to find out who she was beyond Gray once again.

The week before Team Natsu left, it occurred to Juvia that she was going to need to put the obsession somewhere. Somewhere that she could control the outcome and preferably somewhere she could grow from. She racked her brain over and over. And it hit her like The Christina.

She would train. She was so close to being an S-Class mage. And though she was working hard over the last several years, she knew she had so much more potential to expand her magic and move to the next level. If she was going to be the Rain Woman again, which she assumed she was for the foreseeable future, she could make use of it. She would train, get stronger physically and magically, and help more people as a solo mage.

Walking into the guildhall, Juvia held her head high. It was the first time she was coming back, and she refused to slink into the hall, trying to stay hidden. She knew there would be questions about where she was over the last several weeks. She also knew that people would have opinions. But more than anything, this was her home and family too. And she was going to come home with the confidence that she didn't quite possess.

Sliding onto a bar stool, she smiled at Mira down the bar. Tackling an interaction with Mira was at the top of her list of things to do. The white-haired woman appeared before her like she teleported and leaned forward, touching Juvia's hand. "I'm so glad to see you. How're you holding up?" Her feminine voice was soft and sincere. Juvia couldn't be upset with her addressing the one thing that Juvia was hoping people would leave alone right off the bat. Instead of burying her face in her hands and crying like she did countless times over the last five weeks, even at the thought of Gray, Juvia smiled half-heartedly at her friend and squeezed her hand back. "Juvia is doing much better, thank you." Mira nodded and left well enough alone for what Juvia assumed was the first time ever.

"What would you like? Have you eaten?"

Juvia released Mira's hand and felt her stomach turn. Hunger and sadness became the same sensation in her belly at some point. "Lunch would be wonderful, thank you," she answered. Mira nodded and walked to the kitchen to prepare Juvia's food. With a small sigh, Juvia faced out into the guildhall. She saw the usual crowd for this time of day. Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo sitting at their typical table. Levy and Gajeel sitting in companionable silence while Lily munched on a kiwi. When her eyes skimmed to the table she was looking for, she took a deep, steadying breath. They were here.

Peering over the bar and into the kitchen, Juvia made sure Mira wasn't on her way back before standing and walking over to the table, her blue t-shirt and black jeans slipping across her skin. She lost more weight than she thought. Reaching the group in question, Juvia squared her shoulders before speaking. "Ummm… Excuse me? Bickslow?" The Thunder Legion as a whole looked at her all at once. She felt suddenly very self conscious. The Seith mage turned to look at her, a polite smile on his face. "Hi, Juvia. What brings you over to our neck of the woods?"

Juvia suddenly hinged at the hip in a low bow. Bickslow looked startled by her sudden movement. Well, startled and mildly amused. "Bickslow-san, Juvia would like to train with you," she blurted. "Will you train me?" The amusement fell from the mage's face while Laxus' eyebrows shot up, dangerously toward his hairline. Free returned to his book, realizing that the situation had nothing to do with him and Evergreen rose, walking away to find Elfman without a word.

When Juvia did not rise, Bickslow reached out and placed a hand on the small woman's shoulder, guiding her to a standing position. "You want to train with me?" he asked, making sure that he heard her correctly. Bowing once again, Juvia confirmed. A large hand went to the back of his neck as Bickslow thought for a moment. "First, stop bowing and please come sit," he said, slightly embarrassed and gesturing to the seat next to him. Without further prompting, Juvia took the place next to him and looked to him expectantly. "I've never had anyone train with me or ask to," he said, bringing his hands together, lacing his fingers on the table.

"Juvia wants to," she started, nodding vehemently and bouncing slightly. "Bickslow-san is strong, acrobatic, and agile. Things Juvia wishes to be. Bickslow-san is also an incredible ranged fighter. Juvia wishes to improve and gain these skills."

"You hear that, bossman? I'm an 'incredible ranged fighter,'" he remarked, his tone smug. Laxus barked out a laugh and left for the bar to get a refill. Bickslow looked at the bluenette next to him for a long moment. She was undoubtedly flattering. He sized her up. She was thin from probably not eating enough, from the way her clothes hung slightly, but that was easily fixable. And when he saw her fight before, she was a force to be reckoned with. Well on her way to S-Class. But she mentioned the particular things that she wanted to improve. And if those were what she wanted to improve, Bickslow was the man for the job, no contest in the guild.

"Ok," he answered. Juvia's face lit up. "But before you get too excited, I have a couple conditions. Come walk with me." As he stood, he extended his hand to help her off the bench. Juvia was pleasantly surprised. He was such a gentleman. "Juvia ordered lunch. To the bar?" she asked. Bickslow nodded. She stood to his shoulder and it amused him to see her tiny form bouncing along beside him. "So, the first condition. No honorifics. You call me Bix. People only call me Bickslow if they don't know me, or I'm in trouble." Juvia looked slightly surprised before nodding her agreement. "Yes, Bix," she answered, earning an amused smile of approval. "Second, I need you to trust me." He looked down into her face, his crimson eyes meeting her midnight-blue pair. "Juvia wouldn't have asked if she didn't trust you," she answered with a slight half-smile.

"No," he said, stopping her and turning her to face him. "I need you to trust me totally. You're going to be doing acrobatics training. That means that your life can be in my hands quite literally. If you don't trust me, you flail, you could break your neck. I need to know that you trust me."

Juvia blinked at him for a few seconds, processing the information that he laid before her. Nibbling her bottom lip, she seemed to be searching herself, pulling her gaze off to the side, her brow furrowing. He smiled down at her. He was happy that she was taking the time to honestly think about it. The type of training he did and would have her doing could be dangerous if it wasn't taken seriously, and she didn't trust him. Her eyes snapped back up to his face, her jaw squared. "I trust you."

Bix broke into a tongue-lolling grin. He nodded and put his tongue back in his face to give his final condition. "You will eat four meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and you'll always eat a little something post-workout." Juvia's eyes widened. "Four full meals? Per day?" She couldn't imagine how much food that was. Her concern was all over her face. "No. You'll eat a good-sized breakfast and lunch, but dinner will be light. And again, a little something post-workout. You have to fuel your body if you want it to perform better. Fueling means eating," he said, sounding very official.

Juvia nodded. She could agree to that. "Juvia agrees to your conditions, Bix."

They reached the bar just as Mira set a plate in front of Juvia. She slid back onto a stool and began to nibble at the fruit on her plate. Bix leaned on the bar next to her. "Then we have a deal. Our team is heading out for two weeks tomorrow morning," he said casually. Juvia's face fell. "You aren't ready right now to start with acrobatics. You need to do some base work first."

Juvia listened intently as he spoke, still crestfallen that he was not going to be there to start her acrobatics training. "Cheer up, Bluebell. I'll put something together this afternoon for you to do while I'm gone. I think some endurance and weights to start. Got to get that stamina built up if this is going to work." Cana walked in on the wrong end of that sentence. "Why do you care what Juvia's stamina is like, Bixy? Thinking about getting our girl in the sack?" Juvia flushed a deep shade of red. Bix only grinned.

"Jealous, Drinky?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her. With a laugh, Bix corrected Cana. "Not that I wouldn't, but we're going to start training together when I get back from my job." Juvia somehow managed to flush deeper, the red creeping down her neck as he set Cana straight. Not that he wouldn't? As attractive as Bickslow was, Juvia simply wasn't interested. Not just in Bix, but in men in general. The idea was off-putting for the time being.

Turning his back to Cana once again, Bix noticed his team move back to their table, except Evergreen, who was having a hushed and eye-roll worthy conversation with Elfman a few tables away. Like no one could see them.

"I'll draw up your workout schedule for the next two weeks along with a few recipes to get you going and leave them with Mira. See you in a couple weeks, Bluebell." He turned to return to his seat and strode off. He turned back to her and continued moving backward as he called, "I want to be impressed when I get back."

That she could do. Turning back to her meal, Juvia took a deep breath and dove into her meal. Fueling means eating, she silently reminded herself. And she was starting tomorrow morning.

The next morning, workout plan in hand, Juvia laced up her running shoes. She had never focused too heavily on distance, but Bix certainly did. She read the note at the top of the sheet for the hundredth time, the scrawl easier to read each time.

Bluebell,

You're going to want to take it slow at first. This isn't a sprint. All of your runs are hefty in mileage, but they're going to be untimed. You're going to want to pace yourself, you'll be hitting the weights after.

I know that this is going to suck, but I also know you can do it. You're a strong woman who is going to rock the fuck out of this. You'll be doing uneven bars in no time.

Stick to it, don't give up no matter how bad you want to, and I'll see you in two weeks.

Bixy.

She held the note to her chest before folding it and tucking it into her pocket. She was determined to make her trainer proud. And she couldn't wait to find out what uneven bars were.

A/N:

Breaking my own rule for a reason. Writing Juvia has been a cathartic experience. And I hope you enjoy it too.

Just like we talked about, Dragonfly. I'm pulling the trigger on it.