AN: My version after Gray and Juvia came back to Rainfall Village after Avatar arc. (Yeah, I know, this arc was years ago and Fairy Tail is almost over but better late than never, no?)

Warning! Gray and Juvia might be a bit OOC! And this is more fluff than a complete lemon!

English is not my first language, please, excuse any mistake you could find in this story!

(Et petite précision pour les francophones, ceci est une traduction de ma fanfic Promesse nocturne, désolée si vous avez déjà lu la version en français)

And to finish: I don't own Fairy Tail !

Promise in the night

As they approached Rainfall Village, Gray felt the guilt rising in his guts. Even if he had explained to her the reason for his six months absence.

Erza. His mark. Avatar's infiltration.

The guilt was there.

As always, Juvia had listened without saying anything, and at the end, with a smile, she had told him that she understood and that it was okay.

But the guilt was still there.

Along the way, it was Juvia who kept the conversation on neutral topics. The joy to see the others. The hope of Fairy Tail reunification. What she thought about the improvement in Gajeel and Levy relationship. Wendy has grown up, hasn't she?

As if she wanted to compensate six months of silence.

When he saw the houses at the end of the road, his heart tightened. It wasn't raining anymore but Lucy had told him about the dark clouds and Juvia's condition when they had found her. She fell sick because she was waiting for him under the rain…

He glanced at his companion who was smiling, then at the clear sky. The sun was setting and the empty village was absolutely quiet.

When they were in front of their house, Juvia grabbed his sleeve suddenly to stop him.

"Wait please. Juvia wants to come in first and greet you! As if you were returning from a mission!"

"What?" He interjected pretending to be annoyed.

"Please!"

He sighed before nodding. Immediately, she ran inside and closed the door. He waited a few seconds before making his way towards the porch.

"I'm back." He said negligently as he opened the door.

He raised his head and saw Juvia's smile so bright that his heart missed a beat.

"Welcome home, Gray-sama." She said with her soft voice.

Her face showed her unlimited affection and the ice mage felt the embrace of its warmth engulf him.

"… I'm home."

###

Later, after they had taken a shower to wash the travel stains, Juvia started to make diner. She wore T-shirt and shorts, and she asked Gray about what he wanted to eat. He faked indifference and simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

While she cooked, he watched her discreetly as if it was the first time. He felt uncomfortable: the atmosphere was familiar and awkward in the same time. She accomplished the same gestures he saw many times after Fairy Tail disbanding, but it was so long ago that he was mesmerized by her moves.

When they started eating, she tried again to maintain a discussion, asking if the meal was good; but he simply answered that he was hungry and it was fine. Then she tried some topics but she gave up with his brief answers and they finished their diner in silence.

He helped her with the dishes and felt the tension growing between them, so he dried his hands and announced that he was tired and was going to sleep. She stayed still, her head down, as he walked behind her.

He was almost at his door when she ran and grabbed his arm.

"Juvia?" He asked, surprised by the strength she used; he almost felt her nails on his skin.

She bit her lower lip before talking.

"Please… don't leave me alone… It's like… like you had not returned…"

Then he understood what she feared and with a sight he turned to face her.

"Juvia…"

But his next word died on his lips when she buried her face into his chest and clung to his shoulders with force.

"I know…" She said, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I know you're here… But… I'm afraid you would be gone tomorrow morning…Again."

The guilt increased.

He sighed once more and put a hand on her head.

"I am not going anywhere." He whispered but her grips tightened.

"I'm scared…" She suppressed a sob.

Hearing her distress, his heart clenched.

"What can I do to reassure you?"

She remain silent for a long time and he was about to repeat his question when she raised her head and looked at him, eyes glowing with tears.

"Sleep with me…"

It took a moment for his mind to get the message. Her tone and her eyes were determined. So… she was not asking to share a bed as friends but as …

"Whaaat?" He yelled as he tried to free himself of her grip. "No!"

He stepped back but met the wall and Juvia was still pressed against him, her face buried into his chest once again.

"Please." Tears rolled down on her cheeks. "I need to be sure that you here. That you're real."

"No!" He answered firmly. "It's not a good idea. That's only going to make it worse. And you will not feel better!"

But she seemed to hear hesitation in his voice and after a deep breath, she gathered her strength and raised her face slowly until her lips brushed against his neck.

"Please. I don't want to be alone."

"Stop it!"

"Just one night." She pleaded as her lips were on his jaw.

The brush of her mouth was driving him mad. He tried to push her once more.

"I said no!" He said a little angry. "I will not hear the end of it. And I will be killed by Gajeel and Erza!"

"No…" She murmured. "Nobody will know. And I won't say anything. As if nothing had happened."

Gray closed his eyes to concentrate and forget about the brush of her lips. Unfortunately for him, he was more aware of her body pressed against his, and her warmth, and her breath against his skin, and the smell of her hair and…

"Just one night." She tried again in a murmur. "And when the morning comes, nothing change. We will act as if it was a dream."

But Gray was as rigid as ice. Juvia closed her eyes and gave up. She let go off his shoulder, kissed his cheek and stepped back.

Suddenly he caught her wrists and turned her around. She was now with her back against the wall, and her hands above her. He leaned against her until his forehead touched hers.

His mind was clouded, he couldn't think straight.

"One night?" He repeated without looking in her eyes and muffled the little voice in his head saying that it was a very bad idea.

Her voice was strangled with her mixed feelings, she couldn't articulate a word. She simply nodded but doing so her lips brushed against Gray's. He gasped and tightened his grip on her wrists. The little voice in his mind screamed again to let her go.

"And we will forget everything in the morning?" He asked a last time, still reluctant to let go.

Juvia tilted her head to meet his eyes and she found her voice to whisper:

"Juvia promises."

The ice wall inside him broke.

His mouth crashed against hers and she moaned, opening her lips to his hungry tongue. He released her wrists and put his hands on her waist. She promptly dipped her fingers in his hair to pull him closer.

They broke the kiss briefly to catch their breath, but the wave of lust overwhelmed them and their lips met again with avidity.

Instinctively, Gray put his knee between her legs while her hands ran down on his neck and his shoulders. After the second kiss, he took a rapid breath before biting her jaws and then the soft skin of her neck. Panting, she turned her head aside to give him more access. Her nails drew a line on his neck sending chills down to his spine.

His lips came back to her jaws then to her earlobe. He nibbled it and she suppressed a moan, her hands gripping his shirt he had surprisingly still on. With trembling fingers she caressed his shoulders and his torso before reaching for the first button and she undone it.

She was at the third when she felt Gray smiling against her neck.

"It's the first time I need help to get my clothes off."

She laughed softly but he felt the vibrations through his body. He claimed her mouth once more while she pursued her task, her fingers sliding deliberately on his naked skin. She unbuttoned the last and let the shirt slide and fall down with a soft sound.

Gray moved a little away and looked deep in her eyes before kissing her again with fervor. Her hands explored his naked torso and then ran up his back. His hands on her hips went under her shirt and as soon his fingers touched the soft skin, his mouth pressed more against hers and she moaned in response.

She wrapped one leg around his waist while his hands went up her ribs, taking her shirt along and revealing more and more of the white skin. He stopped when he almost reached her breasts and his mouth let go of her lips to attack her neck, licking and sucking the sweet skin.

Juvia arched when he kissed her cleavage and he stepped back to take off her shirt in one movement and threw it behind him. His lips came back to taste her skin as his hands started to caress her breasts through her underwear. Her moans were louder and she let out a cry when he kissed the valley between her breasts. She grabbed his hair with both hands and forced him to raise his head so she could kiss him, sulking and nibbling his lower lip.

He kept massaging her breast and soon his hands slipped under her bra. Her moan died against his mouth and she unconsciously moved her hips against his. He stifled a groan and he lifted up to kiss her more comfortably. He put a hand under her left thigh and lifted it to his waist. Then, without interrupting the kiss, he carried her to his room and laid her down on his bed and then took a moment to look at her.

The skin of her neck was red because of his kisses and bites, and with her long, voluptuous blue hair spread on the pillow, her eyes half-closed, her pink cheeks and her red lips parted with her short breathing, she was such a vision he missed a breath and his heart beat wildly.

Had she ever been so beautiful? So desirable?

Before his intense gaze, Juvia felt herself blushing even more.

"Gray-sama…" She whispered weakly.

And his last hesitations vanished.

###

Juvia opened her eyes slowly.

Some rays of light were streaming through the curtains and she recognized the walls of Gray's room. She was lying on his side, her head on his shoulder. He was deep asleep, but his arm encircled her waist tightly.

With a loving smile, she watched his sleepy face, remembering the night. She had dreamed so much about it but she had never thought it would be so… so… She hoped she didn't do anything wrong. Even if she had felt him shuddering under her touch, shivering with her kisses, she wasn't sure if she had given as pleasure as she get. In a single night, he had satisfied her more than Bora in the whole time of their relationship.

She supported herself on an elbow and kissed him lightly on the mouth, aware to not wake him up. Then, she stood and left the room silently. She went to her own room to take some clothes before going to shower. On her way, she picked up her T-shit and Gray's shirt which were still lying on the floor and put them in the laundry basket.

In the bathroom, she looked in the mirror and ran her fingers on the red marks from Gray's kisses and a sigh escaped her lips. After her shower, she made a cup of tea for herself and started to prepare breakfast.

Gray groaned when a ray of light played on his face. He put his arm before his eyes to prevent the unwanted light and tried to return into the sweet sleep. He had not slept so well in a long time. For six month exactly.

During a brief instant, his body stiffened with the fear to be back in Avatar. Then, memory of the last days came back and he relaxed.

And when he remembered the events of the previous night, a smile spread across his face. He rolled on his side and reached for his companion to pull her against him.

But his hand met cold sheets.

His eyes opened instantly and he noticed the empty space beside him. With a frown, he sat up, at first not understanding the reason of her absence, but then he recalled the terms of their deal and in frustration he brushed his hair with his hand and fell back on his bed with a new groan.

Just one night…

At the same time, he was contented and frustrated. Because he had a glimpse of what his life could be after his promise to his father would be complete. But… he didn't know when this time would come and when he would enjoy the same happiness.

Juvia was so eager. With few kisses and caresses, she had awakened his desire when he was still breathing hard after the first time. She had started by a tender kiss, tracing his lips with her tongue before trailing down a path of fire on his skin. He remembered her above him, her hair cascading on her shoulders and fire sparkling in her eyes.

He groaned once more.

He was so fucked up. He could never forget the taste of her lips, the softness of her skin, the light in her eyes or how she had screamed his name with the ultimate wave of pleasure.

He heard some noises from the kitchen and got up from his bed. He picked up his boxer at the end of the bed and put it on, blushing with the memory of his hurry to take it off last night.

Juvia didn't hear his approach. She had her back to him and was concentrated on her task, singing to herself. He watched her discretely. She wore a white blouse and a blue skirt, and she had tied her hair in a ponytail but some strands, still wet from her shower, were waving on her neck.

He felt the tip of his fingers tingling with the memory of the softness of her skin and it took all his will not to wrap his arms around her waist and to bury his face in the crook of her neck.

Then she turned and saw him, and she greeted him with a warm smile.

"The breakfast is almost done, Gray-sama. Please, sit down."

He nodded mechanically and complied.

When she leaned to put a plate before him, he couldn't help but watch the movement of her breasts under her blouse. And when she sat in front of him, he saw the red marks on her neck and he clenched his fits to resist the urge to kiss her all over again.

While they eat, he glanced regularly at her, but she didn't do any mention about the last night. She talked about the organization of the day, their luggage, departures and train schedules for Magnolia. She was keeping her promise, she acted as if nothing had happened. He felt a sting in his chest but he thought it was just a wound of pride.

Then he realized that the guilt had decreased. It was still here but he was again comfortable with her.

His lips lifted in a smile. Juvia was the only one to have so much impact on his emotions.

He didn't know when, but he would give her the answer she had been waiting for so long.

END

AN: Soooo... Do you like it? Please review! :)