So folks. How have you been? Yeah, finally an update after nearly 4 months?! Woah, that's a long time.

Thank you for the freaking 80 reviews, dear friends. We've reached it- the 80 milestone. I've been reading them again and again till I could finish this chapter up. I'll tell you a secret. Shh… If we cross 100, I'll update real soon. I promise. Don't tell this to anyone.

For now, don't bother about it and read this story. Something amazing is gonna happen. Trust me, you'd be surprised.

The usual disclaimer applied. Hope you have not given up on this story. (Sorry for taking so long to update!)

Believe me, Juvia

Chapter -8

Letting go

Because letting her go wasn't an option…

Date at Kinana's tomorrow 3.00 pm sharp. I'll be waiting.

Gray tried to shake the blood off his head. Ever since he read the contents of the letter she handed over, he couldn't shrug the warmth that was spreading inside his body. He tried involving himself with loads of work and no free time to stop this daydream of his. He could stop the dream but reality?- shaking it away was a difficult thing.

He was asked out on a date by her…

He was asked out on a date by her…

He really was asked out on a date by her…

'Goodness, it is true' He got himself to believe after seeing the patch of red over his skin a result of the reality check.

He noted the time to be 2.00 pm, a Saturday and weather- Perfect for two people in love. Chotto mattete (Translation: Wait a minute), did he say the time was 2.00 pm. Oh no!

He took a dress out for the occasion, the one which she presented him last summer as a gift for their random anniversary. Yeah, random- Juvia had a tendency to celebrate random days. In fact, she'd celebrate every day, giving him something or the other for any reason. He went to take a shower, assuming everything would remain the same by the time he'd return. But he was wrong… Two things changed. One was the harmless time which advanced by 15 minutes and the other was the new addition to his attire- an envelope (Where should he pin that? Why is it there?!).

Wrapped in a towel, his upper body still wet, he sat on the bed, grabbing the envelope. He felt a slight tremor and wished everyone he knew were safe. He opened it. His eyes gazed at the words which left him even more worried. Is going on a date with her a good idea?

~0~

"Mer-chan, can you really do it? No, I don't doubt my decision. I'm going to tell Gray-sama about my plans. I'm sure he will not agree but… This is something I have to do. Or Gajeel-kun is not taking care of himself. He is a friend too and I can't leave him in times of crisis," she said. The painting of the ground in her eyes shivered. "Thank you, Mer-chan. You're a bunch of help"

She closed her eyes and sighed. He's late…

She wondered if he was alright. He didn't get caught in any accident, right? Or fall down the stairs?

Relax, Juvia. Gray-sama isn't that careless.

She assured herself. The fact that he was half an hour late from the appointed time made her worried.

He really might not have seen the letter. He was busy, after all, the whole of yesterday.

That made sense. She didn't really have to carry out her plan then. It was a waste. She'd have to tell her Gajeel-kun to return and come another day. He'd be furious but he'll understand. She knew he would.

She took out the cell phone out her bag and hanged it over her shoulder. She turned around and took a step when a smile broke onto her face, all the worry prior to this second gone.

He's here.

"Juvia!" he called out her name. "Gomen, Gomen!"

"G-gray-sama," she watched him approach her, a smile on his face.

"Gomen, I'm late. I couldn't pick what to wear. Mama didn't want to help me," he lied - A pure white lie. He had already picked up what he wanted to wear but the letter was what stopped him, made him rethink his decision- a letter of warning.

"That was supposed to happen…" Her voice failed her in between. Tears poured out before she could stop them. The only thing she did was hide her form in his arms which held her. His hands gently brushed through her blue hair. She nudged her head on his shoulder, wetting his white T-shirt. He panicked at first but let out a chuckle. He didn't know how to handle crying girls but if it is Juvia, he thinks he'll get through.

"Sorry for worrying you too much"

"Gray-sama, baka" Her assumptions were getting wrong. She was, beyond doubt, going to miss him.

~0~

The date was good so far. They've went around the town- to the aquarium, the church (Yeah, to the church. A wedding was going on and Juvia insisted on watching it with him. For him, though uninterested, he went to watch her smile. He even let out a chuckle when the bouquet that the bride throws fell in her hand) and to the museum. Finally they returned to their restaurant where they started the date.

"So, what's up?" he asked. Though he enjoyed the day so far, he had not failed to observe those minute details she left. First, she was really insistent on going to the Aquarium. He knew she liked water and the beings that swam in it. He was also aware that the 'normal' Juvia is clingy and insisting. He didn't know what to do with a 'fake' one.

They were fake ones; her every action tried to conceal something for she would not let him look at her eyes. It was a wonder when she forced a smile at him as a consequence of the bouquet falling in her hands. She would have jumped in joy, or maybe even faint. He could totally imagine that happening. No matter how much he tried to believe this to be a part of his over thinking the situation, he couldn't convince himself that she was being transparent.

By the question mark on her face, he observed that she didn't quite understand by his question. If any doubt were remaining, that was cleared by her next reply.

"Yeah, we'll have some coffee and cake. Erza-san suggested the cake from this place to be really good"

She ordered the same. The purple haired waitress smiled as she left to bring the order. Juvia beamed her fake smile again, making it difficult to keep his countenance. He was irritated by her acting. He wanted to know what was bothering her. He couldn't help her if she wouldn't tell him what troubled her.

"Juvia…" he muttered, keeping his annoyance to a minimum. He couldn't act like she did. "What is wrong?"

She blinked at him: ONCE, TWICE, THRICE.

How did he notice? She had been too engrossed in her plans to observe her own actions around him. She didn't want him to get a hint. She thought she'd watch over herself and make this date memorable. She never thought he'd notice such things. She did her best in putting up the act. He was dense. Could he not act the same even though he figured it out?

A red tint appeared across her cheeks as she fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

The coffee and cakes were served. The waitress smiled at her and she smiled back. She mouthed at low 'Thank you' to her, making him wonder why she was being so conservative. What happened to the loud and boisterous Juvia he had known for all of his life? He was going crazy here and the woman before him would only smile and keep mum.

"Juvia wanted to tell you something,"

He choked on his coffee in silence, for the tone she used was something different to any other she had used ever. He thought she never listened to him in the first place but she did and she had an answer to his question which amused him.

He felt giddy inside of him, adding up to the possibilities for what she was going to confide in him: A date, a wedding at church, something to tell; it smelled like she had finally come to believe those three words he strived hard for her to accept as true.

She must have understood that I love her… His face appeared red and only grew redder when the woman before him bent over the table, checking his temperature of his forehead.

"Why is Gray-sama so red? He doesn't even have any fever," she wondered of what might have made her Gray-sama so full of blood. She deeply hoped that he had not resorted to any perverted thinking about any other girl. However, she shouldn't be bothered by it. She will not be bothered by it. She'll do her best since… this just might be the last time she may ever see him.

"Oi, who are you? What have you done to Juvia?" he asked, finding the marble floor interesting. How had he not noticed the beautiful emptiness of the white beneath him? Must have been Juvia's beauty….

He mentally slapped himself when his date blinked in confusion again. Why does she come into the picture every time he thinks about something else? Right, because he's now in love with her. She too is but she wouldn't believe him. What a strange occurrence where the two people are in love with each other and are bound to be together, yet one finds it difficult to believe the other! If you call this the irony of fate, then him fighting sleep would be something else on a whole new level for his eyelids started to get heavy right after a few minutes of random chatting.

It was barely seven in the evening and his eyelids were falling off like he had been high and hadn't slept for the whole night.

He rubbed his eyes and supported his face on his hands to not let it fall.

I can't be sleeping like this. I'm on my freaking date with her. He explained to himself. Juvia's words seemed incoherent. He could only hear a 'Sorry' while her lips moved at a fast pace. He was about to collapse when water hit his face and he was thankful it did.

Drop by drop, they fell like they wanted him to stay wide awake for whatever was going to happen next. Soon they added their own music to disrupt the silence.

"Since the purpose of my visit has been finished, I would like to go back"

The rain became heavy but neither of them moved from their seat. His eyes enlarged at what she had to say. She wanted her normal life back and she was crying for it. The rain he realised has been partial to her; it wasn't for him but to conceal the traces of tears on her face. The garden restaurant was devoid of people and arrangements were made for the customers to seat inside. Only they were left: Gray Juvia and reality.

"That was what you had to say?" he asked, disbelief in his voice.

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to leave?"

"My work is done here"

"No, it's not,"

"But you've promised everything will go back to normal. In our normal lives, we were away, Gray-sama. We were never together. We never wil-"

He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't act and keep his calm when she threatened of slipping away like sand from between his fingers.

"How can you say that? Was that the only thing we had between us? Juvia… I know I told you I won't force you into believing what you don't want to accept. But we were friends from before right? How are we never together and how we never be…"

Drowsiness was taking a toll on him. The rain could not do its office properly.

"I'm sorry, Gray-sama. I'm sorry. I can no longer stay here"

"It's not about the purpose damn it!" He slammed his fists on the table. The glass windows of the restaurants fogged up lessening the attention they received (if any). They could care less for they were in turmoil of their own world.

"Gajeel-kun, he needs me. I want to go back to him," she replied, looking down. Water dripped from her clothes as it travelled trailing her body. Shivers were sent through her spine, of not cold but fear. Why wasn't things happening the way they were supposed to happen? Why was he fighting so much? Why… Why is it so difficult to allow her to go back to the life she had? Things were so much better then. Why… Why…

Why is Gajeel-kun not here yet? Her eyes scurried to over the fence onto the road where a car was supposed to wait. It was making her feel uneasy. She couldn't look the guy in front in his eyes. She'll just breakdown and would never want to leave him for he allowed melt in with the rain. It took every drop of her courage to stay on her resolve and not give in to his love.

"Why?!" His voice was on the edge. His mind was getting clouded with thoughts. His eyes were getting blurry. He cursed his weakness. He was letting her see his failing. He couldn't keep calm not after she unveiled her plans of leaving him FOREVER? Why did he feel it was forever? She was just going next town; and Gajeel was one of the guys he could trust her with…. Then why is he hesitant? He never felt the same way before though he was reluctant. Is his love for her making him selfish? Why doesn't he have a good feeling about all of this? The questions were too many and the answers… Too few.

"Why don't you believe me? I want to know today. Why don't you-" His words were getting muffled. His strength was drained out. He was about to fall but she caught him… "trust me when I say 'I love you'

Her eyes widened when she heard him whisper. He was heavy for her but not a burden. He was fighting his sleep bad and she pitied him for she knew the real truth behind the events which he was unaware of. She had stepped forward and he will too, someday; And that day, he'd forgive her for mixing sleeping pills in his coffee.

"It's too late now" she replied, holding onto him and making him sit. She kneeled in front of him, her blue eyes filled with a hue of red looking upto him, registering the face she'd miss for a life time; the strain of holding her tears made it difficult to keep them open. "I'm really sorry it has to be this way"

Tears slid down her cheeks making her realise she had been crying the whole time. She could feel their warmth in contrast to the cold water from the rain. She didn't deserve him anymore. She's doing something no one would have done to their loved ones. She's…

"Juvia!" she heard a coarse voice reach her ears amidst the music of the rain. She opened her eyes to find Gray's face closer to her than before. She turned her head around to spot another black haired man with a large build standing with an umbrella in her hands. More tears oozed out of her eyes as she got up from her kneeling position and ran to him.

"Gajeel-kun!" She embraced him. He wound one of his arms around her waist pulling her close. "You're late"

"Traffic," he muttered. Worry was evident in his eyes. "Your prince doesn't seem to have been put to sleep yet"

Their eyes darted to the sleepy figure, now standing, which took a step forward from the table.

Juvia… Juvia ran away from him… His mind repeated. It was funny how his mind said something that was not bound to happen. She was there, right in front of his eyes. They were fixated on the figure of the blue haired woman hugging a pole. She was just a distance away. He can always reach her. She was his Juvia. She would never leave him. He had let her go a number of times in the past unaware of his feelings inconsiderate to her feelings. If he just takes a step forward this time, he would reach her and never let go… He would never let….

AHHHH!

"GRAY-SAMA!"

"Sorry, it was time to put our plan in action. You don't have a choice in this game. If you don't fall in slumber, you'll foil the plans…

Because letting her go isn't an option this time. It is a must"

Were you surprised? If not, don't worry. You'll be by the end of the next chapter. (Sorry if Gray was too OOC)

What do you think about this chapter? Is it good? If it is, leave a review and let me know to make me super inspired and get the next chapter down.

Is it worse than it is before? Tell me your complaints. I wanna hear to improve myself. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting this story so far by reviewing and faving it or even adding it to their alerts. Do check my other story 'Betrayal' if you have time and want some dark 'Gruvia' fic. Expect a pm to everyone who has reviewed the last chapter in your inbox(unless you are a guest. I'll reply to the guests (of honour) in the next chapter.

Have a nice day all! Don't forget to feed me feedback! Natsu is hungry, I promise.

Beatress.