It's a Gruvia Life [Gruvia] {The FT Love Chronicles; Book 4.5}

A Real Ring: Part B

WHOOPS!! Sorry about that, everyone! My fingers got a little happy there and pressed publish before I even pasted the chapter into it. Lol! Sorry again!

"Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be," Gray said as the last bandit he had been fighting finally fell to the ground. The job had been to retrieve a stolen painting for some art collector. Bandits had attacked the train transporting it to him, so he had grown worried when it never arrived. After hearing about the theft, he had put up an immediate notice in as many wizard guilds as he could. Luckily, Gray had snatched it before anyone else had gotten the chance. Being alone with Juvia for four days is just what I need to finally get to propose to her. He had been constantly thinking about it since he had promised her a real ring and a real proposal, but he hadn't been able to come up with a good time to ask her—or a ring he thought she'd like.

He touched the small box in his pocket, his nerves increasing instantly. They had already been gone for three days, so he had less than twenty-four hours to propose before they'd be back at Fairy Tail. That suddenly felt like no time at all.

"Gray-sama," Juvia called, running over to him with a large bundle in her hands, "Juvia found the painting!"

"Great," he smiled, "now we can take it back to the old man and head back to Fairy Tail."

She nodded, walking with him in the direction of the train station. It would take an hour to get to the old man's house, and then their job would officially be over. Although the train ride back to Fairy Tail was only about four hours, they had agreed to walk back, both of them tired of riding on trains. We'll have to make camp somewhere, too, he thought, figuring he'd have plenty of opportunities along the way to propose.

~Juvia~

"Is everything alright?" Juvia asked after she and Gray had dropped the painting off at the old man's house and collected their money. They had been walking for over an hour, and Gray had barely spoken to her. Actually, he hadn't spoken to her much at all since they had begun their job together.

"Yeah," he nodded, not offering to say anything more.

She sighed quietly to herself, adjusting her backpack. Maybe Gray-sama didn't really want to go on a job with me. He seemed excited when he asked me to go, but ever since he met me at the train station in Magnolia, something has been off about him. Did I do something wrong, perhaps? She glanced over at Gray, her heart swelling with both love and confusion. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and take his hand as they walked—or for him to take hers—but she knew that was too foolish to even hope for. Gray wasn't the openly affectionate type. Although she wished he was.

Despite that, though, she still loved him. He wasn't as open about it as she was, but she knew he loved her as well. He had proposed to her once, after all. And he had also promised to give her a real proposal and ring someday, making their engagement official.

Juvia smiled at the memory. He had been so concerned that he hadn't given her the proposal he thought she deserved, and had promised her one. She glanced over at him again, still smiling. Gray-sama, I don't need a ring or a real proposal to be happy. Being with you is enough for me. Just knowing that you love me is all I'll ever need.

"What?" Gray asked, catching her staring.

She giggled, shaking her head. "Oh, nothing."

He tsked staring at the path ahead of them as they walked. She did the same, her earlier confusion resurfacing slightly. I wonder what's bothering him.