Frozen in Time || Gruvia Fanfiction ✓

Chapter 13

~~~ Gray ~~~

  Gray stared at Juvia, words now seeming foreign in his mouth.  Her hands were balled into fists and tears streamed down her face in a steady river.

  Please no.

  Finally, Gray snapped out of his initial shock.

  "What made you come to that conclusion?"  He asked shakily.

  "It just all came together," Juvia responded quietly.  "They attacked the train that I was riding, and when they destroyed the guild hall the Eidolon Wraith wizards were told to take me alive.  Not to mention that everything Ryker and Althea said had some connection to me.  What else could all that mean, Gray?"

  She's right.

  Gray knew everything she said was correct.  Looking at Juvia's tearful face, he could tell that she had spent hours thinking about this and coming up with every alternate possibility.  This also must have been why Juvia had been so quiet those last few days.

  Without really thinking, Gray placed his hands on Juvia's shoulders, making her stand directly in front of him.  When she didn't look up, Gray placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face so she had to make eye contact with him.

  "Don't beat yourself up over this," Gray told her.   "So what if they're targeting you?   I am positive that they won't lay a hand on you."

  "But I can't help it, it's all my fault that -"

  "No, Juvia.   It's not your fault.   No one is to blame here except Eidolon, understand?"

  I was right.

  Juvia didn't respond, and Gray released her from his grip.  He hadn't realized until then that they were very close to each other, causing him to quickly step back.

  "Don't tell the others," Juvia suddenly pleaded, taking Gray's hand desperately.

  Gray turned to her, wide-eyed.

  "What?  Why?  They should know about this so we can all keep you safe.   It's important, and they have the right to know."

  Juvia shook her head. "No, it would just distract them from the mission at hand.  I don't want anyone feeling as if they're responsible for me."   She then looked him directly in the eye.   "And if they have the right to know like you say, why didn't you tell them sooner?"

  Gray looked back at her, dumbfounded. "Me?"

  "You knew, Gray.  I can see it.  You knew but you didn't mention it to anyone," she explained.

  Gray studied her face looking for something, anything, that could show him her thoughts.  But despite the tears at the edge of her eyes, Juvia looked almost completely emotionless.   He knew Juvia was smart, but to think that she had known what he had been suspecting really threw him off guard.

  Gray felt a sudden odd feeling in his chest looking at Juvia in such a state, but he ignored it.

  "It was just a theory," he lied.  "I didn't mention it to anyone because I didn't want to alarm them.  I didn't want to say anything then have myself be wrong."

  His lie sounded dreadful as he said it, earning a skeptical look from the Water Mage.   With anyone else, he could have lied and walked away easily.   But with Juvia, it was as if his true thoughts betrayed him every time she was around.

  I didn't want to be right.

  Gray glanced down at their interlocked hands.  That same feeling in his chest came back again, but stronger.  It wasn't pain, but felt more like electricity.