The Heart Never Lies - A Gruvia Story

Bonding

Anonymous said: Hello! Could you please do more stories on Juvia and Natsu friendship! I just think it's the cutest! Also Gajeel and Juvia! I don't know you write so good!

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Bonding

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"Are you sure it's Gray's?" Natsu asked and Juvia chuckled.

"Yes, Juvia is quite sure her baby is Gray-sama's." She was folding some clothes of her newborn son while Gris slept peacefully on his bassinet and Natsu peeked inside, curious. Of course, he had visited Juvia at the hospital when she gave birth, but by then there were too many people around and most just had a peek.

"No, seriously." Natsu said. "The kid is way too cute. Come on, tell me the truth, I won't fault you, Gray can be a dick."

"Language in front of the baby." Juvia reprimanded. "And you would totally fault Juvia, you and Gray-sama like to act as if you hate each other, but you would kick Juvia's ass if she had strayed." She chuckled.

Natsu stayed quiet for a moment. "Fine, I would, but because cheating is wrong, not because it would be Gray."

"Of course." Juvia grabbed a tiny onesie and started to fold. "So... how are you coping with the news of being a father?"

Lucy had found out she was two-months pregnant just a week before and, as usual with Fairy Tail, it had been quite a party.

"Oh, you know." Natsu shrugged and Juvia frowned.

Looking at the clock, she knew Lucy would arrive for their lunch together and her Gray-sama would arrive in a few minutes with the take-out – with a newborn baby, the last thing in their minds was to cook to their friends and no one in Fairy Tail was too picky with food. Natsu had arrived a little early, thinking he was actually late.

"What's the matter?" The Water Mage wondered. "You sound troubled. Is it about the baby?"

Natsu pondered for a moment before opening up. "I want a family with Lucy, of course, but look at him." He pointed to Gris. "He's so small and you and Gray will need to teach him everything you know to be a good person and even then, it... might not be enough."

Juvia put the onesie away. "This is about Zeref."

"Maybe." The Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"Gray-sama was afraid of the same thing when we started to think about having a baby." She glanced at Gris. "We are not... the most stable people in the world, there has been a lot of drama."

"Yeah." Natsu snorted.

Juvia chuckled but spoke again. "But you see, we wanted to break the cycle." She shrugged. "We will teach Gris-chan to be a good person, to love and protect his family and friends and to be good. That's all anyone can do while raising a child." Juvia told her friend. "Maybe we'll succeed, maybe we won't, only time will say but we will do our best like you will do your best."

"What if...?"

"You are not Zeref, just because you shared blood doesn't mean your baby will be anything like him and if it does, you'll be right there to teach it the right path." Juvia said decisively. "Have you talked to Lucy-san about this?" Natsu shook his head. "Well, do. She needs to know and you are forgetting to put her into account here. If the baby could inherit anything from Zeref, don't forget it could also inherit a lot from Lucy-san's family instead."

That seemed to perk him up a little bit. "Oh, I hope it does. I mean, I'm hoping for a fire mage, but other than that, I wouldn't mind a baby with Heartfilia traces."

"There you go." The blunette nodded. "Don't forget to talk to her about your fears, though. It's important."

"Yeah, I won't. I was being a bit of a coward because she is so excited but I know I have to. Don't worry."

Gris started to fuss and whimper so Juvia got up from the couch and took her son into her arms, calming the baby. "Well, hello sleepy-head." She kissed his forehead. "Nice nap?" The little boy blinked a few times, his dark blue eyes still unfocused before closing them again. "Alright, just needed a cuddle, then." She looked at her guest and had an idea. "How about you and your Uncle Natsu get acquainted?"

"What?" Natsu's eyes widened when he saw Juvia approaching. "Nope, he's too small. Gajeel didn't even let me hold the twins! And with reason: I'm better with older kids. Give him to me when he'd two or something."

"That was years ago and you need to learn how to hold a baby since you'll be having one of your own soon." She placed Gris in Natsu's arms. "Support the head and keep him close to your body- there you go. Not hard, huh?"

Natsu was so tense he couldn't move. "This sucks so hard."

Juvia giggled. "Relax otherwise Gris-chan will pick up your tension and cry. Look, Juvia is right here if he cries, you are sitting down and if it makes you feel better..." Juvia grabbed a pillow and put it underneath the sleeping baby, which made Natsu's body relax a bit. "There you go. If he fusses, just shush him and sway him a little. If that doesn't work, don't worry: Juvia will pick him up. Sounds good?"

"Do I have any say in any of this?" He muttered.

"Not really." Juvia shrugged and returned to folding the laundry and occasionally took a glance at Natsu and Gris to see how they were doing and so far, they were fine.

Natsu was quietly mapping the baby's physiognomy, his little nose, mouth, chubby cheeks and the wild dark blue curls and when he felt braver, he grabbed one of Gris' hands and started to examine the little fingers. He chucked to himself when Gris grabbed his finger.

"You have a strong grip there, Gris." Natsu's voice was soft. "Clearly you got it from your mother, your dad's kind of a wimp." Juvia couldn't help it but to laugh and that was the moment Gray opened the front door, Lucy following him through.

"What's happening here?" Lucy asked, in wonder. Seeing Natsu holding Gris was a first and she glanced at Juvia in question.

"Natsu-san and Gris-chan were just bonding." The blunette explained and then looked up to her husband, who leaned to give her a kiss. "Juvia is starving."

"Good, knowing how much Natsu eats, I brought a lot." He showed the bags on his arms and she chuckled.

"Alright, shall we have dinner?"

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AN: Some Navia friendship. S2