FROM STRANGERS TO SOULMATES (RE-EDITED)

CHAPTER 39 : PERMISSION

GRAY'S POV

It's been 4 years since I came to Australia to pursue my higher studies in my dream university, since I left Japan, since I left my parents, friends and mostly my princess behind.

A lot of things have changed in these 4 years but my love for her and vice-versa didn't change.

It stood strongly to face the tests of time and now finally, soon we are going to be together.

At first, I couldn't stay at all in this foreign land even though I had Lyon and aunt Liliyette as an accompanist as my heart wasn't at peace.

After I heard how Juvia was so depressed from my departure, it made me feel even more guilty. 

But slowly with the passage of time, she coped up with the situation so did I.

In these 4 years, not even once I went to Japan to meet my close ones, not that I didn't want to but I never got the opportunity to do so.

The university made me busy by making us do random project work even during our vacation time. 

Due to this I couldn't possibly attend Erza and Jellal's wedding which happened 2 years ago during the summer break.

Both Natsu and Gajeel got married in the same year when I came to Australia so there was no chance to attend their wedding. 

As promised Juvia video recorded all of their beautiful moments and sent it to me much to my delight. I conveyed my wishes to them through the video call.

My concern was how Juvia would feel when she is around the married couples. 
   
I know she wants to marry me and start a family life as she has hinted to me several times through our video calling indirectly but all those times I just ignored her.

Not that I don't want to marry her, never in my life I will make that worst mistake.

But I didn't want to keep her waiting with uncertainty for another few years until I come back. That's why I chose to ignore her questions.

Moreover, now it's been 4 years how will she or I react when we see each other again in reality?

How do we know whether our personalities have changed with the flow of time?

How will she feel when I propose to her out of the blue without even hinting at this thought in our conversation? 

Moreover, will she forgive and accept a duff like me who was selfish enough to leave his love and go after his own dream?

All these thoughts were killing me and making me anxious to face her for real. 

Now the course got over with a successful note. I got an A grade certificate for the internship which I did in my uncle's company.

All I got to do was head back to Japan and lead my life. Lyon and Aunt Liliyette stayed back because she didn't want to be separated from her husband anymore.

I informed my parents about my arrival and were excited about it. Juvia had been working in our company for these 4 years as a marketing manager. 

I told them to keep this news a secret as I wanted to surprise her.

And it looks like she is already on leave for a week because of my dad's constant nagging as she looked over exhausted.

She was at peace and slowly got back into her life after joining the company. 

What made her even more relaxed and joyous was when her brother and Levy had their first children, yeah twins, a boy and a girl who would be 3 years old now and was named as Shou and Lily respectively.