Here With You

Here With You Part 1

Mirajane polished another glass and placed it up on the shelf. It was early yet and the guild hall was quiet with only a few members moving about, checking the jobs board or sitting down to eat breakfast. At the bar, Juvia sighed, not for the first time that morning. Mirajane smiled to herself. 

"Why the long face, Juvia? Are you and Gray having a fight?" She asked. Juvia flushed.

"Juvia would never fight with Gray-sama!" She declared. Erza suddenly appeared, eyes shining. "For Juvia, true love means forgiveness." She said. Juvia bristled. 

"Gray-sama has done nothing to be forgiven!"

"Eh? Is that so?" Mirajane said. "Still, you look troubled, Juvia. Maybe we can help?" Erza tapped her gauntleted fist to her breastplate. 

"You can count on us. We're all members of Fairy Tail after all." Juvia shifted on her stool, looking uneasy and the colour remained high on her cheeks. Mirajane and Erza leaned forwards, waiting. Juvia started to sweat under their gaze. 

"It's just that, now that Juvia and Gray-sama are, I mean, now that our feelings are, are, m-mutual." She said with effort, glancing between the two other women as she spoke. Mirajane continued to smile sweetly and Erza's gaze was unblinking. Juvia went on, sweating profusely. "Now that we are... lovers... " she mumbled, "nothing seems to have really, changed between us." She finished, blushing hotly.

 "You mean that Gray hasn't attacked you yet?" Mirajane asked, mouth open in surprise. 

"That- that's not, I mean, that-" Juvia stammered. Mirajane turned to Erza.

"What about you and Jellal, Erza? Now that he's been pardoned by the Magic Council, you're spending a lot more time together, aren't you? Doing 'that'?" Erza's expression was blank. Then a rushing red tide of embarrassment overtook her neck and her face and her eyes glazed over. "Oh dear." Mirajane put her hand over her mouth and turned back to Juvia. 

"Juvia, if you're worried, why don't you talk to Gray about it? You know he'll always listen to anything you have to say." Juvia smiled, her expression soft.

"Yes. That's true." She said quietly.

"Oi, Juvia." Gray was standing a few yards behind, dressed for travelling. Juvia spun around on her stool in surprise.

"Yes, Gray-sama?!" She said."We've got a job, let's go." He said with a flick of his head and turned to leave. Juvia hopped down from her stool, flustered.

"Coming, Gray-sama! Thank you Mira-san, Erza-san." She said, bowing slightly to each of them. Mirjane smiled and waved. 

"Take care! Do your best!" She said. Erza gurgled, stupefied. Mirajane looked at her with one hand on her cheek.

"My, my, I hope Jellal-kun comes back soon." Erza snapped back to life, glancing around.

"Eh? Is he here? Is he? Where? What's so funny, Mira!?"