Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
A/N: This story takes place when Gray and Juvia are living together: spoilers are definitely inbound. Thank you very much for reading! :)
Lagging along the dirt-paved road, Gray's eyes lowered, half-closed from fatigue. He had left Juvia at home so he could tend to his newly assigned mission from Erza: gathering information about E.N.D. from nearby towns. Erza professed over and over that those towns he had just finished collecting tidbits of were information goldmines - which, she greatly overestimated. Sighing, Gray recalled how long it had been since he was last home: at least a few weeks. Juvia was probably worried and upset about Gray's long disappearance, but not more than Gray himself. He had just wasted a few weeks searching every nook and cranny for a reliable source that could lead him to E.N.D.. The only information that helped even a little bit was that E.N.D. had a cult that completely worshiped him - but something like that wasn't much of a surprise. Of course E.N.D. would have creepy little followers.
After inserting the key in the doorknob, Gray unlocked the door and entered the house. He looked around, investigating for anything that looked abnormal. Luckily, everything seemed fine, except for a dimly lit lantern set on the kitchen table. It was no cause for alarm to see a lantern, in fact, it was normal. The last few times Gray left without notice, there was a plastic wrapped plate of food with a note attached to it and a lit lantern on the table. The note was the odd part... The first time Gray saw it, he read it to be polite; but all the note had on it was the hope to see him again soon. He couldn't handle reading the rest, and crumpled it up, throwing it across the kitchen. Anywhere was fine as long as he couldn't see that note. The note itself wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but the words of love and praise made Gray cringe in guilt. He left Juvia all those times without saying anything to her, and she still made meals for him, talked to him the same way, and treated him the same way. He couldn't quite understand her loving a guy like him.
Reluctantly, Gray took a seat at the table, and unwrapped the plastic wrap trapping his meal. With the plastic wrap now in the grip of his index finger and thumb, a handwritten note full of hearts was clinging on the plastic with the help of tape. Guilt rushed in full-force, reminding him once more how long he has been gone. Frustrated at himself, Gray crumpled up the note and plastic wrap together, and jogged to the trashcan. Instead of rudely throwing the note around for Juvia to pick up later, Gray decided to dispose of it himself, but while he did so, he noticed a pile of plastic wrap and notes already stuffed in the trashcan.
The same notes he had always thrown away before looking at them crowded the inside of the trashcan. Gray squinted his eyes to read the words off one of the notes that was stuck on the trash bag by some sticky substance.
Gray hesitated before reading, "Enjoy your meal..." Of course there was a 'Gray-sama' added in, but Gray rather not say his own name in such a praising manner.
More guilt set in as Gray thought of Juvia writing notes, and cooking food that could be left out for a while in consideration for his taste buds. Everything Juvia did for him seemed to be carefully thought out and considerate, but for him, what has he done these past months for her other than ignore her friendly gestures out of guilt?
Gray forced an airy laugh as he rummaged through the trashcan for more notes. She couldn't have possibly made a meal for me everyday since I've left! Gray thought, hoping that she wouldn't have done such an unnecessary thing.
Piles of notes and plastic wrap invaded the wooden floorboard, overlapping each other and sometimes falling farther away from the other piles. Every note was original, and had its own special touch to it. Like butterflies instead of hearts, or hopes to see him soon rather than tasting her food filled with love. Gray let out a dry laugh. He clutched at the notes and plastic wrap underneath him, cursing at himself.
