The guild finds an artefact which is supposed to show the future and everyone gathers in the hall. Natsu and Gray are fighting as usual. Lucy rolls her eyes. Erza prepares to put a stop to it and Juvia is day-dreaming watching Gray’s gorgeous chest. The master asks the artefact to show the future - they agree 10 years ahead could be interesting - but as the artefact is lightning up to work, Natsu Gray Erza and Lucy end up crashing into it and there’s a big light.
Everyone are on the ground groaning from the chock. The master asks if everyone’s ok and gets replies of yeah yeah - but also four small voices saying “we’re fiiine jii-chan”.
All stare at the four kids in the middle. Turns out the artefact malfunctioned due to the four crashing into it so it brought their kids from 10 years into the future instead. The kids happily explain who they are to the stunned crowd.
Igneel Heartfilia - looks like a small blonde Natsu; uses mothers’ name as Igneel Dragneel sounds weird
Simon Fernandez - no surprise there
Two small black-haired twins - boy and girl - they both look like mini-Grays, but the girl has Juvia’s eyes and a slightly more gamine look, called Silver and Ultear Fullbuster
Gray has somehow missed a lot of this info as he’s trying to get Juvia to wake up - she appears to have hit her head. He’s sitting on the ground with Juvia in his lap when the two small kids approach him.
“Hey dad, how are things?”
Gray turns white and green and the kids end up having to explain it all to him again.
“Dad, is mom sleeping? Perhaps you should kiss her so she wakes up? That usually works”, the kids grin.
Gray turns scarlet and stares from Juvia to the kids and back. Everyone else laughs at that. Mirajane and the master decides they will all talk in a while - the hall needs to be set back in order and they will all have lunch and they can ask the kids questions while they eat. In the meantime the kids group themselves with their parents. Natsu and Lucy still look flabbergasted. Erza is not faced at all but accepts it all quite easily. Gray is stressed out but the kids are so cute, hilariously synchronized, affectionate and look just like him, so he finds himself gradually relaxing. The kids tell him they are 7 but that their parents were married before that.
“Is that so…”, Gray murmurs. “You wouldn’t happen to know just how we ended up together, would you?”
“Sure we do! It’s a great story! As far as we have been told, mom hit her head and when she woke up she had forgotten all about you and that made you realize you had feelings for her and then uncle Lyon showed up and courted her a lot and as she didn’t remember you she was kind of flattered and went out with him and then you got really mad and defeated uncle Lyon in a mad battle and then you dragged mom to your apartment and didn’t come out until she remembered you - and then you made us”, says the kids - together, in a voice which makes it clear they have told the story to people many times before.
Gray sweatdrops and glances down at Juvia in his lap, then he suddently freezes - hit her head?
“Juvia? Hey Juvia wake up?” Gray yells frantically.
Juvia wakes up, looking into Gray’s worried face blinking and confused.
“Juvia? Are you ok? You remember me right? Please tell me you remember me?”
“Of course Juvia remembers Gray-sama”, Juvia smiles.
Gray is relieved and helps her sit up. Juvia is still on his lap and he has one arm protectively around her. Juvia is blushing rosily, then she sees the kids, who are looking at her grinning.
“Juvia, I’d like you to meet Silver and Ultear Fullbuster, our kids, from the future that is.”
Gray would have expected - and fully understood if she did - Juvia to faint at that, but she surprises them all by just blinking twice and then happily hugging the kids.
“Aaaaaaaw so cuuuute! Don’t you think we have the cutest kids you’ve ever seen, Gray-sama?”
“Juvia…they look just like me”, Gray deadpans.
Gray and the kids explain everything to Juvia as well. Juvia and Erza seem to be the ones taking this the best, but that’s hardly surprising. Juvia talks naturally and happily to the kids and hugs them all the time. Gray feels almost jealous of the attention and hits himself mentally at the thought. Gray looks towards Natsu and Lucy who are still looking slightly green, talking to Igneel, who seems completely oblivous to his parents’ mood. Figures, Gray snickers.
“Don’t look so chocked flame-brain, surely you must have seen this coming?”
“You’re one to talk ice freak - at least you know Juvia loves you. Lucy has never given me any hint in that direction.”
“Me???!!” Lucy interjects. “As if you’ve ever given me any! And you wouldn’t know if I gave you any hints even if I beat them into you with a hammer!”
“Wanna borrow one?” Gray asks, but the couple are too busy yelling at each other.
Gray grins and turns back to his own family. Family huh…
The kids tell everyone what’s going on in 10 years and they spend a great week together, bringing all the couples closer. They send the kids back and then the memories start to fade, so the couples basically turn back to the same state they used to be, but a bit more aware of each other. The master remembers though, so when Juvia hits her head in a mission and a worried Gray carries her to the infirmary, the master is smiling, knowing what will happen.
Gray is devastated that Juvia doesn’t remember him. He didn’t know that would hit him so hard. It would be one thing if she stopped loving him, but not even remembering him - he just can’t take it - and now that he thinks about it, he misses her feelings as well, a lot. It just feels empty and unnatural not having her adoring self around him. He’s been taking her presence and her feelings for granted and he wants them back dammit. He keeps sitting next to her and visiting her, looking at her as if he wants to force her to remember him.
Juvia is confused. Gray sure is cute and obviously upset about her having forgotten him. However, he still maintains that they are only friends. Juvia is starting to find Gray rather endearing and is looking forward to seeing him.
Then one day Lyon shows up. Gray hears of this, curses and runs to Juvia’s room, just in time to hear her agree to go to lunch with Lyon tomorrow - and she looks really happy - obviously she remembers him and his courting from before. Gray feels horrible - this just can’t be happening, he feels almost sick at the mere thought of them together, it’s just so wrong. Gray tells her she can’t go on a date with Lyon. Why not? Juvia asks. Gray can’t think of a good reply, as Lyon is a decent guy. Before Juvia leaves, Gray panics and out of the blue asks her to wear his necklace. When she tries to say no, Gray says “please” and she agrees, Gray leaves the room, cursing himself, looking so down Juvia is having second thoughts - she feels so much pain at seeing Gray unhappy. Why can’t she remember him? It must be important, the way he’s acting - and she likes him.
During the date, Juvia keeps becoming distracted, thinking about Gray, and constantly plays with the necklace. This is getting on Lyon’s nerves and he suggests she should perhaps take it off. Juvia refuses, saying that she promised Gray to wear it. Lyon says that Gray is not here, but then he shows up saying that he’s taking Juvia back. Lyon is not happy about this and Gray ends up fighting and beating him in a spectacular fight. Juvia is confused, but when Lyon asks her to come with him and holds out his hand, Juvia just feels she can’t - it feels wrong, even though she doesn’t understand why.
Gray then drags a confused Juvia around town showing her where they first met and where they have done other things like eat or see things then they buy camarade franks and Juvia knows how to eat them - Gray points out he taught her that and Juvia says something which is related to the incident. Gray then drags her to his apartment and shows her tons of pictures and they talk - and kiss - and much later fall asleep tangled together in bed.
When Juvia wakes up she has her memories back and also remembers the past days, Gray realizes when she calls him Gray-sama again.
