Discussion The Official Relationship/Pairing/Shipping Thread

[Axiomus]

Lucy was smiling at Natsu because he said he has a plan to take care of crisis going with the dragons. She didn't hold a grudge but she definitely was upset to a point that she punched him in the face

She definitely held a grudge against Natsu in the current events when he left her for a year. As you can see she kept repeating her stance, and displeasure toward him, so obviously she was hurt but what he did.

The rest of your post is spot-on.

I was specifically talking about the part where Natsu touched Lucy's boobs. She didn't hold a grudge again him there, and even found comfort in hugging him.

You seem to not understand the fact that she not only trusts Natsu, but they were in a fight against the dragons. Even if someone else did the same to Lucy, she wouldn't get mad or stay mad for long, as long as the person is a friend.

Can anyone prove that Lucy isn't more affectionate towards Natsu because of their long relationship? He's basically the first friend she made and the person that introduced her to FT and gave her hope and all that shit. Of course she'll be more affectionate towards Natsu. Otherwise you might as well pair everyone in FT off with Natsu as they think of him when they need motivation or inspiration, or they believe in him no matter how impossible something is.

Let's not forget Gray telling Juvia he'll give her an answer or something, and cheering her up whenever she's feeling down. In fact, the only time he acts negatively is when she's acting too freaky, otherwise they work seamlessly together. Doesn't really indicate superiority though since as far as I recall, Natsu and Lucy work well together too... right?

It's not simply the fact that Lucy did not remain mad at Natsu, but the fact she acted affectionately towards him. Lucy doesn't really go around hugging other guys for comfort. Lucy has known everyone in Fairy Tail pretty much the same amount of time as they she's known Natsu, with a few exceptions. This doesn't change the fact that she's the closest with Natsu. Yes, Natsu was the one who brought Lucy to Fairy Tail and he's usually the one who inspires her and gives her hope. That may actually be why Lucy is more affectionate towards Natsu. I don't see how this can be spun into a reason against Natsu and Lucy. Other characters don't have that history with Lucy, and so there's less reason to pair them with.

I have no problem with Gray and Juvia, so I have no dog in the fight between which pairing is better. Quite the opposite, actually.

Also, on the whole Lisanna thing. The only time this pairing was hinted upon was in the special chapter with Happy's egg when Lisanna teased Natsu about maybe being his wife when they grow up. After that, we haven't really gotten anything from them, even after Lisanna returned from Edolas.

 

[Baston.]

I was specifically talking about the part where Natsu touched Lucy's boobs. She didn't hold a grudge again him there, and even found comfort in hugging him.



It's not simply the fact that Lucy did not remain mad at Natsu, but the fact she acted affectionately towards him. Lucy doesn't really go around hugging other guys for comfort. Lucy has known everyone in Fairy Tail pretty much the same amount of time as they she's known Natsu, with a few exceptions. This doesn't change the fact that she's the closest with Natsu. Yes, Natsu was the one who brought Lucy to Fairy Tail and he's usually the one who inspires her and gives her hope. That may actually be why Lucy is more affectionate towards Natsu. I don't see how this can be spun into a reason against Natsu and Lucy. Other characters don't have that history with Lucy, and so there's less reason to pair them with.

I have no problem with Gray and Juvia, so I have no dog in the fight between which pairing is better. Quite the opposite, actually.

That's why I am saying. She didn't hold a grudge, but she certainly was upset by him touching her boobs to a point she punched him very hard and was hurt by it. She forgave him because he saved their lives thanks to Atlas Flames hence gave him a hug. Lucy's the type of person who can forgive people very easily and can be naive to do so in certain aspects.

 

[Axiomus]

That's why I am saying. She didn't hold a grudge, but she certainly was upset by him touching her boobs to a point she punched him very hard and was hurt by it. She forgave him because he saved their lives thanks to Atlas Flames hence gave him a hug. Lucy's the type of person who can forgive people very easily and can be naive to do so in certain aspects.

I don't doubt she was embarrassed and mad at Natsu at the moment when he touched her, but I don't think Lucy thought it was a big deal. If she was traumatized or upset with Natsu, she probably wouldn't have hugged him for comfort. There's also the entire context of the situation. Future Lucy was able to return to her world, and I think Lucy somehow felt the emotions (that's why she was crying).

 

[Baston.]

I don't doubt she was embarrassed and mad at Natsu at the moment when he touched her, but I don't think Lucy thought it was a big deal. If she was traumatized or upset with Natsu, she probably wouldn't have hugged him for comfort. There's also the entire context of the situation. Future Lucy was able to return to her world, and I think Lucy somehow felt the emotions (that's why she was crying).

At the moment, Natsu should have the decency to atleast apologize regardless. Other characters have done it, why can't he? Does he not have any tact or a a shred of maturity in his bone?

 

[Jko]

he has, and he has risked his life for Erza as well on more than one occasion. And Juvia is a bad example because she has Gray, who has also cheered her up on many occasions.

She has panicked many times and cries a lot/whines a lot too, although she still meets challenges head on. And Natsu comforts many people like Wendy as well, so that means nothing. Natsu has shown nothing romantic towards Lucy either, or am I missing something?

Natsu showed feelings towards Lisanna, for one reason or another. I don't remember if he's shown he still cares about her/thinks about her romantically though.

Nope, not static as the relationship has moved forward. Right now, Gray is basically indicating that he likes/loves Juvia as well, though he hasn't said it. Can't really see how anyone can call Gray + Juvia static, unless they don't know what static means. It's far ahead in terms of romance and relationship than Natsu + Lucy, or most other pairings bar Gajeel + Levy and Erza and Jellal. Far more development than Natsu + Lucy, who barely has any hint of romance.

Risking his life to save a friend is not going out of his way to cheer them up.

When has she whine in battle? She got beat up just bcs she didn't want to leave Natsu side as "it's more fun when they're together" which she said to anyone but Natsu. Also Natsu goes to comfort Lucy outside of battle too and has consoled her which he has yet to do with any other girl in FT and Lucy has indicated she has feelings for him.

He didn't think of her romantically when he was kid nor did Lisanna like him more than a friend.

Not really... him addressing her feelings for him is not anything new. Just bcs they're in a platonic relationship doesn't mean they haven't had romantic moments. Also Juvia is an overly affectionate romantic girl who outwardly displays her love for Gray yet Gray has yet to initiate a romantic moment meaning they've been static for a while.

 

[Baston.]

Risking his life to save a friend is not going out of his way to cheer them up.

When has she whine in battle? She got beat up just bcs she didn't want to leave Natsu side as "it's more fun when they're together" which she said to anyone but Natsu. Also Natsu goes to comfort Lucy outside of battle too and has consoled her which he has yet to do with any other girl in FT and Lucy has indicated she has feelings for him.

He didn't think of her romantically when he was kid nor did Lisanna like him more than a friend.

Not really... him addressing her feelings for him is not anything new. Just bcs they're in a platonic relationship doesn't mean they haven't had romantic moments. Also Juvia is an overly affectionate romantic girl who outwardly displays her love for Gray yet Gray has yet to initiate a romantic moment meaning they've been static for a while.

Yeah it is. One of the reasons he's risking his life is for them to cheer up. He doesn't like to see his comrades cry when in an emotional struggle or bind.

Lucy has clearly whined in battle before. She always wanted things to be easier for her in the past.

Static? My ass it is. When a relationship and interracts is constantly changing. Take for example in recent panels, they were sitting comfortably with each other half naked. Would you expact that to happen in the past? Not a chance.

Yeah yeah let's just forget the fact that It's called development when you handle the situation better than what you did in the past. Which is what Gray did when he had a talk with Juvia about it. It's not about acknowledging her feeling, it's about coming into term with them. If he gave her a clear answer, that would make them canon. Like I said it's helluva a lot more development compared to NaLu. Like people said it's pointless to compare them.

 

[Axiomus]

At the moment, Natsu should have the decency to atleast apologize regardless. Other characters have done it, why can't he? Does he not have any tact or a a shred of maturity in his bone?

Well, that's a separate issue altogether. My point is that Lucy is obviously willing to overlook it, and not only forgive him - but still treat him with affection.

 

[Baston.]

Well, that's a separate issue altogether.

Fair enough. Do you not agree though?

 

[Axiomus]

Fair enough. Do you not agree though?

That Natsu is clueless and sometimes dense? Sure. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest he doesn't have a shred of maturity though.

 

[Baston.]

He has yet to display a shred of maturity mang.

 

[Axiomus]

He has yet to display a shred of maturity mang.

I think that's a bit extreme to say that he doesn't have a shred of maturity. Natsu has his moments. I think the part where Natsu was upset that Rogue killed Lucy, but still knew that it was unfair to target current Rogue to be a display of maturity. It's just that in situations like the one with Lucy being naked, he's a bit more silly.

Spoiler

 

[M3J]

I was specifically talking about the part where Natsu touched Lucy's boobs. She didn't hold a grudge again him there, and even found comfort in hugging him.



It's not simply the fact that Lucy did not remain mad at Natsu, but the fact she acted affectionately towards him. Lucy doesn't really go around hugging other guys for comfort. Lucy has known everyone in Fairy Tail pretty much the same amount of time as they she's known Natsu, with a few exceptions. This doesn't change the fact that she's the closest with Natsu. Yes, Natsu was the one who brought Lucy to Fairy Tail and he's usually the one who inspires her and gives her hope. That may actually be why Lucy is more affectionate towards Natsu. I don't see how this can be spun into a reason against Natsu and Lucy. Other characters don't have that history with Lucy, and so there's less reason to pair them with.

I have no problem with Gray and Juvia, so I have no dog in the fight between which pairing is better. Quite the opposite, actually.

Also, on the whole Lisanna thing. The only time this pairing was hinted upon was in the special chapter with Happy's egg when Lisanna teased Natsu about maybe being his wife when they grow up. After that, we haven't really gotten anything from them, even after Lisanna returned from Edolas.

Why would she hold a grudge against someone she calls a friend? Pretty sure even Kana has touched her tits, but Lucy didn't rage at her. How many shounen female characters hold a grudge (or a long one) when their friends, especially the main characters, touch their tits?

She's not as close a friend with other guys as she is with Natsu. Again, they have history, the manga starts out with them meeting and Natsu changing her life for the better. She's known Natsu longer, fought with him longer, and saw the kind of person he is, so she would normally feel closer to him and be more comfortable around him. This doesn't indicate any romance or romantic feelings between the two. I don't remember any moment that did hint at anything whereas we had plenty of that with Jellal and Erza and a lot of hints with Levy and Gajeel and Gray and Juvia.

I only care about Jellal and Erza and Levy and Gajeel. If Natsu and Lucy and/o Gray and Juvia end up being real, awesome. If not, whatever.

I thought we got plenty more than that, but I don't actually remember if it was part of special chapters or not.

Risking his life to save a friend is not going out of his way to cheer them up.

When has she whine in battle? She got beat up just bcs she didn't want to leave Natsu side as "it's more fun when they're together" which she said to anyone but Natsu. Also Natsu goes to comfort Lucy outside of battle too and has consoled her which he has yet to do with any other girl in FT and Lucy has indicated she has feelings for him.

He didn't think of her romantically when he was kid nor did Lisanna like him more than a friend.

Not really... him addressing her feelings for him is not anything new. Just bcs they're in a platonic relationship doesn't mean they haven't had romantic moments. Also Juvia is an overly affectionate romantic girl who outwardly displays her love for Gray yet Gray has yet to initiate a romantic moment meaning they've been static for a while.

Yes it is, and Natsu did more than just risk his life. These points have been mentioned in two separate posts above, I think by Baston?

She has, quite a few times. She also convinces herself to keep fighting, especially for Fairy Tail. And where has Lucy indicated she has feelings for Natsu? I don't remember that part, but I do remember Natsu comforting Erza, Wendy, and others as well. Just so happens Lucy cries a lot, so she needs the most comforting.

Him addressing her feelings and responding in a serious, non-negative way is new. Gray may not have initiated romantic moment the way you want him to, but they have worked together well, he has cheered her up when she was feeling down, and he treats her well (or better than before), and on top of that he promises to give her an answer. That's not static, especially when they're currently busy fighting.

I think that's a bit extreme to say that he doesn't have a shred of maturity. Natsu has his moments. I think the part where Natsu was upset that Rogue killed Lucy, but still knew that it was unfair to target current Rogue to be a display of maturity. It's just that in situations like the one with Lucy being naked, he's a bit more silly.

Spoiler

That doesn't show maturity, that just shows Natsu's loyalty/shounen trope where the good guys aren't about killing people, and Natsu definitely wouldn't support killing a good person. NOt sure if he considered Rogue a friend at that point or just an ally, but either way he wouldn't support killing someone who isn't bad.

 

[Baston.]

People need to understand also that we can't just simply expect Mashima to get characters to make romantic moves or love speeches on each other like it's nothing. That's not how it is. This is a battle fighting shounen manga, not a shoujo or josei. Having a simple talk or romantic gesture is plenty enough and a sign of a ship being canon.

 

[darkenedreality]

I'd like to address something.

First of all, no one is saying Lucy dislikes Natsu or holds grudges against him just because she gets annoyed with him from time to time. Everyone gets annoyed at their partner. It's the same thing with Gray and Juvia, despite her occasional ridiculous antics, Gray still cherishes Juvia.

Second, I'm taking this discussion back to the maturity debate in regards to the Avatar Arc.

Both Natsu and Gray left their love interests and each had justifiable reasons. Natsu, because he wanted to become stronger to protect everyone, which includes Lucy. He even left a note. Gray, because he didn't expect the mission to last long and it was for Juvia's protection. He wanted to tell Juvia, but Erza stopped him. However, both of these guys were inconsiderate of the girl's feelings, regardless of any reasoning.

The difference between them though?

Lucy clearly makes her feelings known. She mentioned it a few times if I am not mistaking, yet Natsu either doesn't seem to get it or worse, ignores the issue at hand (judging by his reaction this seems to be the case). Many NaLu fans expect or want an apology from him, because Lucy does deserve one. It's hypocritical of Natsu to call Gray out when he hasn't acknowledged his own faults. If he sees what Gray did as wrong, there's no excuse as to why he can't see what he did as wrong.

With the mention of Juvia, you can see how badly Gray actually feels. Something we didn't get from Natsu. And finally...

Gray apologized to Juvia because he is mature enough to acknowledge he was wrong, and offered an explanation for later (which was off-paneled, but again, whatever).

And there you have it. They each have a mature side in different situations, but over all Gray > Natsu, which includes romance as well.

 

[Axiomus]

Why would she hold a grudge against someone she calls a friend? Pretty sure even Kana has touched her tits, but Lucy didn't rage at her. How many shounen female characters hold a grudge (or a long one) when their friends, especially the main characters, touch their tits?

She's not as close a friend with other guys as she is with Natsu. Again, they have history, the manga starts out with them meeting and Natsu changing her life for the better. She's known Natsu longer, fought with him longer, and saw the kind of person he is, so she would normally feel closer to him and be more comfortable around him. This doesn't indicate any romance or romantic feelings between the two. I don't remember any moment that did hint at anything whereas we had plenty of that with Jellal and Erza and a lot of hints with Levy and Gajeel and Gray and Juvia.

I only care about Jellal and Erza and Levy and Gajeel. If Natsu and Lucy and/o Gray and Juvia end up being real, awesome. If not, whatever.

I thought we got plenty more than that, but I don't actually remember if it was part of special chapters or not.

That doesn't show maturity, that just shows Natsu's loyalty/shounen trope where the good guys aren't about killing people, and Natsu definitely wouldn't support killing a good person. NOt sure if he considered Rogue a friend at that point or just an ally, but either way he wouldn't support killing someone who isn't bad.

Well, like I said, it's not just the fact she didn't hold a grudge towards him, but acted rather affectionately towards him afterwards. Simply put, Lucy's affections towards Natsu outweighed how much she was upset by him touching her boobs (which she probably got over pretty quickly). The fact that Lucy and Natsu are the main characters and that Lucy is really close to Natsu only helps the argument that Natsu and Lucy are likely to end up together. Even though it wasn't explicitly stated, it's been implied that Lucy probably has feelings for Natsu, especially with moments like in the special chapters. The fanservice doesn't hurt their chances either.

If you want to say Natsu is dense and can sometimes be a bit of a goof, I really have no problem with that. It's how his character is portrayed. I'll even give you that Gray was more in tune with Juvia's feelings than Natsu was in tune with Lucy's. But like I said - saying that he doesn't have a shred of maturity seems to be a bit extreme.

 

[darkenedreality]

Gray has yet to initiate a romantic moment meaning they've been static for a while.

It's hilariously ironic you say this because the big "Gruvia moments" fans love are almost always initiated by Gray, not Juvia. And I'm sorry, but:

This is not friendship in Japan, especially in shounen manga. You don't just hold someone's hand and speak kindly to them, or shove your face in their chest, especially when it's a woman who is in love with you. Physical contact, more specifically hand holding, is a sign of romantic undertones. Just like the forehead touches Natsu gives Lucy. Would you call that friendship? Don't think so. Giving and accepting a scarf is also a very old tradition between lovers in Japan. Gray not only accepted Juvia's handmade scarf, but he also commented that it's warm. Saying Gray has never initiated anything romantic is ignorant, and just plain wrong. Again, he is the only male ready to address his love life.

Static?

Going from this:

To this:

...is static? This is also a romantic moment by the way, since it's about their romantic relationship. And what do you know? It's initiated by Gray!

 

[M3J]

People need to understand also that we can't just simply expect Mashima to get characters to make romantic moves or love speeches on each other like it's nothing. That's not how it is. This is a battle fighting shounen manga, not a shoujo or josei. Having a simple talk or romantic gesture is plenty enough and a sign of a ship being canon.

Or even implications, which Levy and Gajeel has more of than Natsu and Lucy. Though, I can't seem to recall what and when Gajeel showed any romantic interest in Levy, but their pairing/potential is quite obvious. With Natsu and Lucy, the chances are probably due to them being main characters, if nothing else.
Most of the pairings have had some sort of implication, gesture, or something obvious to make it obvious that they loved each other or were romantically interested in each other. Natsu and Lucy did not have those moments, but they had moments of unbreakable friendship, immense trust, and strong bond with each other, and they're clearly more comfortable with each other than most other pairings, except for maybe Jellal and Erza. Best case scenario is that these nonromantic moments can easily add to any romance that develops between them, which is much better than Naruto-Hinata or Sasuke-Sakura.


Though, one could also argue holding a grudge for tit touching is also romantic. If that was Levy whose tits were touched by Gajeel, she'd hold a grudge for a while, but it'd be romantic and cute because we know or can tell she is romantically into Gajeel. With Natsu and Lucy, it's all about the trust that they have in each other, not to mention the issue at hand (DRAGONS), that she couldn't really devote the time to hold a grudge.

Well, like I said, it's not just the fact she didn't hold a grudge towards him, but acted rather affectionately towards him afterwards. Simply put, Lucy's affections towards Natsu outweighed how much she was upset by him touching her boobs (which she probably got over pretty quickly). The fact that Lucy and Natsu are the main characters and that Lucy is really close to Natsu only helps the argument that Natsu and Lucy are likely to end up together. Even though it wasn't explicitly stated, it's been implied that Lucy probably has feelings for Natsu, especially with moments like in the special chapters. The fanservice doesn't hurt their chances either.

If you want to say Natsu is dense and can sometimes be a bit of a goof, I really have no problem with that. It's how his character is portrayed. I'll even give you that Gray was more in tune with Juvia's feelings than Natsu was in tune with Lucy's. But like I said - saying that he doesn't have a shred of maturity seems to be a bit extreme.

I don't see how that's any indication of romantic feelings. I mean, they were fighting dragons, and Natsu said something inspirational that made Lucy feel confident and hopeful in their victory.

Do these implications have any sort of basis, or is it just a wish on the pairing fans' side?

Natsu is rarely mature though, but he can be serious when needed. His immaturity is part of what makes the manga funny.

It's hilariously ironic you say this because the big "Gruvia moments" fans love are almost always initiated by Gray, not Juvia. And I'm sorry, but:

This is not friendship in Japan, especially in shounen manga. You don't just hold someone's hand and speak kindly to them, or shove your face in their chest, especially when it's a woman who is in love with you. Physical contact, more specifically hand holding, is a sign of romantic undertones. Just like the forehead touches Natsu gives Lucy. Would you call that friendship? Don't think so. Giving and accepting a scarf is also a very old tradition between lovers in Japan. Gray not only accepted Juvia's handmade scarf, but he also commented that it's warm. Saying Gray has never initiated anything romantic is ignorant, and just plain wrong. Again, he is the only male ready to address his love life.

Static?

Going from this:

To this:

...is static? This is also a romantic moment by the way, since it's about their romantic relationship. And what do you know? It's initiated by Gray!

SENSE
COMMON SENSE
FINALLY

THough I wouldn't be shocked if Gray friendzoned Juvia hard.

 

[JohnnyMason]

Why is everyone comparing these two pairings even though they're completely different starting from their interactions to the way they're handled. Also why are some of you saying that either one of the two static? I will admit that Nalu is very slow paced in comparison to the others but still doesn't mean that they're static.

 

[Axiomus]

I don't see how that's any indication of romantic feelings. I mean, they were fighting dragons, and Natsu said something inspirational that made Lucy feel confident and hopeful in their victory.

Do these implications have any sort of basis, or is it just a wish on the pairing fans' side?

Natsu is rarely mature though, but he can be serious when needed. His immaturity is part of what makes the manga funny.

It's not just what Lucy said about Natsu, but the fact she embraced him with a hug. When you look at an image like this, it's hard to deny that Lucy has feelings for Natsu.

The story thus far section of chapter 419 says that Natsu was the person Lucy most wanted to see. Words like this might not confirm full blown romance, but it certainly doesn't hurt their chances.

And really, just the sheer amount of fanservice that these two get.

 

[Jko]

Why would she hold a grudge against someone she calls a friend? Pretty sure even Kana has touched her tits, but Lucy didn't rage at her. How many shounen female characters hold a grudge (or a long one) when their friends, especially the main characters, touch their tits?

She's not as close a friend with other guys as she is with Natsu. Again, they have history, the manga starts out with them meeting and Natsu changing her life for the better. She's known Natsu longer, fought with him longer, and saw the kind of person he is, so she would normally feel closer to him and be more comfortable around him. This doesn't indicate any romance or romantic feelings between the two. I don't remember any moment that did hint at anything whereas we had plenty of that with Jellal and Erza and a lot of hints with Levy and Gajeel and Gray and Juvia.

I only care about Jellal and Erza and Levy and Gajeel. If Natsu and Lucy and/o Gray and Juvia end up being real, awesome. If not, whatever.

I thought we got plenty more than that, but I don't actually remember if it was part of special chapters or not.


Yes it is, and Natsu did more than just risk his life. These points have been mentioned in two separate posts above, I think by Baston?

She has, quite a few times. She also convinces herself to keep fighting, especially for Fairy Tail. And where has Lucy indicated she has feelings for Natsu? I don't remember that part, but I do remember Natsu comforting Erza, Wendy, and others as well. Just so happens Lucy cries a lot, so she needs the most comforting.

Him addressing her feelings and responding in a serious, non-negative way is new. Gray may not have initiated romantic moment the way you want him to, but they have worked together well, he has cheered her up when she was feeling down, and he treats her well (or better than before), and on top of that he promises to give her an answer. That's not static, especially when they're currently busy fighting.


That doesn't show maturity, that just shows Natsu's loyalty/shounen trope where the good guys aren't about killing people, and Natsu definitely wouldn't support killing a good person. NOt sure if he considered Rogue a friend at that point or just an ally, but either way he wouldn't support killing someone who isn't bad.

That's not cheering them up that's saving them from death what's going out of the way to cheer someone up is to go outside of battle and dig up a tree just so she can see a Rainbow Sakura Tree. Saving someones life =/= Cheering them up. Natsu didn't go console Erza after Jellal got imprison, Natsu didn't go console Juvia when they're gonna die by Acno, Natsu didn't go visit Lisanna when a war was coming at their doorstep, and Natsu doesn't describe Mira as she's Mira. There's a big line in which Natsu does for everyone and what he does for Lucy.

When? The only time was the PL arc (it really wasn't even whin)and that's because she felt bad for bringing harm to the guild. Can you name these moments?

Just like the time he wanted to tell her something before he got shot to death. The only thing that's changed his Gray is more sensitive when it comes to talking to her instead of being super blunt. Also he said the same thing to Erza when they talked about Juvia's feelings so again they're still static.

It's hilariously ironic you say this because the big "Gruvia moments" fans love are almost always initiated by Gray, not Juvia. And I'm sorry, but:

This is not friendship in Japan, especially in shounen manga. You don't just hold someone's hand and speak kindly to them, or shove your face in their chest, especially when it's a woman who is in love with you. Physical contact, more specifically hand holding, is a sign of romantic undertones. Just like the forehead touches Natsu gives Lucy. Would you call that friendship? Don't think so. Giving and accepting a scarf is also a very old tradition between lovers in Japan. Gray not only accepted Juvia's handmade scarf, but he also commented that it's warm. Saying Gray has never initiated anything romantic is ignorant, and just plain wrong. Again, he is the only male ready to address his love life.

Static?

Going from this:

To this:

...is static? This is also a romantic moment by the way, since it's about their romantic relationship. And what do you know? It's initiated by Gray!

Initiating means he comes to her to start the conversation or him starting conversation first and all three of the page you just showed was Juvia coming to him and starting the conversation (or just starting the conversation). He has still yet to go up to her and start a romantic moment.