Snow

Summary: A what happens next for the Daphne arc. While Fairy Tail celebrates their happy ending, one member has excused himself. There is one person, however, who will not let him wallow.

Warnings: None that I can think of...not even spoilers.

Pairing: Juvia/Gray

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It was another victory for Fairy Tail, another wrong righted and another promise kept. Everyone was whole and healthy, all had made it home safe. The celebration was well under way and all the woes from before seemed to be working themselves well into the past. There was laughter, and shouting from the guild hall, the smell of drink, and smoke as Natsu tried to start a fight. They were all so happy, but mostly relieved, Natsu was safe and the reigning dragon slayer champion. A Fairy Tail ending, so to speak.

Except, it wasn't a perfect ending.

"Hey Juvia! Come dance with us!" Wendy called excitedly waving her arms at the other. The child was laughing and so happy as Elfman carried her on his shoulders. That child had brought such joy to the guild in the short time she had been there, it made her wonder if that was her real power.

Juvia waved but shook her head no, remaining firmly where she was. She watched her guild as they continued to run amuck. Lucy and Levy were giggling in a corner. Erza was laughing as Natsu tried half heartedly to fight her. Happy cheered him on faithfully while the others all laughed or joined Wendy in dancing. Even Clara was more relaxed than before. Everyone was so happy...well almost everyone.

Looking away from the celebration, Juvia looked to the balcony with worried eyes.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine," Mirajane said with a soft smile on her face. Juvia turned to look at her, blushing both from surprise and embarrassment. Mira just giggled softly and looked up to where Juvia had been staring. "He's always been like this, ever since he was little. He's just way too hard on himself."

Mira's smile changed from her normal one to a sad one, "like Natsu, he treasures this guild and everyone in it. He chose us as his family even though he doesn't feel he deserves one. Also like Natsu he protects us and our name fiercely. Sometimes, that means he does things that seem harsh or even cruel, but he never abandons us to deal with it alone. Sometimes we don't realize what he's done for us until later, and sometimes he doesn't realize when he's already been forgiven. He'll come back when he's ready, don't worry."

Mira gave Juvia a small hug before disappearing into the crowd. The water wizard watched her a moment as she went to join her brother and Wendy. It wasn't the first time that those in the guild had made her wonder at their real powers. She was coming to see that it wasn't magic that made this guild strong, it was their bond. She had never experienced anything like it before, and it was yet another thing she owed to Gray. If he hadn't spared her...if he hadn't showed her another option when they first met…

"Gray…" She whispered, her heart constricting. She looked back over to the balcony, and before she knew what she was doing, her feet were moving. Climbing the steps, she felt her heart begin to hammer and fear chilled her body.

He had been on the balcony since the end of the battle, well before the celebration started. No one had seemed to notice him slipping away. Or if they had, they didn't seem to care, or maybe it was something else...What if he didn't want to be bothered by anyone...by her? What if he didn't want anything to do with her?

"You made quite a mess of things, didn't you?" Came the tired voice of Master Makarov halting her in her steps.

She froze, hiding behind the lip of the door peeking out. There she saw them, the guild master standing on the railing next to her Gray. Gray himself was almost exactly the way she thought he would be, shirtless and sitting dangerously close to the edge of the rail. What she did not expect was how he slumped….like he was defeated. Even with both men's backs turned to her, she could see Gray's shame and the Master's disappointment.

"Your intentions were good, but your actions were poorly thought out and hurt the guild immensely," Makarov continued, sighing. He bowed his head and sighed. "When will you learn, Gray, you don't need to prove anything to us? You wear the mark of our guild and you do so with pride. You bring us that same pride often in all that you have achieved… You don't have to be that angry little boy anymore. The only one you have anything to prove to is yourself."

Makarov's voice had grown much softer, and his words full of sorrow. The sorrow seemed to be from an old grief. This was a conversation the two had had before, she sensed that. Gray seemed to bow his head even lower, and that was when she saw, for the first time, the weight he carried. It made Juvia's heartache.

"It will never be enough, Gramps. There's too much I have to pay for," Gray's voice was harsh, and thick. He wasn't crying, but it was only because he was stubborn.

Makarov put a small hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "No one has ever thought that of you," he sighed again and looked up into the night. "This stunt of yours will require penance however. You are a maker wizard, so you will help make the people of Magnolia whole again. I expect to see you helping with cleaning up this town and rebuilding it. Understood?"

"Yeah Gramps…" Gray answered, and there was the attempt of a smirk, at least Juvia could hear it.

"And when you're done with that, you should take a job with Natsu and Happy. Just you three. Nothing too risky or big, but just enough to get you all working together again. And talk with Wendy, make sure she understands what you did. She's a smart girl, I'm sure she will. But all of this can wait until tomorrow. Take your time, but come down and celebrate with your family. You earned this victory too." With his peace said, Makarov gave Gray's shoulder one last squeeze then hopped down back onto the balcony.

Gray made no move to follow and didn't even turn his head, but Juvia saw him straighten up, just a little. Some of the weight was easing. Oh my love, she thought, why do you torture yourself so much? How noble you are…

Juvia was jolted from her thoughts when Makarov walked into her. She startled and phailed for a moment, stammering, "Master Makarov! I was...I was…"

Makarov chuckled in his all knowing way and patted her arm. "It's alright," growing serious, he looked over his shoulder briefly before looking her in the eyes and adding, "It's good that you're here. He needs a friend right now, even if he doesn't want one." With that, the small man continued his way back down to the guild hall, leaving the young women there alone.

Juvia sighed, releasing the embarrassment and allowing her scarlet red blush to fade. Taking a moment to gather her nerves, she took a deep breath and bravely stepped out onto the balcony. "Gray, my darling," she called softly, not wanting to startle him.

The change was instant. He straightened, squared his shoulders, and leaned back as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Hey Juvia," he said, his,voice holding none of the grief from earlier and all of the familiar confidence she had come to love, "what are you doing out here? There's a party going on downstairs."

"I've never really been one for parties," she said coming to stand next to him, "besides, I could ask the same of you."

"It's too warm down there with Natsu blowing all that hot air around," he said and he tried to give her his cocky smile, the one that said he could take anything. It didn't reach his eyes.

In this moment, seeing him like this, the words MariJane had said took on actual meaning. "...sometimes he doesn't realize he's already been forgiven." She understood now what Mari and Makarov did.

"Gray, there's no need to punish yourself, Darling. You've already been forgiven," she said, her voice soft and shaky.

He snorted and shifted, pulling away from her and drawing into himself. "What do you know?" He growled harshly. It was like a slap in the face.

Her breath hitched a moment and she felt herself tremble. He had rejected her, again...he may need a friend but he didn't want it to be her. "Okay, Darling, I'll leave you alone," she said, trying not to cry.

She turned to leave but he caught her wrist. She froze, heart stopping. His touch was so gentle, so tender… Somehow she managed to look back at him. He was facing forward still, body rigid and tense, head bowed, and there was the barest shudder in his breath. "Wait...you didn't deserve that," he sighed, "I guess I'm just not in the mood to be around people right now."

Juvia blushed. He didn't say the word sorry, but it was an apology all the same and it made her feel almost giddy. "I understand. I just wanted to check on you, I'll go now though," she said, and her voice was softer now that the tears were gone.

"Before you do...just hold on a sec…" He shifted, turning more towards her. He didn't quite look at her, but it was a start. "Do me a favor, would you? Don't ask why, just shoot some water up into the sky, but do it while holding my hand."

Juvia frowned, confused, but she did as asked. She sent out a stream of water, straight up, as high as she could. She didn't feel anything happening when she did, nothing different or special. But she heard Gray whisper, "look up," and when she did, she gasped.

It was snowing small and delicate little flakes, coming down gently just around them. They danced playfully as they drifted down, and each one that landed on her felt like a kiss. Cold, yes, but wasn't that his magic? Wasn't that just his form of warmth?

She was filled with such emotion, she wasn't sure she could take it all in. Her heart was hammering, her world was spinning, how could anything ever be so perfect? But then she felt it...the tiniest sting of ice hitting her. She looked at him, worried, and that was when she saw the tears that the snow flakes tried to hide.

"You know," she said, her voice sober as she looked back up to the sky, "when the earth is covered in snow, I always think it's so pure. Like the white...it takes in all the dirt and grime we leave and leaves all it touches fresh. I think the snow offers us a new beginning."

She heard him make a sound, like a 'hmmm', she couldn't tell if it was a thoughtful noise or an agreement. "I wanted to thank you," he said, still looking up into their creation, "you were the only one who didn't doubt me. I've never had that before…"

Juvia looked at him again, this time surprised. He must have sensed it, even though he didn't look at her. A small and wistful smile formed on his lips. "Like I said...our powers compliment each other."

Juvia smiled, no, beamed. She felt like her heart would explode with happiness in this moment. She looked back up into the falling snow, watching as it floated slowly to earth. Gray hadn't moved his hand from hers, and she hoped he never would. She hoped this moment never ended.

"Gray…" She whispered feeling both foolish and brave, "let's make it snow again?"

He laughed ever so softly, "why not?"

And this time, when she sent out her jet stream, she felt the spark.

End.