Hey everyone! I hope that the new year has been treating you well. Since I haven't posted something in a while, and my two new stories are still under development, I'm going to throw this three-shot your way! First is Gruvia based, second is all Nalu, and we wrap it up with a conclusion of the two! Let's hope my plot bunnies let me keep this at three chapters. -.-
DIsclaimer: I own the police uniform! No? I don't own that either? Ugh.
Warning: Citrus will be happening in the future. You will be warned now.
Chapter One: Coming After You
"They struck again last night."
"Seriously? That's the fourth time this month. Can you believe there's still nothing known about them?"
"How is that possible? I thought they had Magnolia's best officers on the case?"
"You mean Lyon Vastia and his partner? Juvia Lockser, right? Even they're having problems with this case; not a single fingerprint or DNA sample. Anything from this new robbery?"
"The only 'evidence' they've gotten is some reporter claiming one of the robbers is sending her letters. She says the robber hand delivered the message to her last night…at her job."
"They're getting pretty cocky. I don't want to be around when Lyon finds out."
"Then I suggest you fools move out of my way." The regal voice cut between the two officers, the greenhorns instantly stiffening when seeing the flash of white spiky hair.
"De-Detective Lyon!" One stammered out, the man in question scowling.
"Don't you have papers to file? Get out of my sight before I report you to your captain." The officers stumbled over themselves, apologizing several times as they left. Lyon scoffed at their clumsy retreat before glancing around the busy police station. All around him was incompetence. How half of the officers got their shields, Lyon wasn't sure. With so much crime going on in Magnolia, these doughnut eating buffoons were joking and gossiping around the water bubbler. They gave the law a bad name. His eyes stopped on a particular woman, whose bright blue hair was only a shade lighter than the police uniform she wore. She was focused on her work at her desk, but still alert enough to feel his presence when he approached her.
She was the only one competent enough to be his partner.
"Good morning, Lyon." Her voice was light, the friendliness not something you'd expect in her line of business. It was certainly more warming than her partner, who she could instantly tell wasn't in the mood for morning manners.
"Juvia, explain this." Though she knew he didn't intend to take out his anger on her, she slightly flinched when he slammed a newspaper on the front of her desk. She glanced down, seeing a familiar name. Lucy Heartfilia, a close friend of Juvia's, had another front page article. And from the tone of her partner, she instantly knew what it was about.
"Fire and Ice Robbers Burn Everlue's Funds; Police Left in the Cold," she read quietly, flipping the paper open to see the whole article. The picture Lucy snapped was the calling card of the two robbers who had become the modern day Robin Hoods of Magnolia. Getting their name from the magic they used, the 'F' blazed with flames while the 'I' was carved in ice. Lucy had hit a goldmine with her inside leaks.
"Your friend is having a field day while these two criminals rampage the city." But Lucy's spotlight came with a price that Juvia continued to pay. In her five years of Magnolia law enforcement, Juvia Lockser had never seen a pair of criminals as interesting as the Fire and Ice duo. Telephones and chatter were background noise as Juvia skimmed through the news article left on her desk. Once again, the two mysterious men had infiltrated a rich mage's mansion and stolen something worth millions.
"Juvia wonders if there is a connection with illegal activity," She mumbled, skimming the article for more information about Duke Everlue. Lyon scoffed, crossing his arms at her questioning.
"You talk as if Everlue is the perpetrator, not the victim." Juvia glanced over at him, annoyed at his tone.
"The Fire and Ice robbers have yet to steal from someone who wasn't involved in criminal activity." Silence greeted Juvia's response, so she sighed before pulling out a filled folder. Flipping to the different sections, Juvia continued. "The first robbery was committed in Jose Porla's home. Later, Juvia discovered the man was deeply involved in the selling of black magic weapons."
"Well we already knew about his illegal activity because of Gajeel. For once, that undercover prick got it right." Juvia sighed at Lyon's hostility toward her old partner. Juvia and Gajeel had started out on the streets together, working minor cases that nobody else would take. They made good names for themselves, and their clean records secured them positive feedback from their Sergeant, Laxus. He was extremely tough on them, especially Gajeel. But eventually they got promotions, where they went their separate ways. Juvia worked with special cases, under the mature eye of Captain Erza Scarlet. Gajeel went undercover, working with the department run by Captain Gildarts Clive. The two still talked every day, Gajeel never letting the male officers push Juvia around.
"Gajeel has helped Juvia and Lyon's department several times. Lyon should show more respect." Juvia's clipped tone expressed her lack of forgiveness for Lyon's haughty tone. Lyon changed the topic of conversation, refusing to acknowledge Gajeel's worth.
"We would have gotten Jose without those two robbing him."
"Juvia and Lyon's team was only able to search the house because of them." Because the robbery was so fast, and police were tipped off by an 'anonymous witness', Jose didn't have time to remove his weapons from the house. He was arrested on the spot.
"We would've gotten a warrant eventually."
"The same cannot be said for Ivan Dreyar." The name made Lyon glare, Juvia understanding why. Ivan was a politician that had always been good to the police. Every year, Ivan would hold a charity in the name of the Magnolia police department. What they didn't know is he used some of the proceeds to run a drug operation. As far as the police could tell, there were no ties between the drug ring and Jose. He was 'squeaky clean'. The Fire and Ice robbers changed all of that. Of all the merchandise in the rich mage's home, they had stolen a diamond. It seemed harmless in nature, at first. It wasn't until the origins of the diamond were question that Ivan started to act strange. Putting a tail on the political leader, Juvia discovered that he had been sending dark mages from his political campaign to do his drug trades. The diamond had been given to him as payment for an extremely large haul of drugs across the border.
Ivan's drug ring would have never been unearthed if not for the stolen property, and a second anonymous tip.
"And you're going to give them credit for Faust, I assume."
"Faust killed three prostitutes. Juvia's sources say that they are still uncovering bodies in the garden of his mansion." Faust's amusement parks had made him a millionaire. With that money came paid sex, something that Faust later admitted to partaking in. Because their jobs were dependent on being invisible, it was rare that a prostitute's disappearance was reported. Faust used that opportunity to delve deep into his insane fantasies, none of the girls living to tell about them.
This was the first time that Lucy admitted to being the anonymous tipper.
"Don't ask me how I know; it'll take too long to explain. They told me you needed to hurry; Faust is knocked out in his basement."
True to Lucy's words, Juvia and Lyon discovered the man passed out. But that discovery was not what made this case change Juvia's view on the Fire and Ice robbers. It was the girl, no older than fifteen, who was shackled to the wall. Back at the police station, Coco told Juvia the horrifying details of Faust's torture. She wasn't a prostitute, but a runaway. She just happened to be in the same part of town where Faust picked up his victims. When she refused to get in the car, Faust kidnapped her. He continued to mumble about having absolute power to the frightened teenager during the drive to his sound-proof basement. Juvia assumed it was why he paid for women; he considered prostitutes 'beneath him'. Coco had been blindfolded and chained to the wall, where Faust spent over an hour burning her legs with his magic. Once they were bleeding and she could barely hold herself up, Faust claimed she was of no use to him. At this moment, Coco was sure he was planning to kill her.
But then, no pain came. Coco heard a lot of commotion and felt the room's temperature spike and lower drastically. When the blindfold was taken from her eyes, she said she saw Faust knocked out on the floor in front of her. That was where the cops found her several minutes later. To Juvia's surprise, Coco's bleeding legs had been wrapped up in what looked like torn pieces of a shirt. Nurses told the cop that without the immediate care, Coco may have lost both legs. Juvia asked Coco who else was in the room, but the teenage girl refused to answer. Even with Lyon's harsh interrogation, the runaway kept the answer to herself.
"If I tell you, you'll arrest them. They're the only reason I'm still alive; you have to understand why I can't tell you!"
And just like that, Juvia felt her heart quiver. These two men, knowing that Coco had seen them, took the chance of being discovered in order to save her life. She knew plenty of law-abiding citizens who wouldn't risk their necks for their family or friends; these men did it for a total stranger. Though Lyon threatened Coco with obstruction of justice, she remained silent. Juvia managed to get Erza to let her go without charges, Juvia asking the young girl what her plans were. Coco told her that she was going to find her parents and get her life back on the right track, a direct order from the Fire and Ice robbers.
"When you talk about them, you make them sound like heroes." Juvia shook her head at Lyon's statement, slamming the giant file shut.
"Juvia did not call them heroes."
"So then you agree that they need to be stopped? That they're criminals."
"Would you call Robin Hood a criminal?" Juvia's mood perked up at the sound of a familiar blonde, her eyes glancing up to the reporter. "Or what about Batman?"
"Lucy!"
"Hey Juvia, I hope you two saw my article." Lucy sent her friend a wink, happy that her report got to her police friend. "So what do you think Everlue's secret is?"
"Excuse me, but do you really think telling a reporter like you police information is the top priority on our list?" Lyon didn't like Lucy. It was a fact that Juvia had accepted a long time ago. The two always clashed over the ethics of criminals; Lucy believed that some criminals weren't truly evil. Lyon didn't think morality belonged in the business of Law. Juvia, despite her role as a police officer, tended to side with Lucy more often than her own partner. Especially when it came to this sensitive case.
"Good morning to you, Lyon. I see someone pissed in your coffee, per usual." Her sly response showed Lucy didn't exactly care for the ice mage either. She returned her focus on Juvia, her curvy hips swaying as she walked past Lyon. Juvia blushed as Lucy made a seat of her desk, the jean skirt she wore flashing a peek at her hot pink underwear to anyone watching. Lucy was very aware of her body, and the benefits it had when it came to gathering information or collecting gate keys. She kept managing to get into the police station without issue. She reached into her cleavage, pulling out a piece of paper and dropping it in front of Juvia. "Our boys are at it again."
"Don't tell me you've had contact with them." Lyon's dry tone showed his irritation with the blond, though the light blush proved that even he wasn't immune to her sculpted legs. Lucy ignored his statement, leaning over Juvia's shoulder while she read it.
Hey, Luce!
You've written a lot about us, so we figured we'd pay you a personal visit. We robbed the Everlue mansion, and stole a manuscript called 'Daybreak'. It's worth a pretty penny, and he'll demand it's his. You might want to have Detective Lockser check that out.
Until next time!
Fire
"Who else has seen this?" Juvia asked, glancing to Lucy. The girl shook her head, pointing back to the police officer.
"Just you and I, missy. I figured since you were in the note as well, that they wanted you to see it. I guess you've been noticed by them," Lucy's teasing tone made Juvia blush, though she tried to hide it when Lyon snapped.
"This isn't a game, Miss Heartfilia. You should have called the police as soon as you received this. Maybe they could have caught them trying to escape. I understand your paper is getting a kick out of these master criminals, but they are breaking the law. They need to be apprehended, immediately."
"Will you give it a rest already? They're not hurting anyone; they actually saved one girl from murder. And all they're doing is getting justice for those who can't get it for themselves. You know Jose's weapons were being used for crime in the streets. An elementary school's playground was blown up in a turf war because of those weapons. A child lost his leg in the explosion. He lost the ability to use his speed magic. Two days after the robbery, the school gets a mysterious donation to help rebuild that very playground. The rest of the money went toward the kid's state of the art prostatic leg. He can run again.
"Ivan's diamond was sold, and the money appeared at drug rehabilitation centers for those trying to get clean and families who lost loved ones to drug overdoses. Faust's necklace? Worth over sixty thousand dollars. The money went to a woman's shelter for beaten and battered women. Your 'criminals' are helping the people, and not keeping any of the money for themselves. All of Magnolia thinks of them as positive forces in the community."
"Well luckily, the law doesn't go by what a nosy reporter or ignorant citizens want. It is black and white; you follow the law or you break it." Lyon ignored Lucy's glare, looking to his partner. "Be ready to leave in five. We need to go examine the Everlue mansion to see if there was anything our forensics team missed."
"Juvia will meet you at the car." Seeming pleased with Juvia's obedience, Lyon walked away from the two women. Lucy waited until he was out of earshot to scoff, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What is his problem? Juvia, you really need to get a new partner. I never thought I'd say this, but I like Gajeel way more than this jerk." Juvia giggled at Lucy's sour expression, shaking her head.
"Lyon is a good partner. Juvia knows his heart is in the right place."
"Whatever. So, what do you think about this note?" Lucy asked, tapping on the crumpled paper. Juvia re-read the passage from the criminal's note before responding.
"Juvia has noticed that everything they steal has something to do with the crime that's been committed. Going off this basis, Juvia believes that this note signifies the novel wasn't written by Everlue. He's been making millions off of this novel, which means whoever originally wrote it must be too financially weak to go up against Everlue. Would Lucy do Juvia a favor?"
"Of course, what do you need from me?"
"Go interview Everlue; say it's for an article. Ask about Everlue's past home invasions, see if he's ever hired body guards or increased security."
"Sure, but what does this guys paranoia have to do with the book?" Juvia tucked the note in her pocket as she stood up, brushing the navy blue skirt.
"Normally, when wealthy mages hire undesirable men to do dirty work for them, they list it under 'security'. This 'security' can pay visits to homes, rough up potential problems, or force authors to give up valuable manuscript to their boss. If Juvia can get the names of the bodyguards, Juvia can run a background check. Everlue won't give those names to Juvia or Lyon because of the bodyguard's shady pasts, but perhaps a beautiful reporter will be a different story." Without another word, Juvia walked out of the station. Lucy instantly understood Juvia's plan, smirking while yanking out her writing pad.
"One sexy reporter, coming right up."
"He confessed to the whole thing." Juvia's smile was bright as Lyon leaned against her desk, his arms crossed. He watched as the sobbing man was walked toward the holding cells, Lyon shaking his head. "The manuscript originally belonged to a writer named Kemu Zaleon. Everlue tried to pay for the right to publish the book under his name, but Zaleon refused. It was a tribute to his son, and he wanted the money from the book to go toward his college funds. I guess Everlue wasn't too fond of the word 'no'. Zaleon was found in his house, in what was assumed a suicide. The book was published a month after his death, under Everlue's name. When Erza put the pressure of the lackies, they caved and admitted they were a part of the Southern Wolves mercenary guild. They called themselves the Vanish Brothers. They were hired by Everlue to kill Zaleon once they obtained the manuscript. Everlue even told them where Zaleon lived. With all of the evidence piled against him, Everlue had to take a plea. He and the two brothers will be in magic nullification jail for a long time."
"What a sad ending for Zaleon," Juvia mumbled.
"It's life," Lyon responded, though Juvia could hear his disgust in Everlue's actions. Sighing, Lyon turned toward Juvia and grasped her hand. Surprised, Juvia's eyes widened at the serious look in Lyon's features. "Captain said we could have the rest of the night off. I'd like to take you out to dinner."
"Dinner?" She whispered, Lyon nodding sharply.
"You are a gorgeous woman, and I know you are dedicated to your job. Seeing you take such initiative in this case proves that you're witty and creative as well. I've never been as impressed with a woman. I think we both need to take a step away from the Fire and Ice robbers, and have a night without them haunting us. I made reservations; I'm asking you to be my dinner date."
Juvia's mouth wanted to form words, but nothing would come out. Her face was red with embarrassment. Lyon was a great partner, and she had heard women comment about his physical attractiveness. He was raved about for his professional growth. In every aspect of life, Lyon was pretty solid. She knew she should have thought about the potential romance between them before this very moment, but it had never crossed her mind.
"Juvia?" His calling of her name was quickly followed by her cell phone ringing. Jumping, Juvia pulled her hand away from Lyon to answer the call, her voice slightly shaking.
"Detective Juvia Lockser speaking."
"I know where they're going to hit next!" The heavy breathing of Lucy caught Juvia's full attention, instantly forgetting the previous invitation.
"How?"
"I decided to ask Crux to do some research on any other rich mages in our area. I came across the guy called Cream; he's some prince that's been known for stealing ancient heirlooms and selling them for profit. The people he steals from are too poor to fight him in the courts, so he gets away with it. He's got to be the next person they're going after. And based on the time between each of the attacks, it's going to be tonight."
"Why tonight?" Juvia asked, biting her lower lip as excitement swelled in her stomach. Was it possible that they were going to finally get the jump on the Fire and Ice robbers?
"Juvia." The woman looked back up to her partner, who pressed his finger to the watch on his wrist. She mouthed out her apologies as she pressed her phone closer to her ear, listening to Lucy's reasoning.
"They only do a robbery on Tuesdays, and they send me a note right after or during the crime. Then they wait two days before donating the money. They wait until you and Lyon solve the case to plan their next heist."
"B-But today's Tuesday."
"Yeah, I know. I think they've got...an informant in the police who tells them when we've caught the right guys. After every crime, without fail, the guys have pulled off another heist on Tuesday. Remember the huge lull between Faust and Everlue? It's because you guys caught him in the act on a Tuesday night. He didn't get arrested until Wednesday. They waited an entire week until going after Everlue! We didn't notice the pattern because they didn't follow one based on number of days, but by the specific day of the week. You guys pulled those brothers in this morning for questioning. Their informant probably told them you brought the guys in. That means they have to commit the crime tonight so they can send me the note to write the paper for tomorrow's article. It's going to be tonight!"
"Lucy, please give Juvia a second." She pulled the phone from her ear, mind scrambling to come up with an excuse to give the man staring intently at her. Flustered by all the excitement swelling in her stomach, Juvia's voice trembled in her excuse. "L-Lucy needs Juvia's assistance tonight."
"She can't wait until tomorrow? These reservations were quite hard to come by." Juvia bowed her head apologetically, then shook it.
"Juvia is afraid not; Lucy claims it's an emergency."
"Is she okay? Maybe I should go with you-" Lyon's slight concern for her friend would normally brighten Juvia's day, but she felt a wave of panic hit her at his suggestion to help.
"No!" Juvia swallowed, then blushed at his arched eyebrow. "It's...a woman emergency."
"O-oh. Well...uh..." He coughed, then glanced away while awkwardly brushing his sleeves. "Tell her I, uh, wish her the best of luck with that."
"Of course; and Juvia will make this up to Lyon. She promises." And with that, Juvia found herself sprinting past her desk, yanking the phone back to her ear. "Send Juvia the address. Juvia will go check it out."
"Uh... it's the mansion next to our favorite ice cream place." That was only a five minute jog from the police department. Juvia was out of the station, forgetting about Lyon's proposal as she jogged down the front stairs.
"Juvia is on her way."
"You can't go alone, these guys are serious wizards! I'll meet you there; I've already seen them once." Juvia wanted to argue, but Lucy beat her to the punch. "And I kind of already jumped the fence of Cream's mansion."
"Lucy did what?!" Juvia stumbled at the information, shooting out a stream of water to keep her standing upright. She glanced up the hill in front of her, not hesitating to sprint toward the mansion at the end. In the phone she could hear Lucy pushing through foliage, a hesitant laugh coming from her reckless friend.
"I got so excited about the story, I kind of forgot about telling you until I was already running there. But I brought my celestial keys, so I'm not in danger!" Though Lyon always complained about Lucy, the girl was known for more than her journalism. She had inherited her celestial magic from her late mother, and was one of the stronger mages in the area. A few times, she had to defend herself when doing a story about a dark guild. She could hold her own, but Juvia wasn't comfortable with her taking on the Fire and Ice robbers.
"Wait for Juvia," Juvia whispered, hanging up the phone when reaching the front of the mansion. Juvia made easy work of the fence, her body passing through the bars. She was known for her control of water magic, her entire body being able to transform into liquid if needed. Her control of her powers was another reason why she managed to gain the role of detective. Criminals spoke of her power in fear, knowing facing her was not a challenge they would win. Even those with magic of their own became desperate to escape when seeing her dark blue stare. She glanced around her when she walked through the courtyard, letting out a relieved sigh when catching sight of her blond haired friend. "Lucy—"
"I saw them!" Lucy's hurried whisper made Juvia's eyes widen, allowing Lucy to grab her arm and yank her toward the front door. "They just went through the second floor window; there were two of them. It has to be our guys!"
"Lu-Lucy, Juvia does not have a guy!" Though she knew it wasn't the time or place to be embarrassed, Juvia waved her heating face at the thought. Yes, she had fascination with the two mages, but to claim they were hers? That was insane!
"Can you sift through the door and unlock it? We've got to get in there before they leave." Lucy, preoccupied with the chance to meet the two robbers, didn't pay attention to Juvia's embarrassment. Juvia cleared her mind, following Lucy's suggestion. Once the two were inside the mansion, they didn't hesitate to run up toward the second floor. Juvia's senses were focused, listening for any tells of where the two intruders were. Lucy already had a key in hand, her defenses up. Instantly the two girls' heads turned at the sound of a crash, Juvia jumping into action.
"Lucy, take the door at the end of the hall. Juvia will try to corner them!" Juvia didn't waste time bursting through a set of doors, leading her into an open ballroom. Her breath caught as two heads shot up at her, Juvia yanking her badge from her chest.
"Freeze! This is Detective Juvia Lockser!" The two men took a step back from the intruding woman, Juvia taking the moment of surprise to memorize their features. The man possessing the fire magic stood out more than his counterpart. With bright pink hair, the man yanked on his white scarf while tucking something in his pocket.
"Well this is awkward." Juvia blinked when the fire possessor scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. "I knew that Lucy was friends with a cop, but I didn't know she was a woman."
"Juvia's gender is normally disclosed by Lucy," She replied instantly, running at the two with an attack. "Water Slicer!"
"Duck!" The pink-haired man yelped as he was shoved to the ground. "Ice-make; wall!"
The second man instantly froze her attack. She narrowed her eyes as she glanced up at him, analyzing her new opponent. She felt her eyes widen in shock when his shirt was tossed to the side, revealing his tone body in the moonlight. A blush rose from her neck at the expanse of bare skin, though her opponent didn't seem to notice as he spoke to his partner. "Get out of here; I'll take care of her."
"You better not get captured!" In an instant the fire user was gone, heading toward the area Juvia ordered Lucy to wait. Hoping her friend could handle the foe, Juvia turned her attention back to the person in front of her.
"Juvia cannot allow the ice mage's escape," She said, watching his eye twitched while he shook his head. He tried to run toward the opposite door, but Juvia was quick to cut him off. She threw out a stream of water, smashing him in the wall. He was quick to spin out of the second blast of water she sent at him, Juvia narrowly escaping a flurry of ice spikes. She sent another slash of water slicer, which barely nicked his face before he threw a barrier of ice in front of him. She charged toward him, placing one hand on the handcuffs attached to her belt. The cuffs were made specifically for magic users, their powers useless once secured on one wrist.
"Water lock!" Her shout filled the quiet room as she threw her free hand up, a ball of water instantly surrounding her opponent. She disliked this method of trapping criminals, since it deprived them of oxygen until they passed out. Still, with someone as strong as the ice mage, she knew she wasn't going to win from sheer power. Knowing her battle was over; Juvia began to walk toward the man struggling in the water. Her steps halted when a sudden shattering of her water lock echoed in the room, the man breaking through her move. It left her speechless. Though she was sure other mages were stronger than her, she had never had someone break out of her water lock. It was said to be impossible to escape. Even Lyon couldn't defeat it; and yet this man was now rising from his crouched position to face her. His chest heaved from the immense power he needed to break her imprisonment, but he remained unharmed. Their eyes locked, and Juvia's heart skipped a beat at the wild look in his eyes. Most men feared her; they were scared of the magic power she possessed. This man was not one of them, which sent a shiver down her spine.
Why was this affecting her?
"Water—" Her move was halted when he put both hands up, a sincere look momentarily freezing her hand.
"I really don't want to fight a girl." She was surprised by the softer tone he used when speaking to her. Though he had sounded confident when speaking to his partner, there was a different tone in the voice he used with her. She tried not to let it affect her, despite the immediate warmth it spread in her stomach. It would have been easier to ignore if not for how handsome her opponent was. She had fought plenty of criminals, but she hadn't really taken in any of their features. To her, they were law-breakers that needed to be restrained.
Maybe it was how close she was to this case. Or maybe it was because part of her knew he wasn't an ordinary criminal. He fought for a cause, and never benefited from his own crimes. She had sworn the oath of a cop to protect those who needed it against those who did bad things. But in this case, her mindset didn't fit the mold.
"Juvia needs to do her job. Juvia needs to stop the ice mage." Again, he twitched, making her blink. "Is there something wrong with the ice mage?"
"I just really hate that nickname." She hesitated at his discomfort, biting her lower lip.
"Then what should Juvia use?" He seemed surprised at her question, though she could understand why. They were just viciously fighting a minute ago, and now she was asking to exchange names.
"Gray," he mumbled, self-consciously running his hand through his hair. At the sign of uncertainty, Juvia felt her stomach flip. Instantly she slapped her hands on her cheeks, willing her strange reaction to go away.
"Gray-sama…" When she spoke his name, she watched Gray's shoulders tense. She worried she had upset him, but noticed a strange discoloration on his cheeks.
"W-What's with the 'sama'? Sounds…weird."
"Juvia is sorry!" She replied quickly, the two glancing at each other in awkward silence. Juvia took a breath, taking a step toward the guarded man in front of her. "Juvia must ask Gray-sama a question."
"A…question?" He asked, Juvia nodding.
"Will Gray-sama's friend…hurt Lucy? Juvia sent Lucy in the same direction as Gray-sama's partner, but Lucy doesn't like to use violence. Juvia is worried, so she has to ask." She frowned when he laughed, confused by his response. He laughed for a solid minute before shaking his head.
"Natsu would fight a girl if he needed to, but Lucy? He'll probably pass out from seeing her; he's head over heels for that strange reporter. That's probably what got us caught in the first place."
"He lo-lo-loves Lucy?!" Juvia squeaked out, surprised at the new information. No wonder she got information before all the other newspapers! Gray nodded while Juvia turned away from him, covering her beating heart. Would Lucy return Natsu's feelings? If she did, did that make her a criminal too? Would he turn himself in for her? Or could Lucy possibly turn to the dark side because of a forbidden love affair? And if they did, what of Gray and Juvia? Instantly she covered her cheeks again, which were blossoming with color. Gray and Juvia…Gray with Juvia….Gray in Juvia—
"Yo, you okay?" At Gray's voice, Juvia panicked. Fearing the rapid heartbeat in her chest, Juvia blasted Gray with a stream of hot water. She increased the pressure as he slammed back into the corner, the cop walking toward him.
"Juvia cannot be wooed by Gray-sama's charm! Juvia is not weak!" She gasped when her stream suddenly dropped in temperature, Juvia's eyes greeted with ice freezing her attack. She broke off the flow and avoided the spear of ice, Juvia sending a kick toward Gray's head. He blocked it with his arm, then cursed when he felt his wrist captured by the metal handcuff. Instantly his ice vanished, giving Gray a handicap. Juvia moved to attack again, but wasn't expecting a lunge from her opponent. The two rolled around on the floor, Gray managing to pin the cop underneath him. Thinking quicker than she could react, Gray locked the other side of the handcuffs to Juvia's wrist, nullifying her magic as well. The playing field quickly shifted into Gray's favor, as he knew his strength was much higher than hers.
"You really need to get a hold of your mood swings, Juvia." Juvia's body froze at the cool breath that coiled around her ear. Her whole body shivered at the tease, Juvia desperately trying to free her wrists from his hold. He pulled back enough to look down at her, his hips securing her body to ground under him.
"Juvia demands Gray-sama releases her!" She said through a heavy flush on her face. She tried to ignore the fact that his hips aligned with hers perfectly, or that his body reacted to any twitch that hers made. Gray shook his head at her request.
"Not until I get the signal that Natsu's in the clear. And if you really did send that journalist after him, I'm pretty sure it's going to take a while." Juvia tried to glare up at her captor, but his smirk left her breathless. It was hard to stay mad at someone who made her whole body warm just by looking at her.
"How does Natsu know Lucy? Juvia's never heard of a Natsu."
"Natsu and Lucy were friends way back when they were little. He made a promise to her that he'd marry her once they were adults, but then her dad caught wind of it and blackmailed him into leaving town. That was three years ago; Natsu's been crazy about her ever since." Juvia blinked at the amount of information Gray was giving her. The confusion must have appeared in her face, because Gray shrugged and continued. "Once Lucy sees him again, I know our secrets safe."
"How?"
"I did a little research on my own, and I know for a fact that Lucy will do anything to protect her childhood sweetheart. That's why she doesn't talk to her dad anymore. Once she heard about what he did, she left town in search of Natsu. It's actually why she became a reporter. And why she joined my guild." Gray nodded toward the emblem on his chest, which matched Lucy's hand mark. The only difference was the color. So Lucy knew the robbers without even realizing it? The new information confirmed Gray's theory; Lucy would never rat out her friends to the police. Their secret was safe with her.
"But Juvia still knows information."
"Except I have a feelings you won't say anything either, especially if you're Lucy's friend. You had the chance to call back up by now, and yet you haven't. I think you came here alone because you wanted to investigate just who we are before you arrest us." Gray's explanation left Juvia without a reply. She couldn't deny the truth; protocol told her to call for backup as soon as she got the phone call from Lucy. She had been standing right next to Lyon, all she had to do was ask him to come along. Instead, she had gone in alone, with the reporter, to try and face these two. But what was she planning on doing when she found them? If she had really wanted to, she could have called back up the second Natsu left the room.
But she didn't.
"Juvia…doesn't understand why Gray-sama and Natsu became criminals." He looked away at her statement, seeming uncomfortable with the title.
"We're not trying to make the police department's job harder. We just noticed that there were a lot of things you guys couldn't do because of regulations and rules. People were getting hurt and killed in our neighborhood, and we got sick of seeing it. That kid that got injured at the school? Our guild mate Jet's kid. Natsu and I made a decision; we'd bust one guy and then our deed would be done to society. So we led you guys to Jose."
"But Gray-sama continued," She said, Gray nodding.
"After our first heist, we were set on walking away. But our magic was known to some people, mainly one police chief and sergeant. They're technically a part of the guild we're in. When they saw what we did with Jose, they asked us to go after Ivan Dreyar." Juvia's eyes widened at the bomb dropped on her. It was no secret that Ivan was the father of Laxus Dreyar. He was also the son of Makarov Dreyar, the chief of the entire police force. Both had asked for an investigation to be done on their relative a few months before the robbery, but they were denied for lack of sufficient evidence. The higher ups didn't want to go after a politician who had done so much for the police department. Juvia had wondered why both were questioning her and her partner's status on the Fire and Ice robbers; a small case for two big shots like them to look into. Now she could see why.
"What about Faust?" Juvia asked quietly, Gray's hand tightening on her wrists at the question. She winced slightly, which made him immediately release his hold. He hesitated as he looked down at her, silently questioning if she planned to move. She tossed the idea around in her head, her duty clashing with her human morals. Her job as a cop was to arrest him and let Lyon take over the questioning. His lack of empathy helped keep the lines black and white. But catching the emotion in Gray's blue eyes made Juvia press her hand to his cheek. Surprisingly smooth skin slide along her fingertips, Gray struggling to keep his eyes open at the touch. "Juvia wishes to hear Gray-sama's story."
"After Ivan, Makarov gave us a task to clean up the crime in Magnolia. Our final goal is a man I can't tell you about." Juvia's curiosity was peaked at the cryptic statement. Someone that he couldn't say? He was openly admitting to crimes he had already committed, yet was forbidden to talk of one not yet done? Who was their final target? Juvia wanted to ask, but she knew better than to pry. From what she had gathered, Gray was not one to be bribed easily. So she stayed quiet as he continued. "As for Faust...I made Natsu go after him. I would go to jail gladly over that piece of shit. The way he treated those women…no female should ever be subjected to that sort of torture before they die. And I made sure to put an end to that. We stopped him before he could finish his sick fantasy with Coco. I don't think Natsu's ever unloaded on someone as much as he did that vile man; though I don't blame him. We knocked him out, checked on Coco's wounds, and then left the note for Lucy to call the police."
"Juvia knew it was Gray-sama and Natsu who saved her." The thought made her smile, and Gray glanced down at her before looking away quickly.
"Stop calling me Gray-sama already."
"Juvia can't help it," She answered, making him frown through a blush.
"Are you like this with every man you try to detain?"
"No." His eyebrow arched at that information, intrigued by her honesty. Before he could question her motives further, a flash of flames entered the corner of his eye. Natsu had finally gotten away, which meant it was his time to depart. He glanced down to reveal the new information to Juvia, but was struck by how the flames illuminated her flawless skin.
He had been so caught up fighting the woman under him, that he hadn't had time to take in her features. The first thing he noticed was the crystal blue eyes that seemed like mirrors to her emotions. If she was angry, he could see it in her gaze. The look she was giving him now was a soft side of the cop that he was certain many criminals didn't get the pleasure of seeing. Her hat had been knocked off in their scuffle, leaving her hair to pool out around her face. It's dark blue color contrasted the paleness of her lips, which seemed to dare him to lean just a little closer. Tearing his eyes from her face, he looked down her body and instantly regretted it. The uniform she wore complimented her curves, a slit on her left leg flashing a piece of a tattoo. His hand twitched, his desire to see the full design tempting him to yank on her skirt. The top of her uniform left a good amount of cleavage showing, something that wouldn't normally affect Gray. But the pairing of a feminine body with such a strong personality and magic ability really rubbed Gray the right way. He glanced to their handcuffs, which had completely nullified their powers.
There are way better ways to use these things.
"Gray-sama?" The airy tone of her voice made him shiver, glancing back up at the cop in slight guilt. He was sure he was blushing, and prayed his body's reaction wasn't able to be felt by her.
"The keys," he mumbled, trying to distract himself from the way her lips pursed in confusion. "Natsu escaped, and I doubt you're going to arrest me now. So may I have the key to let us both escape?" Escape; he needed to escape, and it needed to be now.
"Juvia supposes Gray-sama is correct." She slide her hand along her thigh, Gray's eyes widening when seeing her slender digits disappear under her skirt.
"Wh-What are you do-doing?!"
"Getting the keys," she replied, not seeming to notice the tenseness above her. Who hides a key in their underwear?! Her hand appeared with the key, dropping it into his hand. "Gray-sama locked Juvia's dominant hand; will Gray-sama please unlock Juvia's handcuffs?"
"Yeah," he croaked out, voice raspy with his built up arousal. He continued to remind himself that she was a cop, and doing anything indecent with a cop would probably get him some time in jail. As it was, he probably told her way more than he should have. He managed to get his handcuff off, planning to unlock her wrist as well. But when he felt her sit up, her cleavage sliding along his bare chest, Gray's mind went blank.
"Juvia just has one more question." The angle of her mouth skimmed along the base of his neck, Gray slamming his eyes shut. Just how much restraint did this woman expect him to have?!
"Yes?" He mentally swore when his voice wavered. He was positive she could feel his arousal against her stomach, but she didn't seem freaked out by it. Or she was really sexually dense.
"Does Gray-sama think Juvia is a bad cop, for not arresting Gray-sama? Does Gray-sama think Juvia's partner would be mad if he knew?" Her meek voice made him glance down at her, surprised to find a torn look in her eyes. That one look broke him. Closing his eyes partly, Gray pressed his forehead to Juvia's and let his restraint dissolve.
"I don't know anything about good cop or bad cop. But I know you're a good person. Who gives a fuck what your partner has to say?" Juvia closed her eyes when a hot mouth was pressed against her lips, the moonlight capturing their steamy kiss. The jingle of the handcuffs echoed in the room as Gray pushed Juvia back to the floor, running his hands along her arms. She moaned quietly into the kiss, welcoming the forbidden touch with an arch of her hips. One hand captured her wrists, holding them above her head. The other grasped the tattoo that tormented his mind, his fingertips slipping under the skimpy uniform. He heard the sexy whimper of his cop vixen, Gray slipping his tongue along the shivering girl's lower lip.
Her wrists barely struggled against his hold, her mind mush. Gray's tongue wreaked havoc in her mouth, Juvia's thighs pressing together in embarrassment. She didn't have to touch herself to know she was getting turned on. The sensitivity of her outer thigh was a new sensation to Juvia, but Gray teased the skin like he was born to touch her. Never before had Juvia let a man handle her with such dominance. But with the stroke of Gray's thumb against her inner wrist, Juvia couldn't pull away. His touch, kiss, even smell were overriding her senses. She gasped when he pushed her thighs open, letting them cradle his trembling hips. Her skirt had been hiked up, exposing the black boy-short underwear. She could feel his arousal pressing against her warmth, Juvia's toes curing in her shoes.
For a split second, she wondered what he'd feel like inside her.
The little noises she made into his mouth were the sweetest thing Gray had ever heard. He had never been attracted to the way a girl sounded. Juvia's attempt to hold back her moans were such a turn on, that Gray could feel his hips grinding hard into her quivering body. He needed the friction to help with the ache in his body. He had known her for an hour; yet he felt entrapped by her. Was this why Natsu was so desperate to find Lucy? Was there really one person in the world made for him? And if so, could it possibly be the cop whose neck Gray was currently nibbling on.
"Gray-sama!" Even that stupid nickname she gave him was making him groan. He had finally released her wrists, her hands grasping onto his bareback in pleasure. His lips were relentless on her neck, Gray making sure to leave a hickey on his cop. He smirked at the idea; the cop being branded by a wanted man. He skimmed his lips back up her jaw line to her lips, catching her mouth mid-moan. Both of his hands were on her thighs, their hips grinding into each other. Her mouth was sweet, like her voice. Dainty lips made it easy for him to control the pace of their movements. He could feel the way her nails tore into his skin. Good, he always preferred a rough mate. And from the way her body squirmed, Gray knew she would be a firecracker in bed. Her hips were restless against him, drawing out a moan that he rarely expressed. He never was the vocal kind, but with Juvia it came out naturally. The way her legs wrapped around his hips proved Juvia was more than ready to take this dance a step past making out. And, in a revelation that shocked Gray to the core, so was he.
But that thought process derailed at the screaming sound of sirens in the distance. The two broke off the kiss, Gray panting against Juvia's flushed face.
"Fuck," he swore, punching the floor. He quickly de-tangled himself as Juvia slowly sat up, confused by Gray's quick need to put his shirt on. He glanced back to her as he grabbed his hair, a torn expression on his face. "I've got to go; you cops are pretty fast to getting to the crime scenes."
"…Juvia understands." Composing herself the best she could, Juvia fought to stand on shaky legs. She had just managed to control her heartbeat when Gray was grasping her waist, kissing her hard enough to knock the wind back out of her. He kissed her with conviction, and she somehow knew this wasn't going to be the last time Gray kissed her senseless.
"I'll see you soon…count on it, Detective Juvia." And then he was gone, surfing on a long slide of ice. She ran to the window to watch him, the skilled mage hiding behind a building just as the cops passed by. He shot of ice into the sky to accompany Natsu's fire, their emblem complete. She placed her fingertips on her lips, as if nervous that he may get caught. The thought stunned her; shouldn't she be hoping her fellow police could catch the Fire and Ice robbers? She knew that she should, but one silent glance over the ice mage's shoulder made Juvia's heart race again. He sent her a smirk, before disappearing into the night.
"Hello…hello...Juvia!" Juvia was so lost in her own thoughts, that she didn't hear Lyon until he called her name. Jumping slightly, the bewildered woman looked up at her grumpy partner in a panic.
"Ly-Lyon!" He sighed as he rubbed his temple, seeming to lose his patience.
"I was trying to ask you what happened last night. Is your friend okay?"
"Her emergency was taken care of." She bit her lip, hoping he couldn't see through her lie. The last thing she needed was Lyon knowing about her run in with Gray and Natsu. As soon as she had seen Gray disappear, Juvia left the house. There was no way she could have explained her being there without suspicion. Even if she said she stumbled upon the robbery on her way to Lucy's, she should have called for backup or at least her partner. Instead, she took the back roads home and went straight to her house, praying nobody saw her. At least she had the excuse that Erza gave her and her partner the night off.
"Is there any way I could help?" She blushed at the offer, though not because of Lyon. Her mind went back to Gray's lips on her body, and the ache he had left inside her when he disappeared. Subconsciously she placed her hand to her collar, praying her make-up was still covering the hickey.
"Ju-Juvia is fine now!" She squeaked out, looking away from his questioning gaze. Before he could press more, a paper was placed on her desk. Lyon grabbed the stack, growling before throwing it back down.
"What time did you leave your friend's house?" Juvia knew why he was asking, so she was quick to answer.
"Juvia only dropped off some emergency supplies at Lucy's apartment; she didn't actually see Lucy."
"That's because your little friend was having a close encounter with the Fire and Ice robbers last night." Juvia swallowed slightly at the new article, which read Fire and Ice; a Brush of a Robber's Heart. Apparently, Natsu and Lucy had met. Though the article seemed to have less flare than before, Juvia could make a stronger connection to Lucy's words. She seemed genuine, her plea for the robbers to cease was almost as apparent as her demand for police to stop looking for them. "What the hell is she doing?"
"Writing her honest opinion, Juvia thinks."
"Yeah, well she needs to mind her own business. I swear she's as bad as my brother." Juvia smiled at the mention of Lyon's brother. Though he rarely talked about him, the half-brother seemed to be very different than Lyon. From the little information he gave her, Juvia could remember he was an artist, and they both were taught ice magic as kids. But in the few years she had been Lyon's partner; his brother never appeared at the station or any event Lyon held. He was a man enshrouded in mystery, unlike his photogenic brother. She took a sip of her coffee as she tried to remember his name, only realize that Lyon had never told her it. It made sense, since the two weren't on the best of terms most of the time.
"Lyon, Juvia can't recall Lyon ever telling her his brother's name."
"Probably cause he's not worth the dirt under Juvia's shoe." She sent him a disapproving look, Lyon glancing to a file that was handed to him. "Come on, we've got to go investigate this Cream guy."
"Of course. Right after Lyon tells Juvia the name," she replied, taking another sip of her coffee. She nearly dropped her beverage when Lyon sighed and glanced back to her.
"Gray. His name is Gray Fullbuster."
And that's the first chapter folks! So Juvia is falling for her partner's criminal brother. What is a girl to do? And what will happen to our favorite blonde in the next chapter? How does she tie into this story? Plus, you'll discover more to the Fire and Ice robbers than Gray let on...and just what dangers lie ahead? Review and find out for yourselves!
Next Chapter- Blondeshell Bomb