A/N: Hi guys! So, recently, I began my second major fanfic, Like Ice and Water, this time featuring Gruvia! In honor of that, and the fact that as of writing this Gruvia are almost a canon couple, and the fact that Gruvia is just pretty darn fun to write, here's a oneshot! It has no bearing on the actual fanfic but I still enjoyed playing out the scenario. :) I'd love to hear your thoughts! ~artemisfang
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters.
"Drip, drip, drop..." Juvia stared out the window of the Fairy Tail guild at the storm raging across Magnolia. There had been a time in her life when this rain was all she knew, when this rain would have been just another part of her existence. That was before Fairy Tail, of course. Before Gray-sama. Before she had lost her title of Juvia the Rain Woman to gain one much better, Juvia of Fairy Tail. Before—
"This rain just won't stop, will it?" A shirtless Gray slumped into the seat next to her.
Juvia felt her heart rate pick up slightly, as it always did when Gray-sama was around her. "Juvia is not sure why the storm is so bad. Juvia has not seen such a bad storm since Anima." Juvia waved her hands. "This rain is not because of Juvia, by the way! At least, she does not think so."
Gray glanced at her sidelong, out of the corner of his eyes. "No one thought it was."
Juvia breathed a sigh of relief. "Juvia misses the sunlight when she cannot see it, now. Ever since Gray-sama gave her that gift."
Gray waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. But sheesh, seriously, two straight days of rain. My only comfort is that Flame Brain over there," he jabbed a thumb behind him, "likes it even less than I do."
The wheels in Juvia's brain started turning, and she got a gleam in her eyes. Noticing this, Gray inched away until he was on the edge of his seat. "Does this mean Gray-sama won't be taking a mission with Team Natsu today?" Juvia asked.
"Uh, I guess not. Natsu's asleep over there, that idiot, Erza took a solo mission a couple days ago, and Lucy's at home because she said Loke and Capricorn were going to train her." Gray finished this list with an unimpressed shrug over his teammates' occupations.
"Then...would Gray-sama like to go on a mission with Juvia? Just the two of us?" Juvia leaned forward.
Out of excuses, and thoroughly bored, Gray agreed. "Sure, I guess. Why not."
"Juvia will pick the request, okay? Wait here, Gray-sama!" Juvia sped off in the general direction of the request board, her eyes still glinting with maniac determination.
"Sure, whatever," Gray said, propping his chin in one hand and looking out at the guild.
Juvia was a woman with a plan. This kind of opportunity came rarely, and a woman in love like her would be a fool to pass it up.
A few minutes later, Juvia returned to the table where Gray sat. "Juvia picked out a job that is Magnolia. Shall we leave now?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. What's the job?"
Juvia did her best to keep her composure. "A woman seeks assistance from magic-users to help her find something in her home."
Gray frowned. "That's a bit of an odd request. At least we'll be inside and dry, though."
Juvia nodded, feeling as though her heart was going to burst free of her chest. "Maybe Gray-sama should put on some clothes before he and Juvia leave?"
"Ach! Right, that."
Once Gray found his shirt, they left the guild, both of them crowded under Juvia's pink umbrella. Ah, how romantic... Juvia thought, even though Gray was actually walking along with his hands shoved in his pockets, not with his arm around his shoulder like her daydream suggested.
"Wait, isn't this the girl's dormitory?" Gray asked, taking a step back when they arrived at their destination: Fairy Hills.
"Yes, it is. However, girls not in Fairy Tail live here, too. I am sure it is nothing to be concerned about," Juvia deadpanned. They walked inside, and Juvia closed her umbrella. "The requester lives on the second floor, apparently."
"Why did you pick this, of all jobs..." Gray muttered, shaking his head.
"Juvia can go in and talk to them first, if Gray-sama would like," Juvia said. They stopped in front of a door marked "202."
Gray gave her a funny look but agreed. Juvia slipped inside, only for the door to open again a few seconds later, revealing a room that was entirely blue and white. "What…what is this place?" Gray stepped inside, his head on a swivel. A ghost doll collection. A doll that looked suspiciously like him on the bed. This couldn't be..."Juvia, why are we in your room?"
"That's where the request was," Juvia said innocently.
"Wait, what?"
"The request was Juvia's all along. You see, Gray-sama has stolen Juvia's heart, and Juvia was hoping Gray-sama could help her find it." Juvia put her hands to her cheeks, her face already looking like she was off in dreamland.
Gray slapped his forehead. "Oi, oi. Seriously, Juvia? There's no actual job?"
"Juvia thinks this is the most important job there could be!" Juvia glanced to the side, then sighed. "Juvia just wanted to be alone with Gray-sama. Juvia never gets to be alone with Gray-sama since there are always guild members around."
"That's 'cuz you're always asking to be alone in the middle of dangerous missions!" Gray rolled his eyes, but went and plopped himself down on her bed. "I guess, in comparison, you doing this now isn't so bad."
"Then Gray-sama isn't mad?" Juvia asked hopefully.
"Eh. No reason to be. Wasn't doing much with my day anyway."
Juvia lightly sat down next to Gray. Her fingertips were only inches away from his. "Juvia is glad to hear that."
Gray surveyed the room. "What do you even do in your free time, anyway?"
Pictures of her Gray-sama doll collection, and her Gray-sama drawing collection, and her Gray-sama pillow collection floated through Juvia's head. "Ahhh, Juvia does not have too much free time. Usually she spends it with her friends. Juvia is happy to have friends at Fairy Tail, after all."
Gray tilted his head, acknowledging this. He seemed lost in his own thoughts.
Meanwhile, Juvia was trying not to lose her cool. Gray-sama is here, on Juvia's bed, with her, alone! Juvia is not sure she is ready for this. Maybe it's too soon? Juvia's heart can't handle this!
"Juvia?" Gray raised an eyebrow at Juvia's thoroughly reddened face. "You okay?"
"Ah, ah, yes! Juvia is fine. Juvia is perfectly, perfectly fine. Maybe Juvia should get Gray-sama some tea since he is here?"
"That sounds nice."
When Juvia returned from her kitchen with two cups of tea, Gray was still sitting on her bed. She handed him one cup of tea and settled down next to him again. This time, she rested her fingertips lightly on his. When he didn't flinch away, she nearly dropped her tea on the floor. Should Juvia say something? What does this mean? Gray continued sipping his tea in silence.
"Uh...Juvia...Juvia...Juvia wants Gray-sama to know that...Juvia..."
"Huh?" Gray looked down, and finally noticed their hands. "Ah! Sorry! I didn't notice that—I didn't mean to—I'll just…" He moved his hand away from hers.
The second those words left his mouth, Gray knew something in Juvia had snapped. At first she just sat there, shaking, clutching her teacup so hard he thought it would break. Then she burst out, "Gray-sama did not mean to? Did he not want to? Does Gray-sama like Juvia or not? Why won't he tell Juvia?" With each question, her voice got higher in volume.
Gray set his cup down and waved his hands. "C-calm down, Juvia!"
"Juvia will not calm down! Juvia wants an answer. Juvia thinks that Gray-sama always runs away from his feelings because he is too scared to confront them. And Juvia thinks, not to borrow a phrase from Elfman-san, but Juvia thinks Gray-sama should be a man and acknowledge his feelings." Juvia crossed her arms and gave Gray a significant look.
For a moment Gray simply stared at her, shocked. Her propositions were usually far over the top or a complete failure at being subtle. Never had she been quite so blunt and on point. "Feelings, huh? Maybe I do run away from them a bit. Old habits die hard..."
Gray and Juvia did not return to Fairy Tail until much later than day. It was still raining when they did, and once again, they were under Juvia's umbrella. There was a difference this time, though.
"Will you look at that?" Cana asked from her window seat. Her barrel of alcohol sat next to her, a faithful partner and listener.
Underneath the umbrella, Gray and Juvia were close, and their hands were tightly clasped. And as Cana could confirm—and would soon let the whole guild know—this time, it wasn't Juvia's imagination.
Above them, the sky began to clear.