Title - Big Sister is Here
Characters - Cana Alberona and Juvia Lockser
Genre - Family/Friendship, BROTP
Rating - K+
Prompt - It wasn't how Cana was planning her Saturday night, but she couldn't leave her favorite Water Mage defenseless and sick like that.
=xxx=
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She wasn't even close to finishing her large glass of wine when she heard someone hammering on her door and jiggling the doorknob like a madman. Cana Alberona's schedule for a Saturday night was on a consistent timespan:
8 o'clock: Finish the last of the week's wine before heading out.
9 o'clock: Start bar hopping and run up Gildarts' tab anonymously (it wasn't her being a bad daughter, really, but it was funny seeing his face when the bill is delivered to him at the Guild).
11 o'clock: Find some nice booty to smack on the dancefloor!
...and the rest can be a blur in general, but whatever.
It wasn't even five minute to eight when the attack occurred on her door, nearly making Cana choke on her drink and slam the glass on the kitchen table. Dressed in a skimpy black top and sweatpants, Cana was going to use the last five minutes to dress herself properly for a bar before leaving, but there was a little bump in the road.
Going to the door and fully ready to have a bitch fit to whoever was trying to kill her door, Cana unlocked the deadbolt and knob before swinging it open. The result was having a familiar blue head in a fuzzy hat drop straight into her cleavage, making the brunette woman blink.
"Juvia..?" Cana raised a brow and looking down to the boiling face smushed against her breasts. Poor Juvia must have not expected to fall onto her like that, but Cana didn't mind it since it was just the little innocent Juvia. However, she was expecting Juvia to scream at the sudden action, but it seemed that she must have been tired from her job.
The blue haired Mage slowly peeled her face off of Cana's chest and stood up, surprising the nearly-drunk woman to see how pale the Water Mage's face was; she was paler than usual, yes, but the tip of her nose and cheekbones were stained dark pink. Her cute, doe-like eyes were glazed over and drooping and her head rocked a little as she regained balance.
Juvia has a backpack over her shoulder and her normal attire on, reminding Cana that she had went on a two week long job. However, the difference was that she wasn't her usual chipper self that Cana would usually see whenever they crossed paths inside Fairy Hills. Cana was used to hearing Juvia cheer 'I'm home!' before unlocking her apartment door.
"Oh…" Juvia's voice came out raspy and cracked. "This isn't...Juvia's apartment."
"No, it's not," Cana responded slowly. "This is Cana's apartment."
"Cana… Oh, Cana-san!" the Water Mage gasped in sudden shock, making the brunette flinch at the croaking sound she made. "Juvia is so, so sorry! Juvia was trying to...open her door, see?" Juvia held up her apartment key that had a little keychain of Happy, Pantherlily and Carla that she purchased from Fairy Tail's Gift Shop. Why did they open a gift shop again? Her brown eyes stared sadly to the keys, her lip pouting like a cute little child. "But...Juvia's key wasn't working on the door, because it was really Cana's door. Juvia is sorry…"
Then, out of nowhere, tears swelled in Juvia's brown eyes and it freaked Cana out. It was obvious that her nose was clogging with boogers as she hugged her keys to her chest. "Joobia di'n mean tah botha Ca'a-saaan!"
Cana stiffened and waved her hands in front of her. "No no, don't cry, Juvia!" she tried quickly, gently grasping her shoulders and shaking her a little - just trying to get her senses back in order. A crying Juvia always ended with a horrible storm or an angry Gray, and Cana really didn't want to have to deal with a pissy Fullbuster. "It's okay, Juvia, I promise! I wasn't doing anything at the moment, okay? Don't cry."
"Joobia sowwy," Juvia gurgled and limped backwards in Cana's hold. For whatever reason, the blue haired woman moved towards the other wall - where her apartment was - and pressed herself against the door, her knees wobbling as she slid down. Her movements were sluggish and drunk-like, making Cana feel tested about her own ability to walk in a zigzag line. "Diz ish Joobia's home! Wah 'ere!"
"Uh...Juvia, babe," Cana frowned as she closed her apartment door (her keys were in her sweatpant pocket). Getting closer to the little mess on the other side of the hallway, Cana knelt down to Juvia and pulled her back off her door, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Are you sick?"
"Joobia," she started, still congested in the face, "cah dow wiff somethin' on 'er way baghk. Joobia tried tah eat somethin' on dah train, buh Joobia went blegh!"
"You got a fever, babe," Cana concluded, feeling her face on fire. Cana sighed and removed her hand from Juvia's forehead. "Where's your boyfriend, huh? Or Gajeel? This was a solo job, right?"
"Gray-sa'a ish on a jub wiff Nashu an everyone," Juvia sniffed as she clawed her way back to her door, trying to fit the key into the lock. As much as it was a silly sight to see Juvia half laying against her door, Cana felt sorry at how out of it she was. "Ga'eel ish on a jub too."
Sighing, Cana thought over her plan for the night. All while Juvia was mumbling to herself on random things that Cana could really care less for (Juvia doesn't remember how the jellyfish made it back into the tank. Juvia thinks she has lost her extra pair of socks), she decided that going out was probably not the best idea at the time to go out; most of Fairy Hill's ladies were out on the town or out for jobs, Cana knew for sure, and Juvia has already cleared it up to her that she was unable to really take care of herself. Seeing the blue haired Mage finally unlock the door and open it, Cana helped her to her feet and led her inside her warm home. Once Juvia recognized where she was, the Water Mage plopped on the hardwood floor of her entryway and slumped her bag off her shoulders. She then proceeded to take off her shoes.
"Joobia's home ish niiice," she hummed cheekly, yanking a boot off like a little kid. Tilting her head up towards Cana, who was still standing, Juvia smiled drunkenly her way. "Ca'a ish so nice to Joobia. Fank ew for takin' Joobia home! Gonna sleep now."
The Water Mage then sprawled on top of her bag, one boot still on her foot and hat lopsided atop of her messy hair. Cana frowned deeper and closed the door behind her, then kneeling down and forcing Juvia to sit back up. "Not here, you goofball. You have a fever, you know. You shouldn't be sleeping on the floor like that."
"Joobia fine."
"Not on my watch, missy," Cana smirked as she pulled the ill woman back to her feet. "First, we're gonna get you cleaned up because you look horrible."
"Owwy Gray-sama can be in showah wiff Joobia!" the young Mage exclaimed with tears in her eyes, making Cana snort a laugh at how open she was about her and Gray's relationship. "Ca'a dat a no-no!"
"Not a shower, then, for Gray-sama's sake," Cana told her softly, making the tears stop from spilling from Juvia's brown eyes. "There we go, babe. No shower, but at least use a rag to wash the sweat off of you. You can sit on the toilet so you won't get dizzy, m'kay? Will that work for you? I promise it will make you feel a lot better."
"Yeh," Juvia pouted and gave her a curt nod. Cana chuckled and removed the hat from her head, setting it on top of her bag and began leading her towards the bathroom. Juvia looked to her hat and bag sadly but let Cana guide her away.
"We'll get your stuff later, Juvia. Don't worry," Cana assured her gently as she flipped the bathroom light on and got her to sit down on the toilet. Juvia remained still on the spot as Cana started taking off her winter-like apparel, leaving her in her underwear and bra. "Good babe, Juvia. I'm gonna use normal water, to try and regulate your temperature. You got a nasty fever."
"Ca'a doshn't haff to…" Juvia sniffled tiredly, watching as the brunette woman turn on her sink to boiling hot, letting the steam rise into the bathroom. The sick lady blinked in confusion when Cana went over to the bathtub and used the faucet as well, grabbing a clean rag to soak it in lukewarm water.
"Steam is to help clear your nose," Cana explained thoroughly, ringing out the cloth before gently grasping Juvia's face. "Face first to clear up that complexion of yours. You know, you look very silly with your face like that."
"Mm?" Juvia sniffled, inhaling the steam from the sink and letting her eyes drift close when Cana gently rubbed the rag against her sweaty forehead.
Cana grinned at her behavior and continued to wash Juvia's face with the utmost care. Juvia's face slowly becoming limp in Cana's hold. "Just relax, Juvia."
=xxx=
Cana dug in Juvia's dressers to find her comfortable pajamas: a t-shirt that obviously belonged to Gray and purple soft shorts and knitted socks that went up to Juvia's knees, which resulted the Water Mage looking super cute even though she still had her fever. Cana brushed Juvia's hair up into a bun to keep it out of her face or sticking to her neck, which was quite entertaining for the brunette to play with her friend's hair like that and the result of Juvia becoming cheeky and happy at the new do.
Cana had just settled Juvia on her bed and used the remote to turn on her small TV, flipping it to a channel she knew Juvia would be distracted with. The sick woman didn't go under her covers yet, claiming she was still too hot to be under blankets. Cana didn't bother to argue with her, as long as she was comfortable. "Do you have any food in your fridge, Juvia?"
"Why?" Juvia responded, her sinus sounding more clear after breathing the steam. She still looked dazed in the eyes and sleepy, hugging her legs to her chest in the pile of pillows and plushies as she peeked to Cana waltzing towards her combined kitchen.
"You gotta eat something if you wanna feel better," the brunette sang as she began digging in the fridge, only to find bottled water, box of butter and a carton of eggs.
"Juvia doesn't have food for Cana-san, though," Juvia pouted. "And Juvia's tummy won't be nice to her…"
"Found bread! And it's good for another few weeks, too!" Cana ignored Juvia as she grabbed the loaf of bread from one of the cabinets. "I saw butter in your fridge, too, so that will be a little bit better to take in."
"But Juvia's tummy…"
"Toast is easy on your stomach, if it's upset," Cana said as she placed two sliced into Juvia's toaster. "You will need to drink lots of water too, even though you always say you're made of it."
Juvia let out a loud sigh and buried her face into her knees. "But Juvia is made of water!"
"Well, you're gonna need more, babe!"
Once Cana made the toast and added a little bit of butter for flavor, she brought it on a plate with a glass of water to Juvia who remained in bed, and Cana joined on top to sit by Juvia's side to watch TV with her and made sure she was eating. Cana had to pressure Juvia in taking bites of her toast and drink water, but she eventually consumed enough to satisfy her sore stomach. The TV went on to a late-night movie that captured Juvia's attention, but her head started to bob up and down and rubbing the back of her neck sorely. Cana watched carefully before piping in during a scene that Juvia claimed she wanted to reenact with Gray (a scene of a boy and girl cuddling by the campfire, but the campfire could be Natsu if they were to go on a job again soon).
"Sore?" Cana asked her carefully, watching as Juvia flopped herself on her bed and whimpered.
"Usually, when Juvia goes on long jobs, her muscles get sore."
"Your bag was pretty heavy, now that I think of it," Cana remembered when she carried the Water Mage's traveling sack in from the entryway of her apartment. It did feel like she was carrying a sack of rocks. "And you said you carried most of it during your job?"
"Yeah…" Juvia slurred and rolled a bit closer to Cana, smushing her face against the closest pillow, but still facing the Card Mage. "Juvia doesn't need to bother Cana-san anymore. Juvia feels better. Juvia feels that she's wasted lots of Cana-san's time…"
"You've been saying that a lot, babe," Cana snickered and leaned back against the wall next to the bed. Facing her, Cana reached and checked Juvia's forehead with the back of her hand. "You still have a fever, Juvia. Do you feel okay?"
"Why is Cana-san here?" she suddenly asked quietly, making Cana retract her hand. "Not that Juvia minds, but Juvia is not used to being cared for...especially when she's sick. Sometimes Gray-sama will take care of her, but Juvia keeps her sicknesses to herself…"
Cana propped her head in her hand, using her elbow to balance against her knee. Her face was blank, but her eyes were soft and gentle. "Well, you're my friend, Juvia. My nakama. That's what nakama do for each other."
Juvia frowned. "But still, Juvia has never had anyone care for her before. Forgive Juvia, but this is somewhat new to her."
"Well, of course you have," Cana pressed, pushing Juvia's bangs out of her warm face. "When you were a kid, you had to have someone take care of you. Kiss your booboos, wipe your nose when you have boogers stuck in it; or someone to help you when you have a bad dream, need something from the top shelf…"
"No, Juvia's never had that at the orphanage," Juvia confessed, rubbing under her eye tiredly. "Lots of people, even the staff, didn't want much with Juvia because of her rain problem."
Cana's purple eyes widened, her jaw nearly dropping. "Even...when you had a fever or very sick?"
"No, Juvia learned to take care of herself for the most part. Gray-sama checks in on Juvia when he asks when she's sick, and Gajeel-kun knows not to bother me unless I call him first," Juvia explained. "Cana-san is really good at taking care of people, too."
Cana was shocked by this. Of course it took years for her and Gildarts to reveal their blood relationship as father and daughter, but the Guild still was much of a family to Cana ever since she joined as a kid. Whenever she got sick, a cold or flu, there was someone at the guild to come over and take care of her. When she had horrible nightmares and was too scared to go back to sleep alone, Cana had the choice of going to Erza, Mirajane or even Levy's room and share the bed for the night. Of course, Cana knew that Juvia spent most of her childhood in a orphanage or foster homes, but she figured someone would at least…
"Did you ever ask?"
Juvia peeked up, confusion written on her feverish face. "Mm?"
"I mean," Cana tried to put words together before continuing. "When you were a little kid and got sick, or needed someone, did you ask for help at all?"
"A few times, yes," the Water Mage shrugged before rolling to her back, looking up to the ceiling with a uninterested gaze. "Juvia would ask an adult who worked at the orphanage, but...they ignored Juvia. Juvia tried asking older kids once more twice. After a while, Juvia just stopped trying."
The brunette reached for Juvia's face, brushing her bangs out of her eyes with a sad expression. She couldn't understand how a sweet girl like Juvia would be ignored, especially when she needed someone? Cana knew of Juvia's rain and how it followed her, but that shouldn't be an excuse for people to ignore her. Cana couldn't imagine being ignored like that or anyone in Fairy Tail for that matter.
"Must've sucked," Cana said, unsure how to work the situation. She saw Juvia give her a big smile, her cheeks dark red from fever but her eyes sparkled just as fine.
"Juvia was used to it, but it is nice to have someone care like this now," the blue haired woman told her. "Cana is very nice to take care of Juvia, even though she didn't have to."
"Of course I had to," Cana rolled her eyes. "As I said, that's what nakama do for each other."
"Cana still didn't have to, even when Juvia insisted," Juvia responded, still smiling. "It makes Juvia happy that Cana took the time."
Seeing the Water Mage yawn and situate herself on her bed, Cana could feel her chest swelling with a sense of joy at the compliment Juvia gave her. "Would it be silly to say that I've always wanted a little sister?"
"A little sister?" Juvia tilt her head at her with curiosity.
"Yeah, well, my mom passed away when I was little and I knew my dad didn't have any other kids to speak of," Cana explained casually, inwardly snickering at Juvia's reaction of being so bold about her father's relationships. "Anyway, I had a dream that, if my mom was still alive and she and my dad were still together, I would want them to make a little sister for me. You know, a little girl I can take care of and boss around sometimes; I can give her dating advice, go shopping with her and have little crafts made by her all by herself.
"With the Guild, I mean, we're a family in a way," she went on, leaning to the side on Juvia's extra pillows and plushies. "I still haven't gotten someone to be my 'little sister'. Everyone is kinda around the same age, so it would be weird as hell to be like 'Hey, can I be your big sister, cutie pants?'"
"Juvia supposes she understands," she nodded, making room for Cana to share the blanket. "Juvia has wanted a big sister, too. Gajeel-kun is like a brother to Juvia, but he is definitely not girly at all to pass as a sister."
"Well, it doesn't matter right now," Cana said, yanking the comforter down for Juvia to crawl into with her, tucking the ill girl in and sighing in relief at seeing her listen for once. "You need to rest now, okay? I'll stay overnight and make sure you don't go running for the bathroom. If you don't get an upset stomach in the morning, I'll make you toast again before I go back to my place and let you sleep longer."
"Okay," Juvia hummed, letting herself sink into the bed and main pillow, watching as Cana made herself comfortable by her side. Juvia's bed was large enough to fit the two of them and give them enough elbow room. When Cana crossed her arms and ankles, Juvia smiled a little when she closed her purple eyes. "Goodnight, Cana-san."
"G'night, babe," Cana smirked affectionately, not opening her eyes.
=xxx=
It took Juvia a few days to feel better enough to go to the Guild and get a better meal, all with Cana checking on her every morning before she took off with her day and again in the evening just incase. In a week, Juvia made a full recovery and returned to her chipper, bright and cute self that Cana loved seeing drunk or sober.
Returning from the bar late one night, Cana Alberona snuck into Fairy Hills quietly as possible. Approaching her door, the Card Mage took notice of a small gift bag at her door. The bag was purple and had a large pink bow on top, making Cana wonder if it was from another wannabe-boyfriend she sees every once in awhile at the bars.
'But Erza makes sure they keep out of Fairy Hills for sure…' Cana remembered instantly as she went closer to the bag and picked it up carefully. She didn't consume too much alcohol that night, so her conscience was pretty clear overall.
Undoing the bow carefully, Cana reached into the purple bag and pulled out what looked to be a plush to look like Cana. The doll matching her long, brown hair and purple eyes and even the outfit was similar to what Cana would wear on any normal day at the Guild. Blinking, Cana was impressed yet still confused by the present.
Looking back into the bag, Cana found a folded card on the bottom and pulled that out, cradling the bag and doll in one arm as she opened the paper to see neatly written cursive.
To Onee-san
Lots of love from your little sister,
Juvia
A smile slowly began growing on her face, little tears tickling the corner of her eyes as she looked behind her to her neighbor's door. Cana knew that Juvia went off on another job with Gray and Gajeel earlier this morning while she was out, but it still made her heart swell with the fact that Juvia took the time to make a little gift…
And even considered her a big sister.
A big, fat grin on her face, Fairy Tail's notorious drunken maiden unlocked her door with a tune sprouting from her lips. Ideas flooded in her head on what to do with Juvia once she came back from her job.
Cana knew a really good recipe for brownies that she knew Juvia would cry over!
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=xxx=
AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE - I have this headcannon that Cana calls Juvia 'babe' as an affectionate nickname because Juvia has a baby-ish face and innocent personality that Cana finds amusing. Hope you enjoyed my first oneshot!