So, it seems like there aren't quite so many Edolas Gruvia stories out there! Here's one; hope you like it. I didn't really proofread it, so if there are any errors, please point them out to me, and enjoy! (:
Cover Image: NOT mine
It was always so strange, she'd muse to herself, how Gray wore layers upon layers of clothes even in the dead of summer. His cheeks wouldn't flush from the heat, and he wouldn't even have a single drop of sweat rolling down the side of his face, and the only thing she could wonder was how in the world that boy hadn't died of heatstroke yet.
She supposed that she had no right to think of him in such a way, though. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he wondered how she could cope in the winter with her short skirt and shirt tied up beneath her breasts; while it was definitely comfortable while the weather was warm, it probably didn't make sense to anyone else when she'd come walking through the ankle-deep snow with her fishnets as the only thing to protect her from the icy chill.
Truth be told, she'd just gotten used to it over the years. She didn't like the idea of layering up her clothes, anyway; she had a fine body, and she'd be damned if a winter coat was going to cover it up. No matter what anyone told her, there was nothing that would convince her to put on some heavier clothing when the cold of winter set in.
Or so she thought.
She couldn't be sure if the weather was only a few degrees colder that day, or if it was simply the lack of members swarming around the guild – no doubt, most of them stayed at home where it was warm or were out playing in the snow – that made it feel chillier than it tended to be during the heart of winter.
Still, she trudged through the snow, heels crunching through the thick blanket that covered the ground. Powdery white clung to her fishnet tights, reaching from her feet up to just below her knees – how long had it been since they'd had so much snow in Edolas? Her arms were folded across her chest, fingers rubbing light circles on her own upper arms as though it would help to soothe her reddening, icy-to-the-touch skin.
Juvia came through the guild doors early in the morning as she always had, and as per usual, Gray and Natsu were at a table on their own, chatting and laughing, while Levy had taken a spot well away from them to read in silence. Each one wore heavier clothes than they would on a normal day, with the exception of Gray, who Juvia guessed didn't have any more clothes in his wardrobe to pile on top of his usual attire.
Levy looked up from her book at the sound of the doors swinging open, and after catching a brief glimpse of the blunette, she dropped her gaze back down and turned the page. "What are you doing out in this weather?"
"Juvia can ask the same of you." The sound of her heels clacking on the floor echoed in the guild as she made her way to the job board, tugging on the end of one of her gloves. She didn't so much as send a glance in the direction of the two best friends on the other side of the room, but her voice held the same cold tone as always when speaking to Gray. "And you, too."
"Hear that? Juvia-chan is worried about me."
Her back was to him, but she snapped her head to look back over her shoulder, sending a fierce glare at the dark-haired boy as he nudged Natsu with a love-struck smile adorning his facial features. "Don't."
Natsu clearly didn't want to end up caught up in the quarrel that he was certain would break out, and he nervously shrunk behind Gray.
"But you were concerned about me, weren't you, Juvia-chan?" Gray grinned, stepping away from Natsu and taking slow steps toward Juvia as she busied herself with looking over the papers attached to the board.
Pressing a finger to one of the papers and dragging it along the line of words as she read, Juvia shifted uneasily; for once, her thin little fishnet tights didn't seem to be enough to keep the winter's chill from biting her skin. "Go away, Gray."
She didn't know why she expected him to listen to her because he'd never done it before, not even if she kicked him away from her in frustration and said nasty things in hopes of scaring him off. Mentally cursing herself when she heard his soft footsteps padding up behind her, she viciously ripped a piece of paper from the job board and turned to face him.
"Are you going on a job while it's this cold out?"
Her eyes narrowed down to slits, lips forming into a disapproving scowl. Lifting one hand to press it against his chest and shove him away from her, she walked past him, pausing just in front of the guild doors. "You have no right to say it's cold outside."
"Well, it's always cold to me!" He ignored the irritation in her tone, following closely behind her and shuffling in his coats – seriously, how could that be comfortable? "But I've never seen you look cold, Juvia-chan."
She turned to look at him, falling into a silence that no doubt terrified the poor boy. What did he even see in her? Why was he so attached to her? They didn't even have any kind of romantic past! There was just no reason for him to be infatuated with Juvia, and if she knew that beating him would make him back off, she would do it. Hell, she had done it in the past.
And it hadn't worked.
A growl rumbled deep within her throat. "Juvia is not cold." But despite her firm voice and the cruel threat that seemed to be darkening the color of her eyes, she couldn't hide her shivers from the overly-concerned Gray Surge.
"But you are; I can tell." His features suddenly became a lot more boyish, a soft smile lighting up his face as he giggled at her denial; she wondered why she didn't slap him for it – and she probably should've smacked the two others who were sitting in the guild just watching their exchange. "And you're going out on a job in this weather? Dressed like that?"
Juvia had never seen him worry for her, not like that. Cheeks turning a slight pink at the realization, she opened her mouth to protest, the ferocity she normally spoke with not present. "You have no right –"
"–to say things like that, I know."
Her jaw dropped. He just finished her sentence? Clearly, the boy had a death wish, and by the stupid look on his face, he was going to die happy. She found him strangely attractive like this, not acting quite as timid when he spoke to her. But that brief pull she felt towards him faded when he spoke again, his eyes dreamy.
"Can I go with you, Juvia-chan? We've never been on a job together!"
Juvia narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze flickering to his pink-haired best friend, who sat at a table well away from the pair; he'd been listening to the words that were being spoken, and the moment Gray finished his statement, Natsu's hand covered his face, as though he'd noticed the change in Juvia's body language towards the dark-haired boy.
"No. You can't."
"Juvia-chan!"
She let out a heavy sigh, placing one hand on her hip; she really didn't know what she could say to make him leave her alone. The longer she had to wait, the less time she had to get to the destination on the job flier before it got dark – and when the sun went down, she knew that the air would only be even colder. "Don't try to convince Juvia, because it will never happen."
His lips twitched downward into a frown, brow furrowing in a mixture of disappointment and concern. Gray was used to rejection, and he knew very well that Juvia could take care of herself – besides, it wasn't like he would be much help to a girl who could beat down two grown men in a matter of seconds with her bare hands. While she glared at him, expecting him to back down, he could only voice his concerns. "But you're shivering…"
"Shut up, Gray." She scowled, waving her hand dismissively and turning her back to him, clutching the paper in her hand tighter, and her voice was bitter with frustration. "Juvia is leaving now."
"W-Wait…"
That was it; she was going to kill him. How long had he been keeping her held back with his ridiculous 'small talk,' trying to get her to recognize and actually acknowledge his crush? Far too long. Whirling around to face him with one hand balled into a fist to punch him and eyes alight with blue fire, she shouted so loud that she was surprised Levy didn't jump up from her spot and start cursing them out. "What!?"
And what she was met with was something she hadn't been expecting at all, despite the other 'daring' things he'd already done. The black-and-red checkered scarf around his neck was no longer there, and instead she could feel the soft fabric being wound around her own. His gloved hand brushed against her cheek, and she snapped out of her momentary trance, slapping him away.
"What do you think you are doing!?"
His grin was a childish one. "Keeping Juvia-chan warm!"
In the other corner of the room, Natsu covered his mouth to fight back laughter, immediately shrinking away when Juvia's blazing eyes rested on him for only a moment before drifting back to the boy in front of her. His former attempts to get her to look at him as more than a comrade – and a stupid one, at that – had all been annoying, nauseating even. But this time, it was more of a tender action, and she'd be lying if she said that he didn't have her full attention.
"…Go away, Gray." Her fingers wandered up to touch the scarf around her neck, already a bit warm from being in contact with his skin for so long, tugging on it lightly and pulling it up to cover her chin.
"Will you keep it, though…?" He paused, frowning when he noticed her tilt her head in question. "My scarf. You can't honestly think you'll stay warm in…that," he clarified, gesturing at her outfit.
She rolled her eyes, scoffing as she turned her back to him yet again before a soft smile formed on her lips. "Juvia will wear your scarf and return it when she gets back." Pausing and sending one last glance over her shoulder at him, she spoke with a much kinder tone. "And Gray?"
He perked up instantly, his eyes glowing and cheeks warming. "Y-Yes, Juvia-chan?"
Juvia pushed the door open with the hand that held her job flier, the other grabbing one end of the scarf and wrapping it one more time around her neck, the fabric covering her nose and mouth – since when had Gray had such an attractive smell? Her mind a little clouded, she mumbled, "Try not to freeze to death while Juvia is gone."
Thanks for reading!
(:Mizune