Author's Note: This is just a two shot I wanted to post about my OTP, Juvia and Gray, Gruvia. It's about time I wrote FT fanfictions! ^-^
Based off the omake, The Fairy's Punishment. In my opinion, Juvia and Gray needed more panels, and so here's my version of what happened in between her trying to give him armpit water and him saying he can't look her in the eye; and this time, he can't look at her for another reason...if you know what I mean. It's two chapters long.
Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima created the wonderful series, Fairy Tail. If I owned it, Gruvia would be cannon. But I donnot, hence the fanfiction writing going on here.
*One Day In The Rain*
"G-Gray-Sama?" Asked a soft voice, almost like a whimper. If it hadn't come from so near him, the breeze would have blown the Water mage's words away, she spoke so quietly. Gray crossed his arms across his chest and turned away, trying not to become any more agitated.
"Don't, Juvia." He was still angry and a bit bewildered about what had happened about ten minutes ago. He was actually shocked she'd had the good sense to wait before speaking to him, even if it was just five minutes. He'd hoped she'd be smart enough to take his anger as a sign he wanted to be left alone, and that she wouldn't chase after him; but apparently, her intelligence wasn't developed to that extent. Relax, Gray, she was just trying to...what the hell was she even doing? Relax, anyway, He thought to himself. He thought back to earlier, after Juvia had offered him a glass of water filled with water from her armpit. That had bothered him enough, and freaked him out to say the least, but what had come after had been even worse.
"Gray sama!" Squeaked a high pitched voice, and he turned his head to see Juvia Lockser running full speed into him. "Juvia!" He said in surprise. The mage ran into him, and at her speed, knocked them both down on the ground. "Gray-Sama! I know what I'd like to do next!" She said, excitement making her dark eyes glow a softer sapphire shade. "Uh...what?" He said, warily. "Let's go to the church and get married!" She giggled, and with that, she yanked the ice mage from the ground, dragging him quickly through the streets of Magnolia. Gray struggle the entire way, yelling out words in protest, even resorting to cursing, but the blue haired woman was almost deaf, skipping through the stone walkways, humming loudly, iron grip on his wrist. When they arrived at the church, Gray was shoved into a room and put into tux, then forced into the altar.
"This is ridiculous!" He shouted, but there was no one there to hear. He attempted to run towards the entrance, but just then, the priest barged in. The priest just happened to be Gajeel, dressed normally and looking a bit annoyed. He shot Gray a glare so terrifying he quivered and froze on the spot. "Hey, don't you dare run away, Fullbuster! Juvia forcedme into this, and I ain't dressing like a priest for nothing!" He shoved Gray back to the altar, and it took him a few minutes to recover and start protesting again. Juvia walked in then, wearing a long, beautiful white dress; the same one she'd worn for the modeling part of the Grand Magic Games. "Gray-Samaa!" She squeaked, and galloped the rest of the way to the Altar. Graystarted to yell at her, but she began to blabber. "We'll have fourteen children! One named Gray, one named Gruvie, one named Jena, another named Hitomi - because one of our children will inherit your wonderful, wonderful arms! Then, I promised I'd name Lisanna one of our kids, so Lis for one and Anna for another...and our house will be-" She went on and on, and didn't stop talking even after Gajeel began starting the wedding ceremony. After giving in to many glares of Gajeel and submitting to the bows, it finally came down to the last part of it.
"Do you, Gray Fullbuster, take Juvia Lockser for your lawfully wedded wife?" Then, he lost it.
"No," Gray said, flatly and coldly. Gajeel sent a even more terrifying look his way - and if looks could kill, Gray would have died a thousand times just by this look - but Gray didn't waver, didn't back down. No, not this; he'd finally had enough.
"I'll repeat. Do you, Gray Fullbuster-"
"No!" He fumed, and threw off his wedding attire, standing naked in only his boxers. Juvia blushed. "G-Gray-Sama, it's too early for that sort of thing, wait until we honeymoon-" He glared at her and said, "There will be no Honeymoon, Juvia!" He spit out harshly. Juvia looked at him in surprise; he'd never spoken to her with such venom in his voice, not even real anger. He'd been annoyed, sure, but he'd never spoken with true vehemence or madness.
"Gray-Sama?"
"I said NO, Juvia! I am sick and tired of your antics! I know you like me, but I am no longer putting up with your stupid, chidlish, ridiculous actions! Grow up a little, for God's sake! I'm nineteen; I'm not getting married, and especially not to you! You're crazy, and annoying; And why aren't you smart enough to understand that I am not interested?! I reject you every time, shoot you down, don't respond, but you don't waver! You keep doing it! Don't you get the message?! I don't like you! I don't! Stop being like this, and leave me the hell alone!" Every word was like a slap and a punch to Juvia. She winced at every insult, her eyes growing wide and dark, blue tears pressing against her eyelids, a few sliding down her cheeks. "G-gray-" She began, voice cracking, tone small and inferior. Gray felt a pang of guilt in his chest, and something else, but he was still much too angry. He wasn't about to get married at this age; and it wasn't fair for him to do it just because Erza lost some childish game! He stormed out, still fuming, into a harsh rain storm. He assumed it was Juvia's doing; it always rained when she was in a bad mood, and he doubted she'd be okay after all he'd done. This worsened his state, and he ran, letting to cool water droplets cool down his face. He finally settled in a spot by the Magnolia river, leaning against a sakura tree.
"I..." Said the blue haired mage now, her voice defeated and sad, much like the dark clouds that loomed over them, painted across a pale sky. A water droplet fell in the pond, creating a ripple through the water. In the water's reflection, he saw her mirror image, and he saw himself, too. He wouldn't turn to look at her - he was still too irritated - but he saw her still, through that thick water, like a blue mirror observing their actions quietly. He had a theory that the water in the river soaked up everything, every memory, everything it say, because every time he looked into it, he saw his past.
Just then, he saw Juvia reach out a pale hand to him, glistening from the rain. He tensed, going completely rigid, no longer breathing. He wasn't sure how he would react to the contact just then- would he explode again? Silently, he prayed she'd notice his reaction. She did, and her common sense forced her to draw back her hand. She was looking at him, long blue hair wet and clinging to her back and forehead, eyes wide and sorrowful. They were a contrast to his own, slit in a glare and infuriated, as different from hers as his own personality. Juvia then did something unexcpted; she stood, and with one long, last look at him, began to walk away. The sound of her footsteps melted with the sound of rain slapping the cold stone ground, and he watched her back fade away until it was just him, looking miserable and irritated, leaning against a tree, still wearing nothing but his shorts.
Juvia slipped into the guild quietly, hung her sopping wet coat on a hanger, sat down in a hard wooden bar stool next to Lucy, Erza, and Cana, then promptly began to cry.
Well, bawl and sob are better words to describe what she was doing. She bawled long and hard, high wailing noises slicing through the chatter in the guild, her hiccups echoing off the stucco walls. Everyone was quiet as they turned to stare at the former Phantom Lord mage, questioning eyes glued to her hunched form. She couldn't see their stares; her head was buried in her arms, against the wooden bar counter. After a few minutes of awkward silence filled only by her cries, Lucy finally tapped on Juvia's shoulder softly and said nervously, "J-juvia? A-are you...okay?" Juvia looked up and sniffled, eyes and nose red as a tomato, cheeks flushed and hair wild from the rain. "Of course she's not okay, Lucy! Look at her, she's a mess!" Scoffed Erza, leaning over from Lucy's side to look at Juvia. Juvia began wailing again. Lucy sweatdropped and hushed Erza, patting Juvia softly on the back. "Um, there...everything's going to be okay..." Erza observed in wonder Lucy's attempt at comfort, for she'd never seen one girl friend comfort another crying girl, though she'd read about it in books. Wanting to test her newfound knowledge on comforting friends, Erza stood and went to stand behind Juvia, patting her strongly on the back. Juvia coughed and squeaked, wobbling from Erza's tough hits.
"E-Erza, I think you're patting her a bit too hard..." Lucy laughed. Erza gasped and stopped patting her. "R-Really?!" Lucy nodded, Erza said to Juvia, "SS-sorry, Juvia!" Juvia kept wailing. "Um, Juvia...what's wrong? We'd like to help, nobody likes seeing you sad," Lucy said. "Especially since it rains," Mira said softly, giggling angelically. Lucy shot her a nervous look. Juvia's tears had already began flooding the guild hall. Lucy added quickly, "We're your friends! You can tell us, and we'll help you through anything!" Juvia sniffled and glanced at the blonde celestial spirit mage.
"It has something to do with Gray, doesn't it? He always does something stupid," Cana chimed in, from the other side of Juvia, chuging a large beer mug. Lucy looked at Juvia sympathetically. "Is it Gray?" She asked kindly. Juvia nodded and sniffled, stuttering, "Y-Yes...Gray-Sama, he...h-he...he..." And she went off again, blarring louder than a police siren, her wails echoing through the guild and making a few others cover their ears.
"W-what did Gray do?" Lucy asked, trying to sound kind and not a bit weirded out by the rain woman's behavior. "H-he...he...he rejected Juvia!" Juvia's voice broke, and twin tears streamed down her cheeks, making the bar stools sway in the thick current of water that flooded the guild.
"Woo, time to go swimming!" Natsu yelled, laughing as he swam through Juvia's tears. Lucy gasped and Erza blinked, eyes wide. Mirajane sighed sadly and leaned her elbow on the countertop. Cana didn't look fazed; she only smirked as she thought about her friend, who she'd known since childhood, and about Juvia, whom she shared a close relationship with...and about how she'd fix the two. "Say, Juvia," Cana began, slyly taking a sip of her drink and inching closing to Juvia. "Why don't you let Onee-Chan give you a little tip?" Cana wore a sly, clever look that Lucy was nervous about, Erza didn't otice, and Juvia wasn't sure whether to trust. But she did, knowing her guild mate would never let her down. "A...tip? W-what for?" Mirajane looked a bit disinterested and began wiping a glass with a towel. "A tip to get Gray to maybe like you back, of course." Juvia stood up quickly, knowing down her chair and Cana's beer mug. Cana stared at her glass and gasped, but Mira quickly refilled it and wiped the spill, knowing how Cana got about her booze. "H-how would you do that, Cana-Sama?!" Juvia said, eagerly clasping her hands together and looking wide-eyed at the brown haired card mage, suddenly switching honorifics. "Sama?" Wondered Lucy aloud, sweatdropping. "Onee-Chan-Sama...I like it," Smirked Cana. She went on. "I've known Gray almost all of my life. We knew each other even before Gray knew Erza. We have a very good friendship. If anyone could tell you how to get him to like you, that'd be me." (A/N: In an interview for Sorcerer's Magazine, Gray said he had the best relationship with Cana out of everyone in Fairy Tail, and Cana said she had the best relationship with Gray and Macao. So I figured that must mean they're...well, closer to each other than anyone else, uh.) "T-Tell Juvia! Tell Juvia!" Chanted the rain woman, shaking in excitement so hard her blue hair slapped Lucy in the face. Lucy coughed and pushed it away. Mirajane giggled.
"Okay, but it'll be for a price. I won't do it for free-" Juvia grabbed on to Cana with an iron grip. "Anything! Juvia will pay anything!"Lucy started to say that not restricting Cana was a good idea, but Cana only smirked even more mischievously, shushing Lucy with a cunning look. "I'm holding that against you. Now, here it is..." Cana leaned into Juvia's ear and whispered for a few minutes. The guild went quiet once more, attempting to listen, having cleaned up Juvia's tears, but nobody could hear a single thing. Juvia's eyes grew wide, and she nodded quickly, wonder painting itself across her face. Looking serious and determined, Juvia nodded and thanked Cana, then quickly marched out of the guild.
"What did you tell her?" Lucy wondered, smiling at her friend. Cana only crossed her legs and took a sophisticated, slow sip of her beer, head held high, watching the door close shut behind Juvia.
"What she needed to know," was the only thing the Card Magic user replied.
She was back. Gray saw her appear next to him, to the left of the tree this time, so she got a clear view of her face. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks dusted with a dark pink and her nose pale red, hair mussed and tangled. She'd been crying; that was clear. But it was no longer raining - about ten minutes ago, it'd started to rain cats and dog, and the river was now filled to the brim - and she looked peaceful...at least, somewhat. Peaceful for Juvia, anyhow. Gray himself was a lot more serene now, as his anger had faded to a very small flame in his chest. However, he was still wary, and the wrong course of action from Juvia would probably set him off again. It'd only been about fifteen minutes or less, and usually it took him about twice that much to completely get over somethin.
"Gray-Kun, Juvia has something to tell you." Gray jumped at the sound of her voice. It sounded a bit different, as if she were struggling to say the words, and not only that, her usually fangirl, crazed, lovesick tone had disappeared. She spoke like a normal girl now, the way she did when she spoke to Cana or Lucy or Lisanna, her voice kind and happy. Though just now it was more careful and quiet than anything. He opened his mouth to reply that he'd like a few more minutes before talking again when something else registered, and so what came out instead was:
"Gray-Kun?" He hadn't missed the change in honorifics. For so long now - since they'd met - he'd heard her voice saying Gray-Sama, and to hear it say anything different now felt strange. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not, the feeling was so peculiar. He scratched his ear. Maybe he'd hard wrong. After all, no matter how much he'd insisted, she'd never stopped calling him Gray-Sama. And after their fight, it was hardly the time to do so. Unless...
"Yes," Juvia went on. "Juvia would like to apologize for her actions earlier. She was definitely out of line." She bowed politely. Gray jumped. "And from now on, Juvia won't be bothering you so much." She laughed, a bit embarrased, and began to walk away. Gray was still too hung up on the honorific change to register anything else. He quickly got up and went after her. "Juvia? Why are you suddenly calling me Gray-kun? And..and acting..." Normal, he wanted to say. Normal, like any other girl. He'd never seen her like this. He knew her as the crazy Juvia, the lovesick, fangirl Juvia who'd do anything and everything for him. Juvia kept walking, but she slowed her tep.
"Well, Juvia went to the guild, and she cried. And then Cana told her that once you didn't like someone, there was no way to change your mind...something like that, anyway. So, um, Juvia decided she'd better give up on you. Juvia may have been really in love with you, but she still doesn't like standing in a line that never moves or running in circles." She turned around then, and gave him a very Mirajane-smile, eyes shut and lips in a sweet beam.
"So, let's be friends and start all over, okay, Gray-Kun?" Her voice sounded strangely high, making him doubt her change a bit. But Juvia had never lied before; not to him, not to anyone, and so he took her outstretched hand and shook it slowly, carefully. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with this new Juvia, but it was a bit easier to communicate with her, at least. Even if she still referred to herself in third person.
"Uh, okay..." He scratched his head. "So, does that mean I am free to do what I like today, rather than be told what to do by you...?" He was referring to the punishment game he'd lost because Erza had picked scissors and not paper in her game versus Laxus.
"O-oh!" Juvia looked surprised, her eyes growing wide and panicked for a moment. Gray was just about to begin thinking that he knew Crazy Juvia wasn't gone, but her reaction wasn't lovesick or desperate. Her tone was reasonable and kind.
"Well, Juvia definitely won't force you into anything. But since we've become friends now, how about we go do something together? We can just spend the rest of the day together, after all, otherwise everyone will find it weird Juvia lets you go, and Juvia is sure she won't hear the end of it from Gajeel..." She sighed. "He really hated that costume, so Juvia wouldn't want to disappoint him. Laxus would get mad too." Gray nodded slowly. He didn't really believe her excuses, but he wanted to get to know this new Juvia better. He wanted to see what had happened, and if the old Juvia remained- and he wanted to see just how far this Juvia would last and go. He doubted she could keep this new attitude on for long, and he was a bit afraid, but he found himself agreeing anyway.
"Great!" Juvia beamed, clapping her hands together, and he knew then that her personality wasn't gone. She just wasn't lovesick any more, but she was still the same old Juvia-
Hold on. As Gray watched Juvia rattle off a list of suggetions, he realized that he didn't know Juvia at all. He knew her fangirl, crazy, lovesick part- he knew she liked him and chased after him and had all sorts of weird antics. But outside of her loving him and chasing after him, he knew nothing about her. He knew she liked the rain, and that she was strong and used to belong to Phantom Lord. But personality wise, he didn't know who she was outside of his fangirl. He'd never been able to look past that side of her, past the crazy, lovesick side, becauseit was so prominent and crazy. But now that she seemed to have pushed her obsession with him away, he realized it was a chance to figure out who the real Juvia was. Looking at her now, with that big smile on her face, asking what he'd like to do, he thought he might like what he'd find.
"So, Gray-kun, what would you like to do? We could go hiking, or swimming, or anything really. It'd be fun to visit the-"
Suddenly, Gray grabbed her hand, and started walking, dragging her along.
"Gray-kun? Where are we going?" Juvia sounded a bit startled. Her heart beat faster, but she hoped Gray didn't notice. If he did, he didn't show it. "We're going to go somewhere fun, for me anyway. I'm sure you'll like it too," He added, and smirked as he heard her squeak nervously.
Today had been a very interesting day, but it was about to get much, much better...or so he hoped...
Author's Note: Next chapter, they will go on a "date" but really will just spend the day together. Don't worry - Juvia is still very much Juvia. But she's not acting like a stalker fangirl anymore.
I did this, had her stop acting like that, because I wondered: What personality from Juvia do we know, outside of her crazy love for Gray? Not very much. So I thought, maybe it'd be interesting to find out, and I just had this feeling that Gray would like her if he just knew her more, because they don't really know each other. So basically they will get to know each other for who they are, and I'm sure they'll you know *wink* fall in love and all.
Because we do know one thing: Juvia is honest, dramatic, extremely compassionate and kind. And masochistic. And somehow I think her and gray fit perfectly. I kept thinking if only he knew her better he'd like her, so that's where I am going with this.
The last chapter will be the last, and about twice as long as this one, or longer. Please bare with me the next one is A LOT more romanti. A LOT.