Down Goes My Defense Mechanism
A Gruvia Fanfiction
-ooo-
It was a sunny day at Magnolia and the guild was surprisingly quiet from the outside perspective. The married couple of Fairy Tail was having a discussion outside the door while Asuka, their child, was looking around. Alzack was clutching a brown sack filled with their daughter's belongings while Bisca was holding her daughter's hand.
"I'm not particularly happy with this, dear," Bisca whispered to Alzack.
"We do not have a choice, Bisca, darling," Alzack apologetically answered back, "if we don't take that quest, someone else will."
"How about I go alone?"
"We've already talked about that," Alzack's brows met, "we're a team so both of us must go."
"But I just can't leave our angel," Bisca weakly said as she looked intently at their only child, who was busy looking at the surroundings, "Can't we just wait for Mirajane to come back?"
Mirajane, the take-over mage, has been the constant babysitter of their child; however, the pub manager went to a guild master council meeting to accompany Master Makarov.
"Their return is indefinite as of this moment," Alzack explained to his wife.
Bisca asked, "how about Levy-chan?"
"She said that she'll also take a quest with Gajeel-san and her team."
"What about the others?"
"Most of them are currently on a quest or about to leave for a quest," Alzack sighed, "the only ones left are Gray and Cana."
Bisca sighed heavily.
"We need to pay our rent," Alzack smiled as he reached out for his wife's free hand, "and we also have our daily needs, Bisca."
"I know," Bisca muttered, "jewels don't grow out of trees."
"We need this quest," Alzack encouraged his wife with a soft squeeze on her hand before letting go of it.
"Cana is a heavy drinker," Bisca described, "while Gray is a stripper."
"Choose the lesser evil, dear," Alzack laughed, "atleast Gray is sober enough to take care of Asuka and he already agreed as well."
"I don't want our daughter to be exposed to such indecency in an early age," Bisca worriedly said as she pet her daughter's hair, "I don't want her to have a habit of stripping as well."
Overhearing her name, Asuka, whose nose was a little bit red, looked at her parents and asked, "who will take care of Asuka?"
Alzack knelt before his daughter and smiled, "Gray-kun will take care of Asuka for a while because Mama and Papa needs to earn some money."
Asuka, who was already used to her parents taking quests every now and then, nodded as she scratched her nose, "will you come back as soon as possible for Asuka?"
"Of course, angel," Bisca hugged her daughter as she looked intently at her husband's eyes.
The guild door opened. The couple's eyes darted towards the opening as Gray Fullbuster, the ice mage of Fairy Tail, appeared out of it. He was wearing his usual outfit; however his white coat was not with him. The ice mage closed the door behind him.
"Gray, thank you for agreeing," Alzack apologetically greeted as he stood, "we promise that we'll finish the quest as soon as possible."
Gray coldly looked at Alzack and shifted his eyes to Bisca and then Asuka, "do I have a choice?"
Asuka asked Gray, "Nii-san and Asuka will play?"
Gray's face softened in an instance and smiled weakly, "of course."
Asuka gave him a big smile and the ice mage patted the child's head.
"These are her things, Gray-kun," Alzack handed over the brown sack to the ice mage while the latter reluctantly accepted it.
"Mommy and Daddy will return as soon as possible," Bisca said to Asuka before kissing her on both cheeks, "be a good girl."
"and obey Gray-kun," Alzack added as he bowed towards his daughter and kissed her on forehead.
"Hai," the child answered after clearing her throat softly.
"We will see you in tomorrow, then," Bisca smiled at her daughter then turned to Gray, "please take care of my daughter, Gray-kun."
"I will," Gray promised in a serious tone.
"And please refrain from stripping in front of my daughter," Bisca added.
"Oi," Gray flustered.
"We should be going," Alzack took his wife's hand.
Bisca nodded as she took a final look at her daughter's face. Asuka smiled back at her and sniffed a little, "do well, mama and papa."
"We will, my angel," Alzack answered as the couple walked away from the guild. Their daughter, Asuka, waved energetically at them. When the two disappeared to the naked eyes of the ice mage and Asuka, Gray asked, "is it okay if we go back inside the guild? I forgot my white coat."
Asuka nodded and sneezed.
The two opened the door and were surprised to see the water mage near the door.
Gray surprisingly asked as he dropped the sack on the floor, "Juvia, are you eavesdropping?"
He threw another follow-up question, "I thought you're on a quest?"
"Juvia finished it early," she cheerfully answered while blushing furiously, "Juvia cannot help it as she saw that Gray-sama went out."
Ignoring her, Gray went to the counter and grabbed the coat on the table.
Upon seeing the ice mage, Cana Alberona hiccupped, "Gray, aren't you going to join me here?"
Gray scratched his head and apologized, "maybe next time."
The drunk mage whined, "why am I not asked by Bisca-san and Alzack-san to take care of Asuka-chan?"
On the other hand, Juvia asked Asuka, "Is Asuka-chan going to stay at Gray-sama's?"
"Hai," Asuka replied before giving out a big sneeze, "is Nee-san going to play with Asuka?"
"Juvia would love to," the water mage replied.
"Asuka thinks that Nee-san and Asuka are alike," she giggled and then sneezed in between, "Asuka uses her name often too."
"Juvia already has this habit ever since she was a child," she explained with a smile.
Asuka was about to open her mouth again but sneezed instead.
Juvia asked "are you sick, Asuka-chan?" and placed her hand on the child's forehead. The child suddenly closed her eyes and collapsed. The rain woman was able to catch her.
"Asuka-chan, you're ill," the rain woman gasped as she took the child on her arms. Somehow, she managed to carry the child. Juvia called Gray's attention, "Gray-sama, Juvia thinks that Asuka-chan has a fever."
Gray ran towards the two of them, "is she?"
He placed his hand over Asuka's forehead and shook his head.
"Maybe, I should bring her to Polushka-sama," Gray muttered as he picked up the brown sack he dropped and swung it on his shoulder.
"Gray-sama, it's too far," Juvia, overhearing the ice mage's muttering, advised, "and Asuka-chan's illness might go overboard with the travel."
Gray's voice cracked, "what should I do, then?"
"Juvia is thinking that Gray-sama doesn't know how to take care of someone who has a fever," Juvia said in a serious tone. She looked at the child on her arms worriedly.
"Juvia, what should I do?"
"Juvia suggests that Asuka-chan should rest," Juvia answered.
"Let's go," Gray flustered as he started walking out of the door. He looked back to find the rain woman still standing and looking at the child, "oi, you said that she needs to rest."
Juvia looked at him. Her eyes were wide open. A streak of red can be seen across her face. Her lips made a small o-shape.
"Are you coming?"
Juvia's eyes turned heartsy.
"Now's not the time to do those things, Juvia," Gray seriously said, "Asuka-chan is ill."
Juvia's facial expression changed. Her face went serious as she nodded.
-ooo-
Juvia stuttered as her eyes roamed around the ice mage's abode, "this is Gray-sama's house?"
The ice mage's house consists of two rooms connected to a common area. His two-room abode was surprisingly neat according to the water mage's observation. Nobody had ever told the rain woman about the ice mage's abode so it was a surprise to her that his house looks normal to her standard.
Gray entered the first room, put Asuka on his bed and covered her body with a blanket. He placed the child's belonging at a corner. He went out of the room and approached Juvia. Gray, then, asked, "what should we do next?"
"A cold compress on her forehead and a warm soup would be nice," Juvia suggested, "Juvia can cook for Asuka-chan, if Gray-sama doesn't want to cook."
"I don't cook, Juvia," he muttered.
"Well, Gray-sama can use his powers," her voice sounded unsure, "and create ice cubes."
"Tch," he smirked, "that would be easy."
Juvia shyly asked, "where can Juvia find the ingredients?"
"Ice Make: Cube," Gray muttered as he placed his two hands together and produced several ice cubes. He put the cubes in a bowl, "I don't have supplies here, Juvia."
The water mage's jaw dropped.
"How does Gray-sama eat here?"
"I don't," he answered coolly, "I usually come here to take a shower and then sleep."
"Juvia will buy some ingredients for the soup," Juvia volunteered, "Gray-sama, use the ice cubes to cool down the water. Dip the cloth in the water and place the damp cloth on her forehead."
"That would be so easy," Gray smirked.
"Gray-sama, make sure that the cloth is not too damp," Juvia warned before going out of the ice mage's house.
-ooo-
Gray placed a cold damp cloth on the sleeping child's forehead. Somehow, this act made the child crease her brows and opened her eyes lightly.
"Don't get up, Asuka-chan," Gray told the child. He was sitting beside the child, "you're ill."
"Okaa-san," the child muttered.
"Your mother will go home as soon as possible," Gray explained.
"Gray-sama promised Asuka that they will play," the child whispered.
Somehow, hearing the honorific term –sama made Gray blush furiously, "you shouldn't call me Gray-sama, Asuka-chan."
"Why can't Asuka call you that," the child muttered, "Juvia-nee always calls nii-san Gray-sama.
"I don't even know why she calls me that," he muttered, "don't copy Juvia."
Gray creased the space between his brows. Somehow, he found the similarity between the water mage and Asuka quite weird. For one, both use third person as a reference to themselves.
"Asuka likes Juvia-nee," she muttered, "she is kind."
A pregnant pause occurred between the two. The child broke the silence by asking, "why does Juvia-nee calls herself in third person?"
"That question coming from someone who calls herself in third person too," Gray, trying to come up with a decent answer to the question of the curious child, looked sideways, "I suppose I don't have the answer for that, Asuka-chan."
"You should rest, Asuka-chan," the ice maker smiled as he held his hand over the child's eyes. Asuka immediately removed the Gray's hand and said, "Answer my question, Gray-sama."
"Stop calling me Gray-sama," Gray's face went stoic.
While watching the child, the ice mage cannot help but wonder the answer to the child's question - how come the water mage call herself in third person. Juvia had never explained herself to other people. The guild does not even know a thing about her past, except that she used to be one of the Elemental Four of Phantom Lord Guild.
He, then, remembered the first time she saw the woman smiled. It was the first time she saw blue skies – the moment after her near-death experience of falling off a building and their battle.
Somehow, the conversation between him and the guild drunkard, Cana Alberona, also slipped in his mind.
"If there is one person to name the most selfless person," Cana rumbled as she drank her third barrel of beer, "that would be that rain woman who keeps stalking you, Gray."
"Tch," was the only sound that came from Gray's mouth. They were drinking on a table as a pastime.
"Sacrificing herself to destroy Laxus's thunder lacryma," Cana continued, "is the most stupid thing I have ever seen – the most stupid yet the most noble."
"Cana," Gray pointed out, "can we talk about something else?"
"Avoiding a certain topic, Gray Fullbuster?" Cana provoked, "I don't know what happened before but after we return from the Grand Magic Games, the two of you were different. She was different. Sometimes I'm wondering why Juvia looks at you in a different way. It's as if you did something horrible."
"That observation must be an effect of alcohol," Gray defensively answered.
"With or without alcohol," Cana barked, "it's the same look."
Gray's eyes widened. He was not conscious about the water mage's behaviour lately.
"I do not know what happened between the two of you," Cana sheepishly, "but something's off."
"She still bothers me," Gray blushed weakly, "annoyingly."
Cana nodded, "but for a split-second, I'm seeing a different Juvia every time she sees you."
"You're drunk," was all Gray had mustered.
"Whatever she's going through," Cana laughed, "I hope she tells someone. You know that selfless woman, there is something dark and hidden underneath that crazy woman."
"Selfless," he muttered unconsciously.
Asuka asked, "selfless?"
"Ha?"
"Gray-sama murmured selfless," Asuka repeated.
He shook his head to get the picture of the certain water mage out of his head. He muttered to himself, "you've entered a new era already, Gray."
"Gray-sama is already calling himself using his name," Asuka smiled.
"Oi!"
-ooo-
"Asuka-chan," the water mage shook the child lightly, "you must eat something."
The child fluttered her eyes. The water mage helped her sit.
"Juvia made you beef stew soup," the water mage beamed, "this is delicious."
Juvia took a spoonful of soup and started feeding the child.
The water mage asked, "Is Asuka-chan feeling well already?"
Asuka nodded. She took a spoonful of the soup being served by the water mage.
The two continuously did the routine – Juvia took a spoonful of soup and then fed it to the child. Through a small space between the door, the ice mage watched the two intently. Gray's eyes were widened due to the fact that he was seeing a different Juvia. This Juvia he was looking at that moment is different from the Juvia who always clings to him. He could not help but listen to the two's conversation.
"Juvia-nee," she called the rain woman. Juvia instantly looked at her and answered, "nani?"
"Okaa-san loves telling stories to Asuka-chan," the child shyly requested, "maybe, Juvia-nee can also tell Asuka-chan a story."
"Ano," Juvia shockingly muttered, "Juvia-san does not have any story with her."
"Onegai," Asuka pleaded.
"Asuka-chan must eat and later, Juvia will tell Asuka-chan a story," the water mage sighed, "Juvia is also wondering if Gray-sama already ate."
"Juvia-nee," Asuka asked, "why is Gray-sama like that?"
"What does Asuka-chan mean?"
"Onii-sama does not smile a lot," Asuka looked into the eyes of the rain woman, "and he seemed to be thinking a lot."
Juvia gulped as she tried to think of an answer for the child.
"Ano, Gray-sama, uhm, is going through a lot," Juvia tried to explain in a melancholic voice, "someday, Asuka-chan will understand."
"Does Juvia-nee love Gray-sama?"
Juvia remained silent. Gray noticed it through the door slit. The rain woman's face was a mixture. She was smiling yet her eyes were telling a different thing. It was something that he was not expecting – the usual annoying Juvia would answer "I love Gray-sama" enthusiastically.
-ooo-
Juvia came out of the room with an empty bowl and said, "Juvia is now done feeding Asuka-chan."
Gray, who was sitting nervously on the couch, asked, "how is she?"
"Asuka-chan is already fine and is now sleeping, Gray-sama," Juvia smiled at him as she went to the kitchen and started washing the dishes, "Juvia thought that Gray-sama hasn't eaten anything yet. Maybe, she should also cook something for Gray-sama."
"No need for that, Juvia," Gray stuttered as he stood from his seat and approached the rain woman. He watched the water mage closely.
"Juvia insists," she blushed furiously as her eyes concentrated on the washing, "since Juvia also bought-"
"Juvia this, Juvia that," Gray muttered, "Gray-sama this, Gray-sama that."
"Is something bothering Gray-sama?"
She looked at him calmly. Her eyes were fixed on his. Their eyes gazed through each other. She pursed her lips. It was a look that Gray had never seen on Juvia. It was the face of someone who lost someone.
"You," he murmured.
"Juvia?"
She blinked her eyes.
"You-,"Gray was about to continue yet he retreated. He sighed and then said calmly, "you can cook something for me."
What Cana had mentioned before echoed inside his head.
"I don't know what happened before but after we return from the Grand Magic Games, the two of you were different. She was different. Sometimes I'm wondering why Juvia looks at you in a different way. It's as if you did something horrible."
Juvia's facial expression changed. Her eyes twinkled as she blushed furiously, "Oh, Juvia will definitely cook something delicious for Gray-sama!"
She started scrambling the kitchen for pots and other cooking utensils. Gray scratched his head and sat down on the counter facing the kitchen.
Juvia said in a sing-song, "Gray-sama will definitely fall in love with Juvia after tasting this!"
"Juvia," he called.
Juvia immediately stopped chopping vegetables and looked at the ice mage.
"Nothing," he said as he stood from his seat and took out a bottle of beer from a cupboard. Juvia, then, continued to prepare the ingredients.
"Juvia, I need to tell you something."
It was the last thing he can recall that he said to the rain woman at Crocus. It was in the middle of their fight against the dragons. Juvia trembled upon hearing him. She covered her mouth with both hands. After that, everything became as vivid as a dream for Gray – with Lyon shouting Juvia's name and his instinctive move to push Juvia out of the way.
"Does Gray-sama want roasted beef?"
He motionlessly sat on the counter stool. He thought, "some things should be left unsaid for now, eh?"
"How about tea?"
"I've entered a new era too," echoed inside his head.
"Gray-sama," Juvia called his attention one more time.
"Juvia is wondering why Gray-sama is muttering to himself," she worriedly said.
The ice mage let out a sigh, "down goes my defense mechanism," and smiled weakly.
Juvia almost fainted as she saw the faint smile on the ice mage's face.
-ooo-
"Thank you for taking care of Asuka-chan, Gray-kun," Bisca and Alzack said together after hugging their only daughter who was sleeping on her father's arms, "we also heard that you helped, Juvia-chan. Arigatou."
Juvia blushed furiously, "Bisca-san and Alzack-san, there is no need to thank Juvia."
"Well, we heard from Cana that it seems like Gray doesn't know how to take care of sick people," Bisca smiled, "so thank you."
Cana laughed sheepishly at the corner of the guild premise.
"We got this from our job," Alzack took out what looks like coupons and handed each to Gray and Juvia, "a free dinner at a restaurant near the outskirt of Magnolia."
"I hope you appreciate our small gesture," Bisca added with an evil twinkle on her eyes.
"A date with Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed as she clung herself to Gray.
"Oi, Juvia," Gray annoyingly said.
"Well then, ja ne," Bisca and Alzack said as they come out of the guild. He stroke Asuka's hair.
"They remind me of us," Alzack whispered to Bisca.
"Well, theirs has a little bit darker background compared to us," Bisca chuckled and watched their little angel who was still sleeping.
FIN