AN:This story was based on the Gruviafluff Fest prompt "Snow" back in December of 2014. Since a good portion of the Northeast of the United States is experiencing a Nor'Easter, I felt this story was more than appropriate. Also, this is my very first published fanfiction work so feel free to review and leave some constructive feedback. At the moment, my focus is writing "Fairy Tail" AU - specifically the characters of Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser.
Disclaimer: I don't own "Fairy Tail". The work is owned/created by Hiro Mashima and published by Kodansha Comics.
Cabin Fever
The Upstate mountain region is an unforgiving swath of land where in the winter months snowfall can be anywhere from a 1ft. to 5ft. This winter season turned out to be the worst in the area as salt supplies are few and far between, making roads treacherous to any visitor trying to drive through the snowy terrain. One such visitor found out the hard way while inside a cabin for a weekend ski trip. Little did they know that the trip would last for a week thanks to a Nor'easter ripping through town.
Gray Fullbuster loves being in his family's ski cabin during snow storms. It reminds him of his childhood and the many days he spent outside making snow castles and falling into heaps of snow, listening to the crunch of snow underfoot while trudging across the yard. His fiancé on the other hand is still trying to get used to the whole concept of being snowed in. Growing up in a more tropical area where hurricanes are the norm, Juvia Lockser could survive a Category 4 hurricane and throw hurricane parties like nobody's business. Her childhood consisted of flooded neighborhoods, watching a gator wading through the neighbor's yard and the humming of backup generators keeping basic electricity running through homes during recovery. Experiencing a Nor'easter was both exhilarating and frightening to Juvia. But what thrilled her even more was the idea of being snowed in with her Gray-sama and if things turn out really bad outside, it only means they get to spend more time together trying to warm each other up. The thought of it sent Juvia into one of her daydream stupors – something that Gray has gotten used to over the years he's known her.
"Gray-sama! Do we have enough salt for the front steps? And are the shovels near the front door?" Juvia asks while trying to prepare hot totties for Gray and herself in the kitchen.
"Yeah. We're good. There's no need to worry. This storm will most likely dump a foot of snow and be out of here by morning," Gray casually answers from the living room couch.
"And what about the snow thrower? And the backup generator? And did you get gas before the storm..."
"Yes Juvia! Everything is taken care of," Gray answers before she could even continue with her line of questioning. Sensing Juvia's anxiety, Gray gets up from the couch and heads over to the kitchen to try and calm her down a little. He's well aware that she's never experienced a snow storm – a Nor'easter at that – and in a way he felt a little guilty about driving up to the cabin knowing that this storm was predicted to hit that weekend. But he just couldn't ignore the siren's call of the snow and its fierce whispers in the wind as it howled and carved out snow banks. He also knew Juvia would come along no matter what.
"Hey, how are those hot totties coming along?"
"Juvia just finished making them." She hands Gray a cup and he takes it carefully as its still hot. Juvia takes the other cup and starts to sip its contents, letting the cinnamon, lemon, honey and whiskey mix with hot tea warm her from head to toe.
"Wow Juvia! This is really good. I hope you made more," said Gray as he drinks some more.
"Juvia made a pot full so its safe to say we're going to be hammered by the time this storm blows through." Juvia giggles at her comment while Gray smirked and takes another drink.
"I'm glad you're here with me. I know this weather isn't something you're used to." Gray says to Juvia as he places his cup down on the counter.
"Gray-sama, you know Juvia was coming along no matter what." Juvia smiles after saying that and it sent Gray's heart into overdrive. He wasn't sure if it was the whiskey or the sudden drop in temperature outside but he felt his cheeks burning and Juvia caught a glimpse of his blush working its way to the surface. It made Juvia blush as well.
"Would you like some more, Gray-sama?" Gray looks at his cup and notices that its almost empty.
"Sure. Thanks." While Juvia was pouring more into his cup, a loud noise was heard outside the kitchen window. It startled Gray and Juvia as they looked out the window to see debris from nearby homes whipping their way across yards. Someone's car cover ended up in their driveway, caught in the trees. "Someone's going to miss that car cover," jokes Gray. Juvia laughs at his comment and they both return their attention to each other.
After taking another sip of their drinks, Juvia puts her cup down and places both her hands on Gray's arms, pulling herself close to him. "Juvia is starting to get cold. She's thinking of going to bed and snuggling under the down comforters and duvet – with nothing on."
Gray's eyes widen and he places his cup down to take Juvia's hands into his. They were slightly cold even though she was holding a hot cup minutes before. A smirk flashes on his face as he pulls Juvia closer against his chest. "Are you drunk already?"
"Not quite drunk. Juuuust frisky," answers Juvia in the most seductive yet cute way. This made Gray lift her chin up to meet his gaze and he kisses her passionately, sending fire through her veins. Suddenly she felt weak in the knees and Gray sensed her starting to slump down to the kitchen floor. He catches her and lifts her up, carrying her out of the kitchen in his arms all the while both laughing their way to the bedroom. The howling winds outside doesn't muffle the sounds of their activities inside the bedroom.
The next morning, Juvia wakes up to see the sun's rays filtering into their bedroom. She lifts her head to see herself and Gray wrapped in each other's embrace under the multiple down comforters and duvet. She kisses his cheek as he stirs and slowly opens his eyes to see Juvia kissing her way to his lips. He catches her lips and they both stay that way until they pull apart for air. "Good morning," whispers Gray. Juvia smiles and replies, "Good morning."
"How much snow do you think fell last night?" Juvia asks.
"Dunno. We can check," answers Gray.
Gray gets up and puts on a pair of sweat pants and proceeds to leave the bedroom shirtless to see how high the snow drifts are. Juvia stays in bed and covers herself under the comforter. A few minutes later she hears her fiancé exclaim, "Holy crap!" The urgency in his voice made her snap her eyes open and jump out of the warm comfort of their bed. She wears her fleece robe and quickly exits the bedroom to see Gray standing at the front door.
"What's wro…Oh my God!" Juvia couldn't believe what she sees. Gray has the front door open wide enough to see nothing but a wall of pure white snow covering the entire entrance of the cabin. The snow drifts piled up snow against their screen door as it completely packed itself to mold against the frame of the door.
Juvia walks up behind Gray and hugs him from behind. Her fantasy came true! They are stuck inside the cabin together. And Gray knows well that it would take about a week for all this snow to be plowed and shoveled away before the roads are passable again. For now, Gray and Juvia will just have to enjoy each other's company the best they can – and this makes Gray's imagination run wild with ideas of what to do with Juvia inside the cabin. He makes a mischievous grin, shuts the door and quickly picks up Juvia, earning a surprise gasp from the woman.
"Well Juvia, it looks like you're here with me for a while. Let's go back to bed." Gray flashes a sexy smile to Juvia and he swore he just saw hearts in her eyes the moment he looked at her. She kisses him and exclaims, "Gray-sama is making Juvia's dreams come true!"
The moment he closes the bedroom door, more snow shifts from the roof and falls around the cabin, adding more snow drifts along the windows, completely covering them. They look at the bedroom window and then to each other and smile a devious smile. "Ok," Gray says, "I think we're here for more than a week."
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