Snow Brazen Sky
Juvia wasn't sure how long she sat in the snow with Gray. The flakes carefully fell from the sky, surrounding them, almost mournfully, as if to blanket them the way they blanketed the white, glistening ground underneath them. She kept her arms wound securely around his grief-stricken form, her heart splintering into tiny pieces as each shattering cry resounded from Gray in the confines of her chest. His arms were wrapped around her just as tight, and it was almost as if he didn't want her to let go, as if her arms were the only thing holding him together. Juvia rested her head on top of Gray's warm, soft locks.
"You're warm," she had told him awhile ago, and he was. Warm to her touch, warm in her arms, and she closed her dark eyes, allowing the tears of her own to roll down and disappear into his mass of black hair. What had made Gray feel so warm? Normally he was cold... closed off. Distant. Almost unfeeling at times even, but now, here as he held onto her as if his life depended on it, he was as warm to the touch as any other human being.
They stayed this way for what seemed like hours before Gray's cries finally quieted down into soft sobs, and then soon sniffling and then nothing except for hitched breathing here and there. The ice mage just lay against her, as if he'd exhausted himself from his mournful loss of composure, and his thankfulness as well as his guilt. Juvia took it upon herself at this moment, considering he had quieted down now, to check on him and make sure he was alright.
"U-umm.. Gray-sama?" she spoke his name softly, running her fingers through touseled spikes. "Gray-sama, Juvia is-," but she was cut off as Gray slowly lifted his face from against her collarbone, where he'd nestled it. He opened his wet eyes slighty and peered into Juvia's worried face. Juvia placed her hands on both sides of his damp cheeks. "Juvia is worried..."
"It's... I-I'm alright now, Juvia. I'm sorry," Gray apologized once more, and Juvia's heart clenched at how exhausted, how drained her precious Gray's voice sounded. She never wanted to hear him sound so broken, so lost, so filled with grief, ever again. "It's just, I'm not usually, I..." Gray stumbled over his words, and Juvia wasn't sure if he was ashamed of allowing himself to break like this in front of her, but it was okay with her. The water mage didn't mind this side of Gray one single bit. In fact, she felt touched that he'd show such a personal, vulnerable side of himself to her, that he would seek comfort in her arms, laying against her, allowing his pain to surface. Her heart swelled against her ribcage.
"Gray-sama doesn't need to explain," Juvia told him, staring hard into his eyes. "Juvia understands how Gray-sama feels."
Gray just stared up at her, lips unmoving, the last of the tears in his eyes drying up, and Juvia never felt more in love with the man right front of her in that very moment. If she could somehow take all of his pain into her and make it disappear, then she would sure try. No matter what it took, she never wanted Gray to be sad, and even if he were, she'd do her best to comfort him and make him feel better, in the same manner she had just attempted, succeeding or not. That much she knew she could do her best to give to him.
And if there were more, or some other way that Juvia could find, she would. She longed to see him smile again, but there was no trace of it in his expression and Juvia sighed softly. Gray ducked his head, taking in a deep breath, and brought his hands up to Juvia's biceps, pushing himself to his feet. He stared down at the water mage and held his hand out for hers. Juvia gratefully accepted and he pulled the girl to her feet.
"Well then, I think that's enough for today. Perhaps we should find our way back to the others," Gray stated, surprising Juvia. It amazed her how strong Gray could be sometimes, but she felt worried. Worried that Gray might close himself off to her again. She had hoped that they could speak of everything later once Gray was feeling more like himself again.
Juvia just nodded her blue head. Until then, she would just stay by the ice mage's side. Supporting him, encouraging him, comforting him, loving him. "Juvia agrees. Let's go find the others. They might be worried." She tilted her chin upward, took a few steps forward and gazed up at the snow falling from the hazy sky and thought of all the others. Natsu-san, Lucy, Gajeel-kun, and all the rest of the guild were probably concerned about their wherabouts. Lost in her thoughts momentarily, Juvia felt Gray's warm body close to hers once more as he stepped forward and it snapped her back to reality. He had a hard, blazing expression in his eyes, as if some newly born strength found its way inside of him.
"I swear, I'll bring down E.N.D," were the only words he uttered, and Juvia felt a sense of pride. She stood next to him and nodded her head. She believed with all her heart that he would, and so she said the only thing she felt was necessary because she knew Gray didn't need many words of encouragement.
"Yes," she replied with nothing but a smile. Yes. That was good enough for Gray, then it was good for her.