In just a few mere hours, Juvia was now sauntering dreamily down the street, sporting a new and nicer outfit, as well as carrying a white plastic bag. She was humming a sweet tune, until she made it to her destination.
Juvia spun around, and faced the door that lead into her beloved's apartment. Fear began to seep into her, as she began to fiddle with the white bag she was carrying.
Gray-sama's home… she thought, giving the door a hard stare. She bit her lip, and her cheeks began to slowly turn pink. Who knew a door could be so intimidating?
Juvia is not afraid! Juvia has been here on multiple occasions! She stomped as she thought, before slouching down timidly.
Of course, this will be the first time Gray-sama will be aware of my presence here.
Trying to forget the numerous times she has broken in, she took a deep breath and knocked at the door, and immediately after shut her eyes, preparing for the worst.
Silence.
Maybe he hadn't heard her?
The mage attempted to knock again, hoping this time she will get a response.
Nothing.
Frustration slowly began to fill her mind, as she tried a yet again, this time knocking extra loud.
"Hello?"
Juvia, now upset, began angrily banging on the door, shouting whatever came to her mind.
"Let Juvia in! Juvia must know that Gray-sama is okay!"
With one final kick, the poor water mage decided to give up. She put her back against the door, and slowly slid down it, now sitting against it.
Maybe he is not home? No… that can't be right, if he-
Juvia's thoughts were interrupted when her support for her back suddenly began to move, and she slipped down the door with a squeak.
"Juvia?"
Rubbing the back of her head after the impact of it being slammed on the ground, she looked up and noticed her predicament. There she was, lying sheepishly on the ground, with her favourite ice mage standing up behind her. Realizing that it would be slightly awkward to converse while looking at him upside-down, Juvia quickly rushed to her feet and dusted herself off, a slight blush embellished on her usually pale cheeks.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. Juvia cleared her throat, and gave Gray a bashful look.
"Well, J-Juvia was worried… and wanted to know if Gray-sama was okay-"
"I'm fine Juvia, and you shouldn't worry about me," he said, lifting himself off the door frame. Juvia opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by her love.
"Goodnight now!"
And with that, the door closed right in her face. Juvia's jaw dropped as she stared at the area where Gray used to be standing.
Seriously?
"Gray-sama, Juvia wants to take care of you!" she yelled, desperately banging the door once again.
"I don't need your hospitality, so you can go home now," he muttered from the other side of the door. Juvia pressed her ear against the door, and cringed when she heard footsteps slowly slipping further and further away from her.
Uneasiness washed over Juvia, as the footsteps were beginning to turn non-existent.
"B-But! Juvia brought food!" she pleaded, and the footsteps took a halt. Realizing she has gained his attention, she continued, "home-made food just for Gray-sama to recover from his illness!"
She lifted her white plastic bag in triumph, before lowering her arm again, realizing no one could see her, and she probably looked silly.
Relief washed over her as she heard the door unlocking, and finally opening for her to be let in. There stood Gray once again, but this time without a shirt on, not that Juvia was complaining though.
He looked down at her slightly abashed, "I guess you can come in for a little."
The two began to walk in, and Juvia glanced around the familiar apartment.
"Sorry about the mess," he said sheepishly, referring to the piles of clothes scattered throughout his living room.
"It's quite fine," Juvia smiled, taking a seat on his couch. It looked just like it always had to her, not that he would know.
Juvia gave her love a quick glance, noticing that something looked slightly off. That thought vanished though once Gray took a seat beside her, and cleared off the clothes on the table that was in front of him, so Juvia to put the food on it. As the bluenette reached to place her bag on the table, she took the chance to get a better look at the man beside her.
He doesn't look so sick to me, she thought, giving him a hard stare, but then again, Gray's ego is too big for him to show that he's under the weather.
Not realizing that she had been staring for quite a while, Gray shot his head to her.
"What?"
Surprising her, Juvia jumped and quickly averted her eyes to her bag of food, a fresh blush staining her cheeks.
"N-N-Nothing!"
Her cheeks began to grow shades even darker, as she burned her gaze into the table. Juvia could have sworn she hasn't been this flustered in a long time. Though, in the corner of her eye, she saw a slight smirk form on Gray's lips, slowly dissolving her embarrassment.
"So," he began, clapping his hands together, "what'd you bring me?"
A wicked smile formed on Juvia's face, as she reached into the bag.
"Well, knowing that Gray-sama is unhealthy, Juvia made the perfect recipe for recovery!" she beamed, pulling out a thermos with a heart on it, "here you have Juvia's special healing soup!"
She held out the thermos in front of her, as if it was a trophy. All Gray did though was give it a blank stare. Noticing this, she added, "i-it's not really any special soup, Juvia just thought the name would add to the effect…"
"Juvia... I can't eat this," Gray said, making Juvia burst into a horrified look.
"Why not?!"
"You know I don't like hot foods," Gray responded, casually putting the thermos back on the table.
Heartbroken, Juvia grabbed her lovely thermos and hugged it.
"But… Juvia had to make this soup seventeen different times for it to be perfect for Gray-sama!" she whined, clutching her soup as she began to cry.
"Seventeen different times?" Gray reiterated to himself, slightly disturbed that she would go through all that trouble for him. Feeling guilty for making her cry, he decided, "I'm sure a bit of soup won't hurt me."
Juvia turned to Gray robotically, giving him her largest smile, her eyes literally sparkling from glee. The ice mage couldn't help but slightly smile at the ridiculous girl in front of him.
Once she handed him the spoon, he took off the top of the thermos, and hesitantly filled his spoon up with the soup. Juvia watched him eagerly as he took the first spoonful of her soup, desperately waiting for his response. Once he swallowed, he turned to her with a taken aback look, making her previous confidence slowly topple over.
"That bad?" she uttered meekly, removing her eye contact from him and to towards the bottom of her skirt, as she beginning to play with a loose thread on it.
"Juvia…" Gray began with a serious tone as she prepared herself for the worst.
"This… is actually pretty damn good!"
Those words alone instantly lightened her mood, and she lightly smiled as she watched him scarf down her soup.
"Thank you, Gray-sama."
The two sat in silence after that then, only the sounds of the spoon hitting the thermos every so often. After a few minutes, Gray set down the now empty thermos, and leaned back into the couch with ease while resting his hands on his bare stomach.
"I've gotta say Juvia, that was the best meal I've had in a while," he complimented, earning a sweet smile the chef.
"It was no problem! If Gray-sama ever wants more, Juvia will be more than delighted to make it again!" she radiated, removing the empty thermos and placing it back in the bag. She then added, "are you thirsty?"
"If you are going to offer me to drink you again, then no," he deadpanned, resting his hands behind his head.
His witty remark caused Juvia to self-consciously wrap her arms around herself, in which Gray responded with a half-hearted laugh.
"No, Juvia has learned her lesson to stop inviting Gray-sama to drink her water," she pouted, reaching into her plastic bag, "this time, Juvia has brought Gray-sama his own water!"
She tossed him the water bottle, and uttered 'thanks' to her, before taking a sip of it.
The room fell quiet again, and Juvia gave Gray a focused look.
"What is it now?" he questioned, putting his water bottle aside.
"Well…" she began hesitantly, "it's just that Erza-san said that Gray-sama wasn't feeling very well after the last job request you all were on, but… Juvia thinks Gray-sama seems completely fine and healthy!"
The ice mage averted his eyes from Juvia, and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, I'm not sick."
Wasn't that hard to tell, Juvia thought, and was then shocked by her own sarcasm.
"Then why was Gray-sama not at the guild today?"
"I just wasn't up for it, okay?" he uttered, refusing to look at the water mage beside him.
"Why is that?" she urged, leaning closer towards the man beside her.
"Because I was tired," he claimed, but Juvia could see right through his farce.
"Gray-sama, whatever went wrong during your latest mission, you can tell Juvia."
But the stripper remained concealed, shaking his head.
"It doesn't matter."
"But it matters to Juvia!"
"Well it's none of your business!" Gray yelled, slamming his fist into the wall behind him as he turned to face the now startled girl beside him.
The rain woman turned her eyes downward, a slight frown forming on her usual happy face.
"Juvia is just concerned… but, maybe it is best for Juvia to just leave," she said brokenly, standing up. She began to make her exit, before Gray grabbed her wrist. She turned to him with a slightly shocked face, whereas his eyes were downcast.
"Wait, Juvia… I just…"
"Juvia understands," she gave him a dejected smile, and attempted to free her wrist from his grasp, only to have his hand hold her tighter.
"No, Juvia… just stay a little while longer."
The water woman's blush crept onto her cheeks yet again for the umpteenth time that day as she re took her seat beside her love.
Gray let out a breathy sigh, and then turned his head towards the woman beside him.
"My necklace."
Juvia let out a large gasp as her eyes shot down to Gray's neck, where his usually ever present necklace was no longer there!
Juvia is such a bad lover! How could she have missed this!?
"Where did it go?!" she asked, shocked.
"I lost it." He gave a bitter smile, "no… more like it was taken away from me."
The water mage opened her mouth to continue talking but Gray beat her to it.
"It's a pretty long story."
"Juvia has all the time in the world for Gray-sama," Juvia expressed sincerely, a comforting smile plastered on her face. Slightly blushing, Gray turned his head away from his stalker.
"Well… I mean if you insist I might as well…"
Juvia smiled heartily, preparing herself for the story that was about to come from the love of her life.
I am just going to mention that whenever I write, I like to listen to Mirajane's theme on repeat because honestly, who doesn't love that song? It's so pretty and stuff that it fills me with feels.
Thanks for reading and reviewing! It fills my heart with dark chocolate covered blueberries! (hah sorry. Those are just what I was eating when I uploaded :P)
