Fairy Tail
Gruvia Week 2015
Day #4 - Demons
As you groggily blink your eyes in a vain attempt to assess your surroundings, you notice the splitting, pounding sensation in your cranium and think - damn, I must've gotten drunk last night.
To be honest with yourself, getting plastered yesterday was completely reasonable. To yourself anyway. Managing to gain a hazy view of your environment, you find that you aren't in your apartment and an expression that is simultaneously smug and worried isn't regarding you.
The next you notice is how glaringly blue the apartment is. Aside from the hardwood floor and the appliances, the rest of the room is a shade of blue. From the ceiling to the walls to even the couch you're reclining on.
Sluggishly, as you put two and two together, you realize that there is only one person who would have this much blue in their life.
Juvia.
How the blunette found you though, you cannot recall. The last thing you remember is drinking a beer (which led to several others) in a bar in an attempt to drown your sorrows due to what the previous day was the anniversary of.
Scanning the apartment, you cannot seem to locate the woman. Although, you commend her on the fact that she brought you all the way to her apartment. Comparing your muscular build and her slender frame, it must've taken a lot of effort for her to drag you from the last place you where (either the bar or outside it) to her apartment.
Unless, of course, she acquired assistance from one of her friends. You wonder if her friend Gajeel-kun or Totomaru-san provided her help in moving you.
Before you can ruminate any longer though, you're blearily aware that a head of blue hair is heading towards you.
"Juvia sees that you are awake Gray." She says, crouching down next to you.. While her voice is usually pleasant to listen to in all its cheerful stunningness, it was now a virtual cacophony. It sounded like wood chips were being shoved into his ears.
"Oi!" You shout, pushing your hands on your ears. "Not so loud!" You glare coldly at her.
The blunette's faint smile fades as her face became downcast. "Juvia is s-sorry. She d-didn't mean any harm."
Your disdainful look subsides as you look at the blunette. "O-oi!" You exclaim, your tone tentative as you glance away from her. Heat blooms on your face. "No need to apologize. If-"
Whatever you were about to say gets blocked by the regurgitation being forced up your esophagus. You're vaguely aware of murmuring "bucket" before the vomit arrives.
Luckily, the stuff you threw up manages to inexplicably cover only you in its grotesque appearance. For Juvia anyway. You on the other hand feel like your friend, Erza, beat the stuffing out of you after fighting with Natsu. You also feel unseemly dirty. (Fortunately, this seems to be one of the only times when you haven't unconsciously stripped.)
"Ugh." You mutter incoherently. "That was awful."
Glancing over at the blunette, you see immense empathy reflected in her cerulean irises. "Are you okay Gray?"
You smirk inwardly to yourself. I just threw up all over myself, how do you think I feel? Instead, you mutter something less confrontational. "Got any Advil?"
The blunette nods her head. "Juvia has some." She stands from where she was crouching. "She shall get you some along with a glass of water."
"Thanks Juvia." You mumble to her retreating figure, a lopsided grin on your face.
A couple minutes later, as you feel the resounding pound of your headache, you see Juvia has returned. Holding the appropriate amount in one hand and a glass of water in the other, you accept them gratefully.
"Thanks again." You murmur before taking the tablet, drinking a swig of water, and tipping your head back. You hand the partially empty glass back to her. "I needed that."
"Juvia is glad she could help." The blunette says with a sincere smile before her eyebrows furrow in concentration.
You eye her curiously as your senses start to come back to you. "Juvia, what is it?"
Your nostrils answer for you as you detect the putrid smell of the vomit that covers you.
"Crap." You curse under your breath. You look from the vomit to the girl looking at you. "Juvia, mind if I use your bath?"
Her reply is a compassionate grin. "Juvia will draw you a bath immediately." She eyes you up and down. "And I'll clean your clothes as well."
"Thanks Juvia." You say, noticing you seem to be expressing a lot of gratitude towards the blunette.
You release a contented sigh as you sink into the bathtub. Already you can feel the disgusting vomit be cleaned from your body. The hot water also provides great comfort and relaxes you. After scrubbing yourself down, you get out and grab an azure towel to wrap around your waist. Opening the door, you do not expect what you see on the other side.
Because standing there, looking mortified with an attractive smattering of crimson across her cheeks is Juvia. With her eyes riveted firmly on his torso.
"Juvia came to tell you your clothes are almost done drying." The blunette says, moving to cover her eyes.
"Thanks." You say, feeling almost as embarrassed as the girl in front of you. You gesture to the bathroom. "I think I'll stay in here till they're done."
"Yes," Juvia says with a nod of her head. "Juvia finds that that would be for the best."
The blunette flees soon after, most likely to calm down and check the dryer.
"Well," You start as you enter the bathroom and close the door. "that was awkward."
You retrieve your guest's clothes from the dryer, folding it for easy carrying purposes before holding it and knocking on the door to your bathroom.
"Juvia has your clothes." You say as you squint your eyes shut. "Gray can come get them."
You hear the creaking of a door, a hushed "thank you", and can sense that his clothes are no longer in your possession.
"Juvia will be in the kitchen." You call as you see the door shut and as you walk towards your kitchen.
After some time has passed, the two of you are sitting at your table. You're nursing a bottle of water as your guest sits with some coffee in front of him.
"Why were you drunk?" You ask bluntly.
Gray grimaces and you take that as a sign it must've been something painful that caused him to drink so much. "I don't want to talk about it." He mutters before taking a gulp of coffee.
You regard the man with sympathetic eyes. You can think of only one reason why someone would drink so incessantly. Someone close to him died.
"Who was it that died?" You ask.
The blunet turns his eyes on you and just before you think he is going to snap at you, he sighs. His mouth curves wistfully as he stares at your blue tablecloth.
"Her name was Ur Milkovich." Gray says before taking a drink of coffee. "Yesterday was the anniversary of her death."
His wistful smile becomes saddened. "And even after all these years," He raises a hand to clutch at the fabric of his shirt that resides over his heart. "it still hurts. Painfully."
Not wanting to push him, or wanting to see him cry or show any sign of grief, you place a comforting hand over your guest's.
"I understand." You say with a heartfelt grin. "You don't have to say anything more."
Gray stares at you for a moment longer before shooting you a crooked grin. (You ignore the way it speeds up your heart.)
"Thanks Juvia." Gray says. "You're a good friend."
Friend.
You like the sound of that. Yet, at the same time, you cannot help but wish for something more.
Gazing into Gray's eyes, you blush as his hand moves to encompass yours. Before you can see what happens next though, you remove your hand from your guest's as you stand up from your table.
"Juvia forgot, she must clean her dryer's lint trap!" You exclaim as you head for your laundry room. It isn't a complete lie, you honestly need to remove the lint from the machine.
Even as you leave the blunet though, you cannot help but feel his piercingly hot eyes on your back.
Author's Notes: And another one bites the dust. Four down, three to go. Anyway, see you guys on the next submission!
