Short 4

POV: 3rd person

In the early hours of the morning following the party at the palace, Gray finds Juvia alone in the palace garden. In this quiet sanctuary, the two talk about the nightmare they saw and the things that were left unsaid.

The celebration at the palace that evening lasted many hours into the night. Wizards danced and drank and laughed until the memory of the dragon attack became buried beneath their cheers.

Juvia had been enjoying the night with her friends as much as any other member of the guild. Although she didn't get to dance with the one person she most wanted to dance with, it was still fun to party with the people who had become her family.

But even this warm and lively atmosphere couldn't shake away the memory of what she'd seen.

So, as the party began to wind down in the early hours of the morning, Juvia snuck away from the palace to find herself a quiet place to think.

The palace gardens were a popular tourist attraction and made for a cozy and serene getaway. Juvia found a balcony hidden away in the garden's edge. She came to rest on the railing, staring blankly at the newly repaired city that sprawled out before her and listening to the soothing sounds of nature from the garden behind her.

This is how he found her.

Gray hadn't been following her per se. In a similar mindset, he'd escaped the party a while ago to wander the garden in solitude. He just so happened to notice her settle at the garden's edge as he was passing by.

He thought about leaving her alone. Approaching her was always a gamble for him, because he could never predict how she was going to react.

This case was a little different though. He had a feeling he knew what was on her mind.

He called out to her.

"Juvia."

She jumped in surprise, turning sharply at the sound of his voice. "Gray-sama," She greeted him. "Juvia didn't hear you coming."

Gray settled next to her, leaning on the railing and looking out at the city. Juvia quietly returned to doing the same.

"You okay?"

The question was quiet, awkward, and difficult for him to say. Gray was always a little nervous that he might say something wrong, something that she might take the wrong way, but that didn't change the fact that he cared about her and worried about her.

Especially after what happened.

Juvia glanced at him for a moment, then looked down at her hands. "Juvia is… okay. Juvia just has some things on her mind."

Gray gave a small, sideways smile. "Yeah, I figured. I can imagine."

Juvia fiddled with her fingers, a small blush tinting her cheeks.

The two of them stood like that in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Gray cherished these simple, peaceful moments with her. It was a rare and precious thing, especially for someone in Fairy Tail.

But a quiet and subdued Juvia wasn't right. As nice as it was, he would rather see Juvia as her normal, bubbly, expressive self.

So, after basking in the silence for a while, Gray pushed through it.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Juvia's eyes widened in surprise. She tilted her head at him, and he looked away, a little embarrassed.

Gray didn't have to ask what was bothering her. The memory was haunting him too.

Juvia went back to looking at her hands. "Juvia…" She started hesitantly. "Juvia saw Gray-sama die."

Gray gave a single, curt nod. "I know."

Juvia clasped her hands, trembling slightly. "Juvia is so sorry. If she had been paying attention… if Juvia hadn't let herself get distracted…"

Gray tapped her head lightly with the back of his hand, distracting her from her apology. She brought her hand up to touch the spot reflexively, looking at him in surprise.

"It wasn't your fault." He told her gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have distracted you."

Gray felt frustrated with himself. He couldn't believe that he had chosen to die to protect her. He knew exactly what it felt like when someone you love dies protecting you, and it isn't something he would wish on anyone. There should have been something else he could have done.

But Gray hadn't been thinking. He had seen the danger and his body reacted. As a result, he died. Nothing about that was Juvia's fault.

Definitely, at the very least, he should have known better than to distract her with an easily misunderstood comment.

Juvia gave him a small smile. "It isn't Gray-sama's fault, either." She shifted slightly, gripping the railing and ducking her chin. "Does Gray-sama… does Gray-sama find Juvia annoying?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, unimpressed. "Why would you ask something like that?"

Gray was clumsy with his words around her. He struggled to get the right message across without making anything sound too mean or suggestive. But most of the time, he was pretty sure that she got it, and she should know better than to ask a dumb question like that.

Juvia relaxed slightly. "Sorry. Juvia is just feeling a little bit discouraged."

Gray frowned, shrinking a little as the conversation began treading dangerous waters. "Was it… something I did?"

Juvia was once again surprised by the straightforward question. "Gray-sama said earlier… when Juvia got to the party…"

"Oh. That."

Juvia bit her lip, nodding slightly.

Gray ran a hand through his hair, shifting his eyes away from her. "That isn't… that's not what I meant." He mumbled.

He wasn't sure what to tell her.

Gray liked Juvia. He liked her a lot. It was a feeling that he worried might be bordering dangerously close on love.

But she also acted like a fangirl often. He didn't mind the attention she gave him, not really. But that wasn't why he liked her, and he didn't want to give her the impression that it was. More than that, though, it was dangerous. The battle against the dragons had made that much clear to him. Gray was not okay with how close she'd been to getting killed because she'd been distracted.

He had decided that he wouldn't respond to her 'fangirling'. Gray had no intention of pushing her away, but if he was going to reciprocate in any sense of the word, it would be while she was being genuine, not while she was in the throes of her fantasies.

How was he supposed to tell her that?

Gray let out a slow, controlled breath, and braced himself.

"You get a little crazy sometimes, you know that?"

Juvia gave him a small smile. "Yes, Juvia knows."

Gray risked a look at her. "I don't really mind… but there's a time and a place, you know? I don't want you to get hurt because of it."

I don't want you to get hurt because of your feelings for me.

Gray didn't have to spell it out for her. Juvia knew him well enough to know his insecurities. He didn't want anyone getting hurt on his behalf. Never again.

"Juvia will try to control her fantasies." She promised him, shifting closer and linking her arm loosely with his. "Juvia isn't going anywhere, Gray-sama." She caught his eye and smiled. "Next time, Juvia will protect you."

Gray smiled back at her.

The two fell back into a comfortable silence.

Whether Juvia would be able to live up to that remained to be seen, but Gray felt a lot better now that he had her word. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

On the other hand, he still didn't know what he was going to do about this girl.

Did Gray love Juvia? He honestly wasn't sure. There was something there, something he'd never experienced with anyone else- a flickering, hopeful ember of a feeling that was bright and warm and comforting, but at the same time seemed so small and delicate. He didn't know what to make of it. And he didn't want to give her a clear answer when his own feelings were still uncertain.

He was, however, ready to give himself a chance to sort it out.

"Oh!"

Gray looked over at Juvia, who had suddenly stood up straight. She turned to him and continued "At that time, what was it that Gray-sama wanted to tell Juvia?"

Gray stared for a second, his memory blanking. Then it hit him. "Oh yeah. That shirt you gave me… I kinda lost it during the fight. Sorry."

Her eyes widened in surprise.

The shirt was something she had given him right before the grand magic games had begun. She had called it a good luck present. He'd managed to avoid wearing it during the tournament, but when he returned to the room for a quick change after the final battle, it was the only intact shirt he had left. He had promised himself that he wouldn't lose it, but of course he had.

Juvia laughed.

"Gray-sama, Juvia knows that you lose your shirts all the time. She knew you would lose it when she gave it to you." She told him, smiling brightly. "Juvia is happy enough that you decided to wear it."

He grinned sheepishly. He hadn't expected her to get upset, but it was still a relief to get that off his chest.

In this dark, comforting hideout, the two of them stayed. Not much else was said between them, but there was nothing they felt they needed to say. They stood and silently enjoyed each other's company until faint traces of the sunrise began to paint the horizon.