Category: Mild Romantic Fluff
Characters: Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser
Requested By: anubislover (Tumblr)
The cold wind whirled snow flurries around Juvia's barely-clothed form as she stood stoically amongst the rising drifts, eyes closed and poised with concentration. She inhaled deeply and felt the cold oxygen tickling her nasal passages and throat. Slowly, her blue lashes parted to reveal equally sapphirine eyes beneath, and she gazed at the swirling, snowy mountain landscape before her.
Suddenly, with a loud huff, she thrust out her fist. Snowflakes exploded against her curled knuckles, parting the world only with a cold kiss. She flung her left leg through the snowbank to send tufts of the thick, powdery stuff hurling through the air. She whirled on her other foot, crunching the permafrost layer under the sole of her boots, and the toes of her left foot skimmed the surface of the snowdrift to leave behind a thin line. With another shout, she punched the air again, driving back the invisible foes skulking in the light blizzard. Her blue skirt flapped against her thighs, and the skin between the long slits shone like the pale moon, but Juvia was not cold in the slightest. Sweat bubbled over her body, bringing with it the warmth of exhilaration.
Juvia exhaled jubilantly, and the breath fogged before her face. Her muscles burned satisfyingly with the exertion, and in her revelry, she even deigned to flex her biceps a bit. She snickered with glee at the sizeable, rock-hard bulge that jumped up.
"Your training is proving fruitful, I see." Juvia whirled around to see Gray, in nothing but his black boxers, tromping through the snowdrift toward her. Though she had been living with him in the mountain cabin for several months and thus was quite used to seeing him near-naked, the sight of his chiseled abs glinting in the frost and his toned thighs rippling with every stride never failed to set her heart to beating. Crooning, she slapped her hands to her cheeks and wiggled about.
"Gray is too kind to Juvia~ There is still much more training to be had!"
"You have grown stronger, though," he smirked and raked his eyes over her body. His stormy-dark irises traveling the length of her curves set her cheeks ablaze, and they bloomed like carnations in the backdrop of bleak white and gray. When he realized just how suggestive the gesture was, he flushed and looked away with a grumble. Juvia danced about, throwing her hips from side to side in pure elation.
"Thank you, Gray! Juvia is delighted to earn such compliments!" She then grinned widely and proudly balled her fists. "Juvia will work very hard until the days comes that Fairy Tail is revived."
"Glad to hear it," the ice mage smiled admiringly at her. Juvia's brazen determination vanished like a wisp of smoke in the gale, and she went back to cooing and wriggling. Gray snorted in laughter and tromped a few paces toward the modest wooden cabin they shared. "The sun will be setting soon…"
Juvia cast a gaze up at the sky to see that he was right. Through the ever-present blanket of thick gray clouds smothering the heavens, bits of sapphire sky poked through; the first of the night's stars had blinked into existence, and twinkled playfully behind the veil of wispy clouds. The fluffy forms glowed bright yellow where the sun hid behind, gradually making its descent towards the horizon. Very little of its golden light forced its way through the barrier, but what did fell upon the world in striking spears of light. The pattern they created upon the snow was not unlike the marbling of light and shadow found on the lush forest floor. Those sunbeams were growing thinner by the second, blipping out of existence one by one. "We should get inside and get a fire going," Gray suggested while stretching one of his arms behind his head.
"But Juvia wishes to stay out a little longer!" she protested. Gray cast a stern look over his shoulder.
"Juvia, you need to be careful not to overexert yourself." He then smiled kindly. "I understand your desire to grow as strong as possible, and you will." Juvia flushed and shyly rocked her shoulders back and forth.
"Juvia appreciates Gray's concern…" At her apparent docility, Gray turned back to the cabin to begin mumbling about the firewood stores. Slyly, Juvia leaned down to gather a sizeable amount of the snow and pack it into a snowball. Careful not to make any undue noise, she straightened up, the loose powder slipping through her fingers to rain back down to its source below. "Juvia appreciates the concern but is just fine, thank you!" She hollered and lobbed the snowball at him. She squealed with glee as it exploded like a firework against the back of his head, coating his dark blue hair in the fine powder.
"Hey! Juvia!" he yelped and clawed at the coldness spreading over his bare back. Juvia giggled and scampered away from him, but not fast enough. She howled as a snowball crashed right into her bottom, staining a wet spot into the blue fabric of her skirt. With a dour look, she brushed the snow away and shot him a glare.
"How vulgar, aiming for Juvia's butt!"
"I didn't aim for it!" He protested with a cocky smirk and hurled another snowball at her. This time she managed to duck and hurriedly lunged down to scoop up more of the snow. "Too slow!" Juvia squealed as he tackled her, wrapping his arms around her waist and flinging her down into the snow. She writhed in the cold, icy substance, chuckles bubbling out of her chest as she grabbed a handful of the slush to slap it against his cheek. "Agh!" He whined as some of it got into his mouth, and he spat half-melted snow out of his mouth. "Gross!"
"Hehehe, Gray should be more considerate of his karma- Eek!" In retaliation, he shoved a whole pile of the snow onto her face. She sat up, spitting snowflakes from her lips and blinking furiously in the cold. "Not funnyyyy!" She whined and wiped the thick powder from her face.
"You should be more considerate of your karma," he teased. They both giggled, and Juvia began to slide her arms and legs in wide arcs through the snow.
"Look, Gray! Juvia is making a snow angel."
"Indeed," he mused and watched her playful ministrations. Once her motions had dug the likeness of an angel into the snow, Juvia relaxed with a contented sigh. Juvia's blue locks weaved into the snow as she flopped her head back. The drift embraced her like a pillow, molding around her head. Gray's hands dug into the drift on either side of her shoulders, and his knees snugly hugged her hips. His positioning brought a bright blush to her already cold-flushed cheeks. "Juvia?" He blinked when he noticed the odd expression on her face.
"Juvia is just so grateful that Gray allows her to stay with him…" she whispered. She was grateful. Juvia had no other place to go other than Fairy Tail. It had become her beloved home. However, her home was no more. Gray could have very easily cast her aside to train by himself for a year, but not only did he trust her enough with his innermost feelings and frustrations, he absolved to make a temporary home with Juvia. The tears that sprang from her eyes froze on her cheeks. "Just so grateful," she repeated hoarsely.
"Hey," he smiled gently and brushed his knuckles over her cheek, "don't go cryin' on me." She sniffed and obediently attempted to halt the flow of tears. He studied her face for a moment before his gaze gradually traveled down to her lips. Juvia felt her heart thump against her ribcage. "... I couldn't do it, be up here all alone. I need you with me, Juvia. You remind me that there's a place to go back to."
Juvia released a little squeak and clapped a hand to her mouth, ignoring the clinging particles of snow. Gray had never looked at her the way he was looking at her right then, with eyes burning with affection. Gently, he pried her fingers away from her mouth and settled her hand beside her head, on a blanket of her curling blue hair. "Juvia?" He asked, his voice but a whisper. She nodded meekly to indicate that she was listening. "Promise that I can always come back to you."
Juvia blinked. Then she smiled lovingly.
"Of course. Juvia will always be waiting to welcome Gray with open arms. Like a snow angel!" she cried and extended her arms again. He snorted in laughter and nodded.
"Yeah. That sounds about right." With a long sigh, he sat himself up into a squat before extending himself up. He then pulled Juvia to her feet. Snow rained from their bodies like stardust from comets. As Juvia was brushing the powder from her arms, Gray's suddenly wound around her waist, and he pushed his head into the crook of her neck. Her nerves tingled as his warm breath puffed over her pulse point. "Sorry, I just… Sometimes I need to be reminded of home." Juvia's shocked expression softened, and she embraced him sweetly.
"Of course. Don't worry, Gray. We will return home together one day."
The cold wind whirled snow flurries around their barely-clad forms, and with a small smile, Juvia fancied they were snow fairies prancing on the air streams.