Hiiii again! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
…..
The hours flew by just as fast as the train soared down the tracks. Juvia and Gray spent the first few hours of the journey passed out, both catching up on their lack of sleep.
Juvia's eyes flutter open after her long nap, taking in her surroundings. Rolling on to her back, the water mage peers up at Gray who is still fast asleep. A smile slowly spreads across her face at the sight, a hand reaching up to run her fingers along his jawline, admiring his handsome features. Gray startles in his sleep at her touch, a "mmm" sound escaping the back of his throat. She then moves her hand up to his hair, running her fingers through the strands like he did to her not too long ago.
At this movement, the demon slayer's eyes open and look right down into hers. He quickly realizes that her touch calms him. As Juvia looks up at his dark, yet oddly warm countenance, her heart rate picks up. She swears she sees a sense of longing hidden behind his gaze.
"Are you having fun there?" He smirks, taking pleasure in the way she turns a dark shade of red. Her hand immediately withdraws, eyes diverting away from his.
"Juvia is sorry she woke Gray-sama up!" The bluenette exclaims, her face flushing profusely as the words leave her mouth. Sitting up, she stretches, looking back over at the man sitting beside her.
"Don't be. We'll be there soon anyways." Gray replies, glancing out the window to see the sun that was now setting. The bright orange glow from the sun resonates on the girl who's sitting beside the window. The sun's dying light frames her, causing Juvia to look like a sun-kissed goddess. He decides the sunset was no comparison to her beauty.
Ugh, why is he suddenly starting to think really cheesy shit? The ice mage internally groans at himself.
"I can't believe how long it's taking to get there…" Juvia sighs, surprised that it's already been well over half a day. However, she's super excited because that means more time with her Gray-sama!
"Mhm, it's a town all the way up in the mountains north of Fiore. That's why I said to pack warm clothes." He responds.
By the time they arrived at the next station, nightfall had spread across the sky. It left nothing but the piercing light of the full moon and the decoration of the stars that gave off an illuminating glow. Juvia and Gray stand up and exit the train, thankful to be walking and stretching their legs. Luckily for them, the train station was right outside the town.
The pair head towards the town in search for the Henderson Residence, their stomachs growling persistently. It did not take long for them to reach the entrance of Edenville, and before they knew it, they were walking through the surprisingly busy town.
A light snow falls from above, lacing the ground with a thin layer of white as Juvia and Gray aimlessly wander, looking for a map or a sign of some sort that could give them a clue as to where the hell they're going.
"Gray-sama! Churros and hot chocolate!" She points at one of the vendors lining the streets.
"Is someone hungry?" He grins, following her to the stand. "We'll take 4 churros and 2 hot chocolates please." Gray states, handing the man some jewel to pay for it. Moments later, the man hands him their food and drinks. "Keep the change."
The two walk further down the street, spotting a bench near a sign. Gray approaches the bench with Juvia in tow, the pair sitting down to eat their snacks. "Juvia appreciates the food and hot chocolate." She smiles, taking a bite of the churro. "Mmm…"
Eating a churro should not be sensual but somehow, she turned it that way the moment she moaned. "Consider it pay back for breakfast this morning." He smiles back, joining her in eating their food.
Remembering the sign, Juvia looks to her right. "A map, Gray-sama!" Her eyes scan it, quickly finding the Henderson Residence.
Gray takes his last bite and stands up. "Let's get going, then."
The water mage finishes her last bite as well and hops on her feet, ready to get to their destination after their long day. After five minutes, the two approach a huge log cabin with a smaller cabin built next to it. The two buildings were fenced in with a gate and sign that read "Henderson Residence." Juvia pushes the button on the intercom, stating that they're Fairy Tail wizards there for the job. Moments later, the gates open and they are let in.
Once inside the estate, their eyes widen at the sheer beauty of the place. There is lots of land blanketed in white and beautiful string lights lining each cabin. The mountains were on full display in the background, creating an even more breath-taking view. "Wow…" Juvia mumbles in awe. The ice mage nods, "Wow indeed."
Gray knocks on the cabin door the moment they approach, waiting to meet the man behind the request. Not even 5 seconds later, the door swings open and a tall, lean man comes into view. "You must be the Fairy Tail mages here for the job request. I'm Dan Henderson, please come inside."
Juvia and Gray shake hands with the man. "I'm Juvia Lockser and this is my partner, Gray-sa...Gray Fullbuster." She beams, following him inside after their introduction.
"Thank you so much for coming. The monster, or whatever it is, has been terrorizing our town for a month now. Everyone is afraid to go to the mountains which used to be a popular hiking spot."
"Hmm...We'll have to head to the mountains first thing in the morning to find clues." Gray comments.
Dan nods and excuses himself for a minute. He quickly returns with a large tray, the aroma of food filling the air. "I had my chef prepare food for the two of you. I can imagine it has been a long day. Eat as much as you want then I'll show you to your lodging."
"Thank you!" They both bow, sitting down at the table with the tray. The two remove the lids to their bowls uncovering piping hot miso ramen, making no hesitation to dig in. It was almost gone in an instant.
"C'mon Gray-sama! Let's go tell him we're ready so Juvia can take a shower." She grabs his hand and drags him to the living room where Dan is patiently waiting.
All Gray registered was - Juvia...shower -
"Ah! So there's the lovely couple. I hope you enjoyed your meals. Now, if you'd follow me, I'll show you to your lodging." Dan quickly hops to his feet and walks out the front door.
The part about the couple makes the mages blush, neither of them having the time to correct him as he was already out the door. Damn, he's fast. They share a look then run after him, catching up to him in no time. Dan briskly strolls down the path to the second, smaller cabin. Juvia makes a mental note that their cabin has a little patio in the back that overlooks the mountains, just like the larger house. Taking out the key, Dan opens the door and gestures for them to enter.
Dan turns on the lights then heads to the fireplace in the middle of the room, lighting it for them. Next, he turns on the two magic heaters in the room.
"It's not much, but I hope you'll be comfortable here. There are some snacks on the little table and a bottle of champagne as a thank you. If you need anything, I'll be right next door!" With that, the man disappeared and left the two of them to themselves. Awkward tension immediately fills the air.
Juvia is the first one to move, heading directly to the bathroom. Once she looks inside, she spots a shower and a fucking jacuzzi in the corner! With jets! "Gray-sama! Come look!" She yells out in excitement. Gray rushes over, only to be confused at what she was so excited about. "What? It's just a bathroom."
"There's a jacuzzi, Gray-sama! If Juvia puts on her swimsuit, will Gray-sama join her?"
Okay, that was a lot to process.
"Wait, why do you have a swimsuit? I told you to pack for the cold." Gray laughs, wondering what could have possibly gone through her head when packing.
"Juvia always packs in the event of, just in case! She did not know if she would encounter a hot tub or anything of the sort during her time here."
Gray blinks at her. They could sit on opposite sides. A jacuzzi is basically a mini hot tub anyways, he rationalizes.
"Hmm, okay. Get changed and I'll grab the champagne." What is he getting himself into?
After Gray disappears behind the doors, Juvia changes into her bikini that's white with blue polka dots. The girl preens herself in the mirror, fluffing her hair which is long enough now that it cascades all the way down to the small of her back. Gorgeous waves frame her face, the bikini accentuating her every curve. Juvia then starts the water and waits for it to fill up to a certain point before turning on the jets.
The demon slayer returns in boxers (after all, he was not ridiculous enough to pack swim trunks when heading to the mountains) with the bottle and two glasses in hand. However, the moment he laid eyes on the water mage, he nearly dropped everything. Fuck, fuck, fuck, just why did he think this would be a good idea? His eyes find hers only to break the contact as they trail down her curvaceous body as if it were instinct.
Juvia shudders under his heated gaze. Was she imagining things?
Deciding not to question it again, she swiftly swings a leg over the tub and gets in, sighing in content as the warm water surrounds her body. Gray settles in at the opposite side of her, pouring a glass for the two of them. "Drink up, it's going to be a long couple of days." He states, extending his hand with the glass in it.
"Is Gray-sama trying to get Juvia drunk?" She quirks an eyebrow playfully, smirking as she takes the glass.
"Well, you are pretty cu-" He clears his throat, "erm funny when you're drunk." He responds, blushing at his near slip up.
"Hm. To us, then. Let's kick this monster's ass." Juvia clinks her glass with his, both of them drowning the contents of the glass in one swig.
Gray instantly fills up both of their glasses, catching a glimpse of her cleavage as she leans forward with her glass. Does she have any idea just how damn sexy she is? He forces himself to tear his eyes away from her before he does anything. Despite how badly he may want her now, he knew he couldn't indulge. After all, both of them had yet to fully divulge their burning passions to the other. Ugh, no, that's not quite it. He knew he felt strongly about the girl, but was it love? It's not like he's ever been in love before. However, Juvia sure seems to know.
"Juvia…" Gray starts, looking at her with all the seriousness in the world. "You'll always be by my side, right?"
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Gray-sama." The water mage smiles endearingly, moving closer to him in order to close the large distance between them. Juvia settles right beside him, right where she feels she belongs. Without thinking, he wraps his arm around her and pulls her closer into his side, using his other hand to gulp down more liquid. "But...why me?" He questions quizzically, his head turning so he can look at her.
"Because Gray-sama took away Juvia's rain. Juvia has always felt alone because nobody wanted to be around the "rain girl." Gray-sama doesn't make Juvia feel like the sad rain girl anymore...He created a rainbow out of it instead." Juvia answers without any hesitation, meaning every single word that left her mouth. Gray's heart thumps in his chest, a warm feeling erupting within. It was a warmth capable of thawing even his ice-cold heart.
"You'll never be alone again." The ice mage says, a double meaning behind his words. Even if he didn't know what his feelings meant for the girl, he still couldn't see a life without her in it one way or another.
"Neither will you, Gray." The drop of the word "-sama" was not missed by him.
"I know." He grins softly at her, both of them finishing their second glasses. Juvia's cheeks were flushed and her body felt toasted, clearly affected by the alcohol.
"Juvia is so hot…" She fans at herself, pausing to take a sip from her third glass.
"I can cool you down." Gray responds without thinking, not realizing how that sounded until he heard it out loud.
"That would help Juvia out alot." The water mage moves directly in front of him then turns around, pulling her hair to the side. Gulping, he takes in the smooth, exposed skin at the nape of her neck, placing his fingers on her velvet complexion. He slowly transfers cold ice to his fingertips and places his hand on the back of her neck. It takes everything in him not to lean forward and kiss the skin taunting him.
His fingers were supposed to cool her down, but instead they leave a trail of fire in their wake as they dance across her neck.
"You're tense…" He comments with furrowed brows, immediately applying pressure to the tense knots in her shoulders.
"Mmmm…" Juvia hums, her eyes falling closed as he works his magic. "That feels so good, Gray-sama…"
Upon hearing those words, Gray freezes in place. Images flash behind his eyes of her sprawled out on his bed, his face buried between her thighs as she moans that it feels so good…
Juvia backs her body up so that she's closer to him, basically melting under his touch.
Gray groans the moment her ass makes contact with the raging bulge in his boxers, pushing Juvia away from him.
The bluenette's eyes widened, under the impression that she accidentally hurt him. "Did Juvia hurt Gray-sama?!"
Through gritted teeth, Gray replies, "no...it just got really hot in here." Without another second passing, Gray quickly gets up and grabs a towel before she could see the party he's got going on downstairs. "It's getting late, Juvia. We should head to bed so we can get an early start tomorrow." The ice mage mumbles ashamedly.
Nodding in agreement, Juvia stands up, water dripping off her body. Droplets slide down her every curve, his eyes closing tightly to avoid following them. Each droplet teasing him, begging him to lick them before they drip into areas unspoken. Since when did he have such explicit thoughts about the water mage?
"Juvia will change then meet you out there."
Gray quickly leaves the bathroom and changes into a clean pair of shorts, leaving off the shirt. The room is so well heated that neither of them will have to worry about freezing all night long.
Minutes later, Juvia emerges from the bathroom in a silk blue nightgown that meets just above her guild mark. It left so much yet so little to the imagination. Her long damp hair hangs down either side of her face, smooth legs on full display. The wind felt as if it had been knocked out of Gray's lungs.
"Ready for bed, Gray-sama?" The girl asks sweetly. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would say that to Gray. He nods and puts out the fire, both of them making their way to the one bed located in the corner of the room, an awkward tension filling the atmosphere.
"I'll um just sleep on the floor if that'll make you more comfortable…" Gray states, looking all around the room.
"No, don't be silly. There's enough room for Juvia and Gray-sama." Juvia insists as she pulls back the covers, climbing into the left side of the bed.
"Only if you're sure." Although I sure as hell am not. The demon slayer jumps in on the right side, the two of them facing each other.
Juvia shivers, a cold draft suddenly circulating through the room now that the fire has been put out. The girl pulls the comforter tighter around her, desperate to warm herself up.
"Goodnight, Gray-sama. Juvia hopes you have sweet dreams." Juvia beams at him before turning her back to him, trying to get comfortable.
Gray notices her shudder as the air hits her exposed skin. He already cooled her down, but now it's looking like he might have to warm her back up. "Goodnight, Juvia." He responds, eyes never leaving her as she turns over. Without a word, the ice mage scoots closer and encircles her in his arms, pulling her back against his chest. A small gasp escapes from the bluenette's lips, instantly relaxing as warmth spreads through her. "Warm now?" Gray asks quietly, feeling her nod against him. Sleep takes over Juvia fast, but the demon slayer could not say the same. With her body pressed into him, it was nearly impossible to calm down enough to go to sleep. Sighing, he forces his eyes shut and tries to push all the perverted thoughts away. You're just being a good friend by warming her up. He reminds himself over and over again that he's just doing her a favor and that he's certainly not doing this for his own personal reasons.
After all, if you lie to yourself enough times, you might even start to believe it.
Chapter 2 has come to a close! Love it? Hate it? Let me know in the reviews.
Thanks again for the read!