sleeping beauty

summary — the five times juvia falls asleep on gray.

pairings — gray/juvia

tags — fluff-ish, hurt/comfort

setting — grand magic games, tartaros, avatar

note — because juvia needs more freaking love. if she'd been portrayed properly, a balance between her crush and her super badassery, people would have the chance to see the real side of her.

[ FAIRY TAIL ]

The first time Juvia fell asleep on Gray, it was during the Grand Magic Games.

And Gray immediately pushed her off.

They had just won the Grand Magic Games, taking back the title of Fiore's strongest guild, and ultimately giving peace to the other guild members who suffered a rough seven years. The roaring and cheering coming from the arena gone straight to Gray's head, and combined with his exhaustion, he felt a little unsteady on his feet. But this feeling was thoroughly welcomed.

Gray's eyes rested on Gajeel as he throttled Sting, shaking him like a rag doll. But his gaze lingered on Juvia a bit longer. He frowned once he saw the bruises upon bruises decorating her pale skin. A slight tingle shot up his skin once he met her sweet doe eyes. But this time, for some reason, it wasn't the creepy kind of shiver.

He stared at the castle in the distance, and then back to night blanketed with a million of shimmering stars. "Natsu, Lucy, I hope you're alright."

The sudden weight on his torso made him look downwards. And it totally wasn't what he was expecting. There Juvia was, eyes closed and face rid of any frowns, leaning on his chest with her chest peacefully rising up and down. It looked like she was snoring as well. Gray noted how cold her skin felt against his own freezing body, how soft her long blue hair was, and how he couldn't get enough of the slight tinge of saltiness in her scent, exactly like the ocean.

All of those things scared Gray. He didn't even get the time to wonder about how the hell she fell asleep on him as he pushed her away rather harshly on instinct.

Juvia staggered a few steps back. Her dark eyes widened as she read her current situation. And then she began to bow her head apologetically. "Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama. Please forgive Juvia. Juvia didn't mean to fall asleep. It seems the Games exhausted Juvia. Juvia will go find the Master now."

Gray wasn't able to get his mouth open for some reason. All he could do was watch as Juvia wobbled sleepily back to where the other guild members were. As he silently followed the disappearance of her silhouette, a raging burning feeling festered in his chest, hurting more than his sustained injuries.

He figured it was guilt. The way her eyes watered, her rambling as if she'd die at the thought of ever bothering him seriously. But something in Gray stirred when he watched her limp back to the inn. It was like he wanted to carry her himself. Like he didn't want her to exert any more energy than necessary.

But he didn't do anything else except let her go.

[ AND! ]

The second time Juvia fell asleep on Gray, was after the exhausting war with the dragons.

Gray had seen his death. Lyon, Chelia, and Juvia saw it as well. He could vividly remember the searing pain in his chest, recalling how each blast went through his body so smoothly. But one look at Juvia's streaming tears and the way she clutched him so tightly, he knew he was alive.

He couldn't focus on anything on the moment. His head felt so light and dizzy. After realizing he needed a moment to calm down, he sat down, hands in his hair and face tucked in between his knees. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

Images of him lying lifelessly on the ground flashed in his mind over and over again, not giving him the chance to move on, until his head ached so terribly. His heart felt like somebody had ripped it out of his chest, tearing it into pieces mercilessly. It seemed like his meditating session didn't work at the moment.

And then she came.

From the corner of his eye, Gray observed Juvia as she sat down, taking a similar position as he had, shielding herself from the exhausting reality. He also noticed the small tremors that consumed her slender frame, almost like she was haunted by the same nightmare.

"What's wrong, Juvia?" He asked with a little more edge to his tone that he had expected.

After a few moments, she replied, albeit softly. "Juvia was scared."

Gray raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised with her answer. "Scared that you'd have no one else to stalk?" Damn it. He was going for a lighthearted joke but it seemed his words saddened her even more.

Juvia shook her head. "No, not that. Juvia knows she can be a bit overbearing at times. But Juvia has never experience such longing and admiration before. When Juvia and Gray-sama first met, Gray-sama had shown her mercy and kindness, Juvia is grateful for that. Tonight, Juvia was scared because of almost losing a dear friend."

All his fears and worries completely washed away after hearing her tender confession. Gray couldn't keep up with the way his heart raced excitedly. He saw the nearing sun in the distance, and he felt the new dawn for himself as well. With those words, Juvia managed to drive away a portion of his darkness.

And Gray knew, in the bottom of his heart, that Juvia would do it again in the near future.

Although her face is covered by her dark cerulean locks, Gray heard the soft snores coming from her. It was most likely that she fell asleep again. It took a few minutes 'til she fully succumbed to the clutches of sleep, her head inching closer and closer to Gray's shoulder.

But this time, he didn't push her away.

Instead he let her lean on him. Despite the small trail of drool dripping into his bare arm, he let her stay. Because something in him said that she belonged there beside him, just a little something that he decided to ignore for the time being. Her hair became a frizzy mane after all the battles, which frankly itched at his arm, but he didn't dare move.

"Thank you," He mumbled affectionately, looking down at his slumbering comrade. Gray took a whiff of her brine scent, and surrendered to sleep himself.

[ THEN! ]

The third time Juvia fell asleep on Gray, it was during the ball for the wizards who took part in the battle of Crocus.

Between stuffing his face with all the fancy meals, wrecking the entire ballroom, and beating the crap out of a certain pinkette, Gray was exhausted. And he rightfully demanded a break, deciding that fresh air outside would do. Now that he'd been stripped down to his boxers and left the bowtie around his neck, he knew that the cold evening air would suit him quite nicely.

When Gray arrived at the balcony, he's graced with the magnificent view of the palace garden, adorned with all kinds of flowers he's never seen before. The chilling evening air washed over his body pleasantly, sending a season of thrills down his body. He can't help but reminisce the memories he has had in the cold, both the bad and the good.

A silhouette of a person, just right in front of him, caught his attention. This person seemed to be frantic, being oh-so gritty with their movements. Gray could also hear the angry mumbles of this hooded figure. And when the moonlight draped over the person, Gray's breath got stuck in his throat.

Each blinding ray of the moon illuminated Juvia, making her pale skin shine brightly as a star. The long strands of blue turned into deep topaz. And if it weren't for the frilly gown of hers, Gray would have thought she was a seductress about to whisk him away for a night of neverending pleasure. The frown staining her thin lips didn't go unnoticed as well.

"You know," Gray muttered casually, leaning against the wall. "If you keep talking to yourself like that, people will definitely think you're crazy."

Juvia whipped her head around, dark eyes growing wide with surprise. "Gray-sama! Juvia didn't know you were here."

With one hand laid out against her chest, she continued solemnly, "And, Juvia is used to people talking. It's alright."

Gray ignored her last sentence. He doesn't understand why, but the thought of her being alright with people gossiping about her was like a direct punch to the gut. It was probably because he saw her as a friend, and he didn't like seeing his friends being treated badly. But he didn't show any of his emotion, his face remained stone cold.

He sighed. "What are you doing here alone, Juvia? Where's Lucy or Erza? A lot of things happen to girls at night, you know that, right?"

A conniving smile curled at Juvia's rose colored lips as she held up a pair of sandals. "Juvia hates these shoes. Juvia wants to go to sleep. And first thing in the morning, Juvia will burn these shoes, Juvia never wants to wear them ever again."

"Why did you wear them then?" Gray snickered at the sight of her bare foot.

"Lucy-san said it would make me look pretty for you," Juvia answered softly, a blush creeping up to her cheeks.

"Of course she did." Gray scoffed.

He took a peek at the reddened heels of her dainty feet. A sudden urge to pick her up swept through Gray. He thought about it. And after a while, he figured there would be no harm in sweeping her off her feet.

Gray's legs moved on their on own accord, moving forward with every second. And before he knew it, his arms were under her back, he was lifting her off the ground and settling her in his grasp. She was a bit heavier than he expected but he didn't relent.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia squeaked. She covered her face with her hands. "Please put Juvia down! This is too embarassing!"

Gray stared at her passively. And after a minute of staring at her angelic features, he stuck his tongue out playfully. "Are you saying you don't want me carrying you? Do you not like me after all?"

"Eh?! No! Erm–yes! Wait! Juvia doesn't know! Please put Juvia down!" She suddenly turned her face away from him, shielding her bright red cheeks.

"You've been fighting so much," Gray whispered sternly, making the girl in his arms stop squirming. "So, just this once, let me do this."

Juvia blinked a few times in disbelief before she nodded. "Alright, then."

And so, the two wizards left the palace without having any of their nosey friends in the way. Gray didn't know how long he'd been walking for, but he somehow made it to the streets, passing by the different bars and inns that celebrated Fairy Tail's victory with just as much vigor. A lot of people gave him weird looks from strolling down the path since he was half-naked with a girl in his arms. But he paid no mind to it.

It didn't take long for Juvia to fall asleep, the rocking sensations Gray walking eventually lulled her to sleep, not to mention her complete exhaustion. So like the good friend he was, Gray wanted to swing by the inn where she was staying at and drop her off. He had an inkling where the inn was, thanks to Mirajane.

When Gray arrived at the inn, the front door was unlocked. He made a mental note to scold his comrades for being irresponsible. But then decided against it since they'd ask questions as to what he was doing there in the first place. The room was dark, only having the moonlight flash on certain parts, the soft footsteps filled the empty room as Gray made his way to the bed that was bunched up with creepy teddy bears with his face on it.

Gray laid Juvia on her bed as gently as he could. He covered her with a warm blue blanket, feeling satisfied with the way she nestled herself deeper into the bed. A few dark strands of hair fell over her eyes. Instinctively, he brushed the locks away.

Unable to stay away, Gray's hand trailed down to her face, tracing the outline of her jaws tenderly. When he realized that he'd been consumed by the softness of her creamy complexion, Gray became aware of his situation. If the Salamander knew that he was ogling Juvia while she was asleep, he would officially be a freaking pervert!

"What the heck is that woman doing to me?" Gray made a beeline for the exit, not wanting to be any more of a creep.

That night, the people of Crocus were graced with the sight of a man in his boxers angrily talking to himself as he stomped all the way to the palace.

[ NEXT! ]

The fourth time Juvia fell asleep on Gray, was after the battle with Tartaros.

She had come to see him while he'd been mourning for his dad.

His knees were sore and numb from kneeling on the snow for too long. And although his arms started to ache from being wrapped around her for an excessive amount of time, he didn't want to move. Just for this moment, Gray wanted to freeze time and stay with her a little bit longer. But seeing the sun setting in the faraway distance, Gray knew that time wasn't on his side.

"Juvia," Gray croaked, cheeks stained with tears. One hand came to cradle the back of her neck, bringing her face closer to his. "Thank you. . . for all this."

Juvia nodded. She let her head fall on his sturdy shoulders, sighing deeply. "What will Juvia and Gray-sama do now?"

Unfortunately, he knew what she was referring to. The disbandment of the guild. Truthfully, he didn't know what he was going to do as well. He figured he would go somewhere, train and get stronger, so when the time came, he would finally be able to carry out his father's wishes and put an end to E.N.D.

"Come with me, Juvia," He didn't know where that came from. But the idea didn't seem so bad. "Lets go somewhere. Somewhere far away."

Still not looking up, Juvia nodded sadly. "Will Gray-sama and Juvia come back to Fairy Tail?"

Gray lifted her chin as gently as he could, treating her as if she were made of porcelain glass. He looked into her eyes earnestly. "Of course we will. Can't stay long away from family, now can we?"

"Hai!" Juvia smiled brightly, a lone single tear trailing down her cheek.

As Gray stood up, wiping off the snow from his knees, he offered a hand to the woman in front of him. "Will you come with me?"

"I will." Juvia took his hand.

The two began their descent from the snowy mountain. The moon rose steadily as they got nearer to the ground. And before the duo knew it, they were already making their way back to Magnolia, a place where they would have to temporarily stop calling it their home.

Who was Gray kidding, Magnolia and Fairy Tail would always be his home. He'd be damned if it was otherwise.

A high pitched whine broke him out of his reverie. Gray turned back to see Juvia crouching with her hands on her knees, panting heavily as if she had just ran a marathon.

"What's wrong?" He asked, gradually making his way to her.

She smiled weakly as she stood up straight. "Juvia can't feel her legs anymore."

They had been walking for about three hours now, Gray supposed she did have every right to be tired. One look at the exhaustion in her eyes, her trembling legs, the sweat trailing down her porcelain skin, and Gray's instincts took over. The worst part of it all was that he didn't know why he despised the sight of Juvia being hurt. It felt like Natsu infected him with whatever he had with Lucy.

Gray tuned out the surprised squeals coming from the bluenette as he swooped Juvia off her feet, catching her in his arms with ease. And although her skin felt cold against his, Gray thought that he'd never been so warm before. He still couldn't place what this feeling was. It felt a like a hundred rhinoceroses were raging inside his stomach.

A smirk tugged at the edge of his lips when he heard the noises die down dramatically. He looked down to see Juvia already asleep, giving in to the fatigue from the hours of journey. Begrudgingly, Gray tore his gaze away from the sleeping beauty and to the town of Magnolia that came nearer with every step he took.

"We'll come back. Don't you worry," Gray said with utmost determination. When the time was right, he and Juvia would come back home.

[ LASTLY! ]

The fifth time Juvia fell asleep on Gray, was during the 6–month mark of them living together.

The two took refuge in a remote town, living in a quaint house that had been previously abandoned. The Ice-Make Mage and the Water Wizard trained together, ate together, took on various jobs together, and slept. . . in separate beds.

But on the eve of their supposed 6–month anniversary, Gray found himself outside the picturesque home, a place where he managed to make pleasant memories, where he could call home for a bit. He basked in the light of the full moon, thankful that it was just him, his thoughts, and the cold.

He was going to leave her.

Unfortunately, Gray didn't know for how long either. But he was going to keep his promise to his father. No matter what, he would infiltrate Zeref's cult, learn as much as he could about the demon his dad tried to kill, and carry out his father's wishes. Thankfully, he had Erza on his side. He just hoped that the mission would be a success this time around.

Gray was so focused on the weight on his shoulders that he didn't notice the soft footsteps slowly growing nearer and nearer. Only then did he notice the new presence when the person laid their hand on his now bare shoulder.

"Gray-sama."

Juvia quietly shuffled around to sit beside him. She cleared her throat, tightened her robe, and then turned her doe eyes back to him, eyes that glistened with unshed tears.

Nervously, she switched her attention to her fingers as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Then she took a deep breath. "Juvia knows you're going to leave."

"What?"

Gray felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't want to involve her. Reason number one was because Erza mentioned that the infiltration would work if less people knew about it. Reason number two was he needed her to stay safe. He was careful not to let anything about the mission reach her ears.

Juvia nodded solemnly. "But Juvia does not know where. There's a hole in Juvia's chest, tearing her apart everyday because Juvia knows that wherever you have to go, it must be important."

"It is important," Was all Gray said. He couldn't speak properly, not with his frantic nerves and all.

"And so, Juvia has to let you go. Even if it means she'll be lonely for a while." Juvia wiped the lone tear that managed to escape her eyes.

But restraining her tears became useless the moment Gray pulled her in for a hug. As he wrapped his arms around the trembling girl, Juvia's walls broke and began to sob hysterically into his chest.

"Juvia misses Fairy Tail," She whimpered. "Juvia misses Lucy-san, Natsu-san, Erza-san, Wendy-san, Cana, Levy-san, Master, Mira-san. Juvia wants everything to go back to the way it was."

Gray didn't know what to do at the moment. He wasn't educated in this part of life—he blamed Ur—but he settled her letting her cry more while he rubbed her back soothingly.

"I miss home, too," He said after the hysteria died down to a series of painful hiccups. His hand was now going through her bright blue hair.

After a few moments, Juvia calmed herself down. She distanced herself from him, much to both of their surprise, and hastily wiped away the tears and snot dripping down from the sides of her face.

She turned to him once again. "Promise Juvia that Gray-sama and Juvia will go home to Fairy Tail together."

Gray nodded. He had every intention of keeping that promise. "Aye, sir."

But before he left, he needed one last thing to do. Just to ease the Rain Woman of her worries. Even if it was quite uncharacteristic of him.

Gray took Juvia's hand, intertwining the delicate hand against his own. And then he stared deep into her eyes.

"I promise I'll come back to you too after I go to that place."

Juvia blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Her eyes went wide as she managed to comprehend his words. Her gaze switched back and forth to their hands and to his eyes, her chest now erratically rising and falling.

"Eh?!" She managed to screech incoherent words right into his ears before passing out.

Gray was quick to catch her. He was now walking in the direction of Juvia's room. With sheer perseverance, he laid her own the bed, throwing layers upon layers of blankets on her so she wouldn't get cold. He took a step back to admire his handiwork, also known as the Juvia Roll.

And with one last look at the woman who was tucked inside a number a blankets, Gray took his leave.

"Goodbye, Juvia."

[ END! ]

replies — to zahad dragneel, thank you so much for the review! it means a lot that you like this story. hope you like this chapter.

to everyone that favorited and followed this story, a huge thank you from me! thank you so much for giving this fic a chance. i hope you guys stick around 'cause i got a lot planned.