Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
I talk about some things I found interesting in the reviews, so it's way longer than usual.
Juvia has come to realise that her room looks strange; it doesn't have a coherent theme. On the floor, an animal pelt lay at the centre of Juvia's room. By her nightstand, the picture of Juvia and Natsu was placed in front of the three bottles Wendy gave Juvia. Lying by the couch, the painting Juvia bought still isn't hanged. Even Natsu's house has a better theme than Juvia's, displaying trinkets of his adventures is a neat idea that Juvia loves to see every time that Juvia comes to his house, slowly seeing it expand as he accumulates memories with his family.
This cannot do! Juvia needs some more decoration! To be perfectly honest, Juvia misses having a doll to hug when Juvia's sleeping. However, 'Chibi Gray' was torn apart by Erza's blades, ever since, Juvia's bed is in need of company. So, Juvia rummaged through her sewing kit and spare yawn only to find, nothing but Gray-san's colours. At least Gray-san and Natsu's skin looks the same, so Juvia only has, white, black and tan to work with. Time to see what the market has to offer!
Juvia picked and bought all the shades of pink, as well as a lighter shade of brown. A washed-out palette of Natsu should give a doll version of him a gentler look, something that he mainly shows to Juvia. If it turned out wrong, Juvia always has the option of making a more accurate mini Natsu. Then Juvia bought the remaining colours need to knit both a washed-out Natsu, and a normal Natsu. It's been a while since Juvia was excited to return home.
Juvia spent the first thirty minutes or so using her water dolls make different kinds of poses, sitting down with the arms held out, in a T-pose, arms and legs pointing to the ground, just about every single pose suitable for an Exceed-size doll. Juvia settled for the first one since it can support itself and Juvia thinks it's cuter. Without any more hesitation, Juvia started to work on her big project, starting with the paler Natsu.
Since it has been a while since Juvia knitted something, Juvia forgot the time needed for these kinds of things. It took Juvia three days of continuous working to complete the doll, something only for meals and drinking water. At one point, Juvia's guildmates even check up on her make sure nothing bad has happened. They ended up walking into a floor full of yarn pieces and knitting equipment. Along the way, Juvia decided to not to make Natsu's scarf and opted for using Natsu's neck as a place where Juvia can store and display her scarfs. Plus, it gives Juvia an idea on what Natsu would look like with a different scarf on.
Those three days were tough but, Juvia can finally see the fruits of her labour! After wrapping a simple white scarf to match his original look as much as possible, Juvia loves the doll, there is no need to make another one. As expected, the less saturated colour was easier on the eyes, giving 'Chibi Natsu' a cuter look. After revelling in Juvia's success, a wave of guilty washed over her…Juvia hasn't seen Natsu in three days! What will he think of Juvia!? Juvia is a failure of a girlfriend! With panic quickly controlling Juvia's body, Juvia burst out of her room and ran to Natsu's place, not realising it's only six in the morning.
By the time Juvia made it to Natsu's house, Juvia was out of breath, her chest was screaming in agony, legs were sore—possibly cramping—sweat was dripping from Juvia's chin. Making two weak knocks on the door, Juvia pushed her whole-body weight to the door, stumbling in. Juvia crawled upstairs were Natsu's hammock is, each step hurt not physically, though it did make Juvia wince throughout the ordeal. Juvia's heart was stinging. Maybe Juvia should learn to have trust in Natsu but, after all this time, Juvia has finally found someone that loves her, it feels new, warm. Yet, at the same time, Juvia feels like even the smallest bump would destroy everything.
Natsu's room didn't change aside from the chair that Juvia made him get, He was still sleeping, letting Juvia breathe a sigh of relief. Sitting on the chair, Juvia intended on waiting until Natsu woke up which at this point may take three hours judging from the sky. However, the abuse to Juvia's body made her powerless to resist sleeping on the chair. Sorry Natsu…for everything…
Juvia was pleased to find out that Juvia didn't sit while she slept, instead, she was laying prone, wrapped in the comfiest blanket ever. It was one that Juvia knew well. At the same time, Juvia couldn't believe that she's covered in Natsu's body heat again. Being even more selfish, Juvia buried deeper in Natsu's warmth, intertwining her legs with Natsu's and snaking one arm around his collar, the other, around his arm that was resting delicately on Juvia's hair. Natsu complied with Juvia's request and pulled Juvia into an even tighter hug than before. Bliss expelled all the guilt Juvia had, replacing it with happiness.
"Natsu…" Juvia whispered, not intending for him to hear. "Juvia is sorry." Natsu stirred a bit. How!? He should be in deep sleep!
"Can you repeat that for me?" Natsu asked, eyes still closed.
"Juvia…Juvia is sorry."
"What for?"
"For not seeing you for three days even though Juvia is in town."
"Is that all? You came here without care for your own health just for that?"
"What do you mean 'just for that'? Juvia is very—"
"You shouldn't hurt yourself over that!" Natsu raised his voice suddenly, staring right into Juvia's eyes sternly. Natsu didn't even care about Happy that was sleeping close to us.
"B—but—"
"Whatever you think you did that hurt me, knowing that you're in this state because of me hurts way more!" Natsu finished with a slight growl which, scared Juvia slightly.
"Juvia d—didn't mean to…" Natsu's eyes then softened, he stroked Juvia's hair.
"I'm not so weak as to start panicking just because I haven't seen you in a while…because," Natsu's hand placed a hand on Juvia's head, brought it close, then kissed Juvia's forehead. "I can feel you being with me, no matter where you actually are." Natsu guided Juvia's head to his chest, where his heart is. "Right here." He pushed Juvia's head tenderly. Natsu's heartbeat was calm, not speeding up or slowing down, the drumming of it mellowed Juvia's chaotic feelings.
"Thank You."
"That's not going to cut it this time."
"Huh?"
"Promise me you won't do that again."
"But Juvia—"
"You don't trust me that much?"
"It's not that!"
"Then promise me, you won't hurt yourself because of me."
"Juvia promises."
"Good. If you break it, you'll have to do a photoshoot in a bikini." Natsu's cheeky smile appeared.
"Y—you didn't say that before!" How outrageous! He has no right to do that to Juv—
"Consider it punishment for this time."
"That's not fair!"
"It's a punishment! Not a game!" Around this time was when Juvia thinks that Happy has flown downstairs to sleep.
"Since when did you become so smart!?"
"Doesn't matter! Just accept it!"
"Fine…Juvia will do the photoshoot if she breaks the promise. Juvia just has to not break it, then Juvia will be fine."
"You think I want people staring at your body? Of course not! You better not break it because you're mine!" Juvia's brain blew up at those words. Juvia is Natsu's…Juvia is Natsu's. Juvia is… "My bad, I get worked up when you're involved, I just don't want some random asshole staring at you with those eyes." Who knew that Natsu could be so possessive? But, Juvia doesn't mind this kind of Natsu either…
"T—then, do you stare at Juvia like that?" Natsu sighed and turned his eyesight away from Juvia.
"I try not to…it's really hard when you look so beautiful…" Seeing the opportunity to be on the offensive, Juvia took it like a bird seizing a golden moment.
"Which part of Juvia do you find the most beautiful then?"
"There's no way I can answer that!"
"Just try. No wait, let Juvia guess. Is it her breast?"
"No."
"B—butt?"
"Not even close." Natsu isn't a breast person or a butt person, then how about…
"Legs?"
"It's your eyes alright!?"
"Juvia's…eyes?"
"Right, I could get lost in them forever."
"T—thank You…" Juvia started to play with her hair bashfully. "what about the things Juvia listed?"
"It's obvious that they're sexy isn't it?" Natsu replied blankly. And Juvia's mind blanked once more.
When Juvia came back home, it was in the afternoon, everyone is eating while Juvia is still not happy with the plain look in her room. Especially the walls, she really needs a painting of some sort, the horse just won't do! It has no place in Juvia's room. Juvia will donate it to Fairy Hills later, after she visits Reedus-san. And Juvia has the perfect painting in mind.
"You want a painting with all your friends?" Reedus-san said, painting a picture that someone else commissioned.
"Yes!"
"Oui! I'll have it delivered to you by this week." He wrote some words down on a notepad and got back to his piece of art.
"Thank You so much!"
"No need to thank me, I'm being paid for it after all. Painting wholesome scene are something I enjoy, I welcome it all the time." Now that Juvia's room won't look as dull, in a few days' time, Juvia happily left Reedus-san's workshop.
The painting arrived at Juvia's door after four days, wrapped in brown paper. Juvia carefully tore the packaging open, avoiding damage to the painting Juvia just got. It was perfect! All of us were having a barbeque by a lake, Natsu was stuffing his face with food as Mira kept supplying them, Juvia was sitting beside him, wiping away the sauce on his mouth. Lucy was playing at the lake with Levy and Lisanna. Erza had Gray-san in her grasp, a destroyed cake splattered on the ground. Elfman and Gajeel was having an arm-wrestle on a tree stump. In the back ground, Bisca's family was enjoying the cool lake water. More members gathered and formed groups, having a great time.
Juvia's heart warmed at the sight of the picture. She hanged it on the wall that's facing the couch, admiring it for a good while before finally going to the guild. The atmosphere of the guild is still as lovely, it almost seems like a raging fire that never dies down. Funny enough, a fight hasn't started yet, and Natsu has been in the guild for at least an hour.
"Hey Juvia!" Natsu called out, sitting in between his team. Once Juvia came to their table, Natsu started talking again. "We're planning to go to a hot spring next week, Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, and…Lucy, who else is coming?"
"Cana, Gajeel, Levy, just about everyone, you know, Wendy, Bisca and her family ahh, I can't come up with the whole list!…oh yeah! People from other guilds are coming as well! Originally, Gildarts was coming but Cana said that his magic will get us in trouble." Juvia can easily imagine Gildarts-san blowing up the wall and 'accidently' merge the two baths.
"What's the occasion?" Juvia really needs to know why there is so many people coming to a hot spring trip.
"Apparently, everyone just wants to have fun and build friendships with each other."
"What guilds are coming?"
"Saber Tooth, Lamia Scale Erza stopped Blue Pegasus from joining so…that's it."
"What about Mermaid Heel?"
"Ah that, they said they have to do something."
"Never mind that, Juvia, let's go!" Natsu cuts in. "It'll be fun!"
"Juvia doesn't really have anything to do next week also…" Juvia wants to be in a hot spring with Natsu…
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"No—nothing! Juvia will go!"
"Great!"
"Where is the hot spring?" Natsu's face paled after Juvia question, he's being motion sick just from thinking about it!
"W—well, it's pretty far from here, about one and a half days on a train. In a place called Pyfer." Lucy provided. Juvia has never heard of the place but, that doesn't matter! Juvia will spend as much time as possible with Natsu!
Clothes, cleaning essentials, motion sickness medicine that Juvia found in the market, annnd do—Juvia's eye caught hold of a set of underwear, one that Juvia bought to seduce Gray-san—a black lingerie to be accurate. Should Juvia? No! It's too embarrassing! A—also we're not alone, what if the others find out about this? But, it's a chance to show Natsu…What should Juvia do!? Juvia won't bring it…
Thanks for reading! I think it's about time to get rid of Juvia's insecurities about her relationship, so here it is! Sorry for the shorter chapter though.
Expect bigger time jumps like months and not weeks anymore, I do need to wrap this story up soon. I want to write about other stuff. Also, a Christmas Chapter won't be published on Christmas. Blame me for setting up the story in Autumn.
Someone on the reviews section commented on how I should write in Natsu's point of view. While it might be fun to do so, I won't, mainly because I think great stories can happen without jumping from character to character(doesn't mean I think my story is good) The Curious Case of The Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon for example. Also, I will only write in Juvia's point of view because there is a certain narrative I want to tell. The stories that jump from person to person without giving it any thought, in my opinion, doesn't really do anything for it.
Keep in mind that this story(and the future ones) are for me to learn about writing while getting feedback from you guys, I found that the effects of self-improvement isn't as good as it used to be. To make sure that I'm learning properly, I want to isolate as much factors as possible, and changing characters goes against that.
If I sounded pretentious in this note, I apologise, I want to explain properly. If there is other things that you guys find strange, do let me know, I want to make this story at good as possible. Thanks for understanding!
Also, since I'm addressing some things I found in the reviews, I might as well, there is one person that says to marry Juvia and Natsu already, that's jumping way too many steps! Do you mind telling me what do you have against Gray? I don't think I made him a cruel character.
