They did not spar for the next coming week Juvia insisted but Gray was to stubborn and Juvia scared of upsetting him just let it slide even though it gave her a bad feeling at the pit of her stomach.
They spent the days testing the limits of their magic, Gray had been staring at all the empty homes devoid of everything and for some reason he thought of his home town and without a thought all of the houses where leveled.
Juvia ran out of the forest when she heard the commotion and saw Gray in the middle of devastation. She watched as he stood there and blankly observed his handy work. The houses where leveled and the ground was covered in a thick layer of ice that felt more like crystal. She waited for him to break down or yell some sign to tell her that he needed her to help but nothing just a cold blank stare at the decimated houses.
Juvia did not know what to do with this. What was a better thing to do? Give Gray some space or provide him with comfort? She gave him a lot of space as it was, maybe she just enabling him to build more walls? If Juvia was completely honest she felt worried that if she gave him to much attention and made him uncomfortable that he would go back on his promise and cast her aside.
To Grays Surprise Juvia let out a yell. Gray was bewildered to see that she had joined as well, they let hours pass that way taking out their hurt on the remains of someone's forgotten home town.
That day officially ended when twin thuds echoed across the cottage from Juvia and Gray plopping themselves onto their bed. The laid on their backs listening to the others short and strong. Gray was suddenly grateful for the new sleeping arrangement they had grown accustomed to since Rogues visit. It was the only thing that kept him sane for the past week.
"Gray would you mind if I could Practice healing on you right now."
"You don't have to change the way you talk."
"I know Gray but Ju- I am ready to work on this. Seriously this time throughout the years I worked on my speech but never the right reasons, for myself or even because I wanted too."
"So it is not because of the mean thing I said a while back." Gray asked concern lacing his features.
Juvia rolled over to her side of the bed and placed a finger on his lips.
"SSSSHHHH Gray-Sama."
"You are too much?" Gray blushed covering his face and rolling over to hide his pink face from Juvia.
"Turn around please let Juvia work."
This healing magic was not nearly as advanced as Wendys but it was an improvement over how things where before Juvia was learning. Gray loved watching Juvia do this type of magic partially because he could physically feel his muscles loosen up and heal within moments but also, he loved how elegant her hands and fingers looked as they weaved. The intense look on her face as she concentrated was priceless the way her brows scrunched, and she bit her tongue was such a charming expression in Grays opinion. He wondered if it was sad that to him this is peak intimacy. He kind of hoped she felt the same. Instead of asking Juvia if she felt the closeness as well when she "Healed" him he asked for a massage after their session. Juvia agreed only if she got one in return. Gray rolled his eyes and pretended to be annoyed and agreed to her terms.
"How do you do this?" Gray asked Juvia as she stood over him shifting her hands and fingers in odd ways that looked more like a child pretending to cast a spell than actual magic itself.
"Humans are mostly composed of water it's in all of our muscles and organs Juvia simply reaches in the body and keeps the muscles from getting tight from the inside."
"I doubt it is simple."
"You are correct, Gray-sama but conceptually it is." She told him as she focused on her fingers movments and feeling the water in the body.
"Gray, Just Gray … please." He said quietly.
Juvia blushed pursed her lips and excused herself to the bathroom.
Gray stretched her rejuvenated muscles as he watched the bathroom door.
When Juvia came out she looked very composed too composed. 'She was probally having a little Juvia moment in there.' Gray thought as he smirked at her knowingly making her blush and look away quickly.
"It looks like it is too late for dinner, I will be going to sleep … if you are hungry help yourself to some left over soup… Gray." And she pecked him on the ear very swiftly in passing and skittered off to the bathroom again to wash her face and do whatever it was she did before bed.
Grays cheeks burned warm and his ear felt like it was tingling from her touch. He chuckled to himself feeling very satisfied with her reaction. He felt like he could almost forget how they lost all composure today . What really bothered him was that he liked it, the smashing and screaming. He closed his eyes and realized that she forgot his massage he would just hold her up it tomorrow. Juvia returned and they laid back to back as they had been for the past 3 weeks. Gray fell asleep to the sweet memories him and Juvia created in this tiny house.
Her cooking and serving him with a cute little blush on her face.
Juvia telling everyone in the village that their friend Lucy worked for the Sorcerer.
Sitting under the stars pointed at the constellations wondering if Lucy was enjoying working for Sorcerer weekly.
Juvia forcing different teas down Grays throat when he told her he did not like it and she had insisted that he just had not tried the right kind. Turns out he liked cinnamon tea.
Watching movies on the L.V. after a long day his favorites where the scary ones because Juvia and him would laugh like crazy at the "Scary Parts" and those bittersweet movies his favorite was the one about a business man whose daughter dies, after her death he starts seeing time, love and death personified and they help him deal with his loss, a tear had shed from his eye and Juvia squeezed his hand.
He woke up from his sleep with sad clarity and he went to the writing table and wrote his first letter.