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Juvia straightened up, stomped her feet a few times to get rid of the remnants of snow from her boots, and took a deep breath. "Gray-sama!" she called, knocking on his doors. "Please wake up!"

He would probably be deep asleep, she knew. It was early winter morning and sun didn't yet rise; all the trees, the road and Gray-sama's house were embedded in the snow, looking all magical and uncanny in the moonlight. It was so quiet and peaceful, she felt almost like profaning it with all her shouting.

She still had to do it, though.

"Gray-sama!" she cried again. "Gray-sama! Please wake up!"

She jumped in surprise when the door flung open and her beloved leaned limply against the door frame, clad only in his boxers.

"Juvia?" he yawned."What's the noise 'bout?' What time's it?" He looked around at the completely dark skies, shivering slightly.

"It's already morning, Gray-sama," she assured him. "Even though it doesn't look like it. And it's your birthday! So please, come with Juvia and - "

"No, you're mistaken." He looked at her in disbelief. "My birthday is next year. So, see ya then - "

"Wait, Gray-sama!" Juvia rushed to catch his arm before he managed to go back inside. "Please, hear Juvia out. Besides, she is pretty sure that birthday is something that you have every year."

"Ooh," he massaged his forehead, his dark, hazy eyes focusing somewhere behind her ear. "Why do you have to be so clever at this hour...?"

"Juvia just..." she let his arm go and turned her gaze downwards. "She knows it's very early, but she made a birthday gift for Gray-sama and she is not sure how long it will last. And also she thought it would be more pretty in the sunrise, so if you could be so good and come with Juvia..."

"Huh... Well, okay." he mumbled half-consciously, turned on his heel and went outside.

Juvia covered her mouth with hands. "Gray-sama!" she shouted, running after him. "But you can't go like this in this freezing cold!"

"Why?" he looked at himself, then at her, still not comprehending.

"Gray-sama has to put something on," she explained, dragging him back to the house.

He grumbled something unintelligible, thrown a jacket around his arms and turned to go outside again.

"Gray-sama!" she caught him and kept him in place. "It's not enough! Some clothes!"

"You're so demanding today," he muttered drowsily. She knew that he still didn't really wake up and was just forcing himself to fulfill her wishes. Part of her – and huge part at that – wanted to take him to his bed, tuck him in and sit there for hours, looking at him sleeping.

But she couldn't possibly do that. All her work would be wasted.

"Clothes... clothes..." Gray-sama was helplessly looking around, not really seeing anything.

"You know what, Gray-sama," she sighed, gently pushing him towards nearby chair. "You just sit here, and Juvia will go find some clothes for you."

"Thanks," he mumbled, half falling on the chair and closing his eyes immediately. She saw how his chest started to rise slower as he descended into slumber. For a moment she just stood there in awe, paralyzed as always on this rare occasions when he felt asleep around her. His face would always become tranquil, like that, and for some time his usual frown would be wiped out, and he would look so peaceful, happy and safe, and utterly beautiful.

But she couldn't afford to stand like there for long. She shook her head and went to search for his clothes.

It didn't take her too long to get back with his pants, shirt, sweater and a pair of socks. "Gray-sama," she blushed brightly and scolded him, seeing what he's done. "You were supposed to put more clothes on, not to take them off. Now wake up."

He didn't react in a any way, so she hunted down his boxers (they were hanging from a lamp) and jacket (on the floor near the window), threw some of his clothes on his lap to prevent herself from staring (for some reason her gaze tended to wander places) and touched his hair.

"Gray-sama," she hummed, brushing it with her fingers. "Wake up."

"Just five minutes more, mom," he pleaded in his slumber, shifting away from her. Juvia's heart fluttered in awe. If he was dreaming about his family, how could she interrupt him?

But she had spent whole night preparing the gift for him, and she thought – she hoped – it might really be to his liking. She wanted him to see it.

"Gray-sama," she squeezed his arm. "It's Juvia. Please wake up - "

"Juvia," he slurred, caught her arm and pulled her onto his lap. She squealed and tried to escape – not that she wouldn't theoretically want to sit on his lap, but there was this – this – well, this part of his body that she maybe didn't want to get too acquainted to, well, not that she'd never want to – probably – but just yet, it seemed like hundred years too early and she was not prepared -

but he wrapped her tightly in his arms and lay his head on her shoulder. "Aren't you cold?" his breath was warm on her neck and she winced. "You should... wear more clothes..."

"Err... Gray-sama..." her voice cracked while he snuggled into her, smiling contentedly in his sleep. "It's you that, um, you... you're not wearing anything..." she protested weakly, desperately fighting not to faint. There was his shirt between her and this – this – this, right? It was okay. Perfectly okay. Nothing to panic about. It was her Gray-sama, after all.

She shut her eyes and exhaled slowly.

"But you like it..." he mumbled into her collar.

"Gray-sama!" she gasped and flapped his arm gently, frowning at him. But now that he mentioned it, it wasn't as if she didn't... "Uhh..." She fidgeted uncomfortably before realizing that it probably wasn't the best idea. "Juvia does, in some way... But she feels it's a little bit... Um..."

It was scary and sweetly overwhelming at the same time, but she managed to calm down a bit and focus her thoughts on something else. He was so unusually close, and she could just hold him for a while – how blissful and fascinating was that? He seemed so peaceful in her arms, she thought, maybe he should stay like this forever. If only she could convince him to...

She sighed. She could sit like that whole day, really, but she knew she didn't have that much time.

"Gray-sama..." she said, stroking his head delicately. "Wake up. We should go soon... Gray-sama..." She tried once more to free herself from his embrace, even though she had never thought she would want to do something as absurd as that.

"Juvia?" he asked sharply, raising his head, and his muscles all tensed. "Guh! What are you doing?" He blinked in puzzlement, looking at her, at himself, at his clothes scattered all around.

"S-sorry," she gasped, jumping away from his now limp arms. "Gray-sama just... pulled Juvia like that. It wasn't her intention t-to... To take advantage... Um."

"I did?" his face went very red while he stared at her in terror. "Sorry..."

"It's okay..." she whispered.

They stared at each other for a while, blushing wildly.

"Could you..." Gray-sama said finally. "Could you maybe?" he gestured towards her.

"Ah, yes." She turned around quickly, not to look at him. "Sorry."

She heard him putting his clothes on, and shuddered when he came closer and touched her arm.

"You wanted to go somewhere?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she looked at him and got a bit worried, though. "But is Gray-sama going to be warm enough like this? Maybe he could use some cap or scarf." She reached to the shelf above his coat hanger, where she had seen things like that.

"Eh, Juvia," he said quickly and grasped her shoulders to keep her in place. "It's okay. I will be fine." He looked a bit – scared maybe? But why would he be? "Come on," he muttered and dragged her outside, into the snow.

"But- "

"It's fine," he said firmly, flashing her an irritated glare, which somehow seemed unsure at the same time. "And, by the way, those clothes you brought me?" He asked, avoiding her gaze. "Where did you find them? You – you didn't go to my bedroom, did you?" His face flushed even deeper shade of red than before, and she couldn't understand why.

"Oh, no, they were in the drawer in the corridor - "

"Good."

"But - "

"No buts," he grumbled and stopped rapidly. "Where did you want us to go?" He looked at her inquiringly, wrapping his jacket closer around his body.

"It's not far." She gestured towards the forest. "On the other side of those woods." She glanced to the sky – the sun should be rising soon. "But Gray-sama has to wear this," she told him, producing a blindfold from her pocket.

"Juvia." He frowned, studying it with disgust. "Is it really necessary?"

She nodded her head and gave it to him. "Please, Gray-sama."

He growled reluctantly, but put it on anyway. Juvia took his hand and led him further into the forest.

"Be careful, Gray-sama," she said. "A rock. Ice on the road, now deep snow. A tree, and now we're turning left - "

He grumbled something in response, but she didn't really paid attention since they came to the right place already. "It's here," she said, nervously biting her lip. What if he wouldn't like it? What if he'll get angry that she dragged him out of the bed for something like that?

She shook her head, came closer to him and took his blindfold off.

Gray-sama blinked a few times and gasped. "That's... Incredible." He turned to look around. They were surrounded by ice spires and plants ranging from little to giant ones, shining red and orange in the rising sun. From the top of the hill where they were standing, the whole slope could be seen – covered in all kinds of ice constructions, buildings and sculptures: plants, animals, and buildings.

"You did it all by yourself?"

Juvia nodded.

"Seriously? That idiot Lyon wasn't helping you?"

She shook her head. "If Juvia keeps water in the shape long enough, on a night as cold as that it freezes fast enough," she explained.

"You must have been doing this all night..."

"Well, yes, but... Juvia wanted to make something pretty for Gray-sama," she told him. "She wanted to do just one thing at first... But she couldn't decide what should it be. So she did everything." She smiled at him, she never knew what he was thinking when he looked at her like that. "Everything from ice for you. Happy birthday, Gray-sama."

"Thanks," he smiled back at her.

"Of course it's not as pretty as Gray-sama's ice, but Juvia hopes he likes it at least a little bit..." She added bashfully.

"I do," he assured her. "More than little bit, too. You could enter some ice sculpture contest, you know? Ice mages are forbidden to take part, " he coughed, as if he was amused because of some joke she didn't know. "But I bet they didn't think of that. You'd definitely win."

Juvia felt wave of warmth rising inside her. He seemed truly impressed by her work, and she let herself to feel a shy pride.

"What's that?" Gray-sama's voice brought her back to reality. He pointed to the shiny walls in the middle of the slope. "A maze?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Does Gray-sama like - "

"Yeah," he smiled, turned and sprinted right inside it.

"Oh, Gray-sama, wait - " she went after him into the labyrinth. "It's huge and - "

She took a turn and almost bumped into his back.

"J-Juvia," he stammered, pointing at the sculpture in the middle of the wide corridor, while his face paled. "What the... What's that..."

"Uhhh," she jumped in front of him, flailing her arms. "Juvia is sorry! Gray-sama wasn't supposed to see it! Juvia thought she melted it! She - "

"Eh? It's... It's us?" he glanced at it above her head and his face reddened deeply.

"Yes..." she lowered her gaze and clasped her hands bashfully.

"Eh... um." Gray-sama stepped closer to the sculpture and tilted his head. She knew he wouldn't like it – he looked as if he saw a ghost. She should have destroyed it, but... "All things aside... is it even anatomically possible?" he asked finally, his voice flat.

'Well..." Juvia squinted at the thing. "If Juvia bent a little more than normally, using her Water Body... then if Gray-sama really stretched his arm... And put his weight more to back... Hm..." She gestured thoughtfully. "Juvia thinks it is." She glanced at him with a new hope. "Does Gray-sama want us to check empirically?"

"Guh!" Gray-sama jumped a few steps away from her. "No need! It was just a theoretical question, okay?"

He caught her wrist and dragged her further into the labyrinth, as if the sculpture was going to chase them. He only stopped when they took a turn, and brushed his forehead with a sleeve, exhaling slowly.

"Okay," he said finally, "Some other scary things around?"

Juvie shook her head vigorously. Love is not scary, Gray-sama, she wanted to tell him, but she suspected it would only scare him more. He was what he was.

"There is a fountain here," she said, leading him to the center chamber of the maze.

The fountain stood in the middle, large and spiky, embroidered with all kinds of ice flowers and birds. The blue light shone through the ice and water, changing smoothly into green, then white, then blue again.

"Wow, so much detail," Gray-sama said, touching one of the flowers. "And the lights? Lacrima?"

Juvia nodded. "We can sit here for a while, if you want, Gray-sama," she said, pointing to an ice bench she created earlier. He complied, not taking his eyes off the fountain for a second.

"I must say you think big," he said quietly, as she perched beside him. "And it's very pretty, too." He turned to look at her and sent her a smile that made her heart skip a few beats. "Thanks," he said.

It made her so happy that she couldn't restrain herself from drifting closer to him and catching his arm. He tensed, but let her nevertheless, and she was infinitely grateful – for this moment, he was there just for her, and it was so perfect she could burst from joy.

"But," his voice came resonating through her cloud of happiness,"You must have pumped a lot of magic into it."

"Yes," she admitted, nuzzling his shoulder. It was such a good feeling to be at his side like that, she could stay up every night making things from ice if he would always let her touch him in return -

"And you've stayed all night like that, in this cold? You must be tired."

"Oh?" Juvia tilted her head up to look at him. Was he worried? "Not really," she lied.

"No? More like totally exhausted?" he asked doubtfully, his dark eyes warmer than before.

"No!" Juvia suppressed a yawn. Now that he mentioned it, she did feel more tired – and a bit sleepy from all the warmth and bliss of his closeness circulating inside her.

"Juvia will be okay... If she'll just close her eyes for a minute," she decided, pressing her cheek to his shoulder. He seemed to be saying something, but she didn't really hear it.

And the next thing she knew, he was carrying her on his back, mumbling something about how she's gonna get completely wasted on his surprise birthday party if she'll not rest before it. And also, how no one ever did for him something as beautiful as her ice everything, and how kind it was of her.

But that was probably just a dream, she thought when she recalled it later.

After all - how could he possibly know about the surprise party?