Hot chocolate

"What about the raspberry one, Gray-sama?"

"It's still too hot and too sweet, really, I told you I - "

"The coffee-flavored one should be less sweet! Juvia will be right back."

Gray sighed deeply, looking in resignation at six cups of hot chocolate already standing in front of him – the peppermint one, the orange ginger one, the macadamia nuts one, the blueberry one, the salted caramel one and finally the infamous raspberry one, none of them really to his liking.

"Here, Gray-sama!"

"Urgh... I guess I'm not so fond of coffee either. Maybe you should give up now, it's okay..."

"But..." her lower lip quivered. "Juvia wanted Gray-sama to have a taste of heaven..."

"Uh, thanks, but..."

"And this chocolaterie is so famous... Juvia thinks this chocolate tastes divine, too."

"I'm just not a hot chocolate person, I guess." Gray smiled to her apologetically and pushed the cups in her direction. "But look at it this way, now you can have all this heaven for yourself."

"Really?" Juvia clasped her hands and looked at him in awe. "Juvia can drink Gray-sama's chocolate?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "It would be a waste if you didn't."

And there was no harm in it, was it, he thought, observing her blissful attack on chocolate.

Boy, was he wrong.

"Gray-sama, look! Such a cute puppy!"

"Yeah, yeah, it's cute, but we have to go now, if we want to catch that train home."

"Why is Gray-sama so bad? Juvia just wanted to play with the puppy..." the girl looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Juvia didn't do anything wrong..."

"Eh? Juvia, why are you..? Juvia!" He shouted, as two streams of water sprang from her eyes. "You know you shouldn't cry in populated areas, you can drown the whole quarter - "

"Don't shout at Juvia, Gray-sama..." she pleaded between sobs.

"I'm not shouting, hey... don't cry. You can play with the puppy if you want, but what's with you? Hey, shh." He came nearer despite the fountain coming out of her and stroked her head through her cap, hoping it would calm her a bit. "It's okay. Uhh... good Juvia. Good girl."

She brushed her eyes and looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"Well, yeah?"

She smiled brightly and started to pet the puppy, while Gray scratched his head in a mild shock. Sure, Juvia could act crazy sometimes, but this wasn't like normal crazy.

"Juvia is ready to go," she told him after a few minutes, during which he managed to squeeze most of the water out of his clothes and even put some of them back on.

"Are you okay?" he asked cautiously, leading her to the town square.

"Yes, Juvia is fine!" she beamed at him as if nothing happened. "But... look, Gray-sama! This cloud!" She pointed at the sky.

"What's with it?"

"It seems sad..." She sniffed.

"Wha..? Juvia, don't!"

But first tears were already streaming down her cheeks.

"It's a very happy cloud, see?" he told her quickly. "It's smiling!"

"Is it? Juvia cannot see..."

"Yes, it is! If you look like this! At this angle!" He picked her up by her shoulders and put her down a bit to right, while she whimpered softly. "It's smiling!"

"Oh..." she brushed her face with her sleeve. "Gray-sama is right."

Gray discretely wiped off the sweat from his forehead. Disaster was averted barely – and what the hell was going on – and...

"Hey!" he exclaimed in surprise, when she gasped and just fell down limply. He caught her before she hit the ground and cradled her head on his lap. "Juvia, hey, why would you pass out on me? Wake up, wake up..." he said worriedly, shaking her a little.

"Excuse me," a middle-aged woman made her way through the small crowd starting to gather around them. "I'm a doctor. Let me examine her."

Gray let the doctor do her thing, but she barely managed to check Juvia's pulse before the girl suddenly gasped and sat up.

"What's going on, Gray-sama?" She whispered, blinking in surprise at all the people around.

"You just passed out, miss," the doctor said. "Please stay calm, I'm a doctor. Are you pregnant?"

"Juvia is... pregnant?" She stared at the woman in terror, cupping her blushed cheeks. Then she started to fidget, muttering to herself something inaudible.

"Uhm..." Gray looked apologetically at the doctor. "I'm pretty sure she's not pregnant."

"Then there's only one explanation," the woman announced. "Hot chocolate overload syndrome."

"What?" Gray stared at her in disbelief.

"It happens a lot in this area," explained the doctor. "Have you been to our famous chocolaterie?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Did she have more than one chocolate?" the woman glanced attentively at Juvia, who was still mumbling nonsensical words and tugging at her hair.

"Uh... She had seven."

"Seven? My god... Then it's no wonder she's like that." the woman shrugged. "It should be gone tomorrow, but for today, be prepared for severe mood swings. She might cry a lot - "

"What? She absolutely shouldn't cry!" Gray protested, terrified, instinctively keeping in place Juvia, who just tried to get up.

The doctor shrugged. "Make her happy, then."

"Is there no cure?"

"Some people say it helps to suck on ice cubes. There's a shop with ice nearby if you want to try - "

"Don't worry about the ice! But will it work?" he looked at the woman pleadingly.

"Alternatively, you might try rolling her naked in corn leaves."

Gray coughed, feeling his face getting very warm. "Eh, thanks, I'll stay with ice."

"Good luck, then." She looked at him doubtfully and went away, leaving him alone with totally flustered Juvia.

"Gray-sama..." she whimpered, clutching to his arm. "This dove just got pecked by the other one..."

This was going to be a long day.

"Here, have another ice cube."

"It's too cold, Gray-sama." Juvia gave him a little frown.

"But you like cold, don't ya?" he smirked at her and winked. She squealed softly, blushed, cupped her cheeks in her hands and took the ice cube from him.

"Juvia likes cold," she confirmed.

They were sitting on a grassy hill, with a great view of the whole town. Going back home was out of the question – Gray suspected that railway people wouldn't like their precious trains flooded; and he didn't want to cause any more trouble in the city either. Fords on nearby rivers were already impossible to get across (especially after they had found an unfortunate hedgehog that had been run over), and canals seemed on the verge of bursting (all because Juvia wanted to adopt a family of seven little kittens, and he had to tell her no). He had got soaked so many times he even stopped to count, and in his irritation he even started to imagine dispatching her to Lyon (although that douchebag would probably just take advantage of her. Or something).

At least, he tried to comfort himself, it wasn't raining.

Yet.

"Look, Gray-sama, this wasp is trying to kill a fly! Poor thing, it's going to get eaten!.."

"Eh? Okay, just give me a moment," he said. At least she was easy to cheer up. "I'll help that miserable bastard," he promised, driving the wasp away from its victim. "See? Your little fly is safe now."

"Thank you, Gray-sama," Juvia squeezed his arm tighter. "You're so manly!"

"Uh-huh. Here, delicious ice cube for ya."

"Noo... Juvia doesn't want any more of those." she whined, wrinkling her nose.

"Oh, come on. This one is for Master Makarov. You like that old geezer, don't you?"

"Uh, yes, he's so kind," she said, putting the cube in her mouth. "But he is old! What if he'll die?" The tears dwelt in her eyes again.

"He won't die any soon!" Gray protested frantically. He definitely had enough soaking already. "Look, such beautiful flowers. Those yellow ones, and the blue ones too." Juvia looked where he pointed and calmed down visibly.

"They're really beautiful," she admitted, touching them gently. "But what if..." her lip quivered again.

"What if what?" He asked, slightly panicked.

"What if they would destroy the meadow to build another shopping mall? Gray-sama..." she sobbed.

"But they won't, they won't." Gray looked around in search for distraction, but didn't find any, so he quickly embraced the girl and pressed to himself. "I'm sure they won't. It's too pretty. There's a law forbidding it."

She squealed softly, but then leaned into him and sighed, content again.

"If you say so," she said, nuzzling his chest, while he twitched uncomfortably.

"Here," he said, creating another ice cube and putting it to her mouth.

"Uh-uhm," she shook her head and pursed her lips tightly.

"For that idiot Gajeel," he suggested. "He's your friend."

"Um. He is," she said, taking the cube and licking his hand in the process. He jumped at the strange sensation, but she just raised her worried eyes to him like nothing happened.

"Gray-sama, but what will we do?" she asked helplessly.

"With what?"

"With the baby," she whispered, looking down and stroking her stomach. "How will we provide for her? Oh, Juvia probably will have to stop working! How can Juvia make a Water Body now?" She brought her hands to her mouth and squealed.

"Um, Juvia..."

"Juvia is too young for this!" she whined, on the verge of tears again. "What if Juvia gets fat? Will Gray-sama still want her? And giving birth!" She raised her eyes to skies in terror. "Juvia heard it's very painful! Juvia is not ready to have a daughter..." she shook her head vigorously.

"Eh... aside from everything else... why do you think it's a girl?" He asked absurdly.

"Oh! Gray-sama is right!" Her eyes grew even wider and more scared. "It might be a boy!" She stood up and started to go away. "Juvia has to go now," she said. "She doesn't know anything about little boys! She must get prepared! Read a book or something!"

"Oi, Juvia, come back here!" he caught her wrist and gently pulled her down. She looked at him reproachfully.

"But Juvia has to - "

"Juvia. I'm pretty sure little boys are not that much different than little girls."

"How can Gray-sama know this?" She pouted, crossing her arms on her chest. "Gray-sama should read a book too..."

"Oh, come on, they just sleep and eat and cry and make a mess," he answered from the depths of his eighteen-year-old wisdom. "Besides, it's not like we're really having a baby."

"How can you say such a thing, Gray-sama? The doctor said Juvia is pregnant! Do you know better than the doctor? Oh, Gray-sama - "

"No, listen, it wasn't - "

She shook her head in horror. "Are you going to deny this? Do you want Juvia to do... this awful thing – Juvia would never do this! Juvia is going!" She jumped on her feet, teary eyed and furious, and started to run away from him. Gray sighed deeply and went after her.

"Juvia - "

"No! Gray-sama will not make Juvia hurt her child!" She glanced at him over her arm, sad and angry, and then stopped to flood him in a spurt of water.

So much for not getting soaked anymore. Gray growled, irritated. "Can you listen to me for a second?" He snarled.

"No! Juvia will not listen! How can Gray-sama want such a terrible thing? Juvia thought differently of Gray-sama!" She clenched her fists, but then her shoulders slumped and she started to cry, covering her face and creating a little stream flowing down the path.

"Juvia," he said softly, his anger already forgotten. He came closer to her, but she stepped back. "Juvia, I don't want you to do this," he told her, giving up to her madness. "You got it all wrong. I would never want it. Please, don't cry."

He tried to get closer to her again, and this time she let him. He embraced her gently and she poured her tears into his shirt – as if it could absorb any more water.

"Gray-sama doesn't?" She sniffed.

"Sure," he repeated. "I would never want it. It's my kid too." He coughed, embarrassed, realizing what he had just said. "I mean - "

"So we can keep the baby?" she raised her head to look at him hopefully, streams of tears slowly drying out. "Gray-sama will help?"

"Eh, isn't it obvious? It's only right. But - "

"And Gray-sama will read a book about little girls, just in case?"

"I'll read whatever you want, but - "

"That's great!" She squeezed him so tight it left him breathless and nuzzled his chest vigorously. "But, Gray-sama," she said, worried again. "We've got no money."

"I've got some savings," he managed to mutter, barely able to inhale.

"But what if there are twins!" she cupped her cheeks and shook her head.

"I've got enough for twins, but could you - "

"Triplets!"

"Can we not go any further than that?" He frowned at her, grasping her shoulders to bring her attention back to him. "Would you listen to me for a minute? I wanted to say something too."

"Yes? Okay, Gray-sama," she beamed at him beautifully.

"So, what doctor said - "

"Gray-sama will be a wonderful father," she said sheepishly, clasping her hands in front of her.

Gray groaned and hid his face in his palm.

"Oh, Gray-sama, are you not happy?" she touched his arm cautiously, leaning closer to look at him. "Juvia doesn't want you to think of it as a burden... She will do everything - "

Gray sighed deeply, wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her in place and put his other hand over her mouth.

"Mmh?" she whimpered in surprise, covering his hand with hers.

"Just listen to me," he begged. "Will you listen?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"I'm not going to let you go anyway," he grumbled, squeezing her tighter when her eyes started to wander around. "Listen, dammit. The doctor only asked you if you were pregnant. She didn't say you actually were. You understand? You're not pregnant." He bore his eyes into her to make sure his message hit the target.

Juvia stared at him blankly for a moment, then her eyes flickered mischievously and she slowly licked his hand.

"Juvia!" he snorted, jumping away from her. "Why would you do that?!"

"Juvia thought Gray-sama should not be so angry," she told him reproachfully.

"Okay, whatever, sorry," he shrugged, discretely wiping his hand of his wet pants. "I just wanted you to listen. Did you understand what I said?"

"Gray-sama said that Juvia is not pregnant." She looked at him doubtfully.

"Yes! Thank you!"

"But... Juvia is still not sure... she thought... and Gray-sama said..." She fidgeted a bit, staring at the ground.

"How can you be not sure?" He looked at her pleadingly. "You do know where children come from, don't you?"

"Yes..." She swallowed and her face got all red. "When the... um, and... and then..." she explained, gesturing vividly with her hands.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, I see you've got that," he said quickly, feeling his face getting terribly warm too. "So, do you remember us doing that? Because I don't." He glanced away from her. "And I'm pretty sure I would," he mumbled.

"Well..." she looked sideways, smiling apologetically. "Juvia for a moment thought that... but... It might have been only in Juvia's head... uhm..."

Gray came closer, grasped her shoulders and shook her gently. "We. Did. Not. Okay?"

"Okay, okay, Gray-sama. We didn't." She licked her lips.

"Good. So now you're sure?"

"Yes... but..." She blushed and started to make circles with her foot. "Maybe we could?"

"You're not serious," he said. What was that chocolate doing to her? Seriously, he was not going to let her drink any more ever (well, maybe some day. But not if Lyon was around.).

"No, Juvia is serious," she raised her eyes to him and winked at him. "If Gray-sama has enough money for triplets, then where's the harm?"

She winked. It was freakin' scary.

"There's no one around," she continued in conspiratorial whisper. "Juvia could do some things for Gray-sama... like this... or that..."

Gray just stared at her. Crying was one thing – he could bear some amount of crying, heck, he was even getting good at it - but this now was on a totally different level. He had to do something about it – and right now. What did the doctor say..?

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the road.

"But... we were supposed to..." she complained. It wasn't going to stop him, though. "Where are we going?" she asked, trying to catch up to him.

"To the fields near the village," he told her, terrified of himself but determined nevertheless. "I think I saw some corn leaves there."