Author's note: probably that means I am evil.

Bath

Gray plunged himself in hot water and stretched contentedly. The bath was quite warm, but that was exactly what his tired muscles needed.

The baths in the resort where Fairy Tail members were staying were pretty luxurious – full of exotic plants, with ebony and marble bathtubs and colorful mosaics on the walls. Still, it was weird that there was something quite soft against his hand. The bathtub itself was made from wood and he saw no reason why would there be something so soft and smooth at the bottom – and especially, why was it moving -

The water splashed sideways and he saw familiar blue hair, wet and messy, along with the rest of Juvia – much more exposed rest than he would feel comfortable with. He pressed his back into the tub, blinking in shock, while Juvia yawned, rubbed her eyes and looked around drowsily.

"Kyah!" she squealed when she saw him, splattered a fountain of water on him, then jumped back and started to scream.

Gray cursed, rushing to catch her, and covered her mouth. "Juvia, don't... " She froze and looked at him with very wide eyes. "There are people around," he hissed. "If they notice you, it will only get worse."

Juvia took a deep breath and pulled his hand away from her mouth, trying – and failing – to cover herself with her other hand. "What are you doing in the girls' baths, Gray-sama?" she snapped, frowning at him, her eyes sending a deadly threat despite all the blush covering her cheeks.

"What? You're wrong," he told her. This was bad. "Look around."

Juvia looked at him incredulously and slowly turned her head to take in the rest of their surroundings – naked men in the bathtubs, naked men in the pool, naked men around the fountains and showers. Her face immediately got even redder than it already was (though he didn't think it was even possible) a little puff of steam flew out of her head, the water around them got much warmer, and she started to scream again.

Gray quickly covered her mouth once more. She fell quiet and shut her eyes tight, so he hesitantly took his hand away.

"This isn't happening," she muttered to herself, keeping her eyes shut and pinching her own arm. "This isn't happening. This is just a nightmare, wake up, Juvia, wake up - "

"Yeah, it is," he sighed. "It's men's baths. What are you even doing here?"

She opened her eyes to see the scene once more, then squealed and caught him in a hug, hiding her face in his chest. Gray gasped, trying to free himself, but she squeezed him frantically. "Gray-sama, there are naked men everywhere - " she squeaked tearfully.

"Yeah, that's what men's baths are about, ya know," he grumbled, trying to ignore still rising temperature of water - as well as the fact that her holy freakin' breast was pretty much spread all over his chest. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Juvia, could you maybe - "

"And they can all see Juvia!" she sobbed, trembling. "Juvia is going to die!"

"Um, no one really pays attention to us," he assured her, looking around to check. "We're half covered by those plants, and seems like no one heard you yet, so - "

"But they're still here!" She pressed herself even more to him, straddling his thigh. Gray jumped and almost squealed himself.

"Juvia, do you even realize what you're doing?" he asked weakly, trying to push her away without touching her too much.

"Huh?" she winced, looking up to him, wide-eyed. "Huh?" she repeated, while her gaze slid lower, to take in both their naked bodies. "Kyah!" she screamed again, jumping away from him and plunging under water, as it started to boil.

Gray cursed and created some ice to cool down the water, then pressed his hand to his forehead and cooled himself, exhaling slowly. Juvia was nowhere to be seen.

"Juvia," he called her quietly. "You will have to come out eventually, you know."

He waited, but the water was perfectly still.

"If I came out of the tub, someone else might think it's free and come here," he said. "It would be even worse, no? Come on, we will figure something out."

The water splashed behind his back and he resisted the urge to turn, staring straight ahead instead. He heard her moving and soon her shoulder and cheek touched his back, as she tried to hide behind him.

"Will we?" she asked, trembling despite all the warmth.

"Yeah," he assured her, glancing briefly behind his shoulder. "We will. We are Fairy Tail, after all."

She snorted quietly, but he felt her slowly relaxing.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes..." she said hesitantly. "Gray-sama... Juvia is s-sorry that she – she - "

"It's okay," he said quickly.

"And... is Gray-sama sure that no one has seen Juvia?" she seemed to shrink even more against his back. Clearly, she was stressed out like hell, and he hadn't even know she could be so shy.

"Yeah..." He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well... Just me, if it helps."

"Guh!"

"But, ya know, you're in the water and stuff," he babbled. "So..."

"B-but this water is transparent - "

"Only half-transparent, really," he mercifully chose not to tell her that his tactile sensations were way more vivid than visual.

"Juvia will still die," she sobbed.

"Don't die," he pleaded. "It's just a matter of getting used to it. You know, it happens to me all the time."

"It's different with Juvia," she whined, throwing her arms around his stomach and pressing her breast to his back.

"Juvia, you're doing this again."

"Kyah! Sorry!" she quickly took her hands away, whispering a series of embarrassed apologies.

"It's fine." Only scary. "How did you even get here?"

"Juvia just wanted to take a bath in the morning," she answered. "She must have somehow confused the baths... And then she fell asleep."

"You must have been here really early."

"Yes, Juvia wanted to avoid everyone."

"You succeeded greatly," he snorted.

"Don't be mean, Gray-sama," she pressed her cheek to his shoulder blade. "But... Juvia was so lucky that it was Gray-sama who came here! What if it was someone else!?" she squealed softly.

Gray sighed. "I would kill him," he snarled, clenching his jaw.

"Gray-sama would?" the water splashed behind him as she clasped her hands.

"Yeah." The mere thought made him want to hit someone. "Okay, we need to smuggle you out somehow."

"Juvia was thinking..." she said. "If she just drowned everyone, than she could go away without being seen."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea," he nodded. "I could also freeze half of those bastards."

"Yes... but then... maybe we shouldn't do that."

"Why?" Gray looked around at the strolling men. "I don't like them near you, and with their stuff out like that." He growled quietly, until he realized what was he doing. "I mean, because you are my nakama and I don't want to see you distressed," he added quickly.

"Gray-sama is so kind." He felt her smiling as her cheek moved against his skin. "But killing people is bad, right? Master said not to do that."

"Those are special circumstances," he persisted, but deep inside he knew she was right. "Then maybe... we will capture their attention with something and you'll sneak out."

"That's too risky..." Juvia trembled again. "Juvia couldn't go out of the bathtub with all those men nearby... Even if they were looking other direction. She would die."

"Stop with that dying thing," he demanded.

"She would not go out of her room ever again."

"That's more like it," he praised her. "Anyway, what else can we do?"

"Maybe Juvia would turn into water and stream out of here..." she hesitated.

"That doesn't sound too pleasant, though." He glanced at her over his arm. "If it was so easy, you would do this already."

"Yes, well... Juvia doesn't really like it... All the things from the floor catch in her body and, um..." She winced slightly. "And there might be some people in the changing room, where Juvia's clothes are."

Gray massaged his nose, lost in thoughts. "We should think of something else," he decided. "What can it be... Ah! I've got an idea," he said.

"What kind of - " she started to say, but he was already getting out of bathtub.

"Don't worry," he told her, glancing behind his arm. "It should give you a clear opening."

"Oh, but... Wait, Gray-sama..."

Gray didn't wait – he went straight to the main pool and put his plan into motion.

"Ow..."

"Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama." She threw away a cotton drenched in his blood and reached for another, to clear the next scratch on his forehead. They hid in a little storage room, rather dusty place, full of old furniture and weird equipment. Light streamed down from high windows straight to the table where Gray was half-lying, along with the first-aid kit that she had stolen from the hotel reception.

"Why would you be sorry? It's not your fault that disinfectants cause stinging." He sighed, smearing wounds on his chest with a healing balm.

"It's Juvia's fault that Gray-sama needs them at all, though." She winced. "Maybe it would be better if Gray-sama went to Wendy with those injuries," she suggested.

"Nah," he sent her a weak smirk. "I'm okay. And she could ask questions."

"Does Gray-sama think we can never talk about this to anybody?" She smiled with embarrassment.

"Yeah, I sure hope so," he said, letting her place another patch on his neck.

"You could have at least fight back, Gray-sama," she bit her lip, giving him a half-reproachful glance.

"I was afraid I would really hurt them," Gray sighed. "They weren't mages, after all. And you saved me in the end, so they didn't manage to beat me too hard..."

"Yes, well..." Juvia looked at the floor. "Juvia's sorry."

"You already said it five times already," He reminded her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "It's all right. More importantly, are you okay?"

"Juvia will be..." she blushed, avoiding his gaze. "Juvia had thought something like that would be even worse, but... Gray-sama was with her and she felt safe."

"No problem, really," he scratched his head. "Listen, Juvia - "

"Yes?"

"When you sleep underwater like that, are you sure there is no risk you would drown?" She looked at him, surprised, and he averted his gaze. "It's just... It would be stupid for a water mage to drown," he muttered.

"It's... It's long lasting spell, Gray-sama, it works even as Juvia sleeps," her eyes grew warmer as she studied his face. "You don't need to worry."

"Yes, but... What if someone, say, turned all the magic down..."

"That's rather silly thing to think of, Gray-sama."

He sighed, tilting his head backwards. "Probably you're right," he admitted, still not convinced.

"Juvia! Gray!"

They looked at each other in horror, as a little figure approached them.

"Dammit," Gray hissed. "So much for a hideout."

"Here you are, kids," Master hummed happily, jumping at the table to sit beside Gray. "I see you're pretty beaten up, Gray, huh?"

"Yeah, well..." Gray massaged his nape, grimacing. "Nothing too serious, though."

"How did it happen, I wonder?"

Juvia hung her head down. "It's Juvia's fault - "

"Yeah, we've had a little quarrel," Gray lied blatantly, looking straight into Master's eyes. "But we're good now, so no need to - "

"That's good too hear," Master patted his arm. "Very good indeed. Now listen, what incredible story I've heard: someone frozen all the men's baths in our resort today."

Juvia almost pierced the floor with her intense gaze, while Gray shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps that bastard Lyon was nearby," he suggested. "Wouldn't be beyond him to cause such a ruckus."

"Yes, yes, that's entirely possible," Master squinted at him. "I've also heard that around half hundred of naked men were running down the streets to catch the culprit."

"Such careless people!" Gray exclaimed, appalled. "They could cause a scandal, no less."

"I've also heard," Master continued, "That they never got him, but a lot of them got half-drowned in a sudden water outpour." He looked intently at Juvia. "Wouldn't you know, Juvia, my dear, about some other water mage that would happen to pass through this town - "

"It's because they wanted to lynch him!" she snapped, standing up to look at Master from above and clenching her fists, her lower lip trembling.

"Oh?"

"They wanted to lynch Gray-sama," she admitted, crossing her arms and turning her head sideways.

Gray sighed deeply, shifting to lie flat on the table. "There we go," he muttered.

"Ah, so it was Gray after all - "

"But it's all Juvia's fault!" The girl almost loomed over Master. "Gray-sama did it because of her! There's no need to blame him."

"Sheesh," Gray propped himself back on his elbows. "It's not your fault, it's shitty bath labeling."

"That, too," she nodded. "But it's Juvia's fault as well. She will take full responsibility - "

"And I did it because I wanted to," he grumbled.

"But for Juvia's sake - "

"It's just as much my fault as yours!"

"It's not!"

"It is!"

"It's not!"

"It - "

"There, there," Master patted Gray's arm. "You're gonna really get into quarrel. And a totally unnecessary one, since I blame both of you anyway. You will be cleaning the guildhall for a month."

"See?" Gray looked triumphantly at worried Juvia.

"Although," Master said, "I must say, it does seem to be a little more Juvia's fault. What were you thinking, my dear, when you went to the man's baths? That's rather bold of you," he raised a brow at her.

"Um..." Juvia's face got all red and she fixed her gaze on the floor. "That was just a mistake, Makarov-san..."

"Wait a second," Gray looked suspiciously at the old man. "How do you even know she was there?"

Master smiled broadly.

"You didn't" Gray gasped.

Juvia squeaked weakly and covered her mouth with hands, her complexion turning into deep carmine.

Master smiled broader. "Can't an old man soak his tired bones from time to time?" he asked innocently, showing them two thumbs up – just before getting hit with a little hammer made from ice.