Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. It belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Ice Plus Rain Equals?

Chapter Three: Her Protector

"It sure is lively here in Seven," Gray mumbled as he looked at the crowded streets full of bustling people. The afternoon sky was streaked with violent colors of red and orange battling on the sky, yet complimenting each other as well at the same time.

The Ice Mage sighed, feeling relieved as the sudden stress was weighed off his shoulders. He had survived. Damn it, he survived the worst train ride he ever experienced! And no, it wasn't with a stupid fire-eating moronic reason ("I can't stand moving vehicles!" "This makes me sick!" "I think I'm going to-!" "Natsu, don't you dare vomit on my shoes!"), it was for a reason that had to do with Mirajane. As he thinks about her, every single pore of his skin breaks out in a cold sweat. He had battled it out with Juvia's adoring slaps, Juvia's daydreams, everything that had to do with him getting injured in the process. Yet, he had lived through it all. Mirajane did not have to dig up his grave.

He could've celebrated in the near bars, but there was no time for that. His sole purpose here was to complete a mission, and a Fairy Tail member always completes a mission.

Turning to Juvia, he said, "Let's go before it gets dark. The family is right next to this town. "

Juvia nodded eagerly.

"We'll have to pass by mountains, though, so are you all right with that?" Gray asked, his voice tinged with genuine concern.

Juvia nodded once more, pleased that her Gray-sama seemed so worried about her. Juvia feels so at ease!

Gray shrugged, already used to her weirdness. If he could actually call it that.

"Then, time to hit the road."

He headed towards the streets, with Juvia following him in deep concentration.

The streets really were crowded, and Juvia had a hard time finding Gray when a swarm of people overtook her path. Juvia felt rather anxious. What would happen if she and Gray separated? Fearing of that from happening, she decided to push her way through the crowd to spot at least a streak of black hair.

She was concentrating on him with so much intensity that she didn't notice that she had bumped into someone else.

"Hey, watch it!" A man, probably in his old twenties had retorted hotly to Juvia's slip-up. His slitted eyes were incensed, and he smelled of alcohol. Fresh wine.

This was not good.

"J-juvia apologizes," she stammered awkwardly, not daring to look at his smoky black eyes.

The offended man, however, smirked at her. "Eh? Yer pretty interesting, and yer face is... passing. Sort of," he slurred. Passersby looked upon the incident with eyes sparked with interest.

Juvia gulped, thinking hard on the situation. Okay, if she attacked a resident in Seven, a place she didn't even live and newly just got in, it would be asking for imprisonment, and she didn't want another mockery of Fairy Tail for being untamed and drunken with no shame. As much as she wanted to beat him to a pulp with her water magic, she had no choice but to lay low. She hung her head, ignoring the stares of the crowd that gathered at the streets.

The man's face flicked with annoyance. "How rude of you! Hitting meh and and not eveing bothering to pay a proper apology."

His intonation was clearly being acted on by the request of the sake, but other than that, Juvia wondered if this creep was always doing things like this.

"And..." Juvia began, her hands balled into fists as she struggled not to unleash a Water Lock on him. "and what might that be?" she managed to say in a small voice.

The drunkard looked at her for a moment or two, but he threw his head back and let out a caterwaul of laughter. The crowd turned away, fear in their eyes. Clearly, this man was harassing young women everyday.

If only she could kick his ass and be over with. Juvia is in a pickle! She can't attract too much attention if she uses magic now, then...

"Yer a funny one, you are," he noted, looking at her with hunger gleaming in his eyes. He stepped closer, and it was all Juvia could do not to flinch at his putrid, sickening scent.

He held his dirty, stubby hands under her chin. "Payment: Spend a whole night with me, girly, if you don't want a bashing," he murmured in her ear.

Juvia inwardly cursed. There was no way she was to stand for this.

"No," she said flatly, slapping his hand away from her face.

"What?"

A ripple of shock ran through the crowd.

"Juvia is not a playtoy. Juvia is a women with feelings, and women deserve better men than a dirty excuse for a lowlife such as yourself."

"Girly," the man growled threateningly. "D-did you just call me a lowlife?" he yelled, outraged.

Juvia did not reply and just stood still on the stone pavement and braced herself at what she expected was coming next.

"Yeh don't reply to meh? Meh!"

His eyes flared, and Juvia closed her eyes, ready to take a hit.

She waited for a few seconds, waiting for the pain to sear in, but it never came, and she was suddenly engulfed in someone's familiarity.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia opened her eyes, and her her eyes flashed in surprise, at the same time relief

She thought she had lost him! Thank Mavis.

Gray had one arm wrapped protectively on Juvia's waist, the other blocking the drunkard's fist from aiming it at Juvia.

The Ice Mage did not appear to hear her, and she noticed that Gray's eyes were cast in a deep color of anger. She rarely saw it before, and seeing it again almost made Juvia herself tremble as he locked his gaze with the shocked man.

"You..." he began, his voice dangerously low.

"I see yuv gotta fren here," the drunkard manged to squeak, fear evident on his face as sweat rolled down his temples.

Gray let go of Juvia, and loomed over to the stubby man until they were nose to nose. A deathly cold sensation surrounded him, and the man's knees began to wobble at the chilly temperature wrapped around Gray.

"If you as so much lay one finger on her," he started off in a threatening voice, but the 'fatso', as Juvia would prefer calling him still mustered a little bit of arrogance.

"Yeh'll what?" he said, his tone slightly quivered.

Gray smirked at him, his face masked with a murderous glare. "I'll make sure you'll disappear without a trace here in Earthland."

Fatso had opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly he had quickly closed his mouth when Gray gave him one more stare.

He turned and ran where his chubby legs could take him, with the crowd gladly opening a path.

Gray didn't follow after him, and turned away, grasping Juvia's hand and walked off in a huff from the scenery.

Juvia's sudden happiness and relief was replaced by the negativity of failure. But the again, she deserved whatever Gray-sama would do to punish her for making a mess. Maybe Juvia is not fit enough to be by Gray-sama's side... Juvia only gave him more trouble all less in one day.

She felt tears of diappointment well up in her eyes, as well as a pang of regret. She kept her face down and stared at the stone floor, allowing herself to be led on like a puppy on a leash.

"Hey, mister," a voice, belonging to a female, had apparently followed them.

Gray looked over from his shoulder, but Juvia kept her head held down.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you so much! That man, Bosco, has been harassing each and every girl that comes here since a few days from now. It was very troublesome. On behalf of me, and the women of this town, I'd like to offer you a free lodging in my inn."

The Ice Mage scratched his head. "Thanks, but no thanks, we came here to do something, so I'm afraid we can't stay for the night."

"Well, if you're sure, then that's too bad. But if you ever need a place to stay next time you're in Seven, then come to my inn. It's called Rossie Inn."

Gray waved. "I will."

Normally, any woman who had the nerve to talk to her hubby would be dealt severely by her Water Lock, but Juvia felt that she didn't even deserve to do that anymore.

It'll just hassle him...

"Juvia?" Gray's voice came strangely in a monotone.

"Yes?" she said in a small voice.

Slowly he turned to face her, but she didn't want to face him.

"Look at me," he said softly.

Reluctantly, she obeyed. She gazed into his deep eyes, and couldn't detect any emotion from it. As hard as a stone...

"Juvia is very sorry. She did not want to cause Gray-sama so much trouble. She has been a time bomb and a big obstacle blocking your way," a weird, almost stabbing sensation filled her chest as she went on. "It is best if Juvia just leaves."

Gray's eyes widened. "What? No!"

Juvia was taken aback.

"A-actually, I wanted to apologize," he said, averting his eyes in a different direction for a brief moment before looking at her again. "I shouldn't have let you go like that. It was my fault why that jerk got to you. We should've stuck together."

Juvia felt herself go scarlet in the face. "U-um... Juvia does not see any fault with you, Gray, it was also partly of Juvia to blame..."

A daunting silence followed the pair, and it was unnerving enough as it is. The Ice Mage, who was feeling tired of it and couldn't endure it any longer, had rummaged in his pockets for something.

Juvia looked at him curiously and her brows twitched with anticipation.

A rope.

Why did Gray-sama have rope with him?

As if reading her thoughts, Gray answered, "I thought it would come in handy for this mission." He displayed her a heartwarming smile. "Apparently, it does."

Juvia watched as he wrapped the rope around his waist, twisting and turning it around. Half of the length of rope was gone by the time he had finished knotting it around his waist, and he proceeded to Juvia's hand.

"W-what is Gray-sa..."

"I've led you on like a dog," Gray began, tying the rope around her. "So, let's take turns," he looked up from his work. "I'll be the dog this time, and you're my master."

"W-what?" was all Juvia could manage to say. "J-juvia can't even think about treating you like a servant."

"I'm not. Dogs are a man's best friend. Nakama," he pointed out. "Not too tight?" he asked.

Juvia shook her head.

"Okay then." Gray looked at her expectantly as he stepped back. "This way, we'll never be separated from each other. So lead the way, master." he cheered, and the fact that she called him by his first name went unnoticed.

A/N: I'm so so so so so so so sorry! I haven't updated since two weeks already, and I feel like I've committed a crime against ll of you! Please forgive me!

I've just been so distracted, and stuff, so yeah... I know that's not enough, but I hope this chapter makes makes up for it.

I apologize, if the last part seemed cheesy and stuff. But I promise you that I'll make it up with hopefully speedier updates and better written chapters. ^ ^

Reviews are welcomed, please give me feedback concerning this chapter to see if my writing skills have fallen, etc.