AN: This story was actually the last one to be finished, but I loved writing it so much!
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"A guiding light that'll never fade
there's not a thing in life that I would ever trade
for the love you give and won't let go
I hope you'll always know"
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My Everything
Day 03 – Sunshine
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Gray held his sleeping daughter close to his chest while his friends partied around him at the beach. It was Rose's first time going out so close to the sea and Gray had refused to let her out of his arms while the Sun was still at its peak. He stayed under an umbrella all the time, only giving the baby to her mother when it was time for her to feed.
Rose started to fuss a bit and opened her blue eyes and Gray couldn't help it but to smile at her. "Hello, sleepy head." He whispered to her. "Had a nice nap?" The seven-months-old baby yawned and the Ice Mage chuckled. "You have such a tough life, Rose."
"Is she awake?" Juvia asked, sitting next to her husband. She worn a light pink bikini, her hair in pigtails and absolutely gorgeous in Gray's opinion.
"Just woke up." He kissed the top of Rose's head while Juvia touched their daughter's cheek. "I guess she will be in a better mood now." Earlier she had thrown a tantrum when she was prevented from falling asleep. "For a small baby, she can be really loud."
"Of course she can. Look who her parents are." Juvia giggled and took the infant from her husband. "Come with mama, sweetheart." Rose kicked her legs in excitement and the adults laughed. "Alright, baby, let's change that diaper, feed you and give daddy a few minutes without his girls."
"I don't mind." Gray told his wife honestly; if he were honest to himself, he'd rather have them next to him, in his eyesight so he knew they were safe.
"You babysat all afternoon. Go enjoy the beach." The blunette kissed his cheek. "Take a dive, fight with Natsu-san, build sand castles or whatever."
He hesitated, but nodded. Gray helped her up and watched while Juvia grabbed the bag with Rose's things and walked towards the kiosk, entering the bathroom. The Ice Mage stretched his arms and jogged to where his friends were playing volleyball. He was received with some pats on his back and he played for a little while before he decided to take a dive on the beach, it had been awhile.
He swam around for a bit until he noticed his wife getting into the water with Rose in her arms; the child was wearing something that he realized it was a small version of her mother's bikini, and just like always, she looked adorable.
"What on earth is she wearing?" Gray met Juvia halfway and looked amused at their daughter, who seemed enchanted with the water around her and tried to reach for it even if it barely touched her mother's hips.
"Her first bikini." Juvia explained. "I found it a couple days ago and couldn't help it but to buy it. Doesn't she look adorable?"
Gray snorted. "I'm a bit biased, but yes, adorable."
"Well, daddy, I needed to look my best on my first day at the beach." Juvia made a baby voice and Gray groaned.
"No, no, no, no, don't. Don't do that." He asked. "I'd like to still feel attraction for my wife when the day's over, thank you very much."
Juvia showed him her tongue. "Let's go a little further so Rose can enjoy the water a bit more."
"Are you sure?" Gray followed her closely until the water was just under her breasts. "I think here is fine."
The blunette rolled her eyes but stopped walking. As expected, Rose started to touch the warm water around her just she liked to when she had a bath. Excited, she started to hitting it and the adults laughed with her excitement but grabbed her hands before she could get some salt water in her eyes.
"Alright, alright. Turn down a notch, Rose." Gray chuckled.
Juvia put her hands under the child's armpits and watched as the little girl moved her little legs while Juvia moved her around, giggling. "Oh, she's a natural."
"Hold her tighter." Gray fussed around, nervous and walking next to the baby to whichever direction Juvia turned their daughter to.
"Really, Gray-sama?" The blunette rolled her eyes once again. "Juvia is a Water Mage. Do you really think she would let anything happen to her baby? Especially in water?"
"Did you put sunblock on her?" Gray asked. "She has your skin and you get all red after half an hour under the Sun."
"Of course I did." Juvia stopped and held their baby. "Gray-sama, you are worrying too much. It's four in the afternoon, it's much cooler now." She touched his cheek. "Why are you fretting? Juvia didn't see Natsu-san like this with Igor."
"Because Igor is half a dragon, he can take heat." Gray took Rose from her mother. "She's half Ice Mage and half Water Mage."
"She is a perfectly normal baby." Juvia pointed out. "You have been holding her all day. Tell me what's wrong."
Of course she'd notice him acting weird, she always knew when he was bothered by something and hovering over Rose all day made it very easy for her too, he had to admit.
"She's already seven-months-old." Gray told his wife while holding his daughter, who seemed to think that putting her hand in her mouth and taste the water was much more interesting than the conversation. "It seemed yesterday we were bringing her home for the first time, but here we are."
"O-kay?" Juvia frowned, trying to understand and he knew she wanted for him to keep explaining.
"She's growing up too fast." The Ice Mage muttered. "While she is little, we can protect her; we can hold her while she naps and put sunblock on her so she doesn't get burnt. Soon she'll start to walk, she'll be out of our sight and come home with purple spots we won't know where came from." Gray sighed. "There will be a time we won't be there to protect her from things and I know time is going to pass in a blink of an eye."
"Oh, Gray-sama." Juvia sighed and stepped closer to him, her hand back on his cheek. "You can't think that way or you'll get crazy."
"I know, I know." Gray agreed. "But it worries me so much."
"It worries Juvia too." The blunette told him. "When she learned how to roll, one day I got distracted and she almost fell down the bed. Juvia caught her before she rolled all the way, but it made my heart stop beating for a moment. For days I'd rather have her in my arms other than let her on our bed even with pillows around her."
"I'm afraid we will roll over her when you bring her to sleep between us." Gray muttered again and Juvia smiled kindly at her husband.
"I know." She caressed his cheek with her thumb. "What Juvia is trying to say is that it is okay to feel afraid when something new happens, but we can't let it make us miss the good. Today you could've made sandcastles with her earlier, right now we could be teaching her how to hold her breath under water and just enjoying the day."
Gray sighed. "I kind of blew it, didn't I?"
"Not at all. It's good for you to share your fears with your wife." She smiled and took Rose back from him. "I know we had problems growing up, always getting into some kind of trouble but we turned out alright." Gray raised an eyebrow and Juvia chuckled. "We turned out alright eventually." The blunette looked down to their daughter, then. "And we won't be there to protect her from everything like we want to, but we will do the next best thing: we are going to teach her how to protect herself." Juvia looked back to her husband. "Like you said earlier, she's half you and half me. If that combination is not as tough as a child who is half dragon, Juvia doesn't know what it is."
Gray snorted and nodded, knowing she was right. "Okay. I'll try to stop being so overprotective."
"You don't have to stop, just… turn down a notch." She kissed his lips. "Now, ready to enjoy a little bit more of the beach before there's no more sunshine?"
"Yeah."
Juvia lowered Rose to the water once again and she squealed in happiness, moving her legs and hands all around. "Okay, baby, mama is going to teach you to hold your breath." The blunette looked at Gray for a moment and saw him get nervous before he took a deep breath and nodded. Juvia smiled at her husband before her gaze returned to the child. "One, two, three." Juvia gently blow air into Rose's face and quickly lowered her until she was a bit under the water and then pulled her up.
Gray watched Rose's reaction and couldn't help but to laugh at how confused she seemed, she was blinking fast and trying to figure out what happened. "How was that, baby?" Juvia asked and Rose kicked her tiny legs and tried to reach for the water again. "Told ya she was a natural!" Juvia beamed at Gray, who just nodded and he watched as she repeated the process.
It would be awhile for Gray to become less worried, if he ever did, but Juvia was right: they would be there for Rose whenever she needed and they would raise a girl who would know how to kick some ass.
A tough combination indeed.
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AN: Just imagine Rose wearing that bikini and being adorable. Just imagine! I'm a sucker for babies wearing cute things. I hope you enjoyed day three and to see you guys tomorrow for day four!
Thanks to: Lady of the Round Table, ElectraGoob, hotrodren, Armageddon Angel(I hope I did alright, though, at least a bit haha), Darkhope, endingsarenotalwaysbad, inukekarynatsusu, fyriagita, cybercorpsesnake, Bunnyflopsand EJM513! Thanks, guys!
12/10/2015 ~ BonneyQ