Author's Note: Another request prompt, challenge 57. ice crown. :)
title: princess bride
rating: K+
summary: She just wanted to be his princess but he gave her something more.
Organizing the wine bottles in the cellar, Gray took a mental headcount, sweeping his eyes across the rows before glancing to Juvia.
"Hey, could you pass me the inventory list Mira wrote for us?"
Juvia gave a small huff before puffing her cheeks out, making him blink. She did retrieve the list for him, but she kept her face turned from his as she handed it over. He raised an eyebrow at this, reaching for the list and letting his fingers purposely brush against the back of her hand before taking the paper from her grasp. He anticipated a flinch or a hitch of breath like she always did, but she didn't even blush; instead, she simply crossed her arms over her chest and maintained her averted gaze.
Huh. That wasn't like Juvia at all.
As he glimpsed at the contents of the list, he snuck a glance at her, finding her mumbling something to herself under her breath. Taking a sidestep towards her, he moved himself behind her back before placing a hand against her shoulder. He made sure to press his shirtless chest into her back as he reached above her, sliding out a wine bottle and bringing it to eye level. The girl flinched against him and Gray smirked, thinking he'd solved the problem—but then, she scurried away from him and ducked her head, holding her hands to her chest.
"G-Gray-sama could have asked Juvia to move," she muttered, leading him to raise another eyebrow at her. Usually Juvia would be head over heels for any physical contact with him, but now she was rejecting it?
"Are you okay?" he asked, but she said nothing, whisking her head away and walking towards the back of the cellar.
Sliding the wine bottle back in place, Gray quietly followed her, watching her peek over her shoulder only to scamper faster upon finding him shadowing her. He narrowed his eyes, continuing to trail behind her. There was only so much room in the cellar, she was bound to reach a dead end at some point—which occurred a few moments later as she found herself facing a wall.
Pouting, Juvia turned around, meeting Gray's eyes for a moment before looking away. "Juvia will do inventory here," she said, "so Gray-sama can return to the other side."
He shrugged, idly glancing around. "There's a lot to count. I'll help you."
"Juvia can handle it—"
She peeped upon finding him standing in front of her, trapping her against the wall with his arms on either side of her face. His eyes locked on hers as she moved back as far as she could, pressing her body against the cool concrete while shakily meeting his stare. He tilted his head, regarding her under half-lidded eyes as he thumbed a lock of her wavy hair and hovered his lips inches away from hers.
"Juvia," he murmured, the low rumble of his voice making her breath catch in her throat. "You…"
Trembling, she struggled a swallow before stuttering a reply. "Y-Yes…?"
He leaned closer towards her, closing his eyes, and she immediately squeaked, shutting her eyes in reflex. He drew a breath and she squeezed her eyes tighter, her body tensing in anticipation.
"You… smell nice."
Juvia's eyes fluttered open, incoherent noises sputtering from her lips before she covered her blushing face and slid down to the ground.
"Gray-sama…!"
The red cheeks, flustered composure, embarrassed stuttering—yep, that was the Juvia he knew.
"There you are," he said, squatting in front of her. "What's up with you today, huh?"
"Nothing!" she shot back, and he arched a brow at her raised voice. "I mean—Juvia doesn't know what you mean."
"Yes you do," he replied flatly. "You've barely said a word to me this afternoon. You're ignoring me."
She looked away, silent with a stubborn pout.
"Why are you in such a mood?"
The girl mumbled something, sulking with slacked shoulders.
He furrowed his brows before turning an ear towards her. "Huh?"
"Juvia wants an ice crown!" she huffed, flailing her arms around her like a child. "Juvia wants to be Gray-sama's princess!"
He squinted. "You… wanna be my what?"
"Gray-sama made a crown for Wendy, but not Juvia! Juvia wants one too!"
"That's it?" he asked, and she nodded rapidly. "Why didn't you just say so?"
He waved his hand before her, channeling ice-make magic to his fingertips. Her eyes widened in excitement, watching the glittering magic spiral into a shape before glowing in a solidified form.
Juvia gasped in excitement, her eyes flashing to his face before returning to the crown in his hand—only to find he wasn't holding an ice crown at all, but rather—
"A… rose?" she asked softly, her heart skipping a beat as she raised her eyes to his.
In his hand was an expertly crafted ice rose, the petals intricately detailed with perfect swirls and frozen dew.
"Yeah," Gray shrugged, tucking the stem in her hair. "Suits you better."
Her heart fluttered as she raised a hand to the flower, gently brushing her fingers against the iced petals.
"Gray-sama…" she whispered, but then her pupils dilated radically. "Does this mean Gray-sama wants Juvia as a lover?!"
The boy stiffened, falling backwards as a deep blush spread across his cheeks. "What—!"
"An ice crown would've made Juvia Gray-sama's princess, but a rose! A rose is a flower of love, Gray-sama! So bold!"
She cupped her cheeks and squealed, gleefully shuffling her knees. Gray twitched at her excitement, quickly pushing himself to his feet and pulling her up with him.
"Just finish taking inventory, okay?" he muttered, ignoring the prevalent blush on his cheeks.
"Yes, lover~!" the girl sang, walking her fingers up his chest and making Gray incredibly aware that he had stripped off his shirt. She then skipped away, giggling merrily while he struggled to regain his composure. Just when he'd found it, Juvia paused her next step, twirling around with her hands behind her back.
"By the way, Gray-sama…"
He cringed at the tone of her voice—she'd practically purred that—and forced a glance at her. "Er, what?"
She smiled bright, twinkles sparkling around her. "If we're lovers, does that mean we get to kiss?"
A chill shot up his spine as his body stiffly straightened. "Huh?!"
Her eyes flashed as she sauntered towards him. "Let's start now!"
"W-Wait a second—!"
Feeling his back hit the concrete wall, Gray swallowed. There truly was only so much room in a wine cellar after all.
BONUS: 79. Butterflies
"Why do you wear butterflies all the time?" Gray asked, glancing to the clip in her hair.
Juvia simply smiled, leaning into his side and toying with his fingers at her waist.
"Gray-sama reminds Juvia of butterflies."
"Yeah?" He arched a brow. "How so?"
She giggled to herself, resting her cheek against his shoulder and affectionately nuzzling his neck.
"Because," she replied, "looking at Gray-sama gives Juvia butterflies in her stomach."