Temporary Flesh

Gray was still confused by the conversation with Lucy. Sure, he might not know her personally, but she was well known within the magical community because of her business. How had she been able to be in the spotlight yet not have her magical abilities known by the public? What was she hiding? Well maybe hiding was a strong word, she seemed…nice.

"I don't know if thinking is your strong suit."

"Why do you feel the need to fill every silence?" Gray found himself barking back.

"You might melt your brain if you keep thinking so hard," Natsu continuing completely ignoring Gray's question.

"I didn't know you knew what think meant."

"That was uncalled for Laxus," Natsu sniffed.

"Annoying." Gray grumbled, pushing himself from the over-crowded table, "I got shit to do." He didn't even look back at the call of his name. He couldn't put off the offering to his deity any longer; his advancement test was fast approaching, and he wouldn't be strong enough to participate without her blessing. Gray would rather eat gravel than fall behind Natsu. He owed his strength to her. Juvia. He still didn't understand what she saw in him, he wasn't anything special but he wasn't about to argue with a goddess. With a grim set to his mouth, he headed towards his apartment on the edge of town, the waterfront property was a perfect fit. "Let's get this over with."

"Done," Gray grunted, wiping mud from his hands onto his jeans and slowly wadding out of the water back to shore. He turned to look at his handywork and then waited. It would take another thirty minutes for the full moon to be at its highest point in the sky, and that was when the tide of the water was strongest. When Juvia was at her most animated. So, he sat and stared at the Aquamarine geode that sat on a small island jutting shallowly from the water. He'd carefully placed an array of seashells and pearls around the geode and a few sprigs of lavender. All things that made his goddess glow with warmth. She was always at her most beautiful when she was happy, the thought made Gray frown. How much longer again? Dark blue eyes swung up to the sky before falling to land back on the makeshift altar.

Five minutes turned into fifteen.

Fifteen minutes turned to twenty. One blink and the moonlight was hitting the geode just right and Gray had to grit his teeth. This was the part he hated the most, but it was necessary. He lowered his head just enough to show respect but not show submission. He wasn't submissive. "I wish for my Goddess' blessing, may she grant me an audience?" Gray called out after what felt like an agonizing long minute of proving his pride wasn't unbearable. It took everything he had not to grit his teeth, she seemed to like to draw this out.

"This color reminds Juvia of Gray-sama's hair." A soft voice. The power behind it drifted like spray over his face. He knew better than to look up yet, she hadn't granted permission. His fingers tingled. "It's beautiful, what can Juvia help you with?"

"My hunter advancement is coming up. I want to move from a Rank six to a Rank seven. I'm ready to take on more of a challenge. I want to push myself to become stronger." So, I can deserve this magic, he added mentally. He wasn't about to admit that out loud.

"Hmmm," was all that met his response. What did she mean by hmm? Gray found his eyes moving to the altar and then quickly to the left. Juvia's form was shimmering faintly, her tail sending a ripple over the water's surface. She wasn't tangible in his reality but was somewhere in between, her image hazy but no less alluring. Mermaids were always said to be capable of enchantments, which Gray was sure Juvia was attempting to cast on him; when did he start noticing how vibrant her scales were? So, he continued to wait, casting glances at her slender fingers caressing the pearls and gently petting the shells, deep in thought. "Going up in Rank means Gray-sama will be fighting stronger monsters."

"Yes."

"That makes Juvia nervous." a pause that had Gray holding his breath. She could be emotional, and her outbursts usually derailed their progress for days which was time he didn't have. "But Juvia also thinks Gray-sama is strong and capable because he has Juvia to watch him." He felt his cheeks warm at the affection in her voice. "If this is what Gray-sama wishes, Juvia won't stand in the way."

"Thank you, Juvia." Gray's head snapped up quickly as he sprung to his feet surprised at how easy this went. "I mean, thank you, Goddess." he scrambled to correct his overly familiar tone, clearing his throat uncomfortably as he began to wade back into the shallows towards her and the altar. It was time to pay the price.

"Juvia thinks Gray-sama should call Juvia by Juvia's name." The mermaid bubbled, her speech was a little odd but was understandable enough, he never got around to telling her that humans spoke in first-person, not third. It had never seemed important anyway. He ignored her outburst.

"What would Juvia like?" Gray found himself pausing before saying her name. It felt comfortable on his tongue in a way that made him nervous.

"Juvia loves Gray-sama's lavender! Gray-sama should also make Juvia a pearl ring!" Juvia gushed, her tail swishing excitedly as she held out her right hand and lifted her ring finger; the moon illuminated her smile and Gray sighed as he nodded – she always asked for a gift from him as payment for the magic share which was tame in the world of made mages. The dark-haired witch counted his blessings that he didn't have to cut his dominant hand off as payment like the first time he'd made a deal with her. Her tears had almost been as bad as the pain.

Lifting his hands up, palms facing the moon Gray felt the tingle of his blood going frigid. The numb feeling traveling from his chest, down his arms and concentrating at the tips of his fingers, it prickled almost painfully. Frost formed over his skin and Gray concentrated on the shape of a lavender branch, the flowers. The frost thickened, layer upon layer building into the shape of a frost flower imitating the real thing. With a deep breath Gray snapped the newly formed ice sculpture from his finger and laid it gently next to the geode and repeated the process for the ring. He needed to hurry before his nerves gave out from the extreme cold, his movements were turning sluggish, and it was harder to twitch a finger the longer it went on.

"Done," Gray panted. His hands at last resting on the geode to freeze it over to crack it open further, this would bind the oath Juvia agreed too. "I present my gifts, may my goddess accept them?" Gray asked, the formality a part of the ritual.

"Juvia accepts," was answered softly. His fist came down on the geode as Juvia leaned forward to place her lips to his forehead. He found himself wishing he could feel her as he smashed the geode; a strong magical force shot from the stone and pulled a grunt from Gray; the water glowing brightly and the smell of the ocean strong. This had never happened before. A feather light brush against his face had him jerking back in response.

"What.."

"Gray-sama broke the geode," a sad voice, stronger in sound than before floated from in front of him. "It was perfect. Maybe Gray-sama can turn a piece into something for Juvia?"

"How…" He couldn't push the words out of his throat. Too shocked that the shimmering form that once waved in front of him was solid. He couldn't see through her and she no longer shined. She sat in the shallows across from him, smelling of the ocean with her blue hair plastered to her face and blending into the water around her. "…how..?"

"Juvia would like to talk to that spirit caster," was met with an annoyed hum and a slap of her tail against the water. "Juvia wants to know where she found such a powerful stone," a shy glance his way had him going pale. "Juvia would like to stay with Gray-sama a little longer, so another stone would be nice." He wasn't sure where he was supposed to be looking but watched with a disgruntled expression as she reached her slender fingers out and grasped his hand.

Gray had never been happier to have lost feeling in his hands, knowing her touch would have burned like frostbite.