Natsu had always given wonderful hugs.
Even since he was a young boy, a wild and rackety dragon-child with no regard for manners or patience, the hugs he would give when needed soothed your soul no matter how bubbling or torn it maybe.
Mirajane's tears couldn't even curl around the curves of her pale cheeks before Natsu had slid down the stairs and wrapped her up tight against him, her feet leaving the ground for a few seconds.
Like dropped ice cream cone on a sidewalk, she slowly melted into Natsu, a teary face finding a cozy home in a duster covered chest.
A heaten sidewalk was an apt comparison, even through his clothes Natsu felt rigid and bubbling with fire, as if he was a brick wall fresh out of a sauna gifted with the ability to give hugs.
The aching in her eyes, in her chest, burnt up into fuzz and Mirajane was able to force her emotions back as she sighed softly into Natsu's shoulder.
Natsu was here, and now she'd have a hard time bringing herself to part from him now that he had taken to tucking her head beneath his chin while rubbing circles in her back.
He had gotten bigger. Taller. She had just noticed.
After he came back from his year long training trip, he had put on good muscle, grown an inch and a half, which made snuggling against him all the more enjoyable.
This was all fitting, Mirajane supposed, the fire dragon slayer being a human furnace.
It was incredibly common to see Wendy wrapped up in her big brother's arms, tiny limbs curled around Natsu's shoulders and stomach with her head taking shelter in the bend of his neck, and Mirajane truly understood why.
Natsu made blankets obsolete, she had no idea why Lucy complained so much about him 'wallowing' all over her.
As they stood there, Natsu's mere presence and the fact of his return melted down that cocoon of guilt Mirajane had been trapped in, yet she couldn't help but feel some shame linger.
He had just gotten back, with no welcome, warm or otherwise, and she had forced him to play the role of comforter.
Lisanna had told her that Natsu wouldn't rather be anything other than that, but she felt like she was taking advantage of him.
Because he had one weakness that was far more potent than motion sickness could ever hope to be.
Natsu Dragneel hated to see a girl cry. Especially one he loved oh so dearly.
He had been raised to be a gentleman, to cherish, respect, and protect women.
Sorta.
Okay, not really.
He was far from the typical 'gentlemen', he had just grown to treat female guild mates with more gentleness than the males, on average.
That didn't stop his general roughhousing, but it did mean that Cana would get tickled or thrown over his shoulder and spun, while Gajeel got chuckled through a wall.
Lucy got a suplex in the guild pool, Gray got a suplex in middle of the street.
And of course, his play with Wendy and Asuka was the gentlest romping of all Natsu's mischievous antics. Although his wrestling with Romeo was more playful than his brawling with any of the others boys, so Mirajane supposed it wasn't across the board.
Retracing her steps back down memory lane, Mirajane recalled how Natsu and Lisanna as kids play wrestled, Natsu always letting her win, always making sure she walked away without a bruise.
She guessed that softness was always there in Natsu, it just needed the right person to bring it out.
Natsu was already a fiercely protective person by nature, it was one of the few personality traits he had that was somewhat positively viewed and not just seen as Natsu being the usual hair-shirt of the guild.
But given he was just as tutelary of Lisanna now as he when he was a boy, and with Lucy and Wendy joining his life since then, Natsu had come to be very perceptive and protective of vulnerability, especially if it came from a girl.
That extended even to Erza, which Mirajane would never not find adorable.
After the Tower of Heaven, he had trailed her like a worried puppy, not faltering in his fuss no matter how many times Erza spat at or punished him for his 'clinginess'.
And with his fellow males, well... Mirajane had come to learn that boys work in strange ways and that fully understanding them on her own was a fool's errand.
Some things Elfman did still confound her, and she'd have to admit she wasn't knowledgeable on something like Natsu and Gray's relationship beyond the bare minimum 'they fight like brothers'.
And from years upon years of listening to complaints about it from Erza, her former rival didn't seem to understand them any better.
Shameful, she knew, to be the guild's chief gossip manager and frequent go to for advice yet have shoddy knowledge of the sacrificial sex beyond any of the basics.
Once more, Mirajane sorely missed her younger sister, who hadn't stopped taking Happy on jobs since the war ended. Without Lisanna's counsel and invaluable insight, she was left to fend for herself, alone with all these feelings, alone to play catch up.
Mirajane had been given more than enough time to explore that avenue of thought, still nestled in Natsu's embrace, the man himself standing there patiently.
When he started to slowly sway her side to side, Mirajane knew she had to pull away, or else she'd be asleep in minutes.
They didn't get to do this often. They saw each other just about every day, but spending time with just Natsu, for however brief it was, was a seldom occurrence.
Parting from the hug was torturous, but leaving that draconian heaven needed to be done, so Mirajane stepped away, tears dried and smile beaming.
Without a word she quickly dragged him back to the bar by the arm, and Natsu let her, saying nothing oddly enough.
Erza had gotten the opportunity to just sit and catch up with a dear friend, now Mirajane demanded it be her turn.
Astonishingly, no one else seemed to take notice as she led him by the hand to a seat at the bar, which Mirajane was both frustrated by and thankful for.
Natsu didn't need to be swarmed with questions and accusations, he had already spent most of his life being mercilessly drummed on by the people he moved heaven and earth to protect.
When Mirajane finally returned to her post behind the counter, after practically shoving Natsu down into an empty stool of course, she offered to make him her patented special meal for members that had just finished an onerous quest.
That kept Natsu's butt in his seat.
After that, her motions no longer became her own, years of muscle memory steering her actions as if there was a spectral puppeteer looming over her.
Despite darting to and fro around behind the counter, even turning around every so often to begin preparing other meals, Mirajane still managed to hold a conversation with Natsu.
Well, she talked his ear off, and Natsu sat there with unexpected patience and listened intently.
The fondness that massaged his scarred brow loose told of someone who didn't understand much of what was being said as Mirajane bounced from topic to topic, but was still giving his absolute attention to it.
After she quickly explained where most of the non-present guild members were, he listened.
As she talked about the endurance race they held while he was gone, he listened.
As she told him that because he wasn't here to 'accidentally' trip everyone up so that Wendy and the exceeds could win, Jet was the victor this time around, he listened.
As Mirajane jumped from topic to topic, babbling away with cheery giggles, Natsu listened with a loving smile on his face.
For just a few minutes, everything was back to being perfect, or at least she could convince herself it was.
Sure, she barely got to see Elfman anymore, her mountain of a younger brother still off training, and Lisanna's presence was just as spotty, the youngest Strauss slibing in and out of the guild with her 'son' Happy always in her arms.
And yeah, the longer she was given time to sneak peeks at Natsu, the more scars she noticed, especially that long deep one curled around his cheek, something he apparently got from Zeref.
And maybe, each time she did snatch a glance at him, the memory of his gruesome state after Acnologia's defeat popped into her mind, reminding Mirajane how often Natsu knocked on death's door.
But despite all that, Mirajane could just fool herself into believing that Natsu was still alright, and that some things hadn't changed.
However, when Natsu's meal was finally put in front of him, a voice that usually meant a brawl or bickering contest when it was heard by his ears rang out from behind him.
Mirajane stiffened in alarm, letting the mug she was filling overflow with booze, the sticky fuzz pouring onto her dainty wrist.
She wasn't done talking to him yet, there were so many things she needed to tell him about.
Lucy's book had come out, Levy announced she and Gajeel were going to be having a baby, Master's health was steadily improving. So many things.
As Natsu turned his attention away from her, Mirajane just wanted to blurt out she was sorry, sorry for everything.
But it was too late, Natsu had turned and made eye contact with one Gray Fullbuster.
Gray was the first to speak,
"Oh snap, is that Mira's alfredo lasagna?"
Juvia would forever be loyal to her beloved Gray.
She would give her life for him, fight for him with all her being, for his battles instantly became her battles.
He was the man that had made the clouds go away, reminded her of how nice the gold warmth of the sun felt on her pale skin.
Gray's enemies were her enemies, no questions asked.
That being said, Juva had never been able to bring herself to dislike Natsu Dragneel. The gossip around him be damned.
When she had first joined Fairy Tail, when everyone was still rightfully distrustful and wary of her presence, the wounds Phantom Lord had left still healing, Natsu looked at her once and decided she was part of his family now.
No grudge for her former guild's war upon his, no judgement for her odd behavior and speech patterns, Natsu just smiled his goofy smile and chirped 'Welcome to the guild weird lady!' before turning around and starting a brawl by smashing a chair over Elfman's back.
Gajeel hadn't done a great job at acclimating to Fairy Tail socially, and Juvia couldn't claim she had been all that much better at it.
Gray had soaked up most of her natural curiosity and attention after all, with attempt after attempt to win his heralded affection, most if not all ending unsuccessfully.
Until wonderful friendships with Cana and Lisanna had blossomed, until she had apologized to Lucy for the 'love rival' business, Juvia really only felt comfortable around three people.
Her darling Gray of course, her first and oldest friend Gajeel, and Natsu, who she had never even had a full conversation with at the time.
She had been the decrepit water woman peering around corners, with skin as pale as bones, and soft voice mumbling nonsense like a wandering ghost who brought about the dark clouds.
Glaring away female 'love rivals', and timidly ducking behind Gajeel anytime a male not those two rivals of fire and ice tried to approach her, Juvia hadn't set herself up to be included in the wild and diverse family of Fairy Tail.
Well, until one day Natsu decided to randomly pull her into a brawl without any forewarning, forcefully carrying her into the guild's favorite hectic past time as he cackled like a conniving goblin.
No explanation, no heads up, Max had just hip tossed him over a table she was sitting at, so Natsu popped back up without a wasted beat and decided to pick her up by the waist before charging back into the messy fray.
Next thing she knew, she and Cana were teaming up to try and grapple Elfman down to the floor. Elfman, bless his heart, was too chivalrous too do anything other then get brought down by two women half his size.
Natsu had gotten a concussion via Erza as punishment for that stunt, but Juvia had a hard time thinking of any other time she had as much fun, felt as much home, as she did in her first Fairy Tail brawl.
All because Natsu treated people in the guild he had known for weeks as if he had been best friends with them his entire life. Including her.
She had done basically nothing, and gotten unconditional love and loyalty, birthday presents and Christmas gifts, in return from one admittedly zany and loudmouthed fire dragon.
And as Wendy had attested to on multiple occasions, her big brother gave very wonderful hugs.
Juvia may be able to count the full conversations she's had with Natsu on one hand, but she still loved him.
Brotherly rivalry with her beloved Gray or not, Natsu was family, and that meant he loved her, and she loved him.
So when she followed her darling through the guild's front doors, stopping for a minute to admire the roiling hornet's nest of people buzz and blare like a beehive, the brief smear of pink hair her dark opal eyes caught had all her thoughts collapsing down onto her in an instant.
Because the truth was, all those thoughts, Juvia had never taken the time construct them until now, where the sentiments and emotions slammed into her brain like a storm front.
Gray had been quicker to notice him, as he had already let out a heavy sigh by the time Juvia could suck in a sharp breath.
Natsu was back. After more than a month. And this time, he didn't look like he was on the verge of crumbling to dust and blood.
Gray said nothing, he hadn't been saying much of anything since the war when he wasn't bickering with Gajeel, and made a beeline for the bar.
Quickly ambling past what was essentially a battlefield of playful roughhousing and less than harmless brawling, Juvia and her beloved stopped in front of the bar, which was still bruised and dirtied from the afternoon lunch rush.
Both of them picked up on a delectable smell that poured from behind the bar counter, which Gray instantly recognized, nose twitching and mouth blurting, "Oh snap, is that Mira's alfredo lasagna?"
Juvia watched as Natsu turned away from a wincing Mirajane to meet his rival's stare.
The guild was loud, it always was, but right now it felt like everything slunk into silence.
Men were odd, Juvia had come to learn. They spaced out, they stared, and they could 'talk' to each other without saying a word.
Natsu and Gray, a lifetime of shared squabbling and bantering between them, held a stare that let them exchange some sentiment, some agreement that was completely invisible to both her and Mirajane, who shuffled behind the bar as if itchy.
However, Juvia did know a bit more about the way the two rivals worked more than most, being as close as she was to Gray gave her that privilege. So she stood and waited, hoping her lack of nerve would balm the spectating Mirajane.
If they wanted to show that nothings changed and break out into a brawl and spat, they would have done it by now.
Instead, Gray gave Natsu a small almost wistful nod that was a lot louder than any spew of sentences could be. Not even Juvia could understand what that was supposed to mean.
Natsu returned the gesture with equal deference before wordlessly turning back around to face the meal he had yet to dig into, no fight, no yelling, no remar-
"Guess they'll let anyone in here these days." Natsu mumbled dryly before shoving a forkful of pasta into his mouth, fluffs of steam seeping from his lips as he chewed.
Okay well that was on Juvia for expecting everything to change between them.
Juvia shared a soft sigh with Mirajane, while Gray merely clicked his tongue at the statement.
Poor Mirajane, her beauty defiled with a distraught pout, let her shoulders slump in relief that no brawl of elements and arguments would be had.
"You're feeling wild today, aren't you? You're wearing a duster with two sleeves." Gray snipped back, "Did Lisanna or Lucy sign off on that?"
Natsu replied by leaning down in his seat to pick up Gray's jacket that had been abruptly discarded upon the floor, holding the freshly stripped article of clothing up with one hand while he continued his meal with the other.
Juvia hid her smile behind her palm and glanced away so her darling Gray couldn't see her lose a battle against a grin.
Gray glowered and 'tsk'd' as he snatched it back from him and plopped down beside Natsu, leaning over the bar top to peer at the plate his rival had before him.
"No, you can't have a bite." Natsu cut off the upcoming question, to which Gray slid his jacket back on and merely tightened his stare.
"Think about it." Gray urged quietly.
Natsu stopped mid-chew to tilt his head up to the ceiling for a few seconds, eyes narrowed, before he began to eat again without a word.
"So?" Gray prodded, resting an elbow against the bar anxiously.
"Well, I was thinkin' about it, had a thought," Natsu mumbled through a bite, swallowing, "But then another thought came along and bounced off the other one, so now I can't find either."
Gray's head dipped in a defeated sigh, "For once, I would like your train of thought to not run over a cow."
"Mmmm, cow." Natsu hummed absently.
Juvia's giggle eased her shoulders as she decided to join them, sending Mirajane a reassuring glance that she'd make sure the two's bickering didn't grow too fierce.
Mirajane's troubled face somewhat flattened, but she lingered anyway as Juvia decided to sit down to Natsu's right instead of taking as seat beside her beloved.
Usually people didn't sit around Natsu when he ate, supposedly his lack of table manners and selfish nature made that like approaching a feasting tiger.
It was usually just him and Happy, with several meters of free space around him, as if Natsu was an exhibit at a zoo, being peered at by all the other tables of murmuring onlookers.
She had seen Lucy slowly be convinced into this, his own partner eventually joining everyone else as just another spectator to the 'wild Natsu showcase'.
Wendy had approached and shared meals with him on nearly a daily basis with no trouble, but she was his little Wendy, so she was just an exception, so no need to change anything. Just keep looking at him like he was a wild animal.
Well, when she laid a gentle hand on the 'wild animal's' shoulder, he turned his 'beady' coal stare from his lifelong rival over to her, and his eyes, his face, softened.
He had more scars than she remembered. A lot more.
"Well look ice queen, it's your better half," Natsu chirped, quieter, raspier than usual, but with all the same warmth as he gave Juvia a fangy smile, "What's up Juvia, how ya been?"
Juvia did all she could to funnel every last river of fresh emotion into one large confluence, hoping it'd pour into the affectionate smile she sent back at him, "Natsu, you're back!"
"I'm happy to see you've recovered from your wounds," Juvia expressed, shivering at the memory of his putrid state after Acnologia's defeat, there had been so much blood.
"You have recovered... right?"
To her surprise, Natsu quickly moved his shoulder out from under her palm, but turned his body to face her nonetheless, his eyes a rather odd shade of its usual onyx.
"C'mon Juvia, it's me! I just needed a nap and I was good as new." he waved her off with his usual reassurance, although lacking his usual animated gesture to prove his claim.
As she gracefully lowered herself onto the stool next to him, Juvia noticed how he tensed briefly before widening that sunny smile, as if hoping its brightness would blind her.
It wasn't as compelling, not today.
'Good as new', except for that scar on his cheek, one of the few scars that didn't blend into his tan skin or had faded into becoming hard to spot.
Still, it was reassuring to see him not wrapped up like a salmon haired mummy, no bandages, no burnt skin, back to his scarf and his smiles.
"So, you been holding up okay?"
It was almost funny hearing him repeat the question, as if he wasn't the one who had been found falling apart at the seams after the terror of the Black Dragon had gone up in indescribable flames inside his twinkling Fairy prison.
Juvia had expected the question, this was Natsu after all, and waved him down, "I'm doing just fine, everyone seems to be doing their best to put the war behind them. It's been a welcome month of recovery."
In-spite of her honest answer, she fell silent for a minute as she revisited the sacrifice she had made to ensure her beloved Gray's survival.
A talk with Lisanna had informed her it would be best to accept the memory, to not fight whatever feeling, whatever cloud, it may bring.
The more she thought back to that moment she decided to impale herself upon a skewer of her own razor sharp rain, the less cold that it made her feel.
Dying had been cold, Juvia had found out.
Juvia's hand traveled down to her side without her brain's say so, her finger tips tracing where her new scar lay beneath her clothing.
She shivered, feeling it ache in response, as if to reprimand her for the decision she had made to earn it, and the choice she had made to keep it.
A reminder it would serve, as her loyalty to her beloved Gray.
Gray, and Gajeel, may not like it, but it was her scar to keep. It brought about eerie shivers and tetchy dreams, but she'd welcome those too.
"Warm it in the mornings, have Gray cool it at night, do some stretches here and there," Natsu suddenly began, regarding the way she held her belly with well earned empathy, "in a week, it'll stop aching, I promise."
Juvia blinked at the advice, and before she knew it the slight shivering stopped as the air around Natsu grew warmer.
Considering his own collection of faded wounds, Natsu's suggestion was probably as sound as advice could get.
She couldn't help her sheepish smile, bowing her head with a thankful murmur, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."
She was surprised Natsu didn't abruptly pull up her coat top to get a good look and demonstrate with no regard for personal boundaries, instead the tactile Natsu kept his distance.
He knew her scar would ache.
Did that mean his scars ached?
"Okay, so I have a proposition-"
Natsu cut Gray off by shoving down a particularly large bite, chewing loudly, "Man this stuff is sooo good."
Gray decided his best move was to flick Natsu's ear.
"Hey!" Natsu's yelp was garbled as he flinched and sent a pleading look to Juvia, "Juvia, Gray is pickin' on me!"
"Darling, please behave yourself."
With a wounded look at the way Juvia clipped her words, Gray leaned back and held his hands up in offense, "C'mon, he's being unfair, it's Mira's alfredo lasagna! That's like lactose heaven."
"I still have my toes idiot." Natsu mumbled as he lowered his head to fork down more bites.
Juvia shrugged apologetically at her beloved, "I've never had it darling, I fail to see the fuss."
"Oh?" Natsu perked up to look at her, asking without hesitation, "Want some?"
"Oh come on!" Gray threw up his arms.
Juvia didn't have time to comprehend how quickly the offer to share came from Natsu, once more putting into question what was said about his table manners, when his fork came barreling past her lips.
Forced to accept the bite, Juvia squeaked as Natsu pulled away with expectant smugness, "Yeah, try that on for size."
"N-natsu," she puffed as she chewed, holding a slender hand over her lips as she tried to scold him, "I-i appreciate the offer, but a little warning next... time..."
The flavors slowly settled on her tongue, and the words suddenly found themselves unwelcome in her mouth.
"Oh my..." Juvia sat back in her seat in awe.
A shadow of Natsu's mischievous grin flashed across his lips for a second, "Yep, it'll knock you on your butt."
Behind him, Gray slowly shook his head as he grabbed a newspaper and began his usual crossword puzzles, grumbling to himself.
"Hey, if you wanna taste now snowflake, ya gotta pucker up." Natsu announced, quite pleased with himself.
Steam poured from Juvia's face as she buried her scarlet cheeks in her palms, still all these years later, the thought of a kiss with her beloved enough to make her swoon.
Gray strangled Natsu ten times over with a barbed stare, "That was far too smart for someone who probably keeps ruler under their pillow so they can keep track of how long they slept."
"Have you been sneaking into my house!?" Natsu hissed as he went wide eyed, still having yet to reach a fraction of the usual volume he communicated with.
Juvia finally swallowed and let out a deep breath, wiping her mouth, telling herself the drool that almost seeped out was from the lasagna and not the thought of what Gray's lips felt like.
She already knew, but that was between her and Gray.
"I'm not looking to get my skull caved in during the middle of the night, so no, it was an educated guess." Gray snipped back, "Besides, I already know where you bury your money anyway."
Natsu immediately turned back over to Juvia and regarded her with a solemn stare.
"Sorry Juvia, I can't let him leave here alive."
Juvia stifled her laugh, staring up at Natsu with a tilt of her head to plead dramatically, "Oh but I need him!"
"Nah, he's gotta go." Natsu quickly averted his field of view and folded his arms, as if to defend himself from Juvia's soft oceanic eyes, "You can get in one last hug though."
Clasping her hands together, Juvia stared up at Natsu through her delicate lashes with the biggest pair of doe eyes she could muster and sung, "Please? For me?"
Natsu gave instantly.
He could outgrow the fear of the threat of violence, and he probably didn't even know what seduction was, but he would forever be weak to a pair of doe eyes.
Juvia didn't need to be Lisanna to know that.
His rigid posture crumbled like old stone walls and his shoulders slumped, "Fine, I'll keep him around, for you." he muttered.
Juvia's pleased giggle was as soft as a harp as she moved to hug his arm to console his grumbling pride.
That was an underhanded maneuver, reserved for Asuka and Wendy.
As she reached out, Natsu bucked away.
He didn't lean in the opposite direction, nor did he use his forearm to gently keep her away, one of the most affectionate people Juvia knew bucked away from her touch.
Before an awkward silence and nervous gazes could come, Gray interrupted with a mordant click of his tongue, "You've gone soft flame-brain."
Natsu jumped on that and whirled around, as if realizing his flinching would stir attention, "Nuh uh!"
Just like that, he dived into another conversation, leaving her distant on the shore.
"Oh really?" Gray let sharp breath from his nose but didn't look up from his newspaper, "All someone has to do is pout at you and you fold."
"Pfft, well because Juvia is like super awesome, and you do crosswords."
Gray welcomed the jab with a snicker, "I think we are both going soft then."
"Yeah, probably," Natsu agreed, managing a laugh, "I ain't the one who's got the all catching up t'do."
"Don't remind me." Gray grumbled dejectedly, leaning in to add softly, very softly, "I'm sorta happy Wendy beat you and metal freak to 'strongest state a dragon slayer can attain' finish line, or else I'd never be eating anything but dust."
Natsu gaze swept from Gray's crossword down to his lap, "Me too." he stiffly agreed.
Natsu's skittishness was already far downstream in Juvia's flow of thought as she jumped on the revelation, despite it not being meant for her ears.
'Strongest state a dragon slayer could attain'...
Oh, Dragon Force.
After the Grand Magic Games, and the Twin Dragons defeat at the hands of Natsu, Dragon Force had been chalked up to another dragon slayer 'bark worse than its bite' thing, and had since fallen into obscurity.
Yes, Wendy had recently unlocked it and had spent copious amounts of time showing it off to the guild shortly before the war, but even then it's relevance was short-lived.
Laxus didn't have a Dragon Force to her knowledge, meaning the guild had no reason to care about it.
Supposedly Natsu had used it once during the Tower of Heaven debacle, and Gajeel mentioned he attained it during the war, but details about either instance were vague and messy.
There had been nothing she could do to pry more information from Gajeel's stubborn vault of iron secrets, and Erza became terse and tight lipped when the subject of the Tower of Heaven was brought up.
Meaning it was a topic she knew little about, and the wrinkles of her brain demanded to be itched, so Juvia's curiosity took over.
"You can't use Dragon Force?" Juvia blurted before hindsight could arrive.
The way Natsu jerkily rolled his shoulders told her it had been a mistake to pipe in.
Natsu always seemed to operate without shame, without tact, without any sliver of self awareness, yet as he turned to face her he truly looked uncomfortable.
Behind him, Gray glanced up from his newspaper with a sullen frown.
"Uh, N-no." despite the tension in his posture, Natsu's tone flipped back to warmth he had used with her earlier.
Her mistake was clear as day, ironic given the guilt that it left in Juvia's chest meant that the afternoon sky outside would be anything but clear.
Before Juvia could react, before she could bow her head and apologize profusely, Natsu abruptly stood, catching the attention of both Gray and the still nearby Mirajane.
"Yo Mira, I gotta head back. Thanks for the meal, it hit the spot."
Mirajane's head bounced up from the grill, curled tails of smoky steam painting her brow with sweat as her displeasure at the announcement showed itself.
It was always painful to see mother hen Mirajane truly dour, her demeanor crestfallen as she sheepishly approached where they all sat, "Y-you're leaving so soon?"
The silent sorrow was fresh on her, baby blue eyes darting at random in thought before Mirajane swallowed shakily and leaned against the counter top to close the distance the best she could.
"Are you sure?"
Natsu gave a small nod and a placating smile, patting the breast pocket of his duster to let the crackle of folded quests inform her of where he was off to, "Yeah, but I'm really glad to see you're doing okay."
Mirajane did everything she could to hide that quiver in her voice with her usual animated expressions, with that wonderful bright smile that stretched so wide it forced her eyes shut.
"A-alright." Mirajane accepted, head bowing so she could wipe the sweat from her face, "I-i'm sorry I got so caught up in gossip, I wanted to ask how you were doing but I never really did get around to it."
Natsu rolled his eyes, waving the apology off, "Hey, don't be sorry, havin' ya talk my ear off made realize just how much I missed you."
"W-well," Mirajane began tightly, huffing in displeasure as she pouted, her scold motherly, "don't disappear again."
"I'm worried about you." Mirajane confessed, and Juvia hated how her voice finally cracked.
She did this, she had made him leave.
Natsu reached over the bar top and cupped Mirajane's pale cheek, scarred fingers gently bringing her in to plant a kiss between her ivory brows.
"I'm fine Mir', I'm telling ya. If anything, I'm feeling a lot better now that I had one of your spreads." Natsu soothed as he pressed his forehead against hers for a few tender seconds before pulling back.
Mirajane nuzzled herself into his rough palm affectionately and gave a small nod, her voice as small as Wendy's, "You'll be back?"
"Uh, yeah, course!" he chirped a reply, his usual energy bubbling back up in his voice, giving Mirajane a moment to tightly squeeze his hand with her's before he stepped away.
Natsu switched his attention to Gray, sliding his barely half eaten plate of lasagna his way, "You're up, tagging you in."
Gray knew there was no catch, he accepted the plate silently and shared another stare with his rival, an entire exchange buzzing between them before the one of fire and the one of ice shared a pensive nod.
Juvia tensed when Natsu finally turned to her.
The bags beneath his dull eyes were as deep as his nastiest scars.
But his face split in his friendly smile all the same, "Real good talkin' to ya Juvia."
Natsu moved to rest a hand on her shoulder, but decided against it as he finally meandered off, leaving her with a rather impersonal goodbye.
Shoulders slumping, Mirajane lingered for a moment, unease and worry pouring from every orifice of her body as they all Natsu slinked out of the guild unnoticed.
With a rag clutched tight in coiling knuckles, Mirajane reluctantly returned to the grill to keep it from hacking blisters and embers.
Looking to Gray, Juvia found him staring down at the plate he had been given with a gaze as flat and cold as ice, soon grabbing a fork to finish it despite his obvious loss of appetite.
Both let it, let him, go.
Juvia refused to make the same mistake.
She had drove Natsu off without that dumb question.
Juvia shot from her chair and stormed after him, she ignored her beloved's call to wait, rushing through the hornet's nest of idle chatter and rough housing as if possessed.
Bursting through the towering wooden doors, Juvia was met with a torrential downpour of her own doing.
Clouds dull and dumb in grey color coughed up small floods, emptying the lively streets of Magnolia and glistening its concrete walkways.
Juvia quickly chased after the blob of pink that rounded a street corner, sliding through the streets like a specter.
With the removal of its populace's activity, Magnolia was left a near ghost town, seldom there be umbrella wielding passerby's or hasty carriages roaming the streets.
It only took a few more lefts and rights before Juvia's incessant shouts reached Natsu, who halted his ambling and threw a lazy glance at his flank.
Expression morphing into one of surprise, Natsu quickly put the pieces together, craning his neck backwards to stare at the dismal puffs of weeping clouds above before looking back down to her with soft worry.
Stopping several feet away from him, Juvia let herself get drenched.
She could command the water to slide off her harmlessly, but she wasn't that woman anymore.
She'd welcome the grief and the bitter rainfalls it brought because she knew Fairy Tail, and by extension Natsu, would love her regardless.
They held each other's gaze as they stood there soaked.
No matter what light he was in, Natsu's eyes just didn't look right.
Before Natsu could ask what was wrong, Juvia blurted, her voice finding nothing to bounce off of in the grassy fields of the nearby park to one side and thin aisles of the alleys to the other.
"I'm sorry!"
Natsu's confused stare gave her the go ahead to continue.
"I'm sorry for asking that question." Juvia repeated, quieter "I-i'm apologize for butting in, that was not polite of me."
Natsu closed his eyes and scoffed, "Nah, don't be ridiculous, ya did nothing wrong Juvia."
Before his low tone was comfortable in the guild hall, but now it fought a pitch battle to be audible over the pitter patter falling from ashen skies.
"I wasn't gonna stick around long, it was just supposed to be a quick stop to pick up some quests." he tried to soothe, stepping forward only to step back just as quickly.
He had probably seen her drenched, rain dribbling down from the tail of her dress coat, and wanted to warm her up.
It was clear that whatever was making Natsu think twice about touching people got thrown to the wayside the minute he thought they needed comfort, how he acted with Mirajane back in the guild proved that.
"Natsu, I may not be very good at hiding when I'm sad, when I'm hurting," Juvia began as soft as she could, leaning back to look at the familiar sight of her emotions brewing above, allowing herself a small smile at her expense.
She looked back down to level him a look far more soaked with understanding than either of them were soaked with rain.
"But I know what it looks like when someone's in pain." she revealed, reaching up to pull her furred cap from her head, welcoming the cool wetness on her scalp, "I know what it looks like when someone is trying to isolate themselves."
"What's going on Natsu?" Juvia traded her tender emotion for firmness as she looked him dead in those worn eyes of his and made it known she wouldn't let him go.
Caught off guard by the incongruous sight of the soft spoken Juvia firming her voice, Natsu's expression bounced here and there before finally darkening.
Shrill heartbroken wind blew by, bushes flailing with the same frustrated sorrow that Juvia's words did.
"You're gone for a month and barely stick around, you don't finish a meal, and the only time you touch anyone is when they absolutely needed it," Juvia pinned him to his spot with a simple demand, "Why?"
Responding took Natsu a few beats of stuttering and mumbling before he sighed out, "I mean, c'mon Juvia, it's me, ya know?"
Again, he used that statement as if it was a sufficient explanation. With hard wordless frown, Juvia let Natsu know that it wasn't.
"Ya been here long enough, you should know Juva, you've seen, you've heard, I'm uhh..." Natsu's mouth lingered open, brows creasing and eyes darting as if to stall, stall for her to come to the conclusion he thought should be obvious.
Natsu picked at his fingers, grumbling, "I break n' burn stuff, I uh, I make a mess and I don't know how to hold back and I make people clean up after me. I destroy stuff so that we don't get paid on quests."
"I cause the guild a ton of trouble, and I... and I play way too rough, and I accidentally hurt people, and I'm always fudging up Luce's apartment and setting a bad example for Wendy," he rambled unsteadily, listlessly scratching his cheek scar, "I mean like, like everyone knows it, ya know?"
Natsu's dripping expression was sheepish as he shrugged, completely helpless, as if this wasn't up to him.
"I'm uh... I'm wild Juvia." he licked his lips and stated hoarsely, "Like, dangerous."
Juvia knew the crystal streams of moisture sliding past the curve of her cheeks wasn't just the rain anymore.
Wild? Not like Fairy Tail was wild, not like their lives were wild? Wild...
As in dangerous.
"T-that's absurd Natsu. I don't care..." Juvia sucked in a breath to keep her voice from wavering, "I don't care what anyone says, you're not a danger to us."
Her hat crumpled in her tightening grip as she tried to declare, "After everything you've done to keep us safe, th-"
"Juvia, I live out in the forest, like, c'mon." Natsu cut her off with reasoning as simple as it was silence inducing, his voice having finally gone steady.
As soaked to the bone as Juvia was, her tongue felt dry.
She never expected one of the sources of pain to be from something as simple as words from loved ones.
Juvia had thought about how he had been on the front lines for so many battles and never seemed to talk about any of it.
Everybody knew about Tenrou, but few thought about the Dragon King Festival with its rampaging dragons and falling stars and hellish golden firestorms.
Even fewer revisited the final moments of the war against Alvarez and Acnologia, of the strange cosmic colors and flashes playing in the shattered sky.
Barely anyone thought about Tartaros anymore.
There was nobody who wanted to acknowledge Igneel.
Juvia thought those would be why his eyes didn't look right. Not also because of years of talk and conversation and gossip she never found interesting enough to pay attention to.
Juvia never thought it right, the things said about him, but she had come from Phantom Lord, a place of cruelty and fear. She hadn't been in any place to cast judgement upon another family's flaws.
That excuse didn't work anymore.
Just because she never participated in gossip didn't mean her hands were clean.
"You're not dangerous Natsu, yo-you're just not." Juvia repeated her denial with a feeble sniffle, wiping at her eyes in a miserable attempt to try and impose firmness, "I've seen you w-with Wendy. You're not wild, your sweet a-and you make everyone laugh and y-you're always almost dying trying to protect us."
The mention of his adopted little sister's name has the first bit of human light glimmering in his eyes.
Juvia knew she couldn't out-stubborn Natsu. There was no point in forcing him back into a conversation in which all he would interact with is put on indifference.
As far as he was concerned, she was just making a mountain out of a mole hill. There was nothing to worry about. He was fine.
Juvia let her sleeve swing down from her face, welcoming the tears, welcoming the waiver in her voice, "I-if you're so dangerous, then why do you make people feel safe?"
As expected, Natsu perked attentively at the scent of salt clinging to her cheeks, visibly uncomfortable at the way she shivered under the bitter rain chill.
She'd let herself be cold, she'd let herself cry, because something was wrong with Natsu, and that hurt her heart. It was that simple.
Juvia spoke through tears, but she spoke crystal clear.
"If you're so dangerous, then why do all you do is protect us? And if all you do is protect us, then why are you trying to hide?"
She struck a nerve. Whether it be because her words had finally navigated his maze of aloofness to unshackle something hidden, or it was simply because being teary-eyed and shivery was the quickest way to get Natsu protective.
Natsu hissed to himself as he shook off that exhausted calm that had been clinging to him.
Stepping back, wispy puffs of steam came from Natsu's nostrils as a warm orange conflagration of flames swelled in his palm, churning and twinkling like the core of a star.
Holding his hand up, Natsu shot the sphere into the atmosphere, the ball moving so fast Juvia's eyes could not even detect its blur.
The sky cracked, snarled, and shone so bright Juvia was blinded even through clenched eyelids.
When Juvia finally peeled her eyes open, she was met with the sight of a marigold monster claiming the highest skies, plump and round and blazing with solar fire that rippled out to swallow the rain storm.
As if peeling away an old sheet of paint, dull woolen grey was replaced with the endless void of blue.
As the shock-waves of energy in the upper atmosphere traveled all the way past the horizon, Juvia shivered harder than any chill could ever make her.
With one meager effort, Natsu had swept away a brewing storm with a fiery hurricane of his own.
Natsu let his hand fall to his side as he looked at her and shrugged, "Cause of that."
As she watched the second sun in the sky shrink into nothingness, the monster crawl back into it's cave behind the sky, Juvia understood.
Her isolation came because she had brought about the clouds. Natsu's was from the fact that he could blow them away.
He could do that, and so much more.
She hadn't seen him fight much during the war, and Gajeel had refused to tell her anything about the dragon slayer's final stand against Acnologia, so Juvia found herself revisiting from before the guild had gotten back together.
She remembered the war god.
An ancient titan commanding unfathomable power, its knees above the mountain tops and scalp tickled by passing clouds, summoned back to the present for a fight against Natsu.
Well, 'fight' was a strong term.
The war god struck down upon Natsu with its massive blade made for slicing apart coast lines, only for its swing to be caught and stopped dead in its tracks by one tiny dragon slayer.
With a booming dragon roar, Natsu chucked that god back to the heavens above the highest cities of clouds.
He had given chase, leaping up after the war god so that they could arrive at the pearly gates together, except Natsu had brought the draconian gift of flaming hell with him.
In a single strike, he decimated that mythic colossus and most likely the golden kingdom from which it came.
When Natsu landed, he stood atop a cliff-side overseeing the astonished battlefield, standing silently as the crackling ashes of slain gods rained down from the shattered heavens onto horrified armies and dumbfounded mages.
Juvia remembered everyone's wide eyes clearly, no looks of knowing pride from Erza or eye roll from a Gray irritated at his rival 'showing off'.
Just stunned silence and open mouths as the world above the world rumbled with dragon fire.
It was insane. It was impossible. It was breathtaking.
And it was forgotten about.
Because not five minutes later, Natsu was handing out warm smiles and jumping onto Gajeel's back in an attempt to put him into a 'greeting sleeper hold'.
She remembered just how ecstatic Natsu had been to see that she had recovered from her cold. As Juvia found out, being abruptly picked up by your waist and spun around was kinda fun.
Sure, he had stood over the scattered battalions of shell-shocked soldiers, letting his display speak an eerie warning to those with any defiance left.
But Natsu then giddily scampered down the cliffs, well he tripped about half way and roughly tumbled the rest the way down, all so he could scoop Erza up in a hug that had him spinning her around like she was a little girl.
The knot he had on his head afterwards wasn't right, but it wasn't surprising.
Yes, all that had been insane, what he had just did was insane, but Natsu was insane. He was a Fairy Tail mage, that was part of the job.
So when Juvia looked back down to Natsu, there was no fear in her eyes. Not even after that.
"So?"
In spite of everything, the way Natsu went bugged eyed was a comical sight.
"Whaddya mean 'so'!?" Natsu heaved at her, his old wild gestures back as he pointed with a flat hands up to the now empty sky.
Juvia merely shrugged, and was truly happy to put on a smile, "I'm not cold anymore. All you did was warm me."
Her shivering had stopped, and all that was left to shake whatever perspiration, whether it be her tears or the rain it caused, that remained off like she was a wet dog.
Juvia did so unashamedly, torquing her head this way and that, sending her long sky blue locks whipping around in wild arcs that had droplets of water spraying out like buckshot.
She had to stop herself from giggling, hearing Natsu splutter as he presumably shied away from the splash zone.
"Hey, watch it will ya!" Natsu squawked at her, his voice trembling with an unwelcome laugh. That was the most 'Natsu' he had sounded so far.
Juvia finally stopped, slightly dizzy, letting her wild azure curls bend wildly in every direction around her head.
"W-what are ya doing?" Natsu finally broke as he wheezed, not able to fight his snicker at the sight of Juvia's usual serene waves of cerulean hair a frizzy mess.
Back to her feminine movements, Juvia soothed down the soft bristles atop her in several fluid motions, "Doing what you always do." she hummed in response.
"Makin' a mess?"
Juvia carefully wrung out her hat, "No silly, making someone smile." she admonished.
Natsu fell silent, staring at the now dried mud splattered across the pavement behind them.
Juva had made it impossible for his zany aloofness to let him weasel his way out of this.
As bird songs picked up where they left off before the rain, both of them could both hear the sounds of townsfolk emerging from their homes and business to resume their daily living.
They'd never know of the flaming beast that had come to feast on the clouds and return the sun to them.
"I'm not very good at this whole 'thinking' thing, at least not without Lis." Natsu admitted with a mumble as he dried his nose on his scarf.
"So, lemme get this straight, ya don't think I'm wild?" he leaned forward to squint at her, as if he'd be able to smell any trace of deceit from her answer.
Knowing how sharp that nose of his was, Juvia bet he probably could.
"You're unpredictable," Juvia admitted carefully, shifting her weight from one heel to another, "And wacky. And loud. And impulsive."
"But you're not some... some street dog Natsu." she finished as firm as she could.
She could immediately tell from the way he gaze sank elsewhere, he strongly disagreed with the particular statement.
Fairy Tail was wild, their lives were wild, and Natsu was no different. But he wasn't wild in the way he thought he was.
"Dangerous?" Natsu, obviously not trusting his own judgement, kept prodding as if her word was gospel compared to his own.
"Certainly not. Not to Fairy tail."
"You ain't scared? I don't make you anxious that I'll like, I dunno, blow somethin' up?"
Juvia pursed her lips before smiling bright, folding slender hands neatly in front of her waist, "You make me feel safe. You make everyone feel safe."
When Natsu and a fraction of his team came rolling into that abandoned village her and her beloved Gray had called home for those wonderful few months, she remembered being disappointed.
The man that owned her heart hadn't returned, and she was moments before slipping into unconsciousness. But she didn't try to fight it when her body told her it was time.
After all, Natsu was there. She knew she'd be safe.
As it turns out, Natsu can be very fussy whenever someone gets sick.
Not even bickering, well flirting really, with Lucy could keep him from lingering at her bedside to the point Carla had to snap at him to give her space.
Natsu made one of his old faces, that deadpan blank stare that told everyone there was a chance he didn't understand a word they had said.
"Huh," Natsu viciously attacked a scratch on the back of his head of salmon hair, smiling giddily to himself, "I-i mean, that's great, I'm glad, that's what I tryta' do."
It wasn't something Juvia could explain, but new instincts had formed in her subconscious.
If Natsu was around, everything would work out.
"You can't make us feel safe if you aren't around though." Juvia added, honest yet gentle.
Natsu made a frustrated 'humph', his well known expressiveness peaking through the gaps in his face scars for a second before his look flattened.
"I just figured that-" Natsu roughly cleared his throat, "-since I'm doing this whole thinking thing, it'd be best to not be around waiting for an accident to happen. It was just way harder than I expected t'stay away."
The sound of him confirming what she had already suspected left Juvia with something in her belly, deeper than that really, she couldn't quite describe.
"An accident?"
Natsu nodded, "Yeah, right now, everyone feels... feels like..." his faced was wound tight, twisted up into a grimace as if the words were bitter.
"Erza, Mira, you, even Gray, ya'll feel like, I-i ain't sure how to say it-"
"Natsu, it's okay. Really. You won't offend me." Juvia crept a foot closer, a note of support in her voice.
Natsu made something close to an aggravated whine, balled hands coming up only fall back down slack right in tune with a sigh.
"Delicate." he finally breathed, gaze falling to the tiny rivers of rain spreading through the cracks in the pavement at his feet.
"Everyone feels delicate, I guess." he ran a palm along his jaw, the way he drilled the tip of his sandal into the ground beneath him as if he was admitting he had broken something to Erza or Master Makarov.
Juvia took one look at that and decided that the space between them had overstayed its welcome.
Natsu sucked in a breath, sharp and quick, as Juvia strolled right up to him and attached her smaller frame to his with two slender arms curled around his shoulders.
For the first time in his life, Natsu didn't instantly reciprocate a hug.
Juvia didn't send any blame his way, he was usually the one doing the hugging, with the exception being Wendy and Asuka's mad dashes into his arms.
That was one of the first sights that came to mind when she thought of Natsu.
A fistful of fire, a mouthful of food, and an armful of someone he loved.
Natsu was as stiff as a board and hard as a boulder, but the warmth he radiated pierced through every layer of clothing, and she suddenly felt as if the existence of blankets were redundant.
"Compared to you, I am delicate," Juvia murmured into his chest, whatever dampness that remained in her coat jacket now thoroughly dried.
She could feel Natsu swallow thickly, his eyes undoubtedly stretched wide as they stared down at her, his hands held firmly away from her slender form.
"But given how strong you've become, I think I'm in good company." she added reassuringly, referencing the names he had mentioned earlier.
"Just because everyone says something about you, that doesn't make it true. That's for you to choose, not them." Juvia finished.
The tension slowly ebbed from Natsu's shoulders after that, and when Juvia pulled off her furred cap yet again so she could nuzzle into his neck, his arms finally fell down around her.
"Thanks." Natsu mumbled, all he needed to say put into one word as he squeezed her with just the perfect tightness.
Juvia nearly melted to a mess of steam and water in his embrace, and it was only half because she was truly glad her words had managed to be helpful to him.
"Do you think you could give Gray and Gajeel some pointers when it comes to this?" Juvia hummed, practically purring.
The puff of mirth that came from Natsu's nostrils pushed the hair from her forehead, "It's just the whole fire dragon slayer thing, bein' warm n' all."
"No, no, there's technique here." Juvia shook her head into the folds of his scarf, feeling her ears begin to tingle.
Physical affection from the opposite sex was seldom, contact with her beloved Gray being a whole other issue, and Gajeel was not exactly adept at 'hugs and cuddles'.
Yes, Gajeel had recently taken efforts to be more tactile, awkward if earnest attempts at affection having increased in frequency since the war ended, with Gray having allowed her to sleep in the same bed as him during the latter half of their time together before the war.
But a prolonged hug from a boy?
Well, a prolonged hug from a boy who actually knew how to hug?
She loved Gajeel with all her heart and she knew Gajeel loved her back, more than she could imagine, but he had a long way to go before he wasn't as stiff as steel.
Either way, this was rare.
What would Gray think seeing her embrace another man not Gajeel? His rival no less?
Anger?
Jealousy?
Juvia's eyes went big and her mouth went small, cat-like mischief painted across her blushing face as she pondered the idea of getting her darling to be possessive.
She knew she had grown past this sort of thing, but Erza had been generously handing out her smut novels for the other women to read, and now it was impossible to not play with the cliche idea.
With Lyon it was genuinely uncomfortable because that rival had actual romantic affection for her, but this rival, Natsu, well... he was Natsu.
She wasn't Lucy, a protective embrace and maybe a forehead kiss was the most salacious thing he was capable of.
"Are ya clinging because you want Gray to see us and get jealous?"
Juvia let out an 'eep!' and bounced back from his arms, "No! Absolutely not! That's a ridiculous notion!" she denied fervently, immediately feeling much chillier.
Natsu regarded her blankly, deciding to merely stare at the trails of steam pouring from her scarlet cheeks.
"I'm just not used to being hugged by a man, that's all, nothing else. That's common for a lot of girls." Juvia tried to explain away his suspicions, hasty pale hands working to soothe down the wrinkles in her clothes, "No other reason."
Natsu's narrowed eyes suddenly relaxed as he leaned back, voicing his realization aloud, "Ohhh, that's what you meant when you asked me to give Gray 'pointers'-"
"No! You just give good hugs dummy!" Juvia hissed over the sounds of her burning ears whistling like a boiling tea kettle, "It was completely platonic affection! So please don't tell Lucy!"
"Why would Lucy care?" Natsu responded, head cocked.
Juvia's following sigh was so heavy with relief it came ragged from her lips. Thank god he hadn't put those pieces together yet.
Lucy had, but she hadn't done anything with that puzzle, so Juvia didn't hesitate to quickly change to subject with a suggestion.
"You know those quests you took back at the guild?" Juvia chirped, nodding to the pocket he had supposedly put them in.
"Uh, yeah, why?" Natsu looked straight down as he worked with the top buttons of his duster.
"Why don't I accompany you? You and I have never taken a job, just the two of us."
Natsu's head snapped back up to her, "So you are trying to make ice queen jealou-"
"I'm worried about you, stop going back to that!" she interrupted him yet again with an ashamed squeal.
"I-i... I dunno Juvia..." he winced, ceasing his efforts to receive the most likely soggy quest papers, "I ain't so sure..."
"Why? Are those jobs too difficult for me?" Juvia pressed, scolding herself for not accounting for the difference in strength between them, the entire basis for that exchange they just had.
"Nah, course not," Natsu waved that off, because of course he did, "You're crazy strong, you could do these jobs no sweat."
Juvia had to hide the flattery from her already rosy cheeks with her sleeve, "Then...?"
Her insistent gaze chipped away at his pursed lips until Natsu admitted, grimacing, "Like I said, ain't that just asking for an accident to happen?"
"No. That's stupid." Juvia stated, taking a brusque tone her soft voice wasn't suited for.
"I trust you. There won't be any 'accidents', you will see."
Natsu buttoned his duster back up, silent now that she had traded her girly pep for a timbre Makarov would use. He stood there for a second, with seemingly no answer in sight.
Juvia switched tactics yet again.
"Natsu," she prompted much softer, letting her lingering worry construct a pleading expression, "Please, let me come. Let me know you'll be okay."
Once more, his indomitable will crumbled because apparently having Wendy and Asuka in your life gave you an acute weakness to doe eyes.
Her vulnerable look made Natsu click his tongue and grumble, "Yeah, yeah, okay."
The supposed Dragon King as she had heard Gajeel call him under his breath, defeated by a simple pout.
Juvia let a smile come back as she clapped her hands, giddy, "This will be exciting, won't it? I've taken jobs with Gajeel and Lily, I've taken one with Wendy and Carla, but I've never taken one with you... and Happy..."
"Something's been off, and it's been on the tip of my tounge," she remarked, that comment true in many ways, "but I've finally noticed it. Where's Happy?"
There was no ball of baby blue fur and angel wings lingering over Natsu's shoulder. That realization had a few dark clouds shyly peaking over the horizon.
A lot of the things she had thought about Natsu could be passed over to his exceed companion.
So many people just thought he was an annoying rascal, but she had found if you were sweet to him, a soft smile, a quick scratch under the chin or behind the ears, it would be unlikely you would be on the receiving end of one of his infamous quips.
"He's with..." Natsu quickly fixed his croak by clearing his throat, trying to hide the emotion in change of voice, "He's with his mom."
"Mom?" it took a few seconds before Juvia had to keep her palm from smacking against her forehead, "Oh, Lisanna, of course."
"Yeah, I figured it was 'bout time they had some bonding to themselves, like when he was a kitten." Natsu worked his jaw, "It's only right, she raised him just as much as I did."
For once, Juvia didn't prod any further.
Natsu and Lisanna's relationship, and to some extent that little family they shared with Happy, was sacred, private even, and Lisanna had been far too wonderful of a friend for Juvia to feel right poking her nose in that after all she had done today.
She'd rather keep the excitement at the prospect of taking a job with the man who defeated Zeref and Acnologia.
"Well, I'll go pack, tell Gray I'm leaving, and then I'll meet you back here." Juvia decided, her heels bouncing and clacking against the pavement.
By the time she would return, foot traffic would be back in full swing, so she turned to leave when Natsu was suddenly before her, a scarred hand gently curled around her wrist.
Juvia wasn't sure how well she'd be sleeping tonight, but as Natsu carefully tugged her back to face him with some semblance of life finally back in his eyes, she began to like her chances.
"Again, thanks." Natsu's voice had something ragged and weary in it now, and there was a chance it may never go away, but right now, he sounded much closer to the scarf wearing goober who had dragged her into that brawl.
"I mean it."
Juvia's cheeks ached from how wide her smile stretched as she rose up to her toes to tenderly peck his cheek.
"There are so many wonderful people in our guild other than Gray, I'm sorry it took me so long to recognize that you're one of them." she cooed.
Natsu returned her expression with equal earnestness, letting it crack the surface of the solemn emotion that was so foreign anywhere on his body, and letting her see his dragon fanged smile.
Gray had already conquered her heart undeniably a long time ago, so she could make the following statement with complete objectivity; scars and all, Natsu was handsome.
Not as handsome as Gray of course, but Lucy had very good taste.
"O-oh, I meant to ask, what are some of the jobs we are taking?" Juvia asked as soon as that sprung back into her mind.
Hopefully they were something simple, just an easy quest with just enough activity to give Natsu something to do while he digested her words.
Natsu carefully let go of her wrist to finish what he had been trying to do earlier and produce a few slightly soggy quest papers from his inside breast pocket.
With a swipe of her fingers, Juvia gathered all the remaining water they held and flicked down, drying them off completely.
"Forget you can do that sometimes," Natsu straightened out the wads of paper before reciting aloud, "Aight, here we are, the first one is... 'Take the Balsam Canal back from a cabal of ten thousand mages.'"
Juvia just stared at him.
"What? Is it too much or sumthin'?"
"I think practically waging war by yourself against a foreign nation and possibly changing the world's sociopolitical climate falls under the category 'of too much', yes." Juvia replied acutely, with as much patience as she could muster.
Natsu blinked at her.
"Those words sound made up, we're going."