Fairy Tail Furious

Chapter 9

How about this?" Gray offered as he pulled out a small paper bag, like the ones children use for lunches. It was wrapped and folded neatly to keep items inside from falling out, and a little drawing in marker of a familiar girl's face was on it. "Will you forgive me now?"

Juvia's head tilt at the sight of the bag being given to her on the counter, noticing the drawing right away. "Levy-chan sends a package to Juvia again?"

"She wanted to draw on it, actually. No, this one's from me," Gray shrugged and let Juvia pick up the little bag, tearing the edge open to peek inside. "It's been awhile since I gave you medication, so there's two new bottles of iron supplements for you. I don't know if your brother has gotten you any more, but I know how you barely say anything about it to him...or anyone, for that matter."

"G-Gray-sama didn't have to," Juvia whispered with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. Closing the bag and stashing it under the counter from prying eyes, she refused to meet his eyes. "Juvia is capable of getting her medications, too, Gray-sama."

"I know," Gray nodded to her. "But you are very bad at getting things you need until the very, very last minute. I can see it now; you're crawling into the pharmacy because you're incapable of walking and have to use an umbrella to reach the shelf."

"Gray-sama is so mean," Juvia pouted at him. "Now Juvia isn't sorry for hitting Gray-sama's car."

Gray smiled at her, taking his drink back into his hands. He knew she didn't really mean it, even though she probably praised herself when she pierced his car with a harpoon-like weapon. "Other than that, have you been doing okay?"

Juvia blinked. "What does Gray-sama mean by that?" she asked with a raised brow. "Does Juvia not look fine to Gray-sama?"

"Well, you didn't seem to stay long after the race last night, so I thought you were getting sick or something," Gray explained with a shrug, pretending that it wasn't a big deal. Which, on the inside, it really was for him. "It's been awhile since you've had problems, right?"

Frowning, the blue-haired woman let him finish his glass before speaking. "Juvia is fine, so Gray-sama doesn't need to worry. Juvia just had a busy night - Master Jose has been working Nii-chan and Juvia a lot, since Nii-chan got caught again a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, saw that on TV," Gray rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised that he was able to be bailed out after causing that huge collision on the freeway in the other city."

"Master Jose has his ways, Gray-sama," Juvia frowned at him, her posture going stiff at the defense for her older sibling. "Gray-sama knows the rules, though. You shouldn't ask Juvia such questions like that. Nii-chan did what he had to do, so Gray-sama should stay out of it. Juvia is willing to help Nii-chan to pay back, so she will suck it up."

"I know you're tough, I don't doubt it one bit," Gray assured her when she snatched the glass from him, he inwardly liked how she went from gushy to full of sass in a matter of a second. "Just please don't overwork yourself too much. For Levy's sake, or she'll skin me alive... Really, for my sake, too, okay? I don't want to have to worry."

He heard her sigh lightly, but a tiny smile perked on her cute lips. "Juvia will for -!" she suddenly stopped when a loud bang erupted from the other end of the bar, where Totomaru was standing with folded arms and a stern look on his face. Turning his head, Gray saw the familiar ribbon of smoke rising from the bodies of drinking men.

"What ya mean I can't smoke in here? Didn't see no sign, bastard!" a gruff, obviously intoxicated yell sparked their attention. A man with a wiry beard and an eyepatch waved his cigarette in front of Totomaru, as if mocking the bartender. "Can smoke at any other bar, but this one? What a joke, man! I can do what I want! I can't believe my pal suggested this place!"