OK Then

Chapter 7

Juvia woke up, shivering. She was shaking, freezing cold despite the thick blanket around her shoulders. Her heartbeat was erratic, her skin was coated with cold sweat, her head was clouded thick with dread and confusion. Juvia put her arms on her shoulders to warm herself up, only to discover that she still had her coat on. And her boots. And hat. And, well, everything. 
Juvia mentally slapped herself, regretting ever even closing an eye at that fire. Now her bed was covered in dirt, her blanket was filthy with sweat and ice, and her clothes were wrinkled. Damn it!
The girl hauled herself from her bed, going out to the hallway to get her things. She came back not a few seconds later, lugging a huge suitcase over to her private closet. She unzipped the bag, taking off her jacket and skirt before reaching inside to pull out a new outfit. She draped the used clothes over a chair, changing into an oversized, thin sweater and a pair of charcoal shorts. She tried to smooth down her hair, rubbing her eyes as she exited her room, going out to drink something. Like tea, tea was nice. It was warm and familiar, and even if they didn't have any Juvia could still make some hot chocolate. She just needed comfort, as soon as that goal was accomplished, Juvia could go back to sleep... peacefully. For once.
She exited her room quietly, leaving the door slightly ajar so as to not make any noise. She tip-toed down the hall, careful so as to not wake up anybody. Her legs were shaking though, making the task difficult while maintaining her balance. Her feet were numb, too. She probably should've gone back to put on some pants or, at the very least, dry socks, but she was already nearing the living room. She couldn't go back and return for a second trip, so she snuck into the kitchen, leaving the lacrima light on low. She boiled herself some water, opening the cabinet to take out an assortment of teas on the very top shelf. Juvia chose earl grey, pouring some sugar into her cup before adding the water. 
She stirred her drink before exiting the little kitchen, going over to the couch to sit down and relax. Juvia thudded onto the seat, bringing the cup to her mouth before feeling a shift on the cushion she was sitting on. A large rise and fall of something, a groan. Before Juvia even knew it, the movements grew and she lost her balance, knocked off the sofa and to the floor. Her cup launched into the air as she fell, spilling its contents all over Gray. Gray.
Fuck.
Fuck it all.

Juvia forgot he had claimed the couch, forgot anyone had claimed the couch at all. 
Gray started cursing, the hot tea drenching his chest and stomach, turning the skin red and staining the waistband of his pants. His hands floated over the damage, unsure of what to do as he stammered for a solution. Juvia's mind went blank, unsure of how to handle the situation without making it worse for either of them. Her head lost any room for rational thought, her brain unable to think of what to do, and before she knew it, she threw a water attack at Gray.
His entire body(and even some parts of the couch) were soaking wet, his hands limply hung in the air like a puppet's. His hair covered his eyes and clung to his cheeks, falling lamely over his features. Every part of him was dripping, drops of water rolling off him just from his breathing. The guy's mouth was in a completely straight line, his head not tilting up one bit.
"Juvia?"
"Y-Yes?" she replied, her hands still poised from her move.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Juvia swallowed, flailing her arms out in front of her. "I-I-I'm so sorry! I just wanted some tea and I forgot anyone was sleeping here an-and..." Juvia shrank, bringing her hands up to her mouth in regret. Gray stared her speechless, his eyes silencing her before being covered with his hair... again.
"I'm so, so sorry." she whispered.

Gray sat diagonal from Juvia, his cheek leaning on his fist as he stared at her. She criss-crossed her legs, eyes on her calves the entire time as her hands were completely still in her lap. Juvia barely lifted her eyes, catching a peek at Gray. He was wearing a black shirt that hung a little large on him, falling off his shoulder and collarbone, exposing a bit of pink skin from the drink-assault and sudden barrage of cold water. Juvia blushed crimson, cursing herself for her stupidity.
Gray exhaled, puffing out his cheeks as he stood up. "You said you wanted tea, right?" he asked, crossing over to the kitchen. Juvia looked up, eyes widened a bit. She nodded her head, watching as Gray walked to the stove. 
He came a few minutes later with two mugs, setting one down in front of himself and Juvia before going back to his armchair. He waited until she had picked up the cup and taken a sip, leaning forward and picking up his own cup. 
"So, you gonna explain or what?" he asked.
Juvia kept the cup to her mouth, her eyes downcast as she stalled to respond. "I...I already did; I wanted tea..." she said. Gray shook his head, mouth pointing downward. "I mean, why were you even up in the first place?" he asked. Juvia focused her eyes on a puddle next to the coffee table, not wanting to answer the question. Gray made an irritated sound, rolling his eyes and gritting his teeth at Juvia's silence as he wrung his wands. "You fall asleep," he started, placing his fingers on his temples, "I have to drag you to a room I had to literally look for, pry you off of me before you strangled me to death, escape with what little pride I had left, and not--" Gray picked up the clock resting on the coffee table, "two hours later you sit on me, boil me alive, and try to drown me." he breathed. Juvia swallowed, biting her lip in guilt. She never saw Gray mad before, like, really and truly upset over something. She shifted in her seat, hunching her shoulders before slowly opening her mouth. "I...I h-had a..." Juvia licked her lips, "I had a nightmare..." 
Gray took in a breath, pursing his lips as he lifted his head from his closed hand. Juvia picked up her tea again, taking a small sip before picking at a crack on the handle. Gray stood up from his seat, walking over with his mug and sitting down next to her. His elbows rested on his knees, the cup safely held in his hands. He noticed Juvia's cup was almost empty, so he poured some of his own drink into hers, refilling it. Juvia lightly smiled, tired and sad, as she turned her head to Gray. He looked nervous, unsure of how to handle the situation any other way. He let out another breath, scratching the back of his(still wet) hair as his eyes landed on the little puddle by the table. "Do you...um.... wanna talk about it?" he asked, turning his eyes up to her. Juvia covered her lips with her mug, her brows furrowing in uncertainty. "I-I wouldn't want to annoy you with it..." she whispered, staring into her tea. Gray shook his head, placing a cold hand on Juvia's head and giving half a smirk to her. "I asked, didn't I? So, I obviously don't think I'm gonna be annoyed." he assured, bringing his left knee up onto the couch cushion. Juvia fidgeted a bit, looking down again. "It's not like I... remember anything anyway." she said, swirling the tea in her cup. Gray grinned, placing a hand around his knee. "See?" he asked, looking to Juvia for a reaction. The girl simply looked confused, tilting her head at his question. Gray cocked an eyebrow at her, ruffling her hair. "You're talking about it." he clarified, happy with the movement of things. Juvia suppressed a smile, taking a bigger sip of tea. Gray turned toward her completely, resting his face in his hands while he waited for Juvia to speak. "I don't think I'm gonna be annoyed." he restated, just for good measure. Juvia took a breath, steadying herself. "I don't really remember the dreams... I just wake up feeling scared and cold." Juvia rubbed her sweater-clad arms, the fabric dropping off the curve of her shoulders. "I get over it pretty quickly, usually just spraying perfume or drinking something warm, reading a book or going for a walk."
"Do those methods last longer than a night?" 
Juvia shook her head. 
Gray poured some more of his tea into her cup, signaling for her to continue. She took in a small breath, letting out a sigh before going on. "I sometimes... feel so scared I kinda wanna cry. Like, I get so afraid and there's nobody around.... I almost break into tears."
"Do you ever actually cry when that happens?"
Juvia shook her head.
"Why not?"
Juvia turned her head toward Gray, quick and shocked. "Because!" she said, "Because then it'll rain, you know that. You know I hate the rain."
Gray's mouth formed a small line, staring at Juvia before replying. "Maybe if you cry, just let it all out, then you'll feel better." he said, scratching his neck. Juvia frowned, shaking her head. "I can feel better with other things. I don't cry." she stated. Gray bunched his eyebrows, forcing her eyes to lock onto his. "Yeah, Juvia, I know that. But you're keeping your emotions in." he said, frowning. "It's unhealthy. And really, doing stuff like lying about how you feel is what makes you lose trust from other people."
"But if I cry, then I'll be an inconvenience to others. They won't like me anymore."
"OK, first," Gray said, holding up his index finger, "you need to stop hanging out with those people. Second, and I know this might be a little hard to believe, but there are these things called friends that don't care about that stuff. They just want to see you be happy and tell them how you really feel. Like, emotions and things like that."
"But--"
"No." Gray said. "It's OK to cry sometimes. Really."
Juvia didn't argue. She leaned back with her cup, feeling her eyes mist up a little. She pressed her sleeve to her face before any tears fell, smiling at Gray. "OK." she said. Gray grinned, content with her answer. Well, she didn't let herself cry, but it was a good start. Or, just a start.
They talked for a little while longer, Gray trying to cheer Juvia up. They laughed at each other's terrible jokes, Gray explaining another one of his theories on snow. They sat on the couch and just stared out the huge, floor to ceiling window at the lamps outside the cabin and the white snowflakes that swallowed the ground and trees. "I think I like it here." Juvia said, turning to Gray. "Yeah?" he asked, smirking and angling his head to face her. Juvia blushed, turning back to the window. She nodded her head, focusing on counting the drops of white hitting the ground. Gray ruffled her hair, "More tea?" he asked. Juvia answered yes, grinning as Gray walked to the kitchen with their empty cups. 
Gray made extremely great tea. You know, the kind that made you wanna stay forever right where you are. OK, maybe Gray was what made you want to stay forever. Or maybe Gray making more tea and talking to you while you wanna stay forever right where you are.
Oh, who cares?
Still some pretty fucking good tea.