The Little Water Mage {Gruvia}

Chapter Sixteen: Victory?

Gray was worried sick.

This didn't seem to be a very good idea, and Juvia wasn't looking too good as they stood up quickly to put her plan into action.

Sure, they didn't have many options, but he was still having a bit of doubt. They didn't have magic, and Juvia looked worse for wear. Though he would be lying if he said that he found her mildly attractive as she tore off one of her sleeves and started wrapping it around her scraped arm. He reached over and gently took it from her, tying it without a word and only answered her surprised gaze with a small smile. She soon returned it until both heard the Sea Witch screech, making them both wince. Just as quickly, a tentacle was thrown at them. Gray thankfully was able to avoid the attack, taking Juvia with him.

It broke through the floor, wood flying and causing the boat to tip back and forth even more. He cursed under his breath as he lost his balance, using the arm that wasn't holding onto Juvia to grab hold of the railing. He started to rise as the boat tilted farther towards the water from the Witch’s increasing weight. He glanced down at Juvia, who was already looking up at him. “You ready?” She nodded and he sighed. “That's good, because I don't think I am.” In that moment, the Witch had grown much too heavy, now laughing hysterically as the boat flipped and everything swirled with the waves around them.

Gray winced as the water around them started to settle, immediately finding which way was up so they could resurface for air. When they did, he regretted it as he hurt his neck trying to look at the face of the humongous monster before him. Wind heavy, rain pouring down with no mercy, lightning flashing in every direction, and thunder clapping loudly in the clouds that covered the sky. The fact that he could still see told him that it wasn’t completely dark yet, however, it was most likely very very close to sunset.

He really hated this place.

“Gray-sama! Watch out!”

He turned his head and looked where Juvia was pointing. Running along the outrageous current, that Gray couldn't fight well himself, coming at them at full speed, was a shipwreck coming right at then. “Ah crap.” He mumbled before diving under the water.

Through squinted eyes, he managed to not only miss the hall of the broken boat, but also take hold of a lingering rope, pulling them back up to the surface. Grunting at the force of the waves, he looked down at Juvia. “Hold on to me, okay?”

She nodded, wrapping both arms around his neck as he used both hands to climb up the rope and onto the boat’s deck. Panting, they both quickly stood, only to almost fall again as two tentacles wrapped around the boat, pulling it right out of the water up to the the Witch’s ugly face. She continued to laugh unnaturally. “I. Found. You..!”

Juvia was holding onto the mast for dear life and Gray held onto the helm. Glancing around and not exactly knowing what he was doing, he found the largest and sharpest thing he could find, which turned out to be a broken board, and stabbing one of the tentacles with it.

“AHHHHHH!!!!” It cried as the boat fell back into the water, somehow staying afloat as the current took hold of it again. Gray smirked in victory. If their plan was going to work, they needed to stay in the water.

He glanced at Juvia and frowned at her state. Her face had pain written all over it, much like the time he had found her on the beach two days before. “Hang in there!” Was all he could manage while turning the boat’s direction with the waves as it circled around the screaming Monster.

Everything was happening so fast that Gray was having a hard time keeping up. He wasn't even sure how he was sailing the boat at all, he didn't have much experience, and the ship was in shambles, however, the waves were doing most of the work anyways, so he left it at that as he turned the wheel.

And with no time to spare, the broken bowsprit managed to stab the giant Sea Witch in the back of the shoulder blade, and through the heart.

A high scream came from the Beast as it’s tentacles wrapped around the ship in a desperate attempt to save itself, but it was already too late for the Creature.

Juvia shoved Gray out of the way as one of the black limbs almost smashed him, wrapping her arms around him in the process but before they could land on the deck floor, another tentacle slammed into it, breaking it apart to where the void ocean was the only thing they could land into.

Again they were consumed by the waves, tentacles missing them by mere inches as they tried to make it back to the surface, the Witch and the old ship melting away to the bottom of the sea, causing the storm to settle back down and the sky to clear.

The sun was finally setting and they both panted after finding a piece of driftwood to use as a raft.

“Is it…” He took in a deep breath. “Is it finally over..?”

Juvia glanced up from across him on the raft and smiled, gently cupping his face with both hands, causing him to blush. “Almost.”

And with that, she leaned forward and moved him towards her, locking her lips with his for the first time. Though surprised, Gray soon moved one of his hands and placed it on top of her’s, closing his eyes and returning the kiss with just as much eagerness as she had.

Suddenly the day didn't seem so bad.

The fact that he lost complete control over his body, almost got married to an imposter, and almost got killed by said imposter many times, suddenly became a distant memory, leaving only this current moment.

When they both finally allowed the other to breathe, Juvia leaned on his forehead with her own. He couldn't stop grinning like an idiot, and he didn't care if he looked like Natsu while doing so.

“Juvia loves you, Gray-sama.”

It was only a whisper, and he had heard the statement a million times before, but his heart swelled at realizing what those words really meant to him.

He gently squeezed her hand. “Yeah, I know.”

Juvia lifted her head slightly, enough to look back into his eyes, a disappointed pout on her face. “Gray-sama is supposed to say he loves her too…”

He blinked and then held back a chuckle, moving his other hand to pet her head. “Yeah, yeah. Gray-sama is sorry, alright?”

Her pout only deepened until he kissed her again, though just a quick peck, and she blinked up at him when he pulled away, giving her that loving look that makes her feel like she’s dreaming. “I love you too, Juvia.”

Suddenly, both grew extremely dizzy, clinging to the raft as they started to become lightheaded. Gray put a hand to his forehead in confusion. “Wh-What the..?” He could barely register what was going on as his vision worsened, starting to see black spots.

“G-Gray…sama…”

He looked over at Juvia and saw her eyes roll in the back of her head, losing her grip on the raft and sinking into the water.

“Juvia..!” Panic rose enough for him to try and go under after her, but by the time he managed to dive and reach for her hand, no matter how much he tried to fight it, he couldn’t stop it before everything went black.