● BLACK ▪ BLUE● ¤Gruvia¤

°12°

FAIRY TAIL GUILD HALL
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Gray twiddled his thumbs, resting his elbows on his knees. He licked his lips. There was a bad taste in his mouth. His head hurt. He hadn't gotten any sleep.

"Gray, you alright?" Warren sat down across from him, eyebrows quirked in worry. "You've been like this for almost two days now!"

"When does Juvia get back?" Gray muttered, tapping his forehead on his clasped hands.

"Tomorrow. Later today is when her train comes to get her," Lisanna said, bringing him a mug of coffee. The young woman twisted her lips with concern. "Cana stayed in your apartment last night. She said you didn't sleep. Are you o-"

"Lisanna, leave him be." Evergreen had snapped her book shut and stood up from her usual table, turning to regard them with her cold and bored eyes. "I understand your concern, but it won't do-"

"So what, you don't care about Juvia?" Gray stood up, marching over to her. "Cana had that vision. Something's wrong."

Evergreen stood up, alarming the rest of the Raijinshuu at the table. She tilted her head up to glare at him, queenly as always. "Of course I care. I simply believe that your concern will do nothing, and that you are acting overly concerned, completely out of your normal character."

Gray grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, yanking her closer. Warren and Lisanna moved towards them. Freed and Bickslow stood up, fury written on their faces. Laxus and Elfman yelled in warning and made their way towards Gray.

But she patted his hands as he squeezed her shirt, eyes still betraying nothing to any of them. "I understand that you're tense. However, will hurting me solve the issue?"

Gray slowly set her back on her feet, hanging his head.

"I can't say that Juvia is fine with any certainty. But I believe that if-"

"When."

"-she gets back, you shouldn't let her know you worried this much." She stepped back as Gray let go of her collar, adjusting her clothing back into a stately order. Bickslow gripped her elbow, slowly pulling her away from Gray. "After all, it's not polite to lead a lady on."

Something in his heart tugged uncomfortably.
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JUVIA AND GAJEEL'S ROOM
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Juvia sat up in the bed a few hours later, still not having fallen asleep. Gajeel shifted and pulled the blankets over his head. Lily curled up on the chair in the corner. She looked at them, then at the clock. Twelve hours until they had to board the train.

She blinked and stood, looking back over her shoulder at Gajeel. Bandages were wrapped around his stomach and arm, around his legs. She barely sensed magic from him. He'd used so much in their fight, to drain the ice from around her and thaw her out. He'd gotten them both out of there bruised and battered, but completely alive. A blessing and a curse, just like Gajeel was all-in-all.

The rain woman was severely drained as well. The drawers to the dresser slid open smoothly, revealing a different assortment of dresses. Juvia slid on a sky-blue one that brushed her toes and put a white sweater over it. Nodding to a groggy Pantherlily, she put on a sunhat, grabbed a basket, and stepped out the door.

Food shopping time.

The mundane task seemed abnormal as she walked through the market. The little kids running around seemed out of the world, the scent of baking cake and fresh fruit nauseating her. With vacant eyes, Juvia looked at all the people bustling about her.