Ice-Cold (Gruvia Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Chapter 19: Can She Love?

Hey everyone! What's up? Hope you're having a good day! Whew! Life has been so busy with the end of the school year coming up, which means FINALS..... I'm incredibly busy preparing and doing standard schoolwork, too. Hopefully I can make time to update as well.

This is Chapter 19 of Ice-Cold. Another Juvia chapter. Please read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima entirely. Had I owned it, NaLu would be cannon and deep in fluff already, as would every other ship! <3

"Drip, drip, drop."

Juvia clamped a hand over her mouth shut. Oh dear, it was starting again.

Staring at rain for a really long time would always bring about that habit. It had become second-nature to the water woman. She was trying to hold it back, but that sneaky last one made it out. The palace workers were still getting accustomed to having her around just as she was adjusting to living there. She didn't want to freak them out with her unusual antics, but it couldn't be helped. They already had suspicions of her.

For the most part, everyone was kind, which Juvia appreciated. Others weren't, such as Hazel, but Juvia was learning to get used to it. The brown-haired girl hadn't done anything irrationally unforgivable, but small things that annoyed the bluenette to a small extent. She still couldn't comprehend why the woman would hold such a strong vendetta against her.

And then there was the prince. At first, he seemed rather calm and collected. As of late, he wasn't like that at all. He was quite short-tempered, and snapped at people harshly. His parents were concerned just as everyone else. Juvia wasn't necessarily concerned, just bothered by the strange behavior. She couldn't help but feel that it had something to do with her. After all, she'd heard servants complaining about how he'd never acted that way until she'd arrived.

Juvia tried with sufficient effort to look sweet and approachable, but she didn't stress over it too much. She decided that if people wished to avoid her, she'd leave them alone. She honestly couldn't blame them either. She really just wasn't the same girl she used to be.

The girl that was once so bubbly and full of sunshine was replaced with a cold, stormy witch. She usually adorned an emotionless face. No one had ever seen her laugh, giggle, or even smile. They concluded that she just didn't have any positivity within her. Juvia chose to ignore it because it wasn't false.

Right now, the woman was frustrated. Frustrated over her late dreams. She just couldn't stop dreaming about him. The man that stole her heart and shattered it to a million pieces. Juvia hated herself for not being able to loathe him. For not being able to detest him to bits. She hated herself for still thinking about him in ways that showed that she still cared...

Why did she still care?!

Juvia buried her head in her arms as she hugged her knees tightly, still sitting in front of the window, as if she could escape from her thoughts that way. But the darkness in her own huddle just promoted more memories of him. Juvia scrunched her forehead in annoyance. Curse reverse psychology! The harder you try to forget something, the more you remember it. Juvia couldn't take it anymore.

Shooting up from her position, she stood tall and faced the window. She looked out to the pouring rain she'd caused. She longed to go outside. She decided to do just that. Juvia strolled through the grand palace. Even though she'd been there for roughly two days, she was easily finding her way around. She arrived at the front 'door' which was more like a giant pair of gates. It was being guarded by several armored men.