A/N: This fic was made under the influence of many things: the songs "Break the spell" by Daughtry and "Princess of ice" by At Vance, my sudden interest in Edo Gruvia, and the Edo Gruvia stories I read - especially Momo Cicerone's stories, which are awesome and you should check them out (also, thank you very much for the advices! They helped a lot!)

It's written in Gray's POV, and goes kind of chronologically.

That's it, and I hope you enjoy the story! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own FT.

It was ridiculous, really.

She crawled her way under his skin so long ago, he stopped trying to fight it. His heart had been beating for her since the moment he'd laid his eyes on her, and she was the rightful owner of that traitorous organ that refused to listen to him anymore. And maybe things would have been different if she actually cared – but she didn't, or even if she did, she never showed it. So yes, the most logical and normal thing would be for Gray to just give up and move on, but he couldn't.

He plainly, simply couldn't.

She had him wrapped around her little finger, and Gray danced to whichever tune she played. One look could leave him paralyzed, and he'd be unable to look away. Only after she'd take pity on him and avert her gaze, his heart beat rate and his breathing would slowly start to return to normal. She knew, for sure, that she could hypnotize him so, and there was no doubt in his (or hers, or anyone's) mind that she loved every moment of it. It gave her some sort of reassurance. For what, she didn't know (she probably didn't want to), others only guessed and Gray simply hoped. Like he had always done since the beginning of this thing they had going on.

Like he would keep on doing until their thing finally got a name.

After all, hope dies last.

…

She had a smile made of ice, but Gray knew that behind that exterior lied a lonely, scared girl. Who knows how many sleepless nights she spent, praying, wishing, regretting. Who knows how many crystal tear drops fell down her pale skin while she hid from the rest of the world, refusing to show her weakness? Juvia was a stubborn, stubborn girl and she believed she didn't need anybody's help, and that she could do everything by herself. He wished she'd rely on him and their friends more often, but he understood that that was not the way she lived, and that she didn't want to be viewed as a helpless girl (although nobody thought of her that way).

She had her own way of doing things, and she always said that things were easier for her when she did them alone.

…

Still, he sometimes felt like her servant, doing all the dirty work for her, because she was a lady and she must never taint her beautiful, clean hands (or that's what he kept telling himself). There were some times when he felt as if he was even lower than a servant, an obstacle and a nuisance, rather then a helpful existence. She treated him coldly and it hurt, but still, he couldn't let her go. He'd do anything for her, anything for that princess of ice. He needed her. (He hoped she needed him as well.)

Then there were the often times when she treated him like an equal, like a friend, and his heart always felt as if it would jump out of his rib cage at any given moment. She was so amazingly pleasant when she wasn't trying to act like a… well, when she wasn't being mean to others and trying to drive them away. There were even rumors of her actually having a twin sister. Gray always laughed at the ridiculousness of those gossips because she was the one and only Juvia, their Juvia – he would know, among the millions of copies of her he'd recognize the real one in a heartbeat. That's how bound to her he was.

Then, there were those moments, those rare, precious moments when she'd look at him and see him, see the man he was, the man who loved her way more than he should, way more than it was healthy, and she'd subtly blush (she'd blush!) and turn her eyes away and Gray would know, he was a dead man. Those moments gave him hope, life, inspiration, and the will to wake up every morning. They were his prize for being such a faithful boy (faithful fool).

…

However, those beautiful moments were few and scarce, and sometimes, only sometimes, Gray would feel just too tired of holding on to something that was there one moment, then gone the next. He was only human, after all, and he craved love. Not just to love, but to be loved, as well. At times like those, he'd go through the never-changing pattern: being more quiet than usual, being less energetic around Juvia, begging for her attention, falling into despair after being rejected, thinking without coming across an answer, not thinking at all, being rash and impulsive, letting himself go, losing control, making a mistake. And every single time he made a mistake he'd be hurting even worse than when she'd heartlessly reject him. He'd hurt because he would be disappointed – not only with the non-existent progress in their… relationship, but also with himself. He never thought himself to be a man who looked for salvation in the arms of an unknown woman, but there he was, broken because of her, searching for a remedy far away. She made him a ridiculous man, a despicable man, but he still loved her. He couldn't run away, he couldn't get away, she wouldn't let him hide and she'd never let him go.

He was trapped, with no means to escape.

…

She was selfish. Sometimes unknowingly, sometimes completely conscious of her behavior. Yes, sometimes she wasn't even aware that her spirit was the one chaining Gray to his demise, but sometimes she did it on purpose. She would look at him, raise her chin, bat her eyelashes and move just in the right way to make him mad, crazy about her, and he would be a goner, willingly chaining himself to her and accepting the punishment for his betrayal.

But he was selfish too. Yes, he was and he knew it very well – but it was a trick he learned from her. Gray wasn't a complete idiot, as much as others wanted to believe. He knew he wasn't the only one that recognized her charms, and that there were plenty of other guys who wanted her as well. So he'd come to her in the middle of a conversation she would be having with some shady guy (or not really, but to Gray all of them were shady), interrupt their flirting, do one or two stupid things, be as clingy as he always was, and in no time, he'd drive those pests away. She'd be angry, of course, furious even, but at least his purpose would be fulfilled. If he, who fought so hard for her, couldn't have her, why would those jerks who only wanted to have some fun be allowed to?

…

Their friends constantly teased them, and those teasing remarks always cheered Gray up. Because, it meant that he was not the only one who saw how great they'd be together and that they were meant for each other. Besides, recently, she stopped fighting them – and that was a good sign, no? Surely it couldn't be just because she was tired of saying the "truth" over and over and over again. No, it couldn't be just that, because Gray would always catch the subtle pink color grazing her cheeks when their guild mates (they weren't friends, no – Juvia had no friends, what kind of nonsense was everyone sprouting) would joke about their complicated relationship status. If he mentioned anything about it, though, he'd be standing on the wrong end of the glare and later nursing a broken nose, courtesy of his beloved one. But those things wouldn't matter, as long as she'd give him a chance - he would rather take the beating than stay away. He lived for the moment he'd melt the ice around Juvia's heart. He lived for the moment when he'd be able to stand next to her, without the constant fear plaguing him. He was afraid of her, after all – she was the one who put him under a spell and refused to break it. And Gray couldn't do that by himself.

He tried, many times before, to get rid of her poison that coursed through his veins. But it was unsuccessful, and he kept coming back. He couldn't get enough of her, he couldn't forget her, he couldn't go on without her. She was the only one who could make him feel high and low at the same time and he, he was addicted. To her. To the pain. To the never ending feeling of confusion and the hope that never died. After all that time, she'd have to give in, right?

…

And she did.

Gray could sense the change in her behavior. She was gentler than before and less sarcastic towards him (though the sarcasm didn't disappear completely, and he was glad because of it – he loved her for who she was and he'd never forgive himself if she became somebody else because of him). Now, he was sure that all those years he spent loving her were paying of. Now, he was glad that he never truly got over her, and that a corner of his heart, his soul and his mind would keep whispering "Juvia", calling her name. She was giving in. She was caving in. And the moment she admitted her loss, they would finally arrive to where they were supposed to arrive. Their thing would finally get a name.

Until then, he would be a patient man. He had learned from experience never to push things with her. She'd come around at her own time, in her own way, on her own. She was independent, and she loved her independence. That's why Gray would never even dream of taking it away from her. (He actually had a feeling that even if- no, when they got together, she'd insist on her time alone. He would have to accept that, however much he disliked it. She was worth a little more sacrifice.) If he could wait for so long, he could wait a bit longer. Patient. Calm. Satisfied.

Their love, their game, was one of a cat and a mouse. Going around each other in circles. Going, and going, and going, until one of them finally gave in. Because, either the mouse would get away, or the cat would catch her prize.

…

And after the cat made up her mind at last, the mouse let himself get caught.

There was no one else he'd rather get caught by, after all.

A/N: Thanks for reading! :)