The third of my trilogy of Gruvia stories. I've noticed that they get progressively longer. I hope this ending is worth reading through them. :)

Title: A Little More Rain
Rating: T
Characters: Gray, Juvia
Timeline: After the events of the Eclipse Gate arc (with a lot of guessing as it hasn't finished yet).

Summary: He made the rain stop. She made his tears fall. What does Juvia have in store for her Gray-sama on the one day that she is allowed to make him do whatever she wants?

Note: Sequel to my other one-shot A Definitive Conclusion which in turn is a sequel to A Little More Resolute. I recommend that you read both before reading this.
Note: Cover art is by Arya-Aiedail on deviantArt

A Little More Rain

The fight between Gray and Juvia had settled it, Team B was the winner over Team A and would be able to boss them around for a whole day. The date was set for the following weekend which allowed time for everyone to rest up from the events of both the Grand Magic Games and the Eclipse Gate fiasco.

Natsu had attempted to 'conveniently' take a mission but Erza and Elfman wouldn't let him. Erza because it was a matter of honor, Elfman because taking their loss with grace was a man thing to do.

At least he had it easy, after all, Laxus and Gajeel would likely take full advantage of being able to boss Natsu around but it was Juvia who Gray had to worry about.

In Crocus, Juvia confessed that she new Gray didn't love her but she loved him anyway. During their battle outside the guild hall, Gray kinda snapped and told Juvia that she needed to stop treating him like some kind of god and being so submissive to him. Now he was the one who was going to have to be submissive to her… and he had no idea what the woman had planned.

Juvia was completely obsessed with him and often daydreamed (sometimes out loud) of all the romantic things she wanted to do with him. Surely he was allowed to deny any request that fell outside of reasonable. Holding hands, hugs, maybe some cuddling… possibly a kiss… but anything more than that was just out of the question.

The sun rose on the day and the Fairy Tail Team A walked into the guild hall at precisely at 7am.

Team B was already there, leaning against the bar, talking amongst themselves, only to turn when they saw the other group arrive. Juvia was there as well and he looked her straight in the eye, attempting to read her mood and intentions. She didn't seem to look overly joyous or devious at the moment.

"What's this?!" Natsu shouted, drawing Gray's attention to several baskets of clothes piled on one table, while on another table laid several pairs of muddy boots.

"That," Laxus was grinning, "is all our laundry from the trip to Crocus, we saved it, just for you."

"And our boots," Gajeel's grin matched his team mate, "they need a good cleaning and polish."

"I'm not doing your laundry!" Natsu was starting to flame.

"Of course you're not," Erza put her hand on Natsu's shoulder and a little light of hope shone in the Dragon Slayer's eyes, "you'd ruin them. Lucy, Wendy, and I will do the laundry, you, Gray, and Elfman take care of the boots," and that killed Natsu who slumped.

Team B looked between each other then shrugged, Laxus saying, "Sounds fine to me, but this isn't all of it, we've got much much more planned."

Mirajane laughed, "Erza, do be finished before lunch time, you're going to have to serve the whole guild, I'm taking the day off."

"Then I best get started," Erza nodded, requiping into simple work clothes with her hair tied back. She then went over to the baskets and started separating them into loads.

"Not sure if Erza is taking this seriously to take the fun out of it for Team B," Lucy mused as she stood between Gray and Elfman, "or because she's Erza and she's just taking this way too seriously."

"Erza is serious because she's a man!"Elfman pumped the air.

"Yeah," Lucy shook her head, "I have no idea what that means," then with a sigh she and Wendy joined Erza with the clothes, the warrior mage telling the dragon slayer to go and get the water ready for the first batch.

"Well," Gray gestured towards the boots, "we should get started too."

Dragging a whining Natsu over to the table, Gray realized that they were missing something, "I'll get us some water."

Elfman and a reluctant Natsu started to sort the boots between muddy, dirty, grimy and 'didn't want to know'. Gray walked over behind the bar and grabbed a large bowl and started to fill it with water, snatching up a few rags as well. As he turned to head back to the table, his eyes caught Juvia's again and she was smiling, not devious, not leering, not obsessive crazy stalker, just smiling at him.

Unsure how to react he simply turned and went back to the dirty footwear.

Maybe she had something planned for later? Perhaps she was letting her teammates get their time in?

Could it be that she decided not to do anything… nah, this was Juvia… and he could always trust Juvia to be… well… Juvia.

…

"Ack!" Lucy ducked as Erza started chopping up more vegetables for the lunch time meal. She patted her head and was happy to note she wasn't missing any ears or fingers for that matter.

"Natsu," Laxus called out, "another beer, and why don't you get one for everyone here at the table while you're at it."

The Fairy Tail wizards laughed as Natsu grumbled, pulling out several more mugs. As he walked past Gray he said, "I'm going to make you pay for this."

The Ice Make mage rolled his eyes and went back to washing the dishes. He was still wearing a shirt, amazingly, and Lucy noted that it was getting fairly soaked. The water made her think of Juvia and she turned her head to see the woman sitting at one of the tables in the back, sipping on tea. She had sat down there after breakfast and hadn't really moved.

Juvia had the most peculiar look on her face. She wasn't sad, mad, or otherwise intense, but she wasn't happy or joyous or laughing. No, her look was simply… thoughtful.

And she wasn't even looking at Gray, she was instead staring out the window.

"Mirajane," Lucy got the woman's attention from where she was sitting with Lisanna on the other side of the bar.

"Yes, Lucy?" the sometimes-demon mage smiled, she had been having entirely too much fun bossing around Erza, even if Erza was 'trying to take the fun out of it'.

"I noticed Juvia hasn't done anything," she said in a hushed tone so Gray couldn't hear her, "other than order her lunch she hasn't bossed anyone around. She didn't even add her clothes to the laundry."

"I noticed that too," Mirajane nodded, "and she won for us so she deserves to be bossy the most."

"It's surprising," Lisanna joined the conversation, glancing over at Gray, "that she hasn't made him strip or something otherwise embarrassing. How many times has she accidently spoken out loud what she'd do with him if she had him?"

"Maybe it's not the same," Mirajane mused after a moment, "Juvia's not totally crazy, I imagine she would rather him do those things of his own free will, not because he had to thanks to a bet?"

"That makes sense, I guess," Lucy thought it over, glancing between Juvia and Gray again. "It's just so sad… unrequited love and all that."

"Yeah," older wizard offered a slight frown.

"Are we sure it's unrequited?" Lisanna spoke barely above a whisper.

Both the other girls looked straight at her, Lucy asking, "Do you know something?"

"Well," Lisanna now blushed in uncertainty, "remember, I was gone a long time and when I got back everyone had changed in some way. For a few it was very drastic and I'm sure everyone noticed… but there were more subtle changes to everyone else. I'm talking things that might have happened over a long period of time and therefore might not be as noticeable to someone watching it happen."

"Gray hasn't changed," Mirajane laughed lightly, "he's still the same old Gray Fullbuster, Ice Mage Strip-O-Gram."

Lisanna giggled, "That hasn't changed, true. But the Gray I knew, before Edolas, never would have humored someone like Juvia. You all keep saying that he's just being indifferent to her affections… but that's not it at all," she paused to gather her thoughts, "what happened, in the field, when he yelled at her… that is the old Gray… he would have told her that long before it got this far. But instead he's been letting her act this way, like he's been unable to make himself make her stop."

"Hhmmm," Lucy thought about it, but then she hadn't really known Gray that long before meeting Juvia. "If he's just humoring her, maybe he likes the attention… which would make him a great big jerk."

"Possibly," Mirajane agreed, "but this is Gray, as long as I've known him he's only had three emotions, neutral, angry, and sorta-happy. Maybe this is his way of showing affection… by not being angry?"

"It's a theory," Lisanna frowned, looking between Gray and Juvia, "but who knows. It could be wishful thinking on my part. Juvia is a nice girl, she's one of those rare beings who can love with their whole self without reservation, she deserves to be happy."

Lucy glanced over at the water mage who still had that thoughtful look on her face, but she was sipping her tea. She watched Juvia's eyes, they darted languidly around the room, at her team mates, at other guild members goofing off, at Erza nearly cutting the back counter in two, and, of course, they landed on Gray before then looking back out the window.

"Maybe we should encourage her to go out with Lyon?" Mirajane suggested.

"Lyon?" that caused Lucy to blink rapidly.

"Well, he likes her and is capable of showing it," the older mage pointed out, "no one should be miserable pining after what they can't have."

"I dunno," Lucy watched as Juvia smiled a touch, then went back to her tea, "it may be sad but… she doesn't look miserable to me."

…

The day started to wear down, Laxus and Gajeel having their fun with Natsu who swore on no less than six occasions that he was going to make Gray pay for losing the match with Juvia. All Gray could do was roll his eyes every time he said it, it's not like Gray lost on purpose or that Natsu wouldn't have had trouble getting swept up in a land hurricane himself. If anything, Natsu would have suffered worse what with his severe motion sickness.

"We've finished reorganizing the supplies for you," Lucy said as she stood next to him with Wendy, they had spent the last two hours in the pantry straightening up for Mirajane.

"Oh good," the woman smiled, "I've been meaning to do that for weeks."

"What next for these three?" Laxus rubbed his chin. "I suppose Lucy could have Cancer give Gajeel here a haircut."

"What?!" the Iron Dragon Slayer recoiled.

"It is getting a little ungainly," Levy commented from the next table.

"It is?" Gajeel ran his hand through his thick black mane, "I suppose a trim couldn't hurt."

Natsu laughed and mouthed off which almost started another fight. It was amusing seeing as Mirajane, not wanting to let Natsu get off easy by wrecking the place and Team B in a fight, told Natsu that he wasn't allowed to hit anyone today unless they hit first. It looked like both Dragon Slayers really wanted to hit each other.

The next thing anyone knew, Natsu and Gajeel were sitting in chairs getting the world's speediest haircuts done by the Celestial Spirit. Natsu had a cute bob and Gajeel's long hair was done up in girly curls.

"What do you think-ebi?" Cancer asked.

"Ack, fix it, fix it now!" Lucy shouted.

Everyone laughed at the spectacle, even Cana pausing in her drinking long enough to bellow at the ridiculousness of the hairstyles.

"Gray-sama," he heard Juvia's voice next to him and he turned sharply, he hadn't noticed her approach at all.

"Juvia," Gray had wondered when the water mage was going to make her move.

"Juvia would like Gray-sama," she started to speak and the guild hall went deathly quiet, it seemed the lack of Juvia doing anything to Gray hadn't gone unnoticed by them as well, hell, even the crab paused in mid cut as he stood and listened, "to accompany Juvia as she watches the sun set."

That had to be the last thing Gray was expecting to hear.

"Uh, okay," he glanced out the window and could see that dusk was settling in.

Juvia turned towards the door and walked with her hands clasped behind her back, not looking at any of the Fairy Tail members who now wore confused looks on their faces. They had likely been thinking the same thing, this wasn't what they expected out of the lovelorn and obsessed water mage.

Following her outside he waited for the woman to make her other move, she had to have had one. He kept tense as they sat on the bench that looked out over the hill were they could see the sun setting. He put some distance between them, not a vast amount but respectable considering that they were friends. Gray expected her to lean into him or latch onto him in some way but she didn't, she simply sat there and watched the sun set.

After several moments of watching Juvia, Gray shrugged and turned his eyes towards the setting sun… it was rather breathtaking.

…

"Oww!" Lucy shoved at Natsu, "Watch your elbow."

"Sorry," he shifted away from her.

"Shove off," Laxus then pushed Natsu back towards Lucy.

The entirety of the guild was standing at the windows, their faces literally pressed against the glass.

"They haven't moved an inch," Mirajane said from the next window, "have they said anything?"

"I've not heard anything," Wendy said from where she next to Lucy.

"Me neither," Gajeel added, none of the Dragon Slayers with their keen hearing had heard a single word pass through the two mages lips.

"What is Juvia up to then?" Lucy wondered as she watched the two figures.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," Erza spoke loudly in her commanding voice making almost everyone jump back from the windows.

"You can't stop us today, Erza," Laxus pointed out even as other members of the guild started to slink back to their seats.

"No, I cannot," the woman conceded, "but I would hope you'd have more respect towards your team mate than to gawk at her while she's at her weakest."

The Lightening Mage opened his mouth to speak, then paused before saying, "Alright everyone, the sun is sitting, that means it's dinner time… and Team B is going to cook it for us."

Erza nodded and headed back to the bar, Wendy and Elfman in tow. Lucy sighed and grabbed Natsu to drag him away… then a thought came to her, "How good is your hearing, Natsu?"

He simply grinned.

…

There is something unworldly beautiful about how the sun travels so languidly in the sky but once it touches the horizon it falls so rapidly… as if it was falling from the heaven's themselves.

It was a particularly beautiful day, the sky had been clear except for a light dusting of clouds. So as the sun set the reds, blues, and purples danced across the skyline and reflected in the gauzy clouds. A soft breeze blew by, tousling his hair now and again. Gray couldn't help but let out a little sigh, it really was beautiful.

Glancing over at Juvia, he wondered if the woman found it as beautiful as he did, but curiously she had her eyes closed. She looked very much at peace with a slight smile touching her lips.

What was she thinking about, he wondered. Was she imagining that this was real, like a date, and not her taking advantage of being the victor in their battle?

Gray continued to watch her as the last rays of sunlight drifted off her face and the hazy dusk took its place. Juvia was a beautiful woman, he always knew that. She didn't have Lucy's chest size or Mirajane's grace… no, Juvia was a fluid mix between soft and strong, shy and aggressive, simple and exotic.

He blinked and looked forward… it was just an observation.

The wind blew again and idly he thought about the shirt she took as a trophy from him. He wondered what she did with it… did she sleep in it maybe? or did she have some kind of shrine?

Ah, yes, obsessive, stalker Juvia, now he remembers why tries not to encourage her.

Juvia let out a little sigh and then tilted her head and opened her eyes, staring at the twinkling stars. After a minute she said, "Gray-sama can go in now, if he wants to."

Again, not what he was expecting her to say, "Are you going to stay out here?"

"A little while longer, yes," she continued to gaze towards the heavens, "Juvia cannot get enough of the clear sky."

Gray frowned, something that had been bothering him coming to the forefront, "Juvia, tell me about the rain."

That made her frown as she slowly lowered her head, "From the earliest days Juvia can remember, Juvia has never seen the clear sky, there was nothing but rain. Juvia was told she was born with strong magic, elemental magic. Juvia is water, water is Juvia. Wherever Juvia is, water follows."

"It always rained," he said softly, everything clicking into place.

"Juvia could not keep friends," she admitted, "they would always get frustrated with the rain. Jose was the first to tell Juvia that the rain was okay, but he only wanted power, Juvia sees that now. The rest of Phantom Lord did not mind Juvia so much as Juvia was often away on jobs, but even they would tire if Juvia stayed at the guild hall for too many days."

"They weren't true friends," Gray spoke simply and she turned a slightly confused look at him, so he explained, "if they had been, then they would have never left you, or wanted you to leave, rain and all."

"Gray-sama is kind," she gave him a small smile then turned back to the horizon, "but Gray-sama doesn't know."

"Like hell I don't," he scoffed at her a little harsher than he intended but that got her attention. "I'm sure you noticed but I'm a bit modesty-challenged," she blushed at his statement. "I can't help what I do, but it's a part of who I am and my friends care about me all the same."

"That is why Gray-sama would die for them," she echoed his words from the day they met.

"Yes," Gray responded quietly.

"Juvia apologizes," she stood sharply, "Juvia wasn't thinking."

"Don't," he grabbed her wrist so she couldn't leave, "don't apologize. Learn. You have friends here, real friends, friends I know that you would die for, you proved that before, but know that they would do the same for you."

Juvia was trembling now, "But the rain, Gray-sama made the rain stop, they don't have to live with the rain."

"Then make it rain," he told her simply.

"What?" she blinked rapidly, brow furrowed at his words.

"If I made the rain stop," he stood and looked her right in the eye, "then I want it back." Curious, he lifted his hand to her face, wanting to know what she really felt like, was she truly solid or like touching a calm pool of water.

"Gray-sama?" she whispered and she was so soft to the touch.

"Never be ashamed of who you are, Juvia," he caught her eyes again, "ever again."

The water mage swooned slightly, closing her eyes as she felt his feather light touches, and that is when he heard the thunder crack across the sky and the first drops of rain began to fall. It didn't take long before the intensity of the summer shower increased, his body getting soaked to the bone.

Laughter could be heard and the two mages turned their head, the whole of the guild had come outside and began to play in the rain. Some danced in puddles, others tried to start wet shirt contests, but most of them went to the side of the hill with sleds and dashed down the wet grass, screaming in joy as they went.

Gray caught the eye of Natsu and Gajeel who nodded ever so slightly to him, they were Dragon Slayers, they had heard Juvia's words, and both understood just how it felt to be broken in some way and be accepted by Fairy Tail. They must have then told the rest of the guild who knew exactly what to do.

"Everyone will catch cold," Juvia nearly panicked.

"Then we catch cold," he laughed, tilting his head up to the sky, "if that is what it takes."

The water mage still looked worried as her eyes darted around to the various groups having fun in the rain. But as they continued to have their fun, Lucy getting tossed into a puddle by Natsu… Elfman and Evergreen getting pushed down the hill together… and other various raucous behavior, Juvia did begin to smile.

"Gray-sama does this for Juvia," she turned to him, "and he wonders why Juvia treats Gray-sama like a god."

That made him blush slightly, "I am not a god, Juvia."

She took a second to think about that, then said, "Men are told to treat their women like goddesses, why cannot women treat their men like gods?"

"Ah…" he stammered on that one, trying to formulate the right words.

"But then," Juvia sighed, lifting her head to meet his gaze, "Gray-sama is not Juvia's."

He took a single breath, "Yes."

"Gray-sama," she lifted her hand and touched his face, the rain masking the tears he knew had escaped but of course a water mage would not be fooled, "why… why does Gray-sama never cry?"

"I am an Ice Mage," he told her sternly, "we don't 'cry', our tears are frozen."

"But Ultear," Juvia asked cautiously, "she was Ur's tear, she cried for her child."

"I know," Gray whispered back.

"A child… she loved," the water mage latched onto that thought, he could see it in her eyes.

"Juvia-" he started to say but Natsu came running by, on fire even in the rain, with Lucy and Aquarius chasing him. They watched as the two women managed to douse the Dragon Slayer and knock him so hard to the ground he got his head stuck in the mud.

It was a bit of a distraction and Gray wasn't sure if he welcomed it or not… things were turning awkward between him and Juvia.

"Juvia said, Juvia knows," the woman got his attention again, "Gray-sama does not love Juvia."

There was so much pain in those words and they struck him harder than he ever wanted to admit. He knew he was crying, rain water mixing in with the salt water that trailed down his cheeks. How could this woman do this to him?

Was it because she was a water mage?

Was it because she was that much of a friend to him?

"Juvia," he sighed, "you keep saying that I don't love you when you know perfectly well that isn't true," that caused her to pause, "I love you as much as I love everyone in Fairy Tail. You are my friend. I care about you."

"Of course," she nodded gently, the rain dripping down her hair and face, her outfit now snug against her figure.

"But…" he warred with himself if he should say what he was thinking, "there is something special about you, Juvia. I don't know how you can affect me like you do," Gray couldn't deny this.

"Gray-sama?" she was biting her lip and her eyes were wide.

"You are a beautiful woman and the way you talk in the third person is pretty cute actually," it was like a flood gate had opened up, "and you're strong but caring, a bit quirky but manageable… I think…" there was a weight inside him that drug down his thoughts, "I think I'm simply incapable of loving you the way I know I should. Of loving anyone that deeply… I am that much frozen."

The two stared at each other as the rain pelted them and the laughter echoed through the fields.

Juvia lifted her hand slowly and placed it gently on his chest, over his heart. "Gray-sama is freezing," she frowned, "is it from the rain?"

"No," he shook his head lightly, lifting his hand to catch the droplets, "summer rains are warm."

"Juvia does not think so," she moved closer, her hand still against him, "Juvia does not believe Gray-sama is as frozen as he thinks he is, otherwise he would not love his friends, his family, the way he does."

"That's a different kind of love," he argued, well aware of how close she was to him, yet he didn't move away, and knowing that his tears continued to fall, hidden in the rain.

"All love is the same, Gray-sama," she told him with surety, "it all comes from the same place."

"I…" he looked down on her wet figure, so vulnerable yet strong, so full of love for him despite everything… "I don't deserve your love, Juvia… and you deserve so much more."

"Love is not about fairness, Gray-sama," she told him firmly, then sighed, "if it was, the rain would've continued to fall."

And he would never cry again…

"Juvia," when he said her name she looked right up at him, whatever he was going to say was lost as he breathed, "you are so much more beautiful in the rain."

Her cheeks tinted pink as she blushed, making her that much more… her. He knew he'd likely regret his next move but he couldn't have stopped himself if he tried. Leaning into her he bent his head down and captured her lips which were so soft and moist. At first he got no response from the water mage who was in shock at the action but she soon melted into the embrace.

Gray couldn't deny that this felt right… something about holding her, kissing her, felt like warm sunbeams even in the rain.

"I don't know if I can be the man you deserve," he mumbled against her lips.

She smiled at him, "Gray-sama is the man Juvia wants."

He brushed his hands across her cheeks, pulling strands of hair out of her face, then kissed her again, slowly and languidly.

And water continued to fall.