How to destroy a shipping fandom in two easy steps:

1. Make them imagine the ship duetting 'A Little Fall Of Rain' from Les Miserables.

2. Watch them cry

Written for FT angst week 2015 Day 4. The prompt was 'bleeding out/bandages'.

Rain Will Make The Flowers Grow

by hashtagartistlife

It had happened like a sick movie reel that he couldn't stop, and now all Gray could feel as Juvia lay in his arms gasping for breath was numb shock.

Juvia couldn't be dying. Juvia couldn't be hurt. Juvia Lockser was not allowed to be injured - Juvia had to be healthy, always, had to be bright and upbeat and follow him around like an annoying puppy and - Juvia Lockser was not allowed to be dying.

"Juvia," he rasped, cradling her face in his hands, and Juvia responded in kind, raising a trembling hand to his cheek and whispering his name. Her eyes were glazed over with tears and pain, and her entire body was shaking. She was cold, even to an ice mage like him, and Gray Fullbuster was frightened.

"Juvia," he said again, and when she didn't answer, he held her closer, all the muscles in his body tightening as fear raced through them. "Juvia, Juvia Lockser - no, don't you give out on me now, hold on, we can fix this, hold on dammit - we're going to get you to Wendy– Wendy. Where's Wendy?! WENDY! Wendy – Juvia – Please–"

Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius,

I don't feel any pain.

A little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt me now.

"Oh, Gray-sama," Juvia interrupted in a voice as soft as the rain around them, "Juvia is beyond help now. You know this."

"Don't talk, Juvia," Gray cautioned, but he was crying now, and shaking almost as much as Juvia was, and it was hard to tell between the two of them who was more coherent: the dying girl with the hole torn through her stomach or the anguished man holding her. "Don't talk, we can still fix this, don't talk– I'll get you out of this rain–"

Juvia laughed softly. "A gaping wound in Juvia's stomach and Gray-sama is worried about the rain." A trace of a smile touched her bloodless lips, and her fingertips ghosted along Gray's cheekbones. He caught her hand and kept it there, against his skin. "Juvia hardly thinks being in the rain is going to make a difference now."

You're here;

That's all I need to know.

And you will keep me safe

And you will keep me close

And rain—will make the flowers grow.

"No, you can't give up, I'm going to get you help - you have to hold on, Juvia, you're not going to die here–"

"Juvia doesn't have much time left, Gray-sama," the girl whispered, "so please, stay with Juvia - Juvia can't feel the pain, and the rain doesn't bother Juvia, not anymore. Juvia is not scared of dying, as long as Gray-sama is with her…"

But you will live, Ponine, dear God above

If I could heal your wounds with words of love

Just hold me now, and let it be

Shelter me, comfort me—

"You're not going to die!" Gray said forcefully, but the tears falling from his eyes betrayed him– betrayed that his heart knew already wthat his brain refused to accept. "You're not going to die because of me, Juvia, you're not going to die if I can help it!"

"Gray-sama mustn't… blame himself. Juvia has only… done what Gray-sama himself would have done for Juvia, I'm sure, or any other member of the guild. All's fair… in love and war… and we're at war, Gray-sama. People die in wars."

"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!" Gray screamed, the tears running unchecked now down his face– "it should have been me, Juvia, I was the one who should have died,why did you jump in front of me?"

Juvia's answering smile was weak, but the light shining in her eyes was as strong and unwavering as their guild's fierce attachment to its members, as Natsu's steely determination to protect his friends.

"You know why, Gray-sama."

You would live a hundred years

If I could show you how

I won't desert you now

"Please…" Gray whispered, and he couldn't tell if he was pleading with some higher power, or with Juvia, or with himself. All he knew was that this woman - brilliant, beautiful, kindhearted, brave - was dying in his arms, and he would give anything to make it so that it wasn't so. "Please… stay with me, Juvia…"

"For the rest of Juvia's life, if Gray-sama wishes," Juvia said, and a bubble of hysterical laughter found its way out between Gray's lips because it was just so funny, the whole situation, the two of them sitting out here in the rain with a hole torn through one of them and enough unspoken emotions to fill three books, and here Juvia was joking about her imminent demise - it was just so funny. It was a goddamned fucking tragedy.

"Juvia promises to stay with Gray-sama… for as long as she can. So please… Gray-sama… stay with Juvia."

And all of a sudden, the hysterical laughter choking in his throat changed to heaving sobs, and it was all Gray could do to grit out his reply.

"I'm not going anywhere."

…The rain can't hurt me now.

This rain will wash away what's past.

And you will keep me safe

And you will keep me close

I'll sleep in your embrace at last.

"Juvia… is glad to hear Gray-sama say that…" Juvia said, and despite her situation, the smile and unadulterated contentment infusing her face was so radiant that Gray was transfixed. "It seems fitting… that Juvia would die surrounded by the rain that's plagued her all her life… but Juvia does not mind the rain so much, any more. Rain… washes things clean. Rain feeds the rivers and the oceans, and waters the plants sustains every living creature on earth. And rain brought Juvia to Gray-sama.

"… If Juvia hadn't been the rain woman, if Juvia hadn't been part of the 4 elements, Juvia would have never met Gray-sama. So Juvia is thankful for the rain, for her powers. Juvia would gladly be the rain woman for her next lifetime, and the next, and the next, if her powers would bring her to Gray-sama once more."

The rain that brings you here is heaven-blessed!

The skies begin to clear and I'm at rest…

A breath away from where you are.

I've come home from so far…

The girl took an agonising, rattling breath, and lifted her eyes up to the sky. A trembling smile curved her soft lips, and Gray imprinted the memory of her face into his mind.

"Juvia… may not mind the rain so much, now, but Juvia has always loved clear skies more," she said, and Gray barely choked out his reply through his tears.

"It can rain forever and a day for all I care, if it meant you were alive and well."

"Oh, Gray-sama. Juvia was lost for so long, wandering from town to town, city to city, because no-one wanted to stay with Juvia, not when she brought rain with her wherever she went. But you were the one who showed me a clear sky for the first time, Gray-sama, a sky the same colour as Juvia's hair. Juvia had wanted someplace to call home for so long, and Juvia's finally found it with Gray-sama and the guild. Wherever Gray-sama and Fairy Tail are is wherever Juvia calls home.

So don't you fret, Monsieur Marius,

I don't feel any pain.

A little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt me now.

Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine,

You won't feel any pain.

A little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt you now.

"So please don't cry for me, Gray-sama, Juvia is so happy she can die like this. Juvia has found a family, has found friends, has found a home. Juvia cannot think of a better way to die than protecting her friends, than protecting you, Gray-sama."

A shudder tore through her body, and Juvia coughed violently, fresh blood peppering Gray's chest and mingling with the raindrops still coating his body. He clutched Juvia closer in a panic; called her name as the girl struggled to catch her breath and stem the blood flowing from her mouth.

"Juvia! Juvia!"

"Ju-Juvia is – Juvia is fine, Gray-sama, Juvia's not in pain, Juvia just– she just–"

"Juvia, please--"

"… Gray-sama – stay with Juvia, please– stay with Juvia–"

I'm here.

"I'm here," Gray sobbed, "I'm here, Juvia, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to stay with you forever–"

That's all I need to know.

"Then that's… all Juvia needs… to feel happy…" Juvia replied feebly, and Gray could see the light going out in her eyes, could feel her vitality trickle away like water through his fingers and he was terrified–

And you will keep me safe

And you will keep me close

I will stay with you

Till you are sleeping

"Please… stay with Juvia… until the end."

"I will, Juvia, I will– god, please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, I'm sorry–"

"No… Gray-sama… has always protected Juvia… it was simply Juvia's turn to return the favour… Juvia feels so safe now, in Gray-sama's arms, Juvia knows nothing will hurt her now…"

"Juvia, try to hold on, try–"

Gray's vision was obscured with his tears now, but even through the film of his anguish he could see Juvia's eyes were turned towards the sky.

"The sky… is so beautiful, Gray-sama… Juvia is so glad… she got to see the clear sky one last time…"

And rain—will make the flowers…

"and Juvia… would like– the last thing she says to be this- Gray-sama, I… lov….e…"

—And rain will make the flowers…

Juvia's hand dropped, and Gray caught it in his and held it up to his cheek. Her skin was cold. Gray closed his eyes.

"….you," he finished, the word indescribably bittersweet on his tongue, and something in him broke as he realised the world was now short one brilliant, incredible, kindhearted mage, and that he was short a friend who could have been his companion for life, and Gray Fullbuster held Juvia Lockser's lifeless body close to his and cried.

… grow.