Story Line: Juvia got Gray a gift that she thought would cheer him up from his constant bad mood. Gray very bluntly rejects it and Juvia, sheepishly, tries to make him accept. Gray snaps at her like he has never done before and Juvia leaves the guild in pieces. Can Gray fix this or has he lost the one person he never thought he would lose?

"Come on Juvia, you can do this," Juvia whispered to herself as she peered around the guilds doors. Her eyes were firmly on the dark haired ice mage whom seemed to be sat all alone at the bar, his brow furrowed more than usual and it was pretty obvious he was not in the best of moods. Juvia's chest tightened as she thought that maybe her gift would lighten his spirits. The thought that it might made her more confident and she finally entered the guild to make her way over to the ice mage.

Gray saw her coming halfway and didn't even try to mask his sigh and eye roll as he turned pointedly away. Juvia's stride faltered somewhat at that, her confidence falling though she more hesitantly made her way over to him.

"Hello Gray-sama," she said as she finally stood beside him. Gray didn't even look at her.

"Yeah, hey," was all he offered before lifting his cup to his lips, looking in the opposite direction. Juvia gulped before lifting up the small box she'd wrapped, encasing the gift she had fashioned for him with Gajeel's help.

"J-Juvia made you another present," she told him, pointing the box to him. Gray shook his head before she had even finished talking.

"I don't want it," was all he said before he took another swig of his drink, annoyance rapidly building in his stomach.

"But, she made it just for you," she pressed, nudging the box to his arm and making Gray's irritation only grow.

"I said I don't want it," he said again through clenched teeth, furiously trying to bite his tongue to stifle any words he might regret.

"But, Gray-sama," she continued, though Gray did not notice her voice grow more timid with every rejection. Juvia wasn't normally like it. "She stayed up all night to try and fashion it for you. Just have a loo-"

"No!" Gray suddenly roared, standing to whack the box from her hands so it hit the wall at her side, Juvia just gasped and fell a step back, cradling her hand to her chest. Gray glared at her furiously.

"I said, no." he growled, taking a threatening step towards the water mage, who fell another step back as he did. The rest of the guild watched with wide eyes, almost not believing what was happening.

"Are you really so fucking naive that you cannot understand I do not want to talk to you? When do I ever seem eager to engage in conversation with you, Juvia? It's not like I don't make it clear, right? I do not want to talk to you." Gray hissed at her, though in the back of his mind he knew that is was a lie. He liked the attention the small water mage gave to him and relished in it, it made his feelings grow more and more for her every day. But this day he could not tolerate anyone, and Juvia was just such an easy victim for his anger right now all logic left his mind and all he could think about were the words that would crush the woman before him. He narrowed his eyes before taking another step towards her.

"So listen to me now, because I'm only going to say this once," he bent down so he was at eye level with her, not noticing the glistening tears in her ocean blue eyes that had yet to fall. "I do not love you. I will never love you. So give it up? 'Cause all you're doing is pissing me, and everyone else off."

Juvia gulped audibly before nodding her head. "Ju - Juvia understands." She choked out before blinking slowly and turning on her heels without another glance at Gray as she made her way to the guild doors.

"Juvia…" Erza muttered as she passed, along with Lucy, who reached out a hand to grab her arm. But she just pulled her arm out of her grasp and offered them a weak smile.

"Juvia…" she started, her voice cracking and Gray watched her through narrowed eyes. "Juv- I am fine." Even Gray's eyes widened as she spoke in first person. Juvia never…. His eyes widened even more so in absolute horror. What had he just done? Juvia went on. "I - I just have somewhere else I need to be. If you'll excuse me."

Without another word, she left the guild, closing the door quietly behind her. All eyes turned to Gray and he hid his panic with a glare as he turned on his heels to sit back down at the bar.

"Gray." Erza said sharply, standing up with a firm gaze. Gray shook his head.

"Not now, Erza." He said tiredly, she marched over to him before grabbing the back of his jacket and throwing him at the wall. He grunted as the hard wood hit his back, releasing a small cough as he slid down the wall. Everyone went silent once more as their eyes were on Gray and Erza, Erza's blazing with fury.

"Listen up, Gray," she snarled. "You're lucky Gajeel isn't here and you've got me telling you this, since I'll be using words and not my fists. Now, you will never find a girl who loves you as much as that one just then does. And regardless of what you say, you love her to." Erza's eyes narrowed more so as Gray turned his gaze away.

"Now, I don't know why you're so eager to make it seem like you don't, and even going to the point of making the woman you love cry to convince her that you don't return her feelings," she stepped forwards before crouching down to pull his collar so that his eyes met hers.

"But you better fix this," she growled furiously. "Because you are not gonna leave her out there, crying in the rain just because you're too pathetic to admit your feelings to anyone. Including yourself." She gave him once last disgusted look before pushing him back to the wall roughly and standing, making her way back to her seat.

Gray grumbled and cast his eyes down, drawing a hand up to rub at his chest before his eyes caught something at his side. He pulled up the box he had hit out of Juvia's hands and arched a brow, pulling the lid off to eye it's contents and his heart just about stopped.

It was a sliver chain necklace, except the charm was more or less an exact replica of what one of Gray's fathers earrings used to look like. The small silver cross sent a wave of nostalgia through Gray as if it was Silver's earring itself. He pulled the necklace from its case and grasped it in his fist before looking to the window. He felt guilt and panic stab right in his gut as he saw raindrops hit the window and that was all it took to send him running from the guild.

It wasn't too hard to find where the water mage had ran off to. She was sat beside the lake, completely drenched and her face was buried in her hands and he could clearly see her shoulders shake with sobs. He released a small, guilty sound as he rest a hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, get up," he muttered and her head snapped up to look at him. She looked surprised before she rapidly jumped to her feet and pushed her damp, blue strands from her face as her eyes found the necklace that rested in the hollow of his throat.

"T-the necklace," she whispered and her eyes drew back up to his own that were narrowed with pain.

"Juvia," he stared, his voice low. "I – I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I was way – way – out of line."

Juvia just shook her head before laughing dryly, wrapping her arms around her torso as she looked away. "It doesn't matter, you were right. Juvia needs to stop being naive and just get over it. She doesn't want to piss Gray-sama off anymore."

Gray's eyes widened and he stepped forwards to clutch her shoulders. "No! No, Juvia, I didn't mean it. Not one word I said was true so don't you believe that for a second, alright? I lied. Every word of it was a lie."

Juvia's eyes narrowed in confusion and shock as she looked up at the man she loved. "T-then, why - ?"

"I was... I'm scared, Juvia." He admitted feebly, his grip loosening. "I'm absolutely terrified."

Juvia's tilted her head in confusion, drawing a hand up to rest it to his cheek. "Gray-sama," she whispered and he smiled and leaned into her touch, drawing up his own hand to overlap hers.

"It's complicated," he told her. "But you need to know. Every woman – every person – I have ever loved has died. Not one has been spared. If I say those damned words to anyone, it's like, a certainty that I will lose them. So, the fact that I… that I," he shook his head furiously before stepping forwards to press his forehead to hers, squeezing his eyes shut.

"So that fact that I love you," he muttered, feeling a weight push off of his chest as he did. "Scares me. It absolutely terrifies me. But I can't keep on doing this, Juvia. Pretending that I don't love you because I think some fucking curse will sweep in and take you away. I'm too selfish, and I won't let you die. I won't. I - I'll protect you. I swear, I will."

Juvia was speechless, she released a small, heart-broken sound before closing the gap between them, rain falling harder as she poured her fury, love and hope into that kiss. Gray kissed her back just a vigorously, his hand cupping her cheek while the other grasped her small waist as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

Their lips moved together slowly for a few moments before the rain finally ceased and they drew apart, Juvia peeking up through her lashes to eye Gray's expression. He looked down on her in wonder and worry, and she shook her head before hugging him.

"Juvia is not going anywhere," she whispered and Gray chuckled before returning the hug.

"Good," he muttered. "Because you're all mine now."