You mean protection

She didn't know what angered her more. The fact that Gray assumed that she needed protection or the fact that he took it upon himself to be in harm's way just to protect her. Her man honestly had his priorities wrong, and Juvia was set out to correct them. Starting with their current situation. They were in an enemy base, a few baddies away from completing their mission of destroying a drug cartel that employed dark mages.

She had purposely chosen the mission since it involved a lot of fighting. Juvia's fists clenched at the thought. She had barely thrown a punch, barely used her magic. And whose fault was that?

The idiot man who's currently throwing himself in front of every enemy that looked at her.

Ever since they became a couple, Gray had made sure to keep her from anything and anyone that could potentially bring her any kind of pain. He only got worse after believing she had died due to Invel's cruel spell.

She was honestly getting sick of it. For all her antics and for all her craziness, Juvia was still first and foremost a strong mage. She managed to be one of Phantom Lord's elite. She even matched Gray blow per blow during their first meeting. Although she lost eventually, Juvia knew that she had given Gray one hell of a fight. She was considered by Makarov as an S class candidate. Not to mention, she could practically manipulate the biggest resource known to man.

Juvia spotted an enemy, standing to her left. This was her chance!

Taking a step forward, she engaged her Water Nebula.

Only to watch a flash of white whizzing past her ear and impaling the opponent right through the chest. Juvia stomped her foot in rage, whipping her head so fast she could almost dislocate her neck.

"Gray sama would you quit it!" she screamed at the oblivious man who already had his back to her.

Juvia had been very touched by his over protectiveness in the beginning, thanking him profusely for everything he did for her, blind to the naked fear he had in his eyes. She thought it was like a fairy tale. Gray was her knight-in-shining armor and she would be the damsel in distress. She couldn't help but swoon when Gray would rush to her aid, dispose of the enemy, turn to her and bring her tightly to his arms. He would keep asking if she was hurt, if she was okay. But when it happened over and over to the point where she wouldn't even be able to use her magic, Juvia came to a conclusion. Now she had realized, Gray protected her out of fear. Not out of love.

He never showed her that kind of intimacy when they were simply out in public. He would hold her hand and sometimes kiss her cheek but Gray had always been reserved with his displays of affection. He would only hold her passionately, desperately during times of danger.

He was so afraid to lose her that it distracted him from actually being with her. He was always on edge, always ready to attack.

Then there was her pride. Juvia knew she could handle herself. She was not fragile like glass. She was only a damsel in distress when she chose to be or when she was honestly losing a fight. She could turn into freaking water for God's sakes! Before Gray, she was feared by many. She was the rain woman. Even after joining Fairy Tail, Juvia was undoubtedly one of the strongest females in the guild.

Heck she could even hold her own against dragon slayers!

Juvia scanned their enemies. There were at least fifty of them left. Gray had managed to defeat almost half of the small army by himself.

She would not allow him to touch a single one of those left standing.

Juvia was tired of seeing and touching fresh scars on him when her skin would be as flawless as the day she was born. She was tired of seeing his back from every single time he would take a hit for her. She was tired of not being able to do anything but scream his name and patch him up after.

This was not how she imagined being his partner. She wanted to share in his pain, not be the cause of it. She wanted to be able to stand beside him, not behind.

So when Gray began ice-making a wall to separate her from attacking mages, Juvia snapped.

"Stand aside, Juvia can handle this!" She screamed at her partner running towards her.

"Not in a million years!" Gray screamed back at her, confused by Juvia's sudden behavior. She was looking at him like he was an opponent.

Juvia's anger swelled with his words.

Acting on her rage, she shot a harmless spray of water towards Gray, knocking him off his feet. She heard his disbelief in the string of curses that flew from his mouth. Juvia was not in the mood to apologize. Turning her attention to the confused mages, Juvia took advantage of their distraction and attacked first, sending a huge wave of water towards the mass of men.

They threw counter attacks of all kinds at her. Juvia grinned, happy that she was finally able to fight after so long of not being able to. It's not that she loved fighting, Juvia just could not deny the thrill and the adrenaline from it. She loved the way she could be one with her element and use it for a good cause.

Gray took that away from her.

He stripped her of the very thing that made her Juvia. He took away her ability to stand up for herself against a threat, against an obstacle. Juvia had been breaking them down all her life. Now he was simply creating another barrier, in the guise of his 'protection'.

Juvia understood his fears, but they were misguided. She knew what it felt like to see the person she loves, hurting. She knew the immediate rush of emotions that came after, the shame, the guilt, the rage. God knows how her world crumbled when Gray took a hit straight through his heart for her when the dragons attacked. She would protect Gray as fiercely as he protects her if she had to. But she would never deprive him of the right to be his own person. She would never limit him.

Juvia relied on Gray for many things, but this was not one of them.

Moving her body through her enemies, Juvia attacked with practiced ease. She was made for combat. Her defenses were top notch and her attacks were purposeful and accurate, not wasting an ounce of her magic or energy. Unlike Gray, her magic was fluid. She could wipe out an entire army with a single torrent.

And that was how she managed to defeat all the remaining mages in under five minutes, just when Gray collected his bearings.

Gray had many strengths but being patient was not one of them. The second Juvia's enemies were disposed off, he exploded on his girlfriend.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, examining her with wild eyes. "You could have been hurt!"

His panicked eyes focused on a cut above her left eyebrow, his jaw clenching and his chest heaving.

"Isn't that the point of fighting Gray-sama?" Juvia said in a deadpanned voice, looking at him as if he were stupid. The worry and anger inside him swelled to uncontrollable degrees.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He shook her. "This is not funny Juvia. I was trying to protect you! That's why we're partners remember? So that I could watch your back?"

"So that WE could watch each OTHER'S backs! But you don't even trust me with that Gray sama!" She pushed away from him, adrenaline from her fight still running its course through her. Oh the things she wanted to say to him.

"Of course I trust you! How could you even think that I don't! This is not the time or place for your drama" He roared back at her, following her retreat. He took hold of her arm, turning her to face him once again. Gray's eyes spotted her wound once again, itching to wipe of the blood that was driving him crazy. This was why he hated missions like these, especially when she was with him "Besides, I could handle them by myself, so why would you need to waste your energy-"

"That's besides the point Gray-sama!" She was so frustrated with him.

"Did Gray-sama even stop to think that Juvia would not need his protection?" She sneered. Gray was utterly confused. Juvia was tense in his hold, as if she wanted to get away. She had never done that before. Seeing the enemies singling her out as the weaker one made his blood boil. He would never allow them anywhere near her. Thus, he had charged at the enemies, ignoring Juvia's call behind him at the start of the fight.

"That's ridiculous. How could you even ask that?" He mumbled uncertainly, loosening his hold on her upper arms. Juvia looked at him with so much anger that he anticipated to be slapped any second now, that is until she deflated.

Juvia turned away from him, sighing deeply. Her fingers rubbed at her temples as she began to speak. "This is not healthy anymore Gray-sama. Juvia understands that you want to protect her." She turned around to face him, speaking sternly "even when you don't need to"

Juvia stepped closer to him, willing him to understand her words. She ignored the stinging sensation on her forehead, focusing instead on the words that she has wanted to tell him months ago.

"Juvia appreciates all that you do Gray-sama. But he does not realize that he is making Juvia feel incapable. Weak" She brought her hand to smooth the crease forming between his furrowed eyebrows. " Juvia does not need Gray-sama risking his life every time Juvia is in danger. She can protect herself."

"Gray-sama knows that, doesn't he? " Juvia's voice had never been so imploring to him before. She was always happy and calm around his presence. He was disoriented with the way she was speaking to him know. He had definitely reached the end of her patience.

He nodded numbly. "I know that Juvia. I do. It's just that you could get hurt so easily and I can't stand that. I can't just do nothing and watch you put your life on the line. It's not what I want for you, ever" He persuaded her, hoping to justify his actions. His anger still simmered within him.

Juvia's eyes narrowed at his words, drawing her hand from his face. " And you think Juvia is alright with watching Gray-sama do the same thing? Has Gray-sama ever thought of what Juvia wants?" She demanded.

"Does Gray-sama think Juvia likes seeing him wounded because he was trying to protect her? Do you think she likes dragging him back to the guild because he can barely stay conscious from all his injuries? Do you think Juvia likes it when their friends look at her clean clothes and her unblemished hands and think that 'Oh Gray has done it again, Juvia's so lucky she doesn't have to do a thing'"?!" She pushed at his chest, her voice growing in volume once again, until she was screaming at his face.

"Does Gray-sama think Juvia is happy with doing nothing?!" Gray was stunned into silence, hhis mouth agape and his hands shaking.

"Gray-sama fears that he might lose Juvia if he does not protect her. But he-you are losing me by pushing me aside and making me watch you risk your self unecessarily!" She emphasized her words by jabbing at his chest. She looked at him with disappointment.

"Juvia thought Gray-sama knew her better"

She started to turn away from him. Gray's heart pounded inside his chest. His was mind foggy, trying to comprehend her words. Dread slowly settled within him. Had he pushed too far? He panicked. Gray called out to her, reaching for her hand.

Juvia allowed for him to hold her fingers for only a moment before letting go and marching forward. "Come on Gray-sama, we still have a mission to complete" she stated coldly.

Gray could do nothing but follow, for once being the one to face her back.