A/N: So, this contains references to my story, Black and Blue, but you don't have to read it. If you don't, though, you might get confused. Otherwise, who cares? Please enjoy!

The rain woman sniffed in misery. "Ugh. Gajeel-kun, thank you for staying with Juvia." Her voice was thick with the mucus stuck in her throat.

Gajeel would've laughed at her if she didn't look so pitiful. Her normally paper-white and smooth skin was gray and clammy, her eyes duller than usual. A pile of used tissues was piled in the wastebasket next to her bed, and the rumpled blankets on her bed were cocooned around her.

"Uhhh… No problem, Juvia." The Ace of Phantom put down a couple of things. "Here's some soup from Totomaru- gross, he's a terrible cook- and some mangoes I picked up from the mission I just got back from.

He'd come back from his job in a port town (where they'd had really fresh mangoes, Juvia's favorites, to his delight) to be told by a worried Totomaru and Sol that Juvia was sick and hadn't come out of her apartment for a day or so. Using the spare key she entrusted him with, he entered her apartment carrying Totomaru's soup and the bag of mangoes. He looked ridiculous laden down with the things, he was sure.

Gajeel now looked down at his best friend with pity. The rain woman glared up at him as she bit into one of the fruits, as if daring him to comment on her condition. He gestured at his chin. "Ya've got a little, er, just some… Never mind."

But Juvia got the hint and wiped away the sticky juice with the back of her hand. She sneezed, then started eating the mango again, miserable. "Juvia hasn't been sick since she left Gran's house…"

Gajeel sniffed the soup, recoiling at the smell. Someone had to teach that man how to cook. He screwed the lid back on and sat down heavily on a stool. "Pretty different when there's only one person to take care of you, instead of servants waiting on you hand and foot, eh?"

She put down the half-eaten fruit and blew her nose into a tissue. "Well, Juvia does know how to take care of herself. She only lived in the Lockser Estate for four years." Juvia blew again. "Mother was always on jobs, so she never had time to take care of Juvia…"

Gajeel looked at her. "That's true, I guess. Well, I'm going to go get you some decent food, now, so get some rest." He stood, making for the door to her room.

Juvia finished the last bite of mango and slumped down onto the bed. "Uugggnnhh."

"That's a yes, I take it."

A wild sneezing fit was what woke Juvia up. Stuffy headed, she pulled herself from underneath the pillows. Her pajama top was pretty much totally unbuttoned, so she fixed that and swung her legs out of bed. She needed orange juice or something. Maybe she'd force her way through Toto's soup. Not like taste was available to her all stuffed up, though.

Rubbing her eyes, Juvia exited the room. Bleary, she blinked. Her apartment was spotless. Her collection of umbrellas was neatly grouped by the door instead of toppled over. Her kitchen was clean and the smell of burning food wafted around.

There was a Gajeel Redfox standing in the middle of the kitchen, right by the small table.

He was wearing a white bandana over his hair to keep it held back, and a white apron over his jeans and black t-shirt. He had frozen in the middle of putting a plate of something brown and bubbly on the table.

He stared at her.

She stared at him.

A laugh escaped her and she bent over, clutching her stomach. "Y-you look so ridiculous!" she said, gasping for breath.

Gajeel unfroze and threw down the plate, splattering brown gunk on the table. "I-I tried to make you breakfast! Ah, shoot, I was hoping that you'd wake up later and I could've blamed this on Sol or Totomaru or some poor sap like that."

He continued to blush and stammer while ripping off the bandana and apron. Juvia had collapsed to her knees, laughing wildly. The thought of Gajeel trying to cook and clean for her was hilarious and sweet, but mostly hilarious. She paused laughing only for a moment to choke and cough out some mucus, then continued.

"H-hey, stop laughing at me! I am the Kurogane! I will not… tolerate… Ah, screw it."