Fairy Tail World

“Don’t get up – I’ll do it.”

Gray urged Juvia back onto the couch when she dropped her feet to the soft carpet and went to stand. She allowed herself to sink into the plush cushions and watched as he put a small pillow in his spot, propping her sore feet on it. With her blanket tucked snuggly around her, Juvia was comfortable enough to fall asleep.

But that was the last thing she wanted to do on movie night.

“Juvia can get up and walk around just fine, Gray-sama. The doctor said so,” Juvia said as he started for their kitchenette.

He stopped at the foot of the couch and heaved a sigh. “I know, I know. Just…humor me, okay?” he muttered, dropping one hand to her feet and squeezing. He managed a tired smile. “Let me do things for you every once in a while for my own goddamn sanity. Besides, didn’t you say your ankles were swelling up again?”

The pregnancy was driving him near crazy.

But, Juvia supposed, she couldn’t really blame him. She was worried too. The past seven months had been rocky, her pregnancy turbulent, and they were constantly waiting for something horrible to happen at any given time. It had been practically impossible to get pregnant in the first place – and afterwards it hadn’t occurred to either of them that staying pregnant would be a problem too.

They’d already had too many scares than they cared to remember.

She was on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, but her doctor had encouraged small amounts of walking. If nothing more than to keep her from going too stir crazy.

Juvia was determined to be as active as she could, to stay positive for both herself and Gray. But Gray… If she so much as sat up, he was pushing her back down and running her errands for her.

After their second trip to the hospital, at four in the morning, he’d made it his mission to see to her every whim. He helped her with everything and took over all of her share of the household chores – he’d even started doing the laundry. And if Juvia so much as tried to lift her pinky, he would scowl, sit her on something soft, and give her a glass of juice and a movie.

It was almost smothering. But Juvia would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t enjoy the attention.

Still…she couldn’t help but feel bad at times.

“That’s true…” Juvia murmured as she glanced down at her ankles. They were twice their normal size. She bit her lip as she looked back up at Gray. “Juvia just doesn’t want to be a burden, that’s all.”

That was her only fear.

She liked taking care of other people, Gray in particular, but she wasn’t used to people taking care of her for extended periods of time. The last thing Juvia wanted was to be troublesome.

“A burden?” Gray blinked at her, a line denting his forehead as he frowned. “Juvia, you’re never a burden. It’s my privilege to take care of you. Something like that was in our wedding vows, remember?” he said, his voice soft and vulnerable in a way that made everything in Juvia’s chest ache sweetly.

That voice came out very rarely.

Far too often he “played it cool”, choosing to hide his true feelings with snark or sarcasm or blatant lies. He only ever used that soft voice after all of his shields shattered, when he was overcome with emotion. But lately he’d been using it a lot – when he helped her bathe, rubbed her feet and her back, indulged in her emotional outbursts.

And Juvia soaked it up like a freshly-watered flower.

“Juvia remembers,” she whispered as a smile tugged on her lips.

“Good.” Gray straightened and coughed, nodding his head and rubbing the back of his neck. “So what was it you wanted? Vanilla or mint chocolate chip?” He gestured to the fridge as he walked backwards to the kitchen, keeping his dark eyes on her.

“Mint chocolate chip,” said Juvia as she rubbed her hand over her stomach. “With strawberries.”

She’d been craving strawberries all day.

“Strawberries. Got it,” he said and spun on his bare heel.

When he reemerged a few minutes later, two bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream with diced strawberries in hand, he was rid of his shirt and pants. He handed her a bowl before plopping onto the couch and settling her feet in his lap and digging into his dessert.

Juvia spooned some into her own mouth with a smile.

She loved movie night.

Don’t we just love doting husband Gray 💙💙💙