♡ Snowdrops ♥ GrUvia One-Shots (Ice and Water)

♥ Kiss The Rain ♥

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pour through and shine down on us to let us know they are happy."

Gray walked downtown towards the Magnolia Graveyard, a heavy heart in his chest. He wore a dark trench coat and a pair of sunglasses, even if it was evening. The sun had begun to set, creating a hue of red, orange, yellow and a tinge of pink. A vendor of the park nearby gave him a red balloon, of which he accepted.

He reached the large iron gates, and with a sigh, stepped through. Instantly a gloomy dread washed upon him, and he gave the sky a questioning look before continuing on his way. It had never failed to rain on this day... maybe she knew that he was coming.

Finally reaching his destination, he carefully removed his sunglasses and trench coat, revealing sunken eyes and a navy pullover over a button-down. He withdrew a flower from his breast pocket, and laid it gently before the tombstone that said heart-wrenching words.

Juvia Lockser, a great mage of a time, remembered by many, a first love of one.

He remembered that her favorite flower was snowdrops, so he had got them from a florist's two days ago and had taken good care of it, as if his own child. Later, he looked towards the sky again, then back at the tombstone.

She had died of a terminal illness, there had been no cure for it. He had stayed by her side everyday, wondering if he could share some of her pain, give her some of his motivation, and to receive her courage in return. She had fought on for so long, but she had never failed to give him that dear smile that shone through the darkest day, the smile that showed happiness in a sea of tears, the smile that was a candle in his ice-cold heart.

She  had been the one to melt him.

He knew that he should not have cared. But he ended up caring, he did care. And he still did. Now he would have to face this trauma alone once more, and sometimes he did feel like jumping off a cliff and ending it all. Without Juvia by his side, he had no reason to live anymore, did he?

But he knew that that was not what Juvia wanted for him. She would remind him to stay strong, with that beautiful smile of hers, even when all hope seemed to vanish from mind. And that had always got him through his day, no matter how sad or frustrating.

He had to live on. For Juvia.

Tears welled in his eyes when they fell on the tombstone once more, and he let them flow gently down his face for peace of mind. He wondered how much more he could take; all the people he'd ever loved in his life were gone: his pops, Ur, and now her. How could heaven be this cruel; taking away his soul mate, his beloved, his future wife.

Today he brought out a velvet box and placed it on her grave. It clicked open once it met ground, and a sparkling diamond ring glittered in the evening sun. He looked up at the sky for the third time, and when he saw no sign of rain, he spoke.

"Juvia," it gave him closure just to say her name, "it's our 413th day anniversary, you know." The tears flowed more violently. "Well, even if you're dead, we'll always be together, right?" Slowly closing the box, he hugged her, even though it wasn't the same, warm flesh, but cold stone gravel. "I love you."

This time he couldn't take it, he sobbed as the sky darkened noticeably. He glanced at his watch and cussed under his breath. Clutching the red balloon, he threaded the string to a hole in a photo he treasured: one of him with her, fingers entwined, laughing. It was such a happy photo, but now he just wanted to thank her for the memories. Letting go of the string, the balloon wandered off into the atmosphere. And finally, it rained.

His eyes did not trail after the balloon, instead he sat there in silence, finding comfort as the water trickled down his face and back; he wondered if the sky was crying. He made a desperate attempt to smile, but failed.

"How can I smile when you're not by my side?" He lamented, cursing the heavens of her quick passing.

The heavens opened, a single sunbeam landed on her spot. He watched as bright spirals emerged from the ground, wafting up enchantingly, and taking the shape of three words.

"I love you."

And then he bawled, hugging the words to his chest, feeling the same warmth he had felt when he first held her hand to keep her from falling to her demise. He felt soft hands patting his back soothingly, and the smell and feel of her hair was all there. She was there.

The sky brightened, displaying more sunbeams flashing down at him. The words vanished altogether, but he did not collapse defeated, instead gazed at the now clear sky with the ring box in his hand.

"When will I see you again?"

A little voice sounded through him. "I don't know... how tightly can you close your eyes?"

~>*<~

First of all, the author would like to apologize for not posting a warning to fellow readers. You might have had gone through a lot to get to this author's note.

If there is some of the remaining song left, I suggest that you restart it, and read it more slowly this time, to understand this particular one-shot. Or you could just relax in this sad yet relieving piano music.

Furthermore, the writer would also like to apologize for the inconvenience caused by the lack of tissues, evidently used up in her last one-shot.

However, the writer has found a temporary stand-in: plain white shirts so female readers can let their mascara drip onto it. Lastly, the author would also want to apologize to all the male readers who do not wear mascara.

Thank you and have an awesome day.

-Kaya-chan.