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Juvia hummed to herself as she wandered down the riverbank, picking berries as she went. It was raining, it was always raining or snowing despite her godmothers’ efforts to teach her to control her magic, but she didn’t mind. The trees and bushes grew lush, the river ran full into the sea, and the drips and drops pattered against her head and shoulders like an old friend. Today was a good day, the world a little brighter than usual, the rain a gentle mist that counteracted the warmth of late summer.
“Hello.” she greeted the old raven that nested in the lightning-struck tree by the river’s fork. It cawed a Hello back, and swooped off. Juvia followed it, and paused at the sight of a splash of colour that didn’t belong. The old raven picked something shiny from the pale fabric caught on a broken tree branch, and as it took flight Juvia approached. It was a cloak, the wintery blue fabric fading to a cloudy grey around the shoulders. Around the lower hem it was heavily embroidered with shimmering threads of silver in frost-like patterns, and the blue parts were decorated with snowflakes picked out in white. The flakes nearer the top bore tiny gemstones in the middle, though a few had clearly been ripped free by her raven friend.
Juvia set her basket down, and carefully lifted the cloak from its branch. Whoever had lost this must surely be rich, and perhaps handsome as well. Anyone would look handsome in a cloak like this, though it clearly wasn’t meant for rain. Juvia hummed thoughtfully, then smiled as an idea came to her. She would have to bring this home to her godmothers, they would know what to do, but they’d seemed so busy as she left it’d be a shame to interrupt them. Her basket was mostly full, she’d finished her chores before leaving, and she felt good today. Juvia spun the cloak out, and the water soaked into the fabric pulled towards her, forming the wobbly outlines of a man’s torso and head.
The river was bare steps away, and Juvia smiled as its pleasantly cool current washed around her bare feet. The water rose at a thought, filling out the form of a man only just taller than her. Juvia took its watery hands, and started to sing aloud as she led the figure in a slow, spinning dance. “I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream~” her voice rang over the water, echoing back from the trees, and after a verse it seemed as if the birds joined in, sweet high voices singing a melodic counterpoint to her own.
How wonderful it would be, to meet someone who wasn’t family. A man to sweep her off her feet, like the heroes in the bedtime stories Mama Mira told her. Juvia dropped the water-mannequin’s hands and set it spinning, the cloak flaring out as she twirled, feet splashing in the river as her voice rose in a wordless aria along with the birds. “But if I know you, I know what you’ll do!”
“You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream~” warm hands caught Juvia’s, and she froze in shock, skirts whipping tight around her legs. “Thank you for finding my cloak.” his voice was just as beautiful speaking as it was singing, and Juvia could do nothing but stare. He was more handsome than she ever could’ve imagined, the air around him crisp and cool and thick with magic. His dark hair was slicked down close to his skull, and his eyes were deep as the sky. As she watched, a drop of water fell from his hair to trace down his perfect face and drip onto his bare chest.
“J- Juvi is happy to have helped!” she squeaked. Mama Mavis and Mama Erza always told her to be wary of strangers, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. “Do-” she blushed and forced her eyes back up to his face. “Can Juvia help you find your shirt as well?”
“Huh?” he looked down, and swore. “Mom is gonna kill me.” he groaned. Juvia giggled. “And Pops would lecture me ‘til sundown if I didn’t offer to repay you for your service, fair lady.” a smile stole across his face, and Juvia’s heart leapt in her chest. “For finding my cloak, what would you have as a reward?”
“If Juvia may...” she blushed furiously, looking aside. It did nothing to calm her racing heart though, not with warm, strong hands still wrapped around her own and his bare chest very much in her peripheral vision. A kiss suddenly seemed a very silly thing to ask. A handsome man like him must’ve kissed hundreds of girls already, and she’d never kissed anyone. She couldn’t ask for money though, it was impolite, and it wasn’t like she needed anything... “Juvia would like a dance.” she said, the words slipping from her lips before she even fully realised she was about to say them.
“A dance?” he smiled, eyes sparkling. “That’s all?”
“Juvia likes to dance.” she informed him. “But, Juvia has only her mothers to dance with.”
“Well then.” he released her and took a step back, giving her a shallow bow. “Would the Lady Juvia honour me with a dance?” he straightened up, offering a hand, and Juvia beamed as she accepted it.
“Juvia would be happy to.” she said, and stepped in close enough to lay her other hand on his shoulder. His free hand settled warm at her waist, and he began to move, humming her tune from earlier. The steps were unfamiliar, but the river guided her bare feet away from his sturdy boots until she caught the rhythm of it.
“Are you sure you’ve never been danced with before?” he asked, and Juvia smiled.
“Juvia is a quick learner.”
“Well, those other boys you know clearly don’t know what they’re missing.” he said. Juvia giggled, but said nothing. Was this what it was like, being a normal girl? If there were other boys around to dance with, would they be so kind? Juvia couldn’t quite believe that they would. Her lovely shirtless dancing man was too perfect for every boy to be like him.
“It’s strange, I swear we’ve met before.” he mused as they danced slowly back to shore.
“Juvia feels the same.” she said, and found it to be true. He felt far too familiar to be a stranger, the closeness of their dance as natural as the rain on her skin. His magic tasted of winter, of snow-scrubbed air and fresh-cracked ice and bitter, biting cold. She couldn’t place it, but she knew it.
“Sadly, I have to go now.” he said, stepping back, and Juvia’s breath caught in her throat. “Thank you for finding my cloak.”
“Thank you for the dance.” she smiled. He turned away from the river, then paused and turned back to her.
“Could I find you here again?” he asked, the words seeming to trip out of his mouth. “Tomorrow, perhaps.”
“Juvia is here often!” she nodded. “Juvia can be here tomorrow.”
“Then we will speak again tomorrow, Lady Juvia.” he bowed to her, and she bowed back, which made him smile and his eyes sparkle. He slipped away into the trees, and Juvia turned her face up into the rain with a wide smile, twisting side to side to make her skirts swirl around her legs.
“You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream~” she sang, and danced back towards her basket with the graceful pattern of steps she’d just learnt. Tomorrow, she decided, she would ask him to kiss her. It could be a late birthday present.