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Their bed was warm. It was a little funny, her darling Gray was so unlike the ice magic which flowed from his fingers with masterful ease. Ice was cold, and brittle, it shifted but rarely changed. Gray was warm, and strong, and he had changed so much in the years since they met. Not a sharp and violent change like breaking ice, but a gradual shift from guarded and temperamental teen to a gentle, loving man.
Juvia snuggled closer to Gray, wrapping an arm around his waist, fingers idly tracing over his scars as he slowly roused. “Mornin’.” he mumbled, and Juvia hummed sleepily, eyes dragging open. There was such warmth in his gaze, sleep-soft and adoring.
“Morning.” she whispered back, closing her eyes again and scooting as close as she could. Gray rolled onto his side, ruining her half-formed plan to rest her head on his chest, but his arm wound around her waist and pulled her snug against him. Hmm, an acceptable substitute. Juvia grinned, and went along when Gray pulled her in for a chaste kiss. As a younger woman she might have called it bland. There was no urgency to it, no fiery passion, but... there didn’t have to be.
Gray’s lips against hers, a gentle press which they only pulled apart from enough to breathe, were more than enough for this sleepy morning. Such a simple act, but her beloved was a man of simple acts, one who preferred time together to any grand declaration. Juvia stole another kiss, and Gray chuckled against her lips, nuzzling against her cheek with a low, pleased sound which wasn’t entirely human but was fully and completely Gray. “We should get up.” he murmured, but made no move to rise, his arm around her waist sliding lower as his other hand wound into her hair.
“It’s the weekend.” Juvia replied, unwilling to relinquish the languid peace of lingering sleep. The warmth of soft blankets and a husband she loved with all the strength of the ocean. “We can let the children sleep in.”
Gray hummed in agreement, and leaned into her, rolling them so the sheets snarled around their bodies, his legs entangled with hers, his weight propped up on the elbow by her head. He kissed her again, and his breath was ice, clean and cold as he lowered his weight onto her. She slid her arms around him, drawing him down, still heavy with sleep but more than happy to let her beloved rouse her with gentle affections.
The bed squeaked abruptly, mattress rocking from the impact, and Gray’s forehead met her collarbone with a soft thud.
“Greige wants pancakes for breakfast!” their son declared, bouncing in place. Their daughter toddled through the door a moment later, and Juvia giggled as Gray rolled off of her.
“Greige is awake very early.” she said, sitting up and holding her arms out for her little boy to climb into her lap. He was growing so fast, and with the other children of the guild he wanted so badly to be grown-up, but when it was just them he was still happy to be her baby boy.
“Greige is hungry.” he said as Gray disentangled himself from the blankets and stood, scooping up Jay and settling her on his hip with ease.
“Greige can help by bringing Jay to her room, and helping pick clothes while Momma and Papa get dressed.” she offered, and he nodded quickly, scrambling off the bed. Juvia extricated herself just quick enough to give her daughter- so small, so precious, growing so fast- a kiss on the head before Greige led her out into the hall, and Gray buried his face in her shoulder with a grumble.
Juvia patted the back of his head, and laughed softly as they moved to get dressed. Hungry children waited for no one, and that lazy contentment would be there again tomorrow morning. And many, many more mornings to come for the rest of their lives.