She heard it before she saw it. The moment that the first taps of rain on her window reached her ears, she threw open her door and rushed down her steps, nearly tripping over herself in her haste to get outside. Her steps pounded on the cobblestone streets as she ran through the city, desperate to get to a more open area.
She reached the plaza just as it started to rain in earnest. Chest heaving, she spread her arms and laughed breathlessly at the sky. Her boots splashed through puddles, thumping out a rhythm in time with the rain and her heartbeat. Heedless of anyone watching, she danced, welcoming the cool rain. The wind whipped her hair into a frenzy. She was surrounded, enveloped in the sweet scent of rain. She was completely in her element. The water was her home. The rain embraced her. The rivers answered her call. The ocean fought alongside her. She loved them all.
Once, she hated the rain. She hated the way it followed her, a cloud of misfortune. She couldn't count the number of people that left her alone for fear of it. For fear of her. But those days were long gone. Every drop that kissed her skin chased away her sadness. She would never be alone again.
She knew what others thought of her. Even now, years after the Phantom Lord incident, she still heard peoples' whispers. She saw the way they looked at her when she skipped through the market, drenched after a storm. She didn't care. How could they understand? They would never feel the raw power racing through her veins, simmering under her skin. They would never feel the unbridled joy she felt on rainy days. When others sheltered in their homes, she alone walked the streets. She did not fear the tempest. She did not fear anything.
As the rain slowed to a gentle patter, then to a stop, so did her feet. Her clothing was soaking wet and her hair hung in stringy clumps around her face, but the smile on her face rivaled Natsu's. She turned towards the guild hall, where she knew she would be welcomed with open arms.
(A.N. Dang. It's been a minute. I should probably put some sort of hiatus note when I leave for this long. It's not even that I don't have time, I'm just lazy and uninspired. I think Juvia deserves some love, so here you go. I hope you enjoyed.)