"It Doesn't Rain Indoors"
"some people feel rain, others just get wet."
He approached her so confidently. Didn't he know what she could do to him? She sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. She was Phantom Lord, no one was supposed to approach her like that, so why did he? He defied reason, he defied what she—their academy had built up. After he hadn't responded, she sighed and finally met his gaze.
"Can Juvia help you?" She asked, a bored tone lining her voice.
He stood there, his face blank. What was he doing? Was this his magic? Uncomfortable, creepy stalker magic? They stared each other down, neither shifting their gaze. Her heart sped a little, why was he so adamant on making her feel uncomfortable? Someone across the room cleared their throat and he moved away.
Not a word, not a name, nothing.
Nothing but a pair of icy blue eyes and dark hair.
Juvia felt a chill run down her spine as he moved away to his group of friends. His retreating form imprinted into the back of her eyelids. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to look out of the window at the stormy sky. It was her doing, the rain soothed her and made her forget about what she had to face when she returned home.
"Drip…drop." Juvia mumbled, quietly.
The school bell rang, signaling the lunch period for the entire school. Juvia usually headed to the library, but she didn't want to hear the incessant happy laughter from that joke of an academy, "Fairy Tail." Childish and immature. They could leave the campus for lunch, so she took the opportunity and left the campus.
Her head was pounding, she wasn't sure if she would return to school. Her umbrella, pink with red hearts littered across it resided in her hands. She held her schoolbag close to her as she walked down the city's street. Laughter rang through her ears, the usual shrill laughter she heard in the library. Her fist tightened around the handle and she increased her pace, trying to round the nearest corner.
She didn't want to even look at them, they were too happy. Too closely acquainted. "Oi!" One of the voices called out to her, it was a male voice. She jumped and almost looked back. Gajeel had told her not to acquaint with them, the trash.
She heard the heavy footsteps come closer; she tried to subtly speed up and move away. He was right on her heels. "Drip…drop." The rain began to pour harder. He wouldn't leave her. She stopped and turned to face him. "Hey! I'm Natsu Dragne-" "Juvia knows who you are. Juvia doesn't want to be friends. Juvia wants to leave and Juvia is leaving." She coldly interrupted, pivoting and walking away with her head down.
It was what Gajeel would have done, so why did she feel so bad about it? They were trash, she was a Phantom and they were dimwitted mythical creatures with wings and questionable tails.
"I know you aren't like them." It was different voice this time, female.
Juvia laughed quietly. "You know nothing about Juvia."
With a final infamous drip-drop, Juvia turned the corner she was longing for and sprinted away.
Juvia had finally made it home and shook out her umbrella before she crossed the threshold. Immediately, Juvia felt her knees buckle and she dropped to the floor. She was crying, she hadn't even known why. But she was; it wasn't a surprise when she was finding herself drifting off to sleep.
When Juvia's eyes opened again, she was in a new place. Her bed. Gajeel. She hadn't remembered going to sleep or why she did, but it was nighttime and she was awake. Juvia decided that she would not be attending school tomorrow—well, today.
She quietly stepped out of her bed and slid into more comfortable clothing and made herself something to drink. Earl Grey tea. She remembered the boy from earlier, who had stood at her desk and said nothing. Her heart skipped a beat; he was with the group she had encountered yesterday.
Now, she regretted making it rain on them. Maybe she had gone a little too far. She was turning into one of them, reckless, and not thinking things through. It irritated her to no end. How did it even settle with them to be so…fly by the seat of their pants like?
She rolled her eyes and shuffled back into her room. "Drip…drop." A light drizzle pattered against the windows. The noise cooled her head. She blew on her tea and drank from the mug. Fairy Tail. What was it like anyway? What was so great about them?
A tall figure stumbled through the kitchen. "Raindrop." Gajeel yawned, greeting her for the morning. She silently stirred her tea and watched him shuffle to the refrigerator and gather a few things to eat.
"Gajeel… I have a question." He lifted up from his position at the refrigerator to look at her.
"Shoot."
She gulped and found herself gripping the mug tighter than usual. "Fairy Tail…the academy…how did they come to be?" He furrowed his brows. "I dunno, why don't you ask one of those winged pansies?"
She sipped her tea again; she had known that he would say that.
"Why ya' asking anyway? They giving ya' trouble, raindrop?" She shook her head and got up to leave. Before she turned to leave, Gajeel said something. "You'll tell me if they're botherin' ya', right?" She nodded slowly and made her way back into her quarters.
She had so many questions, come to think of it, she had no idea how her academy started. She had to know, she needed to know. Perhaps she would attend school today.
Juvia felt like she was operating on about 4 hours of sleep; exhaustion was taking over her body. Her teachers tried to talk to her about her absence for the second half of the day; she coldly brushed them off and continued her sojourn to the school's library. Apparently, this set of academies had been going on for an abundant amount of time. A school for the gifted, before you could sign up and now you had to be enrolled, chosen. They gave you a dorm in which you stayed until you were ready to leave. So much history, so much she hadn't known.
Juvia lost track of time, students continued to flow in and out of the library. She suddenly felt the temperature drop and detached her eyes from the books in front of her.
It was him; the boy who'd just stood in her face and hadn't said a word. Juvia's heart skipped a beat. Why did she find him so interesting? She was so obsessed she was researching his academy, their origin. Her fingers shook slightly as she silently closed the lid. Her eyes tore away from his face, she already had it memorized, etched into her eyelids to remember forever.
"It isn't raining." He finally spoke, his voice crisp and cold. Like ice.
She liked it.
Juvia stood, collected her books, and walked away from him. "It always rains when you come to school." She stopped. He had noticed, had he figured out that was her doing?
"A water element; didn't think they were real."
"Well, if there's ice, there's water." She tried to walk away but he urged the conversation. For some reason, she couldn't brush him off.
"You've figured it out, haven't you?" He was trash, why were they speaking so casually?
"You people are easy to read."
"You people?" They were walking in rhythm now, throwing back responses to each other. They hadn't talked about their dominance between the cliques, they hadn't regarded each other as trash, and it wasn't even brought up.
His name was Gray. Gray Fullbuster. His name made her fingers feel like fire, her veins race with electricity. She went home at lunch again, but she didn't fall asleep this time. She was yearning for knowledge, not about Fairy Tail, but about him. Obsession?
No, that wasn't it, curiosity. She was curious about him. Why had she never felt this way before? Why was she so involved? What had he done to her? He was Fairy Tail, one of them. Why couldn't he leave her mind? She groaned and collapsed onto her mattress.
Maybe she just needed a bath to clear her head. A hot bath would clear her skin of the dirt she'd gained and the guilt she harbored. She turned on the tub water and gathered her things to enter it. One by one her clothes accumulated into a pile on the floor and she stepped into the marble tub. The hot water loosened the tension in her back and the smell of ocean breeze wafted through the air.
A break is what she needed, she had attended school almost every day of the week and it was about time she stayed home to rest. Clean up a bit, she felt it in her soul that Gajeel's room had retrogressed into its messy state and maybe pick up groceries. The bubbles pooled around her pale skin as she sat and let the warmth engulf her body.
Why couldn't everything be this simple? Maybe she just overcomplicated things and maybe life just overcomplicated itself. She sighed again and submerged deeper into the water.
Juvia rubbed her hair with a towel as she sat on the couch; she hadn't realized how dull the house was. It was always quiet; it hadn't bothered her so much before. Why was it bothering her now? She began to clean around the house, sweeping the tiles and washing the dishes. She moved to clean out the refrigerator. As she did, she noticed that there wasn't as much food missing as there would be. Was Gajeel not eating? She was positive she packed his lunch and he always came home to eat… What was happening?
She went inside the iron mage's room to find nothing but a disgruntled bed. Nothing was out of place, but she did notice that there were boxes stacked up to the far corner. She knew she shouldn't have been snooping, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. Clothes, shoes, personal things. They hadn't been packed like this before.
Why were they packed? Where was he going? He was leaving her?
Juvia's heart dropped.
Again and again the same thing every single time. Why? Why did this always happen to her? She was easily bated. Juvia always attached herself to people who showed a smidge of attention. Why? Why? Her eyes watered as she gently closed the box.
Juvia's eyes skimmed over to the boxes to the left of her. He wanted to leave? She'd respect his wishes and help him pack. Before she knew it, all she did was move in a consecutive motion. Grab, fold, and place. It wasn't long after she had basically packed up the entire room. She grabbed a sheet and began to pen a message.
Gajeel-san, it's nice to see you finding yourself. Juvia respects your decision, Juvia does. Juvia thought she'd aid you in your departure. Juvia will not going to meddle any further, but perhaps telling Juvia that you don't want to be here anymore would've helped her understand. Juvia's proud of you and Juvia wishes you good luck and farewell.
The pen hung over the paper as she dwindled on what to write next. She sighed and capped the pen, standing to leave. She didn't want to be here when he saw what she'd done; he didn't have to explain himself. She wouldn't make him; she wouldn't demand the explanation she deserved.
Juvia glanced at the time; school had already ended for the day, about 30 minutes ago to be exact. He still hadn't returned? She shook her head and laughed. Gajeel was changing; maybe it was for the better too. "Drip…drop." The rain began and Juvia began her trek to wherever her legs carried her. She closed the dorm door and descended down the stairs. She opened her umbrella and watched the rain fall into her hands. Her head tilted to the side in content, it was what she needed.
Somehow she had ended up in some part of town where the city was busy and restaurants, shops, and arcades along the sidewalks. She watched people in uniforms file in and out of stores, laughing, holding hands, hugging, and the occasional kiss.
She was a part of this large crowd, but she wasn't at the same time. She wasn't enjoying her night in the company of other people; she had people to do it for her. She was observing their behavior. Like someone looking through a glass in a museum. Gawking in awe at the art in front of her. In a small way, Juvia did feel herself morph into the crowd of strangers. She smiled to herself and felt herself stop in front of a tea shop.
"Warmth" was the name of the tiny shop. Juvia closed her umbrella and settled into one of the chairs. A cup of Earl Grey rested in front of her. Why was being on the other side easier for her? She was like a shadow, watching everything happen. But not being able to interact. Beauty, but nothing to erase the small blemishes on the edges.
She sighed, she felt serenity for awhile. Her gaze was stuck to the window, the people were interesting. She imagined their stories, their baggage, and their names. The chair across from her rattled, like someone was trying to sit in it. She hadn't even needed to turn her head to identify the source of noise.
"We keep meeting like this, don't we, Gray-san?" His low, hearty laughter erupted from his throat and Juvia's heart skipped a beat. His laughter was making her belly do cartwheels and leaps and all sorts of mind-boggling things.
"I guess so, Juvia. I guess so."
She shifted her gaze to the male before her, his hair was pushed out of his face. She liked it, it suited him. Juvia smiled and sighed internally. Their third time speaking, why was she so excited? He began to divulge in conversation and Juvia threw in a comment or two. But he was speaking, she wouldn't interrupt. Listening, looking. Skills she had developed over time, Gray seemed to really enjoy their verbal agreement. Her laughter sprinkled in every now and then. It was making her happy. They had spoken for so long, she noticed that the sky was dark. Immediately, Juvia stood and grabbed her umbrella to leave. "Wait, Juvia!" She turned back once more to look at him.
"I look forward to our next encounter, Gray-san." Juvia strolled out of the tiny shop and began her trek home. Juvia hadn't realized that the rain had come to an abrupt halt and he stopped it. He stopped the storm raging inside for now.
That is the first chapter of "It Doesn't Rain Indoors." I genuinely hoped you enjoyed it.
r&r!