Disclaimer: Inspired By Blue Spring Ride. I don't own Fairy Tail because I definitely would have made Gruvia canon in 416 and Jellal would have definitely kissed Erza! Poor Erza.
At age 14 Juvia met him for the first time...
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It was a dark rainy day with no visible sign of leaving. All her classmates were at a breaking point because outings have been cancelled ever since rain decided to visit the same day Juvia transferred. That was weeks ago. Apparently in the city it rarely rain, making it's constant presence an odd occurrence. For her days without rain were rare so Juvia didn't mind at all. It had been the sole companion who never has abandoned her. Juvia had a connection with the rain; it somehow empathized with her. Juvia could tell by how the rain would fall. In the days where Juvia was sad at normal level it was a light rain. On the days where her heart wanted no longer to be part of Juvia it rained harder. And the days where Juvia wanted to erase her entire existence it rained with an intent to end this world. Louder by the minute and with a strength mightier than men. Yes the rain was Juvia's only friend even if it was overprotective in her toughest moments. But no one else shared this emotion. They hated the rain. The rain did nothing but take away what they enjoyed. The last few days it was outings, today the rain took away the chance to enjoy a lovely field trip to the amusement park. Instead we were taken to a museum no kid was interested. This wouldn't have been bad if the blame hadn't been placed on Juvia. When she boarded the bus Juvia felt their glares slowly ripping her apart at a slow, agonizing pace. They were smart enough to make the connection within a week. Juvia tried her best to befriend anybody. No one gave her a single glance. The teachers were the only one kind enough to speak to her even if it felt forced. Juvia didn't blame her classmates for pointing fingers at her. She'd probably do the same if the roles were reversed. Still it hurt. It hurt so much. Just how it wasn't her classmates fault; the sadness in her life wasn't her fault either.
The rain was only trying to comfort her. As Juvia walked to the back of the bus she withheld tears threatening while tightening her hold on the folded umbrella she carried. She ignored all murmurs starring her as she moved.
"There she is again. Why can't she just leave already?!"
"Why is she so gloomy"
"Look at her. She is so weird looking with that blue hair. Let's not get started with those curls."
"I heard the other day not even her parents wanted her. "
"And now we're stuck with her?"
"Yea no one wants her here nor the stupid rain!"
"I've seen her talk to the rain. It's all her fault."
Juvia sat in the last seat next to the window. She leaned her head on the window to focus on the outside world dripping with her tears. Soon she felt her cheeks soak. The complaints didn't stop nor did they get nicer. The teacher tried to keep them in order but angry teenagers is impossible to control. She focused her energy assembling a world where she was loved. In this world the rain took form to care for her. She closed her eyes to fully surrender to this wondrous pigment of her imagination in hopes of finding some peace. Slowly the noise around her diminished to the point where all she heard was the rain and her breathing. Juvia stayed in this trance, a place where only she and the rain existed, until she felt someone poking her shoulder. This same person was trying to get her attention.
"Girl, girl wake up" the voice said. Juvia groaned in defiance. She moved her shoulder to push the finger away that was still making contact with her skin. The person sighed.
"We're here already ok. My teacher asked me to wake you up. I can't go with my friends unless you wake. So wake up already!" The person poked her shoulder more aggressively.
"Please leave Juvia alone! She is-" Juvia stopped mid thought when she saw a boy smirking with hands folded against the top of the seat in front of her. He was looking at her with amused eyes. At his persistence to wake her Juvia decided to speak her mind. She was tired too of all the bullying. Yet when she opened her eyes to see the face of a boy with no malice; she froze. She could feel her mouth opening in shock. Was she still in la la land? Did he not dislike her like the others?
"You're finally awake" he smiled. Juvia tried her best to hide her immediate disbelief. She failed miserably. She stared and stared ignoring her thoughts to just stop. She kept telling herself it was plain weird. She couldn't listen. Juvia was lost in his noticeable beautiful features, his dark blue eyes, spiky black eyes and that innocent smirk. But what held her slave to him was how he looked at her. He saw her like she was normal, not a girl with a cursed life. This was a phenomena she had never experienced. She had dreamed of this yet never considered it becoming a reality.
He kept his gaze fixed on her as well. He seemed entertained with her reaction.
"You can stop starring at me sleepy head" he smirked again. Juvia took a long breath to find the will to end her freakiness. She removed her head from the window.
"Uh- Juvia is sorry..she is..."
"Don't worry. You probably found me strange waking you up considering we're not classmates."
"Huh?" Juvia was lost. If he wasn't Juvia's classmate what was he doing in the bus?
"Oh right. You were sleeping..." the boy rubbed the back of his neck as he recalled she was sleeping the entire trip to the museum. Juvia nodded.
"Well our bus broke down on the way. Several buses from other schools helped by letting students in their busses." So that's it. He was from a different middle school. This explained why he was being nice to Juvia.
"Juvia understands. Thanks for waking me up."
"Hey kid is that girl awake yet? I need to close this bus." Juvia heard the bus driver shout.
"Yup. Please give us a minute." the boy shouted back.
"Hurry up! I see everybody heading inside the museum."
"C'mon we need to leave" the boy shook his head towards the door. Juvia nodded. The least she can do for his kindness is not get him in trouble. The boy was up, she was about to follow when she realized she was missing something. She frowned.
"What's wrong?" he asked with a sincere curiosity. Juvia wondered again if he was real. She couldn't remember the last time someone worried about her. Juvia gulped. She wanted to tell him her umbrella was missing. She remembered having it when she boarded the bus. At least she thought so. Oh well. Juvia claimed the rain was her friend. The least she can do is let the rain shower her with the very pain that caused it. Besides she was not going to burden him with such trivial matter.
"Um, it-it's nothing. I-I forgot something at home. But it-it's no big deal." She moved her eyes to the ground, used the seat as support to get up.
"Right" he replied. There was a hint of sarcasm in his response. He did not believe her. She felt chills across her whole body. Why was he being attentive to her? Who is this boy? Juvia gulped again. She wanted to shrug off the situation. Really Juvia did. It seemed her voice had deceived her intent. Truthfully she was attached to her umbrella. While the rain was her friend, her umbrella was her means to vent.
"It's fine really" this time she replied with more assurance. She followed the boy to the door which the bus driver opened revealing the wrath of the rain. Juvia was too distracted to have noticed how heavy the rain got. Her classmates did quite a number on her earlier.
"No umbrellas huh kiddos? Kids these days. Always thinking they are immune to everything" the bus driver sneered. Juvia frowned. How could she have forgotten her umbrella? Now the bus driver was mad.
"Your umbrella wasn't it?" The boy halted his steps at the edge of the opened door confronting the rain. Juvia couldn't see his current expression. But his stance and the way he asked felt different than when he woke her. She could feel some sort of frightening aura surrounding him as if ready to embark on a battle. And because he was standing before the rain Juvia felt he was about to go at it with the rain. As if the rain was damaging something precious he needed to defend.
"Huh?" Her reply wasn't meant for him. It was more for her because she wasn't understanding what was going on. Why was she feeling some foreign emotions? Why has time stopped unexplainably.
"Either you forgot, misplaced or someone took your umbrella" he asserted. There it was again, the unfamiliar stern voice.
"Hey stop chit chatting. Get out of the bus" the bus driver yelled. His patience with them was reaching his limit.
"J-Juvia is sure she forgot her umbrella at home." Juvia wanted to believe she in fact left or misplaced her umbrella. But deep inside she remembered holding it when she took her seat in the bus. Most likely someone took it when she was lost in her dream world. Regardless she couldn't make any accusations unless she was sure.
The boy sighed. Juvia knows he didn't accept answer.
"If you say so." The boy took a final glance at the rain before starting to remove his dark blue sweater. Juvia could not believe her eyes. When he was finished he threw it at her.
"Take it. You won't get sick if you wear it."
"Ah Juvia can't accept your sweater."
Juvia was preparing to throw back his sweater but the boy stepped off the bus. He turned around to face Juvia. His frightening aura changed again to the sweet one she encountered first. Juvia liked this one more.
"You should smile. That ought to piss off your classmates. Or at least give them something to really talk about." The boy gave her a final cultivating smile. The smile, unknowingly at the time, changed Juvia's life.
Juvia saw the boy walking away to his friends.
"Stupid Gray! What's taking you so long?!"
"Oh shut it flame brain."
"What did you say?!"
Gray. His name was Gray. Juvia felt a strange warmth covering her entire body.
"Heh. It seems the rain has lost. The sun is up and bright."
Juvia walked out of the bus to verify what the bus driver had said. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This in no doubt was a dream. For the first time she starred at a shining sorrowed free sun. The warmth radiating from the sun was caressing every part of her body as if telling her she too deserved happiness. Without a care to her misery she smiled to the sun and to the boy who took away the rain.
Author: This AU fanfiction is inspired by Blue Spring Ride. I love the main pairing's love story. It has the right amount of fluff, backstory and angst in my opinion. And felt Gruvia might suit the story. Even if you've seen or read Blue Spring Ride no need to worry because I'm not using the same story. So what to expect in this story? Well I love angst so expect alot but also expect tender moments. I will also get deeper with her connection to the rain because it's a love/hate relationship to be honest.
Interested in this story?! Let me know por favor!
