Gray is not going to appear till the next chapter, please bear with me, but I have to build up Juvia as a character and so I need to have a background. I know it's kinda slow paced but please try to understand!

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Juvia ignored the smirks and giggles that followed her as she made her way towards the tree where Bora said he was going to meet her. She smiled to herself as her thoughts were filled with her boyfriend; no one else mattered, definitely not the people who were sniggering behind her. Her smile brightened as her boyfriend came into her vision, he was so handsome... but she sensed something off about him. His smile seemed forced and didn't reach his eyes.

"Bora, I'm here!" she grinned as she bounced up towards him, outstretched arms waiting for his warmth that never came. Bora awkwardly stepped back and coughed, "Juvia...um...yeah. I don't know how I should say this but, I just, I can't anymore. Your rain," he glanced up at the clouds that were gathering above them "it's just so annoying. I try to ignore it but it's everywhere! You know? I'm just sick of it, and I'm sorry I have to say this, it's just I can't stand it anymore... I'm sorry but I'm...ending it here..." Bora was out of breath from talking in a rush and Juvia almost felt like she'd dreamt the whole thing. Her whole world was collapsing around her, and she could feel the awaiting stares that surrounded her, Juvia couldn't breathe and her eyes stung. No, don't cry! Don't let them see you. Just get out of here Juvia. Get out. So Juvia turned on her heel and walked away with pretence of confidence, the rain clouds following her.

Juvia broke into a sprint as the tears spilled from her eyes, running away from the laughs that carried to her ears, away from pain. She stopped and tried to make sense of the surroundings, but everything was unfamiliar. Juvia didn't care though, she was comforted by it; no judgement or hatred. She liked how no one cared about whom she was or about the rain that surrounded her. Juvia turned into an alley way and fell to the floor, her legs aching from running so long. She laughed at herself as she leaned against the brick wall, god she was so unfit. Juvia couldn't differentiate between the rain and the sweat that soaked her clothing making it stick, uncomfortably to her skin. She hated the rain! A scream ripped from her throat towards the clouds as her anger bubbled, she knew it was stupid but she had to blame something or the hatred would just all go back to the same thing; herself.

"Whoa, you a'right?" she looked up to see a tall boy, face decorated with metal. She was pretty sure she looked awful with puffy eyes, messy hair, scratched skin and the askew look she always had in her eyes when she cried but the man didn't even flinch. He sat next to her and Juvia was met with serious moment of déjà vu. He looked imposing but Juvia wasn't scared of him.

"I'm Gajeel, who're you... I've never seen you aroun' here" His voice was deep and hard.

"Juvia." She answered inwardly cringing at how similar this was to another conversation she had years ago. Juvia decided she had to stop meeting people in street ways while she was in tears.

"A pretty name" Juvia needed him to stop speaking because he was beginning to sound too similar to someone she needed to forget. The situation was unlike before; instead of butterflies she felt like throwing up. "Anyway, are you good? You seem kinda...upset-and I dunno how to really deal with sad people but I feel like you really need comfort..."

"Juvia is just tired." And she was. Tired of pretending those awful comments didn't mean anything to her, tired of pretending she didn't realise Bora had been flirting, for some time now, with Nevuli, tired of pretending she was alright being stood up ever so often. Juvia was just so tired.

She gasped when she felt the unexpected warmth of a body and saw (and felt) that Gajeel had engulfed her in a hug, "It's okay now," he said his words firm. The abrupt kindness, pushed Juvia over the edge and sobs racked her body as she clung to the young boy who comforted her as best as he could. Juvia could not remember when the last time someone had been this nice to her had been and she gave Gajeel a watery smile, "Thank you; you do not understand how much this means to Juvia." Gajeel smiled softly and he reminded her of the brother that she had never had. She knew that she was overreacting but it wasn't even about Bora, it was more about her rain. Every time she would be pushed away because of the water that seemed to be the only thing that was there for her. Her own family hated living with her because of the weather; that only got worse with their treatment. She hated always being alone, she was tired of it. Who did she even have now? Everyone had left her with the rain that never seemed to stop. When was the last time her dad had even come back home? She couldn't remember. Juvia knew he hated the rain that reminded him of his wife but she was always so scared and she needed the fatherly presence he gave to her step sister (who Juvia had met once because her father didn't want the little girl to experience the depressing rain that engulfed Juvia). She realised Gajeel, for some time now, had been studying her, his red eyes tracing the scratches on Juvia's legs before meeting her eyes, "Would you like to come with me?" Juvia had heard of strangers kidnapping girls when they were most vulnerable but she couldn't ever see Gajeel doing that to her. So against her better judgement, she nodded and allowed the boy to lift her up.

Juvia hadn't the slightest clue of where they were heading and Gajeel seemed so lost in thought, she didn't want to interrupt. She took this time to examine the boy. Gajeel was much taller than Juvia and was very muscular, with long black spiky black her slicked back to show his forehead, and red eyes with narrow slits for pupils. His most distinguishable feature was his piercings that adorned his whole body; they were in a line where his eyebrows should have been, on the sides of his nose, one on his chin, on his ear and in lines on his arms. He was the sort of guy Juvia was sure her mother would have warned her about. "You don't need to be ashamed, you know," Gajeel was staring straight into her eyes.

"Juvia doesn't understand"

"I mean, you don't need to worry 'bout those kids. They're only jealous that they can't be a rain woman... I'm like you, you know"

"Huh?"

"I have magic too; I'm an iron dragon slayer"

"Gajeel's a dragon slayer?!"

"Yeah, so you don't have to- oh we're here" Juvia looked up and, to her astonishment, saw a huge castle with the words 'Phantom Lord' on the front. The castle was absolutely gorgeous, Juvia knew this, yet there was a feeling that unsettled her that seemed to be coming from the castle.

"What is this place?" Juvia wondered, aloud.

"It's a guild; where people like you and me can live without any judgement... come see, you'll like it!" Gajeel smiled and grabbing her hand pulled her into the building. Juvia was faced with curious, unkind eyes that studied her "This is Juvia, she's one of us it's all good." One of us? What did that even mean? Juvia couldn't see any kind faces, everyone looked cruel and unpleasant. Juvia wanted to run away, but instead she returned the smile that Gajeel gave her.