A/N: Arghh, I hate it when some of the words in my story were omitted.
I just found out that my brother prefer Gruvia. Hahaha.
Note: I am very sorry for the long wait. And also my summer classes had started, it's a must for me and also I have to review for my Qualifying exam to advance on being a third year. Surely Acctng. is soo hard. I hope you guys will understand if my updates become even slower and your wait will be much longer. But still I hope that you won't stop on supporting my stories.
To compensate for the wait, I present this chapter. Pls look past the errors and mistakes.
I dedicate this chapter to P. FullbusterBelieve and sparkles princess.
RENOU
CHAPTER 3:
Blossoming
I started living the day I met you.
-Hannah Howell
Gray dived into his bed, as soon as he arrived from long torturous hours in school
It had been two weeks since he last saw her. And it seemed liked it had been yesterday.
He wanted her to notice that he was missing, though he knew that it was wishful thinking. And everytime he thought of her happy that he was gone made his chest tighten in pain.
He made sure that their paths wouldn't cross when at school.
And it gnawed him inside that he can't see her.
He had been torturing himself and he knew that it didn't even affect her.
He groaned when he heard someone knock on his door.
"Gray, dear?" his mother's silky voice seeped through his door.
"Mom, I want to be alone" he answered, his face still buried under his pillows. He knew that his mother heard him. Blessed their alpha genes.
"You haven't eaten yet. And you have been sulking for weeks." There's a noticeable pause." What's wrong?" she said still outside his door. Her voice laced with concern.
He took a deep sigh and said "Nothing".
Her knocks came into a stop. Gray started counting to three, and as if on cue his door came crashing near his bed. That always happened whenever she thought he was not okay.
He noncholantly sit up and stared at his mother. His poor door, unnoticeable, crushed into pieces on his side. Later, he was sure that someone will fix it.
Her finger raised, and pointed at him. "You. Young man is going to eat. Period" she said with a firm tone, her voice made no room for argument "aishh my head is aching because of you and it's not good because it might make me look older" she said shaking her head in disbelief. And pressed the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically.
"You are ol—" before he could finish his sentence his mother had pulled him with ease.
"Mom!" he whined like a little boy. His mother just looked at him with her eyebrows raised. He looked away, and heard her sigh.
"Ah. I know already what—rather who made you like that" she made sure to press the word who, for further emphasis.
That statement made him froze. "W-what —"
"How would I wouldn't know? when you were a child you always whine and complain about Juvia-chan"
"I never—"
She wagged her fonger in front of him"uh. uh. uh. shut up. Don't you dare lie to me..." her hands on the side of her hips "Anyway, I have something to ask you too." Her expression quickly changed, and Gray knew it means business.
"What is it?" he politely asked.
His mother mischevously smiled at him. "Not after you eat." and she skipped past him. Yes. She skipped.
He sighed and combed his hair with his fingers. Better eat than have his mother bug him. His mother could be childish sometimes
A petite blunette came pacing back and forth inside the library's book shelves with books in her arms. Levy was set to finish putting back the books in their proper places before the school closed.
She glanced at her wrist watch. It's already late yet she was still in the library doing her work as an assistant librarian. She had to.
It was not that she can't take care of herself—remember she's a werewolf, she could perfectly protect herself— it's just that she was scared at the rumors.
A member of an Elite squad had been enrolled to their academy. An Elite squad was an organization that investigates and keep the security of all wolves from vampires.
No. She's not scared of the new student. She's scared of what his purposeis. If an Elite squad member was here that means a possibility of vampires lurking around was high.
But then again, she knew that vampires were long gone.
She stacked the last book on it's shelf. She glanced outside the window and gasped upon seeing that it was already dark, she was so absorbed on what she was doing. Oh. What if the school had already closed?!
She took a sprint towards her things and picked it up when her nose took scent of something.
Instantly, her heart felt like it had been drummed, her hands felt clammy and her inner wolf started growling inside her.
"No. It can't be...
...He is here."
Blue hairs were thrown to her side as she searched where the scent came from. She can't be wrong. He was here. Her inner wolf was starting to howl and it didn't help that his scent is so sweet and alluring, with a matter of seconds, her brown eyes were replaced by glowing blue eyes. Her inner wolf had been activated.
She was on age, she was ready for him. All she needed was him and everything will be complete. She was about to go change into her noctiluque form when his scent was gone.
Almost instantly her inner wolf looked like a lost puppy. Where had he went to?
Genevieve Fullbuster. A former high ranked Elite squad member and currently the Luna of Koori pack.
And mother of Gray at her son, as she took a seat next to him. A show on the tv but then he didn't pay any attention to it. She always knew that he was— well he is grumpy, and stubborn. And she always knew the reason whenever she'd saw him like this.
He had been sulking for weeks and she's worried. It has something to do with Juvia-chan, she was sure of it, so sure.He was still in the denial stage. Acting all cool and bad boy. She sighed. This boy almost wanted her to smack him upside down to wake him up. But she was not a fan of violence—maybe, so she had to hear it from him first then she would give him advises.
"Why don't you tell me what's wrong? You're mother is all ears here" she suggested. Gave him the best and assuring smile she could muster.
Gray only looked at her with no interest at all. She smacked his head and he replied with an 'ouch'— completely forgotten about the 'not a fan of violence' statement
"You. Aissh. I don't know where you got that attitude. You're so impolite."
He raised both his hands in surrender, he didn't want his mother upset but still it didn't mean he would tell her."Okay. Okay. I have nothing to tell you. fine now?" he said irritated yet he tried to mask it for his mother.
"If you don't want to tell me, then I have nothing to do with it." she sighed, she saw him through his lies but she would let him past this time, if he didn't want to tell her now, she would have to force him next time. "Back to me. I have something to ask you."
He leaned back on their sofa "Shoot it."
He heard her mumble 'Aissh, kid's these days', and she looked straight at her only son.
"Your father called." she started. She knew how Gray wanted to see his dad, but Silver just had to go tend their businesses abroad, make sure that humans—hunters, keep their truce with them.
"I was told that an elite member was transferred in the academy. Is that right?"
He nodded his head yes. "As far as I knew, he was an older alpha, he is also Erza's classmate"
His mother just remained looking at him. Gray felt that something is off , then she sighed. He raised a delicate eyebrow at her. "From now on, get as many information you can from Erza and...protect Juvia-chan"
Panic and fear coursed through his body the second his mother mentioned Juvia's name. "W-wait, Is there something I should know? P-protect her from what?!" He always knew that his mother is fond of Juvia.
His mother just smiled at him to much to his disdain. "It's for you to know and for me to find out."
He punched the coffee table near but it didn't even earn any reaction from his mother. "Quit the crap and tell me!" He never thought he'll be able to raise his voice at his own mother, but the fact that Juvia might be in danger was unsurpassable than the pain that he was feeling from his right hand. Blood trickled out of his hand, shatters of the glass on their side. He was sure that it will heal fast.
Instead of being insulted, she looked amused. "ahh. I always knew that you being quick-tempered is from your father's genes." she pressed her fingers on the side of her side, and massaged it. Gray just rolled his eyes, straightened himself, if he can't get any information from his mother better look for it himself.
But before he reached the door, his mother's voice rang through him.
"But just like your dad, you'll be a great pack leader and a mate."
He opened the front door and as he walked away his mother's voice rang through him. "And clean the mess you did when you get back!"
"Shit!"
"I am not mistaken, Genevieve" The said woman just stared at her long time friend, Julia.
She had just given birth to a healthy baby girl. Now, her friend lied on the hospital bed, hair disheveled, with few bruises but still looked beautiful. For a moment Genevieve can't help but asked herself if she looked beautiful when she gave birth to Gray two years ago.
The authorities found her friend in the middle of the forest, in a pond, trembling and with a baby in hand. When she was informed about her friend she quickly rushed to the hospital, they didn't informed her family. Genevieve knew that they wouldn't even care.
But what made her fear for her friend was that she was being chased...
"Julia.." she sighed. "Vampires were long gone" her next words were cut by the blunette
"Are you saying that I'm crazy?!" her voice laced with disbelief and anger.
The raven haired shook her head no. "That's not what I meant. You're tired and had just given birth. And like before, when you're carrying your baby, you had lost your sight and it had just returning. What I'm trying to say was that maybe you had just mistaken, maybe those whom you fought with were wolves from another rival pack" she calmly explained. The blunette seemed to get what she had just said and calmed down.
"You're right. There's no way vampires exist."
"Good. Now why don't you rest? I'll visit tomorrow, I'll bring your godchild." she suggested, she kept in mond to push the imbestigators to earch for the culprits who hurted her friend and stood up but Julia stopped her.
"Thank you. You don't know how much you had helped me., you don't know how much your support is willing me to fight back. You are a very important to me." she said with pure sincerity. Genevieve can't help but pity her— she knew she shouldn't cause that will make her friend mad— her eyes started to blur with unshed tears, she hugged her tight and sobbed on her shoulders. Julia mimicked her actions.
Julia was disowned, her husband was dead, Julia was a single mother, her daughter branded as a Renou, she has no one but her baby and her.
She heard Julia croaked a string of thank you's, and she responded by rubbing her back.
Juvia tossed from side to side on her bed. She gripped her comforter tight, she clenched her eyes painfully, had counted sheeps in her mind, had done everything to fall asleep but with no success and it irritated her more that Gray—yes, the Gray Fullbuster, her no.1 bully—seemed to be, avoiding her.
She quickly sat up on her bed, her hair was in a curly mess, she gripped her hair and tousled it more.
She didn't know why but she should be happy now that he was showing signs of not caring, then why was she feeling restless and hurt that he was indeed avoiding her. She didn't even see him at the training grounds.
Her eyes immediately saddened, she hugged herself in a sense that people might think that she was cold "Why are you always in Juvia's mind?...Gray-sama?"
Not seeing him for two weeks did unjustice to her. She can't sleep, she was caught by her teacher looking out the window and not listening, been scolded from being late,—she always woke up late due to her insomia, and when she was on time, she searched for him only to forget about the time, so she was still late—and the most embarrasing was that when her teacher asked her a question she blurted out his name.
She can't understand why he was so protective of her that time and avoided her like a plague after that?
He was so weird. 'Says the girl who speaks in third person'. She sarcasticaly thought.
And what's worse was that she still hadn't told him 'thank you'.
She glanced at her clock. 10:44 pm. Then her blue orbs stared outside her window. It wouldn't hurt to have a walk outside.
She quitely took her baby blue jacket and her shoes and slid them on, she fixed her hair in a messy bun, carefully opened her window and climbed out.
Good thing was that there's a tree near her window. She only did—the sneeking out of their house, once, so now was the second. She made sure her feet is close into touching the ground when she jumped.
The rustle of the tree leaves and the scrunched of the grass when she jumped made her heart beats louder.
She tiptoed out of their backyard, and adorably looked out. She sighed when she was successfully out of their gate.
Her face immediately lit up upon seeing the night scenery. She hugged herself and shivered when a gust of wind blew. She smiled as she walked, she admired their neighborhood. It was so peaceful and calming. Juvia closed her eyes and just let the wind embrace her.
Everything was perfect, she seemed to be forgetting her main reason she left her warm room and went to wander the street at night, when suddenly someone called her.
"Juvia?"
Instantly her eyes opened fast. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest that she had to stop the urge of gripping it. 'Could it be him?'. She turned around and all her suspicions were proven. It is Gray-sama.
A while ago she left the safe confines of her room so that she wouldn't kept on poundering about him. Seeing his face illuminated by the moonlight made him more handsome, more god-like. Her heart seemed to supply all the beats it had missed. Sudden happiness coursed through her heart, she just gaped at him, unable to utter a single word.
To sya Gray was surprised was an understatement. He didn't really expected to see her here. When he left his house he was aggravated, mad at his mother for not spilling the beans. But his aggravation rose to a higher level upon seeing her strolling alone. At Night. And it added more wonder as to why his hand didn't heal as quickly as it should be.
When she didn't reply and continued to gape at him he had recklessly assumed that she didn't want to talk to him and that made him upset. So It seems that she is so used in me avoiding her that she had to pretend that I do not exist?! He carelessly combed his hair and sighed.
He bitterly smirked, "So you don't want to talk to me?" He didn't even hide his anger and hurt. He turned around from her and sighed. The pain of rejection always found its way on him. He bowed his head, avoided eye contact from her, he knew that he had revealed so much through his eyes.
"You should go home. It's really late and dangerous" His voice turned out soft despite the bitter taste of her ignorance. She really knew how to make his heart shatter. He turned around and walked away.
When Juvia heard his voice, she felt the pain and hurt, that it made her heart break. She was so focused on the pain and bitterness that his voice conveyed that she didn't even notice the tears that had fallen from her beautiful eyes. She began to panic when he turned around. Before she knew what she was doing she ran towards him. It seemed like her body had a mind of its own and wrapped her arms around his waist. And her heart wished to get out of her chest for it's beating uncontrollably.
Gray rapidly stiffened upon feeling her arms around his waist. Despite his initial shock and elated feeling, he noticed the unmistakable sobs and tremble from her. And that made him frown. He held her arms and turned around without breaking the embrace—he still wanted to enjoy the feeling of her body on his— and saw her tearful face.
Juvia gently raised her head to look at him and saw his handsome face marred with furrowed brows. She quickly balled her hands and wiped her eyes as she sobbed "J-juvia knew that she looks ugly when she cry but she can't help iiiiiitttttttt!"
When he saw her cry louder, it made his scowl turned deeper. He gently wrapped his hands around her fragile wrists. "shhh.. stop it. He commanded. She bit her lip to cease her sobs but tears still continued to fall.
"I-I...knew that I told you that whoever told girls that they look pretty when they cry are liars" He said referring to what he had told her two weeks ago, he continued..."it still doesn't change...b-but" her glassy eyes gazed up at him, and it made him more embarassed on what he's gone to admit. Juvia tilted her head to the side when he looked away. His face painted with a soft hue as he said "you're an exception"
Juvia felt her cheeks burned into deep crimson hue and what made it more awkward for her was that he still held her wrists. She didn't understand the happiness that coursed through her heart when he heard his statement. He had just indirectly told her that she is beautiful even if she cried. She was about to tell him to let her wrists go when he cleared his throat and stared straight in her eyes. His face sported an embarrased look, he quickly told her "B-but that doesn't mean that you should cry often."
Seeing his face liked that made her heart skipped a beat. It seemed liked that her heart was beating to supply all the beats it had missed before.
His hand left her wrists and lifted it towards her face to wipe the tears away. When we say wipe, that means roughly wiped it away. "These tears". Despite his violent handling of her tear stricken face, his voice came out soft and low.
"doesn't suit you."
Juvia stared at him. But despite all that she knew that Gray was a kind man. She remembered the night he defended her, he remembered the night when he somewhat comforted her. Despite his harsh actions, his rude behavior and him being impolite, he could be caring. She smiled at him as he babbled some nonsense, Juvia giggled.
"W-wha?! W-why are you laughing?" Poor him, he didn't even saw how Juvia gave him a soft look and a sweet smile. She laid a gentle hand on his arm and that surprised him. He gaped at her like a fish out of water.
"I said Thank you." Gray was surprised that she didn't spoke in third person and she didn't stutter just liked before.
His throat felt closed up, that he had to clear his throat. "For what?"
"For what happened before" she said, and then her face quickly changed. Now she looked like she did something wrong, she fiddled on her index finger and shyly gazed at him. Her looked made Gray's wolf whistle and howl in delight from her innocent cute look. "Is G-gray-sama mad at J-juvia?"
"N-no" he stammered, 'what made her think that I'm mad at her?' he thought incredulously.
"So that means Gray-sama will stop avoiding Juvia?" It made him smile that her voice had a hint of hope and uncertainty.
He just nodded at her. He looked at the sky and frowned. As much as he wanted to stay with her, she had to sleep. "You have to go home now." And as if on cue she yawned at him and sleepily blinked her eyes.
He walked her to her house and bid her goodnight, more liked goodmorning. His eyes followed as she turned around and couldn't believe on what she was going to do.
As fast as the wind he was next to her. She was going to climb the tree, so he pulled her down. She threw a confused look at him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"J-juvia is going home." she responded matter-of-factly
Gray looked skeptical then bursted "Hell No! Do you want to die?" She shooked her head, and he continued "Go enter your house properly." he instructed. Gray had to raise an eyebrow at her. She looked troubled, it seemed like there was something she had weighing on. And then she nodded, then shooked her head and nodded, and that continued that he had to shake her shoulders to make her stop.
"D-demo" she gulped. "Juvia forget the key...and she left her room through this" she confessed while patting the tree on her side.
Gday just smirked proud of his girl. But then it was still dangerous. He wrapped his arm around the back of her knees and carried her high in his arms. She squeaked and blushed like a tomato. "G-g-g-gray-s-s-sama!"
"Hold tight" he told her, instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck and he blushed at the contact but focused on the task on hand.
He climbed the tree with ease. Sometimes he threw glances at her, and smiled upon seeing her focused face. He quietly opened her window and climbed in.
He waited for Juvia to complain, and when he looked at her, he found out the reason why. As gentle as he could be he laid her on her bed.
He couldn't helped but dived his head on the crook of her neck and nuzzled it. She moaned at the contact and that made him sigh in delight, he couldn't help but sniff her sweet scent making his wolf go crazy. Her warm body and her scent was a very nice place to fall in a deep slumber. He was so close in sleeping when a voice talked.
'You do know that you have a mess to clean, Gray.' His mother's voice rang onside his mind through telepathy
'Mom?'
'Go back home! and hurry, and don't forget to lock the door once your home. kay?, bye' He almost forgot about the coffee table, good thing was that his hand had been healed. He had to ask his mom about its slow recovery.
He sighed and ripped his body away from her, albeit reluctantly. His eyes gazed upon her figure, smiling when she frowned upon the loss of his warmth, he knew that she belonged to him and he knew that the day would come that they would never be apart.
He just have to wait for it to come.
He took a last glance at her as he jumped out of her window.
He would have to wish for a lot of patience from Mavis if he had a mate that was hot as hell like her.
Because of his elated feeling he failed to notice someone from the rooftop four blocks away from them. His blue eyes stared at the open window of Juvia. His lips turned upwards that showed his long sharp fangs.
'She will be delighted for our reunion' He said as he leapt away.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. You guys don't know how it swell my heart to the point it wants to explode hehe. I'll be introducing some OC's for this story.
