Juvia awoke the next morning with butterflies in her stomach, had the night before happened or was it all just a wonderful dream? Juvia was never usually an early riser, but she practically floated down the hall as she went to freshen up. She couldn't resist the urge to smile as she brushed her hair and thought of the way Natsu had made her feel so accepted. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she washed her face, could she be crushing on her guildmate? He had been so sweet to her but she didn't want to misinterpret things, so she told herself to calm down. She felt almost giddy as she played the previous night's events through her head as she brushed her teeth, dribbling toothpaste as she smiled.

What would she do the next time she saw Natsu? How could she find out exactly how he felt about her, so she didn't overstep and ruin things? Her mind was buzzing with questions. Back in her room she threw open the curtains and let the beams of sunlight cascade in, the day felt bright and full of possibilities, and she had a burst of energy to go along with it.

She picked a simple blue-grey sundress and got changed, she braided her hair and quickly applied a bit of gloss to her lips. Simplicity was key, she wanted to feel effortless when she spoke to him and not look overdone just in case it didn't go as planned. She had no clue if things would be any different, but she hoped with every fiber of her being that she could talk to him without the ruse of fishing to get them together.

Juvia went to her kitchen and glanced at the clock, she usually didn't head to the guild until around 10, but it was only 9:30. She decided to straighten up and wash the few dishes in her sink to pass the time. Before she knew it the chores were complete, but the minute hand had hardly budged, was her clock broken? She sighed deeply and grabbed a book from the shelf before plopping in her most comfortable chair, a few chapters should help pass the time.

Juvia scanned the pages but really didn't absorb the words, her mind was elsewhere, and she couldn't focus. She flipped the pages absentmindedly and glanced at the clock again, still no change. She tried harder to get into the book she held in her hands, but her eyes kept flicking back to the time and she eventually closed the book. The clock hand had hardly moved, and she was a mess, what was it that people said, "a watched pot never boils?" well she could relate.

Juvia supposed she could just go to the guild early, it was only a little earlier than her usual time after all. She was just eager to see Natsu after they...what had they done? They had talked, but that was it. Maybe she was imagining this whole stronger connection thing. Her heart sank as she mulled over the thought. No. She wouldn't let herself get down in the dumps after that amazing night. There was a simplicity and ease to talking with Natsu, the way he looked at her warmed her heart and gave her chills all at the same time. How had she not noticed how sweet he was, or the way he always looked out for others? She had just written him off as Gray's teammate and never bothered to get to know the real him.

In that moment Juvia was disappointed in herself, she knew better than anyone what it was like to be judged by something other than what kind of person you were. Everyone had shut her out for so long because of the rain it had actually begun to feel like she would never be accepted. But when she thought about it the only person who ever accepted her with her rain was Gajeel, everyone at Fairy Tail hadn't really gotten to know her until the rain was long gone. Would they have allowed her to join the guild if she was still plagued by rain? Would they call her a friend and include her, or would it be just like before? Never-ending solitude. It was sad to think about, but she was hopeful that Natsu still would have accepted her, he was a kind person and he really seemed to understand her.

Juvia shelved her unread book and grabbed her keys from the hook by the door, she was heading out to find Natsu even if she didn't know what she would say once she got there.

The walk to the guild went by in a flash, but maybe that was because she was practically skipping on the way there. Juvia opened the door and headed inside to see the patrons as energetic as usual. Among the bodies near the request board Juvia spotted Natsu chatting with his team, she made her way over and he beamed a smile in her direction.

"Hey Juves, Good Morning!" he called to her.

"Good morning, Natsu," she answered arriving at his side.

"What's going on?" he asked ass he fiddled with her keys suddenly feeling nervous.

"I just decided to get out and enjoy the morning,' she smiled.

"We were just getting ready to leave on a job," he began, then paused before adding, "why don't you tag along."

Juvia was thrilled to be invited but reality came crashing down instantly as she saw Gray's face as he exchanged a look with Lucy. He was clearly not on board with Natsu's offer and Juvia felt as if the breath had been sucked from her lungs. Of course Gray wouldn't want her to come after the breakup, it wasn't exactly fresh, but they hadn't had much interaction since then and things were left unresolved. Juvia felt the hot tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she blinked them back, hoping no one noticed. "You know, I wish I could," her voice cracked, and she cringed, "but I actually have something I need to do. I'll talk to you later." she abruptly turned on her heel and headed back out the doors.

"Juvia!" Natsu called after her, "wait!"

She barely cleared the doors when the tears began to fall, she was gutted. How had she been so stupid to think she could interact with Natsu at the guild without it being uncomfortable? She had let the excitement of their interactions blind her to how others would feel. She circled around the side of the building unable to pull herself together, a loud sob escaped her as her knees hit the dirt. It was utterly humiliating and painful to have been shut down like that by her friends.

She struggled to breathe through the tears as she realized she wasn't alone. Natsu sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Please don't cry, Juves. I wasn't thinking."

"No," she sobbed, "They're right to feel that way, I should have expected that reaction, but it still hurts."

"I forgot that my team wouldn't want to spend time with you as much as I do," he squeezed her shoulder gently, "I shouldn't have invited you like that without talking to them first. I just want things to go back to how they were before you and Gray dated, back when things were easy."

"It's my fault," she wiped her face, "I hurt him, I wish we could go back too."

"I don't want to leave you like this," he murmured close to her ear, "What can I do?"

Juvia forced a smile and shook her head, "Just go on your job, and maybe we can talk when you get back.:
"Are you sure?" he looked unsure.

"I'll be fine, and you have to go." she managed to keep her composure, "Just go."

Natsu stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before he finally stood, "this should be a two-day job if all goes well, promise me we can go to the river when I get back."
She nodded, "I promise."

He still looked hesitant to leave, Juvia nodded again, and he finally turned to go. "Two days." he called out.

"I'll be there." she managed as he rounded the building looking back at her once more. When he disappeared around the corner, she allowed the full emotion to hit, and the rain poured down.