Summary: Gray Fullbuster is a player both in love and in life. He plays Professional Basketball and is being groomed to be in line with Basketball Legends Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. There's just one problem, Gray Fullbuster is a play-ah. His life is a giant mess of crazy parties, waking up with random women and waking up in random women's apartments. Just living the life.
The opinion of the public on him is waning. To save the million-dollar endorsements in the verge of disappearing, Gray needs to change his image. Therefore, Gray Fullbuster, Fiore Knight's Team Captain and Most Valuable Player, will be in the next season of "My Star Can Dance".
There's another problem: it seems like his star isn't that bright since his partner, one of Fiore's prominent ballerinas, doesn't know him? His billboard is hanging in front of her dancing school! And it was a good billboard since all he was wearing was his six-pack and an Aztec bandana. How come she didn't notice?
She's In Your Court 9: The Way to Mr. Lockser's Heart
…
I sat down on a log, took her on my lap
She said wait a minute bud, you got to see my pap
He's gotta sixteen gauge choked down like a rifle
He don't like a man that's gonna trifle.
– Shotgun Boogie, Tennessee Ernie Ford
…
Gray drove down to Magnolia's quietest and richest summer destination, just outside the city, where the most affluent upstate residents go to breathe some fresh air. Juvia sent him the address last night, informing him that the Juvia's father invited him for the weekend at the Lockser townhouse.
Apparently, His Excellency, Julian Lockser, Magnolia Ambassador to the Alvarez Empire, liked to grill during his free time. It had become some sort of tradition, whenever he came home from his official travels, to laze around and enjoy weekend barbecues with his family. Mostly, it was only him, Olivia and Juvia. For this weekend, however, they included Gray.
After the initial surprise, and some sort of throwing his hands around he called his 'happy dance', a little devil Gray popped up on his shoulder to remind him that calling him down the beach paradise was Ambassador Julian Lockser's version of showing him his gun collection. It was, after all, a time-honored dating tradition to torture the boyfriend. And the idea wasn't too outside the ream of possibilities. The guy seemed like the type who'd seen things: ugly, under-the-radar, CIA information-acquiring secret techniques and looked like he watched and enjoyed it.
Julian Lockser was a James Bond Russian Mafia Evil Boss replica.
"I don't know what you're so worried about, Juvs. I'm a delight!" He spoke over, having Juvia on bluetooth.
"I should have driven with you here." Juvia said repentantly.
"Relax, babe. The Camaro's up for a long drive anyway. Besides, I got my girls here to entertain me." Gray felt the sudden need to clear things up lest his girlfriend misunderstood. "I-I meant Mariah Carey, you know that right?"
"Why? Are you driving with her to my house?"
The two shared a soft chuckle, starting up their usual friendly banters. When that died down, silence followed. Gray easily read into that one.
"You don't need to worry about me, okay? I'm a grown man."
"Says who?"
"You know, one of the many things I like about you is your impeccable sense of humor." Gray brushed the jab at him off with humor.
"Fine." Juvia submitted. As much as she liked their verbal flirtations, Gray needed to focus on his driving. She wanted him to actually make it to her. "I'll see you soon?" She asked, her voice now laced with tenderness and loving.
"I'll see you, baby."
Gray waited for the familiar sound of an ended call. He then removed the bluetooth piece off his ear and dropped the pod at what supposed to be the car's cup holder. Finally off the phone, he expelled a sharp breath to ground the tension he had been feeling, and hiding, since the morning. Mask off.
"Okay, Fullbuster." He adjusted the rearview mirror, dark blue eyes stared sharply at his reflection and began a monologue. "You can do this. This is just a hiccup you can totally overcome."
His mind travelled back to the night he first met Julian Lockser.
"You had your tongue down his daughter's throat. Of course, he's not gonna like you."
Way to make a first impression.
The man definitely hated him. Instead of receiving a warm welcome, Gray had the door slammed at his face, twice. So, imagine his surprise when Juvia told him it was the Ambassador's idea to have him over the weekend. He thought maybe he was warming up to him a little bit. So, Gray concocted a plan.
"Hey, you're a likeable guy. You just turn the charms on and win him over."
He winced. That plan worked on women, some males too, but he remembered how Juvia received him the first time they met and it wasn't pretty.
"Okay, maybe, maybe not your entire self. Let's tone it down a notch."
A voice inside chided him. Since when did Gray Fullbuster ever tone himself down?
"Or, just be the opposite. Totally opposite of yourself."
Could he?
He sighed in exasperation. It was totally hopeless. But Gray Fullbuster never gave up. What kind of sport was he if he gave up the second life became inconvenient? He was the 'Miracle Worker' for goodness sake! Stealing winning shots left and right. No. 'Giving Up' wasn't in his vocabulary. So, he showered himself more pep talks.
"Mr. Lockser just probably wants to get to know you. Why else would he invite you down at his fortress for the weekend?"
Maybe, he's going to kill you and throw your body into the beach.
His brain chose that moment to remind him of the evil eye Julian threw him the night before, paired with his ready-to-kill aura.
"That's it. Juvia and I would just have to elope."
Gray had resigned to his fate.
Juvia had just got off the phone with Gray when her father Julian, clad in a pink apron, carrying a tray of raw meat, entered the house through the back door.
"Was that Fullbuster?" He asked in a deep, monotone – unamused.
"Yes. He's on his way."
Juvia followed the six-foot man around the kitchen as the latter scanned the table tops and searched the counters and cabinets for something.
"Stop following me around."
"Are you looking for this?" Juvia held the silver clippers on display, taunting his father with it.
"Yes!" He exclaimed. Julian stopped ransacking the drawers and cabinets to take the damn tong he'd been looking for.
Juvia, however, had other plans. She held her father's weakness away just as he was about to approach.
"Will you promise to be nice?" She asked, threatening to withhold from him the man's precious kitchenware.
"I am nice." He claimed, reaching out for the silverware only to grasp air. His blue piercing eyes said otherwise.
"Dad." Juvia challenged. She was quite sure her father was planning to make it hard on Gray.
The two had some sort of father-daughter stand-off in the middle of the kitchen and none of them was willing to cave in; with Julian's need for the clipper to start his barbecue party and Juvia's desire for her dad to take it easy on Gray.
"Fine." His father conceded and dejectedly grabbed the kitchenware which Juvia generously handed to him. "But you two are sleeping in separate rooms." He said, pointing the tong at Juvia as he enunciated the words, for emphasis, of course.
Only daughter – 1; Doting father – 0. But no one was keeping scores.
Just as Julian was about to grab the knob on the back door, Juvia threw her slender arms around the six-footer and hugged him from behind.
"Thank you." She said and squeezed the 182 lbs. as hard as her arms allowed. "I really like him." She whispered for only her father to hear.
"I know." Julian loosened his daughter's slender arms around his waist to turn around and face her.
Julian Lockser might have lost to his only daughter in the stand-off. But the haughty glint in his rather piercing eyes implied that the man still had one trick up his sleeve.
"I witnessed how much you like him, remember?" One thick brown quirked up at Juvia, making one shocked daughter let go of him.
"Dad!" Juvia complained as Julian sauntered towards the backdoor to return to his grilling.
Victory put a bounce on his walk and shame painted his daughter's cheeks rosy.
"You weren't even supposed to be there!" She shouted after him.
Guilty daughter – 1; Savage father – 1. Now, he was keeping scores.
Juvia's heart skipped a beat when she heard the first ring of the door bell. On the second and the third ones, her heart was starting a marathon.
The older couple's echoing laughter travelled into the house. Juvia decided not to disturb her folks sharing a good laugh out at the deck. That's what Juvia wanted ever since she was a little girl: Sunday brunches, get-together with the family and talking about anything under the sun. Just like her mother, Juvia wanted to find a best-friend and a partner in one person.
The fourth ring pulled Juvia out of her reverie and called her to the door. When she opened it, a beautiful bouquet of yellow peonies greeted her. She took them and smelled the beautiful aroma coming from them, peeking through the beautiful bouquet to see the handsome man leaning against the door frame.
Gray Fullbuster was in his casual clothes, looking fresh and handsome. A sexy smirk complimented his just-woke-up look.
"Hello, gorgeous."
It took so much from Juvia not to swoon or faint at Gray's greeting. She should be immune from his charms by now. Yet two simple words from the guy had her stomach fluttering, knees buckling, and heart racing.
"Chivalry isn't dead, I guess."
They bantered with their words and flirted with their eyes. Gray's surprise didn't stop with the flowers. From behind, he took out a round pie covered with cling wrap he'd been hiding.
"And my mother sends this. She made it herself." Gray handed Juvia the offering, brushing her fingers with his as he did. "She said it'll help me gain some points."
Juvia suddenly missed him; missed touching him, missed kissing him. She stepped up to him, smile coyly playing on her lips, to answer that 'missing' feeling. Gray was more than happy to become part of that answering. He peeled himself off the frame, shifted his weight equally and leaned down to end both their agony, only to stop midway. He scolded himself for having second thoughts. There were many times when Gray needed his brain to think rationally; like when he thought riding a horse butt-naked was a good idea, or skate on the ice with just his Christmas boxers on. Yet, it chose that moment, when his need to feel Juvia's lips was about to be answered, when the kiss was just a breath away, his shitty brain chose that moment to consider and care about repercussions.
"Is this a good idea?" He asked, peering over her shoulder for a certain national diplomat.
"Honey, who is it?" Julian called out from the kitchen.
Speak of the devil and he doth appear.
"Probably, not." Juvia whispered to Gray, fighting the sudden need to throw herself at him and Gray spicy freshness and raw scent of masculinity wasn't helpful at all.
"Gray's here, dad." She shouted back, her voice travelling to the kitchen.
Juvia mouthed come in, inviting Gray to come inside the house. Gentleman as he was, he took the sweet treat out of Juvia's hands as he crossed the threshold. Just as he was stepping into the lavish living room, admiring the impressive internal structure of what Gray could only call a mansion, the tall James Bond clone popped out the archway, which Gray assumed led to the kitchen.
The pink apron, although looked funny, did little to nothing to sober the intimidation. It clung to the fifty-year old's body, accentuating the older man's toned and fit build. Not bad for someone in their fifties, he told himself. He wished he would look any close to this guy when he reached Julian's age. Such realization made Gray more conscious around the Ambassador.
"G-g-good day," Gray cleared his throat, embarrassed at the little hiccup, "Sir Lockser." He finished, offering his hand which, no matter how hard he tried, wouldn't stop shaking.
"Please, call me Mr. Lockser."
"Dad." Juvia warned.
"I was kidding. Julian is fine."
It didn't feel like it though. The hard squeeze said otherwise. Gray had to pretend it didn't hurt as he showed Juvia a strained smile.
"Is that Gray?"
The graceful Olivia emerged behind her husband. Her warm smile eased the tension Gray Fullbuster was feeling. But when she leaned in to give him a light hug, Gray could feel his body shudder under the husband's watchful eyes.
"Did it take you long to get here?"
Gray thanked every god he knew when Olivia stepped back and returned to her husband's side. She put a hand around his waist and leaned against the six footer as she made small talks with the nervous wreck.
"No, not really." He managed to say.
"Well, c'mon out to the deck. Julian's making barbecue."
"Lead the way." Gray responded, eliciting a disapproving back-glance from the husband.
He waited for the two to disappear behind the archway and turned to Juvia.
"Your father hates me." Gray mourned.
"No, he doesn't." Juvia took a step closer and Gray almost recoiled.
This whole thing with Juvia's dad made him really jumpy and apparently allergic to Juvia's touch. He didn't like it. Gray wanted to be close to her as much as possible, wanted to hold her, touch her, kiss her. If her father didn't like that then screw him.
No. No. No.
He couldn't screw up Juvia's dad. He was there to please the man not hate him forever.
"Hey." Juvia stepped closer to him, look and voice filled with tenderness. She snaked her arms and wrapped them around his neck.
Gray felt the flower stems poking the back of his head but it didn't matter. He put his arms around Juvia's waist and pulled her closer and against him. He didn't flinch at the contact. He shouldn't be. This was the most natural and the most wonderful feeling in the world. It felt nice sharing the warmth between them.
It was what mattered.
"He doesn't hate you." Juvia tried to convince him.
"Really? Because it really feels like he does."
"He just needs to warm up to you a little."
Juvia had a way to soft-pedal things.
"When?" The impatience showed in Gray's face if his voice didn't give him away.
"Soon."
Juvia pulled him down by the neck and brushed her lips against his, briefly and playfully nibbling at his lower lip. It felt so good that Gray hissed at the lost of contact.
"So, please bear with it for now."
Blue imploring eyes pleaded with Gray and he couldn't help but get lost in those deep blue eyes.
"Fine." Gray conceded. He leaned down to steal another peck. One light brush could never appease his hunger for her. So, Gray struck a bargain, putting on that smile that ensured grant of his propositions. "If you promise to make it up to me."
A deal he knew he could gain the most.
"You guys coming or what?"
The familiar baritone made the couple jump away from each other. Both Gray and Juvia weren't sure what the intruder saw but none of them could look the clean-cut gentleman in the eye.
"W-w-we were just on our way." Juvia answered to which Gray seconded.
The ballerina stuttered at first, flustered at getting caught the second time. But she quickly regained her composure, even answered the raised eyebrow thrown the couple's way with a chuckle albeit nervously.
"Okay, but hurry. The barbecue's gonna get cold."
Julian disappeared from sight first before Gray and Juvia looked at each other with guilty frowns on their faces.
"We'll never gonna get a break are we?"
Gray walked ahead, shoulders slumped at defeat. Then, Juvia followed. Both kept their hands away from each other – much, much away.
The Lockser Mansion sat on an elevated land, merely few meters away from the beach lane. What a sweet set-up, Gray thought. The late morning breeze played with his hair and the scent from it tickled his nostrils. The scenery looked like it came from a painting and Gray was able to appreciate it despite the sharp eyes staring him down across the table.
"So, Gray…"
Gray stopped eating his barbecue midway, mouth hanged open, when Julian started a conversation. The four sat around the wooden patio table, facing each other. There was no where to hide for Gray, so he had to meet Julian's menacing eyes with his mouth hanging open.
"Go on. You can eat while we talk."
Gray took a bite from the skewer and almost, almost moaned at the first taste of the meat. The meat juice exploded in his mouth with flavor at first bite and his lids shut close on their own. The man might be mean but his barbecue was to die for.
"Right? That's my own recipe!"
Gray thought his ears deceived him. But when he opened his eyes to see, the excitement was all over Julian's face. His menacing eyes softened and his mouth was twisted in a weird curve. Gray almost fell of his chair when he realized that Julian Lockser was actually smiling. At him. It's the first he'd seen it – ever.
"It's so good, Mr. Lockser. I had to keep down the moan that was about to–."
Gray failed to finish that sentence when he saw the curve on Julian's lips slowly drop. The smile in his eyes was slowly disappearing and when Gray glanced at Juvia; her face was twisted into an unexplainable expression – but he read disappointment and judging from it.
"Why would you keep down the moan? Go for it!"
It was the first time Gray heard the throaty laugh coming from the head of the Lockser Household. The contagious laughter spread across the table and the sun was finally smiling brightly at Gray. He had to thank his stomach and his love for good food for that.
Finally, Gray was in.
After lunch, Juvia helped her mother clean up inside the house. Juvia's childhood nanny, who just came in for her shift, took the used utensils out of their hands to place them to the sink. Juvia said her thanks and informed the seventy-year old help about the barbecues left outside. She invited her to enjoy them and to bring some for her grandchildren later when she leaves for home.
The old nanny gave her a toothy smile, or what was left of it, and said something in her dialect. Then, she left and continued on her cleaning.
Left with nothing else to do and a bad case of curiosity, Juvia walked near the sidelights and watched the two figures animatedly talking near the railing that bordered the deck. Juvia felt her mother's presence approach her. The latter peered over what the young Lockser was looking at.
"What do you think are they talking about?" Juvia asked the older Lockser, not taking her eyes off the two figures.
"Well, you know your father. It could be anything."
Juvia shifted her attention to the woman next to her. She was in awe. Olivia Lockser had that familiar look in her eyes and she'd seen it too many times not to recognize it – a gaze full of affection. There was only one man Olivia could look at that way, Julian Lockser.
One day she wished, she could give that same look to one man.
"You just be glad they are getting along."
Juvia chuckled in agreement and returned her gaze to the raven-haired boy who just received a heavy swat on the shoulder from her father – Julian's secret act of approval. She stepped away from watching them as the two figures started to walk back into the house. She only caught a tailspin of their conversation when the two finally stepped into the threshold.
Juvia approached her man and Gray lagged behind. The momentary separation gave the couple a chance to catch up.
"So, how did that happen?"
"I don't know." Gray answered with a boy's smile lingering on his lips. "He asked about me, what I do and we got to talking about basketball."
"Told you, he's a big fan." Juvia interjected.
"And turns out, we hate the same guy!" He excitedly announced, ecstatic with the fact that he found common ground with the elusive Julian Lockser.
"Really, who?"
"The newbie from Lamia's Scale".
"What? I like that guy."
The smile on Gray's face dropped.
"Are you serious?"
Juvia received a rather disapproving glare at the man.
"Lyon Vastia?"
The tone of his voice made Juvia feel like she was wrong, so very wrong for liking this Lyon, whom Juvia only saw play on TV once. She didn't really have any opinion on the guy but seeing how Gray was reacting to this piece of news, Juvia just wanted to yank on his chains.
"Well, yeah. He's good and kinda cute."
"He's a jerk. Plus, he's a ball-hogger. That's why their team never wins. He thinks he's some kind of basketball god or something."
Gray was at Juvia's face making his case, trying to convince his woman why he should not think of Lyon as good at basketball or cute. She just shouldn't.
"The papers said he's the next you."
Gray laughed at her face and Juvia could hear the insult in it.
"Same papers which said you're the next Michael Jackson?"
Gray suddenly stopped laughing. Doubt clouded his deriding eyes. The irony wasn't lost in him.
"W-w-well, don't believe everything you read in the papers." Gray warned her, not hiding the fact that he just got trapped.
"Oh!" Gray, defeated, tried to change the subject. "And did you know he'd been classmates with my step-father in High School?"
"He was?"
Juvia would rather have the excited little boy who seemed to have uncovered some big mystery, like Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, rather than jealous Gray – love or career-wise. Although, she had to admit, they were both cute sides of him.
"Yeah! He told me stories about him–"
"–Hey, Gray! Come here I'm going to show you something."
Gray was interrupted by Julian's invitation into the living room.
"Be right there, Sir!" He glanced back to Juvia with a proud smirk. "Your dad likes me."
"Yeah, yeah. What is he going to show you?"
"Some pictures." Gray kissed the back of Juvia's hand before he excitedly bounced into the living room, not wanting to make the man in there wait.
Juvia could finally breathe. The two men in her life weren't only getting along; they were starting to become the best of pals. She got what she wanted. Juvia was at peace until a horrifying idea hit her like a bat and she almost staggered at the realization. There was only one album her father wanted to show and always showed the guests, an album full of Juvia's pictures – childhood, monumental and all of sorts of embarrassing.
"Wait, dad!"
Writer's Corner: Okay guys I know I said I'm going to make this short and quick but I don't know, the characters just write themselves up! My last year in school is starting this week and I need to focus on that lest I fail. Hence, the updates will be much, much slow(er). But when did it ever become fast? Amaright? Hehe. Anyways, I'm glad with the feedback. Keep 'em coming!
To Time Flies, oh I'm sorry for the lack of update. I forgot what and where I wanted that fanfic to go to finish it. But rest-assured, I'll pick that up once I get the mojo back.