Hi.

I'm so sorry for my chapter 17. I forgot to preview the chapter after posting it therefore I did not see that codes messed it up.

So here's the one without the messed up codes.

Love lots!

Gray was known for being one of the coolest guy in Magnolia University and that he's among those guys who never get nervous nor panic in any situation but as he paced back in fort while waiting for Juvia in the roof top where she found him when he had an argument with Levy the other day, he could not help but be nervous.

Last night he got a text message from her telling him to wait for her in the roof top after his classes. He tried calling her after getting her message but he went straight to her voice mail and when he sent her a message she didn't reply. He hadn't seen her the whole day and Lucy assured him that Juvia did attend her classes but decided not to join them for lunch. He knew she's just avoiding him and his questions.

He considered looking for her but he can't miss his classes so he got no choice but do what she said.

Right after his last class for that day he was quick to bid his friends good bye and hurried up to the roof top. He wasn't expecting Juvia to be there already when he got there because he knew her class won't be over for another thirty minutes.

It took a lot of his will not to wait for her outside her classroom just like what he usually do because he knew she won't like it but he can't stay still not knowing what could be the reason for her sudden decision to meet him.

He hates it when he don't know what is going on and he hate it even more when he felt sweat beading on his forehead.

For some unknown reason he's feeling anxious of why Juvia wanted to talk to him and that it was her who asked for the two of them to see each other. Usually it was him always asking and forcing her to go hang out with him. If anything, Juvia always tried to stay away from him all the time he gave her no excuse to be anywhere but near him. She did everything to make it hard on his part to get closer to her emotionally.

It's been weeks since they talked and made the deal. She dared him to make her fall in love with him. Since then he'd been constantly chasing her around asking or sometimes blackmailing her to go spend some times with him. He made it his serious business.

They went out for few dates and attended some of his friend's parties together and said friends of them actually knew he's courting her but still oblivious of what's the real score between the two of them.

Their friends might know he's into her, it's pretty obvious with all the things he'd been doing for her, but what goes between them was unknown to anyone but the two of them. Juvia wanted it that way. Not that he actually want to brag about it but there were just times he no longer knew what to tell his friends when they were asking. Though he's the quiet type of guy, he's friend were known for being nosy and persistent. They won't just stop unless he tells them how on earth he ended up falling in love with the girl who was so far from the kind of girls he usually fools around.

Maybe that's one reason why he liked Juvia. She's so different from other girls who go after him. She's someone hard to understand and yet she's so charming and he's been charmed.

Gray harshly breathed out before leaning back on the roof top railings. Thoughts were running round his head and those were not positive ones.

There's only one reason he could think of why Juvia wanted to have a private talk with him. He's sure she finally made up her mind about what she should do with him and base on their previous interactions he's not so confident that Juvia would actually agree with what he wants.

Gray could say he already did what he could to pursue Juvia and that he went all out just to make her see he's serious about her. He even forced his friends to help him do ridiculous things that he won't usually do without giving them explanation why he's doing it aside from he unfortunately fell in love with someone who is not easy to convince.

He doesn't even know if Juvia ever liked the things he did since, she, most of the time was very passive with her answers whenever he asked her if she liked what he did. She would just nod and smile. He's clueless if he's doing it right.

There's a big possibility of her turning him down.

His hands balled into fists with the thoughts running in his head.

He knew he can't actually forced Juvia if she ended up turning him down but the idea of her not being his did not pleased him at all.

He badly wants her.

He needs her.

Damn!

He loves her.

Taking a deep breath, Gray tried to calm himself. It won't be good if he's worrying too much once Juvia came. The fidgeting butterflies in his stomach were enough burden as he waited for her. Letting his nerves get the best of him won't do him any good at all.

Why was he even worried? He did all he could to prove her he's sincere and his intentions were good.

He already bared his soul right in front of her and it's up to Juvia what she would do with him.

Sighing again, he carefully touched the petals of the purple rose he had with him.

If Juvia finally came up with a decision, he made his, too.

It might not be easy after everything her did but Gray thinks that whatever he and Juvia has must be clarified already.

Not that he's in haste but they seemed to be going nowhere.

The rose he brought for that day would be the last rose he would give her as her suitor. If she's gonna say yes the next flower he would give her will surely have much deeper meaning but in case she turn him down that rose would be the last he's gonna offer.

It's either he'll have all of her or completely lose her.

When he heard footsteps behind him, Gray did not move or looked from where he stood. There's no need to look if it's the girl he's waiting for. He stayed still just staring on the stem of rose he's holding.

The gentle wind carried the sweet scent of summer rain; the scent that he knew solely belonged to the blue haired girl that he's waiting for.

Gray felt more than heard when Juvia slowly walked towards him until she was right beside him. "I'm glad you came."

It wasn't the different tone of her sweet voice but the way she talked that made Gray looked at her with a deep frown. His darks eyes searched her face. "What made you think I won't come?"

The side of Juvia's lips slightly lifted but her smile did not reach her eyes. "Because I was the one who asked to see you this time." She took a deep breath before looking directly at him but her gaze fell on the rose in his hand. "Purple?"

"It means –"

"Love at first sight," she cut him off. "Enchanted, ain't it?"

He smiled a little as he nodded. "Yeah," he responded. "Definitely enchanted ever since the first time." As words passed through his lips, his eyes stared on his beautiful face.

Slowly, he saw the glint in her eyes reflected myriad of emotions. As he looked at her he could see the reflection of the beautiful setting sun in her ocean blue eyes. "Why?" there were lot of things Gray wanted to ask her but the only word that he was able to form was that single word that he knew she understood so well.

Juvia moved a little closer to him and took the rose from him. She lifted it close to her nose to smell its fragrance. "Before I tell you why, can you answer a question?" she asked not looking at him. Her eyes were glued on the rose expertly averting his gaze.

"What is it?"

For a moment Juvia was silent and he thought she might not ask her question at all but then she spilled a question that made him frown again. "Can you accept everything about me?"

What kind of question was that? "Of course I can. I know you knew that I'm serious about you and that I love you." Gray closed the gap between them and enfolded her in his arms. "How many times do I need to tell you? How many times do I have to prove you? We're going nowhere with these questions and riddles of yours. You keep on asking me questions that means the same thing."

"You don't know me at all. Wouldn't it be much better if we try to know each other more before we cross the line?"

Juvia closed her eyes when Gray's arms tightened around her. "Is this your way of telling me that you're turning me down?"

"I'm just asking."'

"You said you're going to ask only one question."

"Well a question always comes up with a follow up question," she said, her arms moving up his back to return his embrace. "There would always be series of whats and whys and hows. So tell me. Wouldn't it be better i—"

"I give no fuck which would be better because what I want is to be with you," he snapped out and moved away from her with unmasked annoyance with the course their conversation was taking. "You keep on telling me of what would be better and keep on daring me to do something but I can feel it that though you feel the same as me you're not sure of what you want to do with me! I just want to start something special with you. The things you want to do, we can do that when we're together. There's no need to delay everything just because there's something you're obviously trying to keep away from me! Whatever is it, Juvia, I'll accept it the way I accepted that I'm fucking in love with you!"

"Gray—"

"Look, I'm not stupid. The very moment you open your mouth I knew something is off. You're talking like a normal person and that's not normal. Something is bothering you but I won't force you to tell me. Let's just make everything clear between the two of us and whatever is it that you can't tell me we can talk about it when you're ready."

Silence filled the air when Juvia could not say anything after hearing the words he said. Gray on the other hand took her silence differently.

Dry laugh rocked his shoulder as he shook his head. "Fine I get it. If you really can't accept my feelings because of whatever reason, it's okay. I just have to accept that my efforts were not good enough t—"

"I'm scared!" Juvia blurted out. "I'm trying to fix everything before I give you my answer but as days goes by I can no longer conceal what I feel. I do love you. I don't know when and how it happened but I fell for you and all your wickedness and bluntness and flaw as a human being including your pervetedness. Every time we're together it's getting harder and harder not to show you that I, too, want to do the things you were telling me we are going to do. But I'm scared! I'm scared I might end up hurting you!"

"That's a pointless reason and if you really don't want to hurt me you will put an end to our non-sense merry chase because as of now that's what hurting me."

They were just going around circles and its starting to irk the hell out of him. Gray could always play along and be cool with it but Juvia was making him feel so uncertain about everything that is going on between them. He knew their feelings were mutual but there's something stopping her and the things she's saying were making no sense at all.

Minutes passed with nothing but silence between them. They were just looking at each other trying to see something that might help them out of that situation the easy way. But there would be no easy way unless Juvia made up her mind and as Gray thought she might never come up with a decision that's when she made her move.

Gray breathed out loudly as he was shaking his head as a sign that he's done with whatever is going on with them and was about to leave. He turned around without saying a word, ready to walk away, but Juvia's hand found his arm.

She pulled him back and when he turned to face her again he was met by her lips touching his.

Juvia tightly closed her eyes and just let her instinct rule her. She thought she could end everything with Gray but her heart just won't allow her to simply watch his back as he step away. She'd rather take a risk than to lose him without knowing what it feels like to be with him. She's tired of her what ifs.

The feeling of their lips against each other flicker the ember of fire within her that she'd been trying to suppress and as it burn the way it did the night she could not forget, the same warmth she felt before consumed her once more.

It's only with him that she could feel that way. So alive and so free to do what her heart desires.

"Yes," Juvia panted when their lips parted for a second before she kissed Gray again. Her arms found their way around his neck and she pulled him closer to her as he in return tightly wrapped his arms around her. "I love you and I want to be with you."

Gray looked at her with so much admiration in his eyes and a smile on his lips that told her she did the right thing. She could see how happy she made him and it's all the she needed. He took one of her hand and guided it above his chest where she could feel the rapid beating of his heart underneath her palm. "You're making my heart so crazy, my little nymph," he chuckled before claiming her lips for a heated kiss. "Do you have any idea how much I feel for you?"

She smiled at him and guided their intertwined hand over her own chest. "I guess it's the same with how I feel for you."