Chapter 4: Gray's past

They finished the job for the day and were both tired, but Gray didn't want to just go in his room and stay alone for the rest of the evening, given that they finished kind of early than the days before. So he thought about a way to get Juvia to spend some extra time with him, because Tuesday and Wednesday they were so busy they did not have time to spend together and Gray found he didn't like that. He wanted to see more of the bulnette that caught his mind all the time. As they were packing up to go, Gray told her (after staring at her butt for a moment, because it looked so good in that tight skirt that had, yet again, a slit in it. He figured out she either had a thing for them or she liked to cause him physical and psychological pain, anyway she looked beautiful in them) if she had some plans going on for the evening, she put a finger up to her chin and thought for a little, after a while saying that she has no plans indeed. And then her phone ringed maniacally that it almost fell off the table. Juvia excused herself and answered the phone but she didn't even have the chance to say hello because the voice behind the phone yelled hysterically at her right away.

"Juvia! I hope you have a good fucking excuse 'cuz I'm gonna beat yo ass when you come back home!"

Gray saw the way her smile and calmness washed away from her face. She began to visibly panic and look like she was going to faint at any given second. 'What the hell?... what is with that reaction?' Gray thought and something inside him felt…weird, he was developing a feeling he hadn't had for so long he forgot how it felt, was it worry? Or perhaps fear? I guess it's a mixture of both… it felt so strange though…

"Oh God… Gajeel I'm so, so very sorry!" Juvia was scared shitless. She discussed with Gajeel and Levy about this business trip and told them all the details. Gajeel was very worried given that the place was so far and he wasn't a phone call away to help her if she was in trouble. He couldn't just get in the car and beat the crap out of anyone who dared touch his Juvia, and that unsettled him, so it was only normal for the blunette to call and inform him about everything that was happening at the resort. To say it was terrifying that he hadn't received a phone call from her since she boarded up the plane was an understatement. He wanted to call her, but Levy (even if she was worried herself) stopped him, she told him that the first day of the arrival was very tiresome, the flight was long and she probably just got to sleep right away. The excuse for the next day was that she most likely had so much work to do she didn't have the time to call him, and that went again for the next day. But it was now Thursday and he had enough, he was so angry he almost, almost but not really, got in a plane himself and went there to scold her for the panic and worry she gave him. So as soon as he got home from work he called her.

"Girl! How the fuck do you forget something so important?! I was about to call the police!" he was angry and seriously upset with her so he decided to make her feel sorry for forgetting about him. Can you imagine? How on earth do you forget about the most important person in your life? Gajeel was her big brother, her best friend, her everything when she had nothing, so she had no excuse what so ever for what she had done.

"No you weren't! stop scaring the poor girl, let her have some fun! Are you jealous she's going to maybe find someone and steal your precious place?" Juvia heard Levy jumping at Gajeel, she always had her back in front of him when she did something stupid that made him angry. It was funny though, how she could read her mind, I mean it was someone's fault for making her forget about calling home. She was so preoccupied about getting a certain brunet off her mind, she didn't have time to think about something else. Between reading files, work and a pair of onyx eyes that made her melt, there really wasn't anything she could do.

"Hell naw! Levy for Christ's sake, stop provoking me! She isn't going to find no one in the middle of nowhere and move out there!"

At this point Gray was confused, he didn't hear what the person on the other end was saying, he only saw Juvia's peculiar reaction and that she said a man's name, which triggered something, that he could not name, in him yet again. It seems that this girl…ehh woman, awakens every single emotion and feeling inside him that he tried hard so many years to hide.

Gray had a difficult life up until now, and it was not about money, he grew up, materialistically, having everything he ever wanted. But that could never compare to the lack of love he received from his parent, his father, Silver. His mother loved him to the moon and back, she did everything for him. That time frame when she was alive and well was perfect, he even remembered his father playing with him, giving him attention and affection. But that… that didn't go for so long, when he was only seven they found out Mika had cancer. Little Gray didn't knew what that meant, but he understood his mother was sick and that broke his heart.

After receiving the news Silver started to act weird, he barely came home and when he came he was always angry and impatient, acting like a guest that couldn't wait to just leave the place. Mika was sad, she tried her hardest not to show it to Gray, or anyone else at the matter, but he was her son and he could read her like an open book. He saw every emotion going through her, and it pained the little kid to see his mom basically die in front of him, nobody, not even the most important person, her husband, helping her and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Her marriage with Silver wasn't one out of love, it was an arranged one, it was for money… Mika's father was a rich guy and saw Silver's potential. He was getting old and wanted to pass the company to somebody else, but his daughter didn't have it in her, and Silver wasn't family. So he managed to get them to marry one another and gave the company to his now son-in-law. Neither Silver or Mika wanted the marriage, but it happened and she wanted to at least try to make it work. Silver wasn't interested though… he never hurt her, but he always kept his distance.

After 3 years and a half spent trying she gave up and wanted to leave, but then her 'husband' stopped her and promised her he was going to try. He didn't stop her because he was afraid he was going to lose the money he now had, he was worried about her and in his weird way he cared about her, so he stated to act like a married man for the first time ever and found out he quite enjoyed it. Not so log after, they found out they were pregnant, Silver couldn't be more happy, Mika as well, she finally had what she wanted all along…a family.

As soon as they found out about her health condition though…things changed. Silver wasn't acting like her husband anymore, he wasn't caring after her like he once did. He was distant, at first she though it was because he was mentally preparing himself for her death… that until she smelled the perfume…

She was devastated, she couldn't believe it. Was he acting all along? You can't possibly say you love someone and as soon as the other person is down you abandon them. How long was this going for? She was shattered, not even the eyes of her beautiful son could bring joy to her soul now. It was all gone, just a memory… a false memory of happiness she had.

With her condition and her shattered heart it didn't take long until she died. Gray was furious, devastated, broken, angry, suffering…he was destroyed, and everything was his fault, Silver was the one to blame because his mother died so soon and was feeling so low and sad. He himself felt that because of his father, he was little, but not stupid. He saw how his father's behavior changed, he didn't know why though. He could've understand him if he did that because he was angry at the world for doing that to Mika, considering he himself was doing that. But he couldn't understand why he abandoned her…abandoned them. That was certainly not what a father and husband should do and he soon found out he wasn't acting like that because he was upset with everything, because life was taking his wife away from him, like he should. No, he was simply a bastard who couldn't act like a man, couldn't protect, nor want to protect his family.

He hated his father for that…but he found out he despised him and was absolutely disgusted by him at his mother's funeral. What should have been a respectful and painful place to say goodbye to their mother and wife, turned out to be a place for Gray's father new mistress to make moves on him and make it official.

The white haired young lady was touching his father with every chance she got, and they were not friendly touches. She was always by his side, when you couldn't find Silver you just had to find the white head and there he was. Silver didn't shed one single tear, he was acting so indifferent and calm, you wouldn't even been able to guess he was at his, thirteen years long, wife funeral. Gray saw them and figured in his own way what was happening, he didn't understand the whole concept, but he knew his father was acting with that woman like he should have acted with his mother. He couldn't fathom how he could simply replace her like that, and he started questioning how long did he do that for, didn't he love them? Were his mother and him not enough for Silver?...

Questions like those flooded Gray's mind, and he became more and more disgusted by his father as the seconds passed. The funeral was heart wrenching for little Gray and after it was done he wanted nothing than to be let alone and drown in sorrow. He wanted to mourn his other, at least one person in this whole world should miss her and be sad because of her leaving.

Gray and Silver's relationship changed 360 degrees, the little kid didn't want to be near his father, he screamed and yelled, hit and bit, everything to make his father keep the distance. He couldn't look him in the eye like he once did. Gray was soon enough trusted to Ur, an employee of Silver and she raised him like her own son, protecting him of his father's rage and indifference.

The things Juvia awakened inside him were ones he buried along with his mother, and it was kind of traumatizing for him to feel them again. Why was he worried when he saw how scared and panicked she looked? He didn't worry about anything since he was seven, he never cared about anything to the point he would worry. But Juvia did something to him that made him go nuts, and just the mere thought of someone threatening her was enough to send him over the edge. He was about to ask her what was happening and fight with the person on the other side of the phone when Juvia turned her attention to him.

"Gajeel, look I'm so very sorry, there are no words to describe how awful I feel…but I will call you back in 5 minutes! Just let me wrap things up here and get to my room, just wait a little please!" she pleaded so much Gray was starting to burn, he, yet again, didn't know why (it seems he is clueless in the feeling department) but he didn't like the sight that was unwrapping in front of him. She was pleading a man, a man he didn't know and besides that, it seemed his plans were all going down the drain.

She ended the call while putting her hand on the phone's speakers along with a crooked face.

"I'm sorry… seems I have to go now… I did a big mistake and to be honest I don't really know how I will get through with it"

"No problem, don't worry. I just want to make sure everything is alright, it didn't seem you were fine while you talked on the phone. Just know that if you ever need anything I'm here to help you. We're a team, right?"

He lied, he did have a problem, how was he supposed to be fine when he was so concerned about her. What big mistake did she do? Was she in trouble? He didn't think she had legal or money related problems, his father would make sure of that before calling her to come here, but still, he didn't like what was happening. He wanted to ask her more and go with her, but he knew not to push things too far, he really thought she was an interesting woman and didn't want to screw tings up as they were already complicated enough.

She thanked him and then apologized for causing him trouble and then hurriedly walked off to her room he presumed. . He was alone in the office now and all he could think about was her…

'You really did it now Juvia!' she thought to herself as she went down the hall to her room, 'You worried Gajeel and Levy like the stupid kid you are. What are you, 12? Only thinking about a boy-', 'man' something inside her argued. 'Right, man, with his gorgeous personality, eyes like two onyx pool you get lost into and hot greek God body…NO! you have no excuse! Gajeel is your brother and you should have called him! how could you forget about him?'. She entered her room and swallowed heavily before crushing onto her bed and calling him.

Hey guys! sorry i'm late, i'm going through something at the moemnt and didn't get the chance to write anything. I hope you like the chapter and feel free to tell me what you think of the story so far! I very much appreciate constructive criticism. Again sorry if I made some spelling mistakes, I try my hardest not to make them, but I'm human and I make mistakes. Again sorry and hope you like it!