A gloomy inspiration

The rain. It always follows me, and as a result Juvia is lonely. So why is it... Why is it that you stay with Juvia, when the rain drives everyone else away? And why is it, Juvia finds her heart fluttering for you? Do you like the rain?

Chapter 2: The world's the worst inspiration

Gray Fullbuster remembers a girl from his childhood whose smile was brighter than the sun.

He wasn't the one to associate himself with the female species. That field of practice belonged to Loke. At most he was nakamas with them. But this girl, who had shown no signs of interest in anything and who held a certain air of mystery , had spiked his incurable curiosity. It's not like he wanted to follow her home, he just couldn't shake off the feeling of wanting to know more about her and it was ungentlemanly to leave a girl in the rain- but he knew he wasn't concerned about manners.

The girl-Juvia, blushing, continued to take a glance or two ever minute or so. So after about ten more minutes of walking, glancing, and then turning around again she decided to stop in her tracks. He took a brave sprint and held up the umbrella for her. She looked up at the umbrella curiously, but continued her silence. She was confused by his actions, not used to any acts of kindness.

She was drenched all through out, but she didn't look like she minded. She directed him a rather suspicious look and he returned it with a rather nervous smile of his own. Juvia a bit flustered, sighed and then dug into her shirt pockets. She quickly shoved whatever she had taken out into his cold, numb hands then hurried off, leaving the sound of splashing water behind her. Gray stared at Juvia's retreating form, a bit shocked at her, but then turned to his hands. Placed in his palms were a crinkled ten dollar note, and a few silver coins. Gray had to stare at the money for a while, before his brain actually registered that strange girl had just given him money.

And so his opinions of her were warped once again.

He couldn't figure her out. Gray felt himself smile a bit.

And so he decided he wanted to.

Juvia remembers only parts of her childhood. The neighbourhood boys would always tease her about her dream of finding her prince charming, because that's how little boys were. But even without their incessant teasing, she had given up these ideals a long time ago.

Juvia had gotten up that morning and walked up to the mirror. She could see light bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. She just had too much on her mind last night, and as a result she couldn't sleep properly. She had made herself breakfast that morning, frowning when it didn't turn out like what she wanted. She slipped on the last of her uniform- the stiped blue and white tie and packed the rest of her breakfast in a container. The blue haired teenager quietly slipped out of her house and decided she needed to make an urgent trip to Gajeel's house on the way to school. She was worried about him, so after locking her front door she hit the pavement, rushing forward determined.

Juvia stopped in front of a fairly large rundown house, holes in the roof, titles missing, and timber breaking off the house structure, with bricks crumbling. The grass was ankle high and vines crept up the sorry excuse for a house. Juvia reached its rusty door handle and then peered in, the door letting out a slight creaking sound.

"Gajeel-kun?" She whispered into the seemingly empty house, but no reply. "Juvia is coming in, whether you like it or not."

Juvia passed the narrow hallway then turned into his room, a large body rested on a bed in the corner. His hair was sprawled all over his mattress, head supported by his arm, eyes closed, wearing only a casual black shirt and jeans. Juvia made her way in and he cracked an eye open when the sound of groaning floorboards reached his ears. The blue haired girl eyed him worriedly and he forced himself up, rolling his shoulders and brought a hand up to massage his neck.

"What do you want?"

Juvia took the liberty to sit in his small bed and Gajeel moved over to make room. She passed him her leftover breakfast and he dumped it onto his lap. "Juvia is wondering whether Gajeel-kun is… alright?"

He shifted himself further into his bed and rested his back against the walls. Juvia followed his actions and then they stared at the low ceiling, embraced in silence. He hadn't answered her question, but Juvia knew that the situation bothered him.

"You know… he said he would use my old man's debt against me…He even used you… And then disbanding the club..."

"Juvia knows… "

Gajeel continued staring into empty space, absent-mindedly opening the container and quietly munched on a slightly burned piece of pancake. "Man… Life is so fucked up…"

Juvia leaned her head against his large arms and then sighed, eyes clouded.

"Juvia… knows…"

The two arrived strolling into the school side by side, wordless and solemn. Once in a while the students directed glances at them, but usually they'd clear a path for them, knowing well that they should leave the two alone.

Gray Fullbuster watched them curiously as they made their way into the school. The black haired student gingerly touched a certain pocket in his pants and stared after them.

"Oi, Loke who's that burly guy next to her?"

Loke apologized to the giggling girl he was chatting up and then turned towards the direction Gray was eying.

"Hmmm, that guy? Gajeel Redfox, known for his delinquent behavior around the school."

Hmmm? So that's the kind of guy she would hang out with? Gray began imagining himself with piercings and tattoos. He grimaced a bit and then buried his hands in his pockets. His imagination led him to believe he would look a bit like Musica from Rave Master- the manga he was reading at the moment. Gray frowned, realizing he was over thinking the situation a bit; an urgent cry woke him up from his thoughts.

Lucy and Natsu came running towards them, faces distorted with anger and shock.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone-huff- they, club room!"

Gray and Loke exchanged glances with each other, before deciding to run after their fellow club members.

They weren't prepared for the shock and horror in front of them. Paper shredded, newspaper pages scattered over the floors and green carpet. Chairs broken, pieces scattered all over the floors, red spray paint covered the walls with writing overlapping. The thing that shocked them the most were the fact that three of their members, faint and tied up to a chair. Levy, Jet and Droy bruised and battered, unconscious and broken. Large, dripping letters like blood, hung on the wall above them.

'Do not enter the writing competition, disband your club.'

The shock was too overwhelming, that no one could speak, but anger began to build up. Fists clenched, Erza slammed her hands into the walls, the whole clubroom shaking with her anger. Her red eyes were blazing and lips set in a tight line.

"When I find whoever was responsible…" She cracked her knuckles menacingly.

Natsu growled and punched his fist into the palm of his hand. Everyone murmured agreed.

"LEVY!" Lucy cried out and rushed towards her best friend slowly opening her eyes. The rest of Fairy tail rushed in with their initial shock passed over, untied the ropes around them and began carrying them towards the school infirmary.

"Levy, who did this to you?"

Levy's mouth opened and barely let out a name, then slumped back into a faint. Lucy watched as Elfman, Erza and Natsu carried the three towards the infirmary and then out of sight.

Erza placed a hand on Lucy's shoulders. "What did she say?"

Lucy looked up with somber brown eyes. "She said it was Gajeel… Gajeel Redfox…"

Erza allowed a twisted grin to stretch across her face, Lucy unconsciously backing away slowly. Gray looked at the two females in shock, after hearing the name from Lucy.

Gajeel Redfox, from this morning? From Phantom Lord's writing club? And Juvia was involved in this?

For some reason, the shock wouldn't pass over.

Juvia was left on a lone bench, Gajeel saying that he needed to leave for a while. She swung her leg, feeling slightly cheerful when Gajeel was smiling his cocky smile again. The fact that it wasn't raining today also contributed to her mood, even though dark clouds hang over the town eerily. She sipped her popper eagerly wondering when her only companion would be done with these so called errands. She frowned a bit, well if they were Jose's errands they were bound to be no good.

The sound of footsteps alerted her and a shadow casted over her figure. Juvia turned around enthusiastically, and instantly her face fell, eyes widened at the sight of a different face other than Gajeel. At once she stood up, putting her guard up and her body in alert.

His serious glare made her suspicious, but despite that her face flushed and she did not like it. She watched him carefully as he dug into his pockets and shoved whatever he had pulled out into her hands. Talk about de ja vu. Her eyes flickered down at her hands, and looked incredulously at the money in it. She scanned it briefly counting the same amount she had given him yesterday. Juvia continued staring at the money, slightly red from their brief contact. If he didn't want money from her, then what did he want?

She finally found her voice again, and voiced her thoughts. "What do you want with Juvia?"

He said nothing, but inched closer. Juvia back away slowly every time he took a step towards her. Her heart and stomach doing flips. She took another step backwards and before she knew it, she was backed into a wall. His face was closed to her, heart thumping, cheeks flushed and struggling to keep herself composed, but even stranger still, she didn't stop his advances.

"Did your friend destroy our club room?" He growled menacingly.

Juvia snapped out of her reverie.

"What?" Oh, he must be from Fairy Tail. She made an attempt to get away from, but he slammed his hand against the wall on both her sides. She was caged between his arms so she stilled herself and listened, facer even redder at the proximity between her and him.

"So was it him?" He whispered huskily.

"Juvia doesn't want to answer your question." She huffed stubbornly.

He used his eyes to convey his slight annoyance- well if she didn't deny it, it must be true. It began to rain, and the blue hair teenager cursed herself. His gaze was hypnotizing and she flushed even more as he directed an even more serious glare at her. The rain dripping down his perfect face and hair didn't help with the thudding of her heart. Juvia needed to get away from him and the affect he had on her poor heart.

"Where is he?"

Juvia stopped her attempts at escape, and directed her own glare at him. What was he planning to do to Gajeel if he did find him?

"What do you want with him?"

The handsome stranger smiled a rather sinister smile. "He needs to pay for what he did to us."

Juvia's gaze darkened. No matter what affects he had on her, if he was here to harm Gajeel- the only person who saw her as her, then he wouldn't be forgiven. Juvia bunched up her fists and then in a flash connected it to his handsome face. He stumbled backwards from the shock and pain, his charcoal eyes wide in disbelief. Before he could utter a 'What', She rushed up to him a delivered a round house kick, followed by another kick with her other leg and sent him flying, his bottom half covered in mud, while the rain pelted down harder.

Her flustered mood completely warped and she glared at him, anger dancing in her eyes. "Don't you dare do anything to Gajeel-kun."

She whipped around and began walking away, Gray found his found through his shock, and began yelling at her. "Why are you protecting him? He was the one who wronged us first!"

Juvia stopped in her tracks, blue bangs covering her eyes, turned back around to answer him.

"IT WASN'T GAJEEL-KUN'S FAULT!"

Juvia bit her bottom lip, and then dashed away from him.

Gray still on the ground, wondered why the last glance she directed him shined with so much pain. He brought a hand up to his stinging face and despite his anger at her delinquent friend; he smiled entertained by her mystery…

Or maybe he was just a masochist…

Ahayooo everyone! Marina is here again with this loonnnggg overdueee chapter xD HAHAHAA! Oh dear :/ Well I hope you liked this chapter, it took a lot of brain power, I need some inspiration xD hahahah, but that's alright. My brain is slowly churning some ideas for this story- I do love a good high school romance. Alright! I made Juvia and Gajeel closer than they actually were in the manga, for reasons, so that our heroine won't revert to her charming fan girling yet with Gray xD Don't worry I'm trying to put her into character, it's a bit hard. Hope it's not too OOC for you people .

Thank you for your continued support and please tell me what you think and give me some ideas with a review :) Expect another update in one of my stories soon.

Until then, Love you all,

Marina :D