Chapter 4: Seven Years Ago…

There was a strong pounding in his chest that clearly indicated his fear. He had just gotten a phone call from her filled with truncated words, constant sniffing, hitched breaths, and definite sobbing. He couldn't get her to explain, but he had some idea what happened. At least he could relish in the fact that she was in the comfort of her shared apartment. Unfortunately, her roommate was out of the country. Perhaps she didn't have anyone to turn to and he was the next best thing. Either way, he was just relieved she called to him for help or support.

He was lightning fast, from getting dressed to hailing a cab. Taking the taxi in this part of Magnolia would cost too much money, but he didn't care. She was more important than the dwindling bucks in his bank account. Plus, waiting for the bus meant longer time before he could reach her. He arrived in front of her apartment door within twenty minutes.

Pounding on the door, he called out his name. No response. He banged his fist once more, and this time he yelled for her. Who gives a damn if the neighbours complain? As he was about to repeat the banging and the shouting, he heard movement from the inside. Someone was unlocking the door. However, it took a few moments before it finally opened.

She didn't even completely open it for him. No welcome whatsoever. Inhaling deeply, he made his way inside the apartment. It was dim and sombre, definitely reflecting her mood. He followed after her tiny frame wrapped in blanket. Her hair was dishevelled and her shoulders drooped. He still didn't get the chance to see her face, though he could guess how she looked like at the moment. She went straight to her bedroom without even giving him a glance. This was so unlike her, and he hated seeing her like this. She collapsed face down onto her bed just as he entered her room. The wailing began.

"What is it? Why are you crying?" His voice was hard, but he hoped she knew his sincere concern. No reply whatsoever, just continuous sobbing and sniffing. He let out an exasperated breath and went to her. "Tell me what's wrong." This time his tone was full of gentleness—a rarity in his case. He was always the aloof one; she's the gently and bubbly one. With shaky hands, he brought his fingers to brush through her hair. "Is it because of Bora?"

The mere mention of that bastard halted her crying. Finally she moved from her position to sit up and face him.

"What is wrong with Juvia? Is Juvia really suffocating and overbearing? Juvia loves him so much and gave him everything he wanted. What else can Juvia do?" Her barrage of questions stirred something inside him. It was a mixture of anger and envy.

"Stop it, Juvia. You know better." He really sucked at comforting people. But, what can he say?

"Is Juvia ugly? Is Juvia really fat? Even if exercise is tiring and time-consuming, Juvia is trying. It's true Juvia has a little belly. It's hard to make it flat." She continued to whine, even hiking up her pink cami to show her stomach.

Gray sighed. "I am not following you. But the answer to all your questions is no. What the fuck did that bastard tell you? What happened?"

Juvia bit her lip. Gray knew what kind of asshole Bora is, and Juvia knew her friends didn't like him. She always managed to try and paint him in a better light but to no avail. Gray urged her to explain. It took a few more minutes before she relented.

"Juvia found him in bed with another girl." Her voice was low and her eyes were averted away from his. "Juvia got mad, but he screamed at Juvia instead. He said that I had no right to get angry when…" she trailed off, tears dripping down her eyes like pouring rain. She didn't make a move to wipe them.

Gray wiped her cheeks with his fingers. He cupped her face and made her look at him. "What did he say?"

Juvia sniffed. "That Juvia is no good in bed. That Juvia can't satisfy him and he has the right to find it somewhere else."

Gray let his arms drop. He maintained his cool demeanour but his insides were boiling. "Where is he right now?" he asked, standing up.

Almost immediately, Juvia stood up in panic. "What do you mean? What are you going to do? Are you going to hurt him? Are you going to attack him?"

"Isn't that the most logical thing to do? I'm guessing you haven't told your brother as well?"

"Don't tell Gajeel!"

She grabbed his right arm but Gray was quick to get away. In her desperate plea, she pulled him back by encircling her arms around his stomach. With weakened knees though, Juvia collapsed on the floor, so she proceeded to hold onto his right leg.

"Please Gray. Don't go."

Gray still managed to break free, but he turned around to face her and crouched. "Why are you so hung up on him, Juvia? There are a lot of guys out there."

"But none who wants to be with Juvia," she countered.

"You don't know that cause you're not giving yourself a chance to explore."

"No, Bora's the only one who's willing to be with a gloomy person like me. Juvia can't lose him. So please don't hurt him, Gray," she continued to beg.

Gray was losing his patience due to the absurdity of what she's saying. He couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. Sure, Gray was aware of Juvia's insecurities though they were thinly veiled most of the times. She had the tendency to self-degrade but delivered with a cheery smile. He hated the thought that her source of confidence—if one can call it that—was that asshole of a boyfriend. And now that bastard went full force with his vileness, Juvia's Pandora box had been opened.

"No one wanted to be with Juvia, even during high school. Juvia's awkward, ugly, and weird. No one asked Juvia out, only Bora. Only Bora was willing to be with Juvia." Her hysterics continued. She directed her gaze at Gray. "You probably never even thought of Juvia as pretty or sexy. You probably would feel disgusted if Juvia asked you to kiss her or sleep with her!"

"Are you sure about that?" Gray's jaw clenched upon hearing those words. "You don't know what you're asking…" he trailed off then placed his palm to cradle the back of Juvia's head. Without waiting for her reply, he pulled her towards him and kissed her hard. It caught Juvia by surprise; she stilled, even her breathing. Gray pried her lips to part and she did.

He didn't know how long he kissed her. It felt like eternity; he didn't want to stop. If only she knew how long he wanted to do it. Ever since that day at the bus stop, when they first talked. Ever since that time, and when their relationship turned from classmates to acquaintance to friendship. He had always been attracted to her, but she was strictly attached to someone else.

She was drunk with emotions; he was overwhelmed with passion. Soon, their limbs were entangled on top of her bed. He had always been quick to undress and Juvia matched this skill. Logic had been thrown aside. Intimacy wasn't what he came for that day. He just wanted to offer comfort. But if this was the type of consoling she wanted, then he was willing to give her more.

His hands explored body parts that were restricted. His lips trailed the smooth skin he lusted for. She equally did her share with caresses and kisses. Her room was filled with groans and moans of two friends who crossed that almost-forbidden border. He didn't even realize the consequences of no protection, but he was too caught up in the moment of heat.

Darkness surrounded them. They lay side by side; no words were spoken. They soon drifted to sleep.

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Gray,
Juvia has an early appointment. Sorry had to leave early.
Also… sorry for putting you through an emotional blackmail.
Juvia is very, very, very thankful.

Emotional blackmail? That silly girl. Gray rolled his eyes as he crumpled the piece of paper where she had written her note. He noticed his clothes were already carefully folded on top of the dresser. He took a glance at the wall clock hanging in front of her bed. It was eleven in the morning. If he deduced it correctly, he had more than twelve hours of sleep. He hadn't been sleeping properly due to stress of job hunting and taking on more shifts at his part time job. Juvia had always been a source of peace and relaxation for him. No wonder he managed to have such a good sleep with her in his arms.

A silly smile splayed across his face. Yeah, he wore the expression of a guy who had just got laid. But, this was different for Gray. For him, it might be the start of something better. And he was glad it involved such a beautiful and sweet girl.

An email popped up on his phone. Gray's eyes nearly bulged out of its socket. It was from a company he had been targeting since university. He wasn't accepted for an internship. However, now they were inviting him for an interview. He immediately replied and accepted the schedule the hiring personnel gave him. Two minutes later, he got a confirmation email.

Suddenly, everything was coming into place for him. Juvia truly was his good luck charm! He couldn't wait to tell him.

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Things were happening too fast. Happy things, and Gray couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. Two days ago, he made love to a friend he's liked for quite some time. The following day, he aced an interview for an Account Coordinator position at a reputable advertising agency. Just this morning he received a job offer, which he immediately accepted. Not to mention, this company was where Juvia works as a Marketing Intern. He couldn't wait to share the good news with her. She would be ecstatic.

All left was to get a sense of where to take his relationship with Juvia. Of course he wanted to bring it to the next level—commitment and intimacy. He had no idea how to discuss that with her though. What if she rejected him? What if she wasn't ready to move on? What if… what if she didn't feel anything for him and just needed a temporary comfort that night? He thought about the note she left him, mentioning 'emotional blackmail'. Gray was unsure what she meant by that, but he had an idea, knowing the way Juvia's mind works.

The two hadn't talked to each other since that night, except for the note and one short text message they sent each other.

"Gray!"

Someone called out to him as he was about to enter the condominium building where Mirajane and Laxus lives. He made sure he wasn't wearing a silly smile. He coolly gave a wave to the angelic vision approaching him.

"Hey Juv. I was about to call you to ask if you've arrived."

Juvia gave him a small smile, trying not to look directly at his eyes. "Umm… sorry Juvia hasn't called. Thank you for, ummm… for comforting Juvia that night."

He could tell she was feeling embarrassed. He was too, but he was great at concealing such emotion. "No prob. You know you can count on me any time. Also…" he too trailed off. He was itching to ask her what would be next for them. An awkward silence grew between them. It was Juvia who broke the silence.

"Please forget Juvia's antics."

Huh? "Antics?"

"Juvia apologizes for her wrong behaviour. It was emotional blackmail, Gray. Juvia took advantage of you."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" He was getting confused, though he had inkling where the conversation was headed. He feared where it was heading. "Took advantage of me? You did? Do you remember what happened that night at all?"

Juvia took his hand in hers. "Gray, Juvia doesn't want to lose you as a friend. What happened between us shouldn't have happened. Juvia treasures our friendship so much, and Juvia thinks she ruined it." There were tears forming in her eyes. She looked so sad.

There was a momentary tightening in his chest. She wasn't saying it blatantly, but Gray read between the lines. Was she friendzoning him already?

"Juvia, what happened wasn't your fault. Don't make it sound as if you forced me into something. It was mutual. I wanted for it to happen."

Juvia shook her head vigorously. "Please Gray. Let's… let's forget what happened. Juvia begs you. Juvia doesn't want anything to change between us. Juvia wants you to be her friend for a long time. And, and," Juvia paused, looking down at the ground. She didn't release his hand yet. She clasped it tightly instead. "Gray is a friend I never ever want to lose."

For Gray, it was loud and clear what she wasn't saying. He pulled his hand away from her grasp, surprising her. Gray pulled Juvia into a hug. "We won't talk about what happened that night. It will just be between the two of us. A secret we'll both share. No one else will know. I promise. I'll always be your friend, Juvia. That will remain for a long time," he told her in a low voice.

"You're not mad at what Juvia did?" She looked at him with pleading eyes.

He released her and gave her a sincere smile. "No, of course not. In fact, I was the one who took advantage of your sadness. I lost control that night. It will never happen. When you need me as a friend, I'll be just a friend."

That made Juvia smile wider. She wiped the tears and her face brightened. "Don't think that, Gray. Juvia is thankful that you were there with her. Juvia is really lucky to have you. I love you, Gray."

And Gray knew that love declaration was definitely platonic.

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It took him two years to completely move on. There were moments of weakness, where he just wanted to grab her and yell that he wanted to be more than friends. But if he screwed it up, he would forever lose her (and perhaps subsequently most of their mutual friends). Gray couldn't foresee a future without Juvia. So if he couldn't have her as a lover, he was satisfied just being her friend.

It was hard. He kept casually dating different women, making sure none possessed qualities similar to her. Definitely no bluenettes too!

Juvia, for her part, had completely cut off any link to the asshole-named-Bora. However, she staved off long-term relationships. She went on dates, only to humour Lisanna and Mira who constantly arrange blind dates for her.

Their friendship progressed deeper. When they walk side by side, onlookers would think they're together. Juvia would cling to his arm or easily blurt an "I love you". Gray knew the sincerity in her words, but he also understood that she meant them differently.

That night in her apartment was never spoken of. Ever. Every now and then, Gray would think back to it. But before his mind allowed his lower body to react, he would erase those thoughts of making love to his best friend. Just as she requested. After all, her wish would always be his command.

Until he met Lucy.

a/n: this is gonna be a bit long. 1st off: wow, FT CH 499/500! I'm writing FT fanfiction for the sole reason of LOVING Juvia's character. without her, I wouldn't even think of returning as an FF writer. I would've dropped all my stories if CH500 didn't happen.

Lastly, I appreciate ANY TYPE of feedback. However, I do think that Fan fiction writers have the CREATIVE LICENCE to make character a bit out of character. We need to twist the original character's personality a bit to suit our plot. The only one who can stick to the original characterization is Hiro Mashima. Anyone else adapting his work will commit the "OOC" label. And I don't think that's a bad thing. Also, isn't fan fiction supposed to give writers and readers a chance to explore a character outside its original state?

So, I'm not going to apologize for my characters being OOC. However, I'll do my best that these characters retain some aspects that Mashima gave them.

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING: Pacifica Marie, wxirdchild, Angelina08, Rokushimo, Godzilla327, I muffin derpy, Baby pink 'n Baby blue, shadow61953, cleverhead, BlackDragonShinigami, rosaji, MaouojiKenjiro13, ashfrenzy, and the Guest reviewers.

Anyhow, please continue to tell me your thoughts and predictions.

Uploaded: 090516