Love was something that she was always longing for. It was something she always wished to have, and she thought she found it at last. Juvia knew in her heart that it was love when her heart started to beat fast that faithful day her rain stopped.

When she saw the sun for the first time, she felt happiness, gratitude, and love. She devoted her heart to the person who showed her what sunshine looked like. For years she nurtured the feelings she had for Gray in her heart without faltering. Her unadulterated affection remained despite the rejections and coldness he threw her way.

And after a long time of unwavering devotion to him, she knew her love found an answer.

He told her he would give her an answer after the war. She knew without him telling her what he meant, and she was happy.

But that was then.

Things suddenly changed, and the water mage could not wrap her mind around it.

The answer she was waiting for never came after the war. But there were changes in Gray that she noticed. They were subtle, but they were there. She felt the gentle changes in the way the ice mage treated her.

She thought for sure they were going somewhere, but then he had to leave again.

When Gray Fullbuster left for his long quest with his team, Juvia was sad. She knew that he would be away for a long time, but she never did anything to stop him. There was something about his resolve to finish the quest that told her it was something he had to do before he could fully commit himself to her.

She had faith that when he returned, everything would fall into place.

But something has changed.

As Juvia sat alone in the uncrowded corner of the guild, her gaze roamed the place seeing the familiar faces of her friends and family in Fairy Tail. But her eyes were searching for a particular scarred face that had been haunting her thoughts lately.

When she failed to see the face she was looking for on the usual spot, her eyes shifted to the second floor, there she found him looking down at everyone like he was silently guarding the guild the way he usually does.

Her hand flew to her chest when she felt her heart begin to beat faster at the sight of him. She had no idea when that feeling started. It was something she was not expecting. She didn't have to be a genius to know what was happening inside her. There was only one reason for her heart to react that way.

Her feelings were changing, and it was confusing her.

When did her feelings start changing?

How did it happen?

Why was it happening?

Was it because since the Fairy Tail B team returned from the grand magic games, she started hanging out more with the Thunder Legion Tribe?

Or was it because she started knowing more interesting things about the lighting dragon slayer who once called her Phantom Girl?

Maybe it was both?

Juvia once heard that Laxus once called her Phantom Girl, and due to her desire to prove that she was a true Fairy Tail mage, she spent more time hanging out with his team and ended up knowing him more. They even went to some jobs together. It was her goal to make him see that she was suitable for the guild but in the end, she ended up developing unexpected emotions.

She knew her love for Gray was true, but what was this budding feeling she could not stop from growing inside her?

Was this what people say: long absent, soon forgotten?

But she had already proven that Gray's absence in her life only made her love him even more because she was constantly missing him.

And what if this feeling she has now continued to grow? What would she do when Gray returned from his hundred years quest?

What would she say to him?

How would she even face him?

Juvia's face fell as her eyes went back to staring into space, missing the chance to see when the man she was looking at shifted his gaze and looked her way.

Sharp eyes squinted as Laxus watched how Juvia's face darkened after looking at him. He could not fathom what she was thinking, but just looking at how crestfallen her face was, it couldn't be something good.

Maybe she's thinking about Gray, he thought, and his own face darkened with the notion. Get a hold of yourself, Laxus! He chastised himself like a fool. Why was he even talking to his own thought? And why would he care if the water mage was thinking about a foolish ice mage who had no idea what he was missing?

"And exactly what was he missing, Laxus?" Bickslow voice yanked Laxus out of his thoughts. When he looked to the side, he saw the masked man grinning at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Bickslow's grin widened as he stood beside the dragon slayer, not caring that he was glaring at him when he looked down to where he was staring a few seconds ago. "I don't know," he said. "You tell me. You were growling to yourself when I got here, but now, I think I have an idea what was it all about."

Laxus gave the other man a piercing look before he resumed peering down the guild hall. On the side of his eyes, he was silently watching the bluenette sitting alone with that troubled expression on her face. From time to time, her eyes would linger his way, and he would pretend that he was busy watching the others.

Every time she would look at him, different emotions would pass her eyes. The lightning mage could not determine the cause of such a predicament. And what bothered him was she seemed to be dealing with whatever was it calmly.

He knew her.

Or at least he knew what kind of personality she had since she joined the guild from his observations.

Juvia Lockser was a person who wears her heart on her sleeves. She was always vocal about her thoughts. Seeing her contemplating on her own seemed to be so odd. Not to mention that she kept glancing his way.

Laxus swallowed when a thought crossed his mind.

No! he mentally shook his head. That would be impossible.

His hands fisted when he looked at her again. Their eyes met, but Juvia quickly averted his eyes like a bolt of his lightning struck her. How she awkwardly shifted on her seat had him thinking if she knew.

"I don't think so," Bickslow suddenly said again. He was looking at him again, and Laxus could feel his eyes looking not only at him but into his soul.

Well, he could see his soul, and Laxus no longer wanted to know what he was seeing. And there's no point in pretending that he had no idea what he was talking about. If there were people who knew him well, that's his team. They knew him too well. "Why don't you just mind your own business?"

"I could do that if you are going to stop grumbling to yourself." The man said. "You know what, Laxus? Any person with eyes could see how the two of you act around each other, and anyone could feel the growing tension between you. Unfortunately, I think the only one who can't notice anything is Juvia herself. She's way too busy with whatever is troubling her."

"What do you mean?"

"Her soul is restless. Something's up in her mind and it's making her restless."

The frown on the dragon slayer's face deepened as his eyes narrowed as if trying to see what Bickslow's eyes could see. There was only one reason he could think of. It was easy to guess since it was Juvia they were talking about. Whatever she had in mind, it must be about a certain ice mage, and even how many times he told himself not to be affected by that fact, Laxus could not help the bile that rose in his chest.

"What could be bothering her?" he asked trying to mask his thoughts.

The dark-haired man looked at his friend incredulously. "Man, I can see her soul, but I am not a mind reader. Why don't you go down there and ask? Or if you like, I can ask her for you," he suggested with a grin. Without waiting for Laxus' answer, he dangled half of his body on the second floor's baluster and called out to the water mage. "Hey, Juvia!" Bickslow shouted and almost everyone in the guild looked at him before looking at Juvia who became more uncomfortable. "You seemed agitated, is everything o—" he could not finish whatever he was saying when the tall blond beside him pulled him and shoved him on the back where the bluenette would not see him.

Once again, Laxus and Juvia's eyes met. For a moment, their world seemed to stop. Soft, deep eyes met sharp, piercing orbs before they both looked away. Both were lost in their thoughts.

Bickslow just sighed at the scene. Behind his mask, he was rolling his eyes. He could not believe what he was seeing. He shook his head before deciding to let Laxus be and went back to Evergreen and Freed to report what he witnessed.

When his teammate was gone, Laxus looked down again only to see that Juvia was no longer sitting on her spot in the corner. When he scanned the first floor, he saw her going out of the Guild doors in a hurry. He sighed deeply and that was when he sniffed the scent of tears lingering in the air mixed with the smell of fresh rain that he always associated with the blue-haired water mage.

He did not know when his legs moved, but Laxus just realized that he was already following the water mage.

Juvia's footsteps quickened when she felt someone following her. She planned to go back to the dorms to be alone and be able to think without the curious eyes of everyone in the guild constantly watching her. But that plan flew away as she recognized the presence behind her.

Instead of taking the path that would lead her to Fairy Hills, the water mage turned left and walked towards the river where she knew no one would see her and the man behind her.

"Why are you following Juvia?" she asked when she reached a spot on the riverbank hidden by a large tree.

"Are you okay?"

With her eyes tightly closed, the bluenette tried to suppress the fast beating of her heart when she heard his voice. "Juvia's fine," she whispered knowing he could hear her. "You should go back."

She heard him sigh, and she could feel him staring at her back. "Do you think that I would believe that you're okay?"

"It doesn't matter if Juvia is okay or not!" Juvia suddenly blurted out. She was surprised to hear her own exasperated voice. The tears she was trying to stop falling ran down her cheeks, and a whimper followed. "Why would you even care, Laxus-san? Juvia's business has nothing to do with you!"

The agony and confusion that laced her voice made Laxus uncomfortable. Earlier, he thought that Juvia was giving her those looks because she discovered something about him, but it seemed like what she was going through was more of an issue about herself. He was not really good at reading people's emotions, but he could see now that she was having emotional struggles with herself. He didn't want to assume, but if he's going to try and read her actions, they were telling him something. A glimmer of hope was sprouting in his chest.

But was it even right to have that hope?

Gray.

Just the name of his younger guildmate was enough to remind him of dozens of reasons why he should never have thoughts about the woman in front of him.

Laxus Dreyar was never the kindest person, and he was rarely described as a nice guy, but he has boundaries. He knew what he should and shouldn't do, or at that instant, Laxus knew what he should not feel.

"Is it really not my business?" he asked. "Juvia, I am not stupid. I can feel that whatever was bothering you, it has something to do with me." And he wanted to know what it was.

Before leaving the guild, he noticed a few mages looking at him. He knew they were probably making guesses, but he could care less. It wasn't like he was trying to hide anything. He just knew where to place himself. He was not going to complicate things for no reason, but the fact that Juvia was shedding tears for whatever was troubling her was enough for him to disregard and forget his resolve concerning what he felt for the blue-haired woman.

Yes, he had feelings for Juvia Lockser.

Unbelievable?

Unexpected?

Shocking?

Laxus knew if he was to say it out loud, many people would ask why.

Of all the women in the guild, why Juvia?

She was in love with someone else, and there was no way he could compete for her affection.

But why not her?

When he started feeling that stirring in his chest whenever she was around and doing her usual Juvia things, he already asked himself, and all he could come up with was: What was there not to like about her?

She was loyal, brave, compassionate, strong, and beautiful.

It's not hard to fall for her.

But it was hard not to show it to her.

All the time he was around her, he could not help looking at her. She was like a ray of sunshine. Her bubbly personality never failed to make him smile secretly all the goddamn time.

If there was one thing he could not understand, it was Gray.

Why was the ice mage so stupid?

There was a wonderful woman who was madly in love with him, but he kept on evading her like he didn't feel the same. For god's sake, even Laxus knew Gray was also in love with the water mage. That was his reason for not doing anything with his own feelings. He knew that the two younger mages shared the same feelings, and he didn't want to be a bummer in their possible relationship.

Laxus knew Gray had his reasons. All of them had their demons, but won't it be better to face those demons with someone who cherished you? He, of all people, knew how hard it was to be on your own. Yes, people could be brave and strong, but having someone by your side was life changing.

Urgh! His situation was so fucked up.

He liked a woman who was in love with a friend he didn't wish to hurt.

But why was he feeling that something was changing?

Was he just being too assuming based on how Juvia looked at him earlier or was Juvia actually having second thoughts?

If she was, could he face Gray when he returned?

"Laxus-san," Juvia's broken voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Even without seeing her face, he could feel the torment in her voice. "Juvia didn't want this." On her last word, she completely broke down and sobbed as her arms wrapped around her own body. "These feelings inside of Juvia's heart feel so… they are confusing and—"

"You don't want them."

Thunder boomed and the skies darkened as pain crept inside Juvia's heart when she heard Laxus' dejected voice.

At first, she thought she was hearing things, but when Juvia turned around to look at him, she saw the grief in his eyes as he stared back at her.

Juvia wanted to deny what she was seeing. It was bad enough that her feelings were unstable and changing. There was a big possibility that she could hurt Gray, and now looking at Laxus, she could already imagine how complicated things would get.

God, she never wanted to hurt anyone.

This was not one of her silly imaginary love rivalries.

This was real and she felt like everything around her was falling apart. That's when her sobs stopped, and the skies opened to shed the tears she failed to let go from her eyes.

Love stopped her rain… but now, love returned it as a storm.