A few minutes ago, at Magnolia Train Station…
"Finally!" Natsu's happy voice filled Magnolia's train station after they alighted from the train. The dragon slayer was too excited to be out of the cursed train. Still, his joyful celebration was cut short when he noticed that his teammates were unusually quiet.
No one was paying attention to the pinkette, especially Gray, who was stunned when he was greeted by heavy rain and roaring thunder after getting out of the train.
"Gray-san," Wendy called out as his other teammates watched him. "This rain feels familiar," the young dragon slayer said.
"Looks like someone is missing you, Gray," Lucy said.
Yes, they can all recognize the rain, and the only reason they could think of was that a particular water mage must be missing the ice mage. But even Happy could tell that there was something wrong with how heavy the rain was pouring.
And Gray himself could feel something wrong about it. He's very familiar with Juvia's magic. But this rain, there's something else unfamiliar about it.
"Let's head to the guild," he said before taking the route toward Fairy Tail, his steps fast and big.
Natsu hurriedly follows him. "Can you also feel it?" he asked when he caught up with Gray. "This is weird. Why could I feel Laxus' magic in Juvia's rain?"
Yes, he could feel the dragon slayer's lightning magic. It surrounded Juvia's rain like a magic circle trying to blend with the water mage's magical energy.
Like a unison raid.
And the elements blended perfectly in a way that made Gray uncomfortable.
But why?
A sense of trepidation laced his heart as his pace quickened.
…
Juvia never knew that silence could be so deafening and facing someone to be so terrifying. She had fought many strong foes and near-death circumstances, but the fear she felt in her heart for the things that were about to unfold was something she never felt before.
When the guild doors opened, her whole world stopped revolving. She felt a chill run down her spine for the first time because of Gray's presence. Her blood felt cold in her veins, and she was frozen in her place.
Natsu's voice sounded like a nail dragged on metal, making her dizzy. If only she could be somewhere other than the guild at that moment.
She avoided looking at the guild's entrance because she feared what she might see there. She knew it would be impossible, but she was hoping that if she didn't see the people standing there, then they would magically disappear.
But her hopes vanished when a strong hand touched her shoulder, and a familiar voice called her name.
"Juvia," Gray's voice rang in her ears, and his presence engulfed her. "I'm home."
"G-Gray-sama," Juvia's voice broke when she said his name as tears welled up in her eyes. She had no idea why she started crying. Someone could interpret it as her usual emotional reaction, but those who knew and could feel that something was off thought Juvia was at her breaking point.
Gray, for instance, knew something wasn't right with the water mage. Her cries differed from her dramatic reaction whenever they saw each other after months of separation. The tears flowing out of her eyes were filled with different emotions. His eyes dimmed as he watched how distraught she looked.
The cheerful smile he planned to flash in front of her vanished when Gray saw her face, and there was no glee in her eyes. What he saw in those beautiful ocean-like orbs were panic and worry. "Juvia," he called out her name again before his arms snaked around her shoulders to soothe her. "What is wrong?"
Before Juvia could say anything, everyone in the guild was surprised when they heard the sudden loud bang of the guild's doors as they harshly closed after Laxus bolted out of it, followed by a bolt of terrifying lightning.
Thunder Legion Tribe immediately stood up and, without words, followed him.
The other mages inside the hall fell silent, and like they were thinking of the same thing, they all averted, looking at the water mage's directions. Most wanted to give her privacy and not pry on her business because they knew she didn't need the added pressure of their curiosity. But those shameless enough to be nosy cannot poke their noses into the matter because a red-eyed dragon slayer gave them death glares.
Gajeel harshly stood up from his seat. "Come on, Ameonna. Let's get you out of here," he said as he tried to pull Juvia out of Gray's embrace.
"What's going on, Metal Face?" the ice mage asked without releasing his hold. His gaze lowered to the distressed woman in his arms. "Juvia," he gently called her name, not knowing that the way he said her name only made her feel even more conflicted. "Is everything okay?"
Juvia wanted to say that all was well and that Gray should not worry about anything. She wanted to try to put his mind at ease but could not afford to lie to him. How could she when he's holding her so tenderly, like she meant the whole world to him?
Yes, she could feel in his embrace how important she is to him, and it breaks her heart to know that it's not making her as happy as she thought it would be once Gray finally shows how much he truly cares. She would be ecstatic and over the moon if it had been before.
But things have changed.
The arms around her still made her feel safe, but at the same time, they felt restrictive.
Gray's voice was soft and caring, but it lost its melody.
And he was right there holding her and asking her what was wrong with so much gentleness, but all she could think of was the lightning mage that stormed out of the hall.
How could you be so shameless? Her mind screeched. Wasn't she supposed to be happy because her Gray-sama was back? Why was she thinking about someone else?
"Juvia," Gray called out again when the bluenette said nothing. He could feel how stiff she had become, and he was starting to worry for real. It was very unusual for her to be this quiet. And her emotional state was alarming. Even the people around them were getting frantic.
When the ice mage felt the warm liquid soaking the front of his shirt, he shut his eyes in apprehension. Gray had no idea where the feeling came from, but he could vividly feel the loss and knew he had returned too late.
The silence that pervaded the hall was heavy, and everyone in the room didn't even dare to breathe loudly. One by one, the mages surrounding Gray and Juvia stepped away to give them privacy. Even Natsu allowed Lucy to drag him away without complaint. Gajeel moved a few tables away but kept his watchful eyes on them.
The atmosphere was suffocating, and Juvia had difficulty calming her emotions due to the tense and awkward situation. When she felt Gray's arm loosen around her, she felt momentary relief before she was flooded with guilt for having such a feeling.
Gray was not stupid not to notice it, and a sad smile etched on his lips. The sense of loss spreads inside him. "Would you like to go out?" he asked, knowing she was uncomfortable. "We can talk outside," he added in a lower voice. "Or you can let Gajeel walk you back to the dorms so you can rest."
Juvia sniffed before looking up at the man she admired so much. Since he entered the guild, that was the first time she truly looked at him, and when she saw the sad smile on his face, she felt so guilty she wanted to cry, but Gray slightly shook his head as if trying to tell her not to do so. "G-Gray-sama…"
"If you want to talk about it, we can talk," he said gently. "But if you feel you're not ready, it's okay. There's no rush," he added as his hand lifted to wipe the tears on her reddened cheeks. "Don't cry," he whispered. "Whatever it is, you should not beat yourself like this."
Juvia didn't know what to say or how to start. She's unprepared for Gray's sudden return. But seeing how he could understand the situation even without getting an explanation shows that she could not drag the matter and keep deluding herself that nothing had changed.
Gajeel was right.
She still loves Gray.
She still admires him.
She still cares about him.
But aside from her feelings for him, something was blooming in her heart, and it was getting bigger and stronger.
They said that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
At some point, it indeed happened. Those times that Gray was away, she missed him so much. And for the ice mage, their time away from each other made him realize some things. But his prolonged absence gave way for someone else to be there and be present at her side.
Yes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, but presence makes it beat faster, and someone managed to do that for her.
She's feeling guilty because of it, but won't she feel even worse if she continues to deny it, and in the process, she would also hurt other people?
Juvia sighed and wiped her tears. She's not too confident about how to do it, but she must be honest with herself, Gray, and Laxus.
"C-can Gray-sama accompany Juvia outside?"
Heavy footsteps filled the silence as Juvia and Gray went down the river near the guild. They were walking side by side, but their minds were traveling apart.
The water mage recalled everything that had happened in the past months and tried to figure out how she would explain the sudden change in her heart to the man she thought to be her true love. How would she tell him that she still cares but not in the way she used to?
Beside her, Gray was also in deep thought, but she wasn't sure what he was thinking about. She could only see the somber gleam of his eyes, and occasionally, he would take a deep breath like he was trying to calm himself.
They halted once they reached the riverside, and the running water filled the silence. Juvia watched as the river flowed, trying to find peace and courage in her element. Gray's dark eyes were carefully watching her.
Juvia took a deep breath before looking into the ice mage's eyes. "Gray-sama," she called out with a sad smile. "Juvia did not expect your sudden return, but Juvia is glad you came back safe." Someone may have occupied a large part of her heart now, but she's still happy Gray was not harmed in his mission. He's still her nakama.
Gray smiled back at her. "I'm also glad to be back." But I guess I'm way too late; he wanted to add but chose not to. "How have you been? Did you go on jobs? Training?"
"Just the usual," she replied. "Went on jobs with Gajeel-kun. Sometimes Juvia was with Lisanna-san or Cana-san. There were also some missions that Juvia went on with Laxus-san and his team." Her voice gradually softened as she spoke, and Juvia carefully watched Gray's reaction. She felt dejected to see how his eyes darkened with sadness as he listened to her words.
She never wanted to hurt him like this, but she couldn't afford to hurt him even more and not be honest.
She shut her eyes so she won't see him hurting, but then she felt a hand on her head. "It's good that you are getting along well with our friends. And it's not bad that you are discovering new things with them," Gray said. "Juvia, it's not bad at all."
"But Gray-sama, Juvia—Juvia betrayed her love for Gray-sama!" she blurted out, and rivers of tears flooded her face once more. There's no way around their situation but to face it head-on.
You really are useless! Gray berated himself as he watched Juvia cry her heart out. From the moment they met up until that very moment, all he ever did was let her down. Gray knew that she loved him, but he took her for granted. He promised to give her an answer, but he left her hanging. And now, she could not even accept the changes in her heart because he was still useless and could not make things clear to her. You wanted to be strong for her, right? Now man up and let her go!
Gray's hand on Juvia's head slipped down on her shoulder, and he tried to give her a comforting touch. "Juvia, don't ever think that way. You never betrayed me."
"Bu—"
"It's not your fault."
Why would she blame herself for falling out of love? Anyone who gave her love wholeheartedly and received nothing in return has the right to fall in love with someone else.
"Is Gray-sama not mad?"
"Why should I be? Juvia, I wasted my chance, and I don't have the right to be mad because it's my fault that I'm not decisive and brave enough. I kept telling myself I wasn't strong enough and couldn't protect you yet. I lacked the resolve to be with you, so I have no right to be mad at you."
"But Juvia kept on pestering Gray-sama before. And Gray-sama is starting to feel t—"
"Don't do that," he cut her off. "Don't make yourself look bad because I was too dense to realize what I missed. Juvia, I know that you truly cared for me. I know you were honest with how you felt and genuinely loved me. But you don't need to chain yourself to that love just because you think you owe me. You are free to love someone else because I was a bastard who did not know how to cherish what I have when it's right there for me to take."
"But—"
"As long as you can be happy, that's good enough for me. Not because I failed to cherish you doesn't mean other people can't. Just be happy."
Juvia's tears fell again as she stepped closer to the ice mage and wrapped her arms around him. "Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama. Juvia didn't know why it happened, but it wasn't Juvia's intention to hurt Gray-sama."
The dark-haired young man savored the warmth in his arms as he hugged Juvia back. He knew that it would be the last time that he would be able to hug her in that way. "I know," he said, patting her back to calm her down.
He could feel the pain in his heart, and there seemed to be a cold void in his chest, but he ignored it. The only thing he could do to return Juvia's honest feelings in the past is to allow her to be happy in the future. Even if that means he won't be the one to make her happy, that's okay. She deserved someone better.
Gray was thinking about those things when he suddenly felt a burning gaze. When he lifted his head to look, his cold eyes met the piercing glare of an annoyed lightning dragon slayer.
Seeing him, it finally made sense why Juvia was making storms with thunder and lightning. It also explained why he walked out of the guild and why Juvia mentioned him.
So it's him.
Before he could let go of Juvia and say something, the older mage turned around and bolted away.
