Note:

Flashbacks and thoughts in italics.

I do not condone or encourage any behaviors in this story. It is simply a fictional story.


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She was wearing his green t-shirt underneath the jacket she had on. She was reminded of the smell of his skin when he came home after midnight during winter. Gray got caught up in a mission up north this winter and had been with Team Natsu for days. Juvia didn't like it when he left home without telling her. She hated it when Gray came home bloody and hurt. She hated it even more when he brought another woman home in one of his drunk hazes. Her blood was boiling, and her eyes were brimming. She took a shaky breath, placing the glass of water on the table after a sip. Juvia was sleeping when the door cracked open, and laughter swept in, waking her. She knew Gray's laughs, and this was not how he laughed. The voice was thick; for a moment, she imagined Lyon's.

She pulled the blankets down to leap out of the bed and into her husband's arms. But what awaited Juvia was not something she wanted to see. When she crossed the threshold into the living room, she was met with Gray draping himself over Erza and kissing her in a way he had never kissed Juvia, the one who had been his loyal companion for years. Juvia froze like the biting ice he made. Her heart rippled.

"G—Gray-sama?" The honorific was a hesitant whisper.

Her husband wasn't listening, nor was Erza. It was like they were in this stupid enchantment she could not break, a spell that would break when the dawn shone through, a mist that would dissipate when Gray woke up to the truth of his wife's absence. Erza Scarlet scrabbled for her clothes in the pile at the foot of the bed. She was wearing a lot yesterday. Her silence was no shock to Gray, but Juvia's letter was.

She had written: "Should've said it sooner. Better late than never. Goodbye, Gray.

I just realised I had been watering dead plants. I'm done taking care of boys. I think it's about time I find a man."


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Water spilt from the small fountain near the vineyard, a diamond dance in the winter noon. People in her birthplace believed weeping willows were cursed. There was one beside her house—and heck—she too thought so until it dawned on her that she was blaming her hardships on a poor willow while the willow and she had been the same all along, weeping. Funny. There was a time when her mom used to sew her clothes. It was when no one was there to teach her the mantras to survive life. Sometimes, when the pain becomes a regular presence, we become numb. That's what happened when she lost her parents. She became cold: stony outside, stormy inside. She knew it was not her fault she became like that. With time, she had learned to love and forgive. That's what she plans to do. But right now, at this moment, she did not have the strength to forgive Gray for his betrayal.

Betrayal was not in her vocabulary. For Juvia, betrayal from Gray was unimaginable. Yet it has happened, and there was no going back.

While she wept below the willow rain, a shadow broader than hers fell upon the sunny sand. His long cape was missing. He looked like any ordinary man but gloomy. "Jellal?"

They both felt out of place in the sunlight. Jellal's tanned hand covered hers as he sat beside her. His smile did not reach his eyes, and he didn't blink when he asked her to come to his house with him. Juvia didn't refuse as he took her clumpy suitcase and swung it over his shoulders like it was not heavy. She followed him wordlessly until they reached his home. It was cosy, nothing like she thought it was, and had misty windows like their eyes. "How long?"

Jellal looked at her, confused. Then he let out a breezy chuckle. "As long as you want. We're both lonely. You can repay me by keeping me company." He paused to stare, then added. "You're a good person, Juvia. You're loyal."

When he turned to open the door, Juvia blushed at the compliment. Maybe they'd make good friends. She thought he was also good in his own way.


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Juvia did not drown the countryside in her misery, and Jellal was the reason. She felt like he was the one keeping her company instead. He got her jokes; she liked it when he tried sewing, only to fail. Juvia giggled, bobbing her head. Yet he kept trying every time he saw her with the needle and thread. He made the best tea in Magnolia and donned the warmest smiles when he served them. There were also little things about him she'd come to like—like how he hated pepper or how he once made a mess decorating a cake.

Sweet.

She has a mission tomorrow and must hit the hay before midnight to catch some z's. Tomorrow would be a long day. They hadn't told anyone they were staying together. Why would they? Duh. They will return to the guild tomorrow and have decided to go separately to curb the gossip.

The balcony that opened up amid the slanted roofs offered a nice view of the woods. Juvia hummed to the ebb and flow of Jellal's pitch, watering the jasmine vines embroidered over the wet rooftop. Her temporary solace sang loudly from the bathroom. He was enjoying it. Juvia plans to dip herself in a jasmine bath, so that Gajeel won't sense Jellal's scent. For some unknown reason, her best friend hated Jasmine. Even if Gajeel would have his fair share of suspicions, that would be enough to make him steer clear of her for a few days if she meets him in the guild. She can only hope Gray hasn't caused a commotion at the guild. As for Erza, Juvia doesn't want to discuss her.

Jellal plucks a jasmine from the little garden and tucks it behind her ears. She snorts, head falling back from the tickles. He was fresh from the bath, the towel low on his hips. He retreats back into the room and sits on the bed with a plop. These days, they seemed like a couple. "You're still in your nightgown?" His gaze grew heated.

Walking inside, she moves closer to the bed, a fire in her eyes as she places a hand near his scantly covered thighs. He loops an arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. "You smell nice."

She hunched down to blow over his ears. "You too." If flirting were a game, Juvia was challenged.

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