Author's Note: Welp, here I am throwing you a bone 'cause I feel pretty bad about leaving you all hanging for the last how many months... I did manage to redo most of the outline for this fic, which was what I wanted, but I'm way behind on the actual writing still. Worry not! Progress is being steadily made. I'll try to speed up enough that I can get at least a chapter out each month, but nothing is guaranteed.

Thanks for all your support! All your feedback is greatly appreciated.

"But why are you leaving?" she asked as she clutched the parasol in her hands tightly.

The rain fell heavily around them, her heart falling to pieces with it. He was the only one who had ever stayed with her despite the rain. After all, he never let her forget it. The reminder of how much he hated the rain was constant. He whined and complained, but he stayed. That was the important part.

Her lover shrugged underneath his own umbrella. "I made a business. I gotta make it run somehow."

She looked down at her boots. The sadness was overwhelming and the sky began to cry harder. She barely saw him these days; how long would they be apart if he was leaving on a ship? Logically, however, she understood. He had left his guild only a couple of months ago and needed some sort of income. His import and export business would need frequent supervision and she knew that him staying with the shipments was important, especially when he only had one boat.

She tried her hardest not to make the next question sound so selfish. "When will Juvia see you again?"

"I'll call you," he replied, his tone nonchalant. They both knew it wasn't really an answer. The man grimaced at the puddles that were forming around them. "We should meet inside from now on. Your rain doesn't go indoors, does it?"

She shook her head and watched him walk off a few minutes later without so much as a kiss. Again, she was alone in the rain. Perhaps it was just a cycle that would never be broken.

Branded by HawkofNavarre

Chapter 3

Juvia Lockser

Juvia Lockser's day was like clockwork: she would wake up, wait by her home's lacrima for an hour, go to her favourite café for a couple hours, do a short mission to keep her income flowing, check in at the guild headquarters to find a mission for the following day, then go home again to wait by her lacrima. There was nothing fulfilling about it, really, but it was her version of living. Every day, all she yearned for was a call from her beloved which were few and far between. Since his departure, Bora had called her a grand total of one time and that had been two months ago. Still, he had carved his signature deep in her heart because he had stayed with her, and that was something she couldn't let go of so easily.

She sat at the café drinking her tea out on the terrace, drenching the rest of the tables in water despite the sunny day. Fortunately, the café's owner didn't seem to mind the water and always left her to her own devices. She was especially thankful for that considering the mission she'd had yesterday. It had been a little stressful for her, mostly because it was had been a teenage boy requesting a letter delivery that had turned out to be a breakup note to his girlfriend. Juvia had almost refused to do it, but shoved aside her own broken heart for the girl and did what her contract had stated. Naturally, when the girl read the note and started crying, the rain intensified.

Now here she was, gloomily sitting outside in her own rain as she reflected upon her own relationship. Not for the first time, she wondered if Bora loved her. Officially, they had been together for a year, which sounded good but certainly changed when it came to the reality of things.

They only ever met on Bora's terms, which she had conceded to after she had once suggested they go out for dinner and received an "All you ever do is nag me, woman!" in response. They only ever kissed when he felt like it too, which was limited to somewhere between sometimes and never. She always paid for their dates and he seemed to like her most when she was cooking for him. None of that really sounded like what a man in love would be like, but she didn't know. All her previous boyfriends had left her when all this rain became too much, and he…he hadn't.

And so she loved him.

Was thinking about love supposed to make you feel happy? She was pretty sure it was, but it was never the feeling she got—maybe because she was always trying so desperately to hang on to it. The fight for love was never an easy one, but she wasn't about to just give up. It was just...was it this hard for everyone?

A droplet of water leaked through a hole in the umbrella that covered her table and landed in her cup. The liquid rippled within. She sighed. This was her favourite seat, but she would likely have to switch to one that wouldn't drench her beverage. How sad that the option to just stop the rain simply wasn't available to her. She controlled the water, but to a certain degree, it controlled her too.

Juvia peeked up at the next table to her right. That one had yet another leaky umbrella and would ruin her tea more than this one. The other table to her left...well, there was a man sitting there already. That struck her as quite odd, considering nobody ever sat outside while she was around for the simple fact that nobody wanted to sit in the rain.

He was very handsome; the angle of his jaw was a particularly attractive feature of his face. He had dark eyes like her own and seemed to be fiddling with the collar of his shirt, like it wasn't comfortable to be wearing. The book in his hands that he seemed to be concentrating on so intently was becoming wavy along its edges from the moisture in the air. The words on the front of the book read "The Key to Unlocking Yourself." What a strange book to be reading out in the rain all by his lonesome...

Suddenly his eyes shifted from the contents of his literature and landed on her. Flustered, Juvia quickly looked away to focus on her tea. She people-watched all the time, but she was always careful not to get caught staring. It was one of her hobbies, but she didn't want to be perceived as creepy or nosy. She was just...curious, about people and the way they acted.

But how could she regret being caught in the act when she wouldn't have seen what she had otherwise? What eyes this man possessed, so much depth and intensity. Juvia wondered what hardships he'd gone through in his life to make his eyes look like that.

She was, however, a little embarrassed to continue sitting there when he'd seen what she was doing. Juvia didn't even know if he was still looking at her. It would probably be best if she went to the guild to prepare for her mission a little bit early today. Besides, with this umbrella dripping rainwater into her tea, she wasn't sure how much she wanted to drink it anymore. Juvia made up her mind quickly and stood up with her own parasol and headed over to the Phantom Lord headquarters, taking the rain with her.

Juvia did not sit in her usual spot the next day. The man sitting at the only table that didn't have a leaky umbrella wasn't there this time, so she settled herself there and waited for the waitress. She glanced out past the fences of the terrace at the thick foliage nearby and watched the rain bounce off the leaves of the trees. It was something she saw all the time; she couldn't remember what sunshine looked like.

"Hey, is it okay if I sit here?"

The voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to see the man with the dark eyes standing beside her. She was a little flustered by his sudden presence, fiddling with her fingers. "O-oh, c-certainly."

"Thanks," he said shortly and sat down without another word. A second later, he was whipping out his book again, paying her absolutely no mind.

Juvia was not used to having people want to be around her, if this could even count as that. For some reason, he hadn't just gone directly inside—and he was reading! She couldn't fathom how he wanted to sit outside in the rain while ruining the paper he was reading! His presence and odd behaviour were enough to overwhelm her.

It was then that the waitress walked out of the store to take their orders. Juvia, unwilling to break the best part of her routine (unless her love called), ordered her tea. The man sitting with her absently ordered a black coffee and returned to reading.

Her fingers tapped her thighs restlessly, unsure of what to do with herself. This was ridiculous! Yesterday was the first time she'd seen this man, yet somehow he made her feel uneasy enough that she couldn't focus on anything other than him. His enigmatic presence was throwing her whole day off!

Juvia was relieved when her tea arrived. It gave her something else to look at and think about…even if there wasn't really anything to think about when it came to tea. This café always made it just right which was one of the reasons she always came back. Still, she found herself inadvertently peeking up from her glass more often than not. He was being nothing less than completely respectful. Unable to stop staring, she was the rude one.

"Are you okay?"

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she jumped in her seat at the sound of his voice. A little tea spilled out of her cup and she scrambled to keep it from dripping on her dress.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," the man apologized, visibly amused by her muddled state.

The Rain Woman quickly drew the droplets of spilled tea away from her skin with her magic and discarded them on the floor. "Juvia is—I'm fine."

"Alright then," he replied, then turned back to his book.

Rather determined not to make a fool of herself, she resolved not to pay any attention to this man for the remainder of her time at the café. Besides, she had a mission to do in a little while, a boring but easy one. Delivering a package across town was anything but glorified job, but it needed to be done. Then she could go home and wait for Bora to call, if he even did...

"Do you know what 'conscientious' means?"

His voice didn't startle her this time, luckily, because the teacup was still in her hand. Juvia stared at him quite openly, genuinely confused as to why he was asking her about vocabulary.

"'Conscientious'…?" she repeated slowly.

"Yeah. I don't read a lot, so all these long words are kind of frustrating," the man said to her casually. "I mean, you'd think a friend would recommend something easier first."

She nodded in agreement, shyly looking away from him despite it now being appropriate for her to actually stare.

"So? Do you know what it means?"

Oh, right. Juvia had forgotten that he'd asked a question in the first place. Her mind raced to remember what the word was. Conscious? No, conscientious. "Oh, um, i-it means to be aware and—and considerate of something."

He looked up in thought at her answer. "Hm, guess it makes sense in that context. Thanks."

He didn't say anything else after that and Juvia was left with more questions about this man than ever. She tried hard not get drawn into the mystery of him. She had more important things to think about than men and their odd behaviour. After all, half the time she didn't even understand her own boyfriend.

They spent the rest of their time together in silence. Seconds ticked by and glasses emptied, one man reading and one woman pondering. Eventually, Juvia had to leave for her delivery. She sighed as she stood to leave, glad that the encounter was over. Maybe tomorrow things would go back to normal.

When things did not go back to normal the next day, Juvia only got more frustrated. As she approached the café, she realized that the man with the book was already sitting at the table. Briefly, she thought about just turning around and walking away from the whole thing, but her morning had been terrible. She needed her tea. This enigmatic man would not deter today.

Juvia marched up to him with her parasol and exhaled loudly. "May I sit here?"

He looked up away from his book. "Oh, you and me again, huh? Suit yourself."

She sat down with a huff and closed her umbrella. The waitress waved at her knowingly through the window. She was thankful she didn't have to place an order; having a conversation was the last thing she wanted right now.

"Are you okay?"

Oh no. He was talking to her again. Why did he have to talk to her again?

"Juvia is—!" She stopped herself, knowing how strangely she came off as when she didn't try to talk like everyone else. Taking a second to compose herself, she took a deep breath in and out. "I'm fine."

He didn't seem to care about her slip in speech. "So your name's Juvia then."

Her face exploded in heat. Oh no. She'd accidentally told him her name and only paused because of the way she'd been talking! He wasn't supposed to know her name! They weren't supposed to know anything else about each other so she could just go on with her routine without any disturbance.

"If it helps, my name is Gray," he told her casually. He wasn't paying attention to his book anymore as the paperback was face down on the table. Instead he took a sip of his black coffee. "You seem upset."

It was an observation, not a question. She didn't know how to reply to that because he wasn't really asking her.

"To be honest, I've been waiting for a chance to talk to you."

Juvia hadn't thought she could get more embarrassed, but she was. With certainty, she was. Was this guy hitting on her now?

"J-Juvia has a-a boyfriend," she told him anxiously.

Gray stared at her blankly for a second, then chuckled. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm actually trying to get in touch with him."

She wasn't sure how to feel about that information. On one hand, it seemed so obvious; men rarely approached her unless they wanted something and this time was no different. On the other hand, there was a disappointment that she couldn't shake. Somehow, an expectation had developed even though they'd barely interacted.

"Then Gray-san is out of luck. Juvia does not contact him; he contacts Juvia," she said. Her voice did not waver this time. If there was one thing she disliked more than being treated poorly, it was being used.

He shrugged. "That's alright. I don't mind hanging out with you."

Wha—what a line! Aside from being momentarily angered by his motives, Juvia felt weakened by his smooth-talking. The delivery was so nonchalant, so suave...! But she couldn't give in! This was simply a tactic to reach her beloved.

"P-please leave Juvia alone!" she demanded even as the heat on her face continued to rise.

He glanced at her for a moment, his eyes betraying no emotion at all. "Sorry. Not gonna happen." Gray waved his hand absently. "I'm just a guy having coffee at a café."

Her jaw dropped at his audacity. How could he just sit there like none of that conversation had just happened? How could he just pretend she didn't know what she did? Juvia was unbearably frustrated. He couldn't just-just harass her like this!

"Juvia—" she spluttered, "Juvia does not like you!"

He shrugged. "Not my job to make you like me. I'm here for business, and you wanna help your boyfriend out, don't you?"

Juvia clenched her fists, unsure of what to do. It went without saying that she wanted to support her boyfriend in whatever way she could, but she didn't know this man and she didn't trust him. Most of all, she found it incredibly insulting that he thought he could just barge in on her routine and bother her until he got what he wanted.

She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. This was not about her. This was about Bora and doing what she could to help him. Fine, this "Gray" character could stay here, but she was not going to like it.

"It's impolite to bother a lady," she declared as the waitress came outside to set down Juvia's tea.

"Maybe," he agreed, "but you were already upset when you got here. Isn't it polite to ask a distressed damsel if she's okay?"

Juvia stared at him, completely bewildered. His expression hadn't shifted in the slightest and he had somehow managed to befuddle her once again. "I-I suppose..."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere and your tea just came, so we can go on pretending like the other one isn't there or you can tell me what's eating at you," Gray said as he turned a page in his book.

She held her tea in one hand, weighing her options. Ultimately, the decision was a simple one. Regardless of how she was feeling about her boyfriend right now, she still loved him and was going to support him.

"The man with whom you wish to speak, Bora-sama... Juvia spoke with him this morning," she replied, unable to keep the bitterness entirely out of her voice. "Bora-sama does not call very often, so it is likely that Gray-san will have to wait some time before he contacts Juvia again."

His eyes were on her again, his elbow resting on the table as he held his chin. "That sounds like a real fact, but not that one that's bothering you."

Juvia placed her tea back on its serving plate with a clink! Why was it that he seemed to take notice of every little thing? "Bora-sama is at sea most of the time for his business. It's been four months since he left and he refuses to come see Juvia even once."

Gray raised an eyebrow. "And you've been together for how long?"

She immediately disliked his dubious tone. "One year," she answered, her own voice frosty.

"Is that including the four months he's been gone?"

She shot him a withering stare. This man was relentless!

"Okay...including," he said, not missing a beat. "So you're telling me that his boyfriend of yours up and left you after six months to concentrate on his business, never gave you his lacrima contact, doesn't call you very often, and won't visit you after four months. Why are you with this guy again?"

"Juvia loves him!" she snapped, only seconds later realizing that she didn't have to justify her feelings to this man that she didn't even know.

But it was too late. Juvia had chosen to engage and she suddenly knew that they were going to have a full on discussion about her relationship. There was no stopping it, because for the first time, she saw something in his eyes that didn't resemble indifference.

"Really?" he drawled. "You love a guy who can barely spare a second to call you?"

"Bora-sama's business is very demanding," she said.

"It's so demanding that he can't see you after a quarter of the year's passed," Gray retorted.

"It's a new business! He can't leave it!"

"Not even for a day? While he's in town? Doing a trade?" He shook his head and Juvia did not miss him rolling his eyes as he looked out into the rain. "I don't believe it."

"Why do you care?" she asked heatedly.

He looked at her with his dark eyes ablaze. "Because he shouldn't be treating you like that. Nobody should be treated like that. You deserve better."

Juvia stood with her tea and chugged the rest of it down, using all of her self-control not to break the cup as she set it back down. "Then it is fortunate that Bora-sama is the best," she said before grabbing her parasol and heading off into the rain.

Of course Bora-sama was the best! That Gray could even make such despicable declarations about him was infuriating. So what if he called her annoying? So what if he acted like she was a nuisance all the time? So what if he didn't call her or visit her very much? He was the only person who had ever stayed with her even though she made it rain. When person after person let her down, he was the only one who hadn't straight out walked away. Bora...was definitely the best.

Because if he wasn't the best, then what was he?

The feeling of unease that Gray had instilled within her did not recede when she finally arrived at the Phantom Lord headquarters that day. Despite her vehement defence of her boyfriend, his words had managed to creep into the recesses of her mind. Juvia was ashamed to find that her mind was filled with doubts about both her relationship and her boyfriend. She was the worst. Loyalty was her only redeeming quality and she couldn't even maintain it.

Seeing Aria gushing with tears as soon as she walked into the foyer did not do anything to improve her mood. It seemed to be a reaction to whatever point that Sol was making to him and Totomaru. The latter didn't seem to mind much, simply smirking in Sol's direction with what was likely an arrogant reply. Even though she was part of their team, she didn't feel like finding out what was going on between them. Juvia maintained good relationships with all the members of the Element 4, but she didn't feel a particular kinship with any of them specifically.

The guild hall wasn't quiet by any means, but it was orderly and always filled with a very focused atmosphere. Their Guild Master, Jose, was always encouraging them to look their best, do their best, and strive to become more powerful because Phantom Lord was the best guild in Fiore. Of course, his unspoken reasoning for motivating them was that he hated the guild Fairy Tail with a passion and wanted to crush them in every aspect. It was the worst kept secret in the guild. Regardless, it did leave many of their members with a very serious attitude.

Juvia cared for none of that. She liked Phantom Lord because she fit in here. Nobody begrudged her for the rain that followed her around and everyone treated her with respect. Plus, missions were a great way to distract herself when she was having problems in her relationship.

Self-created problems in her relationship, anyway.

She sauntered over to the mission board to select the following day's task when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned to see Gajeel Redfox standing beside her with his usual stoic expression as he nudged his head in the direction of their Master's office.

"Master wants to see us for a mission," he told her, and Juvia immediately wondered if this was an actual serious assignment. Gajeel was Jose's pet, whether he knew it or not. His loyalty to the guild was boundless, and besides their Master, he was the strongest mage in the guild. Jose only needed those two reasons to make Gajeel his favourite.

Juvia followed her friend to their Master's office where the rest of the Element 4 was already standing. Jose regarded them with a nod as he sat back in his chair, fingers interlaced below his chin. His facial hair was as severe as always—maybe looking a little worse with the smirk he had upon his face.

"I need all five of you to be in top shape for this mission," he said, stroking his mustache. "I was contacted by someone with immense wealth and power this morning and he has a job for us. If we are successful, Phantom Lord will undoubtedly be regarded as the best guild in Fiore."

Juvia straightened in her stance a bit. She still cared very little about her Master's ultimate ambition, but she did appreciate how much he cared for all of them and took pride in being part of a great guild like theirs. Looking around at her comrades, they looked just as ready as she was to make this mission a success.

"I presume our client is either a major politician or a company head then, Master?" Sol asked.

"Precisely," Jose answered, his grin widening. "Our client is Jude Heartfilia of Heartfilia Konzern, and he's asked us to find his daughter."