Note: Hey, it's been a while. Is anyone still here? Well, if there is, thanks for waiting! There are a lot of reasons this update took so long, the main one being that I was turning writing into a career and that took priority, but I also actually finished writing this fic 2 years ago. I wasn't happy with it. I put it down and dreaded coming back to fix it, but recently I've come to the conclusion that I'll never be fully happy with it. Alas, I promised a finished product and I will be posting the finished product. Regardless of how I feel about it, I hope you manage to get some joy out of reading it. For those of you who started reading this fic years ago, thanks for sticking around. :)

"He wants to buy? How much does he know about my operation?" Bora asked over the line. His voice was critical, like he was trying to figure out how competent she really was.

Juvia bit her lip, tamping down on the feeling of condescension she was suddenly all too aware of. It wouldn't have been like this in the past, when any doubts she had would be locked away. Now, those very same emotions were bubbling to the surface, giving way to immutable weight that was her insecurity, with her boyfriend doing nothing to better it and everything to make it worse.

"I don't know," she replied, her voice strained. "Juvia doesn't know much about Bora-sama's operations either."

He hummed into the Lacrima obliviously. "I suppose it's just my reputation precedes me. Alright. I'll meet with him."

She wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised by his answer, but she dared to let herself hope a little that he would want to see here now that he was coming to town. "Bora-sama? May I accompany him?"

There was a long silence from the other side before she heard him clear his throat. "...Don't be stupid, Juvia. This is business. And you're just going to make things more difficult with all your rain."

"I...I understand..."

"Good. I'll call you back tomorrow with the details of where we're docking. Don't get any ideas."

He didn't say goodbye when he abruptly broke off the connection. Juvia sat there staring into the small, blank crystal atop her dresser. It had glowed when she was using it, but now its smooth surface just looked dull and lifeless. The crystal was small and only offered audio for calls so she hadn't seen Bora's face in it, and as she stared at it, she could only see the reflection of her own.

Branded by HawkofNavarre

Chapter 7

This Heart

She had the meeting location. In fact, it was quite similar to the very town she was standing in.

Hargeon, Juvia figured, was as beautiful as ever. Of course, how could she of all people know that when its shining waters and characteristic architecture were being stormed on by the rain? Clouds were inevitable wherever she went, but the dark skies didn't have to be. Given that she had a rather tumultuous state of mind, they were more than likely the reason for the darkness looming overhead.

"You seen her?" Gajeel snarled at a female pedestrian who took one look at his face and went screaming off in the opposite direction. He scowled, turning the photo he'd thrust at the woman around to look at it himself. "Tch, people around here. Can't even look at a picture of this blondie without running off with their tails tucked between their legs."

Juvia stared at her companion disbelievingly. "Gajeel-kun... You really think the picture is what's scaring them?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I ain't holding anything else."

She was too wrapped up in thinking about her own issues to bother thinking of a response, focusing on the ground in front of her instead. There weren't a lot of people around to look out for anyway; she was pretty sure that had something to do with the rain.

Gajeel's next attempt was spent on a skinny businessman who cowered under the intensity of the gaze upon him. The dragon slayer was more or less looming over the poor man. It probably didn't help that he hadn't bothered with an umbrella and looked vaguely like a crazed murderer with his hair and clothes soaked through. Disjointed words came out of the man's mouth with no discernible meaning and Gajeel backed off, seeing no reason to continue speaking with a dead lead. Seeing the businessman depart (looking like he was walking as fast as he could without being insulting), Juvia sighed loudly in a mixture of sorrow and frustration.

Gajeel read her easily. "If it's so bad, then you talk to these wimps. You spent guild funds to pay for the ticket here, so pull your own damn weight!"

She stopped abruptly, crumbling a little. Oh, and here came the waterworks, as if the rain weren't enough.

"W-wait! I didn't mean it! Stop crying!" he said, lifting his hands as though he was surrendering.

Juvia sniffled and tried to compose herself. "Ooh, it's not your fault, Gajeel-kun. J-Juvia is just very confused."

His tense posture relaxed a bit at her response. Gajeel had a rough exterior, but he was truly just a big softie underneath that. Mostly, he was misunderstood because he was so bad at communicating. Despite that, she knew he considered her a friend even though he might never call her that out loud.

"Why don't you take the lead? Maybe it'll get your mind off things."

She didn't expect him to ask anything further than that and he didn't. Gajeel kept his mouth firmly shut and just followed after her. Juvia didn't particularly want to speak to anyone right now, but they weren't going to get anywhere on this mission if her partner scared off any person within their general vicinity.

Twirling her parasol gently in her hands as it rested on her shoulder, she approached a man who was walking past under his umbrella. When she showed him the picture of Lucy Heartfilia, there were no signs of recognition in his eyes, but for some reason he insisted that she looked familiar. He was quite friendly, so she gave him the benefit of the doubt. Gajeel, however, was starting to look rather irate after about three minutes of chatting with him.

"I swear, it'll come back to me. Something'll jog my memory," he said with an adamant nod.

"It would really help us if you did remember something," she replied, jumping a little when she felt an arm snake across her shoulders. "Um..."

The low daylight glinted off his glasses as he tilted his head down. "Or, y'know, maybe it's gonna take some time for my memory to kick in. We could meet tomorrow. Over coffee. I'm sure I'll have remembered more by then."

Juvia stared at his smirking face, feeling both flustered and confused. "Oh, I-I don't..."

Luckily, she was rescued by Gajeel who yanked the male away from her by the collar of his shirt. His umbrella fell out of his hand in the momentum and he yelped as he rolled onto the wet sidewalk.

"Gajeel-kun!" she gasped, hand coming up over her mouth.

His eyes narrowed at the man on the ground. "You're way too oblivious sometimes. You wouldn't have noticed this loser hitting on you unless he started declaring his undying love for you to the world."

"Juvia doesn't understand what you mean!" She stomped forward to go help the pedestrian when a strong grip pulled her in the opposite direction.

"We're going," he declared. His iron hold on her was nothing to laugh at either. Her boots skid against the ground as she tried to resist him, but Gajeel was simply too strong. He basically dragged her all the way down four blocks without any issue.

He finally released her after entering a small pasta restaurant which left Juvia in a rush to close her parasol. As he was far less conscious of manners, Gajeel simply shook himself off at the front door, the droplets assaulting the glass of the nearby window and the host's podium. Needless to say, the host's smile was visibly forced as he showed them to a table in the quaint restaurant. It was only when they were seated in a booth near the entrance that Juvia had a chance to ask him all the questions running through her head.

"What was that all about?" she asked as she glared at her mission companion for the day.

Gajeel shrugged, perusing the menu with great interest. "I was hungry."

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Gajeel-kun knows that's not what Juvia meant!"

"I need carbs," he said, his head not shifting in the slightest.

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia hissed. When he continued to ignore her, she made sure a few leftover beads of water that were on his arm were adjusted to a scalding heat. Three...two...and he yelped, right on time.

"Jeez, woman!" Gajeel swiped at the water on his arm rather hurriedly. Only a few little red marks remained, but Juvia had known her tactics were more likely to annoy him than injure him. "I already told you what that guy was about! I ain't about to let you strut around and let morons waste our time!"

She frowned and crossed her arms indignantly. "He was going to tell me something."

"You are too soft," Gajeel replied as he threw down his menu in exasperation. "You fall for it every time some guy uses a line on you. This guy might've hid it better, but he was five seconds from saying something nauseating that would've had you thinking he was your soul mate or some shit."

"Juvia has a boyfriend," she retorted. She resented that fact that Gajeel seemed to think she was so gullible, but even worse, he implied that she might be unfaithful because of some smoothing-talking man. He couldn't be more wrong about that one; she'd resisted Gray just fine.

However, she didn't expect him to snort in response.

"You're missing the point," he said, directing his attention back to the menu. "That guy was lying to your face because he wanted something from you. You're completely oblivious when guys are treating you like shit."

Juvia stared at her guild mate, open-mouthed. She was absolutely certain that there was something she was supposed to say in return because he was being so rude, but nothing seemed to be coming to mind. Instead, she bit her lip and looked down hard at her own menu.

If there was one thing she knew, it was that Gajeel wouldn't say something to her that he didn't think was true. He was too honourable for that, if only because he had little time for nonsense. At the same time, how could she possibly acknowledge that his statement was true to her? Was it? Juvia distinctly remembered standing up to Gray when she thought he was being disrespectful, but outside of that...

No. No, surely there was another man she'd stood her ground against. The way Gajeel phrased it, there had to have been more than just Gray who was misbehaving around her. Gray hadn't even been very bad; he'd basically spelled out his intentions the moment they started having a real conversation. Other than that, most of the men she met outside of the guild didn't show any interest in her. Of course, there were a few—none that stayed for more than a few dates once she subtly tried to slip in her involvement with the weather or refused sexual advances—but her interactions with the opposite gender were generally limited to her exes.

Juvia's experiences with her past boyfriends weren't exactly great either, but that had to be a separate issue from what Gajeel was saying. Being in a relationship was difficult. Compromising was key if she wanted to fight for love, and she would gladly do that if it meant preserving their bond. Unfortunately, she'd been dumped every time anyway. Men simply couldn't get past the rain, so she did her best to make it up to them. None of those interactions left her feeling very good either.

Gray's words from the week prior suddenly came creeping back into her mind. He'd said something very similar to Gajeel's own words about being treated well. It wasn't really something Juvia thought about when it came to her significant others. She simply saw that they were unhappy and tried to fix it. Compromise for love.

A salad was placed in front of her and Juvia blinked in surprise, looking ahead to see Gajeel stuffing his face with a loaf of bread. She stared at him until he paused, apparently aware that her eyes on him.

"Werrf?" he demanded, mouth stuffed like a squirrel.

Juvia simply sighed and picked up her fork, poking at the lettuce on her plate. "Gajeel-kun, what did you mean before?"

He chewed for another second before swallowing. "I mean exactly what I said. You're a doormat. You think too much with that—" He pointed at her chest. "—instead of with this," he finished, gesturing at his own head. Snorting, he smirked as he picked up another small loaf. "You want me to tell you what guys think with?"

"There's no need to be vulgar," she murmured. The salad somehow looked even less appealing to her than it had a few minutes ago. "You... You don't think that of Bora-sama, right?"

Gajeel's face crinkled in disgust. "Shut up. Now. We're not doing this."

"Doing what?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Talking. About boys. Talking about you and boys. It needs to stop right now. We're on a mission, not a feelings retreat."

Despite how much he was protesting, Juvia knew that it was only the outward apparently of caring that really seemed to bother him, and she also knew exactly how to win against that. She really needed to hear Gajeel's full opinion. He was the only person in the guild that really knew her on a personal level, mostly because he'd been the first one she was introduced to at Phantom Lord—the first person outside Jose who'd accepted her—and she'd stuck to him like a burr after that. Where she spoke, he stayed silent, and when he did speak, his bluntness was incredibly refreshing. Somehow, this dynamic worked incredibly well for them. He didn't find Juvia annoying and always listened when she talked, even if he didn't appear to be doing so. Somewhere along the line, his own level of comfort around Juvia had evolved, and while she wouldn't exactly call them best buddies, there was certainly a level of friendship there that neither of them could claim to have with anyone else.

Juvia sat up straighter, meeting her comrade in a defiant stare. "But...if Juvia is acting like Gajeel-kun says, doesn't that reflect poorly on the guild?"

"You..." he started before choking on his words. Shaking his head for a moment, he let out a long breath before speaking again. "Fine. You want the truth? You're gonna get it."

There was a steely coldness in his eyes that told her he meant what he said, and she probably wasn't going to like it.

"Bora is a complete shithead and you should dump his ass," Gajeel said. "You spend all your time waiting for him to call when he never does, and frankly? He just uses you when he wants stuff. I've never heard you talk about anything nice he's done for you."

It was a stab in the gut to hear him say it out loud, but she wasn't ready to go off on him like she had Gray. She was coming out of a very painful Lacrima conversation that hadn't done anything to assuage the mounting insecurities about her relationship and all of these words now felt more like facts than attacks on her boyfriend.

"You know, Gajeel-kun, someone told Juvia the same thing a couple weeks ago," she replied in a soft voice. "I was very mad at him for saying that since Bora-sama has stayed with me even with the rain, but this other person has too..."

Gajeel snickered. "Gi hi hi, so you've got another one lined up?"

It was practically an involuntary reaction for the implied image to appear in her head—and it happened far too easily, if Juvia had any say in her own thoughts. Handsome Gray with his partially lidded dark eyes and enigmatic smile beckoned her to the table they always shared at the cafe. Come out of the rain, he'd tell her, and let me dry you off.

"Oi!" her gruff companion's voice cut into her fantasy. The expression on his face had gone from amused back to disgusted. "I was trying to make fun of you! That wasn't supposed to be the basis of your next delusion!"

She flushed in embarrassment. The fact that he was so spot on was worse than the fact that she had indeed been caught fantasizing I the middle of their conversation—the one that she'd been trying to have. "Sorry… It's just that...that person, Gray-san, is part of the reason Juvia is confused. You see, he doesn't talk to Juvia for the reason you're implying. He simply wants to do business with Bora-sama. He was quite open about it."

"So? What's the problem? Doesn't your jerk of a boyfriend want to meet this guy?" Gajeel asked as he looked ravenously at the pasta the waiter had just placed on their table.

"Well, yes, but he wants to meet Gray-san alone. Without Juvia…" The waterworks began to surface again, inadvertently redirecting Gajeel's attention. "I'm not sure...if I should tell Gray-san about the meeting place."

He looked genuinely concerned now, an expression she didn't see on Gajeel very often. "Why don't you want to tell him," he asked in a low voice. It was clearly a question, but the way he said it was more like a statement.

Juvia's chest was so tight, she could barely breathe. She lost the fight against her tears as she was forced to acknowledge her shameful reasoning. Had she always been like this? Or had she changed over time, becoming a more pathetic and despicable person with every scar from her past? Would Gajeel recognize how weak she really was to have even had this conflict?

"Because—" she choked between sobs. "Because then Gray-san will leave me, l-like Bora-sama and everyone else before him."

Gajeel stared at her for a long moment, his face indecipherable. Finally, he moved to pull his jacket off before slamming his right elbow down against the table. The silverware shook, surprising Juvia a little. Her eyes rose to her companion's as he slapped his hand over his exposed shoulder.

"You see this?" he asked, the guild mark stamped on his skin peeking out from beneath his hand. "This doesn't mean nothing. It means we watch each other's backs. It means we don't abandon each other. It means we're comrades. Whoever leaves you is just someone you couldn't count on in the first place."

She wiped her tears away with her sleeve, clutching the fabric of her dress with her right hand. Her own stamp was there, just above her right thigh. It represented the first place that had accepted her as she was, a place where she could feel like she belonged, but she'd never felt close to anything until now. For the first time, it didn't feel like it was just the guild that connected them. He was using it to make a point, but that point would stand whether or not that stamp was on their bodies.

They were...friends.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Gajeel-kun."

"Yeah... Whatever," he replied as he shrugged his jacket back on, then immediately went to pick up his fork. "Now unless you're about to give me a big hunk of metal, let me have my carbs."

Two weeks. Juvia watched the man she had known for two weeks as he sat at their table, nearing the end of his book as he sipped his coffee. She stayed back and observed him from behind the office building across from the café. He probably had some sort of semblance that she was nearby, what with the weather and all, but he didn't look for her. From time to time, his expression would change—usually to one of disdain—while his eyes scanned the page. It was a wonder he was always reading that book when he seemed to hate it so much.

But...two weeks. How was it that after only two weeks and limited time together, she had become so emotionally attached to him? There was no point in lying to herself; she was afraid that this relationship she'd developed with Gray would just disappear as soon as he got his business opportunity, and that was the issue, wasn't it? None of this should've mattered to her. Gajeel was right. Her heart led her far too much. There was all of this investment she'd unintentionally put into Gray because of the way he made her feel. In the moments when they were just sitting together at the café having a silly conversation about food, a warmth she couldn't describe seemed to spread through her chest. That was a feeling she could never forget. It was intoxicating. It was something she'd never felt before. It was wrong.

Juvia took slow and deliberate steps towards their meeting place. The heels of her boots were loud against the concrete and she knew they would draw his attention. As soon as she felt his eyes on her, she moved with more conviction. She stopped beside him with the shaft of her parasol held tightly against her.

"You aren't gonna sit?" he asked, a little puzzled as he lowered his book.

She shook her head slightly, still caught up in her own thoughts. "Gray-san, Juvia...wants to ask you a question."

"Okay...?"

She swallowed. "Are we...friends?"

Gray closed his eyes for a moment, almost as if he we're contemplating the answer, but his voice was not evenly remotely hesitant. "I don't know about you, but that's what I consider you."

"Why?" she asked, forcing the question out of her throat.

"Because I care about what happens to you," he replied. "If there was something I could do to protect you, I would. The last thing I want is to see you get hurt." He paused to take a sip of his coffee. "Besides, you're pretty decent company."

Letting his words sink in, Juvia took a reluctant step forward towards the seat across from him. Eventually, she sat down ready to order her tea.

"There is something important that Gray-san needs to know," Juvia started as the waitress waved at her through the window, indicating that her usual would be prepared. She turned back to the conversation at hand, fidgeting slightly with her fingers. "Bora-sama has given Juvia the location of the meeting next week."

She tried her hardest not to feel discouraged by the eagerness in his eyes. "You do? Well, where is it?"

"Cedar Town," she told him, peeking at him discreetly.

Gray crossed his arms and stared at the table with great concentration. Only the pitter-patter of the rain filled the air, but it wasn't loud enough to drown out her own thoughts. There was nothing more she could tell him that he wanted. He had no more reason to stay. Juvia had told herself that it was better to find out now than later if he truly was the same as everyone else, but it would still be more than a little difficult to swallow if the second man who called her his friend just up and left.

"Cedar Town," he repeated, more to himself than anyone. "Okay. I'll be there."

A moment of silence passed between the two of them. Gray seemed to be lost I thought, but he hadn't left his spot like she was bracing herself for. Though they'd known each other for only a short time, he had still somehow managed to surpass every expectation she'd had of him since really starting to speak with him. Back then, he'd planted those seeds of doubt in her mind about her relationship with Bora and she had rebuffed him with fury; now she truly felt like Gray's words then were genuine. Just like Gajeel, maybe he really did want what was best for her. Juvia wanted what was best for herself too.

"Gray-san, Juvia has a request," she began with a strong voice.

He nodded, face stoic as ever. "Sure."

Juvia took a deep breath in before she could explain. This was something she simply had to do. "I would like to come with you to meet Bora-sama."

"Huh? Didn't you tell me that he told you not to come?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Bora-sama did tell me that," Juvia said with a little bitterness in her voice, "but I refuse to do it. Juvia should be able to see her boyfriend without asking his permission!"

Gray grinned. "Now you're talking. What made you change your mind?"

Gajeel, she thought. You. Both answers were the truth, but there was one person she owed her strength to more than anyone else: herself. It was only after realizing that she deserved more that Juvia understood her own value. She worked hard to keep their relationship going, worked to keep him happy, and yet he still wasn't. He'd neglected her and went on with him own selfish ambitions. Bora was never going to treat her differently if she didn't demand it. She would demand it. She would ask for more for herself and from herself.

Juvia shook her head and smiled at her friend. "It's not important."