Mixed Signals (Gruvia)#WATTYS2019

Chapter 9: The Rain[EDITED]

3rd Person POV
Gray's eyebrows knitted in annoyance. He had heard Juvia running around the apartment all day and he was getting quite sick of it, and dare he admit it but he missed her company.

As her feet rapidly scampered around the hallway, he groaned and flopped his head down onto his couch pillow, sighing as his head hit the pillow.
He laid with his eyes closed, breathing slowly as he listened to Juvia's quick footsteps.

Suddenly, however, the sounds of her feet grew louder and Gray opened his eyes just to see her just about sprinting into the open living area.
He watched from the couch as a she appeared in front of him, a knot forming in his throat at the sight of her.
She had on a aqua blue dress sundress that showed off all her curves in all the right places with matching blue flats. Her hair was down and straightend, and in her hand she held a small, Aqua blue purse.

'Holy shit, she's beautiful.' Gray's own voice echoed in his head, catching him off guard.
Gray felt heat creep up his neck at his thoughts, and he cleared his throat to try to get rid of the inevitable voice crack that would follow his next words.
"Wow, what's the occasion?" Gray asked, sitting up on his elbows.
Luckily his voice hadn't cracked like he'd assumed, but he sensed something wrong in his tone.

Juvia smiled brightly at Gray, giggling.
"Juvia has a date with Lyon-sama!" Juvia exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together.

Gray choked, his eyes bulging out as he scrambled to sit up.
"What?!" He shouted, however his cry's fell on deaf ears and Juvia was already half way out the front door.

"Goodbye Gray-sama! Juvia will be back soon!"

•••

Juvia's POV
Juvia practically skipped to the park where Lyon-sama and Juvia were set to be meeting.

When Juvia got there she saw Lyon-sama by a bench with blue roses and she skipped over excitedly.
"Hi Lyon-sama!" Juvia greeted, smiling happily up at Lyon-sama.

Lyon-sama looked up and smiled brightly at Juvia.
"Juvia! You look amazing!" Lyon-sama said happily, standing up and handing Juvia the blue roses.
Juvia giggled and accepted Lyon-sama's flowers, smelling them lightly.
"Thank you Lyon-sama, Juvia loves them." Juvia said.

Lyon-sama's expression was soft with affection and his ears turned a small shade of pink.
'Gray-sama's ears do the same thing.'
Juvia blinked, her eyebrows knitting together as her face contrortee into a pout.
"Juvia should not be thinking about Gray-sama!" Juvia scolded herself, narrowing her eyes.

"So Juvia, where would you like to eat?" Lyon-sama suddenly asked, pulling Juvia out of her thoughts.

Juvia perked her head up and felt her entire body spark to life with excitement.
"Juvia would like sushi, if that is alright with Lyon-sama!" Juvi exclaimed, clasping her hands(and her flowers) in front of her.

Lyon-sama smiled down at Juvia and nodded his head.
"Sushi it is!"

•••

Juvia's POV
Juvia tried to hold back her smile as Lyon-sama began to walk her back to Gray-sama's apartment.
Juvia and Lyon-sama walks in silence, but Juvia felt so warm in his presence.

"Oh! Juvia!" Lyon-sama suddenly exclaimed, causing Juvia to startle lightly.
"Y-yes?" Juvia stuttered, her cheeks warming up.
"I just wanted to thank you for your advice back at the grand magic games." Lyon-sama said, still smiling at Juvia.

Juvia stopped walking, turning her body to Lyon-sama and tilting her head.
"What advice?" Juvia asked.

Lyon-sama stopped walking as well, raising an eyebrow at Juvia.
"You know, telling me to move on." Lyon-sama explained, staring at Juvia with a curious glint in his eyes.
"M-move on? With who?" Juvia asked.

Lyon-sama perked up again, smiling brighter than the sun.
"Your friend Meredy, we met before but we only hit it off after meeting each other while I was on a job." Lyon-sama explained happily. "She and I are pretty serious now, so I just wanted to thank you Juvia!"

Juvia blinked again, still confused.
"Then....then why did Lyon-sama ask Juvia on this outing?" Juvia replied.

Lyon-sama shrugged at Juvia's question. "Well, we haven't hung out since the grand magic games, I thought it would be fun." Lyon-sama responded, looking up at the brightly pink colored sky.

Juvia felt shock and horror begin to flood her veins.
'Juvia is such a fool to think Lyon-sama could still love her. No one could ever love Juvia.'

Suddenly, storm clouds began to roll towards Juvia and Lyon-sama, and Lyon-sama frowned.
"Oh man, we better get you home before it begins to rain, don't want you to catch a cold." Lyon-sama joked lightheartedly, waiting for Juvia's response.

Juvia looked up at Lyon-sama, trying to keep her tears at bay.
"Oh! Juvia just remembered she has to get something from her house, she can walk from here. Thank you for the wonderful day Lyon-sama!" Juvia said happily, trying to fake her enthusiasm.

At this Lyon-sama chuckled and nodded, giving Juvia a wink.
"I'll see you around Juvia! Tell Gray I said hi!"

Then, Lyon-sama turned his back to Juvia and began to walk away, leaving Juvia in the middle of the road, tiny rain droplets beginning to roll down Juvia's cheeks.

•••

3rd Person POV
"Ice Make!-"
*BANG!*
"HOLY SHIT!" Gray screamed as he wobbled around, trying to balance himself.

As soon as Gray could compose himself, he began to hear the hard pounding of rain on his roof and the distant sound of unimaginably loud thunder.
"Jesus! It's really raining." Gray commented, going over to his glass deck door.

"I can't even see outside..." Gray trailed, trying to see through the curtain of rain.
"Was rain even in the forecast for today?" He asked himself, opening the deck door slightly to feel the rain.

As soon as the water touched his skin, Gray recoiled and gasped, his hand tingling.
The rain......it was talking to him?

"Why would the rain be-wait, Juvia's rain!" Gray suddenly exclaimed, his eyes dilating.
"Shit! I gotta find her!"

Gray hobbled over to his front door, forgetting to close his deck door. Rain began to pour into his home, but he disregarded it as he threw his coat on and left his apartment, entering the fray.

The rain pounding on him hurt, and the thunder hurt his ears. Everytime lightning would crash he would be momentarily blinded, but he kept going as fast as he could.

"JUVIA!" Gray yelled through the rain, but got no answer.
'Damn it, if I were Juvia where would I go?' Gray asked himself.

Gray stopped to think for a minute, and then it hit him like a trunk.
'The beach!'