Falling Too Far - Gruvia

Chapter 14

No one else had properly woken up yet. Loke was still hiding out in the bedroom since Gray may have known which one I stayed in and we didn't want to trigger any alarm bells. I stayed put waiting for the others to wake up themselves, I was fearing checking up on them incase anymore one night stands had occurred. However, Gray didn't care as he went to look for the rest of his clothes.

I decided to save the cleaners a tough job and attempt to tidy the place up a little. I was too short to put the curtain back up, and no one was around to assist me so i decided to neatly leave it in its original spot. I put the cushions back on the couch and managed to sweep up most of the feathers with my hands, lastly collecting all the empty booze bottles and leaving them beside the door. After that, I heard a phone ringing.

It came from on top of the mini fridge, without hesitation I dashed over to check whether it was mine or not seeming as it had the same ringtone. Unfortunately, someone else's. The name glowing on the screen was "Irritating Prick". So immediately I assumed it was one of the guys. Most likely Gray or Natsu's calling the other. Saving myself a search, I decided to answer it.

"Hello?" I nervously mutter.

"Ah, a female voice," I got the answer of what sounded like a middle aged man, presumably calling his son, "and who might you be?" he had a teasing tone in his voice, strangely.

"This is Juvia, sorry I wasn't sure whose phone this was, can I ask who this is?" I started slowly pacing around the room as I talked to this stranger.

"Oh yeah, doesn't have me saved as 'Dad' does he?" he chuckled, "This is Gray's Dad."

I should not have answered!

My stomach dropped. All of a sudden my nerves had risen, mainly because I know how sensitive Gray is when it comes to family. I know he most likely wouldn't, but in the back of my mind I had this feeling he'd kill me knowing that I spoke to his father.

"Oh, Gray..." my laughter is forced, "C-Can I take a message?" I stutter.

"Just tell him I'm staying in the city this week since it's the anniversary, and I'm dropping by the Dorm in half an hour. He'll know what it's about, thanks."

He ended the call straight after that. Great, now I had to explain to Gray that I answered his phone and tell him about this "anniversary", which I knew by the way his Dad told me that it was not a good one. I decided to check the time on his lock screen, it was only 7:30.

From such a cold, sheltered person the picture on his lock screen was something else. He looked about six or seven years old in it, which may have been the last time he smiled with meaning. A woman was also in the picture, dark hair, and had his eyes. Must've been his mother. Her arms were locked around him and she had the sweetest of smiles. Gray's head rested in the crook of her neck, the two sitting in front of a fireplace. Honestly, that picture warmed my heart.

"What're you doing with my phone?"

My body shuddered as Gray stood in front of me, intensely glaring and his stance almost threatening. He'd also managed to track down his shirt.

"U-Um... your Dad called," I gradually hand him back his phone, "he said he's in the city for the week and is coming by the dorms in half an hour," he calms as he nods, putting the phone in his back pocket as he headed for the door, clearly in a rush to get back. Just before he turned the handle, I decided to add the extra detail, for some reason I was intrigued by his reaction, "he also mentioned something about an anniversary?"

That made him stop, his jaw clenching and his hand tightening around the handle. It takes him seconds to realise he was just frozen. I knew that anniversary had a horrible reason behind it. It was all starting to add up; he was infuriated with me when I taunted him and brought his mother into it, he later tells me how he's sensitive about family, that picture on his phone was from many years ago, and now his Dad is coming to the city, possibly for comfort over the anniversary, not to celebrate it.