She's In Your Court

Chapter 11: What is Real?

Who knows where we're going
And who knows what we'll find
I want to see the world
The way I see a world with you

The sound of waves crashing against the shore. The smell of fresh, afternoon breeze damping his skin. The feel of sand rushing past his bare feet. Gray took them all in and he couldn't remember a place more calm, peaceful and serene. Despite the crowd scattered around the beach lane, Hoopster felt at peace. But no matter how beautiful the place was, it held no candle to Juvia.

Down the famous beach lane, just a merely ten meters away from the Lockser Mansion, Gray and Juvia walked on foot with him carrying both his shoes and the ballerina's sandals. His free hand held hers, tightly enough to let her know that Gray wasn't letting go anytime soon. Their fingers intertwined, fitting the spaces perfectly like they always meant to be. They walked in bliss as the sun started to descend from its throne. In about a minute or two, the beautiful beachside would be dressed in the golden hour.

Gray looked around. As much as he loved the view in his apartment in the city, the beachside was something else. The boisterous laughters coming from a group of children playing in the water caught his attention. A part of him was screaming he wanted one, maybe two or a dozen, and he'd want them to have the freedom to run around and play at the expanse of that beach.

Not now. Not any time soon. With everything in his plate, that dream was to far for reach.

"It's unfair."

His girlfriend's complaint pulled him out of the thought of chasing little ones around the sand.

"I feel so exposed." Juvia pouted, having spent the day learning about herself and none about Gray.

"Well, I like it." He said, kissing the knuckle of the woman whom Gray had the pleasure of knowing her deeply.

"C'mon." She whined, walking ahead only to turn around and face the man. "Tell me something about you too."

Tit for tat.

Gray stopped in his tracks, pulling a pouting Juvia to a halt. He put two fingers under his chin, pretending to think about what to tell her.

"What do you want to know?"

"I wanna know..." she teased, "if Gray really is this elusive playboy the magazine claims him to be."

"By magazines you mean your collection?" A lone brow quirked up at Juvia's direction.

Blue eyes denied the accusation but there was no more hiding about her secret 'Gray-fanatic' era. Juvia's parents made sure of that. She frowned at him and when Gray pulled her into an apologetic embrace, Juvia couldn't keep the frown up anymore. She broke the hug first and returned to her interrogation as they continued the sandy trail along the beach.

Since her secret was already out in the open, the ballerina indulged her teenage fan-girl self whom she long have forgotten. She seized the opportunity and asked Gray about the scandals imputed to him.

"You fought with a fellow Knight because of a girl."

"False. I would never steal a brother's girl."

Juvia raised a questioning brow at him but Gray maintained his innocence.

"Club 413? End of the 88th NBA Season?" Juvia hinted, hoping it would jog Gray's memory and it did.

"Man, that guy could throw a punch." Gray massaged his left jaw as if receiving the hard knuckle yesterday.

"So?" Juvia tugged at him, asking for further explanation.