Fairy Tails

Rainy Days (Gruvia)

Gets into a cab AU! One of my favourite kinds of AU! ^-^

This could have and should have been a lot better than it is, but real life happened and I will refrain from swearing but I just really couldn't be bothered by the end of it.

Rainy Days

  

Juvia placed her hands on her lap and attempted to avert her gaze out of the taxi window, reducing the chatter of the driver to a droning in the back of her mind. It was look there or at the attractive stranger beside her and if she did she knew she’d have trouble looking away.

 

It wasn’t even just that he was attractive. He was...interesting. She had already been inside the cab (the idiot driver hadn’t turned the sign on) and he had thrown the door open, the rain soaking through his white dress shirt causing it to stick to his skin. He sat down, not seeming to notice that Juvia was already in there, hands folded in her lap.

 

“Fairy Tail bar.” He had said, brushing the rainwater off his briefcase despite the fact that his body seemed to be a lot worse off.

 

“E-erm-” She had said, nervously, not particularly wanting to elaborate, but that was okay because it seemed to catch his attention.

 

“Oh, sorry.” He apologised, putting his hand on the door to get out and grumbling something about bad taxi drivers. Juvia had shook her head and quickly explained that they shared a destination so if he was alright with that, because she was alright with that, they could just share the cab and no one need get out. He had paused, settled back in his seat and given her a heart stopping smile.

 

“Thanks.” He said. It was the most beautiful thank you she had ever heard.

 

“D-don’t mention it.” She had stuttered. He held out his hand and she took it, a flush coming to her cheeks when she realised she had been staring. Her hand was small and his was strong, though he held her gently.

 

“I’m Gray.”

 

“J-Juvia.”

 

And here they were.

 

**

 

When they arrived at the bar Juvia was prepared for them to go their separate ways. She had to meet her friends, Lucy and Levy, and she presumed Gray would be meeting someone too (perhaps a girlfriend, she reminded herself), but in fact it turned out very differently.

 

He invited her to sit with him for a drink (a thank you, he told her, for letting him share her taxi) and she agreed almost straight away. She knew she had promised to go out with Lucy and Levy but they would understand; plus she saw them at least once a week. Besides, it wasn’t like there was a queue of attractive men asking her out for drinks, even if it was just a thank you.

 

Admittedly Juvia had been nervous, she hardly said a word at first, but soon the alcohol loosened her lips and she began to relax, and when she did she found that Gray was, well, nice. It had been so long since she met an attractive man that didn't grate on her as soon as he opened his mouth, but here he was, a seemingly perfect guy sitting right in front of her.

 

There had to be something wrong with him. She didn’t know what it was yet, but she knew, she just knew, that if she met him again she would find out and it would kill her.

 

So of course she said yes when he asked for her number.

 

**

 

She was walking him out of her house. She didn’t know what happened but she was sad, again, just like she always was, and he had managed to prise it out of her. He had come over on his precious day off, to help her.

 

It was raining as she walked him down the driveway, trying to find a way to apologise. He had said otherwise, but Juvia knew she needed to.

 

“Juvia is sorry it always rains.” Gray turned back around, frowning. It was true that rain soaked his trousers and even now slipped down his bare chest and arms, but he didn’t understand what that had to do with her. Come to think of it he didn't think she necessarily meant real rain, either.

 

“What?”

 

“It rains all the time where Juvia goes. She doesn’t know why.” Juvia set her eyes on the ground, twirling her umbrella between both of her hands, slender fingers spinning it above her head like a top. “She...hasn’t seen the sun. Not properly. Juvia has been alone for a long time because of it.”

 

Gray was silent and Juvia didn’t look up, both fearing and accepting the worst; he had gone and left her just like everyone else did.

 

“Idiot. That couldn’t be your fault.” She heard splashes as he walked purposefully through the puddles towards her. His gentle hands with rough palms took her face, thumbs lying across her cheeks. “Besides, this is much more fun in the rain.” His voice became quieter as the man in front of her stumbled self-consciously over tender words, his eyes flickering away and then back again.

 

Gray ducked his head down under her umbrella, not even noticing how her eyes widened in surprise as he pressed his lips to hers. Juvia let out a shuddering gasp and the umbrella slipped from her fingers, lying forgotten by her side. Soon she succumbed, one hand coming to rest on his chest and the other covering his over her cheek while her eyes fluttered shut.

 

A thousand quotes entered her mind, song lyrics fluttering in the gaps while great romantic works of art took up spaces in the centre. She felt like sunshine was running through her veins to banish the rainclouds from her mind; sun rays spilled willingly from his lips and she drank every greedy drop, craving more of this euphoria.

 

When finally they parted, though not far, Juvia was shivering and rain dripping off her hat and hair and soaked through her shoulders. Ignoring this she stared up at Gray, her lips parted and her eyes wide in shock. Gray seemed a little stunned himself and he removed his hands from her, turning his head away a little so he wouldn’t have to meet her eyes, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

 

“You should...go inside. You’ll catch a cold.”

Numbly Juvia nodded, finally managing to remove her gaze from him and reacquaint herself with her surroundings, blinking dazedly. She picked up her umbrella and shut it, running down the driveway and inside her house just as the sun appeared from behind the clouds, a rainbow shining bright and clear over the town of Magnolia.