Hating Rain

Mewmewmemint

Chapter One

As the rain began to fall, it didn't take long for the campus to clear. Students were trying everything in their power to shield themselves from the unrelenting rain til they could take shelter. Soon all that was left was a blue-haired woman sitting on the edge of the campus's fountain. Juvia had only been on campus for two weeks and she had found herself alone, and soaked. She hated the rain.

The rain only brought back memories from long ago. There once was a time a were she barely even had an opinion of the falling water droplets. But the night her brother had run away was the beginning of endless supervision. It was as if her parents envisioned her doing the same. It was from then on she was kept close.

Outside her home, her school was the only other place her parents would allow her to go. So when she began high school she had found it extremely difficult to bond with any of her peers. In turn, she became the perfect student for her parents, trying to prove herself to them.

It wasn't until senior year when her college acceptance letter came in did she decide to rebel. She went online and automatically signed up to live on campus in a dorm.

Though her parents hadn't been too pleased with her actions, it didn't take long to convince them it would be easier to be close to classes rather drive a whole hour to commute to class. And so she began her college adventure! Or so she thought.

The dorms opened up the Wednesday before classes, giving students 5 days to move in and acquaint themselves with the campus. Juvia shouldn't have been too surprised when her parents decided there was no point in her leaving so early before classes and waiting until the Sunday morning before classes to move her in.

It didn't take long for Juvia to realize she missed a lot of opportunities to meet people. Heading to class on her first day she noticed everyone had already formed groups amongst themselves. Those in her dorm were grouped as well. And when she went to introduce herself to the small girl who she ended up sharing the bathroom with, she had found her suitemate's room already full of friends when the small girl opened the door. Juvia only got a quick introduction out before her voice was overpowered by two other voices arguing with each other before she sped off back into her room.

Juvia missed her chance. She tried to say hello to her seatmates in classes, to the students passing her in the dorms, to the people in the cafeteria asking if a seat was open, but nothing got passed the hello. Even when she was paired up with different lab partners for different classes, all they talked to her about was the current labs they were working on.

It didn't take long for Juvia to question if her efforts were of any use. Soon she greeted people less, and quickly she stopped greeting the people around her completely. Spending her time instead on her studies and homework.

It was on her way back from the library when she was caught in the rain. Juvia really didn't care at this point. There was no one to impress, nowhere to go. So she sat down and began to silently cry to herself on the edge of the fountain.

"Hey," a voice came from in front of her. Juvia almost didn't look up until no one else responded to the voices call, "hey, lady, do you happen to know where 'historical circle of Magnolia' is?"

Juvia stared at the man who caught her in the rain. Just as she was the man in front of her was soaked. His dark hair clung to his forehead above his even darker eyes. Looking into his eyes, Juvia almost missed the man's lack of a shirt under an open jacket, almost.

Juvia's cheeks immediately pinkened as her eyes looked back up at the man's and responded with a delayed, "huh?"

"That's what I should be saying," he sighed, "thanks for trying, see ya."

And off he went as if he hadn't had said a thing to her in the first place, but he had. Juvia had clearly heard the man over the pitter-patter of the rain. He asked her about a 'historical circle of Magnolia' and where it was. Juvia mentally hit herself. Huh? Huh? All she could respond with was a 'huh'? Was a person talking to her and all she could come up with as a 'huh'? Juvia wanted to shove her head under the fountains pool right then.

Looking into the fountain, it hit her.

"Wait!" She called out back to the stranger. She almost feared it was too late before he turned back around to her. "I think I know!"

Jogging quickly back, the man grabbed her hands excitedly, "Really?"

"I… uh…" Juvia started before she could remember how to speak again. " You said the 'historical circle of Magnolia', could that mean the fountain?"

"The fountain?" the man questioned after he let go of the women's hands, much to her disappointment.

Not wanting to lose his interest anymore she quickly continued.

"The fountain has been the longest landmark of Magnolia Universities history. I believe I read somewhere that it has been here since this school was built, about 200 years ago."

"And it's a circle! Thanks! You're a life savior. I can't let Natsu beat me this time. One win and he get all full of himself." The dark hair man expressed as he began to thoroughly inspect the fountain with his hands.

"What are you looking for?" Juvia mustered up the question.

" Oh, I'm supposed to be looking for a cat. This fraternity is having all their pledges on a scavenger hunt. Except all the items are in damn riddles!" He responded, not once looking away from his search.

Looking back to the fountain Juvia began to look at the fountain's intricate designs. The fountain's exterior was mainly sculpted into organic curves of vines and leaves. Inside the fountain was colorful mosaic pieces lining all along the pool of the fountain.

"I'll help." Juvia decided, getting from her seat and beginning to look along the inside of the pool, gaining the man's stare.

" You don't have to, I am not really interested in the fraternity. I probably won't join any, it was just a stupid challenge from a friend." He explained.

"It's okay." She said, not wanting to miss this opportunity to get wet.

"But your clothes are soaked." Did Juvia detect some concern? She felt her heart skip.

"No, really, it's okay," Juvia squeaked. But the man's eyes didn't look away. Desperate to breathe, Juvia spat out a lie, "Besides, I love the rain…"

At that, he went back searching, mumbling thanks. Juvia was able to breathe again. It was weird. Juvia had never felt this way before. Her cheeks kept on getting red, she was hyper aware of her heart, maybe this was-

"I found it!" Juvia interrupted her own thoughts.

"Where?"

"There! There's a cat paw print on one of the glass pieces," she pointed. Searching to see what she saw, the man leaned over next to her. She let out a whisper to guide his eyes, "there, the blue one."

"That must be it! Now I have to somehow take a picture with it," he straightened up and pondered.

"I could take the picture, my phone is really waterproof," Juvia smiled at him. Avoiding his eyes. "And then I could send you the picture."

"Sure, thanks!" he replied. He then tried to position himself over the fountain under Juvia's guidance. In the end, he ended up just kneeling into the pool trying to get close enough for a clear picture.

After Juvia handed her phone over to get his approval, he typed his number in and sent the photo. After handing her phone back, his phone went off indicating he received it.

"Let's see… I only have one more." He muttered to himself over a damp piece of .paper inside a sandwich bag. "I know what this one is! Thanks for your help!"

And off he went.

Juvia stared at his back as he feet splashed the puddles around him. It was an extremely picturesque view. Juvia never wanted to look away. Juvia even thought she was hallucinating when she saw the man stop halfway to the west campus dorms.

" I'm Gray by the way! Gray Fullbuster!" he shouted back at her before running off into the dorms.

Gray. Gray Fullbuster. She was starting to really question if she was truly conscious. It was possible she could have collapsed in the rain from a fever. That would've explained why she had felt so warm.

She then pinched herself. She found she must've been awake.

That night Juvia headed back to her dorm, straight into a warm shower. Afterward, she began her nightly routine, ignoring the future homework she had earlier planned to do. Instead, she skipped straight to bed. Under her warm comforter, she replayed the scene over and over in her head.

With her heart beat constantly fluttering, Juvia made a decision. All of her research from books could only help her conclude that she must be in love. She was showing all the telltale signs the heroines in her favorite books exhibited.

The quickened breathe the warm feelings, the fast heart beat. Juvia was in love. She wanted to know more. More about her feeling, about her Gray.

That night Juvia fell asleep with a smile painted on her face. The following few days were full of research on her Gray. His online page provided to very useful. Especially with indicating that he was still single.

It wasn't until a week of research had passed did Juvia then realized she had never given him her name...

But besides that, maybe rain wasn't as terrible as she thought? Maybe.

Hello! I hoped you enjoy the chapter! For now, I am posting this as a One-Shot but eventually I plan on continuing this story. I felt like I needed a slight break from working on some of my other works. (If you're a Naruto fan and a fan of NejiTen you should check out my story As It Should Be!)

Leave a review of what you think! Or maybe of any ideas of for continuing this story? I have a few to get me started in continuing this story but I want to put this on the back burner for now. :p

Thanks for Reading!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Fairy Tail!