… Is this a NaVia or a JuTsu fic? Geh... I really haven't the slightest clue... oh well.

This fic was requested by a friend. If you would like to request a story as well, then by all means, go ahead. In terms of pairings, any that has Natsu in it except for yaoi. If you're going to request a crack pairing, then I might be interested... you know what? It'd be just easier for you people to just go to my profile and find the list of pairings I ship.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima owns it. If I were to own it... hehehehehe...

I Don't Mind the Rain

by Yoh Narukami

My heart... it feels so broken right now... it just hurts so much. I can't take the pain. Is it because I'm so weak? So weak that I was too late to go to Gray and ask him out on time? So weak to just watch him take the hand that belonged to another and not mine? So weak to run away and cry; cry so much yet the tears were hidden by the pouring rain that was caused by my broken heart?

I thought to myself as I sat alone on the wet grass over a cliff that overlooked the town deemed Magnolia, staring down at its citizens as they tried to avoid the rain. The rain that represented my sadness. Funny, it was as if they were going away because they didn't even bother to care about me. The thought caused the rain to fall even harder. Even the tree behind me couldn't stop the heavy raindrops from pouring down and reaching my already drenched body.

It's too late now. No matter how much I yearned for him, my voice simply couldn't reach him. At least, not anymore... Because I was weak...

I curled up into a ball, putting my knees to my chest and covering my face with my forearms. My hands were balled into fists and were clenched so hard my nails dug into my skin. Blood began to drip out, but the pained was numbed. Compared to the pain I was feeling deep inside me that went along with the cold, merciless rain, it was like it wasn't even there.

Was it... was it a mistake... to join the guild? To join Fairy Tail? Would I have been better off without them... without him?

I had begun to think that, however, before I was able to continue my thoughts, I heard someone call my name. I honestly hoped it was Gray reconsidering his feelings; rushing towards me like a knight in shining armor, but I knew that it would have been too good to be true. Though, honestly, I didn't expect to see this guy either.

"Natsu?"

My bloodshot eyes stared into his onyx ones as he just stood there, as if he didn't know what to say to me. It was probably the case here. But, how did he know I was here? And... why is he here? Out of all the members of the guild, the most reckless and possibly the most idiotic one was the one to find me. The others could have come here and would already be trying to comfort me; and yet, I got the guy who came unprepared.

Natsu Dragneel. The Fire Dragon Slayer, also known as Salamander, and the rival of who I thought was my soulmate. If I weren't at this state right now, I would have told you to leave this instant. Instead, I'm looking at you curiously, waiting for the words you'll say.

His mouth finally opened.

"Juvia."

"... Yes?" I was barely able to say.

"..."

"..."

"... Water you doing here?"

"... E-Excuse me?" I raised my brow at him, my voice sounding confused. He merely gave me his trademark grin.

"Get it? Cuz you use water magic and it's raining and I want to know what you're doing? Get it? Get it?" He then got into a laughing fit, crouching down and supporting his upper body by holding onto his knees. He said it as if it was the greatest joke in the world. Time seems to have passed and still I remained silent. He ceased his laughter and his smile faltered.

"Ah dammit. I really thought that would cheer you up. And I tried so hard to think of it to-"

He stopped when he noticed I began to lower my head to my arms and begun to shake.

"J-Juvia? Are you alright? H-Hey! Juvia!" He ran to my side and crouched down. When he gently removed one of my arms from my face, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Ahahahahahahahaha!" I laughed. I actually laughed. It wasn't amusing at all, yet there I was laughing my lungs out. My eyes were closed, but I just knew Natsu was smiling now. After a while, I was able to stop. I looked up to him and he asked if he could sit beside me. I had no reason to refuse, so I gave him a nod. He sat cross legged and took in the view of the town we lived in. His smile still lingered as he took in the view.

"So... how are you feeling?" He asked me as he kept his sights on the town below. Did he know about... it? I had to ask.

"Do you... know about..."

"About your feelings for Gray? Oh, I mean about," he paused for a moment before sighing, "S-Sorry about that." He scratched the back of his head and turned his head away from me.

"N-No... it's alright. I'm not mad at you, Natsu." I said in a low voice, twiddling with my thumbs. He looked at me again and noticed my hands.

"Your bleeding!" He took my hands and inspected them.

"Don't worry, they don't hurt." I tried to reassure him, but he had already ripped off a part of the sleeve of his waistcoat and used it as a bandage for my hands.

"Thank you..."

The awkward silence that soon followed was killing me. The atmosphere remained thick, but luckily he continued to speak.

"Lisanna told me."

"I see... so she told you to go after me..." I stated sadly, but I didn't know why exactly.

"Huh? No, well, I ran to look for you after she explained what was wrong. She was probably going to tell me to go and find you even if I hadn't run off." He corrected me.

"But why did you? Why did you come and find me? We've never talked to each other much. Not enough to be considered friends anyway..."

"Nah, I won't let that get in the way. Since gramps let you join Fairy Tail, then that means you're a nice person, so it automatically makes you my friend! And friends help each other no matter what! You may not think of me as a friend, but I think of you as mine." He stated with much energy. My eyes widen in shock.

He was so simple-minded, dense, reckless, and quick to temper; however, he was also kind, caring, energetic, and most of all, warm. A significant reason why Fairy Tail is what it is. Who knew that there was another person who cared for my well being?

"Alright, so do you want me to smack some sense into that exhibitionist or what?"

"H-Huh?!"

"You know, do ya want me to beat Gray up?" he asked as he got up and cracked his knuckles. He was giving off some surprisingly dark and mischievous aura.

"Wh-What?! N-No! That won't be necessary, Natsu!" I told him while waving my hands in front of him, trying to stop him. He pouted and dropped back onto the wet grass, crossing his arms and grumbling to himself.

"Damn, I thought I could actually have a reason to fight him. Ah well, I'll just say that he looked at me funny... again." I heard him mumble out. For some odd reason, rather than protest to him, I giggled. It caught his attention and then he laughed.

We soon began to laugh quite loudly. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole town could hear us. The rain had now cleared up and the sun shined through the dark clouds, the warm sunlight grew as time passed, and soon the whole place was illuminated by its rays.

"Good, it stopped raining." Natsu suddenly said. My emotions quickly became negative.

No... please, don't let it happen again...

"You... don't like the rain?"

"Eh? No, it's not like that at all. It's just that when you're sad, it rains. Everyone knows that; even I do. I'm not that stupid you know?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Didn't you... just insult yourself?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"Oh shit. I did, didn't I?" He chuckled. He then decided to lie down onto the grass and used his hands as a pillow.

"Besides, I don't mind the rain at all. It kinda calms me down. Maybe cuz fire loses a lot of its flames when it gets hit with water." He said with his eyes closed and smiled.

I stared at him a while longer and donned a smile of my own.

"You know, water can also extinguish fire." His eyes shoot open and slowly looked at me. He looked incredibly nervous.

"YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME?!" He shouted as his jaw remained wide open and he pointed at me, sweated rather profusely.

"WHAT?! NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" I said making an "X" with my arms and frantically shook my head. He put a hand to his chest and sighed in relief. His face looked incredibly funny at the time and I started laughing again. He looked away, blushing in embarrassment.

"Not funny, Juvia." He puffed his flushed cheeks.

"Oh, I beg to differ, Natsu."

Natsu Dragneel truly was something else. In my time of need he ran to my side and had managed to make me laugh more than once, and when I my heart was aching no less. In fact, I couldn't feel any pain at all. I... I wanted to know more about him. I don't know why, maybe a need for companionship; to fill the empty space Gray had left me? I can't tell. All that mattered was that I wanted to be around him more often. What I truly thought at this moment was that I needed someone; and Natsu had proven himself to be more than qualified. I... I needed a friend.

"N-Natsu?" I asked shyly. I didn't even look at him nor did I notice the blush I sported.

"What's up, Juvia?"

"If you w-want to get close m-me, then how about you m-make me something to eat?" I swallowed my saliva before continuing, " I- I heard from Lisanna that you make great food. Food with taste that is rumored to far surpass Mira's cooking. If you make me lunch now, then maybe... maybe I'll consider you as a friend."

A total lie, I admit, with the way he made me feel now, how could I not call him a friend. But I quickly had to find a way so that our interaction would last longer. I slowly turned my head to look at him only to see he had a wide grin.

"Deal!"

And with that, something new had come to surface. Something I had not realized at the time. This was the beginning. The beginning of something new. The beginning of the fire that didn't mind the rain's company.

Note: it was actually quite difficult trying to type when Juvia always refers to herself in third person, I couldn't take it, so I changed it to first person. xD

So watcha think? Good? Bad? I tried not to make them seem OOC, well, sans the cooking part, but I don't know. You tell me. I'll make the continuation if I get enough reviews, so...

PLEASE REVIEW! I'd appreciate it very much! *bows*

Howling God, out.