Ghosts of the past

Chapter 18: If he would have been told

***

Gray started to walk. Without any surprise, Juvia was quickly on his heels. Staying next to the improvised campsite, they simply walked, appreciating the sun on this end of summer day and each other's presence. Juvia wore, like always, that brilliant smile, as if they where living in the best world ever. Despite the fact that he had to pull back his arm from Juvia's grip a couple of times, Gray was glad she had followed him. They walked for a long while in silence before he noticed that Juvia seemed to want to say something.

"What's wrong?" he encouraged her in his own way.

"It's just that..." She started, blushing. "Juvia really was impressed by the way Gray was fighting yesterday".

Despite all expectations, Gray also stated to blush.

"Well you're a pretty good teacher" he answered, scratching the back of his head. "I'd like to have other intense fights like that with you" he smiled.

"Juvia wants to always be with Gray!" she exclaimed, gone once again in Juvia land.

She barely had time to finish her sentence that she was on Gray's back, literally hanging on his neck. Gray made a couple of steps, discouraged, trying to ignore the young woman on him while she was slowly, really slowly, coming back on earth. Then he stopped walking, stunned. He couldn't believe what was happening right in front of him: Levy just kissed metal head. But the most surprising thing was the fact that Gajeel didn't flinched, looking at Levy like she was the most precious thing in the world despite whatever he just said, probably something stupid, that pushed Levy to hit him.

"I can't believe it!" Yelled Juvia in his ears, the later having probably just noticed the same scene as him.

Her reaction caught the attention of both Gajeel and Levy, her blushing and him crossing his arms, looking away.

"Juvia knew Gajeel had a crush on Levy!" Exclaimed Juvia, still perched on Gray's back.

"Just get off your pervert before talking about other's relationships!" Barked Gajeel, being defensive.

On that, Gray forced her to let go, but for once, Juvia's attention wasn't on him, way too focussed on something else. Indeed, despite his efforts of transferring the attention from him to Juvia, Gajeel just did a mistake.

"A relationship!" Repeated Juvia all excited!

"Where not... well we didn't..." Started Levy.

Before she could finish or Gajeel could react in some exaggerated way, Gray pulled Juvia by the hand.

"Come on" he said.

"But..."

"Lets leave then alone" he whispered to her.

By saying so, all of Juvia's attention went back on him. Obviously, the idea of being, by default, alone with him was filling her with joy. It was quickly Juvia's turn to take the lead, dragging Gray who still had his hand in hers. Then she sat next to a little pond, forcing him to do so. Soon, they were both laying against a tree, their shoulders pressed one against the other.

The weather really was beautiful and, after a moment, Gray felt Juvia's breath on his shoulder. "She fell asleep" he noticed. He then allowed himself to look at her more freely, replacing a lock that had fallen on her face. Juvia seriously was one of the most beautiful women he ever met.

Then he thought about the scene he just witnessed. Gray even felt a bit of jealously towards Gajeel. Not because Levy was clearly interested in a relationship with the ex phantom member. Even though she was important to him, Gray never saw Levy as anything else than a friend. What he envied was more the liberty Gajeel allowed himself to look at her, to take her in his arms, to... to kiss her.

Ah! What was he thinking about! He never was interested in any relationship. He always had been fine on his own, without any restrictions, without any risk of complications... It wasn't the first time he saw two people flirt. He had to suffer the view of her best friend in constant hesitation before finally confess her love to Jellal. Beside, after all that, he had ended up being one of the best men at their weeding last year. So why the hell was he reacting now? Then his look stopped once more on the girl that had wrapped her arms around his during her sleep. Despite his still unclear thoughts, he reciprocated by wrapping her waist with his own arms. If he had been told he would let someone get this close to him some day, he probably wouldn't have believed it. He however didn't think about it much more because, installed in such a comfortable way, it took him only a few minutes to fall asleep.

***

After Juvia's comment, Levy played nervously with a lock of hair, looking at the ground. She obviously didn't want to be associated with him in front of the others, concluded Gajeel. The young man couldn't help but approving Levy's reasoning. If his childhood friend's babbling was true, he would bring her no good. He however couldn't ignore the weight in his chest at that thought. Yet, he decided to offer an escape route to his... the shrimp.

"Don't bother with that rain for brain's babbling" grumbled Gajeel, once the other two here out of sight.

"Oh." She simply said.

Why did she seem so disappointed? Couldn't she just make up her mind?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" she sighed, sadness in her eyes.

"That stubborn shrimp" he mentally complained, lifting her chin so she would stop avoiding his look.

"Don't play dumb with me" he grumbled, impatient.

"As if you're the one to talk" she replied.

"You really are a pain when you want to!"

"So that's why you told to me to ignore Juvia's word? She finally blurted out with bitterness.

She instantly stopped talking. She didn't plan on telling that out loud. She had plan protecting her pride, pretending she never dared to believe, for a moment, that what he felt for her was more than a promise to protect her. How did she simply ended up falling in love with him? She wasn't even sure what love was. It was one of the best feeling she had ever felt, and yet, one of her biggest disappointment. But rather than the sarcastic snickering she was expecting, she saw Gajeel tensing, staring at her.

"I thought that's what you wanted" he said with his deep voice.

"Jeez his voice is sexy..." she couldn't help to think. Then Levy realised the implications of what he just said. What? How could that idiot think she wasn't interested?

"Me? Why would I kiss you if I didn't like you?" She blurted out.

"Do I look like the kind of guy that knows anything about that stuff? Complained Gajeel, turning his head away from her, his arms still crossed.

It was Levy's turn to turn his face back to her.

"I don't know much about love myself" she said. "But..."

Her cheeks where now redder then ever. She however maintained eye contact.

"We can learn about it together" she concluded with a shy smile.

Something in her was simply able to pierce the iron protection that Gajeel had grown around his heart during his Phantom years. Both his mind and body begged him to get another taste of those lips. And that's what he did, the young woman responding to the kiss with pleasure.

If he had been told about the last couple of day barely a couple of weeks before, Gajeel wouldn't have believe it. If someone had told him about the effect that this little shrimp had on him right now, he would have laughed to his face, not suspecting that someday, she would create in him feelings he never imagined the existence.