Chapter 10
Fixed Marriage?
“Marry me, Juvia, for Xander’s sake. For our baby’s sake. It’s for the best. He’ll have a father and he’ll have a mother. Both Fullbuster.”
Juvia freaked out. She stood up and argued with Gray. “Gray, you can be a father to Xander without marrying me. I’m not taking your rights to be his father. You can give him your name. But marriage?” She exclaimed. “T-that’s a big risk, Gray.”
Gray’s face doesn’t change. It was still normal. He is sure determined to be married. He remained calm as he talked. “I want to give the best for my son, Juvia. Let’s get married. I don’t want Xander to have unwedded parents.”
“But Gray…” She complained.
“What?” He asked; eyebrows were raise. He remained calm as possible but deep inside, he’s mad of her sight freaking out. He felt mad and hurt at the same time. He was mad because he knew Juvia will not accept his proposal, and hurt because of the same thing.
“I can’t…” She said. He gulped. He felt like he was stabbed, perfectly in the heart.
Why? Didn’t she love me anymore? Why? Why? Fucking why, Juvia? He wanted to shout to show his anger. To show his frustration. To show what he is feeling. But he can’t. He knew Juvia would cry. He knew it will hurt Juvia.
Fuck this; I’m even considering her feelings. What about mine?
“I’m not stopping you to be Xander’s father. You can change his surname to be a Fullbuster. That’s fine by me, Gray. But this marriage, I can’t accept it.” Hearing it again made him angry again.
He brushed his hand on his hair. He can’t stop his emotion. It’s too much for him to handle. “Fucking stop, Juvia!” He yelled.
Juvia flinched. He growled at her. She is afraid. She has always been. She looked down and her eyes are getting blur because of her tears. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying sorry, Juvia! Stop saying it! Just stop!” He growled again. That made her tremble in fear. “You’re sorry will not change anything Juvia! It will not! You just keep on saying sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Fucking sorry, Juvia! I’m tired of your apologies.”
Definitely, Gray was tried. Emotionally and physically. He was drained and empty, thinking about why Juvia had to leave him; thinking about why Juvia hide from him; thinking why Juvia had to hide that he had a son from her.
Gray breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. Juvia nervously looked at him. Her heart sank at the sight of him. He looked mad and hurt at the same time. He can’t control his emotions anymore. Gray doesn’t show much these kinds of emotions but now, in front of Juvia, she can clearly see what he is feeling.
“Gray…” She tried to reach for Gray. Gray declined. Juvia’s face fell.
Gray could not let him touch her. For being touch by Juvia would made him lost. And he doesn’t want to be lost. Now that, Juvia had rejected her again. He thought of Juvia, the times when she was being rejected by him. It feels sucks. That’s how he felt. And maybe, he was paying for all the stupid rejection he had brought to Juvia.
Gray stood up and sighed. He saw Juvia’s sad face. He couldn’t help it. He dared not to look at her. He made his decision. He wanted to marry Juvia. Juvia might hate him for doing this. But he is very determined to do it.
He looked at Juvia with his calm and cold look. “I’m sorry, Juvia.” Juvia looked absent-mindedly at him. “I’m sorry I can’t accept your refusal for what I’m asking you. I will no longer ask you for that because I will arrange this wedding for my son. I want the best for my son, Juvia. I’m doing this for Xander. You’ll marry me, no questions asked.”
Juvia’s eyes widened. She can’t believe him. She stood up. “But Gray…”
Gray cut her. “No more buts, Juvia. I’ll arrange the marriage for us. Please, you’re Xander’s mother; you have to think what’s best for him. I’m a very traditional person. I don’t want my son to have unwedded parents. I don’t want him to be bullied by his classmates when he grows up and go to school. I don’t want to answer the questions he will ask someday, if why he doesn’t have a normal family like everybody does. Juvia, don’t just think about yourself here.” Juvia wanted to argue but remained quiet. Gray looked coldly at him. The soft and warm looked he had earlier was gone. “This is not about you anymore Juvia. I’m doing this for my son. I’m doing this for Xander.”
He stood up from his seat and walked away from the room. When Juvia heard the door closed, she sobbed. She couldn’t take what Gray had said to her. Gray is forcing her to be married to him. She smiled bitterly. Juvia should be happy, right? Gray is arranging a marriage for them. Why would she react like she doesn’t want to marry him?
She does want to be married to Gray. It has been her dream since she fell in love with the guy. Ever since, she had been confessing; she had this daydream of being married to him. She was dreaming of walking down the aisle with her grand wedding dress, holding a bouquet in her hands. In her dream, she was smiling and people are looking at her. She was walking and looking straight ahead, she was staring at the man whom she had love in her life. She had been dreaming that he was happily staring at her, almost tearing up at the sight of her.
Today, it happened. Gray proposed to her. Gray asked her. But she is not happy about it. For her, it wasn’t a proposal for marriage because of love. Gray was doing it because of Xander. Like what he said, “This is for Xander.” She is happy because Gray is very thoughtful for his son. She is happy because he is being a father to him. She is happy because Gray also wanted what she wanted for their son. They both want what’s the best for him. The marriage is all about Xander, not the love Gray used to have for Juvia.
Juvia stood up in her seat. She wiped her face and walked out immediately in the office of the president. She continued to work in spite of what happened. Juvia didn’t concentrate well with her work. She sighed all day. She had been thinking about what happened earlier.
“Juvia, are you there? Hello?” Mike waved his hands on Juvia’s face. She snapped out of her thoughts.
“huh?” She absent-mindedly asked. “What?”
“You aren’t here, are you?” Klare asked, in concern. “Something happen up there?”
Klare is talking about the meeting she had with the boss’ boss. Juvia shook her head. “No. It’s just a simple meeting. Just about what we’re working.”
“Yeah? Did he insult you again?” Mike asked, enrage.
Juvia forced a smile. “No. He’s very nice. Don’t say things like that to him.”
Klare narrowed her eyes on Juvia. “It seems that you know him very much.”
Juvia stopped. She knows him very well. “Uhm, well…”
“Well?” Klare raised her brows at her.
“We study on the same University. He’s a year older than me that time. And he’s been classmates with my brother. We used to hang a lot.” Juvia said. “With friends, of course.”
Klare nodded her head but she seemed unconvinced. “Really? Why do I feel there’s something between you and him?”
Juvia stuttered. “W-What?” Juvia hid her nervousness. “There isn’t. Come on, let’s get back to work.”
In the middle of work, Juvia’s phone rang. She looked at it and it was Gajeel. She frowned. Gajeel never calls in the middle of her work. And Gajeel’s probably in work, too. She took the phone and answered it.
“Hel- “ Juvia said but Gajeel cuts her.
“Gray knows about the little kid?” Gajeel growled. Then, he added. “How?”
Juvia was stunned in her seat. “How?”
“He called me and he went here.” Gajeel said.
“Oh?”
“Don’t “oh” me Juvia!?” She could clearly hear his frustration. “How was the little kid? How are you?”
“He accepted the kid without a blink of an eye. Xander is okay. He didn’t even cry when Gray carried him. We’ve bumped into him yesterday and-“
“What? This happened yesterday?” Gajeel raised his voice over the phone. It made her cringe. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She couldn’t tell a reason. She was pre-occupied yesterday. “I’m sorry.”
She heard Gajeel sighed over the phone. “It’s alright.”
“Why did he go there, Gajeel?” Juvia asked.
“Gray asked me about you and Xander. He is mad at me for hiding it.” Gajeel said.
“I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t have to be, Juvia. It’s your choice to hide and being your brother, I’m here to support in whatever stupid decisions you make.” Gajeel snickered. She didn’t say anything.
“That’s all he said?” Juvia asked. She is nervous that Gray might tell Gajeel that she’ll marry him.
“Is there something he should have said?” Gajeel asked. Juvia remained silent.
“Uh, I guess no.” Juvia answered, still confused. Maybe, Gray didn’t mean the marriage after all.
“Alright. Well, I’m going back to work. We’ll meet later.”Gajeel said and he added before hanging up. “Ah, I remember that prick said that he’ll visit father.”
Juvia can’t speak. She was stunned again. “Oh, okay.” She said and hung up the phone.
She was in deep thought. He’ll visit father. Oh my God! He meant the marriage thing! Her mind started to panic. Of course, Gray will visit Juvia’s father, the one who adopted Gajeel and Juvia, because they will talk about Xander. And probably, he will talk about their marriage.
“You’ll marry me, no questions asked.” Juvia remembered it clearly. Juvia bit her fingers as she nervously thought of that. That made her anxious and sad.
Marriage should be about love, right? But I think that’s not the reason why he’ll marry me. She tried not to cry with that thought. It was even horrible than the rejection from Gray. I wish he’ll just turn me down just like before.
Because just like before, she doesn’t see anger in Gray’s eyes. She doesn’t see anger. Gray was just not interested in him before. It was different now. She can truly see hurt, pain and anger in his eyes. She is afraid and guilty. She didn’t mean to do that to him. She didn’t mean to hurt him that way. She just lost all her courage before. She lost herself too.
Juvia is supposed to meet her friends tonight. Lucy had sent all her friends a text message that they will be having dinner and everybody have to come. Gray had also sent a message in a group chat on Skype that every one of them should come and he has an important announcement to make. Yes, Gray had Juvia’s caller I.D. since she came back. She have a hint that Gray used his connections. Of course, he had asked Gajeel.
Yesterday is a surprise for her. Today is the continuation of many more surprises. Juvia concluded that Gray was about to made that announcement about Xander. She knows it. Juvia closed her eyes, trying to prepare herself.
Get your shit together, Juvia. She said to herself. Then, she heard her phone rang once again. She groaned in frustration. She puts her hands in her face before glancing at her phone. Her eyes widened at the caller I.D.
It was Gray. She thought for a million times in a matter of seconds if she will answer the call. She missed the call before she made up her mind answering it. Then, her phone rang again. Mike and Klare looked at her. Usually, Juvia answered a call immediately.
“You’re acting strange, Juvia.” Klare said to her.
Juvia picked up the phone and nervously answered it. “H-Hello?”
“M-Momma.” Her son answered it for him. Juvia jumped with his voice.
“You had Xander?” Juvia yelled. There was a lump in her throat. “I-I told you I will not take him away from you.” Then, she hung up. Juvia picked up her bag and hurriedly went out of the office. She didn’t even said goodbye at Mike and Klare who are looking at her, worriedly.
“Who’s Xander?” Mike asked. Klare shrugged at him.
Juvia walked fast up until the parking lot. Juvia trembled as she drove fast away to her office. Fears ran through her mind. She picked up her phone again and started dialing Gray’s I.D. caller. Gray picked it up immediately.
“Where are you?” She yelled over the phone. She had an earphone while she is driving. She’s enraged. “I told you, I’m not going to hide Xander away from you anymore.”
“W-What are you saying, Juvia?” She can hear confusion in his voice.
“Where the hell are you? Where is my son?” Her voice trembles as she asked.
“I-I’m at your house, Juvia. What are you talking about? Why are you yelling at me? Are you driving?” Gray asked. She didn’t answer Gray and she hung up the phone.
Tears ran down her face as she drives. Paranoia strikes her. Having an argument with Gray earlier and having Xander with him now, made her think that Gray will going to take Xander. That thought made her go crazy. She still drives fast. She wants to see Xander. To ease her anxiousness, to ease her fears.
Gray heard a honk from Juvia’s house. He knew it was Juvia. He had Xander in his arms and the child jumps from him excitedly. Xander seems to know the car of his mother. Earlier after the conversation he had with Juvia, he immediately went to Gajeel. He is mad. And he needs a friend. And Gajeel is Juvia’s brother, maybe he could help.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Gajeel?” His voice echoed Gajeel’s office. Gajeel didn’t even flinch with Gray’s outburst. He had a bored look.
“That’s her choice, Gray. I have to support her. She’s my sister.” Gajeel answered calmly.
“But why? You’re my friend, Gajeel. You could just tell me where she is when she ran away.” Gray insisted.
“I know but that’s Juvia’s decision. And it made her stress that time, she almost lost the baby.” Gajeel said. Gray’s heart stopped when he heard that. That thought of losing his child scares him.
Even Gajeel didn’t even want to remember it. “At least the kiddo didn’t let go that easily.”
“You could’ve told me that Gajeel. I’m the father.” Gray couldn’t help but to feel mad at Gajeel. “You know what Juvia’s reason for not saying about Xander? She said that she doesn’t want to put a leech on me.” For Gray, it was really offending. He loved Juvia and he didn’t even thought about Juvia putting a leech on him by getting pregnant.
“Come on Gray, she’s scared. I don’t know what happened to my sister, maybe it was the hormones. Try to understand Gray.” Gray calmed with what Gajeel said. “Look, sorry if I hid it from you. It was Juvia’s decision not mine. It was your relationship which she cut off. And I’m sorry for saying things to you before…” Gray clenched his fist as he remembered what Gajeel had said before. “But what’s important is you already knew you had that little brat. Man up and be a father to him!”
“You don’t have to tell me what to do!” Gray hissed.
“Then, why are you even here?”
“I’m here because I want to talk to you first then your father.” Gray said. Gajeel cocked his eyebrow at him. “I want to marry, Juvia.”
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[After this chapter, I’ll update I’m Dating My Cold Professor up until the epilogue. So it’s going to take a while updating this. I know you’re all frustrated for an update after an update. I’m quite frustrated too for taking so long to write an update. English in not my first language, so have patience with my choice of words, and do correct me if you see anything wrong. And every time I write an update about this, it breaks my heart that I want to cry with every harsh line I type when it’s Gray’s line. :( I don’t even know if this is normal. Lol. Ah, thank you for reading, commenting, voting and even following. I didn’t even expect that anyone will read this story also my other fanfics. I am surprise that votes and comments are appearing in my notifs. Thank you guys so much.]