Chapter 1
Ask
“Hey! No running down the hall.” Said the nurse in the hospital. She was running as fast as she could.
“Sorry!” She almost yelled but for sure the nurse could only hear it. But still, she didn’t listen. She needs to go as fast as she could. Room 909. She keeps that in mind.
She keeps on looking for a room 908. It feels like running through a path of nothingness. She runs until her breathing pants. She saw room 905 as she passed through.
Room 906. She passed through it again.
Room 907. Almost there. She thought and passed through the white walls.
Room 908. One more door and I’ll be there. She thought again as she slowed down her steps and stopped running. She took a long breathe and before she could knew, she was at a door, Room 909.
It took her a second before she realized that she needed to open that door. Juvia, you have to open the damn door. She thought. Her hands tremble as she was about to open it. What will she saw inside it? Who will she saw when she opens the door? Hey, Juvia, you’ve got to get your shit together.
But she couldn’t bring her shit together. For she is remembering something. All memories came back to her. She sighed. She doesn’t want to remember but here she is in front of the door. She needs to open the door. She is needed here. She still needs to see them.
She sighed again. She looked like a fool just by standing in front of the door. She was running fast earlier, why couldn’t she bring herself inside that room now? She breathes in and out. She held the door and ready to open it. I’m ready to face it. I’m ready to face him.
Her heartbeat was fast that she felt numb about everything as she opened the door. She felt like she was about to pull a trigger in a bomb. And the bomb was her. She felt like she was about to open a treasure box and the treasure box was what’s inside the room. It felt anticipating. She felt her sweat running down her temple. She felt sweaty. Her palms are sweaty; she had to wipe it in her dress. She adjusted her dress, meaning she was really nervous.
Then she opened the door.
All eyes are on her when she opened it. There she saw Lucy in the hospital bed, holding a newborn baby. Then, he saw Natsu beside Lucy, looking engrossed as he stared at his baby. Then, her eyes traveled among whose inside the room. She sighed in relief. He was not here. She thought.
“Juvia!” Levy exclaimed. She welcomed her with a hug. Juvia smiled and hugged back. She felt nostalgic with her seeing her friends.
“Juvia! We’re glad you came.” Lucy said at her. She smiled. Erza, Mira, Cana, Lissana were also there.
“Long time no see, Juvia.” Natsu grinned at her then he looked at his baby again.
“Yeah, we haven’t seen you since college. Or since we graduated.” Loki said as he adjusted his eyeglasses and looked at her. She smiled to him as well. “Well, hell, you look gorgeous.”
“Loki, there’s a baby in the room. Stop swearing.” Mira said but she still has her smile on.
Juvia just laughed at them and went over to see Lucy’s newborn baby. It’s true that she hasn’t seen her friends since they graduated in college. She hadn’t said anything on that. Instead, she looked at the baby and gently touched its cheeks.
“It looks like Natsu.” She commented. Then, she looked at Lucy smiling. “Is it a boy?” Lucy nodded and Juvia had to look again to the baby. He was so adorable. His hair is blonde like his mother but the eyes, nose and lips are all Natsu’s.
“I hope you’ll be awesome like your parents.” She whispered at the baby.
“Hell yeah!” Natsu said as she heard it. She just laughed with it.
“Natsu, we’re in the hospital.” Lucy warned Natsu and shook her head. “Hope he’s not troublesome like his father.”
Everybody laughed at that. And they were all whipped with the baby. Juvia too. And Juvia was relief about something. Elfman, Lissana, Mira, Erza, Levy, Loki and all of the other members of the guild were there. Well, Gajeel texted her that she would be a little late. Even Evergreen was there. There is one guy who is missing.
Something is missing. No. Someone is missing in the picture.
She doesn’t want to remember or see him. Saying his name might be nerve-wracking for her. Even thinking about him makes her sick. Sickly nervous. Sickly scared. Sickly terrified. She feared of seeing him today. He will be here today. He won’t miss Lucy’s newborn baby. He won’t miss one of his friend’s baby.
She was nervously looking around. Hoping that the door would not open as soon as she leaves. Or hope he would not appear as soon as she was there. But what she hoped for will not happen.
“Gajeel said he was stuck in traffic.” Levy said as Juvia was now holding the baby in her arms. The baby was asleep as she cradled him.
With all the peace in the room, there will always be noise coming around. And what Juvia feared will happen sooner. As the door knob moves, he will soon enter. The man Juvia doesn’t want to see.
“Sorry, I’m late. So is it another Natsu or another Lucy?” He said as he entered the room. Juvia stiffened. She definitely knew that voice. Ever since. She knows who it was.
She couldn’t bring herself to face him. But she needed to. She was holding the baby. She didn’t move. Her face was blank but inside her head, she was panicking. She felt numb, sweaty and sick. She’s terrified.
“Gray!” Said Levy. And there was noise around the room. Everybody was greeting him, telling him about the baby, asking him how has been his life. But Juvia, stood there, not ready to face her nightmare. How can she call it a nightmare if she wasn’t even asleep?
“So this is the baby,” she heard a voice closer to hers. She didn’t see it coming. She was stunned by his voice earlier, now his appearance made it a lot harder for her.
“Hi Juvia, long time no see.” He said. His voice went shiver down her spine.
“Here Juvia, I got the baby.” Natsu said as he carried the baby from Juvia. Then, she came to herself again. She sighed. Thankful that she didn’t hurt the baby because she wasn’t able to move or to grip into something earlier.
As the baby was into Natsu’s arm, Gray went over it and observed the baby. Juvia finally took a glance at him. He doesn’t even bother I am here. She thought. Gray grinned as he looked at the baby. He even played with the baby’s little hand.
Am I the only one who’s holding on to the past? She thought again. She looked at everyone. Everyone seems normal. Everyone doesn’t notice. They’re over it. I’m the only one who wasn’t over it.
She felt a hand over her shoulder. She looked behind her and saw Mira, looking worried at her.
“Juvia?” She asked. Juvia was just looking at Mira. Mira is giving her a meaningful look.
She shrugged and just smiled. She looked at him again. Gray. He had grown so much better. He was still the same, still handsome and still had those wonderful eyes she always adores. It was still the same for her.
If she hasn’t just ruined it.
Everybody seems happy with the newborn baby of the guild. Of course, Natsu is the happiest among them. Lucy is happy too but she had just given birth for almost 18 hours so she was tired. Yet still happy. Having Natsu’s child and being a mother is the happiest title Lucy will embrace for the rest of her life.
Everybody is happy. But Juvia might not be as happy as them. Gajeel just came and he was greeted by Levy. His girlfriend. Juvia had to giggle when Gajeel is so sweet towards Levy. He gave Levy a hug and a kiss on the forehead. She was happy for Gajeel. For once, they were the bad guys, now Gajeel is receiving all the good things and Juvia knows he deserve it. Everybody seems happy. Everybody has their happy ending. Everybody, except her.
The guild has reunited once again. They celebrated although no alcoholic drinks for them and they had to lessen their noise because they were in the hospital and they had a new baby around. They just talked and coped with all what has happened to them.
“Excuse me, but visiting hours are over.” The nurse said. “And it looks crowded in this room so I’m sorry if I have to ask you to leave.”
“Oh. We’re sorry. We’re just happy and excited for our friend’s baby.” Mira apologized and the nurse smiled.
“Come on, I think we should go. Let Lucy rest for today.” Erza said and everybody agreed.
“Maybe, we should celebrate this outside, don’t you think?” Loki grinned and everybody nodded. Even Erza.
Juvia wanted to come. Of course, she missed her friends. She hasn’t seen them for years now. She would want to celebrate with them. But it worries her.
“Yeah, we should. I found a bar near this hospital; I think we should continue that there.” Jellal said.
They all waved goodbye to Lucy and Natsu. Natsu couldn’t come, of course, for the baby and Lucy. Natsu and Lucy thanked them for coming. Juvia hugged Lucy before leaving.
“Congratulations, Lucy.” Juvia said. Lucy smiled at her then she became serious. The others went outside.
“Are you okay, Juvia? I noticed you earlier.” Lucy said. Juvia was surprised, currently lost for words. “I know you; I know you can’t hide nervousness around Gray.”
Juvia bit her lip. She can’t lie around Lucy. Lucy knows her. She might have hated Lucy back then because she thought Lucy had interest with Gray but now seeing Lucy with Natsu, her hatred faded away. They have become quite closer than the other girls.
“Juvia…” Lucy sighed. Lucy didn’t know what to say either.
“He doesn’t mind I think. I think he’s over it. That was a long time ago.” Juvia explained. “Everybody seems okay.”
“Except you.” Lucy argued.
“I’m fine.” She said. Lucy just sighed at her. “It was a long time ago. He might probably forget about it. He didn’t even notice me –“
“He greeted you.” Natsu interrupts. He sat on the bed beside Lucy. He put his hand over Lucy’s shoulder. “He noticed you.”
“Yeah, right. I mean, I am okay. I think it was okay now. I don’t know.” She said. The couple just looked at her with worried faces. She had to roll her eyes on them. “Oh please, that thing was long past over due.”
Lucy sighed. “Fine. If you say so…”
“Well, if you haven’t dumped him before then it would have been different from now. And why did you do that again?” Natsu asked out of nowhere. Lucy had to slam his head for that.
“Insensitive.” Lucy crossed her arms.
“What? I’m just saying that.” Natsu defended himself from Lucy. “I’m sorry Juvia but I’m just stating the fact. You like him so much back then; you’ll do crazy things for him. You’ll even show him your body just to notice you. Why did you just back off when he told you he already likes you?”
That she can’t answer. She just looked down, bit her lip and kept on regretting. All over again.
I’ve been asking myself that too. She thought.
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A/N: I badly need a cover for this.